Author: Akin Naphtal

Apple has announced price increases for its Apple TV+ and Apple News+ services in several global markets, but South Africa has been spared for now. In the US, the monthly price of Apple TV+ has been raised by $3 to $9.99, while Apple News+ is now priced at $12.99, up from $9.99. This follows similar moves by media giants such as Netflix and Disney, who have also raised their prices recently. However, in South Africa, Apple TV+ remains priced at R124.99/month, and Apple News+ is not available. The price of Apple One, a bundle of Apple services, remains unchanged at…

Tom Bartlett, President, Chief Executive Officer, and Director of the Board of Directors of American Tower Corporation, will retire from his positions effective February 1, 2024. The announcement was made by the company earlier today. The Board of Directors has named Steve Vondran as Bartlett’s successor, who will take over as President and Chief Executive Officer and be appointed as a director of the Board. The decision was made after a thorough succession planning process that took place over the last few years. To facilitate the transition, Mr. Vondran will serve as the Executive Vice President and Global Chief Operating…

Leading telecommunication firm, MTN Group has appointed David Behr as the new chief executive of the ICT Centre of Excellence (CoE) from 1 November 2023. The ICT CoE is a central unit within MTN that develops and promotes best practices, processes and standards for the business. It also drives platform and solution development, which are then deployed to business units for execution and customer implementation. As a seasoned industry expert with more than 20 years of experience in the enterprise field, Behr has a strong background in enterprise cloud, cyber security, IOT solutions and platform development, among other areas. Behr’s…

IHS Towers one of the largest independent owners, operators, and developers of shared communications infrastructure in the world by tower count, has announced a one-year partnership with the Limitless Space Institute (LSI), a non-profit education and research organization. This partnership will commence in January 2024 and is designed to help broaden access to space education in our two largest markets. Through this collaboration, 20 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) educators from Brazil and Nigeria will be invited to join the 12-month Limitless Global Educator Program and access a carefully curated space education curriculum. Delivered by experts from the Limitless…

US-based IT company, Veeam Software, has announced the release of the New Veeam Data Platform 23H2 update and Veeam Backup & Replication v12.1. The announcement was made during the VeeamON Resiliency Summit held on Tuesday, 24th October. This update focuses on data security, recovery, and freedom, offering improved data security, malware detection, automated recovery, and hybrid cloud capabilities. These advancements aim to ensure business continuity, especially in the face of ransomware and cyberattacks. Veeam’s CTO, Danny Allan, highlighted the increasing sophistication of cybercriminals and their targeting of backups. According to the Veeam 2023 Ransomware Trends report, 93% of ransomware attacks…

Fidelity bank Nigeria, has reportedly blocked neobanks such as OPay, Palmpay, Kuda, and Moniepoint due to concerns over their weak know your customer (KYC) processes, leading to an increase in fraud cases. Multiple sources with direct knowledge of the matter have confirmed that Fidelity Bank is restricting consumer fund transfers to these neobanks, which are no longer listed on the approved financial institutions on the Fidelity Bank app. While the bank has informed customers that the restrictions are related to an app upgrade, sources at the affected fintechs have confirmed that transfer restrictions began at least two weeks ago due…

Apple Pay Later, which allows users to split the cost of an Apple Pay purchase into four equal payments over six weeks without interest or late fees, is now available to all users in the United States. Initially released to a limited number of users in March, Apple Pay Later was announced during the company’s Worldwide Developers Conference in June 2022. Users can apply for a loan within the Wallet app and, once approved, can select the “Pay Later” option when using Apple Pay at checkout. Payment information and reminders can be accessed in the Wallet app. The new service…

Netflix has recently implemented new rules regarding password sharing, and it’s possible that the cost of the streaming service may increase for customers who wish to keep sharing their accounts. Earlier this year, Netflix informed its users in the U.S. about these changes and sent emails to customers who were sharing their accounts with people outside of their households. Subsequently, they introduced paid sharing options in approximately 100 countries, which account for 80% of their revenue. In a letter to shareholders published in July, Netflix stated that revenue in each region where password sharing has been restricted has increased, with…

Airtel Money has announced a significant revision in its transfer and withdrawal transaction charges, in its bid to provide cost-effective solutions for its customers across various platforms. The revision process starts on Thursday, 25th October. The company will continue to offer free transfers when sending money from one Airtel number to another, demonstrating its dedication to affordability and ease of use. Airtel Money also promises to maintain competitive withdrawal fees and costs for transferring money to other networks compared to current market rates. Managing Director of Airtel Money Kenya ,Anne Kinuthia-Otieno, mentioned that the company’s dedication to its customers ensured…

Google plans to implement a new policy on its Play Store, requiring developers of Android apps to include a feature for reporting offensive AI-generated content. This move comes in response to the rise of problematic generative AI apps, including those that produce inappropriate or misleading content. By enabling users to flag and report such content within the app, developers can improve their filtering and moderation techniques. Concerns have been raised about AI image generators being used for nefarious purposes, such as creating explicit material or spreading misinformation during elections. The new policy states that AI-generated content examples include chatbots that…