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DABENGWA – MTN GROUP CEO RESIGNS OVER NCC’S N1.04TN FINE

MTN Group President and Chief Executive Officer, Sifiso Dabengwa, resigned on Monday morning over the N1.04tn fine imposed on MTN Nigeria by the country’s regulatory body – the Nigerian Communications Commission.

A credible source at the MTN Group office told our correspondent that the company subsequently appointed ‎Phuthuma Nhleko as Executive Chairman in a temporary capacity.

He said Nhleko, the current Non-executive Chairman, has agreed to act as Executive Chairman for a maximum period of six months while the company identifies a successor for Dabengwa.

A copy of Dabengwa’s resignation letter was made available to our correspondent.

‎It read in parts, “Due to the most unfortunate prevailing circumstances occurring at MTN Nigeria, I, in the interest of the company and its shareholders, have tendered my resignation with immediate effect.”

Officials at MTN said Nhleko was no stranger to the business as he served as non-executive director and chairman of MTN from July 2001 until June 2002 and thereafter as an executive director, Group president and CEO until March 2011. He has subsequently chaired the Group in a non-executive capacity for the past two and a half years (since May 29, 2013).

“I will assume responsibility as Executive Chairman for the next six months as I proactively deal with the Nigerian regulator and will continue to work with them in addressing the issues around unregistered subscribers as a matter of urgency,” Nhleko said in his acceptance letter.

The PUNCH gathered that Mr. Alan van Biljon would continue to serve as the Lead Independent Director on the MTN board of directors (MTN Board), while Nhleko takes over executive responsibility.

“Together with the MTN Board, my second priority will be to find an appropriate Chief Executive Officer to take MTN forward. I will then revert to my Non-executive Chairman role,” Nhleko added.

‎”Stakeholders are reminded that MTN will continue to inform them of any material engagements with the Nigerian authorities via the Stock Exchange News Service of the JSE Limited.

“Shareholders are advised to continue to exercise caution when dealing in the company’s securities until a further announcement is made,” the source added.‎

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HOW TO CHECK YOUR BVN USING YOUR MOBILE PHONE

BVN stands for Bank Verification Number. In line with directives from the Central Bank of Nigeria, a 10 digit number for identifying each customer has been implemented to eschew fraudulent activities and enhance strict monitoring of financial activities in the country. A customer with more than one bank account can register for his/her BVN in a particular Bank and is then mandated to link his BVN upon reception to other Bank accounts if he patronizes different banks. For Mobile phone users who have registered, getting your BVN number is as easy as dialing a short code. DialUSSD code *565*0# to view your BVN with the same phone number used for registration.

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REVIEW: DELL CHROMEBOOK 13 VS. TOSHIBA CHROMEBOOK 2

Chromebooks provide a dead-simple way to get online and get stuff done — but the process of picking out a Chromebook has gotten increasingly complicated over the years.
Chromebook Reviews

One look through Google’s Chromebook device page tells you all you need to know: There are tons of different models out there — and at a glance, most of them look pretty similar. Heck, I keep an eye on these things as part of my job (and spend time using most of them, too!), and even I have trouble keeping track of the differences.

Two of this fall’s new Chromebooks, however, definitely stand out from the pack. One is Toshiba’s 2015 Chromebook 2, an updated version of the device that’s been my go-to Chromebook recommendation for the past year. The other is Dell’s Chromebook 13, a new laptop that brings a touch of luxury to the midrange Chromebook realm.

The systems have a lot in common, but they also have some important differences. First is their price: Toshiba’s Chromebook starts at $330, while Dell’s starts at $429. (Dell has been promoting a lower-level $399 version of its device, which, as of this writing, was due to ship at the end of November.)

So between the $330 and the $429 Chromebooks, what does that extra hundred bucks get you — and is it worth your while? After spending the past several weeks using both the Toshiba Chromebook 2 and the Dell Chromebook 13, the answer is quite clear.

Let’s break it all down:
On the outside: Build quality and design

Toshiba’s new Chromebook 2 looks and feels almost identical to its predecessor, with a plastic body and a textured plastic lid. The build quality is slightly better than most systems in its price range, but it’s nothing to write home about. The same can be said for the device’s design, which is okay but unexceptional.

