How We Are Converting Covid-19 Pandemic To Opportunity To Reset The Economy – Osinbajo

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How We Are Converting Covid-19 Pandemic To Opportunity To Reset The Economy – Osinbajo
In spite of the despair that came with the COVID-19 pandemic and its attendant consequences, Nigeria decided to seize the opportunity to reset the economy amidst worldwide economic challenges, according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN.
Prof. Osinbajo stated this in Abuja on Tuesday at a Webinar organised by the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council, CWEIC, with its focus on Nigeria.
According to the Vice President, “it seemed the sun was beginning to shine quite brightly after the years of recession and its immediate aftermath. Then came COVID-19 possibly the worst economic crisis the world has seen. For us in Nigeria, it was a perfect storm for oil prices, Russia and Saudi Arabia choosing that very moment for a price war. Then the inevitable lockdowns resulting in the closure of businesses, our huge informal economy all but crashed and Government revenues fell too by over 40%.
“But the silver linings were perhaps bolder in the dark clouds.
The President decided that we could seize the opportunity to reset our economy in a way that may have been impossible had there not been a worldwide economic crash.
“I was asked to chair an inter-ministerial team to develop our Economic Sustainability Plan. A plan which we hope will, in the next 12 months or so, avoid a deep and prolonged recession by supporting businesses and households, but perhaps more importantly, addressing long-term structural vulnerabilities
“Taking into account our economic size and fiscal limitations, we have put together a stimulus package of N2.3trillion, which is just over 1.5% of national income. If other factors like the price of oil and length of the COVID-19 pandemic do not worsen further, these interventions should ameliorate the situation with a mild recession expected of minus 0.59%.”
Other speakers at the international webinar include Lord Marland of Odstock, the Chairman of the CWEIC, Sir Lynton Crosby, Chief Executive Officer C|T Group and the Industry, Trade & Investment Minister, Otunba Adeniyi Adebayo.
REMARKS BY HIS EXCELLENCY, PROF. YEMI OSINBAJO, SAN, GCON, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA AT THE COMMONWEALTH ENTERPRISE AND INVESTMENT COUNCIL FOCUS ON NIGERIA WEBINAR ON THE 14TH OF JULY, 2020
Protocols
Thank you for that kind introduction. I am pleased to be participating in this special session focused on Nigeria. There is never a good time for a pandemic, but there can be a terribly wrong time.
That’s how it seemed three months ago as COVID – 19 began to ravage. January 2020, oil prices approached $70 a barrel for the first time since the crash of 2015/2016 which saw prices crash to sub $30 a barrel, Q3 2019 growth was 2.55%, modest but clearly on the upward trajectory, 3% growth was well in sight.
Our Economic Recovery and Growth Plan was beginning to make sense. Work was on-going in major rail, road and bridge projects along the main national trade corridors. The Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) arrangements on our Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Train 7 which will unlock an additional 30% more LNG output had commenced.
It seemed the sun was beginning to shine quite brightly after the years of recession and its immediate aftermath. Then came COVID-19, possibly the worst economic crisis the world has seen. For us in Nigeria, it was a perfect storm for oil prices, Russia and Saudi Arabia choosing that very moment for a price war. Then the inevitable lockdowns resulting in closure of businesses, our huge informal economy all but crashed and Government revenues fell too by over 40%.
But the silver linings were perhaps bolder in the dark clouds. The President decided that we could seize the opportunity to reset our economy in a way that may have been impossible had there not been a worldwide economic crash.
I was asked to chair an inter-ministerial team to develop our Economic Sustainability Plan. A plan which we hope will in the next 12 months or so, avoid a deep and prolonged recession by supporting businesses and households, but perhaps more importantly, addressing long-term structural vulnerabilities.
Taking into account our economic size and fiscal limitations, we have put together a stimulus package of N2.3trillion, which is just over 1.5% of national income. If other factors like the price of oil and length of the COVID-19 pandemic do not worsen further, these interventions should ameliorate the situation with a mild recession expected of minus 0.59%.
We have taken the opportunity to remove petrol subsidies and to insist that power distribution companies must engage with customers to ensure that new tariffs are based only on improved power supply. We are talking of service reflective tariffs.
The Central Bank of Nigeria is also committing to moving to a unified exchange rate, to improve certainty in trade and investment. In addition to using fiscal and monetary measures to stimulate the economy, our main objectives are to retain and create jobs, to assist vulnerable people, support businesses and undertake infrastructural investments. I am happy to see from the research that jobs, retaining jobs and creating more opportunities tops Nigerians’ priorities when it comes to what they believe the COVID-19 response should be like.
Some key interventions include: Jobs for Food which is an agricultural programme aimed at expanding the acreage under cultivation across the country, to create, we hope, hundreds of thousands of jobs and we also intend to guarantee uptake processors, aggregators and to some extent, by government.
We also have a Jobs through Homes programme which is a programme to provide jobs and increase our national housing stock, at the same time by a massive social housing programme where we intend to engage young professionals and artisans who are involved at the moment, in small businesses, building and using local products such as cement, doors, tiles, windows and paint.
We also have a Solar Homes Systems Programme where we intend to engage private solar power companies who will be able to access cheap loans to provide modular solar-powered units to about 5 million households which will roughly translate to serve 25 million people in rural or under-served areas. At the moment, we have about 40million homes without power. So, we expect that this will be a major dent in that deficit.
The scale required means we will be encouraging suppliers to establish production facilities in the country. We expect to be able to attract solar companies to establish manufacturing and assembly plants in Nigeria.
Supporting small businesses is also a priority and I am sure the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment will talk more about it.
We are also looking at the Future of Jobs programme in technology taking into account the ‘new normalʼ, our creative and significant youth population and the need to prepare our economy to be an outsourcing hub, providing services across the whole gamut of possible technology engagements, including animation, software engineering and data analysis.
These are areas where we have invested considerably already and we intend to do a bit more and we hope that some of the efforts we put into the response will address these areas even more pointedly.
To be sure, improving health outcomes is very much part of the package. To meet the immediate challenge, we have dug deep to find resources to respond to the pandemic. We have more built isolation centres and laboratories, incentivizing medical personnel, buying test kits and personal protective equipment, as well as several other medical types of equipment.
We have increased the number of modular laboratories that can handle COVID-19 samples from 5 at the onset of the pandemic to 39 today.
The crisis has also revealed significantly, the vulnerability of our health sector. So, as part of the Economic Sustainability Plan, we are also looking at the universal health coverage, about improving the work we are doing in universal health insurance with a view to universal health coverage by a combination of public finance and mandatory social insurance.
While we are bullish on promoting local production, we remain committed to engaging with our traditional trading partners. This is in recognition of the potential contribution of trade to growth.
The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is pertinent in this regard, but so certainly is also trade with our Commonwealth partners, including the United Kingdom. This was indeed evident from Nigeria’s participation in the UK-Africa Investment Forum held earlier this year. It is particularly noteworthy that intra-Commonwealth trade is projected to rise from an estimated $1trillion this year to $2.75trillion by 2030 and we intend to be a major part of this growth.
It is not news of course that the COVID-19 pandemic has distorted international trade with disruption of global value chains, export bans, and protectionist policies. On our part, Nigeria remains committed to the multilateral trade system but we will ensure that our economy is not subjected to unfair trade practices.
Ultimately, we see Nigeria as ‘Africa’s Gateway Economy’. As the continent’s most populous nation and its largest economy, we think that we can leverage our geographical location, which is right in the middle of far-flung Commonwealth countries, we are poised to catalyze intra-Commonwealth trade. Our investments in fast-growing sectors and infrastructure, power, rail, roads and several other areas especially technology where we think we can benefit from other Commonwealth countries.
Once again, I thank the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council for convening this important discussion especially now, when we certainly see a greater need for socio-economic engagements with our Commonwealth partners and we are set and ready to continue these engagements and we look forward to not just what this particular session will bring but to all our future cooperation.
Thank you very much indeed.

