TECHNOLOGY
What you should know about Juice Jacking, an attack that compromises your file via USB
Recently, Juice Jacking, a ‘renewed’ wave of cyberattack, has been the centre of conversation across social media platforms.
While the way Juice Jacking operates creates chances to compromise files and sensitive digital materials, it reminds us of how fraudsters continue to deploy new tactics.
There have been debates about its modus operandi: how it steals data using a ‘disguised’ power bank, and the type of file it can access. Most importantly, there were concerns about whether it’s possible that the device can unlock a phone or system.
With the guidance of two resource individuals, Jude Ozinegbe, Founder of Cyberchain and Mukaila Temitope Olajumoke, a cybersecurity practitioner, this article will provide a comprehensive explainer on all you should know about Juice Jacking.
Jude Ozinegbe, Founder of Cyberchain and Mukaila Temitope Olajumoke, a cybersecurity practitioner
Juice Jacking: not new
Juice jacking is a potential attack where a malicious charging station, usually a port cable or USB device, is used to compromise data. Fraudsters simply compromise data by installing malware via the charging. While a phone displays charging, Juice Jacking operates beyond mere charging.
“It happens when a charger, power bank, or cable has been tampered with. Instead of just giving your phone power, it also opens a data connection. And if your phone allows it, information can move from your phone to someone else quietly—no noise, no warning,” Jude said.
He pointed out that Juice Jacking can easily occur in Nigeria as people charge phones anywhere (most especially in public places) due to the epileptic power supply.
Notably, the suspicious power bank cannot be easily detected, they are like a normal power bank. Both experts said the power bank looks clean, and nothing outside will tell you it’s bad.
While the attacks seem to be gaining attention lately, Temitope noted that Juice Jacking is not a new attack. She explained that the attack became prominent recently due to the widespread use of Android smartphones and Type-C charging ports.
“It’s not new now, it’s becoming rampant. People are getting to know about it recently, but it has been out for a while. And the adoption of type C cord makes it more vulnerable,” she added.
The user is in control
Addressing concerns over who is in control of how Juice Jacking works and accessing data on the phone, Temitope noted that the phone owner is still in control. And that control comes into effect when a user decides whether to ‘charge only’ or ‘allow transfer of files.’
“When you connect your phone, a prompt displays to select charging or to transfer the file. So you’ll be the one to make the decision,” she added.
A prominent concern is whether the charger (connected to the ‘disguised’ power bank or charger) can really unlock a phone itself. Both experts noted that this is impossible.
Jude described the expression as a plain exaggeration. He said the attack does occur with given permission and is a normal human behaviour process. He emphasised that the risk is not that the charger or attacker is smart, it’s that we’re often in a hurry.
“The problem starts when you unlock the phone yourself. You’re charging, you unlock to reply to a WhatsApp message, check your account balance, and scroll through Instagram. Then one message pops up: “Allow data access?” You don’t read it. You just tap “OK.” Jude noted.
Juice Jacking is not about fear. It’s about sensible practice. Your phone is your wallet, your office, your business, your identity—everything. So treat charging like handling cash. It’s better to have a low battery than an empty account.
Temitope also mentioned that the attack works based on access. And without giving it access, it can not do the work on its own.
“The attack itself needs a host, which is you. You need to give it access to your data. So it cannot work on its own.” She added that “it cannot unlock the phone unless you unlock your phone.”
Also Read: Here are 7 habits that compromise your personal and data safety online.
What type of data can Juice Jacking compromise?
Once a phone is unlocked and access is gained, the attacker can access contacts, photos, documents, phone information, and other non-encrypted files. In some extra cases, the attacker can install spying software on the phone.
Jude noted that fraudsters’ main gain is to access financial information, especially in a country like Nigeria.
“Banking apps, fintech wallets, crypto, email, OTP alerts—everything is on one phone. Once that phone is compromised, your money and accounts can be at risk.”
“That’s when stories start like, ‘I just woke up, and money was gone.’ starts flooding everywhere, but you forgot when you plugged in an unsuspecting rogue charger, power bank, or cable to your phone,” he added.
Free electricity plug and USB plug, Battery charging station in the airport.
In addition, Temitope explained that the risk of Juice Jacking is very low because it needs a user to unlock the phone and also allow access beyond mere charging. She said it is also very low for people using the latest Android OS version and iOS.
Preventive measures
Instead of trying to inspect chargers, experts highlighted the following preventive tips to avoid falling victim to Juice Jacking.
- Avoid public USB charging ports when you can.
- Plug into wall sockets with your own charger head.
- Carry your own power bank.
- Use charge-only cables (they don’t pass data), carry a spare cable.
- Avoid public charging ports such as bus terminals or trains.
- Disable auto-unlock features. If there are features that, once they are on, your device will unlock itself, turn them off.
- Keep your phone locked while charging
- Stop tapping “Allow” without reading
- If you’re not sure about the charger, just say, “I’ll charge later,” and put your phone on the battery saver.
While Juice jacking is not yet a rampant attack, it’s gaining prominence. The preventive measures are essential. Think of it like ATM rules. You don’t collect an ATM card from a stranger just because you’re in a hurry.
Joe Rogan invoked three words that still haunt Americans more than two decades later while discussing how the country might react to an alien threat.
Speaking on his podcast, Rogan said such a world-changing event could evoke reactions similar to those seen ‘after September 11th.’
‘It was a horrible tragedy, but there was a beautiful result temporarily, where everybody was really united,’ he said on Thursday.
‘There were American flags on everybody’s cars in Los Angeles. In New York, everyone was friendly.’
Rogan added that Americans had all decided that we were together and that we were faced with a real threat and that we had to be united, suggesting a similar reaction would unfold in the event of visitors from another world.
Along with the widespread displays of American flags, there were spontaneous memorial vigils, national unity under the ‘United We Stand’ theme, lawmakers singing ‘God Bless America,’ and a surge in support for military and first responders.
The discussion was sparked when Rogan referenced a famous moment from history, recalling Ronald Reagan’s speech at the United Nations.
‘Imagine how united we would be if faced with an alien threat from another world,’ he said. ‘We’d forget our differences and realize that, at the core, we’re all connected.’
