Category: AR and VR

Sony discontinues free PS5 camera adapter for PS VR

Sony has formally announced that a free PlayStation Camera adapter for the PS5 will no longer be provided. Because the headgear uses light-based tracking technology, the camera initially introduced for the PS4 must use the original PlayStation VR on the company’s current console.

The PS5’s built-in HD camera attachment with PS VR can only be used with PlayStation VR once supplies run out by November 26.

Read also: How to preorder your PS5 Pro ahead of November 7 release

What this means for players

Users must submit their PS VR serial number through a form or Sony support to receive an adapter. Third-party adapters will then become the only available means of PS VR gaming on the new PS5 for those who wish to continue with the service.

Nevertheless, they remain exclusive to the first version of the headset, the PS VR, and include some first-party games. That means if you wish to use your PS5 for Astro Bot Rescue Mission orEverybody’ss Golf VR kind of games, then you will need a PS Camera adapter.

Sony’s changes mean that gamers may need to consider hardware refreshes or other setups that can provide them with the virtual reality experience they want.

November 11, 2024
Meta launches the Quest 3 VR headset

Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta Platforms, made an exciting statement on Instagram when he showed off the Quest 3 VR headset, which is Meta’s next-generation mixed reality device.

Meta is doing this to get ready for possible competition from Apple, which is said to be getting into the mixed reality business.

Quest 3 headset

The Quest 3 starts at $499, and its thinner design and cutting-edge colour mixed reality technology, which combines parts of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), promise to improve the user experience. Zuckerberg posted on Instagram about the news before Meta’s annual game conference.

Read also: Sony bets big on its next VR headset

Meta also stated that the price of its existing Quest 2 headsets would go down, making them more affordable for a wider range of people. On June 4, the 128GB version of the Quest 2 will cost $299.99, which is $100 less than before.

The 256GB version will cost $349.99, which is $80 less than before. Along with lowering the price, Meta has improved Quest 2’s speed so that users can have a smoother and more immersive experience.

Quest 3 VR’s notable improvements

The Quest 3’s Qualcomm chipset doubles graphics performance over the Quest 2. Zuckerberg announced that Meta’s annual AR/VR conference on September 27th will reveal more about Quest 3’s fall arrival. Meta’s clever scheduling builds enthusiasm for its latest offering.

Meta’s Quest 2 (left) and Quest 3 (right) VR headsets Size

It’s interesting that Zuckerberg’s news comes just days before Apple’s expected unveiling of its first mixed reality device. Bloomberg says that Apple’s high-end mixed reality gadget will probably cost around $3,000. With Apple’s entry into the market, there will be more competition in the mixed reality area.

IDC, a market research company, predicts that nearly 80% of the 8.8 million VR headsets that will be sold in 2022 will be Meta’s Quest 2 and Quest Pro models. The closest rival, the Pico device from Chinese company ByteDance, had a 10% market share. This amazing market share shows Meta’s strong position in the industry.

Meta is the market leader, but it has had trouble getting customers outside of the gaming business and making the metaverse it promised a reality. A study by Reuters found that eight of the top ten most downloaded apps from Meta’s Quest store are games. This shows that even though Meta is trying to find more uses for virtual reality, gaming is still the most popular one.

Also, the general market for AR/VR headsets fell by 54.4% from the same time last year to the first quarter of this year. In Meta’s Reality Labs parts, which include sales of headsets, sales dropped by 50% compared to the year before. These numbers show that Meta needs to overcome problems and get people to buy its goods again.

Read also: MTN Becomes Africa’s First Metaverse Landlord, Buys 144 Plots of Virtual Land

To deal with these problems, Meta has been looking hard into other areas. For example, the company has gotten into the exercise industry by advertising its products as tools for working out. Zuckerberg has shared videos of himself using Meta devices while doing physical sports like fencing and mixed martial arts. Also, Meta was able to buy the company that made the VR fitness app Supernatural, which shows how serious it is about getting into the fitness business.

Touch Plus controllers of the Quest 3

Meta has also added work tools to the Quest headsets, turning them into virtual offices to get more people to use them. Meta has made it possible for popular apps like Teams and Outlook to run on Quest devices by working with Microsoft in an important way. Meta wants to make its headsets important tools for remote work and collaboration by adding these well-known productivity tools.

June 8, 2023
OpenAI introduces ChatGPT, Whisper APIs

OpenAI has announced that, through the recently introduced Whisper API, it is now enabling third-party developers to include ChatGPT in their products and services. Using this tool will be far less expensive than using its current language models.

The company released the open-source Whisper speech-to-text model in September 2022. The Whisper API is a hosted version of that model. According to OpenAI, Whisper is an artificial speech recognition system that costs $0.006 per minute and enables large-scale transcription in a number of languages. It accepts files in a variety of formats, including M4A, MP3, MP4, MPEG, MPGA, WAV, and WEBM.

