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Bolt Launches ‘Women Only’ Ride Hailing Service
Bolt has launched a ‘Women Only’ service that enables female passengers to request rides from female drivers only – their request for a ride will not be visible to male drivers. Drivers and passengers utilising Bolt’s Women Only service are protected by an app-integrated SOS emergency button, made possible through Bolt’s partnership with national safety platform Namola. The SOS button enables passengers and drivers to connect quickly and easily 24/7 to private armed response teams, private emergency medical services, and roadside assistance if they are involved in any medical or security emergency while on a Bolt ride. “Gender-based violence is a reality that women across South Africa contend with every day,” says Gareth Taylor, country manager for Bolt South Africa. “Women Only – a servic...
WhatsApp Launches it Own Status Account
Image sourced from YoMZanzi WhatsApp has introduced a verified account on its Status service. So far the update was used to notify users of the new account while also reminding them of its commitment to privacy. “WhatsApp is now on Status!” it reads. “We’ll let you about new features and updates here.” “One thing that isn’t new is our commitment to your privacy.” In the next window, the messaging platform says “WhatsApp can’t read or listen to your personal conversations as they’re end-to-end encrypted”. /* custom css */ .tdi_3_f0b.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_3_f0b.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; } Here’s a closer look at the Status: WhatsApp is Behind the “Largest Digital Migration in History”, says Telegram Founder Facebook’s recent attempt to update WhatsApp’s priva...
Google Play Introduces Rewards Programme in South Africa
Google Play’s free rewards programme has just launched in South Africa. The programme allows users to earn points and redeem them for in-app purchases or credit. According to Gadgets, the reward points can also be earned by “downloading free apps and games that are featured, alongside weekly points that can boost the earning rate of points for users on select games and movies”. The Google Play Points programme has four levels, ranging from Bronze to Platinum, that are dependant on how many points collected. “More than 2 billion people in 190 countries use Google Play to discover blockbuster movies, apps that help you be more productive, and books that inspire imagination,” says Mariam Abdulahi, Director of Africa Platform Partnerships for Android and Google Play. /* custom css */ .tdi_3_69...
TT100 Awards Interview: VNI Consultants
VNI Consultants (VNI) is a consulting firm in South Africa specialising in Organisation Development and Continuous Change Management based on sound business consulting and training delivery experience design. Due to the current business complexities and global systemic realities VNI has undergone a strategic direction change to provide inclusive and holistic cloud services for SMMEs. What is the core focus of your business? As continuous change management and competency improvement experts, VNI’s areas of specialisation include project management, business analysis, diagnostic and research-based assignments, process engineering, systems development, training, coaching and behaviour change implementation. /* custom css */ .tdi_3_665.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_3_665.td-a-rec...
Google Plans to Help Speed Up Delivery of Vaccines
Image sourced from Pymnts Google revealed that it will be giving $150 million to promote vaccine education and making it easier to find locally relevant COVID-19 information. The company is also going to use its technology to improve vaccine distribution. “The pandemic has taken a devastating toll on communities worldwide. While there is much uncertainty still ahead, the development of multiple safe vaccines in such a short time gives us reason for hope. Now the work begins to ensure that everyone can benefit from this triumph of scientific achievement, and quickly,” says Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and Alphabet. To aid in the distribution, Google Cloud will help healthcare organizations, retail pharmacies, logistics companies, and public sector institutions make use of innovative technol...
Apple says iPhone 12’s may Interfere with Medical Devices
Apple has revealed that the magnets in its iPhone 12 devices could interfere with medical devices. In a blog post, the tech giant says that “[iPhones] contain magnets as well as components and radios that emit electromagnetic fields. All MagSafe accessories (each sold separately) also contain magnets—and MagSafe Charger and MagSafe Duo Charger contain radios. These magnets and electromagnetic fields might interfere with medical devices.” Apple goes on to reveal that devices, like implanted pacemakers and defibrillators, might contain sensors that respond to magnets and radios when in close contact. “To avoid any potential interactions with these devices, keep your iPhone and MagSafe accessories a safe distance away from your device (more than 6 inches / 15 cm apart or more than 12 inches /...
Top 10 Suspicious Email Subject Lines
Phishing emails related to working from home are on the rise, according to the latest report from KnowBe4. Social media messages are another area of concern when it comes to phishing, and LinkedIn phishing messages dominate as the top social media email subject to watch out for, holding the number one spot at 47%. “It’s no surprise that phishing attacks related to working from home are increasing given that many countries around the world have seen their employees working from home offices for nearly a year now,” says Stu Sjouwerman, CEO of KnowBe4. “Just because employees may be more used to their home office environment doesn’t mean that they can let their guard down. The bad guys deploy manipulative attacks intended to strike certain emotions to cause end-users to skip critical thinking...
