These are the articles, videos, podcasts and apps that have caught the attention of the TechCentral editorial team in the past 24 hours.
- iPhone 17 Air won’t be the best iPhone, but it will be the future: The iPhone 17 Air, set for release next year, is expected to be the thinnest and lightest iPhone model in the line-up, reports 9to5Mac. It will be positioned as a sleek, mid-tier option between the base iPhone 17 and the more expensive Pro models. While not the most powerful, its design could shape the future of iPhones, in the same way the original MacBook Air influenced laptops. More on 9to5Mac. DM
- The Atlantic is cooling at a mysteriously fast rate after record warmth: For over a year, surface temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean hit new highs, but that trend has reversed at record speed over the past few months, and nobody knows why. More on Gizmodo. DM
- IHS Towers lays off 100 employees as devaluation in Nigeria erodes profits: IHS Towers, a major telecoms infrastructure company, has laid off more than 100 employees due to significant financial losses exacerbated by the devaluation of the Nigerian naira. These layoffs, primarily affecting senior staff, are part of cost-cutting measures as the company tries to recover from a $1.9-billion loss in 2023. The full story is over on TechCabal. DM
- South Africa Topo Maps app: Yes, we do app picks in Bookmarks, too. And this one is a doozy, especially if you like adventuring and 4x4ing in remote parts of the country, mainly because it includes 1:50 000 topographical maps with amazing details of what’s around you. It’s not Google Maps, and is not built for convenient turn-by-turn navigation. But it brings together a great set of free mapping tools, and although there’s a pro version, too, the free version is feature-rich. According to the developers, the 1:50 000 topographical maps are the largest maps providing full coverage of South Africa. Find it for Android in the Google Play store. DM
- Atari’s new 7800 console remake can also play your old Atari 2600 cartridges: Atari has teamed up with Plaion to build the Atari 7800 Plus, which comes equipped with an HDMI port to connect to modern TVs, alongside support for both Atari 2600 and 7800 game cartridges. Read more on The Verge. TS
- This 1mm ‘fan on a chip’ could put active cooling inside ultra-thin gadgets: xMEMS aims to create a new XMC-2400 µCooling (microcooling) chip. It’s a 1mm-tall solid-state fan on a chip that can actively cool extremely thin devices like smartphones and tablets. More on Engadget. TS
- Outgoing Boeing CEO to sit down with whistle-blower in ‘historic’ meeting: Expected to take place at some point in mid-September which would allow the pair to speak freely and have a productive and candid conversation. Mohawk (the whistle-blower) is a quality inspector at the Boeing production facility in Renton, Washington, US, who alleged that the plane maker had cut corners in its production of the 737 narrow-body airliner. Read more from Newsweek. TS
- Genetic solution might prevent the banana apocalypse: A wilting disease known as fusarium is threatening bananas with extinction – minions everywhere have been found shaking! Scientists are now turning to genetics to create alterations that could provide resistance and save smoothie bars worldwide. Read more on Geek Reporter. NN
- It’s official: scientists confirmed what’s inside the moon: No, the moon is not made of cheese. Similar to Earth’s core, much of the moon’s innards are made of iron. Find out how a group of scientists used seismic data to figure that out on Science Alert. NN
Top stories on TechCentral in the last 24 hours
- NTT Data eyes retail sector as it tweaks strategy beyond Dimension Data
- These companies will help build South Africa’s expanded power grid
- US development agency to fund Liquid in new tranche
Bookmarks is a new daily feature on TechCentral and published Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays.
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