Filling Feelings

We don't normally do this on Inquisitor Techs, but this piece actually corresponds to our values and mission in seeing young individuals being productive and creative with their time, Eden Benibo, a young writer and rising star, debut her website recently and what a way to launch it with an inspiring and exceptional piece...hope you enjoy the writer's creative use of words;

Most times, the things that give fulfilment comes from within. We
ain’t empty vessels, we are all here for a purpose, cause deep inside
of us lie priceless gifts unwrapped. We all have our places here. Until
we begin to live our purpose on earth that gap will remain vacant.
What gives you fulfillment?
Here’s mine
Filling Feelings
My eyes see
They hear too;
Words silently shouting
In the eyes of another.
Cords slowly choking
As a heart wawls in an echo reechoing
They hear
The voice in the noise
The cry in the laughter
The lies in the truth
My eyes hear too
My hand writes
It fights too,
Piercing through steel hearts
Setting free caged truth;
As my infuriated pen
Spills ink
Dead consciences,
Are left with wounded spirits.
It fights
The bad amongst the good
And the good gone bad
My hand fights too
My lungs breath
They long too;
Persistently gasping
For ‘the big answers’ to ‘the big questions’
Incessantly thirsting
For truth undiluted
Ceaselessly panting
For more words to chew,
Digesting wisdom daily
They long
For the parcel of love boxed
And the piece of peace thrown
My lungs long too
My heart beats
It kicks too
Against scenes of the poor poured;
Like raindrops trampled upon,
By the feet of devilry
My heart breaks
Not at the sight of the might
But at the fight of a plight
It kicks,
The fear in the eyes that speak
And the tears in the eyes that hear too
My heart kicks too

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Amazon patent reveals drone delivery 'beehives'

The future of Amazon drone deliveries could start at massive 'beehives."

Amazon has filed for a patent for beehive-like towers that would serve as multi-level fulfillment centers for its delivery drones to take off and land. The facilities would be built vertically to blend in with high rises in urban areas. Amazon envisions each city would have one.

The patent application, filed in December 2015 and published on
Thursday by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, features several
drawings of these buildings, such as the beehive, a cylinder-shaped
center and one that looks like a UFO.


The towers could support traditional truck deliveries and include a self-
service area where customers can pick up items, the patent states. It
also details how employees would attach the packages on drones.

Traditional fulfillment centers are often located outside of cities due to
their large size. But the facilities aren't always convenient for quick
deliveries into cities, where a growing number of people live. Amazon's
drone delivery facilities aim to change that.

Although it's unclear if Amazon will make the drone centers a reality --
patents often don't see the light of day -- it's the latest look into the
ecommerce giant's ambitions for drone delivery.

Amazon also filed for a patent in April 2016 for blimps stocked with
drones to make extra speedy deliveries.

In 2013, Amazon unveiled plans for a new delivery service called Prime
Air, which would use drones to deliver packages.

Amazon made its first drone delivery in the U.K. in December 2016.
The company plans to expand the service to dozens of customers near
its British facility in the near future.

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Silicon Valley rocked by sexual harassment claims - again

Justin Caldbeck

Silicon Valley has been roiled again by claims of sexism and the harassment of women.

On Friday, venture capital investor Justin Caldbeck said he was taking
an indefinite leave of absence from his firm after he was accused of
sexually harassing women who work in tech.

"The gap of influence between male venture capitalists and female
entrepreneurs is frightening and I hate that my behavior played a role
in perpetrating a gender-hostile environment," Caldbeck wrote in a
statement released by Binary Capital, the firm he cofounded in 2014.

Reed Albergotti of tech news site The Information reported on
Thursday that six female founders had come forward with stories
about unwanted advances by Caldbeck. Their claims included groping and late-night texts.

Caldbeck, 40, was quoted in the story strongly denying the claims,
calling them "attacks on my character." Binary Capital was also quoted saying the allegations were false. "There is no evidence that Justin did anything illegal," the firm said.

But in his statement Friday, Caldbeck said he was deeply ashamed of
his lack of self-awareness. He thanked the women who spoke out for making him take a "sobering look into my own character and behavior
that I can no longer ignore."

