Author: Brett Venter

The end of last year saw Death Stranding’s Kojima Productions in one of the weirdest product partnerships we’ve ever encountered. The game featuring that guy from The Boondock Saints paired up with the Dnsys Z1 exoskeleton to boost human movement without requiring internal surgery. If you had enough cash and you were quick enough, you too could have owned a limited-run Dnsys Z1 exoskeleton augment. Given how fast the first 100 sold out, even at R27,000, you might have a hard time nabbing one when the second batch goes on sale today. Death Stranding your wallet The Z1 exoskeleton is an…

One of the best things about fitness brand Polar is that South Africans always have access to new stuff immediately. Take the Polar Street X, which is newly announced and already on sale in this country. There was no wait time — it simply… turned up. That’s a good thing. Unlike the Polar Loop, this one’s designed for more conventional users. You know, the kind that likes a screen and buttons. Something interactive. Plus, the Street X has a solid set of features sitting under all that toughened glass. Street X watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqjRGz87LCw Polar’s newest is a shade chunky at…

Taken logically, smartphones… kind of suck. They’re massive time sinks, both easy to pick up and hard to put down. Meadow, an American company, has a slightly different vision of the ubiquitous communication device. It involves less doomscrolling. It also involves buying the phone and paying a monthly subscription fee, but that’s fine because it’s only available in the United States. But it’s an interesting concept that other companies could exploit on the international stage. A phone that isn’t going to spiral you into algorithm-based depression, but it still has navigation? How novel. Relaxing in the Meadow As you might…

If you ever have the urge to recreate the opening scene to Kung Fury, you’ll need a boombox. An American company’s version, the BB-777, will let you concentrate on your cop-car skateboard flip since the major prop work is sorted out. Bumpboxx, a Californian audio outfit, put its BB-777 boombox up on Kickstarter a little earlier this week. The modern take on a 1980s classic was looking for $50,000 in funding. It secured it almost immediately, garnering $2.6 million. It could be worth taking a closer look at. Flight BB-777 takes off Bumpboxx’s audio device combines serious retro functions with…

You’ve likely heard of the RAMpocalypse. You might have even heard the term RAMageddon. Either way, anything with RAM stuffed in it already commands a higher price than it a) should and b) used to. Even if it hasn’t touched the South African market yet. The problem has been lurking since 2023, with the latter half of 2025 having the worst indicators of pending price pain. A technology price increase became even more apparent at this year’s CES. The major focus of the event wasn’t on the usual suspects. Instead, there was a range of quirky products front and centre.…

Android users who source their apps from locations other than Google’s Play Store are used to side-loading APK files. That process, according to Google, is about to get a shade more complicated. For your safety, of course. But, because advanced smartphone users can sometimes be bloody-minded, it’ll still be possible to install your outsourced apps. There’s just a new process to follow. One that makes it extremely clear that if or when something happens, it’s entirely your fault. Android guardrails Since Android users are going to figure it out anyway, Google posted the method for getting back to side-loading apps…

Some of the coolest things Stuff has ever encountered are very, very small. Insta360’s newest action cam accessory might well be the smallest. Created in partnership with Lexar, the company’s new 512GB SSD weighs just 5.4 grams. That’s about the same as a teaspoonful of coffee (or whatever you drink). It’s very, very tiny, which is why the memory card will set buyers back around R2,500 (CAD$200) before you get around to paying tax or shipping the thing. Insta360 storage But it could be incredibly useful. The Quick Reader 512GB SSD, to give it its full title, connects to Insta360’s…

You might not recall 2014 all that well, but we certainly remember Amazon’s Fire Phone. It happened so long ago that Stuff’s original coverage has disappeared, but unlike the company’s other hardware, it didn’t fare well. But twelve years is a long time. Long enough that the online retail and internet giant is giving it another shot, according to a report from Reuters. The point isn’t so much to put a new phone into the market, however. It’s more about giving more of Amazon’s customers access to its AI. Amazon Transformer According to the report, which cites four internal sources…

Proving that all you need to stand out in tech is a quirky name, some primary colours, and a screen, Philips’ The Buds headphones have peered over the horizon. The brand’s audio products are available in South Africa, though Philips doesn’t make a fuss about it. Hopefully, it’ll change its mind for these wireless in-ears. They’re unlikely to topple Sony or Bose in the ‘best audio’ stakes. They do like they’re always ready to head out and do something silly. Which is what you expect from your buds, right? Can The Buds come over? The The Buds (yes, that’s grammatically…

There’s another issue of Stuff on physical and digital shelves. In this issue, we’ve got… well, loads. Want an early look at BMW’s newest EV? How about an improved dual-screen laptop? Various ways to distract yourself from the horrors (or banality) of modern life in the form of handheld PCs and games consoles? All of those and more are contained in the March to May 2026 issue of Stuff Magazine.  But if it’s headline features you’re after, this one’s a doozy. In this issue of Stuff, we’ve got an exhaustive list of headphone options to suit every taste, budget, activity,…