Google has announced that its first cloud region in Africa is now open for business.

Google has announced that its first cloud region in Africa is now open for business.

Google has announced that its first cloud region in Africa is now open for business. The new region, located in Cape Town, South Africa, will offer customers faster and more reliable access to Google Cloud services and products.

The Cape Town cloud region is the 24th Google Cloud region globally and the first one on the African continent. It consists of three availability zones, which are geographically separate locations within the region that are designed to provide high levels of reliability and redundancy. Customers can distribute their workloads across multiple zones to protect against service disruptions.

Google Cloud provides a range of services for businesses of all sizes and industries, including infrastructure, platform, and software as a service (IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS). Some of the popular Google Cloud products include Compute Engine, App Engine, Cloud Storage, BigQuery, Cloud Functions, and Cloud Run. Customers can also access advanced solutions for artificial intelligence, machine learning, data analytics, and security.

According to Google, the Cape Town cloud region will benefit customers in several ways. First, it will improve latency for end users in Africa by up to 50% compared to the nearest region in Europe. Second, it will enable customers to store their data locally and comply with data sovereignty regulations. Third, it will support Google’s commitment to environmental sustainability by using renewable energy sources.

Some of the customers that are already using the Cape Town cloud region include Absa Group, a leading African financial services group; Travelstart, Africa’s largest online travel agency; and African e-commerce platform Jumia. These customers have reported improved performance, scalability, and cost-efficiency by leveraging Google Cloud.

Google also announced that it is expanding its Google Cloud Partner Advantage program in Africa to help local partners grow their cloud businesses. The program provides partners with technical guidance, sales support, marketing resources, and training opportunities. Google said it has already onboarded more than 100 partners in Africa, including system integrators, resellers, managed service providers, and independent software vendors.

The launch of the Cape Town cloud region is part of Google’s ongoing investment in Africa’s digital transformation. In addition to providing cloud services, Google is also supporting initiatives such as Google for Startups Accelerator Africa, Google.org grants for digital skills training, and Loon’s internet balloons project. Google said it is committed to helping African businesses and communities thrive in the digital era.

Google just launched LUMIERE

Google just launched LUMIERE

Google just launched LUMIERE, a new artificial intelligence platform that aims to revolutionize the way we interact with the web. LUMIERE stands for Learning, Understanding, and Manipulating Information with Enhanced Reasoning and Empathy. It is a powerful system that can understand natural language queries, generate relevant and personalized content, and provide feedback and guidance to users.

LUMIERE is based on the latest advances in deep learning, natural language processing, computer vision, and knowledge graph. It can handle complex tasks such as summarizing articles, answering questions, creating presentations, designing websites, and more. LUMIERE can also learn from user behavior and preferences, and adapt its responses accordingly. LUMIERE is not just a tool, but a companion that can help users achieve their goals and enhance their creativity.

LUMIERE is available as a cloud service that can be integrated with various applications and platforms. Users can access LUMIERE through a web browser, a mobile app, or a voice assistant. LUMIERE can also interact with other devices and services, such as smart speakers, smart TVs, smartwatches, and social media platforms. LUMIERE is designed to be user-friendly and intuitive and to respect user privacy and security.

LUMIERE is the result of years of research and development by Google’s AI team, in collaboration with academic institutions and industry partners. LUMIERE is part of Google’s vision to make the web more accessible, useful, and enjoyable for everyone. LUMIERE is not only a technological breakthrough but also a social innovation that can empower users and foster collaboration and communication.

LUMIERE is now open for beta testing, and users can sign up for a free trial on the official website. Google invites users to explore the possibilities of LUMIERE and to share their feedback and suggestions. Google hopes that LUMIERE will inspire users to discover new things, learn new skills, and create new experiences.

What is Google Circle to Search?

What is Google Circle to Search?

Google Circle to Search is a new feature that allows users to search for information on any image or screenshot on their devices. With Google Circle to Search, users can simply draw a circle around any object or text on an image and get relevant results from Google. For example, if you see a product you like on an online store, you can circle it and get more details, reviews, or similar products. Or if you see a word you don’t know on a document, you can circle it and get its definition, pronunciation, or translation.

Google Circle to Search is powered by Google Lens, a technology that uses artificial intelligence to understand the content of images and provide useful information. Google Lens can recognize objects, landmarks, animals, plants, text, and more. It can also perform actions such as scanning QR codes, copying text or calling phone numbers.

To use Google Circle to Search, you need to have the latest version of the Google app installed on your device. You also need to enable the feature in the app settings. Once you do that, you can access Google Circle to Search from any app that supports sharing images or screenshots. Just tap on the share icon and select Google Circle to Search from the list of options. Then you can draw a circle around anything you want to search for and see the results in a pop-up window.

Google Circle to Search is a convenient and fast way to get more information from any image or screenshot on your device. It can help you learn new things, discover new products, or solve problems. You can try it out today and see what you can find with Google Circle to Search.

