2016 Volkswagen Passat (8th Generation) unveiled in Nigeria

February 12, 2016

Popular Nigerian car dealer, Stallion, has unveiled the latest Volkswagen (VW) Passat which falls in the 8th Generation of the model in Nigeria.

The much anticipated revolutionary 8th Generation 2016 Volkswagen Passat was announced at the firm’s Victoria Island showroom.

The vehicle is considered a successor of the Chattanooga, another member of the mid-to-upscale Wolfsburg family sedan, which was launched in 2012.

The new Volkswagen Passat has an overall upscale cabin design. It boasts of 12-way power-adjustable front seats which are wide enough to not incarcerate the passengers.

The back seat would give 6-footers ample room to stretch out their legs. The car’s trunk is large enough to accommodate 15.9 cubic feet of cargo, and one can haul bulkier items when the 60/40 rear seatbacks are folded down.

The vehicle has a sleek outside design. It comes with uniquely shaped headlight units and LED headlamps that look strikingly different.

This is in addition to short overhangs, long wheelbase, striking bonnet and shoulder lines with excellently shaped radiator grille and front bumper.

The 2016 Volkswagen Passat is powered by a 1.8-litre TSI turbocharged four-cylinder engine and sports a Post-collision Braking System- which is now standard on all models across the line-up.

This new system will apply the brakes after a primary collision is detected by airbag sensors which help to reduce residual kinetic energy and the possibility of additional damage.

Stallion Motors Volkswagen Centre head of Sales & Marketing, Mr Manish Daryanani, said the quality of the VW Passat’s interior materials is among the best in the class.

“The premium Fender Audio System will please even hard-core audiophiles, and the new infotainment system is faster to respond to inputs and easier to use than the old unit. Smartphone and media players can now connect to the system via a USB port rather than the previous MDI plug,” Daryanani said.

Other features of the vehicle include adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning with autonomous emergency braking, blind spot monitor with rear traffic alert, lane departure warning, aerial view overhead camera and parking steering assist.

The vehicle is considered to be positioned between Golf (Jetta) and Phaeton in the current Volkswagen line-up.

The VW car is expected to compete directly with the likes of Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Hyundai Sonata, Kia Optima, Ford Fusion, and even the BMW 3 Series and the Mercedes Benz C-Class.

Toyota Innova Crysta launches Q2 2016

Emmanuel

February 11, 2016

Toyota have announced that bookings for the Toyota Innova Crysta, which was unveiled at the Auto Expo 2016, will open by March 2016 in India.

Toyota said the vehicle, which is considered to be the latest model of the popular MPV, has a booking price of Rs. 50,000 (that’s about 150,000 naira).

The Toyota Innova Crysta is the first major update that the Innova has received since its launch in 2005. The vehicle underwent a complete cosmetic and mechanical revamp.

There is a brand new front end, with projector headlamps and a large hexagonal grille. The vehicle’s side view looks like that of the current Innova, but it’s longer and has a redesigned D-pillar. The rear end is completely fresh as well, with new lights, bumper and bootlid.

The Toyota Innova Crysta’s interior is more spacious than before and sports a layout loaded with automatic climate control, a 7-inch infotainment system with navigation and an electrically adjustable driver’s seat.

The second and third row seats can be folded at the touch of a button to make ingress and egress easier.

Other new features the vehicle has include a smart entry system with start/stop button, auto-close for tailgate, airbags as standard along with ABS, EBD and BA. It also has cruise control mode, and a powered driver’s seat.

The Toyota Innova Crysta will be powered by an all new 2.4-litre turbodiesel engine with options for a 5-speed manual or a 6-speed automatic transmission. The new engine puts out 149PS of power and 342Nm of torque (360Nm with the automatic transmission). It has two drive modes – Eco and Power.

The Innova Crysta is expected to be launched in India either by the end of March or in early April, 2016. It is likely to have a price tag above Rs 1,800,000 (that’s about 5.2 million naira).

Hidden galaxies discovered behind Milky Way galaxy

Emmanuel

February 10, 2016

A team of international scientists in a publication say they’ve discovered hundreds of hidden galaxies blocked from view until now by our own Milky Way galaxy.

By using a new telescope view, the scientists found the cluster of galaxies located some 250 million light years away from the Earth, one-third of which had never been observed before.

The team used Australia’s chief scientific body CSIRO’s Parkes radio telescope, frequently used in NASA’s Apollo missions.

They were able to see through the stars and dust of the Milky Way into Zone of Avoidance. They found three new galaxy concentrations (NW1, NW2 and NW3) and two new clusters (CW1 and CW2).

