Big Asteroid To Fly Safely Past Earth On April 19

A whopper of an asteroid will make a close approach to Earth on April 19. There's no need to panic, though; NASA says it won't collide with our planet. But it will get extremely close for an asteroid of that size.

Named 2014 JO25, this giant space rock measures approximately 2,000 feet across — about the height of the Shanghai Tower, China's tallest building and the second-tallest building in the world. It will pass by Earth at a safe distance of 1.1 million miles, or nearly five times the distance between the Earth and the moon.

"Small asteroids pass within this distance of Earth several times each week, but this upcoming close approach is the closest by any known asteroid of this size, or larger, since asteroid Toutatis, a 3.1-mile asteroid, which approached within about four lunar distances in September 2004," NASA officials said in a statement.

NASA first learned of 2014 JO25 three years ago, when astronomers monitoring the Catalina Sky Survey at the University of Arizona spotted it with their telescopes. Sponsored by NASA's Near-Earth Object (NEO) Observation Program, the survey searches for potentially Earth-threatening asteroids in the solar system.

While NASA doesn't know much about its physical properties, the agency's NEOWISE (Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer) mission indicates that the asteroid is about twice as reflective as the moon. Skywatchers will be able to see it with a small telescope. After it first becomes visible in the night sky, it will slowly fade into the distance, disappearing after one or two nights.

"The April 19 encounter provides an outstanding opportunity to study this asteroid, and astronomers plan to observe it with telescopes around the world to learn as much about it as possible," NASA said in the statement. "Radar observations are planned at NASA's Goldstone Solar System Radar in California and the National Science Foundation’s Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, and the resulting radar images could reveal surface details as small as a few meters."

Samsung Galaxy S8 Pre-orders Reach 1 Million, And Still Counting

As we draw close to the April 21 release, it becomes clear that Samsung’s latest flagships might actually become the best-selling smartphones of this year. Korean reports recently revealed that Samsung managed to surpass the 1 million mark when it comes to pre-orders for its new devices.

Samsung recorded more than 1 million pre-orders for the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 + in its home country, during more than 10 days since the pre-order process started in South Korea. The data was collected from local telecom carriers and shows the highest-ever figure for a new smartphone in the country.

The smartphone maker has set a sales target of more than 60 million units for the Galaxy S8, compared to 52 million sold Galaxy S7 units. The latest figure shows that Samsung has indeed surpassed its previously set pre-order target, but that doesn’t mean that all 1 million customers will end up buying the phone.

Analysts say that more than 70% of people who pre-ordered the phone will actually buy it, and a similar ratio was recorded last year with the Galaxy Note 7. However, Samsung’s sales momentum will start to gradually tone down in the weeks before Apple announces its anniversary iPhone 8.

On a side note, we hope Samsung will properly address the red discoloration issue on the display of Galaxy S8 units sold in its home country.

Do You Know Why Apple's Red iPhones Are Not 'Red' in China

Apple's latest iPhone might be red, but it's not Red in China. The special-edition version of the iPhone 7 and 7plus goes on sale in more than 40 countries, but China has done it slightly differently.

What is Red about?

Red is a charity looking to combat Aids and was originally founded by U2 musician Bono and activist Bobby Shriver. It gives the money it raises to the Global Fund for HIV/Aids that doles out grants.
This includes providing testing and treatment for patients with the aim of wiping out transmission of HIV. Apple is the world's largest corporate donor to the Global Fund.
The special-edition devices celebrate Apple's long-running partnership with Red and a portion of the sales will go towards its relief operations in Africa.

But Apple's Chinese-language sites don't mention the product or cause. This left some perplexed.
Internet users were among the first to spot that there was different branding on Apple's landing page depending on the Chinese territory.

When translated from Mandarin, Apple's China retail website for the Red devices simply read as "now in red" while the Taiwanese site used the words "product" Red which the US and other countries have as well.
Some analysts read this as yet another example of Chinese politics interfering with Western brands looking to do business in the world's most populous nation.
Apple had no comment on the matter.

So why the different name?
One possibility is that Apple is looking to navigate sensitivities in a state where messages are controlled: HIV/Aids and homosexuality remain taboo topics in China

What Function Keys F1 To F12 Do On Your Computer Keyboard

You might be Using Windows for a long time, but I am sure a majority of you guys don't know all the features and Uses of F1-F12 keys on your keyboard. We all know Common shortcuts like CTRL+C to Copy and CTRL+V to Paste, But you might not know what F1, F2, F3…….F12 keys do and where and when to use them.

USES OF F1 KEY:
F1 key almost everywhere is used for "Help". if you are using windows OS and want help anywhere then press F1 key, this will open up help window for you.
Sometimes F1 key is also used to enter the BIOS (press F1 when your computer is about to boot).
The combination of Win + F1 keys will open the “Help and Support » Microsoft Windows.

