Online Accounts Nightmare | Apple ‘Like The Godfather’ | Elon Musk xAI Open-Source Grok | Social Care Unregulated AI Warning | Hidden iPhone AI Features

We each have an average of 100 online accounts. Here’s how to make sure they aren’t a nightmare for your family if you die – CNN Tech

When Rebecca Bistany’s 40-year-old husband Paul died suddenly of a heart attack in November 2022, she didn’t know what kind of assets he left behind for her and their infant daughter.

Compounding her heartache, Paul didn’t leave a will. Bistany wanted to access key business and financial accounts by resetting passwords but found herself in a spot many who lose loved ones encounter: She couldn’t get into his phone, leaving her locked out of everything from personal photos to critical estate information.

Her story is tragic and increasingly common. With password management company NordPass saying each person has an average of 100 online accounts, the deaths of loved ones have become ever more complicated. Read more: 

Apple ‘like The Godfather’ with new App Store rules – BBC Tech

This week Apple made the long-awaited landmark move to allow other companies to launch app stores on iPhones.

The tech giant was forced to act by EU politicians concerned about it having a market monopoly.

The decision is being watched closely around the world and was initially celebrated as an industry victory for businesses and consumers in the EU.

But Apple’s strict new rules and fees are being heavily criticised, with Spotify calling them “extortion”.

It is one of many companies, including Fortnite maker Epic Games, that has been pushing Apple to allow alternative app stores on iPhones. Read more: 

Elon Musk says xAI will open-source Grok this week launch – TechCrunch

Elon Musk’s AI startup xAI will open-source Grok, its chatbot rivaling ChatGPT, this week, the entrepreneur said, days after suing OpenAI and complaining that the Microsoft-backed startup had deviated from its open-source roots.

xAI released Grok last year, arming it with features including access to “real-time” information and views that countered “politically correct” approach. The service is available to customers paying for X’s $16 monthly subscription.

Musk helped co-found OpenAI with Sam Altman nearly a decade ago as a counterweight to Google’s dominance in artificial intelligence. But OpenAI, which was required to also make its technology “freely available” to the public, has become closed-source and shifted focus to maximizing profits for Microsoft, Musk alleged in the lawsuit filed late last month. (Read OpenAI’s response here.) Read more: 

Warning over use in UK of unregulated AI chatbots to create social care plans – The Guardian

University of Oxford study shows benefits and risks of technology to healthcare, but ethical issues remain

Britain’s hard-pressed carers need all the help they can get. But that should not include using unregulated AI bots, according to researchers who say the AI revolution in social care needs a hard ethical edge.

A pilot study by academics at the University of Oxford found some care providers had been using generative AI chatbots such as ChatGPT and Bard to create care plans for people receiving care.

That presents a potential risk to patient confidentiality, according to Dr Caroline Green, an early career research fellow at the Institute for Ethics in AI at Oxford, who surveyed care organisations for the study.

“If you put any type of personal data into [a generative AI chatbot], that data is used to train the language model,” Green said. “That personal data could be generated and revealed to somebody else.”.  Read more: 

Hidden AI Features Available on Your iPhone Right Now – CNET

Apple doesn’t have a ChatGPT rival of its own. But AI tools have played a behind-the-scenes role in iPhones for years.

Apple has been notably absent from the public conversation around generative AI until recently. But AI is already very present on the iPhone, driving core features in popular apps such as the Camera, Photos and Siri among others.

At the same time, Apple CEO Tim Cook has been more vocal about the technology — suggesting that Apple’s public AI push may finally be here. More than a year after ChatGPT took the global spotlight and catalyzed a tech arms race, CEO Tim Cook confirmed on an earnings call in February that Apple is investing in generative AI. Without offering specifics, he said there’s “a huge opportunity for Apple with gen AI and AI.” Read more: 

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Image Credits: CNET

Apple Foldable Iphone | Keep Your Art Out Of AI Generators | Battery-Powered Doorbell With 3D Motion | Fitbit AI Fitness | Microsoft 2M Indians AI Training

Apple eyes a foldable iPhone following Vision Pro launch – TechCrunch

The market is still a relatively small one dominated by Samsung. A folding iPhone could change that.

Last week’s Vision Pro release shed some fascinating light on Apple’s generally top secret development process. A Vanity Fair interview with Tim Cook detailed — in part — what a long and heavy lift it took to get the company’s first headset off the ground. The Apple CEO gave an early iteration of the device the less than flattering nickname, “the monster.”

Rumored foldable versions of the iPhone have also reportedly had their share of setbacks. Issues around durability and the ever-present crease are said to have caused the company to put the foldable iPhone’s development on ice, as the company shifted focused on a folding iPad. A new report from The Information, however, suggests that — after delays — Apple may be back in the foldable iPhone business.

Read more:

How to keep your art out of AI generators – The Verge

Some AI companies provide ways to opt images out of being used in training data, while tools like Glaze and Nightshade can interfere with AI models directly.

AI-generated imagery feels inescapable. It’s in the video games you play, in the movies you watch, and has flooded social media platforms. It’s even been used to promote the physical hardware that real, human artists use to create digital paintings and illustrations, to the immense frustration of those who already feel displaced by the technology.

The pervasive nature of it seems especially egregious to creators who are fighting to stop their works from being used, without consent or compensation, to improve the very thing that threatens to disrupt their careers and livelihoods. The data pools that go into training generative AI models often contain images that are indiscriminately scraped from the internet, and some AI image generator tools allow users to upload reference images they want to imitate. Many creative professionals need to advertise their work via social media and online portfolios, so simply taking everything offline isn’t a viable solution. And a lack of legal clarity around AI technology has created something of a Wild-West environment that’s difficult to resist. Difficult, but not impossible.

