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Connected Devices Online Store, Office & Co. Level 2, The Zone @ Rosebank, 177 Oxford Road, Johannesburg (2026)

27/08/2026

Google Drive on Android can replace 4 different apps you might be paying for

Even if you don't pay a single cent to Google in the form of subscription money, your Android phone has access to the Google Drive app with a few gigabytes of free storage. You might not know that this one app sits at the center of an ecosystem that can actually replace several other simple apps that you might be using.

Replace your document scanner app (or just your actual scanner)

It really is a snap to use

Thanks to the Google Drive app, you don't really need a document scanner anymore. Instead, you can create a scan using the Google Drive app as if you were creating any new document.

The traditional way this works is:

• Create a new document in Google Drive.
• Choose "Scan" as the document type.
• Manually position the page in the camera viewfinder.
• Press the capture button.
• Confirm you're happy with the capture, or press the back button to try again.
• Tweak the auto-adjustments if necessary.
• Add another page using the "add page" icon, or select "next" if you're done.
• Save the document to your drive.

I say this is the "traditional" method because this is still how it looks and works on my old Android tablet, but on my Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, Google Drive now automates almost the entire process.

Once you select "scan", it automatically identifies and captures the first page, then waits for you to turn to the next page and captures that, and so on. So I could page through an entire book, and the app would just happily keep adding pages until I told it to stop. Which experience you get likely depends on your handset, Android, and app versions.

To read the full article please view the link below.
https://www.howtogeek.com/google-drive-on-android-can-replace-apps-youre-paying-for/

Image Credit: Lucas Gouveia How-To Geek
Article Credit: Sydney Butler

24/08/2026

Your iPhone is about to get a massive upgrade

After two years of broken promises, Apple's rebuilt Siri finally arrives next month - and South Africa is included at launch.

Siri has always been good at timers, alarms, phone calls and switching on the lights. But ask it anything that requires holding two facts together and iPhone users have spent the past three years opting instead for ChatGPT, Gemini or Claude.

That’s all about to change.

Apple has been promising a smarter Siri since 2024. It ran advertisements for features that did not exist, pulled them, and admitted the work would take longer than it thought. Fifteen months later and many false starts, that Siri is finally due on iPhones next month, alongside new models, including Apple’s first folding phone.

Apple introduced Siri AI at its developer conference on 8 June, describing an entirely new version of the assistant built on Apple Intelligence with three additions: personal context understanding, broad world knowledge and on-screen awareness. A series of developer betas have been released since then, the sixth arriving on 17 August.

As a conversational assistant, Siri AI does what its rivals have done for years:

• It holds a back-and-forth chat, keeps context across follow-up questions and pulls current information from the web;
• A dedicated Siri app syncs conversation history through iCloud, so a question asked on a Mac can be picked up on an iPhone;
• Users can type or speak; and
• Siri can be invoked with the side button or by swiping down from the Dynamic Island, and on Mac and iPad it sits inside Spotlight and in systemwide context menus, where a user can control-click an image or a block of text and ask about it.

To read the full article please view the link below.

https://techcentral.co.za/your-iphone-is-about-to-get-a-massive-upgrade/284991/

Image Credit: Duncan McLeod TechCentral
Article Credit by: Duncan McLeod TechCentralTechCentral

21/08/2026

Google forgot to tell you about your Pixel phone's best USB-C feature

A few years ago, Google introduced a cool new feature for its Pixel phone lineup and then pretty much stopped talking about it almost immediately afterward. I'm talking about the ability to output video to an external display via USB-C, allowing you to mirror your Pixel's screen to an external display with a USB-C, DisplayPort, or HDMI input. But there's more.

Connect your Pixel to an external display with an appropriate cable and mirror its screen

Play videos on your TV, or just mirror your phone's screen on a large display
If you own a Pixel 8 or a newer Pixel, including Pixel A series phones, you can connect it to an external display via its USB-C port and mirror its screen. I've done it with a USB4 cable I use to connect my Mac mini to my monitor, but you can also use any USB-C dock or hub with a video output, or a USB-C dongle with a DisplayPort or HDMI port and an appropriate cable. The procedure wasn't exactly smooth because I got a black screen the first time I tried it, but a quick restart did the trick.

