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May 16, 2012
12:55
Walk Score scores Nairobi high as ‘very walkable’
» ‎ Capital Tech

According to Walk Score, a website that measures how walkable your place to live is, Nairobi surprisingly scored quite high at 82, which means the city is “very walkable” and that “most errands can be accomplished on foot.”

Walk Score believes that walkable cities are healthier and for the sake of better living, people who live in walkable neighbourhoods weigh 6-10 lbs less, walkable places make people happier and healthier, and short commutes reduce stress and increase community involvement.

Walk Score’s mission is to promote walkable neighbourhoods, which is one of the simplest and best solutions for the environment, our health, and our economy.

It’s true, geographically, Nairobi is very small in area at 696 km² and presumably more walkable than cities with expansive urban planning, such as Toronto at 7,124.15 km²

With proximity of shops, banks, restuarants and other amenities quite close to residential areas in Nairobi, perhaps more of us should go about our day with a “walkable mentality” and take advantage of that – avoiding getting stuck in the unpredictable Nairobi traffic for hours on end.

It’s great that Nairobi is considered “very walkable” as a city by Walk Score, which shows over 6 million scores per day to users globally, but why are most Nairobians still driving more than walking.

When was the last time you walked to the grocery store on a Saturday, yes the one just 5 minutes away?
May 15, 2012
11:36
ICT Board debates slashing connectivity costs
» ‎ Capital Tech

(Victoria Rubadiri) The Kenya ICT Board has called for infrastructure-sharing in the country’s budding ICT industry as a sure way of bringing down the cost of connectivity for end-users.

The Board’s CEO Paul Kukubo says the multiplicity of parallel infrastructure, sometimes connecting the same communication nodes, had resulted in haphazard development, constant damages and heavy cost of maintenance, which was eventually being borne by consumers.

“Players in the ICT industry need to have a common and robust conversation on the merits and demerits of infrastructure-sharing and related costs. There is urgent need for a common infrastructure investment plan that will be complimentary and not destructive and wasteful like the current scenario,” Kukubo said.

He was speaking during the inaugural Soliton Expo, which drew leading ICT organizations from various levels over the weekend.

Kukubo was reacting to remarks by Soliton Telmec CEO Eng. Abdirahman Omar Sheikh, who had observed that the absence of infrastructure-sharing had put the benefits of ICT beyond the reach of most Kenyans.

Eng. Sheikh gave the example of a single street in Nairobi which has fibre optic cable lines put up by six different companies.

After a converged licensing regime was introduced in 2008, the barriers to market entry were lowered, which subsequently increased competition by allowing operators to offer any kind of service in a technology, and service.

As a result, several fibre infrastructure sharing agreements have been forged as way to manage costs.

Last year Safaricom and Telkom Kenya formed a jointly owned tower management company that leases collocated tower space to interested parties wishing to install wireless communication equipment.

The Expo themed “Building networks for life” was aimed at sharing experiences, networking and unveiling of the latest technology and demonstrated solutions entailing Quality and Service Assurance Solutions, deployment and maintenance practices, IP Surveillance, Fibre optic planning, security and data backup services as well as solutions for the real estate industry.
May 09, 2012
11:58
InMobi launches InMobi AdTracker
» ‎ Capital Tech
Free, UDID independent, conversion tracking platform for advertisers
Mobile is big in Europe, Asia and the USand it is for this reason that InMobi, the world’s largest independent mobile advertising network, recently announced the launch of its new mobile conversion tracking platform. This new tracking platform provides real-time analytics and allows advertisers to measure multiple conversions on both mobile web and app campaigns, across virtually all advertising networks and publishers.

It is worth noting that that the InMobi AdTracker is separate from the InMobi ad network, not reliant on UDIDs (Unique Device Identifiers), and is completely free to integrate and use.

This combination marks this service as the only independent, scalable and cost-effective solution for managing mobile campaign performance in a rapidly growing market.

The industry has been aware for some time that UDID deprecation was on its way. With this in mind, it was critical for InMobi to create a solution with long-term benefits for both advertisers and publishers. InMobi Ad Tracker is a UDID free solution that is independent from the InMobi Ad Network and tracks conversions across all mobile ad networks and publishers. By integrating with the InMobi Ad Tracker, ad networks can get real time feedback on all conversions that they attribute, giving them accurate insights into their mobile campaign results and allowing them to optimise campaigns in real time.This will in turn drive more accountability for spend in mobile, benefiting the entire mobile ecosystem; from advertisers to publishers and app developers.” says ChandrashekharVattikuti, VP of Products at InMobi.

InMobi Ad Tracker benefits include:
- It is network agnostic and it works across all mobile ad networks
- It tracks multiple conversion types across mobile web and app inventory
- It combines multiple tracking technologies to ensure no dependencies on UDID
- It only requires a single login to access conversion data across all mobile ad networks
- Includes a real-time dashboard view of all conversion events
- Includes ability to define bespoke goals, like downloads, registrations, payments etc.
- Conversion data can be passed back to the originating mobile ad networks to enable real-time optimisation
- EasySDK integration for iOS and Android Apps and JavaScript integration for mobile web campaigns
- Completely free to integrate and use
Vattikuti concludes by adding that “InMobi has been able to deliver a solution that addresses advertiser, app developer and publisher conversion tracking requirements. With analytics solutions, first mover advantage is not as important as building a highly scalable and accurate solution to solve customer problems, hence our timing for this launch. In its first release, InMobi Ad Tracker uses browser cookies to track conversions across apps and the mobile web as the primary conversion tracking technology. It also combines ODIN1 and market referrer tracking technologies for app download campaigns. By using multiple tracking technologies, itis able to produce the highest level of accuracy and scale that is possible through mobile devices.The Ad Tracker solution is cloud based, allowing it unparalleled scalability for inventory across the globe.”

Further information on this product as can found on www.inmobi.com/adtracker and/or and email to AdTracker@InMobi.com
May 08, 2012
13:23
Makerere uni winners of 2012 Microsoft Imagine Cup
» ‎ Capital Tech

The winning team of the 2012 Microsoft East and Southern Africa Imagine Cup, a student competition which centers on the use of imagination, creativity and technology to help solve some of the world’s toughest problems, was picked today in Nairobi.

Team WinSenga fromMakereUniversitywas crowned the regional champs for their application which focuses on how to detect ectopic pregnancies in women as well as monitor baby movements and position in the womb during pregnancy. The team was also voted the best online by facebook and twitter users who were following the competition online.

In total, 14 teams from the region, representing Kenya and Uganda, competed during a challenging day of presentations on May 3rd, which brought together students from universities across the East and Southern Africa. This year’s competition focused on software design and the winners will go on to compete in the Imagine Cup Worldwide Finals, which will take place in Sydney, Australia in July 2012.

“We are very excited to win today. As a team we have a clear goal; it is not about the UN Millenium goals anymore, its our goal: ‘Reduced Maternal Mortality by 2015. Its Possible! Parter with us today’,” said an elated Aaron Tushabe after collecting the team’s award. “We are ready for the global stage and to show the world that Africa has great talent,” said the team.

Afrosilicon from JKUAT were the runners up and bagged the Best Mobile Application award for their application that allows a user in distress or in an accident to call for help from other users using the same application.

Team whiskers also from JKUAT were number 3 with their software design focused on an embedded system that aids in navigation for the blind.

Inspired by real problems facing the East African region, each one in the 14 teams was honored for their work to address some of toughest challenges in Kenya and Uganda.

Speaking after the awards, Dele Akinsade of Director, Developer Platforms – West, East & Central Africa andIndian Ocean Islands, said he was impressed with the level of talent in the region. “I am very impressed by the solutions provided by the winning team. They are very simple but out of the box which is why they won the competition,” he said.

“As judges we were also impressed by the fact that the students were already factoring in the economic aspect of their solutions which means they can sustain them,” he added.

Now in its tenth year, the Imagine Cup has grown to become the world’s premier student technology competition. Since 2003, over 1.4 million students have participated in the Imagine Cup with 358,000 students representing 183 countries and regions registering for the Imagine Cup 2011 competition. With a competition theme inspired by the United Nations Millennium Development Goals to “Imagine a world where technology helps solve the toughest problems,” the Imagine Cup spans one year, beginning with local, regional and online contests, the Worldwide Finals take place in Sydney, Australia in July 2012.

As an example of the type of real-world solutions the Imagine Cup judges are looking for, in 2011, the winning team at the Worldwide Finals from Ireland developed a project designed to improve road safety by tracking an individual’s journey and giving the driver (and other stakeholders) a report of driving behavior. The report shows any dangerous or erratic driving on a particular trip – information which can be shared with insurance companies, parents or law enforcement agencies. Using a mix of embedded technology, mobile devices along with cloud technology; the solution has the ability to change driving habits to reduce road deaths around the world.

Team WinSenga will join thebrightest young minds to compete on the world stage in July at the worldwide Finals in Sydney Australia. The 2012 competitors will gain real life experience, make new friends, and harness the power of technology to take on the world’s toughest problems.
May 07, 2012
12:09
LG launches cloud streaming for mobile, TV and PC
» ‎ Capital Tech

LG Electronics has announced the opening of ‘LG Cloud’ service that will host streaming access to all digital content across various electronic devices – mobile, TV and PC.

Users will have access to seamless digital content across the different platforms through the LG Cloud.

LG Cloud is the first is the first of its kind that allows users to manage and consume all types of content on “three screens” which includes Android smartphones, PCs and smart TVs (including but not limited to CINEMA 3D models) without a separate set-top box.

The cloud platform allows integration of content across platforms that will allow users to synchronize smartphone content with their PC’s and TV. Photos and videos taken with the smartphone can be viewed and streamed to the PC or TV almost instantaneously. Videos edited on a PC can be uploaded to LG Cloud for viewing seconds later on a smartphone.

Unlike other cloud services, there’s very little waiting or lag time since the content is streamed to the TV, PC or smartphone, not downloaded first.

The difference, says LG, is the real-time Streaming Transcoding technology.

“The conversion happens on the server in realtime, not on the device. There is no need to worry about installing codecs or converters, everything happens seamlessly and in the background with no involvement from the user,” stated a statement from LG.

It will now be possible to take 3D videos on an LG smartphone while on vacation and upload the clips via 3G or Wi-Fi to the LG Cloud server. Back home in the comforts of the living room, the family can watch the vacation footage as it streams from LG Cloud to their LG CINEMA 3D Smart TV in superb three dimensions.

“Most companies today only see the cloud as a storage device or in the case of YouTube or Flickr, only for one type of content,” said LG’s Mr. Kwon, President and CEO of LG’s Home Entertainment Company.

“LG makes the devices that millions of people watch content on so we can set a new yardstick for ease of use by setting up our own cloud service. Tomorrow’s consumers don’t want to go to one cloud for music, another cloud for video, another location for photos and yet another cloud for their office files. In the end, our solution is about making life more convenient.” He said.

LG Cloud will be offered as both a free and paid service. Free storage space and pricing will differ market to market and will be announced separately as the service becomes available in that country.
May 04, 2012
12:53
Samsung Galaxy SIII to hit stores in Kenya by June
» ‎ Capital Tech

The Samsung Galaxy SIII that was launched in London yesterday and is due to roll out to other parts of the world in June, is expected to touch down in Nairobi later this month thanks to tech-crazed Kenyans.

The local Samsung office says the first phones are expected towards the end of May.

“We already have orders and first stocks shall be in the country from the last week of this month,” according to Samsung East Africa Deputy MD Robert Ngeru who spoke to Capital Lifestyle today.

The new edition of the Samsung Galaxy comes barely since the launch of the Galaxy SII and hot on the heels of news that the Korean company had overtaken market leaders Nokia in handset sales.

Samsung has managed to coin a reputation as an easy-to-use phone with cool complicated features available for those who care to venture.

The new SIII seems to make their case even easier; with features such as S Voice, social tag, direct call, S Beam, Smart Alert and the 4.8 HD Super AMOLED.

The S Voice is like a talking phone that can also hear you speak, which is usually what we want as human beings living in the modern world. This feature goes a step further than what phones do now in reading messages out loud.

Some of the things you can do with the S Voice include telling your phone to turn off the alarm for a few minutes and let you sleep a bit more, answer or reject a call, adjust the volume on your music and even tell the camera when to shoot.

Direct call is a feature that lets you call the person you are messaging. With the SIII all you need to do mid-sms is raise the phone to your ear and let your phone do the calling.

Another cool feature we though to highlight at Capital Lifestyle is the Smart alert. This is simply a brief vibrate nudge to let you know once you pick up your phone that you have missed a few calls and sms’ etc. Samsung is of the opinion that they are being very thoughtful.

Take a look at the video below and let us know what you think? Is this SIII man enough to give the iPhone some strong competition? Prices will be announced at a later date.
May 03, 2012
9:29
Kenyan app that helps you confess to paying a bribe
» ‎ Capital Tech

Would you publicly come clean you paid a bribe to get a service? Probably not. But an app customized for Kenya is making it easier for citizens to report bribery incidences across the country, anonymously.

I Paid a Bribe (IPaB) is a desktop, mobile web and SMS app that gives Kenyans a platform to share their experiences with bribery. Through a user-friendly interface, a user can post an incident where they had to pay a bribe because a public officer expressly asked for it or a situation where the officer asked for it but they refused to pay the bribe.

The app also allows users to report an incidence where no bribe was asked, and the service was delivered on time.

Since the launch of the website in December 2011, 630 bribery incidences worth Ksh 20 million have been posted on the website.

The Police, municipal services, immigration and registration of persons and lands departments are the leading bribery hotspots as reported by citizens.

Interestingly, there are quite a high number of witness reports showing high bribery prevalence in the private sector, according to IPaB.

“Once a user files a bribe report on the site, the system takes it up automatically and edits out any names. IPaB does not target individuals but seeks to expose weaknesses in the system and advocate for them to be rectified,” says Anthony Ragui, developer of IPaB.

After users send their experience, either through the IPaB website, mobile site or SMS, the story is published on the website after a 10 minute lag. Specific data from the story (county, amount paid and department) is logged in and added to the analytics.

“I paid a Bribe Kenya as a platform aims to get Kenyans to report and talk about the problem of corruption,” says Ragui, who came up with idea after seeing a similar initiative in India.

A Transparency International (TI) report on East African Bribery Index revealed while a vast majority of Kenyans perceived Kenya as a corrupt county, only 7 per cent reported corruption incidences, probably for fear of victimization.
April 26, 2012
10:17
World’s most peculiar social networks
» ‎ Capital Tech

The world has strange people, with even stranger interests. But it’s a free world, especially on the world wide web where social networks are uniting people from all walks of life. Here is just five of the interesting social networks, most of them originating from the US and also quite active members.

ncludr.com – where everyone and everything is your friend

No friend request, no follow back, no special connections. Ncludr (I guess its pronounced includer) uses an advanced synchronization algorithm to link you to people with the same interest.

If you have self-esteem issues, this is the site for you. You will never be rejected or unfollowed. “Here, everyone and everything is your friend. Even unstable past life hotties. Deal with it,” states ncludr.

stachepassions.com – moustache touché

So you fancy growing a moustache and you want to connect with similar newbies or get advice from veterans? Well, stachepassions.com is just the place to let your (facial) hair go. The site has different moustache groups including Dali, Walrus or Pencil where members discuss all things moustache. Also featured on the site is the stache chat, message boards and e-mail.

divorce360.com – calculate your marriage expiry date

Divorce360 is a social networking site for people contemplating, going through or recovering from divorce. The catch phrase is ‘If its over, what’s next?’. With over 27,000 members of different marital status, the site offers a platform for people to share their experiences in issues of custody, child support, alimony and litigation. There is a widget on the site that calculate’s your chances of getting divorced!

eons.com – old is not boring!

Feeling facebook is too immature for you? Meet eons.com, social networking site for people over 40 years old, or more commonly known as Boomers. Members build profiles, share photos, talk about their kids, share gardening tips, discuss arthritis and all the exciting things boomers find interesting. There is a ‘longevity calculator’ that determines your life expectancy and offers personalized advice for ‘living longer and healthier’.

lineforheaven.com – click to enter heaven

“Congratulations on being inducted into heaven at 7Pm on August 2.” This is the welcome message to new members on the “heavenly” social networking site – lineforheaven.com. Members of the site earn karma points by “blessing” people, confessing sins, starting a good cause or spreading the cause. Enough Karma points helps save your ‘soul’, increasing your chance of getting to ‘heaven’ – on Sunday’s. And ya, there is an online counter to remind you time is running short for this weeks heaven intake.

Three letters: SMH
April 25, 2012
9:21
Facebook to pay Microsoft $550M for patents
» ‎ Capital Tech

Facebook struck a $550 million deal Monday to get its hands on hundreds of AOL patents from Microsoft as the social network hardened its defenses before it goes public on the Nasdaq.

Facebook will pick up around 650 of the 925 patents Microsoft bought earlier this month in an auction from AOL in a nearly $1.1 billion deal, Facebook and Microsoft said in a statement.

Facebook’s general counsel called the move “another significant step in our ongoing process of building an intellectual property portfolio to protect Facebook’s interests over the long term.”

“Today’s agreement with Facebook enables us to recoup over half of our costs while achieving our goals from the AOL auction,” added Microsoft Executive Vice President Brad Smith.

Facebook also arranged to license the remaining 275 remaining patents or applications in the portfolio being bought by Microsoft, which gets the right to use the patented technology going to the California-based social network.

“Today’s agreement with Microsoft represents an important acquisition for Facebook,” said the social network’s general counsel Ted Ullyot.

While the companies did not disclose specifics on the patents, AOL’s trove of intellectual property is believed to include technology for messaging, search, imaging, and Internet telephony.

Facebook is expected to go public next month in a much-anticipated stock market debut. The company will trade on the technology-heavy Nasdaq exchange under the symbol “FB,” it said in a filing with US regulators.

Facebook in February filed to go public and could raise as much as $10 billion in the largest flotation ever by an Internet company on Wall Street.

The paperwork filed for the initial public offering provided the first glimpse of the financial details of the web giant launched eight years ago by Mark Zuckerberg from his Harvard University dorm room.

Facebook amended its filing on Monday to report quarterly profit slipped to $205 million despite a surge in revenue as it bumped up research and promotion expenses ahead of its stock market debut.

Facebook has also been incurring the cost of shifting operations to a former Sun Microsystems campus in the California city of Menlo Park.

Facebook said that net income in the quarter ended March 31 dipped from the $233 million logged in the same period last year despite revenue vaulting to $1.06 billion.

While revenue improved year-on-year, it was down about six percent from the prior quarter.

Revenue nearly doubled to $3.7 billion in 2011, with most of it coming from targeted advertising gleaned from personal information shared by the hundreds of millions of users of the platform.

Facebook — the leading social network in all but six countries, notably China and Russia — has been valued between $75 billion and $100 billion.

Facebook recently filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission to warn potential investors that patent litigation being pursued by Yahoo! could deliver a significant blow to its business.

Early this month, Facebook fired back at Yahoo! with a countersuit charging that the floundering Internet pioneer is violating the social network’s patents — and not the other way around.

The move came after Yahoo! filed suit against Facebook in a California court last month accusing the social networking giant of infringing on 10 patents in several areas including advertising, privacy and messaging.

Sunnyvale, California-based Yahoo! asked the court to order Facebook to halt its alleged patent-infringing activities and to assess unspecified damages.

“Nothing about today’s action changes the fact that Facebook continues to infringe our patents,” Yahoo! said in an email response to an AFP inquiry.

“Companies who purchase patents are often working from a position of weakness and take these actions to strengthen their portfolio.”

The Internet Age is becoming as known for patent litigation as it is for online innovation.

From the makers of computer chips to creators of smartphones and designers of videogames, rivalries have spread from marketplaces to courtrooms with combatants warring over rights to use technology.
April 24, 2012
9:26
Palm-size base stations to replace cell towers
» ‎ Capital Tech

The massive, expensive and energy hungry mobile base stations will soon be a thing of the past thanks to a new technology launched by Alcatel-Lucent.

The LightRadio is a cube-shaped miniature base station that was launched in February last year. Alcatel’s own research shows lightRadio reduces energy consumption of mobile networks by up to 50 percent, and costs less than half to build and maintain than conventional cell towers.

Alcatel-Lucent’s technology bundles frequencies into smaller but powerful antennas which can be mounted on pole or sides of buildings. This will allow off-grid communities access broadband through wireless networks.

“LightRadio uses IP microwave which really helps because many parts in Africa have not been reached by the fibre cable,” said Daniel Jaeger, Alcatel-Lucent’s Vice-President for Africa.

Jaeger says Alcatel-Lucent has been working with four of the biggest telecommunications company in Europe, Asia and Middle East to deploy lightRadio.

“We have embarked in a co-creation program with the telecom players to push forward the realization of the vision of the next generation mobile access network on lightRadio,” explains Jaeger.

It is expected operators will pass the cost savings to the end users as a result of cheaper and more efficient technology, enabling more people in Africa to access services and information through mobile broadband
April 23, 2012
12:40
Innovative green mobile that wears like a bracelet
» ‎ Capital Tech

With multi-national South Korean firms leading the way in design and advanced technology recently, there’s no doubt that South Koreans have established themselves as a force to be reckoned with in the tech world.

The latest innovative design and technology solution out ofSouth Koreais The Leaf, a wearable bracelet phone that incorporates solar cells. Designed by Seungkyun Woo and Junyi Heo, the main objective of the basic phone that only can call and message, is to remind people that they can contribute to energy efficiency.

With solar cells on the phone and also on the dock for charging, searching for an electrical socket to charge your phone will not be an issue anymore. For gloomy days during the rainy season, The Leaf is also equipped to charge via electricity.

What really makes The Leaf an interesting product is its wearability as a bracelet. No more dropping your mobile in the toilet or getting it snatched out of your hands. The keypad is designed in an organic layout like the spaces marked by the veins of leaf.

What do you think?
April 20, 2012
12:39
3D game SPARX designed to battle depression
» ‎ Capital Tech

A computer game designed to lift teenagers out of depression is as effective as one-on-one counselling, New Zealand doctors reported on Thursday in the British Medical Journal (BMJ).

Researchers at the University of Auckland tested an interactive 3-D fantasy game called SPARX on a 94 youngsters diagnosed with depression whose average age was 15 and a half.

SPARX invites a user to take on a series of seven challenges over four to seven weeks in which an avatar has to learn to deal with anger and hurt feelings and swap negative thoughts for helpful ones.

Used for three months, SPARX was at least as effective as face-to-face conventional counselling, according to several depression rating scales.

In addition, 44 percent of the SPARX group who carried out at least four of the seven challenges recovered completely. In the conventional treatment group, only 26 percent recovered fully.

“Use of the programme resulted in a clinically significant reduction in depression, anxiety and hopelessness, and an improvement in quality of life,” according to the study led by Sally Merry, an associate professor at the Department of Psychological Medicine.

The adolescents also gave a high rating to SPARX, saying they liked being able to use it at home and to learn at their own pace.

Eighty percent said they would recommend the computer therapy to others, although the treatment-as-usual group had similarly high approval ratings.
April 17, 2012
12:28
BAKE Awards to recognize Kenyan bloggers launched
» ‎ Capital Tech
Remember this man does not care about you, he only cares about himself. He doesn’t add any value to your life whatsoever and once he has milked your finances dry you cease to exist to him! So by any means if you spot him early…avoid him like the plague.

The first ever Blog Awards will be held in April 2012 to recognize outstanding Kenyan bloggers in different fields.

The Bloggers Association of Kenya (BAKE) have organised the awards to promote and encourage creation of local content.

“The idea is to recognize bloggers that post consistently, have great and useful content, and creative and innovative,” says BAKE.

Participants submitted their blogs from mid March to April 10^th. Judges are now in the process of picking the top five in each of the 14 categories.

The public will then vote through an online system where the winners will be picked and awarded at a Gala on May 5^th.

The BAKE Blogs Awards will be an opportunity for upcoming bloggers to get exposure and recognition, according to Mwirigi, one of the organizers of the awards.

“Blogs that are not in the “elitist, exclusive blogroll”, blogs written by people who may not be very well known or popular on Social Media but have great content…we feel the awards will be a great opportunity for new blogs/bloggers to showcase themselves,” says Mwirigi.

The 14 blog categories are:
1. Technology blog
2. Photography
3. Creative Writing
4. Business
5. Food
6. Agriculture
7. Fashion
8. Politics
9. Best new blog
10. Best Corporate blog
11. Best General blog
12. Best Sportst blog
13. Tweep of the Year – Individual (Best Twitter user inKenya)
14. Tweep of the Year – Corporate
April 16, 2012
13:59
Africa’s ancient art included in Google’s virtual museum
» ‎ Capital Tech

Lovers of art can now explore the mystic ancient African art and sculptures at the comfort of their desk thanks to Google’s amazing virtual museum.

Launched last year, the Google Art Project initially brought 1,000 images from nine countries online, allowing art fans to explore the high resolution images at the click of the button.

The Art Project has rapidly expanded to include 30,000 artworks from 46 museums across the world, including the Tate Gallery in London, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City and Uffizi museum in Florence.

Works of art available online include world renowned artiste Vincent van Gogh, Hans Holbein the Younger and Vittore Carpaccio.

Now African art will be included in the virtual museum, allowing users to take virtual surreal tours of partner museums and get details of the artworks on display. The walk-through feature on the art project uses Google’s Street view technology.

“We are particularly excited to have collaborated with the Rock Art Research Institute in Johannesburg and with the South African National Gallery in Cape Town,” announced Google Africa in a blog post.

Google has upgraded the art site (www.googleartproject.com) to include G+ integration, hangouts, personalized art galleries and more educational features.

“The Art Project is no longer just about students in Africa and Asia wanting to visit, for example, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. It is now also about the American students wanting to explore African artistic heritage,” said Google.
April 12, 2012
8:42
The real reason why Facebook bought Instagram
» ‎ Capital Tech

The simple and straight forward answer; Instagram was the biggest threat to Facebook’s mobile photo sharing feature.

What makes Instagram so cool and popular is the ability to customize the photos by applying filters, making the photos appear very professional and instantly sharing on social networks including Instagram’s own.

The growth of Instagram has been phenomenal. Just two years after its launch, Instagram hit 30 million accounts this month with users uploading over 150 million photos. Instagram’s free iPhone app became the number one app in the App store with over 15 million downloads, immediately Facebook acquired it.

When Instagram launched the Android app, over 1 million downloads happened within the first 24 hours.

The success has come with just a staff of 13 people led by the co-founders, Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger. Facebook’s $1 billion acquisition (in cash and stock) of Instragram has raised eyebrows especially seeing the photo sharing startup was valued at $100 million a year ago, and with no concrete business model.

Unlike other companies that have been bought (and killed) by Facebook, Instagram will be allowed to continue on its success path, as Mark Zuckerberg said as he announced the acquisition;

“We believe these (facebook and Instagram photo sharing) different experiences that complement each other. But in order to do this well, we need to be mindful about keeping and building on Instagram’s strengths and features rather than just integrate everything into Facebook.”

It seems part of the deal was for Instagram to operate independently of Facebook, but leverage on each other’s strength.

“It’s important to be clear that Instagram is not going away. We’ll be working with Facebook to evolve Instagram and build the network…the Instagram app will be same you know and love. You’ll have the all the same people you follow and that follow you. You’ll still be able to share other social networks,” said Kevin Systrom, CEO Instagram.
April 11, 2012
9:33
Medical doctors win ICT innovation award
» ‎ Capital Tech

Two medical doctors have bagged the top ICT innovation award for their remote health solution that makes it possible for doctors to diagnose patients without physically meeting them.

Partnering with an IT professional, the physicians built Medisoft East Africa to encourage the use of ICT in the medical field, after the two radiologists realized that main reasons why practices have not tapped existing technology to improve productivity was mainly limited information on available solutions and time to find the information.

“Our aim was never to make money but on offering a solution. The award has really motivated us,” says Dr. Kanake Ndii, a radiologist and one of the firms’ directors. Kanake is currently a Masters student at the University of Nairobi.

MediSoft, which also won in the Health Care Delivery category, specializes in radiology services and integrated archiving services. Some of the services include a filmless printing solution and a radiology information system that can be deployed by hospitals and clinics.

Other winners include Green Dreams Tech Ltd with their product (icow) in the Agriculture category, Digital Divide Data Kenya in the Business Process Outsourcing sector, Kuza Biashara who bagged an award in Education and Training.

The winners were recognized at a ceremony held at Leisure Lodge, Diani at the Connected Kenya Summit 2012.

The awards, on their second year running, hopes to recognize and celebrate Kenyans, who have developed ICT solutions that drive economic growth and social development as outlined in Kenya’s Vision 2030.

This year the judges reviewed more than 400 entries in a stiff competition that saw thousands of entries made at the online platform.

In last year awards, International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), was the overall winner.
April 10, 2012
9:02
Facebook buys Instagram photo app for $1 bn
» ‎ Capital Tech

Facebook on Monday announced a billion-dollar-deal to buy the startup behind wildly popular smartphone photo sharing application Instagram.

The big ticket purchase was seen by some as a move by Facebook to strengthen defenses against Google and blazingly hot newcomer Pinterest in the weeks ahead of what promises to be a history-making stock market debut.

“For years, we’ve focused on building the best experience for sharing photos with your friends and family,” Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg said in announcing the deal.

“Now, we’ll be able to work even more closely with the Instagram team to also offer the best experiences for sharing beautiful mobile photos with people based on your interests.”

Zuckerberg called the acquisition “an important milestone for Facebook because it’s the first time we’ve ever acquired a product and company with so many users” but promised it was a rare acquisition.

An Instagram application tuned to Apple’s iPhones, iPads, and iPod touch devices has been downloaded more than 30 million times since the first version was released in late 2010 by the San Francisco startup.

A version of the application tailored for smartphones power by Google-backed Android software racked up more than a million users in the 24 hours after its release last week.

“Instagram has built a sizable mobile photo sharing community,” said NPD analyst Linda Barrabee.

“Clearly the value-proposition of Instagram’s offering is a solid fit for Facebook.”

The free mini-program lets people give classic looks to square photos using “filters” and then share them at Twitter, Facebook or other social networks.

Apple crowned Instagram its app-of-the-year for 2011.

“We’re psyched to be joining Facebook,” Systrom said in a message at the Instagram website.

“It’s important to be clear that Instagram is not going away,” he continued. “We’ll be working with Facebook to evolve Instagram and build the network.”

Facebook users flood the world’s largest social network with images to share with friends, but the website hasn’t proven to be an ideal stage for organizing pictures around topics — a forte that has made Pinterest a star.

“Facebook is pushing into the Pinterest space,” said analyst Tim Bajarin of Creative Strategies.

“The thing about Instagram and Pinterest is that they are really interesting in the context of posting pictures around topics,” he continued.

Silicon Valley analyst Rob Enderle said that Facebook is building a defense against Pinterest, which has been luring people’s attention from the social network.

Facebook in February filed for a stock offering and could raise as much as $10 billion in the largest flotation ever by an Internet company on Wall Street.

Facebook — the leading social network in all but six countries, notably China and Russia — claims more than 845 million users.

Facebook’s value has been estimated at between $75 billion and $100 billion.

“The Instagram buy could be worth tens of billions of dollars if it holds off Pinterest and Facebook remains on top, Enderle said.

