These are the articles, videos and more that caught the attention of TechCentral’s editorial team in the past 24 hours.
- These stunning photos celebrate the intricacy of the microscopic world: A zoomed-out, big-picture view of the world always offers better perspective, but going in the opposite direction is just as exciting – and intriguing. These stunning microscopic photographs are from some of the category winners in this year’s Nikon Small World photography competition. Read more in New Scientist. NN
- Africa’s EV revolution has two wheels not four: Africa’s electric vehicle revolution is led by two-wheelers, like e-bikes and motorbikes, rather than cars. In cities like Nairobi and Kampala, e-bikes are growing in popularity due to their lower lifetime costs, ease of battery swapping and reduced emissions. Though challenges like infrastructure and subsidies persist, electrification is expected to grow, especially in urban areas, improving air quality and cutting fuel expenses. Read more in The Economist (hard paywall). DM
- The FIC busts Banxso: The Financial Intelligence Centre ordered three banks to freeze Banxso’s accounts, suspecting it of being a “criminal enterprise” defrauding the public. Banxso’s licence was provisionally suspended by the Financial Sector Conduct Authority. Banxso denies wrongdoing, claiming it refunded investors and was the victim of hackers. Investigations revealed suspicious transactions and links to cryptocurrency platforms, with nearly R880-million deposited in Banxso’s accounts. Read more on Moneyweb. DM
- Starship will change what is possible beyond Earth: SpaceX’s successful test flight of Starship marks a significant leap in space exploration. Designed to carry eight times more payload than the Falcon 9, Starship aims to make space travel cheaper and more frequent. Elon Musk envisions Mars’s colonisation by 2026, with uncrewed missions followed by human settlers. Starship’s capabilities could also advance satellite systems, space stations and other ground-breaking ventures. Read more in The Economist (hard paywall). DM
- X will use your posts for AI training and there’s no opting out: X’s updated terms of service, effective 15 November 2024, allow the platform to use user content, including text and artwork, for AI training and other purposes without an option to opt out. This includes sharing content with third parties for machine learning. Previously, users could opt out, but the new terms mandate usage for AI training, raising serious concerns among creators. Read more on 80 Level. DM
- Silo – season 2 official trailer: Apple TV has given sci-fi lovers more than a few reasons to binge in recent years with intriguing hits such as See, Foundation and Severance to name a few. The post-apocalyptic, dystopian world of Silo returns for its second season on 15 November. Watch the trailer on YouTube. NN
- How does WhatsApp make money? It’s free – with some tricks: Some readers may remember a time when WhatsApp cost US$1/year, although that was quickly phased out. Monetising messaging apps is no easy feat as users tend to gravitate to free platforms. WhatsApp, Signal and UK-based Element use different approaches to making money from instant messaging. Read more on BBC News. NN
- 23andMe’s entire board resigned on the same day. Founder Anne Wojcicki still thinks the start-up is saveable: This is an interesting deep dive into the story of a start-up company and how it went from a valuation of $6-billion to just $150-million. More in Fortune. TS
- Bluesky gains half a million new users in one day after X changes how blocking works: X has just made it official: blocking on Elon Musk’s social media platform, formerly known as Twitter, will no longer actually block users from viewing content and now users appear to be fleeing X once again. Cue a stampede to rival Bluesky. More on Mashable. TS
Top stories on TechCentral in the past 24 hours:
- IT veteran Len de Villiers named as Eskom CIO
- South Africa weighs subsidies and rebates to boost electric car sales
- Cardware Wallet – the start-up building a hardware crypto wallet in South Africa
- Logistics costs a big hurdle to online shopping growth in South Africa
- Amazon reveals its first colour Kindle e-reader
Main image: Translucent water fleas (Daphnia sp.), taken by Marek Miś in Poland. The one on the left is filled with embryos, while its companion is replete with eggs. Nikon Small World