Seoul, South Korea | AFP | Samsung Electronics will unveil its next flagship smartphones — the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ — on Sunday, after it reported record profits in recent weeks and its vice chairman was released from prison. Samsung, the flagship subsidiary of South Korea’s biggest business group, …
Read More »UK church spires used to boost phone, wi-fi signal
London, United Kingdom | AFP | Church spires across Britain will be used to boost broadband, mobile phone and WiFi connectivity in rural areas, under a deal struck between the government and the Church of England, it was announced Sunday. “This agreement with the Church of England will mean that …
Read More »South Korea appeals court frees Samsung heir
Seoul, South Korea | AFP | A South Korean appeals court on Monday upheld Samsung heir Lee Jae-Yong’s bribery conviction but cut his prison sentence to a suspended term, ordering his immediate release. Lee, vice chairman of Samsung Electronics, the world’s biggest smartphone and memory chip maker, was convicted of bribery …
Read More »MTN licence expires, rivals fight renewal
MTN licence expires: Dirty details of Uganda telecom sector exposed Kampala, Uganda | HAGGAI MATSIKO | Uganda’s largest telecom company, MTN Uganda is caught up in a fight to secure the renewal of its licence which expires this year, The Independent can reveal. With 55 percent of telecom market share …
Read More »Apple admits to slowing iPhones as batteries age
San Francisco, United States | AFP | Apple on Thursday confirmed what some conspiracy theorists suspected, that it intentionally slows performance of older iPhones as batteries weaken from age. The admission played into concerns that Apple was stealthily nudging iPhone users to upgrade to newer models by letting them think it …
Read More »THIS WEEK: Airtel rewards more in Yoola Amajja promo
THIS WEEK: Airtel rewards more in Yoola Amajja promo Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | On Nov. 24, Airtel Uganda awarded more customers in its Yoola Amajja promotion for the third draw. Isaac Sententembe, a mechanical engineering student at Bugema University won Shs1.1 million. Sententembe said he would use his …
Read More »THIS WEEK: MTN, Fero Mobile unveil new smart phone
THIS WEEK: MTN, Fero Mobile unveil new smart phone Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | MTN Uganda has partnered with Fero Mobile to unveil an entry-level smartphone onto the Ugandan market. “If you were looking for the perfect gift this Christmas, why not gift a Fero? Even with internet connectivity …
Read More »Government internet shutdowns cost Africa dear
Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | Government shutdowns of the internet have cost sub-Saharan Africa about $237 million since 2015, according to a study released Friday, as authorities increasingly implement planned disruptions. At least 12 countries have had internet shutdowns, often before elections or when protests erupt, with mobile internet …
Read More »High-tech mystery: Is a Facebook phone in the works?
San Francisco, United States | AFP | Facebook could be working on a smartphone, according to paperwork recently spotted by cyber sleuths which the tech giant filed earlier this year. A Facebook unit devoted to hardware filed a patent application in January for a mysterious “modular electromechanical device” that could …
Read More »Internet back in Somalia after weeks-long outage
Mogadishu, Somalia | AFP | Somalia rejoined the world wide web on Monday, more than three weeks after internet access was cut when a container ship damaged an undersea cable connecting the Horn of Africa nation to the world. “The technical issue, which has disrupted the internet connection, is resolved …
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