Author: Duncan Pike

Dedicated AI-powered devices can be a mixed bag. That’s a fact that OpenAI and former Apple design head Jony Ive are contending with as the pair attempt to justify OpenAI’s $6.5 billion acquisition of io, when the latter has yet to release a single product. OpenAI and Ive are facing developmental issues as they try to bring a supposedly always-on AI-powered device to market, the Financial Times (FT) reported. No repeating Humane and Rabbit Inc.’s mistakes The initial plan centred around creating a screenless, smartphone-sized device that would use microphones and cameras to take audio and visual cues from the user’s environment.…

Earlier this month, Dell Technologies announced what it calls the Dell Pro Plus Earbuds, and they’re exactly what you think they are. Like most regular earbuds these days, the Dell Pro Plus earbuds offer active noise cancellation, transparency mode, and adaptive audio. But they have a trick up their sleeve — these are the world’s first earbuds to ship with a Microsoft Teams Open Office certification. It’s mostly the same thing as a regular Microsoft Teams certification, only with more stringent testing involved. They’re also certified for Zoom. Dell Pro Plus Earbuds for work The Dell Pro Plus Earbuds support…

If you’re the type who can’t help but violently roll your eyes at the mere mention of AI, you’d better hold on to those balls of jelly — Perplexity has made its purpose-built AI browser, ‘Comet’, available to everyone for free. From its release in July this year, the browser was only available to macOS users of Perplexity’s Max subscription for $200/m (~R3,450/m). Now, thankfully, Perplexity has made it free for everyone, including Windows users. Perplexity shoots its Comet at everyone If you aren’t one of the macOS-using Perplexity Max subscribers who got to try it out first, or don’t…

If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance you are your family’s tech support. If you bear the weight of that roll, we salute you. We also thought we should give you and people like you a heads up that Microsoft has finally unveiled new icons for its Office apps for the first time since 2018. They might look slightly familiar if you were paying attention when they leaked earlier this year, but now they’re official, heading to a PC near you, and will probably cause at least a little confusion for folks not permanently plugged into the internet. New…

Apple is said to be prioritising work on its smart glasses at the cost of progress towards a lighter, cheaper version of the Vision Pro, according to a Bloomberg report from the usually-correct Mark Gurman. The Cupertino-based company is apparently working on “at least two” models of smart glasses, including one version with a built-in display and one without. The displayless model could be announced as soon as next year and launched in 2027. The version featuring a display was originally planned for 2028, but the Big Fruit Company is looking to speed things up before Meta Platforms eats the…

After many teases and leaks, Logitech has finally unveiled the MX Master 4, its flagship productivity mouse aimed at making your job easier. It arrives three years after the previous model, the MX Master 3S, and comes packing some upgrades and one unique feature. That would be the small motor inside that provides adjustable haptic feedback where your thumb will sit when you scroll, navigate, and select something in Windows or macOS environments. MX Master 4 is all about work Elsewhere, its switch clicks are supposed to be 90% quieter than the MX Master 3, while the Darkfield sensor and…

Vivo SA has announced a new mid-range contender for the South African smartphone market. The V60 Lite is already available for R13,000 if you can’t wait for the reviews to surface, or on contracts through Vodacom and Cell C. Vivo SA has positioned the V60 Lite as your next “fun partner”, with its main selling points being its style, entertainment capabilities, and its night photography smarts. That’s what Vivo is punting, at least. We’re more interested in some of the stand-out features. Sit tight, here comes the V60 Lite At the top of the stand-out feature list (at least for…

British audio firm Bowers & Wilkins has finally made its Px8 S2 flagship wireless active noise-cancelling headphones official. As is normally the case with new products, B&W is calling these “the best headphones [it has] ever made,” and from the sound of things (heh heh) they might well be. The company is promising improvements and upgrades across the board, including better sound, a slightly tweaked design, improved noise cancellation, and comfort. With all the competition in this price segment, B&W must nail those claims if the Px8 S2 are to become ‘the new reference in wireless headphones.’ The new Px8…

As we head straight into summer, having seemingly skipped spring altogether, you’re probably looking at your greenish, debris-filled pool with dread. It’s going to take a bit of work before it’ll be ready for summer enjoyment, and you almost certainly have better things to do. Thankfully, there’s a relatively new option for lazy pool owners — the Aiper Scuba N1 robot pool cleaner. It’s meant to replace the Kreepy Krauly-type thing you’ve got hooked up to pipes, as a simpler automatic solution. It will still require small amounts of manual input from you, but that’s what kids are for. Out…

Long-time German audio maker Sennheiser today announced the HD 500 BAM, a boom arm microphone that will attach to some of the brand’s headphones and make them better suited for gaming or online meetings when you’re feeling fancy. If you’re rocking a pair of the brand’s supported headphones (HD 500 series) and don’t already have a standalone microphone, or maybe you’re looking for something that takes up less space on your desk, this could be for you. It means you won’t have to swap between headsets when you go from your online meeting to a video game to listening to…