Stuff podcast: Recent Episodes
Stuff
Stuff is South Africa's premier consumer technology magazine, and the home of this tech news podcast, hosted by Brett Venter, Marce and Toby Shapshak. Bringing you everything you want to know about everything you want.
Any conversation with Dr Christoph Nieuwoudt – FNB’s chief data and analytics officer – is always a meandering journey across a range of fields. He delves into how artificial intelligence is a game changer, and specifically about the immediate gains of generative AI, he tells Stuff editor-in-chief Toby Shapshak. Read more on Stuff.
Where credit cards replaced cheques, virtual cards have replaced plastic ones. But the evolution of payments isn’t over yet, as its contactless future shows, as Ashley Saffy, head of spend and customer value management at FNB Card, tells tuff editor-in-chief Toby Shapshak. Read more on Stuff.
Jolandé Duvenage is the chief imaginer for FNB’s nav» offering. The bank wants to make it easier to buy or sell a car or a house, value them and insure them, whiel hopefully increasing your financial literacy, Duvenage tells Stuff editor-in-chief Toby Shapshak. Read more on Stuff.
Samsung’s new Galaxy Fold 5 and Flip 5 have folding glass screens, an engineering innovation that still delights Stuff editor-in-chief Toby Shapshak. Mobile executives Justin Hume and Zahir Cajee join in the geek out. Read more on Stuff.
Stuff editor Brett Venter sat down with Samsung Consumer Electronics’ Director Michael van Lier (more than once, as it happens). On the menu was everything Samsung’s Electronics division is bringing to South Africa in the near future. Plus, a batch of interesting items that are already here, like a wardrobe that cleans your clothing, customizable fridges, and a TV that they weren’t supposed to touch, but did. The chat ranged from TVs and the tech behind them to one of the most expensive things Samsung has installed in South Africa, with a few stops in between.
Using free public WiFi has its risks, not least other users snooping on your data. It may seem like a convenience, especially while travelling overseas, but you should never use it without a VPN. These virtual private networks create a secure tunnel, as it were, that other users on the same network can’t peer into or access your data.
It’s one of the things I use whenever I use any free public WiFi – anywhere. It’s part of the utterly essential cybersecurity checklist we should all follow.
We must “prepare our laziness in advance” NordVPN’s Karolis Pabijanskas told Stuff – referring to the way we just accept cookies and other T&Cs without being conscious of how it affects our security. We need to reset our habits, and using a VPN is essential for using public WiFi.
The Sonos Ray has just been released. Listen to Toby Shapshak chat with Jeff and Joe from Sonos in New York City. They talk shop about everything Sonos.
Stuff's publisher and editor-in-chief Toby Shapshak sat down with the director of Planetworld, Maurice Van Heerden, to chat about how he came to bring Sonos products (among others) to SA.
Planetworld is an importer and distributor of audio products from a number of high-end manufacturers for a range of applications including car audio, home theatre setups and smart home audio. Van Heerden takes Shapshak through the story of bringing Sonos products to SA and how Sonos were among the first to effectively implement smart functions in high-end audio solutions, first seen in the Sonos One.
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Stuff's publisher and editor-in-chief Toby Shapshak spoke to HMD Global CEO Florian Seiche while he was in the country.
They touch on some of the ways HMD Global and its Nokia devices impact the lives of South Africans and some of the trends currently active in the market. They also discuss the current state of the mobile network in SA and where it's heading. They reminisce on the history of Nokia and some of the iconic phones from the past.
Stuff's publisher and editor-in-chief Toby Shapshak sat down with the head of Samsung South & Southern Africa mobile business Justin Hume ahead of the launch of the new Galaxy S22 range.
They discuss the integration of the Note into the Galaxy S range with the S22 Ultra and the upgrades and features of the new mobile flagship. In addition to creating a device with dashing good looks, Samsung's increased its focus on security at the hardware level. Justin explains how Samsung builds devices that solve real human problems.
Brett and Duncan are joined by Michael Chang, marketing manager of MSI South Africa, to discuss the state of the gaming industry. They talk about the growth of the industry and where it's headed. This is how MSI will make it easier for gamers and non-gamers alike to explore the metaverse.
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Stuff's publisher and editor-in-chief Toby Shapshak is joined by Mweb's managing director Manelisa Mavuso and Head of Connectivity Derrick Kaylor following Microsoft's recent acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
The $68 billion deal is one of the largest the gaming industry has ever seen and, when it is final, will make Microsoft Gaming the third largest gaming company in terms of revenue. Shapshak, Mavuso and Kaylor discuss what this means for SA gamers, the role Mweb plays in the local gaming industry and what the shift to cloud gaming will look like.
