Google Removed Over 1.75 Billion Websites From Search Results

Google has removed as many as 1.76 billion websites from Google search results as of the time this article was being composed. This can be confirmed on the Google transparency report counter.

In March 2016, Google recorded about 75 million takedown request in other to keep pirate websites out of its search results. There have also been a major increase in the takedown requests. The overall amount of copyright requests is estimated to have increased by 53% Year over Year.

Within the transparency report counter, you can also track the amount of takedown requests Google has received over time. Google has zero tolerance for such issues so they have decided to take the bull by the horn, by responding to the requests. Currently there is no pending requests available.

You can also apply for a takedown request but you have to note that such requests made to Google have to go through a 4-stage review process, which is as follows:

• A copyright owner sends us a takedown notice for allegedly infringing material.
• Google reviews the request, and complies if there aren’t issues with it.
• Following DMCA process, a webmaster may issue a counter notification.
• Upon receiving a counter notification, we decide whether or not to reinstate the material.

The company has also made it quite clear that it does not act as a mediator. If the copyright owner or the webmaster is still unhappy with the decision, they can file a lawsuit and leave the matter to be decided by the courts.

You Can Now Play Solitaire And Tic-Tac-Toe In Google search

Google recently announced the adding of a couple of fun little nuggets to Google search. The company will now allow you play solitaire and tic-tac-toe right inside your search results.

Google's Solitaire Game

Goolge's Tic-Tac-Toe Game

To play these games, you just need to search for "Solitaire" or "TIc-Tac-Toe." Both searches will bring up the games, which you can play directly in your browser or the Google app.

The feature is available for users accessing Google either from desktop or mobile device. When searching for the keywords “solitaire” or “tic-tac-toe” you will see the usual search results, but featured prominently alongside them you’ll also now see a “tap to play” option that takes you directly to play the game.

The Tic-Tac-Toe game has both single and two-player modes. Single players can also choose the level of difficulty they want to play at.

This new feature from Google actually saves you the stress of searching for or downloading apps that has these games.
What do you think about having this games on Google search?

Infinix Hot 4 Vs Hot 3 - Specs Comparison

Recently, I published an article on Infinix Hot 4 Full Review, today we will do a comparison review, that will focus at the specifications and features of the Infinix Hot 4 versus Infinix Hot 3.

The Infinix Hot 4 is the latest release from Infinix mobile and this device features some great specs, although some are similar to that of Hot 3, but the major selling point of the Infinix Hot 4 is the presence of Finger print security that helps you secure your device and battery power that tends to give your device a longer uptime.

The Infinix Hot 4 also comes in the new XOS user interface unlike the Infinix Hot 3 that comes with the XUI user interface. And what i love more about the Infinix Hot 4 device is that it supports 4G LTE connectivity which is mot supported on the Infinix Hot 3.

Below is a full comparison spec sheet between the Infinix Hot 4 and Infinix Hot 3.

Specs Comparison Between Infinix Hot 4 and Infinix Hot 3

Specs	Infinix Hot 4	Infinix Hot 3
Camera	8 + 5MP Front flash	8+2 MP, Selfie with soft flash
Memory	16 GB ROM + 2GB RAM	16+1 / 16+2
Battery	4000mah + Fast charge + OTG	3000mAh + OTG
Processor	Quad-core cortex 1.3GHz	Quad core Mediatek 1.3Ghz
Screen size	5.5'HD	5.5'' inch HD full lamination
OS	Android 6.0 Marshmallow	Lolipop 5.1
UI	XOS	XUI
Sound	DNC + Smart voice	Dual mic cancelling noise for clear conversation , anti sound break, RNS technology
Colors	Red, blue, champagne, green & black	Black, red, blue, white
Voice	Smart voice	Camera voice command
Network	4G LTE, 3G	4G LTE, 3G
Security	Finger print sensor
Network	4G LTE, 2G/3G	3G

Final Verdict

The Infinix Hot 4 seems to beat the Infinix Hot 3 from all angles; from battery capacity, camera, speed, storage and security.

