Machine type made in Nigeria

I found here https://ask.naij.com/is-innoson-motors-the-only-car-assembling-plant-in.html quite interesting discussion about the photographs that we say it has been done in Nigeria. Do you think at the Nigerian automotive whether there are prospects of so-called manifestations in Nigeria, and the market far beyond the borders of our country. Or is it just a dream?

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My Favourite Android Applications

There are applications for almost everything under this sun. You can employ the services of an application to find a girlfriend. You can get yet another application to tell you what is currently showing at IMAX so that you can take her to watch Jurassic World and get yet another app to facilitate how to get there. If things don’t work out and you need to politely tell her that parting ways is the best option, you don’t have to beat the bush about it. Or stop answering calls and texts and her midnight Whatsapps. Some app will do the heavy lifting for you. Easy world I tell you.

How easy? Some 4 year old kid will grow up knowing that Periscope is a window to showcase his prowess at Minecraft to millions of strangers online not the one you were taught in a junior science class.

Yes apps bring all this convenience but while there are millions of them, we only use a handful on a regular basis. I, for instance, get to test quite a number of devices. While depending on their capabilities the sort of applications I use on those devices will vary, there are some applications that are a constant feature because of the convenience they bring to my life. I’ll ignore the obvious ones like Uber, official Facebook, Twitter and Whatsapp apps and the like in my listing. Some are premium apps and others are basic free apps. Some are new and colourful with all the bells and whistles of Material Design while others are those that have withstood the test of time. Those that I’ve used religiously since my first interaction with Android in 2010.

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Mark Zuckerberg Reveals Facebook Plans for the Future

Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s founder and CEO had a Q&A session yesterday in his Facebook page and people from all walks of life, including notable celebrities had a chance to ask him a myriad of random questions.

One of the questions that was of interest to me was about the future of social media from a technology perspective in the next 10 years. Zuckerberg responded by commenting about three things his company is working:

1. Internet.org initiative

The first one is about the Internet.org initiative, which if you’re not familiar with is the platform Facebook is pushing to connect the rest of the world that do not have access to the Internet. He said that almost two thirds of the world’s population has no internet access and Internet.org has the potential to connect these masses to the Internet. Locally, the initiative is carried out by Airtel Kenya to provide free access to several websites to its subscribers.

2. Artificial Intelligence

Zuckerberg said they are working on Artificial Intelligence because if A.I could understand the meaning of posts in the News Feed, it could be used to tailor content to a particular user about the things he/she is interested in. He added that if the AI could be used as an Accessibility tool where it can understand what is in an image and could explain that to a blind person. Zuckerberg said that the technology is actually within their reach in the next ten years.

3. Virtual Reality

Facebook is working on virtual reality because they think it will be the next big computation and communication thing after phones. Zuckerberg said in the future people might have some sort of “glasses” which will give them ability to share experiences in immersive ways that are not possible today. His sentiments remind me of Google Glass, probably they will remodel their VR to that form factor is a thing we will have to wait to see. Facebook bought Oculus Rift, a company known for its VR platform for $2 billion and this is an indication of the company’s intention with the platform.

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Huawei P8 Officially Launched for the African Market as Huawei Outlines its African Agenda

Huawei’s General Manager for Consumer Business in South Africa, Charlene Munilal quotes the company’s dominance of the African mobile market at a record high. According to her, Huawei is now the second largest smartphone maker on the African continent. Over the last one year alone, sales of mobile devices by the company in Africa have soared by 245%. Huawei managed to ship over 75 million smartphones last year. Africa contributed greatly to that number and the company is counting on further growth to drive its sales through to the coming year.

Huawei sought to go after improving the user experience instead of cramming in more specifications so you won’t find a QHD panel or a fingerprint scanner but instead you get a compact packgae that is geared to get you doing more. It is rather odd that Huawei went the One Plus way of having 16 GB and 64 GB as the only storage options in an era where 32 GB is quickly becoming an expected standard as the base storage option and 128 GB storage options no longer make for breaking news. The P8 builds on the heritage of its predecessors of having cameras with a high megapixel count not only at the back where it matters but on the front as well for better selfies.

