ASUS and AMD Launch half-a-million Naira Gaming Device!

ASUS has introduced the industry’s first gaming laptop powered by AMD’s eight-core Ryzen 7 1700 processor. The ASUS ROG Strix GL702ZC-WB74 is a 17.3” desktop replacement machine that uses the desktop-class CPU and a powerful GPU to offer peak gaming performance to its users.

Since the system relies on numerous desktop-class components and an inexpensive FHD display panel, the final pricetag not too high for a gaming notebook, with the laptop launching for $1499. Meanwhile, ASUS will also offer an even more affordable version powered by AMD’s six-core Ryzen 5 1600, as well as a more advanced model with a 120 Hz display panel.

To a large degree, the ASUS ROG Strix GL702ZC can be considered to be AMD’s flagship mobile gaming platform, as it supports all of the company’s latest technologies and can scale in terms of performance and pricing to satisfy different requirements and customers. In fact, the ROG Strix GL702ZC is the first all-AMD gaming laptop in years as makers of mobile PCs avoided AMD’s FX-series CPUs due to power consumption and did not use AMD's APUs due for gaming computers because of performance concerns.

The notebook relies on a a couple different AMD 65W desktop processors — the six-core Ryzen 5 1600 or the eight-core Ryzen 7 1700 — as well as AMD’s Radeon RX 580 GPU with 4 GB of memory (the manufacturer does not disclose specs of the part, but we are investigating). The graphics processor supports AMD’s FreeSync dynamic refresh rate technology for both internal and external displays. Speaking of displays, ASUS will offer GL702ZC with either 60 Hz or 120 Hz FHD IPS panels, so FreeSync support will be especially handy in the second case. To cool down the two key chips of the notebooks, ASUS uses its Hyper Cool Duo-Copper cooling system featuring heat pipes and two fans that are said to cool down the CPU and GPU independently.

Moving on to other internal parts of the ROG Strix GL702ZC. The GL702ZC-WB74 model that ASUS is formally introducing today comes with 16 GB of DDR4 memory, a 256 GB SATA SSD, and a 1 TB hard drive. Meanwhile, more advanced configurations may expand DRAM to 32 GB, upgrade the SSD to 512 GB, and install a 1 TB SSHD or a fast 7200 RPM HDD. By contrast, entry-level configs are going to feature 128 GB SATA SSDs.

As for I/O capabilities, the ROG Strix GL702ZC looks like a fairly standard model here. The notebook comes with a GbE port, an 802.11ac Wi-Fi + Bluetooth 4.2 module, three USB 3.0 Type-A connectors, a USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C header, an SD card reader, an mDP 1.4 port, an HDMI output, an HD webcam, a TRRS jack and so on. The machine features a Chiclet keyboard with marked WASD keys, 30-key rollover support as well as an isolated numeric pad.

With two display outputs, the ROG Strix GL702ZC can handle a couple of external monitors (with FreeSync support), which is okay for a relatively inexpensive gaming machine. In addition, the HDMI port and three USB-A connectors allow users to plug VR headsets to the laptop to play virtual reality games.

The machine is not as bulky as flagship offerings featuring more advanced GPUs and storage sub-systems But since the ROG Strix GL702ZC is still a desktop replacement laptop, it is rather thick (34 mm) and heavy (3 – 3.2 kilograms). ASUS does not disclose specific battery runtime figures, but a 76 Wh battery should provide enough time do an urgent work while on the go.

The ASUS ROG Strix GL702ZC-WB74 is not yet available in Nigeria but already available in the U.S. from the ASUS Store, Amazon, and other retailers at an MSRP of N550,000 ($1499). In the meantime, it will be very interesting to see how much ASUS will charge for the lower-end SKU with the Ryzen 5 1600 as well as the higher-end model with a 120 Hz display and a 512 GB SSD.

Microsoft is now selling a Verizon compatible HP Elite x3

Even though HP's Elite x3 Windows phone launched well over a year ago, rumors of a Verizon-compatible flavor started floating about over the summer. Those rumors seemed to be confirmed when Microsoft announced which phones would get the Windows 10 Mobile Fall Creators Update, and the Verizon Elite x3 was on it, even though it's never been formally announced.

Today though, the handset actually showed up on the Microsoft Store, priced at $599. Interestingly, the unlocked GSM model is back up to $799, after being priced at $599 for months.

Other than the cellular radios, the Verizon Elite x3 is exactly like the unlocked one. It includes a 5.96-inch 1440p AMOLED display, a 16MP rear camera, 64GB of internal storage, a fingerprint reader, and iris recognition. The device also comes with the Desk Dock, HP's docking solution for connecting the phone to an external display and peripherals for a desktop experience, which Microsoft calls Continuum.

According to the fine print on the listing, the promotional price tag of $599 will only last until November 20.

Even though Elite x3 is more than a year old, it still has some pretty impressive specs. The phone packs a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor with 4GB of RAM. Although the 820 processor isn’t as fast as current flagship phones like the Pixel 2 XL or Samsung Galaxy S8, it should still zip along for most business tasks.

The Elite x3 also features 64GB of internal storage that can be expanded to 1TB through the MicroSD card slot. A 5.96-inch AMOLED display accompanies Bang & Olfuson stereo speakers and and an 8MP camera. The back of the phone features a 16-megapixel camera. HP also included a fingerprint sensor and support for Windows Hello, which allows you to unlock the phone with an iris scan.

What sells the Elite x3 however, is its ability to transform into a makeshift computer. The bundled Desk Dock lets you to connect your phone to an external monitor and peripherals, while the Lap Dock transforms the phone into a 12.5-inch laptop. Windows Continuum and HP Workspace allows you to run a limited number of Windows apps through the phone.

