ZTE Orbit joins Windows Phone smartphone innovations

The new ZTE Orbit Window smartphones

By Prince Osuagwu

Global providers of telecommunications equipment and network solutions, ZTE Corporation has expanded on its commitment to the Windows Phone platform and introduced the new ZTE Orbit smartphone.
The ZTE Orbit is based on the latest version of Windows Phone and comes with 4GB of memory, HD Voice, and a 5Mpx autofocus camera with LED flash.  ZTE said the Orbit will be available in the second quarter of this year.
The company also announced the MF668A data card which takes advantage of Microsoft’s mobile broadband class driver in Windows 8.  The new data card was demonstrated at Mobile World Congress for the first time. The data card, which supports RAW IP and high-speed transmission, is based on the new MBIM v1.0 specification, recently approved by the USB-IF, and natively supported in Windows 8 without additional software.
Reacting to the development, Senior Director of the OEM Division, Microsoft Mr Mark Linton, said that “Microsoft is excited to continue partnering with ZTE to bring new Windows Phones to market.  We look forward to the availability of ZTE Orbit in major markets around the world in the second quarter of 2012,”
Also the Executive Vice President and Head of the Terminal Division of ZTE Mr. He Shiyou, added that “the Windows Phone platform is as powerful as it is intuitive, enabling us to create and deliver exciting new devices that meet real consumer demand. Our partnership with Microsoft is a key component of our strategy to grow our share of the smartphone market. ZTE is proud to be at the forefront of device manufacturers who are using the Windows Phone platform.”
The ZTE Orbit joins the ZTE Tania smartphone in the company’s portfolio of Windows Phone-based devices. Launched on 18 January, the ZTE Tania is a chic Windows Phone device, with a chassis measuring just 10.7mm in depth, 4GB internal storage and a 4.3 inch touch screen. The 1GHz processor and ultra-sharp cinematic WVGA 800 x 480px screen make responding to emails, editing documents and browsing the internet fast and intuitive.

HTC One X unveiled as HTC's first quad-core smartphone

By Prince Osuagwu

Also at the Mobile World Congress currently on-going in Barcelona, HTC announced a new flagship handset, the HTC One X. The phone could best be described as HTC's first quad-core handset.
It is a 4.3-inch device featuring a NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core processor, 1GB of RAM and a 4.3-inch 1,280 x 720 HD display.
The device has an amazing camera quality with an 8-megapixel rear-facing and 1.3-megapixel forward-facing camera. The features make the phone capable of of capturing high-resolution still photos simultaneously while shooting 1080p video that can also be edited directly on the smartphone.
In comparison with other HTC devices like the HTC Sensation XE and HTC Rezound, the One X comes with built-in Beats Audio, offering the phone a bit of a sound advantage over some of its competition. The phone will also ship running Android 4.0, and will offer 25GB of free DropBox storage in place of expandable memory.

Samsung updates latest Galaxy Beam projector phone

The phone in action

By Prince Osuagwu

Samsung has officially unveiled an updated version of the Galaxy Beam, a smartphone with its own built-in pico projector. The device shows off unique features, particularly with its ability to project pictures, video, and other media onto walls, ceilings or any other flat surface through a 15 lumens projector that Samsung says can display images up to 50-inches wide.
First appearance of this innovation was actually at Mobile World Congress in 2010. But the, device was only slated to make an appearance in Singapore. Latest development on the device now, however brings an updated version with Android 2.3 Gingerbread, and likely an availability that would extend from Singapore into a few additional countries.
The 2010 version of the Beam came running Android v2.1, had a 3.7-inch screen, and a 9 lumens projector. The updated 2012 version shown off at Mobile World Congress 2011 comes running Android v2.3, has a 4-inch screen, and comes rocking a much more powerful 15 lumens projector.
The projector is the stand-out feature of the phone. The phone has a 5-megapixel built-in camera, and has a 1GHz dual-core processor, 8GB of internal memory, and a 2000mAh battery.

Norton thinks security with version 6.0

By Prince Osuagwu

While we celebrate innovations in the mobile world, little care seems to be taken about security of our appliances like the Personal Computers and other mobile devices. This gives hackers the opportunity of hitting at most critical times. The result is mostly data loss and disappearance of very important and useful information.

The Norton 360 6.0 solution

But experts are also innovating on ways to outsmart the mobile pirates. For instance, Norton by Symantec has announced the debut of its premium security suite: Norton 360 version 6.0. It offers industry leading PC protection and top ranked performance.
Third party solution tests, AV-TEST Institute ranks the innovation first in overall real-world protection and remediation.
 Highlights of the solution includes: Identity Safe; it secures, remembers, and automatically enters user names and passwords while protecting users from online threats
Management; it delivers advanced cloud-based functionality to manage select Norton products remotely for greater ease and control and it also limits non-critical Norton updates when connected to metered networks to avoid using up monthly data allotments or causing overage fees. This is through its   Bandwidth Management feature
the product also allows Improved Backup, giving faster and easier back up capabilities and tracking
Pricing and Availability. It can be installed on up to three PCs and costs $65, approximately, N10, 500 for the standard edition which includes 2GB of online storage space, a three PC license and a one-year subscription.

