Info Tech
Windows XP users panic as April 8 deadline draws near
NEW YORK – A handy countdown clock on the Microsoft Corp. site is ticking through the minutes until April 8, when the venerable and very outdated Windows XP operating system will no longer be supported by the company that created it way back in 2001.
Nobody can say the company didn’t warn us, but that might not cushion the blow.Somewhere between 30% and 40% of the world’s computers are still running on XP. The lower number would translate to nearly 500 million computers. All of those computers are at least six years old, since that’s when Microsoft stopped installing the operating system in new computers.
It’s not like those personal computers are going to blow up in anybody’s face on April 8, but some of their users might wish they had. The absence of support will mean that Microsoft will no longer track or fix newly discovered problems, security flaws, malware, and viruses in XP. Users of XP will no longer receive the famous “Patch Tuesday” download, in which the company automatically sends updates and fixes to its software, on the first Tuesday of each month.In short, those computers are vulnerable to hackers, who are widely assumed to be eagerly watching that clock countdown, too.
This is not a nefarious plot by Microsoft to goose personal computer sales. Its XP operating system has lasted for some years beyond the normal life cycle of a computer program, and it has been replaced by a more modern operating system, not once but three times. Each generation — Windows 7, Vista, and Windows 8 — has added significant levels of security designed to prevent viruses from spreading from an individual computer through the Internet.
It is having an effect on sales, though. Hewlett-Packard HPQ +3.66% credited replacements for computers running XP for helping it beat sales expectations for the last quarter of 2013.
Nevertheless, Microsoft might wind up with a public-relations nightmare on its hands. Apparently, 95% of the world’s ATMs are running on Windows XP. So are many medical systems, retail credit card systems — you name it.
The company has a perfectly rational explanation for its decision to cut off XP support, and it seems likely that nobody is going to want to hear it once the security breaches start occurring.
“Abandoning Windows XP is a big mistake, especially since Microsoft has not been very successful in transitioning XP users to newer systems,” an executive of Avast, an antivirus software company, warns in a blog post.
Consumers have non-Microsoft choices, some of which weren’t available back when XP was introduced. Notably, there are Google GOOG +0.19% Chrome devices, which are cheap, light, and suitable for tasks like Web browsing and emailing, if not for heavy-duty office tasks.
And, nobody knows how many of those XP machines are actually gathering dust in the closets of their owners, who are now walking around with pocket-sized devices that do the trick most of the time.
Some percentage of Windows XP computers may not be hooked up to the Internet, in which case their owners can keep using them until their machines literally do blow up.The real problem is in business and government, and some of those folks are going to be in a lot of trouble next month.
Businesses have been dragging their feet since 2008 because of the significant cost involved, and not only for new hardware. Many are using customized software that will have to be totally reworked, and even basics like word-processing software will have to be replaced.
And then there’s the federal government.The government has purchased hundreds of thousands of new computers over the past two years, as the drop-dead date for XP approaches. But according to a new report in the Washington Post, hundreds of thousands of XP-equipped computers are still rattling around in the federal system, including many that handle sensitive classified military and diplomatic materials.
The Department of Homeland Security claims it should have no XP machines in place by April 8. The departments of Defense and State claim “nearly all” will be gone, the Post reports.
But other agencies apparently didn’t get the message — literally. A draft of a Homeland Security action plan that would have placed a priority on upgrading government computers, issued in 2012, apparently went nowhere.
Some federal bureaucrats are apparently pretty miffed that Microsoft has declined to offer them free support for their Windows XP computers past the deadline.
Instead, Microsoft is offering customers a $50 gift certificate for replacing an XP system.
– MARKETWATCH
In efforts at spicing up the 2023 ITREALMS E-Waste Dialogue, the management of ITREALMS Media has partnered with E-waste Producer Responsibility Organization of Nigeria (EPRON) membership organisations for a day-long collection scheme of small electronic waste on Friday, December 15, 2023.
The EPRON members aligning their partnership with 2023 ITREALMS E-Waste Dialogue are EL-AS Tech Enterprises Limited and WEEE Eco-Friendly.
ITREALMS’ day-long collection scheme is part of the commemoration of 2023 international E-Waste Day (IEWD) within the ITREALMS E-Waste Dialogue with the theme “You Can Recycle Anything with a plug, battery or cable” at Welcome Centre Hotels, International Airport Road, Lagos.
Revealing this collaboration, the Group Executive Editor, ITREALMS Media, the organisers of the 2023 ITREALMS E-Waste Dialogue, Sir. Remmy Nweke, urged mobile device enthusiasts to come along with their devices that have reached their end-of-life to the venue for proper disposition by professionals who would also be on grounds to address some topical issues.
The collection of small electronic wastes especially mobile phones and like-devices, would be carried out by EPRON member organisation, EL-AS Tech Enterprises Limited as facilitated by ITREALMS Media group as part of this year’s ITREALMS E-Waste Dialogue on Friday, December 15, he added.
