A Ghanaian man has recounted an embarrassing situation he witnessed involving his beloved sisters from his motherland.
In a video on Instagram, the man accused some Ghanaian women of sending their nudes to a white colleague of his in order to travel abroad and obtain certain favours such as an iPhone.
He noted that these ladies managed to get hold of his foreign colleague after he engaged in an Instagram live video with him.
He said after the video, about 60 to 70 Ghanaian ladies flooded his colleague’s message box, making offers in order to travel abroad, among others.
The Ghanaian noted that his male white colleague engaged him on the matter and described the Ghanaian ladies as “disgusting.”
He advised his sisters from Ghana to desist from such shameful acts.
A noteworthy incident unfolded at Kwame Nkrumah Circle in Accra, where a military officer took decisive action against two individuals attempting to steal phones.
A viral video circulating on the internet captured the moment when the officer disciplined the culprits, compelling them to lie flat on the ground.
Demonstrating his authority, the military man directed the individuals to roll from one end to the other as a punishment for their attempted theft.
The video has sparked widespread attention online, with many commending the officer for his vigilance in addressing crime.
Military Man Disciplines Thieves Caught Stealing iPhone at Kwame Nkrumah Circle A viral video circulating online captured the moment the officer disciplined the culprits, who were forced to lie stomach flat on the ground.
A young woman in Ghana’s bustling Circle market intended to purchase an iPhone X with Ghs 1,000 but ended up with a nicely packaged bar of soap instead.
This incident highlights the prevalence of scams and deceptive practices in the area, with many Ghanaians still unaware of such tricks.
The woman’s initial excitement at the prospect of owning the latest iPhone quickly turned to disappointment and frustration when she discovered the switch. It is a cautionary tale for others to remain vigilant and skeptical of deals that seem too good to be true.
The Circle market, known for its variety of goods and often crowded with shoppers, is a hotspot for such scams. Both locals and tourists are advised to be wary of deals offered by street vendors and to verify the authenticity of products before making a purchase.
Apple has experienced a decline in sales, despite robust demand for its iPhones and services, including the streaming platform Apple TV+.
The technology company reported a 1% decrease in revenues, amounting to $89.5 billion (£73.3 billion), for the three months ending on September 30, in comparison to the corresponding period of the previous year.
Sales of its Mac computers and iPads faced challenges following a surge in interest post-lockdown. This marks the fourth consecutive quarter where Apple has observed a decline in year-on-year sales.
In an investor update, Apple announced a record-breaking profit of $23 billion, driven by a new high in iPhone sales during the three-month period. The company also reported substantial earnings from services such as iCloud and Apple Music, generating $22.3 billion, which represented a 16% increase compared to the previous year.
However, Apple expressed concerns about potential supply chain disruptions that could impact the delivery of its new iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max devices.
Apple chief executive Tim Cook said it was “working hard to manufacture more”.
“We do believe that later this quarter, we’ll reach a supply-demand balance,” he said.
Mr Cook said he felt the firm had its “strongest line-up of products ever” heading into the key Christmas trading period.
The most recent update indicates that certain Apple products have been struggling to maintain customer interest in recent times. For instance, sales of its Mac computers decreased to $7.6 billion for the quarter, down from $11.6 billion the previous year.
Apple unveiled its latest iPhone lineup in September during a highly anticipated event. During this event, it was announced that the iPhone 15 would no longer feature the company’s proprietary lightning charging port, a change that was enforced by the European Union. Instead, it now uses a USB-C cable, which is considered a “universally-accepted standard.”
Challenges have also arisen in other areas, including economic uncertainty affecting consumers in the Chinese market. Apple reported a 2.5% drop in sales in China, although CEO Tim Cook noted that, after accounting for foreign exchange rates, their business in China had grown year on year.
Cook made a surprise visit to China last month, where he met with gamers in Chengdu. This marked his second visit to China this year, which is a significant market for Apple. The company’s operations in China have been affected by COVID-19 restrictions and ongoing tensions between the US and China.
In March, Cook expressed that Apple had a “symbiotic” relationship with China, emphasizing its role as a key manufacturing base.
According to the Global Times, who did not reveal their names, officials checked the taxes of Foxconn companies in two provinces in China.
Foxconn will work together with the investigation.
The company is the biggest producer of iPhones for Apple and is one of the largest employers globally.
The Global Times reported that China’s department responsible for natural resources visited and inspected the land use of important Foxconn businesses in Henan and Hubei provinces.
The company Foxconn says that following the laws in every country where they operate is very important to them.
“We will work together and assist other groups in the tasks and operations,” it stated.
Terry Gou, the person who started Foxconn, is now running for president in Taiwan on his own, without the support of any political party. The election is scheduled to happen in January.
As Beijing has become more forceful in claiming power over the self-governed island, presidential candidates are sharing their different ideas on how to react.
Mr Gou has established himself as a different option compared to the current Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). He gained this position because of his many years of working in China. The DPP is viewed as unfriendly towards Beijing.
