Brendyn Lotz

Writer and Journalist at Htxt.Africa

South African tech journo at Hypertext covering a wide range of topics.

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Articles

Duxbury begs installers to ground networking gear properly

1 week ago | htxt.co.za | Brendyn Lotz

Duxbury Networking urges installers to follow the correct grounding and safety protocols when installing switches. Incorrect grounding can lead to damage caused by surges, especially during thunderstorms or if the grid is unstable. Duxbury will soon include grounding cables in its DuxNet switches. Technical services provider Duxbury Networking has called on local installers and network integrations to properly ground installations.
Eskom calls on experienced businesses to help it set up a renewable energy business

1 week ago | htxt.co.za | Brendyn Lotz

Eskom is calling on firms with experience in the renewable energy sector to assist it in establishing a renewable energy business. This as Eskom moves to incorporate renewable energy more seriously into its energy mix. Tender submissions are open until 7th May. Do you have experience establishing and running a renewable energy business? Well then Eskom needs you.
The dirty secret most South Africans are hiding from each other

1 week ago | htxt.co.za | Brendyn Lotz

There is meant to be a VAT increase coming in a few weeks and while rumours swirl about its potential demise, businesses are preparing for price increases on 1st May. This is bad news for South Africans who are some of the most indebted people in the world, and especially for what Jem, an HR services firm, dubs deskless workers. These are folks who work the tills at your supermarket, maintenance staff and factory workers among others.
MTN made its own version of RCS

1 week ago | htxt.co.za | Brendyn Lotz

MTN has introduced VideoSMS which is similar to RCS and MMS. VideoSMS allows businesses to send messages with videos of up to 2MB natively to an SMS app. It seems MTN hopes VideoSMS will be used instead of other technologies alongside its Ads platform. Apple’s iMessage set an industry standard that it took years for the likes of Google to recreate with what it called Rich Communication Services (RCS).
Bungie reveals gameplay for its new extraction shooter Marathon

1 week ago | htxt.co.za | Brendyn Lotz

Bungie revealed gameplay for Marathon at the weekend. The game will be an extraction shooter set in the universe Bungie established decades ago in the original game. Early impressions are positive but tentative about Bungie’s direction with the game given it’s releasing in five months. At the weekend Bungie gave us a proper look at its next game, or erm, a remake that will be its next game – Marathon. The first person shooter was originally a trilogy for Mac that launched in 1994.
On again, off again: Trump's tariffs paused from some electronics

1 week ago | htxt.co.za | Brendyn Lotz

On Friday the Trump administration decided that semiconductors and other electronic components were exempt from reciprocal tariffs imposed on China. That exemption will be short lived as the White House readies tariffs for that product category to be released later this week. Trump’s on again, off again moves with tariffs are causing turmoil in the market and shaking investor confidence in the country.
The US China trade war is just getting started

1 week ago | htxt.co.za | Brendyn Lotz |Thomas Breher

The US increased its tariffs on Chinese goods to 145 percent while China imposed a 125 percent tariff on US goods. This is however, just the start of what could become a long, protracted trade war between the two economic super powers. The high number of Chinese retailers on Amazon could kneecap the US marketplace given around half of the retailers on the platform are Chinese. The US and China have started a game of Top Trumps in which each country raises tariffs as the other raises them.
HBO announces The Last of Us S3 before the second season even airs

1 week ago | htxt.co.za | Brendyn Lotz

The Last of Us Season two arrives next week, but HBO has already announced that there will be a third season of the series. This suggests that HBO has split the second game into more parts to squeeze more value from the property. South Africans can watch the show online via Showmax from Monday onward. The Last of Us season two arrives next week, but before it has even hit streaming, a third season has been confirmed.
Microsoft begins tentative rollout of Recall for Windows 11 Insiders

1 week ago | htxt.co.za | Brendyn Lotz

After several delays, Microsoft is rolling out Recall access to Windows 11 Insiders. The rollout will be gradual so some Insiders may not see the feature at all. Recall is available exclusively for Copilot+PCs that meet a laundry list of system requirements. Do you remember Recall? That was the feature Microsoft announced last year that claimed to be able to help you find anything you’ve done on your PC by recording everything you do on your device.
The unlikely ally RTMC has called on to prevent Easter carnage on the roads

1 week ago | htxt.co.za | Brendyn Lotz

The Road Traffic Management Corporation has called on religious leaders to work road safety into their sermons ahead of and on Easter weekend. This as Easter is often a time where religious South Africans participate in pilgrimages and many are on the roads heading on holiday. Last year saw road deaths rise sharply over Easter weekend and every effort is needed to reduce these incidents.