Author: Stephen Fenech

If you haven’t done your Christmas shopping yet Tech Guide’s 2023 12 Days of Christmas Gift Ideas is here to help you find the right presents for friends and family. Today we’re looking smartwatches, sportswatches and other wearables. Be sure to check back everyday so see the other categories over the full 12 Days. Here are Tech Guide’s 12 Days of Christmas Gift Ideas: Day 1: Cameras Day 2: Smartphones Day 3: Wearables/smartwatches Day 4: Headphones/speakers DAY 5: Gaming DAY 6: Tablets/e-readers DAY 7: Drones/Gadgets DAY 8: Smart/IoT devices DAY 9: In-car gadgets DAY 10: TVs/Blu-Ray/4K DAY 11: Appliances DAY 12: Computers DAY 3: Smartwatches/Wearables GOOGLE PIXEL WATCH 2 – $549 (Bluetooth…

The new Tesla Model 3 has received a significant redesign with a number of new features which will make the already popular electric vehicle even more in demand. Tech Guide got behind the wheel of the new 2024 Tesla Model 3 long range edition which starts at $71,900 plus on road costs. The vehicle has a range of up to 629km with a top speed of 201km/h. And it can go from 0 to 100km/h in just 4.4 seconds. On the outside there are a few obvious changes with a sleeker and more aerodynamic look. We noticed there are less…

Christmas is less than three weeks away and there’s still time to nail the perfect tech present with the help of the Tech Guide 2023 12 Days of Christmas Gift Guide. Today we’re focusing on smartphones and smartphone accessories. Be sure to come back and check out the different categories we’re covering over the full 12 days of the Christmas gift guide. Day 1: Cameras Day 2: Smartphones Day 3: Wearables/smartwatches Day 4: Headphones/speakers DAY 5: Gaming DAY 6: Tablets/e-readers DAY 7: Drones/Gadgets DAY 8: Smart/IoT devices DAY 9: In-car gadgets DAY 10: TVs/Blu-Ray/4K DAY 11: Appliances DAY 12: Computers DAY 2: SMARTPHONES IPHONE 15 (from $1,499) & IPHONE 15 PRO (from…

I can’t lie!! This week on The Best Movies You’ve Never Seen we’re watching Liar Liar starring Jim Carrey and released in 1997. Liar Liar tells the story about lawyer Fletcher Reed who can’t tell a lie after his son’s birthday wish comes true – and it’s right in the middle of a big case for his firm which could determine if he makes partner. Stephen is a huge Jim Carrey fan and watched this at the movies and he rewatched it multiple times while Trevor is coming in fresh. We go through the memorable scenes and share some interesting…

Watch or listen to Episode 611 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 topics and issues. On this week’s show, fake news about new tech features, impersonation scams, Hisense TV review and recycling your old mobile devices. https://youtu.be/ohE6YOTbnJo?si=ObOYHFn4jF2c2gyb You can listen or the watch show right here on Tech Guide site using the audio player below or by pressing play on the YouTube player. It is also possible to subscribe to the popular weekly tech podcast on Apple Podcasts.

Christmas 2023 is nearly here, and technology will be a popular choice of gift so we’re here to help you with the Tech Guide 12 Days of Christmas Gift Ideas so you can find the perfect gift for your loved ones. Today we’re looking at cameras that can not only capture great content anywhere but also connect us to our loved ones and help workers in their hybrid set up. Here are Tech Guide’s 12 Days of Christmas Gift Ideas: Day 1: Cameras Day 2: Smartphones Day 3: Wearables/smartwatches Day 4: Headphones/speakers DAY 5: Gaming DAY 6: Tablets/e-readers DAY 7: Drones/Gadgets DAY 8: Smart/IoT devices DAY 9: In-car gadgets…

The App Economy in Australia – the workforce creating and working on mobile apps – has grown by 61 per cent since 2017 according to a report from the Progressive Policy Institute. Apple has also revealed the App Store Award winners – rewarding the best apps and games in 2023. Australia is playing an important role in evolving the app economy with Australian apps among the best in the world including Sydney-based Canva, Tasmanian-based Savage Interactive – the company behind art app Procreate – and Melbourne-based fintech company AfterPay. 15 years ago, when Apple’s App Store kicked off on July…

Spotify has unveiled its 2023 Wrapped campaign which shows the top artists, songs, albums and podcasts that more than 574 million people around the globe have been listening to. And it was female artists who were dominating. Taylor Swift was the most streamed artist in Australia in 2023 for Flowers by Miley Cyrus was the most streamed track of the year. Among Australian artists it was The Wiggles that took the crown as the most streamed local artists and Riptide the most popular song for a local artist. Country music star Morgan Wallen’s album One Thing At A Time took…

Ember is releasing its range of designer temperature-controlled mugs in Australia so customers can keep their hot beverages at the right temperature from the first sip to the last. Ember is one of the fastest growing tech companies in the US and its products are sold in more than 27 countries with Australia the latest market that’s been identified by the company as a potential growth area. Ember has a range of smart drinkware which come in three different sizes and use patented technology to control the temperature of your coffee or tea and keep it between 50-degrees and 62.5-degrees…

