Author: Brett Venter

Facebook knows just how hard it can be to meticulously craft original content for the internet. Its newest feature for users of the social media platform (and Instagram) lets those creators, the folks who are aware that their “original work is your voice,” keep control over what they’ve made. The new feature “automatically protects your original reels, alerts you when matches to those reels are detected on Facebook or Instagram, and helps you take action if your work is used without permission.” Sounds like a handy way to bang your head against a wall, but at least you get to…

Archer Aviation is one of several companies developing flying taxis (try not to think about what that would look like in South Africa). One indication of how well the outfit’s tech is doing is that it’s now destined for military applications. The eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) maker has announced that it has entered into a partnership with Anduril Industries — the folks who make the US military’s coolest battlefield helmet — and Edge. The deal sees “its proprietary, dual use advanced powertrain technology, currently in use on its Midnight eVTOL aircraft” being used for something a touch more……

Huawei is nothing if not regular. The company has announced the official reveal date for its new Mate X7 and Mate 80 series handsets via China’s Weibo social media platform. The 25 November unveiling is for the Chinese market, of course, but that doesn’t mean the announcement is irrelevant. It’ll be almost exactly a year since the company first detailed its Mate 70 devices, but we’ll be looking at all-new tech. You can tell because the model number is higher. The Mate 80 will likely be the star of the show, but Huawei’s new Mate X7 foldable is also taking…

Most humanoid robots (most) look very impressive while in motion. Ubtech’s Walker S2 robot, which couldn’t be more aptly named right now, is certainly one of those. The Chinese company that makes these guys has released a video showing a batch of the ‘bots moving from their warehouse home to… somewhere else. As a group, no less. Seeing them all move from a standing start to their eventual destination is a disconcerting spectacle. Of course, that’s exactly what it’s supposed to be. Knowing that the human-sized (and human-equivalent weight) artificial construct can swap its own batteries is cause for even…

It was only a matter of time before we got a new Volvo XC60, and, considering the fun we had with the last edition, it’s a little overdue. The automotive company has dropped four new models in South Africa, starting at R1,060,000 and closing out at a little over a million and a half for the top-end model. For your money, you’ll nab ” refreshed styling, an advanced user experience, updated design details, and enhanced comfort,” according to Volvo. If that sounds like something that’ll get your engine (silently) revving, then the fresh load of mild or plug-in hybrids could…

Adding a terabyte of space to your laptop is simple enough (if expensive) if you’ve got a microSD slot. SanDisk’s new Extreme Fit flash drive hopes to make the process simple for anyone who doesn’t carry around one of Lenovo’s business notebooks, too. The company’s newest peripheral storage device, dubbed “the world’s smallest 1TB USB-C flash drive”, actually comes in several capacities that use the same form factor. It’s supposed to be left connected to a laptop permanently, though we’ve seen too many crowded laptop bags to take that claim too seriously. Extreme Fit for purpose The SanDisk Extreme Fit…

It’s not unusual for new tech to fail onstage. Russia’s first humanoid robot, Aidol, joins the ranks of Tesla, Honda, Apple, Microsoft, and others in crashing and burning during its unveiling. Pretty much every robotics company has experienced a failure like this, particularly in the earlier stages of development, but Idol, the Russian company behind the ‘bot, may have rushed its on-stage reveal. Aidol worship? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8hABHmA_NE To be fair, competition in the robotics sector is becoming increasingly fierce. China’s Unitree, in particular, has shown off excellent work getting artificial humanoid skeletons to perform remarkable feats, while Boston Dynamics has been…

DJI’s teeny tiny Neo 2 bounced around the internet for a while before its official Chinese launch. Now, an international launch has arrived, and South Africa is on the guest list. The ultra-portable camera drone starts in SA at between R4,200 and R4,700, with a slightly higher premium for the inevitable Fly More Combo. The full details for DJI’s newest and second-smallest (the original Neo is lighter) drone emerged at the Chinese launch, but we left that one alone because… well, we were waiting for local availability. Neo 2: *Whoa intensifies* The DJI Neo 2 weighs just 151 grams, rising…

Amazon’s Project Kuiper, the satellite internet competitor to Starlink, now has an official title — Amazon Leo. The name comes from where Amazon’s satellite constellations hang around, in low-Earth orbit. The rebranding marks the start of ‘proper’ operations, now that the company has some 150 satellites in orbit around the planet. Amazon has some way to go to catch up to Starlink’s 8,937 (as of October 2025) orbiting units, but the hardest part of starting any venture is figuring out a name. Why yes, I’m a Leo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPN4ik8_t0g According to Amazon’s Rajeev Badyal, “[Amazon Leo’s] long-term mission remains the same,…

Another day, another new Chinese-made vehicle on sale in South Africa. BAIC has introduced its new B30 SUV, giving its previously-launched B40 Plus a little company on the roads. The best part of it is undoubtedly the price tag, which starts at just R520,000. That’s the base model B30 Elite Adventure, a 1.5-litre petrol-driven Front Wheel Drive. There are three others to choose from: the R550,000 Premium Adventure, which features the same engine, the R640,000 Elite Adventure HEV hybrid, and the top-end R690,000 Premium Adventure HEV All Wheel Drive. UB40? No, I B30 The 1.5l engine in BAIC’s assembled-in-South-Africa B30…