If you are yet to hear about Tecno’s HiOS 5.0 then you may need to punch yourself in the face. Why, you may ask. That is because Tecno recently unveiled the latest version of its popular custom Android ROM, the HiOS 5.0, the brilliant next-gen operating system (OS) developed by Tecno Mobile as the skin for its customized version of the Android 9.0 Pie to much applause.

In terms of features, HiOS 5.0 offers a premium user experience that is underpinned by an intuitive interface complete with exciting AI abilities that makes it smarter and streamlined than ever. If the name of the powerful AI engine, Einstein, doesn’t already gives you a glimpse into what to expect then know that the new HiOS 5.0 is super smart and has consolidated many of the settings to minimize the number of steps you need to go through to get things done. Overall, HiOS 5.0 is lighter and faster than its predecessors with unbelievable app launch speeds and virtual assistant which enables you to optimize your smartphone usage to new and exciting levels.

So, if you are a Tecno fan and want to know what the company has in store for you, here are the 10 best HiOS 5.0 features that you should know:

1. RECHARGE KING

An overarching feature of the HiOS 5.0 is its ability to simplify things for users and there is no better example of this than the Recharge King which is certainly the fastest airtime recharge tool currently available for mobile phones. Just as the name implies, the Recharge King gives you the ability to top up airtime on your device in a fast and convenient way by simply scanning the recharge pin. To use the Recharge King simply select the network provide and scan the recharge pin number. That all. Say goodbye to having to remember endless network recharge code and typing long, pesky recharge pins.

2. DATA SWITCHER

One of the newest and most exciting things to come to HiOS 5.0 is the Data Switcher which allows you to juggle between SIM cards in the quick setting menu. Like many contemporary smartphone users you probably have more than one SIM card and have been faced with that puzzle of having to dig into your settings every time you want to change your data connection or SIM in use.  With the HiOS 5.0, you can easily skip this and switch the SIM card you want to use for data connections with the minimal amount of fuss. The new OS enables you switch your SIMs in just one click. Switching SIMs doesn’t have to be painful anymore.

3. AI VIDEO BEAUTY

Another game winning feature of the HiOS 5.0 is the AI Video Beauty which hands down helps you take the best selfies and videos anywhere. With the AI Beauty, HiOS 5.0 has clearly won the race to fix the issue of getting the perfect look during video calls. Most of the time, when we make a video call, the video reaching the other end has been compressed adversely affecting the quality of video. Now Tecno fans can rest easy, with the new AI Video Beauty feature of the HiOS 5.0, you can enjoy video chats naturally without makeup the new OS will make you shine in your video call chats, looking younger, brighter and fresher.

4. FINGERPRINT PASSWORD RESET

The HiOS 5.0 comes preloaded with a fingerprint password reset option which is good if like a lot of people you find it hard to remember passwords. In the unfortunate event where you forget the password or PIN of your Tecno phone, you will now have the option to reset it using your fingerprint. Reset your passwords in less than 20 seconds.

5. INTELLIGENT NOTIFICATION MANAGEMENT

The Intelligent Notification Management feature helps you manage the notifications you would like to see and the ones you don’t. The new HiOS 5.0 uses AI technology to know exactly what notifications you don’t want to see often and stack them away for you without you having to go through the stress of doing it yourself. No need to swipe left. The intelligent notification management in HiOS 5.0 recognizes the irrelevant notifications and allows you focus on the real deal.

6. SMART PHOTO CLEAN UP

Smartphones have become important tools in documenting precious memories with friends and family in form of photos. This means that a lot of pictures will be taken with some of them unwanted either because they are overexposed, dark, blurry or identical. HiOS 5.0 gives you the ability to categorize photos into dark, blurry and similar pics and free up space with the press of a button while leaving the good ones.

7. AI READING MODE

The HiOS 5.0 gives you helps convert your smartphone to an e-book with just a toggle. While this feature has been around for a bit, the Einstein AI engine makes it smarter than ever. When the feature is turned on, the device auto adjust to your environment by adjusting the screen brightness and colors, making it more comfortable to your eyes, especially at night.

8. SMART PANEL

This is one of the juicy new features of new HiOS 5.0, a Smart Panel which has all your favorite and frequently-used features and localization services. You can access the smart panel from any screen no matter the app you are currently using. You can take a selfie from a smart panel within just 2 steps enabling you to capture all the beautiful moments. You can chat, play your favourite games or even visit your favorite websites through the Smart Panel.  Do you have some favorite apps you use often? The Smart Panel gives you an extremely quick and very easy way to get to some of your most used features or tools and apps on an Tecno Smart Phone all in a few taps.

9. BIKE MODE

You’ve heard about Flight mode, welcome to the era of Bike mode! Bike mode is an innovative feature of the #HiOS 5.0 that ensures your safety during bike rides. If you find yourself having to frequently check your phone while riding a bike, mistaking unimportant notifications for urgent calls then you need not worry because with Bike mode enabled you will not be bothered by frequent calls and notifications while you are on a bike ride.  So if you are on a bike ride, whether driving or as a passenger, whenever someone calls you during the duration of ride, Bike mode can automatically reject the incoming call by sending a polite message giving you a safer and joyful riding experience.

By Ohemu Godwin Pius

To paraphrase Chinua Achebe, there is absolutely nothing wrong with the African character. There is nothing wrong with our land or climate or water or air or anything else. The problem with Africa is squarely and mainly the failure of leadership.

