The focus of the event;

• Independent mobile application developers / vendors.
• Device manufacturers.
• Content providers.
• Integrators and Aggregators.
• SMS services providers.
• Location based services.

Speakers

• Idaresit Abasiama: FaceBook local partner -WildFusion Nig Ltd.
• Akin Naptal – MobileWorld
• Tim Akinbo – Timobjects Nigeria.
• Paulette Erijo – Letche tech Ltd
• Yomi Adegboroye – Mobility Nigeria.
• Bimbo Adewole – MobileCV Nigeria.
• Onanuga Tosin – Mobilexectera
• Goke Akinboro – Cellullant Nigeria.
• Jide Akindele – MMIT
• Dayo Adefila – Insight communications Ltd
• Femi Adeagbo – SaveMy Contacts
• Chika Nwobi – MTECH
• Samuel Legunsen – Sony digital EU.
• Kofi Oroh – Mobitronics Nigeria Ltd

Other Event line up is;

Developers Hub

Developers’ hub is an “event within an event” at Mobifest 2010 that will present a unique opportunity to tap into local resources that is available in Nigeria and connect with young innovative players that are striving to enter the mobile applications market.
The developers’ hub Showcase at Mobifest is an area on the show floor dedicated to young innovators demonstrating and displaying their innovative mobile applications.

Who should attend?

Marketing and communication agencies that needs to understand the growing importance of mobile applications to their industry.
Financial, Insurance Institutions and Micro finance Banks seeking for cost effective mobile Banking and financial solutions.
Religious,NGO and Government agencies seeking new innovative channels to engage the citizens.
Application developers interested in staying current on the latest developments from the largest platforms.
Content providers seeking new, directed networking opportunities.
Operators who want to find that next cutting edge app that will help attract and retain customers.
Device makers and platform owners trying to recruit the best app developers.

Mobifest 2010, will be the largest event focused exclusively on the mobile applications ecosystem and will attracts thousands of mobile product enthusiasts looking to discover the latest developments and hottest products for different industry segments.

If you have an innovation you are currently working on, try to package it better as Nokia and Samsung will be available on ground to demo your products for possible investment/sponsorship.

Date: 17^th – 18^th August 2010
Venue: University of Lagos Auditorium, Akoka Yaba, Lagos.

So what are you waiting for, thick your calendar and get ready for the day!

Read more here

Join the Facebook page here.

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Also, reports have it that Facebook will announce it has reached 500 million users this week! This is massive. Half a billion people on Facebook? Wow!

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Google yesterday revamped its Image Search service, in a way that seems like a copy and paste of Bing’s Image search service. In the new Google Image Search, Only Images are shown, and you do not have to click to go to different pages, you can scroll down the page to at least a viewing of 1,000 images!

In its blog announcement, here’s what Google had to say;

When you think about “information,” what probably comes to mind are streams of words and numbers. Google’s pretty good at organizing these types of information, but consider all the things you can’t express with words: what does it look like in the middle of a sandstorm? What are some great examples of Art Nouveau architecture? Should I consider wedding cupcakes instead of a traditional cake?

This is why we built Google Images in 2001. We realized that for many searches, the best answer wasn’t text—it was an image or a set of images. The service has grown quite a bit since then. In 2001, we indexed around 250 million images. By 2005, we had indexed over 1 billion. And today, we have an index of over 10 billion images.

It’s not just about quantity, though. Over the past decade we’ve been baking deep computer science into Google Images to make it even faster and easier for you to find precisely the right images. We not only finds images for pretty much anything you type in; we can also instantly pull out images of clip art, line drawings, faces and even colors.

Here’s what’s new in this refreshed design of Google Images:

• Dense tiled layout designed to make it easy to look at lots of images at once. We want to get the app out of the way so you can find what you’re really looking for.
• Instant scrolling between pages, without letting you get lost in the images. You can now get up to 1,000 images, all in one scrolling page. And we’ll show small, unobtrusive page numbers so you don’t lose track of where you are.
• Larger thumbnail previews on the results page, designed for modern browsers and high-res screens.
• A hover pane that appears when you mouse over a given thumbnail image, giving you a larger preview, more info about the image and other image-specific features such as “Similar images.”
• Once you click on an image, you’re taken to a new landing page that displays a large image in context, with the website it’s hosted on visible right behind it. Click anywhere outside the image, and you’re right in the original page where you can learn more about the source and context.
• Optimized keyboard navigation for faster scrolling through many pages, taking advantage of standard web keyboard shortcuts such as Page Up / Page Down. It’s all about getting you to the info you need quickly, so you can get on with actually building that treehouse or buying those flowers.

