China tests world’s first solar expressway

China on Thursday opened a 1-km section of the world’s first solar expressway for testing. Solar panels are laid beneath part of a ring road surrounding Jinan, capital city of Shandong Province in east China. The road surface is made of a transparent, weight-bearing material that allows sunlight to penetrate.                                                        The panels, covering 5,875 square meters, can generate 1 million kwh of power in a year, enough to meet the everyday demand of around 800 households, according to Qilu Transportation Development Group, the project developer.    “The project will save the space for building solar farms and shorten the transmission distance,” said Xu Chunfu, the group’s chairman. Technicians cover the charging points for electric cars Electricity produced by the test section will be used to power highway lights, signboards, surveillance cameras, tunnel and toll gate facilities. Surplus power will be supplied to the state grid, Xu said.                                                                           Future functions to be developed include mobile charging for electric vehicles and providing internet connection. Xu did not reveal the cost but said it was half of similar projects in foreign countries. “With the development of solar power in China, the cost can be further reduced,” he said. Ganiyu Obaaro, with Agency Report

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TSTV To Begin Commercial Operation 1st Of November 2017

Telcomm Satellite TV (TSTV) says its newly inaugurated pay TV, TSTV Africa, will begin commercial operation on Nov. 1. Its Managing Director, Mr Bright Echefu, made this known while briefing newsmen on Saturday in Abuja.

Echefu added that TSTV would launch its services with about one million decoders nationwide. He said that at least 5,000 decoders TSTV would be released to the public next week for free, adding that it would use the first set of decoders with one month free subscription to test run its services.

“Commercialization of our decoders will resume officially on Nov. 1 and by that time, every part of Nigeria would have TSTV decoders for people to buy. “We are releasing about one million which can go round and our target for the first quarter is one million units.

“In every quarter we will bring one million units and we are targeting four million units within the next one year.

“I can tell you categorically that some decoders will be released next week for Nigerians to test and we are going to cover the 36 states of the federation. “These decoders are going to be free and it close to 5,000 units to test and that will last for two weeks,’’ he said.

Echefu disclosed that the delay in releasing the decoders to the public was to ensure that dealers were properly scrutinized so that the decoders do not fall into the wrong hands. He explained that the decoder would be sold to Nigerians at a subsidized rate. According to him, the landing cost of the decoder is N28,000.

“We don’t want a situation where someone would pick our decoders and dump them somewhere. “That is why we are very careful because of competition. “ We have received well over 6,000 applications and it has been overwhelming processing these people; but so far, we have been able to accredit more than 748 dealers and we have received applications from more than 3,000 of them.

“That is why we have not commercialized our services even though we are the ones losing because we have enough decoders to cover the whole of Nigeria. “But it will be unfair with all the money put in for us to give decoders out and those decoders don’t get to the end users,’’ Echefu added.

TSTV boss said that measures had been put in place to ensure its sustainability in terms of services, pledging that the organisation would be envied by many Nigerians in the next ten years.

He disclosed that the organisation currently had a total of 250 staff on direct employment, while it expects to that indirect employment would hit 10,000 at take off. According to him, TSTV has improved on its transmission facilities to overcome weather challenges while expressing happiness over the acceptance that Nigerians.

He praised the Federal Government for the three years tax relief granted to the company to encourage more investors to come to Nigeria. He said that the company would consolidate on the new tax policy to grow its business in the country and recoup its investment.

On the alleged copyright infringement on two international content providers, Turner Broadcasting System and beIN sports, Echefu said the company entered into partnership agreement with every concerned organisation. According to him, TSTV will air CNN and beIN sport channels.

He commended DSTV for creating value for Nigerian content. Sources recalls that the new satellite pay TV was inaugurated on Oct. 1 but is yet to be viewed by the public.

Do you think TSTV will be a success in Nigeria ?

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General Motors targets 20 all-electric models by 2023

General Motors

General Motors announced plans Monday to launch 20 all-electric cars by 2023, part of a long-term push to an “all-electric” fleet as governments globally embrace fuel efficiency.

