Sunday

Social Media Week Lagos 2016 - Events Dates and Times

Social Media Week 2016 (SMW Lagos) is back and once more it's going to be a powerful and inspiring event you don't wanna miss as long as you use any popular Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, GooglePlus, and for those that are mainly business-wise; LinkedIn.

Thursday

Bug Reports on Infinix Hot 2 After Upgrading To Marshmallow. Do You Also Face these Issues?

It was a good news after we got an upgrade alert for Marshmallow on Infinix Hot 2 last week. This was Google's first Android One device to arrive Africa.
2 separate patches (updates) were rolled out, (for January and February) I got the latter via OTA which I spoke of on Facebook.

Finally it came by itself. #Marshmallow !!!Manual upgrade here => http://www.editweaks.com/2016/01/android-marshmallow-now-available-on-hot2.html
Posted by Ifediri on Friday, 22 January 2016


After applying the Marshmallow update and spending few days with it on the Infinix Hot 2, I experienced few absurd bugs.



Let's be sure we aint the only ones facing the problems below after updating the Infinix Hot 2 to Marshmallow:

Lost Contacts

Some Contacts vanished.
You know how important contacts are right? I don't know what exactly got affected, was it the SIM contacts or the phone's but after updating to Android M, I realised that my Contacts partially disappeared. Partially coz, they the names are still there but not showing.

A case when a person called me, it  was appearing like a New number, the caller had to re-introduce themself, after the call, when I tried to Re-save it I noticed the Contact name is still existing in the Phone, how come it didn't show their name when they called. I'm still re-saving some of those numbers even after Signing in to my Google account in the phone.


Some Files Were Gone

Some Files stored in my SD card got automatically Wiped out or corrupt (especially Music files saved as .m4a extension). The mp3's Stayed.

Photo and video files:

What happened with these was, after upgrading to Android M with WiFi, most of my Video and Photo files automatically performed a Cloud Back up, I can't recall if it was the option I choose at the Set up, they started to move to my Google Drive and they weren't showing till all of them backed up.
This consumes a lot of bandwidth and space in your Drive. So I later disabled the Gallery Cloud back by going to Photos >> Tap the Menu at the top Left >> Settings >> Back up and Sync >> OFF

Hot 2 is now Irresponsive

I wouldn't say the device had become slow,  it still operates fast as before. But there are certain Actions that device doesn't quickly respond to after I upgraded to Marshallow.

Sleep/Idle Mode
Another major issue, after the phone is on sleep mode, it takes few seconds to Turn on after you Press the Power button to wake it up.

Calls
This also affected my Calls as well, when I'm done talking and take the phone off my ear, the light sensors tell the screen to light up ASAP, but it takes extra seconds before it Lights up so I can hang up. Now, imagine Calling somebody with your Last credit, with this delay errors your credit will Burn completely before the phone lights up for you to Cut the call.


NEXT QUESTIONS NOW ARE:
Who cooked this half-done update? Google Android Devs? Or Infinix Dev Team?

How Soon Are we getting Updates that will Fix them?

While we await a response (if there'll be any), please tell us what other issues you're facing on your Hot 2 Android One device after upgrading to Marshmallow.

Sunday

Meet PlayStation PS4 Remote Play + List Of Supported Xperia Mobile devices

I probably may have not been ranting about Sony Xperia phones and their other gadgets here on the blog, but they're among the mobile products that I love, this particular one about GAMES on Xperia was quite fascinating, I could not keep to myself so I decided to let it go by sharing it with you in this post, today all You need to know about PlayStation PS4 Remote Play and devices that supports it.

Sony, same company that produces Xperia smartphones and tablets are all under one umbrella, Sony have come up with a better way through which you can enjoy playing games with your PlayStation, without using a TV.

This invention is known as REMOTE PLAY for Sony Xperia mobile phones.



How Does Remote Play Work with Sony Xperia Phones?

This is a simply sophisticated Game Control Mount that pairs with Xperia phones and tabs, with its dual analog sticks and trigger buttons, shock vibration and touch pad, your DUALSHOCK®4 wireless controller is as good as ever! Experience better knowing you can play your best anywhere!

Play from anywhere on your home Wi-Fi network. Game Control Mount GCM10 will securely hold your DUALSHOCK®4 and smartphone where ever you are! Freedom is the best feature.

Live for action. Relish victory. This is PS4 Remote Play.

Setting Up Your Xperia for PS4 Remote Play

It's really simple, with your Xperia, go to PlayStore and install PS4 REMOTE PLAY App. Once you have the app installed on your Xperia phone, you'll need to ensure that Remote Play is turned on in your PlayStation 4 settings.

