Author: Tshepo Chauke

Samsung Electronics South Africa has used Decorex Africa to bring its innovative Magic Frame speaker to South African shelves. In a curated musical event yesterday, audience members arrived to the sound of music emitted from the new Magic Frame. The Magic Frame is one of Samsung’s freshest releases to focus on electronic products that double as tech and furniture. Samsung’s innovation plans Samsung believes that the future of tech consumerism lies in devices that are rendered invisible through their integration into everyday items. Samsung began with “lifestyle TVs” – the Serif, the Frame, and the Sero. Since TVs spend most…

Epic Games’s lawsuit against software giant Google has resulted in a win for the game developer. And, possibly, everyone else who wants an app store. Epic v Google has raged on since 2020 over Google’s anticompetitive practices in relation to the Google Play Store and its payment systems. In a final ruling, the Google Play Store is being forced to open itself up to competition for the next three years so the Epic Games Store, and other third-party app stores, can have a bit more breathing room. Epic v Google: a short history In December 2020, a jury unanimously found…

Volvo Car South Africa aims to help new potential drivers make the leap to EVs with a new deal for new drivers. Anyone buying a new Volvo EV in the last three months of 2024 will also get three complementary benefits. In addition to the popular EX30, and the XC40, Volvo announced the launch of the EX90 seven-seater next year. Volvo Car South Africa’s Electric Fleet Volvo Car SA’s current selection of EVs includes the EX30, the XC40 Recharge, and the C40 Recharge. The promotion, limited to the last quarter of this year, is as follows: buyers of new fully-electric…

Anker’s budget earbud releases have a solid record of reliable build quality and battery without sacrificing too much on sound quality. The Soundcore A30i, offering an interesting mix of unmistakable bass and aesthetics, reside in the competitive corner of the budget wireless earphone space. ‘Budget’ is doing most of the work here – Anker’s Soundcore A30i earbuds are great value for money, but they do come with tradeoffs. The question is, are those tradeoffs worth it for you? Lipstick Locking The A30i buds buy your affection before they touch your ears. The lipstick-inspired case design, with its slightly rounded planes,…

Packard Bell’s Silverstone T11 tablet arrives as part of the Acer subsidiary’s Silverstone series, throwing its hat into the highly-contested budget Android tablet fray. The Silverstone T11 offers decent value for money in this price range. It has pros for a creative or professional, particularly regarding its display and battery, but the key is knowing whether you can live with the cons. Touchy-feely The Silverstone T11’s signature metallic body provides good heft and durability. The only concern is its high susceptibility to fingerprints. The back panel is also smooth and slippery so handling requires care. Fortunately, the T11 includes a…

Fleet management software developer GoMetro, in conjunction with other companies, has launched South Africa’s first electric-powered minibus taxi. eKamva (kamva means ‘future’ in Xhosa) is undergoing certification for compliance with local safety and vehicle standards. GoMetro hopes the project’s harnessing of green energy can improve the environment while delivering savings to the everyday taxi commuter. Hail eKamva, First of its Name The eKamva is a 15-seater minibus with a range exceeding 200 km per charge. Charging options include fast charging (75 minutes using a 60kW DC charger) and slow charging (10 hours overnight). GoMetro is launching the eKamva with a…

MultiChoice and Capitec are partnering up. Again. Specifically, MultiChoice is looking to imitate the deal struck up between Showmax and the bank not so long ago – the one that gives Capitec customers an excellent deal when subscribing to the home-grown streaming service when picking up vouchers through the Capitec app. Except this time, it’s giving customers a break on the price of DStv. Like Showmax, like DStv “We’re pleased to announce that from next month, Capitec clients will also benefit from discounted access to DStv Stream plans, giving them more ways to enjoy premium entertainment at a reduced cost,”…

Earlier this year, Epic announced the launch of the Epic Games Store on mobile, circumventing the Google Play and App Store for iOS. Convincing people to avoid the stores they’ve been visiting is a Herculean task, one that can only apparently be helped by bringing Epic’s free games program to the platform to entice new users. Yup. At Seattle’s Unreal Fest, Epic Games Store general manager Steve Allison announced plans to add 10-50 third-party titles to the mobile app that were previously playable on desktop. Games, incidentally, that won’t be accessible through the more typical stores on Apple and Google’s…

In its latest beta (2.24.16.7) for Android, WhatsApp began testing the inclusion of new backgrounds and filters to its video call function to improve the user experience during video calls. The hope is that these new customisable filters and backgrounds – finally announced by WhatsApp – will make virtual interactions more engaging and enjoyable for users (and keep you around on the platform for longer than, say, Teams or Zoom). WhatsApp’eals to Zoomers Users can choose from ten filters such as Warm, Cool, Vintage TV, and more, allowing users to adjust the tone and mood of their video calls. Not…

Huawei’s ‘Innovative Product Launch’ event in Barcelona yesterday saw the announcement of the Huawei Watch GT 5 series, the Huawei Watch D2, and a new green edition of the Watch Ultimate. The Chinese technology company continues to encroach on Apple’s market dominance in China and presumably aims to continue that trend in other parts of the world with its new wearables. South African consumers can look forward to the local release of the Huawei Watch GT 5 and Watch Ultimate green edition. There’s no official word yet if we’ll get the medically-focused Watch D2. Huawei Watch GT 5 The Huawei…