₦airaland Forum

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well, I just left naija and never fell for a credit card, only card I used was debit. Now in the US i still will not use a credit card. And how many farmers in naija have "nice" living standards. Even if the statistics were prepared in yankee, they still should not be ignored in totality. I am not bothered about whether or not there was comparison with western developments. What about UAE, Japan, Australia,Ukraine, and their average living standards?. As for me I ask questions and hope we do things for ourselves like

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8257153.stm

instead of waiting for government to provide, and I also came here to further develop self and translate that to something beneficial for beloved naija.

Na wah o! this is the latest from the Human Development Reports of the UNDP. Naija almost categorized among the countries with low human development. You can check this out for yourselves at

http://hdr.undp.org/en/statistics/

http://hdrstats.undp.org/en/countries/country_fact_sheets/cty_fs_NGA.html

I would have posted pictures and data here but the files are larger than the nairaland limits.

to work for drug lords or bust them drug cartels?

with paper and biro

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windows ke!?! yee pah. no way

one annoying thing is that i cant use oracle sql developer on the macbook like installing sample databases. i attended a program at NIIT but had to abandon it cos of work pressure and i want to learn on my own. oracle sql is one of the courses.

also i had to sit for the computer-based GRE without using my mac to practice. the gre powerprep software isnt designed for macs and its been like this for ages like there's a conspiracy. i tried using crossover for virtualization but it just couldnt load.

no firewire for now. i'll explore the macbook further this night.

thnx swift1

i have had a macbook, 2.4ghz since june last year.i decided that the first computer i would ever use my sweat to buy wuld be an apple product.been interested in them since it was mentioned in a movie i saw about 15yrs ago. if u love innovaton u'll love a mac. yeah the price may be high but on the long run, u'll be smiling.i have won some converts at my office in VI who say they wuld like to get one. if u r thinking of price u are housnig fear and limiting urself.

that said i have really under-utilized it.i need help in making the most of it. also, i have a canon VIXIA HG20 and the video software that comes with it aint mac compliant. i've not been able to transfer my videos to the macbook and i would appreciate ur sugestions. i dont want to budget for virtualization now.

how about u launch ur own satellite?

pls i need help in gettin a dependable and reliable internet connection.
i use visafone silver which sucks. i reside in shomolu very close to bariga which is within the cdma 1x coverage area and work in VI/Ajose Adeogun where the visafone head office is located and the speed is even faster at home. at home i can get 7kb/s and at work 2-4kb/s for downloads day and night though for some minutes on rare occasions it reached 42kb/s.
and i use a macbook.
i am considering mtn's 3.5g usb N10,000/month but the GPRS speed bothers me. my office is within the EDGE area. I am doubtful of starcomm's izap 'cos somolu/bariga would probably be cdma 1x.i deserve better value for my data bills.my dad uses starcomm's dial up and it aint encouraging either. have u also noticed that visafone platinum is not on the visafone website.it used to be advertised in their flyers.

got this from mtn's website


DATA SPEED
Signal Peak Speed Average internet browsing speed
GPRS 115 kbps 33 – 35, 8kbps
EDGE 384 kbps Not Yet Fully deployed
3G 384 kbps 100 - 240kbps
3.5G (HSDPA) 3.6 Mbps 800kbps

pls i need help in gettin a dependable and reliable internet connection.
i use visafone silver which sucks. i reside in shomolu very close to bariga which is within the cdma 1x coverage area and work in VI/Ajose Adeogun where the visafone head office is located and the speed is even faster at home. at home i can get 7kb/s and at work 2-4kb/s for downloads day and night though for some minutes on rare occasions it reached 42kb/s.
and i use a macbook.
i am considering mtn's 3.5g usb N10,000/month but the GPRS speed bothers me. my office is within the EDGE area. I am doubtful of starcomm's izap 'cos somolu/bariga would probably be cdma 1x.i deserve better value for my data bills.my dad uses starcomm's dial up and it aint encouraging either. have u also noticed that visafone platinum is not on the visafone website.it used to be advertised in their flyers.

got this from mtn's website


DATA SPEED
Signal Peak Speed Average internet browsing speed
GPRS 115 kbps 33 – 35, 8kbps
EDGE 384 kbps Not Yet Fully deployed
3G 384 kbps 100 - 240kbps
3.5G (HSDPA) 3.6 Mbps 800kbps

i hope i that i have been able to convince and not confuse comical & cynical flyuche that MACS are way up there.
thank you.

