Author: The Nation

The firm which unveiled the ZenBook Flip S (UX371EA) two-in-one ultrabook that can double as a tablet also transform into a full-fledged tablet with a stylus, said despite this unique form factor, the device does not feel bulky. It is, in fact, one of the lightest and most powerful portable computers at the moment.

The ASUS ZenBook Flip S is an extremely well-designed device that comes with a 4K OLED display. Using a Red Copper diamond-cut on a Black Matte finish body, the device has hues of the colour Gold on the hinge, edges around the screen and the chassis.

The lid has concentric ring patterns with ASUS logo on the left.

The lightweight ultrabook, merely 1.2kgs, is very sleek at 14mm thickness and can easily fit in a bag; portable and easy to carry around without worrying about any noticeable weight in the bag.

The laptop features a 360° ErgoLift hinge design which enables the display to be flipped to any position. This allows the ZenBook Flip S (UX371EA) to turn into a 2-in-1 convertible laptop, with a screen that can be swivelled full 360-degree.

Once the display is flipped back, the laptop can be used in different modes, including a tablet with touch and pen support. This can also be used as a simple laptop, placed on a desk or lap while on the go. This feature ensures that there is sufficient airflow for the device’s heat management. Though almost unnoticeable, the design also lifts the keyboard a bit to raise the typing position. Asus has tested the hinge for over 20,000 open/close cycles to clear any doubt around durability.

Asus ZenBook Flip S (UX371EA) comes with an edge-to-edge keyboard design. It is backlit to ensure smooth typing even in dark environments. The keys are well-spaced and do not squeeze. The keypad is integrated into the touchpad with NumberPad 2.0, an LED-illuminated numeric keypad. The touchpad functions smoothly and is glass covered for added protection. Brightness regulator and a calculator that pops-up with a simple touch and gestures are smart controls available on the touchpad.

Considering its slim form factor, Flip S (UX371EA) also offers a lot of connectivity options, two Thunderbolt 4 USB Type-C port, one USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A port and a standard HDMI port. The ports offer “ultrafast speeds” and also support USB-C Power Delivery. The notebook also gets support for connecting external 4K UHD displays and provide up to 40 Gbps data-transfer speeds for high-performance peripherals. On the right edge is the power button while the LED indicator is placed on the left edge. The laptop comes with USB Type-C to 3.5mm dongle for those who want to use a 3.5mm audio device with the device.

As for the display, the ASUS ZenBook Flip S features a 13.3-inch 4K OLED touchscreen with support for a high resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels. The display offers high colour reproduction with 100 per cent DCI-P3 colour gamut coverage. This OLED panel is calibrated to accurately reproduce colours in a 3D colour volume – ensuring that the panel covers 100 per cent DCI-P3 colour gamut regardless of the brightness level. Also, the panel features a high 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio and is certified to supports up to 500 nits of brightness and 0.0005 nits of deep black levels for an immersive viewing experience.

Content, both videos and images on this 4k resolution screen are sharp and rich. Viewing angles are fine and the screen is bright enough to use even in the broad daylight. For movies and game lovers, when it comes to the display, size and quality of the panel, the ASUS ZenBook Flip S emerges as an ideal choice with decent viewing angles.

The hardware inside the ZenBook Flip S is also equally impressive. This new laptop packs within its sleek frame the latest 11th Generation Intel Core Tiger Lake processors – i7-1165G7 CPU. If purchased for general use, the Flip S (UX371EA) processor can handle pretty much anything you throw at it. For gamers, it can handle most e-sports and AAA titles decently well.

The processor comes paired with Intel Iris X integrated graphics and can deliver up to 20 per cent higher computing performance than previous generation laptops. There is also a 1TB PCIe 3.0 NVMe SSD on-board, as well as a Gen 3 PCIe X4 storage for a fast read, write speed and load time. The Flip S also packs an ultrafast PCIe 3.0 x4 SSD, up to 16GB of 4266MHz LPDDR4X RAM and hardware for Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) connectivity. It functions without any lag even with multiple tabs opened.

