FIRST SMARTPHONE HISTORY

IBM debuted a prototype device, code named "Angler," on November 23, 1992 at the COMDEX computer and technology trade show in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. The Angler prototype combined a cell phone and PDA into one device, allowing a user to make and receive telephone calls, facsimiles, emails and cellular pages, among other functions. COMDEX show attendees and the press showed notable interest in the device. The day after Angler's debut, USA Today featured a photo on the front page of the Money section showing Frank Canova, Angler's architect, holding the prototype.

BellSouth executives gave the finished product its final name, "Simon Personal Communicator", before its public debut at the Wireless World Conference in November 1993. BellSouth Cellular had planned to begin selling Simon in May 1994, but due to problems with the device's software, the Simon did not become available to consumers until August 16, 1994. BellSouth Cellular initially offered the Simon throughout its 15 state service area for US$899 with a two-year service contract or US$1099 without a contract. Later in the product's life, BellSouth Cellular reduced the price to US$599 with a two-year contract.

BellSouth Cellular sold approximately 50,000 units during the product's six months on the market.

Although the term "smartphone" was not coined until 1997, because of Simon's features and capabilities, it can be referred to as the first smartphone.

The IBM Simon Personal Communicator included a custom-fit, protective, leather cover
Features

In addition to its ability to make and receive cellular phone calls, Simon was also able to send and receive faxes, e-mails and cellular pages. Simon featured many applications including an address book, calendar, appointment scheduler, calculator, world time clock, electronic note pad, handwritten annotations and standard and predictive stylus input screen keyboards.

Accessories
Each Simon was shipped with a charging base station, two nickel-cadmium batteries and a protective leather cover.

Operating system and applications
The Simon used the file system from Datalight ROM-DOS along with file compression from Stacker. IBM created a unique touch-screen user interface for Simon; no DOS prompt existed. This user interface software layer for Simon was known as the Navigator.

The Simon could be upgraded to run third party applications either by inserting a PCMCIA card or by downloading an application to the phone's internal memory.

Atlanta, Georgia-based PDA Dimensions developed "DispatchIt", the only aftermarket, third-party application developed for Simon. It was an early predecessor to "Remote Desktop" software. The DispatchIt application costs were US$2,999 for the host PC software and US$299 for each Simon software client.

Read More

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT EBOLA VIRUS

Ebola virus disease (formerly known as Ebola
haemorrhagic fever) is a severe, often fatal illness,
with a case fatality rate of up to 90%. It is one of the
world’s most virulent diseases.The infection is
transmitted by direct contact with the blood, body
fluids and tissues of infected animals or people.
Severely ill patients require intensive supportive
care.

During an outbreak, those at higher risk of
infection are health workers, family members and
others in close contact with sick people and
deceased patients.

Ebola virus disease outbreaks can devastate
families and communities, but the infection can be
controlled through the use of recommended
protective measures in clinics and hospitals, at
community gatherings, or at home.

Infection and transmission

In Africa, fruit bats are believed to be the natural
hosts of Ebola virus. The virus is transmitted from
wildlife to people through contact with infected
fruit bats, or through intermediate hosts, such as
monkeys, apes, or pigs that have themselves
become infected through contact with bat saliva or
faeces.
People may then become infected through contact
with infected animals, either in the process of
slaughtering or through consumption of blood,
milk, or raw or undercooked meat.
The virus is then passed from person to person
through direct contact with the blood, secretions or
other bodily fluids of infected persons, or from
contact with contaminated needles or other
equipment in the environment.

Signs and symptoms

EVD, which has a case fatality rate of up to 90%, is a
severe acute viral illness often characterized by the
sudden onset of fever, intense weakness, muscle
pain, headache, nausea and sore throat. This is
followed by vomiting, diarrhoea, impaired kidney
and liver function, and in some cases, both internal
and external bleeding. Laboratory findings
frequently include low white blood cell and platelet
counts and elevated liver enzymes.
The incubation period, the time interval from
infection with the virus to onset of symptoms, is 2
to 21 days. People remain infectious as long as
their blood and secretions contain the virus, a
period that has been reported to be as long as 61
days after onset of illness.

Diagnosis and treatment

When considering the diagnosis of EVD, other,
more common diseases should not be overlooked;
for example, malaria, typhoid fever, shigellosis,
cholera, leptospirosis, plague, rickettsiosis,
relapsing fever, meningitis, hepatitis and other viral
haemorrhagic fevers.
Definitive diagnosis of EVD is made through
laboratory testing. Because samples from patients
are a source of infection risk for others, testing is
conducted under maximum biological containment
conditions.
No vaccine is available, nor is there any specific
treatment. Severely ill patients require intensive
supportive care. Patients are frequently dehydrated
and require oral rehydration with solutions
containing electrolytes, or intravenous fluids.