“Given what Facebook is trying to do — get a massive valuation when it goes public — a billion dollars is a trivial sum.”
April 06, 2012
18:17
What’s so interesting about Pinterest?
» ‎ Capital Tech

While everyone thinks Facebook and Twitter have gobbled up online sharing, a simple idea of pinboard is transforming sharing, rapidly claiming its share of faithful users in the social sharing sphere.

Pinterest is a virtual pinboard that lets users organize and share images of stuff they find interesting on the web. Interests can be as varied as the individuals; from wedding decorations, recipes, fashion, cars, art etc. Members create and view pinboards created by other people, making it fun to discover and learn new things from people that share their interest.

The online pinboard has experienced phenomenal growth over the last one year, mostly in the US. It hit the ten million monthly unique visitors faster that any other website. Comscore, the communications research company, says Pinterest’s unique users grew by 85 percent between mid-January and mid-February to 11.5 million users.

“Our goal is to connect everyone in the world through the ‘things’ they find interesting. We think that a favorite book, toy, or recipe can reveal a common link between two people. With millions of new pins added every week, Pinterest is connecting people all over the world based on shared tastes and interests,” says the Pinterest mission statement.

Interestingly, 85 percent of US users are women – partly attributable to the site’s user-friendly interface that makes posting of images, sharing and commenting easier than most similar site.

The site was founded by Ben Silbermann in March 2010, but remained in closed beta before it opened to the public. Nine months after the launch the website had 10,000 users.

It was in 2011 that Pinterest really took off, featuring in Time Magazine of ’50 Best Websites of 2011’ and named the best startup of 2011 by Techcrunch.

Lately, copyright issues have threatened to curtail the growth of Pinterest because users tend to share photos they find online, sometimes infringing on copyright laws.

Do you use Pinterest? What makes it different? Please share.
April 05, 2012
10:12
Google shows off internet glasses
» ‎ Capital Tech

Google has given the world a glimpse of its vision for letting people look at life through Internet-tinted glasses.

A video posted at a Project Glass page at Google+ social network confirmed the rumor that the technology titan is working on eyewear that meshes the online world with the real world.

“We think technology should work for you — be there when you need it and get out of your way when you don’t,” members of the project team said in a Google+ post.

“A group of us from Google X (Labs) started Project Glass to build this kind of technology; one that helps you explore and share your world.”

Images showed people wearing eyeglasses with stylish silver frames that featured tiny cameras and on-lens displays to discretely show information such as walking directions, weather forecasts or messages from friends.

Built-in microphones let wearers command the Internet-linked glasses by speaking.

“We took a few design photos to show what this technology could look like and created a video to demonstrate what it might enable you to do,” Google said, stressing that the glasses were a concept far from being brought to market.

“We’re sharing this information now because we want to start a conversation and learn from your valuable input.”

The project team invited people to express ideas for the glasses at the Google+ page.

Google co-founder Sergey Brin is deeply involved with the California company’s X Labs, best known for its work on a self-driving car.

A YouTube video of legally blind Steve Mahan “driving” an autonomous Google car in his California neighborhood has been viewed more than 1.2 million times since it was uploaded on March 27.
April 04, 2012
11:44
More Kenyan enterprises embrace cloud technology
» ‎ Capital Tech

The cloud technology is fast gaining ground in Kenya as more businesses understand the benefits the cloud brings to their operations. The use of cloud technology to build and access applications hosted on virtual servers is enabling entrepreneurs and developers to cut costs and time.

A regional competition for developers held last year by Microsoft saw 10 of the 12 spots go to Kenyan developers. The 12, competing against other developers in East and Southern Africa, won a six-month free use of Microsoft’s cloud platform, Azure.

Africa’s Talking Limited and Olive Technology Limited are two such enterprises that have embraced the cloud to build and manage their platforms.

Olivine Technology aims to provide solutions to SME’s by developing simpler and automated systems.

“By building and running our software on the cloud, we have been able to cut cost and improve efficiency of our system by between 40 and 60 percent,” says Mark Mwaura, Business Development Director

The budding software company has built a supply chain software that helps SME’s manage their sales and inventory in an efficient and seamless manner.

“A lot of SME’s lose massive man hours and money reconciling their records and tracking what they have sold. So we came up with software that will make it easier for small and middle businesses to manage their inventory,” explains Mwaura.

Building on the cloud

As a result of the need-assessment, Olivine came up with the Automated Sales Inventory Manager (ASIM), a software that is accessible on PC and mobile.

Olivine developed the system using Windows Azure and Google cloud. This allowed the company to find a less-expensive platform of running the software which demands huge data traffic.

Joseph Karanja, Director of Sales and Marketing at Olivine says the pay-back-period of using the cloud is less than one year. The alternative would require SME’s to heavily invest in hardware servers and other directly related costs such as IT administrator and server rooms.

“The uptime is 99.9 percent which is really important when running such an operation. You cannot afford to have frequent downtimes,” says Karanja.

ASIM is especially useful for the Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) industry. Samchi Telecommunications, one of the largest airtime resellers in the country, is using ASIM to interconnect its 55 branches, while Pwani Cellular is using the software to track stock and sales in its four sites.

Africa’s Talking has also built its bulk SMS service on the cloud. Dubbed SMSLeopard, the service is an email approach to bulk and single SMS where users can send and receive SMS’s via an email system.

“With the inbox feature, recipients can reply to SMS’s and they get picked onto an inbox. That way, people receiving large amounts of SMS’s can respond to them from an online platform,” says Teddy Warria, Partner at Africa Talking.

Flexible and scalable

Teddy says hosting the service on the cloud has helped them sort out the issue of scalability.

“We can access higher bandwidth or storage in case of sudden upsurge of users. In addition, we also don’t worry about backup of data since the resources available to us ensure redundancy in back up.”

“In case one server in the cloud crashes a mirror server with same information is availed immediately,” explains Teddy.

The SMSLeopard service offers SME’s a cheaper and effective way of marketing their products and services. 95 percent of SMS’s are read within 4 minutes compared to regular emails.

As more Kenyan companies leverage on the power and flexibility of cloud technology, home-grown solutions will be easier to build and maintain.
April 03, 2012
10:04
Smartphones and their Apps help you cheat
» ‎ Capital Tech

It use to be called a “black book” – a small notebook bound with glue packaged in an incognito black with all the details of your clandes and sexual escapades. Now, mobile technology has drastically changed the way men and women do things, especially those in the “player” category.

Say goodbye to the stack of paper and business cards, the modern way of managing multiple women or men lies in how smart your mobile phone is.

With password protected contact books, multiple interchangeable interfaces for business or pleasure, different contact lists and even phone apps made for a player’s delight – smartphones have revolutionized the “black book.”

Here are just a couple of apps that you may want to purchase, or be on the look out for when you’re searching through someone else’s phone! Don’t say you haven’t informed!

BlackBook

Here’s an app for your Blackberry that takes a password protected list to the next level! If your clande calls, instead of their real name popping up on the screen, get this, a smoke screen appears instead! Best part? If someone is snooping around on your phone, they won’t find the app unless they know the secret code!

Fox Private Message

This one is for every scenario on your Android. Really a bang for the buck! Let’s say your sexting someone and your girlfriend walks in on you. Instead of looking guilty – deleting the message – you just have to shake the phone and the message disappears! Here’s another scenario. Let’s say you leave your phone accidently with your girlfriend. Whoops! Hakuna matata, just send a text to your phone with your secret code, and all your illicit evidence filed in a hidden list of messages will disappear.
March 28, 2012
14:19
Football app wins developer competition
» ‎ Capital Tech

Spot Kick, a football mobile app, won the inaugural Ignite Hackathon held this past weekend at the Startup Garage along Ngong Road.

The winning app is a product of Steven Mugo, who walked away with a cash prize of $5,000 (400,000). Ignite Hackathon was sponsored by Nokia, eMobilis and CapitalFM and aimed at creating mass apps for the S40 Nokia platform.

The two-day event saw over 80 developers, mainly University students, set camp at the Startup Garage. Judges assessed the apps based on the mass applicability, business viability, user interface and deployment on the S40 platform.

Spot Kick is a simple mobile game that allows players to shoot or play goal keeper. The app can also be played by multi-players and can be extended on PC’s.

“The greatest challenge was to develop the multiplayer aspect,” says Steven.

BriteSkills took the first runner’s up position taking home $3,000 (Sh240,000). Joe Okatch, Asmeret Gebre and Victor Karanja developed the app from the BriteSkills software that facilitates learning and teaching online.

Allan Onchuru and Dickson Ng’ang’a won the top media app, sponsored by CapitalFM. The two won a contract to develop the app further for CapitalFM.

In addition to the cash prizes, Nokia will help the developers publish their apps on the Nokia Store.
March 27, 2012
16:49
Mandela immortalized in digital archives
» ‎ Capital Tech

Google and the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory (NMCM) announced today that the new Nelson Mandela Digital Archive is now live on the web, freely accessible to the global public.

The archives include never-seen sequel manuscripts to Mandela’s Long Walk to Freedom autobiography.

Google gave a $1.25m grant to the Johannesburg-based NMCM in 2011 to help preserve and digitize thousands of archival documents, photographs and videos about Mr. Mandela.

Along with historians, educationalists, researchers and activists, users from around the world now have access to extensive information about the life and legacy of this extraordinary African statesman.

“It is invigorating to see our combined efforts become a reality,” said Verne Harris from the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory. “This digital initiative will make it possible for us to reach the full spectrum of our stakeholders, from the global elite to systemically disadvantage South Africans.”

The digital archive explores different parts of Mr. Mandela’s life and work in depth: Early life, prison years, presidential years, retirement, books for Mandela, young people and My Moments with a Legend.

The technology used for the Mandela Archive allows for hosting of mixed-media material, making those materials searchable and browsable, and also allows curators to curate the materials into exhibits. It uses Google Search, Google+ Photos for image serving, and YouTube for video streaming and serving.

Steve Crossan, Director of the Google Cultural Institute said: “The Mandela Digital Archive Project shows how the Internet can help preserve historical heritage and make it available to the world. We’ve worked closely with the NMCM to create an interactive online experience with powerful search and browsing tools, so that users can explore Mr. Mandela’s inspiring life story.”

“The Archive currently includes over 1900 unique images, documents and videos, and will grow over time,” said Luke Mckend, Country Manager for Google South Africa. “South Africans from all walks of life can now engage with important parts of our country’s history. For example, reading handwritten pages of a letter smuggled from Robben Island in 1977, or seeing Warrant documents that sent Mandela to jail first for 5 years and then for life.”

To start exploring the Nelson Mandela archive visit: http://archive.nelsonmandela.org
March 21, 2012
9:05
Nokia hosts mobile app competition ‘Ignite Hackathon’
» ‎ Capital Tech

Mobile technology company, Nokia in partnership with CapitalFM and eMobilis will host a two day mobile application development competition on 24th and 25th of March 2012.

The competition, dubbed ‘Ignite Hackathon’, will challenge participants to develop mobile apps for the masses using efficient code, well thought architecture, user experience and engagement.

The main aim of the hackathon is to release into the market applications that have mass market appeal and can adapt to the challenges that accompany rapid growth in user numbers.

“Many young developers do not have access to global publishing platforms and this is a great opportunity for them to get published on the Nokia Store and using the most popular platform, the Series 40,” said Ken Mwenda, Managing Director, eMobilis.

Ignite Hackathon is open to students and tech-prenuers who have an app that is near completion or an app idea that can be completed and published within the 36 hours of the event.

Nokia and CapitalFM will be rewarding top mobile apps developed during the hackathon. The winner will get a cash prize of $5,000 while the runners up and the second runners up will win $3,000 and $500 respectively.

CapitalFM has sponsored the media category where the winner of a media mobile app wins a lucrative contract to build the CapitalFM app.

There will also be consolation prizes for the 4th, 5th and 6th positions.

A resident mobile application specialist will guide the teams from start to finish. Winning applications will be published in the Nokia store.

The Hackathon will be held at the Piedmont Plaza, Ngong rd, 4th floor. Application deadline is 22nd, Thursday, March.

Interested developers can register here: http://ignitehackathon.com/registration

CapitalFM will be live streaming the event. Follow @capitalfm_kenya for updates
March 19, 2012
13:43
Sony unveils touchless display phone
» ‎ Capital Tech

Japanese electronics maker Sony has revealed a smartphone that allows users to browse the web by hovering a finger above links. Sony calls the technology “floating touch” user-interface.

Floating touch is part of the ongoing mobile industry attempt to include gesture control possibilities on phones. Apple, Microsoft and US are currently developing camera-based touchless technology.

But it is Sony’s Xperia Sola handset that is likely to go commercial with the touchless technology with handsets set to go on sale in the second half of 2012.

Sony hasn’t revealed the mechanics behind the technology but experts reckon the sola is probably fitted with sensors beneath the display, which detect the static electricity that floats around our body.

Apart from the floating touch interface, the Sony Xperia other features are ordinary for a smartphone; 8GB storage, 5MP rear-camera with auto-focus, 5 hour talk time and powered by Android 2.3.
March 16, 2012
9:39
Google making search smarter
» ‎ Capital Tech

Google says it is retooling its search machine to go beyond recognizing words in queries and begin understanding what it is people are asking for.

The California-based Internet titan is intent on adding “semantic” capabilities to automatically comprehend meanings of phrases and questions to better fetch the online information being sought.

“Right now, our understanding is pretty darn limited,” Google fellow and online search veteran Amit Singhal said of online search Thursday in a message posted at the company’s Google+ online social network.

“Ask us for the 10 deepest lakes in the US and we’ll give you decent results based on those keywords, but not necessarily because we understand what depth is or what a lake is,” he explained.

To make search smarter, Google is tapping into the virtual brain of a Freebase database of knowledge regarding what things are and how they relate to one another.

Google acquired the “open-source knowledge graph” when it bought San Francisco-based Metaweb Technologies in 2010 for an undisclosed sum.

“In the time since, we’ve grown (Freebase) from 12 million interconnected entities and attributes to over 200 million,” Singhal said.

“Our vision for this knowledge graph is as a tool to aid the creation of more knowledge — an endless cycle of creativity and insight.”

Traditional Internet search formulas recognize words typed into query boxes and then deliver links to websites that appear relevant.

Google did not reveal a timeline for the evolution to “semantic” capabilities.

Google is perpetually tuning its search engine, and in January wove content from its social network and Picasa photo-sharing service into its search formula to serve up personalized results to online queries.

“Search, plus Your World” lets people signed into Google accounts get search results that include content approved for sharing by them or friends at Google+ or Picasa.

“Let me just say that every day, we’re improving our ability to give you the best answers to your questions as quickly as possible,” Singhal said.

“So stay tuned for updates on what will continue to be a long road ahead.”
March 12, 2012
13:21
Kenyan events mobile app wins Africa competition
» ‎ Capital Tech

Afrosilicon has emerged the winner in the ‘Apps for Africa 2012′ competition, sponsored by Ericsson, Sony and Google. Afrosilicon submitted a mobile app idea that allows users to stay up to date with what’s happening, where it’s happening and why it’s happening.

Three students from JKUAT, who make up Afrosilicon, developed the ‘Funkies’ app that also notifies the user of upcoming events while allowing him/her to reserve a ticket for the event via mobile money partners, and even share details of the event via social networks.

Afrosilicon’s win comes barely weeks after another Kenyan developer – James Mwai – won a Nokia global challenge for his location-based mobile app

Lars Lindén, Head of Ericsson Region Sub-Saharan Africa said that innovative solutions coming from the continent, only confirms that there is much talent and thereby potential for the growth of society, life and business.

“The fact that almost 50 per cent of global submissions came from sub-Saharan Africa aligns with our vision of a Networked Society. We have been engaging with various industry stakeholders to drive this development, where people, knowledge, devices and information are networked,” said Linden.

This is the 3rd year for the Ericsson Application Awards global app competition, but the first year for a regional variant. The competition focuses on the Android platform for application developers in sub-Saharan Africa, considering the popularity of Android mobile apps.
8:52
Apple delays delivery of new iPad to market
» ‎ Capital Tech

NEW YORK, March 12, 2012 (AFP) – Smart phone manufacturer Apple announced Sunday it had posponed shipment of new iPads to market by three days, from March 16 to March 19.

No formal explanation was give when the company announced its decision on its website late Sunday.

It had been reported earlier that the new device, iPad’s third version since 2010, would be available in stores on Friday, March 16.

Asked about the reasons for the postponement, Apple did not respond immediately.

The new iPad boasts a more powerful processor, eye-grabbing resolution on par with that of an iPhone 4S, and the ability to connect to the latest 4G LTE telecom networks that move data faster than their predecessors.

It is due to be released simultaneously in 10 countries: the United States, France, Canada, Australia, Germany, Japan, Singapore, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and China.
March 08, 2012
9:57
What does Facebook Timeline mean for businesses?
» ‎ Capital Tech

Facebook introduced the new look timeline for brands last week, a few months after they introduced the timeline for personal profiles. Users have until 30th March to test timeline for pages in preview mode before switching completely. With the timeline layout, companies and brands can now tell their stories in a colorful and pictorial way. Here are more changes that have come with the Timeline;

More imagery

Just like timeline for profiles, brands and companies can now display bigger images on their profile. Facebook has adjusted the size of the Timeline cover photo from 540 x 180 pixels to 850 x 315 pixels in dimension. The effect is a mural-size home page look. However, the banners should not have any ‘call to action’ such as “Get it now” or “like”, neither should it have links or web addresses.

More social with Timeline

You can quickly see friends that like the brand or page, as well as your friends’ public mentions of related topics. The Timeline feature allows your fans trace your journey. You can chose to highlight major milestones on your timeline like product launch or a major award.

Power to the Admin

An admin panel has been added that allows administrators to manage the page without navigating to a separate page through a hide/view command. Page administrators can also select pieces of content and highlight them for several days, or even ‘pin’ special notices or messages on their homepage.

No more custom landing pages

You know the way you could assign a specific page to be the first page visitors see when they come to your facebook page? Well, you can’t do that anymore. While you can still create custom pages, the timeline remains the default landing page.

Prominent custom app tabs

The timeline layout displays customize tabs in a prominent and visible position using images unlike previous use of links to the tabs. But you will be limited to feature only three custom tabs.
March 07, 2012
9:56
US$7,000 bathroom mirror can update Facebook
» ‎ Capital Tech

At US$7,000 per unit, the Cybertecture Mirror is one of the most expensive bathroom mirrors in the world. So what makes this mirror-gadget so cool?

The Cybertecture Mirror will revolutionize multi-tasking in the bathroom since it’s a smartphone and flat-screen TV hybrid. You’ll be able to update your Facebook status, even Tweet about your frustrations in the bathroom, or check your stocks as you’re brushing your teeth, and even check the weather before you dash out of the house.

Other add-ons to the mirror include “Telemedicine” where the gadget will be able to automatically generate the users’ weight, body mass index, fat content, bone mass and water mass; and send it electronically to the users’ physicians.
March 06, 2012
15:02
Mobile business app launched in Kenya
» ‎ Capital Tech

A mobile app that helps users find important information on starting a business and investment opportunities has been launched. The ‘Doing Biz in Kenya’ app is available for download in the Nokia Store.

The app gives procedures on how to start and maintain a business, including information getting necessary documents for your business. Doing Biz in Kenya aims to reduce the risks associated with starting a business in Kenya by providing information to novice and experienced entrepreneurs.

The app also gives current business trends and investment opportunities available in the country.

Developed by local IT company, Shimba Technologies, Doing Biz in Kenya has seven sections; Start a Business, Investment opportunities, Trading across borders, Registering property, opening a branch in Kenya, help and about.

The app will help users navigate on crucial business procedures such as PIN and VAT registration, National Social Security Fund and cost implications of the process.

The Trading across borders section gives you information on the documentation needed to export products. It also lets you know how much it costs, the duration for customs clearance and any other information relevant to you.

For foreign investors, the ‘Opening a Kenyan Branch’ section gives a list of documentation needed and steps for certification.
March 05, 2012
11:32
Windows 8 open for free consumer preview
» ‎ Capital Tech

Microsoft has announced the release of the Windows 8 test version for consumers. The Windows 8 Consumer Preview offers a more robust experience for testing the world’s most popular operating system. This latest preview is available for download at http://preview.windows.com.

Microsoft says the Windows 8 is the next milestone of the Windows operating system.

“With Windows 8, we reimagined the different ways people interact with their PC and how to make everything feel like a natural extension of the device, whether using a Windows 8 tablet, laptop or all-in-one,” said Steven Sinofsky, president of the Windows and Windows live Division at Microsoft.

“The Windows 8 Consumer Preview brings no-compromise approach to using your PC.”

Microsoft has added a few nifty features on the Windows 8 including an app store filled with a variety of apps from both third-party developers and Microsoft. Windows 8 Consumer preview offers seamless integration with the content people care about across their Web services and comes with Internet Explorer 10.
March 02, 2012
10:46
Super cool gadgets at the Mobile World Congress
» ‎ Capital Tech

The annual Mobile World Congress is arguably the biggest event for the mobile industry. Over 60,000 people from 200 countries attended last year’s event. The city of Barcelona is hosting this year’s congress where the big boys in mobile telecoms have brought out their latest toys for a showdown. While a few gadgets and features may still be futuristic, some are just a few months from hitting retail stores. Here are just a few totally awesome features;

41 Megapixel camera

Nokia went all out with its Nokia 808 PureView that has camera features only comparable to professional cameras used by media houses and professional shoots. The power of the camera on the Nokia phone, for the camera lovers, is more powerful than the Canon EOS-1DX and Nikon D4, put together. It can zoom x100 without losing clarity.

Huawei’s super fast phone

The Chinese manufacturer claims its Huawei Ascend D quad is the world’s fastest phone. Powered by Android Ice Cream Sandwich, the Ascend D clocks 1.2/1.5GHz. Unlike most smart phones that run 32 bit processors, the Ascend D series runs at 64 bit, the same as PC’s.

Projector in a Samsung Galaxy

How cool can it get if we can project our photos, video or a power point presentation from a phone? Samsung Galaxy Beam can easily project a 3 feet image onto an 8 feet ceiling or wall.

LG’s half phone-half tab

The LG Optimus Vu has a super-bright 1024 x 768 display screen that puts it at the same level as the Galaxy Note, also on display at the Mobile World Congress. The Optimus Vu boasts one of the biggest screen, making viewing documents, books, internet pages and multimedia contents easier. (photo in gallery)

Water-powered phone charger

Swedish company, myFC, is showcasing a portable charger which uses just one spoonful of water and a small metallic device called a fuel puck, to fully charge up an iPhone.

Skype for Windows Phone 7

The new Skype app for Windows 7 allows you to make free audio and video calls to your Skype contacts over 3G, 4G or WiFi. The cool user interface has awesome graphics and images display, and makes it easy for multiple or group chats.

Car-phone redefined

The MWC has provided a platform for car and mobile manufactures to show their mashup. Porsche has linked up with BlackBerry, Mercedes-Benz with Apple’s Siri technology, Samsung and Toyota, and Ford’s own B-Max in-car technology.
February 29, 2012
10:31
Kenyan app developer wins Sh8.3 million for AroundMe
» ‎ Capital Tech

Kenyan mobile developer James Mwai has won Sh8.3 million for his mobile app ‘AroundMe’ at the just concluded Nokia Create for Millions challenge.

Mwai’s app beat ten other finalists in the ‘In the Know’ category, and hundreds of others that had entered the contest. AroundMe also beat other finalists to win Best Overall Series 40 Web App, tying with Colombia’s David Bello’s app, HeatMap.

AroundMe helps users to quickly find important businesses and services in their vicinity or any other location with a Nokia phone. The app is one of the most popular Kenyan apps in the Nokia Store with over 250,000 downloads.

In addition to the prize money, the winning apps will be promoted globally in various Nokia-owned channels. The developers will also receive a free user experience consultation from Nokia.

The winners in the four categories; Access to Knowledge, Emotional Closeness, Fun and Games and In the Know, were announced during the Mobile World Congress 2012, in Barcelona, Spain.
February 28, 2012
12:18
New Mercedes-Benz can update Twitter by voice
» ‎ Capital Tech

Luxury car manufacturer, Mercedes-Benz, has announced plans to integrate Apple’s voice command technology into its A-Class electronics system.

Dubbed the “Drive Kit Plus”, the system will let drivers access their iPhone apps while driving using voice commands. The integration will allow drivers to access their iPhone screens using the in-car system screen.

Siri will introduce drivers to a new level of hands-free driving with voice prompt commands to listen to music, change channels, send texts or make calls.

Users can also update their Twitter and Facebook account using the Siri feature in the Drive Kit Plus system. An additional feature that will ride on Apple’s Siri technology is the Garmin GPS system. Drivers will get directions through the surreal personal assistant that is Siri.

Mercedes-Benz will be the first carmaker to integrate Apple’s technology directly into the vehicle’s in-car system.

The Siri-powered feature will be showcased at the International Motor show in Geneva, next month.
February 27, 2012
11:41
Photoshop Touch for iPad 2 ready for download
» ‎ Capital Tech

iPad 2 users will be delighted to know that Adobe’s Photoshop Touch will be available for download fully on Monday.

Photoshop Touch, long available for Android users since November 2011 (hence the above screenshot), is the first in six touch-optimized apps to be release by the software giant. It has fairly extensive features to be enjoyed at $9.99, including its famous layers for combining multiple photos and photo effects that can rival that of Instagram, since it also supports Facebook and e-mail photo sharing.

Source:
Geeky-gadgets.com
February 24, 2012
14:47
PlayStation Vita game gadgets debut outside Asia
» ‎ Capital Tech

Sony’s slick PlayStation Vita handheld videogame gadget hit major markets around the world on Wednesday as the Japanese entertainment titan bucked a trend towards play on smartphones.

Sony packed movies, music, and the Internet into PS Vita handsets along with what it called the “biggest and best launch lineup” of games in PlayStation history.

Vita became available on Wednesday in Europe, Australia, Canada, Latin America and the United States.

Vita handsets that link to the Internet with Wi-Fi only were priced at $250 in the United States while models also capable of connecting to 3G telecom networks were priced at $300. AT&T is the exclusive US carrier for Vita.

“Today marks a historic day for the PlayStation brand and our fans,” said Sony Computer Entertainment America president Jack Tretton. “PlayStation Vita is the most powerful and connected portable gaming system ever created.”

Vita is the first gaming handset to provide play as compelling as that on PlayStation 3 consoles, according to Tretton.
Anyone that owns a PS3 and a Vita can start games on one device and continue playing on the other, according to Sony.

Vita debuted in the US market with access to popular streaming film and television service Netflix.

Sony also made its own Music Unlimited service available on Vita devices in United States.

The Japanese film, music and consumer electronics colossus has sold more than a half million Vita devices since it launched in Asia in December, according to executives.

Vita made its worldwide debut in Japan on December 17 and was released elsewhere in Asia close to the end of the month.
The next-generation PlayStation Vita aims to take a bite out of the growing smartphone games market.

It features a five-inch (12-centimetre) LED touch screen, two cameras and a GPS receiver.

Game software ranging from “Angry Birds” and “Scrabble” to first-person shooters and car racing titles are consistently the most popular “apps” for smartphones.

Vita boasts exclusive blockbusters such as “Uncharted: Golden Abyss” and Electronic Art’s “FIFA Soccer.”
February 23, 2012
10:24
Google Earth goes under water in Australia
» ‎ Capital Tech

An ambitious endeavour that will see more than 50,000 high resolution photographs digitally stitched together, will allow Google Earth users to take a virtual dive 100 meters under the ocean’s surface around the Great Barrier Reef.

After successfully mastering street-level photography in almost all corners of the world, Google Earth is now busy documenting the planet’s landmass underwater.

Users will soon be able to take a swim through the World Heritage Site, Great Barrier Reef in Australia, in the comfort of their own home through the internet.

Thousands of 360-degree underwater panoramas will be collected over the next several months with the sub-aquatic version of the equipment used for Google Street View.
February 22, 2012
11:08
LG unveils a new tablet-like smart phone
» ‎ Capital Tech

Giant electronics manufacturer, LG, has launched its latest smart phone – the Optimus Vu. The tablet-like smart phone is equipped with LG’s advanced Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology and IPS display.

The launch of LG’s Optimus Vu comes just weeks after Samsung launched Galaxy Note – a device seen as LG’s counter product to the Galaxy Note.

The Optimus Vu provides enhanced brightness, resolution, as well as clarity. According to LG, the HD IPS technology displays colors in their natural tones. IPS displays are considered much better than AMOLED displays in terms of color accuracy, brightness, battery efficiency and performance.

Running on a powerful 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 32GM internal memory and a large 2,080 mAh battery, the Optimus Vu is a multimedia lover’s dream device.

“The Optimus Vu: was designed to maximize what customers could do with a smart phone,” said Dr. Jong-seok Park, President and CEO of LG Mobile Communications Company.

“By offering an optimal 4:3 ratio viewing experience, 5-inch display combined with superfast LTE technology, Optimu Vu: is just one example of what we can achieve when we combine our best technology with customer needs,” added George Mudhune, Marketing and Communications Manager for East and Central Africa.

The large 5-inch display with bright 4:3 aspect ration makes viewing documents, books, internet pages and multimedia contents easier and more comfortable.

The Optimus Vu: comes with 32GB memory and an 8-megapixel camera (rear) and 1.3MP (front). While it will initially launch running Android 2.3 Gingerbread, an update to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich is already in the works.

The LG smart phone is due for mass retail early March.
February 21, 2012
10:15
3 cool Japanese gadgets
» ‎ Capital Tech

The Japanese have always been known for their creativity when it comes to practical electronics and gadgets. But, as the next 3 Japanese gadgets prove, impracticality is also what makes a good toy.

Enter: Tengu

Here we have a cute little white plastic brick with a face made of LEDs. The tiny microphone in the base picks up sounds in the room, whether it’s music, or your loudmouth boss, and makes his mouth move in time. It’s like he’s lip synching to the song! Kinda like Britney, only much much smaller, and probably smells better.

He’s USB powered, so plug him in to any powered USB port, set him near your favorite sound-source, and your little buddy will perform for you all day long!

Enter: Tuttuki Bako Poking Box

This new interactive toy from Japan involves sticking your finger in a hole on the side of the box to interact with a virtual environment.

Enter: H-Bouya

Here’s the weirdest toy, designed by Cube in Japan: the H-Bouya! The ‘H’ used in the name may also mean ‘erotic’ in Japanese (‘H’ is pronounced “eechi” = erotic). So you can say this is the Erotic Boy! H-bouya is plugged into a USB port, and each time the keyboard’s ‘H’ key is hit, it turns red and its eyes blink!
February 20, 2012
10:03
Twitter re-designs to improve user experience
» ‎ Capital Tech

Popular micro-blogging site, Twitter, has made a raft of changes to its pages to boost the appeal of the message-sharing service to users around the world. Among the changes Twitter has made include the log-in page and timeline – which has moved to the right, switching positions with the trending topics.

“At the very core there are fewer places you have to click and less you have to learn,” Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey said as he and other executives unveiled the changes at the startup’s San Francisco headquarters.

“We’ve done a lot of user testing and it has proven to be much simpler,” Dorsey added.

The re-design was described as a platform on which the service will build to reinforce its effort to “reach every person on the planet.”

Twitter designed Connect navigation tolls that essentially turn those symbols such as @ and #, or web addresses, to let people find all posts or other information being fired off about topics.

Twitter also expanded profile pages, letting users tell more about themselves or, in the case of companies, their brands.

The Twitter overhaul completed on Thursday includes new Timeline that brings together all Twitter chatter or content related to a particular “tweet”.