Caldbeck wrote that the past "24 hours have been the darkest of my
life," and said he'll seek professional counseling.

He was previously a managing director at Lightspeed Venture Partners, and a partner at Bain Capital Ventures. Caldbeck led investments for Binary Capital in Grubhub ( ), Stitchfix, TaskRabbit and other startups.

Two of the women named in The Information article, in a statement to
CNN Tech, said they were pleased that Caldbeck had apologized and
thanked people who had supported them.

"We need men to be just as engaged in calling out the problem if we
want to see real change," said the two women, Susan Ho and Leiti Hsu.

They are cofounders of Journy, a travel startup. "At this point, we're
happy to go back to focusing on running our company."
Caldbeck's statement came amid mounting outrage among Silicon
Valley executives and investors.
LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman wrote a strongly-worded post on Friday about the allegations and broader problems of sexism in Silicon Valley.

"This is entirely immoral and outrageous behavior. And it falls to us to stand with you, to speak out, and to act," said Hoffman, who is a
member of Microsoft ( , Tech30 ) board of directors.

"We all need to solve this problem," he wrote. "If you stay silent, if you
don't act, then you allow this problem to perpetuate."

A former colleague of Caldbeck's, Bain Capital partner Ajay Agarwal,
posted a series of tweets Friday. "We must all take ownership for
pushing for positive changes," Agarwal wrote, adding that he didn't
witness any harassment from Caldbeck.

The Information's report comes on the heels of workplace culture
problems at Uber, which resulted in the resignation this week of
founder and CEO Travis Kalanick.
A former Uber engineer, Susan Fowler, wrote a blog post earlier this
year about what she called widespread harassment and sexism at Uber. Fowler's post spurred an internal investigation at the company
that resulted in the termination of 20 employees.

Fowler is only the latest woman to come forward.
Ellen Pao sued her former employer, prominent venture capital firm
Kleiner Perkins, over gender discrimination in 2012. She lost her court case in 2015 but has been cited for breaking the silence on bad
behavior in Silicon Valley. She continues to be a vocal advocate for
women in tech. "VCs need to get it together already," Pao tweeted on
Thursday.

In his blog post Friday, Hoffman noted the situation at Uber, writing that tech companies are "receiving some very good criticism on fairness
and decency on gender."

"This criticism is important. I welcome it," he wrote. "We should all
welcome it, and of course, remedy it."

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Best Cheap Android Smartphones Between ₦10,000 to ₦20,000

Phones are no longer cheap. The current plight of the
Nigerian Naira has sent prices of products aiming for
the sky. Just a couple of years back, you could get a
working Android device below ₦10,000, but that is
not the case anymore.
Just to be clear, you are not going to get the very best
Android phone for less that₦20,000. As a matter of
fact, all you will be getting is a budget phone with
pretty low specifications. Still, if you’re on a very tiny
budget, there’s no other option but to consider some
of these cheap Android phones.
Are there cheap Android phones
below ₦10,000?
It should be noted that most of the phones in this
category have very low RAM, small internal storage,
and the display is pretty tiny in most cases even if
they are touchscreen devices. Again, they are not
always Android phones. Phones like iTel 6800, iTel
6900 and the rest of them selling for less than
₦10,000 on e-commerce stores like Jumia and Konga
are usually feature phones (known mostly as Java
phones).
Don’t be deceived, they are not running Android OS.
Cheap Android phones below
₦20,000
In no particular order, these are the top Android
smartphones you can purchase with less
than ₦20,000 on Jumia.
1. Innjoo X3
This budget smartphone runs Android 5.0 Lollipop
and it has just a 4-inch screen at 800 x 400 px
resolution. It comes with 512MB of RAM and 4GB
storage although it supports up to 32GB microSD
card. It packs a 1.3GHz quad-core processor, a 2MP
rear camera, a 0.3MP front camera and a battery
with 1300mAh capacity. It is available on Jumia for
only ₦15,300.





2. Tecno Y2
Tecno Y2 runs Android 4.4 Kitkat and like Innjoo X3,
it also has a 4-inch display. It also comes with 512MB
RAM of RAM and 8GB storage. It supports up to 32GB
microSD card and there’s a 1.3GHz quad-core
processor on board. It has a 2MP rear camera, a
0.3MP front camera and a battery capacity of
1600mAh. It is available on Jumia for about ₦17,000.



