Author: Akin Naphtal

CSquared, a leading provider of open-access fibre infrastructure, partnered with Telecel Liberia has launched a city-wide Wi-Fi network in Ganta, Liberia, to provide businesses and individuals with fast internet, and foster economic growth and development in the region. In a LinkedIn post CSquared stated that the city-wide Wi-Fi network, powered by CSquared’s open-access fibre backbone, will ensure affordable and reliable broadband connectivity for the Ganta’s residents. In the post, the company noted that the Wi-Fi “will enable enterprises and individuals to access affordable and reliable broadband connectivity, ensuring internet for all,” adding that it looked “forward to improved livelihoods powered by…

CEO of Microsoft, Satya Nadella, says the tech giant is committed to training India’s youth in artificial intelligence (AI) skills, announcing this during the Microsoft CEO Connection event held on 7th February in Mumbai. During the event, Nadella announced that Microsoft plans to train 2 million students, job seekers, and women through the company’s ADVANTA(I)GE INDIA initiative by 2025. The initiative is part of part of Microsoft’s Skills for Jobs program, and aims to empower India’s workforce with future-ready skills and accelerate the country’s AI transformation. Aligned with Microsoft’s responsible AI principles, the ADVANTA(I)GE INDIA initiative will provide training in…

Apple has reportedly begun working on developing a foldable iPhone rumoured to be in the style of clamshell phones, similar to Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip series, rather than transforming into tablets like the Galaxy Z Fold or Google’s Pixel Fold. However, the sources suggest that these foldable iPhones are still in early stages of development and could potentially be cancelled. If they do proceed to market, it’s unlikely they will be available before 2025. Apple has been facing various design challenges in the development of foldable phones. These challenges include concerns over the thickness of the device when folded, durability…

ChatGPT creator, OpenAI, has announced its intention to add new digital watermarks to DALL-E 3 images in an effort to enhance transparency and combat the spread of misinformation. In a blog post published on 6th February, the company revealed that it has collaborated with the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA) to incorporate watermarks onto its AI-generated images. The move aims to bolster public trust in digital information by enabling users to verify whether images have been generated by AI using platforms like Content Credentials Verify. Media organisations are also adopting this standard to authenticate content sources. The approach…

The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) has announced a follow-up equity investment of $15 million in the Trade and Development Bank Group’s (TDB Group) pioneering Class C Green+ shares to support clean technology and low carbon projects across member states of the TDB Group. Funded by the Clean Technology Fund (CTF), the capital injection will also facilitate the establishment of a project preparation facility to bolster investment in clean technologies. The CTF, a component of the Climate Investment Funds, provides resources to developing countries to scale up low-carbon technologies with significant potential for long-term greenhouse gas emissions reduction. TDB introduced…

Nigeria has been struggling with a persistent electricity challenge, with 60%-70% of its population lacking access to reliable power, affecting the quality of life for millions and also incurs substantial economic losses estimated at 1.26 trillion naira annually. In response to this issue, Hinen, an expert in residential energy storage solutions, is set to participate in Powerelec Nigeria from February 20th to 22nd (Booth C10). The company aims to showcase its latest products and solutions, offering professional technical services tailored for African users. Hinen’s household energy storage products, such as the Mini System, offer a sustainable alternative to traditional self-owned…

Tanzania’s Minister of State in the President’s Office for Public Service Management and Good Governance, George Simbachawene, has advocated the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies to modernise the state’s public service delivery and increase effectiveness. Speaking at the 4th e-Government Annual General Meeting held on Wednesday, 7th February, at the Arusha International Conference Centre, Simbachawene lamented the prevalent lackadaisical attitude among government workers, which often results in “substandard execution of tasks” and prolonged wait times for citizens seeking services. To combat these challenges, Simbachawene stressed the significance of digitisation and AI usage in enhancing administrative functions, reducing delays and…

SafeBoda, a startup, renowned for its motorcycle ride-hailing services, has returned to the Kenyan market after a three-year hiatus, and seeks to reintroduce its services alongside a new a car-hailing service named SafeCar, aimed at enhancing its market presence and profitability. In including car-hailing among its services, SafeBoda has recognised the potential for improved profitability and superior unit economics that the car-hailing segment offers. Having successfully penetrated Uganda and with a track record of outperforming competitors like Uber with its car-hailing offerings, SafeBoda is now eyeing Kenya’s vast market. The Kenyan market is reportedly comparable in size to South Africa…

With demand rising for Nvidia GPUs amidst the booming AI sector, the chip giant has developed ChipNeMo, an AI system designed to enhance the efficiency of GPU production processes, to accelerate chip production. Nvidia’s vice president of applied deep learning research, Bryan Catanzaro, explained the decision, saying that it usually required close to 1,000 individuals to navigate the intricate design process when creating GPUs, making it a labour-intensive endeavour. ChipNeMo, powered by a large language model built on Meta’s Llama 2, aims to streamline this process by leveraging AI capabilities to assist engineers in various aspects of chip design. The…

YouTube CEO Neal Mohan has announced that YouTube TV, the streaming service which offers a bundle of channels similar to conventional pay TV, has surpassed 8 million subscribers, positioning it as the fourth-largest pay-TV service in the United States. With this achievement, YouTube TV trails behind Charter, and Comcast, both of which have 14.1 million subscribers, and DirecTV which hovers around 11 million subscribers. YouTube TV reported having 5 million customers in 2022, its current subscriber count of 8 million indicates substantial growth for the service. Last fall, the service offered the NFL’s Sunday Ticket service as an add-on to…