Microsoft Edge Browser Now Available For Android

Microsoft Edge is a well-known browser that was developed by Microsoft, it came as a default browser on windows 10. It was designed to be a light weight browser and it was integrated with Cortana.
Microsoft Edge Browser is now ported to Android Operating System and it’s already available for download.
The browser had already been made available to 10k Apple users for TestFlight apps, so it isn’t available yet for iOS users to download.
Microsoft Edge Browser is made primarily for those who already use Edge Browser on Computers and would want to synchronize their passwords, bookmarks, history, saved pages on their mobile version of Edge Browser.
The Android version of Microsoft Edge Browser is available globally, it isn’t constrained to those in the U.S.
Edge Browser enables users to flawlessly work interchangeably between a mobile phone and a desktop computer.
The Application came with several enticing features like QR Code Reader, InPrivate, Reading view, Data Sync, Hub view and many more.

Where would I be able to download it?

Although the app is still in a Preview phase, this means that lots of features are incoming.
Download the application from Google Playstore HERE

What do you think about the browser?

Will it supersede other browsers like Firefox, Google chrome and Samsung browser?

---

---

---

---

_{Image source: 1 - 2 - 3}

Read More

"On-Screen" FingerPrint Scanner For Smartphones Coming to Reality.

The future of "on-screen" fingerprint scanner is coming to reality, despite our high expectations on Samsung to include it on its Galaxy Note 8 launching this month. But they didn't.

At this year's MWC Shanghai, Chinese producer Vivo showed smartphone prototypes that utilize Qualcomm's cutting edge ultrasonic fingerprint scanners. While Qualcomm plainly expressed that it will begin sending the technology to smart phone producers for commercial testing in Q4 2017, it gives the idea that Vivo may have gotten a bit of a head start. 

Pictures demonstrating the forthcoming Vivo Xplay 7 (otherwise called X20) rose today. They basically affirm that the handset will be the first to have an on-screen finger print scanner. This bodes well, as one of the prototypes at MWC Shanghai was based on the current Xplay 6 Model. 



Slides from a presentation about the phone leaked out initially. Although the quality isn't too great, we can obviously observe the "all-screen" front of the handset which looks like the Galaxy Note 8 renders released so far.
Apart from the on-screen fingerprint scanner, it also comes with three cameras at the back that performs different functions and two selfie cameras.
Right now, there's no data with respect to the exact hardware details of this phone, however we'll most likely discover soon.




Image source: 1, 2, 3.

Read More

Apple's IPhone 8; The Expectations

Apple is expected to launch new iPhones in September.
There's been lot of speculations and reports about the forthcoming iPhone, including that it'll be redesigned .

The pressure is on Apple, and it's the tenth anniversary of the first iPhone, launched in 2007, and the company is expected to have some big plans to launch the event.

Here's what you need to know about the forthcoming iPhone: 

Apple is expected to launch three iPhones: one that is redesigned, and two updates to the current iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. Analysts have proposed a few names for the redesigned iPhone, including "iPhone Pro," "iPhone Edition," "OLED iPhone," and "iPhone 8," which we're calling it.
This report will concentrate completely on the iPhone 8.


Photo credit: business Insider.

The redesigned iPhone is the model that has gotten the most attention. It's expected to have an edge-to-edge, curved screen with much smaller bezels than the current iPhone 7. The screen uses a newer kind of display technology called OLED that promises to use less power and provide darker blacks.


Photo Credit: Martin Hajek

Apple apparently affirmed the iPhone 8 redesign with significantly smaller bezels in this image included in HomePod firmware it dispersed. The codename for this image? D22.

via:
This design would enable Apple to pack more screen into the same size phone.
This bigger screen is expected to have a resolution of 1125x2436, as per Apple's leaked code and also a forecast from KGI Securities.

