Author: Stuff writer

These days, even experts struggle to detect fake images and videos on the Internet. With AI coming along as far as it has, deepfakes are becoming more commonplace, with fake faces and voices being indistinguishable from the real thing to the naked eye. Deepfake refers to videos that are digitally altered, often using AI, to create fake video scenes with a person’s face or voice. As you can imagine, these have been used by content creators, sometimes to the detriment of the actual person’s life. FakeCatcher is Intel’s answer to the problem at hand. FakeCatcher is an AI that can…

One of the latest suggestions for changes at Twitter from Elon Musk is tweaking the social media platform to enable instant digital payments. This is as the social media platform faces bankruptcy as Musk continues to implement significant ongoing changes after his acquisition last month. Read More: New Twitter rules and changes to the platform from this week In a transcript, published by The Verge, of his first staff meeting since the takeover, Musk suggested tweaking Twitter to enable the ability to send money across the world. “Payments really are just the exchange of information. From an information standpoint, not…

Apple Inc. has been tracking users’ activities, even after they’ve opted to keep their business private in iOS device settings. Despite Apple users opting to disable the ability for the tech giant to track their activities on some of its apps’ settings, Apple continues to track their activities without their knowledge or consent. Bloomberg Law notes how this violates the California Invasion of Privacy Act. The lawsuit comes shortly after Gizmodo reported on how two researchers from Mysk, a software company, discovered how an iOS app would send data to Apple with ‘every tap you make’ on the device regardless…

You may wonder if the TinyTV 2 is made for ants. It’s possible. This 216 x 135 ‘television’ is just over 2.5cm small. It’s likely the smallest video player you have ever seen, being smaller than most pinky fingers. At the top of the TinyTV2 is a power button, which turns on the IPS screen. On the lower part of the screen is a rotary knob for volume. Opposite is a knob that changes the channel, with the power button in between. An IR receiver facilitates remote control. Yes, the remote is tiny too. And if you have poor eyesight,…

It’s been a busy week at Twitter with new owner Elon Musk bringing changes, and then taking them back, as he tries to figure out new ways to control the social bird after promising to set it free. Between lawsuits from axed employees and introducing new rules to Twitter, Musk has been tweeting daily as he continues to justify some of his moves. “Please note that Twitter will do lots of dumb things in the coming months. We will keep what works & change what doesn’t,” tweeted Musk on Wednesday. Based on his statements, it’s clear that rules will continue…

Apple Inc’s latest iOS 16.1.1 update has major changes in store for users, but only in China. The option to enable ‘Everyone’ on AirDrop, Apple’s wireless file-sharing feature, will only be enabled for ten minutes. The iOS 16.1.1 and iOS beta 2 were both released this week for users and developers. Apple throttled AirDrop after it was used by protesters to share politically sensitive images and videos between iOS devices during the country’s leadership reshuffle. AirDrop enables users to share files, including videos and images, with people who are not on their contact list. Read More: Apple might remove greeting…

The United Nations (UN) has gone back to basics in commemoration of World Science Day on 10 November 2022. This year’s theme, “Basic Sciences for Sustainable Development”, aims to remind you of how basic findings, made decades ago, eventually resulted in some of the science and technology we enjoy today. The UN is hoping for more efforts, (and more money) to go into basic research so we can reap the benefits in the coming years. “Also referred to as discovery research, or blue skies research, owing to its emphasis on the quest for knowledge as opposed to commercial applications, basic…

Covid-19 accelerated the way people use digital platforms to do the things we used to do in real life. As people upgraded their tech skills, it was also a boon for many companies. Mutsa Chironga, Nedbank’s consumer segment managing executive who is responsible for over 7 million individual clients in South Africa, discusses the way people’s financial habits have changed. Google South Africa’s head of financial services Paul Mayanja tells Stuff Studios editor-in-chief Toby Shapshak how businesses are shifting to digital. A digital payment future Also available on Apple podcasts | Spotify | Google podcasts

Tech companies seem to have solutions for most of our tech-related problems, like the usual screen cracks that eventually end up costing more than expected. We know the technology to make sure devices last longer is available, but will companies ever risk it all and lose out on the money they make from repairs? We doubt it. This week, LG Display showed off what it calls the world’s first high-resolution stretchable display which can fold and twist itself from a 12in screen into a slightly larger 14in screen. “The company’s newly unveiled stretchable display is the industry’s first to achieve…

South Africans may eventually be able to let go of our coal dependency and the load shedding that goes with it. In a potential landmark deal that could see the transition from fossil fuels to green energy, South Africa, with its partners, launched the US$8.5 billion Just Energy Transition Plan at the United Nations’ 27th Climate Change Conference (COP27) taking place in Egypt. The plan has been backed by the United Kingdom, United States, France, Germany and the European Union. As countries plan to go clean in an effort to save the planet, South Africa plans to use 90% of…