The Vandalism: power dips by 4,446Mw

The Power supply on Sunday dipped by 4,446Megawatts (Mw), following attacks on gas pipelines by various militant groups in the Niger Delta.

As a result, the Nigeria System Operator (SO) of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) could only send out 2,902Mw to the 11 electricity distribution companies (DisCos).

Nigeria Electricity Supply Industry (NESI)  on its website yesterday, said there was no water constraint on the day in review.

It however, noted that the electricity sector which recorded 214Mw line constrain, lost an equivalent of N2,237,000,000.

“On July 24, 2016, average power sent out was 2902Mwh/hour (up by 43 Mwh/h). The reported gas constraint was 4446Mw. The reported line constraint was 214MwW. 

Water management constraint was  0Mw. The power sector lost the estimated equivalent of N2,237,000,000 on July 24, 2016 due to constraints,” it said.

Where there no constraints, the electricity market would have supplied 7,562Mw to DisCos but the gas and line challenges keep holding down the power sector.

NESI had said on July 17, 2016, average power sent out was 2670Mwh/hour (down by 100 Mwh/h).  The reported gas constraint was 4200Mw. 

Reported line constraint was 438Mw. The water management constraint was 0Mw. The power sector lost the estimated equivalent of N2,226,000,000 on July 17, 2016 due to constraints.”

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Electricity tariff reversal: Matters arising

The mixed reactions have continued to trail the recent Federal High Court judgement which ordered the reversal of 45 per cent electricity tariff increase by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) with those representing the larger business interest claiming over N500billion worth of investment is at risk while consumer rights advocates hold the view and very strongly too that the judgement is a victory for the masses. Ibrahim Apekhade Yusuf in this report examines the issues

Although Federal High Court judgement had last week ordered the reversal of 45 per cent electricity tariff increase by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), the ding dong affair between electricity consumers on the one hand and the Commission on the other hand is far from being resolved as indications are rife that both parties have returned to the trenches.

It may be recalled that court in a landmark judgment, declared the hike in tariff illegal and directed that it should be reversed immediately just as it awarded N50,000 cost against the NERC.

In the view of analysts, the judgment of the court is predicated upon the fact that the NERC had failed in its statutory obligation as clearly pointed out by the plaintiff, Toluwani Adebiyi Esq, relying on Section 32 of Sector Power Reform Act 2005.

Court also held that the conditions precedent necessary for increasing tariff, the due process as provided by the enabling Act were not adhered to as contained in the whole of S.76, section 76(2)(a) in particular gives the condition of efficiency for the Commission to be able to recover loss or increase hike, that section is clear that only the licensee, DISCOs that operates efficiently that can recover loss or increase hike, have never been efficient.

Therefore it is this same points and positions of law that the court of Appeal will also look into and dismiss their Appeal, with substantial cost, they ought to sit down and analyze the 200 pages of landmark judgment and realise on time that tough time and gross failure await them at the appellate court.

However, following the court judgement, the NERC has directed its lawyers to file an appeal against the court ruling during a press briefing that was held at its headquarters in Abuja.

Speaking at the briefing, the Acting Chief Executive Officer, NERC, Dr. Tony Akah, said the commission was aware of the judgment which declared the electricity tariff regime that became operational on February 1, 2016 illegal.

Said, “The commission respects this decision of the court but we are dissatisfied because it represents the reversal of the commercial foundation upon which contracts for gas, hydro, coal and solar feedstock for the production of electricity have been predicated.

“This judgment, in our view, is a setback to the progress made so far in the electricity sector. Therefore, we challenge this decision. We have instructed our lawyer to appeal. Consequently, the commission has filed for stay of execution and a notice of appeal of the judgment.”

The Akah stated that private power production and distribution was relatively new in Nigeria and that development such as the court ruling must be seen in that context as the laws begin to face judicial tests of interpretations.

DISCOs spoil for war

As Nigerians wait in bathed breathe the outcome of the appeal filed by the NERC, stakeholders in the power sector have expressed fears that the tariff reversal has dire implications for the energy sub-sector and the economy as a whole.

11 electricity distribution companies DISCOs have insisted that Nigerians would have to choose between working with them to improve the country’s electricity system for their benefits and going back to darkness which they said had been the situation long before they took over from the government.

The DISCOs had through their association, the Association of Electricity Distribution Companies (ANED) at a press briefing in Abuja that even with the 2015 tariff which the law court disbanded last week, it was still quite difficult for them to operate and meet the demands of consumers in their networks.

They also stated that public electricity services in the country would have to be priced appropriately for steady investments and improvements to be recorded, hence its decision to respect the Lagos court judgement; file for a stay of its execution; and then appeal against it at a higher court.

The Executive Director for Research and Documentation of ANED, Mr. Sunday Oduntan alleged at the briefing that the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) knew that the 2015 tariff was inadequate to attract investment in the sector because it is not absolutely cost reflective.

He said NERC and the government have for more than two years failed to live up to the agreement it reached with the Discos that a cost reflective tariff will be allowed in the sector to attract investments into it.

