Stuff

    Subscribe to our newsletter

    What's Hot
    Disney+

    Here are the devices and platforms you’ll be able to stream Disney+ on from tomorrow

    May 17, 2022
    Pick n Pay Takealot

    Pick n Pay teams up with Takealot, so you get your groceries through Mr D

    May 17, 2022

    Sonos leaks suggest a new subwoofer is on the way

    May 17, 2022
    Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube SoundCloud
    Trending
    • Here are the devices and platforms you’ll be able to stream Disney+ on from tomorrow
    • Pick n Pay teams up with Takealot, so you get your groceries through Mr D
    • Sonos leaks suggest a new subwoofer is on the way
    • DJI may be working on a new first person view drone, made for the great indoors
    • Toyota’s first fully EV will come to South Africa in 2023
    • WhatsApp to launch the ability to silently slip away from groups you don’t want to be in
    • Apple’s rumoured folding device could use e-ink displays for its exterior screen
    • Fortnite’s Unreal Engine 5 Editor launch means players get to sell their creations for profit
    Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
    Stuff Stuff
    • News
      • App News
      • Business News
      • Camera News
      • Gaming News
      • Headphone News
      • Industry News
      • Internet News
      • Laptops News
      • Motoring News
      • Other Tech News
      • Phone News
      • Tablet News
      • Technology News
      • TV News
      • Wearables News
    • Reviews
      • Camera Reviews
      • Featured Reviews
      • Game Reviews
      • Headphone Reviews
      • Laptop Reviews
      • Other Tech Reviews
      • Phone Reviews
      • Tablet Reviews
      • Wearables Reviews
    • Columns
    • Stuff Guides
    • Podcasts & Videos
      • Videos
      • Stuffed
      • Stuffing Around
      • Tech Byte
      • T2S2
    • Win
    • Subscribe
      • Print
      • Digital
        • Google Play
        • iTunes
        • Download
        • Zinio
    • Stuff Shop
      • Shop Now
      • My Account
      • Downloads
    • Contact Us
      • Get In Touch
      • Advertise
    0 Shopping Cart
    Stuff
    Home » Light Start » Light Start: Trump approves TikTok deal, Series X pre-order reveal, the Playstation 5’s big for-reals and Instagram spying ordeal
    Light Start

    Light Start: Trump approves TikTok deal, Series X pre-order reveal, the Playstation 5’s big for-reals and Instagram spying ordeal

    MarcéBy MarcéSeptember 21, 2020Updated:October 1, 2021No Comments6 Mins Read
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

    Trump has approved the TikTok/Oracle deal in the US

    Late last week, the US government was ready to end TikTok in the US for good — it would remove the app from all applicable OS app stores by Sunday evening. Mere hours before the ultimate ban was to be implemented, US president Donald Trump approved a deal for Oracle and Walmart to acquire stakes in the US operations of the short-format video app TikTok. 

    This means that the potential ban, scheduled to go into effect on Sunday has been [postponed indefinitely. What does this mean for US TikTok users? They can continue making silly dance videos for their friends. It also means that Oracle will take a 12.5% stake in a new company called TikTok Global, while Walmart will have 7.5% allocation. This newly formed company will be stationed in the US, and according to reports, will offer the TikTok social platform to both US users and ‘the rest of the world’. “Both companies will take part in a TikTok Global pre-IPO financing round in which they can take up to a 20% cumulative stake in the company,” TikTok said in a statement, as reported by Cnet. “We will also maintain and expand TikTok Global’s headquarters in the US, while bringing 25,000 jobs across the country.”

    The only snag? The deal hasn’t actually been approved by Chinese authorities. This being a Chinese company first and foremost, it would need some form of go-ahead from country officials. So, this doesn’t mean that TikTok users can expect to use the app in the long run. This just means that the potential ban has been delayed to 27 September.

    Source: Cnet

    Xbox Series X and Series S pre-orders open this week

    The next-gen console war is upon us, and it’s been an interesting one so far. Last week we saw Sony reveal PlayStation 5 pricing, as well as opening pre-orders for its upcoming console. Granted, pre-orders didn’t exactly go according to plan, but this week we’ll see how Microsoft handles its pre-order phase. 

    The Xbox Series X and Series S pre-orders will officially open on Tuesday 22 September across the globe. Because of time zones, however, pre-orders will vary according to country. “Across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, you can pre-order online starting at 9 AM CEST at Microsoft Store, Amazon, MediaMarkt, GameStop, FNAC, Elkjøp/Elgiganten, and other participating retailers. Retailers and availability may differ by country,” Xbox details pre-orders in Africa. Which includes South Africa. We reckon heading to the official Xbox Store website in SA should direct you to the correlating retailers once pre-orders have gone live. The Xbox Series X is priced at R12,000, and the Xbox Series S will be available at R7,000 locally. As expected, pre-order amounts will be limited, with certain amounts allocated to each country and retailer at Microsoft’s discretion. 

    “At least we have a clear time and list of retailers for the next-gen Xbox consoles, though. Both Sony and Nvidia have made a mockery out of the preorder process this week,” The Verge reports. Let’s hope for a smoother pre-order process this time around for all of the people keen to invest in next-gen. 

