Self-taught Novice

This week in a shock move criticised by many, the Central Bank of Nigeria banned all crypto transactions. The boys in this episode discuss at length, what this might mean for a country that was only beginning to fully take advantage of cryptocurrency and Africa's biggest crypto trader by volume. Additionally, news of Nigeria failing to meet standards for Pfizer emergency vaccine doses as well as chatter about the new app ; CLUBHOUSE taking exclusive audio content to a different level is looked at in this episode.

It's been quite the week on Wallstreet and in tech. Retail investors wreak havoc on hedge funds having short positions on stocks like AMC, Gamestop, Nokia and Blackberry, forcing them to bleed out billions in just days and Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos are sparring over who gets to place satellites into orbit. As always the boys try to cut out the noise on these stories in this episode.

Fresh off of a 3-month break, the boys are back with the stuff on the self-taught novice podcast. In this episode, we talk of what's in store for this fourth season of the podcast, the year 2020 in review, and other teasers.

In this episode of STN the boys discuss purchase decisions when getting a laptop. They look at operating systems, RAM sizes, memory and whether or not you need a dedicated GPU.

In this episode of STN, Eli joins the boys as they discuss some of the week's biggest stories like EgyptAir partnering Ghana Gov't to create a new national carrier, AOC going on twitch to encourage people to register and vote, the new all electric Supertruck from Hummer with a "crab mode" and the US government's lawsuit against Google.

In this episode of STN, the boys talk Apple event, Facebook's surprising plan to completely political ads, Slack introducing stories feature for users working from home, Microsoft Edge stepping up the browser wars against Chrome with some exciting new features and PS5 trademark debacle in India makes headlines.

It's the big 50! In this episode of STN, it's a full house as the boys are joined by some pioneering members of the team that made it all possible. They talk about everything. From the early days of the company, podcast , big projects  and experiences all in commemoration of half a century of published audio content.

In this episode, the boys give special attention  to these local stories in technology. Government collaborates big with Huawei to construct 2000 rural star sites for remote parts of the country, NSS acquires drones for personnel to bolster production on their farms and DVLA chalks up their improved operational capacity to investment in technology.

In this episode of STN, the boys discuss Amazon  doubling down on consumer hardware innovation by releasing new game-changing tech for the home together  with the surprise LUNA announcement , its latest foray into the cloud gaming space. Microsoft Outlook goes kaput for hours globally and also latest forecasts show that Samsung is set to take an unassailable lead over Huawei in the upcoming future.

With social media almost replacing basic communication, we find ourselves in a world where tech companies who are owners of these platforms are in a unique position to censor speech and decide who can and cannot be heard which is beginning to worry alot of people. In this episode, the boys discuss their thoughts on censorship and  free speech with special emphasis on Joe Rogan getting cancelled.

Continuing from the previous episode, the boys discuss the merits and demerits of using both operating systems. They were joined by Douglas Adjei-Frempah. This episode's audio is not the best because of a change in equipment.

In this episode of STN, the boys talk about their experiences using both Android and iOS from a utilitarian perspective and also MTN has been in the news recently about their NCA SMP categorization, that's also discussed in this episode.

In this episode, the boys talk on a series of issues centered around MTN running away from taxes by selling a stake in one of their subsidiary businesses, TikTok escaping Trump's wrath by selling to Oracle. Fake Products are Now popping up more frequently on Amazon causing distrust for the company; Same with the fake reviews. Apple just had their September event; they released new products, IOS 14 but no iPhone.

Perhaps it's about time we own our tech infrastructure and kept our data locally? In this episode of STN the boys delve into the much ignored area of digital and data sovereignty in Africa and Ghana especially in the age of digital economy and geopolitical tensions.

Imagine for a moment an internet where YouTube isn't the default place for video content. Well visit (peteyvid.com) and you'll see just that. Craig J. Stadler talks to the boys about his alternative video search engine trying redefine censorship and user data privacy.

Maybe it's about time we tuned out all the noise and really used the internet more intentionally? In this episode of STN, the talk is about digital minimalism in an age of information overflow and the knowledge economy, the clout chasing craze and Dartey's newly discovered book that talks about the very interesting concept of Essentialism and the pursuit of Less in Life.

