All the essential news, best products, tech events, disappointments, failures and the promise of a new year...
It is the perfect time to analyze 2019 and set trends for the next year. The year brought us with some apps, tools and technology trends that made it a bit more enjoyable than the previous. If you are into photography, 2019 was definitely a memorable encounter for you. Developing techniques, trends and solutions were either perfected or improved- from extensive applications of Blockchain, Cryptocurrency, AI, IoT and growing of NLP. Looking back to our article on the biggest trends in Blockchain, and the changes provoked by AI in businesses, these technologies would get better in 2020.
Facebook, Google, Samsung, and other tech giants were involved in concerning loud scandals this year. What else did the year take us? Read on.
Before that, let's here's a list of our picks...
Our best iPhone apps of 2019
From games to the apps that helped us chill out and the ones that gave us second thoughts about our privacy. Apple's release of the iPhone 11 and some introduction services have made most of the apps we used more important. Apple did theirs, here's ours.
Our best video games of 2019
It's been quite a year for games, some of which didn't reach the expectations and some of which surprised fans. At least there has been one game for everyone out there this year ranging from multiplayer games to VR games to mobile games. Read more.
Our best Android apps of 2019
The android market has a very large library of apps with new ones being added every day. Finding the best ones out of the bunch can be a daunting task, but that's why we are here. Here are our picks for best apps this year in no particular order. Read more.
Our best phones of the year
It would be an understatement to say that choosing the best devices out of the bunch is difficult but that is why we are here. Whether you're looking for Apple, Android, or even a simple feature phone, these are our top picks for a variety of budgets of 2019.
Top Stories of the year
Twitter, Instagram and Facebook turn Blue for Sudan
If you have been active this year on social media, there's a high chance that you bumped into profiles with blue display pictures. Or one or two posts on your timelines filled with Blue colours along with a "Pray for Sudan" caption or similar. If you did not, well that's weird, now you know. More information here.
Is it just me or CAPTCHAS are becoming ridiculous?
You can demonstrate that you're human through a click of " I am not a robot button" or with the image labelling as we see today. But the machines are catching up. Read more.
Huawei has announced Harmony OS, a new OS to replace Android
There was a US ban implemented on Huawei due to "security reasons" according to President Trump. The ban prevents them from doing business with US companies -- Google dropped support for android and other services, Facebook, Qualcomm, and even Microsoft had to end any business partnership they have with Huawei. The Chinese company tried so hard to provide workarounds to this ban by building a new OS. Here are the details.
Brain-Computer Interfaces are not distant prophecies, how prepared are we?
Facebook came out with its brain project in July following Neuralink's similar project earlier the same month. Delving into this matter reveals fascinating work. This technology isn't new, just that the existing ones aren't efficient enough. Researchers are currently working hard to make them user-friendly. Read more.
Why 'foldable' phones could be the next big thing
Many tech enthusiasts believe that smartphone innovation will reach its climax when full-screen displays become mainstream, signifying the end of “the reign of the notch”. The benefits of both a normal smartphone and a tablet without any of the drawbacks are enormous. Enter the folding phone. More here
Twitter’s CEO, Jack Dorsey got hacked
The unpleasant surprise lasted for 15 minutes, with the hackers tweeting offensive messages. Twitter has a good security track record and this news was utterly embarrassing for the social media giant. Here are more details.
Hacker releases a permanent "unpatchable" jailbreak for iPhone devices.
Jailbreaking iPhones basically provides you root access on your device to install third-party software, and tweaks to optimize and give a better look to your devices. There’s still an active community of users who insist on having total control over their phones and tablet despite efforts by Apple for a better experience. checkm8 is one of them. More information here.
Self-Lacing Sneakers: The Future Of Footwear
Pretty self-explanatory. Exactly, no need to bend down for like 5 minutes every time. How exactly could this be implemented? Robotic hands? Well, not exactly. The buzz for self-lacing sneakers reached a new high after the 1989 film, Back to the Future II. The main character, Marty picked up a pair of self-lacing sneakers after... read on.
Google co-founders Page and Brin step down from Alphabet
While the news sounds like a shocking development for the course of Google's future, it is not surprising to those who have followed their careers. The duo took a lesser role in the day to day activities in 2015 when they turned Google into Alphabet and since then have rarely made public appearances. Read more.
Apple's offering 6months of Apple Music subscription for free through Shazam
Streaming music digitally has become the most favoured and convenient way of accessing and listening to music. The battle among the music subscription service platforms has become increasingly competitive. Apple Music and Spotify viably lead the race in terms of the number of subscribers and unsurprisingly, where the battle got fiercest this year. More details here.
Tech events: WebVR, Apple, Facebook, Google & Microsoft
Virtual Reality: My first hands-on experience & takeaways with WEBVR
The Virtual Reality Workshop was hosted by Mr Fabien Benetou, a VR specialist from Mozilla, through UNICEF and MEST (Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology) Africa at the MEST Incubator in Accra, Ghana on 25th of Jan, 2019. Here's what happened.
