25 Jan 2015
Twitter Has Introduced Tweet Translation for its iOS and Android Users.
Twitter
has reportedly announced via a tweet on its official twitter account that it
has partnered with Bing Translator to introduce tweet translation for its iOS
and Android users. Windows 8 phone users have already been enjoying this
service for about two years now.
However,
for now, the translations are available for 40 language pairs only. You can
access this via a browser, Twitters own Tweetdeck and Twitter apps for mobile
devices.
Users
can turn tweet translation on or off by signing into Twitter on a desktop
computer or laptop, then go to your Account setting in the Content area and
select the tweet translation service to turn the setting on or off.
A
little globe icon at the side of a tweet indicates that it was originally
published in a different language and also that a translation is available
between your language and the language of the tweet.
However, Twitter
warned that translations may sometimes be of low quality, though Bing says that
its researchers are continuously working on improvements but warns that it will
take years before effective browsers translation can be achieved.
For this reason, the
original text is always displayed above its translation as they think it will
make it easier to understand by comparing the translation with the original if
necessary.
According to Twitter, it’s
a great way to disseminate worldwide news and information. We can now follow
Twitters tweeting in other languages by overcoming language barriers.
22 Jan 2015
Google Translate’s Latest Update Taking Translation to another Level with 2 Awesome New Features.
Google, just some days
back released an update to its Google Translate app for Android and iOS. This
updates are huge and offers a lot of convenience and satisfaction to its users.
One of the updates include the ability of Google translate to translate foreign
languages real time.
The update is already
available for download or update from Google Playstore for Android users or
Apple apps store for iOS users. The update includes voice recognition for seven
languages for now. All users have to do now is to speak one language into their
phone and have the app into text in another language.
For example, if the user
is translating from English into German, he simply has to tap the mic icon and
say "keep it up." Google Translate takes a few moments to process the
sentence and come back with "J'ai faim." The user then won't have to
tap the mic if he wants to translate other sentences; the app will be able to
recognize his voice and what language he speaks in.
At the same time, the
app also automatically recognizes the voice input from the other user, so it
can also translate the other person's sentences into the first language.
Google only released voice
recognition for Google Translate for seven languages for now: English, French,
Spanish, German, Russian, Portuguese and Italian. However, Google is planning
to add several languages in the future. In the meantime, the app also offers
text translations for 90 other languages.
The second update is the
addition of Word Lens capabilities to Google Translate. This new feature allows
users to take a photo of text and receive a translation of it in 36 languages.
Users only need to point their camera at the text, and Google Translate will
provide the text translation over the image.
Word Lens for Google
Translate works without Internet or data connection. Voice translation is also
possible offline, but users will have to download separate language packs for
it to work.
You can download the update Here
31 Dec 2014
How to Take a Screenshot on your Smartphone and PC’
Did you see something interesting on
your smartphone that you want to take a picture of? Whether you are having
issues with your phone and don’t know
how to explain it and need to show someone online for help or an app or phone
setting, an interesting score in a game you just played, or something else, be
it on android, blackberry, iphone, windows (phone or PC’s) OS, you can take a
screenshot of it. Screenshots are saved in picture folders in this devices and it’s
easy to share them.
Capturing screenshots is very easy
on most devices as most OEM’s now add shortcuts in form of buttons on these
devices depending on the operating systems they are running on. In this
article, I will be showing you how to take screenshots on Android OS, iOS,
Blackberry 6,7,8 and 10 OS, Windows phone 8 and 8.1 OS and PC windows 7, 8, 8.1 OS.
Android
Its as easy as pressing and holding down the Power and Volume Down buttons together until you hear the shutter sound and see the screen flash. The screenshot snapped is saved to a screenshot folder in your gallery where you can view,edit and share it.
Windows 8 and 8.1 phones
Press
and hold down the Start button and Power button at the same time why you just
have to press and hold down the Power and Volume Up buttons together to snap
your screenshot. You can view and share the screenshots from the screenshots
album in the phones Photo Hub.
Windows PC devices
Some Window PC’s have a keyboard
button for capturing screenshots. All you have to do then is click on the
button after you have opened what you want to capture. If the screenshot button doesn't come with your PC’s keyboard, you can use a pre-installed software on your Windows PC called snipping tool. To take a shot of a screen with Snipping tool,
all you have to do is to open it via Start menu >> All Programs >>
Accessories >> Snipping tool. Click on new then use the cursor that will
appear to select the area of the screen you want to capture, and then release
your mouse to capture. After capturing, a new window will open showing you
your captured screen. You can edit it via the Snipping tool before
saving or emailing it. Alternatively, you can download an app like PC
Screen Capture, Tiny Take or Screen Grab, install
and run. The images you capture can be saved in any folder you select.