New tabs have been added at the top of pages, allowing people to quickly navigate between Home, Connect, Discover, and Me.

The Connect page lets users search Twitter using the @ sign. The bottom of the Connect page allows people to tap on Interaction or Mention tabs that show who is responding or rebroadcasting their tweets.

“We have to provide the simplest, fastest way for people around the world to connect with everything they care about,” said Twitter CEO, Dick Costolo. “This wasn’t just a change in the interface; this was a company effort.”
February 14, 2012
10:43
Mobile apps to spice up your Vals
» ‎ Capital Tech

Valentine’s Day is a special day to many lovers across the world. Spending time and money together is almost inevitable and it wouldn’t hurt if you have a mobile app to help you make that delicate decision of what to buy, where to dine or where to visit. So if you’re single and searching, no need to despair. There are a handful android and iphone apps that you can use to pamper yourself or just fool around with that ‘person of interest’.

For Android, you can send special email and Facebook messages using the Candy Hearts app or if you are the mushy type, download Spotify, TuneIn Radio or Deezer to listen to romantic music.

If you are thinking of taking her to dinner and you have no idea where, just use Google Maps to find restaurants and see reviews. Or maybe you just want a quite evening indoors, to maybe make a meal together and watch a movie, even if the only meal you can comfortably cook is the not-so-romantic-Ugali. Android apps will come to your culinary rescue.

Epicurious and Cooking Conversions will give you a list of recipes you can use including chocolate recipes, while on the side you can use Swirl Wine Guide and Mixology to pair and mix drinks at home.

In addition to these apps, you can also get Valentine’s Day HD live wallpaper, Bubble Blast Valentine, Valentine’s Day Ideas & Romantic Ideas, love horoscopes and Valentine’s Day Fun Facts.

For iPhone, Pocketbooth allows you to turn your iPhone into a photo booth complete with an image strip and several customizable features. For the singles, OkCupid iPhone app can help you find that someone special online.

Just because you don’t have a smart phone does not mean you can’t use your phone to express your feelings. You can use an app called SMS, all phones have it…so go on, send that special text. Happy Valentines!

(BY KEN MACHARIA)
February 10, 2012
8:30
Japan scientist makes ‘Avatar’ robot
» ‎ Capital Tech

A Japanese-developed robot that mimics the movements of its human controller is bringing the Hollywood blockbuster “Avatar” one step closer to reality.

Users of the TELESAR V don special equipment that allows them not only to direct the actions of a remote machine, but also to see, hear and feel the same things as their doppelganger android.

“When I put on the devices and move my body, I see my hands having turned into the robot hands. When I move my head, I get a different view from the one I had before,” said researcher Sho Kamuro.

“It’s a strange experience that makes you wonder if you’ve really become a robot,” he told AFP.

Professor Susumu Tachi, who specialises in engineering and virtual reality at Keio University’s Graduate School of Media Design, said systems attached to the operator’s headgear, vest and gloves send detailed instructions to the robot, which then mimics the user’s every move.

At the same time, an array of sensors on the android relays a stream of information which is converted into sensations for the user.

The thin polyester gloves the operator wears are lined with semiconductors and tiny motors to allow the user to “feel” what the mechanical hands are touching — a smooth or a bumpy surface as well as heat and cold.

The robot’s “eyes” are actually cameras capturing images that appear on tiny video screens in front of the user’s eyes, allowing them to see in three dimensions.

Microphones on the robot pick up sounds, while its speakers allow the operator to make his voice heard by those near the machine.

The TELESAR — TELexistence Surrogate Anthropomorphic Robot — is still a far cry from the futuristic creations of James Cameron’s “Avatar”, where US soldiers are able to remotely control the genetically engineered bodies of an extra-terrestrial race they wish to subdue.

But, says Tachi, it could have much more immediate — and benign — applications, such as working in high-risk environments, for example the inside of Japan’s crippled Fukushima nuclear plant, though it is early days.

“I think further research and development could enable this to go into areas too dangerous for humans and do jobs that require human skills,” he said.

Japan’s famously advanced robot technology was found wanting during the crisis at Fukushima, where foreign expertise had to be called on for the machines that went inside reactor buildings as nuclear meltdowns began.

Tachi said a “safety myth” had grown up around atomic technology, preventing research on the kind of machines that could help in the wake of a disaster.

But he said his kind of robot technology could help with the long and difficult task of decommissioning reactors at Fukushima — a process that could take three decades.

A remote-controlled android that allows its user to experience what is happening far away may have more than just industrial applications, he added.

“This could be used to talk with your grandpa or grandma living in a remote place and deepen communications,” he said.
February 08, 2012
8:45
ICT Board launches software certification program
» ‎ Capital Tech

The Kenya ICT Board has partnered with the Carnegie Mellon University to introduce a certification program that will offer credential examination for software developers in Kenya.

The program, dubbed ‘Chipuka’, is designed to examine the skills of software developers in a more holistic and relevant manner than existing programs, according to the Board.

“Others certify competence for only certain software environments or only a certain vendor’s tool set. Chipuka will be the first authentic examination that would be attuned to the needs of the industry in general and incorporate a broad selection of professional tools.”

The certification program is one of the solutions the ICT Board has lined up to address the software skills gap in the country.

A study carried out in 2011 by the Kenya ICT Board and IDC, revealed the skills gap in spite of the high demand for software development. The study revealed few companies source these skills locally.

“In order to spur innovation in ICT, we need our youth to be equipped with marketable skills,” says Dr. Bitange Ndemo, Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Information and Communications, “This certification will help us market our talent and grow the job market for young developers.”

A pilot exam will be ready by March 2013 while the certification should be fully operational in Kenya by October 2013.
February 06, 2012
11:31
Mobile Web conference secures key sponsorship
» ‎ Capital Tech

Two of the key regional players in the mobile web development space have committed to support the Mobile Web East Africa conference in Nairobi. iHub and m:lab East Africa have pledged their support for the East African event for mobile developers and entrepreneurs.

The two have emerged as the leading institutions for the incubation of entrepreneurs, research and development of mobile web applications.

The conference comes at a time when Kenya’s prominence in web and mobile development is on the rise globally. Several innovation and incubation centers have opened their doors to young developers and entrepreneurs while more companies are now developing or deploying customized web-mobile apps to support operations.

Mobile Web East Africa will focus on facilitating the growth of the mobile ecosystem in the region through interaction and relationship building.

“The conference is bound to bring together key stakeholder contributing to the growth of the mobile web and related economic platforms in the region,” said John Kieti, manager of m:lab East Africa.

“It is complementary to the work we are doing at m:lab East Africa to help nurture mobile entrepreneurship so it was an easy decision to formally support the conference.”

Mobile Web East Africa, organized by All Amber, will have interactive round table sessions and has attracted acclaimed local and international mobile-web strategists.

Hamilton Juma, Manager of *iHub said the conference will help foster the growth of the ecosystem.

“iHub is really pleased to be linking up with All Amber on Mobile Web East Africa 2012. It’s a fantastic event, so we’re glad to be a part of it and to have some of our members demonstrating their work.”

The event will be held at the Southern Sun Mayfair hotel in Nairobi on 22nd and 23rd February 2012. Due to the interactive roundtable seating format, attendance is limited to 140 people; the venue is already over 2/3 full so early booking is highly recommended. Registrations can be made at www.mobileeastafrica.com and start-up companies and application developers are eligible for a 50% discount on attendance.

iHub and m:lab East Africa joins other partners that have pledged their support for the conference including CapitalFM which will be live streaming the event.
February 02, 2012
11:03
Samsung opens Engineering Academy in Kenya
» ‎ Capital Tech

The second Samsung Engineering Academy in Africa has opened in Nairobi as the pilot phase in South Africa comes to an end. The giant electronics manufacturer is working to establish engineering academies in selected African countries as part of its strategy to fast-track the entry of youth into the electronics job market.

The Engineering Academy program has a short-term goal of developing 10,000 Electronic Engineers across the continent by 2015.

The first batch of South African Engineers graduated from the academy after 10 months of training.

120 students from PC Kinyanjui and Kabete Technical have been selected to join the Kenya Academy, which will be located at the Woodvale Centre in Westlands, Nairobi.

The students will receive hands-on, practical skills training at no cost. After the training, Samsung will give the students an opportunity to intern at their service centres, and thereafter, serve as independent service technicians or employees in their retail channel outlets in the region.

“We believe we can best achieve our goal of positively impacting communities in which we operate by connecting our CSR initiatives to our history and core business,” says Samsung Business Leader East Africa, Robert Ngeru.

“Our aim is to promote co-operation, innovation and the exchange of new ideas in technology so that our products and technologies continue to respond to the real needs and conditions of the continent.”

Samsung plans to launch the third Academy in Nigeria in the first quarter of this year.

The academies are a part of the company’s global ‘Hope for Children’ initiative, which places a strategic focus on bringing attention to the worldwide need for childhood education and healthcare in an effort to improve communities worldwide.
February 01, 2012
9:16
Intel to launch new laptop model in Kenya
» ‎ Capital Tech

Leading computing international company, Intel, will unveil the Ultrabook in Kenya in the coming few weeks. According to Intel, the new model is touted to be the thinnest and lightest gadget in the PC stable.

“The Ultrabook is a tablet when you want it to be and a notebook when you need it. It’s considered relatively cheaper than a macbook,” says Intel East Africa General Manager, Danie Steyn.

The Ultrabook will retail for less than Sh85,000. The first releases of the Ultrabook weigh less than 1.4 kg with a thickness of less than 21mm. Although Apple’s MacBook Air is more expensive at Sh120,000, it weighs less than the Ultrabook. The 11” MacBook Air weighs 1.08kg.

However, the MacBook Air and the Ultrabook go head to head in key areas including display, CPU (1.7 GHz Dual core), RAM, storage and graphics.

Intel’s vision for the Ultrabook, says Steyn, is to deliver a no-compromise, complete, satisfying and secure computing experience in one device. Some of the manufactures being powered by Intel Ultrabook technology include Acer, Dell, HP, Toshiba, Asus and Lenovo.

A few Ultrabook models debuted last year, but more than 75 Ultrabook designs are in the pipeline for 2012 and will come in a variety of screen sizes and styles. Intel says that it will later fuse together a compact laptop with a tablet to make it a thin, lightweight laptop, with some models featuring a detachable screen that can be used as a tablet.

Components from display panels, battery technology and storage solutions to motherboard and cooling technologies all had to be redesigned to fit into the new slim designs.

The Intel Rapid Start Technology will start-up the Ultrabook in a matter of seconds and has 8 to 9 hours of battery life.

Ultrabooks will also allow you to lock down your lost laptop with Intel® Anti-Theft Technology and give you peace of mind against identity theft when you are online with Intel® Identity Protection Technology.
January 30, 2012
14:20
Cellulant to power Barclay’s mobile banking
» ‎ Capital Tech

Kenyan mobile commerce service provider, Cellulant, has sealed a deal to provide digital services for Barclays Bank in key African markets. The partnership will see Barclays customers in 12 countries experience seamless mobile and internet banking in line with the Bank’s ‘One Africa’ strategy.

Barclays Corporate Banking Managing Director, John Gachora, explained that the new deal will facilitate the banks efforts to provide convenient consumer access platforms. The partnership will also allow the bank to innovate and develop new products and services for its customer across Africa.

Cellulant will provide a merchant/bill payment platform as well as a Mobile Network Operator (MNO) aggregator to facilitate mobile commerce solutions’ for Barclays Africa.

“The aggregator platform will be deployed in Ghana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Egypt, Mauritius, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda, Seychelles, Botswana and Kenya, thereby allowing its users across the continent to enjoy mobile banking, merchant payments and other banking services on a multi-channelled approach,” explained Cellulant’s Chief Business Officer, Paul Ndichu.

The partnership, which will also include ABSA, will be implemented in phases and will allow customers to be connected to different platforms across different value chains in Africa such as MNO wallets, banks, merchant bill payment gateways and content delivery channels to deliver a transformational experience on mobile.

Cellulant will be expanding its African footprint having established partnerships with 32 banks in Africa in providing mobile banking solutions.

Cellulant’s mobile commerce platform integrates different core banking systems with security features on encryption, channel management and business tools. The platform also aggregates banks channels such as ATM and internet banking and enable services such as card-less withdrawals, secure PIN management, SMS alerts and bill payments.
January 27, 2012
10:38
Join Kenya’s youth mobile community
» ‎ Capital Tech

YoungAfricaLive, a mobile platform community for the youth, has made its entrance into Kenya after launching in Tanzania in December. YoungAfricaLive (YAL) is an initiative of Praekelt Foundation and aims at informing and engaging young people in Africa on social issues through mobile and internet platforms.

Praekelt Foundation has partnered with Vodacom to launch the service in South Africa and Tanzania. YAL is now available through the SafaricomLIVE portal on www.safaricom.com/wap.

Safaricom’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Nzioka Waita, said the partnership would be critical to the digital inclusion agenda.

“We believe that the best way to improve the utility and therefore take-up of the internet among the youth of Africa and Kenya in particular, is by having relevant content on it and making it accessible to them,” said Waita.

Gustav Praekelt, the founder of the Praekelt Foundation, expressed confidence that young Kenyans will embrace the mobile platform with the same passion that their counterparts in Tanzania and South Africa have to create a community that informs, supports and entertains.

“To follow-up a very successful launch in Tanzania late last year, YoungAfricaLive: Kenya is a great way to start 2012.”

Launched in 2009 in South Africa, YAL started out as a way of providing young South Africans with free access to information on love, sex, relationships in a time of HIV/Aids through mobile device.

It has now turned into a community of engaged young people who use YoungAfricaLive to gain reliable information, discuss issues, have fun and gain the support and input of their peers.

Praekelt Foundation was acknowledged for the success of YoungAfricaLive by winning the regional and global gold awards for Social Impact at the Mobile Marketing Awards for Innovation, Creativity and Leadership in Los Angeles in November, 2011
January 26, 2012
12:04
Kenya is Africa’s 2nd most active on Twitter
» ‎ Capital Tech

Kenya is the second most active country in Africa on the social networking site Twitter, with 2,476,800 tweets posted in the fourth quarter of 2011, according to new research released on Thursday.

South Africa led the pack with 5,030,226 tweets in the same period as revealed by the new study dubbed How Africa Tweets that analysed over 11.5 million geo-located Tweets across the continent.

Other countries evaluated were Nigeria that came in third with 1,646,212 tweets followed closely by Egypt at 1,214,062 and Morocco with 745,620 tweets.

Youth tweeting on mobile phones were also found to be the main drivers of Twitter’s growth in Africa, with 60 percent of the continent’s most active tweeters between the ages of 20 and 29.

As the fastest-growing mobile market in the world, Africa has grown almost 20 percent each year for the past five years; such statistics are evident in the number of tweets sent via mobile devices standing at 57 percent.

In Kenya alone handset purchases increasing by more than 200 percent after the government abolished the 16 percent general sales tax on mobile handsets in 2009.

A GSM Association report on Africa’s mobile phone industry expects there will be more than 735 million subscribers by the end of 2012.

How Africa Tweets polled 500 of Africa’s most active tweeters, 81 of whom said they mainly used the social networking service to communicate with friends, while 60 percent said they used it to monitor news and another 22 percent used Twitter for employment opportunities.

In general, African Twitter users were active across a range of social media, including Facebook, YouTube, Google+ and LinkedIn.

The study was conducted by communications consultancy firm Portland Communications and UK based media platform Tweetminster carrying out a pan-African analysis of Twitter traffic over the last three months of 2011.

Portland’s Partner for Digital Communications Mark Flanagan noted that the marked absence of business and political leaders from Twitter was a surprising finding, adding that it was a necessary mode of communication to engage the public.

“With some notable exceptions, we found that business and political leaders were largely absent from the debates playing out on Twitter across the continent. As Twitter lifts off in Africa, governments, businesses and development agencies can really no longer afford to stay out of a new space where dialogue will increasingly be taking place,” he said.

How Africa Tweets found that Twitter is helping to form new links within Africa, with the majority of those surveyed saying that at least half of the Twitter accounts they follow are based on the continent.

By VICTORIA RUBADIRI
January 24, 2012
11:37
Africa digital hubs initiative launched in Nairobi
» ‎ Capital Tech

80 digital hubs are to be set up across 6 Sub Saharan countries in a programme that aims to spur ICT innovation and integration in teaching and learning.

The Africa Digital Schools Project “Badiliko” is being implemented by the British Council and Microsoft who are injecting about Sh84 million in cash, staff and in-kind resources like equipment, books, etc.

The Badiliko programme kicked off in Nairobi with a four-day workshop that is going to train 90 educators from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Ethiopia.

The selected educators and school leaders will undergo the ‘Badiliko’ training course modules structured to equip teachers to become trainers of trainers. The training will aid teachers in preparing students with the knowledge and skills they need for life and work in the 21st century.

The digital hubs will be powered by Windows MultiPoint Server and supported by solar power and long-range Wi-Fi where necessary.

Speaking during the launch of the training at the Kenya School of Monetary Studies, Mark Matunga, Regional Education Manager, Microsoft East and Southern Africa said; “Through Partners in Learning, Microsoft has trained over 20,000 Kenyan educators not only on basic ICT skills, but also on ICT integration in Teaching and Learning. In addition Microsoft has generated over 230,000 email accounts in Kenya and 45,000 email accounts in Uganda for public school teachers.”

The project will draw lessons from similar work already underway in Africa by the British Council, and a commitment that Microsoft and other partners made at the Clinton Global Initiative in 2010 to build digital labs.

40 “lighthouse” schools have been built in Haiti, serving 24,000 students.
January 23, 2012
13:11
M-Calc among Apps4Africa winners
» ‎ Capital Tech

A Kenyan application – Mkulima Calculator – that will help farmers decide when to plant crops and how to select the best crops for a given location has emerged second in a regional app competition.

M-Calc, developed by four Strathmore Students, is designed to enhance farmers’ productivity by locating the nearest and best priced farm equipment shops with the help of automatic location detection.

The Apps4Africa East Africa challenge 2011 focused on apps that address climate change and attracted apps from Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania. All three East Africa winners support “climate-smart” agriculture in the region.

First place went to The Grainy Bunch, an application developed in Tanzania. The Grainy Bunch features a national grain supply chain management system that monitors the purchase, storage, distribution and consumption of grain across the entire nation.

Agro Universe, a mobile and web-based app from Uganda took the third place. The app creates a regional marketplace, helping communities prepare for pest- and drought-induced food shortages by linking communities to farmers with available produce.

The winner will receive $15,000 in cash prize, runners-up $7,000 and the third position will get $3,000.

In addition, the winners will also have access to additional follow-on opportunities provided by some of the competition partners who include the U.S Department of State, TED, Appfrica International, Hive Colab and the William James Foundation.

By KEN MACHARIA
7:25
Megaupload founder demands release
» ‎ Capital Tech

The founder of file-sharing site Megaupload.com appeared in a New Zealand court on Monday demanding to be released from prison and denying he had done anything illegal.

A judge reserved a decision until at least Tuesday on Kim Dotcom’s bail application as details emerged of his lavish champagne lifestyle involving fast cars and women while living in a mansion near Auckland.

Dotcom, also known as Kim Schmitz, was arrested with three accomplices following a raid on his home on Friday and he faces extradition to the United States to answer charges related to one of the largest ever cases of copyright theft.

He is among seven people indicted by the US Justice Department and FBI, which said he is “responsible for massive worldwide online piracy of numerous types of copyrighted works, through Megaupload.com and other related sites”.

Dotcom generated more than $175 million in criminal proceeds and caused more than $500 million in harm to copyright owners by offering pirated copies of movies, TV programmes and other content, according to a statement.

Dotcom has vigorously denied all charges against him, with his lawyer Paul Davison telling the bail hearing the 37-year-old German, who has New Zealand and Hong Kong residency, has not been involved in any criminal activity.

“This is not a case where there will be any concession by Mr Dotcom,” Davison told the North Shore District Court in Auckland.

However, prosecutor Anne Toohey described Dotcom as an “extreme” flight risk and explained that he had fled to Thailand when he was previously wanted on charges in Germany. She said electronic bail was also opposed as it would give Dotcom likely access to phones and the internet.

Meanwhile, a report in the New Zealand Herald has detailed claims about Dotcom’s lifestyle how he had a swimming pool filled with imported spring water.

And a documentary uploaded online shows Dotcom, surrounded by topless women and men spraying champagne on board a superyacht during a “crazy weekend” in Europe reported to have cost US$10 million.

“Fast cars, hot girls, super-yachts and amazing parties. Decadence rules,” said the blurb accompanying the documentary, which Dotcom dedicated to “all my fans”.

New Zealand police seized luxury cars worth US$4.8 million, including a 1959 pink Cadillac and a Rolls Royce Phantom, during Friday’s raid on Dotcom’s Auckland mansion.
January 20, 2012
10:55
New urinal video game for gents only
» ‎ Capital Tech

The gents (loo) just got interesting. Gaming companies in the UK and Japan have designed a lavatory console – just – for men.

The consoles are fitted on special urinals with pressure sensors and use the strength and precision of urine to gain points in different types of challenges. Miniature screens are fitted on top of the urinals allowing men to ‘aim’ properly.

Sega, the Tokyo-based gaming company, is rolling out consoles that it has called “Toylets” at urinals for men in bars around the country.

One of Sega’s Toylets is titled “Mannekin Pis”. It measures how hard the player can urinate. Another game, “Graffiti Eraser” requires a player to remove a picture by pointing a hose at the offending image.

UK Company, Captive Media, is piloting the video games in some bars in London. When not in use, the screens show ads and the game is only activated when a user approaches the monitor.

Gamers can post their scores on Twitter or Facebook using their mobile phones.
January 19, 2012
9:35
Facebook releases more content-sharing apps
» ‎ Capital Tech

(KEN MACHARIA) Social networking giants Facebook has given the green light to 60 new apps that allow users to post and share every aspect of their lives, from movies to books to food to fashion.

The initial batch of the apps includes contributions from companies such as Foodspotting, Rotten Tomatoes, Pinterest, TripAdvisor and e-reader Kobo.

“Whatever you love, whatever story it is you want to tell, you can add that to your timeline,” said Carl Sjogreen, director of platform products for Facebook.

Over time, the apps will track almost any aspect of life users prefer – from cappuccinos to world travels – and catalogue them into the Facebook “Timeline,” a new feature that essentially turns a personal profile into a virtual scrapbook.

“Whatever you love, whatever story it is you want to tell, you can add that to your timeline,” said Carl Sjogreen, director of platform products for Facebook.

Kenyan online content producers and marketers are likely to welcome the apps as it will mean users can easily share content from websites.

Someone reading an e-book from Kobo, for example, could highlight passages they want to share with Facebook friends. The app will automatically track which books they have finished or started reading and connect them with other Facebook users reading the same books.

While users of movie review website Rotten Tomatoes can share their reviews for their friends to see.

Developers were quick to emphasize user control over which actions appear on Facebook, an issue that has prompted concern among some privacy rights advocates since the apps were first announced last year.

Source: AFP
January 18, 2012
11:40
Yahoo! co-founder Jerry Yang resigns
» ‎ Capital Tech

(KEN MACHARIA) Jerry Yang, the co-founder of internet giant Yahoo! has resigned from the Board of Directors after serving Yahoo! in different capacities. Yang has also stepped down from Yahoo Japan Corp. and Alibaba, in which Yahoo! has shares. He co-founded Yahoo! in 1995 with David Filo.

“As I leave the company I co-founded nearly 17 years ago, I am enthusiastic about the appointment of Scott Thompson as Chief Executive Officer and his ability, along with the entire Yahoo! leadership team, to guide Yahoo! into an exciting and successful future,” Yang said.

Yang’s resignation is the latest of changes in the corporation that saw former CEO Carol Bartz hounded out of office, and replaced by Scott Thompson after a three month search for her replacement.

Yahoo!, which was one of the pioneering internet companies with search and content, has been struggling to find its footing after the entrance of Google’s search and email.

It was during Yang’s tenure as CEO that Yahoo! turned down a $47.5 billion takeover offer by Microsoft.

In a letter to Roy Bostock, the chairman of the Yahoo! board, Yang said “the time has come for me to pursue other interests outside of Yahoo!”

However, Third Point LLC demanded two more seats on the board and asked Yang to step down as a director, according to Bloomberg. Third Point CEO Daniel Loeb cited the “board’s inability or unwillingness to properly solicit true strategic alternative bids, let alone negotiate them,” in a November statement.
January 17, 2012
9:55
iPoo: design concept for the future?
» ‎ Capital Tech

It’s not enough for the Apple iPhone and iPad to have apps that tell you where the nearest public toilet is – depending on which part of the world you’re in.

Now digital artist Milos Paripovic has come up with a loo designed specifically for Apple fans.

He calls it the iPoo Toilet, and touts it as both stylish and modern.

The satirical structure is said to be compatible with the iPod, iPad 3, iPhone 5 and MacBook Air, jokes the designer.

But how far out is this concept? I wouldn’t put it past Apple to have the Flush 1 and Flush 2 option attached to their several high end gadgets, even for fun.

If toilets are already self-flushing after use, why would a designer loo not be the next venture?

Milos kids that the design of the loo reminds you of the Apple logo and would make you more popular with your friends and visitors.

“(The) toilet seat is even thinner than Macbook Air, made from the same superb material, so you can wipe urine splatters just as easily,” he says.

We have all seen the t-shirts with iPood written on them, who would like an iPoo in their houses?

Check out some more cool designs on Milos’ website.
8:10
Wikipedia to go dark to protest web piracy
» ‎ Capital Tech

Free online knowledge site Wikipedia will shut down for 24 hours later this week in protest at draft anti-online piracy legislation before the US Congress, founder Jimmy Wales said Monday on Twitter.

“Student warning! Do your homework early. Wikipedia protesting bad law on Wednesday!” Wales said on the microblogging site.

“‘Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.’ MLK – on Wednesday, Wikipedia demands,” Wales said, citing slain US civil rights leader Martin Luther King.

The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) is currently before the House of Representatives, while the Protect IP Act is the version before the Senate.

The draft legislation has won the backing of Hollywood, the music industry, the Business Software Alliance, the National Association of Manufacturers and the US Chamber of Commerce.

But last month, the founders of Google, Twitter, Wikipedia, Yahoo! and other Internet giants expressed concern over the two drafts, saying in an open letter that they would “give the US government the power to censor the Web using techniques similar to those used by China, Malaysia and Iran.”

“We urge Congress to think hard before changing the regulation that underpins the Internet,” they said. “Let’s not deny the next generation of entrepreneurs and founders the same opportunities that we all had.”

Wales said Wikipedia would go dark for a full 24 hours in English, saying: “Final details under consideration but consensus seems to be for ‘full’ rather than ‘soft’ blackout!”

“This is going to be wow. I hope Wikipedia will melt phone systems in Washington on Wednesday. Tell everyone you know!” he said.

Volunteer-staffed Wikipedia turned 11 years old on January 15th and boasts being the largest encyclopedia in history with more than 20 million articles in 282 languages.
January 16, 2012
12:35
Google says sorry over Mocality data ‘theft’
» ‎ Capital Tech

(KEN MACHARIA) Google has responded to accusations made by Kenyan online directory start-up, Mocality, that it unethically acquired confidential data to boost their business.

“We are mortified to learn that a team of people working on a Google project improperly used Mocality’s data and misrepresented our relationship with Mocality to encourage customers to create new websites,” said Google’s Nelson Mattos, Vice-President for Products and Engineering, Europe and Emerging Markets, in a statement.

“We’ve already unreservedly apologised to Mocality. We’re still investigating exactly how this happened, and as soon as we have all the facts, we’ll be taking the appropriate action with the people involved.”

The issue came into public light on Friday after Mocality published a post on their blog titled ‘Google, what were you thinking?’

The post, written by a Stefan Magdalinski, chronicles how Mocality instituted investigations after several Kenyan clients called to confirm if Google was in partnership with Mocality.

The calls to Mocality clients were allegedly meant to lure them to Google’s own initiative to bring small businesses online. ‘Getting Kenyan Businesses Online’ (GKBO) was launched last September with the aim of bringing small Kenyan businesses online by selling a DIY website package.

“Shortly after that launch, we started receiving some odd calls. One or two business owners were clearly confused because they wanted help with their website, and we don’t currently offer websites, only a listing. Initially, we didn’t think much of it, but the confusing calls continued through November,” states the post by Stefan.

According to Mocality, investigations began in December 2011 by analyzing server logs for a common pattern.

“We found a single IP/User-Agent combination that had accessed all these businesses”

After several technical enquiries relating to browser versions and IP address, Mocality discovered the IP address was registered to 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View (Google’s address).

Mocality, which has over 170,000 business listings gathered over a two year period, also recorded a few of the phone calls made by Google employees to business owners.

In an update, Stefan said he had indeed received a phone call from Google’s Sub-Sahara lead, Joe Mucheru, apologizing on behalf of Google.
January 13, 2012
12:02
Annual Google Science Fair kicks off
» ‎ Capital Tech

(KEN MACHARIA) Kenyan students have an opportunity to participate in a global science competition organized by Google and its partners. The Google Science fair is for students aged between 13 and 18 years and Kenyan students will join thousands of other students in submitting their science projects on an online platform.

“This year’s fair will be even more global than the last. We will be recognizing 90 regional finalists. 30 from the Americas, 30 from the Asia Pacific and 30 from Europe/Middle East/ Africa,” said a statement from Google.

The 90 finalists will be announced on 1st of April, after which the judges will choose the top 15, who will be flown to Google headquarters in California.

The entrants are divided by age; 13-14, 15-16, and 17-18. Students can enter any science project or idea that aims to address issues in their society, either individually or in a group of a maximum number of three people. The competition requires students to pose a question, develop a hypothesis and conduct science experiment to test it.

Last year’s winner, Harine Ravichandran from India, submitted an idea that would provide stable power in remote villages.

(HARINE RAVICHANDRAN)

The science fair will be accepting submissions until Sunday, April 1. Finalists have a chance to win a $50,000 college scholarship from Google, a 10-day trip to the Galapagos Islands or an internship at Google or any of the partners.

Winners of last year’s fair became over-night superstars, appearing in several TV and Radio shows, magazines and some even met with President Obama.

For more information about the fair:

Go to http://www.google.com/events/sciencefair/enter.html
6:48
@michelleobama joins Twitter revolution
» ‎ Capital Tech

US First Lady Michelle Obama quickly snapped up tens of thousands of Twitter followers Thursday, as she joined the social network and opened a new front in her husband’s re-election campaign.

“Hi, everyone, and thanks for the warm welcome. Look forward to staying in touch with you here,” @michelleobama said in a tweet authenticated by her initials “mo.”

The account will be mostly run by Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign, and is similar to @BarackObama’s Twitter output, which is also mostly a product of campaign staff.

Occasionally, however, the president, who is often pictured with a BlackBerry or iPad, does produce a personal tweet, designated by his initials “bo.”

By late Thursday, hours after the account’s debut, @MichelleObama had garnered more than 160,000 followers on the micro-blogging site, an impressive total, but well short of her husband’s following which is close to 12 million.

The First Lady also issued another personal tweet, calling on Americans to join her in a day of service for Martin Luther King Day on Monday.
January 12, 2012
6:48
YouTube can make you famous…
» ‎ Capital Tech

Justin Bieber, Julius Yego, Just a band, and Sal Khan have one thing in common – they found success through the online video platform, YouTube.