Joe Rogan released a new podcast on Thursday, where he shared his feelings about how Americans could react to an alien threat
Rogan said such a world-changing event could evoke reactions similar to those seen ‘after September 11th’
Rogan’s guest, Michael P. Masters, a professor of biological anthropology at Montana Tech, agreed, expanding on the idea by suggesting humanity may be linked by a deeper, shared consciousness, an idea he said some researchers associate with the UFO phenomenon.
‘If we recognize that we are just fingerprints on the same hand, then we’re all iterations of the same overarching consciousness,’ Masters said.
‘And there may be aspects of that reflected in the UFO phenomenon.’
Rogan has a long-standing obsession with the topic of extraterrestrial life and UFOs, and in his stand-up comedy.
He often expresses the view that aliens ‘are out there’ and that the government might be covering up the truth.
The podcaster also believes that, given the ‘hundreds of billions of galaxies’ and stars in the universe, it is mathematically certain that ‘for sure there’s something else out here.’
While often focusing on the physical evidence, he has also explored alternative theories with guests, such as the idea that aliens might be interdimensional beings or human time travelers from the future, which aligns with Masters’ theories.
Masters, who holds a PhD in anthropology from The Ohio State University, has gained attention beyond academia for his unconventional theories about UFOs.
‘Imagine how united we would be if faced with an alien threat from another world,’ he said. ‘We’d forget our differences and realize that, at the core, we’re all connected.’
Rogan’s guest, Michael P. Masters, a professor of biological anthropology at Montana Tech, agreed, expanding on the idea by suggesting humanity may be linked by a deeper, shared consciousness, an idea he said some researchers associate with the UFO phenomenon
In his books, including Identified Flying Objects and The Extratempestrial Model, he argues that some UFO encounters may not involve extraterrestrials at all.
Instead, Masters has proposed that the beings described in many sightings could be future human descendants traveling back through time, a hypothesis he has publicly discussed for years.
‘The phenomenon may be our own distant descendants coming back through time to study us in their own evolutionary past,’ he said in a 2019 interview.
While Rogan expressed confidence that something unexplained is occurring, Masters emphasized caution, noting that many claims surrounding UFOs and alien encounters require further study as stigma around the topic continues to fade.
Masters also argued the ‘gray’ alien archetype, large heads, big eyes, thin bodies, mirrors projected human evolution amid declining robustness, fertility issues and genetic engineering.
He linked abductions involving reproductive material extraction to future humans addressing fertility crises, citing cases like Jim Penniston’s Rendlesham Forest message, claiming the need for genetic material.
Rogan and Masters touched on government reverse-engineering, whistleblowers like Bob Lazar, transmedium craft, and Peruvian tridactyl mummies resembling grays, with Masters cautious pending further study.
Rogan expressed conviction in the phenomenon, while Masters shared a personal sighting and childhood ‘tasking’ inspiring his research.
The episode framed UFOs as potentially intratemporal, urging discernment of encounter reports amid diminishing stigma.
Renowned AI scientist Yann LeCun confirmed on Thursday that he had launched a new startup — the worst-kept secret in the tech world — though he said he will not be running the new company as its CEO.
His startup is called Advanced Machine Intelligence (or AMI) and has hired Alex LeBrun, co-founder and CEO of medical transcription AI startup darling Nabla, as its CEO. Nabla disclosed LeBrun’s new job in a press release and LeCun confirmed it in a brief post on LinkedIn.
“Yes, AMI Labs is my new startup. I’m the Executive Chairman. And Alex LeBrun is transitioning from CEO of Nabla to CEO of AMI Labs!” LeCun wrote.
AMI Labs is also reportedly seeking to raise €500 million (about $586 million) at a €3 billion valuation (about $3.5 billion) right out of the gate, before even launching, the Financial Times reported, citing people familiar with the dealmaking. Given the kind of money that VCs are throwing at AI startups founded by world-recognized AI scientists these days, that’s not even an comparatively outrageous ask.
For instance, former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati’s startup, Thinking Machines Lab, was valued at $12 billion for its seed round last year. And Murati doesn’t have the same kind of street cred as LeCun.
LeCun, a professor at New York University who was formerly VP and Chief AI Scientist Meta, won the prestigious A.M. Turing Award, for his work on reinforcement learning.
The press release also confirms what everyone knew as well: that AMI Labs is working on world model AI. This is an alternative to LLMs where the AI attempts to understand its environment (aka the world) so it can simulate cause-and-effect and what-if scenarios to predict outcomes. World model creators believe it’s the answer to LLMs’ structural hallucination problems. LLMs can’t be trusted never to fabricate info because it is their very nature to be “non-deterministic,” aka creative.
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Top labs and startups like Google DeepMind and Fei-Fei Li’s startup, World Labs, are also developing world models. By that comparison, the fundraising aspirations of AMI might appear a bit more audacious. When World Labs debuted, Li raised $230 million at a $1 billion valuation right out of the gate, which was considered a lot at the time. But that was way back in August 2024, or about 100 AI years ago.
Meanwhile, Nabla says the company will be searching for a new CEO and will be, for now, run by its co-founder and COO, Delphine Groll, who has not been handed the permanent reins yet. Nabla also says it has signed a partnership to use AMI’s models as they are developed.
Nabla has raised $120 million in total from an all-star list of backers, including a $70 million Series C in June. LeCun is one of Nabla’s investors, as is Tony Fadell’s Build Collective, HV Capital, Highland Europe, and Cathay Innovation.
Nabla’s LeBrun could be a good choice for CEO. He’s been building multi-modal AI since before anyone called it that, working at Nuance Communications in the early 2010s, which originally powered Apple’s Siri in those long-ago years when Siri was wow technology. (Microsoft eventually acquired Nuance.) He founded and sold a couple of natural language startups, including one to Facebook. Then he ran Facebook’s AI division before founding Nabla in 2018, according to his LinkedIn.
LeBrun said that Nabla, a darling of the Paris-based AI startup community, is still growing well.
