Lagos Makes 20 Global Cities List Alongside London, Paris

The efforts of Babatunde Raji Fashola of Lagos state to transform the city of Lagos to world class standards was recognized yesterday when the state was listed among the 20 global cities in the world. Cities that made the list would be committed to implementing innovation to help improve the lives of 121 million citizens.

The announcement, which was contained in a survey released by LLGA|Cities Pilot, noted that the programme was aimed at discovering and implementing the most promising solutions that meet pressing social and urban challenges.

A statement by the Commissioner for Science and Technology, Mr. Adebiyi Mabadeje, said over the coming 18 months, the initiative would evaluate about 1,000 submissions and implement real-life pilots in all partner cities to improve the quality of life in the cities.

Participating cities vary in population size from less than 100,000 to 21 million. The cities that made to top lists include, Aalborg, Barcelona, Boston, Christchurch, Eindhoven, Fukuoka DC, L’Hospitalet, Lagos, Lavasa, London, Mexico, Oulu, Paris, Rio de Janeiro, Rosario, San Francisco, Sant Cugat, Sheffield, Tacoma, Terrassa and York.

Challenges are presented by global cities – in partnership with Oracle, the UN Global Compact Cities Programme and The Climate Group – in areas such as mobility, economic development, social inclusion, health and wellbeing, urban management, lighting, energy, culture, future government and sustainable lifestyles.

“For year 2013 presentation, Lagos is seeking solutions to deliver content seamlessly in bandwidth-challenged environments to provide access to the social and economic benefits of Internet.

“In the past three editions, LLGA has attracted 1,519 entries from 70 countries. By providing systematic market intelligence to decision-makers in cities, the programme has proven to help cities discover innovative solutions that reach citizens three times faster with 80 per cent lower spending,” the statement added.

Speaking on the awards, Mabadeje, who is also the Chairman Lagos Innovation Advisory Council, said: “We are once again participating in this programme which seeks to promote innovation in service delivery by tapping into the more than seven billion potential innovators worldwide and hope LLGA will realise the solution that will best resolve our city’s challenge”.

The 2 Easy Ways to Make Your PC Run Like New:

One of the most frustrating things in life is a slow computer.

Every few years, we buy an expensive new PC and love how fast it starts up, runs programs, and loads websites. Inevitably though, it starts to slow down until eventually we are pulling our hair out waiting for it to do routine tasks.

 

Why is this? It turns out the answer is actually quite simple and you don’t even need to be “technical” to understand the causes and solutions.

The good news: It’s not the computer hardware that’s the problem. In most cases, the hardware you have is perfectly capable of being restored to its original glory and kept in fast running condition with minimal effort.

Rather, the problem lies with changes that occur to the PC’s software. The two most common causes of slowdown (along with easy solutions) are:

1. The most common problem: Registery errors.

Every time you (or your kids) load a program, game, or file, your PC’s software registery is updated with new instructions needed to operate that item. However, when the item is removed, these instructions usually remain on your PC. Every time you run your computer it tries to execute these instructions but, because the related program can’t be found, it causes a registry error. Your PC is doing a lot more work than it should be and the result is a significantly slower computer.

One of the best ways to manage this is with a neat little tool from Support.com, a Silicon Valley based company. It’s called ARO 2012,AVG 2012 and AVAST,it scans, identifies, and fixes registry errors–resulting in a computer that’s a lot more like it was when you first bought it. On top of the amazing results it offers, it’s so easy to install and use.After that, registry errors will no longer be a problem.

2. Spyware and viruses

Spyware and viruses are software programs that are loaded on your computer without your knowledge or permission. They have various purposes, including:

-Changing the default search engine in your browser.

-Tracking your Web surfing habits and showing you targeted advertising.

.Using your email program to send out spam to other email addresses.

-Stealing your personal information.

Most spyware and viruses get onto our computers through files that we download from the Internet or as attachments to emails. They tend to take up a lot of computing power and, as a result, will significantly slow down your computer.

The simple rule of thumb to follow is to never download any free software programs from companies you do not know and trust, especially screensavers, emoticons, and the like. In addition, you should never open any attachment to an email unless you are 100 percent certain you know and trust the sender. In addition, make sure you have a good anti-virus/spyware removal software running at all times.

Squabbling mobile firms could cause year-long delay to superfast 4G phone networks

.Threat of legal action could delay launch of first 4G network, which was expected to launch within weeks

.Threat of ‘years of litigation’

.Crisis talks set to end this week that could decide is the UK falls further behind the US in the high speed mobile phone network race.

Warring mobile phone firms could delay the launch of superfast 4G mobile phone networks in the UK.

Talks between firms hoping to launch networks are ‘in the balance’, according to insiders.EE, the newly rebranded firm from Orange and T-Mobile, plans to launch its service within weeks using number of handsets including Apple’s iPhone 5.

However, other operators must wait for a Government auction to buy the spectrum needed to launch such service, which offer speeds three time faster than current 3G networks.The move to give EE an advantage has left other operators furious, and threatening legal action.This could see the entire process stalled, meaning no 4G network can be launched until the spectrum auction has been taken place – likely to be at least 12 months away.

A source close to the talks said operators were keen to bring the auction forward, and clear the spectrum needed quickly.These frequencies are currently in use for Air Traffic Control, analogue television broadcast and radio waves used for the Olympics and Paralympics.’It’s fair to say that we’re in discussions with the wider industry over 4G spectrum, but this is in an attempt to bring 4G to all UK customers, not to delay the launch of 4G,’ said an O2 Spokesperson.

