Dakar, Senegal | AFP | When farmer Isaac Tondo fell on lean times in Liberia’s long rainy season, his brother in the capital sent 8,000 Liberian dollars (US$87) to his Lonestar mobile money account, ensuring his children’s school fees would still be paid. Across Africa more and more people — …
Read More »Plans for free internet in Kampala and Entebbe on track
Internet users around Kampala and Entebbe will save money on buying data as government introduces free Internet starting next month. Leonah Mbonimpa, the corporate communication officer at the National Information Technology Authority–Uganda (NITA-U’s) said the free-Wi-Fi will be available for users from 6pm to 6am on weekdays and on weekends – Saturday starting …
Read More »Germany blocks WhatsApp data transfers to Facebook
Berlin, Germany | AFP | German data protection authorities on Tuesday said they had blocked Facebook from collecting subscriber data from its subsidiary WhatsApp, citing privacy concerns. Facebook and WhatsApp promised in the wake of the Silicon Valley giant’s 2014 acquisition of the messaging app that they would not share …
Read More »Researchers restore first ever computer music recording
Wellington, New Zealand | AFP | New Zealand researchers said Monday they have restored the first recording of computer-generated music, created in 1951 on a gigantic contraption built by British genius Alan Turing. The aural artefact, which paved the way for everything from synthesizers to modern electronica, opens with a …
Read More »Oil jobs: Partakers or Spectators?
Foreigners could take lion’s share of oil and gas jobs as Uganda lags behind in building local capacity The government recently issued eight production licences to Tullow Uganda Operations Pty Ltd and Total E&P Uganda BV, a development that gives the oil companies the green light to finally proceed with …
Read More »World’s largest radio telescope starts operating in China
Beijing, China | AFP | The world’s largest radio telescope began operating in southwestern China Sunday, a project which Beijing says will help humanity search for alien life. The Five-hundred-metre Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST), nestled between hills in the mountainous region of Guizhou, began working around noon, the official …
Read More »Snapchat introduces video-catching sunglasses
San Francisco, United States | AFP | Vanishing message service Snapchat announced Saturday it will launch a line of video-catching sunglasses, a spin on Glass eyewear abandoned by Google more than a year ago. The California-based company, which also announced it is changing its name to Snap Inc., said in …
Read More »India buys 36 Rafale fighter jets to counter China
New Delhi, India | AFP | India signed a deal Friday to buy 36 Rafale fighter jets for 7.9 billion euros ($8.8 billion), France’s biggest ever such sale, as it seeks to bolster its military against an increasingly assertive China. Defence experts say the aircraft, manufactured by France’s Dassault, will …
Read More »US lawmakers: Russian hackers aim to disrupt election
Washington, United States | AFP | Two US lawmakers who are members of their respective intelligence committees said Thursday that a spate of recent cyber attacks suggests Russia is trying to disrupt the November election. “Based on briefings we have received, we have concluded that the Russian intelligence agencies are …
Read More »Yahoo hack hit 500 million users
San Francisco, United States | AFP | Yahoo said Thursday a massive attack on its network in 2014 allowed hackers to steal data from half a billion users and may have been “state sponsored.” Yahoo, which confirmed details of the breach months after reports of a major hack, said …
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