Author: Brett Venter

If you’re a South African Android TV user — essentially any set powered by Google’s OS — then you now have one more streaming option. eVOD, the on-demand service operated by local channel e-TV, has just launched for Android TV devices. eVOD incoming That means all Android devices are now supported, alongside iOS, Huawei, and the good old-fashioned web browser. As before, streaming e-TV’s content is free, but if you’re attempting to block ads, you may encounter a block or two of your own. “Our Android TV app offers a smooth, premium viewing experience, matching—and in some cases exceeding—what users…

Amazon’s newest AI-powered function was revealed this week. Lens Live plans to turn users into even more effective consumers by pairing the company’s Rufus AI with a smartphone camera to let you buy anything you can see. Assuming it exists for sale on Amazon, of course. Lens Live is an extension of Amazon Lens, which uses a photograph, image, or bar code to find similar products on the online shopping platform. The difference here is that you can point the Live version at a specific scene — for example, restaurant decor — and it’ll pick out and identify similar (or…

In case you missed it, AI assistant ChatGPT and its owner, OpenAI, face a lawsuit alleging that the platform helped sixteen-year-old Adam Raine plan and execute his suicide. On the heels of this, the company has revealed that it is “rolling out Parental Controls within the next month.” This won’t help the AI platform avoid any criticism already levelled at it for inducing mental psychosis in some users. ChatGPT and OpenAI’s implementation of more safety features — assuming they work — could minimise the effects of this in the future. Just don’t expect it to be the near future, though.…

Google’s antitrust case, taking aim at its monopoly of the search market, continues, but the company has sidestepped the worst. Chrome will remain under Google’s banner, despite what other courts and AI company Perplexity were hoping would happen. Chrome buffer Washington DC District Court Judge Amit Mehta, the same one who said that “Google is a monopolist, and it has acted as one to maintain its monopoly,” has now ruled that the company won’t have to give up its web browser as a result of ongoing antitrust action. Instead, the company will face other remedies, since, Mehta ruled, “[p]laintiffs overreached…

The evening of 7 September will see a blood moon rising over South Africa as a total lunar eclipse takes place. The spectacle should be entirely visible around the country, depending on your cloud cover, but there is more than one way to watch the celestial phenomenon. The best way to watch the blood moon is the same as it’s ever been — using whatever is at your disposal is preferred. But there are still a few days to head out and grab some kit for a better look at this rare lunar event. 1 – Just look up The…

It’s the start of Spring, which can only mean that Samsung’s Galaxy A07 is here to tempt you into buying the same budget smartphone the company launched last year. With just enough changes to allow the South Korean company to stick it in a different box, of course. Samsung has even kept the Galaxy A06’s original price point. You’ll pay R2,500 for the company’s newest budget handset, while last year’s model has dropped to R2,000. If you’re not too fussed about internal storage space, the Galaxy A06 might be the choice to make. Exploring the Galaxy A07 That’s because the…

Apple’s MacBook Air models are consistently good value for money, and we had no reason to expect the MacBook Air M4 to be any different. At R22,500 for the base 13in model, which we had in for review, if you’re choosing between macOS and Windows, and are looking to avoid drama (and overbearing AI), Apple’s hardware is the way to go. Just… don’t expect too many surprises for your money. If you splurged on an M3 MacBook Air, you probably don’t need to buy this one (unless you’ve done something horrible to last year’s model). M1 and M2 owners, or…

Ever wanted to train an LLM for someone else, free of charge? If so, great. Users of Anthropic’s Claude large language model are being asked to consent to their chat data, including coding work, being folded into the model, to “help us deliver even more capable, useful AI models.” Claude Free, Pro, and Max users, as well as those who use Claude Code from the previously-mentioned accounts, are being asked to confirm the usage (or non-usage) of their chat data to train up the AI. In return for a supposedly bolstered artificial intelligence, users will have their data retained for…

No modern product lineup is complete without a ‘Pro’ edition product, and the new Plaud Note Pro is that product for the AI note-taking company. A successor to the Plaud Note, the only physical AI-powered gadget we’ve ever encountered that seems actually useful, the new version brings a couple of new functions to the table. The major change is more advanced human interactions, letting users dictate to the various AI systems which parts of the meeting or phone call being recorded are particularly important. The interaction is simple — touch a button on the Plaud Note Pro and it’ll remember…

Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 7 is absolutely the best example of a folding handset in this particular range. Of Samsung’s two devices this year (so far), we’d actually give the Flip 7 the lead in the looks department. That doesn’t make the Fold 7 unattractive, but the clamshell design offers a more unusual look when folded away. You can tell it’s a foldable right off, which is what you want from a R28,000 smartphone. That counts for something, but the new outer screen is definitely the star of the hardware show in 2025. It’s increased in size over the Flip…