Australian tech company Laser has launched an exciting range of new AmbiColour smart decorative lighting products as part of its popular Connect SmartHome range. The AmbiColour solutions allow users to get creative with their lighting without breaking the bank whether it’s in a bedroom, study, gaming room, mancave or lounge room. There are five styles of lighting which can each produce a wide array of RGB colours so your lighting can suit your mood or your décor. These include LED panels, Smart Light Bars, Hexagon Lights, Triangle Lights and LED strips. These can be ranged in various shapes to suit…

Do yourself a favour and take a listen to Episode 578 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: Australians are paying some of the highest prices for home broadband in the world, only one per cent of Australians are recycling their old mobile devices and Telstra releases new speed and latency optimiser packs on its network. In the Tech Guide reviews, we take a look at the 16-inch MacBook Pro with M3 Max, we check out the…

Sony Interactive Entertainment has announced a new slim-line PS5 console will go on sale on December 6 with pre-orders kicking off today. The new PlayStation 5 has a smaller and slimmer design but packs the same power as the original model and includes 1TB of storage for the PS5 and PS5 digital edition. This new model also makes it possible to add an Ultra HD Blu-ray disc drive to the PS5 digital edition. Sony created the new form factor to provide players with more flexibility and choice while at the same time ensuring the same technology was being offered despite…

Epson has released a high quality ultra-short throw projector for customers who want to create big screen cinema-like conditions in their homes. The Epson EH-LS650 Ultra Smart Streaming Laser Projector offers 4K Pro UHD technology to create vibrant colour and excellent brightness so you can watch your movies and TV shows even in well-lit rooms. As its name suggests, the ultra-short throw projector can be positioned a few centimetres from the wall on top of an entertainment unit and beam up a large image on the included Epson ambient light rejecting screen. It’s a lot easier to set up than…

Panasonic has released its latest SoundSlayer wearable speaker that can deliver an exciting audio experience while playing your favourite games. The GNW10 SoundSlayer is the newest version of the SoundSlayer speaker released last year. The lightweight speaker is worn around your neck and places four 38mm speakers right below your ears to add even more realism to your game. “The GNW10 SoundSlayer delivers an immersive audio soundscape and intense gaming experience, along with crystal-clear communication,” says Fifi Tjiong, Product Marketing Manager – AV, Panasonic. “It’s combined with an ergonomic design that removes pressure on ears and the head, so you can play…

Vodafone has released new data which shows that just 1 per cent of Australian customers are taking the trouble to recycle their old mobile devices. This alarming news has forced Vodafone into action to persuade Australians to make a change and dig out old and unused phones to trade them in for a new model or recycle them. According to Vodafone’s research, there are more than 22.3 million old smartphones rolling around in desk drawers and cupboards around Australia. The real worry with limited repair options and shorter device life cycles is that they may end up in landfill. E-waste…

The new 16-inch MacBook Pro with Apple’s M3 processor under the hood is an absolute powerhouse that will change the working life of professional users. I am typing this review on the Space Black 16-inch MacBook Pro which won’t go anywhere near testing the capabilities of this laptop but for creative professionals, coders, film makers and researchers who are dealing with high end applications and terabytes of data this is an absolute game changer. The model we were loaned for review is running Apple’s M3 Max chip with 48GB unified memory (what we used to call RAM) and a 1TB…

Who the hell is this? The man who’s robbing you! This week on The Best Movies You’ve Never Seen podcast we’re watching Ocean’s Eleven starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts and Matt Damon. Ocean’s Eleven is a 2001 remake of the 1960 classic and tells the story of Danny Ocean who has just been paroled and is planning to rob the three biggest casinos in Las Vegas with the help of his talented and daring crew. Stephen watched Ocean’s Eleven at the Randwick Ritz with his wife and has rewatched it multiple times – Trevor has seen this one…

Watch or listen to Episode 610 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 issues and products. On this week’s show, we discuss the resignation of Optus CEO Kelly Bayer Rosmarin and what we would do if we were in charge, Gina Rhinehart takes on Facebook over scam ads and Apple adopts RCS to create message equity between iPhone and Android users. https://youtu.be/RLecRNhAGSE?si=lv7JK5nMiUl1_KZO You can listen or the watch show right here on Tech Guide site using the audio player below or by pressing…

Telstra is offering mobile customers and avid gamers with a need for speed a way to find faster download speeds and lower latency even during periods of high network traffic. The Telstra Mobile Speed Optimiser delivers faster typical download speeds when compared to the standard plans without this feature activated. This means customers can download large files even faster and hotspot multiple devices that will benefit from the faster speeds to improve their work or video streaming experience on the go even during busy times. And for online multiplayer gamers – and there are plenty who play on their smartphones…

Australians are paying among the highest prices in the world for home Internet plans according to a new analysis that checked the pricing of 364 Internet service providers in 85 countries. The study conducted by Picodi, shows Australians are paying on average the third highest price in the world for a 100Mbps internet plan per month at $US61.80. The only countries paying more Norway ($US79.40) and Iceland ($US61.10). Other nations like the US ranked 6th ($US50), the UK 13th ($US46.30) and Japan 30th ($US32.10) It is recognised that 100Mbps is the most frequently offered speed around the world provided in…