Protecting data requires such approach as, putting in place as many safeguards as you can before anything bad happens. Whether natural or man-made disasters, both are a significant risk to data, especially when they strike companies that are ill-prepared. When a company is data-centric like the most 21st century businesses, then complete data loss often destroys the entire business.

So, whether it's a burst pipe that floods the server room or a fire that decimates an entire office building, companies have to protect their information. By taking some proactive steps and embracing the right technology tools, companies can lessen the risks posed by emergencies to a great extent.

Following are six tips for managing data proactively against disasters.

1. First of all Create a Formal Plan

Many firms complete disaster management and recovery plans that detail evacuation routes, communications procedures and other details. These are vital, as the safety of people is of paramount importance. Another part of such plans should be how data is managed and protected during emergencies.

Crafting a written plan forces you to consider any flaws in your data management and makes everyone accountable. Perhaps you operate a server room in an office that's prone to flooding, or you're ignoring strong password procedures. A written plan brings such flaws to light.

The plan needs to account for the type and severity of an emergency. For example, if a hurricane is two days out, then what steps should the firm take to prepare? Perhaps sensitive data should be wiped from the servers and moved offsite? Does the plan account for the most likely types of disasters given the geographic location?
Assign specific tasks to each member of the team as part of the plan. Every staff member should understand that data is an asset, and that it must be managed proactively before an emergency strikes. Of course, you should create a data plan as part of a broader disaster response plan that first ensures personal safety. Never place people in a spot where they try to save data when instead they should be exiting the building or taking some other action. Simply reinforce the need for proactive planning.

2. Arrange Your Data

Think of your data as a tangible asset, similar to the actual office building, machinery, computers, and all of the other "things" in the office. With this mindset, you can spot all of the data sources effectively, and then work to arrange them into a centralized location.
Perhaps your remote sales team has some video and photo files from a conference that are stored on a digital camera. That graphic designer consultant you hired might keep your new logo files on a personal laptop, instead of your servers. You can protect only what you can find, so perform a collection and organization phase to keep your data secure.
Perform an accounting of your files, and organize them in a way that makes sense, likely on cloud services. Organization removes data loose ends that can be impacted or overlooked during or after an emergency.

Remember that you don't have to keep everything, unless there's a regulatory or compliance reason to hold the information. Cutting some unneeded data can reduce your information footprint and leave you less exposed to problems. Collecting the data also can improve your company's ability to perform analytics, and perhaps relate two previously unrelated data sets for new observations.

3. Get Your Network Documented

If you still operate an on-site network, then you have to understand its architecture intimately. Create network maps with labels on all the components so you can recreate the network if needed at an alternate location. Use a simple and clear naming convention and then share the network map with the group via email, and store the map in the cloud.

If you operate in a flood zone and your network equipment is in the basement or on the ground floor, then work with the building manager to have a temporary equipment location to keep your data safe. Part of the plan should include designated team members that will move the equipment, details on who makes the final move-or-stay decisions, and a priority list so staff will move the most valuable equipment and data first. Conducting a network map and inventory also can be useful for insurance purposes.

4. Test Your Plan

You cannot simulate an actual hurricane or lightning strike, but you can test your plan under simulated conditions. Doing a test is a way to see if staff members know how to follow the right procedures and if your backups are easily accessible.
Did your team gain access to cloud backups quickly during the test? Did everyone understand their specific role? Testing should answer these types of questions. Any deviations from the plan warrant some retraining and review of the plan in case conditions or best practices have changed.
Perhaps the testing shows flaws in the team's security and password procedures, or exposes the need for expanded cloud storage to include all of the firm's data. Talk to your entire team after the testing to see if parts of the plan are confusing or contradictory. The plan might need a rewrite with plainer language to avoid any miscommunications. Recognize the technical aptitude of everyone reading and following the plan, and adjust the language and procedures accordingly.

Testing a plan is also a prime opportunity to see if your business adheres to regulations such as fire codes or various data management rules. You might uncover gaps in your procedures during the testing phase which you can fix before your next audit.

5. Protect Your Hardware

While it's a best practice to move most of your data to the cloud, businesses still utilize devices for content creation and data storage. Protecting these devices can save your data and reduce your capital costs. For flood protection, electronics should be elevated off the floor and all cords unplugged. If time permits, you can store devices in waterproof containers. Run diagnostics on your power supplies to check for overheating that can spark fires.

To prevent fires, you can keep electronics free from dust, check worn cords, and maintain monitored temperature and humidity levels. If you operate an on-premises server room, then you need a fire suppression and detection system with "clean agent" technology that uses special chemicals to stop fires without utilizing damaging water. Server room fires often start because of overheating, so ensure your room's cooling system is functioning optimally.
Thunderstorms bring the risk of power surges that can wipe out hard drives and fry electronics. Use approved surge protector devices that are rated properly for your specific hardware. Unplugging devices is a low-tech way to remove them from power-related risks, especially when they're also stored in waterproof containers.

6. Embrace the Cloud

The modern business needs instant connectivity to data. The cloud provides this connection and is ideally suited for data management during emergencies. Choose a major cloud provider such as Google or AWS and back up all of your data with automated tools so you don't expose any information to loss. Consider using more than one cloud provider for extra protection, especially for the most sensitive or important information.

Your data management plan also should be a cloud-based document so it's easy to access after an emergency by staff members who might need to work remotely for days or weeks.
Having access to the cloud is only useful in an emergency if you're continuously moving data to cloud storage. Put in place automation to move files to the cloud on a schedule. Also consider moving staff away from traditional offline software platforms and utilizing online-created formats to remove the risks posed by data-destroying incidents.

The cloud effectively removes your data from localized events such as hurricanes or earthquakes. It also allows your staff to work remotely for extended periods after a disaster strikes, so your business can remain viable and survive. The plan should detail what staff are expected to do in terms of reconnecting to the network and their workflows -- assuming, of course, that the disaster did not impact their homes and families directly.

Don't Wait for Warnings

Accidents and emergencies happen. A fire can break out within another company's offices because someone plugged in too many Christmas lights. Or the city might have neglected the water infrastructure, causing a pipe to burst and flood the entire building.

These types of emergencies come without any advance warning, but they're still manageable with advance planning. The key for IT managers and facilities operators is to proactively plan for disasters. Expect the worst outcomes, build in redundancies and safeguards, and then you and your data will likely emerge unscathed.

https://naijatechstar..com/2018/10/data-protection-safety-tips.html?m=1

In 2017, Almost every major carrier in the United States announced revamped, tweaked, or entirely new unlimited data plans. Verizon, the nation’s largest in terms of total subscribers, brought back uncapped data for the first time in more than five years. T-Mobile and Sprint, both of which offered unlimited data before Verizon’s announcement, removed throttling schemes from their respective plans. And AT&T, the nation’s second-largest carrier, made unlimited data available to customers who don’t pay for DirecTV or U-verse.
(and both so) variations in pricing, there’s fine print to consider. Some plans slow the download speeds of subscribers who exceed a data limit. Others impose caps on certain forms of traffic. And still others omit basic benefits like tethering.

