Facebook rebrands as Meta. Courtesy Facebook/via REUTERS
Facebook Inc, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, has announced plans that it is changing its Company name Meta, in what the company’s founder Mark Zuckerberg has called “the next chapter for our company”.
According to a “Founder’s Letter, 2021”, a statement from Zuckerberg published on the company website, Facebook had been “desktop to web to mobile”, “text to photos to videos”, but with the company under the name Meta will be “more immersive – an embodied internet where you’re in the experience, not just looking at it”. It will be the “metaverse”, touching every product that the company builds.
In Facebook’s metaverse, company promises that users would be “able to do almost anything (they) can imagine – get together with friends and family, work, learn, play, shop, create”, and completely new experiences for the users, with the capacity to teleport, be at office without a commute, at a concert, cutdown on traffic and reduce carbon footprint.
“To reflect who we are and the future we hope to build, I’m proud to share that our company is now Meta.”
On 29th September 2021, the Uganda Network Operators Group (UGNOG) held its second summit since its official launch in October 2020.
UGNOG creates an environment where Internet community participants such as operators, enthusiasts, the government, and scholars can discuss best industry practices and empower our community to meet the ever-changing demands of a global network in service of building the internet of tomorrow.
It is managed and organized by a group of volunteers with the aim of capacity building and technology development within Uganda.
The UGNOG summit intends on brought together the Ugandan internet community participants to educate them on a couple of topics, including; Updates from African Network Information Centre (AFRINIC), network security, open access, ISP last-mile service delivery and threat Intelligence.
While there seems to have been a general decline in activities due to the ongoing enforcement of the Covid-19 restrictions, UGNOG is hopeful to engage in more activities in 2021 and 2022.
‘As the network operators’ groups (NOGs) grows, we intend to have more activities such as capacity building, workshops, outreach and more meetings’ said Isabel Odida, the Founder of UGNOG.
She mentioned that she hopes that the NOG engagements would return to physical ones instead of last year’s, primarily virtual engagements due to the pandemic.
Sponsors of the event included Raxio Data Centre, Global NOG Alliance, Flexoptix, Work Online Communications, Internet Society, Uganda Internet Exchange Point, Team Cymru and Roke Telecom.
UGNOG was birthed from the African Network Operators Group (AFNOG), a forum for cooperation and the exchange of technical information between operators of internet-connected networks in Africa.
Network Operators’ Groups are informal, country-based, or regional groups that exist to provide forums for Internet network operators to discuss matters of mutual interest, usually through a combination of mailing lists and annual conferences.
Every bettor has an idea of how to organize an effective sports betting process. Football looks like an ideal choice for a beginner since this sport is widely covered on the Internet, which allows you to easily choose an interesting championship and determine the likely winner of the match. You can bet both on the team and the individual statistics of the players. The last beta option is especially interesting, as it allows you to use large quotes even if we are talking about the favorite of the entire tournament. If we talk about the football stars who are on everyone’s lips, then among the new generation of players they will be Leroy Sane, Kylian Mbappé and many others, since they are players of top teams. But there are also a few young talents who are just gaining popularity among fans. Most often, they represent clubs of average popularity, so it will be more profitable to bet on them in terms of the number of dividends.
Which football players should a bettor pay attention to?
You can learn how to bet on football online from the presented material. The article will be useful for beginners who are just discovering the amazing world of sports betting, as well as for more experienced bettors who can find some interesting notes and use them in their practice. You can get an impression of the footballers who will represent the future of the European Football League by looking at players under the age of 22. Among them, the most promising are:
Ryan Sessegnon;
Nikola Milenkovic;
Ruben Neves;
Maxi Gomez.
Ryan Sessegnon represents Fulham in the English League. He plays as a midfielder. For many, it remains incredible that a player at the age of 17 became the leader of a team that plays in the Premier League. Today he is the first player in the league to be born in 2000 and has already scored a goal. Ryan has a great future in football, so his team has a lot of work to do to keep the young man in its squad.
