(ACCRA ) - Ghana company Surfline Communications launched the country's first 4G data network on Tuesday in partnership with French technology company Alcatel-Lucent, making Ghana the sixth nation in sub-Saharan Africa to get the high speed service.
The wholly-owned company invested more than $100 million for the first phase of the Long-Term Evolution (LTE) network, which has 300 cell sites, according to Chairman John Taylor, who owns a string of oil-related businesses, and wholly owns Surfline.
The pre-paid data-only service is available in the capital and the nearby port city of Tema, but Taylor said Surfline aimed to go nationwide within two years.
"We want to fill the void by providing high speed connectivity to facilitate e-education, e-commerce and facilitate long distance activities especially by people living outside the cities," Taylor said.
South Africa's MTN is the dominant mobile phone company in the West African state, less than 20 percent of whose population uses the Internet. Rapid cell and internet growth across Africa is making it an increasingly attractive proposition for companies looking to sell data services.
Surfline Communications is the first to officially offer LTE network services in Ghana, but other companies are also preparing to launch the next-generation network in the country.
Earlier this year, a partnership agreement with Alepo Technologies and BLU Telecommunications (BLU).
In statement it was reported that Alepo would provide policy and charging control for a 4G/LTE network to BLU in Ghana.
And BLU’s LTE services is expected to include data, voice, IPTV and Wi-Fi hotspots for residential and commercial customers, the statement noted.
If you lived in accra which is now 4G connected, please tell us more about the Surfline Communications services compare to other mobile telecom companies.
The HTC One M8 for Windows marks a new tack Microsoft hopes will lead to greater popularity for Windows Phone. The basic idea: Let handset makers reuse high-end Android hardware.
Rival Android could be the cavalry coming to the rescue of Windows Phone, in Microsoft's latest maneuver to advance its smartphone operating system.
The underlying notion is this: Microsoft wants to make it easier to introduce devices that use the Windows Phone software. That was the message delivered this week's announcement of the HTC One M8 for Windows Phone.
Specifically, Microsoft has tweaked its Windows Phone 8.1 software so that hardware makers can lean on the hardware and reference designs they're already using to build devices for Android-based phones in order to build a Windows Phone device.
"We wanted handset makers like HTC to be able to leverage their engineering investment and provide them with a real choice," said Darren Laybourn, vice president of engineering for Microsoft in an interview following the launch of the HTC One M8 for Windows. "We feel the software should be the differentiator and not the hardware."
For four years Microsoft's Windows Phone smartphone operating system has limped along, trying to gain traction against the much more popular Apple iOS and Google Android devices. But Windows Phone handsets remain niche products. In fact, they only garnered about 2.5 percent of the worldwide smartphone market in the second quarter of 2014, according to IDC.
Microsoft has struggled to convince hardware partners to make phones running the Windows Phone operating system in what has turned into a chicken-and-egg scenario. Device makers don't want to dedicate resources to building a Windows Phone because there are so few customers. But without the devices -- especially iconic ones that offer cutting edge components and technology -- the operating system will never gain popularity among customers.
Management knows that Microsoft's mobile ambitions are doomed if it can't break that pattern. The solution depends on finding a way to get device makers other than Nokia, whose handset operations Microsoft acquired earlier this year for more than $7 billion, to build high-end smartphones using Windows Phone.
With the release of the latest software, Windows Phone 8.1, and now the launch of the HTC One M8 for Windows, Microsoft has come up with a new approach that could point the way past this dilemma.
"Ideally, I'm sure that Microsoft wants HTC, Samsung and others to produce exclusive designs for their software," said Ross Rubin, principal analyst at Reticle Research. "But I think they recognize the market reality now. And they're willing to let dedicated hardware go to get more high-end Windows Phone smartphones on the market."
Will Windows Phone OS v8.1 run on HTC One M8?
The information floating around is that, the One M8, If the news is true, there are high chances that the bootloader for the HTC One M8 will be supporting the Windows Phone operating system.