Whisper appears to be exceptional thanks to training on 680,000 hours of multilingual and “multitask” data gathered from the web, despite competitor tech companies like Google, Amazon, and Meta having created high-quality speech recognition algorithms. Greg Brockman, the president and chairman of OpenAI, claims that this gives it improved recognition capabilities, such as the ability to recognize unusual accents, background noise, and technical jargon.

According to Brockman, the developer ecosystem did not actually build around the model we released. “The Whisper API is the same huge model that is available as open source, but we’ve optimized it to the maximum degree.” It’s incredibly convenient and much, much faster.

Read also: 12 Ways ChatGPT Can Make Your Business Operations Easier

Brockman viewpoint

Regarding Brockman’s remark, businesses have restrictions when using voice transcription technology. The main obstacles to adopting tech like tech-to-speech are accuracy, accent- or dialect-related recognition issues, and costs, according to a 2020 Statista survey.

One of Whisper’s limitations is “next-word prediction.” This is due to the system’s extensive data training. However, OpenAI warns that Whisper may contain non-said words in its transcriptions, possibly because it is simultaneously attempting to predict the next spoken word and transcribe the audio recording.

In addition, Whisper’s performance varies by language, with speakers of less-represented languages in the training set having a higher mistake rate.

According to a 2020 Stanford study, Amazon, Apple, Google, IBM, and Microsoft’s systems generated 19% fewer errors with white users than black ones.

ChatGPT Users To Pay $42 Subscription Fee

OpenAI’s Whisper API strategy

OpenAI anticipates enhancing existing software, services, tools, and solutions with Whisper’s transcription capabilities. The Whisper API is currently used by the AI-powered language learning app Speak to offer a brand-new virtual speaking partner within the app.

In addition, OpenAI’s entry into the speech-to-text business could be quite lucrative. The potential market value is projected to reach $5.4 billion by 2026, up from $2.2 billion in 2021.

Brockman stated, “Our vision is to become an all-encompassing intellect.” “We want to be able to very flexibly accept whatever type of data you have and whatever type of work you’re attempting to complete in order to multiply your focus.”

March 6, 2023
9 Google products that are powered by AI

Artificial intelligence (AI) has made significant strides in the past several years in terms of both use and application, and it has a bright future ahead of it. Google’s key products, used by billions of people daily, are already powered by AI.

Technology is reviving society globally. A head-to-head battle between AI+search optimization’s top players is the future. Talent acquisition, pricing volatility, and an unimaginable amount of money will be spent on search in the future.

These are nine ways we now employ AI to improve the usefulness of our products, including some of our most recent features:

Read also: The meteoric rise of ChatGPT, an Artificial Intelligence chatbot, worries Google

Search

The majority of searches at the time Google was formed were made on computers found in households, libraries, or computer labs. Twenty-five years later, AI is enabling search in new languages, with new inputs (such as using your camera to look anything up or even humming a song), and even several inputs at once.

How many times have you searched for the perfect clothing, nail painting lesson, or plant care instructions but couldn’t find the proper words?

Google’s multisearch lets you search using photos and text in the app. You can snap a photo and add words to discover a shirt with an unusual wallpaper pattern.

Modern methods for language processing and computer vision are used to power this capability. With Google Multisearch, users can now take a picture of an object to ask questions about it or even narrow down their search by brand, colour, or other details.

Open the Google app on your smartphone or tablet, tap the Lens camera icon, and then either search for one of your screenshots or take a photo of something in the immediate vicinity, like the trendy wallpaper pattern at your neighbourhood coffee shop, to get started.

To add text, slide up and click the “+ Add to your search” button.

Maps

In more than 220 nations and territories around the world, Google Maps is used to drive more than 1 billion kilometers each day. Google Maps employs artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze data and deliver current information about traffic conditions and delays, sometimes assisting users in completely avoiding a traffic jam.

Google and DeepMind, an Alphabet AI research facility, collaborated last year to increase the precision of their traffic forecast tools.

Google Maps has combined billions of Street View and aerial photographs to build a detailed digital model of the world, allowing users to experience a location as if they were physically present before entering.

Using artificial intelligence (AI), Google Maps uses 2D photos of a location to build a highly accurate 3D depiction that models the real complexity of a place, so you can see if a restaurant has wonderful lighting for a date night or a great outdoor dining area.

Translate

Google Translate eliminates linguistic barriers with AI and machine learning. With advanced machine-language-driven translation, the program now supports 133 languages.

The Google Translate app now supports 33 additional languages, all of which may be used whether the user has a network connection or is traveling without one.

In addition to others, the new languages also include Basque, Corsican, Hawaiian, Hmong, Kurdish, Latin, Luxembourgish, Sundanese, Yiddish, and Zulu.

Pixel

In chat, your Pixel phone can now immediately translate between 21 different languages thanks to a recent announcement, and interpreter mode on your Pixel phone can also enable verbal conversations between six different languages.

Magic Eraser on Pixel 6 removes photo distractions with it. A photobomb or electrical lines might ruin the great shot. These can take away from the photo’s focus.

When you take a shot, Magic Eraser can identify potential distractions like people in the background, power lines, and light posts and recommend what you might want to delete. Afterwards, you may select whether to delete them all at once or one by one by tapping.

