Author: Brett Venter

Did you know that Lego Education was an actual department? It is, and it’s about to drop a bunch of computer science and AI-related kits on the primary school world. And pre-school, too. No reason to leave out the little kiddos. And it’s literal. The sets are called Computer Science & Education kits, subdivided by Grades K-2, 3-5, and 6-8. Lego Education says that they are “[a]ge-appropriate and standards-aligned… lessons [that] equip educators with everything they need to teach computer science and AI concepts as part of their curriculum.” Sounds… pretty good, actually. Getting a Lego Education Coming on the…

So you bought a Raspberry Pi. Then you used the former children’s project board to create a home server, or perhaps a functional robot. What’s next? Adding artificial intelligence, obviously. The company behind the modular board has announced the Raspberry Pi AI HAT+ 2, an add-on that “delivers 40 TOPS (INT4) of inferencing performance” and allows on-device inference for your at-home AI ambitions. The cost of this is fairly cheap, too. Artificial Raspberry Pi Putting a new AI HAT+ 2 into your Pi project costs just R2,150 ($130), which suggests that Asus’s similarly-skilled plug-in AI chipset might prove at least…

If you’ve been paying attention to the morning traffic, you’ll know that South Africa’s kids have gone back to school. That’s grand, since it means an education and a shot at a better life. It’s not so grand if you’re a parent who suddenly has to grab a load of new gear for Junior and Juniette to lug with them into the halls of learning. Sure, the school provides a list, but that list isn’t big on recommendations. That bit of discernment is left up to you, and even schools leave important bits off. If heading back to school is…

The only thing more fun than a high-speed mountain bike is an even speedier one. With a motor. Canyon seems to know this, as the German company has announced two new e-bikes in its range. The two-wheeled rides, the Torque: ON and Spectral: ON, both feature Shimano’s EP801 motor and a massive 800Wh battery, sheathed in an aluminium Darfon housing. You’ll only be mocked by the other chaps doing their Saturday 50 on the local mountain bike trail the hard way until you’ve disappeared over the horizon, which shouldn’t take long at all. You’re probably riding Canyon’s Torque: ON, which…

Volvo is tightly controlling the information flow about its EX60 reveal, releasing a few extra details ahead of the new EV’s January 21 unveiling. This covers everything from the car’s visual impression — the last time we saw it, the car was shrouded in dust — to what’s going on inside. If you guessed that the company was about to lean on artificial intelligence, well done. You win a digital cookie. But there’s more to see, including some impressive range, blistering charging tech, and internal AI computer hardware. Activate EX60 protocols Exactly why Volvo is keeping the EX60’s appearance under wraps is a…

Honor’s upcoming Magic 8 RSR Porsche Design, the highest of the company’s high-end lineup, is set for unveiling on 19 January. Ahead of time, though, the Chinese company has teased exactly why it’ll justify the largest price (for a non-folding phone) on its roster. Time for a little RSR Porsche Design Launching alongside a new slim smartphone, and probably the rest of the Magic 8 lineup, the Magic 8 RSR Porsche Design hopes to convince you to give up that system camera in favour of… well, look at it. Hardware aside — though it’s bound to be as powerful as…

Unihertz has kept the physical QWERTY keyboard on smartphones alive for some time, and it’s extending the trend with an upgraded version of its Titan 2. The Titan 2 Elite has been teased, so it’s (obviously) not yet on sale. When it does eventually hit markets (including in South Africa, we hope), it’ll offer a slimmer form factor and, hopefully, better specs. Keeping punk rock Titan 2 Elite For now, most of what we know is what can be visually determined. The edges of the upgraded Titan have been trimmed down for narrower edges around the still-square 4.03in display, though…

Fujifilm isn’t exactly known for its secrecy, and the pending launch of a sequel to the brilliant X-T5 is similarly unsurprising. Seeing the X-T6 out in the wild is still a shock, given that it already appears as one of a Vietnamese camera store’s listings. The above link to FujifilmShop in Vietnam may not remain active forever. Lax attitude to secrets aside, the Japanese camera maker could well notice that folks are peering at something that’s not supposed to exist yet. Still, while it’s up, we’ve catalogued what is supposed to be coming down the pipe in September this year.…

The Vigx π6 exoskeleton might be confusing to pronounce, but Vigx’s lower-body augmentation has at least something to commend it. AI. Normally, that would be an annoyance, but since it’s not yakking on like your personal Yes-Man, it could be forgiven. Instead, the internal artificial intelligence works with an onboard camera to adjust the hip-worn device’s power settings on the fly based entirely on where the wearer is walking. Clambering over rocks or climbing stairs? It should, in theory, deliver more power to fatigued legs without fumbling with settings or an app. A slice of π6 Vigx makes a range…

We can always count on Fujifilm to do something interesting with an instant camera. The latest to depart from the Japanese firm’s native country is the Instax mini Evo Cinema, a so-called “hybrid” camera that’ll do the things you’d expect from an Instax, plus one more. In addition to taking and printing photos, it’s also capable of shooting short videos. That explains its (loose) resemblance to an old Super 8 film camera, a format that several manufacturers have replicated in recent months. Kodak has a modern model, as do others. Fuji is obviously hoping that its Instax fanbase will pick…