He disclosed that the exercise would commence at Welcome Centre Hotel by 9am till close of work hours the same day.
Nweke pointed out that the collection of small e-waste items would include mobile phones, pointers mouse, earpieces, rechargeable torches, phone chargers, to name a few.
Further, he said, that this initiative has become time-serving because some people may have missed any other opportunity before now for the year-long campaign, hence this awareness on e-Waste has to be continuous, “ITREALMS came up with this scheme.”
Nweke beckoned on Nigerians, especially mobile phone users, to leverage the opportunity in disposing of their mobile devices they no longer use, of course in exchange for a voucher or gift item.
In her reaction to this year’s day-long small waste collection, EPRON Executive Secretary, Mrs. Ibukun Faluyi, described the initiative as commendable, expressing confidence it would intensify the collection of end-of-life devices for proper disposition.
Mrs. Faluyi, also urged Nigerians to take advantage of this day-long collection of small wastes courtesy of ITREALMS Media.
Recalling for instance that in October 2022, EPRON had partnered SLOT alongside some UN agencies for collection of small e-waste items in Lagos, including the United Nations Information Centres (UNIC), United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), International Labour Organisation (ILO), Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) and Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA).
This is even as the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) Dr. Aminu Maida and Director-General, National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), Prof. Aliyu Jauro, would both lead speakers at the 2023 ITREALMS E-Waste Dialogue slated for this Friday, December 15, in Lagos.
Today, September 12, the tech corporation Apple will introduce the iPhone 15, their newest iPhone model.
According to a Forbes story, this model, which will be introduced at the company’s “Wanderlust” event in Cupertino, California, will be available in four variations: the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Here are five things you should know about the new iPhone 15 model.
1. The new model is made of titaniu, not stainless steel as some other Apple smartphone models, Senior research analyst at DIGITIMES, Luke Lin reports.
2. The Pro Max model will feature double the optical zoom on the iPhone 14 as it comes with a newly-introduced ‘periscope lens upgrade, performing 5-6x optical zoom.’
3. The Pro models will carry an A17 bionic chip expected to make it perform faster.
4. The iPhone 15 model will feature a USB-C charging port, the same port featured on some Android phone models.
5. Due to its titanium shell, the new model is anticipated to be more expensive to purchase. The following is the speculated price list, as reported by Forbes:
The iPhone 15 starts at $799, the iPhone 15 Plus at $899, the iPhone 15 Pro at $1,099 ($100 increase), and the iPhone 15 Pro Max at $1,299 ($200 increase).
In an effort to reduce the exorbitant cost of Premium Motor Spirit, better known as petrol, the Infrastructure Bank Plc announced its collaboration with FEMADEC Group on Monday to offer 500 buses powered by autogas (Compressed Natural Gas).
Partners in the agreement claimed that the project was created to provide citizens with dependable, affordable, and environmentally friendly travel options, taking into account the negative effects of the nationwide increase in PMS costs.
Under Decree No. 51 of the Federal Republic of Nigeria’s 1992 Constitution, the Infrastructure Bank, originally known as the Urban Development Bank of Nigeria Plc, was founded in 1992 to promote the quick development of infrastructure throughout the nation.
In a statement issued in Abuja on its partnership with FEMADEC, the bank said, “The preliminary offer extended by TIB lays a solid foundation for the expansion of FEMADEC Group’s CNG bus fleet.
“With plans to introduce 500 CNG buses within the next five years, commencing with an initial batch of 50 buses in the forthcoming year, this proposal stands poised to instigate significant change.
“The acceptance of this proposition by FEMADEC Group, notably championed by Fola Akinnola, the Group Chief Executive Officer, is a testament to their zeal and dedication to this alliance.”
The bank described the partnership as a “pivotal endeavour that is primed to redefine Nigeria’s public transportation landscape, offering dependable, cost-effective, and ecologically conscious travel alternatives for citizens, while harmonising with the nation’s broader sustainability ambitions.”
“This partnership represents a remarkable stride towards a more ecologically aware future for Nigeria’s transportation sector, highlighting the shared commitment of both TIB and FEMADEC Group to sustainable advancement and progress.”
It said FEMADEC Group’s strides in operating Compressed Natural Gas buses, including the existing fleet of 20 CNG buses under LAMATA, underscored their unwavering dedication to ecologically sound solutions, a commitment predating the fuel subsidy removal.
“Their leadership within the CNG value chain is undeniable, and the new alliance with TIB underscores their foresight.
“This partnership seamlessly aligns with TIB’s sustainability objectives, echoing their resolute endorsement of the government’s net-zero and climate change agenda.
“The bank’s aspiration to champion Nigeria’s infrastructure progress is evident in its endorsement of pivotal initiatives like this, yielding expansive positive impacts on both the environment and society,” the bank stated.
The bank added that it would continue to make a significant contribution to the country’s growth as a leading financial institution committed to advancing effective and long-lasting infrastructure projects.
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