These are the articles, videos and more that caught the attention of TechCentral’s editorial team in the past 24 hours.
- How WhatsApp became an unstoppable cultural force: WhatsApp has become the internet for millions worldwide, shaping culture, work and relationships. From Nigerian stars promoting films and Indian aunties matchmaking to Brazilian dog rescues and Zimbabwean virtual classrooms, the app’s global users have turned it into a one-stop hub for life itself. Read more on Rest of World. DM
- Ranking the 25 coolest things in space so far during the 21st century: Ars Technica ranks the 25 coolest space achievements of the 21st century, from Falcon Heavy’s epic synchronised landing and Ingenuity’s Mars flights to Voyager’s interstellar journey. The list includes mind-blowing discoveries like gravitational waves, Oumuamua and Cassini’s findings at Enceladus, while celebrating SpaceX, China’s lunar rise and human space tourism. Read more on Ars Technica. DM
- The ‘ghost gun’ linked to Luigi Mangione shows just how far 3D-printed weapons have come: The alleged murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson with a 3D-printed ghost gun marks a chilling milestone: DIY firearms are now both functional and lethal in high-profile crimes. Police say Luigi Mangione used a Chairmanwon V1, a remix of the widely tested FMDA 19.2 Glock-style design. The case underscores how far untraceable homemade weapons have advanced in just a decade. Read more on Wired (soft paywall). DM
- Congressman claims drones over New Jersey were launched by Iranian ‘mothership’: Jeff Van Drew claims mysterious New Jersey drones were launched by an Iranian “mothership” lurking off the US coast – citing “high sources” that apparently forgot to tell the Pentagon. The military denies everything and hobbyists are baffled, while experts note that if Iran were flying car-sized drones over military bases, they’d be toast by now. Read more on Gizmodo. DM
- MacOS Sequoia 15.2 now available, here’s everything that’s new: You’ve read about the iOS 18.2 update, but what about the latest macOS update? MacOS Sequoia 15.2 brings Apple Intelligence flair to M-series Macs, with tools like Image Playground for playful AI-generated images and ChatGPT integration for Siri and Writing Tools – no account required. Other highlights include Safari upgrades, natural language search for Music and TV, a Weather widget in the menu bar, and Sudoku for News+. Missing: Genmoji and Mail redesign. Read more on 9to5Mac. DM
- LG stops making Blu-ray players, marking the end of an era: After Samsung and Sony’s departure from physical media, LG was one of the last major manufacturers of Blu-ray players. The pace of innovation slowed, as did the frequency of newer models – and now, to no one’s surprise, LG has decided to exit the market. More on Tom’s Hardware. TS
- Russia tests cutting off access to global web, and VPNs can’t get around it: Russia has reportedly cut some regions of the country off from the rest of the world’s internet for a day, effectively siloing them. These latest partial internet blocks are because Russia is testing its own sovereign internet it can fully control. More on PCMag. TS
Top stories on TechCentral in the past 24 hours:
- TCS | Reserve Bank’s big payments shake-up – an interview with Tim Masela
- Eskom tariff proposal: the cost of getting it wrong
- Elon Musk’s net worth tops $400-billion
- DStv Stream is gaining momentum
- Google rolls out faster Gemini AI model to power agents
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