Android One smartphones released in India by three companies

 The three new smartphones feature the Android One branding on their backs

The first Android One-branded budget-priced "high quality" smartphones have been released in India.

The handsets provide a minimum set of features determined by Google, which has sourced several of the components to help cut manufacturing costs.
The company has also teamed up with a local network to make it cheaper to download Android updates and new apps.
Experts suggest the move should help address criticism of earlier entry-price smartphones.
Sundar Pichai, who oversees Android, said the Android One scheme had delivered economies of scale that meant the first batch of phones could be offered for as low as 6,399 rupees ($105; £65) if bought contract-free.

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Three Indian companies have released the first Android One handsets, as Shilpa Kannan reports

"Our goal was to develop high quality smartphones at an affordable price, with access to connectivity, done at scale around the world," he told the BBC ahead of the launch in Delhi.
"We provide our OEMs [original equipment manufacturers] a menu, effectively.
"They can choose the CPU [central processing unit], the GPU [graphics processing unit], the storage, the type of battery, the type of camera.
"It really saves them a lot of effort in terms of identifying the right hardware [and] doing all the testing you need to do to get the software to run on this hardware.

 

Mr Pichai chose India, the county of his birth, as the first nation to get Android One phones

"We tune it, we work out the bugs… we keep it secure, we update it and so on."
He added the scheme should soon expand to Indonesia, Philippines, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka.
There are no plans to launch the handsets in the West, but Mr Pichai did not rule it out.
Matching specs The first Android One devices are made by Micromax - already India's bestselling mobile-phone maker - Karbonn and Spice.

 

Three Indian companies have released the first Android One handsets, but others are planning other versions

To meet Google's minimum standards they all have:

• a 4.5in (11.4cm) display
• 1GB of RAM (random-access memory)
• a 5MP rear camera and a 2MP front one
• a quadcore processor sourced from Taiwanese company Mediatek
• the ability to run the next version of Android, due for release soon

In addition, they have been tailored to suit the local market by including a micro-SD (Secure Digital) slot, a replaceable battery, a built-in FM radio and the ability to support two Sim cards simultaneously.
If connected to Airtel - one of India's most popular networks - data used to download Android updates will not be subtracted from a customer's allowance for the first six months. Users can also download 200MB worth of apps from Google Play on top of their data plan.
Google said it had also customised some of its own apps for India, including:

• the addition of railway bookings and cricket scores to Google Now's card-based results
• an "offline" version of YouTube, so videos can be re-watched without incurring extra data charges after the initial download
• the introduction of 13 local publications to Play Newsstand

The handset makers are allowed to add services and wallpapers of their own, but cannot run a "skin" on top of Android that significantly changes the user interface - something manufacturers have commonly done in the past to distinguish their models.
"We want to deliver a consistent experience on these devices," said Mr Pichai, adding this should prevent the devices taking a performance hit or being incompatible with software updates.
Word of mouth About 400 million smartphones will be sold in India over the next five years, according to a forecast by PricewaterhouseCoopers, with the majority bought at Android One's price point.

 

Google said only one in 10 people in India currently have access to a smartphone

"A lot of the phones that have been sold in this price zone to date have not been particularly high performance or high quality," said Mohammad Chowdhury, the company's Mumbai-based (Bombay) telecoms expert.
"That's meant the experience for users has been less than satisfactory.
"If Google can start convincing people that the experience of using data will be better on these phones, I think that will result in fairly fast uptake, particularly as word of mouth is quite good in India."
Android One's launch comes less than a month after two low-cost smartphones running Mozilla's rival Firefox operating system were launched in India.
The Wall Street Journal has also reported that Samsung intends to sell budget-priced Tizen phones in the country, a system it currently uses to power cameras and smartwatches.

Indian smartphone makers Spice and Intex released Firefox handsets in the country in August

"India and other emerging markets are being targeted by other potentially low-cost platforms," said Chris Green, from the Davies Murphy Group consultancy.
"Google needs to protect Android's market base in these countries, as the low-cost users of today will be the premium users of 10 years time."
More smartphones Mr Pichai said Google would "constantly evolve" Android One's minimum standards to suit both the needs of future software and the tastes of the various markets it launched into.
He added that handset makers Lenovo, Acer, HTC, Asus, Panasonic and Alcatel had recently joined the programme along with the chipmaker Qualcomm, all of which would launch devices at a later point.
That leaves the bestselling Android handset-maker, Samsung, as a notable holdout.
Even so, Mr Pichai said he expected the company would play a "huge role" in helping offer Android to the "next four billion users".