Spotify Launches in Russia and 12 Additional European Markets

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Spotify Launches in Russia and 12 Additional European Markets

Spotify today launched its service in 13 new markets across Europe including Russia, one of the world’s top 20 largest streaming markets. Already the world’s most popular audio streaming subscription service, with today’s expansion, Spotify now reaches a current total of 92 markets worldwide.

Spotify’s 13 new markets include Albania, Belarus, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Russia, Serbia, Slovenia, Ukraine.

As the leading platform driving music discovery on more types of devices than any other service, Spotify’s expansion in Europe comes as consumers in the region embrace streaming. According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), Russia is the 17th-biggest streaming market in the world and on pace to be the 10th-biggest streaming market by 2030. More than 87 percent of fans in Russia now access music through streaming, compared to 61 percent adoption globally, and 68 percent adoption in the U.S., according to IFPI. Starting today, Spotify is offering both its Free and Premium services in each of its 13 new markets.

“Today’s launch opens the door for nearly 250 million fans to start discovering new music from around the world on Spotify, and for artists in the region to reach the increasingly connected global audience of fans,” said Gustav Gyllenhammar, Spotify VP, Markets and Subscriber Growth. “Launching in these 13 markets is an important moment in Spotify’s journey, especially as we welcome fans and artists in growing music markets like Russia, where streaming is being widely adopted and where we see a significant opportunity for Spotify.”

As a part of Spotify’s expansion announced today, it has introduced 200 new playlists featuring artists from across the region that are available to fans around the world. To highlight Russia’s rich musical culture, for example, Spotify has added almost 100 playlists, including editorially curated playlists like Hip-Hop Cannon and New Music Friday Russia, and “This Is” playlists featuring popular Russian artists. Personalized Spotify playlists like Release Radar, Daily Mix, and Discover Weekly, which are informed by the listening habits of individual fans, are also now available in Russian.