USES OF F2 KEY:
Rapidly rename the chosen file or folder. Works in all adaptations of Windows.
Alt + Ctrl + F2 – Opens the Document as a Microsoft Word.
Ctrl + F2 – Opens the Preview window in Microsoft Word.
Frequently to enter the BIOS.

USES OF F3 KEY:
In the MS-DOS charge line or in Windows, press F3 to rehash the last summon.
Win + F3 – Advanced Search window opens in Microsoft Outlook.
Shift + F3 – Changes the content in Microsoft Word, from upper to lower case or capital letters at the start of each one expression.
In the event that I am not mixed up, it is the F3 key which will cause the Application«Control» computers Apple, running Mac OS X.

USES OF F4 KEY:
This opens the location bar, in the event that you press F4 in Windows Explorer and Internet Explorer.
Rehash the last activity (MS Word )
Ctrl + F4 – Closes the window open in the present window, for example, a tab in the program
Alt + F4 – Closes the system window in Windows.

USES OF F5 KEY:
Refreshes the present page (works in all advanced programs), and additionally redesign the desktop or open organizers in Windows.
Running a slide demonstrate in Powerpoint.

USES OF F6 KEY:
Move the cursor in the location bar (additionally works in numerous advanced programs).
Ctrl + Shift + F6 – opens Document in Microsoft Word

USE OF F7 KEY:
Mostly used for spelling and grammar in a document programs Microsoft (Word, Outlook, etc.)

USE OF F8 KEY:
Pressing F8 key while your PC is about to boot will result into booting your PC in Safe mode.

USE OF F9 KEY:
The F9 key does not have any functionality in Windows. It may, however, be used in some individual programs. To find out if it is available in the program you are using, bring up the program’s help screen and type in the words function key.

USES OF F10 KEY:
Activates "Menu" in the open organizer window.
Shift + F10 – works same as the right mouse click.
Pressing F10 while your system is booting will show you BIOS Information.
F10 is used to enter the hidden recovery partition on computers Sony.

USE OF F11 KEY:
F11 Key will take you to Full-screen mode and it can be used and work in any Browser.

USES OF F12 KEY:
Opens the "Save As" in Microsoft Word.
Shift + F12 – Saves a document in Microsoft Word.
Ctrl + Shift + F12 – Prints a document in Microsoft Word.
The f12 key will open up Inspect element box in any Browser.
Fn + F1 or F2 or ... F12 keys will normally do the task that is Printed on the respective keys, This is basically for Laptop Users.

With this it Concludes my list of uses of F1-F12 keys in windows, if you know any more uses then please comment below.

Old Nokia 3310 vs New Nokia 3310. 17 Years Later

Nokia has released the Nokia 3310 at Mobile World Congress 2017. Hold on, what?

Indeed, that's right, the Nokia 3310 has returned from the dead, 17 years after. The famous phone that was originally released in 2000 has now been renewed.

As Nokia not too long ago launched Nokia 3, Nokia 5 and Nokia 6 Android smart devices, the only device that people are speaking of is this vintage wonder, the Nokia 3310.

But how does the new 3310 compare with the old?

Nokia 3310 versus 3310: Design and build


2000: 113 x 48 x 22mm, 133g

2017: 115.6 x 51 x 12.8 mm, 79.6 g.

Slim is definitely in as the 3310 has slimmed down. Nearly half the weight and thickness, but a little bit taller and wider.

But it's not only about the weight: the improved Nokia 3310 isn't the chunky monkey that the original old version got.

The Nokia 3310 is still plastic, but it's now sleek in red and yellow, or matt in blue or grey. The original was generally blue but often seen in that grey colour as well.

The 2017 Nokia 3310 comes with a removable back cover, so you can remove it, to have access to the battery.

Nokia 3310 vs 3310: Display screen.


2000: 1.5-inch, 84 x 48 pixels, 65ppi, monochrome LCD.

2017: 2.4-inch, 240 x 320 pixels, 167ppi, colour LCD.

The old Nokia 3310 had a glorious 1.5-inch display screen that was monochrome. It was virtually enough to read text messages, make out the digits you tapped in order to play Snake. It was flat, providing great contrast, easy and to the point.

The new Nokia 3310 has a big (by comparison) display screen at 2.4-inches, extending over the top half of the device and curving away to the top. It's also now brilliantly coloured, so the experience is fairly different.

The latest Nokia 3310 is more like feature phones of the mid-2000s, instead of the pure monochrome glory of the old one.

Nokia 3310 vs 3310: Connection.


2000: Dual band GSM 900/1800MHz.

2017: Dual band GSM 900/1800MHz, Micro-USB, Bluetooth, 3.5 mm jack, microSD, FM radio.

In 2000 there were few connectivities. On the base of the device was the DC input to charge the phone, however, there was no Bluetooth, absolutely no Wi-Fi, no nothing.

