Search Results for: AI and Block chain

Big Tech and Banking Firms Abandon Bitcoin For Their Own Blockchain

The short history of Bitcoin and the blockchain proves that a second glance can definitely change one’s perception. From being a victim of skepticism and criticism since its debut in 2009, Bitcoin has come a long way. And it hasn’t been alone; it has brought with it the ‘blockchain’ – one of the hot topics of debate among prominent banking institutions. Several major companies from across both the technology and financial industries—including IBM, Intel, and Cisco as well as the London Stock Exchange Group and big-name banks JP Morgan, Wells…

UTU Technologies raised $500k bridge funding

Dianne Jacobs
UTU Technologies innovation

UTU Technologies, a Kenyan Block chain & AI startup building on the Aeternity block chain, has raised $500, 000 bridge funding. UTU Technologies was among the companies that graduated from the Aeternity Ventures StarFleet Accelerator program that saw the company initial funding. According to Jason Eisen, CEO, UTU, the total funding raised now is $1.3 million. UTU Technologies is the company behind the ride-hailing app, Maramoja. The app uses a Trust Engine to recommend ‘a social favorite driver’ or rides as opposed to existing apps like Uber and Taxify. Speaking to…

Google cuts ties with Huawei, to stop licensing its Android OS to the Chinese phone maker

Alphabet Inc’s Google has suspended business with Huawei that requires the transfer of hardware, software and technical services except those publicly available via open source licensing, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Sunday, in a blow to the Chinese technology company that the U.S. government has sought to blacklist around the world. Holders of current Huawei smartphones with Google apps, however, will continue to be able to use and download app updates provided by Google, a Google spokesperson said, confirming earlier reporting by Reuters. “We are complying…

Zipline launches on-demand drone deliveries in Ghana after Rwanda

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Zipline, the San Francisco-based UAV manufacturer and logistics services provider, has launched a program in Ghana today for drone delivery of medical supplies. Working with the Ghanaian government, Zipline will operate 30 drones out of four distribution centers to distribute vaccines, blood and life-saving medications to 2,000 health facilities across the West African nation daily. “We’ll do 600 flights a day…and serve 12 million people. This is going to be the largest drone delivery network on the planet,” Zipline CEO Keller Rinaudo told TechCrunch on a call from Accra. Zipline…

Jumia hits US$196-million in landmark New York IPO but investors may regret funding an elusive dream

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Jumia billed as Africa’s first “tech unicorn”, is a venture-capital funded company valued at more than $1bn on the New York Stock Exchange. Its lack of a profitable model didn’t seem to matter much on the first day of trading on Friday, as the stock surged by 75%. Jumia filed S1 documents with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) last month to launch its IPO, which was underwritten by banks such as Morgan Stanley and Citigroup. The stock went on sale on Friday 12 April 2019, initially valued at…

Opera introduces Reborn 3, a desktop browser, freeVPN, ad blocker and Crypto Wallet

Editor

Opera Software has launched a new version of its desktop browser and it’s something a little outside the norm. Opera Reborn 3 (aka Opera 60) comes with a built-in cryptowallet, a free unlimited VPN, and a Web 3 explorer for accessing blockchain apps. Reborn 3 also retains all the handy extras that make it stand out from most mainstream browsers, including a built-in ad-blocker, the ability to send links, videos and notes to other devices via Flow, a currency converter and a raft of customization options. “The web has transformed…

Google’s CSquared parnters with local firms to enhance Africa’s affordable broadband

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CSquared, a pan-African broadband infrastructure provider owned by Google and other partners, has said that one of its top priorities is ‘fiberizing’ Africa through affordable broadband internet connectivity. “Fiberizing Africa is about creating value by changing the way Africa perceives internet,” said Lanre Kolade, the newly-appointed CEO of CSquared. “The continent should transition from being just consumers of internet and move to the extra mile of generating its own local content.” Started as a project within Google to build and operate open-access broadband infrastructure in Africa and increase access to…

Can Blockchain + Virtual Reality Boost E-commerce In Africa

Dianne Jacobs

eCommerce will be worth $75 billion in Africa’s leading economies, and came into existence as the solution to the stress of beating traffic to get to stores, bringing about a more convenient way of buying and selling. Today, online retail seems to be fast replacing the brick and mortar stores, and warehouses are becoming the one place to order items from. Ventures such as Alibaba, eBay, Payporte, Jumia, and Konga are cashing in big on African’s need to do convenient shopping from the comfort of their homes. While this a…

SEC Suspends Exchange-Traded Bitcoin and Ether Investment Vehicles as market crash continues

olivia Craig

Ether, the second-largest virtual currency, slumped 8.9% from its level at 5 p.m. New York time on Friday, according to Bloomberg composite pricing. Bitcoin lost 2.1%, while the market capitalization of digital assets tracked by CoinMarketCap.com shrank to $197 billion — down about $640 billion from its January peak. Cryptocurrencies have declined for five of the past six weeks amid concern that a broader adoption of digital assets will take longer than some had anticipated. That worry was underscored over the weekend after the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission temporarily…

Blockchain technology may play a major role in equalizing American cities

Dianne Jacobs

The city of Austin is currently piloting a program in which its 2,000 homeless residents will be given a unique identifier that’s safely and securely recorded on the blockchain. This identifier will help individuals consolidate their records and seek out crucial services. Service providers will also be able to access the information. If successful, we’ll have a new, more efficient way to communicate and ensure that the right people are at the table to help the homeless. In Austin and around the country, it seems that blockchain technology is opening a range…