The HP Elite x3 will probably be the last Window 10 mobile phone on the market. Last month Microsoft executive Joe Belfiore tweeted that the company was no longer focused on Windows Mobile and that he was currently using a Samsung Galaxy S8 with a suite of Microsoft apps installed. The Microsoft Store is currently selling the Samsung Galaxy S8 alongside the Elite x3.

Via: Phone Arena

Lenovo buys stake in Fujitsu PCs as Revenue Tops Estimates

Lenovo and the Development Bank of Japan have coordinated to acquire stake in Fujitsu's computing branch, with Lenovo purchasing a majority share at 51% and DBJ receiving 5% in the deal. Fujitsu will net about $245.45 million (28 billion yen) as part of the purchase contract, of which Lenovo will pay about $156.7 million in cash.   "The joint venture will focus on the research, development, design, manufacturing and sales of Client Computing Devices (CCD) for the global PC market," reads the press release announcement. 

"Through this strategic collaboration, Fujitsu and Lenovo aim to drive further growth, scale and competitiveness in the PC businesses both in Japan and worldwide," the joint statement said. "The joint venture will leverage Fujitsu's capabilities in global sales, customer support, R&D, highly-automated and efficient manufacturing and systems integration that meet customers' demand. Furthermore, it will benefit from Lenovo's global scale and presence." This is coming after posting its strongest revenue growth in two years amid signs the PC market is stabilizing.

China’s largest PC maker reported a 5 percent jump in revenue to $11.8 billion in the quarter ended September, surpassing projections for $11.3 billion and marking the biggest rise since the same period of 2015. Net income fell 11 percent to $139 million, which was bolstered by accounting gains. Lenovo rose as much as 5 percent in the afternoon, erasing year-to-date losses.

Lenovo is struggling to find growth in its key divisions of personal computers, smartphones and servers. While it lost top spot in PCs to HP Inc., the market shrinkage of the past few years is easing and Chief Executive Yang Yuanqing is taking costs out of a mobile business that’s made little progress since buying Motorola for $2.9 billion. On Thursday, the company announced it will buy Fujitsu’s client computing division for at least 17.85 billion yen ($157 million), adding the Japanese name to its portfolio.

“A healthier PC market may finally aid Lenovo’s platform almost as much as it has HP or Dell,” Anand Srinivasan and Wei Mok, analysts at Bloomberg Intelligence, said before the release. “The server and mobile platforms need structural fixes.”

PC shipments climbed 17 percent from the previous quarter, allowing Lenovo to arrest market share losses. The company’s struggling smartphone division also made headway into Latin America and Western Europe.

“Lenovo’s business lines remain weak in the past quarter and now it has cash flow difficulties,” said Qian Kai, an analyst with CICC. He noted that Lenovo gained more than $100 million in net income from tax rebates. “I don’t foresee Lenovo turning around its smartphone business. It lags far behind market leaders in China and in the markets like India where they did well, the challenge is growing thanks to companies such as Xiaomi.”

The company continues to face rising costs for components such as memory chips. Chief Operating Officer Gianfranco Lanci previously said he expects costs for essential components such as memory chips to keep rising throughout the rest of the year, albeit at a slower pace.

“Our mobile business turnaround is still in progress,” Yang said in a statement.

While the 2005 acquisition of International Business Machines Corp.’s PC division paid off by lifting Lenovo closer to the top of the market, deals in 2014 for IBM’s low-end server unit and Motorola haven’t gone as smoothly. It’s now re-enlisted the executive who steered the Motorola acquisition to run its Chinese PC arm to breathe new life into the business.

Via: Tweaktown.com

itel Mobile launches 4G-ready S21in India...celebrates 10yrs with product launch in Lagos

One of the fastest growing Asian brands, itel Mobile has launched a new smartphone — S21 into the market. The latest entrant comes with a dual front camera function, fingerprint sensor and dual social media accounts.

The smartphone sports a 5-inch FWVGA IPS display and is powered by a 1.1 GHz quad-core processor paired with 1GB of RAM and Mali-T860 MP1 GPU. It has 16GB of internal storage which is expandable up to 32GB via MicroSD card.

The device runs on Android 7.0 Nougat with multi-window view, quick switching between apps, and a direct reply feature. The smartphone also enables users to access dual social media accounts including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and WhatsApp.

The device is equipped with an 8MP rear camera with autofocus, while there is a dual camera setup (2MP + 5MP) up front. Connectivity options include, 4G VoLTE and  ViLTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS. The device draws power from a 2700mAh battery. The itel S21 is available across India in three colours: Moonlight Silver, Champagne Gold, and Elegant Black.

Itel Mobile, one of the world’s fastest growing mobile brands, has always provided a variety of reliable and trendy communication devices for people in emerging markets. This time, it celebrates its 10th anniversary, unveiling its latest mobile devices, itel S12 and S32 at Sheraton Hotel in Lagos.

Year on year, the mobile phone giant rolled out affordable and reliable mobile phones without compromising on quality hence the reason for its mobile success in Africa as it understands the major need for the African consumer.

Speaking at the event, the Marketing Communications Manager of itel mobile, Oke Umurhohwo said the newly launched itel Selfie centric phones are affordable, sleek and of high quality with one selling for N24, 000 and the other N32, 000 respectively.

“At itel Mobile, we understand the demand of our customers, hence the reason we are introducing the most affordable dual selfie camera phones in Africa. These new itel phones come with an innovative front camera that can accommodate more people in a single selfie.”

“Compared to the previous S31, the latest S32 boasts of 63° portrait lens for solo selfie and an ultra-wide 86° angle lens which makes it easy for users to take group selfie.”