    Source: The Verge

    This is just how big the PlayStation 5 is

    Since its reveal, rumours have been circulating on the internet regarding Sony’s next-gen console’s actual size. It looked larger than the current-gen PS 4 console, and even larger than the PS4 Pro. Now it looks like we finally have more concrete evidence of the PlayStation 5’s size. We knew it was going to be a chonky boy, so here it is in some newly leaked close-up images complete with rulers for dimension.

    According to images leaked by Taiwan’s National Communications Commission (NCC), the console is clearly seen sitting alongside rulers with and without the attachable base that allows the console to stand right-side-up. But seeing the console horizontally, it’s clear that you’ll likely need that attachable base to stand it upright. Lucky for us, however, Sony has already revealed the actual size of these consoles. The leaked pictures just put it into perspective, giving us more insight into how to rearrange our entertainment setup. “According to Sony, excluding the base and the largest projection, the standard console measures approximately 390mm wide, 104mm high and 260mm deep, while the Digital Edition measures approximately 390mm, 92mm and 260mm,” TechRadar reports. 

    That’s a big machine. The Sony PlayStation 5 console will take up quite a chunk of space on any desk/gaming setup. So better know what you’re in for if you’ve decided to pre-order one last week. 

    Source: TechRadar

    Has Instagram been peeping at people through iPhone selfie cams?

    Ever had the uncomfortable feeling that you’re being looked at even when no-one’s around? That’s kind of what happened to one Instagram user who decided to file a lawsuit against social platform Instagram last week, accusing it of using iPhone cameras to spy on its users. 

    And it’s not coming from a place of paranoia — an actual bug in Instagram’s code discovered in July revealed that the app had access to iPhone cameras without user permission. When the bug was found, Facebook said that it didn’t actually use the camera, even though Instagram code clearly showed that it had access in iOS 14. “Instagram is constantly accessing users’ smartphone camera feature while the app is open and monitors users without permission,” says the suit as reported by Cnet. The lawsuit was filed by a New Jersey Instagram user Brittany Conditi in the US District Court in San Francisco. Was the lawsuit boils down to, is the fact that Instagram and the owner Facebook had access to user cameras through the app, and “have been able to monitor users’ most intimate moments, including those in the privacy of their own homes, in addition to collecting valuable insight and market research on its users.”

    This may turn into a ‘he said, she said’, but the proof is clear. Instagram developers had access to people’s cameras without their consent. Even if Facebook holds that it ‘didn’t use the feature’, users still have the right to personal privacy, and this feature should have never been approved by Apple. 

    Source: Cnet

    buy in South Africa featured Instagram Light Start Oracle PlayStation 5 Seriex X social media Sony spying TikTok trump Xbox pre-orders
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Tumblr Email
    Marcé

      If I had a business card, it'd say 'Digital Editor at Stuff'. But I don't because my gamertag is more useful than a business card. I write about tech industry, hardware, software, games and motoring.

      Related Posts

      algae PC

      Light Start: Nvidia GPUs incoming, Goog-sung goes healthy, Twitter labels tested, and a plant-based PC

      May 16, 2022
      Sony XM5

      Sony’s new WH-1000XM5 over-ears are now official, as the prophecy foretold

      May 13, 2022
      Sony PS5

      Still don’t have a PS5? Pity. Sony’s expecting the console shortage to last into 2023

      May 11, 2022

      Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

      In The Mag
      Stuff April-May 2022 Latest Issue

      In This Issue – The Smart Home (April-May 2022) Issue

      By Brett VenterApril 4, 20220

      It’s time for a brand-new issue of your favourite tech publication. The April-May- 2022 edition…

      2021 Wish List
      wish list Stuff Wish List 2021

      Stuff Wish List: for the tech impaired

      By Duncan PikeDecember 22, 20210

      Are you from the time before being glued to a smartphone was considered normal? Here’s…

      Wishlist DIY Stuff tech

      Stuff Wish List: for the DIY Diehard

      December 21, 2021
      Wish List Gearhead

      Stuff Wish List: For the petrol-soaked gearhead

      December 20, 2021
      outsiders

      Stuff Wish List: for the Outsiders

      December 17, 2021

      Latest Video

      Sonos

      SONOS Roam SL unboxing by Toby Shapshak

      March 30, 2022
      Mini Cooper

      The Mini Cooper SE Electric with Toby Shapshak

      March 18, 2022
      MSI Crosshair 15 Rainbox Six Extraction Edition unboxing

      MSI Crosshair 15 Rainbox Six Extraction Edition unboxing

      March 16, 2022
      Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra Unboxing

      Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra unboxing with Toby Shapshak

      March 16, 2022
      Contact

      South Africa's Consumer Tech News Hub

      General: [email protected]
      Subscriptions: [email protected] or 087 353 1291
      Editorial: 072 735 2614
      Sales: 083 375 2418

      Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube SoundCloud

      Subscribe to Updates

      • Terms and Conditions
      • Privacy & POPI
      • My account
      © 2022 Stuff Group. Designed by Chronon.

      Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.