Dell’s Chromebook 13 is a different story. The laptop has a carbon-fiber cover and an aluminum-magnesium body that work together to make the system stylish and approachable, as well as exceptionally sturdy. It’s by no means at the level of build quality or design of a high-end system like Google’s $1,000 Chromebook Pixel, but it’s a really nice laptop — and a meaningful step above every other system in the sub-$500 class.
dell chromebook 13
Dell

Dell Chromebook 13

Dell’s laptop is the larger of the two devices, at 12.9 x 9.0 x 0.72 in. compared to the Toshiba’s 12.6 x 8.4 x 0.76 in. frame. It’s also heavier, at 3.23 lbs. vs. Toshiba’s 2.97 lbs. In real-world terms, those differences are pretty subtle: The Dell device does feel a bit bulkier — as you’d expect, given its materials — but neither system is especially svelte.

While these devices may not win any awards for thinness, they fall into a good middle-ground size when it comes to most typical use. They’re big enough to give you ample room to work, which isn’t always the case with the more common 11-in. Chromebook models — but at the same time, they’re small enough to remain easily portable and fit effortlessly into a bag, which is something you sacrifice once you start getting into larger desktop-replacement-style devices.

Both Chromebooks are also comfortable to use on your lap or on a table. In either position, everything about the Dell’s construction feels noticeably more premium than the Toshiba’s — from the strength and stability of its large hinge, which opens with ease and keeps the screen completely still during use, to the base area around its keyboard, which has a surprisingly soft texture that feels smooth and pleasant under your hands.

The Toshiba Chromebook is certainly fine in those regards — just more “okay for the cost” as opposed to “spectacular.” Its screen can get a little shaky as a result of its two-piece hinge, and the plastic surface of its base is serviceable but nothing special.
Inside the lid: Display, keyboard, trackpad and speakers

Once you get past the surface, things start to look much more similar between the Dell and Toshiba Chromebooks. Both laptops have excellent 13.3-in. 1080p IPS displays, for instance — a distinction that goes a long way in setting them apart from most affordable Chrome OS systems. The screens are crisp, clear and richly colored. Once your eyes get used to their level of quality, you won’t be able to tolerate the dull and grainy TN-based displays on the majority of inexpensive laptops.

The displays on the Dell and Toshiba Chromebooks are really quite comparable, with one noteworthy exception: The Dell’s screen has a matte finish, while the Toshiba’s display is glossy and reflective. I wouldn’t call either approach inherently better; image quality and viewing angles on the two are similarly superb, and there’s little to complain about with either panel. It’s mainly just a matter of personal preference (if you even have a strong leaning either way; most people probably won’t give it an ounce of thought).

Both systems have a fair amount of plastic bezel surrounding their displays, with an HD Webcam in the center of the top portion. The devices’ keyboards are in the same general league, too: plasticky but satisfying to type on and backlit for optimal evening use. The backlighting on the Dell looks a bit better, but either setup will get the job done (and you can actually adjust the lighting level on either device by holding the Alt key and pressing the brightness up or down key in the function row). The Toshiba keyboard has slightly larger keys with a softer-feeling finish, but like the quality of the backlighting, it really isn’t a make-or-break factor.
03 toshiba chromebook 2
Toshiba

Toshiba Chromebook 2

Far more significant is the difference in the devices’ trackpads. The Dell Chromebook’s is made of glass and feels just incredible under your fingers. You may never have considered a trackpad to be a highlight of a laptop, but after using this Chromebook, you will. The Toshiba device’s is ordinary in comparison — made of plastic and about on par with what you see on most lower-end Chromebooks. It’s accurate and easy to use but in a very different class from Dell’s.

Both laptops have impressive speakers that are loud and fairly full-sounding (as laptop speakers go). I’d give the edge in audio quality to the Toshiba: Its speakers are artfully hidden beneath its keyboard, which allows sound to be directed toward you without the need for any ugly visible grilles.

The Dell Chromebook has speakers on either side of its bottom, which isn’t nearly as ideal of a placement — but they’re on the outer edges of the surface, at least, and so they usually avoid getting muffled entirely. Still, while the laptop’s audio is reasonably decent in and of itself, it ends up sounding markedly less loud and clear than the Toshiba Chromebook’s when you listen to the one right after the other.
Under the hood: Performance, storage, stamina and ports

Dell and Toshiba both offer varying levels of processing power with their new Chromebooks. I’ll make that part of the decision easy for you: The only models you really need to consider are the base-level models I mentioned at the start of this review — the $429 Dell Chromebook 13, which has an Intel Celeron 3205U processor and 4GB of RAM, and the $330 Toshiba Chromebook 2, which has an Intel Celeron 3215U processor and 4GB of RAM.

