technology news
Unpacking the Status of Cloud in South Africa
Sourced from ZDNet. Most strategic discussions in boardrooms around the world will include cloud-based offerings because the services offered have become fundamental to a modern, resilient enterprise. in 2020 many organisations may well have been taking a wait-and-see approach, but the pandemic has forced everyone’s hand and sped up digital transformation in all its guises. Cloud computing is believed to have been invented by Joseph Carl Robnett Licklider in the 1960s with the idea of being able to connect people and data from anywhere at any time. Fast-forward 60 years and the various lockdowns around the world have made this idea an absolute and immediate necessity. There have been winners and sadly there were losers during the pandemic. Some businesses thrived and others paid the ultima...
Google News Initiative Launches in Africa
Image sourced from Pymnts Google has announced the second Google News Initiative Innovation Challenge in Africa, with an “open call for projects that increase reader engagement and explore new business models for media”. The first GNI Innovation Challenge saw 21 projects in 13 countries receive funding last year. Awardees were from Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Morocco, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Turkey, and the UAE. In Nigeria, Ringier Africa Digital Publishing was awarded funding to increase personalisation across its platform using a blend of prediction, recommendation and local information pages to increase user engagement. Kenyan awardee Africa Uncensored is aggregating news from members of the public to produce at scale. Applications open today ...
Opera Unveils African Inspired Chat Service in Kenya
Opera has launched the newly dedicated chat service Hype in Kenya. Built into the mobile web browser Opera Mini, this service is expected to enable seamless surfing, chatting and sharing content– without compromising speed or driving increased data consumption. “Chat services and browsers are apps people use every day and feel very personal about,” says Charles Hamel, Product Lead for Hype. “With the integration of Hype in Opera Mini, we are not only rethinking what a chat service should be like in 2021, but also changing the very definition of what a mobile browser should be.” Hype is launching first in Kenya as a pilot market, where users will be able to easily set up their account and start chatting with secure end-to-end encryption. This launch is a facet of Opera’s emphasis on investi...
Microsoft Offers OCR Support for Official South African Languages
Microsoft has revealed it would add Optical Character Recognition (OCR) support for two of South Africa’s official languages, Afrikaans and Zulu. “Adding support for these languages is part of Microsoft’s mission to build meaningful cognitive products and services that improve local engagement,” says Rory Preddy, Senior Cloud Advocate at Microsoft South Africa. “This support, which now counts a total of 73 languages, means that more people are able to connect in their own language and that language will become a seamless feature of using technology, rather than a hindrance.” OCR support for local languages allows users to use visual data processing to label content with objects and concepts, extract text, generate image descriptions and moderate content. /* custom css */ .tdi_3_a3a.td...
Why Telcos Should Prioritise Efficiency and Sustainability in 5G Networks
5G is expected to be one of the most transformative communication technologies in a generation – thanks to its ability to enable new services including advanced energy management capabilities that will be critical to solving growing energy and sustainability challenges. But new research highlights the practical challenges of 5G energy management facing telco operators. Estimates suggest 5G networks can be up to 90% more efficient per traffic unit than their 4G predecessors. However, they still require far more energy due to increased network density, heavy reliance on IT systems and infrastructure, and increased network use and accelerated traffic growth. A recent report from Vertiv concludes telecom operators should address these challenges in two ways: by adopting energy efficiency best ...
OPPO Reno 5 Series Officially Launches in Kenya
Image sourced from Times of India OPPO has officially launched the Reno 5 series in Kenya – this range of smartphones includes the Reno 5 and Reno 5 Pro. The devices are equipped with impressive camera array’s, Gorilla Glass displays and Qualcomm/Mediatek chipsets. Here’s a closer look at the Reno 5’s key specifications: BODY Dimensions 162 x 77.2 x 9.3 mm (6.38 x 3.04 x 0.37 in) Weight 215 g (7.58 oz) Build Glass front (Gorilla Glass 6), glass back (Gorilla Glass 5), aluminium frame SIM Hybrid Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) DISPLAY Type AMOLED Size 6.6 inches, 108.6 cm2 (~86.8% screen-to-body ratio) Resolution 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (~387 ppi density) Protection Corning Gorilla Glass 6 PLATFORM OS Android 9.0 (Pie), ColorOS 6 Chipset Qualcomm SM8150 Snapdragon 855 (7 nm...
