IBM Expands Quantum Computing to Africa, China Summons Big Tech, Kim Dotcom Faces Extradition

Africa

IBM brings quantum computing to South Africa

IBM is expanding its quantum computing to the University of Witwatersrand, a report has said. The South African institution becomes the first African partner for IBM’s Q Network. The Q Network is a partnership of Fortune 500 companies, startups, and research labs working to explore the application of quantum computing to science and business. The partnership with Wits will eventually expand to all 15 members that form the African Research University Alliance. The partnership is aimed at pushing the frontiers of scientific research to the benefit of African academics and students. Quantum machines are tasked with solving problems too complex for conventional computers.

Azuri Technologies raises $26 million in funding

Azuri Technologies, an energy service provider, has raised $26 million in funding from investors including Japan’s Marubeni Corporation, it has emerged. The funds will help Azuri expand its operations in West and East Africa. The funding will also enable the firm improve its service delivery in solar lightning and satellite TV. Azuri Technologies provides pay-as-you-go solar energy solutions to off-grid households in Africa.

Asia

China summons foreign tech firms

China has hauled foreign tech firms into a meeting following the US ban on selling technology to Huawei, Reuters is reporting. The Trump administration has signed an executive order banning the sale of tech to select foreign companies including Huawei without approval. Since then, Intel and Google have halted their vendor agreements with the Chinese firm. As retaliation, China has promised to release a list of “unreliable” foreign firms and might limit its export of rare earths used in tech equipment in consumer electronics and military devices. It has been rumored that China has warned of repercussions for firms that comply with the ban, though no official statement has been made yet. In other news, Facebook has blocked pre-installs on all Huawei devices.

Citigroup partners Grab to win Asian market

Citigroup is partnering Singapore-based ride-hailing firm, Grab, in a bid to increase Citigroup’s customer base in Asia. The American investment bank will issue co-branded credit cards in order to reach digital customers in the Asian region. Citigroup hopes to increase its customer base by 13% through similar deals with other providers of digital services. For Grab, it will be a foray into the financial market. The first cards will be issued in Thailand and the Philippines before being rolled out in other markets in Asia, according to reports.

Alibaba to provide speakers for Audi, others

Alibaba has announced that its Tmall Genie Auto smart speakers will feature in local editions of Renault, Honda, and Audi, Reuters has reported. The voice-controlled assistants will allow drivers to place orders on Alibaba and also buy, among other things, movie tickets. Alibaba hopes to make it possible to control home devices using the Tmall Genie Auto smart speakers in the cars, the company said. The smart speaker was launched in 2017.

The Americas

Kim Dotcom fights extradition to US

Internet entrepreneur, Kim Dotcom, is fighting extradition efforts that will see him sent to America to face copyright-related charges, the BBC has reported. The FBI is accusing Kim of earning millions of dollars while facilitating the illegal sharing of files on Megaupload. Former executives Mathias Ortmann, Finn Batatom, and Bram van der Kolk are all facing charges related to their positions at Megaupload. Megaupload is a file-sharing site that makes it easy for large files to be shared by users. In 2012, the FBI indicted the company’s executives for knowingly hosting music, film, and software files without permission. An extradition request was sent to New Zealand where a district court said it was going to allow the move in 2015.

Facebook won’t delete deepfake video featuring Zuckerberg

Facebook has said it will not remove a deepfake video in which Mark Zuckerberg’s words have been distorted, according to the BBC. Deepfake involves the use of AI to manipulate a photo or video of persons to make it look like they are saying things they never said. The Zuckerberg deepfake video, which was posted to Instagram, shows the Facebook founder crediting his success to a secretive organisation. The video merged photos of Zuckerberg with a footage of his body from an old video. Rather than remove it, though, Facebook plans to suppress it to prevent it from appearing on search pages. “If third-party fact-checkers mark it as false, we will filter it from Instagram’s recommendation surfaces like Explore and hashtag pages,” a spokesperson for Facebook said.

Europe

Facebook will create 500 jobs in London

Facebook is looking to create 500 new tech jobs in London, Reuters has reported. The 500 jobs will include positions in artificial intelligence which will help the tech giant to detect fake news, malicious content and the accounts associated with them. “These hundreds of new jobs demonstrate not only our commitment to the UK but also our determination to proactively detect and remove malicious content,” said Nicola Mendelsohn, vice president for Europe, Middle East, and Africa. By the close of the year, Facebook will have 1,800 employees in London working in tech and in engineering.

Vodafone services disrupted in parts of Europe

Vodafone has disclosed that there have been disruptions to its fixed-line and mobile services, the BBC has reported. The disruptions involve a fault in the link used to transmit data between countries, the report said. Users have been affected in areas like Greece, the UK, Germany, and Portugal. To fix this, Vodafone will attempt to reroute the traffic.