The Spotify app is available to download for free or with an upgrade to Spotify Premium, including Individual, Family, Student (select markets) and Duo Premium Plans. To enjoy music the way you want it, download the Spotify app today via the Android or iOS app store or by heading to www.spotify.com/free.

‘We are impressed with Akeredolu’s performance’, says APC National Youth leaders

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‘We are impressed with Akeredolu’s performance’, says APC National Youth leaders

The national youth leadership caucus of the All Progressives Party, APC in Nigeria, take this auspicious moment, to declare our support for the re-election of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu Aketi SAN, as Executive Governor of Ondo State.

The National Youth Caucus comprises of all the zonal youth leaders, the national youth leader and deputy national youth leader of the APC. We are here today with a good number of our state youth leaders. As the youth structure of the party nationally, we are committed to the progressive ideals of our party, as it matters on the improved livelihood of all Nigerians.

We are committed to the progress of our party, and this progress can only be proportional to the performances of our public officeholders. We have chosen to come to Ondo State, to have a firsthand inspection of the claims of performances of Governor Akeredolu who has served a four-year term on the aegis of our party. After a two day tour, we can say; we have come, we have seen and we are impressed.

The entire removal of a hill to pave way for a level plain dualized road, which used to claim lives albeit without remedy have come to reality in Ondo State. That is the Oke Alabojuto road construction in the Northern Senatorial District. A visit to the Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa will convince every lover of progress that Governor Akeredolu should be supported to complete all he has started.

That school is a victim of a sudden change of vision and commitment. The school be 12 years old this year but had been abandoned since the originator left government. It is the kind heart and commitment of Governor Akeredolu that has brought life back to the school, in terms of needed infrastructures. The school now wears a new look, new roads, newly constructed senate building, newly constructed Library, new auditorium etc.

According to the Vice-Chancellor of the University, Professor Robert Ogunduyile, the University just added two new faculties. The faculty of Agriculture and Faculty of Engineering. The school has also just been able to accredit many of its courses. Governor Akeredolu has been able to secure TETFUND registration for the University, and it has now qualified for the 2020 project.

The Governor secured international partners to collaborate with the University, providing the latest technologies in teaching and capacity building for our youth. Such efforts by the governor secured 45,000 new books for the University library. The University is now confident to think of commencing postgraduate studies.

We visited the Ondo-Linyi Industrial hub at Omotosho, a strategically situated concourse of manufacturing companies. There the governor created a partnership between the state and Chinese expertise, to bring the unprecedented to bear.

The first phase of the Ondo-Linyi industrial hub we witnessed in this tour has about ten different companies that are involved in different stages of production of locally useful products, also export quality products. The factories in this complex include Truck Assemblage factory, Paper pulp production factory, Cassava to ethanol factory, High-Density Fibre, Medium Density Fibre, Plywood and Marine Board production factory, and others.

We are delighted to know that the first phase of Ondo-Linyi Industrial hub alone engages about 2000 workers, and 95% of these workers are Nigerians. We earnestly await the phase two and three of these Industrial hubs as scheduled by Governor Akeredolu, which obviously will create multiples of the existing job opportunities for our youth, especially outside the civil service.

These will further put Ondo State at national spotlight and create an enviable example for other states to create jobs, become more productive and save the value of the naira.

We saw and used the Redemption bridge at Ore, and we are very grateful for the initiative. There is no Nigerian who will not appreciate Governor Akeredolu for that bridge, as it is life-saving and economically impactful. We appreciate the effort of the governor in the rehabilitation of primary schools, road constructions, and many more.

If the essence of governance is the overall development of the society and lifting the burden of the people, Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu has indeed done well. He has done the All Progressives Congress proud. We have seen his vision, we align with it and we as members of the national executives of the party put all our weight and influence in the party behind him as we go into the primary elections.

We stand for a better Nigeria, a better Ondo State and to such; we declare total support for the reelection of Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, to continue as governor of Ondo state for another four years.

Startimes acquires Laliga broadcast rights

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Startimes acquires Laliga broadcast rights

Startimes has won the right to broadcast the matches of the Spanish LaLiga to its teeming subscribers. This comes after the Federal Government had prohibited exclusivity rights of PayTv operators to broadcast sports matches in January 2020.

The Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, directed the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to implement the new regulation mandating broadcasters and exclusive licensees to share their broadcast rights with other operators.

The entry of Startimes into the Laliga will no doubt redefine the followership of the Spanish game in the country as Nigerians adore the likes of Lionel Messi, Karim Benzema, Luiz Suarez and Sergio Ramos. This move is also expected to serve as an attraction for Nigerian players to ply their trade in Spain.

