First African-designed smartphone and tablet hit market

By Dave Mayers | December 25, 2012, 4:48 AM PST

 

Verone Mankou with the Elikia

When 26-year-old Congolese entrepreneur Verone Mankou followed up the introduction of the first African-designed tablet with the announcement of the first African-designed smartphone, some within the local tech community looked on skeptically. This was Africa after all, and other tablets and smartphones claiming to be “African” were shown to be little more than Chinese designs with only superficial unique traits.

It also didn’t help that Mankou’s company, VMK, was based in the Republic of Congo.
Speaking at the third annual Tech4Africa conference in Johannesburg last month, Mankou touched on the difficulties of running VMK from Congo. He also stressed, despite the hurdles, why he thought it was important for an African company to invest in the local smartphone and tablet markets. “Only Africans can know what Africa needs,” he said.

“Apple is huge in the U.S., Samsung is huge in Asia, and we want VMK to be huge in Africa.”
His products, the Way-C tablet and Elikia smartphone are part of an effort to take on the technology giants in his own back yard.

The Way-C, or “the light of the stars” in the local Lingala language, is a small tablet roughly the size of Samsung’s Galaxy Tab. It measures 7.4″ x 6.7″ x 0.5″ and weighs 13.4 ounces. Wi-Fi connectivity and 4GB of internal memory come standard. While its specs aren’t eye-popping, the price is. At $300, it comes in less than the iPad mini.

The Elikia (”Hope”) is an Android-based smartphone with a 3.5-inch display, rear and forward facing cameras, 512MB of RAM, and a 650MHz processor. It retails for $170 without a contract.

The aim, says Mankou, is to get these products into African hands by making them easier to afford.



There has been some negative reaction on local tech blogs, and much of it seems to come from a belief that these products are made by what is called an original equipment manufacturer, or OEM. A few years ago, Africa’s “first” tablet was found out to be an OEM product available not only in Nigeria, but throughout the world sold under different names. Its claims of being African were shot down, and the company was regarded as just another merchant pushing foreign products on local consumers.

Mankou’s VMK is adamant that this is not the case with its products, even devoting a page on its website to address the accusation.

Brazzaville, the capital city and home base for VMK, is known more for being an entrepôt to the nation’s huge oil reserves than a home for innovative business. The World Bank ranks Congo-Brazzaville as the 183^rd worst country to do business in, out of the 185 nations measured. It often takes more than half a year to start a company in Congo-Brazzaville, compared to just 13 days in the States.
But this is where Mankou chooses to do business.

“Congo has the same problems as all sub-Saharan African countries: it’s difficult to get funding, so it’s difficult to create big projects,” he told local technology blog TechCentral.

After spending nearly two years fundraising, Mankou finally had enough to start making African-deisgned tablets and later smartphones for his countrymen.

Some of the first images of Elikia show an engraved “Designed in the Republic of Congo, assembled in China,” intentionally mirroring Apple’s  “Designed by Apple in California.” Much of the marketing behind the Elikia and the Way-C seems like an attempt to ape the products’ Apple counterparts.

The Elikia being manufactured in China

Like Apple, VMK has had to answer for manufacturing its products in China, a country with a higher per-capita GDP than the Congo.

Earlier this year Mankou told the AFP that VMK wanted to keep as much of the phone African as possible, but decided to manufacture it in China “for the simple reason that Congo has no factories and for price reasons.”

Yet some question the wisdom of manufacturing high-priced items overseas and marketing them to what remains a wealthy elite in Congo.

Mankou plans to sell his products outside of Congo in the near future, and has already moved into 10 other West African countries and even Belgium, France and India.

http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/global-observer/first-african-designed-smartphone-and-tablet-hit-market/8563

ALL AMERICAN INAUGURAL BALL

 

Be a part of history!  Come celebrate the second Inauguration of President Barack Obama!

The All American Ball Inaugural Committee is proud to announce that the 5th All American Inaugural Ball takes place at one of the most prestigious venues in the nation’s capital – the Hyatt Regency, Capitol Hill.   “We have worked on several Inaugural Balls in the past, but this is by far the most exciting”, said Toni Fisher of the AAB Inaugural Committee.  “The electricity generated around this event, and this Ball, is amazing.  We are so proud and so humbled just to be a part of it.  I mean seriously, people will be telling the grandkids about this!”, she added.

AMERICA'S HEROES

America's greatness is personified by those selfless citizens who take up causes greater than themselves and dedicate their lives to pursuing such righteous endeavors.  America is rife with these amazing patriots; and we are inspired by each of their stories.  

