http://google-africa.blogspot.com/2010/04/google-maps-for-africa-gets-better.html

I like this part of the post about the launch.

So the next time you are in Ghana driving from Kotoka International Airport to Hotel Novotel in Victoria Borg, Accra or you just want to drive from Nairobi to Kampala, visit Google Maps and allow us to help you get to your destination.

Now no more clumsy directions, like we usually do here in Ghana, which goes like, Yeah, go left( its not far ), turn right, you will see a plantain seller at the corner, then go further down the street, there is a house painted black, by pass it and go further until you see a “shoe shine” sitting on the other side of the street. Ask around if anyone knows Mr. Pee Jay. He is popular. Once someone says yeah, I know Mr. Pee Jay, that means you are at the right neighbourhood. Then start looking for a house painted red with yellow gate and green walls. Oh gosh, this kind of directions gives me a migraine. By the time the direction is done, you’ve even forgotten where to start from.

To satisfy my curiosity. I tested the map direction. Work so well. I can see the direction form Kotoka Airport to Dansoman where I live. Super cool.

View Larger Map

Kudos to Google Maps team for bringing this to us. It will save some of us tons of time.

Kumasi road

I got really tired of Accra because of the scorching sun and the unbearable humidity. So I decided to geek out at a different location and headed straight to Sunyani, Brong Ahafo. Also I have had this pending motorcycle trip to Sunyani for a while, so I decided to do it this time.

Me on the motorcycle

On Wednesday morning, I packed up my backpack, took my camera and G1 Android powered( courtesy Google Ghana ) phone and rode all the way from Accra to Sunyani. It was my longest motorcycle trip. The distance about is about 383.01 km (238.0 mi). Made few stops on the way for photos. I saw lots of accidents on the road, even saw a fresh accident, involving two vehicles, veered off the road into the bush. This got me a bit scared but I was so determined to get to my destination safely.

Linda Dor

My first stop was at the famous Linda Dor restaurant on the Accra – Kumasi road. There, I rested for about 15 minutes, stretched , peed, jumped back onto the bike and headed straight to Nkwakwa. On the Nkwakwa road, I saw this huge mountain with masts on it. Caught my eyes so I decided to document it.

Nkwakwa

From Nkwakwa rode about half an hour to a fuel filling station to top up the tank. From there, I rode straight up to kumasi where I rode through Kejetia finding my way to the Sunyani road. I rested in Kumasi for about an hour, drinking and socializing with the local people I met at the bar. I also charged up my dead phones to get them back to function.

Kumasi

After resting in Kumasi, the second trip started. I rode into the night to Sunyani. I made it to Sunyani about 2 hours. On the road, I got high way night riding experience. Riding in the night wasn’t fun at all if you ask me. Vision wasn’t so clear ,so riding became extremely dangerous. There were lots of insects on the road. They got tricked by the headlights, thinking they have got a place to linker on but rather got busted on the helmet and the riding jacket. If you are very sensitive to slight pains, then night riding isn’t for you. You might scream and if you don’t take care, you might lose your balance.

I documented my trip on Google maps using My tracks to record the journey.

View Sunyani Trip in a larger map

The trip was a good one. Worth the effort and the money spent on the journey.  Sunyani’s weather was much bearable. It was a bit colder compared to Accra’s and I managed to touch base with a long time friend. She was really happy to see me after 3 years not seeing each other. The only issue I have in Sunyani was the poor connectivity but hey, better than nothing. I managed to get down at work. I’m going to do this again but a different location.

Go The programming language

It seems Google is doing everything under this sun. From search engine, mobile OS, browser, and other several products, now its the Go programming language. I can’t wait to see them reveal a teleport system, that way I don’t have to ride about 218km to get to the Western region.

Go is a system programming language  like C and C++ but with new features and eliminations of the short comings of C and C++.  Go is designed to be extremely fast and avoids some of the complexities in writing software( like C is :-) ). Its an open source project aiming to have a community to contribute to make it even more powerful.

It is optimized for massive scaling and for multi-core processors that handle many tasks in parallel. It has a strong focus on object oriented principles. The project looks bright. However, Francis McCabe who has been working on a programming language also called Go is seriously begging Google to change the name of their programming language Go. I wonder how such a big company couldn’t do their homework well.