Preventative measures

Raising awareness of the risk factors for infection
and the protective measures that should be taken is
the only way to reduce human infection and
subsequent deaths. Close unprotected physical
contact with Ebola patients should be avoided.
Appropriate use of gloves and personal protective
equipment (including hand hygiene before putting
on, and especially after taking off personal
protective equipment) should be practised when
taking care of ill patients at home. Regular hand
washing is required after visiting patients in
hospital, as well as after taking care of patients at
home.
Almost all transmission of the virus to health-care
workers has been reported when basic infection
control measures have not been observed. Health-
care workers caring for any patient should practice
standard precautions. When caring for patients
with suspected or confirmed Ebola virus infection,
health-care workers should apply, in addition to
standard precautions, other infection control
measures to avoid any exposure to patients’ blood
and body fluids and with possibly contaminated
environments.
Preparation for burial of the bodies of persons who
have died from Ebola virus disease also carries
high risks of transmission of the virus. Those who
have died from the disease should be promptly and
safely buried.

Read More

BODY OF EBOLA VICTIM CREMATED IN LAGOS

The body of the first victim of Ebola Virus Disease
in Nigeria, who died in Lagos on Friday, has been
cremated. Details of the cremation were not
available at press time but Sunday Vanguard
gathered
that the eveny was witnessed by officials of the Lagos
State Ministry of Health and the Nigeria Centre for
Disease Control, NCDC, led by its Project Director,
Professor Abdulsalam Nasidi, among others.
The decision to cremate the body of the victim, it was
further gathered, may not be unconnected with the
deadly nature of the Ebola Virus which is known to be
easily transmissible from human to human during
handling of corpses of victims.
The World Health Organisation recommends that in
communities where there is an outbreak of Ebola,
appropriate containment measures including burial
of the dead should be properly handled.
While stating that people who die from Ebola should
be promptly and safely buried, WHO? Notes that
cremation, which is the application of high
temperature to reduce bodies to basic chemical
components (ashes)? Is ideal for safe disposal of
bodies of persons who die during outbreaks of highly
infectious diseases such as Ebola Virus in order to
minimise further transmission.
In 2013 the Lagos State Government introduced its
Voluntary Cremation Law under which a person may
signify interest to be cremated at death or a
deceased's family members who must attain the age
of 18 years, can decide to have the corpse cremated.
Under the law the state government can also cremate
unclaimed corpses in its mortuaries after a period of
time and the ashes disposed after a 14-day notice
with approval of the Commissioner for Health.

Read More

DEADLY EBOLA VIRUS SPREAD TO NIGERIA BY PLANE AND SIERRA-LEONE LOOK FOR KIDNAPPED PATIENT

The Ebola virus that has already killed 660 people across West
Africa has spread to Nigeria after a Liberian man boarded a
plane to the country, the most populous in the continent.
He managed to board the flight despite of having a high fever.
Once on the plane he vomited, before dying in Nigeria.
Upon arrival in the country’s capital Lagos - a megacity home
to 21 million people - the 40-year-old had been moved to an
isolation ward.
Believed to be a government official with the finance ministry,
he had recently lost his sister to Ebola in Liberia, health
officials there said. Authorities are now investigating anyone
who may have come into contact with him.
Nigerian health minister Onyebuchi Chukwu said it was the first
case of Ebola to be confirmed in Nigeria since the start of the
current outbreak in the region. The disease has already hit
Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, infecting 1,093.
In Sierra Leone, officials are hunting the first known resident of
the capital Freetown to test positive for the disease after the
family of the woman forcibly removed her from a hospital in the
city.
Saudatu Koroma, 32, a resident of the densely populated
Wellington neighbourhood, had been admitted to an isolation
ward while blood samples were analysed, health ministry
spokesman Sidi Yahya Tunis. The results came back on
Thursday.
“The family of the patient stormed the hospital and forcefully
removed her and took her away,” Tunis said. “We are searching
for her.”
Fighting one of the world's deadliest diseases is straining the
region's weak health systems, while a lack of information and
suspicion of medical staff has led many to shun treatment.
According to health ministry data and officials, dozens of
people confirmed by laboratory tests to have Ebola are now
unaccounted for in Sierra Leone, where the majority of cases
have been recorded in the country's east.
There is no cure or vaccine for Ebola, which causes diarrhea,
vomiting and internal and external bleeding. It can kill up to 90
percent of those infected, although the mortality rate of the
current outbreak is around 60 percent.
The West African outbreak is the first time that Ebola, which
was first discovered in what is now Democratic Republic of
Congo in 1976, has appeared in heavily populated urban areas
and international travel hubs.