 ‘As a result, we’re talking as a group about the possibility of bringing the auction forward and asking if the frequencies used in the spectrum can be cleared quickly.Experts say further delays could be devastating for consumers.’I can understand why the other networks would complain – it’s a pretty compelling reason to jump ship if you’re on another network,’ said Will Findlater, the editor of gadget magazine Stuff.’Delaying the rollout is not going to be good for consumers in general, and it would be pretty devastating.’The move would also put the UK behind other countries where 4G services have been available for several months.

People close to the talks said they were ‘hopeful’ the issues could be resolved before the end of a government-brokered month-long standstill agreement that prevents legal action as well as any 4G launch.Any delay could also have a huge impact on government finances next year given the £4bn that could be raised by the auction of 4G spectrum, according to analysts.EE, the UK’s largest mobile network with the Orange and T-Mobile brands, said this month that it wanted to launch 4G in the UK this year, but has been unable to give an exact date due to the talks.

It says that it plans to reach 16 UK cities by Christmas and 98 per cent of population by 2014.The talks are also discussing the formation of a company called MitCo that will make sure TV and other services do not interfere with 4G networks, as well as streamlining the process of planning permission for new masts needed.One person familiar with the talks told the FT there was a threat of ‘years of litigation’ remaining.In addition to fears legal action could be launched to stop EE’s 4G service, there are also concerns that litigation could affect the 4G auction, which is set to take place early next year.

Ofcom said it expects the auction process to start before the end of this year, with prospective bidders required formally to apply to take part.Those applications will then be assessed by Ofcom before the bidding phase starts, likely to be in early 2013.Mobile operators are expected to start rolling out 4G networks using the auctioned spectrum from the middle of 2013, and to start offering 4G services to consumers later that year,

Samsung plans to add iPhone 5 to existing patent suits against Apple

Samsung and Apple had been fighting patent suits in court for a very long time now with no sign of suits ending. With the launch of the iPhone 5, Samsung Electronics has announced this week that it plans to add Apple’s newest smartphone to its existing patent lawsuits against the company.

 If Samsung happened to win an injunction against Apple in the patent suits, sales of the iPhone 5 could be blocked, but that seems unlikely. Apple had pre-order sales of over 2 million units in the first 24 hours of availability and will hit store shelves this Friday.”Samsung anticipates that it will file, in the near future, a motion to amend its infringement contentions to add the iPhone 5 as an accused product,” it said in a U.S. court filing.”Based on information currently available, Samsung expects that the iPhone 5 will infringe the asserted Samsung patents-in-suit in the same way as the other accused iPhone models.”

 Samsung issued a statement today that added, “Apple continues to take aggressive legal measures that will limit market competition. Under these circumstances, we have little choice but to take the steps necessary to protect our innovations and intellectual property rights.”The escalating legal battle comes after Apple scored a win in August when a U.S. jury found that Samsung had copied certain critical features of the Apple iPhone. Damages awarded Apple in that case amounted to $1.05 billion. The jury in that case also found that Apple had not infringed on any of Samsung’s patents. Naturally, Samsung said it would appeal the ruling.However, Apple recently asked the court to triple the award against Samsung to $3 billion.

LG launches Android-based Optimus G to rival Apple and Samsung

“It’s inevitable for these flagship products to compete head-to-head … but we are expecting very significant and surprising figures for this product,” Park Jong-Seok, head of LG’s mobile unit, told reporters.

He refused to elaborate on the sales target.

The new phone, powered by Google’s Android software is equipped with a new quad-core processor made by Qualcomm that helps run applications about 40 per cent faster than the existing quad-core processors.

About 13.2 centimetres (5.2 inches) long, 6.9 centimetres wide and featuring a 4.7-inch touchscreen, Optimus G allows users to zoom in on moving video images and takes photos by recognising voice words like “cheese” or “smile.”

It can also simultaneously display overlapped images of two applications, for instance allowing users to exchange chat messages or search the Internet while watching a video played in the background.

“Smartphone users spend a growing amount of time watching videos, so this can be a really helpful feature,” Chang Ma, vice president of marketing in LG’s mobile unit, said.

The new gadget also automatically adjusts bell sounds based on noise level around users to help prevent missed calls, he added.

The World’s number two flat-screen TV producers and the fifth biggest phone maker, LG has struggled for years in the rapidly-growing smartphone market.

The firm’s cell phone business – a segment LG has flagged as a strong pillar of growth — bled for years as sales of its Optimus smartphone series lagged far behind Apple’s iPhone or Samsung’s Galaxy S phones.

LG’s mobile unit once showed signs of recovery by posting profits in the fourth quarter of 2011 and the first quarter this year but swung back to a loss in the second quarter.

The reversal was blamed on high marketing costs for promoting its new handsets and squeezed margins due to the weaker euro.

Park said the firm’s earlier goal to sell 80 million mobile phones this year was still valid, with the Optimus G helping to drive sales beginning in the third quarter.

LG Electronics launched on Tuesday its new flagship smartphone which will have to compete against a flurry of new products from rivals Apple and Samsung who currently dominate the global market.

The South Korean electronics giant said the new gadget called Optimus G, would hit domestic stores next week before sales begin in Japan in October and other countries including US in November.

The launch comes days after Apple unveiled the much-anticipated iPhone 5 which garnered more than two million orders in just 24 hours.

Once having claimed the world’s third-largest handset maker, LG slid to the world’s No. 5 mobile phone maker during the three months ending in June as China-based ZTE Corp. gained ground in low-end smartphones.

LG has added new video-related features to the Optimus G, such as multitasking while playing videos.Samsung Electronics, which has sold more than 20 million of its Galaxy S III smartphone launched in late May, is set to introduce the newest version of its popular oversized Galaxy Note smartphone in the market soon.