Sony Mobile introduces Xperia Z & moves to capture African mobile market via Nigeria.

Sony Mobile moves to capture African mobile market via Nigeria.

But just a few days ago it actually showed that stuff, throwing into the Nigerian market its flagship Android smartphone, the Xperia Z The multi-faceted phone was unveiled at Lagos Oriental Hotel, in the presence of top officials from Sony Mobile. The Nigerian launch is the second after the Dubai launch of the products last month. The reason according to Sony Mobile officials was to underscore the importance that the new company attached to the Nigerian market as a hub of its mobile activities in Africa. The new Xperia Z boasts a range of unparalleled features, including a 5” Full HD 1080p Reality Display, Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core processor, the Mobile BRAVIA Engine 2 and a 13 megapixel fast-capture camera. Offering the ‘best of Sony in a smartphone’, the device uses advanced technology from Sony’s entire range of multimedia products. The company’s Marketing Manager Africa  declared that “the Xperia Z is a game-changer in smartphone technology. It has generated a great deal of excitement internationally since its official launch at the CES in Las Vegas. We anticipate the ultimate range of rich user experiences offered on this stellar model from the Xperia  to increase the momentum several times over in key African markets and Nigeria is one of these key markets.” Xperia Z’s razor sharp Reality Display, powered by Mobile BRAVIA Engine 2, brings Sony’s long-standing TV expertise to the smartphone and delivers an immersive viewing experience with super brightness and clarity. The smartphone shares capabilities with Sony digital cameras and features Exmor RS for mobile, the world’s first image sensor with HDR (High Dynamic Range) video recording for smartphones. Xperia Z also includes Battery STAMINA Mode that can improve standby duration by four times or more by automatically shutting down battery-draining apps whenever the screen is off and restoring them when the screen is on.

Source: Osuagwu, P. Vanguard News

Picture: GSM Arena & Crackberry

Facebook announces the latest app "Home"

Facebook announces the latest app "Home"

Mark Zuckerberg during a Facebook press event introduced 'Home', a Facebook application which would work with Google's Android. One can download the free app on April 12 or pre-order HTC First. The all new Facebook app tries to bring in a new experience by upfront notifications and quick access to activity feed while using the smartphone. With its feature called 'Cover Feed', it enables users to check activity feed as soon as one unlocks the phone.

According to Mark Zuckerberg, He said it was an attempt to do away with app-centred systems that were a legacy of the computer world in which people clicked on an icon to start a program. Once installed on a phone, home takes over the lock screen and main display turning it into a live feed of information, notifications and images Facebook users are sharing.

Facebook also announced a special version of Home will come pre-installed on the new HTC First phone on AT&T. Home will launches on April 12th in the US, and will be available to users of Android Jelly Bean and Ice Cream Sandwich, but not Gingerbread. The international rollout will come later. The software will be available via Google's Play Store as a download and will work only with phones running Android 4.0 or higher – this accounts for about 50% of all Android phone.

There are  reactions after the announcement of the app, a pre-final year student from US, believes that such an app would be really annoying as it would make his "Android OS" phone seem like a "Virtual Facebook OS", thus destroying the utility of the phone in its entirety.

GigaOm who said it could be a route to gathering data about users that would otherwise be hard to find. "This application erodes any idea of privacy," he wrote . "If you install this, then it is very likely that Facebook is going to be able to track your every move, and every little action." These worries were echoed by Natasha Lomas at TechCrunch who said "The Facebookification of the mobile web is a threat to openness, to choice, to privacy - but only if you care about those things". Ms Lomas wrote that home would create many winners and losers and said it was a way for Facebook gradually to take over more and more functions on phones.

