Justin Bieber Apilogizes After Kicking Argentine Flag

Justin Bieber Apologizes After Kicking Argentine Flag http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/14/justin-bieber-apologizes-argentine-flag_n_4277022.html?utm_hp_ref=style&ir=Style Sent from Maxthon Cloud Browser

BBM for Android & iPhone – it's FINALLY here!

BBM for Android and iPhone is now live in Google Play and Apple’s App Store


BBM for Android and iPhone nets over 10 million downloads on day one of release


BlackBerry has revealed than in the first 24 hours since it launched BBM for Andorid and iPhone it has been downloaded more than 10 million times, in what the company describes as "one of the best single-day openings for a mobile app to date ."


BBM achieved number one app status in the UK, US, Canada, Indonesia and "most of the Middle East," according to a BlackBerry statement. It also gained "overwhelmingly positive" user ratings on both Apple's App Store and Google Play with 60,000 five star reviews on Google Play.


Andrew Bocking, BlackBerry's executive vice president of BBM, said, "This has been an incredible launch for BBM across Android and iPhone devices. The mobile messaging market is full of opportunity for BBM. We intend to be the leading private social network for everyone who needs the immediate communication and collaboration of instant messaging combined with the privacy, control and reliability delivered through BBM."


He added: "While we’re excited to bring BBM to iPhone and Android – we aren’t stopping there. Work isn’t slowing down at all. We committed to delivering a BBM experience on iPhone and Android that was equal to that on BlackBerry 10. That means bringing BBM Video, BBM Voice and BBM Channels to Android and iPhone customers too.


"My team is still committed to bringing those features to BBM on Android and iPhone in the near future. And we’re not stopping there – we have some great new features planned that will build on BBM as the private social network you count on for immediate conversations you can control and trust."


BlackBerry officially launched BBM for iPhone and Android

After much ado, BlackBerry has finally confirmed the release details of BBM for Android and iPhone. The IM application is now available for download inside Google Play And Apple’s App Store.


BBM for Android and iPhone was downloaded by five million users within the first eight hours of its release, @BBM has confirmed.
Next 5 million in line - your turn! Open up BBM and click "I got the email" to get started on #BBM right away!
— BBM (@BBM) October 22, 2013


BBM now inside Google Play & App Store

BlackBerry confirmed the rollout would begin yesterday evening. Here’s the company’s official statement:

“I am thrilled to tell you that we are about to officially resume our rollout of BBM for Android and iPhone customers around the globe!* In the next few hours, people will start seeing BBM in Google Play, the App Store and in select Samsung App Stores – where it will be free to download,” wrote Andrew Bocking on the official BlackBerry Blog.


Around six million people signed up for email updates on BBM.com, according to Bocking. And to ensure this rollout goes more smoothly than the last one, BlackBerry has implemented the following roll out schedule:

• Download BBM – the easiest way is to visit BBM.com from your Android or iPhone browser
• Once you install the app, open it, and enter your email address to hold your spot in line
• We will email you as soon as you reach the front of the line and can start using BBM


Users that signed up for email alerts from BBM.com can download and start using the application straight away. But if you didn’t sign up for alerts –– and this is the kicker –– you’ll have to wait for BlackBerry to activate your account.
“If you didn’t sign up in advance, don’t worry – we are focused on moving millions of customers through the line as fast as possible,” added Bocking.


Once you’re email has reached the front of the queue you’ll receive an email from BlackBerry and you can then –– and only then –– begin using BBM.


Excerpts from http://www.knowyourmobile.com/blackberry/20380/bbm-android-iphone-its-finally-here

BlackBerry 'working non-stop' to fix BBM for Android, iPhone rollout issues

IBNLive.com | Updated Sep 23, 2013 New Delhi

BlackBerry says its "teams are working non-stop" to fix the botched BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) for Android and iPhone launch that was scheduled last weekend. "We will provide you an update on timing as soon as we can," says the latest tweet on the official BBM Twitter account (@BBM).

The much-awaited global rollout of BlackBerry's BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) app for Android and iPhone was stopped by BlackBerry citing technical issues. While the BBM for iPhone rollout began on schedule on Sunday from New Zealand and also was available to Indian users, the Android app's availability kept on getting delayed. BBM for Android was scheduled to arrive on the Google Play Store at 4:30 PM IST (7 AM EDT) on Saturday.

After more than 12 hours of BBM for Android's scheduled availability time, Inside BlackBerry, the official BlackBerry blog, put the blame for the delay on "an unreleased version of the BBM for Android app" that was posted online. According to BlackBerry, "more than 1.1 million active users in the first 8 hours without even launching the official Android app." BlackBerry \'working non-stop\' to fix BBM for Android, iPhone rollout issues The global rollout of BlackBerry's BBM for Android and iPhone was put on hold citing technical issues.

BlackBerry says it was the user eagerness in getting BBM on their non-BlackBerry phones that led to some issues. "Consequently, this unreleased version caused issues, which we have attempted to address throughout the day," the post by BlackBerry's Business Social Media Manager Luke Reimer said.

As a result the unreleased Android app will be disabled and BlackBerry has stopped, for now, the global roll-out of BBM for Android and iPhone. Those who have downloaded the BBM for iPhone from the Apple App Store, will however be able to continue to use BBM.

For now, the BBM for Android and iPhone has been put on hold until further notice but no new availability date and time has yet been provided. "These issues have not impacted BBM service for BlackBerry," BlackBerry assures.

The BBM launch debacle is only the latest in the long list of recent BlackBerry woes. The Waterloo, Ontario-based BlackBerry, once Canada's premier technology company, said it expects to book a $930 million to $960 million writedown in its fiscal second quarter owing to a ballooning stockpile of unsold BlackBerry Z10 devices.

BlackBerry had bet much of its future on the popularity of the Z10 touchscreen device - the first of the smartphones to be powered by its new BlackBerry 10 operating system. While the device drew favorable reviews, it has failed to gain traction among consumers since its introduction earlier this year. For the second quarter, the company expects to have sold about 3.7 million BlackBerry smartphones to end users.

