Category: Computers

South Africa’s Xbox consoles will soon have access to Disney+

This past weekend, Disney+ announced at Comic Con Africa about The Walt Disney Company’s streaming service, Disney+, which will have its app built into Xbox platforms.

It is now official that September 29th 2022, will be the day South Africa can get their hands on the Xbox version of Disney+. People in South Africa have been waiting with bated breath for Disney+ to become available on the Xbox and PlayStation consoles in the region since the streaming service was introduced there in May 2022.

Beginning on September 29th, 2022, the Disney app will be available on Xbox systems in South Africa. The Xbox One, Xbox One S, Xbox Series S, and Xbox Series X are the several versions of the Xbox system that will be able to use the Disney+ streaming service when it launches later this year.

Xbox consoles access on Disney+

“Today, Disney+, a streaming service from The Walt Disney Company, announced that the streaming app will be integrated onto Xbox consoles beginning September 29th, 2022 in South Africa,” the announcement read. “This date will be in South Africa.”

Read also: DStv Users in South Africa Can now Access Disney+

It went on to say that “Users will have access to high-quality viewing, up to four concurrent streams, unlimited downloads on up to ten devices, and the ability to set up to seven different profiles,” which included the ability for parents to set a PIN to access content that was appropriate for their children’s age group.

On the other hand, the streaming company hasn’t said when the Playstation app for streaming videos would be ready.

Since DStv first came out in South Africa, users of that service have been able to watch Disney+ with the Explora Ultra decoder.

Disney+ is accessible in 64 countries after making its debut in November 2019 in the United States of America, Canada, and the Netherlands. It was reported back in January of this year that the company would be starting in Africa, namely in the countries of South Africa, Libya, Morocco, and Tunisia.

Showmax, Netflix, and Amazon Prime are just a few companies competing with one another in the South African industry.

Disney+ gives users access to a wide range of entertainment options, such as more than 1,000 films, more than 2,000 series, and 200 original shows from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, and other studios.

This September will see the premiere of a new drama series titled “The Old Man,” starring John Lithgow and Jeff Bridges, as well as the return of the Sanderson sisters in the film “Hocus Pocus 2.” In other news, fans of the Star Wars franchise will soon be able to watch the highly anticipated series Andor, while the next blockbuster film from Marvel Studios, Thor: Love and Thunder, will debut on streaming services. Users will get access to up to four concurrent streams, unlimited downloads on up to ten devices, and the ability to set up as many as seven separate profiles. This includes letting parents set a PIN so their kids can access the right content for their ages.

Netflix will invest about $300,000 in Kenyan talent.

About Disney+

The Walt Disney Company’s Media and Entertainment Distribution business is the owner and operator of the streaming service known as Disney+, which is a subscription-based video-on-demand and over-the-top video platform in the United States. [2] The Walt Disney Studios and Walt Disney Television are the primary producers of films and television series distributed by the service. The service also features dedicated content hubs for the brands Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic, in addition to Star in certain regions. Additionally, original motion pictures and television series are available to stream on Disney+.

September 29, 2022
The NCC advises Zoom users to install the latest updates

The Computer Security Incident Response Team of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC-CSIRT) has advised users of the video telephony platform Zoom to install the latest version of the software, which can be obtained from the app’s publisher, following the discovery of vulnerabilities that remote attackers can exploit.

The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) found a number of security holes in the Zoom product. The NCC-CSIRT released an advisory about this on Wednesday. In the wake of the COVID-19 Pandemic, the videotelephony platform gained popularity as a means for conducting virtual meetings, and it now has more than 300 million daily users.

“A remote attacker could use the flaws to get around security measures that have been set up and cause a denial of service on the targeted machine,” the NCC-CSIRT advisory says.

