In a celebration that bridged cultures and communities, Baron Autos’ CEO, Yakubu Abdul Karim marked the festive season with a spectacular ‘Sallah Party’ for customers in Tamale, underscoring the company’s deepening roots in Northern Ghana. (more…)

The 2024 MTN Y’ello Care initiative is becoming even more exciting. MTN Ghana employees, alongside their partners, are offering digital literacy lessons to selected senior high schools across the country.

The students are learning about artificial intelligence and robotics and how these technologies can be applied in their studies and daily lives. They are also being introduced to the Ghana Knowledge and Skills Cloud-Based Platform (GKSB), which serves as a repository of educational resources and training materials for teachers and students. The platform provides students with reading materials, including past questions. The technology programs are being handled in collaboration with Coral Reef Innovation Hub, Npontuo, Duapa Workspace, Eastern Hub, and Nude 8.

In total, 25 senior high schools will benefit from this Y’ello Care initiative across the country. The schools include Aburi Presbyterian Secondary Technical School, Eastern region, Church of Christ SHS, Ashanti region, Konadu Yiadom Catholic SHS, Ashanti region, Sunyani SHS, Bono region, Bechem SHS, Ahafo region,  Ahafoman SHS, Ahafo region, St Francis SHS, Bono East region, Kintampo SHS, Bono East region, Kalpohini SHS, Northern region,  Diabene SHS Western region, Sefwi Wiawso SHS, Western North region, Academy of Christ the King, Central region, St. Paul’s Technical School and Akyem Asafo SHS in the Eastern region among others.

Commenting on digital training, Adwoa Wiafe, the Chief Corporate Services and Sustainability Officer, said, “through these initiatives, we are supporting efforts being made to make educational material more accessible to students.  Our objective is to bridge the digital gap and help improve educational outcomes by leveraging technology for teaching and learning”.

This year’s Y’ello Care theme is “Education for Rural and Remote Communities – Learn Today, Lead Tomorrow.” MTN Ghana employee volunteers are working on projects to narrow the educational gap in underserved and unserved communities across the country.

MTN Y’ello Care is an annual employee volunteerism program across the MTN Group, allowing staff to participate in community development projects in countries where MTN operates. The initiative, which was started in 2007, has had a significant impact on millions of people and hundreds of communities across the continent. 

The 21 Days of Y’ello Care programme takes place in June every year. However, this year, to commemorate the 30th Anniversary of MTN’s operations, the 21 Days of Y’ello Care has been extended to 30 Days.

Acrylic keychains have become increasingly popular for a variety of uses, from promotional items to personalized gifts. Their versatility, durability, and aesthetic appeal make them a favorite among businesses and individuals alike. Here are the key benefits of acrylic keychains and why they are a popular choice.

1. Durability

Long-Lasting

Acrylic is a highly durable material, resistant to scratches, impacts, and everyday wear and tear. This makes acrylic keychains perfect for daily use, as they can withstand being tossed around in pockets, bags, or on key hooks without showing significant signs of damage.

Weather-Resistant

Acrylic keychains are also resistant to weather conditions, including moisture and UV rays. This means they won’t fade or degrade quickly, even with exposure to sunlight and rain, making them ideal for outdoor use.

2. Versatility in Design

Customizable

Acrylic keychains can be customized in numerous ways. They can be cut into any shape, making it easy to create unique designs that stand out. Additionally, acrylic can be printed with vibrant colors and intricate details, allowing for high-quality images, logos, and text.

Variety of Styles

From clear acrylic to colored or frosted options, acrylic keychains come in a wide range of styles. This variety ensures that there is an acrylic keychain to match any aesthetic preference or brand identity.

3. Lightweight

Easy to Carry

Acrylic is a lightweight material, making acrylic keychains easy to carry around. They won’t add unnecessary bulk or weight to your keys, bags, or lanyards, which is especially beneficial for those who prefer minimalistic accessories.