However, he said he was not afraid of China when he announced his intention to run for office. He explained that if the Chinese Communist party threatened to take away his assets from Foxconn if he didn’t obey them, he would actually welcome it.
He quit being on Foxconn’s board in September when he said he was going to run for president. He gave control of the company to someone else in 2019 when he said he wanted to be president, but he still owns 12. 5%
At that time, he belonged to a big political party in Taiwan called the Kuomintang (KMT). The KMT is known for having friendly relations with Beijing.
The Global Times said that in Taiwan, some people think that Foxconn is being looked into because its boss, Mr. Gou, is running for president.
But the government newspaper also said that Chinese experts believe the investigation is normal and legal, because all companies have to go through tax inspections.
The Global Times mentioned experts who think that the investigation might affect the elections. If the people who want Taiwan to separate from China win the elections, it would be very bad for the peace and stability of the area. Chinese people from both sides, including those in business, should join forces to avoid this disaster.
Beijing says countries can’t be friends with both China and Taiwan, so Taiwan only has a few countries it can officially be friends with. The US is Taiwan’s biggest supporter, even though it only has formal diplomatic relations with China.
Some people think that China is investigating Apple as a way to retaliate against the US for imposing sanctions on them.
Rachel Winter, an investment partner at Killik & Co, told the BBC’s Today program that it seems like this could be a response to the sanctions imposed by the US.
The US has put many restrictions on China to try and reduce their technological power, and it seems like by targeting Foxconn, they will also be hurting Apple, which is one of the most successful American companies.
The Bulk Energy Storage and Transportation Limited Company (BOST) has refuted claims that it acquired iPhones worth ¢28.541 million for certain essential personnel within the organization.
In an official statement issued by the company, it expressed its astonishment regarding the procurement report circulating on social media platforms.
According to the company, there is “misinformation” about the total cost of 18 pieces of iPhone 13 Pro Max phones purchased in May 2022.
“The total cost of the phones stood at ¢234,000.00 grossed up for taxes at ¢285,412.16. The amount is captured in the financial reports of the company and the Auditor General who audits the company, at least over the past three years, vetted the decision and the value and made no adverse findings about same.”
“The ¢28.541 million in the report may be due to a typographical error of placing the dot(.) two steps to the right which on the face of the document converted the ¢285,412.61 to ¢28.541 million,” the statement read.
BOST noted that the devices were purchased to equip the team to stay in touch with the management information and business intelligence systems of the company for efficient decision making.
“In the petroleum storage and transportation space, a split second can make the difference between success and failure”, the statement added.
For the company “the results so far attest to the efficiency of the systems put in place which includes the access points for key members of the team to access processed information for efficient decision making.”
The company urged the public to disregard the assertion that it procured 18 phones at a cost of ¢28 million, emphasizing that such claims are both incorrect and “mischievous”.
Meanwhile, BOST has entreated the general public to access the accurate information on the Public Procurement Authority’s website.
According to Mysk, a couple of people who make iPhone apps and study cybersecurity, when people downloaded the new iOS 17 software for their iPhones, some features called Significant Locations and iPhone Analytics turned on again, even if people had turned them off before.
They said the update will enable the sensitive location options again.
They said on social media that if you turn off important places and add your location to your iPhone analytics before updating to iOS 17, iOS 17 will turn those options back on. They shared a screenshot along with the post. The Significant Locations feature on the iPhone keeps track of the places you go to often and stores them for you.
Apple uses this information to give you updates about your pictures, past events, locations, and schedule apps. It uses this information to give you better services, like telling you the best route for avoiding traffic.
If you don’t want Apple to track where you go, you can turn off Significant Locations.
The post said that although important places are stored on your iPhone, they can be misused because they save detailed information about the places you go to often.
However, iPhone Analytics helps Apple gather information on how you use your iPhone.
This information can help make Apple products and services better. However, it can also be used to gather personal details about you, like where you’ve been and the apps you’ve used.
We don’t know why the problem happened, but Apple is investigating and will probably fix it soon.
Apple is set to release a software update for its iPhone 12 in France due to concerns about radiation levels, according to the country’s digital minister, Jean-Noel Barrot.
Sales of the iPhone 12 were temporarily halted in France after regulators detected elevated electromagnetic radiation levels. Apple was instructed to address the issue.
The upcoming update will be specifically for iPhone users in France, as the company stated that the concern was related to a unique testing protocol in the country. Apple emphasized that the radiation findings did not pose a safety risk.
This development raises questions about Apple’s plans for the iPhone 12 in other countries, as the device was released just three years ago.
Mr. Barrot mentioned that the French radio frequency regulator (ANFR) would assess the new update for compliance before permitting the iPhone 12 to resume sales in France.
The World Health Organization has previously stated that there is no evidence to suggest that exposure to low-level electromagnetic fields from mobile phones is harmful to humans.
In a statement sent to AFP news agency, Apple said the radiation finding in France was “related to a specific testing protocol used by French regulators and not a safety concern”.
It said the iPhone 12 complied with emissions rules worldwide, but it would “issue a software update for users in France to accommodate the protocol used by French regulators”.
