Author: Stephen Fenech

It’s started. Netflix has begun its crackdown on sharing passwords between households in Australia and has contacted subscribers about their options. The days of sharing a spare login with your parents, grandparents or children who no longer live at home has come to an end The email sent out to customers today says that your Netflix account is only for you and the people you live with within your household. It also outlines your options if someone outside your home wants to access your account. If the person living outside your household is already accessing your account, Netflix says they…

Join editor Stephen Fenech for Episode 552 of the top-rating Tech Guide podcast so you can stay updated and educated about the latest consumer tech news and reviews. On this week’s show: I’m catching up with the Rabbitohs at their new performance centre with an EV from their sponsors MG Motor, Amazon has released new Echo speakers for your home and your car and Optus has released an AI-powered feature that can add a lot of fun to your calls. In the Tech Guide reviews, we take a look at the Netgear Orbi 860 Series mesh wi-fi system, ASUS has…

Dyson has unveiled its latest product – the Dyson 360 Vis Nav – a robot vacuum with a similar motor that’s found on its popular cordless products to provide six times more suction of any other robot vacuum on the market. Seven years in the making, the Dyson 360 Viz Nav uses a 360-degree vision system to navigate its way around your home and sense the areas that need to be cleaned. There are 26 sensors aboard the robot which help the device detect dust, avoid obstacles and detect walls and furniture. https://youtu.be/vBjlGr3LpV4 “A robot vacuum cleaner should not be…

The MG ZS EV midsize SUV is a leading the way in affordable electric vehicles – but it is also full of surprises. We met up with the South Sydney Rabbitohs – MG Motor is their major sponsors – to get a tour of their new performance centre but to also show them a cool feature of the MG ZS EV called V2L – Vehicle To Load. Basically what this means is that you can power other things from the battery of the MG ZS EV. https://youtu.be/ofMU5tlt56Q When the car is plugged in to a charger the battery is recharging…

Optus has revealed new and interesting ways to spice up your phone calls with the introduction of Call Effects – an AI powered voice function to make conversations more entertaining. Part of the Optus Living Network, Optus Call Effects adds a touch of fun to your standard phone calls with a series of playful skills. These include flipping a coin to make a decision, asking a crystal ball to get an answer to your questions, making a decision on where to go for dinner and asking 21 questions to really get to know someone. These skills use AI-driven Natural Language…

The new Netgear Orbi 860 Series delivers whole home wi-fi and brings the fastest home broadband speeds at up to 10Gbps to handle the demands of the modern home. One of the most common questions we’re asked is how people can improve wi-fi in their home. The Netgear Orbi 860 Series mesh wi-fi system is the answer. It offers Wi-Fi 6 tri-band connectivity and can cover up to 743 square metres and connect up to 100 devices. With this sort of quality and range users can stream 4K and 8K video throughout their homes so they can enjoy their video…

Greed is good! This week on The Best Movies You’ve Never Seen podcast we’re watching Wall Street starring Michael Douglas and Charlie Sheen and directed by Oliver Stone. Wall Street tells the story of young and ambitious broker Bud Fox who goes all out to work  with heavyweight investor Gordon Gekko and learn the ins and outs of the market while sometimes leaving his ethics at the door. Stephen watched this in the cinema in 1987 when it was released and has re-waatched it many times since while Trevor had not had the pleasure – until now. We go through…

Amazon has released two new devices in the Echo range for the home and your car- the Echo Pop and Echo Auto – which means you can access the power of Alexa anywhere. The new Echo Pop is a compact smart speaker which will fit in any part of your home and is available in four colour options. Echo Auto is a device that can be mounted in your car to offer hands free Alexa smart features on the move. “Around the world, customers continue to trust and depend on Alexa—they’ve now purchased well over half a billion Alexa-enabled devices…

Wrap your ears around Episode 585 of the Two Blokes Talking Tech podcast hosted by 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: Apple has activated Emergency SOS by satellite in Australia, they’ve turned the iPhone into a payment terminal with Tap to Pay with iPhone and previewed some impressive new accessibility features for iPhone, iPad and Mac. Also on the show, Telstra is putting its mobile plan prices up, Tesla won’t be making Model S Plaid in right hand drive leaving many, Stephen…

ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) has unveiled Ally – a powerful new portable gaming system running Windows 11 that’s powered by the all-new AMD Ryzen processor. The device will be available on June 13 and will be priced at $1299 and preorders are already open. The ROG Ally brings powerful gaming into the palm of your hands to enjoy anywhere. The device features a bright 7-inch 120Hz full high definition display and all the physical controls you’d find on a regular gaming controller. “Before the ROG Ally, handhelds were limited, only offering certain games often at lower resolutions and framerates,”…