Apple proposes infrared matrix to aid larger multi-touch designs
(http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/08/12/04/apple_proposes_infrared_matrix_to_aid_larger_multi_touch_designs.html)

A fairly new filing from Apple discusses the advantages of using proximity sensors more generously to aid its multi-touch technology on devices larger than the iPhone, which would allow certain functions to be invoked without the user having to physically touch the display.

More specifically, the electronics maker believes the combination of these two different types of sensors -- multi-touch and proximity -- could be used to detect the presence of one or more fingers, body parts or other objects hovering above a touch-sensitive surface.

The detection of fingers, palms or other objects hovering near the touch panel is desirable, Apple says, because it can enable the computing system to perform certain functions without necessitating actual contact with the touch panel, such as turning the entire touch panel or portions of the touch panel on or off, turning the entire display screen or portions of the display screen on or off, powering down one or more subsystems in the computing system, enabling only certain features, dimming or brightening the display screen, and so forth.

"Additionally, merely by placing a finger, hand or other object near a touch panel, virtual buttons on the display screen can be highlighted without actually triggering the 'pushing' of those buttons to alert the user that a virtual button is about to be pushed should the user actually make contact with the touch panel," the filing says. "Furthermore, the combination of touch panel and proximity (hovering) sensor input devices can enable the computing system to perform additional functions not previously available with only a touch panel."

The proximity sensors could be composed of IR transmitters for transmitting IR radiation, and IR receivers for receiving IR radiation reflected by a finger or another object in proximity to the panel. To detect the location of touch events at different positions relative to the panel, multiple IR receivers can be placed along the edges touch-screen's blackened display bezel, like those on the latest iMacs and MacBooks, the company says.

However, the July 2008 filing primarily focuses on an "integrated photodiode matrix," or proximity panel that includes a two-dimensional grid of multiple IR transmitters and a grid of multiple IR receivers.

http://images.appleinsider.com/patent-081204-1.jpg

For example, a grid of IR receivers can be placed on the panel behind a multi-touch screen, allowing each IR receiver to serve as a "proximity pixel" indicating the presence or absence of an object in its vicinity and, in some cases, the distance between the receiver and the object. Data received from multiple receivers in of a panel could then be processed to determine the positioning of one or more objects above the panel.

http://images.appleinsider.com/patent-081204-2.jpg

"The transmitters and receivers can be positioned in a single layer, or on different layers. In some embodiments, the proximity panel is provided in combination with a display," Apple explained. "The display can be, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD) or an organic light emitting diode display (OLED display). Other types of displays can also be used. The IR transmitters and receivers can be positioned at the same layer as the electronic elements of the display (e.g., the LEDs of an OLED display or the pixel cells of an LCD display). Alternatively, the IR transmitters and receivers can be placed at different layers."

The 30-page filing is credited to Apple employees Steve Hotelling, Brian Lynch, and Jeffrey Bernstein.

Apple takes the 'touch' out of multitouch
(http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10114351-1.html?tag=mncol)

If you're intrigued by multitouch technology as much as I am, you've probably been following it pretty closely and are at least impressed by its potential.
But what could it do better? According to Apple, taking the "touch" out of multitouch would be a good first step.
According to an article on AppleInsider, Apple has issued a 30-page patent that touches on the implementation of proximity sensors into its multitouch technology on devices larger than the iPhone.

