IT News
WHO Urges African Countries to Expand Critical Care as COVID Surges
Sourced from BBC. /* custom css */ .tdi_4_02b.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_4_02b.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; } Bloomberg reports that the World Health Organisation (WHO) is urging African countries to expand critical care capacities as soon as possible while COVID-19 cases are on the rise across the continent and vaccine rollout in African countries are basically at standstill. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, says that efforts to augment critical care will aid health care facilities from becoming too overwhelmed. “Many African hospitals and clinics are still far from ready for a surge in critically ill COVID-19 patients,” Moeti told Bloomberg. /* custom css */ .tdi_3_b1b.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_3_b1b.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0;...
You’ll Have to Pay Twitter to Fix Typos in Tweets
Sourced from CNET. /* custom css */ .tdi_4_f37.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_4_f37.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; } Twitter’s subscription service “Twitter Blue” includes a way to ‘revise’ tweets before sending them. A service only accessible to users who pay the premium subscription at $4.49. Twitter Blue is the social media sites first premium subscription offering, a move for the company to have more revenue avenues outside of advertising. One of the most important features of the service is the new “undo” button. CNET notes that this will allow users to preview and revise a tweet before it gets posted on their timelines. For many years Twitter users have asked for a method to edit tweets, especially after the company adds a new feature that users haven’t asked for. /* cu...
Digital Transactions Fraud Rise 187% in South Africa
As more consumers go online for banking and other financial transactions, new research from TransUnion, an American consumer credit reporting agency, has found that fraudsters are ramping up their efforts in the financial services industry. When comparing the last four months of 2020 (September 1 – December 31) and the first four months of 2021 (January 1 – May 1), the company found the percentage of suspected digital fraud attempts coming from South Africa in financial services increased by 187%. Globally, the rate of financial services fraud attempts increased by 149%. Across industries, the rate of suspected digital fraud attempts globally rose 24% when comparing the first four months of 2021 with the last four months of 2020. In South Africa, the overall percentage of fraud attempts in...
God of War 2 Delayed to 2022 by Sony
Image sourced from Games Radar. /* custom css */ .tdi_4_fbc.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_4_fbc.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; } Sony Interactive Entertainment’s next huge AAA first-party release God of War 2 – otherwise known as God of War: Ragnarök has been delayed, according to the game’s developer. pic.twitter.com/LLXnEof2Lg — Santa Monica Studio Is Hiring (@SonySantaMonica) June 2, 2021 PlayStation Studios head Hermen Hulst and God of War developer Santa Monica Studios confirmed the sequel to the 2018 mega-hit will now be slated for release in 2022. Hulst cites the delay is to give more time to Santa Monica Studios for development in order for the studio to “…deliver the amazing God of War game that we all want to play.” /* custom css */ .tdi_3_06b.td-a-rec-img{ text-al...
Eskom Moves Loadshedding to Weekend Allowing SA Govt to Pass Bill on Friday
Image sourced from International Atomic Energy Agency /* custom css */ .tdi_4_e33.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_4_e33.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; } Embattled South African power utility Eskom is suspending load-shedding on Friday from 12:00 to 17:00 in order for the country’s parliament to pass an Appropriation Bill. In order for the power utility to make up reserves it will use to suspend the shedding on Friday, communities across the country will have to face load-shedding through the weekend. #PowerAlert1 In order to allow parliament to pass the Appropriation Bill, Stage 2 loadshedding will be suspended from 12:00 to 17:00 today@News24 @SABCNews @NewzroomAfrika @eNCA @IOL @ewnupdates @SundayTimesZA @SowetanLIVE @dailysunsa pic.twitter.com/d4naqeHG7B — Eskom Hld SOC Ltd...
1Life and Samsung South Africa Launch COVID-19 Screening App as 3rd Wave Crests
Sourced from Shutterstock /* custom css */ .tdi_4_7dc.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_4_7dc.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; } 1Life, together with LifeQ, using a Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 device, have launched a first-in-SA COVID-19 screening app. It uses unique models derived from users’ biometric data to give them an indication of changes in their health, enabling consumers to take proactive precautions in the event of potential COVID-19 onset, which is essential as the country faces a potential 3rd wave of infections. There is growing evidence from studies for the use of biometrics in the early detection of many physical conditions, and this COVID-19 solution is the first of many solutions that LifeQ plans to offer to consumers, athletes, and those with acute and chronic...