4. Cost-Effective

Affordable

Acrylic keychains are relatively inexpensive to produce, especially in bulk. This cost-effectiveness makes them an excellent choice for businesses looking to create promotional items or event giveaways without breaking the bank.

High Perceived Value

Despite their affordability, acrylic keychains often have a high perceived value due to their durability and customizable nature. This makes them an attractive option for marketing purposes, as they can leave a lasting impression without a hefty price tag.

5. Aesthetic Appeal

Glossy Finish

Acrylic keychains typically have a glossy finish that enhances their visual appeal. This glossy surface not only looks attractive but also helps to protect the printed design underneath, ensuring it remains vibrant over time.

Transparency

Clear acrylic keychains offer a unique, see-through effect that can add a modern and stylish touch to any design. This transparency can be used creatively to highlight certain elements of the design or to create a layered look.

6. Eco-Friendly Options

Recyclable

Acrylic is a recyclable material, making acrylic keychains an environmentally friendly option. By choosing acrylic keychains, you can reduce your environmental impact and contribute to sustainability efforts.

Long Lifespan

The durability of acrylic keychains means they have a longer lifespan than many other materials. This longevity reduces the need for frequent replacements, leading to less waste over time.

7. Wide Range of Applications

Promotional Items

Acrylic keychains are an excellent choice for promotional items due to their affordability and customizable nature. They can be used to promote businesses, events, or products, and are often distributed at trade shows, conventions, and other marketing events.

Personalized Gifts

With the ability to create unique designs, acrylic keychains make thoughtful and personalized gifts. They can be customized with names, dates, or special messages, making them ideal for birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, and other special occasions.

Souvenirs

Acrylic keychains are popular souvenirs for tourists and travelers. They can feature iconic landmarks, cityscapes, or cultural symbols, making them perfect keepsakes to remember a trip or experience.

Conclusion

Acrylic keychains offer a multitude of benefits, from their durability and versatility to their aesthetic appeal and cost-effectiveness. Whether you’re looking for a practical promotional item, a personalized gift, or a stylish accessory, acrylic keychains are an excellent choice. Explore the wide range of customizable options available at Vograce to find the perfect acrylic keychain for your needs.

 Ethel Cofie, renowned tech entrepreneur and founder of Women in Tech Africa, is partnering with Viamo, a global leader in mobile engagement via their 321 service, supported by the Telecel Foundation, to launch a groundbreaking initiative aimed at enhancing leadership and career for professionals in Ghana and Liberia.

This partnership will leverage Viamo’s innovative mobile technology to deliver targeted training and development programs, providing individuals with the tools and knowledge needed to excel in their careers and drive organizational success by dialing 321 on Telecel for free.

Ethel Cofie, a respected figure in the tech and business community, brings her extensive expertise in leadership and career development to this initiative. “I am thrilled to collaborate with Viamo to bring these crucial skills to professionals in Ghana. Our goal is to empower individuals to reach their full potential and contribute meaningfully to their organizations,” said Cofie.

Viamo’s Country Director, Nii Lante Heward-Mills expressed enthusiasm for the partnership, stating, “Our mobile engagement platform is perfectly suited to deliver Ethel’s invaluable insights and training directly to individuals, no matter where they are. This partnership aligns with our mission to use mobile technology to create positive social impact.”

In Q4 2024, Viamo will launch a voice-based Gen Ai Assistant for basic and feature phones, further bridging the digital divide.

The program will include modules on leadership, strategic thinking, and career advancement, accessible through the Viamo platform. Participants will benefit from Ethel Cofie’s proven strategies and practical advice, tailored to the unique challenges and opportunities in the Ghanaian corporate landscapes.

For more information about Ethel Cofie, visit www.ethelcofie.com.

For more information about Viamo’s solutions, visit viamo.io.

