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World Cup 2026 Match Schedule in EAT: Kickoff Times for All 104 Games in East Africa Time

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The 2026 FIFA World Cup runs from Thursday June 11 to Sunday July 19, 2026, and for the first time it features 48 teams, 12 groups and a brand new Round of 32. The catch for East African fans is the time zone. North America sits 7 to 10 hours behind Kampala, which means kickoffs land in three windows: a comfortable prime time slot between 7pm and midnight EAT, a late night slot between midnight and 5am, and an early morning slot between 5am and 8am.

The good news is that the some biggest fixtures are kind to this side of the world. The opening match, Mexico vs South Africa, kicks off at 10pm EAT tonight, both semi-finals are 10pm EAT kickoffs, and the final on July 19 at MetLife Stadium is also a 10pm EAT start. Use the search box to jump straight to your team.

Prime time Late night Early morning 7pm to 11:59pm · 12am to 4:59am · 5am to 8:59am, all EAT

Showing all 104 matches

Group Stage (June 11 to June 28, EAT dates)

Thursday, June 11

Prime time
Group AMexico vs South AfricaEstadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico

Friday, June 12

Early morning
Group ASouth Korea vs Czech RepublicEstadio Akron, Zapopan, Mexico
Prime time
Group BCanada vs Bosnia & HerzegovinaBMO Field, Toronto, Canada

Saturday, June 13

Late night
Group DUSA vs ParaguaySoFi Stadium, Los Angeles, USA
Prime time
Group BQatar vs SwitzerlandLevi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, USA

Sunday, June 14

Late night
Group CBrazil vs MoroccoMetLife Stadium, New Jersey, USA
Late night
Group CHaiti vs ScotlandGillette Stadium, Boston, USA
Early morning
Group DAustralia vs TurkiyeBC Place, Vancouver, Canada
Prime time
Group EGermany vs CuracaoNRG Stadium, Houston, USA
Prime time
Group FNetherlands vs JapanAT&T Stadium, Dallas, USA

Monday, June 15

Late night
Group EIvory Coast vs EcuadorLincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, USA
Early morning
Group FSweden vs TunisiaEstadio Monterrey, Guadalupe, Mexico
Prime time
Group HSpain vs Cape VerdeMercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, USA
Prime time
Group GBelgium vs EgyptLumen Field, Seattle, USA

Tuesday, June 16

Late night
Group HSaudi Arabia vs UruguayHard Rock Stadium, Miami, USA
Late night
Group GIran vs New ZealandSoFi Stadium, Los Angeles, USA
Prime time
Group IFrance vs SenegalMetLife Stadium, New Jersey, USA

Wednesday, June 17

Late night
Group IIraq vs NorwayGillette Stadium, Boston, USA
Late night
Group JArgentina vs AlgeriaArrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, USA
Early morning
Group JAustria vs JordanLevi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, USA
Prime time
Group KPortugal vs DR CongoNRG Stadium, Houston, USA
Prime time
Group LEngland vs CroatiaAT&T Stadium, Dallas, USA

Thursday, June 18

Late night
Group LGhana vs PanamaBMO Field, Toronto, Canada
Early morning
Group KUzbekistan vs ColombiaEstadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico
Prime time
Group ACzech Republic vs South AfricaMercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, USA
Prime time
Group BSwitzerland vs Bosnia & HerzegovinaSoFi Stadium, Los Angeles, USA

Friday, June 19

Late night
Group BCanada vs QatarBC Place, Vancouver, Canada
Late night
Group AMexico vs South KoreaEstadio Akron, Zapopan, Mexico
Prime time
Group DUSA vs AustraliaLumen Field, Seattle, USA

Saturday, June 20

Late night
Group CScotland vs MoroccoGillette Stadium, Boston, USA
Late night
Group CBrazil vs HaitiLincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, USA
Early morning
Group DTurkiye vs ParaguayLevi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, USA
Prime time
Group FNetherlands vs SwedenNRG Stadium, Houston, USA
Prime time
Group EGermany vs Ivory CoastBMO Field, Toronto, Canada

Sunday, June 21

Late night
Group EEcuador vs CuracaoArrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, USA
Early morning
Group FTunisia vs JapanEstadio Monterrey, Guadalupe, Mexico
Prime time
Group HSpain vs Saudi ArabiaMercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, USA
Prime time
Group GBelgium vs IranSoFi Stadium, Los Angeles, USA

Monday, June 22

Late night
Group HUruguay vs Cape VerdeHard Rock Stadium, Miami, USA
Late night
Group GNew Zealand vs EgyptBC Place, Vancouver, Canada
Prime time
Group JArgentina vs AustriaAT&T Stadium, Dallas, USA