We’ve broken down each of the major four carriers’ best unlimited data plans to see which offers the most bang for your buck. But before we dive in, consider this: Maybe an unlimited data plan isn’t ideal for you? We’ve also got guides to the best individual plans and the best family plans. Hoping to save a buck? We’ve got a guide to finding the best cheap phone plan, too.
It’s tough to choose a winner among four imperfect unlimited data plans, but one stands above the rest. We think that T-Mobile offers the best value for your money.

T-Mobile’s One plan is more than just an unlimited plan. Sure, subscribers get unlimited music, high-definition video streaming, and 10GB of tethering data, but they also get benefits that other carriers don’t offer. T-Mobile One customers get texting and data in 140 countries around the globe. Thanks to Binge On, they get the option to stream standard-definition videos without worrying about contributing to their throttle cap. Every Tuesday, subscribers get discounts on fast food, Lyft rides, movie tickets, and more.

And that’s to say nothing of T-Mobile’s excellent network. OpenSignal’s latest rankings put it among the top in terms of speed, 4G availability, and 4G latency.
For $70 a month, there’s no better unlimited plan out there. Verizon comes close. Its unlimited plan’s pricing ($80 for a single line), terms, and geographic reach the rank of best in class. But T-Mobile’s extras — in addition to its plan price with included taxes and fees — put it over the finish line.

https://naijatechstar..com/2018/09/best-unlimited-data-plans-of-2018.html?m=1

Apple followed last year’s iPhone X with the iPhone Xs, iPhone Xs Max, andiPhone Xr. It also spent some time showing off the Apple Watch Series 4, its most powerful wearable yet.

iPhone Xs and Xs Max

The brand new iPhone Xs (pronounced “tennis”) looks a lot like last year's iPhone X, with some smart refinements. At 5.8 inches, the Xs is a smallish phone, but it’s all screen—the bezel is barely there. If you want even more screen, there’s also the bigger iPhone Xs Max. This one is about the same size as the old iPhone 8 Plus, measuring 6.5 inches, but with the biggest display ever in an Apple phone. Apple says both phones are encased in its most durable glass, with greater water resistance than previous models. Apple stress-tested these things in swimming pools and pints of beer, and swears they’ll survive as deep as two meters for up to 30 minutes.
Both the Xs and the Xs Max use Face ID, like the iPhone X. They come with dual-lens cameras, 4K video capabilities, and a "smart" HDR feature. Better camera software encourages all kinds of fun stuff, like adjusting depth of field after you take a shot. The phones also come with up to 512 GB of storage, which means if you want to spend the extra cash for all that storage, you can take way more photos before your iPhone annoyingly prompts you to clear up some space.
But the real news with these new iPhones is the chips. Both are powered by Apple’s new A12 bionic, the first 7-nanometer chip in a smartphone. It can process 5 trillion operations per second. In practice, that means your iPhone will feel faster, and app developers can harness the power to make all kinds of fun stuff. The Xs costs $999—same as last year's iPhone X—and the Xs Max goes for $1,099. The phones are available for pre-order at the end of this week; get them in gold, silver, or space gold.

iPhone Xr

If the new Xs and Xs Max seem too expensive or not colorful enough, Apple's got just the thing for you. The 6.1-inch iPhone Xr is between the size of an iPhone 8 and an iPhone 8 Plus, with a new LCD display that Apple calls Liquid Retina Display. The battery lasts an hour and a half longer than the iPhone 8 Plus, too. The Xr comes with lots of the bells and whistles from the iPhone X line—hello Face ID, goodbye home button—and it also has the A12 Bionic chip inside. It's not quite as powerful as the Xs or Xs Max, but it's still an upgrade from the iPhone X. Bonus: This one comes in all kinds of funky colors, like yellow, coral, and blue. It's available for pre-order next month, and goes for $749.

Apple Watch Series 4

In the few years since it launched, the Apple Watch has become one of the most important products in Apple’s arsenal—so much that Tim Cook kicked off today’s event by introducing the newest generation. The Apple Watch Series 4comes with a bigger display and a smaller bezel, which offers 30 percent more screen space to display fitness stats, sport scores, and calendar information. It has a better microphone and a speaker that Apple says is twice as loud as last year’s model, to make it easier to take phone calls, use the Walkie Talkie functionality, or bark commands at Siri. (Not so great for whomever is nearby.) The Series 4 comes in 40mm and 44mm sizes—a little bigger than last year’s 38mm and 42mm, but not much. There’s also a red circle around the crown, to differentiate from last year’s Series 3.
But it’s what’s inside the Series 4 that makes this watch different from its older siblings. A new dual core 64-bit processor, designed in-house, gives this one twice the performance speed, and a few new sensors make it possible for it to better track your health. The Apple Watch now sends notifications when your heart rate is too low, or if your heart rhythm is irregular—helping to detect and diagnose problems early on. It can also tell if you’ve taken a hard fall, which will trigger an option to make an emergency call (literally Apple’s version of “help, I’ve fallen and I can’t get up!). Most importantly, a new sensor in the Series 4 makes it possible to measure ECG, something that’s never been possible before in a consumer device. The FDA even gave it a seal of approval.
The watch starts at $399 for GPS, $499 for cellular. If that sounds like a serious chunk of change, some good news: The Series 3 gets a drop to $279.

https://naijatechstar..com/2018/09/things-you-will-like-to-know-about-this.html?m=1

In the listing below are the best new phones in 2018. Phones that are to be launched within the next couple of months include the iPhone, Google Pixel 3 and 3xL, LG V40, Huawei Mate 20 not only the ones listed here though there are other loads beyond that. Here are the list of the best phones still to come.
Best New Samsung Phones

Samsung's Note 9 picture source: www.Samsung.com

Samsung's Note 9 now currently on sale, but it still have three (potentially four) new flagships which has already being scheduled for release in the next six months, together with a plethora of lower-value mobile phones. The Galaxy Note 9 will be followed by the foldable Galaxy X in early January 2019 and the revolutionary Galaxy S10 and S10+ on 24 February 2019. The latter two might even be three, with the company tipped to unveil the Galaxy S10 in 5.8-, 6.2- and 6.44in sizes.

The Galaxy X, a long-awaited phone that breaks the norm with a foldable display. It's likely to be phenomenally expensive and relatively difficult to get hold of, but it'll be that cool revolutionary gadget that proves Samsung's place at the forefront of smartphone technology. It may well be a sign of what's to come in the phone market, though we could be waiting a few years before everyone is carrying foldable-screen phones.

The one we can't wait for is the Galaxy S10 and larger S10+ (pictured). This phone marks the 10th anniversary of the S series (sort of), so it's sure to be a good one. Headline new features include a truly bezel-less Infinity Display, in-display fingerprint sensor, triple rear camera array, a dual-selfie camera on the largest model, a Face ID-style 3D-sensing camera (replacing the iris scanner), and the usual performance boost that includes both a processor bump and a move to UFS 3.0 storage.

