Author: Akin Naphtal

Apple’s Vice President of Cloud Engineering, Michael Abbott, responsible for iCloud, iMessage, FaceTime and other critical services, is reportedly leaving the company in April, according to unnamed sources familiar with the matter. This is the second high-ranking official after Peter Stern, the other deputy to services chief Eddy Cue, to leave the company this year. It adds to the growing list of company vice presidents who have departed the iPhone maker in late 2022 and early 2023. Abbott has been in his position for five years and oversaw the iCloud.com service, iCloud Mail, iCloud data encryption and a custom layer…

Swedish telecommunication giant Ericsson has been fined $206 million and will plead guilty to violating a 2019 deal with the United States (U.S.) prosecutors, according to reports. The deal required the company to disclose information about its activities in Iraq, China and Djibouti. The agreement follows a scandal over potential payments made to Islamic State militants through the company’s Iraq activities. Ericsson is reported to have fallen short in disclosing its activities, violating the deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) it entered in 2019 to resolve a corruption probe in Vietnam, Djibouti and China. As part of the DPA, the Department of…

ExploreAI Academy, a Cape Town-based start-up that specializes in developing data science skills, has partnered with ALX, a training firm, to offer data science and analytics skills training across Africa. The partnership aims to train 25,000 African students over the next 18 months. The move is part of African Leadership International’s plans to expand its operations. The companies will focus on training young talent in digital and tech sectors. The partnership is expected to turn African potential into best-in-class excellence. According to ExploreAI Academy, developed economies are experiencing a shortage of digital and tech skills and Africa is emerging as…

Zain KSA, a prominent digital service provider, has partnered with Cisco to collaborate on thedevelopment of network automation and service orchestration to enhance network serviceoutcomes. The MoU, which was signed during Zain KSA’s participation at the Mobile WorldCongress (MWC23) in Barcelona from February 27 to March 3, aims to simplify day-to-daynetwork operations, maintain, monitor and optimize the system with advanced automationtools.The partnership seeks to accelerate the digital transformation of the kingdom, improvenetwork services and enable the community to enjoy a smarter mobile lifestyle usingadvanced technologies, with Zain KSA as the preferred digital partner for its customers,including individuals and the business…

G42 Group, a firm specialized in cloud computing and artificial intelligence technology, has announced the launch of an initial public offering (IPO) of a 32% stake or 1.35 billion shares in its subsidiary, Presight AI. The IPO aims to raise $495.6 million, and the subscription period will run from March 13 through March 17. Presight AI is an AI-powered big data analytics company and following the IPO, its share capital will amount to $152.6 million. READ ALSO:Jordan hosts 3rd Digital Transformation Conference to explore future digitalization TikTok introduces 60-minute daily screen time limit for users under 18 YouTube Faces Accusations…

The 3rd Digital Transformation Jordan Conference, which aimed to explore the use of advanced next-gen technology and global trends for the country’s future digital transformation, was held on March 6 and 7 at The Ritz Carlton Hotel & Residences in Amman, Jordan. The event was endorsed by the Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship, bringing together senior government decision makers, industry leaders, leading international technology consultants and digital experts to share their experience and knowledge to help drive digital transformation forward. Over 30 experts from more than ten countries, several ministries, and industries brainstormed on new ideas and discussed the…

Popular video-sharing app TikTok is introducing a new feature that sets a 60-minute daily screen time limit for users who are under 18 years old. Should users exceed the time limit, they will need to enter a passcode to continue using the app that day. However, they can choose to opt out of the limit. TikTok’s prompt last year to encourage teens to manage their screen time reportedly resulted in a 234% increase in the use of its screen time tools. The platform currently requires users to be at least 13 years old and those under 18 will receive weekly…

YouTube has been accused of violating UK data privacy regulations designed to protect children by collecting viewing data from those under the age of 13. Campaigner Duncan McCann has made an official complaint to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), stating that the video-sharing site is gathering information about what children watch, where they watch it, and the devices they use. Although YouTube claims to have made significant investments in safeguarding families, McCann believes that the company is still failing to comply with the regulations. “We remain committed to continuing our engagement with the ICO on this priority work, and with…

The United States has placed export restrictions on a number of Chinese entities, including Inspur Group, a manufacturer of computer servers, and genetics firm BGI Research, citing activities that go against US national security or foreign policy interests. These companies have been added to the Entity List for acquiring or attempting to acquire US-origin items to support China’s military modernisation efforts. The US has also cited companies providing support to Russia’s military READ ALSO: ZHO Launches Robot-Assisted Training Device to Aid Walking of Children of Determination in Al Ain Zain KSA and Rakuten Symphony to team up for next-gen telecom…

US tech giant Apple is set to diversify its supply chain away from China and increase production in India. The company plans to manufacture iPhones at a new plant in India, according to officials. Karnataka state chief minister Basavaraj S Bommai tweeted on Friday that “Apple phones will be built in the state soon…Apart from creating about 100,000 jobs, it will create a whole lot of opportunities for Karnataka”. The proposed factory will be spread over 300 acres in the state, home to India’s tech hub Bengaluru, according to Rajeev Chandrasekhar, India’s minister of state for information technology. READ ALSO:…