₦airaland Forum

"Snake On A Plane" pictures @ Okija_Juju.

@ OP, why come change the picture now? Nice picture though. Looking fresh.

Congrats to the self acclaimed Koko Maser.

Na true ooo, he sure likes D&G. Heard he will change his name to D'Bang from D'Banj if D&G approached him for an ad.

I saw the thick black smoke this morning and I said "oh no another rainfall". You know what happens in Apapa lately when rain falls.

Thousands of Catholic faithfuls can now afford a smile every time they log onto Twitter, expecting not just to connect with friends and follow trending topics and news across the world but a sweet tweet of forgiveness from Pope Francis I (@Pontifex).

According to the the Vatican’s Sacred Apostolic Penitentiary publication, Pope Francis I will be giving “plenary indulgences” (the forgiveness of sins and a special act that is said to reduce time in purgatory). on social media, something that was done in person, fearfully.

The Guardian reports “the Vatican has married one of its oldest traditions to the world of social media by offering “indulgences” to followers of Pope Francis‘ tweets. Indulgences reduce the time Catholics believe they will have to spend in purgatory after they have confessed and been absolved of their sins.

The indulgence however, is not to be made fun of but requires same old faith and devotion by the faithfuls. The Twitter forgiveness stand is only during the week-long Catholic World Youth Day, which is set for Rio de Janeiro July 22.

Faithful’s following event online or live TV or radio can ask for the indulgence as long as they are following the event and are “truly penitent and contrite” and in “requisite devotion”.

According to the Guardian, apart from Twitter, the Vatican also has an online news portal supported by an app, a Facebook page, and it plans to use the online social networking site Pinterest.


http://techmoran.com/catholics-to-get-their-sins-pardoned-on-twitter/

As the name implies "Goutdediaments" I hope it really tastes like that "Diamond's taste". Je ne sais meme pas...

Not one of Alapha Secondary School's 20 pupils passed their 2012 matric exams and is only one example of the dire state of South Africa's schools.

Despite South Africa's position as the continent's largest economy, its public education system is in a dire state. One secondary school in the north shows just how dire.

Inside the yard of Alapha Secondary School in Limpopo, windows are broken and the stench emanating from the pit latrines hangs thick in the air.

There is little shade or airconditioning to offer respite from the brutal heat.

Academically, things don't get much better.

At the end of the 2012 school year not one of Alapha's 20 pupils sitting their matric exams passed.

Like many schools across the country, Alapha magnifies the failings of the our public education system, which has been ranked among the worst in the world.

Mismanagement
Despite education receiving the largest share of the national budget – R232.5-billion (N3.757trillion) for education, sport and culture this year – Alapha has no library and no lab equipment to teach subjects like physics, chemistry or biology.

Mismanagement also plays its role in the lack of teaching aids. Limpopo was the province most severely hit by the government's recent failure to supply textbooks for an entire academic year.

"We just listen and visualise," said Desiree Mathekga, one of the 30 learners tackling her final exams this year. "It is hard, but this is all we have, we just have to study hard with what we have."

Limpopo education department spokesperson Pat Kgomo admits Alapha's situation is "cause for concern, but not unique".

Four other schools in the province also saw a 0% pass rate in 2012. The government blames part of the problem on its inability to attract teachers, despite a 25% unemployment rate.

"Schools in rural areas tend to perform badly because few teachers are willing to work in far-flung areas," said Kgomo.

School principal Jonas Ramapuputla said teachers who are there are overworked.

"Even myself I have very little time to manage the school, I have to roll up my sleeves and teach," he said.

All this takes its toll.

Underinvestment
​The World Economic Forum recently ranked South Africa second from last in the world for math and science education, just ahead of Yemen.

The central government has acknowledged that "the quality of school education for black people is poor" across the country.

Turning that around has been listed as one of nine key challenges on the path to overhauling the economy.

Experts say the government will have to overcome years of underinvestment in black education under apartheid.

But undeterred by her school's dismal pass rate, Desiree Mathekga is determined to go to university next year and study for a commerce degree. She wants to become an accountant.

