Author: Stuff writer

Good old Telkom seems ready to play with any new kids on the block. The mobile operator is opening to mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs). Telkom is finally going to permit MVNOs to use its extensive network. It says this is to enhance “the much-needed competition in the telecoms space” and to “enable them to deliver their propositions to selected target markets effectively.” Read More: SA network operator plans for 2023 include 5G expansion and fighting off load shedding MVNO are network operators that use infrastructure belonging to bigger network operators (in this case Telkom). Though they don’t have their…

What’s taking so long for Apple to launch its augmented reality (AR) glasses? The blame apparently lies on technical challenges. The company isn’t the first to struggle with making AR glasses a reality. Google Glass shares a similar concept to Apple’s upcoming glasses. Glass, if you remember, didn’t stick around for very long. Apple is trying not to make the same mistakes. Picking the right Apple headset Ideally, AR headset users would view the world with an overlay of visuals and information via their glasses. It’s like walking around with an unobtrusive internet-connected screen feeding you important information. No bulkiness…

Now that the world is back at work and Microsoft knows we’ve become accustomed to working on Teams, it plans to make us pay for some of its features. We should have known it’d only be a matter of time before we start paying for some of the app’s perks. Microsoft will start charging for features including live translated captions and time markers in meeting recordings for when a user joins or leaves the meetings. The tech giant announced in its updated licensing agreement this week that it would be moving some features to Teams Premium. Features moving to Teams…

If you’re a globe trotter, or simply live in South Africa where the internet is unstable due to the endless misery that is load shedding, you’ll appreciate apps that continue to work offline. Google Translate has added 33 new languages to its offline functionality. The platform’s offline feature allows users to download a language that can also be translated when there’s no internet. Sparking a conversation (offline) The additional languages include languages spoken in different parts of the world, including Zulu, Sesotho, and Xhosa which are widely spoken in South Africa. Other African languages include Shona, Igbo, and Yoruba. Users…

Getting blue-ticked is probably one of the most awkward feelings you can feel on WhatsApp. How do you deal with that? Do you call them? Send another message? And how do you avoid blue-ticking others without the horror of having to eventually explain yourself at some point or another? No matter the context, it’s something both sides of the conversation (or non-conversation) would rather avoid. So, just block them instead WhatsApp users for Android will soon be able to block a contact as soon as their message pops up. The new feature also requires fewer steps when trying to block…

What’s the point of having cheaper fuel if there’s nowhere to go because of load shedding? Besides diesel-generator owners, the country is stuck. We drive to work, and drive back, constantly awaiting the sudden plunge into darkness that we fail to escape for the next four hours. But let’s forget all that, and appreciate the prices of fuel that (may) be coming down in price next February. This marks the second fuel drop since the beginning of the year, according to the latest mid-month data from the Central Energy Fund (CEF). CEF’s data indicates a slight drop in both petrol and…

Today in unsurprising news, Twitter has more changes coming up in the next few weeks (again). Ordinary non-paying users can expect tweaks to the platform’s interface in the coming days and weeks in what Elon Musk calls the “first part of a much larger UI overhaul”. Last week, the social media platform enabled the ability to swipe right and left to move between recommended and followed tweet rolls. Changes are coming, this week, to Bookmarks as well.“Bookmark button moving to tweet details page, fixing image length crop & other minor bug fixes next week,” tweeted Musk. Musk says Tweeters can…

A few years back, it was all fun and games. Movie blockbusters showed facial recognition technology being used to spot criminals at airports. It seems these may have given governments a few ideas. Now that facial recognition tech is a reality, the practical implementation isn’t as entertaining. In fact, facial recognition tech poses life-altering (and -threatening) implications for women living in Iran. Facial recognition of a problem Women in that country must observe a religion-based law that requires them to cover their faces with hijabs. There was a time in Iran when women could show their faces. In fact, there…

Africa remains the cradle of innovation. It continuously finds new approaches to problems that may appear uniquely African, only to discover that the rest of the world has similar issues. That’s certainly the case with the Open G, an African voice-activated samrtphone. When Ivory Coast’s Alain Capo-Chichi realised how his parents were struggling to communicate and transfer cash using a typical phone — because they simply could not understand the English-based tech and apps — an idea was born. He created Open G, a phone that one simply speaks to. Only Open Gs know “With this super phone, the user…

While most South Africans sit in the dark enduring hours of load shedding, considering the cost of buying and installing solar panels, few actually consider whether their home is suitable for solar-generated electricity. Enter LookSee by Standard Bank, a platform designed by the bank to help homeowners to manage their domiciles. LookSee recently launched its “first, free-to-use solar score for South African homes”. Sunny South Africa is considered a great place to use solar for electricity generation. However, your particular location may not necessarily be the best place to install it. Taking a LookSee On inserting your address on the…