In recent times, WhatsApp has been stepping up its game by adding significant new features to its platform almost every few weeks. The Meta-owned service has gained support for Communities, improved group calling experience, revamped status updates, and more. However, it can be difficult to keep up with all the…
Author: Smart Megwai
Smart Megwai
Smart is a technology journalist covering innovation, digital culture, and the business of emerging tech. His reporting for Innovation Village explores how technology shapes everyday life in Africa and beyond.
Siweifushe, a Beijing-based start-up, has created a unique invention that is inspired by the lockdown isolation brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. The start-up has invented a long-distance kissing machine that uses motion sensors hidden in silicon lips to transmit kiss data from one user to another. The device, called…
WhatsApp Desktop, the messaging service’s app for Windows, has received a new update. The latest version of the app has been designed to load faster and improve group audio and video calls. The update also introduces new multi-device capabilities, offering faster device linking and better syncing across devices. The new…
WhatsApp has announced a new update for WhatsApp groups that provides admins with greater control over who can join their groups. The update also includes a new feature that allows users to discover which groups they have in common with someone. The goal of these updates is to enhance group…
WhatsApp, the popular messaging app, recently introduced of a new feature that will enable users to set an expiry date for groups on the app. The feature is called Expiring Groups and is designed to provide enhanced user privacy. With Expiring Groups, group admins can set a time limit for…
Opera, the browser developer, has announced that it is integrating generative AI chatbots powered by ChatGPT and ChatSonic into its desktop browsers Opera and Opera GX. These chatbots can help users summarise articles and webpages, write social media posts, and ideate through prompts. The company is also launching a feature…
Chinese tech giant Baidu has launched its own chatbot, Ernie Bot, which is set to rival OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Ernie Bot is powered by Baidu’s deep learning AI model, ERNIE (Enhanced Representation through Knowledge Integration), and is capable of performing a range of tasks such as solving mathematical equations and generating…
As technology continues to advance, so too does the capabilities of creative software. Adobe, a leading provider of photo and video editing software, has long recognised the value of using machine intelligence to augment human creativity. For over a decade, the company has employed its Sensei AI system to power…
As technology continues to evolve, Microsoft’s Bing AI chat is taking things up a notch. Aside from answering questions, the chatbot can now generate images through the Bing Image Creator preview. This feature incorporates OpenAI’s DALL-E AI image generation into Bing search and the Edge browser sidebar. Users can simply…
Instagram is preparing to introduce more ads to its platform, and this time they will be integrated into search results. The Meta-Owned platform, which announced this late yesterday in a blog post, stated that “People come to Instagram to discover new brands, products or upcoming events”. As a result, it…
In a recent announcement, YouTube has confirmed that it will be lifting the suspension on former President Donald Trump’s YouTube channel. This follows a restriction placed on the account in the wake of the January 2021 U.S. Capitol building riot, in line with similar actions taken by other major social…
Twitter is introducing a new public metric to gauge the popularity of posts. In addition to retweets, quote retweets, and likes, users can now see the number of bookmarks a tweet has received. Developer Jane Manchun Wong, renowned for uncovering new app features ahead of their official release, had earlier…
Swedish furniture retailer, Ikea, has built a reputation for offering aesthetically pleasing products at affordable prices. However, the company has outdone itself with its latest product offering, a Bluetooth speaker that is competitively priced and may give even Amazon a run for its money. The Vappeby portable Bluetooth speaker, which…
At it virtual event yesterday, Microsoft launched Microsoft 365 Copilot, the company’s latest push to integrate its suite of productivity and enterprise applications with artificial intelligence (AI). The event started at exactly 4 PM WAT with an opening statement by the company’s CEO Satya Nadella. “Today marks the next major…
Today, Microsoft is hosting a special event called “Reinventing productivity: The Future of Work with AI,” where the company plans to showcase its innovative approach to “reinventing productivity with AI.” The event, hosted by CEO Satya Nadella and head of Microsoft 365 Jared Spataro, will commence at 8AM PT /…
With the help of AI, the productivity tools Google launched have been assisting users in streamlining their work processes, automating mundane tasks, and enhancing collaboration among team members. For instance, Gmail’s Smart Compose feature leverages AI algorithms to suggest relevant phrases and sentences while users type their emails, thereby significantly…
LinkedIn is a vast ocean of professional expertise, with a staggering 10 billion years of collective experience just waiting to be tapped into. Whether you’re facing a tricky work problem or seeking guidance on a particular topic, there’s bound to be someone on the platform who has “been there, done…
LinkedIn has joined the ranks of platforms incorporating generative AI technology. The company is now offering AI-powered “writing suggestions” and job descriptions to its users as it seeks new ways to integrate AI into its service. The aim of the writing suggestions is to simplify the process of filling out…
Microsoft has unveiled plans to roll out 3D avatars for all Microsoft Teams users beginning in May, as stated in an update to its Microsoft 365 roadmap. This innovative feature was initially introduced by the tech giant in 2021 and has undergone a rigorous testing phase in recent months. The…
Facebook’s parent company, Meta, has announced its plans to discontinue its work with non-fungible tokens (NFTs) on Facebook and Instagram. In a recent Twitter thread, the lead for Meta commerce and fintech, Stephane Kasriel, stated that the company is “winding down” its involvement with NFTs. This decision will lead to…