“Nigerians have an option between light and darkness. If we need darkness, let us continue the way we are going now. Let’s continue to say they should reverse the tariff, let’s continue to steal energy, let’s continue to vandalise gas pipelines, let’s continue not paying our bills.

“If we continue, darkness looms, if we can change we can increase the power supply. We can progress gradually from incremental to stable to uninterrupted power supply, but we can’t achieve this without the cooperation of everybody.

“Inappropriate tariff leads to shortfall, shortfall leads to funding gap and funding gap leads to inefficiency, because we will not be able to give appropriate service,” said Oduntan.

ANED boss said the DISCOs could not get loans from banks prior to the current tariff as the business was deemed not bankable.

“I enjoin us to look at the issues in the sector. Inappropriate tariff leads to shortfalls and that leads to funding gaps which has risen above N300billion.

“The MYTO 2015 corrects the funding gap but it is spread over 10 years and recovered gradually; if you look at the template, the tariff will go down after the first three years,” Oduntan explained.

Mr Oduntan admitted that but for vandals’ actions on oil and gas infrastructures since March this year, industry operators expected a rise in generation to about 6,000Mw from the 5,072Mw attained in February, a day after the tariff was enforced.

Said significant improvement in power supply would have led to more revenue generation and speedier investments in rolling out meters, transformers and strengthening of networks since March.

Femi Adegbenro, an economic analyst, said the quantum of investment in the power sector which is within the neighbourhood of over N500billion risk being lost if the court is allowed to have its way.

Besides, Adegbenro said massive job loss is also inevitable if the court ruling stands.

Lawyers’ reaction

As far as lawyers are concerned, the last may not have been heard of the matter.

Barr. Toluwani Adebiyi, a human right activist and plaintiff in the matter, in a statement made available to The Nation said: “Tough time and unimpeachable failure await NERC and DISCOs at the Court of Appeal, they don’t have the slimmest chance of surviving the storm.”

Raising a poser, Adebiyi asked: “The old tariff may not be market reflective, but are Nigerians getting value for their payment? No, so it is nothing but gross exploitation. Nigerians are ready to pay any amount so far they are getting value for their payments.”

Lawyer who has been in the forefront of advocacy against electricity tariff, said it was sheer insensitivity on the part of the NERC and its cohorts, DISCOs to be carrying on the way they have been doing.

“Let assume their Managements know nothing about law, but don’t they have minds of their own to know that those advising them are only interested in more millions they will get from them?” he queried.

Human rights lawyer who declared that the Commission was being ill-advised by those out insensitive to the plight of the suffering masses, said they would face posterity.

“Those people advising them are only interested in their own belly, their own personal gain, how they can make more money from them. This is the money they should have used to bring more improvement on the prevailing and protracted power problems.”

While recalling that the court had initially granted relief to abolish fixed charge, he wondered why the “NERC‘s lawyers did not take to steps to initiate terms of settlement to be adopted as court’s consent judgment particularly with DISCOs’ intention to meter all consumers latest by 2017, which is answer to second relief sought and with steps to improve on quality supply and answer to the third relief sought.”

Regretfully, he said: “These people failed to initiate such consent judgment. I took the step to initiate same, we had about two meetings, because I know with a keen sense of responsibility that the people are investors and the primary objective of every business is to make profit, though not at the exploitative detriment of the consumers.”

A situation, where the Commission will allow unpatriotic individuals to keep on deceiving them for their own selfish financial gain is grossly absurd, he stressed.

Last word for NERC

What he thinks may be probable outcome of the court, Adebiyi said it would be unfair to preempt the judge but however urged the Federal Government and all well-meaning Nigerians to prevail upon NERC and DISCOs to comply with the judgment.

Waxing philosophical, he said: “They cannot survive this battle and storm, filing notice of Appeal and application for stay cannot impair the legal validity of the judgment, not until the appeal is entered and the application for stay is heard and granted, provided they have a good appeal, but the appeal is obnoxiously lame and incurably bad and bound to fail ab initio.”

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New Techno-patriotism in Nigeria

Nigeria must take its digital destiny in its own hands

Recent call by the President of the Nigerian Computer Society (NCS), Professor Sola Adorounmu, to the Federal Government not to outsource the country’s national information technology security is a welcome one.

Explaining that no nation willingly gave up its advantages to others, the NCS president warned that Nigeria would remain a “digital colony” of more advanced nations if it did not take measures to ensure that its national security is protected and managed by indigenous IT professionals.

Given the scope and depth of the security challenges that have beset Nigeria within recent years, there is little doubt that victory in the campaign against insurgency, militancy and inter-communal unrest can only be facilitated when Nigerians themselves are in control of tactics and strategy.

In the particular case of information technology, the need to reduce outsourcing to the barest minimum is only too apparent. Vital infrastructure such as power stations, dams, airports, seaports, highways and surveillance systems no longer exist as stand-alone entities. 

They can now be integrated into a seamless network that can be remotely manipulated and controlled. It is vital that such potentially destructive capacity be kept in Nigerian, rather than foreign, hands.

