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[News Flash] Tekedia Mobile Reader – A New App In Fasmicro Android App Store

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Tekedia gets an Android mobile reader. Thanks to Fasmicro Apps Division.

The tekedia mobile app keeps you in touch with your favourite online technology blog – www.tekedia.com
tekedia is a division of Fasmicro – a Nigerian knowledge company. tekedia focuses on technology, innovation, entrepreneurship and education with primary emphasis on Africa and then globally.

Compatibility: This app has been tested and found to be compatible through Android v1.0 to Android v3.1

 

Visit the Fasmicro Apps Store to download it on your android device.

You Too Can Be Entrepreneur of 2011 – Entrepreneur Magazine Announces An Award

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Entrepreneur Magazine has an award:

 

Entrepreneur of 2011: If you’re making an impact–on your industry, for your employees and in your community–this is your award to win. Past winners have rocked our world with radical headgear, taken us back to basics with healthy snack ideas, and made innovative contributions to the sustainability movement. Now it’s your turn. Tell us how you’re making a difference with your business and you could be the Entrepreneur of 2011.

 

Check the rules and post your entry by June 15, 2011 to make this year yours.

Quality and Affordability Concerns in Contemporary Education – But Do Not Try Illiteracy

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Nigeria needs stronger education systems

Education is one of the most important institutions ever created by man. It determines the wealth and prosperity of any society. Even in the medieval time, there was apprenticeship and that was a form of education. But the modern style of education goes beyond followership to helping students become creators of knowledge. In other words, it transforms students from becoming ‘recipients’ of education to ‘users’ of education as they partake in the process.

Nothing changes a society or a nation than education. I always say that education is simply the liberation of the mind. It opens the mind to new possibilities and frees it from dogmas and destructive norms. It will remain a popular institution because it is the only institution that holds the key to the future.

Notwithstanding, many students are concerned on the quality and affordability of their education in the contemporary time. According to many government statistics, many schools have or intend to increase tuitions to offset budget cuts by federal, state or local governments. This is most prominent in the state of California where there are deep budget cuts across the university system.

But it does not end in budget cuts. In most US states and nations, students have to pay more as the schools are increasing tuition, even though they are reducing some services. Under this scenario, these students are concerned that they are not getting the best under historical benchmarks. In general, the students graduate with more debts and are forced to do so despite having fewer available courses to choose from as most schools are cutting staff.

From the debt-ridden states to private institutions in the United States, university education has become increasingly expensive. Unfortunately, that higher tuition does not positively correlate with higher earning power after graduation. So, most US students spend more to get diplomas that reward lesser because of the ‘devaluation’ through globalization. This is one area demand and supply comes into play. With more jobs outsourced, the students have to compete with fewer under this difficult job market. The higher supply than demand depresses wage which does not work for the students.

For schools in most developing economies, tuition is also rising and unemployment is also high since the rate of job creation lags the graduation rates. But for most of them, there is no problem of debt since education is mostly pay-as-you-go and there is minimal option of government or bank loan. Yet, they are concerned over quality and affordability since the generation that studied about fifty years ago received better education at lower cost, if any, than what they get today, especially in primary education.

Even at tertiary level, when these nations had one or two universities, they funded them very well. Now, those schools have to compete for funds with more than fifty other schools. In Nigeria, for example, the number of government owned tertiary institutions has gone from say ten to more than two hundred within half a century. This pushes tuition since government is not providing much help to all the schools. The whole system forces the schools to admit more students because of budget issues thereby creating chaos where most students complain of large class sizes. Quality is low, yet it is not affordable.

From Nigeria through Argentina to US, most students have quality and affordability challenge of pursing their bachelors and post-graduate studies. It does not mean that knowledge is not expanding or increasing, the problem is that getting it is becoming more expensive. And for most institutions, there is a genuine decision to cut service because of cost. That poses a risk to quality.

When you cut school hours or eliminate a course, there is a possibility that a student could miss an important life-changing idea. When you cut research grants, there is a chance that professors could not push further to enrich the students. Those days in college, the most exciting lecturers were those doing great research works. They bring new insights and perspectives to classroom. If they stop doing those works, though teaching, you deprive students those insights. And that is a quality issue. It remains today that irrespective of mastery of theory, the best schools are the best in the labs.

Quality and affordability in education is a big issue in our globalized economy. For most European students, they attend college with the support of government. In Sweden, it is 100% free, including foreign students. Why their counterparts in US are trying to follow a career path that will enable them pay their loans, they are free from such problems. So the students can afford to go into entrepreneurship and spend extra years in learning without the concerns of debts while the heavy indebted counterparts cannot.