Apple is about to unleash a new iPhone 6

 Apple is about to unleash a new iPhone 6

Apple inc, in the coming months could announce the device this summer, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal . The phone would have the same size and shape as the iPhone 5, and Apple might also be working on a cheaper model to sell in developing countries, the report said. The Journal story contained no details about what features the next iPhone might contain, although each new iPhone model has historically boasted a more powerful processor and an upgraded camera. It wouldn't be surprising for Apple to release an iPhone in the summer. The company has released a new iPhone model every year since the device debuted in 2007, and the release dates have all been in the summer or fall. The iPhone 5 came out in September 2012, the iPhone 4S in October 2011, and the three versions before that in the summer months. One possible launchpad for the as- yet-unnamed new device could be Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference, typically held each June in San Francisco. Exact dates for WWDC 2013 have not been announced. The Journal report's more interesting nuggets are about the cheaper, more colorful iPhone version. The report says Apple has been "working on different color shells" for the less expensive model. There have been rumblings about a cheaper iPhone for a while now. The company has often put quality above affordability, but to be competitive in the booming Asia and SouthAmerica markets, it will need to drop the price of its lower-end phones. Older, less expensive iPhone versions continue to sell well but are still pricey when compared with the array of cheap Android handsets. Such occasional Apple rumor stories keep the iPhone in the minds of smartphone buyers and could influence their decisions about what phone to buy next. 

YouTube Co-Founder Teases Upcoming Video Site MixBit

YouTube Co-Founder Teases Upcoming Video Site MixBit

Let's  waite and see what Mixbit is all about, youtubers watch out.
YouTube co-founder Chad Hurley used an April Fools’ joke to promote his upcoming new product, a video-focused site called MixBit (via the Verge) that emphasizes collaborative video creation, rather than trying to compete with YouTube for a viewing audience. Very little has been revealed about MixBit as of yet, beyond the landing page which allows people to sign up for notifications about its upcoming launch, but in an SXSW Q&A Hurley revealed some information. In that session, hosted by Digg co-founder Kevin Rose, Hurley suggested that MixBit (then left unnamed) would be a platform more targeted at creating video with others than YouTube, and that the product would be able to be unveiled “about a month later,” which translates to early April. As far as creator-focused video platforms go, there’s already Vimeo, which distinguishes itself from YouTube based on its appeal to video professionals who focus on quality, vs. the more broad clip offerings available on YouTube. Mobile products like Vyclone have also sprung up that emphasize collaborative video creation, enabling users to work together with strangers to gather video from a variety of sources simultaneously and mix it together automatically to provide easy creation of crowd sourced concert supercuts, for example. We’ve contacted MixBit to find out more about the startup, but given its pedigree, it should provide an interesting take on the collaborative video space no matter what the particulars.

Verve card is now accepted in US, China, Japan, other countries

Verve card is now accepted in US, China, Japan, other countries

 Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)’s cashless policy has received wider coverage as Verve card is now introduced and accepted in several European countries, America, China, Japan and other countries. Discover Financial Services (DFS) and Interswitch, the promoter of the card network, Verve, have entered a strategic alliance that will allow acceptance of Discover and Diners Club International (DCI) cards at Interswitch-enabled Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) and point-of-sale (PoS) terminals for purchases in Nigeria, while Verve card will be accepted in the US, China, Japan, Korea, Serbia and India. The Discover Financial Services (DFS) which includes Diners Club, PULSE and other partner networks, provides acceptance in more than 185 countries and territories. This agreement will also allow Verve cardholders to have access to Discover, Diners Club International and PULSE networks for international purchases and cash access outside of Nigeria. The long-term agreement, which will be implemented in phases, will focus first on enabling about 20 million Verve cards on the PULSE global ATM network, followed by acceptance opportunities for Discover and Diners Club cards in Nigeria, and then the acceptance of Verve cards across the Discover global network. Discover and Interswitch also will collaborate on the integration of Discover DPAS EMV solutions and fraud monitoring solutions to ensure safe transactions across both networks. The companies also plan to look at future opportunities for emerging payment products in Nigeria and in other Interswitch markets.

This is good news for Nigerians travelling abroad, they can now move with their Verve cards to do shopping and all forms of payments.

MICROSOFT INTRODUCES MS OFFICE 2013 TO NIGERIA MARKET

MICROSOFT INTRODUCES MS OFFICE 2013 TO NIGERIA MARKET

The world software giant, Microsoft has announced the introduction and availability of Ms Office 2013 in Nigeria. The new product allows new consumer cloud service works across devices to help busy people simplify their lives and get more done. The new product, according to Microsoft was designed to work with both touch and a mouse, and works seamlessly in the cloud giving the user an unmatched on- and offline experience.

