Author: Duncan Pike

Blockchain denialists will tell you that the decentralised technology ‘doesn’t do anything new’ and that it ‘results in the same outcome, just with extra steps’. Yet, new research has surfaced detailing a rather clever way malicious internet denizens are using one example of the technology to keep their malware safe from the Feds. See, denialists, blockchain can be useful. We’ll admit that ‘useful’ in this case is heavily dependent on which side of the malware you find yourself. If it’s not your malware then ‘useful’ probably isn’t the first word that comes to mind. Using new tech for old tricks…

If you follow Stuff on Twitter, you might already know that last night Volkswagen announced its new night driving safety course – Night School. The event was held at the Zwartkops Raceway in Centurion, Pretoria where the night school course will be conducted alongside VW’s other advanced driving courses. The new course contains lessons that are reinforced with practical demonstrations and exercises on and off the track. This combination not only improves the participants’ knowledge of what to do in emergency situations but also their understanding of why vehicles behave the way they do and how to react properly. How…

It’s 2023 and misinformation is still a thing. Unless YouTube has anything to say about it. In a recent announcement post, the world’s largest video-hosting platform outlined plans for a new “immersive watch page experience” that will collate news videos from “authoritative sources” across various formats into a single, trustworthy page. That’s the idea, anyway. The new feature will show up when you start watching a video with a purple newspaper icon on the home page or in search results. Instead of needing to look around for more videos on the topic yourself, YouTube will do it for you. Good…

Last Thursday, 12 October 2023, Honor held the Chinese launch for the Magic Vs2. The foldable smartphone team has been busy as this is the third foldable device from the company in the last four months. It was first unveiled in September at IFA Berlin where it was dubbed the “world’s thinnest foldable smartphone” and follows the Magic V Purse which launched in China last month and the Magic V2 which launched in July. As proud as Honor presumably is, a Chinese launch isn’t a big deal for South Africans (or anyone outside of China, for that matter). Especially if…

Following Google’s recent passkey development, WhatsApp has now announced the rollout of passkey support on Android devices. This is the latest security-focused update to the popular messaging platform and provides yet another way to secure your WhatsApp account – on Android devices, anyway. After months of testing the feature in the beta channel, the update makes its way to WhatsApp’s stable channel and should be available to most users running the latest version of the app. If you don’t see it yet and you’re itching to try it, check the Play Store for updates daily. It shouldn’t take too long.…

Sony Electronics recently announced the Inzone Buds, the company’s first gaming-focused wireless earbuds. But aren’t the Pulse Explore earbuds it announced in May, and then again in August, the company’s first gaming-focused buds, we hear you ask? Well no, Sony doesn’t seem to think so. Sure, those are the first PlayStation-branded wireless earbuds that you’ll surely be able to use for gaming, but gaming wasn’t the focus so they don’t count. The features and specs of the Pulse Explore buds are still a mystery so they may well differ from the new Inzone Buds, but that chance looks rather small.…

If you own a device with access to the Google Play Store and don’t feel like using your own money to pay for extra Google Drive storage, in-app purchases, or any of those other optional extras, this is for you. There exists an app, made by Google itself, that will pay you for your opinion. Naturally, it’s called Google Opinion Rewards and it’s free to download and use in the countries where it’s supported. Thankfully, South Africa is one of those countries – has been since March last year (even though the app’s availability page still hasn’t been updated). How…

The ROG Swift OLED PG27AQDM gaming monitor from Asus is the start of a new era for high-end gaming in South Africa. Best of all, it’s available here. By now, local gamers are used to not getting their hands on the best products. Not this time. This OLED gaming monitor is definitely one of the best and Asus recently made it available in SA. Make no mistake, the R35,000 price tag will keep it out of reach of most, but maybe other companies won’t be as hesitant to bring more high-end kit to SA. That’s the dream anyway. Regardless of…

Blue and red-themed retail giant Pick n Pay continues its strive into the digital age and this time it’s actually for the better. The retail chain has updated its Smart Shopper loyalty program with the launch of a new app. Dubbed Pick n Pay Smart Shopper on the Google Play Store and simply Pick n Pay on Apple’s App Store, the app is already available and offers a few rather nifty features. You won’t be forced to sign in or register right away, either, with a ‘guest’ login sufficing until you’re ready to commit to something more long-term. But that’s…

Counter-Strike 2, the fifth iteration of Valve’s ever-popular first-person shooter series, finally receives a full release and replaces Counter-Strike: Global Offensive as a free update. Following an official announcement earlier this year in March, Counter-Strike 2 entered a “limited test” period and was only available to a handful of pre-selected professional players, content creators, streamers, casters, and analysts in the scene. Since then, Valve has steadily increased the scope of that limited test by inviting more of CS:GO’s ever-growing player base. The developer released regular improvements and bug fixes to the game based on feedback from its passionately vocal pool…