"I want to make my school and village proud," said the petite 17-year-old. Her school principal wants to make sure she has all the opportunities to do so.

He has decided to do away with the national norm of preventing failing pupils from repeating exams, giving them a second chance.

"These children had nowhere else to go, letting them go would only have served to perpetuate a cycle of poverty," he said.

"Without education they are nothing." – AFP

I can only see AFTER NOW, NOW and NOW NOW picture. Where is BEFORE NOW picture?

kaze4blues: I have now entered eventually.


No. 36....means 36 people will be attended to before me.

Anyway, anyhow, I must be registered today

No, actually 35 people before you. A patient man eats the best cassava bread.

Despite several denials, the Presidency on Tuesday resumed its interference in Rivers State politics. Jittery over the scheduled solidarity visit of four PDP governors to Rivers State, the Presidency in cahoots with the state chapter of the People Democratic Party, with Nyeson Wike as arrow head have mobilized miscreant to disrupt the visit.

Eyewitnesses reveal that the paid thugs have blocked the exit to the Port Harcourt International Airport, thus preventing Gov. Rotimi Amaechi and his visitors from leaving the airport.

However, Police commissioner Mbu and his men are indifferent, and have refused to dispel the crowd, saying, “the airport is a public place for everyone to visit.”

Among the governors expected in Rivers today are those of Kano, Jigawa, Adamawa and Niger.


http://www.huhuonline.com/index.php/more-news1/1841-rivers-thugs-disrupt-solidarity-visit-of-pro-amaechi-governors

Microsoft Surface RT gets a global price cut (now costs about $350)


As expected, Microsoft’s Surface RT tablet is now available in the US for $350 and up. In the US, can pick one up for the new price at the Microsoft Store or at select retailers including Best Buy and Staples.

But the new prices aren’t just available in the United States.

Microsot Surface RT

Neowin noticed that the based price of Microsoft’s tablet has also dropped in Canada, the UK, Australia, and other countries including France and Germany.

The price cuts seem to be pretty similar across the board, with European prices falling by about €150, the UK price dropping £120, and Canadians paying about $150 less for the tablet.

The Surface RT features a 10.6 inch, 1366 x 768 pixel display, 2GB of RAM, and an NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core processor. While the base model has 32GB of storage, there’s also a 64GB model available. Prices for that model have also been cut.

Unlike the Microsoft Surface Pro, which has an Intel Core i5 processor and the full Windows 8 operating system, the Surface RT runs Windows RT. That’s the stripped-down version of Windows 8 designed to run on devices with ARM-based processors.

For the most part, it’s the same operating system. But it doesn’t support older Windows apps designed to run on x86 chips, and Microsoft only officially lets you install apps downloaded from the Windows Store. That means there are far fewer apps available for the Surface RT than for a full-fledged Windows 8 device, or an Android or iOS tablet for that matter.

The price drop seems to reflect that, by bringing the starting price of the tablet more in line with what you’d expect to pay for an Android tablet with similar specs.

http://liliputing.com/2013/07/microsoft-surface-rt-gets-a-global-price-cut-now-costs-about-350.html

FYI (For Your Information)

Microsoft Surface RT gets a global price cut (now costs about $350)

As expected, Microsoft’s Surface RT tablet is now available in the US for $350 and up. In the US, can pick one up for the new price at the Microsoft Store or at select retailers including Best Buy and Staples.

But the new prices aren’t just available in the United States.

Microsot Surface RT

Neowin noticed that the based price of Microsoft’s tablet has also dropped in Canada, the UK, Australia, and other countries including France and Germany.

The price cuts seem to be pretty similar across the board, with European prices falling by about €150, the UK price dropping £120, and Canadians paying about $150 less for the tablet.

The Surface RT features a 10.6 inch, 1366 x 768 pixel display, 2GB of RAM, and an NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core processor. While the base model has 32GB of storage, there’s also a 64GB model available. Prices for that model have also been cut.