“Office 2013 makes the end user more productive in both at work and home environment,” Marc Israel, Office Division Group Lead for Microsoft West, East and Central Africa and Indian Ocean Islands, said, adding that,  “With Office you can continue working offline, while the integration with cloud technologies allows you to sync your documents seamlessly allowing you to be far more productive.” Cloud technologies, he explained are fast becoming part of everyday life, which is why Microsoft’s Office 365 Home Premium makes sense for the African market. Office 2013 is cloud service: Office 365 Home Premium, one of the offerings within Office 2013, Microsoft said is a cloud service designed for busy households and people juggling ever-increasing work and family responsibilities. The new offering includes the latest and most complete set of Office applications; works across up to five devices, including Windows tablets, PCs and Macs; and comes with extra SkyDrive storage and Skype calling. “This is a major leap forward; we known that people’s needs are changing rapidly, particularly on the African continent. This new iteration of Microsoft Office allows them to adopt technology that changes with them, meeting their everyday requirements.

REQUIREMENT FOR INSTALLATION

COMPONENT	REQUIREMENT
Operating system	Windows 7 or Windows 8 32-bit Office can be installed on 32-bit or 64-bit operating systems and 64-bit Office can only be installed on 64-bit operating systems
Computer and Processor	1 GHZ or faster x86 or 64-bit processor with SSE2 instruction set
Memory	1 GB RAM (32-bit) 2 GB RAM (64-bit)
Disk Space	3GB
Monitor Resolution	1024 x 768
Browsers	Browsers See what browsers you can use to get the best out of Office features at Supported browsers in Office 2013 and Office 365

Eventsrail launches mobile website for e-registration, ticketing via Application Programming Interface (API) in Nigeria.

Eventsrail launches mobile website for e-registration, ticketing via Application Programming Interface (API) in Nigeria.

Event organizers, goers and attendees, this is great news for you. You do not necessarily need to purchase ticket from fast food, clubs, bars, other places as you can do that on your mobile phone. READ BELOW

One of the pioneers of online registration and ticketing services in Nigeria and the first to directly integrate Mastercard, Verve and Visa card payment solutions, Evenstrail Limited, has launched mobile website that enable events organizers to sell tickets on their own website via Application Programming Interface., (API) -is a set of routines, protocols, and tools for building software application, makes events registration and ticketing available on all Mobile Phones. The solutions also enable events organizers to sell tickets on their own website via Application Programming Interface. “Event goers and attendees can easily purchase tickets to events using their mobile phones in a user-friendly manner. Using Eventsrail API, event organizers can create events and sell tickets directly on their own websites and blogs which helps to drive traffic to their own websites, blogs and also adds to their brand equity. Advantages of using the product will include , one-time easy Signup via Facebook & Gmail, the ability to accept Mastercard, Verve & Visa Debit cards directly instead of going through third party, Bar-coded Tickets for easy Verification & Admittance, easy Promotion on Facebook, Twitter and G+, ability to Embed YouTube Movie on your event page, Increase brand awareness and drive more traffic to your website, Send and receive automated Event Reminders, Scanning and Entry Management , Rich Reporting & Analytics among others. On security of the platform, eventsrail.com is one of the most secure platforms to perform transactions on; adding “we take security very serious and customer experience even more serious”

Samsung unveils Galaxy S4 phone in New York

Samsung unveils Galaxy S4 phone in New York

Samsung unveils Galaxy S4 phone in New York Last updated: 15 March 2013 Intensifying its battle with Apple, South Korean electronics giant launches new device with eye-tracking technology. Samsung has unveiled its latest and most- hyped Smartphone, the Galaxy S4, which allows users to control its 5in (12.5cm) screen using only their eyes. The phone, the first in the highly successful Galaxy S-series to make its global debut on US soil, was showcased in New York on Thursday, with the South Korean electronics giant challenging US rival Apple on its home turf. The S4 can stop and start videos depending on whether someone is looking at the screen, flip between songs and photos at the wave of a hand, and record sound to run alongside snapped still pictures.