The iPhone 8 is expected to have a front camera with 3D sensing and modeling capacities, permitting it to take photographs, as well as to manipulate them. The front looking camera will be used for facial recognition, either to replace the Touch ID fingerprint sensor or to supplement it.

The back camera will  have its two rear lenses vertically oriented, as opposed to horizontal, like on the iPhone 7 Plus. 
With another edge-to-edge design, Apple is expected to remove the home button and build its functions into the screen.

It's vague whether the fingerprint sensor will be incorporated with the screen as well or whether the new "Face ID" feature replaces it.
Lastly, Apple will also be adding wireless charging to the models coming out in September.
Source:

Read More

How to Perform Reverse Image Search on Google & Facebook Using Your Mobile Phone

This tutorial might be useful to those who aren't aware of some capabilities of Google Search Engine.

Google Reverse Search lets you search by images instead of keywords. Upload a picture from your desktop, tablet or mobile phone, and Google will show all the other web pages on the Internet that have similar images.
Reverse Search is useful for verifying the source of photographs, WhatsApp images, screenshots and memes. Tinder and Facebook users have used "Search by Image" to research profile pictures of their potential dates while travelers use it for finding the photo's location.

You can do Reverse Image Search on mobile or PC depending on what is convenient for you without installing any applications.
How to do Reverse Image search?
1 Go to images.google.com on PC and if you are using a Mobile Phone, open same url using Google chrome, request for desktop site as seen below


2 Wait for the page to finish loading, you should have something like this

3 Click on the camera icon





4 Click on the image upload tab and choose your desire image to upload from your directory.


Once the image is done uploading, it will bring you the best search result.


No need of any app.

You can also perform Reverse Image Search on Facebook. Just follow the easiest steps below;

1. Right-click a Facebook image in your Web browser and select "Properties" from the drop-down menu.
2. Locate the "Address: (URL)" section and write down the second to last number. It should look like: 5102898
3. Replace "ProfileID" in the following URL with the number that you copied: http://www.facebook.com/profile.... This results in a URL of: https://facebook.com/profile.php?id=182073391
4. Copy the URL that you created in Step 3 and paste it into your Web browser. Press "Enter" to access the user's Facebook profile.
5. Warning; You may have to be logged in to your Facebook account to access a user's profile.

Read More

Nigeria Becomes a Manufacturer & an Exporter of Cars; A Starting Point.

Nigerian automobile manufacturing company, Innoson Motors, is set to export made in Nigerian cars to Mali. The Charge'd Affair of Nigera in Mali, Yara Abdulsalam, says an indigenous manufacturing motor company has signed an MoU with a Malian firm to send out 400 privately made vehicles to Mali.


Image source: Naijng

Abdulsalam made the declaration in Abuja when he led a deligation of business men from Mali to visit the Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama.
He said that amid the week, Innoson Motors signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Taxi Plus VIP, a Mali based transport company for the development of transport business in that country.

He said the development was the result of "Made-in-Nigeria products presentation" held in Bamako in 2016.

He said the presentation was encouraged by Ginco Group, a Nigerian firm situated in Mali to exhibit Nigeria's possibilities.


Image source: vanguard

Abdulsalam stated: "from the presentation, Taxi Plus VIP approached the embassy that they needed to import vehicles from China in any case, we disclosed to them that we have indigenous company in Nigeria that manufactures cars.

They began conversing with Innoson through Nigerian Export Promotion Commission (NEPC) and the arrangement was later settled.

"Mali is the focal point of Francophone nations and has boundary with eight countries."
"On the off chance that the MoU emerges, it will influence all different countries and will increase Foreign Direct Investment in Nigeria."

In his comments, Geoffrey Onyeama expressed delight at the development and portrayed it as "the start of modern transformation in Nigeria.''
He said it was a decent improvement that would create job creation and stem the rate at which youngsters leave on risky adventure to Europe looking for greener pasture.