Read more:

Ring announces a new battery-powered doorbell with 3D motion detection and improved visuals – Engadget

There’s also color night vision and noise-cancelling tech.

Ring has announced a refresh of its popular Battery Doorbell Plus outdoor camera. The Battery Doorbell Pro is an upgrade in nearly every way, as is usually the case when companies slap “Pro” at the end of a name.

Ring says this new model is its “most advanced battery powered doorbell” ever and that it’s packed with features that exceed even its wired doorbells. It boasts radar-powered 3D motion detection, which was also included with the company’s Stick Up Cam Pro. Otherwise called “Bird’s Eye View”, this technology tracks an object’s path through the camera’s field of view so you can monitor where visitors are going and the route they took to get there.

This is paired with an algorithm that sets more nuanced and discrete motion alerts, so you won’t get pinged every time a cat or shadow crosses your yard. You also get something called “Bird’s Eye View” that translates this information into a series of dots on an aerial image of your property.

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How Fitbit Wants AI to Help You Reach Your Fitness Goals – CNET

Google-owned Fitbit thinks there’s big potential for AI to help people set more realistic health aspirations.

Anyone who exercises regularly —  or at least tries to — knows that every day is different. After an exhausting work trip, for example, you probably aren’t as ready for a workout as you would be after getting plenty of sleep over the weekend. Or perhaps you had a particularly intense day at the gym on Monday and still aren’t fully recovered by Wednesday.

Google’s Fitbit is hoping AI can help with scenarios like these as it explores bringing the buzzy technology to its fitness app. Fitbit co-founder James Park, who is leaving the company due to a reorganization of Google’s hardware division, introduced this idea October by announcing Fitbit Labs. The upcoming program will use AI to provide deeper health insights, such as answering questions about why your run may have been harder today than it was yesterday. But Ajay Surie, group product manager at Google, shared additional details about how generative AI will influence the Fitbit app more broadly.

Read more:

Microsoft plans to train 2M Indians in AI, says Nadella – TechCrunch

Microsoft’s prescient bets and aggressive investments in AI have propelled the software giant to become the world’s most valuable company. Yet Satya Nadella, its typically reserved chief executive, couldn’t resist landing a gloved jab at the rest of the industry.

“We have the best model today … even with all the hoopla, one year after, GPT4 is better,” Nadella said at a company event in Mumbai on Wednesday. “We are waiting for the competition to arrive. It will arrive, I’m sure, but the fact [is] that we have the … leading LLM out there.”

Nadella’s rare bit of reality-check came as he pitched Microsoft’s increasingly powerful lineup of AI offerings to the leaders of some of India’s largest companies. In a 35-minute keynote address, Nadella implored businesses to begin exploring ways to deploy AI to boost productivity and refine their products, while urging them not to fall behind.

Read more:

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Image Credits: Microsoft

Five AI Features Of Samsung’s Galaxy S24 | Bill Gates’ Take On AI Impact In Future | Amazon’s Generative AI Tool | Supernal’s Flying Car | Gamers At Risk Of Hearing Loss

Five AI features that make Samsung’s Galaxy S24 phones worth the upgrade – ZDNET

Samsung Unpacked revealed there would be some very exciting AI features coming to the Galaxy S24 that might convince you it’s time to make the switch.

AI has arrived, in full force, on phones for the biggest players on the market, and, with the Galaxy S24, Samsung is coming to prove it can stand toe-to-toe with Google and Apple. The new Galaxy phones are available for preorders starting today, in sync with the company’s Unpacked event.

This year, we’re seeing some serious upgrades (a new Qualcomm chip, a brighter screen, and an even further refined design). But as far as the new capabilities for the phones, AI takes the spotlight, thanks to Galaxy AI. Read more:

Bill Gates explains how AI will change our lives in 5 years – CNN

It’s no secret that Bill Gates is bullish on artificial intelligence, but he’s now predicting that the technology will be transformative for everyone within the next five years.

The rise of AI has elicited fear that the technology will eliminate millions of jobs around the world. The International Monetary Fund this week reported that about 40% of jobs around the world could be affected by the rise of AI.

Gates doesn’t necessarily disagree with that notion, but he believes history shows with every new technology comes fear and then new opportunity.

“As we had [with] agricultural productivity in 1900, people were like ‘Hey, what are people going to do?’ In fact, a lot of new things, a lot of new job categories were created and we’re way better off than when everybody was doing farm work,” Gates said. “This will be like that.”. Read more: 

Amazon launches generative AI tool to answer shoppers’ questions – CNBC

Amazon is rolling out an artificial intelligence tool that can answer shoppers’ questions about a product, a spokesperson confirmed, as the company continues to experiment with generative AI.

The new feature in Amazon’s mobile app prompts users to ask questions about a specific item. It then returns an answer within a few seconds, primarily by summarizing information collected from product reviews and the listing itself.

“We’re constantly inventing to help make customers’ lives better and easier, and are currently testing a new feature powered by generative AI to improve shopping on Amazon by helping customers get answers to commonly asked product questions,” Maria Boschetti, an Amazon spokesperson, said in an email.

The feature could keep shoppers from scrolling through pages of reviews or reading through a listing to find information about a product. Read more: 

Supernal’s 120-MPH Flying Car Is as Quiet as a Dishwasher and Designed Using Bees – WIRED

Hyundai Motor Group’s air mobility offshoot has finally unveiled the S-A2, its passenger eVOTL aircraft. It’s not the only electric whirligig trying to soar at CES 2024.

While this CES has been a more subdued affair in the on-road electric vehicle space—with Ford, General Motors, Toyota, and Stellantis all not exhibiting at the show—2024 seems to be a year of companies once again trying their darnedest to make flying cars happen.

