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SOS: As Governor Ortom persists in economic genocide
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Thursday, 15 February 2018
SOS: As Governor Ortom persists in economic genocide
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Politics: Over 10,000 private Twitter messages from WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange have been leaked — read Assange's thoughts on Hillary Clinton, Russia, and Chelsea Manning
The leaked messages span over two years, and cover an array of topics from the 2016 US election to Assange's disdain for transgender people.
- A leaked trove of Twitter messages sent by WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was obtained by The Intercept.
- They cover a host of issues from 2016 Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton to Russian geopolitics.
- Highlights from the release are below.
More than 11,000 private Twitter messages between WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and some of his closest supporters have just been released.
The messages, which were obtained by The Intercept, were all sent to a group of around 10 individuals that Assange had dubbed the "WikiLeaks Task Force."
The messages were exchanged over the course of more than two years from May 2015 through November 2017, and while they cover a wide range of issues from Assange's thoughts on Russian politics to his disdain for 2016 Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, they do not delve into some of the most pressing questions about WikiLeaks' involvement with the campaign of President Donald Trump. The group was in contact with the campaign at various points leading up to the November 2016 election, and was responsible for leaks of the Clinton campaign's internal emails and speech transcripts.
The messages were leaked by a former WikiLeaks volunteer known as Hazelpress. He articulated his reasoning for the disclosure to The Intercept.
“At this point, considering the power exercised by WikiLeaks, [disclosing] literally anything Assange says is in the public interest,” Hazelpress said. “WikiLeaks purports to be a neutral transparency organization.”
The messages paint a picture of a man desperate to paint WikiLeaks as a beleaguered organization existing within a hostile environment, and one who is willing to support a Trump presidency in order to achieve broader socio-political goals. They also reveals Assange's misogyny, as well as hints of anti-Semitism. Behind this though, the messages do reveal that years after WikiLeaks gained notoriety, Assange remains as committed as ever to his anti-state secrecy agenda.
On Hillary Clinton:
- From November 19, 2015: “We believe it would be much better for GOP to win. Dems+Media+liberals woudl [sic] then form a block to reign in their worst qualities. With Hillary in charge, GOP will be pushing for her worst qualities., dems+media+neoliberals will be mute. She’s a bright, well connected, sadistic sociopath.
- Also from November 19, 2015: "Her role in the war in Libya is what should bring her down, however, the GOP is too close to others who have benefitted to exploit this, it seems. that Hillary helped to sew the foundation for ISIS against pentagon generals advice seems huge. But the GOP resolutely ignores it. Hillary so so much slime on her shirt it is now hard to dirt stick"
- From March 2, 2016: "Perhaps Hillary will have a stroke."
- From March 3, 2016: "HC in whitehouse with her bloodlutt and amitions [sic] of empire with hawkish liberal-interventionist appointees like [Anne-Marie] Slaughter and digital expansionists such as Google integrated into the power structure. Then the republicans and trump in opposition constantly saying she’s weak and not invading enough.”
On Russia:
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From June 13, 2015: “It runs an independent foreign policy and its arms sales are the only thing that keep a semblance of independence for smaller states. Russia is absolutely terrified. Kalingrad, Crimea, and its only foreign naval base, Syria are all under threat and are not protected by Russia’s strategic depth. Meanwhile the US hacks the hell out of it, and attempts to forment an orange revolution in an explicitly states policy of regime change. Consequently the Kremlin in deeply paranoid of everyone, including foreign funded NGO’s and invading ‘western’ cultural practices, like gays and the internet… US next generation weapons are serious advancements. It’s play in Ukraine was in Russia’s sister country. and so the Russian ruling class… are terrified the same thing could happen to them.”
Note: Assange is referring to the 2004-2005 anti-corruption Orange Revolution in Ukraine that shook Eastern Europe.