The biggest US automaker said it will introduce within 18 months two new models built on the learnings of the all-electric Chevrolet Bolt, which was launched in December 2016.

“General Motors believes in an all-electric future,” said General Motors executive vice president Mark Reuss.

“Although that future won’t happen overnight, GM is committed to driving increased usage and acceptance of electric vehicles through no-compromise solutions that meet our customers’ needs.”

The Bolt, the first all-electric vehicle aimed at the middle market, now faces competition from Tesla’s Model 3, which has won admiration among many environmentalists and car aficionados as a leader in new car technologies.

Car companies are investing heavily in all-electric vehicles as officials from China to Europe emphasize the need for more energy-efficient vehicles, even as today’s fleet remains overwhelmingly populated with conventional autos.

Officials from Britain and France are among those who have said they plan to block sales of diesel or gasoline-fueled cars in 2040, while Norway has set a 2025 deadline.

China has set a target that at least 12 percent of cars must be hybrid or electric by 2020.

GM got a boost Monday from Deutsche Bank, which upgraded the company’s stock to “buy” and said it enjoys an advantage over competitors in “autonomous and new mobility models.”

GM shares jumped 4.5 percent to $42.19 in afternoon trading.

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Google unveils new moves to boost struggling news organisations

Google announced new steps to help struggling news organizations Monday — including an end to a longstanding “first click free” policy to generate fresh revenues for publishers hurt by the shift from print to digital.

The moves come amid mounting criticism that online platforms are syphoning off the majority of revenues as more readers turn to digital platforms for news.

“I truly believe that Google and news publishers actually share a common cause,” said Google Vice President Philipp Schindler.

“Our users truly value high quality journalism.”

Google announced a series of measures, the most significant of which would be to replace the decade-old policy of requiring news organizations to provide one article discovered in a news search without subscribing — a standard known as “first click free.”

This will be replaced by a “flexible sampling” model that will allow publishers to require a subscription if they choose at any time.

“We realize that one size does not fit all,” said Richard Gingras, Google’s vice president for news.

This will allow news organizations to decide whether to show articles at no cost or to implement a “paywall” for some or all content.

Gingras said the new policy, effective Monday, will be in place worldwide. He said it was not clear how many publishers would start implementing an immediate paywall as a result.

“The reaction to our efforts has been positive,” he told a conference call announcing the new policy.

“This is not a silver bullet to the subscription market. It is a very competitive market for information. And people buy subscriptions when they have a perception of value.”

Google said it is recommending a “metering” system allowing 10 free articles per month as the best way to encourage subscriptions.

 One-click subscriptions 
The California tech giant also said it would work with publishers to make subscriptions easier, including allowing readers to pay with their Google or Android account to avoid a cumbersome registration process.

“We think we can get it down to one click, that would be superb,” Gingras said.

He explained people are becoming more accustomed to paying for news, but that a “sometimes painful process of signing up for a subscription can be a turn off. That’s not great for users or for news publishers who see subscriptions as an increasingly important source of revenue.”

Google would share data with the news organizations to enable them to keep up the customer relationship, he added.

“We’re not looking to own the customer,” he said. “We will provide the name of user, the email and if necessary the address.”

Gingras said Google is also exploring ways “to use machine learning to help publishers recognize potential subscribers,” employing the internet giant’s technology to help news organizations.

He added that Google was not implementing the changes to generate revenues for itself, but that some financial details had not been worked out.

Google does not intend to take a slice of subscription revenues, he noted.

“Our intent is to be as generous as possible,” he said.

Research firm eMarketer estimates that Google and Facebook will take in 63 percent of digital advertising revenues in 2017 — making it harder for news organizations to compete online.

Facebook is widely believed to be working on a similar effort to help news organizations drive more subscriptions.

Google created a “Digital News Initiative” in Europe in 2015 which provides funding for innovative journalism projects.

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Google announces introduction of five more products

PHOTO: JOHN MACDOUGALL/AFP/GettyImages)

Google has announced introduction of five additional products that would enable internet users to access information with ease.