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Facebook Might Just Venture Into Music

Sometime back, not long ago, the internet was rife with rumors that Facebook would acquire Music streaming service Spotify. The rumour later died down. In 2013, Twitter launched an in-app music service using the #Music. The service never really kicked off. Last year, Apple acquired Beats Electronics for $3Billion with a key focus on Beats Streaming service. Beats has been relaunched as Apple Music. This has been the trend with major tech companies focusing on the music business.  Amazon, Apple, Google, and Microsoft all offer their own music services, leaving Facebook as the outlier among tech’s five biggest corporations. 

According to The Verge, Facebook is in talks with several music labels including Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, and Warner Music Group about venturing into music. Facebook plans to do something unique that may tie into video. The site reports that talks are still early and Facebook is yet to figure out what angle of the conversation it wants to take with many speculating streaming as one area they may opt to venture into. Facebook has 1.44 billion users and 798 million daily active users and also owns Whatsapp, a instant messaging service and Instagram, a photo sharing app. Music would then be a key aspect in keeping users within its ecosystem.

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4 Platforms Masaku 7s Organizers Can Use to Effectively Broadcast The Tournament

Masaku 7s  is a rugby tournament has become quite popular thanks to social media. Last year, thousands attended the tournament and I’m quite sure it was because of the conversation it generated on Twitter and Facebook. What it  lacked, ironically, was the proper coverage of the actual rugby tournament on social media because you could be sure nobody seemed to care about the scores.

Instagram is perfect for photos and videos. The organizers could have professional cameras take quality shots of the rugby action and have a separate camera where the people attending can take selfies to be uploaded on the official Instagram account. Instagram videos are usually short (15 seconds) so they are perfect to show celebrations, snippets of an upcoming match, short interviews, replays of a try scored and the best comments from the fans. Instagram has a higher engagement rate than any other social media platform and this will make people who could not be able to attend the tournament feel like they have not lost any action.

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Samsung Z3 May Be the Z1’s Successor, End of July Launch on the Cards

While we have for long speculated that the successful Samsung Z1’s successor will likely be named Z2 in keeping up with the unwritten naming convention, we might have been wrong. Well, at least if we are to go by the new information courtesy of Sammobile. According to them, not only is the Z1’s successor named Samsung Z3 but it is also launching at the end of the month.

Samsung is hosting the Tizen Developer Conference at the end of July (30th to 31st) in India and with India being the first country that the first generation Z1 premiered not long ago, it is not far fetched to assume that its successor is likely to be shown off to the world in the same country where the Z1 made a name for itself before crossing the border to neighbouring Bangladesh. To further backup that theory, information from logistics tracking website Zauba shows that several devices that clearly fit the Samsung Z3’s profile have recently been flown into India not just for R&D purposes but also for “partnering event” purposes. That could mean a launch event or demo or something along those lines. This is purely speculation and nothing has been confirmed but you get the drift.

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Microsoft Details Features of Various Windows 10 Editions Ahead of Launch

We’ve entered the homestretch. We’re just over 20 days from the official release of the next version of Microsoft’s Windows operating system, Windows 10. Windows 10 will be released to the eagerly waiting public on July 29th with Windows Insiders who have been helping Microsoft iron out bugs by reporting them during the preview period being first in line. Others will get the update from their Windows 7 and 8.1 systems over the days that follow. Microsoft already has an elaborate scheme to make sure things go smoothly on that day. For instance, using the Get Windows 10 feature, users of Windows 7 and 8.1 machines can reserve a spot so that they can be notified when it is time to upgrade.

While Microsoft has already told us what versions of Windows to expect, it has gone an extra step to make it easy for everyone to understand what they will be getting on their standard Home, Pro or Business license once they make the jump to Windows 10. For instance handy features like the ability to join domains and access other machines using Remote Desktop will not be available to those on a Home license while Pro, Enterprise and Education users will be having access to such features. Device encryption and BitLocker, like in the past, will be a no-no to Home licensees while Pro users going up will be able to enjoy the features.