Real issue, however, is how to ensure that the ideal of a fully-Nigerian IT security infrastructure is achieved. The country does not lack the personnel or institutions that are necessary, but over the years, its efforts have been hindered by several obstacles, many of them self-inflicted.

Perhaps the biggest deterrent has been the failure of Nigeria’s ambitious satellite programme to live up to expectations. It was expected that the launch of the NigComSat series of satellites would open up a host of technological benefits, not least the enormous expansion of bandwidth and a subsequent growth in telemedicine, e-commerce, online education and other applications.

Consequence has been that the country has had to rely on the relatively expensive bandwidth provided by private companies. Thus, the spread of IT technology has been much slower than it would otherwise have been.

Another problem has been the lack of deliberate attempts to promote the emergence of indigenous technology firms with the capacity to handle the country’s IT needs. Far too many businesses in the technology sector limit themselves to sales, consulting and maintenance of IT equipment because they know that big clients routinely prefer foreign IT solutions to their own.

In contrast, countries like China, India and South Korea have embarked on the aggressive promotion of IT sectors spearheaded by national champions which can compete effectively with the best from western nations. 

This strategy has paid off in the emergence of companies whose products and services are second to none.

Rather than use IT to promote development, Nigeria’s recent history has shown that it has in fact become one of the many channels for corrupt enrichment. The Galaxy Backbone scandal of the Obasanjo era and the Abuja CCTV mess are only two of the better-known examples.

If the Nigeria wishes to properly secure its IT security, it will have to commit to a notion of technological patriotism. Made-in-Nigeria computers and other equipment must be given priority over imported brands. 

Indigenous professionals must be empowered to compete on a level playing-field when bidding for significant contracts. 

The greater attention must be paid to reducing the cost of bandwidth, devices, consumables and training, all of which are vital to sustaining the take-off of a viable IT industry.

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BEDC to install additional 100,000 meters

The conscious of the metering gaps existing across various customer classes, Benin Electricity Distribution Plc (BEDC) said it plans to install additional 100,000 meters for domestic and commercial customers in this year.

They speak at a press briefing during the 7th Monthly Power Pector Stakeholders Meeting, which it hosted at the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), along Sapele road, Benin, Edo State, the firm said it would strive to achieve 100 per cent metering of all industrial and Maximum Demand (MD) customers by November ending.

Its Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Mrs. FunkeOsibodu said the firm will also achieve the metering of at least 2,000 distribution transformers in order to adequately account for energy billing to customers.

“The company has been proactive in installation of meters having installed over 120,500 meters since takeover of the company. We have taken advantage of both the industry CAPMI  Scheme and own funded meters. More than 25,000 out of these have been installed this year alone,” Mrs. Osibodu who was represented by the Chief State Head, Edo, Engr. Fidelis Obishai, was quoted to have said in a statement yesterday.

The BEDC she noted, has also commenced some projects to ensure the health of the customers’ meters including 100 per cent recertification and rectification of existing MD customers; massive meter sealing exercise for domestic and commercial customers, prepaid meters recertification  and rectification exercise, and shifting meters from customer premise to external visible locations.

Speaking on enforcement and network monitoring team, she said the objective was to ensure that connections to the network were in line with safety standards, and to ensure only paying customers were on the network, and that by-pass or illegal connections were not allowed on the network.

She added that customers who have not paid their bills within 10 days of the delivery of bill will be disconnected from the network during this process, saying ”in addition to customers who have by-passed their meters by removing part or all of the electricity load from reading on the meter would also be disconnected, except upon payment of the appropriate fines and reconnection fee.”

“BEDC prides itself as being committed to the continued provision of improved service delivery to its customers while ensuring that connection to its network for power supply connections is not dangerous to the health and safety of the public. The provision of appropriate safety standards as well as the education of all customer is thus critical in this process,” she said.

She affirmed that since inception, BEDC has embarked on series of improvement exercises in the areas of enumeration, payment channels, customer care, enforcement and monitoring, billing and metering among others, stressing that the improvement implemented in phases were further enhanced during the 2016 operating year.

According to  Mrs. Osibodu, BEDC has also commenced the installation and activation of nearly 2000 transformers across its network as part of the process to improve quality of power supply.

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US agency opens investigation into Ford Explorer exhaust leaks

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) of the United States has launched a probe into model year 2011-2015 Ford Explorers over a possible exhaust leak.

A total of 154 complaints have been logged by NHTSA, each claiming that the odor of exhaust is strong inside the vehicle. Many owners also expressed concerns over exposure to carbon monoxide, which can be deadly.

Ford says that it is fully cooperating with the investigation, which could result in a recall if there is enough evidence to show a widespread problem. One crash has been linked to this issue, though no injuries were caused according to NHTSA. The total number of Explorers being looked at has not been divulged by the organization.

According to owners, the problem is particularly bad when the vehicle is at full throttle, when climbing steep hills and when the air conditioning is set to recirculate.

Ford has issued two different technical service bulletins about the issue, but owners have reported that a fix at the dealership did not make the exhaust smell go away.