Electric vertical takeoff and landing craft, or eVTOLs, for superfast urban mobility seem to be perennially just a few years or so away, but Hyundai’s air mobility division, Supernal, is seemingly making a concerted play to make this mode of transport a reality.

Supernal’s final product concept of its eVTOL, the S-A2, is an all-electric, pilot-plus-four-passenger vehicle designed to supposedly offer safe, efficient, and, yes, affordable everyday passenger air travel. Read more: 

Gamers at risk of irreversible hearing loss and tinnitus, study suggests – BBC

People who play video games are at risk of damaging their hearing due to potentially unsafe sound levels, a study has found. The new review suggests that gamers play for long periods of time with the volume turned up, beyond safe limits. It says this could contribute to irreversible hearing loss or tinnitus, a constant ringing in the ears.

The paper, published in BMJ Public Health, reviewed 14 studies which in total involved more than 50,000 people.

The researchers urge more public health efforts to raise awareness of the issues for gamers, in the same way that has been done for live music and headphones. Of course, gamers could turn down the volume while playing to minimise the risk, but the study suggests that part of the problem is the length of time people spend being exposed to high volumes. Read More: 

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Image Credit: Alex Welsh, WIRED

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Make Money In 2024 GPT Store | Amazon Matter Casting To Smart TV | Peloton And Tiktok Fitness | Apple Vision Pro Demos | ASUS Zenbook No Compromises Laptop

How To Make Money In 2024 Using ChatGPT’s GPT Store – Forbes

In an unprecedented move marking the entrance of 2024, ChatGPT’s creator OpenAI has announced it will launch its own GPT store—the first of its kind—the week starting January 7. The launch was initially planned for late 2023 as per their announcement on OpenAI DevDay, but was delayed.

Why should this concern you? – Gen Z and Millennial professionals, in particular, have set their sights on establishing career stability and financial freedom, particularly for this new year. The threats posed by the cost of living crisis and job insecurity, and the desire to advance their careers and establish relevant thought leadership, has led the younger workforce to seek out side hustles. Additionally, AI, and particularly generative AI, is a critical skill for young professionals who desire to stand out in a competitive job market. In fact, the number of LinkedIn job postings citing generative AI or ChatGPT as a desired skill has sharply increased over 2023. Read more:

Amazon adds Matter Casting to its smart displays and TVs – TechCrunch

Amazon might never formally endorse AirPlay or Google’s media-casting tech. But the company will be the first to support Matter Casting, the video- and audio-beaming feature of the Matter smart home standard, on its smart displays and smart TVs, Amazon announced this morning at CES 2024.

Once Matter Casting comes to Amazon’s Prime Video app for Android and iOS, users will be able to cast content to supported Amazon devices — starting with the Echo Show 15 — by tapping the new dedicated Matter Casting button. Beyond the Echo Show 15, Amazon says that Matter Casting support will arrive on Fire TVs, including smart TVs from Panasonic with Fire TV built in, and — on the app side — Plex, Pluto TV, Sling TV, Starz and ZDF later this year. Read more: 

Peloton and TikTok join forces to create fitness content – CNN

Peloton is partnering with TikTok to create short-form workout classes and other content as the struggling digital fitness and equipment company attempts to rebrand.

As part of the partnership, TikTok will roll out a #TikTokFitness hub featuring a dedicated Peloton section with custom content created for the platform, the companies announced Thursday. Users will be able to watch a range of Peloton-powered content including live classes, shorter fitness clips, celebrity collaborations and videos from instructors.

“We collectively recognize the way people engage with fitness is constantly changing,” said Oli Snoddy, Peloton’s Vice President of Consumer Marketing, in the release. He said TikTok wants to expand its content “to new audiences, and in completely new ways.” Read more:

Apple is going to offer Vision Pro demos at its retail stores – The Verge

Apple’s Vision Pro will officially launch in the US on February 2nd, and starting that same day, you’ll be able sign up to try the headset out for yourself at the company’s retail stores, Apple said in an email today.

“Starting at 8:00 a.m. on Friday, February 2, we invite you to sign up for a demo of Apple Vision Pro at your local Apple Store,” Apple said in the email. “Demo times will be available Friday through the weekend on a first-come, first-served basis. We can’t wait to see you there.” Read more: 

The ASUS Zenbook Duo is a stunning dual-screen laptop with seemingly no compromises – Engadget

Between the Zenbook 17 Fold, Project Precog and previous Zenbook Duo machines, it feels like ASUS has been working towards building a true dual-screen laptop for ages. And now at CES 2024, that time has come with the arrival of the simply named Zenbook Duo.

Similar to Lenovo’s Yoga Book 9i, the Zenbook Duo features two separate screens and a detachable Bluetooth keyboard that can be stashed inside the system for traveling. The difference is that ASUS’ OLED panels look even better, as they are slightly larger at 14 inches, while also offering a 3K resolution, 120Hz refresh rate and stylus support. Plus, with a starting price of $1,500, it costs $500 less than the Yoga Book and not that much more than your average high-end ultraportable. Read More: 

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Image Credit: The Verge

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Protect Yourself From Iphone Thieves | Google’s AI Chatbot Bard To Gemini | Meta AI-Powered Image Generator | Under-The-Skin Implant To Treat Type 1 Diabetes | Apple Joins AI Fray

How to protect yourself from iPhone thieves locking you out of your own device – CNN

A complex but concerning method of gaining control over a user’s iPhone and permanently locking them out the device appears to be on the rise.

Some iPhone thieves are exploiting a security setting, called the recovery key, that makes it nearly impossible for owners to access their photos, messages, data and more, according to a recent Wall Street Journal report. Some victims also told the publication their bank accounts were drained after the thieves gained access to their financial apps.

It’s important to note, however, this type of takeover is hard to pull off. It requires a criminal essentially watching an iPhone user enter the device’s passcode – for example, by looking over their shoulder at a bar or sporting event – or manipulating the device’s owner so they’ll share their passcode. And that’s all before they physically steal the device.

