Amazon is announcing a new Amazon Web Service (AWS) infrastructure to be located in Kenya. The new Edge Location in Kenya will be part of the Amazon CloudFront Content Delivery Network (CDN).
The Amazon Web Services Team made the announcement introducing new infrastructure in Eastern Europe and Kenya.
Amazon’s CloudFront service accelerates content delivery to users worldwide, with low latency and high transfer speeds.
The Kenya Edge Location will reduce wait time for end-users in the region when they visit a website, watch an online video, play a game or buy a product online, or download an app.
For businesses and developers that will mean less time to deploy services and solutions bringing satisfaction to clients.
We’re excited to announce the AWS infrastructure launch of new Amazon CloudFront Edge Location in Kenya.
Safaricom PLC today unveiled a new mobile application (app) tailored at customers lifestyle. The new app comes with a new user interface, enhanced security and puts the user in control. It also promises an excellent experience.
Safaricom Head of Digital Products and Services, Fawzia Ali Kimathi, led the virtual launch event. Showcasing new and exciting features of the new mySafaricom app. She noted that this was a journey that began in October 2018 in response to customer feedback about the existing app.
Prior to the official release, about fifty thousand customers have tested the app. It has been in beta testing since February 2020, Fawzia shares.
“We are very excited about this journey. It’s taken us a couple of months to get here. We welcome your feedback, both good and bad. We have adopted the agile methodology … so we will be releasing something fresh and new every two to three weeks”.
Fawzia Ali Kimathi
Speaking on some of the innovations the app brings she shares that customers who prefer to use the voucher card, can scan the 16 digits and it will automatically pick the digits and top up.
The new app will allow customers to choose five services in the favourite icon.
Postpaid customers can now see their usage during the month. They can see their credit limit, balance, make payments and increase or reduce limits.
Prepaid Safaricom customers will be able to see their airtime, data, Bonga and SMS balances. Topping up on any of the services happens right on that page from the new app.
A feature to know your data usage is currently available on the Safaricom mobile web app and will be coming soon to the mobile app.
Online social media and networking company, Facebook, announces it will open its first engineering office in Africa. The new office will be located in Lagos, Nigeria and will become operational in the second half of fiscal year 2021.
Facebook Lagos office will support the Sub-Saharan region and contribute to the African technology ecosystem. It will also tap into Africa’s budding developer talent pool to build products for the continent and beyond.
This will be the company’s second office on the continent. After opening the first in Johannesburg, South Africa back in 2015.
Like the Johannesburg office, the Facebook Lagos office will house teams across sales, partnerships, policy and communications. With the Lagos, Nigeria office becoming the first in the region to house an engineering team.
“This is where a lot of the future is going to get built“
Mark Zuckerberg
We are continuing to invest in and support local talent shares Nunu Ntshingila, Regional Director, Facebook Africa. The office will be key in helping to expand how we service our clients across the continent, she continues.
“This is where i think a lot of the future is going to get built. … The key thing is that you are building this. … We are at the beginning of this journey. … The more we can do to empower folks here to build the future, that’s the better that we can do. … Of course, we will invest more in the future.”
Ime Archibong, Facebook’s Head of New Product Experimentation noted the new Facebook engineering office presents exciting opportunities.
“The opening of our new office in Lagos, Nigeria presents new and exciting opportunities in digital innovations to be developed from the continent and taken to the rest of the world. All across Africa, we’re seeing immense talent in the tech ecosystem. I’m proud that with the upcoming opening of our new office, we’ll be building products for the future of Africa, and the rest of the world, with Africans at the helm. We look forward to contributing further to the African tech ecosystem.”
The U.S. – Africa Tech Challenge will seek to identify African technologies that address the issues of state and non-state disinformation and propaganda.
Dr. David Bray inaugural Director of the Atlantic Council’s GeoTech Center and Executive Director of Commission on Geopolitical impacts of New Technologies and Data highlighted this during this year’s East AfricaCom 2020 virtual event.
The challenge will be held in a teo-part virtual event. The first event will take place virtually in April 2021. The second event also virtual will colocate with East Africacom 11th to 12th May 2021. Up to three winners of the U.S. – Africa tech challenge will receive a total grant of up to $250,000 USD.
Dr. Bray notes that “the very technologies that allow us to communicate and relate to each other online can and will be influenced by other nations and internally. We need to think about how we actually address these challenges“.
