Author: Brett Venter

If you were asked to take the idea of robot dogs operating in space for human benefit ten years ago, you would be forgiven for thinking it’s another Netflix series concept. Now, though? It’s an entirely plausible use of technology. The South China Morning Post has just outlined what the Chinese space agency has in mind for robotic quadrupeds. Scientists at the China Academy of Space Technology reckon that robot dogs could feasibly perform several tasks in space, working alongside humans. Scouting missions, resource and sample collections, and even guard duty for lunar bases have all been put forward. Chinese…

There have long been rumours that Apple’s basic iPhone 18 would see a delayed launch this year. At the time, it was suspected to be a strategy shift to allow more space for a foldable iPhone in September this year. Now, though? The events are the same, but the reasoning is a little different. One of Apple’s vendors, Pegatron, seems to have confirmed the smartphone maker’s split launch plans. The vendor said in a recent earnings call that it was shifting focus to other projects, according to a report from Economic Daily News. The cause? The ongoing memory shortage is…

Heart Aerospace’s Heart X1 aircraft has just become, according to its creators, the largest fully battery-powered aircraft ever flown. Presumably, launching one of Tesla’s Semi’s off a cliff won’t count as ‘flight’. The Heart X1 demonstrator aircraft managed a flight and landing lasting 27 minutes. It did this while using less than R100 worth of electricity, said the company. We’ve got no idea how to check that, but assuming it’s true, it could make short flights cheaper. First, though, Heart Aerospace has to get beyond the ‘demonstration’ stage and begin flying real humans around. That’ll still take a while. I…

Samsung hasn’t met any tech it didn’t like. Its audio in particular has been leaping ahead. We’ve got theories about why that is, but the South Korean company wouldn’t like them much. Still, if it means more headphones to fiddle with, we’re not about to complain. A new rumour indicates that’s just what’s coming. And not in the company’s already excellent in-ear category, either. The folks at SamMobile have unearthed something in the Galaxy Wearable app suggesting we can expect over-ear headphones from Samsung soon. Samsung, can you over-ear me? As usual with an app leak, the information arises in…

Stuff has seen previous versions of the Asus ROG Zephyrus G16, but never anything quite like this. We had the company’s priciest version in for review, for starters. Also, when a laptop costs between R110,000 and R120,000, we’re used to seeing… well, more laptop. They tend to be thicker desktop replacements rather than anything that looks portable. That’s not the case here. It’s also why this one commands the price it does. The bulk doesn’t signal this Zephyrus G16’s innards the way another laptop might. Somehow, Asus has crammed in enough power to blow basically everything in your way some…

Honor has milked its Robot Phone’s launch since late last year, but now the leaks and rumours are all at an end. The Chinese brand unveiled its new gimbal phone at an event in China that, finally, explains everything. You may not be surprised to learn that the various data drops about the new smartphone were almost entirely correct. Many of these were done by Honor itself, so their accuracy wasn’t ever in question. Still, it’s nice to have all of the relevant information in one place. Well… except for one thing: local pricing. That’s something we’ve got to wait…

Before the Garmin CIRQA became official, it was subject to tons of leaks. The same appears to apply to the next item in the lineup — a smart ring with the same branding. The folks at Garmin News spotted a regulatory filing that seems to out the new wearable. The device information was submitted by PT Garmin Indonesia and found in that country’s regulatory filings, published yesterday. Beyond that, there’s little additional information. Rings around CIRQA  The CIRQA smart ring is classified as a “fitness device” manufactured in Taiwan. The apparently wearable didn’t appear alone, either. An electric outboard motor,…

The existence of the Huawei Mate 80 implies the future existence of the Huawei Mate 90 lineup. The date for that future seems to have been vaguely set, according to reports out of China. Details posted to that country’s Weibo social media platform reckon that 23 September is the date we’ll see what’s next from the company. Probably. Maybe. Previously, the September date has been tossed around, even if it’s a little weird. The Mate 80 range turned up in China in November 2025 before debuting here in February. If this year’s dates are accurate, we might see Huawei’s newest…

One of Stuff’s favourite audio brands, Jabra, transitioned away from headphones and started making hearing aids. That’s a path that Samsung is now following, though the South Korean company isn’t decimating its commercial product lineup to do so. Instead, Samsung has revealed that its Galaxy Buds lineup is getting a Hearing Aid feature. One important enough to justify its proper noun status, apparently. The feature has cleared regulatory hurdles in the States, and other markets will also see the medical feature roll out in the future. Galaxy hearing aids According to the company, its recent FDA clearance allows it to…

Artificial intelligence is like a squid trying to squeeze itself through a keyhole. It’ll take the shape of whatever it thinks you think will make it useful. A trending example of this is the current drive into children’s storytelling. Meta recently debuted StoryKit, an AI platform that will stick your kids into their own stories. You’ll have to hand over information about your offspring for this function to work. Sure, you could lie about what little Johnny and Susan are really like, but then you’d have to use your own imagination instead of letting a computer think for you. It’s…