Author: Tshepo Chauke

Action camera maker Insta360 is decoupling its drone-producing subsidiary Antigravity from its business operations, making the company a standalone venture. The drone producer plans to make its big independent entrance into the market with a drone version of its parent company’s 360-degree-recording X camera series. Antigravity takes off Antigravity aims to specialise in drones for people in the creative space, as well as beginners looking for a more gentle drone-flying learning curve. A true full 360° drone could be a game-changer. A drone that can switch to recording at any angle at any time would be incredibly versatile, allowing operators…

The Fujifilm GFX Grant Challenge is back, and anyone with an idea for a visual project, be it photography or videography, is free to enter. The competition first launched in 2021, and Fujifilm urges South Africans to try their hand, considering Cape Town local Jodi Windvogel’s success in 2023. Fujifilm can grant your wish Hopefuls can enter the competition on the camera company’s website. Only select countries globally are eligible, and luckily, South Africa is on the list. Anyone who enters will need a photo or video that encapsulates the essence of their project. They will also need to submit…

Uber is expanding its Assist program in a partnership with Shonaquip, a company specialising in increasing access and training for the physically impaired. The e-hailing company wants to train up to 1,200 drivers in the protocols of handling people with special physical needs, to make their experience of getting an Uber more inclusive. Uber. Mensch. Uber Assist is the company’s special provision for the disabled, giving them access to trained drivers who will help with luggage and any other equipment. With the help of Shonaquip’s training programme, the e-hailing company wants to increase the number of drivers with disability awareness…

WhatsApp’s next big update thankfully doesn’t involve any sort of AI, and is instead allowing users to set reminders for both read and unread messages, a blessing to bad texters worldwide. First rumoured to be in the works last year, the feature has finally arrived in beta, a helpful tool to make it easier to stay in touch. Stay in mind with WhatsApp reminders WhatsApp will now send occasional notifications for messages that have not received a response. The messenger also allows users to set reminders for specific messages that they want to revisit later. With a simple long press,…

Electricity payment facilitator Prepaid24, has launched a new service to allow South Africans to purchase prepaid power through WhatsApp. The initiative is done in collaboration with WhatsApp marketing platform Chat Inc., as well as payment processor Ozow, giving South Africans another easy avenue to managing their utilities. Get a power trip on WhatsApp with Prepaid24 To do this, customers need to access Prepaid24’s WhatsApp channel on +27 60  012 2010. A simple “Hi” is enough to get the chat started. Sign up to Prepaid24 using their phone number (no forms or redirect links needed). If users already have an account,…

Wacom, the world’s biggest drawing tablet maker, is launching the eleventh edition of its ultra-portable MovinkPad line. The MovinkPad 11 has an 11.45in multi-touch display, 8GB of RAM, and a 7700mAh lithium-ion battery, all while weighing 588g. Wacom up and get MovinkPad The MovinkPad is Wacom’s variation on the ultra-portable Movink. But where the latter is meant to be paired with a laptop or PC, the MovinkPad becomes its own drawing ecosystem via an enhanced screen and software. The MovinkPad 11 comes with Wacom’s native app Canvas, as well as the more capable Clip Studio Paint. It includes a free…

If you dream of an AI-free internet, keep dreaming. Google continues to inject AI into every facet of its ecosystem. Now the Reaper has come for the mobile search app’s Discover section, adding AI-generated summaries of the listed articles. Before you blow a gasket over the search company intercepting more websites’ traffic, it promises to add a source and a disclaimer to remedy the theft. How generous of them. Google blows up Discover The Discover section on the mobile Google Search and Chrome apps, though often overlooked, is one of the more reliable pipelines to send users to news sites…

South African superstore retailer Pick n Pay is continuing its transition into a mostly online business by ramping up its Takealot partnership, turning more Pick n Pay stores into pickup points. The initiative began with two stores back in 2023, and has now grown to 30, with ambitions to push to 36 by the end of the year. Takealot picks up the slack The retailer continues to slowly close more of its stores across the country, as it transitions its physical buildings from standalone stores into warehouses that hold goods waiting to be shipped and delivered. This partnership should help…

NotebookLM, Google’s AI-powered research and learning tool, is adding expert source topics in a bid to become a more capable platform for exploring complex concepts. Originally designed to help users engage with and gain insight into their documents, NotebookLM now includes Featured Notebooks, expert-curated collections for users to ask specific questions to its AI model. The collections draw their information from specific sources. Google cribs NotebookLM These notebooks are created in collaboration with notable authors, researchers, and institutions. They cover a range of subjects—from science and finance to literature and parenting. The initial collection lineup includes: Longevity tips from Eric…

Sony has introduced its ECM-778, a compact shotgun microphone designed for high-quality audio recording in film, television, and content production in general. The small mic is powerful enough to be used in high-end productions, and compact enough to be useful to small creators. The Japanese tech and media company is also dropping newer and faster memory cards and readers. Sony drops the mic The mic’s biggest selling point is its compact size. At 176mm long and weighing 102g, it’s incredibly portable. This allows it to be used as a lightweight traditional boom mic or mounted on a compatible DSLR (with…