Mr Taiwo Kola-Ogunlade, Google’s Communications and Public Affairs Manager, Anglophone West Africa, made this known in an interactive session with some internet users including journalists in Lagos on Friday.

Kola-Ogunlade listed the products to include Gboard, Health Knowledge Panel, Movie Showtime, entertainment Archive and Google Post.

He advised internet users to take advantage of the products for more relevance.

According to him, Google built its platforms and products to be globally relevant.

He said that Google introduced Gboard in July to enable sending of messages in dialects including Igbo, Yoruba and Hausa.

He described Gboard as a new keyboard from Google for Android or iPhone.

“If you are like most Nigerians, then you probably have a grandma, uncle or family member that prefers to read messages in Igbo, Yoruba or Hausa.

“The next time you need to type a message on SMS, Whatsapp or any other messaging app, simply click on the Google ‘G’ logo on your keyboard and click on translation and let Gboard do the translation for you.

“No more app switching; just search and send, right from your keyboard. If Gboard is not installed on your phone, you can download it from the Apple store or the Android play store,” he said.

According to the manager, Google introduced the health knowledge panel in the realisation that 20 per cent of searches on it are health-related.

He said that the panel covers up to 800 health conditions.

“You may be worried about a loved one down with malaria. By simply typing ‘Malaria’, Google will show you a health panel with information on malaria symptoms and treatments.

“Google’s health knowledge panels is now accessible to Nigerians and Google has partnered with the University of Ibadan to ensure that answers are reviewed by Nigerian doctors,” he said.

Kola-Ogunlade said that the Google Movie Showtime would enable an internet user to get a list and times for movies showing at a nearby cinema.

“Just type ‘whatmovies are showing at the Ikeja Mall’ into Google, and Google will give a list of movies showing at Ikeja Mall plus the time those movies are showing,” he said.

He added that Google was archiving and getting Nollywood films so that local contents would show on the Google search.

“Simply type the name of the ‘Nollywood movie into search and let Google give you all the information, including the actors,” he said.

According to the manager, Google Post will get more details of what a favourite musician, movie or sports star is up to.

“With Posts on Google, entertainers and businesses can share visible updates directly to Google.

“This means you get your favourite star’s live update alongside your search results when you Google them.

He said that Google announced the availability of Google Posts in Nigeria at Google for Nigeria on July 27, noting that Nigeria was the third country where the feature was made available.

“Some of the country’s popular musicians are already using it. Posts had been available for limited use since January 2016.

“Google Posts allow businesses and individuals to create posts that show up in the knowledge panel on Google Search and Google Maps.

“Posts expire after a week, unless they are event-based, in which case, they expire after the event date,” he said.

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Telecoms union to complete 5G standardisation by 2019

•ITU may give 2018 conference to Africa

With a charge on countries including Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Egypt to champion next generation technologies in terms of use and adoption, the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) is hoping to complete all standardisation around the Fifth-Generation (5G) networks by 2019.

ITU Secretary-General, Houlin Zhao, who revealed this on Monday, while declaring open the 2017 edition of the Telecoms World Conference in Busan, South Korea, with the theme: Digital Transformation, Global Opportunity, countries, especially in the African region to brace up for disruptions.He revealed that the world is gradually shifting from 3G; 4G and focus now is on 5G, which he said would make technology stronger.

According to him, the technology, ‘‘5G is not finalised yet. ITU is working to improve its parameters and fix spectrum for it. Though some countries, including Korea, are already test running the technology, the standardisation will be fixed at the Plenary Assembly of Radio Communications Sector by 2019.’’

5G has higher capacity than current 4G, allowing a higher density of mobile broadband users, and supporting device-to-device, ultra reliable, and massive machine communications.Its research and development also aims at lower latency than 4G equipment and lower battery consumption, for better implementation of the Internet of things.

Zhao called on countries to brace up for the next phase of industrial revolution, which is the Fourth, stressing that countries that are not investing will be left behind.Furthermore, Zhao said the global mobile connectivity has hit 95 per cent.Houlin particularly commended Nigeria for aiding the growth of mobile connectivity, stressing that the footprint is seen across Africa and the world at large.

