Apple plans to create ‘transparent’ iPhones with rear camera technology

It is a problem every smart phone addict knows all too well. You are walking down a busy street, eyes down on a text message exchange, when bang- you collide phone-first with a tree, a lamppost or a fellow pedestrian.
But help may be on its way, for clumsy iPhone users at least, with a new patent filed by Apple in America which would make phones transparent.
Recognising that simply putting their device away is no longer an option for tech-dependent customers, the smart phone giant has designed another solution.
Its technology would modify an app’s background to project live video images from the rear camera onto the screen.
Phone users would then see any obstacles looming up on them as they walked.
In patent designs, the familiar white background to an iMessage chat is replaced by video- with the text bubbles either opaque or semi-opaque.
The system would be activated through an in-app button and could be adapted for use in web browsers, or even iBooks, with text floating over the live background.
The system would require users to point the smartphone directly in front of them, as more orthodox phone-use would simply provide a megapixel view of the pavement.
But the patent said the development would prevent users “colliding with or stumbling over objects”.
It was filed with the US Patent and Trademark Office in September 2012, but was unearthed this week by technology journalists in America.
The application, which credits Stephen Ward as the inventor, says: “The background within the text messaging session can continuously be a live and current video image of the view seen by the camera at any given moment.
“Consequently, the device’s user is less likely to collide with or stumble over an object while participating in a text messaging session.”
It is not clear if or when the device will be available to iPhone users, with Apple yet to confirm whether the system will be incorporated into its next iOS system.
Many patent applications fail to see the light of day.
The patent is illustrated by a line drawing demonstrating a bizarre iMessage exchange about a scary cow with a tree displayed on the background screen.
As a further message is sent, the tree is seen larger on the screen, alerting the user to the looming peril.
“Due to the visual nature of a text messaging session, such a user often will find it difficult to divide his attention between his device’s display and his environmental surroundings,” the application- titled transparent texting- adds.
“A user who is walking while participating in a text messaging session may inadvertently collide with or stumble over objects in his path because his attention was focused on his device’s display instead of the path that he was traversing.
“Even if a user remains stationary while participating in a text messaging session, that user may expose himself to some amount of danger or potential embarrassment if he is so engaged in his device’s display that he becomes oblivious to changes in his surrounding environment.”
“Alternative embodiments of the invention can be applied to virtually any computer-executable application in which text is presented over a background,” it adds.
The company’s next software launch is set to be iOS 8- due in September- which will provide technological updates to iPhone and iPad devices.

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Ghana’s President Takes Over As Head Of ECOWAS

President John Dramani Mahama has been elected the new head of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) at a summit of the 15-nation regional bloc, his Ivorian predecessor announced on Saturday.

“I am very happy to tell you that yesterday (Friday) my peers… decided to name as head of ECOWAS, my brother and friend John Dramani Mahama, the president of the Republic of Ghana,” said Ivory Coast’s leader Alassane Ouattara in a speech at the closing of the ECOWAS summit.

Ouattara has wrapped up two one-year terms as head of the West African group during which he dealt with the democratic transition in Guinea-Bissau and the war in Mali.

Ousattara touted his achievements in Mali, which has faced a coup and Islamist insurgency during his tenure.

“The election of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta on August 11, 2012, was the result of a successful transition in Mali,” he said.

The bloc’s new leader, 55-year-old Mahama, was vice president in Ghana when president John Atta Mills died in July 2012. He was elected the leader of a country seen as beacon of democracy in West Africa in December that year.(

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Female Engineer Invents Traffic Robocops

In honor of Women’s History month, comes a great story of a female engineer who invented robots to help control traffic and deal with police corruption in her country.

Thérèse Izay is an engineer from The Democratic Republic of Congo who also runs a women’s technology cooperative. She created robots, which not only help direct traffic, but also have cameras that are linked to a central computer to record violations, moving or otherwise.

The robots are installed at two intersections in the DRC capital city of Kinshasa, a city of millions with a horrific traffic problem. It’s normal there for drivers to be stuck in traffic for hours. The city is also unfortunately notorious for its corrupt traffic police. Having robots helps lessen cops collecting bribes from drivers and pedestrians.

So far, residents seem to like their robot traffic police. Intersections have been reported to be safer for drivers and pedestrians. Congestion has also lessened where the robots are located. The metallic humanoids are unable to accept or ask for bribes, so naturally corruption lessened in the city as well. Something residents of Kinshasa greatly appreciate.

Ms. Izay hopes to someday have the robots installed all across Africa, and eventually, world wide to help to create jobs and promote women in engineering. Perhaps some day soon, your local traffic officer will be one of the robotic variety.

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Abike Dabiri Eyes Lagos Governorship Seat

In twos and threes, in some high profile social and political circles, it is being discussed in hushed and sometimes, animated tones that distinguished member of the House of Representatives, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has her eyes on the Lagos governorship seat. The seat becomes vacant after the expiration of the illustrious tenure of the incumbent Governor Babatunde Fashola next year.

