Author: Stephen Fenech

Oppo has released its latest affordable smartphone – the A5 5G – which offers a sleek design, IP65 water and dust resistance and a massive 6,000 mAh battery. Priced at $299, the Oppo A5 5G is built for the Australian lifestyle with military grade shock resistance and a double tempered glass screen whether you’re outdoors, on the move or on a job site. “Our entry-level A Series has always been a favourite among Australians, and the Oppo A5 Series takes that to the next level,” said Michael Tran, Oppo Australia’s Managing Director. “We’ve engineered the A5 5G with the features…

Australians are in the crosshairs of cyber criminals who are unleashing a new wave of AI-powered phishing scams impersonating popular brands including Telstra, according to new data from Gen – the company behind internet security company Norton. Gen has just released its threat report which looks at Q1 2025 and found a 186 per cent surge in breached personal information, a 466 per cent spike in phishing reports and a 17x increase in the number of fake browser update scams. One scam was aimed at customers who use Telstra email. Scammers would send a link to fake Telstra log-in page…

Apple has once again demonstrated its App Store is a safe place for customers and developers after it stopped more than $US2 billion in potentially fraudulent transactions in 2024 and rejected two million risky app submissions. In the last five years more than $US9 billion in fraudulent transactions have been prevented according to Apple’s annual App Store Fraud Analysis. The App Store opened in 2008 and has become the leading marketplace for developers to release apps and grow their businesses in more than 175 regions around the world. On average there are more than 813 million visitors to the App…

Due to popular demand messaging app WhatsApp is now available for the iPad for the very first time to make it easier to stay connected to your friends and family. And not only can you use WhatsApp for messaging but you can also make and receive video and audio calls. To activate WhatsApp on the iPad users need to link the device from their smartphone by scanning a QR code. iPad users can also take advantage of a recent update – voice chats for WhatsApp groups so you can create an audio hangout for groups of all sizes so everyone…

Give yourself a gift and listen to Episode 646 of the top-rating Tech Guide podcast hosted by editor Stephen Fenech who keeps you updated and educated about the latest consumer tech news and reviews. On this week’s show: Why the iPhone could cost more than $4000 thanks to President Trump, Dyson has unveiled the world’s thinnest vacuum and HMD has reinvented the flip phone. In the Tech Guide reviews – we check out Samsung’s super slim Galaxy S25 Edge smartphone, we take the new DJI Mavic 4 Pro for a spin and the smart speaker that enables remote care reminders…

Tech can be a real pain in the neck – literally. It’s National Spinal Health Week and the Australian Chiropractors Association (ACA) has released alarming new data that reveals tech neck is a real condition affecting millions of Australians. Not surprisingly, the data showed that 80 per cent of smartphone users who rarely take breaks from their device suffer neck pain compared to 60 per cent of users who did take regular breaks. Tech neck – also known as tension neck syndrome – has reached a point where 78 per cent of respondents in the ACA study needed to take…

Hit the road with 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. This week, Stephen and Trevor are impressed by the Zeekr X – it’s important to know its place in the market, but it’s premium for sure! And we take your calls including Chris who has a BYD Sealion 7 on order and has questions! We also chat to Jamie who is back on the show after ordering his second EV! If you’ve got a question about EVs or you…

Your next iPhone may be a lot more expensive courtesy of US President Donald Trump who has threatened to hit Apple with a tariff of at least 25 per cent if iPhones sold in the US are not manufactured in the US. And the same rule would apply to other smartphone makers, including the world’s number one manufacturer Samsung, if they intend to sell their products in the United States. Back in April, shortly after taking office, the Trump administration exempted smartphones and computers and other electronics from 145 per cent import tax imposed on goods imported from China. Apple…

The Samsung Galaxy S25 edge has set a new smartphone trend – thin is back in. But the good news is there’s very little compromise to bring you a smartphone that’s just 5.8mm thick while still offering flagship features and performance. We’ve been using the S25 edge for a couple of weeks and this one of our favourite devices we’ve used for some time. https://youtu.be/20Wngo_tGOk?si=dbgRpoOicRm0-K9W Naturally, the biggest selling point of the device is the fact that it is super slim at just 5.8mm thick. The first time we got it in our hands we marvelled at the engineering that…

No one ever asked me to find anything they didn’t want dead. This week on The Best Movies You’ve Never Seen podcast we’re watching Species starring Ben Kingsley and Natasha Henstridge. Species tells the story of a group of scientists on the hunt for a woman created from a DNA map sent to Earth by aliens before she successfully acts on her relentless desire to reproduce. Stephen watched Species in the cinema and has rewatched it numerous times while Trevor is connecting for the first time. We go through the memorable scenes and share some interesting facts, behind the scenes…