To do this, Navigate to Settings > View Controller Guide > Register and turn it on. When you first start up the app, it will ask if you want to connect the PS4 DualShock controller to the phone, you may read more about it on CNET here.

Streaming is very smooth and great, you bring your game play from your TV into your Smartphone.

List Of Supported Xperia Mobile devices for PlayStation PS4 Remote Play


All you have to do is Pick your Xperia gaming device.
PS4 Remote Play is available on smartphones and tablets in the Xperia Z-series from Z2 and onwards.
  • Xperia Z2
  • Xperia Z2 Tablet
  • XPERIA Z4 tablet
  • Z3 tablet compact
  • Xperia Z3 Compact
  • Xperia Z3 Dual

Saturday

5 Apps or Tweaks You Should Know Or Use on Your Android (Rooted)

After rooting an Android device, there's so much more you can do, the possibilities become almost endless, if you're looking for ways to enhance your Android experience, below are 5 Tweaks or Apps you should know or use on the Android device.

 
 

1 - Super su

Apps or Tweaks You Should Know Or Use on Your Android
SuperSU is the household of the rest of other apps that we will discuss below, it's what gives access to Apps that make your device more flexible. 
Super SU is a management tool that helps you grant or revoke root access after rooting your Android device, it's the Superuser access management tool of the future ;) !!! SuperSU requires a rooted device! SuperSU allows for advanced management of Superuser access rights for all the apps on your device that need root. - DOWNLOAD HERE

2 – xPosed Framework

This is an amazing framework that can turn your device into something completely different, it gives the possibility to modify or tweak the ROM without modifying any APK (developers) or flashing (users), in other words; it works with Android modules that can change the behavior of the system and apps without touching any APKs.
However we should note that IF NOT CAREFULLY USED, it may harm your device. xPosed has some of the most powerful capabilities and uses in the Android environment and of course, needs root access ==>  DOWNLOAD HERE

3. - VPN Apps

We realise the importance of VPNs even without having to explain it, as we use our devices we will sometimes face firewall and face restrictions from contents you want to have. VPN apps is always coming in handy at these times, we had previously discussed one of them here in this post.
Some require root access, few of the best VPN apps I had tried out were: Droid VPN, HideMan VPN, Open VPN amongst others.
You may find lots of them on Google play store here

4 - Viper4android

Viper4Android also known as ViperFX (root). This can turn your cheap headphones into amazing ones. It is not just a basic equalizer, it actually works. Being a music lover I had used it to enhance the sound of the songs I listen to => DOWNLOAD HERE


5. - LuckyPatcher

This personally had been a life saver for me, it's the easiest one you can use to by-pass or remove License on premium Apps or In-App purchases and features that you can't pay for.
In this post I explained how I used it to bypass a game that refused to start. Lucky patcher is not limited to only games, it works on few other Apps too although it's enjoyed mostly by Android gamers who want to be infinite. => DOWNLOAD HERE

Is there any App or Tweak you have used to enhance and enjoy your Android? You can Add it to our list in your comments :)

Thursday

Huaptec Mobile Phone boosters: Stay Always Reachable

Are you familiar with this irritating situation, when a mobile phone receives network coverage only near the window or, even worse, you have to stay outside the house? Or when you pick up the signal and lose it with one step away? Cellular operators are constantly improving their network coverage, but in some areas its quality still leaves much to be desired.
If that is your case and you’re already considering moving to better covered area, give up this idea. All you need is a GSM, 3G or 4G mobile phone booster. Huaptec Corporation produces high-performance signal amplification systems and offers a wide range of models for various client requirements.

What is a mobile repeater?

Mobile phone repeater is a hi-tech and easy-to-use device designed to amplify poor cellular signal. The system picks up strong signal from the mobile broadcasting station and spreads it all around the zone where you live or work.

Why we don’t have signal?

There’re different reasons for weak cell phone signal. Your house location can be at too long distance from the nearest broadcasting station or it has too many impediments for smooth signal reception, like thick walls, stairs, etc. Area terrain with mountains or hills can also prevent you from good coverage. Underground areas such as garages, parking lots, cellars, etc. are often inaccessible for mobile connection as well as heavily built up zones in busy city blocks.
For any of the above mentioned problems you will find Huaptec booster solution at www.huaptec.eu.

