MTN Surprise Data Plan For SmartPhones vs. MTN Night Plan Package


by Idris O. Aliu

The new MTN Surprise Data Plan for SmartPhones gives you 4.5GB Data Plan For N2500 just like the MTN Night Plan Package but don't get it twisted these two plans aren't the same, despite the similarities they share!

The New MTN Smartphone Plan is quite different from the MTN Night Data Package. If you’ve subscribed for the MTN Night Plan in the past, you should by now be probably aware that you are given a total data volume of 4.5GB (3GB Normal Data + 1.5GB Bonus Data) in which case the 1.5GB bonus data works all time of the day until it is exhausted, even if you choose to browse during the night time (9pm to 6am). The 1.5GB bonus data is what will be charged until it has been exhausted, before the 3GB will be charged. Once you've exhausted the 1.5GB bonus data, you won’t be able to access the Internet during the day time until it’s night time (9pm to 6am).

However, in the case of the new MTN Smartphone Plan you will also get a total of 4.5GB (3GB Normal Data + 1.5GB Bonus Data) but the 1.5GB bonus data will only be charged if you use the Internet during the day time (6.01am to 8:59pm). The 1.5GB bonus data will NOT be charged whenever you access the Internet during the night time (9pm to 6am), only the 3GB data will be charged.

On top of the aforementioned upsides of the new plan, virtually every smartphone or mobile device can also use this new plan -- Android devices (phones and tablets), Windows phones, iOS devices (iPhone, iPad) and Blackberry 10 phones. The new plan also works on PC computers like the desktop and laptop.

To subscribe for the MTN Smartphone Plan, simply have a minimum credit balance of N2500 on your MTN line and then send (text) 120 to 131 to get it activated.

FINDING YOUR WAY TO BYPASS BLOCKED WEBSITES OR FIREWALLS WITH VPNs AND OTHER SOTFWARE OR ONLINE RESOURCES

When the government of Turkey, earlier this year, banned access to Twitter in Turkey. Many people in Turkey were still able to find their way into the Twittersphere despite a government ban of the site.

Back then Turkish courts took Twitter offline for the country's 76 million citizens following actions by Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan. An unabashed critic of social networks, Erdogan then threatened to "wipe out" the site in the wake of a political corruption scandal that embarrassed the government through news, videos, and images posted on Twitter.

But many Turkish citizens continued tweeting their way past the ban with help from Twitter and Google.

Following the shutdown, Twitter quickly informed Turkish users that they could still tweet using SMS. Google also provided a helping hand through the use of its free DNS (Domain Name System). Setting a PC or mobile device to use Google's DNS IP address of 8.8.8.8 was another way to slip past the ban.

Graffiti displaying the phrase: "DNS 8.8.8.8" were even spotted around Turkey, helping spread the word to fellow citizens. An image that was posted on Twitter by some users flashed the message: "Keep Calm" followed by 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4 (8.8.4.4 is the alternate address for Google's DNS).

As such, the best laid plans of Erdogan to censor Twitter seemed to have backfired then.

Even without assistance from Google and other online resources like VTunnel.com, we can still visit or fully access blocked or limited websites by setting-up a software resource like a Dedicated IP VPN, although a Free or Shared IP would also do too. However, free VPN providers do not offer VPN services that are recommended for bypassing some highly secured sites like PayPal. You will need a premium VPN software to do that.

You can check the IP address of your Internet service provider or your Internet connection by visiting www.ip2location.com  or  www.dnsstuff.com . If your IP address is traceable to your country, you will need to change it to that of some other country; preferably with a premium or paid VPN.

A Dedicated VPN which will give you a dedicated IP which no one will share with you in any part of this world and that is realistic if you haven't given your VPN details to anyone to use. You run the risk of getting your access to any blocked site blocked again if the person you've given your software to use to access that site eventually gets his access blocked. You should also note that not all VPNs are compatible with some sites, like PayPal.

At times it is better never to use any VPN or IP that is FREE or being shared by the general public to access some sites, particularly sites like PayPal. Examples of such VPNs not to be used include Hotspot Shield, Your-freedom, and proxy IPs from sites like Hidemyass, OpenVPN and lots more. You should use dedicated VPN providers like Worldvpn.net, Microvpn and other reputable ones, except that these VPN providers do not offer or have dedicated VPN/IP for most countries outside Europe, USA, and Canada. But you can still use them to subscribe for your dedicated USA, Canadian, and European VPNs/IPs.

A FEW THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT VPNs

Before discussing IP VPNs, particularly Dedicated IP VPN, you need to know what an IP (Internet Protocol) address is. In order to use the Internet, every computer or computing device is given an IP address by your ISP (Internet Service Provider). It serves as your unique online identity and also helps in communicating with all other computers online.

On subscribing to a Dedicated IP VPN, you are given an exclusive IP address which can only be used by you and is not shared. It is more beneficial compared to Shared IP because its chances of getting blocked are very less.

