Author: Brett Venter

The idea behind Asus’ Duo notebooks isn’t novel anymore. Models featuring a large secondary screen have been around for quite some time. The secondary display is actually a display, rather than a multi-use strip like Apple’s ill-fated Touchbar. The newest device from the brand is the Zenbook Pro 14 Duo, a name intended to inform you that a) there’s a second display and b) it has all the specs. More or less. Of course, we knew this was coming. Officially unveiled last night, we’ve had the chance to spend some time with Asus’ newest hardware. There are some really excellent…

Late last year, rumours turned up concerning DStv Flex. First reported by Thinus Ferreira, a South African entertainment reporter, the service was supposed to allow DStv subscribers to pick and choose a little more than it does now. Since then, there’s been little movement. Queries to DStv owner Multichoice over the existence of Flex were met with the same response as last year. “MultiChoice is constantly striving to provide its customers with the best possible content offering. As such, we continually assess our offering and conduct regular research to test different products and services for our customers.” Weird Flex, but okay…

NFTs have their faults, but some residents of Shanghai have managed to turn those failings into something positive. Shanghai, one of China’s largest coastal cities, is in the middle of a COVID-19 lockdown. The city has been locked down for more than a month. Residents there have taken an unusual step when it comes to recording memories and conditions during this current lockdown. They’ve turned to the blockchain, in a rare, positive usage, and minted NFTs that explain how the city’s residents are doing. Shanghai, how you doin’? It turns out, when you try to keep 25 million people inside…

It’s not news by now that Disney+ is coming. It’ll turn up in South Africa in a little under two weeks. But is it worth signing up for, extremely attractive launch discount or not? That’s the big question. And, if the 54-page document Disney+ has dropped on the country is any indication, it’s probably a good idea. The service makes liberal use of the term ‘exclusive’, meaning Disney’s streaming service is the only place you’ll find said content. And there’s a ton of it. Disney+ all this A Marvel fan? Disney’s throwing more than 60 movies in your direction. Plus,…

We’re all familiar with the concept of Happy Hour. The hazy trip to the bar, the battle to carry far too many drinks back to the group, the money still leftover in your wallet. Ah, those were the days. Well, Huawei has something similar heading in South African shoppers’ direction. It’s called ‘Lucky Hour’. The concept is broadly similar to the alcoholic counterpart. Purchase something from Huawei’s online store at a specific time of day and you’ll get a specific price. Now, this wouldn’t work if it was more expensive than usual. Instead, there’s a discount on offer. The only…

Meta really wants the metaverse to succeed. In fact, given the name change, it would be fair to say that it needs the metaverse to succeed. We’ve seen many examples of Mark Zuckerberg’s company pushing harder into the VR space. Now there’s another one — Project Cambria. Project Cambria is the code name given to Meta’s upcoming virtual reality headset. It’s expected in September this year. When it arrives (if it arrives), it’ll be fielding some high-end hardware. But that’s not where the project ends. More VR hardware, four headsets in all, are expected by the end of 2024. Unearthing…

Yeah, sure, May the Fourth is just Disney propaganda designed to get nerds talking about Star Wars. It’s free publicity for the Mouse Company, but it’s also a genuine phenomenon. Star Wars, the story of space magicians who battle using the Force, has been a big deal since 1977. So what if it was designed from the start to sell toys — that’s marketing done right. It’s done so right that we’ve compiled a list of games that you should buy today. Because, being May the Fourth, pretty much anything related to George Lucas’ space opera is on special. And,…

Space is hard. If it wasn’t, everyone would be doing it. Space is also expensive, which is why the major drive is towards rockets that can be used more than once. In order to do this, rockets must be recovered. Either you land them, as SpaceX does, or you can try and catch them. Rocket Lab, a private American company, attempted the latter over the weekend. But that comes back to ‘space is hard’. Landing rockets isn’t easy to do. Frequently it’s hilarious, you’re not the one watching millions of rands in engineering disappear in an orange fireball. Rocket Lab…

Now that all those lovely public holidays have finished, it’s the perfect time for load shedding to come back. Because the average person tends to be more upset when it’s cutting into their time than the boss’ time. Hence, you’re far less likely to cause physical harm to one of the politicians who allowed things to get this far. Caution: Load shedding ahead South Africa can expect the lights to go out starting from 17h00 this evening. Eskom said that Stage 2 load shedding will be implemented as a result of “…a shortage of generation capacity”. This is being blamed…

They make laptops for everything these days. If you’re editing video, there’s a specific machine. If you’re playing games, there are a host of options. And if you’re just after something within your price range, chances are you’re covered. Badly, but covered. And then there’s the office machine. Asus’ entry into this category is the ExpertBook B9, a visually understated notebook with a considerable amount tucked under the hood. The Asus ExpertBook B9400 might be a slightly older notebook, but it still has it where it counts. From its slim, light chassis to the good-enough 14in display to the 11th-gen…