These are the articles, videos and more than caught the attention of TechCentral’s editorial team in the past 24 hours.
- Take a tour of the Horsehead Nebula: These latest James Webb Space Telescope images of the Horsehead Nebula showcase intricate details and structures that were previously unseen. The new observations offer deeper insights into the formation and evolution of the iconic nebula, enriching our understanding of stellar nurseries. Watch the video on YouTube. DM
- Ticket bots leave Oasis fans enraged: Oasis fans were outraged after tickets for the band’s 2025 reunion tour, initially priced at US$100, skyrocketed on resale sites, with some reaching $7 800 due to bots and dynamic pricing. Despite presale measures, many fans faced long waits and errors, sparking calls for government action to review ticket pricing and sales practices. Not bad for a 1990s-era band many people had forgotten about. Read more on Wired (soft paywall). DM
- When EV start-ups shut down, will their cars still work?: As China’s electric vehicle start-ups collapse, thousands of drivers are discovering their “smartphones on wheels” are becoming “bricks on wheels”. With apps that control everything from air conditioning to car locks going offline, owners are left wondering if their EVs are more of a tech nightmare than a green dream. Read more on Rest of World. DM
- Uber drivers in Kenya are ignoring the app and charging their own rates: In Kenya, Uber drivers have taken matters into their own hands, ditching the app’s rates for a union-backed fare chart that’s 50% higher. Frustrated by low earnings and high fuel prices, drivers are turning down app payments and negotiating fares directly with passengers. Uber’s not thrilled, but drivers see this as peaceful pushback to make a decent living. Read more on Rest of World. DM
- End of the road: an AnandTech farewell: This is sad news. AnandTech, a pioneering tech review site known for its in-depth analysis of hardware and computing technology, is shutting down after 26 years. The site has been a go-to resource for tech enthusiasts for more than two decades. Its closure marks the end of an era in independent tech journalism. Read more on AnandTech. DM
- Google is working on AI that can hear signs of sickness: You may not be surprised to learn that Google is among companies beginning to use sound signals to predict early signs of disease – for example, someone battling tuberculosis. Hopefully one day they can incorporate something similar for early cancer detection. Read more on TechCrunch. TS
- Facebook partner admits smartphone microphones listen to people talk to serve better ads: It’s incredibly jarring, especially if there is only a matter of seconds between the conversation ending about that product and then it suddenly appears in the middle of your feed. Leaked documents reveals “Active Listening” software that uses a form of AI to “capture real-time intent data by listening to our conversations”. More on TweakTown. TS
- Can chimps speak human words: As if fears about super bacteria initiating a zombie apocalypse, combined with the threat of artificial superintelligence, weren’t enough, the apes (the other ones, not us) might just rise up and wipe out humanity, too. Researchers have found that chimps may have the capacity to learn human language – there go all the jobs! “911, what’s your emergency?” Read more on Goodnet. NN
Top stories on TechCentral at the weekend
- Solly Malatsi fires two Usaasa board members
- MTN takes MoMo fintech battle to South Africa’s streets
- Inside Gold Fields’ huge cloud migration project
- Takealot offloads Superbalist to PE consortium
- Sacked Sita board members to be reinstated
Bookmarks is a daily feature on TechCentral and published Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays.
