Author: Stephen Fenech

The Pentagon is going to shoot us down. This week on The Best Movies You’ve Never Seen podcast we’re watching Executive Decision starring Kurt Russell, Steven Seagal and Halle Berry. Executive Decision tells the story about a hijacked plane heading to Washington and the bold plan to get a special ops team onboard to take back the plane. Stephen watched Executive Decision in the theatre and is a regular on his rewatch list and Trevor, of course, is flying blind having never heard of it before. We go through the memorable scenes and share some interesting facts, behind the scenes…

Apple has announced a new standalone classical music app which will offer access to the world’s largest classical music catalogue at the highest audio quality available. Apple Music Classical will launch in late March and will be available to Apple Music subscribers at no extra charge. Apple Music Classical will offer hundreds of curated playlists and thousands of exclusive albums. The app is also designed to make it easy for new listeners to the genre to learn about key works and access composer biographies. Subscribers will have access to more than 5 million tracks including new releases and celebrated masterpieces.…

Australian consumer electronics company Laser has unveiled its new range of affordable and reliable portable power stations – NRGVault – to keep us powered up anywhere and even during a blackout. There are two models – PV500 (288Wh capacity) and PV1500 (1228Wh capacity) – which offer flexible charging solutions and power for a variety of products in numerous scenarios. The NRGVault portable power stations are ideal for camping trips and road trips so they can power mini-fridges and lights and charge your mobile devices. Tradespeople and DIYers can also take advantage of the products with the NRGVault providing enough juice…

Lend us your ears for Episode 575 of the Two Blokes Talking Tech podcast with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and EFTM’s Trevor Long as they dissect the week’s biggest tech stories. On this week’s show: Optus CEO Kelly Bayer Rosmarin has Trevor fired up once again, Samsung announces pricing for its 2023 range of TVs, TikTok to place viewing limits for users under 18, the surprising new Windows 11 features and Apple releases a yellow iPhone. You can listen to the show right here on the Tech Guide site using the audio player below. Click on the Two Blokes…

Samsung has just announced the pricing and availability of its stunning 2023 Neo QLED 8K and 4K TV range and its Q Series soundbars which will be available from retailers from this week. The Neo QLED TVs are Samsung’s flagship TVs with impressive design, outstanding picture quality and smart home connectivity. Samsung’s Quantum Mini LED technology provides incredible clarity and colour while the advanced Neural Quantum Processor can upscale content automatically to 4K or 8K depending on the TV model. Having great picture quality is one thing – but having excellent sound just completes the experience and that’s what Samsung’s…

Sonos has unveiled the Sonos Era 300 and Era 100 smart speakers which offer the same connectivity and audio quality the brand is renowned for but now with an added layer of sound design. The Sonos Era 300 now features spatial audio with six powerful drivers under the hood which can direct sound in all directions so you’re getting Dolby Atmos performance. It has an hourglass design and is the first Sonos speaker that can deliver multi-channel sound and be used as home theatre rear speakers with a Sonos soundbar. The Sonos Era 100 is a redesign of the popular…

Apple has introduced a new yellow iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus to the line-up that will now be available alongside the existing colour range. The new yellow iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus has the same features including a dual camera system, the A15 Bionic chip as well as the new safety capabilities like Emergency SOS vis satellite and Crash Detection. https://youtu.be/2azAYijPECI The yellow iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus will go on sale on March 14 with pre-orders kicking off on March 11. “People love their iPhone and rely on it every day for all that they do,…

TCL has been honoured with the Best Connected Consumer Device at the recent Mobile World Congress Global Mobile Awards won by the TCL NXTWEAR S wearable display. When you wear the TCL NXTWEAR S it is like watching a 130-inch screen from a distance of four metres. This version of the portable home theatre is yet to be released in Australia but it has already been recognised by the MWC GLOMO awards 2023 for its user experience through connectivity and its integration with other devices and services. “The GLOMO Best Connected Consumer Device award confirms NXTWEAR S’s position as a…

Stay updated and educated about the latest consumer tech news and reviews with Episode 542 of the top-rating Tech Guide podcast hosted by editor Stephen Fenech. On this week’s show: Cyber criminals turning to ChatGPT to make their scams even more convincing, Australians are feeling the pinch but are leaving savings on phone and internet deals on the table and we wrap up Mobile World Congress which just ended in Barcelona. In the Tech Guide reviews, we take a look at the Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 S2 active noise cancelling earphones, significant upgrade for Windows 11 including iPhone connectivity and…

Jabra has launched the new Speak2 range – next-generation professional speakerphones designed to make your conversations as loud and clear as talking to someone in the same room. The Speak2 line-up includes the Speak2 75, Speak2 55 and Speak2 40 and are designed to suit our hybrid working conditions. Today 80 per cent of our meetings are either fully remote or hybrid according to Jabra’s own research. The Speak2 is ideal for conference calls, direct calls, streaming media and for making a presentation. Onboard the device are four beam-forming noise cancelling microphones, advanced full duplex audio, voice level normalisation technology…