Best New Apple iPhones

The new iPhone will be unveiled on 12 September 2018. We're expecting the usual updates to the current iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, perhaps known as the 8s and 8s Plus, but there's also talk of an iPhone XS which may in fact be the iPhone SE 2.
Whatever the eventual names, highlights of the September launch event will be two OLED iPhones brought closer into line with the iPhone X with a notch display and performance boost. We're referring to these as the iPhone 8 and 8s Plus, and you can read more about them in our guide to iPhone 2018 rumours.
The third new iPhone is tipped to be an LCD model, which suggests it will be a budget model - though not necessarily any smaller, just lacking a few features. A follow-up to the immensely popular iPhone SE has been on the cards for a while now, but fans might not be so keen if the eventual iPhone SE 2turns out to be a cutdown iPhone X rather than following the compact 4in form factor they were hoping for.

Best New Google Phones

For the past two years Google has announced its new own-brand flagships on 4 October, and that may be the day it chooses again for the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL launch. There's also talk of a 9 October event, but we'll keep you posted when it is confirmed.
Google's Pixel line is interesting because it shows off Android as it was intended, and it is always first in line for feature- and security updates.
Thanks to HTC's involvement you can expect Active Edge gestures and front-facing speakers, while the new Google phones are also expected to bundle wired (USB-C) Pixel Bud headphones in the box, interesting for their integration with the Google Assistant.
With 5.5in- and 6.7in 18:9 screens respectively, both devices will likely run the Snapdragon 845 and feature twin selfie cameras (8Mp + 8Mp) plus a 12.2Mp single-lens camera at the rear. The XL model will also feature wireless charging, and both will have rear-facing fingerprint scanners.

Best New Huawei Phones

At IFA 2018 we've just seen Huawei unveil the Mate 20 Lite, but the rest of that family is still hush-hush. We're expecting a Mate 20 and Mate 20 Pro to be announced at a London launch event on 16 October.
The Mate 20 Pro will likely have a 6.3in OLED screen with an in-display fingerprint scanner, and will run the also announced at IFA Kirin 980 - the world's first 7nm smartphone chip.
We'd like to see Huawei also add wireless charging, which is has previously omitted because it says it is too slow, and we reckon it will take the four cameras of the P20 Pro and add a second snapper on the front.

Best New LG Phones

The LG V40 ThinQ is nearing launch, anticipated to arrive in October. The company has already confirmed that it will feature 'Stereo Boombox' speakers and a Quad DAC, and that it will feature five cameras altogether.
Three are found at the rear, with LG fitting a 12Mp, f/1.5, 1.4um pixel lens, a 16Mp, f/1.9 1.0um pixel ultra-wide lens, and a 12Mp, f/2.4, 1.0um pixel 2x telephoto lens. At the front are two selfie cameras, rated at 8Mp and 5Mp.
Powering the show is a Snapdragon 845 with 6GB of RAM. Other rumoured specs include 64GB/128GB of storage, a 3,300mAh battery, IP68 waterproofing and a 6.4in Quad-HD+ 19.5:9 AMOLED screen. It's said to weigh 169g and measure 158.7x75.8x7.79mm.

Best New OnePlus Phones

In the next 12 months we'll see two new OnePlus phones, with the OnePlus 6Texpected to arrive in October/November 2018 and the OnePlus 7 in June 2019.
Some of the features tipped for the OnePlus 6T are in our opinion more likely to come in the OnePlus 7, but we're certainly hopeful for the addition of waterproofing and wireless charging in the 6T, as well as the removal of the screen notch by default. That's also true of the rumoured Snapdragon 855 chipset, and we don't expect to see any smartphones carrying this processor until 2019.
Other features hotly tipped for a OnePlus smartphone arriving in the next year include an in-display fingerprint scanner and triple rear camera, which could be combined with a pop-up dual-camera at the front. If OnePlus wants to keep its rep as a flagship killer these are clearly features it will need to consider, but it will have a juggling act balancing this with the excellent value for money it has also become known for.

Best New Xiaomi Phones

As soon as 15 September we could see Xiaomi announce a Mi Mix 3. There won't be any major hardware changes, since the Mi Mix 2S announced at the end of March is already running the Snapdragon 845, but we will see some interesting design changes.
Chief among these is a pop-up selfie camera in the same style of the Vivo Nex. This will allow Xiaomi to finally respond to our one major criticism of the Mix: the chin-mounted selfie camera is incredibly awkward to use. Without a camera nestled below the screen Xiaomi will also be able to reduce the bezels, and that bottom edge could be reduced to just 3mm making the 5.99in-screen phone much more manageable in the hand.
Another new feature in the Mi Mix 3 is likely to be an in-display fingerprint sensor, as seen in the Mi 8 Explorer Edition.
The Mi Mix 3 may be announced alongside the Mi Note 4, and followed by a Mi 9 in June 2019.
In the meantime Xiaomi has just announced its Pocophone F1, which is the cheapest Snapdragon 845 smartphone on the market and presents amazing value.

Other New Interesting Phones Coming Soon

One that's been rumoured for a long time (we're talking years) is the Microsoft Surface Phone (pictured), though now it might actually become a reality in the form of Andromeda. While its Surface line currently consists primarily of laptops and tablet-laptop devices, Andromeda might instead be a mash-up of phone and laptop. A dual-screen, hinged device, the Surface Phone could arrive within 2018.

A follow-up to the original Razer gaming smartphone is a possibility before the end of 2018, since in January 2018 we learned that the company was working on just such a venture with the Razer Phone 2. Expect the 120Hz refresh rate that proved so popular with gamers remain, and nothing too major in the way of design changes.
Sony has at IFA 2018 announced its next flagship, the Xperia XZ3, which means we should see an Xperia XZ4 in six months at February's MWC 2019.
Exactly when Nokia will decide to take the wraps off the Nokia 9 and Nokia 10 is really anyone's guess. The company usually makes a splash at MWC, which will in 2019 be held from 25 February, so we're hopeful for then if not before.

https://naijatechstar..com/2018/09/best-new-2018-phones.html?m=1

A microchip security flaw has put tens of millions of Samsung Galaxy S7 smartphones at risk to hackers.

The Meltdown vulnerability, first uncovered by researchers earlier this year, affects computers, smartphones and other smart devices but was initially thought to not affect Samsung Galaxy phones.

Meltdown can be exploited by hackers to gain access to a person's private information, including banking details and passwords.

Samsung released patches earlier this year to protect Galaxy S7 devices and cyber experts warn that the latest revelations make it imperative for users to install them.

Jake Moore, a security specialist at ESET, told The Independent that Samsung users should make sure their device is updated with the latest software "as soon as they possibly can" in order to prevent hackers from gaining access to their device.

