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Friday, April 10, 2015

What Google says about the Gubernatorial Elections in Lagos, Oyo and Rivers

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On the 7th of April, I asked if maybe such forecasts using big data were the way to go generally, seeing as they were bang on the money with regards to the presidential elections. Today, we have even more Google trend data to put to the test against the forthcoming gubernatorial elections.

The first, and most obvious conclusion we can draw even before sharing the new data is that Nigerians generally aren’t as interested in the governance of their respective states as they are with who the president is, an anomaly of sorts considering that governance at the state level is more likely to directly affect your day-to-day life than the president is. It might also be a pointer to the fact that everyone realises that the Nigerian system is built around the centre and as a result, pays all the attention there.

In any case, it’s looking like the turnout for the gubernatorial elections won’t be anywhere near the turnout we witnessed for the presidential elections. There was only enough search volume to get details for three states: Lagos, Oyo and Rivers.

Lagos:



From the above, Google Trends shows the amount of search traffic on the 2 main candidates in Lagos; Jimi Agbaje and Akinwunmi Ambode, using the two most popular keywords for each candidate. Although Ambode is slightly ahead in terms of search traffic, the interest for both parties is growing steadily pointing towards a tight race.

Oyo:


The Oyo state chart compares 3 candidates; Alao-Akala, Abiola Ajimobi (current governor) and Teslim Folarin.
The chart shows more people are interested in Ajimobi at the moment. Although searches for Folarin peaked in March, it has since dropped. Searches for Alao-Akala peaked in December 2014. Probably because that was when he was announced as the governorship flag-bearer of the Labour Party.

Rivers:


The chart above compares 3 governorship candidates of Rivers state; Tonye Princewill, Dakuku Peterside and Wike Nyesom. Interests for Wike seem to the highest at the moment. Dakuku Peterside is also generating some search interests. Princewill, the last candidate in this analysis isn’t generating enough search volume to show up on the charts.


I definitely will be keeping an eye on the results from those states to see if Google data calls them right.

Source: TechSuplex
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Here are the New Must Have Gadgets, Smartphones are Last Year

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Are you still euphoric about your new smartphone or tablet in 2015? Then there is a huge chance that you missed the train. A couple of months ago, I wrote about how smartphones had gotten boring, and while the newest set of flagship devices (to be specific, the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus and the Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge) tickle my fancy a bit, we aren’t back to the times when we were up all night literally waiting for one leak or the other about a new device or a new feature. We are also seeing less and less differentiators across OEMs and platforms as the days pass.

If you are one of those “showy” people that like to make statements with the kind of tech you’re carrying, smartphones and tablets might be out the door for you. However, if you are looking for something else to make statements with, these are the new must haves that are guaranteed to earn you some stripes in that department and more importantly, they are actually useful:

Smartwatch

Whether you like to admit it or not, smartwatches are definitely not going anywhere soon. I have always been excited at the prospects of smartwatches, maybe not for the same reasons as everyone else, but from the get go, they tickled my fancy.

I wouldn’t say the current range of smartwatches available tick all the boxes, still, having had one strapped to my wrist for a few months, I can say without a doubt that they are more useful than gimmick. On the few occasions when I take a break from wearing one, I keep expecting my regular watch to buzz with one notification or the other, or tell me how much of my fitness goals I’ve achieved or maybe even show me directions while driving, without necessarily having to take my eyes of the road.

I still have some misgivings about smartwatches as they are today, (I should write a review soon), but I’ll be the first to admit that they are a lot better than I expected…a lot cooler too!

Wireless audio dock

This one had been right under my nose for a while, I have been rocking a Bose Soundlink Bluetooth Speaker III, but it wasn’t till I was trying out Ad’s JB soundbar speaker that it occurred to me how mainstream they had become. Let’s face it; while devices like the BlackBerry Passport and the HTC One have decent sound outputs, they are still a far cry from the kind of quality, that’s good enough to “turn up” to. Then consider also that laptops and tablets which have somehow become the de facto means of consuming videos also aren’t packing so much in the type of “oomph” in the volume department to take your entertainment to the next level. Wireless speakers are in, because they are portable, mostly offer great quality sound and solve the problem of continuing the playlist that’s playing in the car, inside your house…saving you all that time you spend sitting in the parked car waiting for a not-so-cool song to play before getting out.

Did I mention that most of them are rechargeable? Take that NEPA/PHCN/DISCO.