"What you are accomplishing can be the start of transformation in our country; the longest journey needs to begin from somewhere."
"What you are doing represents a giant leap for Africa because it involves exchanging among ourselves."

"What i found fascinating that we are trading at the highest tech level with the export of automobile, cars and buses to each other."
"As we are currently establishing the framework, anything is possible for Africa; it implies we have broken that barrier that is holding us down," he said."
Onyeama commended the Nigerian embassy in Mali for giving the institutional support for the MoU.

"This is what the ministry wants Nigerian embassies around the globe to be doing; to fill in as little center point to promote exchange relationship."
He said one of the ministry's objectives was to be a center point to advance Nigerian export.
"We have numerous offices around the globe and we need to use that to advance Nigerian goods."

The Managing Director of Ginco Group, Mr. Godwin Oguzie, said the 2016 Made-in-Nigeria presentation in Bamako, was to empower Nigerian manufacturers realize that opportunity awaited them in Mali to sell their products.
He said he led Taxi Plus VIP to sign the memorable MoU with Innoson Motors to export 400 vehicles to Mali.

"We sign an MOU with Innoson Manufacturing Company to enable Taxi Plus increase its capacity to provide urban transportation in Bamako."
"This is the first time a country in Africa is exporting locally manufactured vehicles to another country," he said.

Read More

The Next Infinix Smartphone

There has been a great bits of gossip lately about Infinix subtly taking a shot at Infinix Note 4 which will be a superior change on Note 3 pro. As per talk, It will run Android 7.0 Nougat out of the container, 20MP camera, 4GB Ram and 2.0GHz Deca center processor.

It is hazy when Infinix will give the feline a chance to out of the crate however they took to their page few days back to tease another gadget which is clearly accompanying double camera. It would seem that something from Hot S family is likewise coming yet for the time being we anticipate more points of interest.

Let me likewise remind you that gossip have it that Infinix Note 4 will accompany 5000mAh battery limit. Take this information with a squeeze of salt.

Read More

Super mCharge Tecnology Allows You to Get 100% Full Charge in 18Minutes

This is what I called innovation… Charging your gadget at the speed of stun! It is a manhandle on innovation on the off chance that it takes 60minutes to have a full charge on your gadget. In any case, Meizu overwhelmed the world when it declared Super mCharge innovation at MWM2017.

Super mCharge is appraised at 55W (at 11V/5A), which is drastically more power than Motorola's 28.5W TurboPower or Qualcomm's 18W Quick Charge 3.0 techniques. As indicated by Meizu, stop to completely charge a 3000mAh Super mCharge-appraised battery in only 20 minutes, which is unquestionably great on the off chance that it really holds up in this present reality.

This time around, the mCharge was shown at Meizu's base camp within the sight of a meeting Taiwanese columnist. 


 

 
From the columnist's point of view, he could record just 18 minutes and 12 seconds as the time it took a phone to go from 0 to 100%. The columnist likewise noted there was no warmth notwithstanding the super brisk charge conveyed is a short burst.

 
What's more, in reality as we know it where detonating cell phone batteries are a waiting concern, Meizu guarantees that Super mCharge batteries will just stretch around 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit, which is lower than the 111.2 degrees Fahrenheit that it asserts Quick Charge 3.0 batteries can reach.

In spite of the fact that Meizu hasn't declare the cell phones that will utilize mCharge innovation, yet I'm getting it won't require much investment before we begin seeing gadgets with super mcharge innovation. I called this innovation charge at the speed of stun!

Read More

Nokia Obtained Alcatel Brand till 2024

On the off chance that you know about how the telephone showcase works, the name Alcatel ought to sound an intending to you despite the fact that you might not have utilized any of their telephones some time recently. Alcatel is a prominent brand that produces mid-run telephones like Alcatel Popstar and so forth.

Shockingly, Alcatel is currently claim by Nokia. For reasons unknown the Alcatel brand was among the advantages claimed by the French organization when Nokia declared its obtaining.