The ANFR previously told Apple that if it could not resolve the issue via a software update, it would have to recall every iPhone 12 sold in the country.
The regulator found iPhone 12’s Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) to be above what is legally allowed in France.
The iPhone 12 smartphone was first released in September 2020 and it is still sold worldwide.
Apple recently stated to BBC News that it was challenging the ANFR’s review. The company maintained that it had provided the regulator with lab results from both its own tests and third-party assessments, demonstrating compliance with all relevant regulations.
However, Mr. Barrot imposed a two-week deadline on Apple and expressed concerns that France’s findings might have a cascading impact as they are shared with regulators across the European Union (EU). Regulatory authorities in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany have also initiated investigations into the matter.
Germany’s BNetzA network agency informed the BBC that the French inquiry could lead to measures applicable to all EU member states. In contrast, no actions have been announced by the UK and the US following the French ban.
Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany are now investigating the problem as well.
France’s regulator has told the tech giant it has two weeks to reply to an investigation. If the investigation finds wrongdoing, other countries in Europe may take similar actions.
Apple said that it had shown evidence that it was following the rules on radiation.
The French sales stoppage could have a big effect, says French digital economy minister Jean-Noël Barrot to Le Parisien newspaper. The ANFR will now give its results to regulators in other countries in the EU.
The government of Belgium has told its regulator to check whether the iPhone 12, which came out in 2020, can be dangerous for our health.
It is my job to respond and make sure that everyone in the kingdom is kept safe and protected from any possible harm. Belgian state secretary for digitalisation, Mathieu Michel, said that health is a very important matter and should never be ignored.
He told Le Soir that he requested the regulator to check all Apple models and then other brands as well.
The RDI, which is responsible for digital infrastructure in the Netherlands, stated that the French tests proved that radiation levels were definitely too high. The RDI said they would talk to Apple, but they said there is no urgent danger to safety.
In simpler words, the German network agency called BNetzA told the BBC that the French investigation could result in actions that would affect all countries in the European Union.
The UK hasn’t said what they will do after France banned something.
Apple disagreed with the findings from France and said they were contesting them. They also mentioned that they had given the French agency lab results from Apple and other companies, which proved that the device met the regulations.
The Minister in charge of France’s digital economy said that he believes Apple will be able to solve the problem by releasing an update for their software.
If that method didn’t work, Apple would need to take back all the iPhone 12 devices they sold in France, as stated by the ANFR.
The regulator checks two radiation tests: one measures a phone when it touches a person’s body, like when it is held or placed in a pocket; the other test is done when the phone is in a pocket or bag but a bit further away.
The iPhone 12 did well in the second test, but it went beyond the limits set by EU rules in the first test, according to the ANFR.
The watchdog organization said it will inspect Apple stores and other sellers to ensure they have stopped selling the specific model.
Smartphones were removed from stores in France before due to radiation tests, but this is the first occasion where an iPhone was impacted.
The World Health Organization states that many studies have been conducted over the years to understand if using mobile phones can have any negative effects on our health.
On its website, it says that there have been no known negative health effects linked to using mobile phones.
Apple’s shares have experienced a second consecutive day of decline following reports of a ban on Chinese government employees using iPhones.
The technology giant’s stock market valuation has dipped by over 6%, equating to nearly $200 billion (£160 billion), in the past 48 hours.
China holds a significant position as Apple’s third-largest market, contributing to 18% of its total revenue in the previous year. Furthermore, a substantial portion of Apple’s product manufacturing takes place in China, primarily through its principal supplier, Foxconn.
On Wednesday, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) disclosed that Beijing had issued directives instructing central government agency officials to refrain from bringing iPhones into the workplace or utilizing them for work-related purposes. Subsequently, Bloomberg News reported the possibility of extending this ban to employees of state-owned enterprises and government-affiliated organizations.
According to insider sources cited by WSJ, these instructions, which also encompassed restrictions on other foreign-branded devices, were communicated by superiors to officials in recent weeks. While iPhones were already prohibited in some government agencies, these reports suggest a broader implementation of the ban. The extent to which these directives have been disseminated throughout the Chinese bureaucracy remains unclear.
These developments coincide with the imminent launch of the iPhone 15, scheduled for September 12. While China remains one of Apple’s most significant markets and a hub for iPhone production, recent efforts have seen Apple increasing its manufacturing presence in India.
As of now, there has been no official statement from the Chinese government regarding these reports.
At a US auction, the value of iPhones defied the usual trend of depreciating immediately after purchase.
A rare first edition, unopened 4GB model was sold for an astonishing $190,372.80 (£145,416).
These particular models were produced in limited quantities, making them highly sought after by iPhone collectors who consider them the “Holy Grail” of iPhone memorabilia.
Conducted by LCG Auctions, the lot garnered significant attention with a total of 28 bids, resulting in a sale that reached nearly 400 times the original price.
The final amount includes administrative costs in addition to the hammer price paid by the buyer, known as the “buyer’s premium.” It’s important to note that the buyer’s premium is retained by the auction house and does not go to the seller.