Teen pop music sensation, Bieber was signed up by Usher in 2009 at the age of 15 after a talent scout watched a YouTube video of Bieber performing in his school. Sal Khan quit his well paying job as a hedge fund manager to start an online academy on YouTube that teaches people around the world on different topics from math to chemistry. His 2,000 videos have been viewed 61 million times.

Closer home, Just a band’s 2010 hit single, ha-he, went viral in a matter of days after its release, while Julius Yego perfected his javelin skills by watching YouTube videos. He went on to win gold at the 10th All Africa Games in Mozambique.

These YouTube-made stars are just few of the many people who’ve reaped big using the online platform. While millions of viewers watch YouTube videos online (3 billion views a day), a majority go to the site to be entertained by music videos and theatrical clips.

A few, however, are moving beyond consumption to content producers, reaping massively from their makeshift studios. An ordinary video camera and an internet connection is all that is required to start a YouTube channel. There is no limit on video clip length anymore, but a 20GB file size constraint is still in place.

DIY YouTube entrepreneurs

YouTube provides an opportunity for content creators to earn from their videos. But one has to be a partner to share revenue with YouTube.

“To become a YouTube Partner, you must create original videos, own or have express permission to use and monetize all video that you upload and regularly upload videos that are viewed by thousands of YouTube users,” says Chris Kiagiri, Google Kenya Technical Lead.

There are other avenues of earning revenue from online videos. A media house or any other organization may buy your videos or form a partnership that will see the content producers benefit.

In other markets, companies are paying content producers to endorse their products and services. What YouTube provides is an almost free marketing platform. So visibility and consistency is vital.

The launch of a dedicated Kenyan YouTube channel late last year is meant to spur the growth and consumption of locally produced video content. So what does it take to be a YouTube star?

Patience and consistency

There is no overnight success. It takes time, consistency and a well thought-out strategy to reach critical mass. Then, maybe then, money will start flowing. In the US, out of the millions of videos uploaded by users, approximately 2 percent earn more than $200,000, according to TubeMogul. Schedule an upload timetable and stick to it. Subscribers will start following and expecting uploads.

Keep it fresh and unique

Viewers will keep coming back to your channel if they expect to find new content. If they really like it, they will share it with friends on their social networks.

“When it comes to best practice, nothing beats fresh interesting content. Be sure to also take the time to fill the meta data for all your uploads to aid in discoverability,” advices Chris.

In Kenya, music videos, news, comedy and bizarre content with high shock value is popular. But there is also growing interest in sports and education content.

VIDEO: HV Void: How To Be Successful On YouTube (Vlog)

Passion and Personal

Shane Dawson, a 22 year-old college drop-out from California, has made quite a fortune by producing and uploading three videos every week. Uploads of his humor videos has half a billion views a year, according to CNN.

Shane started recording when he was 10 years, but only turned his passion into a full time venture after being fired from his regular job. “If you don’t love doing this without making money, give it up,” says Burch of TubeMogul.

At the end of the day, YouTube is a social network, so engaging with your audience is important to grow the numbers.

By KEN MACHARIA
January 11, 2012
8:33
First Intel-powered smartphone debuts in China
» ‎ Capital Tech

US chip titan Intel on Tuesday announced it will move into the booming smartphone market with a China debut of a handset made by computer powerhouse Lenovo.

“The best of Intel computing is now coming to smartphones,” the California-based company’s chief executive Paul Otellini said during a presentation at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

“It is coming first to China, the largest market for smartphones in the world.”

Lenovo senior vice president Liu Jun joined Otellini on stage to introduce a K800 smartphone powered by an “awesome” Intel processor.

The smartphone featured a rich 4.5-inch multi-touch screen and could stream video wirelessly to Lenovo televisions. The smartphones will run on the China Unicom network.

Intel has created a “reference device” to show off the prowess of its smartphone chip technology.

Motorola Mobility, which is being bought by Google in a $12.5-billion deal, has allied with Intel to make an array of mobile devices based on Intel chips in coming years.

Motorola’s first Intel-based smartphone should in the hands of telecom carriers for validation by midyear, with handsets released to the market soon thereafter, according to company chief Sanjay Jha.
January 10, 2012
11:12
Doubts cast on internet name ‘revolution’
» ‎ Capital Tech

The body that polices Internet registrations will on Thursday launch a domain name “revolution” in the face of the concerns of global bodies ranging from the United Nations to the US Congress.

The Red Cross and International Olympic Committee have already secured exclusions from the new sector that would allow company, organization and city names to rival .com as Internet addresses.

The head of the Zulus in southern Africa and a wealthy Middle East family have already expressed an interest in being part of what Rod Beckstrom, president of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has called a “new domain name system revolution”.

The new generic top level domains (GTLDs) would allow Internet names such as .Apple or .IMF or .Paris instead of .com or .org.

ICANN says the huge expansion of the Internet, with two billion users around the world, half of them in Asia, requires the new names.

But the International Monetary Fund was among more than 25 global bodies which sent a letter to ICANN last month expressing concern about the possible “misleading registration and use” of their names.

The US Association of National Advertisers and non-profit groups such as the Young Men’s Christian Association, YMCA, criticized the plan at a US Congress hearing last month.

They fear it could cause confusion about their Internet presence and force them to spend huge amounts on “defensive registration” to stop cybersquatters, who buy up names and try to sell them at an inflated price, and fraudsters.

Registration will cost $185,000 with a $25,000 annual fee after that.

Beckstrom acknowledged that providing servers and other technical and administrative backup means that the name could cost millions over the course of a decade.

But he calls the new generics “the most significant opening in the history of the domain name system.” The aggregate number of new sites “might very well rival dot.com in 10 years time,” Beckstrom said ahead of the launch.

He estimates there are now more than 220 million Internet site names, and more than 90 million of them are .com.

ICANN insists however that safeguards are in place to protect the big names the scheme is aimed at.

Jamie Hedlund, ICANN vice president for government affairs, said that while the names of international organizations are not trademarks, they would get the same protection if they are mentioned in international treaties.

If “someone applies for .unitednations, they will have lost their $185,000 application fee because they don’t have the right to that name,” Hedlund told reporters.

While ICANN has not given figures, independent experts have predicted there will be anything between several hundred to 4,000 applications when applications are taken from Thursday until April 12. A list of all the applications will be published in May.
8:58
iPhone Lens Dial for serious iPhoneographers
» ‎ Capital Tech

If you love to travel and take photographs as much as I do, then this gadget will make your conquest of living “The Good Life” complete.

Unfortunately only available for iPhone users for now, this three-lens optical system will make any mobile phone photographer into a serious one!

This iPhone Lens Dial boasts three optical-quality coated glass lenses: Wide Angle, Fisheye, and Telephoto. Outfitted in a slim and lightweight aircraft-grade aluminum casing with two tripod mounts, carrying and putting it on is as easy as carrying the phone on its own

Switching between the lenses is just as easy – just rotate the disc!

The Wide Angle lens at 0.7x is capable of capturing sweeping landscapes full of colour. The 0.33x Fisheye lens warps images in a novel way. Finally, switch to the 1.5x Telephoto lens to zoom in two optical times closer to your subject.

Currently out of stock due to high demand, the iPhone Lens Dial retails at USD $249.00 and comes with a respectable warranty.

For more, check out http://photojojo.com
January 09, 2012
7:32
Kenya mobile data fuels internet growth
» ‎ Capital Tech

(Ken Macharia) Mobile data subscription has been the main impetus for a 68 percent growth in Kenyan internet users from 3.2 to 5.4 million over a one year period.

Kenya now has an estimated 14.3 million Internet users, according to the Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK) first quarter report.

The industry regulator reports that mobile data/internet subscription constituted 99 percent of the total new subscriptions in the period up to September, 30, 2011.

Mobile data has boosted the growth of voice traffic which grew by 13.6 percent from the previous quarter.

The growth in voice, says the CCK report, can be attributed to promotion offerings, expansion of network coverage and reduced calling rates by some mobile operators.

Mobile money subscribers recorded a 5.9 percent growth, while total deposits grew from Sh48 billion to Sh56 billion.

Orange added most subscribers from September 2010 to September 2011, having increased its market share from 4 percent to 10.4 percent. Safaricom held its market leader position at 67 percent, while Airtel and Essar maintained at 15.7 and 6.2 percent respectively.
January 06, 2012
11:08
Sweden approves file-sharing ‘church’
» ‎ Capital Tech

(Ken Macharia) Sweden has formally recognized a ‘religion’ whose core belief is the right to file-share.

The church of Kopimism maintains that all information sharing is “holy” and that the value of information multiplies when it’s shared. The file-sharing, states the Church, is akin to a religious service.

Like all religions, the Church of Kopimism has ‘sacred’ symbols. CTRL+C and CTRL+V (keyboard shortcuts for copy and paste) are the ‘holy’ grail of the church.

Official recognition of the Church of Kopimism by Sweden gives the organization special privileges including legal protection and potential access to government-assisted funding.

According to a press release on the Church’s website (which caved and went off-line due to the enormous traffic it received), Kopimism has been pushing for legal recognition in Sweden for more than a year.

The religion was founded by 19-year-old philosophy student and leader Isak Gerson. He hopes that file-sharing will now be given religious protection.

Experts say the recognition will give impetus to piracy even as the crackdown on piracy moves away from individual pirates to the systems that support piracy.

Soon, people will cite the freedom to pirate as a religious right.
January 03, 2012
7:43
India sits at junk-mail top spot
» ‎ Capital Tech

India has emerged as the world’s top source of junk mail as spammers make use of lax laws and absent enforcement to turn the country into a centre of unsolicited email.

A recent report by Kaspersky Lab, a Moscow-based global Internet security firm, says more spam was sent from the south Asian giant than anywhere else in the world in the third quarter of the year.

An average of 79.8 percent of email traffic in the three months to the end of September was junk. Of that, 14.8 percent originated in India, 10.6 percent came from Indonesia, and 9.7 percent from Brazil.

Darya Gudkova, a spam analyst at Kaspersky, said the statistics reflect a growing trend for spam to be sent from computers in Asian and Latin America countries.

India’s dubious top spot was attributed to lack of awareness about Internet security and anti-spam laws, which had effectively given spammers free reign, she added.

Vijay Mukhi, an Internet security specialist in India’s financial capital, Mumbai, said spammers, forced to look for new bases after other countries cracked down on the practice, can act with impunity in India.

“We have an Information Technology Act that was introduced in 2000. But we don’t have any convictions under it and it’s silent on spam,” he told AFP.

“If I’m a spammer, I would rather spam from India to India and the rest of world because nothing will happen to me.”

Spam — whose name is derived from the cheap, canned meat product that flooded the market in austere times after the end of World War II — refers to anonymous, unsolicited commercial or bulk emails.

These can include political messages, apparent appeals requesting donations from charities, financial scams, chain letters or emails used to spread harmful computer viruses.

Spammers run the gamut from legitimate marketing firms and advertisers who have adapted telephone cold-calling techniques to the computer age to “phishers”, who solicit personal data from naive recipients to defraud them.

India currently has 112 million internet users, the third-largest number in the world after China and the United States, according to the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IMAI).

The industry body estimates that five to seven million new users are being added every month and at the current pace the country will have more users than the US in under two years, deepening the pool of potential spam victims.

Experts say that basic Internet security — from the use of anti-virus software or “strong” passwords — is poor among individuals, companies and even the government.

Earlier this month, hackers broke into the official web site of India’s ruling Congress Party and defaced the profile page of party president Sonia Gandhi with a pornographic message.

In December 2010, a group identifying themselves as the “Pakistan Cyber Army” hacked the web site of India’s top police agency and claimed to have broken in to several other company sites.

Kaspersky’s Gudkova said in emailed comments that lack of awareness in India “means that for cyber-criminals, it is much easier to construct the botnets (networks of infected computers)”.

India’s booming mobile phone sector, which has recently seen the introduction of third-generation smart phones, also provides a potential open door for spam and malware (malicious software), industry figures say.

IT security firm McAfee, part of the Intel Corporation, said in its 2012 Threat Predictions report that the last 12 months saw the highest levels of mobile malware, with the mobile banking sector particularly at risk.

Mukhi said individuals and companies needed to take the issue seriously and India’s government has to get tough.

Legitimate companies advertise by email or text message and continue to operate, despite a directive from the telecoms regulator banning SMS spam.

Government officials and ministers were unlikely to act decisively against the email equivalent while the massive state sector, which is still heavily paper-based, lagged behind private companies in the use of computers, he added.

Until that happens “it will get better for spammers. More and more people will start realising that India doesn’t have an anti-spam law”, he said.
December 31, 2011
14:10
The star GADGETS of 2011
» ‎ Capital Tech

(Ken Macharia) 2011 saw two major tech companies solidify their market positions, especially in the smart phone and tablet fields. Samsung and Apple’s stiff competition went as far as court cases in a bid to give either an upper hand in several markets. The turf wars spilled over to the two main operating systems – Apple’ iOS and Google’s Android.

1. iPhone 4S
Apple rarely disappoints even when fans expect more than the tech company can churn out. 2011 saw Apple release iPhone 4S, an upgrade of the iPhone 4, having retained most features. The most notable and exciting addition was the surreal personal assistant app on the phone known as Siri. The application turns voice into commands. Users can use voice commands to create and send text messages, schedule meetings, set alarm, make phone calls and reminders. With in-built artificial intelligence capacity, Siri turns the iPhone 4S into the ultimate personal assistant.

2. Samsung Internet TV
Samsung released its new internet-enabled Smart TV, with an app hub. The Smart Hub onscreen menu is accessed through a button on the remote control. The Samsung UE55D8000 has three USB ports and has an in-built browser. Since its launch, Samsung Smart TV users have downloaded over 10 million apps from the Smart Hub.

3. Amazon Kindle Fire
Retail giant Amazon threw its hat in the tablet ring with the launch of the Kindle Fire. The 7 inch tablet runs on Android OS and is direct competition with Black Berry’s PlayBook and Samsung Galaxy Tab.

4. MacBook Air
Apple introduced the ultra-thin 13 inch MacBook Air in 2010 but the 11-inch 2011 upgrade is by far the lightest laptop Apple has released. However, power has not been compromised. The MacBook Air did away with the Intel Core 2 Duo processors and introduced Intel’s Dual-Core i5 and i7 chips. A key board backlit has been added to the new upgrade. The new MacBook Air also launched with Apple’s latest Mac OS Lion operating system, ushering in new gestures and hundreds of new features over Snow Leopard.

5. Sony Projector Camcoder
Sony’s HDR-PJ50 Handycam can not only record full HD films, but can also project them on a screen as large as 60 inches at a distance of 3 metres. It comes with a 220 GB storage space and can take still photos on the 7.1 MP camera.

6. Apple iPad 2
Apple continued with its stellar performance by releasing iPad 2 before most companies launched their first iPads. With a 10-inch screen, the iPad 2 is lighter, faster and thinner than its predecessor though the software specs are near identical. The significant changes include new dual core A5, more memory and a pair of new cameras.

7. Samsung Galaxy S2
The Samsung Galaxy S2 goes head to head with the iPhone 4 series, with most features almost at par. However, Samsung’s Galaxy S2 has a bigger screen (4.3”) but is several grams lighter than the iPhone 4S. Galaxy II is built to run to run on 4G networks, making it faster, with speeds of up to 42 mbps.

8. Samsung Galaxy tab 10.1
Samsung entered the tablet space with a heavier first release but reviewed after the launch of Apple iPad 2. Packed with a 1GB RAM and 16GB flash storage, the Galaxy Tab performs better than the iPad 2 in this respect. The ultra thin 8.66 thickness and weighing 565 grams upgrade makes it lighter, and has a super bright screen. Apart from the differences in their OS’s, the two tabs are almost the same in all other respects.

9. Motorola Droid Razr
Motorola has claimed the Droid Razr is the world’s ‘thinnest’ phone with a 7.1 mm thickness. The phone has a 8MP LED flash rear camera and a 2 MP front-facing secondary camera for video chat. The smartphone, with its 16G internal storage, has multi touch input method.

10. BlackBerry Playbook
Research in Motion (RIM) plunged into the tablet market with the BlackBerry PlayBook running on the BlackBerry Tablet OS. BlackBerry partnered with Adobe Systems to create a fluid user interface which supports high video resolution playback. However a slow uptake of the tablet forced RIM to slash prices of the Playbook. An upgrade is set for release in the first quarter of 2012.
December 29, 2011
11:09
Toshiba’s new no-glasses 3D television
» ‎ Capital Tech

With 3D televisions poised to take a major market share in the home theatre experience, Toshiba has raised the bar even further with a no-glasses 3D TV just in time for 2012.

Say goodbye to those not-so-fashionable 3D glasses that easily break and add to clutter in the living room.

Toshiba’s 3D televisions produce images with the illusion of depth without any additional aids – glasses. Toshiba’s new invention already includes a small lens in front of the display, which ultimately removes any need for bulky and colourful glasses.

Still in it’s early manufacturing states, Toshiba is only offering a small 12-inch and 20-inch model in Japan. However, larger display sizes are expected to be launched outside of Japan.
December 22, 2011
10:50
Top YouTube videos in 2011
» ‎ Capital Tech

Online singing sensation Rebecca Black topped a 2011 most-viewed YouTube videos list that included spoofs starring pets, talking babies and pop music star Michael Bolton.

The collection of the year’s most popular YouTube snippets was based on an analysis of the more than one trillion video views logged at the Google-owned website.

“That’s about 140 views for every person on the Earth,” YouTube trends manager Kevin Allocca said in a blog post. “More than twice as many stars as in the Milky Way.”

The world’s most watched videos in an array of categories from news to politics or major music labels were online at youtube.com/rewind.

Images of tsunami waves triggered by the devastating earthquake in Japan was the top news video shared at YouTube during the year, while a buck attacking a bicyclist led in the sports category.

The most watched “how-to” video showed 25 ways to wear a scarf in 4.5 minutes.
December 21, 2011
12:23
LG and PRADA unveil 3.0 smartphone
» ‎ Capital Tech

(Ken Macharia) Life’s Good has unveiled their latest designer phone by PRADA (LG 3.0) combining form and function.

In a partnership that is increasingly becoming trendy, LG and PRADA have released a slick smart phone running on the Android platform.

The PRADA phone by LG 3.0 combines PRADA’s clean and sharp design philosophy and LG’s innovative technology, including a bright 4.3inch, 800-nit screen, making it one of the biggest and brightest screens in the industry.

According to George Mudhune, LG’s Head of Communication and Marketing for East and Central Africa, the highly anticipated handset is the third phone to come from the collaboration and represents a key design venture for both companies.

The collaboration between PRADA and LG began in 2007 with the launch of the PRADA phone by LG 1.0 which went on to sell over a million units and is now part of the permanent collection in New York City’s Museum of Modern Art and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Shangai.

The PRADA phone by LG 1.0 was the world’s first touchscreen mobile phone, and the 2.0 provided an innovative mobile experience through its unique watch with Link technology, which allowed for easy access to caller ID, SMS text messages, call history, call block and two-way alarm notification.

Styled with PRADA’s clean and sharp design philosophy, the PRADA phone by LG 3.0 handset features a full glossy touch-screen to the front and PRADA’s signature Saffiano pattern to the back, all finished in classic black.

Mudhune also said the phone had a unique user interface experience that can be enjoyed on the device’s 800-nit, 4.3inch NOVA High Brightness Display, allowing users to view all their favorite photos and content even in direct sunlight.

With an 8MP camera and up to 8GB of user memory, all Life’s Good moments can be captured and enjoyed in high quality

With every detail designed for chic simplicity, this handset also boasts LG’s signature Floating Mass Technology, optically enhancing the thinness of its already impressive 8.5mm depth, with minimal hard-keys completing the sleek simple finish.

The PRADA phone by LG 3.0 offers a specially created user interface featuring a unique black, grey and white menu and icons.

To complement the handset, users will have access to a full line of PRADA phone accessories such as a PRADA branded cradle and Bluetooth ear set. Users can also carry their PRADA phone by LG 3.0 in a range of stylish pouches.

A few weeks ago, luxury car manufacturer Porsche teamed up with Blackberry to reveal the Porsche Design P’9981 smart phone, which is set to hit the retail shelves next year.
December 19, 2011
12:22
P Unit endorse HP ‘beats by Dre’
» ‎ Capital Tech

(Ken Macharia) Hip-hop group, P Unit, will be endorsing HP products this Christmas season as part of HP and Microsoft’s customer awareness campaign dubbed “Get your Beat ON”.

The campaign will be rewarding customer’s loyalty by giving buyers of HP products a chance to win a laptop and a Beats by Dre headset.

In addition, for every HP product purchased from the authorised participating retail outlets, a customer gets a free Microsoft Africa pack.

P-Unit joins a string of international artistes who’ve endorsed the in-ear and over-ear headphones, as well as beats audio computer technology used by HP. Apart from Dr. Dre, other notable endorsements include David Guetta, Alicia Keys, Justin Bieber, Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, Lebron James and Lady Gaga.

The headphones have crystal crisp sound and the bass is amplified to enhance user experience.

The “Beats Solo HD,” is a high-definition on-air headphone, while the Pro model is an over-the-ear DJ headphone targeted towards the professional DJ market, and the wireless headphones utilize Bluetooth technology to transmit sound.

The original “Beatbox” and the “Studio headphone”, released in 2008, are the initial Dr Dre innovations which incorporate stunning features such as compact speakers, iPod dock, 3.5mm stereo jack, high-power digital amplifier and powered noise-cancelling.

The up-coming “Beats Executive” is expected to improve on these earlier headphones with advanced noise-cancellation and auto-off features as well as a brushed-aluminium finish and leather headband.

The laptops on showcase during the campaign include Envy17, Pavillion Series: DM4, DV 6, DV 7; which are all available in HP retail partner stores. The versions come with Microsoft Office starter 2010, though the ad-supported programs have limited functionality for viewing, editing and creating documents.
10:39
Saudi prince buys $300m stake in Twitter
» ‎ Capital Tech

Saudi billionaire Prince Walid bin Talal and his Kingdom Holding Company announced a combined investment of $300 million in the social networking site Twitter, in a statement Monday.

“Our investment in Twitter reaffirms our ability in identifying suitable opportunities to invest in promising, high-growth businesses with a global impact,” Prince Walid said in the statement released on Kingdom Holding’s website.

The statement said that the investment was finalised after “several months of negotiations” and represented a “strategic stake” in the social networking site.

Prince Walid, a media mogul and one of the world’s richest men, in September announced plans to launch Alarab, a pan-Arab news channel, by 2012, saying the television network will promote freedom of speech.

Social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook played a crucial role in spreading information and organising protests in the revolutions that have rocked the Arab world since January.

In Syria today, where the international press has been banned from reporting on the uprising against the regime’s bloody crackdown on demonstrators, activists use Twitter, Facebook and other websites to get news on their struggle to the outside world.

“We believe that social media will fundamentally change the media industry landscape in the coming years,” said Ahmed Halawani, Kingdom Holding’s executive director for private equity and international investments.

Kingdom Holding owns 29.9 percent of the shares in the Saudi Research and Marketing Group, which publishes several leading newspapers and magazines, including the Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper and Al Eqtisadieh.

Arabic language tweets have risen sharply since the Arab Spring uprisings, with two million tweets per day recorded in October 2011, compared with only 99,000 tweets per day at the same time last year, according to a November study by Semiocast, an institute that studies social networks.

Arabic is now the eighth most used language on Twitter, registering a 22-fold increase in the number of daily tweets since October 2010, according to the study.
December 16, 2011
9:24
Amazon selling one million Kindles a week!
» ‎ Capital Tech

Amazon said Thursday that it is selling more than one million Kindles a week and the new Kindle Fire tablet computer is its best-selling item.

“Kindle Fire is the most successful product we’ve ever launched — it’s the best-selling product across all of Amazon for 11 straight weeks,” Amazon Kindle vice president Dave Limp said in a statement.

“We’ve already sold millions of units, and we’re building millions more to meet the high demand,” Limp said. “In fact, demand is accelerating — Kindle Fire sales increased week over week for each of the past three weeks.”

Amazon, which rarely releases Kindle sales figures, said it had sold well over one million Kindle devices for the past three weeks.

Besides the Kindle Fire, which went on sale in mid-November, Amazon offers a range of Kindle electronic book readers.

“Our family of Kindle e-ink readers are close behind Kindle Fire on the Amazon.com bestseller list,” Limp said. “In fact we’ve seen many customers buy two Kindles — both a Kindle Fire and a Kindle or Kindle Touch — this holiday season.”

The Kindle Fire costs $199, less than half the price of the cheapest iPad from tablet market leader Apple.

The Kindle Fire has a seven-inch screen, smaller than the iPad’s 9.7 inches, connects to the Web using Wi-Fi and is powered by Google’s Android software.

It does not have a camera or the 3G connectivity featured on other tablets but it gives buyers easy access to Amazon’s online store, which sells books, music, movies, television shows, games and other content.
December 15, 2011
14:22
yuMobile giving you the ‘hook up’!
» ‎ Capital Tech

Mobile service provider, Yu Mobile, has launched a new service that will enable subscribers to chat anonymously with other users. The Voice Chat service, dubbed yuChat, is the first of its kind service on mobile networks.

Subscribers can now look forward to talking and chatting anonymously with other yuMobile subscribers countrywide without the risk of revealing their real identity or mobile number.

To access the service, yuMobile subscribers will be required to dial 4455 and follow the prompts to register their profiles. Once registered a user may search for profiles with similar interests, to chat with and extend invitations to others.

“This is yet another innovative service, offering more than the traditional voice calls, for our subscribers. It underlines our commitment to deliver value to users in every segment of the market. This service goes beyond ordinary voice calling and will enable our subscribers to search in a secure environment for like-minded friends, hence providing a more interesting medium for mobile chatting which is growing rapidly in popularity,” said yuMobile Country Manager Madhur Taneja.

All users have the option to accept or reject the invitation. The yuChat service will be charged at sh1 per minute for registered users.

“As we all know Christmas is a time of year when the emphasis is on family and friends. Getting together with relatives is great, but can lead to feelings of loneliness if your loved ones are not around. We hope this service will ensure nobody feels lonely during this festive season,” said Taneja.

The voice chat service is the latest addition to the yuMobile product stable which already boasts of free calls all day, 50 cents per minute data, 50 cents sms across networks and more recently free facebook browsing, amongst many others.
December 14, 2011
13:31
Kenya works on cyber security Masterplan
» ‎ Capital Tech

(KEN MACHARIA) The Government has launched a master plan to streamline payments in a bid to counter cyber attacks and other fraud-related activities executed over virtual networks.

Information and Communication PS, Bitange Ndemo, revealed the plans during the opening of the annual East Africa ATMs, Cards and Mobile Banking Security Summit on Tuesday.

“A few years ago we spent most of the time talking about connectivity, but we have overcome this with the superhighway. Now we face a much bigger problem of security,” said Ndemo.

He added that the earlier the country deals with security threats the better for business and economic prosperity.

The Master plan on mobile payments, e-payments and ATMS is set to be launched in April 2012, and will incorporate e-government initiative.

“E-commerce is growing,” Ndemo said. “We want to be a step ahead of the industry.”

The master plan comes at a time when high speed connectivity brought by undersea cables has exposed businesses and individuals to the growing threat of cyber crime.

PricewaterCoopers (PwC) Global Economic crime survey reported some regions including Kenya, South Africa and UK reported an increase of 40 percent in fraud cases in 2011.

The two day summit has been organised by Cyber Sec Africa, an ICT solutions provider, to give insights in banking payments fraud and how to address them. Sammy Kioko, the African alliance manager for Cyber Sec Africa, said financial flows are growing rapidly and in an increasingly unguarded form. Quoting a May report by Deloitte, Kioko said banking fraud had tripled in 2010 to a massive Sh3 billion compared to 2009.

“The amount banks lost to fraud amount to an average of Sh246 million a month with about Sh1.2 billion lost during the year.

“Anyone using mobile applications to purchase services needs to understand that mobile threats are becoming more sophisticated and they need to secure their mobile phones and devices,” said Kioko.

Ndemo said the government-initiated public key infrastructure (PKI), whose study is almost complete, will give a legal framework for virtual transitions. “There’s no single ID to create virtual ID,” he said. “The success of M-Pesa has been purely because of civil registration. Safaricom can confirm with the national registry any details of applicant.”

He said 60 percent of cyber crime was internal, and urged organisations to foster discipline and value system to counter the problem. “If we avoid the 60 per cent then we will be very safe,” he added.
December 09, 2011
16:20
Tech Friday: Kenyan app store launched…
» ‎ Capital Tech

(KEN MACHARIA) The first virtual mobile app store was launched last week by local tech firm, Virtual City.

Hewani Application store will host both free and paid mobile applications tailored for African markets. The store will host different types of platforms including USSD, SMS, JAVA and WAP apps which can also run on Android, Blackberry and iPhone systems. Hewani will be spreading to other countries in Africa, with an official launch planned for Rwanda in a few weeks time.

“Our model will be an aggregation model where we will allow all platforms and multiple forms of payment with the aim of making transactions seamless for the customers”, says John Waibochi, Virtual City CEO.

Hewani is working towards an app store that will allow companies to get template apps and customize according to their needs.

Facebook buys Gowalla

Facebook has bought Gowalla – a location based service that allows users to ‘check in’ virtually using their mobile devices. The service is similar to Foursquare though Gowalla has 2 million users compared to Foursquare’s 10 million.

Facebook introduced a location based service through its Facebook Places and the acquisition of Gowalla is seen as a way of boosting the service.

Top trends in 2011

Meanwhile, Facebook and Twitter announced the most trending topics in 2011.

Facebook had; the death of Osama bin Laden, Packers win the Super Bowl, Casey Anthony found not guilty, Charlie Sheen and the death of Steve Jobs, in the top five globally trending topics, according to Mashable.

On Twitter, Justin Bieber, FIFA women’s world cup, Lady Gaga, NBA and Jonas Brothers took the top 5 spots globally. A few Kenyan topics also hit it globally including; Wangari Maathai’s death, KCPE2010, Lorryimebeba and Makmende.
December 08, 2011
9:58
Samsung launches portable PC in Kenya
» ‎ Capital Tech

(KEN MACHARIA) Samsung Electronics has introduced a lightweight, portable personal computer in Kenya. The Slate Series 7 PC offers all of the features of a full-sized laptop providing highly mobile users with the computing power they need for maximum productivity.

Samsung’s General Manager IT, Nandan Nair, said the Series 7 Slate is designed for on-the-go users who need a slim, lightweight computer but can’t afford to sacrifice true PC functionality.

“The Series 7 Slate is a truly revolutionary computer and we are proud to be the first country in Africa to launch this product,” said Nair

Users can quickly type using the on-screen keyboard and navigate through the slate’s features with the highly responsive bright multi-touch screen, or write naturally on the screen using an electromagnetic pen, making it easy to take meeting notes, create documents and reports in Microsoft Office 2010, or browse online.

The computer, which runs on Windows 7, weighs 900 grammes and measures only half an inch thick. Despite its compact size, the Slate is a full-powered PC with an 11.6-inch screen, powerful Intel Core i5 processor, a full version of Windows 7 Home Premium or Windows 7 Professional operating system and up to 128 GB solid state hard drive.

An integrated microphone and dual 2MP (front) / 3MP (rear) cameras can record audio/visual files, which can be stored and shared via the full-sized USB port or Wi-Fi, WiMAX and HSPA connection.

