Author: Stephen Fenech

One thing customers dread is calling for help and support from their telco or service provider because historically it has taken a long time to get a satisfying outcome or resolution. Telstra is now using AI to change all that. The telco is using generative AI to help their frontline staff understand a customer’s needs and account history and provide superior customer service and faster issue resolutions. Telstra has deployed two in-house developed generative AI solutions which leverage the power of Microsoft cloud and its Azure OpenAI capabilities. Two new AI-driven tools – One Sentence Summary and Ask Telstra -…

The popular team behind the hit podcast Two Blokes Taking Tech – Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long – have launched a brand new show – Two Blokes Talking Electric Cars. And you can hear Episode 1 right now. Two Blokes Talking Electric Cars offers the well-known brand of expertise, enthusiasm and friendly banter to provides news, discussion and in-depth reviews on EVs. Stephen and Trevor are both passionate EV drivers themselves and they will be using their knowledge and experience to educate and inform anyone thinking of buying an electric car or someone who has just…

Nokia has launched G22 smartphone – hailed by Time Magazine as “one of the best inventions of 2023” for its self-repair functionality – in 2024’s colour of the year: peach. Available in So Peach from February 15 for $349, the Nokia G22 leads the way in the “fix it yourself” trend which has shifted consumer purchase patterns around the world. The Nokia G22 is already available in lagoon blue and meteor grey – and it also comes with a silicone case so you can protect the device. The G22 hit the headlines in 2023 because the device is designed to…

Press play on Episode 586 of the top-rating Tech Guide podcast hosted by editor Stephen Fenech so you can stay updated and educated about the latest consumer tech news and reviews. On this week’s show: Apple’s Vision Pro goes on sale in the US – when can we expect to see it in Australia, a Chinese start-up has created a nuclear battery that will run for 50 years and Elon Musk’s Neuralink has implanted its first brain chip in a human patient. In the Tech Guide reviews, we give you our verdict on the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, Belkin releases…

Ever seen those stunning astrophotography images and thought I’d like to get into that? Celestron has released Origin – its new computerised all-in-one observatory – which make capturing stunning astro images a snap. I did have this thought myself a few years ago and took the steep learning curve to put together the equipment that could enable me to capture those same amazing celestial objects. My set up included a telescope, a mount, a dedicated astrophotography camera and I had to learn how to do a polar alignment, find and track the target and then capture lots of long exposures…

The Apple Vision Pro has gone on sale in the US to much fanfare after reportedly selling more than 200,000 units during the pre-order period. Apple was in its typical launch mode with its US stores packed with customers who wanted to try the device for themselves. Priced from $US3,499 (that’s $A5,380), the Apple Vision Pro is not cheap, but the early reaction has been mostly positive. US-based tech writers and influencers were full of praise for the mixed reality headset. READ TECH GUIDE’S HAND-ON FIRST LOOK AT THE APPLE VISION PRO While there has been no date set for…

The release of the Samsung Galaxy S24 range of smartphones will be remembered as the first mobile devices to enter the AI era and improve your experience across the board. There will be other smartphones from rival brands that inject AI in a similar way, but Samsung got here first. While there are some cosmetic design changes with the S24 line-up of devices and a performance improvement – it is the software and Galaxy AI that make this one of the biggest year-on-year smartphone improvements that we’ve ever seen. Flagship devices only ever offer incremental changes and are not aimed…

Head or gut? This week on The Best Movies You’ve Never Seen we’re watching The Last Boy Scout starring Bruce Willis and Damon Wayans and directed by Tony Scott. The Last Boy Scout tells the story of a former secret service agent turned private investigator who gets caught up in a case that drops him in the middle of a pro-football and political scandal. Stephen watched The Last Boy Scout at the movies with his future wife Jo and Trevor only heard about it for the first time last week when he was asked to watch it for the show.…

The Uniden iGO CAM445 Dash Cam will go on sale at Aldi on February 10 for less than $100 so they can be your eyes and ears on the road. Dash cams are becoming an essential part of driving so you can record any incidents while you’re driving which can then be used in insurance claims or police reports. The Uniden iGO CAM445 smart dash cam has a compact barrel design and can be installed out of the way near your rear view mirror so it won’t be a distraction. It has a 2K super HD resolution which offers enough…

It’s that time again. Time to listen to Episode 618 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 stories and products. On this week’s show, the EU has thoughts on the Apple’s App Store, first reviews of Apple’s Vision Pro appear in the US, Disney+ prices hikes, ASUS announces pricing for the new Zenbook Duo and we take a look at a pool robot. https://youtu.be/bL87Z_-QCUc?si=JlQa0BlpTYjwg6Vr You can listen or the watch show right here on Tech Guide site using the audio player below or…