The company, which had warned that job cuts were in the offing, plans to shed 4,500 jobs. BlackBerry has already undergone a major round of job cuts over the last 12 months. It employed 12,700 people as of March, and once had close to 20,000 employees.

BlackBerry is also considering putting itself up for sale. The BlackBerry board has formed a special committee to explore "strategic alternatives" in hopes of enhancing the company's value and boosting adoption of its BlackBerry 10 platform. The company said its options could also include joint ventures, partnerships, or other moves.

The BlackBerry, pioneered in 1999, had been the dominant smartphone for on-the-go business people and other consumers before Apple debuted the iPhone in 2007 and showed that phones can handle much more than email and phone calls. In the years since, BlackBerry has since been hammered by competition from the iPhone as well as Android-based rivals.

Source: http://ibnlive.in.com/news/blackberry-working-nonstop-to-fix-bbm-for-android-iphone-rollout-issues/423936-11.html

Finally, Blackberry Messenger Is Coming To Android And iPhone This Weekend

Thursday, Sep 19, 2013
by DNA Web Team

The BBM app will be available for devices running Android 4.0 and up, or iOS 6 and iOS 7. It will allow Android and iOS users to communicate with BlackBerry owners.

BlackBerry's popular BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) instant chat application will be available for Google's Android and Apple's iPhone this weekend, the company said.

Rumours about the app coming to Android and iPhone started in June. The app will be available for devices running Android 4.0 and up, or iOS 6 and iOS 7. It will allow Android and iOS users to communicate with BlackBerry owners.

BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) is a proprietary Internet-based instant messenger and videotelephony application included on BlackBerry devices that allows messaging (and videocalls for BlackBerry 10 smartphones) between BlackBerry users. BBM currently has more than 60 million monthly active customers on BlackBerry alone, and the overwhelming majority use BBM an average of 90 minutes per day.

The news comes in the wake of other rumours that Blackberry could fire 40% of its staff. This comes at a time that the company is suffering heavy losses from its failed PlayBook tablet and a fading popularity in the smartphone market.

BBM for Android and iPhone features:
BBM Chat – Enjoy real, immediate conversations with friends on Android, iPhone and BlackBerry smartphones. Not only does BBM let you know that your message has been delivered and read, it also shows you that your friend is responding to the message.

More than chat – With BBM you can share files on your phone such as photos and voice notes, all in an instant.

Keep your group in the loop – Multi-person chats are a great way to invite contacts to chat together. BBM Groups lets you invite up to 30 friends to chat together, and go a step further than multi-chat by sharing photos and schedules. And, with Broadcast Message, you can send a message out to all your BBM contacts at once.

Post Updates and stay in the know – BBM lets you post a personal message, profile picture and your current status, and lets your contacts know instantly in Updates.

Your unique PIN – Every BBM user has a unique PIN that maintains your privacy, so you don’t have to give out your phone number or email address to a new or casual contact.

Availability: BBM will be available as a free download for Android smartphones running Ice Cream Sandwich and Jelly Bean (Android 4.x) beginning at 7AM EDT on September 21. BBM for iPhones running iOS 6 and iOS 7 will become available for each market on the App Store schedule of 12:01 AM local time on September 22.

You can download the app from the BBM website: http://www.bbm.com

ASUS Eee PC X101 One of the Cheapest Laptops in the Market (Price ₦33,917 - ₦40,000) & Other Cheap Laptops

Pros: Sleek white design; Intuitive MeeGo OS; Vibrant display
Cons: Small keys; Some performance lag; Short battery life; Just 8GB of memory
The Verdict: The MeeGo OS-powered ASUS Eee PC X101 offers extreme portability and a fresh interface for ₦32,142, but the cramped keyboard and short battery life give us pause.

REVIEW
SPECIFICATIONS

ASUS is attempting to breathe new life into the netbook market with the ₦32,142 ASUS Eee PC X101 netbook. Offering portability, deep social networking integration, and MeeGo, an operating system optimized for netbooks and smartphones, the X101 is an inexpensive option for Facebookers and Tweeters with light productivity needs. Ultimately, this netbook's biggest competition isn't higher-priced netbooks but value-priced tablets. Read on to see how well this unique clamshell performs.

Design:

The ASUS Eee PC X101 is a vision in white. The matte white plastic lid has a textured pattern reminiscent of canvas, with a chrome ASUS logo resting in the center (see below). The netbook's interior completes the all-white aesthetic with a canvas pattern displayed on the palm rest and the top of the deck.
The 10.1-inch display is surrounded by a glossy white bezel, while the keyboard deck sits in a solid white matte panel. Aside from the thin strip of blue light surrounding the power button and the blue special function symbols on the keyboard keys, the X101 has few contrasting accents. The X101 is also available in black.

We barely noticed the 2 pound, 10.3 x 7.1 x 0.7-inch netbook in our messenger bag. Windows-powered netbooks, such as the HP Mini 1103 (2.8 pounds, 0.9 inches thick) and the Samsung NC110 (2.6 pounds, 0.9 inches), are thicker and heavier.

Keyboard and Clickpad:

We found it difficult to type on the X101's island-style keyboard. Despite the generous spacing between the keys with rounded corners, their small size--including an extremely undersized right Shift and Backspace keys--made it too easy to miss the mark. Feedback on the keyboard was slightly mushy, and there was a noticeable amount of keyboard flex.

The 3 x 2.25-inch Clickpad offered enough space to maneuver around, and it provided strong feedback for left and right clicks. However, we had difficulty scrolling and selecting individual lines of text. We also noticed that our palms repeatedly came in contact with the clickpad, causing the cursor to skip while typing.

Display and Audio:

The ASUS Eee PC X101's 10.1-inch 1024 x 600 resolution screen was moderately bright, achieving clear, vibrant images. Text on CNN.com and Laptopmag.com was sharp and clear, but watching video was a mixed bag. We saw deep rich reds and golds in the 480p YouTube videos of The Immortals and The Three Musketeers, but when we attempted to view the trailers in 720 and 1080p we noticed severe pixelation as well as long periods of buffering.
The X101 won't receive any awards for its audio performance. Located on the bottom of the unit, the netbook's speakers were unable to fill a small room. When we listened to Wilson Pickett's "Land of 1,000 Dances," we heard a clear and sufficiently loud vocals. The horns and guitar were equally clear, but we noticed that the X101 couldn't compete with background noise.