The Series 7 features Samsung’s exclusive Fast Start technology, which enables the slate to transition from a hybrid sleep mode to full functionality in two – three seconds, enabling users to quickly jump into work or play anywhere.

Launched in the US late September, the Slate retailed at a minimum of Sh90,000 depending on the Windows version and storage size.

Samsung’s touch interface helps to streamline your life by providing seamless access to applications used every day such as Facebook, Twitter, maps and media content.

An optional Bluetooth keyboard, docking station and mouse add further convenience and create a desktop PC experience for business users planning to settle in at a desk while traveling.

With up to seven hours of battery life, the Series 7 Slate ensures an all day connection for optimal productivity while on-the-go.

The inclusion of Samsung Power Plus technology means that the Series 7 Slate battery will retain 80 percent of the original battery capacity for up to 1,500 charges – giving users a battery that works whenever and wherever they need it, even after three years of use.
8:31
Facebook fixes photo privacy bug
» ‎ Capital Tech

Facebook has fixed a bug that allowed the viewing of some private photographs of other members and which was reportedly used to access personal pictures of founder Mark Zuckerberg.

The bug involved Facebook’s system of reporting inappropriate images on the social network.

By reporting a member’s profile picture as inappropriate a user was asked whether they had other photographs to report, providing access to other private pictures.

The glitch was first revealed in a bodybuilding forum at bodybuilding.com.

“We discovered a bug in one of our reporting flows that allows people to report multiple instances of inappropriate content simultaneously,” Facebook said in a statement.

“The bug allowed anyone to view a limited number of another user’s most recently uploaded photos irrespective of the privacy settings for these photos,” it said.

“This was the result of one of our recent code pushes and was live for a limited period of time,” Facebook said.

“Upon discovering the bug, we immediately disabled the system, and will only return functionality once we can confirm the bug has been fixed,” it said.

An unidentified Facebook user who exploited the bug posted 14 pictures of Zuckerberg to the image-sharing website Imgur along with the comment: “It’s time to fix those security flaws Facebook…”

The user claimed they were taken from Zuckerberg’s Facebook page although a number of the pictures have previously been released publicly.

Facebook, which has more than 800 million members, agreed in a deal with the US Federal Trade Commission last week to tighten its privacy policies and submit to external audits in order to settle charges that it abused users’ personal data.

In its statement about the photo bug, Facebook said “the privacy of our user’s data is a top priority for us, and we invest significant resources in protecting our site and the people who use it.”
December 07, 2011
9:33
Microsoft to open “app store” in Feb
» ‎ Capital Tech

Microsoft on Tuesday began wooing developers for a February opening of its first “app store” for computers powered by the US technology giant’s Windows software.

The Windows Store will open in late February when Microsoft releases a test version of its next-generation Windows 8 operating system.

It will take on Apple and Google in the booming market of fun, hip or functional programs built for smartphones, tablets, or computers.

“I think we are going to do great,” Windows Web Services vice president Antoine Leblond said as he gave developers and press a preview of the store in a San Francisco art gallery.

“The reach of Windows is absolutely huge and can’t be matched,” he continued, noting that the Microsoft operating system powers more than a half billion computers around the world.

Independent developers understandably devote their limited resources to making programs for platforms that promise the most potential customers, and Windows would outshine Apple gadgets and Google Android devices in that regard.

“There are more Windows PCs (personal computers) than there are cars on the planet,” Leblond said. “The number is staggering.”

However, Windows has a meager presence when it comes to smartphones and tablets, where third-party applications such as games are typically bought.

Applications written for the Windows Store platform will work on any devices powered by the Microsoft software, meaning programs could be downloaded to smartphones or tablet computers as they hit market.

Microsoft declined to discuss reports that tablets based on Windows 8 are in development.

Windows Store was pitched as a welcoming option to Apple App Store, which puts applications through a strict and sometimes enigmatic vetting process before approving them for virtual shelves.

Apple requires applications for iOS devices to conduct financial transactions such as subscriptions or sales in-house, with the iPhone, iPad, iPod, and Macintosh computer maker taking 30 percent of the revenue.

Windows Store platform will have mechanisms for in-app purchases, but developers will be free to choose methods of handling financial transactions, according to Leblond. “Developers create apps to put in Apple’s App Store only to have Apple stand between them and the customer while taking 30 percent,” he added.

“We won’t get in the way of your app and your business model,” Leblond said.

Microsoft will take 30 percent of the revenue from application sales. After selling $25,000 worth of an application, the developers share climbs to 80 percent. Developers get to keep all the money from in-application transactions.

Leblond calculated that recovering the $50,000 cost of developing a typical small application would require .01 percent of Windows computer owners buying the software.

“That is nothing,” he said. “That is easily done.”

Windows Store will feature only free applications when it opens in February. Information for developers was available online at dev.windows.com.
December 06, 2011
11:12
Samsung to build flash memory chip line
» ‎ Capital Tech

Samsung Electronics, the world’s largest memory chip maker, said on Tuesday that it would build a new production line in China for flash memory chips used in tablets and smartphones.

Samsung plans to start construction of the NAND flash chip plant in 2012 for operation the following year if the South Korean government approves it.

South Korean firms need government approval when they build strategic, key or sensitive factories abroad.

Jun Dong-Soo, president of memory business at Samsung’s device solutions, said the new plant would help the company meet growing demand.

“This new NAND flash memory line will enable us to meet fast-growing demand from our customers and at the same time strengthen our overall competitiveness in the memory industry,” he said in a statement.

Demand is weak for DRAM (dynamic random access memory) chips used in personal computers, pushing prices down and giving makers an incentive to adopt more advanced technology.

But the flash memory chip market is robust thanks to growing demand for mobile devices such as tablet computers and smartphones.

Samsung had a market share of 41.6 percent in the global DRAM market in the second quarter, according to research firm IHS iSuppli.

Its share of the world market for NAND flash chips was also 41.6 percent in the second quarter.
December 02, 2011
15:08
KENET scoops CIO100 Award
» ‎ Capital Tech

(KEN MACHARIA) Kenya Education Network is the overall winner of this year’s CIO award. KENET beat 99 other companies, organizations and government agencies to scoop the best organization that is using ICT in an innovative way while adding business value.

KENET received the award at a colourful gala dinner that was a culmination of a two-day ICT conference at the Safari Park Hotel.

KENET won the award for their project that seeks to provide high-speed and affordable internet to institutions of higher learning. KENET, in partnership with other organizations, has six internet points of presence (POPs) connecting more than 61 learning institutions.

KENET also has a solution that allows members from one institution to roam on the internet networks of other institutions at no fee.

Eat Out Kenya took the first runners up position for the online restaurant booking and directory platform, where diners can also browse the menus of over 250 listed restaurants on the website.

Regional Supermarket chain Nakumatt Holdings scooped second runners up. Nakumatt’s winning project was titled “IT enabled miscellaneous products and services”.

The project offers services such as electronic airtime distribution and dispensing from tills, utility bill collection for services such as Safaricom’s Post Paid and Nairobi Water, and bank withdrawals at tills for Equity Customers.

Several other organisations were also awarded in different categories. Electoral Commission Chairman, Isaac Hassan bagged the leadership award for implementing an electronic voter registration and reporting system.
7:41
Smartphone addicts starting to feel the pain
» ‎ Capital Tech

(AFP) Users of smartphones and tablet computers are starting to get high-tech blues, as increasing numbers of the tech savvy are coming down with ailments from “text neck” to “text thumb injury”.

Health experts in Britain have warned that the strain injuries stemming from long periods spent staring at small screens and tapping at tiny keys can be debilitating. And the injuries are becoming more common as high-tech gadgets grow ever more popular.

More and more Britons use their smartphones — in effect tiny PCs that fit in a jacket pocket — for accessing the Internet rather than making phone calls.

According to a recent YouGov poll, 44 percent of Britons use their mobile phone for activities other than making calls, for between 30 minutes and two hours a day. The pollster quizzed 2,034 adults over several days in September.

“I had a patient who developed inflamed tendons in her thumb from using her smartphone and was unable to use her hand for weeks due to pain,” said Tim Hutchful from the British Chiropractic Association.

Sammy Margo of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy said that people’s bodies are “not designed to be used like this”.

“The phones are far too small, with keys that are too small,” she said, noting that pain in the upper limbs forced one of her patients to stop texting and instead switch to voice recognition software.

As well as hand injuries, experts point to problems among smartphone and tablet users arising from hours spent leaning over tiny screens.

“The weight of an average human head is between 4.5 to 5.5 kilogrammes),” said Hutchful.

In an ideal posture, where a vertical line can be drawn from your ear through your shoulder, hip, knee and ankle, “the weight is carried efficiently”, he noted.

But if the head is constantly held forward to squint at a screen, then the unusual posture makes the head feel up to four times heavier, increasing strain across the whole body, he explained.

“Text neck” is in effect the latest manifestation of “repetitive strain injury” (RSI), a condition which affects one worker in 50 in Britain.

RSI is the name given to a group of injuries affecting the muscles, tendons and nerves primarily of the neck and upper limbs. It is particularly prevalent among workers who spend long periods using computers and computer mouses.

It is a treatable condition, but experts warn it is essential not to ignore the early warning signs.

In France, RSI is the main cause of sick leave in the work place.

Emmanuelle Rivoal, a Paris-based physiotherapist and osteopath, is seeing an increasing number of patients who are paralysed by pain “because they spend more than five hours a day in front of a screen.”

While stressing that he did not want to “demonise smartphones”, Hutchful offered some pointers for gadget aficionados to avoid injury, such as keeping smartphone use at under 40 minutes.

“Keep use to a minimum, take regular breaks and look at different ways of interacting,” such as voice recognition software for texting, he said.

Margo in Britain says the biggest at-risk group are children and teenagers, who are heavy users of the latest computers and phones.

“I know families where people communicate from one room to another via text messages,” she said. “We have to put limits on this.”
November 30, 2011
10:09
Samsung wins appeal in Apple tablet battle
» ‎ Capital Tech

South Korean electronics giant Samsung on Wednesday won its appeal against a temporary ban on sales of its Galaxy tablet device in Australia, a rare victory in its legal battle with rival Apple.

The Federal Court of Australia in Sydney lifted the ban on the sale of the Galaxy 10.1 Tab ahead of a final hearing, with the US giant claiming the device copies its iPad computer.

But Apple immediately won a stay of orders, meaning that Samsung will not be able to sell the Galaxy in Australia until 0500 GMT Friday.

“The appeal will be allowed,” the judgment by Justice John Dowsett, Justice Lindsay Foster and Justice David Yates concluded.

“Samsung will be permitted to launch the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Australia provided it keeps accounts of all transactions involving that device in Australia or originating from Australia.”

The Federal Court granted an interim order against the sale of the Galaxy 10.1 in October, ruling that Apple had established a prima facie case that the South Korean company had breached touchscreen technology copyrights.

The Sydney court heard it would take a week to prepare to launch the Galaxy for sale in Australia, and Samsung argued against the further stay on sales.

“It simply serves to prolong the injustice suffered by Samsung,” lawyer Neil Young said.

In their judgement, the justices noted that the commercial life of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 was approximately 12 months from launch and given that there was no final hearing fixed for the matter, the initial ban had “the practical effect of killing off the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Australia”.

“Although not so as a matter of law, the practical effect of those injunctions is to deliver to Apple complete victory in respect of its claims for final injunctions in respect of that device,” they said.

The Sydney courtroom battle is part of a wider global war in which two of the world’s biggest technology companies are vying for supremacy in the US$100 billion market for tablet computers and smartphones.

Apple won a similar ban on the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Germany in October related to copyright breaches, prompting Samsung Electronics to say it had modified the design of its newest tablet in an attempt to bypass the sales ban.

The two companies are also engaged in an ongoing battle over smartphone and tablet technology in the United States, Japan and South Korea.
November 29, 2011
9:27
Orange Money reaches 3m in Africa
» ‎ Capital Tech

(KEN MACHARIA) Orange Money has tripled its reach in the last one year to hit 3 million customers in the eight African countries it operates. A series of partnerships with financial institutions has been instrumental in the growth.

The mobile phone-based payment service recently launched in Botswana in partnership with Standard Chartered and in Cameroon in partnership with BICEC. Orange is also exploring the possibility of offering international money transfer services through a tie up with Western Union.

First launched in Côte d’Ivoire in December 2008, Orange Money is also available in Senegal, Madagascar, Mali, Niger and Kenya. It will soon be launched in Mauritius.

Orange mobile money targets Africa and Middle East where less than 10 percent of the population has bank accounts. The service has been expanded over the last year to allow subscribers not only to send and receive money, but also make payments to services and buy goods.

Commenting on the development of Orange Money, Marc Rennard, Orange’s Executive Director for AMEA operations, said the mobile money service is an important part of Orange’s strategy in Africa.

“Mobile payment services have the potential to bring cost-effective and secure access to banking services to people with low incomes, who often live in rural or remote areas.

“By providing our customers with the means to save money, pay bills, run their businesses and receive money from abroad, we are not only reinforcing customer fidelity but we are also able to play an active role in the economic and social development of the country.” said Rennard.

The Group expects success in mobile banking services to accelerate in the coming years in light of the expanding customer base and widespread use of these services on a day-to-day basis.

Meanwhile, in Kenya, Orange has launched the first ever Debit card directly linking bank accounts and the Orange mobile money services through a collaboration with Visa card and Equity bank.

Telkom Kenya’s Chief Executive Officer, Mickael Ghossein said the card will not have restrictions on maximum or minimum deposits to be linked to the customer’s personal account, noting that “the only limit in the transaction will be the amount of money that you have in your account.”

Moreover, the card has a host of in-built security features that help one manage their finances.
November 25, 2011
8:51
Study reveals explosion in Arabic ‘tweeting’
» ‎ Capital Tech

The popularity of Twitter has soared in the Arab world over the past year, a study published Thursday revealed, reflecting the key role of the social networking site in the “Arab Spring” revolutions.

Online Twitter messages, or tweets, in Arabic rocketed from 99,000 a day in October 2010 to over two million last month, social media monitor Semiocast showed in its study into the most popular languages used on the popular site.

Arabic is now the eighth most popular language on the microblogging site, where users leave short messages of no more than 140 characters.

Twitter, Facebook and other social networking sites were used to chronicle the recent uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa and mobilise support.

“With recent events, Twitter has grown exceptionally fast in the Middle East,” the report said.

Prominent bloggers including Lina Ben Mhenni, a Tunisian journalist who described the uprising against Zine el Abidine Ben Ali’s regime, and Google executive Wael Ghonim, who was a central inspiration to protesters in Tahrir Square in Cairo, were praised for their “real time” depiction of events.

English remains the main language of Twitter, with over 70 million tweets posted daily, but now represents a considerably smaller percentage of the daily global number of tweets, dropping from over 60 percent in 2009 to just under 40 percent two years later.

Tweets in Japanese — the second most popular language on Twitter — account for 14.2 percent of the daily total, down from 19 percent a year ago.

In contrast the number of Thai tweets has multiplied by 470 percent.

Around half a million Chinese tweets make it onto the site every day, despite a ban on Twitter in the country.

The study covered a sample of 5.6 billion tweets, or 10 percent of tweets globally, collected between 1 July 2010 and 21 October 2011 in 61 languages.
November 23, 2011
11:52
Mobile data good, home connections bad
» ‎ Capital Tech

Kenya is making major strides in internet connection thanks largely to mobile internet connections. However, residential connections have stagnated due to the relatively higher costs of PC’s and internet subscription.

This is according to a survey released on Tuesday by the Kenya ICT Board.

The Julisha survey, conducted by the global ICT research firm IDC, showed that Kenya has 10 million internet users but only 4.7 million internet subscriptions; 90 percent of the subscriptions being mobile data subscriptions.

“In more developed countries, the total number of connections vis-à-vis the number of users are evenly spread,” said Francis Hook, IDC regional manager.

“In countries like Kenya, Nigeria and Morocco, there is lower number of connections but a higher number of users. This means most connections are shared including business connections, educational institutions and cyber cafes.”

The survey benchmarked Kenya’s performance against selected countries including Nigeria, Rwanda, Philippines, Egypt, South Africa and Morocco.

Kenya’s internet penetration, standing at 23 percent, compares much better to many African countries including South Africa, Rwanda and Nigeria, again due to the high number of mobile data subscriptions. However household connections remain low owing to a declining fixed network.

Only 2 percent of Kenyan households have residential internet connections, as opposed to South Africa’s 8 percent. Egypt and Morocco fair much better on both internet penetration and residential connections with over 30 percent of total population.

“In terms of business usage of the internet, Kenya is nearly at par with more developed countries like Egypt and Morocco and slightly ahead of Nigeria,” said Hook during the presentation of the results.

At $40 for a 512kb point to point connection, the cost of broadband remains high in Kenya despite added capacity over the last two years. But it is still two times cheaper than in Nigeria and Rwanda, while it is below the $25 mark in Egypt, Morocco and South Africa.

The Julisha survey also revealed a shortage of skilled IT staff, estimated at over 10,000 in different ICT fields including software development, IT administrators, IT managers, web designers and system analysts. 45 percent of companies’ surveyed said it’s difficult to find qualified systems analysts and software developers.

“Software Developers (at 70 percent growth) and Project Managers (at 57 percent growth) are the professions expected to grow the fastest over the period 2011 – 2013,” according to the IDC report.

Commenting on the survey, ICT Board CEO, Paul Kukubo, said the Board is addressing the areas under survey including increasing local vendor participation through several programmes implemented by the Board and partners.

(By KEN MACHARIA)
6:46
Samsung finalising talks on Google TV
» ‎ Capital Tech

Samsung Electronics is holding final talks with Google about launching a television using the US search giant’s software platform next year, an executive of the South Korean company said Tuesday.

Yoon Boo-Keun, president of the visual display division, declined to elaborate on the timing of the launch saying only that Samsung would not unveil the new model at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January.
Samsung is the world’s largest maker of flat-screen televisions, but wants to offer more high-tech models such as smart TVs to boost profits amid global competition on prices.

The Google TV will let users surf the Internet, check email and create social networks just as they do on computers and smartphones.

Google’s executive chairman Eric Schmidt visited South Korea this month and met executives from Samsung and LG Electronics.

Analysts believe the US giant wants to further expand the reach of its Android operating system into televisions through partnerships with the world’s two largest television makers.

Samsung hopes to sell 45 million flat-screen televisions this year, including 12 million smart models.
November 21, 2011
16:22
Kenya to roll out cyber security plan
» ‎ Capital Tech

A National Cyber security master plan will be rolled out in the next three months to safe guard public information over the internet.

Information and Communication PS, Bitange Ndemo said that as the government stores more data in a digital format, the need to build capacity in the area of cyber security is becoming crucial.

“In five years practically most of the data will be online. We are finished lands. We are going to judiciary. Most of the government records will be in digital format,” said Ndemo.

The master plan comes even as the PS revealed organized unscrupulous individuals are behind the persistent cable cuts. About 25,000 kilometers of fiber optic cables have been laid down in Kenya, 5000 of which have been done by the government at a cost of $60 million.

“We were going through the number of cable cuts that we had over the weekend; 15 in total affecting several GSM and landlines. There is an aspect of competition that is why we are saying there must be big boys behind the crisis,” he said.

Ndemo, who was speaking during the National CIRT (Computer Incident Response Team) Capacity Building Workshop, said the Master Plan in conjunction with the USAID seeks to establish a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) framework.

“We should finish in the next three months before we begin implementation of the PKI which creates virtual identities, which creates more trust in the internet, more than we have right now,” he said.

The Master Plan will include the development of information security management controls and procedures, cybersecurity systems, and identity and access management systems.

The government has already undertaken initiatives to enhance its digital capacity including the launch of the Kenya Computer Incident Response Team (KE-CIRT) earlier this year and the soon to be finalized National Data Centre.

The Data Protection Bill meant to provide a framework for handling citizen personal information is also in the works.

“For the first time e-government has a division to take care of the issue of information security. We have also created a common gateway protection for government traffic, so firewalls have been installed at Herufi House and the government data center,” said Katherine Getao, ICT Secretary of the Directorate of E-Government.

(By Victoria Rubadiri & Ken Macharia).
November 17, 2011
7:38
Google sells digital music in iTunes challenge
» ‎ Capital Tech

Google on Wednesday opened a digital music store in a direct challenge to Apple’s iTunes and Amazon’s online shop.

“Today we are happy to announce you can buy millions of songs right from Android Market,” Google product manager Paul Joyce said at a press event in Los Angeles.

The Internet search giant synched the music store to its Google Music service, which came out of test mode on Wednesday to become available free of charge to US residents.

Digital songs can be purchased online at the Android Market using computer Web browsers, and Google said the service will be rolled out to Android-powered smartphones and tablet computers in coming days.

“Doing a deal with Google for the sale of our repertoire is groundbreaking on a number of levels,” said Robert Wells, president of global digital business at Universal Music.

“We expect this to be a rich new revenue stream for our artists,” Wells added while joining music industry peers on-stage at the event.

Google signed three of the four major record labels — Universal, EMI, and Sony Music — with the holdout being Warner Music, home to Madonna and other artists.

Coldplay, Shakira, and the Rolling Stones teamed with Google to celebrate the music store launch by making free or exclusive tracks available.

One perk of the new service is the ability to share songs bought at the Android music shop with friends on the Google+ social network for one-time listening.

“Any new legitimate place to consume music is a fantastic antipiracy tool,” Wells said.

Google is weaving in videos from YouTube as the technology colossus combines its widely-used services for better leverage to unseat Apple from its throne in the digital music industry.

Google designed the Music Store to allow independent musicians to be able to sell songs at prices of their choosing through an Artist Hub.

An unrepresented artist can pay a one-time fee of $25 to set up account and then give Google a 30 percent share of revenue from music sales.

“We think it will be a significant new music destination in the digital space,” said Merlin chief executive Charles Caldas, whose company specializes in helping independent musicians thrive.

Google in May launched a test version of Google Music, which allows users to store personal collections in the Internet “cloud” for streaming to smartphones, tablet computers or other gadgets.

Google avoided having to cut deals with music labels at the time by letting people store digital versions of songs they already own in online “lockers” which they can access using gadgets linked to the Internet.

As many as 20,000 songs can be stored at Google Music, which was pitched as “a completely legal” service akin to a person storing music collections on home computer hard drives.

“This is something Google needed to do if the Android platform is to be taken seriously,” said Gartner Research analyst Michael Gartenberg.

“Music is now table stakes,” he continued. “Google hasn’t really raised the bar here, but you have to start somewhere.”

While Google Music isn’t poised to be a major threat to iTunes, it should act as a lure that adds to Android’s brisk momentum, according to the analyst.

More than 200 million Android mobile gadgets have been activated worldwide, according to Google.

Google early this year added movie rentals to its Android Market offering electronic books and other digital content for devices powered by Android.
November 15, 2011
8:30
China’s Huawei to buy out Symantec venture
» ‎ Capital Tech

Chinese telecom giant Huawei Technologies will buy out a joint venture with US security software maker Symantec by acquiring its 49 percent stake for $530 million, the firms said Tuesday.

The venture, Hong Kong-based Huawei Symantec, was set up in 2008 to provide security, storage and systems management solutions.

The companies decided that having a single owner will help the Hong Kong firm to grow, Huawei and Symantec said in a statement.

Enrique Salem, Symantec president and chief executive, was quoted as saying that China was one of Symantec’s fastest-growing markets and that it had exited the joint venture with a “good return”.

Huawei, founded over two decades ago by former People’s Liberation Army engineer Ren Zhengfei, is at the forefront of efforts by Chinese firms to shift from being the world’s workshop to becoming creators of genuine global brands.

But the telecommunications equipment vendor has faced scrutiny in making acquisitions or taking part in projects in the United States, although it has long rejected claims that it still has ties to the Chinese military.

Earlier this year, Huawei was forced to abandon its acquisition of US computer firm 3Leaf Systems after the US government voiced security concerns about the deal.
7:56
Safaricom, Orange win at Panafrican Telecoms Awards
» ‎ Capital Tech

(KEN MACHARIA) – Kenyan telcos, Safaricom and Orange, have been honored for launching innovative services at the AfricaCom awards held in Cape Town, South Africa.

Safaricom was one of the only two companies in Africa to clinch a double out of the eleven awards on offer.

The integrated communications firm took home the ‘Best ICT Solution Provider for Enterprise Markets in Africa’ and the ‘Changing Lives Award’ for the use of the M-Pesa platform to raise funds for the successful Kenyans for Kenya initiative.

The initiative had a target of raising Sh500 million in 4 weeks, but raised three times the amount in a month which went to feed over 300,000 needy Kenyans.

The Best ICT Solution Award came as a result of Safaricom’s role in the implementation of the ‘teleJustice’ project, which connects Kenya’s High courts allowing judges and court officials to conduct case hearings remotely. The system, supported by Cisco TelePresence, aims to fasten the judicial process and clear the backlog of cases.

“These awards are a resounding recognition of our customer-centric solutions that have gone a long way in positively impacting lives in Kenyan communities. We would not have done this without the belief and support of our customers and staff. We are greatly humbled by this honour, especially considering that it has been achieved on a pan-African platform,” said Mr Nzioka, Safaricom Corporate Affairs Director

Orange won the Best New Service through their Surf and Pay product, aimed at providing small businesses in Kenya and Uganda with a hassle-free internet service that enables customers to charge end users for connecting to the internet. It also makes it possible for neighbors to share the cost of an internet connection.

Other winners include; MTN, Helios Towers, Seacom, Huawei, Ericsson, Gateway and SkyVision.
November 08, 2011
8:14
Cyber Bullies; Beat them at their own game
» ‎ Capital Tech

Most people have been bullied at one point in their lives. It is common practice especially inlower age schools where the line between right and wrong is quite thin and impressions are everything. By impressions, the words crowd and Kloutautomatically follow.

For many, leaving such institutions is great relief as one is tempted to believe it is an end to the mental (and sometimes physical torture that is bullying).

Enter eBullying or Cyber Bullying:

Fact: The internet provides the perfect place for the existence of a cyber bully because of anonymity and expansive resources in easily-rallied participants.

You have heard of them before and know them; those guys that will wait for you to produce online content in form of a tweet, a Facebook update, an instagram image, a blogpost or even atwitpic and victimize you endlessly for it being ‘not up to their standard.’

They go an extra mile to make you feel like you’re going to take it down and/or delete it forcing a subsequent perverse form of satisfaction from your attempt to defend your content.

Well, here are a few things you should probably know about your cyber bully.

1. Cyber bullies thrive on reaction to provocation and conflict – The minute you start to curse out a cyber bully, you are fuelling their urge and interest to pound you even more. They get a kick out of having you react and throw tantrums. Trust that there are very idle people out there that pick out your rant as a weakness and you will never hear the end of it.

2. Cyber bullies are generally weak – The Bully behavior is normally deep-rooted and will probably arise from poor upbringing, a much-less-than-perfect childhood, daddy issues and a lot of other issues not related to you. It is not your fault he doesn’t like your poetry; it is because he probably can’t think of any two words that rhyme.

3. Cyber bullies thrive on attention – Look for any evidence of a cyber bully that continued to tarnish a brand when he is completely ignored by others. You won’t find even one. Simply because if no-one is watching (or listening), then they’re no longer interested.

Read on at JUUCHINI.COM
November 07, 2011
14:13
700-bob phones for an Orange Christmas
» ‎ Capital Tech

(KEN MACHARIA) Telkom Kenya has lowered the cost of selected handsets and devices as part of its ongoing Christmas promotion.

Alcatel handsets will be sold for as little as Sh700 and will be available at all Orange and Mobicom shops across the country, until January 4, 2012.

The newly introduced Orange 21Mbps-3G modem, has also been reduced and will now retail at Sh1,799.

Chief Executive Officer Mickael Ghossein said they have also lowered the cost of other handsets and devices during the holiday season, with a view to rewarding loyal customers and as a strategy to win over new subscribers.

“We have reduced the cost of a wide range of its devices by up to 40%, at a time when the cost of living has gone up in most Kenyan households, because we are committed to keeping our commitment to offer value for money,” he said.

“We have had a relatively good year with over 100% increase in our subscriber base – as a result of implementing our growth strategy effectively. It is only fair that we share our success by rewarding our customers.”

In addition to offers in devices, customers who buy middle and high end phones will get a reward of 1 GB worth of data. New orange customers will get Sh200 worth of talk time.

Other data offers include the D-Link wireless router with modem retailing for Sh6690 down from Sh7890, while small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) can purchase the newly launched Orange Flybox retailing at Sh16,999, complete with a free fixed telephone set.
November 03, 2011
9:18
HP puts mobile chips in data centers
» ‎ Capital Tech

Hewlett Packard (HP) sees a future in super-efficient data centers powered by the kinds of power-sipping computer chips used in smartphones and tablet computers.

The computer giant was launched in Project Moonshot, server technology that cuts complexity, energy use, and costs, according to a description at the California-based company’s website on Wednesday.

“It paves the way to the future of low-energy computing for emerging web, cloud and massive scale environments,” HP said of Moonshot.

As people and businesses switch to using software as services hosted in the Internet “cloud” demand is rising for data centers with tremendous or “hyperscale” capacity to handle the tsunami of digital information.

“The volume of data processed in financial markets has increased exponentially, and traditional scale-up or scale-out architectures are struggling to keep up with demand without vastly increasing cost and power usage,” said Cantor Fitzgerald high frequency trading director Niall Dalton.

“HP is taking a holistic approach to solving this problem and working to bring unprecedented energy and cost savings for tomorrow’s large-scale, data-intensive applications,” he continued.

The global financial services firm is evaluating the HP technology.

HP making Redstone servers built with the kinds of ARM chips used in mobile gadgets and combined with “Converged Infrastructure” technology that spreads word loads over thousands of machines.

“Companies with hyperscale environments are facing a crisis in capacity that requires a fundamental change at the architectural level,” said HP hyperscale business unit vice president Paul Santeler.

Moonshot provides a server development platform along with a lab for customers and partners.

HP expected its new data center approach to reduce energy consumption for some types of workloads by as much as 89 percent while requiring less space for equipment and cutting costs up to 63 percent.

Critics question wether mobile gadget chips have the strength for data center needs, noting that software must be carefully crafted to divvy up workloads or risk overwhelming processors.
November 01, 2011
16:08
Microsoft brings fight against piracy closer
» ‎ Capital Tech

(KEN MACHARIA) Microsoft has embarked on a consumer education program to fight the sale of counterfeit software in the country. An anti-piracy hotline has been launched to help vendors and users report cases of software piracy.

The pirated software, packed to look like genuine software, is being sold below local market prices and is of high quality, making it difficult for consumers to distinguish between original and pirated Microsoft software.

With the support of the Kenya Copyright Board and the Kenya Anti-Counterfeit Agency, Microsoft has embarked on a consumer awareness program to curb the trade of counterfeit software.

The high quality counterfeit Microsoft software currently being distributed in Kenya includes fake hologram CDs and fake Certificate of Authenticity labels that look like the originals which are sold as complete software packages.

“We’ve recently uncovered several counterfeit versions of Microsoft software,” said Edward Sigei, Chief Legal Counsel of the Kenya Copyright Board.

“Pirating software is often seen as a ‘cheap’ alternative to purchasing it legally. However, in the long-term it can be far more costly, and for businesses and government agencies, disastrous. We’re advising anyone who suspects they’ve purchased a counterfeit to report it to the Kenya Copyright Board or via Microsoft’s Anti-Piracy Hotline.”

