Author: Brett Venter

If you’ve been hoping for a continued life without advertising in your (paid) Netflix, it may be time to let go. The company has detailed how many users it has on its advertising-supported tier, and the number is climbing. The company is also expanding the number of countries it offers the ‘upgrade’ in. There’s no need for immediate panic, however. South Africa isn’t on the list. This time. The affected countries are mostly in the Northern hemisphere, with a slight detour to the Philippines and Thailand. Paying (less) for Netflix Specifically, Netflix is expanding its ‘with ads’ service to Austria,…

Google has a new software feature, Pause Point, designed to keep you from wrecking your mental health by popping open Instagram for the 30th time today. Or X, or Facebook, or… pick any app that ruins your brain, really. The feature is coming to Android phones shortly, likely to Google’s Pixel range first before spreading to other handsets. Pause Point is supposed to short-circuit your tendency to open certain apps before they start draining your sanity and your phone’s battery. Pause Point On its surface, the new feature is remarkably simple. Users specify an app, activate Pause Point for it,…

Unitree has a stunning range of humanoid robots, but its GD01 is a humanoid of another kind. The vehicle (and it is a vehicle) is a humanoid that seats a single human, making it a (technically) piloted mech suit. The Chinese company revealed its newest creation in a video posted to YouTube, showing the almost three-metre-tall craft seating Unitree’s CEO. It then strides around like it’s searching for a Japanese teenager to pilot the thing. Git GD01 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWOyUMJWptc Such an approach might make sense, since the GD01 looks like it’s fairly cramped inside. The robotic vehicle is little more than…

We’ve been seeing a lot more Cyberdeck-style computing devices, and the Pi Slate is just the latest in the form factor. They’re not much different from the old netbook from days gone by, but they’re almost infinitely cooler. Visually, at least. A piece of the Pi Slate The Pi Slate actually has at least two icons that start with the word ‘cyber’ on its branding, reinforcing the notion that the late 1980s had the coolest technology aesthetic. Carbon Computers, the company selling these, has several models on offer. They all look the same, but feature very different performance. This BlackBerry-looking…

Sony saw premium portable cooling devices coming back in 2019. The Reon Pocket is now back, following Dyson’s efforts this year, with a new Pro Plus edition. In case you’ve forgotten what the Reon Pocket is, it’s a portable air conditioner. The Pro Plus? Obviously, just a bit more so. The little device is more than just a handheld fan, of course. It tucks down behind a wearer’s neck inside their shirt, circulating cool air as you move from a high-pressure meeting to your sports car and back. Obviously. Sony’s updated Pro Plus model gets a little cooler than before.…

Hisense is, in a sense, getting in on the smart glasses trend. The company has just launched its Smart Audio Glasses G11 in China, with no mention of whether they’ll travel to other places around the world. Given that they’d cost roughly R3,000 if bought here, it would be a pity if the G11 stayed at home. Hisense of sound That said, the G11 glasses aren’t really smart in the sense you’d get from, say, Meta’s Ray Ban collaboration. Hisense’s wearable tech focuses on the ‘audio’ part of the name, with six microphones doing the heavy lifting. They’re not alone,…

One way to vent frustrations in traffic is to sing. If you’ve got a car full of people, then passing one of Samsung-owned Harmon’s microphones around for a spot of karaoke might keep everyone’s temper down. It could also result in a duet-inspired collision, so maybe the driver shouldn’t be participating. Seriously, though. Harman has announced Sing Drive, a “new in-vehicle karaoke and sing-along platform designed to transform the car into a private, shared space for musical expression.” It’s better than simply singing along to whatever’s on your sound system because… um… AI? Samsung’s Sing Drive And it might well…

If you’re going to buy a robot lawnmower, it might as well look cool. The Goko M6 certainly fits that bill, featuring stylish tyres and a body shape reminiscent of the Cybertruck. You know, the EV that some Americans love (or love to hate)? Occasionally, the military shoots at them (on purpose). Hopefully nobody will drop missiles on Goko’s robo-mower, though. That would leave some very large divots in your perfectly-maintained lawn. The company behind it, Robot++, has made allowances for holes that size, at least. Assuming an AGM-65 Maverick hasn’t pulverised it. Damn you, Goko! The M6 uses AI,…

Apple does it every year, so there’s no reason why Huawei can’t. We’re referring, of course, to an annual developer conference. The Chinese brand has just locked down the dates for its own outing, referred to as HDC. There’s a slight crossover with 2026’s WWDC, but Huawei, being on the other side of the world, can probably pull it off. Huawei’s newest developments HDC will run from 12 to 14 June this year, slightly encroaching on Apple’s spotlight. As with most software conferences, we’re not expecting much in the way of product reveals. If anything is lurking, Huawei is keeping…

Ereader company Boox has been on a roll lately, but its newest outing might be a little special. The company has released Tappy, a little remote control device for its readers. We’ve seen Kobo’s remote control, which is a fairly premium take, but Boox’s effort is a shade more impressive. Perhaps ‘satisfying’ would be a better descriptor. The Tappy “wireless page turner” is based on a typewriter, with two keys that bring to mind the older, clacky tech. Based on the company’s images, you’ll want to keep pressing it, whether it’s to turn pages back or forward. Boox club That’s…