ELOSTAN

From industrial automation to smart city traffic lights, the additional network capacity of 5G will impact nearly everyone.

Contact tracing can help slow the spread of COVID-19 and can be done without compromising user privacy. We’re working with @sundarpichai & @Google to help health officials harness Bluetooth technology in a way that also respects transparency & consent.


Across the world, governments and health authorities are working together to find solutions to the COVID-19 pandemic, to protect people and get society back up and running. Software developers are contributing by crafting technical tools to help combat the virus and save lives. In this spirit of collaboration, Google and Apple are announcing a joint effort to enable the use of Bluetooth technology to help governments and health agencies reduce the spread of the virus, with user privacy and security central to the design.

Since COVID-19 can be transmitted through close proximity to affected individuals, public health officials have identified contact tracing as a valuable tool to help contain its spread. A number of leading public health authorities, universities, and NGOs around the world have been doing important work to develop opt-in contact tracing technology. To further this cause, Apple and Google will be launching a comprehensive solution that includes application programming interfaces (APIs) and operating system-level technology to assist in enabling contact tracing. Given the urgent need, the plan is to implement this solution in two steps while maintaining strong protections around user privacy.

First, in May, both companies will release APIs that enable interoperability between Android and iOS devices using apps from public health authorities. These official apps will be available for users to download via their respective app stores.

Second, in the coming months, Apple and Google will work to enable a broader Bluetooth-based contact tracing platform by building this functionality into the underlying platforms. This is a more robust solution than an API and would allow more individuals to participate, if they choose to opt in, as well as enable interaction with a broader ecosystem of apps and government health authorities. Privacy, transparency, and consent are of utmost importance in this effort, and we look forward to building this functionality in consultation with interested stakeholders. We will openly publish information about our work for others to analyze.

All of us at Apple and Google believe there has never been a more important moment to work together to solve one of the world’s most pressing problems. Through close cooperation and collaboration with developers, governments and public health providers, we hope to harness the power of technology to help countries around the world slow the spread of COVID-19 and accelerate the return of everyday life.

Tech giants are finding creative ways to use our data to fight the coronavirus



An unexpected outcome of the current pandemic is that big tech companies, which have spent the past three years on the defensive over their data collection practices, are now promoting them. Over the past four days, Google and Facebook have unveiled new products that aim to improve our understanding of the disease’s spread and help public health organizations and nonprofits that are organizing response efforts.

Those products are only made possible by the data we contribute with our smartphones. The result has been a new kind of competition among the tech giants: who can come up with the most effective use of data to aid in the crisis. Google’s foray into public health came on Friday with the release of its COVID-19 Community Mobility Reports. The reports use data from people who have opted in to storing their location history with Google to help illustrate the degree to which people are adhering to government instructions to shelter in place and, where possible, work from home. “As global communities respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been an increasing emphasis on public health strategies, like social distancing measures, to slow the rate of transmission,” the company said in a blog post. “In Google Maps, we use aggregated, anonymized data showing how busy certain types of places are — helping identify when a local business tends to be the most crowded.

We have heard from public health officials that this same type of aggregated, anonymized data could be helpful as they make critical decisions to combat COVID-19.” Anyone can view the reports, which cover 131 countries to start. In many locations, users can search for more regional data, examining reports for individual states, provinces, and counties. After the user selects a geographic region, Google will generate a PDF with the data it has collected. Google said that it chose PDFs over web pages because they could be more easily downloaded and shared with workers in the field. Facebook already made similar data available through Data for Good, a program it started in 2017 to find benevolent, non-commercial uses of its data hoard. But that data can only be accessed by approved universities and nonprofit organizations, and so far only about 150 institutions have been admitted into the program. Google’s data, on the other hand, is free for anyone to browse — a move that insulates the company from any blowback over handing data directly to the government, even though the government will be one of the biggest beneficiaries.