The Pay Tv station has offered subscribers quality entertainment at an affordable price and this has made its subscriber base to increase in leaps and bounds.

Nobel Laureate Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to give keynote address at Hogan Lovells 7th Africa Forum

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Nobel Laureate Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to give keynote address at Hogan Lovells 7th Africa Forum

Global law firm Hogan Lovells is honoured to announce that Nobel Peace Prize Winner and former Liberian president, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, will be part of their line-up of prestigious panellists and speakers at the seventh annual Hogan Lovells Africa Forum.

This highly anticipated event, which will be held virtually on Monday 20 July, will delve deep into business-critical dialogues surrounding Africa’s growth and sustainability.

Nobel Peace Prize Winner and former Liberian president, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

“We at Hogan Lovells are very excited to have so many influential and respected individuals from different industries join our discussions at this year’s Africa Forum,” says Andrew Skipper, Head of Hogan Lovells Africa Practice.

“We are particularly thrilled to have President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf as part of our event, as she is a global leader of freedom, peace, justice, women’s empowerment and democratic rule.

As Africa’s first democratically-elected female head of state, she led Liberia from 2006 to 2018 through reconciliation and recovery following the nation’s decade-long civil war, as well as the Ebola Crisis, winning international acclaim for achieving economic, social, and political change.”

This year’s Africa Forum comes in the midst of the global pandemic, COVID-19, which has had and will continue to have, a fundamental impact on the way we do business in Africa, from Africa and across Africa.

The additional burden of climate change, which the continent is one of the most vulnerable to – although it contributes the least to global warming – makes the issue of sustainability a relevant focus area for how Africa’s industries can grow.

The event will consist of a number of sessions, all having Africa and its growth as their focus.

These sessions will include:

  1. Championing Africa – this panel, which will include Rakesh Wahi, Co-founder & Vice Chairman at ABN Group (CNBC Africa & Forbes Africa) will address questions like, “How do you grow in a sustainable way regardless of the size of your business?” and “How do you promote a positive narrative for Africa in a constantly evolving market place especially in a time of global crisis?”
  1. Financing for impact – Financial institutions the world over are increasingly turning to investments that embed sustainability, meet SDG and ESG targets, and have a positive impact on all stakeholders. Africa should be benefiting from this growing appetite and the continent doesn’t lack opportunities. Panellists for this session will include Ibukun Adebayo, Director and Co-Head Emerging Markets at London Stock Exchange Group;  Christopher Kirigua, Regional Head of Sustainable Finance for Africa at Standard Chartered Bank; and Nieros Oyegun, Head of Network – The Africa List at CDC
  1. Managing risk in times of uncertainty – This session will examine the importance of managing risks in light of the current state of the global economy following the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The discussion will cover lessons learned from managing COVID-19 related risks – what has worked well and what strategies can be used for dealing with risk allocation for past, present and future projects in a sustainable way.
  1. Africa beyond COVID: the role of government and the public sector in defining and delivering a new positive and sustainable narrative – Africa is arguably disproportionately impacted by climate change and while demographics are working in our favour, as well as disruptive changes in the global supply chain that could result in less reliance on international suppliers, how can government and external investor countries balance the need to develop with the need for sustainability? Four prominent public officials from wide-ranging parts of the continent, including H.E. Tarek Ahmed Ibrahim Adel, Ambassador of Egypt to the United Kingdom and H.E. Dr Fatimata Dia, Ambassador of Senegal to the United Kingdom, will explore and discuss this topic.

“For the past seven years, Africa Forum has been a platform for some of the best minds on the continent to come together and discuss how Africa can best grow and thrive across industries and sectors,” notes Skipper.

“We at Hogan Lovells are excited to host our very first online Africa Forum, which has been held both in the UK and in Africa in previous years. This 2020 version of our event is particularly pertinent, as the continent has been presented with further challenges as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. I look forward to many robust and fruitful discussions at this year’s Africa Forum.”

For more information and to register for Africa Forum, please go to: https://www.hoganlovells.com/en/events/africa-forum-2020

Expect 6G in 2028, enabling mobile holograms and 1,000Gbps peak rate – Samsung

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Expect 6G in 2028, enabling mobile holograms and 1,000Gbps peak rate – Samsung

Samsung released a white paper entitled “The Next Hyper-Connected Experience for All.” outlining the company’s vision for the next generation communication system, namely 6G.

The white paper covers various aspects related to 6G, including technical and societal megatrends, new services, requirements, candidate technologies and an expected timeline of standardization.

Samsung’s vision for 6G is to bring the next hyper-connected experience to every corner of life. To accelerate research for 6G, Samsung Research, the advanced R&D hub within Samsung Electronics’ SET Business, founded its Advanced Communications Research Center in May of last year.

