Third World IOU

 

Mobile banking systems empower people in the developing world to transfer funds, pay off loans and save for the future

Thinking back to the first mobile phones, it’s hard to imagine people being excited about being able to make phone calls to anyone at any time. Especially now that smartphones give users the ability to surf the Internet, communicate in many ways and share cat videos.

The advent of mobile banking systems promises to be another technological game-changer. In the developing world, these systems have the potential to improve the lives of 2.5 billion adults by allowing them to transfer funds, pay off loans and save for the future. 

“In a country like Kenya, absolutely everyone has a cell phone nowadays,” said David Wolman, author of The End of Money: Counterfeiters, Preachers, Techies, Dreamers — and the Coming Cashless Society. “And most people are using them to send and receive money.”
Barely more than 40 percent of people in the developing world have traditional financial accounts. Often, these accounts are expensive and require some kind of credit history, not to mention significant banking infrastructure already in place.

Will 5G Bring New Dimensions to Our Wireless World?

 

The hottest topic at Mobile World Congress 2015 will connect billions of people and things to the internet and one another without wires.

While much of the world is connecting their personal devices to fast data sharing 4G mobile networks, industry pioneers are shaping next generation networks to feed the world’s increasing appetite for the internet.

Gaming Plays Role in Designing Interactive Wearables

Finding the intersection of wearables, fashion, robots, video games and maybe your most playfully provocative nightmares.

So much for a pincushion and a pair of dressmaker’s shears. The Dutch fashionista Anouk Wipprecht designs robotic evening wear that gives a technophilic twist to the world of catwalks and haute couture.

18 village councils in PM Modi's constituency blame Coca Cola for water scarcity, say it must go back

18 village councils in PM Modi's constituency blame Coca Cola for water scarcity, say it must go back

 Eighteen village councils in Uttar Pradesh are demanding a local Coca-Cola bottling plant be prohibited from extracting water from the ground, claiming its over usage has led to water scarcity in the area, said an environmental campaign group.
The villages, which are located in Mehdiganj area of Varanasi district -- the constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi -- claim they have been facing water shortages since 1999 when the plant began operations.
"Elected village council heads represent the voice of the people, and they are clear that Coca-Cola is not welcome in Mehdiganj. It is time for Coca-Cola to pack up and leave," said Amit Srivastava of the California-based India Resource Center, which is supporting the village councils.
"Coca-Cola paints a pretty picture of itself internationally as a responsible user of water, but the reality in India is that it exploits groundwater at the expense of the poor, the women, children, farmers and livestock who have to live with less water because Coca-Cola mines groundwater in a water scarce area for profit."
Mehdiganj is largely agrarian and communities here rely on groundwater to meet most of their needs, including for personal drinking and washing, irrigation and for livestock. 

Li-fi 100 times faster than wi-fi

A new method of delivering data, which uses the visible spectrum rather than radio waves, has been tested in a working office.

Li-fi can deliver internet access 100 times faster than traditional wi-fi, offering speeds of up to 1Gbps (gigabit per second).
It requires a light source, such as a standard LED bulb, an internet connection and a photo detector.
It was tested this week by Estonian start-up Velmenni, in Tallinn.
Velmenni used a li-fi-enabled light bulb to transmit data at speeds of 1Gbps. Laboratory tests have shown theoretical speeds of up to 224Gbps.
It was tested in an office, to allow workers to access the internet and in an industrial space, where it provided a smart lighting solution.

Speaking to the International Business Times, chief executive Deepak Solanki said that the technology could reach consumers "within three to four years".

Fuel prices in UAE to be lower in December

Abu Dhabi: The Ministry of Energy announced new petrol prices for December. The prices are less compared to November and are lower than before deregulation began in July.
The per litre prices for December are Super 98: Dh1.79; Special 95: Dh1.68; E Plus-91: Dh1.61. And diesel price has been fixed at Dh1.83 per litre. The new fuel prices will come into effect from December 1.

In July, the Ministry of Energy announced that fuel prices would be deregulated and a new pricing policy linked to global prices would be adopted. The move is expected to help the government cut Dh9.1 billion in fuel subsidies.
The UAE is the first country in the Gulf region to undertake such reforms. Bahrain is studying whether to cut fuel subsidies as drop in oil prices hurts its economy.

