Author: Akin Naphtal

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has announced the creation of a new product group focused on generative AI, which uses machine learning techniques to allow computers to create text, images, and other media that resemble human output. The move comes as technology companies and well-funded startups race to incorporate artificial intelligence models into their products. The new unit will combine several teams across Meta and be organized under Chief Product Officer Chris Cox. The team will create “creative and expressive” tools to be used within Meta’s products, according to CEO Mark Zuckerberg. The team will explore experiences with text,…

Snapchat has launched “My AI,” a chatbot using the latest version of OpenAI’s GPT technology, that is customizable for users. My AI is an experimental feature available on Snapchat+, the company’s $3.99 per month subscription service. It will be pinned to the top of the Chat tab and can answer trivia questions, suggest birthday gift ideas, plan a hiking trip, or write a haiku. The chatbot has been trained to have a unique voice and personality that embodies the company’s values around friendship, learning, and fun, while also adhering to Snapchat’s trust and safety guidelines. According to Snapchat, My AI…

The Communications Authority of Kenya (CAK) has made a major announcement that will affect the use of mobile phones, computers, tablets and other devices in the country. Starting from July 2023, all devices that do not have IPv6 (Internet Protocol version 6) will be banned. IP is a protocol that enables computers or devices to communicate with each other over a network. IP is a set of rules that facilitate the routing of data packets across networks to their intended destination. There are multiple versions of IP. IPv4 is the most widely used version for identifying devices on a network.…

Ericsson CEO Börje Ekholm has warned that the industry structure of Europe is unsustainable and called for consolidation across the region to boost competitiveness. The comments came after the company announced that it would cut 8,500 jobs as part of its cost-cutting measures. Ekholm said that Europe’s customers cannot afford to build out the networks, and this could hurt European competitiveness long term. Speaking at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Ekholm said, “You know my view on this, I do believe Europe needs to consolidate”. READ ALSO:Digital Earth Africa Empowers Kenyan Small-Scale Farmers in Fight Against Climate Change and Food…

Kenyan farmers are turning to Earth observation technology to boost their crop yields and fight against climate change, thanks to a groundbreaking program called Digital Earth Africa (DE Africa). The program provides farmers with up-to-date satellite imagery and other earth observation data that helps them make informed decisions about crop selection, planting times and harvesting. DE Africa, funded by the Australian government, aims to empower small-scale farmers to get timely information that they can use to improve crop productivity. The program builds capacities of governments, academia, civil society, private sector and leaves no one behind, especially small-scale farmers. Speaking during…

The Rwandan Minister for ICT and Innovation, Paula Ingabire, has unveiled the country’s ambitious plan to provide internet connectivity to 3,000 unconnected schools by 2024, which represent 44.4% of all schools in the country. The initiative is part of the Smart Education Project, which is being funded by the China Exim Bank and the World Bank. “We have the Smart Education Project, which has been set up with $30 million financing from China Exim Bank. The project is already underway and aims to connect at least 1,500 schools”, the minister revealed. By leveraging the funds from the China Exim Bank…

South Korean telecommunications company SK Telecom has revealed plans to launch a flying taxi service in 2025, which it expects to generate significant revenue. SK Telecom and US firm Joby Aviation teamed up last year to develop air taxis for the South Korean market. The electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles are a way to transport people around densely populated cities and avoid traffic. The South Korean government is keen to commercialize air taxis by 2025, and SK Telecom and Joby Aviation are looking to take advantage of this support. Chief Development Officer of SK Telecom, Ha Min-yong, revealed in…

Finnish mobile manufacturer HMD Global has developed a smartphone that users can repair themselves, the Nokia G22. The device includes a 6.5-inch screen and a 50-megapixel main camera, but it’s the phone’s outer shell and internal workings that set it apart. A recyclable plastic back cover can be easily removed to swap out broken components. With tools and repair guides from hardware repair advocacy group iFixit, users can replace the phone’s back cover, battery, screen and charging port. The process costs on average 30% less than replacing an old phone with a new one. The Nokia G22 has been developed…

Redington Value’s managed security services brand, DigiGlass, has entered into a strategic partnership with Indusface, a leading application security SaaS company. This partnership will allow DigiGlass customers to integrate Indusface’s award-winning platform, AppTrana, into their security strategies to defend against sophisticated and complex cyber threats. Indusface’s platform offers a range of security solutions, including a web application scanner, cloud WAAP, DDoS and BOT Mitigation, secure CDN, and threat intelligence engine. The platform also offers the ability to write, test, and manage custom rules with a zero false positive guarantee. Sayantan Dev, President of Redington Value, emphasized the importance of cybersecurity…

Microsoft has unveiled a range of new features for its Azure cloud services designed to cater for the needs of the telecommunications industry. The company believes that a modern network infrastructure will not only drive down the total cost of ownership for its telco partners, but also help them modernize and monetize their existing infrastructure. Jason Zander, Microsoft’s EVP for Strategic Missions and Tech, said, “Our expectation is that [the hyperscale] cloud is going to expand; it will be a highly distributed fabric; it’s going to span from 5G to space. “That future — this intelligent cloud, this intelligent edge…