LATEST TECH NEWS: Norway launches app to track coronavirus. 4 other things and a trivia you need to know today, April 17, 2020

These 5 latest stories from the tech space will keep you updated with trends today.

1. Norway launches app to track coronavirus

Working on lifting lockdown orders in Oslo, Norway has announced launching a smartphone tracking and tracing app in a bid to arrest and further contain the deadly coronavirus. The device, “Smittestop” or “stop infection” app, was designed to provide health authorities a better picture of the spread of COVID-19 and tell users if they have been in contact with the disease.

This comes as government last week moved to gradually lift strict confinement measures in Oslo with schools due to reopen from April 27. Commenting on the need for the app, Prime Minister, Erna Solberg, urged citizens to be responsible in the protection of the country by complying to the use of the app. According to the Prime Minister, “If we (citizen) fail to keep control (over the epidemic), we will have to tighten up (lockdown) again.”

2. Stripe raises $600M in Series G extension

With a new $600 million investment closed, online payment processing for internet businesses, Stripe, joins the league of companies massively breaking through financially despite the economic downturn effect of the covid-19 pandemic. Stripe, on Friday, April 17, announced closing a new funding as company’s valuation shoots to $36 billion.

According to the Unicon, the funding comes as a Series G extension, with plans to utilise it in investing in product development, further global expansion and strategic initiatives. With a published balance sheet of $2 billion, Stripe tells the world about its financial strength which doesn’t appear to be in the deficit. Analysts have noted that the new funding is another strategic way to prepare for days ahead of the pandemic.

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Tech Trivia:

Which of the following was the first commercially available web browser?

A. Chrome
B. Safari
C. Opera
D. Mosaic
E. Firefox

Answer: See end of post.

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3. Molotov partners SchoolMouv to offer video lessons

Following the lockdown that saw the closure of schools across the globe, Molotov, a French startup, is partnering with SchoolMouv to bring classes to pupils at home via a video initiative. The partnership is expected to leverage its over-the-top TV service to offer content for children of all ages.

Read also: LATEST TECH NEWS: Nigeria’s 54gene closes a $15-million Series-A round. 4 other things and a trivia you need to know today, April 14, 2020

Before the pandemic, SchoolMouv has been in the business of offering videos, exercises and more for educational purposes. This readymade contents will solve the challenge of building contents. Aside from the TV initiative, users can equally browse SchoolMouv videos from the app, accessing contents around 1,000 lessons that cover all grounds in middle school and high school. Although Molotov has said it will be offering SchoolMouv videos for free until May 15, analysts however, have said this is only to aid a seamless market integration.

4. Microsoft to release new version of Windows 10 in May 2020

Microsoft has announced its readiness to release the next update for Windows 10. Officially called the Windows 10 May 2020 Update, the company revealed having sent the version for products analysts to review, a common practice in the tech industry. While the company is still at the liberty to improve on its product before the release, the public can anticipate the upgraded features ahead of May 2020 release.

According to Microsoft, unlike previous Windows 10 Updates, this year’s May 2020 Update is smaller in scope, noting that its main focus is to patch up smaller issues across the operating system. As revealed, some of the new features include a redesigned Cortana experience, some tweaks to the tablet mode, and small changes to virtual desktops and the calendar in the taskbar.

5. UAE-sponsored Prize stakes $3m prize money on African innovators

African innovators are invited to enter for the Zayed Sustainability Prize as it opens applications for its 2021 edition of the body’s innovation challenge. The awarding organisation made this know on Thursday, April 16, while explaining terms to the public. According to the organisation, it seeks for African innovators who have solutions that address some of the world’s biggest sustainability challenges.

The award, which is an initiative of the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE), was designed to reward impact, innovation, and inspiration across five sustainability categories. Press reports that the award, with this new opening, is entering its 13th submissions cycle, and has already awarded a total of 86 winners whose solutions or school projects have directly and indirectly, positively transformed the lives of 335 million people, around the world.

Tech Trivia Answer: Mosaic

Before “the big five:” Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari and Opera; web browser NCSA Mosaic, or simply Mosaic, is the web browser that popularised the World Wide Web and the Internet. Mosaic was developed at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign beginning in late 1992. NCSA released it in 1993, and officially discontinued development and support on January 7, 1997. Starting in 1995, Mosaic lost market share to Netscape Navigator and only had a tiny fraction of users left by 1997, when the project was discontinued. A fragment of it remains today as Microsoft had earlier licensed Mosaic to create Internet Explorer in 1995.

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