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We must consider the key moral and policy questions around artificial intelligence and cyborg technologies to ensure our innovations don’t destroy us.

How much do we really know about the impact of scientific breakthroughs — on technology or on society? Not enough, says Marcelo Gleiser, the Appleton Professor of Natural Philosophy and a professor of physics and astronomy at Dartmouth College.

As someone who explores the intersection between science and philosophy, Gleiser argues that morality needs to play a stronger role in innovations such as artificial intelligence and cyborg technologies due to the risk they could pose to humanity. He has described an artificial intelligence more creative and powerful than humans as the greatest threat to our species.

While noting that scientific breakthroughs have the potential to bring great harm or great good, Gleiser calls himself an optimist. But says in this interview that “the creation of a transhuman being is clearly ripe for a careful moral analysis.”

When it comes to understanding how to enhance humans through artificial intelligence or embedded technologies, what do you view as the greatest unknowns we have yet to consider?

At the most basic level, if we do indeed enhance our abilities through a combination of artificial intelligence and embedded technologies, we must consider how these changes to the very way we function will affect our psychology. Will a super-strong, super-smart post-human creature have the same morals that we do? Will an enhancement of intelligence change our value system?

At a social level, we must wonder who will have access to these technologies. Most probably, they will initially be costly and accessible to a minority. (Not to mention military forces.) The greatest unknown is how this now divided society will function. Will the different humans cooperate or battle for dominance?

As a philosopher, physicist and astronomer, do you believe morality should play a greater role in scientific discovery?

Yes, especially in topics where the results of research can affect us as individuals and society. The creation of a transhuman being is clearly ripe for a careful moral analysis. Who should be in charge of such research? What moral principles should guide it? Are there changes in our essential humanity that violate universal moral values?

For example, should parents be able to select specific genetic traits for their children? If a chip could be implanted in someone’s brain to enhance its creative output, who should be the recipient? Should such developments be part of military research (which seems unavoidable at present)?

You’ve cited warnings by Stephen Hawking and Elon Musk in suggesting that we need to find ways to ensure that AI doesn’t end up destroying us. What would you would as a good starting point?

The greatest fear behind AI is loss of control — the machine that we want as an ally becomes a competitor. Given its presumably superior intellectual powers, if such a battle would ensue, we would lose.

We must make sure this situation never occurs. There are technological safeguards that could be implemented to avoid this sort of escalation. An AI is still a computer code that humans have written, so in principle, it is possible to input certain moral values that would ensure that an AI would not rebel against its creator.

Could the AI supersede the code? Possibly, which is why some people are very worried. There could be a shutdown device unknown to the AI that could be activated in case of an emergency. This would need to be outside the networking reach of the AI.

Are there policies that can be put in place that could better ensure that scientific breakthroughs are used appropriately?

From a policy perspective, granting agencies should monitor the goals of the funding to make sure the intentions are constructive and that safeguards are implemented from the start. Governments should work in partnership with scientists and philosophers to maintain transparency and to implement humane operating procedures.

Progress in the control of new technological output should come not just at the national, but at the international level. Global treaties should ensure that cutting-edge research involving AI and transhuman technologies are implemented according to basic moral rules to protect the social order.

There is urgency in developing these rules of conduct. Let us not repeat the errors from climate change regulation — we must act before it’s too late.

Are you generally an optimist or pessimist about how humanity uses science?

I’m optimistic. The human drive to kill existed before science was here. It’s not a scientific problem — it’s a moral problem embedded in a species that evolved within a hostile environment and that is still unable to look beyond its origins. Humans will continue to use science to kill and to heal.

But I detect the emergence of a new mindset, one that seeks a higher moral ground. This mindset is a byproduct of a new global consciousness, a consequence of increasing knowledge of our cosmic position as molecular machines living in a rare planet that are capable of self-awareness. Science not only creates new machines and technologies, but also new worldviews. It’s time we moved one from our ancient tribal divides.

(Top image: Courtesy of Thinkstock)

Marcelo Gleiser is the Appleton Professor of Natural Philosophy and a professor of physics and astronomy at Dartmouth College. His latest book is “The Island of Knowledge.” 

This post originally appeared on GE Reports.

Take note developers! Intel Developer Zone Champs is now Re-loaded for your participation.

The Intel Developer Zone Champs is an online loyalty program where developers can sign-up and participate in a wide range of challenges cutting across Android, IOT (internet of things) and Real sense technology.

Developers who successfully complete the challenges earn points and redeem these points for gifts. Participants can play for any of the prizes like Asus Fonepads, Intel power bank, Intel zipped laptop sleeve, Intel Matte finish car mug, Intel 15 inch laptop bag, Intel hoody, Intel transparent bottle, Intel frosted glass matt, Intel cap and Intel yarn effect tee.