"We usually see that people, for all sorts of reasons, put them off but I can't reinforce this enough. Pivotal updates such as this could prevent a whole host of separate attacks are vital to business and consumers alike," Moore said.

"These sorts of flaws always tend to float around the time of Black Hat [security conference], however this looks like it could potentially effect millions of users so it shouldn't be taken lightly."

advice offered by Mr Moore was reiterated by Mr Shapland. "For Samsung users the fix is simple as the company have already released a patch to fix the problem," Mr Shapland said.
"This will be installed by anyone running an update on their phone, but it can take a while for people to do this. There are no known examples of the vulnerability being used on Samsung devices as yet, but it is still very important that owners of the S7 ensure their phone is up to date."

Mr Shapland also warned that the full extent of the Meltdown vulnerability may not yet have been uncovered, with possibly "many other devices" still at risk.

https://naijatechstar..com/2018/09/samsung-s7-hack.html?m=1

Sony unveils the Xperia XZ3, as the Japanese electronics giant attempts to retaliate against rivals Apple and Samsung in a battle for the premium smartphone market.

The XZ3 is £300 cheaper than Apple's iPhone X at £699, The prices was unveiled at Germany's IFA consumer festival in Berlin.
The firm wishes for it will steal some of the limelight ahead of Apple’s imminent iPhone launch on September 12.

The device comes with a 6-inch display, is capable of 4K filming and has a 19MP front camera and a 13MP selfie camera.

Ben Wood, analyst at CCS insight, said the launch was Sony's latest effort to play catch up in the lucrative global smartphone market, but expressed doubt about its prospects.
He said: “The sad truth is that Sony is a minnow in the smartphone market these days.”
With the XZ3, Sony has brought its Bravia OLED TV technologies to the screen of its flagship smartphone for the first time.

It comes with what Sony describes as "artificially intelligent sides". Called “Side Sense”, the feature enables users to double tap the side of the device to call up a user's most commonly used apps.
It also has a Smart Launch feature that detects when the phone is being held horizontally so that it can automatically launch the camera app.

Sony XZ3 Specifications
Operating System Android 9 Pie
Display 6-inch OLED, 2880x1440
Processor Snapdragon 845 64-bit
Rear Camera 19MP,
960 fps FHD slow-mo, 4K HDR video
Front Camera 13MP f/1.9 wide-angle
Battery 3330mAh
Charging USB-C
Dimensions 6.2 x 2.9 x 0.4 in
Colours Black, White Silver, Forest Green, Burgundy
Price £699

Sony Mobile deputy president Hideyuki Furumi said the XZ3 is ''packed with Sony's cutting edge audio and visual technologies''. The new smartphone reveal at IFA comes just weeks before Apple reveals its latest iPhones, anticipated to be a trio of smartphones that will build on the success of the iPhone X.

Thomas Husson, analyst at Forrester, said: “IFA is definitely no longer a smartphone show, especially after Samsung’s earlier announcements in August and Apple’s upcoming new range of iPhones.”

https://naijatechstar..com/2018/08/sony-uncovers-new-smartphone-to-combat.html?m=1

If you're looking for a quadcopter that can land on the water's surface to shoot underwater video – well, that would be Urban Drones' waterproof Splash Drone. Now, the company has joined forces with tech firm SwellPro to create the Spry drone, which can actually make short "flights" beneath the surface.

Based on a racing-drone design, the Spry is capable of flying through the air at speeds of up to 70 km/h (43 mph), staying airborne for a claimed 17 minutes per charge of its interchangeable battery. It can be controlled in real time via an included radio remote control unit – which is also waterproof – or it can use its GPS to autonomously follow a preprogrammed flight path.

Additionally, users can select flight modes such as Follow, in which it flies along above a tracked moving target; Object Orbit, in which it circles a target while keeping it centered in the shot; and Auto Return, in which it automatically flies back to the user, even if their location has changed since take-off.

Video from its 4K/30fps camera (or 12MP stills) is recorded on an onboard SD card, and is also live-streamed via Wi-Fi to a 4.3-inch screen on the remote. The drone can additionally send its feed to an unlimited number of other viewing devices, so people besides the pilot can see what it's seeing.

And yes, it can fly underwater. By selecting manual (as opposed to auto-stabilized) control, users are able to land it upside-down on the water, then activate its now-downwards-facing propellers to briefly pull it into the inky depths. It subsequently floats back up in a right-side-up orientation, so it can take off again upon surfacing.

As with the Splash Drone – along with the HexH2o amphibious hexacopter – it can also simply be landed right-side-up on the water, with its remotely tilt-able camera then providing users with a peek at what's beneath the surface.

If you're interested, the Spry is currently the subject of a Kickstarter campaign. A pledge of US$729 will get you one, when and if they reach production – the planned retail price is $989.

https://naijatechstar..com/2018/08/waterproof-splash-drone-for-underwater.html?m=1

Sony has unveiled what it claims are the world's toughest and fastest SD cards. Boasting a monolithic one-piece mold construction, the new "SF-G series TOUGH specification" UHS-II SD cards are completely sealed and built to withstand bending, drops, water and dust.

Sony's SF-G TOUGH series will come in 32, 64 and 128 GB storage capacities
Photo source : Newatlas.com

With the ability to withstand 180 N of force, Sony says its new cards are 18 times stronger than standard 10N-rated SD cards, which are constructed using a three-part design. The new cards are made from high-grade hardness materials to prevent bending, while IPX8 and IP6X ratings protect from water and dust, respectively.
To protect against physical damage like broken connector ribs and data protection locks, Sony has removed such easy-to-break parts completely, resulting in a ribless design with no data protection lock. The cards are also shock resistant for drops of up to 5 m (16.4 ft).

Sony's SF-G TOUGH series can be submerged in over 1 m (3 ft) of water

And speed hasn't been sacrificed in the quest for toughness, with the new cards supporting the UHS-II interface and boasting (equal) "world's fastest" read and write speeds of up to 300 MB/s and 299 MB/s, respectively, for speedy transfer and capture of hefty photo and video files.

UHS-II compatible hardware is required to take advantage of the 300 MB/s and 299 MB/s, read and write speeds

Sony's SF-G TOUGH series is set for a release in October and will come in 32, 64 and 128 GB storage capacities priced at US$72.99, $131.99 and $275.99, respectively.

https://naijatechstar..com/2018/08/sony-unveils-strongest-and-fastest-sd.html?m=1

LG has unveiled two new mild-range phones, the G7 One and the G7 Fit. LG has used IFA 2018 in Berlin to whip the covers off two new mid-range phones. On the outside, the G7 One and G7 Fit look a lot like LG's flagship G7 ThinQ, but the guts of the phones have been pared back to make them more "accessible" and, presumably, more affordable.

Both new phones are wrapped in same shell as the G7 - glass front and back, ringed in polished metal and rated IP68 for water and dust resistance. The 6.1-in LCD screen has a resolution of 3,120x 1,440, a brightness of 1,000 nits and a notch in the top. Whether that last point is a problem or not is up to you.
The G7 One runs on a Snapdragon 835 processor, with 4 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage space that can be expanded up to 2 TB with a MicroSD card. Its 3,000-mAh battery is about standard for phones at the moment, and it sports a 16-MP camera in the back and an 8-MP front-facing one.