Join Brett and Marce in audio as they discuss the week's tech headlines -- South African and global.
This week we speak to Prateek Kewalramani, Head of Marketing of Fitbit/Google Middle East and Africa about the brand's new Fitbit Charge 5 fitness tracker. We unpack how fitness trackers are helping humans navigate health in a pandemic.
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Join Brett and Marce in audio as they discuss the week's tech headlines -- South African and global. The topics include:
The recent major focus on NFTs, the blockchain, the metaverse, and how it all affects consumers. Should you care?
Join Brett and Marce in audio as they discuss the week's tech headlines -- South African and global. The topics include:
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This year in tech 2021 version
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The best and worst devices this year
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What to expect in tech 2022
Join Brett and Marce in audio as they discuss the week's tech headlines -- South African and global. The topics include:
Budget- to mid-range phones in South Africa. What spec to expect, and what data they actually collect.
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Huawei Nova 9
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Poco X3 Pro
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Honor 50
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Vivo Y33s
Join Brett and Marce in audio as they discuss the week's tech headlines -- South African and global. The topics include:
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Black Friday in South Africa: The survival guide
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Asus ZenBook OLED review
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MSI Summit E16 Flip review
Join Brett and Marce in audio as they discuss the week's tech headlines -- South African and global. The topics include:
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Boston Dynamics' Spot in South Africa and how robots will change the way we work.
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Hades review
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TCL P615 4K 55in first look
Join Brett and Marce in audio as they discuss the week's tech headlines -- South African and global. The topics include:
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How Eskom's failing South Africans
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Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic review
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Crosscall Core X4 review
Join Brett and Marce in audio as they discuss the week's tech headlines -- South African and global. The topics include:
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Facebook, ahem... Meta and its Metaverse
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Sonos Beam Gen 2 review
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Jabra Elite 3 review
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Ride-hailing apps in South Africa
Join Brett and Marce in audio as they discuss the week's tech headlines -- South African and global. The topics include:
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Blue Origin space station, Orbital Reef and how it's coming along.
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Load shedding Stage 4 and how to survive it with our help.
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Netflix price increase -- the first one in South Africa. Here's how it compares to other services.
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Xiaomi launches 11T Pro in South Africa for R14,000.
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Trump’s social media platform -- a deep dive into TRUTH Social and what it means for the social media landscape.
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Featured devices: Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 and the Fitbit Charge 5.
Fintech app Shyft won a prestigious innovation award from global banking organisation Efma in Barcelona in 2016 before it even launched. The innovative forex app – which was the first to offer virtual credit cards in South Africa, about five years before they became mainstream – has grown significantly, adding investment.
Having won a stream of awards – including a Stuff App Award – its head Arno von Helden tells Stuff Studio's editor-in-chief Toby Shapshak how it is planning to Shyft digital banking. Read more on Stuff Studios.
Akshay Chopra, Visa's head of Innovation & Design for Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (CEMEA), talks to Stuff Studios editor-in-chief Toby Shapshak about the innovative ways Visa is working on financial inclusion and transacting. Read more on Stuff
Aldo Laubscher, Visa South Africa country manager, tells Stuff Studios editor-in-chief Toby Shapshak that despite Covid and its effects, the last two years have accelerated digitisation and digital ways of paying. Visa found that 51% of over-50s in the country used ecommerce for the first time. Visa, which has 3,3bn card credentials and processes 65,000 to 70,0000 transactions per second, is looking at “credentials” instead of cards. Or, as Laubscher calls it, it is “plastic with a digital feel”. Read more on Stuff Studios.
Andre de Ruyter is the most important businessman in South Africa today. If the Eskom CEO can’t deal with its debt, its notorious inefficiency and the load-shedding problems, the whole country will suffer. And an explosion in Medupi this week. Stuff editor-in-chief Toby Shapshak is more interested in how De Ruyter plans to turn Eskom into a modern power utility. And yes, solar is in the mix.
Stuff's editor-in-chief Toby Shapshak is joined by Samsung South Africa's Justin Hume following the launch of the South Korean brand's newly established Z-range.
On 11 August 2021, Samsung revealed the latest in its smartphone lineup, and this time it's all about unfolding greatness. On the larger side, the Galaxy Fold3 5G features speedy 120Hz displays (inside and out) as well as an improved UI aimed at bringing a brilliant experience all-round. Then there's the Galaxy Flip3 5G -- a handset developed with the creator in mind.