Based on what you circle, Magic Eraser uses machine learning to figure out what you’re trying to eliminate. Magic Eraser then utilizes machine learning to estimate what the pixels would look like without the distraction.

Photos

People take numerous photographs, yet the profusion of images makes it easy for memories to go missing. In 2015, Google created AI for Pictures to assist users in searching for images based on their content. Google Photos automatically sorts photos by the people, locations, and objects that are significant. Users no longer need to tag or label any of them, nor do they need to create albums manually.

The app can also swiftly edit and combine photographs to let you relive life’s moments. To improve each photo’s color, lighting, and subject, tap once.

Google has used AI in Photos to let customers recall forgotten “memories.” Memories lets you look back on important images, recent highlights, family experiences, favorite pastimes, and more.

As you move through your photo grid, these memories will appear alongside fresh Best of Month memories and trip highlights.

12 Ways ChatGPT Can Make Your Business Operations Easier

YouTube

In order to make films more accessible to a wider audience, including people who are deaf or hard of hearing, YouTube employs AI to generate captions for videos automatically.

Assistant

Humans speak in a human manner. Until recently, computers did not. Because Assistant uses Natural Language Processing (NLP) AI technology, it can understand and respond in a way that mimics human communication. This enables it to parse the text of your question and attempt to determine its meaning.

AI lets your phone, home, TV, or car comprehend “Hey Google, where’s the closest dog park?” and immediately provide you directions.

Gmail

Autocomplete and spell check are two AI-powered services that we are all accustomed to using. Yet, if you’ve ever wondered why Gmail is less prone to spam than other email providers, look to artificial intelligence.

Gmail’s AI-powered spam-filtering tools block over 99.9% of spam, phishing attempts, and malware.

Google Arts & Culture

“Woolaroo” offers a fresh method for learning about native tongues. It supports the expansion, preservation, and sharing of 17 different world language communities’ languages with you.

Woolaroo, a language learning software, uses machine learning to identify things in front of your camera and suggest translations for them, encouraging language learning and the preservation of heritage languages such as Mori, Louisiana Creole, and Yiddish.

February 22, 2023
Mastercard, Xsolla partner to facilitate payments for video games commerce

Mastercard and Xsolla, a global company specialising in video game commerce, have formed a partnership to facilitate payments that are hassle-free, safe, and rewarding for gamers.

These improvements range from enhanced checkout experiences that make use of credit card loyalty points to simple in-game currency gifting, as well as improved creator payout processes and other areas.

Through this partnership, Xsolla’s platform will be combined with the technology, network-level expertise, global scale, and trusted connections of Mastercard. The end result will be payment experiences that are more accessible and fully customizable for players, developers, and creators.

Mastercard and Xsolla have agreed to collaborate on the development of innovative card and account-based solutions and services for the purpose of enhancing digital experiences for gamers in the realm of payments and beyond.

Pay with Points is a solution that will be integrated into Xsolla’s Pay Station product, and it will be available to Mastercard cardholders for the very first time.

Read also: Netflix introduces in-game IDs for iOS and Android gamers

This will allow cardholders to redeem their loyalty points for in-game purchases in a seamless manner, which will serve to launch this game-changing partnership. Additionally, players will have the ability to share an in-game currency with their close friends and family members. They also have the goal of resolving challenges faced by the gaming industry and placing a higher priority on protecting consumers. As part of this effort, the companies will use the authentication and fraud detection capabilities offered by Mastercard to provide parents with more control before their children make purchases with video games.

Details Mastercard and Xsolla Partnership

Blake Rosenthal, Executive Vice President of Fintech Solutions at Mastercard, stated that the company is looking forward to further enabling cardholders to tap into their passions through this new partnership with Xsolla which is shaping the future of commerce in gaming. “Mastercard has been a strong supporter of the gaming community for many years,” Rosenthal said. “We look forward to further enabling cardholders to tap into their passions through this new partnership with Xsolla.” “As mobile devices make video games more accessible, it is necessary to create a gratifying, best-in-class digital experience in order to cultivate a dedicated gaming community and build a payments ecosystem that offers choice across a variety of platforms and dimensions.”

“The partnership with Mastercard is a testament to our commitment to continuously innovate for the benefit of developers and all players around the world,” said Berkley Egenes, Chief Marketing Officer at Xsolla. “The partnership with Mastercard is a testament to our commitment to continuously innovate for the benefit of developers and all players around the world.”

“We are able to establish new channels for revenue creation and enhanced lifetime value for developers by combining Xsolla’s Payments Solution with Mastercard’s loyalty capabilities, security solutions, and card and account-based payments technology. Xsolla’s Payments Solution was developed by Xsolla. We are thrilled to make such a significant advance toward our goal of providing a superior and more welcoming gaming environment for all of our customers.

Later on in this year, players will have the opportunity to use loyalty points earned from participating Mastercard partners to pay for in-game purchases when making purchases.

Africa is set to take over the global videogame business.