3. iTel 1409
This is another Android device with specifications
similar to those mentioned above. It sports a 2MP
rear camera and a 0.3MP front camera. It has 512MB
of RAM and 8GB of internal storage. The screen has a
size of 4 inches with the resolution set at 480×800 px.
It runs Android 5.0 Lollipop and comes with a
battery with 1500mAh capacity. It costs ₦15,000 at
the moment.



4. Alcatel Onetouch 4027D
This device has a 4.5-inch screen and runs Android
4.4 Kitkat. It comes with a quad-core processor
clocked at 1.3GHz and there’s a 512MB RAM
onboard. It comes with 4GB of internal storage and
also supports SD card. There’s a 5MP camera at the
back and a 1.3MP camera for selfies. It costs ₦15,000
at the moment on Jumia.



5. Lenovo A1000
If you’re looking for a phone that delivers a little bit
more than those previously mentioned, perhaps you
should consider Lenovo A1000. It comes with 1GB or
RAM and 8GB of internal storage. It supports microSD
storage up to 32GB, runs Android 6.0 Lollipop and
comes with a 1.0GHz quad-core processor. It has a 4-
inch screen, a 5MP camera sits at the back and it also
has a selfie camera. It is powered by a 2,000mAh
battery. It currently goes for ₦18,500 on Jumia.



6. Tecno W1
Like Lenovo A1000, Tecno W1 also has 1GB RAM,
8GB internal storage, and a 4-inch WVGA
touchscreen.It has a 1.3GHz quad-core processor, a
2MP rear camera, and a selfie camera. It has a
1,800mAh camera and runs the latest Android 7.0
Nougat. It currently goes for ₦17,500 on Jumia.



7. Huawei Y3
Display: 4.5 inches (~62.3% screen-to-body
ratio)
Memory: 1GB RAM, 8GB ROM
CPU: 1.0GHz Quad-Core
Operating System: Android OS, v5.1 (Lollipop)
Camera: 5MP Back Camera, 2MP Front Camera
Find on Jumia
Final note
There are several other brands of phones
below ₦20,000 in Nigerian e-commerce stores and
phone shops; some devices are even being sold
below ₦15,000 but the ones listed above have been
handpicked for a reason. The devices in this post
were handpicked because they can be easily repaired
from service centers across the country, most of the
brands have a physical presence in Nigeria.
Talk about brands like Allwin, Leagoo, Homtom,
Landvo and the rest of them also selling cheap
phones, they have no physical presence in the
country and a damaged screen may be the end of
their products.

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Chinese firm to manufacture phones in Nigeria by Q1 2018