Nikola Milenkovic plays for Fiorentina at the center guard. He turned 21, which does not prevent the young man from demonstrating an outstanding game on the football field. According to sports tabloids, Manchester United is already ready to pay 60 million pounds for the star. Fans of the club are still wondering who this footballer plays, about whom only a few people in the Premier League know. This is not surprising, since he is now defending the colors of Fiorentina, who managed to lure the player away from Partizan from Serbia. In addition to Manchester United, Milenkovic is also interested in Juventus.
Studying the statistics of players who are under 22 years old, it is impossible not to notice the excellent results shown by Maxi Gomez. He acts as a central attacker in FC Celta, where he has been playing for the past 4 years. Before that, Gomez defended the colors of Defensor from Uruguay and practically nothing was known about him. Celta did a great deal as she got the power forward for just $ 4 million. Given the young age and good performance of the player, this contact was fully justified, which Gomez proved already in his first season with the Celts. Gomez and Aspas have formed a powerful bond that allows the team to smash opponents. Last season alone, the player scored 18 goals and 5 assists. Such results have led to the fact that not only Atlético is in talks with Celta right now, but also the famous Barcelona, which wants to get such a striker in its composition.
According to a statement released today by the Central Bank of Uganda (Bank of Uganda), Africell Uganda Limited (“Africell”) has officially ceased providing mobile money services as of today (7th October 2021).
In a communique released last month, Africell indicated revealed that it would cease operations in Uganda on the 7th October 2021, as part of its plans to exit the country to focus on growth elsewhere. It appears the official closure of business has been presented to the regulators Uganda Communication Commission (the general regulator of telecommunication companies in the country) and Bank of Uganda (the regulator of mobile money).
“Bank of Uganda wishes to notify the public that Africell Uganda Limited shall cease to deliver mobile money services”, reads a statement from the Governor of Bank of Uganda, Mr. Emmanuel Tumusiime – Mutebile. He also adds that the ceasing of business follows the company’s voluntary exit from Uganda. the telecommunication has been offering mobile money in partnership with Stanbic Bank with the approval of the Bank of Uganda.
The bank also advices customers of the exiting telecommunication company to approach Stanbic Bank with their national identity cards and alternative phone numbers or bank accounts to be able to receive their funds that might still be with their Africell lines following the closure.
Stanbic Bank will be making payments to the intended beneficiaries over a period of 91 days with effect from the 8th day of October 2021, and after that date, any pending payments will be made by the Bank of Uganda where the money will be transferred.
When the money is forwarded to Bank of Uganda, beneficiaries will be required to contact the bank through the Director of the National Payment Systems Department, Bank of Uganda.
One of the big technology giants Google, has revealed that over the course of 5 (five) years, it will be investing USD. 1 billion in Africa into internet connectivity, infrastructure, low interest loans and equity investments.
According to RTE, Google made the announcement at a virtual event as it launched an African Investment Fund where it has plans to support start – ups with about USD. 50 million while affording them access to its employees, networks and technologies. Among the start – ups to be targeted are those in the areas of fintech, e-commerce and local language content.
The company will also be partnering with an Non – government organization called KIVA to provide up to USD. 10 million in form of low interest loans in order to be able to help business particularly in Ghana, Kenya Nigeria and South Africa to enable them go through the COVID – 19 pandemic.
As has been earlier promised and announced, on the 5th October 2021, Microsoft released its highly anticipated Windows 11, a new operating system that replaces and overhauls the entire user interface (UI) of Windows 10 that was released in 2015.
The system has been under the testing program, Dev and Beta channels until it was officially made public. The Company (Microsoft) released a test build 22000.194 for the Dev Channel on the 16th September 2021. On the 24th September, the same build was made available for the Beta and the Release preview channels, with speculation running that that same build would be the one that Microsoft would officially release to the public since it was almost a perfect version after it had gone through several revisions. This was the same build that has been released in the official channels.
In order to access the new operating system, users of compatible devices will have to “Check for updates” under the Settings, “Windows Update” of their devices to be able to download the new operating system. The first devices to receive the software will be the new qualifying devices that will be or are being sold by partners to Windows like HP or Dell among other companies, with Microsoft also dropping its own line in the Surface laptops and tablets.