In this episode, the boys discuss Kevin Mayer's stepping down as CEO of embattled tech giant TIKTOK US after less than a 100 days in charge, Elon Musk's outdooring of Neuralink and also the  sinister but silent threat of malware on budget-friendly TECNO phones from China targeted towards the African market.

The case of cybersecurity, E-commerce dynamics, the scourge of cancel culture in a politically-correct society and pressure of social media platforms like Twitter getting to people's heads is all discussed by the boys in this episode.

All the major tech stories are discussed by boys. From Cupertino's ongoing feud with Epic games and WordPress, Spotify's royalty rates, Netflix's PR disaster to the much talked about Kantanka EV.

In this episode, Silas joins the boys as they talk about Fortnite's Apple and Google ban, the forced sale of Tiktok, AirBnB's silent IPO plans along with other big tech stories for the week.

Back with a bang! After taking a couple weeks off, STN resumes with the boys reviewing the previous season's episodes and discussing the plans ahead for the upcoming one.

Digital citizenship is to the internet what an instructions manual is to a new gadget, yes! If you want to know how to use it well then you have to read it. Oftentimes, we tend not to associate our activity online as having any serious repercussions on our real lives but that's not true. Using the requires responsible conduct and a lot of mindful navigation. In this episode of STN Maxwell engages Max Beganim, an educationist and digital enthusiast, on digital citizenship and what it means combined with IT for effective education.

From rights advocacy to now advocacy in business and STEM education, the disruptive charge of women staking their deserved claim in society continues to build momentum. In this episode of STN with Adwoa Fosua, a hub owner and community builder. The boys talk about feminism, business, and capacity building.

For most, photography is perceived as nothing more than a leisure activity. Grab an entry-level DSLR and lens and VOILA! You are a photographer. This is a falsehood of course and Nana Asomani, a creative and mobile photographer, is here on this episode of STN to tell the boys all about that.

It's never easy choosing the path of a full-time career as an artist. You often will face stiff criticism from society since the general notion is, one can't make a proper living off it. Well, Deborah Nhyira, a consultant in the art space, begs to differ on this and she talks to the boys about how creatives can turn around their fortunes for the better on this episode of STN.

Much noise has been made about the 4th Industrial Revolution and what it would mean for the industry and the labour market. Some even regard it is as no more than just a fad but the wholesale change is imminent. In this STN episode, the boys are joined by Foster Awintiti Akugri, an incubator manager and venture capitalist, as they discuss the future of work and it's intricacies.

From phones to air conditioning units; to even smart vehicles, we often think of technology as finished products and forget about the hardware components and effort that goes into making them. Nicholas Tali, the Engineering Laboratory Manager at Ashesi University, weighs in on the topic of development of hardware; the process of innovating and building technology.

Technology together with training is key for startups today. All over Africa, institutions and hubs have emerged and are "skilling up" people to launch disruptive businesses. Emmanuel Asamoah, a tech startupper at MEST Africa with a business background, is the guest on this episode of STN and he walks the guys through his training experience, motivation, and what his thoughts are on the current tech and business startup ecosystem.

Online blogging and publishing might dominate today's internet culture but that wasn't quite the case about a decade ago where print media reigned supreme. Ameyaw Debrah; celebrity blogger and journalist was right at the beginning of it when the disruption started. In this episode of STN, the boys talk to him about his journey as well as on the topic of blogging in GHANA and what the future holds for the industry.

Robots took over manufacturing a decade ago and they didn't stop there, now they are coming into homes as well. What does this revolution mean for Africa? Robert Boateng-Duah, a roboticist; and tech enthusiast is on a journey to make sure we are ready for this wave. The boys talk to him on this episode about robots, research, hardware development, and innovation.

The internet, a primary tool in today's world, can be a double-edged sword for vulnerable users if not used properly. In this episode, Awo Aidam Amenyah, a gender advocate, humanitarian, and the Executive Director of Child Online Africa talks to the boys about the online safety of children and the great heights(literally) her advocacy journey has taken her.

Ida Na-Tei is an Electrical Engineer by profession and a Media Practioner in the tech space. Over time she has gathered experience in the area of leadership and community building focused on equipping young people with technical skills. In this episode, we touch on these things and many more.