Luckily, the new Nokia 3310 has shifted with the times a bit more. There's Bluetooth to link to a headset or even your car, there's Micro-USB for charging - so no need for that big charger.

The option for microSD to increase the storage space, 3.5 mm headphone socket to play music or the FM radio.

None of the two cell phones offers 3G though, this is purely 2G all the way, so it's a mobile phone for talking and texting.

Nokia 3310 versus 3310: Camera.


2000: Why would you want a camera on a phone?

2017: 2-megapixel with LED flash.

In 2000 the thought of having a camera on a phone was slightly unusual. Why would you want one? There were no social media networks, the selfie didn't exist and also you 'd never have been able to publish it anyway.

In 2017, most mobile phones are judged by their cameras. It's the main feature for many, taking the place of the cheap compact camera division with socials media killing the idea of printing photos and making up albums.

The latest 3310 has a 2MP camera, but we believe the experience is not going to worth it. Stay on your smartphone.

Nokia 3310 vs 3310: Battery.


2000: 900mAh removable battery, 55 hrs standby, 2.5 hrs talk time.

2017: 1200mAh removable battery, 31 days standby time, 22 hrs talk time.

The important thing that the old original 3310 was welled known for is battery life. In those days, obviously, you weren't playing 3D games, snapping Instagram selfies, as well as playing mp3 music.

You just got the regular text message from a friend or placed a few phone call to arrange a beer parlour get-together. But the battery didn't last for life, it just lasted days.

The brand-new Nokia 3310 battery will almost last forever. With 31 days of standby, you'll hardly drain this battery.

This is a cell phone you can probably disappear with for a full week and not need to think about the charger.

Nokia 3310 vs 3310: Cost.


2000: N28,000.

2017: N15,000.

Mobile phones used to be a lot more costly. The Nokia 3310 was just one of the more affordable at N28,000 at that time and SIM cards for 25,000 and for many it was the first cellphone they had, bringing freedom of communication far away from Nitel landlines.

In 2017 you get a lot of smartphone for N28,000 You can get a full-featured entry-level smart device for that money, so it's not a surprise that the new 3310 is just N15,000.

The old Nokia 3310 is not offered anywhere in Nigeria if you know any shop still selling the old 3310 please let us know. The new design will be highly available by April in Nigeria.

Recession: Internet Users In Nigeria Declined tTo 91.2 Million In January 2017

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has revealed that the number of internet users in Nigeria’s telecommunications networks declined to 91, 274,446 in January. This was disclosed in its Monthly Internet Subscribers Data for January 2017. Internet users dropped to 91,274,446 in January as against 91,880.032 users recorded in December 2016, showing a decline of 605,586.


GSM service providers, according to the data released, lost 605,586 internet customers. For Etisalat, the data showed 13,564.284 customers browsed the internet in January revealing a decrease of 188.656 users against the 13,752.940 users recorded in December 2016.

MTN which had 31,015.45 subscribers browsing the internet on its network in January, had a drop of 737, 964 internet subscribers in January after recording 31,753.369 in December 2016.

However, Airtel had 19,618.485 internet users in January, adding 254, 94 customers to its December record of 19,363.545 and Globacom had 27,076,272 internet users in January, recording an increase of 66,094 users from the 27,010.178 users of the internet on the network in December 2016

24 Year Old Snapchat CEO Explains Why He Is Not Selling Snapchat For Billions Of Dollars To Facebook

Evan Spiegel, Snapchat’s 24-year-old CEO, spoke at the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business commencement on Friday.

Spiegel came up with the idea for Snapchat while working on a class project as a student at Stanford in 2010. He initially called it Picaboo.

With two of his fraternity brothers, Spiegel left Stanford in 2012 to develop Snapchat before he completed his degree.

During his very short speech at Friday’s commencement — he only spoke for ten minutes — Spiegel talked about his own graduation ceremony three years ago, in which he listened to Cory Booker speak “for what felt like a really long time.” Then he walked across the stage to receive an empty diploma case. Spiegel left Stanford just a few credits shy during his senior year after he raised a seed round of financing.

“It only recently occurred to me how totally absurd this whole [graduation] charade was,” Spiegel said. “We do all sorts of silly things to avoid appearing different.”

For Spiegel, being different meant starting a company and not completing his college education.

“Conformity is so fascinating and so pervasive that it has been studied for a very long time,” he continued. “It turns out there are two things that can dramatically reduce conformity in a group setting. The first is a single dissenting voice. The second is the ability to communicate privately with other members of the group.”

Another time Spiegel didn’t conform was when he decided not to sell Snapchat to Facebook for billions of dollars. Facebook made him an offer at least twice, and Spiegel reportedly walked away both times. Spiegel says the question he receives most often now is, “Why didn’t you sell your business?”

