Author: Stephen Fenech

When something sounds too good to be true, then it’s not true. This week on The Best Movies You’ve Never Seen podcast we’re watching Rising Sun starring Sean Connery and Wesley Snipes and based on the best-selling Michael Crichton novel. Rising Suns tells the story of a homicide investigation in the high-rise building of a Japanese corporation amidst negotiations for the sale of American tech company MicroCon – and nothing is what it seems. Stephen has read the novel twice and watched the movie in the cinema and rewatched it multiple times while this is Trevor’s first time viewing the…

LG has launched a range of new appliances and entertainment products that are a huge departure from boring looks and plain hues with rich new colours and eye-catching designs. The company hosted a House of Colour event this week to demonstrate the possibilities and colour combinations that can complement your home’s décor and style. They set up a kitchen, lounge room and a laundry to showcase the products as they could appear in your home to add a dash of bold colour. “The modern Australian home has become an extension of the individual, and we are increasingly guided by our…

Press play on Episode 589 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 product releases. On this week’s show: Uber goes green with a view to offer more EVs as part of the service, Samsung’s Unpacked event to launch its new foldable devices will be held in Seoul, BYD had big plans for the EV market in Australia, we offer our verdicts on the Apple Vision Pro and the future of the product and Boost Mobile finalises its victory over Optus. You…

The end of the financial year is approaching and there are some great opportunities to pick up a bargain that you or your business might also be able to claim. We’ve gathered best deals we could find to save you some big money. ARLO – Ultra 2 wireless security camera – $349 – was $37.9 – Pro 4 wireless security camera – $249 – was $369. – Essential wireless video doorbell – $199 – was $229. – Pro 3 wireless floodlight camera – $229 – was $399. www.arlo.com.au ECOVACS – ECOVACS DEEBOT T9+ – $899 – was $1299 – ECOVACS…

New national research by digital telco Circles Life has exposed Australians’ worst mobile phone habits. A survey of more than 1000 customers shows most users have their own set of bad habits while talking on their smartphone. These include eating while on a call, taking a call in the bathroom and drunkenly calling or texting an ex-partner. “Almost two-thirds of adults admit to having taken a call or selfie while on the toilet, one in three have texted or called an ex-partner while intoxicated and one in four has sent a risque text or photo to the wrong person,” said Genevieve Brock…

When it comes to cleaning our teeth, Australians aren’t very good at it with research by Colgate showing we miss 40 per cent of our pearly whites while brushing. But Colgate is doing something about it. Colgate has released the Pulse Connected Electric Toothbrush which syncs with a companion app to ensure we’re building healthier brushing habits. The electric toothbrush has built in sensors that can offer personalised guidance while you’re brushing to reach all your teeth and spending enough time in each quadrant of your mouth. The Australian Dental Association says around 29 per cent of adults and 27…

It’s time to get updated and educated about the latest consumer tech news and reviews with Episode 555 of the top-rating Tech Guide podcast hosted by editor Stephen Fenech. On this week’s show: I was one of the first in the world to try Apple’s Vision Pro – I’ll tell you about the experience, we’ll go through the other software updates and hardware releases and Samsung has confirmed the launch location for its next foldable smartphone launch. In the Tech Guide reviews, we take a look at the new range of Sony Bravia XR TVs, Belkin’s new power bank that…

The new 15-inch MacBook Air with M2 chip offers the best of both worlds – a large screen to give you more room to move with your work and entertainment while maintaining its slim and light design. On sale from today, the 15-inch MacBook Air with M2 is available in four finishes – Midnight, Starlight, Space Grey and Silver. Pricing starts at $2,199. Tech Guide has been using the Starlight 15-inch MacBook Air for a few days for this review. On the design side, the new 15-inch MacBook Air is identical to the 13-inch model and is made from 100…

Ubisoft and Lucasfilm has announced Star Wars Outlaws – the first open world game set in the vast Star Wars universe – that will be available for Xbox, PlayStation 5 and Windows PC in 2024. Announced at the Xbox Games Showcase, Star Wars Outlaws is set in the criminal underworld of the Star Wars galaxy between the events of The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi as the Rebel Alliance tries to vanquish the Galactic Empire. Developed by Massive Entertainment, Star Wars Outlaws will have players assuming the identity of Kay Vess alongside a number of colourful scoundrels…

Sony has launched its 2023 Bravia XR TV line-up which delivers even higher picture quality and enhanced audio to deliver a stunning experience at home for movies, sport and gaming. There are three new models – A90L Full Array LED, A95L QD-OLED and A90L OLED. The new TVs are powered by Sony’s Cognitive Processor XR which includes Clear Image Technology that reduces noise and enhances clarity while smoothing out the image when watching sport of action movies. The Cognitive Processor XR also takes control of the local dimming zones so it can increase brightness and yet prevent excess blooming. On…

