Author: Brett Venter

It’s been a long enough wait for Apple’s newest iPhone SE but the day is rather nigh. That’s the prime projection following Apple head Tim Cook’s post on X revealing the launch date for… something. It’s probably the iPhone SE. Why? Timing, mostly. iPhones are almost always announced from September onward but the SE is a somewhat different beast. Uncle Tim’s post references “the newest member of the family,” which could mean anything but iPhone SE rumours have been thick in recent weeks. Early iPhone SE Get ready to meet the newest member of the family. Wednesday, February 19. #AppleLaunch…

Yamaha has just upgraded its Helm Master boat control system with a little gadget that looks a bit like a VR controller. You know, those wavey bits you use to convince whatever virtual environment that your hands exist in that space? Its point? To let you navigate your boat away from the actual helm. The Japanese company has one of the weirdest product portfolios around. All sorts of extreme vehicles — boats, jet skis, some of the best motorcycles on the planet… and then there are musical instruments and audio equipment. Even so, the Helm Master EX Wireless Control is…

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…