Author: Brad Lang

A few weeks ago we wrote that the SABC was up to its usual shenanigans, trying to squeeze extra money out of South Africa by applying to be made a public service media broadcaster. This move would effectively require people to pay the broadcaster an annual levy, even if they didn’t actually consume any media produced by the corporation. We now know a little more about this suggested ‘TV tax’ thanks to a report from the Sunday Times. The SABC reportedly wants South African households to pay a R265 levy, if they could potentially make use of the its services.…

You’d think that despite it’s strange name Bravely Default 2 would have something at least vaguely original about it, yet that simply isn’t the case. Let me clarify though, because that sounds incredibly harsh. This a game that knows it’s not bringing anything new to the fold and is completely okay with that. Instead, it focuses on taking the systems and genre conventions so often seen in traditional Japanese Role-Playing Games (JRPGs) and doing them well. For the most part it succeeds, existing as both an excellent homage to the past and a… decent modern JRPG. Let’s start with what the game…

As has been the trend in ISPs the past week, Telkom has also confirmed that it’s in the process of updating it’s fibre packages and upgrading internet speeds for its customers. Fibre speeds are being doubled across the board while those users who are having their speeds upgraded won’t need to pay extra for the upgrade. This follows suite with Openserve, Mweb, and Axxess all offering improved bundle rates as well as free upgrades. If there was ever a time to make the leap to fibre, it seems like now would be a great idea. Starting from 25 March, Telkom…

While working from home as its fair share of challenges, such as screaming children and pets begging for attention, the worst part of the adjustment has to be the increased strain placed on data caps. South Africans have no doubt battled with their data since video calls become the primary method of working. So if you’re still stuck working on your couch, cursing the ridiculously priced data bundles our country, then this Microsoft Teams update should help set your mind at ease. A “low data mode” is soon coming to Microsoft Teams that should help with those oppressive data prices.…

If you’re a Standard Bank customer, you may have noticed that in the past day or two that your have less cash in your bank accounts. It’s a rather scary thing to discover but know that you can rest easy because it was all a big mistake. Standard Bank confirmed on Twitter that a glitch in its system resulted in some transactions, both debit and credit, occurring more than once. Here in the Stuff offices, our resident editor and all-round swell chap Brett Venter had a small panic upon discovering that some of his recent transactions had been pulled from his accounts…

There have been rumours swirling around for months now that WhatsApp would eventually bring the much sought-after feature of voice and video calls to the desktop version of the instant messaging app. Yet with all the fuss and trouble of the changes coming to the app’s terms and conditions update, it seems that it was placed on the back-burner. That is, until now. WhatsApp is currently rolling out an update that will finally bring the feature users have been clamouring after for months now. It would probably have been more useful in the thick of hard lockdown but better late than…

TikTok is a bit of a massive deal right now, as you no doubt already know. The social media app has surged in users over the past few years and has even earned the ire of the previous US Government administration after it’s users booked up hundreds of tickets to a Donal Trump rally to simply not pitch. Needless to say, it’s hot content right now and Netflix wants in on it. The video streaming app that no doubt helped everyone get through last year’s lockdown is launching a mobile feature that replicates the TikTok experience but with clips from…

Life just became a great deal easier for FNB customers… if they happen to live down the road from a Checkers or Shoprite. You know, those shopping centres that generally have decent prices and a looming scent of fish wafting about the place. If you bank with FNB you’ll now be able to deposit cash into your account at the till of either the aforementioned shops. Very handy if you happen to live miles away from an actual ATM but around the corner from a supported store. FNB customers can make use of the service at a collective 1,700 Checkers…

If you’re currently running around your respective town and/or city in a 2007 Toyota Yaris, then you might want to pay attention to this little news piece. The car manufacturer has issued a recall on all 2007 Toyota Yaris’ models due to a fault with the car’s airbags. SMSs were sent out to all the owners of the affected vehicles making them aware of the situation and probably making more than a few people rather paranoid. Scams are so easy to pull these days that many people no doubt wrote the warning off. Of course, we at Stuff Magazine like to look…

There’s two things South Africans hate more than anything else: Eskom’s haphazard loadshedding schedule and sudden spikes in petrol prices. While we’re pleased to say that power cuts don’t seem to be a problem for now, car juice will be taking a big old leap into the sky. According to a statement released to the media by SA’s government, petrol and diesel prices will be increasing tomorrow, 3 March, by a rather substantial amount. Best stop by the local Shell or BP on the way home if you want to enjoy the current price for a day longer! According to…