Category: Gadgets & Apps
Of the TV remote charged by WiFi signals and other long distance wireless charging devices
Back in 2021 Samsung released some impressive QLED TVs. However, the TV remote controls that came with those TVs kind of stole the show. Those remotes had little solar panels on the back and lacked a slot for the removable AAA batteries we are used to. Instead, they had rechargeable batteries that could be charged […]
Google’s Home Mini ruined my life
Roughly six months ago I bought a Google Home Mini just to see what kind of utility this device would bring. A lot of people I know said that they can’t do without theirs so I tried it out and from my initial review, it wasn’t too bad. As the months wore on I began […]
I walked 2 489Km in 2021!
That is an average of 7.45Km a day. 223Km a month. An inside joke at Techzim states that I am the resident road runner and obviously that comes with a shoe bill worth some hefty chest pains.
OnePlus 10 Pro launching 11 Jan packs killer specs, so-so software
We’re still in the first week of 2022 but the gadget releases we have gotten already give us hope for the year. Technologically speaking, 2022 looks set to be a good year already. OnePlus is looking to get into the conversation early on, going against tradition and releasing their latest flagship smartphone on 11 January. […]
Huawei Watch GT2 Major software update. All the new features!
Welcome to 2022 everyone and it’s new year new software update for the Huawei watch GT2. It just got a very major update that’s brought in a collection of visual and functional improvements
Tecno Camon 18 Premier Review. Best midrange phone of 2021!
The Camon 18 Premier is probably the most important smartphone Tecno has made since the Phantom 6 Plus. Tecno is all grown up. This Camon 18 Premier has a mature sophistication about it which, and dare I say, warrants the cheeky jab Tecno took at Samsung. This is the Tecno Camon 18 Premier and it’s as exciting as the Premier League.
iPhone gaining popularity in Zimbabwe, can’t be ignored anymore
The iPhone is a wildly popular smartphone. The iPhone has been the best selling flagship smartphone for years and is Apple’s chief revenue generating product. However, most of that success comes from their home country and a few other key markets. Here in Africa, they have not been nearly as successful. However, it seems Zimbabweans […]
It is real, the document where Mthuli Ncube proposes US$50 duty on every new phone and increases withholding tax
On the 25th of November, the Minister of Finance, Dr Mthuli Ncube released the national budget for 2022. There weren’t many surprises and it all read like we expected. As a result, this budget did not attract much conversation and didn’t even trend on Twitter. However, one little snippet of a new tax did manage […]
Android 10 still most popular (in Zim too,) even as Android 12 is rolling out
Zimbabwe, like all of Africa, is Android country. Just over 85% of the mobile devices in the country run Google’s Android operating system. That is no surprise, Android is great. It is also helped by the fact that there are many options, at every single price point. Whatever your budget, there is an Android phone […]
Sharing specific highlights from web pages and tab search now awesome in Chrome
There is a fresh update to the Google Chrome browser and this is one you might want to get sooner rather than later. I understand the reluctance to update, we have lost features to updates before but in this case we gain a few good ones. Do not panic if the update is not yet […]
Apple will now let you repair your own device? What alternate timeline is this?
And here I thought 2020 was a weird year what with the pandemic and reports of something new and unheard of every week. Well, to be fair 2021 hasn’t been all that bad generally or maybe I am desensitized to the stuff that rumbles through the news cycle. However, this took me completely by surprise […]
Tecno Pova 2 review. Big battery & features
A 7000mAh battery in a smartphone. And as you may have guessed, it’s a thick one. It’s the Tecno Pova 2 and the insane battery is just the beginning. You can watch the video and it’s amazing angles in the link below Exterior Yeah this is a massive slab of phone. The display is a […]
OneDrive will stop syncing files for users on Windows 7 & 8 in March 2022
Users who are still using Windows 7, 8 and 8.1 will no longer be able to sync files automatically with OneDrive starting from March next year. In order to focus resources on new technologies and operating systems, and to provide users with the most up-to-date and secure experience, beginning January 1, 2022, updates will no […]
New tech to be excited about: iPhone 13 and Fold 3, Flip 3
We closed out October and what a month it was for us tech lovers. Device manufacturers were scrambling to get their wares out in time for the festive season. So, we got treated to some sweet devices and tasty technologies. Over here in Zimbabwe, we don’t buy nearly enough to be a focus for these […]
Zoom to start showing ads to users on the free plan
Zoom will, in a limited test, start rolling out ads to users on the Free Basic plan. This move is hardly surprising after Zoom’s astronomical rise in 2020, the platform is now the by-word for video conferencing beating out staples like Skype and ads are now almost run of the mill whenever a big platform […]
After Techtober, new and exciting tech: Android 12, Pixel and Tensor