On making WikiLeaks and Assange look like victims:
- From November 27, 2015: "Please troll this BBC idiot: [link to journalist Chris Cook’s Twitter account] Our interest is in having inflamitory [sic] tweets from him about [Julian Assange and WikiLeaks] that we can use in legal cases to show that a toxic climate exists the UK… The guy clearly has a thin skin and thinks a lot of his clique, which means he can’t see how his tweets are dangerous for him."
- From August 18, 2015, in reference to the rape case against him: “Money, influence, glamour for women helping women imprison men. It may not be your type of feminism, but they don’t cae [sic].”
On women, sexuality, and transgender issues:
- From November 25, 2015: "We just find it completely amazing that all the cliterati of London have entirely avoided what is the clearest, most grotesque, most significant and highly newsworthy violation of women in the UK in the last decade."
- From October 1, 2015, in reference to Clinton asking what the vulgar acronym FUBAR meant: "It’s amusing that she’d never heard the phrase before even through the Monica 90s. WikiLeaks took Hillary’s FUBAR virginity."
- From May 3, 2015, in reference to transgender whistleblower Chelsea Manning: “if they want to tour the statue accross [sic] localities that are conservative, it makes sense to not draw attention to the sex issue. They probably thought Bradley Chelsea Manning was a good way of getting the popular name in, and the new one, and not getting diverted. But thats going to happen regardless thanks to statist fake radicals. The gender issue really is vulgar.”
- From May 16, 2015: “Manning does have a Y chromosome and male genitalia.”
On Jewish people:
- From August 23, 2016, in reference to AP reporter Raphael Satter: "He’s always ben a rat. But he’s jewish and engaged with the ((()))) issue."
Note: The parentheses Assange mentions are related to a neo-Nazi campaign to brand Jewish Twitter users. Many people began using the parentheses as a show of solidarity with branded users.
WikiLeaks rose to international fame when they published a trove of documents in 2010 that had been leaked to them by Chelsea Manning, who was then a US army private.
During the 2016 presidential campaign, Trump praised the pro-transparency organization, on numerous occasions, and the group made frequent contact with Donald Trump Jr. to ask him to promote leaks they published. At several public events and on Twitter, the older Trump complied.
"Very little pick-up by the dishonest media of incredible information provided by WikiLeaks," he tweeted in October 2016. "So dishonest! Rigged system!"
On one particular occasion, Assange asked the younger Trump to have his father convince the government of Australia to make him their ambassador to the US. Assange, a native Australian, is currently holed up in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, and recently received Ecuadorian citizenship after being granted asylum in the embassy. There remains a warrant out for his arrest in the UK for rape allegations levied against him in Sweden.
You can view more excepts published here.
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Wednesday, 14 February 2018
Rogers Nicholas: Theatre Commander advises Shekau to surrender
Nicholas said during the monthly press briefing of Operation Lafiya Dole in Maiduguri on Wednesday that there were no options left for Shekau than to surrender.
Maj.-Gen. Rogers Nicholas, the Theatre Commander, Operation Lafiya Dole, has asked Boko Haram factional Leader, Abubakar Shekau, to surrender to troops.
Nicholas said during the monthly press briefing of Operation Lafiya Dole in Maiduguri on Wednesday that there were no options left for Shekau than to surrender.
He said that the troops had recorded significant successes in the ongoing clearance operation against remnants of the terrorists, noting that 186 insurgents were killed and over a thousand had surrendered.
“We have crushed the heart and soul of Shekau’s group and overrun CAMP ZAIRO.
“This time around, the troops will remain in the forest and there will be no hiding place, wherever they go we will pursue them.
“He should either surrender alive or we get him,” he said.
Nicholas maintained that the troops had dominated the forest to deny the insurgents hiding place, and that they remained committed to end insurgency.
He said that the military had embarked on the rehabilitation of Gwoza-Bita-Yamtake-Sambisa road to open up the forest, link it with adjourning communities and make it habitable.