Health/fitness tracker

On your daily commute to work, I am pretty sure you have noticed the number of people taking walks or running, with no one hot on their heels. Fitness is now such a huge deal in these parts that there is a startup built around fitness now. If smartwatches aren’t your thing (and even if they are), a fitness tracker might be something that tickles your fancy. After all, what’s the point of all the “fitfaming” if you don’t have your stats and data to make noise about track your progress? Fitness trackers may not look as cool or offer the functionality of smartwatches, but they are more accurate at what they do. Plus having to explain the concept of a running band, for example makes for a great conversation starter.

Drones

Growing up, some of us got to play with remote control planes/choppers which were loads of fun, even though in retrospect, most of them had really wonky controls and weren’t intuitive. For the rest of us who weren’t ajebutter, at the very least, we got to play with paper planes and kites. The need to control something in flight has always been a strong desire for most.

With drones now commercially available and cheap ones in particular being churned out of China on the daily, that desire is one that can finally be fed. What’s cooler, they aren’t just toys any more. With cameras, smooth controls and the ability to hover in the same spot, their use now extends way beyond their value as toys.

Kindle

Not a lot of people like reading, but everyone likes someone who is well read (asides the I-Too-Knows), so reading is definitely a “new” cool. In many regards, these days, meeting someone who reads extensively is almost like meeting a real-life ninja – we know they exist, and they’ll have cool tricks to show us, but don’t come across them very often.

You know what’s not so cool though? A stack of paperbacks (well, except they are in a shelve as part of the decor). E-Ink readers and Kindles in particular are functional and really cool to look at. They serve that cool, serious, studious look without looking like you’re from a ’80s TV show.


Asides smartphones and tablets, these are other things you should be checking out. We will have a bunch of reviews in some of those categories up shortly, before then though, did we miss any? Let us know!

Source: TechSuplex
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Airtel Unveils Cool New Exciting Data Offers

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In the strive to be the leading telecoms operator in Nigeria, Airtel unveiled a new data campaign offer tagged “join the smartphone Network” this campaign is aimed at promoting the use of internet and comes in four different varieties

Activate a smartphone or Dongle: Purchase any smartphone or dongle from Airtel or its partner stores and activate with an Airtel sim to get up to 2GB free data instantly & also enjoy 100% data bonus on activation of data bundles from 200mb to 1GB for 12 months

Buy a Mifi or router: Purchase a Mifi for N12,000 and get free 4GB on activation or a router for N25,000 and get 8GB free on activation you also get additional benefits of 100% data bonus on activation of data bundles from 200mb to 1GB for the next 12 months

Upgrade to Microsoft Lumia: Purchase a Microsoft Lumia 535 smartphone from Airtel and u get 25% discount plus you get free 2GB instantly on activation & 100% data bonus for 12 months on data bundles from 200mb to 1GB

Buy a 1GB data plan & get a free dongle: Visit any Airtel store and purchase 1GB data plan worth N3,000 and claim your free Dongle worth N4,000.

Exciting right? Please drop your comments let us know what you think about this cool offers. Cheers
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There is a Game in your Chrome Browser

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Google is one of the most fun companies in the world in my books. From doodles to Easter eggs on YouTube, there is always some small nuggets to be found here and there as you browse through their ecosystem.

I just discovered this about two weeks ago, or more correctly, a 12-year old, pointed it out to me. (I know, my last here is terrible right?)

I had always wondered why there was a dinosaur in Chrome whenever a page failed to load. Turns out that by tapping any of the direction keys on your keyboard, it becomes a mini platform game (think a very basic version of Temple Run in 2-D). Great for killing time while your internet catches its breath.



Hopefully, I haven’t just unleashed a Zuma replacement in several Civil Service offices across the country. I know you are off running to your computer to try it out, but before you do, are there any other similar nuggets I have missed? Please share in the comments.

Source: TechSuplex

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Twitter Now Let’s You Retweet With Comments

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One of the age-long issues with Twitter has been the how “Retweets” (RTs) are handled. Many had complained when the ability to Retweet while appending comments was taken away from the native app about a year ago, and the sentiment hasn’t changed much with each new iteration of the Retweet function.

The newest update from twitter across platforms brings yet another change from how the Retweet function is handled. The newest update, now replaces the quote which before now added “” to an old tweet and let you append your comments, to a new system that opens the tweet as a link and relies on Twitter’s card feature to embed the tweet in your timeline. The result is that you now have access to your full 140 characters when quoting a tweet.