Unlike the Microsoft Surface Pro, which has an Intel Core i5 processor and the full Windows 8 operating system, the Surface RT runs Windows RT. That’s the stripped-down version of Windows 8 designed to run on devices with ARM-based processors.

For the most part, it’s the same operating system. But it doesn’t support older Windows apps designed to run on x86 chips, and Microsoft only officially lets you install apps downloaded from the Windows Store. That means there are far fewer apps available for the Surface RT than for a full-fledged Windows 8 device, or an Android or iOS tablet for that matter.

The price drop seems to reflect that, by bringing the starting price of the tablet more in line with what you’d expect to pay for an Android tablet with similar specs.

http://liliputing.com/2013/07/microsoft-surface-rt-gets-a-global-price-cut-now-costs-about-350.html

This is Africa’s year in Microsoft Imagine cup, as two African countries has scooped awards in this year’s global competition for students’ technologists, developers and entrepreneurs.

Yester night, Microsoft declared the winners of the 11th annual Microsoft Imagine Cup held in the Russian city of St. Petersburg. There were 87 teams of students who represented 71 countries that competed in the worldwide finals this week after winning local and online competitions in their respective countries.

In this year’s competition 12 teams from Africa took part in the finals with just two teams from Uganda and Egypt winning awards.

Uganda’s Team Code 8 from took home a prize in the Women’s Empowerment Award. This award, which was in partnership with UN Women, recognizes two student teams that created projects that best address issues impacting women globally.

Uganda’s Team Code 8 designed a Windows Phone Application called Matibabu, which detects malaria without pricking the body to get a blood sample.

Microsoft agrees that, this app works by connecting a custom piece of hardware (matiscope) to the windows phone. The user is then able to diagnose and know their malaria status in a ‘short’ time period: the results are sent to the user’s skydrive for medical record keeping and sharing with their personal doctors.

The Team MASked Ninjas from Egypt received an AFT Excellence Award. They showed off their Windows 8/Windows phone application called Videolator at the competition.

This app provides users with the most relevant video for an article, a piece of news or any surface that has text when you scan it using your Windows 8 or your Windows Phone device.

Awards at this year’s event have been given away in categories including innovation, games, world citizenship, Microsoft’s cloud service Windows Azure, and Windows phone and app challenges.

The innovation prize was scooped by Team Colinked of UK, games by Team Zeppelin Studio from Austria, World Citizenship by Team for a better world from Portugal, Microsoft’s cloud service Azure by Team Y-Nots from India, and Windows phone challenges by Team ySoft Studio from Singapore, Windows app by Team TeamNameException form Italy among other prizes.

http://techmoran.com/2013/07/15/uganda-and-egypt-bag-awards-at-microsoft-imagine-global-cup/

MultiChoice has announced that ESPN and ESPN Classic Television Channels in Africa will be closed this month end to its DStv subscribers.

According to MultiChoice, “DStv subscribers will not watch ESPN and ESPN Classic Television Channels due to a notification from ESPN that it intends to close the ESPN and ESPN Classic Television Channels in Africa on 31 July 2013.”

“This appears to be a business decision by ESPN affecting all its channels in Africa, Europe and Middle East,” MultiChoice added.

MultiChoice said it will keep its subscribers informed on any new developments from ESPN.

Based in Bristol with over 7,000 employees worldwide ESPN is a global leader in multinational and multimedia sports and entertainment news with over 50 business entities. ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc., an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. ESPN was working with MultiChoice as its distributor in Africa.

Recently, MultiChoice viewers complained about the closure of Bloomberg on DStv. However, the firm announced Bloomberg’s reinstatement on DStv channel 411 as a 24-hour channel from today, July 15. ESPN might also be reinstated if DStv subscribers ask for it.

http://techmoran.com/2013/07/15/espn-to-close-its-channels-in-africa-july-31/

tsalam: listen to alabi ismah live on classic fm live tomorrow on classic f.m 97.3 Lagos 2 pm Nigeria time. for those outside Lagos and Nigeria you can listen live on classic97.net.