In a thought-provoking conversation about theology, technology, and their link to our existence, the boys invite Agana-Nsiire Agana. He is a Theologian, Bird Watcher, and Writer. Agana recounts his journey from Zoology through technology to theology.

In this episode, we have a conversation with Elizabeth Ameke who is an Aerospace Engineer, event host, entrepreneur, and blogger. With her experience in STEM, she hopes to inspire more young people to take up a similar path. Listen to her podcast here: https://lizwritesgh.com/podcast/time-with-the-ghanaian-phd-student-who-shared-research-findings-with-uk-parliament/

Princess Allotey, a STEM enthusiast and math genius is working towards making mathematics interesting for ladies and kids alike. In this episode, the boys engage her on the general strides she's made, the projects she's working on currently, and where she sees the mathematics discipline getting to by way of impact in Ghana and beyond.

In a world with bulging populations and increased demand for food, the need for innovative and sustainable ways of farming has never been more pressing. Itohan Edokpolo, a graduate from Texas Rio Grande University talks to the boys about hydroponics and vertical farming; a novel way of farming that could disrupt agriculture in Africa as we know it.

Smart tech is gradually taking over farms across Africa. Louis Lu who is the Regional Business Development Manager of FJ Dynamics along with his robots are developing agile and robust solutions deployed on farms across the world. In this episode, the boys invite Louis from China to talk about the future of farming and how robots and AI.

In this episode the boys talk up with Charles Arday; Illinois University Undergraduate Student and Co-Founder of "Students of LinkedIn". He reflects on the Impact of Online Platforms and Content Creation on his career growth and how they secured him opportunities.

Obeng and Maxwell talk to Gilgal Ansah; Biomedical Engineering Graduate from the Arizona State University about life, his journey so far, and the prospects in that field of study.

After a long sabbatical, the boys join forces to bring you another insightful conversation; about what they did during the break. Obeng gives his perspective on current issues and Maxwell talks about why his optimism is quite delusional.

In this episode we look at fake news; telling it apart from the real news and it's implications. How is social media propagating fake news? How can we steer clear of fake news? We also look at how you can filter your online conversations. The Self-taught Novice Podcasts aim to begin the conversation and raise awareness on tech issues. Join the discussion. Do leave a review and send us your comments, questions and messages on our various social media platforms: Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. On Facebook, do well to like and subscribe. You can also send us your questions via e-mail to info@darteymedia.com. We would feature your questions and find solutions to them. We are planning on having a question and answer segment so keep the questions coming. Keep sharing the podcasts and subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you would also like us to discuss on a particular topic feel free to share your views on our various social media platforms.

In this episode we look at, is data improving life ? how are people in other parts of the world and how we need to use data to make better decisions. The Self-taught Novice Podcasts aim to begin the conversation and raise awareness on tech issues. Join the discussion. Do leave a review and send us your comments, questions and messages on our various social media platforms: Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. On Facebook, do well to like and subscribe. You can also send us your questions via e-mail to info@darteymedia.com. We would feature your questions and find solutions to them. We are planning on having a question and answer segment so keep the questions coming. Keep sharing the podcasts and subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you would also like us to discuss on a particular topic feel free to share your views on our various social media platforms.

