Top Stories
Apple Announces 5G iPhone Launch Date
Apple has revealed that its newest iPhones will debut at a product launch event on 13 October. The company is expected to showcase “four redesigned iPhones with 5G wireless capability, upgraded cameras, faster processors and a wider range of screen sizes”, according to Bloomberg. The lastest devices were notably absent from the tech company’s annual product launch in September – leaving many wondering if we were to see a new iPhone at all this year. But now it seems that the October launch could allow Apple to avoid a gap between the event and handsets reaching store shelves – as the iPhone maker will have more stores reopened by that point, according to Jon Prosser, a reliable Apple insider. Apple Might Ditch the Charger and EarPods When Shipping 5G iPhones Apple may no longer include a p...
Google Rebrands G Suite as Google Workspace
Google has officially unveiled the redesign of its collection of office apps as Google Workspace – formerly known as G Suite. Google Workspace is expected to still include Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Meet, and more. “Whether you’re returning to the office, working from home, on the frontlines with your mobile device, or connecting with customers, Google Workspace is the best way to create, communicate, and collaborate,” reads an official blog post from the tech company. [embedded content] With Google Workspace, Google is introducing three major developments: new, deeply integrated user experience that helps teams collaborate more effectively, frontline workers stay connected, and businesses power new digital customer experiences a new brand identity that reflect...
Showmax Introduces 5 New Livestream Channels in Kenya
Showmax has announced the availability of five new live-streaming channels in Kenya. These local offerings include K24, KBC, KTN Home, KTN News and NTV. “With the addition of these live channels, Showmax offers Kenyans a one-stop streaming destination featuring the best of international and Kenyan shows, movies and kids’ shows, the world’s best sport from SuperSport on our Pro plan and now, live streams of Kenya’s biggest channels,” says Yolisa Phahle, CEO of Connected Video at Multichoice. “We’re constantly working on new ways to improve the Showmax experience for our subscribers. Whether it’s M-Pesa payments or daily episodes of Maisha Magic favourites like Selina, Kina and Kovu as well as weekly episodes of Sol Family and Hullabaloo Estate, our local-first approach keeps our Kenyan subs...
McAfee Founder is Arrested for Tax Evasion
Image sourced from Al Jeezera Cybersecurity company founder, John McAfee has been arrested in Spain after allegedly evading taxes. The US Justice Department revealed that an indictment from 15 June delivered by the Tax Division claims McAfee failed to file tax returns from 2014 to 2018 despite earning “millions in income from promoting cryptocurrencies, consulting work, speaking engagements, and selling the rights to his life story for a documentary”.’ The cybersecurity pioneer is reportedly also facing charges of cryptocurrency promotion from the SEC. According to Engadget, “the SEC explains that the charges are for McAfee promotion initial coin offerings (ICOs) via Twitter without admitting that he was getting paid as much as $23 million for it”. “It details the alleged scheme, as M...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
Microsoft Outlook Down Worldwide
Sourced from Wikimedia Microsoft’s Outlook has suffered a global outage impacting web, desktop, and mobile email services. According to The Verge, the disruption began at 2AM ET and ‘users are currently unable to access their email, and Outlook.com is failing to load’. Microsoft has since confirmed the outage, saying that it is currently investigating the issue. “We’ve received reports of users experiencing issues accessing their Exchange Online accounts via Outlook on the Web,” reads an official tweet. “We’ve collected additional data from the affected infrastructures to determine impact to our Exchange online protocols.” /* custom css */ .tdi_3_551.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_3_551.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; } “Additionally, we’ve identified this issue to be affectin...
WhatsApp is Working on an Expiring Media Feature
Whatsapp is reportedly working on a feature that would allow users to delete an image or video from someone else’s phone once it’s been viewed. According to WABetaInfo, users will be able to use this feature by selecting the ‘View Once’ option when sending media. Once the recipient views the image or video, they will receive a notification to inform them that the media will no longer be available once they leave the chat. Image sourced from WABetaInfo The next time the recipient enters the chat, a message reading “View once photo expired” will replace the image or video. Image sourced from WABetaInfo There is no word just yet on when users can expect this feature to officially rollout. WhatsApp is Working on “Vacation Mode” Feature, Again WhatsApp is again working on its “Vacation Mode” fe...
Lenovo Introduces ‘Worlds First’ Foldable PC
Lenovo has unveiled the latest addition to its X1 portfolio, the ThinkPad X1 Fold – the worlds first ‘foldable’ pc. “Five years in the making, the ThinkPad X1 Fold is the first of its kind in a new personal computing category that will push boundaries and redefine how we engage with technology,” reads a statement from the tech company. “ThinkPad X1 Fold adapts to new remote, office and hybrid working models, enabling trailblazers to embrace ground-breaking innovation that will empower creativity, collaboration and entertainment as it seamlessly transforms to their specific needs.” The foldable device features an Intel Lakefield Core i5 processor, 1TB storage and 13.3-inch 2K OLED Display. /* custom css */ .tdi_3_96d.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_3_96d.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 au...