Ports and Webcam:

A USB 2.0 port sits on the right side of the Eee PC X101, as does a microSD slot, a combination microphone/headphone jack, and a secure lock slot. Another USB 2.0 slot and the power jack are found on the left. We were able to connect and use mice, flash drives, and external hard drives to the X101 with ease. The X101's 0.3-megapixel webcam delivered bright images, but we noticed a fair amount of graininess despite attempting to make adjustments in the settings panel.

Setup:

Getting started on the X101 is pretty fast and intuitive. After a 25-second boot, it took about 10 minutes to get everything up and running. Aside from installing DropBox and OpenOffice and reading and accepting software user agreements, most of our time was spent signing into our social networking outlets including Facebook, Flickr, Google Talk, and Twitter. We also added an e-mail account and calendar, as well as created a couple of To-Do lists.

MeeGo User Interface:

At first glance, the MeeGo OS will look and feel quite foreign to those of us used to Windows or Mac OS. Instead of a traditional desktop, MeeGo takes us to MyZone, an interactive hub with a major focus on social networking. However, after a few minutes of use, we found MyZone intuitive and easy to use.
The MeeGo UI displayed our Twitter and Facebook feeds on the home screen via two large, dedicated widgets that updated every few seconds. A set of icons including ASUS App Store, DropBox, E-mail, Messenger, and sit in a 3 x 3 grid in the top-left corner. Panels for Appointments and Tasks and an Unread Messages prompt sit directly below the icon widgets. The right side of the hub displayed a few of our most recent activities (i.e. web surfing, videos, images) in three large squares comprised of an image and title.

To navigate MeeGo, you use a toolbar located on the top of the screen that can be accessed by mousing over it or hitting the Home icon key on the keyboard. The bar displays eight out of 10 icons that grant access to various parts of the interface. When we needed to access all our open pages, we used the Zones icon, which kept a running tab of all open web browsers documents, images, and media.

Media:

Clicking the Media icon on the X101 took us to a stripped-down media manager where we could view and play our audio tracks, podcasts, video, and radio stations using Banshee Media Player. We used the Amazon MP3 Store to add more tracks and Internet Archive digital library for audiobooks, concerts, and lectures. To add new radio stations and podcasts, we simply went to each category and clicked on the "Add Station" or "Subscribe to Podcast" option in the top nav bar, added a description and the URL, and hit save.

People:

The People hub is where you can instant message using an all-in-one client that supports Google Talk, Facebook messenger, and AIM . When we received a message and weren't on the People page, a medium-sized conversation bubble with the message flashed in the bottom-right corner, and a small flashing icon would pop up in the lower left-hand corner to indicate we had a new message. We used the Status page to toggle between status updates on all of our social networks.

Web:

The Internet option launches the Chromium web browser, where we could install useful web apps such as Gmail Offline and Google Reader. When we came across one of our favorite poems, we highlighted the entire piece and copied it. From there, it automatically pasted to the Pasteboard, MeeGo's answer to the Clipboard, which saved us a few seconds. We downloaded a variety of productivity and diversionary widgets on the Gadgets page.

However, we encountered difficulty when we attempted to download the Solar System and Tree Frog widgets. Instead of loading the apps to the Gadget board, the green add button turned red with an error message or just remained inactive. We also found that programs that offer feed-based widgets, such as Daily Horoscope and Romantic Quote of Day, couldn't load even after we deleted and reloaded them.

Apps:

Clicking Applications in the top nav bar took us to a page where all of our apps downloaded from the ASUS App Store were organized into a number of categories, including Games, Media, Office, and System Tools. We liked having the ability to switch out the apps displayed in the app box in MyZone by clicking on the little pin located next to the app icon.

Devices and Settings:

The Devices page on the X101 lets you access USB connected peripherals, as well as files and system settings. It took less than a second for the netbook to recognize our external hard drive and list it under the Other Devices panel. From there we could open, edit, delete, or copy files. The file manager was very simple, with rudimentary icons representing our files. With no Microsoft Office installed, we relied on OpenOffice to open our Word and Excel documents. A separate image viewer handles photos.

Similar to a traditional OS, the Your Computer panel allowed us to access the data we stored on the X101's 8GB of storage. The panel was broken out into six folders: Documents, Downloads, Music, Pictures, Videos, and Trash. The Status & Settings panel displayed battery life, storage used, volume, and display brightness. Clicking the All Settings button in the panel gave us access to a number of settings including System Info, Wallpaper and Fonts, Email Settings, Printing, Network Proxy, and Keyboard.

Performance:

Powered by a 1.33-GHz Intel Atom N435 CPU with 1GB of RAM, the ASUS X101 has just enough performance and speed to handle all your social networking, web surfing, and light productivity needs. While we were able to run nine to 10 apps in MeeGo OS, one of which was a Chromium web browser with six open tabs, video took a major hit with jerky playback on YouTube at full screen. 720p video did not run well even as the only tab.

Overall, using MeeGo OS is an easy and intuitive experience. The stripped-down presentation made apps and files easily to locate and manage. Our biggest complaint is the time it took to switch between apps (a little clock appears to let you know when you're going to wait). There were quite a few instances where it took upwards of five seconds to switch between tabs. On a few occasions, the OS froze, forcing us the reboot the netbook.

Battery Life:

ASS claims that in optimal settings, the X101 should offer up to 4 hours battery life. In our tests, which involved continuous web surfing coupled with social networking and streaming music from Slacker Radio, we got 3 hours and 25 minutes of battery life from the netbook. The HP Mini 1103 and the Samsung NC110 easily outlasted the X101, clocking in 8:27 and 7:08, respectively.

Configurations and Support:

The ₦32,142 ASUS Eee PC comes bundled with a 1.33-GHz Intel Atom N435 CPU with 1GB of RAM, an 8GB SSD, and an Intel GMA 3150 GPU. The X101 has a 1-year global warranty with 24/7 tech support.

