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Spotify AI DJ now available in Nigeria
News Tech

Spotify AI DJ now available in Nigeria

Spotify is now extending its artificial intelligence-driven personalised music function, “DJ,” to Nigeria and other countries, marking a significant expansion six months after its debut in North America. The AI-powered DJ makes personalised music recommendations to users and also provides spoken commentary in a robotic voice. The “music” feed section of the Spotify mobile app […]

Google upgrades Messages security with RCS
News Tech

Google upgrades Messages security with RCS

Google announced on Tuesday that it is strengthening RCS, or Rich Communication Services, to make its Messages by Google app more secure. This is intended to replace SMS and is more on par with Apple’s iMessage’s sophisticated capabilities. According to the company, RCS will now be the default for both new and current users of […]

Snap unveils new lens studio tools for AR creators
News Tech

Snapachat removes subscription for dark mode

Snapchat has removed the paywall for dark mode on Android after previously requiring users to have a Snapchat+ subscription in order to access the functionality. iOS users have had free access to dark mode since 2021. Earlier this year, Snapchat only made dark mode accessible to Snapchat+ subscribers on Android devices. Snapchat’s subscription service attracted […]

News Tech

Court rejects Google’s bid to dismiss $5bn privacy lawsuit

A lawsuit claiming that Google violated the privacy of millions of people by covertly monitoring their internet use was denied by a U.S. judge. According to U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, because the Alphabet subsidiary never clearly informed users that it would do so, she was unable to determine whether consumers gave Google their […]

Google launches Project IDX for AI-enabled browsers
News Tech

Google launches Project IDX for AI-enabled browsers

Google on Tuesday announced the launch of Project IDX, as the company moves into offering an AI-enabled browser-based development environment for building full-stack web and multiplatform apps. “We spend a lot of time writing code, and recent advances in AI have created big opportunities to make that time more productive,” the IDX team explained in […]

Walk Disney creates team to explore AI
News Tech

Walk Disney creates team to explore AI

A task team has been established by Walt Disney to research the use of AI throughout the entertainment industry. This is coming as Hollywood actors and writers fight to restrict how much the sector uses technology. The positions span practically every division of the business, from Walt Disney Studios to its theme parks and engineering […]

Pope Francis warns against dangers of AI
News Tech

Pope Francis warns against dangers of AI

Pope Francis has urged a global discussion on the risks that could arise from artificial intelligence, emphasising its “disruptive possibilities and ambivalent effects.” The 86-year-old Francis, who has previously admitted he is computer-illiterate, gave the warning in a message for the upcoming Catholic Church World Day of Peace, which falls on New Year’s Day. The […]

Apple, Samsung to invest in Softbank's chip firm Arm
Tech

Apple, Samsung to invest in SoftBank’s chip firm Arm

Apple and Samsung Electronics have expressed their interest in investing in SoftBank Group-owned chip designer Arm at its upcoming initial public offering, which is expected in September, as reported by Japan’s Nikkei newspaper. Reuters previously reported that Arm was in discussions with several companies, including Apple, Samsung, and Intel, to secure anchor investors for its […]

Namibia orders Starlink to halt operations over unlicensed service
News Tech

Senegal arrests five people for selling Starlink

Senegalese authorities on Monday arrested five people for selling Starlink terminals without the necessary authorization or licence. The five individuals detained by the National Police’s Department of Urban Security could receive up to five years in prison and a 60 million CFA ($100,000) fine. The telecommunications regulatory body has also issued a warning to any […]

WhatsApp launches screen share
News Tech

WhatsApp launches screen share

WhatsApp on Tuesday included screen sharing as a new feature to improve the quality of video calls on its platform. This is a fierce competitor to established video conferencing platforms like Apple’s FaceTime, Microsoft Meet, Google Meet, and Zoom. You will be able to share your document, images and even your shopping cart with contacts […]

USAID promotes $205m investments in Nigerian agricultural enterprises
News

Prepare for food price inflation, USAID tells Nigeria, others

The United States Agency for International Development has cautioned Nigeria and other African countries to prepare for higher food prices following recent events that briefly halted Ukraine’s food exports to African nations. The deputy administrator for policy and programming at USAID, Isobel Coleman, made this statement on Thursday during a virtual press conference. She claimed that the […]