Source of video: Frontline World

After watching the video, it kept me thinking how on earth could we( Ghanaians ) create an attractive market for these wastes. We are to be largely blamed for this. We tend to like these garbages a.k.a "home use"  from the west. You should see people lined up in long queues just to pick the best out of these bazillion wastes. 

If there are policies out there to make importation of these wastes unattractive, I don't think any importer will give a look at these. Hence no or little of them will come in.

 If you watched the video to the fullest, its horrifying how these young men extract sensitive data from the dumped HDD. The best way of disposing these HDDs is to crash them if you ask me. 

 Anyhow, if you have any comment, feel free to pass it.

Why ?, all because there are no tools, terminologies and so on to aid in writing in an African language. If you take a language like Ga, it has certain characters( Ɛ,Ɔ,Ŋ ) which isn’t available with most keyboards. How are you expected to write in Ga?

This is where ANLoc is focusing on to improve. ANLoc is a group made up of serveral organizations that have partnered to address the issue with localization by creating locales and also building tools, terminologies, standards,  etc, to aid in localization.

Please help spread the word about ANLoc. They are doing a fantastic work yet they are in the darkness. Much people don’t know about their work and efforts. Feel free to blog or mention them in your articles or blog post to spread the word.

Not

Picasaweb is a photo sharing service provided by Google with so many features, like tagging, unlimited albums, photo manager, location tagging, commenting, public API, just to mention a few. Flickr on the other hand is also a photo sharing service provided by Yahoo. It has similar features just like Picasaweb, just that, it’s free account is not friendly like that of Picasaweb that offers unlimited albums and upload times with upgradable space of 1GB. Flickr’s free account restricts to showing only the most recent 200 photos, it is limited to only 3 sets ( its called album in Picasaweb lingo ), uploads are limited to 100MB per mont and other unfriendly nature of it.

With all these friendliness Picasaweb provide, I wonder why people tend to you use Flickr more than Picasaweb especially when it comes to free account of both services.

I’m asking a little favour from my readers, why do you use Flickr over Picasaweb, share by posting a comment.

Adventurous and funny I can be sometimes, I do play along with them and its amazing the extent they can go when you show a little interest. One even called me on my personal phone line. I remember in one  of the email exchange I had with one of them, she asked me for my address and phone number and I desisted. After a week, not hearing from me, she called me with an unknown number, asking if I have read her recent emails. Anyway, Im going to publish some of the messages here so people get to know the nature of such messages, so they don’t fall a victim.

1.

Hello Henry Addo,

I will like to use this privilege to introduce myself as a Ghanaian Citizen But living in UK , I have a Friend who is coming to Ghana for some resources product that is founded most especially in Africa , so I contact you for some assistance.

Willing to hear from you soon,

Best Regards

Attn: Mr. Henry Addo

Thanks for your reply, actually I live in Milltown St Radcliff Manchester M2 1WE UK and the attachment file are my pictures. I also want to you’re your pictures including your home address to enable me know whom I am working with.

I have a friend called Dr. Gerhard; he travels to South Africa to buy some products called SAGE SEED that he uses in manufacturing drugs ( medicine ) for curing some Chronic Sickness, and after he has been duped in South Africa that was two years ago. Last year I connected him with a Ghanaian friend from Ashanti Region who stood as an agent, buying the seeds from the main dealer in Ghana and sells it to Dr. Gerhard with different price, I put my trust in him, but after Dr. Gerhard has purchased the goods from him which the profit was one hundred and seventy two thousand US Dollars ($172.000.00) he made away with all the money without sending my own share as we agreed.

That is why I stopped the transaction with him, Dr. Gerhard always need this seeds every year according to him and this time he want to come over there in Ghana for this year purchasing, so that is why I have contact you as my new agent because I don’t want my old agent to know that he is coming to Ghana.

I will like you to stand as a distributor / Supplier Agent in Ghana which you will be the point of Contact to Dr. Gerhard, I will as well give you the Contact Number of the main dealer in Ghana who deals in the seed for you to Confirm the present Price and the Quantity they have at the moment, so that we can add our Commissions before I will inform Dr. Gerhard.

I have talked to Dr. Gerhard on your behalf to give you some of the money after he has conform the seed to be what he want, to enable you supply the goods for him so you shouldn’t worry about using you money.