“It doesn’t even make money. It’s a fad. You could be on a boat right now. Everyone loves boats. What’s wrong with you?'” Spiegel recalled. “I am now convinced that the fastest way to figure out if you are doing something truly important to you is to have someone offer you a bunch of money to part with it,” Spiegel said, referencing Facebook’s offer to buy Snapchat for $3 billion.

“The best thing is that, no matter whether or not you sell, you will learn something very valuable about yourself. If you sell, you will know immediately that it wasn’t the right dream anyways. And if you don’t sell you’re probably onto something. Maybe you have the beginning of something meaningful,” he added.

“When we decided not to sell our business people called us a lot of things besides crazy — things like arrogant and entitled. The same words that I’ve heard used to describe our generation time and time again. The Millennial Generation. The ‘Me’ Generation. Well, it’s true,” Spiegel said. “We do have a sense of entitlement, a sense of ownership, because, after all, this is the world we were born into, and we are responsible for it.”

Before leaving the stage, Spiegel imparted several other pieces of advice to the young audience:

“The greatest thing we can do is provide the best possible foundation for those who come after us.”
“Have faith in yourself. Know that you will be capable of all the growth expected of you, and that you expect of yourself.”
“Someone will always have an opinion of you. Whatever you do will never be enough. So find something important to you, something you love.”
“You’re going to make a lot of mistakes. Just apologize as quickly as you can and pray for forgiveness.”
“You’re going to face a challenge, a full time job. The hardest part is going to be getting used to solving problems that don’t have answers.”
“I beg you to remember that it is not possible to know the end results of our efforts.”
“Please voice your dissent. Anticipate your erasure. And find something you aren’t willing to sell.”

7 Reasons Why Your Smartphone Battery Drains Twice Faster

Have your smartphone drained your battery so badly?If so here are the top 7 reasons.

Operating Your Phone While Charging:

This is one of the top reason why your battery don’t last any longer some of this reasons are playing game,music, surfing the internet,high increase screen light while charging your cell phone this reasons reduces the cell strength of your phone battery.

2. Using Fake Power pack or killer USB Cord

There are thousands of fake power banks circulated in the local market. This detrimental to anyone who purchase it. Not only fake power bank destroys your smartphone battery cell strength , it will also leave you with slow charging problem or your phone not charging at all.

Here are few guides on How To Know a Fake Power Banks

Often Chinese in nature.
They comes in adulterated name brand like BMW, HP , Infinix, which is not directly endorsed by these companies.
Their power capabilities is highly overhyped.
Usually very cheap.
3. Removing Your Battery Too Often

You might not really notice this
But you may confirm this in a dark room or at night.
Each time you remove your smartphone battery, there is a little spark that emanate from the battery terminals this reduces the cellphone battery strength. Imagine removing your Battery like ten times a day? You wouldn’t dare that again right?

4. Using a Desktop/Universal Charger

Desktop chargers are made to be used in case of emergency or when battery is extremely dead, its not directly endorsed by the phone manufacturer and its off specification of your phone brand. It may come with high voltage or low voltage because most of them lack a good voltage regulator.

5. Charging Your Phone on a High Voltage or low Voltage Power Source

Charging Your Phone with a high or under voltage power frequency is very bad for your battery health,
Its not advisable to use power generating set to charge Your battery. As steady electric frequency is not guaranteed.

6. High surrounding temperatures

Using phone in heated area some times people charge there smartphone in a hard hazard area or in an environment that is not conducive such as under an umbrella or in the market places where sun can reach the phone such is not deducible

7. Too much running apps at the background

wow in this aspects people like me will always have multi task work in my phone either downloading at the same time watching movies. this really kills the cell battery there by giving the phone much work to handle.

20 Signs That You're Addicted To Your Smartphone

Although somewhat funny, the signs below are realistic signs that will either make you realize you are a smartphone addict, or on your way to
becoming one.

1. You always panic whenever you accidentally leave your smartphone at home.

2. You take your smartphone wherever you go to, even to fetch water from the well.

3. You find it difficult to sleep whenever you are without your phone.

4. You keep getting Phantom Phone Alerts
You hear a tone and think you have a notification, but when you check your phone it’s blank. That's called phantom alert.

5. Whenever your smartphone dies something inside of you dies with it.

6. When number 5 happens, instead of waiting on Nepa to bring the light you walk around looking for where to charge your phone.

7. You only drop your phone when the battery is dead.

8. You spend more than #500 every week charging your phone in a charging centre, money that could be used for something more productive.

9. The first thing you do every time NEPA brings the light is to plug your Smartphone.

10. Your battery never lasts because you are always on your phone. And that's the major reason why you have a power bank.

11. You are most happy whenever you are on your phone.

12. The charger you are using now you bought only because it is long and would make it easier for you be on your phone while its charging notwithstanding whether you are in bed or chair.

