The postal corporation of Kenya (Posta) has unveiled a new set of stamps as Kenya celebrates the 50th Anniversary of independence.
The 100 stamps capture different milestones in Kenya’s journey and highlight epochal events n the country’s history as well as its heroes and the eminent personalities who have shaped its politics, arts, culture and social life.
The cabinet secretary ministry of Sports, Culture and the arts, Dr. Hassan Wario said that the stamps depict different aspects of Kenya’s liberation struggle and other key historical interest to philatelists.
“There is a story behind every postage stamp. Each of the iconic images on all those little bits of paper captures a unique angle of the Kenyan history. They play a significant role in honoring national heroes and showcasing important feature of our culture and history,” He said.
The chairman of Posta, Cyrus Maina said that the commemorative stamps aim at showing the strides the country has made in various spheres- social, economic, political and cultural.
He added that the Kenya @50 commemorative stamps are available in Post Offices countrywide for use in postage and collection by lovers of philately.
There were two different kinds of stamps that were launched, the definitive, which are mainly used for postage services; and the commemorative which are issued to mark special events or occasions of national and international importance.
Nigeria’s online services market place set to redefine and procure local services, Naijaworkman.com will launch in January, 2014 in a bid to make the search experience in the state whole.
The platform will converge consumers and service providers in a more secure, comprehensive and transparent way. With a provision of better and qualified service providers who have been screened and found suitable to provide the services needed in a professional and timely manner. Naijaworkman.com will help in the selection process through offering detailed service provider profiles and ratings as well as reviews from past customers.
There will also be reward schemes for customers who reach specific milestones.
The platform aims to solve challenges of local service search in underdeveloped markets and offer a secure, convenient and easy way to determine the best service providers to fulfill their job requests.
The service providers will include licensed and qualified local skilled artisans and tradesmen that operate in vast service category cross-section, who would otherwise be unemployed or displaced. They will be offered with a cost effective medium to market their services and get more customers.
According to company founders; Bassey O Bassey andAnthony Kuyoro, the company plans to aggressively expand its service breadth to encompass almost all types of local services over time and is the only platform that incorporates background and licensing checks on artisans .
MTN and Nigeria’s Do Media have come together to let users access MTN DoBox, a subscription service that provides access to the latest and most exclusive movies on their mobile phones.
“The initiative is borne out of the desire to deliver top-of-the-range entertainment to MTN’s subscribers at unprecedented and unrivalled speed,” said Senior manager, Consumer marketing, MTN, Saidat M’hammed Lawal.
The only one in the market, the Mobile Cinema will be showing Nigerian Blockbusters, premiers and short movies by subscribing to MTN DoBox app. Users will rent to films on their mobile phones for a set time period.
“We are very lucky to have chosen the right partners, MTN, to promote this initiative and also this is one of MTN’s bold steps to deliver a new digital world to its customers. Indeed, this move has reinforced MTN’s leadership position in leading the charge in the delivery of invaluable digital world to ICT subscribers in Nigeria,” said the CEO of Do Media, Gafar Williams.
Lovers of premier and blockbuster movies will just have to download the app, register and rent movies with a token. This will not involve further use of data to access and watch movies.
Movie producer and director, Charles Novia, said the product would go a long way to solve the distribution challenges confronting the industry.
“Now that technology has met with creativity, I believe Nigerian movies will be taken to the next level. As one of the producers, who has his movie on MTN Dobox, I must commend MTN for this initiative; now our films can reach everyone’s hand in a jiffy,” said the Producer.
Airtel money has partnered Proflight Zambia an airline company, now enabling customers purchase air tickets via handsets.
The airline based in Lusaka is the first to offer mobile money payment option in the state posing as a convenient, efficient and easy medium to get the tickets.
Speaking on the signing of the partnership agreement, Proflight Government and industry affairs officer, Captain Philip Lemba noted that the company is proud of being at the forefront of the new ideas and technology hence boosting customer service satisfaction.
“The partnership is a reflection of the synergies that exists between airlines and telecommunication companies across Africa in bringing innovations across the two industries,” Said Airtel money director, Brenda Thole
Airtel Money- Zambia accounts have increased to over 1.2 million and five million subscribers which the company has termed a milestone in the industry.
The new mobile money service is currently effective for the flight users.
Singapore based U2opia Mobile together with Twitter are going beyond internet technology; the two have linked up to make 140-character messaging service available to users in emerging markets who have entry-level mobile phones which cannot access the internet.
The start-up has also done the same with Facebook and will launchthe twitter service early next year.
All a user needs to do is dial a simple code and they will be connected and will get a similar code to get a feed of the popular trending topics on Twitter, this is according to the CEO and co-founder Sumesh Menon.
U2opia Fonetwish seervice has managed to capture more than 11 million users, the love for this service is that the users get to access Google Talk, Facebook and soon Twitter with no data connection as it uses a telecom protocol named USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data) which does not allow viewing of pictures, videos or other graphics.