As a developer, this is your chance to flaunt your skills and win goodies.

Sign-up at https://goo.gl/SJvNOv to start challenging yourself and keep winning prizes.

Automated selling and buying of digital advertising space more than tripled last year and is set to grow by over 60% this year according to recently released data from research firm eMarketer.

ARC, real-time advertising specialists headquartered in the UK with presence in Nigeria, working with Sponge Limited, continues to explore the world of Programmatic ad buying with some of the leading brands in Nigeria. As a result of the media buying system, campaigns carried out with renowned brands such as Coca-Cola, Orijin (ADVAN-Brand of the Year) and First Bank, have shown great relevance in massive reach, reduction in cost per acquisition, and lower cost per engagement among others.

According to Oti Ukubeyinje, Media Director at Sponge, “By working with ARC on this venture, we’ve been able to target specific users with relevant messaging based on their interests, location and intent, all in real time using the right creative”.

Automated or Programmatic advertising selling is becoming a major part of how ad space is bought and sold. Media planners and buyers have over the years had to deal with the hassles of emails and phone calls to publishers of web pages to negotiate best spots and strike deals but with Programmatic, a real time auction begins when a user uploads a webpage.

“Being a data driven agency, we’re constantly exploring intelligent ways to reach our clients’ audience, and Programmatic advertising has proven to be one of the most effective ways to do this”, Ukubeyinje added.

In the recently concluded ‘Share a Coke’ campaign which was awarded the campaign of the year by ADVAN, ARC was able to reach 1 million unique users using programmatic. Also yielding similar results was the First Bank Product Bundle campaign which resulted in a 35% reduction in cost per acquisition as well as a recent Orijin brand awareness campaign which delivered tremendous results.

Photo Credit: Sh4rp_i via Compfight cc

GE Aviation’s latest technology center sits tucked away from the hustle and bustle of Dubai International Airport, inside the Dubai Airport Free Zone and just steps away from the executive jet terminal, a location handy for easy access. From the outside, the place looks like just another glass-and-concrete office tower that sprouted in this desert metropolis over the last decade. But step inside its spaceship-like lobby, with walls inlaid with varnished white panels and flat-screen displays illuminated by chameleonic LEDs, and you’ll feel transported into the future.

Just don’t mention that to the center’s director, Samer Aljabari. For him, the place — officially called the GE Middle East Aviation Technology Center — is rooted squarely in the present. The center employs scores of software engineers writing code that can funnel terabytes of data coming off airplanes and jet engines into the cloud, analyze it and deliver meaningful insights that can help airlines save money on everything from fuel to maintenance. “This is the promise of the Industrial Internet,” Aljabari says. “Many people still think it’s some fancy concept, but it’s already here, it’s real, it’s happening.”

One of the reasons GE built the center here was to make some of its largest and fastest-growing regional customers familiar with the software co-creation concept. Over the last two decades, the region has transformed into a major aviation hub connecting the West with China, India, Vietnam and other booming nations in the East. Today, it’s hard to look at the sky above downtown Dubai and not see an Emirates plane or visit nearby Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, without passing a facility that belongs to Etihad Airways, the national carrier. The Dubai Airshow, taking place this week, has quickly grown into the industry’s major event, joining mainstays in Paris and London.

The technology center is set up in such a way that visitors can easily grasp how the Industrial Internet works. Last week, during GE’s Minds + Machines conference in Dubai, Aljabari led a group of visitors including Bill Ruh, chief executive of GE Digital, into a white-and-blue room at the heart of the center. It’s meant to represent the data cloud.

There, on banks of TV screens, he explained how aircraft gather and transfer data — both in flight via satellite and after they land. He also talked about the types of data his systems use — everything from heat and vibrations happening inside engines to weather and airport congestion information — and how GE can glean insights from the information.

The magic that allows the company to do this in the real world takes place in another wing of the center, where software engineers are busy writing software applications that can run on Predix, GE’s software platform for the Industrial Internet. Airlines can use the apps to design bespoke flight paths for each plane, figure out how much fuel they need for each flight to avoid carrying excess weight and schedule maintenance when it’s actually needed.

The new center is the second such GE facility in the Middle East and Turkey. GE software engineers have been writing apps for the aviation industry at the Turkish Technology Center (TTC), located just outside Istanbul, for some time.