Indeed, checks by The Guardian showed within the space of 16 years, Nigeria’s mobile connection grew from a meagre 400,000 telephone lines offered by the Nigeria Telecommunications Limited (NITEL) to 240 million connected lines, with 138 million functioning as active telephone line as at July 2017. The liberalisation of the telecommunications sector brought in the GSM operators including MTN, Globacom, Airtel and Etisalat.

The ITU Secretary-General called for concerted from both public and private sectors, “so as to be able to move the about 3.9 billion people of the world that are still offline to the online space.”

In his keynote address, the Minister of Communications and Postal Service, South Africa, Dr. Siyabonga Cyprian Cwele, appealed to ITU to give Africa a chance to host the global edition come next year.

Cwele specifically said South Africa was more than ready to host the 2018 edition of ITU Telecom world. He stressed that Africa is on the move, “the Continent remains number one investment destination now and is ready for business.”He disclosed that South Africa, like other advanced countries has what it takes to host the global event.

Responding, Houlin, who queried while Nigeria is not showing interest in hosting the conference, said hosting next edition in Africa will not be a bad thing, stressing that the prospect is there, “as the region has remain dynamic in the last one year and has witnessed more development in technology related areas than other regions.

“The possibility is high for Africa to host. But it is not a decision I can make alone. The secretariat would consider the offer and communicate back to South Africa,” he stated.

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EU ministers make push for Google, Facebook tax

Google and Facebook may face higher tax bills in Europe as the EU rushed Saturday to change rules so that more of Silicon Valley’s mega profits fall into public coffers.

Public anger against the billions of euros earned by online behemoths is growing louder in Europe and EU finance ministers meeting in Estonia pledged to make sure the companies pay a fairer tax.

But divisions emerged on how to go about taking on the giants, with several member states worried that a tax in Europe could push the companies to set up shop in the US or Asia.

In the digital age “the current taxation system no longer applies and that is why we have to find another solution,” said Toomas Toniste, finance minister of Estonia, which hold the EU’s six-month rotating presidency.

Led by France and Germany, big EU powers urged their bloc partners to explore an emergency tax so that the giants pay tax where they earn revenue, instead of on profits booked in a low-tax EU HQ of their choice, often Ireland or Luxembourg.

“We are now about 10 countries to back this idea,” said French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire as stepped into the talks, adding that he hoped for a firm proposal by December.

“We don’t want a Europe at the heel of others,” he added.

But the road ahead will be difficult. Europe-wide tax reform is a huge headache in the European Union, requiring unanimity of all 28 states, which has proven nearly impossible on tax issues.

– ‘They’re daft’ –

Ministers from smaller member states already hinted at difficulties, warning that they would much prefer the problem be addressed at the international level, such as at the G20 or through the OECD, the club of rich nations.-

“I think we should be very careful not to tax on what we are going to live on in the future,” said Danish Finance Minister Kristian Jensen.

“I am… always sceptical by new taxes and I think Europe taxes heavily enough,” he added.

The OECD has also poured doubt on the proposal.

Generally speaking, “taxes on revenues, they’re daft”, said Pascal Saint-Amans, the OECD’s tax policy director during a hearing on Wednesday at the French parliament.

But “politically, I understand that it may be necessary, given that reform led by the OECD at the G20 level could take years to achieve.

British Finance Minister Philip Hammond warned against angering Washington, which could abandon OECD tax reform in retaliation, sources familiar with the matter told AFP.

“We should see what the United States thinks because a lot of these companies are US based,” said Spanish Economy Minister Luis de Guindos.

The commission, the EU’s executive arm, has been tasked to draw up a set of solutions, including the French proposal, in time for an EU leaders summit in Tallinn on September 29.

“We cannot have a whole sector of the economy that pretty much escapes taxation,” EU’s economy commissioner Pierre Moscovici, who will shepherd the plan, told France Inter radio.