U2opia, which is present in 30 countries in seven international languages, will localize the Twitter feed according to the location of the user.
The company, whose biggest markets are Africa and South America, partners with telecom carriers such as Telenor, Vodafone and Bharti Airtel Ltd. U2opia usually gets 30 to 40 percent of what users pay its telecom partners to access Fonetwish.
Samsung in partnership with Alliance media and Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) will stream live Kenya at 50 events across the country.
The multinational electronics company will also put up strategic bill boards across the country as the 50 years of independence commemoration continues. The screens set up round KICC’s top floor can be easily spotted from multiple locations in the city and will also serve as backdrop for Uhuru Park- streaming live footage for the next 12 months.
“The screen, which will be launched at the Governors Ball, will be a prime opportunity for the country to showcase its digitalization campaign to foreign dignitaries and Kenya at large,” said John Muswa, Alliance Media’s business development manager.
These new age screens are based on Samsung’s digital sign-age display technology and are the first in the region according to Samsung Electronics East Africa Chief Operating Officer Robert Ngeru.
The screens are part of a strategic initiative to diversify income platforms at the meeting centre away from the usual. They will be on energy saving mode during daytime showing Samsung branding and will show Kenya@50 video during the night which is in line with agreement between the two organizations.
It would be nice for any business to be able to know market trends before they happen and plan accordingly. Unfortunately, no one can see the future.
But don’t worry: some market trends are unmistakable. And when you can see trends develop in real-time based on proper analytics and flexible game plans, your business can capitalize, no matter how the market behaves.
So regardless of your industry, here are five insights you can take to the bank on consumer behaviour in 2014.
#1: Mobile will overtake desktop for internet usage. It doesn’t take a single statistic for your average city dweller to describe the power of mobile phones (especially smartphones) in the mind of the consumer. Phones are a constant in society; The average person checks their phone 110 times per day!
A Microsoft infographic perfectly illustrates the degree to which mobile internet users will surpass desktop users, along with several other rather startling stats about American mobile phone use (US users spend 2.7 hours per day socializing through their mobile devices, and 29% are open to using a mobile device to scan for coupons. The story doesn’t change when it comes to email, either: 48% of all emails read are now opened and read on a mobile device.
When the internet is right there in the palm of consumer hands in the form of their trusty portable communications device, it is only natural for them to surf the web more often and use that device to purchase. That’s what we are seeing, and that’s what we will continue to see, too.
#2: Emerging Markets will continue their torrid growth. Emerging market growth has gone from overlooked opportunity to crowded, explosive, high-growth market. In 2013, growth in emerging markets outpaced advanced markets for the first time ever, coming in at nearly $2 trillion higher. An Ernest & Young report on global markets suggests 70% of growth over the next few years will come from emerging markets, including 40% from India and China alone. These markets will take their place as major competitive territory for big and small brands alike, as the volume of consumers balloons more and more.
To reap the largest profits, be open to opportunities in all markets.
#3: Older markets will continue to grow. We all get older, and we live longer than ever. Therefore, it only makes sense that the 65+ consumer is becoming more and more plentiful. This key consumer segment makes up roughly 40% of all consumer spending. That spending is overrepresented given the actual population of this consumer group; while the population is growing overall, the 65+ crowd makes up roughly 12% of the actual population.
Expect a continuation of this overall trend. Older consumers will make up the largest consumer group on the open market soon; how much acceleration toward that natural trend outcome we see in 2014 is a question that can only be answered by the spending habits of consumers.
#4: Crowdfunding will POP. Modern crowdfunding has been around since 1997, but it has been around in some form or fashion for a few hundred years. Still, crowdfunding has gained much greater popularity in recent years with the rise of Kickstarter (the non-profit engine started in 2009) and RocketHub (started in 2010).
This movement has yielded excellent results for several incredible companies, including virtual reality champion Virtuix’s $1 Million+ campaign in their launch of the hyper advanced Virtuix Omni; Sock Monkeys Against Cancer (SMAC), which raised $35,000 creating huggable sock monkeys for cancer victims; Makey Makey, an invention kit product that raised more than half a million dollars; and many more.
These are not entirely isolated incidents; it turns out crowdfunding is probably here to stay. An industry report from MassSolution claims crowdfunding will double from $2.7 billion in 2013 to $5.4 billion in 2014. Small businesses are putting campaigns out there, and consumers are opening their wallets.
#5: Customers will more actively engage brands on social media. Either social media is an effective tool to foster customer loyalty, customers actively seek out brands they like on social media, or social media advertising works. Whatever the cause, consumers continue to engage brands on social media on a regular basis. The number of people following brands on social networks has more than doubled the last few years.
There is some interesting deeper data behind this trend, too. Customers who do engage brands on social media are 53% more likely to be loyal customers of the brands they follow.
And the #1 reason customers follow brands is to get discounts and coupons.
Look for more customer chatter, and for companies to respond more commonly, encouraging that chatter to grow even more.
