Bookmarks | The number of new mobile internet users is stalling – TechCentral

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

• New data shows the number of new mobile internet users is stalling: The growth of new mobile internet users is slowing globally. With 4.6 billion people already connected, easier-to-reach populations are online. Barriers like affordability and coverage persist, especially in developing countries. Satellite technology offers potential solutions, while unique initiatives like Reliance Jio’s free data in India temporarily spurred rapid adoption. Despite progress, regions like sub-Saharan Africa face significant challenges. Read more in Rest of World. DM 
• Musk teases buying MSNBC: ‘How much does it cost?’: Elon Musk stirred speculation by joking about buying MSNBC after Comcast announced plans to spin off MSNBC and CNBC into a new company, SpinCo. While Comcast denies selling the assets, their detachment from Comcast raises concerns about financial stability amid TV industry challenges. Musk, known for controversial media moves, joins ongoing debates about legacy media’s declining relevance and political polarisation. Read more on Gizmodo. DM
• The future of Windows is cloud and AI: Microsoft’s Windows 365 Link device is a mini PC streaming Windows 11 entirely from the cloud, signalling the shift towards a cloud/AI future. Businesses will cheer its security and device-agnostic convenience, though it’s more “hardened Xbox” than traditional PC. With AI features like Recall and Click to Do rolling out, Microsoft’s future is clear: Windows is packing its bags for the cloud. Read more by Tom Warren on The Verge (hard paywall). DM
• Meta loses ground to Bluesky as users abandon Elon Musk’s X: In the social media Hunger Games, Bluesky has seen its user base skyrocket 300%, attracting journalists and lefties fleeing Elon Musk’s X after Donald Trump’s win, while Meta’s Threads has stumbled, ditching politics for fluffier vibes. Bluesky’s “starter packs” have boosted growth, despite glitches, while Threads has scrambled to copy features. Both apps now face the ultimate challenge: figuring out how to keep users – and actually make money! Read more on FT.com (hard paywall). DM
• Elizabeth Warren calls for crackdown on internet ‘monopoly’ you’ve never heard of: US senator Elizabeth Warren and congressman Jerry Nadler are going after VeriSign, the “Internet landlord” for .com domains, accusing it of abusing its monopoly to overcharge users by 30% without improving services. VeriSign, raking in US$1.5-billion annually, denies the claims, citing competition from other domain operators. Warren’s verdict? It’s time to evict this monopolistic tenant from the web’s priciest real estate. Read more on Ars Technica. DM
• New images show how Nasa and SpaceX plan to land astronauts on the moon in 2026: Nasa and SpaceX are prepping for a 2026 Artemis 3 mission, landing astronauts on the moon with SpaceX’s Starship Human Landing System (HLS). It’s a high-tech lunar ballet: propellant transfers in orbit, elevator rides down a 15-storey-tall rocket and sample-collecting on the dusty surface. Bold timeline? Sure. But hey, the moon’s waited 55 years – what’s a few more delays? View the images and article on Gizmodo. DM
• Google seems to have called it quits on making its own Android tablets – again: A third Pixel Tablet was apparently in the works at Google and cancelled. There was reportedly a team at Google working on the next flagship Pixel-branded tablet, and now, seemingly due to profitability concerns, that work is over. Read more on Ars Technica. TS
• From eyesore to asset: how a smelly seaweed could fuel cars: Scientists in the Caribbean are turning the tide on the fight against an invasive seaweed species by using the unprecedented volumes of the unsightly and smelly sargassum as biofuel for vehicles. Read more on BBC News. NN
• Tim Robbins: ‘You’re telling me Netflix is the future of cinema? We’re in big trouble’: With Silo, actor Tim Robbins – known for his strong political stances – is still choosing roles that echo real life. But he’s now concerned about the wider future of his own industry, too. Read more in The Guardian. NN 

Top stories on TechCentral in the past 24 hours: 

Bookmarks is a daily feature on TechCentral and published Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays. 

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