The TTC just celebrated its 15th anniversary and over the years, it’s helped GE Aviation develop software and applications to increase efficiency across the aviation ecosystem. Aybike Molbay, director of the center, says that while flying and maintenance used to be a combination of physics and spreadsheet schedules, they have now gone digital. “We used to look at aviation through a narrow lens,” Molbay says. “We are now on a new level where we are developing analytics in which one engine can talk to another engine and to the aircraft and to the entire system to help the airline run more efficiently.”

For instance, software from the center will keep track of hundreds of GE engines for multiple airlines on a daily basis. Since Predix is technology-agnostic, it could be used one day to monitor engines from other manufacturers. “Predix is a software platform just like Uber or Airbnb are platforms,” Ruh said on a recent flight to visit the Istanbul center. “The Uber app can manage any type of car and we are doing the same for industrial machines. We’re already using Predix apps to manage everything from locomotives to wind farms and power plants. From the software standpoint, a jet engine is just another asset. This is what we mean when we talk about GE’s transformation into a digital industrial company.”

GE is currently managing and servicing assets valued at $1 trillion. If Ruh and GE Chairman and CEO Jeff Immelt have their way, all of these machines and many more will be connected to the Industrial Internet.

GE engineers in Dubai and Istanbul are now working on apps that can monitor flight details such as the length of the runway and the angle at which the plane took off, the temperature inside the engine, the amount of fuel consumed, the load it carried, whether it flew through a storm and the temperature that day.

All of these factors and more have an impact on the time the engine can remain in service. The apps will allow customers to access the information remotely from their computers or handheld devices.

This is similar to changing the oil in your car when it’s actually needed and not every time you drive 3,000 miles. It will save airlines money, make their planes even safer and allow them to better manage their fleets.

The technology center in Istanbul just launched an internal Testing Visualization App that will allow GE crews to remotely monitor engine tests before they are delivered to customers.

But this is just the beginning. Aljabari is already eyeing data from cameras installed inside and outside airports, sensors in conveyor belts for luggage, and ticketing systems as a connected network that could make the airport intelligent. GE recently opened Predix to outside developers, so customers will be able to use it to build their own apps.

The company is now planning to build similar software centers in China, the United States, Europe and Southeast Asia. The GE Middle East Aviation Technology Center will be a blueprint for these facilities. Says Aljabari: “Imagine the unlimited possibilities and the power we can bring to the table.”

Will Apple and Google become as powerful in the Internet of Things as they are in mobile – and if they do, which platforms will pose as a challenge for them?

These are the types of questions that developers find themselves asking today – but where are the answers? Analyst veteran VisionMobile knows and is ready to share everything with you for free. All you have to do is participate in their latest survey and that’s it. Helping them means you’ll get back free gifts that can help you compare yourself with other developers from Nigeria e.g. insights, graphs, and stats. Their survey is supported by TechCabal and other developer channels, so don’t hesitate to participate right this minute – everyone is!

The National Developer Trends survey is designed to ask developers their opinion on  platforms, revenues, apps, tools, APIs, segments, business models, and regions – in other words, it’s a great way to learn about yourself and those around you!

There are also dozens of prizes up for grabs, from the iPhone 6s to the Parrot AR Drone 2.0.

Take the survey here: http://vmob.me/DE1Q16TechCabal

As shoppers across the country prepare for the festive season and one of the biggest shopping events ever, ‘Black Friday’ is about to begin, with more Nigerians and brands getting actively invloved in the tradition, www.PayPorte.com , Nigeria’s fast growing online shopping brand is not left out of this experience as it sets to roll out its own special shopping event for Nigerians tagged #PayPorteDoubleBlack.

Starting from Wednesday. 25^th November to Friday 27^th November, this event will see several categories of products on the PayPorte website made available during this three-day online and offline shopping experience. The products will include – women and women’s fashion, home appliances, kids fashion and accessories, mobile devices and electronics and at ridiculously low prices.

Announcing this incredible #PayPorteDoubleBlack Special Black Friday’ deal is the Head of Strategy and Planning, Irene Kayoma. “With hundreds of items to be sold at ridiculously low prices and due to our very diverse audience, PayPorte shoppers will not only have the opportunity to access this amazing experience online but also offline at our outdoor sales, which will be the second one to hold this year”, adding, “we have also factored in solutions to logistics challenges that may likely occur due to the ‘jumbo deals’ on offer”.

Before the commencement of this event, customers and shoppers can view all products online to see the wide variety of items available, while also showing the time-stamp for sales to commence. Both shopping platforms will kick off same time and will also run for three days while stocks lasts with a chance to go away with loads of freebies at the outdoor/offline sales for all walk in customers.