As the name suggests, the G7 One is LG's first Android One phone, meaning it uses a cleaner, stripped-back version of the Android operating system. Like the G7, the new phone also has a dedicated AI button on the side to bring up the Google Assistant, and can make use of Google Lens to bring up details about objects, landmarks and text in photos.
The G7 Fit, meanwhile, uses an older Snapdragon 821 processor, along with 4 GB of RAM and either 32 GB or 64 GB of internal storage. It also has a 3,000-mAh battery, and while its front camera is the same as the G7 One, its rear camera has a smaller field of view and a larger aperture of F/2.2, compared to the G7 One's F/1.6.

The G7 Fit is running the usual Android 8.1 Oreo OS, and also has access to the Google Assistant and Lens functions. The Fit model comes loaded with LG's own AI CAM, a function that lets users choose from eight preset camera modes – including person, food, pet, landscape, city, flower, sunrise and sunset – depending on what they're shooting. However, G7 One owners will have to wait, as this feature is due to be added in a future software update.

Sound-wise, both new phones have 32-bit Hi-Fi Quad DACs and DTS: X 3D Surround Sound, and can blast sound louder by using the inner space of the device as a resonance chamber. Placing the phone on flat surfaces can apparently deliver deeper bass again.
LG hasn't yet announced details on when the G7 One and Fit will be available, or how much they might cost. The company is exhibiting them this week at IFA in Berlin.

https://naijatechstar..com/2018/08/lg-unveils-new-mild-range-phones-g7-one.html?m=1

Facebook is testing its dating product internally with employees. Jane Manchun Wong, an Independent app researcher found evidence of the product Friday and posted it on Twitter . The company confirmed to The Verge that the product is in testing within the Facebook app but declined to comment further.

Facebook asked employees to use fake data for their dating profiles, and plans to delete all data before the public launch. “Dogfooding this product is completely voluntary and has no impact on your employment,” a screenshot reads, adding that the product is confidential. It also warns employees that its anti-harassment policies apply to the dating product.
Other screenshots show the sign-up flow for Facebook dating, including options to specify your gender, your location, and which genders you’re interested in matching with. Wong was able to fill in her own information but prevented from actually creating the dating profile.

The fact that Facebook Dating is testing internally does not necessarily mean that it will launch to the public. Products are often killed before they are released based on what companies find during testing.
Facebook’s launch of a dating service would make it an immediate powerhouse in the market for online romance. The stock price of Match Group, which owns popular dating apps including OKCupid and Tinder, plunged 17 percent the day Facebook Dating was announced.

As described on stage, Facebook Dating will allow you to create a separate profile for dating. When you and another person using the service like one another’s profiles, you’ll be allowed to contact them. The company also described a feature that would let you make your dating profile visible for people attending the same event as you, in hopes of generating more offline connections. Mark Zuckerberg said in his announcements, that “This is going to be for building real, long-term relationships not just for hookups".

https://naijatechstar..com/2018/08/facebook-might-soon-uncover-its-dating.html?m=1

bigdot1759:
China don take over, no wonder American said China dey wage cold war

Huawei Technologies after pulling ahead of Apple Inc. Claimed the No. 2 in global smartphone shipments in the second quarter just behind Samsung Electronics Co., laying a bedrock for the rise of Chinese competitors.

Huawei shipped 54.2 million phones in the quarter, 41 percent more than a year earlier, to lift ahead of the iPhone maker for the first time, according to market research firm IDC. The telecoms giant accounted for 16 percent of the market, compared with 21 percent for South Korea’s Samsung and 12 percent for Apple. Xiaomi Corp. and Oppo, both based in China, rounded out the top five.

Source: techsport.com
Chinese smartphone makers have been gaining influence as their domestic market grows and they expand abroad. Huawei has pushed into Europe and Africa, though it’s failed to crack the massive U.S. market. Apple tends to sell iPhones at higher prices than its rivals and profits from services like iTunes, which helped it top earnings estimates for the quarter.

Ben Stanton, a senior analyst at Canalys, said that,“The importance of Huawei overtaking Apple this quarter cannot be overstated,” which also reported the shift in quarterly market share. For the first time in seven years Samsung and Apple have not held the top two positions. Huawei’s unable to crack U. S. Market has forced it to work harder in Asia and Europe to achieve its goals.”

https://naijatechstar..com/2018/08/huawei-for-first-time-ahead-of-apple-in.html?m=1

Amazon probably will soon include a feature consumers have anticipated for years. A number of its users using Amazon .com and its mobile app recently spotted the option to “invite others” to their wish lists. This offers a URL that can be shared via text messages, email, social apps and more. Once clicked, the invitees can then both add and remove wish list items, alongside the wish list’s original owner.

The feature, while relatively minor, is something Amazon shoppers have been clamoring for. Parents want to be able to co-manage wish lists for their kids, while others – like friends, couples, party planners, family and friends – have also wanted to team up on lists of gift ideas for special occasions, such as birthdays, holidays, and various celebrations.
But there’s been some confusion over whether or not the feature was something Amazon was only testing, or if it was in the early stages of a rollout to all users.

Amazon declined to comment on its plans specifically, but did tell us this is a test with a “small number of customers.”
As one report from MacRumors noted, there are some Wish List features not everyone has, even if they’ve been opted in to the new collaborative lists test. For instance, some people will also see a conversation icon on the right side of the list’s page that allows list members to discuss items on the list with one another. Another ellipsis icon lets the original list creator manage the list’s membership.

So far, the feature has been spotted on the Amazon.com desktop and mobile website, and on iOS but not Android. It’s common for Amazon to launch new features on iOS first, however. That’s the case with the recent debut of Part Finder, which has launched publicly, but only on iOS to start.

https://naijatechstar..com/2018/07/amazon-may-soon-allow-users-to.html?m=1

Some Days after Facebook’s stock took a record $123 billion plunge on a poor earnings report, currently Twitter’s shares are down nearly 20 percent after the company announced falling in the number of users. The social media apocalypse is on us this week the company says perhaps. The microblogging service recorded up to a drop of 1 million monthly users in Q2, with 335 million overall and 68 million in the U.S.. International users stayed consistent, with U.S. numbers down from 69 million in the previous quarter.

Bloomberg reported that Twitter’s share price sunk by 17 percent in early trading following the earnings announcement.
The market seems spooked that Twitter has failed to grow in the U.S.. Indeed, one year ago it recorded 68 million users on home turf, and while it has grown its international presence by a fairly modest 3.5 percent over that period, there are doubts as to whether Twitter can increase its audience. The company itself said it expects to see its monthly active user count drop by “mid-single-digit millions.”