When it comes to solving cases, deliberately hidden evidence is often what is needed to unravel the knot. In the digital age, these traces may be digital, too, making it trickier for forensic tools and investigators. With the growing number of mobile apps, there are more challenges in recovering this data, as data management varies across different operating systems. Successfully retrieving deleted data can reveal hidden details and provide crucial insights, significantly impacting the outcome of an investigation.

As we continue our WhatsApp forensics series, let’s explore how deletion and data storage functions in WhatsApp databases. Is it possible to retrieve deleted data from these databases? We will find out using Belkasoft X, a flagship tool for computer, mobile, drone, car, and cloud forensics.

SQLite and deleted records

Before we get to our forensic WhatsApp recovery experiment, it is best to have an understanding of SQLite, the lightweight database system used by many mobile applications, including WhatsApp.

Its popularity stems from its serverless architecture, making it an optimal choice for applications requiring a simple yet solid data storage solution. This extensive usage of SQLite in both built-in and third-party applications makes it a significant focus in digital forensic investigations.

In forensic data analysis, understanding SQLite’s unique features and structures is essential for accurately extracting and interpreting digital evidence. SQLite databases store information in a structured manner, often containing vital data such as chat logs, browser history, and user activity records. Features like freelists, Write-Ahead Logs (WAL), and unallocated space are crucial for investigators as they can reveal deleted or uncommitted data, which might otherwise be inaccessible through standard database queries.

Freelists in SQLite databases store recently deleted records, providing forensic experts with the opportunity to recover data that users might have attempted to erase. Similarly, WAL files maintain a log of changes to the database, preserving records of recent transactions that can be critical in understanding the sequence of events leading up to an incident. Unallocated space within SQLite databases can also contain remnants of previously stored data, offering additional insights during forensic analysis.

Now, let’s put this knowledge into context and see how SQLite’s features enable WhatsApp forensic analysis across different operating systems.

Forensic WhatsApp recovery on the iOS smartphone

There is a lot to unpack when it comes to SQLite forensics, but for now, we will keep things simple and do a side-by-side comparison of deleted WhatsApp data retrieval on Android and iOS. 

Picture a conversation between an iOS and an Android user where both of them deleted several messages. WhatsApp offers two deletion options: “for Everyone” (available for a limited time) and “for Me.” In this case, we deleted two messages “for Everyone” and the rest “for Me.” The following screenshot shows how these deletions appeared on our test iPhone.

To obtain a full file system copy of the iPhone, we used the checkm8-based acquisition method available in Belkasoft X. While it’s possible to retrieve WhatsApp data from an iTunes or iCloud backup, it is best to get the full file system copy with the help of mobile forensics software, as this generally offers a more comprehensive dataset. We also used Belkasoft X to analyze and examine the acquired image. When we found our test chat, we identified the following artifacts extracted from the database:

As you can see, the messages we recovered reflected the data available on the device during acquisition. No “for Me” deleted items were present, and empty bubbles indicated messages deleted “for Everyone.” To explore further, we used Belkasoft X’s robust SQLite viewer, which can recover various records, including freelists, WAL files, and unallocated space.

We examined the ChatStorage.sqlite database within the iPhone’s file system. WhatsApp databases can be found in ..\private\var\mobile\Containers\Shared\AppGroup, in the subfolder named after the GUID assigned to the application during installation. The ZWAMESSAGE table contains the message details.

Initially, sorting by the Record type column revealed no freelist or WAL records. In the Unallocated space, a few records appeared but lacked significant information. Sorting by the primary key to locate our chat messages revealed gaps in the Z_PK (primary key) values, indicating deleted records. The ZSORT column helped identify the chronological order of messages, aiding in spotting gaps in the user’s chats.

Given these findings, it is evident that iOS WhatsApp databases are not effective for recovering deleted messages. However, by examining the Z_PK and ZSORT columns in the ZWAMESSAGE table, you can still gain insights into the removal of records from conversations, which is better than nothing. Will Android databases prove any better?