“We have more than tripled our live ARR this year. Up next to $1B!” LeBrun wrote as he announced his departure as CEO. The founder says he will remain on at Nabla as chairman and Chief AI Scientist. Nabla declined further comment and AMI did not immediately respond to our request for comment.
TECHNOLOGY
Experts pinpoint exactly how many steps you need to take to burn off festive food and drink favourites – and it’s good news for wine lovers
Experts have revealed how many steps are needed to burn off the calories in popular Christmas foods and drinks – and it’s good news for lovers of champagne and cider.
The figures come from an index released by WeWard, a walking app that rewards users for the number of steps they take.
Researchers analysed the calories in standard servings of festive food and drink, then converted them into the number of steps and walking time required for an average adult walking at a moderate pace.
Among drinks, champagne topped the list as the easiest to burn off. A single glass contains around 90 calories, requiring just 1,692 steps – just a 17-minute walk.
Joint second were wine and cider, both containing 120 calories, which would take 2,256 steps or around 23 minutes to burn off.
In third place was the mimosa, which contains about 140 calories and would require 2,632 steps, or a 26-minute walk.
Even drinks further down the list did not require much longer walks.
An espresso martini, for example, contains around 160 calories and would need 3,000 steps – about half an hour of walking – to offset.
The number of steps needed to burn off popular festive drinks has been revealed by experts
A hot toddy made with whisky, honey, lemon and spices would take 3,196 steps, or roughly 32 minutes, to burn off.
None of the drinks analysed required more than 40 minutes of walking.
Hot chocolate ranked third highest, requiring 3,647 steps, equivalent to a 36-minute walk.
Eggnog and beer topped the list, needing 3,948 and 3,910 steps respectively – both around 39 minutes of walking.
The index also analysed festive foods, including several staples of a traditional British Christmas dinner.
Roast turkey was the easiest to burn off, with a standard portion containing 142 calories. This would require 2,858 steps, or a 29-minute walk.
However, the researchers noted this estimate is based on a set portion size, meaning larger servings would require more walking.
Roast potatoes ranked second, containing around 190 calories and requiring 3,572 steps – about 36 minutes of walking.
They also revealed the number of steps needed to burn off classic festive foods
Stuffing proved the most demanding. A portion contains around 356 calories and would require 6,693 steps, or roughly 67 minutes, to burn off – more than double the time needed for roast turkey.
Health experts have long advised that increasing daily step counts can improve heart health, aid weight loss and boost mental wellbeing, with 10,000 steps a day often cited as a popular goal.
However, research published earlier this year suggests a more modest approach may still bring major benefits.
Scientists found that building a steady 15-minute walk into the day could significantly reduce the risk of heart disease and early death.
Those who walked consistently for around 15 minutes a day saw their risk of early death fall by up to 85 per cent compared with people who only walked in short five-minute bursts.
The researchers concluded that ‘modest changes in step patterns, without dramatic increases in step number’, could still deliver meaningful health benefits.
Celeste Amadon and Asher Allen were working on an app that used AI to book restaurants for dates, when they stumbled on a bigger idea that encourages people to meet in person. And now it’s catching on with investors.
The duo created a voice-powered AI onboarding system for its app that helped them learn more about users without them having to fill out a form. What they discovered: people loved to talk, and that increased the length of the onboarding session with the app clocking 26 minutes on average. That is how San Francisco-based dating startup Known was born.
“Our take is that for the first time, we could know enough about somebody to serve them a date that would make sense. And if we could do that much faster with less rejection rate, we could create a user experience that could get people out on more dates,” she said.
Image Credits: Known
And early results suggested they were on to something.
In its test phase in San Francisco, Known said it observed 80% of its introductions led to physical dates, which is much higher than swipe-based dating apps. Buoyed by these signals, the startup has raised $9.7 million from investors, including Forerunner and NFX, along with PearVC and Coelius Capital. Notably, this is the first dating app investment for Forerunner.
“Celeste is a really thoughtful founder to understand the mindset of the consumer, which is a young female, to be honest. There are other people who can be focused on the male demographic, but she is focused on the young female who has a lot of unspoken desires and needs that, if you put them in a profile, they would never say, this versus that. And I think in a conversation, you can get a lot of those nuances out, but in the past, the conversation required a $10,000 matchmaker,” Eurie Kim, a partner at Forerunner, told TechCrunch.
Amadon said she has always been very interested in social impact at scale, and thinks dating is inherently one of the biggest problems facing her generation.
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“There’s been a million pieces written about the loneliness epidemic in the U.S. And I do really think that it’s our generation’s largest problem,” said Amadon, who, along with Allen, dropped out of Stanford to build the startup.
Image Credits: Known
The app, which is under testing in San Francisco in beta, uses voice AI-powered onboarding to ask several questions to users without having them fill out any forms. Amadon said because of this modality, the startup is able to know more about users and provide them with great matches, with one user clocking in at an hour and 38 minutes long onboarding.
When people typed their responses out, they would edit them, according to Known. With voice, the onboarding is more personable. The company’s AI can ask dynamic follow-ups based on the conversation. For instance, if someone has newly moved to the city, AI can ask them about what they like and dislike about their experience thus far.
Once the onboarding is complete, the AI suggests potential matches to users. They can ask AI agents about those profiles. If they like a profile, they can tap on “interested.” When two people are matched, they have 24 hours to accept the introduction and 24 hours to agree to a date. The company said that with this mechanism, the app is trying to avoid lingering chats and ghosting while encouraging people to meet in real life. Post their dates, users can provide their feedback to AI and get more refined recommendations for matches.
Known hasn’t completely ditched the restaurant idea. The app also helps in picking restaurants based on user likes and dislikes. Using the AI chat and calendar integrations, users can also inform about their availability for the first dates. In the beta phase, the company charged $30 per successful date. However, the startup is not set on the price and said it will experiment with different models to find out what payment modality works the best.
Image Credits: Known
Today the startup has three full-time engineers and four people working on go-to-market, with several contractors working in all areas. Amadon, whose previous experience includes internships in politics, and Allen, who worked on product at AI-powered online shopping app Phia, plan to bolster headcount with this fundraiser.
Known is currently testing in San Francisco and plans to launch early next year.