Tuesday, June 23

Late night
Group IFrance vs IraqLincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, USA
Late night
Group INorway vs SenegalBMO Field, Toronto, Canada
Early morning
Group JJordan vs AlgeriaLevi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, USA
Prime time
Group KPortugal vs UzbekistanNRG Stadium, Houston, USA
Prime time
Group LEngland vs GhanaGillette Stadium, Boston, USA

Wednesday, June 24

Late night
Group LPanama vs CroatiaGillette Stadium, Boston, USA
Early morning
Group KColombia vs DR CongoEstadio Akron, Zapopan, Mexico
Prime time
Group BSwitzerland vs CanadaBC Place, Vancouver, Canada
Prime time
Group BBosnia & Herzegovina vs QatarLumen Field, Seattle, USA

Thursday, June 25

Late night
Group CMorocco vs HaitiMercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, USA
Late night
Group CScotland vs BrazilHard Rock Stadium, Miami, USA
Late night
Group ASouth Africa vs South KoreaEstadio Monterrey, Guadalupe, Mexico
Late night
Group ACzech Republic vs MexicoEstadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico
Prime time
Group ECuracao vs Ivory CoastLincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, USA
Prime time
Group EEcuador vs GermanyMetLife Stadium, New Jersey, USA

Friday, June 26

Late night
Group FTunisia vs NetherlandsArrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, USA
Late night
Group FJapan vs SwedenAT&T Stadium, Dallas, USA
Early morning
Group DTurkiye vs USASoFi Stadium, Los Angeles, USA
Early morning
Group DParaguay vs AustraliaLevi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, USA
Prime time
Group INorway vs FranceGillette Stadium, Boston, USA
Prime time
Group ISenegal vs IraqBMO Field, Toronto, Canada

Saturday, June 27

Late night
Group HCape Verde vs Saudi ArabiaNRG Stadium, Houston, USA
Late night
Group HUruguay vs SpainEstadio Akron, Zapopan, Mexico
Early morning
Group GNew Zealand vs BelgiumBC Place, Vancouver, Canada
Early morning
Group GEgypt vs IranLumen Field, Seattle, USA

Sunday, June 28

Late night
Group LPanama vs EnglandMetLife Stadium, New Jersey, USA
Late night
Group LCroatia vs GhanaLincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, USA
Late night
Group KColombia vs PortugalHard Rock Stadium, Miami, USA
Late night
Group KDR Congo vs UzbekistanMercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, USA
Early morning
Group JAlgeria vs AustriaArrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, USA
Early morning
Group JJordan vs ArgentinaAT&T Stadium, Dallas, USA

Round of 32 (June 28 to July 4, EAT dates)

Sunday, June 28

Prime time
Round of 32 | Match 73Group A runners-up vs Group B runners-upSoFi Stadium, Los Angeles, USA

Monday, June 29

Prime time
Round of 32 | Match 76Group C winners vs Group F runners-upNRG Stadium, Houston, USA
Prime time
Round of 32 | Match 74Group E winners vs Third place A/B/C/D/FGillette Stadium, Boston, USA

Tuesday, June 30

Late night
Round of 32 | Match 75Group F winners vs Group C runners-upEstadio Monterrey, Guadalupe, Mexico
Prime time
Round of 32 | Match 78Group E runners-up vs Group I runners-upAT&T Stadium, Dallas, USA

Wednesday, July 1

Late night
Round of 32 | Match 77Group I winners vs Third place C/D/F/G/HMetLife Stadium, New Jersey, USA
Late night
Round of 32 | Match 79Group A winners vs Third place C/E/F/H/IEstadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico
Prime time
Round of 32 | Match 80Group L winners vs Third place E/H/I/J/KMercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, USA
Prime time
Round of 32 | Match 82Group G winners vs Third place A/E/H/I/JLumen Field, Seattle, USA

Thursday, July 2

Late night
Round of 32 | Match 81Group D winners vs Third place B/E/F/I/JLevi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, USA
Prime time
Round of 32 | Match 84Group H winners vs Group J runners-upSoFi Stadium, Los Angeles, USA

Friday, July 3

Late night
Round of 32 | Match 83Group K runners-up vs Group L runners-upBMO Field, Toronto, Canada
Early morning
Round of 32 | Match 85Group B winners vs Third place E/F/G/I/JBC Place, Vancouver, Canada
Prime time
Round of 32 | Match 88Group D runners-up vs Group G runners-upAT&T Stadium, Dallas, USA

Saturday, July 4

Late night
Round of 32 | Match 86Group J winners vs Group H runners-upHard Rock Stadium, Miami, USA
Late night
Round of 32 | Match 87Group K winners vs Third place D/E/I/J/LArrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, USA

Round of 16 (July 4 to July 7)

