Sydney, Australia | AFP | Apple’s iPhone 7 launch generated trademark queues and brisk sales Friday that defied gloomy expectations, with some enthusiasts left empty-handed after lining up for hours as the company announced certain models had sold out. The new phone comes with an improved camera, no headphone jack, …
Read More »Web privacy debate in Italy after woman’s suicide
Rome, Italy | AFP | The suicide of a woman who battled for months to have a video of her having sex removed from the internet is fuelling debate in Italy on the “right to be forgotten” online. The 31-year-old, identified as Tiziana, was found hanged at her aunt’s home …
Read More »Five things to know about VW’s ‘dieselgate’ scandal
Frankfurt, Germany | AFP | It has been a year since Volkswagen admitted to fitting millions of cars with cheating software to dupe emissions tests, plunging the German auto giant into one of the biggest scandals ever to hit the industry. Billions of dollars in compensation later and mired in …
Read More »Twitter expands video role with streaming TV apps
San Francisco, United States | AFP | Twitter on Wednesday moved deeper into video, announcing a new application that will offer free content on major streaming TV services. The new app for Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and Microsoft’s Xbox One will allow anyone with these devices to get content …
Read More »Samsung struggles with critical Note 7 recall
Seoul, South Korea | AFP | Samsung said Wednesday it was doing its best to push through a challenging recall of its Galaxy Note 7 smartphones, as it offered a software fix to jolt users into returning defective devices. The success of the recall is seen as crucial to Samsung …
Read More »New books traces ICT transformation in Uganda
Look anywhere in Uganda and you will most likely see most people busy on their phone. They could be chatting on Whatsup, getting a feel of the newest happenings on their Twitter account, catching updates on Facebook, or transacting on mobile money, writes Nicole Namubiru. For anyone who witnessed …
Read More »Facebook, Twitter join coalition to improve online news
Washington, United States | AFP | Facebook, Twitter and news organizations including Agence France-Presse have joined a coalition of media and technology groups seeking to filter out online misinformation and improve news quality on social networks. First Draft News, which is backed by Google, announced Tuesday that some 20 news …
Read More »Fugitive Snowden urges Obama to pardon him
London, United Kingdom | AFP | US intelligence whistleblower Edward Snowden called on President Barack Obama to pardon him, saying in comments published Tuesday it had been morally “necessary” to shine a light on mass surveillance. The former intelligence contractor has spent three years in exile in Russia after initiating …
Read More »Facebook Messenger allows for direct merchant sales
San Francisco, United States | AFP | Facebook announced Monday a new online payment system that will allow businesses to sell directly to consumers on its Messenger application. “We’re kicking off the beginning of messages with payments that will allow businesses to sell products and services directly to customers in …
Read More »LinkedIn founder offers $5 mn if Trump releases taxes
Washington, United States | AFP | The co-founder of LinkedIn pledged Monday to donate up to $5 million to a crowdfunded charitable campaign for veterans if Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump releases his tax returns. Reid Hoffman, a founder of the professional social network and Silicon Valley entrepreneur, made the …
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