The ultrabook ZenBook Flip S (UX371EA) offers a 67Wh battery power pack which is rated to provide up to 10 hours, with a minimum runtime of around 6-7 hours, usage on a single charge. It supports fast charging and can charge to full capacity in an hour, using the supplied charger. It comes with a 65watt fast charge adapter which charges the battery up to 70 per cent in 50 minutes. The laptop comes with USB Type-C Easy Charge support which means it can be used with any standard USB Type-C chargers with a range of 5V-20V.

ASUS ZenBook Flip S (UX371EA) runs on Windows 10 Home. Its touch screen has a 0.2 ms response time and it comes with TUV Rheinland certification for low blue light and flicker-free visuals. This is to ensure less strain on the eyes even after long hours of use.

Sound output levels are loud enough despite the speaker being placed at the bottom side. The laptop comes with Harman Audio certified audio system which delivers rich sounds. ASUS ZenBook Flip S (UX371EA) is equipped with AI-noise cancelling mic which will come in handy during video calls and meetings. There is also an in-built fan to dissipate excess heating.

The ASUS ZenBook Flip S is, undoubtedly, a delightful machine that looks as good as it works. It is packed with more power and primed for work on the go as well as casual gaming. It is definitely among the top picks. The powerful design, great display and impressive performance justify the price tag.

Foremost service support provider specialising in end-to-end information technology (IT) services within enterprise organisations, Hutchlam Services Limited, has stressed the need to give technology support for kids to guarantee a bright future.

Its Managing Partner, Mr. Mesahidu Elamah, who spoke when the firm paid  a visit to Living Fountain Orphanage in Lekki, Lagos, the children are the future of the country, adding that it is, therefore, imperative that they be supported.

He said: “Our children are the future of our great nation and we recognise  the need to nurture and support the next generation and what better time than now in the spirit of the Easter festivities to reach out and share our love for these precious little children. From our entire staff and management, we want to wish them a happy Easter and it is our hope that our gifts will put a smile on their faces as they celebrate this Easter.”

Ms. Tonia Uchenna urged more corporates and individuals to emulate Hutchlam Services by lending support to orphanages. “I am pleased about this laudable initiative from Hutchlam Services, I want to implore other corporates and indeed individuals who have the capacity to support orphanages across the length and breadth of Nigeria to do so,”she said.

The development of the relevant application to attend to the needs of people is one way to address the youth unemployment in the country, a firm, Roaddo App has said.

Its founder, Roaddo App, Fred Adun, who spoke during the unveiling of Roaddo, a digital ecosystem which connects buyers and sellers and also offers instant delivery of goods and services, said the app is conceived to ensure the convenience of the shopper and to unlock market access to the sellers and service providers.

He said the app which will go live on April 6, said aside the convenient shopping experience for buyers, the app will also address widespread youth unemployment by giving Nigerians a platform where they can leverage their skills to sustainably earn a living.

Adun said: “In addition to unlocking market access, Roaddo had also leveraged technology to affordably make a variety of on-demand services; including cab rides, hourly help, beauty services and artisans readily available to Nigerians.”

With over 60 products and services available on the app, the shopper with an uncompromising eye for quality is assured of convenience, ease of access and prompt delivery to preferred locations, thereby elevating the shopping experience.

He said: “Roaddo, a wholly Nigerian brand offers buyers a chance to shop from the comfort of their homes and have the items delivered within one hour.”

“With our network of partners and service providers, our commitment is to ease logistic challenges encountered by buyers as well as to offer prompt and efficient delivery of goods and services. When life gets busier, get back some “me time” with the Roaddo; a multiple on-demand services app,” Adun said.

With the current public health challenge, Roaddo app is a timely solution to ensure exposure to crowded spaces remain limited while goods and services remain readily accessible to buyers.

