FireChat is a Hit with Hong Kong Protesters

I reviewed it here and now it is a hit with Hong Kong protesters!

What happens when tens of thousands of people congregate and all want to use their mobile phones, all at the same time?

Channel NewsAsia's Hong Kong Bureau Chief Roland Lim took to the streets and found out that many Hong Kong protesters had downloaded FireChat, a new chat app that works even if authorities turn off the wireless network, to communicate with each other and organise rallies.

Over 100,000 new users in Hong Kong signed up for the app on Sunday (Sep 28), the same day police fired tear gas at student protestors. The crowd chat service works on Bluetooth and does not require a cell network or an internet connection. The more phones in the vicinity, the wider the message can travel.

Said Judy Chow, a student protester: "We're using it as a platform to communicate the latest news, and what's needed in Admiralty and Causeway Bay. I find FireChat is a useful tool to update us on plans for necessary action. Once the government has cut the web, we can rely on FireChat."

Firechat said up to 33,000 protestors used the app during the 24 hour period between Sunday morning and Monday morning.

So far, the mobile phone network has not been deliberately switched off. Student protesters like Austin Li are therefore still sticking to the tried and tested.

"Mainly, we're getting information from Facebook. We've joined groups that have live updates about the information in the Occupy Central movement. And sometimes, we have communications between friends and family members in chatting groups like WhatsApp and Messenger app."

The FireChat app was also used by students in Taiwan during their anti-Beijing Sunflower Movement in March this year.

- CNA/by

Asamoah Gyan Denies Killing Rapper

Asamoah Gyan

I certainly hope he did not...

A lawyer for Ghana national team star Asamoah Gyan released a lengthy statement on Wednesday to declare any connection between the veteran footballer and the disappearance of Castro, a popular rapper from the country, and his girlfriend, Janet Badu, as "wild allegations and rumours."

Read more here

Sierra Leone Qurantines Ebola Hotspots

Extraordinary problems require extraordinary measures...

Ebola-stricken Sierra Leone locks down three 'hotspots'

Sierra Leone's government says a nationwide lockdown revealed that an Ebola outbreak is worse than thought and ordered three more "hotspots" to be cordoned off.

It warned that unless more is done, "the situation will rapidly deteriorate."

Yesterday, President Ernest Bai Koroma put Port Loko, Bombali, and Moyamba districts under "isolation," meaning only people delivering essential services can enter and circulate within these areas.

In other areas, including the capital, homes will be put under quarantine when cases are identified.
Two districts near the outbreak's epicentre were already under isolation.

The Ebola outbreak is believed to have sickened more than 6,200 people in West Africa, according to tolls published today by the World Health Organization. Nearly 3,000 deaths have been linked to the disease.

Source: TVNZ

10 Reasons You Should Go for the Original Fast Food

Fruits and vegetables are the original fast food

Fruits and vegetables are the original fast food and they have so many advantages including:

1. There are already packaged with biodegradable material by God.

2. They are easy to carry around.

3. They come in different shapes, sizes, colours and flavours.

4. They are very healthy with lots of vitamins, minerals and other helpful nutrients for good health of humans.

5. They are cheap and easy to cultivate.

6. They do not cause health complications like Obesity and heart disease.

7. Producing them is much more friendly to the environment than other sorts of fast food.

8. Their by-products can be recycled as compost or food for other animals.

9. They help prevent and fight disease.

10. Eating them could help you live a longer and more productive life by avoiding diseases associated popular processed fast foods.

These are reasons you should eat more fruits and vegetables.

Watch: Rhino vs Lion vs Hyaenas

Interesting confrontation

BlackBerry Remains No.1 in South Africa

BlackBerry 8520 (Curve 2) is the most popular smartphone in South Africa

Remember the days when owning a BlackBerry was a great status symbol and many people did all sorts of ridiculous things to get one? They are long gone even in Nigeria where the craze was ubiquitous and really high. There is no doubt that BlackBerry is still popular in Nigeria despite the emergence of Android as the dominant OS globally and also in Nigeria. However, it appears BlackBerry still rules the South African smartphone market as this report indicates...

BlackBerry Ltd (BBRY) Still Retains its Market Lead in One Country (and It’s Not the One You’re Thinking)

BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) is still a market leader in one particular country, and has been since their glory days of several years ago, before Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOGL) and Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) hungrily ate up their market share like a starving man at a buffet. If you thought Canada, BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY)’s home and native land was that country, you are wrong. As reported by Quartz, the country is South Africa, where BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY)’s five-year-old 8520 Curve has been the top phone for four years running.

BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY)’s free messaging service between devices is cited as the primary reason for the device’s continuing success in South Africa. Before free app messaging services like WhatsApp became prominent, free messages between devices was a major feature, and that has fueled a sort of self-sustaining ecosystem of BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) users.