February 16, 2023
Google Closes Stadia Cloud Gaming services in the UK

Google has shut down its Stadia cloud-gaming service in the UK, promising to refund gamers who have made Stadia purchases.

The service was made inaccessible after 08:00 on 19 January, many gamers say they are “heartbroken” to see it go.

Google says it will refund people who bought controllers, games or downloadable content, with Google previously estimating those refunds would be completed by mid-January.

Google has marked the closure by releasing one final Stadia game, Worm Game, which the developers used to test the service before its public release.

“We’re grateful to the dedicated Stadia players that have been with us from the start. We will be refunding all Stadia hardware purchases made through the Google Store, and all game and add-on content purchases made through the Stadia store.” Google announced on the blog.

Read also: Acer introduces new Nitro Gaming Laptops

Stadia, a Netflix for games

Stadia was popular as a “neflix for games” since it launched, in November 2019, allowing players to stream games online without a PC or console.

However, after its closure, google has unveiled plans to make its Stadia controllers capable of using Bluetooth, which would allow them to be used on PCs wirelessly to play any game.

Google had announced in September that it was shutting Stadia because it hadn’t gained the expected traction with users.

“ A few years ago, we also launched a consumer gaming service, Stadia. And while Stadia’s approach to streaming games for consumers was built on a strong technology foundation, it hasn’t gained the traction with users that we expected, so we’ve made the difficult decision to begin winding down our Stadia streaming service.” Google announced on their blog.

But fans have reacted with sadness, with many pointing out that some games developed exclusively to be played on Stadia could be lost forever once the service closes.

Not Gone Forever

Stadia founder and chief executive Dylan Cuthbert told journalists his team would make sure it’s not “gone forever”.

According to him, the team had spent two years developing Stadia exclusive PixelJunk Raiders and wanted to make sure it was not “gone forever”.

“It’s a real shame when people can’t play a game you’ve spent years making,” he said.

“We’re hoping to talk to publishers who can help us get it on to a PC or even PS5 [PlayStation 5] or other platforms. The IP is ours, so we’re trying to find a way to do that.”

Mr Cuthbert said he was discussing how this might work with Google, which had been “forward thinking” about finding a resolution. But there is another problem. I’d want to rework the game a little bit as well,” he said.

“At the time when we launched it, we did have to rush it a bit at the end. I wanted to spend like a bit more time – maybe another eight months or so – reworking a few things.

“If I was going to relaunch it, I’d do that, and I’d want to find a publisher who can help us do that. But there’s nothing on the books yet.” He added.

Jordy, 30, from Gosport, told BBC News she owned three Stadia controllers and was “heartbroken” it was closing.

“I honestly loved Stadia, one of the things I found the best about Stadia was the fact I could game anywhere.” She said.

“I was able to play games like Destiny 2 with my partner via my iPad whilst he was playing on the PS5. The Stadia controller was the best controller I’d used. I loved it.” She added.

“The refunds enabled me to get myself a new gaming device, and Ubisoft even gave me the games we already purchased for free,” she said.

“Even the hardware was refunded, so we essentially got controllers and 4K Chromecasts for free. It is a shame that Stadia had to close, but I am happy I was able to experience it.” Jordy explained.

Gaming in Africa is expanding as players become professionals

About Stadia

Stadia is Google’s cloud-based gaming platform that lets you play your favorite video games instantly across compatible TVs, computers, and mobile devices, with no waiting to download games, patches, or platform updates.

January 26, 2023
The Remarkable Growth of Nigeria’s ICT Sector

In recent years, the information and communication technology (ICT) industry in Nigeria has grown and changed a lot. According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the industry contributed 18.44% of the country’s GDP in the second quarter of 2022.

The government has put a lot of work into fostering the growth of the ICT industry and expanding access to ICT services and infrastructure. Initiatives like the National Broadband Plan and the National eGovernment Master Plan, which seek to increase the use of ICT in government operations and services, have been a part of this.

The Nigerian ICT sector does face a number of problems, such as a lack of cheap and reliable electricity, a lot of tax and regulation problems, limited access to ICT infrastructure in rural areas, and a lack of qualified ICT experts. Even with these problems, the industry has continued to grow, and it has the potential to be a key part of the nation’s economic growth.

Read also: How Technology Improves Healthcare in Africa

ICT trends for 2023 include these

Cloud computing adoption

Nigerian companies will use cloud computing to store and analyze data. This will help them save money and work more efficiently. Rack Centre, Cloudflex Computing Services Limited, Layer3Cloud, and others are growing in this field.

Growth of the e-commerce sector

E-commerce has become easier. Nigeria has a large population that is growing quickly; more people have mobile phones, and more people have access to the internet. With improvements in electronic payments and logistics, the trend of growth is likely to continue in the coming years. Jumia, Konga, and Jiji continue to demonstrate what is feasible in this market.

Broadband mobile usage growth

Mobile broadband is expected to keep growing in Nigeria because more people want to use data services, and more 4G and 5G networks are being built. The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) gave 5G licenses to MTN Nigeria and Mafab Communications in 2021. Airtel joined the party in December.