Thus, VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) are private Internet lines that make it your personal network. This lines are highly secured and protected to prevent anyone from breaking into your line, tracking your IP or censoring your cyber space access. Types of VPNs include Shared IP VPN which is one that many subscribers use at the same time; Dynamic IP VPN which gives you a different IP every single time you log on and allows you to switch them at will; and Dedicated IP VPN (also called Static IP VPN) in which case the VPN provider grants you a personal IP address to use all the time, instead of one used by many subscribers. Shared IP VPN and Dynamic IP VPN may also mean the same thing.

Popular VPN protocols include OpenVPN (fast, secure, and reliable), PPTP (good alternative to OpenVPN, fast but not as secure as OpenVPN), and L2TP/IPsec (good alternative to OpenVPN, for top security). Other VPN protocols are IPSec, SSL, and SSTP. VPN IP types include Dedicated IP, Shared IP, Shared IP Dynamic, and Shared IP Static.

Below are the top VPN Providers in the world you would want to consider, to access just about any blocked or limited site:

1]. WorldVPN – http://www.worldvpn.net
Their 'Dedicated Plan' offers you with a Dedicated IP. This plan is good for online payment portals like PayPal and Moneybookers.

2]. VPN Shazam – http://www.vpnshazam.com
An Israel-based VPN provider with countries covered numbering up to 28. The VPN IP types they offer include Dedicated IP, Shared IP, Shared IP Dynamic, and Shared IP Static. You might want to consider this company’s service for your VPN solution, since they offer Dedicated VPNs/IPs.

3]. ExpressVPN – http://www.expressvpn.biz
A United States based VPN provider with VPN countries covered numbering up to 23. The VPN IP types they offer to their subscribers are Shared IP and Shared IP Dynamic. They do not provide Dedicated IP and Shared IP Static VPN IP types. So you would not want to use their VPN for a PayPal account being run from a banned country.

4]. HideMyAss – http://www.hidemyass.com
A UK based VPN provider with VPN countries covered numbering up to 53. With HideMyAss (HMA Pro VPN) you will get a Dynamic IP that changes every time you connect to the HideMyAss VPN service. So you would not want to use their VPN for a PayPal account being run from a banned country.

5]. StrongVPN – http://www.strongvpn.com  
A United States based VPN provider with VPN countries numbering up to 20. The VPN IP types they offer include Dedicated IP, Shared IP, Shared IP Dynamic, and Shared IP Static. You might want to consider this company’s service for your VPN solution, since they offer Dedicated VPNs/IPs.

6]. PureVPN – http://www.purevpn.com
A Hong Kong based VPN provider which provides the Shared IP Static type of IP VPN. However, their standard plan affords you the option of your own Dedicated IP address (in a country of your choice) but for an additional fee. So, you might also want to consider this company’s service for your VPN solution, since they offer Dedicated VPNs/IPs but for an additional fee. VPN countries covered by this company number up to 18.

7]. GoTrusted – http://www.gotrusted.com
A United States based VPN provider with VPN countries covered numbering up to 5. The VPN IP types they offer include Dedicated IP, Shared IP, Shared IP Dynamic, and Shared IP Static. You might want to consider this company’s service for your VPN solution, since they offer Dedicated VPNs/IPs. Their VPNs are well-known for unblocking websites like Facebook, YouTube and Twitter in countries where they are blocked.

8]. IPVanish – http://www.ipvanish.com
A United States VPN provider with VPN countries covered numbering up to 42. This VPN provider provides the Shared IP and Shared IP Dynamic types of IP VPN which makes individual identification impossible but certainly not what you would want to set up and operate a PayPal account from a banned country.

9]. Kepard – http://www.kepard.com
The VPN countries covered by this VPN provider number up to 5 and the IP VPN type they offer to their subscribers is the Shared IP Dynamic type. So, you would not want to use their VPN for a PayPal account being run from a banned country.

10]. BTGuard – http://www.btguard.com
This Germany based VPN provider provides the Shared IP Dynamic type of IP VPN and its VPN countries covered are up to 3. Certainly, you would not want to use their VPN for a PayPal account being run from a banned country.

11]. VyerVPN – http://www.goldenfrog.com
A United States based VPN provider which provides the Shared IP Dynamic type of IP VPN. The VPN countries covered by this VPN provider number up to 11. Certainly not a choice to consider for your PayPal account from a banned country!

12]. MicroVPN – http://www.microvpn.com
Their VPNs allow you to access the Internet hiding your IP, using multiple IPs, or using a Dedicated IP traceable to other countries while surfing the Internet in countries like Nigeria, Ghana, Pakistan, China, and UAE. So, you would not want to use their VPN for a PayPal account being run from a banned country.
.

You can make payments for any of the aforementioned VPNs via the usual credit/debit cards, PayPal, Wire Transfer, Google Checkout, Western Union, or through payment systems like Skrill (MoneyBookers), Payza (AlertPay), Perfect Money, WebMoney, EgoPay, CashU, OKPAY, LiqPay, Liberty Reserve, BitCoin, W1, and so on.

WHEN LOVE ISN'T EVERYTHING!

Musician Keith Sweat once said, "There's a difference between who we love, who we settle for, and who we're meant to be with." I think I agree with him here!

