Author: Brett Venter

When you think of the problems that plague South Africa’s government, you immediately think that the issue is a lack of information being passed around. Right? If that’s the case, the new pilot launch of MzansiXchange, “an initiative that will enable evidence-based policymaking and real-time data verification between departments”, should fix everything. The pilot, launched in Pretoria last week and scheduled to operate for a year, will “test the MzansiXchange in real-world conditions, strengthening the foundations for a broader national rollout.” Rather than collecting data, the new platform is concerned with “enabling secure, structured, and coordinated data sharing across government,”…

Samsung’s Galaxy S series smartphones have, for a while now, featured a tuned version of Qualcomm’s most advanced chipset branded ‘For Galaxy’. Because they’re made for the South Korean behemoth, obviously. But new industry rumours suggest that Samsung will take a little more control over the process by making the chipsets itself. Samsung gets Gen 5 These won’t be Exynos chips, which tend to grace the company’s lower orders (and some flagships), though it’s thought that the Exynos 2600 could be used for at least some models of the Galaxy S26. A report out of Korea suggests that the smartphone…

Italian sports car company Ferrari unveiled the technology that will live under the hood of its first electric car, the Elettrica, at an event in Maranello last week. The invite-only outing was followed by complete details of its EV platform for those who didn’t crack the nod for the Italian showcase. In typical Ferrari style, it’s impressive. As impressive as the company’s plug-in hybrid Testarossa reissue for the modern day? Perhaps, but anyone who clambers inside the Elettrica won’t have a V8, V12, or even a straight-6 under their speed-seeking command. It’ll be all-electric, with the platform the eventual EV…

Portable projectors have a certain sort of attraction. Showing a movie anywhere there’s a blank surface is one way to gather folks around you, but there are common issues. Anker claims its new Soundcore Nebula P1 addresses the most glaring of these issues by integrating larger speakers than are typically found in the projector format. Anker, known for its audio gear, batteries, and projectors, has included detachable speakers in its newest Nebula. The idea is simple enough that we’re almost surprised that it hasn’t been done before, but, Anker claims, this is a world first. Discovering the Nebula P1 The…

Boox is the other other ereader brand on the market, with the Chinese brand maintaining less visibility in the South African market than Amazon’s Kindle or Rakuten’s Kobo devices. Stuff has been watching for a while, however, and there’s something new coming from readers who take the path less travelled. Boox are for reading The company has announced its Boox P6 Pro and P6 Pro Colour devices for the Chinese market, with an international launch pending. The notable factor here? They’re about the size and shape of an average smartphone, meaning you can take your penchant for e-paper displays and…

OpenAI’s attempt to take on the short-form social media giants of the world is Sora, a social media-focused app that will let users create ten-second videos based on prompts. It’s powered by the company’s Sora 2 video generation model, with the time restrictions likely working in the model’s favour. Its release follows an initial report from Wired that the AI company was readying this very thing, but there are caveats for anyone looking to be the next Vine star (but without actually having to roll through traffic in a shopping trolley). For starters, the app is confined to American and…

The 1980s were a wild time. Music videos were directed by cocaine, fashion was… fluffy, and Roland’s drum machines were everywhere. It’s been a long time since the TR-808 and the TR-909 dominated studios (and the charts), but the new TR-1000 isn’t just a whack at some nostalgia sales. The music brand’s new drum machine is a thoroughly modern take on a very retro physical design. Its full title is the Roland TR-1000 Rhythm Creator, and it’s designed with producers, performers, and sound designers in mind. Roland, the last drumslinger The company says that this latest (re)incarnation “blends analog warmth,…

Any time you see Energizer’s logo emblazoned on a piece of tech that isn’t a battery, you know it’s because that device has a stonking big battery inside. It’s been true of smartphones, and now it’s also true of laptops. Avenir Telecom, a European company, has partnered with the battery specialist to launch a line of laptops. Tabletop Energizer The claim to fame is, of course, massive battery life. So large, in fact, that you’re not allowed to take one of the new Energizer EnergyBook Pro laptops on a plane. The FCC (and presumably other countries’ flight regulators) aren’t thrilled…

Xiaomi’s headline phones don’t typically make it to South Africa via official channels, but the newest release, which includes the Xiaomi 17 Pro and Pro Max, will make you wish that wasn’t the case. The Chinese brand has always turned out excellent hardware at the top of the price bracket, but it’s throwing more extras than ever at users. One of these is the inclusion of a secondary screen at the back of the device. This combination only applies to the Xiaomi 17 Pro and its beefier brother; the standard Xiaomi 17 doesn’t go quite as far to get your…

Logitech has been on a roll this month, first announcing a bunch of gaming hardware and following up with a batch of office headphones. The company’s Signature Slim Solar+ K980 keyboard is the next new product to enter the lineup and, as you might guess from the name, it’s solar powered. Sorta. See, the keyboard uses light to charge its internal battery, but, much like Casio calculators from the days before we asked computers to think for us, the light needn’t come from the sun. The Signature Slim Solar+ is “powered by solar and artificial light sources for zero-hassle wireless…