These are the articles, videos and more that caught the attention of TechCentral’s editorial team in the past 24 hours.
- Eskom agrees to suspend plan to cut Joburg’s power: Eskom will no longer go ahead with a plan to cut electricity supply to the City of Johannesburg following the urgent intervention of energy minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa. Eskom had threatened to cut supply over a R4.9-billion debt. Read more on TimesLive and News24. DM
- A Maziv blow: The Competition Tribunal blocked Vodacom’s bid to acquire Maziv, Vumatel’s parent company, halting potential affordable township internet expansion. Supporters argue the merger would bring essential investment in fibre, benefiting underserved areas, while critics claim it could stifle competition, inflate prices and favour large corporations. Read more on Currency (soft paywall). DM
- Hologram in Amsterdam window aims to solve sex worker’s cold case murder: Advancements such as fingerprint analysis and DNA profiling took crime scene analysis to higher levels, allowing law enforcement to solve cases that were previously intractable. Now, hologram technology is helping recreate crimes to give investigators a realistic view of what really happened. Read more on BBC News. NN
- Apple is finally letting green bubbles send message reactions: Android users sending messages to Apple iMessage users will now have their text, reactions and animations behave as they should. Apple after years of resistance quietly added support for Google’s RCS messaging standard with September’s iOS18 update. Read more on The Verge. NN
- How ChatGPT brought down an online education giant: AI’s threat to job security is extending beyond the automation of manual or routine jobs. Online education provider Chegg’s stock has dropped 99% since ChatGPT’s launch as students seeking help turn to AI for tutoring. Read more in The Wall Street Journal. NN
- Instagram will stop refreshing right when you open it: Instagram will no longer refresh the feed immediately upon opening the app, addressing a longstanding annoyance. Previously, users would lose sight of interesting content as the feed refreshed instantly. Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri acknowledged the frustration and confirmed the change, promising a better experience by waiting for users to scroll. Read more on Gizmodo. DM
- Eyes on the solar system: This impressive 3D map of our solar system offers a comprehensive view of all its celestial bodies and planets. It not only visualises their locations but also provides fascinating information about each object, including specific dates and distances from other planets and objects. It’s truly captivating and could easily keep anyone engaged for hours as they explore the wonders of our cosmic neighbourhood. Explore it on Nasa’s website. TS
- Apple now sells iPhone 16 and 16 Pro repair parts: Apple has begun selling repair parts for iPhone 16 and 16 Pro phones on its self-service repair store. That includes replacements for commonly damaged parts like cameras, displays and back glass and follows the release of official Apple iPhone 16 repair manuals in September. More on The Verge. TS
Top stories on TechCentral in the past 24 hours:
- Smart tech can be a magic fix for South Africa’s energy crisis
- Solly Malatsi withdraws contentious SABC Bill
- Withdrawal of bill puts SABC at risk of collapse: Diko
- The extraordinary rise of Chinese car brand BYD
- Bitcoin breaks $81 000 on Trump mania
Bookmarks is a daily feature on TechCentral and published Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays.