Author: Francis Muli

The iPhone 12 series is already available for sale with Apple rumored to be projecting a record 250 million shipments in 2021. The series has impressive features including the much anticipated 5G powered by Apple’s A14 Bionic chip, which is the fastest chip in a smartphone. Instagram, YouTube and other social networks have driven up demand for quality photos and videos. The iPhone 12 pro comes with ideal qualities for photos and video creators. Unlike the standard iPhone 12 which has a dual rear-lens camera, the iPhone 12 Pro features an impressive triple lens camera perfect for photo and video…

As Twitter prepares to relaunch its verification process, a number of verified accounts also stand to lose their status. The company has announced that the new rules will take effect on January 20, with verified inactive and incomplete accounts slotted to lose their badges. Twitter will however send an email with a notification warning them of the impending changes. Accounts of deceased users will however, be exempted from this rule. The company has not given any insight regarding the number of verified accounts that could be stripped of their status. However, accounts that have repeatedly violated its policies also risk…

Whatsapp has started rolling out voice and video calls for whatsapp web and desktop in beta. The popular feature is already available for android and iOS users, albeit for a limited number of people. The new update will give users the added option of using Whatsapp video call on web for their conferencing right on the desktop. Users will still need to connect their phone Whatsapp to the web before using the service. There have been rumours of the company mulling over creating a standalone app for desktop, but so far no developments have been made. Read: Whatsapp to Introduce…

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) will use a total of Ksh93,729,800 for verification of Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) Constitutional Amendment Bill signatures. IEBC received Constitutional Amendment Bill, 2020 and 4.4 million supporters signatures from the promoters of the initiative on December 10, 2020, and consequently requested for a budget from the National Treasury to begin the verification exercise. “The Commission is required by law to undertake verification of the supporters to ensure compliance with the requirements of Article 257(4) of the Constitution of Kenya. To undertake the verification exercise, the Commission will have to hire data entry clerks,…

Myspace properties has sponsored Daniel Mugambi, an electrician in Isiolo with hearing problem, to get hearing aid equipment. Mugambi who has been living with a hearing disability since his childhood says he experienced a tough childhood and has grown up not leading a normal life because of his shortcomings. “I could not comprehend what it felt like to hear communicate with people in the society. I shared my story with Mr Mwenda Thuranira which moved him and through Myspace, on 16th December, 2020, received hearing aid and now can hear and interact with people normally,” he says. Read: The Evolution of…

Kenya Power has launched a Ksh800 million electricity network management programme aimed at maintaining the electricity network countrywide. According to Kenya Power MD and CEO Bernard Ngugi, the programme will identify issues requiring corrective action and reinforce the grid to outdo blackouts. “Good service delivery is anchored on effective management of both planned and unplanned power outages. We are committed to ensuring that our customers enjoy quality service by minimising disruptions during planned maintenance programmes and responding speedily to restore normalcy during unplanned outage situations,” said Mr Ngugi. Mr Ngugi was speaking in Karatina, Nyeri County on Friday, where he…

Soft drink manufacturer Coca-Cola has announced plans to retrench over 2,200 employees globally as a result of reduced sales during the Covid-19 pandemic period. According to reports by CNN, the company will retrench 1,200 employees in the US and 500 in Atlanta where it is headquartered. The company directly employs around 10,400 people in the US. Severance packages are expected to cost the company between $350 million (Ksh35 billion) and $550 million (Ksh55 billion). Read: Supreme Court To Hear KRA-Coca-Cola Ksh5.6 Billion Dispute Exits will entail voluntary and forced separations, according to reports. The company also plans to reduce its number of…

Netflix is rolling out an audio-only mode for android users who do not wish to watch show or movie visuals. Subscribers will now see a “video off” button when streaming. A blank screen will appear once you click the button, but you will still be able t listen to the show’s audio. The blank screen will have all the usual controls including forward and backward buttons, the scrub bar and speed adjustments. The apps settings also have an audio-off option. Some users could choose to have the audio on only when using speakers or headphones. Read also: Netflix to Cancel…

Netflix has appointed Strive Masiyiwa, founder of Econet, to its Board of Directors. Strive is the Chairman and Founder of Econet, a mobile telecommunications and digital solutions company in Zimbabwe. We are delighted to welcome Strive to the Netflix board,” said Netflix co-founder, Chairman and co-CEO Reed Hastings. “His entrepreneurship and vision in building businesses across Africa and beyond will bring valuable insights and experience to our board as we work to improve and serve more members all around the world.” Read: Netflix Subscription in Kenya Soars by 700 Percent Strive Masiyiwa serves in several international Boards including Unilever, Asia…

Kenya has traded more than Sh6 billion in Bitcoin over the past five years, coming second to Nigeria which has the highest figures in Africa at Sh63 billion. According to a research by Paxful compiling cryptocurrency trade globally, Kenya has recorded increased interest in cryptocurrency trade among users, with 90 percent of the trading done this year. “Kenya is one of the biggest Bitcoin trading countries in the world, beating the likes of the Philippines and South Africa,” the report said in part. Read: Kenya Lagging on Regulation Plans as Bigger African Economies Lay Out Frameworks for Cryptocurrency “Despite Covid-19…

President Uhuru Kenyatta has today launched the National Security Telecommunications Service (NSTS), an integrated platform that will allow  sharing of telecommunication infrastructure by government agencies. Based in Embakasi Garisson, the service will facilitate sharing of information between Kenya’s security agencies. “This will enhance co-ordination of security activities and operations, allow real-time information exchange, and allow our security agencies to better deal with emerging threats in the realms of cybercrime,” President Kenyatta said during the launch of NSTS at Embakasi Garrison in Nairobi County. Read: Uhuru Nominates Ex-IEBC Director Immaculate Kassait As Data Commissioner The president said that the new integrated…

Twitter has announced that it is discontinuing the  ‘quote tweet’ feature that prompts you to add a caption before retweeting a tweet. The announcement comes just after the company announced last week that it was also discontinuing the new reply function. The ‘quote tweet’ feature was introduced in October as way of encouraging users to tweet and amplify information more thoughtfully. “We don’t believe that this happened, in practice,” Twitter said in a series of tweets. Read: Twitter to Label Confusing or Misleading Tweets “The use of Quote Tweets increased, but 45 percent of them included single-word affirmations and 70…

Gjenge makers, a company comprising of four engineers in Nairobi has found a way of recycling plastic by making bricks out of single-use plastic such as bottle tops and cooking oil containers. Kenya effected a 2017 law banning use of plastic bags in the country and a 2020 ban on using single-use plastic waste in protected areas such as beaches, National parks and forests. Nairobi alone generates about 500 metric tonnes of plastic waste every single day and although the country can recycle a fraction of it, there is fear that we will always use more than can be recycled.…

A Netflix movie hack making it easier for users to browse and stream movies is going viral online. The hack involves using a secret code to quickly and easily access specific movie genres. It was first shared by TikTok user @caseyyisfetchh and has since elicited a lot of excitement from Netflix users. The Netflix homepage displays a number of recommendations that you probably have to browse through to get something to watch. The search terms such as “comedy” and “action” are quite broad, meaning you still have to browse through the results to get the specific category you wish for.…

Absa Bank has announced plans to retrench more employees in the wake of shrinking profits, the managing director Jeremy Awori has announced. A internal memo exclusively obtained by Kahawa Tungu from the managing director Jeremy Awori shows that the lender is now targeting employees in the management carder, in a bid to cut expenses. This comes less than a month after the bank announced mass retrenchment on November 25, that targeted employees in the junior levels through voluntary exit scheme (VES). “Last month, I announced a Voluntary Exit Scheme (VES) via a Circular dated 25 November 2020. We have reviewed…