Apps Roundup: Uber is coming to Kampala, MTN launches Webphone app & more
It’s a Saturday that means we bring to you the round up of all the apps that made news during the week.
To start off, Uber is coming to Kampala! Yes, ride-hailing service Uber posted a job opening on their website for an Operations and Logistics Manager in Kampala. Uber, now operational in Nairobi and Mombasa in East Africa will be looking to come to Kampala as their expansion plans in Africa continues.
Local telecom giant, MTN on Monday introduced a new mobile and web app called the MTN WebPhone. The app is an alternative cost-effective way of communication for frequent travelers and those living in the diaspora offering the same call rates as local call charges, to any network in Uganda.
To the world of Instant Messaging apps, Viber introduced end-to-end encryption a month after WhatsApp turned on full end-to-end encryption. Viber’s new privacy feature will provide complete encryption across all devices. Viber also launched ‘Hidden Chats’ allowing users to hide specific chats from the main screen so no-one but the user knows they exist.
Facebook has began the global roll out for group calling support for Android and iOS devices for it’s Messenger app which is currently limited to only 50 members.
Related, Telegram is giving away $1 million to developers that build bots for its chat app. Telegram will give the cash as a grant at $25,000 per bot and all you have to do is “create an impressive bot” using the company’s Bot API. Contact BotSupport, using #BotPrize, to submit.
Still on Bots, Microsoft introduced its skype bots during its Build 2016 conference, and now these same bots are coming to the Web and Mac too.
Let’s skip to browsers! The big news around this was Google hit a milestone with its Chrome browser passing 1 billion monthly active users. This was after the company released its 50th Chrome update.
Opera browser on the other hand had a trick of it’s own, with its new update rolling out with a free built-in VPN service. Opera says its VPN offers 256-bit encryption and replaces your IP address with a virtual one to make it difficult to trace your location and identify your computer and it also helps you access region-locked content like streaming video and social networks.
Finally, Shazam announced the launch of Shazam for Brands. This will introduce new technology and content tools for brands to utilize data and engagement in a way defined by the very audiences they seek. Coca-Cola is already using this new technology in its “Share a Coke® and a Song” campaign.
So that’s a quick round up of all the stories that headlined during the week in the apps section. Be sure to check out the full stories in the links provided in case you missed and stay tuned to PC Tech for everything tech.
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