Chinese Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM),
operating in Nigeria as Partner Mobile, has informed
of its readiness to start manufacturing mobile phones
in the country.
The firm, which entered the Nigerian market a year
ago, said all the logistics have been put in place to
enable it commence the production of features phone
from quarter one (Q1), 2018.
Speaking in Lagos, at the weekend, the Technical
Partner, Partner Mobile, Shola Akintola, said the plant
would be sited either in Abeokuta or Lagos, saying all
the component parts of the phone would be
manufactured in Nigeria. He however, identified the
country’s erratic power supply as a major disincentive
to investment.
Describing the performance of Partner Mobile brand in
the Nigerian market for the past 12 months, the Chief
Operating Officer (COO), Partner Mobile, Simon
Klepper, said the brand has been successful despite the
challenging Nigerian economy, the decreasing value of
the Naira and political change.
Klepper attributed the success of the brand to true
commitment and perseverance shown by the company.
He added that Partner Mobile in the coming years will
deeply penetrate the Nigerian market and also
establish itself as a reputable company in the country.
“Partner Mobile’s first year in the Nigerian market has
got to be viewed as a success. The last year has been a
challenging one for the whole of Nigeria with the
current dwindling economy, the decreasing value of
the Naira and political change.
“For any company to launch itself under such
conditions, it has to show true commitment and
perseverance, Partner Mobile has displayed these
qualities,” Klepper said.
Also commenting on Partner Mobile’s penetration into
the Nigerian market, the Marketing Manager, Partner
Mobile, Ifeoluwa Akerele-Molokwu, said the brand
name has been marketed to a large extent. According
to Akerele, “Partner Mobile devices have been made to
fit into every social and economic class.”
She said: “We have our gadgets currently in major
stores across the country, and we are still working
towards reaching more customers by partnering with
other dealers.
“We have made available devices to fit into every
social and economic class, and also putting into
consideration the current economic situation. Better
said, we’ve got a Partner for everyone.”
Akerele-Molokwu said within the last 12 months,
Partner Mobile did gather some market share,
stressing that over a million mobile phones was sold by
the brand.
While speaking on the quantity of devices already
released into the Nigerian market, Klepper said: “We
released three android phones at the launch last year
and quickly followed them up with a straight forward
feature phone. The PF1 proved so popular that over
the last three months we have released similar models
of increasing specifications, the PF2, PF3, PF4 and a
heavy duty PF-P1 with the capability of a power bank.
“Our mid-range Elite series E15 has just been replaced
with the E16 and in the Prestige series, the PS1 has
been joined by the PS-Power and PS2. Over the next
couple of months we will have the PS1 + and PS1 Pro to
complete the series.
“As we look forward to Nigeria re-establishing it’s
previously impressive growing economy, phone and
gadget lovers can be assured that Partner Mobile will
bring to market ranges of phones to satisfy the needs
and desires of its consumers.”
The COO further stressed that in an ever changing
market where the needs and wants of the consumer
take precedence, the company is committed to
constantly evaluating and assessing the kinds of
products to bring into the market that will solve the
consumer’s need. He further explained that the
consumer spending power is equally a factor that
affects their decision making.
Klepper proposes that Partner Mobile in its fifth
anniversary would be established throughout the
African continent and equally trading in continents
including Middle East, Europe, and the United States of
America.

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Uber CEO Kalanick resigns under pressure

Uber's embattled chief executive Travis Kalanick has
resigned, yielding to pressure from investors seeking to
clean up a toxic corporate culture at the fast-growing
ridesharing group.
Kalanick had announced an indefinite leave of absence
a week earlier following the release of a report on
Uber's workplace troubles by former US attorney
general Eric Holder.
His departure announced late Tuesday caps a rocky
period for the global ridesharing giant, which has been
roiled by reports of a cutthroat workplace culture,
harassment, discrimination and questionable business
tactics to thwart rivals.
"I love Uber more than anything in the world, and at
this difficult moment in my personal life, I have
accepted the investors' request to step aside so that
Uber can go back to building rather than be distracted
with another fight," Kalanick said in a statement.
The Uber board of directors welcomed the "bold
decision," say it marked a "sign of his devotion and
love for Uber."
Kalanick, who has been the driving force behind
Uber's massive global expansion and whose brash style
had made him a liability, will remain on the board
with a large voting stake in the company, whose $68
billion valuation makes it the world's largest venture-
backed startup.
The pioneering company has been facing pressure to
rein in a no-holds-barred management style led by
Kalanick and to reform its workplace culture.
Investors had been growing impatient with Kalanick
despite a pledge to implement reforms.
In a letter, titled "Moving Uber Forward," key investors
told Kalanick that he must immediately leave as part of
a necessary change in leadership, The New York Times
reported.
- 'Lasting impact' -
Following Kalanick's announcement, early Uber
investor Bill Gurley of Benchmark Capital offered
praise for the departing CEO.
"There will be many pages in the history books
devoted to @travisk - very few entrepreneurs have had
such a lasting impact on the world," Gurley tweeted.
Jan Dawson of Jackdaw Research said in a blog post
that Kalanick's resignation "leaves an enormous
vacuum at the top of the company," but that "this is all
for the best long term, even if it's messy in the short
term.
Uber has not only disrupted the local transport
industry in dozens of countries. It's also been investing
in autonomous driving technology, and has provoked a
lawsuit from the former Google car unit now called
Waymo that accused Uber of stealing trade secrets.
Last week, Kalanick said one of the reasons for taking
a leave of absence was his mother's recent death.
Kalanick's fiery character helped Uber's expansion in
the face of opposition from regulators and established
taxi operators, but it also got him into trouble.
As Uber faced a series of embarrassing disclosures, he
was captured on a dahscam berating and cursing at a
driver who had complained about earnings, in a video
that went viral.
His resignation comes a day after the company
emailed its US drivers to say it would allow passengers
to tip them, starting in three cities and rolling out
across the country by the end of July. Kalanick had
reportedly been opposed to tipping.
- Questionable practices -
Before Kalanick's departure, Uber had been shaking up
its ranks.
The San Francisco-based firm parted ways with its
number two executive, Emil Michael, who had
reportedly been linked to a number of questionable
practices at Uber, including a visit to a South Korean
escort-karaoke bar and an attempt to dig up
embarrassing information on journalists.
Previously, Uber said it had fired 20 people after
examining 215 claims of discrimination, harassment,
unprofessional behavior and bullying.
Uber this month released a 13-page document calling
for major reforms at the company based on a probe led
by Holder, who investigated allegations of misconduct
and ethical lapses.
The report, recommendations of which were adopted
by the board, said Uber "should reformulate its written
cultural values" to "reflect more inclusive and positive
behaviors."
The reforms should focus on "tone at the top, trust,
transformation and accountability," the report added.
It said Uber should also consider installing an
independent board chair, "to serve as an independent
check on Uber's management" and to show it is taking
reforms seriously.
The Holder report called for "an ethics and culture
committee" to oversee Uber's efforts to maintain
ethical business practices.

