These are the articles, videos and more that caught the attention of TechCentral’s editorial team in the past 24 hours.
- These are the 10 best Android apps of 2024 – according to Google: Google’s top Android apps of 2024 cover everything from party planning to baby tracking, with tools for fitness, creativity and even making friends. Streaming services like Max and Peacock TV got nods, while UpStudy impressed with smart learning aids. Read more on TechRadar. DM
- Jaguar mystifies with ‘reimagined’ brand identity: Jaguar has ditched its sleek, steely vibe for a “Copy Nothing” rebrand that looks like a high-street fashion campaign that got lost on its way to a car show. With rounded type, cultish photos of models in bold colours and some cryptic buzzwords (“create exuberance”, anyone?), it’s daring, divisive and oddly un-car-like. Bold move, Jaguar, bold move. Read more on Creative Review (soft paywall). DM
- Windows 365 Link is a $349 mini PC that streams Windows from the cloud: Microsoft’s $349 Windows 365 Link mini-PC is the gateway to your cloud-based Windows 11. Fanless, compact and “super hardened”, it’s perfect for businesses already living in the cloud. With plug-and-play simplicity and enough ports to impress, it’s a sleek “thin client” that skips local apps for a secure, fast-streaming virtual machine. Read more on The Verge. DM
- The ISS has been leaking air for five years, and engineers still don’t know why: The ISS has been leaking air like a balloon for five years, and Nasa and Russia can’t agree on why. The culprit? Cracks in the Russian Zvezda module’s transfer tunnel. Despite patching efforts, the leak keeps worsening. It’s a cosmic whodunit that’s testing international teamwork and engineering patience. Read more on Ars Technica. DM
- Trump picks Brendan Carr to lead FCC: US President-elect Donald Trump has picked Brendan Carr to be chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, naming a veteran Republican regulator who has publicly agreed with the incoming administration’s promises to slash regulation, go after Big Tech and punish TV networks for political bias. Read more in The New York Times (soft paywall). DM
- Spotify abused to promote pirated software and game cheats: Spotify playlists and podcasts are being abused to push pirated software, game cheat codes, spam links and “warez” sites. By injecting targeted keywords and links in playlist names and podcast descriptions, threat actors may benefit from boosting SEO for their dubious online properties, since Spotify’s web player results appear in search engines like Google. More on BleepingComputer. TS
- Valve nearly went bankrupt before launching Half-Life 2 and Steam – company saved by a summer intern: In a recent documentary about the creation of Half-Life 2, an interesting story emerged about how Valve nearly went bankrupt before they could launch the game and digital storefront Steam, due to a legal battle with Vivendi. The company was saved by a summer intern who is also largely responsible for the world of PC gaming as we know it today. More on MP1st. TS
- Instagram testing tool that resets all recommended posts: The danger posed by content personalisation algorithms is that a user’s feed over time becomes a mirror of their own thinking instead of an objective reflection of reality. Instagram is now testing a utility that will allow users to reset their personalisation algorithm, allowing them to add new types of content to their feed. Read more on BBC News. NN
Top stories on TechCentral in the past 24 hours:
- Lesaka to buy Recharger in R500-million deal
- Rise in telco fraud threatens digital trust in South Africa
- Huge electricity price hike means lights out for growth
- Matric results for 2024 must be kept private: Info Regulator
- WhatsApp-powered bank card launched in South Africa
Bookmarks is a daily feature on TechCentral and published Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays.
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