Technology
Apple Announces New Features, Jumps into BNPL, Others
By Adedapo Adesanya
On Monday evening, Apple announced new additions to its arsenal of products that leaves enthusiasts’ tongues wagging including iOS and new features as well as a dive into an emerging, potential-filled market.
The announcements were made ahead of the Worldwide Developer Conference and Business Post takes you through some of these developments.
The latest operating system (iOS 16) is coming with new features like a customised lock screen which will allow for more customization, plus support for widgets — including widgets for third-party apps. Also, notifications will now “roll in” from the bottom of the screen, while a “Live Activities” API will let developers update notifications in real-time.
Users will now be able to edit or unsend recent messages in iMessage or mark a thread as unread while SharePlay, which lets a user to stream movies in sync, will now extend to iMessage as well as Facetime.
Live Text will be able to translate and replace text it detects in a photo, allowing users to more easily read through something like a menu in a language you don’t know.
Apple is getting into buy-now-pay-later (BNPL). With this, Apple Pay Later will let a customer split an Apple Pay purchase over four payments with zero interest; Apple says it will work anywhere Apple Pay works.
Apple’s big Maps overhaul is coming to a bunch of new cities this year, including Atlanta, Chicago, Las Vegas, London, Sydney, SF, and LA. It’s also getting much improved multi-stop route support.
Apple News will now let you follow news specifically focused on a person’s favourite sports/teams.
For Family Sharing which limits kids’ iPad screentime, kids will now be able to request more time via iMessage.
In addition, users can now have a shared library with family members, meaning that when taking a photo, one can toggle whether a photo goes into the shared library or just your personal library.
The company has reimagined the Home app “from the ground up.” All various devices in different rooms are brought into one screen, including a side-scrolling view of all of your HomeKit-enabled cameras.
CarPlay is also getting a massive overhaul which will support things like speed readouts, fuel gauges, AC control, etc depending on the car in question. Apple says to expect more news here later in 2023.
Other devices including Apple Watch got new additions like the ability to track a few new running metrics, including vertical oscillation (how much a person moves up and down while running), stride length, and ground contact time, among others.
Apple also announced the M2 chip which is a follow up from the M1. Apple says the M2 CPU is 18 per cent faster than that of the M1, while the GPU is 35 per cent faster.
New MacBooks were also announced including MacBook Airs and Pros. These have a 13.6″ liquid retina display, TouchID built into the keyboard and MagSafe support. Apple says it will offer a slim charger with 2 USB-C ports, and that the new MacBook Airs will support fast charging to get the battery to 50 per cent within thirty minutes of charging.
The next major release of macOS will be called “macOS Ventura” which makes it possible to group running apps together; tapping into a group will minimize other apps while putting the selected group front and centre.
Users will be able to pull rich results into a new scrolling view and allow them to do things like quickly preview a found file without actually opening it.
The Mail app is also getting support for undo send, scheduled send, and timed reminders. Search within Mail is getting smarter, automatically correcting for typos and knowing how to search for synonyms, among others.
Technology
The Difference Between VPS and Dedicated Server Explained
Choosing between a VPS and a dedicated server can be complex. They run apps and webpages. But they operate differently. Understanding the difference between VPS and dedicated server solutions will help you prevent complications and save money later on. In this text we will explain everything in detail with examples from actual life.
VPS vs Dedicated Server: What Actually Sets Them Apart
One physical machine is divided into multiple virtual servers by a VPS. Through virtualization software, each user receives a portion of resources that are separate from those of other users.
A dedicated server operates in a different manner. One user owns a single physical machine. No neighbors, no sharing, simply complete hardware access.
This is the core of the vps vs dedicated server debate. Shared hardware means lower costs, while full ownership means more raw power. Finding the best vps hosting service often comes down to how well a provider balances performance with fair pricing on shared resources.
| Factor | VPS | Dedicated Server |
| Resource allocation | Shared pool, virtualized | 100% dedicated hardware |
| Performance consistency | Possible noisy neighbor effect | Guaranteed, stable capacity |
| Scalability | Instant resize | Requires hardware upgrade or migration |
| Cost | Lower entry price | Higher fixed cost |
Performance, Cost and Control: Where Each One Wins
In terms of raw performance, dedicated servers are superior. Each gigabyte of RAM and each CPU cycle are part of a single project. There is no competition for resources.
Flexibility is where VPS excels. It takes minutes, not days, to scale up. Pricing stays lower too, since costs get split across multiple users on the same hardware.
Shared hardware limitations rarely cause problems for smaller projects. Providers like Antihost allocate resources fairly, so performance stays steady even during traffic spikes. The gap only really matters once traffic gets heavy and consistent.
The contrast of vps vs virtual machine is also confusing people often. A VPS is a virtual computer in a technical sense, but it’s rented from a hosting company, rather than running on your own hardware.

Matching the Server to the Project: Real Scenarios
A dedicated server is rarely required for a small business website. A VPS can easily manage moderate traffic while maintaining low expenses.
A growing SaaS product usually starts on a VPS and expands as the user base grows. This adaptability is more crucial in the early stages than brute strength.
