Social media services Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram are back up and running after an outage that lasted almost six hours and impacted millions across the globe. The services were down from about 4 pm GMT until around 10 pm on Monday. Users flocked to Twitter to share their frustrations, jokes, and assumptions about why the social media giant had shut down. But in a statement, Facebook said that the site’s faulty configuration change affected the company’s internal tools and systems which complicated attempts to resolve the problem. Downdetector, which tracks outages, said
Netflix and Howard University have established a $5.4 million scholarship, called the Chadwick A. Boseman Memorial Scholarship, in honor of the esteemed actor. The scholarship will cover four years of tuition at Howard’s College of Fine Arts for one student every year. Students who receive the scholarship will have demonstrated a drive for excellence, leadership, respect, empathy, passion, and exceptional skills in the arts, “reminiscent of Boseman,” according to a statement on the university’s website. “It is with immense pleasure and deep gratitude that we announce the creation of an
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has announced the lifting of the Twitter ban – only if the firm meets his conditions, including paying tax and setting up a local office. The president disclosed his list of conditions during his televised broadcast to Nigerians on the country’s 61st Independence Day anniversary. “Following the extensive engagements, the issues are being addressed, and I have directed that the suspension be lifted but only if the conditions are met to allow our citizens to continue the use of the platform for business and positive engagements,” he said. The president
A Facebook-backed subsea communications cable is set to become the world’s longest – directly connecting three continents — Africa, Europe, and Asia. On Tuesday, the major tech firm announced that the 2Africa cable would now extend more than 45,000 kilometers (27,960 miles) once it’s completed. The 8,000-kilometer extension will see 2Africa become the most extended subsea cable system in the world upon completion, Facebook said. This means it will also beat the current record set by the SEA-ME-WE 3 line that stretches 39,000 km and connects 33 countries across South East Asia,
Autumn Adeigbo has gone from a one-woman show to a team of four, increased revenue by 400 percent, and attracted attention from A-list stars including Mindy Kaling, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Kerry Washington. A year and a half ago, she raised $1.3 million in investments and set up shop in Los Angeles. Now Adeigbo, who is known for her bright designs and women’s ready-to-wear, just secured funds of nearly $3 million, led by venture capital firm Offline Ventures. This brings her total investments to more than $4 million. Brit Morin, the general
Singer-songwriter Doja Cat is taking the NFT world by storm and outselling major investor Jay Z as her single edition NFT sells for $188k – becoming the most oversized auctioned item in Tezos history. Doja first announced her first non-fungible token (NFT) collection earlier this month with green NFT marketplace OneOf. OneOf is built on the Tezos blockchain, recognized as an “energy efficient proof-of-stake network,” according to the company‘s website. It also claims to offer some of the most affordable transaction fees for users looking to tap into the world
Netflix Inc has launched a free mobile plan in Kenya as part of its strategy to spark growth in the East African nation, home to over 20 million internet users. The plan will be rolled out to all users in the country; it will be available on Android mobile phones and will not have any ads. Some shows will not be included in the free plan, and they will be marked with a lock icon. Clicking on one of those titles will encourage the user to sign up for a
Facebook is set to donate millions to Black-owned Wine Collection McBride Sisters to help them continue their efforts to give back to other Black women-led businesses. Through the SHE CAN Fund, run by the collection, Black women entrepreneurs will be eligible to receive $20,000 in Facebook advertising credits. They’ll also receive guidance from the Facebook Elevate community and learning program designed to fuel the growth of Black and Latinx and Hispanic-owned businesses, according to Afrotech. Members of the program are also encouraged to visit the Elevate Hub to join the Facebook Elevate
Black Tech Twitter started an interesting debate earlier this week after speculations spread that Mailchimp employees may not have been adequately compensated with stock after the company’s exit. Prominent Black figures in the tech world, including legend Arlan Hamilton and founder and investor Jewel Burks Solomon joined the stage and shared their concerns. Ms. Solomon, said: “I do really hope Mailchimp employees are taken care of in the deal. Would be huge for Atlanta for that cash to be well distributed.” Her tweet soon got the attention of quite a
NBA Star Klay Thompson Takes On The Tech World With New Investment In Fantasy Sports Startup Sleeper
Basketball superstar Klay Thompson has just invested in fantasy sports startup Sleeper, reportedly contributing to the quadrupling of its value to more than $400 million. Sleeper is a compilation of football and basketball games that people can play online with friends. Its initial focus was on the National Football League (NFL) and the National Basketball Association (NBA), but the pandemic’s impact pushed the firm to get into esports as well. The company has gone from strength to strength despite pushback from coronavirus, with an average user reportedly spending between 20 to 35 minutes on
