Astronomy
Lyrid meteor shower 2026 peaks this week and here is how South Africans can watch it
The Lyrid meteor shower peaks on 22 April 2026. South Africans in dark-sky areas can look north before dawn to catch the world's oldest meteor shower.
Astronomy
Artemis II crew breaks 56-year distance record in landmark lunar flyby
NASA's Artemis II crew broke the 56-year-old Apollo distance record on 6 April 2026, reaching 252,756 miles from Earth on a landmark lunar flyby mission.
Banking
Banking app scam epidemic grips South Africa as criminals deploy sophisticated tactics
Banking app scam epidemic hits South Africa with express kidnappings and remote trojans draining accounts. Criminals use sophisticated tactics to exploit mobile banking security vulnerabilities.
App updates
WhatsApp group chat upgrade solves major headache
WhatsApp group chat update introduces threaded replies to reduce clutter in large conversations. Here’s what it means for users.
NASA
Artemis II launch: What is happening now, who is flying and how to watch NASA’s Moon mission
NASA is moving closer to the Artemis II launch as engineers test the rocket and spacecraft that will carry astronauts on a historic journey around the Moon.
Instagram
Instagram password reset emails flood users as Meta says ‘no breach’
illions of Instagram users received unexpected password reset emails in a short period, after Meta said it fixed an issue that let an external party trigger reset requests for some accounts.
NASA
Jonny Kim set to leave ISS and return to Earth aboard Soyuz MS-27
NASA astronaut Jonny Kim and two Russian crewmates will undock from the ISS on 8 December and land in Kazakhstan early on 9 December.
Data
Apple Replay vs Spotify Wrapped 2025: Your music stats and the new data war
We break down Apple Replay 2025 and Spotify Wrapped, what each shows you, and what this year’s data race reveals about streaming power and privacy.
Artificial Intelligence
ByteDance’s Doubao AI voice assistant debuts on ZTE phones as TikTok owner targets Siri’s turf
ByteDance AI voice assistant Doubao lands first on a ZTE handset in China, pushing TikTok’s parent beyond social video into deeper control of the smartphone.
Banking
FNB under fire over Black Friday outage and Parliament money-laundering allegations
FNB faces scrutiny after a nationwide Black Friday outage and claims in Parliament that it enabled money laundering linked to an alleged bribe to Bheki Cele.
Cryptocurrency
Crypto crosswinds and Cardano: Unpacking the triggers of recent volatility and next steps
Cardano’s founder, Charles Hoskinson, believes ADA could outperform Bitcoin.
Cybersecurity
Cloudflare restores services after major global outage affecting top websites
Cloudflare, which handles about a fifth of the world’s web traffic, has restored services after a global outage that briefly took sites like X, ChatGPT and Spotify offline.
Internet
South Africa starved of satellite internet as Vodacom announces Starlink partnership
Vodacom Group has signed a partnership with Elon Musk’s Starlink to expand broadband access across Africa, but South Africa remains excluded from the rollout due to unresolved regulatory hurdles.
Amazon
AWS reportedly down – again: Here’s everything we know
Reports of an AWS outage resurfaced on Wednesday, with users claiming widespread disruptions across major platforms, though Amazon insists its systems are operating normally.
Financial reports
Microsoft Azure outage clouds tech giant’s earnings release
A major Microsoft outage affected Azure and 365 services hours before the company’s quarterly earnings report, leaving users worldwide unable to access accounts and cloud tools.
Artificial Intelligence
NEO home robot: The world’s first humanoid helper and when it’ll be available in South Africa
The California-based tech company 1X has launched the NEO home robot, which it calls the world’s first consumer-ready humanoid assistant capable of learning household chores and adapting to its owner’s lifestyle.
Amazon
Amazon set to initiate largest job cuts in company’s history
Amazon is preparing to cut up to 30,000 corporate jobs this week, marking its largest round of layoffs as the company seeks to reduce costs and streamline operations.
Science
3I/ATLAS: Comet the size of Manhattan has scientists concerned – Here’s why
Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS will soon reach its closest point to the Sun, and NASA says this encounter will alter the Manhattan-sized object in several ways as it continues its journey through our solar system.
Cyberattack
More than 183 million credentials, including Gmail passwords, found in massive data dump
A new cyber report has confirmed that over 183 million accounts — including Gmail passwords — were leaked in one of the largest data breaches recorded this year.
Browsers
Google has its first fierce competitor to worry about – ChatGPT Atlas
OpenAI has unveiled ChatGPT Atlas, an AI-powered web browser that blends everyday browsing with conversational intelligence, setting the stage for a direct rivalry with Google.
Amazon
Amazon Web Services outage causes blackout of these apps
A widespread Amazon Web Services outage has disrupted major apps and websites including Snapchat, Zoom, Canva, Duolingo, Roblox, and Amazon’s own services, leaving users worldwide unable to access key platforms.
Formula 1
You can now live stream Formula 1 on Apple TV but there’s a caveat for SA subscribers
Apple has secured exclusive rights to stream every Formula 1 Grand Prix live on Apple TV but a caveat awaits South African fans.
Apple
Apple releases iPad Pro with M5 chip: Release date, price in South Africa, how to buy
Apple has unveiled its most powerful iPad Pro yet, featuring the new M5 chip with major performance and AI upgrades.
Science
Scientists make breakthrough discovery on Saturn’s moon Enceladus
Scientists using Cassini data have found all the necessary ingredients for life on Saturn’s moon Enceladus, strengthening hopes it could host habitable conditions.
Earth
New study warns a ‘city killer’ asteroid could hit the Moon in 2032
A new study warns asteroid 2024 YR4 has a 4% chance of hitting the Moon in 2032.
NASA
James Webb Telescope captures largest star-forming cloud in the Milky Way
The James Webb Telescope has captured new images of Sagittarius B2, the Milky Way’s largest star-forming cloud, revealing glowing stars, thick gas, and cosmic dust.
Disney Plus
ESPN channels coming to Disney+ in South Africa
From October 2025, Disney+ customers in South Africa will get ESPN on Disney+, giving them live sports channels at no extra cost.
Consoles
Sony rolls out new PS5 system software update: Here’s everything you must know
Sony is rolling out a new PS5 system software update globally from tomorrow, bringing easier controller pairing and a new Power Saver mode for supported games.
Apple
Apple AirPods Pro 3: Specs, release date, how to buy in South Africa
Apple has announced AirPods Pro 3 with improved noise cancellation, heart rate monitoring, workout tracking, and Live Translation.
Earth
NASA’s Artemis II mission just got very interesting
NASA is preparing for Artemis II, the first crewed Moon mission in decades, and people around the world can now send their names to fly aboard the spacecraft.