The news comes in from various sources that the upcoming Windows Phone from HTC, the One W8, has an open bootloader which can possibly install an Android OS too. Since the One M8 and One W8 are almost (reportedly) identical in specifications, there are all possible chances of the bootloader being compromised to install the two operating systems.
It will be just a matter of time when developers will be able to crack the internals of the bootloader and enable users to install Windows Phone 8.1 on the Android-running handsets. Also there will be high chances of users dual-booting Android and Windows on the same handset.
This would make the HTC handsets the best of both worlds and enthusiasts and app developers can use the same handset to test out their applications across platforms.
Specificatios
HTC has announced the HTC One M8... and. This time, though, it runs Windows Phone and is a Verizon-exclusive called the "HTC One M8 for Windows." HTC is the first OEM to take advantage of changes in Windows Phone 8.1 that allow for OS-agnostic smartphones, allowing (Verizon) customers to pick their hardware first and software—Windows Phone or Android—second.
The hardware is exactly the same as the Android version. That means you get all the good stuff from the HTC One M8: a 5-inch, 1080p LCD, a 2.36GHz Snapdragon 801, 2GB of RAM, a 2600mAh battery, and massive BoomSound speakers, all wrapped in an aluminum shell.
Double tapping on the screen will wake up the device, just like the Android version. That's good news, because the top-mounted power button is almost impossible to hit on a device this large.
HTC's questionable "UltraPixel with Duo Camera" system is still here, too. The main camera uses a 4MP sensor, and there's an entire extra rear camera to apply a fake depth-of-field effect to pictures. The M8 was one of the first Android phones with this feature, but it was immediately replicated by Google, Samsung, and everyone else in software, making HTC's additional camera look a little silly. We didn't find it very compelling in the Android version, but it's easy to ignore.
HTC is the first manufacturer to enter the wild new world of OS-agnostic smartphones enabled by Windows Phone 8.1. With the new update, the OS gained the ability to use on-screen navigation buttons, just like Android. That, along with Microsoft's enhanced hardware support in 8.1, means OEMs could finally build devices that aren't tied to a specific OS. Just build something with a screen, and the proprietary buttons can be added in software.
The M8 for Windows even works with HTC's Dot View case, thanks to new APIs in Windows 8.1 Update. The Dot View Case is full of little holes and displays the time and weather through the holes when the case is closed. Cortana even works without opening the case.
We know now that htc installed Android and Windows OS on the-same hardware, but what we don't know, is the steps by which they did it and the tools required. so that owners of this smartphone can switch OS whenever they feel like.
Norwegian software maker Opera signed a deal to take over the browser building unit of Microsoft's Nokia mobile phone unit and reported second-quarter earnings above expectations on Thursday, sending it shares sharply higher.
"We have signed a strategic licensing deal with Microsoft. We are basically taking over the browser building department in Nokia," Opera Chief Executive Lars Boilsesen said. "This means that Opera Mini will become the default browser for Microsoft's feature phone product lines and the Asha phones product lines."
The deal will be profitable from the start, he added.
Opera shares rose 6.5 percent to 80.45 crowns a share by 0304 EST on the deal and the earnings report.
"All the current user base will be encouraged to upgrade to Opera Mini and all the new phones will come with Opera Mini pre-installed as a default browser. This is a great deal for us. We have dreamed of this for more than 10 years."
In a separate statement, Opera said the licensing agreement applies to mobile phones based on the Series 30+, Series 40 and Asha software platforms.
"As part of the agreement, people who use the current browser for these phones, Xpress, will be encouraged to upgrade to the latest Opera Mini browser. Factory-new devices will have Opera Mini pre-installed."
In the second quarter, Opera's adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) rose 24 percent to $27 million, beating forecasts for $24.7 million.
The firm said it now sees full-year EBITDA in a range of $117 million to $124 million, up from a previous guidance for $110-120 million, and it sees revenues at $480-500 million versus a previous forecasts for $435-460 million.