SAMSUNG i9500 GALAXY S4 Specification

GENERAL   2G Network                    GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900

          3G                        Network HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1900 / 2100

                   SIM                      Micro-SIM

                   Announced             2013, March

         Status                   Coming soon. Exp. release 2013, April 26th

BODY                    Dimensions            136.6 x 69.8 x 7.9 mm (5.38 x 2.75 x 0.31 in)

                             Weight                           130 g (4.59 oz)

DISPLAY     Type                     Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors

                             Size                      1080 x 1920 pixels, 5.0 inches (~441 ppi pixel density)

                             Multitouch Yes

                             Protection             Corning Gorilla Glass 3

                             - TouchWiz UI

SOUND       Alert types           Vibration; MP3, WAV ringtones

                    Loudspeaker          Yes

 3.5mm jack           Yes

MEMORY     Card slot               microSD, up to 64 GB

Internal                16/32/64 GB storage, 2 GB RAM

DATA          GPRS                     Yes

EDGE                              Yes   

Speed                    HSDPA, 42.2 Mbps; HSUPA, 5.76 Mbps

WLAN                   Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, DLNA, Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi hotspot

 Bluetooth             Yes, v4.0 with A2DP, EDR, LE

NFC                      Yes

Infrared port        Yes

USB                      Yes, microUSB v2.0 (MHL 2), USB On-the-go, USB
Host

CAMERA      Primary                 13 MP, 4128 x 3096 pixels, autofocus, LED flash

Features               Dual Shot, Simultaneous HD video and image
recording, geo-tagging, touch focus, face and
smile detection, image stabilization, HDR

Video                     Yes, 1080p@30fps, dual-video rec., check quality Secondary                Yes, 2 MP,1080p@30fps, dual video call

FEATURES OS                        Android OS, v4.2.2 (Jelly Bean)

Chipset                 Exynos 5 Octa 5410

CPU                       Quad-core 1.6 GHz Cortex-A15 & quad-core 1.2
GHz Cortex-A7

GPU                       PowerVR SGX 544MP3

Sensors                 Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer, temperature, humidity, gesture

Messaging             SMS(threaded view), MMS, Email, Push Mail, IM,RSS

 Browser               HTML5, Adobe Flash

Radio                     No

GPS                       Yes, with A-GPS support and GLONASS

Java                      Yes, via Java MIDP emulator

Colors                    White Frost, Black Mist

- Wireless charging (market dependent)

- S-Voice natural language commands and dictation

- Smart stay, Smart pause, Smart scroll

- Air gestures

- Dropbox (50 GB storage)

- Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic

- TV-out (via MHL 2 A/V link)- SNS integration

- MP4/DivX/XviD/WMV/H.264/H.263 player

- MP3/WAV/eAAC+/AC3/FLAC player

- Organizer

- Image/video editor

- Document viewer (Word, Excel, PowerPoint,PDF)

- Google Search, Maps, Gmail,YouTube, Calendar, Google Talk, Picasa

- Voice memo/dial/commands

- Predictive text input (Swype)

BATTERY                                 Li-Ion 2600 mAh battery

Stand-by

Talk time

MISC SAR US 0.85 W/kg (head)     1.55 W/kg (body)

TESTS        Display                  Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) / 3.352:1(sunlight) Loudspeaker Voice 70dB / Noise 66dB / Ring 77dB

Audio quality Noise -82.5dB / Crosstalk -81.5dB

Camera Photo /

The device will be rolled out to 327 carriers in155 countries, including US service providers Verizon Wireless , AT&T, Sprint Nextel, T-Mobile USA. "Samsung has fulfilled the promise of their marketing that they are the tech innovators,"said Forrester analyst Charles Golvin. "It remains to be seen whether it's overload for customers, whether they can really take advantage of all these features." The S4 will use either Samsung's own applications processor or Qualcomm's Snapdragon central processing chip, depending on the country. But the exact dates and prices have yet to be released by the company.