Here’s What Will Happen if Users Don’t Accept WhatApp’s Updated Privacy Policy
Image sourced from YoMZanzi WhatsApp has given users until the 15th of May to accept its updated privacy policy. In a statement, the company says that if users haven’t accepted it by then, their accounts will not be deleted but they won’t have full functionality of the messaging platform. For a short time, users will still be able to receive calls and notifications, but won’t be able to read or send messages from the app. WhatsApp outlines the following options for users: Users can still accept the updates after May 15th. WhatsApp’s policy related to inactive users will apply. Before May 15th, users can export their chat history on Android or iPhone, and download a report of their account. If users would like to delete their account on Android, iPhone, or KaiO...
IoTFA 2021 Goes Virtual
The number of Internet of Things (IoT) connections exceeded the human population more than a decade ago, research shows. And in 2021, the growing rate of IoT deployment is set to reach $3.7 trillion. This trend is expected to change the trajectory of how businesses are run across the world. So while there is a very real hype surrounding IoT, very few enterprises know how to make the most of it. That’s why business leaders, tech aficionados and innovation heavy-weights are gearing up for the virtual edition of the Internet of Things Forum Africa — taking place from 25 – 26 March 2021. Under the theme “Enabling Enterprise Transformation with IoT”, this premier African event will see hundreds of attendees equipped with the knowledge and tools needed to plan and implement successfu...
IoTFA 2021 Goes Virtual
The number of Internet of Things (IoT) connections exceeded the human population more than a decade ago, research shows. And in 2021, the growing rate of IoT deployment is set to reach $3.7 trillion. This trend is expected to change the trajectory of how businesses are run across the world. So while there is a very real hype surrounding IoT, very few enterprises know how to make the most of it. That’s why business leaders, tech aficionados and innovation heavy-weights are gearing up for the virtual edition of the Internet of Things Forum Africa — taking place from 25 – 26 March 2021. Under the theme “Enabling Enterprise Transformation with IoT”, this premier African event will see hundreds of attendees equipped with the knowledge and tools needed to plan and implement successfu...
Spotify Expands to 80 New Markets, Including Ghana, Kenya and Tanzania
Sourced from Android Police Spotify is set to expand its streaming subscription service to 80+ new markets across the globe – this move represents Spotify’s broadest market expansion to date. Founder and CEO, Daniel Ek revealed that the platform would now be available to more than a billion people in over 36 languages. Spotify says that it plans to work with local creators and partners to expand its music offerings to meet the unique needs of each market. It will also introduce the following offerings in each region: Plans: Free and Premium plans will be available across all the markets. User Experience: Listeners will be able to select and search from Spotify’s worldwide catalogue when using the product, providing a personalized experience from day one. Music Catalogue: At launc...
Spotify Expands to 80 New Markets, Including Ghana, Kenya and Tanzania
Sourced from Android Police Spotify is set to expand its streaming subscription service to 80+ new markets across the globe – this move represents Spotify’s broadest market expansion to date. Founder and CEO, Daniel Ek revealed that the platform would now be available to more than a billion people in over 36 languages. Spotify says that it plans to work with local creators and partners to expand its music offerings to meet the unique needs of each market. It will also introduce the following offerings in each region: Plans: Free and Premium plans will be available across all the markets. User Experience: Listeners will be able to select and search from Spotify’s worldwide catalogue when using the product, providing a personalized experience from day one. Music Catalogue: At launc...
UberGo Launches in South Africa
Sourced from CNet. Uber has launched its low-cost ride-hailing service UberGo in South Africa. “Due to the successful launch of UberGo in Port Elizabeth in 2017, we have decided to change the name of UberNam to UberGo, in order to follow the global Uber standard and to easily expand this option across South Africa,” reads a statement from the company. “We also understand that the name led to some confusion regarding a ride-sharing product, which we do not have in South Africa. Therefore, when you open your Uber app, you will see UberGo. This product is in addition to the current suite of products such as UberX and UberBlack.” UberGo comes with smaller, fuel-efficient vehicles, with fares priced more affordably than before. Riders and drivers can expect the same door-to-door safety fea...
