tech news
Microsoft Launches Safe@Home Hackathon to Tackle GBV
Microsoft South Africa is partnering with NPO’s, 1000 Women Trust and TEARS Foundation, to launch the Safe@Home Hackathon which aims to address gender-based violence in South Africa. Hackathons are aimed at finding solutions to specific challenges through collaborative brainstorming and programming in a short space of time. The Safe@Home Hackathon will look to facilitate collaboration to create and develop technology-based solutions that will work in the context of South Africa’s unique circumstances and challenges. “Gender-based violence is one of the most pressing and critical challenges South Africa faces: President Cyril Ramaphosa identified it as the second pandemic our country is currently battling and a war that is being waged against our women and children, with over 40% of S...
Rubrik Go: a Flexible IT Offering during Uncertain Times
“The measure of intelligence is the ability to change,” said the renowned genius and theoretical physicist, Albert Einstein, and cloud data management company Rubrik is taking this to heart in its latest offering which delivers flexibility at its core. Rubrik is distributed throughout Africa by value-added distributor, Networks Unlimited Africa. Rubrik Go, the company’s new subscription purchasing programme, applies a Software as a Service (SaaS) model and enables customers to enjoy future innovation through one simple and predictable subscription licence. “In these current uncertain times brought about by the global COVID-19 lockdown situation, the ability for customers to have flexibility with their IT arrangements is extremely useful,” comments Risna Steenkamp, General Manager: ESM Divi...
vivo Launches Y30 Smartphone in Kenya
vivo has unveiled the Y30 smartphone in Kenya – just one month after it announced the launch of the V19. The tech manufacturer says that the Y30 smartphone combines its Ultra O Screen, AI Quad Camera and 5000 mAh battery in a high-end device with a unique body structure and moderate price tag. Chronicling the brand’s growth, Arthur Xian, CEO of vivo Kenya, highlighted the company’s efforts to make revolutionary smartphones that will usher smartphone enthusiasts into an era of endless possibilities on mobile devices and exceptional photography experiences. “The flexible display and design market this 2020 is growing unexpectedly. The technology is expected to expand further and diverse. Our goal is to dominate in the flexible display market by introducing new products with enhanced pe...
5 Reasons Why Connectivity Will Enable the Workplace of the Future
While the workplace of the future has long been possible, few businesses were adequately prepared for the speed and urgency at which they would need to develop such an environment — until the global COVID-19 pandemic fast-tracked digital transformation. Seemingly overnight, organisations were faced with two choices: they could either rethink their traditional ideas on productivity and ultimately rely on new technologies and infrastructures to create a productive remote-working environment or they would need to cease operations. Many embraced the challenge and chose the former, marking a mass work-from-home migration. Of course, reinventing the traditional office presented its obstacles, but one thing was made abundantly clear: the virtual workplace of the future can be anywhere that is s...
Huawei AppGallery Launches Discovery Bank App
Huawei has announced that the Discovery Bank app is now available on its AppGallery platform, ensuring that the bank’s users now have access to this app across multiple platforms and can use it from anywhere in South Africa. “We are happy to welcome Discovery Bank to our Huawei AppGallery family of apps,” says Zhao Likun Zhao, VP at Huawei Consumer Business Group for Southern Africa. “AppGallery has over 400 million active monthly users worldwide and has secured its position as one of the Top 3 app marketplaces globally, even though we only launched it to a wider market in 2018. Locally, Huawei has partnered with a number of companies who create apps that are key to the daily life of South Africans, which includes banking apps, so people can manage their financial present and future.” Comm...
Sony Unveils Noise-cancelling Headphones
Sony has launched its highly-anticipated WH-1000XM4 noise-cancelling headphones – the latest addition to its 1000X range. The tech company says that these headphones deliver “Sony’s best noise-cancelling performance, reducing high and mid-frequency sounds”. With two microphones on each earcup, Sony’s Dual Noise Sensor technology captures ambient noise and passes the data to the trusted HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN1. A new Bluetooth Audio SoC (System on Chip) senses and adjusts to music and noise at over 700 times per second. Using a new algorithm, the HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN1 applies noise cancelling processing in real-time, allowing the listener to focus more on the music they love and blur out unwanted distractions. Edge-AI analyses music in real-time and r...