What do you think about both devices? Do you agree that the Infinix Hot 4 is a better one tan the Hot 3? Kindly share your feedbacks through the comment section.

Convert Your Personal Instagram Account To A Business Profile

Instagram recently, are bringing new features to make the app worth using and benefit its user. They have also rolled out business profiles for eligible accounts to switch to a business profile depending on their reasons for using this social network. So if you are blogger, webmaster or a business organization switching to the Instagram business profile will be advisable as this feature comes with some benefits.

How an Instagram Business Profile Looks Like

Switching to a business profile on instagram gives the user some benefits which the personal profile doesn't offer. Some of which are stated below.

1. Get Found Easily: 

The Instagram business profile allows your followers to engage with you easily within your business profile. After switching to a business profile, a contact button will appear in your profile and once a user clicks that button, they have an option to contact you via email, phone call or find your business location on a map as shown in the image below.

2. View Insights:

Switching to a business profile also gives you an analytics feature that shows you impressions, reach, websites clicks and followers.
Before you switch from your personal profile to a business profile you have to be eligible to use this feature as this feature is not available to all Instagram accounts yet. To check if you are eligible simply navigate to settings and if you can see "Switch to a business profile" then you are eligible to switch but if you  don't see the switch option then you may have to wait till you are eligible.

Switching To a Business Profile

The below steps will guide you on switching from a personal profile to a business profile.

=> Navigate to setting and click on "switch to a business profile"

=> You will be prompted to login in your Facebook account

=> After successful login you will have to give Instagram rights to access your Facebook info

=> After that, A list of all Facebook page you admin will be shown to you as seen in the image below, pick your Facebook business page which you will like to link with your Instagram business profile

=> Next thing you will be prompted to enter your email address, phone number and business address. This option will let any Instagram user reach you easily.

=> After completion of the above steps click the pass mark located at the top right corner of your screen.

On completing the above steps you must have successfully switched from a personal profile to a business profile, you can now enjoy the benefits of an Instagram business profile.
If you have switched to a business profile let us know how you feel about this feature by leaving a comment in the comment box.

Remove Pop-ups, Redirect And Other Malware From Your Browser

Recently i noticed I was seeing pop-up ads that won't go away, ads from sources i couldn't recognize, and i had a homepage that i didn't set on my chrome browser, I was also redirected to sites severally which i didn't click willingly. At this point i knew some malware have infected my system so the next thing that came to my mind was how do i fix this issue? If you are also experiencing this, this article will help you solve this problem.

Steps To Removing Malware From Your Browser

1. Remove Unwanted Programs

Remove all computer programs that you don't remember installing as these are the major malware affecting your browser. Below are some of them you should take note of.

• Babylon.com
• V9.com
• Qvo6.com
• search.conduit.com
• istartsurf.com
• istart.webssearches.com
• Delta Search

You can use anti-malware software like CHROME CLEAN TOOL or MALWAREBYTES, which searches your computer for suspicious programs and offers to remove them for you.

2. Reset Your Browser Settings

After successfully removing the unwanted programs from your computer then reset your browser settings.

On completing the above steps you must have successfully gotten rid of all forms of malware disturbing your browser.

SpaceX Explosion Sets Back Facebook Internet Connectivity Plan

Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerberg recently announced Facebook's plan on bringing affordable internet connectivity to Africa which he properly explained at the Town hall Q&A session held in Lagos Nigeria.

But all his plans have suffered a serious setback on Thursday morning when a SpaceX rocket – owned by Elon Musk exploded during a routine pre-launch check. The Space rocket was containing Facebook/Spacecom’s AMOS-6 communications satellite.

This satellite was to provide at least 14 countries on the continent and the Middle East with affordable broadband service.