GSM repeaters

GSM repeaters improve voice service, EDGE and GPRS networks. Thanks to the device you’ll obtain uninterrupted calls and always clear conversations in any point of your area.
One of Huaptec GSM best sellers is HiBoost F10-GSM PRO model. The booster performs at 900 MHz frequency, which is main GSM standard all around Europe. The coverage area of HiBoost F10-GSM PRO is up to 500 sq.m., so you can use it in an apartment, house, office, etc.


3G repeaters

3G mobile repeater ensures easy access to 3G mobile Internet and high-speed 3G data downloading. HiBoost F10-3G PRO is one of the most popular 3G model. With 65 dB gain it’s powerful enough to cover any indoor area up to 500 sq.m. The working frequency of the booster is WCDMA 2100 MHz.

4G/LTE boosters

This type of cell phone signal repeaters improves LTE connection at all the frequencies accepted worldwide: 800 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2600 MHz etc. Since LTE mobile network becomes very popular globally, 4G and LTE boosters are going to be quite widespread in the nearest future.
Each Huaptec repeater comes in a kit with all the components necessary for installation and efficient system operation. The equipment is safe and healthy for users and complies with CE and RoHS certification standards.

Tuesday

Unboxing Photos of Infinix Zero 3 is Here!

After the Zero 3 device was launched by this time last month, we finally got a unit of the device after the long holidays. Before now we already shared some insights in this Infinix Zero 3 review. Now the device is here, we will be unboxing for everyone to see.

The specifications have been confirmed, the device packs great stuff but it's definitely not 95% perfect (will there even be a perfect phone? ), anyways speculations show that most people that had come across it like the device

Before seeing photos let's quickly look at the Specifications of the Infinix Zero 3

Infinix Zero 3 - Quick Specs (Confirmed)

  • 5.5-inch Full HD capacitive touchscreen
  • 5MP  Selfie camera
  • 20.7MP Rear Camera designed by Sony,
  • Corning Gorilla Glass 3
  • 8-core MediaTek processor
  • 3GB RAM and 16 ROM
  • Micro-SD storage (up to 64GB)
  • Android 5.1.1 Lollipop (upgradable to Android Marshmallow)
  • Fast Charge
  • Aluminum designed paired with Glass

What We Found in the Pack:
  • The Infinix Zero 3 smartphone
  • 1 USB Cable
  • 1 Free elastic pouch for the phone
  • Chargers with 2 Adaptors (2 teeth and 3 teeth)
  • 1 User manual

Below are photos of the Infinix Zero 3 as we unboxed it few days ago. Enjoy


The bottom of the Zero 3 device, where its USB port

The Zero 3 bottom of the device

Top of the Zero 3 device where you find the 3mm jack for headphones

Zero 3 Camera - 20.7MP made with SONY IMX230 CMOS sensor and its Dual LED Flash

Side view of the device, pretty isn't it? :)

Front Face of Zero 3 consisting of the 5MP selfie camera, LED flash light, Indicator


Infinix Zero 3 photos
Infinix Zero 3 EVERYTHING - with all its accessories


Where To Buy:
As we may know, the Zero 3 is the Infinix Mobility's highest flagship so far, but what else makes this phone special after all, we will share and tell us more in our next hands-on review where we'll go deeper into the device. 

Friday

How To Add Watermarks to your photos with PicsArt for Android - For Bloggers, Journalists, Artists others

With Video and text Tutorial, here is how to  Add Watermarks to your photos with PicsArt for Android -
At last, the video tutorial had been made by me (my very first to be precise), as I already promised that I'd be coming to YouTube to share more content with us.

With the tutorial on today's post, you will learn the easiest way to add water marks to your photos that you use on your blog posts or Social media.

Photo  credit: Google Playstore

Bloggers, Journalists, Artists etc, I believe you're going find it quite useful since you deal with a lot of images you share across the web almost every day.



Get PicsArt for Android from Google Play Store DOWNLOAD HERE

Meanwhile enjoy the tutorial and pls hit the Subscribe button after watching the video below coz we'll surely be back with more videos for you.


Tuesday

Android M is Now Available on Infinix Hot 2 (Android One) - How to Upgrade

A promise had been kept! Infinix Hot 2 ( X510 aka The Hottest One) had finally gotten Android M 6.0 (Marshmallow) update and we will show you just how to install the latest update.



Quickly flashing back to August 2015 when the device was launched into the market, we shared some review and unboxing photos of the smartphone.

We all know this device was part of Google's Android One project, so many people had been anticipating this upgrade when Android M showed up in November last year, enough of the stories, let's go straight to why we are here.


