These are the articles, videos and more that caught the attention of TechCentral’s editorial team in the past 24 hours.
- Why Sundar Pichai never panicked: Sundar Pichai’s calm under fire boils down to a long game and strategic foresight. While critics panicked over ChatGPT’s rise, he focused on reorganising Google’s AI firepower into DeepMind and building Gemini, a multi-modal AI model now catching up – and even leaping ahead – in benchmarks. Pichai bet on solid infrastructure, patience and data, proving slow and steady still wins the race. Read more on Semafor. DM
- Critical WordPress plug-in vulnerability under active exploit threatens thousands: A critical vulnerability in WordPress plug-in Hunk Companion lets hackers execute malicious code on unpatched sites – and more than 8 000 are still vulnerable. Attackers exploit it to install an old, vulnerable plug-in (WP Query Console) for further chaos. Update to version 1.9.0 immediately, or risk turning your site into a hacker’s playground. Read more on Ars Technica. DM
- How tech created a ‘recipe for loneliness’: Overreliance on screens has us binge-watching, texting and scrolling instead of connecting authentically. Social media comparisons, endless texting void of nuance and binge-watching marathons all fuel isolation. Experts say: swap texts for calls, limit doom-scrolling and pause auto-play. Real connection isn’t in emojis or infinite reels – it’s in voices, faces, and a “hello”. Read more in The New York Times (soft paywall). DM
- The crypto crown princes who could ‘win, win, win’ under Trump: Crypto titans bet big on Donald Trump – and it’s paying off. Coinbase’s Brian Armstrong, bitcoin evangelist Michael Saylor and Gemini’s Winklevoss twins rallied behind Trump, backing pro-crypto PACs and seeing bitcoin soar past US$100 000. While Trump promises to “set crypto free”, ethereum’s Vitalik Buterin remains the odd man out, warning against chasing “narcissistic power”. Read more on FT.com (hard paywall). DM
- Game of the Year: With the year coming to an end, we get to see all our favourite games from this year going head to head for the title of “Game of the Year”. My choice didn’t make it, but it won the “Player’s Voice” award. Check out all the winners on The Game Awards. TS
- Epic’s dream is starting to come true — its store will be preinstalled on ‘millions’ of Android phones: It’ll be the first time the Epic Games Store is preinstalled on consumer phones, and it could be the next big step in realising Epic’s dream of challenging Google’s app store monopoly and increasing its cut of revenue. More on The Verge. TS
- Australia plans tech platform charge to shore up news media: In South Africa, the jury is still out on the Competition Commission’s inquiry into big tech platforms and their impact on local media. Australia, on the other hand, concluded a similar inquiry a few years ago, after which Big Tech was ordered to enter into commercial arrangements with local media to ensure their sustainability. The tech companies are not playing nice, and the Australian government is now opting for a more heavy-handed approach. Read more in The Wall Street Journal. NN
Top stories on TechCentral in the past 24 hours:
- Telkom urges Icasa to scrap call termination fees completely
- TCS | Springboks rugby deal: the tech plan behind the audacious bid
- Malatsi orders Sita probe amid governance concerns
- A remarkable year for TechCentral – and for South Africa
- Google, Samsung unveil headset to take on Apple and Meta
Bookmarks is a daily feature on TechCentral and published Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays.
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