Author: Brett Venter

The trend in modern motor vehicles is towards more screens and touch interfaces, with physical buttons taking a backseat. LG’s newest innovation, set to be on display at SID Display Week 2025 in California next week, wonders why we can’t have both. The South Korean company has a selection of screen tech heading to the event, but it’s the Stretchable display (the capital ‘S’ is LG’s conceit) that looks the most remarkable. It leverages the screen-stretching capabilities we’ve seen in its Rollable TVs and almost saw in its wackiest phone to reach the concept stage to turn screens into… well,…

If you’re rocking a fairly decent 3D printer (and a substantial bank account) it’s relatively simple to create your own humanoid robot at home. Boffins at the University of Berkeley have just released the open-source plans for a robot called the Berkeley Humanoid Lite. The major drawcard is that you’re able to make the most expensive parts of the ‘bot on your 3D printer. The downside is that the remainder of the components are only cheap(ish) if you’re an American. The ancillary parts will set you back $5,000, or a mighty R92,000. A Humanoid of my very own https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIdJGkMDFl4 Nobody…

If you were going to resurrect a creature from the Jurassic period in the modern day, what would folks use it for? If your answer is ‘leather’, you’re just the sort of person VML, The Organoid Company, and Lab-Grown Leather would like to speak to. What would they say? They’ll probably open by offering you a pair of shoes made from Tyrannosaurus Rex leather, the stated aim of the new partnership between the creative agency, the genomics company, and the biotech firm. This might sound somewhat familiar, since it mirrors the plot of Steven Spielberg/Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park. Except for…

Samsung announced its Galaxy Tab S10 FE lineup at the beginning of last month with little local fanfare. That was expected, since South Africa wasn’t on the initial launch list. That has changed, with the new lot of ‘affordable’ Android tablets making landfall here at last. And pricing isn’t particularly ridiculous either. We expected them to match the Galaxy Tab S9 FE in terms of pricing. Samsung, somehow, is launching the new range for less than the expected R13,000 starting price. Control alt Tab S10 FE Part of this might be limited launch pricing, which also sees buyers snagging either…

Isn’t Apple acting more like Samsung one of the warning signs of the apocalypse? Regardless, a report from The Information suggests that could be where the company is headed. According to several supply chain sources that spoke to the outlet, the iPhone maker may be splitting up its smartphone release schedule. The iPhone Pro lineup would stick to the September announce/release schedule, with the more ‘basic’ devices waiting until early the next year. Unpacking Apple That’s similar to what Samsung does with its biannual Unpacked events, which keep different phone lineups separate in the hopes of supporting quarterly results (and keeping…

If you’re rocking a large student loan for an Arts degree in 2025, you might wonder why you didn’t opt for a trade. Google has a dire need for electricians in the States, and the company has offered to pay for their training. Try getting a better deal from your student finance office at a university. It’s not a small number of sparkies either. Google hopes to get 130,000 people up to speed as part of its efforts to power AI — 100,000 electricians and 30,000 apprentices. Google how to do it Placing artificial intelligence onto every electronic device known…

Agatha Christie is one of the world’s most enduring mystery fiction writers. Her books remain in print, the movies keep Kenneth Branagh employed, and now Christie herself is back to teach writers, courtesy of the BBC. Well, courtesy of the BBC and artificial intelligence (AI), since Christie died in 1975. But, like a character in one of her novels, she has returned from the dead. This time, it’s less of a mystery. The BBC’s Maestro-stroke As part of the British broadcaster’s Maestro service, which offers lessons from Harlan Coben (writing), Brian Cox (acting), Alan Moore (storytelling), and Marco Pierre White…

If you thought you were missing something from Samsung’s Galaxy S-series phones’ new artificial intelligence features, never fear. The Galaxy A lineup, stretching back to the Ax4 models, is gaining similar functionality. Retroactively, via a software update. Owners of the Galaxy A56 5G, A55 5G, A54 5G, A36 5G, A35 5G, A34 5G, A26 5G, A25 5G, A25e 5G or A24 smartphones will soon see the side/camera button repurposed in much the same way the Galaxy S has done it — with AI foremost in mind. It won’t be right away — updates begin from May this year — but…

If you’ve been holding off on a new EV because you’re waiting for more of a workhorse, it could be worth waiting for the Isuzu D-Max EV 1 to get here. Initially shown as the D-Max EV prototype at the Bangkok International Motor Show last year, the production version has hit assembly lines in Thailand with a first launch expected later this year. The only catch is that the South African market won’t see it until 2026, with official confirmation still pending on its actual arrival. The current production run for the new Isuzu EV bakkie is limited to left-hand…

Finally, a BMW where the indicators are intended to be optional. The German automaker has revealed its newest track car, the M2 Racing. Rather than allowing its owners to nip through traffic with reckless abandon, the M2 Racing allows the same behaviour where it belongs. On a track with other people who can afford their doubtless high insurance premiums. The tricky bit? You’ll have to wait for BMW’s 2026 season to use one, since that’s when this vehicle “will offer private customer teams around the world a new entry point into racing.” M2 Racing for the front The awesome bit?…