The report further revealed that there are 10.11 million active internet users in Ghana meaning nearly ⅓ of the country’s population have access to internet.

The report also shows that in 2017, 75% of Ghanaians preferred the cash on delivery option, compared to 5% & 25% for credit/debit cards and mobile money options respectively.

Speaking at the launch of the report in Accra on Wednesday, Mr. Ore Odusanya, CO-CEO of Jumia Ghana said ‘’With such a relatively high use of the internet in Ghana, it is no surprise that smartphones are so popular. Popular brands such as Samsung, Nokia, Techno, Apple, and Blackberry have successfully carved a niche for themselves in the Ghanaian mobile market. The main catalysts for this rise in the number of people with access to mobile phones and internet usage have been attributed to the recent push for telecommunication companies to expand their network coverage, the availability of cheap smart phones from China, and a robust legal regime’’.

This year, the stage is set once again for the biggest sale of mobile phones, beginning March 19th through 25th.

This is a mobile-phone-only-week-long sales event dedicated to opening up our customers to a wide range of mobile devices at up to 80% discounts off the regular prices.

‘’Mobile phones have impacted every aspect of life. From the time we wake up with the alarm, to breakfast, checking calories, making PowerPoint presentations for work and many other activities are now done with our mobile devices. Our personal, professional and social lives are all made convenient by mobile phones. They have impacted Ghanaian businesses so much that, it is almost impossible to go through the entire business process without using your mobile phone,’’ noted Mr. Ajit Jain, Country Manager, Operations (Fero Mobile)

The 2018 Mobile Report launch which was held in Accra, also had other Telecom & IT experts from MTN; as well as a host of Jumia brand partners, such as Huawei, Infinix, Fero and Tecno in attendance.

–

By: citibusinessnews.com/Ghana

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“Nomophobia?” you mutter as you read this on your ever-present smartphone. “Of course not.”

“NO MObile PHOne phoBIA” is a 21st-century term for the fear of not being able to use your cell phone or other smart device. Cell phone addiction is on the rise, surveys show, and a new study released Thursday adds to a growing body of evidence that smartphone and internet addiction is harming our minds — literally.

How do you know if you’re addicted? There’s an online (of course) quiz to find out, which has been translated into Spanish, Italian and Turkish.

Rate your responses on a scale of 1 (completely disagree) to 7 (strongly agree) and add your score. According to Caglar Yildirim, an assistant professor of human computer interaction who created the scale for use in his research at State University of New York at Oswego, a score of 20 or below means you’re not an addict; a score of 21 to 60 means you’re mildly nomophobic; and a score of 61 to 99 means you probably can’t go long without checking your phone.

“It might be a good idea to be conscious of that,” Yildirim said, “but we are only concerned if it starts to interfere with your daily life.”

Did you score between 100 and 200? You’re probably struggling with severe anxiety when you can’t access your cell phone, he said.

“This might negatively affect your social life and relationships with friends and family,” Yildirim said. “There are studies that show those who score high on the test tend to avoid face-to-face interactions, have high levels of social anxiety and maybe even depression.

“It might affect your ability to work or study, because you want to be connected to your smartphone all the time,” he added. “So if any of this applies to you, then it’s time to start looking at your behavior and level of anxiety.”

SecurEnvoy, a two-factor authentication company, conducted research using a polling panel (which is not as scientific as a randomized poll) and found that 66% of people in the United Kingdom have some form of nomophobia. Notably, 41% of the participants said they had two or more phones to make sure they stayed connected.

Surveys by the Pew Research Center this year showed that 77% of Americans own smartphones, up from 35% in 2011. Ninety-five percent own a cell phone of some kind.

What’s wrong with being a cell phone junkie?
Obviously, there are some serious ramifications to having a cell phone habit. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, mobile phone use is partially to blame for the distracted driving that kills an estimated nine people each day and injures more than 1,000.

The prevalence of texting while driving has reached epidemic proportions. A 2010 study by the Pew Research Center said nearly half of US adults admit reading or sending a text message while driving. The news is worse for teens: Nearly one in three 16- or 17-year-olds said they have texted while driving.

Millennials are the worst offenders, according to Pew. Fifty-nine percent of people between the ages of 18 and 33 reported texting while driving, compared with 50% of Gen Xers (age 34 to 45) and only 29% of baby boomers.