Once you plug in the cable, you'll get a choice between mirroring the phone's screen and using Pixel Desktop mode (more on this later). Just tap the Mirror button, and you're ready to go. During my testing, the video stream had quite low input latency, and I didn't encounter any slowdowns or stutters. On the flip side, the stream was capped at 60Hz, which is unfortunate. Perhaps Google will increase the refresh rate cap in the future, which would be highly welcome.

To read the full article please view the link below.

https://www.howtogeek.com/google-forgot-to-tell-you-about-your-pixel-phones-best-usb-c-feature/?utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=HTG-202608180645&utm_source=HTG-NL&user=ZmFybWdvb2xhbTRAZ21haWwuY29t&lctg=728eb0fa316bb8d1250be86c4c5331c58c6489152c2cbcc3a9827bb0cb454639

Image Credit: Goran Damnjanovic How-To Geek
Article Credit: Goran Damnjanovic How-To Geek

18/08/2026

The Pixel Tag is here — but it won't be an AirTag for Android until Google fixes these Find Hub issues

Do better, Google

After the Apple AirTag, and the Samsung Galaxy Smart Tag, we finally have the Google Pixel Tag too — and at first glance, without having tested it, it seems like a decent device. There's water resistance, ultra-wideband (UWB) support for more precise location reporting, and a replaceable CR2032 battery that should last over a year.

Obviously, the Pixel Tag will work with Google's Find Hub, which already lets you track people and devices (including phones, tablets, smartwatches, and earbuds) from a web browser or an Android app.

But it's that Find Hub that might end up holding the Pixel Tag back, for now at least. In some areas it's not quite as slick and as comprehensive as the equivalent Find My service that Apple offers for its various devices. Here are five improvements I think Google could make to Find Hub, which would really help the Pixel Tag take off.

1. Notify when left behind
This is something that Apple's Find My does really well, and something that's genuinely useful: you can set up warnings to appear whenever your iPhone gets separated from your Mac, iPad, AirPods, or a specific AirTag. The idea is it can save you from walking out of the door at home or the office and leaving behind a particular gadget that you'll need.

2. See location tracking over time
Google Find Hub is fine for seeing where devices are now, but what about where they used to be? Seeing a breadcrumb trail of a missing camera or phone can be very useful in terms of tracking it down — and the same feature can be used to map out a walking trail, for example, or to keep an eye on the kids. It's something Samsung SmartThings does well.

To read the full article please view the link below.
https://www.techradar.com/phones/android/the-pixel-tag-is-here-but-it-wont-be-an-airtag-for-android-until-google-fixes-these-find-hub-issues

Image credit: Future
Article Credit: David Nield

14/08/2026

The great privacy revolt: people are pushing back against the glasses that record, the earbuds that eavesdrop and the TVs watching our lives — here’s what we can do about it, according to an AI research CEO and a digital rights advocate

Think our tech is getting a little too smart for its own good? You're not alone.

In the past few weeks, TechRadar brought you three key updates on the invasion of your privacy without consent, owing to the AI learning models nestled in our gadgets and appliances.

In case you missed the latest missives, new LG TVs can record you in the background and will ask you to notify anyone who comes into your home, to comply with "wiretapping" laws. Next up, Nothing's new earbuds offer a 'squeeze the stems to record calls' feature being called Audio Snapshot, which is tantamount to phone-hacking in cute packaging. And finally, there's the continued backlash over Meta's AI glasses. Despite the social media giant implementing a feature that stops recordings if a wearer tampers with the front-firing light, hatred of these and other smart shades (oft-renamed 'pervert glasses' by the general public) has led to people calling for camera-less glasses.

So, in a world where our glasses can watch, our earbuds can hear, our speakers can speak and our TVs are a little too closely invested in our lives for comfort, how much more will we allow our tech to intrude before enough is enough — and what can we do to regain some privacy?

