- The U.S. and China have reached a framework deal on TikTok. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping would speak Friday to possibly finalize the deal.
- Penske Media is suing Google over AI summaries, alleging the AI-generated answers steal its content and have reduced traffic and revenue for its sites. Elissa Welle of The Verge writes that a top Google executive defended its use of AI summaries in search results during an AI summit in New York on Monday.
- Google now has a report in Search Console to access your web site achievements and check the status of current and ongoing achievements. The new section is accessible by clicking on Achievements in the left side navigation bar at the bottom of the menu.
- ChatGPT search update focuses on quality, shopping, format: OpenAI says ChatGPT search now reduces hallucinations, improves shopping intent detection, and delivers answers in cleaner formats.
- Reddit debuts 6-second video ad views goal: Reddit’s 6-second video ad goal boosts completion rates while slashing costs, helping brands pay only for real attention.
- Meta expands WhatsApp Status ad options: Meta fuses WhatsApp Status ads with click-to-message, giving brands a bigger stage to spark chats and boost engagement.
- Can small businesses compete on Google Ads anymore? With the right strategy, even the smallest business can stand out, win customers, and make a lasting impact.
- TikTok Buyers to Include Oracle, Silver Lake, and Andreessen: US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are set to discuss a deal where TikTok’s US operations would be acquired by a consortium that includes Oracle, Andreessen Horowitz, and Silver Lake. The framework would create a US-based version of the app. ByteDance will license the technology behind its recommendation algorithms. Trump has postponed the deadline for ByteDance to divest TikTok’s US operations until December 16 to buy time for the transaction to be completed.
- SpaceX Is Working With Chip Makers for Starlink Cell Service: SpaceX is working with microchip manufacturers to add support for Starlink’s satellite-to-cell service into devices. The company plans to launch new satellites that support its direct-to-device business in the next two years. It will conduct mobile phone tests late next year.
- Daily weight loss pill can help cut body weight by a fifth, trial shows: Eli Lilly’s weight loss pill, orforglipron, can help people reduce their body weight by as much as a fifth. The drug targets the same GLP-1 receptors as weight loss injections such as Mounjaro and Wegovy. While the weight loss seen in people taking the tablet is not as stark as that seen in those taking injectable forms of the drug, the tablet is significantly more accessible and convenient. Eli Lilly expects substantial demand when the new pill is launched.
- How SpaceX turned a Texas marsh into the world’s most watched spaceport: SpaceX’s Starbase, a massive rocket development site and the home of Starship, started as little more than an impossible stretch of empty land along the South Texas coast. The degree of difficulty of transforming the site did not deter Elon Musk, so the company tackled its issues one by one. This article looks at how the company transformed the land into Starbase and the challenges that it overcame along the way.
- How tech companies measure the impact of AI on software development: 85% of software engineers are using AI coding tools at work, but things like tokens aren’t exactly cheap, so companies need to know how to measure whether or not they are worth the money. This article looks at how some tech companies measure AI impact to uncover insights on how to get started in this tricky field. Solid foundations matter. Have an experimental mindset when measuring AI impact.
- If all the world were a monorepo: R’s central package manager, CRAN, builds each package before publication, testing against a variety of R versions and operating systems. Even if a package passes tests against the full matrix of R versions and platforms, CRAN still reruns the tests for all of the packages that depend on that package. This means some packages can be blocked until dependent packages are upgraded. This approach, which clearly puts a burden on package developers, results in an excellent workflow for R’s central user base, who want to spend as much time as possible on the details of data analysis, not stuck in transitive dependency hell.
- Jack Ma Returns With a Vengeance to ‘Make Alibaba Great Again’: Jack Ma is now back on Alibaba’s campuses and is more directly involved than he’s been in half a decade. He had resigned as chairman in 2019 and retreated from the public eye after a speech he made in 2020. The company has been run by two of Ma’s longest-serving lieutenants, Joe Tsai and Eddie Wu, since 2023. Signs of Ma’s influence can be seen in the company’s pivot to artificial intelligence and its declaration of war on e-commerce foes JD and Meituan.
- Mods react as Reddit kicks some of them out again: “This will break the site”: Reddit is rolling out new rules that mean that users will not be able to moderate more than five subreddits with 100,000 monthly visitors. A small number of moderators will be required to leave their posts due to the new rules. Reddit says the change will help enable diverse perspectives and experiences. Moderators will be able to seek exemptions.
- Chronon: Chronon is a data platform for serving AI/ML applications that abstracts away the complexity of data computation, allowing users to utilize all of the data within their organizations.
- You Want Technology With Warts: Every wart used to be a reasonable feature that someone relied on, a testament to the care the maintainers put into backward compatibility.
- The 14kb Problem: The first burst of data allowed in a TCP connection is about 14 KB of data, so fitting sites within that cap means they can be delivered in a single round trip.
- Google’s new open protocol secures AI agent transactions – and 60 companies already support it: Google’s Agent Payments Protocol helps companies carry out agent-led payments securely.
- Smart care: A new AI app that nurses and carers use during home visits of the elderly has helped to halve NHS hospital admissions through early illness detection.
- Cell-free schools: Sweden is set to implement a nationwide mobile phone ban in all schools starting autumn 2026.
- Google Ads provides text guidelines for AI assets.
- ChatGPT search update focuses on quality, shopping, format.
- Starbucks will add hundreds of thousands of seats back to stores.
- Brands turn to Discord servers to reach niche influencer channels.
- Duolingo scores are coming to LinkedIn.
- Babbel introduces a new AI voice trainer.
- AI shopping tools are evolving, but are they ready for the holidays?: Most consumers are open to generative AI-powered guidance, but only 3% say they will start their shopping journey with a ChatGPT-type search, according to Coveo research.
