TECH NEWS

Paris, France | AFP | Airbus said Tuesday that its A350-1000 widebody aircraft had received certification from US and European aviation authorities, clearing the way for its delivery and entry into service. A longer version of the Airbus A350-900, the twin-engine plane can accomodate an extra 40 people, taking its total …

Cotonou, Benin | AFP | South African mobile phone giant MTN is in talks with Benin’s telecoms regulator after its subsidiary was slapped with a bill of more than $200 million. The regulator (Arcep) wants MTN Benin to pay 134.4 billion CFA francs — the equivalent of $213 million (205 million …

Paris, France | AFP | It’s November 22, 2028 and Sarah, a young mother, gives her two children a kiss goodbye before buckling them into the driverless car that will bring them to school. Sarah doesn’t have a car and has no plans to buy one. Living in a suburb, she …

Tokyo, Japan | AFP | Honda is recalling about 800,000 of its Odyssey minivans in the United States over faulty parts blamed for 46 minor injuries, the company said, just a month after settling a huge lawsuit on other defects. The recall, which affects the 2011-2017 models sold in the US, …

Next year’s winners of the promotion will go to Europe Kampala, Uganda | IAN KATUSIIME | Another lucky batch of seven Ugandans will experience a rare opportunity of watching the Formula One Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. This courtesy of City Tyres and Pirelli who concluded their second …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | MTN Uganda on Nov. 08 announced winners of the MTN Innovation Awards 2017 at a gala dinner hosted at the Kampala Serena Hotel. Nine innovations were recognized, each walking away with US$3,000 and a plaque. The winners were selected by a panel of judges from …

San Francisco, United States | AFP | Apple said Friday it was delaying until early next year the release of its HomePod speaker set to compete with Amazon’s Alexa-powered devices and Google Home as a smart home and music hub. The delay means Apple will miss the key holiday shopping …

Washington, United States | AFP | Google, Facebook and other tech firms joined global news organizations Thursday in an initiative aimed at identifying “trustworthy” news sources, in the latest effort to combat online misinformation. Microsoft and Twitter also agreed to participate in the “Trust Project” with some 75 news organizations to …

Washington, United States | AFP | Twitter is changing its policy on “verified” accounts, reserving the right to remove the blue badges from users who violate the online platform’s terms of service. The move came a week after Twitter launched a review of its policy following disclosures that neo-Nazi and white …

Madrid, Spain | AFP | Spain’s La Liga will use the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system next season, the country’s football federation (RFEF) confirmed on Wednesday. “The president of the referee’s technical commission, Victoriano Sanchez Arminio, has informed all first division referees and assistant referees that video refereeing will be introduced …