Regardless, for 2016, the Ford Explorer has been refreshed inside and out, adding a more powerful base engine and a new top-of-line trim. Called Platinum, the new range-topping trim level combines luxuries and comfort not found in the Explorer Limited, along with the more powerful drivetrain that was previously reserved exclusively for the Explorer Sport. Think of Platinum as Ford’s answer to the GMC Denali lineup of vehicles.

There may not be a lot of space between the seat backs and the rear hatch, but the storage well is deep – deep enough to fold the power third row into it minivan-style.

And to access the cargo area is easy because the Explorer now has the hands-free power tailgate feature where you can just wave your foot under the bumper and automatically open the hatch.

Inside, second-row passengers enjoy more legroom with 39.5 inches of stretch-out space. People relegated to the back row still get 33.3 inches of rear legroom, which isn’t bad. This is one of the few three-row crossovers where I can actually fit in the back row, as headroom is ample and the seat cushion is set to a proper adult height. The downside is the third row only seats two people, unlike some competitors that can fit three passengers back there. This limits the Explorer Platinum’s seating capacity to six, as the second row features a pair of captain’s chairs.

But it’s up front where the real pampering of the Platinum Explorer takes place. The front seats, instrument panel, armrests and upper door trim are all finished in Nirvana leather and no, that doesn’t mean the pattern is flannel and denim.

Real aluminum and real wood can also be found in here and for the first time ever, a brushed-aluminum Ford oval is stuck in the middle of the steering wheel. The refreshed interior isn’t too busy and I like the overall constrained design.

As I headed toward Yellowstone National Park, a few straight highway sections allowed me appreciate just how quiet the 2016 Ford Explorer is. Ford claims this is the quietest cabin of any vehicle currently in the brand’s lineup and I can’t argue that fact.

The long highway stretches also let me sample the vast amount of driving technology stuffed into the Explorer Platinum. Although I didn’t get to try the active park assist, I did get extensive use out of the adaptive cruise control, which I have always been a fan of in the Explorer.

It behaves a lot like a human driver would and lacks the jerky braking and accelerating found in some other manufacturer’s systems.

Ford has also outfitted a lane-keeping system in the Explorer Platinum that can be customized to the driver’s preference. The amount of intensity can be adjusted as well as whether the system sends out just an alert, an assist or both. With full assist activated, the Explorer would gently nudge the steering wheel to help keep the vehicle between the painted lines.

But the best feature of all has to be the built in washer jets for the front and rear cameras. Anyone living in the slushy snowbelt knows how quickly these cameras get covered in grime during the winter months, rendering them useless.

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Android malware HummingBad infects 10 million phones

Security companies have noticed a sudden surge in the number of phones infected by the malware.

Google's mobile operating system, Android, is used by over 1.4 billion people worldwide.

A new report from security companies Checkpoint and Lookout has said that up to 10 million Android smartphones could have been infected by a malware called HummingBad.

According to the companies, the malware is a rootkit which installs itself deep inside a phone’s operating system to avoid detection and gives its creators complete control over the handset. 

When it’s on a person’s phone, HummingBad installs apps on their device and spies on their browsing habits. It also generates fake clicks for online adverts and research suggests it’s making around $300,000 (£232,000) a month for its creators through this. 

The malware was brought to the attention of Checkpoint and Lookout when both companies noticed a sharp spike in the number of phones infected by it. It’s usually found on phones which run older Android operating systems as it’s able to exploit security loopholes in them by masquerading as legitimate apps such as Facebook or Twitter. 

Checkpoint said in a blog post that it had obtained access to the command-and-control servers that oversee infected phones and this revealed that HummingBad has now managed to infect around 10 million devices with the greatest number of infected devices being located in China, India, Indonesia and the Philippines.

In its own blog post, Lookout has said it thinks that the sudden spike in phones infected by the malware is a result of its creators adding more functions to the malware, or by finding new ways to distribute it. It also says that even after a factory reset, the malware "can remain persistent."

According to the BBC, Google, who released the latest Android security update just this month, said “We've long been aware of this evolving family of malware and we're constantly improving our systems that detect it. We actively block installations of infected apps to keep users and their information safe.“

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11 Simple Ways to Fix Your Credit Score

The Consumer Federation of America recently released results of a national survey revealing that many Americans have dangerous misconceptions about how credit scores affect their financial well being.

Four out of five respondents knew that a score of 700 is considered good but only 22 percent realized that a low score, compared to a high one, could increase the cost of an auto loan by more than $5,000. (The FICO score, the brand of credit score used in more than 90 percent of consumer-credit decisions, typically ranges from a low of 350 to a high of 850; good scores begin in the mid-to-high 600s.)

A significant minority of survey respondents also didn't know that a variety of businesses—not just banks—use the scores in decisions that can affect them financially, the CFA reported. Forty-seven percent, for example, didn't know that electric utilities might use credit scores to determine how big a deposit customers must make when signing on for service.

Raise Your Credit Score to Save Money Now

For these reasons, if your score is lower than you'd like, make an effort to improve it. But depending on the reason for the poor score, it could take 12 to 24 months to improve, notes Bruce W McClary, vice president of communications at the National Foundation for Credit Counseling, a group that represents nonprofit credit counseling agencies.