Adding he said, “Judging by the itel mobile trajectory, it is hard not to be excitement for what the brand intend to achieve in the future. This can be seen today with launch of three new models S32, S32 LTE and S12; a clear upgrade on previous products. The three new models all come with Dual selfie cameras as well as fingerprint, with the S32 LTE version having 4G network ability.”

Commenting on the success of itel mobile, Umurhohwo said itel have always put the customers at the forefront of their business.

“We believe that by providing customers with affordable, reliable and trendy mobile devices, we can allow more people to get connected with the rest of the world in an efficient way.”

“With such belief in mind, itel is continually making efforts to get close to customers and understand their needs and expectations in various ways, so as to continue to meet their expectations.”

Over the past decade, the brand has become a household name in the industry spreading its presence to over 50 countries across the globe. Last year, itel sold a landmark of 50 million devices, to become the top mobile brand in Africa.

itel mobile positioned itself in Africa inspired by a mission to empower everyone with seamless mobile communication through reliable, trendy and affordable mobile devices.

Giving back to the community is also at the core of itel Mobile’s philosophy. This has made the brand develop a robust CSR policy on education via the “Love Always On” initiative. Through the Love Always On campaign, various life-touching projects geared towards empowering pupils and students in different schools were carried out. Some of such projects include provision of education materials to school children, scholarships to brilliant students, as well as sponsorship of different student events across different tertiary institutions. As at October, 2017; over 1,300 students have benefited directly from itel mobile education support initiative.

Speaking on service care issue, Oke said, the company has provided trained engineers, as well as made spare parts available for free software repairs.

“It’s been 10 years of a fantastic journey. It is a milestone, we have grown over the years and this means beyond just selling our phones, we take service delivery more seriously and follow our users all the way as we are a people friendly phone.




Via: http://thenationonlineng.net

After 20 Years, AIM Will Shut Down in December

AIM, AOL’s hugely popular instant messenger service that was a coming-of-age internet experience for many in the late 1990s and early 2000s, will officially shut down on Dec. 15.

In a statement on the decision, the company says, “AIM tapped into new digital technologies and ignited a cultural shift, but the way in which we communicate with each other has profoundly changed. As a result we’ve made the decision that we will be discontinuing AIM.”

The reactions on Twitter ranged from sadness to nostalgia to surprise that the service still exists.

AIM and its signature yellow running man launched in 1997 and was one of the first widely used free chat services. “Instant messages allow communication that is faster than e-mail but more personal than a chat room,” a USA Today piece from 1999 marveled. AIM fought for users against competitors like MSN Messenger, which shut down in 2014, and Yahoo Instant Messenger, which discontinued service in 2016 but later revamped with the same name. Over the past decade, though, AIM has experienced upheavals, from the major cuts in its staff in 2012 to Verizon’s $4.4 billion acquisition of AOL in 2015. And with texting, Gchat, Facebook, and others stepping in as the primary forms of communication for the AIM generation and beyond, it’s no surprise that these instant messaging services are closing shop.

Users can salvage mementos from their chat logs by downloading files and images from AIM before its door closes. But people who want to save their Buddy Lists full of emo screen names and eRraTiC LetTeR CaSInG are out of luck. Perhaps these bits of nostalgia, like those carefully curated quotes and song lyrics as away messages, are best sent the way of Friendster and Nokia phones.

Seems WeChat has officially ended support for Windows phone!

The popular china-based messaging and calling app, WeChat is no longer available for Windows Phone anymore. Tencent recently stopped updating the Windows 10 Mobile app and it appears that you cannot use it anymore on your Windows Phone whereas the app is still available for Windows 10 PCs and Tablets.

WeChat is one of the best all-in-one communications app that lets you easily connect with family and friends across countries for free. First spotted by a German site, for the security reasons, WeChat has been (temporary) discontinued for Windows Phone.

You can still download and install WeChat on Windows 10 Mobile but when you will open the app an error will be display. WeChat is asking the users to run the app on Android or iOS instead of Windows Phone. It might be a server-side mistake, there is, however, no confirmation from the Chinese firm yet.

WeChat’s app based on Universal Windows Platform is still available but it works only on Windows 10 PCs and Tablet. It could be sideloaded to Windows 10 Mobile but the app isn’t optimized for the smartphones yet and it is highly unlike that the company would do in future.

So another day, another big name leaving the Windows Store on mobile. It's par for the course at this point as Windows 10 Mobile is all but dead and therefore not much of a surprise that WeChat, the largest and most popular app in China, is leaving Windows Phone and taking with it its 700 million strong user base.

Tencent, the company behind WeChat, had already indicated its irritation at Microsoft's lack of effort in the mobile market and had refrained from building an app on Windows 10 Mobile.

Offering services ranging from messaging to banking, WeChat is an integral part of online life in China and its loss is certain to shatter any expectations Microsoft may have had of, at the very least, retaining its current standing in the Chinese mobile industry. The company does still have an app for Windows 10 on the desktop so China may not yet be entirely out of Microsoft's grasp but it's certainly looking like it. There has been no official statement from Microsoft on the situation yet.

MTN Nigeria, TD Mobile partner to launch Freetel ICE 2 smartphone

MTN Nigeria and TD Mobile have introduced the Android smartphone ICE 2 from Freetel, Japan’s largest selling smartphone brand into the open market in the country.

Designed in Japan, the ICE 2 comes pre-loaded with Worldreader’s free e-library of 50,000 e-books and MTN apps such Music Plus. The Android 7.0 smartphone will sell for about NGN 13,000 at all major online and offline retail stores including MTN’s outlets.

According to TD Mobile, the new device is designed for the Nigerian market and it is just one of many devices from the stable of Freetel. The device is pre-loaded with MTN’s latest apps including MTN Music Plus. Additionally, the device is also pre-loaded with Worldreader’s free e-library of 50,000 e-books – an app that enables Nigerians to read their favourite book at no cost, according to a report by Telecompaper.

