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Hello,
It is
our responsibility to keep you informed.
With this newsletter we'd like to share some industry news with you.
Africa Online introduces wireless broadband
Africa
Online in Ghana has
rolled out its wireless broadband service Infinet
in Ghana.
It offers subscribers access to Internet services, without having to own a
fixed telephone line, through the use of iBurst technology.
The service is available in a 7-kilometer radius around the Accra business
district. Phase 2 of deployment, planned to start this week, involves
building base-stations in the rest of Accra.
Other ISPs such as BusyAccess are also planning
implementation of iBurst technology. (source:
GNA)
New Software for Digital Photographs
In July
Adobe has launched the first Windows beta version of Lightroom.
This software allows you to edit, catalog, view and print digital photos.
It is a competitor to Apple’s Aperture which was released in October
2005. Both applications are designed to handle photographs taken in the
"raw" formats available on higher-end digital cameras. Raw images
preserve more detail than the more convenient JPEG files found in most
cameras. See ZDNet News for more details.
Microsoft checks for legitimacy of software
In its
latest updates for Windows Microsoft has included software that checks
whether the operating system is legitimate. Users who choose the
“Express Install” option for Microsoft updates will
automatically install the new program without seeing it listed. However, if
they are running an illegal copy Windows, the new feature will enable notifications
directly to their desktop that the copy of Windows they are running is not
genuine. The latest update has rolled it out to Windows users in America, the UK,
Malaysia, Australia and New Zealand. Microsoft is
piloting similar software called Microsoft Office Genuine Advantage which
will notify people if their copy of Microsoft Office is genuine. See full
article or go to the Microsoft website.
Traffic on YellowPages.gh
steadily rising
The
traffic on www.yellowpages.gh has
climbed steadily since its launch, to currently about 30,000 visitors, generating
230,000 pageviews per month:
A
presence on YellowPages has become indispensable
for Ghanaian companies. Apart from ensuring that the general public has
access to the correct contact details, companies can also advertise on YellowPages
through featured listings and banners.
Tip: Full Screen in Web Browser
If you
would like to view a web page full screen, without the web browser
toolbars, then press F11. This works with IE, Netscape and Opera. In IE you
will also see the toolbar. If you right click on a blank area of the
toolbar and select ‘autohide’, then
the toolbar disappears when your mouse is moved away from it. Move your
mouse back to the top and the toolbar reappears. Hit F11 again to go back
to normal mode.
Tip: Adding a special character
There
are probably one or two special characters that you use regularly (for
example, “£”, or “©”). It takes a lot of time to
open your Character Map every time, and you may find it hard to remember
and use the keyboard shortcut (Alt-0163 for the £-symbol). The solution: MS
Word allows you to create your own keyboard shortcut. Go to Insert >
Symbol and choose the £-symbol. Then click on “Shortcut key”
and enter your shortcut. I have used ctrl-alt-4. I remember it easily since
the $-symbol is on the 4-key.
Google-Tip:
searching for similar words
By
placing a "~" (called a tiled) in front of a word, without a
space inbetween, you instruct Google to search
for the word following the tilde as well as its synonyms.
Google-Tip:
searching for referring websites
The
ranking of your website in search engines is largely defined by keyword
relevance and link popularity. The latter is measured by the number and
quality of links from other websites to yours. In Google you can easily
find out which websites link to your website by typing "link:www.<your
company>.com" into the search field of Google.
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Some news about
Recently Launched
The
recently launched web site of The Trust Bank describes the passionate solutions
offered by the bank and gives access to current interest rates and currency
exchange rates.
The new Merchant Bank web
site offers information on its banking services and access to the currency
exchange rates. It also gives access to internet banking.
Top Industries
is a leading plastics manufacturer in Ghana. Explainer DC has
recently put a refurbished web site online. It gives visitors an overview
of its products.
We have
implemented a web enabled software which allows Ghana Telecom University
College to manage its
facilities, courses and participants. It integrates directly with GTinside, the intranet of Ghana Telecom.
To be Launched
• Onetouch: SMS from the web site
• Koala
• SOS Children's Villages Benin
• Kwatsons / Maxmart
• North End Technology
• My-Fon: content
for mobile phones
In Production
Arik
Air, the new Nigerian airline, has asked us to redesign their website,
and to implement our online ticket reservation system. This system will be
used by Arik Air, travel agents and the general
public, and will feature online payment functionality and e-tickets
protected by barcode.
Fram
Museum in Oslo, Norway, has commissioned a new
website. The website will have many dynamic features, panoramic views,
and 3D images. It will also give access to information on the objects
stored.
Hotel Berghof in Lech, Austria,
is one of the leading hotels in this famous wintersports
resort. This website offers online booking functionality. Click here for
a preview.
J2 is a
young and dynamic music label, publisher and management agent. J2
specializes in developing young and talented African artists producing live
recordings. J2 has commissioned Explainer DC with the design of a logo,
stationary and templates for MS Office documents.
Tumi is a South African singer / songwriter contracted
by J2. Tumi has recently recorded his first album
together with his band, which entirely consists of Ghanaian musicians.
Explainer DC is currently developing a website for Tumi.
We
continue to work on:
• redesign and extension of Onetouch
website
• Computer based training modules for GCNet
• Extension to the GCNet website: search functionality Customs
values for vehicles
• Public screens for the Customs long room areas, also for
GCNet
• redesign of Ghana Information Network for Knowledge Sharing (GINKS)
website
Aidan
Matthew Hess
Thomas
and Liza Hess are happy to announce the birth of their third child and
second son, Aidan Hess. Please check www.thomasandliza.com for more information. He was born
on the 6th of June in Accra.
As some of you know, it was a difficult pregnancy resulting in Liza
spending nearly two months in hospital. We are happy that the outcome is a
very calm and happy little boy. Thanks to many of you who sent us your warm
wishes!
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