LCG Auctions described the first edition iPhone as a “popular high-end” and a “red-hot collectable,” highlighting the fact that two other factory-sealed, first edition iPhones had achieved record-breaking values in the past year.
The website described the model as an “exceedingly rare, factory sealed, first-release 4GB model in exceptional condition. Virtually flawless along the surface and edges, the factory seal is clean with correct seam details and tightness”.
he auction for the first edition, unopened 4GB model of the iPhone surpassed all expectations, fetching a staggering $190,372.80 (£145,416). Originally priced at $599 (£457) upon its release in 2007, the 4GB model was discontinued after just two months due to slow sales.
While the 8GB model, offering double the storage space, became the preferred choice for most consumers at a slightly higher price, the rarity of the 4GB model has made it highly sought-after by Apple enthusiasts and collectors.
This auction is part of a trend where unique Apple memorabilia and artifacts related to Steve Jobs’ life and career garner significant attention. Previous items sold include a poem he wrote in a high school yearbook, college photos, and a business card from 1978.
Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Apple, passed away in 2011 at the age of 56 after battling pancreatic cancer. His contributions to the world of technology and innovation are widely recognized, with products such as the iMac, iPod, iPhone, and iPad revolutionizing various industries and improving the lives of people worldwide.
A contract staff member of a major bank in Ghana has been apprehended by security agencies on allegations of embezzling approximately GH¢1.2 million from customers’ bank accounts.
The targeted accounts reportedly included those of a deceased former Inspector General of Police and a judge.
According to reports, the accused individual utilized a variety of means to carry out the fraudulent activities.
These included purchasing luxury items such as an iPhone 14 Pro Max and a Toyota Camry vehicle, as well as transferring funds to multiple bank accounts and mobile money accounts belonging to both himself and his accomplices—amounting to a total of 17 different accounts.
Furthermore, it is claimed that the suspect had planned to flee to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, with his girlfriend after purchasing an airplane ticket.
However, law enforcement acted swiftly, initiating surveillance and managing to arrest him at Kotoka International Airport on June 4, 2023.
It is alleged that the accused person obtained his supervisor’s password through covert means. Reportedly, he secretly filmed his boss entering her password using a mobile phone, later reviewing the footage to gain access to her account credentials. He then exploited a two-month period to siphon off funds from various customers’ accounts.
The accused, a 25-year-old named Emmanuel Sakyi Afriyie, has been brought before the court alongside several of his alleged accomplices. While his partners have been granted bail, Emmanuel has been remanded in custody. The charges against him include theft, conspiracy, forgery, and falsification of accounts, amounting to a total of 13 charges.
Meanwhile, eleven other suspected accomplices remain at large, prompting ongoing investigations by the police. Emmanuel is scheduled to appear before Judge Ellen Ofei-Ayeh on June 16, 2023. Despite the charges brought against him, the accused individual has pleaded not guilty to the offenses.
Facts
The Head of Fraud Detection and Operations at the bank is the complainant in the case.
According to him, the accused person is a resident of Labone and until May 2023, he was contracted as Processing Officer at the bank.
The accused person was employed by the bank as a contract staff in the month of February 2022 and was posted to the Osu branch as a Processing Officer, whose job description was to assist customers in loan processing, T-bill processing, debit card processing, dormant account activation and customer account maintenance among others.
Due to the job description, the accused worked on several accounts.
However, somewhere in February 2023, the accused registered for an online coding course, which the renewable annual subscription fee was US$174.30, equivalent to GH¢2,287.69.
Instead of paying for the course out of his own pocket, the accused rather made the payment on one of the bank’s customer’s Visa card on February 6, 2023.
As a result, the complainant and the Fraud team of the bank were gathering evidence on the matter to engage the accused, but he made a swift move to tender in his resignation letter, effective May 31, 2023.
The sudden resignation and the alleged illegal transaction on the customer’s visa card by the accused person made the bank officials more suspicious to investigate him in other areas.
The complainant, together with the fraud team, made up of the bank’s IT experts, detected that on April 20, 2023 the accused by his own machination accessed one of his colleague’s User ID and password to change the contact number on another customer’s accounts.
So, on April 21, 2023 the accused personally set up an internet and mobile banking access on the same customer’s account, using his own User ID and password, after which he had access and started operating on the account without the victim customer receiving SMS alert.
Therefore, from April 21 to May 12, 2023, the accused with full access to the said account, fraudulently transferred a total of GH¢945,133.00 including charges from the accounts to a number of people.
First and foremost, he transferred GH¢90,000.00 to a girlfriend of another accused person, GH¢180,000.00 to another’s account; GH¢30,000.00 together with other transfers in tranches of GH¢30,000.00 on different dates within the said period to other accused persons accounts in different banks.
On May 9, 2023 from 7:21am to 7:32am, he used another colleague and that of the branch Manager’s Users IDs to change and authorise the contact numbers of eleven customers’ accounts, including the account of the deceased judge and the former IGP, who is also deceased and other customers and replaced them with only one contact phone number.
