To learn about the benefits of unifying your security operations visit genetec.com See where unified security can take you. 93% of organizations that moved to a unified platform saw a decrease in compatibility issues across their security system. This is why our Security Center platform excels. It delivers a cohesive operating picture through modules that were built as one system. So, whether you’re securing an airport, a parking structure, a multi-site enterprise, public transit, or an entire city, you can access all the information you need in one place. This is unification. © 2021 Genetec Inc. Genetec and the Genetec logo are trademarks of Genetec Inc., and may be registered or pending registration in several jurisdictions.edge_ june 2023 3 contents june 2023 10 12 16 cover story Connecting Africa With vast untapped potential, we explore the continent’s urgent need to bridge the connectivity gap 164 edge_ june 2023 “This youthful energy fuels a spirit of innovation, pushing boundaries, and embracing technological advancements with open arms” From Page 50 22 40 other stories Tips: Free up space on your An- droid phone Make room for more data and apps with these simple tricks 32 Gadget Watch 6 amazing gadgets to keep an eye out for 44 Review Acer Swift Edge 16 48 contentsedge_ june 2023 5 editor’s letter PO Box 500024, Dubai, UAE Tel: +971 (0)4 444 3000 Web: www.itp.com Offi ces in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, London & Mumbai ITP Media Group CEO Ali Akawi Managing Director Alex Reeve Deputy Managing Director Anil Bhoyrul Editorial Group Editor Kate-Lynne Wolmarans kate.wolmarans@itp.com Editor Adelle Geronimo +971 4 444 3497 / adelle.geronimo@itp.com Commercial Editor Arya Devi +971 4 444 3175 / arya.devi@itp.com Art Art Director Amjad Ayche Designer Tofi q Memon Advertising Group Commercial Director Anup Nagpurkar Senior Sales Manager Priyanka Pillai +971 4 444 3399 / priyanka.pillai@itp.com Client Services Manager Cherylann DAbreo +971 4 444 3404 / cherlyann.dabreo@itp.com Photography Chief Photographer Rajesh Raghav Videographer Muhammad Kaleem Video Editor Liju Cheruvathur Multimedia Producer Mina Vucic Group Social Media Manager Andy Ruedas Senior Image Editor Emmalyn Robles Production & Distribution Production Manager Denny Kollannoor Production Coordinator Manoj Mahadevan Circulation Distribution Coordinator Avinash Pereira Circulation Executive Rajesh Pillai Marketing Director of Events & Marketing Daniel Fewtrell ITP Group CEO Ali Akawi CFO Toby Jay Spencer-Davies Welcome to the June issue of edge, where we delve into the vibrant and ever-evolving technology landscape of Africa. In this edition, we shine a well-deserved light on one of the most critical aspects of Africa’s progress: connectivity. Africa’s bustling ecosystem is brimming with brilliant minds, disruptive ideas, and fearless entrepreneurs who are defying the odds and carving their own path to success. The potential of Africa’s digital economy is truly awe-inspiring, with the ability to contribute an astounding $180 billion by 2025. It speaks volumes about the untapped potential waiting to be unleashed. However, the vast and diverse terrain of Africa presents unique hurdles on the path to becoming a fully connected region. In this issue, we look into the initiatives and solutions that could propel Africa towards a connected future. Another exciting feature in this edition is a deep dive into the energy challenges faced by the continent. We look into the potential of embracing solar power, not only as a solution to these challenges but also as a key driver of economic opportunities, job creation, and a sustainable future for Africa as a whole. Additionally, we caught up with Jonathan Tullett, Associate Research Director IT Services, Sub-Saharan Africa, IDC, to get insights into the latest trends shaping the continent’s tech market. According to Tullett, the 54 distinct tech markets across Africa possess their own unique characteristics and exhibit diverse trends. However, there are overarching technological trends that resonate throughout the continent, such as the increasing demand for connectivity, the rising adoption of cloud technologies, and the evolving regulatory landscape. For an in-depth look into the trends that are defining Africa’s burgeoning tech scene, turn to page 28. Furthermore, we showcase five remarkable personalities with African roots. These tech visionaries have redefined the boundaries of innovation and serve as a testament to Africa’s formidable presence in the tech arena. We also have a great feature on some of the amazing gadgets available in the market today and more insights from some of the top experts in the Middle East and Africa regions. With that, I’ll let you get to reading! Until next time. Africa calling Adelle Geronimo editor Published by and © 2023 ITP MEDIA GROUP FZ-LLC The publishers regret that they cannot accept liability for error or omissions contained in this publication, however caused. The opinions and views contained in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers. Readers are advised to seek specialist advice before acting on information contained in this publication, which is provided for general use and may not be appropriate for the readers’ particular circumstances. The ownership of trademarks is acknowledged. No part of this publication or any part of the contents thereof may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form without the permission of the publishers in writing. An exemption is hereby granted for extracts used for the purpose of fair review.6 edge_ june 2023 news UAE ranked as most ‘technologically ready’ Arab nation The UAE has made impressive progress in the latest UN technology index, climbing five positions to become the leading Arab country and securing the 37th rank out of 166 nations. The United Nations’ Technology and Innovation Report evaluates countries’ readiness to embrace advanced technologies, giving particular attention to environmentally- friendly innovation. The UAE’s significant rise in the rankings is a testament to its commitment to enhancing its industrial and technological capabilities in line with its sustainability objectives. The Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT) has introduced various initiatives and programs over the years, creating a path for innovation, technological advancement, and the establishment of green industries in the country. To further solidify its position as a global technology and innovation hub, the UAE has implemented national endeavors like the Technology Transformation Program, Industrial Technology