MTN claims to have launched services in a few cities. More 5G service rollouts and better access are expected in 2023.

Rise of fintech

In recent years, the fintech business in Nigeria has grown a lot. This is because more people are using digital financial services. According to reports, over 200 fintech companies are working quickly to close the financial inclusion gap in Nigeria. In the fintech ecosystem, there are businesses that deal with mobile payments, digital banking, merchant solutions, and personal finance.

Interswitch, Flutterwave, Paystack, PiggyVest, Paga, and E-tranzact are a few of the most important companies in this market.

Utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) more frequently

In Nigeria, where the goal is to use technology to solve problems and improve services, AI is expected to be used more in a number of fields, such as healthcare, education, and agriculture. IoT Africa Networks Limited, Kobo360, and the Data Scientists Network are some of the early participants.

How To Start A Fintech

Growth of the outsourcing sector

Nigeria is a good place to outsource to because it has a highly educated workforce and low labour costs. This trend is likely to continue as long as businesses try to outsource certain business tasks to cut costs, boost productivity, and make more money. Leading companies in this field include Workforce Group, Philip Outsourcing, and Renda.

Digitization

Digital skills will be in demand as ICT increases. This tendency will certainly spur training programs to help people learn the requisite skills. In this area, governments are working hard.

The National Center for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR) of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) is training one million Python developers for machine learning and data science. The Second Phase of Eko Digital, which aims to teach one million young people in Lagos about cybersecurity, has already begun. Private sector initiatives abound.

ICT will still dominate the economy. In 2023, human capacity and infrastructure deployment will dominate ICT.

January 3, 2023
The Purpose and meaning of Artificial Intelligence

If you’ve ever used Uber or your phone’s auto-correct feature, you’ve used artificial intelligence. It seems that “artificial intelligence” (AI) is everywhere these days, but what does it actually mean? How does it benefit us in our daily lives?

Artificial intelligence’s effects on our daily lives can be determined by understanding it. Artificial intelligence (AI) is a computer’s or machine’s ability to learn, solve problems, make decisions, and understand natural language.

The entire process is automated. Automated systems that are “artificially intelligent” can learn from how they have been used before and change their responses to fit the user’s needs or try to get them to change their habits. This is just a very brief explanation of what artificial intelligence is; of course, there is much more to say.

Machine learning, deep learning, and natural language processing are crucial to AI. Machine learning is the process by which computers can get better at what they do by looking at large, structured data sets and getting feedback from humans and other ML systems on a regular basis.

Deep learning is thought to be the most advanced type of machine learning because it learns by looking at examples. Nevertheless, it can use unstructured data. Natural Language Processing is a computer-science linguistic technique. It enables voice recognition by machines. Computers perceive and respond to human input using natural language processing.

Read also: Nigeria Launches Africa’s First Humanoid Robot, Omeife

Real-World Applications of AI

Technologies based on artificial intelligence (AI) are being used in a variety of fields to improve output, accuracy, and user experience. Typical applications of artificial intelligence (AI) include the following:

Navigation with Maps

Travelling is easier because of AI. Today, you can use Waze, Google, or Apple Maps on your phone to get around. How does an app decide where to go? The best route: roadblocks or gridlock? Satellite-based GPS was the only option until AI was added to improve service.

Algorithms for machine learning that remember the edges of buildings make it easier to read and understand the house and building numbers and make maps look better. The app can also tell when traffic patterns change and suggest a different route to take to avoid slowdowns and traffic.

Face-Recognition Technology and Applications

AI is already in use when we use virtual filters on our faces when taking pictures and when we use the facial ID to open our phones. The first one has face detection, which lets it recognize any human face, while the second one uses technology that lets it recognize specific human faces. Additionally, surveillance and security systems at government buildings and airports employ facial recognition technology.

Text-editing and auto-correction apps

Using AI technologies that combine machine learning, deep learning, and natural language processing, your typing mistakes will be fixed in word processors, texting apps, and other places where you type. Linguists and computer scientists teach machines grammar like humans. The editor flags inappropriate comma usage because high-quality language data trains the algorithms.

Search-Recommendation Algorithms

Have you noticed that movie and shopping suggestions are often based on what you like or what you’ve been looking for recently? After watching how you use the Internet for a while, these smart recommendation systems will make suggestions based on what they know about you and what you like. Machine learning and deep learning are used to store and analyze the data that is collected at the front end. It can then guess what you like based on what it knows about you and suggest products, music, and more.

Chatbots are programmed to speak like customer care employees using natural language processing (NLP). More than just yes-or-no questions, modern chatbots can handle a range of inputs. Thus, they can answer complex problems. If you don’t like a bot’s answer, it will fix it next time to keep customers pleased.

Social media apps are using artificial intelligence (AI) more and more to monitor content, suggest relationships, and show ads based on certain criteria. This is done to keep users interested and “plugged in.”

AI systems can quickly find and remove content that doesn’t follow the terms of service by looking for keywords and recognizing pictures. This approach heavily employs deep learning’s neural network design.