Best regards

FROM ABIDJAN IVOIRY COAST
WEST  AFRICA.

Complement of the season dearest one,
I am sorry to come to you in this way,i come across your profile and my spirit lead me to chose you,well i realy needed some one honest, truthfull to share my feelings with and to share burden with and will lead me to introduce my self to you, I am Miss Frola Williams, 21 years old the only daugther to late Mr and Mrs Bonna William. a Native of Ivory Coast in West Africa.

My father was a highly reputable business man (a cocoa merchant) who operated in Abidjan the capital city of lvory coast during his days. It is sad to say that he passed away mysteriously in France during one of his business trips abroad on 12th.August 2006.Though his sudden death was linked or rather suspected to have been master minded by one of his family member who travelled with him at that time. But God knows the truth!

My mother died when I was just 6 years old . Since then my father took me so special. Before the death of my father on August 12 2006  in a private hospital here in Abidjan, he secretly called me on his bedside and told me that he has a sum (US$ 5,500,000 ,FIVE MILLION FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND UNITED STATES DOLLARS) which was deposited at the suspence account in a local bank here in Abidjan,that he used my name as his only Daughter and the person who will inherit the deposit fund incase if he is no more.

He also explained to me that it was because of this wealth that he was poisoned by one of his family members who travelled with him at that time,he told me that incase if he is no more that i should  seek for a foreign patner in a country of my choice who will help me to receive the fund into his/her account and i will travell to the country and use the fund for investment purpose and also further my education there.

The document which I have in my possession now carries my late father’s name as the depositor, while I’m the next of kin on the same document. I am just 21 years old and a university undergraduate and really don’t know what to do now. The death of my father actually brought sorrow to my life.Sir, I am in a sincere desire of your humble assistance in this regards. Your suggestions and ideas will be highly regarded.

Now permit me to ask these few questions:-

1. Can you honestly help me as your Sister/Daughter?
2. Can I completely trust you?
3. What percentage of the total amount in question will be good for you for all your assistance to me after the succesfull transfer of this fund to your account?
4. Can you promise me that you will not betray me when this money will get to your possition?
Please, Consider this and get back to me as soon as possible.

please do not fail to respond with this information.

1, your full name and adress.
2, your telephone number.
3, small about your self.i mean what you do in life.
Immidiately i receve your mail with all this informationgs.I will forword to you all the neccessary  documents concerning this deposit with the bank contact.

Thanks and GOD bless you as you bring out your mind willingly to help me out from this situation,

My best regards to you.
yours lovely one

Dear Sir,

lam 26years old girl and single, it may interest you to know that lam a girl of PEACE and l dont want problem,l only hope you can assist me.

lt is my greatest pleasure to write you, how is your family,hope fine?lf so doxology.
l got your contact by missionary l met brefly in Accra who assure me you will help me. My name is. MISS.ANGELA.HUGS.daughter of the late marketing chairman of sierra leone marketing board,mr Sigitmund Begki who died in accidents .

Before the death of my father, he revealed to my late mother and me, he had deposited in ESCROW ACCOUNT a huge amount of $2 million dollars in INTERNATIONAL COMMERCE BANK GHANA.

Being the only one left, l have decided to transfer this money out of this country to a trust worthy beneficiary who will invest the money and send me back to school .

l need your help to invest this family inheritance into a profitable investment in your country . l have decided to part away %10 as your comission. Due to my present condition now in Accra Ghana which is a terrible oreal, l demand an urgent responds. Please confirm your interest .

May God bless you,

Yours faithful,

Greetings,

As you read this, I don’t want you to feel sorry for me, because, I believe everyone will die someday. My name is Mr. Campbell William, from New-Zealand base in London, I have been diagnosed with esophageal cancer, which was discovered very late, due to my laxity in carrying for my health. It has defiled all forms of medicine, and right now I have only about a few months to live, according to medical experts.

I have since lost my power of speech and can only manage to write now, as that has been the only way I am able to communicate. I have not particularly lived my life so well, as I never really cared for anyone not even myself but my business. Though I am very rich, I was never generous, I was always hostile to people and only focus on my business as that is the only thing I cared for.

