Author: Stuff writer

On Monday, Facebook and Instagram owner Meta received a staggering  $1.3 billion fine from the European Union in another data trust (or lack thereof) scandal. The EU wants Meta to stop transferring data from Facebook users in Europe to the United States. Why? Well…because most countries don’t trust each other with sensitive information. People also don’t (and probably shouldn’t) trust tech companies with most of their personal information. The EU does not know how the US will use the information received from EU Facebook users. The group is concerned that Facebook data could be used to spy on its citizens.…

Short-form blogging platform Twitter now allows users to post videos that are two hours long. Perhaps we should rephrase that — it’s the previously short-form blogging platform. Also, ‘allows’ is a strong word. Twitter Blue, the platform’s subscription-based service, now allows users to post videos that have up to an 8GB file size. This is an expansion from the previous 2GB file size which allowed videos up to one hour long. Video quality remains capped at 1080p though. Users can now post longer videos using the iOS app. Subscribers on Android can also upload lengthier videos that are up to…

Unless you’ve tried using a GIF to comment on Instagram, you’ll probably find it shocking that this was impossible on the Meta-owned platform. Until now. The platform’s head, Adam Mosseri, announced that users would finally be able to comment using GIFs. Mosseri made the announcement, which he called a “finally feature” during a chat on Instagram Channels with Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, reports Engadget. Thanks, we guess We’d say it’s about time seeing that the ability to comment with Gifs is available on most platforms. Until now, Instagram users could comment using multimedia including images and videos from their devices…

If you, like most people, have multiple Google accounts, some of which you rarely use, you may want to check up on them soon by signing in before you lose them for good. Google’s latest policy update requires users to log into their account at least once every two years or risk having the entire account and any accompanying data deleted. Previously, it would only delete some of the data that had not been used from an account. This time, however, the data deleted will include “content within Google Workspace (Gmail, Docs, Drive, Meet, Calendar), YouTube, and Google Photos”. Google’s…

Apple this week announced a range of accessibility features including Live Speech and Personal Voice which lets users train their devices to recreate their voices. You know, in case you lose your voice or are simply not in the mood to move your lips. The new features are aimed at making life easier for users with speaking and seeing impediments. Live Speech allows users to type what they want to say during a live call. The device then translates this to speech in real time. Using Personal Voice, users can train the software to learn their voices so the person…

In an effort to bring more awareness, unity and equality into the world, Apple has announced a new sports band in support of the LGBTQ+ community. After launching the Watch Black Unity Sport Loop series in celebration of Black History Month in October last year, this month, the fruit company announced a new Pride Edition Sport Loop and wallpaper ahead of LGBTQ+ Pride Month in June. Full of pride In addition to the strap’s rainbow colours, Apple says the Pride Edition also includes black and brown colours – to represent the Black and Latin marginalized LGBTQ+ communities and those living…

Ayoba is growing at super speed. The Africa-focused super app is turning four years old this month. In that time it has racked up more than 25 million monthly active users – with five million gained this year alone. Its active users are predominately in South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Uganda, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, and the Republic of Congo recorded 20 million active users in December 2022. “Our journey has been transformative, and the positive response from our users fuels our drive for innovation,” says Ayoba CEO Burak Akinci. Now that’s Ayoba Because it’s a super app, Ayoba offers a mixed…

What do you gift the person who gave you life… or a life? Whether they carried you for almost ten months or not, mothers — like gifts — come in all forms. Flowers are great, but tech is better. Plus, it’ll last longer. Here are some Mother’s Day gift ideas for your mother, the one who birthed you, shaped you, raised you, or guided you through life. Make sure you pick something up before 14 May, which is the official date this year. What, you thought we’d let you forget? Again? Read More: Amazon’s Kindle Scribe is the first e-reader…

Imagine if you could use your sense of smell as you make your way around virtual reality (VR). Though users have been able to see, hear, and even feel (a bit) using their headsets, the ability to smell has not been available. That’s not strictly accurate. You could always smell your surroundings but you couldn’t detect anything specific to VR space unless that’s what your home happens to smell like. Tech experts seem to be getting closer to making it possible to smell flowers and sewage (on purpose), among other things, in VR space. Researchers from the City University of…

Twitter’s move to remove inactive accounts means some users will lose followers, but it also means more handles to pick from. Elon Musk announced the platform’s plans to purge dormant accounts as part of an ongoing transformation at the social media company. “We’re purging accounts that have had no activity at all for several years, so you will probably see follower count drop,” tweeted Elon Musk. Twitter’s policy requires users to log into their accounts at least once a month. Musk made the announcement on Monday, saying it is “important to free up abandoned handles.” The purge is great news…