Author: Elan

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Bitcoin has long served a simple purpose: storing and transferring value. The blockchain’s inherent limitations in scalability and programmability prevented use cases like high-frequency payments and smart contracts.Launched in 2018, the layer-2 solution Lightning Network introduced noticeable improvements in scalability. It takes some of the burden offchain by creating side channels between the sender and receiver.The model settles transactions faster, with lower fees. Rendering Bitcoin feasible for daily use, the solution spurred the development of many payment apps on the blockchain.Programmability also arrived in Bitcoin through secondary protocols, such as RGB, an open-source solution designed to expand Bitcoin’s capabilities. The…

Nigerian internet subscribers used 1.38 million terabytes of data in December 2025, showing the continued demand for data services and growing usage of smartphones among Nigerians.  According to the latest industry report by the NCC, data usage increased by 12.4% from from 1.236 million terabytes in November 2025 to 1.386 million terabytes in December 2025.  Notably, the data usage in December 2025 is the monthly highest yet recorded by Nigerian internet users. In fact, the entire 2025 saw data usage up by 42.4% YoY to 1.386 million from 973.5k in the prior period.  The surge shows that smartphone usage is…

Edgar Cervantes / Android AuthorityTL;DR Google Meet supports real-time speech translation for select languages, but only on computers. Now the Meet Android app shows what could be early evidence for adding the same kind of speech translation. It’s not yet clear if this would be limited to certain devices, or if an AI subscription would still be required. Update, February 4, 2025 (10:42 AM ET): We might have let the cat out of the bag a little early, but today Google is going official with its plans to bring Meet speech translation to mobile devices: “Speech translation will roll out…

The National Unity Platform (NUP) has rejected the presidential election results announced by the Electoral Commission (EC), saying the declaration lacked a legal basis and violated the law. Speaking to media on Wednesday, NUP Secretary General David Lewis Rubongoya said the party “completely and totally” rejects the results declared by the EC Chairperson, accusing the Commission of announcing figures without presenting the mandatory Declaration of Results (DR) forms. Rubongoya said the party’s presidential candidate, Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, popularly known as Bobi Wine, is alive and well and will soon address the nation. “He sends greetings to the country and will…

African entrepreneurs are turning everyday problems into billion-dollar opportunities, and investors from around the world are taking notice.In 2025, African startups raised an estimated $3.93 billion in disclosed funding across 551 companies.10 startups accounted for $1.66 billion, over 42% of the total capital raised highlighting how a small group of founders is shaping the continent’s investment landscape.Growth, however, does not come without friction. Entrepreneurs navigate a maze of regulatory hurdles, inconsistent infrastructure, and limited local funding.Despite these challenges, African startups have shown remarkable resilience, often leapfrogging older technologies to deliver solutions uniquely suited to local realities.From fintech and health tech to logistics and energy, these founders orchestrated the…

Basic food prices continue to rise, pushing essential items beyond the reach of those relying on the R370 Social Relief of Distress grant. There is a growing gap between what low-income families can afford and what they need for proper nutrition. Maverick Citizen has been tracking the prices of 14 basic food items that a person can buy using the R370 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant. The food basket hovers above R400, making it unaffordable for those who rely on the grant as their only source of income. The cost of our basket – owing to price increases for…

In the corporate world, few rituals are as universally dreaded as the mandatory compliance training. It is often a passive, click-next-until-it’s-over exercise designed to generate a certificate rather than genuine behavioural change. But for Mustapha Salaudeen, a learning experience specialist and developer, the problem isn’t just that these tests are boring; it’s that they are fundamentally measuring the wrong thing. “You’re only testing their knowledge retention level; you’re not forcing them or pushing them to self-reflect,” Salaudeen told me in an interview. His solution is Listening Trivia, a new AI-powered assessment tool that ditches the traditional 0-to-100 scoring model in…

Nigerian fintech companies are primarily using artificial intelligence for fraud detection, customer service, and credit scoring, according to a new report by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). The findings are presented in the CBN Fintech Report 2025, which is based on surveys, workshops, and roundtable sessions conducted with fintech operators and regulators across the country. The report shows that AI adoption in Nigeria’s fintech sector is no longer experimental, but focused on solving immediate operational and risk-related challenges. Fraud detection is the most widespread use of AI among Nigerian fintechs. The report says 87.5% of surveyed companies deploy AI tools to…

Mozilla is preparing a significant update for Firefox, giving users a simple way to disable every generative AI feature in the browser. The move acknowledges growing user frustration with AI features being added by default, often without clear opt-out options.The new controls will arrive with Firefox 148, scheduled to roll out on February 24, 2026. Users on Firefox Nightly builds may see the changes even earlier.A New Centralized AI Controls SectionWith Firefox 148, Mozilla is adding a dedicated AI controls section to the browser’s desktop settings. From this menu, users can: Block all generative AI features at once Enable only…