A Silicon Valley visit, safe PIN codes, and self-driving cars.
Tech Things #9
I’ve just returned from Silicon Valley after attending the first HP Imagine conference where the company announced a bunch of new products. The HP Envy Move caught my eye for its flexible way of working. The desktop has a built-in battery, a carry handle, kickstand legs, and a Bluetooth keyboard with pouch for portability. But best of all, it can be used for working, playing, studying or gaming. Just pick it up and move it anywhere around your home. I also made a Reels video about it here.
The HP Envy Move is yet to be confirmed for the South African market; here’s hoping it reaches our shores. While I was in the US, I had the opportunity to visit the HP Garage, the birthplace of Silicon Valley. It is no longer open to the public but you can check out my photo essay to see what’s inside.
In light of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, I’m sharing how to create a PIN code so safe that you won’t even know what the numbers are. I’ve been doing it for years where I create a PIN based on a word, which corresponds to an alphanumeric keypad; I also do it for passcodes. So I know my PINs as words but for the life of me cannot rattle them out as numbers. One thing to be aware of with this method is if the keypad doesn’t have numbers you have to use your memory. If you’ve been texting for years, that shouldn’t be a problem though, right? There you have it, my top tip for the week!
Ever wondered about a self-driving future and if SA will ever be ready for it? I share my experience driving the electric BMW i7, a semi-autonomous car in California where taking your hands off the steering wheel is legal on certain parts of the interstate highway. Read it in the latest issue of Brainstorm.
I have a review out about a Romoss powerbank I’ve been testing with built-in cables; how nifty is that? You don’t have to pack a cable anymore. The Romoss PHC10 has three cables: USB-C, Lightning, and micro USB. Read my review here.
And finally, I put Melon Mobile’s free eSIM to the test, which claims you “can be up and running within five minutes”. I ordered it on a Sunday, complete with self-RICA from my couch. Here’s how that went.
Till next time,
Nafisa