Anyone that says that the new dislocation of national debts is not a problem in the educational institutions may not be real. Students are concerned over quality and affordability and they seem to be losing both sides. Higher tuition, fewer courses and lower prospect of great job because of recession and it creates a depressing future.

But alas, in the midst of this concern, most of the students have come to rediscovery. And that realization pushes a need for them to become managers right at college and stewards of their finances in a competitive and disruptive marketplace like the 21st century. It turns out that one of the most innovative generation of students is the one we have now and those concerns may be making them better.

Mobile OS Developer Challenge – Apple iOS vs. Google Android. Tekedia Predicts Android Win. iOS Has Seen Its Best Days

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In the mobile ecosystem, there are two major players and others. The two major ones are Android from Google, and Apple iOS. The like of Symbian is a dying breed while Windows Mobile could get a new life. Blackberry environment is nice, but the ecosystem has not attracted many developers in the developing world. Part of the problem is that this platform is assumed to be very exotic thereby affecting how many people will actually use it.

 

While iOS continues to be a closed system, Android has evolved as a managed platform. Google decides winners by releasing the OS to the right people, it determines, and that helps them to stay ahead of the pack.  But irrespective of whether it is free or not, these two OS have distinct models.

 

For someone in the developed world, iOS could be hugely enticing because iPhone and iPad are very popular, but in Africa, it could be another ballgame.  iOS is matured and driven by one of the world’s best brands. Android is truly open as many vendors can make their devices there.Unlike iOS where if Apple fails, all fails, the Android offers lesser risk as Motorola can fail in the design, HTC will still win. In that case, Android gives you a way to manage risk exposure to platforms, better.

 

The biggest problem with iOS is that the risk rests on Apple. What if they make a huge mistake and those Apple gizmos fail to sell. What happens? Does it mean that all your apps become wasted? Yes, it is possible that if Apple fails to execute in the hardware, it can hurt. Android has none of that as anyone can make a tablet or phone on it. It has reduced the barrier of entry in China that enables companies to buy chipsets and  begin manufacturing of tablets and phones. That is a big win why many developing countries are aligning for Android – the ease of making even cheaper devices is there.

 

In our assessment, using the Nigerian and African markets, Android will win this game and it will not be close. We will basically  adopt more Android devices and that will open more environment for growth of the apps.

 

Notice one thing – Apple’s age is going to be over. The model of Microsoft Windows is what Google has adopted and that is the model for the future. You build the system and let anyone come and build on it. That enabled HP, Dell, Lenovo, IBM, etc to come and compete for business under Windows. If Windows had decided to build upon their OS, they would not have lead in the desktop age.

 

The challenge for Android, though, is what happens in Microsoft. If Microsoft puts Skype in the Windows Mobile and adds Office, it can be very disruptive. And if they make it free so that anyone with Windows Mobile tablet gets Office as default, they will own this space as they did for desktop. Microsoft could be the surprise game changer, depending on how they follow this game. If companies find a cheaper way of getting Office and Exchange to staff without paying huge licensing fees on desktops, the a new war has been declared in the ecosystem.

 

So Tekedia’s summaries are as follows

– iOS could be seeing its best days. If Apple fails to execute on hardware,  iOS suffers. Work on it, hope Apple continues to innovate on design

– Multivendor model favors Android because if HP fails, Motorola will get it right. And if both fail, HTC, and thousands of Chinese Android device makers are there

– Microsoft Windows Mobile could disrupt if somehow they decide to put Office and exchange in their tablets in ways that will reduce cost for CIOs across the world. If that happens, we will all do for Windows Mobile what we are doing for the desktop version. Adopt it without having a choice. Do not count Windows Mobile out of this game!

 

What Is Happening in CallCamp? Guys, Put A Note On Your Site

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The winner of the Garage48 Lagos, CallCamp looks quiet these days. Guys you cannot be that mute. Post a message so that we will know what is happening.

 

CallCamp (Customer Service Aggregation Agency) – customer service is terrible in Nigeria. A service for companies to employ students to be used as call center agents. People can sign up as potential call center workers have a training (learning about the company and the product) – makes the call service available for smaller businesses.

Team members: Temitayo Giwa, Ibrahim Lawal, Bankole Oluwole, Adedeji Adetunji, Awelenje Wale, Aguda Olabode, Damilare Onajole

 

 

URL: callcamp.net

Twitter: @CallCamp

Facebook: CallCamp