Be cool, iPhone 15
Is your iPhone 15 running a bit too hot? That appears to be the case for plenty of users, with reports indicating that Apple’s latest piece of tech is overheating a little too often for something that’ll set you back at least R22,000. Fret not, for Apple has acknowledged the issue in a statement shared with MacRumors, noting that a fix was on the way.
Fortunately, the issue doesn’t lie in the phone’s titanium chassis. It’s a software issue and one that Apple is currently in the process of fixing. Apple reckons that recent updates to certain third-party apps are overloading the phone’s system and contributing to the warmer-than-necessary body. Instagram, Uber and Asphalt 9: Legends are among the apps causing the issue, though Instagram has since released an update that absolves it of blame.
Expect to see a fix as part of the iOS 17.1 release – which is currently in beta – and should be released before the end of October. Apple felt the need to clarify that it wouldn’t be throttling the power of the A17 Pro chip to fix the bug, either. Whew.
Kusile returns!
Eskom has officially brought one of Kusile power station’s generating units back online – after spending the better part of the year under maintenance. Kusile lost three of its generating units – 1, 2 and 3 – back in October 2022, thanks to the collapse of its flue-gas desulphuration duct (FGD).
“Eskom is pleased to announce that the first unit, amongst the three impacted by the collapse of stacks in October 2022, is returned to service today,” the state utility said in a statement on Saturday. “This marks a significant milestone in Eskom’s efforts to reduce and ultimately end load-shedding,” it added.
According to Eskom, the repairs of Unit 3 were completed two months ahead of schedule, a rarity that we’ll likely never see again. With the return of unit 3, the grid has an additional 800MW of energy available, contributing massively to the lack of load shedding over the weekend and most of today.
Repairs on Kusile’s other two offline units are expected to conclude in late October and November respectively, adding an additional 2,160MW of power to the grid. Stage 2 load shedding is set to resume at 16:00 today, 2 October.
Spotify’s got some new features to play with
Spotify, in honour of International Podcast Day on 30 September, has rolled out a couple of new features to the platform, which is still the most preferred platform for podcasters and listeners alike, with companies like YouTube and Apple still lagging behind. Following the pilot programme that’ll see podcasts use AI to translate the audio into other languages, Spotify is taking it a step further with auto-generated and time-synced text transcripts for podcasts.
While the update is handy to those who would rather just read a podcast transcript when unable to listen to it, it’s a huge win from an accessibility standpoint, opening the platform up to a whole host of new (and paying) deaf customers.
Just like live lyrics (a feature now reserved for Spotify’s VIPs), you can scroll down on a podcast to find the auto-generated transcript. Spotify says the transcripts will soon be available across “millions of episodes in the coming weeks,” with creators soon being able to add media to the transcripts for added context.
Other new features include the addition of podcast chapters for its mobile apps, a feature that’s been available since March for desktops, allowing listeners to jump to a specific point in the podcast. Lastly, Spotify is updating the creator’s About tab, allowing for more information on the poster, featuring images, descriptions and episode recommendations from the creators themselves.
There’s a Titan movie on the way (because of course there is)
The Titan submersible may have only sunk a few months ago in June, but Hollywood is already looking to cash in on the tragedy through a film documenting the incident. MindRiot Entertainment is heading up the film’s production, with E. Brian Dobbins serving as a co-producer on the film, per a report from Deadline.
According to the report, the movie is centred around the events leading up to, during and after the Titan submersible implosion, costing the lives of five passengers, including its CEO, Stockton Rush. MindRiot’s own Jonathan Keasey and Justin Macgregor are co-writing the film.
“Our film will not only honor (sic) all those involved in the submersible tragedy, and their families, but the feature will serve as a vessel that also addresses a more macro concern about the nature of media today,” they said. No other details – such as casting or release dates – have been announced, with the film still in the early writing stages.