Huawei Reveals Price and Release Date for New Band 6 Smartwatch
Sourced from Huawei. /* custom css */ .tdi_4_00b.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_4_00b.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; } IT News Africa was live at Huawei’s Band 6 Smartwatch launch event today from Megawatt Park, Sandton, where Huawei SA revealed more important details about its new Band 6 Smartwatch. IT News Africa is live! @HuaweiZA #Huaweiband6 #MoreThanABand #ITNAXHuaweiZA pic.twitter.com/vzZwmA0KSq — ITNewsAfrica.com (@ITNewsAfrica) June 3, 2021 ITNA had hands-on with the new Band 6 and had the opportunity to discuss the watch’s finer points. /* custom css */ .tdi_3_65c.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_3_65c.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; } The #HuaweiBand6 represents an affordable alternative to other smartwatches. It focuses more on the rigors of daily life,...
Sending These WhatsApp Messages Can Land You Jail Time in SA
South Africa’s Cybercrimes Bill has finally been signed to law by President Cyril Ramaphosa. Now an act of parliament, the bill seeks to bring the country’s cybersecurity laws in line with the rest of the world. One of the features of the new bill is the creation of offences and the criminalisation of, amongst others, the disclosure of data messages which are harmful. What this means is that if you send someone a WhatsApp message containing illegal material or with violent intentions, you can now be prosecuted for it. Examples of data messages now criminalised include: Messages which incite violence or damage to property. Messages which threaten persons with violence or damage to property. Messages which contain an intimate image sent without the subject’s consent. However, this isn’t just...
Liquid Becomes Largest Independent Network Provider in Africa
Digital solutions provider Liquid Intelligent Technologies achieves the 100,000 km fibre network milestone, positioning the organisation as the largest independent fibre network provider in emerging markets globally. Liquid has been manoeuvring steadily through Africa, investing in increasing its reach, which it has successfully done, moving the dial from 89,989 km at the beginning of 2021 to reach this new milestone now. With its additional fibre network connecting 14 countries, primarily in Sub-Saharan Africa, customers can now explore opportunities in Africa and across the US, Asian and European markets. The organisation’s fibre infrastructure impacts more than 100 million people across 643 towns and cities on the continent. This extensive network will create new opportunities by making...
Samsung Launches Door-to-Door Repair Service in South Africa
Image sourced from Coindesk. Worldwide electronics conglomerate Samsung has launched a “door to door” repair service in South Africa as part of an effort to facilitate the repairs of their customers’ smartphones (and other devices) and “provide another option to visiting a customer care centre”. Samsung refers to the service as “seamless” and it applies to anyone within 40kms of a customer care centre. This new service is another innovation in the world of convenient tech, a welcome prospect to anyone working from home struggling to find time to take their devices in to repair. “Many people don’t always have the time to drive to a customer care centre – especially as they juggle both their home and work commitments,” says an official release from the company. “Fortunately, you can now opt ...
7 Vital Facebook Settings You Can Change Right Now to Protect Your Privacy
Image sourced from Reuters. /* custom css */ .tdi_4_a0d.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_4_a0d.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; } Nowadays it is more common than not to be working from home, and while this does offer advantages, it opens us up to many lurking dangers from cybercriminals and otherwise. Now more than ever we should try to protect ourselves from the dangers of the internet, and a hot spot for these dangers is the world’s favourite social media platform. In April this year alone, over 14-Million South African Facebook users were affected by a massive data breach. These settings can be changed on the browser version of Facebook, which this guide will be using. Though most of the settings can also be changed on the iOS or Android versions of the Facebook app, they may ...
EDGE Computing and What It Means for the Future of the Cloud
Sourced from ZDNet. /* custom css */ .tdi_4_bdd.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_4_bdd.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; } Edge computing is rightly being hailed as the cloud’s silver lining. It is a force multiplier that has triggered a step-change in the performance and scope of the abilities of distributed sensing, computing and action. In short, it brings significantly enhanced benefits to users. It is rare for a single emerging technology to have a truly disruptive impact by itself. Edge computing has emerged as such a key technology within a cluster that includes the cloud, the internet of things (IoT), sensors and smart devices, 5G and artificial intelligence, amongst others. Enter EDGE Computing /* custom css */ .tdi_3_bb3.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_3_bb3.td-a-r...
