Author: Brett Venter

Reddit is a lot of things, but the most modern-looking app/interface on the internet it is not. Or, at least, it wasn’t, until a little earlier this week. The so-called “front page of the internet” has revealed a set of changes that will make interacting with others there a little more… immediate. Detailed in a blog post yesterday, the user-driven information aggregator is bringing new features to all of its platforms. The browser, Android, and iOS apps are in for changes that, “…make Reddit look and feel more lively and in the moment.” Building a better Reddit Reddit is no…

The great thing about hanging around on the beach in the current climate is that people naturally tend to space themselves out. And it’s extremely well-ventilated. It might be a plan to haul this Timex x Finisterre surf watch along on your next trip to die groot dam. You know, just so you make the absolute most of it. This wristwatch isn’t the most technical piece of gear you’ll ever encounter, but that tends to suit the laid-back lifestyle it’s aimed at. Whether you’re fishing, surfing, or heading out to sea, there’s one thing you need to keep track of.…

South African fans might be awfully keen on the expected launch of Disney+ in 2022, but before that happens, DStv has sneaked in a little partnership. Its parent company Multichoice has signed a deal with The Walt Disney Company Africa. The new deal gives the satellite service access to four new Disney-backed channels. The partnership was confirmed yesterday, reports TechCentral, and brings National Geographic, National Geographic Wild, Disney Channel, and Disney Junior to DStv for the next two years. The best-laid plans of mice and DStv “National Geographic, National Geographic Wild, Disney Channel, Disney Junior as well as ESPN and…

If there’s one thing we can say about Huawei, it’s that the company doesn’t give up. Following huge setbacks in the smartphone space, it would be understandable if the Chinese tech-maker stepped back a little. Instead, it appears to be barreling on ahead. There’s a new smartphone launch in SA, the Nova 9, and then there’s also a set of business-focused notebooks from the company. But why stop there? Huawei has apparently taken a look at Samsung’s homework and decided that it’d like similar marks from the market. A report from Weibo in China claims that there’s a spot of…

3D printing is either something hobbyists do to build plastic stuff that sits on the shelf, or that has high-end applications in space or the field of medicine. This is one of the latter — doctors at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London have fitted a patient with the very first all-digital 3D printed prosthetic eye. Which is a bigger deal than it sounds. Generally, replacement eyes for those who need them are made entirely by hand. This is a lengthy process, often spanning several months. The process of creating this ocular replacement is considerably quicker. It’s also close to indistinguishable…

We’re very used to MSI’s collections of massive gaming machines, but the new Summit E16 Flip is a somewhat more delicate affair. It’s slimmer than we’re used to from MSI’s gear and is also more versatile. Since it’s part of the brand’s business-focused lineup, this makes a lot of sense. This does mean that, instead of stacking it up against, the latest gaming gear, it’s stacking up against the likes of Asus, Microsoft, and Dynabook’s business units. So how does this slim, but not exactly lightweight, contender stack up against the rest of the boardroom brigade? Business in the front……

Electric cars: They’re not just for Elon Musk anymore. Nissan has announced Ambition 2030, its intention to invest a substantial sum (more than 2 trillion yen) in electric vehicles. And not just a few either. The company hopes to dish out 23 EV models by 2030, with at least twenty of those being available in the next five years. Nissan hopes to, “…deliver exciting, electrified vehicles and technological innovations while expanding its operations globally” over the next ten years, with an eye on becoming fully carbon neutral by 2050. Because, you know, the planet’s on fire. It’s good to have…

Eventually, life imitates video games. Because video games are art, yes? Unfortunately the means eventually we’ll compete for fame in 100-person televised elimination contests where the main prize is death. But, right now, it just means that football overlords FIFA are bringing a feature from the video games to real life. At the FIFA Arab Cup 2021, the organisation is testing something called semi-automated offside technology. The name is fairly explanatory. It works like that computer-generated LBW thing from televised cricket matches, only it points out whether football players are offside. By tracking their limbs, naturally. FIFA filches features The…

Another Black Friday has come and gone. Maybe you got a bargain, probably you didn’t. That doesn’t matter, the not-so-subtle social manipulation is over for a few more weeks. It’s entirely possible that the massive psychological experiment that is Black Friday is becoming less effective, though. Like every popular IP Activision has made popular in the last decade, the late-November shopping day may be oversaturated. In other words, folks are spending less on the shopping holiday. A black day for Black Friday? At least, that’s the word according to Adobe Analytics. For the very first time ever, (American) sales totals…

The cellular phone has been around for almost 40 years now. That’s not a terribly long time, but enough change has taken place that the technology justifies its own museum. What would you call something like that? The Mobile Phone Museum has a nice ring to it (heh). Such a place exists, though its physical presence is relegated to a secure storage facility for the more than 3,500 devices the non-profit has in its collection. It comes to 2,130 different devices (at the time of writing) across more than 200 different brands. And yes, the first cellphone, the Motorola DynaTAC…