Author: Doris Israel Ijeoma

A new leak has shown that xAI, the company behind Grok, may be working on a tool that allows users to edit spreadsheets directly through the AI platform.  The information came from leaked code, hinting that Grok might soon be upgraded with features that support file editing, including spreadsheets. The details came to light after a reverse engineer shared findings suggesting Grok could soon allow users to edit documents while chatting with the AI at the same time.  Although xAI has not officially confirmed this update, signs point toward its plan to enter the space of AI-powered productivity tools. In…

The Lagos State Government has started a new digital house-numbering project to help improve property identification and public services.  The project, called the Lagos Identity Project, was launched on Tuesday in Alausa. The initiative was introduced by Dr Olajide Babajide, the Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Enterprise Geographic Information System. He said the project will help in tackling challenges like untraceable addresses and tax evasion across the state. With this new system, buildings will get special plates that include QR codes and colour marks that show the local government area.  These digital plates are expected to make emergency…

The U.S. House of Representatives has prohibited the use of WhatsApp on all official devices due to security concerns.  The Office of Cybersecurity issued a memo on Monday, warning that the app poses risks to user data protection because of its lack of transparency and encryption for stored data. The notice suggested alternative communication tools, such as Microsoft Teams, Signal, Wickr by Amazon, and Apple’s iMessage and FaceTime. In response, Meta Platforms, the company behind WhatsApp, disagreed with the ban, claiming that WhatsApp offers better security than the approved alternatives. Earlier this year, WhatsApp revealed that Israeli spyware firm Paragon…

A new telecom operator, Lebara Nigeria, has joined the country’s mobile network space with a unique 0724 number series and plans to offer phone services differently. The company introduced its operations this week, becoming the latest entrant in a market already occupied by MTN, Airtel, Glo, and 9mobile. Lebara Nigeria announced that it now has full interconnectivity with all existing major telecom providers.  This means subscribers will be able to make and receive calls without any disruptions, even when contacting people on other networks. The move is part of the company’s strategy to ensure a smooth experience right from its…

Walk down any street, enter any home, peek into any office, one thing you’ll always see is a glowing screen. Smartphones, tablets, laptops, smartwatches, technology is everywhere. We use it to wake up in the morning, order food, learn new skills, do business, even to pray and sleep. There is no doubt that it makes life easier and faster. But with all these benefits, one big question has come up: Is technology really helping us grow mentally, or is it quietly making us lazy? Some say we are now thinking faster and learning more. Others say we’ve become too dependent,…

Meta has introduced a new security feature called passkeys for users of Facebook and Messenger.  The move began in June 2025, with Facebook users getting access first, while Messenger will follow in the coming months. The passkey system allows people to log in without using a traditional password. Instead, it uses biometric details such as fingerprints or face scans to confirm identity.  These digital keys are stored on the user’s device and cannot be used across multiple sites or apps. Because of this, they are more difficult for scammers to steal or misuse. Meta’s latest update comes as many users…

The Norwegian government plans to stop new data centers that use large amounts of electricity to mine cryptocurrency. This move aims to save power for other industries in the country.  The government said the ban would be temporary and might begin in autumn 2025. The decision comes as the current government, led by the Labour Party, wants to reduce cryptocurrency mining activities in Norway. Officials explained that mining digital currencies uses a lot of energy but creates few jobs or income locally. Norway hopes this action will free up electricity resources for other economic activities while addressing concerns about the…

Pope Leo XIV has spoken about the possible effects of artificial intelligence (AI) on the mental growth of children and young people.  The pope, who began leading the Catholic Church in May and has a background in mathematics, shared his worries about how AI could affect young brains, especially their understanding of reality. He pointed out that today’s youth have faster and easier access to vast amounts of information thanks to AI technology.  However, the pope cautioned that simply having access to data does not mean true understanding or intelligence.  His message was delivered to those attending the second Rome…

Iran has shut down parts of its internet and banking systems across the country, blaming the move on national security concerns after accusing Israel of misusing its communication network for military operations. The Ministry of Communications announced that while access to the wider internet has been limited, local digital services and platforms are still working within the country. This development came shortly after a series of cyber-attacks targeted major institutions.  Nobitex, Iran’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, went offline following what local reports described as a serious threat. Many Iranians rely on crypto platforms like Nobitex to carry out financial transactions and…

United States President Donald Trump has decided to give TikTok more time before enforcing a nationwide ban, as the White House confirmed another 90-day extension will be signed this week.  The earlier deadline for action, set to expire on Thursday, June 19, came from a previous extension signed in April. The move means the popular short video platform will continue to operate in the U.S. while the government and TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, work on reaching an agreement over the platform’s American operations. Trump had earlier delayed the ban shortly after assuming office, issuing an order to allow more…

