Author: Brett Venter

Facebook said they were looking at about a mid-year launch and that’s just what we’ve gotten. Or, rather, they’ve gotten. Live Audio Rooms, the social network’s Clubhouse-like clone that will see users hosting live audio chats with up to 50 speakers, is now rolling out. But there’s a caveat here — the feature’s only rolling out in the States for the moment and then only on the iOS version of Facebook’s app. Live Audio Rooms — not for everyone (yet) There are a few more restrictions in place for the Clubhouse clone, to boot. It’s only available to public figures…

Space exploration continues to get a boost in 2021. NASA’s Artemis mission, the agency’s return to the lunar surface, is perhaps the most exciting — despite how intriguing the various Mars missions are — because it’ll be sending actual astronauts to another chunk of rock. But while we’re used to seeing rockets blasting off, we don’t spend a whole lot of time checking out what happens beforehand. That changes now. Artemis rising https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sjn5jDpDjg NASA has shared a 360° video of the construction of one of its Space Launch System (SLS) rockets, which are intended to take human beings to the…

NASA’s Hubble telescope is getting a little old, but it’s still running. Or, rather, it was. The ageing space hardware, the Associated Press reports, is currently not doing any work thanks to computer issues. Which, you know, aren’t nearly as simple as correcting the problem here on the ground. The system broke down on 13 June and NASA have been attempting to resurrect it ever since. Hubble trouble The problem is with a computer memory module. And not what you’re picturing in your head — Hubble’s computer hardware was constructed in the 1980s, which is a long time for a…

Vigilante is the new malware on the block, targets those who pirate software It's usually the case that malware, no matter where you encounter it, has no redeeming qualities at all. Not so with a recently-discovered variant, dubbed Vigilante by the folks over at Sophos. As the name suggests, it's got its eye on more

Picture this: You’ve had a terrible week and just want to go home. But before you can, you have to hit a staff meeting where smiling is mandatory. Sounds awful? That’s what we thought. But that’s more or less what the staff at Canon Information Technology in China have to deal with. The camera company’s Chinese subsidiary has installed biometric access cameras, powered, by AI, that require that workers smile before they proceed. The company makes the devices themselves, likely an offshoot of its commercial camera products, and they probably think making their staff smile to get into the building…

We’re supposed to be keeping away from others (seriously folks, it’s a good idea). Jacaranda FM, together with Tracker, are launching Mzansi Quest, an online experience that’s supposed to be about getting together while staying apart. Part social network, part VR experience, part R50,000 giveaway, Mzansi Quest is a cute little world where participants can get together, chat, and explorer several South African provinces. We went on an Mzansi Quest The experience, which will be available on tablets, smartphones and web browsers — plus any VR hardware you might have available, launches officially on 21 June this year but we…

Self-driving cars, while a cool idea, are still a long way off. Flying cars are another thing the future promised us and the Airspeeder M3, a craft created by an Australian company called Alauda Racing, might bring us a little closer to that goal. On the airborne track, that is. You see, the the aircraft (and it is an aircraft) takes a little something from drones and from Formula One cars in order to create the M3, a rather dangerous-looking piece of equipment that will apparently form the basis for a new race series called EXA. Earth to Airspeeder M3…

It’s no secret that nothing is going even remotely back to normal until South Africa manages to get its population vaccinated. Health specialist Discovery has been trying to help with that, throwing loads of effort at finishing up South Africa’s second batch of vaccines — for those over the age of 60. In a message to its members, the medical aid provider (among other things) outlined how the vaccination process was going and how they intend to scale up the pace of stabbing people with tiny needles. Obviously, it’s fine when they do it. Quite the Discovery If you’ve got…

Camera brand Leica seems to have developed a taste for smartphones, thanks to its various camera partnerships, leading it to launch the Leitz Phone 1 — the company’s very first branded smartphone. But the handset itself might look a little familiar. That’d be because you’ve probably seen it before, it’s also known as Sharp’s Aquos 6. You also can’t have the Leitz Phone 1 And, like the Sharp Aquos 6, you’re probably never going to own one. The rebadged handset (Leica isn’t trying to hide that, at all) will be sold exclusively through Softbank in Japan. Unless you’re planning a…

We keep on saying this but the point keeps being driven home: China has its eye on space in a big way. The latest — the country’s Tianhe space station core is set to receive its first three astronauts, thanks to the successful launch of one of China’s Long March 2F rockets on 16 July. The rocket took off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center yesterday, its Shenzhou-12 capsule carrying astronauts Nie Haisheng, Liu Boming, and Tang Hongbo into space. They will spend three months onboard Tianhe, which forms the basis for the country’s ambitious Tiangong space station. Tianhe steps…