Also speaking on this double edged shopping offer, the Managing Director, PayPorte Global Systems, Bassey Eyo said, “With our just concluded and first ever outdoor/offline sales in Lekki, we wanted to create an experience beyond the online interaction so we came up with the outdoor sales. The reason for this is because at PayPorte we understand the multi-platform and multi-dimensioal lives of consumers and their buying behaviour reflects this, so we seek various yet creative ways to cultivate and engage them. In addition, we are constantly looking to increase the value of every customer’s shopping experience on PayPorte while extending our reach beyond our existing customers to potential customers making sure that shopping with us is made easy”.

PayPorte, which recently turned one is is quickly carving a niche for itself in the e-commerce industry. The online retail brand which caters to young and aspiring, urban professionals created on the premise of making shopping easy for a cross section of demographics from the comfort of their homes, cars and mobile devices.

For more information about the Sale, visit www.payporte.com/double-black

As part of its strategic positioning and commitment to delivering better internet experience, Spectranet 4G LTE commenced a national communication campaign with the single objective of reshaping the experience of the broad band consumer through a unique message of connecting to “what matters to you most”.

Speaking on the campaign that involves both social and traditional media, the head of marketing, Mr Mike Ogor said, it is a celebration of what the modern family should be enjoying online.

Spectranet’s use of television, radio, print and online is a strategic choice of sustaining the rising profile of the brand. It is the first time Spectranet is embarking on the use of Television alongside other communications channels.”

According to him, the brand is on the rise in the market in such a way that we need to consistently sustain our conversation with our subscribers.

The new Spectranet campaign, shot with a family scene using the internet to engage the public at home, shop and office, is a statement of how we are evolving to the extent that every family should naturally be experiencing easy use of the internet everyday.

The excitement of the family, from the celebration of the father working from home, the mother consulting on cooking in the kitchen and the children playing games and exchanging pleasantries with friends shows the modern Nigeria family and what Spectranet stands for as a brand for the family and office.

Beyond the happy faces, the characters also possess a unique attitude of being bold and iconic which are unique features of the brand. Everything seems to come alive as each character is able to connect to what matters and carry out online activities with much needed internet speed.

The import of the advert is not just communicating the message of a brand’s essence, but also, it tries to connect with its subscribers emotionally and be seen to identify with those things that give them satisfaction.

Recently, the brand changed its logo and expanded the number of base stations to improve experience of the subscribers.

The Managing Director, Mr. David Venn, said the national campaign of Spectranet is part of its aspiration to be a national brand as well as the number one broadband internet service provider in the country.

He revealed that Spectranet is daily investing in both human and infrastructural facilities across the country that will enable consumers to have an exciting experience once they are connected to the Spectranet network.

Watch the 45 second TVC below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnZFTr62aCc

https://spectranet.com.ng/spectranetpromo/buy%20now.html

It is another season of Fuel Scarcity so you tell the driver to leave, deciding to go home on your own later at night when the traffic has abated so as to conserve fuel.  Two streets to your house the vehicle suddenly stops; you take a look at the engine as the issue of fuel is the last thing on your mind having given your driver money to fill up the tank just two days ago.

Nothing is wrong with the engine, so to fulfill all righteousness you decide to check the fuel gauge and shockingly it is empty. You have to tip the night watchmen to help you push your car into a filling station and watch over it.

Imagine how you would have seamlessly avoided this situation if you had the opportunity to monitor the exact amount of fuel that goes in and out of your car? This is one of the benefits of owning Concept Nova’s Fuel Management solution, FUEL MANAGER.

FUEL MANAGER is an integrated remote monitoring solution that allows you detect the exact rate of fuel usage in Cars, Buses, Vans, Trucks, Construction machines, Air and sea vehicles, its usage also extends to mobile and stationary tanks like Farms tanks and Diesel generators tanks.

It is a User-Friendly monitoring platform that gives the fleet manager and generator owner detailed real –time analysis of fuel usage, fuel storage and any excessive drop in fuel level just at the touch of a button, accessible from any internet-enabled device.

The solution saves you and your company money and protects you against theft; it increases fuel optimization and overall productivity and also improves fuel efficiency while reducing operational and maintenance costs.

For more information on the FUEL MANAGER, please visit http://www.concept-nova.com/product-category/Fuel-Management-Solutions or call 07026333742, 07046180256.

National Geographic Channel and GE partnered to develop BREAKTHROUGH, a new series produced by Imagine Entertainment and Asylum Entertainment premièring on November 8 on DStv Channel 181 at 20:00.

Life-saving, mind-boggling innovation is a part of everyday life, so we sometimes take it for granted. It happens in the blink of an eye — on battlefields and playgrounds, in supercolliders and the International Space Station, in smart homes and smart cars. These are modern-day revolutions in how we live. BREAKTHROUGH explores the courage, imagination, passion and self-sacrifice of the scientists bringing these innovations to life.

