These are the articles, videos and more that caught the attention of TechCentral’s editorial team at the weekend.
- The Office to get South African adaptation on Showmax: The South African version of The Office is incoming – and it has big shoes to fill following in the footsteps of the legendary UK original and the wildly popular US adaptation. The UK version nailed dry wit and bleak realism, while the US took it further with more heart and character development. The South African version, which Showmax will produce with BBC Studios, will attempt to blend local humour with the familiar awkwardness. Let’s see if it can stand out or if it’s just another photocopy of a photocopy – this time with some boerewors on the side. Read more in this Variety exclusive. DM
- Nvidia’s future relies on chips that push technology’s limits: Nvidia’s new AI chips, called Blackwell, are pushing the boundaries of technology but are facing manufacturing challenges that are hurting profit margins. The chips are enormous and complex, leading to production delays and defects. While Nvidia expects these issues to improve, the pressure is on, as the stakes – and the chips – are bigger than ever. Read more in The Wall Street Journal (hard paywall). DM
- Students find new evidence of the impossibility of complete disorder: Mathematics students have discovered evidence that true disorder might be impossible. Their research challenges the idea that systems can ever be entirely random, suggesting that even in chaotic systems, some patterns or structures persist. This finding could have implications for fields ranging from cryptography to quantum physics, where the assumption of complete randomness is often crucial. Read more on Wired (soft paywall). DM
- How beer is used to make alternative leather: Okay, so maybe “save water, drink beer” is not the best justification for a pint or two at the end of a hard week. But how about saving the planet? This video explains how waste from the beer-making process, which ordinarily would land up in landfill, can be used to make leather. Watch it on BBC. NN
- China’s online population nears 1.1 billion, new report shows: The number of people using the internet in China is roughly the same as the combined population of the US and the EU. Internet penetration in China reached 78% in June, read more on CGTN News. NN
- MPA says no more ‘Whac-A-Mole’ with pirate sites, claims it took down ‘mothership’: A group representing major film studios has collaborated with Vietnamese authorities to take down what it called “the largest pirate streaming operation in the world”. Could this be the beginning of the end for pirate sites? We don’t think so. Read more on Ars Technica. TS
- Tecno’s new ultra-thin Phantom Ultimate 2 tri-fold concept: Although still only a concept, Chinese smartphone manufacturer Tecno has teased an imaginative take on folding phones – a phone that folds in three. Seeing is believing, so watch it on YouTube. NN
Top stories on TechCentral at the weekend
- FPB destroys 87 000 illegal DVDs to ‘protect our children’
- Former MTN Group CEO Sifiso Dabengwa has died
- Intel CEO to pitch board on plans to shed assets, cut costs
- Plan to get rid of card numbers for online shopping
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