Transformation Index, and Operation 300 billion. These initiatives align with the country’s ambition to become a thriving centre for technology while promoting sustainability. “As a global hub for innovation and talent, we are pioneering cutting-edge technologies that not only support sustainable industrial development, but also contribute to decarbonising other economic sectors,” said Sarah Al Amiri, Minister of State for Public Education and Advanced Technology. The Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy highlighted that the UAE’s digital economy is expected to grow to more than $140 billion in 2031, up from nearly $38 billion at present. DIGITAL ECONOMY news bytes Stay on top of the latest news and trends from the tech scene. $140B The projected value of the UAE’s digital economy by 2031 (Source: Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy)edge_ june 2023 7 news Western Digital discovered an unauthorised party had accessed a database containing limited personal information of the company’s online store customers New updates mark the transition of Bing Chat from private to public preview, allowing anyone to try it out Western Digital has confirmed that sensitive personal information was stolen by hackers, prompting the company to take its store offline and notify customers of the data breach. “The information included customer names, billing and shipping addresses, email addresses, and telephone numbers. As a security measure, the relevant database stored, in encrypted format, hashed passwords (which were salted) and partial credit card numbers,” the company said. According to a report, an unidentified group of hackers breached Western Digital and allegedly exfiltrated ten terabytes of data. While the perpetrators disavowed any association with the ALPHV ransomware gang, they attempted to extort Western Digital through their data leak site, potentially connecting them to the extortion group. On April 28th, the threat actors released a message in which they flaunted their continued access to Western Digital’s network by sharing screenshots of emails, documents, and applications that they had stolen. Western Digital confirms hackers stole customer data Microsoft Bing AI now open to everyone! CYBERSECURITY AI Microsoft has recently introduced a public preview of Bing AI, eliminating the need for a waitlist to access the bot. To give it a try, simply sign in to Bing using your Microsoft account on the Edge browser. In addition, Microsoft has unveiled a range of enhancements for the bot. One notable update is that Bing AI, leveraging the power of OpenAI’s GPT-4, now has the capability to present comprehensive “visual answers” incorporating graphs, charts, and visually appealing formatting. Furthermore, Bing AI will introduce a chat history feature, enabling users to revisit their past conversations with the bot. Microsoft is also actively exploring additional functionalities like context retention for previous chats. In the near future, users will have the ability to export and share their conversations directly from within the chat interface. 8 edge_ june 2023 news Elon Musk names new Twitter CEO Elon Musk has stepped down as the CEO of Twitter and announced via a tweet that he has hired a new chief executive to lead the social media platform. “I am excited to welcome Linda Yaccarino as the new CEO of Twitter!” Musk wrote in a Friday tweet. He added that Yaccarino “will focus primarily on business operations” while Musk will stay closely connected to product design and new technology. Musk has announced that he will take on the role of executive chair and chief technology officer of Twitter, where he will oversee product, software, and sysops. This move is expected to alleviate concerns from Tesla investors who have been worried about Musk’s focus on turning around the social media platform, as he also leads SpaceX. Tesla Inc’s shares surged by 2.4 percent after the news was released. In November, Musk had stated his intention to step down as top executive at Twitter – which is now called X Corp, and find a new leader for the company. Over 80% of Twitter’s workforce has been laid off since Musk bought the company PEOPLE In October 2022, Musk bought Twitter for $44 billion Linda Yaccarino, CEO, Twitteredge_ june 2023 9 news The platform was unveiled to monitor and manage soft mobility operations Bluesky operates on a decentralised platform Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has collaborated with key stakeholders and service providers to launch a comprehensive platform for monitoring and managing soft mobility operations. The platform utilises AI technologies to advance sustainable mobility and is part of RTA’s efforts to position Dubai as one of the world’s smartest cities and achieve the UAE’s vision to be a leading global player in AI by 2031. Hussain Al Banna, CEO of Strategy and Corporate Governance Sector at RTA, emphasised that the soft mobility integrated platform is a crucial initiative aimed at enhancing the quality of services, promoting the integration of multiple mobility means, and ensuring safe and secure mobility for users. The platform links the systems of soft mobility service providers to RTA’s Enterprise Command and Control Centre (EC3), enabling real-time monitoring and management of soft mobility means across the emirate. The initial phase linked five providers of soft mobility services, including four shared e-scooter operators and one shared e-bike operator. Dubai RTA launches AI-powered platform to monitor e-scooters, bicycles Twitter’s ex-CEO launches rival app AI SOCIAL MEDIA Jack Dorsey, founder and former CEO of Twitter, has launched a new social media platform called Bluesky. With services similar to Twitter, the new platform was downloaded over 100,000 since its February launch on the Google Play Store, the Jack Dorsey-backed Twitter competitor is in extreme demand. Bluesky is a text-focused social media service that was released in February. Users can upload images and brief messages of up to 300 characters. Videos and direct communications are currently not supported. Similar to the social network Mastodon, Bluesky operates on a decentralised platform. Users can join a particular “server” that has its own distinct set of rules, interests, and members, allowing them to create autonomous social media experiences. According to Dorsey, objective of Bluesky is to increase user autonomy, variety, and creativity in the online social environment while addressing some of the dangers and difficulties associated with centralised platforms, such as censorship, privacy, and content moderation.Next >