It was pointed out that “These vulnerabilities exist as a result of incorrect access control implementation in Zoom On-Premises Meeting Connector MMR prior to version 4.8.20220815.130,” which was stated in the report. By taking advantage of these vulnerabilities, a remote attacker could sneak into a meeting they were not invited to attend without raising suspicion among the other participants. In addition, they can access the audio and video feeds of meetings they were not allowed to attend and interrupt other sessions.

Read also: An Advocacy Group Criticizes Zoom’s Proposed Emotion AI

Suppose these vulnerabilities are used in a way that works. In that case, it may be possible for a remote user who is not authorised to access the system to get around the security measures that have been put in place.

What is the National Communications Commission saying on this?

The National Communications Commission (NCC) established the Computer Security Incident Response Team (CSIRT) as the telecom industry’s cyber security incident center so that it could concentrate on incidents that occurred in the telecom industry and how those incidents may have affected telecom customers and citizens in general.

The Computer Security Incident Response Team (CSIRT) also works in conjunction with the Nigeria Computer Emergency Response Team (ngCERT), which the Federal Government established in order to reduce the number of future computer-related incidents. This is done by getting Nigeria’s cyberspace ready, protecting it, and making it safe so that attacks, problems, and other similar things don’t happen.

Read also: Google Hangouts, set for delisting come November 2022

About Zoom

Zoom Video Communications, Inc. is a communications technology company that was founded in the United States and had its headquarters in San Jose, California. It offers video telephony. through a cloud-based peer-to-peer software platform that is used for video communications (Meetings), messaging (Chat), voice calls (Phone), conference rooms for video meetings (Rooms), virtual events (Events), and contact centers (Contact Center). Additionally, it provides an open platform that allows third-party developers to build custom applications on its unified communications platform (Developer Platform).

September 25, 2022
Egypt Exits.Me secures $1 million in a pre-seed fundraising round

Exits.me, a platform for fintech and investment banking in Egypt, has completed a Pre-Seed round and raised $1 million. Exits provided this round of funding. Based in the United Kingdom, an influential Egyptian angel investor organisation, Baseeta Investments Holding and Mawelni Holding for Financial Investments, and the company’s founders.

PIE, a mergers and acquisitions firm Mohamed Aboulnaga established earlier this year, was the company that first bought Exits.me. After making the BETA version of the platform available to users, the development team is now working to turn it into a new platform that will fill a gap in the market for mergers and acquisitions and funding support for SMEs and startups in the MENA region that has been largely ignored.

The Exits.Me Funding

According to Omar Wagdy, one of the investors, “we want startups and SMEs who are off the radar of conventional investment banks to have a user-friendly and automated means of engaging in M&A and investment opportunities.” This goal was expressed in the context of providing investment opportunities. The company’s founders further say that in today’s market, prospects for investments are difficult for companies with lower ticket sizes, which is why investment banks tend to ignore such companies. It is made much more difficult by the present and continued market conditions and the excessive fee markups and retainer expenses expected by traditional investment banks. This round is just the start of what is needed to achieve this goal and give people from all walks of life in MENA the chance to invest.

According to studies from around the world, the number of people leaving their jobs in the Middle East increased by more than three times between 2012 and 2018, and this trend is expected to continue at higher multiples. In addition, a report by E&Y states that in the first half of 2022, the MENA area registered 359 mergers and acquisition deals with a total value of $42.6 billion despite the volatility of the global market. The surge in mergers and acquisitions activity corresponds to a 12% increase in the number of deals completed year-on-year (YoY). These deals are driven by the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, and Oman.

In response to the funding, one of the angel investors, Omer Amer, made the following statement: “The Exits.me team anticipates seeing continued growth in the need for M&A/funding across the region within the next three to five years, and this fresh capital will enable Exits.me to address this increasing gap.”