Although it is a mix of low-end and budget, the Freetel Ice 2 comes with a design language spoken by mid-range smartphones and higher-specced devices. It has a plastic build, but is designed in such a way that you’d be unsure of what it is made of when looking at it from afar.

Rahul De, MTN’s chief marketing officer speaking on the launch said, “We are excited by this partnership because our focus over the years has been on connecting millions of Nigerians to each other and the world, thus expanding access to information, entertainment and endless opportunities. The affordable Freetel Ice 2 takes us further along this journey, allowing more Nigerians make the transition to smartphones.”

Also speaking at the event, Gozy Ijogun, managing director, TD Mobile, disclosed that the launch of the Freetel Ice 2 is a fitting testimony to the company’s landmark strides in making ICT products and devices accessible, affordable and usable across Africa.

While, Adama Diallo, Google’s head of Nigeria for Android Partnerships, emphasised: “We have been truly impressed by the quality of the Freetel Ice 2 at this price point. We are excited to continue working with ecosystem partners like Freetel, TD & MTN to offer Android devices at every price point and connect more Nigerians to the internet.”

The Freetel Ice 2 comes with a 5.5-inch display which is rather large for a budget device. It has an HD (1280 * 720) pixel resolution with a 267 ppi pixel density, and its display is covered with 2.5D curved glass, yet another unusual feature in a low-end smartphone. The device is 9 millimetres thick.

The Device

The device is Google GMS certified, meaning that the device meets Google’s performance requirements and properly runs Google Apps. In addition, the device is powered by Google’s most recent Android operating system – Android 7.0 – and comes with the latest software and security updates including Google Play Protect: a newly-developed software which continuously works to keep one’s device, data and apps safe.

Memory & Performance

Under the hood, the Google Freetel Ice 2 is powered by a MediaTek MT6580 processor with four Cortex-A53 processing cores (quad-core) and a clock speed of 1.2GHz. Its graphics operations are carried out by an ARM Mali 400 GPU.

The processor has 1GB of RAM space to carry out its operations, offering basic multi-tasking functions. This RAM size is quite low and the phone can be used on at most two applications at a time if you want to avoid lags and crashes.

The user has 8GB of default internal memory to store multimedia files and install applications. A significant part of the ROM is already filled up with system applications and files, and it might not be sufficient for the user’s storage needs, in the event of which you can slot in a microSD card with a size of up to 32GB into its external microSD card slot to expand the default internal storage capacity.

Camera

Much should not be expected from a budget device in this department, and the Freetel Ice 2 keeps it low with a basic 5MP camera with autofocus and LED flash at the rear.

It also offers you the luxury of making video calls and taking basic selfies with a 2MP camera placed on the top of the front bezel.

Battery, Connectivity & Software

You will be able to use the smartphone for at least half a day before a recharge is needed, thanks to its 2800mAh Li-ion battery. The smartphone has dual SIM slots, but unfortunately, it lacks 4G LTE support which seems to be a deal-breaker for most smartphone users today. It’s a budget smartphone with other amazing specs at a low price, so we can’t say this is bad, either.

The smartphone runs on a stock flavour of version 7.0 (Nougat) of the Android operating system out of the box, and offers connectivity options like NFC, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2 and GPS.

Apple's New Phone to Be Called `iPhone X,' ?

Apple Inc.’s

most important new phone for years will be called the iPhone X, according to a leak of the company’s latest mobile operating system on Saturday.
Strings of software code inside of the leaked operating system, first detailed by Apple news website 9to5Mac, show the expected three new phones will be called the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X. App and game developer Steven Troughton-Smith discovered the names in the software and tweeted about it on Saturday.
The iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus are successors to the current iPhone models, while the iPhone X is the premium version with an all-new design, crisper OLED screen, improved cameras, and a 3-D facial recognition scanner for unlocking the device.
The "X" in the iPhone’s name may be a reference to this model being a special 10th anniversary edition. The iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus will look similar to the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, but include faster processors, Bloomberg News has reported. The new devices will be unveiled at an event on Tuesday. An Apple spokeswoman declined to comment.
The leak comes not long after Apple accidentally published early HomePod speaker software that provided details on upcoming iPhone features. Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook has criticized news reports on upcoming iPhones this year, saying the articles dented sales of current models. Still, expectations are running high for a blockbuster holiday season: In a recent survey by RBC Capital Markets, almost two-thirds of respondents said they would buy a new iPhone model sight unseen.
The leaked operating system corroborates earlier Bloomberg News reports that the premium X device will replace the usual Touch ID fingerprint scanner with a face unlock feature. Apple will call the enhancement Face ID, according to the code. The sensor will also be used for scanning a person’s facial expression and converting that into animated emojis for messaging, the code shows. Bloomberg recently reported that the premium model will lack a home button and instead use a series of gestures for controlling the device.
The leaked software also sheds more light on an upcoming version of the Apple Watch that has its own cellular connection (existing models have to be tethered to an iPhone). An Aug. 4 report by Bloomberg described this feature.
The code also includes a photo of the new Watch, with a red button on the side and dots in the middle of the screen to show cellular signal strength. The image and the leaked code indicate the device will be capable of making phone calls without an iPhone in range and that Apple will announce new colors, including a grey ceramic and a new gold tone.