There are several other new startups, including Hinge CEO Justin McLeod’s new app called Overtone, that are trying to use AI to know more about users and try to find matches for them. Some of them want to claim that they are bringing bespoke services of matchmakers that cost thousands of dollars at a fraction of the cost. Incumbents like Tinder, Bumble, and Hinge are also pushing AI features to keep their userbase engaged. Despite the growing number of startups, Amadon is happy with the competition.
“When it comes to other startup dating products, I’ve been so happy to see a lot of people building in the space because I think it shows that it’s time to shift away from a swipe-based model. And I think most of them that I’ve seen have been pretty different from what we’re building at Known,” She said.
As we move further into the holiday season, Africans earning in foreign currencies are once again looking for the best ways to send money to friends and family back home on the continent. The challenges that once plagued money transfers to Africa have largely faded, thanks to ambitious cross-border payment apps that have stepped in to fill the gap.
Whether you’re planning a trip to Lagos for Detty December or simply want to send money home, there are now numerous apps — many built by Africans on the continent — designed to meet these needs.
That said, not every app offers the level of speed and efficiency users expect. That’s why we spent the past few days testing multiple platforms for speed, reliability, and overall performance.
Here are 10 of the best cross-border payment apps for sending money to Africa, and why they stand out.
Image Credit: Chipper Cash
Chipper Cash remains one of the most reliable cross-border payment apps on the continent. Valued at over $2 billion, the startup, which began in Lagos, has become a go-to option for many users looking to send money back home.
Chipper Cash is particularly popular for its USD accounts, which allow customers to hold and receive dollars. The app has also built a reputation for reliability, with very few reported downtimes, and has largely avoided major controversy in a still-nascent industry.
However, some users have raised concerns about high exchange rates, which are among the highest on the continent and remain a key drawback of the service.
Why it stands out: One of the oldest and most reliable native cross-border payment apps in Africa.
Image Credit: LemFi
LemFi is fast becoming the number one choice for Africans living abroad looking to move money to West and East Africa. With a recent $53 million Series B raise, the company has expanded from a simple remittance tool into a multi-currency bank.
Its multi-currency wallet is a feature that has garnered a cult following, allowing users to hold funds in foreign currencies before swapping them. The app has also built a robust fraud detection system and offers competitive rates that often beat traditional high-street banks.
However, its popularity is a double-edged sword. During peak transaction windows, LemFi can suffer from congestion delays, leading to “processing” hang-ups that can frustrate users in a rush, an issue that it has attributed to infrastructure problems on the side of some of its partners.
Why it stands out: It comes with a multi-currency wallet worth boasting about.
Image Credit: NALA
NALA has carved out a reputation as the “Rate King” of the ecosystem. Pivoting from a general financial tool to a specialised remittance player, it consistently offers exchange rates that beat the market average for East Africa, making it a preferred choice for many sending lump sums where a tiny difference in rate adds up to significant value.
NALA is particularly popular for its seamless integration with M-PESA (another regional favourite), making it nearly flawless for transfers into Kenya and Tanzania.
However, the downside is often speed in high-traffic corridors outside of East Africa. Users in West Africa have occasionally noted lags compared to competitors, forcing a trade-off between the best rate and the fastest delivery.
Why it stands out: It provides some of the best rates in East Africa.
4. Send App by Flutterwave
Image Credit: Flutterwave
Send App is backed by Flutterwave, one of the highest-valued fintechs in Africa. Because Flutterwave owns the underlying payment rails that many other apps rent, Send App is arguably one of the fastest. It cuts out intermediaries, making it an ideal choice for business-to-business transfers or heavy lifters who need to move large sums directly into their bank accounts.
At over $20,000 per transaction, Send App has become popular for its high transaction limits and professional assurance. If you are paying a supplier or a contractor, the app provides a level of paper trail and security that peer-to-peer apps often lack.
However, the reality is that when it fails, it fails hard. Because it relies on its own infrastructure, any downtime at the Flutterwave gateway can bring the app to a complete halt.
Why it stands out: Arguably one of the fastest transaction processing speeds.
Image Credit: M Pesa
Part app, part economic infrastructure, Safaricom-operated M-PESA Global has become the premier service for anyone in East Africa, allowing users to send money across borders to Tanzania, Uganda, and Rwanda as easily as sending a text message. It integrates directly with the contacts on your phone and requires no traditional bank account to function.
M-PESA Global is particularly popular for its ecosystem integration, allowing users to link directly to PayPal and Western Union to receive funds from abroad and spend them instantly at local merchants. It is the definition of “liquid cash” in the region; if you have M-PESA, you have money.
However, users often cite transaction limits and tiered fees as a drawback. Unlike newer apps that offer flat fees, M-PESA Global’s pricing structure can become expensive for higher-value transfers, and the interface, while functional, is utilitarian compared to other cross-border payment apps.
Why it stands out: The undisputed king of mobile money that powers the entire East African economy.
The strength of Accrue lies in its specificity. In an industry where having many options is often seen as an advantage, Accrue chooses focus, offering payments specifically from the United States to Africa. It also provides users outside the US with a dollar account that can receive payments.
True to its name, Accrue is also focused on helping users grow their money. The app offers investment options, including gift cards and top-performing assets.
Where it truly excels is its interest programme. Users who hold money on the app earn daily interest, making it an attractive option for those looking to preserve value while keeping funds accessible.
Why it stands out: Users receive daily interests.
Image Credit: Grey
Grey has fast become the primary banking option for African freelancers and remote workers. Backed by Y Combinator, the app addresses a specific pain point: the difficulty of receiving international payments for work abroad in Africa. It acts as both a remittance app and a neobank, bridging the gap between Western employers and African talent.
Grey is particularly popular for providing virtual foreign bank accounts (IBANs) in the US, UK, and Europe. This allows users to receive salaries directly in foreign currency and hold funds in their wallet to shield against local currency devaluation, converting only what they need for daily spending.
Why it stands out: It has an actual, sleek interface that makes sense.
Image Credit: Taptap Send
Taptap Send operates in over 40 countries worldwide, including major sending markets like the UK, Europe, the US, Canada, Australia, and the UAE, with strong support for transfers into African destinations such as Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.
