Keystone bank launch USSD code for offline mobile banking

Mobile banking was introduced to make banking service easier for customers, a lot of banks have adopted the new banking method, the likes of GTB, Access bank and UBA to mention a few have been using this feature. 

Recently, Keystone bank have also join the league of banks operating mobile banking, this feature allows Keystone bank users to carry out transactions on their mobile phones by dialing  the  *533# USSD code, Banking has been made easy as it allows customers to send money, pay bills, buy recharge cards, Bank transfer and also perform other basic bank transactions without the use of Internet. 

The bank Acting managing director, Mr Bakare said“This gap made our next move a no-brainer, especially since it has become a competitive tool in the industry. We appreciate that a key success factor for any commercial bank in today’s competitive market is electronic banking which helps to drive the retail banking strategy, and we are focusing extensively on this to achieve our objective". 

He also added that “We have worked assiduously on the electronic support platform over the last couple of months and subsequently secured relevant regulatory approval for our own USSD or short code.
“As we launch this product, we stand to be counted in the industry to ensure our customers continue to have confidence in the bank and have every reason to improve patronage as we offer them convenient service comparable to, and even better than what is offered by competitors,”

To start using the mobile banking USSD code, your number must be link to your account, in case you're not using the number all you have to do is go to your branch and register it. 

To perform top up, dial *533*Amount#, you can also do a top up for a  third party sim by dialing *533*Amount*phone number#

 Customers are required to input their 4-digit PIN password to initiate the process. 

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How to check UBA account balance on mobile phone

Banks are coming up with innovative ways to satisfy and bring in more customers to their base, UBA has made it easy for customers on their banking platform to check their account balance without the use of Internet. 

This means, if you don't have the UBA mobile banking app install on your phone or you don't use a smartphone, you can easily check your account balance by dialing a USSD code on any phone you use with the number registered with the bank. 

How to check UBA account balance 

As long as you use a mobile device, and can also check your airtime a balance then you can also check your UBA account balance with the USSD code issued by the bank. 

Also read 

How to unlock your forgotten memory card password

To check your account balance, you have to make sure you're using the phone number that have been linked to the bank during your registration, simply dial *919*00# and your balance will be sent to you. 

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Huawei will stop making low-end smartphones, see why.

Huawei is the third largest phone manufacturer behind Apple and Samsung, it is also dominating the Chinese market with it amazing device. 

However, the company have decided to stop producing low-end device but to concentrate on mid-range and high-end smartphones. 

The decision is part of their restructuring strategy to boost sales since the company doesn't make enough profit from low-end smartphones.

Base on the statement made by Huawei's CEO Richard Yu

"We are giving up the very low-end devices because the margin in this is extremely low, and it’s not making enough profit for us. The priority is Europe, China, and Japan, where the economy is healthy and people are able to consume them"

Huawei are not the only manufacturer's that have come up with such decision, other OME like HTC, LG and Blackberry have stop offering sales of low-end smartphones as a result of low profit. 

Huawei appears to be ambitious, the company has target to sell 150 million units of it device,and breaking into the north America to compete with top brands like Apple and Samsung. 

The company will be unveiling the Huawei Mate 10 which is another premium device to compete with the likes of Samsung galaxy 8 and IPhone 8. 

Richard Yu also said “The Mate 10, which has much longer battery life with a full-screen display, quicker changing speed, better photographing capability and many other features that will help us compete with Apple.”

What's you're take on this since there are people who can't afford premium device due to it high cost?  However, there are still Huawie low-end device in the market for now, though when the stock runs out that will be the end. 

Anyway, you have nothing to worry about, there are other low-end smartphones you can get, the likes of Tecno, infinix, gionee and itel still produces low-end device on a daily basis. 

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Google stop it's Google instant search feature-See it reason

Google is eliminating it instant search feature on desktop Web search, the search features which automatically suggest related search when you type in a query was introduced in 2010 under  Marissa Mayer, the former   company’s vice president of search and user experience. 

Let me explain how the instant search works, Google search is the feature that shows you the search queries of what it thinks you want to type, it populates related and unrelated search results as suggestions. 

Also read 

Google adds panic button in Android to fight malware. 

However, Google have decide to stop the feature since more than half of Google search happens on phone, and instant search don't appear on mobile screen. 

This is what Google have to say concerning their decision. 

"We launched Google Instant back in 2010 with the goal to provide users with the information they need as quickly as possible, even as they typed their searches on desktop devices. Since then, many more of our searches happen on mobile, with very different input and interaction and screen constraints. With this in mind, we have decided to remove Google Instant, so we can focus on ways to make Search even faster and more fluid on all devices". 

There have always been an option for users to turn of instant search, now it will be eliminated to make good search experience  across desktop and mobile. 

