TechTrends Media

21/09/2025

Google’s cloud arm has long lived in the shadow of ads and search. Now a wave of AI startups — from vibe coding players to unicorn hopefuls — is testing whether Google can turn cloud into more than a side business. The outcome could shape the next decade of tech.

Google’s cloud division is no longer just a side business. As AI startups flock to its platform, the company faces a defining test of whether it can build a lasting future beyond the advertising empire that made it rich.

21/09/2025

CBK says banks are out of excuses. With the new Kenya loan pricing model, lower benchmark rates should mean cheaper credit. But lenders rarely give up margins. The real test: will transparency prevail, or will banks invent new ways to keep rates high?

With the central bank introducing a transparent lending benchmark, the power balance between regulators and lenders is shifting.

21/09/2025

Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro is more than a spec bump. The new telephoto lens, brighter display, and creator-focused video tools show where Cupertino wants to take the next decade of phones.

The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max sharpen Apple’s cameras, but the bigger story is how they reinforce its grip on the premium smartphone market.

20/09/2025

Another “deal” announced, another round of unanswered questions. Trump claims victory on TikTok, but the details on fees, control, and security remain thin.

Trump says Xi approved TikTok deal with China, but questions remain over U.S. security, fees, and the app’s future.

20/09/2025

Trump’s $100,000 visa fee proposal reads less like a policy tweak and more like a toll booth on ambition. For startups from Nairobi to Bangalore, it could redraw the global map of where ideas are born and where they stall.

The real question is whether America still wants to be the place where the brightest minds gather to build — or if the door is closing.

20/09/2025

A startup with a chatbot called Grok is suddenly valued at $200B. At least, that’s the number sources are floating.

Musk denies it.

Either way, the hype around AI has never been this expensive.

The funding frenzy around xAI shows how artificial intelligence has become Wall Street’s favorite bet, even when the odds remain unclear.

20/09/2025

OpenAI is preparing to spend nearly half a trillion dollars on servers and cloud infrastructure by 2030. The scale rivals Cold War megaprojects, but the big question is whether the returns — in revenue, energy, or breakthroughs — can ever justify the burn?

The OpenAI $450B infrastructure plan is more than an investment — it’s a race to secure power grids, cloud deals, and global talent as AI adoption surges and computational demands reach historic levels.

19/09/2025

This week in tech with Tawheda Ali

19/09/2025

M-PESA is taking a late-night pause next week — just a few hours offline, but all in service of something bigger. Come November, a new app built on Fintech 2.0 arrives, promising faster, safer, and smarter ways to move money in Kenya.

Why the next phase of M-PESA is about more than speed — it’s about trust, resilience, and scale

19/09/2025

M-PESA will go offline for three hours on Sept 22. A small pause, but one that signals the scale of work underway to keep Kenya’s most-used financial service running at full speed.

For a service that rarely blinks, even a three-hour pause feels like a reminder of just how deeply M-PESA runs through everyday life in Kenya.

17/09/2025

Cardtonic began with a single workaround for international payments. Today, it serves 1.5M users across Africa, offering virtual dollar cards and gift cards while keeping human support at its core.

Learn how Cardtonic emerged from a simple idea to become a vital payment solution for Nigerians and Africans alike.