AkooBooks and Chalkboard Education Win Mastercard Fellowship, Google to Spend $10b in US Data Centres, and Huawei Launches Foldable Mate XS

Africa

AkooBooks and Chalkboard Education are first fellows in Mastercard initiative

AkooBooks Audio and Chalkboard Education have been selected as the two Ghanaian EdTech fellows in the Mastercard Foundation Centre for Innovative Teaching and Learning in ICT, it has been reported. The two are part of a cohort of 12 EdTech firms to receive support in expanding their operations in the teaching and learning of ICT. Bringing together these talented entrepreneurs and supporting them as they innovate to drive excellence in teaching and learning offers new opportunities with great potential to raise the bar in African education and benefit tens of millions of students,” Peter Materu, Chief Programme Officer at Mastercard Foundation said. Each company will receive $40,000 in funding as well as customised mentorship and support to test and scale their businesses.

Pin code verification added for safer trips on Uber Ghana

Uber Ghana has added a pin code verification to be shared by the rider with the driver to help confirm rides, it has been reported. Before confirming a ride, a rider would have the option to share a special pin code with the driver; this ensures that the rider is using the right Uber vehicle and also that the driver is picking up the right passenger. When enabled, a trip cannot start unless the driver enters the right code into the Uber app. Users have the option to deploy the pin code for each trip or only for evening trips.

Europe

5G networks not fatal to life

Safety tests conducted on 5G installations in the UK showed radiations were within safe limits, the BBC has reported. There had been fears that the roll-out of fifth generation telecoms networks posed significant risks to human life. UK’s telecoms regulator, Ofcom, however, found no risks after conducting its tests. “The emissions at each site were a tiny fraction of the maximum levels set out in international guidelines,” Ofcom said. The limits are set by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). The regulator has been testing mobile phone towers since 2003. Since the roll-out of 5G begun, though, it has received a lot of queries regarding the safety of these towers. The World Health Organisation has classified radio waves as a “possible carcinogenic” just like talcum powder but not as serious as processed meat or alcohol.

Samsung UK website error exposed user data

Samsung Electronics has revealed that an error on its UK website exposed the data of some 150 users, it has been reported. The error led to the exposure of user emails, telephone numbers and full names. To mitigate the effects of the technical error, Samsung stopped all users from logging into the website the moment it discovered the error. “We will be contacting those affected by the issue with further details,” Samsung said in a statement about the incident.

The Americas

Google warns Huawei users against ‘sideloading’ Google apps

Google has served a warning to Huawei users to not circumvent the ban on its apps on new Huawei smartphones, it has been reported by the BBC. Restriction set by the US on Huawei means the Chinese company will not be allowed to use Android and the Google Play app, the platform that allows users to download apps safely. However, it is still possible to download apps from unverified sources. Google warns that downloading such apps is dangerous as the files could have been tempered with. Meanwhile, Google will still provide updates to older Huawei phones which it is legally allowed to do without incurring the wrath of American lawmakers.

Google to spend $10b in US data centres

Google has announced that it would spend up to $10 billion to build data centres and offices across the United States in 2020, a Reuters report has said. The infrastructure will be spread across 11 states, the tech giant said. “These investments will create thousands of jobs – including roles within Google, construction jobs in data centres and renewable energy facilities, and opportunities in local businesses in surrounding towns and communities,” Chief Executive Officer Sundar Pichai said. This is in addition to the $13 billion it promised in investments in 2019 alone.

Asia

Huawei launches foldable Mate XS with better screen

Huawei has revealed an upgraded Mate XS with a better screen display which will retail at $2,700, Reuters has reported. The new smartphone reveals an eight-inch display when it’s unfolded. It also comes with an improved gull-wing hinge system and a smarter wraparound screen. The Mate XS has a longer battery life and offers faster downloads than its rival the Samsung Galaxy Fold. Like all new Huawei phones, the smartphone will not come with a licensed version of Android due to US sanctions on the Chinese firm. The Mate XS will come on sale next month.

Pony.ai gets $462m in funding from Toyota and others

Chinese self-driving start-up, Pony.ai, has announced that it raised up to $462 million in funding from investors including Toyota Motor Corporation, it has been reported. The funding round is to help the start-up expand its operations in mobility services. This investment is part of a partnership between Toyota and the self-driving vehicle start-up signed in 2019. The agreement is to help integrate Pony.ai’s autonomous driving systems with Toyota’s platforms. The series funding brings Pony.ai’s valuation to $3 billion. Pony.ai builds autonomous and mobility technologies for players across China and the US.