Each hour-long episode is directed by a Hollywood visionary, with Angela Bassett, Peter Berg, Paul Giamatti, Akiva Goldsman, Ron Howard and Brett Ratner as the first six directors.

This six part series will explore remarkable breakthroughs in brain science, longevity, water, energy, pandemics and cyborg technology. Howard directs the longevity episode, Giamatti investigates the latest in technology, Ratner explores the brain, Berg tackles pandemics, Bassett deals with water issues and Goldsman tackles energy.

“Modern science and technology are the keys to addressing the challenges the world is facing today,” said Courteney Monroe, CEO, National Geographic Channels. “By partnering with GE — as dedicated to science and innovation as we are — and by working with top-tier directors at the helm, BREAKTHROUGH will celebrate the curiosity, innovation and exploration of our world, and spotlight the individuals and institutions at the center of these groundbreaking achievements.”

The hour-long episodes in order of broadcast date are:

Fighting Pandemics (Directed by Peter Berg) 8/11/2015

More Than Human (Directed by Paul Giamatti) 15/11/2015

Decoding The Brain (Directed by Brett Ratner) 22/11/2015

The Age of Aging (Directed by Ron Howard) 29/11/2015

Energy From The Edge  (Directed by Akiva Goldsman) 6/12/2015

Water Apocalypse (Directed by Angela Bassett) 13/12/2015

The three episodes coming up for 29/11, 6/12 and 13/12 include the below GE experts and the breakthrough work they are committed to every day. They are :

“The Age of Aging” featuring Fiona Ginty

High Value Diagnostics Biology Platform Leader, GE Global Research Center, Saratoga Springs, New York

Fiona Ginty is featured in an episode about longevity. She specialises in molecular pathology, a science used to analyse tumour tissue for cancer patients. Using GE’s MultiOmyx technology, scientists can determine the cell makeup and characteristics of these tumour tissues, as well as the likelihood of potential growth. This work showcases how medical technology has evolved over the past two centuries, and the behaviour of cells as they interact with emerging technology.

“Energy From The Edge”  featuring  Nate McClanahan

Engineering Test Technician, GE Aviation, West Union, Ohio

Nate McClanahan is featured in the episode about the future of energy that spotlights innovative alternative energy projects and the people behind them. Nate explains how GE’s jet engine technology has given way to the creation of gas turbine technology, which helps power the world. With scientists and engineers working around the globe, GE is on the cutting edge of developing more efficient energy solutions, including digital wind farms and solid oxide fuel cells.

“Water Apocalypse” featuring Jeff Peeters

Senior Product Manager, GE Water & Process Technologies, Toronto, Canada

In an episode about how scientists and governments are working to prevent widespread water shortages, GE’s ZeeWeed Membrane technology — which increases the availability of clean, usable water — is featured as part of the solution. The Butler Water Reclamation Facility in Peoria, Arizona (a GE customer), has the capacity to recycle over 37 million litres of water every day, transforming the area. The facility powers a 5-acre lake and a town park — and in the near future, it will support the growing town and the people who live there.

“GE has always been driven by restless invention,” said Beth Comstock, CMO at GE and president of GE Business Innovations. “New technologies are disrupting the world every day on personal, economic and social levels, and the efforts that go into fueling that — though often unseen — can be astounding. This project will lift the lid to reveal our civilization’s tremendous evolution and still-to-be-tapped potential.”

GE and National Geographic Channel are united in their commitment to inspire the most curious minds the world over with the new series BREAKTHROUGH.

After months of numerous entry submissions and rigorous judging sessions, two winners have emerged for the 2015 edition of the Etisalat Prize for Innovation. This announcement was made at a glitz and glam event which held on Friday, November 6, 2015 at Intercontinental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The winners, Obi Brown and Chijioke Ezegbo went home with N5 million and N2 million respectively. They were also rewarded with publicity campaign, mentoring session at the Enterprise Development Centre of the Pan Atlantic University.

The winning product in the most innovative product category, created by Obi Brown, Study Math Lab, is a repository of over 1300+ videos solving math problems in over 49 topics in the NERDC curriculum for senior secondary school Maths. The videos are solved by a team of Math teachers led by the WAEC Chief Examiner.

Dedicated Traffic Mapping Device (DTMD) which emerged the winning idea in the most innovative idea category, created by Chijioke Ezegbo is a GPRS enabled traffic navigation device with voice over interface which is affixed to a vehicle windshield (just like a rear view mirror) to help users navigate their way through traffic by accessing real-time traffic data and suggesting shorter/alternate routes.