Use of stablecoins continues to grow alongside cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum. Last year, transaction volume grew by 316 per cent, from $248 billion to more than $1 trillion. Experts seek regulatory review, reports LUCAS AJANAKU.

Global crypto platforms such as Malta-based Binance initiated efforts to comply with the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN’s)  new directive, by informing customers of service suspension “until further notice”.

Local crypto-startups such as BuyCoins have integrated Peer-2-Peer (P2P) systems where trade is facilitated directly without involving local exchanges. A few Nigerian-based crypto startups such Bundle and Quidax are already considering moving their operations to other African markets, according to Quartz Africa report.

But the world’s largest payment company, PayPal recently announced that it has agreed to acquire Curv, an Israeli-based crypto-security firm as it expands its portfolio in cryptocurrencies and digital assets.

It is a deal that could potentially open up new use cases for the crypto market. PayPal had recently created a new business unit focused on blockchain, crypto, and digital currencies. Curv will be joining the newly formed group.

Founded in 2018, Curv provides companies with digital asset security technology that is delivered as a cloud service. The acquisition by PayPal presents Curv with an opportunity to expand into a global market while providing the service to over 325 million PayPal users around the world.

“Great step by PayPal and this certainly makes me bullish on payment use cases in general,” Jonathan Habicht, founder of MoonRock Capital, a blockchain investment advisory firm, said.

PayPal is not the only investor deepening the use case for the crypto market. In February, global music icon and rapper, Jay Z and Twitter CEO, Jack Dorsey announced they were putting together 500 bitcoin, which is worth $27.2 million in an endowment called trust.

According to Dorsey, the fund will be set up as a blind irrevocable trust used to fund development in Africa and India. Dorsey also donated $1 million to cryptocurrency policy think tank Coin Center, according to an announcement tweeted by the organisation’s director Jerry Brito.

Prior to now, use cases for cryptocurrencies have been limited by their potential to yield high returns. For instance, the price of bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, BNB, and several cryptocurrencies have been moving upward since the beginning of 2021. For many investors, the surging price movement is the biggest attraction to the market and therefore constitutes for them a primary use case – trading.

However, most decentralised cryptocurrencies, such as bitcoin, were created to solve problems and so have a wide range of powerful use cases.

“While cryptocurrencies are most often recognized as new monetary systems and financial networks, the public blockchain networks that they secure can be used to power diverse use cases and create new applications across industries,” said researchers at the World Economic Forum (WEF).

Apart from being a store of value, experts say cryptocurrencies can help address financial inclusion, particularly in regions like Africa. Crypto firms on the continent are coming up with financial tools that enable individuals to access financial services without opening bank accounts or visiting a local branch of a financial institution.

Luno, for instance, launched a Savings Wallet which allows users to save their crypto assets at an interest rate of between four per cent and seven per cent. The company, in March 2021, said it has paid out $500,000 in interest alone and will be adding Ethereum and USDC to the wallet. Binance also offers a flexible and locked savings feature called ‘Binance Earn’ which provides an interest of up to seven per cent per annum on some cryptocurrencies.

There are also features that offer loans to consumers. For example, Binance launched a loan service to satisfy funding requirements, requiring users to pledge corresponding digital assets as collateral to borrow Binance loans. The loan terms of seven,14, 30, and 90 days are available and users can always repay in advance and the interest is calculated based on the days borrowed.

A popular use case for cryptocurrencies is the ability to send and receive money at low cost and high speed. This is particularly suited for people living outside the continent who always have a need to send money back home.

The low fees associated with transactions using coins such as litecoin (LTC), stellar (XLM), or bitcoin cash (BCH) make them excellent payment systems for international money transfers. In one particular transaction, a $99 million LTC transaction took only two and a half minutes to process and cost the sender only $0.40 in transaction fees.