You can speed up the process by enrolling in a debt-management program and consistently maintaining on-time payments, "but there’s no instant fix," he says.

Here are the steps you should take:

1) Pay your credit card and other bills on time. Thirty-five percent of the FICO score is determined by your payment history—that is, how often you pay on time. It's better to pay the minimum each month than fall behind.

2) Check your credit reports. Request one free credit report from a different reporting agency every four months through AnnualCreditReport.com. “Hard pull” credit inquiries—from a potential lender and others with permission from you—can lower your scores slightly but there’s no penalty for checking yourself. 

3) Don’t apply for multiple credit cards at once. Unlike applying for a mortgage, auto loan, or student loan, applying for several credit cards generates multiple "hard pulls" about your credit history and can hurt your score. 

4) Don’t open too many new credit accounts at once. By doing so, you reduce the average “age” of your accounts, which can lower your credit score.

5) Don’t cancel unused cards (unless they carry an annual fee). Part of your score depends on the ratio of credit used to total available credit. Eliminating a card reduces your credit line and can raise the ratio, which works against you.

6) Keep credit balances low. Maintaining a revolving credit balance under 10 percent of your total available credit is wise. A higher ratio indicates an elevated credit risk. "If you use your entire limit or close to it, your ratio will reflect negatively, which in turn will negatively affect your credit score," says Katie Ross, education and development manager for Boston-based American Consumer Credit Counseling, a nonprofit that offers guidance to consumers. 

7) Maintain a variety of credit types.  Successfully paying, say, an auto loan, a student loan, and credit card bills over the same period shows that you’re able to juggle different types of credit. That accounts for 10 percent of your score.

8) Pay off debt in collections. The most current versions of the FICO score ignore collections with a zero balance.

9) Beware of keeping high balances. If you charge everything on your rewards card for the points, for instance, switch to cash or a debit card for a couple of months before applying for new credit. Lenders can’t tell from your score whether you pay your balances in full every month. But they’ll see from your credit score, a snapshot in time, that you’re charging a lot relative to your credit limit. That can be viewed negatively. 

10) Get a personal loan to pay off credit card debt. You can improve your credit score by paying off your credit card debt by taking out a personal loan. The interest rate on the loan will also likely to be lower than credit card interest rates.

11) Get a secured credit card after bankruptcy. If you’ve been through bankruptcy, start populating your credit report with good credit. Using a secured credit card (that's linked to a bank savings account) may be an effective way to rebuild your credit. 

A bankruptcy will have less impact on your score over time as long as you aren’t defaulting on new loans. Keep in mind, though, that Chapter 7 and 13 bankruptcies stay on your credit report for 10 years.

More from Consumer Reports:

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Latest News - China said thay will crack down on fake news from social media

The China’s internet regulator will launch a crackdown on the reporting of news gathered from social media, as part of what the government calls a campaign against fake news and the spreaders of rumors now.

In there statement late on Sunday, the Cyberspace Administration of China said that online media cannot report any news taken from social media sites without approval.

“It is forbidden to use hearsay to create news or use conjecture and imagination to distort the facts,” it said.

“All levels of the cyberspace administration must earnestly fulfill their management responsibility for internet content, strengthen supervision and investigation, severely probe and handle fake and unfactual news,” the regulator added.

It listed a number of fake news stories it said had recently circulated on the internet, including one about a bus fire.

The Chinese government already exercises widespread controls over the internet and has sought to codify that policy in law.

Officials say internet restrictions, including the blocking of popular foreign sites like Google and Facebook, are needed to ensure security in the face of rising threats, such as terrorism, and stop the spread of damaging rumors.

Foreign governments and business groups have pointed to restrictions on the internet as a broader trade issue.

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Why is Tesla sending golden tickets to random people who ordered a Model 3?

Tesla's upcoming Model 3 is one of the hottest new cars to have been unveiled in recent years. 

The vehicle will be Tesla's first electric car with a price tag that is accessible to mass market buyers, following the Roadster and Model S with pricing that could reach well over $100,000. The Model 3 starts at just $35,000, and that's before available tax incentives that could drop the price to as little as $25,000 for early buyers.

As it turns out, tax incentives aren't the only perk that a select group of Model 3 buyers will enjoy. Tesla is sending out "golden tickets" to a small number of people who reserved the company's newest car.

MUST READ: The iPhone 7 nightmare

Have you ever read Roald Dahl's beloved classic Charlie and the Chocolate Factory? Well, it's time to meet the new Willy Wonka.

Elon Musk's Tesla has begun sending out emails to people at random who reserved a Model 3. Reservations were nearing 400,000 at last count, but only 12 lucky people will end up with a special ticket. What do these mysterious digital tickets do? Why, they give you access to the Chocolate Factory, of course.

Here's an email published by Electrik that was received by a lucky winner:

Hello,
Congratulations! Through random selection, Tesla has chosen twelve Golden Ticket winners from all those that placed Model 3 Reservations on the opening date to receive an all-expenses paid trip to our Gigafactory Grand Opening event on July 29th, 2016 in Reno, Nevada. We are excited to share that your name was chosen in this drawing and that we’d like to invite you and a guest to join us at the event. 