Saturday, July 4

Prime time
Round of 16 | Match 90Winner Match 73 vs Winner Match 75NRG Stadium, Houston, USA

Sunday, July 5

Late night
Round of 16 | Match 89Winner Match 74 vs Winner Match 77Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, USA
Prime time
Round of 16 | Match 91Winner Match 76 vs Winner Match 78MetLife Stadium, New Jersey, USA

Monday, July 6

Late night
Round of 16 | Match 92Winner Match 79 vs Winner Match 80Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico
Prime time
Round of 16 | Match 93Winner Match 83 vs Winner Match 84AT&T Stadium, Dallas, USA

Tuesday, July 7

Late night
Round of 16 | Match 94Winner Match 81 vs Winner Match 82Lumen Field, Seattle, USA
Prime time
Round of 16 | Match 95Winner Match 86 vs Winner Match 88Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, USA
Prime time
Round of 16 | Match 96Winner Match 85 vs Winner Match 87BC Place, Vancouver, Canada

Quarter-finals (July 9 to July 12)

Thursday, July 9

Prime time
Quarter-final | Match 97Winner Match 89 vs Winner Match 90Gillette Stadium, Boston, USA

Friday, July 10

Prime time
Quarter-final | Match 98Winner Match 93 vs Winner Match 94SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles, USA

Sunday, July 12

Late night
Quarter-final | Match 99Winner Match 91 vs Winner Match 92Hard Rock Stadium, Miami, USA
Late night
Quarter-final | Match 100Winner Match 95 vs Winner Match 96Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, USA

Semi-finals (July 14 and July 15)

Tuesday, July 14

Prime time
Semi-final | Match 101Winner Match 97 vs Winner Match 98AT&T Stadium, Dallas, USA

Wednesday, July 15

Prime time
Semi-final | Match 102Winner Match 99 vs Winner Match 100Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, USA

Third Place Play-off (July 19, midnight EAT)

Sunday, July 19

Late night
Third place play-off | Match 103Loser Match 101 vs Loser Match 102Hard Rock Stadium, Miami, USA

The Final (Sunday July 19, 10pm EAT)

Sunday, July 19

Prime time
Final | Match 104Winner Match 101 vs Winner Match 102MetLife Stadium, New Jersey, USA

World Cup 2026 in EAT: Quick Answers

What time is the World Cup 2026 final in Uganda?

The World Cup 2026 final kicks off at 10:00pm East Africa Time on Sunday July 19, 2026, at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. That is a perfect prime time slot for fans in Kampala, Nairobi, Dar es Salaam and Kigali.

What time zone is EAT and why are the kickoff times late?

East Africa Time (EAT) is UTC+3, used in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ethiopia and South Sudan. The 2026 World Cup is being played in the USA, Canada and Mexico, which are 7 to 10 hours behind East Africa, so most matches land between 7:00pm and 7:00am EAT.

How many World Cup 2026 matches kick off in prime time for East Africa?

Roughly half of the 104 matches kick off between 7:00pm and midnight EAT, including the opening match, both semi-finals and the final. The rest fall overnight between midnight and 7:00am EAT, so set an alarm for the late window fixtures.

When does the World Cup 2026 start and end?

The tournament runs from June 11 to July 19, 2026, across 16 host cities in the USA, Canada and Mexico. It is the first 48 team World Cup, with 104 matches, a group stage of 12 groups and a brand new Round of 32.

Which African teams are playing at the 2026 World Cup?

Nine African nations qualified: Morocco, Senegal, Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, South Africa, Cape Verde and DR Congo via the playoff. Cape Verde and DR Congo are at the World Cup for the first time.

All kickoff times on this page are in East Africa Time (EAT, UTC+3), the time zone used in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ethiopia and South Sudan. Dates shown are the EAT calendar dates, so a match listed under Sunday at 1am is on Saturday night for viewing purposes. Fixtures are based on the confirmed FIFA schedule and are correct as of June 11, 2026. Knockout pairings will be updated as the group stage concludes.

Music star Bebe Cool to release new EP, No Risk, on June 12

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Music star Bebe Cool to release new EP, No Risk, on June 12

After months of political noise and a slow start to 2026 for Uganda’s music industry, top star Bebe Cool is set to bring the heat back. 

The musician- known as the King of the Uganda Music Industry- has announced a new EP titled No Risk, scheduled for release on Friday, 12th June 2026.

The announcement came via a social media post by the Gagamel boss, confirming the release date for next week. While details about tracklist and features remain under wraps, anticipation is already building among fans and music lovers across the country.

The EP No Risk arrives as a follow-up to Bebe Cool’s critically acclaimed album ‘Break The Chains’, which dropped last year on May 30 and has remained a commercial and streaming success. The album reaffirmed his dominance and earned him praise for blending various sounds such as Afro-electronic, Afrotech, and Afro-pop.