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LG Sheds Leather in Latest Mid-Range Smartphone, G4 Beat

The LG G4 Beat packs much better specifications than we anticipated. While it is not essentially a “mini” version of the G4, it is its own man. A device modeled around the design of the G4 but packing just enough muscle to create its own loyal following. Considering that LG is keen to push this device to several key markets around the world including Singapore, Russia, Canada, France, Germany, India, Turkey and South Africa, it could be just what it needs to shore up its smartphone shipments this year.

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Review: What To Expect From Startimes HD Set Top Box

In March, Digital Television Company StarTimes Media launched a High Definition DVB T2 decoder for the Digital Terrestrial platform (DTT). The HD decoder retails at Kshs. 999 + 1500 subscription. The new decoders come with an improved physical design which is smaller and  an improved user interface. StarTimes also added new channels and new neat features that allow the user to easily navigate channels and content. So what’s new?

One of the most striking features of the StarTimes HD decoder is the improved user interface both in terms of visual hierarchy and content. The UI implements the separation of content making it quicker and easier to select TV channels you want to watch. After switching your TV and decoder on,press menu on the remote and you are ushered into a variety of options which include Guide, Indian channels, Settings, All channels, Radio, Entertainment, Movies, News, Music, Children, Sports, Documentary, Religion, Lifestyle, TV Series. Selecting either of the options offers a user content based on this interest. Selecting music option, opens up to the three music channels offered by StarTimes and prompts the user to scroll and select their favorite. This hierarchical representation of content was well delivered and implemented.  The UI has also incorporated  a new blue layout, which has largely improved the aesthetics in the new HD decoder.

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Geeksphone Exits the Smartphone Market

Geeksphone is not a smartphone brand that you’re likely to have heard let alone interacted with its devices over the six years that it has existed. A European brand, Geeksphone set out to do what others like Finland’s Jolla are doing today: take on the established smartphone brands. Unlike the latter that has its own Sailfish OS, Geeksphone did not pre-load its own software on its smartphones. With a multi-platform approach, it turned to the tried and tested Android for validation and newcomer Firefox OS for grace. Even with those and a not-so-bad lineup of devices, it wasn’t enough yet to keep it from going under.

It is a sad day to bid farewell to a company and brand of many firsts as Geeksphone announced earlier today that it is exiting the smartphone business. Over its short lifetime, Geeksphone boasted of milestones like being “the first European company to launch an Android-based phone” and “the first global brand to launch a Firefox OS mobile device” in conjunction with Spanish carrier Telefónica and the Mozilla Foundation. We even reviewed one of its Firefox OS smartphones here two years ago. [Read: Preview: Eyes on with Firefox OS powered GeeksPhone]

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Software Bug Leads To Recall Of 65,000 Range Rovers

Land Rover is planning to recall 65,000 Range Rover and Range Rover Sport vehicles sold between 2013 and now after discovering a software bug. The software bug unlocks the vehicles doors and does not give drivers a dashboard warning that the doors of the car have been unlocked. Land Rover, which owns the Range Rover brand, has since clarified that no accidents or injuries we re reported as a result of the bug. The company also says Range Rover owners will not have to pay for the modifications made to sort out the snafu.

Increasingly, vehicle manufacturers are finding themselves facing difficulty with car software. Luxury vehicle manufacturers, have especially faced shortcomings with key less ignition systems as well as locking technology, making them susceptible to vandalism. Last year, reports said that vehicle thieves were targeting Range Rovers and BMW X5 models as they found them easy to unlock. Reports suggested that the thieves used handheld black box to unlock and start the vehicles with key less ignition systems. Other vehicles targeted by criminals included the Ford Fiesta, Ford Focus and Audis.

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Bitcoin’s Blockchain Inspiring New Startups

Despite the fact that Bitcoin prices have been surging of late as a result of the Greek financial crisis, there remains a great deal of debate over whether or not the leading digital currency will end up as a major financial player. Some believe Bitcoin will be widely implemented and commonly used in a matter of years, and others think it will fade away, either in favor of newer digital currencies or due to a lack of practical utility. But no matter what happens to Bitcoin specifically, it’s beginning to look as if its underlying technology, and specifically the blockchain, will endure.

