Author: Brett Venter

Casio wristwatches sport an iconic design that has resulted in some, like the Japanese company’s FR-F91W, sticking around for decades. But the problem with a product that has been around since the late twentieth century is that it has failed to keep up with everything else around it. If you’re still clinging to your retro classic, there’s a way to bring it forward to the modern age. A company called Ollie Watch has debuted an upgrade for one of six models of Casio wristwatch from days gone by that adds smartwatch functionality. The best part? Anyone who can operate a…

It’s no secret that AI companies like OpenAI are struggling to make their models do the most important thing they should. No, not giving accurate answers or performing autonomously. Those may be forever out of reach. But turning what they do into revenue —that’s a goal worthy of pursuit. OpenAI’s recent addition to the executive roster, Fidji Simo, the company’s CEO of Applications, is seeking a new head of advertising. The move isn’t a surprising one. The company has been exploring ways to generate revenue that don’t rely on subscriptions, including possibly taking a cut of sales made through the…

Unitree’s G1 humanoid robot has learned a few things since it stepped into the ring to do battle with itself. The Chinese robotics company has released a new video showing some of its new capabilities, all of which revolve around some kind of unarmed combat. Specifically, around martial arts. Though some of its creators spend the opening minutes of the video kicking it around, the G1 manages to quickly right itself and continue with its routine. That may well be the most technically impressive bit, but there’s a little more at the end to worry about, too. That flipping G1…

Samsung, like seemingly everyone else in the tech world, is readying up an augmented reality headset. A new report out of South Korea has put a firm date on the hardware’s reveal, as well as an on-sale date. Those are the same day, according to ET News (Korean), and that day is 21 October. The pending launch of the South Korean company’s headset shouldn’t be a surprise. Samsung said in 2022 that it was aiming for a 2025 release of its Android XR headset, a timeline rumour suggests the company is keeping to. Given that it has worked on whackier…

Japanese company Kubota, a specialist in electrical motors, has unveiled a new autonomous tractor at Expo 2025 Kansai, being held in Osaka until 13 October. Autonomous tractors aren’t new, with John Deere and CNH Industrial fielding their own models, but this one is unique in that it’s powered by hydrogen fuel cells. The company has previously shown off a manned version of its hydrogen fuel cell tractor, but this new version doesn’t need a driver. Kubota also reckons it’s better suited for farm work than its standard electrical counterparts, for a few reasons. Kubota puts in the work Perhaps the…

Facebook Dating’s drive to use the social media platform for forging new romantic connections has a new engine in the backend. Parent company Meta believes that adding artificial intelligence into the mix will reduce “swipe fatigue,” or the effort it takes to find someone on the internet you might actually want to spend extended time with. Facebook’s amorous AI This is paired with another feature for the social media company’s dating app called Meet Cute. This “takes the indecision out of online dating by automatically matching you with a surprise match based on our personalized matching algorithm.” From one point…

Stuff reviews a ton of headphones and earbuds every year. Okay, not a literal ton, because they tend to be lightweight. Few take the stance the Epos Adapt E1 buds do, that they’re optimised for the average office environment.  Okay, what office? The noisy one? The quiet one? The one with customers constantly wanting your attention? Turns out it’s the one that habitually holds online meetings, which is why these are rated for a variety of conferencing apps. Elsewhere, they do okay. The Adapt E1 buds feature a comfortable enough fit and sufficient battery life, but fall behind when it…

BYD’s Dolphin Surf EV just launched in South Africa, but the dinky (and affordable) electric car looks positively adorable compared to what the Chinese brand is doing overseas. The company’s YangWang U9 Extreme electric hypercar has set a new speed record at the Automotive Testing Papenburg facility in Germany. The previous record, set by Bugatti’s Chiron Super Sport 300+, wasn’t entirely blasted past, but it was put in the rear mirror. The Chiron Super Sport 300+ managed 490.5km/h on the track in 2019. BYD’s new contender has squeaked by with a similarly sphincter-puckering 496.22km/h. It was only set in one…

Montblanc has a reputation for high-end writing instruments (and equally snooty product placement. The company’s new Digital Paper writing tablet wouldn’t look out of place in a modern Bond flick, or perhaps in a Wes Anderson film, but it would look even better on your desk. Provided you can meet the luxury company’s price tag. The Digital Paper and its accompanying Digital Pen, which is based on Montblanc’s Meisterstück designs, will set technologically savvy users back roughly R16,000. The $905 price tag covers purchases from America, so expect some sales tax before it is shipped over. Montblanc slate Unlike Roger…

DJI’s Mini lineup has a long history of creating drones that don’t require a license, and the new Mini Pro 5 is no different. Okay, it’s slightly different. That ‘Pro’ appended to the end means something. That something is an enhanced camera sensor, the first of its kind on a teeny tiny drone from the company. The Mini Pro 5 sports a 1in camera sensor, the same size as is found in the company’s Air 3S drone. That one’s a larger unit intended for travel photography. The newest small drone from the Chinese company attempts to compete with its larger…