technology news
Airtel, MTN and Stanbic Bank Fall Victim to Major Data Breach in Uganda
Sourced from IDG Connect Mobile money transaction company, Pegasus technologies has suffered a major data breach resulting in the loss of billions of Ugandan Shillings – according to PLM Daily. The breach is said to have impacted telcos, Airtel and MTN Uganda, as well as Stanbic Bank, Uganda’s largest bank. “Stanbic Bank Uganda, MTN Uganda and Airtel Uganda inform the public and their customers that on Saturday 3 October 2020, a third-party service provider experienced a system incident which impacted Bank to Mobile Money transactions. All Bank to Mobile Money/Wallet services have since been temporarily suspended,” reads an official statement from the companies. “This system incident has had no impact on any balances on both Bank and Mobile Money accounts. Our technical teams are analysing...
Xiaomi Debuts Two New Entry-Level Smartphones
Xiaomi has officially unveiled two entry-level smartphones – the Redmi 9 and Redmi 9A. The tech company says that these devices represent its mission to make ‘exceptional smartphone experiences accessible to everyone’. Here’s a closer look at the Redmi 9 and Redmi 9A: Redmi 9 As the first entry-level Redmi smartphone to feature an all-purpose quad-camera set up, Redmi 9 helps capture life’s special moments. The device also integrates fun and creativity into the photography experience with premium camera features, including Kaleidoscope and Palm Shutter. Meanwhile, users can view more with Redmi 9’s bigger and better screen. Featuring a 6.53’’ FHD+ Dot Drop display, it offers an optimal visual experience with crystal-clear detail. It also comes with TÜV Rheinland Low Blue Light certifi...
Canal+ Acquires 6.5% Stake in MultiChoice
Image sourced from The Vanguard Nigeria MultiChoice has revealed that Groupe Canal+ SA – a French media company – has acquired 6.5% of Group’s ordinary shares. The African entertainment company emphasised that Canal+ would have to accept reduced voting rights of shares as it’s a foreign entity. “Shareholders should take note that, pursuant to a provision of the MultiChoice memorandum of incorporation, MultiChoice is permitted to reduce the voting rights of shares in MultiChoice (including MultiChoice shares deposited in terms of the American Depositary Share (“ADS”) facility) so that the aggregate voting power of MultiChoice shares that are presumptively owned or held by foreigners to South Africa (as envisaged in the MultiChoice memorandum of incorporation) will not exceed 20% of the tota...
Why Africa Needs to Take Advantage of the Cloud
Sourced from ZDNet. As a unified online platform for communication and collaboration, the cloud is now widely considered to be one of the most valuable resources we have at our disposal. It’s reported that by the end of 2020, 82% of workloads globally will reside on the cloud and more than 40 zettabytes of data will be flowing through cloud servers and networks. If African businesses are to take advantage of the opportunities that the cloud will present in the next decade, there are some key numbers we should all be paying attention to: 402.5 GB That’s how much data European and American broadband subscribers used on average every month during the first quarter of 2020. This reflects an increase of 47% in broadband data usage from the first quarter of 2019 to the first quarter of 2020. Of ...
Ethiopian Airlines Could Supply SAA with Planes and Pilots
Image sourced from News 24 Ethiopian Airlines has offered to supply South African Airways with planes, pilots and maintenance services as part of a new venture with the South African government, reports Bloomberg. Ethiopian Airlines CEO, Tewolde Gebre Marium says that they’re looking at providing operational assistance and aren’t interested in “helping with debt repayments or the cost of reducing the workforce”. “We don’t want to deal with the legacy issues — the debt, labour claims and so on because that is very difficult for us not only in terms of financial outlay but also in terms of managing the restructuring,” says Gebre Marium. “We want to make it very easy for them to start the airline by providing aeroplanes, by providing expertise, pilots, technicians, leadership.” SAA, which has...
How Alternative Power Solutions could Mitigate Load Shedding
Sourced from the South African. South Africa continues to feel the effects of load shedding, resulting in a decrease in productivity and disruption to business operations. Eskom announced earlier this year that load shedding is expected to continue into 2021 as power demand exceeds supply and more downtime is needed for overdue maintenance of the system. Some of the effects of load shedding include: Damage to electronics: the surge of electricity when the power is returned upsets the steady voltage flow in the electrical system. Loss of production: where most businesses use electricity for machinery, technology and light to complete the day’s work, loss of electrical power means that the day’s target cannot be completed. Data loss: power outages can cause data loss and corruption. Thi...