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Monitoring your blood pressure? Careful, 70% of home devices may be inaccurate

The error range is enough to sway decisions about taking or stopping medication.

Woman measuring her blood pressure.

Millions of people stand to benefit from closely monitoring their blood pressure—those suffering with heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease, and pregnancy-induced hypertension, for instance, plus those who just stress in doctors’ offices and can’t get accurate readings. Yet the gadgets available for home use may not be up to the task.

In a study out this week, about 70 percent of home blood-pressure devices tested were off by 5 mmHg or more. That’s enough to throw off clinical decisions, such as stopping or starting medication. Nearly 30 percent were off by 10 mmHg or more, including many devices that had been validated by regulatory agencies. The findings, published in the American Journal of Hypertension, suggests that consumers should be cautious about picking out and using such devices—and device manufacturers need to step up their game.

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“We were a little surprised to see 70 percent,” lead author Raj Padwal told Ars. Dr. Padwal is a professor of medicine at the University of Alberta. He and his colleagues went into the study expecting to find problems with some devices, he admitted. “We thought maybe it would be 40 maybe—maybe 50—but 70 was a lot. That was disappointing.”

What doesn’t kill you

The researchers had hints from previous data that many blood-pressure monitors were not spot on. Their skepticism was heightened by how the devices have been tested and regulated. Companies often validate their devices by testing them on healthy adults, Padwal and his colleagues point out. But the people using them at home often have conditions that make measuring blood pressure particularly tricky, like obesity, stiffened arteries, or widened pulse pressure. Nevertheless, the devices can be cleared by regulatory agencies, such as the US Food and Drug Administration. And that, too, can be misleading.

People think that if a regulatory agency has signed off on one of these devices, that it must be good and accurate, Padwal said. “But what physicians and patients and the public don’t know is that regulatory bodies like the FDA, they don’t actually do much,” he explains. “As long as the device is not going to kill you, they’re happy.”

Ars reached out to the FDA about the matter. A spokesperson confirmed that, while the FDA does oversee the devices, the administration doesn’t approve them. “These devices are considered Class II devices requiring premarket clearance (not approval) by the FDA,” the spokesperson explained in an email. The premarket clearance only demonstrates that the device “is at least as safe and effective, that is, substantially equivalent, to a legally marketed device for the same intended use.” In respect to accuracy, the agency only offers a guidance document for manufacturers.

Padwal and colleagues set out to test the accuracy of the devices themselves. Funded by the University of Alberta Hospital Foundation, they compared the home blood-pressure monitors of 85 patients with a gold-standard blood-pressure measurement technique. The patients’ monitors varied by type, age, and validation-status. But they all used an automated oscillometric method, which measures oscillations in the brachial artery and uses an algorithm to calculate blood pressure. The gold-standard method was the old-school auscultatory method, which involves the arm-squeezing sphygmomanometer and a clinician listening for thumps with a stethoscope.