The commander added that another road from Bama axis would also be rehabilitated to make the forest habitable.
He said the military had restricted movement on some highways in view of the ongoing operation against the insurgents in the state.
“We are geared to ensure safety on the roads so that people can travel to various parts of the state without military escort,” he said.
Rogers Nicholas: Theatre Commander advises Shekau to surrender
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Edo APC Confident Of Winning LG Polls
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Edo APC Confident Of Winning LG Polls
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Herbal medicine: NAFDAC to sensitise producers on safety in Niger
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Herbal medicine: NAFDAC to sensitise producers on safety in Niger
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Swoon-Worthy Mommy and Me Style Moments
Fashion designer, Kemi Goodey, and her adorable girl us are giving us cute ‘mommy and me’ fashion and style look. The duo is known for their fashion twinning, and today…
The post Swoon-Worthy Mommy and Me Style Moments appeared first on Wedding Digest Naija.
Swoon-Worthy Mommy and Me Style Moments
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Prof Osinbajo’s Daughter Damilola Osinbajo is Getting Married! See how her Dad made the Major Announcement
Professor Yemi Osinbajo’s eldest daughter Damilola Osinbajo is getting married to her sweetheart, Oluseun Bakare. The vice president confirmed the news on his social media accounts saying “With joy and praise to the Lord, Dolly…
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Fitness: This lateral raise will work the hell out of your shoulders
We wanted one move that would help build our shoulders, and fitness model and trainer Mike Chabot came to us with this lateral raise variation, shown in the video above.
Shoulders are notoriously hard muscles to build. Not only is it tough to find enough time to focus on them, but your shoulders can exhaust really easily, so if you're not careful, they can start hurting or even tear.
We wanted one move that would help build our shoulders, and fitness model and trainer Mike Chabot came to us with this lateral raise variation, shown in the video above.
Most guys do lateral raises either standing or sitting. Those are fine, but if you really want to target your shoulders, Chabot’s excellent variation will have you sitting facing the upright bench.
“’I'm going to show you today a super nice shoulder exercise to make the pump incredible,” he says in the video, and, well, we’re pumped.
As he performs the lateral raise, he says, “Go two seconds at the top, two seconds to go down, and you stop at three-quarters.” This really emphasizes the deltoids and doesn’t allow you to take a break.
Doing the move slowly and precisely and keeping your arms perfectly straight will target the shoulders, so you shouldn’t need another move to complement it.
“What you’re trying to do is reach as far as you can on the outside,” says Chabot. “So this will make sure the contraction is 100% on the shoulder.” We’re already in glorious, glorious pain.
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Fitness: This lateral raise will work the hell out of your shoulders
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22 pupils, two teachers, driver die in crash
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22 pupils, two teachers, driver die in crash
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Two killed as rival cults clash in Bayelsa
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Two killed as rival cults clash in Bayelsa
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Tuesday, 13 February 2018
University of Lagos: UNILAG postpones convocation
UNILAG VC says the convocation was postponed because of the ongoing strike of the Non-Academic Staff of Universities, NASU.
The University of Lagos, UNILAG has postponed its convocation ceremony for the 2016/2017 academic session.
The Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe made this known on Tuesday, February 13 during an interview session with the New Agency of Nigeria.
Ogundipe said the that postponement was as a result of the ongoing strike of the non-teaching staff of the university.
He however added that a suitable date for the ceremony would be announced in due course.
''After some deliberations with management, the university has decided to postpone the convocation ceremony.
ALSO READ: This is why UNILAG students think they are the best
“This is as a result of the challenges posed by the ongoing strike embarked upon by members of the non –academic labour unions of universities, NASU.
“The ceremony was earlier scheduled to hold from Monday, Feb. 19 to Thursday, Feb. 22.
“The activities of these unions have the potential of snowballing and marring the carefully laid out arrangements already put in place for the ceremony,’’ the VC said.