The prosecutor told the court that the accused used eleven minutes to complete these processes, after which he used his own User ID to set up online and mobile banking for these accounts on May 10, 2023.
On May 11, 2023 he transferred tranches of GH¢50,000.00 to other accounts and repeated that the next day.
From those transfers, the receivers stated in their respective investigation cautioned statements that the accused came to their shops to purchase Iphone 14 Pro Max and requested for their bank accounts details and forwarded the same to him to effect those transfers into their accounts.
On May 12, 2023 he was arrested by the Police in respect of the Visa Card theft and was granted Police enquiry bail to be reporting.
On May 15, 2023, the complainant on behalf of the bank petitioned the Director General of CID in respect of GH¢1,207,017.00 theft detected in furtherance to the Visa Card case.
Interestingly, when he was contacted to report himself to police, he refused to show up, meanwhile, effort to compel his surety to produce him also failed.
Arrest
On June 4, 2023, the accused together with his girlfriend, who stood as surety for him attempted to escape from the jurisdiction to Dubai, but he was arrested at the Kotoka International Airport by the Ghana Immigration Service and handed over to the police.
The investigation so far has revealed that the accused, together with his accomplices, within the period of April and May 2023, stole a total amount of GH¢1,209,304.69 from the various customers’ accounts.
The police are still investigating the matter to trace and arrest all the remaining accused persons as well as the proceeds of crime.
Due to the slowing economy and consumers delaying purchases of computers and iPads due to increased pricing, Apple sales have continued to decline.
The internet giant reported that revenue fell by 3% to $94.8 billion (£75.4 billion) in the first three months of the year from the same time in 2022.
That was the company’s second consecutive quarter of declining sales.
The demand for iPhones kept steady, though, and the company gained new clients abroad, so the reduction was not as terrible as anticipated.
Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, spoke with analysts and highlighted the company’s expansion in India, where it is investing extensively and where he visited last month to inaugurate the first two of its official stores there.
“Overall I couldn’t be more delighted and excited by the enthusiasm I’m seeing for the brand there,” he said.
Apple is one of the most valuable companies in the world and its sales are closely watched as a sign of retail strength.
The company said it was facing a “challenging macroeconomic environment”, echoing comments by other companies which have warned that customers, hit by the rising cost of living and economic uncertainty, are pulling back.
Apple had warned investors that sales in the January-March period could fall by as much as 5% year-on-year.
But the results were buoyed by a 1.5% year-on-year increase in iPhone sales, which hit $51.3bn – a record for the quarter. The company said that was lifted by strong demand in south Asia and Latin America.
In India, where the firm’s overall sales grew by double digits, Mr Cook said he saw big growth opportunities as the country’s middle class expands, saying the country was at a “tipping point”.
Apple’s services unit, which includes Apple Music, Apple News and Apple Pay, saw sales rise 5% year-on-year to more than $20bn.
In Europe, where many other firms have reported weakness, sales gained more than 2%.
However, sales sank more than 7% in the Americas, its biggest market.
Profits also fell more than 3% year-on-year, to roughly $24.2bn. But that was better than expected, as supply chain problems receded.
Apple’s report follows a series of updates from other tech giants, including Facebook-owner Meta and Alphabet, parent company of Google, which had also been better than expected.
Due to information security concerns, the Kremlin has advised some Russian officials to give up their Apple iPhones by the end of March, according to the Russian business magazine Kommersant.
The Russian daily, which cited sources present at the discussion, reported that the command occurred during a seminar in the Moscow region earlier this month.
According to the publication, employees were instructed to swap their iPhones for smartphones running different operating systems, such as Android, its Chinese counterparts, or Aurora, an operating system created by the Russian business Open Mobile Platform.
Sergei Kiriyenko, first deputy head of Russia’s presidential administration, reportedly told the officials they had to replace their iPhones by April 1.
The reported instruction comes amid undergoing campaign preparations for the upcoming 2024 Russian presidential election. Apple had previously banned imports to Russia, shortly after the country invaded Ukraine last year.
Last year, Apple stopped product sales to Russia a week after the country invaded Ukraine. But a few months later, reports surfaced that people in Russia were still purchasing the new iPhone 14 through legalized parallel imports programs. A few months after the war began, Russia had reportedly legalized these import programs — systems that allowed sellers to ship products into the country without the trademark owner’s permission.
Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Although those within the Russian presidential administration were reportedly told to get rid of their Apple iPhones, it’s unclear whether all Russian government officials were advised to do so.
The Embassy of the Russian Federation in the US did not immediately respond to a request for comment ahead of publication. However, Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov told reporters that “smartphones should not be used for official business,” Reuters reported.
“Any smartphone has a fairly transparent mechanism, no matter what operating system it has – Android or iOS,” he said, according to Reuters. “Naturally, they are not used for official purposes.”
Six people have been arrested for their alleged involvement in the murder of a young soldier atAshaiman Taifa on March 4, 2023, according to a statement by the Ghana Police Service.