Navman has unveiled a new dash cam called MiVue Alta Workmate XDC that’s been designed for customers whose vehicle is the tool of their trade so they can safeguard themselves from unfair blame and protect their insurance. Navman has tested the new device for Australia’s most popular utes and typical working conditions. The rear dash cam, usually located inside the back window, is placed above the rear number plate to ensure it is not blocked by materials and tools usually founds in a tradie’s vehicle. It also comes with a 10m cable so you have plenty of slack for larger…

The Bowers & Wilkins Pi7 S2 wireless noise cancelling earphones deliver everything you’d expect from this respected audio brand – great build quality and a truly excellent sound. They come in three colours – Satin Black, Canvas White and Midnight Blue and a priced towards the higher end of the market at $649. The Pi7 S2 earphones, as you would expect, from the moment you pick them up exude a touch of luxury and you can appreciate the sleek design and quality workmanship. The earphones have an aluminium polished cap above the 9.2mm two-way drivers and an angled tip to…

Behind that boy’s eyes was purely and simply… evil!! This week on The Best Movies You’ve Never Seen podcast we’re watching the original horror classic Halloween starring Jamie Lee Curtis in her very first movie role. Halloween tells the story of an escaped psychiatric patient who inexplicably murdered his sister 15 years earlier returning to his home town of Haddonfield on the night of Halloween with his doctor warnings of his potential murderous rampage falling on deaf ears. Stephen has been watching this movie since he was teenager while Trevor gets out of his comfort zone to watch Halloween for…

Episode 574 of the Two Blokes Talking Tech podcast with Tech Guide editor Stephen Fenech and Trevor Long is coming to you from Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. On this week’s show we talk about the new Oppo Find N2 Fold, the new range of TCL smartphones, Nokia’s repairable G22 smartphone, the introduction of the affordable Logic brand in Australia and the dust-up about Optus stealing Boost Mobile’s name for its new online and mobile products. You can listen to the show right here on the Tech Guide site using the audio player below. Click on the Two Blokes Talking…

Cyber criminals are now using artificial intelligence to make their scams even more realistic and believable according to the latest global research from leading cyber safety brand Norton. ChatGPT has people around the world buzzing with its ability to produce fluent and coherent passages. Cyber criminals are now using this technology that can generate human-like text to create emails and social media posts that are more convincing and more likely to fool innocent users. “While the introduction of large language models like ChatGPT is exciting, it’s also important to note how cybercriminals can benefit and use it to conduct various…

Here’s your opportunity to snap up a bargain – the Deebot Neo robotic vaccum will be reduced to half price when it returns to ALDI’s Special Buys from March 8. Usually $799, the Deebot NEO will be reduced to $399 for the sale while stocks last – and at this price, the stock won’t last long. Interest in robot vacuums is at an all-time high. Ecovacs’ own research from late 2022 shows Australians’ willingness to adopt home robotics and lighten their loads. Deebot NEO can both vacuum and mop and, with TrueMapping laser-based mapping, can navigate your home with ease…

Microsoft has released a major update for Windows 11 which includes bringing the new AI-powered Bing to the taskbar and being able to connect your iPhone to your PC with the new Phone Link for IOS. Since the launch of Windows 11 more than a year ago the platform has kept users more engaged and has received a higher satisfaction rating than any other previous version of Windows. AI-POWERED BING The new AI-powered Bing offers a whole new type of search, chat and creation and the typable search box has now been added to the Windows taskbar. Search is used…

Australians are feeling the pinch with cost-of-living pressures but we’re not shopping around for better internet and mobile plans and as a result we’re missing out on serious savings. WhistleOut surveyed 1000 Australian and found many were not making the most of their opportunities to save a few bucks here and there on their phone and internet plans. In fact, 44 per cent said they would need to save at least $20 a month before considering a switch on their phone plan. Even saving $10 a month adds up to a decent $120 a year saving. The survey showed 79…

Telstra has announced a world-first achievement on its 5G network – the successful completion of a 5G data call over a range of 100km – dramatically extending the range from 15km. Telstra achieved this milestone in Burra in South Australia in collaboration with its network partner Ericsson. The announcement was made by Telstra at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The improvement was achieved thanks to a new software feature that extends maximum cell range from 15km to 100km. This improvement will allow Telstra to expand the reach of its 5G Massive MIMO AAS radios to even more rural and remote…

Press play on Episode 541 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 – something close to me heart – South Sydney Juniors has partnered with NeuroFlex to adopt game-changing brain health protocols. In the Tech Guide reviews, we take a look at the new Rode NT1 mic with Dual Connect, Uniden has launched its new smart baby monitor and now you can make free calls to mobile and landlines with Alexa on your Echo speaker. In the…