(On the Toshiba, the specific model you want is the CB35-C3300. Since last year’s device is also called the Chromebook 2 — and appears almost identical in outward appearance — it’s worth double-checking to make sure you’re looking at the current model and not the older version.)

Those almost-identical setups are more than capable of handling even the most demanding needs — like my own anything-but-average style of working, which tends to include frequent switching between as many as 15 to 20 simultaneously open tabs. I’ve used both systems from morning to night in that manner and things have been consistently smooth and snappy, without a single slowdown or sign of lag on either device. Both laptops are fairly quiet during use, too, and neither gets especially hot.

(Technically, Toshiba’s processor is a slight step ahead of Dell’s, as it has a higher operating frequency, but don’t read too much into those sorts of spec-sheet details. In terms of real-word performance, the laptops are essentially the same — even with a direct side-by-side comparison.)

For the vast majority of people, upgrading to a model with a more powerful chip or additional RAM isn’t going to make enough of a noticeable difference to be worth the extra cost. If you want to spend more money — especially in the range of $600 to $900, as Dell’s higher-level configurations climb — you’d be better off bumping up to the high-end Pixel and gaining the top-of-the-line hardware, design and display it provides (all of which will be far more meaningful than the added processing power alone in day-to-day use).

In the configurations I’m reviewing, both laptops have 16GB of internal storage space along with a slot for external storage (regular, mini or micro SD on the Toshiba and — somewhat strangely — micro SD-only on the Dell). They both also include 100GB of Google Drive cloud storage for two years, which would cost about $48 if you paid for it outright.

We’ve got one more significant point of differentiation to cover and that’s stamina: The Toshiba Chromebook 2 does admirably well, with a quoted 8.5 hours of battery life per charge and real-world results generally ranging between 6.5 to 7 hours for me. The Dell Chromebook 13, meanwhile, is outstanding: It’s listed for a whopping 12 hours of use per charge, and I’ve been clocking in somewhere between 10 and 12 hours total on most days.

Remember, too, that my usage tends to be unusually resource-intensive and heavy on multitasking, so if you’re more prone to keeping just one or two tabs open at a time — the way most people use a Chromebook — you’ll probably be able to stretch things out even longer. Even with demanding use, though, both systems provide respectable battery life, with the Dell taking the clear lead in terms of true all-day computing.

I should also mention that each laptop uses its own proprietary charger, which may be a bummer to anyone hoping to move toward the up-and-coming universal USB Type-C standard. Thus far, the 2015 Pixel is the only Chromebook to feature such a connection.

Last but not least, the Dell and Toshiba Chromebooks share the same set of ports and connectors: one USB 2.0 port, one USB 3.0 port, a dedicated HDMI-out port, a headphone jack and a security lock slot.
Bottom line

If you’re looking for the best all-around Chromebook you can buy short of $1,000 right now, Dell’s Chromebook 13 is, without a doubt, it. The laptop redefines what a midrange Chromebook can be, with a combination of solid performance, a high-quality display and elevated build quality. If you have $429 to spend, it’s the one you want to get.

Toshiba’s Chromebook 2 offers the same level of performance and the same caliber of display in a less premium package. You’re getting a device that’s just as capable — only not as nice to use (and with less outstanding, though still generally quite sufficient, stamina). By accepting that tradeoff, you’re keeping an extra $100 in your wallet.

All considered, I’d say this: The Toshiba Chromebook is certainly good enough for most casual computing purposes, and if cost is a concern, I wouldn’t hesitate to get it. If you can justify the extra $100, though, the Dell Chromebook will give you a meaningfully better overall experience. Things like premium materials and a top-of-the-line trackpad make a laptop significantly more pleasant to use — and given the choice, that’s undoubtedly what you want.

With their potent mixes of performance, portability, quality and value, these two devices are the most advisable Chromebook purchases for most people right now. The only real question is how much you’re looking to spend.