For much of late 2025 and the first half of 2026, national attention has been fixed on politics. The music scene has been relatively quiet, with few major releases. Bebe Cool’s EP is expected to break that lull and kickstart activity for the second half of the year.

Known for strategic releases and showmanship, the Big Size boss has a track record of turning EP drops into cultural moments. Fans are already speculating what theme the EP No Risk will carry.

Bebe Cool and Ugandan music fans have taken to social media to celebrate the news, with many counting down to 12th June.

No Risk will be available on all major streaming platforms including Spotify, Apple Music, Boomplay, and YouTube Music upon release.

MTN MoMo Uganda Gets a New MD: Phrase Lubega Takes the Helm

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MTN Mobile Money (U) Limited has a new Managing Director. The Board of Directors today announced the appointment of Phrase Lubega to lead the company, with the role still subject to regulatory approval by the Bank of Uganda.

The appointment is a homecoming of sorts. Lubega is a Ugandan national who built much of his career inside MTN Uganda before rising through the Group’s broader fintech structure across Africa.

Who is Phrase Lubega?

Lubega comes to the role with over three decades of experience across telecommunications, information technology, and financial services. Most recently, he served as Interim Managing Director of MoMo Payment Service Bank in Nigeria, where he was responsible for shaping and executing the bank’s long-term strategy and digital banking model, achieving strong revenue growth and successfully launching new products.

His MTN Group career includes stints as Group Executive for Fintech Commercial Operations and General Manager for Commercial and Go-To-Market, where he played a central role in driving Mobile Financial Services growth across multiple countries.

Closer to home, he previously served as General Manager for Mobile Financial Services at MTN Uganda, where he led the launch of MoKash and drove strong revenue growth in a competitive and regulated environment. He also served as Chief Information Officer of MTN Uganda, spearheading the transformation of IT systems and enabling the growth of mobile money services.

On governance, Lubega has served as a non-executive director across MTN Mobile Money operations in Benin, Congo Brazzaville, and Guinea Conakry.

He holds an MBA from York University in the UK, an Executive MBA from Quantic School of Business and Technology in the USA, and a Bachelor of Science in Physics from Makerere University.

What the leadership is saying

MTN Group Fintech CEO Serigne Dioum called Lubega a strong fit for the moment: “Phrase brings deep market expertise, strong execution capability and a proven track record of scaling mobile financial services across diverse markets. His leadership will be instrumental as we strengthen our position in Uganda.”

Board Chairperson Sylvia Mulinge echoed that confidence while also taking a moment to acknowledge the outgoing interim lead: “We extend our sincere appreciation to Sarah Bateta Okwi for her steady leadership during the interim period.”

Lubega himself kept it grounded: “It is an honour to lead MTN Mobile Money Uganda at such an exciting time in the evolution of digital financial services. I look forward to working with the talented team to expand access to financial solutions and continue driving the growth of Uganda’s digital economy.”

The bigger picture

MTN MoMo is the dominant mobile money platform in Uganda, operating in a market where mobile financial services remain the primary banking channel for millions. Bringing in a leader with Lubega’s combination of local market history and Group-level fintech experience signals that MTN is positioning MoMo Uganda for its next phase of growth, not just steady management.

The appointment is pending Bank of Uganda sign-off, after which Lubega will officially take the reins.

Anthropic Has Officially Filed to Go Public, and the AI Race to the Stock Market Is On

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The company behind Claude has taken its first formal step toward an IPO, and the timing could not be more significant.

Anthropic announced Monday that it confidentially submitted a draft S-1 registration statement to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for a proposed initial public offering.  The move makes Anthropic the first of the major AI labs to formally initiate the public listing process, beating both OpenAI and xAI to the punch in a race that the entire tech industry has been watching closely.

The filing gives Anthropic the option to go public once the SEC completes its review, though the company noted that any offering will ultimately depend on market conditions and other factors. 

A near-trillion-dollar company heading to the market

The IPO filing comes shortly after Anthropic raised $65 billion in its latest funding round, pushing its valuation to $965 billion and surpassing rival OpenAI in the private market.  That figure alone makes this one of the most anticipated public market debuts in years, and for good reason. Anthropic has yet to set a share count or price range for the offering. 

Earlier this month, Anthropic disclosed that its run-rate revenue had crossed $47 billion, driven by organisations across industries deploying Claude in core operations and a growing number of everyday users. 

The AI IPO wave is officially here

Anthropic is not alone in eyeing the public markets. The filing catapults Anthropic ahead of rival OpenAI, which analysts expect could announce its own IPO sometime this year.  In May, the Wall Street Journal reported that OpenAI was preparing a confidential IPO filing targeting a September listing, with Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley tipped to lead the offering. Meanwhile, xAI, now part of SpaceX, filed its own IPO seeking a $1.75 trillion valuation. 