Read also: Bitmama Secures $1.65 Million in New Funding

Exits.Me set to launch a new product

Exits.me has already closed many deals with a total value of $110k before its launch. It presently has 25+ signed active sell-side and buy-side advisory mandates, in addition to 30 others with a value of between $150-200 million and is still in the pipeline. The platform is also acquiring its crowdfunding licence from the Financial Regulatory Authority to manage and arrange crowdfunding campaigns. Once this licence is obtained, it will open the door to a new investment product for the MENA market, allowing anyone to invest, regardless of their capacity.

The company’s founders aim to assist the local community by elevating the profile of investments and promoting education about the significance of early investments across all business functions and verticals. Their point of view is that everyone, no matter their background, should be able to understand how to invest using digital means entirely.

Omar Amer, Abdulmuguid Amer, Omar Wagdy, Adham Wagdy, and Ayman Essawy are only some of the Egyptian angel investors interested in this venture.

About Exits.Me

Exits.me was established in 2022 by Mohamed Aboulnaga, Ahella El Saban, and Ayman El Tanbouly to ease the process of mergers and acquisitions (M&As) and company investments. The company offers a complete and easy-to-use online solution and a full-fledged financial advisory service on its platform.

September 23, 2022
African Businesses are Now Protected Against DDoS Attack

Liquid Networks, a subsidiary of Cassava Technologies, a pan-African technology group, announced the launch of its Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) Secure offering to its customers. The solution is made to stop attacks before they happen by cleaning traffic and blocking known attackers or traffic that is known to be bad.

According to Ahmad Mokhles, CEO of Liquid Networks, “Cyber Attacks are at an all-time high, costing the African GDP a staggering US$4.1 billion in 2021 due to cyber security threats. Additionally, DDoS assaults are added to the list of cyber security attacks; the enormous cost to our GDP is substantial proof that no company can afford to be without a layer of protection against them.” While DDoS attacks have become more sophisticated over time, our service has kept pace. Customers can concentrate on their core business needs while being secure from DDoS assaults when traffic is scrubbed at one of our four scrubbing centers.

The company reached a milestone with its new DDoS development

All possible Internet and IP transit clients are being offered the service, and all existing clients are also given access to a proactive protection service wherever Liquid has operations in Africa. With DDoS Secure, clients can rest easy knowing that their network, income, and reputation as a business are all safe. The service also gives them a chance for expansion and partnerships through DDoS compliance.

Read Also: Liquid Launches Africa’s First Cyber Security “Fusion” Centre

DDoS Secure secures the networks and operations of its customers and provides them with a line of sight into attempted attacks through post-incident reporting on all mitigations carried out. Liquid will also be able to keep an eye on all online activity in real-time with the help of the newly opened Next-Gen Cyber Security Fusion Centre and stop any attack before it reaches its clients’ networks.

“With this measure in place, possible assaults will be more visible, and we will be able to mitigate threats and fortify enterprises proactively, automatically. We can now manage and safeguard our clients in real-time as well.” Mohkles said, “Liquid Cyber Security has reached another milestone as it unveils a system that incorporates the ultimate defenses against DDoS assaults.”

Liquid Expands its Operation in Zambia

About Liquid Intelligent Technologies

Cassava Technologies, a business unit of Cassava Technologies, is a pan-African technology company with operations in more than 20 countries, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa. With a vast fiber broadband network covering more than 100,000 km, Liquid has become the leading provider of digital infrastructure across Africa.

The company is also leveraging its digital network to provide cloud and cyber security solutions through strategic partnerships with leading global players. As a comprehensive technology solutions group, Liquid also provides specialized digital solutions to public and private-sector enterprises and SMEs across the globe.

September 11, 2022
Zapper Collaborates With Stitch To Allow Customers To Make Instant Payments

South African mobile payments startup Zapper collaborates with payments and data API fintech Stitch (via LinkPay—a one-click payments solution) to enable Zapper users to send instant electronic funds transfer (ETF) payments with just one click.
Zapper was one of the first companies to offer mobile payments in South Africa. It now lets businesses of all sizes offer their customers the most convenient and cutting-edge ways to pay online.

