Author: Duncan Pike

Everyone’s favourite Big Tech company, Microsoft, announced yesterday that it is “rolling out several improvements to Windows Search Box” for Windows Insiders. Apparently, the company is only now hearing from its users that they’ve “been asking for search that is faster, more relevant, and easier to use,” so it’s started by “making results more dependable, easier to scan, and clearer.” That seems like a good start. Cleaning up your Windows For starters, it’s worth noting that the Windows Search box and the Windows Start menu are different things. The latter is what pops up when you hit the Windows key…

Asus seemingly discovered a product category it hadn’t touched until now. With its announcement of the ROG Gjallar gaming soundbar, Asus officially enters the dedicated gaming speaker market. This is Asus’ first standalone audio system that isn’t headphones made for gaming and multimedia applications. It follows the ROG Kithara that launched earlier this year, another audio device aimed at a different market. If you’re tired of having too much desk space, maybe the ROG Gjallar is for you. There are three bits included: the soundbar where most of the speakers live, a wireless subwoofer, and the audio control hub. You’re…

Do you spend a lot of your time jumping around on a stage? Even if you’re just standing there playing with your instrument, Sony’s new in-ear monitors could be for you. Sony doesn’t only make great consumer tech; it also dabbles in professional gear. The IER-M500 is Sony’s latest pro gear aimed at “amateur, emerging, and professional musicians, performers, and monitor engineers who require reliable and accurate in-ear monitoring for live performances and practices.” Check-check, one-two These in-ear buds apparently “fill a gap in Sony’s professional audio lineup, strengthening its end-to-end creator ecosystem,” so they should pair well if you’re…

After its plans to create a super app emerged in March this year, OpenAI has made good on those plans. ChatGPT Work is now what the company hopes you’ll use for all your web browsing, coding, and slop generation. The app is powered by OpenAI’s new GPT-5.6 model, which it debuted yesterday and is supposed to be its “smartest model series for professional work”. It’s the same model that the US government made OpenAI delay releasing over national security fears. “ChatGPT Work brings together context from your team’s tools to turn scattered notes, drafts, and ideas into finished work —…

Don’t want to sit through YouTube ads but too cheap to pay for Premium? DuckDuckGo, the privacy-focused search engine and browser company, has you covered with its latest free feature added to its browser. According to the company, its browser can now block “most video ads”. Yup, that includes those unskippable 30-second YouTube ads that run before your chosen video starts, as well as the also-super-annoying ads that interrupt your videos, sometimes multiple times per video. Since Google killed the last vestiges of Manifest V2, upon which ad-blocking extensions like uBlock Origin (and all content blockers that depend on dynamic…

Monitors might be one of the only things not priced out of reach for most consumers these days. Yes, flagship OLED monitors that allow you to switch resolution and refresh rate are still pretty pricey. But it wasn’t so long ago that we were saying the same thing about high-refresh-rate monitors like the Acer Nitro VG240. If you’re not worried about fancy features or frills, or if you stick to easy-to-run esports titles with the settings turned down to maximise your fps, then the VG240 could be just the monitor you need. If you want your AAA titles to look…

With its commitment to audio and design, it’s difficult to ignore anything Bang & Olufsen does. The Danish audio company has been around for over 100 years and has proven it (usually) knows what it’s doing with audio devices. Its track record with power banks isn’t as proven, but hey, everyone has to start somewhere, right? Bang & Olufsen brings the power This new device and new product category for the company is certainly a surprise. It stands out, like most B&O products. But in this case, it might not be for the reasons B&O hoped for. At €145, or…

Bentley, the VW-owned British car maker, has finally confirmed that it will be adding an electric vehicle to its lineup soon. It’s been on the cards for a while, but visual evidence has been difficult to come by. That hasn’t really changed much, but the company has finally shared a teaser image of the upcoming Torcal EV. Emphasis on ‘teaser’ as it only shows a limited portion of the rear profile, with the iconic Bentley ‘B’ logo and the taillight designs. Everything looks as premium as you’d expect from a car that will likely cost many millions if it’s ever…

There was never any doubt that Bowers & Wilkins’ new flagship Px8 S2 headphones would deliver as “[t]he best headphone Bowers & Wilkins has ever made.” The company proved as much with the recent refresh of the fantastic Px7 S3. The big question was whether the new cans would do enough to warrant the increase over their cheaper sibling. After reviewing the Px7 S3 earlier this year, we weren’t sure B&W could carve out a place for the more expensive Px8 S2. At R14,000, the Px8 S2 is nearly double the price of the Px7 S3. So are they nearly double…

Asus South Africa has announced the launch of the ROG G700 (2025) Build It Your Way experience. The ‘experience’ part of it is fairly limited, but this could still be one of the more affordable ways to get your hands on more RAM and storage. You’ll also get the rest of the PC, too, in case you were wondering. This whole thing is supposed to make it easier for you to upgrade your ageing gaming desktop at a time when individual components have increased in price by more than 100% in some cases. It will also get less-equipped gamers up…