13. You never allow your phone a moment rest, you press it even while it is plugged.

14. You always like to sit right next to a socket wherever you can find one, which includes but not limited to church, restaurant, class.

15. Chargers are more important to you than anything else, you can forget your bible at home on a sunday but you can NEVER forget your
charger.

16. Your food keeps getting cold everytime because you just won't leave your phone and concentrate on your food.

17. The first thing you do every morning when you wake up is pick up your phone.

18. Whever you are with family or friends you usually cant wait to get out. Not because thet are borung or anything but because you cant just
wait to go back to pressing your phone.

19. Whenever you are travelling to an undeveloped community that has no light the only thing you think about is 'how will I charge my phone'.

20. You are guilty of doing more than 10 things on this list.

Specifications Of The New Nokia 3310

New Nokia 3310 (2017)

Nokia 3310 (2017) mobile was launched in February 2017. The phone comes with a 2.40-inch touchscreen display with a resolution of 240 pixels by 320 pixels.

The phone packs 16MB of internal storage that can be expanded up to 32GB via a microSD card. As far as the cameras are concerned, the Nokia 3310 (2017) packs a 2-megapixel primary camera on the rear

The Nokia 3310 (2017) runs Series 30 and is powered by a 1200mAh removable battery. It measures 115.60 x 51.00 x 12.80 (height x width x thickness) .

The Nokia 3310 (2017) is a dual SIM (GSM and GSM) mobile that accepts Micro-SIM and Micro-SIM. Connectivity options include Bluetooth and FM.




3310 (2017)


key specs


Display
2.40-inch

Front Camera
No

Resolution
240x320 pixels

OS
Series 30

Storage
16MB

Rear Camera
2-megapixel

Battery Capacity
1200mAh


Nokia 3310 (2017) detailed specifications
GENERAL
Release date February 2017
Form factor Bar
Dimensions (mm) 115.60 x 51.00 x 12.80
Battery capacity (mAh) 1200
Removable battery Yes
Colours Warm Red (Glossy), Dark Blue (Matte), Yellow (Glossy), Grey (Matte)
SAR value NA
DISPLAY
Screen size (inches) 2.40
Touchscreen No
Resolution 240x320 pixels
HARDWARE
Internal storage 16MB
Expandable storage Yes
Expandable storage type microSD
Expandable storage up to (GB) 32
CAMERA
Rear camera 2-megapixel
Flash Yes
Front camera No
SOFTWARE
Operating System Series 30
CONNECTIVITY
Wi-Fi No
Wi-Fi standards supported NA
GPS No
Bluetooth Yes, v 3.00
NFC No
Infrared No
USB OTG No
Headphones 3.5mm
FM Yes
Number of SIMs 2
SIM 1
SIM Type Micro-SIM
GSM/CDMA GSM
3G No
4G/ LTE No
Supports 4G in India (Band 40) No
SIM 2
SIM Type Micro-SIM
GSM/CDMA GSM
3G No
4G/ LTE No
Supports 4G in India (Band 40) No
SENSORS
Compass/ Magnetometer No
Proximity sensor No
Accelerometer No
Ambient light sensor No
Gyroscope No
Barometer No
Temperature sensor No

Difference Between Whatsapp Snap And Snapchat

Snap chat on the right and whatsapp snap on the left 

                            

TECH TRICK: How To Know Those Who Saved Your Contact On Whatsapp

Do you sometimes wonder who among your WhatsApp contacts actually saved your contact on his or her phone. You wouldn’t know who saved your contact or not even if you decided not to use your picture as profile picture, because by then they could see the previous chats and know you are the one chatting with them.

Today I will be sharing with you, a sure fire way to get those who don’t consider you important enough to save your contact on their phone. It’s actually very simple and straightforward.

This is all you need to do.

First of all, you have to create a broadcast message where you add all your WhatsApp contacts as participants. To create a broadcast message, click on your phone’s menu in the WhatsApp application and click on “New Broadcast”. You will then see an IMPORTANT message that says: “Only contacts with +90533******* (your WhatsApp number) in their address book will receive your broadcast messages”

Then you start selecting all your contacts. Note that there is a limit to the amount of contacts you can include in your broadcast (about 256). So after sending the broadcast , those who received the broadcast(double mark) are the ones that saved your contact on their phone and those who didn’t receive the broadcast(single mark) are those that didn’t save your contact on their phone.

So you can go ahead and ask them why they didn’t save your number or you simply reciprocate their gesture by deleting their number. Whatever you want to do next is up to you. Enjoy!

Panic online as YouTube suffers brief outage in parts of Europe

YouTube is experiencing major problems with many users unable to access the website.

According to DownDetector the site went down for users in Europe at around 6pm GMT.

The video streaming site is still working intermittently for some users, but others are seeing a message which reads: “500 Internal Server Error”, alongside multiple lines of code.

