TheNewsGuru

Tag: internet

  • Internet speed: Operator wants FG declare data centres critical national assets

    The General Manager, MDXi Data Centre, Lagos, Mr Gbenga Adegbiji, has urged the Federal Government to declare data centres critical national assets aimed at bringing internet closer to the citizens.

    Adegbiji said in Lagos that the declaration would make the government to remove stringent regulations for operators of the centres.

    “Getting Forex for purchase of equipment has been tough. Sometime last year, we were buying a dollar for N450 and N500.

    “Sometimes, some clearing policies make our consignments to enter demurrage,’’ Adegbiji said.

    The general manager said that friendly policies would encourage more players and investment in the business, thereby making internet more accessible even in the rural areas.

    According to him, data centres are important for broadband penetration, and achieving effective broadband in 2018 would be difficult without local data centres.

    “For broadband to work effectively, we need local data centres.

    “When you say broadband, you mean fast and available internet,” he said.

    He said that data centres would play huge roles in the achievement of fast, available and accessible internet.

    “This is enough reason government needs to categorise data centres as critical national assets and provide the enabling environment for operators because whether we like it or not, technology has come to stay,” he stated.

    MDXi Data Centre, Lekki, Lagos, estimated at about $40 million, has almost 100 per cent Nigerian workers hosting some banks, oil companies and government agencies servers for effective and secure internet service.

     

  • Internet users hit 98.3 million in Nigeria

    Internet users increased marginally to 98.3million in November, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has said.

    The NCC made this disclosure in its Monthly Internet Subscribers Data for December 2017 on its website on Thursday in Abuja.

    According to the data, Airtel, MTN and Glo gained more internet subscribers during the month in review while 9mobile was the big loser.

    The data also showed that overall, internet users increased by 98,391,456 in December from 94, 818,553 in November showing an increase 3, 572,903.

    The data breakdown revealed that MTN gained the most with 2,642.666, new internet users increasing its subscription in December to 36,069,597, from 33,426,931 in November.

    It showed that 9mobile lost 68,341 internet users in December decreasing its subscription to 11,338.839 as against November when it recorded 11,407,180.

    It said Airtel gained the most with 911,040 new internet users in December amounting to 23,985.203 users as against 23,074,163 users in November.

    The data showed that Globacom also gained 87,538 new users in December as the figure recorded was 26,997,817 as against 26,910,279 in November.

     

  • PHOTOS: EFCC arrests 15 suspected ‘yahoo-boys’, recovers coffins, calabash

    PHOTOS: EFCC arrests 15 suspected ‘yahoo-boys’, recovers coffins, calabash

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Lagos Zonal office, has arrested 15 suspected Internet fraudsters for offences bordering on obtaining by false pretence, lottery scam and love scam.

    TheNewsGuru reports the suspects were arrested on Saturday, February 3, 2018 in the Shotubo and Awoluwo areas of Sagamu, Ogun State.

    Their arrest followed intelligence report received by the Commission about their criminal activities.

    Also popularly known as ‘G-boyz’ or ‘Yahoo boys,’ the Internet fraudsters were alleged to be living flamboyantly without legitimate sources of income.

    Items recovered from the suspects include laptops, phones bearing scanned forged documents, six exotic cars, charms and SIM cards, among others.

    The suspects are: Adeyemi Tiwatope, 20; Odeyemi Olawale, 20; Nike Afolabi Olaiya, 20; Awe Abimbola Ireti, 23; Yusuf Aliu Oluwafemi, 20; Osidipe Olatunbosun, 24; Tosin Adesanya, 19 and Adeyinka Bello, 17.

    Others are: Aliu Lukman, 18; Damilola Fatona, 20; Shonubi Adetola, 18; Adewale Babatunde, 17; Afolabi Lekan, 19; Awe Ayodele, 24 and Adeyemi Gbadebo, 19.

    Meanwhile, in a related development, the EFCC also recovered coffins, calabashes and gourds from the home of a suspected kingpin of a syndicate of fraudsters, Adesanya R. Olaoluwa, who is currently under the EFCC watch.

    Olaoluwa is alleged to be a herbalist who performs rituals for fraudsters to hypnotise unsuspecting victims.

    The suspects will soon be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded, according to the EFCC

     

  • Internet users hit 94.8 million in November – NCC

    The internet users increased marginally to 94 .8 million in November, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has said.

    The NCC made this disclosure in its Monthly Internet Subscribers Data for November 2017 on its website on Tuesday in Abuja.

    According to the data, Airtel, MTN and Glo gained more internet subscribers during the month, while 9mobile was the big loser.

