Author: Brett Venter

Agatha Christie is one of the world’s most enduring mystery fiction writers. Her books remain in print, the movies keep Kenneth Branagh employed, and now Christie herself is back to teach writers, courtesy of the BBC. Well, courtesy of the BBC and artificial intelligence (AI), since Christie died in 1975. But, like a character in one of her novels, she has returned from the dead. This time, it’s less of a mystery. The BBC’s Maestro-stroke As part of the British broadcaster’s Maestro service, which offers lessons from Harlan Coben (writing), Brian Cox (acting), Alan Moore (storytelling), and Marco Pierre White…

If you thought you were missing something from Samsung’s Galaxy S-series phones’ new artificial intelligence features, never fear. The Galaxy A lineup, stretching back to the Ax4 models, is gaining similar functionality. Retroactively, via a software update. Owners of the Galaxy A56 5G, A55 5G, A54 5G, A36 5G, A35 5G, A34 5G, A26 5G, A25 5G, A25e 5G or A24 smartphones will soon see the side/camera button repurposed in much the same way the Galaxy S has done it — with AI foremost in mind. It won’t be right away — updates begin from May this year — but…

If you’ve been holding off on a new EV because you’re waiting for more of a workhorse, it could be worth waiting for the Isuzu D-Max EV 1 to get here. Initially shown as the D-Max EV prototype at the Bangkok International Motor Show last year, the production version has hit assembly lines in Thailand with a first launch expected later this year. The only catch is that the South African market won’t see it until 2026, with official confirmation still pending on its actual arrival. The current production run for the new Isuzu EV bakkie is limited to left-hand…

Finally, a BMW where the indicators are intended to be optional. The German automaker has revealed its newest track car, the M2 Racing. Rather than allowing its owners to nip through traffic with reckless abandon, the M2 Racing allows the same behaviour where it belongs. On a track with other people who can afford their doubtless high insurance premiums. The tricky bit? You’ll have to wait for BMW’s 2026 season to use one, since that’s when this vehicle “will offer private customer teams around the world a new entry point into racing.” M2 Racing for the front The awesome bit?…

Perplexity AI is expanding beyond an app and web page to an entire web browser. The coming Comet browser, built on the same Chromium platform used for Google’s own Chrome offering, hopes to keep users in a single place and in the thrall of a single AI overlord. If that fails, at least the company will get to serve some ads. That’s according to Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas, speaking to the TBPN podcast. Comet incoming Comet: A Browser for Agentic Search by Perplexity Coming soon. pic.twitter.com/SwVSwudgtN — Perplexity (@perplexity_ai) February 24, 2025 “That’s kind of one of the other reasons…

Head to any South African 4×4 gathering and you’ll find a range of opinions about the Land Rover Defender. It has its critics and its proponents, but folks on both sides will probably agree that the new Classic Defender V8 Soft Top is one good-looking piece of off-road hardware. The design harks back to the 20th’century (feel old yet?) when rugged ‘Rovers ranged the African savannah. You know the stereotype — Pith helmets, impressive facial hair, monocles, those now-vintage Porro prism binoculars. Picture that with modern conveniences and a 5.0-litre V8 engine. Defender of the realm Using the same chassis…

Generally, folks who use WhatsApp use it to speak to people they know. That’s not always the case, particularly for people who use the Business version to talk to potential customers. Global reach (your mileage may vary) means communication issues. Unless the app can automatically translate queries… That’s just what is rolling out to beta users of Meta’s messaging behemoth. Users can download language packs, much like they would with an offline map or alternative languages in a document suite, and have the app automatically translate queries in that language. WhatsApp, por favor The feature isn’t for every WhatsApp user,…

If Kawasaki Heavy Industries’ Corleo robot quadruped doesn’t appear in the next Ninja Gaiden game, someone in Japanese cross-marketing will have been slacking at their job. Revealed in an appearance at the Expo 2025 world exhibition in Osaka, the robotic mount is a somewhat different take on a four-wheel drive. It has legs, for starters. It also may or may not be real, but Kawakasi is certainly treating it as if it will hit the market at some point. The company calls it a “new category of personal mobility” and it’s undeniably something we’d leap astride if given the chance.…

Few areas of the technology world are untouched by AI. The fitness sector is no different. Popular running/cycling app Strava has received a new feature able to predict a user’s completion times for a variety of races. Whether you’re a Parkrun fanatic or heavy into your marathon training, the app’s new Performance Predictions will serve up your completion time before the race even starts.  There are two ways to take this information: Either bow out before you embarrass yourself or, Strava’s preferred usage, use the estimate to refine your training to bring that finishing time down. Strava for gold It’s…

When most robotics makers want to strut their stuff, they don’t typically resort to sporting events. But in China, things are done a little differently. This past weekend, the Yizhuang half-marathon, held in Beijing, saw 21 robotics teams lining up against human runners. If you’re reading this to find out how badly the humans fared, you’ll be disappointed. The fastest robot was more than twice as slow as the quickest human. Unfortunately, it may well be speedier than much of the human population — not just slow folks from China. Fine, China Various robot manufacturers participated in the half-marathon, each…