tech news
Vodacom Injects R100-Million to Drive Connectivity in KwaZulu-Natal
A Vodacom investment of R100-million ($73,137.60) has been injected into the KwaZulu-Natal region in South Africa and has led to the deployment of 84 brand new base station sites. This comes as part of the telco’s KwaZulu-Natal Region drive. The new sites were rolled out in 9 District municipalities and 14 local municipalities including Jozini, uMhlabuyalingana, uMfolozi, uMlalazi, uMsinga, uMzumbe, uMgeni, Ray Nkonyeni, Mandeni, eNdumeni, eDumbe, Msunduzi, Newcastle and Nqutu. This is part of Vodacom’s Rural Coverage Acceleration Programme, firmly aimed at expanding network coverage for people who live in deep rural and remote areas in South Africa. Vodacom hopes this investment and new infrastructure will augment the continued development of network infrastructure outside of urban areas ...
Nigeria Bans Twitter Indefinitely After It Deleted President Buhari’s Tweet
Image sourced from CNN. /* custom css */ .tdi_4_29d.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_4_29d.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; } Twitter’s operations in Nigeria have been “indefinitely suspended” says the Nigerian government, following an announcement, ironically on Twitter, by the Ministry of Information and Culture. PRESS RELEASE FG Suspends @Twitter Operations in Nigeria pic.twitter.com/7z5BQ0Mi3U — Fed Min of Info & Cu (@FMICNigeria) June 4, 2021 “The Federal Government has suspended, indefinitely, the operations of the microblogging and social networking service, Twitter, in Nigeria,” the statement reads. /* custom css */ .tdi_3_aaa.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_3_aaa.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; } The reason that was given for the ban, via the statement po...
New Research Finds Human Brains Can Easily Control Robotic “Third Thumb”
Dani Clode, creator. Image sourced from My Modern Met. /* custom css */ .tdi_4_6a6.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_4_6a6.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; } Technology advances by leaps and bounds, and sometimes ideas that were only science fiction yesterday become things you can feel, touch and use today. Now, a team of researchers at University College London have recently published the results of experimenting with a robotic “third thumb” in the journal Science Robotics. The “Third Thumb” was created by designer Dani Clode, who had a team conduct the first serious investigation of high-tech body augmentation outside of a laboratory. /* custom css */ .tdi_3_911.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_3_911.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; } What they found was that the human...
Unemployment Stats Downplay SA’s Jobs Crisis
Sourced from Voice of the Cape /* custom css */ .tdi_4_012.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_4_012.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; } The Alternative Information and Development Centre (AIDC) and the Assembly of the Unemployed (AoU) note the results of the latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) with concern. The results of the survey show that unemployment in South Africa has reached some of the highest levels in the country’s history. It is the youth unemployment who make up the majority of the unemployed. The AIDC and the AoU believe that austerity policies by the government will only make the situation worse. The latest QLFS results show that the official unemployment rate increased to 32,6% – the highest rate on record. But while the official unemployment’s increase of 0....
Infinix Note 10 Kenya Launch Date Revealed
Sourced from Gizmochina. /* custom css */ .tdi_4_65d.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_4_65d.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; } Hong Kong-based smartphone retailers Infinix has unveiled the date for their Infinix Note 10 launch set to be in Mombasa, Kenya – the country’s second-largest city. The Infinix Note 10 is positioned to succeed the Infinix Note 8 released in the country in 2020. The Infinix Note 10 smartphone series makes improvements to both hardware and software features from the Note 8 series, with the Infinix Note 10 Pro noted for being the top device of the group. The Note 10 Pro /* custom css */ .tdi_3_499.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_3_499.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; } According to Techweez, the Infinix Note 10 Pro will feature a 6.95-inch LCD dis...
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,...