That is further reflected in the fact that BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) actually has the three most-used smartphones in the country, not just the top one. The 9320 Curve and 9300 Curve 3G Kepler come in at second and third, according to data released by Vodacom, the nation’s top provider. The 9360 Curve also comes in at seventh, while the Samsung Galaxy S4 and Apple iPhone 5 come in at ninth and tenth respectively.

In Canada meanwhile, the patriotism that once existed for the Canadian tech company has mostly evaporated. In fact, a report from comScore earlier this year showed that BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY)’s market share had fallen to just 5% in Canada, beneath their global share. Apple and Google (Android) meanwhile control over 80% of the Canadian market.

BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) releases their latest quarterly earnings next week, with analysts predicting earnings of just $0.16 per share, compared to $0.47 a year ago. The struggling smartphone maker also releases their new “Passport” phone on September 24, and has a press event scheduled for September 29, where new smartphones and other devices may be unveiled. BlackBerry Ltd (NASDAQ:BBRY) is rumored to be researching wearables, and could possibly reveal a new smartwatch on the heels of Apple’s recent announcement.

Source: Insider Monkey

Watch: Amazing Buster Keaton Stunts

This guy was amazing, see some more of his stunts here.

Bank IT Staff Suspected of N6.28 Billion Fraud

#GoodGrief, this dude is not smiling...

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has released a wanted notice on Godswill Oyegwa Uyoyou. He is suspected of being connected with a "case of Criminal Conspiracy, Obtaining Money under False pretence and Electronic Transfer of Fund. Godswill, an IT staff of a new generation bank, is alleged to have fraudulently connived with some scammers and hacked into his bank’s database and obtained the sum of Six Billion and Twenty-Eight Million Naira (N6.28b)."

 This case highlights to risk that banks and other financial institutions face in terms of their Information Technology (IT) staff having access to account information and being able to carry out illegal transactions if they are so inclined. The major challenge arises from the fact that top managers do not have the skills required to effectively supervise IT staff in most institutions.

Hence, frauds like this may be difficult to stop.

Read more from EFCC.

80 Million Nigerians without Electricity, Says United Nations

 

Inverters are becoming common in Nigeria due to poor electricity supply even in urban areas

This means they do not have access to electricity at all not the rest of us who fall under the "Up Nepa" banner...

80m Nigerians without electricity, says UN 

The United Nations (UN) has said 600 million Africans are without access to electricity.

Out of this figure, between 70 million and 80 million of them are Nigerians.

Kandeh Yumkela, the under secretary general and special representative of the secretary general of the UN, disclosed this on Monday at the International Legacy Lecture Series held at the Bamanga Tukur African Renaissance Centre, Abuja.

The event, which was part of activities to mark the 79th birthday of the immediate past national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bamanga Tukur, was graced by the academia, political class, diplomatic community, amongst others.

Speaking on the theme, ‘The New International Development Agenda: Energy Transition and Sustainable Development’, Yumkela posited that 1.4 billion people around the world have no access to energy.

While positing that Africa will be worst hit by climate change, the UN envoy said women and children will be the greatest victim.

The guest speaker, who drew a nexus between energy demand and water demand, said: “We need energy to fight poverty”.

He called on Nigeria to emulate Ghana, describing her as “the most electrified West African country”, attributing it to policy consistency by successive governments in the country. He also harped on the need for African leaders to tap the resources in the energy sector, meet with potential investors as well as develop new initiative.

He, however, decried the spate of gas flaring in the continent, adding that Nigeria is sitting on 170 trillion cubic feet of gas which, when developed, can revolutionise the country.

While he canvassed for zero gas flaring, the two-time director general of UNIDO noted that proper incentives must be provided for oil companies to stop the practice.

His words, “Today, the world faces some significant challenges in terms of looking at the trend of increase in energy demand with increase of about 50 to 60 percent in the next 30 to 35 year.

“Africa remains the most energy poor. Globally, 600 million Africans have no access to electricity. We also see a connection between energy demand and water demand.

Nigeria probably has between 70 and 80 million people without electricity. Nigeria is a significant part of that energy poverty. Another statistics that is more frightening is that 80 percent of our people rely on firewood and charcoal for their family energy needs especially for cooking.

“This results in 800,000 premature deaths every year, cancer and a lot of problems for women and children”.

“We are pulling a global target of 30 to 40 percent reduction in gas flaring in the next five years to lead to zero flaring within the next decade. In the case of Africa, we are promoting gas to power project.

“If you have the right political environment, you will have a good public policy. We need to have the right pricing otherwise private investors will not come.”

Earlier in his address of welcome, Bamanga Tukur, the host and ambassador-at-large, submitted that African integration can only succeed when there is “free trade, free interaction and free movement”.

