Apple gambles on new iPhone with AI features at lower cost
The tech giant is hoping AI at a lower price can reinvigorate sales of its flagship piece of hardware.
Science/Tech
Apple Unveils Lower-Priced iPhone 16e With A.I. Features
The iPhone 16e is the first update to the company’s most affordable model since 2022, but carries a higher price tag of $599.
Powerful quantum computers in years not decades, says Microsoft
It says a new chip it has created could end up being as important a breakthrough as the semiconductor.
Microsoft Says It Has Created a New State of Matter to Power Quantum Computers
Microsoft’s new “topological qubit” is not based on a solid, liquid or gas. It is another phase of matter that many experts did not think was possible.
Topoconductor chip could bring quantum computing breakthrough, says Microsoft
Chip with topological qubits could mean reliable quantum computers could come within years, not decades
Quantum computers could be built within years rather than decades, according to Microsoft, which has unveiled a breakthrough that it said could pave the way for faster development.
The tech firm has developed a chip which, it says, echoes the invention of the semiconductors that made...
Nikola, E.V. Start-Up That Once Thrilled Investors, Files for Bankruptcy
The company, which once enjoyed a surging stock price, struggled to turn its plans for electric and hydrogen trucks into a viable business.
Budget speech postponed amid GNU disagreements
South Africa’s national budget, which was meant to be tabled on Wednesday, has been postponed until further notice.
Elon Musk’s DOGE Seeks Access to Americans’ Data, Alarming Government Employees
Employees from Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency are gaining access to vast amounts of information held by federal agencies, even as lawsuits try to stop them.
Malatsi selects new Icasa councillors – here’s who made the cut
Communications minister Solly Malatsi has nominated four candidates for appointment to the council of Icasa.
Trump cuts threaten a ‘generation of scientists’ as many weigh leaving US
President’s call to ‘Make America Healthy Again’ has led to slashes in NIH funding – endangering jobs and vital research
The Trump administration’s planned cuts to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) not only threaten essential biomedical research in the US, but the livelihoods of researchers – and some are seriously considering leaving the country.
A 27 January memo from the Office of...
Tesla rival BYD is going big in South Africa
BYD is expanding its presence in South Africa with the introduction this year of three new models, including the Sealion 7 EV.
The Cryptocurrency Scam That Turned a Small Town Against Itself
How did a successful, financially sophisticated banker gamble his community’s money away?
Environment more crucial than genes in risk of early death, study suggests
Analysis of UK BioBank data shows importance of factors including living conditions and smoking, say experts
The environment is about 10 times more important than genes in explaining why some people have a higher risk of an early death than others, research has suggested.
The study is based on an analysis of information from almost 500,000 participants in the UK BioBank database, including...
Plantwatch: the mysterious twitching telegraph plant that baffled Darwin
Also aptly known as a dancing plant, the telegraph plant’s leaflets move in circular motions for no obvious reason
The telegraph plant (Desmodium gyrans, also known as Codariocalyx motorius), is very strange. At the base of its larger paddle-shaped leaves are smaller leaflets that can be seen constantly twitching around in circles during the day for no obvious reason. These elliptical...
Data-Free Sports Platforms In South Africa: How To Access And Use Them
Mobile data in South Africa has become more affordable over time, and internet speeds have improved. Mobile data prices are actually lower than the global average, with the country’s average price of $1.81 per 1GB being 30% below the global average of $2.59. Furthermore, South Africa boasts the second-fastest median download speeds in Africa, only […]
Wild fish can tell humans apart when they dress differently, study finds
Researchers say study, which involved training bream to follow a specific diver for treats, could change the way we treat fish
Wild fish can tell people apart – at least when they are wearing different-coloured outfits – researchers have found in a study they say could shift our relationship with the creatures.
It is known that certain domestic animals – or those that live close to humans –...
HP to Buy Humane, Maker of the Ai Pin, for $116 Million
Humane, which marketed its Ai Pin as the next big thing after smartphones, had raised $240 million from investors, including OpenAI’s Sam Altman. The pin will be discontinued.
Life expectancy growth stalls across Europe as England sees sharpest decline, say researchers
Poor diet, obesity and inactivity blamed on decline with Norway the only country seeing a rise
Life expectancy improvement is stalling across Europe with England experiencing the biggest slowdown. Experts are blaming this on an alarming mix of poor diet, mass inactivity and soaring obesity.
The average annual growth in life expectancy across the continent fell from 0.23 years between 1990 and...
Tech Life: Human life under the oceans
Plans are underway for humans to live and work in underwater habitats for long durations
OpenAI’s Former Chief Technology Officer Starts Her Own Company
Mira Murati, who left OpenAI last year, has helped establish Thinking Machines Lab, a new artificial intelligence start-up.
Chaotic Switch To Black Card: What Postbank Says It’s Doing To Fix The Problems
More than two-million social grant beneficiaries still need to switch to the new Postbank Black Card, with the deadline recently extended from 28 February to 20 March. To speed up the process, Postbank has partnered with the Spar Group to add 200 service sites and trained tellers. Postbank aims to complete the transition by 30 […]