The convergence of filings from three of the world’s most prominent AI companies within weeks of each other signals that the industry has reached an inflection point. For years, these labs raised enormous sums in the private market. Going public means opening the books to scrutiny, which will give the world its clearest picture yet of whether the AI boom’s financials match its ambitions.

What this means for Claude and Anthropic’s roadmap

The IPO announcement follows several notable developments from Anthropic, including the launch of Opus 4.8 and reports that its Claude Mythos model may soon be made available to the public.  A successful listing would give Anthropic access to public capital at scale, funding the kind of compute investment and talent acquisition that frontier AI development demands.

For a company that has consistently positioned itself around safety-focused AI development, going public also introduces a new dynamic: shareholder expectations. How Anthropic balances its safety mission with the pressures of quarterly performance will be one of the more interesting stories to follow as this process unfolds.

No listing date has been confirmed. The ball is now in the SEC’s court.

Via Africa: A New Subsea Cable Is Coming to Connect Europe and Africa Along the Atlantic

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A new submarine cable system is in the works, and it could meaningfully change the connectivity landscape for West Africa and beyond.

A group of major telecoms and digital players have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to launch the Via Africa submarine cable project, a brand-new system designed to link Europe to South Africa along the Atlantic coastline. The signatories include Canalink, GUILAB, International Mauritania Telecom, Orange Group, Orange Côte d’Ivoire, Sonatel, and Silverlinks.

The cable will land in the United Kingdom, France, and Portugal on the European side, then run south along the Atlantic coast touching the Canary Islands, Mauritania, Senegal, Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire, and Nigeria, with extensions planned further south to improve connectivity diversity for countries along the route.

A consortium model that gives partners a real seat at the table

What makes Via Africa different from a typical infrastructure rollout is how it is structured. The system operates as a consortium, meaning each participating partner co-invests in the infrastructure and takes part in its governance. This is not a passive arrangement. Investors have direct input into decisions around the design, deployment, and day-to-day operation of the cable. The consortium has also left the door open for additional partners to join as the project develops.

Why this cable matters for Africa

Much of Africa’s existing international bandwidth runs along routes that are increasingly congested and vulnerable to outages. Via Africa is specifically designed to address that by offering a different subsea path than current infrastructure, adding diversity and resilience to the regional connectivity stack. For West African countries in particular, having an alternative high-capacity route to Europe reduces dependence on a small number of cable systems and strengthens the overall robustness of the region’s internet backbone.

What happens next

The consortium’s first order of business is jointly financing a cable route study to identify the optimal path, balancing resilience, technical feasibility, and economic efficiency. In parallel, the partners are preparing a procurement process to select a cable supplier, which will mark the next major milestone in bringing the system to life.

No launch date has been announced yet, but the signing of the MoU signals that the project has moved from concept to committed action.

Google Just Showed Us the Future of Android and, It’s Called Gemini Intelligence

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The Android Show 2026 packed more surprises than anyone expected, from AI-powered widgets to a whole new category of laptops.

Google held its second annual Android Show on Tuesday, once again getting ahead of Google I/O by a full week. The logic is the same as last year: there’s simply too much Android news to squeeze into one conference. And honestly, after seeing what was announced, it’s hard to argue with that call.

Here’s everything that came out of the show.

Gemini Intelligence is the new name for Google’s best AI

Google is now branding its most advanced AI features under a single umbrella called Gemini Intelligence. It covers phones, watches, cars, glasses, and laptops, and the pitch is straightforward: your device should be working for you before you even ask it to.

The first wave of features is landing on the latest Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy devices this summer. One standout capability is task automation across more apps. Google’s demo example was telling Gemini to take a grocery list from your notes app and build a full delivery cart from it, no manual searching required.

Chrome for Android is getting deeper Gemini integration that lets you ask questions and get things done with webpages as context, with the capability arriving in late June. Autofill is also getting an upgrade, with opt-in Gemini Personal Intelligence supporting more types of forms across Chrome and third-party apps.

Gboard is getting a feature called Rambler, which uses Gemini models to clean up your voice input in real time, stripping out filler words, pauses, and self-corrections so your message actually says what you meant to say.

Perhaps the most visually exciting addition is generative UI. Android is getting the ability to create custom homescreen widgets and Wear OS Tiles populated by information from the web and your Google apps. You describe what you want, and Gemini builds it.

Googlebook is a real thing, and it’s coming this fall

The most unexpected announcement of the day was “Googlebook,” a new category of device that Google is positioning as a Gemini-first reimagining of the laptop. The first Googlebooks are coming this fall, with Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, and Lenovo signed on as the first hardware partners.