This implies Nokia, in fact, has two brands on the versatile market: the "Nokia" mark authorized to HMD Global; and the Alcatel mark authorized to TCL. Yet, the ways the brands are authorized is totally unique.

In spite of the fact that Nokia didn't went on about this a year back when it procured Alcatel Lucent not up to this point it has gained Alcatel mark as uncovered to Nokia swarm underneath;

The Alcatel brand was authorized by Alcatel-Lucent to TCL for cell phones and gadgets and this permit lapses toward the finish of 2024. At the point when Nokia obtained the advantages of Alcatel-Lucent in 2016, this additionally included authorizing assentions for the Alcatel mark.

In any case, more cash for Nokia.

Read More

WhatsApp Introduced New Feature- "WhatsApp Status" Like a Feature on Snapchat

WhatsApp is by all means waxing stronger by the day as one of the largest Instant messenger app in the world. Just like Instagram introduced the ‘feature stories’ copied from snapchat, today whatsapp has announced a new feature that let you express yourself using a short video, a feature inspired by snapchat.

 

 

The new feature "WhatsApp Status" will allow you to share photos, videos, and GIFs as your status(i.e. stories) which will auto-destruct in 24 hours. The feature was tested in November last year, and was pushed to beta testers last week. 

You will have the ability to control who sees your statuses. Starting with Netherlands and France, the feature will start rolling out for both iOS and Android today with other markets to follow.

I must say this is a really smart addition to WhatsApp helping you to alleviate boring status update all the time.

 

Read More

Galaxy S8 clear case leaks in new photo

The Galaxy S8 rumor mill has been in full swing, but things always get serious when photos start surfacing across the Web. In this case, famous VentureBeat reporter Evan Blass (a.k.a @evleaks) who confirmed the Galaxy S8+ moniker last week is back with a Galaxy S8 clear case photo that proves that the Galaxy S8 does exist apart from assuming renders and that accessories are in order for the big announcement.
The photo doesn’t tell us much that we haven’t seen already, but we do notice the Speck logo at the top right of phone back (which would likely be the top left if you’re holding the phone) along with the lack of SAMSUNG branding at the top of the phone display, matching the first photo leak from Blass three weeks ago.

 

The fingerprint sensor remains back-mounted, perhaps intentionally so, and there is a third button on the left side of the front display (which retains the AOD) or a fourth physical button on the Galaxy S8 that is indeed the Bixby AI button renders have affirmed as of late. Additionally, the Galaxy S8 comes with a dual-curved display, a display of Samsung’s long-term panel investment that echoes Blass’s initial photo of the next Galaxy.
Blass’s leaked photo does not only confirm the Galaxy S8, but also the upcoming LG G6, that, in what is a revolutionary move for LG, does not feature a removable back cover and battery in contrast to years past. The LG G6 dual-camera combo on the backside of the phone is much improved from LG’s modular experiment last year.

Read More

What to Expect From Nokia 3, 5 & Revived Nokia 3310

Whatever Nokia is up to, I guess its something big. Nokia is set to revive their ancestors Nokia 3310 regarded as a feature phone is said to be rugged, with long lasting battery life, and costing around $60.

Nokia 3310 was one of Nokia old glory and now, HMD Global is set to bring it back into existence. On the other hand, Nokia will also be releasing Nokia 3 an entry level smartphone and Nokia 5. The 3 phones will be announce at the upcoming MWC 2017.

What to Expect From Nokia 5

Nokia 5 was briefly profiled as a 5.2-inch model with 2GB of RAM and a 12MP camera, designed to sell at around $200.

• 1.4 GHz Qaud-Core Snapdragon 430 Processor
• Adreno 505 GPU
• 2 GB RAM
• Android Nougat 7.0
• 5.2-inch, 720p display
• 16 GB internal storage
• 13 MP Rear camera
• 8 MP FFC

What to Expect From Nokia 3

Nokia 3 will come with a 5.2 / 5.3-inch, 720p display. It will be powered by Snapdragon 425 processor. It will have 2 GB RAM and 16 GB internal storage. Good thing is that it will come out running Android Nougat out of the box.

