IT News Africa
How Nigeria’s Latest Gas-Related Power Crisis Could Have Been Avoided
Image sourced from the Electricity Hub. /* custom css */ .tdi_4_cc8.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_4_cc8.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; } On 28 May 2021, Nigeria’s national power generation dropped to 3,059 MW and for the subsequent seven days remained below 4,000 MW, 6% below-average production. Low pressure on the Escravos-Lagos Pipeline System (ELPS) left several gas turbine power plants with an insufficient gas supply, leading to plant shutdowns and widespread power blackouts. Unlike gas turbine power plants, gas engine power plants have the flexibility to function during low gas pressure events. This flexibility significantly lowers power production risk, a supreme advantage in the context of gas supply disruptions and systemic power shortages. Power cuts in Nigeria are ...
How COVID-19 Has Driven a Cashless World Through Contactless Payments
Image sourced from PYMNTS. /* custom css */ .tdi_4_560.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_4_560.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; } Driven by the COVID-19 pandemic, contactless payments have become the world’s preferred payment method. In addition to being safer from a viral transmission perspective, contactless payments are also faster, and integrating multiple contactless payment methods assists small businesses to better maintain financial liquidity. While choice in payment methods boosts Customer Experience (CX), we still have a way to go before South Africa fully embraces cashless payments. This will necessitate educating the population on card security and business owners on the benefits of contactless payments and the reduction of cash on hand. Formal vs Informal Trading /* c...
Kaspersky Discovers Various Malicious Apps Disguising as Bestselling Game Minecraft
Sourced from Stuff. Recognised as the world’s top-selling game of all time, Minecraft attracts the attention of enthusiastic players around the world but also draws the interest of fraudsters. Earlier, Kaspersky researchers discovered more than 20 applications advertised on app stores offering additional Minecraft features. Though these malicious apps were deleted from official stores, Kaspersky experts have found newly developed ones, which exploit the game to further fraudster’s objectives. Malware on Google Play Store Kaspersky researchers analysed various apps, including those which are available for download on the Google Play store and claimed to be modpacks (user-created packages with additional gameplay elements) for the game. As a result, the company’s experts found various malici...
Hugely Anticipated Elden Ring Finally Revealed at Summer Games Fest
Image sourced from WCCFTech. /* custom css */ .tdi_4_108.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_4_108.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; } The enormously anticipated Elden Ring has finally been revealed after almost 2 years of silence on the part of developer From Software since its initial teaser trailer was released at E3 2019. Elden Ring is set to be a collaboration between Dark Souls creator Hidetaka Miyazaki and Game of Thrones creator George RR Martin. Fans of both series have been patiently awaiting any news on the game. Their patience was rewarded Thursday night during a reveal at the Summer Games Fest, closing the virtual presentation. The game trended worldwide on Twitter for a few hours after the reveal via #EldenRing. /* custom css */ .tdi_3_99c.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left...
Vivo to Launch Flagship V21 Smartphone in Kenya
Image sourced from GSM Arena. /* custom css */ .tdi_4_0c5.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_4_0c5.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; } Chinese tech company Vivo, often stylised as vivo, is gearing to launch the vivo V21 smartphone in Kenya this month. A flagship model with a focus on taking industry-leading selfies is set for the new generation and will be an addition to the V-series smartphones available locally. V21 Specs The V21 will be the first device globally to come with a 44MP selfie camera equipped with both Optical Imaging Stabilization (OIS) and Electronic Imaging Stabilization (EIS) technologies to accurately detect movements and shaking and calibrate the camera accordingly to eliminate motion blurs and produce high-definition selfies as a result. /* custom css */ .tdi_3...
EA Games Struck by Massive Hack, FIFA 2021 Source Code on Dark Web
Sourced from Electronic Arts Inc. Gaming mega-publisher EA has been struck by a massive data hack. The hackers responsible have absconded with the source code for the hugely popular FIFA 21, as well as the source code for EA’s Frostbite Engine – the game-running shell and development tools behind FIFA as well as EA’s next big release Battlefield 2042. The source codes are reportedly currently being auctioned off in hacker forums on the dark web. The criminals behind the attack are only accepting offers from big-name members of the hacking community. Stolen Source Codes Source codes are the raw coding behind any application or programme. With a stolen source code and the right know-how, a user can duplicate a programme – for example, a video game – and do whatever they may wish to it. Usual...