The downside to this new change is that for those using third-party apps – especially those without the twitter card functionality – will only get links which they have to click on and open in a browser.

The feature has rolled out for all the platforms right now.


If and when you do check it out, let us know what you think about it.
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MTN Said To Start Purchase of Nigeria Wireless Operator Visafone

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Word on the street is that MTN Group has commenced the process of acquiring Visafone Communications Limited. While details are sketchy at the moment, MTN is apparently buying it as an expansion move in a market it already dominates. Visafone currently has just about 2.2 million subscribers against MTN’s 55 million, so it’s fair to assume that the growth in this case is not subscribers but most likely technology.

If the move goes through, it won’t be the first company MTN would be acquiring for its tech. In 2007, just around time Visafone was setting up, MTN acquired VGC Communications, a telecommunications provider licensed to provide cabling and radio telephone services nationwide. The company had laid an extensive fibre optic cable network around VGC and took care of most of the telephony needs there at the time. The same company is today behind MTN’s wimax service – Hynet among other things.

The acquisition may also be related to a license that Visafone has that MTN might need, however, as at the time of writing this, I am clueless as to which one it could be. In any case, it will be interesting to see what becomes of the acquisition if it goes through. And also what becomes of their 10 terabyte plan.


Source: BloomBerg
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Wednesday, April 08, 2015

PHOTOS: Ancient Buildings in Abeokuta

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Abeokuta is the largest city and capital of Ogun State in southwest Nigeria. It is situated on the east bank of the Ogun River, near a group of rocky outcrops in a wooded savanna; 77 kilometres north of Lagos by railway, or 130 kilometres by water.

With a population of about 593,140, the sleepy town is known for its quietness and serene nature. Abeokuta does not have the trappings of a state capital like Ikeja, Lagos or Port-harcourt, Rivers state.

One major feature in the ancient city is the old buildings that adorn the environment. These structures have been around for ages, thus, making the city look like an abandoned site.

Naij.com photographer went round the city and bring you pictures from an environment begging for attention from the government

Meanwhile, the presidential elections results in Ogun state shows that the residents voted overwhelmingly for the All Progressives Congress. 

In: Global News

See more pictures below...



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PHOTOS: President Jonathan Visits Gen T. Danjuma at his Home

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President Jonathan paid a private visit to former Defence Minister, Gen. Theophilus Danjuma at his home in Abuja today April 8th. The purpose of the meeting was not made known but according to presidential media aide, Reuben Abati who shared the pics, Danjuma praised President Jonathan for conceding defeat after results of the Presidential elections was announced in favour of his opponent. “The manner in which Pres. Jonathan conceded victory is totally unAfrican, it’s very important for Africa” Danjuma said.

Another photo after the cut…



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Full AFCON 2017 Qualifiers Draws

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The 2017 African Cup of Nations, AFCON 2017, and group qualifiers have been drawn and Nigeria is set to play seven time winners Egypt in Group G.

Gabon has been confirmed as the host country for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations. Libya had been initially selected to stage the competition, but its hosting rights were withdrawn in August last year due to the unstable security situation in the country.

2015 winners Ivory Coast will play Sudan in Group I. The draws were made in Cairo, Egypt on Wednesday. Nigeria failed to qualify for AFCON 2015 but won the previous edition in 2013.

The groups in full:

Group A: Liberia, Djibouti, Tunisia, Togo

Group B: CAR, Madagascar, DRC, Angola

Group C: Benin, Mali, Equatorial Guinea, South Sudan

Group D: Botswana, Burkina Faso, Uganda, Comoros Island, Comoros

Group E: Guinea Bissau, Kenya, Congo Brazzaville, Zambia

Group F: Sao Tome, Cape Verde, Morocco, Libya

Group G: Tanzania, Chad, Nigeria, Egypt

Group H: Rwanda, Mauritius, Mozambique, Ghana

Group I: Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Sudan, Gabon

Group J: Seychelles, Lesotho, Algeria, Ethiopia

Group K: Burundi, Namibia, Senegal, Namibia

Group L: Swaziland, Zimbabwe, Guinea, Malawi

Group M: Gambia, Mauritania, Cameroon, South Africa

Nigeria’s first match will be against Chad in Nigeria on 12th of June 2015.

Nigerians on social media have also reacted to Nigeria’s chances of qualification. The general tone shows that the populace hope Nigeria can qualify from a relatively easy group with Egypt thought to be the only Nation with a serious threat.

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