Here are the rumored specs of Nokia 3

·         1.4 GHz Qaud-Core Snapdragon 425 Processor

·         Adreno 308 GPU

·         2 GB RAM

·         Android Nougat 7.0

·         5.2 / 5.3-inch, 720p display

·         16 GB internal storage

·         13 MP Rear camera

·         5 MP FFC

But for the rebirth of Nokia 3310, will it restore Nokia glory?

 

Read More

Recession- Telcom to Block WhatsApp, Skype & Facebook Call to Boost Revenue

 

It’s no longer news that economy downtime is hitting the country and businesses hard with a deadly blow, telecom industry have opted for a drastic measure which I think it is not going to be favorable to the masses.

 

All telecom companies are complaining of revenue losses from international calls  and are scared they "may lose  between N20tn and N30tn, or so, by the end of 2018”, hence by blocking subscribers from accessing Skype and other Over-the-Top services like WhatsApp, they may be able to recover their losses.

This simply means that you’ll be prevented from performing certain functions like voice and video calls on WhatsApp and Facebook, among other OTT services.

Telecoms operators in the country said that international calls made up a critical part of their revenue because of Nigeria’s large expatriate and Diaspora population. But right now, subscribers have opted for alternative to international calls by using Skype, WhatsApp call, Facebook Video calls etc and its drastically affecting their revenue.

Remember that MTN boss suggested to the government to block WhatsApp late last year that its affecting their businesses. The question is, will you support Telcos to take this move?

Read More

Samsung heir apparent arrested on bribery charges

Samsung heir apparent and vice chairman of Samsung Electronics Lee Jae-yong attended a hearing yesterday at a Seoul court for the second arrest warrant request submitted by South Korea’s special prosecutor’s office in connection with the influence-peddling scandal that has led to the impeachment of the country’s president. While the Samsung heir dodged arrest last month, he wasn’t so lucky this time around.
Lee Jae-yong has been arrested with physical detention early this morning on charges that include bribery to President Park Geun-hye and her close friend Choi Soon-sil. The Seoul Central District Court has ruled that there is enough evidence to support the charges against Lee. The same court had rejected the first request last month due to lack of evidence. Lee Jae-yong has been immediately placed behind bars at a detention facility in Seoul’s southwest suburb after the judgement was handed down.
The Samsung heir has been charged with embezzlement, bribery, perjury, concealment of criminal proceeds and illicit transfer of assets abroad. An arrest warrant has also been issued for Park Sang-jin, the CEO of Samsung Electronics. Lee Jae-yong is alleged to have offered bribes of more than $35 million to Choi in return for favors from Park’s administration for a controversial 2015 merger between two Samsung affiliates.
The special prosecutor’s office is also of the view that South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission and Financial Services Commission pushed policies in favor of the country’s largest and most influential conglomerate to aid the founding Lee family to further cement its grip on the empire.
For his part, Lee Jae-yong has denied all of the charges against him and maintains that he was forced to make the donations to organizations and foundations controlled by Choi. He also insists that he sought no favors in return for those contributions. It remains to be seen now who is going to fill the serious leadership vacuum that Lee Jae-yong’s arrest has left at Samsung.

Read More

Do you use the Pro mode on your Samsung phone’s camera?

One of the main features people look for when purchasing a new smartphone is a high-quality camera. For as long as I can remember, Samsung’s been competing with the big dogs in the shooter department — and it’s latest smartphones are no exception.

The Galaxy C9, Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 edge all feature fantastic sensors, which are capable of capturing amazing photographs. However, that’s only half of the story; software plays a pretty big part in snapping images too.

