Author: Brett Venter

Earlier this week SpaceX achieved a new milestone in its quest for reusable rockets — it caught the 71-metre tall Super Heavy booster that sent the fifth version of Starship into orbit (for testing reasons). That’s not an easy feat to pull off, since it’s the equivalent of catching a fifteen-story building. That’s on fire. But the company intends to do even better. According to company head Elon Musk, the next achievement being targeted is to catch Starship itself. The timeline for that is, optimistically, early next year according to Musk. SpaceX reaches for the stars Hopefully early next year,…

Following Microsoft’s initial news, Amazon has followed Google in saying ‘Wait, we can do that?’ and announced that it is investing in nuclear power “to address growing energy demands”. The announcement follows on the heels of several from the company, including several new Kindle models. Will we see a nuclear-powered Kindle at some point? Probably not. But nuclear AI? That’s far more likely. Like Google, Amazon Web Services (AWS) has announced that it will implement Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) in its business. Also like Google, the company isn’t developing the tech for this itself. Instead, it has signed several agreements…

Amazon just announced and then disappeared all mention of four new Kindle models heading to market in the next few weeks, or possibly months. The original reveal was via a Spanish language page that detailed the new models. It now redirects to a 2023 post on how to use a Kindle Paperwhite. Nevertheless, the announcement was seen and recorded by the folks at The Verge who nabbed the official images, American pricing, and details about all four new devices. One of these is the first colour-screened Kindle to feature a paper-like display. Kindle our interest The device, the Colorsoft Signature…

An October surprise isn’t just for American politics. Apple last night announced an unexpected (but not really) iPad Mini refresh that ups the dinky tablet’s power and sets the stage for another Apple Intelligence-supporting device. Yes, it’s just AI with extra branding but that’s just what the company does. Apple also makes excellent hardware and the new Mini is no exception. Little has changed about the 8.3in Liquid Retina display but the chipset takes a big jump. So does default storage, which starts now at 128GB. This iPad Mini isn’t minor But it is the processor in the upgraded tablet…

Anyone in artificial intelligence (AI) will admit that the technology is hugely energy-intensive. Companies like Google and Microsoft (and by extension, OpenAI) are turning to custom solutions to make up for their energy needs. Those solutions are nuclear in nature, with Microsoft looking into restarting a decommissioned reactor. Google, on the other hand, is opting for something altogether new. It’s still nuclear power but it’s spread out over several small modular reactors (SMRs). A company called Kairos Power is making these and they could, and probably will, power the search giant’s Gemini and other AI efforts. Eventually, Google It’ll be…

Sometimes you feel like taking a walk. If you’re surrounded by nature, it automatically becomes a hike. We don’t make the rules, we just write about them. But not all hikes are created equal. Take to a mountain trail while wearing a pair of Doc Martins and a leather jacket and you’ll be protected from scratches and possibly a porcupine attack. Otherwise, though? You’re not in for a good time. It’s a far better plan to hike while toting the right gear. If you’re even moderately experienced, you’ll know that weight is a prime consideration. The less you’re carrying around,…

Multichoice-owned DStv is on a drive to impress its subscribers, knocking down streaming and satellite prices. Next for a revamp is the company’s MyDStv app, which subscribers should immediately upgrade to. That’s because it entirely replaces the company’s previous app, released in June this year. That app’s various functions — payments, package changes, and so on — no longer work on the old version. For those tasks, and a couple of new ones, subscribers need to download and use the new app. Looks like MyDStv  Everything the previous app was capable of, including clearing account errors, managing billing, and managing…

From Cybertruck to Cybercab — Tesla, the electric vehicle company headed by Elon Musk, has made its autonomous taxi official. A prototype for the new EV was shown at Tesla’s We, Robot event held last night at Warner Bros. Discovery’s California studios, along with an updated look at the Optimus robot and a new Robovan autonomous transport vehicle. Catching a Cybercab Of the three products revealed, the Cybercab is the most likely to cross paths with South African drivers (any day now, Elon). It’s unusual in that it’s designed with similar lines to the controversial Cybertruck but with a few…

If you’re aware of the definition of the mitochondria but not how to submit a tax form, you’re a candidate for Moneyversity+, a new platform from Old Mutual that aims to provide the financially impaired with the information they need to get better at the whole money thing. A large portion of what the platform does is educate kids, who really don’t know any better, but it’s also targeted at adults who need a hand with their financial literacy. The platform soft-launched in June 2024 but officially became available this week. To date, it has seen more than 60,000 signups…

In a move that was totally not prompted by its subscriber base collectively saying “Are you @#$%^# serious?”, Canva has announced that it will retain its old pricing structure for the time being. It didn’t exactly put it in those terms but that’s what it comes down to. Instead of “gradually transition[ing] Canva Teams subscribers to our current standard pricing of US$10/month per person starting at three people, or your local rate”, that won’t be happening at all. Not even to account for the “expanded value of our product over the past four years.” Stop ripping Canva Canva Teams subscribers…