At times  in a relationship we eventually settle for someone out of rational behaviour or the possible effect of what the union could produce, and not solely out of love and emotional chemistry. From time immemorial, marriages have taken place out of other reasons and not just out of feelings or love alone. When it comes to marriage, people had always considered the possible effect of a marriage, even before considering the marriage itself. Someone may be married for his or her wealth, for his or her family status, for his or her looks and for his or her piety. People go into marriages not only just because of love or emotional chemistry. It could be to cement family ties or to cement friendship between families. It could be because of fame or the other person's social status. It could be because of the other person's physical appearance or looks. It could be as a result of religious compatibility. It could be on health grounds or simply because the other person is a good care giver. In recent times, blood or genotype compatibilty has become the norm before considering marriage.

Today, it is wise for you and your partner to find out what your blood genotype is, long before you even consider marriage. Your blood genotypes are inherited through the contributions from your father and mother.

And just for the case of mentioning genotypes, you could have:

- Regular Genotype: AA (healthy as healthy can be).

- Traits: AC, AD, AF, AG, A+FAST, AE and AS (not associated with any clinical signs, symptoms or syndromes - they are as relatively as healthy as AA).

- Genotypes associated with clinical features: SS, SC, CC (are associated with clinical signs, symptoms and syndromes).

People with SS genotype are those with sickle-cell anemia syndrome commonly known as (sickler).

The bottomline here is to avoid a combination which could result into offsprings with SS, SC and CC genotypes. These children would suffer because of the severe health conditions associated with such genotypes.

Now let's do the calculations with you and your partner based on the four common genotypes amongst people from the negroid race:

You + your partner= your children

AA + AA= all AA i.e 100% AA children
AA + AS= 75% AA and 25% AS children
SS + AS= 75%SS and 25%AS children
SS + SS=100% SS children
AA + SS=100%AS children.
AS + AS= 50% AS, 25% AA and 25%SS children.

Of course there are many cases where AS couples had up to five or six children without a single sicklier among them. But why risk it? What if you're not so lucky? Can you forgive yourself when you end up having a child with the sickle cell disease and put the child through the agony the disease brings when you could have easily avoided it? Of what benefit is it to bring a child to the world to come and suffer?

We shouldn't let our search for happiness affect other people's happiness, particularly the happiness of our offsprings. That would amount to selfishness on our own part. A child has every right to be healthy and happy, and no child would be happy with you in the future if he or she discovered your choice in life was his or her own source of unhappiness or ill health.

How To Use GTBank Token Device

Online banking allows you to check your account balance in real time, transfer funds/ payments to anyone locally or internationally (if you have a domiciliary account). It also allows you convert your foreign currency into local currency. If you use GTBank Internet banking platform, you will also be able to print your statement from the Internet banking platform. In addition to the aforementioned benefits, you will also be able to pay your utility bills, request, confirm and stop cheques and book flight tickets on the following Airlines ( British Airways, Iberia, Lufthansa German Airliness, Aviareps-Afriqiyah Airways , Delta Air Lines, Alitalia Airline). GTBank Internet banking platform allows you 24/ 7 access to your GTBank account anywhere you are in the world, provided you have access to the Internet.

If you bank with Guaranty Trust Bank Plc. (GTBank Plc.) and want to start doing your transactions online, you'll have to visit any branch of the bank to request for their Internet Banking Form or simply download and print it via the following link if you have Internet access:

http://www.gtbank.com/images/documents/individuals/internet_banking_application.pdf

Fill and return the Internet Banking Form there at the bank, and then wait for them to set it up for you and give you your login details. You can also scan and email it to: internetbanking@gtbank.com if you are indisposed to walk into the bank. But in this case you'll have to contact GTConnect (GTB Contact Center ) to obtain your login details (Username and Password).

Ensure you maximize the benefits of Internet Banking with GTBank, by applying for the token device at the same time. A Token is a small security hardware like a key holder that generates a set of numbers which will enable secure transfers via the Internet banking platform. It generates a random password which will then be keyed in after the password to enable transfer. It's simply a small electronic device which helps secure your online banking transactions. GTBank Token device gives you optimal protection against online thefts, hackers and fraudsters. It is the key that grants you full access to carry out 3rd party transfers and payments online via the GTBank Internet Banking platform anywhere in the world.

You need the GTBank token device to activate your Internet banking account and also need it for your subsequent transactions in order to further secure your account from unauthorized transfers. The set of numbers generated should be entered when you are doing any transaction on the GTBank website.

GTBank will debit N2,100 or so for the Token device once you log into their site and activate your Internet Banking account (or Naira MasterCard). You will get the Token device that very day you apply for it (or they will ask you to come back for it another day) together with a PIN. You will also be provided your default Internet Banking login details (Username/User ID and Password). You need to change this PIN while activating your Internet Banking account on their site. You also need to generate a secret question and answer to enable your transactions.

Steps To Activate Your Internet Banking Account And Your ATM Card For Online Payments:

[1]. After getting your Token device and Internet Banking login details (Username/User ID & Password), visit https://ibank.gtbank.com/ibank3/login.aspx or simply go directly to the GTBank website - www.gtbank.com - and click on "Login" under "Internet Banking". Enter your User ID/Username and Password (issued by GTBank) in the required fields. You will be taken into your Internet Banking account where you will be able to carry out any action you would like to carry out there. Once inside your account, click on the "Get Activation Code" button.