Nearly 83% of Software in East and Southern Africa (excluding South Africa) is pirated, totaling to $109 million of counterfeit software installed in computers, according to a 2010 Global Software Piracy Study by Business Software Alliance (BSA). Piracy levels in the region almost double the global average, which stand at 42%.

In addition to the hotline, Microsoft will provide more support for genuine resellers.

“Honest resellers, who sell only genuine software, are put at an unfair disadvantage, and ultimately, the whole economy feels the effects,” said Michael Berenju, Anti-Piracy Manager, Microsoft East and Southern Africa.

“We are actively working to ensure our customers and partners in Kenya are protected from unscrupulous suppliers – this is a responsibility we take extremely seriously. When they come to us for help, we make sure they receive the necessary support from Microsoft and collaborate with local law enforcement authorities like the Kenya Copyright Board or the Anti-Counterfeit Agency to take appropriate enforcement action against resellers who are supplying counterfeit software,” added Berenju

For more information on how to protect yourself from counterfeit software, as well as tips and tricks for how to spot and avoid illegal software, please visit Microsoft’s anti-counterfeiting site http://www.howtotell.com.
October 31, 2011
12:50
Getting paid to play games
» ‎ Capital Tech

(Ken Macharia) What if someone paid you to play video games, the whole day? Unthinkable? Not quite. Apparently, this a growing segment in markets where the gaming industry has matured. Game testers are hired by gaming companies to check the quality of yet-to-be released games for flaws and improvements, and they are paid 10-15$ hour.

“The gaming industry is projected to grow to a $70 billion global economy by 2017. If we develop our own industry, we can create jobs for young people and keep them engaged,” says Paul Kukubo, Kenya ICT board CEO.

Kukubo was speaking during the launch of Plugged Digital Experience- an expo to be held on November 4-5 November at the Sarit Centre.

If you have an even slight interest in digital animation, visual effects, gaming, online content or mobile apps, then you simply can’t afford to miss the Plugged Digital Experience expo.

Several developers and content creators will be showcasing what they have been up to behind the screens. Hardware and software vendors will also be represented.

The nascent, but growing gaming community in Kenya has been holding competitions in different locations in Nairobi including the iHub.

“We sent two of the best gamers in Kenya to the World Cyber Games in China last year where they were competing against 65 other countries,” says Nathan Masyuko, CEO of NexGen, a gaming company that organizes competitions. “Only Kenya and South Africa were represented in Africa at the games.”

Some of the games on the competition list include; FIFA, Taken 6, Call of Duty and Company of Heroes. And although no one is willing to pay to play these games in Kenya, visitors at the expo will get a chance to experience the video games and other technologies at the show.

“We have planned the expo to be an experiential event. It’s not a see and don’t touch expo. We invite people to come test and experience games and applications,” said Bernard Neto, Creative Director, Tafsiri Entertainment Group, the organizers of the premier event.
12:49
RIM partners with Porsche in new BlackBerry design
» ‎ Capital Tech

(KEN MACHARIA) – In a one of a kind partnership, luxury car manufacturer has partnered with Research in Motion (RIM) to design the new elite Porsche Design P’9981 smart phone. The P’9981 phone naturally follows Porsche’s design superiority, with added emphasis on luxury and performance.

The exclusive material choices for this unique smart phone include a forged stainless steel frame, hand-wrapped leather back cover, sculpted QWERTY keyboard, and crystal clear touch display. This customized Porsche Design comes with and exclusive Porsche Design user interface. It also includes premium, exclusive PINs that help easily identify another P’9981 smart phone user.

It is not just all beauty without substance though. The smart phone is built on performance driven platform that features a 1.2GHz processor, HD video recording, 24-bit high resolution graphics, and advanced sensors enabling new augmented reality applications. It comes with 8GB of on-board memory, expandable up to 40GB with a micro SD card.

The Porsche Design P’9981 includes a next generation BlackBerry browser with a fast, fluid web browsing experience. It also features Liquid Graphics technology, which delivers a highly responsive touch experience with incredibly fast and smooth graphics. Throw in a built-in support for Near Field Communications and your BlackBerry for executives turns to a ‘sports phone’, without sacrificing the BlackBerry image.

Todd Wood, SVP for Industrial Design, RIM, sums up the collaboration. “It stems from the shared belief that form equals function,”

“The pure and distinctive design, coupled with authentic materials and an emphasis on the manufacturing process, perfectly match our philosophy and complement the Porsche Design product assortment,” adds Dr. Juergen Gessler, CEO Porsche Design Group, during the announcement.

The Smart Phone is due for retail before end of the year.
October 27, 2011
12:10
Samsung taps into solar powered schooling
» ‎ Capital Tech

(Ken Macharia) Solar powered mobile schools are soon set to make their way into Kenya’s vast semi-arid areas, benefiting thousands of children in these communities, thanks to Samsung.

The classrooms are long-haul containers which can be moved around by tracks and are fitted with solar panels to power the electrical equipment inside.

The Samsung initiative, which has already kicked off in South Africa, aims to tackle Africa’s unique environment, in particular, harsh weather conditions and poor infrastructure.

On average, less than 25% of rural areas on the continent benefit from electricity, resulting in isolated communities with limited access to education and connectivity – both of which are key to fast-tracking a nation’s development.

Samsung Electronics East Africa Business Leader Robert Ngeru confirmed the plans to roll out the program, saying its part of Samsung’s CSR initiatives.

“We want to raise computer literacy as we grow our business on the continent. The Solar Powered Internet School is a great example of this strategy at play,” said Ngeru.

The Solar powered internet school will especially become essential in Kenya as huge areas are not connected to the national electricity grid. In addition, the nomadic culture of some communities will help keep students in schools even when they move from different places.

The classroom can comfortably accommodate 21 learners, and includes several layers of insulation and a ventilation system, to ensure a temperate environment is maintained.

Each classroom is fitted with a 50 inch electronic E-board and different Samsung Notebooks and Netbooks, including the world-first solar powered netbooks and Galaxy Tablets for student and teacher interface.

The server currently contains the complete South African school curriculum but will soon be aligned to Kenya’s curriculum from Standard one to eight.

“The amount of power generated by the schools each day means they can be used beyond the traditional school day as an adult education centre in the afternoons or a community centre over weekends,” says Tessa Calleb, Samsung’s East Africa CSR Manager.

“Our goal was to create an environment that would facilitate learning for whole communities in remote areas that otherwise don’t have access to education tools or internet connectivity.”
October 22, 2011
3:00
Nokia’s new Browser: Improvements in Symbian Anna
» ‎ Capital Tech

Browsing the internet on our mobile phones has become more or less and everyday thing.

The issue of looking up information on your mobile phone be it for learning purposes or even verifying fact is something we have all done at one point or another in time.

Symbian Anna was launched a few months back and marked a lot of improvements in the Symbian Operating system as a whole. The most remarkable improvement though has got to be the new browser.

Symbian Anna comes with a streamlined UI that has seen the removal of the double layer of icons at the bottom of the browsing window and has instead replaced them with a small back arrow that is always on show and an options icon that can call up various different tasks such as bookmarks, history or the exit button. That makes for some extra room up top to include a convenient address bar for easy URL typing and web searching.

The new browser offers more room for text and by extension more room to type content in.

The user interface is also more streamlined and improved. Double layer icons at the bottom of the window have been replaced by a back arrow (similar to that found on desktop browsers) for easier navigation and other functions such as bookmarking, browser history and the exit browser functionality.
October 21, 2011
8:42
Nokia to unveil Windows phone next week
» ‎ Capital Tech

Microsoft has said that Nokia is going to launch phones using Windows’ new mobile operating system next week, giving a major boost to the US firm’s come-from-behind phone software business.

Windows Phone division chief Andy Lees said the Nokia devices were a huge development for Microsoft as it struggles to capture a piece of the market for mobile operating systems already dominated by Apple, Google and BlackBerry.

“We are very excited about them (Nokia) being in the market,” he told the All Things Digital AsiaD technology conference in Hong Kong.

“They have a lot of resources throughout the world and they will be a major accelerant to us.”

Lees said the Finland-based maker of mobile phones saw Microsoft’s “road map” for its new operating system and “decided to bet their whole company on Windows Phone based on that”.

He said Google, maker of the popular Android operating system for mobile phones, was “very nervous” at Microsoft’s entry into the market, even though Windows Phone has a long way to go before it rivals more established products.

“We’ve been working hard on building an architecture that allows us to leapfrog our competitors by using the best components available,” Lees said in reference to its hardware partners such as Nokia and Samsung.

Microsoft and Samsung last month announced they would cooperate in the development and marketing of Windows Phone.
October 20, 2011
9:50
E-Learning program secures learning for students
» ‎ Capital Tech

(KEN MACHARIA) Primary and Secondary school going kids now have a secure, interactive and fun way of learning thanks to a new e-learning project launched today by Intel and Safaricom.

The e-learning program, dubbed ‘Explore, Play Learn the Fun Safe Way,” aims at helping young students browse the internet while protecting them from inappropriate content and risks that come with surfing the web.

The program involves custom software installed on laptops with bundled Safaricom Data. The software includes Education Content for K12, Encyclopedia Britannica, British Council, free games, entertainment and business software and Intel PC basics for first time users. To protect the young users from harmful online content, the laptops come with McAfee family pack license for 3 years.

The initiative comes at a time when the Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK) is working on a policy to protect children from harmful online content after a study commissioned by the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social services, revealed a quarter of Kenyan children with internet access are exposed to sexual explicit material.

However, ‘Explore, Play Learn the fun safe way’ program is not restricted to children as parents can take advantage of the Business software that is also part of the software package.

“This program is projected to increase broadband penetration as well as providing technology tools to help our children in their education and to assist parents adopt technology to improve their personal lives,” said Bajeber.

The partnership will benefit from an earlier agreement between Intel and Kenya Institute of Education (KIE) to digitize primary and secondary curriculum, making it available to thousands of school going children.

Intel country manager Omar Bajaber believes that broadband penetration is a key contributor to the GDP of the country. He said for the economy to grow, there needs to be substantial investment in broadband, education and local content.

Bajaber added that providing technology access and IT skills to students was a cornerstone for future innovation and individual opportunity in the competitive global marketplace. The parties have partnered together to develop a best-in-home model for deploying ICT in education.

In addition, Intel and Safaricom will work together to increase PC penetration – new laptop purchases – through attracting new customers for the mobile company by offering affordable laptops and broadband.
October 18, 2011
9:40
RIM offers customers free premium apps after global outage
» ‎ Capital Tech

(KEN MACHARIA) BlackBerry subscribers will enjoy free access to premium apps following service interruptions that affected customers in five continents last week. RIM Co-CEO, Mike Lazaridis announced the offer as an expression of appreciation for their patience during the disruptions.

BlackBerry email, web and messaging services were restored on Thursday after nearly four days of an outage that affected millions of BlackBerry users in Europe, Africa, Latin-America, US, Middle-east and India. It is estimated three million BlackBerry customers, including over 18,000 subscribers in Kenya were unable to send or receive emails.

“Our global network supports the communications needs of more than 70 million customers,” said Lazaridis. “We truly appreciate and value our relationship with our customers. We’ve worked hard to earn their trust over the past 12 years, and we’re committed to providing the high standard of reliability they expect, today and in the future.”

RIM, however, has not given the reason for the interruption, but UK’s The Telegraph reported reported all the affected areas are served by a data server in southern England. It is believed the server failed as a result of a backlog of email messages especially in Europe.

The premium apps, which will only be free for three months, will become available to download at BlackBerry App World over a period of four weeks beginning Wednesday, October 19^th.

In addition, RIM’s enterprise customers will also be offered one month extension of their existing Technical Support contract, and customers who do not currently have a Technical Support contract will be offered a one month trial of RIM’s BlackBerry Technical Support Services – Enhanced Support, free of charge.

“We are grateful to our loyal BlackBerry customers for their patience,” added Lazaridis. “We have apologized to our customers and we will work tirelessly to restore their confidence. We are taking immediate and aggressive steps to help prevent something like this from happening again.”

The premium apps that are on offer include:

SIMS 3 – Electronic Arts

Bejeweled – Electronic Arts

N.O.V.A – Gameloft

Texas Hold’em Poker 2 – Gameloft

Bubble Bash 2 – Gameloft

Photo Editor Ultimate – Ice Cold Apps

DriverSafe.ly Pro – iSpeech.org

iSpeech Translator Pro – iSpeech.org

Drive Safe.ly Enterprise – iSpeech.org

Nobex Radio™ Premium – Nobex

Shazam Encore – Shazam

Vlingo Plus: Virtual Assistant – Vlingo
October 17, 2011
11:07
JKUAT Students showcase innovations at Tech Expo
» ‎ Capital Tech

(KEN MACHARIA) JKUAT students were at their element during this year’s JKUAT Tech expo held at the Juja main campus. The expo showcased the best of their technical innovations and inventions.

This year’s expo has been bigger, as the organizers – a student group known as Linux User group – have pulled in more sponsors and partners. The tech event was started last year as a way of providing a platform for tech students to show different projects they have been working on, in class and in the halls of hostels.

“The event is entirely a student affair. We plan and source for sponsors on our own,” says Calvin Kebati of Linux User Group and an IT student at JKUAT.

The Group also pre-selects projects to participate in the tech expo. This year, 60 teams submitted their projects for a chance to be at the expo.

“We narrowed down to 23 teams because the rest did not fit into the criteria we used,” explains Calvin.“We looked at the projects that were in line with our theme, is viable and easily scalable to be implemented even in rural areas”

The number of categories has also increased from last year. Engineering & Arch., Mass Comm, and Agriculture have been added to Software engineering and embedding. In spite of the limited resources, students displayed their projects at the expo venue with the hope of attracting commercial interest to develop their prototypes.

Paul Mwaniki is one of the few that took his home-security innovation project from a concept to a commercial venture, after he exhibited during the inaugural tech expo last year.

Mwaniki, who is a telecoms and information engineering graduate, says he struggled to produce the first prototype.

“I had to sell shares I had bought when I was in first year so that I could order the parts from Japan,” says Mwaniki.

He adds that there is more to a groundbreaking innovation than the idea. “There are other important factors like marketing, packaging, production that you have to think about.”

That’s why the organizers required teams to have members with different skills. “There are students who have marketing skills while others are gifted on the technical side,” said Calvin.

Guest of honor, Information and Communication PS, Bitange Ndemo, said ICT will be the main driver of solving social issues.

“The digital economy is growing fast and its being driven by the youth,” said Dr. Ndemo “Students should create employment for themselves.”

Among some of the innovations that are on display include; a mobile air ticketing and sms system, virtual e-learning software, a transparency electronic voting system, and a local Shazam application called ‘jua wimbo’ that identifies a song and artist using a cell phone.
October 14, 2011
11:26
LG unveils new 3D toy
» ‎ Capital Tech

Life’s Good, aka LG, has a new toy in the market that can record videos and take pictures in 3D.

So for a chance to (first) show off, you can snap up the LG Optimus 3D smartphone for Sh60,000 at the Junction in Nairobi, where they also – preferably cash – you can snap up the which has finally touched down in Nairobi.

If you are in the company of a plus one and your wife calls, a 3D picture of her that you saved alongside her number will NOT appear, however, as the 3D only applies to viewing content on your gallery.

“You have the option of viewing in 2D or 3D, its really up to you,” says LG Head of Marketing in East and Central Africa, George Mudhune.

He told Capital Lifestyle that the phone does not convert 2D data received from other gadgets into 3D, but rather generates 3D material of its own, include amazing video capabilities.

It is the first 3D enabled phone in the Kenyan market, and it runs on the latest Android Operating System version 2.2 (Froyo), which can be upgraded to version 2.3 and supported by the second generation dual core technology and an advanced “Tri-Dual” architecture.

In a statement, Mudhune said: “With a dual-channel configuration, data transfers take place simultaneously between the dual-core and dual-memory, resulting in faster performance.”

The LG Tri-Dual configuration encompasses dual-core, dual-channel and dual-memory, which helps you multi-task with no qualms while using the phone.

The phone was first unveiled at Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona in February, showing off the 3D experience without the need for special glasses.

Those who want to have a feel of the phone can visit LG Mobile showroom on the second floor of The Junction Mall.

With ongoing tests on 4G networks across the globe, LG’s LTE technology is expected to ultimately change the way people make calls by utilizing established network carriers to provide HD voice quality through AMR (Adaptive Multi-Rate) wideband technology, while allowing users to maintain their existing phone numbers.
October 13, 2011
10:56
Tech War: Apple wins round one
» ‎ Capital Tech

US technology giant Apple on Thursday won a temporary ban on Samsung selling its Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Australia after launching legal action on the grounds that it copied Apple’s top-selling iPad.

The Federal Court handed down its long-awaited judgement in Sydney but said the reasons for the decision would remain confidential until Friday.

“I am satisfied that it is appropriate to grant an interim injunction,” said Justice Annabelle Bennett, adding that Apple established a prima facie case that patents about its touchscreen technology had been breached.

Lawyers from both sides were not available for comment.

The decision follows Apple winning its battle with the South Korean company in Germany earlier this month when a court ruled the Galaxy Tab 10.1 had copied the iPad, and banned it from sale in that country.

Samsung disputes the claims.

The two technology giants are also embroiled in a patent dispute over smartphones and tablet computers in the United States, with both sides filing infringement claims against the other in an escalating feud.

Legal action is also ongoing in South Korea.
4:00
Sony halts 93,000 online accounts after new breach
» ‎ Capital Tech

Sony said Wednesday it had suspended 93,000 accounts on its online networks after detecting a large amount of unauthorised sign-in attempts months after a massive data breach.

The attempts took place between October 7 and 10 and succeeded in verifying valid sign-in IDs and passwords of about 93,000 accounts on its PlayStation Network, Sony Entertainment Network and Sony Online Entertainment services.

Sony said credit card details associated with those accounts were not at risk as a result of the attempts.

Sony has temporarily locked these accounts and is continuing investigations into the extent of unauthorised activity. It said it would notify affected account holders to advise them to reset their passwords.

The entertainment giant has been battling to restore consumer trust after a data breach in April compromised more than 100 million online accounts, forcing it to temporarily shut down its PlayStation Network and Qriocity music services.

Analysts say such breaches threaten to further damage Sony’s brand image and undermine its efforts to link its gadgets to an online “cloud-based” network of games, movies and music that relies on consumer confidence in their security.
October 07, 2011
13:48
YouTube launches YouTube.co.ke
» ‎ Capital Tech

YouTube announced the launch of a Kenyan domain in Nairobi, Kenya on Wednesday.

YouTube Kenya will now offer some of the most informative and entertaining video content from around the world through a local interface that promotes the content most relevant to Kenyans.

“With a new localized version of Youtube, Kenyans will be able to connect and use this information more easily,” notes Olga Arara-Kimani, Google Kenya’s Country Manager.

Dubbed as the “original East African Diva,” Amani shared on the panel how YouTube has helped her to grow her audience and to better understand them.

Famed dance group turned choreographers, Tofo Tofo, made a surprise appearance from Mozambique and shared how YouTube connected them with Beyonce and ultimately resulting in the award-winning music video “Run The World.”

But what does the addition of “.co.ke” really change?

For starters, a cool new logo that plays homage to the Kenyan flag, which will definitely inspire new printed t-shirt designs. On a more serious note, YouTube Kenya will make it easier for local users to find and view the videos most relevant to them through search algorithms and category spotlights. Secondly, content uploaded by users in Kenya will show up as “browse pages” on the YouTube Kenya site ultimately increasing Kenyan users’ exposure, and thirdly, offer local users YouTube Feather – a lighter version that will ensure that those with low-speed Internet connections will be able to play videos faster.

The impressive numbers that YouTube clocks, more than three billion views per day and 48 hours of uploaded video every minute, will only grow substantially as the online video giant continues to launch localized sites in emerging markets where there is a great need for stories to be shared on free platforms.
9:37
LG launches radical Pentouch TV
» ‎ Capital Tech

LG Electronics is all set to launch its new Pentouch TV in Kenya, which incorporates a PCs abilities and enhanced internet, while letting viewers control content directly on the screen using a special pen.

George Mudhune, LG’s Regional Marketing Manager says that by incorporating their Plasma Display Panel’s (PDP) cells, the Pentouch TV also offers a more sophisticated slim design at a lower price than conventional units.

“Touch displays have become the norm in phones and tablets, but remain almost unheard of in TVs. The Pentouch TV brings all the excitement of touch displays, computers and the internet to the world of TV, with functions and programs that are great fun and educational. Families, in particular, will have more than ever to enjoy on our Pentouch TV sets.”

Using the TV’s excellent suite of software, budding artists will also have the ability to draw pictures directly onto the screen and then save the files for further editing or effects manipulation, he said.

“In Pentouch mode, users can access files (such as PowerPoint presentations) and any other content from their PC, and work on them, edit them or move them around the screen with the greatest of ease. The TV supports simultaneous two-pen use, and pen batteries can be recharged through USB ports on the back of the TV unit.”

If the PC is connected to a printer, users can print their Pentouch creations, too. More complex software features include Gallery, which comes with a built-in slide show feature, Family Calendar and Digital Photo Frame, which lets users embellish their work with the frame of their choice.

The Pentouch TV will be launched in Africa before the end of the year although it has made its entry into the Middle East this month.
September 27, 2011
7:51
Amazon to unveil tablet at mystery event
» ‎ Capital Tech

With nearly 30 million iPads sold, Apple is the undisputed tablet computer champion.

BlackBerry maker Research In Motion, US computer giant Hewlett-Packard, South Korea’s Samsung and scores of other companies with devices powered by Google’s Android software have all taken swings at the iPad and missed.

A contender may finally be here.

Amazon, maker of the Kindle electronic book reader, is expected to unveil an Android-powered tablet at an event in New York this week according to numerous press reports.

The Seattle-based online retail giant is holding a press conference in the Big Apple on Wednesday but has enigmatically declined to say what it was about.

According to the technology blog TechCrunch, the Amazon device will be called the “Kindle Fire” and will feature a seven-inch (17.78-centimeter) screen, smaller than the iPad’s 9.7-inch (24.6-cm) display.

It will ship in the second week of November, TechCrunch said.

Technology analysts are predicting that an Amazon tablet could pose the most serious challenge yet to Apple’s dominance of the fast-growing tablet market.

“More than any other recent tablet introduction, Amazon’s entry is set to shake the still-solidifying market to its very core,” independent technology analyst Carmi Levy told AFP.

“Unlike hardware manufacturers who lack the pockets and the resolve to slug it out with Apple in a protracted war over market share, Amazon has both the resources and the will to stay in the game as long as it needs to,” he said.

Forrester Research analyst Sarah Rotman Epps, in a recent blog post, said Amazon taking on Apple is a “bit like David taking on Goliath.”

But Rotman Epps said Amazon’s “willingness to sell hardware at a loss combined with the strength of its brand, content, cloud infrastructure, and commerce assets makes it the only credible iPad competitor in the market.”

According to technology research firm Gartner, the iPad will account for 68.7 percent of the 69.7 million tablets sold this year and will remain the top-selling device over the next few years.

While Gartner said Android-powered tablets will see their market share rise from 14.2 percent last year to 19.9 percent this year, most of Apple’s tablet rivals are struggling.
September 23, 2011
9:19
Facebook lets users tell life stories
» ‎ Capital Tech

Facebook on Thursday began turning profile pages into interactive digital scrap books that that let members of the world’s leading online social network tell the stories of their lives.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg kicked off the annual f8 developers conference in San Francisco by introducing “Timeline” pages that let people digitally map everything they’ve ever done.

“The heart of your Facebook experience, completely rethought from the ground up,” Zuckerberg said. “Timeline is the story of your life.”

He demonstrated by showing how his new profile page chronicled his experiences from meeting US President Barack Obama to baby photos.

“The biggest challenge was to tell the story of your life in a single page,” Zuckerberg said.

“What Timeline does is show all the recent activity and then as you go back in time it starts summarizing the things you’ve done in your life.”

The latest changes at Facebook include a new class of “open graph” applications that let people discover and share music, movies, books and news as well as seemingly lightweight experiences like bicycle rides.

Software apps made by more than a dozen developers, including Spotify, will let Facebook members easily listen along to tunes with friends.

“It’s a big day for everyone who loves music,” said Spotify chief executive Daniel Ek said.

Zuckerberg heralded the arrival of Facebook applications that let people automatically allow chosen friends see what they do or experience without needing to click “Like” or “Share” buttons.

“It will be a wildly popular feature,” Spotify chief content officer Ken Parks told AFP. “It is a big step forward for Facebook.”

For example, Spotify will let Facebook users see what friends are listening to at any moment in “Ticker” real-time feeds and then listen along by clicking on a post.

“It really wrings the friction out of the process,” Parks said.

The same principle will apply to computer or mobile gadget applications for digital books, news, and films.

“Now, you don’t just have to ‘Like’ a book, you can read it,” he explained. “You can connect to anything you want; it’s simple but it is really powerful.”

Facebook had no plans for an “app store” along the lines of the one run by Apple at its online iTunes shop. Facebook will leave it to members to spread media sharing applications.

People will need to install third party applications to share snippets in Timeline profile pages, which will feature privacy controls. Applications will also require people to set data sharing “permissions” before they are used.

Partners ready with “open graph” applications included online streaming video services Netflix and Hulu. Applications were also available to deliver and share news stories from sources including Yahoo and “The Daily.”

Facebook launched a test version of Timeline, which will be rolled to all of the social network’s 800 million members in coming weeks.

“Facebook is positioning itself as not just your social graph online, but your life online,” said Forrester analyst Sean Corcoran.

“These changes not only help trump rival Google, but will open up new opportunities for marketers with new kinds of customer experiences, long term engagement, advertising, and customer intelligence,” he continued.

The significant overhaul to Facebook profile pages promised to transform them into interactive digital scrapbooks that memorialize people’s lives online in real time.

“We didn’t want to just design a place for you to put all of your stories and apps,” Zuckerberg said. “We wanted to make Timeline a place that you are proud to call your home.”

The changes come just days after Google opened up its own social network, Google+, to the public in a major challenge to market leader Facebook.

Facebook’s transformation is likely to trigger backlash from ranks of notoriously change-averse users and to resurrect concerns over how effectively the social network protects people’s privacy.

Facebook said it has worked with privacy groups while developing Timeline and that it has made it simple and clear to control what information gets shared with whom.

Facebook users this week had taken to complaining about the barrage of recent updates intended to make it easier to manage the torrents of updates from friends at the social network.

Palo Alto, California-based Facebook hit a new milestone this month with a half-billion people using the social network in a single day, according to Zuckerberg.
September 21, 2011
10:17
Do you have KLOUT–Just how influential are you?
» ‎ Capital Tech

The web has taken over how we communicate in so many ways. You no longer have to remember a birthday as Facebook warns you whenever a loved-one’s birthday is near. Twitter tells you when someone decides to think out loud and post (read tweet) something on their page. LinkedIn keeps you in tandem with your professional crowd and FourSquare lets you know where your friends are via check-in when they share their location.

We are in the 21^st Century of the Generation X, humans seem to be moving more and more towards online meet-ups and away from actual physical ones.

Influence is everything. At least to those people who know what it is worth, it is everything.

What you eat, drink, watch, listen to, talk about, wear and even drive is constantly being observed by people and more importantly those who you influence. Facebook calls them friends; Twitter calls them followers while Helloo calls them Listeners (puke!).

Bottom line, those who find you influential (read cool) will always try and ape you and what you do. That is what influence does. And anyone trying to change it would be going against common genetic coding. We are all born with instinct to look out for the best and want to engage with it, leading to acquisition where applicable.

Enter KLOUT. This is a web service that claims to effectively calculate just how influential you are according to your social circle, how you interact with them and what choices you influence in your friends.

Reuben Quinones of istrategy calls it “an influence metric online” whose algorithms calculate how popular and influential you are from the number of people you interact with over the web.”

“Klout measures influence by using data points from Twitter, such as: following count, follower count, retweets, list memberships, how many spam/dead accounts are following you, how influential the people that retweet you are, and unique mentions. This information is blended with Facebook data such as comment, likes, and the number of friends in your network to come up with a “Klout Score” that measures a user’s online influence.” Source Wikipedia.

Then come the big questions:

1. Just how accurate is a Klout score?

2. What methodology do they use?

3. How do they work?

4. Can they be mapped out to achieve best route or even critical path as with most mathematical inductions?

5. Can they be drawn from a certain pattern?

This brings into play the big question of ‘Social Media Experts”. Now this one I like. Science subjects us to the same number of opportunities for interaction in our lifetime as long as the conditions are ideal. This means that whoever you are, whatever you do, you have equal opportunity to interact, make friends and in turn also influence friends’ decisions.

Many are amazed to find that so trusted is this service that some employers will hire you to consult in a social media expert capacity by considering your Klout score. Everyone has it too; whether you like it or not. To check out yours, go to www.klout.com/yourusername (replace yourusername with your twitter handle).

At the end of the day, no-one can say they are 100% sure that their Klout score is what it really is.

All I know is that the one at the top of the list had sure as hell be making money from their ‘Popularity’.

More from the author here
September 20, 2011
7:56
Samsung to sue to ban iPhone 5 sales
» ‎ Capital Tech

South Korea’s Samsung Electronics will file lawsuits to try to block the sale of Apple’s iPhone 5 as part of its global legal tussle with the US technology giant, a report said Tuesday.

The two firms are at loggerheads in a series of patent lawsuits over the technology and design of their smartphones and tablet computers.

Maeil Business Newspaper cited a Samsung official as saying the firm would “strategically” launch the legal actions as Apple was expected to start selling the much-anticipated smartphone next month.

“We have not yet decided whether to launch the suits in South Korea or in a third country,” the unidentified official was quoted as saying.

It was unclear whether Samsung would seek a sales ban only in South Korea or internationally. A Samsung Electronics spokesman declined to comment.

Apple has accused Samsung of “slavishly” copying the technology and designs of its market-leading iPhone and iPad.

It has filed complaints in countries including Germany and Australia, seeking a ban on sales of Samsung’s Galaxy S and Galaxy Tab.

Samsung, the world’s biggest memory chip maker and the number two mobile phone maker after Nokia, has launched counter-suits claiming its US rival infringed its wireless technology patents.

The Suwon-based company earlier this month was forced to withdraw its new tablet PC from a major electronics fair in Berlin after a German court approved a request from Apple to ban sales and marketing.

Samsung however vowed to appeal, saying it would actively take “all available measures, including legal options” to defend its presence in the European market.

The company said last week it had filed complaints in France against Apple alleging infringement of three mobile phone technology patents in the US firm’s iPhone and iPad.

The complaint was filed before a Paris district court in July and the first hearing is expected in December.

Despite their legal battles, Apple is one of the biggest customers for Samsung’s chips and display screens.
September 14, 2011
8:27
Microsoft shows off Windows 8 for tablets
» ‎ Capital Tech

Microsoft pulled back the curtain on new Windows computer operating software designed to power not only personal computers but also rivals to Apple’s iPad.

Windows division president Steven Sinofsky stressed touchscreen tablets as he boasted of the diverse types of hardware that Windows 8 will run after its official release.

Sinofsky was part of a Microsoft team that provided an in-depth look at Windows 8 to software developers at a BUILD conference the US technology giant is holding this week in southern California.

“We re-imagined Windows,” Sinofsky said. “From the chipset to the user experience, Windows 8 brings a new range of capabilities without compromise.”

Windows 8 was crafted to allow all kinds of computers to be controlled with taps or swipes of screens, gestures familiar to owners of smartphones or tablet computers.

