Author: Stephen Fenech

The new Arlo Pro 5 2K Wire-free Spotlight Security Camera is a real step up in quality and additional features for those looking to improve their security and keep an eye on their home from anywhere. We replaced two of our older Arlo cameras with the Pro 5 2K and could immediately tell the difference. For one, the improved 2K resolution with HDR (High Dynamic Range) offers a much clearer view with a lot more added detail even in bright and dark areas of the coverage area. That added detail can allow you to see faces, objects and car number…

Are you an effective team? This week on The Best Movies You’ve Never Seen podcast we’re watching Oblivion starring Tom Cruise and Morgan Freeman. Oblivion tells the story of devastated Earth after an alien attack with Jack Harper (Tom Cruise) looking after drone maintenance as the remaining humans prepare to leave for their new home on the Saturn moon of Titan. Stephen saw this movie in the cinema and uses scenes from the movie to show case his home theatre’s surround system. For Trevor it’s his first time watching. We go through the memorable scenes and share some interesting facts,…

Start your weekend with Episode 582 of the popular 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, Twitter blue ticks removed, DJI releases the Mavic 3 Pro drone with triple camera system, Pixel Fold rumours intensify and Prime’s Dialogue Boost. You can listen to the show right here on the Tech Guide site using the audio player below. Click on the Two Blokes Talking Tech link at the top of the page and you’ll be able to find…

Telstra has the most consistent mobile network quality while Optus offers the fastest 5G download speeds according to the latest Australian Mobile Network Experience Report by Open Signal. The industry report documents customer experience on Australia’s mobile networks. Telstra was the most awarded operator in this report winning six awards outright and sharing the 5G video experience award with Optus. For excellent consistent quality Telstra had a score of 83.1 per cent followed by Vodafone on 80 per cent and Optus on 77.2 per cent. Telstra is yet to be defeated in Open Signal mobile reports when it comes to…

If you made some ambitious New Year’s resolutions and have already lost motivation, then maybe your Amazon Alexa device can help you get back on track. Research by Amazon found that 61 per cent of Australians who set goals at the start of the year failed to meet these resolutions after just three months into the year. Reasons for giving up included a lack of motivation (52 per cent), being too busy (36 per cent) disorganisation (19 per cent) and forgetfulness (19 per cent). “It is no surprise that so many of us say their resolutions and goals falter after…

The hysteria around TikTok and fears of the popular social media platform is bleeding its users of their data and offering it up to the Chinese Government are completely unfounded according to tech academic Nigel Phair. Phair, a professor of cyber security at Monash University, was asked by TikTok to provide a detailed and unbiased investigation into the policy and technical aspects of data collection. The report – Entertainment in the Digital Age: An Investigation into Data Leakage and Privacy Concerns of Digital Platforms – took a close look at Google, Facebook (Meta), Twitter and TikTok and found they are…

The rumours around the Google Pixel folding smartphone have intensified since the appearance on Twitter of a video of the alleged device showing it being folded and unfolded. The reports that Google has been working on a foldable device have been around for months and the appearance of this video by well-known tech leaker Kuba Wojciechowski on Twitter now makes it even more believable. 😉😉😉 pic.twitter.com/zTpEo18K4y — Kuba Wojciechowski :3 (@Za_Raczke) April 22, 2023 In the video the phone appears to fold completely flat and open smoothy to expose the inside screen having larger bezels. The timing of this video…

LG has released its 2023 range of Gram laptops which offer sleek lightweight designs and high performance in screen sizes up to 17-inches. The new laptops are powered by the 13th Gen Intel Core processor which offer improved power and performance for work or play. That will be available in 14-inch, 16 inch and 17 inch screen sizes. “Our refreshed LG Gram laptop line up demonstrates the commitment LG has to continued innovation in our IT products, integrating smart technology and design that enhances work and play,” said Brad Reed, Head of B2B Marketing (Business Solutions) at LG Electronics Australia.…

DJI has just unveiled the flagship Mavic 3 Pro drone with an all-new triple camera system that will allow aerial photographers to unleash their creativity. The DJI Mavic 3 pro has the Mavic’s signature Hasselblad camera along with two tele cameras all with different focal lengths to offer photographers even more creative choices. “At DJI we are constantly evolving our products to help capture fascinating scenery and explore visual storytelling through both video and stills,” said Ferdinand Wolf, Creative Director at DJI. “The Mavic 3 Pro’s triple camera combination gives users the ability to switch between shot composition with just…

Tune in to Episode 548 of the top-rating Tech Guide podcast hosted by editor Stephen Fenech so you can get updated and educated about the latest consumer tech news and reviews. On this week’s show: The Government initiative that could protect Australians from text scams, The National Electric Vehicle Strategy has been formulated but will it be enough to boost EV sales and Optus is deploying an AI Voice Assistant to make getting support faster and easier. In the Tech Guide reviews, we take a look at the Samsung 2023 OLED TV, we run you through the LG range of…