How will South Africans adapt to the 'new-new' mobile format? #sponsored
Stuff's publisher Toby Shapshak talks to Stephen Van Coller CEO of EOH.
News broke that EOH has sued its former co-founder and several senior execs for a combined R6.4B.
They talk about EOH holding former execs accountable to avoid being blacklisted, try to return credibility and restore public trust.
Join Stuff Magazine's Toby Shapshak, South Africa's voice on technology, as he continues his series of how the world of work is evolving. Toby unpacks exactly how technology has changed the way we work and how to best prepare your kids to adapt to this rapidly changing global landscape in association with Vox Telecoms and CURRO.
For more from Stuff Magazine, head on over to our website where you can find the latest and hottest tech news. Or you can follow us on Twitter and Facebook!
Join Stuff Magazine's Toby Shapshak, South Africa's voice on technology, as he begins his series of how the world of work is evolving. Toby unpacks exactly how technology has changed the way we work and how to best prepare your kids to adapt to this rapidly changing global landscape.
For more from Stuff Magazine, head on over to our website where you can find the latest and hottest tech news. Or you can follow us on Twitter and Facebook!
Toby Shapshak is a man who knows the value of online security and privacy. So who better to discuss these topics with than Kevin Mitchell, CIO of FNB who just so happens to specialise in online security. Learn more about how to keep yourself safe online using the methods at your disposal. If you're looking to keep yourself a little safer on this crazy thing called the internet, then this is what you need to listen to!
We try a new format and allow Toby to talk as much as he wants in this episode of Stuffed. Join us as we unpack the mystifying SARS web browser that's been built just to run flash, Google threatening to leave Australia and what's happening with that ANC district councilor that's been spreading COVID-19/5G conspiracy theories.
In this week's episode, we delve into WhatsApp's controversial privacy policy change and discuss alternate messaging apps that don't send your data off to Facebook.
Stuff's editor-in-chief Toby Shapshak and writer Brad Lang sit down to discuss this week's headlining tech news. Find out how Facebook's lawsuit will affect the world, how SpaceX is absolutely dominating our skies and what tripods we love.
Stuff Magazine's Toby Shapshak and Brad Lang sit down to talk about the recent Slack acquisition, MTN's excellent decision to support eSIMs and why Manfrotto makes the best tripods.
Stuff Magazine's Toby Shapshak and Brad Lang talk about the latest in tech news. Talking points include Donald Trump on Twitter, delivery apps in South Africa, Google's Task Mate and Nintendo's new Game and Watch.
It's the first StuffPlays StuffCast fam! Brad and Marce discuss recent events in the gaming and sports scene in a podcast that was supposed to be a video but turned out to just be audio. Enjoy!
Stuff's Toby Shapshak talks to Vivo South Africa's Hawa Hyath about the fast-paced network growth of 5G in the country. Vivo only recently entered South Africa, but it's already planning to bring more 5G-capable devices to consumers throughout 2020.
Open-source software has evolved to be integrated into every part of our lives. Even if we don't necessarily know it. Proprietary software will likely become almost redundant as we move into cloud-accessible open-source options. Toby Shapshak speaks to Red Hat's Lee Miles to delve into more accessible software.
Toby Shapshak recently spoke to Uber's Rachel Holt, who leads Uber’s New Mobility organisation, which includes JUMP and all efforts across bikes, scooters, transit, hourly rentals, and more. Uber is more than just a taxi service these days -- although we haven't seen far more than cars in SA.
Toby Shapshak chats to key players in SA's solar energy industry, like Mike Peo who is the head of infrastructure and telecoms at Nedbank, along with the team at Eldo Energy. They went from making solar panels to managing the infrastructure related to the solar market. A market that has been growing rapidly in South Africa due to... obvious reasons. Increasingly, South Africans are looking for alternative energy sources, so let's hear what the experts suggest.
Technology has made what was once the domain of the professional available to the normal person. The Galaxy-range brings pro-features to the public, who can decide how they'll use these features to create content. Toby Shapshak speaks to Samsung South Africa's Justin Hume about the actual Power of 10, ten years after the creation of the Galaxy.
Toby Shapshak speaks to Minister of Communications Stella Ndabeni about the development of digital skills in our country. The government has partnered with a US online education platform to bring important skills to South Africans at a fraction of the cost. The ministry has also managed to zero-rate the platform with mobile operators in the country, so accessing courses won’t require any mobile data.
