Bookmarks | Joburg faces 'Day Zero'

Sandton, the economic hub of Johannesburg

These are the articles, videos and more that caught the attention of TechCentral’s editorial team in the past 24 hours.

Joburg heads for ‘Day Zero’: Johannesburg faces a looming “Day Zero” water crisis due to failing infrastructure and underfunded repairs, with experts warning of potential droughts worsened by climate change. The city’s ageing water system suffers from leaks, decaying reservoirs and inadequate renewal rates, while limited budgets hinder necessary upgrades. Calls are growing for urgent political intervention and strategies to conserve water, repair networks and improve maintenance to prevent a complete water supply collapse. Read more on Currency (soft paywall). DM
DJI Neo review: the best $200 drone ever made: DJI’s $200 Neo drone is compact, beginner-friendly and ideal for content creators with features like 4K recording, palm take-off and voice control. Despite its noise and lack of vertical video, it delivers solid performance with ActiveTrack and FPV modes, making it a versatile choice for quick, social media-ready shots. Read more on Engadget. DM
Winamp really whips open-source coders into frenzy with its source release: Winamp’s source code release has stirred up coders more than a playlist of mid-2000s bangers. Winamp’s restrictive “Collaborative Licence” limits changes, but that hasn’t stopped people from forking it over 2 600 times. Among the surprises in the code were some mysterious inclusions from other projects and even proprietary bits from Intel and Microsoft. Apparently, Winamp still whips, just not in the way they expected! Read more on Ars Technica. DM
Why hurricanes are getting more powerful, more quickly: As oceans grow warmer, they’re creating conditions that allow hurricanes (we call them tropical cyclones) to undergo rapid intensification, when their wind speed increases by 56km/h or more within 24 hours. Hurricanes Milton and Helene are the latest examples of this phenomenon. Before Hurricane Helene struck Florida on 26 September, it grew from a category-1 hurricane to a major category-4 storm in just the span of a day. Now, Hurricane Milton is the next storm to follow the trend. More on National Geographic. TS
Unreal Engine 5.5 Megalights tech demo: Watch as employees from Unreal Engine demonstrate the new iteration of Unreal Engine and show off a tool that hones lighting scenarios for future videogames. Watch it on YouTube. TS
What Google’s U-turn on third-party cookies means for Chrome privacy: Google earlier this year abandoned plans to establish support for third-party cookies in the Chrome browser. Privacy advocates were not happy with this move, but the implications for users are not so clear cut. Read more on Wired (soft paywall). NN
What you didn’t know about chocolate – Merjem Hamzic, TEDxSarajevo: Merjem Hamzic is a chocolatier with deep knowledge of the chocolate-making process and its history. From its divine status among the Aztecs to its use as an aphrodisiac in Mesoamerica, Hamzic gives a rich and interesting history of the world’s favourite delicacy. Watch the video on YouTube. NN