Author: Brett Venter

What can you expect from a R2,000 smartphone? That’s a question we’re constantly asking at Stuff, and it’s surprisingly hard to answer. Not because there’s a shortage of hyper-budget phones like the Spectra J1 Pro — we’ve seen a load of those in recent years — but because brands battle to share them. That wasn’t a problem with the Spectra Mobile J1 Pro, a R2,000 smartphone currently available at various South African retailers. This one was practically fired at us from a cannon, and we were happy to take the impact. How often do we get to handle something new,…

The existence of the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE suggests the existence of a Galaxy S25 FE, an unannounced ‘affordable’ version of its Galaxy S25 flagships. The device’s existence is also suggested by several recent leaks, including spec details and renders of the upcoming smartphone. Spotting the S25 FE Images of the Galaxy S25 FE, in the shape of very official-looking renders, come via German website Winfuture, while spec details appeared thanks to British retailer Tesco. The company listed the phone’s details on its website, briefly, but someone is always watching. Listed specs may not be wholly accurate, even if Samsung’s…

Google is rolling out a new “preferred sources” feature, starting in the United States and India, that lets users prioritise Top Stories that come from specific outlets. The internet giant introduced the function into testing for Labs users in June of this year, followed by its full release. Google what I want According to Google, the “new feature in Search […] lets you customize your experience to see more from your favorite sites within Top Stories.” While the new option is aimed at Search users, its release so soon after websites have complained that AI Overviews is mugging their traffic…

Standard Bank has joined the Department of Home Affairs’ (DHA) drive to make Smart ID and passport services more easily available than, you know, going to Home Affairs. The South African bank joins FNB and Capitec in making DHA services more accessible to the average citizen. Standard Bank on it Eventually, that is. The bank said in a statement that “will enable clients to apply for and renew their smart ID cards and passports through our digital banking channels in the near future.” The service, according to Standard Bank, has been available through nine of its branches, but it’ll be…

Do you need a second screen that fits in your bag as well as on your desk? The Acer PM161QT assumes the answer to that question is ‘yes’, and also assumes that it’s the answer to your next one. ‘Should I buy a portable monitor?’ Plenty of folks have optimised the way they work to include two monitors. In addition to making you feel like a 90s computer hacker, it’s an easy way to transfer information from one source to another without… you know, stealing it. But lugging a regular screen and stand (and power brick) from hot-desk to hot-desk…

If Kawasaki can envision a rideable robotic tiger, surely China can give it a robotic antelope to eat? Xianhua News Agency reports that the country has deployed a fur-covered robot to the Hoh Xil nature reserve in its Qinghai Province. The robot’s purpose is to keep tabs on the herds of Tibetan antelopes in the area — without upsetting them, which is why the robotic quadruped has been disguised as one of their own. If their species were sporting 5G access and AI smarts, at any rate. How does an antelope? It’s not the first time anyone has thought of…

If you’ve been looking for something new in the realm of TV tech, Samsung’s new Micro RGB panels could be just what you’re after. The South Korean company has debuted its first 115in premium television using the proprietary technology, calling it “a new benchmark for color accuracy, contrast and immersive viewing in the ultra-premium TV segment.” The last few words in that quote above heavily suggest that this TV won’t be cheap. That’s fairly obvious, since a 115in screen takes a fair chunk of delivering, with installation chewing up even more of your capital. The bonus of new TV technology…

The Beyerdynamic Aventho 100 on-ear headphones landed on our desks with no notice at all, accompanied by a selection of the German audio-maker’s other headphone tech — so expect more assessments soon. We opted to focus on the brand’s newest headphones, though we have a few older (but new in South Africa) models to explore in the coming weeks. As with its competitor brand Sennheiser, the prime focus for the Aventho 100 over-ears is audio quality. If that’s what you’re concerned with and you have R5,000 in your bank account doing nothing, skip right to the verdict. Unless, that is,…

If you thought Google was done stuffing its AI technology into everything it owns (and a few things it doesn’t), you were dreaming. Google Finance, a web-based app for folks who saw The Wolf of Wall Street as a shining example of good behaviour, and reckon The Big Short and Moneyball are all about the spreadsheets (seriously, those are all great movies), is about to experience its own AI overhaul. Google intends to give Finance users access to AI features when making financial decisions, with a dedicated chatbot available to answer queries that they might have about where to spend…

China’s AI industry has suffered a similar fate to Huawei’s smartphone component supply chain, with manufacturers like Nvidia and AMD barred from selling chips in the region. That’s about to change, according to American officials. GPU makers Nvidia and AMD will be permitted to resume sales to Chinese customers, on the condition that they share 15% of the revenue generated from these sales with the US government. This is a condition that these companies have agreed to, says an unnamed US official speaking to Reuters. Nvidia’s sales, China A spokesman for the world’s most valuable company talked around the revenue-sharing…