Why NASU is on strike
Recall that on Monday, December 4, the Joint Action Committee, JAC comprising of Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU, Non-Academic Staff Union, NASU and National Association of Academic Technologists, NAAT directed its members in all universities across the country to resume their suspended strike.
The union stated in their letter that the strike was necessitated because Federal Government did not clarify the criteria for the disbursement of the N23 billion it approved for the universities to settle earned allowances arrears in October.
University of Lagos: UNILAG postpones convocation
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Christian Eriksen tops off brave Spurs fightback after HiguaÃn double
Christian Eriksen tops off brave Spurs fightback after HiguaÃn double
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Ex-Kwara CJ Dies At 85
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Ayo Fayose: Governor visits Ipao-Ekiti to condole with family of slain farmer
Fayose, at a meeting with the leaders of the community, however, appealed to the people of Ipao to ensure that there were no reprisal killings.
Gov. Ayo Fayose of Ekiti on Tuesday visited Ipao-Ekiti to condole with the family of a farmer, Tunde Olayemi, who was killed on Sunday by suspected herdsmen.
Fayose, at a meeting with the leaders of the community, however, appealed to the people of Ipao to ensure that there were no reprisal killings.
” I appeal to you to ensure you live peacefully with the Fulani herdsmen in your community. We want a peaceful situation that would not allow any reprisal.
“We will investigate and get to the root cause of this sad development, particularly why this community has become a flashpoint so that we can find a lasting solution to it,” Fayose said.
The governor also promised to set up a five-man committee that would investigate the cause of the killings in the town.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the governor promised to compensate the affected victim’s family as well the herdsmen whose cows were killed
He also said there would be an amendment to the Anti-Grazing Law to ensure that whoever killed a cow unlawfully would be made to face the wrath of the law.
Fayose also assured residents of the state of safety, saying the government would not relent in working with security agents to check breakdown of law and order.
Ayo Fayose: Governor visits Ipao-Ekiti to condole with family of slain farmer
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Israel Military Court Trial Closed for Palestinian Protester
Israel Military Court Trial Closed for Palestinian Protester
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Nigeria Has Tolerated Destruction By Herdsmen For Too Long, Claims Wole Soyinka
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Nigeria Has Tolerated Destruction By Herdsmen For Too Long, Claims Wole Soyinka
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Buhari meets Tinubu, Akande behind closed door
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Buhari meets Tinubu, Akande behind closed door
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Relationship Talk! Amara Blessing Nwosu Writes Open Letter to Ladies who Change their Department in Church to Get Married
Are you ready ladies? Relationship expert Amara Blessing Nwosu is known for her wealth of wisdom when it comes to relationships. She shares this awesome write-up on her Facebook page…
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Patience Jonathan: 5 ways ex first lady is begging EFCC to settle her case
5 ways Patience Jonathan is begging EFCC to settle her case out of court.
Former Nigeria First Lady, Patience Jonathan, is dead tired of being dragged to court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC); and now wants an out-of-court-settlement.
Mrs. Jonathan has been accused of laundering some $15million while her husband was in office, through different bank accounts and cronies.
The EFCC first froze Mrs. Jonathan’s bank account, then unfroze it following a court order and then froze it again and on and on this case has gone since 2016.
It’s enough to wear anyone out and Mrs. Jonathan is sure worn out from it all.
In a letter written by Mrs. Jonathan’s counsel, Chief Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN), the former first lady conveyed the following…
1. Mrs. Jonathan just wants an amicable resolution
According to her lawyer: “We have thought it fit to engage your commission in a discussion over all issues involving her and the commission with a view to having amicable resolution of all cases.”
2. All Mrs. Jonathan wants is peace of mind
On behalf of the former first lady, Adedipe writes: “This will enable both sides create an atmosphere for mutual understanding and peaceful coexistence”.
3. Mrs Jonathan and her family are ready to sit down for peaceful talks with EFCC
All they want is an appointment.
