Today’s Tech Sightings:
Battle for African Internet Users Stirs Freedom Fears
Africa is expected to have as many as 360 million smartphones and 50 percent Internet penetration by 2050, according to data from McKinsey Consultants. And Google and Facebook are paying attention and offering controversial freebies as they vie for the continent’s Internet users.
Wozniak: Computers Are Going to Take Over
Apple co-founder and programming whiz Steve Wozniak has joined Bill Gates, Elon Musk and Stephen Hawking in warning against the future of artificial intelligence. Wozniak told The Australian Financial Review that computers will take over human tasks and will eventually surpass human intelligence.
When Elon Musk Lived on $1 a Day
Believe it or not, Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk wasn’t always rich. In fact, there were times when he had to scrape for food. And when he started his first company, Zip2, he and his brother slept in their office and showered at the YMCA.
Twitter Introduces Abuse-Blocking Filter
The new feature is only available on Twitter’s mobile app for Apple devices and for verified users, meaning those whose accounts show up with a blue tick. The filter uses algorithms that detect threatening words and their context to block bullying and threatening messages.
Windows vs Android vs iOS: Which phone Users Are the Most Privacy Conscious?
A new report from cybersecurity company Lookout claims that UK Windows Phone owners are more privacy focused than their Android and iOS counterparts, with 41 percent of Windows Phone owners considering security a factor when using their devices, compared to 26 percent for Apple and Android users.
Kaspersky Denies KGB Links
Russia-based Kaspersky Lab’s chief, Eugene Kaspersky, is denying allegations that his cybersecurity company is close to Moscow’s KGB spies. Bloomberg Business published a report last week that accused Kaspersky Lab of excluding Russia from its electronic espionage reports. Writing in a blog entry, Kaspersky called the accusation pure sensationalism.