4:33 PM - By Unknown 0

Steven Gerrard jealous about being absence in the Champions League

Captain Steven Gerrard says he has been jealous watching Manchester United and Chelsea compete in the Champions League during Liverpool's five-year absence.
The Reds return to the competition for the first time since 2009 on Tuesday at home to Bulgaria's Ludogorets Razgrad.
"There has almost been a jealousy and an envy that we weren't involved," said Gerrard, who won the competition with the Reds in 2005.
"I've been craving it. Everyone is looking forward to hearing that music."
Chelsea have won the Champions League and Manchester United have finished runners-up since Liverpool last appeared in Europe's elite club competition five years ago.
"Watching the likes of Chelsea and Man United in it when we were finishing outside the top four was tough," added Gerrard, who captained his side to second place in the Premier League last season.
"I'm just glad it's finally here. It's reward for all the hard work last season.
"We need to enjoy it but we're not in it to make the numbers up. We want to do as well as we can."

Champions League: Brendan Rodgers 'excited'

Five-time European champions Liverpool are in the same group as Real Madrid and FC Basel.
Manager Brendan Rodgers says the Reds will treat Bulgarian champions Ludogorets Razgrad with the same respect as they would 10-time European champions Real Madrid.
It will be Rodgers's first match in charge for any Champions League tie.
"Five years is a long time, probably too long," he said when asked about Liverpool's absence from the competition.
"When I came here my main priority was to get the club back to this level.
"We want to be at the elite level and the Champions League is that."

4:27 PM - By Unknown 0

Cristiano Ronaldo‘s thinking of leaving real madrid

The feeling that Cristiano Ronaldo‘s time could be up at Real Madrid continues, as the Portuguese forward is apparently becoming increasingly disenchanted with life in the Spanish capital.
Former Real Madrid club president Ramon Calderon has revealed how Ronaldo is feeling.
Recently the reigning World Player of the Year revealed his displeasure at seeing the likes of Angel Di Maria and Xabi Alonso allowed to leave Real this summer. The former Manchester United star has been heavily linked with a move back to Old Trafford and these latest comments from Calderon are sure to fuel the fire further.
“Gonzalo Higuain was sold and he didn’t like that,” Calderon said. “Last year he thought it was a mistake to let Mesut Ozil leave and the last straw was selling Xabi Alonso and Angel Di Maria this summer.”
Real have lost two of their opening three games in La Liga and Ronaldo seemed to cut a frustrate figure in his sides 2-1 defeat to fierce rivals Atletico Madrid on Saturday.
Rumors of unrest are bubbling up as reports are already suggesting that Ronaldo’s good friend and former Real teammate Angel Di Maria is already trying to convince the attacker to join him at Manchester United next season.
The way things are going, could Ronaldo be heading out of the Santiago Bernabeu sooner than next summer?

4:20 PM - By Unknown 0

Ebola: Rivers Government To Shut Down Schools Without Pipe-Borne Water

 The Rivers Government on Monday warned that it would shut down any primary or secondary school without pipe borne water.
Alice Nemi, the State Commissioner for Education, gave the warning in Port Harcourt during a sensitization workshop for teachers in the state on Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).
We learnt that the workshop was jointly organised by the state ministries of education and health for teachers in public and private schools.
The commissioner said that potable water would ensure that the teachers, pupils and students washed their hands regularly with soap.
Nemi, however, did not say when inspection of the schools would start to know schools without the facility.
Scavenge planet also learnt that regular hand washing and avoidance of body contact are essential to prevent the spread of Ebola virus.

3:49 PM - By Unknown 0

Two Nigerians & An Israeli Smuggle $9.3million Into South Africa In A Private Jet

South African police are investigating two Nigerians and an Israeli citizen who tried to bring $9.3 million in cash into the country illegally.

And according to Reuters, there are suspicions that the money could be meant for arms. The Nigerians, coming from Abuja, were not identified. The private jet, a Bombardier Challenger 600, had a Nigerian flight crew on board. It was piloted by Captain Tunde Ojongbede, according to South Africa’s City Press newspaper.

Customs officers had become suspicious when the passengers’ luggage was unloaded and put through the scanners just after 7pm. The officers then investigated and found three suitcases full of cash.

The passengers apparently told officials they were acting on behalf of the Nigerian intelligence service. They provided documentation confirming they had come to South Africa to buy weapons. It is not clear whether the Israeli passenger was an intelligence operative or an arms dealer.

The National Conventional Arms Control Committee, which has to approve the import and export of any weapons as well as issue permits for such transactions, was not aware of any applications in this case.

The South African Revenue Service (SARS) seized the funds at Lanseria airport, northwest of Johannesburg, on Sept. 5. The funds are being held at the central bank as police investigate, SARS spokeswoman Marika Muller said.

“The passengers’ luggage was searched after Customs officials detected irregularities. The money was detained as it was undisclosed/undeclared and above the prescribed legal limit,” Muller said in a statement.