The police are, however, on the hunt for the iPhone of the deceased which according to the statement was the reason he was fatally stabbed by the first two assailants who attacked him early dawn of March 4.
The statement said: “After almost a week of painstaking intelligence-led operations, on 9th March 2023, the police arrested suspects Safianu Musah alias Dayorgu and Ibrahim Abdul Rakib at their hideouts in Ashaiman.
The other suspects are, Samuel Tetteh alias Wiper and Abubakar Sadick alias Birdman, arrested at their hideouts on 10th March, 2023. Whiles Yussif Mohammed and Abdul Gafaru Abdul Karim were arrested on 11th and 12th March 2023 respectively.
The missing iPhone
In addressing the issue of the deceased’s missing phone, the police said: “Investigations also revealed that suspects Samuel Tetteh and Abubakar Sadick sold the phone which they had robbed from the deceased to suspect Ibrahim Abdul Rakib who later sold it to suspect Safianu Musah.
“Suspect Safianu Musah is being evasive as to the whereabouts of the phone and claims to have sold it to suspect Yussif Mohammed and later to suspect Abdul Gafaru Abdul Karim.
“Both suspects have been arrested and are assisting in the investigation to recover the phone.
Today, Microsoft announced 2023’s first major batch of updates for Windows 11, part of the company’s plan to release new Windows features “when they are ready” instead of waiting for the big annual update in the fall.
The headliner, at least for people who have signed up for the AI-powered preview of “the new Bing,” is support for those AI-powered Bing features (including the infamous Bing chatbot) in the Windows taskbar. We’ve written more about those features separately. The other changes are more typical of a regular Windows 11 release, featuring a combination of things we’ve seen before and stuff Microsoft has been testing in its Insider Preview channels for the last few weeks or months.
The Notepad app has tabs now—welcome to 2003, buddy!Microsoft
Some of the additions enhance existing Windows 11 apps or features. The Notepad app, updated relatively recently with a Windows 11-style design and dark mode support, now supports tabs so you can view multiple notes in a single window. A redesigned Quick Assist app streamlines the process of remotely connecting to, viewing the screen of, and taking control of a PC you’re providing remote tech support for. And the Snipping Tool now supports recording onscreen video in addition to screenshots, making it more useful for recording quick app demos or other snippets.
Microsoft has added a handful of taskbar and Start menu features, too. New first- and third-party Widgets will seek to make Widgets more useful than they currently are—the screenshots show new widgets for Facebook Messenger and Spotify, as well as Microsoft‘s Phone Link app and Xbox Game Pass. A “collapsed,” icon-free version of the taskbar will now appear on convertible PCs when the keyboard is detached or folded away, allowing more room for websites and apps.
A collapsed Touch Taskbar leaves more room for apps and webpages on convertibles with detached keyboards.
There’s also an “energy recommendations” section in the Settings app that will recommend tweaks to your sleep and power settings to optimize your battery life—these mostly appear to amount to things like “let your PC sleep faster” and “keep automatic screen brightness enabled,” handy tips for casual PC users but nothing ground-breaking for experts.
One potentially exciting addition for iPhone users is the addition of iOS support to the Phone Link app, which should be available now (or soon) via the Windows Store for anyone enrolled in any of the Windows Insider Preview channels. As with Android phones, you’ll be able to make and receive phone calls, view and send text messages (no photos or videos allowed, whether sending or receiving), and view your phone’s contacts. Microsoft’s blog post doesn’t mention iMessage by name, but The Verge reports that users will be able to send and receive iMessages using the Your Phone app. But unlike on Macs or iPads, you won’t be able to view your message history, and you won’t be able to tell whether you’re sending SMS messages or iMessages until you return to your phone.
The Phone Link app picks up basic iPhone integration, which reportedly includes iMessage support. You can only send texts, and not images or videos.Microsoft
The Your Phone app supports more features when paired with Android phones, particularly those from Samsung; this update will also allow Samsung phone users to take advantage of easy hotspot pairing from Windows’ Wi-Fi menu and to send browser tabs from phone to PC.
It’s worth reading the full post to learn more about all of the changes, which include support for braille displays and additional voice control options, easier access to Windows 365 PCs in the cloud, and new ways to control the AI-powered webcam Studio Effects settings for the few PCs that support them.
Facebook Messenger, Spotify, Xbox Game Pass, and Phone Link widgets add a bit of functionality to the Microsoft Start-dominated Widgets screen.Microsoft
All of these updates require the Windows 11 2022 Update (aka 22H2) to be installed first. If you’re running Windows 11 22H2, most of the new changes are available to download today by checking Windows Update and manually installing the available update preview. Barring major issues, the update will automatically roll out to all Windows 11 22H2 PCs starting next month.
We’re likely to get a few more big Windows 11 feature drops throughout this year, including the 23H2 update in the fall. We’re still waiting for that update to take shape, but between leaks and bits and pieces discovered in the preview builds, it seems like Microsoft is testing a redesigned File Explorer with a more modernized codebase and a possible replacement for obnoxious RGB lighting controller apps. The 22H2 release was finalized in May 2022, several months before its release in September, so we’ll hopefully know more about 23H2’s additions this spring.