“We will therefore appreciate it, if you can give us an appointment at your earliest convenience to have a discussion over all matters involving her and members of her family”.
4. Mrs Jonathan says an amicable, out-of-court settlement will be best for everyone
“We believe that an amicable settlement will be in the best interest of both your commission and our client”, her lawyer says.
5. She seriously wants the EFCC to cooperate with this out-of-court thing
“We assure you of our utmost commitment and sincerity of purpose in this connection, and we solicit your cooperation in this regard”.
The EFCC says it is considering Mrs. Jonathan’s letter.
A source at the EFCC told The Nation that; “We have received a letter from the ex-First Lady, we are studying it on whether or not to accept the out-of-court settlement or allow justice to take its course.”
Patience Jonathan: 5 ways ex first lady is begging EFCC to settle her case
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BREAKING: Buhari in a trance – Soyinka
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BREAKING: Buhari in a trance – Soyinka
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Budgeting Tips: How the 50/30/20 budgeting method works
Here is how the 50/30/20 budgeting method works.
The 50/30/20 budgeting method is a simple way of budgeting which helps you control your spending.
The 50% goes into your monthly basic needs, the 30% goes into your personal spending or wants and the remaining 20% should go into your savings.
Here is how the 50/30/20 budgeting method works.
1. Calculate your after-tax income
After-tax income is what is left of your salary when you take out all your tax from your monthly income.
With a regular monthly salary, calculating your after-tax income should be easy.
ALSO READ: 3 major resources you need to start a business
For someone who is self-employed, your after-income tax would be deducted after you have removed your business expenses from your gross income.
Then removing all the tax you have to pay, from what is left from your income.
2. Budget 50 percent for your basic needs
After calculating your after-tax income, you take fifty percent out of your monthly income and budget it for your basic needs.
Your basic needs are the essentials things you cannot do without like food, household items, housing.
ALSO READ: Questions you need to ask before buying a used automobile
Budgeting for your needs should not exceed 50 percent. You should find a way to work around the 50 percent.
3. Your personal spending should not exceed 30 percent
This is why it is important to know the difference between wants and needs.
Your needs are more important than your wants. So you need to budget less for your personal spending.
Allocate 30 percent for your wants. It might look difficult trying to spend just 30 percent of your income on your personal needs, making you feel tempted to spend more.
But if you want your 50/30/20 budgeting method to work you need to spend within this range.
4. The rest of your income should go into savings
The rest of your income which is 20 percent should go into your monthly savings.
Doing this will help you grow your savings monthly.
5. Follow through with it
To make the 50/30/20 budgeting method work well for you, you need to follow through and stick to it.
This shouldn't only be once in a while, you need to stick to it monthly.
Budgeting Tips: How the 50/30/20 budgeting method works
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Lifestyle: Federal Government moves to close down illegal drug markets
Although the Nigerian healthcare system is struggling to improve, there are some that are taking advantage of helpless patients.
On Saturday, February 10, 2018, the Minister of Health, Prof Isaac Adewole disclosed that the Federal Government close down all illegal drug markets in the country from January 1, 2019.
Adewale said this while at the ceremony of the Coordinated Wholesale Centre (CWC) in Abia State. The minister also said that the full implementation of the CWC component of the National Drugs Distribution Guidelines (NDDG) would also commence on January 1, 2019. Adewole stated that the Federal Ministry of Health in its bid to reverse the ugly trend had in 2013 issued the NDDG.
He said one of the major challenges in the use of medicines in the country was the unsatisfactory drug distribution system, which has led to poor product handling, difficulty in product tracking for statistical purpose, recall and circulation of substandard products, as well as audit trail and destruction of professional practice.
Registrar of PCN, Elijah Mohammed said the CWC was a concept within the NDDG to cater for those who are in the open drug market, saying that it would help sanitize drug distribution in the country because open drug markets are the hub of major drugs supply and drugs problems in the country.