Users praise Taptap Send for its transparent fees and competitive exchange rates, which are often more favourable than traditional banks and legacy remittance services. Transfers typically arrive within minutes, especially when sent to mobile wallets or bank accounts, making it ideal for urgent support to family or friends.
However, regulatory hiccups can occasionally impact service continuity in some markets. For example, in 2025, the Bank of Ghana temporarily suspended remittance partnerships with TapTap Send due to compliance reviews, though its services were later restored after engagement with the regulators.
Why it stands out: Supports one of the widest ranges of foreign currencies for transfers into Africa.
Image Credit: Afriex
Afriex has rapidly established itself as one of the most cost‑effective ways to send money to Africa. It allows senders to fund transfers in USD, EUR, GBP and deliver funds into local bank accounts, mobile wallets, or even directly into Afriex wallets, depending on the destination.
A major pillar of Afriex’s appeal is its real‑time exchange rates and low to zero fees on transfers, making it competitive with, or cheaper than, traditional remittance services and banks. Most transfers are completed within minutes, and the platform automatically handles currency conversion at transparent rates before payout.
Afriex continues to scale its reach: the service supports transfers from key sending countries into over 30 African destinations, and it has recently expanded into new markets such as Benin and Congo‑Brazzaville, while also facilitating payouts in countries like Mozambique, Madagascar, Tanzania, and Zambia.
Why it stands out: Has one of the lowest fees on transactions.
Image Credit: Kredete
Offering transfers to over 40 African countries, Kredete has become a preferred option for many Africans, particularly immigrants looking to send money back home.
With every transaction, users build their credit score on Kredete, unlocking a feature that is only just gaining traction across Africa. This gives Africans a pathway into the global credit market, an area many have historically been excluded from.
Kredete also provides a virtual credit card, further empowering users to participate in global commerce and online markets.
Why it stands out: Allows users to build a credit score with every transaction.
With white-wired headphones endorsed by celebrities including Lily-Rose Depp, Paul Mescal, Bella Hadid and Apple Martin, a growing number of people are breaking away from wireless listening.
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For inspiration, there is the Instagram account @wireditgirls, or a Balenciaga campaign featuring the model Mona Tougaard reclining bed, wired headphones in place.
Daniel Rodgers, the fashion news editor at British Vogue, is familiar with the trend. “[It says] ‘I’m very effortless. I’m very nonchalant,” he says. “It’s become a real styleable accessory.”
But in a culture where the forward march of technology is often treated as compulsory, wired headphones represent more than aesthetics. “It’s an analogue way of opting out – of both tech but also life,” says Rodgers. “They’re visible in a way that AirPods aren’t. There is a sense of ‘do not disturb’.”
Retro tech is making a comeback, with some users of wired headphones embracing tangles as part of the charm. Photograph: Tara Moore/Getty Images
That symbolism is on full display on the cover of New York magazine’s latest issue, which features celebrities riding the subway: Debbie Harry with the Geese frontman Cameron Winter, Ben Stiller with the Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns and Macaulay Culkin with the SubwayTakes presenter Kareem Rahma. The real story, however, is not the star power but the shared accessory in each image: wired headphones.
The pictures were taken by Hannah La Follette Ryan, the Brooklyn-based photographer behind the Instagram account @SubwayTakes, which documents New Yorkers on public transport. She says: “I see the revival as an extension of digital fatigue. Who wants another glitchy expensive gadget to charge?”
Price is clearly part of the appeal of wired headphones – Apple’s EarPods cost £17 compared £99 for AirPods – but nostalgia is also a factor.
“We’re seeing retro tech come back,” says Tom Morgan-Freelander, the deputy editor of the technology magazine Stuff. “And as part of that, brands are starting to bring back wired headphones.”
He says some younger consumers are switching to wired for sound quality, which is typically better with cables. “Bluetooth became the norm, and there was an acceptance that for wireless convenience – you’re going to lose a bit of quality,” he adds.
Then there is the issue of tangles. While wireless headphones are stored neatly in a case, wired varieties are often found in a knot at the bottom of a bag.
Despite the revival of wired headphones, Bluetooth models continue to outsell them. Photograph: Blend Images/Alamy
La Follette Ryan suggests this is part of the appeal. “The tangle is inevitable,” she says. “Think of a headphone knot as a more user-friendly Rubik’s Cube. Relish the opportunity to slow down and solve a little puzzle.”
If wired headphones have become the choice of the fashion-conscious despite these inconveniences, that could change soon. AirPods remain the bestseller at Currys but the retailer reports sales of Beats Solo 4 over-ear headphones have risen by 193% since last year.
Morgan-Freelander also points to the £20 FiiO Snowsky Wind, a design that looks like the earphones worn with a Sony Walkman in the 1980s.
Rodgers still believes wired headphones have the edge. “Even though we are constantly being [sold upgrades], there’s a sort of disengagement [with wired headphones], which is always really hot, right?” he says. “You never want to look like you’re too into anything.”
La Follette Ryan, however, thinks there is room for every option. “I just bought a Discman and Sony headphones,” she says, “but I will always keep my wired headphones for sharing an earbud with a friend.”
An urgent weather alert has been issued for thousands in Wyoming and Colorado, warning of a ‘particularly dangerous situation’ expected on Friday.
The National Weather Service (NWS) said a strong wind event is ongoing across the region, with sustained winds of 40 to 50 mph and gusts up to 75 mph, creating extreme conditions for wildfires and potential property damage.
Red flag warnings have been issued, signaling that a combination of strong winds, low humidity, and dry fuels is creating a heightened risk for rapid fire growth.
Areas under threat include southern Wyoming’s Laramie Range and most of Laramie County, as well as Colorado’s Front Range foothills, nearby high plains, portions of the I-25 urban corridor, and some southern counties, all at risk through at least midnight.
The NWS designated a ‘Particularly Dangerous Situation’ for the southern Laramie Range and foothills in Wyoming, and for the Front Range foothills and adjacent lower elevations in northern and central Colorado.
That includes Boulder, Jefferson, Larimer, and parts of Douglas, Gilpin, Clear Creek and Park Counties.