Verdict:

The ASUS Eee PC X101 is a sleek and ultra-light netbook with an engaging and intuitive interface. We also like how the MeeGo OS puts social networking front and center. However, we were turned off by the cramped keyboard, sluggish performance, and short battery life. Yes, ₦32,142 is cheap, but you can get a better-equipped Windows netbook with much more storage and endurance for just ₦4,845 more.

RELATED CHEAP LAPTOPS:

Samsung NC110 Price as Reviewed ₦46,678
Toshiba mini NB255 (N245) Price as Reviewed ₦48,293
Acer Aspire One D260 Price as Reviewed ₦48,293
Dell Inspiron Mini 10 (T-Mobile) Price as Reviewed ₦32,142
HP Mini 311 (Verizon Wireless) Price as Reviewed ₦32,142


You will find any of the aforementioned products here in Nigeria on web stores like Konga – http://www.konga.com , Jumia – http://www.jumia.com.ng and DealDey - http://www.dealdey.com . You will also find them in some local Computer/PC stores around you here in Nigeria.

What 'k' means in Monetary Terms and Other Terms

The abbreviation, K, comes from the Greek " χίλιοι " ("khilioi"), KILO, which means thousand.

So,
* one kilogram is 1,000 grams
* one kilometer is 1,000 meters
* one kilowatt is 1,000 watts
* one kilojoule is 1,000 joules
* one K is one thousand dollars, or $1,000

So, if a guitar is "two K" that means it costs two thousand dollars. Five K would be five thousand dollars, and so on. Hope this helps.5k would mean 5, 000 because k means a thousand. 5 times 1, 000 is equal to 5 thousand Dollars, Pounds sterling, Naira, and so on.

There are lots of other abbreviations for money. Fin, c note, etc. Check out this link for some other money references:

http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=87922

What JAMB Cut-off Really Means

So many candidates were very excited with the announcement of the 2013 JAMB cut-off marks. The official cut off marks for All Universities were pegged at 180 and other institutions, polytechnics and colleges of Education (COE) were placed at 150.

While we're not trying to dash hopes for any candidate, we're only trying to state the facts based on experiences we have had in the past.

When JAMB places cut-off marks, they are only placing a benchmark on which no institution should go below. This is usually done to uphold the standard of education in the country. This simply means that for the University cut-off mark of 180, no university is supposed to admit any student who scored below 180. It however does not mean that the university does not have the right to set a higher cut-off than the benchmark given by JAMB. Same applies to polytechnics, COEs and other institutions that have been given 150 and above.

In the past, it has been noticed that despite the agreed cut-off of 180, most prominent universities have always placed cut-offs on 200 and above for Post-UTME Screening for admission into the institution or for Engineering or Medical faculties. While this may seem unfair, we believe it's basically a way to curtail the number of candidates and resources to be spent in conducting the exam, while still trying to get the best students. In actual fact, IT IS WRONG FOR UNIVERSITIES TO DO THIS

The initial reason for introduction of Post-UTME was to actually "Re-Check" those with high marks and expose them if indeed they had actually cheated in JAMB's UTME. This process is supposed to give everyone a level playing ground using the internal security of the institutions conducting post-UTME. In the past, it was noticed that the number of candidates who scored between 180 and 220 in JAMB actually did better in the Post-UTME than those with 230 and above in UTME. Hence the relevance of Post-UTME. Having explained this, all Universities should be encouraged to call all students from 180 and above to their post-UTME screening and should not delay the dreams of bright students by cutting 200.

With the recent improvement in JAMB's system of curbing exam malpractice, this may seem to undermine the relevance of the Post-UTME. But what can Myschool say? If a student can use his brains to score high marks in JAMB, then he should be able to replicate such performance in the Post-UTME.

Via MySchool.com.ng

SCHOOL FEES OF TOP PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES IN NIGERIA

List of top Private Universities Tuition Fees in Nigeria just incase, JAMB/UTME is not working for you, you can try out any of these private universities provided you can afford their fees.

American University Of Nigeria = ₦1,590,000

Achievers University, Owo = ₦420, 000

Adeleke University, Ede = ₦350,000.00

Ajayi Crowder University = ₦500,000

Babcock University = ₦620,000

Benson Idahosa = ₦500,000

Bowen University, Iwo = ₦750,000

Covenant University = ₦432,000

Crawford University = ₦480,000

Novena University = ₦400,000

Igbinedion University Okada = ₦643,000

Joseph Ayo Babalola University = ₦436,000

Lead City University = ₦550,500

Obong University Nigeria = ₦190,000

Oduduwa University = ₦164,000 Naira

Rhema University = ₦325,000

Redeemer’s University = ₦571,000

Caleb University = ₦505,000

Afe Babalola University = ₦690,000


Source - Collegemarket.com.ng

Google search results are 5 times safer than Bing's

by Daniel Ionescu


Bing just got served a piece of its own Scroogle pie, after an independent study found that Microsoft’s search engine delivers malware-infested websites in its results at nearly five times the rate of Google.

Researchers at the AV-Test security institute in Germany spent 18 months investigating more than 40 million websites delivered as search engine results in order to gauge which search sites include pages infected by malware or phishing attacks. Its findings [PDF] are flattering for Google, but not so much for Bing.

According to the study, out of 20 million websites provided by Google and Bing in equal part, 272 Google results contained malware, while Bing delivered almost five times as many infected websites: 1285 poisoned pages. In the overall ranking, however, Russian search engine Yandex delivered the most malware results, almost ten times more than Google.

“If we factor in the fact that Google processes around 2 to 3 billion search requests every day, however, it becomes clear that hundreds of thousands of infected websites are delivered to users on a daily basis,” Markus Selinger from AV-Test concluded in the report, which found a total of 5000 potential pieces of malware throughout the testing period.


AV-Test security

Protecting your searches

It sounds like a lot of malware is lurking in search engine results, but in context, the numbers might not be that significant. Based on the figures from AV-Test, if out of 10,921,207 Google results 272 are malware, this means just 0.0025 percent of Google results may be compromised. Considering that Google processes billions of searches daily, the number of users exposed increases exponentially—but your search engine's filter is not your only line of defense.