4 Trends Shaping the Healthcare Industry in 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic has led the headlines in defining the challenge facing our healthcare systems this year – says Dr Ryan Noach, CEO of Discovery Health. “We have closely followed and analysed the local and global trajectory of the pandemic and have identified a tipping point for healthcare consumers to access healthcare differently, revealing opportunities for greater efficiencies in the future.” Four key trends have emerged as currently dominant in shaping the healthcare industry: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted typical healthcare patterns and created discontinuity in the supply and demand of healthcare services. The global focus on patient-centric care is driving demand for improved quality of care and healthcare outcomes. Providers and consumers are increasingly leveraging digit...
Data Protection in an Evolving Threat Landscape
Sourced from CSO. Information Technology (IT) has become simpler and more complex. This is best described with the cloud making it easier to consume while adding challenges of massive data growth, increased siloes and growing numbers of workloads. In addition, ransomware and malware attacks are a very valid concern. Data protection needs to be modernised to meet changing needs, simplified to mitigate complexity, and flexible to adapt to a changing world. Above all, data needs to be consolidated to provide an all-encompassing view it as a strategic business asset, moving beyond backups to data management. In a data-driven world the impact of a disaster is magnified With the emergence and growth of cloud technologies, data outages have become far less frequent. However, the impact of an outa...
Huawei Launches the P Smart S in South Africa
Huawei has launched the new Huawei P Smart S device in South Africa. The smartphone has a 6.3″ OLED Dewdrop Display, with a high screen-to-body ratio of 90.17%, offering a massive viewing area and displaying content in fine details and vivid colours. The tech company says that when it comes to their consumers, they are all about the smartphones – which is why Huawei has included a 4,000mAh high-capacity battery that will keep up with any gaming, browsing, reading, music or series and movie needs. This smartphone’s rear camera is capable of producing high-definition images, thanks to its 48MP Main Camera. Even zoomed in, the details are crisp and sharp. The Huawei P Smart S also excels in night photography due to its high sensitivity performance and AI capability. Thanks to the device’s 120...
Sony Unveils New ‘Extra Bass’ Wireless Speaker
Sony has launched its new Extra Bass wireless speaker line-up – made up of the SRS-XB43, SRS-XB33 and SRS-XB23. The new range features superb sound quality, toughness and usability, all housed in refreshed new designs. “Our new SRS-XB43, SRS-XB33 and SRS-XB23 Extra Bass wireless speakers are designed to offer South African music lovers deep, punchy bass in a durable, refreshed look so their favourite music can be enjoyed the way artists’ intended,” says Takakiyo Fujita, MD at Sony Middle East and Africa. “This new XB range uses Sony’s renowned audio technology to produce exceptional sound quality.” X-Balanced Speaker Unit The Extra Bass wireless XB speaker range features Sony’s newly developed X-Balanced Speaker Unit, which is engineered to achieve high sound quality and powerful sound pre...
Rwanda to Host MWC 2021
GSMA has revealed that it will host MWC Africa in Kigali, Rwanda in 2021 – this comes after MWC 2020 was scrapped in the wake of numerous wireless tech heavyweights deciding to pull out from the conference citing the coronavirus outbreak. MWC21 Africa is expected to bring together the leading names in business and technology from all around the world. “I am proud of what we have built with Thrive and the previous Mobile 360 events, which have helped shape the continent’s connected digital future,” says GSMA Director General, Mats Granryd. “From 2021 we will celebrate MWC Africa, joining our world-leading platform for thought-leadership and technology, recognising the important role Africa will play in our connected future.” /* custom css */ .tdi_3_b57.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: ...
Google Launches the Pixel 5 Smartphone
Google has officially launched its latest flagship device – the Pixel 5. The 6.2-inch smartphone is said to be Google’s most capable handset ‘in terms of connectivity and features’ as it is one of the first 5G devices within the Pixel range. The Pixel 5 is powered by the Snapdragon 765G and sports 8GB of RAM and 128GB worth of internal storage. Google is especially proud of the Pixel 5’s photography capabilities – It has a dual-rear-camera set up as well as a punch-hole notch front-facing camera. “Ask any Pixel owner and they’ll tell you: Pixels take great photos,” says the tech company. “Pixel 5 [is] no exception. [This phone] brings Pixel’s industry-leading photography features to the next level.” Here’s a closer look at the Pixel 5’s key specifications: Operating System Android 11 Main ...
