TECH NEWS

Washington, United States | AFP | NASA has inked a deal with Lockheed Martin to develop a supersonic “X-plane” that could break the sound barrier without a sonic boom, officials said Tuesday. The $247.5 million contract allows for the design, building and testing of a plane that would make its …

Tampa, United States | AFP | SpaceX blasted off a load of supplies Monday for the International Space Station aboard a rocket and a cargo ship that have both flown before, marking the second such flight for the California-based company. “Falcon 9 is on its way,” a SpaceX commentator said …

Washington, United States | AFP | Facebook on Wednesday launched a fresh effort to quell the firestorm over the hijacking of personal data, unveiling new privacy tools and settings aiming to give users more control over how their information is shared. The new features follow fierce criticism of the social network …

Paris, France | AFP | South Korean giant Samsung said Wednesday it will set up its third-biggest research centre for artificial intelligence in France. The announcement was made by Samsung Electronics president and chief strategy officer, Young Sohn, during a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris. At the same …

New Delhi, India | AFP | An Indian billionaire who promised to help fund a rival to Facebook said Wednesday he had been “overwhelmed” with the response as the world grapples with concerns about data privacy. Anand Mahindra, whose Mahindra Group business empire spans everything from cars to real estate, …

Chicago, United States | AFP | Apple on Tuesday unveiled new applications and a discounted iPad tablet aimed at the education market as it tries to regain momentum lost to Google in the world of classroom technology. At an event in Chicago, the California-based Apple showcased a new, free curriculum called …

#Blog4Dev: Three Winners to join Uganda delegation to IMF, World Bank Spring Meetings in Washington DC KAMPALA | THE INDEPENDENT | The World Bank has announced the Ugandan winners of its annual #Blog4Dev youth essay competition. The three winners are Tendo Namata, 26 ; Helda Mary Akongo, 24 and Douglas Dubois …

Brussels, Belgium | AFP | The European Union has given Facebook two weeks to answer questions raised by the scandal over personal data harvested from the social network, according to extracts of a letter obtained by AFP on Tuesday. The letter EU’s justice commissioner Vera Jourova sent Facebook’s chief operating officer …

UCC clarifies on Sim-Card replacements Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) has set out tough new procedures for SIM-card swaps or replacements, that will include re-registering at the telecoms and confirming the device one is using is an approved type. Ugandan telecommunications companies were early …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | China has claimed it has created a mysterious “super material” that can make anything invisible — and it could make the country unstoppable in war. The exact functions of the materials have not yet been disclosed but a Chinese news platform reported that the …