Browsers also provide a level of security to search engine results, as all major browsers are equipped with a phishing and malware site blacklist filter. NSS Labs regularly compares the phishing protection in browsers, and found the average rate of phishing site detection is above 90 percent for Firefox, with Chrome peaking at 94 percent, followed by Internet Explorer 10 with 92 percent, and Safari at 91 percent.

Aside from your browser, using a good antivirus program will also help keep your computer safe from phishing and malware. Similar to how NSS Labs tests browser security, AV-Test inspects all the available antivirus solutions and measures how well they protect users, as well as performance and usability. You can view the latest test results here, which indicate antivirus software averages a 92.5 percent detection rate.

The key, which AV-Test also points out, is to keep your browser and antivirus software of choice up to date as well, as many of the vulnerabilities detected normally target outdated browsers, add-ons and extensions.

Culled from PC World

How you can make millions gathering waste in Lagos

By Cosmas Omegoh

For those who earnestly want to be millionaires, Lagos is the preferred destination. Many residents of the city may find this strange to believe.

But again, the message has been handed out: You can become a millionaire easily just by packing waste! Indeed, it’s now easy to become very rich by merely gathering pure water sachets, plastic bottles and other ‘useless’ items. Those items that many in Lagos ignorantly cast aside are increasingly becoming money-spinners to many of the city’s folks.

The Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) is dishing out cool cash to many who now gather waste at streets corners, accumulate them and bring them forth for sale. Daily Sun gathered that this thriving business has been on for quite a while without many knowing it. Those who were actively involved in it were being passed off as unserious scavengers.

But not anymore, as many are now going into the business. This came to the open recently when the Department of Geography, University of Lagos, and LAWMA collaborated to stage a national conference on recycling, with the theme, Recycling: A Succour to Climate Change.

Present on that day was the Head of Department of Geography, Professor Samuel Iyiola Oni, who was the event’s convener. Also there was Mrs. A A Jijoho-Ogun, LAWMA’s General Manager, Administration, who represented the Managing Director, Mr. Ola Oresanya.

There was also Mrs. Juliana Guwan, Director, Marine Environment of Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety (NIMASA), who represented the, Director General, Zikade Patrick Akpobolokemi. Both women presented papers on the theme of the conference. One Professor Taiwo represented the Lagos State Transport Authority (LAMATA), just as there were representations from aviation and other sectors of the economy. Various agencies and private individuals with strong interest in the environment were in attendance.

And from the UNILAG community, there were Professors L.O. Oyekunle, HOD, Chemical Engineering; Nwokoma, Dean of Social Sciences; Nwachukwu, Dean of Sciences; Solomon Akinboye, HOD, Political Science, Ademola Omojola; Dr. Olayinka Coker of the health services and many more. Apart from the students of the institution, primary and secondary school students, who were interested in the environment also attended. The event held at Julius Berger Hall in the institution.

Various speakers jolted everyone with the telling truth that every passing day, emerging facts show that humans, more than ever before, are under severe threat of the environment.

The environment is blazing with anger because humans have continued to violate it. Many people keep hurting the earth without knowing how. Such people are unfazed that, the motor tyres, the bush and the wastes they burn, those vehicles speeding down the highways, leaving thick, black smoke on their trail are slowly and steadily eroding a blanket which shields the fury of the sun from the earth.

Consequently, the earth is increasingly being heated up. Huge ice sheets, which for ages were lying at the north and south poles, are now melting and releasing huge volumes of water into the oceans.

The conference noted that experts are shouting themselves hoax, warning that every bad environmental practice has been contributing to global warming and everyone needs to work hard to save the earth.

But unfortunately, only few people are listening. The other clear message was that those sachets of pure water and other refuse that many Nigerians gleefully dump indiscriminately, especially in the urban areas, all have huge potentials to harm. Both the Federal and state governments have been warning that such wastes block drainage channels. And once the rains come down pouring in heavy sheets, flood waters are obstructed by the accumulated rubbish, leaving everyone and every property at risk. In Lagos and other urban communities in the country for instance, the impacts of flood in the recent past were quite devastating.

So, in a move to stave off this ugly development, Lagos State government through LAWMA launched its Buy-Back Project. Men, women and children are all in it. In this project, LAWMA buys one kilogramme of nylon bags for N30, one kilogramme of papers for N5 while one kilogramme of plastic bottles goes for N25. Many are scrambling to key into the business. Mrs Jijoho-Ogun disclosed that LAWMA wanted many more people to join the emerging trade by either going to their offices or calling their toll-free lines for inquiry. “With this, we are working for a cleaner environment,” she said.

“We are encouraging more people in various communities to join so that we can leave the city free of waste. We are not asking our distinguished professors to leave their academics and join the Buy-Back Project, but they can contributing in various ways to help us realise this,” she added. She also told the audience what LAWMA had been doing and the strategies it had been employing to realise a better Lagos.

According to her, some organisations in Lagos including LAWMA, have been buying and recycling some of the rubbish generated in the city to make nylon plastic bags and other products and urged residents to patronise the PSP operators within their areas. In her presentation, Mrs Guwan described recycling as “the process of converting waste or discarded materials into new usable products for the benefit of humanity.”

She noted that the process could reduce environmental degradation through air, water and land pollution, adding that “it has been identified as a modern waste reduction strategy across the globe. She recalled that long before now, the slogan was “waste to waste, but now it is waste to wealth.”

While recounting the strategies her agency had been using to combat climate change, she said recycling was important and urged Nigerians to endeavour to put their waste in the right places for proper disposal. Dr Coker recalled that anytime waste was left in the open, it decomposes and emits methane gases, carbon dioxide and carbon mono oxide. She said the impact of global warming leaves everyone with medical condition such as rashes, stoke as well as psychological problems.

Speaker after speaker, including Professor Taiwo Oyekunle commended the Department of Geography for the initiative, stating that the event was engaging as it was illuminating.