Blackberry Playbook, 5, 6, 7 and 10 OS devices There is no pre-installed screen
capture app for Blackberry OS 5, 6 and 7 devices so you will need to download a
screen capturing app from Blackberry App World. Examples of some very good and
reliable applications for capturing your screen include Capture It, Screen
shot, Screen muncher, Screen shooter and Screen Capture. Just search for any of them in BlackBerry App World
on your Blackberry phone, then download and install.
When you find a a screen you want to capture, just press the Menu button and select the screen shot app you downloaded, open it and snap whatever it is you want. All screenshots will be saved automatically in the pictures application on your Blackberry device.
For Blackberry Playbook and OS 10 devices, first find the screen of which you want to take a screenshot. When you are ready to snap, press the Volume Up and Volume Down keys on the right hand side of the device at the same time until you hear a camera shutter sound. The screenshot will be saved to the camera folder on your device.
iOS devices
Only devices
running on iOS 2.0 or higher can take screen shots. To take a screenshot on
your iPhone or iPad, press and hold the Home and Lock/Power buttons at the same
time
The screen shots you take are
automatically saved in the default Photos app under an album called Photos or
Camera Roll depending on your device and iOS version.
29 Dec 2014
Microsoft is Rumored to be Developing a New Web Browser for Windows 10.
Fresh information which very recently surfaced suggests that Microsoft is developing a new internet browser for Windows 10, which is code-named “Spartan” but is not Internet Explorer 12 which typically was being expected to drop along with Windows 10. They aim to make Spartan look and feel more like other popular browsers like Mozilla’s Firefox and Google’s Chrome by making it support extensions and upgrading the UI.
 |
Despite the changes, Spartan is still going to use Microsoft' Chakra’s JavaScript engine and Microsoft's Trident rendering engine unlike other browsers like safari which uses webkit and Chrome which uses a upgraded modification of webkit, as reported by ZDNet
According to the report if they are correct, we should be expecting Windows 10 (at least the desktop version) to ship with both Spartan and Internet Explorer 11 and Spartan will be available for both desktop and mobile (phone/tablet) versions of Windows 10.
Microsoft has an event fixed for January 21 where it is expected to unveil more details about Windows 10. ZDNet also reports that Spartan is just a code name for the new browser project for now and don’t know what Microsoft plans to call it when it is released or if will be functional enough for inclusion in the Windows 10 January Technical Preview and mobile preview builds that are expected to be available to testers in early 2015, as they are not sure.
If it will be made available at some point to other non-Windows OS is not clear for now but the possibility can’t be ruled out as Microsoft for some time now has been releasing much of its software and services to non-Windows OS.
20 Dec 2014
BlackBerry Classic detailed specifications
BlackBerry
announced the release of its latest smartphone, the Blackberry Classic, three
days ago with a full QWERTY keyboard and a 3.5-inch touchscreen. Here are the
detailed specifications of the device compiled by yours sincerely….
GENERAL
|
Release
date
|
December 2014
|
|
Form factor
|
QWERTY
|
|
Dimensions
|
131
x72.40 x10.20 mm
|
|
Battery
capacity
|
2515
mAh
|
|
Weight
|
178g
|
|
SARS
value
|
NA
|
DISPLAY
|
Screen Size
|
3.5 inches
|
|
Screen type
|
Capacitive touchscreen
|
|
Resolution
|
720 x 720 pixels
|
|
Pixels per inch
|
294 ppi
|
|
Protection
|
Corning Gorilla glass 3
|
SOFTWARE/HARDWARE
|
Operating system
|
BlackBerry 10.3.1 OS
|
|
Chipset
|
Qualcomm MSM 8960 snapdragon
|
|
CPU
|
Dual core 1.5 GHz Krait
|
|
GPU
|
Adreno 225
|
|
Java support
|
No
|
|
Browser supports flash
|
No
|
|
RAM
|
2GB
|
|
Internal storage
|
16GB expandable via MicroSD
to 128GB
|
CAMERA
|
Primary
|
8MP, 3264 x 2448 pixels,
autofocus, LED flash
|
|
Features
|
Geo-tagging, touch focus,
face detection,
HDR, panorama |
|
Video
|
1080p @30fps
|
|
Secondary
|
2MP
|
CONNECTIVITY
|
WLAN
|
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, dual
band
|
|
Bluetooth
|
Version 4.0 A2DP, EDR, LE
|
|
GPS
|
Yes with A-GPS support
|
|
NFC
|
Yes
|
|
Radio
|
Yes
|
|
USB
|
MicroUSB v2.0
|
|
Network
|
2G, 3G, 4G (LTE).
|
18 Dec 2014
BlackBerry officially launches the Classic, with a full QWERTY physical Keyboard.