Lead author Professor Lister Staveley-Smith, director of science with the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR) said 883 galaxies were discovered hidden behind the Milky Way galaxy.

“The Milky Way is very beautiful, of course, and it’s very interesting to study our own galaxy, but it completely blocks out the view of the more distant galaxies behind it,”

he said.

Furthermore, the new view of the region could also help explain something called the Great Attractor, a phenomenon which has been known the 1970s.

The Great Attractor is a mysterious spot in the universe whose strong gravity pulls on the Milky Way and thousands of other galaxies with the force equivalent to that of a million billion suns.

“We don’t actually understand what’s causing this gravitational acceleration on the Milky Way or where it’s coming from,”

professor Staveley-Smith added.

The researchers also identified several new structures that could help to explain the movement of the Milky Way with the telescope.

An average galaxy contains 100 billion stars so finding hundreds of new galaxies hidden behind the Milky Way points to a lot of mass scientist didn’t know about until now.

The study was published in the Astronomical Journal, and involved researchers from Australia, South Africa, the US and the Netherlands.

Canonical M10-the first tablet with Ubuntu convergence features

Jia Khan

February 8, 2016

For the last four years, Canonical has been promising the tech community convergence of Ubuntu for mobile and desktops. Of late, there has been little or no mention of this project.

The absence of activity had led many tech analysts to speculate that the project had been rolled back.

However, Canonical has finally launched the first Ubuntu tablet called the Aquaris M10 Ubuntu Edition tablet. The device is being manufactured by BQ, a Spanish technology producer.

The M10 tablet shows off the latest Ubuntu software that not only sports the conventional Linux desktop apps but also allows the user to enjoy a complete Linux desktop experience if it is connected to a mouse and keyboard.

As per the specs listed on the Canonical official website, this Ubuntu slate comes with a 10.1-inches multitouch screen. Aquaris M10 Ubuntu Edition tablet is driven by MediaTek’s ARM processor clocked at 1.5GHz.

The device sports 2GB of RAM along with 16GB of internal storage that can be extended up to 64GB through microSD card. The front-facing speakers ensure an enhanced audio experience.

The front-facing speakers ensure an enhanced audio experience. Aquaris M10 will be powered by a 7280mAH battery.

The device will hit the markets in March. According to Canonical, the tablet will be accessible for purchase all over Europe straight from the manufacturer.

It is worth mentioning that unlike previous Ubuntu handsets that did not support general US mobile network standards, Aquaris M10 will apparently work well in the US; reason being that it is just a WiFi tablet .

Canonical has realized its dream of Ubuntu convergence with this tablet. Users can use Aquaris M10 as a simple Ubuntu desktop by connecting a Bluetooth mouse and a keyboard.

The tablet supports the common desktop apps that the users are most familiar with such as GIMP image editor and Mozilla Firefox.

There has been no word regarding the pricing of the tablet yet. However, those who are interested can register on Ubuntu’s official site to receive the updates.

New wearable device offers protection from Zika-Spreading mosquitoes

Emmanuel

February 3, 2016

Researchers have touted a new wearable device to be an effective tool for preventing the spread of the now famous Zika virus.

The Zika virus according to reports, originated from Uganda in Africa. It causes a usually mild illness known as Zika fever in humans. It has also been linked to thousands of babies being born with underdeveloped brains.

The World Health Organization is worried that Zika is spreading far and fast, with devastating consequences. The alarming and disturbing infection, is spreading through the Americas. Some areas have declared a state of emergency over the infection.

However an “OFF Clip-On” device has been found to combat the spread of the virus efficiently, recent findings in the Journal of Medical Entomology say.

The wearable device works majorly by preventing bites from the Aedes aegypti mosquito – the primary vector of Zika, chikungunya, dengue, and yellow fever.

It repels mosquitoes by releasing a vapour form of insecticide through a battery-powered fan, forming an insecticide “cloud” around the wearer of the device.

In order to test the effectiveness of the device, Christopher Bibbs and Rui-De Xue of the Anastasia Mosquito Control District in Florida, US carried out a study to see how the device performed against hungry Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.

The study was carried out outdoors in order to replicate real-world conditions. The team found that the OFF! Clip-On device caused high mosquito mortality.

It recorded impressive knockdown rates of up to 0.3 metres from the device, enough to protect a single person wearing the device.

The effectiveness of the device came as a pleasant surprise to the researchers.

“In vector control, we see more often than not that tools available for consumers do not work for the intended purpose,” Bibbs said.
“Just look at all the bug zappers, repellent bracelets, sonic bug repellents, and other zany creations that wax and wane in popularity. Skepticism is inherent to the trade. But it was nice for a change of pace that one of these devices could actually do some good,” Bibbs noted.