The operating system was also designed to let separate applications work together and to synchronize files across various Windows 8 devices.

Sinofsky demonstrated the point by having a picture taken on a camera-enabled desktop computer pop up on a tablet.

“Windows 8 works beautifully across a spectrum of devices, from 10-inch tablets and laptops to all-in-ones with 27-inch high-definition screens,” Microsoft said.

Windows 8 was shaping up to be Microsoft’s answer to criticism that it had ceded the tablet computer space to Google’s Android platform and Apple, which has dominated a market it ignited with the release of the iPad.

“It is a blend, a hybrid, that attempts to give a person the advantages of an iPad and the advantages of a Macbook Air (Apple laptop) in a single device,” said analyst Rob Enderle of Enderle Group in Silicon Valley.

“This is going to be interesting,” he continued. “The hardware optimizing it will likely be some touch-enabled ultrabook.”

Microsoft was so eager to get independent developers working on applications for Windows 8 that it gave tablet computer prototypes to each of the 5,000 BUILD attendees so they could begin tinkering with the software.

The week-long gathering will be crammed with sessions at which developers will be tutored in nuances of building applications for Windows 8.
September 08, 2011
7:45
Samsung, Microsoft tie up for new tablet
» ‎ Capital Tech

South Korea’s Samsung Electronics has teamed up with Microsoft to make a new tablet computer powered by the US software giant’s latest operating system, a report said Thursday.

The Korea Economic Daily, citing an industry source, said the new tab based on the Windows 8 system would be unveiled at Microsoft’s BUILD developers’ conference in California from September 13-16.

“This new product manufactured by Samsung will be the company’s first collaboration with Microsoft in its hardware devices,” it quoted the source as saying.

A Samsung Electronics spokesman declined to comment. The company is the world’s second biggest mobile phone maker after Finland’s Nokia.

Analysts say Samsung is trying to diversify the operating systems of its smartphones and tablet PCs beyond Google’s Android system, on which it currently relies heavily.

Google last month bought mobile device maker Motorola Mobility, making its debut in hardware and becoming a potential competitor to companies such as Samsung.

Samsung is promoting its Galaxy S smartphones and Galaxy Tab computers to compete against Apple’s market-leading iPhone and iPad. It is trying to strengthen its relatively weak software business.

Microsoft launched its Windows Phone 7 smartphone in November 2010 on handsets built by manufacturers including Taiwan’s HTC, Samsung and fellow South Korean conglomerate LG.
September 07, 2011
12:09
Samsung Galaxy S II finally in Kenya
» ‎ Capital Tech

Samsung Electronics (East Africa) has dropped their new Galaxy S II Smartphone into the Kenyan market to make life easier for the majority of phone users who mostly access the internet through their mobile devices.

In just months, more than 10 million lightweight handsets have been snapped up around the world, its popularity resting on an ultra-thin (8.49mm) rim and dual core that promises to make the experience extra fast.

VIPs, phone lovers, and techie bloggers were invited to the launch of the super-smartphone at the Mercury Lounge last night, where it was introduced to the eager audience by Samsung Electronics East Africa Business Leader, Robert Ngeru.

“During this introductory phase, we shall be looking to roll out more than 10,000 Samsung GALAXY S II units; a modest target which we can easily double given the customer interest that we have noted so far,” he promised.

The Samsung GALAXY S II uses the Android™ 2.3 Gingerbread mobile operating system. The next generation smartphone also includes access to Samsung’s four new content and entertainment hubs, seamlessly integrated to provide instant access to music, games, e-reading and social networking services.

Ngeru explained that there was room in the Kenyan market, which is enjoying a faster uptake of mobile devices, and the smarter the better.

“Indeed, a recent research finding by, Informa Telecoms Media reveals that there will be up to 265 million data subscribers in Africa by 2015, up from about 12 million today confirming the need for smartphones such as the Samsung Galaxy S II.”

The demand for quality smartphones in the Kenyan market, Ngeru disclosed, is growing at a fast pace as discerning mobile phone users continue to upgrade to handsets that can support value added services.

“GALAXY S II is a natural and powerful evolution of GALAXY S,” said Ngeru.

Incorporating a dual-core application processor and, the Samsung GALAXY S II has the speed and power to provide an unrivalled mobile performance.

Dual-core application processors deliver compelling features such as fast web browsing, multi-tasking comparable to a PC-like environment, supreme graphics quality and instantly responsive 3D user interface on the large screen.

With super-fast advanced wireless network (HSPA+ 21) connectivity, the GALAXY S II offers rapid mobile download speeds while BlueTooth® 3.0+HS considerably reduces data transfer times.

The Samsung GALAXY S II has been equipped with an 8MP, high-profile camera and camcorder with 1080p full HD recording and playback. With Samsung’s patented AllShare technology, customers can capture, create and then share their experiences hassle-free.

The Samsung GALAXY S II has also been equipped with the Super AMOLED Plus screen, feted for colour gamut, contrast ratio and edge sharpness, and that I can personally attest to.

A significant reduction in power consumption from Super AMOLED display means it is also more energy-efficient than other comparably sized devices, allowing Samsung to minimize device weight.

For business users, Samsung has introduced a new range of enterprise mobility solutions, helping enterprise customers empower a flexible and connected mobile workforce.

These solutions include enhanced conferencing and connectivity services from Cisco, the most comprehensive mobile implementation of Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync and secure remote device management from Sybase.

This pretty little thing will set you back a cool Sh70,000 (RRP).
September 06, 2011
16:30
Total Motorshow launches new Toyota models
» ‎ Capital Tech

The Total Motorshow at the KICC from this Friday September 9^th to 11^th is one of the premier motoring destinations of its kind in East and Central Africa – celebrating dazzling displays of car design, engineering and innovation.

“Our aim is always to showcase the quality and diversity of Kenya’s motor industry, and to offer the most comprehensive one-stop-shop for both commercial operators and private buyers,” explains Total Motorshow Chairman Nawaz Popat.

Sponsored by both Total Kenya and Kenya Motor Industry Association, this year marks the Motoshow’s return to the KICC.

With all of the exhibiting stands taken, organizers of the Motorshow anticipate a record-breaking crowd this weekend.

Organizers have promised surprises for guests including live entertainment and fun for the whole family.

Other things to look forward to? Toyota Kenya announced that they will be introducing the new looks for the Fortuner and Hilux models during the Motorshow.
August 29, 2011
12:13
LG introduces next generation smart phone
» ‎ Capital Tech

LG Electronics (LG) has unveiled its new Android Smartphone, LG Optimus Black in the market.

According to George Mudhune, LG Regional Marketing Manager, East and Central Africa the P970 LG OPTIMUS Black is now trading at Ksh.40, 000, and available in all major shop outlets across Kenya.

The phone provides users with a dramatically brighter 4-inch NOVA display in the world’s slimmest 9.2 mm mobile device and is designed to be the brightest, clearest and most readable among mobile screens with 700 nits of brightness for optimal visibility:

“LG Optimus Black provides users with an easier and more natural experience when browsing the web, reading emails, or writing documents with higher levels of brightness and pure white tones that deliver true black and white colors for ideal handset viewing. NOVA technology featured on LG Optimus Black also enables users to maintain visibility whether indoors or outdoors under strong sunlight,” he said.

In addition to greater luminosity, the NOVA display on LG Optimus Black also radically reduces power consumption by 50 percent during general indoor use compared to a conventional LCD.

Similarly, AMOLED consumes twice as much power as NOVA to display a full white screen, the most frequently used color scheme for web browsing. Combined with the 1500 mAh battery of the LG Optimus Black, users will have enough power for their daily needs, even at maximum brightness settings.

Making a strong visual statement, LG Optimus Black weighs only 109g and offers sleek lines and smooth edges that improve handheld grip. Tapering down to the world’s thinnest smartphone profile of 6.0 mm, LG Optimus Black’s subtle back arch helps to create the illusion of even greater slimness.

Unique to the LG Optimus Black, the flush and flawless finish of the front display is achieved by innovatively hiding the Invisible Receiver behind the edges of the phone.

“We are excited to introduce this stylish new Android smartphone and expect the LG Optimus Black to play a key role in the mobile market,” said Mr. Mr. Woo Won Na, MD of LG Electronics Africa Logistics FZE.

“LG Optimus Black reflects our core strengths of advanced technology, in both display and design, offering the world’s brightest screen and the world’s slimmest design in an attractive and smart package,” he added.

The LG Optimus Black also offers a set of smarter features designed for easy and faster access to important apps and content. Optimus UI 2.0 lets users directly access messages, emails and missed calls from the locked screen with just one single finger tap.

The Gesture UI offers more intuitive commands, including lifting, shaking and tapping, for taking calls, entering camera mode, or enjoying music. LG Optimus Black also introduces the world’s first Wi-Fi Direct for quick and high-quality data transfer between mobile devices and adopts the world’s first 2MP front-facing camera.

At the same time, LG Electronics has opened the largest customer care centre at the Nakumatt Junction Nairobi. The state of the art centre will go along way in serving customers needs-ranging from inquiry of products to offering accessories for mobile electronics.

Mudhune said LG will offer 50 percent to the services or purchases made by customers in the next two weeks as it opens from 8am-5pm daily.

“We believe this customer care centre is will help in addressing our customers’ needs and giving them value for money for whatever service they will get. Our main objective as LG is to ensure our customers have a satisfactory experience of our products and services.”
August 26, 2011
9:32
Nokia introduces cheaper dual SIM phone
» ‎ Capital Tech

(VICTORIA RUBADIRI) Global mobile phone supplier Nokia introduced two new entry level phones into the Kenyan market, on Thursday, in efforts to deepen its penetration in the growing dual SIM mobile phone market.

The release of the Nokia 100 and dual SIM Nokia 101, its most affordable mobile phones to date, is part of Nokia’s commitment to connecting the next billion people in emerging markets to the internet.

More than 1.3 billion people use a Nokia mobile phone device; a figure the company hopes to increase by tapping into the vibrant African market.

By 2015 it is estimated that 20 percent of the world’s new mobile phone subscribers will come from the African market.

Speaking during the launch, Executive Vice President of Mobile Phones at Nokia, Mary McDowell, said the new phones are a response to the demand for more versatile mobile phones in Africa.

“We’re really on a roll with dual SIM. These are entry level devices to give consumers who are just starting out in their mobile experience, a modern, capable feature-rich device. Particularly for the youth markets in Africa, it really brings a new level of functionality to this price point,” she said.

The Nokia 100 will retail for about Sh2,800 while the Nokia 101 will start at Sh3,200 according to current exchange rate.

Though fairly new in the Kenyan dual SIM phone market, Nokia had its trial run last year when it introduced its first dual SIM mobile phone, the Nokia C-2, in the global market.

So far the Nokia X1-01 and Nokia C2-00 are currently available in Kenya, with the Nokia 100 now joining the dual SIM fleet, which is Nokia’s fifth dual SIM device in the last three months.

The dual SIM functionality enables users to connect to two different networks to receive calls and messages helping them manage costs and maintain network coverage without needing several phones.

Ms McDowell, who has been visiting with Nokia’s mobile phone leadership team in Africa over the past week, said mobile application (App) development market in the continent has been showing promise.

Last year a Kenyan app developer took the top award at Nokia’s Global Calling all Innovators Contest, a major reason Ms McDowell said Nokia is looking to further the app development sector.

“We have put more people on the ground here in Kenya and more broadly in Africa to work with developers so that we can get those truly relevant applications in content and also improving our tool capabilities,” she said.

To bridge the information gap Nokia also provides Life Tools, a mobile phone service available on the Nokia Series 30 and Series 40 devices.

Designed to inform and improve the livelihoods of consumers in developing countries, Life Tools, provides SMS services in the areas of agriculture, education, healthcare and entertainment.

“In agriculture Life Tools would provide farmers with information about how to successfully raise their crops as well as pricing information so when it comes time to bring their harvest to market they can get a fair price and not get ripped off by the middle man,” Ms McDowell said.

So far Life Tools has been used by 30 million people in China, India, Indonesia and Nigeria.
August 24, 2011
11:53
Sony makes sure every home video is watched
» ‎ Capital Tech

August 24, 2011 – Sony’s new line of camcorders with built-in projectors is truly ensuring that no home video will ever go unwatched!

As Sony puts it, “Captivating creations deserve an audience,” and that’s the way it should be, I couldn’t agree more.

What’s the point of hauling a camera around when no one ever gets around watching the footage?

Sony’s Handycam camcorder with projector turns any space into a mobile theatre. Don’t worry no tiny pinhole image here – Sony’s built-in projector can project up to a 60” diagonal image…that’s larger than your friend’s LCD flat screen at home!

At first I was worried about the sound quality during playback considering the speakers on the Handycam are deceptively small. Sony’s S-Master digital amplifier technology has removed any doubt I had with its powerful stereo sound quality enough to convince your audience to sit down, relax and enjoy the footage with fresh buttered-popcorn.

Another cool spec on this camcorder is that it comes with a built-in GPS receiver with geo-tags content ready to map your location anywhere in the World into your footage.

I wish I had this camcorder during my trek up Mt. Kenya. The GPS would’ve come in handy documenting our progress up the mountain!

From approximately USD $700 – $1000, the range of Sony’s High–Definition Handycam Camcorder with Built-in Projector is definitely spearheading the consumer camcorder industry.

Now, you can immortalize your precious family moments and share them anywhere with a built-in projector. Pretty cool if you ask me.
August 19, 2011
16:09
Sony opens at Junction with special offers
» ‎ Capital Tech

August 19, 2011 – It was just one month ago that Game Changer opened at Junction Shopping Center, quickly changing the mall into Nairobi’s gaming hub. Now, with ANISUMA Sony opening their new state-of-the-art shop just next to Game Changer, Junction has become gadget-central for techies.

With the growing number of middleclass in Kenya, the Kenyan consumer’s sophisticated lifestyle and affinity for the latest technology and products makes Kenya an ideal place to showcase the newest in Sony technology in the region.

ANISUMA, the official Sony dealers in the country, opened their 2^nd showroom in Nairobi today, August 19^th – unveiling an impressive state-of-the-art showroom that will surely give consumers a complete experience of numerous Sony products.

The state-of-the-art environment together with the store’s knowledgeable staff will ensure that consumers will make informed Sony purchases.

As an official Sony dealer, ANISUMA undertakes all kinds of service maintenance for Sony products and upholds to product warranties.

Aside from a diverse range of Sony’s high definition Bravia systems, ANISUMA’s new store also showcases 3D televisions, a complete range of Cyber-Shot digital cameras, and incredible Handycam camcorders with built-in projectors; not to mention stylish accessories to outfit any Sony product – this is the ultimate playpen for gadget lovers.

ANISUMA’s new Sony store is definitely a must visit this weekend. With attractive special offers and give-a-ways, don’t miss out on this rare opportunity to get the most out of your shilling!

Sony Store grand opening: Photo Credits Susan Wong © All rights reserved.

By Capital FM Kenya | View on Facebook
August 17, 2011
10:57
Total Motorshow: Happy car shopping!
» ‎ Capital Tech

August 17, 2011 – Anticipation for the upcoming Total Motorshow at the KICC from September 9th – 11th is growing especially with nearly all of the exhibition stands being fully booked, says organizers.

Organized by the Kenya Motor Industry Association and sponsored by Total Kenya, the Total Motorshow will be the largest motor exhibition in East and Central Africa.

At least 30 makes and more than 200 different models of cars, SUVs, 4x4s, motorcycles, pick-ups, buses and auto accessories; are expected to be exhibited at this year’s event.

For Kenyans that are entertaining the idea of buying a new car, this motorshow will definitely be a must-go experience.

“Our [organizers] aim is always to showcase the quality and diversity of Kenya’s motor industry, and to offer the most comprehensive one-stop-shop for both commercial operators and private buyers,” explains Nawaz Popat, Chairman of the motorshow.
August 15, 2011
10:31
RIM announces BlackBerry Management Center
» ‎ Capital Tech
August 15, 2011 – BlackBerry Management Center makes it easy to manage company- or employee-owned smartphones in the cloud, and helps to minimize risk from lost or stolen handsets to keep business moving forward. Small businesses can use the service to:
- Wirelessly back up BlackBerry smartphones automatically on a daily, weekly or monthly basis to aid in the recovery of lost business-related content stored on the handset
- Protect content on an employee’s lost or stolen BlackBerry smartphone by remotely locking it and, if necessary, wiping the contents, including the microSD card
- Locate a lost BlackBerry smartphone by remotely locking it, initiating a loud ring, and displaying a message on the Home screen
- Easily restore the settings and content on a new or replacement device
- Reset a password
Free Online Service Helps Small Businesses Centrally Manage and Protect BlackBerry Smartphones in the Cloud.

Don’t forget to follow the author on TWITTER @juuchini

This post can also be found on Juuchini.
August 12, 2011
11:35
Use your tie as a camera strap
» ‎ Capital Tech

August 12, 2011 – These days, everyone practically owns a digital camera, so whether you’re just a hobbyist or a professional, how do you set yourself apart from everyone else?

Ecouterre has found the perfect solution for comfortable neck straps and furthermore, something that will surely showcase your individuality and creativity.

Ties are often made in various types of sturdy yet comfortable materials, which are meant for long hours of wear. By default, ties would be perfect as your new camera strap!

Check out this DIY tutorial from Ecouterre:
August 09, 2011
8:28
Sony, Panasonic, Samsung in 3D deal
» ‎ Capital Tech

August 9, 2011 (AFP) – Japan’s Sony and Panasonic and South Korea’s Samsung Electronics said on Tuesday that they would jointly develop new standards for glasses used to watch 3D images on television, computer and movie screens.

The three Asian consumer electronics giants, working with European technology firm X6D Limited, said their collaboration will cover a technology called “3D active glasses”, according to their joint statement.

The universal glasses — which can be used on TVs from all three firms — will go on sale in 2012 and will be compatible with 3D sets being released this year, the companies said.

“Today’s announcement marks a unique collaboration of the world’s leading 3D TV manufacturers and 3D technology providers for the benefit of consumers,” they said, expressing hope the move would promote 3D technology.
August 08, 2011
11:48
iPads replace restaurant menus
» ‎ Capital Tech

August 8, 2011 – Say goodbye to wrinkled and ketchup covered menus! Just in case you missed it on CNN, an Atlanta restaurant is revolutionizing the ordering process through iPads.

Christian and Nacash Ruffin has replaced the conventional printed menu at their swanky Atlanta restaurant with iPads.

You can order your meal as you go along and everything happens real time. Your order and it’s specifications are sent to the kitchen directly without waiting for anyone.

Inspired by the annoyance of trying to get a waiter’s attention, the owners hope substituting menus with an iPad will reduce such inconveniences.

“You put in your order into the iPad and you get it exactly the way you want,” says an elated guest.

The iPad software, written specifically for the restaurant, also posts advertisements and pushes menu specials.

When guests are ready to leave, they type in their valet ticket number and the valet attendant retrieves their car without any delay.

The iPads are also equipped with a sensor to prevent any thefts of the tech toy just in case a guest forgets to put down the iPad!

Source: CNN
July 29, 2011
12:30
Microsoft transforming education in Kenya
» ‎ Capital Tech

Kenya, Mombasa (July 29, 2011): Microsoft East and Southern Africa has officially unveiled mwalimukenya.org, a formal communication platform for all Kenyan teachers employed under Teachers Service Commission. Through the portal, TSC will provide all teachers with a digital identity and a formal email address. Amongst the benefits that teachers will enjoy through this portal are: direct communication with their employer without physically travelling to the headquarters in Nairobi, ease of curriculum delivery, elimination of the need to carry bulky books, ease of planning lessons, sharing and storing documents online.

“To activate an account, a teacher simply needs to log on to the site, enter their TSC number and will instantly receive their @mwalimukenya.org email address,” said Mark Matunga, Regional Education Manager for Microsoft East and Southern Africa. He was speaking during the ongoing Kenya Primary Schools Head teachers Association (KEPSHA) delegates’ conference taking place in Mombasa where thousands of public primary school head teachers drawn from schools in Kenya have converged.

Addressing the conference, Joseph Karuga, National Chairman KEPSHA said the forum creates a favorable atmosphere for delegates to share experiences and best practices to help improve quality of education and the standards being realized in primary schools.

“In line with this year’s conference theme, based on Child Friendly Schools (CFS)initiative, schools must not only help children realize their right to a basic education, but also equip them with the skills to face the challenges of a new century. The 21^st century has seen rapid adoption of Information and Communications Technology and basic IT skills are now a requirement in society. It is therefore paramount that our schools start to integrate modern technology in the classrooms”, said Mr Karuga. Further, he urged the head teachers to look at the conference as a good platform to share best practices especially around e-learning and technology solutions available to schools in Kenya.

While calling for the revision of the ICT strategy which was drafted five years ago, Mr. Matunga noted that a lot of progress had been made in digitizing education content through close partnerships with Microsoft, Kenya Institute of Education and Kenya Literature Bureau. “Kenyan teachers now have access to a digital curriculum, the first of its kind in Africa”, he added.

To further make technology scalable to schools and bridge the digital divide, Microsoft has availed Windows 7 and Office 2010 products at a subsidized cost to the Ministry of education. In addition, through a partnership with Safaricom and the Kenya Institute of Education, teachers across the country stand to benefit from basic ICT training, supply of computers, e-learning accessories and high speed internet connectivity through the Teacher Laptop Program.

In showcasing the latest technology solutions designed for schools at the conference, Microsoft displayed the recently launched Windows Multipoint Server 2011. It is a Windows-based solution designed specifically to help educational institutions give every student individual access to PCs by allowing multiple users to simultaneously share one computer, each with an independent Windows experience. It is a cost-effective way to get more technology into classrooms, computer labs, and libraries and is expected to boost achievement and global competitiveness for schools across Africa.

Kenya Primary Schools Head teachers Association (KEPSHA) has brought together its members and other stakeholders at Sheikh Zayed Children Welfare Center in Mombasa for their 7th Annual delegates conference presided over by Minister for Education, Professor Sam Ongeri. In attendance are over 15,000 Head teachers from primary public schools, District Education officers, and Provincial Directors of Education and TSC officials.
July 27, 2011
15:36
New World Record for hybrids
» ‎ Capital Tech

July 27, 2011 – The Guiness Book of World Records for the longest hybrid-vehicle parade has been broken, or maybe it was for the quietest parade ever?

It took 208 hybrid cars to shatter the previous 2010 record set in Belgium of 140 hybrid cars.

The hybrid cars regulated their speed slow enough so that they could stay on battery power, and as a result, the procession was one of the quietest parades ever.

The amazing part was only a total of 4 gallons or 15.14 litres of gasoline was used by all of the participants over a 3.4km track!
July 25, 2011
9:57
BlackBerry Playbook now U.S. Government Certified
» ‎ Capital Tech

July 15, 2011 – And we have a winner!! The BlackBerry Playbook becomes the first ever tablet to be certified by the U.S. Government as a good quality of service and data security capable device.
In a statement release, RIM announced that:

“RIM is pleased to announce that the BlackBerry PlayBook is the first tablet approved under FIPS for use within the U.S. federal government,” said Scott Totzke, Senior Vice President, BlackBerry Security at Research In Motion. “This certification demonstrates our continued commitment to meeting the needs of security-conscious organizations and enables the U.S. federal government to buy with confidence knowing that the PlayBook meets their computing policy requirements for protecting sensitive information.

More to follow.

Don’t forget to follow the author on TWITTER @juuchini

This post can also be found on Juuchini.
July 22, 2011
11:33
Google protects against Malware on Client PCs
» ‎ Capital Tech

July 22, 2011 (Murage Gichobi) – Now, before you get into a panic and start wondering how come Google knows and has access to your machine (You people who are always ‘stumbling’ upon porn sites), Google can now know if your PC (personal computer) is infected.
The company has recently partnered with various security companies have began campaigns to check client computers and see if they are infected.

This is a step further by this company after they recently auctioned to rid Android phones of Malware and Trojans by automatically deleting Android Apps that behaved in suspect manner from both the Android phone and the Android Market.

The popular search engine now has capability to warm users that their PCs are infected.

Routine maintenance on one of the technology giant’s data centers revealed unusual traffic from computers infected with a form of malicious software, according to Google security engineer Damian Menscher.

The traffic was sent to Google through intermediary computer servers referred to as “proxies,” Menscher said.

Google began delivering warning notices along with search results to computers that appear infected with the virus.

“We hope that by taking steps to notify users whose traffic is coming through these proxies, we can help them update their antivirus software and remove the infections,” Menscher said in a blog post.

“We hope to use the knowledge we’ve gathered to assist as many people as possible.”

Don’t forget to follow the author on TWITTER @juuchini

Question: Is this Google’s way of marketing chrome laptops since their OS resides in the cloud thus alleviating any chance of infection?
July 20, 2011
12:01
New Galaxy tab unveiled to take on iPad
» ‎ Capital Tech

July 20, 2011 (AFP) - South Korea’s Samsung Electronics launched a new version of its Galaxy Tab in its home market Wednesday in a bid to lure consumers away from Apple’s iPad.

Samsung, the world’s second-largest mobile phone maker, also said it would in August launch an updated version of its Galaxy S smartphone in the US market, which is dominated by Apple’s iPhone.

The company has already released its Galaxy Tab 10.1 in five overseas countries including the United States.

The tab, powered by Android’s Honeycomb 3.1 developed for tablet PCs, features a 10.1-inch (25.6 cm) touchscreen display rather than the seven-inch display for the previous model.

It is the world’s thinnest tablet, measuring 8.6 millimetres, Samsung said. The price will start at 671,000 won ($634) in the home market.

Samsung said the seven-inch tab was optimised for portability, while the Galaxy Tab 10.1 was best suited for multimedia consumption and web browsing.

“It is very thin… and weighs just as much as a cup of takeout coffee,” the company said in a statement.
11:25
Microsoft Imagine Cup 2011 Winners
» ‎ Capital Tech
July 20, 2011 ( Murage Gichobi) – Microsoft Corp. on 15^th July in New York announced the winners of the ninth annual Microsoft Imagine Cup, the world’s premier student technology competition, honoring student innovations that address global problems such as improving road and fire safety, eradicating poverty, and creating a more sustainable environment. The company also unveiled plans to launch a three-year, $3 million competitive grant program to help recipients realize their vision of solving the world’s toughest problems.

The Imagine Cup 2011 competition winners were announced tonight at the Imagine Cup World Festival and Awards Ceremony at the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center in New York. The event was the culmination of a six-day celebration of technology, hard work and ingenuity. Narrowed from more than 350,000 global registrants, more than 400 students from 70 countries traveled to New York to compete at the Worldwide Finals. The festivities included remarks from philanthropist, activist and actor Eva Longoria, CEO of the Startup America Partnership Scott Case, and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

“The innovators, entrepreneurs and humanitarians who compete in the Imagine Cup have developed an inspiring spectrum of projects, raising the bar higher and higher each year,” said S. Somasegar, senior vice president, Developer Division, Microsoft. “We are in awe of the students’ solutions for addressing social and real-world challenges, and want to help them take their projects to the next level with the financial, technical and business support they need to change the world.”

Imagine Cup teams will be eligible to apply for grants that include a combination of cash, software, training, consulting and other support. Microsoft will announce details about the grant program and application process later this summer.

In the Software Design competition, Irish Team Hermes took home top honors. The team designed a device that plugs into a car and monitors dangerous driving behavior and road conditions, providing instant feedback to both the driver and the car owner. The team’s solution uses embedded technology, Windows Phone 7, Bing Maps and the Windows Azure cloud computing platform to change driving habits and reduce road deaths, which impact a significant number of young lives each year. With its victory, the team won $25,000 (U.S.).

James McNamara, one of the team members said, “We have a problem in Ireland; that problem is deaths on our roads,” said Team Hermes member James McNamara. “Thanks to Microsoft and the Imagine Cup, we’ve been able to come together to solve this problem and save lives.”

In the Embedded Development category, Team NTHUCS from Taiwan won first place and $25,000 (U.S.). Its project, RIGHT!! This Way, computes the safest fire escape routes, detected by a wireless sensor network in real time.

In the Game Design category, there were three subcategories in which teams competed; all winners focused on some element of environmental sustainability. In Game Design — Mobile, Team Geekologic, from France, focused on renewable energy. In Game Design — Web, Poland’s Team Cellardoor created the “Book of Elm,” which encourages players to take care of the environment. And in Game Design — Windows/Xbox, Team Signum Games, from Brazil, solved urban problems including health, education and the environment through a strategy game. Each first-place team earned $25,000 (U.S.).

Student projects are frequently inspired by United Nations Millennium Development Goals, and participants seek to solve the world’s toughest problems through technology. As such, this year teams focused heavily on environmental concerns, with 24 percent of worldwide finalist projects and 60 percent of all Game Design projects shedding light on environmental issues. Taking a cue from recent world events, natural disaster relief was another common theme: 23 percent of projects addressed varying aspects of disaster relief.

Inspired by improvements in mobile technology and accessibility features such as speech recognition, more teams than ever (22 percent) developed projects that would enhance the lives of people with disabilities.

From a technology perspective, Windows Phone 7 was the most commonly used technology, with 48 percent of teams incorporating this mobile technology into their world-changing projects, from finding the nearest recycling center to helping those in a disaster broadcast their locations. Windows Azure was also popular, with 32 percent of projects relying on the cloud-based platform to aggregate crowd-sourced data and to integrate satellite data, among other uses.

The following is a list of the top three winners in each of the five competition categories:

Software Design. Students create innovative software, service solutions and applications that unleash the power of technology to benefit society.
1. First Place: Team Hermes (Ireland)
2. Second Place: Team Note-Taker (United States)
3. Third Place: OaSys (Jordan)
Embedded Development. Students develop embedded devices, working with hardware and software to build solutions that use Windows Embedded Compact 7.
1. First Place: NTHUCS (Taiwan)
2. Second Place: Harmonicare (China)
3. Third Place: Endeavour_Design (Romania)
Game Design. Students select one of three tracks (Mobile, Web or Windows/Xbox) to create games that are not only fun but also help to improve the global community at the same time.

Mobile
- First Place: Geekologic (France)
- Second Place: Close World Mobile (France)
- Third Place: Team Dragon (United States)
Web
- First Place: Cellardoor (Poland)
- Second Place: Signum Fidei (Philippines)
- Third Place: Quegee Team (Slovakia)
Windows/Xbox
- First Place: Signum Games (Brazil)
- Second Place: JubJub (Thailand)
- Third Place: WickedTeam (Czech Republic)
Digital Media. Students create Web videos to share their points of view and generate awareness of critical global issues.
- First Place: M.N.A. (Romania)
- Second Place: Brothers Forever (Oman)
- Third Place: CottonCandy (Taiwan)
Windows Phone 7. Students develop XAP applications for Windows Phone 7 that help solve the world’s toughest problems.
- First Place: HOMERUN (Korea)
- Second Place: Zipi Zigi (Korea)
- Third Place: The LifeLens Project (United States)
In addition to the competition categories above, Imagine Cup includes four challenges. These four challenges provided more opportunities for students to win their share of the total $215,000 (U.S.) cash, as well as other prizes. The following is a list of these winners:

Interoperability Challenge. Students are challenged to pair free and open source software with technology from Microsoft and other companies to create groundbreaking applications.
- First Place: alaniarides (Greece)
- Second Place: Bells Team (Brazil)
- Third Place: DemosceneSpirit (Poland)
IT Challenge. Students are tested on their knowledge of IT systems and faced with unique scenarios and diverse needs to solve, competing for the title of best of the best in the industry.
- First Place: Jean-Sébastien Duchene (France)
- Second Place: Błażej Matuszyk (Poland)
- Third Place: Yunheng Mong (Singapore)
Orchard Challenge. Students use a new CMS platform to create useful, common modules, such as shopping carts, checkout systems, maps and geolocation services, and social interactivity.
- First Place: MP Brun (Denmark)
- Second Place: Virtual Dreams – Orchard (Brazil)
- Third Place: Zveen Zveen Team (Serbia)
Windows 7 Touch Challenge. Students are tasked to develop solutions that use Windows Touch technology while expanding the possibilities of how a user can interact with a computer.
- First Place: India Rose (France)
- Second Place: _dreambender_ (Indonesia)
- Third Place: IUVO (Japan)
As is tradition at the Imagine Cup World Festival, Microsoft President of North America Sales & Marketing Robert Youngjohns participated in the ceremonial flag passing to mark the transition of host country duties. Pip Marlow, managing director from Microsoft Australia, and Gerard Seeber, deputy consul general and senior trade and investment commissioner of Austrade, were on hand to accept the flag on behalf of Australia, which will host the 10th annual Imagine Cup in Sydney in July 2012.

