Author: Marcé

Meta, the company formerly known as Facebook, is hellbent on making the metaverse happen. It’s still widely debated how it’ll be implemented, and many brands have jumped on board without any guarantee that it’s really the future. Nevertheless, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is soldiering on, and investing heaps of cash into building the metaverse.  First on the to-do list: build an AI voice assistant. Because all the cool kids have one… Hey, Meta During a presentation, Zuckerberg detailed the company’s plans to build a fully-functioning digital assistant. Not a typical one, however. One that can “move between virtual and physical…

Sony’s slate of black slabs made their way back into South Africa fairly recently. Locals now have more than a handful of choices when buying a new TV. Even more recently, the company launched its new Bravia XR sets in the country. From that lot, we got to admire the Bravia XR A80J for an extended period.  And that’s because we couldn’t take our eyes off it. Our 65in A80J handled everything we could throw at it with exceptional ease at the hardware, software and AI wizardry levels. Let’s get into some of the specifics.  Window to anywhere If you’re…

It’s about time to see Sony announce its next-generation in VR gaming hardware. No really. Its typical launch cycle for the consoles, at least, is between 4 and 7 years. Sony’s PlayStation VR gen-one launched back in 2016. That means we’re approaching an inevitable PlayStation VR2 release.  This was confirmed a while ago, and this week Sony managed to show off the first official renders of the incoming VR hardware. It’s just a render, and no official images are out in the wild (yet), but it gives us a good look at what to expect.  The PlayStation VR2 headset is…

Recent news about Multichoice-owned DStv’s efforts to curb password-sharing has caused fiery users to take to social media. Yesterday the broadcaster announced that it will limit the number of concurrent streams on its streaming service from four down to one.  “From 22 March 2022, customers will be limited to streaming DStv on one device at a time. They will still be able to watch previously downloaded content on a second device,” DStv details in a terms and conditions update.  This means no one account will be accessible as a streaming service on more than one device at any given moment.…

Password sharing is an issue streaming services have faced since… well, they launched. Which isn’t that long go for Multichoice-owned DStv. Its streaming service launched back in 2019. Now, it’s about to start limiting concurrent streams.  On the DStv streaming service, subscribers can stream live content and sports, catch up on series, and stream from a library of shows. If you happen to have a full DStv subscription/decoder/dish combo, that is. A bundle that can cost you up to R840p/m for the Premium option.  DStv’s single choice This means many families (and often friends) have opted to share passwords to…

Ford has taken the wraps off its next generation of bakkie, and the first to offer an indication as to what’s under the hood, is the Ranger Raptor. It will feature a wonderfully impressive 3.0l twin-turbocharged petrol engine. The diesel variant will only make it to certain markets, as vehicle manufacturers scale down on the variant. We reported that the new Ranger will be produced at Ford’s Silverton facility in South Africa when production starts later this year. But this one specifically will be sourced from Thailand. That petrol engine offers an impressive 292 kW and 583Nm power output, making…

South African grocery retailer Spar is planning to launch an e-commerce platform soon. By soon, we mean, ‘way too late as all of its competitors have been doing this for ages’. But who’s keeping track? Oh. Right. We are.   Checkers launched its popular Sixty60 app back in 2019. Pick n Pay acquired the existing online delivery app Bottles in October 2020, and rebranded it to asap! in 2021. Woolworths launched its same-day delivery service Woolies Dash in December 2020.  Spar brings Spar2U The Spar group would like to add one more option to your online shopping app list. “Although many…

It’s only February, and the company formerly known as Facebook has already managed to lose $240 billion in market capitalisation. This is due to a few reasons, the main one being the fact that Meta’s golden child – Facebook – managed to lose around one million active users in one quarter in 2021.  In total, Meta’s managed to discard around 40% of its market share value year-to-year. Zuckerburg’s also felt it in his pockets. “Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s personal net worth has also taken a hit: He’s currently worth $78.8 billion, down more than $46 billion from the beginning of…

It feels like the rest of the world is increasingly focused on electrifying transport, but South Africans don’t necessarily have many EVs to choose from. There are many reasons for this, but the result is that the only available fully-fledged EVs are in the upper market. And you’ll pay at least R700k for one. Toyota’s recently placed another (more affordable) option on the menu, albeit a hybrid: the newly launched Corolla Cross Hybrid.  That means you’re getting the best of both worlds – both a petrol and an electric powertrain. A hybrid engine comes in two common flavours: plug-in and…

Whether it’s used to stalk your ex on Facebook, or research ancient cultures for an assessment you really don’t want to do – access to the internet has become essential. It’s becoming increasingly clear that internet access is a basic human need in South Africa, and abroad.  Now, the minister of communications and digital technologies, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, is pushing for a basic data allowance for all South Africans. This was at the recent state of the nation address by President Cyril Ramaphosa. She detailed the ‘prescribed minimum data’ of 10GB per household will function as a utility. Y’know, like electricity…