About the author
Aneesh Reddy is the Co-Founder and CEO of Capillary Technologies. A visionary who believes that advances in technology can lead to significant advances in business value and ROI, Aneesh leads the Capillary team and works with enterprise customers to help them put the right communications for the right products into the hands of the right customers at the right time. He is also a featured entrepreneur in leading publications like Forbes, Harvard Business Review and The Economic Times, and is a frequently featured expert at global retail, marketing and technology forums and premier educational institutes worldwide.
Libya will soon have a major upgrade in the Urban centres because Libya’s Housing and Infrastructure Board (HIB) and Aecom Technology Corporation signed an agreement worth $209 million.
AECOM is the lead program manager for the Libyan HIB for all urban areas throughout the country, with the contract expected to run over a 25-month period.
So in this agreement, AECOM will serve as the overall program manager of the HIB capital budget program, a comprehensive housing and infrastructure development program for Libya that will create an enhanced environment for its citizens and visitors.
The program expands and becomes fully reestablished, the HIB capital budget program is expected to exceed $100bn addressing critical housing and infrastructure needs throughout the country. AECOM led the HIB’s housing and infrastructure program from 2007 until it was suspended in 2011.
AECOM is also the main advisor to the Ministry of Housing and Utilities (MHU), which oversees the HIB and other agencies, with responsibility for ensuring that common systems and standards are applied to similar projects in other MHU agencies.
“We look forward to engaging in our work to advance the quality of life for the Libyan people in terms of housing and critical infrastructure,” said John M. Dionisio, AECOM chairman and chief executive officer.
The deal includes the construction of new housing and infrastructure systems for all cities in Libya; urban design and development; housing units and residential settlements; upgrades to existing infrastructure, roads, highways, bridges, water, wastewater and other utility systems; and environmentally focused, sustainable processes.
“This contract with AECOM reflects the significant commitment that Libya is making in reestablishing the development of our national housing and infrastructure program,” said Ali Sharif, minister, Libyan Ministry of Housing and Utilities. “We are moving forward to enhance the quality of life of our people and the economic potential of our country through this major housing and infrastructure development initiative.”
Airtel Africa has been recognized as the African Operator of the Year at the CommsMEA Awards 2013 which recognizes excellence within the telecoms sector across the Middle East and Africa.
Airtel beat strong contenders on the shortlist like the MTN Group, Vodacom and Nedjma, Airtel has consolidated its position as the best African Operator. The event was attended by telecoms CEOs, vendors, ministers and regulators attended the eighth edition of the event at a 300-strong gathering at the Awards gala dinner held at Jumeirah Emirates Towers in Dubai.
The winners were decided from a record number of nominations by a judging panel consisting of Akshay Lamba, chief architect and head of IT strategy at MTS; Milan Sallaba, managing director at Accenture Middle East; Erik Almqvist, partner and global head of operational consulting, Analysys Mason; Mark Kremers, partner, Oliver Wyman; Riad Hartani, partner at Xona, and Alan Horne, CEO Broadband Pioneer and Special Advisor to Global eHealth Foundation.
According to Manoj Kohli, the MD and CEO (International) at Bharti Airtel, “We are humbled by this recognition and the trust that the international industry panel, consumers and other stakeholders have placed on Airtel since our entry into Africa in 2010. During the past three years, we have managed to serve more communities within the countries that we operate in and hopefully change their lives through not only the voice but also the data and mobile commerce services that we provide. The latter are increasingly becoming essential in Africa.”
Airtel Africa now has the largest 3G and Mobile Commerce country footprint in sub Saharan Africa. The telecommunications company provides 3G services in 14 African countries and Airtel Money services in 17 countries across the continent.
Airtel Money is positioned to become Africa’s widest financial services provider. With a coverage across Airtel Africa’s operations in the 17 countries, the mobile money platform is poised to serve more diverse communities than any other financial institution in Africa. Currently leveraging a network of over 100,000 agent locations, Airtel Money facilitates access to financial services for the unbanked population.
A recent survey conducted by the African Business magazine indicates that despite only a 3 year presence in Africa, Airtel is one of Africa’s top ten most admired global brands.
The much awaited kickoff of the game-changing partnership involving telecoms giant, MTN and global e-payment solutions company, VISA, as the telecoms company has exclusively revealed that both parties have not fixed a date for the launch of the partnership.
“A date for the launch has not yet been set,” MTN said.
Through the partnership, MTN customers would be able to make online payments at all Visa merchants; they would also be able to withdraw money from their MTN Mobile Money account at any Visa ATM.
Pieter Verkade, MTN Group Chief Commercial Officer said “The partnership between MTN and Visa will provide MTN Mobile Money customers with access to the entire Visa network, which includes merchants, online vendors and ATMs, to enable a “mobile” payment experience.”
Although it initially said the service would debut in Ghana before the end of 2013, current indications suggest that the launch may be pushed till next year.
MTN said after launching the service in Ghana, it would gradually be introduced in other African nations where the network is operating.