Zuckerberg took to his social media account to express his feelings towards this mishap. But the good news is Facebook has developed another alternative.

"Fortunately, we have developed other technologies like Aquila that will connect people as well," he wrote. "We remain committed to our mission of connecting everyone, and we will keep working until everyone has the opportunities this satellite would have provided."

Instagram Now Allows You Zoom In On Photos And Videos

"Over the past six months, you’ve seen many exciting changes come to Instagram, from a new icon to longer videos and even a new way to share everyday moments with Instagram Stories," the company wrote in a statement on Instagram. "And as things change, we’re still focused on improving the core parts of Instagram."- Instagram posted on their Instagram account.

Zooming in on photos and videos in Instagram is a feature that has long awaited from Instagram and finally its here.

Instagram just announced an update to its iOS app that will let users pinch to zoom on photos and videos. The new feature will be available across the entire app. According to Instagram, pinch-to-zoom will work on the media that shows up in your standard feed as well as on people’s profiles and in the Explore tab. Instagram said the new feature will be rolling out to Android "in the coming weeks."

We hope to see more improvements on Instagram features. Let us know what you think about this new feature by leaving your comments in the comment section.

Apple Is Set To Start Removing Unmaintained Apps From The App Store

Apple is making some changes to its App Store Review Guidelines for developers ahead of the launch of iOS 10 and macOS Sierra and they have announced this via email to their registered developers. The reason for this change is to remove the outdated apps and make it easier for users to find better apps.

The biggest change is that Apple will begin to remove outdated apps from the App Store that no longer comply with the new current guidelines or haven't been updated to support new APIs or features. Removing old apps will also reduce the number of apps that haven't been updated for compatibility with newer iOS versions or iDevices.

Apple isn't saying exactly what criteria it will use to remove apps, just that it is "implementing an ongoing process of evaluating apps for these issues, notifying their developers, and removing problematic and abandoned apps." People who have already downloaded these apps will still be able to download them, developers will be given 30 days to issue an update before their app is removed, and if their apps are removed they will still be associated with that developer's account and other developers won't be able to use the names for other apps.

The company is also ready to start the fight against spammy app names. For instance, if you search for “Instagram” on the App Store, one of the first results is an app that is called “Photo Collage, Picture Editor” These apps will get cut off.

Apps that crash on launch are also not left out, They will be removed immediately.

Another change is related to app names. Apps submitted to the App Store will now have their names capped at 50 characters. This is meant to cut down on the number of apps that are having long names with multiple keywords intended to improve search ranking.
Apple will start reviewing old apps on September 7. Below, see one of Apple's official messaging as regards this change.

Facebook CEO - Mark Zukerberg Pays Visit To Lagos, Nigeria

We’ve just confirmed that Mark Zuckerberg is at the CoCreation Hub, Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria at this very moment. He arrived this afternoon from Rome and is currently meeting with a few key players in the Nigerian technology sphere. In CcHub, he engaged with students and was in apparent wonderment at children coding.

Mark was in Rome with his wife, Priscilla, until a few hours ago (according to his Facebook page). He held a Q&A session, visited the Pope and did a few “touristy” things.

There’s been a lot of Facebook-related development in Nigeria so there’s a ton of reasons why Mark may be visiting. First, Free Basics launched in Nigeria and Mark showed his support for the Jobberman team. Then the Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative invested $24 million in Andela. Facebook’s developer workshop is happening tomorrow, and yesterday, we reported that Facebook is partnering with Cool Link to launch Express Wifi in Lagos some time this week.

There is going to be a Facebook Developer’s event tomorrow and I was expecting top devs from the Facebook team to show up, but apparently it is Zuckerberg himself that will be chairing the event tomorrow.

I reckon Mark is in Nigeria to kill all these birds – visit Jobberman, the Andela team he’s invested in, attend the developer workshop, launch Express Wifi AND have policy-centred conversations with the Nigerian government to further Facebook’s cause.