For the leadership of the All Progressives Congress, APC, especially the Godfather of southwest politics, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the issue of Fashola’s successor has been a hot-button issue considering the importance of the state on one hand, the continuation of Fashola’s legacies and the need to ensure whoever succeeds him does not lower the bar of governance on the other hand.

Of course, a lot of politicians and technocrats have shown keen interest in succeeding Fashola, however, there are insinuations that Asiwaju Tinubu is more disposed to a Christian technocrat given that only Muslims have ruled the state since the return to democracy.
And this has caused quite an uproar in certain Christian circles in recent time. Abike’s candidacy, according to her supporters and loyalists, looks formidable given her experience in the House of Representatives where she is serving her third term and has headed several committees, notably the media and Diaspora Affairs committees.

Also indisputable is her professional accomplishments. A former staff of the Nigerian Television Authority, NTA, Abike was a star reporter and newscaster who rose to anchor the hugely popular Newsline on NTA network. Her candour and gregarious charm made her the darling of Nigerians from 17 to 70 and more in the early to late 90s. Though she is reportedly not openly discussing the option of contesting because such must have the imprimatur of Tinubu, Abike’s body language is favourably disposed to the idea. Pray, who wouldn’t? Apart from being Nigeria’s socio-economic nerve-centre, Lagos State is rich, with an estimated N29billion as monthly Internal Generated Revenue.

This is besides the power and prestige that come with the position and the fact that if things worked out fine for her, history would record her as the first woman to govern Lagos State.

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Regular Commercial Flights Begin In Jalingo Airport In April’

The Acting Governor of Taraba State, Alhaji Garba Umar, has declared that regular scheduled commercial flights are to begin in Jalingo Airport soon, following the state government’s recent purchase of two 40-seater Embraer 145 aircraft.

He told journalists after inspection of some development projects being undertaken by his administration that air transport was a priority for his government to facilitate the movement of the people in view of the position of the state in the country.

Umar said the commercial flights services were to be conducted under Taraba Air which had already been registered by the state government.
Towards this, he said the airport runway was being extended from its present 2.4 meters to 3.5 meters to accommodate the new jets as well as other wide bodied aircraft that may use the facility.

The acting governor also revealed that the government had entered into partnership with Overland Airways, which was already flying into neighbouring Bauchi State, to operate the two aircraft on the basis of a two-weekly flight into the airport.

According to the acting governor; “we have been able to procure two Embraer 145 aircraft. Each of them is a 50-seater aircraft and we are trying to put these aircraft into use. Very soon, they will start operation

“But meanwhile, we are making arrangements with Overland Airways and hopefully, by April, it will start operating from here. And by the time we extend our runway, the aircraft will be ready and of course, our Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) will definitely improve and stabilise the economy,” he said.

Also speaking, the Jalingo Airport Manager, Mr Dauda Joseph, revealed that the state government was working with the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to ensure the smooth take off and operation of commercial flights in the state.

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President Jonathan’s Daughter Set To Wed In April [PHOTOS]

President Goodluck Jonathan‘s first child , Faith Sakwe Elizabeth will wed her sweetheart , Godswill Edward Osim on the 5th of April in Bayelsa and on the 12th of April in Abuja.

President Jonathan would play host to several State Governors, Ministers, Service Chiefs, Royal fathers, top Government functionaries, Ambassadors, Business Moguls, and top CEOs & Chairmen of Conglomerates.

The traditional wedding would hold at the newly refurbished expansive compound of His Excellency, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, GCFR in Bayelsa, while the superlative church wedding and grand reception will hold at the International Conference Center, Herbert Macaulay Way, Abuja.

Faith was adopted by the Jonathans at a young age and is their first child.

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Mobil gets licence to build 575MW plant – NERC

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission has issued a licence to Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited to build a 575 megawatt power plant in Eket, Akwa Ibom State.
The licence issuance has given Nigeria’s power sector a timely boost, NERC said, adding that the development would further increase power generation in the country.
The commission, in a statement signed by the Head of Public Affairs Department, Dr. Usman Arabi, said the license was issued by NERC after all stipulated requirements were met by the company.
The Vice Chairman, NERC, Mr. Muhammed Bello, acknowledged the significant stride taken by the company and assured Mobil that “NERC’s mandate is to ensure availability and reliability of electricity.”

The Chairman/Managing Director, Mobil, Mr. Mark Ward, described the feat as a momentous one and thanked NERC for collaborating with his company.
He was quoted to have said, “The project provides a unique opportunity in the sense that there is ready fuel supply and connection to the grid.”
This development brings the number of major oil companies that are playing major roles in the electricity industry in Nigeria to three.
The two other oil companies, Shell and Agip, are already contributing 642MW and 480MW respectively to the national power grid.