I listened. A lot of revelation there.

I laughed when he said a bullet hit Obj on the nyansh while he was trying to run away. and that GSM was the brainchild of Abacha not Obj as widely acclaimed.

I am waiting for Obj's response; may be Obj will say "I JUST DEY LAFF".

DIY.

Nigeria over to you?

Internet users in Gambia now have to be extra careful when making comments or post about their government as the Parliament legislation in has introduced a long jail term for anyone convicted of going online to make fun of the government or any public official.

The internet user will get up to 15 years of imprisonment or be fined a clean USD 90,000 for a raft of offences including spreading “false news” against or even “caricaturing” government functionaries and politicians.

Impersonation of public officials online or to commit any offense already considered criminal will also be viewed as vulgar will fall victim of the new sanctions.

“In the recent past, some citizens of the Gambia have waged concerted efforts to pit the people and the security officials of the Gambia against their government,” Information Minister Nana Grey-Johnson told parliament. “They do this by inciting the people to engage in unpatriotic behavior, spreading false news and engaging in criminal defamation against government officials. Such tendencies, if unchecked, are a recipe for chaos and instability in any country.”

Gambia is ruled with an iron fist by President Yahya Jammeh, who is often accused of silencing journalists, among other rights abuses. The country introduced new laws in April criminalizing male prostitution, cross-dressing and the singing of abusive songs in public.


http://techmoran.com/2013/07/12/ceo-weekends-a-jail-term-for-gambian-internet-users-who-make-fun-of-government/

too much money.

http://thenet.ng/

Nice try, you sure will get attention.

This is called a beautiful piece of nonsense.

Cheers

You forgot to mention that @docjuli is also waiting for him to join.

Thread closed.

Yeah, and the boys in the bakery were used as ushers while the delivery van used to convey the food to the venue. And the brother that owns a pure water business provided the water. The wife's sister (a seasoned cloth designer) designed the wedding gown. The shoes were provided by his landlord (which will be deducted from his house rent). The venue of course is the Church's (he's an elder in the Church). yeah.

Ok you may add your own contributions.

Na wa ooo.

By the way, is the duck PREGNANT?

Kizitocyber: Na him b dat?

No, Michael Jackson.

Google Maps For Android Navigation Now Available In Cameroon, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Rwanda & Uganda

Google Maps Navigation, an internet-connected GPS navigation system with turn-by-turn voice guidance launched in a few countries a few months ago has expanded to Cameroon, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Rwanda and Uganda. While Algeria receives full coverage from the earlier limited coverage.

The service was also expanded to Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela in Latin America and Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand in Asia. Slovenia in Europe and Oma inMiddle East: OmaStill in beta version, Navigation is feature of the Google Maps app for Android and allows users to search addresses by keyword without necessarily knowing the exact name.

Pedestartions also get voice-guided directions via the app with notifications per every turn. It also has directions for transit and biking with alerts on when to stay or exit the route.

Users need to have at least Android OS 1.6 to use the navigation app to get continuous guidance and automatic rerouting due to the apps offline reliability and many other advantages like aerial 3D satellite views, Street View imagery, Traffic view along your route and abiility to search along route for various types of businesses, gas stations, restaurants, or parking.

Below is a complete list from Google indicating countries now covered by Google Maps Navigation (Beta).

* Algeria
* Argentina
* Australia
* Austria
* Bahrain
* Belgium
* Brazil
* Bulgaria
* Cameroon
* Canada
* Costa Rica
* Czech Republic
* Denmark
* Dominican Republic
* Ecuador
* Egypt
* Estonia
* Ethiopia
* Finland
* France
* Germany
* Ghana
* Greece
* Guatemala
* Hong Kong
* Hungary
* Iceland
* India
* Indonesia
* Ireland
* Israel
* Italy
* Ivory Coast / Cote d’lvoire
* Japan
* Jordan
* Kenya
* Kuwait
* Latvia
* Lebanon
* Lithuania
* Luxembourg
* Malaysia
* Mexico
* Netherlands
* New Zealand
* Nigeria
* Norway
* Oman
* Peru
* Philippines
* Poland
* Portugal
* Qatar
* Romania
* Russia**
* Rwanda
* Saudi Arabia
* Senegal
* Singapore
* Slovakia
* Slovenia
* South Africa
* Spain
* Sweden
* Switzerland
* Taiwan
* Thailand
* Uganda
* Ukraine
* United Arab Emirates
* United Kingdom
* United States
* Uruguay
* Venezuela