- AI agents will be ‘gatekeepers of loyalty’ in hospitality: The rise of AI-powered agents could shift customer loyalty toward algorithms, not hotel brands, according to researchers at Florida Atlantic University.
- On Wednesday, September 17, 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi turned 75, and the Indian cricketing community, both current and former players, took to social media and other platforms to extend their heartfelt wishes.
- Study Details Consumer Use of ChatGPT: OpenAI’s Economic Research team and Harvard economist David Deming have published the most comprehensive study of ChatGPT consumer usage, showing broad adoption across demographics and global regions. The analysis of 1.5 million conversations reveals that gender gaps have closed, adoption is accelerating in low- and middle-income countries, and most interactions focus on everyday tasks such as writing and seeking practical advice. Usage patterns cluster into Asking, Doing, and Expressing, with significant adoption in both work (30%) and personal (70%) contexts. The findings highlight ChatGPT’s role as both a productivity tool and a source of personal value, with economic impact extending beyond traditional measures like GDP.
- OpenAI Launches GPT-5-Codex for Advanced Agentic Coding: OpenAI has introduced GPT-5-Codex, a new version of GPT-5 designed for real-world software engineering and agentic coding tasks. The model improves on debugging, refactoring, and code review while adapting dynamically to task complexity, enabling both quick coding sessions and independent execution of multi-hour projects. GPT-5-Codex is now the default for Codex in cloud tasks and reviews, with availability across CLI, IDE, GitHub, and the ChatGPT app. Alongside the model, OpenAI has revamped Codex CLI with image input, to-do tracking, external system integration, and simplified approval modes, making it a more reliable and collaborative coding partner.
- Instagram Edits App Adds New Layer and Audio Tools: Instagram has introduced the ability to convert clips into overlays or revert them, offering greater flexibility in layering. Users can now also fine-tune transitions with keyframes for opacity, controlling fade-ins and fade-outs. Additionally, sound effects can be saved for easier reuse, streamlining the editing process.
- Instagram Expands Shots Image Sharing: Shots enables users to send unedited, unfiltered photos to mutual followers, which disappear after a single view for the recipient but remain archived for the sender.
- Expansion of WhatsApp Status Ads via Ads Manager: Meta is expanding ad placement options with the gradual rollout of WhatsApp Status ads, available through Ads Manager. These ads appear in the Updates tab, separate from personal chats, and open directly into a business conversation on WhatsApp when clicked. Advertisers can set campaigns with Traffic or Engagement objectives, use Advantage+ audience targeting, and must include Instagram Stories alongside WhatsApp Status in placements. Creative formats are limited to single images or videos up to 30 seconds, with results tracked in Ads Manager reporting.
- Snapchat Launches Engagement Features: Snapchat has introduced two new features designed to make conversations more personal and engaging. Infinite Retention lets users save chats permanently in one-on-one conversations, with transparent notifications when settings change. At the same time, Group Streaks allow friends to build shared streaks together, with contributions from each member keeping the streak alive. These collective streaks are private, optional, and can be restored within a week if broken, making it easier for groups to maintain their connections.
- YouTube Announces AI Tools, Live Upgrades, and New Creator Monetization Features: New AI-driven Shorts tools powered by Google DeepMind’s Veo allow creators to generate backgrounds, restyle clips, and even turn dialogue into songs. YouTube Studio is gaining Ask Studio insights, A/B testing, and expanded likeness detection to manage AI-generated content. Live streaming is receiving an upgrade, and podcasters can now repurpose episodes into video content with AI support. Creators will see expanded Shopping and brand collaboration opportunities, including link placements in Shorts.
TLDR: Social Media Headlines – 17 September 2025
If you feel strongly about this article then feel free to send MyZA a ‘Letter to the Editor’ using the submission form below:
Letter to the Editor
3 Latest Letters to the Editor:
-
Older Persons Grants Land Today — No Need to Queue at Dawn
Dear Editor, Older Persons grants are paid today, 30 October, under SASSA’s revised November payment schedule — with disability grants on Monday 2 November, children’s grants on Tuesday 3 November, and grants under review on Thursday 5 November. Two things every beneficiary should know. First, grant money does not expire on payment day. It stays…
-
November Grants Pay Early – No Need to Queue at Dawn
Dear Editor, I run SAGrant (sagrant.co.za), a free resource helping South Africans navigate SASSA grants. November grants pay earlier than usual. Older Persons grants are paid on Friday 30 October, Disability grants on 2 November, and Child Support and other grants on 3 November. Grants still under review are paid on 5 November. The money…
-
NSFAS 2027 applications close on 31 October — SASSA households, apply now
Dear Editor, I run SAGrant (sagrant.co.za), a free resource helping South Africans navigate SASSA grants. NSFAS applications for the 2027 academic year close on Friday 31 October 2026, and no extension is expected. If your household receives a SASSA grant, your child already passes the NSFAS financial eligibility test — but they still have to…
Saint La-Z-Boy
Fun South African Fact: It’s believed that Cape Town’s iconic Table Mountain is one of the oldest mountains in the world. Table mountain is approximately 260 million years old; it’s also home to thousands of species of plant life, including species unique to the Cape Floral Region. The glorious mountain is one of the world’s 7 New Natural Wonders. It is also apparently one of 12 main energy centres on the planet emitting spiritual, magnetic, and electric energies. It’s an idyllic and very popular hiking destination with hundreds of routes to explore.
mad rascal
Fun South African Fact: Table Mountain in Cape Town is believed to be one of the oldest mountains in the world and one of the planet’s 12 main energy centres, radiating magnetic, electric or spiritual energy.