Google also launched a new ad format called Image Search Ads. These ads appear only on Google Images, and they let you include a thumbnail image alongside your lines of text.

You can read the full announcement here: http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/07/ooh-ahh-google-images-presents-nicer.html

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The move is highly unusual. In the past, Microsoft has terminated downgrade rights — which let customers replace a newer version of Windows with an older edition without paying for two copies — within months of introducing a new OS. [CNET]

Monday’s announcement was the second Windows XP downgrade rights extension. Microsoft originally limited Windows 7-to-Windows XP downgrades to six months after Windows 7’s release, but backtracked in June 2009 after an analyst with Gartner Research called the plan a “real mess.” [CNET]

On Monday, Microsoft again changed its mind. Users running Windows 7 Professional or Ultimate will now be able to downgrade to Windows XP Professional throughout the entire lifecycle of Windows 7.

“Our business customers have told us that the removing end-user downgrade rights to Windows XP Professional could be confusing,” said Microsoft spokesman Brandon LeBlanc, in an entry on the company blog.

Windows 7 Professional won’t be fully retired until January 2020; the Ultimate edition will be put out to pasture five years earlier, in January 2015. [CNET]

Although Microsoft said it made the change to simplify the work in tracking licensing rights for PCs, the continued popularity of Windows XP may have had something to do with it. At the Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC), which opened Monday in Washington D.C., a company executive acknowledged that 74% of business computers still run XP. [CNET]

The downgrade rights are available only from OEM copies of Windows 7, those that are pre-installed by computer makers.

The change impacts only consumers and businesses that don’t subscribe to Software Assurance (SA) — Microsoft’s annuity-like upgrade guarantee program — or those who purchase Windows through volume-licensing plans. Those companies already had downgrade rights from any edition, including Windows 7, to any previous version going as far back as Windows 95.

Other deadlines that Microsoft had previously scheduled for Windows remain in place. Computer manufacturers must stop installing Windows XP Home on netbooks as of Oct. 22, 2010, and they may sell PCs with Vista pre-installed only through Oct. 22, 2011.

Computer makers are also slated to stop offering factory-installs of XP Professional downgrades on PCs with Windows 7 Professional licenses after Oct. 22, 2010. That means Windows users who want to downgrade a Windows 7 system to XP must do it themselves starting Oct. 23 of this year.

On Tuesday, Microsoft will supply the last-ever updates for Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2), the 2004 upgrade that was superseded four years later by XP SP3. [CNET]

I am glad we XP adddicts can still use our OS in peace.

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Growth in South Africa has saturation point while Egypt, Tunisia and morocco are all fast rising.  Egypt added the highest number of users (392680) between February and now followed by Morocco (345, 380), Tunisia 309,920 and Nigeria, 155,480. Egypt added almost as much users the total number of Ghana, Facebook users.

Egypt is very far ahead of the pack, leading South Africa with more than 500,000 users and penetration still at 23.5%, it sure can increase the gap in months to come. South Africa’s increments in just 2% as oppose 21% or Morocco and Tunisia and 13% of both Egypt and Nigeria.

Chart

Demography

Spending on Facebook

As Facebook continues its search for profitability, it has to selectively choose which African country to focus on. Apparently, South Africa is a country of choice given the technology advancement in the country. Though Egypt and other African countries have considerable user base, but if they are unable to affect Facebook bottom-line, I think will be a huge liability to the company.

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I have always said on this platform that, e-payment is the major driver of e-commerce which ultimately is the driver of the internet. So many sites have come up these days to address this issue. Let’s take a look at CashEnvoy and see how their service can benefit Nigerians and other customers of theirs.

About

Cashenvoy.com is a web application that aids the transfer of money from person-to-person, person-to-merchant and vice-versa using the web application and personal email addresses. The service allows account owners to send money without sharing financial information, with the flexibility of payment using their bank accounts and debit cards. The company was founded by LA Systems Limited, a Lagos based company.

How it works

To make a Cash Envoy payment:
- Fund your Cash Envoy account using Interswitch debit cards or online bank transfer
- Select Cash Envoy during checkout on a merchant website.
- Funds are transferred securely through Cash Envoy and money is deposited into the seller’s Cash Envoy account.
- Funds can also be withdrawn at anytime from your Cash Envoy account.

A New Deal?

The deal is not new on the world scale but on the Nigerian scene, it a welcome development. Imaging being able to pay for services with just your email address? That’s cool! A very brilliant paypal-like service to aid ecommerce development in the country.