The device is available in Walmart and other online stores. It has a price tag of around $12 (that’s about 2,500 Naira).

ONAGOfly: A Tiny Selfie Drone you don’t need to Register with FAA

Jia Khan

January 27, 2016

An economical hand-sized drone named ONAGOfly is a GPS-supported selfie drone. ONAGOfly is capable of clicking images automatically by employing smile and obstacle identification technologies.

The drone features inbuilt obstruction detection sensors that help it to avoid running into something. ONAGOfly sports quite a few features that are usually seen in high-end, bigger drones. The palm-sized drone features a 15MP snapper, throw and fly ability, HD 1080p video capturing, wind resistance and live streaming.

ONAGOfly can also be controlled via an iOS or Android device for about 66ft distance. In order to use this feature, the drone must be connected to WiFi.

Generally, the FAA demands registration for unmanned or automated aircraft systems. Approximately 300,000 individuals owning a drone have registered themselves and their drones since the Government brought in this law in January. But this tiny shooter is so small in size, weighing a mere 0.3lbs, that it does not need to be registered.

In comparison with the bigger more expensive drones, ONAGOfly cannot generate its own WiFi hotspot. However, the other features definitely make it worthy of its price.

It is worth mentioning here that according to Federal Aviation Administration law only those drones should be registered that weigh more than 250 grams. ONAGOfly, being less in weight, does not fall into this category.

Till now, ONAGOfly has made more than $1.8 million over IndieGoGo from more than 9000 supporters with a few number of days still left in the end of the campaign. As an incentive, those who are supporting this campaign have been affirmed of a comparatively prompt delivery date for the month of March.

As far as the pricing and features of this bite-sized drone are concerned, it is currently being offered for $199. However the pricing will change and it will carry a price tag of $299 once the campaign ends.

Xiaomi Mi Pad 2 with Windows 10 launches on January 26

Jia Khan

January 25, 2016

The Chinese electronics company Xiaomi has announced that it will be releasing the Windows 10 model of its Mi Pad 2 on 26^th January. The tablet will be available for purchase in two color choices including Champaign Gold and Dark Grey.

Previously, in November last year, Xiaomi had affirmed the rumors of a tablet in the making. Now, the device is being offered for purchase to the customers.

The Mi Pad 2 by Xiaomi flaunts a capacitive touch screen of 7.9-inches. The display comes with 2048×1536 screen resolution.

This latest Xiaomi tablet is driven by Atom X5-Z8500 SoC by Intel with a quad-core processor clocked at 2.24GHz. As per the storage specs, the device packs in 2GB of RAM.

The latest Xiaomi slate comes in two built-in memory variants. The internal memory for Windows 10 version is 64GB, however, the users who will opt to go the Android way will have 16GB internal memory available.

It is worth mentioning that both the versions do not support memory expansion which remains one the major drawbacks of this tablet.

In terms of connectivity, the Mi Pad 2 by Xiaomi flaunts WiFi 802.11ac and also supports USB Type C connectivity. In addition, the device features an 8MP rear shooter along with a 5MP front-facing snapper for selfies.

Xiaomi Mi Pad 2 sports 6190mAh battery backup which is expected to provide approximately twelve hours of video playback. In addition, the Mi Pad 2 design depicts an excellent metal finesse which gives this tablet an elegant touch.

The product will hit the markets with a price tag of CNY 1,299 which is equivalent to Rs. 13500. This cost is quite the same as that of the 64GB Android model. The 16GB variant running windows 10 will set back the users by CNY 999.

Gameloft launches Office in Nigeria

Emmanuel

January 22, 2016

Leading digital and social gaming specialist, Gameloft, has increased its expansion in Africa with the launch of a new office in Nigeria.

The Nigeria office is the second Gameloft Africa office after its 2012 launch in Johannesburg, South Africa. The office is expected to boost the firm’s presence in Africa and its fast-growing mobile telecommunications market. The expansion will also allow it to tap into the potential of the market, which at the moment has more than 367 million users.

Africa is considered to be the most dynamic region in terms of mobile telephony in the world. This has made the region the third-largest global market in terms of mobile subscribers

“The opening of a new trade office in Africa will allow us to take advantage of the considerable potential of a market that already includes more than 367 million users,”

Gameloft’s Sales Director for Africa, Vincent Brezillon, said.

“The success that we’ve experienced since the opening of our Johannesburg office, and surging sales in Africa over the last two years, completely justify the opening of a subsidiary in Nigeria, which is Africa’s strongest economy. In addition, this presence will facilitate interactions with our current and future local partners,” he added.

