Author: Trent Meikle

The world really doesn’t need more vibe-coded AI slop games. It’s nothing more than a waste of compute while users wait for something hand-crafted, with love and attention heaped upon it. Epic Games disagrees. The Fortnite-maker is hosting a competition to see who can make the best AI-crafted game, with a $50,000 prize. It’s tempting. R830,000 at today’s conversion is a lot of money for not a lot of effort. But since anyone can compete in the so-called ‘Epic AI MegaJam’, the competition is sure to be stiff. The MegaJam runs from 12-15 November, and prompts teams no larger than…

YouTube users (so… everyone with an internet connection) have begged the platform for years to give them more control over their home feeds. Users have been at the mercy of the algorithm since the beginning, but YouTube’s latest change is looking to change that. Kinda. The platform is rolling out Custom Feeds, but it’ll require a prompt to get the ball rolling, rather than something you can build manually. Still, it’s a step in the right direction. Your feed, your rules (kinda) We think. Custom Feeds are still region-locked to the US at the time of writing. While Americans beta-test…

It’s been a long time coming, but there’s no escaping it any longer. OpenAI announced yesterday that ads are coming to the free and cheapest ChatGPT plans in South Africa, as part of a 26-country expansion. Advertisements will only appear on the Free and Go plans locally, while the rest remain ad-free. For now… No such thing as a free hallucination “Ads can help people discover products and services that fit their needs, including options they might not have found otherwise,” wrote OpenAI. “Since we launched ads just over eight months ago, over 100,000 advertisers have run campaigns on ChatGPT.”…

Earlier this week, BYD showed off the second-generation Seagull (known locally as the Dolphin Surf) in China, promising some pretty impressive upgrades for not that much more spend. Chief amongst them is the Flash Charge system tied to the higher-trim models, allowing the Dolphin Surf to get to 70% charge in only five minutes. Your move, South Africa The catch? To take advantage of such charging pleasures, the car will need to visit one of BYD’s 1.5MW Flash Chargers, which have yet to make their way into the country. Back in October 2025, BYD VP Stella Li confirmed the company…

Everyone knows Chery. But how well do we know Chery? Until the company gets into bed with South African labourers, we’d argue not very well. That’s changing soon, after Chery confirmed that the Omoda C4 will be the first model actually built in South Africa. That honour will go to the group’s Rosslyn plant based in Gauteng. “The C4 will give us a place in the country’s manufacturing industry, while its petrol, hybrid and fully electric range will give our customers greater choice when buying an OMODA,” said Shannon Gahagan, head of brand and marketing for Omoda South Africa. Chery to make…

If your Spotify account isn’t at risk of being kicked off the Family Plan, the music streamer hopes you’ll be willing to spend a few extra bucks per month on your favourite podcasts. Spotify today introduced ‘Memberships’ for podcasts, which paywall exclusive content, fewer ads, and other perks — all at the behest of individual podcasts. A day to ‘member For the time being, Memberships are limited to 34 countries, including the US, UK, and Canada. South Africa is not one of them, though additions like this tend to make their way here eventually. Memberships are available to any podcasts…

Gone are the days of affordable consoles. Next on the kill list are today’s moderately expensive consoles, likely pushing the entire market squarely into luxury territory. Xbox’s next console effort, ‘Project Helix,’ will likely be the first to take that plunge, with one report claiming that the console could cost as much as R30,000 ($1,800). We’ll stick with the Xbox Series X, thanks That estimate’s on the higher end, to be fair. In a profile concerning new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma, courtesy of Fortune, the outlet hints at the company gearing up for the release of a “next-generation handheld device”…

Remember when subscription services not only didn’t mind, but actively encouraged sharing it with friends and family? Then along came Netflix to rain on that parade, disallowing password sharing without first coughing up a few extra bucks per month. Costlier family plans became the new norm, but now you’re even doing that wrong. In Spotify’s eyes, anyway. The streamer is cracking down on Family Plan sharing, and it’s mighty annoying. Spotify’s Family Plan costs R120/m in South Africa, after the streamer raised prices in August 2025. It has seemingly been discontinued for new subscribers, however. The site currently only offers…

Budget smartphones have come a very long way in a very short amount of time. Previously, budget buyers would be clamouring to get their hands on the sort of specs that the Xiaomi Redmi 17 (4G) puts up, for a few grand more. Now, people hardly bat an eye when they see the R3,800 price that it’s listed for locally. You might be expecting a tin cup with a long string attached to it for that price, but no. Xiaomi’s actually assembled a decent, if a tad slow, smartphone here. You can blame the Helio G91 Ultra (or not) chip…

Owning a Hisense TV will finally pay off. Hisense has announced SportsCast Africa, a new free-to-air sports channel that broadcasts football, rugby, and more 24/7. Unlike DStv, it won’t require the sacrifice of your first-born to afford it. And, unfortunately, unlike DStv, you’re at the mercy of the SportsCast operators to get your fix. Viva la VIDAA SportsCast Africa delivers round the clock sport, every day. Its schedule covers African and international football, motorsport, basketball, rugby, tennis and multi-sport action, built around popular daily shows: Football Daily, Soccer Highlights and SportsWrap for football fans, Pole Position for motorsport, Slam Dunk…