Twitter has increased its efforts finding and suspending fake accounts, which is said to have doubled over the past year, but it also said that it didn’t expect that to impact users numbers this quarter.

“When we suspend accounts, many of the removed accounts have already been excluded from MAU or DAU, either because the accounts were already inactive for more than one month at the time of suspension, or because they were caught at signup and were never included in MAU or DAU,” Twitter further explained in its release.

The company did say, though, that its work with SMS carriers and reallocation of resources, are the reasons why it is forecasting more user number declines.
While Twitter can (just about argue) that its daily user number grew by 11 percent in the quarter — a little higher than 10 percent in Q1 — the company doesn’t actually disclose this number.

The stock drop will be frustrating for executives because, in its favor, Twitter had a record quarter of profit. GAAP net income came in at $100 million with revenue climbing 24 percent year-on-year to reach $711 million. Adjusted EBITDA came in at $265 million — Twitter is predicting it will decline to $215-$235 million in the next quarter.

That profit was above analyst forecasts of $70 million but, following Facebook’s epic crash this week, investors want to see growth potential… and that means more users. Unfortunately, that’s Twitter’s Achilles heel.

https://naijatechstar..com/2018/07/twitter-loses-1m-users-with-posts.html?m=1

Opera seems to be at the hot list, Opera now competes with Google's Chrome and Apple's Safari. The Web browser Opera Ltd. which dates back to the mid-1990s, at the time when PCs ran Windows 95, and Steven Paul Jobs the American enterpreneur and business magnate was leading Next Computer Inc. after being ousted from Apple, is returning to the public markets currently.

Opera is expected to perform for the first time in public on the Nasdaq Global Select Market Friday after selling what could amount to as much as $115 million in stock. The Oslo, Norway-based company is selling 9.6 million shares at $12 each, the top end of a marketed range, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

The picture above shows the Opera Android software. The Software Created by two engineers at Norway’s Telenor ASA, Jon von Tetzchner and Geir Ivarsoy, the first major version of the browser for Microsoft Corp.’s Windows was Opera 2.1, released in 1997. Netscape Navigator the predecessor of Mozilla Firefox was the victor in the first battle of the browsers, with Microsoft’s Internet Explorer biding its time before becoming so dominant a decade later that it prompted regulatory intervention.

Opera developed a cult following of users, dismissive of the market frontrunners, and who helped cement its place as the world’s third-most popular web browser at the time. Von Tetzchner’s refusal to take the company to the public markets during the infamous dot-com boom also helped Opera become one of the few big-name survivors of the subsequent crash, along with Amazon.com Incand EBay Inc.

Today Opera generates more than 50 percent of its revenue from partnerships with Alphabet Inc.’s Google and Moscow-based Yandex NV, and cites a reliance on a small number of companies for a majority of its income as a significant risk factor in its prospectus. In the three months ended March 31, Opera recorded net income of $6.6 million on revenue of $39.4 million, which was up about 55 percent compared to the year-ago quarter.

It will also mark a return to public life. The company listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange in 2004, raising around $20 million. Two years later it released Opera Mini, a mobile browser that let customers browse full-size websites over the limited cellular data networks that existed at the time.

But as the next “browser war” raged between Internet Explorer, Firefox and a nascent Google Chrome at the end of the decade, Opera’s future changed course. Ivarsoy died in 2006, and von Tetzchner departed the company in 2011 after disagreements with investors about the direction of the business.

“I think initially they just wanted to sell the company,” von Tetzchner said in an interview. “That was the focus of the investors. They always believed that they could get a better return that way.”

A $1 billion buyout of the entire business by a consortium of Chinese investors was planned for 2016, but the deal lacked government approval and never went through. The company instead agreed to sell just its web-browser business -- now called Opera Ltd. -- for $575 million, which is listing on the Nasdaq Friday.

The remainder of the original business re-branded as Otello Corporation ASA in 2017 and remains a publicly traded company in Oslo.
In 2018 Opera’s desktop and mobile browsers had 3.5 percent of the global market, according to data compiled by StatCounter, compared with about 59 percent for market leader Chrome.
China International Capital Corporation Hong Kong Securities Ltd.and Citigroup Inc. acted as joint book-runners in Opera’s Nasdaq debut.

https://naijatechstar..com/2018/07/opera-one-time-to-internet-explorer-is.html?m=1

The inverter can power a room with stereo system like up to 6hrs or even close to 10hrs. The inverter which is introduced by Alex Onuoha could necessarily carry other home assets and electronics, but it depends on the maximization, the higher the battery capacity, the more longer it'll last.
The inverter can recharge itself from solar panel or through electrical power source, which can be done by plugging the inverter wire to the wall socket.

During the construction, he made use of Hi Watt 9r Battery. He claimed that he can customize it and add up some features, one of which is when thier is electrical power it will disconnect itself and begins to charge and in a situation where by the power is interrupted it will give light to the place.

He also made use of Ei Core Transformer which is made up of 20w 100v Line Ap. This transformer is a high quality, high performance 100v line audio transformers, Ferire Ei Core is easier to achieve high voltage electrical. Ei core are for mains transformers which possess many benefits such as low noise, low magneting current, fast assembly and low cost.

Alex said that this is just the beginning and it has begun, this one that i just constructed is the least among my ideas, there are many more to come from me which is going to shock the world.

https://naijatechstar..com/2018/07/best-inverter-with-interesting-feature.html?m=1

Are you looking for the trending and latest smartphone in town you might want to check out the iTel A32F. The Itel A32F seem to be another budget-friendly smartphone with Android 8.1 Oreo Go Edition however the phone is been introduced in Nigeria for those on a budget.

Over a period of time Tecno F1 was the first budget device with Android Go Edition. The iTel A32F has a kind of metallic body which looks nice and attractive different from what we typically see from the company.

Highlights of the specs
The device have a rear finger print scanner, which iTel claims that it unlocks the devise in 0.2 seconds. Specs-wise, it runs on Android Go with 1Gb of ram and 8Gb inbuilt Storage space.

The devise is trending right now and i know you might don't want to miss out these specious features, the device is really worth checking out and trust me you are going to enjoy every bit of it You can purchase your iTel A32F at https://www./catalog/?q=Itel+A32F check out the hot list.

https://naijatechstar..com/2018/07/trending-smartphone-with-best-features.html?m=1

Should you be concerned about cybercrime and data breaches? According to Mary Jo White, former chair of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the answer is yes. She has called cybersecurity“the biggest risk to the financial system“ and has said that stock exchanges, dark pools, and clearinghouses historically didn’t have adequate systems to deal with the threat of data theft. How can you be sure your financial data is safe?

Check Your Opt-ins Carefully
The first place to begin protecting your data is with the various opt-in and opt-out choices companies offer you. Opening an account can be a convoluted process, especially if a partnership or trust will own your account. While you’re completing forms and adding your initials to multiple clauses, make sure you’re not agreeing to sharing your data with corporate “partners.” If in doubt, ask a service representative to verify that you have opted out of each possible data-sharing choice.