Round trip economy class airfare, transportation, and accommodations will be provided. Tickets are non-transferrable. For additional details and to redeem your package, please contact ***@tesla.com. 

We look forward to seeing you and your guest at the event!
Best regards, The Tesla Team

Tesla has since confirmed that the email is genuine, so be sure to check your inbox (and spam box, just in case) for emails from Tesla if you reserved a Model 3.

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Rolls Royce Pans Self-driving Cargo Ships

Rolls Royce's remote-controlled cargo ships could be in operation by 2020.

Rolls-Royce believes the future of cargo transportation is autonomous and it has published an 88-page white paper to prove it.

The company outlined its vision of remote-controlled cargo ships at the Autonomous Ship Technology Symposium in Amsterdam last week, claiming unmanned vessels would be cheaper to operate and would have more space for cargo.

Rolls-Royce’s vice president of marine innovation, Oskar Levander, said the ship concept could be a reality as early as 2020.

“This is happening,” Levander said at the symposium. “It’s not if, it’s when. The technologies needed to make remote and autonomous ships a reality exist.”

If introduced in this timeframe, ships could beat cars to be the first autonomous vehicle to be rolled out on a significant scale.

The route to transform commercial shipping is not plain sailing, however, with the white paper warning that autonomous ships may be more vulnerable to piracy as inadequate security would potentially mean hackers could commandeer the freighters.

“In principle, anybody skillful and capable to attain access into the ICT system could take control of the ship and change its operation according to hackers’ objectives,” the white paper states.

“This could mean simply some disruptive actions or maneuvers introduced for annoyance or demonstration, hijacking of the ship and cargo for ransom, but also powered groundings or collisions created on purpose to cause severe destruction.”

Rolls-Royce is not first to float the idea of autonomous ships, with the U.S. Navy christening its first self-driving warship earlier this year.

The self-driving Sea Hunter is designed to stalk submarines and other vessels for two to three months at a time on its own without anyone controlling it.

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Artifical Pancreas For Diabetices Seeks FDA Approval

A medical device that works as an artificial pancreas to help diabetes sufferers control their glucose levels could hit the market next year after the company behind it filed for U.S. approval.

The MiniMed 670g, developed by Dublin-based firm Medtronic, automates the process of monitoring blood sugar levels and delivering insulin to prevent hypoglycaemic attacks.

The device combines a glucose sensor with an insulin pump connected to a patch designed to deliver insulin into the body—all of which work together with a smartphone-sized display that provides information to the wearer.

“Severe hypoglycemia can have devastating effects on people with diabetes and even milder episodes can really impair quality of life,” Pratik Choudhary, senior lecturer and consultant in diabetes at King’s College London, said at the start of a 2015 trial of a Medtronic artificial pancreas.

“The more we can do to minimize the impact of hypoglycemia, the better we can make lives of people with diabetes. That is why patients in our user evaluation really loved MiniMed 640g… because it effectively and unobtrusively reduced hypoglycemia.”

The device is already used in several countries, including the U.K., but is yet to receive approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

According to Bloomberg, Medtronic submitted an application to the FDA based on trials conducted on 124 patients. Newsweek has sought confirmation of the application and will update this article when the company responds.

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Toyota Recalls 1.43 Million Vehicles for Defective Air Bags

Toyota is recalling 1.43 million vehicles globally for defective air bags, although it is not part of the massive recalls of Takata air bags, the Japanese automaker said Wednesday.

Toyota Motor Corp. said it does not know of any fatalities or injuries related to the latest recalls.

Being recalled are the Prius hybrid, Prius plug-in and the Lexus CT200h produced between October 2008 and April 2012 — 743,000 vehicles in Japan, 495,000 in North America and 141,000 vehicles in Europe, as well as 9,000 vehicles in China and 46,000 vehicles in other regions.

A small crack in some inflators in the air bags in the driver and passenger sides may expand, causing the air bags to partially inflate.

The air bags were not made by Takata, according to Toyota.

The announcement by Toyota means that overall the total numbers of recalls because of air bag worries likely now tally more than 100 million globally. Faulty air bags are responsible for 11 deaths and more than 100 injuries worldwide. Three more deaths are under investigation in Malaysia.

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To Make Whatsapp Video Calls? Follow The 3 Simple Steps

WhatsApp is finally bringing the video calling feature to its instantly messaging app for Android. The functionality will be a part of the WhatsApp Messenger 2.16.80 version and it will come very soon.

Well, you can still access the WhatsApp video calling feature by tapping on the phone icon that is at the top right corner of the chat window. Earlier, this icon initiated a voice call, but now it will let you choose between a voice call and a video call.

However, you cannot make a video call from WhatsApp as tapping on the icon will show you that it cannot make the call as the feature is still in testing.

Making Video Calls To WhatsApp Contacts Using Booyah Is Quite Simple

Well, here are the steps that you need to carry out to make video calls on WhatsApp. Interestingly, it also lets you make group video calls on the messaging platform.

