These are the articles, videos and more that caught the attention of TechCentral’s editorial team in the past 24 hours.
- US warns SMS authentication is unsafe: Hackers infiltrated US telecommunications networks so deeply they’re eavesdropping on calls and texts – leading federal law enforcement authorities to declare SMS for authentication about as safe as a diary with a neon “READ ME” sign. The US government is urging Americans to use encrypted apps like Signal instead. The FBI even endorsed encryption – proving the hack is serious. One must wonder about the safety of SMS in South Africa. Read more on Gizmodo. DM
- We’re about to fly a spacecraft into the sun for the first time: On Christmas Eve, Nasa’s Parker Solar Probe, the speediest spacecraft ever built, will zoom into the sun’s atmosphere for the first time. Scientists are chasing the birthplace of the solar wind while the probe’s heat shield faces 1 400°C – sunburn deluxe! It’s like studying a forest fire by walking straight into it … with titanium sunglasses. Read more on Ars Technica. DM
- The planet’s largest iceberg is on the loose: The world’s biggest iceberg, A23a – twice the size of London and weighing a trillion tons – has finally broken free after decades stuck on the seafloor. Now cruising across the Southern Ocean, scientists are excited to see its impact on marine life. Will it melt near South Georgia or spark a thriving “iceberg ecosystem”? Read more on Gizmodo. DM
- Smart glasses won me over, and this is the pair that did it: Tech journalist Joanna Stern has been following the smart glasses revolution since the early days of Google Glass, but remained unconvinced of the practicality of wearing these on a day-to-day basis. That is until Meta’s Ray-Ban’s came along. Watch this comparative review featuring Apple’s Vision Pro and others in The Wall Street Journal. NN
- Honda and Nissan explore merger to navigate uncertain EV future: Japanese automakers Honda and Nissan are in talks to merge to better compete with electric vehicle manufacturers like Tesla, BYD, and others. The two have discussed signing a memorandum of understanding that outlines plans to split equity into a new holding company from which both will do business. More on The Verge. TS
- Irretrievable: inside India’s fertility underworld: Invitro fertilisation is one of modern science’s greatest achievements. But the technology is expensive and does not solve all the problems people face when it comes to fertility. An underground market for viable eggs has developed in India and a growing number of poor women are being lured into dangerous surgeries in exchange for a few hundred dollars. Watch the video by Bloomberg Investigates on YouTube. NN
Top stories on TechCentral in the past 24 hours:
- TechCentral’s Global Newsmakers of 2024
- Losses from crypto hacks jumped to R40-billion in 2024
- Eskom expected to return to profit in 2025
- Apple and Meta trade barbs over privacy, interoperability
- CompCom media inquiry report delayed once again
This is the final edition of Bookmarks for 2024.