[2]. On the next page, follow the instructions provided and fill the form on the page. Select your card type (MasterCard) and enter the expiry date (which you will find on your ATM card) and then press the little button on your Token. It should display some digits, type in those digits and click on the "Submit" button.

[3]. After you submit, your code will be generated for you. The generation of the code means your ATM card has been activated for online payments. Keep this online activation code away from everyone except yourself, you shouldn't compromise it.

If you are still finding it difficult at this stage, contact GTB Contact Centre by dialing any of the following lines: 0700GTCONNECT (0700482666328), 01- 4480000, 08029002900, 08039003900 and follow the voice prompt or press 2 and 0 to speak to an Agent. Alternatively, email your queries or request to internetbanking@gtbank.com .

WARNING! Your Password (and perhaps even your Username) should be guarded in the same way as your ATM card pin. Keep it away from everyone except yourself, you shouldn't compromise it.

How To Use the GTBank Token Device: 

1]. Go to 'Internet Banking' on www.gtbank.com .

2]. Login into your account.

3]. Click on 'Transfers' at the left bar and choose the options to use there.

4]. Add the amount you want to transfer and enter your secret answer to proceed.

The Token device is required when:

♦Transferring money from your account to another GTBank account or to other bank accounts.

♦Conducting FX transfers.

♦Processing Cash/Draft In transit.

♦Making FX Sales etc.

Note: When conducting any of the aforementoned transactions, you will be required to enter a 6-digit code in a defined field to validate and complete the transaction. This code can be generated by pressing the small gray button on the Token device.

Transactions requiring the usage of the token device:

♦Transferring money to any GTBank account and other banks in Nigeria.

♦Paying your phone bills (MTN postpaid) and Internet services fees (Starcomms).

♦Paying your US Visa fee.

♦Booking flight tickets on the following Airline portals (British Airways, Iberia, Alitalia Airlines, Lufthansa German Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Aviareps-Afriqiyah Airways).

♦Selling foreign currencies from your domiciliary account(s) to the bank.

♦Transferring foreign currencies (US Dollars, British Pounds, Euro) from your domiciliary account to anyone in the world.

♦Placing a standing order on your account.

A GOOD TIME TO REVIEW HOW YOU PROTECT YOURSELF ONLINE!

Security threats have long been part of online life, but the increased attention on them makes now a good time to review ways to protect yourself.

If there's reason to believe any of your passwords might have been compromised, change them immediately. One of the best things you can do is to make sure your passwords are strong. Here are seven ways to fortify them:

—Make your password long. The recommended minimum is eight characters, but 14 is better and 25 is even better than that. Some services have character limits on passwords, though.

Alternatively, get a good password manager which can generate long strings of letters, numbers, and symbols that you can't remember. So you will need a tool to keep track of them—ideally, one you can access from any device. Look for a product that not only stores passwords but also generates them for you. A good recommendation is 1Password, which works well on Windows, Mac OS, iOS, and Android.

—Use combinations of letters and numbers, upper and lower case and symbols such as the exclamation mark. Some services won't let you do all of that, but try to vary it as much as you can. "PaSsWoRd!43" is far better than "password43."

—Avoid words that are in dictionaries, even if you add numbers and symbols. There are programs that can crack passwords by going through databases of known words. One trick is to add numbers in the middle of a word — as in "pas123swor456d" instead of "password123456." Another is to think of a sentence and use just the first letter of each word — as in "tqbfjotld" for "the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog."

—Substitute characters. For instance, use the number zero instead of the letter O, or replace the S with a dollar sign.

—Avoid easy-to-guess words, even if they aren't in the dictionary. You shouldn't use your name, company name or hometown, for instance. Avoid pets and relatives' names, too. Likewise, avoid things that can be looked up, such as your birthday or ZIP code. But you might use that as part of a complex password. Try reversing your ZIP code or phone number and insert that into a string of letters. As a reminder, you should also avoid "password" as the password, or consecutive keys on the keyboard, such as "1234" or "qwerty."

—Never reuse passwords on other accounts — with two exceptions. Over the years, I've managed to create hundreds of accounts. Many are for one-time use, such as when a newspaper website requires me to register to read the full story. It's OK to use simple passwords and repeat them in those types of situations, as long as the password isn't unlocking features that involve credit cards or posting on a message board. That will let you focus on keeping passwords to the more essential accounts strong.

The other exception is to log in using a centralized sign-on service such as Facebook Connect. Hulu, for instance, gives you the option of using your Facebook username and password instead of creating a separate one for the video site. This technically isn't reusing your password, but a matter of Hulu borrowing the log-in system Facebook already has in place. The account information isn't stored with Hulu. Facebook merely tells Hulu's computers that it's you. Of course, if you do this, it's even more important to keep your Facebook password secure.