When you type in a search query, you will only see search suggestions that shows in a standard drop-down menu. 

No pages will load on the background, you will have to click enter to for the results to be shown. 

The instant search feature have been very useful, it makes you get results faster though it also pop up unrelated search results. 

What's your thought on Google decision? Don't forget to share your views by using the comment box. 

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YouTube video playback support coming to whatsapp

Whatsapp is currently testing a new feature that will allow users to view YouTube videos directly on WhatsApp platform without it taking you to another app in other to watch the video. 

Currently, if you click a link to YouTube, it will take you out of whatsapp app, in which you will have to switch back to continue your conversation. 

However, this new feature will allow YouTube link to play directly on the whatsapp app instead of taking you to another app to watch the video. 

You also need to note that, the playback will stop immediately you switch to another chat. 

It supports pinch-to-zoom, full screen view mode,  and also capable of hiding playback for user to continue reading chat.

Apart from this, it also enables playback to launch in picture-in-picture window. 

The feature is currently available on iOS, with support for device from iPhone 6 above, Android and windows users will have to wait a little while as testing is going fine on iOS. 

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See the first mobile phone that works without batteries

It's interesting to see how the world of smartphone  have evolve, new features are being developed everyday to make it smarter and it just didn't stop there, researchers from the University of Washington have developed a mobile phone that can operate without battery. 

The mobile phone is said to consume almost zero power that  requires 3.5 microwatts of power during use,  and runs by using radio signal with  it on board solar cells to transmit signal to it base station though the help of an Anntena. 

“We’ve built what we believe is the first functioning cellphone that consumes almost zero power,” said Shyam Gollakota, an associate professor in the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering at the UW and coauthor. 

The battery-free phone was put to test by using Skype call, it was able to receive and makes calls and also placed on hold by pressing a button to switch between speaking mode and listen mode. 

Unlike the regular smartphone, this might be a downside but it's still a prototype. 

The researchers have also plan to improve the device by adding encryption to make calls secured and e-ink display to enable video-streaming. 

“You could imagine in the future that all cell towers or Wi-Fi routers could come with our base station technology embedded in it,” said co-author Vamsi Talla,a former UW electrical engineering doctoral student.

“And if every house has a Wi-Fi router in it, you could get battery-free cellphone coverage everywhere." he added. 

The mobile phone is made on a circuit board, with capacitive touch buttons and other electrical components. 

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Update: Etisalat Nigeria changes name to 9mobileNg telecom

Update:Etisalat Nigeria confirm change of name to 9mobileNg

Etisalat Nigeria is changing its name to 9mobile, this is coming after  Mubadala Group,the major investors pulled out due to the incurred by the network. 

The telecom company is yet to unveil it New brand name to the public, though had earlier inform it customers  that a of brand name won't affect it operations. 

A board was set up to handle the transition of the company,  and  Boye Olusanya, former deputy managing director of Celtel Nigeria was appointed as the new CEO of Etisalat Nigeria to supervise the transition. 

Etisalat Nigeria has 20 million subscribers, making it the country’s number four mobile operator with a 14 percent market share. Our mandate is to make sure the business runs as profitably as it can. What is most important now is to … ensure that the business runs and meets its obligations,”  chief executive officer,  Boye Olusanya said on Tuesday. 

He also added that, the telecom company is focused on getting the group back on track.

The NCC and CBN came to the rescue of the network company, they also aid the transition of the telecom operator with over 21 million users. 

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Google adds panic button in Android to fight malware

Google have introduced a new feature "panic button" on Android that allows you to force-close unresponsive app without rebooting the phone or touching the home button.

This is coming after a leading speculation discovered by Mishaal Rahman. 

 I'm sure you must have experience a situation where your phone comes to a stand still when opening an application or trying to access a particular folder and all effort to close the app or going  back to home screen takes a while. 

How the panic button in mobile  works 

The hidden features let users to avoid freezing  app or screen seizing malware  by pressing the back button four times repeatedly, the user will be taken to the home screen of the device. 

Thanks to XDA developer Mishaal Rahman, who went further to explain how the feature work, and according to him, there is a variable on Android nougat 7.1 known as "config_backPanicBehavior." that measures how quickly a user press the back button repeatedly, when the back button is press four times, the phone assume they are trying to get a way from a freezing app or seizing screen and take the user back to home screen. 

Limitations of panic button in Android  

However, users can't activate this feature themselves, as it must be done by the phone manufacturer,and It also won't help to unlock files when attack by ransomware where payment is demanded from user.  

 

Also read 

 How to set up and video call with Google duo 

 If you're still on lollipop or marshmallow, you can upgrade to nougat 7.1 to start using the new feature, and hopefully it will be activated by your phone manufacturer. The panic button is already activated on Google pixel, Nexus 5x and Nexus 6x phone.

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