The Federal Government has announced a move that will protect Australians from being scammed via text messages with the establishment of an SMS sender ID registry. Nearly half of all Australians have been received a scam via text message just in the last 12 months alone. Australians lost more than $3.1 billion to scams in 2022 alone which was an alarming jump from the previous year. The Albanese Government has decided to swing into action and are committed to disrupting these illegal scam text messages with the new SMS sender ID registry. The idea behind the SMS sender ID registry…

Samsung has expanded its line-up of OLED TVs which now make up part of its 2023 TV range and Tech Guide got a chance to go hands on and eyes on with the S95C 77-inch model. On the design side, the Samsung OLED is a stunner with an edge to edge screen and a thickness of just 11.2mm top to bottom. What helps keep the TV thin is the fact the Samsung OneConnect box is seperate and connects to the TV with a single cable and allows you to connect all your sources to the box rather than the TV.…

Life is up there – and life always matters. This week on The Best Movies You’ve Never Seen podcast we’re watching The Poseidon Adventure released in 1972 and starring Gene Hackman, Shelley Winters and Ernest Borgnine. The Poseidon Adventure tells the story of the SS Poseidon on its last voyage to Athens before it is scrapped – but disaster strikes on the way and a determined band of survivors must find a way out. This was one of the earliest movies Stephen could remember seeing in a theatre and of course Trevor had never even heard of the film until…

When calling your telco for support it usually involves a frustrating navigation of several menus to hopefully speak to the right person, but Optus is introducing a new Voice Assistant that will make it quicker and easier. With Optus Voice Assistant the customer simply has to say what they’re calling about and AI technology will do the rest and connect them to the right expert. No more choosing numbers to advance to the next menu and hoping you end up talking to the right department. Optus says there has been a significant reduction in customers abandoning their calls since the…

Do the right thing and tune in to Episode 581 of the popular Two Blokes Talking Tech podcast with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long as they talk about the week’s biggest stories and the latest tech products. On this week’s show: LG’s new 2023 range of OLED TVs, how more Australians are falling victim to scams and we come up with an idea on how banks can protect customers, Starlink even cheaper than ever for rural and regional customers, HomePod can now recognise sounds and it could save your life and Belkin offering its first products…

Prime Video is offering a new accessibility feature to make dialogue in movies and TV shows clearer than ever before to offer a more comfortable and enjoyable viewing experience. The new Dialogue Boost innovation will allow users to select dialogue volume levels on any device that offers Prime Video. This means the volume of dialogue increases relative to background music and effects so viewers who are hard of hearing can still enjoy the latest movies and TV shows like anyone else. “At Prime Video, we are committed to building an inclusive, equitable, and enjoyable streaming experience for all our customers,” said…

The National Electric Vehicle Strategy has been launched to facilitate and encourage the take up of EVs in Australia with an eye to improve vehicle affordability and building out charging infrastructure. This Federal Government initiative would look at three key areas – increasing supply of affordable EVs and infrastructure and incentivizing EV purchases. The goal is to decarbonize Australia’s transport system and passenger vehicles will be the priority. The Government says setting an Australian Fuel Efficiency Standard is needed to achieve a reduction in greenhouse gases. By setting these strict fuel efficiency standards, the desired outcome would be car manufacturers…

Apple has introduced a potentially life-saving feature for the HomePod and HomePod Mini – sound recognition – which means the speakers can hear smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and send a notification. Sound Recognition is available from today and can be set up for HomePod speakers in the Home app. If Sound Recognition detects a smoke alarm or carbon monoxide alarm via your HomePod speaker it will send a notification to your iPhone, iPad or Apple Watch. And if you receive the notification on an iPhone or iPad, it’s possible to check in and hear what’s happening in your home.…

LG is celebrating 10 years of OLED technology with the release of its impressive new 2023 TV line-up which once again shows the company’s innovation and improvement. The new line-up of TVs – which includes 15 new OLED models – have all been given smart upgrades to offer an improved home entertainment experience. “At LG, we are committed to continuous innovation across our home entertainment products and our 2023 TV range is no exception,” says Tony Brown, marketing manager for home entertainment, LG Electronics Australia. “And as our technologies have evolved, so has the role of the TV in Australian…

What are you waiting for? It’s time to listen to Episode 547 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 review. On this week’s show: Rode has released a number of new products at the National Association of Broadcasters Show in Las Vegas, DJI – as we predicted – has released the stunning Inspire 3 drone and MG releases another affordable EV. In the Tech Guide reviews, we take a look at the ASUS Zenbook foldable laptop, the device from Morphee device that can…