Online payments and money transfers firm, PayPal, made one of its account holder’s richer with an astounding USD 92quadrillion last week by mistake.

The account owner Chris Reynold a resident of Delaware County said that he initially thought it was a debt, until he realized they had credited his account.

The email he was sent by the company stated that his balance stood at $92,233,720,368,547,800, although when he went to check the figure on the website, it showed a more usual balance of zero.

That amount of money is roughly equivalent to 14 months worth of the entire planet’s Gross Domestic Productivity.

Reynolds has been a PayPal customer for about 10 years, using it mainly for eBay transactions.

A side note, this reveals that in some way, the PayPal account balance tables in their database has the ability to carry values greater than the planet’s annual GDP — which maybe an indication of how large the firm thinks its financial services will grow to in the future.

Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the coordinating minister of Nigeria’s and Finance Minister urged Nigerians to support home-grown unique equipment manufacturers.

The minister added that it is only through that way that technology could be transferred; new job opportunities will be created as well as assurance of a good life for the citizens.

This she said during a tour of the factory of Omatek Computers which is situated in Lagos. Okonjo-Iweala believed that instead of looking up to the Federal Government for sponsorship, Nigerians should support locally made electronics search as PCs, tablets and other ICT accessories.

“We will only succeed in this country if we patronise our own products. Let us look unto ourselves and leave government. If we patronise our own goods, we will grow the economy,” she said, adding that with a population of over 150 million people, the multiplier effect on the economy of patronising indigenous OEMs could only be imagined.

She also enjoined the Group Managing Director of Omatek Computers, Engineer Florence Seriki, to make her products competitive in terms of quality, insisting that it was only by doing so that her products could beat the competition posed by imported goods. She also urged her to look to the private sector for patronage instead of looking up to the government.

A while ago,the engineer conducted the minister around the expansive factory, where the government delegation was amazed by the huge investment Omatek had committed to the factory. 

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) declared that the licensing renewal agreement between EA Sports will not push through.  Electronic Arts (EA) Sports license will expire in June 2014; this means that the upcoming NCAA 2014 will be the last college football game released under the license.

The NCAA games were strong and expected and were a source of revenue for the EA Sports; however the games did not make so much money and was not as popular worldwide as FIFA.

Apart from making college football the company had also made a footprint in college basketball as well as baseball in the past. EA Sports had signed a deal in 2005 which had given them an exclusive license to NCAA teams, logos and a major competitive advantage over their major rival 2K. These are some of the things that the company would loose out on.

This piece of information doesn’t necessarily mean that it will be the end of the EA Sports making it to the NCAA games; it only means that they will have to negotiate with ever team and school at an individual level which is quite costly.

Disagreements are not something new to these college games and the license problem could be a result of a disagreement. Electronic Arts was hit with a class-action lawsuit accusing that the company’s licensing deals effectively gave it a monopoly over sports games, which it settled last year for USD27 million. Part of the contract in that resolution was that it would not enter into any other such agreements for five years.

It’s also gotten in trouble for including actual student athletes in its games, a no-no because college athletes are not supposed to be professionals and aren’t paid for their likenesses. Another class action lawsuit is ongoing about that.

The Zambian parliament is now set on going digital and it now pushing Parliament to go paperless by allowing lawmakers to use their mobile phones, laptops and iPads instead of paper to conduct business in the House.

“Allow us to use our cell phones, laptops and iPads, as we are in a technological and information age. We are tired of hiding the equipment when we are in the House,” Said Ronnie Shakipwasha the Member of Parliament of Keembe.

The Member of Parliament, who was contributing to a debate on the Parliamentary Reforms and Modernization, said that it was not compulsory to limit the use of electronic gadgets such as mobile phones, laptops and iPads in the House.

The electronic gadgets, he said are important, giving the example of Rwanda, where Parliament has already gone paperless. He argued the Zambian government to follow Rwanda’s example in using the devices.

Shikapwasha was supported by several Members of Parliament, including the Minister of Finance, Alexander Chikwanda, who equally called for reforms of the Zambian Parliament.

The Kenya revenue authority’s project to implement remote transmissions of Electronic Tax Registers data has begun and is aimed to be completed by December this year.

The project’s process will enable effective monitoring of ETRs to track usage, detachment and locality, among others.

The programme may also confine data for the purposes of executing a customer loyalty programme. KRA Commissioner General John Njiraini revealed that ITax roll out has been completed and all modules have been started and a formal launch expected in early august and mandatory electronic filing will be implemented by September 2013.

The commissioner also said that mobile payment platform is still being developed and is expected to begin by end of July 2013.

Njiraini also revealed that  PriceWaterCoopers has ranked Kenya at 164th place out of 185 countries in the world in 2013 On paying taxes, the position worsened from 153 (2011) to 154 (2012).

