Author: Brett Venter

A startup called Eli Health has unveiled something it calls a Hormometer (a term that’s just begging for a ™) at this year’s CES. It’s a dipstick-like device that inserts itself into the human body — no, not like that — to measure specific data. It’s like an oral thermometer except that it analyses two hormone levels via the saliva in your mouth. A 60-second bout behind your teeth lets the device total up the cortisol and progesterone levels in your system. Cortisol, commonly known as the stress hormone, is the one your dogs can detect and match. If your…

You might remember towards the end of last year, Stuff was giving away a brand new iPhone 16 to one lucky (magazine) reader. The entry details were found in the October-November 2024 issue of Stuff Magazine but the entry mechanism was hosted here on the website. And, we must say, some of you folks know how to take chances. See, there was a single requirement for a valid entry. Entrants had to track down and list which pages the iPhone 16 appeared on in the Oct/Nov issue of the magazine. It wasn’t too hard, since we gave you a few…

Samsung hasn’t made a secret of its interest in every aspect of your technological life. From the Galaxy S lineup to the Galaxy Ring, no processor-powered stone has been left unturned. Even the future of robotics has been an avenue for exploration for the company with the reveal of Ballie (yes, really). But Samsung has bigger ambitions in mind—Tesla Optimus-sized ambitions, even. A recent deal in South Korea has seen the technology giant become the largest stakeholder in Rainbow Robotics, with the explicit aim of developing humanoid robots. Samsung reaches for the Sky(net) The company previously acquired a 14.7% stake in Rainbow…

There’s one more element missing from your newly minted fitness journey — app support. No, not like that. You can try and hold strong to the idea in your head (“I will run for five kilometres without stopping”) but with a proper plan, it may take longer than you expected. Any delay could mean a lack of motivation at a critical moment and then boom — your fitness goals are over before they really begin. So, add a new app to your exercise arsenal alongside some headphones that won’t melt when you sweat on them and a fitness tracker that…

It’s the second day of 2025. If you’re remaining disciplined, you’ve probably gone for a run by now. If not, you may need some new headphones. No, no, hear us out. There’s logic behind this beyond ‘I’d like a shiny new thing to play with’, though that’s also a factor. Investing in your fitness journey, in the form of new headphones (and also some other gear), is one way to keep you on track. It’s a slight inverse of the sunk cost fallacy — if you’ve contributed monetarily, you may choose to keep going for longer than you might have…

It’s the start of a new year and that means it’s time to start hitting those fitness goals. If you’re able to read these words without flinching the morning after the traditional overindulgence, you’re probably well along the road toward improved fitness for 2025. If things are a little blurry, you might need some assistance. Assistance in the form of one or more fitness trackers. These are distinct from smartwatches in that movement comes first. Some will offer notifications and messaging but mostly they’re about getting out and burning calories. Start 2025 by strapping some accountability to your wrist. These…

It happens every year. Folks who have never set foot inside a gym decide to take control of their destinies, travelling to those mysterious places where people go to get fit. Long-time members tend to react in various ways, from bemused to actively annoyed, as anyone who has had to duck a barbell at head height tends to be. It might provide fodder for annual video compilations but it’s not always fun to hang with the newbies. Let the trainers sort that out. You, on the other hand, can outfit that spare room into something that’ll amp your body-sculpting efforts…

It might seem that this review of the HP Elitebook x360 1040 G10 (to give it its full title — we’ll stop that now) is a little late. It launched in various markets in mid-to-late 2023 but Stuff has only had it since about halfway through 2024. So yes, it’s late but not as late as its launch date suggests. Better late than never, right? As it happens, the delay is advantageous. The Elitebook x360’s price has dropped a touch since launch, which works in its favour since it was somewhat overpriced when it first showed up. It might even…

Everybody, right about now (okay, fine, sometime after New Year’s Eve), will be considering a new fitness tracker to go with their resolutions of health and discipline. But won’t somebody please think of the children? Seriously, smartwatches are for kids too. They have a range of functions, from helping Mom and Dad keep an eye on Junior from a distance to… well, doing the same thing that wearables do for adults. That means movement and sleep tracking, health metrics, and others, but with a fun-filled focus that grownups aren’t allowed to have. Exercise, after a certain age, is serious business.…

Headphones made specifically for kids is a niche that works. The little critters, as anyone who has kids will tell you, don’t always make choices in their best interests. Plonking something like the iClever BHT20 cans onto their heads means you won’t add hearing damage to the litany of injuries they seem determined to acquire at any given moment. Like their light-wielding counterparts, the BHT20 over-ears (if you’re a little ‘un) are limited to a specific decibel level. Unlike the BHT18s, they include an additional feature — noise cancelling. That’s not bad for R1,500, though you’ll have to venture over…