Klaatu Barada Nikto. This week on The Best Movies You’ve Never Seen we’re watching the sci-fi classic The Day The Earth Stood Still which was released in 1951. The Day The Earth Stood Still tells the story of an alien spacecraft that lands in Washington DC with a message for everyone on Earth. And to ensure the alien visitor is serious the world sees a dramatic demonstration of their power. Stephen has been a fan of this movie since seeing it for the first time as a child and has rewatched it numerous times ever since. Trevor was coming in…

Belkin has released a handy new power bank that can fast charge both your iPhone and Apple Watch at the same time on the move. The Belkin BoostCharge Fast Wireless Charger For Apple Watch + Power Bank 10K can charge an Apple Watch Series 7 and later from 0 per cent to 80 per cent in just 45 minutes and the Apple Watch Ultra from 0 per cent to 80 per cent in an hour. The power bank has a 10,000mAh capacity and a 20W USB-C PD (Power Delivery) port. There is a charging point on top of the device…

I just tried the new Apple Vision Pro – and I’m absolutely blown away. They say you only get one chance to make a first impression and my first impression of Apple’s new device is amazing. When Vision Pro was announced at the 2023 Worldwide Developers Conference, we were given a sense of what we could expect and what it could do. But until you’ve placed it on your head and experienced it for yourself – you truly can’t appreciate the experience. Apple has deliberately avoided using letters and terms like VR and AR when they named the product –…

Samsung has confirmed it will be holding its Galaxy Unpacked event in late July to launch its latest generation foldable devices in Seoul in the company’s home country of South Korea. In the past, Unpacked events have been held in New York, London, Berlin and Barcelona. This year’s event will be held in Samseong-dong in Gangnam – a location the company says blends the past, present and future that defines Seoul. Samsung says Seoul was selected because of its dynamic culture and innovation which has influenced global trends. “The foldable category embodies Samsung’s philosophy of delivering innovation that pushes boundaries…

The keynote for Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference ran for two hours to introduce the new products and operating systems but that still wasn’t enough time to get to all the new features. Here are some of the new features that didn’t make the keynote. PHOTOS PRIVACY PERMISSION IMPROVEMENTS Often apps ask for access to your photo library but now the new embedded Photos Picker allows users to share a chosen set of photos with apps so the rest of their library stays private. And when an app asks for permission to access your photo library, you’ll also be shown more…

Two Blokes Talking Tech Episode 588 with Tech Guide Editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long are coming to you live from Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference at Apple Park. We were kindly invited into the Apple Podcast Studio and were not only able to record the show but we’re on video as well so you can watch it as well – your choice! We go through all the announcements at the 2023 Worldwide Developers Conference – the 15-inch MacBook Air, updated Mac Studio and Mac Pro, iOS 17, iPadOS 17, macOS Sonoma, watchOS and – one more thing – the…

iOS 17 for iPhone, which was just unveiled at the 2023 Worldwide Developers Conference, will make it possible to screen your calls, tell your friends and family you got home safely,  leave FaceTime video messages and turn your iPhone into a clock when you’re not using it. Apple also unveiled iPadOS 17, macOS Sonoma and watchOS10 which also introduce a range of new features and capabilities. Here are the new features of iOS 17 LIVE VOICEMAIL Users can see a real time transcription of an incoming call and decide whether they want to answer the call. This feature also makes it possible to…

Apple has introduced an all-new 15-inch version of its MacBook Air at the 2023 Worldwide Developers Conference which maintains the thin and light design that made it one of the most popular laptops on the market. The 15-inch MacBook Air starts at $2,199 and goes on sale on June 13. “We’re thrilled to introduce the first 15-inch MacBook Air. With its incredible performance and striking design, the new MacBook Air is the world’s best 15-inch laptop. And it’s only possible with Apple silicon,” said John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Engineering. “From its expansive Liquid Retina display and remarkably…

Apple has introduced Vision Pro – an all-new spatial computing platform that leverages augmented reality and virtual reality to allow users to break the bounds of a physical screen and interact with apps and content in a completely different way. Introduced at the 2023 Worldwide Developers Conference, the Vision Pro is Apple’s first new product in almost a decade and heralds a whole new form of computing. Priced at $US3,499, the Apple Vision Pro will be available in the US in early 2024 with other countries to follow. “Today marks the beginning of a new era for computing,” said Tim…

It’s time to tune in to Episode 554 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 – why I’m turning my back on Tesla, the App Store breaks the trillion dollar mark in sales and billings and the bargain big screen TV you will be able to buy at Aldi. In the Tech Guide reviews we take a hands-on look at the new Motorola razr 40 ultra folding smartphone, BlueAnt has launched a monster Bluetooth speaker and Uniden…