The headline feature is Magic Pointer, which lets you highlight anything on your screen and instantly bring Gemini in to take action. There’s also tight integration with Android phones, including the ability to cast mobile apps onto the larger screen and a Quick Access file browser that surfaces everything on your phone directly from the laptop. The devices will have a premium build and what Google is calling a “glowbar.”

Android 17 is coming for creators

Google kept the Android 17 preview focused on two things: creative tools and quality of life.

Instagram is getting a serious upgrade on Android. The app is now fully optimized for Android tablets, and Google and Meta have brought Instagram capture and editing tools to Android as well, including ultra HDR video on higher-end devices and built-in video stabilization, along with Night Sight features. The Edits app is also getting smarter, with on-device AI that can upscale photos and videos with a single tap, plus audio separation that can pull out wind noise or isolate music independently. Adobe Premiere for Android is also arriving this summer.

Screen Reactions is a new feature that lets you record your face and your screen simultaneously, which will feel very familiar to anyone who’s been doing content creation on iOS.

On the sharing side, Quick Share’s AirDrop compatibility is expanding to Samsung, Oppo, OnePlus, Vivo, Xiaomi, and Honor, and in the meantime Quick Share can generate a QR code for instant sharing with iOS devices via the cloud.

The iOS-to-Android transfer process is also getting an overhaul, letting you wirelessly migrate passwords, photos, messages, apps, contacts, homescreen layout, and even your eSIM, arriving first on Galaxy and Pixel this summer.

Digital Wellbeing is finally getting some new life with a feature called Pause Point. Instead of hard app lockouts or easy-to-dismiss timers, it offers a 10-second pause when you’ve hit your limit, surfacing a breathing exercise and asking “Why am I here?” It’s a subtle but genuinely thoughtful approach to screen time.

And then there are the emoji. Google is completely redesigning its default emoji set under the name Noto 3D, with three-dimensional designs rolling out to Pixel devices first later this year.

Android Auto gets a proper redesign

Android Auto is receiving a Material 3 Expressive redesign featuring expressive fonts, smooth animations, wallpapers, and widget support, with Google Maps Immersive Navigation delivering an edge-to-edge experience.

Supported vehicles from BMW, Ford, Genesis, Hyundai, Kia, and others are getting full HD video at 60 FPS, while a separate group of manufacturers including Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and Renault are getting spatial sound with Dolby Atmos. Gemini Intelligence features will also come to Android Auto later this year, including the ability to handle app automation tasks like ordering food while you drive.

Google I/O officially kicks off on 19 May, where more AI and Android announcements are expected. But if today was the warm-up act, the main show is going to be something.

Tim Cook to become Apple Executive Chairman as John Ternus takes over as CEO

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Apple has announced a major leadership transition that will see longtime CEO Tim Cook step into the role of executive chairman, with current senior vice president of Hardware Engineering John Ternus set to become the company’s next chief executive officer.

The change will take effect on September 1, 2026, following what Apple described as a long-term and carefully planned succession process approved unanimously by its board of directors.

Cook will remain CEO through the summer, working closely with Ternus to ensure a smooth handover. In his new role as executive chairman, Cook will continue to support the company, particularly in areas such as global policy engagement and strategic guidance.

“It has been the greatest privilege of my life to be the CEO of Apple,” Cook said in a statement. “John Ternus has the mind of an engineer, the soul of an innovator, and the heart to lead with integrity. I could not be more confident in his ability to lead Apple into the future.”

Ternus, who has spent nearly his entire career at Apple, said he is honored to take on the role and continue building on the company’s legacy.

“I am profoundly grateful for this opportunity to carry Apple’s mission forward,” he said. “Having worked under both Steve Jobs and Tim Cook, I am optimistic about what we can achieve in the years ahead.”

The leadership transition marks the end of a defining era under Cook, who took over as CEO in 2011. During his tenure, Apple’s market value grew from approximately $350 billion to around $4 trillion, while annual revenue nearly quadrupled to over $416 billion by 2025.

Cook oversaw the expansion of Apple’s product portfolio, including the launch of Apple Watch, AirPods, and Apple Vision Pro, as well as the rapid growth of its services business, which now generates more than $100 billion annually. He also led the company’s transition to Apple-designed silicon, significantly improving performance and efficiency across its devices.

Beyond financial growth, Cook reinforced Apple’s focus on privacy, accessibility, and environmental sustainability, helping reduce the company’s carbon footprint while expanding its global reach to more than 200 countries and territories.

Ternus brings more than two decades of experience at Apple. Since joining the company’s product design team in 2001, he has played a key role in the development of major product lines, including iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch. He became vice president of Hardware Engineering in 2013 and joined Apple’s executive team in 2021.