In his response, Professor Oni recalled that the consequences of climate change had been unprecedented in recent times on the Nigerian society, hence the move to consider ways to mitigate the dangers of the phenomenon. Dr Emmanuel Ege, a lecturer in the department of Geography told Daily Sun that the conference “was in line with global best practices whereby universities are involved in investigations into things that have to do with climate change and recycling is one of them,” adding that it was the responsibility of university to show the way through research and investigations.

He said the conference was simply timely. He regretted that waste was still indiscriminately being dumped in the urban areas and said the conference would come up with recommendations that would define the phenomenon in the university and the country.

LAWMA Contact Details:

LAWMA Headquarters
Iddo - Yard, Ijora, Lagos
018538601 07063033310
info@lawma.gov.ng
Toll Free Lines: 5577, 07055893400, 07080601020

Source: Daily Sun

TIPS FOR CREATING AND LAUNCHING AN EBOOK PUBLISHING BUSINESS

Here are some of my top tips for creating and launching an eBook , so you can
take the confusion out of the process and start writing!

• Write and hire an editor. The first step when creating your eBook is to
simply sit down and write it. Decide on the problem you’ll help your audience
solve, then write in a voice similar to how you blog, conversationally, not stiff.
The length of the completed document depends on your topic, audience and
writing style; write until you’ve covered all the important information, then
trim the excess.

Hiring an editor will help you tighten up the content — and if you want to be
perceived as a professional, don’t skip this step. Eat the costs, because you’re
going to make good money off this eBook anyhow, right?

• Choose a format. You want your PDF eBook to look appealing on both an ereader
and a computer screen. So don’t think in terms of oldschool
book formats. Favour easy to read, large font and plenty of visually friendly white
space. Notice the details in eBooks by other writers — the appearance of their header
and footer, the location of page numbers, etc. — and incorporate those effective
presentations into your own work.

• Decide on a price and platform. Because this is a relatively new medium,
there’s no magic formula for figuring out how to price your work. While prices
vary, informational eguides often cost more than traditional books. It’s not
unusual to see them priced at $19, $29, $49 or more. Research your niche, ask
for feedback and settle on what feels right.

From there, decide whether you’ll sell your eBook straight from your website or
use a distributor like Amazon.com or Smashwords.com. If you sell from your own site, you keep all the profits, which sound pretty great, right? The challenge is that you’ll need a decentsized platform to do this successfully.
If you use Amazon or Smashwords , you’ll cast a wider net, but they’ll take a cut of your sales. That means the decision comes down to a few factors: the size of your audience, how much you’re selling your eBook for and how you feel about sharing the
proceeds.

• Consider PayPal and E-junkie if you sell your eBook yourself. If you opt to sell your book straight from your own site or blog rather than use a distributor, consider using PayPal (www.paypal.com) and E-junkie (www.e-junkie.com) to make the e-commerce process automatic. E-junkie costs only $5/month initially, routes your sales through PayPal and sends your eBook to buyers automatically. It also offers an affiliate option, which lets other bloggers earn a commission for selling your products. At least 33 percent commission is standard, and many authors offer 50 percent.

Besides PayPal, you can also use any one of the following payment processors with E-junkie. If you like you can combine E-junkie with one or more payment processors to offer buyers a choice of checkout methods. The payment processors you can use with E-junkie besides PayPal are:

- Google Checkout - https://checkout.google.com/


- 2CheckOut - www.2checkout.com (Buy Now buttons only, not for cart checkouts)
- ClickBank - www.clickbank.com (Buy Now buttons only, not for cart checkouts)
- TrialPay - www.trialpay.com

Payment processors act as a "middleman" where the buyer actually pays the payment processor, and then the payment processor pays you.

E-junkie, on the other hand, provides shopping cart and buy now buttons to let you sell downloads and tangible goods on your website, blog, eBay, MySpace, Google Base, CraigsList and other websites using PayPal Payments Standard, PayPal Payments Advanced, PayPal Payments Pro, PayPal Payflow Pro, Google Checkout, Authorize.Net, TrialPay, ClickBank and 2CheckOut.

For merchants selling downloads, E-junkie automates and secures the digital delivery of files and codes. If you are selling tangible goods, E-junkie automates the shipping calculation and inventory management. Their shopping cart has a built in sales tax, VAT, packaging and shipping cost calculator.

With E-junkie you can sell ebooks, sell mp3 tracks and albums, sell software, icons, fonts, artwork, phone cards, event tickets, cds, posters, books, t-shirts and almost everything else you want to sell.

E-junkie has no transaction limit, no bandwidth limit, no setup fee and no transaction fee.

• Promote! Once your eBook is written, formatted and ready to see the world,
it’s time to create a promotion plan . Approach bloggers with big platforms and
ask for reviews, Q&As or guest posts, keeping in mind that you’ll have to
actually write the guest posts you promise.

Use your network! Keep track of the people you pitch and their responses in a
Google Doc. If you do this properly, you’ll be able to remember everyone who’s
helping spread the word about your book and thank them accordingly.

• Offer prelaunch discounts and bonuses. If you have a solid email list, offer
your subscribers a discount to show your appreciation for their support and
make some sales in the process. And give people who purchase your eBook a
little something extra that they’re not expecting, like a discount on another
product from you or an affiliate. It’s always a good idea to sweeten the pot,
right?

Writing and launching an eBook may seem like a daunting process, but it
doesn’t have to be. If you know the rights steps to take throughout the process,
you’ll get your book out into the world in no time – and make some money while
you’re at it.

2013 Update: Lists Of Nigerian Universities and Polytechnics and Their Respective School Fees [as at March 27, 2013]

This is the current school fees of various Nigerian higher institutions as compiled by the Liveschoolnews team.

This should be an essential prerequisite for candidates who want to choose schools in their upcoming JAMB Exam. The Liveschoolnews team deems it necessary to inform all JAMB candidates, in order to help them select the schools with the fees they can afford.

APOLOGIES: Kindly forgive us if your school did not get a mention here or if we have made any error herein, space and time won't permit us to put every higher institution in Nigeria in the list. Any error could also be as a result of an oversight on our part. We would appreciate your comments and corrections in the Comments section of this page.