“Kenya must improve investment climate competitiveness through reform of tax processes,” he said

Samsung electronics east Africa has today launched the Samsung galaxy mega in Kenya and has also signed a six months deal with Kenya’s rugby top scorer Collins Injera which will see him drive the newly launched phone’s experience among his fans countrywide.

“Collins is well known for his achievements with the Kenya National Rugby Sevens team; hiss eye for the line, electric pace and clinical finishing ability on field has seen him deliver a mega performance,. We are looking forward to the partnership with him that will see us engage fans around the similarly powerful Samsung Galaxy Mega Smartphone,” said Samsung’s Electronics East Africa Chief Operating Officer, Robert Ngeru.

The galaxy mega combines the portability ad the convenience of a smart phone with the power, multitasking capabilities and extensive viewing experience of a tablet.

“For Smartphone enthusiasts who want a premium viewing experience coupled with multitasking capability, the Samsung Galaxy Mega Smartphone is idea. You will be able to create and edit documents and photos, play games, surf the web and social networking sites, stream videos and movies online, all on a 5.8 inch screen that also allows you to run two different apps alongside each other, ” added Ngeru    

The phone has a5.8-inch HD Super Clear LCD screen with landscaper mode support, it is thin and light and weighs 182g. The mega has a standard battery of Li-ion 2,600 and well as a 8 mega pixel rear-facing camera and 1.9 mega pixel front-facing camera with many features alongside the cameras.

Galaxy mega has outstanding features like group play which enables users to enjoy music, play games and share picture and documents without the need for a Wi-Fi app or cellular signal. It also has Samsung Link to easily stream photos, videos, and notes to your computers, tablet or TV.

Another captivating feature is that it has Samsung smart switch which enables users to transfer data from your old Samsung smart phone to the new one. It has an S- Translator that translates you text messages o the language the user prefers.

The Mega Smartphone has the adapt display which adopts the display color and brightness in accordance to the users surroundings.eg when reading a book it tones the rightness. It also has adapt sound which adjusts the phone levels according t your hearing levels.

The Samsung Galaxy Mega is currently available in the market and is retailing from between KSH37,000 – 42,000 ( approximately USD483)and comes with a 24 month standard warranty .

South Africa’s Dac Systems, a specialist services provider focused on turnkey implementations of leading edge industry solutions, has partnered with Combined Knowledge Ltd in a move expected to generate greater awareness of SharePoint and Nintex education within the South African market.

Combined Knowledge is an international developer and supplier of SharePoint education and support. The company has a firm track record of support for the rollout and adoption of this technology in business.

In 2009 Combined Knowledge was selected by Nintex to become Global Training Partner for their range of products and subsequently expanded their portfolio of SharePoint courses to include exclusive Nintex Education.

Dac Systems is a valued Nintex partner and Microsoft Certified Gold Partner in South Africa, representing an attractive and credible channel through which Combined Knowledge can increase levels of engagement with this region.

Through the partnership Dac Systems will offer the Combined Knowledge portfolio of Nintex and SharePoint courses to South African clients.

“Our key aim is not only to deliver the best training classes available but also to provide organisations with a complete education solution for SharePoint deployments. This is achieved by providing training to facilitate product installation and development through to ensuring successful user adoption with the addition of on-demand support for all users from one central source,” says Zoe Watson, Sales & Marketing Director, Combined Knowledge.

“As Nintex’s partners and clients are globally based, Combined Knowledge has invested in a robust online delivery environment that won’t be found anywhere else – delivering hands-on training to suit all time zones enabling anyone to easily join our classes wherever they are based,” she adds.

Watson explains that Combined Knowledge has an established and proud association with Dac Systems in the supply of education, and the companies share a passion in providing quality solutions to clients.

Aldo van Tonder, Solutions Executive at Dac Systems, says the company is confident the partnership will add measurable value to its market in providing access to exclusive, high quality education material via the online delivery system.

“We are very happy to be a part of this alliance. It means that our clients, operating in the domestic market, are guaranteed access to tuition of the highest quality and to material that will reinforce their knowledge of these technologies and this expanding marketplace,” he says.

Sounds weird but it it true, scientists from the Bristol Robotics Laboratory have recharged a Samsung battery, using human urine giving hope to guys in off-grid regions as they can

Dr Ioannis Ieropoulos from UWE Bristol said that “no-one has harnessed power from urine to do this so it’s an exciting discovery. Using the ultimate waste product as a source of power to produce electricity is about as eco as it gets.”

“One product that we can be sure of an unending supply is our own urine. By harnessing this power as urine passes through a cascade of microbial fuel cells (MFCs), we have managed to charge a Samsung mobile phone. The beauty of this fuel source is that we are not relying on the erratic nature of the wind or the sun; we are actually re-using waste to create energy.”

