Author: Stephen Fenech

Google Maps is celebrating its 20th birthday – it was developed right here in Australia – and has gone on to be used by billions of people to find their way. To commemorate this milestone, Google has revealed Australia’s most reviewed locations on Google Maps which includes iconic landmarks, museums, restaurants and other interesting locations. Most-Reviewed Restaurant:  Dosa Hut Indian Restaurant, Harris Park, NSW (14.4K reviews, 4.61 average rating) We love Indian cuisine according to Google Maps with Indian restaurants prominent in the top 10 most reviewed eateries on Google Maps in Australia. And Dosa Hut in Harris Park is…

Get updated and educated about the latest consumer tech news and reviews by listening to Episode 631 of the top-rating Tech Guide podcast hosted by editor Stephen Fenech. On this week’s show: Google Maps turns 20 years old – but did you know it was created in Australia, HMD releases a new device to allow you to connect from anywhere via satellite and Apple has released Apple Invites to make it easier to bring your friends together. In the Tech Guide reviews – we share our verdict of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, we also check out the Acer Swift…

Disney+ has today announced the expansion of the streaming service in Australia and New Zealand will include sports programming from ESPN. Due to go live in the coming months, the ESPN content will include more than 10,000 hours of live sports which can be viewed on the Disney+ platform from ESPN and ESPN2 channels. This will include popular shows like SportsCenter, The Pat McAfee Show, NBA Today, First Take along with live sport and on-demand replays. The offering would also include ESPN’s award-winning library of 30 for 30 films. https://youtu.be/A4HhhhUoJgs?si=fBVoFK8DhvF_0UuX ESPN launched content on Disney+ in Latin America in June…

People get into online dating with high hopes but a third of people aren’t aware of the dangers like romance scams making them even more vulnerable as Valentine’s Day approaches. According to new Vodafone research which polled more than 1,000 Australians, one in four (23 per cent) fell victim to a romance scam in 2024. One in 10 (10 per cent) admitted they had been scammed multiple times in the past year.  “The emotional devastation coupled with financial losses mean romance and dating fraudsters can hurt people twice as much,” says Amelia Limbrick, Customer Security & Investigations Manager at Vodafone.  “The…

The majority of Australia’s landmass outside the reach of regular cellular networks so it’s a good place to launch the HMD OffGrid – a non-terrestrial communication device to connect customers from anywhere. Australia will be among the first places to launch the HMD OffGrid – a compact and durable device and ideal companion for anyone who wants to stay in touch even in the most remote areas. Priced at $329 from Amazon, the HMD OffGrid uses L Band satellite radio spectrum which allows smartphone users to connect directly to satellites even in remote and challenging environments. Users can achieve satellite…

Punch it into gear and take a listen to the latest episode of the popular show Two Blokes Talking Electric Cars – The EV Podcast – with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long. On this week’s show the blokes discuss some charging issues Trevor experienced on his way to Young and the messages he received from the company after making a complaint on social media – but Trev stands his ground. Also you can get a 20 per cent discount on tickets for the Everything Electric EV in Sydney on March 7-9 by using the promo code…

Finding the right laptop is a bit like entering a relationship – you’re going to spend a lot of time together, working together, travelling together, relying on each other, hoping to be inspired to do your best work and never let you down. The Acer Swift Go 14 AI can help with all of this and should be on your shortlist. When we choose a partner, we look at their best qualities that come together to form an attractive package. It’s the same for laptops. Tech Guide has been reviewing the Acer Swift Go 14 AI and it’s a machine…

Being right is not a bullet-proof vest! This week on The Best Movies You’ve Never Seen podcast we’re watching Cop Land starring Sylvester Stallone, Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta and Harvey Keitel. Cop Land tells the story of a New Jersey town where a lot of New York cops have made a home for themselves. Sheriff Freddy Heflin – an officer who couldn’t join the NYPD because of his hearing – has kept the peace in the town but faces a situation where he must act against the growing police corruption happening right under his nose. Stephen watched Cop Land…

Get with the program and take a listen to Episode 669 of the Two Blokes Talking Tech podcast with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long as they discuss the week’s biggest tech news and product announcements. On this week’s show, Stephen and Trevor share their verdicts on the new Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. Is the AI all it’s made out to be? What’s it’s best feature? Kayo price rises are a big deal, but will anyone cancel? Probably not. Plus, what does the future of sports rights look like? And will you use Apple Invites? You can…

It was 20 years ago when we were introduced to Google Maps. But what most people don’t know is that it actually has Australian roots and was developed in Sydney. Two Danish born brothers – Lars and Jens Rasmussen – were running their Where 2 Technologies start up from their apartment in Hunter’s Hill when they came up with new mapping technology. They pitched the idea to investors – one which happened to be Google who bought the company in 2004 before Google Maps was born in 2005. Today it’s used by more than two billion users per month to…

