TECHNOLOGY – KMAUPDATES

Jul72020 by Ronald KabuubiNo Comments

TECHNOLOGY: TikTok exits operations in Hong Kong due to national security law.

TECHNOLOGY, WORLD

TikTok has said it will no longer operate in Hong Kong after China's new national security law demanded it hand over user data. Technology giants including Google, Twitter and Facebook have also said they will deny requests for user data from Hong Kong law enforcement while they examine the implications of the new legislation. Professional networking site LinkedIn and video conferencing software Zoom today said they too are "pausing processing data requests from and related to Hong Kong" in light of the law. It comes after the Hong Kong government announced how some aspects of the security law will be implemented late on Monday. Police will no longer have to seek court orders before requiring internet users or service providers to remove posts or aid investigations. Any mes...

Jul32020 by Kayongo Brian TimothyNo Comments

TECHNOLOGY: Twitter drops ‘master’, ‘slave’ and ‘blacklist’

TECHNOLOGY, TWITTER

Social media platform Twitter is dropping the terms "master", "slave" and "blacklist" in favour of more inclusive language. The terms are frequently used in programming codes which originated decades ago. US bank JPMorgan has also announced a similar move as more companies address racism following the killing of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis. Replacing the terms could cost millions and take months, according to experts. In programming speak, "master" refers to the main version of code that controls the "slaves," or replicas. "Blacklist" is used to describe items that are automatically denied, typically forbidden websites. On Thursday, Twitter's engineering division tweeted out a set of words that it wants "to move away from using in favour of more inclusive language...

Jul22020 by Kayongo Brian TimothyNo Comments

UGANDA: UETCL assigns a new boss.

TECHNOLOGY, UGANDA

Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited (UETCL) has appointed Mr George Rwabajungu the new managing director. According to a memo sent to all staff of UETCL Mr Rwabajungu takes over from Mr Valentine Katabira, the company’s deputy managing director, who has been serving in the same position in acting capacity. The appointment took effect yesterday. Mr Katabira had replaced Mr William Kiryahika, who left UETCL on December 31, 2019. “After due process, the board of directors have effective today [yesterday], appointed one of our own, Mr George Rwabajungu as the new managing director,” Mr Katabira said in an email to the staff, urging staff to support him in his new role. Mr Rwabajungu was the company’s manager finance and accounting, a position he held for 10 years. ...

Jun292020 by Kayongo Brian TimothyNo Comments

TECHNOLOGY: Microsoft makes it harder for businesses to avoid Windows 10 updates

TECHNOLOGY, WORLD

The business-focused versions of Windows 10 have normally let you avoid major updates for up to a year, which can be helpful if you either value stability at all costs or just don’t like change. You might not have quite so much breathing room going forward, though. As WindowsTimes and Gizmodo have noticed, Windows 10 version 2004 has reduced manual deferrals for Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise and Education updates to 35 days (just as long as for Home) and pulled the option from the Windows Update settings in Advanced Options. If you want to keep deferring updates, you’ll need to change local Group Policy to match. This is meant to “prevent confusion” and help make use of a policy targeting PCs whose version is nearly out of service, Microsoft said. There are advantages to shrinking the ...

Jun292020 by Kayongo Brian TimothyNo Comments

TECNOLOGY: iPhone 12 might not have a charger in the box according to Kuo.

TECHNOLOGY

There has been a lot of speculation about Apple’s new products and schedules that have been thrown into disarray thanks to the coronavirus pandemic. The show will go on, fortunately for Apple fans, but the company may be making a few changes to keep things from going overboard. That will mostly be due to the increasing prices of its high-end devices thanks to increasingly powerful components, like 5G modems in the iPhone 12. Apple’s solution? Take out almost everything from the iPhone’s box. The iPhone 12 series could be Apple’s most expensive smartphones yet and that will be thanks to the addition of 5G support. Given the times, Apple knows it would be fighting an uphill battle of what are already luxurious prices even without 5G. According to analyst Ming-chi Kuo, Apple’s cost-saving...

Jun262020 by KATENDE SHARIFNo Comments

Bok heroes challenge schools to join #StrongerTogether for R32-12 campaign

Sports

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, June 26, 2020/ -- Springbok captain Siya Kolisi and fellow Rugby World Cup winners Damian Willemse and Herschel Jantjies caused much excitement as they delivered food parcels and a message of hope to a group of Peakview High School learners in Athlone on the outskirts of Cape Town on Thursday. The trio of Springbok RWC winners – who were accompanied by Blitzbok and Imbokodo captains, Siviwe Soyizwapi and Zintle Mpupha, and representatives of the charity organisation Gift of the Givers – also laid down a challenge to schools across the country to get involved with the campaign. The school that sells the most tickets in the raffle as part of the campaign, will win a “visit” by the Webb Ellis Cup, while 44 unique prizes are also up for grabs. The gathering a...

