Author: Tshepo Chauke

Apple is redoubling its efforts in the smart home market after lagging behind competitors like Amazon and Google. The company has dominated consumer electronics for decades, but it still struggles to be a staple in the realm of the car and the home. The company closed down its long-running car project and its current home devices have been hit and miss. It hasn’t all been smooth sailing for its competitors. Amazon’s Echo has seen its momentum slow after a strong start. Other hardware releases like the company’s rolling robot, have also struggled. This leaves an opening for Apple, as the…

Meta continues to struggle in the post-Covid tech landscape as it seems the tech company wants to shake things up and shed some weight. After announcing a plan last year to shed 10,000 jobs for ‘efficiency’, the tech giant is restructuring its subsidiaries like WhatsApp, Instagram, Threads, and Reality Labs. Some employees will be laid off in the process. Meta analysis Last year CEO Mark Zuckerberg declared 2023 ‘a year of efficiency’, announcing a plan to cull about 10,000 jobs from their books. This followed Meta’s initial round of post-Covid mass layoffs in 2022, which saw 11,000 employees lose their…

16-year-old Shaylee van Oostrom will be at the 2024 rAge Expo with her debut manga Demon Force. Based in Kempton Park, Shaylee will be one of many brands and artists showcasing their work at the event, which takes place at the Johannesburg Expo Centre next month. Debuting Demon Force Demon Force follows a young boy who, alongside his friends, attends a school that trains and nurtures future heroes. However, his nefarious brother constantly interferes with his progress. Published by BK Publishing, van Oostrom worked with the company to develop into a fully-fledged manga artist. The two continue to work together to…

The newly announced Air 3s drone by DJI improves on its predecessor with better lowlight photography, nighttime obstacle avoidance software, and memory storage and transfer. Considering the Air 3 was already known to have great low-light sensitivity, this may be significant for fans of shooting at night or the twilights of sunrise and sunset. Airing it out The Air 3S has an improved 50-megapixel main camera, with a one-inch sensor and 24mm lens, as well as a 48-megapixel, with a 70mm (3x zoom) lens. Both cameras have up to 14 stops of dynamic range when shooting in auto (excluding slow…

Kia South Africa launched the Sonet LS this week, its latest and most importantly, cheapest, addition to the Sonet range. “The discontinuation of the Rio hatchback,” says CEO Paul Turnbull, “left many Kia customers with a great desire for a… spiritual successor priced under R300,000.” He wasn’t lying. The Sonet just falls short of the R300,000 by R5 – something Kia hopes to increase its presence in this corner of the crossover SUV market. The new and affordable Sonet LS “The new Sonet range has found significant favour amongst customers who are upgrading into the small SUV segment or who are…

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…