YouTube is only working intermittently for many users (YouTube)
A message reads: “Sorry, something went wrong. A team of highly trained monkeys has been dispatched to deal with this situation.

Why People Are Excited About The Return Of The Reliable Nokia 3310

The smartphones that sit uncomfortably inside our pocket are now more powerful than the large desktop computers from 10 years ago. However, many people will tell you that these fantastic advances in technology are not always a sign of progress.

For example, anyone that remembers the days when the tank like Nokia 3310 ruled the world will scoff at our unusual modern ways. Back in simpler times, you didn't have to worry about dropping your phone or constantly searching for a power socket to charge your phone, and it even fit in your pocket.

You didn't feel the need to have to search for a game that you somehow buried on page 7 of your phone apps because the only game you played was called Snake. This was an era where reliability and resilience were rated much higher than shiny new gimmickry.

Sure, there was a reversal of fortune when the iPhone appeared on the scene, and we fell in love with mobile apps and screens that shatter just by looking at concrete. Eventually, Microsoft infamously acquired Nokia's mobile phone business in 2014 for a whopping $7.17 billion in a move that would eventually be the kiss of death for the Nokia phone as we knew it.

According to Evan Blass, HMD Global Oy, the Finnish manufacturer with exclusive rights to market phones under the Nokia brand have an interesting announcement on the horizon. It appears there are plans to announce four handsets at Mobile World Congress later this month including the much loved Nokia 3310 that many still remember as the first phone they fell in love with.

HMD is expected to unveil the phone that was first released back in 2000 at a launch event on February 26 in Barcelona. The attractive price of €59 will aim this new incarnation at nostalgic tech lovers who might want a second phone when they expect more battery life and resilience at a music festival or camping trip for example.


Although there will be two new Android phones on display too, it seems the love of all things retro will the Nokia 3100 will once again grab all of the headlines. Whether it's original users getting all nostalgic or hipsters promoting ironic living, there is clearly a lot of love for the 17-year-old phone.

We now live in a digital age where sophisticated smartphones from all manufacturers all look remarkably similar and are only separated by gimmicks. However, as users, we don't necessarily want waterproof phones, with curved screens or the ability to take live photos. The average user simply desires reliability, resilience and a half decent battery.

Nobody would seriously suggest returning to solely using phones that are nearly 20 years old. But, I think this is a clear indication of what consumers feel are lacking from their current generation of smartphones. There is an argument that if any phone manufacturer added these two requirements we once took for granted to their next model of smartphone, they could hit a winning formula.

Yes, we expect our model of choice to be aesthetically pleasing and contain all the features we know and love. However, savvy consumers have quickly realized that new features are often just gimmicks to create fake selling points.

Maybe, we also need to look in the mirror. Our desire for something new and exciting via annual refresh rates is responsible for leaving less time to develop anything genuinely new or exciting. Depending on your pocket size preferences, there are small or plus-sized phones to cover all tastes. But, what have we sacrificed along the way?

Recently a soldier advised his 17-year-old Nokia 3310 has survived three army tours and a washing machine, but still works perfectly fine with 4 bars of signal. Whereas a screen that doesn't crack when dropping from 3 feet and a battery that goes beyond a full day somehow seems entirely implausible here in 2017.

If we are completely honest, our obsession with being face down into a smartphone was almost non-existent in the days of Nokia reign. Our usage and expectations from these tiny devices have progressed to epic proportions, and maybe this is an inconvenient truth for those that look at the past through rose-tinted snap chat glasses.

However, the impending announcement of the Nokia 3310's return from the grave at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona certainly offers food for thought. What was your first and favorite mobile phone? Are you tempted to pick one up to use the second phone? Or do you prefer the past where it belongs?

Please share your insights and experiences by commenting below.

YouTube is finally dropping those unskippable 30-second ads

One of the worst things that can happen to a person is when they want to check something on YouTube really quick and they get stuck with one of those 30-second ads that can’t be skipped. By the time they actually get to their video, they might not even care about hearing that song from that thing, checking out the hot new movie trailer, or seeing the countdown of epic fails that they were so excited about just a half-minute ago. Luckily, Google has heard your cries of “eh, it’s not worth it” and has decided to abandon 30-second ads altogether. Unfortunately, there is a catch—or, rather, multiple catches.

This comes from Campaign, which says that the 30-second ads won’t be dropped until 2018, and also that YouTube will still be supporting unskippable 15-second and 20-second ads. Plus, it will be adding more six-second “bumper ads” that cannot be skipped, so it’s not like ads in general are going away at all. Still, though, the YouTube experience is about to become slightly more efficient in at least 11 months, which is a little exciting.

Mark Zuckerburg Writes 6000 Words Letter To Save The World

Mark Zuckerberg (owner of facebook)

Mark Zuckerberg has just released a 6000 word letter, being dubbed The Mark Manifesto.