Speaking at the event, Chief Executive Officer of Etisalat Nigeria, Matthew Willsher, said the Prize for Innovation initiative which aims at discovering and growing young Nigerians with innovative products, ideas and solutions using mobile broadband technology, reflects the company’s commitment to nurturing talents and promoting creativity that will have invaluable impacts on individuals and organizations.

The event which was hosted by TV Personality, Ebuka Obi-Uchendu had performances from the Soulful singer, Timi Dakolo as well as Yemi Sax. Pictures follow:

The Etisalat Prize for Innovation, in its fourth season, aims at promoting innovations with valuable impacts from the broadband community including individuals and SMEs who are into manufacturing of phone devices, development of apps and contents and provision of software services.

Y’ello Music lovers. Are you an upcoming artiste or a music lover? If yes, then this is just for you. Imagine building a music career and a massive fan base effortlessly and at no cost. You might be thinking this isn’t possible, but it actually is with the MTN Music+ Next Rated platform.

To better understand how it works you need to know about the MTN Music plus app. This app provides streaming and downloading of a wide number of Nigerian songs from classics to current and trending songs. That’s not all, it offers subscribers the ability to create playlists, share music, send music to a friend or loved one as a gift, upload songs and enjoy offline streaming. Interesting isn’t it?

Now you would be wondering what the #NextRatedStar is all about. It is an exciting initiative on MTN Music plus by the one of the largest telecommunication industry in Nigeria, MTN Nigeria, to support upcoming acts and help them build up their music career. Upcoming artistes can upload their songs to get more publicity and build a fan base for free. Yes, for free!

Becoming the #NextRatedStar just got really easy. To get started, follow these steps:

1. Download MTN Music Plus APP
2. Launch the UGC Mini Banner
3. Click on “Start UGC” Button
4. You will be re-directed to your browser
5. Input Your Song Name
6. Upload the Song File from your library
7. Upload the Song Album Cover Picture
8. Describe your song in your own words (Category, Genre, Language)
9. Agree to the terms and conditions
10. Submit Your Song, Share the link received in SMS with your friends.

Want to be the first to listen to, download or stream a brand new song by your favourite Nigerian artiste? Keep up to date with us on our social profiles,

Twitter: @MTNMusicPlus

Instagram: @Mtn_musicplus

Facebook: MTN Music Plus

You could be the #NextRatedStar. The question is Are you Ready?

http://www.mtnonline.com/musicplus-nextrated

Etisalat Nigeria has reinforced its commitment to supporting innovation and creativity in Nigeria through the Etisalat Prize for innovation awards, an initiative which aims at discovering and growing young Nigerians with innovative products, ideas and solutions using mobile broadband technology.

The finalists for the 2015 edition which opened for entries in June 2015 were announced in Lagos on Tuesday 3rd November, 2015 by the Chief Executive Officer and member of the Board of Innovators of the Prize, Matthew Willsher.

Mr Willsher while speaking on the initiative, reiterated the company’s commitment to nurturing talents just as he endorsed the quality of the innovative products and services.

“The 2015 finalists of the Etisalat Prize for Innovation are truly remarkable and reflect the rigor with which they were chosen by the judges. We are honored to recognize these remarkable innovations and the individuals behind them and we look forward to celebrating the winners at the award ceremony taking place on the 6th of November 2015,” he said.

Finalists of Innovative product category

1. Study Math Lab is a repository of over 1300+ videos solving math problems in over 49 topics in the NERDC curriculum for senior secondary school Math.

2. Digital Back Books is the first ebook platform offering a subscription service in Nigeria.

Finalists for Innovative idea category

1. Dedicated Traffic Mapping Device DTMD is a GPRS enabled traffic navigation device with voice over to help users navigate their way through traffic by accessing real-time traffic data and suggesting shorter/alternate routes.

2. Traffigator Tech is a website and a mobile app that helps users with detailed description on how to navigate within cities using the public system of transportation unique to that city at that time.

The winner of the most innovative product or service category will be rewarded with a =N=5,000,000 cash prize, high-end mobile devices, Etisalat Mifi bundled with free data for one year, In-house Business Development Mentoring and product promotion using Etisalat Online Platforms.

The Innovative Idea category winner will be rewarded with a =N=2,000,000 cash prize, high-end mobile devices, Etisalat Mifi bundled with free data for one year, In-house Business Development Mentoring and product promotion using Etisalat Online Platforms.

In a momentous event that will shape the history of Wakanow in Africa as one of the continents foremost travel management companies, the MD of Wakanow, Obinna Ekezie was honoured with the West African Entrepreneur of the year Awards for 2015 at the AABLA awards organized by All Africa Business Leaders Awards in partnership with the CNBC Africa.