The potential innards of a multitouch panel with proximity sensors don't do much for me, but robots may feel differently.
(Credit: Apple)
The multitouch sensors combined with proximity sensors would let users interact with the given interface without actually having to touch the screen. Now, this seems a tad ridiculous to me, and is anyone really too lazy to move their finger an extra inch? Yeah they are, but that doesn't make it a good idea.
Apple sees some different applications for the technology. According to the company, users would have the capability to turn off the entire touch-screen panel, or just portions of it. In addition, users would able to power down one or more of the computer's systems by dimming or brightening the screen as they see fit.
Awesome, huh?! Alas, no. OK, I may be missing something, but why would you need a proximity sensor to do this? You could just move your finger another inch and accomplish the same thing. The only unique feature Apple cited from the filing was the idea that you could highlight virtual buttons on a display without touching them. This could prepare the button for actually being pushed. Again, how is this useful?
I may be shortsighted (probably am) but the only advantage I can see for this technology is that you wouldn't have to worry about scratching or smudging your screen anymore.
In the filing, Apple reportedly states that the proximity sensors could be made of infrared transmitters and IR receivers. It speculates that a grid of IR receivers could be placed on the panel behind the touch screen like the ones found in the latest iMacs and MacBooks.
Each sensor would be able to detect the presence or absence of an object within its vicinity. Using the data received from multiple receivers, it could then be used to determine the positioning of an object above the panel.
AppleInsider quoted the filing as saying: "The transmitters and receivers can be positioned in a single layer, or on different layers. In some embodiments, the proximity panel is provided in combination with a display. The display can be, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD) or an organic light emitting diode display (OLED display). Other types of displays can also be used. The IR transmitters and receivers can be positioned at the same layer as the electronic elements of the display (e.g., the LEDs of an OLED display or the pixel cells of an LCD display). Alternatively, the IR transmitters and receivers can be placed at different layers."
OK, so now I know how it works. Still not sold on how useful being able to interact with the panel an inch above it is useful. Unless the proximity can sense movement much more than an inch.
Maybe this is just some Apple engineering geek's fantasy about starting us down the road that would eventually lead to a Minority Report-like interface? OK, I've used that link before, but I'm still impressed by it.

culled from www.cnet.com

3D desktop revealed in Apple patent filing
http://images.macrumors.com/article/2008/12/11/061036-pat2.png
http://images.macrumors.com/article/2008/12/11/061037-pat3.png
http://images.macrumors.com/article/2008/12/11/061036-pat1.png

Are you ready for a 3D desktop?
Apple is working on such a project, according to patent filings unearthed by MacRumors. The "multidimensional desktop" applications suggest that Apple wants to take familiar parts of the Mac OS X desktop--such as the dock--and add depth, allowing you to stack documents or folders behind application icons on the "floor" of your desktop.
The idea of a 3D desktop is not new, but neither is it something that people are using in large numbers. When it comes to patent applications there's always a distinct chance that the technology never actually makes it into a product; still, it's always interesting to see what companies are working up in the labs.

Apple files 'swipe-gesture' patent application
(http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-10129009-37.html?tag=mncol;posts)
(http://i.i.com.com/cnwk.1d/i/bto/20081226/applepatent.jpg)

While children were nestled all snug in their beds, Apple apparently had visions of improved touch-screens in its innovative head.
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office revealed a patent application from Apple, dated Christmas Day, for a swipe-gesture system to be used on touch-screen keyboards. It would allow a person to "perform certain functions using swipes across the key area rather than tapping particular keys," according to the patent application, authored by Wayne Westerman.
For example, the application explains that leftward, rightward, upward, and downward swipes might be assigned to inserting a space, backspacing, shifting, or inserting a carriage return.
MacRumors, which was first to point out the patent application, notes that Apple sees swipe gestures being used on top of the iPhone's on-screen keyboard to provide people with quick access to common keys. Ars Technica's Infinite Loop, which like MacRumors explains the patent in more detail, likens the technology to a "Palm Graffiti-like interpretation layer to the standard iPhone keyboard."
Here's a sample gesture depicted in the filing:
http://i.i.com.com/cnwk.1d/i/bto/20081226/applepatent.jpg
A downward swipe might be assigned to 'return.'
(Credit: U.S Patent and Trademark Office)

Macintosh at 25: Still the innovation leader
(http://news.cnet.com/8301-13953_3-10130065-80.html?tag=newsEditorsPicksArea.0)

On January 24, 1984, the Macintosh came into the world, starting the second major revolution in the personal computer industry. Steve Jobs and team took some lessons from Xerox PARC and created the first user-friendly, mass market computer.
By today's standards, it wasn't that user-friendly (some will remember disk-swapping with the original Mac, which had 128KB of RAM and a 400KB 3.5-inch floppy disk drive), but compared with Microsoft's DOS operating system, it was a major technical innovation.