First water-resistant BlackBerry will not have keyboard

TCL, the Chinese conglomerate that produces phones under the BlackBerry name, is going to broaden its appeal to more than just keyboard devotees. The company has revealed to Engadget that it will launch a full touchscreen device under the BlackBerry name at some point in October. It may not be a Z10, or even a Storm (or Thunder), but if you were looking to get your mitts on a keyboard-free BlackBerry, it's coming.
Granted, TCL's DTEK 50 and 60 phones were also all-screen, but this is different. Details are, perhaps obviously, fairly scarce about the as-yet unannounced device, but we managed to glean tidbits from TCL's François Mahieu. Mahieu explains that TCL will respect BlackBerry's reputation for building hard-wearing devices for clumsy international travelers who will be working in all weathers. The main feature, beyond the full-touchscreen, is the (planned) IP67 water and dust-proofing, as well as a battery rated to last for more than 26 hours of mixed use. Mahieu believes that durability and longevity will be two of the biggest selling points, a long-lasting phone that'll keep going long after your iPhone has conked out.
Mahieu feels bold enough to claim that he expects a number of iPhone and Galaxy users to "make the switch" to BlackBerry come October. Of course, these handsets now run Android, which means that it's far harder to make it stand out from the crowd. Mahieu continues to believe that BlackBerry's security know-how will enable TCL to deliver the "most secure Android phone in the world." Although given the failure of so many ultra-secure Android devices to sell, his confidence seems — at least right now — misplaced.
But TCL is used to combating cynicism with people looking down their nose at BlackBerry in its new after-life as a white label brand. Mahieu said that users shouldn't write off BlackBerry just because it doesn't stand toe-to-toe against Apple and Samsung. "We are there to play," he explained, "we're just playing with different cards," mostly by pushing its strengths of battery life, security and durability. As for pricing, it's likely that the device will cost less than other flagships.
Of course, we've already seen a BlackBerry device with a large display unencumbered by a physical keyboard. The Priv hid its physical input device in its slider, and so could actually work as a phone for touchscreen devotees. And given how well that device sold — prompting BlackBerry to abandon producing hardware altogether — it's going to be interesting to see how TCL can avoid history repeating.
TCL is banking on certified water and dust-resistance as a draw, and it's not clear how many people were waiting for that as a reason to make the switch. But Mahieu is hinting that the company is "marching towards millions" of device sales, although it's not clear how many models it needs to shift before it can be considered a success.

On-Demand-Video powerhouse, Iflix set sights on Nigeria

Iflix, the world’s leading Subscription Video on Demand (SVoD) service for emerging markets, announced the launch of its revolutionary service in Nigeria last Thursday at their offices famously known as “The Playground”.

The online video streaming platform which boasts of partnerships with over 220 studios and distributors allows users have access to international, regional and local content which ranges from Asian, European, American and African movies, TV shows, Documentaries and cartoons for as low as ₦799 monthly or an annual subscription at the rate of ₦6,392.

Speaking at the launch, Ngozi Madueke-Dozie, country manager, said the subscription service is targeted at the mass market.

‘We are excited to launch Iflix in Nigeria, we have a lot to offer from our wide range of movie selection from around the globe’, said Ngozi Madueke-Dozie.

She said, “The SVoD will be characterised by local contents that the Nigerian audience can relate with. We are excited to launch Iflix in Nigeria because we have a lot to offer from our wide range of movie selection from around the globe.

“We are especially thrilled to launch Iflix here because it offers affordability, variety, and convenience by giving our users an amazing selection of the best TV shows and movies from all over the world, to stream or download on any device of their choice for less than N800.

"You can watch 20 minutes of video content with 33MB of data so that means you can watch whole shows and movies without exhausting too much data in the process.”

Madueke-Dozie further said that the contents to be supplied by Iflix would meet up with local and global censorship.

But for this innovative company, it has not always been easy being Iflix. When you run a business called iflix that streams movies and box-sets into homes from Iraq to Indonesia, being known as the “Netflix of emerging markets” is inevitable. But it is an inevitability that causes co-founder and chief executive Mark Britt to bristle. Rather, he prefers to highlight the similarities to Spotify — content on both the music streaming service and iflix is curated by celebrities and aficionados.

Certainly the battles facing Mr Britt, an Australian based in Kuala Lumpur, in building the two-year-old company are far removed from those faced by his opposite number at Netflix. Reed Hastings never had to work out a way of collecting money without credit cards, or to fret about data servers — actual physical boxes holding 170 terabytes of House of Cards et al — being stranded at ports.

And Netflix makes money. Iflix, valued at about $600m and backed by Rupert Murdoch’s Sky TV and Liberty Global, is generating annual sales of $100m. “Are we making revenues? Absolutely. Are we making money? No,” says Mr Britt, speaking in Hong Kong at the Rise technology conference last month.

Price and local content is iflix’s competitive edge on Netflix, argues Mr Britt. Yet building the first emerging market video platform has entailed some unconventional methods. By way of market research Mr Britt, a lawyer by training, talked to stores selling pirated DVDs, assuming they would know what was hot.

Iflix launched in Nigeria last week. 

Things the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 can do that the Galaxy S8 can't

Beyond a slightly larger display and a somewhat boxier design, the Note 8 has kept a few features to itself when compared to the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus.

Write on the screen
A staple of the Note line has always been a big screen and the S-Pen. The Note 8's S-Pen is waterproof, more sensitive, and has a smaller tip for easier writing.
Samsung improved two S-Pen features on the Note 8, including Screen Off Memo and translation using the pen.
Screen Off Memos is now capped at 100 pages of notes, reminders, sketches or whatever you want. Translate is no longer restricted to single words and can now do complete sentences.

Camera tricks
This is an obvious one, given that it would require a hardware upgrade in order for the S8 to gain an extra camera.
With the second lens on the back of the Note 8, you can take photos that contain more depth-of-field information, which leads to a bokeh effect. In other words, the subject of your photo is in focus while the background is blurry. And with the Note 8, you can actually adjust just how much bokeh is used, before or after the photo is snapped when using the

Live Focus feature.
Another cool feature, Dual Capture, gives you the ability to zoom out on a photo captured with both rear cameras, showing the entire scene instead of just the original subject.