With the release of the iOS 16.4 developer beta version on Thursday, iPhone, iPad, and Mac users can now get a look at the 21 new emojis that should be available at their fingertips later this year.
Among the standout emojis on the way is the long-awaited arrival of the pink heart, which, according to Emojipedia, has been requested for years. The shaking face, or shook emoji, has undergone a slight alteration since it was first unveiled, prior to being submitted for approval from the Unicode consortium last year.
Check out the rest—including symbols for moose, jellyfish, ginger, pea pod, donkey, goose, flute, maracas, and more—below.
The pushing hand gesture emoji will come in the typical five different skin tones, which technically brings the new batch to a total of 31 additions. According to Emojipedia, the hand gesture can be placed alongside one another to create a high-five, with a collision emoji positioned between the hands for an added effect.
iOS 16.4 can only be downloaded by those who are enrolled in Apple’s beta software program. It’s also worth noting that emojis are subject to change. In recent years, emojis for the bagel, peach, and goblin went through redesigns before going out to the masses.
iOS 16.4 is scheduled to be released to the public in either March or April 2023.
Three persons including an ex-convict who robbed a tourist of her mobile phone valued GH₵3,000 at El-Wak Sport Stadium in Accra have appeared before an Accra Circuit Court.
Daniel Atugah, an ex-convict and a student, Musah Ibrahim aka Pantang, a welder, Ibrahim Mohammed aka Ashiaman, unemployed, have been charged with conspiracy to commit crime to wit robbery and robbery.
Lucky Chinedu, a second hone dealer, who allegedly bought the iPhone X for GHC400 has been charged with dishonestly receiving. They have denied the various charges.
The Court presided over by Mr Samuel Bright Acquah has remanded the accused persons into police custody to reappear on January 20.
Prosecuting Chief Inspector Isaac Anquandah narrated that the complainant (name withheld) is a Ghanaian domiciled in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
The Prosecution said all the accused persons lived in various locations in Ashaiman.
It said crime was committed during the month of December 2022, a musical festival dubbed “Afrochella” was held at El-Wak Sports Stadium, Accra to promote Africa’s diverse culture and creativity.
The Prosecution said the programme attracted patrons from all walks of life including the complainant who was also in the country for holidays.
It said on the night of Wednesday December 28, 2022, Atugah, Ibrahim and Mohammed also attended the programme ostensibly to rob unsuspecting audience.
As a result, prosecution said the three accused persons intentionally wore black T-Shirts and positioned themselves strategically around the El-Wak Sports Stadium to conduct their nefarious acts.
The Prosecution said at about 11:30 pm, the complainant was seated at the back of the passenger seat and was fidgeting with his phone.
It said suddenly, Ibrahim skillfully snatched the complainant’s iPhone X from her and passed it on to Atugah and Mohammed and they took to their heels.
The Prosecution said the complainant raised the alarm and Atugah was arrested while Ibrahim and Mohammed escaped.
It said the following day, Mohammed sold the phone for GHS400 to Chinedu and kept GHS200 for himself and gave GHC100 each to Atugah and Ibrahim as their share of the booty.
According to the Prosecution, on January 3, 2023, Atugah escaped whiles he was being escorted by the Police from his residence at Ashiaman.
It said during interrogation, Atugah, Ibrahim and Mohammed admitted robbing the complainant of her phone.
A New York man who bought 300 iPhones from the Apple flagship store on Fifth Avenue was reportedly robbed just moments after walking out of the store.
In a world where basically anything can be ordered online, a man decided to buy 300 iPhones at a physical Apple store in Manhattan at 1:45 in the morning and walk out with a few branded “Apple” bags like it was no big deal. What could go wrong? Well, as you’ve probably already guessed by reading the title, the man got robbed while making his way back to the car, losing 125 smartphones worth approximately $95,000.
According to a statement by the NYPD, the unnamed 27-year-old man was a regular at the Apple Store on Fifth Avenue, and regularly bought high volumes of iPhones which he then resold through his small business. Now, why he bought them in the middle of the night remains a mystery.
The police said that a man pulled up beside the man as he was walking with his three bags stuffed with iPhones, and two men got out to demand that he hand over his small fortune. The man refused, they tried to forcefully take the bags, he put up a fight, so they punched him in the face and manage to steal one of the bags.
Because of his buying habits, police say that there is a possibility that the robbers had been monitoring him for some time, but the case is still under investigation and authorities have asked anyone with any information to come forward.
The Apple Store on Fifth Avenue is open 24/7, and it reportedly had a Black Friday sale going on at the time, which the robbers may have been aware of.
Moral of the story – don’t buy hundreds of iPhones from a physical store and simply walk out with them in the middle of the night like crime doesn’t exist. Some people sell their kidneys for an iPhone, imagine what they’re capable of for hundreds of them.
A footage widely circulating online, protests have erupted at the world’s largest iPhone factory in the Chinese city of Zhengzhou.