Mohammed said that the Federal Government was sensitive to the wants of Nigerians therefore providing the CWC, as an alternative to those in the open drug market instead of pushing them out.
Elijah said the CWC would provide effective regulatory activities and ensure good pharmaceutical service delivery in the country.
Lifestyle: Federal Government moves to close down illegal drug markets
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FG Evacuates 136 More Nigerians From Libya
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FG Evacuates 136 More Nigerians From Libya
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ANC reportedly decides to remove Zuma as South Africa President
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ANC reportedly decides to remove Zuma as South Africa President
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FRSC: How Ex-minister, Shagaya Died Obasanjo, Dogara, Lalong, others mourn
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FRSC: How Ex-minister, Shagaya Died Obasanjo, Dogara, Lalong, others mourn
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Tigres try, but best effort not enough to see off surging America
Each team showed it can contend for the Liga MX crown, with Tuca Ferretti’s men trying but failing to hand Las Aguilas their first defeat of 2018
Tigres try, but best effort not enough to see off surging America
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Battle-hardened Giroud boosts Conte and Chelsea
The French striker was in the wars on his full Blues debut, winning the admiration of his head coach and the Stamford Bridge faithful
Battle-hardened Giroud boosts Conte and Chelsea
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Tech: After ten years, Apple is totally changing how it makes iPhone software — and users should be ecstatic (AAPL)
Apple is reportedly slowing down on adding new features to iPhone, and squashing bugs instead.
- Apple is reportedly focusing the next version of iOS, the iPhone software, on performance.
- This is great news for iPhone owners, who have increasingly been noticing bugs and glitches in Apple's software.
- Apple is expected to release the new version of iOS in September.
If you use an iPhone, you've probably encountered an annoying glitch or bug on your iPhone recently.
In the past few months alone, iPhone owners have run into some real whoppers. For instance:
- A bug caused iPhones to crash on December 2.
- Some people couldn't pick up calls on their iPhone.
- A calculator animation issue that could cause people to get the wrong answer.
D0es this mean that the quality of Apple software is slipping, as experts and armchair analysts have been debating for the last year? It's hard to tell for sure — software always has bugs, and as Apple sells more iPhones, it increases the potential pool of people who will encounter any given glitch.
But the biggest sign that this is an issue comes from Apple itself, as it upends its traditional software release strategy.
This year, when Apple releases the next version of iOS, it likely won't have a major redesign of the home screen or a big killer new feature, as previous versions of iOS have brought. Instead, the update will focus on bug fixes, stability, and getting things right, according to reports from Bloomberg and Axios.
Instead, when the next iOS comes out — probably in beta this summer, with a global rollout in the fall — it'll probably be very similar to your current iPhone experience, but faster, more stable, and more reliable.
And isn't that what everyone wants?
Marching to a drum
The decision to focus on bug fixes reveals a huge change in the way Apple develops software going forward.
One thing that makes Apple special among big tech companies, according to people who have worked at Apple, is the importance of the hardware release schedule across the company. Hardware needs to be designed, programmed, built, and shipped by a certain date, and you can't go back and fix it after it's done.
So the whole company keeps its eyes on the all-important product release schedule. Some compare it to an army marching: everyone moves forward in lockstep, with whole swaths of the company working towards a common goal.
But it trickles down to software as well. In recent years Apple has launched one big new version of iOS alongside the new iPhone. Those new releases come with so-called "tentpole" features — big new additions to iOS that the company uses to market the iPhone itself. Management assigns those "tentpoles" to a software group, who toil day and night to deliver the features by the phone's release date.
So the fact that Apple is now taking a longer, less deadline-driven view to "tentpole" features is a big change. In fact, according to Bloomberg, engineering managers now have the authority to push back at management if they feel a feature can't be properly implemented in time.