To read the full article please view the link below.
https://www.techradar.com/audio/earbuds-airpods/the-great-privacy-revolt-people-are-pushing-back-against-the-glasses-that-record-the-earbuds-that-eavesdrop-and-the-tvs-watching-our-lives-heres-what-we-can-do-about-it-according-to-an-ai-research-ceo-and-a-digital-rights-advocate?utm_term=9C98509B-C0EC-4A11-B8EC-D2AA23336320&lrh=61cd8bfae12aedb3903f09364e0248b758b09b36a47c7863bf8a43678e4a905d&utm_campaign=CAD172D8-A062-47A3-9762-76106DCF6967&utm_medium=email&utm_content=8061236F-A3FE-4E16-B073-C015BDFAFEA1&utm_source=SmartBrief

Image credit: Nothing, Future, Lauren Hendry Parsons (with consent)
Article Credit: Becky Scarrott TechRadar

11/08/2026

Your Galaxy Watch's hidden developer mode reveals 3 battery-draining features you can disable today

Is your Samsung Galaxy Watch struggling to make it through the day? There are plenty of tips and tricks out there for squeezing more battery life out of it, but if you've tried them all and still feel like you could use a little more juice, it's worth digging into the Galaxy Watch's developer mode. There are a few settings in there you can toggle that can give you a slight but real improvement in overall battery life.

How to enable developer mode on your Samsung Galaxy Watch. It's similar to how you do it on your phone.

Before anything else, you need to enable Developer mode on your Galaxy Watch. To do this, open the Settings app on your watch, go to About Watch > Software information, and then tap Software version repeatedly. After a few taps, you'll see a message saying Developer mode is now enabled. It will then appear as a dedicated option in the Settings app, just below About Watch.

That's it. With Developer mode enabled, here are the settings that can help you save battery.

Turn off automatic Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi is more resource intensive than simple Bluetooth

The first thing I'd encourage you to do is stop your watch from managing Wi-Fi on its own. To do this, open Developer options, enable "Turn off Wi-Fi automatically," and disable "Turn on Wi-Fi automatically when charging." Once that's done, manually turn off Wi-Fi and only turn it on when you actually need it.

To read the full article please view the link below.
https://www.howtogeek.com/galaxy-watch-developer-mode-improve-battery-life/

Image credit: Dibakar Ghosh
Article credit: Dibakar Ghosh How-To Geek

06/08/2026

I asked ChatGPT to stop me buying things I don’t need, and it was brutally helpful — I just wish I'd thought of it sooner

This is the real way AI can help you save money

The problem with online shopping is that it makes it far too easy to buy pretty much anything, without properly considering whether you really need it. I started to wonder if ChatGPT could help me make better decisions, by questioning every purchase I was going to make, before I made it.

To test ChatGPT’s ability to stop me wasting money, I picked four tempting purchases and asked ChatGPT to argue against each one. It had to check the price history, suggest cheaper alternatives, and decide whether the purchase solved a real problem, or if I was just scratching an itch to buy.

Here's how ChatGPT did — and the results surprised me.

GPT before you buy

I started with a tech gadget I was thinking of buying — an Apple MacBook M5 — and went to ChatGPT with the following prompt: “I'm thinking of buying an Apple MacBook Air 13-inch Laptop M5 chip. Help me check the price history, suggest cheaper alternatives and decide whether the purchase solves a real problem."

ChatGPT said it would check current pricing and recent lows, compare genuinely cheaper options, then pressure-test whether the purchase replaced a real limitation, or was mostly me trying to satisfy an upgrade itch, and off it went.

After a lot of thinking, ChatGPT replied with a devastating verdict that made me pull back from hitting the 'Buy' button: “Don’t buy the M5 MacBook Air yet.”

To read the full article please view the link below.

https://www.techradar.com/computing/sony-and-microsoft-are-destroying-console-and-pc-gaming-heres-why-the-experts-think-valve-can-save-the-day-with-steamos #:~:text=Loath%20as%20I,next%20big%20platform%3F

Image credit: Andrew Angelov
Article credit: Graham Barlow

04/08/2026

Sony and Microsoft are destroying console and PC gaming — here’s why the experts think Valve can save the day with SteamOS

As PlayStation and Xbox tear up gaming on console and Microsoft on PC, is it time for Valve’s SteamOS to hit the mainstream?