By JR Raphael http://gtbensmag.com

5 OPEN SOURCE ALTERNATIVES MAIL SERVERS TO GMAIL

Gmail has enjoyed phenomenal success, and regardless of which study you choose to look at for exact numbers, there’s no doubt that Gmail is towards the top of the pack when it comes to market share. For certain circles, Gmail has become synonymous with email, or at least with webmail. Many appreciate its clean interface and the simple ability to access their inbox from anywhere.

FOR MORE OPEN SOURCE EMAIL CLIENTS, SEE OUR COMPLETE COLLECTION.

But Gmail is far from the only name in the game when it comes to web-based email clients. In fact, there are a number of open source alternatives available for those who want more freedom, and occasionally, a completely different approach to managing their email without relying on a desktop client.

Let’s take a look at just a few of the free, open source webmail clients out there available for you to choose from.

ROUNDCUBE

First up on the list is Roundcube. Roundcub is a modern webmail client which will install easily on a standard LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP) stack. It features a drag-and-drop interface which generally feels modern and fast, and comes with a slew of features: canned responses, spell checking, translation into over 70 languages, a templating system, tight address book integration, and many more. It also features a pluggable API for creating extensions.

It comes with a comprehensive search tool, and a number of features on the roadmap, from calendaring to a mobile UI to conversation view, all sound promising, but at the moment these missing features do hold it back a bit compared to some other options.

Roundcube is available as open source under the GPLv3.

Roundcube screenshot courtesy of the project’s website.

ZIMBRA

The next client on the list is Zimbra, which I have used extensively for work. Zimbra includes both a webmail client and an email server, so if you’re looking for an all-in-one solution, it may be a good choice.

Zimbra is a well maintained project which has been hosted at a number of different corporate entities through the years, most recently being acquired by a company called Synacore, last month. It features most of the things you’ve come to expect in a modern webmail client, from webmail to folders to contact lists to a number of pluggable extensions, and generally works very well. I have to admit that I’m most familiar with an older version of Zimbra which felt at times slow and clunky, especially on mobile, but it appears that more recent versions have overcome these issues and provide a snappy, clean interface regardless of the device you are using. A desktop client is also available for those who prefer a more native experience. For more on Zimbra, see this article from from Zimbra’s Olivier Thierry who shares a good deal more about Zimbra’s role in the open source community.

Zimbra’s web client is licensed under a Common Public Attribution License, and the server code is available under GPLv2.

Zimbra screenshot courtesy of Clemente under the GNU Free Documentation License.

SQUIRRELMAIL

I have to admit, SquirrelMail (self-described as “webmail for nuts”) does not have all of the bells and whistles of some more modern email clients, but it’s simple to install and use and therefore has been my go-to webmail tool for many years as I’ve set up various websites and needed a mail client that was easy and “just works.” As I am no longer doing client work and shifted towards using forwarders instead of dedicated email accounts for personal projects, I realized it had been awhile since I took a look at SquirrelMail. For better or for worse, it’s exactly where I left it.

SquirrelMail started in 1999 as an early entry into the field of webmail clients, with a focus on low resource consumption on both the server and client side. It requires little in the way of special extensions of technologies to be used, which back in the time it was created was quite important, as browsers had not yet standardized in the way we expect them to be by today’s standards. The flip side of its somewhat dated interface is that it has been tested and used in production environments for many years, and is a good choice for someone who wants a webmail client with few frills but few headaches to administer.

SquirrelMail is written in PHP and is licensed under the GPL.

SquirrelMail screenshot courtesy of the project website.

RAINLOOP

Next up is Rainloop. Rainloop is a very modern entry into the webmail arena, and its interface is definitely closer to what you might expect if you’re used to Gmail or another commercial email client. It comes with most features you’ve come to expect, including email address autocompletion, drag-and-drop and keyboard interfaces, filtering support, and many others, and can easily be extended with additional plugins. It integrates with other online accounts like Facebook, Twitter, Google, and Dropbox for a more connected experience, and it also renders HTML emails very well compared to some other clients I’ve used, which can struggle with complex markup.

It’s easy to install, and you can try Rainloop in an online demo to decide if it’s a good fit for you.

Rainloop is primarily written in PHP, and the community edition is licensed under the AGPL. You can also check out the source code on GitHub.

Rainloop screenshot by author.

KITE

The next webmail client we look at is Kite, which unlike some of the other webmail clients on our list was designed to go head-to-head with Gmail, and you might even consider it a Gmail clone. While Kite hasn’t fully implemented all of Gmail’s many features, you will instantly be familiar with the interface. It’s easy to test it out with Vagrant in a virtual machine out of the box.