From there, a thief could use the passcode to change the device’s Apple ID, turn off “Find my iPhone” so their location can’t be tracked, and then reset the recovery key, a complex 28-digit code intended to protect its owners from online hackers. Read more: 

Google’s AI chatbot Bard gets a big upgrade with Gemini, Google’s next-gen AI model – TechCrunch

Google Bard, the company’s generative AI chatbot and ChatGPT rival, is getting an update today that the company claims will significantly enhance its capabilities. The company says Bard will now be powered by Gemini, Google’s newest and most advanced AI model, giving the chatbot more advanced reasoning, planning, understanding and other capabilities.

Gemini comes in three sizes, Ultra, Pro and Nano, allowing it to run on anything ranging from mobile devices to data centers.

The rollout of Gemini to Bard will take place over two phases. Initially, Bard will be upgraded with a specifically tuned version of Gemini Pro. Next year, Google will introduce Bard Advanced, which will give users access to the best AI model, starting with Gemini Ultra.

The version of Bard with Gemini Pro will first become available in English in more than 170 countries and territories worldwide, with more languages and countries, including the EU and U.K., soon. Read more: 

Meta launches a standalone AI-powered image generator – TechCrunch

Not to be outdone by Google’s Gemini launch, Meta’s rolling out a new, standalone generative AI experience on the web, Imagine with Meta, that allows users to create images by describing them in natural language.

Similar to OpenAI’s DALL-E, Midjourney and Stable Diffusion, Imagine with Meta, which is powered by Meta’s existing Emu image generation model, creates high-resolution images from text prompts. It’s free to use (at least for now) for users in the U.S. and generates four images per prompt.

“We’ve enjoyed hearing from people about how they’re using imagine, Meta AI’s text-to-image generation feature, to make fun and creative content in chats. Today, we’re expanding access to imagine outside of chats,” Meta writes in a blog post published this morning. “While our messaging experience is designed for more playful, back-and-forth interactions, you can now create free images on the web, too.” Read more: 

Researchers develop under-the-skin implant to treat Type 1 diabetes – Engadget

Scientists have developed a new implantable device that has the potential to change the way Type 1 diabetics receive insulin. The thread-like implant, or SHEATH (Subcutaneous Host-Enabled Alginate THread), is installed in a two-step process that ultimately leads to the deployment of “islet devices,” which are derived from the cells that produce insulin in our bodies naturally.

First, the scientists figured out a way to insert nylon catheters under the skin, where they remain for up to six weeks. After insertion, blood vessels form around the catheters which structurally support the islet devices that are placed in the space when the catheter gets removed. The newly implanted 10-centimeter-long islet devices secrete insulin via islet cells that form around it, while also receiving nutrients and oxygen from blood vessels to stay alive. Read more: 

Apple joins AI fray with release of model framework – The Verge

Apple, which many had considered very conservative in its approach to AI, quietly released frameworks and model libraries designed to run on its chips and maybe bring generative AI apps to MacBooks.

The company’s machine learning research team released MLX, a machine learning framework where developers can build models that run efficiently on Apple Silicon and deep learning model library MLX Data. Both are accessible through open-source repositories like GitHub and PyPI. Read More: 

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Image Credit: Image by jcomp on Freepik

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Sobertech Addiction Recovery | Insurtech Startup Inclusivity Solutions | Biotech Startup Cancer Genome Project | Healthcare Startup Funding | Hurupay Tackles Currency Fluctuations

SoberTech Leverages Tech to Transform Addiction Recovery Across Africa – TechinAfrica

SoberTech, founded by engineer Dinah Lugard, is expanding its innovative addiction recovery outreach program from Nigeria and Ghana to South Africa. Through technology, it aims to make recovery accessible, engaging, and stigma-free. “SoberTech’s vision is digital rehabilitation across the globe. We want to create a lasting impact and a world where people struggling with addiction have judgement-free support and captivating resources for sobriety,” said Lugard.

Beyond raising awareness, SoberTech offers tailored support and essential resources to those in need. At its core is increasing awareness, particularly among youth, about substance abuse dangers while providing tangible assistance. It equips rehab centers with cutting-edge devices, making recovery more effective and engaging, and awards scholarships to students in rehab. Lugard pioneered the SoberTech app, offering non-judgemental support to reduce the stigma often associated with addiction recovery. Read more here: 

South African Insurtech Startup Inclusivity Solutions Raises USD 1.5 Million in New Funding Round – Africanheroes

Impact investor Goodwell Investments has successfully concluded an extension round with Inclusivity Solutions, an award-winning insurtech company specializing in embedded insurance solutions. Goodwell, renowned for funding African enterprises providing essential services to low-income populations, initially led Inclusivity Solutions’ Series A funding round in 2019. This latest extension round, which raised a total of USD 1.5 million, underscores Goodwell’s confidence in Inclusivity Solutions’ ability to revolutionize insurance access in emerging markets.

The investment will bolster Inclusivity Solutions’ expansion efforts, which include plans to operate in a minimum of 12 African markets by the end of 2024. Additionally, the company will continue to invest in its highly acclaimed no-code, open-API platform, facilitating the rapid deployment of a wide range of insurance products for distribution partners and insurers within hours. Read more here: 

Nigerian Biotech Startup, Syndicate Bio Collaborates With NICRAT to Launch Cancer Genome Project – Techtrends

The National Institute for Cancer Research and Treatment (NICRAT) and Nigerian biotech startup Syndicate Bio have announced a strategic partnership to launch the Cancer Genome Nigeria project. The study’s goal is to close the gap in cancer disparities by examining the most common cancers among more than 300 ethnolinguistic groups and Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.