Forensic analysis of WhatsApp on the Android smartphone

First, let’s see how the test conversation and deleted messages looked on the other end. 

We acquired the device using the “Android file system copy” method and analyzed it with Belkasoft X. After locating our test chat in the tool’s “Artifacts” window, we discovered that Belkasoft X was able to recover the majority of the deleted messages. How come?

While there are many nuances to obtaining and navigating Android WhatsApp data, we will look at the Android database WAL records to understand this particular case. Let’s see how this relates to our WhatsApp forensics and deleted messages.

Android devices store WhatsApp message data in the msgstore.db file located in ..\data\data\com.whatsapp\databases. The message table holds the user’s chat records. To find our test conversation, we need to sort the table by the _id column.

What do we have here? Some primary key values are duplicated, and one number is missing. The Record type column shows that many records originate from the WAL file, so let’s examine it.

The Write-Ahead Log (WAL) in SQLite handles database records by writing changes to a WAL file before merging them into the main database during a checkpoint. This ensures data integrity and allows reading the latest data from the WAL file. WAL files store changes between checkpoints, preserving deleted records and aiding forensic investigations by allowing recovery of modified and deleted data.

Reviewing the Android database WAL records, we can trace transactions during the WhatsApp conversation and message deletions. Belkasoft X’s SQLite Viewer shows WAL and main database records together, offering a comprehensive view of changes. It successfully retrieved these records because the WAL checkpoint had not occurred by the time of acquisition. Despite Android’s cooperative WAL mechanism, one message deleted “for Me” was completely removed. WhatsApp’s proprietary code makes it difficult to pinpoint WAL configuration on Android, but our tests show it’s more cooperative than on iOS.

Can digital forensics tools recover deleted WhatsApp messages?

Our investigation into deleted WhatsApp messages on iOS and Android revealed that it all comes down to the technical background of the problem and the mobile forensics tools in use.

iOS databases were less cooperative, showing no traces of deleted records, though we could infer deletions from missing primary key values. Android’s Write-Ahead Logging (WAL) mechanism and fewer checkpoints allowed us to recover most deleted messages using Belkasoft X. 

We are once again convinced that proper knowledge of database structures and  appropriate forensic tools can significantly enhance the accuracy and completeness of digital forensic investigations.

Traveling with kratom can raise questions, given its legal status varies by location. This guide aims to clarify whether you can fly with kratom and how to do so responsibly. 

Kratom, an herbal supplement used for various purposes, faces regulatory scrutiny in different parts of the world. Understanding these regulations is crucial for travelers wishing to carry kratom on a plane. We’ll cover critical considerations, including legalities in your departure, transit, and arrival destinations, and tips for packing kratom to comply with airline policies and security procedures. 

This introduction serves as a starting point for those looking to navigate the complexities of traveling with kratom, ensuring a smooth and hassle-free journey. Whether you use the strongest kratom strain for health reasons or personal preference, being informed and prepared is essential when bringing it on your travels.

Can You Fly With Kratom?

Yes, you can fly with kratom. You can take it through airport security and keep it in your hand luggage or checked baggage. But before packing your bags, you must check the legal status of kratom where you are flying. Some states have completely banned kratom, whereas others have age restrictions, etc. Here is the list of US states that have banned kratom:

• Alabama
• Arkansas
• Indiana
• Rhode Island
• Vermont,
• Wisconsin

If you are found with kratom in a place where it is banned, you can be fined or even sentenced to prison.

The states where there is an age restriction regarding kratom are as follows:

• Arizona – The legal age to consume kratom is 18 years. The state has also passed KCPA.

• Georgia: People over the age of 18 can consume kratom. The state has also passed KCPA.

• Tennessee – The minimum age to consume kratom in this state is 21 years.

• Illinois – The age limit to consume kratom is 18 in this state. It is banned in the city of Jerseyville.
• Florida – Florida has recently promulgated a law. The minimum age to consume kratom is 18 years. However, it is banned in Sarasota Country.