“So far the microbial fuel power stack that we have developed generates enough power to enable SMS messaging, web browsing and to make a brief phone call.”

The Microbial Fuel Cell is an energy converter, which turns organic matter directly into electricity, via the metabolism of live microorganisms. Essentially, the electricity is a by-product of the microbes’ natural life cycle, so the more they eat things like urine, the more energy they generate and for longer periods of time; so it’s beneficial to keep doing it.

The electricity output from MFCs is relatively small and so far they have only been able to store and accumulate these low levels of energy into capacitors or super-capacitors, for short charge/discharge cycles. This is the first time they have been able to directly charge the battery of a device such as a mobile phone though.

The project has been funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), the Gates Foundation and the Technology Strategy Board.

The scientists believe that the technology has the future potential to be installed into domestic bathrooms to harness the urine and produce sufficient electricity to power showers, lighting or razors as well as mobile phones.

Dr Ieropoulos concludes, “We are currently bidding for funding to work alongside partners in the US and S. Africa to develop a smart toilet.”

 MicroStrategy Inc, a worldwide provider of enterprise software platforms has announced the MicroStrategy Mobile App Universe and the MicroStrategy Mobile App Developer Academy in a move to aid customers in building compelling mobile apps.

The MicroStrategy Mobile App Universe will showcase numerous business app solutions available to customers, delivered directly by MicroStrategy Services or via its global technology partner network. An expansive ecosystem of MicroStrategy technology partners leverages the MicroStrategy Mobile App Platform™ to build compelling business apps based on rich domain expertise across many industries and functions.

MicroStrategy technology partner, a New Zealand-based Six Degrees highlighted the financial budgeting, planning, and forecasting mobile app in MicroStrategy’s Mobile App Universe.

“The MicroStrategy Mobile App Universe is a perfect place for us to showcase the game changing apps we are building with the MicroStrategy Mobile App Platform,” said Peter Hanley, Managing Director of Six Degrees. “The Six Degrees apps provide executives with the ability to bring their financial information to a meeting, to undertake ‘what if’ analyses during a business discussion, and to collaboratively amend forecasts—all from their mobile devices. This takes actionable insight to a whole new level.”

To view the MicroStrategy Mobile App Universe, visit: http://www.microstrategy.com/mobile/app-universe. MicroStrategy technology partners who wish to learn more about the MicroStrategy Mobile App Universe, including how to submit app solutions for inclusion, please contact: AppUniverse@microstrategy.com.

The MicroStrategy Mobile App Developer Academy is a collection of educational videos, grouped in classes with corresponding certifications delivered in an iPad app that records the user’s completed courses and classes. The materials are built by the best MicroStrategy Mobile app developers in the world and arm potential MicroStrategy developers with the skills to build amazing business apps using MicroStrategy Mobile™. The videos and corresponding certifications are delivered by a new app, built and deployed by the MicroStrategy Mobile App Platform.

“When fully leveraged, apps built on the MicroStrategy Mobile App Platform can be revolutionary for businesses,” said Paul Zolfaghari, President, MicroStrategy Incorporated. “We feel strongly that the MicroStrategy Mobile App Developer Academy will give mobile developers the training they need to build business apps that enhance the way people work.”

MicroStrategy remains committed to helping organizations build apps that reshape how people work. MicroStrategy defines “Revolutionary Mobile Apps” as apps that are consequential in their ability to increase the velocity of decision-making, durable because they are embedded with insight that withstands the test of time, and compelling in being equal parts powerful, beautiful, and captivating.

Hugh Owen, Vice President of Mobile at MicroStrategy, will present the Mobile keynote that elaborates on these initiatives at MicroStrategy World 2013 in Barcelona. To watch the MicroStrategy World 2013 mobile keynote streamed live, visit: www.microstrategy.com/microstrategyworld/europe/live.

To view a set of innovative companies who have built these revolutionary mobile apps powered by MicroStrategy Mobile, please visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clKiNpY76I0.

Panasonic Corporation, one of the largest electronic product company worldwide has launched the first panasonic Plaza in Kenya.

The move was aimed at serving its potential and existing customer’s in a highly professional and personalized setting.

Located in Westland’s area of Nairobi city, the showroom is labeled as the first fully equipped and comprehensive showroom by Panasonic . The show room will serve as an ideal one stop shop, a service center and a contact centre in one location.

The company show cased the different range of audio visual products and accessories, from home appliances, to digital cameras as well as a range of beauty products which will be made available to the Kenyan consumers.

The Managing Director Panasonic Marketing Middle East & Africa, Mr Masao Motoki.

Managing Director, Pole stars Mr Bhop Indar Singh together with the other dignitaries were present in the ribbon cutting event.