BlackBerry
yesterday officially released the BlackBerry Classic with a full QWERTY
physical keyboard, physical navigation keys, and a touchscreen. The company has
for over a year now been stressing the fact they are going “back to their root”
– making QWERTY keyboard phones (as the name Classic even suggests) with mainly
business features. It has a striking resemblance to the Blackberry Bold series
but of course with significant upgrades. The Classic is actually possible to
use in one hand, unlike the huge Passport. BlackBerry formerly Research in
Motion believes this phone will appeal to those who love the traditional
BlackBerry (QWERTY) experience that made the company a market leader some years
back.
A brief rundown of the specifications of the
BlackBerry include a 3.5-inch 720x720 touchscreen, 1.5 GHz Dual Core CPU, 16GB
internal memory, 2GB RAM, 5MP front camera and 8MP back camera, all powered by
a 2515 mAh battery. The screen size is a
bit smaller than that of the already released BlackBerry Passport but still
very convenient to hold in one hand. The
1.5GHz dual core Qualcomm processor is a bit old but can perform relevant
functions like browsing and emailing purposes and that is what BlackBerry was
originally known for.
The
Classic runs on the recent Blackberry 10 loaded with features
like Blend, the Hub, BlackBerry Assistant, and the Amazon App Store
pre-installed through which it can access and run Android apps.
BlackBerry
says the Classic is available starting from the 17th of December.
The Classic is also available unlocked through BlackBerry and Amazon's online
stores for $449.
17 Dec 2014
Top 10 Best Selling Smartphones in Nigeria, 2014.
As we
approach the end of the year, 2014, it’s only important that we take a look
back at what happened during the year as far as mobile smartphones is
concerned. We have seen huge demand and sales of some products and most of the
top brands like Samsung, Apple, HTC and LG have really lived up to expectations
but there has also been some surprise hits from some before now less respected brands.
5 iphone 5
3 Samsung Galaxy
Note 3
In
compiling this list, we are taking into consideration mostly the ratings of these
products from sales and orders from major online shopping giants like Konga,
Jumia, Kaymu, DealDey and other online stores. We are also taking into account
reviews of these products in forums, websites and blogs posts and comments.
Below is our Top 10 selling Smartphones in
Nigeria from 10 to 1
10 Blackberry Q10 Smartphone
This
smartphone was a hit in 2013 when it was released and demand for it is still much
in 2014 as it was Research in Motion’s flagship smartphone before the Q30 and
recently the Blackberry Passport. It is the second Blackberry smartphone to
feature Blackberry 10 OS and comes with the traditional and improved
Blackberry’s QWERTY keyboard coupled with a touchscreen. Its other features
include a 3.2” 720 X 720 AMOLED display, 3G and 4G connectivity, 2GB RAM and
16GB internal memory, 1.5GHz dual core CPU, 8MP back and 2MP front camera and a
li-ion 2100mAh battery. This phone is currently selling for 60000 Naira from Konga or Jumia.
9 LG G3
 |
| Blackberry Q10 and LG G3 |
The LG
G3 which is the successor to the hugely successful LG G2 can be rightly placed
in the same class with top brands like Samsung Galaxy S5, HTC One M8 and iphone
5 or 5s. In comparison, it even surpasses this top brands in some aspects like
being the first smartphone with an amazing screen resolution of 534ppi (pixels
per inch) at launch. The LG G3 features a 5.5” screen, 2.46GHz Quad core CPU,
2GB or 3GB RAM for 16GB or 32GB internal memory variants, 13MP rear camera and
2.1MP front camera. It runs on Android 4.4.2 Kitkat and is powered by a 3000mAh
battery. The G3 is still receiving patronage from stores and is currently
selling for between 80,000 to 95,000 Naira from, Konga or Jumia.
8 Samsung Galaxy S4 mini
The S4 Mini
released in 2013 is an almost identical variant of the Galaxy S4's design.
Internally, it features a dual-core 1.7 GHz processor with 1.5GB of RAM,
8 GB of expandable storage, and a 4.27 inch qHD (540 x 960 pixel) Super
AMOLED screen. The S4 Mini also includes a 1.9MP front-facing camera and an 8MP
rear-facing camera all powered by a 1900mAh battery. The S4 mini is an
affordable variant of the S4 which was one of the best phones of 2013 and this
is one of its selling points. This smartphone is still very much in demand and
is selling for 58,000 Naira from Konga or Jumia.
