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Articles by Adin Walls
Here are the 21 African startups that will jet off to the 2019 Seedstars Summit
Twenty-one African startups are getting ready to jet off to Switzerland to attend the annual Seedstars World summit — the culmination of one of the largest emerging markets startup competitions of its kind. Last year Ghanaian startup AgroCenta was crowned 2018 Seedstars Global Winner at an awards ceremony in Lausanne, Switzerland and walked away with $500 000 in equity investment (see this story).
Nedbank claims digital first with launch of API marketplace for fintechs
Nedbank has launched the Nedbank API_Marketplace, an application programming interface (API) platform which the bank says will allow approved technical partners to create innovative solutions for clients. In a statement last Thursday (28 March), the bank claimed its R2-billion investment in technology, has led to the bank becoming the first in Africa to launch an API platform aligned with Open Banking standards.
Jozi-based closed-loop payments startup Allxs out to raise R10m funding round
Allxs, a Joburg-based startup that has developed a closed-loop cashless payments platform, is looking to raise a R10-million funding round, its founder Raphael Domalik has revealed. Allxs specialises in near-field communication (NFC) enabled cashless payments, access control, ticketing solutions, mobile apps and consumer engagement tools. Domalik founded the startup in 2016.
South Africa's hottest tech deals and sales of the week
Shopping for technology is an even bigger nightmare than clothes. But unlike clothing, finding the correct stick of RAM isn’t a question of it being too big or small, but just too damn expensive. In a weekly series, Gearburn trawls the South African online shopping space to find the best deals, from DDR4 for your rig to cans for your ears. Be sure to bookmark this page and check back in throughout the week, as we update this article regularly with new deals as they’re made available.
Honor 10 Lite vs Honor 8X: which would you get, South Africa?
Honor on Wednesday unveiled its new device to South African audiences in the form of the Honor 10 Lite. Given its numerical “flagship” name, one would think that it now tops the brand’s hierarchy in the country. But that’s not true. Unlike the Honor 10, the Honor 10 Lite is decidedly mid-range. While the same can be said for the Honor 8X — a device that launched in South Africa in November — it actually features markedly better numbers.
Microsoft reveals three new ID@XBbox Game Pass titles
This week Microsoft revealed three new original ID@XBox Game Pass titles set to launch later in the year. “Xbox Game Pass is not only a great way for gamers to find new and unique games, but the service is also an incredible vehicle for independent developers to reach new audiences,” the company said on its blog. Microsoft launched ID@Xbox to give developers a platform where they could self-publish independent games. The three new titles include Killer Queen Black, Outer Wilds and Blazing Chrome.
Forget folding phones, Samsung now makes fire extinguishers disguised as flower pots
We’re nearing April Fools Day, so prepare yourself for a boatload of farfetched “news”. We did a double take when we saw Samsung’s Firevase, a flower vase that doubles as a fire-retardant hand-propelled missile. But according to Dezeen, it’s a genuine product. The Firevase is as ridiculous as it is smart. It’s a glass bottle consisting of two distinct chambers: one for your flower’s water, and an outer chamber housing fire-suppressant.
South Africa's hottest tech deals and sales of the week
Shopping for technology is an even bigger nightmare than clothes. But unlike clothing, finding the correct stick of RAM isn’t a question of it being too big or small, but just too damn expensive. In a weekly series, Gearburn trawls the South African online shopping space to find the best deals, from DDR4 for your rig to cans for your ears. Be sure to bookmark this page and check back in throughout the week, as we update this article regularly with new deals as they’re made available.
Canon Zoemini S, Zoemini C instant camera printer hybrids are heading to South Africa
Canon on Thursday announced its Zoemini S and Zoemini C in South Africa. The two pocket devices are the company’s latest editions to its instant camera-printer range. They follow the company’s first Zoemini launch in South Africa back in September 2018. This unit, however, was simply an instant printer without a camera. “Canon Zoemini S and Canon Zoemini C users can shoot and print mini photos in a matter of moments,” the company said in a press release.
PlayStation Store will give users refunds if they wish to cancel purchases
A new cancellation policy on Sony’s PlayStation Store will give customers the right to refunds if they wish to return certain purchases. The refunds however, depend on whether or not users have started to download or use the products they buy. In terms of pre-orders, Sony revealed that it will give a full refund to customers if the game has not been released yet, or within 14 days from the purchase, provided that they have not downloaded the content.
Like guns? You'll love the reveal trailer for Borderlands 3
Gearbox Software dropped an official reveal trailer for Borderlands 3 on Thursday, giving players their first taste of the upcoming game. The sequel comes seven years after Borderlands 2, which was released back in 2012. The somewhat old school style trailer shows of familiar Borderlands landscapes and characters, while also introducing some interesting new content. “Guns with legs? We got you, boo,” the trailer teases before a walking gun shoots by.
