Author: Trent Meikle

Starting on 1 November, the Google Play Store will hide apps that are more than two years behind the latest Android OS release. Why? For security, apparently. Any apps that don’t meet the requirements will no longer be discoverable or installable. The exception is if the user’s Android device is itself two years behind the latest OS release. Google explained in its announcement that each Android OS update brings privacy, security, and user experience improvements. The thinking behind this change is simple. Android believes users currently running the latest updates expect only the best when it comes to their privacy…

Do you like Fortnite? How about money? And online tournaments hosted by Doritos and Comic Con Africa? If the answer to any of those was ‘yes’ then you’re in the right place. Doritos and Comic Con Africa have joined forces to bring South Africa the Doritos Crunch Cup. This is a series of online tournaments, with a prize pool worth R45,000. Unreal tournament Marking Dorito’s first foray into the gaming and esports scene, the Crunch Cup kicks into gear with a Fortnite tournament. The prize split is as follows; First Tournament — Solo with R10,000 cash prize pool Second Tournament…

You may know Anker – makers of phone chargers and power banks. What you may not know is that Anker is entering the 3D printing game in a somewhat stylish fashion. Well, now you know.  Anker has launched their first 3D Printer – the AnkerMake M5 – which promises to deliver a printing speed that is over 5 times faster than some of the big-name brands. It also comes equipped with a 1080p camera, for those that want to share their creations with the world.   The printer launches on Kickstarter later today for an ‘early bird’ price of $419…

UPDATE 11/04/22 11:30 — Parag Agrawal tweeted early this morning that Elon Musk will no longer be joining Twitter’s board of directors, saying “I believe this is for the best”. Someone here might need to get a copy of Joseph Bikart’s The Art of Decision Making. UPDATE 05/04/22 15:37 — Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal tweeted that he, along with the other board members,  would be joined by Musk on the board of directors. So we guess that answers our “how will the world’s most popular microblogging platform change” question. Original Story: Twitter’s biggest critic, Elon Musk, is now the largest single…

Esports specialist Mettlestate has launched an updated website packed with features designed to attract new and old visitors alike. The brand has essentially turned its new site into a game, the idea being to make the experience more enjoyable for longer periods of time. The fact that it might result in increased session duration probably has nothing to do with it. Maybe. You work for us now The biggest change is the introduction of Mettallions – the site’s own virtual currency. Users can spend Mettallions on discounts in the site’s store and on extra spins of the daily spinner. But…

Tablets have been increasing in popularity due to the ever-increasing number of work-from-homers. Whether you need a tablet for reading, entertainment or just a device with better battery life, it is hard to turn down what the MatePad T 10s has to offer. With a price point of R4,500, you’re paying for an excellent screen, a decent battery, and great speakers. And, believe it or not, it’s actually worth it. Deep Blue Sea The MatePad T 10s looks a lot like the MatePad 8. It even comes in the same colour – ‘Deepsea Blue’. Even though it’s not nearly as…

After canceling its physical event back in January, E3 announced it was going digital for 2022. Now, unfortunately, even the digital event has been canned. The news officially broke via Twitter. Razer’s PR manager Will Powers shared a tweet confirming E3’s complete cancellation for 2022. And since his tweet was posted on 31 March, we’re afraid it’s no joke. The end of E3? Just got an email… It’s official, E3 digital is official cancelled for 2022. Lots of mixed feelings about this… — Will Powers 🛫 NYC (@WillJPowers) March 31, 2022 This year’s cancellation marks the third consecutive year in…

A new music platform has been launched in South Africa. The Music Audit Usage System (MAUS) turned up in March with the aim of securing South African musicians every cent owed to them. How? By tracking what sort of airplay they get across various platforms and venues. MAUS’ creator, DJ, chartered statistician, mathematician, and producer Mark Stent, launched the platform as a way to combat the concerns of underpaid artists in the country. Stent wasn’t alone. MAUS was created by Stent, Jarrod Assenhein (of Radiomonitor SA), plus Andrew Mitchley and Larry Gresham (from David Gresham Records). The group developed this…

WhatsApp announced via a blog post that its voice message feature is getting some much-needed attention over the coming weeks. Finally. WhatsApp claims that over 7 billion voice messages are sent on the platform every day. With that kind of traffic, it makes perfect sense for WhatsApp to be putting so much effort into the feature. What’s new One of the biggest changes arriving over the next few weeks is the Out of Chat Playback function. Users can continue listening to a voice message without needing to stay in the chat. The feature means users can listen to lengthier messages…

Vodacom’s announced price increases — for most of its subscription plans – are set to kick in from 1 April this year. As with MTN’s recent increase, the company is holding price inflation to about 5% (5.3%, to be exact). But it’s still an uptick in your contract premium you probably weren’t prepared for. Vodacom says that it’s time to pass some of the financial load it’s been carrying on to customers. “Over the past three years, Vodacom has absorbed costs and helped buffer our customers from telco price increases. While cost increases are unavoidable across all industries, we are…