For those who are less familiar with the ins and outs of the currency, an explanation of Bitcoin functionality reveals that the blockchain is a “general log of transactions” on which “you can see all transactions that have ever taken place or ever will take place.” In other words, if Bitcoin is used in a financial transaction, that transaction is permanently recorded in a public space. And this concept, of an incorruptible universal record and tracking system, has already become an important tech application for a number of budding businesses.

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How to Backup and Restore Your WhatsApp Chats

WhatsApp is a revolutionary messaging service. Well, it may not be a pioneer in messaging but it is arguably the first to get the imagination of the entire world. Most of its success is built on the fact that from its first days, the service and application has always targeted everyone. Not people on a specific platform or users of specific devices. This is what others are doing or did for some time before seeing the cross-platform light. Apple’s iMessage. Blackberry Messenger. The defunct Samsung ChatON. Google’s Hangouts. Name them.

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United Airlines, New York Stock Exchange Deny Hacking Claims Over Outage

Last week, New York Stock Exchange, United Airlines and the Wallstreet Journal suffered massive network outages. The internet, in particular Twitter was awash with claims of  a major hack. In the case of United Airlines, the outage lasted for one and a half hours in which,  all its flights were grounded. The glitch left thousands of the company’s customers across the World stranded, with the effects spilling over in its 235 destinations within the United States and 138 International destinations. The glitch which the Airline company called a network connectivity issue affected a total of 3,500 flights.

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Apple Launches Mobile Payments Service, Apple Pay In The UK

Last September, Apple introduced Apple Pay and partnered with a number of merchants and stores to roll out the service. Apple Pay has been one of the salient features of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus and is even integrated in the Apple Watch. The service was only available in the United States, with Apple planning a roll out in other markets around the world.

Apple Pay is a digital wallet that allows the users to integrate their debit and credit cards with Apple’s Passbook app, thereby allowing the users to make either physical payments in stores or online payments. Apple Pay uses NFC to allow for users to make these physical payments. Other than the fingerprint recognition software, Apple includes an extra layer of security referred to as tokenisation, that ensures the user information is not stored with the retailers. Apple has partnered with major banks in the United Kingdom including NatWest, Nationwide Building Society, Royal Bank of Scotland and HSBC to offer support.  Several retailers and stores are supporting the service among them Marks and Spencer, Post Office, BP, Costa Coffee, Starbucks, Nandos, KFC, Pret A Manger, Subway, McDonald’s

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Samsung’s Thinnest Ever Smartphone, Galaxy A8, is Official

We’ve seen leak it several times over the last few days and its release was imminent. The Samsung Galaxy A8, already available for pre-order in China, turned out to be just what we had expected it to be. Being just 5.9 mm thick, it is the thinnest Samsung smartphone ever and it features those thin bezels the persistent leaks had made us expect.

Thin body frame and bezel-free profile aside, the Galaxy A8 also packs a fingerprint sensor. Surprisingly, the front-facing LED flash that we’ve seen from the Galaxy J5 and J7 is not present on the A8. It also has a surprisingly large battery: there’s a 3050 mAh unit!

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Irish Software Firm Sues Apple Over iWatch Trademark

The Irish company, Probendi, filed an application on June 26th, with a Court in Milan, protesting against Apple’s use of the iWatch terms in its ads. According to Bloomberg, the company has in its filings said, Apple has systematically used iWatch wording in Google search engines in order to direct customers to its own website, advertising the Apple Watch. The company also says it last year warned Apple against using the term. The firm was according to the co-founder working on its own smartwatch, seeking to undercut the Apple Watch in pricing, but running on Google’s Android and aptly called the iWatch. The company claims the project to make its iWatch is currently on standby.

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Galaxy Note 5 to Launch on August 12th, MicroSD Card Slot Lacking

We’ve heard so much lately about Samsung’s plans to counter the arrival of the new iPhones which is likely to be some time in September with an early debut of its own Galaxy range of smartphones. While initial reports pointed to an early release of the next Galaxy S flagship, that is becoming less likely by the day as Samsung is no Sony which is famous for releasing flagship smartphones just about anytime its designers and engineers feel like doing so. The most probable device that can be launched in August is the Galaxy Note 5 which as far as we’ve come to expect, will be very much in line with the traditional Galaxy Note launch.

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