He has been closely involved in some of Apple’s most recent hardware innovations, including the latest iPhone lineup and the introduction of MacBook Neo, a more affordable Mac designed to expand access to the company’s ecosystem.

Arthur Levinson, who has served as Apple’s non-executive chairman for the past 15 years, will transition to the role of lead independent director when Cook assumes his new position. Ternus will also join Apple’s board of directors as part of the transition.

Apple’s board said the move ensures continuity while positioning the company for its next phase of growth, particularly as it continues to invest in artificial intelligence, hardware innovation, and global expansion.

Anthropic launches Claude Design to help users create visuals using AI

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Anthropic has introduced Claude Design, a new experimental product that allows users to create visual content such as prototypes, presentations, one-pagers, and marketing materials using its Claude AI model.

The tool is designed to make visual creation more accessible, particularly for founders, product managers, and marketers who may not have a design background but need to quickly turn ideas into polished outputs.

With Claude Design, users simply describe what they want, and the system generates an initial visual. From there, users can refine the design through edits, comments, or additional prompts. For example, a user can request a mobile app interface with a specific look and feel, then adjust colors, typography, or layout through follow-up instructions.

Anthropic says the product is not intended to replace traditional design tools like Canva, but rather to complement them by helping users move from concept to visual draft more quickly. Once a design is created, users can export it as a PDF, presentation file, or shareable link, or transfer it into Canva for further editing and collaboration.

One of Claude Design’s key features is its ability to apply a company’s design system automatically. By accessing a team’s design files or codebase, the system can generate outputs that match existing brand styles, including colors, typography, and layout components. Teams can also maintain multiple design systems and refine them over time.

The platform supports a wide range of use cases. Designers can generate interactive prototypes, product managers can build wireframes, and marketing teams can create campaign visuals and presentations. The system also supports importing files such as documents, spreadsheets, and images, as well as capturing elements directly from websites to build more realistic designs.

Claude Design includes collaboration features that allow teams to share projects within their organization, leave comments, and edit designs together. Finished work can be exported in multiple formats or passed directly into development workflows using Anthropic’s coding tools.

The product is powered by Claude Opus 4.7 and is currently available in research preview for Claude Pro, Max, Team, and Enterprise users.

The launch highlights Anthropic’s continued push into enterprise and professional AI tools, as competition grows among companies building AI-powered productivity platforms. The company has recently expanded its offerings with agent-based tools and integrations aimed at automating complex workflows across teams.

Claude Design represents a step toward more integrated creative workflows, where AI not only assists with content generation but also plays a central role in visual design and product development.

Simplifi Networks And U.S. Embassy Uganda Host AI Forum For Ugandan Entrepreneurs And Businesses

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Simplifi Networks, in partnership with the U.S. Embassy Uganda and the Uganda ICT Association (ICTAU), today hosted a landmark half-day forum on artificial intelligence for Ugandan entrepreneurs and business leaders. 

The event, titled State of AI for Entrepreneurs and Ugandan Businesses, brought together participants from across the country at the National ICT Innovation Hub in Nakawa for a morning of expert-led discussion, practical insight, and forward-looking dialogue on the opportunities AI presents for Uganda’s economy.

The forum opened with an address by the U.S. Ambassador to Uganda, H.E. William W. Popp, followed by an in-depth presentation from internationally recognised AI and technology expert Vivek Mohindra, and a lively Q&A session moderated by Ken Stober, CEO of Simplifi Networks. The room reflected the breadth of AI’s relevance across Uganda’s economy, with entrepreneurs, business owners, technology professionals, and policymakers all in attendance.

A Present-Day Opportunity, Not a Future Possibility

Ambassador Popp set the tone for the morning with a clear message: the AI era is already here.

“AI is here, it is now, and it is already transforming economies around the world, including here in Uganda,” he said, noting that the United States has made AI leadership a national priority through sustained investments in innovation, infrastructure, and global partnerships.

The Ambassador also underscored the significance of the Uganda–U.S. partnership, framing it as a vehicle for unlocking real economic opportunity through trade, investment, and knowledge exchange.

ICT as the Engine of Uganda’s Growth Agenda

Grace Achire Labong, Director and Head of Stakeholders Engagement at the ICT Association of Uganda, reinforced the centrality of technology to Uganda’s development ambitions. She described ICT not as a standalone sector, but as a foundational enabler cutting across the country’s priority growth areas; Agriculture, Tourism, Minerals, and Services.

“ICT is not just a sector, it is an enabler that cuts across all others,” she said. “If we are to achieve our goal of tenfold economic growth, technology must be at the center of that transformation,” she added.