—Some services such as Gmail even give you the option of using two passwords when you use a particular computer or device for the first time. If you have that feature turned on, the service will send a text message with a six-digit code to your phone when you try to use Gmail from an unrecognized device. You'll need to enter that for access, and then the code expires. It's optional, and it's a pain — but it could save you from grief later on. Hackers won't be able to access the account without possessing your phone. Turn it on by going to the account's security settings.

Excerpts from Yahoo! News and Wired

Unveiling the NEW Airtel Android Bundles and Everything You Need to Know About Them:



Airtel Nigeria Network is at it again with yet another Android friendly package which allows users of Android devices to access the Internet at affordable rates, without having to use data plans designed for other mobile devices -- particularly BlackBerry, BB, data plans. The package comprises of three bundles; namely:

♦ 2GB Bundle for N2000
♦ 3GB (Night Plan) Bundle for N2500
♦ 4.5GB Bundle for N3500

Even before the launching of the NEW Android Bundles, Airtel Nigeria had been the most friendly network to users of Android phones and tablets. It had plans which allowed users of mobile devices like Android, iPhone, and Windows Mobile to access the Internet at cheaper rates; particularly the underlisted plans amongst others:

~ Airtel Opera Mini Bundle at a cost of N300 for 30 days, which you could activate by dialing *885*1#. Checking the bundle balance of this plan requires dialing *885*0#. This bundle is designed only for Opera Mini mobile browsers.

NOTE: Existing Opera Mini users using version 6.0 or above don't have to get the co-branded version of the mobile browser being offered for download by Airtel. Opera Mini 6 users and above do not have to download the client again. All updates on Opera Mini 6 and above will occur Over-The-Air (OTA) without any actions from you. All you have to do is open up your Opera Mini client on your phone. For Opera Mini 4.3 users and users of other lower versions of Opera Mini, you will have to re-download the client to get the co-branded version. Just visit http://mini.opera.com/ from your native browser to get the download link.

~ Airtel Unlimited BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) bundle, which you could activate by dialing *440*22# or by sending mbbm to 440 at a cost of N300 for 30 days.

~ Airtel Unlimited Whatsapp bundle at a cost of N100 for 30 days, which you could activate by dialing *948#.

~ Airtel Unlimited Facebook (Monthly) bundle, which you could activate by dialing *688*3# or sending mfb to 688 at a cost of N500 for 30 days.

And now Airtel Nigeria has come up with yet another Android friendly package -- the NEW Airtel Android Bundles! Now all those Android users here in Nigeria clamouring for Android data plans can afford to smile, because Airtel Nigeria has finally harkened to their calls with the introduction of these 3 different monthly data plans specifically designed for Android devices. On top of that, these data plans do not consume as much data as the non-Android data bundles being used by many Android users here in Nigeria.

But before you start rejoicing over this new package, there are some things you ought to know about the package which Airtel Nigeria will not be telling you unless you make your own enquiries about the package by contacting them:

♣ Between 6:00pm and 9:59pm, you will be billed at a
   rate of 1.5k/kb (as opposed to 1k/kb on regular data
   bundles).

♣ Between 10:00pm and 5:59am, you will be billed at a
   rate of 1k/kb.

♣ If you opt for the Airtel BB Unlimited plan on your
   Android device, instead of the Android bundle, you will
   be billed at the rate of 2k/kb. This billing rate also
   applies to other non-BB devices. But BB users using
   BB subscription plans will be charged at the regular
   rate of 1k/kb (excluding bb10 devices).

♣ To confirm your Airtel Android bundle balance, dial
   *223#.

♣ To activate the 2GB Android Bundle for 30 days at a
     cost of N2000, dial *141*200#. You will be given a data
     allowance of 2GB, valid for 30 days.

♣ To subscribe to any of the monthly plans, simply dial
     *141*1# on your Airtel line, then reply with the
     corresponding number for "Android Bundle" which is 2,
     and then again reply with the corresponding number of
     the plan you would want to subscribe to:

     - Reply with 1 for the 2GB Bundle at a cost of N2000
   -   Reply with 2 for the 3GB (Night Plan) Bundle at a cost
        N2500
     - Reply with 3 for the 4.5GB Bundle at a cost of N3500

    After that, wait for some seconds for the plan to be
    activated; but make sure you have the required amount
    of credit balance before subscribing to any of these 3
    monthly plans.

    NOTE: BB stands for BlackBerry and k/kb stands for
    Kobo per Kilobyte. The Nigerian currency, the Naira
   (sign:  ₦; code: NGN) is subdivided into 100 kobo,
    meaning One Naira is equals to 100 kobo.

Cheap MTN Nigeria data plans with their respective prices, validity periods, and activation codes



• MTN 200MB Data Plan (24/7 30 days) - N1000 - text 106 to 131 or dial *106# to activate this plan.

• MTN 375MB mobile data plan (24/7 30 days) - N1300 - text 109 to 131 or dial *109# to activate this plan.

• MTN 750MB mobile data plan (24/7 30 days) - N2,000 - text 110 to 131 or dial *110# to activate this plan.

• MTN 1.5GB mobile data plan (24/7, 30 days) - N3,500 - text 111 to 131 or dial *111# to activate this plan.