    The data also showed that overall, internet users increased by to 94, 818,553 in November from 93,887,184 in October showing an increase of 931, 369.

    The data breakdown revealed that MTN gained 428, 596 new internet users increasing its subscription in November to 33,426,931 from 32,998,335 in October.

    It showed that 9mobile lost 180, 044 internet users in November decreasing its subscription to 11,407.180 as against October when it recorded 11,587,224 in October.

    It said Airtel gained the most with 632, 506 new internet users in November amounting to 23, 074,163 users as against 22,441,657 users in October.

    The data showed that Globacom also gained 50,311new users in November as the figure recorded was 26,910,279 as against 26,859,968 it had in October.

     

  • Google’s high-speed Internet Balloon crashes in Kenya

    Google’s high-speed Internet Balloon crashes in Kenya

    Google’s high-altitude Internet balloon, launched by Google to provide high-speed Internet in remote parts of the earth under Project Loon, has crashed in a Kenya farm, a media report said on Saturday.

    The balloon, a part of a 10-balloon batch, was deployed for testing in Nakuru, Nanyuki, Nyeri, and Marsabit in July 2017. It crashed at Nthambiro in Meru on Friday night, media reported.

    Some residents complained of headaches after they gathered around the device to get its glimpse.

    “The device from project loon indicates it fell after its expiry period of six months. No one is yet to claim the device,” Igembe South OCPD Jane Nyakeruma was quoted as saying.

    Earlier this year, Google announced that it was “years closer” to deliver Internet to remote parts of the world using high-flying balloons.

    Researchers at Google’s Project Loon — part of the company’s X research lab — said it was now able to use machine learning to predict weather systems, meaning the firm has a greater control over where its balloons go, making it possible to focus on a specific region, rather than circumnavigating the globe, BBC reported.

    Under the project, the firm suspended a network of huge balloons that beam down connectivity.

    The balloons float in the stratosphere around 11 miles high. By raising or lowering altitude, the balloons can be caught in different weather streams, changing direction.

     

  • Microsoft pledges $50 million for AI for Earth Programme

    Microsoft has announced its plan to broaden the AI for Earth programme, pledging $50 million over the next five years to put artificial intelligence technology in the hands of those who are working to mitigate climate change.

    Microsoft rolled out the AI for Earth programme six months ago with an aim to put the power of artificial intelligence towards tackling environmental challenges.

    “At Microsoft, we believe artificial intelligence is a game changer. Our approach as a company is focused on democratising AI so its features and capabilities can be put to use by individuals and organisations around the world to improve real-world outcomes,” Microsoft President and Chief Legal Officer Brad Smith wrote in a blog post on Monday.

    The announcement came on the eve of the second anniversary of the Paris Agreement.

    AI can be very useful in monitoring, modelling and managing the Earth’s natural systems.

    Data can speak volumes about the health of our home planet, including the conditions of air, water, land and the well-being of our wildlife.

    “But we need technology’s help to capture this vast amount of data and convert it into actionable intelligence. AI can be trained to classify raw data from sensors on the ground, in the sky or in space into categories that both humans and computers understand,” Smith said.

    “Fundamentally, AI can accelerate our ability to observe environmental systems and how they are changing at a global scale, convert the data into useful information and apply that information to take concrete steps to better manage our natural resources,” he added.

    Over the past six months, Microsoft has awarded over 35 grants in more than 10 countries for access to Microsoft Azure and AI technology.

    Microsoft said its AI for Earth could be a force multiplier for groups and individuals who are creating sustainable solutions.

    “That’s why we’re not just putting more resources into this effort, but also coupling this with a long-term commitment to applying AI to grow and scale in four key areas – climate, water, agriculture, and biodiversity,” Smith said.

    Microsoft wants to do it in three ways. First, it plans to expand seed grants around the world to create and test new AI applications.

    “We will also provide universities, non-governmental organisations, and others with advanced training to put AI to its best use,” Smith said.

    Next, Microsoft will identify the projects that show the most promise and make larger investments to help bring them to scale.

    “Finally, as these projects advance, we’ll identify and pursue opportunities to incorporate new AI advances into platform-level services so that others can use them for their own sustainability initiatives,” Smith said.

     

  • UNICEF wants digital-safe Internet for children

    The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has called for a safe digital world for children while canvassing for the need to increase online access to benefit the most disadvantaged ones.

    The United Nations (UN) program headquartered in New York City that provides humanitarian and developmental assistance to children and mothers in developing countries, said 1 in 3 internet users worldwide is a child.