 On Monday, Facebook moved a step further than Google, announcing a suite of global disease prevention maps as well as a survey tool for identifying coronavirus hotspots. I wrote about that, too: Facebook is expanding a program that grants researchers access to data about movement patterns in an effort to help improve our understanding of the spread of COVID-19, the company said today. Data for Good, which uses aggregated, anonymized data from Facebook’s apps to inform academic research, will now grant access to three new maps for forecasting the disease’s spread and revealing whether residents of a given region are staying at home. The company will also prompt Facebook users to participate in a survey from Carnegie Mellon University that asks people to self-report any disease symptoms.

Apple’s latest iPhones launched yesterday, offering a mixture of sizes and price points to consumers. The biggest one out of the bunch, the Apple iPhone XS Max, just recently arrived at our front door and we’re giving it the proper unboxing and first look treatment! Sure, the $1099 starting price of the new phone is a wallet buster like no other, but it’ll be interesting to find out if it has some substantial justification behind it. Inside the box: iPhone XS Max EarPods with Lighting Connector Lightning to USB Cable USB Power Adapter User Manuals Apple Decals Due to the phone’s bigger size, which also holds the record for the largest screen in an iPhone to date, it’s no surprise that the packaging has been lengthened in order to accommodate it. Slapped right on the front is an image of the phone in question, which is also scaled to size to give us a sneak peek at what to expect. And in typical Apple fashion, the rest of the box is fairly minimalistic. Of course, the iPhone XS Max is the standout item inside of the box, which comes with the usual set of goodies. They include the EarPods, Lightning cable, wall adapter, user manuals, and yes, those Apple decals Bigger size, new color Even though

Apple has in the past offered a gold colored variant of its iPhones, the company introduced a slightly new hue with the new line. Since it’s sporting glass surfaces, the gold color here with the iPhone XS Max shimmers when it’s held at various angles in the hand. Straight on, the distinctive gold color is apparent, but looking at it in other angles makes it appear almost white in tone. Regardless, the stainless-steel frame matches the new paint job with its equally compelling gold colored accent. Not surprisingly, the build quality of the iPhone XS Max feels substantial. Yes, it’s more of a handful to operate than last year’s iPhone X, but it’s relatively in the same scope as other phablets in the space – like the Samsung Galaxy Note 9. In fact, the two seem to match each other almost entirely, so for those used to handling gargantuan sized smartphones, they’ll feel right at home here with the iPhone XS Max. There’s obviously a lot to check out on this phone, so we’ll be putting it through the testing routine to see how it stacks up against the competition. Expect our in-depth review soon

Last week, Xiaomi announced the Mi 8 Pro which appeared to be an international variant of the Mi 8 Explorer Edition. But at the time of the unveiling, the smartphone’s availability remained largely unclear. Thankfully, Xiaomi’s Global Spokesperson and Director of Product Management, Donovan Sung, has now cleared up any speculation by confirming that the smartphone will indeed be launching in global markets soon. Unsurprisingly, no exact markets or release date were provided. However, European markets such as Spain, Italy, and France are extremely likely candidates. Also in the running are a number of Asian markets such as India and the Philippines. For those unaware, the Mi 8 Pro offers a large 6.2-inch OLED display. Following in the footsteps of numerous other devices, the smartphone boasts a slight chin down below and a rather wide notch up top. On the inside, the smartphone uses Qualcomm’s most powerful chip, the Snapdragon 845, alongside the choice of either 6GB or 8GB of RAM. This is then coupled with a very respectable 128GB of internal storage which is expandable via a new microSD slot. Elsewhere inside the smartphone, a 3,000mAh battery complete with support for Quick Charge 4+ has been fitted in order to keep the lights on. Lastly, completing the setup is MIUI 10 based on Android 8.1 Oreo

Samsung Galaxy Note 8

What’s the extra juice?

“B” icon that has replaced the telephone in the WhatsApp logo

The title bar that reads “WhatsApp Business” and the greyish-blue colour scheme

So what makes the WhatsApp Business app really unique?

