
The Online Fiction Boom Reimagining China’s History
Chinese fantasy novels reimagine the past with modern tech and ideology. A new book argues they also help reinforce authoritarian politics.
FRIDAY, 17 APRIL 2026, 08:13

Chinese fantasy novels reimagine the past with modern tech and ideology. A new book argues they also help reinforce authoritarian politics.

The search for the best crypto to buy right now is increasingly shaped by timing, access, and upcoming market catalysts rather than just long-term narratives. Established names like Ethereum, Chainlink, and Aave continue to hold steady positions across infrastructure, data services, and decentralized finance, offering relatively predictable growth paths. At the same time, BlockDAG is […]
IPv6 usage briefly reached 50% across Google services for the first time, marking a major milestone for a protocol created in 1998 to solve IPv4’s address shortage. Tom’s Hardware reports: […] IPv6 was dismissed early on as a headache-inducing, hard-to-implement complication that would hardly ever gain any traction — despite offering 2^128 possible numbers, solving all network number...

In Musk v. Altman, a jury will soon determine whether OpenAI has strayed from its founding mission to ensure AGI benefits humanity. Here’s what to know.

Singapore – Multi‑chain trading terminal Genius has processed over $15 billion in cumulative volume; token launches on MEXC and Aster DEX. The Genius Foundation today announced that its native GENIUS token has completed its Token Generation Event (TGE), with the token surging more than 850% and briefly reaching a fully diluted valuation exceeding $800 million. […]

In a bid to minimize dependence on technology from other countries, the UK government is plowing resources into homegrown AI startups.
Anthropic released Claude Opus 4.7, calling it its strongest generally available model and an improvement over Opus 4.6 in areas like software engineering, instruction-following, tool use, and agentic coding. But the company says it is “less broadly capable” than the restricted Claude Mythos Preview, “which Anthropic rolled out to a select group of companies as part of a new cybersecurity...
Google latest update to AI Mode in its Chrome browser is designed to keep the chatbot-style search tool always around once you start an online search journey.

My friend and colleague Chris Walton, who has died aged 69 of brain cancer, was a biologist and lecturer at Cranfield University, Bedfordshire. He had a passion for getting things to work in the real world; consequently he was widely regarded by his colleagues as an honorary engineer.
Chris studied volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in matrices including breath, sweat, blood, urine and faeces,...
The EU says a new age-verification app is technically ready and could let users prove they are old enough to access restricted online content without revealing their identity or personal data. Deutsche Welle reports: Once released, users will be able to download the app from an app store and set it up using proof of identity, such as a passport or national ID card. They can then use it to...

As South Africa sharpens its focus on economic growth, digital inclusion and future-facing skills, Huawei is building one of the country’s most visible ICT talent ecosystems, with nearly 37,000 participants reached in the past two years through its digital skills training and industry-readiness programmes. This work is closely aligned with South Africa’s digital development priorities, […]

Warren Mande will replace Grant Fraser, who is emigrating to Australia after three-and-a-half years at Netstar.
An anonymous reader quotes a report from UploadVR: A group of independent researchers built a device that can artificially induce smell using ultrasound, with no consumable cartridges required. […] The team of four are Lev Chizhov, Albert Yan-Huang, Thomas Ribeiro, Aayush Gupta. Chizhov is a neurotech entrepreneur with a background in math and physics, Yan-Huang is a researcher at Caltech with...

The appointment follows the resignation of Grant Fraser, who will be emigrating to Australia with his family.

The University of Zululand will host the South African Global HackAtom on 5-6 May 2026 at its Kwadlangezwa Campus. HackAtom is an international 24‑hour hackathon where students who study different disciplines at the same university develop practical solutions to real challenges in the nuclear and high‑tech sectors. The organisers invite students from across South Africa […]

Scientists suggest red hair and fair skin were favoured for vitamin D efficiency in study focused on whether human evolution plateaued after advent of agriculture
People with red hair who have put up with teasing or “fiery” stereotypes may be pleased to learn that they appear to be winners from an evolutionary perspective. A large genetics study has revealed that, in Europe, the gene for...

As tensions with the US government mount, Anthropic has leased a new office with enough space to quadruple its 200-person headcount in London.

Rather than merely waiting for the slower pace of legislative alignment across provinces, the online betting industry is looking toward “technical harmonisation” as a precursor to legal change. In this scenario, technology serves as the bridge that allows both sides to meet in the middle. While the global iGaming landscape often struggles with fragmented rules […]

Democrats are demanding answers about Palantir and other surveillance firms powering Trump’s hardline immigration enforcement agenda.

Keep your phone firmly in hand and add some personality with these comfortable, durable, and nifty smartphone grips.

Vuma, a Maziv company, has reached a significant national milestone, connecting 1,000 schools across South Africa to fibre, unlocking digital resources and new opportunities for teaching and learning. The milestone was marked today at Molamo Primary School in Limpopo, where government leaders, educators and industry stakeholders gathered to reflect on the role connectivity is playing […]