It’s not just driving. A study of pedestrians in midtown Manhattan found that 42% of those who entered traffic during a “Don’t Walk” signal were talking on a cell phone, wearing headphones or looking down at an electronic device. A 2013 study found a tenfold increase in injuries related to pedestrians using cell phones from 2005 to 2010.

Other health ramifications include text neck — that cramping, stabbing pain that comes after looking down at your phone too long — and poor posture, which can affect your spine, respiratory functions and even emotions. Researchers have also found that the blue light emitted from our cell phones and other internet devices can disrupt melatonin production and therefore our sleep.

A connection to executive functioning
The latest evidence comes from a small study presented Thursday at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America in Chicago. The study, which has not been peer-reviewed, indicates that cell phone addiction may affect brain functioning.

Researchers from Korea University in Seoul used brain imaging to study the brains of 19 teenage boys who were diagnosed with internet or smartphone addiction. Compared with 19 teenagers who were not addicted, the brains of the addicted boys had significantly higher levels of GABA, a neurotransmitter in the cortex that inhibits neurons, than levels of glutamate-glutamine, a neurotransmitter that energizes brain signals.

“GABA slows down the neurons,” explained Yildirim, who was not involved in the Korean study. “That results in poorer attention and control, which you don’t want to have, because you want to stay focused. So that means you are more vulnerable to distractions.”

“It’s a very small study, so you have to take it with a grain of salt,” said Stanford neuroradiologist Dr. Max Wintermark, an expert in neuroimaging who was also not connected with the research. “It’s the first study that I read about internet addiction, but there are many studies that link alcohol, drug and other types of addiction to imbalances in various neurotransmitters in the brain.”

Yildirim agreed that the preliminary findings were consistent with prior research.

“We know that medium to heavy multitaskers, who engage in multiple forms of media simultaneously, tend to demonstrate smaller gray matter area in the anterior cingulate cortex, which is the area of the brain responsible for top-down attention control,” he said.

“Altogether, this means that if you are too dependent on your smartphone, you are basically damaging your ability to be attentive.”

Addicted teenagers in the study also had significantly higher scores in anxiety, depression and levels of insomnia and impulsivity, said Dr. Hyung Suk Seo, professor of neuroradiology at Korea University, who led the study.

The good news is that when 12 of the addicted teens were given nine weeks of cognitive behavioral therapy, the levels of GABA to glutamate-glutamine normalized.

“This is a common finding in the literature,” Yildirim said. “There are studies that have looked at how cognitive behavioral therapy can improve attention control and executive functioning.”

One study of mindfulness training showed increased cognitive performance, and another showed neuroplastic changes in the anterior cingulate cortex, the same area of the brain damaged by smartphone addiction.

“To me, the most interesting aspect of the study is that they were able to see a correction of the imbalance after cognitive behavior therapy intervention,” Wintermark said. “What I would like to see is more research on whether the symptoms of addiction are also corrected.”

Fighting back against smartphone addiction
If you, or a loved one, seems to have the symptoms of smart device or internet addiction, experts have some suggestions in addition to mindfulness training.

First, turn off your phone at certain times of the day, such as in meetings, having dinner, playing with your kids, and of course, driving. Remove social media apps, like Facebook and Twitter from your phone, and only check-in from your laptop.

Try to wean yourself to 15 minute intervals at set times of the day when it won’t affect work or family life. Don’t bring your cell phone and it’s harmful blue light to bed; use an old fashioned alarm to wake you. And last, try to replace your smart device time with healthier activities such as meditating or actually interacting with real people.

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Source: CNN

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The fusion of biology and technology was used to control blood sugar levels in mice with diabetes.

The idea, described in Science Translational Medicine, could be applied to a wide range of diseases and drug treatments.

And the Chinese researchers say the approach could pave the way for a “new era” in medicine.

The first step was to turn normal cells into living factories.

They were genetically engineered to manufacture drugs that control blood sugar levels such as insulin – but only in response to light.

The technology is called optogenetics and these cells would kick into gear when exposed to specific wavelengths of red light.

Then comes the tech – a set of wirelessly powered LEDs and a smartphone app to control them.

Researchers at East China Normal University in Shanghai implanted the system into mice and were able to control diabetes with the tap of a touchscreen.

Image copyrightJ SHAO

The team said the findings “could pave the way for a new era of personalised, digitalised and globalised precision medicine”.

The scientists needed to take tiny drops of blood to know how high the blood sugar levels were so they could calculate how much drug to release inside the animal.

Their ultimate goal is a fully automated system that both detects sugar levels and then releases the right amount of therapeutic chemicals.