There are more than a few new startups in South Africa that are shaking up the status quo. Two of these, the data-only Rain network and Bank Zero both appeared at a point where other players in the industry were struggling to innovate. Another thing both have in common is that former CEO of FNB, Michael Jordaan is at the helm of them. Here's what he thinks about tech in Africa.
There are more than a few new startups in South Africa that are shaking up the status quo. Two of these, the data-only Rain network and Bank Zero both appeared at a point where other players in the industry were struggling to innovate. Another thing both have in common is that former CEO of FNB, Michael Jordaan is at the helm of them. Here's what he thinks about tech in Africa.
Toby Shapshak speaks to Max Cuvellier from the GSMA mobile development division. The programme is developing access to mobile in Africa by establishing tech hubs across the continent. They touch on relevant topics like the role women play in connected Africa, how communities can contribute and the rise of IoT accessibility in Africa as a whole.
What happens when you need a smartphone but can't afford it? Toby speaks to the marketing director at Kai OS Tim Metz to discuss feature phones that can run selected smartphone apps. Kai OS is an operating system that is very light and effective in how it uses power, which is perfect for feature phones.
A notable phone that runs Kai OS is the MTN Super S that costs a mere R300. Nokia has also launched phones that run Kai OS.
Samsung's Justin Hume joins Toby Shapshak to discuss the Samsung Galaxy Note 10's features in even more detail. How did Samsung manage to create a smartphone segment with the Note, and develop it into the great product it is today. We look into its note-taking flex, the brilliant camera features, Dex desktop features and the handy stylus distance-control capabilities.
Stuff has a chat with Canon South Africa's Roger Machin and Abri Kriegler about its two brand new cameras, the EOS 90D and the EOS M6 Mark II. Both are very similar in spec, but different in size and profession.
Find out more about these two brilliant devices, when you can buy them and what to look out for when choosing a lens.
This time around, you'll hear two new voices on the Stuffed Podcast in the shapes of Brett Venter and Marce Bester.
This week we look into the intricacies of hosting a tech keynote, in this case, Apple. Then we discuss the viability of having your WhatsApp hacked, as we saw happen to a high profile South African recently, and look into the different options Huawei may have to get Google apps on its Mate 30-range of handsets.
This is not a drill. But this is Craig Wilson's last instalment of the Stuffed podcast series. This time around, Toby Shapshak joins the ex-Stuff-editor to discuss the growth of the fake meat industry and the effect it has on the environment, they look into a few of the highlights of the forthcoming Samsung Note 10 that launches this week, and discuss the wonderful noise-cancelling capabilities of Sony's WF-1000XM3 wireless earbuds.
Stuff's Toby Shapshak sits down with Samsung South Africa's Justin Hume to discuss the plethora of new features on the company's latest flagship, the Galaxy Note 10.
We talk to Jaguar South Africa's Izak Louw and Brian Hastie about the new Jaguar Land Rover Experience facility in Johannesburg, the decision to launch the all-electric I-Pace in the South African market, the challenges EVs face in South Africa, and how to get both government and consumers excited about the unique advantages of electric vehicles.
This interview with author Neil Gaiman and Stuff editor Craig Wilson was recorded at a noisy coffee shop in Cape Town, South Africa, in February 2018, as filming of Good Omens was drawing to a close.
You can find a full transcript at https://stuff.co.za/stuffed-ep-21-neil-gaiman-exclusive-interview-on-making-good-omens-into-great-tv-keeping-promises-to-terry-pratchett-and-honouring-fat-aziraphales
Samsung South Africa's product manager for visual displays, Nivash Ramsern, talks to Stuff's editor Craig Wilson about the company's latest 8K QLED TVs, why it's not too soon for 8K (even if there's limited native content for it), Samsung's proprietary TV technology, what's coming next, why 3D deserved to die... and the difference it makes watching Game of Thrones on a good TV.
Mike Fortin, corporate vice president at Microsoft and the lead in the newly established Africa Development Centre in Nairobi, sits down with Stuff editor-in-chief Toby Shapshak to talk about the company's $100 million investment in Kenya and Nigeria that will see it training 100 (and eventually 500) engineers with the sort of skills that'll enable to them to face the challenges of the fourth industrial revolution head-on.
Stuff's Toby Shapshak and Craig Wilson consider Samsung's disastrous week of failing Galaxy Fold review units, discuss whether there's room for vertical TVs in the home, marvel at Spotify's latest user numbers, and feel a swelling of pride in the chest at the news South African-founded podcast company Pippa has been acquired by Acast.
Stuff editor Craig Wilson sits down with Roger Machin, professional product manager at Canon South Africa to talk about the growing selection (and popularity) of mirrorless cameras, how photographer's hardware demands are changing, and what's next for the sector.