“While 5G commercialization is still in its initial stage, it’s never too early to start preparing for 6G because it typically takes around 10 years from the start of research to commercialization of a new generation of communications technology,” explained Sunghyun Choi, Head of the Advanced Communications Research Center.

“We’ve already launched the research and development of 6G technologies by building upon the experience and ability we have accumulated from working on multiple generations of communications technology, including 5G. Going forward, we are committed to leading the standardization of 6G in collaboration with various stakeholders across industry, academia and government fields.”

In the white paper, Samsung expects that the completion of the 6G standard and its earliest commercialization date could be as early as 2028, while mass commercialization may occur around 2030.

Both humans and machines will be the main users of 6G, and 6G will be characterized by the provision of advanced services such as truly immersive extended reality (XR), high-fidelity mobile hologram and digital replica.

Whereas 5G requirements mainly focused on performance aspects, Samsung defines three categories of requirements that have to be met to realize 6G services – performance, architectural and trustworthiness requirements.

Examples of 6G performance requirements are a peak data rate of 1,000 Gbps (gigabits per second) and air latency less than 100 microseconds (μs), 50 times the peak data rate and one-tenth the latency of 5G.

A comparison of key performance requirements between 6G and 5G is shown in the diagram below.

The architectural requirements of 6G include resolving the issues arising from the limited computation capability of mobile devices as well as implementing AI right from the initial phase of technology development and enabling the flexible integration of new network entities. The trustworthiness requirement addresses the security and privacy issues arising from the widespread use of user data and AI technologies.

The white paper also introduces candidate technologies that could be essential to satisfy the requirements for 6G. These include the use of the terahertz (THz) frequency band, novel antenna technologies to enhance the coverage of high-frequency band signals, advanced duplex technologies, the evolution of network topology, spectrum sharing to increase the efficiency of frequency utilization and the use of AI in wireless communications.

Click here to download Samsung’s 6G white paper.

OPPO Unveils 125W Flash Charge, 65W Airvooc Wireless Flash Charge And 50W Mini Supervooc Charger

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OPPO Unveils 125W Flash Charge, 65W Airvooc Wireless Flash Charge And 50W Mini Supervooc Charger

OPPO launches a new flash charge lineup with new high-power wired and wireless charging technologies as well as high-power ultra-small chargers, consolidating OPPO’s leading position in flash charge

July 15, 2020, LAGOS – OPPO announced today the official release of the 125W flash charge, the 65W AirVOOC wireless flash charge, the ultra-small portable 50W mini SuperVOOC charger as well as the 110W mini flash charger.

The 125W flash charge technology marks the latest flash charge technological breakthrough for the smartphone industry. With an advanced encryption algorithm and strict temperature control regulators, it enables the safe and efficient use of the flash charging device.

The 65W AirVOOC wireless flash charge allows users to charge faster compared to wired charging. The 50W mini SuperVOOC charger and the 110W flash charger which are introduced for the first time are unique innovations of OPPO’s VOOC flash charge technology.

They are field leaders in the miniaturization of high-power chargers as a result of their unprecedented light, thin and portable features.

Jeff Zhang, Chief Charging Technology Scientist at OPPO, commented: “The accelerated 5G rollout worldwide, as well as the increasing diversification of high-power-consumption applications including gaming and video viewing, represent new challenges for the battery life of mobile phones and user charging experience. OPPO has been leading the development of fast charging ever since VOOC flash charge was launched in 2014. Now, we are committed to continuing to build on our expertise and advantages in the field of high power, wireless and ultra-small charging technologies in order to provide users with a safe, efficient and convenient ultra-fast charging experience.”

125W flash charge: faster charging in the 5G era

OPPO’s 125W flash charge technology uses direct charging technology which is able to charge a 4000mAh battery up to 41% in 5 minutes and fully charge it in 20 minutes at the fastest rate.

Simultaneously, it is compatible with previous SuperVOOC and VOOC flash charge protocols and it also supports mainstream protocols including 65W PD and 125W PPS. Currently, it is the most advanced flash charging technology in the industry.

Evolved from SuperVOOC’s technical design, the 125W flash charge has undergone a comprehensive hardware architecture upgrade. It can support a charging scheme of up to 20V 6.25A and has significantly improved power density properties in order to effectively reduce charging time whilst simultaneously not increasing the size of the charger.

In terms of battery, it is equipped with double-6C cells with breakthrough battery ratio, industry-leading multiple tab structures, charge pumps and a highly integrated MCU to improve charging efficiency.

In addition, the technology behind the 125W flash charge has strengthened the safety protection features in the system by adding 10 additional temperature sensors which monitor the charging status and ensure maximum safety during charging.

Furthermore, the platform uses fuse overvoltage protection measures, Type-C to Type-C wire as well as 128-bit high-strength encryption algorithm to enhance safety.