Insist on a Secure Network
Don’t hesitate to ask your providers for information about their network security and insist on proof of the answers. These providers should be able to show you a written cybersecurity plan, but simply making up a plan is not enough. Ask to see proof that they regularly assess the potential risks of cyberattacks and their network security. Be sure that your financial service providers are taking cyberthreats seriously and instituting proper precautions.

Ask About Vendors and Other Outsiders
The company that you’re doing business with may be doing an outstanding job of securing data within its system, but who else will be handling your data? What type of cybersecurity policies and encryption does the business use when sharing data with vendors, remote employees, and subcontractors? How does the company monitor outside vendor compliance? These questions are all ones you may want to ask before you share your personal and financial data with a company, especially before you hand over large sums of money to a new firm.

The Law Is on Your Side
The law mandates many of these protections, and, as a consumer, you have the right to insist on cybersecurity. Data protection law in the United States can be confusing, because no single overarching federal law covers data security. “Instead, the U.S. has a patchwork system of federal and state laws and regulations that can sometimes overlap, dovetail, and contradict one another,” according to the Thomson Reuters Practical Law website, which covers international data security laws.

Data security law in the European Union is much more exacting. The Council of the European Union wrote a law commonly known as the General Data Protection Regulation or GDPR in December 2015, and in 2018, The European General Data Protection Regulation will replace it. This regulation includes a significant increase in sanctions for data security lapses.

Cybercrime is a serious threat, and your data is only as secure as the weakest system that stores it. Asking questions may seem like a nuisance, but customer insistence on data security helps drive home the message that cybersecurity needs to be taken seriously.

https://naijatechstar..com/2018/07/protections-for-your-data-safety.html?m=1

chicwoman:
How is the camera like?

the camera u need to see it, its dope I swear

Donenam:
How tacno take expensive like dis

Tecno has really improved a lot now they are up to high standards

faithy314:
How much

75k @jumia

For Tecno aspirants that have long waited for an upgrade and more advanced features of Tecno phone which can suite your taste and experience. The new TECNO CAMON X PRO will suit your tastes and needs I assure you in fact the Android phone is Superb. You might want to take a look at the Specs of TECNO CAMON X PRO.

TECNO CAMON X PRO SPECS

6.0-inch FHD + display with 2160*1080 Resolution

2.5D Front panel

HiOS V3.3 based on Android 8.1 Oreo

4G Lite with support for all 4G Bands in Nigeria

4G RAM and 64GB ROM

Up to 12GB Storage via MicroSD card

16MP Back Camera with Quad-Ring flash

24MP front camera with dual LED flash

Octa-core 2.0GHz Media Tek Helio P23 Processor

3750 mAh battery with fast charge

USB Type B

https://naijatechstar..com/2018/07/latest-tecno-that-will-suite-your-taste.html?m=1

Apple may be moving away from using Intel’s modems in future iPhones, with a new report from Calcalist claiming that the Cupertino company has notified Intel that it will not be using the chipmaker’s 5G modems in its 2020 product lineup (via 9to5Mac.)

As a result, Calcalist’s report also notes that Intel has since stopped development of that 5G modem code named Sunny Peak given that Apple was expected to be the “main volume driver” for the modem. Instead, Intel is said to be focusing on improving the planned product to try and woo Apple with a better 5G modem for the company’s 2022 lineup.

The report isn’t entirely out of the blue, either late last month, Bloomberg reported on a research note from Northland analyst Gus Richard that claimed that Apple would be looking to move away from Intel’s modems for ones made by MediaTek instead. And that’s in addition to the rumors from earlier this year that Apple would be looking to ditch Intel’s chips in its Mac products in 2020 timing that lines up with the modem report, too.

The news does beg the question of where Apple would be getting its modems if it does drop Intel. A research note from Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo back in February indicated that Apple would be relying far more heavily on Intel’s modems for this year’s iPhones, in an effort to be less reliant on Qualcomm as a primary producer of the chips (the ongoing legal spat between Qualcomm and Apple likely didn’t help matters, either.)

It’s possible that Apple is hoping to patch things up with Qualcomm by 2020, or rely on new providers like MediaTek. But there’s also a chance that the company may choose to take the same direction it took when it started designing its own processors for its mobile devices and develop modems in-house, giving the company even more control over the components that make up an iPhone.

https://naijatechstar..com/2018/07/apple-may-unable-to-use-intels-5g.html?m=1

Microsoft is introducing its Xbox One July dashboard update to all users today, and the main new feature allows Xbox owners to start games that are downloading quicker. FastStart, originally unveiled at E3, prioritizes the files a game really needs to start while it continues to download the rest of the title in the background. It requires a download speed of at least 20Mbps, and will be available for a “select number” of popular games that are available on Xbox Game Pass.

“You can generally expect to jump into your game twice as fast as you did previously,” explains a Microsoft FAQ on the new feature. Microsoft has not yet provided a full list of games compatible with FastStart, but the company says it plans to make it available to more games over time once developers update their titles.

While FastStart is the main addition, Microsoft is also tweaking its Pins dashboard feature to include groups of games and apps. The groups mean you can essentially organize your games into favorite sections and these will sync across multiple Xbox One devices. Microsoft is also improving search within the Xbox One dashboard, with the ability to press the Y button anywhere to bring up a search interface for apps, games, settings, and more.

https://naijatechstar..com/2018/07/xbox-ones-july-update-includes.html?m=1

This year Samsung will launch its new range of smartphones with all new variety of features. It is ready to take down all mobile brands with its latest launches, Samsung Galaxy S9 and Samsung Galaxy S9+ which have rocked the online shopping sites with its pre-bookings itself.

Samsung never fails to amuse us, even though new Chinese companies like MI, Oppo, Vivo have entered the Indian market and many people are getting drawn towards them but Samsung new phone range will give a tough competition to these brands.

List of Samsung Upcoming Mobile Phone in India

Samsung Upcoming Mobile Expected Launch Date Expected Price
Samsung Galaxy J8 July 2018 18,990
Samsung Galaxy S10 November 2018 Not Available
Samsung Galaxy A7 June 2018 28,990
Samsung Galaxy J7 Plus June 2018 21,990
Samsung Galaxy J4 July 2018 9,990
Samsung Galaxy J6 June 2018 16,490
Samsung Galaxy J2 Pro July 2018 7,990
Samsung Galaxy S8 Edge August 2018 57,590
Samsung Galaxy S8 Mini June,2018 39,990
Samsung Galaxy Note 9 August 2018 79,999
Samsung Galaxy A8 June 2018 37,990
Samsung Galaxy A5 June 2018 24,990
Samsung Galaxy C10 August 2018 29,990
Samsung Galaxy J5 Pro July 2018 15,990
Samsung Galaxy X August 2018 39,990
Samsung Galaxy C10 Plus August 2018 34,990
Samsung Galaxy Wide 2 June 2018 5,999
Samsung Galaxy C8 August 2018 23,990
Samsung Galaxy C10 August, 2018 29,990
Samsung Galaxy Note 9 August 2018 39,999
Samsung Galaxy J3 Prime July 2018 4,490
Samsung Galaxy C5 Pro May 2018 24,999
Samsung Galaxy A8 Plus - 28,990
Samsung Galaxy A9 30 November, 2018 34,999
Samsung Galaxy Stellar 2 August 2018 9,990
Samsung Galaxy J1 Mini 30 November, 2018 6,999
Samsung Galaxy S8 Active July 2018 61,999
Samsung Galaxy Xcover 3 30 November, 2018 18,999
Samsung Galaxy View 3G 30 November, 2018 35,000
Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 Nook - 16,000
Samsung Leadership 8 August 2018 29,990