According to Vish Sowani, Visa’s Head of Global Mobile Network Operator Partnerships, Innovation & Strategic Partnerships Group, the partnership would serve as an extension of the benefits of electronic payments to mobile money services in Africa.
Sowani said: “We are delighted to launch this exciting new service with MTN. This is significant as we look to extend the benefits of electronic payments to mobile money services in Africa. Visa recognises that mobile technology is the single most significant driver of financial inclusion and improving access to financial services is a critical building block to help more people improve their lives.
“We look forward to building on this broad based partnership with MTN to bring further innovative payment related products to their customers in the future.”
Chibuike Alagboso, the co-founder of HealthNewsNG.com, Africa’s leading online platform for health news, has revealed that the media platform is bridging the gap between health professionals and individuals without any form of medical training.
In an exclusive chat, he said the platform was set up to provide visitors with sufficient information that would enable them to take informed and correct medical decisions.
“The goal is to help bridge the enormous gap that exists between health professionals and individuals without any form of medical training. HealthNewsNG.com enables them to take informed and correct medical decisions whenever the need arises,” Alagboso said.
Already, he said the platform has helped in raising the level of health consciousness and awareness among its thousands of daily visitors from across the world.
He said: “We have been able to raise the level of awareness among our diverse readers who are not restricted to Nigeria or Africa; in fact, we get thousands of visitors daily in USA, United Kingdom, China, Ukraine, India, Canada, Australia and several other foreign lands.”
For the health professionals, he said the platform is offering them access to the latest medical researches as well as helping them with professional development through partnerships with various local and international conference organizers.
“Various health professionals have been able to get continuing professional development (CPD) through our platform; also, many of them have attended international conferences and symposia as a result of our working partnership with organizers of highly revered conferences and exhibitions such as Medic West Africa, Africa Health Conference & Exhibition holding in South Africa, Africa Healthcare Summit holding in London, and the International Conference and Exhibition on Pathology holding in San Antonio, USA,” he said.
On the choice of internet as the medium of choice for disseminating confidential health information, he said the reach and potentials of the internet are immense and limitless.
He said: “The internet is no doubt the best place because of its limitless reach and potential as people tend to turn to the internet daily to find answers to their everyday questions.
“The internet is a good platform because people can easily obtain information without having to contend with the challenge of confidentiality.”
On why the platform is also attracting visitors from countries where citizens don’t speak English language, he said technology allows translation into their native language.
“English has always been a universally accepted language and that is the language of choice on our website. But with increasing sophistication in technology, and introduction of translators, language is no longer a barrier as our readers can translate our pages and the entire website to their desire language,” Alagboso said.
Schneider Electric, the global specialist in energy management, and DONG Energy, one of the leading energy groups in Northern Europe have partnered to help supply energy to remote islands in Africa.
The two will enable African electric network operators of remote or isolated island grids to increase the share of renewable used while maintaining grid stability and reliability for consumers in Cape Verde, Comoros, Guinea Bissau, Mauritius, São Tomé and Príncipe and Seychelles.
In Africa alone, at least 300 remote islands distanced from mainland grids exist. These isolated island grids are often heavily diesel-dependent, incurring high electricity costs and subject to fluctuating fuel prices. This is a barrier for local economic development, for improving living standards and for reducing carbon emissions. Many island utility operators aim to replace diesel with renewable generation to reduce costs and reach renewable targets. However the main challenge of integrating intermittent renewable energy is the ensuing complexity of balancing the grid and maintaining reliability and stability. In effect this can cap the amount of renewable energy which can be efficiently integrated.
With Dong Energy’s virtual power plant technology and Schneider Electric’s market-leader distribution grid field devices and management systems, the partners will address these crucial environmental issues. The aim is to create a new platform offering real-time generation and demand forecasting, monitoring and control.
“DONG Energy has developed a virtual power plant system called Power Hub, which aggregates loads and generation capacity for network flexibility through a software platform. The system has already successfully demonstrated its capability and value in optimizing, balancing and improving the stability of remote micro-grids at the Faroe Islands. Integrating Power Hub with Schneider Electric’s power and grid management software platform will enable us to deliver a unique solution that address an important challenge of how to run an isolated electricity system in a safe, economically optimal manner, while making maximum use of renewables. Not only in Europe, but also in Africa and globally” says Evert den Boer, Senior Vice President in DONG Energy.
“Alongside DONG Energy, Schneider Electric will bring its market-leader expertise in grid field devices, network automation and grid management systems in a uniquely modular approach to virtual power plants in order to overcome the operational challenges of dynamically balancing supply and demand.” confirms Frédéric Abbal, Executive Vice President of Schneider Electric’s Energy Division. “Our joint architecture includes Advanced Distribution Management System (ADMS), Power Control System (PCS) and Renewable Control Center (RCC) applications offering real-time generation and demand forecasting, monitoring and control. Thanks to weather and load forecasting and fast load shedding capabilities, island utility operators will be able to operate sustainable, efficient and economically viable power systems and benefit local communities.”
