A smart ring, secret app and 6 months of EV data
Tech Things #43
I don’t have a degree like my sisters, but I do have a tertiary education. There was a time I let it bother me but as I got older, I owned up to my decisions. When I started my first job, I had to pay back a student loan; I didn’t like the feeling, and knew I didn’t want to live a life of debt. So I closed my clothing accounts in my 20s, and decided to save for the things I want vs. buying on credit.
I didn't know this habit would one day reward me by climbing the ranks on Discovery Bank’s Vitality Money programme. It also rewards me for my tax-free savings account I have on FNB. Little did I know my unconventional ways would lead me to talking about my financial choices with the Queen of the Netherlands, on behalf of Discovery Bank. More about that on Recharged.
📞 Talk of the Town: New Phones and Trends
Google recently previewed Android 16 at its Google I/O 2025 conference. It includes things like design, security features, WearOS and Gemini integration into more devices. You can catch up with those updates here. Google also announced that Gemini Live with camera and screen sharing is now free for Android and iOS users. Previously, I used multimodal AI features on my Ray-Ban Meta with a VPN, but it’s now easier to access on the Gemini app. A TikTok comment aptly described my iPhone demo it as: “Yowser. That’s nuts.”
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🔋 Watt’s New in the EV space?
I recently completed my six-month long-term test with the Mini Cooper SE electric car. You may have been following my updates across my platforms.
I gained a lot of interesting insights, and can share more accurately on consumption figures, charging data, range, costs over long-term, and what paid features I used. Had I been a Cooper SE owner, it would cost R265.42 on average per month to run. I share this and other unique data on Recharged:
🕹️ Gadget Goals: Gear to Geek Out
I’ve been testing the Galaxy Ring for more than a month, and also recently had time to share what that’s been like. I love access to data over long-term, and in the case with the smart ring, it is interesting if you were somewhat curious about it. I still think smart watches offer more functionality, naturally, and are more accurate. Read my review to see how that went:
📲 App-solutely Essential
I recently had videos trending on TikTok about my purchases from that “yellow app” the hush hush one called DHgate. I shopped on it in April to make two test purchases to see what the fuss was about. I bought two “designer” handbags. I wrote a review after receiving the first bag, and subsequently, just posted video on TikTok about the second one. Catch up on the written piece here:
Reads you may want to catch up on:
Till next time,
Nafisa