Europeans have become increasingly aggressive against US technology giants seen by officials as gaining too much power, with Amazon and Apple also under scrutiny.

Moreover, several national authorities in the EU have opened up tax fights with Google, Airbnb and other Internet giants.

A French court, citing EU law, ruled in July that Google was not liable for 1.12 billion euros ($1.27 billion) in taxes claimed by the state. France appealed the decision.

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Telecom masts don’t cause cancer, other diseases – NCC

The Nigerian Communications Commission has allayed fears that telecommunication masts cause cancer and other health problems.

NCC Zonal Controller, South-East, Mrs. Emilia Nwokoro, who spoke during a consumer conversation forum organised by the Commission in Enugu, said several studies have been conducted to ascertain whether telecommunication masts pose health risks.

Nwokoro explained that the researches did not provide any evidence that the telecommunication infrastructure was harmful to human beings.

“A number of studies have investigated the effects of radiofrequency fields on brain electrical activity, cognitive function, sleep, heart rate and blood pressure in volunteers.

- “To date, research does not suggest any consistent evidence of adverse health effects from exposure to radiofrequency fields at levels below those that cause tissue heating.

“In line with the position of International Telecommunications Union supported by International Council on Non-ionizing, Radiation Protection and the World Health Organisation, NCC has maintained that as at today, there is no conclusive evidence to show correlation between the electromagnetic fields from telecommunications masts and health risk to individuals around these infrastructure,” she said.

Nwokoro assured that NCC would continue to educate the public on issues concerning public health and telecommunication services.

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Apple unveils glass-body iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus

Apple CEO Tim Cook speaks about the new iPhone 8 during a media event at Apple’s new headquarters in Cupertino, California on September 12, 2017. 

Apple unveiled three new iPhone models on Tuesday, including a top-of-line handset described as “the biggest leap forward” since the original iPhone 10 years ago.

Apple chief executive Tim Cook announced the premium iPhone X — pronounced 10 — as well as a new iPhone 8 and 8 Plus.

Cook, speaking at the first event at the new campus theater named for the late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, said the latest flagship handset is a milestone for the company a decade after the first iPhone release.

“Ten years later it is only fitting that we are here in this place, on this day to reveal a product that will set the path for technology for the next decade,” Cook said, calling the iPhone X “the biggest leap forward since the original iPhone.”

The iPhone X has an edge-to-edge screen 5.8 inch and uses facial recognition to unlock the device, and improved “super retina” display with improved graphics and resolution.

The new flagship device will be available November 3 at a starting price of $999, while the iPhone 8 and 8Plus will be available later this month starting at $699 and $799, respectively.

All three new phones will offer wireless charging using the Qi global standard.

Apple senior vice president Phil Schiller said the glass-body iPhone 8 and 8 Plus handsets were the first smartphones “really created for augmented reality,” with improved power and graphics over their predecessors.

Apple also unveiled an updated smartwatch and an upgraded streaming video system for 4K high-definition television.

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How to link Facebook to twitter

Do you want to know how to link Facebook page to Twitter? It`s very easy, but not everyone knows it! How is it possible? Follow our simple guide to know how to get your Facebook link to your Twitter account! How do you link Facebook page to Twitter? If you want to link your Facebook page to the Twitter account, it's a pretty easy procedure. You may need it to share Facebook posts. When you have linked your account to Twitter, you can choose the type of information you want to post. It can be your status, pictures and so on. Everything you want to share with your fans – will be shared. Detailed guide on how to link Facebook page with Twitter

 First of all, you will need to visit www.facebook.com/twitter page; After that, click “Link My Profile to Twitter”; You can also click “Link a page to Twitter”; Then you will just need to follow the instructions provided by Facebook. It`s very easy as all you will need to do is to follow the steps on the screen! What can I share? You can share anything you want on both your accounts. However, if you want to share some specific information, then try to follow these steps: Once again, you will need to visit www.facebook.com/twitter page; Now, you will go to the option “Edit Settings,” in this option, you will have the ability to choose what you want to share on your twitter account; When you have chosen the setting you want, then you just need to choose “Save Changes.” You can also choose the audience for your posts to share. Otherwise, you can simply make the information open to “Public” on your Facebook account. Twitter and Facebook Accounts That`s all you need to know about how to link Facebook page to Twitter. On the “Edit Settings” page, you can also choose more options connected with sharing your information. You can be as open as you want to be or as discreet as you want to be.