Stuff editor-in-chief Toby Shapshak and Stuff editor Craig Wilson settle down in a quiet corner of Stuff HQ to talk about Apple's big services announcement, what Apple News+, Apple Card, Apple Arcade and Apple TV+ mean for the company and consumers, and how Huawei's continuing to display its ambitions of smartphone supremacy with the P30 Pro.
Stuff Magazine's editor Craig Wilson spoke to Samsung Electronics South Africa's CMO, Cambridge Mokanyane, about the challenges of adding support for local languages to digital assistant Bixby, who the company envisions as the ideal buyer for its Samsung Galaxy Fold device (which goes on sale locally on 9 May), and how the company's ensuring its mobile payments ecosystem grows.
Stuff's Toby Shapshak talks to Spotify's MD for Middle East and Africa about the service's first year in South Africa and what's coming next.
Stuff editor-in-chief Toby Shapshak sits down with Justin Hume, director of product and marketing for Samsung Mobile South Africa, to talk about the new S10 range, the Galaxy Fold and what it is that sets Samsung's latest devices apart from the pack.
Toby Shapshak and Craig Wilson discuss rumours Facebook is looking to integrate Messenger with WhatsApp and Instagram messages, the latest leaks concerning Samsung's forthcoming S10 smartphone, Mazda's rollout of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in South Africa and the advent of 'portless' phones.
Toby Shapshak and Craig Wilson consider the biggest technology stories of 2018, including Facebook's massive missteps, Elon Musk's somewhat smaller ones, Huawei's highs (and woes), the Fortnite phenomenon, and what to look forward to in 2019.
Stuff editor Craig Wilson talks to Holger Hampf, the head of BMW Designworks, at the LA Auto Show 2018 about the future of mobility and BMW's Vision iNext, whether the company is leaving it too late to join the all-electric SUV fray, and the challenges of innovating while maintaining BMW's brand identity and respecting its heritage.
Major General Charles Bolden is a former astronaut, fighter pilot and NASA administrator. He sat down with Stuff magazine publisher and editor-in-chief Toby Shapshak and Stuff editor Craig Wilson to talk about his illustrious and varied career, how seeing the earth from space changed the way he thinks about it, and how bicycles might be more dangerous than space shuttles.
Do you know what the Android Enterprise Recommended programme is? No? Neither did we. Which is why we got Patrick Henchie, head of product and operations for sub-Saharan Africa at HMD Global, to come into the studio and talk us through it.
We also talked about Nokia's return to the minds (and pockets) of consumers, why Android One membership matters, and the place for Nokia phones in a world where R30,000 handsets aren't unusual.
Stuff magazine's Toby Shapshak and Craig Wilson talk about CES 2018, Michael Jordaan's new banking venture, Bank Zero, Facebook's plans to bring personal posts to the forefront once more and Nintendo's Labo project.
Stuff magazine's Toby Shapshak and Craig Wilson discuss the largest data breach to hit South Africa, the vulnerabilities discovered in the WPA2 Wi-Fi protocol, and the Ford Motor Company's robotic bottom for testing the longevity of its carseats.
Stuff magazine's Toby Shapshak and Craig Wilson sit down to talk about the confusing array of tech available for babies (and their sleep-deprived parents), ransomware attacks, Uber's latest woes and Facebook reaching and breaching the 2bn-user milestone.
Stuff magazine's Craig Wilson and Toby Shapshak talk about phablet-pioneer Samsung's upcoming phone launch and the recent SxSW festival Toby attended in Austin, Texas. Then they consider whether or not there's space for smart features in the luxury watch market, and talk about how Nintendo's Switch has fared in the weeks since it launched.
Stuff magazine's Toby Shapshak and Craig Wilson talk about Mobile World Congress in Barcelona and the various handsets and other gadgets that were unveiled, including Nokia's headline-grabbing 3310, Motorola's impressive plans for its mods, and what makes for a smartwatch they might actually want to own.
In the second episode of Stuffed, Stuff magazine's Toby Shapshak and Craig Wilson talk about Lego's new social network for whippersnappers, an AI beating a human at poker, the inherent fun/dorkery of Ninebot’s MiniPro, and the virtues of weighing ones gadgets.
Stuff publisher and editor-in-chief Toby Shapshak and Stuff editor Craig Wilson reflect on CES 2017, talk about mobile operator Vodacom's new zero-rated Facebook Flex service, consider Nintendo's renewed vigour, and reminisce about TVs that required four humans to carry them.