Data squeeze

For each study participant, the researchers took nine sequential blood pressure readings, switching between using the standard auscultatory method and the home monitors. For the auscultatory method, the researchers had two trained health professionals involved in the measurement, one taking it and another observing. If they disagreed on a measurement by more than 4 mmHg, they tossed the data and took the measurement again. With breaks in between each reading, the whole process usually took about 45 minutes per patient.

Of the 85 home devices, 59 were inaccurate by 5 mmHg or more in either their systolic (the top number that’s the maximum pressure of a heart beat) or diastolic (the bottom number that’s the minimum between-beat pressure). That’s 69 percent inaccurate. Of those, 25 (or 29 percent) were off by 10 mmHg or more. And six devices (seven percent) were off by 15 mmHg or more.

Parsing the data further, the researchers found that devices that were validated were more often accurate than those that weren’t (34 percent accurate within 5 mmHg vs. 24 percent, respectively). Devices that used upper arm cuffs were better than those using wrist cuffs (32 percent accurate vs. 17 percent). And those with soft cuffs tended to be more accurate than those with hard cuffs (35 percent vs. 24 percent). Interestingly, the older devices tended to be more accurate than the newer ones.

Manufacturers really need to work on making these more accurate, Padwal argues. Five or ten off is just not good enough. He’s doing more research now to try to figure out how to improve the algorithms that the oscillometric devices use. “Lots of work needs to be done,” he added. In the meantime, he advises patients to go for a validated device with an arm cuff that fits properly—that’s key to them fitting correctly, he emphasizes. He also recommends taking several readings in a row to make sure.

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Behind the Great Firewall, the Chinese Internet Is Booming

Censorship is often associated with Chinese tech, but thinking beyond it is vital to understanding the Chinese internet

China leads the world in many ways, especially when it comes to the mobile internet. Above, debutantes on their mobile phones before taking part in an event in Beijing last year.

When I asked a Beijing-based venture capitalist who travels to the U.S. frequently what foreigners need to know to understand the Chinese internet, he sent me a stream of comments he hears all the time:

“I thought without freedom of expression you can’t innovate. I thought with censorship you’d always be confused what product you can do. I thought American companies would be successful if it weren’t for Chinese protectionism,” ran his list. “I thought Chinese people would really want to see American websites if they could.”

While censorship, protectionism and copying are often the first things that many foreigners associate with Chinese tech—and they’re undoubtedly important factors—thinking beyond them is vital to understanding the Chinese internet.

China leads the world in many ways: It is now the world’s largest e-commerce and mobile-payment market. Of China’s roughly 700 million mobile-internet users last year, half paid with their smartphones in stores and restaurants, 28% ordered meal delivery and 44% read online fiction, according to a government report.

Here’s what you need to know about the Chinese internet and how it’s influencing the rest of the world.

1. Chinese aren’t clamoring to bypass government internet filters to visit websites such as Google, YouTube andFacebook .

Yes, China heavily censors the internet. Many people are frustrated by the limits on life and work imposed by what’s collectively called the Great Firewall.

Still, the majority of Chinese aren’t focused on what they can’t reach because domestic websites more than fill the void.

When a 13-year-old relative from the mainland came to visit me in Hong Kong earlier this year, I asked her if she wanted to watch videos on YouTube. No, she said, she prefers Chinese video sites. It’s not about the language barrier; her English is excellent. It’s about familiarity. She grew up watching Chinese TV dramas and variety shows online.

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That has helped Oppo and Vivo double their market share, while Apple’s has fallen by 13% to the fourth position.

Meituan Dianping started as a copycat of Groupon , the daily-deals site. Now, Meituan delivers meals, books hotels, sells movie tickets and offers a Yelp -like rating service. Groupon remains, well, a daily-deals site.

4. Rapid adoption is creating demand for new products and business models.

Mobile payments, nearly nonexistent in China five years ago, are now everywhere—restaurants, taxis, convenience stores—making it possible to live a cashless life.