From Bloomberg:
"Instead of keeping engineers on a relentless annual schedule and cramming features into a single update, Apple will start focusing on the next two years of updates for its iPhone and iPad operating system, according to people familiar with the change. The company will continue to update its software annually, but internally engineers will have more discretion to push back features that aren't as polished to the following year."
The change suggests that Apple now realizes that the vast majority of iPhone users are not necessarily the technology super-experts, as they might have been in the early days of the iPhone or iPad.
Instead, iPhone owners regularly use the devices as their main computer, day-in and day-out. For them, reliability is much more important than a software update that may add a feature their older phones don't even support like the lip-syncing Animoji, currently an iPhone X exclusive. And that's especially true if those software updates introduce the possibility of new bugs or glitches that complicate their experience.
So ultimately, this change is very good news for any iPhone owner. Innovation at Apple won't stop — it still needs to sell new phones every year — but it suggests that Apple won't be pushing out half-baked features just to make old iPhones feel new.
It's probably also good news for software engineers at Apple, who may get to take a break now and then from the relentless marching forward of the army. Still, some all-nighters are probably yet in their future.
Don't panic
In many ways, the shift reported by Bloomberg and Axios show that Apple understands that the iPhone is no longer a young product. Ten years-plus, it's fully mature.
And mature products don't necessarily need to change every year for comparitively arbitrary reasons.
This line of thinking was highlighted by Steven Sinofsky, a former Microsoft executive and current Andreessen Horowitz board partner, who argued in a long series of tweets on Monday that Apple's bugs aren't necessarily more common than they were in the past. Instead, he says, the reported change to its software focus isn't a reaction to outside criticism — it's simply what any big tech company needs to do after a few years of building out its core product.
In other words, Sinofsky argues, what's happening at Apple is a natural reaction to the balance a giant project like iOS needs.
And the "buggy feeling" is due to the fact that hundreds of millions of people use iPhones for hours per day. "What is different is that at scale a bug that happens to 0.01% of people is a lot of people," he tweeted. "A stadium full or more."
His takeaway? Don't panic: Apple knows what it's doing, and whatever change to its development process is currently going on will make Apple stronger in the long run.
This isn't a move made out of desperation. Apple is deciding to head off a process that had stopped producing the desired output. A grand rethinking of how it's going to produce software for iPhones is a very good development for all Apple users, especially those who value reliability and consistency.
The next iPhone update may not have super-Animoji. But if it crashes less, lots of people should be happy.
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Tech: Apple topped the Swiss in holiday watch shipments (AAPL)
Apple Watch may not be an iPhone-like success, but in its industry, it's becoming a standout hit.
Apple Watch had its naysayers when Apple launched it. And it may never achieve the kind of mainstream success of the iPhone and iPad. But in the watch industry, it's a breakout hit.
As this chart by Statista shows, Apple shipped more watches during the holiday quarter last year than the entire Swiss watch industry exported, marking the first time the iPhone maker topped the entire export output of the industry's traditional home. For all of 2017, the Swiss exported more watches than Apple shipped, and the Chinese still make far more watches than anyone. But as the data indicates, Apple is rapidly gaining ground.
Tech: Apple topped the Swiss in holiday watch shipments (AAPL)
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Monday, 12 February 2018
Eden Hazard and Victor Moses relieve Chelsea pressure in West Brom win
Eden Hazard and Victor Moses relieve Chelsea pressure in West Brom win
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Ugwuanyi procures 10000 set top boxes for low income rural dwellers
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Ugwuanyi procures 10000 set top boxes for low income rural dwellers
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Finance: 10 things that used to be free but now cost money
They say the best things in life are free — but the list of such things seems to be getting shorter by the day.
They say the best things in life are free — but the list of such things seems to be getting shorter by the day.
Businesses are constantly coming up with more ways to nickel and dime customers, and many items that used to be gratis now come with a fee.
