Author: Brett Venter

Fitness wear brand Puma has launched its new ForeverRun Nitro 2 running shoes in South Africa, building on the popularity of the first edition (which lacked the ‘2’ in its name). Billed as a stability shoe, Puma has aimed these at the general running market. A selection of design technologies and materials with a ™ after their names have allowed for “improved stability, increased heel support and upgraded comfort”, according to the company. ForeverRun Nitro 2 forever We’re not kidding about the trademarked construction. Puma has fitted the ForeverRun Nitro 2 with a widened midsole made with dual-density NitroFoam (better…

At some point, after picking up a telescope (and sticking with it) you’ll wonder if a more expensive telescope provides better views. We’ll spare you the optical glass rabbit hole that follows and just tell you straight: it does. But extra-low dispersion (ED) glass doesn’t come cheap. At least, it didn’t. Svbony’s 80mm SV503, one of a family of ED glass refractors, puts higher-quality views into your hands for what is, relatively, not much money. There’s more to this optical tube assembly (OTA) than just fancy glass, but there are also drawbacks to plonking down R9,900 for one. On the…

A new study by Microsoft and researchers at Carnegie Mellon University shows some distressing information about the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence. The study examined generative AI usage specifically, asking participants to self-report on the effect the new technology is having on their cognitive functions. In what seems like an obvious outcome, it seems extended use of generative AI can cause users to lose cognitive habits. They may be nonessential when AI is doing all the heavy lifting but it can leave user cognition “atrophied and unprepared when…exceptions do arise.” A study in Microsoft  The problem isn’t one unique to…

Sennheiser might have sold off its consumer business to a hearing aid specialist but that hasn’t meant it’s not putting out new consumer gear. Newly announced is its HD 505 open-back headphones at a price that won’t beggar budding audiophiles looking to experience (wired) audio quality. Pricing starts at R4,600 but you should expect to pay more. The headphones launch on Amazon.com later today and, based on other listings, will ship here. Since the listing isn’t live yet, we can’t give you a total cost but shipping and import duties will be a factor. Somewhere upward of R6,500 is a…

German optical specialists Leica are a byword for camera quality. They’re also well-known for being on the pricier side of the balance sheet. It’s not surprising then that its newly-announced Lux grip, an iPhone accessory intended to turn your smartphone into a smarter camera, will leave a dent in your credit card. Starting with the price, you can expect to pay at least R6,000 (£260), with an extra R1,450 (£50) netting you a high-quality carrying case for your camera attachment. The point of the Leica Lux grip isn’t just to look like the hippest of hipsters taking bespoke photos of…

If you’re hankering for a taste of another era, but on modern consoles, there are loads of options for you to try. The Retro Fighters BattlerGC Pro may well be the best of the bunch. It brings the GameCube era’s button and thumbstick layout to the modern day and to modern consoles. It’s mostly Nintendo consoles, but the controller is more compatible than you’d expect. Nintendo has a long history of unusual controller designs: the Switch’s Joy-Cons, the Wiimote, and the abomination that was that tablet thing for the Wii U. But a few stand out. The GameCube’s Wavebird is…

Generally, when you see a YouTube video promising a full movie, shenanigans are going on. It’s only “free” until someone notices and takes it down. Enterprising pirates have come up with various ways to beat the takedown filters — flipping the film, running it in a box as part of other motion, uploading it in 240p… but Warner Bros. doesn’t have to do all that. Well done, Warner Bros. Warner Bros., the motion picture giant, has spent months uploading a free selection of its films onto the largest video streaming platform in the world. Unusually, the majority of these are…

Anybody who reckons birdwatching is a pastime for older folks has obviously never become invested in the plight of a Southern masked weaver whose prospective mate keeps destroying his nests (seven times, at last count). They’ve also never seen the explosion of feathers and red mist that results from a Peregrine Falcon hitting its prey at high speed. Birdwatching can be pretty metal. And damp. Often, it’s damp.One of the best bits of birdwatching as an activity is that much of the gear, with the exception of the guidebooks and apps, can be transferred to other pastimes with minimal extra…

If we were going to compare the Hobot S6 Pro to anything it would be a Kreepy Krauly (a South African invention, in case it comes up at your next pub quiz) that works on windows. Not Windows. Like… windows. Those things made of glass? It’s got a ton in common with the current generation of robotic vacuum cleaners. Hobot specialises in the technology, after all. But instead of using its suction power to clean a surface, the Hobot S6 Pro goes all-in on the mop attachment and uses the rest of the ‘vacuum’ to cling, remora-like, to your windows…

In recent years, Netflix had big ambitions for its burgeoning gaming arm, but there is such a thing as thinking too big. This is why the streaming giant has confirmed that it’s trimming back some of its gaming releases. Six of them. One of the cancelled titles is from an internal Netflix studio with the other handful coming from external developers. The reason for the change is that the company is “adjusting [their] portfolio as [they] learn more about what [their] members like”. Now not on Netflix This is the same approach the company uses for the media it produces.…