Month: August 2020

Microsoft adds new Transcribe in Word feature

Editor
Microsoft Office 365 Transcribe in Word

Transcribe in Word.Microsoft is adding an audio transcription feature into Word for the web today. Transcribe in Word will appear in the online version of Word for Microsoft 365 subscribers, providing an easy way to automatically transcribe audio. Microsoft is supporting existing audio files, or even the ability to record conversations directly within Word for the web and have them automatically transcribed. Once a conversation is transcribed, Microsoft’s AI will separate out each speaker and break the conversation into sections that are easy to playback, edit, and insert into a…

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Bolt ventures into food delivery business

Dianne Jacobs
Bolt Food

Bolt ventures into the food delivery business Bolt, a Taxi-hailing service is venturing into the food delivery business in Kenya targeting alternative revenue streams as the market has seen reduced mobility in the wake of Covid-19 restrictions. Bolt advertised the position of Country Manager for its food delivery arm in Kenya signaling the beginning of operations towards the end of the year. “We’re already present in 30+ markets across Europe and Africa. Now, it’s time for us to bring the know-how around building a mobility platform to the food delivery…

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Google drive,Gmail and Google meet hit by outage

Editor
Google Meet Gmail

Thousands of users, mostly in India, parts of the U.S., Australia, Japan, and Malaysia are reporting that they are unable to access the aforementioned Google services including Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Meet. Recently Google Meet added Chromecast support to let you cast your meeting to the company’s Chromecast streaming sticks, Android TV, and smart displays. It is not known if this is the cause. Some users have reported that they are unable to log-in into their Gmail accounts, while others are saying new emails are not showing up in…

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Facebook merges Instagram and Messenger chats

Editor
fACEBOOK,INSTAGRAM,MESSANGER

Facebook merges Instagram and Messenger chats Facebook has reportedly started merging Instagram and Messenger chats in a fresh bid, to allow cross-messaging among its family of apps, First spotted by The Verge, the update is for both iOS and Android devices. The update comes with the message: “There’s a New Way to Message on Instagram”. “Once you hit the update, the regular DM icon in the top right of Instagram is replaced by the Facebook Messenger logo,” the report mentioned. Currently, the functionality to message Facebook users from Instagram is…

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CBK Proposes law for mobile loan apps

Dianne Jacobs
MTN Rwanda

CBK Proposes law for mobile loan apps Digital app lending companies operating in Kenya are set up for a shake-up after the country’s central bank proposed new laws to regulate monthly interest rates levied on loans by digital lenders in a bid to stamp out what it deems predatory practices. If approved, digital lenders will require approval from the central bank to increase lending rates or launch new products. The move comes in the wake of mounting concern about the scale of predatory lending given the proliferation of startups offering…

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Toshiba Exits Laptop Business

Dianne Jacobs
Toshiba

Toshiba Exits Laptop Business Toshiba, a Japanese tech giant once well-known for its satellite range of laptops meant for heavy use, has finally decided to quit the laptop business. Toshiba has quietly sold its remaining 19.9 percent stake in its Dynabook laptop brand to Sharp, officially exiting the laptop business. The company earlier sold an 80.1 percent stake to Sharp in 2018. “Toshiba Corporation hereby announces that it has transferred the 19.9 percent of the outstanding shares in Dynabook that it held to Sharp Corporation. As a result of this…

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Airtel Kenya ventures into the TV streams market

Dianne Jacobs
Airtel Kenya has launched a TV app service to tap into streaming services market

Airtel Kenya ventures into the TV streams market Airtel Kenya a Telecom firm has launched a TV app service in the market as it moves to tap the growing demand for movie streaming services and rev up data consumption on its network. The free service dubbed Airtel TV will allow users to watch movies, documentaries, music, and cartoons, seeking a piece in a market dominated by giants Netflix, Amazon, and Showmax– which provide videos on demand. The service will be free for now, a pointer that seeks to earn money…

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Whatsapp to Enable chat history synchronization

olivia Craig
WhatsApp sync device

Whatsapp to Enable chat history synchronization WhatsApp has been working on multiple device support for a while now though it is yet to confirm the same. We know that such a feature is in development through its beta updates, and again, another beta update has dropped major clues about it leading us to believe WhatsApp may roll it out soon. According to a report by WABetaInfo, the new update- WhatsApp v2.20.196.8 beta for Android has given a glimpse of two features that include advanced search and multiple device support. The…

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New labels for state-affiliated media Twitter accounts

Editor
Twitter adds labels for government officials & state-controlled media

New labels for state-affiliated media Twitter accounts Twitter will introduce new labels for accounts and tweets tied to government officials and “state-affiliated media.” “Twitter provides an unmatched way to connect with, and directly speak to public officials and representatives,” the company wrote in the blog post announcing these changes. “This direct line of communication with leaders and officials has helped to democratize political discourse and increase transparency and accountability.” However, Twitter suggested that these labels are part of a larger effort “to protect that discourse because we believe political reach…

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Instagram Reels is launching globally

Dianne Jacobs
Reels, Instagram’s answer to TikTok debuts in over 50 Countries

Instagram Reels is launching globally Instagram Reels is launching globally, starting today is Facebook’s new effort to challenge TikTok on short-form creative content. The feature is being made available across 50 countries, including the U.S., as TechCrunch had previously reported. The expansion means Reels will now be available in key international markets, such as India, Brazil, France, Germany, the U.K., Japan, Australia, Spain, Mexico, Argentina, and several others. The timing is fortuitous, given TikTok’s uncertain future in the U.S. as the Trump administration weighs either banning the Chinese-owned app entirely…

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