Author: Brett Venter

It’s not just internet access that Meta has its eye on. The company’s Reality Labs division, the same folks responsible for the Quest lineup of VR headsets, is setting up a team to work on household robots. It might sound a little like Elon Musk’s Optimus but it’s hardly an isolated technological ambition. The robots are intended to help around the house, performing tasks like reducing the size of that pile of unfolded washing sitting on your couch. Reworking Reality Labs The information comes via Bloomberg, which reports that the former CEO of Cruise, Marc Whitten, will head the new…

A short while ago Meta was rumoured to be working on a very ambitious undersea project. It has since confirmed Project Waterworth, a plan to span most of the world’s continents with its own internet infrastructure. The project will see the social media giant lay enough of its own cable to more than circle the globe (at its widest point, obviously. Five continents will be connected by the project, helping to “enable greater economic cooperation, facilitate digital inclusion, and open opportunities for technological development in these regions.” What is internet Waterworth? Key countries being connected include South Africa, the USA,…

It’s a touch late (there’s a decent reason for that) but it’s finally here — Stuff’s Feb-March 2025 issue has hit stores. It’s packed with loads of the stuff you like to see but it’s also, unfortunately, got one very glaring mistake in it. An incorrect image crept into our Gadget Awards feature for the print issue, showing… well, someone else instead of our Headphones of the Year winner for 2024 — the Sonos Ace. Don’t worry about letting us know about the mistake. We know. Believe us, we know. We’re also very sorry about that, Sonos.  But if you’re…

If you think drones are scary now, wait till they’re small enough to fly up your nose. The folks at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) already have them stashed away in their lab and they’re getting closer to being a functional device. Or rather, a swarm of them. Much like those Chinese drone shows that are totally not a display of future military potential, the insect-sized drones are capable of moving in a swarming formation. Their intent is also not supposed to be military but we’re almost certain some dingbat will figure out a way to weaponise teeny-tiny drones.…

The Sugar Cubes N97 Elite games console is one of those gadgets only available in another country that you desperately want to lay your hands on. The ‘why’ should be as obvious as the retro device the name references. 2008’s Nokia N97 is an iconic cellular phone for loads of users, garnering attention despite the Apple iPhone launching the year before. Nokia’s sliding phone may have slipped into the past but it’s back in the shape of this little games console. Well, the form factor and the designation have returned. You couldn’t play the games this thing handles back in…

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…