Step 1: First, you need to open the Google Play Store or iTunes Store to download the Booyah app. Ensure that the person on the other hand also has this app installed on his or her device.

Step 2: Once it is installed, the app will access all your WhatsApp contacts. On providing permissions, it will access the photos, media, camera, files, Wi-Fi, mic, and network on Android devices.

Step 3: As soon as initiate a video call, it will send give a link to the video chat where the contacts can join. In case, you close the app during a call, the video will freeze. However, you will be connected to the video call by means of voice calls.

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3 Major Things you should remove from "FACEBOOK"

Over 1.99 billion users, use FACEBOOK on daily bases, Facebook is one of the most powerful influencers in the world. But with anything that powerful, you have to be careful how you deal with it.

While Facebook says protecting the privacy of its users is of utmost priority, there are certain pieces of information you might want to consider not having on the website, like your Home Address, or where you went to school.

Birthday
Your birthday is one part of an important puzzle which also includes Your Name and Address, with which people can more easily access your Bank Account and personal details.

<<>> Thanks..

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How to access dual whatsapp account at a time on ANDROID DEVICE

WhatsApp is the most popular and commonly used messenger app that is available for smartphones, tablets, and even desktop. It is quite convenient to send text, video, audio, images, and contacts to others.

However, there are some limitations in this app. It does not let users to use two WhatsApp accounts on the same device. This is a great trouble that the dual SIM device users face.

Remember that it is possible to create two WhatsApp acounts for both the numbers, but using them at the same time on the same phone is not possible.

Now, it is possible to access dual WhatsApp accounts on a single Android device with the help of the Dual Messenger WhatsApp app available on Google Play Store.

This will help in creating another WhatsApp account on the same device.

Check out the steps involved in using the Dual Messenger WhatsApp app from here.

You need to create an account on Dual Messenger WhatsApp

Step 1: Download and install this app on your Android device.

Step 2: You need to create an account as you do in WhatsApp.

(Note: In case of any issue, backup and remove the original WhatsApp and then install this one)

There is another method to use dual WhatsApp accounts on the same Android device. This is possible with OGWhatsApp.
Step 1: First, backup your chats from the Chat Settings of WhatsApp and go to your phone’s Application Manager and hit the Clear Data option on WhatsApp.

Step 2: Then, you need to rename the WhatsApp application from the File Manager of your phone to OGWhatsApp and uninstall the original app.

Step 3: Download the OGWhatsApp file and install it on your Android device. Create an account and enjoy using dual WhatsApp accounts on a single device.

(Note: These methods do support dual WhatsApp accounts on the same Android device, but these are not officially rolled out by WhatsApp.)

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Learn How To Use WhatSapp Without Your Mobile Nunmber

You can use WhatsApp without number that means not with your own number. So this trick may help you to do that easily and you can activate WhatsApp with a number which is not your own i.e fake. Just follow the below steps and enjoy.

If you are already using WhatsApp, uninstall it from your device completely. Download and install it again.

Lock your messaging service simply by changing the flight mode.

Now open WhatsApp and add your number to it.

>>>So it will not be able to send the message to the server it will ask you to choose an alternative method to verify.

Choose the verify through message option and fill up your email address and then Click on ‘Send’ option and without waiting click on

‘Cancel’. This terminates the authorization process.

Now, you are required to forge messages.

>>>Install the message Spoof text message for Andriod and Fake- a- Message for iPhone.

Spoofing method: Go to your Outbox -> Copy the message details
to spoo

fer app -> Send it to spoofed verification.
Use the following details.
To: +2348021234567
From: +[Country code] [mobile number]

Message: Your email address
A message will be sent through that spoofed number. You can use this number to connect with your friends..-:)
Source :-uc news.

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You would like to get the Latest Galaxy Note 7: Checkout the Nigerians price

Latest Samsunng Galaxy Note is the most expensive Galaxy Note, It expected to be year’s latest and best performing smartphone belonging to the popular Galaxy Note series of devices. Question is, how much is it going to cost? Well, you’d better get your wallets ready because according to a rumor coming from GSMHelpdesk, Galaxy Note 7 is definitely going to make you want to save a lot of cash before you end up purchasing the mighty powerhouse.

Rumored price tag of the device is said to be $909, or #310,000 Naira, and keep in mind that this is the rumored price of the unlocked model. We currently do not know how much internal storage is going to come packing inside the phablet, but we hope Samsung retains the microSD card slot the same way it did with its Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge otherwise we’ll have a pretty disappointing product on our hands.

Majority of the changes in the handset are going to take place from the inside, and there are chances that the phone might come with a dual-camera setup as well. With rumors suggesting that iPhone 7 Plus will not sport a dual-camera, it is possibly the only logical assumption we could come up with seeing as how Samsung and Apple have been smartphone rivals for a considerably long period.

5.8-inch smartphone is expected to be powered by either a Snapdragon 823 or an Exynos 8890, with 6GB of RAM providing the much needed benefits of extreme multitasking. There is also a 4,000mAh battery that is going to be present inside the hood of the flagship and an iris scanner is also expected to be a part of the list of security features that will complement the fingerprint scanner integrated in the home button.