We closed out October and what a month it was for us tech lovers, hence Techtober. Device manufacturers were scrambling to get their wares out in time for the festive season. So, we got treated to some sweet devices and tasty technologies. Over here in Zimbabwe, we don’t buy nearly enough to be a focus […]
Ixar, a local startup that aspires to manufacture its own devices
We had the pleasure of popping by Ixar Technologies, a local startup that repairs smartphones and other devices. Ixar also offers lessons to anyone who wants to become a technician not only in Zimbabwe but in Zambia too. We spoke to the company’s founder Tinofara Mutovongi to hear what they have been up to and […]
Facebook sues hacker who scraped the data of 178 million users
On Friday Facebook filed a lawsuit against Ukrainian national Alexander Alexandrovich Solonchenko on allegations that he scraped the data of 174 million users. The hack/scrap according to a report by The Record was done by abusing Facebook Messenger’s called Contact Import. The feature basically allows users to synchronize their mobile phone contacts with Messenger to […]
Altar, a platform for homegrown Christian content
Churches have had to adapt to the pressures of the pandemic much like every other community in the world. We have seen many congregations move services online either in Zoom meetings or on Facebook and YouTube live streams. Even though restrictions have been relaxed the utility of online platforms has remained and a local SA-based […]
Local startup now allows you to register a domain on WhatsApp
Late last month we reported on a local startup called Resellme that was opening the domain registration and web hosting game to anyone who felt those services aligned with their core product offering. So for instance a digital marketing company could become a Resellme agent and offer a full website service package with Resellme dealing […]
Apple retakes second spot from Xiaomi but overall device shipments fell by 6%
Xiaomi pulled quite the upset in Q2 2021, the Chinese smartphone maker was able to leapfrog American powerhouse Apple in terms of device shipments. Well, according to a new report by Canalys the roles have been reversed because Apple has reclaimed its second spot behind Samsung in Q3, 2021. Q3 2021 Q2 2021 Samsung 23% […]
Samsung failing to meet demand for foldable smartphones
Mark this year as the year of the foldables. Back in August Samsung released the third iterations of its foldable phones, turns out third time’s the charm. People seem to like this year’s releases and the sales figures are reflecting that. The two smartphones they released this year are the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and […]
Huawei Freebuds Studio review. Absolute value!
Huawei is building its ecosystem of products and services and recently they released their first ever premium wireless headphones. These are supposed to battle it out with the likes of the Sony WH-1000XM4s, the Bose NC700s and Apple’s Airpods Max. So are these US$268 headphones worth it?
Adobe’s PDF Editor is finally available as a Chrome extension
Dealing with PDFs can be a hassle sometimes especially if you want to make a quick correction or copy text. The established way of doing it was by downloading the document and then opening Adobe’s Acrobat to make the amendment. Well, it looks like after what seems like an age, calls for this feature (and […]
Facing challenges with CBZ Touch? You’re not alone
It is Customer Service Week 2021 and we need to take time to appreciate customer service personnel. They have a mostly thankless task, so today we take time to say thanks. With that done. We have a bone to chew with CBZ and the customer service staff are going to have to accept the legal […]
Local startup set to launch digital COVID-19 vaccination passport in November
Despite the QR code upgrade made to the COVID-19 vaccination cards, there has yet to be a digital version of the document. This is also compounded by the problem that we also don’t have a digital contact tracing platform. Well, a local startup called Hiclicker is looking to change that as it has announced that […]
ZSE Direct now has a mobile app
The Zimbabwe Stock Exchange (ZSE) has announced that it has launched an app for its online “Direct” trading platform. Introducing the ZSE Direct Mobile App It has been one year since we launched the web based version of ZSE Direct, an online trading platform that enables retail investors a smart way to manage their ZSE […]
58.8% of Zim households have a smartphone – ZimStat
The Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZimStat) in conjunction with the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ), today presented the 2020 ICT Access by households and individuals. The findings were gathered through a survey of 10,325 households both rural and urban. From that sample, ZimStat was able to get a 90% response rate, so […]
The EU must go after the broken Android ecosystem next
There is no denying it, the Android ecosystem is completely and well broken. Without external help, it’s doubtful that Google and the Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) in charge of the Android project will ever get it fixed. I am talking about the issue of updates and patches. Right now everyone does pretty much what they […]
Ubuntu releases another version of 18.04 & extends support for two previous versions
The first time Ubuntu 18.04, Bionic Beaver, was released was back in 2018 as the numbers in the name suggest. Recently, however, Canonical, the company behind Ubuntu were forced to release another version of the operating system specifically version 18.04.6 This is just not any other update it’s actually a “new version” that was necessitated […]