Along with Drs. Jumi Popoola and Estelle Dogbo, Syndicate Bio was founded in September by Dr. Abasi Ene-Obong, the former founder and CEO of the now-defunct Nigerian genomics startup 54gene. Through partnerships with governments, pharmaceutical companies, academia, and other important industry stakeholders, Syndicate Bio is deepening the impact of precision medicine locally while producing priceless datasets that improve global health outcomes and speed up drug discovery and development.

The strategic cooperation between the firm and NICRAT would involve a concerted effort to address cancer detection and treatment for Nigerian patients. Through this project, patients in Nigeria would have greater access to targeted therapies by increasing the availability and accessibility of next-generation sequencing (NGS) based cancer testing in the nation. Read more here: 

Healthcare startup raises $3.6 million to expand to other countries including Nigeria – Nairametrics

According to a post on X (formerly Twitter) by Techpoint Africa, Egyptian Healthcare startup, Almouneer, has raised $3.6 million to expand to other countries including Nigeria.  Global Ventures led the seed round with participation from Wrightwood Investments, Proparco and Digital Africa through the Bridge funds and other international funds.

Almouneer aims to transform healthcare for people living with chronic conditions like hypertension and diabetes.  Chronic diseases impact on Subsaharan Africa and Nigeria. The Lancet reports that there is a rising burden of non-communicable diseases in Subsaharan Africa.

Currently, non-communicable diseases also known as NCDs are the leading cause of death in the world killing 41 million annually (70% of deaths).  In Nigeria, nearly 30% of all deaths are due to NCDs. The risk of premature death from NCDs among Nigeria’s 30-69-year-olds is 22%. Among these NCDs, the top four killers are cardiovascular diseases like hypertension, cancers, respiratory diseases and diabetes.  Read more here: 

Ghana’s Hurupay tackles currency fluctuations with stablecoin-based payments platform – Disrupt Africa

Ghanaian startup Hurupay is helping businesses and individuals across Africa overcome the negative impacts of fluctuating local currencies by allowing them to make and receive stablecoin-based payments.

Formed earlier this year, Hurupay is a crypto wallet that enables users to access stablecoins, which are non-volatile cryptocurrencies pegged to the value of the US dollar at a ratio of 1:1. The platform is designed to help SMEs and individuals mitigate the negative impacts of depreciating local currencies against the dollar on their income and growth, by providing a more stable and reliable payment method.

Businesses can accept stablecoin payments from customers simply by scanning QR codes, and pay suppliers with zero fees. Individuals can save money in dollars and stablecoins, send and receive money across borders with very low fees, and pay at shops. The idea for the platform came to co-founder and CEO Philip Mburu, a Kenyan, when he relocated to Ghana in September 2021. Read more here: 

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Image Credit: Image by rawpixel.com on Freepik

Miskay App, Connecting Fashion Enthusiasts | Edtech Crafty Workshop Raises Fund | Insuretech Curacel Partners ALAT | Digital Skills For 500,000 Pupils | App To Transform E-Commerce

Introducing Miskay App: A Revolution in Nigerian Fashion, Connecting Enthusiasts to Global Standards – TechCabal News

In the ever-evolving world of fashion, standing the test of time is no small feat. Yet, Miskay, an 11-year-old fashion brand hailing from the vibrant heart of Nigeria, has not only survived but thrived, steadily becoming a symbol of excellence in the country’s fashion landscape. With a commitment to innovation and accessibility, Miskay has proven that style knows no bounds.

For over a decade, Miskay has consistently delivered fashion-forward pieces that seamlessly blend quality and affordability. This marriage of great quality and an amazing price point has made Miskay a household name among fashion enthusiasts in Nigeria and beyond. Miskay is not just a fashion brand; it’s a fashion movement……

……….The Miskay App, often touted as “Nigeria’s most exquisite lifestyle fashion brand app,” is designed to be a personal stylist, a fashion encyclopedia, and a virtual shopping mall all in one. Its mission is to empower users to explore, express, and embrace their style with ease and grace. Read more here: 

Egyptian edtech Crafty Workshop raises $400,000 Seed fund to develop specialised products – Technext24 News

Egypt-based education technology company Crafty Workshop, has successfully secured $400,000 in a Seed funding round. The round was led by EdVentures, the first edtech-focused corporate venture capital in the Middle East.

Founded in 2019 by Hadeer Shalaby and Amgad Moustafa, Crafty Workshop is a leading e-learning platform that specialises in the creative industries. The startup offers a diverse range of creative courses and workshops. It caters to individuals interested in art, design, illustration, programming, game development, photography, animation, handicraft, and more.

The platform is focused on providing accessible and high-quality education, thus empowering learners to enhance their creative skills and pursue their passions. In addition to its role as an educational platform, Crafty Workshop also serves as a vocational skills training provider, addressing the pressing issue of youth unemployment. By offering vocational training programs, the company equips learners with the necessary knowledge and skills, while also helping them secure job placements and career opportunities. Read more here: 

Nigeria insurtech startup Curacel in “gamechanging” partnership with ALAT – Disrupt Africa

Nigerian embedded insurance startup Curacel has announced what it says is a “game-changing partnership” with ALAT by Wema, Nigeria’s foremost fully digital bank, to offer car, device, and health insurance to ALAT users.

Curacel is a leading embedded insurance company that leverages technology to provide seamless insurance solutions to partners and customers, while ALAT by Wema has long been a trailblazer in the digital banking sphere, offering a wide array of innovative financial services designed to simplify and elevate the banking experience.

The partnership between the two will see Curacel’s cutting-edge embedded insurance solutions seamlessly integrated for use by ALAT users. With the ability to easily purchase Car, Device, and Health Insurance directly through the ALAT app, customers enjoy unparalleled convenience, eliminating the need to seek insurance services elsewhere. Read more here: 

Akingate – Tech – Young Nigerian Pupils

Groups partner to train 500,000 pupils on digital skills – The Guardian.