China’s mobile-payment volume rose by almost fourfold in 2016 to 58.5 trillion yuan ($8.6 trillion), according to iResearch. Some $800 billion of that went to ride services, games and shopping. By comparison, mobile payments in the U.S. rose 39% to $112 billion in 2016, according to Forrester Research.

In China, Tencent's WeChat app is far more popular than Skype, WhatsApp and Slack. Above, Tencent's new headquarters in Shenzhen. PHOTO: QILAI SHEN/BLOOMBERG

That’s spawning new services, like shared bikes. Users can make payments and unlock the bikes via apps so there’s no need for credit or stored-value cards or docking stations. The bikes have taken over Chinese cities.

5. Now the copying has reversed—in some ways.

Facebook followed WeChat’s footsteps in adding e-commerce, friend-to-friend money transfers and ticket buying—which the website Tech in Asia called “Facebook’s WeChat-ification.” Apple announced this past week that its iMessage service will also support a friend-to-friend payment transfer feature.

When my Wall Street Journal colleagues reported last week that fast-food chains and high-end restaurants in the U.S. are expanding lunch-delivery services, my first thought was, “This is so China in 2015.”

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iPhone 5, iPad 4, users in trouble, Apple warns

Apple, the producer of iPhone 5 or iPhone 5c, has confirmed that
the users of the particular brand will be in trouble soon following
planned introduction of a new operating system which would render
the named phones useless.
The new operating system iOS11, set to be rolled out later this year
will effectively make the iPhone 5 and 5c device obsolete in terms
of Apple’s ecosystem.
According to the news.com.au, the software update will run only on
devices with a 64-bit processor, meaning it won’t be compatible
with the guts of the iPhone 5 or iPhone 5c that feature 32 bit
processors.
iPhone 5
The same goes for the iPad 4.
While the phone will still work (and it’s a little bit amazing that it still
does), users won’t be able to download the latest apps or security
upgrades to protect against hackers and vulnerabilities.
Such a move has previously been hinted at by Apple, with users
opening 32-bit software in iOS 10.3 being met with a message
saying the app will not work with future versions of iOS. And back
in 2015, Apple told developers that all new apps had to be written in
64-bit code.
When the expected change was reported earlier this year, a number
of readers expressed disappointment saying they preferred the
more compact size of the old device, which is notably smaller than
its successors.
But the first two generations of the iPhone 5 are certainly getting
old.
The first iPhone 5 went on sale nearly five years ago and was the
last Apple smartphone to be overseen by Steve Jobs.
It was the company’s second iPhone to support five major versions
of iOS: six, seven, eight, nine and 10. But that run has now come to
an end. (Source VANGUARD)

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Why you need regular medical check-up

When people are told to go for medical check-up, they always think that they don’t need one since, in their estimation, they are not sick.

Yet, physicians say we don’t have to wait until we are sick to get our physicals done, especially for people 40 years old and above.

So, why do you have to do regular medical check-up? According to Laboratory Scientist, Mrs. Mary Gbele of the Harvey Road Health Centre, Yaba, Lagos…

• Regular medical check-ups will aid in early detection of ailments and prevention of complications that could be detrimental or cause death.

• Through regular medical check-up, you can detect if you have high or low blood sugar, hepatitis B, high/low blood pressure.

• People of all ages should undergo vision and eye care tests. Optometrists and eye doctors can check for glaucoma and provide vision reports and possible glasses or contact lens prescriptions, should you need them.

• People between 50 and 65 should have eye checks at least every two years, while those over the age of 65 should have a test every year.

• People with increased risk of having eye issues should talk to their eye doctor to see how often they should visit.

• Regular check-up enables you to undergo Pap test – This test evaluates for cervical cancer, which is deadly and strikes young women.

• Colon cancer screening – Colon cancer is a curable cancer which will kill you if it is not picked up early. The screening tests are usually reserved for people over 50. Ask your doctor to tell you where to go.

