Author: Brett Venter

Most South Africans know TCL as a television manufacturer, but the brand also sells tablets and, now, smartphones in the country. The TCL 505 is one of the first to land on our somewhat volatile shores. To that end, it’s a seriously budget smartphone. Originally, it was supposed to feature a recommended retail price of R2,000, but we’ve only been able to track it down at a R2,600 price point. Being one of the first devices to come to SA, it has a couple of tasks. It has to make an impression on the market but without risking too much…

When you name your robotic quadruped after the terrifyingly hard-to-stop honey badger, you’re probably trying to send a message. Unlike Boston Dynamics’ Spot, which is supposed to be relatively benign, this little guy is capable of cornering folks in water as well as land. MAB Robotics, a tech company based in Poland, recently demonstrated its four-legged critter. It’s not enough that the diminutive quadruped walks with the same senseless menace that most robots of its type do. It’ll scuttle across the bottom of a pool with equal skill. Aquatic quadruped https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p66uxwUgboY We shouldn’t have to point out just how scary…

It’s a good time to work in e-commerce in South Africa. It’s an even better time to be Pargo, the click-and-collect delivery service that has seen an uptake in business since its earlier days on the local landscape. Speaking in an interview with Reuters, company co-founder and CEO Lars Veul explained how the service intends to go continent-wide as a result of its South African popularity. Pargo has more than 4,000 pick-up points in the country, many in less formal stores like spaza shops. Pargo goes international South Africa was just the start, according to Veul. “We’re looking at an…

There’s a school of thought on the internet that anyone receiving a MacBook upon starting a new job may find their employment a little shaky. If the IT department hands you a Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon, on the other hand, you’re likely to be employed for as long as you want to be. There may even be some truth to that. MacBooks tend to be favoured by the stylish, the startup, the move-fast-and-break-things sorts, and those companies occasionally disappear overnight. The ThinkPad X1 Carbon, on the other hand, is a more staid and serious computer for the kind of person…

Earlier this week SpaceX achieved a new milestone in its quest for reusable rockets — it caught the 71-metre tall Super Heavy booster that sent the fifth version of Starship into orbit (for testing reasons). That’s not an easy feat to pull off, since it’s the equivalent of catching a fifteen-story building. That’s on fire. But the company intends to do even better. According to company head Elon Musk, the next achievement being targeted is to catch Starship itself. The timeline for that is, optimistically, early next year according to Musk. SpaceX reaches for the stars Hopefully early next year,…

Following Microsoft’s initial news, Amazon has followed Google in saying ‘Wait, we can do that?’ and announced that it is investing in nuclear power “to address growing energy demands”. The announcement follows on the heels of several from the company, including several new Kindle models. Will we see a nuclear-powered Kindle at some point? Probably not. But nuclear AI? That’s far more likely. Like Google, Amazon Web Services (AWS) has announced that it will implement Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) in its business. Also like Google, the company isn’t developing the tech for this itself. Instead, it has signed several agreements…

Amazon just announced and then disappeared all mention of four new Kindle models heading to market in the next few weeks, or possibly months. The original reveal was via a Spanish language page that detailed the new models. It now redirects to a 2023 post on how to use a Kindle Paperwhite. Nevertheless, the announcement was seen and recorded by the folks at The Verge who nabbed the official images, American pricing, and details about all four new devices. One of these is the first colour-screened Kindle to feature a paper-like display. Kindle our interest The device, the Colorsoft Signature…

An October surprise isn’t just for American politics. Apple last night announced an unexpected (but not really) iPad Mini refresh that ups the dinky tablet’s power and sets the stage for another Apple Intelligence-supporting device. Yes, it’s just AI with extra branding but that’s just what the company does. Apple also makes excellent hardware and the new Mini is no exception. Little has changed about the 8.3in Liquid Retina display but the chipset takes a big jump. So does default storage, which starts now at 128GB. This iPad Mini isn’t minor But it is the processor in the upgraded tablet…

Anyone in artificial intelligence (AI) will admit that the technology is hugely energy-intensive. Companies like Google and Microsoft (and by extension, OpenAI) are turning to custom solutions to make up for their energy needs. Those solutions are nuclear in nature, with Microsoft looking into restarting a decommissioned reactor. Google, on the other hand, is opting for something altogether new. It’s still nuclear power but it’s spread out over several small modular reactors (SMRs). A company called Kairos Power is making these and they could, and probably will, power the search giant’s Gemini and other AI efforts. Eventually, Google It’ll be…

Sometimes you feel like taking a walk. If you’re surrounded by nature, it automatically becomes a hike. We don’t make the rules, we just write about them. But not all hikes are created equal. Take to a mountain trail while wearing a pair of Doc Martins and a leather jacket and you’ll be protected from scratches and possibly a porcupine attack. Otherwise, though? You’re not in for a good time. It’s a far better plan to hike while toting the right gear. If you’re even moderately experienced, you’ll know that weight is a prime consideration. The less you’re carrying around,…