Below is the list of Nigerian higher institutions and their respective school fees:

1.) KWARAPOLY : INDIGENE – N28,000 NON INDEGENE – N44,000

2.) LAUTECH : INDIGENE = 65,000 - NON INDEGENE = N72,500 (STAYLITE – 300L UPWARD = N40,000 to N50,000)

3.) AAUA : = N24,500 UNIBEN : FRESHERS = N45,000 (STAYLITE SCIENCE = N14,000, STAYLITE ART = N12,000)

4.) UNICAL : = N28,000

5.) FUTO : = N48,300 to N49,000

6.) ILARO : = N32,550

7.) AAU := N140,000

8.) KSU :- FRESHERS = N37,500 (200L- N26,600, 300L - N15,500)

9.) FUTMINNA :- FRESHERS – N37,000 (RETURNING STUDENTS - N20,000)

10.) FEDPOLY ILORA = N59,530

11.) NSUK :- N29,000

12.) MAPOLY :- INDIGENE = N57,000, NON-INDIGENE = N62,000 (It varies with the respective department. Some students pay N75,000)

13.) UNN = N50,000

14.) TASUED = N94,000

15.) OSUSTECH = INDIGENE = N100,000, NON-INDIGENE – N150,000

16.) PLASU = INDIGENE = N50,000, NON-INDIGENE = N100, 000OAU = N60,000 (faculty – N12,000, it depends on faculty, but the highest is not more than 15,000)

17.) FUTA :- FRESHERS = N49,000 (RETURNING = N14,150)UNIZIK = FRESHERS – N20,100 (RETURNING – N21,000)

18.) OSUN POLY = N25,500

19.) FEDPOFFA = N17,000

20.) OOU :- FRESHERS = N110,000 to N250,000 (STAYLITE - N42,000 UPWARD)

21.) ABIA POLY : = N56,550 and N61,000, (DEPENDING ON THE DEPARTMENT.)

22.) BUK := N16,000

23.) ABU ZARIA = N23,000, DIPLOMA – N41,000

24.) ANSU = 100L = N139,000, 200L – N129,000, 300L – N106,000, 400L AND 500L – N76,000

25.) LEAD CITY UNI = N590,000

26.) KSUTA = FRESHERS – N80,000, RETURNING STUDENTS – N53,000

27.) FUNAAB = FRESHERS – N24,000+ (STAYLITE – N14,000)

28.) FEDPOLY NEKEDE = ND1 – N31,000, ND2 = N24,000

29.) MOUAU = N33,500

30.) FUOYE = N102,000

31.) RUFUS GIWA POLY = N70,000

32.) FEDPOLY ADO = FRESHERS – N22,000 (STAYLITE-11,000)

33.) I.M.T ENUGU = N49,300

34.) UNIABUJA = N32,500

35.) IMSU = N75,000 AS ACCEPTANCE FEE,

36.) OSPEL IREE = N25,600

37.) IMSU = INDIGENE – N120,000 (I thought Gov. Rochas Okorocha gave Scholarships to the indigenes) , NON-INDIGENE – N150,000

38.) POLYIBADAN = N75,000

39.) UNIOSUN = N95000

40.) LASU = IS BTW N195,000 AND N310,000.

41.) OYO STATE COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE = INDIGENE = N47,250, NON-INDIGENE = N52,250

42.) EKITI STATE UNIVERSITY (EKSU) = REGULAR = N77,500, PART TIME = N78,000

43.) UNILORIN = FRESHER = N34,000 TO 37,000, (400L – N14,900, 300L – N15400, 200L- N16000).

44.) ABSU = N150,000

45.) ESUT = INDIGENE AND NON-INDIGENE, 100L, 200L – N122,250 (300L- N102,000, 400L – N67,000 respectively)

46.) RSUST = INDIGENE = N20,200 NON – INDIGENE = N70,200

47.) ODUDUWA UNIVERSITY = N356,000

48.) DORBEN POLYTECHNIC, ABUJA = FULL TIME = N176,000, PART TIME = N#220,000

49.) CRUTECH CALABAR = N83,000

50.) IMOPOLY = ND = N30,000 HND = N40,000


Adapted from: http://www.medianigeria.com/18764/2013-update-lists-of-nigerian-universities-polytechnics-and-their-school-fees/

ONLINE DEGREES WITH UNIVERSITY OF ROEHAMPTON AND LAUREATE ONLINE EDUCATION – WITH PAYMENT PLANS DESIGNED TO HELP YOU MAKE PAYMENT FOR YOUR EDUCATION THAT BIT EASIER

The University of Roehampton is proud to launch a suite of online degrees in partnership with Laureate Online Education. Delivered fully online, the courses are provided in flexible, interactive virtual classrooms that allow you to manage your studies in a way that fits your personal and professional lives.

• MBA
In a dynamic global environment, organisations require exceptional leaders who can harness a diverse range of skills to balance the analytical and intuitive dimensions of management.
The course seeks to equip you with skills of strategic analysis and action in the context of contemporary organisations. Embedded in this is the concept of the development of the inquiring professional to challenge and extend knowledge and practice in management.

• MSc Information Systems Management
Information Systems (IS) enable organisations to embrace innovative technologies for achieving strategic objectives and competitive advantage. The course seeks to equip you with critical management skills to meet the challenges associated with dynamic business environments, which are increasingly dependent on the effective exploitation of IS.

• MSc Project Management
Organisations are increasingly defining major activities as projects, beyond the traditional sectors of construction, IT and engineering. Recognising the diversity and complexity of projects, programmes, and portfolios (eg product development, events, acquisitions and mergers) is relevant to all organisations. The course seeks to equip you with the essential knowledge and key skills required to manage projects successfully.


Fees and Finance

• Tuition fee
• What's included
• Payment options

Tuition fee
In studying with the University of Roehampton, London Online an entire campus of resources is just one click away. The tuition fee of $10,000 for all masters programmes therefore covers everything you'll need to succeed as an online student. The institution has two payment plans, you can find out more under 'Payment options'.