South Africa’s City Press newspaper reports that bundles of unused $100 bills packed in three suitcase were transported in the small business jet from the Nigerian capital, Abuja. South African airport security spokesman Solomon Makgale confirmed a police investigation was underway but declined to give details

2:46 PM - By Unknown 0

Nigeria Airforce Rules Out Sabotage In Case Of Missing Fighter Jet

The Nigeria Air Force on Monday ruled out sabotage in the case of the missing fighter jet in Adamawa, saying it was in full control of the Nigerian airspace.

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) had, on Sunday, declared missing an Alfa Jet, which was on a routine mission in the campaign to flush out terrorists in the North-East, after radio contact with the crew members was lost.

The Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Adesola Amosu, said this while answering questions from State House correspondents after a closed-door meeting with Vice-President Namadi Sambo in Abuja.

“One of our Alpha Jets went on routine operation in the North East; on their return, they lost contact with the control towers and that made us to immediately initiate a search.

“Sabotage! No, because it is a distance of just from Maiduguri to Yola. We are in full control of the air space.

“But don’t forget that when you lose radio signal, it becomes very challenging. There are so many possibilities but we are working on it.”

Amosu expressed the hope that the jet and crew would soon be found, saying that the air force had already deployed its surveillance technology in the area in spite the harsh weather there.

He praised the inhabitants of the affected area for providing the air force with useful information on the missing jet.

“The weather has not been helpful as we have deployed all our surveillance capability; the citizens have been very helpful and we have got good information from them.

“But you know, in the aviation sector, we have some specific information that we ought to have to make the search easy.

“But the information we are getting from the citizens is good but not enough for us to define the area of search.

“We have an idea of where the aircraft could be. Do not forget that it is the open Sahel. Some people may think it is easy but in the open Sahel; sometimes it is very challenging,“ he said.

Amosu also expressed the hope that the missing pilots would be found alive, saying that they must have contemplated ejection in spite of whatever problem they may have encountered.

He said, “I am hopeful that before the end of the day or week we should be able to provide credible information as to the location of the aircraft and then the pilots.

2:42 PM - By Unknown 0

Washington Post slams President Goodluck Jonathan for using the #bringback hashtag for campaign

Below is what Washington Post wrote about president Jonathan’s supporters using the #bringback hashtag for his campaign
It was the social media campaign of the year. #BringBackOurGirls awoke the world to the ravages of Boko Haram, an al-Qaeda-linked terror group in Nigeria, and the plight of the millions of people who live in the midst of their insurgency. At the heart of the message were hundreds of missing schoolgirls, abducted in April from the remote village of Chibok by Boko Haram fighters, who vowed to make them into slaves.
The #BringBackOurGirls hashtag channeled both sympathy from abroad and local outrage and concern in Nigeria, with many angry at the government of President Goodluck Jonathan for being unable to free the captured women.
But four months later, the girls have yet to be brought back despite the efforts of the Nigerian military as well as U.S. counter-terrorism forces deployed in neighboring Chad. More than 200 girls remain missing in suspected Boko Haram captivity. Others have perished from snakebite, illness and deprivation in the wild.

12:52 AM - By Unknown 0

Eminem set a Guinness world record “Rap God.”

Eminem recently set a Guinness world record with his track, “Rap God.” The Detroit native earned the distinction for featuring the most words in a hit song by squeezing a whopping 1,560 words in the song’s six minutes.
Eminem will be joined in the 2015 edition of the Guinness World Records book (which comes out tomorrow) by Shakira, Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus, One Direction and Metallica. The Guinness records held by Shakira, Katy Perry and Miley Cyrus all come from social media: Shakira overtook Rihanna as the “Most ‘Liked’ Person on Facebook”; Katy Perry became the most followed musician on Twitter; and Miley Cyrus’s antics earned her the title of “Most Searched For Pop Star on the Internet.” One Direction is celebrated as the first new act to debut atop the Billboard charts with its first three albums; and Metallica became the first and only act to perform on all seven continents when it performed on Antarctica in December.
In other news, Eminem is set to release a compilation and “best-of” double album, Shady XV, Nov. 24. During an interview with XXL, Em’s longtime manager Paul Rosenberg talked about the upcoming project. “We thought it would be a good time to go back and do a retrospective on the ‘greatest hits,’ quote unquote. And they’re not gonna all just be hits like ‘Lose Yourself’ and ‘In Da Club,’ these massive songs, but some of the favorites of the fans and ourselves as well. And then also [it provides] the chance to put out some new music, because we just want to keep releasing stuff.”