So, these were all the Samsung upcoming mobile phone range of 2018. For all Samsung lovers, its like a treat. This brand has never disappointed anybody and with its all marketing strategies, we advice you stay tuned for some great offers and discounted deals. For a proper view of the table click on the link below.

https://naijatechstar..com/2018/06/list-of-samsung-upcoiming-mobile-phones.html?m=1

Apple earlier said to amplify audio devies. Apple Inc. is about to make an adjustment on its audio-device strategy by pumping up the volume, planning higher-end AirPods, a new HomePod and studio-quality over-ear headphones for as early as next year, according to people familiar with the matter.

The Cupertino, California-based company is working on new AirPods with noise-cancellation and water resistance, the people said. Apple is trying to increase the range that AirPods can work away from an iPhone or iPad, one of the people said. You won’t be swimming in them though: The water resistance is mainly to protect against rain and perspiration, the people said.
Slated for 2019, the earbuds will likely cost more than the existing $159 pair, and that could push Apple to segment the product line like it does with iPhones, one of the people said. Apple is also working on a wireless charging case that’s compatible with the upcomingAirPower charger.

The company has also internally discussed adding biometric sensors to future AirPods, like a heart-rate monitor, to expand its health-related hardware offerings beyond the Apple Watch, another person said. The current AirPods will be refreshed later this year with a new chip and support for hands-free Siri activation.

There are over-ear headphones coming from Apple, too. Those will compete with pricey models from Bose Corp. and Sennheiser. They will use Apple branding and be a higher-end alternative to the company’s Beats line. Apple originallyintended to introduce the headphones by the end of 2018, but has faced development challenges, and is now targeting a launch as early as next year, the people said. They asked not to be identified talking about unreleased products. An Apple spokeswoman declined to comment.

Shares of noise-cancellation component maker Cirrus Logic Inc. rose as much as 10 percent after Susquehanna analyst Christopher Rolland wrote that the company would be working with Apple on the new AirPods.

The consumer-electronics giant uses unique accessories like the AirPods to round out its hardware and software ecosystem. Accessories have become an important revenue source in recent years, helping Apple’s Other Products unit generate sales of $12.9 billion in the 2017 fiscal year. That’s cushioned a slowdown in iPhone unit growth.

https://naijatechstar..com/2018/06/apple-yet-to-reveal-high-end-airpods.html?m=1

Back in December, the World Health Organization (WHO) surprised gamers and many medical professionals alike by including‘gaming disorder’ in its beta draft of International Classification of Diseases (ICD) for 2018. Now, the updated 11th edition of the ICD has been released, and with it comes the official definition of gaming addiction as a mental health disorder.

The volume diagnoses the condition as being identifiable by three signs:
Impaired control over gaming (e.g. onset, frequency, intensity, duration, termination, context).
Increasing priority given to gaming to the extent that gaming takes precedence over other life interests and daily activities.
Continuation or escalation of gaming despite the occurrence of negative consequences.

According to the ICD-11, the behavioral pattern of someone suffering from gaming disorder results in significant impairment in personal, family, social, educational, occupational or other important areas of functioning.

Dr. Vladimir Poznyak, the WHO member who proposed the new diagnoses, told CNN "I'm not creating a precedent." He said WHO has followed "the trends, the developments, which have taken place in populations and in the professional field."

Most of the medical profession is against the Gaming Disorder inclusion; two papers opposing the proposal having already been released. In the UK, the country’s National Health Service has now started offering free treatment for those experiencing the disorder, though exactly what treatment would be most effective is still under discussion.

The gaming industry is also speaking out against the move. Yesterday, a statement co-signed by the ESA,ESAC, EGDF, IESA, IGEA, ISFE, K-GAMES, and UBV&G explained that “Videogames across all kinds of genres, devices and platforms are enjoyed safely and sensibly by more than 2 billion people worldwide, with the educational, therapeutic, and recreational value of games being well-founded and widely recognized. We are therefore concerned to see ‘gaming disorder’ still contained in the latest version of the WHO’s ICD-11 despite significant opposition from the medical and scientific community. The evidence for its inclusion remains highly contested and inconclusive.”

https://naijatechstar..com/2018/06/world-health-organization-classifies.html?m=1

Paylater has announced that it has hit N4bn in loans this year, beating 2017 record by some margin.
This was verified in a statement released on Twitter by One Finance & Investments Ltd.’s Chief Finance Officer, Ngozi Dozie who is the founder of Paylater.

Paylater is a simple, entirely online lending platform that provides short-term loans to help cover unexpected expenses or urgent cash needs.
With just an Android device and basic requirements, you can apply for a Paylater loan 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with a quick application process that lets you know your status within minutes.No collateral, guarantors or application fees required. Just a few clicks of a button.

Earlier on in the year, Paylater launched a first-of-its-kind digital savings & loan product which will offer their customers the opportunity to save for targeted goals and earn high-interest rates whilst unlocking smaller loans at lower rates.

Paylater mobile app joined the consumer finance revolution in Nigeria with the use of Machine Learning to score customers in real time. OneFi is now said to be the leading digital bank in West Africa offering its underbanked and unbanked customers in Nigeria and Ghana access to loans and payment services.

https://naijatechstar..com/2018/06/paylater-hits-as-high-as-n4bn-loans-in.html?m=1

(Reuters) - Uber Technologies Inc [UBER.UL] has hired Facebook Inc (FB.O) product director Daniel Danker as its head of driver product, Chief Executive Officer Dara Khosrowshahi said in a tweet on Wednesday.

"Psyched to have @mrdanieldanker (Danker) join our team so we can continue to improve, innovate and build great experiences for our driver partners!"

Uber has been without a head of driver product since Aaron Schildkrout left in December, after a three-year stint with the company.

Khosrowshahi, who joined the company last August to replace co-founder Travis Kalanick, is making several changes as he prepares for an initial public offering.

Last month, Uber spokesman told Reuters that its Chief Product Officer Jeff Holden was leaving the company, one of the over a dozen senior executives to depart since last year.
The company is also searching for a chief financial officer who can help take the company public in 2019. The CFO position has been vacant since 2015.

https://naijatechstar..com/2018/06/uber-hires-facebooks-product-director.html?m=1