http://techmoran.com/2013/07/11/google-maps/

It is better to counting "CASH MONEY" than ROCking the NATION cashless.

Weezy is happy with Cash Money record. He doesn't want ROC NATION record.

OK.

... ”This cannot and must be allowed to continue, hence our call on the National Assembly to move quickly to remove the source of the crisis. Since this is no longer an intra-party dispute and because of its potentials to set the country on fire, we also call on civil society groups, professional bodies and ordinary Nigerians to rise up and defend the rule of law and the supremacy of the Constitution over arbitrariness,” ACN said.

Look out for this guy in the next three months, he will become orobo. I trust 9ja wives, very caring. Kudos.

I didn't "GOT" this message.
I am still "WAITED" for the message.

10 university teams from Africa are part of the 87 that competing in the 11th annual Imagine Cup Worldwide Finals for $1,000,000 in cash prizes and other awards from Microsoft Corp..

The teams from Africa include Ask Design from Algeria under the World Citizenship category. UMA from Angola under Games. Tandabala from Botswana under World Citizenship. MASKed Ninjas from Egypt under the Innovation category. Team PI Craft from Kenya under the Innovation category. GreenMust from Morocco under Innovation. LifeSaver from Nigeria under World Citizenship.South Africa from South Africa under the Innovation category. WiseTeam from Tunisia under World Citizenship. Code 8 from Uganda under World Citizenship category and Kernel from West & Central Africa under the World Citizenship category.

Kenya’s Team PI Craft have a solution dubbed Protégé developed by Collin Omwenga, Paul Mutie and Somboriot Kipchallat students from Kenya’s Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology.

Protege interconnects children’s homes with well-wishers and charity organizations for secure donations like money, voluntary service time, clothes and food. With Protege users can search children homes from around the world, see what the homes need, sent in their donation request and recieve updates on the projects they support or donate to. The team hopes to bring home this year Imagine Cup Challenge prize of $1,000,000.

The competitions finals are being held at St. Petersburg, Russia look at team’s innovative ideas, mastery of integrated technology and development of a strong business plan. Imagine Cup is part of the Microsoft YouthSpark initiative to create opportunities for millions of young people around the world.

According to Microsoft, more students competed in Imagine Cup worldwide this year than ever before, with a more than 70 percent increase from 2012. Imagine Cup require students to complete applications built on Microsoft technology aligned to three key focus areas: Innovation, World Citizenship and Games.

http://techmoran.com/2013/07/10/africa-well-represnted-at-microsofts-imagine-cup-challlenge-2013/

Vodafone Tanzania To Switch Off Over Half A Million SIM Cards
by TechMoran

Tanzania’s SIM card registration deadline ends today and Vodacom Tanzania is set to switch off over 400,000 SIM cards that have not been registered.

According to Vodacom, 95 percent of its users have registered their SIM cards but some 450,000 SIM cards remain unregistered and unaccounted for, and the telco will go ahead and switch them off today.

In 2012 end, Vodacom reported to have signed up over 9.35 million subscribers closely followed by Airtel with 8.35 million, Tigo with 6.37 million and Zantel with 3.08 million subscribers.

Tanzania telecoms regulator, Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA) set July 10 midnight as the registration deadline.

Tanzania was the first East African country to migrate to digital broadcasting from analogue December last year and the SIM card switch off is likely to succeed unlike in other East African countries where deadlines have been extended several times especially on digital migration.

http://techmoran.com/2013/07/11/vodafone-tanzania-to-switch-off-over-half-a-million-sim-cards/