Schneider Electric enjoys active collaborative partnerships with utilities to test and validate innovative solutions endeavoring to solve their operational, environmental and regulatory concerns. Schneider Electric’s global footprint in more than 100 countries and unique position on both the demand and supply side of the grid will connect all energy players (generators, network operators and prosumers).
The young Vivid Tjipura, without any background in the technology industry, has just won an award of R100,000 in a tech Startup Knight competition in South Africa for his intriguing concept “Airtaxi” set to commercialise at the dawn of 2014.
At 33, the professional state prosecutor won the prize for his concept of utilizing mobile airtime as an emergency form of payment for taxi rides. This concept advances airtime to minibus taxi commuters if they run out.
Launched by Byte Orbit, the Startup Knight competition currently in its second year, introduced a new category that includes a concept phase this year, in addition to the cash prize of R100,000. Airtax beat eight finalists announced in front of over 100 guests including media personalities during the prize giving day.
While Airtaxi received mentorship from RSAWeb co-founder Rob Golmour and Groupon South Africa CEO Daniel Guaso, other finalists too, were expected to participate in a mentoring session earlier in December at Byte Orbit’s Durbanville offices before pitching their ideas.
The Airtaxi service targets some 20 million South African commuters who use minibus taxis every week. Tjipura, who is a trained state prosecutor yet lived in the country for 10 years, is planning to bring the product to the market with the help of a major financial institution. He expects to bring Airtaxi to the market in early 2014 using USSD, and then with applications on BlackBerry, followed by Android and iOS.
In conjunction with CBD minibus taxi fares in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban, Airtaxi service would agree with taxi drivers to sign up using their mobile phone numbers. Immediately, Airtaxi would send the fare together with a commission to the driver and once the passenger is transported and loads airtime. The fare would be deducted automatically as the commission sent to the taxi driver would be paid for by a financial institution yet to be revealed next year.
Taxi drivers would then be encouraged to trade airtime with registered fuel stations to get more fuel than usual, by encouraging the service station to buy airtime at a discount price and sell it to consumers at normal cost, that would be disclosed next year.
And once passengers load Airtaxi “credits” in advance, passenger transactions would not experience challenges such irregular usage insufficient airtime to cover the cost of their previous transaction.
Yum; an online food delivery sytem, Ghafla; Kenyan entertainment news website, BookNow; online bus booking company and Mdundo an online music platform, all funded by Africa-focused seed investment fund yesterday pitched to investors seeking funds to take on the continent.
The startups Demo Day was held in Nairobi after their three months accelerator programme that commenced in September. The firms have great milestones since launch with most of them announcing partnerships and expansions across borders.
Mdundo for instance has launched in Tanzania and signed up ten artisits who brought on board over 4000 users just by word of mouth. Ghafla, said it is clicking over 30 million uniques monthly and is profitable and though it launched sometime back, its seeking funds to expand.
The Demo Day attracted industry heavyweights from the region who were impressed by the work of the investors and founders. The four were part of the initial initial eight that received incubation, investment and mentorship and at the same time acquiring new networks and market platforms.
Speaking to TechMoran, Mdundo confirmed their launch in Tanzania and newly in Nigeria which they are looking to get household artists. East Africa is now home of Mdundo considering their investment in Uganda too. “Our mission which is killing piracy is the inspiration behind our new ventures; we are looking to get bigger artists on board.” Said mdundo’s Peter Njoroge.
With the new site makeover, Yum is growing bigger and better in their services offered around Nairobi, the company has spread in reach and terms the accelerator programme of great benefit to young and rich ideas.
Ghafla too gets to increase reach and fill the loophole in local news as they deliver to Kenyans according to Chief Executive Officer ( CEO) Mr Majani.
BookNow’s chief aim is to hit the daily intended bookings which Michael Nguru founder of the firm said is a thousand before it closes business year. “The services have been well accommodated by Kenyans as well as Kampala where we have a good number of clients, we are looking to partner stable parties for growth’s sake.” Said Nguru.
Investors at the event showed interest to all the four tech startups that expect to make partnerships in a quest to grow their companies.
The private fund has seen through three programmes of the same in both Nairobi and Capetown investing about $2million on the startups and is currently looking to establish the programme in Lagos, Nigeria.
Samsung’s new Engineering Academy in Addis Ababa Institute of Technology has now for the first time kicked off its academic programs with the first class of 60 students, following the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the Ethiopian government 18 months earlier.
“We understood we are selling a lot more products in Ethiopia, as well as Africa.,” noted East Africa Samsung MD Robert Ngeru, adding that looking at growing in Ethiopia would mean having engineers who can support the products sold such as mobile phones, fridges, TVs that can be serviced.
As Samsung’s academies spread through Africa finding their way into Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa, the Addis Ababa Academy in Ethiopia marks the fourth of its kind in Africa. According to Ngeru, the at the Ethiopian based academy, programs were launched in a bid to promote growth in technology, innovation, and transformation, while create job opportunities.
