Author: Trent Meikle

When Showmax announced that all that content was headed for DStv after its shutdown in April, we and a bunch of others weren’t all that impressed. DStv isn’t cheap, whereas Showmax, by comparison, is relatively affordable. In a bid to keep some customers around, MultiChoice has offered Showmax subscribers free access to DStv. Free DStv now, R100/m later That’s not an April Fool’s joke, either. Showmax makes that point pretty clear in emails sent out to subscribers today. It’s all real, with all Showmax subscribers getting access to DStv Stream Compact until the end of May. Whatever your feelings about Showmax’s departure,…

If you’re a Kindle owner who was unfortunate enough to receive Amazon’s latest software update, you might have noticed some odd behaviour. Like the battery draining at an alarming rate, or perhaps the ultra-sluggish UI. What about page-turn speeds degrading? Some users reckon the 5.19.3 firmware update is the culprit for your Kindle’s recent failings. Amazon is on the case, after creating the case Amazon obviously thinks so, too. It has since paused the update’s wider rollout, leaving those lucky few who dodged it on the still-buggy 5.19.2 version. If your e-reader has already downloaded and installed the update, there…

Saffas gobble up TV boxes and sticks faster than they can be pumped out. Fortunately, Xiaomi — maker of some of South Africa’s favourite boxes and sticks — has another one on the way. That’d be the Xiaomi TV Stick HD (2nd Gen), not to be confused with the TV Stick 4K (2nd Gen) that the company unveiled less than a year ago. Like the R750 Mi TV Stick, its second-gen brother still conforms to a small stick shape that’ll easily fit into the back of the TV. It ships with what looks like the same controller Xiaomi has championed…

There are few places where WhatsApp isn’t officially supported anymore. Your car is one of them. But the latest beta, reported by WABetaInfo, changes that. Your car, assuming it’s packing CarPlay, will now host Meta’s messenger natively. Previously, tapping WhatsApp on CarPlay called up an unhelpful Siri to compose a message. It’s not full WhatsApp, but it’s close enough The native CarPlay app is currently in beta and should reach users sooner rather than later. Like WhatsApp’s native support on your smartwatch, it requires the user’s smartphone to be nearby to function properly. With WhatsApp installed, tapping the icon will…

We’ve warned readers against the increasingly desperate fuel price hike for the last few weeks, and now the day has finally come. Well, almost. The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) has published the official adjustments for April 2026, which will fittingly come into effect at South Africa’s fuel pumps on Wednesday, 1 April. This marks the largest single increase for fuel prices in SA. Petrol up, diesel way up — but vibes are at an all-time low Unfortunately, it’ll be diesel drivers suffering the brunt of this increase, who initially faced a massive R10/l hike. South Africa’s garages…

While the DMRE has yet to officially confirm the petrol and diesel price adjustments for April 2026, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana has some good news for motorists. A temporary reduction in the fuel levy will see R3 knocked off the coming fuel price hikes, which, according to the Central Energy Fund, are going to be rough. It ain’t much, but it’s honest work “I will temporarily be lowering the fuel levy for this month of April by R3.00, and then I am still discussing what we can do for the next two months,” Godongwana said in an interview at the…

Capitec has almost single-handedly helped the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) achieve its goal of kitting out at least 100 branches with Smart ID services before the 2025/2026 financial year-end. The bank, which had zero Smart ID branches under its belt three months ago, now has 67 — spread out across South Africa — with a further twenty announced today. As it stands, 102 branches from different banks now offer Smart ID services. Capitec is one Smart (ID) cookie Capitec’s super-fast rollout relies on its new in-branch Self-Service Terminals (SSTs), which it claims can set up a customer in less…

There’s a new app on the Google Play Store, made by Samsung, that doesn’t want your attention. It wants your ears, instead, especially if you struggle with motion sickness. The South Korean outfit believes it can rid users of motion sickness temporarily by restoring balance through sound alone, using the free Hearapy app. I hertz myself, today It’s backed up by science, too. The folks at the University of Nagoya conducted a study, claiming that a 100Hz sine wave at 75-85dB for several minutes will restore a user’s balance and alleviate motion sickness. Ideally, anyway. Samsung claims that listening to the frequency…

MTN South Africa, familiar with the gibes about its prices, has launched Pi — a digital network operator that’s technically separate from MTN, but that still leverages the operator’s network. It’s brought flexible packages to celebrate its launch, only made better by some spectacular deals in the first three months. Pi, which covers both mobile data and home internet 5G solutions, does away with the typical business structure. There are no contracts, call centres, or credit checks to worry about. The only worries are customers trying to snag 20GB of data for R1 or getting faster 5G internet speeds during…

Meta Ray-Ban glasses eye a whole new market Thus far, those who are blind without prescription glasses have been unable to partake in the creepfest that is Meta’s smart glasses. That’s about to change, with a Bloomberg report claiming that Meta’s next two pairs will place greater emphasis on prescription lenses. “While the company’s glasses — sold in tandem with EssilorLuxottica SA — have long supported prescription lenses, this will mark the first time the companies are introducing Ray-Bans designed specifically for that cohort, according to people with knowledge of the matter,” Bloomberg wrote. That’ll result in two new pairs of Meta’s glasses, sold…