• Mammogram and prostate cancer screening – Both of these are important in order for your attending physician to be sure that you are not at risk of breast or prostate cancer. (NAN)

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Why I chose to collect ransom in dollars – Notorious kidnapper Evans

Notorious kidnap kingpin, Chukwudi Dumeme Onuamadike, AKA, Evans, who was arrested by police in Lagos on Sunday said that he chose to collect ransom in American dollars to be different from other kidnappers. The suspect, while being paraded at the Lagos Police Command in Ikeja, told newsmen that he started kidnapping in 2015, after he left his spare parts business, a claim that contradicted the police statement that he was declared wanted in 2013. He claimed that he lost N20 million to Customs officers, which made him to leave his trade. The suspect was arrested in his mansion in Magodo area of the state on Saturday. Evans, notorious kidnapper Evans, who wasn’t sure of how many people he had kidnapped, said the highest he had collected as ransom was one million dollars. “I can’t figure out how much I have collected so far or how many people I have kidnapped, but I have kidnapped up to 10 since 2015. “I chose to collect ransom in dollars to be different, and the maximum I have collected as ransom so far is 1 million dollars. “I work in two groups. A team moves with me to kidnap victims while we hand over to the other team that takes the victim to the hide out. “Kingsley introduced me to kidnapping, but I usually get my ammunition from one Chinedu and Ehis whom I met at Ago-Iwoye. “I also do drug business that enabled me to buy my property,” the suspect said. According to the police, Evans collected $1million from no fewer than four of his victims. Among them are: * James Uduji, who was kidnapped close to his house at 7th Avenue Festac late last year. The Evans gang held for  six weeks. He paid $1million to regain his freedom. *  Chief Raymond Okoye – Odu- Na –Ichida,, who was kidnapped in 2015. He also paid $1million as ransom. He was released after  two months in captivity. *  Uche Okoroafor, a trader at Alaba who was also kidnapped in 2015 for three months, also paid $1million. *  Elias Ukachukwu kidnapped November 2015 similarly paid $1million. The police said the Evans gang demanded an additional  $1million,  claiming family members were rude to them during negotiation. The Force PPRO, Jimoh Moshood said that the suspect had collected billions of naira from his victims and had property in and outside the country. He said that Evans was declared wanted in 2013, following a kidnap attempt that was foiled by the police. “He is said to have masterminded several kidnap cases in Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun and South-South states,’’ the police said. Moshood said further investigation into his activities were ongoing.

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I’m bullet-proof, notorious cult leader boasts

By Olasunkanmi Akoni & Esther Onyegbula A 35-year-old cultist, Andrew Awalebi, arrested by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad, RRS, Lagos State Police Command, has boasted that no bullet can penetrate his body because of a local “Bullet Proof” prepared for him by a herbalist in Ijebu-Isiwo, Ogun State. Andrew Awalebi Andrew Awalebi, arrested along with Michael Thompson, 24; Koffi Kwame, 17; Daniel Olayiwola, 36, and Tosin Issac, 26, in Jakande Estate, Ajah area, Lagos suburb, belongs to Eiye Confraternity. He was arrested in the early hours of Friday at a beer parlour in company of three other cult members. Two other members of the cult group, Adeleke Adegoke, 30; Kehinde Adebogun, 31, were arrested at a hotel in Ikorodu. The Ondo State-born leader of the cult group, Awalebi, was reportedly ratted out by Thompson, who was arrested a night before for robbery at National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos. Awalebi, who disclosed that he worked with a popular land owner in Lekki, stated that he earns N40,000 from the property dealer for helping to protect his landed property in the axis. He told detectives: “The protective charm (Ayeta), was specially prepared for me by a herbalist in Ijebu-Isiwo, Ogun State, to shield me from gun attack by land grabbers in Lekki. “I was initiated into Eiye Confraternity in 1996 by Banji Omisore and later in 1997 I was promoted as overall leader after the death of Omisore. “We are eight in number. We meet early in the morning or late at night. I was arrested by SARS sometime ago, when my cult group caused mayhem in Jakande Estate, inflicting injuries on passers-by in the area.” While confirming the arrest, the Public Relations Officer, Lagos Police Command, Superintendent Dolapo Badmus, warned parents and guardians to be wary of their children and wards’ behaviours. She urged residents to report to the nearest police station around them any suspicious movement, “as this will help police nip cultism in the bud.” The suspects have been transferred to the State Criminal Investigative Department, SCID, Panti.

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