“Our work with Stitch continues our commitment to ensure Zapper merchants can offer as many payment options as possible.” By providing a simple, secure instant EFT option, customers can still use their favourite scan-to-pay method without relying on a bank-issued card, “Brett White, Zapper’s CEO, said.”

White added that “in a tighter economy, instant EFT also helps consumers keep a very tight rein on their balances and will be welcomed by the budget-conscious.” We also see this as another way we can help eliminate any barriers to payment for our merchants, who also need every advantage in this economy. ”

Read also: Nigerian startup, Vella, provides international money transfers without stress

LinkPay is the first product in Africa to offer secure, one-click, instant EFT payments from a connected financial account. It was made by Stitch in 2022 and offered the same convenience as a card for a lot less money.

Before Instant EFT, clients of Zapper had to sign into their bank accounts to initiate payment each time they wanted to pay at a Zapper business. By scanning the Zapper QR code at the checkout and selecting to pay from their associated account, consumers can now pay instantly.

To link an account in the Zapper app, a customer must choose “Link an account” and choose this as their main payment method. They choose their bank and login using their online banking credentials. After authorizing with multi-factor verification (like an in-app approval or OTP), they can make payments with just one click and without having to log in again. This is similar to how it would be with a linked card.

Customers of Zapper benefit from rapid and easy one-click payments, high transaction success rates, and fewer fraud cases by linking an account.
According to Kiaan Pillay, “With Stitch LinkPay, Zapper can provide a significantly better experience for customers paying via Instant EFT.” Previously, they needed to log into their bank accounts every time they made a payment to pay with instant EFT. Now, they can go immediately to the front of a coffee shop, scan a QR code, and make a payment from their linked account in one click—meaning they can get on their way much faster. ”

He said, “for merchants when more customers choose to pay via Instant EFT, they will save on expensive card fees and fraud-related charges. We’re excited to partner with Zapper to bring secure, convenient, one-click Instant EFT payments to more than one million Zapper customers across South Africa.”

Ghana will Host Top African Fintech and Crypto Experts

Customers can safely link a bank account by logging into their Zapper app. Zapper merchants can now accept an increasing number of other payment methods in addition to the company’s traditional scan-to-pay QR solutions for card payments (either at a physical location or through e-commerce offers). These include gift cards, mobile wallets, and third-party choices linked to the Zapper network, such as Instant EFT, Buy Now Pay Later options, and even cryptocurrency wallets—all through a single account.
In South Africa and Nigeria, where Stitch was first introduced in February 2021, its APIs for payments and financial data is working. LinkPay, the first payments system in Africa that tokenizes user financial accounts to allow one-click, validated payments and smooth payouts for repeat customers, was launched in April after the company announced the end of a $21 million Series A fundraising round.

The Stitch Gains Ground In Nigeria

Stitch, an API fintech startup, just like other fast-rising tech firms, arrived in Nigeria with a $2 million seed extension. Along with investors such as Future Africa and the Norrsken Foundation,
When Stitch came out, a $4 million seed round was revealed. Its total seed round now stands at $6 million. The startup made its official debut in February 2021 with an API that gives software firms access to users’ financial data and tools for identification verification.
The company claims to have expanded by 40–50% month-over-month since its start. Stitch CEO Kiaan Pillay says, “Nigeria is one of the most active markets on the continent, if not the world, for fintech.” The opportunity we see here is endless. ”
He says the company plans to become the “go-to partner for any business building financial products in Africa.”

Other API fintech companies like Mono, which launched a $15 million series, would compete against Stitch.
Since its launch in 2020, Mono has moved 200 million pieces of financial data and connected 270 companies.

As Stitch is ready to expand into other African nations, this seed extension will allow them to extend their team in Nigeria and gain an audience they have not been able to reach.

September 9, 2022
How to Add a Hibernate Option to your PC Start Menu

At times you might need to suspend what you are doing on your PC and continue later in the day, then what option might be the best at the moment?

