Technology Archives - Page 2 of 4

Feb82021 by editorNo Comments

Safer Internet Day 2021: Together for a Better Internet

Safer Internet Day (SID) is an EU wide initiative to promote a safer internet for all users, especially young people. The theme for Safer Internet Day 2021 is “Together for a Better Internet." Over the years, Safer Internet Day has become a landmark event in the online safety calendar. Starting as an initiative of the EU SafeBorders project in 2004 and taken up by the Insafe network as one of its earliest actions in 2005, Safer Internet Day has grown beyond its traditional geographic zone and is currently celebrated in approximately 170 countries worldwide. From cyberbullying to social networking to digital identity, each year Safer Internet Day aims to raise awareness of emerging online issues and current concerns. Safer Internet Day 2021 takes place on Tuesday, February 9th, and

Feb82021 by editorNo Comments

The Rise and Rise of Big Tech Globally.

FinTech, Governance, Internet, Technology

The rise of global technology superstars like Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google has created new challenges for the competition watchdogs who enforce antitrust laws around the world. The big tech companies dominate markets in e-commerce and smartphones, search advertising and social-media traffic. In the U.S., Google and Facebook Inc. together collect more than half of digital advertising spending and Apple Inc. has about 46% of the smartphone market. The House antitrust report estimated that 50% or more of U.S. e-commerce sales goes through Amazon.com Inc.; that 99% of mobile devices in the U.S. and globally run on Apple’s iOS or Google’s Android systems; that Google captures about 89% of all general search queries in the U.S.; and that Facebook’s app reached 74% of U.S. smartphone

Aug142020 by editorNo Comments

Dubai tech payment firm ‘Mondia Pay’ eyes Kenya

Business, Technology

Mondia Pay, Mondia’s digital payment entity, announced it recently onboarded a series of new clients and is fast becoming the preferred digital payment solutions provider for telecom operators across Africa. “The African operators we are talking to are all seeing an increase in payment purchases for digital services and they are keen to get ahead of the curve to capitalise on this opportunity,” said Mondia Pay founder-chief executive Simon Rahmann. The Dubai-based digital payment provider Mondia Pay has initiated talks with local telecommunication operators, setting its eyes on the lucrative intra-Africa e-commerce business. The firm, handling 1.3 billion accounts in 48 countries in partnership with 80 telco operators, said Kenya, Mozambique, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of C

Jul302020 by Lynn WandiaNo Comments

Google Accused of Privacy Breaches

Cyber Security, Technology

Technology giant Google has been accused of privacy breaches, misleading account holders over how much of their personal data was being collected and how it would be used. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission started legal proceedings against Google on Monday. A claim filed in Australia's Federal Court alleges Google misled millions of Australians to obtain their consent to gather additional personal data. The ACCC claims that Google wanted the extra data concerning users' internet activity to target advertising but neglected to obtain the consent necessary to collect it. "We allege that Google did not obtain explicit consent from customers to take this step,” said Rod Sims, the commission’s chair, in a statement. “The ACCC considers that consumers effectively pay

Jul272020 by Lynn WandiaNo Comments

Africa can now predict climate related disasters

Internet, Startups, Technology

Most African countries have lacked good forecasting methods as weather becomes increasingly extreme A new weather forecasting system in Africa allows meteorologists to track approaching storms in real time, potentially saving lives from climate-related disasters, scientists said on Monday. The technology is already used in developed countries but was not available until recently in most of sub-Saharan Africa, according to scientists behind the project at the University of Leeds. "We had forecasting methods before but they were not as good," said David Koros, principal meteorologist at the Kenya Meteorological Department. "It's very important because we can issue information for the safety of lives, property and the environment," he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. The new method, ...

Jul222020 by Lynn WandiaNo Comments

Instagram set to launch a TikTok clone called Reels

Internet, social media, Technology

Instagram has confirmed it will launch a TikTok clone called Reels early August in the U.S. and as many as 50 other countries. Reels has already launched in India and being tested in Brazil, Germany and France. The feature is Instagram’s attempt to recreate the short musical video format that thrives on TikTok. Reels will let users record and edit 15-second video clips set to music, or users will be able to reuse audio from another person’s video, as is commonly done on TikTok. Reels also includes editing tools including a countdown timer and the ability to adjust the video’s speed. Why Reels Is Likely To Be A Hit Likely integrations with Instagram and Facebook will jump-start Reels adoption. Recent Facebook and Instagram music licensing deals – for the most part missing on TikT

Jul92020 by Lynn WandiaNo Comments

Google launches Telkom 4G internet balloon service across Kenya

Broadband, Technology

Telkom Kenya and Google subsidiary Loon have launched their internet balloon service, providing internet to rural areas of Kenya. The project has been some two years in the making and effectively provides a series of floating cell phone towers with a 4G internet connection. “The Internet-enabled balloons will be able to offer connectivity to the many Kenyans who live in remote regions that are underserved or totally unserved, and as such remain disadvantaged,” said Mugo Kibati, Telkom Kenya’s CEO. Tests of the balloons in late June resulted in download speeds of almost 19 Mbps and uplink transfers of 4.74 Mbps, with the connection tested for email, web browsing, WhatsApp video calls and YouTube. Not just hot air The Loon balloons will start by covering a region of some 50,000

Jun252020 by Lynn WandiaNo Comments

Safari joins browsers that tell you who’s trying to track you

Internet, Mobile, Technology

It's part of a larger push-back on the intrusive practice that follows you across the internet. On Monday, Apple unveiled a new version of its Safari browser that'll tell you which ad trackers are running on the website you're visiting. It'll also give you a 30-day report of the known trackers it's identified while you were browsing. Additionally, it'll tell you which websites those trackers came from. The new features are a step toward transparency, giving you an idea of just how many trackers are following you around and taking notes on your behavior. The tech giant said that the new privacy feature in its underdog browser, Safari, will shine a spotlight on all of the ad trackers embedded on each article or website you visit. Safari’s new anti-tracking feature sits in the top part

Jun162020 by Lynn WandiaNo Comments

Facebook launches WhatsApp digital payments service

Internet, Mobile, Technology

WhatsApp Pay allows users to send money to one another for free. WhatsApp launched its digital payments service in Brazil while the messaging app capitalizes on its popularity in emerging markets. The move comes as the parent company Facebook forges ahead with plans to capitalize on emerging markets and bring e-commerce to its platforms, launching a WhatsApp-based digital payments service for the messaging app’s 120m Brazilian users. WhatsApp, the popular messaging app acquired by Facebook in 2014, on Monday unveiled a new payment service, WhatsApp Pay, which will allow users to send money to one another for free or make purchases from small businesses, without ever leaving the chat platform. After testing a beta version in India, WhatsApp has launched in-app payments in Brazil, the co

Jun152020 by Lynn WandiaNo Comments

Kenyan Lecturer On The Rise With App For COVID-19 Contact Tracing

Technology, Women

A Kenyan lecturer has come up with an app that can be used for COVID-19 contact tracing, which has become important in this unpredictable year. eKonnect App Masinde Muliro University took to their their Facebook page and said, "Dr. Tecla Sum of MMUST shows how to operate a mobile application (eKonnect) that she invented. The APP has the ability to carry out seamless Covid-19 contact tracing and other infectious diseases as well as locate and alert nearest health care facilities and ambulances." According to her, the eKonnect app’s primary goal is to “save the largest number of survivors from COVID-19 pandemic.” We have secured patent for the App On a phone interview, Dr. Sum confirmed a number of things about the app. She developed it as part of her post-doctoral program in