Author: Trent Meikle

There’s still a week to go until South Africa’s Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) officially adjusts the country’s fuel prices. Fortunately, the Central Energy Fund (CEF) is predicting that motorists will pay less at the pumps in June than they did throughout May. Unfortunately, the CEF hasn’t yet factored in the massive fuel tax hikes to the general fuel levy recently announced by the National Treasury. You win this round, diesel drivers… These hikes amount to as much as 15-16c/l, virtually wiping out the 19c the CEF expects petrol drivers to save throughout June. As such, there’s no…

It’s only taken the better part of fifteen years and the cacophony of a billion-or-more whiners, but Meta has launched WhatsApp for the iPad. Now that Magic Keyboard can finally be put to good use, yeah? The new app arrived on the App Store this morning, and brings with it all the features you’d expect from the messenger. One that took ages “Bringing all your favourite features to a larger screen, WhatsApp for iPad makes keeping in touch with friends and family even easier. Make video and audio calls with up to 32 people, share your screen, and use both…

It’s never fun to comb through one’s WhatsApp chats for that one specific video, image, or gif – an effort made even more wearisome should the search turn towards the infamous ‘WhatsApp’ folder in your gallery. The Meta-owned messenger understands this and is reportedly plugging away at an update that’ll compile all your media into a single centralised hub, and it’s coming to WhatsApp Web. For now. Scouring the WhatsApp Web What initially started as a feature to simplify media navigation for the typically larger community group chats has seemingly been expanded to support all media, but only for WhatsApp Web…

It’s becoming more difficult by the day to stand out in a world so enamoured by the likes of Samsung and Apple, but South Africans are gradually cottoning on. Brands like Oppo have slowly permeated the local market, this year bringing in the Oppo Reno 13 5G and foregoing the Pro moniker entirely. That might seem counterintuitive, but once you get a peek at the sort of prices Oppo is working with this year, it starts to make more sense. Picking up the Oppo Reno 13 (the ‘5G’ is implied) will set you back R18,000. If you’re struggling to do…

Welcome back, Half-Life Where is Half-Life 3? That’s a question that’s plagued gamers for years, with Valve expressing no interest in pushing Gordon Freeman’s story along for the sake of it, but elevating videogames as a whole. You’ll be pleased to learn (and a little frightened) that Gabe Newell, Valve CEO and creator of Half-Life, is busying himself, not with videogame development, but the creation of a brain chip. That might just be the innovation Valve is chasing. While Elon Musk’s Neuralink has been very open about the highs and lows that stem from messing with people’s brains, Newell’s company, Starfish Neuroscience,…

The original Nintendo Switch is one of the best-selling consoles of all time, and now the Japanese company is trying to recreate that success with the Nintendo Switch 2. But if it’s hoping to match the massive 152 million units sold over the Switch’s lifespan, it needs chips, lots of them. According to a report from Bloomberg, Samsung has dethroned TSMC and will handle Nintendo’s chip manufacturing needs for the handheld console going forward. A chip on Samsung’s shoulder It’s an easy decision for Samsung, which is doing its best to be a real competitor to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.,…

Logitech G has long since been a go-to for affordable but great gaming gear, with the company’s G435 Lightspeed headset still demanding an R1,800 price even four years later – a worthy cost for the overwhelming comfort and decent audio chops. Keeping in line with the mid-range price comes the Logitech G522 Lightspeed, serving as both a spiritual successor to the excellent G435 and an actual follow-up to the R3,700 G733 Lightspeed. Time to reach Lightspeed If the G522 Lightspeed can mimic even a fraction of the comfort provided by the rest of the family, you’re in for one hell…

In a desperate bid to turn around the failing TV licence scheme while increasing revenue, at least for the short term, the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) wants to hike licence fees to account for the nearly 80+% of residents currently eschewing the R265/year fees. On its last legs https://youtu.be/Q1JOrkCjPXs The broadcaster revealed its intentions to raise the matter and request an official licence fee hike from the communications department last week during a briefing to Parliament’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA). It mentioned that most of its licence revenue stemmed from existing and diligent holders, the same people…

Oppo has today expanded its popular A Series of smartphones, but not the one you’d think. Instead of a follow-up to the still-decent A79 with the A80, which still hasn’t found its way to South Africa’s shores, it’s delivered the Oppo A5 Pro 5G, available from today. With an R8,000 price tag, Oppo’s efforts are certainly more affordable than some, but can’t quite match the competition. “From high-performance features to user-friendly innovations, the A5 Pro delivers the performance and durability users need. It’s a perfect example of OPPO’s belief that great technology should be accessible to everyone, rugged, reliable, and…

Google’s recent AI-heavy I/O show brought about several new products, services, and ‘upgrades’ meant to make your life easier by applying the industry go-to: artificial intelligence (AI). One of the company’s biggest announcements saw the search giant expanding its partnership with Volvo to kit out its Google-equipped cars with Gemini’s expertise, whether you want it or not. Volvo’s white Knight (Rider) “For years, Google and Volvo Cars have collaborated closely to bring cutting-edge technology to connected cars,” said Patrick Brady, VP of Android for Cars. “We’re excited to deepen this partnership, accelerating the pace of innovation that will not only…