Indeed, the opening of the academic programs would transform the university into a tech survey institute, concurred Dr. Admasu Tsegaye, President of Addis Ababa University.
“We are working hard to improve our graduate programs and until we build our own capacity, we are forming consortium with foreign investors in order to run our graduate programs efficiently and effectively,” he said in an interview.
In all, the trainings Samsung is providing would be free of charge, noted to Ngeru.
You can now get your direction via Bing Maps with Microsoft’s launch of Bing Maps Preview for Windows 8.1 a few hours ago.
Microsoft says the app is built “from the ground up for clarity, detail and scale.” The preview starts with a focused list of over 70 cities from around the world, but the company says this is to ensure it has “the highest quality imagery possible” and support for more cities is coming.
Most importantly, because the Bing Maps Preview was built for Windows 8.1, Microsoft says it “works well” on both touch and desktop devices. It also takes advantage of Windows-specific features like Snapview, notifications, and live tiles.
The company says it has an automated pipeline capable of pushing pixels from a plane to the app “in a matter of weeks.” So far, the system has already processed over 121 trillion pixels to build the current 3D environment.
When you click on an item, you will see a fly-out containing address details and the option to switch to Streetside viewing mode in selected areas. The company has also added a dynamic “bubble view” that lets you see a bubble preview of the Streetside view while still maintaining a broad perspective of where you are.
Through this app one can ee the traffic situation in real-time on the start screen; it can also include actions like Skype call or booking a table through OpenTable.
It is still not clear which places in the world the app can support.
Armed with a BA in Economics from Princeton University and an MBA from the Harvard Business School, Ade Okunubi, Nigerian in the Diaspora has launched a platform with plans to help investors in Africa own part of global firms such as Apple, Google and Facebook.
Launched November this year, Afriq-Invest is the first such online platform allowing Africa-based investors to invest in the US stock market.
Own part of global firms such as Apple, Google and Facebook
Speaking to TechMoran, Okunubi said, “I got the idea when talking to my uncle and some friends in Nigeria and hearing them complain about not being able to buy US stocks and generally not having access to investment opportunities outside of high cost investments like unimproved land or importing cars. “
“Afriq-Invest is not that different from all the e-commerce sites that have come up lately except that instead of selling Blackberry phones or sunglasses I am “selling” financial goods. I prefer to sell goods that will be worth MORE than what you paid for them a year from now. Nothing against selling electronics or clothes, but the last thing Africans need is more Western junk they don’t really need,” he added.
The platform has 3 account options for users. The first is the direct investing accounts for investors that want to pick stocks on their own. The second is the market accounts for investors that want passive exposure to the ENTIRE US market (S&P 500) and the third is the custom accounts for investors that want a customized portfolio. He says the firm has a proprietary risk questionnaire that helps assess clients’ goals, life situation and risk tolerance to craft a portfolio.
Just a few weeks old, the platform has already signed up 7 accounts and charges $20 per trade in Active accounts, 1% per year for passive accounts and 2% per year for custom accounts. Okunubi is not worried about the competition from firms like
South Africa’s StanLib, TD International in Luxemburg which only accept people with EU addresses. He argues that there are investors in Africa who don’t want to pay StanLib’s high fees and most of them from West Africa, East Africa and other parts of Africa feel left out.
He also adds that the platform makes it easier for African investors to buy US stocks than it would be to buy local stocks due to its better User Interface and experience complemented by better research tools.
“The US market and tech space is taking off and Afriq-Invest allows you to invest in FaceBook, TWitter, and Amazon so you don’t miss out on the growth in the US’ booms. Clients can also buy stocks of companies that are doing business in Africa that they are more familiar with like Coca-Cola, Exxon and BHP Billition; companies they know about but couldn’t get exposure to before and finally, clients get to keep cash in USD and protect it from inflation with more investing options that allow their wealth and savings to grow.
24/7 account access
Being entirely online, the platform promises clients 24/7 access to their portfolios and research tools. The African-only platform aims to get Africans equal access and exposure and help them buy and manage their US stocks.
Funding to him is not a challenge as he has managed to fund it to where it is now. His only worry is online fraud via “investment schemes” and competition from government bonds with a believe of high yields of up to 11-13%. But that is a deception as to him the govt is paying them these rates because inflation is very high (8-10%) and when you take the depreciation of the local currency (3-5%) into account the returns are even worse (13 minus 10 minus 5 = -2%).
” I have presented actual figures on my homepage explaining and calculating this for 4 African countries. The average investor doesn’t know this since they aren’t as familiar with concepts like inflation adjusted returns but it’s part of my job to educate our people about these nuances,’ he says. “Note that the case is the same here in the US with US treasuries paying about 2% but US citizens have more options such as stock market, corporate bonds and property for getting higher returns.”
In the next two years, he expects Afriq-Invest to be the destination for exposure to US stock market and ideally linked to a major local financial institution like Zenith or Standard Chartered as an investment offering. He wants Afriq-Invest to give Africans the same access to financial assets everyone else gets and help Africans grow their wealth and make them more financially savvy.