Live Messages
Similar to Apple's Digital Touch feature, Live Messages will let you draw or write a message, and then share it in animated form.
Using the S-Pen you can draw on top of a photo or handwrite a message, and the Note 8 will record every pen stroke. The shared image is a standard animated GIF and should be playable regardless of the service used to send it.

App Pair
Multiwindow apps are nothing new to Samsung devices, with the Korean company implementing the feature well before Google integrated it into Android Nougat. With the Note 8, Samsung is making it easier to repeatedly use two apps at the same time.
The feature is called App Pair and is part of the Edge screen feature. Using App Pair, you pick two apps, say Calendar and Messages, as a shortcut. Then when you tap on the pair, both apps are opened in multiwindow mode.
You can set any two apps as a pair, as long as each one supports multiwindow mode.

Samsung Experience
Some of these features, Live Messages and App Pair, for example, don't rely on hardware. There's nothing stopping Samsung from updating the Samsung Experience software running on all current Galaxy devices with these same features.
A Samsung representative confirmed to CNET some of the software-based features would indeed eventually make their way to the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus, but stopped short of providing a time frame or specific list.

StarTimes boosts Digital Switch Over with Digital TV sets

As part of efforts targeted at encouraging the transition from analogue to digital transmission in Nigeria, Startimes has made available in the country, digital television sets, even at a lowered price.

The pay TV Company said it is committed to new innovations and technologies that enhance digital TV experience for Nigerians over the years, and is now offering one of the most endurable Digital LED TVs at affordable prices.

The new StarTimes integrated digital TV sets are built with an upgradeable operating system, full HD LED screen category, 2 HDMI ports, 5MM Bezel, 1920*1080 resolution, 8W*2 digital noise filter system and 100-240V, 75W Voltage. It has 12 months’ warranty and are all pre-installed with over 100 pay TV and free-to-air channels that allow users enjoy instant access to digital TV.

The Marketing Director, Qasim Elegbede, said as the fastest-growing digital TV operator in Africa, StarTimes is passionate about the digital TV revolution. Nigerians will continue to enjoy the best of digital television entertainment and experience with a plethora of enjoyable programs in higher definition (HD) images at very pocket-friendly rates.

“StarTimes Digital TV will enhance the viewing experience of Nigerians while offering credible, quality and outstanding entertainment experience at a quite competitive price. With five sound modes and an earphone port, the rich acoustics delivered crisp surround sound effect to keep you on the edge of your seat. It enables you to conveniently enjoy movies, music and other audio and visual resources stored in your flash disks, hard disks or other devices via the USB Port or HDMI port with a cinematic experience,” he added.

Amazon, Facebook, Google, other Tech majors face less patronage in Donald Trump white house

Google is not alone in a fall from grace. Tech companies -- including Facebook Inc. and Amazon.com Inc. -- that were previously lauded as innovators are facing increased scrutiny over their size, their hiring practices and whether online news feeds skew liberal.
"The mood in Washington, at least on the right side of the aisle, is more critical of companies like Google and Amazon,” said Fred Campbell, a former Republican FCC aide and director of Tech Knowledge, which promotes market-based policies.
The shift in tone comes as Congress and the Trump administration consider changing tax, energy and immigration policies important to Silicon Valley. A regulation that protects data flows is already slated for gutting by the Federal Communications Commission, and, in Congress, a law has been proposed that would bring internet companies under a privacy regulator. Another would increase legal liability for website operators as a way to combat online sex trafficking.
Meanwhile, tech’s made no secret of its distaste for Trump policies. Alphabet Inc.’s Google, Apple Inc. and Facebook issued critical statements after the president proposed a ban on transgender people in the military, stepped away from the Paris climate accords and issued a ban on travel from majority Muslim nations.
Advisory Councils
The Aug. 12 street violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, provoked another rift. After the president said “both sides” shared blame for the fighting, Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook told his staff he disagreed with Trump. So many executives, including Intel Corp.’s Chief Executive Officer Brian Krzanich, quit White House advisory councils last week in protest that Trump ended up disbanding them.
Amid the turmoil, Trump unloaded on Amazon, tweeting that the company is hurting other retailers, and causing shares in the online retailer to fall. “Towns, cities and states throughout the U.S. are being hurt - many jobs being lost!” Trump said in the tweet.
It was the latest conservative broadside on the technology companies over their size, influence and promotion of social policies on immigration, transgender rights and other matters.
More: Trump Says in Tweet Amazon Does ‘Great Damage’ to Retailers
Oregon Republican Representative Greg Walden, the chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, challenged tech and broadband executives to appear next month as his committee considers undoing the Obama-era net neutrality rules that Silicon Valley supports. In what could be interpreted as a snub, executives didn’t respond to the invitation by the deadline -- which has been extended.
“Republicans have always been fine with most of tech, because Republicans have usually defaulted pro-business,” said Bruce Mehlman, a Republican lobbyist and former Commerce Department official said in an interview. “This is less about any one issue and more about the new populist wing of the Republican party -- populism is suspicious of bigness, and the biggest companies now are tech.”
In this atmosphere, public-policy asteroids can strike suddenly and dent tech’s image in the capital. Google dismissed James Damore, an engineer who wrote about gender differences and said the company had a “left bias” that silenced dissenters. Washington noticed.
Why Republicans Want to Nix U.S. Net Neutrality Rules: QuickTake
“The mistreatment of conservatives and libertarians by tech monopolies is a civil rights issue,” Representative Dana Rohrabacher said in a tweet using the hashtag #googlememo. The California Republican is concerned tech giants may be excluding top talent for political reasons, said his spokesman, Ken Grubbs.
Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway tweeted an op-ed that Damore wrote in the Wall Street Journal about his firing, in which he called Google “ideologically driven and intolerant of scientific debate and reasoned argument.”
Fox News’s Tucker Carlson said Damore’s dismissal showed Google couldn’t be trusted, for instance in ways its algorithms determine where to rank fake news when returning search results. “Google should be regulated like the public utility it is, to make sure it doesn’t further distort the free flow of information to the rest of us,” Carlson said on his Aug. 14 show.
Others on the right are sounding similar themes. Dominant companies such as Facebook, Twitter Inc. and Google “represent themselves as politically neutral while systematically promoting liberal views and limiting or even banning conservatives,” Phil Kerpen, head of the American Commitment policy group said in a memo urging congressional action that was obtained by Bloomberg News.
Why Google’s Gender Struggle Echoes Across Tech: QuickTake
Kerpen advocated “clear disclosure of how traffic is treated” and “enforcement actions if they violate those representations,” according to his memo. Kerpen, a strategist who has worked for groups including the billionaire Koch brothers’ Americans for Prosperity, didn’t return phone calls and emails.
Amazon has become a target at least in part because of its size. The company with about 70 percent of all e-book sales and 30 percent of all U.S. e-commerce drew criticism from Trump that had started on the campaign trail when Trump said in February 2016: “Believe me, if I become president, do they have problems. They’re going to have such problems.” Trump’s also objected to coverage by the Washington Post, which is owned by Amazon’s Chief Executive Officer Jeff Bezos, for instance calling the newspaper "FAKE NEWS" in a June tweet.
In July, a Democratic lawmaker from Rhode Island, David Cicilline, called for hearings on the online retailer’s proposed purchase of grocer Whole Foods Market Inc. Experts and analysts have largely dismissed antitrust threats, in part because the food-store chain has just 1.6 percent of the U.S. grocery market, according to Euromonitor.
Trump, Tech Clash Over Visas for Skilled Immigrants: QuickTake
Democrats in their “Better Deal” package of policy proposals released in July called for tougher merger reviews. Regulators must “must explicitly consider the ways in which control of consumer data can be used to stifle competition or jeopardize consumer privacy,” according to the proposals.
Tech companies are spending more to make their case in the new Washington, and staffing up for better footholds in the Trump administration. Google hired Max Pappas, a veteran of Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz’s office and the libertarian FreedomWorks PAC.
Google boosted its lobbying expenditure to $9.5 million in the first half of this year, a nearly 18 percent increase from about $8 million a year earlier, according to disclosure filings. Facebook’s first-half lobbying expenditures rose too, by about 12 percent to $5.6 million from almost $5 million. Amazon spent $6.1 million, up from $5.7 million for the same period a year earlier.