Save80: Economic stove technology that thinks of Nigerian rural women

By Prince Osuagwu

Save80 Stove

Majority of Nigerian rural dwellers make use of kerosene or charcoal stove for cooking. Many others, also make outright use of firewood for the purpose, but this has a negative impact on the environment as forests have to be constantly cut down to meet the demand.
The cooking stove, is not even better. What with the problem of either high cost or scarcity of kerosene in many rural areas. However, in the rapidly changing world of technology, anything is just possible.
Now, technology has enabled the invention of a cooking stove, Save80, that uses just five pieces of wood but cooks the quantity of food that would have ordinarily required more than 80 times of that quantity of wood.
Over 3,000 of the stoves are said to have been sold in Nigeria so far, meaning that over 3, 000 Nigerian women have been saved of the high cost of kerosene or time and energy associated with cooking on kerosene or charcoal stoves.
The stove has inbuilt metallic element which burns with the 5 pieces of woods and a set of wigs. The  magic of the new invention is that after the woods have burnt out, the metallic element doubles and retains the generated heat which could be used to cook large quantity of food.

A Northern Nigerian rural woman testing the stove

The stove was originated by a locally based German company called Climate Management Limited and  commissioned by the United Nations for use in refugee camps. But today, it is used by over 40,000 people in Africa, including Nigerians.
The new invention boils about 8 litres of water in 15 minutes. Free Talk Africa can  reveal that the stove uses 80 per cent less of the wood or charcoal used to run an ordinary stove and produces 80 percent higher the quantity of energy by a kerosene stove.
The Stove produces no fumes and can allow in-room cooking without the air pollution and emissions of gaseous substances. It does not induce the headache that usually associate with cooking on charcoal or kerosene stove.

Your iPad can be more audible with smart Sound Cover

By Prince Osuagwu

There's no shortage of options for those looking to add some extra audio sound to their iPad. From the multitude of docks on offer to Bluetooth or Airplay-enabled wireless speaker systems. There are also the more portable options such as the Logitech Tablet Speaker or iLuv iSP150.

What a sound cover and how glamorous it can make the iPad become

However, the new Peter Hannes Olafsson product, Sound Cover, seems to be more compact and portable. It combines stereo speakers with iPad cover.
Inventor of the product,  Petur Hannes Olafsson, is a Hong Kong-based engineer who is seeking to raise funds via Kickstarter. He has managed to cram a pair of rechargeable stereo speakers into a thin iPad case by relying on NXT speaker technology. Unlike traditional speakers that rely on a combination of coils, magnets and cones to generate sound waves, NXT speakers use exciters to vibrate a flat panel instead. Integrating these speakers into a thin, durable ABS case that allows the sound cover to boost the volume of an iPad by up to 300 percent and improve the frequency response, while providing protection for the device when not in use.
The Sound Cover is powered by its own built-in 1600 mAh rechargeable lithium-ion battery that boasts of a life of up to 12 hours and is charged via USB. The Sound Cover connects to an iPad through a jack and its volume is controlled from the iPad's controls.
Meanwhile, the manufacturers say there will also be a Bluetooth edition to provide a wireless audio connection. Like Apple's Smart Cover for the iPad 2, the cover also features in-built magnets to automatically put the tablet to sleep or wake it up when the cover is closed or opened.

The Spray that improves signal strength

By Prince Osuagwu

The major challenge with mobile communication particularly in the emerging markets of Africa and the middle East is quality of service. In most of the emerging markets, like Nigeria, blessed with huge population and massive  landmass, the cost of taking services to every nook and cranny is enormous. Meanwhile the connected areas are over crowded by technology savvy users and the networks fail to serve optimally. Poor signals and service disruptions become users headache, reducing the essence mobile innovation.
But if the new device called Aerosol spray would perform exactly the functions that informed its invention, the problem of weak signal strength in mobile devices would be history.

The Aerosol Spray is a new innovation from a technology firm, Chamtech. It allows mobile user  to improve signal strength of their devices.
The ChamTech  device is essentially designed as a spray. When it is sprayed on a mobile device, it covers the surface with thousands of nano-capacitors which align themselves on the surface, and create a wireless antenna for the devices located in the area. The  nano-capacitors will locate wireless signals, making it easier for any phone or tablet within the range, to get connected and stay connected to a network.
The solution could also be sprayed on buildings and trees to boost the signal for a specific area, or could be sprayed directly on the antenna of a cell phone to boost the phone's signal by at least 10 percent.
The technology may replace some traditional telecom antennas thus eliminating the towers that dotted streets and corners, particularly in the emerging markets.
Tests of  the technology shows it providing even better signal results than those traditional antennas.