Atlantic Council will act as implementing partners of the challenge. It is sponsored by the U.S. State Department’s Global Engagement Center. It also is in partnership with, Twitter, U.S. Embassy Nairobi, the European Union, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IAD) and Park Advisors.
Watch the U.S. Africa Tech Challenge announcement below
Update: This now includes link to the event page, event dates and total grant amount for up to three winners, $250,000 USD.
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Today, Microsoft is shipping out its Surface Duo Android-powered dual-screen mobile device to customers. This means we will hear in-depth reviews about the device. Here is a Surface Duo review roundup from some of your favourite tech YouTubers.
Like every other device review, the Microsoft Surface Duo review reactions are mixed. Most are fascinated by the hardware and design concept. A lot of them believe there is room for improvement and look forward to the next generation device to correct these shortfalls. Every reviewer seems to focus on an area of the device.
Microsoft Surface Duo Review Roundup
Here are summaries from the lengthy videos. Do well to click and check out the full videos for their thoughts on the Surface Duo.
MKBHD
MKBHD: It is an amazing piece of hardware but … it’s a bit of a mixed bag. It is the first of a lot of things. I don’t think most people should buy this. Overall, practicality suffering at the expense of folding in half is the thing that’s holding back all first-generation folding phones. And it is happening here with Surface Duo. When the fold is just another feature, that’s what i’m looking forwarding to. But keep an eye on it, i really think they are on to something. I like the dual-screen thing … because the productivity, flow, compartmentalization of having two screens work, it’s real. Click to check out the full review video.
iJustine
iJustine: This has a great future. I don’t think this is perfect by any means, there are so many things they will need to make this better. For a first-gen, i’m pretty excited about what the Surface Duo can be. Click to check out the full review video.
Daniel Rubino – Windows Central
Daniel: Microsoft nailed the hardware. The battery life is actually pretty good, it isn’t a two-day device, it should last you a full day. The camera is actually better than i thought. Where it fails should be obvious, night time. It’s kind of surprising, i like the colour science that Microsoft has done. Images look really nice even though you don’t get a lot of details. The front-facing camera is also very good for selfies and video conferencing, which is the focus of this device. The software is underbaked and Microsoft is going to have to work with Google to improve that and i expect they will. The OS is a little buggy, the hardware is missing a lot of stuff on it. This is early adopter stuff.
Microsoft has a long way to go with Google to solve dual-screen usability with Surface Duo. I think the initial hardware is encouraging. If the Surface Duo 2 or 3 can be a Surface Pro 3 category defining device then software problems will be a distant memory. We’ll wait and see. pic.twitter.com/LtbuY3Xro4
Michael Fisher: The Duo is more expensive than competing products. It is more ambitious as well. You probably shouldn’t buy one in its first generation, … almost every first-generation product is a risky buy. The things i was most concerned about going into this review, have been the least of my worries. Pocketability is a pleasant suprise. The lack of a cover display for notifictaions is solved by a smartwatch. The watches also let you tap to pay. You probably don’t need an outside display as you think.
Brad: The Surface Duo has average specs but opening it up is a lot of fun. The hinge is buttery smooth. Microsoft put in a lot of effort into this hardware. This device has a lot to offer and for the right user, this is going to be a fun thing to put in your pocket. When you hold it in your hands it is large, a big device, in a thin package. There’s a lot that goes on with the OS though, that is something we should talk about. There are a lot of minor hiccups and jaddering that appear from time to time. There is definitely a learning curve. It is not a great smartphone for the price. What you want this device for is to be your productivity hardware. Outlook is fantastic, Teams is fantastic. It is a great piece of hardware for getting work done.
Jenna: Lots of you asked different questions and i talk about them. I’m pretty impressed in the quality of the display. Compared to the iPhone this is very very clear. I think the hardware is there, the software needs some updates and improvements. It is a really cool device.
David: The hardware is different from any other you’ve ever used. There is going to be a lot of tradeoffs if you make a device that is this thin. The key problem is developers have to specifically implement the duo API into their app to get it to span correctly. Right now not even Google has done this. At the system level the duo thinks it is a tablet, the system registers it as one big display. The Microsoft Duo isn’t optimized yet. Microsoft needs a little bit more time to get the software under control.