This idea is clearly at an early stage, but it is not limited to diabetes. Cells could be engineered to manufacture a wide range of drugs.

Prof Mark Gomelsky, a molecular biologist from the University of Wyoming, said the study was an “exciting accomplishment”.

He added: “How soon should we expect to see people on the street wearing fashionable LED wristbands that irradiate implanted cells engineered to produce genetically encoded drugs under the control of a smartphone?

“Not just yet, but the work provides us with an exciting glimpse into the future of smart cell-based therapeutics.”

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Source: BBC

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Many consider the original handset iconic because of its popularity and sturdiness. More than 126 million were produced before it was phased out in 2005.

The revamped version will be sold under licence by the Finnish start-up HMD Global, which also unveiled several Nokia-branded Android smartphones.

One expert said it was a “fantastic way” to relaunch Nokia’s phone brand.

“The 3310 was the first mass-market mobile and there’s a massive amount of nostalgia and affection for it,” commented Ben Wood from the technology consultancy CCS Insight.

“If HMD had just announced three Android devices they would have barely got a couple of column inches in the press.

“So, the 3310 is a very clever move and we expect it will sell in significant volumes.”

The announcement was made ahead of the start of the Mobile World Congress tech show in Barcelona. LG, Huawei and Lenovo are among others to have unveiled new devices.

Nokia no longer makes phones itself, but manufactures telecoms equipment, Ozo virtual reality cameras, and health kit under the Withings brand.

Long life
The new 3310 qualifies as a “feature phone” rather than a smartphone as it only provides limited internet facilities.

It relies on 2.5G connectivity – which has slower data speeds than 3G or 4G – and is powered by the S30+ operating system, which allows web browsing but has a much smaller range of apps than Android or iOS. Its single camera is also restricted to two megapixels.

However, its advantage over more powerful handsets is its battery life. HMD says the colour-screened phone has up to a month’s standby time and delivers more than 22 hours of talk time.

It also comes with the modern version of the classic game Snake preinstalled.

Its launch price is €49 ($51,75; £41.51).

“It’s almost like a digital detox or a holiday phone,” HMD’s chief executive Arto Nummela told the BBC.

“If you want to switch off to an extent but you still need to have a [mobile] lifeline, it’s a brilliant solution.

“Why wouldn’t you buy this like candy? If you see this hanging on the shelf at the checkout in a [see-through] package, then you’d just buy it as an accessory.”

Android phones
HMD also confirmed the Nokia 6 Android smartphone would be released worldwide following its China debut in January.

The device has a 16 megapixel rear camera, a 5.5in (14cm) 1080p “full definition” screen and includes the Google Assistant helper – the search engine’s rival to Apple’s Siri.

It is priced as a mid-tier device at €229, alongside a glossy black special edition that costs €299.
In addition, the firm showed off smaller, lower-range Nokia 5 and Nokia 3 models.

Taiwan’s Foxconn will manufacture the phones, which may offset concerns that networks might have about HMD’s capacity to deliver.

“Foxconn – with its experience working with Apple and Samsung – is certainly the standout device manufacturer,” commented Tim Coulling from the tech research firm Canalys.

“It’s ability to help HMD go from small to large scale will be a critical factor in their partnership.

“It also means if HMD wants to locate manufacturing in different regions to take advantage of pockets of demand, that’s something Foxconn will allow them to achieve.”

However, another market watcher said HMD’s success was far from guaranteed.

“Resurrecting one of Nokia’s feature phone bestsellers seems like a good beachhead to attack the smartphone market.

“But another part of Nokia’s heritage was its high-end devices.

“What HMD needs next is a higher-end [Android smartphone] that is different, and that’s always a problem with Android: how do you differentiate?

“Nokia’s brand will get them so far – especially in emerging markets – but trying to push into the high-end versus Apple, Samsung or even Huawei will be tough.”

There is no doubt what the headlines will be from the HMD Global Nokia event here in Barcelona – and they won’t be about a new range of slick Android smartphones.

Yes, the reboot of the Nokia 3310 is fun – and perhaps there is a huge audience for a return to a time when all you could do with a phone was make calls and play Snake.

But make no mistake, if this piece of nostalgia is the future of the Nokia brand then it is doomed. And of course the smart team at HMD Global know that. They haven’t built partnerships with Foxconn, Google and hundreds of operators around the world on the promise of a return to the 2G past.