7 Gionee Elife S5.5
 |
| Galaxy S4 mini and Gionee Elife S5.5 |
Gionee Elife S5.5 smartphone with 5.00-inch 1080x1920 display
powered by 1.7GHz Octacore processor running on Android 4.2 with 16GB phone
storage alongside 2GB RAM, 13MP rear and 5MP front camera all powered by a
2300mAh battery set a new world record as at the time of its release in
February this year for the slimmest smartphone measuring just 5.5mm thick. This
phone put Gionee which was before now less regarded here in Nigeria in the
league of hit phone makers and the phone has been a hit since then. Presently,
this mobile phone is selling for 47,000 Naira from Konga.
6 HTC one M8
The HTC
One M8 is an awesome smartphone that does a lot of amazing things. With a
stunning design, loads of power and some upgrade from the original HTC One, the
HTC one M8 is efficient in performing tasks. The key specifications of this
phone are a 5 inch display with a resolution of 1080x1920 pixels, Android 4.4.2 Kitkat running on a 2.5GHz
Quad core processor, 16GB internal storage and 2GB RAM, 4 Ultra- Pixel back
camera and 5MP front camera all powered by a 2,600mAh battery. You can get the
HTC one M8 from Konga or Jumia for 103.400 Naira.
 |
| iPhone 5 HTC one M8 |
Apple’s iPhone 5 released in 2012 is still very much
trendy and still selling fine worldwide. Most Nigerians don’t like Apple’s
products mostly because they are very expensive but that is not preventing
those with enough cash to spend from getting this trendy mobile device. A brief
rundown of the specifications include a 4-inch (620 X 1136 pixels) display, dual
core 1.3GHz processor, 8MP back camera
and 1.2Mp front camera, 1GB RAM, 16GB internal memory, iOS 6.1.4, powered by a
1440mAh battery. The iphone 5 is currently selling for between 100,000 and 110,000 naira from Konga or Jumia
4 Infinix Zero
I
mentioned earlier above that there was some surprise entries into the
smartphone sphere from some before now less respected brands and Infinix falls
into this category. The Infinix Zero took the smartphone world in Nigeria and
most other African and Asian countries by surprise when it was released in September
this year. This phone is loaded with high-end features and is already competing with some top brands and the major
high point of it is its low cost compared to what it will cost to get a
smartphone with the same features or even lesser from top brands makers like Samsung,
Apple, LG, HTC and Sony. Some of the features of the Infinix Zero include a 5”
HD IPS screen running on Android 4.4 Kitkat with a 1.4GHz Octacore processor and
a 1920mAh battery to power it. Other features include a 13MP back camera, 2MP
front camera, 8GB and 16GB versions with 1GB of RAM. This smartphone is still
very much in demand and you can get yours now for 23,900 Naira from Konga or
Jumia.
 |
| Infinix Zero Galaxy Nore 3 |
If you
need a mobile phone that can help you tackle almost everything your work life
throws at you, then the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is the answer. Being the first
phone ever to feature 3GB of RAM makes it stand out in the crowd and gives it
an edge over most of its competition. The Samsung
Galaxy Note 3 is an Android phablet smartphone
running on Android 4.3 OS with 5.70-inch 1080x1920 display powered by 1.9GHz Octacore
processor alongside 32GB internal memory and 13MP rear camera and 2MP front
camera. On
top of all that, this device has an amazing 3200 mAh Li-ion battery to power
it. Samsung sold over 5 million units of this device in its first month of
release only and demand for the Note 3 is still high. The device is currently
selling for 75,000 to 90,000 in various stores across the country.
2 iPhone 5s
The iPhone 5s released in 2013 is an updated version
of the iphone 5 with lots of great specifications. This phone received a lot of
rave reviews when it was released and was undoubtedly among the best
smartphones made in 2013. It was Apple’s flagship smartphone until the release
of the iphone 6 this year. The features of the iphone 5s are almost the same
with the iPhone 5 with some upgrades like the operating system upgrade from iOS
6.1.4 to iOS 7.0 and the battery capacity also increasing from 1440mAh in the
iphone 5 to 1570mAh in the iphone 5s. The iphone 5s also has memory variants of
16GB, 32GB and 64GB, with different prices ranging from 110,000 130,000 Naira
in various stores.
 |
| iphone 5s |
1 Samsung Galaxy
S5
Despite the many competitors in the
top brands category, the Samsung Galaxy S5 is still regarded doubtedly as the
number one smartphone in the world at the moment by many even after the release
of the iphone 6 and 6 plus. It was released this year to succeed the Galaxy S4
and it’s a truly worthy successor with some upgrades. Some of the main features
of the Galaxy S5 include a 5.10 inch 1080x1920 display, Android 4.4.2 Kitkat,
1.9GHz Octacore CPU, 16MP back camera and 2.1MP front camera, 16GB/32GB
internal memory with 2GB RAM, all powered by a 2800mAH battery. The Galaxy S5
is currently selling for between 96,000 to 100,000 Naira from Jumia or Konga.
 |
| Samsung Galaxy S5 |
