Author: Stuff writer

You no longer need to disclose your phone number on Telegram in order to chat on the messaging platform. This is great news if you’re on chat groups and don’t want to share your phone number with the rest of the group. No more “Hi, I got your number from the group” messages from those contacts who eventually end up contacting you outside the group. Telegram this week announced that it’s dropping the SIM card and phone number requirement restriction primarily used for verification. To date, users on Telegram and WhatsApp required a phone number to sign into the platform…

You may claim to simply look ‘younger’ or that you’re using a filter to shave a few years off your face, but that probably won’t help you much if you’re trying to date on Facebook. The social network’s latest announcement has made sure of that. “We’re bringing our age verification tools to Facebook Dating to verify that only adults are using the service, and to continue our efforts in preventing minors from accessing it,” announced Facebook on Monday. Starting on Monday this week, the Meta-owned platform will use an artificial intelligence (AI) tool to ensure that only those 18 years…

Now that we don’t have to worry about saving camera film or space when taking photos that go directly to the cloud, it’s easy to end up with a pile of unnecessary pictures that we’ll never display or share with anyone. That makes it hard to find the images we do think are share-worthy. If only AI could be put to some good use here. Funny you should mention that, actually. Google is testing out a new feature that will hopefully make it easier for you to find and search for particular photos in the Photos app. Google it locally…

It’s beginning to look a lot like the end of the year. And the beginning of the next one. That means trips to various retail outlets, searching out the ideal gift for that distant relative whose name you can’t quite remember. And for your immediate family too, sure. That’s where Stuff’s annual Wish List comes in handy — if you’re battling to choose a gift for a significant other, we’ve got you covered. Provided they like tech, of course. All of Stuff’s suggestions are tech-related, for some reason. Perhaps you’ve got all the gifts sorted out. Well, aren’t you an…

As most teens around South Africa begin their festive season celebrations, for  18-year-old driving sensation  Kwanda Mokoena,  pens down meant more time to prepare for a racing moment that could place him in the history books as he heads into the final round of the SA Endurance Championship Killarney 9-Hour race. The teenager is set to become South Africa’s first Black motorsport champion when he takes on 43 other vehicles racing on 10 December. Mokoena motors to the front Following his recent promotion to the team’s Audi R8 GT3 Evo2 by MJR Motorsport, Mokoena will go for gold with co-drivers…

The stakes are getting higher for password management platforms as they strive to find a balance between keeping your passwords safe and also making it easier for you to log in. 1Password has unveiled a new feature that reduces the need for remembering multiple usernames and passwords. The password manager’s new ‘sign in with’ browser extension lets users automatically save, store, and autofill their usernames and password in third-party browsers. It’ll definitely make life easier when signing in, but last week’s hack at LastPass, another password management platform, may make users uneasy about trusting third-party applications with their passwords. The…

If you’re considering getting a cellphone for your child or young teen this festive season, besides spending more money on airtime and data, we hope you’re also thinking about how cellphone ownership could affect their well-being. Stanford Medicine researchers observed more than 250 kids over a five-year period to track if there was a link between their well-being and the age they were when they got their first cellphone. “When should children get their first mobile phone? Is owning a mobile phone harmful or beneficial to children? These questions are on the minds of many of today’s parents, educators, and…

How much time do you spend tapping through WhatsApp statuses? We imagine it’s a lot. Especially if you have friends who upload paragraphs that can be summarised in a single sentence. Instead of muting them, you may soon be able to listen to their ‘new’ thoughts as you carry on with the rest of your day. WhatsApp is reportedly working on an upgrade that will let users post voice statuses. Users will also be able to choose a background color to go with their generally broadcast voice notes. These will appear as a message bubble to their contacts. The Meta-owned…

Expect changes in the cryptocurrency industry in South Africa this December. After years of considering multiple options to keep track of the booming industry, the country’s Financial Intelligence Centre Act (FICA) annexure has been amended to consider crypto asset service providers as “accountable institutions” from 19 December 2022. Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana has amended the FICA annexure, listing cryptocurrencies under Schedule 1 of the Act. This comes after the Financial Sector Conduct Authority declared cryptocurrency a financial product in October of this year. Cryptocurrency to play ball The amendment will require accountable institutions to ‘FICA’ their customers by verifying their…

Bedtime stories are about to get more interesting for Amazon Alexa users. The company announced a new feature, “Create with Alexa” for its Echo Show devices. The feature lets you, or your kids, create short animated stories that could soon replace flipping through pages trying to find the right story to knock your kid out. Parents can create stories with their kids by saying “ Alexa, make a story” to kick things off. We foresee long nights filled with way too much excitement on this. Good luck. Exploring the Amazon The feature uses conversational and generative artificial intelligence (AI) to…