Infinix Unveils 5 minutes fast charge smartphone ‘NOTE 3’ in Nigeria with Partners JUMIA and MTN

Infinix Mobility is Africa’s leading mid-ranged smartphone brand with the most innovative product portfolio in 2016. The brand received 2 awards in Nigeria for best smartphone brand of 2015/2016 from Beacon of ICT and also Titans of Tech. The brand unveiled its latest smartphone ‘Infinix NOTE 3’ as the first ever smartphone with the remarkable 5 minutes charge function for users.

Infinix ushered ‘NOTE 3’ into Nigerian market with a launch event themed #JIMSbigthing in partnership with Jumia & MTN at Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos. The smartphone comes with more remarkable features which will delight all mobile phone lovers in Nigeria.

Apart from the highlighted 5 Minutes charge for 200 minutes talk time, it also comes with 6inch HD screen, 4500mAh battery, Finger print recognition, 13MP back camera, 5MP front camera, water-cooling technology to prevent battery overheating. The Fast charge feature is specially tailored to suit the unique needs of the African market, where customers need fully charged phones at all times to connect with family and friends!

The Infinix Note 3 is also preloaded with the latest Infinix User interface ‘XOS’. XOS comes with fast RAM speed, stylish wallpapers, efficient gestures, which allows users to optimize their Infinix smartphone.

Speaking about the launch of Infinix NOTE 3, Regional country manager Infinix Mobility, Bruno li, stated, “We are very proud of our latest smartphone NOTE 3 and also the partnership for JIM with Jumia & MTN 2nd year in a row. We intend to make history with Infinix NOTE 3’s 5 Minutes fast charge technology and we are sure the product will be welcomed by our users and fans in Nigeria.”

Customers can purchase the phone on Jumia.com.ng. As strategic partners for Infinix NOTE 3 launch, the Jumia team will ensure prompt delivery to customers anywhere they are in Nigeria. Speaking about the partnership Thomas Simonet Head of Vendor Management, Jumia "Today, Jumia is incredibly proud to team up again with Infinix and MTN, offering Note 3 with MTN data bundle exclusive to Jumia. More than ever, we want to help our customers and fans to afford top quality product and data at unbeatable prices through an effortless shopping experience."

On its part, Nigeria’s leading network, MTN continues to offer fast and reliable internet to its customers and this will enable Infinix NOTE 3 users to optimize their smartphone use with a 7GB data bundle for N2,000 or a 3GB bundle for N1,000 only. The offer is exclusive to Infinix Note 3 users and it is part of the MTN 100% bonus offer.

Speaking on this partnership with Infinix and Jumia, The General Manager Consumer Marketing, MTN Nigeria, Richard Iweanoge, said, “the launch of this phone is coming at a time we have commenced the roll out of 4G/LTE services in the country. As such, we are excited about the possibilities that this phone brings to our customers. We also look forward to providing users with quality service and internet speeds that will enrich their digital experience.”

Infinix Hot 4 - Full Review, Specs and Price

We unboxed the Hot 4 a couple of days ago and you can find the images and video on this page. Infinix Hot 4 X557 is a direct successor of the Infinix Hot 3. The Infinix Hot 4 still features a 5.5-inch display, but with an upgrade to Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) and offers a fingerprint sensor like the recently launched Infinix Hot S. This new smartphone also runs on the new XOS user interface making your phone fully customizable.

The Design and Display

Infinix Hot 4 features a 3D textured back which gives you a solid grip of our device. The back covers are available in Blue, Red, Green, Champagne, and Black colours.

Infinix Hot 4 has a 5.5-inch Display with the same 720 x 1280 pixels resolution as its predecessor. However, the display offers 12 ultrabright backlight LEDs, which should make for a more brilliant viewing experience and better outdoor view.

There’s absolutely no button on the left side, but on the right side are the volume controls and power button as seen in the below image.