Most users shoot in Auto, which, as its name suggests, automatically adjusts exposure, ISO and a vast array of other settings based on your environment to let you take the best possible picture of your subject in its surroundings.

Unfortunately, the Auto mode has always been the part of the equation that’s let smartphone manufacturers down. This has resulted in many mobile photographers using Pro modes to alter their camera settings manually.

It’s now reached a point though where Auto shooting is very accurate — especially on Samsung’s flagship devices — which has led to many people ditching the Pro option. This bodes the question: Do you use the Pro mode on your Samsung phone’s camera?

Read More

Galaxy S8 may be the first smartphone to feature Bluetooth 5.0

It appears that the Galaxy S8 is going to be a smartphone of many firsts. The handset is likely to be the first smartphone to feature optical fingerprint recognition and we’ve now heard that there’s a possibility that the Galaxy S8 may be the first smartphone to come with Bluetooth 5.0.

Bluetooth 5.0 was officially adopted by the Bluetooth Special Interest Group as the latest version of the core specification last week. Bluetooth 5.0 promises faster speed, longer range and larger broadcast message capacity. It also provides improved interoperability and coexistence with other wireless technologies. Bluetooth SIG says that the latest standard has four times the range, two times speed and eight times broadcast message capacity as compared to Bluetooth 4.0. The group expects devices with Bluetooth 5.0 to arrive “within two to six months.”

Samsung is one of the members of the Bluetooth Special Interest Group and its upcoming flagship – the Galaxy S8 – in undoubtedly going to be one of the biggest smartphones of 2017. It makes perfect sense for the Galaxy S8 to be the first smartphone to feature the new Bluetooth standard.

Read More

Elon Musk Asks for Help Solving SpaceX Rocket Explosion

Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, CEO and founder of the private spaceflight company SpaceX, is asking for help from NASA and the public in figuring out what happened when one of the company's Falcon 9 rockets exploded on Sept. 1.
"If you have audio, photos or videos of our anomaly last week, please send to report@spacex.com. Material may be useful for investigation," Musk tweeted today at 11:44 a.m. EDT (1544 GMT). 
The explosion took place two days before the scheduled launch of the rocket, during a routine prelaunch operation at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Space Launch Complex 41 in Florida. Based on tweets from Musk in the last 10 hours, the cause of the explosion appears to be completely mystifying the company's staff. [SpaceX Rocket Explosion Aftermath Captured on KSC Launch Pad Video]
Musk also tweeted directly at NASA, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the Air Force Personnel Accountability and Assessment System (because Cape Canaveral is an Air Force Station), asking for assistance. 
"Support & advice from @NASA, @FAA, @AFPAA & others much appreciated. Please email any recordings of the event to report@spacex.com," he wrote.

If you have audio, photos or videos of our anomaly last week, please send to report@spacex.com. Material may be useful for investigation

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) September 9, 2016

A public conversation

Musk tweeted about the loss of the Falcon 9 hours after the incident, noting that the explosion appeared to originate "around upper-stage oxygen tank" but the cause was "still unknown." SpaceX provided more updates about the incident on Sept. 2. 
Then, Musk's account went quiet until about 12:30 a.m. EDT this morning (0030 GMT), when he began tweeting actively about the explosion. 
"Still working on the Falcon fireball investigation. Turning out to be the most difficult and complex failure we have ever had in 14 years," Musk wrote. "Important to note that this happened during a routine filling operation. Engines were not on, and there was no apparent heat source.
"Particularly trying to understand the quieter bang sound a few seconds before the fireball goes off. May come from rocket or something else," he said. 
Musk also answered questions and responded to comments from the public.
When Twitter user @ashwin7002 tweeted at Musk that "there are some videos on YouTube claiming something hit the rocket. Any reality there?" Musk replied, "We have not ruled that out." 
Twitter user Matt Stohrer wrote, "that sound at 0:54 sounds like a metal joint popping under stress. e.g. weld failing on strut, welded seam bursting, etc." Musk replied, "Most likely true, but we can't yet find it on any vehicle sensors."
Twitter user Eric Bowen asked if the company's Dragon spacecraft would have survived the event. Musk replied, "yes. This seems instant[aneous] from a human perspective, but it [was] really a fast fire, not an explosion. Dragon would have been fine."
The Sept. 1 explosion also destroyed the rocket's payload, the AMOS-6 communications satellite, which was co-leased by Facebook and intended to bring internet connectivity to parts of Africa. 
Musk also made multiple tweets apologizing for a delay in writing a blog post about Autopilot, an autonomous crash-avoidance technology offered in electric cars made by Tesla (Musk's other company). When another commenter joked about the delay, Musk replied, "It's been a little crazy lately."