For more than five years, some of the world’s most renowned investors have invested in ecommerce. One of the entrepreneurs benefiting from this is Etop Ikpe, who owns an online cars marketplace, DANIEL ESSIET reports.

Young entrepreneurs are attracting a lot of capital from investors that could catapult them into the exclusive club of Nigeria’s internet commerce firms. One of them is Etop Ikpe, whose unique management style, has helped to form an online cars’ platform at a rapid pace.

Ikpe, the Chief Executive, Autochek Africa, has been driving growth to catapult the company to profitability,

Before founding Autochek Africa Chief Executive, Etop Ikpe worked at DealDey and Cars45 and the Zinox-owned Konga.   Indeed, he got his first job in 2006 in a communications company called Click Mobile Communications. Despite not having an engineering or teleccommunications background, Ikpe loves technology.

This drove him to start Click Mobile with a partner trained in software.Two years later, he launched Tinker and Bell Media. The same year, he established Three Stitches, an ecommerce startup. Still bubbling with ideas, he started Cars45, a startup that helps users evaluate, buy and sell used cars.  Ikpe co-founded Cars45 in 2016 with Ikpe with Iyamu Mohammed, Sujay Tyle, and Peter Lindholm.

These young entrepreneurs had experience in startups and ecommerce. The business did well and attracted investors. At one point investors put in $5million, which was one of the largest Series A funding in Nigeria. The startup raised the huge cash from the Frontier Cars Group supported by Balderton Capital, EchoVC, and TPG Growth. Cars45’s model involved scheduling physical inspections with potential car sellers before offering a deal for the car, which is in turn, sold to prospective buyers.The company expanded its tentacles to Ghana and Kenya. Autochek is one of the largest African online cars market places. Recently, it announced the acquisition of Cheki Nigeria and Cheki Ghana. Ringier One Africa Media (ROAM Africa), which is Cheki’s parent company, transferred its ownership to Autochek. By this deal, outlets are rebranded as Autochek.

However, Cheki Kenya remains fully owned by ROAM Africa.  Last year, Autochek Africa completed its pre-seed round of $3.4 million.

It was co-led by Lagos, London, and Nairobi-based TLCom Capital and United States-based 4DX Ventures. Japanese VC firm, Kepple Africa; sub-Saharan-focused firm, Lateral Capital; Ghana-based Golden Palm Investments; Chinese VC firm, MSA Capital; and several local angel investors participated in the round.

Ikpe said: “Building on the solid work that the Cheki Nigeria and Ghana teams have done over the last 10 years, we are already dispersed across multiple locations. And applying the technology built and developed by our Autochek auto-tech experts, we are well-positioned to scale quickly, as the demand for reliable and well-priced cars on the continent grows.

“With this pre-seed round and our seasoned strategic investors on board, we are working to transform the automotive sector on the continent.”

Autochek has an app and website where consumers get access to loans, auctions, trade-ins and maintenance.

It also has a unit where automotive dealers get access to real-time car auctions, fleet management, and marketing support. Already, over 20,000 unique vehicles are listed on the Autochek platform. More than 12,000 dealers and private sellers can be found on the platform too.

The company has announced the launch of its online truck loans marketplace in Nigeria and Ghana, in a bid to migrate the trucking industry to online transactions and increase financing penetration.

The first-of-its-kind truck loans marketplace on the continent, the launch follows Autochek’s recent expansion to Ghana; one of Africa’s most advanced automotive markets.

With hundreds of truck dealers across Nigeria and Ghana on its platform, the fleet ranges from flatbeds, semi-trailers, tankers, heavy, garbage to panel trucks.

As part of the roll-out, Autochek is partnering key logistics stakeholders, including Kobo360,to finance trucks for African e-logistics transporters and truck owners. This means that customers interested in owning a truck can do that with financing at the best rates. The platform is available via the Autochek Android app or website.Trucks undergo a150-point checks before being listed to guide the customers on their state.