• MTN Daily data plan for mobile, 10MB (24 hours) - N100 - text 104 to 131 or dial *104# to activate this plan.

• MTN Weekly data plan for mobile, 25MB (24/7, 7 days) - N500 - text 105 to 131 or dial *105# to activate this plan.

• MTN Daily data plan, 150MB (24 hours) - N500 - text 103 to 131 or dial *103# to activate this plan.

• MTN Monthly data plan, 7.5GB (24/7, 30 days) - N8,000 - text 101 to 131 or dial *101# to activate this plan.

• MTN Day Time plan, 4.5GB (9am - 9pmm, 30 days) - N6,000 - text 107 to 131 or dial *107# to activate this plan.

• MTN Night plan, 4.5GB (9pm - 6am, 30 days) - N2,500 - text 102 to 131 or dial *102# to activate this plan.

• MTN Weekend plan, 4.5GB (9pm Fri - 6am Mon, 30 days) - N3,000 - text 108 to 131 or dial *108# to activate this plan.

• MTN 5MB Daily Internet Bundle (an auto-renewing plan which keeps renewing itself by deducting 5 Naira from your balance to give you 5MB everyday and expires by 11:59pm daily) - N5 Daily - dial *406*1# to activate and *406*2# to opt-out.

• MTN iPulse Plan for 10MB on every N100 Recharge per Week - Dial *406# to enjoy.

If you spend most of your time on the Internet on social media sites or apps, the MTN Goodybag Social plans should also interest you. The MTN Goodybag social data plans offer affordable weekly and monthly data plans for accessing those social networking sites and apps popular in Nigeria; particularly, Facebook, Twitter, Eskimi, and 2go. Dial *662# to select your preferred Goodybag Social bundle or read on for more details.

With MTN Goodybag Social, you can chat and share with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, Eskimi, or 2go for as low as N60 for a month or N25 for a week. You can subscribe to each social network or app separately, below are the subscription or activation codes:

~ Facebook Weekly - text FBW TO 131 (N25)
~ Facebook Monthly - text FBM TO 131 (N60)
~ Twitter Weekly - text TWTW TO 131 (N25)
~ Twitter Monthly - text TWTM TO 131 (N60)
~ Eskimi Weekly - text ESKW TO 131 (N25)
~ Eskimi Monthly - text ESKM TO 131 (N60)
~ 2go Weekly - text 2GOW to 131 (N25)
~ 2go Monthly - text 2GOM to 131 (N60)

IMPORTANT! Take note that the aforementioned Goodybag Social data plans are limited to 15MB for monthly plans and 5MB for weekly plans, meaning that the data cap for the monthly plans are 15MB and that for the weekly plans is 5MB. I recommend you also download the Facebook app, Twitter app,Eskimi app, and 2go app so that you would be able to use the Goodybag Social plans on them at affordable rates. Below are their respective download links or how to download them:

- Facebook mobile app: Download it on https://m.facebook.com/mobile/ or run the following search query download "Facebook mobile app" on Google. You can also manually type m.facebook.com in your browser address bar to directly access the mobile site of Facebook from your phone.

- Twitter mobile app: If you try accessing Twitter from the browser of a mobile phone, Twitter will automatically serve you the mobile-optimized app of their site for you to download. However, if in case Twitter fails to recognize your mobile device or smartphone, you can manually type m.twitter.com in your browser address bar to directly access the mobile site of Twitter from your phone. Alternatively, run the following search query "download Twitter mobile app" on Google.

- Eskimi app: Run the following search query "download Eskimi app" on Google. The search result should come up with different download links or download portals for different mobile devices or mobile operating systems like Android, iOS/iPhone, Nokia/Symbian/Windows Mobile, BlackBerry, and so on.

- 2go app: Download it on http://www.2go.im/download or conduct a search for it on Google.

Take Advantage of these Cheap Airtel Plans and Stop Complaining of Android, iPhone, or Windows Phone Sucking Up Your Data

~ Dial *885*1# at a cost of N300 for 30 days for Airtel Opera Mini Unlimited Data Bundle.

~ Dial *440*22# or send mbbm to 440 at a cost of N300 for 30 days for Airtel Unlimited BlackBerry Messenger (BBM).

~ Dial *948# at a cost of N100 for 30 days for Airtel Unlimited Whatsapp.

~ Dial *688*3# or send mfb to 688 at a cost of N500 for 30 days for Airtel Unlimited Facebook (Monthly).

IMPORTANT! When mobile communication service providers tell you the data allocated to you is unlimited, it only means you will not be charged no
matter how much you use. Having an "Unlimited Data Plan" means that you will have their highest speeds until you attain your "data cap" and then it switches to a slow network like their slow EDGE network.

NOTE: Existing Opera Mini users using version 6.0 or above don't have to get the co-branded version being offered for download by Airtel. Opera Mini 6 users and above do not have to download the client again. All updates on Opera Mini 6 and above will occur Over-The-Air (OTA) without any actions from you. All you have to do is open up your Opera Mini client on your phone. For Opera Mini 4.3 users and users of other lower versions of Opera Mini, you will have to re-download the client to get the co-branded version. Just visit http://mini.opera.com/ from your native browser to get the download link.