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Google and Walmart team up to take on Amazon

Wal-Mart, the world’s biggest retailer, and Google, the internet’s predominant search engine, are teaming up in an attempt to challenge Amazon’s growing dominance in online shopping.

The venture, announced early Wednesday, marries Google’s hands-free voice activated Google Home program to Wal-Mart’s vast network of US stores to allow customers to order groceries and other items to be home delivered through Google Express.

The initiative is a direct rebuttal to Alexa, Amazon’s popular artificial intelligence program, and comes as the online retailer prepared to swallow Whole Foods Market in a transaction that will exponentially expand Amazon’s presence in brick-and-mortar stores and is expected to lead to home delivery of food through Amazon’s subscription prime program.On Wednesday, Whole Foods shareholders voted to support the $13.7 billion takeover by Amazon. The transaction also received the green light from the US Federal Trade Commission, which announced it completed a probe of whether the deal could harm competition and would not investigate further.

Scott Kessler, a CFRA analyst who covers Google parent Alphabet, said the announcement made sense for both companies, filling in a gap in Wal-Mart’s technology profile with the addition of voice-ordering capacity and potentially boosting Google’s standing in e-commerce.

“What seems to be happening is a lot of the companies are coming together to offer an alternative to Amazon and this is one example of that,” Kessler told AFP in an interview.

Wal-Mart Stores head of e-commerce Marc Lore said the initiative will permit customers to voice order hundreds of thousands of items beginning in late September. Wal-Mart plans to integrate its “easy reorder” service into the program, which allows customers to repeat orders of household staples and other frequent purchases with a few fast clicks.

“This will enable us to deliver highly personalized shopping recommendations based on customers’ previous purchases, including those made in Walmart stores and on Walmart.com,” Lore said in a blog post.

Walmart holds the biggest share of the US grocery market of any retailer, with a network of nearly 4,700 stores that the company says are located within 10 miles (16 kilometers) of about 90 percent of the US population.

But it has faced increasingly stiff competition from Amazon, which is a big leader in e-commerce.

Wal-Mart last week reported a 2.1 percent rise in second-quarter sales to $123.4 billion, but net income fell 23.2 percent to $2.9 billion, in part due to more aggressive spending on e-commerce.

Google eliminates subscription fee

For Google, the addition of Wal-Mart gives its platform access to a retailer even more massive than the stores now participating, which include Target and Costco Wholesale, two other big box retailers.

“We’re entering an exciting partnership with Walmart to bring you hundreds of thousands of products at Walmart’s Every Day Low Prices — everything from laundry detergent to Legos — that you can buy through voice with your Assistant on Google Home or on the Google Express website or app,” said a blog post from Google senior vice president Sridhar Ramaswamy.

“We’re thrilled to partner with one of the most popular stores in America to help make your shopping faster and easier.”

Ramaswamy also announced Google was dropping its annual fee under Google Express ($95 per year) and would provide free delivery to larger orders, at least $25 or $35 with most stores.

Colin Sebastian, an analyst at Baird, said Google’s move should boost sales of Google Home and reflects its belief that e-commerce through voice platforms is a growth area.

“We expect voice commerce to become a more important part of Google’s revenue model over the long haul, in particular as more searches migrate to voice platforms, and where transactions may ultimately stand in for advertising,” Sebastian said.

“For Walmart, we believe the partnership with Google helps address risks associated with the ramp (up) in voice commerce, in particular the increasing number of searches and product orders flowing through Amazon’s Alexa voice ecosystem.”

Shares of Google parent Alphabet rose 0.3 percent to $927.00 and Wal-Mart Stores slipped 0.1 percent to $79.96.

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