Author: Brett Venter

If you didn’t know that expensive drones sometimes need parachutes, you obviously never had to pay for one. DJI has launched its AP100 parachute to support its Matrice 400 drones. The reasoning is that you might not need it, but you’ll be grateful that your expensive drone has backup if you do. The DJI AP100 parachute isn’t a unique product at all. Other companies already make auto-deploying ‘chutes for drones. This is just the first to issue from DJI itself. The parachute setup sells for around R17,200, though it’s not available at retail just yet. Dealers can purchase them, though.…

If you were wondering where some of the funds the South Korean government has allocated for AI and robotics are going, LG is one of its first stops. So is Nvidia, like the company needs the cash injection. Both companies have announced a partnership that will “accelerate LG Group’s next wave of AI-driven businesses, spanning robotics, autonomous driving, data center technologies and GPU cloud services.” Which, handily, also gives us some idea of where the lately-stricken South Korean company is headed. It has been trying its hand at various industries, mostly by placing its manufacturing into unusual supply chains. Now,…

South African internet provider Rain has announced a new unlimited calling plan, plus something it calls the LoopPhone. Whether the handset is a rebadged model or something custom-specified, there’s little about it specifically online. A closer look at what Rain promises its mobile customers might offer some idea of how much value is contained in the device itself. The LoopPhone, as far as we can find out, is probably sourced from Vivo or one of its subsidiary companies, like iQoo. The closest actual match is the Vivo V70 FE, though Rain has gone for a customised shell with a secondary…

Garmin used to be well known for its GPS systems (it still is), but we never would have called its new LiveScope 2 HD fish finder being part of the lineup. The company reckons its newest fishing hardware lets users “see fish and lures in real time in high definition”. That’s… mighty attractive, if you’re a (lazy) angler. The updated LiveScope 2 will give anglers “detailed imagery” within casting range and at depths of up to 38 metres, according to Garmin. It probably won’t give you the same view as you’d experience in Sega Bass Fishing, but it should provide…

Two weeks from today, Samsung will host its newest Galaxy Unpacked event. This one will broadcast live (as usual) from London (not as usual) and is widely expected to involve the company’s newest folding smartphones. It’s not really speculation at this point, since the event’s tagline is “A new shape unfolds”. Which lends plenty of credence to the hardly-secret Galaxy Fold 8 Wide (whichever order Samsung eventually puts the words in) being a thing. You can’t unfold a new shape unless there’s a new shape to unfold, after all. Sure, the old and new designs are both approximately rectangular, but…

We actually didn’t realise the price of the Soundcore R60i NC earbuds until right at the very end of our time with them. After the price point — between R600 and R800, depending where you buy them — became apparent, these in-ears immediately became an excellent choice for… just about everyone. Generally when you buy headphones of any sort under a grand, you’re looking at serious issues somewhere or another. Soundcore’s R60i NC buds certainly have an issue or two, but none so glaring that you’ll be miffed that you paid for them. The major drawback isn’t even terribly major.…

Lego’s Nintendo sets are frequently decent, and the newly leaked Pokémon: 72154 Iconic Trainer Moments Poké Ball set looks to continue that tradition. Usually, the Danish brick company is very forthcoming about its upcoming products, but for a change, this one appeared via Reddit. Which means that we can’t be entirely sure that this set is authentic. However, the images provided with the information strongly resemble official imagery used in Lego’s online listings. The pricing estimate is also in the right ballpark for maximum credibility. Pokémon to the desk Pricing for this surprisingly complicated Lego Pokémon build puts the set…

The Apex Recordhunter is a battery-powered drone made by a company called Quantum Systems. The company makes a bunch of unmanned vehicles, mostly airborne, but this one has been engineered specifically to break speed records. Hence the name. It helps that the company has the assistance of Porsche-linked battery company V4Smart. This might be what gives the Recordhunter an edge over blistering DIY efforts with a similar design. Quantum Systems’ drone has clocked a top speed of 699km/h. Apex? Predator.  At this point, the airborne craft doesn’t need anything like an attached weapons system to be lethal. Whack anything at…

Home robots were a feature of this year’s CES. Now, a company called Weave Robotics hopes to send Isaac 1, its assistant robot, into homes before anyone else can do it. At something approaching scale, anyway. Whether that’s a good idea or not depends on your willingness to part with R130,000 ($8,000) to have a Baymax knockoff trundling over your floors. Users can also experience the robot at a monthly subscription price. For R7,300 a month ($450/m), you can have the vaguely humanoid creator bumble around your home extremely slowly. It’ll make vague gestures at your clothing and bed, hopefully…

If you were wondering if the Huawei Pura 90 would follow the timeline of its predecessors, you’d be correct. Last year, the Pura 80 lineup launched in the early part of July. This year, the Pura 90 lineup will launch… in the early part of July. Specifically, on 14 July at a global event in Kuala Lumpur. The Chinese brand teased the lineup, along with at least one of the models appearing, via a post on X. The tagline of ‘Now is your moment’ doesn’t tell us much. The rest of the post is also light on detail. There’s just…