Hundreds of workers are seen marching in videos, with some being confronted by people wearing hazmat suits and riot police.
Workers were beaten by police, according to those who were livestreaming the protests. Clashes were also captured on video.
Last month, Foxconn locked down the Covid cases, prompting some workers to flee and return home.
The company then recruited new workers with the promise of generous bonuses. Foxconn has not yet commented on the latest disturbances.
Footage shared on a livestreaming site showed workers shouting: “Defend our rights! Defend our rights!” Other workers were seen smashing surveillance cameras and windows with sticks.
Several clips also showed workers complaining about food they had been given and saying they had not received bonuses as promised.
“They changed the contract so that we could not get the subsidy as they had promised. They quarantine us but don’t provide food,” said one Foxconn worker during his live stream.
“If they do not address our needs, we will keep fighting.”
He also claimed to have seen a man “severely injured and [who] might die” after a beating from police.
One employee who recently started working at the Zhengzhou plant also told the BBC workers were protesting because Foxconn had “changed the contract they promised”.
He said some newly recruited workers also feared getting Covid from staff who had been there during the earlier outbreak.
“Those workers who are protesting are wanting to get a subsidy and return home,” the staff member said.
There was a heavy police deployment to the plant on Wednesday morning,he said.
Other livestreamed videos also showed crowds of armed police at the site.
Another newly recruited employee told the BBC he visited the protest scene on Wednesday where he saw “one man with blood over his head lying on the ground”.
“I didn’t know the exact reason why people are protesting but they are mixing us new workers with old workers who were [Covid] positive,” he told the BBC.
Foxconn, a Taiwanese firm, is Apple’s main subcontractor and its Zhengzhou plant assembles more iPhones than anywhere else in the world.
In late October many workers fled the plant amid rising Covid cases and allegations of poor treatment of staff, their escape captured on social media as they rode lorries back to their hometowns elsewhere in the central Chinese province.
Foxconn then attempted to convince workers to stay and to recruit new staff by offering higher salaries and bonuses.
The firm has since enacted so-called closed loop operations at the plant – keeping it isolated from the wider city of Zhengzhou because of a Covid outbreak there.
Earlier this month Apple said it expected lower shipments of iPhone 14 models because of the disruption to production in Zhengzhou.
Chinese iPhone 14 scalpers are apparently struggling to recover their investment as they are forced to sell the handheld for less than the MSRP price.
Like it or not, scalpers are an integral part of the free market, and there is little anyone can do about them. Whether it’s the Playstation 5 or the newest iPhone, they’re always ready to scoop up whatever inventory is available and sell it for outrageous profits to diehard fans with little patience and loaded pockets. That said, scalping does have its risks, and the recent iPhone 14 launch is a clear example of that. Chinese media has been reporting that scalpers have been forced to sell their brand new iPhone 14 smartphones on the street for less than the official launch price just to cut their losses.
Photos of iPhone 14 scalpers sitting on the pavement with stacks of smartphones in front of them have been doing the rounds in China. These are incredulous scenes that few, especially the scalpers themselves, ever imagined. And yet, here we are.
So, what went wrong for scalpers this time around? Well, experts say that it was a combination of factors. Even though scalpers rushed to acquire as many iPhone 14 phones as they could afford on launch day, thinking that they could sell them for a handsome profit in the following days, the landscape was different than previous iPhone launches.
For starters, no one expected Apple to have such a well-organized launch, with delivery times exceeding consumer expectations. Then there was the below-average demand for the handheld in China, with many of those fearing a recession postponing the switch from a previous generation. Finally, there was the fact that the smartphone market has become even more competitive than before.
In conclusion, instead of selling their iPhone 14 phones for a profit of at least 5,000 or 6,000 yuan ($700 – $850) per unit, scalpers were forced to sell them for less than the official launch price, just to cut their losses. Social media is full of posts from scalpers complaining about low demand from consumers, with some claiming that they were forced to sell them for 1,000 yuan ($140) less than the buying price.
Now, photos of desperate scalpers squatting at the gate of Tianhuan in the Chinese city of Guangzhou recently went viral on social media, attracting even more attention to their plight. According to local sources, they are selling new iPhone 14 phones at prices 500 to 1,000 yuan lower than official vendors.
The upward adjustments exclude auto-renewable subscriptions.
“In Ghana, these increases also consider a new value-added tax of 12.5% and additional levies of 6%,†the company said in a statement.
This comes in the wake of a worsening economic crisis being faced in the country as complaints of the high cost of living remain rife.
In the August 19 release, Apple Inc explained that proceeds will be adjusted accordingly and will be calculated based on the tax-exclusive price.
Furthermore, “Exhibit B of the Paid Applications Agreement has been updated to indicate that Apple collects and remits applicable taxes in Ghana.â€
Other relevant information contained in the communique;
Once these changes go into effect, the Pricing and Availability section of My Apps will be updated. You can change the price of your apps and in-app purchases (including auto-renewable subscriptions) at any time in App Store Connect. If you offer subscriptions, you can choose to preserve prices for existing subscribers.