We can only imagine how much longer this list will be in 10 years — and what new items will be on it.
Here are some products and services that, back in the good old days, used to be free of charge but now will cost you.
Airline extras
Airfares may be low these days, but don’t be fooled: Just because you’re paying less for an actual ticket doesn’t mean your overall flight experience won’t be pricey.
Many services and amenities that used to be free for airline passengers now come a la carte, depending on the airline including checking a bag, carrying on a bag, onboard snacks, beverages, meals, onboard entertainment, seat selection and more. Even if the fees are small, those charges quickly add up.
Water in restaurants
Nobody wants to look like a cheapskate, but sometimes you just want a regular glass of water — that won’t cost you an arm and a leg. Nowadays, at some restaurants, you have to specify that you want tap water. Otherwise, the waiter may automatically bring you a bottle of still or sparkling water and add it to your bill. (And just try finding the cost of said water on the menu; it’s rarely listed.) Also, some venues serve filtered tap water, such as Vero water, that’s typically billed per person.
Hotel amenities
Just like with airline tickets, the nightly rate for a hotel room is just the tip of the cost iceberg for your overall lodging experience these days. Over the past 20 years, hotels started adding extra charges, often called “resort” fees, to offset the costs of amenities like pools, gyms, and complimentary newspapers.
Some properties take it even further by charging other types of hidden fees on top of the typical resort fee, such as a cleaning fee, a pool/spa fee, or a processing fee. And that doesn’t even take the mini fridge into consideration.
Food delivery
In the age of third-party services like UberEats and Grubhub that charge both diners and restaurants for food delivery, you’d think that restaurants would be glad to deliver directly to the customer for free as long as the customer purchased a certain amount of food.
But some restaurants these days charge a delivery fee — sometimes ranging from $3 to $10 — to bring their food to your front door. But that delivery fee doesn’t go to the driver, so don’t stiff him on the tip, OK?
Plastic bags
In an effort to curb waste, California became the first state to ban the distribution of single-use plastic bags at large retail stores. The 2014 bill also called for a minimum 10 cent charge for “alternative” bags, such as recycled paper bags, reusable plastic bags, and compostable bags.
Since then, several cities have followed suit with plastic bag bans and fees, including Austin; Los Angeles; Chicago; New York; San Francisco; Seattle; and Washington, D.C..
Banking
Once upon a time, free checking accounts were a common occurrence at banks and credit unions. But that changed when the CARD Act came into effect in 2009, eating into bank profits and spurring the institutions to start charging regular fees for checking accounts.
On top of that, banks have added extra charges over the years, including service fees, overdraft fees, and ATM fees.
Directory assistance
It seems like only yesterday when you could call 411 to quickly find a phone number for free. But phone companies put an end to that when they realized how much potential profit they were missing out on, and they started charging for the service. Today, for example, Verizon Wireless will charge you $1.99 for a directory assistance call.
Just Google it, folks.
School sports
There wasn’t always a charge to participate in after-school sports like softball, track, or basketball. Parents had to cover the cost of uniforms and some gear, but that was it.
Today, some schools suffering from tight budgets employ a “pay-to-play” policy that charges each child a sports activity fee simply to participate. (And that still doesn’t cover the cost of all the requisite gear.)
Compressed air
You wouldn’t think that businesses could charge for air — and, for a long time, most gas stations didn’t. It was common practice for a station to allow anyone and everyone free use of an air compressor to fill up their tires. However, many station owners have since made such air compressors coin operated, charging as much as $1.50.
Online newspapers
In the early days of the internet, when print publications like newspapers were still figuring out their digital strategy, you rarely saw an outlet charging a fee to read content.
However, over the years, some newspapers like “The New York Times,” the “Washington Post,” and the “Los Angeles Times” have started charging an online subscription fee — also known as a paywall — for full access to their content as a way to bolster lagging advertising revenues.
Finance: 10 things that used to be free but now cost money
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