Author: Brett Venter

One of the more stealthy tech lineups to emerge in recent years is the smart tracker. Starting with the Tile, which began life as a Kickstarter project, we’ve seen loads of companies introduce their own versions. Apple, Samsung, heck, even Vodacom has a version of the Tile. All of this competition has left the Tile feeling a little neglected. Until, that is, the folks from Life360 came along to a) acquire the company and b) supply it with enough cash to punch Samsung in the face. Shopping for Tiles Okay, there might not be enough money to blacken the eye…

Smartphone processors, if the device you’re likely reading this on wasn’t a big enough clue, are very big business. The major name in the game is Qualcomm, with some competition by Apple and Samsung thrown in. MediaTek, a name we tend to associate with budget and mid-range phones, is looking to get into the lucrative flagship device market. It plans to do this with the launch of its new Dimensity 9000 processor, a chipset that the company claims can stand toe-to-toe with the best mobile processor on the planet. ‘The best’, in this instance, means the likes of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon…

Back in September this year, we heard about the Rolls-Royce Spirit of Innovation. At the time, the all-electric aircraft the engine manufacturer was working on undertook a successful test flight. Well, it’s back. And, unlike the brief test a few short weeks ago, this time it’s moving much faster. Originally, the company was hoping to eventually get its Project ACCEL engine to reach a top speed of at least 480km/h. It seems that it has reached its mark, and then some, though we’re still not sure about the whole target distance, thing. Rolls-Royce rocket The engine-makers have, in a press…

Website hosting provider GoDaddy is one of the largest in the world, so when something goes wrong there it tends to be pretty big. Since it makes no sense to lead with that unless something’s gone wrong… guess what? A security breach at the company has lead to the leak of up to 1.2 million WordPress accounts. The breach, referred to as a “security incident,” was revealed in an SEC filing the company made reporting the leak. Security me harder, GoDaddy! At risk are the email addresses of up to 1.2 million of GoDaddy’s active and inactive Managed WordPress users.…

Hideo Kojima, the mind behind some of the strangest games to ever hit the mainstream, is extending his reach. The video game company established by the Japanese game designer, producer, director and writer is expanding its reach into more traditional media. Soon, he will be unstoppable. Nah, actually, Stuff is fine with Hideo Kojima’s company Kojima Productions starting up a new division dedicated to making music, films, and TV shows. It’s obviously what the company founder has been keen on for… decades. All hail Hideo Kojima According to GamesIndustry.biz, Kojima Productions’ new division will be based in Los Angeles. It’ll…

It’s not just SpaceX and Blue Origin in search of the stars. Smaller startup Astra has been working on getting its rockets out into space as well. And now, finally, the company has succeeded. The company this weekend sent its Launch Vehicle 0007 into orbit, reaching that region of space for the first time. The flight took off from the Pacific Spaceport Complex in Kodiak Island, Alaska, at 1:16 AM ET (or 08:16 AM on 21 November, SAST). The 13-metre rocket entered orbit around the planet a few minutes later. Infernus Ad Astra https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97qhttuqtB4 Astro CEO Chris Kemp, speaking in…

One of the things you don’t worry about nearly enough is the potential for an asteroid strike on planet Earth. Folks at SpaceX and NASA are worried about it, though. So much so that this week the two space agencies are launching the Double Asteroid Redirection Test or DART mission. The point, if the name isn’t a complete giveaway, is to crash something into an asteroid to see if it can be shifted out of its path. This might come in handy for an Armageddon situation since we can’t count on Bruce Willis, Ben Affleck, and Steven Tyler to save…

The chip shortage is causing all sorts of changes in the tech world. Some items are harder to get (like game consoles), some cars are dumping features until supplies improve, and some car manufacturers — like Ford and GM — are becoming involved in the chip manufacture process. But the American automakers aren’t setting up their own production plants. Instead, they’re making deals with various established chip-makers to ensure that there’s enough silicon to go around. Presumably just for themselves. They’re probably not too concerned with BMW’s current fate. A-Ford-able chipsets? Ford announced that it would team up with GlobalFoundries…

SpaceX has made substantial progress on its Starship launch vehicles. You know, the one it suspects will take humans to Mars? The company went from blowing them up in various ways to actually landing one. Immediately, plans were started to launch one into orbit for a few revolutions before returning it to Earth. When this feat would be achieved, however, was the subject of speculation. Original estimates had the test taking place before March 2022, but Elon Musk has pushed that timeline back a little. Provided nothing expensive happens in the meantime, of course. Starship knee-deep in hoopla Speaking at…

Last year Sony returned its TV lineup to South Africa, and today the company dumped a whole lot of its new Bravia XR sets right into our lap. Stuff was at the launch today in Johannesburg, which was a subdued affair involving a handful of people and a selection of truly impressive TV tech. We got to experience several different aspects of Sony’s TVs. There are ten different models launching into the country — of those, four are the headliners. These are the Bravia XR sets, with two OLED and TV of Sony’s Full-Array models being part of the company’s…