• California – People under the age of 21 can not consume kratom. The new law has recently come into effect. Buying kratom strains is only possible for those who are above 21 years old.

• Mississippi – One is allowed to buy, sell, and even consume kratom anywhere in the state without any age limit except in Union County.

• New Hampshire – One has to be above the age of 18 to consume kratom in the state.

• New York – The state has legalized kratom but defined the age limit for selling kratom. The kratom can only be sold to people above the age of 21.

• North Carolina – The consumption of kratom is not regulated or checked so far. Anyone above the age of 18 can sell, buy, or possess kratom.

• Utah – The state follows the Kratom Consumer Protection Act. The legal age to consume kratom is 18.
• Virginia  – You must be at least 21 years old to consume kratom in Virginia.

Traveling Safely with Kratom: Does and Don’ts

Kratom users can travel with kratom strains in their hand luggage or checked-in baggage. However, it would be best to note specific rules and regulations promulgated by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Some of the essential controls are provided as follows:

• Kratom should be carried in the form of powders or capsules.
• One can bring 12 ounces or 350 ml of kratom powders in your carry-on bag. If the limit exceeds, you must place it in a separate bin for x-ray screening.
• TSA advises keeping more than 12 ounces of powder items in their checked baggage.
• Kratom products must be appropriately packed to avoid any spillage or leakage. Covering products with a bubble wrap and using extra plastic can be helpful for this purpose.
• Always carry the product in its original packaging. This helps the authorities to get all the information related to the product and confirm if the product is allowed.

These regulations can be challenging to abide by at all times. When you are traveling in an emergency, you barely get time to back up your kratom storage. 

In such a situation, you can always prefer getting your products from a reputable online vendor. Online Kratom vendors such as Happy Go Leafy pack products according to the guidelines. In addition to adhering to these rules, one must be aware of the state-specific legalities and comply with them before traveling to ensure a hassle-free journey.

Tips For Traveling Successfully With Kratom

While traveling with kratom may not be an issue because it is not federally regulated in the USA, one must be very careful. Even a tiny mistake can cost you your entire journey and get you in trouble. Here are some fantastic tips summarized for your travel that will help you.

Always know the laws.

Knowing the legality of kratom at the destination is important before traveling. Likewise, you must also understand the laws of the stopover countries. You may encounter some security personnel who can search for kratom during your layovers as well.

Carry kratom in checked-in luggage.

Carrying kratom in your checked-in luggage avoids repeated security checks and interrogation. Keep the product’s original packaging intact so that airport security can quickly identify the substance. There are types of kratom strains; if you have purchased from a reputable vendor, the packaging will have all the information written on its labels for that kratom strain.

Be prepared for interrogation

The security personnel will ask you questions if you travel with kratom. Despite it being legal in some states to carry and possess kratom, the security officers would ask you questions. They would inquire about your intention of carrying kratom. It would be best if you answered their questions confidently.  

Provide all the information.

Possession of kratom within defined quantities is not questionable. But carrying more than the permissible limits can be a matter of concern for you. Security officers will ask you many questions if they detect this. You should be prepared for these questions in advance. You may also be required to provide information regarding the source of kratom, reasons to buy, details of usage, etc. 

Final Thoughts: Can you Bring Kratom on a Plane?

So, in conclusion, we discussed the legality of traveling with kratom on a plane. We understand that the product is not federally regulated. However, travelers should be conscientious while traveling with kratom. Knowing the laws and complying with all the facilities can be an excellent way to avoid any last-minute hassle.

Always pack your kratom products properly during travel. Additionally, it is imperative on your part to cooperate with the security officers during interrogation. So, always make sure to provide honest and accurate information about kratom products to the authorities.

For this, you can retain the original labels and packaging of the kratom products. This will help them to verify the information quickly. Once you take care of these factors in advance, there is no hustle in traveling with kratom.