You can always check the status of the data you have on the Airtel Opera Mini Unlimited Data plan by dialing *885*0#

Cop@vsnl.net Doesn't Work!

Cop@vsnl.net was actually an ID of Chennai Police which ceases to exist now. It was first published on The Hindu website after which some users randomly started posting articles about it claiming that this Chennai Police ID does help when your phone is lost. These articles suggest that you can find your lost mobile phone if you send an email along with some details to this ID.

These articles come with a message which claims that people who have lost their mobile phones can email their complaint, along with the IMEI number and other essential details of the mobile phone to this ID so as to trace and track it back from anywhere in the world. The story is a blend of facts and misleading information. The email ID cop@vsnl.net provided in the original article was that of the Commissioner of Police, Chennai, and yes, it was a fact that if you send an email from anywhere in India, it will reach the Commissioner of Police, Chennai City Police, Chennai. There have also been instances in the past where the Chennai Police have solved mobile theft cases using the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) numbers.

However there is no guarantee that mobile thefts from all over the country would be handled by them. This service is most definitely applicable only for the particular state of Tamil Nadu, and not anything beyond their jurisdiction.

Therefore, the claims that everyone can trace and track back his or her lost mobile phone using this service are misleading. It is also important to note that the official website of Tamil Nadu is not active, since it was hacked earlier this year, and the email service has also stopped working.

Excerpts from http://www.copvsnl.net.in/

PayPal expands payment services to Nigeria, 9 other markets

Mon Jun 16, 2014 5:12pm BST

LONDON (Reuters) - PayPal is entering 10 new countries this week, including Nigeria, providing online payment alternatives for consumers via mobile phones or PCs in markets often blighted by financial fraud.

Rupert Keeley, the executive in charge of the EMEA region of PayPal, the payments unit of eBay Inc, said in an interview on Monday the expansion would bring the number of countries it serves to 203.

Starting on Tuesday, consumers in Nigeria, which has 60 million users and has Africa's largest population, along with nine other markets in sub-Saharan Africa, Eastern Europe and Latin America will be able to make payments through PayPal.

"PayPal has been going through a period of reinvention, refreshing many of its services to make them easier to use on mobile (phones), allowing us to expand into fast-developing markets," Keeley said.

Once the services go live, customers in the 10 countries with access to the Web and a bank card authorized for Internet transactions will be able to register for a PayPal account and make payments to millions of sites worldwide.

Initially, PayPal is only offering "send money" services for consumers to pay for goods and services at PayPal-enabled merchant sites while safeguarding their financial details. This is free to consumers and covered by fees it charges merchants.

"We think we can give our sellers selling into this market a great deal of reassurance," said Keeley, a former regional banking executive with Standard Chartered Plc and senior executive with payment card company Visa Inc.

PayPal does not yet cover peer-to-peer transactions, which allow consumers to send money to other consumers. It has not yet enabled local merchants in the new markets to receive payments, nor is it offering other forms of banking services, he said.

A 2013 survey of 200 UK ecommerce sites by Visa's CyberSource unit estimated that 1.26 percent of online orders are fraudulent and that 85 percent of merchants expected fraud to increase or remain static last year.

CyberSource also estimated that suspicion of fraudulent transactions result in 8.2 percent of online orders in Latin America being rejected by merchants, compared with 5.5 percent in Europe and 2.7 percent in the United States and Canada.

Such fraud can include ID theft, social engineering, phishing and automated harvesting of customer financial data via botnets, or networks of computers controlled by hackers.

A total of 80 million Internet users stand to gain access to PayPal global services this week, including those in five European markets - Belarus, Macedonia, Moldova, Monaco and Montenegro, four in the African nations of Nigeria, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, and Zimbabwe, as well as Paraguay. Internet usage figures are based on research by Euromonitor International.

PayPal counts 148 million active accounts worldwide.

Last week, MasterCard Inc, the world's second-largest debit and credit card company, and a PayPal rival in payment processing, said it was working with the Nigerian government on a pilot to overlay payment technology on a new national identity card.

PayPal has operated in 190 markets since 2007 and added three countries - Egypt, Georgia and Serbia last year. Roughly a quarter of the $52 billion in payment volumes PayPal reported in the first quarter of 2014 were for cross-border transactions. PayPal reported $1.8 billion in revenue during the period.

(Reporting by Eric Auchard; editing by Jason Neely)

Source: http://uk.mobile.reuters.com/article/idUKKBN0ER1ML20140616?irpc=932

Yarnfeed Is A New Way To Share and Connect With Interesting Topics in Nigeria

Three young developers, Zachary Collins (19), Dustin Snider (19) and Ahmad Mukoshy (24), have teamed up to build Yarnfeed, a new way to share and connect with topics that interests you in Nigeria.

Yarnfeed Is A New Way To Share and Connect With Interesting Topics in Nigeria...

Yarnfeed is, simply put, a micro-discussion service just like Twitter, although with up to 200 character limit for updates, but is unique with its forum-like threads that allows users create different topics.