12:48 AM - By Unknown 0

After US Open win, Serena Williams moves to conquer the Catwalk as a Designer at Fashion week

 

Serena Williams was in the middle of settling down for an interview when she was interrupted by a message: “Anna is here.”
That would be the Anna Wintour, the Vogue editor who every designer wants front and centre at their fashion shows.
The fact that Wintour chose to attend the New York Fashion Week runway debut of Williams, who just won the U.S. Open for the third time, was a sign that Williams, who has made fashion her side gig for a number of years, had most definitely arrived.
“It means a lot … I mean, she’s Anna Wintour at the end of the day, fashion’s queen,” said a beaming Williams. “I hope she enjoys it.”
Williams was certainly enjoying the moment.
Fresh off her U.S. Open win on Sunday, which tied her with Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova with 18th Grand Slam trophies, second only in the Open era to Steffi Graf, Williams took on some of fashion’s biggest names with her first runway show on Tuesday.
With celebrities like supermodel Beverly Johnson, actor Boris Kodjoe and comedian Marlon Wayans looking on, Williams showed her Serena Williams Signature Statement Collection for the HSN Network, which she described as “casual wear but pumped up, every day wear that is actually realistic.”
“Sometimes you go to fashion shows and none of it is really realistic. You can take it off the models and you can go out and wear it so that is what we wanted to showcase,” Williams said.
The looks included a sleeveless long sweatshirt with the letter “S” on the front, zippered slinky mini-dresses, pants with a leopard print similar to the dress she wore during her U.S. Open run, faux fur jackets and jersey-knit dresses. Williams said she was casting models and picking looks for the show during the open.
“I had a really focused mind; I would literally be on the table getting my back worked on looking at different models,” she said.
Venus has also shown at fashion week. Williams said she took her big sister’s advice which was to have fun and “enjoy the moment.”
Williams was most proud of her final runway model, who was plus-size.
“I felt like our line caters to a lot of women but we don’t limit ourselves. We also want that lady who is a little larger to wear clothes and feel great and not be limited to just Lycra,” she said. “People should look good at every size and feel good and love who they are.
Williams got wild applause after the show ended, including from good friend Caroline Wozniacki, whom she defeated for her U.S. Open trophy. “I thought it was amazing. I loved the pieces and the leopard print,” Wozniacki said.
“She’s such a good friend and so supportive and wouldn’t miss it,” said Williams.
Williams said she planned to return the favour and be there for Wozniacki when she runs the New York City marathon in November.

12:45 AM - By Unknown 0

Goodluck Jonathan has ordered the removal of banner

 

Nigeria’s President Goodluck Jonathan has ordered the removal of signs and banners that mimic the social media campaign to release more than 200 kidnapped schoolgirls, his spokesman said on Wednesday.
Reuben Abati said the head of state shared the view that the #BringBackGoodluck2015 signs, apparently backing his re-election next year, were “offensive and repugnant”.
“President Jonathan wholly shares the widely expressed view that the signs which were put up without his knowledge or approval are a highly insensitive parody of the #BringBackOurGirls hashtag,” he added.
The #BringBackOurGirls campaign on Twitter, backed by ordinary people and celebrities across the world, forced Nigeria’s government to act after Boko Haram snatched the teenagers from the remote northeast town of Chibok in April.
It prompted a series of street protests worldwide and contributed to international help from countries such as the United States, France and Britain to find the girls.
The insurgents are still holding 219 of the girls, despite Nigeria’s military announcing that they know where they are being held and high-tech foreign surveillance and intelligence assistance.
Abati said the posters which have been seen around the capital, Abuja, “appear to make light of the very serious national and global concern for the abducted Chibok girls”.
“The President assures all Nigerians and the international community that his administration remains fully engaged with efforts to rescue the abducted girls and that he will not knowingly promote any actions that will fly in the face of the seriousness of their plight and the anguish of their families.”

12:43 AM - By Unknown 0

Bola Tinubu’s Health In Unfavourable Condition; Fails To Recognise Family In US

According to Nairaland, The former Governor of Lagos State and the Leader of All Progressive Congress (APC), Ahmed Bola Tinubu who was struck by sudden stroke was flown out of the country some weeks ago after the situation seems not under control of his family / private doctor who is responsible for the treatment at his residence in Lagos state before a final decision by his close associate to fly him out of the country for medical treatment in one of the US hospital in a low key manner.

Source revealed that Some All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders and other members of his family engage themselves in marathon prayer and fasting to restore and rekindle the hope of good health back to the leader in his US hospital as he now fail to recognise wife and relatives.

In fact, Tinubu’s health is in unfavourable condition.

12:40 AM - By Unknown 0

Funny! Watch Ellen DeGeneres’ version of Nicki Minaj’s Anaconda

 Nicki Minaj‘s “Anaconda” is one of the most watched and most talked about videos of 2014. Talk show host Ellen DeGeneres has caught “Anaconda” fever as she unveiled her version of the video just a few hours ago. Watch! Ellen’s Version
Nicki'sversion

12:21 AM - By Unknown 0