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.
Internet Solutions Limited is set to rebrand and operate as Dimension Data by the end of 2020. The Dimension Data Group of companies is also consolidating and rebranding all its subsidiaries in the Middle East and the rest of Africa where it has operations.
This is part of Dimension Data’s larger plan to consolidate its businesses, enhance efficiency, and better deliver the changing technology needs of its clients.
In Nigeria, Olugbenga Olabiyi has been appointed as the Country Manager to head the company’s business operations.
Commenting on the new developments, Olabiyi assured clients that the company will continue to deliver services seamlessly and efficiently even as the firm works through the rebranding and integration process. He noted that they will be focusing on developing uniquely tailored IT solutions as well as providing value-driven services through customer engagement and outstanding technology infrastructure – that advance productivity and business growth.
“We are happy to have received the government’s approval allowing us to rebrand and operate as Dimension Data. Our vision is to be a partner of choice for businesses; delivering innovative, game-changing technology and solutions not only in Nigeria but in the Middle East and Africa,” he said.
The realignment will see Internet Solutions Managing Director Richard Hechle appointed to head the group’s consolidated business in East and West Africa.
Dimension Data East and West Africa Managing Director Richard Hechle said consolidating the company’s business will help the firm unlock opportunities for greater innovation, as well as giving clients the power to build their futures using game changing technology.
“Bringing all our people and operating companies together will allow us to effectively and efficiently execute our go-to-market strategy and enable our clients’ success in a digital-first world. This digital-first world is characterised by technologies that are converging to deliver unified, hybrid and holistic solutions for real business impact,” he said.
As the market around us continues to evolve, he said the company was conscious of the need to remain relevant by delivering products and services that enable clients to meet the increasing demand for personalisation and customisation. Leveraging technology is critical for businesses and our products and services play a vital role in empowering them to build their future.
The group is reorganising around five go-to-market areas to deliver Intelligent technology and services that are aligned to our clients’ journeys, including Intelligent Infrastructure, Intelligent Workplace & Customer Experience, Intelligent Business Applications, Intelligent Innovation, and Intelligent Cyber Security.
“Reorganising ourselves to deliver what the market demands is driven with growth in mind and we are very excited about the future and are committed to bringing these changes online quickly. The role of technology in business is changing, therefore, how it is consumed, and the decisions related to technology are also changing. We are adapting to align our organisation to that of our client choices,” Hechle said.
“The way we collaborate with our clients is where we create the most significant value and sustainable business outcomes for them. The logic is clear: the more we focus on seamless client experiences, the more focused we become on delivering solutions that work. We believe that when we understand our clients’ needs, we deliver better solutions.” he concluded.
Social coding and software development platform, GitHub, announces its first-ever event for developers in Africa.
The event will be in the form of a virtual meetup and will take place on Tuesday, September 15, 2020, from 3 pm to 5 pm WAT or 6 pm to 8 am EAT.
The event will kickstart a series of monthly online meetups geared towards building a vibrant community in the region. The meetups will inform on the latest GitHub workflows, latest features and how one can contribute to Open Source.
The events will feature speakers from GitHub as well as other prominent Open Source maintainers from Africa.
Click to sign up and be part of the first GitHub event in Africa.
Last year, GitHub CEO, Nat Freidman, visited Nigeria and Ghana to meet with developers and entrepreneurs. Learning about how “GitHub can be of service” as Microsoft, GitHub’s parent company broadens its horizons as a developer-centric company. He also shared that GitHub will be looking to hire remote developers from Africa soon.
Developers on the African continent have become one of the major contributors to the GitHub platform. With Egypt, Nigeria and Algeria recognized as the fastest-growing countries by open-source repositories created.
In the 2018 GitHub Octoverse regional report, Nigeria represented the fourth fastest-growing developer community on GitHub. With 1.6x as many contributors in 2018 than in 2017.
Microsoft confirms the smallest Xbox console ever to be designed, the Xbox Series S in a twitter post. The next-generation powered gaming console will retail at $299.
The device will be coming to the South Africa market and will retail at R6 999 ($420). The Xbox Series X will also retail at R11 999 ($720).
👀 Let’s make it official!
Xbox Series S | Next-gen performance in the ˢᵐᵃˡˡᵉˢᵗ Xbox ever. $299 (ERP).
Xbox Series S will be the cheaper option to the more powerful Xbox Series X. Both consoles are designed and powered with next-generation specs to make gameplay feel lifelike, immersive and responsive. As Microsoft puts it “where you [the gamer] are at the center of your gaming experience”.
A leaked commercial video of the console shared by WalkingCat on Twitter shows us more about the device. It shows the full design, hardware specifications and when to expect it.
The compact console will be vertical standing, white in colour with a black circular vent on the top or front case. It shows it has no disk drive. Is about 60% smaller in size than the Xbox Series X with frame rates of up to 120fps.
Microsoft is introducing a two-day virtual event aimed at beginners in tech. The event dubbed Start. Dev. Change. targets beginners that are looking to learn new software development skills.
The virtual event is scheduled to take place on October 14 and 15 starting at 3 pm GMT each day.
The Start. Dev. Change. sessions, Microsoft says will be applicable to anyone who wants to learn code. With basic computer skills being the only requirement needed. The virtual event will feature introductory level sessions on code development and no-code development tools such as Microsoft Power Platform.
The sessions will include training on multiple programming languages, intro to databases, intro to cloud, cybersecurity, power apps, power automate, power BI, etc.
Our goal is to enhance your technical skills by setting you up for success with the right tools to help you improve in your current job. Or prepare you to change careers and move into a technical role.
The event designed for beginners in tech will feature Microsoft Partner Program Manager, Scott Hanselman, as the keynote speaker. Other speakers include Microsoft Cloud Advocates April Speight, Cecil Phillip, Cassie Breviu and Dona Sakar.
RSVP to participate in the event and check the event page for other resources to get you started.
