Purps the penguin walks again with a 3D-printed boot.

Children from Mystic Middle School in Connecticut recently teamed up with a local aquarium and 3D printing firm to create a boot that has helped an injured penguin walk again.The penguin, called Yellow Purple or 'Purps' for short, tore a tendon in her left leg following an altercation with a fellow bird at Mystic Aquarium in 2011. She has been unable to walk properly since.The project not only helped a member of an endangered species, but the students a hands-on understanding of the 3D-printing process. African penguins were classed as endangered in 2010. They are around 60cm tall and typically weight between two to five kilograms as adults. As the name suggests, the species is mainly found along the south African coast, and their braying call has also led to them being known as Jackass penguins As part of a project run by 3D Systems, with ACT Group, the school children modelled a hand-moulded cast of the penguin's foot and then used 3D printing technology to create a perfectly-formed cast to support Purps leg and help her walk once more. The original hand-moulded cast was too heavy for the penguin so ACT Group used 3D Systems' ProJet MJP 5500x to print a lightweight orthotic boot instead. . See

South Africa confirms first case of Zika virus .

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) – South Africa confirmed its first case of the mosquito-borne Zika virus in a Columbian man, health authorities said. The virus, which is causing international alarm after spreading through much of the Americas, was detected in the man on his visit to Johannesburg, Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi said. “The businessman presented with fever and a rash approximately four days after arrival in South Africa but is now fully recovered,” he said. The World Health Organization declared the outbreak a global public health emergency on Feb. 1, noting its association with two neurological disorders – microcephaly in babies and Guillain-Barre syndrome that can cause paralysis. source; http://newsdaily.com/2016/02/south-africa-confirms-first-case-of-zika-virus/

The ‘charolais’ bull.

The bull was originally bred in France in a place called Charolais, hence its name. It is a naturally horned beef animal.In Africa, the largest population of the breed is found in South Africa followed by Kenya, mainly in Laikipia .The Bull heavier than buffalo fetches Sh600,000.Weighing in at 1,050kg, a bull heavier than a buffalo was auctioned for Sh600,000, equivalent to the price of a Probox car. However, if slaughtered in the farm, the bull could fetch Sh1 million.The ‘charolais’ bull was the main attraction during the East Africa Growers Council agribusiness expo in Kabarak University.The four-year-old bull from Kabarak Farm Ltd only feeds on grass and drinks a minimum of 60 litres of water a day, according to the farm manager Joseph Bett.Bett says there are about 107,000 of such animals in the farm and a single dose of artificial insemination costs Sh1,000. The agribusiness expo brought together more than 15,000 farmers, sponsors and exhibitors. Source;The star

Telecommunications as a driver for agribusiness growth in Nigeria..

Information is vital to growth of any economy.     The rate at which information is generated, disseminated and utilized is rapidly changing how businesses are run thus imparting the economy.

Information communication technology has changed the playing field in various strata of the economy,with the advent of mobile phones,internet ,apps, and cloud services.

  Telecommunications has been utilized to collect data,analyze data,process the data and disseminate this as information to individuals and corporations thus ensuring perfect operations in these fields resulting in economic development.

 The possibilities of telecommunications as a growth driver of the economy is endless.The world itself is a global village, making communication,transfer of documents across continents at the speed of a click.

      The role of telecommunications as a driver for economic growth are as follows:

 1) Education: this gives access to books,articles,journals learning aids and teaching aids.Telecommunication also facilitates obtaining degrees online,by provision of online universities and self-help courses,which open up individuals to wealth of information and advanced technology which they can apply to their various fields.

 2) Health:this gives access to unique health care facilities,interaction with experts all over the world and exposure to latest medical procedures and diagnostic tools. This is so very useful in the rural areas where they can access a medical personnel by simply making a call,joining in conference calls and also telemedicine.

3) Agriculture; this allows forum discussion, dissemination of real live updates on weather,price, improved seeds, insurance, pest control and animal management.There are several program mes that transfer information through info graphics,animation or videos educating farmers so that they cut losses and expand the business.

 4) Time management; with telecommunications every aspect of production is simplified making work fast and easy.Every information can be easily accessed, and quickly disseminated,thus saving time and over head cost.

 The role of telecommunication as a growth driver for the economy is made possible and workable because of the mobile phone,one in every 2 people has a phone even in rural communities,there is an access to pay phone points.

 Telecommunications is a game changer in the business world and especially the agriculture sector where so many innovations and strategies are springing up to ensure food security; one of such programme is the phone -a-farmer initiative® to boost the agricultural value chain in various sections.

The company employs the use of data to profile information relevant to each farmer and as such render quality information that saves moneys and boost the revenue of the farmer.

The success of the project is hinged on the large number of farmers with a phone and on dedicated network that gives real time information through SMS or MMS. The initiative includes all sectors of agriculture value chain, processing and packaging.

 The aim of initiative is to get all real time farmers down to grassroots where majority of farming is operational. HELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLO!!! NIGERIA. .