The event which took place at the Eko Hotels and Towers in Victoria Island Lagos on Thursday the 22^nd of October, saw the presence of the big wigs in commerce including the former minister of finance, Lamido, Sanusi Lamido, the former Governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi and several notable business leaders across Africa.

The All Africa Business Leaders Awards (AABLA) in partnership with CNBC Africa honours remarkable leadership and salutes game changers of business on the continent for their continuing commitment to excellence, developing best practices and innovative strategies.

Obinna described the journey of Wakanow as a fulfilment of a dream for a better travel experience for Nigerians and Africans at large and made a commitment to continuing in the path of the core values of AAbla towards exemplary leadership, strength, innovation, ingenuity, knowledge and foresight in leading Wakanow to becoming the a major building block to the success of the African economy.

ABOUT WAKANOW.COM

Wakanow.com is an OTA and one of the fastest growing online businesses in Nigeria. In the five years of its existence, Wakanow has inarguably become Africa’s no 1 travel booking portal. With physical presence in Nigeria, Dubai, Ghana, UK, Kenya and Rwanda; with 21 travel centers in Nigeria and a wide range of products/services that include Vacation packages, Hotel/flight booking, Specialized Travel packages, Corporate Travel Management, Visa procurements, a Wakanow international pre-prepaid card, a loyalty solution and a Wakanow international Travel SIM card, Wakanow.com has become a force to be reckoned with in the business landscape in Nigeria. In 2013, Wakanow was recognized as one of the fastest growing online companies in Nigeria by the Tony Elumelu Foundation in alliance with the AllWorld Networks of the UK.

With the acquisition of Oya.com, a local transport ticketing online agency and the commencement of specialized services to corporate and high-end clients, Wakanow.com has once again raised the bar in tapping into the wealth of opportunities that exist in the travel business in Nigeria and in enhancing the profile of the industry in general.

Wakanow plans to open another 20 offices around the world over the next 2 years.

African Media Initiative (AMI) and General Electric (GE) have partnered to boost media coverage in Africa of Energy and Infrastructure issues. Some 20 journalists drawn from the East Africa region will undergo basic training on the Energy sector in Africa, and on using sector data to tell impactful stories that will enrich media content and better inform citizens. The training is set to take place from 9-10 October 2015, in Nairobi, Kenya.

The training will explore the importance of covering the energy sector, the weaknesses identified in coverage of infrastructure and energy-related issues, as well as the use of data and cutting edge technologies to craft and disseminate media messages for audiences across all platforms.

Patricia Obozuwa, Director of Communications for GE Africa said the initiative was part of GE’s efforts to support developmental journalism through capacity building. She said the media, if properly harnessed, plays a key role in influencing development of societies. “As an Energy and Infrastructure company, we are glad to be associated with the Energy and Infrastructure category of the prestigious CNN awards. We believe this training will ultimately help in the quality of entries for subsequent awards” said Obozuwa.

This workshop will be the first in a series of regional training events that GE will sponsor to create an Africa-wide network of journalists specializing in reporting on Energy and Infrastructure.

AMI’s partnership with General Electric will provide the necessary expertise required in shaping media understanding of the Energy and Infrastructure sector. Journalists will be encouraged to publish and broadcast stories that drive the development agenda and clearly outline the critical role that energy and infrastructure play in the growth of national economies.

Thursday, October 22, 2015 is one day motorists who plied the bridge linking Costain and Eko Bridge will never forget in a hurry, as many lost assets and other valuables to notorious robbers who held them hostage for over 15 minutes in the gridlock of Lagos traffic.

As a fleet manager, let’s take for instance, you had any of your fleet heading towards that direction on this fateful day and you were able to successfully guide your driver through an alternative route to deliver merchandise to your customer right on time.

This way you would have saved your vehicle and goods from being stolen or vandalized and at the same time maintained your customers’ trust in your ability to deliver as promised. This and many more are what Concept Nova’s Vehicle tracking solutions can do for you.

Our Basic Track Solution also known as Ti-Kon is a self-service car monitoring device that uses GPS as well as GSM technology to monitor the location of your vehicle at all times and can be viewed from an internet enabled device such as a smartphone, tablet or computer. It also helps to optimize routes while securing yourself and family members against theft and unforeseeable occurrence.

The Track and Trace Solution is majorly for fleet owners, haulage and other logistics companies. It  goes a step further by giving fleet managers access to their drivers’ accurate driving history and automatic distance reporting. It also has a panic/SOS Button and voice/ conversation recorder in case of emergencies. It is the the best solution to reduce overall transportation costs and improve productivity.