 

The All American Inaugural Ball is a tribute to the myriad of American heroes who sacrifice on behalf of others every day.  At the Ball, we will recognize and honor several especially deserving citizens for their outstanding and tireless work in their respective fields of civic service.  These Honored Guests – “All American Heroes” – represent the very best of America.  They are the heart, soul and backbone of the sublime American spirit! 

 

EXPERIENCE OF A LIFETIME

Let's party!!  The All American Inaugural Ball takes place on January 20th, 2013, the same night as several other presidential inaugural balls, but with one big difference.  “Twenty years ago we decided to make the inaugural experience more exciting and more guest-friendly”, said Fisher.  “The others (inaugural balls) tend to be over-crowded and provide virtually no amenities.  We determined that we will not oversell this ball and that the tickets will be all-inclusive.  So food and all drinks are included, and service is the top priority. It just makes sense that an evening this special should be spent celebrating in style…not standing in line.”

 

FOOD & BEVERAGE:  Guests will enjoy a savory reception style buffet and a full hosted bar (all drinks included) of spirits, domestic and imported beers, wine and non-alcoholic beverages. Multiple full open bar stations will be set up throughout the event site all evening, to ensure that guests spend their evening celebrating, not standing in long lines. 

 

ENTERTAINMENT:  The All American Inaugural Ball is a toast to American culture, featuring multiple areas of entertainment and attractions – representing the diversity and energy of America. Guests will enjoy live entertainment by SIX fantastic bands and Djs on multiple stages, as well as strolling entertainers and other exciting, interctive attractions throughout the magnificently appointed venue.

 

LIVE WEBCAST: USVets TV (www.USVets.TV), an Internet TV Channel on the TV Worldwide network, is the Official Webcaster of the All America Inaugural Ball.  USVets TV will be producing its fourth consecutive “Enaugural Ball” live from the All American Inaugural Ball, at the Hyatt Regency Capitol Hill, on January 20, 2013. 

 

TICKETS

A large block of tickets has been set aside/reserved for major supporters, wounded warriors and other honored guests.  The remaining tickets are now available to the public.  Tickets are expected to sell out quickly. Click here to purchase tickets now.

 

RESERVED TABLE: To purchase a private table with seating email Kaitlyn at kaitlyn@gocitygroup.com.

 

GROUP DISCOUNT: If you have a group of ten or more email Kaitlyn for discount info at kaitlyn@gocitygroup.com.

 

PICTURES OF PAST BALLS

We would like to thank all of the Heroes, guests, dignitaries, staff and supporters who helped make to the All Amercan Inaugural Ball 2009 such an amazingly exciting and special occasion.  Click to see pictures of past All American Inaugural Balls .

 

* Event details subject to change without notice

Photo credit to: Picture: Getty Images

 

http://allamericanball.com/

 

Could we have a 51st, 52nd, or 53rd State to the U.S.

A 51st U.S. State? It Could Happen

By Stephen Kaufman | Staff Writer | 28 December 2012

On November 6, a majority of Puerto Ricans indicated that they want to change their island’s political status.

Washington — The United States began as a union of 13 former British colonies. The state roster, expanding incrementally through two centuries, now stands at 50, but that could change.

Puerto Rico has functioned as an unincorporated U.S. territory since 1898. Its residents hold U.S. citizenship and can move freely throughout the United States. They are subject to U.S. federal laws and pay U.S. taxes, but lack voting representation in the U.S. Congress. After decades of debate about the island’s political status, 54 percent of Puerto Ricans indicated they were not satisfied with the status quo in a November 6 referendum.

The referendum came in two parts, asking voters whether statehood, independence or “sovereign free association,” which would grant the island more autonomy, would be their preference if the island’s political status was changed. Of the nearly 1.78 million voters, nearly 800,000 ( 61 percent) of those expressing an opinion chose statehood. About 437,000 chose sovereign free association, and 72,560 voted for independence. Nearly 500,000 did not express an opinion.

White House press secretary Jay Carney told reporters December 3 that the results showed “the people of Puerto Rico have made it clear that they want a resolution to the issue of the island’s political status,” and he recommended the U.S. Congress “study the results closely and provide the people of Puerto Rico with a clear path forward that lays out the means by which Puerto Ricans themselves can determine their own status.”