Hardware and Software

Infinix Hot 4 runs on Android 6.0 (Marshmallow). It is the third smartphone from Infinix to offer Marshmallow. This new smartphone also runs on the new XOS user interface making your phone fully customizable. You can change your theme and fonts without the need of rooting.

Option that allows you change theme

Option that allows you change font. 

Infinix Hot 4 is powered by cortex, which offers a 32-bit address bus and a 1.3GHz quad-core processor.

The phone comes with 2GB RAM. This new smartphone is responsive, fast and performs exceptionally well. Games play just fine and I didn’t notice any lag when using the device. Multitasking works great, the 2GB RAM makes a lot of difference.

This phone also features a fingerprint sensor on the back like the Infinix Hot S which allows you conveniently secure ID access by placing you finger on the scanner right below the 8MP rear camera. 

Connectivity

It’s a dual SIM phone and the call quality was okay during use . Infinix Hot 4 features Smart Voice, which is just a technology that uses an additional microphone and some smart signal processing algorithms to isolate ambient noise for clearer calls. Whether you select SIM 1 or SIM 2 as default for data, you can set either to 3G. As expected, you can connect to the internet through WiFi and use your phone as a wireless hotspot.  You also have bluetooth for file transfer.

Storage

The phone comes with a 16GB in-built storage out of which you have almost 12G usable. It’s definitely not enough for people like me but there’s the option of using an external memory. It supports up to 32GB SD card.

Battery Life

The battery capacity of this device is 4000mAh and the phone has good battery management and you should be able to use it for 2 days.

The Camera

The front facing camera is getting an upgrade from 2 megapixels in the Hot 3 to 5 megapixels in the latest iteration. This makes the Infinix Hot 4 better for selfies.

Selfie Captured With My Infinix Hot 4 front camera

There does not seem to be any improvement on the rear facing camera. Infinix Hot 4 still offers an 8 megapixels sensor with a five element lens system on top. This is essentially the same setup as its predecessor. The camera offers an LED flash with autofocus.

Captured form Dopemu Bridge Lagos state with my Infinix Hot 4 rear camera

Pricing and Availability

Infinix Hot 4 is now available in Nigeria. You can buy the smartphone at leading online stores in the country. Infinix Hot 4 currently costs N36,900 on Jumia.

Infinix Hot 4 Specs

General Features

Platform: Android 6.0 (Marshmallow), XOS Skin

Processor: 1.3GHz quad-core Processor (MediaTek MT6580)

GPU: Mali 400

Memory: 2GB RAM

Colours: Blue, Red, Bleen, Gold, Black (Interchangeable Covers)

Dimension: 156.6 x 76.2 x 8.8 mm

SIM Type: Micro SIM

SIM Count: Dual-SIM, Dual Standby

Display

Display: 5.5-inch Display, 720 x 1280 pixels

Camera

Rear Camera: 8 MP Camera, LED Flash, HD Video

Rear Camera Features: Autofocus

Front Camera: 5MP Camera, LED Flash

Storage

Built-in Storage: 16GB Storage

Memory Card Support: Yes, up to 32GB

Network Support

2G GSM: 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900MHz

2G CDMA 1X: No

3G WCDMA: 900 / 2100MHz

Internet & Connectivity

GPRS: Yes, up to 48kbps

EDGE: Yes

3G/WCDMA/HSPA: Yes

WLAN: Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n

Wi-Fi Hotspot: Yes

Bluetooth: Yes, Bluetooth 4.0

USB Port: Yes, microUSB 2.0

Messaging

SMS/MMS: Yes

Instant Messaging: Yes

Push Emails: Yes

Entertainment

Music Player: Yes, mp3, WAV, FLAC, eACC+

Video Player: Yes, MPEG4, H.263, H.264, XviD

FM Radio: Yes (with RDS)