In this episode we have a discussion about the tech we use and how it helps us in our daily life and also how being tech-savvy could make you more productive. The topic for this week’s episode of the Self-taught Novice Podcast is ‘Being Tech Savvy’. Being tech savvy basically means having a well-rounded idea on how you can exploit technology to enhance your daily living. The mere fact that we are living in the digital age does not imply that all persons are tech savvy. There are still quite a number of people who find it difficult making use of seemingly simple devices like the mobile phone. Our educational system is mostly certificate-driven. Most students are not aware of and do not consider the possibilities of taking online courses as options in their education. But there are more learning opportunities available online. We cannot learn it all though, but then we need to have a fair idea of what goes on around us in the tech space. The internet is a place of learning. There are those who have managed to navigate the internet and identify with the tech environment so much that they are able to exist in the tech space in a social way. For most people, the internet is just a social tool for communication. They are unable to fully navigate and exploit the available resources to a meaningful end because they are not tech savvy enough. They do not realize the many opportunities and are not able to make good use of them. This takes us back to S02E04 of the Self-taught Novice Podcast which focussed on using algorithms to our advantage – we need to understand the ecosystems in which we word so as to be effective. Do have a listen to that episode in case you missed it. The internet is not just all tech stuff; it is a community. We cannot isolate tech and humanity, the two now go hand-in-hand. WhatsApp, for example, is a tech tool, but it integrates society’s quest for easy communication. Tech can be incorporated in our day-to-day activities. The Google Search Engine may be used for mundane activities like looking up songs and their lyrics, actors and their family lives and so on. Here are some tricks to help you maximize the use of the Google Search Engine. If you want to find a cluster of keywords together, for example, ‘pinkball photoshop’, enter ‘pinkball+photoshop’ instead. The latter gives a more tailored search result than the former. When searching for PDF files, JPEG, or PNG files, simply attach .pdf, .jpeg or .png respectively to the name of the file. Some people are of the view that search engine optimization is ruining many businesses. Most people hardly go beyond the second page of the search results; all the content beyond the second page then form some ‘dead zone’ – The first page is not the best bet for finding the right information, you need to comb through all the pages. In addition to making use of e-learning opportunities and search engines, we need to know how to responsibly use tech for entertainment. Responsibility is relative and differs from person to person. However, besides that, you must budget your internet time wisely. Working for long hours without leisure would surely cause you to burn out; how we spend our leisure time would affect our productivity during our working hours.  Vimeo, Facebook Watch, Instagram, YouTube, amongst others are all available; you decide how best you define your entertainment. There are a lot of people who underuse their smartphones and other tech gadgets because they have little knowledge on their full capabilities. Let’s not limit being tech savvy to coding. We must make conscious efforts to acquaint ourselves with the workings of tech around us so we can maximize their use for our good. It is not enough to be just consumers of tech products, and even as consumers, we must understand tech in order to be good consumers. How do we ensure that people do not have a narrowed view of tech? The view on tech is already narrow.

Welcome to this week’s episode of the Self-taught Novice Podcast. This week’s episode is a debate on AI; as to whether the merits outweigh the demerits. It is an extension of last week’s episode on Algorithms and AI - its driven features and what it holds for Ghana and Africa. If you have not already, it’d be best to listen to last week’s episode of the Self-taught Novice Podcast so you can follow the discussion. Click here So why say AI’s merits outweigh its demerits? From the last episode, we established that AI drives the industrial revolution of this age. With AI, industries have been made better and more effective and efficient and as industries run economies and human civilizations, this translates to the overall betterment of humanity. Take the example of the inception of the steam engine which initiated the use of machines in factories. There was a lot of scepticism about the introduction of the steam engine with the fear that it would threaten livelihoods. The steam engine in the midst of all these went ahead to redefine manufacturing in its age, reducing human labour and increasing system effort. Similarly, in this age, AI is leading the industrial revolution. AI is connecting man with machine. From this submission we are to accept that AI would definitely face scepticism and opposition in its initial stages. The danger with AI is that it is fast progressing at an exponential rate which we cannot keep up with. Google’s Deep Mind technology was able to beat the world’s best Go player with top speed after being fed tons of information. Go has multiple permutations, and there was no track of how the AI managed to win. However, this is being misconstrued as a benefit. All systems are susceptible to going rogue. AI is no exception; it is not perfect. In areas where AI is used to manage essential services such as power generation and delivery, the control of fuel and water pipelines, and water delivery, with any mishap, the scale of tragedy would be catastrophic. It is questionable to abandon important aspects of our lives to a technology we cannot fully understand and keep up with. We must tread with caution.  (There are two types of AI; Narrow AI and General AI. Narrow AI is generally not as smart and consists of the little things like how your phone camera auto focuses on objects when you’re taking a picture. General AI is more advanced and smarter. It includes IBM Watson and Google’s Deep Mind technology. It’s the kind of futuristic technology often portrayed in movies; the flying cars and the like. This conversation is focused on General AI.) AI is the replication of human intelligence on machines. We may not fully understand AI, because we are still trying to understand human intelligence to replicate artificial systems that can be run on human understanding. The fundamental algorithms are still being understood. AI systems can be likened to human beings, even though we may be aware of the use of our body parts, we cannot fully predict our thought patterns. AI is not predictable and will solve problems in ways we do not expect. The danger is that we cannot track AI. There is no traceable path as to how it works and functions. Neural networks think on their own. AI is not controlled. It seems the concept is that we abandon all our control to AI; that is the expectation we have come to have. The threat of AI having access to all our information is high. In spite of the numerous benefits of AI, if it goes uncontrolled and unlegislated it can have devastating repercussions. Legislation cannot keep up with AI. How can we keep up with something we do cannot understand? Social media manipulation and fake news are a result of this. Legislation would eventually catch up with AI. Everything evolves with time. If we are to compare the first car model manufactured, the Ford Model 3, with the cars of today, you would notice that model was very unsafe for use. We cannot compare AI with cars.

