Author: Akin Naphtal

Apple has offered to allow rivals access to its tap-and-go mobile payments systems in a bid to address European Union (EU) antitrust charges and potentially avoid hefty fines, as reported by three sources familiar with the matter, according to Reuters. The EU’s competition enforcer had previously charged Apple with impeding competitors’ access to its Near-Field Communication (NFC) technology, which is crucial for tap-and-go mobile payments. The allegation suggested that Apple’s actions favoured Apple Pay, which is the tech giant’s proprietary mobile wallet solution for iPhones and iPads, making it challenging for rivals to develop alternative services on Apple devices. To…

Finnish telecom giant Nokia has revised its comparable operating margin target for 2026, decreasing it from at least 14% to at least 13%, following the company’s failure to snag a crucial deal with a major US telecom carrier. Nokia clarified that it still intends to achieve the initial 14% target, however, considering current market conditions within its mobile networks business, the company deemed it prudent to make this revision. The setback occurred after AT&T opted for Ericsson to construct a telecom network utilising a cost-cutting technology known as open radio access network (ORAN). This initiative by AT&T is anticipated to…

Technology ministers from Algeria, South Africa, Tunisia, Botswana, and Nigeria have unveiled plans for a startup visa, African Charter and the development of a Pan-African startup strategy aimed at supporting innovation and curbing the wave of brain drain across the continent. The announcement was made after a panel session at the second edition of the African Startup Conference held in Algiers from December 5 to December 7, 2023. Startup Visa to Boost Mobility and Innovation During the conference, the ministers revealed details of a proposed startup visa designed to facilitate the free movement of startups across the continent. This innovative…

Emmanuel Macron has warned that landmark EU legislation designed to tackle the development of artificial intelligence, risks hampering European tech companies compared to rivals in the US, UK and China, setting the stage for a new battle over regulation of the emerging technology. Addressing an audience in Toulouse this week, the French president attacked the new Artificial Intelligence Act agreed recently, saying: “We can decide to regulate much faster and much stronger than our major competitors. But we will regulate things that we will no longer produce or invent. This is never a good idea.” Macron said he was concerned…

Governor Kathy Hochul has announced a $10 billion partnership with leaders from the semiconductor industry such as IBM, Micron, Applied Materials, Tokyo Electron, and others to establish a next-generation semiconductor research and development center at NY CREATES’ Albany NanoTech Complex. The partnership will fund the construction of a cutting-edge High NA Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography Center – the first and only publicly owned High NA EUV Center in North America – that will support the research and development of the world’s most complex and powerful semiconductors. In addition to the transformative investment in New York’s Capital Region, this partnership will make…

The chief executive of Arm Holdings Plc, Rene Haas has disclosed he worries about humans losing control of AI and that overrides are needed to shut down systems in an emergency. This statement was mentioned by him when asked what keeps him up at night in an interview with Bloomberg, Rene Haas said: “The thing I worry about most is humans losing capability [over the machines]. “You need some override, some backdoor, some way that the system can be shut down.” Cambridge-based Arm is a key supplier in the booming AI market. Arm’s processor architecture designs are licensed by many…

Nvidia has disclosed its plans to establish a base in Vietnam to develop the country’s semiconductor industry as it considers the Vietnamese market an important one, the Vietnamese government said, citing the U.S. chipmaker’s chief executive. In his first visit to the Southeast Asian country, Nvidia’s CEO, Jensen Huang, said the company viewed Vietnam as its home and affirmed its plans to set up a center in the country. “The base will be for attracting talent from around the world to contribute to the development of Vietnam’s semiconductor ecosystem and digitalisation,” the Vietnamese government statement cited Huang after his meeting…

In an era where the total data volume from enterprises globally is over 2.02 petabytes and growing at an annual rate of 42.2%, latency has become a buzzword for connectivity. Organisations are demanding high-speed, highly available solutions that can keep pace with their burgeoning data requirements. As data continues to explode, so does the need for connectivity platforms that offer higher data throughput, enabling organisations to transmit and receive data swiftly. Efficient data transfer is a critical component in our cloud-powered, digital economy. Enter Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites. This multi-orbit solution is frequently employed for high-end communication services such…

In an effort towards enhancing financial services for MTN subscribers in Ivory Coast, Optasia, a leading Fintech services provider, has announced the positioning of its Airtime Advance solutions in Ivory Coast through Mobile Telephone Network Cote D’Ivoire (MTN), a major telecommunications provider in the region. The Airtime Advance solution powered by Optasia is offered in Ivory Coast through MTN, Optasia’s long-standing partner, under the commercial name of “XtraTime”. Optasia will enable the approximately 17 million eligible customers to benefit from the airtime advance services supported by the cutting-edge scoring and delivery technology that the Optasia AI-led platform offers. Both teams…

Uber Technologies has announced that Austin-based Torchy’s Tacos, beloved across the country for their crave-able tacos, award-winning queso, and more, is now available for delivery with Uber Eats. This month over 100 Torchy’s Tacos locations will be added to the Uber Eats app across Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. In the statement, it read; “For the first time, customers can order for their favorite Torchy’s Tacos items for delivery through the Uber Eats app, including their award-winning Green Chili Queso and their rotating made-from-scratch tacos of the month. From…