Author: Brett Venter

On MTN’s network? Want 1GB of data free? For doing essentially nothing? Yeah, we thought that might be the case. The yellow mobile service provider is offering each of its users 1GB of free data until 31 December this year, and all you have to do is download its app. Well, download the updated app and then register yourself on the service. We don’t reckon the app is smart enough to a) identify who download it and b) automatically send 1GB of data to that phone. We’re not there. Yet. MTN the data pool The company’s new app has been…

LG, formerly one of the stars of the smartphone world, has taken to outsourcing the design and production of its lower-end and mid-range smartphones. The South Korean company previously outsourced some of its handsets but has opted to increase the number of phones that will be created at arm’s length. Outsourcing your inventory The reasoning behind the move? LG’s reorganisation will, hopefully, let the company compete with the Chinese companies churning out smartphones while cutting internal costs. Outsourcing its budget lineup means that other companies will design and manufacture smartphones and LG will just put its branding on them. The…

Apple obviously plans to blow a few minds with its Apple Silicon. We were already blown away with the unveiling of the company’s M1 processor, which includes substantial boosts to performance as well as battery life. And then there was talk of an improved M1X chip hitting the market soon. But, apparently, this is no place to stop. According to a report from Bloomberg, Apple’s roadmap for processors stretches beyond ‘just’ a twelve-core M1X chipset. Oh no, the company has far bigger ideas in mind. Is this enough Apple for you? Apple is reportedly planning to transition away from Intel’s…

We get our shopping and our takeaways delivered, so why not acquire petrol and diesel the same way? That’s the thinking behind Refuel, a locally-developed app and service that wants to convince you that having your fuel delivered is the way to go. And, on the surface, it seems like a cool idea. Whip out an app, and await a custom-built refuelling truck that’ll top your car up for R20… plus the price of the petrol you put in. Refuel, which operates in Johannesburg for the moment, uses trucks that “[meet and exceed]  all safety regulations and requirements and exceeds…

Apple is not generally the sneakiest of companies. One of the most secretive, certainly, but sneaky? Nah. So when we found out that there’s possibly an undercover hardware launch taking place this week, we were… shall we say, surprised? According to an internal memo seen by website MacRumours, Apple has a new… something in store for the world (provided you live in the States or the UK) as of this week. As of 8 December, to be precise, which is about typical for the company’s actions of late. Apple hosted online events in early September, October and November this year.…

Samsung has started rolling out Android 11 to its handsets, starting with the Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra. Those phones are the first on the list for the software update, following Android 11’s release three months ago. But don’t get too excited yet — the rollout is starting with Korea, the States and “most of” Europe before heading elsewhere. The updates should take place over the next week on Samsung’s first flagships for 2020. In addition to the updated Google OS, users will get access to Samsung’s own One UI 3 — which looks like it borrows more than…

Everyone know that the Xbox Series X is basically just a PC that plays console games, so how about a PC that looks a little like a Series X? That’s what the Razer Tomahawk offers its users — desktop-level power in a seriously compact form factor — while still stacking a full-sized GPU. Razer’s got some epic products, like this crop from RazerCon earlier this year, but the company also makes computer hardware. It was only recently that South Africa got official access to the Razer Blade range of notebooks, so laying hands on a Razer Tomahawk might prove to…

There’s a lot going on with the iPhone 12 this year but one thing that all of the handsets have in common is 5G support. Which… isn’t really available here in SA, except under very specific circumstances. Very specific indeed. So much so that, if you want 5G to work on your iPhone, you’ll have to use it on MTN’s network. At least, that’s what the yellow cellular provider said today. What’s more, MTN also said that it’s the only network offering 5G coverage for Apple’s newest handset. The company said, “MTN will be the only network authorised to enable…

The nice thing about virtual reality is that you control just about everything that happens there. Unless you’re playing Arizona Sunshine or Half-Life: Alyx or something, in which case you’re reacting — but the environment is tightly controlled. Nothing like real life, which is why it feels better and better to escape into VR these days. And devices like Facebook’s Oculus Quest 2 are attempting to make that easier than ever to do. And succeeding. Purely based on the hardware, if you want to dive into a really compelling virtual reality experience without buying a massive PC and a headset…

It’s that time of the year again. No, not where you stress about how much weight you’ve gained and promise to do better. Qualcomm’s revealed its newest high-end mobile processor, the Snapdragon 888. Bet you were expecting something with a five at the end, weren’t you? Technically we should have seen the Snapdragon 875 or even 885 (the current chip is the Snapdragon 865) but Qualcomm’s gone for the 888, because… reasons? It’s “…an auspicious name in Chinese culture”, reports Engadget. That’s probably reason enough to do it. Plus, everyone likes consecutive numbers. Snapdragon 888, by the numbers Qualcomm’s still…