Attention Black Friday bargain-hunters:

Attention Black Friday bargain-hunters: Google reveals the top three tips for making the most of the holiday shopping kick-off

BLEAK Friday! Retailers slash prices by up to 80%

It's BLEAK Friday! Retailers slash prices by up to 80% as they prepare for a repeat of last year's mayhem - so where are all the shoppers? 

Stores across the country have been left empty as customers shunned Black Friday deals. Hundreds of shops opened their doors as early as midnight as retailers slashed prices by up to 80 per cent for the annual bargain frenzy. But many were left deserted in the early hours of the morning with several large outlets only receiving one or two customers in their first hour. Some experts have claimed the poor turnout may be because of the volume of online deals. Websites prepared for an onslaught at midnight as thousands of people searched for the best cut-price products. The car park at Meadowhall shopping centre, Sheffield, top left, was empty this morning as the aisles of Tesco Extra in Durham remained deserted, bottom left. The Trafford Centre in Manchester, right, was also quiet as shoppers stayed at home. 

Imran Khan and his apps that PM Modi loves

Imran Khan and his apps that PM Modi loves

https://play.google.com/store/search?q=gktalk%20imaran 

 

Last night at London's Wembley Stadium while talking about his idea of India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave a shout out to Imran Khan, a teacher from Rajasthan. The reason? Mr Khan is a 37-year-old teacher tirelessly pursuing the task of making education more accessible to everyone. While he teaches Sanskrit and is an employee of Rajasthan government, he has also created over 50 free apps on subjects such as general knowledge and English for Android users.
"In Rajasthan's Alwar there is a man called Imran Khan. He has made 50 mobile apps. And Alwar's Imran Khan dedicated those apps to the students for free," Modi said in London. "My India is in that Imran Khan from Alwar."
As for Khan, he says on his portal that his intent is to help Hindi medium students. "I am Imran Khan, a teacher in Sanskrit Education Department from Rajasthan. GKTalk is my web portal for educational purpose to provide a support to Hindi medium students," he writes on his web portal.
While Khan's apps have basic design and fairly basic content, it is apparent that the app users like them. Almost all of his apps on the Play store have a rating of four stars or more. Sunil Kumavat, who tried the app called RAS Tutor, writes in his review, "Very impressive and useful for all competitive exam. Really thanks... Imaran sir."

Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 With Full Metal Body, Fingerprint Scanner Launched

Xiaomi on Tuesday, as promised, unveiled its new Redmi Note 3 smartphone at an event at China National Convention Center in Beijing.
Xiaomi has announced that the Redmi Note 3 will be available in two variants: one with 2GB RAM and 16GB inbuilt storage variant priced at CNY 899 (approximately Rs. 9,500) and another with 3GB of RAM and 32GB storage at CNY 1,099 (approximately Rs. 11,500). There's no word yet on India price or launch date.
Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 features a 5.5-inch full-HD (1080x1920 pixels) Sunlight Display and is touted be a "fully-laminated display". The company has teased the phone is just 8.65mm at its thickest point and weighs 164 grams. It runs MIUI 7 based on Android OS. The company at the event highlighted that the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 features an all-metal industrial design and stressed that it is now the "first Mi phone" to sport a full metal body and fingerprint sensor. The handset also sports a fingerprint sensor at the back which the company touts can unlock the device in just 0.3s. Another notable feature is the 4000mAh battery with fast charging support that can charge up to 50 percent in 1 hour.
The Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 is powered by a 64-bit octa-core MediaTek Helio X10 processor (Cortex-A53) coupled with 2GB/ 3GB of RAM. As mentioned above, it will come in 16GB and 32GB storage variants. On camera front, the Redmi Note 3 sports a 13-megapixel rear camera with phase detection auto-focus (PDAF) and two-tone flash. There is a 5-megapixel front-camera.

Gionee S Plus With Android 5.1 Lollipop, USB Type-C Launched at Rs. 16,999

 

Gionee has unveiled its latest smartphone, the S Plus, priced at Rs. 16,999. The smartphone is being touted as "exclusive to India" and will be going on sale in the first week of November.