Author: Trent Meikle

Apple’s putting together a team Apple’s folly in chasing the AI dragon is a well-documented secret at this point, not least because it has hardly anything to show for its efforts. In a bid to catch up to the rest of the competition, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports that the Big Fruit Company quietly formed a new team internally called “Answers, Knowledge, and Information” (or AKI) that was tasked with developing a “new ChatGPT-like search experience.” A senior director by the name of Robby Walker is heading up the team, who, until recently, oversaw Apple’s Siri projects before getting the axe due…

It’s not often that Realme graces us with a new flagship killer, particularly not a collaboration effort, like the Naruto GT Neo 3, or in this case, the Realme GT 7 Dream Edition. This time, it’s the Aston Martin F1 branding plastered all over the smartphone’s bits. Did we mention it’s coming to South Africa? A GT 7 on the rocks, please Well, it is. The Realme GT 7 Dream Edition can be had for a relatively reasonable R19,000 — reasonable once you peek at the tech packed under the hood (and remember Oppo’s recent efforts were similarly priced). The GT…

Smartphones are expensive. Good smartphones even more so, but you already knew that. To combat high purchase and contract prices, MTN MoMo has launched a new initiative — called Handset Rent-to-Own — that gives its prepaid customers the ability to pick up a 4/5G smartphone for “as little as R10 a day*.” MTN’s doing away with all that credit nonsense It’s not nearly as simple as MoMo makes it appear at first glance. R10/day adds up to roughly R300/m — more expensive than, say, a Samsung Galaxy A26 on a 36-month contract, but that isn’t Rent-to-Own’s biggest attraction. It’s the ability…

You (and basically everybody else) might’ve expected the first Nintendo Direct after the launch of the Switch 2 to be packed full of exciting games that might sway those still sitting on the fence to pick up the new console. The warning signs were there when Nintendo announced a ‘Partner Direct’ for Thursday, 31 July, but even we didn’t expect Nintendo to deliver such a steaming hot pile of… nothing. We’re being a little hyperbolic, of course. The 25-minute-long showcase did show off some games, if you can call that sneakily cosy Chillin’ by the Fire a game. Without Nintendo’s first-party titles…

Whether you’re a grown man who’s just really into Pokémon content or a little kid arguing with said grown man in the comments section of a YouTube video (filmed by a teenage girl), YouTube wants to know a little more about you. Primarily, your age. Regardless of what you’ve told Google, the platform will deploy an AI-powered ‘age estimation model’ to better determine your age. Making YouTube worse, one AI-powered tool at a time Google first announced its plans to do this using machine learning earlier this year, and it’s finally following through. Judging by a “variety of signals,” like…

Smartphone contracts are rarely ever simple, and Vodacom knows it. In response, the network operator has announced a revamped suite of Red Core contracts, supposedly reflecting Vodacom’s desire to put “customers first by offering extra value, increased flexibility, and greater ease”. Vodacom’s Red is on the up and up Vodacom reckons it has overhauled the rewards, too, beyond regular airtime and mobile data purchases. The renovation now consists of four “simplified” plans, all of which include up to R20,000 in funeral cover, as well as two months’ worth of theft cover — which also applies to those who lose their…

Not everyone is cut out to launch a Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO), but it’s not often we get to see one return from the dead, especially not one bearing a host of new features. Pick n Pay today announced the return of Pick n Pay Mobile, relaunching this time alongside a new app, new rewards programme, and e-SIM support. Pick n Pay Mobile is back Oh, and if the previous iteration didn’t immediately grab your attention due to a lengthy in-store RICA process, PnP has addressed those issues this time. With e-SIMs now offered, customers have access to instant…

Remember 2021? When the world was still flailing from the global pandemic, a period that Meta saw as an opportune moment to release a ‘social media smartwatch’? That ended up not happening (we wonder why?), but according to a fresh leak from Digitimes (via Android Police), Meta is exploring the idea of reviving the project. Watch this space Meta is no stranger to making (often doomed) hardware, but its push into VR with the Quest line-up is still going strong. It’s the company’s recent successes with the Meta Ray-Ban (and soon to be Oakley) glasses that likely reignited the passion for…

Xbox has discovered that randomly shouting the words “Hollow Knight” and “Silksong” tends to lead to good things. It proved that when it promised the game would be out by the time it was ready to launch its new ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X. Now it seeks to milk the cow dry, confirming that a new demo is headed for the Xbox booth at Gamescom this year. Not a Silkpost. Repeat: Not a Silkpost! In a recent blog post, Xbox detailed all its plans for Gamescom 2025, which is taking place in Cologne, Germany, from August 20-24, noting that…

With a little over a week to go before the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) passes judgement on South Africa’s fuel prices for August 2025, the Central Energy Fund (CEF) has stepped up with yet another predictive snapshot (captured 25 July) that tells the same story as last time: diesel drivers are in for a nasty shock at the pumps, while petrol guzzlers will likely get away with a relatively decent price cut. Don’t say we didn’t warn you, diesel drivers Of course, until the DMRE publishes the official changes — which will likely happen early next week…