But now I regret all this as I now know that there is more to life than just wanting to have or make all the money in the world. I believe when God gives me a second chance to come to
this world I would live my life a different way from how I have lived it. Now that I know my time is near, I have willed and given most of my properties and assets to my immediate and extended family members and as well as a few close friends. I want God to be merciful to me and accept my soul and so, I have decided to give alms to charity organizations, as I want this to be one of the last good deeds I did on earth. So far, I have distributed money to some charity organizations in UK, Brazil and Ireland. Now that my health has deteriorated so badly, I cannot do this my self any more. I once asked members of my family to close one of my accounts and donate the money, which I have there to charity organization in Bulgaria, they refused and kept the money to themselves.

Hence, I do not trust them anymore, as they seem not to be contented with what I have left for them. The last of my money which only few of them knows of is the huge cash deposit that I have with my Bank in London. I will want you to help me collect this deposit and
dispatched it to charity organizations.

Regards,

BarCampGhana

I’m using this medium to inform readers of my blog that, BarCampGhana is happening live on the 22nd of December 2008 at AITI-KACE premesis. To confirm your participation, you have to register on the event’s website.

Its a free event. All we need is your participation and contribution in any other form you may offer. Do remember to bring a friend along and keep spreading the word about BarCampGhana.

Wondering what a Barcamp is all about?

BarCamp is simply an ‘unconference’ – an ad-hoc gathering of people with the simple desire to share and learn in an open environment. Unlike a conference, at a BarCamp everyone is both a speaker and a participant. The content is provided by all attendees based on their interests.

So with that cleared, catch you there at 22nd.

This is so cool. I stumbled upon this website when I was reading an article in a forum post about a pastor being mad at people because he had an issue with a fetish priest.

I’m so impressed about this man-Kwaku Bonsam the fetish preist, taking his job a step further by getting a website to promote his services and make himself globally known. In fact how many of his such will embrace technology, either they reject it outright or condemn it blatantly.

Indeed this should really make more people change their mind when it comes to accepting or adopting technology. Now if you own a business or provide a service in what so ever legal form and you don’t have a website, you should feel lagging behind in the digital world and the global reach. Even the traditional men are going digital. :-) :-)

Oh you can take a peek of his website at http://www.kwakubonsam.com

The current hype on the media now is the e-zwich payment system. Quoting from their website,

e-zwich is the brand name for the common platform (the National Switch) that links the payment systems of all banks, savings and loans companies and rural banks in Ghana.It is an electronic platform that enables LOADING and SPENDING of e-cash and also allows the SETTLEMENT of inter-bank claims in addition to online transactions. Customers are able to effect transactions “offline” in underdeveloped areas where power and communication infrastructure maybe lacking. All transactions occur between a customer card and another card in a POS or ATM.

How it operates:
An e-zwich POS device is issued by a bank or savings and loan company with a retail merchant card registered to the owner of the e-zwich POS and linked to the owner’s traditional bank account. During payment, the owner’s customer’s e-zwich card is slotted into the card reader on the POS and debited by the amount of the transaction using the device’s keypad. The customer authenticates the payment with their finger print. Their card is then debited by the amount plus any other fees and credited to the merchant card of the owner of the POS. At the close of the day, all transactions are settled on the POS electronically through e-zwich to the owner’s bank account linked to the merchant card. All funds can be drawn from the bank.

To transfer money to the bank, the device is coupled with a settlement feature. When the settlement feature is selected, the device goes online using either an inserted SIM card from any of the major telecom service providers ( Onetouch, MTN, Tigo, Kasapa ) and a telephone line socket or an internet connection. The POS is pre-configured with the required e-zwich system host destination numbers. So no need to worry about numbers.

Other services offered by the device includes: money transfers, online and offline funds load, payments of bills, enquiries about the card, etc…

With this system coming to play, I foresee a leverage of our problem of online transactions. We can have our own online payment system without necessarily needing any of the international payment system out there ( paypal and the credit card systems, etc… ). Developers can now build solutions for online transactions specifically targeted towards the Ghanaian market. Well this will really work if e-zwich could provide a public APIs where third parties can write applications that support the system.

No need to be carrying huge money around. All is loaded into the card which is secure since using the card requires a finger print for authentication. Now the money snatchers will be out of business :).