Dyson has unveiled its latest cordless vacuum – the Dyson Car+Boat – the most powerful handheld vacuum design to clean tight spaces like cars, boats, bedding and around pets. Under the hood is a motor that spins at 110,000RPM to offer amazing suction power while still maintaining a 50-minute battery runtime. Now even the most stubborn dirt and debris and pet hair can be removed when you’re cleaning your car, your boat and around your home. It includes Dyson’s trademarks fully sealed filtration system that locks up 99.9 per cent of particles as small as 0.3 microns including dust allergens…

Apple has released a new app for iPhone – Apple Invites – which makes it easy for users to create customised invitations for their family and friends. With Apple Invites it’s not only easy to create the invitation but it also share the invitations, gather RSVP and even contribute to shared albums and share Apple Music playlists. Apple Invite is available free from the App Store or it can be accessed through the web icloud.com/invites. iCloud+ subscribers can create invitations which anyone can view an RSVP even if they don’t have an Apple account or an Apple device. “With Apple…

The new Samsung S25 Ultra is the culmination of years of state of the art hardware and software development and the power of those features have now been remarkably enhanced with AI. It’s a complete package that will suit every type of user whether they are a mobile professional, an avid photographer, content creator or just your average user who wants to get the most out of their device. There are hardware improvements and an all new One UI 7 platform along with the next-gen Galaxy AI that is now supplemented with Google’s Gemini AI. The strength of AI is…

Step up and press play on Episode 630 of the top-rating Tech Guide podcast hosted by editor Stephen Fenech as he keeps you updated and educated about the latest consumer tech news and reviews. On this week’s show: Apple is a step closer to its first foldable iPhone, the iPad is 15 years old and we were at the launch event and Vodafone has expanded its regional coverage. In the Tech Guide reviews, we check out the Netgear Nighthawk RS600 WiFi7 router, it’s back to school time and the smartphones to suit first time users and Swann has released a…

Panasonic has re-invented the microwave into an all-in-one appliance that now incorporates air-fry functionality and the features of a convection oven. The innovative Panasonic NN-CD88 combines four popular cooking methods into one – it’s a microwave, an oven, a griller and an air fryer – and can produce amazing results. It’s designed to save space while improving the cooking experience for the whole family. The NN-CD88 includes a new stainless steel, dishwasher safe Air Fry Basket accessory that can cook up to 900g of fries and achieve perfect browning and crispness and all without having to pre-heat. It can perform…

Drop everything and take a listen to the latest episode of the popular show Two Blokes Talking Electric Cars – The EV Podcast – with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long. On this week’s show Stephen and Trevor talk about President Donald Trump’s decision to remove national EV incentives in the US – so will that affect EV car sales there, and could there be knock on effects around the world? We have a return call from Penelope! How many cars did she end up testing? Has she bought an EV yet?? And do we need a…

A foldable iPhone could be a step closer with rumours Apple has chosen a supplier for the next-generation foldable displays required for the device which could land as soon as 2026. According to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo writing a post on Medium, the folding iPhone is in the planning stage. Apple could enter mass production as soon as the second half of 2025 to achieve the rumoured 2026 release. Industry insiders are saying a foldable iPhone would have a clamshell design like a flip phone – basically an iPhone that folds in half. There are no indications to suggest Apple…

It’s not just speed we’re after with our home wi-fi – we’re also after consistency and range which is exactly what the Netgear Nighthawk RS600 tri-band Wi-Fi 7 router delivers. Wi-Fi 7 is the latest standard that is faster and more robust than the previous Wi-Fi 6E standard. The Netgear Nighthawk RS600 has a sleek, attractive design with small footprint so it doesn’t take up much space. The RS600 connects to your existing modem and is easy to set up through the Nighthawk app which takes you step by step through the whole process from connecting the cables and power…

I’m still here, Chief! This week on The Best Movies You’ve Never Seen podcast we’re watching Frequency starring Jim Caviezel and Dennis Quaid. Frequency tells the story about rare environmental conditions that allows a cop talk to his dead father 30 years ago on a ham radio and change history. Stephen watched Frequency in the cinema and it fits squarely in his hidden gem category while Trevor is tuning in to this movie for the very first time. We go through the memorable scenes and share some interesting facts, behind the scenes tidbits, trivia, fact v fiction and other things…

Make the smart move and listen to Episode 668 of the Two Blokes Talking Tech podcast with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long as they go through the week’s biggest tech stories and product launches. On this week’s show, the Chinese AI platform Deep Seek – is it any good, there is a new iPhone SE coming – we got the dummy in our hands, Vodafone expands its regional coverage and Stephen reflects on the original iPad launch 15 years ago. You can listen or the watch show right here on the Tech Guide site using the…