Rumored price tag is definitely a steep one, but thankfully, carriers will bring up their own pricing models to help facilitate consumers who cannot afford to shell out a ton of money on a single smartphone.

 Assuming the rumored is true, will you like to buy? To bee Franck and sincere with you all is not rumored. That is one of the Samsunng Dealer price. 

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3 Steps That Will Increase The Charging Speed Of Your iPhone

Your iPhone’s battery is fine. (Probably.) That doesn’t mean you’re getting the most out of it, though. 

If you feel like it’s taking too long to keep your device up to speed, we’ve compiled a few things to know that'll help you spend less time around an outlet.

1) Don’t use your computer.

If you’re really concerned with speed, use a wall charger or external battery pack instead of your laptop’s USB port. It might be less convenient, but it’ll allow to your transfer more amps of power at once. That means it’ll be faster. 

2) Grab a different charger.

You might’ve heard that the only safe charger for your phone is the one that came with it. Nope! While some third-party alternatives can be sketchy, others from more reputable brands are totally fine, oftentimes better than the weak one Apple throws in the box. Anker in particular is one name many reviewers, myself included, have found trustworthy. 

Again, it’s all about how much current these things are supplying. Apple’s puts out about 1 amp, even though the iPhone is capable of drawing up to 2.1 amps. And if you own an iPad, the stronger charger that comes with that can work just as well. 

3) Maybe remove that case.

In other words, keep it cool. The lithium-ion battery in your phone is a physical, delicate thing, and as a result, it doesn’t play nice with extreme heat — the kind that some tight-fitting cases can trap over your phone while it’s charging. 

Apple itself says that keeping the battery in a room temperature climate will get you the steadiest results in the long run. 

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Google CEO Quora Account Has Got Hacked?

Sundar Pichai isn’t going to have a happy start to his week. The CEO of Google’s Quora account appears to have been hacked by a group called OurMine, which previously broke into Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg’s Twitter and Pinterest accounts earlier this month. 

The three-man hacker outfit has been posting messages on Quora through Pichai’s account; it’s also connected to his Twitter account and as a result, OurMine was able to publicize their hack to all 508,000 of his followers. The tweets have now been removed, but we’ve got a screenshot. 

Our mine has been targeting major tech execs of late, including Spotify’s Daniel Ek . It isn’t clear how the group is gaining access to their accounts, but it likely doesn’t involve system breaches of the social networks their targets have accounts with. 

Instead, the group claims that it uses various exploits to pull passwords from celebrities’ browsers.

OurMine is attempting to rebrand itself as a ‘ security firm ‘ and offering its support to those it targets so that these incidents don’t occur again. It’s probably not the best way to garner your potential customers’ trust, but that’s the way OurMine seems to enjoy doing business. 

TNW contacted Google, Quora and OurMine for comment and will update this post if there’s a response. 

Update: OurMine told TNW that it was only conducting a test: “We are just testing people security (sic), we never change their passwords, we did it because there is other hackers can hack them and change everything.” 

The group also noted that it managed to break into Pichai’s account by exploiting a vulnerability in Quora’s platform – one that it claims to have reported to the company, with no response. Naturally, if you’re on Quora, you’ll want to change your password right away and make sure it isn’t the same as what you for other services. 

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"WhatSapp Video" Check The Amazing Feature Coming To WhatsApp

One of the most popular cross-platform messaging app around, Facebook’s WhatsApp, is about to get a whole lot better. A new report says that a beta version of the app comes with a bunch of new features that users might appreciate. 

According to Macerkopf , WhatsApp is working on a slow of interesting features, including support for larger emoji, video call, voice call, music sharing, public groups, web-app, mentions and new customized features. 

Users will be able to share music stored locally as well as Apple Music tracks with friends and family. However, for Apple Music sharing to work, both the sender and the recipient have to be paying subscribers. 

It’s not clear at this time whether the feature will support other streaming services. When sharing a track, a small music player will appear complete with album visuals for the song that’s being shared. 

WhatsApp app already lets users share pictures and videos, files, contacts and links. Music sharing will be added to that list. 

Support for large emoji is also something users will love, though there are no visuals for them at this point. 9to5Mac reports that the WhatsApp beta team revealed this week that emoji will match the ones introduced with iOS 10, which are three times bigger than current ones. 

The WhatsApp video calling feature can be accessed by tapping on the phone icon at the top-right corner of the window inside a particular chat. Earlier tapping the icon initiated voice calling, now tapping on the icon will give users the option to choose from a voice call or a video call. The option, for now, is only available from inside the chat window and not from the 'Calls menu'.

WhatsApp’s video-calling feature is one that has been expected for quite sometime, and on its launch, it could give the app a significant edge. The video-calling feature currently available on Facebook Messenger, Snapchat, Hangouts, KakaoTalk, Viber and Skype remains one of the leading options for face-to-face calls.

When it comes to public groups, anyone with a link to a specific group can post content to it, and admins will be able to shut groups downs when needed. 

The mentions feature works pretty much just like it does on Twitter: You can simply tag people in your address book within a chat. 

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