It is phones like the Nokia 6 – apparently already selling well in China – which are key to any hopes of making the Finnish brand a force to be reckoned with again. But of course yet another slab of metal and glass running Android was never going to excite the analysts and journalists tired of overblown launches where the words “awesome” and “revolutionary” are thrown around like confetti.

Hence the decision to remind us of Nokia’s glorious past, where everyone seemed to have a phone with that familiar ringtone and nobody was asking to borrow a charger to get them through the day. A stroke of marketing genius then – but a risky strategy.

If the phone-buying public one now sees Nokia as a retro brand rather one which has been reinvigorated for the 4 and 5G future, then HMD may come to regret its 3310 gimmick.
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Source: BBC

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Through a newly launched mobile game application titled ‘My jolley’, they seek to inform young people about reproductive health.

The first chapter of the game themed, “How far will you go to take it all back”, is designed to help young people make right decisions on  reproductive health that will help avert unsafe abortions among other things.

Madam Geertje Posta, Executive Director of WEB Foundation, initiators of the project, at the launch of the first chapter of the game, said young people spent increasingly more time on their cell phones and traditional ways of education will not achieve the desired results.

The game addresses the central issue of unsafe abortions, one of most pressing challenges affecting young people in Ghana identified in field research conducted by the three partners prior to the development of the game.

Other issues identified and which will be addressed in future chapters of the game, are teenage pregnancy, transactional sex, and consent.

“Perhaps we can be the pioneers in this way or trying to reach young people with important messages like the messages in our game; on sexual and reproductive health and rights”, she said, adding, “kids are finding new ways to get their information and news ways to spend their free time and meet other people”.

Mr Eyram Akofa Tawia, Chief Executive Officer of Leti Arts, technical implementors of the project, said the game was designed to start at the end of a story and tasks targeted players; between the ages of 12 and 21 years, to undo decisions that led the main character to the catastrophic end for which they are in court.

He said although games were very effective in advocacy campaigns globally, the sector was very nascent in Africa, making it a big challenge to convince institutions to build games instead putting up billboards.

Mr Tawia said while the culture of gaming was disregarded or seen as unserious in Ghana, it was a viable sector and was effective due its story-telling, challenge and interactive nature.

The ‘My Jorley game’ is currently only compatible with Android smart phones.

Mr Ger J. Steenbergen, First Secretary, Health, of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, said the Kingdom of the Netherlands funded the project because they believed youth in the country had the right to know what sexuality was all about and how to be safe, which had been lacking in the country.

“The youth have been marginalised and so we have been trying to support organisations on how to reach young people and speak to them to help them develop into mature healthy persons” he said, adding that the game was something that young people will accept and respond to.

Mr Steenbergen said while there was some statistics on unsafe abortions in the country, they were not very reliable due to the taboo surrounding the issue which did not allow many young people involved to talk about it.

He said the Embassy was funding the project to the tune of a 100,000 Euros and stressed the involvement of the youth in the development of the project.

The project also trained youth on film making using their smartphones and incorporated the films produced by the young people into the game.

“By doing this, we also want to introduce young people into a new game industry because that is going to a new way of entrepreneurship”, he said.

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Source: GNA

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The company used to be the biggest and most important smartphone maker in the world. But it has said that it will now stop designing them itself, instead outsourcing that development to partners.

It brings to an end months of speculation about what BlackBerry would do with its smartphone business, which has been gradually overtaken by companies like Apple and Samsung.

It had tried other options, like using Google’s Android operating system in phones that it built itself. But that doesn’t appear to have worked.

“The company plans to end all internal hardware development and will outsource that function to partners,” CEO John Chen said in a statement.

Closing down the part of its business that makes phones will help the company save on capital, it said. Instead, it will have other companies design and build them, removing the need for that investment.

BlackBerry hopes that it can instead revive itself by focusing on software, a focus that it says is now “taking hold”.

The BlackBerry was once a cultural phenomenon – inspiring the “CrackBerry” idea of people glued to their work email and communications. It also made its way into people’s personal lives, with BlackBerry Messenger becoming a central part of people’s communications in the mid-2000s.

But it didn’t see the rise of more sophisticated, touch screen smartphones like those made by Samsung and Apple. Sales gradually died off and, despite frenzied attempts to catch up, it never recovered.

As such, it joins Nokia as a once iconic brand now consigned to history. BlackBerry’s death happened perhaps more gradually – going from being second in the phone market behind Nokia in 2009, when it controlled 20 per cent of the market, to much less than 1 per cent now.

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Source: Independent

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