For Puerto Rico to become a U.S. state, it would need a majority vote of approval from both houses of Congress. Article IV, Section Three of the U.S. Constitution states simply that Congress has the power to admit new U.S. states, provided that they guarantee "full faith and credit" to the now 50 states that already exist. That means Puerto Rico would have to recognize the legal contracts, marriages and criminal judgments approved by other U.S. states.

The road to statehood is not an easy one. In the District of Columbia, a majority of residents have repeatedly expressed their desire to gain voting representation in Congress. Unlike Puerto Rico, the district’s status is complicated by the fact that it was established by statute in 1790 as the national capital under the exclusive jurisdiction of the U.S. Congress. That presents peculiar legal obstacles to statehood that a U.S. territory like Puerto Rico would not face.

HOW TO BECOME A U.S. STATE

The last time a U.S. state was admitted was in 1959, when the territories of Alaska and Hawaii became states. As with both of those states, a Puerto Rican bid for full membership would draw on legal precedents passed by U.S. legislators as the United States expanded westward across North America from the 13 original British colonies.

After the United States gained its independence in 1783, Americans began to settle a large area under U.S. control known as the Northwest Territory. The 670,000-square-kilometer region extended south of the Great Lakes, north and west of the Ohio River, and east of the Mississippi River. With the goal of westward expansion, U.S. lawmakers began clarifying how areas in the Northwest Territory could be admitted as U.S. states, and decided in the 1787 Northwest Ordinance that the first qualification was to have a population of at least 60,000 people.

By the end of 1801, it became clear that Ohio, the easternmost part of the Northwest Territory, would soon meet the 60,000 person threshold, and the U.S. Congress passed the Enabling Act of 1802 (also known at the Ohio Enabling Act) to establish legal mechanisms for Ohio to join the United States as an equal member of the union. It would serve as the blueprint for the future.

Under that law, Ohio residents were asked to elect one representative for each 1,200 people to a November 1, 1802, convention that would decide by a majority vote if Ohioans would write a constitution and form a state government. If the vote was “yes,” the delegates would proceed to “form for the people of the said State a constitution and State government, provided the same shall be republican, and not repugnant” to elected representative government elsewhere in the United States. In other words, would-be leaders of Ohio could not set themselves up as autocrats.

In addition to writing and adopting their state’s constitution, the Ohioans also were asked to set aside a certain proportion of land in each township to be used for schools, and to use 5 percent of revenue from land sales to create roads through their proposed state. They also were allowed only one member of the U.S. House of Representatives pending the results of the next U.S. census, which would be taken in 1810 and create a fairer allocation.

The delegates approved a state constitution on November 29, 1802. On February 19, 1803, Congress determined that Ohio had met the requirements of the Enabling Act and passed legislation declaring Ohio "has become one of the United States of America." The legislation was then signed by President Thomas Jefferson.

The legal process for becoming a U.S. state has not changed much since 1803. A U.S. territory begins the process by demonstrating through local elections that there is a consensus for statehood, and then it formally petitions the U.S. Congress. It must draft a constitution creating a representative form of government and submit it to the U.S. Congress for majority approval. Finally, the U.S. president would sign the bill into law, creating the new state.

If Puerto Ricans, D.C. residents or others are thinking seriously about U.S. statehood, they should be forewarned that it is an irreversible decision. After the 1860–1861 secession crisis and the American Civil War, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1869 that joining the United States is “an indissoluble relation” and the U.S. Constitution does not allow states to leave unilaterally.

Read more: http://iipdigital.usembassy.gov/st/english/article/2012/12/20121228140484.html?CP.rss=true#ixzz2GOSMZtRR

Training Opportunity: New Mexico. CERT T-t-T

Name	Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Train-the-Trainer TtT
Description	This course prepares participants to deliver Federal Emergency Management Agency's CERT Basic Training course. This train-the-trainer course focuses on preparing instructors to; Deliver the CERT Basic Training;Convey the messages and intent of the CERT Program (e.g., safety, teamwork, place in overall community emergency operations plan); Assure that students achieve the objectives of the CERT Basic Training; Create a comfortable, yet managed learning environment.
Date	Monday January 7th 2013 8:00am to Wednesday January 9th 2013 5:00pm
Reminders	No reminder is set
Number of Participants	20
Event Location
Address	San Juan County Fire Training Room
Address 2	209 S. Oliver
City	Aztec
State	New Mexico
ZIP Code (Number)	87410
Contact Information
Venue	NM State Preparedness Network
Email	Felecia.Schreier@state.nm.us
Contact Information (Name / Phone / Weblink)	Felecia Schreier (505)476-9633

Why Is U.S. Inauguration Day Held in Cold of January?