Google once had Barack Obama’s ear, served as a revolving door for White House staff and saw its political agenda advance. In Donald Trump’s Washington, some conservatives say it’s gotten so powerful it should be regulated like a public utility.

Via: Bloomberg news

SAP Africa Code Week launches in Ghana...appoints new head of education

The 2017 edition of Africa Code Week (ACW) arrived in Ghana this week with a series of Train-The-Trainer (TTT) workshops that took place.

Jointly organised by SAP, Dreamoval and the Ghana Education Service in Accra and Kumasi, these workshops are equipping local parents, teachers and educators with the coding skills and teaching materials they need to train children and youth in their immediate communities.

Africa Code Week was started in 2015 by SAP Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) EMEA together with public and private sector partners, with a long-term goal of empowering more than 200 000 teachers and positively impact the lives of 5 million children and youth within the next 10 years.

With over half a million young Africans introduced to coding across 30 countries so far, Africa Code Week key partners (SAP, UNESCO YouthMobile, the Cape Town Science Centre and the Galway Education Centre) have set new ambitious goals for 2017: impact the lives of 500 000 youth across 35 African countries over the course of an eight-day period from 18 to 25 October.

Ghana joined Africa Code Week in 2015, engaging 730 children and youth in the first year. Last year, the Dreamoval Foundation became the implementing partner for ACW in Ghana: with their support, 590 teachers were trained as part of the Train-the-Trainer sessions and an astounding 51 710 children and youth engaged in October 2016 – 56% of which were girls. Dreamoval will be, once again, the Implementing Partner for Africa Code Week 2017 in Ghana.

We have set ourselves the target of training 800 teachers this week and 150 000 young Ghanaians from October 18- 25,” says Francis Ahene-Affoh, head of business development and marketing at Dreamoval.

Train-The-Trainer workshops were held at the GNAT Hall at the Accra Polytechnic in Kumasi, with Ghana’s Deputy Minister of Education, Barbara Ayisi Acher, attending the launch. The Africa Code Week delegation also met with several Ghanaian dignitaries during the course of this training week, including Ghana Vice President His Excellency Dr Mahamudu Bamumia. For Vice President Bamumia, who has assured his full support to the initiative, “Africa Code Week is a powerful leverage for the public sector to wide-spread digital literacy on a nation-wide scale.”

According to Claire Gillissen-Duval, Director of EMEA Corporate Social Responsibility at SAP and Global Lead for Africa Code Week: “The initiative’s effectiveness in empowering the next generation of Digital Economy workers in Ghana requires knowledgeable instructors who are able to provide mentorship and skills transfer to participating youngsters.”

In a related development, SAP Africa has announced the appointment of a top executive to lead digital transformation education across the African continent. SAP Africa announced the appointment of Goutam Dev as its new Head of Education for Africa.

The newly appointed executive has been with the enterprise services company since 2005. He has held various leadership roles in services, sales, strategy, and general management across a range of geographies.

