Weekly Tech Roundup for November 9 2018

by Fisayo Adesomoju · November 9, 2018

I have not failed, I have just found 10,000 ways that won’t work. – – Thomas Edison.

We’ve put together a series of technology trends to keep you inspired and motivated to keep going.

We also included some snippets from our daily knowledge development sessions, just to give you a little extra knowledge. After all, knowledge is never enough. Take your time and digest every one of them. The world is fast evolving and so should your mind.

This two-year-old X.org give-me-root hole is so trivial to exploit, you can fit it in a single tweet

X.org, the X Window server used by various desktop Linux and BSD operating systems, has – depending on its configuration – a security vulnerability that can be exploited to gain root powers.

If a vulnerable version of X.org runs on a system as setuid root, it can be abused by normal logged-in users to gain administrator-level control over the machine. That would allow a miscreant to tamper with files, install spyware, and so on. Some Linux distros don’t use X.org with elevated privileges, or are otherwise immune – such as CentOS; check for security updates anyway.

Graph databases, Why are they important

Graph databases are not to be mistaken for GraphQL, GraphQL is a query language for your API, and a server-side runtime for executing queries by using a type system you define for your data. It is important to note it is not tied to any databases or storage engines.

Graph databases have gained a good amount of popularity from Social networking models and as such a lot of people assume that this is their only use case which is not accurate. Graph databases are presently applied in so many more areas like Fraud detection, Recommendation engines, Master Data Management, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning.

Innovative four AI camera smartphone Huawei nova 3i now available

Huawei Technologies’ latest HUAWEI nova 3i is now available in stores across Nigeria. The new smartphone which features the latest innovative Four Artificial Intelligence (AI) Cameras, Face Unlock, 128GB and the first of its kind AI powered 24MP + 2MP front cameras, builds on Huawei’s success in delivering powerful and sophisticated smartphones.

The smartphone will be available for purchase at Jumia and all SLOT stores in Nigeria and to mark the launch of the HUAWEI nova 3i, Huawei Technologies will be gifting three customers with free phones.

Cybersecurity in Nigeria : FUTA and Esentry lead the way with Industry-Academia collaboration

The global threat to cybersecurity is one that can no longer be ignored. It has been estimated that in Nigeria: Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) lose over N127 billion annually to cybercrime, which amounts to 0.08 per cent of the country’s annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

In response to this threat and the need to train homegrown talents to rise up to meet these challenges, Esentry Systems Limited, a leading cybersecurity firm, has partnered with the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) to launch the first of its kind cybersecurity lab in Nigeria. The cybersecurity lab commissioned on the 26th of October 2018 is equipped with state-of-the-art technologies to make it possible for students and faculty members to have hands-on experience in information security. The cybersecurity lab would also provide a platform for researchers to conduct research on inherent cyber security problems and proffer innovative solutions as well.

Vine co-founder plans to launch successor Byte in Spring 2019

Vine — the much loved and mourned short video hosting platform — will return, sort of. Co-creator Dom Hofmann announced on Twitter today that its spiritual successor is set to arrive next spring.

Details? We don’t have many. Though Hofmann did give us a name — Byte — and logo to match. From the sound out of, things will operate similarly to Vine, with short, looping videos. So far it’s got a domain and a couple of admittedly clunky social media handles.

Africa’s leading molecular diagnostics company introduces DiagnoseMe

Nigeria’s first molecular diagnostics and personalized medicine company Stack Diagnostics introduced its subsidiary, DiagnoseMe Africa at a stakeholders meeting on Tuesday 22nd October 2018 at Four Points by Sheraton, Oniru, Lagos.

DiagnoseMe Africa is an online platform set to contribute to the Nigerian health sector by providing access to over 300 life-saving tests not easily accessible in Nigeria The use of technology in advancing the health sector has been widely accepted across the globe but has not been fully embraced in Nigeria as the sector itself is not fully stabilized. However, with an increase in the number of diseases requiring molecular and genetics testing and no proper facilities to carry out these tests, DiagnoseMe is taking a step in the right direction.

UI vs. UX

If you’ve done any kind of research about software design, you’ve probably heard of the terms “UI” and “UX”. But what separates UI from UX?

At their most simple forms, UX design is what makes an interface useful, and UI design is what makes an interface beautiful. For UI, this includes a blend of visual hierarchy and interface elements. To understand what separates a great interface from a good interface, one must understand the UI design is merely just one layer of the entire design process. Perhaps this is why people often confuse UX and UI. In the following few paragraphs, however, I hope to help you as the audience or reader understand where the differences lie in the context of the design process.

Space trucking: Nissan unveils a mobile space observatory

Studying the skies to any great effect is usually done from huge observatories with enormous telescopes hidden inside. They cost millions and are often built in the middle of nowhere. That way it’s easier to get a better fix on what’s up there in the heavens by avoiding light pollution as much as possible. But, the downside is that they’re static and being stuck in one place offers less scope for astronomers.

Now, though, there are moves afoot to let astronomers get their stargazing done using a mobile laboratory and it’s all based around a tough, go-anywhere off-roader. The Nissan Navara Dark Sky Concept is an idea that has been developed in the UK, in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA), and the eye-catching outcome is a pickup/trailer combination like no other.

Samsung has unveiled a folding handset at an event in San Francisco

It described its Infinity Flex Display as “the foundation of the smartphone of tomorrow” and said it intended to start production within months. When unfolded, the device resembles a 7.3in (18.5cm) tablet. When closed, a separate smaller “cover display” on the handset’s other side comes into use. Samsung has teased the concept for more than five years and had been vying with Huawei to show off a device first.

INTRODUCTION TO REST API — Gideon Akalo

REST is an architectural style constraints and it is the architectural style of the web. REST APIs allow us to fully separate the presentation of content from the content itself, and allows you and me to build lightning fast applications that consume data rather than entire pages, which, in turn, makes for faster solutions that work everywhere and are ready for whatever we build in the future. Knowing how these REST APIs work and how to work with them is the key to building powerful websites and web-based applications.

About Weekly Tech Roundup by Bincom Dev Center

You probably already know that Bincom ICT‘s core is Best Use of Technology. This initiative is a compilation of some of the things the people at Bincom Dev Center found interesting during the week in review. Bincom Dev Center is the Training & Development Arm of Bincom ICT.

In this weekly publication, You will find various pieces ranging from ideas to trends, to random thoughts. They are here because we found them interesting. We also include some knowledge development pieces and where to get more information about the topic. We aim to publish an edition every Friday at 5:00pm (with exception of Holidays). We are working hard to keep ourselves updated and we think you should too!

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