Shutting down will end all your activities, putting to sleep will be effective but it will consume battery power, then the best option is to hibernate.

What To Know About Hibernate Option

Compared to sleep, Hibernate consumes less power, and when you restart the PC, you’ll be just where you left off (though not as fast as sleep).

When you know you won’t be using your laptop or tablet for a long length of time and won’t be able to recharge the battery, utilize hibernation mode.

Read Also : Cybersecurity Experts Discover Fake Windows 11 Upgrades

Note: This feature was specifically created for laptops and may not be accessible on other PCs. (The hibernation option, for example, is not available on PCs running InstantGo.)

How to set the Hibernate Option

1. Search for the control panel on the taskbar, then choose it from the results.

2. Select Security and System.

3. In the Power Options section, select Change what the power buttons do.

4. Select Change settings that are currently unavailable

5. Select Hibernate tickbox in the Shutdown settings section.

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6. Save all the changes you’ve made.

Hibernate should now appear as an option in the Start menu’s Power button once you’ve completed these steps.

With only a few clicks, you may now put your PC to Hibernate mode.
In case you encounter any problems while trying this, feel free to drop a comment.

May 5, 2022
Samsung Heavy Industries Has Appointed a New CEO for its Nigerian Subsidiary

Samsung Heavy Industries has appointed Jaebum Kim as the new CEO of its fabrication & integration yard in Lagos.

Mr. Kim succeeds Mr. Dong Seong Suh who after 5 years and 10 months of hard and satisfying work in Nigeria is returning to Korea in order to continue his career within Samsung Heavy Industries.

Mr. Kim has accrued over 7 years of experience in the optimization of construction facilities and planning. Mr. Kim has previously worked in the Korean shipbuilding industry as a Director in charge of production and process management in shipbuilding and construction planning.

Read Also: How to locate your Android phone IMEI number

In September 2006, Mr. Kim joined Samsung Heavy Industries. He undertook projects to rationalize domestic facilities and develop new plants domestically and internationally. From 2011 to 2013 he was involved as a project leader for the establishment of PI (Process Innovation) and integrated management system (S-ERP) for the development of an integrated shipbuilding marine management system (S-ERP). This experience has allowed him to develop a deep understanding of shipbuilding and offshore plant construction process management systems.

He played a vital role in successfully establishing the fabrication and integration facility in Nigeria and completing Egina FPSO project while securing safety and delivering high-quality standards. This achievement had marked SHI-MCI’s presence in Nigeria as a fabrication and instruction hub of Nigeria.

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The Egina is a flagship offshore oil and gas project for the French oil major, Total, which is producing close over 200,000 barrels of crude oil per day, close to 10 percent of Nigeria’s total oil production, and is adding considerable revenue to the Nigerian economy. His notable achievement as overall production control manager at SHI-MCI for 6 years, combined with his valuable experiences, made Mr. Kim the logical successor to Mr. Suh.
Mr. Kim expressed his pleasure over his new appointment and stated that he is committed to improving Nigeria’s economic development through local content.

“As CEO of the SHI-MCI yard, I am committed to empowering the African oil and energy industry through local content leadership. My aim is to maintain the innovative culture of SHI-MCI in order to put Nigeria’s shipbuilding and marine industry on the map. Supporting Nigeria’s economic development through local content and the development of local skills will be one of my key focus areas. I also would like to take this opportunity to thank Mr Suh for his many achievements as CEO of the yard. I’m very honored to take his place and am thoroughly looking forward to pushing SHI-MCI to the next level.”

Read Also: Oracle FS Lands Two Core Banking Tech Clients In Libya

Samsung Heavy Industries has done exceedingly well in accelerating sustainable growth in Nigeria through SHIN’s strategy of building world-class vessels by merging Korean technology and know-how with Nigerian talent and passion.

February 25, 2022