Accelerated eLearning Adoption Could Contribute to More Impactful Outcomes in the Education System for Africa
/* custom css */ .tdi_4_262.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_4_262.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; } The world of digital has broadened the play and fuelled greater expectations as it shifted the traditional perspectives around time and space. The proximity to the customer is incrementally getting shortened, while the expectation for service leans towards the now. Those who lay claim to the gift of intuition have even pondered the veracity in the statement that the world as we know it has come to an end. But it has, in the process, ushered in a new one that is full of possibilities and diverse opportunities. Never has there been a better time for the re-imagination of one’s destiny. The dexterity to meander the future is not and should not be exclusive as it was before. The perv...
Battlefield 2042 Announced Following Explosively Insane Cinematic Trailer
Image sourced from Electronic Arts. /* custom css */ .tdi_4_e30.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_4_e30.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; } Games publisher EA and developer DICE have finally unveiled the trailer for EA’s next incarnation of its Battlefield series of first-person shooters. Now, featuring a futuristic setting following its predecessor’s historical WW1 theme, Battlefield 2042 was announced with an accompanying cinematic trailer rendered with DICE’s in-game engine. The trailer is an adrenaline-spitting, bullet-filled hell where “explosive” is an understatement. Time will tell if actual gameplay will come anywhere near matching the trailer’s hyper-intensity. Sensitive viewer warning – bloody violence. /* custom css */ .tdi_3_15c.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_3_1...
SA President Ramaphosa Finally Gives Greenlight for Private Companies to Boost Country’s Power Grid
Image sourced from SAFA /* custom css */ .tdi_4_c82.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_4_c82.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; } South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has announced that the SA government will finally lift the threshold for embedded generating electricity capacity from 1 MW to 100 MW in South Africa. This move will allow private households and businesses to self-generate power on a larger scale. Ramaphosa says that the increase in embedded generating capacity threshold is vital in creating new ambitious, bold and urgent responses to aid with the country’s ongoing energy crisis. “We are today announcing a significant new step in further reforming our electricity sector towards achieving a stable and secure supply of energy,” the President says. /* custom css */ .tdi...
Mobile Authentication Can Be the Key to Negating Cybercrime in East Africa
Image sourced from BICS. The rapid pace of digital transformation in East Africa has had a significant impact on not only how people live their lives, but also on how communication and commerce are conducted, allowing the modern customer to do everything – immediately. This has also had the unintended consequence of altering the way we are targeted by fraudsters and cybercriminals, notably changing the nature of cyber threats and attacks that we face in a mobile-first digital world. The Price of Cybercrime According to an Accenture report published in 2019, the total value at risk of cybercrime over the next five years is an estimated $5.2 trillion. The average cyberattack costs $13 million, according to the same report, with phishing, social engineering and stolen device crime making up $...
How COVID-19 Has Changed E-Learning Forever
Image sourced from Entrepreneur. E-learning has changed. Much of this change is due to COVID-19, and there’s no going back to the way we were before, however, many organisations may want to do so. “COVID arrived and new technology came to the fore – like Zoom, Meets, Teams and so on. How did you upskill your people on it? Were they ready for it? Are you teaching people to get the best out of things like LinkedIn?” says Michael Gullan, CEO of corporate e-learning consultancy G&G Advocacy. “Executives may not be as equipped to deal with online networking now that physical networking events aren’t as common anymore. Can your C-Suite execs use these tools? Can your sales team?” Companies can no longer afford to see their e-learning as a grudge purchase or an afterthought, says Gullan. “Tha...
SA, Nigeria & Kenya: Top E-Commerce Drivers in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sourced from Legit.ng /* custom css */ .tdi_4_e6c.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_4_e6c.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; } A recent Visa report has shown that the top market contributors to e-commerce in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) over the last 3 years were South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya, with Ghana also showing growth, having replaced Kenya in the top three contributors in 2020. SSA may be one of the smallest regions of e-commerce globally, but it shows steady growth potential. During lockdown, the region saw new e-commerce users rise by 5% when compared to the active base in SSA the previous year. “The three leading markets in SSA are starting to mature, providing the region with an established foundation and when twinned with the growing penetration of e-commerce, it offers p...
