Author: Cyrus

You know, I have been trying to avoid the mainstream vs online journalists’ thing. In fact, I have always maintained that we all need each other. Policemen need watchmen to complement them. Teachers need babysitters and parents to help them nurture future generations. When one fails, we all fail. But there is a big problem cropping up in our media sector. We have a strong bit of insecurity within the mainstream media of bloggers joining as disseminators of information. Citizen journalism is not new but with the internet, the freedom and power of the media has gotten a boost. Of…

AccessKenya reported a loss of Ksh 7.95 Million recently. There were reports last year from various market analysts and former advisors to the Somen brothers that they wanted to jump the sinking ship which is AccessKenya. The company seems to be in the red. Just before the AGM last year, there were boardroom wars at the former largest ISP. Now the company is a pale shadow of its past. There was massive and very abrupt layoff not long ago which affected even some very senior managers. The MD of the company, Mr Kris Senanu, was quoted by Citizen Tv saying…

Microsoft has just made available for download the first Windows Thin PC Community Technology Preview (CTP) test build. The limited version OS is being touted by Microsoft as cost effective way for customers to repurpose older PCs as thin clients. Though the final product will be available only to Software Assurance volume licensees, the company is making the OS available to the general public. The test build is available via the Microsoft Connect site and is listed under Windows Embedded Standard. WinTPC is “a version of Windows 7 that allows customers to repurpose existing PCs as thin clients without requiring the VDA license to…

Local Information technology solutions provider Seven Seas Technologies (SST) has emerged the winner in a contested deal to kit Ethiopia’s largest bank, Bank of Abyssinia (BoA),  data center. The deal is valued at more than US$700,000 and is part of BoA’s corporate goals to expand and modernize its operations. Some of the solutions and services to be undertaken by SST include the design, installation and commissioning of an ultra-modern data center at the Bank of Abyssinia headquarters in Addis Ababa. Speaking during a signing ceremony for the deal in Addis Ababa, Bank of Abyssinia President Addisu Habba disclosed that SST’s solutions are…

You could win $25,000 for your Android App Use PayPal to integrate secure payments into your Android app and you could win $25,000, or $15,000, or $10,000. In fact, there are no losers in this contest. There are people that don’t win money, but really, what’s the worst thing that can happen? You end up with payments in your Android app? Prizes Grand Prize is $25,000 2nd prize is $15,000, not too shabby And 3rd prize is $10,000, which is not to be sneezed at In addition to the cold hard PayPal account deposit, the top 3 applications will receive…

Many of use doesn’t know how to find out who unfriended us on facebook or unfollowed us on Twitter. We can now reveal to you the quickest way to know that. In my Twitter account, I believe in mutual friendship. You hate me, I hate you, you follow me, I follow you, you unfollowed me, I do the same. In Facebook, people go to friend list and find it there manually. You don’t need to do that anymore. Just go to the Unfriend Finder. Once you install the script, it will tell you who unfriended you on Facebook. It will also tell…

Tanzania’s biggest media group, IPP Media, has had their website suspended over non payment of domain renewal fees. A WHOIS lookup returns 2013 as the domain expiry date but that is not making sense since the domain is now off and is redirecting you to Register’s domain payment link. We are contacting IPP Media and we will update.

South Africa’s First National Bank (FNB) on Friday 25th March unveiled a Cash Withdrawal solution using Cellphone Banking. The solution allows FNB Cellphone Banking clients to withdraw money from their FNB transactional account at an FNB ATM without the use of ATM cards. Clients will just need to log onto Cellphone Banking menu on their phone and select the banking option. Customers will then select Withdraw Cash, then the account from which they want to withdraw cash i.e. current account, checking account, savings account, etc. On completion of the process they will then receive an SMS with a temporary ATM PIN…

It seems like the battle for 2012 is officially on in social media. PM Raila has just launched a Facebook page which has all the clues to a very very strong battle for the heart of the youth in the race to State House. Launched mid March, the page is one of the fastest growing with close to 9,800 fans from just 6,000 last week. Raila’s campaign used to manage this page which went dormant and is now full of all kinds of funny postings. Other leaders who seems to have upped their social media engagements are our Kalonzo Musyoka,…

The Parliament of Tanzania through the Parliamentary Parastatal Organisations Accounts Committee (POAC) has been told that the government lost USD 308m equivalent to Tsh 500 Billion  in tax revenue from the recent sale of Zain Africa assets in Tanzania to Bharti Airtel. Tanzania Revenue Authority Commissioner General, Harry Kitillya, claims that there was no change of ownership in the Zain Africa assets in Tanzania and so there was no way the government could tax the transaction. You remember the transaction of transfer of Zain Africa to Bharti Airtel was concluded in Netherlands. This is bringing problems in many African countries…

Since I started blogging , I have seen many types of bloggers around. They are all over and others are just bloggers by mouth. With the entry of micro-blogging site like Twitter, there is even a dispute of what the definition of a blogger is. In Kenya, we have those who blog for money, attention, just for fun, gauge opinions, vent, please masters and those who are just torn between all of them. To me, we have these types of bloggers; 1. The Strongly Opinionated – They dont care what others think of their blogging stype. They will tell it…

KCB yesterday entered into partnership with Paynet Group in which PesaPoint member bank cardholders will be able to withdraw money through the KCB QuickServe ATMs in Kenya. The deal will see PesaPoint connected cardholders access their accounts as well as enquire about  their balance in any of the  KCB QuickServe Automated Teller Machines (ATMs). KCB and PesaPoint  first had a partnership launched three years ago in which KCB clients could withdraw money from PesaPoint ATMs but that has now been take a notch higher. KCB account holders can access their cash through any PesaPoint and Kenswitch ATMs.  KCB has over…

After blowing her own trumpet, let me help her as she is about to retire for the weekend. Our self–confessed Nairobi Prostitute, Sue, has been nominated for a blogging award through the Deutsche Welle Best of Blogs Award. There are 17 categories representing also 11 languages in the awards. 6 categories are multi-lingual but 11 categories has best blog in a specific language. Nairobi Nights has been nominated in the Best Blog English category. She is competing against 10 other blogs including Mona Eltahawy’s Blog , Rantings of A Sand Monkey (came to limelight during the Egyptian revolution) and Mobile Active. Mona…

Acer through Mitsumi Computers, brought us the first 3D laptop in Kenya. the company is going further. We now have a dual boot netbook. The Acer Aspire One D250 is being sold through the Mitsumi Computers distributorship and goes for around Ksh 29,499. the netbook had a 2009 official release but has not been in the market. We always get these things last. It runs on an Atom N455B processor. Other specs are that it has 2GB DDR3 RAM, 10.1″ Screen, Wi-Fi, 0.3 MP HD CrystalEye WebCam, BlueTooth, dual-boot on Windows 7 Starter and Android and comes with Office Starter.…

Tanzania has joined the localised deal-of-the-day website thing.  Punguzo looks to offer Tanzanians the same experience they would have with Groupon and our Rupu and Zetu. Punguzo looks like it is getting into the market and doesn’t have deals online yet but I am promised we will have some very soon. httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XnPbfzIlHWk