As a result, social media platforms use AI to match users with businesses that have determined that they would be interested in advertising to them based on their profiles. Social media AI may also learn what users like and recommend more of it.

How Technology Improves Healthcare in Africa

Electronic or digital payments

Financial institutions are now using AI to improve the customer experience by making it easier for people to pay.

Due to the use of AI for security, identity management, and privacy controls, it is now possible to open accounts, make deposits, and transfer money from anywhere in the world.

Credit card fraud can be found by keeping an eye on how people spend their money. That, too, is an example of AI. Algorithms can figure out how much money a user has to spend based on their buying habits, such as what they buy, how often they buy it, and where they buy it.

AI is often in the news, and these uses show why. These are just a few of the many ways AI is used. AI affects every part of our lives. It leads to the creation of cutting-edge technology.

December 28, 2022
8 Best VPNs In Nigeria 2022: Speed, Streaming & Privacy
Technology has significantly evolved over the years, improving the internet experience globally. There is now easier and more affordable access to a plethora of diverse information.

This advancement has also made human interactions more seamless across business operations and relationship building among individuals, organisations and nations, among other human endeavours.

More than ever, the world transacts online with payment of goods and services cutting across all sectors, including education, health, manufacturing, entertainment and travel.

Now that the world is truly a global village and is so closely connected through the web, internet users need to be conscious and intentional about their safety online.

Transactions and interactions done via the internet leave trails, whether sending and receiving confidential information or paying for products and services. Therefore every interaction online can expose one to being hacked by cybercriminals. These cyber criminals engage in credit card fraud, identity theft, and other crimes.

How, then, can you protect yourself from these cyber criminals, also called hackers? This is where VPN comes in, as it provides online security and privacy for internet users.

Here are the 8 Best VPNs you can use in Nigeria, but first, let’s understand what VPN is.

Read also: How To Enable Bitcoin On Cash App: A Complete Guide In 2022

What Is VPN?

VPN is a three-letter acronym for “Virtual Private Network”. It is a service that provides protection for your internet network connection.

A VPN encrypts your internet data and traffic online in real time, disguising and protecting your identity, particularly when using public internet networks.

This makes it difficult for hackers and other third parties to monitor or track your activities on the internet.

How Does A VPN Work?

Every device that accesses the internet makes use of an IP address. This is what identifies the network and the estimated location. With a discoverable network and approximate location, every internet user risks being hacked.

This is where a VPN is important. It hides the IP address by redirecting it through a configured remote server run by a VPN host.

So if someone copied your IP address to get your data, it would appear like jargon and unusable information.

This means it shields your actual IP address from being known or leaked by disguising your location. So, you can browse the internet safely without fear of your information being compromised.

Now that the importance of VPN is understood, there is a need to know the best options to choose from.

Criteria For Selecting Nigeria VPNs

There are many VPNs available which makes finding a VPN a lot easy. However, what is important is selecting the right VPN that will adequately protect you as you surf the internet.

To rate any VPN provider, we look at the number of servers the provider as well as the countries their server network covers. Having more servers across multiple locations offer users a wide range of content options they can access globally.

We also rate the speed of the VPN to assess how fast it will be for streaming different audio and video sites online.

Protecting privacy is a key reason why internet users love to use VPNs, so we also examine how well users’ privacy is secured.

Here are the 8 Best VPNs you can use in Nigeria.
1. Nord VPN
2. Private Internet Access (PIA)
3. CyberGhost
4. Surfshark
5. ExpressVPN
6. IPVanish
7. PrivateVPN
8. Atlas VPN
These 8 VPNs are some of the best options you can pick from.

1. Nord VPN

NordVPN is one of the most popular VPNs, with a presence in 59 countries across the world. It has no fewer than 5,000 servers worldwide, ensuring improved speed and stability.

This means you have access to so many countries and can block content from one country to another that is within its jurisdiction.

NordVPN is great for internet users to safely use their regular services on the go, including streaming content on platforms such as Netflix and BBC iPlayer with high download speed and no lag.

The apps allow users to search by country or server. Options available are dedicated IP, P2P, onion over VPN, and double VPN. Each NordVPN server in the list details the server load percentage (the lower the percentage, the faster the server will be).

NordVPN prioritises security, particularly with the peculiarities of several nations restricting freedom on the internet. It has high-security standards, as the VPN provider prides itself on providing 100% anonymity for users. In addition to 256-bit AES encryption, DNS leak protection, and a kill switch, it has a strict no-logs policy.

NordVPN apps can be downloaded for Windows, MacOS, Android, iOS, and Linux. It can be manually configured on select routers. There is also an app for Android TV and a Chrome and Firefox browser extension.

Advantages: Network of over 5,000 servers around the world; high speeds for streaming HD content. It works with Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and others. Beginner-friendly apps Very secure with a “no logs” policy, Excellent support

Disadvantage: Some servers are not so reliable

2. Private Internet Access (PIA)

Private Internet Access (PIA) has great encryption and identity protection features that let users do things online in private. It has no fewer than 20,000 servers across 77 countries.