Most of the new features can be found in the “Settings” menu

You will also find “Business settings” that opens up a menu containing “Profile”, “Messaging tools” and “Statistics” — which gives you basic chat stats

Profile

You can add a display image and your business address

You can go on to choose a category of your industry and add a description of your service too

Website, opening and closing hours and email address details can also go in here

Messaging Tools

Labels

You should also know

• You can use the WhatsApp Business app and your personal WhatsApp app on the same phone with different numbers.
• Other than these new features, the WhatsApp Business app still has all the regular features like WhatsApp Web, broadcasts etc.
• You can use a landline number on WhatsApp Business.
• Customers will be notified that they are, or may be, chatting with a business account, depending on if the business has been verified or not.
• Individuals still have control over their messages — a person can block a business account or report spam as usual.
• Features are gradually being updated based on feedback from users in the beta phase, so there may be changes when the app is finally available in Nigeria

Afghanistan’s telecoms regulator wrote to internet service providers this week ordering them to block the messaging services WhatsApp and Telegram but it was not immediately clear whether they had complied.

Use of social media and mobile instant messaging services has exploded in Afghanistan over recent years. Social media users and civil rights groups reacted with outrage to initial reports of the move and the letter sent by telecoms regulator ATRA was widely shared on social media.

Some media reports, citing unidentified sources, said the move had been ordered by the National Directorate for Security to thwart the use of the encrypted messaging services by the Taliban and other insurgent groups.

It was not immediately possible to confirm the reports.

The acting minister for telecommunications, Shahzad Aryobee, posted a message on Facebook saying that the telecoms regulator had been ordered to put a gradual block on the services to improve their functioning after complaints had been received.

“The government is committed to freedom of speech and knows that it is a basic civil right for our people,” he wrote.

The letter by telecoms regulator ATRA, dated Nov. 1 and signed by an official of the regulator, directed internet companies to block Telegram and Facebook Inc’s WhatsApp services “without delay” for a period of 20 days.

However, the service worked normally this week and still appeared to be working normally on Saturday on both state-owned operator Salaam and private service providers.

On Friday, there were reports of interruptions but it was not clear whether they were caused by a deliberate shutdown or by the unrelated issues with WhatsApp services that were experienced in several countries.

Mobile phone services have been one of the big success stories in Afghanistan since the Taliban were ousted from power by a U.S.-led campaign in 2001, but there are also frequent complaints from users about quality and coverage.



WhatsApp and similar services, including Facebook Messenger and Viber, are widely used by Afghan politicians and members of the government as well as by the Taliban, which has a sophisticated social media operation of its own.

The movement’s main spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, wrote to reporters this week giving his Viber number “in case WhatsApp is not working”

Guinness Nigeria is offering bright, ambitious graduates of Electrical/Electronic and Mechanical Engineering a unique opportunity to train at the prestigious National Power Training Institute of Nigeria (NAPTIN).

Guinness Nigeria NAPTIN Graduate Skills Development Programme (NGSDP) 2017/2018

Description
This scholarship will provide full tuition for Engineering graduates to enroll for the 2017/2018 one year NAPTIN Graduate Skills Development Programme (NGSDP).

This intensive programme equips graduates with the technical skills they need to build successful careers in the Nigerian Power Sector. By offering this scholarship, Guinness Nigeria seeks to play a part in developing Nigeria’s power sector while fostering Youth development across Nigeria.
We welcome applications from candidates from all parts of Nigeria. However in Line with our corporate social responsibilities and commitments to our host communities, we strongly encourage applications from candidates from our host communities listed below:

• Ogba, Ikeja Local Government Area, Lagos State
• Odeukwu, Osisioma Ngwa Local Government Area, Abia State
• Oregbeni, Oregbeni lkpoba-Okha Local Government Area, Edo State
• Egbeluowo, Osisioma Ngwa Local Government Area, Abia State

Eligibility

• Candidates must be University/Polytechnic Electrical /Electronic or Mechanical Engineering graduates who have completed their National Youth Service Corps programme.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click Here to Start

Note: To submit an online application (Click on the ‘Sign Up as a Trainee’ tab on the home page). Upon receipt of submitted applications, NAPTIN will send details of the selection test to candidates. Candidates from the above communities who have already applied following NAPTIN’s earlier advert need not reapply.
Selection Criteria

• Shortlisted candidates for this scholarship will be required to write the NAPTIN selection test and provide a letter of introduction from the Chairman of their Community Development Association.
• For more information about the NAPTIN Graduate Skills Development Programme, please visit: www.naptin.gov.ng
• You may also contact: Olalekan Oregbesan (Programme Coordinator); ooregbesan@naptin.gov.ng ; Mobile number: 07067777559.