Achire also revealed that Uganda is already taking concrete steps toward structured AI adoption, with national frameworks and policy guidelines under development to guide the responsible and impactful deployment of emerging technologies.

The Global AI Landscape: Collaboration Over Competition

Drawing on a distinguished career spanning Dell Technologies, McKinsey & Company, Freescale Semiconductor, TPG Capital, and New Science Ventures, Vivek Mohindra challenged the audience to reframe how they think about AI, not as a single monolithic technology, but as a diverse ecosystem of tools suited to different challenges and contexts.

“There is no one AI system that is superior in all scenarios. The real question is: which AI works best for the problem you are trying to solve?” he said.

On the question of global competition, particularly from China, Mohindra urged stakeholders to shift focus from rivalry to readiness, specifically, preparing for the rise of agentic AI: systems capable of autonomous perception, decision-making, and action, which he described as the next major wave of technological transformation.

Data Governance and Responsible AI

A recurring theme throughout the discussions was the critical importance of data governance. As AI systems depend fundamentally on data, experts called on governments and organisations to be deliberate and rigorous about how data is collected, stored, and used.

“AI is fundamentally about data. We must be careful about where that data goes and how it is used,” Mohindra noted.

Speakers also called for balanced regulatory frameworks, ones designed to stimulate innovation while protecting consumers and upholding ethical standards.

Three Pillars for Unlocking AI’s Potential

Across the discussions, speakers converged on three areas requiring coordinated national action to fully realise AI’s transformative potential: infrastructure investment, including data centres and energy systems; workforce development to build an AI-ready talent base; and agile regulatory frameworks capable of keeping pace with rapid technological change. The United States, through institutions such as the International Development Finance Corporation and the Export-Import Bank, is already mobilising financial tools to support global technology partnerships in these areas.

Entrepreneurs and Youth at the Heart of Uganda’s Digital Future

The forum placed particular emphasis on the agency of Uganda’s entrepreneurs, ICT professionals, and young people in shaping the country’s AI trajectory.

“You are the ones who will build the applications, create companies, and generate jobs,” Ambassador Popp said, calling on Uganda’s next generation of innovators to step into an active role in building the country’s AI ecosystem.

Looking Ahead

The ICT Association of Uganda announced plans for its upcoming National ICT Summit in September, which will focus on leveraging technology to accelerate growth across priority sectors, deepening the national conversation on AI, policy, and digital transformation.

As the forum drew to a close, a clear consensus had emerged among speakers and participants alike: AI represents a generational opportunity for Uganda, but one that demands collaboration, strategic investment, and responsible governance to deliver inclusive and lasting impact. With strengthened Uganda–U.S. partnerships and growing local momentum, stakeholders left the morning session with a shared sense of optimism about the road ahead.

Uganda set to launch National IP Peering Exchange to boost internet speed and reduce costs

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Uganda is set to take a major step in strengthening its digital infrastructure with the launch of the National IP Peering Exchange (NIPX), a new internet exchange platform aimed at improving connectivity and reducing costs.

The initiative, led by the National Information Technology Authority Uganda (NITA-U) in partnership with the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance, will be officially launched on April 17 at Speke Resort Munyonyo.

The NIPX will serve as Uganda’s first neutral and open Internet Exchange Point, allowing Internet Service Providers, content platforms, government networks, and other digital players to exchange local internet traffic within the country instead of routing it through international networks.

This shift is expected to significantly improve performance and efficiency across Uganda’s internet ecosystem.

Officials say the new platform will reduce reliance on expensive international bandwidth, leading to lower operational costs for service providers. It will also improve internet speeds by reducing latency, while strengthening network resilience in the event of global connectivity disruptions.

Richard Obita, Director of Technical Services at NITA-U, said the impact of the exchange will be felt directly by everyday users.

“Instead of routing local traffic through expensive international carriers, networks can now interconnect directly within Uganda. This delivers faster user experience, reduced costs, and greater reliability,” he said. “For the ordinary Ugandan, this means smoother video calls, faster access to e-government services, improved online learning, and eventually more affordable data.”

The launch of NIPX is part of Uganda’s broader Digital Uganda Strategy and Vision 2040, which aims to position the country as a competitive digital economy while enhancing digital sovereignty and service delivery.

Industry stakeholders have also welcomed the move. Godfrey Sserwamukoko, Chairman of the Internet Service Providers Association of Uganda, said the exchange will create new efficiencies across the sector.

“The NIPX provides a neutral and open platform that can optimise local traffic exchange and reduce costs. We look forward to working with all stakeholders to maximise participation and deliver faster and more affordable internet services,” he said.

With internet usage continuing to grow across Uganda, the introduction of NIPX is expected to play a key role in supporting the country’s digital transformation and improving access to reliable, high-speed connectivity.

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