65W AirVOOC wireless flash charge: leading the development of wireless charging technology

Users want to be free of the hassle and inconvenience of charging cables and be able to charge their devices as quickly as possible. The answer to this problem is the market-leading wireless flash charge technology 65W AirVOOC wireless flash charge, which adopts self-developed isolated charge pump technology and parallel dual-coil design to further increase wireless charging efficiency.

The 65W AirVOOC wireless flash charge can fully charge a 4000mAh battery in 30 minutes at the fastest rate. It has reduced the interference in frequency and thereby enabled wireless charging to be widely applied.

The technology has five-fold safety protection measures in addition to a foreign object detection function. It is also compatible with the Qi standard and provides users with a cable-free and super-fast charging experience.

In addition, OPPO has showcased a conceptual wireless charger for the 65W AirVOOC wireless flash charge. The charger features a beautifully-sculpted glass which is made of moldless rapid prototyping technology and is the first application of this type of technology in the consumer electronics market.

The bottom of the charger is equipped with a semiconductor cooler in order to adjust the heat entering and exiting thereby ensuring that the handset is not hot after the appliance has been charged.

In this case, the temperature of the back of the phone is kept over 2℃ lower than that of only using the fan to dissipate heat. The unique design makes mobile phone charging more convenient and has the capacity for high-power charging.

These unique features mean that the 65W AirVOOC wireless flash charge provides a unique and unprecedented charging experience and may likely become users’ first charger choice in the 5G era.

High-power ultra-small charger series: mini-size and easy to carry

OPPO also launched today the world’s smallest and thinnest 50W mini SuperVOOC charger, and the 110W mini flash charger that features a unique dual-level architecture.

OPPO’s 50W mini SuperVOOC charger was developed through multi-radian curve processing to a size similar to a business card holder; its wall has a thickness of only 1.05cm. As a result of its design, users can easily place it in their shirt pockets and coat pockets, which makes it extremely convenient for commuting and travelling.

The 50W mini SuperVOOC charger is compatible with VOOC protocols, supports mainstream protocols like 27W PD and 50W PPS, and can charge a variety of devices including mobile phones and laptops.

OPPO’s engineers designed a revolutionary architecture for the 50W mini SuperVOOC charger and reduced the size of the components that take up the most space by using a new topological design.

This provides a highly efficient power conversion by removing the conventional electrolytic capacitor as well as introducing pulse charging – the first in the industry, aviation-grade high power clamping diodes and GaN high frequency switching power supply technology, to finally achieve miniaturization of high-power chargers.

Building upon the 50W mini SuperVOOC charger, OPPO’s 110W mini flash charger has defied the limits of size and efficiency for high-power adapters. Besides using the innovative dual-level architecture to achieve high-efficiency power conversion and temperature rise control, the 110W mini flash charger is built upon the combination of laminate and compact structures which minimizes its size to just 35.76 cm³ – similar to the size of a normal 18W charger.

In the era of intelligent connectivity, OPPO’s ultra-small charger series will provide flash charging anywhere and at any time. Charge-and-go is now a reality, a single charger which powers multiple devices.

As of June 2020, OPPO has applied for more than 2,800 global patents for flash charging. The firm’s 30-plus smartphone models featuring VOOC flash charge technology have delivered the ultra-fast charging experience to over 157 million users globally.

With demand growing for mobile flash charging in the era of intelligent connectivity, OPPO will continue to improve and upgrade the VOOC flash charge platforms and develop industry-leading technologies to deliver flash-charging experiences suitable to all usage scenarios for its users across the world.

Global Monetary Policy in H2-2020: ‘Helicopter money’ on a rescue mission

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Global Monetary Policy in H2-2020: ‘Helicopter money’ on a rescue mission

In 2019, monetary policy authorities gradually took a dovish stance, due to the fragility of global growth and the dilemma with low inflation rates. In 2020, the outbreak of COVID-19 sent global central banks on a tsunami of expansionary monetary policies, ranging from huge rate cuts to quantitative easing, and less conventional tools like helicopter money.

Notably, the US Federal Reserve (Fed) led the way as it delivered a surprise rate cut of 50bps after an emergency meeting and a subsequent 100bps cut which settled the Federal Funds rate at 0-0.25% band. Similarly, the Bank of England (BoE) dropped policy rates to 0.1% vs 0.75% at the beginning of the year. However, with policy rates already in the negative region, the European Central Bank (ECB) took a more cautious approach, expanding its asset purchase program by €750.0bn. Also, the  Peoples Bank of China (PBC) injected liquidity amounting to about RMB3.8tn into the banking system and cut interest rates on reverse repos, medium-term lending facilities and excess reserves.

Finally, the size of liquidity injection was robust, with the Fed pumping $2.3tn, and the EU finance ministers approving a €500.0bn rescue package. Going into H2-2020, we expect the sheer size of the monetary stimulus to support the global economy, or at least ease the pain. By implication, global monetary policy authorities will continue to use all possible tools to ensure a speedy economic recovery. Overall, while this may not immediately stall a global economic recession, liquidity in the global economy will be enormous, thereby strengthening risk-on sentiment and the flow of capital towards assets with attractive yields.