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Samsung launches Galaxy S5 – its most innovative Android handset

Electronics biggie Samsung has recently launched its new flagship handset – the Galaxy S5, which is the company’s most innovative Android smartphone till now. The high-end Galaxy S5 handset will hit the store shelves on April 11; with a retail price tag of $US829 (£517).
Some of the highlight features of the Galaxy S45 handset are its fast network connectivity, dedicated fitness tools, and an advanced 16-megapixel camera with an improved user interface to facilitate the users in clicking, editing and sharing photos.
The numerous software and hardware improvements which have come aboard the Galaxy S5 handset to attract fitness freaks include a built-in heart-rate sensor and a pedometer for measuring footsteps. In addition, the handset also comes with the S Health 3.0 app to allow users to monitor as well as manage their exercise routines.
The water-resistant and dust-proof Galaxy S5 handset boasts new features called Download Booster, which is capable of simultaneously utilising Wi-Fi and a telco’s LTE network for downloading a single file; thereby effectively combining the speeds of both wireless services.
Noting that “With the S5, Samsung is going back to basics to focus on delivering the capabilities that matter most to our consumers,” Lee Dong Yong – President of Samsung Malaysia Electronics – said: “Consumers are looking for mobile tools that inspire and support them as they improve their everyday lives.”

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Apple Inc. Set To Unveil iP hone 6 With Larger Screen In September – Report

Apple Inc. is to release its newest iPhone in September, with higher resolution and bigger screens, a report said today, its latest salvo in the smartphone wars where it has lost global mark.

share to rivals such as Samsung.  The new handset, expected to be called the iPhone 6, is to come in two versions with a 4.7- or 5.5-inch screen, both bigger than the current four-inch panel, the respected Nikkei business daily said, without citing sources.

US-based Apple is ordering its higher-resolution liquid crystal display screens from Japanese electronics giant Sharp, Japan Display and South Korea’s LG Display, it added.  Apple released the iPhone 5 in September 2012 and newer versions in the series last year. A Japan-based spokesman for the California tech giant could not be immediately reached for comment on the Nikkei report, which was widely picked up by a string of technology news websites.

The Nikkei story comes after Taiwan’s Commercial Times said this month that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. had started producing chips for the next iPhone.
That news fed rumours that Apple is reducing its reliance for parts on South Korean giant Samsung, its main competitor in the mobile phone market and a bitter rival with which it is contesting several copyright court battles globally.

Samsung in February unveiled its new flagship Galaxy S5 smartphone armed with a fingerprint scanner and a built-in heart rate sensor, as it tries to cement its leadership of the multibillion-dollar market.  However, the South Korean giant voiced annoyance after domestic telecoms operators released its latest smartphone ahead of schedule in order to dodge sales restrictions imposed by regulators. The world’s biggest mobile phone maker had planned a worldwide debut of the Galaxy S5 on April 11.

Samsung made about 30 per cent of all smartphones sold globally last year, nearly twice the share of Apple.  A survey by International Data Corporation (IDC) last month said Google’s Android system — used by Samsung among others — extended its gains over Apple’s iPhone in the last quarter of 2013, and Windows Phone grabbed the number three market position. But other challengers are moving up the ranks with Taiwan’s HTC Corp. having launched an update of its HTC One smartphone while Sony has seen strong sales of its Xperia offering.  Global shipments of smartphones last year topped a billion for the first time, up 38.4 per cent from the 725.3 million shipped in 2012.

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HTC announces the HTC One (M8) with dual cameras and fancy gesture controls

 

 

HTC’s latest bid for smartphone relevance is a 5-inch handset called the HTC One (M8), parentheses and all. At a Tuesday press event in New York, HTC CEO Peter Chou announced the new smartphone, stressing smart industrial design, and what the company calls “another breakthrough camera.”

 Key specs include a 440 ppi, 5-inch display; a 2.3GHz Snapdragon 801 processor paired with 2GB of RAM; and a MicroSD slot for up to 128GB of removable storage, augmenting 32GB of onboard storage. (The original One featured a 4.7-inch display, and didn’t include any slot for extra storage.) The handset features a new Boomsound audio amplifier that provides 25 percent louder speaker volume relative to the previous One, and battery life has been increased by 40 percent thanks to a larger cell.

 Available for online purchase today via AT&T, Verizon and Sprint, the new One (M8) could be “in your hands as early as tomorrow,” says HTC. The price starts at $199.

 The new smartphone features the sixth version of HTC’s Sense user interface, along with a new iteration of BlinkFeed that allows for creating custom content streams based on personal preferences. But the real standout features are certainly the new One’s cameras, and gesture-sensing UI.

 A new wide-angle front camera rings in at 5 megapixels, while new dual rear cameras offer depth-of-field bokeh effects for more professional-looking images. When you’re framing up a shot, you can simply tap on the portion of the scene you want in focus, and the camera will deliver those results. Anchored by a 4.1-megapixel sensor (just like the original One mode), the dual-camera system also includes a manual mode with sliders for ISO, white balance and more.

 And how’s this for a cool trick: Just like with the most recent iPhones, you can shoot slo-motion videos, and turn them into regular-speed videos with a dramatic, slow-mo sequence featured in the middle.

 The One (M8) also adds new gesture controls to perform a variety of quick actions that would otherwise require fussy menu interactions. These include single-motion actions for going to BlinkFeed, accessing the widget panel, taking photos, and answering calls. Double-tapping the screen unlocks the phone.