In terms of speed, private Internet access ranks with a speed that enables smooth streaming of Netflix, Disney+, BOOM! Studios Max, and other sites. The VPN service also unblocks other popular streaming services like Amazon Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, Disney+, Studios Max and many others.

PIA offers both a live chat system for instant responses and an email ticket system for slightly slower responses to less urgent queries. It also has a FAQ and guide section to help users understand how the VPN works.

Private Internet Access has apps for Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, and Linux. It uses WireGuard and “strict,” which are two of the most popular open-source VPN protocols alongside IPsec on iOS. It also has a strict no log” policy.

Advantages: Fast speed for high-quality streaming. It has over 30,000 servers worldwide, with browser extensions and extra security add-ons. It has responsive 24/7 live chat support.

Disadvantage: No app exclusion or whitelisting

3. CyberGhost

CyberGhost is a VPN service that provides quality security to safeguard one’s identity online. It has unlimited bandwidth and traffic, which makes it great for streaming online at a fast speed. This provider operates in 60 countries and has no less than 7,000 servers, with some situated in South Africa and Kenya.

Considering the user’s access to up to seven simultaneous connections, Cyber Ghost is flexible, giving you a variety of options. The VPN provider is easy to use and responsive. Selecting a server and activating features takes seconds to activate.

The VPN has a real-time customer support feature which enables users to have a Live chat in case the need arises.

CyberGhost VPN is safe to use in Nigeria because it utilises 256-bit AES encryption, DNS and IP leak protection and has an automatic kill switch.

CyberGhost apps are available for Mac, Windows, iOS and Android. It offers apps for Amazon TV, while Linux can be manually configured.

Advantages: Seamless streaming without buffering with strong security features. The app is easy to use, and 7 connections can run concurrently on a single account. The provider has a live chat support feature.

Disadvantage: CyberGhost has no app for Linux

How To Save Data While Streaming Video Online

4. Surfshark

Surfshark is a great option for a VPN, particularly for security and privacy. It has more than 3,200 servers available in 63 countries, including Nigeria. The VPN provider has fast speeds that ensure smooth HD streaming and also works with Disney Plus, Netflix, and Amazon Prime Video. This service can also access Twitter across Nigeria.

This VPN is guaranteed to keep no logs, protect users’ data with military-grade encryption, provide leak protection, and have a kill switch. It also has split tunneling, automatic wifi protection, and the option to send traffic through two VPN servers. It also has round-the-clock customer support.

Surfshark apps are available for MacOS, Windows, Linux, Android, and iOS. It can be manually configured on some routers. The VPN provider also offers extensions for Firefox and Chrome.

Advantages: Fast speed for streaming and browsing. Works well with multiple sites. It has an unlimited number of devices and connections. Customer service provides 24/7 live chat support. It has multiple added security features

Disadvantage: A few slow servers

5. ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN is an excellent choice of VPN because of the high rating of its security offering. The provider is present in 94 countries with over 3,000 high speeds servers.

The fast speed makes 1080p streaming very seamless due to the unlimited bandwidth and no throttling. ExpressVPN lets you stream anything from Netflix to ESPN.

The VPN provides support for its users, with 24/7 availability in case one needs assistance while using the service.

ExpressVPN protects the identity of users online, enabling one to stay anonymous. This is because of the security features that cut across 256-bit AES encryption, DNS leak protection and a kill switch. The VPN provider keeps no identifying logs of its users and enables users to unblock many geo-restricted platforms.

Operating systems of Mac, Windows, Android, iOS, Linux, and Amazon Fire TV, can access ExpressVPN apps. The VPN also has an app for routers as well as browser extensions for Safari, Firefox and Chrome browsers.

Advantages: Over 3000 network of servers worldwide with fast speed for browsing and streaming. The apps are user-friendly, and the VPN can unblock most geo-restricted content. It also has browser extensions. There is 24/7 live chat support.

Disadvantage: Slightly higher in price than most VPNs

6. IPVanish

IPVanish is a VPN that is keen on the security of its users’ data while surfing the internet and definitely works in Nigeria. With its fast-growing network of more than 1,900 servers, it is available in 60 countries across different continents.

IPVanish lets users connect to the VPN on as many devices as possible. It has apps for the most popular online services, making it easy for families to protect all of their internet-connected devices completely.

This VPN has a consistently high speed and works well with streaming platforms like Amazon Prime Video and HBO Now.

IPVanish uses 256-bit AES encryption, has a kill switch, and has in-built DNS and IPv6 leak protection. The VPN also has a no-log policy. Its apps can be installed on Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS. There’s also an app for Amazon Fire TV, but you have to set up Linux and routers manually.

Advantages: Has over 1900 servers with unlimited connection to devices. It has high streaming speed. It has extra security features.

Disadvantages: Struggles with Netflix and has no app for Linux.

7. PrivateVPN

PrivateVPN is a fast-growing VPN provider with over 200 servers with locations across at least 60 countries globally. This VPN is great for unblocking geo-restricted content and letting users access websites in a safe and private way.

