Author: Brett Venter

Back when Microsoft first announced Windows 10, it called the operating system “the last version of Windows.” That may have come back to bite them a little bit, as the company is widely expected to announce a completely new version of the operating system later this month. While still a rumour, the expiration date that was put on Windows 10 Pro and Home is awfully suggestive. Windows to another time You don’t have to panic just yet, however. There’s still some time — a few years, in fact. The current operating system’s retirement date has been set for 14 October…

Facebook seems like a scary company sometimes but then they go and do something like this and totally confirm it. TextStyleBrush is a new AI function the social network has been working on, in between attempting to build a mind-reading interface and hollowing out Mark’s volcano lair teaching robots to teach themselves to navigate. TextStyleBrush is rather clever This invention is a little less world-ending, though, unless it manages to convincingly forge a letter from Kim Jong Un to an American president — but that would never happen, would it? No, Facebook’s TextStyleBrush is just an AI that uses just…

The world’s semiconductor chip shortage isn’t going away any time soon but, while it may be kicking several industries (beyond just chip manufacturers) in the nards, there’s another consequence of the shortage now rearing its ugly little head: counterfeit hardware. Which, if you consider the cigarette black market in South Africa during our hard lockdown in 2020, probably shouldn’t be that surprising. If there’s a product in demand, someone’s going to rebadge something inferior and try and pass it off as the real deal. Because money. No shortage of chip shortage chancers The biggest issue for industries is getting hold…

Like the iPhone, a new Apple Watch turns up every year. But the Apple Watch Series 7 (they’re not about to change the naming convention) will be something a little different, according to reports. Even so, the really exciting stuff from Apple’s wearable tech is only supposed to show up later than 2021. Watch Series 7 this space This year’s Apple Watch iteration will have all of the standard upgrades, according to Bloomberg. Expect an updated display, which might include even thinner bezels. A new lamination technique may be used, “…that brings the display closer to the front cover”, but…

The rise of ‘X as a service’ has led to this point — automaker VW is considering implementing a charge for its upcoming autonomous driving tech, and it’s possibly not going to be a one-off. Instead, VW’s board are kicking around ideas pertaining to future vehicle features, including an hourly charge for autonomous driving. The price point? Around $8.50 (€7) an hour, which doesn’t sound too unreasonable… if you’re an American or European. Here at home, though, that’s R120 or so an hour, which makes taking an Uber everywhere the (likely) cheaper way to avoid doing any of the driving…

NASA might be taking photos of the Martian surface with a helicopter, but they’re used to this sort of thing. China’s Zhurong rover is doing much the same, only it’s a bit lower-tech than the American effort. China’s first rover has sent back its first selfie, as well shots of the lander and the surface of Mars. Zhurong, and thanks for all the fish The images were snagged in a variety of ways. The weirdly haunting image of the country’s Mars lander was shot by the Zhurong rover itself, using its on-board cameras. The horizon shows some mountainous regions in…

Jeff Bezos is heading to space on one of his Blue Origin rockets on 20 July this year. He’s taking his brother with him, because family dinners get awkward otherwise. But there was another seat up for grabs, going to the highest bidder. Well, the bids are in and the (so far) mysterious passenger was willing to part with $28 million (R385 million) in order to secure a set next to Jeff and Mark. Blue Origin of the species https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUcQmETFmds&feature=emb_logo The seat on the reusable New Shepard’s Crew Capsule was sold at an auction this weekend, with some twenty bidders…

Look, there are a few things that keep a country, a workplace, a household going. We’re not talking about love or togetherness or teamwork. No, no, no, we’re talking about coffee, the brown substance without which nothing gets done. The acceptable way to drug yourself during the day. The cause of an entire global industry revolving around hot water. The… okay, you get the point. But it’s hard to have coffee when you’ve woken up to load shedding Stage Whatever-it-is-this-week, which means it’s hard to get your brain out of neutral and focused on your job. Because you feel the…

Sony has been teasing its Airpeak S1 drone for long enough, first showing it off briefly in 2020 before giving us a proper look at this year’s CES. We didn’t get much more than a few hints about what the drone can do but that’s changed. Sony’s first foray into flying fthings is officially here. And it’s officially expensive. If you want to lay your hands on one (you’ll see why you want that in just a minute) you’ll have to shell out at least $9,000 — or about R123,000, which makes the Airpeak S1 more than something you just…

It was bound to happen eventually. El Salvador has become the first country in the world to accept bitcoin as legal tender. The new law was signed by the country’s president Nayib Bukele and accepted by its Congress, officially adopting the cryptocurrency as a method of payment. First El Salvador, then… the world! President Bukele said of the move in a tweet, “It will bring financial inclusion, investment, tourism, innovation and economic development for our country.” The idea, in part, is to aid El Salvadorians living abroad to send remittances back home, while companies and even the government will have…