In it Mark expresses his plans to make the world a better place by connecting everything in meaningful ways. He seeks to answer the question he lays out at the start: Are we building the world we all want?

He worries about the spread of fake news, and the tendency for people to read headlines and not the whole article.

“While we have more work to do on information diversity and misinformation, I am even more focused on the impact of sensationalism and polarization, and the idea of building common understanding,” he wrote.

Facebook will use more AI to achieve their goals including safety.

He also pushed back against the criticism of globalisation.

“Facebook stands for bringing us closer together and building a global community. When we began, this idea was not controversial. Every year, the world got more connected and this was seen as a positive trend. Yet now, across the world there are people left behind by globalization, and movements for withdrawing from global connection. There are questions about whether we can make a global community that works for everyone, and whether the path ahead is to connect more or reverse course.”

In the future, his focus (and of course Facebook's focus) will be around:

* Building stronger communities, both online and offline.
* Creating better tools for safety and emergency response, both online and offline.
* Surfacing more diverse perspectives around news, and killing what he calls “sensationalism.”
* Creating a more politically engaged society.
* Creating better guidelines for what’s appropriate, and inappropriate, on Facebook.

Facebook has done more than anyone else in the world to connect more people than ever before, and it appears Zuckerberg wants to do more social good with the power he has. Additionally, this will only lead to more questions of whether Mark Zuckerberg has any political ambitions. There are also questions around whether any of this was driven by the Trump victory in the US election.

Have You Seen The New Nokia 3310 Android Phone

Some few days back, one of the top manufacturers of mobile phones in the world, announced the comeback of one of the most popular phones in the world - the Nokia 3310

We have been able to gather exclusive photo of the gadget and it is an Android Phone.

How many of you will like to rock this phone when it launches commercially in Nigeria.

Beware of a Devious Gmail Scam Circulating NOW

There’s a particularly nasty phishing scam that’s been doing the rounds this January, and it’s targeting Google’s Gmail account users. The scam, purported to be one of the most pernicious yet, tricks email users into divulging their Google log-in details and has even fooled seasoned IT experts.

Here’s how it works – you have been warned!

A fake email arrives in your inbox. It may well come from a contact in your own address book, and will contain a rogue attachment that looks like a PDF file.
When you click on the attachment, you will be directed to a phishing page which is cleverly disguised as the Google sign-in page, where you are asked to log into your account.
The super cautious user will now take a look at the location bar which shows the following:
Being reassured that it says accounts.google.com, you proceed to sign in.

gmail-screenshot

If you enter your details, your Gmail account will become compromised, allowing the attacker to go through your messages, message folders and pass on the scam. They can even copy your style of writing, making the emails to others in your address book even more convincing.
Gaining unauthorised entry happens very quickly. With your account compromised, your entire Gmail content, including all your messages, usernames and passwords for this and other accounts are at risk, along with any Cloud based apps you’ve signed up for.

What’s particularly worrying is that the phishing pages don’t seem to trigger Google’s HTTPS security warnings, which would normally appear when a user lands on an unsafe page.
The sophisticated scam was discovered by Mark Maunder of Wordfence who has recommended a number of protection strategies to guard against this type of phishing attack.

Verify the protocol and hostname

Before you sign into any internet service, checking the browser location bar to verify the protocol and the hostname is imperative. When signing into your Google account or Gmail on Chrome, it should appear like this, preceded by nothing other than a green padlock symbol:

https://accounts.google.com/ServiceLogin?elo=1

The prefix ‘data:text/html/ is a sign of a fake web page. Beware that this particular scam is not limited to Chrome – it can occur on any browser.

Enable two factor authentication

Where available, enable 2-step verification to make it much harder for an unauthorised user to access your account or service – even if they have your password.

Two Factor Authentication (TFA) is an extra layer of security that requires not only a password and username, but something else that identifies the authorised user. It could be a piece of information that only they know – perhaps the answer to a secret question – or a physical token, such as a code sent by text message to the user’s phone, or a handheld device used for online banking.

For additional protection from internet scams and phishing attacks, you should also follow these general safety rules:

Always be cautious about any emails from unrecognised senders. If in doubt, check if the email is authenticated, check that the address and the sender name match, and check the message headers to ensure the ‘from’ header is not showing an incorrect name.
Don’t ever click on any links, open any attachments or download any files that come from unknown senders, however tempted you may be.
Beware of pop-ups! You should never enter personal information, click on any links or copy web addresses into your browser from a pop-up screen.
Be careful about email links asking you to submit personal information, even if you think you know the organisation. Phishing websites typically copy the look and feel of a genuine website in an attempt to trick you into divulging sensitive information. If in doubt, call the company direct (but don’t use any phone number given in the suspicious email).
In any online transaction, only submit personal data if you are sure that the site is secure. Look for the padlock icon on the browser’s status bar, or ‘https:’ in the URL, where the ‘s’ stands for ‘secure’.
It is good practice to never send your personal or financial details via email, even if you know and trust the recipient. Should their email account get hacked, their as well as your data will be compromised.
Finally, make sure your computer is protected with a firewall, spam filters, anti-virus and anti-spyware software, and keep them updated at all times for maximum protection.

