Author: Tapiwa Matthew Mutisi

The Jack Dorsey-backed decentralized social network Bluesky, and one of the most notable alternatives to the platform formerly known as Twitter, has just hit a million users. That’s admittedly tiny compared to the number of users on major social networks, but it’s a big deal for a service that remains…

Microsoft South Africa has embarked on a skills development training programme to train 2 000 local small, medium, and micro enterprises (SMMEs) in artificial intelligence (AI) skills. According to a statement, the tech giant will equip SMMEs for an AI-powered future, setting them on a trajectory of sustainable growth through…

Spotify has launched a new playlist called “daylist,” which is supposed to keep changing throughout the day to keep up with your moods and activities. As with other personalized playlists the service generates for you, it draws from the kind of music you typically listen to. Daylist, however, takes it a…

Nigeria will host the Africa Internet Governance Forum (AfIGF) from 18 to 21 September in Abuja. This comes ahead of the 18th United Nations Internet Governance Forum (IGF), which will be held in Japan next month, with the theme: “The Internet we want – empowering all people”. The African Internet Governance…

Determined to play its part in building the digital skills that Africa needs for its digital transformation, MTN has now opened an academy in Uganda to address the digital skills gap, particularly among rural and marginalized youth. The MTN Skills Academy seeks to provide youngsters across the African continent with…

X may not be labeling its ads properly, putting it at risk of — once again — running afoul of the FTC. If you’re scrolling through your feed on X, and come across a post from an account that you’re not following, you just might be seeing an unlabeled ad, according…

As X-owner Elon Musk recently said there are no great social networks right now but he is trying to make at least one. X (formerly Twitter) has taken another step to combat fake news by introducing Community Notes for videos. Therefore, creators of AI videos, deceptive edits, and manipulated clips –…

It’s time to immediately update your iPhone software again, as a major new security exploit has been patched. Apple released security updates (iOS 16.6.1 and iPadOS 16.6.1) on Thursday that patch two zero-day exploits, meaning hacking techniques that were unknown at the time Apple found out about them — used against…

Mark Zuckerberg recently announced that WhatsApp was in the process of rolling out HD photo sharing, with HD video soon to follow. As of today, the process is complete: Meta has confirmed that both HD photos and HD videos are available to everyone. WhatsApp spokesperson Ellie Heatrick said in an emailed statement; “Both…

The iPhone 15 lineup will debut during the “Wonderlust” Apple Event on Tuesday (September 12) at 10 AM PT (1 PM in New York, 6 PM in London, 7 PM in Paris, 3 PM in Lagos, 4 PM in Johannesburg). Here’s how to watch it live. Apple is holding its annual iPhone reveal event on…

Just after recently debuting the seemingly 5G-capable Mate 60 and Mate 60 Pro smartphones last week, Huawei has launched two more new flagship phones, the Mate 60 Pro Plus and the Mate Fold X5. Both releases come at a time when Huawei remains restricted from purchasing 5G-capable chips from U.S. companies like Qualcomm, raising…

Following Huawei’s surprise and low-key launch of the seemingly 5G-capable Mate 60 and Mate 60 Pro smartphones last week, the Chinese firm has today unveiled two more devices: the Mate 60 Pro+ and the Mate X5 foldable. The United States government is seeking more information about these recently launched Chinese flagship devices, being powered by…

Threads is officially rolling out a keyword search feature in the United States, alongside many other countries including India, Canada, Mexico, and the UK. This has been one of the most asked-for tools since the platform launched in July.  Keyword search appeared last week as a beta in New Zealand and…

Snapchat is adding new features meant to discourage teens from interacting with strangers on its app. The changes come after years of scrutiny on the app as lawmakers and other officials have questioned Snap’s ability to keep teens safe. As with previous updates, the new restrictions primarily affect the accounts of…

Startups in South Africa can now apply to receive up to €10 000 (about R200 000) in funding in a local edition of the Irish Tech Challenge. This is presented by the Embassy of Ireland in South Africa in partnership with Wits University’s Tshimologong Digital Innovation Precinct, the Department of Science…

Apple is notorious for playing the long game by releasing features and capabilities that other companies already offer but marketing them with an innovative twist to make them appear unique. Artificial intelligence is one of the ways the company continues playing the long game. Almost a year after other major players released…

As the consumer tech world shifts its gaze toward Apple’s expected iPhone 15 launch next week, and if you have any remaining questions about what the Pixel 8 Pro looks like, Google is here to answer them as it appears determined to make sure you don’t forget it has new Pixels in…

Microsoft has begun testing a new background removal tool in Paint. The feature is rolling out now to Windows Insiders in the Canary and Dev Channels (version 11.2306.30.0) and lets you remove an image’s background with a single click. To use the tool, testers can open an image with Paint and then hit…

The Global Innovation Initiative Group (GIIG), an exclusive rights holder to the Global Startup Awards (GSA) Africa, has announced Unicef Ethiopia as a strategic partner for the 2022-2023 GSA Africa Summit. This enhances the impact of the upcoming summit, scheduled to take place from 26 to 28 October at the…

This month, Chrome is well into its adolescence and is celebrating its 15th birthday with a redesign and new safety features. Say goodbye to the standard white background because Google is rolling out background customization using its Material You design language, including new colors and smoother access to light and dark modes.…