Author: Francis Muli

WhatsApp is reportedly working on a feature that will allow users to log into one account on multiple phones and tablets. According to WABetaInfo, a beta version of the feature shows a screen giving users instructions on how to register a ‘companion’ device (phone or tablet) by scanning a code with the main phone. The report further says that a previous beta version of WhatsApp showed that devices were getting the ability to sync recent messages, despite being end-to-end encypted. This means that with the ability to register a device as a companion, users could actually use one account on…

Partners Against Piracy (PAP) have called for the Implementation of Sections 35 B, C & D of the Copyright Act to help the Creative Industry of Kenya recover from the COVID-19 Pandemic and create over 50,000 new Jobs for the Youth. The implementation should be done in co-operation with Internet Service Providers (ISPs) within the next 100 Days, According to PAP interim Convener & MyMovies.Africa Co-Founder Mike Strano, the estimated gross losses to Online Piracy in Kenya costs the industry over Sh92 billion per year. Sh15 billion is lost through pirated Music affecting Artists on Safaricom Baze Music, Boomplay, Mdundo,…

Kenya Power has announced the rollout of its internet distribution venture. The company says it is set to implement a lit fibre project within Nairobi within the next two weeks on a pilot basis. “In the next two weeks, Kenya Power will implement a lit fibre project with installations beginning in Nairobi on a pilot basis,” the company said in the notice. Kenya Power announced a month ago that it would start distributing high speed internet through a package bundled with electricity and internet as it seeks to tap into the country’s internet demands. According to the Business Daily, the…

Google is broadening the types of personal data it will exempt from search results to include information like your physical address, phone number, and passwords. Prior to this, the search engine displayed information that would allow fraudsters steal your identity or money. Users will now be able to request the tech giant to stop displaying URLs that contain information that could lead to homes or give access to accounts. Google shared on a blog post that with the internet evolving, displaying information such as phone numbers and home addresses had become dangerous. Below is additional information that will be struck…

YouTube has started testing ways to monetize on its short form video feature, Shorts. The tech giant is testing advert placements and promotions on the TikTok clone which was launched in 2020. According to Google’s chief business officer, Philipp Schindler, the company is specifically testing app-install ads. “We are experiencing a slight headwind to revenue growth as Shorts viewership grows as a percentage of total YouTube time,” Alphabet CFO Ruth Porat said. “We are testing monetization on shorts, and early advertiser feedback and results are encouraging.” The alphabet-owned video-streaming company said Shorts has attracted about 30 billion daily views which…

Kenyans are searching online for thrift stores, revealing an interest in second-hand goods. According to Google search trends, there has been a 160 percent rise in searches for the terms ‘thrift meaning’ and ‘thrift stores’. “Since the onset of the pandemic in 2020, new data from Google Search Trends reveals that Kenyans have taken a particular interest in searching for ‘Thrifting’; the buying and selling of second-hand items that have been gently used,” said Sharon Machira, Google Kenya Communications and Public Affairs Manager. Most thrift stores online comprise of small businesses selling second hand clothes, furniture, household items, antiques and…

YouTube is rolling out its Super thanks feature to more countries. The tipping program which has been on beta since 2021 aims to boost creators’ income on the platform. Super Thanks allows fans to send creators tips of between $2 and $50 directly on videos. To tip creators, users will be able to purchase a fun animation called a Super thanks on the video page. “Viewers can buy a fun animation called Super Thanks on a video page. The one-time animation will be shown only to the purchaser over the top of the video. As an added bonus, purchasers will…

Instagram is working on a feature that will allow users to pin their posts to their profile grid. The feature is currently being tested with a handful of users on the app. Pinned posts are already available in a number of social media platforms such as Twitter and TikTok. Users can choose a specific tweet which appears at the top of their profile grid. This gives the pinned post more prominence and longer exposure. Meta confirmed to TechCrunch that it is working on a new feature that will allow users to feature posts on their profiles. The feature has since…

Google is rolling out a new feature that shows users more details regarding data collected by apps and how it is used. The feature, which has been assigned a section in the play store, is being rolled out to all users gradually. App developers have been given until July 20th to supply the required information to their listings. Google announced the development of the feature early this year with an aim of giving users more information and context as to how their data is used. Read: Google Developing Section to Display App’s Safety Information on Play Store The feature will show…

Elon Musk is trending online after his acquisition of social media platform Twitter. The world’s richest man bought the social media app for a total of $44 billion (Sh5.1 trillion) after placing a bid that saw him buy each share for $54.20. He acquired Twitter from a number of shareholders, among them the co-founder, former CEO Jack Dorsey. Twitter’s acquisition is one of the highest, ranking third after Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard at $68.7 billion and Dell’s purchase of EMC for $67 billion. Below are some of the most notable tech acquisitions over the years. Read: Elon Musk Launches Hostile…

Former US President Donald Trump will not be returning to social media soon. Trump said that despite Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover, he was not keen on getting back on the platform. The former president shared the sentiments with Fox News after speculations arose that his Twitter account may be reinstated. “I am not going on Twitter, I am going to stay on TRUTH,” Trump said. “I hope Elon buys Twitter because he’ll make improvements to it and he is a good man, but I am going to be staying on TRUTH.” Trump developed Truth Social after he was banned from…

Elon Musk has officially taken over Twitter after his bid to buy the company for $44 billion (5.1 trillion) sailed through. Twitter announced that Musk had purchased the bird app at $54.20 a share as per his offer on April 14. “Free speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy, and Twitter is the digital town square where matters vital to the future of humanity are debated,” Musk said in a statement included with the release. The Tesla boss has been a sharp critic regarding free speech on the social media platform. When he purchased a 9.2 stake in the…

Tanzanian Singer Naseeb Abdul popularly known as Diamond Platnumz is the latest personality to lose his YouTube channel. The singer’s YouTube channel with over 6.5 million subscribers was taken down under unclear circumstances. Reports indicate that Diamonds’ YouTube account was hacked about two days ago. The hackers allegedly went live on the platform with cryptocurrency news. This has become a common trend after Citizen TV’s and Kenyan influencer Diana Marua underwent the same predicament a few weeks ago. The hackers went live with similar cryptocurrency info shows before the accounts were terminated. Luckily, both parties were able to recover their…

Google has removed a number of apps from Play store after they were found to contain malicious code that was harvesting users’ phone numbers, email addresses and locations. Among the apps are a QR code scanner, a weather app and some Muslim Prayers apps. According to Google, some of them have been downloaded more than 10 million times. . The app was secretly transferring users’ personal data, including their phone’s unique IMEI identifying number, to Measurement Systems in Panama, which was linked back to Vostrom Holdings in Virginia, US. Read: After Twitter, Nigeria Threatens to Suspend More Social Media Apps If they…

Spotify will now allow users to post video podcasts on the platform. The streaming service said that users can upload their video podcasts through Anchor, the podcast creation tool acquired by the company in 2019. Spotify’s podcast feature supports uploaded or embedded Video podcasts and offers creators video-specific analytics The company started rolling out support for Video podcasts in 2020 and the feature has now been made available for all users in the UK, US, New Zealand, Australia and Canada. The feature has attracted a number of podcasters from YouTube, which Spotify is looking to compete with. The streaming app…