News Highlights: PalmPay has launched a USSD code (*861#) allowing its 30 million+ users in Nigeria to perform banking transactions without internet access. PalmPay’s USSD service features a security function enabling users to freeze their accounts if their phone is lost or stolen. PalmPay, a prominent financial platform with over 30 million users on its mobile app in Nigeria, has introduced its new USSD code. With the PalmPay USSD code, customers can now perform a wide range of banking transactions by dialing *861# from their mobile phones. This service offers Nigerians an additional way to manage their finances without the…
Author: DigitalTimesNG
E-commerce thrives on speed and scale, but without a resilient microservice architecture, even the biggest platforms can collapse under peak demand. Drawing from real-world experience, senior software engineer OLAMIPOSI OGUNYEMI shows how decoupled services, smart caching, and resilience patterns transform traffic surges from technical disasters into record-breaking opportunities. In e-commerce, speed and scalability are not optional, they are the foundation of customer trust and business growth. When platforms fail to deliver fast, frictionless transactions, the results are abandoned carts, failed payments, and revenue loss. Nowhere is this more evident than during high-traffic periods such as Black Friday or seasonal flash…
News Highlights: TD Africa is offering discounted Mercury Inverters to help Nigerians reduce dependence on costly fuel-powered generators. TD Africa’s discount aims to make these inverters more accessible to Nigerians, improving quality of life and business efficiency. In response to Nigeria’s unstable power supply and the demand for cost-effective backup solutions, TD Africa, the authorized distributor of Mercury Inverters in Africa, is offering Nigerians a discounted deal on all Mercury inverters to help them take control of their power needs. TD Africa said in a statement on Friday that this offer will help reduce reliance on expensive fuel-powered generators, providing…
News Highlights: Nigerian physicist Jamilu Tanko has developed a groundbreaking Cyclone Furnace, using waste materials like rice husks. NASENI, recognizing the innovation’s potential to boost local industries and reduce reliance on imported equipment, is supporting Tanko’s work. In a world where technological advancements are rapidly reshaping industries, Nigerian physicist, Jamilu Tanko is making strides with a revolutionary innovation set to transform small and medium-scale industries. His invention, the Cyclone Furnace, offers a cost-effective and efficient solution for drying products, with significant implications for sectors like baking, pharmaceuticals, rice mills, papermills, brickmaking, and local communities. Tanko, a Principal Scientist at the…
News Highlights: Sparkle’s first session at the Moonshot by TechCabal conference will focus on the opportunities presented by open banking in Nigeria. The second session will be a panel discussion on how effective risk management can grow lending businesses. Nigeria’s leading digital bank, Sparkle, is set to host two key sessions focused on open banking and risk management at the second annual Moonshot by TechCabal conference, scheduled for Wednesday, 9th October, and Thursday, 10th October 2024, at the Eko Convention Centre in Lagos, Nigeria. Sparkle’s sessions will take place on Thursday, 10th October, at 10:10 AM and 2:40 PM respectively.…
Finding a reliable power solution can feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. As Nigeria grapples with its myriad of challenges, one issue that refuses to bow is uninterrupted power supply. For many Nigerians, it’s a tale as old as time – the flickering lights, the endless queues for fuel, and the ever-present roar of petrol generators. Dr. Patrick, a senior lecturer who relocated to Nigeria over two years ago, knows this struggle all too well. Speaking to a group of students one afternoon about the challenges in Nigeria, he recounted his journey through different power-generating devices. “Nigeria…
News Highlights: Neuralink’s ‘Blindsight’ receives FDA Breakthrough Device Designation Neuralink has potential to revolutionize vision restoration Neuralink, an Elon Musk’s brain-chip startup, has received the US Food and Drug Administration’s “breakthrough device” designation for the company’s experimental implant, Blindsight. ‘Blindsight’ is designed to restore vision in individuals with complete or partial blindness, including those with non-functional optic nerves. “We have received Breakthrough Device Designation from the FDA for Blindsight. “Join us in our quest to bring back sight to those who have lost it. Apply to our Patient Registry and openings on our career page,” Neuralink wrote on its X…
News Highlights: Google successfully challenged a 1.49 billion euro ($1.66 billion) antitrust fine imposed by the European Commission in 2019. The annulled fine was part of a trio of antitrust fines totaling 8.25 billion euros against Google, including a complaint filed by Microsoft in 2010. Alphabet unit, Google won its challenge on Wednesday against a 1.49 billion euro ($1.66 billion) antitrust fine imposed five years ago for hindering rivals in online search advertising, a week after it lost a much bigger case. The European Commission in its 2019 decision said Google had abused its dominance to prevent websites from using…
News Highlights: Meta has enacted a global ban on Russian state media outlets like RT and Rossiya Segodnya across its platforms. Meta alleges that Russian state media has been engaging in deceptive tactics to evade detection and carry out influence campaigns. Meta has introduced a global ban on Russian state media outlets on its social media platforms, citing “foreign interference activity.” Digital TimesNG understands that the move is fueled in part by concern about attempts by Russia to influence the 2024 US presidential election. The ban, which is coming into force over the next few days, means that the likes…
News Highlights: Engr. Ikechukwu Nnamani emphasized the urgent need for ethical AI development and regulation, noting that many developers prioritize personal gains over ethical concerns. Nnamani highlighted the significant shortfall in Nigeria’s data center capacity, stressing the need for massive investment and infrastructure to support the country’s growing digital economy. Engr. Ikechukwu Nnamani, CEO of Digital Realty Nigeria, has emphasized the importance of developing Artificial Intelligence (AI) as an ethical solution. Speaking during a courtesy visit by the Executive Committee of the Nigeria Information Technology Reporters’ Association (NITRA) as a fall out of the Association’s ICT Growth Conference, Nnamani noted…