A privateVPN is particularly excellent for streaming HD videos due to its fast speed. As a result, users can easily access streaming services such as US Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. With a quick and easy connection to servers, PrivateVPN lets users connect up to 6 devices at the same time with individual IP addresses.

The VPN keeps no data logs, protecting one’s identity and activity online. It makes DNS, of 256-bit AEIPv6cryption, DNS and lPv6 leak protection and has a kill switch. You also have the option of paying in bitcoin for increased privacy.

PrivateVPN is available on Windows and Mac, as well as for mobile on Android and iOS. Manual configuration is necessary for Linux and routers.

Advantages: High speed for streaming and browsing. Apps are quick and easy to use. Includes all of the essential security features. Has a Bitcoin payment option

Disadvantages: No 24/7 live chat. Has no app for linux.

8. Atlas VPN

Atlas VPN is a great choice for its fast speed, allowing users to stream online easily. With a presence in 37 countries, Atlas VPN has at least 750 servers and has no limit to the number of devices a user can use its services with. This means it can be used on mobile devices and computers.

The VPN lets users torrent, and all of their torrent traffic is encrypted before it leaves their device. A streaming service that unblocks Netflix and has a “Tracker Blocker” feature, Customer service for the VPN provider works around the clock to make sure that users’ questions are answered quickly.

Atlas VPN uses IKEv2, uses Wireguard, and has a kill switch. All data is encrypted with AES-256. It has a policy of not keeping logs to protect users and make sure that private information is not kept. This provider uses a data breach scanner to keep an eye on all of its users’ information and protect it from hackers. It is available on Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android.

Advantages: Atlas VPN has extra security features. It has good speed and unlimited connection to devices. There is 24/7 live chat support.

Disadvantages: Atlas VPN slows down your computer’s speed. It has no app for Linux

These 8 VPNs are easy to use and keep cybercriminals from stealing your identity while using the internet. It is a wise investment to consider in order to safeguard your data online.
December 5, 2022
Mozilla acquires the Canadian firm active Replica to create a Metaverse

Mozilla Inc., which owns the Firefox web browser, has announced that it has completed the acquisition of two Canadian businesses in order to advance its metaverse agenda and allow the entire Hubs community to benefit from Active Replica’s proficiency in creating captivating virtual events.

The company acquired Vancouver-based virtual spaces and events business Active Replica and productivity software company Pulse. As it developed, Mozilla bought the startups. In 2018, Hubs, a VR chat room, explored mixed reality communication. Using mixed reality, you can create virtual spaces on the platform.

Additionally, as Mark Zuckerberg continues to invest in the metaverse, Mozilla is aiming to take advantage of the hype around it.

According to a Mozilla official, the financial terms of any acquisition deal would not be disclosed. The official, however, pointed out that both transactions had been performed during the preceding two weeks.

Read also: MTN Group to host Africa’s first virtual concert in the Metaverse

Mozilla’s acquisition of active Replica

According to Mozilla, integrating Active Replica will speed up the development of Hubs, including the creation of more individualized membership levels, an expanded onboarding process, and innovative interactive features.

Active, which was founded in 2020, provides virtual event packages that include bespoke venue design, event planning, live entertainment, and tech support. Active is a Hubs developer, which means that it created its solution on top of Mozilla’s Hubs environment.

Mozilla is investing in personalization, beginning with Pocket, while Pulse will lead its ethical machine-learning initiatives. Active co-founders Jacob Ervin and Valerian Denis joined Mozilla as senior engineering manager and product lead, respectively.

“By joining forces with the Mozilla Hubs team, we’re able to further expand on our purpose and inspire a new generation of creators, connections, and builders,” Active said of the purchase. “Active Replica will keep working with customers, partners, and the community.”

“We are looking to deploy the Pulse team across an assortment of machine learning (ML) projects,” Mozilla said.

Mozilla will invest in personalizing its products, starting with Pocket, which it purchased in 2017, while Pulse will lead its ethical machine learning development.

MTN Becomes Africa’s First Metaverse Landlord, Buys 144 Plots of Virtual Land

About Mozilla

Members of Netscape established Mozilla, a free software community, in 1998. The Mozilla community utilizes, creates, disseminates, and supports Mozilla products, pushing only free software and open standards with a few small exceptions. The tax-paying subsidiary, the Mozilla Corporation, and its nonprofit, the Mozilla Foundation, provide institutional support to the community.

The current offerings from Mozilla include the Firefox web browser, Thunderbird email client (currently available via a subsidiary), Bugzilla bug tracking system, Gecko layout engine, Pocket “read-it-later-online” service, and others.

Mozilla first provided technologies to organizations like Netscape that would monetize its free software source. In July 2003, the Mozilla Foundation became the project’s legal custodian when AOL, Netscape’s parent corporation, substantially curtailed its engagement. After that, Mozilla created standalone software for each function, such as the Firefox web browser and Thunderbird email client, and sold them directly to the public.

Mozilla now offers Firefox for mobile platforms (mainly Android), Firefox OS (since discontinued), Mozilla Persona, and an HTML5 app store.

December 5, 2022