The NWS warned that conditions mirror those that fueled the 2021 Marshall Fire, which destroyed more than 1,000 homes in Colorado.
Red flag warnings are also in effect in the central and western Nebraska Sandhills, the eastern Panhandle and the southwestern Texas Panhandle.
Louisville, Colorado is in Boulder County is specifically mentioned as being under the ‘Particularly Dangerous Situation.’ Pictured is a home burning in a wildfire that sparked in 2021
Red flag warnings have been issued in Wyoming, Colorado, Nebraska and Texas
‘This is a Particularly Dangerous Situation that poses a significant threat to life and property in the event of a wildfire start,’ the NWS stated regarding specific regions in Wyoming and Colorado.
‘Residents are urged to assemble an emergency supply kit and know their evacuation routes.
‘In some cases, safe and timely evacuation may not be possible should a fire approach. Have multiple ways to receive instructions from emergency services, and evacuate if ordered to or if a fire threatens.’
The Wyoming Department of Transportation has imposed travel restrictions on several key routes. Interstates 80 and 25 are closed to light and high-profile vehicles in multiple areas, including I-25 from the Colorado state line to Whitaker Road, and I-80 from Rawlins through the Laramie Valley into Cheyenne.
A cold front moving through the region tonight is expected to ease conditions by Saturday afternoon.
It could bring mountain snow, prompting a winter weather advisory for affected areas.
In Colorado, this is the first time the NWS office in Boulder has issued ‘A Particularly Dangerous Situation’ alert for northwest Jefferson and western Boulder counties due to possible wind gusts of 85 to 105 mph.
The most dangerous conditions are expected on Highway 93 into the higher foothills. Coupled with single-digit relative humidity.
The NWS warned that conditions mirror those that fueled the 2021 Marshall Fire (PICTURED), which destroyed more than 1,000 homes in Colorado
For the northern Front Range, the strongest winds are expected west of I-25, reaching into the foothills. Along and east of the I-25 corridor, including the Denver metro area, gusts could reach 40 mph with humidity dropping as low as eight percent.
Meteorologists warned that the top wind gusts could be comparable to those of a Category 2 or 3 hurricane.
Multiple Red Flag Warnings across parts of Nebraska and the Texas Panhandle, warning that critical fire weather conditions are likely on Friday afternoon.
In Nebraska, Red Flag Warnings are in effect from 10am to 5pm local time for the eastern Panhandle and western Sandhills, and from 11am to 6pm for the central and western Sandhills, including areas near the Valentine National Wildlife Refuge and Nebraska National Forest.
In Texas, warnings cover the southwestern and northwest Texas Panhandle from 10am to 6pm local time.
Forecasters said gusty west to southwest winds of 15 to 30 mph, with gusts up to 45 mph, combined with low relative humidity as low as 10 to 20 percent and temperatures climbing into the mid-60s, could cause any fires that ignite to spread rapidly and become difficult to control.
Residents are urged to avoid outdoor burning and activities that could spark fires during the warning period.
For most Nigerian content creators, staying online is often the easiest part of the job. The real struggle happens in the background: creators wrestle with erratic data connections and the daunting task of tailoring global technology to a local audience. For years, the solution was simply to work harder, but in 2025, the game changed. This year, artificial intelligence (AI) moved from a playground for the curious to the engine room for the productive.
With limited infrastructure, rising data costs, and intense competition for attention, efficiency is no longer optional but essential to survival and growth. AI offers creators practical ways to compress time, reduce costs, and compete on a global stage without expanding their teams or budgets. These tools are reshaping how Nigerian creators sustain their work, scale their output, and remain visible in an increasingly crowded creator economy.
I spoke to some top Nigerian content creators, including Fisayo Fosudo, Mercy Thaddeus, and Akunne Emmanuel, to understand how they are integrating AI into their creative workflow to improve efficiency and output, as well as the creative decisions they refuse to hand over to machines.
Scripting and narrative architecture
The most immediate impact of AI this year has been the death of the “blank page” syndrome, a common challenge where creators stare at an empty page or screen, struggling to turn ideas into structured content. For many creators, the process of moving from a raw idea to a structured narrative has been compressed from hours into a matter of minutes.
Akunne Emmanuel, the tech creator who breaks down product design to his audience on his BuildWithDudu Instagram page, often starts his creative process with a rough personal script. He uses AI to refine the angle and ensure the message flows naturally.
“Once I have an idea, I can generate a strong first-pass outline in under ten minutes, then spend my time refining tone and insight instead of staring at a blank page,” Emmanuel says.
Mercy Thaddeus, an AI content creator who breaks down Artificial Intelligence for her audience and is known as Mercythaddeus_ on Instagram, says she uses Gemini for “refining my scripts.
Refining scripts with Gemini is part of a wider shift in how creative work is being produced globally. Generative AI tools are increasingly used not just for grammar or tone, but for structuring ideas, tightening narratives, and speeding up production cycles. According to findings from research presented by Adobe MAX, which surveyed over 16,000 creators across the U.S., U.K., France, Germany, South Korea, Japan, India, and Australia to examine the mindsets, behaviours, and expectations shaping the future of creative work and the creator economy.
The study found that a significant majority of creators now integrate AI into their workflows, particularly for writing, editing, and ideation, seeing these tools as collaborators that help them work faster and push their ideas further rather than replacements for human creativity.
TechCabal’s content creator, Ayodeji Aboderin, turned to AI in 2025 to build what he calls “content engines. By feeding frameworks into models like ChatGPT, he can deconstruct complex technical topics into simple, relatable stories. Aboderin explains the shift in his process: “It makes it very, very easy to break down ideas and make [them] into simple ways the audience can understand.”
Technical prototyping and visualisation
In a market where high-quality stock footage or a dedicated design team can be prohibitively expensive, creators are using AI to “show” rather than just “tell.” Beyond the written word, AI has become a silent partner in the production of visual assets and technical demonstrations.
Thaddeus leverages her background in software engineering to use AI coding assistants to change how she presents products.
“I know how to build products, but it is time-consuming and often requires a team,” she says. “ Before, building a landing page or a simple tool would take a full day of coding. Now, I can use AI coding assistants to spin up a functional prototype or a clean UI in about 20 minutes. This allows me to show rather than just tell in my videos.”