Chevron Nigeria Limited (CNL) is one of the worlds leading integrated energy companies, with subsidiaries conducting business worldwide including Nigeria.

Chevron Nigeria Limited is accepting online applications for the position of Mooring Master Trainees located in Escravos, Nigeria.

Job Title: Mooring Master Trainee

Location: Delta State

Critical Selection Criteria
The Mooring Master acts as Chevron representative on Export Tankers. He is the point of contact with government representatives and officials during exports to ensure efficient, coordinated export activities are achieved. Perform export tanker arrival safety inspection and ensures compliance of Export Tankers, Masters, Officers and crew with Chevron requirements.

Document performance and condition of export tankers, prepare reports for CVX Clearance and vetting system.

Responsible for advising Export tanker Captain, officers and crew on safe activities with the following key activities:

    Safe pilotage/Mooring operations and export tanker approach to berths
    Conducting safe mooring and unmooring operations
    Safe cargo hose conneciton and disconnection
    Hold back tug connection and disconnection
    Pre-loading activities including all check lists
    Communication between export tanker, Terminal and hold back tug
    All Cargo/Ballast Handling operations
    Export paperwork, including sampling and calculations of cargo volumes

Responsible for export tanker safe position keepiong once export tanker is safely moored at Chevron Terminals. Monitor mooring system and equipment while export tankers berthed at Terminals. Supervision of Mooring Technicians during all mooring operations and hose conneciton and disconnection.

Coordination with his Supervisor on export operations planning, including:
    Export tanker scheduling
    Export tanker operations
    Inward and outward clearance
    All aspects of government and agent liaison
    Partner requirements
    Cargo discrepancies
    Operational issues resolution

The Mooring Master shall have:
     an unlimited Class 1 Deck License with an appropriate dangerous cargo endorsement for crude oil.
    served in a senior capacity on board tankers > 25.000 tonnes during their sea going career for at least 36 months.
    skill in the shiphandling of large tankers. Offshore Marine Terminal operations.
    served for a minimum of (10) years as a Mooring Master experienced with safe berthing of tankers at offshore terminal export facilities.
     an extensive knowledge of SPM type facilities including but not limited to export operations and maintenance of all equipment and systems.
     high quality communications skills and be able to coordinate activities remotely when operating outside of normal work locations.
    core skills associated with Bridge Resource Management are essential all Mooring Masters must be able to understand personal limitations and assess operational risk in order to develop mitigation plans.
    capability of working a 28/28 day rotational assignment in a remote location

Support the implementation of the Chevron Operational Excellence Management System - OEMS processes, ensures all marine operations conducted at Chevron Terminals are completed safely and in compliance with the Company Safe Operating Procedures. Takes a proactive role in safetry and environmental management consistent with Policy 530, API RP 14C/14J guidelines, ISGOTT, OCIMF guidelines, applicable maritime regulatory requirements and accepted industry standard for safety and environmental practices. Monitors and supports Field HES programs including safety training , compliance reviews, near-miss/incidents investigation and reporting emergency preparedness and response spill reporting and response, safety and communications meetings and process improvement initiatives. Complies with Chevron behavioral safety principles.

Responsible for ensuring training of new recruits and trainee Mooring Masters/Loading Masters is conducted in a timely and professional manner.

Qualification: Unlimited Ocean-Going Master Mariner license with "Dangerous Cargo" (Oil & Gas) endorsement

Experience: A minimum of ten (10) years' experience in marine transportation, offshore terminals, mooring and cargo transfer operations

How to apply
Interested candidates should;
Click here to apply

Application Deadline Date
Not stated