By Stephen Kaufman | Staff Writer | 27 December 2012

An estimated 1.8 million people braved temperatures of minus 1 degree Celsius for several hours to see President Obama's first inauguration.

Washington — For nearly 80 years, January 20 has been the day of America’s presidential transition. Because the 20th falls on a Sunday in 2013, President Obama will take the oath of office January 20 in private, and again publicly on January 21 as part of the now familiar inaugural proceedings.

But until 1933, the relatively warmer day of March 4 was the established time of transition, marking the first day the U.S. Congress convened in 1789 and a government began to function under the rules of the newly adopted U.S. Constitution.

The 17 weeks between November elections and a March 4 inauguration were convenient for 18th and 19th century officials, who often relied on primitive means of transportation to reach Washington from their home districts. It was also a 17-week “lame duck” session in which defeated or retiring members of Congress could continue their work, despite the fact that they were no longer answerable to the voters back home.

LAME-DUCK INACTIVITY DURING NATIONAL CRISES

It wasn’t just improved traveling conditions that ended up moving Inauguration Day. Lengthy lame-duck sessions during times of national crisis were a recipe for indecision and inaction while the country waited for a new president and a new Congress to take charge and lead.

During the 17-week period between President Abraham Lincoln’s election and his March 4, 1861, inauguration, seven U.S. states seceded from the United States. Lincoln’s predecessor, James Buchanan, agreed with the incoming president that states did not have the right to secede, but he also believed it was illegal for the government to reunite the country by force. As a result, by the time of Lincoln’s inauguration, the U.S. government had done little to counter the establishment of the independent Confederate States of America and prepare for what was to become the deadliest war in American history.

In another lame-duck period between Franklin D. Roosevelt’s election and his inauguration on March 4, 1933, the United States was seen to be leaderless for 17 weeks while its economy remained stricken, thousands of banks were bankrupt and one in four Americans looked for work at the height of the Great Depression.

Many prominent politicians and organizations during the 19th and early 20th centuries saw the danger of having such a long period of time between elections and a government’s transition, but any change required an amendment to the U.S. Constitution, a process that was made difficult by design.

Opposition to a long lame-duck session also developed because lawmakers who were no longer accountable to the voters were able to decide the winners of the presidential and vice presidential elections in the event that no candidate won a majority or the electoral vote was tied.

The effort to shorten lame-duck sessions received renewed public attention immediately after the 1922 election when President Warren Harding tried to force Congress to pass a bill subsidizing the construction of cargo ships, despite intense opposition by organized labor and farm interests and the fact that American voters had recently rejected candidates who supported Harding’s idea.

In response, Senator George Norris of Nebraska proposed what would eventually become the 20th Amendment to the Constitution, which called for the new Congress to convene on January 3 and for the president to be inaugurated on January 20.

It would take Norris 10 years to get his amendment approved by both the Senate and the House of Representatives, and then ratified by three-fourths of the U.S. states. President Franklin Roosevelt’s first inauguration in 1933 was the last held on March 4. That ineffective lame-duck session during the Great Depression no doubt played a role in speeding up the amendment’s ratification.

Under the 20th Amendment, the newly elected 113th U.S. Congress will begin its work on January 3, 2013, including the task of confirming Cabinet officials and judges President Obama has nominated.

JANUARY 20 NOT IDEAL FOR INAUGURAL SPECTATORS

Ratification of the 20th Amendment significantly reduced the duration of lame-duck sessions and aided the American tradition of peaceful political transition, but it also forced presidential inaugurations to be held in the dead of winter.

On average, January is Washington’s coldest month, with temperatures ranging from minus 2 to 6 degrees Celsius. For President Obama’s first inauguration on January 20, 2009, an estimated 1.8 million people stood in the cold for hours to see the oath of office, listen to his inaugural address and watch the Pennsylvania Avenue parade from the U.S. Capitol to the White House. Much to their discomfort, the temperature never rose above minus 1 degrees.

But the previous inauguration date had its dangers too.

On March 4, 1841, President William Henry Harrison was sworn in during an overcast day with cool winds and a temperature of 9 degrees. Refusing to wear a hat, coat or gloves, the new president delivered a two-hour inaugural address — the longest in U.S. history — and is believed to have caught a cold.

He developed pneumonia, and, on April 4, Harrison died, making his presidency the shortest in American history.

Read more: http://iipdigital.usembassy.gov/st/english/article/2012/12/20121226140394.html?CP.rss=true#ixzz2GJX0cihH