Lagos-based non-governmental organisation, The Creative Kids Zone (TCKZone) is partnering Team Masters Limited for a 16-month digital skills fellowship project aimed at empowering and transforming the lives of 500,000 young children between seven and 17 years in Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya, by providing them with accessible and affordable digital skills training.

The partnership between two educational platforms seeks to bridge the digital divide and foster a brighter future for underserved communities. The project focuses on equipping young minds in primary and secondary school with the essential skills needed to excel. Through a meticulously crafted curriculum, participants will gain competitive digital skills, enhance their academic performance and develop their leadership abilities.

This comprehensive program strives to harness the potential of technology to uplift communities and prepare the younger generation for the challenges and opportunities of the modern world. Read more here: 

 ICT firm develops app to transform e-commerce – Punch News

Turner Innovations Limited has introduced a software application known as ‘AMORDER’ to transform e-commerce. The Director of the Company, Oyewole Alegbeleye, disclosed this during a chat with journalists on Thursday.

Alegbeleye, a United Kingdom-based Nigerian entrepreneur, further explained that the application is an innovative leap that transcends the ordinary. He said, “The application promises to revolutionise the way buying and selling are done between Nigerian product sellers and restaurants in the UK e-commerce market, with a mission to empower 5000 restaurants and stores to enhance their sales and delivery services within the first 24 months.

“The visionary solution will empower restaurants and stores to connect with customers in unprecedented ways. The new software will encourage young entrepreneurs who want to start selling products online and gain financial freedom and small-scale businesses.” Alegbeleye, therefore, advised new restaurants or whoever wanted to start businesses in those categories to start maximising the innovation that seeks to transform the landscape for restaurant and store owners while reshaping buyer behaviour in the UK and Nigeria markets. Read more here: 

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Image Credit: Punch News and The Guardian

Revio fintech to reduce failed payments | ProLocums Healthcare Staffing Solution | Google Hustle Academy Fund for Small Businesses | LexiGenius AI-Powered Writing App

South African fintech, Revio raises $5.2 million to reduce failed payments for businesses – Techpoint

Less than 10% of payments in Africa occur through digital channels, signifying an immense opportunity for financial institutions on the continent. McKinsey estimates that revenue in the electronic payments sector will grow by 20% each year, reaching $40 billion in 2025. Despite this opportunity and a growing number of players in the space, payments remain a pain for many businesses. However, payment orchestration startups like Revio help to simplify the process by providing businesses with an API for seamless payment collection.

The three-year-old startup has raised a $5.2 million seed round led by QED Investors, and is the firm’s third investment in an African startup following its Moniepoint and Remedial Health investments. Speedinvest, Ralicap, Everywhere VC, and Partech joined the round. QED’s previous investments in Moniepoint and Remedial Health have been growth-stage investments, but after breaking from tradition, Ruaan Botha, Revio’s CEO, hopes it spurs other investors to join the early-stage investing train. Read more here: 

ProLocums Unveils its Revolutionary Healthcare Staffing Solution in Nigeria – Techeconomy

ProLocums, a healthcare staffing platform, has officially launched its revolutionary healthcare staffing solution in Nigeria. With a strong focus on a pressing challenge in the healthcare sector, ProLocums aims to transform how healthcare professionals connect with locum opportunities that match their expertise and availability.

Its mission is to bridge the gap in the healthcare industry by offering a wide range of opportunities for medical doctors, medical officers, dentists, pharmacists, midwives, optometrists, nurses, medical lab scientists, physiotherapists, veterinary doctors, auxiliary nurses, pharmacy technicians, and dental assistants.

The Nigerian healthcare sector has grappled with numerous difficulties, including a shortage of skilled professionals, inadequate coordination, and issues related to salaries and welfare. These challenges have resulted in a significant portion of healthcare practitioners seeking employment opportunities abroad, leaving gaps in the local healthcare workforce.

According to the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), approximately 3,000 to 3,500 doctors graduate from medical colleges annually. Read more here:

Google Launches ₦75 Million Hustle Academy Fund to Boost Nigerian Small Businesses – Tech In Africa

Today, Google has declared the commencement of application processes for the Hustle Academy SMB Fund. This is a specific ₦75 Million fund provided without the necessity for equity return. This move underscores Google’s unwavering commitment to fostering entrepreneurial dreams and bolstering the growth of Small and Medium Businesses (SMBs) within Nigeria.

In Nigeria, small and medium-sized enterprises are fundamental to the economy, yet they consistently encounter significant obstacles, especially in obtaining crucial funding. As stated by the World Bank, African SMBs are facing a notable financing gap, approximated at $330 billion. Additionally, the opportunity to secure bank loans is scarce, with a mere 25% of African SMBs having access, compared to 50% in more developed economic regions.

Launched in 2022, Google’s Hustle Academy is dedicated to offering SMEs education in business and management, mentoring, and networking opportunities. It focuses primarily on equipping them to present their businesses effectively to garner the essential funding for elevating their operations. Since the beginning, over 4,000 SMBs in Nigeria have successfully graduated from the program. Impressively, 74% of the first-year graduates have reported significant business expansion. Read more here: 

Nigerian Develops LexiGenius, an AI-Powered Writing App – Techeconomy

Amidst this digital landscape and the perceived lack of opportunities for local AI advancement in Africa, Olatunbosun Amao, a Nigerian content producer and scriptwriter, has launched LexiGenius, an AI-powered writing app. The writing tool with AI power offers a number of features that have been carefully laid out to aid savvy writers, students, researchers, and professionals. The software, in Amao’s opinion, has the potential to significantly support Nigeria’s digital sector by enhancing content creation, boosting productivity, enhancing education, and fostering innovation.

