Google’s bid for smarter messaging hits market

US internet giant Google launched Wednesday a smart messaging app aimed at muscling into a busy market with popular rivals such as WhatsApp and Facebook’s messenger.
Allo’s “smart” capabilities aims to make it easier to respond to messages and over time adjusts to users’ own style, Google said in an official blog.
The app introduces Google Assistant where users just type @google to ask the US search engine questions and have it help you directly in chats, it said.
“You no longer need to leave a conversation with friends just to grab an address, share your favorite YouTube video, or pick a dinner spot,” it said.
The app works on phones using Google’s Android system and Apple’s iOS.

Samsung begins replacement programme for Galaxy Note 7

Samsung Electronics West Africa Limited (“SEWA’) has announced the postponement of the launch of Samsung Galaxy Note7 in Nigeria.
This is sequel to the postponement of sales of the device globally due to isolated battery cell problems.
On September 2, 2016, Samsung had announced an official Galaxy Note7 replacement programme

MultiChoice, Eutelsat satellite seal new capacity lease deal

Eutelsat Communications and MultiChoice Africa, one of Africa’s most prominent video entertainment companies, have announced at IBC in Amsterdam, the signature of a nine-year contract for the expansion of the MultiChoice DStv platform at Eutelsat’s 36° East video neighbourhood.
The new contract for one transponder reinforces the longstanding relationship between MultiChoice Africa and Eutelsat and will further anchor 36° East as a premier location for digital video entertainment services in Africa.
MultiChoice Africa Chief Executive Officer, Tim Jacobs, said: “Thanks to the additional capacity

Google smartphone expected at Oct. 4 event

Google late Monday sent out invitations to an October 4 event, hinting that the Internet titan will show off a new smartphone powered by its Android mobile software.
Emailed invitations revealed only the time and place for the gathering in San Francisco, the message topped by blue, red, yellow, and green dots of color.
Google fired off a Twitter message with hashtag #madebygoogle and a video of what appeared to be a long rectangular search term box morphing into a silhouette of a smartphone.
Industry trackers have been expecting Google in October to show off its own smartphone, showcasing the prowess of its new Nougat version of Android software.
Google may stamp its latest smartphones with a “Pixel” brand instead of the “Nexus” name it has used in the past for Android smartphones it has made in collaborations with partners.
A Google smartphone would be fielded as a standard to which other’s making Android devices

Grab bags $750m round as Uber’s competition in Southeast Asia gets tougher

Grab, the biggest rival to ride-sharing service Uber Technologies Inc in Southeast Asia, has raised $750 million in a funding round, turning up the heat on the U.S. firm now seeking to expand in the region after exiting China.
The successful cash-injection just a month after Indonesian peer Go-Jek raised $550 million highlights the intensifying competition in the region, as Uber shifts its focus following a deal to sell its China operations into Didi Chuxing.
Four-year-old Grab said it planned to expand its services in Southeast Asia through the funding round, which was led by Japan’s SoftBank Group with new and existing investors.
The region has become a key battleground for ride-hailing firms thanks to a burgeoning middle class as well as a youthful, internet-savvy demographic.

Battery manufacturer denies role in Samsung smartphone fire hazard

The Chinese manufacturer of batteries used in Samsung’s recalled Galaxy Note 7 smartphones says its battery is not the cause of the phone’s explosive tendency.
“Test results show that the fire is not directly connected to the battery produced by our company,” parts manufacturer, Amperex Technology Limited, said.
Meanwhile, Samsung had previously said initial investigations showed faulty batteries as the cause of the fire hazard.

U.S. considers pre-approving self-driving car technology

The Obama administration said Monday it was considering seeking the power to review and approve technology for self-driving cars before they hit the road and said U.S. states should not set separate rules.
The U.S. Transportation Department, in its most comprehensive statement yet on autonomous vehicles, also issued voluntary guidelines and urged automakers to certify that their highly automated vehicles were ready for public roads.
“If a self-driving car isn’t safe, we have the authority to pull it off the road. We won’t hesitate to protect the American public’s safety,” President Barack Obama wrote in a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette op-ed published Monday. “We have to get it right.”
Automakers and technology companies are racing to develop vehicles that can drive themselves at least part of the time. They have complained that state and federal safety rules impede the process.

NITDA want research findings uploaded for global access

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), has called on tertiary institutions and research institutes to always use internet facilities to upload research works for global view.
This is contained in a statement issued by Mrs Hadiza Umar, the Head, Corporate Affairs of NITDA in Abuja on Monday.
The statement said Dr Vincent Olatunji, the Acting Director-General of NITDA made the call while unveiling the virtual e-library infrastructure donated by the agency to Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti on Friday.
Olatunji said that the facility would enable the university improve on its teaching and research on Nigeria’s development.
“One of the ways to contribute to the economy is by using Information Communication and Technology (ICT) to upload research works so that others can have access to them and read, not