Belkin has just released one of its most versatile products ever with the BoostCharge Hybrid Wall Charger + Power Bank 5K and Travel Adapter so you can keep your devices charged no matter where you are. It’s a wall charger and power bank in one and comes with interchangeable plugs so you can use it on your travels as well. The BoostCharge product has a 25W USB-C port and a USB-A port and can charge two products at the same time. And while it’s plugged in, you’re not only charging your devices but also recharging the 5,000mAh battery which can…

The Polestar 4 electric car – which combines the look of a coupe and the space of an SUV – has gone on sale in Australia with the first orders expected to hit the road by August. Starting at $81,500, the Polestar 4 is the fastest production the car the company has produced and can go 0-100km/h in 3.8 seconds. Both long range models have a 100kWh battery with the long range dual motor offering a range of 580km while the long range single motor takes the range up to 610km. “The introduction of Polestar 4 into all our markets…

Is this the first step in a symbiotic link between humans and technology? Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk confirmed the Neuralink brain chip has been implanted in a human’s brain for the first time. Musk made the announcement with a post on X (Twitter) – a platform he now owns. He said: “The first human received an implant from Neuralink yesterday and is recovering well. Initial results show promising neuron spike detection.” The Neuralink product is called Telepathy. The first human received an implant from @Neuralink yesterday and is recovering well. Initial results show promising neuron spike detection. — Elon Musk…

D-Link has launched a new mesh wi-fi system which has paid as much attention to its design and shape as it has to its technical features to improve your home’s wireless network. The Aquila Pro AI M30 Wi-Fi 6 mesh system is available in a two-pack or a three-pack and can bolster the strength and speed of your wireless network across your entire home. The inspiration for the Aquila Pro design came from the Aquila constellation (Aquila is Latin for eagle) and is a huge departure from traditional router design. It has a curved and elegant shape  that is wall…

Go to the top of the class with Episode 585 of the top-rating Tech Guide podcast hosted by editor Stephen Fenech so you can stay updated and educated about the latest consumer technology news and reviews. On this week’s show: Apple is working on its biggest iOS update – and it will include AI, ASUS announces the pricing and availability of its new dual screen OLED laptop and LG has launched a runout sale for its 2023 range of TVs and soundbars. In the Tech Guide reviews, Oppo has launched an affordable yet feature rich phone and there’s a new…

Imagine a battery that could run for 50 years? Well, imagine no more. A Chinese start-up is about to produce a coin sized nuclear battery that can keep your devices charged for decades. This would mean never having to charge your smartphone, laptop or tablet and being able to fly a drone for long as you want. Betavolt, based in Beijing, has come up with the battery that can deliver 100 microwatts of power and 3V despite being 15 millimetres long and 5mm thick. The company plans to release a 1W battery by 2025. And because the battery is so…

You love your Apple Watch and you’ve got a few bands you like to swap out but there is no way to display them – until now. Take a look at the TimePorter from TwelveSouth.  It provides an excellent way to display and store your extra Apple Watch bands. Each TimePorter is 25.5cm wide and has room to store up to six Apple Watch bands. They attach to the wall or the inside of a wardrobe door with 3M Command strips. When you push the Apple Watch band up into the TimePorter, the rubber section along the top grips the…

Apple is preparing its biggest iOS software update in the history of the iPhone with an AI-enhanced Siri and higher quality cross platform messaging. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple’s upcoming iOS 18 – usually unveiled at Apple’s Worldwide Developer’s Conference in early June – will be “one of the biggest iOS updates, if not the biggest, in the company’s history,” Gurman wrote in the Q&A section of the Power On newsletter. The biggest updates will be a much smarter Siri personal assistant that will reportedly be powered by generative AI alongside RCS (rich communication services) messaging for an improved…

The new ASUS Zenbook Duo – the world’s first 14-inch Dual-Screen OLED laptop – can now be pre-ordered ahead of its release on February 14. Priced from $3,999, the ASUS Zenbook Duo will be available through the ASUS eShop and JB Hi-Fi and other participating retailers. The product has an eye-catching design thanks to its dual 14-inch 3K 120Hz OLED displays and detachable Bluetooth keyboard. The ASUS Zenbook Duo can be used like a regular laptop with one 14-inch display visible and the Bluetooth keyboard attached to the lower half, in dual screen mode with two 14-inch displays one above…

We were woken 90 years too early. This week on The Best Movies You’ve Never Seen we’re watching Passengers starring Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt. Passengers tells the story of Jim Preston who wakes up 90 years early during a 120-year trip to a new planet to start a new life. Stephen saw Passengers in the cinema and has rewatched it a few times while Trevor is getting on the bus for the first time. Will he like it? We go through the memorable scenes and share some interesting facts, behind the scenes tidbits, trivia, fact v fiction and other…