Author: Brett Venter

Once upon a time, the tablet occupied a very strange niche. It was cool, but you weren’t really sure what to do with one. Then streaming came along, and tablets had a serious use, basically built in. But that wasn’t enough for manufacturers. The advent of the high-end tablet meant that these devices could actually threaten laptops for versatility. We’re not quite there, despite what Apple, Microsoft, and Samsung really want you to think. But we’re awfully bloody close to a situation where you can use a single device to go from work to play to load shedding. And the…

If you’re anything like most of South Africa, you’re looking around at ways to save money. Fuel prices aren’t making that easy, but they’re not quite as bad as they could have been. That’s because the South African government has chosen to extend the country’s tax break until August. Sort of. Because of government intervention, the inland petrol price increase, as of today, is ‘only’ R2.43/litre for both 93 and 95 octane fuel. Diesel climbs by about R1.10/litre. This isn’t the bloodbath we were expecting, but it still means that a litre of fuel costs motorists around R24 per litre.…

There are TV screens, and there are TV screens. If you feel like the one thing your home is missing is its own cinema, then perhaps TCL’s new C735 TV will appeal. The brand has just dropped the new, gigantic 4K TV in South Africa. If you want one, which is entirely possible (assuming you have space), it’ll set you back R100,000. And yes, before you ask, the C735 supports HDMI 2.1 and 120Hz. You know, just in case you’re mad enough to hook a console up to this thing and attempt to play games online. You don’t have to.…

Once again, we are asking you to check out a new issue of Stuff Magazine. In the June-July 2022 issue, we’re doing something no sensible person should be thinking about right now. We’re heading outside. Which is fair enough. What with gas prices being what they are and electricity being kinda optional in South Africa, it’s about as cold inside our homes as it is outside. So why not make the most of it and go hiking, camping, or cycling? That’s the idea, anyway. Maybe, though… maybe just avoid the mountains while you’re doing these things. It is getting awfully…

Garmin is best known for its fitness watches, the likes of which are extremely difficult to beat. The Garmin Vivosmart 5, from the company’s fitness band lineup, must work harder to outdistance the pack. Part of this is that its Fenix lineup, as well as Forerunner devices, more or less demolish the competition. If you’re a fitness nut, that is. But the more casual market, which the Vivosmart 5 is aimed at, is a tougher nut to crack. Garmin does advanced tech extremely well, but it can get bogged down in details. Competitors, like Fitbit’s Charge 5, manage to outdo…

When console generations change, there’s a period where the old guard and new blood both receive similar support. Sony’s PlayStation 4 currently occupies this zone, but while still doing well, the console has an expiration date. Sony has marked this date, at least as far as software goes, as around 2025. That’s a pretty long lifespan, by any metric. It’s also Sony’s “longest ever tail” for hardware. But all good things must come to an end, and it looks like 2025 is the year. PlayStation 4 remains powerful In a recent presentation, Sony points out just how well the last-generation…

Ask someone what they want their funeral to be like and they’ll probably say, “Why, what do you know?!” Once they’ve calmed down, though, they’ll probably express some sort of preference. Most people would want something memorable. That’s (apparently) why the pyramids were built, after all. But the Egyptian pharaohs didn’t have space as an option. At least, not as far as we know. A company called Celestis offers a variety of ways to send the recently departed into space, with the least expensive option actually involving getting them back again. So you can scatter granddad’s ashes knowing that the…

Sooner or later, all tech roads lead to Skynet, Judgement Day, and the Terminator. James Cameron’s film series outlines the very worst-case scenario for technology. Plus, you know, organic time-travelling robots are really cool. So any time anyone does something even vaguely related, all signs point to the doom of humanity. South Africa has its own Skynet (it delivers packages). It’s also an AI. But there’s something even creepier. Scientists have managed to grow human cells on a robotic frame. You can’t tell us that’s not the first step towards the ArnieBot 3000. Robot in disguise Yes, scientists from the…

The smartphone world is no stranger to special edition smartphones. Some of the better versions leverage beloved TV shows, others tend to lean in the direction of motoring. Realme’s GT Neo 3 is one of the former versions — the hard-to-locate brand has a Naruto-themed device inbound. You might be familiar with Realme, but only in passing. The Chinese smartphone brand has yet to make inroads into South Africa, but we can hold out hope. Especially since the Realme GT Neo 3 Naruto Edition is a thing. And what a thing it is. Naruto’s newest jutsu The GT Neo 3…

The world can be a very stressful place. Sometimes you just need to escape from it all. Have you considered the power of rock? Not rock music, though that is useful as well. No, we’re talking about literal stones. More or less. A developer called Neal Agarwal has a collection of small browser-based experiences on his website. One of these is called Rocks. It should bring your heart-rate and blood pressure down a notch or two. Rock on The premise is simple enough. There’s a calming soundtrack, which sounds just like the ocean, and four rocks. All you have to…