Independent digital publication exploring the intersection of technology and everyday life through a distinctly South African lens. The magazine covers practical smart home automation, DIY electronics projects, retro computing, local maker culture, and honest reviews of affordable tech gadgets available in South Africa. Editorial content focuses on troubleshooting common tech problems, building simple sensors, understanding internet safety basics, and celebrating the quirky side of the digital world. Each issue features step-by-step tutorials, community spotlights, and commentary on how technology shapes modern living spaces. Subscribe for a fresh perspective on tech culture that is approachable, useful, and genuinely fun.
New issue drops every first Friday
5 DIY projects inside
Built in Johannesburg, read everywhere
Fresh posts on smart home tinkering, retro machines, and the digital oddities we love.
We sat down to map out the next few issues and ended up debating which projects actually deserve the page space. This post walks through the shortlist — the sensor builds, the retro restorations, and the safety guides that made the cut — and why we dropped a few others. It's a behind-the-scenes look at how the editorial calendar takes shape, with a few honest notes on what didn't work in past issues.
I spent the first week running a basic Home Assistant setup on an old laptop, and the experience was rougher than the YouTube tutorials suggest. This post covers the real tradeoffs: which integrations worked out of the box, which needed fiddling, and where the documentation let me down. If you're thinking about starting your own smart home journey, this is the honest version of what that first week actually looks like.
Three months after our first look at the ESP32-based weather station kit, we went back to see how it held up. The firmware updates fixed some quirks, but the real surprises came from the sensor accuracy over time and how the community had built better enclosures. This follow-up covers what we'd do differently, which parts we'd swap, and whether the whole project is still worth recommending to beginners.
Next issue drops soon
Why SatBug works
Step-by-step troubleshooting guides for common smart home and gadget problems, written for real South African households.
No jargon, just clear fixesDIY sensor projects and automation ideas using parts from local stores like Communica or Takealot, not imported luxury kits.
Build it for less than a pizzaPlain-language internet safety tips that help you spot phishing scams and protect your family's data without a tech degree.
Real scams, real defencesCelebrating the Commodore 64 and other vintage machines, with restoration tips and local maker meetup coverage.
Old tech, new tricksCommunity spotlights and honest reviews of affordable tech gadgets available in South Africa, tested by people like you.
Reviewed locally, not overseasEditorial commentary on the quirky side of digital life, written with a distinctly South African sense of humour.
Tech culture without the boreHand-picked guides and builds from the latest issue — no filler, just useful projects.