Author: Brett Venter

How far would you go to attain smartphone security? If your madness/method calculation includes Linux, then the Void Phone VX1 could be just what you’re looking for. The handset is being pitched at companies rather than individuals, with a subscription-based Mobile Device Management being thrown in. But the inclusion of FuriOS, a mobile version of Debian Linux, is what would make it appealing to those who prefer writing their own printer drivers. Gazing into the VX1 Void The VX1 is based heavily on the FLX1s from a company called FuriLabs. That handset is more targeted at individuals, with the Void…

OpenAI’s ChatGPT is joining every other subscription service in offering users a ‘year in review’ feature this year. These are nifty little features that make the wholesale gathering and storage of your information a little more palatable by dangling something shiny in front of you at the end of the year. If you haven’t opted in to (or opted out of) surveillance of your habits, likes, and dislikes, features like this don’t work. Whether it’s Spotify’s Wrapped or Sony’s recap of your gaming, they all rely on extensive monitoring of what you’ve been up to in the previous year. OpenAI’s…

The Afeela, a collaboration between Sony and Honda (and the subsequent Sony Honda Mobility), is bringing yet another gaming-themed feature to market. Not content with just using the PlayStation 5’s controller to bring the vehicle on stage, the company has announced that the electric vehicle will offer PS Remote Play support. The feature makes a kind of sense, given Sony’s involvement. Sometimes drives are long and boring. Playing Ghost of Tsushima… isn’t. Afeela like playing games The feature being installed inside the Afeela is for both drivers and passengers, though it appears that you’ll be confined to the back seat’s…

Everybody who makes ereaders seems to figure that what readers really want is a method for doodling on their written work. TCL’s new Note A1 NxtPaper is just the latest to sport the peripheral, as well as (as the name suggests) a NxtPaper display that should make non-scribbled reading even easier. Of course, you could also opt for Kindle’s Scribe or Kobo’s stylus-supporting range for similar features, but TCL’s recent performance on the TV front has us eying the Chinese company’s take on a reading tablet. It’s easy to see why it’s interesting. Reading the NxtPaper The Note A1 really…

We’d been wondering what ever happened to Asus’ ProArt devices with dedicated custom controls, but now we’ve got a pretty good idea. They were waiting for the right partner to come along. That partner, apparently, is GoPro. Asus has teased the launch of its new “ProArt GoPro creator edition laptop” at this year’s CES, dropping a post on X that offers hints as to what’s coming. The most obvious bit of branding? A dedicated GoPro key, which lives an alternate life next to the F8 button. GoProArt? The ProArt @GoPro edition creator laptop is about to break cover. Join the…

Fans of Rockstar’s range of open-world crime titles will know that Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is the most atmospheric of the hugely successful series that puts players into criminal shoes. If you’re looking to embody that whole ‘crime lord’ thing even more, you can now play the game at work. Via your web browser. While you’re supposed to be doing something — anything — else. Technically, this allows you to perform two crimes at once. You get paid for playing Vice City while the boss isn’t paying attention, plus you get to indulge in a sort of piracy. All…

What if you took God of War and rendered it in Super Mario Bros. and/or Adventure Island style? That’s the concept behind Bit of War, an 8-bit demake of Sony’s most visually brutal video game series. It’s been around for a while — the demake first appeared in 2012 — but it’s now available to play online for free. Or you could pay for it if you liked, given that the download on Itch.io gives you the option to hand over some cash. But you can relive an alternative take on the very first God of War (on Windows) entirely…

When you pick up a Lenovo X1 Carbon notebook, you should be keenly aware that the hardware is all business. Literally. It’s a bit confusing to see the company launch a new digital camera with very similar branding. Lenovo has announced (via NotebookCheck) a new product called the Lenovo X1 Digital Camera. How it relates to the company’s notebook lineup isn’t clear. Perhaps someone in Marketing was just phoning it in when the camera’s name was being discussed. The 12MP Sony sensor, all-white rounded design, and sub-R1,000 price tag (in China) suggest that it’s not really intended for boardroom usage,…

There’s been some confusion concerning the Galaxy S26 range of phones from Samsung in recent months. Early reports suggested that the phone line would be delayed, along with the company’s first Unpacked of 2026. Then reports claimed that everything would launch on time. Now… Yet another report, this one out of South Korea, reckons that “Samsung Electronics plans to hold a launch ceremony for the Galaxy S26 smartphone in February in the United States.” The folks at Yonhap News Agency are closer to the action than we are, so there’s probably at least some truth here. When will we see…

We’re back and just a little ahead of schedule this time around. You might be accustomed to seeing Stuff’s Gadget Awards issue in March, but we thought we’d change it up a little this year. But not too much. You’ll still find an issue of SA’s best technology magazine packed to the RAM modules with the very best gizmos, gadgets, and gewgaws (yes, that’s a real word), it’s just that this time around, we’re also giving away prizes to the tech that deserves it.  Obviously, our headliner for this issue is the tech across the gadget spectrum that was the…