The elder statesman said the lecture was organised to dissect the transformation agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan, with emphasis on the energy sector.

Source: Business Day

How to Embrace Change at Work

How to Embrace Change at Work from Connect: Professional Women's Network

Scotland Independence Vote Too Close to Call

Scotland could have its flag flown at the United Nations as an independent nation soon

I wonder if Scotland will vote to be "free" from the United Kingdom and face the future on its own. Will it be aye or nay?

Vote too close to call for independent Scotland

A lot is riding on the Thursday independence referendum in Scotland.

Yet Queen Elizabeth II’s only comment was to urge the Scots to “think very carefully about the future.” What an understatement.

The queen didn’t appeal to the Scots to vote to maintain the United Kingdom.

Polls show that the vote is too close to call. The survey of 1,000 people for the Guardian newspaper showed support for “yes” at 49 percent and “no” at 51 percent after excluding undecided voters, Bloomberg reports.

The “Better Together” campaign has stressed the economic uncertainties that an independent Scotland will have to confront, The Associated Press reports. A “yes” vote would shrink Great Britain in 18 months creating questions over the value of the pound, what currency the new country would adopt and how that new country would be governed.

Europe already is in a recession and is headed into what could be a difficult winter because of uncertainties with Russia.

Source: Kansas City Star

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/lewis-diuguid/article2113775.html#storylink=cpy

InternetSmash: Reasons not to buy a New iPhone

InternetSmash: Reasons not to buy a New iPhone: Apple has done an excellent job telling the world about their iPhone. The promotion has made the iPhone among the most popular cell phon...

See Kanu and His 'Old Friend' Claude Le Roy

Kanu Nwankwo and Claude Le Roy exchanging pleasantries

This is called fraternizing with the enemy but then, football is just a game...

I Instil Fear in Western Leaders- Mugabe

Robert Mugabe

How? I am not quite sure "Uncle bob"...

I instil fear in Western leaders, says Mugabe

Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe claims the reason he is barred from attending international summits is because Western leaders are afraid of him.

Speaking at a gathering in his home area Zvimba, the veteran leader, who has become a pariah in the West, said his ability to instil fear into the likes of US President Barack Obama explained the reluctance by world powers to include him in summits, according to The Telegraph.

Mugabe said he wondered whether his exclusion was a misfortune, adding that in the past the western leaders would disappear once they knew he was around, a NewZimbabwe.com report said.
Mugabe was recently excluded from a high-profile US-Africa summit convened by Obama in Washington.

At the time, Zimbabwe dismissed Obama's decision to snub Mugabe as an indication that the summit was not about the US and Africa, but about the US and certain African countries.

In April this year, the  European Union (EU) was forced to invite the 90-year-old leader after African countries threatened to boycott an EU-Africa summit if Mugabe was not allowed to attend.
Mugabe was then invited but opted not to travel to Brussels, protesting the refusal to grant his wife Grace a visa.

Mugabe is widely condemned for human rights abuses and rigged elections. He has ruled the southern African country since 1980 when it attained independence from Britain.

 Source: News 24

Ewedu Can Cure and Prevent Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) Says LUTH Consultant

Corchorus known as "Ewedu" in Nigeria

We need to do more research and report the proper findings on the effectiveness of this suggested treatment for Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) 

 “Ewedu” can prevent and cure Ebola – LUTH consultant

A consultant at the Lagos University Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, Professor Adebukola Ositelu, has said Ewedu ‎which is known in English as the Long-Fruited vegetable, is capable of preventing and curing the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) by boosting the immune system.

Ositelu stated this at the annual African Traditional Medicine Day organised by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) on Thursday, at Ikeja, Lagos.

According to her, the vegetable had a high potency to boost the immune system such that it’s usage would prevent an individual from being infected with Ebola, or get rid of the virus in the case of an infected person.

She, however, noted that chances of being cured by an intake of Ewedu when a victim has gotten to the stage of vomiting was low, but could still be administered.

Ositelu, who is a professor of  ‎Ophthalmology at the University of Lagos, Akoka (UNILAG), said to administer the ‘treatment’, the Ewedu should be rinsed thoroughly with liquid vinegar “blend and cook with drinkable water, without adding salt or kaun (pottash) or any other ingredients; then take a 25cl or half a tumbler measure once a week, first thing in the morning before any meal” for prevention, adding that those already infected should take it every morning for seven to five days.

Source: The Sun

The Pope Meets Diego Maradona

And I do not know who is more excited to meet the other...

FG Set to Reform Sale of Goods Act

The Sales of Goods Act of 1893 needs reform in Nigeria

A very old law indeed...