Amidst this digital landscape and the perceived lack of opportunities for local AI advancement in Africa, Olatunbosun Amao, a Nigerian content producer and scriptwriter, has launched LexiGenius, an AI-powered writing app. The writing tool with AI power offers a number of features that have been carefully laid out to aid savvy writers, students, researchers, and professionals. The software, in Amao’s opinion, has the potential to significantly support Nigeria’s digital sector by enhancing content creation, boosting productivity, enhancing education, and fostering innovation.

According to him, it can position the nation as a competitive player in the global tech arena, attracting investments and fostering economic growth while nurturing a skilled workforce. Amao asserts that LexiGenius combines a variety of essential elements in its AI technology to give subscribers a user-friendly experience. Several user templates, machine learning strategies, adaptive suggestions, a user-friendly interface, and customization choices are some of the essential elements. Read more here: 

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Image Credit: Tech In Africa

TECHGhana’s mPharma downsizes | Itana raises $2 million | 40% fintech security issues | AltSchool launches new schools | DRC-based Itot learning services | Flutterwave Expands to India

TECHGhana’s mPharma downsizes amid economic challenges – Ripples News

Ghanaian healthtech platform mPharma, founded in 2014, has made a significant workforce reductions amid challenging economic conditions in Africa.

The startup, which raised around $90 million in funding, including $30 million in 2022, has announced the layoff of 150 employees due to macroeconomic conditions linked to the devaluation of the Naira.

This step is aimed at ensuring the continued service of over 200,000 patients who rely on mPharma’s Mutti service, the startup’s online pharmacy service.

The economic challenges faced by mPharma are not unique. Several startups across Africa have had to take drastic measures to adapt to the tough economic climate. Read more here: 

Itana raises $2 million pre-seed to build Africa’s first digital free zone – Nairametrics

Nigerian startup, Itana, formerly known as Talent City, has raised $2 million in a pre-seed that will power its dream of building Africa’s first digital free zone.

The pre-seed round was led by global venture capitalists LocalGlobe, Amplo, Pronomos Capital, and Future Africa. The deal brings together a powerhouse of deep industry expertise and technical know-how from partners that have backed model digital societies such as e-Estonia and are building products that scale.

Founded by CEO Luqman Edu, Iyinoluwa Aboyeji, and Coco Liu, Itana plans to enable global tech and service companies to situate their African operations from Nigeria, and also take advantage of globally competitive business policies and incentives. Read more here: 

40% of fintech apps in Nigeria have security issues – Nairametrics

Mobile application security company, Appknox, has said that its analysis of fintech apps in Nigeria shows that 40% of the apps are vulnerable to high and critical impact issues.

The Chief Executive Officer/Co-Founder of Appknox, Harshit Agarwal, disclosed this during a round-table meeting organized by CED Technologies and Appknox with the theme, ‘How to think security first in a super-fast mobile economy – Act or React’.

Of the 40%, he said over 80% lack sufficient code obfuscation, 60% have broken/disabled SSL and certificate pinning, 35% are affected by network security misconfiguration and 25% indicate recording of audio and screen activity. Read more here: 

Nigeria’s AltSchool Africa launches new schools to upskill Africans in creative, business industries –  Disrupt Africa

Nigerian skill-to-market platform AltSchool Africa has expanded its learning faculty to introduce creative economy and business schools, following an impressive 40 per cent completion rate in its first year.

Founded in 2021 by Adewale Yusuf and Sultan Akintade, who are also co-founders of another Nigerian ed-tech company TalentQL, AltSchool aims to equip Africans with in-demand tech and employability skills to help them launch their careers.

Taking a non-conventional approach to learning, the tech-enabled platform has traditionally offered courses directly related to in-code and no-code. Strengthening its push in the ed-tech sector, the startup has added content creation, sales, and music business – using Afrobeats as a case study – to its existing nine courses, with applications now open for the first cohort of these new streams.

The startup, which raised a US$1 million pre-seed round in February 2022, has in the last two years facilitated nearly three million hours of training for tech roles, including software engineering, data science, and product design. The new programmes are focused on non-traditional careers beyond the technology field, and are designed to provide a comprehensive and experiential upskilling platform for aspiring learners looking to forge careers in other growing sectors.  Read more here: 

How DRC-based Itot Africa is providing online learning services to upskill African youth – Disrupt Africa

DRC-based startup Itot Africa is providing customised digital content, coding, programming, training and e-learning to businesses, SMEs and entrepreneurs in Africa and the United States.

Itot Africa, an ed-tech startup based in Lubumbashi and launched in 2017, recently received EUR54,000 (US$59,000) in matching funds from the Catalytic Africa initiative, supporting an investment made into the startup by DRC Impact Angels.

The startup’s flagship product Okademy is an online learning, on-demand training and career tracking platform. Meanwhile, with its network of affiliated and trained students, Itot Africa also supports the digitisation process of its clients by creating technology solutions.

“We cater to three primary categories of individuals – those seeking knowledge to fill a personal gap or follow technological trends, those aiming to meet recruitment requirements or find employment, and professionals looking to reinforce their skills,” co-founder Samy Mwamba told Disrupt Africa.

“Our comprehensive services extend beyond training to include recruitment and software development, supporting businesses in their digital transformation journey. We engage our alumni to provide apt solutions based on specific corporate demands. Additionally, companies seeking human resources turn to us for recruitment and placement services, benefiting from our robust database of skilled professionals.” Read more here: 

Africa Payment Giant, Flutterwave, Expands to India – Techeconomy

According to reports, African payments startup Flutterwave has partnered with IndusInd Bank to enter the Indian market. Olugbenga Agboola, Flutterwave Co-Founder and CEO asserts that this move makes Flutterwave the first African company to scale up remittances from India to Africa, easing the process for users.