We’ll be taking a look at how algorithms run our world and how we can maximize their usage for business purposes. Algorithms are basically systems that process data in a particular way- somewhat like a framework - it takes information and processes it. The dictionary defines an algorithm as a process or a set of rules to be followed in calculations or other problem-solving operations especially by a computer. Technically algorithms are steps or problem solution sets taken by a processor to give a solution that would not have been gotten without following those steps. Algorithms deals with methods of getting solutions. In recent times there seems to be little distinction between Algorithms, AI and Machine Learning due to all the technological advancements. Machine Learning is a way of AI that feeds neural networks with information. Algorithms are part of Machine Learning, however, with Machine Learning the steps are not static, they change often. There are many real-world uses of algorithms. Different social media platforms use different algorithms. WhatsApp for instance uses an algorithm for ranking chats and statuses based on which ones are the most recent. It also uses algorithm to count the number of people who have viewed your status and saves their names in the viewed list. Facebook makes use of Geotagging to find nearby Friend connections. New posts appear on the home page and when it pops up as a subject of discussion but then a whole lot more goes into it. For Instagram, the feed on the homepage is gotten from the people you follow and those you subscribe to. The algorithm structures feed is in reverse chronological order, unlike that for WhatsApp. Home page is filled with feed you and/ or your friends have shown interest in. For example, when you tap on a picture more related pictures pop up. The longer you stay on a page with a certain unique content, the algorithm brings up mare and more related content to your feed to keep you on the platform. The main goal for all these social media sites is to reduce the bounce rate – a lower bounce rate corresponds to users spending more time on the platform. darteymedia.com, for example has links to related podcasts and articles on the same page to keep the user on the page. With this addiction may become an issue as there is continually an influx of content keeping you glued to the platform.  As Post Malone said, “too much pain is pleasure”, too much of everything is bad and as a user you must be aware of all these things and try as much as possible not to fall prey to it. Looking on to the future, Algorithms are sure to evolve. As mobile devices advance and get smarter, so do the algorithms that run on them. They may end up becoming as autonomous as AI. To curb this, legislation is being put in place to limit the autonomous nature of algorithms. Algorithms are powerful tools. We must the most of modern upcoming technologies in addition to normal studies. You cannot be a pacesetter if you do not pay attention to R&D. If you want to make your presence felt in the digital space, you need to study and exploit human behavior and algorithms – know the right times to post content. A couple of things to note on digital marketing: use a lot of hashtags and know and understand the platform you are working with. Hashtags identify you with a unique group of persons and links you to other people’s content, this improves your ranking in searches. You must also understand the demographics of the various platforms. For example; Facebook is mostly for millennials and baby boomers, Instagram and Pinterest is mainly for pictures, Twitter, for the young working class, Snapchat is inclined towards teenagers and young people seeking to keep things private. Now to AI, AI is fundamentally man-made intelligence, be it software or not. Humans are infinitely intelligent and the aim of AI is to get machines to think as fast as humans.

