Author: Brett Venter

You can argue that virtual reality is still a niche activity and you’d… be right, actually. But everyone from Meta to Sony is running full-tilt towards a virtual reality future. Sony’s already shown its hand, with its VR headset sequel launching next year. Now Meta has also revealed its next step, thanks to an interview with Joe Rogan. Not too much about the headset itself was revealed during Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg’s interview on Rogan’s podcast. Despite this, it seems likely that Meta’s Project Cambria hardware is the kit we can expect later this year. An experience for Joe Rogan…

If you thought laying hands on a PlayStation 5 was difficult before, it may get even tougher, effective immediately. Sony has announced price increases for the console around the world, with immediate effect. The only location explicitly left off the price increase train is the United States. New PlayStation 5 recommended retail pricing is coming to “…select markets in the EMEA, APAC, and LATAM regions, plus Canada.” The reason? The “global economic environment”, obviously. Paying the price for a PlayStation 5 South African buyers don’t have to panic immediately, though we’re not out of the woods entirely. Several countries already…

Not even Have I Been Pwned founder Troy Hunt is safe from having his passwords compromised. If you’re a Plex user, then neither are you. The streaming service and media place has issued a notice warning users that their login details have been compromised. A third party got into the company’s systems and escaped with a collection of data. Said data included usernames, email addresses, and (hashed) passwords. Password Com-Plex-ity Aw crap, I’m pwned in a @plex data breach. Again. I can’t do anything to *not* be in a breach like this (short of not using the service), but a…

Everybody wants a clean house but nobody has the time to do the cleaning. There are a couple of solutions. Pay someone to do it for you, or arrange a robot to sort out your tendency to drop Doritos crumbs everywhere. Solenco’s new Legee-D7 robot vacuum cleaner, made by Taiwan-based Hobot, is the second sort of solution. It may even be the better one because it can clean your home while you’re sleeping (without requiring overtime payments). Solenco might sound a little familiar. That’s because the company is also behind Meaco, a UK brand of air circulators (which are totally…

Since LG stopped making smartphones, it has spent time making other things. TVs, yes, but also more interesting items, like air purifiers. Some of these are… unusual (and also hard to locate). Others, like the new PuriCare Objet Collection Aero Furniture, are just unusual. LG will unveil its new air purifier range at IFA in Berlin this year, which means you can expect  to see it in South Africa… well, later. But it could well be worth checking out since the South Korean company has set out to make it practical. Send in the purifier Not that decent air quality…

Stuff and Telkom VS Gaming are giving away tickets to this year’s Comic Con Africa, taking place from 22 to 25 September this year. Before you go dashing down to the form (and who are we kidding, you’re gone already), there’s something you need to know. First off, there are two different prizes to enter for. Telkom VS Gaming has provided Stuff with fourteen prizes. Picking one or the other will be a little difficult, however. See, they’re both awesome. The catch? If you win one, you’re ineligible for the other. First up, we have ten General Access passes. These…

Fitbit, Samsung, and Apple have all launched a digital wallet in South Africa. Google Wallet was long overdue but, finally, its day has come. That’s right, the search giant has finally launched its service on South African shores. Announced today, Google Wallet should work for all South African Android users. If you’ve been tempted by Chrome asking to store your card details for more convenient shopping, you’ll find that it’s already been pre-loaded into Wallet. Loading Google Wallet “Access to technology is vital for economic prosperity as millions of people use their mobile devices daily to tap and pay at…

The recent COVID lockdowns had wide-ranging effects on how people work, communicate, and use technology. New data shows that some of those effects, like opting for notebooks and tablet devices, are giving way to the desktop computer’s return — at least in South Africa. Market research firm International Data Corp (IDC) has released a new report showing that the desktop PC market is on the upswing in South Africa. At the same time, sales of tablets and notebooks have dropped. While that’s good news for desktop makers, the general computing market has dipped by 3.7% over last year. Desktop destiny…

Clickbait, in case you’re new to the internet, isn’t a positive thing. Unless you’re running a click-farm, in which case you’re counting on sensationalist headlines to pump up specific numbers. Google seems to understand this, which is why the company is rolling out some anti-clickbait measures this week Bait only ever benefits the person who put it out there. That goes for fish and deer, as well as people arguing on the internet. Why should website articles be any different? Several studies show that clickbait can negatively affect credibility and damage a source of information. Those that use it… tend…

There has never been a social network that Meta (originally Facebook) didn’t like enough to a) clone or b) buy. Usually a) because that’s cheaper. Instagram appears to be working on a new feature designed to compete directly with an app called BeReal. Called Candid Challenges, the new feature was first spotted by Twitter user Allessandro Paluzzi. Paluzzi charitably describes the currently-hidden Instagram function as being “inspired by” BeReal. Which is one way to put it. Let’s BeReal about this #Instagram is working on IG Candid Challenges, a feature inspired by @BeReal_App 👀 ℹ️ Add other’s IG Candid to your…