From Wednesday, June 18, 2025, telecom users in Nigeria will start paying their mobile network providers directly for USSD services.  This change comes after a new billing system approved by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), working with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and other relevant bodies. Under this new system, users will be charged N6.98 for every 120 seconds spent during a USSD session. The money will be taken straight from their airtime balance. However, the charges will only apply if the session is successful, and users will first receive a prompt to accept the fee before any deduction.…

Iranian authorities have called on citizens to delete WhatsApp from their mobile devices, claiming the app shares user information with Israel.  The warning came on Tuesday through state television but was not backed by specific evidence. The move adds to ongoing tensions between Iran and social media platforms.  Iran has a long history of restricting access to various online services.  Despite previous bans, many Iranians still access these platforms using VPNs and proxy networks. WhatsApp, owned by Meta, had been widely used in the country alongside Instagram and Telegram. The latest directive follows past restrictions on WhatsApp and Google Play,…

Instagram has started testing a new feature that allows users to repost content directly to their main Feed.  The trial, which some users have already seen on their accounts, gives people the option to reshare their own posts as well as those from others. The idea of a repost button is not new. The platform was first seen working on this feature back in 2022. Currently, users can only reshare posts to their Stories or rely on third-party tools to repost. This test aims to change that by giving users a built-in way to share posts more widely. Some people…

The Federal Government has begun the rollout of a new education support package for students in technical colleges across Nigeria, offering free tuition, accommodation, feeding, and a monthly stipend of N45,000. The initiative, introduced under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda, aims to increase enrollment in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions and build a more skill-focused workforce. The programme targets sub-tertiary institutions, including technical colleges, vocational institutes, and apprenticeship centres. Alongside the monthly payment, the government will also cover teaching fees, fund industry-based supervisors for students on industrial training, and pay for skill certification to improve employability.…

Google is reportedly planning to end its business relationship with Scale AI, a data-labeling company that supports artificial intelligence projects.  The move comes after Meta invested heavily in Scale AI, raising concerns among some of its existing partners. The decision became known after reports indicated that Google, which had initially set aside $200 million to pay Scale this year, is now exploring other vendors instead. Microsoft is also believed to be reconsidering its dealings with the company, while OpenAI is said to have scaled down its involvement with Scale earlier, although it still uses its services among others. Scale AI…

WhatsApp is preparing to introduce advertisements to its platform for the first time.  The new update will place ads on the Status screen, which works like Instagram’s Stories. Users will start seeing these ads after viewing a few updates posted by their contacts. The company shared that the ads will be based on general user details such as language, location, and the channels they follow. Information from ads users have interacted with will also be considered. However, WhatsApp assured that private details like phone numbers, messages, calls, and group chats will not be used to target users with ads. Meta,…

Android phone users recently noticed their batteries draining faster than usual, even when their phones were not in use.  The problem was traced back to the Instagram app, which was using up power in the background without any activity from users. Many people shared their frustration online, wondering what was causing their phones to lose charge so quickly. The issue became more concerning as it continued for several days without any clear explanation. Some users tried to solve the problem on their own by switching to Instagram Lite or rolling back to older versions of the app.  A few even…

Germany is working on a plan to introduce a 10% tax on major online companies such as Google and Facebook.  The country’s new culture minister revealed this in an interview, explaining that the government wants these tech giants to contribute more to Germany’s economy. The proposed tax is aimed at companies earning huge profits in Germany without paying what the government believes is a fair share. The idea comes at a time when Chancellor Friedrich Merz is preparing for a possible visit to Washington to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump, although no official date has been set.  This move…

X, formerly Twitter has announced that users can no longer send encrypted direct messages for the time being. The company said this is due to ongoing efforts to improve the feature, which had been available since 2023 to users with verified status. While people can still read their past encrypted conversations, the option to send new ones has been disabled without a clear timeline for its return.  This move was shared through the company’s engineering account on the platform. Encrypted DMs were part of a larger plan introduced by Elon Musk after he took over the company. Musk had earlier…

Meta’s artificial intelligence assistant, Meta AI, has now reached one billion monthly users across its different apps. This was shared by CEO Mark Zuckerberg during the company’s annual meeting with shareholders, marking a major increase from the 500 million users reported in September 2024. This new growth comes just weeks after Meta released a separate Meta AI app, showing that more users are getting interested in trying out the technology.  The company said it plans to improve the assistant further by making it more personal and fun to use. Features such as voice interaction and entertainment tools are part of…