Welcome to a new season of the Self-taught Novice Podcast. This is an introduction of the new additions we made and how the Podcast has changed. As mentioned Please leave us a comment on our social media platforms. Listen to the older episodes of the podcast and leave us a review on any of the podcast apps you're read this on. Keep learning Novices! www.twitter.com/darteymedia www.facebook.com/darteymedia www.instagram.com/darteymedia www.youtube.com/c/darteymedia

On today's episode of the podcast, Obeng talks about being ways of being financially independent at a young age. He shares his experience from 2016 where he had a #snapvlog session on Snapchat about an Ad he came across in the National dailies concerning pricing for junk food,which was and is a lot of money compared to eating healthy, example is plate of gari and beans (Cassava flakes on Black Eyed Peas sauce in palm oil with fried ripe plantain) which costs just GHS4  compared to the price of pizza. With the understanding that there are different  classes within society, those can legitimately afford and those who need to go all out to afford. Here’s a quick thought, if you keep your money instead of spending whether you’re rich or poor, does it make you reduce or increase your overall wealth? It does, even by a microscopic margin. RELATED ARTICLE: If You want To Be Rich By 30 Consider These 5 Things

How Passion & Drive Opens Doors, & Helps You Think Outside The Box With George Koranteng

On today's episode of the podcast, we have a conversation about digital art and thinking outside the box to solve problems in the country with Eno Nyame. Eno is a final year Communication Design student of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi and is the Co-Founder of Artmosphere Ghana; a creative business for making customised art through digital and pencil drawings and picture framing. She  refers to the specific crafting and development of various aspects of communication that reaches the intended target, not limited to things such as the language within an email or letter and the specific design of those types of documents as communication design and talks about how she crafts her designs for Artmosphere Ghana. She spoke about being a student entreprenuer ("being your own boss") and juggling school work with business and how she's able to make a balance between the two. She made mention of how inadequate the Ghanaian education prepares students for work and how one has to go out of their own way to gather the skill set required to solve societal problems.   Plug You can check out Eno's work at Twitter, @artmosphereGh and Instagram, @artmosphere_gh or via email at artmosphere101@gmail.com Dartey Media's Self Taught Novice podcast has made it into an International Podcast Competition. The winner will be strictly chosen by judges but there is a Popular Choice and we have our eyes and ears on! And we need your votes to win that category. Kindly Vote http://bit.ly/selftaughtnovice

On today's episode of the podcast, we chat with Daniel Ampofo; Chief Executive Officer and Creative Director, and Chris Worgbah; Chief Operating Officer, both of Ninety3 Studios. At Ninety3 Studios, Chris and Daniel are building brand and consumer relationships through effective brand management, graphic design and advertising. In today's episode, Chris and Daniel talk about innovative uses of storytelling incorporated into brand building on social media platforms. More and more, people want to get behind or have a brand that has a meaningful mission, rather than just buying something because it’s nice or endorsed by a certain celebrity. They highlighted social media strategies that are unique to different platforms and processes employed by them in creating business and personal brands that makes one relevant and recognizable. Plug Register for this year’s Hacklab 2019 with over GHC12,000.00 in cash prizes to be won. Learn more: http://hacklabgh.org/hackathon2019. How to register: Web: http://connect.hacklabgh.org  Or download the official event app, Hacklab Connect, available on the Google PlayStore and Apple AppStore. Dartey Media's Self Taught Novice podcast has made it into an International Podcast Competition. The winner will be strictly chosen by judges but there is a Popular Choice and we have our eyes and ears on! And we need your votes to win that category. Kindly Vote HERE.  

On today's episode of the podcast, I spoke to Maxwell Danquah; Current PRO of KNUST Students' Representative Council and an Agricultural Science student. Maxwell Danquah talks about having opportunities to channel  unused and boundless energies of our youth into productive agricultural ventures and creating an enabling environment for agribusiness to thrive for the benefit of individual households, the continent of Africa and the world at large. He made mention of the fact that for many young people, Agriculture is not their preferred career or business option. This is widely due to the perception that Agriculture is not financially rewarding enough; it is not youth friendly enough. He spoke about promoting sustainable agriculture and thriving agribusiness through research and technological development, effective extension and other support services to farmers, processors and traders for improved livelihood. Maxwell stressed the need for innovations in agriculture and improved agribusiness, pointing out that the process of creating and implementing combinations of knowledge from many different sources was important to agricultural development in Africa. PLUG Dartey Media's Self Taught Novice podcast has made it into an International Podcast Competition. The winner will be strictly chosen by judges but there is a Popular Choice and we have our eyes and ears on! And we need your votes to win that category. Kindly Vote HERE.