Loath as I am to say it, the future of gaming platforms isn’t looking so rosy right now. Windows is increasingly becoming more recalcitrant, constantly throwing hurdles in the faces of PC gamers in the form of performance-ruining updates and unsolicited AI implementations. And in the console world, Sony has irked everyone by ditching physical games from January 2028, while the recent bout of mass layoffs at Xbox belies its ‘back on track’ messaging.

Meanwhile, Valve appears to be going in the opposite direction. It already has a big advantage in the form of Steam, near enough the default storefront and launcher for PC gamers everywhere. Why, it’s generated an estimated $11.1bn in gross revenue in the first half of this year already. With pockets as deep as these, and without having to divert its earnings to shareholders (given it’s still, for now, a private company), that’s cash it can invest in expansion.

So is now the perfect time for Valve to break out, capitalize on its competitors’ floundering and shoot its shot at making SteamOS the next big platform?

To read the full article please view the link below.

https://www.techradar.com/computing/sony-and-microsoft-are-destroying-console-and-pc-gaming-heres-why-the-experts-think-valve-can-save-the-day-with-steamos #:~:text=Loath%20as%20I,next%20big%20platform%3F

Image credit: Valve Microsoft Sony Future
Article credit: Lewis Maddison TechRadar

30/07/2026

Google announces a Pixel 11 price hike three weeks before the phone's official reveal

Google isn't slated to unveil the Pixel 11 series until August 12, but it's already bracing would-be customers for a price increase. The company has confirmed that all devices will see higher prices than before, including the unreleased Pixel 11 line.

Devices and Services VP Shakil Barkat tells 9to5Google in an interview that there would be "adjustments" reflecting soaring memory prices, and that they would appear "dynamically" to reflect supply for both existing and future models. Google has protected customers from feeling the effects of price increases for "as long as possible," he claims, but can't hold out longer.

Barkat is still promising promotions and bundles to sweeten purchases, and says Google is making a "dedicated effort" to reduce Android memory requirements so that you don't need as much RAM as before to have a similar experience.

Rumors have Google increasing the prices of the Pixel 11 and Pixel 11 Pro by $100 each, to $899 and $1,099 respectively. The regular Pro (not the XL) will reportedly drop to 12GB of RAM versus the 16GB in the Pixel 10 Pro, although all the new models will reportedly offer at least 256GB of storage versus last year's 128GB.

It's not clear how the planned price hikes will affect the Pixel 10a or Pixel Watch. However, it's safe to say you'll want to buy those quickly if you're in the market and watching your spending.

To read the full article please view the link below.
https://www.howtogeek.com/google-pixel-11-early-price-hike/

Image credit: Joe Fedewa How-To Geek
Article credit: Jon Fingas How-To Geek

28/07/2026

Finally, we've got silicon-carbon' — why SuperSaf is just as excited as we are for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra's new battery

When it comes to battery life, foldables have it harder than regular phones. These devices need to power not one, but two screens (one of which is twice as large as the other), and so it's important to pick a model with decent endurance if you don't want to lug around a portable battery at all times.

Yet in the throes of a seemingly unquenchable thirst for thinness, Samsung has somewhat neglected the battery tech in its foldable phones. That is, until now, because the brand has finally introduced silicon-carbon batteries in its latest devices, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra and Galaxy Z Fold 8. The former, specifically, packs a 5,000mAh cell that, based on Samsung's own testing, offers 27 hours of video playback.

Now, as uninteresting as this may sound, it's actually pretty big news, especially given that the phone is thinner than ever and the same weight as last year's Galaxy Z Fold 7.

To read the full article please view the link below.
https://www.techradar.com/phones/ive-used-foldable-phones-for-years-heres-how-the-galaxy-z-fold-8-and-iphone-ultra-are-fixing-the-form-factor-in-2026

Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future
Article credit: Josephine Watson TechRadar

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