Online&Social
Twitter Users Can Now Tweet Pictures in 4K
Image sourced from Mission Statement Academy Twitter began testing new ways to post images back in March. Now, Twitter users will be able to post images in 4K. “Time to Tweet those high res pics – the option to upload and view 4K images on Android and iOS is now available for everyone,” says the company in an official tweet. To begin uploading and viewing images in 4K, users simply need to update their high-quality image preferences in “Data usage” settings. /* custom css */ .tdi_3_404.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_3_404.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; } Time to Tweet those high res pics –– the option to upload and view 4K images on Android and iOS is now available for everyone. To start uploading and viewing images in 4K, update your high-quality image preferences in “Data u...
Instagram Introduces New Feature to Filter Abusive DMs
Image sourced from Time Instagram has introduced a new tool that will allow users to turn on an abusive message filter for direct messages (DMs). It will work in a similar way to the comment filters Instagram already offers – which allow users to hide offensive comments and choose what terms they don’t want people to use in comments under their posts. “We’re announcing a new way to protect people from seeing abusive DMs in the first place, as well as the ability to prevent someone you’ve blocked from contacting you from a new account,” reads a blog post from Instagram. “We understand the impact that abusive content – whether it’s racist, sexist, homophobic, or any other kind of abuse – can have on people. Nobody should have to experience that on Instagram.” But the social platform goes on ...
What does WhatsApp’s Privacy Policy Update Mean for Businesses
Despite public pushback, Facebook-owned messaging app WhatsApp will be going ahead with the privacy policy update it announced earlier this year. While the public has begun to appreciate that WhatsApp’s privacy rules are in fact still very much in favour of the user, with messages sent remaining private and encrypted at all times, what will this mean for brands that use the app to reach and engage with consumers? “The benefits for brands are massive,” says Kyle Oosthuizen, COO at Blue Robot. “These updates form part of Facebook’s efforts to make communicating with a business secure, better and easier for everyone. The new updates will be made to business features that will help businesses engage with their users in a more intuitive and more advanced way.” “2021 is the year that WhatsApp wi...
How the Haller Foundation is Helping Smallholder Farmers Across Africa
The Haller Foundation is a grassroots organisation that guides communities through a holistic four-stage economic development model that is sustainable and environmentally sound. The model kick-starts a fragile farming community and, over a 3-year collaborative partnership, educates them to restore their soils, improve their environment and ultimately build the capacity to achieve economic resilience. Throughout the process, the organisation partners with the Ministries of Agriculture, Water, Health and local Government. And as an extension of its farmer training, the Haller Foundation uses its app — Haller Farmers — as well as Africa’s increasing mobile penetration, to reach those communities who they cannot reach directly. It all started in the 1970s when Dr Rene Haller, an a...
Showmax Reveals Reduced Mobile Plan Prices Across Africa
Showmax has revealed that African mobile subscribers could pay up to 20% less each month. “We believe this change will be appreciated by our mobile customers as will the decision not to increase any of our other prices,” says MultiChoice Group CEO for Connected Video, Yolisa Phahle. “We have our most exciting slate of Showmax Originals this year and look forward to more of our subscribers enjoying our proudly African stories”. Here’s a quick look at how the mobile plans will now be priced /* custom css */ .tdi_3_e69.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_3_e69.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; } Showmax Showmax Mobile WAS Showmax Mobile NOW Showmax Pro Showmax Pro Mobile South Africa R99 R49 R39 R449 R225 Kenya KSh 790 KSh 380 KSh 300 KSh 2100 KSh 1050...
Facebook is Exploring New Audio Apps
Facebook is said to be working on a series of audio tools for users, reports Recode. A spokesperson from the social media company says that “we’ve been connecting people through audio and video technologies for many years, and are always exploring new ways to improve that experience for people”. According to the Vox publication, Facebook’s audio plans include: An audio-only version of Rooms, a videoconferencing product it launched a year ago, when the pandemic spurred massive adoption of Zoom. A Clubhouse-like product that will let groups of people listen to and interact with speakers on a virtual “stage.” A product that will let Facebook users record brief voice messages and post them in their newsfeeds, like they currently can do with text, pictures, and videos. A podcast disco...