Get up to speed with Episode 684 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 news and product launches. On this week’s show, Stephen and Trevor unpack Google’s annual I/O developers conference which kicked off this week with loads of AI announcements. And we question – how is Apple going? What will they do to put their stamp on this race? Telstra under attack from Vodafone – has the big telco deceived Aussies with their coverage claims? And we also talk about Sony’s…

Dyson has unveiled the world’s slimmest vacuum cleaner which is just 38mm wide. It’s called the Dyson PencilVac and, despite its slim dimensions, it’s still packed with technology. The Dyson PencilVac has four fluffy cones in the cleaner head along with two brush bars rotating in opposite directions which makes the cleaner head float across the floor. The cleaning heads are shaped to offer thorough cleaning right to the skirting board. The brush bars have nylon bristles which can gather up hair while still lifting fine dust and debris from hard surfaces. It also has laser illumination front and back…

HMD (Human Mobile Devices) has revived the classic flip phone and given it a modern spin with the release of its 2660 Flip to keep users connected but not distracted by social media and emails. Priced at just $129, the HMD 2660 Flip has a retro look and feel and is ideal for older users who crave simplicity and large easy-to-read buttons while still offering a large display and decent battery life. The device also has a dedicated emergency button which, when activated, will connect to an In Case of Emergency (ICE) contact. The HMD 2660 Flip is also perfect…

Google’s annual I/O developer conference has kicked off and includes updates for Gemini, a new AI mode for Google search with more agentic abilities and an update on the Android XR software for smart glasses. GEMINI The Gemini app continues to grow and develop with a range of new features like Imagen 4 to generate images faster with improved image quality along with Veo 3 video generation complete with sound effects and native audio generation. Gemini will also now be included in the Chrome browser on Windows and macOS to make it easier to ask questions while surfing the web…

Go to the top of the class with Episode 645 of the top-rating Tech Guide podcast hosted by editor Stephen Fenech so you can be updated and educated about the latest consumer tech news and product releases. On this week’s show: Vodafone’s explosive claims about Telstra overstating its network credentials, are you paying too much for your SIM only plan and we share our first impressions of Samsung’s new super thin S25 Edge smartphone. In the Tech Guide reviews – we check out Sony’s new noise cancelling headphones, we take a look at Samsung’s Neo QLED 8K smart TV and…

Leading home security brand Arlo has unveiled new AI-powered features to its subscription service which now includes Advanced Audio Detection. This means the Arlo cameras are not only watching for movement they’re also listening as well to things like screams, gunshots, dogs barking and glass breaking and provide appropriate notifications for the homeowner to act. “Arlo continues to push the boundaries of what’s possible in home security with our relentless focus on industry-first innovations,” said Matthew McRae, Chief Executive Officer at Arlo. “Leveraging Arlo Intelligence, a high-performance smart security AI engine with robust detection and recognition capabilities, Arlo Secure delivers…

Pump up your tyres and press play on 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. Stephen and Trevor have both taken a drive of the two seat sportscar turning heads – MG’s Cyberster – it is a bit pricey but it is impressive. Joan has questions for Zeekr and we get her the answers and Lewis is new to the EV game and has tips for us all. We also speed to Mark who was initially an EV skeptic just…

Vodafone has directed explosive allegations against Telstra saying the telco has been misleading customers for more than 15 years about its coverage claims and has called for a regulatory investigation. Vodafone says for more than 15 years Telstra has been dramatically overstating the reach of its mobile network by as much as 40 percent. And it has been using these allegedly inflated coverage claims to compare against other mobile operators’ network coverage. According to Vodafone, Telstra and its sub-brand Boost Mobile have been inflating the network coverage by almost one million square kilometres – that’s roughly the size of NSW,…

Are you getting the best value from your SIM-only plan? Award winning Aussie provider SpinTel says many Australians are paying too much per month on outdated plans. SIM-only plans, while you just pay for the service not the device, have become hugely popular but they are not all created equal. These plans usually come with no lock-in contracts and lower monthly fees (because you own your handset and are not paying it off). They also offer more flexibility which gives customers the opportunity to switch providers if they find a better deal. With cost of living pressures and rising smartphone…

The new Neo QLED 8K QN990F is the hero product in Samsung’s new TV lineup – and the market in general to be fair – thanks to an irresistible combination of cutting edge technologies. Tech Guide took a look at the 85-inch Neo QLED 8K QN990F and enjoyed one of the best TV viewing experiences we can remember. There are so many innovations packed in and supported and empowered by AI it’s no wonder our jaws dropped when we were watching it. Under the hood is the most advanced processor Samsung has produced for its TVs – the NQ8 AI…