Author: Brett Venter

It’s a bad time to be launching premium over-ear headphones. Xiaomi has just announced an affordable pair, the Redmi Headphones Neo, for various markets. South Africa isn’t confirmed for this launch (yet), but we dearly hope they make it over here. And not just for the price, either. International pricing puts these at around R850, which translates to a price point closer to R1,000 here in SA. Based purely on looks, the Redmi Headphones Neo will outstrip what you’re paying for them. After a closer look at these cans, it’s obvious in other ways, too. Redmi Headphones Neo logistics The…

Huawei’s recent(ish) history in the smartphone arena saw the Chinese company cut off from various component sources. It adapted by pulling most of its missing supply chain in-house, and that development is still ongoing. Most recently, the company announced a new initiative to compete with TSMC, the world’s foremost semiconductor producer. Announced at the 2026 IEEE International Symposium on Circuits and Systems, Huawei presented something it calls the Tau (τ) Scaling Law. The company “proposes replacing geometric scaling with time (τ) scaling as a new guiding principle for the evolution of both semiconductors and electronic systems.” Huawei’s chip off the…

South Africa’s fuel levy relief, currently being used to offset astronomical petrol and diesel prices, is set to expire soon. The measure, announced in March this year, was always going to be temporary. Recent statements by SA’s finance minister Enoch Godongwana have made it clear that the Treasury is looking at ending the relief program. Godongwana told members of Parliament that the fuel levy relief program has already cost the country more than R17 billion in lost tax revenue. According to the minister, “This is further disrupting an already fragile global economic environment, shaped by trade wars and supply chain…

It doesn’t get douchier than that guy who hauls out an acoustic guitar at the beach at sundown. Or does it? The Melo-D, a guitar made by TemPolor, is billed as the “world’s first AI guitar”. If you can’t guess what that means, you haven’t been paying attention. The guitar is a musical instrument in much the same way as your old Guitar Hero controller is. In other words, it’s got the shape right but the rest of it…? Not so much. Its creators reckon the Melo-D can be used to create music using generative AI. It’s also supposed to…

Orbit Robotics, a Swiss company, has unveiled Helios. Nominally a humanoid, at least in general shape, the robot has one large difference compared to the likes of Unitree’s stable. That would be its arms, which make the ‘bot more similar to a chimpanzee than an actual human. See, Helios has limbs at all of the correct points. The catch is that its ‘legs’ are actually just another pair of arms. It’s a bit useless here on Earth, but that’s not where the robot is supposed to operate. Instead, it’s intended for work in space — specifically, space stations, but we…

Rocket League trailer previews Unreal Engine 6 upgrade, but don’t expect it any time soon The Unreal Engine has powered decades of video games, with Unreal Engine 6 just around the corner. The first game to get it, according to Epic, will be the company’s own Rocket League. Or, at the very least, it’s the first game to demo the new tech. The demonstration isn’t terribly long, and there’s no further detail about what UE 6 will bring to the table, but the brief seconds of gameplay are pretty enough. There are new lighting systems and particle physics on display,…

Artificial intelligence is coming for everything, including your bank account. Eventually, in South Africa’s case, but ChatGPT users in the States (who give Sam Altman’s company money) have the option to start right now. The AI chatbot shouldn’t wind up making payments for you — that’s a custom option, if you’re brave enough — but giving OpenAI’s AI access to your financial accounts will apparently result in better financial advice from ChatGPT. Show ChatGPT the money Of course, you probably shouldn’t treat any AI’s financial advice as… well, financial advice, but giving it access to your balances, transactions, investments, and…

If you’re after an alternative to the hellscape that is Reddit, Meta’s newly-launched Forum might be the fresh hellscape you’re looking for. The social media giant has quietly launched its newest app, first discovered by one Matt Navarra. The app is designed around Facebook Groups, offering similar functionality to Reddit, Quora, and other places that may or may not answer your questions seriously. It’s currently available for iOS users, with an Android version still missing in action. Forum poster Forum describes itself as “a dedicated space built for deeper discussions, real answers, and the communities you care about.” Call us…

Soundcore makes some pretty cool tech, but the upcoming Liberty 5 Pro and 5 Pro Max headphones have outdone any earbuds the company has launched before. Both sets of buds come standard with displays in their cases, an increasingly trendy addition to the product type. We can probably expect more brands to follow suit in the coming months. But if you can’t wait that long, the Liberty 5 Pro family will give you all manner of updates on your earbuds case in the meantime. There are also AI features coming. You can’t launch anything in 2026 without artificial intelligence. Google…

The odds of ever being a successful writer are astronomical. At least with the Zerowriter Fold, you’ll have some fun while making your own attempt. At least, that’s the theory behind this new dedicated writing appliance currently being funded on Kickstarter. It’s far from your only option if a modernised word processor is something you desperately need in your life. The FreeWrite is readily available to South African writers, if a touch expensive. The Auteur is also coming, but we’ve got no idea when. Zerowriter’s Fold, on the other hand, will almost certainly release. Zerowriter’s will succeed That’s because the…