Aboderin has adopted a similar approach for visual storytelling, noting that he no longer spends hours scouring sites like Unsplash. He now generates bespoke visual assets to illustrate specific narratives.
“It [is] easy to visualise with AI, as opposed to looking for imagery or visuals that will tell [a] story. I [don’t] have to go and search for it. I just generate it from scratch,” he says.
Research and deep exploration
Research has traditionally been the most time-consuming part of the creative cycle, but in 2025, AI agents have taken over the heavy lifting of data gathering.
Fisayo Fosudo uses tools like Gemini to explore different angles for his famous gadget reviews. Rather than relying on AI for the “news” itself, he uses it to figure out how to “attack” a topic or discover which elements of a new device are most relevant to his audience.
“We do our research [by ourselves]. We just use [AI] to explore different angles of how to tackle stuff, rather than rely on it like ‘this is the news,” Fosudo explains.
Aboderin takes this a step further by deploying AI agents to scan patterns and recurring conversations across the web. “I can automate that process and send agents on errands to learn about it while I do other stuff,” he says.
However, this efficiency comes with a caveat; Fosudo warns that AI-driven research can often present outdated information as current fact: “Websites may have an article from 2003, but the date [on the AI-researched article] says 2025, so I don’t rely on information given to me.”
Strategic outreach and monetisation
The impact of AI has also bled into the business side of content creation, specifically in how creators manage their professional relationships. While AI doesn’t replace the networking required to land a big deal, it has significantly reduced the friction of communication. Creators now use AI tools to draft outreach emails to brands, generate personalised pitch decks, and summarise long email threads for quicker follow-ups. Some also rely on AI to create meeting notes, refine proposals, or adapt the same pitch across multiple platforms, allowing them to spend more time building relationships and negotiating deals rather than wrestling with repetitive administrative tasks.
Emmanuel says he uses AI to structure outreach and follow-ups, adding that “while AI doesn’t replace relationship-building, it supports it by removing friction and delays in calculating responses.”
Thaddeus finds that AI helps her overcome writer’s block when drafting cold emails and proposals, ensuring her outreach is “professional and clear.”
Indirectly, this efficiency is driving better monetisation. Thaddeus notes that by cutting down the time spent on scripting and coding, she has more time to build actual assets: “These projects build my portfolio, which attracts high-value clients.”
The Nigerian context gap
Despite the efficiency gains, there is a clear consensus among these creators: AI is not 100% accurate.
Globally, concerns about AI accuracy, bias, and hallucinations have followed the technology as it spreads across creative, academic, and professional fields. Large language models are known to generate confident but incorrect outputs, blur facts, and reproduce gaps in the data they are trained on. As creators’ credibility depends on trust and relevance, these weaknesses are a limit. In Nigeria, where context, timing, and cultural specificity are critical, the margin for error is even thinner.
“AI typically does not understand the Nigerian context; it exaggerates,” Emmanuel says. “ Authenticity and local relevance still come from lived experience.”
Thaddeus is vocal about the fact that she never uses AI for local trends: The [AI] models often hallucinate or are outdated when it comes to hyper-local contexts.” She says she still relies on X and local news blogs to spot what’s actually happening on the ground.
Emmanuel echoes this sentiment, noting that AI systems trained on global data often miss the cultural subtext.
“Most AI systems are trained on global data, which means they don’t naturally understand local nuances, timing, or cultural subtext, especially in a market like Nigeria. That gap requires intentional human judgment. Without it, content can sound accurate but disconnected. Learning where AI helps and where it misleads has been the real work,” Emmanuel says.
The disconnection that emanates from AI use has led to a human-first research model where creators like Thaddeus do the heavy lifting manually and only use AI to refine the grammar of the facts they’ve already verified.
The human boundary
Ahead of 2026, the line in the sand for Nigerian creators is that AI cannot replicate a personal opinion or a unique personality.
Fosudo is particularly adamant about the “creepiness” of AI in certain commercial contexts, arguing that the human element is non-negotiable. “Seeing ads of food and the food is AI is weird. [Also] if your skincare brand is doing [ads], they shouldn’t use an AI [face],” he says.
Thaddeus and Emmanuel conclude that the connection with the audience is built on trust, which is fundamentally a human transaction.
As Thaddeus puts it, “AI can give me facts, but it cannot have a perspective. My experiences and my personal opinions on the industry are things AI cannot replicate.”
In the Nigerian creative space, AI is the engine, but the creator remains firmly in the driver’s seat.
Krafton, the South Korean gaming company behind hit titles such as PUBG and Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI), is launching a growth investment fund focused on India, stepping up its push into the world’s largest internet user base.
Called the Unicorn Growth Fund, the investment vehicle is a collaboration between Krafton and South Korean internet conglomerate Naver, and investor Mirae Asset. It aims to deploy up to ₹60 billion (around $669.3 million) over four years, Krafton confirmed to TechCrunch.
The fund, which will be managed by Mirae Asset Venture India, is expected to be established in January and begin operations with an initial size of more than ₹30 billion (about $334.6 million). Krafton will contribute ₹12.3 billion (approximately $137.2 million) at the first close, the company said.
Naver’s capital commitment is expected to be “broadly comparable” to Krafton’s $137 million investment, a Krafton spokesperson told TechCrunch. The fund will not operate with rigid country-allocation thresholds, and typical investment sizes are expected to range between $10 million and $30 million, the spokesperson said.
Krafton said investments through the new fund would primarily be treated as financial positions rather than strategic bets, though the level of engagement with portfolio companies could vary depending on the opportunity and long-term potential of each business.
To date, Krafton has invested more than $200 million in India, backing companies in the gaming, content and fintech spaces. Recent investments include fintech Cashfree and venture fund IMM Investment, alongside earlier bets on gaming and content platforms such as Nodwin Gaming, Loco, Pratilipi, and Kuku FM. The company also launched a gaming incubator in India in 2023, and acquired a controlling stake in Indian gaming studio Nautilus Mobile for $14 million earlier this year.
