Hope you all had a good start to 2025! It’s been crazy busy; after getting back from holiday, I went straight into deadlines. Hence my first post this week!
We can’t ignore the TikTok saga currently taking place, with things moving real fast. I was a guest on SAfm last night on the Market Update with Moneyweb, hosted by Jimmy Moyaha discussing TikTok. You can catch the first of my new on-going segment here.
CES Las Vegas took place earlier this month with loads of tech concepts and prototypes showcased, even if it never makes it to production. This event typically sets the tone and trends for the year. You can catch up on the Recharged round-up featuring tech, cars and gaming; or my Forbes Africa one featuring AI breakthroughs along with the weird and wacky.
📞 Talk of the Town: New Phones and Trends
It’s going to be a busy month, with no less than three phones being unveiled. First up is the highly anticipated Vivo X200 Pro flagship phone being launched this evening; followed by Samsung’s global reveal of the S25 Series tomorrow; and then Honor’s new X9c “indestructible” phone next week in Joburg. Are you excited for any of these handsets? Recharged will have updates on all these handsets.
🔋 Watt’s New in the EV space?
As you know, I’m driving the electric Mini Cooper SE over an extended period. I have a post up on Recharged about it, but also made this cool video on how I set-up my Apple Watch as my primary car key! It uses Digital Key Plus with ultra wide-band (Android and iOS supported), which means I don’t have to carry a physical key anymore. It was quite an adjustment.
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🕹️ Gadget Goals: Gear to Geek Out
You’ve heard about a robot vacuum, but what about a robot window cleaner? Solenco South Africa has brought in a first of its kind product to SA, the Hobot S6 Pro that cleans your windows, which operates vertically. I tested it on my sliding doors/windows and also decided to try it on my shower doors. If you’re intrigued about this product, read my full review here.
📲 App-solutely Essential
What I’m using right now on the daily, is an app called FatSecret. I needed to shift weight after my holiday, so I started with Keto for 2 weeks plus a calorie deficit. I lost 3kgs in 2 weeks and now switched to a low carb eating plan. What I love about FatSecret is that it has all the items and calories listed from our local brands, (Checkers, Woolworths, Spar, etc), which makes tracking macros a lot easier. I also linked it to my Health app to measure against the calories I’m burning vs. what I’m consuming to make sure I’m in a deficit.
🔐 Byte Back: Stay Ahead of Cyber Threats
A new trend emerging in the cybersecurity space is browser-based threats. Since we all use browsers, whether on smartphones, tablets, or laptops, we should be on alert. The web browser is gaining popularity over email threats because it can "bypass traditional email filters and security controls”, as per Infosecurity Magazine. Read more here.
🛒 Steals and Tech Deals of the Week
This January, I’m not sharing any links to make you spend more money, especially after the festive period. Perhaps it’s time to start diversifying your savings accounts, if you don’t already have a Tax Free Savings Account. South African individuals are allowed to save a maximum of R36 000 a year (or R3 000 a month) tax-free. The lifetime amount is capped at R500 000, so it should not be removed otherwise you lose out from your total allowance. You should be able to open one with your current bank.
Reads you may want to catch up on:
Till next time,
Nafisa