Author: Brett Venter

You might not remember this, but once upon a time, Facebook attempted to collaborate on a smartphone of its very own. Known as the HTC First, it never saw launch here in SA but it’s just possible that this new rumoured item might. Facebook is said to be working on its own Android smartwatch, which would almost certainly feed even more data into Zuckerberg’s gaping servers. Everyone else is doing it Which, you know, fair. Google just bought Fitbit, so it’s inherited a whole mess of biometric and movement data about the people that use its products. Facebook, ever data-hungry,…

We’re starting off the first complete issue of Stuff Magazine for 2021 with a glance back at the very best of the past year. Our annual Gadget Awards contenders, nominees and winners are all front and centre in the February-March 2021 of Stuff. As hectic as 2020 was, there was an awful lot of very impressive tech on offer. Picking the best of the best wasn’t easy but we went and did it — even if we may have farmed out a few choices to our favourite people — Stuff’s readers.  You can also look forward to a collection of…

If you’re a Star Trek fan then you’ve doubtless heard of the Kobayashi Maru, first seen in the second Star Trek film Wrath of Khan. It’s a training exercise that’s supposed to be nigh unbeatable, involving the rescue of the titular civilian ship. And now you can play it for yourself. The exercise is now available in browser game format, as part of a promotion for the mobile game Star Trek: Fleet Command. It’s an actual contest, with the three top completion times winning one of three prizes. Defeat the Kobayashi Maru https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCSU6FFLVbg&feature=emb_logo And if you’re a serious Trek fan,…

This shouldn’t be surprising at all, as every mobile operator in South Africa is working on getting smartphones on the 5G network. Rain’s had it for a while (but it is data-only), with MTN and Vodacom following suit. Next up is Telkom, which is preparing for 5G launch. The only problem? It still can’t say when Telkom users will have access to that lovely, lovely data speed. Telkom trailing Company spokesperson Mooketsi Mocumi, speaking to MyBroadband, says that the network has identified its first 5G sites, which it is currently optimising for a better user experience ahead of a broader…

This is a report that may come with an ‘allegedly’ or two but given what we know about Facebook, it’s probably true. Clubhouse, the social media service you may have heard about but probably aren’t invited to (yet), already has Zuckerberg working on a clone. Because Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram aren’t enough, apparently. I’ll make my own Clubhouse! The New York Times reports that Facebook is already working on a copy of the voice chat social network that has yet to enter the mainstream. Details are thin and, according to the publication, the project is still in the “…early stages…

Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S7 and its sibling, the S7+, are currently the best Android tablets out there. But the Galaxy Tab S8 should be following along soon, according to an entry on Samsung Ireland’s website. It’s possible that the entry, which adds detail about a tablet called the Galaxy Tab S8 Enterprise Edition, is the result of a typing error, but that would still mean that there’s an unannounced Tab S7 Enterprise Edition out there. Meet the Tab S8 But, since it’s been months since the Tab S7 was announced and its successor is due to turn up a little…

With load shedding being back with a vengeance, appliance maker Defy’s launch of its Solar Hybrid fridge and freezer in South Africa — as well as several other African countries — is almost perfectly timed. Your first question is probably: What is a Solar Hybrid appliance? Basically, they’re appliances that reduce your power consumption when Eskom has the lights on, thanks to its supporting solar power panels. During the day, when the sun is out, solar handles most of the load. At night, or when it is overcast, you’ll draw power from the grid. Sussing out Solar Hybrid There are…

Fitbit’s Charge 4 is one of our favourite wearables at the moment, standing astride the line between smart and fitness dedicated gear. It’s simple, lightweight, features decent battery life and Fitbit Premium will guide you through all sorts of healthy ideas. But it could be better. And, now, it is. Just about, anyway. Wareable has the details about a large update for the wearable that adds all sorts of cool features. They’re live, but they haven’t made it everywhere just yet. If you’re not looking at an update yet, you probably will be soon No charge for the Charge 4…

The Audi E-Tron GT has been a concept for at least a few years now but last night the auto-maker made it, and the Audi E-Tron GT Quattro, an official thing. The new vehicle joins the plain ole E-Tron and the Sportback version on the market. And if you’re a Porsche fan, you might want to pay extra-special attention. Audi is using the Porsche Taycan’s J1 platform for the vehicle, which means that most of these specs are going to look a little familiar — if you’ve been paying attention. Meet the Porsche Taycan E-Tron GT https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StkkIdBY5r0 The four-door electric…

Sometime people you’ve known for some time go bad — not because of anything you did, it’s just where they are right now. Such is the case with a popular barcode scanner app, imaginatively called Barcode Scanner, that switched from scanning little black-and-white lines to handing out malware. The Android app, which had more than 10 million downloads before it was eventually taken down from Google’s Play Store, used to be a regular old app, according to Malwarebytes researcher Nathan Collier. But then, late last year, something changed. Maybe it discovered drugs, or something. Building a better barcode scanner Basically,…