These are the articles, videos and more that caught the attention of TechCentral’s editorial team in the past 24 hours.
- Buckle up: SpaceX aims for rapid-fire Starship launches in 2025: SpaceX’s Starship rocket is progressing, with bold plans for rapid launches, aiming for 25 flights in 2025 and ultimately daily launches. Following a historic booster catch by “Mechazilla”, SpaceX is eyeing am 18 November test flight. Regulatory hurdles remain a challenge as Elon Musk pushes for rapid rocket re-use to accelerate innovation and efficiency. Read more on Gizmodo. DM
- I wasted my day on Bluesky Social and no, I’m not sorry: Bluesky Social, once a quiet refuge, is now a lively hub for ex-Twitter users seeking fresh social media thrills. Overflowing with quirky posts and celebrity encounters, it echoes Twitter’s golden days but still lacks key features. As Bluesky booms, its fleeting charm reminds us to savour the moment before it succumbs to the inevitable pitfalls of online discourse. Read more on TechRadar. DM
- Microsoft finally releases generic install ISOs for the ARM version of Windows: Microsoft has released official Windows 11 installation ISOs for ARM-based PCs, allowing users to perform clean installations, reinstall after hardware upgrades and set up virtual machines on ARM devices. This development brings ARM PCs closer to the flexibility traditionally associated with x86 systems. Read more on Ars Technica. DM
- Apple launches Final Cut Pro 11 with even more AI features: Apple’s Final Cut Pro 11 has launched with powerful AI upgrades, including Magnetic Mask for quick subject isolation, autogenerated captions and spatial video editing for Vision Pro. While faster and more intuitive, accuracy issues and missing features like text-based editing leave room for improvement. Updates to the iPad app and Final Cut Camera further refine the ecosystem for creators. Read more on The Verge. DM
- Bethesda workers go on strike against Microsoft: Last year, quality-assurance workers at Bethesda and ZeniMax studios formed ZeniMax Workers United, the largest certified videogame union in the US. Now that union is putting its collective power to the test in a brief strike against Bethesda and ZeniMax’s parent company, Microsoft. More on GameSpot. TS
- Phone network employs AI ‘grandmother’ to waste scammers’ time with meandering conversations: Human-like AIs have brought plenty of justifiable concerns about their ability to replace human workers, but one company is turning the tech against one of humanity’s biggest scourges: phone scammers. The AI imitates the criminals’ most popular target, a senior citizen, who keeps the fraudsters on the phone as long as possible in conversations that go nowhere, à la Grandpa Simpson. More on TechSpot. TS
- Satire publication The Onion buys Alex Jones’s Infowars at auction with Sandy Hook families’ backing: In a beautifully cruel twist of fate, now disgraced citizen “journalist” Alex Jones is being made to pay for spreading misinformation related to the 2012 Sandy Hook shootings. This as satirical news website The Onion, or rather its parent company, has announced that it has acquired the formerly Jones-led Infowars publication. More on AP News. TS
Top stories on TechCentral in the past 24 hours:
- Inside the new R90-million Digital Dome at Wits
- We don’t have money to save the Post Office: Malatsi
- Q&A with MultiChoice CEO Calvo Mawela: ‘We are making the right calls’
- Fibre should be considered ‘critical infrastructure’ in Africa: Google
Bookmarks is a daily feature on TechCentral and published Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays.
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