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The Oculus Go’s operating system is being unlocked, John Carmack announces
Facebook is unlocking the bootloader of its discontinued Oculus Go headset and giving users full root access. That means the headset will remain useful long after official support ends. The move was announced by Oculus’ consulting CTO John Carmack, who stepped down from his full-time role as CTO in 2019 to focus on his work
China bans crypto mining and trading nationwide
China intensified a crackdown on cryptocurrency trading on Friday, vowing to root out “illegal” activity and banning crypto mining nationwide, hitting bitcoin and other major coins and pressuring crypto and blockchain-related stocks. Ten Chinese government agencies, including the central bank as well as banking, securities and foreign exchange regulators, said in a joint statement they would
Absa launches facial recognition
Absa has launched facial recognition in its Android and iOS apps, allowing clients to authenticate certain transactions by scanning their faces. The bank notified clients of the new feature with a pop-up message that appears when you sign in to your Internet banking profile. “Absa ID Facial Biometrics will be available when creating or resetting
Samsung Galaxy S22 leaks — what to expect
The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra — expected to launch early next year — could feature an S-pen slot and a design similar to that of the Galaxy Note 20, according to renders from Digit and @OnLeaks. Digit’s report also suggests that the device will feature a p-shaped, quad-camera system and a 6.8-inch AMOLED display. The
Google to add new feature that will let you check up on advertisers’ campaign histories
Google will start giving users more information about who’s running the ads they see. The company’s “About this ad” menu will show basic information about advertisers, as well as any other ads they’ve run in the past 30 days. The goal is to help users better judge whether a given ad buyer is trustworthy, following
YouTube tests video downloads for your desktop browser
YouTube is testing an official way to download videos on your desktop web browser (via Android Police). If you want to see if you’re eligible for the test, which runs through October 19th, check out YouTube’s experimental features page, which lists tests available for Premium subscribers. I was able to opt in to the test, but a
iOS 15 builds in better customer support for in-app purchases
As part of this week’s launch of iOS 15, iPadOS 15, and watchOS 8, Apple also introduced StoreKit 2, a set of APIs for in-app purchases and subscriptions. The new Swift-based tools could help developers better track and support the purchases their users make instead of relying on third-party solutions like RevenueCat. The kit introduces
Facebook names a new CTO with a major focus on hardware
Facebook is serious about being a long-term player in hardware. On Wednesday, the company promoted Andrew Bosworth, the current head of its hardware division that makes Oculus and other consumer devices, to the role of chief technology officer, replacing outgoing CTO Mike Schroepfer when he becomes a senior fellow next year. In his new role,
French broadcaster Canal+ buys 15% stake in MultiChoice
French broadcaster Canal+ Group has increased its stake in MultiChoice from 12% to over 15%, Reuters reports. Vivendi-owned Canal+ significantly raised its holding in Africa’s largest pay-TV last year, causing speculation that it could be looking to take over MultiChoice. MultiChoice reportedly said it was keeping an open mind about its relationship with the company. “The group’s
Telkom’s Openserve is next up for a JSE listing
Telkom’s sprawling wholesale division, Openserve, is likely to be the next unit of the telecommunications group to be listed on the JSE. That’s according to Telkom group CEO Sipho Maseko, who was speaking to TechCentral in an interview on Tuesday following the announcement that the group plans to list its masts and towers business, Swiftnet,
Chip shortages getting worse
The amount of time it’s taking for chip-starved companies to get orders filled stretched to 21 weeks in August, indicating the shortages that have crippled auto production and held back growth in the electronics industry are getting worse. Chip lead times, the gap between ordering a semiconductor and taking delivery, increased by 6 days to
Absa considers new R9.6 billion Black Economic Empowerment plan
Absa Group Ltd. is considering a new Black economic empowerment plan that could constitute as much as 8% of South Africa’s third-largest lender, worth about 9.6 billion rand ($650 million) at current prices. The program is likely to be inclusive of both external investors and staff, the Johannesburg-based bank said in a statement on Wednesday.
Uber CEO aims for ‘fully green’ food delivery business
Uber Technologies wants to expand its zero-emissions pledge to food delivery and make the business environmentally sustainable, but CEO Dara Khosrowshahi stopped short of committing to do so by a 2030 deadline for its ride-hailing arm. The CEO said in an interview that food deliveries Uber makes in Europe are typically carried on scooters and bikes,
Authorities approve Burger King sale
The competition authorities have finally approved Grand Foods Investments and Grand Foods Proprietary’s sale of their shares in Burger King South Africa (BKSA) and Grand Foods Meat Plant to Emerging Capital Partners (ECP) Africa Fund. The sale, approved on September 17, came with a list of conditions aimed at boosting South Africa’s economy. The sale
Iron Mountain South Africa appoints new Managing Director
21, September 2021, Johannesburg. Iron Mountain, the global leader in storage and information management services, has announced the appointment of Ms Takalane Khashane as Managing Director of Iron Mountain South Africa, effective from 6 September 2021. Takalane is an accomplished business executive with over 17 years of experience in different leadership positions within the Facilities
Telkom launching Oppo smartphones
Telkom is adding Oppo to its portfolio of smartphone brands that it sells through its online and physical stores. Oppo said that adding Telkom to the list of mobile operators that distributes its devices will expose its brand to a broader audience. Launched in South Africa during the pandemic, Oppo entered the market with its
DStv launches its own Internet service
MultiChoice has launched DStv Internet with MTN as its network partner to provide Internet access to those who do not have access to fibre services. The company said that the move is to diversify its offering as part of MultiChoice’s ongoing evolution from a traditional video entertainment business. DStv Internet is a fixed wireless access
IMF chief called out on pressure to lift China ranking in report
International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva was called out Thursday by the World Bank, her previous employer, for applying pressure to boost China’s position in a ranking of economies. Georgieva said she disagreed with the findings, compiled by an outside law firm at the World Bank’s direction. The World Bank found such serious ethics
SA Scientists use drones to study the changing body conditions and behaviour patterns of southern right whales
South African scientists have taken to using drones to tackle the critical questions surrounding South Africa's disappearing southern right whale population. A partnership between the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT), that has a licence to operate drones for conservation, and the University of Pretoria Mammal Research Institute's Whale Unit are now using drones to study the
Apple’s Home app and HomeKit devices are getting these 8 new features next week
With new iPhones come new features. And starting next week, Apple HomeKit users will get plenty courtesy of iOS 15, HomePod 15, tvOS 15, and watchOS 8 software updates. Apple has confirmed that these will all be available on the same day, September 20th. So, if you’ve been excited about unlimited HomeKit Secure Video cameras, the