United Capital Research

The first-ever BMW iX3

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The first-ever BMW iX3

The concept: The first BMW Sports Activity Vehicle with an all-electric drive system. The drive system: Supreme efficiency leads to the top-end range. The design: Proportions of a BMW X model and familiar BMW I accents. Equipment: Comfort, premium ambience and bespoke functionality. BMW Charging: Innovative products and digital services for simple and user-friendly charging.

  • Fully electric mobility celebrates its premiere in a BMW X model – the new BMW iX3 (fuel consumption combined in the NEDC test cycle: 0.0 l/100 km; electric power consumption combined: 17.8 – 17.5 kWh/100 km; CO2 emissions combined: 0 g/km; fuel consumption combined in the WLTP test cycle: 0.0 l/100 km; electric power consumption combined: 19.5 – 18.5 kWh/100 km; CO2 emissions combined: 0 g/km). Locally emission-free driving pleasure complements the sporting ability for which BMW is renowned and the comfort, multi‑faceted functionality and spaciousness of the successful BMW X3. The latest stage in the ongoing rollout of the BMW Group’s electrification strategy; technological expertise amassed in the development of BMW I cars utilised for the first time in a purely electrically powered model from the BMW core brand.

  • New BMW iX3 will be the brand’s first model to also be produced for export at the Shenyang manufacturing facility in China. Market launch will begin in China later in 2020.
  • Strategic “Power of Choice” approach covers a broad spread of customer requirements and statutory regulations around the world: BMW X3 is the first model to be available with a petrol or diesel engine, plug-in hybrid drive system or all-electric drive system.

  • New BMW iX3 blazes a trail for fifth-generation BMW eDrive technology. Major progress made in terms of power density, operating range, weight, installation space requirement and flexibility. The power density of the electric drive system increased by 30 per cent over the BMW Group’s existing fully electric vehicles; gravimetric energy density of the high-voltage battery at cell level up by 20 per cent. Latest versions of the electric motor, power electronics, charging technology and high-voltage battery (all developed in-house) will also be deployed in the BMW iNEXT and BMW i4 from 2021.
  • Efficiency boosted significantly compared with the BMW i3 by highly integrated drive system technology. Electric motor, power electronics and transmission arranged in a central housing for the first time. Fifth-generation BMW eDrive high-voltage battery with the latest battery cell technology and gross energy content of 80 kWh enables operating range of up to 460 kilometres [285 miles] in the statutory new WLTP test cycle (up to 520 kilometres [323 miles] in the NEDC test cycle). BMW Group monitors compliance with environmental and social standards as part of its procurement process for the lithium and cobalt used in battery cells.

  • Newly designed fifth-generation BMW eDrive electric motor produces a maximum output of 210 kW/286 hp and peak torque of 400 Nm (295 lb-ft). Acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h [62 mph] in 6.8 seconds (for purposes of comparison – BMW X3 30i: 6.4 seconds), top speed (electronically limited): 180 km/h [112 mph]. The design principle of a current-excited synchronous motor enables optimised power development and allows engineers to avoid the use of rare-earth.
  • Scope for varying degrees of recuperation enables choice between pronounced one-pedal feeling with extensive recuperation of braking and coasting energy in driving position B and adaptive recuperation including a coasting function in driving position D. Recuperation level can be adjusted through three stages. Adaptive recuperation enhances driving comfort and efficiency by adjusting Brake Energy Regeneration and the coasting function to the driving situation at hand.

  • Power transfer to the rear wheels delivers a classical BMW driving experience. An unrivalled combination of low electric power consumption and high charging capacity enables long-distance journeys at high average speeds. The adaptive suspension (fitted as standard) optimises sporting responses and comfort.
  • BMW IconicSounds Electric. Newly developed soundscape for electrically powered BMW models makes its debut in the BMW iX3 and adds extra emotional depth to the driving experience. Powerful drive sound available in cars with the equipment line “Impressive”. The unmistakable composition when starting and deactivating the electric drive system developed in collaboration with Hans Zimmer.

  • Bespoke charging products and services: BMW Charging Card provides simple and convenient access to currently more than 450,000 public charging points worldwide; new Flexible Fast Charger (allowing use of different socket types) and high-output Wallboxes now available as options. Individual packages offer the optimum charging solution for every customer need.