The Macintosh at 25: 1984 - 2009.
The 128K Mac version of the graphical user interface, with icons, fonts, folders, audio and a mouse, started a new era of computing that hasn't yet run its full course. MacPaint, MacWrite, and eventually LaserWriter, PageMaker, and Photoshop led to a revolution in desktop publishing, and AppleTalk made networking relatively simple.

The Macintosh introduced typography to personal computers.
(Credit: Susan Kare)
After nearly 25 years, the Macintosh and its offspring, such as the iPod and iPhone, are still leading in terms of setting the pace for innovation. Mac sales climbed over the past several years, but still represent a small portion of overall PC sales and have slowed down recently. The iPod holds market share in its category and the iPhone has set a new standard for smart phones.
With the annual Macworld conference approaching, and Steve Jobs declining to participate in the proceedings, expectations are low for any major announcements.
Of course, the Mac fan sites and blogs are full of speculation about Steve Jobs' health, a new Mac Mini and iMac, a quad-core Mac laptop, new home servers, a cloud-based version of the iWork suite of applications, an iPod e-book reader, and a Netbook with a 7- to 9-inch screen.
Whatever Apple announces at Macworld, without Jobs spinning his reality distortion field onstage, the result will be less impactful. Nonetheless, don't expect the Mac faithful to walk away from Macworld without something to satisfy their cravings.

na wah o!
nobody mentioned JIMBO and the jetset

http://www.toonhound.com/jimbo-1.jpg

out of carelessess my macbook has slippped out of my hands onto the floor like over 5 times yet performance hasnt been affected;it once fell hard onto the hard ground. a laptop should be durable enough to withstand being flung across a room

@Eastbay
mac OSX is fully compliant with regards to UNIX technology and can run any POSIX-compliant source code. Leopard is an Open Brand UNIX 03 Registered Product, conforming to the SUSv3 and POSIX 1003.1 specifications for the C API, Shell Utilities, and Threads. Since Leopard can compile and run all your existing UNIX code, you can deploy it in environments that demand full conformance — complete with hooks to maintain compatibility with existing software.

the laptops that can play the game "CRYSIS" are probably the best, including macs of course

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the macbook is 1 of the best.ever come across the falcon northwest mach v that come with intel corei7?what about gateway.does sony come close to these?

well, i need a directory of free/open source virtualization softwares for macs

@poster
u should thank God,
i graduated in 2005, had cause to request for transcripts sometime in 2006. this was not my first time. however one day i was told that my file was missing. when another officer there heard about it he advised me to "fast and pray." i informed y ex-lecturers including the HOD. one of them, a senior prof, now retired told me to write a letter to the head of academic affairs. pronto, those guys were queried and within like 2 days it was found. i was told it was among the files of 1997 graduands.i dont know how true that is. just go to the Senate House with ur leta. academic affairs should be located on the 5th floor. u'll drop ur leta with one of the secretaries,it would be registered,perhaps the ffg day or d day afta u can check back to see proof that it has been minuted upon.
u just need to have d right info, knowledge is power.
may the Good Lord be with u

@semid4lyfe

the 2008 edition of the macbook (black) was not at The Orchard, an Apple reseller, when i made my decision to buy. they are located at the lagos civic centre.there is another reseller at opebi rd by the name of Cashin.i tried pc outlet by phone but they didnt pick my calls.it would have cost around 200k but i got it thru a friend who sent it via UPS.it is probably abt 270k at the orchard.
as 4 dat stone, my street is not on maps except when it comes to internal revenue generation (local&state govt and PHCN) so u wuld be confused as to d direction of ur aim.my home is near a canal that seperates bariga from shomolu.how abt u?