Unfortunately, development on Kite seems to have stalled about a year ago, and no new updates have been made to the project since. However, it’s still worth checking out, and perhaps someone will pick up the project and run with it.

Kite is written in Python and is licensed under a BSD license. You can check out the source code on GitHub.

MORE OPTIONS

• HastyMail is an older email client, originating back in 2002, which is written in PHP and GPL-licensed. While no longer maintained, the project’s creators have gone on to a new webmail project, Cypht, which also looks promising.
• Mailpile is an HTML 5 email client, written in Python and available under the AGPL. Currently in beta, Mailpile has a focus on speed and privacy.
• WebMail Lite is a modern but minimalist option, licensed under the AGPL and written mostly in PHP.
• There are also a number of groupware solutions, such as Horde, which provide webmail in addition to other collaboration tools.

This is by no means a comprehensive list. What’s your favorite open source webmail client?

by Jason Baker (Red Hat)

http://gtbensmag.com 

FEDORA 23 RELEASED AND AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD

The Fedora Project, a Red Hat, Inc., sponsored and community-driven open source collaboration, today the 3rd of November 2015 announced the general availability of Fedora 23, marking a noteworthy first year of Fedora releases driven by the Fedora.next initiative. Under Fedora.next, which serves as the umbrella planning phase for the Fedora Project’s next decade, the Fedora operating system split into three distinct editions with each release: Fedora Workstation, Fedora Server and Fedora Cloud, each serving a different role for end users.

The release of Fedora 23 highlights the important successes of this initiative, including the delivery of these three distinct editions as well as infrastructure improvements to help our community continue Fedora’s role as a leader within the open source operating system world.

Matthew MillerFedora Project Leader

Embracing the Fedora.next model has helped enable the Fedora Project team to better address the specific needs of its varied user base, from home desktop workers and developers to cloud administrators and corporate datacenter users. Not just limited to new features, the Fedora.next model has also delivered several operational improvements to the Fedora Project, allowing for:

• Different release cycles under the Fedora operating system umbrella without requiring the creation of a downstream fork, highlighted by the two-week release cadence of Fedora Atomic Host
• The three editions allow for a clearer delineation of features, helping release engineering teams to be able to push updates from the build system to users in half the time.

Fedora 23

The latest edition of the Fedora operating system, Fedora 23, brings updated and enhanced versions of Fedora’s three editions, all of which are built on a foundation of base packages, which includes updated versions of the Linux kernel, RPM, systemd, DNF and Anaconda. New to Fedora 23 is a “hardening” of these packages through the use of compiler flags, helping to prevent corruption, buffer overflows and other vulnerability issues.

Enhancements to the Fedora 23 editions include:

• Fedora 23 Server gains a new role via the rolekit service in the form of a cache server for web applications, powered by memcached, bringing the total number of roles to three alongside the database server and domain controller roles. Additional tweaks and upgrades include the ability to use rolekit from the anaconda kickstart, a cluster dashboard for Kubernetes and support for SSH key authentication.
• Fedora 23 Workstation brings a preview of GNOME 3.18 as well as changes to the Software application (allowing it to update firmware) and Wayland, with the latter enhancements aimed at helping to make Wayland the default graphic server for future releases.
• Fedora 23 Cloud does not have any obvious improvements, but enhancements continue to deliver a more secure and flexible image for cloud-based deployments. Additionally, Fedora 23 Cloud is expected to power the forthcoming Fedora Atomic Host which is anticipated to have a two-week release cadence moving forward.

Supporting Quotes

Matthew Miller, Fedora Project Leader

“Two years ago, the Fedora Project started the Fedora.next initiative, which helped us look at what the Fedora Project needed to accomplish in the next 10 years to adapt to a changing technology landscape, one where open source development and cloud computing are becoming more prevalent across the IT landscape. The Fedora operating system needed to be both more flexible and more targeted, and last year, we released the first Fedora distribution with three separate editions for users in the cloud, for those in the server room, and for users looking for a desktop platform. The release of Fedora 23 highlights the important successes of this initiative, including the delivery of these three distinct editions as well as infrastructure improvements to help our community continue Fedora’s role as a leader within the open source operating system world.”

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