Author: Brett Venter

Companies often file trademarks for things they might do. When a company like Huawei files for a mark like Huawei Energy, though, it’s heavily suggestive of the Chinese firm having yet another direction to explore. That direction could, if the trademarks for Huawei Energy and Huawei Digital Energy are awarded (and probably even if they’re not), involve power solutions in addition to the company’s heavy enterprise presence. According to a report, the company’s new trademarks “are awaiting substantive examination.” Big Huawei Energy If we do see new Huawei spin-offs, they could involve battery storage, green energy, and even vehicle batteries,…

Seiko and Sega’s upcoming wristwatch collaboration won’t make you move as quickly as the game company’s iconic mascot. But you might need Sonic-like reflexes to strap one of these limited edition timepieces to your wrist. We say ‘might’ because, while these are commemorative pieces and are probably going to be in short supply, we don’t know exactly how many of each model Seiko will produce. But you’ve at least got until the October shipping date to get your pre-order in, with the possibility that purchases from the Japanese store will ship overseas too. You’ll have to make some effort on…

It’s taken long enough, but Samsung has finally made its Galaxy S26 Unpacked event date (and time) official. The event kicks off on 25 February, as expected based on prior ‘leaks’, but we may not be watching this one live. Samsung is hosting the event in San Francisco, where most software nerds like to hang out, so the rest of the world is beholden to American time zones. Here at home, the Galaxy S26 unveiling will take place at 23h00 on 25 February. Come on, Samsung. That’s a school night. The Galaxy S26 is late https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NjfXL1u7x4 A very brief teaser…

Olympus cameras disappeared for a time, only to reappear as OM System cameras. Now, the resurrection is starting to produce some really interesting photography hardware. Anyone can make a point-and-shoot, after all. Not everyone will make a point-and-shoot-the-stars, and even fewer will allow you to look in the other direction. That’s just what the new OM-3 Astro and TG-7 Industry do. The first (obviously) is a version of OM System’s standard OM-3, optimised for astronomy purposes. The second is a little wilder, being a 12MP compact camera designed for photographing the view through a microscope. We’re not going to ask…

When you turn twenty, everything gets more expensive. That’s certainly the case for Razer’s 20th anniversary reissue of the Boomslang, its first-ever gaming mouse. We first saw the mouse in December last year, when Razer wisely kept the pricing for the upgraded wireless peripheral concealed. The pricing is out, and if you want to be one of the 1,337 owners of this limited edition nostalgia cash-grab, you’d best be prepared to drop more than R25,000 for inclusion into the club. 1337 Boomslang https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZdIHA_n3CE Pricing for the new version of Razer’s oldest mouse has turned up on the company’s German website,…

A short while ago, Chinese car-maker Xpeng unveiled its Iron humanoid robot. At the time, its creators were forced to slice open the foam covering that gave it its shape to prove that it wasn’t just a human in a zentai suit. Now, we can be much more certain that there are actual mechanical bits inside the ‘bot. How come? At a recent public appearance in China, the robot performed its disconcerting stroll into place. Unlike the first unveiling, though, there was a slight malfunction. Heart of Iron Things didn’t go entirely according to plan, when XPENG’s latest generation IRON…

If you’re anything like us, tablets are a good idea in principle, but actually finding a use for one is tough. Volkano’s Cosmic 11in tablet, based on its price and specs, immediately suggests the same usage every other tablet eventually gets used for: entertainment. A very specific kind of entertainment, in our case, but you could go the streaming media route too. But comic books and graphic novels are ideally suited for the 11in display on this R3,000 tablet. You’re getting a lot of screen for your money. Might as well use it to read very small text, right? Boxing…

Can you transition from a cartwheel into a backflip without landing on your face? Boston Dynamics’ Atlas robot can, apparently, though we hate to think how many times the humanoid robot launched itself into the padding behind its landing area before its creators captured the footage they wanted. If Mirror Me’s 35km/h artificial humanoid isn’t scary enough for you, witnessing Boston Dynamics’ darling show off its newfound agility might do the trick. It’s not like Atlas was a slouch before. Its previous heavy-metal incarnation was fairly skilled in this area. A lightweight body (and better programming) only seems to have…

It wasn’t long ago at all that visuals of Sony’s WF-1000XM6 leaked online. In the intervening time, Sony confirmed that a full reveal would take place on 12 February. It would be awfully inconvenient if someone spoiled the Japanese company’s fun and detailed everything ahead of time. That’s called (bad) foreshadowing, by the way. Someone absolutely has spoiled Sony’s surprise, detailing the upcoming XM6 earbuds with fantastic precision. Well, fantastic for us. Sony’s PR department, not so much. Meet the WF-1000XM6 Previously, we saw the changes to Sony’s earbuds’ outer design; now it’s time to peer inside. Not literally, because…

Vivo’s recent run of upgraded smartphone camera tech could see the Chinese company making a slight pivot in search of more revenue. A report out of China, specifically Jiemian News, claims that the brand is setting its sights on the vlogging camera market. That segment is already occupied by some heavyweights, like DJI and Insta360. DJI’s Osmo Pocket series is the pick of that bunch for pocketability, while Insta360 makes some impressive hardware of its own. Vivo’s vlogging venture There are few details concerning Vivo’s apparent vlogging camera. Mostly, the news concerns timelines for development. The Chinese outfit reportedly started…