How To Upgrade Your Infinix Hot 2 to Android M (Marshmallow)

There are 2 ways to get this Android 6.0 upgrade on your Hot2 device.
1. Via OTA
2. Manual Install also called flashing.

1. Via OTA

This update was rolled out via OTA as seen in the screenshot below but sadly, not every user had gotten it.



If you can wait , OTA is much simpler, to get the update via OTA, ensure you update all your Google Apps at PlayStore.
Secondly Go to your Settings >> About Phone >> System Updates and tap the "Check for update"
To hasten things up for the curious ones, follow the 2nd method below.

2. Manual Install or flashing Android Marshmallow on Infinix Hot 2.

N.B - Please Note, like we'll always say, you're doing this at your own risk, We won't be held responsible for any brick, damage whatsoever mistakes made during the process of using these upgrade procedures, everything will go perfectly fine if well followed. Having agreed, you can proceed.
Precaution:
Ensure your Hot 2 is well charged
Ensure your Hot 2 is Unrooted (KingRoot app can Unroot the device) and remember to have your Contacts and other stuffs backed up.

REQUIREMENTS: 
i. Android 6 OS for Infinix Hot 2 Here - Download Here (File size - 624.9MB)

ii. Memory SDcard



NEXT STEP
We'll use Stock recovery method for flashing this time.

After downloading, Rename the downloaded file to update.zip
Move that file update.zip to the root folder of your memory card, 

Switch off your Infinix Hot 2, insert the memory card in it.
Press and Hold Volume Up + Power Button at the same time

you see select boot mode: use volume up key to control the arrow

Choose >>  [ Recovery mode] <<== press volume down to select it

Wait some seconds, it will prompt you "Apply to SD Card" use your Power button to select it and wait for some minutes till the rom finishes to install. When done, select reboot now.

If you get "No command" after selecting recovery mode, press and hold power button + Volume up key again till it takes you back to recovery mode.
That's all. It's quite easy after all eh? Leave us your comments if you have something to tell us, meanwhile enjoy the new Marshmallow update o your Infinix Hot 2.

Monday

Aplus GV18 Smartwatch Hands On Review - The Affordable Galaxy Gear Clone

The Aplus GV18 is a cool smartwatch I recently purchased last month. After unboxing it, I spent a few weeks with the gadget trying to see how well it performs so I'd probably review with you a few things about it, just incase you may like to own one too.

Before we dive into more photos and details I'd like us to know that this smart watch is loved by many people across the country as it's not the over priced Samsung Galaxy Gear, although they seem similar, it has it's own beauty and the gadget is produced by a different Chinese company.

Let's quickly see a quick specification of the Aplus GV18 smartwatch:


KEY SPECIFICATIONS - APLUS GV18 SMART WATCH


  • BRAND MODEL - Aplus GV18
  • BATTERY – 550mAh
  • CAMERA – 1.3MP
  • STORAGE – RAM - 128M+ ROM - 64M
  • CPU & PROCESSOR – MTK6260A / 533MHz
  • FUNCTION – Music player, passometer, sleep tracker, message reminder, call reminder, dial and receive calls, remote control, push messaging/notification and 3D acceleration
  • OTHERS - Micro SIM, sedentary reminder, sleep monitor, anti-lost and remote camera


From the Specs up there, I can assure us of some nice and basic things this smartwatch can do for you:
  • Tell Time and Date (Foreign Calender included)
  • Answer and Make Calls
  • Send and Receive SMS
  • It synchs with your smartwatch, messages and call logs etc.
  • Play Music and Low resolution videos
  • Radio FM (when connected to headphone via Bluetooth)
  • Record Videos and Voice
  • Anti-Lost (which will Alert you incase your phone is out of range when connected via Bluetooth)
  • Pedometer which count how many calories you burn
  • Heart rate monitor, Sleep and Walk monitor but, not much people do really use that right?


UNBOXING THE APLUS GV18 PACK, I found

  • The GV18 Smart Watch
  • A USB Cable for charging
  • A User Manual


After wearing on the wrist, it feels comfortable, it may look quite bulky at first, but I got to adapt to the size after wearing it couple of times.
Unless you are used to wearing big watches already, you may not notice the big size of the smartwatch is quite obvious when you wear it.

AT THE TOP:

You will find the 1.3MP Camera, which works quite well at taking photos and recording videos.


Right underneath the display is the speaker, I was a bit impressed with the speaker as it was loud and clear enough when playing Music or answering calls with the smartwatch.

AT THE BACK:

When you open the back, The smartwatch has its removable 550mAh battery.



Still at the Back, you find SIM port (Micro-SIM sized), and memory card slot.