What Asians Think About Africans Using Smartphones

China's Transsion phones outsell Samsung in Africa

Two Nigerian women take a selfie with a Tecno smartphone made by Transsion Holdings Ltd, a Shenzhen-based phonemaker.
Photo: China Daily/ANN


Transsion Holdings Ltd, a Shenzhen-based smartphone maker few Chinese have heard of, is securing the jewel in the crown of the mobile world－the African continent, one of the most promising mobile arenas in the world.

Transsion has grabbed 40 per cent of the African market, outcompeting much bigger opponents like Samsung Electronics Co Ltd and Huawei Technologies Co Ltd.

Tecno and itel, two brands owned by Transsion, took the third and first spot in the African mobile market in the third quarter of 2016, respectively, data from technology consultancy Counterpoint Technology Market Research showed.


In the first half of 2016, Transsion shipped 32.9 million handsets to overseas markets. In comparison, the number for Huawei, the world's third-largest smartphone maker, was 25.4 million units.

Transsion was the first Chinese smartphone vendor to explore the African market. It also built the world's first smartphone plant in the continent. Its success highlights how little-known Chinese firms are conquering overseas markets by leveraging China's sophisticated manufacturing capacity and their experience to fight for survival in the domestic market.

Stephen Ha, general manager of Tecno, said: "We started to zero-in on the African market as early as 2008 after the competition intensified in China."

That was a time when the continent was almost forgotten by most big international brands. The lack of competitive local players also leaves a gap in the market for Transsion to fill.

The company quickly gained popularity through its dual-SIM smartphones.

Ha said: "We noticed local consumers wanted to have two SIM cards, but most of them could not afford two handsets."


A Nigerian man takes a selfie with a Tecno smartphone made by Transsion Holdings Ltd, a Shenzhen-based phone maker.
Photo: China Daily/Asia News Network
Jessie Ding, a Shanghai-based smartphone analyst at consultancy Canalys, said what really helped Transsion secure dominance was its efforts to stay local in Africa and the management team's abundant experience in overseas markets.

Zhu Zhaojiang, founder and CEO of Transsion, has been in the smartphone industry for nearly two decades. Before setting up Transsion, he headed up the overseas business for a domestic firm and had travelled to more than 90 countries to explore opportunities.

Ding said: "Such experience gives Transsion an advantage in dealing with Africa's highly fragmented retailer landscape. The team knows what local businessmen want and how to build trust."

Instead of relying on telecoms carriers to sell handsets, Transsion set up its own retailing network in more than 30 African countries. Abdirahman Mohammed, a phone dealer based in Nairobi, Kenya, is one of them.

Mohammed said: "Transsion phones come in many varieties, with three brands covering the low, middle and high-end markets. Tecno is one of the best sellers in my store." He sells 70 to 100 Tecno phones every month and earn roughly $5 per phone.

To build up its reputation, Transsion has carried out an aggressive advertising campaign rarely seen in the Africa market. The strategy also increased local retailers' reliance on Transsion, because in this way, they don't need to spend much on advertising.

In 2011, Transsion set up a smartphone plant in Ethiopia, the first one in the African continent, to help speed up product delivery and lower costs. Now it is working on a new plant in Nigeria.

Michael Wandey, the administrator of a publishing company in Kenya, said his Tecno smartphone has the same features as other brands but is much cheaper.

"Its battery strength is very impressive. I also like its clear camera. Tecno will also be the top choice for my next handset," Michael said.


Making dark skin shine in selfies

Everyone in the world loves selfie, and African customers are no exception. But it is quite difficult for them to have good pictures, because darker skin makes it difficult for many cameras to recognise their faces. To solve this problem, Tecno smartphones locate consumers' face by focusing on their teeth and eyes. It has performed data analysis on African users' face shapes, colors and their preferences of photo effects to determine how much extra light exposure is needed to lighten up their photos.

SIMply better

Due to the poor telecoms infrastructure in Africa, consumers prefer dual SIM cards to ensure effective telecom signals, but most of them can't afford two handsets. Tecno is one of the first brands to launch dual-SIM-card feature phones there.

#Valentine So Romantic! Nigerian Lady Buys PS4 For Her Boyfriend For Valentine

It's the season of love, and people are celebrating it with loved ones in diverse ways. Most guys will sure appreciate a WHITE PS4 as a Val gift.

The lady really tried. Nice one!