Gameloft since 2012 has existing partnerships with MTN, Orange, Vodafone, Safaricom, Ooredoo, and Etisalat. This partnership allows it to enjoy a presence in South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Morocco, Algeria, and other African countries.

The Nigeria launch is also expected to make it easy for the firm to sign up new key distribution partnerships, thus extending its reach to other African countries such as Ethiopia and Tanzania.

Since its launch in Johannesburg in 2012, Gameloft’s revenue has increased by 536% because of the partnership offers it has with local telephone operators and manufacturers.

Also, the increasing entry of affordable smartphones in Africa makes it attractive for digital and social media firms such as Gameloft.

HP Sprout Pro launched at Rs. 150,000

Emmanuel

January 21, 2016

American global IT firm, Hewlett Packard, has announced an upgrade to its creative Sprout computer, tagged the HP Sprout Pro.

The HP Sprout, launched nearly two years ago, is HP’s effort toward re-imagining the venerable personal computer by merging a 3D scanner and projector with an all-in-one PC to create an ensemble it hopes will rekindle industry interest.

The computer is meant for product designers, sporting a touch-sensitive mat, and ability to measure 2D and 3D objects that are placed on it. It however is not limited to designers alone and has many other uses.

The new variant offers specifications upgrade over the original Sprout, coupled with a range of suites. It has a starting price of $2,199 (roughly 450,000 Naira) and will begin shipping in select regions as from next month.

The HP Sprout Pro sports a 23-inch full-HD display (1920×1080 pixels) with support for 10-point touch. The PC is powered by a sixth-generation Intel Core i7-6700 processor with Nvidia GeForce GT 945A (1GB GDDR5) graphics card and 8GB of DDR4-2133 SDRAM- which is expandable up to 16GB. The Pro version of the HP Sprout also comes with 1TB SATA solid state hybrid drive with an 8GB flash drive. A 1-megapixel webcam was also added to the mix.

Other features of the computer include the HP Illuminator, a built-in projector sporting up to 14.6-megapixel camera and the Intel RealSense 3D camera which is expected to instantly capture 2D and 3D objects.

There’s also a 20-inch mat called the ‘HP Touch Mat’, which features 20-point touch-enabled feedback with an ultra-resistant top coating. It serves as a second monitor as well as keyboard and mouse input devices. The company also offers the Adonit Jot Pro stylus to write and draw. The PC runs Windows 10 Pro out of the box.

The HP Sprout Pro supports 10/100/1000 Base-T Network, Bluetooth 4.0, and Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n featuring dual-band (2.4GHz and 5GHz) 2×2 MIMO technology. There are two USB 2.0 ports, two USB 3.0 ports, and an HP 3-in-1 media card reader on the desktop computer.

HP also announced a range of new apps that will go along with the HP Sprout Pro. One of them is HP Scan, which brings professional-level document scanning, and HP External Display Mixer.

BBM design contest launched in Nigeria; winner to get N500k

Emmanuel

January 20, 2016

Blackberry Limited in a move to add distinctly local chat icons (aka Stickers) to the BBM messaging app has launched a BBM design contest in Nigeria.

In order to participate, interested candidates only need to create their signature stickers and enroll in the contest. The designs will then be subjected to votes and twenty packs with the most votes will be selected. A BBM jury will be appointed to select 3 top winners and 10 runners-up out of the pack.

To stand a chance of coming out tops, candidates can encourage their friends and family to vote online for their sticker pack. They can also promote what they have created via social media. Interested candidates are required to register on or before February 12, 2016. Voting will begin on February 8 and end on February 19. The winners of the contest will be announced on February 22.

First prize winner will cart home NGN 500,000 while the second and third place winners will be awarded NGN 250,000 and NGN 125,000 respectively. The 10 runners-up will receive NGN 25,000 each while NGN 10,000 worth of recharge card will be awarded to 20 voters. Also, all top 3 winners will be featured on the BBM Sticker Shop and receive sales revenue.

Senior VP at BlackBerry, Matthew Talbot, is expecting a huge turnout.

“In Africa, the BBM Shop gets over 20 million views each month and has tallied 60 million total stickers sent and received,” he said.
“This contest opens the doors for more talented artists and designers to make their own unique stickers come to life in BBM, and we are hoping to see huge enthusiasm in Nigeria,” he added.

Interested candidates can visit the BBM Stickamania page to learn more, read the design guide and register.

The contest was held in South Africa last year and winners . The winners won exciting prizes including iMac, MacBooks and Blackberry Z10.

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