Agboola, who is currently in India after receiving an invitation from Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to attend the Nigeria-India Business Roundtable that took place on the fringes of the G-20 Summit, stated that Flutterwave will seek out more partners to expand its footprint in India.

A more intensive and clearly defined regulatory partnership between the two nations, he continued, may assist in advancing and encouraging information exchange and technology transfer as well as improving the Nigeria-India remittance corridor. Read more here: 

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Image Credit: Ripples Nigeria

Kenya Startup Ed Fund Private Schools | South Africa Launches Electric Taxi | Ghanaian Agri-Tech Oyster Funded | Google AI And Data Analytics Training Program | Technigerian Dating App | Tramatch, Business Solutions Startup Traction Expansion

Kenya’s Ed Partners secures $1.5m debt funding to fund affordable private schools – Disrupt Africa

Kenyan startup Ed Partners has secured US$1.5 million in debt funding from social impact investor Oikocredit to provide affordable financing to private schools.

Founded in 2018 by Lydia Koros and David FitzHerbert, and currently led by CEO Amos Mwangi, Ed Partners provides financing options for crucial elements of the education system, including infrastructure, technology, and transport. Its impact has already reached over 100,000 students across 350 schools.

The startup, which raised a US$1.9 million funding round in June 2021, provides infrastructural loans to educational institutions to support the construction of new classrooms, washrooms, laboratories and dormitories, as well as the acquisition of computers, buses, vans, and internet connectivity.

Ed Partners has now secured a further US$1.5 million capital in the form of a loan fromOikocredit, a social impact investor and worldwide cooperative that aims to enable people with low incomes in Africa, Asia, and Latin America to improve their living standards sustainably. The funds will be utilised to offer more affordable loans to Kenyan private schools. Read more here: 

Electricity Crisis, South Africa Launches Electric Taxi – Tech In Africa

Despite facing a significant load-shedding crisis, South Africa continues progressing towards green energy solutions. A team from Stellenbosch University (SU), a government-owned institution, is examining the viability of introducing the nation’s inaugural electric taxis. These taxis can potentially cover distances of up to 120 kilometres before necessitating a recharge. They are equipped with an electric motor boasting a power of 90 kWh and a battery capacity of 53.76 kWh.

The SU team has successfully transformed a minibus taxi into an electric-powered vehicle in partnership with Rham Equipment. The converted taxi is currently undergoing road testing, with performance assessments planned to follow shortly.

Stephan Lacock, a team member, described the conversion process, which involved removing the original internal combustion engine (ICE) and associated components such as the petrol tank, manual transmission, gas pipe, and radiator. Read more here: 

Ghanaian agri-tech startup Oyster Agribusiness raises $310k funding to scale – Disrupt Africa

Ghana’s Oyster Agribusiness, an agricultural enterprise that employs significant levels of tech and works closely with smallholder farmers, has raised US$310,000 in grant and debt funding to propel its mission of sustainable agriculture, gender inclusion, and talent management.

Founded in 2018, Oyster Agribusiness is dedicated to empowering smallholder farmers through the provision of sustainable inputs, improved agronomic practices, and a reliable market for their produce. It does this using tech to power its input distributions and yield, as well as utilising seeders for planting and drones for spraying.

The company, which already works with 3,000 smallholder farmers, has recently secured a total of US$310,000 in debt and grant funding, which it will use to expand its operations.

Oyster’s debt capital comes from Root Capital, a non-profit lender committed to fostering resilience and prosperity in rural communities, while the startup has also received two grants totalling a further US$10,000. Read more here: 

Google Empowers Nigerian Youth with AI and Data Analytics Training Program – Tech In Africa

Google is making a significant move to boost digital skills, employability, and business growth by revealing a plan to educate 20,000 Nigerian women and youth in digital competencies.

This program is funded by a grant from Google’s charitable division, which collaborates with Data Science Nigeria and the Creative Industry Initiative for Africa . to synchronize with the Nigerian government’s pledge to increase the involvement of young people in the digital economy.

The objective? Addressing youth unemployment in Nigeria by arming participants with the essential digital capabilities needed for the upcoming job environment. Notably, the tech giant already runs the “Grow with Google in Africa” program, partnering with numerous African governments and industry specialists to aid individuals in enhancing their digital expertise for their professions and enterprises. Read more here:

TECHNigerian-founded dating app, Tramatch, launches beta to democratize love – Ripples News

Tramatch, a Nigerian-founded dating app that connects lovers, has announced its beta launch on mobile to democratize how people connect with potential partners. The cofounder and product manager, Ani Okono, made the announcement in a press release forwarded to Ripples Nigeria on Thursday, August 17, 2023.

Founded in 2023, Tramatch.com, according to Ani, is on a mission to address “the age-old human yearning for authentic connections and enduring relationships. Its user friendly service website offers subscribers a novel spin on matchmaking that distinguishes it from traditional dating apps. Read more here: 

Nigerian business solutions startup Traction plans expansion after serving 70k customers – Disrupt Africa

Nigerian startup Traction, a comprehensive business solutions platform designed exclusively for African MSMEs, is planning continental expansion after serving 70,000 customers and banking US$6 million in funding.

Founded in 2020, Traction has developed a comprehensive one-stop platform that enables businesses to accept payments, manage finances, and access essential operational tools. Business owners can accept payments via POS terminals or virtual accounts, use point-of-sale software to record their sales, track inventory, and manage customers through CRM and loyalty solutions.

The platform also offers a range of financial services, including merchant wallets, cash advance loans, savings, and bill payments. Traction obtained a payments solution services license from the Central Bank of Nigeria last year, allowing it to operate as a payment solution provider across various payment categories. Read more here: 

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Image Credit: Image by Tech In Africa