Apple has outlined a number of new iPhone and iPad software features for cognitive, vision, hearing and mobility accessibility which are expected to be part of iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 updates. Apple has always had a deep involvement with community groups as they develop features that can make a big difference in people’s lives – in particular those suffering a disability. Later this year users with cognitive disabilities will be able to use their iPhone and iPad easier with Assistive Access while non-speaking customers will be able to type to speak during calls with Live Speech. Users who are…

Apple has unveiled a new Tap to Pay feature which will allow businesses of any size, tradies and market stalls to accept contactless payments via their iPhone. Tap to Pay on iPhone means users can accept secure payments via Apple Pay, contactless credit and debit cards and other digital wallets on their iPhone without the need for any additional hardware or a payment terminal. Merchants can accept payments via their iPhone through a supporting iOS app that works on iPhone XS or later running iOS 16.4 or later. When activated, customers simply hold their iPhone or Apple Watch close to…

If you want to get fired up then you need to take a listen to Episode 551 of the top-rating Tech Guide podcast hosted by editor Stephen Fenech as he keep you updated and educated about the latest consumer tech news and reviews. On this week’s show: Tesla has cancelled the new Model S EV for Australian customers – and we’re not happy, Emergency SOS via satellite is now active in Australia and New Zealand on iPhone 14 and Segway-Ninebot has launched its new line up of electric scooters. In the Tech Guide reviews, we take a look at the…

Canon has unveiled its new PowerShot V10 – a lightweight camera designed especially for users to create content on the move. The camera weighs just 211g and is an all-in-one solution which includes high quality microphones and 4K movie recording with professional-looking background blur. The PowerShot V10 has a sturdy vertical body which is easily portable and designed to make it easy for self-recording so you never miss a moment. The camera has a built-in stand with a tilt adjustment of up to 30 degrees and a wide angle lens focal length with the ability to record in 4K at…

In these days of rising interest rates and the mounting cost of living it’s more important than ever to stick to a budget. A new iPhone app called Simplsaver could be just what you need to keep your finances under control. And it really lives up to its simple name – you enter your salary (and your partner’s salary) and enter your expenses and you can instantly see your financial standing. Simplsaver offers a top down view of your finances which not only includes your mortgage, insurance, phone and internet bills but other monthly expenditure like your vehicle and transport…

The Google Pixel 7a is going to win a lot of fans with its affordable price and impressive feature set that makes it more than just another Android smartphone. The latest device from Google has a 6.1-inch FHD+ display running at up to 90Hz and is powered by Google’s very own Tensor G2 chip. That’s the same chip you’ll find on the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro, so performance is up there with these more expensive devices. On the camera side, it has a 64-megapixel main camera and 13-megapixel ultrawide camera and a 13-megapixel front camera. And naturally the…

Apple’s Emergency SOS via satellite is now available in Australia and New Zealand for customers with any of the iPhone 14 models so they can contact emergency services outside of cellular and wi-fi range. It’s now also possible for users to share their location while travelling via the Find My app when they have no cellular signal or wi-fi. This feature will only work with any of the iPhone 14 range at this time – iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max – which have custom-designed hardware and software to connect directly to a…

When I was going up the stairs, I met a man who wasn’t there. This week on The Best Movies You’ve Never Seen podcast we’re watching Identity starring John Cusack, Ray Liotta and Amanda Peet. Identity tells the story of a man charged with six murder who is granted a new hearing the night before he was scheduled to be executed. Stephen didn’t see this at the movies but caught it on DVD when it was a new released and has rewatched it several times while Trevor is coming in absolutely cold. We go through the memorable scenes and share…

Elon Musk – you broke my heart. I am one of many Tesla owners who feel like the company has turned their back on Australian customers after the cancellation of the Model S Plaid Right Hand Drive (RHD) model. Tesla sent me and other eager and patient Model S customers an email saying they were not going to manufacture RHD and that my order, which was placed in August 2021, will be cancelled. And to thank me for my support of their “mission” they have offered me a $3,000 discount on the much cheaper Model 3 or Model Y. That’s…

Segway-Ninebot has introduced a line-up of exciting new electric scooters which boast a number of new features designed to offer a safe and fun ride. The company also unveiled a limited edition Gokart PRO Lamborghini. Segway-Ninebot is the leading brand of micro-mobility technology in Australia with the range of KickScooters that can cover commutes between 2km and 50km. https://youtu.be/TbUec6k0SCw Globally, customers have ridden more than 8.7 billion kilometres on Segway-Ninebot scooters and reduced carbon emissions by 419 million kilograms. “Today marks an exciting new chapter for Segway-Ninebot as we launch our latest line of products,” Jade Tang, Head of Marketing,…