Jun12020 by KATENDE SHARIFNo Comments

Former U.S. Attorney General Eric H. Holder, Jr. will Speak at Africa.com Webinar on Crisis Management for African Business Leaders

Business

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, June 1, 2020/ -- The 82nd Attorney General of the United States, Eric H. Holder, Jr., will provide opening remarks for the largest-ever gathering of senior African business leaders. The Honorable Eric H. Holder, Jr. served President Barack Obama from 2009-2015, and is currently a partner at Covington & Burling, LLP. The panel, “Law and Crisis Management: Working with Lawyers in Business, Government, and Society to Manage the Challenges of COVID-19” will also feature: Moderator: David B. Wilkins, Lester Kissel Professor of Law, Vice Dean for Global Initiatives on the Legal Profession, and Faculty Director, Center on the Legal Profession, Harvard Law SchoolGerald Abila, Founder and Executive Director, BarefootLawMyma Belo-Osagie, Co-Founder, Udo Udoma B...

May302020 by Ronald KabuubiNo Comments

SPACE X to launch its first human crew to space today

INTERNATIONAL

On the afternoon of May 30th, SpaceX is slated to launch its very first passengers to space, potentially heralding a new era of human spaceflight for the United States. It’ll be the first time in nearly a decade that people have launched to orbit from American soil, and it’ll be the first time that a private vehicle takes them there. This historic flight is really a test. It’s the last big milestone for SpaceX as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. The experimental initiative tasked private companies with creating new spacecraft for NASA that are capable of transporting astronauts to and from the International Space Station. SpaceX’s contribution to the program is a sleek, gumdrop-shaped capsule called the Crew Dragon. While it’s flown a few times before, the capsule has yet to car...

May302020 by KATENDE SHARIFNo Comments

CNBC Africa reflects on Transformation in COVID-19

CORONAVIRUS

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, May 30, 2020/ -- The unfolding covid-19 pandemic is both a health and economic crisis of historic and unprecedented scale. Other than a few sectors, most businesses have been affected adversely. During this very difficult period, what has stayed constant is the indispensable role that media plays in society. CNBC Africa has implemented a number of proactive and innovative measures to continue to deliver accurate, timely and informative business news. All organizations within the nuances of their own industries, have adapted to the new normal in operations to remain relevant to their customers. Being a Pan African business news network, the channel has had to review its programming grid to continue exceeding expectations of our viewers. An important aspect wa...

May232020 by Ronald KabuubiNo Comments

Retool annual budgets toward agriculture production and expand food reserves, as COVID-19 exacerbates food scarcity, urges African Development Institute seminar

AFRICA

ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast, May 23, 2020/ -- African countries need to urgently expand food reserves, keep food supply flowing and boost their agriculture budgets to avert a possible hunger pandemic, partly caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, delegates at a two-day webinar hosted by the African Development Institute (ADI) urged on Tuesday. Africa must now, more than ever, develop and implement policies to enhance capacity to compete in the agriculture sector, processing, trade and industry, the speakers said in a clarion call for action. Noting that COVID-19 has fast-tracked the transition to the 4th Industrial Revolution era, participants also called on African governments to scale up technology for agriculture production, including private sector-led initiatives, to build resilience and gr...

Jan282020 by ShafiqNo Comments

TECHNOLOGY: African countries racing for 5G rollout despite 4G connectivity concerns.

AFRICA, TECHNOLOGY

African countries are rushing to launch 5G networks as evidenced by recent reports that Uganda and Kenya are almost ready with their 5G rollout. Safaricom, the biggest telecoms operator in Kenya was spotted testing 5G in Nairobi and reports can confirm that they have already approached the Kenyan communications authority on the matter. Africa’s big economies are all rushing to get 5G working ahead of their competitors. South Africa, Nigeria, and Egypt are all working on plans to launch 5G communications within the first quarter of 2020. Uganda seems to have joined this group of elite African nations. MTN Uganda is said to be working with Chinese giant ZTE to establish a standalone 5G network in the country. These reports may show a lot of progress among African nations b...

Jan282020 by ShafiqNo Comments

UGANDA: Over 83000 passports issued with e-Passport in just a month after launching.

AFRICA, TECHNOLOGY, UGANDA

Over 83000 passports have been issued in the last month using the online application process. The online e-Passport application process was introduced by the Ministry of Internal Affairs was launched last year in December. The state minister for internal affairs Obiga Kania said the new online system has improved service delivery with 83233 passports issued as by 27th Jan 2020. He said in the same period last year, December 2018 and Jan 2019 there were 15,000 passports issued. The minister appeals to all Ugandans to embrace the system to avoid being conned or exploited. According to the Privacy Policy on the website, applicants’ personal information is kept only for a limited period of time to fulfill the purpose for which it is collected.