THE SIDES:

There's nothing at the right side of the smartwatch.
At The Left side, you see Power/Wake-up button and the USB Port, for charging and file transfer, the data transfer works if you have Memory card inserted in it.


DISPLAY & USER INTERFACE:

Aplus GV18 smart watch is a good looking smartwatch, it's popularly known to be Galaxy Gear's clone although they are different (as said in our second paragraph above this post), the GV18 has it's own difference in terms of user interface.
The smart watch has 3 different time display modes or screensavers pictured below.

Clock Display - GV18

There isn't much to discuss about the interface, the font design reminds you of the good china phones of way back before Tecno Android arrived.
The Menu it's not too stylish, it comes with 3 themes one of which I think is well polished and makes the gadget very presentable.

The Camera 

The Camera is quite clear, we took a few photos using the camera of the gadget as seen below, the picture is visible but definitely not quality.



Also, we put its camera ability to test, we recorded a Video using the smartwatch, you can watch below




THE CONS

1. I.M.O, the 3 themes were okay, but the smartwatch's interface isn't too elegant, not even near the Apple iWatches. The interface isn't having so much options for you to choose to customise and enhance the experience, for example, as I already mentioned it comes with only 3 Themes. 
Again, the font of the interface just too plain and straight-forward, no much swag.

2. Secondly, typing on the smartwatch is not so good since the keys are quite very small, you'll find yourself typing "D" when you intend to press "H". You'll need to be calm and concentrate before you can type accurate with it.

3. Lastly, not everybody finds it sensible or comfortable enough to talk to a smartwatch when answering or making calls "in public", the watch is always on loudspeaker during calls, the only way to bypass this issue is to pair the smartwatch with a bluetooth headset.

PROS & FINAL VERDICT

The good things about this smartwatch apart from the ones we listed above, is the fact that it looks mature and premium (maybe it's because I bought the gold colored one, it's not washing off so far).
Secondly, the SIM slot feature is pretty cool since it can make calls individually without needed to be connected to a phone, the watch can serve as back up incase your phone battery dies. The battery is quite reliable too, it can serve 2 and half days straight without charging.

Where to Buy:
If you're looking for where to buy the Aplus GV18 Smartwatch

Buying the Aplus GV18 Smartwatch will take upto 30 days for Free delivery to Nigeria with Aliexpress (Alibaba) and about 7 days if you pay extra to the Courier service (mine was shipped from Netherlands).

However, you can still Order from Online Malls Here as it's Available and easier too, although may be little more expensive.

Thursday

West Africa Bloggers Conference 2016 (WABC2016) is Here Again. Here's How To Partake

West Africa Bloggers Conference is here again the 2016. This will be the 2nd Edition after the first that kicked off last year. I was there, the 2 days session was very educating.

To show how serious and valuable it was, the conference even trended on Twitter with this hashtag #WABC2015 , we would expect this year's hashtag to be #WABC2016.


WABC 2015 - Left -Mr. Adenusi with bloggers


From the Right: Mr. Jonathan Doerr (MD. Jumia Nigeria) and other hosts of the WABC2015

The first edition of WABC2015 event last year was sponsored by Jumia, Google Nigeria, MTN, Smile 4G amongst others and it opened opportunities and new networks for some bloggers from different parts of the country that were there last year.

We are yet to confirm the sponsors of this year's West Africa Bloggers Conference 2016, we would update you later on it on our subsequent posts.
According to the details we received, the conference will be as interesting as the first.

WABC 2016 will have the following features:


  • More interaction session among bloggers
  • Presentation fronm Brand and Marketing Managers
  • Presentations from Digital CEOs
  • Presentations from succesfull bloggers
  • Presentations from Google team
  • Presentations from Microsoft team
  • Detailed case study review
  • Monetization strategies
  • Collaboration Strategies
  • and lots more

Want to Join WABC 2016 this Year?

You can Sign up as soon as possible, (sits are limited).

Send an email to  admin@westafricabloggersconference.com
cc tola.adenusi@westafricabloggersconference.com
cc  adenusi.adetola@gmail.com

Your Mail Subject Should Be: WABC 2016 PARTICIPATION CONFIRMATION
- with the following details

(1) your full name
(2) your phone contact
(3) your blog URL
(4) your blogging subject

Date is 22nd and 23rd of January 2016

Venue is the Banquel hall of BERKELEY HOTEL 9B Isaac John street Ikeja GRA Lagos.

Would you be coming? Tell us in the comment below, let's know who to expect :) see you there