Africa is young, fertile and impregnated with lots of economic potentials. With 54 countries and more than 1 billion people, expanding labour force, a robust economy, extensive oil and gas reserves, a largely unexploited petroleum downstream sector, opportunities in strategic sectors as agriculture, telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, energy and mining, Africa is a bright spot on the economic horizon of the 21^st century. She is the hopeful continent, but amidst riches and abundance, Africa has been held back by the lethal cocktail of failed leadership and corruption.

Judging from the current state of the nations, one cannot but agree with Elder Adedeji that what African countries have lacked during most of their history, as independent states are leaders who are unifiers, chiefs in the true sense, who bind wounds, hold everything and everyone together, mobilize and motivate their people, pursue a policy of inclusion rather than exclusion and are seen by one and all to be of the highest integrity and beyond suspicion.

Everything starts and ends with leadership. The problem of armed conflicts and insecurity in Africa is as a result of the unwillingness or inability of African leaders to rise to the responsibility, to the challenge of personal example which are the hallmarks of true leadership. It is the lack of visionary, focused, effective and future-concerned leaders who are true democrats!

For decades, Africa has suffered from lack of enlightened leadership and a bad style of political and economic guidance. And if there’s anything that we need so urgently as a continent, it is visionary, future-concerned and committed leaders who are true democrats; leaders who would rise to their responsibilities and lead by example. Africa needs leaders with success mentality—men and women who will through faith and insight conceive a picture of a developed and safe Africa and would wisely employ the continent’s resources to realize this vision. Africa is in dare need of leaders who are trust-worthy; men and women of integrity, taste, track record and love for fellowmen.

As Wangari Maathai once says, “below the thin layer of racial and ethnic chauvinism, religion, and politics, the real reason for many conflicts is the struggle for the access to and control of the limited resources on our planet.” Africa desires, as a matter of utmost importance, leaders who would be accountable and responsible in the management of its natural resources and ensure even distribution of the proceeds therefrom among the various geo-political zones in their countries. Marginalization of one unit or group must never be allowed so as to avoid any feeling of alienation.

It is unbelievable that we sit on wealth as a continent but we are the greatest receiver of aid from Europe and America. The solution to our long standing problems of economic stagnation is not foreign aid. It is going back to the drawing board and fixing our leadership problems.

You cannot curb corruption by fighting corruption. It has so many children, and many people are pregnant with it about to deliver. You cannot address our issues of leadership failure by recycling the same set of leaders over and over again as they move from one political party to the other. Africa needs a new generation of leaders—a generation of servant-hood leaders who would love serving more than being served, empowering more than retaining power, giving authority more than taking authority and producing leaders more than maintaining followers.

A new concept of leaderships is what we need to bring about sustainable development in Africa. And the only way we can do this is when we commit ourselves to youth empowerment and development. Development not just in giving the youths positions in cabinet or government parastatals, but investment to raise a crop of enlightened and godly individuals who are equipped with the requisite knowledge of effective leadership.

We must go back to the home and get it right early with our children. Our young ones must not grow with a poisoned mindset. Through exemplary lifestyle, we must give them a foundation for unity, tolerance, and peaceful coexistence with one another. We must teach them early to respect other people’s culture and beliefs, honour the constitution, obey court decisions and help them understand that despite our differences, what unites us is greater than what divides us.

Children who have learned submission to authority in the home learn submission to the authority of civil government. And civic leaders who have grown up in homes where they have experienced a life of doing good to others will see their function as civil servants who must do good to others. They will not see their work as a position of power. They will see it as an opportunity to serve their communities and nations as humble civic servants. In our homes we mould good characters. With good characters we shape our society. With our society we build strong nations. And with 54 strong nations, we build vibrant and prosperous continent.

The development of Africa is critical for the development of the world. If Africa gets it right on leadership, then the world has gotten it right. As the cradle of early civilizations, fixing Africa is a giant leap to fixing the world.

“The fish rots from the head down” has long been the case of Africa. If we can fix our leadership deficiency and get it right from the home, we can enjoy true economic development and Africa would stand tall as the hopeful continent.

Everyone knows that making sense of data is critical in our age for business. The real question is “Can you refine your data?” In the Nigeria’s energy sector, we have deep opportunities to use data engineering to redesign the industry, and improve the welfare of the citizens. In the petroleum industry, legions of startups can play critical roles when IoT and data engineering come into equilibrium to improve efficiency and overall productivity.

As I noted in a speech few months ago, the greatest moment in a nation happens when entrepreneurs arise. At least in our petroleum downstream sector, PetroTech is due in Nigeria. Yes, we need startups to combine and recombine technologies to bring efficiency in the industry across nexus of distribution, market data sharing, planning and more. I will be speaking on this area next month, along with industry leaders, during Society of Petroleum Engineers international conference in Lagos.

Along with MD of Chevron Nigeria, leaders from Schlumberger, General Electric, etc, we will have deep conversations on how data will improve the utilization of the factors of production for the good of Nigeria in the energy sector. The banks have given us fintech; can the oil sector give us PetroTech with elements for startups to use to improve the sector, removing complexity and advance our nation. That possibility can happen even for the downstream sector, and Eket or Warri will become the PetroTech Valley.

Personally, I have Zenvus and will add a sensor to track fuel volume in trucks, push the numbers through GSM or satellite to cloud, every 10 mins, until it gets to destination. Fuel diversion solved! I am so excited about the promise of digitization and data transformation of the nation’s energy sector.

Refining data is key: last year, China spent $300 billion importing semiconductor chips, more than it did for importing oil. Chips refine the data of nations.