A database-heavy application benefits from dedicated hardware once query volume reaches a certain level. In this case, the lack of resource sharing and a constant disk speed are essential.
A game server depends on low latency and steady performance. Many game servers run fine on VPS today, especially with modern hardware. As David Heinemeier Hansson put it: “Personal servers have gotten really scarily quick, inefficient, and personal internet connections rival what we connected data centers with just a decade or two ago.” That shift makes VPS a stronger option than it used to be.
Here is a quick breakdown of what typically fits best:
- Small business website: VPS, for cost and simplicity
- Growing SaaS product: VPS, then scale to dedicated later
- Database-heavy app: Dedicated server, for consistent speed
- Game server: VPS, unless player counts get very large
Summary
In every situation, neither choice is superior to the other. Everything impacts the optimal selection, including the scale of the project, traffic patterns, and all growth plans. Scale from what works now when the numbers really demand it.
Technology
Damage to Fibre Networks Carries Significant Economic Consequences—NCC
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Mr Aminu Maida, has reemphasised the need to protect the nation’s telecommunications infrastructure, especially fibre networks, noting that damage to fibre networks carries significant economic consequences.
Speaking virtually at the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) Critical Conversation Forum on Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) in Lagos recently, he described FTTH as a critical enabler of Nigeria’s digital future.
“FTTH is uniquely positioned to meet Nigerians' next phase of data demand. The quality of our broadband will increasingly shape the competitiveness of our businesses, the growth of our digital industry and the opportunities available to our citizens,” the NCC chief stated.
“We must uphold deployment standards. Nigeria needs fibre that is properly installed, properly documented, and properly protected,” Mr Maida further said at the event themed Fibre to the Home in Nigeria: Addressing Challenges, Strengthening Standards and Ensuring Sustainable Deployment.
During a panel discussion titled Policy, Governance and Regulatory Alignment, the Deputy Director of Strategic Business Initiatives at ipNX, Mr Segun Okuneye, highlighted the need for stronger collaboration across the telecommunications ecosystem to unlock the full potential of fibre broadband in Nigeria.
According to him, sustainable fibre deployment extends beyond technology and investment to include policy consistency, stakeholder alignment, infrastructure protection, and shared responsibility.
“Achieving universal fibre connectivity requires more than deploying infrastructure; it requires sustained collaboration between operators, regulators, government agencies and host communities.
“When policies are aligned, deployment standards are consistently enforced, and critical infrastructure is protected, we create an environment where investment thrives and more Nigerians can enjoy reliable, high-speed broadband.
“At ipNX, we remain committed to working with all stakeholders to build resilient digital infrastructure that will support Nigeria’s economic growth for generations to come.”
Earlier in his welcome address, ATCON President, Mr Tony Emoekpere, underscored the strategic importance of FTTH in achieving the country’s broadband penetration targets while calling for greater public awareness around protecting communications infrastructure.
“This forum is critical because Fibre-to-the-Home is the technology that will enable the country to achieve full broadband penetration. We all depend on communication infrastructure, and it must be protected,” he declared.
Drawing a comparison with power infrastructure in the country, he added, “If somebody comes to your neighbourhood to tamper with your transformer or power cables, everybody will come out. The same thing needs to apply for communications infrastructure. When we see people damaging fibre cables, we should raise an alarm.”
Technology
Financial Services Professionals Discuss Meeting Rising Customer Expectations
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Thursday, July 23, 2026, provided an opportunity for financial services professionals to converge on Landmark Event Centre, Lagos, to brainstorm on ways to meet the rising customers’ expectations.
The platform used for this purpose was Core by Interswitch. It is part of the company’s broader commitment to strengthening Africa’s digital payments ecosystem by fostering collaboration, knowledge sharing and operational excellence across the financial services value chain.
At the event, participants, numbering over 400, also highlighted the growing importance of operational excellence in sustaining resilient payment infrastructure.
As digital financial services continue to expand across Africa, closer collaboration among financial institutions, fintechs and payment service providers will be essential to improving responsiveness, resolving operational challenges more effectively and delivering consistently reliable customer experiences.
The Executive Vice President for Operations and Technology at Interswitch, Mr Babafemi Ogungbamila, said the forum reflects the company’s belief that exceptional customer experiences are built not only on innovative technology but also on the expertise, collaboration and commitment of the professionals who keep payment systems running every day.
“Every successful digital transaction is powered by professionals whose work often goes unseen but is fundamental to building trust in digital payments. Core by Interswitch was created to recognise their contribution, strengthen collaboration across the industry and create opportunities for shared learning that ultimately benefit financial institutions and the customers they serve.
“As digital payments continue to evolve, investing in the people and processes that power the technology is just as important as investing in the technology itself,” Mr Ogungbamila said.
Beyond recognising the professionals whose work often goes unnoticed, the programme underscored the value of creating stronger connections across the payments ecosystem.
By creating a dedicated platform for knowledge sharing, collaboration and professional development, Core by Interswitch aims to build a more connected community of payments operations professionals equipped to respond to the evolving demands of the digital economy.