  • New digital services from BMW Connected Charging in the car and via the app promote user-friendly electric mobility and enhance navigation planning, including recommendations for charging stops. Navigation system factors mid-journey breaks to charge the high-voltage battery (includes detailed information on individual charging points) into route planning and calculation of arrival times.
  • Optimised energy storage concept now enables vehicle charging capacity of up to 150 kW at DC fast-charging stations; Recharging from 0 to 80 per cent of the high-voltage battery’s capacity takes 34 minutes, 10-minute charge adds 100 kilometres [62 miles] of range (WLTP). BMW iX3 customers enjoy particularly favourable tariffs at IONITY fast-charging stations with a consumption dependent component of e.g. €0.29 per kWh for Germany)

  • Characteristic proportions of a BMW X model combine with model-specific design features. Innovative BMW aerodynamic wheels: 19-inch light-alloy items with new, drag-reducing design fitted as standard.
  • Premium interior ambience with model-specific accents. User-friendly, variable-usage cabin with a high level of comfort for five people over everyday journeys and longer distances; load capacity can be expanded from 510 litres to as much as 1,560 litres.

  • Wide-reaching standard specification (“Inspiring”) includes metallic paintwork, LED headlights, three-zone automatic climate control with pre‑heating and pre-conditioning, automatic tailgate operation, panoramic glass sunroof, Driving Assistant Professional and ambient lighting. Optional equipment line “Impressive” also brings 20-inch light-alloy wheels, acoustic glazing, sport seats, Vernasca leather trim, BMW Head-Up Display, Parking Assistant Plus and Harman Kardon Surround Sound.
  • BMW Live Cockpit Professional with BMW Maps cloud-based navigation system and BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant as standard. Smartphone integration with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto preparation, Remote Software Upgrade and digital services from BMW Connected Charging also standard).

  • Outstanding environmental credentials thanks to a commitment to sustainability throughout the value chain. CO2  impact of the BMW iX3 over its entire lifecycle is significantly less than a BMW X3 xDrive20d; impact reduced by 30 per cent when using electricity from the European energy mix for charging and by around 60 per cent when using exclusively green energy.

We Are Celebrating Friendships This Month of July With Dominos Pizza, Cold Stone Creamery And Pinkberry Frozen Yoghurt

Brand Spur
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We Are Celebrating Friendships This Month of July With Dominos Pizza, Cold Stone Creamery And Pinkberry Frozen Yoghurt

Enjoy the friendliest offers ever!

Do you miss being able to chill out and share some laughs with friends? Well, we guess you do; and to make up for those times, we found something very interesting – you might want to sit back, let’s give you the gist!

So, our favourite trio; Domino’s Pizza, Cold Stone Creamery, and Pinkberry Frozen Yoghurt is giving you the chance to show your friends how much they mean to you this month! With any of their amazing deals and discounts this July. Putting a smile on your ‘faves’ faces just became a lot easier, affordable, and yummy!

You can enjoy a hot box of pizza delivered to you through Zero contact delivery, with a free drink for only N2000 in a matter of minutes! Want more?  You can also get to celebrate your friendships with fantastic offers from Domino’s Pizza, with the double duo deal for as little as N4500.

For this price, you and your bestie can enjoy not 1 but 2 mouthwatering medium-sized pizzas. Also, if you’re looking for something new, delicious, and exciting for you and your friends to sink your teeth into, then make way for the new 9ja Peppe Meatball.

From the 20th of July, you can order this brand new sumptuous, spicy, meaty, and mouthwatering pizza with a free drink for just N2500! Yum right? Yea we know.

For Cold Stone Creamery, these guys want to ginger you and your friends with their amazing sweet & zesty super saver’s offers, guaranteed to turn a frown upside-down. You can have a Sweet & Zesty July with Cold Stone Creamery’s NEW Ginger and Lemon deals and enjoy 2 Like it cups for N1,500 only or a Value Deal of 2 CYO cups for just N2000.

That’s not all, every Tuesday, you can now enjoy a SUPER DELIVERY ‘Buy one get one free’ offer on Love it CYO when you order from the Jumia app! What better way to chillax with friends? And oh, The Buy One Get One Free on their delicious, sweet, creamy Rum and Raisin flavour is up for grabs throughout July.

Now for Pinkberry Gourmet Frozen Yoghurt, you definitely will find a friend in these guys with the perfect combos and amazing discounts, this month. I mean they want you to enjoy the Pinkberry side of life and we will tell you how.

You can share the delicious Smooth-ie crush combo with your bestie when you buy 2 cups of the new smoothie range, you get the 3rd cup absolutely FREE all for just N2000! Unbelievable right?

You can also enjoy their Swirly treat offer with 2 Medium cups of any delicious flavoured yoghurt for only N 2000. And yes, these guys have also decided to appreciate all their amazing customers with a mouthwatering offer of 2 small cups of their best selling original flavoured yoghurt for just N1200.

If these deals aren’t good enough to share with your friends then we don’t know what else is!

This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to all the deals they have this month. Don’t miss out on the best deals from the best brands, follow them for more exciting offers this month!! @Dominosng @Coldstonecreamery_Nigeria and @pinkberryNigeria on Instagram.

#StayHome&StaySafe

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