How do you enable Circle to Search

Circle to Search is a feature that allows you to search for anything on the web by drawing a circle around it on your screen. It is available on Android devices that support Google Lens, such as Pixel phones and some Samsung models. Here is how you can enable and use this feature:

  1. Open the Google app on your device and tap on the Lens icon at the bottom right corner.
  2. Grant the app permission to access your camera and photos if prompted.
  3. Point your camera at something you want to search for, such as a product, a landmark, or a text.
  4. Draw a circle around the object or text with your finger. You will see a blue circle with a magnifying glass icon appear on the screen.
  5. Tap on the icon to see the search results for the circled item. You can also swipe up to see more options, such as copy text, translate text, or shop for similar products.

You can also use Circle to Search from other apps that support Google Lens, such as Google Photos, Chrome, or Camera. Just look for the Lens icon and follow the same steps as above.

Circle to Search is a convenient and fast way to find information about anything you see around you. You can use it to identify plants and animals, learn about historical places, compare prices, and much more. Try it out today and see what you can discover with Circle to Search!

30 years of Microsoft in Africa

30 years of Microsoft in Africa

Can you believe it? It’s been 30 years since Microsoft opened its first office in Africa. That’s right, 30 years of empowering Africans with technology, innovation and skills. 30 years of making a difference in education, health, agriculture and more. 30 years of being part of the continent’s amazing journey.

But we’re not here to brag. We’re here to celebrate. And what better way to celebrate than with some fun facts about Microsoft in Africa? Here are some of the highlights from our three decades of presence and impact:

  • Did you know that Microsoft was the first global tech company to launch a datacenter region in Africa? That’s right, we beat Google and Amazon to it. And we didn’t stop there. We also launched the first cloud services from Africa, enabling businesses and organizations to access world-class technology and innovation locally.
  • Did you know that Microsoft has trained over 1.7 million young Africans in digital skills since 2013? That’s more than the population of Gambia. And we’re not done yet. We’re committed to reaching 4 million more by 2023, through our flagship programs like 4Afrika, YouthSpark and DigiGirlz.
  • Did you know that Microsoft has supported over 500 startups in Africa, helping them grow and scale their businesses? That’s more than the number of lions in Kenya. And we’re not just talking about funding. We’re talking about mentorship, technical support, access to markets and customers, and more.
  • Did you know that Microsoft has partnered with over 200 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Africa, helping them leverage technology for social good? That’s more than the number of countries in the world. And we’re not just talking about donations. We’re talking about co-creating solutions, sharing best practices, and empowering communities.

These are just some of the facts that make us proud of our work in Africa. But we know that we couldn’t have done it without you. You are the ones who inspire us, challenge us, and collaborate with us. You are the ones who make Africa what it is today: a vibrant, diverse, and dynamic continent.

So thank you for being part of our journey. Thank you for trusting us with your dreams and aspirations. Thank you for letting us be part of your story.

Here’s to 30 more years of Microsoft in Africa!

Microsoft and OpenAI: A Winning Combination for AI Era?

Microsoft and OpenAI: A Winning Combination for AI Era?

Microsoft and OpenAI have been collaborating since 2019, when the tech giant invested $1 billion in the research organization. Since then, they have jointly developed and deployed some of the most impressive AI systems in the world, such as GPT-3, DALL-E, and Codex. These systems have demonstrated remarkable capabilities in natural language processing, computer vision, and code generation, among other domains.

Microsoft and OpenAI for good
Mirosoft and OpenAI Logo

Many observers believe that this partnership gives Microsoft and OpenAI a significant edge over Google, which has been widely regarded as the leader in AI research and innovation. Google has its own impressive portfolio of AI products and services, such as TensorFlow, Google Cloud AI Platform, Google Assistant, and Google Duplex. However, some argue that Google’s AI efforts are hampered by its reliance on advertising revenue, its lack of focus on social impact, and its internal conflicts over ethical issues.

So will Microsoft and OpenAI surpass Google in the AI battle? It is hard to predict the future of such a fast-moving and competitive field. However, there are some factors that may favor Microsoft and OpenAI’s chances:

  • Microsoft has a strong presence in the enterprise market, where it can leverage its existing customer base and cloud infrastructure to offer AI solutions that are tailored to specific industries and use cases.
  • OpenAI has a mission to ensure that artificial intelligence is aligned with human values and can benefit all of humanity. This may attract more talent and support from the research community and the public.
  • Microsoft and OpenAI have shown a willingness to collaborate with other organizations and share their resources and insights. For example, they have made GPT-3 available to selected developers through an API service, and they have open-sourced some of their tools and frameworks.

Of course, Google is not standing still either. It continues to invest heavily in AI research and development across various domains. It also has some advantages over Microsoft and OpenAI:

  • Google has access to massive amounts of data from its various platforms and services. This data can be used to train more powerful AI models that can learn from diverse sources of information.
  • Google has a culture of innovation that encourages experimentation and risk-taking. This may enable it to discover new breakthroughs or applications for AI that others may not foresee.
  • Google has a global reach that allows it to deploy its AI solutions to billions of users around the world. This may give it more feedback on how its systems perform in different contexts.

Ultimately, the competition between Microsoft + OpenAI vs Google may not be a zero-sum game. There may be room for multiple players in the AI space who can contribute different perspectives or approaches. The real challenge may be how to ensure that these players cooperate rather than conflict with each other on issues such as fairness, accountability, and transparency of their AI systems.

What do you think? Who will win the AI battle? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Check out what’s new on our YouTube channel. Subscribe to follow for the latest videos and news in the ecosystem.