For Africa-based investors only
His target audience is the AFRICA-BASED individual who does not have the same level of access to the West that the diaspora folks have. Like a University of Ibadan professor or a Lagos State auditor who lives in Lagos or Accra or Ibadan with a little money he or she wants to grow over time while protecting it from the high inflation rates and depreciating currencies that are the norm in Africa.
“I created Afriq-Invest because Africans ALWAYS get the short end of the stick. Our local products are either non existent or of poor quality and delivered with BAD customer service,” he said. “Africans rarely get the same access as other people for no other reason other than folks are ignorant about Africa and its people or they think we are too poor to afford them though they have no problem taking our money in their high street shops in London and New York. We are NOT all corrupt politicians, drug dealers, fraudsters or charity cases. There are a lot of regular people with regular jobs that deserve the same attention paid to the middle class in other countries like Brasil, India and China.”
As we mourn as well as celebrate the life of the first president of South Africa, MultiChoice has announced the launch of a Nelson Mandela memorial channel on DStv, paying tribute to the former South African president who died yesterday at the age of 95.
The channel – Channel 199- will host the accolades, with a full schedule of programming that is to be communicated. That’s not all, MultiChoice has also launched a tribute website.
MultiChoice executive chairman Nolo Letele expressed the broadcaster’s sadness at the passing of Mandela, who was the leader of the anti-apartheid struggle, spent 27 years in prison and was his country’s first black president.
“It is a sad day for the MultiChoice family and for our nation,” Letele said. “The loss of our beloved Tata Madiba will be felt for a very long time. Tata’s contribution to our country has been immeasurable and his teachings will always be a part of us – leading us towards a better future. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Mandela family during this sad time. Madiba – you will be sorely missed.”
Mandela will not only be remembered as the first president of South Africa because he stopped being a South African and became a citizen of the world. He always managed to look beyond people’s errors which was seen when he went to the England to settle the differences. He was a preacher of unity and love despite the race.
Even South Africa’s last white president, F.W. de Klerk, agrees that Madiba left a legacy that should not be left to die with him.
“Mandela’s biggest legacy … was his remarkable lack of bitterness and the way he did not only talk about reconciliation, but he made reconciliation happen in South Africa,” he said.
Mandela lived his life to the fullest leaving no stones unturned just to ensure peace love and unity prevails. It is hard not to cry but his death should be celebrated as he died a hero.
Rest In Peace Nelson, you will never be forgotten even those who did not get a chance to meet you met you through your acts.
The Orange Business Service is now the Best Global Operator; this was confirmed at the Communications Awards ceremony. The service also was recognized for the Best Cloud Service, Best Enterprise Service Best Small Business Service.
It was only recent that the Business Service appointed Yannick Decaux as Country Manager for South Africa and Sales Director for Sub-Saharan Africa. He certainly responsible for driving the next phase of the company’s growth strategy within the Sub-Saharan region.
“Orange Business Services’ aggressive focus in Sub-Saharan Africa is in line with our Conquests 2015 objective to be the leader in the world’s high-growth markets,” said Decaux. “The region’s economic potential is at its highest in generations, and we will continue to invest in high speed networks, in innovative IT solutions and in our people to support the needs of our multinational customers which operate in Africa, and engage strategically with the African companies to help them grow in the global markets.”
This 7th Best Global Operator recognition highlights the rich heritage of Orange Business Services and its capacity to constantly evolve its network to provide an unmatched and complete network platform to its customers.
With local expertise in 166 countries and a cloud-ready network reaching 220 countries and territories, Orange Business Services offers the world’s largest seamless network to companies operating or expanding worldwide. Complemented with mobile networks from Orange and affiliates in 40 countries, Orange Business Services is able to offer the right connectivity at the right location.
Thierry Bonhomme, CEO, Orange Business Services, said: “Winning Best Global Operator, Best Cloud Service, Best Enterprise Service and Best Small Business Service is an incredible validation of the unrelenting effort from the Orange Business Services team again this year. Customer testimonials are an integral part of the World Communication Awards judging process and we warmly thank our customers for their continued trust and support. These four prestigious awards are a great incentive for us to continue on our quest of being the digital transformation partner for enterprises.”
Being the 15th year, the World Communication Awards celebrates the organizations and individuals responsible for the innovations that underpin the global telecoms industry. The entries are evaluated by a panel of independent judges from the telecoms and ICT industry.
Poynting, a wireless antenna designer and producer, has established a subterranean base station solution for Africa, the Sub-T, at a tenth of the size and cost of traditional base stations.
The consumer mobile traffic is predicted to take an annual growth of about 80 percent, between 2013 and 2017. The big data revolution worldwide also calls for a solution that is easily deployable. According to Poynting CEO Andre Fourie, around 10 times more base stations are required even to service current users in Africa.