FG set to reform 121 year-old sale of goods law

In order to bring the law to meet up with the challenges of modern society, the Federal Government has commenced the process of reforming its 121 year-old Sale of Goods Act, which was introduced to Nigeria by the British Colonial Administration in 1893.

   The Nigerian Law Reform Commission (NLRC) is the agency taking up the responsibility of reforming the aged law, which regulates transaction of goods in the country.

   Speaking at a programme organised by the commission to review the reform proposals in Abuja, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN), who was represented by his Senior Special Assistant, Mr. Bola Odugbesan, noted that, “delivery of quality law is key to economic transformation of the country.”

   The minister, who declared the workshop open, also said, “The law regulating sale of goods in Nigeria is the Sale of Goods Act, 1893, which was introduced into Nigeria by our British colonial masters.

 “The Act still operates in Nigeria as a statute of general application even after our independence in 1960 up till today. It has neither been domesticated nor undergone any form of reform since its introduction into the country over 100 years ago.

   “It is not in doubt that such a law needs a reform in order to bring it into conformity with modern changes in the society.”

   Chairman of the Law Reform Commission, Prof. Oserheimen Osunbor, said although, states like Bayelsa, Benue, Abia, Lagos, Ogun and Ondo had enacted their own Sale of Goods laws, “the provisions are the same in terms of substance with the 1893 Act.”

   “The Sale of Goods Act 1893 has been repealed in the United Kingdom where it was first enacted. The Sale of Goods Act 1979, which is operational in the United Kingdom has introduced amendments including the regulation of the English Contract Law and the United Kingdom Commercial Law,” Osunbor added.

   Chief Judge of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Justice Ibrahim Bukar, who was represented by Mr. Enenche Eleojo commended the proposed reform of the law and such other statues which he said were still retaining currencies that were no longer in use in the country.

   On his part, the anchor person of the proposed reform, Prof. Olanrewaju Adeojo, of the Faculty of Law, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye, Ogun State, expressed hope that there would be a common Sale of Goods law at the regional level as obtainable in some Francophone states.

Source: The Guardian

Bank Customers Unhappy With N65 ATM Charge

ATMs have become popular in Nigerian cities

The Central Bank of Nigeria has a lot of explaining to do over this policy...

Bank customers grumble as N65 ATM charge kicks off

Mixed reactions yesterday trailed the reintroduction of  banks the N65 charge on remote-on-us Automated Teller Machines (ATMs). The Central Bank had in a circular to the banks stated that the reintroduction of remote-on-us ATM cash withdrawal would now be N65 per transaction as against the former N100 per transaction, suspended in December 2012.

A cross-section of banks’ customers who spoke to Daily Sun in Lagos expressed displeasure over the development as some of them have already been debited N65 today for exceeding the targeted transactions on other banks’ ATMs.

While some customers felt that the fees charged for the ATM remote-on-us usage should be further reduced to between N35 and N50, others argue that the fees should be proportional with the amount withdrawn by the customer.

A customer, who preferred to be addressed as Musa condemned the policy, describing it as anti-people and a demonstration of lack of foresight.

He said, “it is not a welcome development to the masses. I think it is only in Nigeria that this kind of zigzag policy is happening. How on earth will a CBN introduce a policy to protect and reduce the sufferings of its people and then later, after a change of one person in the CBN, the same set of people that agreed on that policy will now reverse the policy?

“What benefit will they get in making people suffer and why are our leaders not analysing situations before they introduce harsh economic policies that always make people lose confidence in them. How can the reintroduction of that policy strengthen our economy?”

President of National Association of Nigeria Traders, Ken Okoaha, in his reaction said: “As far as traders are concerned, this is a reverse gear on the cashless drive of the CBN. We believe the current situation should prevail until such a time when we generally embrace cashless policy.”

Also speaking, Vincent Dauda, a customer of one of the commercial banks in the county, noted that he regretted the policy summersault of the CBN, saying, “I used to have very high regards for the CBN but recently I have had reasons to suspect that they are no longer thorough with their fiscal policy responsibility.

“Firstly, they asked banks to withdraw ATM from public locations and they complied. Shortly after, they said the banks can now deploy, then they stopped what we felt was an exorbitant charge. What does this suggest? Failure of feasibility study by the CBN, period.”

Meanwhile, the apex bank and the Bankers Committee stated that the decision was in the economic interest of the country, as the removal of the charges had a negative effect on the cashless policy.

“The wear and tear as well as the frequency of servicing the ATMs has increased significantly. Indeed, some customers were beginning to abuse the use of ATMs through countless withdrawals. This development has led to increase in cash transactions, which negates the bank’s cashless policy,” the CBN said in a circular.

According to the CBN, if a part of this cost goes unabated, the banks may be forced to reject transactions coming from their customers at other banks’ ATMs, thereby frustrating the inter-operability of payment

Source: The Sun
 systems.