For a device to be compatible, it must meet the following requirements which include among others 1 gigahertz (GHz) x64 bit processor, 4 GB ram, 64 GB ROM storage, UEFI, Secure Boot capable, a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0, a graphics card that is compatible with DirectX 12 or later with a WDDM 2.0 driver, High Definition capable display with at least 720p, an internet connection and a Microsoft account.
Even as the software has officially launched, not all qualifying devices on the market will receive the upgrade right away as the roll out will be phased starting the 5th October 2021 until the next year.
On the 11th day of October 2021, MTN will make publicly available, its prospectus, a company document where the company will be officially revealing the total number of shares on offer for sale, the price per share, among others guidelines for users to buy into the company.
This announcement was made yesterday, the 7th of October 2021 when the company held an event to reveal that it will be launching its IPO (the “Initial Public Offering”), an impactful moment for when a company becomes public and listing its shares for the wider public to buy.
In 2016, Uganda passed the National Broadband Policy in 2018 for the years 2016 – 2020 wherein it mandated that in order for telecommunication companies to renew their then expiring licenses, they ought to avail 20% of their shares to the public.
Last year, the same was restated when MTN Uganda was granted its new license for 12 years starting 1st July 2020. The Uganda Communication Commission then stressed the regulatory requirement of listing shares in the stock exchange as a pre – condition for the renewal of a license.
In an event held yesterday, the telecommunication giant made an official statement, announcing plans to reveal its prospectus on Monday next week, making it the biggest IPO in Uganda where it will be expected to raise upon USD. 1.2 billion. It is also the first IPO in Uganda since 2016 when CIPLA went public or the 2nd after UMEME in 2012.
The listing also follows other subsidiaries of MTN South Africa in Nigeria, Ghana and Rwanda that also listed on the country’s stock exchanges.
It is hoped that telecommunication companies listing would be a boost for Uganda’s stock exchange markets. After MTN, Airtel will also be expected to list, given that they underwent the same condition before having its license renewed.
Uganda’s climate is naturally variable and susceptible to flood and drought events which have had negative socio-economic impacts in the past. Human induced climate change is likely to increase average temperatures in Uganda by up to 1.5 ºC in the next 20 years and by up to 4.3 ºC by the 2080s. Such rates of increase are unprecedented.
About a month ago, 2gule, an online shopping brand that focuses on importing authentic goods from the US, UK and Canada started a campaign to save the environment with each order placed.
On Sunday, 2gule under their campaign 2gule covers planted over 100 trees which basically means that they have over 100 orders during the Month of September – the more orders you place, the more trees that will be planted by the team, fans, and cheerleaders.
The idea is to plant a tree per order made on 2gule. This is all in a bid to disperse the carbon footprint caused by their work. According toexperts, Uganda has already lost two-thirds of its forests in the last 20 years and could have lost all of its forested land by 2050, which would have severe repercussions for its poorest people according to environmentalists.
Dubbed 2gule Cares, this is the latest initiative by 2gule to be a part of the moving force in helping make the environment greener and safer by making up for our carbon footprint through planting trees.
This is all under the campaign’s mission to achieve net-zero emissions by 2030. Here they strive for clean operations for climate protection and averting the effects of their own carbon footprint.
With 2gule Cares, every stem counts because they are planting a tree today for a better tomorrow. Sustainable Development Goal 13 aims to “take urgent action to combat climate change and its impact”, while acknowledging that the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is the primary international, intergovernmental forum for negotiating the global response to climate change.
More specifically, the associated targets of SDG 13 focus on the integration of climate change measures into national policies, the improvement of education, awareness-raising and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warnings.
Human induced climate change in the coming century has the potential to halt or reverse the country’s development trajectory. In particular, climate change is likely to mean increased food insecurity; shifts in the spread of diseases like malaria; soil erosion and land degradation; flood damage to infrastructure and settlements and shifts in the productivity of agricultural and natural resources. However, you could be part of the change by making an order today and being part of the 2gule Cares campaign.
As previously announced, Microsoft will be releasing the official version of Windows 11 on the 5th of October 2021. According to today’s published socials posts, the Company in the Microsoft Support handle, has announced that users should be ready for the release in 4 days confirming the earlier announced release date of 5th October.
