It’s pretty early in 2019 to be calling the tech trends, but we’re pretty sure of two things: there are going to be a range of folding phones on coffeeshop tables before the year is out, and there are going to be a more electric vehicles (EVs) in parking lots. Sure, we’ve had the Nissan Leaf and BMW’s quirky i3 for years, but sightings of them are pretty rare, and they’re not SUVs. Next week Jaguar launches its I-Pace electric SUV, and this week, Mercedes-Benz confirmed we’ll be able to buy its all-electric EQC before year-end. You can make your own Eskom jokes, because we’re better than that.

South African TV viewers have a new video-on-demand to try called Viu. The service launches today and includes a catalogue of SABC and eTV content, along with a selection of ‘Viu originals’. Users can try the service free for 30 days and can access it using a web browser, or via dedicated apps for Android and iOS.

FNB

Given that we want to incorporate robots into our social world, it’s no wonder that creating a sense of self in artificial intelligence (AI) is one of the ultimate goals for researchers in the field. If these machines are to be our carers or companions, they must inevitably have an ability to put themselves in our shoes. While scientists are still a long way from creating robots with a human-like sense of self, they are getting closer.