    “Despite children’s massive online presence, too little is done to protect them from the perils of the digital world and to increase their access to safe online content,” UNICEF said in its annual flagship report released on Monday.

    The State of the World’s Children 2017: Children in a digital world presents UNICEF’s first comprehensive look at the different ways digital technology is affecting children’s lives and life chances, identifying dangers as well as opportunities.

    It argues that governments and the private sector have not kept up with the pace of change, exposing children to new risks and harms and leaving millions of the most disadvantaged children behind.

    “For better and for worse, digital technology is now an irreversible fact of our lives. In a digital world, our dual challenge is how to mitigate the harms while maximizing the benefits of the internet for every child,” said UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake

    The report explores the benefits digital technology can offer the most disadvantaged children, including those growing up in poverty or affected by humanitarian emergencies. These include increasing their access to information, building skills for the digital workplace, and giving them a platform to connect and communicate their views.

    But the report shows that millions of children are missing out. Around one third of the world’s youth – 346 million – are not online, exacerbating inequities and reducing children’s ability to participate in an increasingly digital economy.

    The report also examines how the internet increases children’s vulnerability to risks and harms, including misuse of their private information, access to harmful content, and cyberbullying.

    The ubiquitous presence of mobile devices, the report notes, has made online access for many children less supervised – and potentially more dangerous.

     

  • Bitcoin mining marketplace, NiceHash faces up to $60 million loss in latest heist

    NiceHash, a Slovenian cryptocurrency mining marketplace, has said it lost about $64 million worth of Bitcoin in a hack of its payment system.

    “Unfortunately, there has been a security breach involving NiceHash website. We are currently investigating the nature of the incident and, as a result, we are stopping all operations for the next 24 hours,” a statement read on NiceHash website.

    NiceHash executive Andrej P. Skraba in a statement said his firm was the victim of “a highly professional” heist that yielded about 4,700 Bitcoin, worth around $64 million.

    Meanwhile, the firm says it is working to verify the precise number of BTC taken.

    “Importantly, our payment system was compromised and the contents of the NiceHash Bitcoin wallet have been stolen. We are working to verify the precise number of BTC taken,” the firm said.

    NiceHash matches people looking to sell processing time on computers in exchange for bitcoin.

    While it was unclear whether customers faced any losses from the hack, the firm has advised users changed their online passwords.

    “While the full scope of what happened is not yet known, we recommend, as a precaution, that you change your online passwords,” it said.

    TheNewsGuru reports this is the latest incident to highlight risks that uneven oversight and security pose to booming digital currencies.

     

  • How the internet changed my life- Reekado Banks

    Mavin Records artiste Reekado Banks is one singer who was discovered via the internet.

    Recall that the Don Jazzy led Mavin Records requested for upcoming singers to send in their songs in order to get a record deal. Reekado Banks saw the advert on Twitter; he sent in his entries and got signed.

    Speaking on how the internet transformed his life, the Katapot singer said:” The internet is where the music drops first. The internet is a major key, its gets you 70% of the result. People get to listen to you just from a click.I got discovered via the internet”

     

    On how Don Jazzy has been instrumental to his life, he said:” Don Jazzy is the angel God used to change my life”

  • YouTube Video Editor, Photos Slideshows to be discontinued in September

    YouTube on Thursday announced that its Video Editor and Photo slideshows tools are being retired on September 20.

    Not all editing features are being removed however – creators will still be able to use the Enhancements like trimming, blurring, and filters.

    The company cites limited usage of the two features as the reason for the discontinuation.

    Making the announcement on a Google Product Forum page, Marissa, a community manager, said, “We’ve seen limited usage of these features, so we’re retiring them to focus our efforts on building new tools and improving on other existing features.”

    YouTube creators that still have projects in the Video Editor or Photo slideshow section will need to finalize them before September 20, or they will lose the projects. Videos already published with Video Editor or Photos slideshows will be unaffected. Those that want to download their videos from the Video Editor will be able to do so in 720p resolution, or, they can use Google Takeout to get them in original quality.

    As we mentioned, not all editing is disappearing from the YouTube platform – a boon for amateur users or those that want to make minor adjustments without re-uploading an entire video again.

    Creators will be able to continue to utilize the Enhancements feature, which can be found in the Video Manager section. Enhancements allows for edits like trimming, blurring, and filters.

    Google is pointing to the innumerable free and paid third-party editing tools that creators can utilize in place of its Video Editor and Photos slideshow features.

    It is pointing to the Creator Community and Creator Hub for more information.