According to SAP Education, they position themselves as the world's largest IT education provider and a recognised market leader by successfully delivering customer and partner enablement. Noteworthy, Dev regards the digital skills gap as one of the top barriers to digital transformation among SAP Africa’s customers and partners.

“As a business, it is our stated objective to help companies with their digital transformation initiatives. By combining SAP's broad range of knowledge offerings in both a classroom and digital setting, we aim to focus on driving a comprehensive, rapid, and easy-to-consume learning and enablement strategy, which we see as being key to our customers' success and growth in Africa. Further, by extending the reach of enablement across the continent, we are able to unlock the tremendous growth potential in Africa, which is the largest market for SAP Education in the EMEA region", says Dev.

Dev has previously served in an executive role as the Chief of Staff to the Office of the SAP Africa CEO where he was tasked with the execution and strategic decisions of the CEO across all lines of business and also across 54 African countries.

Intel readies new 'Ice lake' chip that'll supercede 8th-generation processors

As Intel prepares to unveil its 8th-generation Coffee Lake processors next week, the company has released basic information on an upcoming 10-nanometer "Ice Lake" chip, which will serve as the successor to the 14-nanometer Coffee Lake and 10-nanometer Cannon Lake chips.

Details on the Ice Lake architecture, which will be made on Intel's 10nm+ process, have been shared on Intel's codename decoder.

"The Ice Lake processor family is a successor to the 8th generation Intel(R) CoreTM processor family. These processors utilize Intel's industry-leading 10 nm+ process technology," reads the site.

As AnandTech points out, Intel's decision to share details on Ice Lake is odd because the company has not announced or shared details on Cannon Lake, the first chips that will be built on its 10-nanometer architecture, and Intel is also referring to Ice Lake as the successor to its soon-to-be-announced 14-nanometer Coffee Lake chips, leading to confusion about its upcoming processor lineup and how Cannon Lake fits in.

Intel's current Kaby Lake chips were built on a second-generation 14nm+ architecture, while Coffee Lake is a third-generation 14nm++ architecture. Both Kaby Lake and Coffee Lake are available for both desktops and laptops, but it appears the 10-nanometer Cannon Lake chips succeed Coffee Lake chips in laptops, while desktops won't see 10-nanometer architecture until the release of Ice Lake.

AnandTech speculates that the chip confusion is the result of the difficulty behind developing a 10-nanometer architecture. Intel needs to perfect 10-nanometer chips for smaller processors before moving on to larger desktop processors.

Simply put, the first generation of 10nm requires small processors to ensure high yields. Intel seems to be putting the smaller die sizes (i.e. anything under 15W for a laptop) into the 10nm Cannon Lake bucket, while the larger 35W+ chips will be on 14++ Coffee Lake, a tried and tested sub-node for larger CPUs. While the desktop sits on 14++ for a bit longer, it gives time for Intel to further develop their 10nm fabrication abilities, leading to their 10+ process for larger chips by working their other large chip segments (FPGA, MIC) first.

Intel's 14nm++ Coffee Lake chips will be officially unveiled on August 21, and these are the chips that we are likely to see in Apple notebooks and standard iMac desktops in the coming year, but again, it's unclear how Cannon Lake fits into the lineup and whether those chips will be available for some machines in time for 2018 refreshes.

As the successor to Intel's 8th-generation chips, Ice Lake is not likely to be available until late 2018 or 2019, with an exact timeline to be determined by Intel's success in improving its 10-nanometer architecture.

Renault-Nissan establishes technology innovation lab

The Israel Innovation Authority’s (IIA) “Technological Innovation Labs” Program has reached a new milestone this week as it selected the five franchise holders to operate the labs for a three-year pilot period.

The labs, funded by the IIA, will provide technological infrastructure and knowhow to entrepreneurs, including Renault-Nissan Alliance, to establish their proof of concept.

Throughout this period, the Authority will assist in funding the establishment of the labs’ technological infrastructure for the benefit of the entrepreneurs and their start-ups, with a budget of up to NIS 4 million.

The Authority will also cover ongoing operational costs of up to a half million shekels per year. The start-ups accepted to the labs will receive up to 85 percent of funding or NIS 1 million to establish their proof of concept.

The target audience for the program is entrepreneurs and startups, with innovative ideas in the relevant verticals, who are interested in getting a proof of concept and developing their idea into a product.

The program also focuses on attracting leading multinational corporations focused on adopting open innovation and in supporting startups through the labs by making unique technological infrastructure accessible, especially technological infrastructure, which is not currently available in Israel.

The Renault-Nissan Alliance will operate a technological lab established in the entrepreneurial complex in Tel Aviv’s Kiryat Atidim business center, focusing on smart urban mobility.

The other four companies are Merck-Flex, which researches innovation for electronic devices; Enel-Shikun & Binui Holdings Ltd. focusing on smart infrastructure of construction, transportation and energy; Ham-Let (Israel-Canada) Ltd., focusing on industrial data, and Frutarom, aimed at developing unique, functional raw materials for the food and beverage industries.

Aharon Aharon, CEO of the IIA, said the project “puts great emphasis on introducing innovation to the manufacturing industry. We received 16 outstanding proposals, indicating a real need that the program addresses.”

He further noted that the lab program will “serve as a platform for connecting the manufacturing industry with the culture of entrepreneurship and innovation for which Israel has become renowned. It will help give Israeli companies a competitive edge globally.”

Anya Eldan, IIA Vice President and head of the Start-Up Division, said that “the lab program enables the development of innovation ecosystems in a variety of fields in advanced manufacturing by leveraging the technological infrastructure and knowhow of large companies – in Israel and around the world – for the benefit of start-ups. The program joins our successful Technological Incubator Program at the Start-Up Division of the Israel Innovation Authority.”