Krafton’s expansion in India has not been without setbacks. New Delhi banned BGMI, the company’s flagship local title, in 2022, before allowing it to return in 2023 following a three-month trial approval. Krafton subsequently announced a $150 million investment commitment in the country.
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BGMI, which has surpassed 240 million downloads, launched in 2021 as a revamped, localized version of PUBG Mobile, another popular title that was banned by the Indian government in mid-2020 over national security concerns. Since then, Krafton has made a series of operational changes in the country — including cutting ties with Tencent as its publisher and migrating its India servers to Microsoft’s Azure cloud — to address regulatory concerns.
With the new fund, Krafton is looking to extend its India strategy beyond gaming, channeling capital into a wider set of technology startups as it seeks to build a long-term presence in one of Asia’s fastest-growing digital markets.
Image: Techloy.com
OnePlus is blurring its own lines again. With the launch of the OnePlus 15R, the company is offering flagship-class performance and massive battery life at a noticeably lower price than the OnePlus 15.
On paper, the gap between the two phones is narrower than ever, raising a familiar question for buyers: do you really need the full flagship, or does the more affordable option already give you most of what matters?
This comparison will help you decide which device fits your needs.
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Voting polls for the Techloy Readers’ Choice Smartphone Awards 2025 are now live across the site. You can access them by tapping the pop-up on the right.
/1. Design and Display
The OnePlus 15R features a slightly larger 6.83-inch AMOLED display, also operating at 165 Hz. It is very bright and responsive, making it ideal for gaming and scrolling. However, it lacks LTPO technology, meaning it runs at higher refresh rates more often, which can consume more power when the screen is static. The larger footprint and flat screen design might also feel slightly heavier and wider in one-handed use.
The OnePlus 15 sports a slightly more compact 6.78-inch LTPO AMOLED display, also peaking at 165 Hz. The key advantage here is the LTPO technology, which allows the screen to dynamically drop its refresh rate (down to 1 Hz) when you are reading or viewing static images, significantly saving battery. The panel is sharp, vibrant, and protected by premium glass, offering excellent visibility even in direct sunlight.
Both phones feature modern aesthetics with thin bezels and share robust IP68/IP69K ratings for water and dust resistance, ensuring durability in everyday mishaps.
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Verdict: Choose the 15 for a more refined and efficient display. Choose the 15R for a larger, faster screen.
/2. Performance
The 15R uses the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5. While it sits just a tier below the “Elite” version, it is still an absolute powerhouse. It handles high-fidelity gaming, multitasking, and daily app usage with flagship-level smoothness. For 99% of users, this chip provides more speed than they will ever need, though it may lack the extreme peak efficiency of its more expensive sibling.
The OnePlus 15 upgrades to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 Elite, Qualcomm’s top-tier silicon. This chipset is binned for superior sustained performance and efficiency, making it the better choice for users who push their phones to the limit with video editing, heavy AI workloads, or extended gaming sessions where thermal management is critical.
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Verdict: The 15 is the choice for users seeking peak performance and long-term responsiveness. The 15R offers excellent speed at a lower price point.
/3. Battery and Charging
The OnePlus 15R is built for endurance, packing a massive 7,400 mAh battery. This huge capacity ensures the phone can easily last into a second day of heavy use. It supports 80W wired charging, which is fast enough to top up the device quickly, though it sacrifices wireless charging to keep costs down and battery size up.
The OnePlus 15 includes a slightly smaller 7,300 mAh battery, which is still substantial by flagship standards. Where it pulls ahead is versatility: it supports blazing-fast 120W wired charging and adds the convenience of 50W wireless charging.
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Verdict: Users prioritizing battery life may prefer the 15R, while the 15 provides more charging flexibility and faster top-ups.
/4. Cameras
The OnePlus 15R features a simplified dual-camera system, comprising a 50MP main sensor and an 8MP ultrawide lens. It captures crisp, vibrant photos in daylight and handles everyday social media shots well. However, the lack of a dedicated telephoto lens limits its ability to zoom without losing quality, and the lower-resolution ultrawide camera may struggle in low-light scenarios.
The OnePlus 15 boasts a comprehensive triple-camera setup: a 50 MP main, 50 MP ultrawide, and a 50 MP periscope telephoto with optical zoom. This versatility allows you to capture stunning portraits, wide landscapes, and high-quality zoomed shots in various lighting conditions.
Both phones share a capable 32 MP front camera with autofocus, ensuring selfies look sharp on either device.
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Verdict: For photography enthusiasts or anyone who values camera flexibility, the 15 is the stronger option. The 15R is still capable of everyday snapshots
/5. Software and Extras
Both devices ship with OxygenOS 16 based on Android 16, offering a clean, fast, and highly customizable user interface. They both include future-proof connectivity features like Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6, NFC, and ultrasonic under-display fingerprint sensors for instant unlocking.
The OnePlus 15 justifies its flagship status with subtle but meaningful extras. It supports faster USB 3.2 data transfer speeds (ideal for moving large files) and features a more premium vibration motor. The 15R sticks to USB 2.0, which is slower for data transfer but sufficient for charging and basic use.
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Verdict: The software experience is identical on both. Choose the 15 only if you frequently transfer files via cable or care about subtle premium haptics.
/6. Price and Value
The 15R provides better value for users who want maximum performance and battery life per dollar. The 15 is worth the extra cost for those who prioritize cameras, premium features, and the most refined display experience.
The OnePlus 15 is priced as a full flagship, reflecting its versatile camera system, wireless charging, and Elite chipset. The OnePlus 15R is priced lower while delivering almost the same performance and a slightly larger battery.
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Verdict: The 15R is the smart financial choice for most people. The 15 is the splurge for those who want a “no compromises” flagship experience.
Final Verdict
Choose the OnePlus 15 if you want a balanced flagship with versatile cameras, wireless charging, the efficiency of an LTPO display, and peak performance. Choose the OnePlus 15R if you prioritize battery life, strong gaming performance, and the best value for the price. Both phones are strong options. Your choice depends on which features matter most in your daily use.
Everything We Know About the OnePlus 15R So Far
With this, OnePlus might be blurring the line between its R-series and full-fledged flagships once again.