With the Advanced Track and Trace monitoring device, you get to be in total control of your asset and those in possession of it. With this device, fleet managers get alerts when certain rules defined by the manager are broken e.g. reckless driving, over speeding, harsh braking/harsh acceleration and ignition on/off.

For more information please visit www.concept-nova.com/Vehicle-Tracking-Solutions or call 07026333742, 07046180256.

Yes! You read that right. Online travel booking company Travelbeta.com has officially launched and aims to convert millions of Nigeria’s offline booking customers to online customers.

In the last twelve months, Nigeria recorded approximately 15 million travel bookings. International flights accounted for nine million of those bookings and only a meagre 300,000 of that total may have been booked through online travel agencies.

Travelbeta.com (‘beta’ pronounced as pidgin English for ‘better’) aims to significantly blow up the online booking market through its superior customer experience delivery, provision of the cheapest travel rates in the country, 95% success-rate visa advisory services to destinations like Dubai, London or Cape Town and world-class technology matched only by Telecommunication companies in Nigeria.

The company is supported by Amadeus and IATA, and provides bookings to over 300,000 hotels worldwide including over 1000 Nigerian hotels and flights to 900 destinations worldwide.

The Travelbeta.com founding team is made up of veterans in the online booking and technology space. The Chief Commercial Officer, Mr. Onyeka Akumah is an experienced marketing head who has worked as the marketing head of major online businesses in Nigeria including Jumia, Konga and online travel agency Wakanow. Also part of the team is Mr. Wole Ayorinde, Travelbeta.com’s Chief Technology Officer who spoke at the launch and has over 13 years experience in technology management with many start-ups in Silicon Valley. The Operations Manager is Mr. David Asuku, a veteran and pioneer of several products in the local travel business. He has over 15 years experience in the Nigerian travel industry and was involved in the start-up and management of several travel companies including Wakanow and Holloway Travels.

Speaking at the launch, Mr. Onyeka Akumah explained that the company has the backing of Nigerian investors who are willing to grow the business for as long as it takes them to establish Travelbeta.com as the premium online travel destination management company in this region.

“Our promise to every customer who uses Travelbeta.com is that you will get the best of professionalism from our well-trained team of customer travel consultants who will provide Nigerians with all the information they need about booking smarter when they travel while making available unbeatable travel fares especially in this season.’’ He concluded by telling the press that Travelbeta.com is ready to march the best travel offers available to Nigerians today only if they handle their bookings online or call their customer service desk.

Finally, a demonstration of the website was done for the media guests to learn how to compare prices and pick the best fares available.

For more information, contact:

Travelbeta.com on

Phone: 07001110111

Email: info@travelbeta.com

Twitter: @travelbeta

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/travelbeta

If you live in Lagos then chances are that you have used Third Mainland Bridge. The bridge, famously acclaimed as the longest in Nigeria and second longest bridge in Africa, is one of the three access bridges that connects Lagos mainland to the Island.

While sometimes, the engineering masterpiece is a welcome relief for road users, commuters will also tell you that plying the Third Mainland Bridge can be a very frustrating experience. Well, if you belong to the latter then it’s high time you beat the Third Mainland Traffic the ‘Tsaboin Traffic Talk’ Way.

Tsaboin is a tech startup company that is helping Lagosians beat traffic bottle necks using its revolutionary traffic update camera feeds. With live feeds from Tsaboin’s traffic cameras located in strategic locations across the State, road users can get live updates on traffic situations. Take Third Mainland Bridge for instance. As strategic as the bridge is to Lagos, there is no predicting the situation of the bridge. One minute it is as free as air, the next minute, it is totally blocked with an unending row of cars, bumper to bumper, struggling to free themselves of the traffic logjam.

But with updates from Tsaboin Traffic Talk, you can know the precise traffic situation of the bridge real time. That way you can decide whether to use the Third Mainland Bridge or other alternative routes. And the best part of it is that Tsaboin is optimized for mobile phone use as an app. So if you have Tsaboin Traffic Talk app on your phone, you are just one or two clicks from viewing the camera and also one click from viewing your timeline and update. There’s even more. If there are unusual gridlocks in any location, your phone notifies you through push notification. The app also has analytics that shows users areas with traffic issues. And guess what, Tsaboin is absolutely free!

So if you want to be free of the hassles and frustrations that come with being stuck in traffic especially Third Mainland bridge, then you may want to consider the Tsaboin option.

You can download the Tsaboin app from your Google play store or App store on your iPhone or the blackberry world. For more information log on to: www.tsaboin.com or join their social media platforms. For Facebook: Tsaboin, Twitter: @tsaboin and Instagram: @tsaboin