64-bit technology has been around for over ten years in the desktop arena, but it is finally making its way into our pockets with the Tegra K1 Denver, Snapdragon 808 and the Samsung Exynos 6 and Exynos S. The shift to 64-bit technology in the mobile sector brings with it some technical advantages which have been a staple of desktop PCs and mainframe architecture for a long time. But how exactly will 64-bit processors make our smartphones better? We can give you a handful of reasons.
Faster speeds
The increased address space that is associated with 64-bit architecture opens the gates for exponentially greater usable memory. Whereas the limit was previously set at 4 GB of RAM, 64-bit chips can support 16 exabytes, that is 16 billion GB. Needless to say, the RAM limits are endless with 64-bits. Once new devices have been established with eight or even 16 gigabytes of memory, the true advantages will truly be felt. Because the data throughput of the memory is much higher than that of the flash memory, working with multiple open apps will feel significantly faster. If operating systems are refined even more to be even more power efficient too, we are again looking at exponential speed improvements.
Greater security
Thanks to the support for very large numbers, incredibly complex encryption is also possible, which are going to be much harder to crack than what we currently have. Therefore, 64-bit chips will allow you to better encrypt your data against unauthorized access than anything you have seen before.
Faster playback of 4K videos
New instruction set architectures allow for intelligent management of many concurrent commands. This is particularly useful when playing high definition content, because those processes are performed in parallel. In 64-bit environments, the architecture will allow 4K videos to play liquid smooth even with simpler processors because they can leverage their resources better. The reverse is also true this: the recording and real-time compression of your videos will be made easier on your processors in a 64-bit environment.
Smooth gaming experience
The same rules that apply for video also applies for games: graphics processing will be optimized for parallel computations. Here the new processors will be able to play to their strengths. Both graphically and in gameplay, the effects of 64-bit chips will be felt in a greater level of detail or more AI opponents. Games will not only be more beautiful, but also more jam-packed with in-game content.
Less power consumption
Talk about 64-bit chips revolves around reduced power consumption and longer battery life for good reason: firstly, calculation times can be reduced, since many complex processes can be divided into fragments run in parallel; and secondly, the CPU load is reduced, as more applications than ever before can be permanently parked in RAM. Therefore, both your CPU and flash memory can go to sleep for longer periods than before.
Sony Corp said on Tuesday that sales of its PlayStation 4 video game console, launched in November, has surpassed 10 million units.
In April, the Japanese company said it had sold over 7 million PlayStation 4 units as of April 6 and was struggling to keep up with consumer demand.
The console went on sale on November 29 in the United States, Western Europe and Latin America, around the same time that rival Microsoft Corp's Xbox One was released. That console topped 3 million units in sales as of the end of last year.
Microsoft said in April it had shipped 5 million Xbox One units to retailers worldwide since the launch.
Many readers will have heard of WhatsApp or possibly use this messaging app themselves. Not so many will have heard of the modded WhatsApp Plus version, but if you have you might be interested to hear that WhatsApp Plus APK 6.13 is now available.
Some of you may be considering switching from WhatsApp to this modified version, and as you would expect there are some differences between the official WhatsApp for Android and the free WhatsApp Plus app. For a start the app is also known as WhatsApp+ or WhatsApp Plus Holo, and the icon is blue rather than green.
Just like WhatsApp, the modified app is a cross-platform messaging app. It’s said to work well and be easy to install, although you will have to remove your original WhatsApp before you install WhatsApp Plus. The Plus version does have some features that the original WhatsApp does not.
These include free visual themes, with more than 700 on offer, additional emoticons, edit file sharing options, and menus for editing appearance and settings. If you’re interested in this alternative to the official WhatsApp and want to download WhatsApp Plus 6.13 you can do so at WhatsApp Plus Android APK 6.13here. You’ll find all of the versions along with a changelog for each.
The wholly-owned company invested more than $100 million for the first phase of the Long-Term Evolution (LTE) network, which has 300 cell sites, according to Chairman John Taylor, who owns a string of oil-related businesses, and wholly owns Surfline.