Loudspeaker: Yes

3.5mm Jack: Yes

Navigation

Navigation: Yes, GPS with A-GPS

Maps: Yes, Google Maps

Sensors & Control

Accelerometer: Yes

Proximity Sensor: Yes

Light Sensor: Yes

Fingerprint Scanner: Yes

Other Features

Video Streaming: Yes

Active Noise Cancellation: Yes (with dedicated mic)

Wireless Charging: No

Water Resistant: No

Image Editor: Yes

Battery

Battery: 4000 mAh Battery

Infinix Hot 4 - Unboxing & Things You Need to Know

I know some of you will be like, " NOT ANOTHER PHONE!!!" but yes its another amazing phone from Infinix Mobile, The Infinix Hot 4.

The new Infinix Hot 4 is a new android smartphone recently launched into the Infinx Hot series. Coming just after Infinix launched the Infinix Hot S, the Hot 4 X557 is a follow up of Infinix Hot 3 but this time, Infinix Hot 4 X557 came with a lot of beautiful features at a very modest price to go with.
This device features a 5.5 inches fluid display with a resolution of 720 pixels by 1280 pixels, it comes running on Android Marshmallow 6.0 customized with the new XOS user interface that was made available for other Infinix devices not too long ago.

Lets unbox and take a look at the components of the pack......

On unboxing the pack contains the phone (infinix Hot 4), a user manual, a power adapter, a usb cable and a pair of earphones as seen in the image above.

Some of the things you need to note about Infinix Hot 4:

1. The Infinix Hot 4 X557 is the first Infinix phone to run XOS out of the box

2. The Infinix Hot 4 is A Bit Weighty

One of the things you will notice when you first hold the infinix Hot 4 is that tis device is quite weighty more than the infinix Hot 3. So if you are a fan of a bulky device then this smartphone is definitely for you.

3. This Smartphone Is Not Slim:

Compared with the Hot 3 you will notice that the Hot 4 is not a slim device. The Hot 3 is way more slimmer than the Hot 4.

4. Infinix Hot 4 Possess A Plastic Back Cover

Unlike the Infinix Hot 3 the Hot  comes in a "3D textured" plastic back cover which gives you a solid grip of your device because the texture isn't smooth.

5. Battery Not Removeable

You can take out the back cover of the back cover of the Hot 4 but  unlike the Hot 3, the 4000mAh battery is not removable.

6. Yet Another Infinix Phone Without Notification Sensor

Dear Infinix Fans, i will like to inform you that the notification sensor is also absent from the Infinix Hot 4, lol. But i am also glad to inform you that we still have the front flash and proximity sensor.

7. The Finger Print Sensor Is Very Impressive

The finger print scanning features came on a platter of Gold on the Hot 4. You can conveniently secure ID access by placing you finger on the scanner right below the 8MP rear camera. Judging from my usage, the fingerprint sensor of this device is very impressive and is 99.9% perfect.

These are some of the things to note about the Infinix Hot 4. You can check out the unboxing video below.


The full review, specification and price of this device will be published on my blog shortly. You can share what you fell about this device through the comment section.

Microsoft Rewards Will Now Pay You To Use Its Edge Browser

Microsoft has a new browser. It launched with Windows 10 and it’s called Edge. The company says it’s faster, more battery efficient and all-round better than Chrome or Firefox.

This week, Microsoft announced that it is re-branding the former Bing rewards to Microsoft rewards. This platform will pay you to use the Edge browser and Bing. Edge users who sign up for Microsoft Rewards, would be awarded points simply for using the browser. The bad news is this feature is currently available to users in the USA.

How? Microsoft would actively monitor whether you are using the program for up to 30 hours a month, you also have to make Bing as your default search engine to earn points. Points can then be traded in for vouchers or credit for places such as Starbucks, Skype, Amazon and ad-free Outlook.com.

So if you are currently running on windows 10 and you are a USA user, you could try out the Microsoft rewards.