Author: Cyrus

Research In Motion (RIM) has today announced that it is making BlackBerry PlayBook tablet available in more than 20,000 retail stores in the U.S. and Canada. The BlackBerry PlayBook with Wi-Fi will be available in three models and will feature a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) starting at $499 in the United States and Canada. The lineup of retailers and wireless carriers currently expected to carry the BlackBerry PlayBook in the United States and Canada includes the following companies stores: United States AT&T Best Buy Cbeyond Cellular South Cincinnati Bell Office Depot RadioShack ShopBlackBerry.com Staples Sprint Verizon BlackBerry from Wireless…

Safaricom is trying to fight the elctronic waste which is clogging our system. Through the Safaricom Foundation, the company has just donated a Sh4 million e-waste grinder to the Computer for Schools Kenya (CFSK) to enhance the organization’s safe e-waste disposal. The Safaricom Head of Corporate Responsibilities Ms. Sanda Ojiambo said the grinder will enable CFSK’s cope with an increase in e-waste disposal by organisations’ that are continually upgrading their electronics. The grinder will be able to grind 500 kilos of ABS an hour, equivalent to 4 tons of powder a day.  CFSK need another machine to mould the shredded…

Android smartphones claim to have much more features than you could imagine. They are one investment which no one will ignore for the moment. You would want to create some solutions for your business and clients and first test them in a safe environment like on your netbook or HP Laptop. It is very easy to run an Android on your PC. You will also not want to mess the Windows Vista or Windows 7 installation which came with your PC. You need to have a Live Android CD to do this. Google has a project called Android Live which…

Manpower is a major player in global workforce solutions, and Microsoft, is the world’s leading producer of software and software development systems. The two companies have announced that they are developing joint programs to help young people across the globe to win in the world of work and seize early opportunities for entrepreneurship. “The rising rates of unemployment among young people are deeply disturbing, and this generation is at risk of becoming the new long-term unemployed,” said David Arkless , Manpower Inc. President of Corporate and Government Affairs. “Corporations have a moral obligation to foster innovation among young people, not just from a social responsibility…

You might be preparing to travel soon with your laptop. You need to know some of the stuff which if you pack will lead to comfort in working on your laptop, security of your laptop or simplify the work you are doing on your laptop. So we have got a few accessories which we think every traveler should pack. We list them and why you need to park them below. Mouse You need those wireless optical or simply a good optical mouse which fights into your hand well. You don’t need a very small Mouse when you have these large…

We have had to thing more that 50 times before deciding to write this post. In February, we broke the news that Safaricom was to announce the much talked about Innovation Board. The board’s main mission has been to bridge the gap between Safaricom and the average innovator, creative, and content creator. Safaricom apparently believes that putting into play such a board will give it much edge over competitors. First things first. Safaricom has not issued a press release on who the board members. Safaricom CEO Board Collymore just highlighted the issue of the board during the graduating of the…

BBM (BlackBerry Messenger) Social Platform has officially gone into public beta. What this means is that you as a BlackBerry developer can now take advantage of the social aspects of the BBM service (has an active user base of over 35 million). The BBM SocialPlatform was first announced at the BlackBerry DEVCON 2010. With this beta release, Java developers have access to APIs and features that allow them to build important functions into their applications. They are user permission based and include accessing and updating fields in the user’s profile, creating custom areas within the user’s profile, initiating and embedding chats with friends, initiating file transfers, sharing applications virally with…

Consumers could be looking at higher prices on televisions, PCs and phones in the wake of the 9.0-magnitude earthquake that hit Japan last Friday. Although the effects of the quake on Japan’s tech manufacturing industry are still unclear, major display panel makers such as Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics are facing shortages from component suppliers due to blackouts and transport issues.  Shortages could result in higher prices for panel buyers, resulting in more expensive products for consumers. Display manufacturers weren’t the only ones affected by the earthquake. The price of NAND Flash — the type of storage typically found in…

Number portability is suppose to be effected by all Mobile operators in Kenya by 1st April. There has been talk and also confusion on what should be done and how it should be done. Mr Mikhael Ghossein alluded to the fact that most operators might be ready but the problem is that not much technical tests have been done to check for any problems which might arise during the porting. What you need to know is that the country, Kenya, will effect what is known as Full Mobile Number Portability (FMNP). You must not end the service with your current…

Orange has awarded listed telecom equipment and network solutions provider, ZTE Corporation, the contract to roll out its state-of-the-art 3G network. ZTE will install 2G/3G equipment on 1,500 Orange Kenya base stations. The ZTE equipment are Software-Defined Radio (SDR) which are superior and will need only a software upgrade whenever Orange would want to roll-out a 4G network. Software-defined radios are expected by proponents like the SDRForum (now The Wireless Innovation Forum) to become the dominant technology in radio communications. Orange which claims to be the true leader in data commanding 79% in data market share, says that they expect…

There was a time when Barclays Banke kenya saw the average Kenyan consumer as oo poor and not able to bank. Thats why the bank cut links with many rural consumers or those in small towns and tried to do the big spender banking. The mentality is changing since otehrs have tested the poor banking waters and the result is that banks like Equity have made a name and money from the poor by having products suited to the consumer. Barclays Bank has seen it fit that it is going to up the ante in the consumer battle and now…

You know there are instances when Orange Kenya has promised to make a major announcement then come the day, they disappoint. Tomorrow, Orange is promising us a very big announcement. It will be in regards to Network issue. Orange seems like is going to partner with one of the largest equipment manufacturers. I don’t know what this will bring to Orange Kenya because the company does have a good network but just the wrong strategy. We are waiting for Orange announcement though

HP in collaboration with Quintica has openned a premium Enterprise ICT training centre in Nairobi. HP seeks to impart knowledge of HP products, services and increase the depth of information and tech capabilities that will enable the consumer and HP partners to maximise the potential of their investments. The training center will be run by Quintica and will be geared towards strengthening the capacity of the current and future client as well as business partners. The company has various tailor made courses for certification level which will market the holder and allow them to be employed anywhere in the world.…

SEACOM says that its ongoing focus on connecting broadband starved African countries is bearing fruit for South Africa’s neighbours, with its low cost services becoming accessible from Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, Swaziland and Zimbabwe. SEACOM’s network expansion to provide such accessibilityhas been boosted with the recent acquisition of east and west coast submarine cable capacity. The company has employed the approach of partnering with established players to provide broadband services will continue doing so as it develops its products and services based on resiliency, service quality and flexibility in line with customers’ evolving needs. Suveer Ramdhani, SEACOM’s Head of Product Strategy,…

If you have an idea and which you think can be turned into cool apps, Nokia is looking for it. Through an idea called Nokia Idea Storm, Nokia wants to help you turn your idea into reality. this challenge is open to creatives from Kenya and Uganda. You wont need to have an app. You just need to be creative in thought and share your thought with Nokia. Each week 10 most voted ideas are shortlisted. Our guest judges will then choose 1 winning idea from each category. The winning appwillbe availed on the Ovi Store for all to download.…