Read More

Samsung blames manufacturing flaw for exploding Galaxy Note 7 batteries

Samsung has already provided some explanation about what’s causing Galaxy Note 7 batteries to explode and now an unpublished report that the company provided to regulators in South Korea reveal the reason why Samsung has had to recall 2.5 million units of the Galaxy Note 7 merely weeks after the handset was launched. Samsung submitted this report to the Korea Agency for Technology and Standards earlier this month and in it the company blames a small manufacturing flaw for the exploding batteries.
The company says that its preliminary findings reveal that there was a manufacturing flaw which placed pressure on plates inside the battery cells. This is what caused the negative and positive poles in the battery to come into contact and trigger excessive heat which ends up burning the device itself. Samsung says that it continues to investigate this battery issue with its battery manufacturers and that it’s going to carry out thorough analysis to find out “the exact cause” of this issue.
Samsung SDI is widely believed to have supplied these faulty batteries for the Galaxy Note 7. Recent reports suggest that Samsung will now be sourcing batteries for the Galaxy Note 7 from China’s ATL exclusively, at least until such time when battery cells created by its battery-making division for the Galaxy Note 7 are not a fire hazard.
Update: A recent Bloomberg report reveals the following about the Galaxy Note 7′s penchant for overheating and burning:
“The batteries failed because a separator within the cells was too thin and electrodes weren’t properly insulated, according to a government quality inspection agency in China.” Once again, Samsung SDI has been named as the supplier responsible for this debacle.

Read More

MTN Nigeria is set to roll out its Fourth Generation Long Term Evolution (4G LTE) broadband services latest by July 2016 in selected cities

MTN Nigeria is set to roll out its Fourth Generation Long Term Evolution (4G LTE) broadband services latest by July 2016 in selected cities, using the 800MHz frequency acquired from Visafone Ltd earlier this year.

MTN plans to have about 1,500 LTE collocated sites backhauled with fibre optics this year.

LEADERSHIP had last week exclusively reported that MTN Nigeria paid N47.5 billion to acquire Visafone’s assets, including its frequency and 2.1 million customers in order to improve the quality of MTN’s broadband services for its subscribers.

The chief executive officer, MTN, Mr Fedinand Moolman, confirmed, during MTN Group Ltd’s first quarter results analyst conference with investment firms recently held in Johannesburg, South Africa, that the main reason MTN acquired Visafone was to get access to the frequency which would allow it roll out LTE. He said that MTN has started the process to migrate all the Visafone subscribers onto its network so that they can clean up the frequency and start rolling out LTE.

“It delayed our capital expenditure (CAPEX) rollout during the first quarter a little bit because we needed to realign some of our CAPEX towards the LTE rollout. We started the migration of the subscribers and we hope to conclude that soon. The plans are to have commercial LTE available towards the end of the second quarter, maybe early quarter three, albeit very limited, obviously not substantial, and then start expanding this towards quarter three, quarter four and first quarter of next year. It is obviously a comprehensive project,” Moolman said.