You can check it out at: http://www.yarnfeed.com

And here's a great TechLoy article written about it: http://techloy.com/2014/04/29/yarnfeed/

THE REBIRTH OF BORING DEFENSIVE FOOTBALL

by Idris O. Aliu
When two teams do not want to play but just sit back to defend with the intent of winning with counterattacking soccer, they would most likely just end up canceling each other out completely in a stalemate, just as the 0-0 draw between Athletico Madrid and Chelsea. Captain Gabi of Athletico Madrid even joked to reporters before the first leg of the recent UEFA Champions League meeting between his team and Chelsea that “if Chelsea give us the ball, we’ll instantly give it back to them.” Meaning they would also be glad to sit back and defend, just to let the other team play with the intent on defending heavily and winning with counterattacking. Unfortunately for them Chelsea also came with the same uninspiring master plan, with both teams ending up canceling each other out completely in a lacklustre 0-0 encounter!

So sad for football that this ugly trend reinvented by the "Special One" José Mourinho is now gradually becoming the norm, with even the likes of Real Madrid using it to beat Bayern Munich despite having "enjoyed" only 28% of possession; Chelsea using it to beat Liverpool despite having "enjoyed" only 26.96% of possession; and even unfancied West Ham using it to pick a draw at Mourinho's backyard despite having enjoyed less than 30% of possession.

No doubt Mourinho’s Chelsea tactics at Liverpool has reechoed West Ham’s “19th Century Football”. The world is only just waiting to remind Mourinho of his statement after the West Ham game where he said, "This is not the best league in the world, this is football from the 19th century.” Unforgiving words in defeat from Jose Mourinho earlier in the season, that could come back to haunt the Chelsea manager given the manner of the Blues’ latest win against Liverpool!

Airtel Nigeria Data Plans for Android and iPhone

Airtel Nigeria has always been the telecom service provider with more flexible Internet data plans and they seem not to be too strict with their policies when compared to other telecom service providers here in Nigeria. In addition to that, their network has a wide coverage in Nigeria,  with 3.75G data services; however, their Internet speed can at times be so annoying but most other times you should get good Internet speed on this network.

Airtel BIS (BlackBerry Internet Service) unlike other BIS plans works on all devices, besides being relatively cheap.  You are allocated a data allowance of 2GB for subscribing to their BlackBerry Unlimited Monthly (BBUM) plan at a cost of N1500 for 30 days. You can also get 265MB for just N200 on Airtel BIS.

But what most people are not aware of is that Airtel Nigeria also has cheaper data plans specifically designed for Android and iPhone, besides their BIS plans for BlackBerry which also work on other devices. These data plans were specifically designed for Android and iPhone to enable users minimize costs on these devices.

Below are some Airtel Nigeria plans for Android, iPhone, and even other devices with their activation codes:

~ Dial *885*1# for Airtel Opera Mini Bundle for 30 days at a cost of N300.

~ Dial *440*22# or send mbbm to 440 at a cost of N300 for 30 days for Airtel Unlimited BlackBerry Messenger (BBM).

~ Dial *948# at a cost of N100 for 30 days for Airtel Unlimited Whatsapp.

~ Dial *688*3# or send mfb to 688 at a cost of N500 for 30 days for Airtel Unlimited Facebook (Monthly).

Introducing Free Zone powered by Google

Presenting Free Zone powered by Google, an innovative service that allows you to access Google mobile services on the go for free! You'll incur absolutely no data costs! Now with your internet-enabled mobile on the Airtel network you can:

~Search on Google and browse the Internet for FREE.

~Send and read emails on Gmail for FREE.

~Stay connected with your friends on Google+ for FREE.

Just visit http://g.co/freezone  from your phone's Internet browser. Then start searching or sign in with your Google account to access Gmail or Google+. If you don't have a Google account, create one at no cost by signing-up at https://accounts.google.com/signup

WWE is Actually Staged and Simply for Entertainment

Joseph "Roman Reigns" Anoa'i wrote:

Undertaker Losing at Wrestlemania 30 Was A “Mistake” says WWE Owner Vince McMahon. Brock Lesnar Changed The Script And Will Be FIRED
NEW ORLEANS - The Undertaker has just lost his 21-year Wrestlemania streak to former UFC fighter Brock Lesnar. It has been revealed that Brock Lesnar was not in fact supposed to win the match and was scripted for the Undertaker to win the match and extend his Wrestlemania streak to 22 wins.

I’m pretty sure most people know that WWE is actually staged and simply for entertainment. All matches are scripted and practiced weeks prior to the actual match, and the winner is, of course, picked before the match is aired, by WWE officials. However, this match was not meant for Brock Lesnar to win.

Similar to the Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart match back in 1997 Survivor Series pay-per-view known as the “Montreal screwjob”. Shawn Michaels had Bret Hart in a sharpshooter move when Vince McMahon told the officials to ring the bell, causing Michaels to win the match and ultimately screwing Hart over. All hell broke loose between Bret Hart and WWE owner Vince McMahon, which led to Hart leaving WWE for good.

Owner of WWE, Vince McMahon, was privately interviewed by reporters right after Lesnar beat Undertaker and said Undertaker was supposed to win the match and how Lesnar will be fired for changing the script.