These are the articles, videos and more that caught the attention of TechCentral’s editorial team in the past 24 hours.
- How WhatsApp ate the world: WhatsApp, now with two billion daily users, is evolving from a messaging app into an “everything app” under Meta. It powers business messaging, payments and AI tools globally, particularly in India and Brazil. Meta monetises via paid messaging, ads and AI-driven business tools, balancing growth with user privacy. Critics warn against overloading the app, which would risk its simplicity and appeal. Read more on Rest of World. DM
- Severance – season 2 official trailer: If you haven’t seen season 1 of this Apple TV+ series, you are seriously missing out. In Severance, Mark Scout (Adam Scott) leads a team at Lumon Industries, whose employees have undergone a severance procedure, which surgically divides their memories between their work and personal lives. This daring experiment in “work-life balance” is called into question as Mark finds himself at the centre of an unravelling mystery that will force him to confront the true nature of his work … and of himself. Watch the trailer on YouTube. DM
- Google Deepmind’s new weather forecaster blows away the competition: Google DeepMind’s AI tool, GenCast, outperforms traditional weather models 97% of the time for up to 15-day forecasts. It uses machine learning, trained on decades of data, to generate faster and more accurate predictions, aiding extreme weather preparedness. While not replacing traditional systems, AI enhances forecasting through hybrid approaches combining AI, physics and human assessment. Read more on The Next Web. DM
- Google CEO: AI development is finally slowing down — ‘the low-hanging fruit is gone’: Generative artificial intelligence probably won’t change your life in 2025 — at least, not more than it already has, according to Google CEO Sundar Pichai. Read more on CNBC. TS
- ‘It explains why our ability to focus has gone to hell’: Screens are assaulting our Stone Age brains with more information than we can handle: We often joke that our attention spans have dropped significantly in recent years with the rise of digital technologies and screen-centric entertainment, but there is sound science to back up this observation. In fact, a shorter attention span is simply one side effect of a recent explosion of screen distractions. More on Live Science. TS
- Nightclub stickers over smartphone rule divides the dancefloor: Privacy rules in public spaces is hotly debated topic, riddled with complexity. Nightclubs in England are now following trends of party cities like Berlin where all cellphones in the venue must be covered with a sticker, stopping guests from taking videos. Some agree with move, citing privacy concerns, while others believe the lack of Instagram videos of a venue will kill the free advertising that drives a lot of traffic to these clubs. Read more on BBC News. NN
- How AI is revolutionising science: AI is supercharging scientific research, helping compute previously intractable problems with ease. Some even predict AI could spark a new golden age of scientific discovery. Watch the video by The Economist on YouTube. NN
Top stories on TechCentral in the past 72 hours:
- SABC crisis: what’s next for South Africa’s troubled public broadcaster?
- Make or break time for the South African Post Office
- How Lisa Su built AMD into a chip powerhouse
- MPs send Icasa council shortlist to Malatsi
- Amid solar PV glut, China turns to the Opec model
Bookmarks is a daily feature on TechCentral and published Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays.