Trump Says He’s Banning TikTok Because It’s Spread “Debunked Conspiracy Theories” About Coronavirus
Donald Trump has been going back and forth over whether to ban TikTok. After saying on Friday he would be issuing an executive order prohibiting the app’s usage in the US, Trump backed off those threats over the weekend after speaking with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. As it stands now, Trump… Please click the link below to read the full article. Trump Says He’s Banning TikTok Because It’s Spread “Debunked Conspiracy Theories” About Coronavirus Alex Young You Deserve to Make Money Even When you are looking for Dates Online. So we reimagined what a dating should be. It begins with giving you back power. Get to meet Beautiful people, chat and make money in the process. Earn rewards by chatting, sharing photos, blogging and help give users back their fair s...
Sabiss: The New Recruitment Platform in Africa
Sabiss is the new job search platform dedicated to candidates on the African continent. Its goal is, on the one hand, to allow companies to have easy access to the profiles and skills they are looking for and on the other hand, to facilitate the job search for African residents, by centralizing offers from countries in Africa, but also from other continents. Sabiss is therefore aimed at talents in Africa looking for a job or an internship, but also at companies all over the world, wishing to strengthen their team with newly qualified recruits. For applicants, access to the platform and its services is free. Once they have registered and completed their profile, they have access to all job offers, can apply for an unlimited period or can benefit from advice on finding a job via the blog. Fo...
Trump Signs Executive Order to Ban Business with TikTok
US President, Donald Trump has reportedly signed an executive order that aims to prohibit all transactions with TikTok’s parent company, Bytedance. This order – which is expected to come into effect in 45 days – is meant to “address the national emergency with respect to the information and communication technology supply chain”. US President Donald Trump has reportedly signed an executive order that aims to prohibit all transactions with #TikTok’s parent company #Bytedance.Click To Tweet “The spread [of apps controlled by the Chinese government] continues to threaten the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States,” reads the order. “The United States must take aggressive action against the owners of TikTok to protect our national security.” INBOX: @rea...
Luno and Genesis Partner for Customers to Earn Interest on Crypto Holdings
Luno and Genesis have partnered to provide customers with simple, accessible ways to earn interest on their crypto holdings. The partnership creates “savings accounts providing institutional-level interest rates to clients in traditional and emerging markets”. The companies believe these savings accounts will provide traditionally underbanked customers in emerging markets access to banking services via the market infrastructure built for the global cryptocurrency community. “We share Luno’s passion for making it safe and easy – across all segments of the market – to learn about, buy and store cryptocurrencies. By combining Genesis’s infrastructure with Luno’s footprint in more than 40 countries, we’re creating a fairer, more inclusive financial system by providing access to int...
WhatsApp Testing New iOS Features
WhatsApp is introducing new features and updates for iOS 2.20.90.21, reports WABetaInfo. These include: Improved Security Code Notifications that update end-to-end encryption for messages and statuses. A new ‘Multi Wallpaper’ feature that’ll allow users to have different wallpapers dedicated to different chats and even adjust the brightness of these wallpapers. These are currently only available through Apple’s TestFlight beta programme, and there’s currently no word on when users can expect these features to roll out to the public. WhatsApp’s Viral Message Forwarding Feature is Updated WhatsApp is on a mission to slow the spread of fake news between users and that’s why earlier this year it imposed a strict new limit on message forwarding. This feature means ...
INTERVIEW: ITC Infotech Set to Invest in South Africa
IT services major ITC Infotech is all set to take its long-standing association with South Africa to the next level. The company will soon inaugurate a new global delivery centre in Johannesburg. ITNA’s Jenna Delport had the opportunity to chat to Vishal Kumar, President & Regional Head at ITC Infotech, about the launch of this 10,000 sq ft facility. Here’s what transpired: What inspired the need for ITC Infotech’s delivery centre? ITC Infotech established its presence in South Africa in 2010, and we have steadily expanded our operations across the region. Over the years, we have witnessed firsthand the evolution of South Africa into a very attractive destination for IT service delivery, both for our clients in the region, as well as our global clients. South Africa offers a rich &...