The chief financial officer, MTN Group, Bret Goschen, said, “We have been engaging with our major original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and vendors and ensuring that the CAPEX rollout continues as planned. We are very close to finalising short-term arrangements, bridge-type facilities with the vendors, and then longer term arrangements around the ECA-backed credit financing we should have in place by the mid year.”

The chief operating officer, MTN Group, Jyoti Desai, said that they have taken a very detailed analysis of MTN Nigeria’s data usage and where they should be rolling out the LTE network in the first place.

“We looked at the handset ecosystem and revenue opportunity and have identified some of the major cities,” he said.

According to him, MTN Nigeria’s LTE rollout will not impact its CAPEX as it already has space reservation in its joint tower company. He also stated that the LTE will be rolled out in existing base station sites.

Read More

Samsung Develops Third-generation 14nm FinFET Chip Manufacturing Process

After releasing details about its 7nm and 10nm chip manufacturing plans, Samsung has announced that it will soon complete the development of its third-generation 14nm FinFET chip manufacturing process, and it plans to expand its customer base using the new technology.

System LSI, Samsung’s chip manufacturing division, will be able to use its third-generation 14-nanometer FinFET (Low-Power Compact) chip manufacturing technology by the end of this year. Chips manufactured using technology will consume less electricity and will be cheaper to make than the chips manufactured using its first and second-generation 14-nanometer FinFET technology.

Samsung has reduced the number of masks that are required to manufacture chip wafers, which results in lower power consumption. The company is already testing this process and has already shipped hundreds of thousands of wafers. Samsung’s LPC process will compete with TSMC’s 16-nanometer process in securing customers.

Read More

SpaceX Announces Plans To Launch Mars Mission In 2018

SpaceX and its outspoken founder Elon Musk have talked about going to Mars ever since the super-powerful Falcon Heavy launch vehicle was unveiled a few years back. Now, it’s more than just vague talk — SpaceX has announced plans to launch a Mars mission in 2018. This won’t be an orbital rendezvous, either. SpaceX is jumping ahead and wants to land on the surface of Mars with one of its so-called Red Dragon capsules, a modified version of the Dragon v2 it’s developing now.

The Falcon Heavy (previously known as the Falcon 9 Heavy) was first detailed in 2011 as a heavy lift launch vehicle that could send missions beyond low-Earth orbit, which is the target of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket. It consists of three Falcon 9-derived cores in the first stage, each with nine Merlin 1D engines. All that thrust can get the second stage on target to just about anywhere in the solar system. The second stage will be fitted with a single Merlin 1D engine modified for vacuum operation. SpaceX estimates the Falcon Heavy could launch a 29,100 pound payload to Mars.

SpaceX’s first Mars mission will be much more modest, and as you might expect, it won’t be manned. The goal will be simply to land a Rad Dragon capsule on the surface of Mars, an important step for future operations. Landing on Mars is challenging when you get past a certain mass. The atmosphere is not dense enough for parachutes to do all the work as they would on Earth. Curiosity got around this with a novel rocket sled design, but SpaceX is gaining a lot of expertise of its own in powered vertical landings. Compared with landing a full Falcon 9 first stage on a floating barge, setting the relatively small Dragon capsule down on Mars should be doable.

The Dragon v2 is equipped to carry seven astronauts, but it’s really only designed for short-term missions. As Musk points out, the internal space is about the same as a large SUV. Certainly not ideal for a multiple-month journey to Mars. When the unmanned Red Dragon sets down on Mars, it will serve as a scout ship to send data back on the landing and conditions. This will inform future SpaceX landings on the Red Planet. This could open the door to landing much larger payloads on Mars and eventually to building human habitats, something Musk has talked about in the past.

As for the actual launch date, SpaceX isn’t saying. However, Earth-to-Mars launch windows are predictable based on the orbits of the planets. The lowest energy trip to Mars in 2018 would need to launch in April or May. That gives Space X almost exactly two years to get things in order. The first Falcon Heavy demo flight is expected to take place later this year.

Read More