Top 10 Most Imitated Companies in 2021 So Far
In a brand phishing attack, cybercriminals try to imitate the official website of a well-known brand by using a similar domain name or URL and web page design to the genuine site. The link to the fake website can be sent to target individuals by email or text message, a user can be redirected during web browsing, or it may be triggered by a fraudulent mobile application. The fake website often contains a form intended to steal users’ credentials, payment details or other personal information. Check Point’s new Brand Phishing Report reveals the most frequently imitated by criminals. Here are the Top 10 phishing brands in Q1 of 2021: /* custom css */ .tdi_3_657.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_3_657.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; } Microsoft (related to 39% of all brand...
Twitter to Build African HQ in Ghana
Image sourced from Mission Statement Academy Twitter is set to base its African headquarters in Ghana. According to Business Insider, the social media company is hoping to fill 12 positions and will hold off on opening a physical office until the COVID-19 pandemic subsides. 🇬🇭 Twitter is now present on the continent. Thank you Ghana and @NAkufoAddo. #TwitterGhana https://t.co/tt7KR3kvDg — jack (@jack) April 12, 2021 Twitter chose the West African country because of its commitment to freedom of speech. /* custom css */ .tdi_3_4a4.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_3_4a4.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; } “As a champion for democracy, Ghana is a supporter of free speech, online freedom, and the Open Internet, of which Twitter is also an advocate,” reads a stateme...
14.3 Million South African Facebook Users Implicated by Data Breach
On April 3, Business Insider uncovered how more than 530 million Facebook users personal information had been made publicly available in an unsecured database – this included names, email addresses, and phone numbers. And now, VPN provider Surfshark has revealed that of the affected users, Egypt is the number one victim of this hack with the accounts of 45.1 million users being exposed while 14.3 million users were South African. In general, the top 10 countries by breaches make up 50% of all the breach cases – and of those cases, fewer than 10% of the profiles had their addresses exposed. On the other hand, nearly 90% of the users suffered from phone number leaks /* custom css */ .tdi_3_009.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_3_009.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; } Faceb...
Huawei Partners with Mondia to Expand Contactless Payments Across Africa
Huawei Mobile Services (HMS) has teamed up with Mondia Pay, a digital payments company, to roll out seamless and contactless payments solutions for mobile network operators. Since the commencement of the partnership in September 2020, demand for the implementation of Direct Carrier Billing service (DCB) for seamless, contactless payments for mobile users in the MEA region has grown. Mondia Pay’s direct carrier billing service integration was launched with Vodafone Egypt and Etisalat UAE. During this quarter the following operators – Ufone Pakistan, Cell C South Africa, Orange Tunisia and Ooredoo Algeria – will go live with the DCB service, following the testing phase. As a DCB services for consumers, Mondia Pay is available on HuaweiAppGallery, to facilitate online payments. Subscribers ca...
Ride-Hailing Platform, Bolt Now Available on Huawei App Gallery
Huawei has announced that ride-hailing platform – Bolt – is now available on its AppGallery. The service provides users with a simple, affordable, and much quicker way of reaching any destination within certain cities in South Africa. Moreover, it can help users avoid the hassle of missing an important appointment, reduce stress related to heavy traffic during peak hours, and enable a secure and contactless payment method. Huawei has also revealed that ride-hailing apps – like Bolt – are integrated within the core Huawei Mobile Services (HMS) ecosystem. They include Huawei Map and Location kit, which provides an accurate location when booking rides and location tracking, thereby offering an enhanced user experience. FNB Banking App Launches on Huawei App Gallery FNB has confirmed that its ...
Facebook Says it Won’t Notify Users Implicated in ‘Hack’
On April 3, Business Insider revealed that more than 530 million Facebook users personal information had been made publicly available in an unsecured database – this included names, email addresses, and phone numbers. Facebook has now disclosed that it doesn’t plan to notify the users whose data was exposed online. According to The Verge, the social media platform “cited two reasons as to why it’s not telling users proactively: it says it’s not confident it would know which users would need to be notified and that users wouldn’t be able to do anything about the data being online”. Facebook believes that the data leak is the result of malicious actors who obtained the data by scraping it from the platform prior to September 2019. “We believe the data in question was scraped from ...
