Author: Brett Venter

We can’t say we saw this one coming. Nikon has announced that it’s bringing its Z Series photographic lens glass tech to single-vision glasses. The move promises better contrast and resolution for single-vision prescription glasses wearers. It’s been some time since folks with glasses got any sort of advancement in the field. That’s an almost criminal situation for people who are, technically, basic cyborgs. Still, if it means they can have Nikon glass resting on their noses at all times, the new Nikon-Essilor Corporation Z Series Single Vision single-focus lenses are very welcome. Look at that, Nikon The company’s Z…

You can buy a stuffed, likely off-brand Pikachu pretty much anywhere. The R2,000 (£90) Pikachu Puppetronic is a much harder pokémon to capture. The puppet version of the Pokémon series mascot was announced by a company called Wow! Stuff some time back. It’s finally gone on pre-order at the UK-based Pokémon Centre website. And it’s also… well, gone. The world will have another shot at the cute yellow animatronic buddy when sales open in other regions, but it’s likely that the little Pikachu will disappear just as fast in other locations. The UK stock sold out in minutes, so it’s…

Samsung’s Galaxy AI ecosystem promises to be a major focus when the Galaxy S26 launches. One of those announcements has emerged early. Perplexity is coming to Samsung’s software offering, starting right after the company’s new slate of devices hits global markets. Samsung describes it as expanding its “multi-agent ecosystem to give users more choice and flexibility.” That’s just the verbosity we’ve come to expect from AI-related copy, but we’re also fairly certain that the South Korean company still uses humans for its PR. More Perplexity for you Google’s Gemini is already a solid part of Samsung’s interface, driving (wholly or…

Last month, Huawei revealed that it has a new running watch waiting in the wings. It’s expected to detail it this week, but a teaser for the Watch GT Runner 2 — the name is now confirmed — shows off a bit of what the Chinese company plans to unveil on 26 February. The company has yet to show the actual hardware itself, instead releasing a short video with marathon runner and device consultant Eliud Kipchoge. It’s a proper teaser, promising detailed running expertise in the upcoming smartwatch while giving almost nothing away. Watch the Watch GT Runner 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dD031R-4J5s…

If you weren’t aware, Apple TV is an official broadcast partner for Formula One in the States. Now, those lucky Yanks will get to watch F1 on IMAX. No, not the whole season, but enough of it to make the rest of the world exceedingly jealous. The iPhone company is partnering with the folks with the very large screens to bring five races to said screens, live. You’ll need to live near one of the American locations showing these races to attend. Oh, and you’ll need to be quick enough to snag tickets, too. What, you didn’t think it was…

Seeing Amazfit’s range in South Africa isn’t an unheard-of event, so we’re hopeful that the company’s new T-Rex Ultra 2 makes it this side of the planet. We’ve seen the dinosaur-adjacent wearable range in the flesh before, but nothing quite like this. If the ‘Ultra 2’ part of the name isn’t a clue, this is some of Amazfit’s best work. A titanium casing and a 3,000-nit display are two of the major features. It’s not quite Garmin Fenix level, but it seems to be getting there. Maybe when the company doubles the price. Ultra T-Rex? Call Chris Pratt The Amazfit…

Do you even lift, bro? If so, how do you track that? You could use boring old ‘counting’, or you could slap a Fort fitness band on your wrist. When they become available, that is. The Fort band, created by a set of former Tesla engineers, claims to be the “first wearable built to track your strength.” Honestly, if it does what it says it will, it could be a game-changer for folks who think cardio is for wimps. (Spoiler: It is.) Fort up The Fort is supposedly the most accurate strength training wearable ever created. It’ll record other metrics…

The last time we looked at the UniHertz Titan 2 Elite, we were confined mostly to a visual inspection of what the QWERTY smartphone was packing. Since then, UniHertz has revealed a few more details about its upcoming device. Just a few. Not everything. That’s because the Elite will be fully unveiled at Mobile World Congress (MWC) at the beginning of March. But, in the meantime, the Chinese company has opted to keep its trickle of information flowing. You know, Hype-Building 101 and all that. Clash of the Titan 2 Elite https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UT0hvuPSmNo The first part of the phone’s reveal is…

In-ear headphones are everywhere, at a variety of price points. They may not come any cheaper than Xiaomi’s Redmi Buds 8 Active, which recently leaked online. The folks over at YTechB got hold of information about the new Redmi buds early. An evolution of the Redmi Buds 8 Lite, the most remarkable thing about them might be the expected price. Best Buds 8 Active But first, what you can expect from Xiaomi’s budget line of in-ears. Images of the Buds 8 Active show an open-fit design, similar to Apple’s range of AirPods. There are no silicon tips to jam into…

Collectors’ editions are just a thing that game developers do. Cyberpunk 2077’s fifth anniversary release (it’s been that long?) is a decent crack at making re-buying the game attractive. Of course, it’ll help if you’re an American. Or a Canadian. Everyone else, though? Not yet. Which is a pity, because we’d love to tuck the game’s Relic biochip, canonically made by Arasaka and instrumental in player interactions with Keanu Reeves’ Johnny Silverhand, onto a shelf overlooking the TV. Sadly, though, the release is confined to the North America region for now. Go ahead Cyberpunk, make my day Included in Cyberpunk…