The Real Deal

Cool features

• Funding via Interswitch: you can fund your CashEnvoy account via Interswitch card
• Only email address is needed to make and receive payment
• No need to share your account information on every site.
• SSL secure for all your  transaction on the site
• It’s save because you only fund your account to the tune of how much you need to spend. No frivolous spending.
• You can receive donation through the account

Downside

• Somehow we need a form of verification for merchant who receive money on their site, how do we safeguard people from phishing sites?
• How long will it take a merchant to clear their money from you? Incase the merchant is a fraud? How do you deal with it?
• The percentage commission is not available on the site. How much do you charge to receive or send money?

Business Model

The business model employed by this site is awesome giving the strategic importance of the segment on ecommerce. Model falls under transaction broker.

As we see many e-payment platform spring up, their ability to scale and gain traction will eventually liberate Nigerians from the stronghold of Interswitch on the industry. The best should win at the end of the day!

Visit: Cashenvoy.com

Update:

I recieved an update email from the operator:

Somehow we need a form of verification for merchant who receive money on their site, how do we safeguard people from phishing sites?

Merchant verification tests were sent to you in the last email. Below is an excerpt from the last mail sent to you:

Merchants are to submit photocopies of Utility bills (PHCN bills) for address verification.

Personal IDs for personal verification

Together with the CashEnvoy Merchant Application form (Sent to merchant when he/she requests for integration codes).

And other types of myriad methods.

Other security measures can be found on our official blog: http://www.cashenvoy.com/blog/?p=19

How long will it take a merchant to clear their money from you? Incase the merchant is a fraud? How do you deal with it?

When merchants make withdrawals on CashEnvoy, the merchants CashEnvoy account would be audited and the funds paid into the merchant’s bank account. This is usually done within hours but it takes a maximum of the morning of the next working day. This is because not all banks practice adequate online banking.

The percentage commission is not available on the site. How much do you charge to receive or send money?

This question should not be listed because the CashEnvoy fees can be found on ALL CashEnvoy pages (footer). (sorry I still cant find this)

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New Deal

Well, as the microblogging phenomenon keep rising, it really not a new innovation.

Real Deal

• With location tagging, you can structure you updates base on where you are.
• You can also attached your twitter login details to the account allowing you to update twitter from the platform. (This has not worked for me)
• Mobile version also allows you to get connected on your phone.
• Security feature is also great; you can specify who will see you updates (Everyone, Following, logged in gister or private)
• You can also attach links and clips to your updates.
• You also get whether forecast for your location.

Downside

User base is still very low as publicity has not been pushed massively. The last week summit organized by Gistcaster in FUTA has brought in couple of FUTA students. Why do you have to notify gisters of account activation? Don’t think this is necessary.

Business Model

IT planned to use Advertising business model but am yet to see a single ad (not even adsense) on the page. Remember… business sustains the buzz!

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As 2010 marches on, sites are rolling in their arsenals of innovation!

Nigeria20.com is a social media event platform that seeks to showcase Nigeria technology potentials to the world via events and conferences. Founded by startupsnigeria.org and qubestreet.com.

In their own word “Nigeria20.com has been designed as a tech events platform that will feature conferences, workshops in Nigeria on the Future of Web Startups (FoWebS), the Future of Mobile Apps (FoMApps), the Future of Online Advertising (FoAd), the Future of Social Media (FoSoM), etc as well as Social Media Awards that recognizes the best web talents within Nigeria’s Web Industry.”

Currently looking for partnership and sponsorship for their upcoming events and conferences.

The good thing about this site is, the guys behind it are very passionate and committed to development of the web space in Nigeria and Africa.

What you expect from this site?

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Web4Africa.net

Founded by a top Africa blogger, Oluniyi David Ajao, a young Nigerian base in Accra, Ghana. He started the company in 2002 and since then it’s been in upward trajectory. This young man has also been profiled as one of the most influential Nigerians online here, and was present at the last barcamp Nigeria held in Lagos. Web4Africa operate both in Nigeria and Ghana serving its teeming customers across Africa and other continents.

web4africa.net has been  live for 7 years now and still competitive. I will group the company as a game changer  in the industry given their way of operation and means of payment.

Nairahost.com

Founded in 2004, by another young Nigerian based in Malaysia Kayode Muyibi popularly known as Kazey. In fact, Seun of Nairaland had to make a lot of public notice that he was not the owner or had any interest in Nairahost.com during the startup period. The site was recently rumored to have been acquired by Deolu Akinyemi of Generis Solution for $500,000, but when I got in touch with Deolu, his response was “No comment!” well am not sure he acquired it but with all indication he probably might have acquired it since he is the current CEO of the company. Both Deolu and Kazey were recently profiled as Most Influential Nigerians on the internet here.

Nairahost.com has been  live for 5 years now and still competitive. I will group the company as a game changer  in the industry given their way of operation and means of payment.

I will be reviewing more hosting companies in Nigeria next week. Keep it locked down here!

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