Author: Duncan Pike

Yesterday, Asus’ Republic of Gamers (ROG) gaming sub-brand announced its new Strix Scar 17 SE and Flow X16 gaming rigs. We had the chance to play with the previous model of the Strix Scar 17. We liked that one because it offered top-class performance at a relatively decent price point. That affordability has taken a backseat this time in favour of… more power. This might be in the running for the most powerful gaming machine your (bags of) money can buy. ROG has taken almost every aspect of the Strix Scar and made it faster. ‘Gotta go fast.’ – ROG…

Toyota has confirmed that at least one vehicle under its new all-electric sub-brand ‘bZ’ (beyond Zero) will make it to South Africa in 2023. That vehicle will be in the shape of an SUV, called the Toyota bZ4X. That shape might look familiar. That’s because Subaru is a technology partner, so the bZX4 is basically the same vehicle as the Subaru Solterra. Lexus will also share the EV platform. We wonder what they’ll call their version. The bZX4 will get its juice from a 71.4kWh battery from Panasonic. That should, according to Toyota, give you a range of around 450km.…

If you’re old enough to remember Windows XP and have been looking to scratch that Space Cadet 3D Pinball itch, Google has something for you. The search giant wrapped up its annual I/O 2022 conference last week. Apart from briefly mentioning half a dozen devices it plans to release in the next year or two, we also had a look at Google’s take on AR glasses. But something that slipped in under the radar was an online pinball game that the company released just before the conference started. I/O Pinball doesn’t cost money, only time The announcement came from Flutter’s…

The people behind the popular language-learning app, Duolingo, have decided to take language learning beyond the app. Well, that’s the case if you live in Pittsburgh, want to learn Spanish, and enjoy a good taco. The app is opening its own takeout-only restaurant called Duo’s Taquería. It’ll be run by acclaimed chef Marcella Ogrodnik. The menu at Duo’s will be inspired by Mexican cuisine. Specifically, street tacos made with nixtamalized heirloom corn, whatever that is. Pork, chorizo, and vegan options will also feature, as will sides and desserts. First, Duolingo. Then, we feast. Sure, you could just get something delivered…

What’s cooking in Jensen’s kitchen? The time for the next generation of graphics cards is fast approaching. There have been several rumours floating around from Team Red (AMD) and Team Green (Nvidia). Team Red is already reportedly working on chips for the next generation of consoles. Nvidia’s RTX 40 series graphics cards, based on the Ada Lovelace architecture, are also expected, as soon as July or August.This leak comes from fairly reputable leaker Kopite7kimi via Twitter. They tweeted simply, “Q3 early” in response to their previous tweet mentioning the release. Other rumours haven’t been as reserved in their speculation. Some…

Google recently held its annual I/O presentation and, this year, there was a lot to take in. The Pixel 6a, Pixel Watch, Pixel Bids Pro, Pixel 7 and 7 Pro, and a new Pixel Tablet, to name all but one. Then, right at the end of the presentation, the company revealed something we don’t think many people were expecting – AR glasses. The headline feature for these was the ability to view an automatically translated and transcribed feed of text in real-time, taken from another person’s speech. Of all the various applications of AR that we’ve seen, this one actually…

It only took a week or so for the leaks of Sony’s WH-1000XM5 headphones to bear fruit. That fruit was in the shape of an official announcement from the company. The latest set of noise-cancelling cans will be available to order from 20 May 2022 and will set buyers back $400 (~R6,500). We still don’t know exactly how much they will cost locally and they’re likely to take a little longer to reach our stores. They will almost certainly cost more than R6,500, seeing as the two-year-old XM4s can be had for that. As we saw from the leaks last…

Someone call the plumber because Samsung has sprung another leak. This time it’s a few bits of info and some pretty-looking unofficial renders of the company’s 2022 foldable range – the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4. The renders come via SmartPrix and the almost always correct Steve Hemmerstoffer (AKA @Onleaks). Both devices look rather similar to their predecessors. The Galaxy Z Fold 4 will reportedly have the same 6.2in cover display with a 7.6in folding inner display. The most noticeable external change is the camera array that looks to be copy-pasted from the Galaxy S22 Ultra.…

The word ‘Universal’ in Universal Serial Bus does about the same work as the word ‘Democratic’ in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. That is to say, it’s a lie. The only thing that makes it ‘universal’ is that everyone uses USB, in some form or another, every day. Whether you’re transferring data or charging a device, you’re probably using some form of USB. But where did it come from and why is it so confusing these days? USB: Origins USB first came about in 1994 when Intel, Compaq, Microsoft, IBM, Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC), Nortel, and NEC Corporation joined…

Western Digital has announced a slew of new storage options. Whether you’re looking to install the latest Call of Duty, are running a Network Attached Storage (NAS) device at home, or need to boost your business’s server storage, WD has something for you. That’s a lot of Call of Duties The impressively large 26TB Ultrastar DC HC670 drive uses something called shingle magnetic recording (SMR) to fit more data on the same number of platters. Don’t expect to put one of these in your gaming rig though, these are targeted at data centres. The performance knock from using SMR won’t…