Longoria was on hand to present the Imagine Cup People’s Choice Award to Team Rapture, from Bangladesh. This is the only Imagine Cup award that is determined by the public, and it includes a $10,000 (U.S.) prize. Team Rapture created Third Eye, a Windows Phone 7 device for the visually impaired that provides an assistive camera and a special user interface with vibration, speech feedback and voice command.

Imagine Cup 2011 was made possible by support from key partners that are committed to helping students embrace the full potential of technology. These sponsors include Avanade, Bradesco, Dell Inc., Microsoft Game Studios, Microsoft Interoperability, MyBytes, Nestlé, Orchard, Poland Spring, Red Bull, Sony, TakingITGlobal, Windows 7, Embedded Development and Windows Phone.

Don’t forget to follow the author on TWITTER @juuchini
July 18, 2011
16:24
Game Changer in Nairobi
» ‎ Capital Tech

July 18, 2011 (Susan Wong) – With the annual E3 Expo, the world’s premier trade show for computer and video games, fresh in our memories, Nairobi and the East African region for that matter, finally has a new gaming hub of its own – Game Changer.

Game Changer, located in the newly expanded Junction Shopping Center, is a store with a library of video games unparalleled by any other store in East Africa. Specializing in 7 video gaming consoles, and iPad and iPod downloads; the store is a gaming sanctuary for enthusiasts.

From your PlayStation to your Wii to your DS, at Game Changer you will find the newest and most popular games, and not to mention essential accessories that will improve your gaming experience.

Game Changer will be launching regular gaming challenges in the coming weeks, which will surely spearhead the gaming culture in Kenya.

Video Game Use

Introduced first in the 1970s, video games have been a popular leisure activity with a vast following of children and adults sin the late 1980s.

Since the 90s, some parents have raised concerns in regards to the increasingly violent content of video games and potential health problems that may arise from continued use, sparking a heated debate of the effects of video games.

Though the debate will surely continue, the gaming industry has stayed resilient and is as big as it has ever been. The E3 Expo 2011 saw close to 50,000 visitors descend on the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Researchers have yet to provide conclusive evidence that video games are harmful to users. Recommendations concerning video games must remain conservative and it is up to parents to provide guidance in the selection of games and daily usage in the child’s best interests.

PHOTOBLOG: Photo Credits Susan Wong © All rights reserved.
July 15, 2011
12:42
LG presents Optimus 3D
» ‎ Capital Tech

July 15, 2011 (CORRESPONDENT) – LG Electronics has unveiled its LG Optimus 3D, an innovative new smartphone featuring second generation dual core technology and an advanced “Tri-Dual” architecture.

First unveiled at Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona in February, the LG Optimus 3D offers a full 3D experience recording, viewing, sharing in a Smartphone form factor.

The LG Optimus 3D takes the Smartphone experience into new territory with its Tri-Dual configuration – dual-core, dual-channel and dual-memory – which allows for improved performance when multi-tasking, enjoying a movie or playing graphics-intensive games.

According to George Mudhune, Regional Marketing, LG Electronics, East and Central Africa, the LG Smartphone will be a major step in the utilization of full 3D functionality in everyday life as users can record and immediately view content in 3D without the need for special glasses:

“Tri-Dual architecture opens up a whole new world in Smartphone performance. As the latest offering in our Optimus line-up, we expect there will be significant interest from those who seek the very latest in smartphone technology and are excited about 3D as the next big frontier in mobile devices.”

LG’s Tri-Dual architecture pushes the LG Optimus 3D’s performance well beyond simple clock speed improvements:

“Other smartphones – even those with higher clock speeds and dual-core technology – suffer when it comes to actual performance because of the inefficiency inherent in a single-channel configuration, “said Mudhune.

With a dual-channel configuration, data transfers take place simultaneously between the dual-core and dual-memory, resulting in noticeably faster performance. As a result, the LG Optimus 3D maximizes run-time efficiency leading to noticeably smoother, faster, and longer multi-tasking, browsing, gaming and multimedia enjoyment than ever before.

At the same time, driven by the evolution of technology in the ICT industry in Kenya, Mudhune said the handset will be useful for social networking users especially twitter, facebook, and even YouTube:

“For the last two years, Kenya has experienced a transformational change on its ICT infrastructure hence the high speed broadband capacity from the submarine cables. Today, we can enjoy surfing on internet because of the high speeds on 3G networks and as LG we have aligned our strategy to developing gadgets that respond to the technology changes.”

And with ongoing tests on 4G networks across the globe, LG’s LTE technology is expected to ultimately change the way people make calls by utilizing established network carriers to provide HD voice quality through AMR (Adaptive Multi-Rate) wideband technology, while allowing users to maintain their existing phone numbers.

Early this year, LG showcased its first 4G LTE phone in Las Vegas, a mobile technology that would enable users to make video calls and even multimedia messaging at a faster speed.

The LG Optimus 3D phone will be in more than 60 markets around the world in the third quarter of the year, including Kenya.
July 14, 2011
16:00
Huawei IDEOS S7 Slim Tablet Finally in Kenya
» ‎ Capital Tech

BY CORRESPONDENT

July 14, 2011 – Huawei, a leader in providing innovative telecommunication solutions for operators around the world today announced the introduction of Huawei IDEOS™ S7 Slim tablet in the Kenyan market, three months after the introduction of its first tablet Huawei IDEOS™ S7 tablet.

The Huawei IDEOS™ S7 Slim made first appearance at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in February, and as its name suggests is a slimmer and fitter version of the original Huawei IDEOS™ S7.

“Huawei IDEOS™ S7 Slim is a next-generation 7-inch capacitive touch-screen tablet offering a blend of style and portability, with 12.5 thickness supporting both 3G and WiFi, and is super light for a tablet at 450g,” said Herman He, CEO Huawei Kenya. “Our goal is for more Kenyan’s to continue enjoying better android experience on affordable high-end devices”, He added.

Huawei is aiming to globally ship up to 20 million smartphones this year, an increase on earlier sales targets of 12-15 million units in 2011, and introduces 8-10 new smartphone models, with 80% being of entry- to mid-levels. This supports the 2011 Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK) report that indicates that between July and September 2010, 98% of the Kenya users access the Internet using a mobile device.

The Huawei IDEOS™ S7 Slim is now available in Safaricom shops, at a retail price of Kshs. 39, 999.

About Huawei Device
Huawei Device is affiliated with Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. and is one of Huawei’s four business units. Huawei Device products cover a wide range of series, including mobile phones, Mobile Broadband, Convergence Terminal, Fixed Network CPE, and Video Products. Huawei Device now serves 48 of the world’s top 50 telecom operators, and it has established strategic partner relationship with world-leading operators.

For more information, please visit www.huaweidevice.com
July 13, 2011
19:30
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» ‎ Capital Tech

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July 12, 2011
9:30
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» ‎ Capital Tech

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July 07, 2011
19:15
Nokia opens state of the art care centre
» ‎ Capital Tech

Nokia opened the doors to an ultra-modern care centre aimed at giving fast and efficient response to its partners and VIP customers, who rely heavily
19:15
Make Google your friend
» ‎ Capital Tech

The internet is loaded with all sorts of information; some useful and most, not palatable to the morally upright. As much as we have access to it, not many of us know how to make
July 06, 2011
20:15
Third BFA Conference takes off
» ‎ Capital Tech

The 3rd Annual Broadcast and Film Africa conference opened this morning. The event is being held at the Oshwal Centre, Westlands and will run for
20:15
Top internet searches in Kenya
» ‎ Capital Tech

Online searches by Internet users in Kenya were driven by three big events during the past 3 months, with web searches for Olympic marathon champion...
13:15
Make Google your friend
» ‎ Capital Tech

The internet is loaded with all sorts of information; some useful and most, not palatable to the morally upright. As much as we have access
13:15
‘Cloud’ may not be the best for business
» ‎ Capital Tech

Everyone is talking about the cloud. And these days in the news as relates to data and it storage wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the cloud and reasons why...
July 05, 2011
13:15
Google goes social with Facebook rival
» ‎ Capital Tech

Google, the king of Internet search but a bust on the social front, launched its rival to Facebook on Tuesday, a social networking service called Google+.
13:15
Top internet searches in Kenya
» ‎ Capital Tech

Online searches by Internet users in Kenya were driven by three big events during the past 3 months, with web searches for Olympic marathon champion...
July 04, 2011
16:15
‘Cloud’ may not be the best for business
» ‎ Capital Tech

Everyone is talking about the cloud. And these days in the news as relates to data and it storage wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the
16:15
Sony boss 'sorry' over data breach
» ‎ Capital Tech

Sony chairman and president Howard Stringer on Tuesday apologised to shareholders and customers over a massive data leak, which helped push its its share price to...
June 29, 2011
15:00
Google goes social with Facebook rival
» ‎ Capital Tech

Google, the king of Internet search but a bust on the social front, launched its rival to Facebook on Tuesday, a social networking service called
15:00
Bamboo bicycles in Nairobi?
» ‎ Capital Tech

Bamboo bicycles are a growing trend in countries such as Canada, wear living a green lifestyle and reducing your carbon footprint is the “cool” thing to do.
June 28, 2011
19:00
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» ‎ Capital Tech

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13:00
Sony boss 'sorry' over data breach
» ‎ Capital Tech

Sony chairman and president Howard Stringer on Tuesday apologised to shareholders and customers over a massive data leak, which helped push its its share price
13:00
Nokia's new flagship N9 gets mixed reviews
» ‎ Capital Tech

Nokia's latest attempt to win back market share with its N9 phone received mixed reviews Wednesday but analysts said the real test will come when it releases new models...
June 23, 2011
17:45
Bamboo bicycles in Nairobi?
» ‎ Capital Tech

Bamboo bicycles are a growing trend in countries such as Canada, wear living a green lifestyle and reducing your carbon footprint is the “cool” thing
17:45
Uptake in mobile shopping in Africa
» ‎ Capital Tech

Research by InMobi reveals that mobile web users in Africa prefer the mobile channel (46%) to their Desktop (10%) and even In-store (44%)...
16:45
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» ‎ Capital Tech

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11:45
Nokia's new flagship N9 gets mixed reviews
» ‎ Capital Tech

Nokia's latest attempt to win back market share with its N9 phone received mixed reviews Wednesday but analysts said the real test will come when
11:45
Huawei launches E5 modem
» ‎ Capital Tech

With the gadget that’s retailing at Sh10,500 ‘users can automatically create group internet access and individual Wi-Fi hotspots, wirelessly connecting to various devices, such as notebooks, digital cameras...
June 20, 2011
22:45
Uptake in mobile shopping in Africa
» ‎ Capital Tech

Research by InMobi reveals that mobile web users in Africa prefer the mobile channel (46%) to their Desktop (10%) and even In-store (44%)...
22:45
Pivot25: Mobile app competition kicks off
» ‎ Capital Tech

Pivot25, the first East Africa mobile application competition and developer conference, kicks off its 2-day event at Ole Sereni in Nairobi, Kenya...
June 16, 2011
13:30
Huawei launches E5 modem
» ‎ Capital Tech

With the gadget that’s retailing at Sh10,500 ‘users can automatically create group internet access and individual Wi-Fi hotspots, wirelessly connecting to various devices, such as
13:30
Nokia’s fight against the Counterfeits
» ‎ Capital Tech

The Kenyan government has been losing KES3bilion every year due to evasion of tax by bringin in counterfeits to the country. Additionally, counterfeits cost giant phone maker and distributor Nokia-Kenya...
June 14, 2011
19:30
iCow: World's first mobile cow calendar
» ‎ Capital Tech

iCow, the world’s first mobile cow calendar has been launched in Kenya.
19:30
Pivot25: Mobile app competition kicks off
» ‎ Capital Tech

Pivot25, the first East Africa mobile application competition and developer conference, kicks off its 2-day event at Ole Sereni in Nairobi, Kenya...
13:30
Nokia’s fight against the Counterfeits
» ‎ Capital Tech

The Kenyan government has been losing KES3bilion every year due to evasion of tax by bringin in counterfeits to the country. Additionally, counterfeits cost giant
13:30
Nintendo out with "Wii U" console
» ‎ Capital Tech

"Wii U" builds on the Japanese videogame titan's record of hardware innovation with a controller that combines a tablet computer-style touchscreen with toggles and buttons used for blockbuster ....
June 10, 2011
19:30
iCow: World's first mobile cow calendar
» ‎ Capital Tech

iCow, the world’s first mobile cow calendar has been launched in Kenya.
19:30
Emirates launches mobile boarding pass
» ‎ Capital Tech

Nowadays mobile phones can accomplish practically everything. As long as you have a web-enabled mobile phone, one can accomplish almost anything...
June 09, 2011
13:30
Nintendo out with "Wii U" console
» ‎ Capital Tech

"Wii U" builds on the Japanese videogame titan's record of hardware innovation with a controller that combines a tablet computer-style touchscreen with toggles and buttons
13:30
Apple takes a leap into the 'iCloud'
» ‎ Capital Tech

Apple chief executive Steve Jobs has interrupted his medical leave to unveil a free service called iCloud that stores content on the Web and shares it across multiple devices.
10:41
Nintendo out with "Wii U" console
» ‎ Capital Tech

June 9, 2011 LOS ANGELES (AFP) – Nintendo on Tuesday provided the first glimpse of a second-generation Wii console designed to dispel notions its system is not up to the standards of “hardcore” videogame players.

“Wii U” builds on the Japanese videogame titan’s record of hardware innovation with a controller that combines a tablet computer-style touchscreen with toggles and buttons used for blockbuster shooter or action titles.

“The boundaries that once divided players are starting to be erased,” Nintendo chief executive Satoru Iwata said as the world got a look at the Wii U at the opening of the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles.

“For Nintendo, the goal of innovation is to serve every player.”

Nintendo did not reveal how much it planned to charge for the Wii U when the new consoles hit the market next year to battle with Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and Sony’s PlayStation 3 (PS3).

Major videogame studios such as Ubisoft, Electronic Arts, THQ and Square Enix are already on board crafting titles for the Wii U, according to Nintendo North America president Reggie Fils-Aime.

“It seems Nintendo heard the voices of the hardcore gamers,” said Irrational Games studio co-founder Ken Levine, the creative force behind hit action game “BioShock.”

A key feature to the Wii U controller is a 6.2-inch (16-centimeter) screen that displays maps or other information to complement game play, acts as a touchscreen game board and serves as a second monitor.

A forward-facing camera allows for online video chat with friends while playing with or against them online using a television connected to a Wii U.

A THQ game studio executive referred to the new console as the “Swiss Army knife” of consoles.

“You won’t have to give up your game play when someone else comes in the room and wants to use the television,” Iwata said, referring to the way game action could be continued on a controller’s screen.

“This device is designed to appeal to all people, particularly the most dedicated and serious players.”

Nintendo is credited with opening the world of videogames to moms, seniors, and other “casual” players with the introduction of motion-sensing controllers on the first Wii console launched in late 2006.

Microsoft and Sony last year challenged Nintendo by adding motion or gesture-based controls to Xbox 360 and PS3 consoles, which boast more power than the Wii for richer imagery and more complex action.

Nintendo will be firing back in the console wars with Wii U, which will power high-definition graphics along with creative new play styles allowed by the tablet-shaped controllers.

Wii U controllers are not designed to be portable gaming devices because play and content are based on wireless connections to consoles, according to Iwata.

The controllers are built with gyroscopes and accelerometers to allow players to shift in-game views or control action with motions.

The controller also works with Wii console wands. In one demonstration, a wand was used as a virtual golf club pointed down at a Wii U controller on the floor that showed an image of a golf ball on grass.

A swing of the Wii wand whacked the digital golf ball, seeming to send it flying onto a fairway on a television screen.

Virtual Ninja throwing stars were flicked from a Wii U controller at enemies on a television screen in another demonstration.

Wii U controllers could also be used as sketch pads or for videos, with content “tossed” onto television screens with simple swipes.

“More than anything, I’m looking forward to new styles of play we haven’t thought of before,” said Nintendo videogame legend Shigeru Miyamoto. “There won’t be a shortage of ideas.”

TechSavvy Global lead analyst Scott Steinberg saw Wii U as “more evolution than revolution” in the history of videogame consoles and said that it remains to be seen whether hardcore gamers will embrace the console.

“It’s certainly innovative and eye catching, but it’s still going to take time for developers to come to grips with the system and new game play horizons the touchscreen controller offers,” Steinberg said.

XFire president Mark Donovan believed Wii U might be a final iteration in a world of console games being disrupted by trends toward people playing more socially online with devices of their chosing.

“I think Nintendo is really going to get their lunch eaten on the intelligent TV side of things,” said Donovan, whose company specializes in letting gamers chat and share game play imagery online.

“They are going to have a tough time competing against thousands of developers on a smart TV platform,” he continued.

Smart televisions are sets enhanced with Internet capabilities.

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June 08, 2011
13:55
Emirates launches mobile boarding pass
» ‎ Capital Tech

June 8, 2011 – Nowadays mobile phones can accomplish practically everything. As long as you have a web-enabled mobile phone, one can accomplish almost anything from banking to paying off bills, watching television, scanning barcodes and now checking-in to your flight with a paperless boarding pass.

Following the examples of other airlines, Emirates now offers customers the option of receiving a mobile boarding pass on their internet-enabled mobile device – resulting in a more efficient travel experience.

Other airlines that have gone paperless include: British Airways’ mobile applications for the iPhone and Blackberry; and United Airlines with a two-dimensional barcode similar to the technology of Emirates new mobile boarding pass service.

From their online check-in facility in Dubai, Emirates’ passengers can log on to www.emirates.com, and can choose to receive a web-link to their mobile boarding pass by email or SMS, that displays a bar-coded boarding pass on their internet-enabled phone.

The mobile boarding pass can be scanned and read directly at all check-in counters, airport security check points, Dubai immigration, Emirates First Class and Business Class lounges, and boarding gates.

Following the launch in Dubai, over 30 other mobile boarding pass compliant airports, have been identified for implementation across the Emirates network.

“The launch of the Emirates’ mobile boarding pass not only supports paperless travel and the reduction of paper waste, but also meets the demands of a new era of travellers, who seek a more sophisticated and efficient means of managing their business and leisure travel,” said Mohammed H Mattar – Divisional Senior Vice President Airport Services, Emirates.

It is estimated that in the first year of implementation, bar-coded boarding passes will save over 3.6 million kilograms of paper and cardboard across the Emirates Group.

Don’t forget to follow us on TWITTER @CFMlifestyle.
13:30
Emirates launches mobile boarding pass
» ‎ Capital Tech

Nowadays mobile phones can accomplish practically everything. As long as you have a web-enabled mobile phone, one can accomplish almost anything...
13:30
Nokia dismisses Microsoft takeover report
» ‎ Capital Tech

Nokia chief executive Stephen Elop on Wednesday dismissed as "baseless" a report that Microsoft had agreed to purchase the Finnish company's mobile business.
June 07, 2011
13:30
Apple takes a leap into the 'iCloud'
» ‎ Capital Tech

Apple chief executive Steve Jobs has interrupted his medical leave to unveil a free service called iCloud that stores content on the Web and shares
13:30
Microsoft gives sneak preview of 'Windows 8'
» ‎ Capital Tech

Microsoft gave a sneak preview of the successor to Windows 7, a next-generation operating system designed to work on both personal computers and touchscreen tablets.
11:33
Apple takes a leap into the ‘iCloud’
» ‎ Capital Tech

June 7, 2011 – Apple chief executive Steve Jobs has interrupted his medical leave to unveil a free service called iCloud that stores music, photos and other content on the Web and shares it across multiple devices.

“We’re going to move the digital hub to the cloud,” the 56-year-old Jobs told software developers at Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) at San Francisco’s Moscone Center.

Jobs and other top Apple executives also gave developers a preview of the next generation of Lion, the software that powers Macintosh computers, and iOS 5, the latest mobile operating system for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.

But the highlight of the event was Apple’s long-awaited iCloud service, which eliminates the need to hook up a cable to transfer files between Apple devices.

“Keeping these devices in sync is driving us crazy,” Jobs said to cheers from the audience of more than 5,000 software developers. “We think the solution is our next big insight.

“iCloud stores your content in the cloud and automatically pushes it to all your devices,” he said.

Apple said iCloud wirelessly synchronizes mail, contacts, calendars, photos, applications, e-books, music and other files across devices.

Apple’s “iTunes in the Cloud” shares music bought through iTunes across Apple devices while a Photo Stream service does the same with pictures.

For music not bought through iTunes, Apple is offering a service called “iTunes Match” for $24.99 a year that matches music ripped from CDs in a subscriber’s personal music collection and makes it available online.

“Chances are awfully good that we’ve got the songs in the store that you’ve ripped,” Jobs said in a reference to the 18 million songs in iTunes.

“The other guys, you’ve got to upload your whole music library,” he added in a jab at rival cloud music services introduced by Amazon and Google. “That’s gonna take weeks.”

Michael Gartenberg, an analyst at technology research company Gartner, said iCloud represents a “pretty big shift for Jobs.”

“Where 10 years ago he talked about the Mac as the hub for your digital life today he said the cloud is now the hub for your digital life,” Gartenberg said.

“Apple’s talking about an entire ecosystem,” he said. “What they presented today was from a software platform perspective an entire vision of the future of the digital consumer all tied together by cloud service offerings.”

Jobs, dressed in his trademark black pullover and blue jeans, took the stage to a standing ovation shortly after the music sound system blared out the James Brown hit “I Feel Good.”

Jobs appeared frail but relatively healthy in his first public appearance since March, when he unveiled the iPad 2.

Jobs, who underwent a liver transplant two years ago and has fought pancreatic cancer, was making just his second public appearance since going on medical leave in January with an unspecified illness.

“We’re going to demote the PC to just being a device,” Jobs said, instead of the center of a user’s life.

With the new version of iOS 5, for example, a personal computer would no longer be needed to set up and activate an iPad and software updates will be delivered wirelessly.

“With the new iPad we’re ushering in the post-PC world,” said Scott Forstall, senior vice president of iPhone software. “Now if you want to cut the cord, you can.”
June 03, 2011
14:50
Nokia dismisses Microsoft takeover report
» ‎ Capital Tech

June 3, 2011 – Nokia chief executive Stephen Elop on Wednesday dismissed as “baseless” a report that Microsoft had agreed to purchase the Finnish company’s mobile business.

“There are absolutely no discussions,” Elop said at the D9 technology conference here hosted by All Things Digital. “The rumours are baseless.”

The website Boy Genius, or BGR.com, reported on Wednesday that according to industry insider Eldar Murtazin, Microsoft has struck a deal to buy Nokia’s mobile phone business for $19 billion.

Nokia hired Elop, a former Microsoft executive, to be its chief executive in September and in February the Finnish company announced that it was abandoning its smartphone platform to adopt Microsoft’s mobile operating system.

Elop said the first Nokia smartphone using the Windows Phone 7 software would be released in the fourth quarter of the year.

He briefly took a prototype out of his pocket but quickly put it back without providing so much as a glimpse of the screen.
13:30
Nokia dismisses Microsoft takeover report
» ‎ Capital Tech

Nokia chief executive Stephen Elop on Wednesday dismissed as "baseless" a report that Microsoft had agreed to purchase the Finnish company's mobile business.
13:30
Samsung to stick with Google for its tablets
» ‎ Capital Tech

Samsung Electronics will depend on Google's Android mobile-device software to run future versions of its tablet computers, a senior Samsung official said in an interview published Tuesday.
June 02, 2011
13:33
Microsoft gives sneak preview of 'Windows 8'
» ‎ Capital Tech

June 2, 2011 – Microsoft gave a sneak preview of the successor to Windows 7, a next-generation operating system designed to work on both personal computers and touchscreen tablets.

Steven Sinofsky, president of Microsoft’s Windows Division, demonstrated some of the features of the operating system code-named “Windows 8″ at the D9 technology conference here hosted by All Things Digital.

“Laptops, slates, desktops — all can run one operating system,” Sinofsky said.

“Things that people see work… on an iPad, I think we can do that and then bring with it all of the benefits that you have with Windows,” he said.

“We have an approach that is different but builds on the value of an operating system that sells 400 million or so units a year,” he said.

“Windows 8″ builds upon many of the features in Microsoft’s latest mobile operating system for smartphones, Windows Phone 7, including the use of touch “tiles” instead of icons to launch and navigate between applications.

In a blog post, Julie Larson-Green, corporate vice president of Windows Experience, said Windows 8 is a “reimagining of Windows, from the chip to the interface.

“A Windows 8-based PC is really a new kind of device, one that scales from touch-only small screens through to large screens, with or without a keyboard and mouse,” Larson-Green said.

“Although the new user interface is designed and optimized for touch, it works equally well with a mouse and keyboard,” she added.

Larson-Green said Microsoft would reveal more features of Windows 8, which uses Internet Explorer 10 as a Web browser, at its developer’s conference in Anaheim, California, opening on September 13.

Windows powers most of the world’s personal computers but the Redmond, Washington-based software giant has been slow to enter a fast-growing tablet market dominated for the moment by Apple’s iPad.

Many other tablet makers have opted to use Google’s Android software and Forrester Research analyst Sarah Rotman Epps said a “well-formed Windows 8 will pose serious problems to Android.”

The iPad was expected to remain the tablet market leader but “Microsoft will be a contender,” she said. “What’s more, they’ll have a product that can compete across devices, and a foothold in the post-PC future.”
13:30
Microsoft gives sneak preview of 'Windows 8'
» ‎ Capital Tech

Microsoft gave a sneak preview of the successor to Windows 7, a next-generation operating system designed to work on both personal computers and touchscreen tablets.
13:30
Skype suffers worldwide crash
» ‎ Capital Tech

Skype client application suffers worldwide crash.
12:30
ERROR: One of the search patterns caused engine to hang. Please report this to Feed43 team.
» ‎ Capital Tech

ERROR: One of the search patterns caused engine to hang. Please report this to Feed43 team.
May 31, 2011
12:30
Google turning smartphones into wallets
» ‎ Capital Tech

Google on Thursday will launch a mobile payment platform that lets people use smartphones to pay at shops as easily as they use a credit card....
12:30
Samsung to stick with Google for its tablets
» ‎ Capital Tech

Samsung Electronics will depend on Google's Android mobile-device software to run future versions of its tablet computers, a senior Samsung official said in an interview
11:45
Samsung to stick with Google for its tablets
» ‎ Capital Tech

May 31, 2011 (AFP) – Samsung Electronics will depend on Google’s Android mobile-device software to run future versions of its tablet computers, a senior Samsung official said in an interview published Tuesday.

“We’ll continue to work with Android on future tablets,” J.K. Shin, head of the South Korean giant’s mobile division, told The Wall Street Journal.

Samsung Electronics is the world’s second-largest cellphone maker after Finland’s Nokia but trails Apple’s iPhone and iPad in smartphones and tablets.

However, the Android system has boosted its smartphone business and Samsung hopes to do the same with tablets.

The iPad surprised competitors with the success of its launch early last year. Samsung responded by choosing Android for its tablets and introduced the seven-inch (17.8 centimetre) Galaxy Tab in October 2010 to take on Apple.

Samsung will launch new versions of the Galaxy Tab this summer in an 8.9-inch and 10.1-inch model. Both will run the latest version of Android, known as Honeycomb.

Despite Apple’s status as a major customer for Samsung components, the two companies are embroiled in lawsuits.

The US firm sued its South Korean rival, claiming it copied the look and feel of the iPhone and iPad. Samsung launched its own suits, alleging that Apple violated patents covering Samsung’s cellphone transmission technologies.

“We didn’t copy Apple’s design,” Shin told The Wall Street Journal. “We have used many similar designs over the past years and it (Apple’s allegation) will not be legally problematic.”

Samsung expects its tablet shipments to rise about fivefold this year to 7.5 million. Market data provider IHS iSuppli forecast in April that Apple’s iPad shipments would reach 39.7 million this year.

“Android is the fastest-growing platform and the market direction is headed toward Android so we’re riding the wave,” said Younghee Lee, senior vice president of sales and marketing.

Don’t forget to follow us on TWITTER @CFMlifestyle
May 27, 2011
12:15
Skype suffers worldwide crash
» ‎ Capital Tech

Skype client application suffers worldwide crash.
12:15
Nokia warns of SMS or email lottery scam
» ‎ Capital Tech

Global handsets maker advises users not to respond to dubious messages...
12:05
Skype suffers worldwide crash
» ‎ Capital Tech

May 27, 2011 – Users of Skype yesterday (May 26th) experienced an unfamiliar phenomenon when Skype crashed on their computers and all attempts to re-launch the application failed miserably allowing the user to login only to crash again and again.

Users have been ranting on twitter for the past 2 hours since the crashes became more rampant.

This comes amid recent news that Microsoft bought out the company for 8.5Million US dollars earlier this month.

Some say this is what is in store for Skype users henceforth but we can only wait and see the outcome.

Speculation drives to conclusion that someone is trying to scare the masses by failing an application that many have come to enjoy as free and bug-free in most instances.

Some even joked that the crash came as a sign that Skype is now officially a Microsoft product.

SKYPE QUICK FIX

For Windows Vista and Windows 7 users;

1. Close Skype.

a. Right-click the Skype icon in the system tray (at the bottom right of the screen)

b. Choose Quit.

2. Ensure that “Show hidden files and folders” is switched on.

a. Click Start, type run and press Enter.

b. Type control folders and click OK.

c. Select the View tab and ensure relevant entry is enabled.

3. Locate the shared.xml file.

a. Click Start, type run and press Enter.

b. Type %appdata%skype and click OK.

c. Delete the shared.xml file.

4. Restart Skype. The shared.xml file will be recreated.

For Windows XP users;

1. Close Skype.

a. Right-click the Skype icon in the system tray (at the bottom right of the screen)

b. Choose Quit.

2. Ensure that “Show hidden files and folders” is switched on.

a. Click Start and then Run…

b. Type control folders and click OK.

c. Select the View tab and ensure relevant entry is enabled.

3. Locate the shared.xml file.

a. Click Start and then Run…

b. Type %appdata%skype and click OK.

c. Delete the shared.xml file.

4. Restart Skype. The shared.xml file will be recreated.

Follow us on TWITTER @CFMlifestyle and @juuchini (the author)

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