Nokia X71 launches with company's first punch-hole selfie camera
Nokia’s first smartphone with a punch-hole selfie camera is now official. Dubbed the Nokia X71, the glass sandwich made its debut in Taiwan on Tuesday, bringing with its a solid spec sheet. It’s a mid-range device, and the Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 chipset is proof of this. But Nokia’s also threw in 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage for good measure. All this is hidden behind a 6.4 inch 2316×1080 LCD display with a 16MP f/2.0 snapper embedded into a hole in its top right corner.
MTN's R249 smart feature phone is now available in South Africa
It took a few months, but MTN on Monday finally announced that its KaiOS smart feature phone, the MTN Smart S, is now available in South Africa. The device won’t run Android or any variant, instead it’s powered by KaiOS, an OS that has its own bespoke app store for low-cost devices. The carrier notes that the Smart S will support WhatsApp, Facebook, YouTube and Google Assistant.
Google announces a slew of new features
Google is this week celebrating Gmail’s 15th birthday by announcing a selection of new features heading to the email platform. “Gmail has evolved a lot over the past 15 years. Before we blow out our birthday candles, here’s a rundown of new features coming your way,” the company said on its blog. First, Gmail is expanding its Smart Compose feature to include Portuguese, Spanish, French and Italian.
Even after its death, Cassini's still shedding light on Saturn's ring moons
NASA’s late Cassini spacecraft may have ended its mission in a death-dive into Saturn’s atmosphere, but the craft’s data is still keeping scientists scientists occupied. On Thursday, the craft’s operator NASA JPL revealed what Cassini discovered about the planet’s extraordinary ring system, and five moons within it.
From the daring to the daft: 2019's April Fools jokes rated
Lies. Dishonesty. Deceit. April Fools Day is one of the most vile 24 hours on the calendar for those innocents browsing the web looking for the latest, honest, news. Sure, if you’re a bright enough spark, you’ll be able to tell the fact from the fiction. But sometimes, even we have a problem telling the difference. With that said, here are our favourite, and not so favourite April Fools Day jokes rated based on effort and ingenuity.
Spotify's Premium Duo option pays for two users under one subscription
Spotify on Thursday launched a premium tier-for-two option called Spotify Duo, which will give two users their own Premium accounts under a single subscription. “With two separate accounts you can both enjoy your own music without having to take turns,” the company said on its website. Premium Duo also features Duo Mix, a playlist catered to the music taste of both account holders.
Late rapper Nipsey Hussle trends on Twitter as celebs pay homage
On Sunday, American rapper Nipsey Hussle was killed outside his Los Angeles clothing store Marathon Clothing. According to reports, the 33-year-old was shot multiple times and died on scene. The Grammy-nominated musician was a well respected member of his community, and admired by many celebrities for his work. “Nipsey you a legend. I respect and admire your career path and what you did for the neighborhood,” fellow rapper J. Cole said in a tweet. Nipsey you a legend.
Facebook is 'exploring' ways to regulate live videos
Facebook on Monday announced its intention to regulate live videos posted across its platforms. This comes after a terrorist attack in Christchurch, New Zealand in March was streamed live via Facebook. “In the wake of the terrorist attack, we are taking three steps: strengthening the rules for using Facebook Live, taking further steps to address hate on our platforms, and supporting the New Zealand community,” the company said in a blog post.
Facebook will now explain why you see certain posts in your News Feed
Facebook on Monday revealed a new feature that is set to reveal to users why they see certain post in News Feed. “We’re introducing “Why am I seeing this post?” to help you better understand and more easily control what you see from friends, Pages and Groups in your News Feed,” the company explained on its blog. The feature can be accessed via the menu option on posts you see in News Feed and accessing the “Why am I seeing this post?” tab.
Google Maps celebrates April Fools Day with a Snake game
In honour of April Fools Day on Monday, Google added a new Snake-inspired game to Google Maps. “To start playing, simply open the Google Maps app, tap on the menu icon on the top left corner, then select “Play Snake” to get your daily dose of 90s nostalgia,” the company said on its blog. Players can choose from a number of locations around the world and then navigate through a map as a snake-like bus or train.
WhatsApp could finally be getting a long-awaited 'dark mode'
With only two weeks to go before the final season of Game of Thrones premieres, HBO has released two promo videos titled “Together” and… Google is this week celebrating Gmail’s 15th birthday by announcing a selection of new features heading to the email platform. “Gmail has evolved a… WhatsApp enthusiast blog WABetaInfo reports that the Facebook-owned chat app could soon receive a dark UI on Android.
New Game of Thrones promos hype up fans as premier approaches
With only two weeks to go before the final season of Game of Thrones premieres, HBO has released two promo videos titled “Together” and… Google is this week celebrating Gmail’s 15th birthday by announcing a selection of new features heading to the email platform. “Gmail has evolved a… WhatsApp enthusiast blog WABetaInfo reports that the Facebook-owned chat app could soon receive a dark UI on Android.
The Adin Walls Daily
The Adin Walls Daily, by Adin Walls: updated automatically with a curated selection of articles, blog posts, videos and photos. Please enable Javascript to correctly display the content on Paper.li
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