“Making inroads into Africa and establishing a strong presence by enhancing customer preferences and touch points are an integral part of our Africa expansion strategy. We are committed to becoming the number one consumer electronic brand in the African continent, and our first Panasonic Plaza in Nairobi, Kenya is a testimony to this. Our success in Kenya will highly influence our position in gaining customer confidence in the other potential African markets. We are positive that with our broad product category and high quality products, we be gaining a strong foothold gradually”, said Masao Motoki, Managing Director, Panasonic Marketing Middle East & Africa.

Panasonic’s main buisness partner is Pole Stars, who will also be providing the after sales service to the customer in kenya.

“In Pole Stars we have a partner who know and understand the demands of the local market. We are extremely happy to be working with Pole Stars and hope to strengthen and grow this very fruitful partnership,” Motoki added.

“Panasonic is a global brand and we are very proud to be their partner of choice in Kenya. The customers here will now be able to enjoy the latest technology while gaining access to products and services with greater convenience. With its extensive line-up and quality products, deemed to meet varied customer demands, this showroom will not only help Panasonic gain a strong foothold in the growing Kenyan market but also makes for a strategic brand association for us”, said, Bhop Indar Singh, Managing Director, Pole Stars Ltd.

Sing also said that his teamwill ensure that they will also create an awareness campaigne to educate the public about the products to help curb the production of counterfeit products.

He also added that plans to open other contact centres in major towns and other cities in kenya are underway.

Panasonic is planning to expand aggressively in Africa and this new Panasonic Plaza is a major milestone in its drive to gain major in-roads to the highly potential African market.

Thousands of Catholic faithfuls can now afford a smile every time they log onto Twitter, expecting not just to connect with friends and follow trending topics and news across the world but a sweet tweet of forgiveness from Pope Francis I (@Pontifex).

According to the the Vatican’s Sacred Apostolic Penitentiary publication, Pope Francis I will be giving “plenary indulgences” (the forgiveness of sins and a special act that is said to reduce time in purgatory). on social media, something that was done in person, fearfully.

The Guardian reports “the Vatican has married one of its oldest traditions to the world of social media by offering “indulgences” to followers of Pope Francis‘ tweets. Indulgences reduce the time Catholics believe they will have to spend in purgatory after they have confessed and been absolved of their sins.

Mobile solutions provider Mahindra Comviva, today partnered with Gondwana-City Productions (GCP), a content aggregator in Africa to strengthen Mahindra Comviva’s digital content portfolio, across video, voice and text in Africa.

Gonwana-City Productions will provide popular content from Francophone artists like Mamane, Digbeu Cravate, Adama Dahico, Yodé & Siro and many more local artists to add toMahindra Comviva’s over 250,000 tracks and  140 Content Providers in Africa, Middle East and Asia.

Mahindra Comviva collaborates with over 70 content partners in Africa including local and international content providers/copyright bodies/ local artists and production houses in the region.

According to Atul Madan, Head of Digital Services, Mahindra Comviva, the partnership with Gondwana-City Productions is great as the firm works closely with a number of both local and international artists to source a huge selection of digital music and infotainment content which they find useful.

Madan said, “The combination of partnering with GCP together with our proven expertise in deploying and managing music services for operators across multiple growth markets, will further drive the success of managed music services and infotainment services in Africa.”

Catherine, Co-founder, Gondwana-City Productions said, “We bring a diverse range of content from Francophone region that will allow mobile operators to drive the quantity of users on their networks and meet the growing needs of subscribers across markets. Mahindra Comviva has a proven expertise of deploying and managing operator’s complete music and infotainment services portfolio across different geographies and we are very happy to be a part of Mahindra Comviva’s success story in Africa.”

Currently Mahindra Comviva owns music rights for over 170,000 unique music titles in African, Arabic and International categories, spanning multiple popular genres including Hip Hop, Pop, Inspirational, Classical, Hip Life, Humor, Football Chants, RNB, Gospel, Jazz, Rock, Devotional, Reggae and Retro in over 35 languages. Operators in Africa have seen more than fourfold increase in their music services penetration and subscriber base, multi fold increase in their music revenues, using Mahindra Comviva’s digital services.

Besides this, the company owns a huge collection of video, voice and text based applications like devotional, full track music, music on demand, karaoke, games, contest, sports, news, humor, health & fitness, career, lifestyle, agriculture and many more.

Mahindra Comviva manages an operator’s complete  music and infotainment  services portfolio  bringing together  content technology platform, discovery, analytics and recommendation tools, storefront management and business  and marketing expertise to drive growth and usage.

Recently Mahindra Comviva has been awarded the most innovative company by Global Telecoms Business Innovation Awards 2013 for Managed Music services to Airtel Africa for Hello Tunes.