Author: Brett Venter

Chances are that even if you’ve never heard the term ‘super app’ before today, you’ve at least had a close encounter with one. WeChat is perhaps the most visible of these. WhatsApp is on its way to being one, even if Meta doesn’t use the terminology. Even South African companies like Vodacom and Nedbank are looking to dip a toe into the super app ocean. But what exactly is a super app? Definitions vary but the basic explanation is that a super app is one that provides multiple services and functions, including shopping and financial services. If that reminds you…

September is a time of change, at least in South Africa. There are birds in the sky, occasionally there’s rain, and the Apples tend to turn up as well. Apple’s ‘Far Out’ product event is scheduled for 7 September this year and, as usual, we can expect the company to go all-out. But what are we expecting from Apple’s 7 September event being held at the Steve Jobs Theatre? A whole bunch of new iPhones, certainly. An updated Apple Watch is likely. There might even be some serious surprises to liven up a fairly predictable year so far. Far Out,…

Samsung has become the latest company to be struck down by cyber attackers. Over the weekend, the South Korean company notified its users that some of their personal information was compromised. South African customers probably don’t have much to worry about, unless they’ve availed themselves of services offered by Samsung’s American wing. The breach appears to be regional, but the company stressed that “…Social Security numbers or credit and debit card numbers” remain safe. Samsung’s security That did leave the door open for a batch of other information to be siphoned. This includes “name, contact and demographic information, date of…

With the launch of Huawei’s new Mate Xs 2 folding smartphone in South Africa, Samsung might finally have some competition. Maybe. We’re basing this idea on the fact that folding smartphones are in short supply in SA. Anything that hits the market is bound to cut into Samsung’s market share. But these really are completely different devices, at least on short acquaintance. Quite the mechanic This much is obvious when you examine how the Mate Xs 2 folds. Instead of inward, over a very complicated hinge, Huawei’s device folds outward. The sensitive, flexible screen is always exposed both front and…

LG is the latest tech company to jump on the shoe-care bandwagon. We suspect it isn’t the largest wagon, but the company’s new Styler ShoeCare and ShoeCase, introduced at this year’s IFA conference in Berlin, might increase its floor space a little. Sneakers are such a lucrative purchase that shopping giant eBay invested in a way to 3D scan them for sale on the platform. But few tech companies offer ways to keep sneakerheads happy in their own homes. No, those Back to the Future kicks don’t count. Developing some Styler LG’s new Styler ShoeCare is something a little different.…

Last night, at an event held in Steyn City in Johannesburg, BMW took the wraps off its new 7 Series and i7 sedans. Also in attendance were the company’s new X7 SUV and a rather stylish-looking 8 Series convertible. Stuff only had eyes for the pair of sevens on display, however. Both vehicle lineups share a spot of design language. The distinctive front grille in particular has undergone an evolution, with some inspiration coming from… gaming keyboards? That’s not far off, as it happens. Most of the company’s luxury lineup features LED lighting around the iconic kidney grille. But it’s…

Another day, another streaming service launched in South Africa. Actually, that doesn’t happen all that often. Universal+, a new streaming service comprising content from Universal’s TV and movie arms, Dreamworks, Telemundo, and E!, is launching in South Africa on 14 October. Kinda. Universal+ isn’t very There’s a catch. There’s always a catch. See, you can access Universal+ in South Africa, and everywhere else in Africa, provided you’re a DStv subscriber. There doesn’t seem to be any way to sign up for it any other way. Viewing takes place via the DStv app or an Explora decoder. “DStv subscribers will be…

Humanity’s return to the moon starts with a single rocket journey. Artemis 1 was supposed to blast off earlier this week, on 29 August. That launch was scrubbed partway into the launch window. It has since been rescheduled. According to NASA, the new launch window for the first Artemis mission opens on 3 September, at 14:17 EDT. Here in South Africa, that’s 20:17 on Saturday morning. If you’re just getting up, or getting home, it’s the perfect time to tune into the live stream. Artemis rising The launch window for the mission is still two hours. Liftoff will hopefully take…

The company formerly known as Facebook, Meta, has plans afoot to create paid-for features for its most popular platforms. Those platforms, in case you’re not aware, are Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. This information comes via Meta’s vice president of monetisation (they have one of those), John Hegeman. Speaking in an interview with The Verge, Hegeman confirmed that the company is exploring new ways to charge its user base for access to some features. Changing the Meta Hegeman’s interview followed The Verge receiving an internal memo discussing the establishment of a group within Meta to investigate “possible paid features”. “I think…

Folding smartphones are the up-and-coming thing. Flexible notebooks, like the Asus Zenbook 17 Fold, are something else entirely. Based on our brief time with Asus’ computational oddity so far, we can see the attraction. But, on the other hand, it also feels a little gimmicky. This might be unfair, and it’s something we’re keeping in mind. Samsung’s original Fold smartphone felt much the same when it launched. In more ways than one, but we’ll get to that shortly. We’ve spent a couple of hours in the company of the Zenbook 17 Fold so far. Initial impressions are that it’s a…