9mobile has received permission to begin national roaming services using MTN’s network.  This comes after years of waiting and facing challenges in Nigeria’s telecom industry. The development comes at a time when 9mobile is struggling to stay in the game. Its share of the market has dropped sharply, from 6.6% in 2020 to just 1.72% by April 2025. With such a sharp decline in users, the new roaming deal is seen as a lifeline. In 2020, 9mobile and MTN tried out a short-term national roaming test that lasted for three months. But the pilot ended without further action, and 9mobile…

Telegram will get a $300 million investment from Elon Musk’s artificial intelligence company, xAI.  The announcement was made on Wednesday by Telegram’s founder, Pavel Durov. The investment, made through a mix of cash and equity, is expected to boost Telegram’s AI features. With this partnership, xAI’s chatbot, Grok, will be shared through Telegram and added to apps on the Telegram platform for a full year.  Telegram will also receive half of the income made from xAI subscriptions that are paid for inside the app. Earlier in the year, Grok was only available to Telegram users who paid for premium access.…

Talks are ongoing between Leonid Radvinsky, the billionaire owner of OnlyFans, and a group of investors from the United States who may be interested in buying the platform.  These discussions involve Forest Road Co, a US-based investment firm, but are not exclusive to them. While the platform could be sold for as much as $8 billion, no fixed timeline has been shared for when the deal might happen. OnlyFans, created in 2016 by Tim Stokely, quickly became known for allowing creators mostly those who post adult content to earn money directly from their subscribers. In 2018, Radvinsky took over the…

Texas has approved a new law that will require app stores operated by Apple and Google to verify the age of users before they can download apps or make in-app purchases.  Governor Greg Abbott signed the bill on Tuesday, placing the state at the centre of a growing national conversation around protecting minors online. The new rule came into effect on January 1, 2025. It states that anyone under 18 must get a parent’s permission before downloading apps or buying items inside them. This move follows similar steps taken earlier by Utah, and lawmakers in other states and at the…

After more than a decade, WhatsApp has finally launched a version made specifically for the iPad.  The app became available worldwide on Wednesday through the Apple App Store, allowing users to enjoy the full features of WhatsApp directly on their iPads without needing a browser. For a long time, WhatsApp users who owned an iPad could only access the platform through the web version, which had many limits. They couldn’t make proper video calls, use the cameras, or enjoy a smooth experience. Now, with this new release, users can make video and voice calls with as many as 32 people.…

The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has started a full investigation into an alleged data breach involving the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).  The incident is believed to have exposed the personal details of nearly 380,000 candidates who took part in exams at 157 centres across Lagos and the South-East. The move comes after rising concerns that the private information of these candidates may have been accessed without permission.  It was reported that hackers might have broken into systems due to weak security at some exam centres. As a result, the NDPC is now looking into how the candidates’…

The Nigerian Army’s mobile application, NA iReport, is no longer available on the Google Play Store, while the Nigeria Police Force’s emergency reporting app has been facing major issues. This has raised concerns about how well security agencies in the country are using technology to improve public safety. NA iReport, launched in October 2018 alongside the Nigerian Army Cyber Warfare Command, was created to help citizens report suspicious activity and misconduct by soldiers without revealing their identity. It was introduced under the leadership of the then Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai (rtd), with the aim of improving…

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has told mobile network operators and internet providers to inform their customers when a major service disruption is about to happen.  This notice must include the areas affected, how long the outage might last, and what steps are being taken to fix the issue. The Commission gave this instruction in a circular sent to telecom firms. It explained that operators must use public media to share details of any major disruption. If the outage is planned, customers must be informed at least one week before it begins. The NCC said this move is aimed at…

Elon Musk has announced that he is stepping away from his recent role in government work to return fully to managing his companies—Tesla, X, xAI, and others. After months of involvement in United States President Donald Trump’s administration, Musk said he is now dedicating all his time to his businesses, which are entering a busy phase with important projects. The move came shortly after his social media platform, X, experienced a major outage. Musk revealed that he is now back to working around the clock, even sleeping in offices and factories to stay close to developments. His focus is especially…

Many users across the world were unable to use X, the social media platform once known as Twitter, after it experienced another major outage on Saturday, May 24. The disruption began around 1:30 p.m., affecting both the app and website. The problem quickly drew attention as reports flooded in from frustrated users. DownDetector, a website that tracks online service issues, showed that complaints jumped from a few dozen to over 11,000 in just a short time. The peak was recorded around 1:39 p.m., as many people could no longer send messages, log in, or browse their feeds. This is not…