Apple Event March: iOS 12.2, Apple Card, News+ and More
The first Apple Event this year didn't get the hype nor catch much attention as compared to the recent ones. The March event still came with some good stuff, but the much-hyped AirPower did not feature. Here's everything that was announced.
Apple Event September 2019 Summary
Apple hosted its annual event to unveil the new iPhones. This follows the WWDC where iOS 13 was announced as well as the Mac Pro and the Services Event were the Apple Card, Apple News+ and many others. This year’s event at the Steve Jobs' Center as always but for the first time was officially streamed on YouTube with over a million live views! Here's a bit of everything that happened...
Microsoft's Surface Event 2019: major announcements & headlines
In the previous year, Microsoft revealed the new Surface Pro 6 and Surface Laptop 2 alongside Surface Studio 2 and new Surface headphones. There were a lot of major announcements and updates from this year. Here's a wrap-up.
Made-By-Google Event 2019 - Everything that was announced
Google announced its new flagship smartphone with other surprises. The event confirmed the details that have been leaking all year. Here's a summary of the event.
Global AI Boot-camp 2019, Accra - Hands-on experience with AI tools
The Global AI Bootcamp was a free one-day event organized by local communities all over the world that are passionate about Artificial Intelligence on the Microsoft stack. Here's a summary of the entire event.EA PLAY 2019
EA Play is an annual gaming event by Electronic Arts, the makers of the FIFA football gaming series, Battlefield, The Sims and many others, to enable players and fans get hands-on with their games. This year's version Kicked-off E3 with very interesting announcements including the new Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order; here's a bit of everything they announced.
The Year of Return Developer Hackathon 2019 - My experience & what I learned
DevCAccra, which is Developer Circles chapter in Ghana hosted the event. The whole concept was about problem-solving techniques. If you are not a geeky technocrat, the word hackathon may be something entirely new. More information here.
Our Top Tutorials
How to fix I am not a robot reCAPTCHA issue?
If you are always getting interrupted then here are some tips to fix "I’m not a robot" issue in Google search. Read more.
Here's how to (unofficially) install Android on your Nintendo Switch
Nintendo Switch has easily become one of the worlds most popular gaming console after recording more than 14 million unit sales since it's release in March 2017 and a major competitor to the XBOX and PlayStation. Here's a quick tut.
Here's how to create a cryptocurrency wallet and secure your digital assets.
Have you used a cryptocurrency wallet before? Which one are you yet to set up? This post is to help you set up a crypto wallet. Read more.
How to increase graphics quality on any Android game
The only problem is that you always need to start your games through an app and it takes a toll on your battery as well but if you care more about looks than performance then it should not be a problem. Read more.
How to toggle Instagram's new Dark Mode on your iPhone or Android
The dark mode was arguably the most popular app feature in 2019. Apple introduced it in the macOS Mojave update last year and later implemented it for the iPhones in the latest iOS 13 this year. Most apps have support for this mode which can be turned on or off in the apps' setting, Twitter is a typical example. More information here.
How to make your own VPN for free in 30 mins
As much as this is an excellent choice to have full privacy online it can also be as dangerous as going without a VPN software. Create your own VPN.
Privacy & Security
The Value of Online Privacy and Digital Data
It's clear we are a generation dependent on our mobile devices, using them for activities that suit our needs. So much time is spent online! Locking the door to our homes or closing the curtains to the outside world comes naturally but how about our digital lives? More information here.
Here's why you should NEVER leave your Bluetooth on
If you are someone whose privacy is important, you will want to take this into consideration. Aside, hackers, we get our data breached by ISPs, governments and social network owners Find out how and why.
Surf the Internet with zero traces through one browser
Some browsers will claim to be secure against several vulnerabilities, they may not have your privacy at interest. If you take your privacy seriously, the first step of protecting it will be to download a secure and effective browser. Despite strict and effective privacy precautions, there is always that someone who can see anything you do online. More details here.
Failures & Disappointments of 2019
Lawsuits, leaked data, fines, Libra *almost* failing: Can 2019 just end for Facebook?
We made a post on why you should delete Facebook. Privacy issues, leaked data, and fake news are not the only issues faced by the tech giants. They failed in cryptocurrency as well. Facebook keeps suffering and 2019 was no different. More information here.
Apple APOLOGIZES for listening to your Siri commands without your consent
Apple isn't the only company known to pay contractors to review audio recordings with their digital assistant. The Guardian reported that contractors were paid to review up to 1000 voice recordings per day per person. Read more.
Google knows too much about you - enough to scare you, download your Google data now!
What the internet reveals about us appears to be a disturbing issue. For Google, you can download what they have on you from their servers. Remember downloading it doesn't delete, just think of it as a backup. We deserve better on the internet. Read more.
WhatsApp 'Delete for Everyone' Doesn't Delete Media Files Sent to iPhone Users
Though WhatsApp said "there is no guarantee a message or the attachments will be deleted," the company hinted that it might make changes to this functionality and its implementation in the future. More information here.
Now we live in a world where everything is 'memed' together
We introduced the meme of the week in the latter part of the year where we shared our wackiest, funniest tech memes that dominated the internet. Here's a recap of everything.