Microsoft announced on the 24th June 2021 that their next Windows would be 11 replacing Windows 10, and has since been releasing builds for the Dev, Beta and Release Preview Channels, where the upcoming features have been tested with the latest preview for the Dev Channel having dropped on the 29th September 2021. For one to get the early release of Windows 11, they have to on the insider program to be able to see the test builds.
The software development for Windows goes through the Dev Channel, Beta Channel and lastly the Release Channel before finally making it available for the general public.
Windows 11 is promising new major features including a revamped user interface. New icons, a new start menu, a rebuild settings app, a rebranded Microsoft Store among others changes. Among the new changes also includes a major upgrade to the Your Phone app, allowing users to seamless access and use their phone on their computer within the app.
MTN Pulse has today entered a partnership with FUZU the leading online Job and career portal in East Africa. This follows MTN Pulse’s vision of empowering the youth to realize their full potential as the vanguards of the future.
In this partnership, MTN Pulse will work with FUZU to support the MTN Pulsers with career guidance, job searching insights and the relevant training as a way of supporting them to identify and nurture successful careers.
Under this partnership, MTN Pulsers will get access to a customized fuzu platform with 400 FUZU points which will enable them to get discounts on the array of premium services offered by FUZU including personalized career coaching sessions with FUZU’s professional career coaches who give a holistic support on preparing for the right career opportunities and a professionally curated online curriculum vitae (CV) that improves the candidate’s chances of securing the job interview.
The MTN Pulsers who apply for jobs through FUZU can also redeem their Fuzu points for Instant Feedback on job applications to see how their profile compares with the employers’ requirements and top candidates, giving them an opportunity for learning and development using the FUZU points. Furthermore, they will be able to access FUZU Learn which entails professional courses created by FUZU and its learning partners such as Udemy.
While launching the partnership, Hellen Kirungi, MTN Uganda’s Youth Segment Manager said that MTN Pulse had partnered with FUZU to further support the youths in their career journey through empowering them with the right skill sets for their careers to take-off. Youth empowerment is one of the pillars upon which MTN Pulse is hinged.
“MTN Pulse is an aspirational brand for our Ugandan youth. And just like them, the brand is about excitement, fun, attitude, and ambition. Our partnership with FUZU solidifies our commitment to support their ambitions and help them secure a meaningful future that is productive, secure and successful,” Kirungi said.
Alvin Katto, Fuzu’s Country Manager in Uganda said that the partnership with MTN Pulse signifies a huge step forward in achieving Fuzu’s mission of preparing people for Success in Uganda.
“Since our launch in Uganda in 2018, Fuzu has supported thousands of people to get access to career guidance, growth opportunities and support to be able to achieve their career goals and have meaningful careers. The partnership with MTN Pulse provides us with a platform to enable even more people, specifically the youth, to have access to these resources, which we firmly believe will have exponential positive effects on the growth of the country.”
MTN Pulsers will register for this through the Pulse App under careers and will be redirected to the registration. The link to FUZU https://www.fuzu.com/signup/mtn-pulse will be zero rated to allow pulsers access to the rich and insightful career-related content from FUZU and to enable them keep up with the career dynamics as they find their footing in the world of work. MTN is keen on empowering the youth to take control of their lives through extending to them specially tailored offers such as this offer from FUZU that the youth need in order to get ahead in life.
The partnership between MTN Pulse and FUZU is but one of the many deals that MTN has secured for its youth segment customers. In addition to offering them discounted MTN products and services, the youth on MTN Pulse automatically qualify for discounts and freebies with various MTN Pulse partners. Go to https://pulse.mtn.co.ug/offers to get the best deals from the leading glam, fashion and eating joints around town courtesy of MTN Pulse.
According to Kirungi, it is easy for youth to become MTN Pulsers; All they have to do is download the MTN Pulse App available on both google play and iOS app stores and take over the world. The MTN Pulse app is an interactive platform where everything about the Pulse Nation lives including the funkiest content and offers from MTN Uganda and its Pulse partners. You can also learn more about the Pulse Nation on the MTN Pulse microsite.