Read More

INEC SACKS 30 STAFF OVER ELECTION-RELATED OFFENCES

The Independent National Electoral Commission
[INEC] has fired no fewer than 30 of its personnel
accused for aiding electoral malpractices across
the country during the 2011 general election, the
electoral body has said.
Sixteen of the dismissed staff were punished for their
alleged involvement in election-related offences in
Anambra state, the South-East state which elections
are usually tainted by rigging and thuggery.
Other states, whose elections led to the dismissal of
INEC officials, are Imo (3), Edo (1), Zamfara (1), FCT
(1), Delta (1), Oyo (2), Rivers (1), Lagos (1), and Osun
(2).
A staff based at the INEC Headquarters in Abuja was
also shown the door for allegedly colluding with
politicians to perpetrate electoral fraud.
Besides, the Commission is prosecuting nine out of
its 12 staff apprehended for committing various
forms of electoral offences during the governorship
elections in six states.
Two out of the 12 electoral offenders have been
discharged and acquitted while one was convicted.
According to a letter to a civil society group, Say No
Campaign, in response to a Freedom of Information
request, INEC said those dismissed or whose
appointments were terminated committed offences
such as refusal to carry out lawful duties and
misleading the Commission, misconduct,
disappearance with money meant for payment of
allowances of ad-hoc staff, withholding ballot papers,
manipulation of election results and possession of
DDC machines.
Others offences listed are allegation of illegal entries
in the register of voters and attempt to make use of
left-over money.
The letter, dated July 14 and signed by the Secretary
to the Commission, Augusta Ogakwu, was in
response to a request by the civil group on June 9 in
accordance with the Freedom of Information Act, for
the list of the electoral offenders.
Say No Campaign is a coalition of civil society
organisations committed to fighting corruption,
impunity, poverty, violence and other governance
challenges in the country.
According to the document, made exclusively
available to PREMIUM TIMES, the 16 officials axed in
connection with the Anambra election committed the
same offence: "Allegation of wrong entries in the
register of voters."
All 16 staff, who were either electoral officers or
those drawn from ICT and Audit Units of the election
body for election duty, had their appointments
terminated by the Commission.
The remaining 14 staff were either compulsorily
retired or dismissed in 2011.
The most senior officer among them who hails from
in Imo State was on Grade Level 16. He was retired
for "refusal to carry out lawful directives and
misleading the Commission."
Another officer dismissed while on Grade Level 15 is
from Edo State. He was found guilty of wrongful
recruitment and deployment of a collation officer
whose name was given as Dr. Paul.
Those being prosecuted in court for electoral
offences, according to a document attached to the
letter and signed by S.O. Ibrahim, the assistant
director in charge of the commission's legal services,
(prosecution) are Chukwujekwu Okeke (Anambra)
and Osunlola Akinyinka (Oyo).
Mr. Akinyinka is being prosecuted at the High Court
in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital.
Chinedu Nwankwo, Henry Anozie and Obiora Enebeli
committed their own offences in Edo State and their
cases are also in court.
In Ekiti, although Ojo Oluwafemi and Olusola Oladipo
have been dismissed from service, their cases are
pending in court. Two other officers, Oni Babajide
James and Ajayi Gbenga whose, cases are pending in
court, are however on interdiction.
Isa Amana, an ad-hoc staff and Omolade Raphael,
who allegedly committed offences in Ondo State,
have since been discharged and acquitted at a
Magistrate Court while Sani Dada who has since been
convicted, committed the offence in Niger State.
Kayode Idowu, media aide to the INEC Chairman,
Attahiru Jega could not be reached to comment for
this story. He did not answer or return calls made to
his mobile telephone call.
But Mr. Jega had in 2013 admitted the presence of
corrupt officials and staff in INEC, who were not only
aiding and abetting rigging, but also committing
other electoral malpractices
"INEC officials are not immune to prosecution. Since
we came here, as a Commission we have prosecuted
INEC officials, who have been clearly found guilty of
breaching established laws, rules and regulations
and we have also quietly shown people the way out.
Probably, it was not well advertised," he said during
the public presentation of Strategic Programme of
Action of INEC covering 2012 to 2016.
"There were many people that were indicted who
were not faithful due to criminal activities which
clearly were incompatible with the objectives and
responsibility that they were supposed to bring to
this job. We have retired people.
"We have dismissed people and asked people to
withdraw their services. We have done a lot quietly
and it is not something that really should have been
advertised.
He said INEC made it clear it would draw the line and
that though the leadership was not looking for fault,
it would not do anything wrong or ask anybody to do
wrong, but if anyone was found doing wrong, he
would have himself to blame.
The INEC Chairman added, "No doubt, I must share
with you that my own assessment of what has
happened is that in INEC previously, certainly there
were a few bad eggs, who had done things and things
they had done had more or less damaged the image
of the entire members of the Commission.
"It is really a terrible thing that has happened. And it
is very, very clear that majority of staff of INEC are
honest people doing honest job under very difficult
circumstances. All they required was motivation and
encouragement and inspiration from the conduct of
those who are placed in positions of responsibility."

Read More

UPDATE: 35 BODIES PULLED FROM GAZA RUBBLE

The bodies of at least another 35 Palestinians
were recovered from rubble across Gaza on
Saturday, raising to over 900 the overall death
toll of Israel's onslaught on the territory since
July 8, medics said.


Emergency services spokesman Ashraf al-Qudra said
the bodies were retrieved in the three hours since a
humanitarian truce came into effect. Thirteen bodies
were recovered in Shejaiya in eastern Gaza City, 13
more in Deir al-Balah and Nusseirat in central Gaza,
and nine in north Gaza.

Read More

THE RETURN

Hey guys ...It's been a long time, hasn't it? Well just to let you know that we have resumed fully until any further notices. We are now officially available at www.blazestories.com

Cheers. . .

Read More