What's included
The online experience: The online learning environment offers students the combined benefits of an interactive classroom and the networking and community building features of social media.
Personal support: From the point of enquiry through to graduation there will always be someone you can talk to, be it your Enrolment Advisor, Student Support Manager or Faculty.
Learning materials: All the learning materials you need to support your studies are included in the overall fee. Programme theory is supported through case studies, journals, articles and rich media, while each student receives full access to the online version of the Roehampton campus library.

Payment options
Balancing your career, family life and studies can be a challenge. The institution has designed two payment plans to help make paying for your education that bit easier. See below for full details.

Tuition Payment US Dollars*
Total Tuition $10,000

Pre-payment (included in the totaltuition)** $500

Modular payment plan (9 instalments) $1,055.56

Monthly payment plan (36 instalments) $263.89

* All programme fees must be paid in US Dollars for all students.

** A non-refundable pre-payment of USD 500 will be payable upfront as part of your admissions process and will be deducted from the overall tuition amount.

Payment plans may change, and are subject to Terms & Conditions.

For more information, visit: http://www.roehampton-online.com/about-us/roehampton-london OR http://www.roehampton-online.com/about-us/laureate-online-education

AIRTEL MAGIC BOX – SURF LONGER AT ONLY 0.1k/MB

Magic Box is an offer that allows customers to enjoy using the internet-on Pay As You Go (PAYU) rates of 0.1kobo per MB. ALL Prepaid Service Classes on the Airtel Network are eligible for this offer depending on the PAYU Range they have been allocated to.

Customers have been allocated into bands specific to the amount of data allowance available for use at 0.1 kobo per MB.

FAQs [Frequently Asked Questions]

Question: What is the Magic Box Offer?
Answer: This offer allows customers to enjoy using the internet-on Pay As You Go (PAYU) rates of 0.1kobo per MB.
ALL Prepaid Service Classes on the Airtel Network are eligible for this offer depending on the PAYU Range they have been allocated to.
Customers have been allocated into bands specific to the amount of data allowance available for use at 0.1 kobo per MB. The following obtains:


• PAYU RANGE = N100 • DAILY ALLOWANCE = 5MB


Question: How will a customer be eligible to browse at 0.1 kobo per MB?
Answer: By terminating browsing session- this is very important and is the MAIN consideration for eligibility for the data allowance


Question: When will a customer be eligible to browse at 0.1 kobo per MB?
Answer: By dialing *758*2#, a customer will be informed on the applicable range

Question: Who can enjoy these benefits?
Answer: All Prepaid customers- however, customers who use high end devices will have to do a hard reset (switch device off and switch back on) to get the daily allowance for internet activity at 0.1 kobo per MB.

NOTE that current browsing session has to be terminated completely before the daily allowance is provided accordingly.

Question: How long do I have to get the daily allowance?
Answer: Within the day - once the upper limit of the range is achieved

Question: Will new subscribers be able to enjoy this offer?
Answer: Yes - new and existing.

Question: How will a subscriber confirm eligibility for the offer?
Answer: On receipt of an SMS from Airtel.

Question: How long will this offer last?
Answer: This is not a promotion

Question: Does customer’s total usage qualify him for the data allowance?
Answer: No, only usage on DATA TRANSACTIONS FROM THE MAIN ACCOUNT i.e. internet activity via Pay As You Use (PAYU)

Question: For how long is the data allowance valid for?
Answer: This data allowance is valid till midnight on each day.

Question: Can the data allowance be used to browse on other networks?
Answer: No.

Question: If the range is exceeded more than once in a day, will the data allowance be available in multiples commensurate with the number of exceeds?
Answer: No, the data allowance will be given only once a day.

Question: What informs on attainment of range?
Answer: Subscriber will get a message notification via SMS

Question: How will the data allowance be checked?
Answer: By dialling *757*1#

Question: Does international data usage (or roaming) contribute to eligibility?
Answer: No

Question: Does the data allowance remain the same?
Answer: This is dependent on Airtel.

Question: Can the data allowance be transferred?
Answer: No.


Credit: http://www.africa.airtel.com/wps/wcm/connect/africaairtel/nigeria/phone_services/magicbox/pg_magicbox

THE PHILOSOPHIES OF LIFE - IN DIFFERENT DIMENSIONS

STEVE JOBS' PHILOSOPHY OF FINDING JOB SATISFACTION
"I'm convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You've got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle." - STEVE JOBS

MY OWN PHILOSOPHY OF JOB SATISFACTION

"Most people go to work daily only because they have to and because they need the money. But job satisfaction is missing in most cases and most want a change! Most want it NOW but most ain't doing anything to be free from this bondage. As long as we work for others instead of we running our own business, there isn't any job security - no matter how fat the salary is! ".

WORDS ON MARBLE

• "In the state of nature...all men are born equal, but they cannot continue in this equality. Society makes them lose it, and they recover it only by the protection of the law." -CHARLES DE MONTESQUIEU

• "Every religious group, while perhaps a majority somewhere, is also inevitably a minority somewhere else. Thus, religious organizations should and do show tolerance toward members of other religious denominations. - RUSSELL M. NELSON

• "A man's life," sighed Joe, "is 20 years of having his mother asking him where he is going, 40 years of having his wife ask the same question; and at the end, the mourners (at his funeral) are wondering,too." - WEEKLY ANIMATOR

• Age and youth look upon life from the opposite ends of the telescope; to the one it is exceedingly long; to the other exceedingly short.-DEFENDER

• I don't feel the least hostile to young people or bothered about them. I don't understand them,but when I was young, people didn't understand me. It's a perfectly natural process. - E.M. FORSTER, quoted in FORBES

• Don't spend your life working for money, save money and hire it to work for you. - DR. JOHN F. DEMARTINI

• "Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true." - STEVE JOBS

• "If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right." - STEVE JOBS

• "Success doesn't come to you - you go to it." - MARVA COLLINS

• "The biggest devil is me. I'm either my best friend or my worst enemy." - WHITNEY HOUSTON

• "To be successful, you must act big, think big and talk big." - ARISTOTLE ONASSIS

• "The richest people in the world build networks; everyone else is trained to look for work." - ROBERT KIYOSAKI