“While one base station may serve several 1 000 active voice users, it may be insufficient for 100 active data users as data usage has no limits. Cost versus return constraints of traditional base stations, makes expansion in this way commercially impossible and increasing the amount of traditional cellular base stations is not necessarily a viable option,” said Fourie
“With 80 percent of the Sub-T buried underground next to a streetlight-pole like mast, the solution gives African operators a viable alternative to expand connectivity and deploy more base stations, at a lower cost, with less power requirements, a smaller footprint of roughly 4m² and inherent security; improving communication and connectivity for Africa,” he added.
He said the main idea was to create a flexible solution that takes current and future, equipment and data usage growth needs into consideration. adding that in order to facilitate easy deployment, a smaller solution that allows street light poles or flag poles to be used as base stations to reduces costs.
“We realized that the product needs to be secure against theft, energy efficient, employ natural geo-thermal cooling, present a small footprint, and be adaptable to different equipment and requirements found in Africa,” added the CEO
Telecoms subscribers in Nigeria have threatened to abandon Airtel Nigeria over its decision to stop allowing users of internet modems, Android devices and other devices that are not manufactured by Blackberry to use its various Blackberry Internet Service (BIS) plans.
Prior to the announcement, Airtel Nigeria was the only network in Nigeria that allowed internet users to make use of its affordable BIS plans on various types of devices after MTN and Globacom Nigeria had stopped allowing their subscribers to use the tweak.
With the blockage on MTN and Globacom, subscribers that were interested in the cheap data plan bought Airtel lines. But with the latest development, the subscribers are issuing threats on the various social media platforms in Nigeria.
On Nairaland.com, Nigeria’s most visited website and social media platform, visitors said the network would record great reduction in the number of its subscribers.
“Whoever gave them the idea would definitely be fired after we’ve abandoned their network,” an anonymous subscriber posted on Nairaland.
Another said the network seemed to forget that it only recorded increase in the number of subscribers when Nigerian telecoms subscribers saw that the network did not restrict its BIS plans to Blackberry devices.
“Are they trying to tell us that they were just getting to know that many subscribers are using the BIS plans on non-Blackberry devices? This will be their downfall in Nigeria. We will use them as lesson for other networks who think they can mess with the subscribers and go unscathed,” Kolawole said.
Other users however welcome the development saying it would help in improving the service of the telecoms company.
Saheed said: “It’s high time they sent those cheating the system away from the network. If they are all leave the network, those remaining would be able to enjoy improve and faster service.”
Comparatively, Blackberry users in Nigeria pay less for data compared to users of Android and other devices. While a monthly subscription costs NGN1,000 for 3GB of data, other mobile users spend as high as NGN3,000 for just 1.5GB of data.
MTN has joined the rest of the world in mourning South Africa’s former president and Nobel laureate, Nelson Mandela who died last night at the age of 95.
In a statement issued this morning, MTN Group conveyed its heartfelt condolences to the Mandela family, South Africa and the world in the general. According to Sifiso Dabengwa, MTN Group President and CEO, Madiba left behind a rich legacy of reconciliation.
“Former President Mandela leaves behind a rich legacy of reconciliation, world peace and the triumph of the human spirit over all adversity. He embodied the spirit of human rights and dignity in the way he lived his own life,” Dabengwa said.
“His 50-year fight, including 27 years in jail, helped bring democracy and freedom to our country. Even after 27 years of prison and hardship, only one thing counted for Madiba, as Mandela was affectionately called by his clan name: creating a democratic, prosperous future for all the people of the new South Africa. This combination of humanity and unique statesmanship made his true greatness manifest for the entire world.”
Dabengwa said the dawn of South Africa’s democracy in 1994 coincided with the founding of MTN and today, MTN operates in 22 markets across Africa and the Middle East, with more than 200 million customers and still growing.
The MTN Group President and CEO said the founding democratic leader achieved so much, touched so many people and showed much leadership and courage.
“He never lost his compassion, humility and common humanity. He’s an inspiration to us all. He taught us to love ourselves, to love one another and to love our country. So, as we celebrate his selfless efforts on behalf of human dignity, it also represents an enduring challenge for us all,” adds Dabengwa.
“@nnamdiarea: The worst thing about Mandela’s death will be the long, dull speeches by African leaders who want to praise him but not learn from him”
As I sat watching CNN last night, I couldn’t help but share the same sentiment expressed in the tweet above, but a few hours later I have come to the conclusion that nothing can spoil this. Not even the insincere speeches of some African/World leaders.
The true measure of a man lies in how he is remembered when he is gone and today we pay tribute to this great African.
Former South African President and one of Africa’s greatest statesmen Nelson Rolihlahla “Madiba” Mandela died at age 95 on Thursday after months of fighting illness and lung infection, as confirmed by South African authorities.
Today we pay tribute to this great man and father of Africa and as Sim Shagaya, CEO of Konga.com has put it;
Africa has lost a father.
Your light shone so bright…so very bright.
We felt it’s warm glow as far away as Nigeria.
As you leave us, we wonder,
Where are the other good men?
Go well old man…You have done your part.
It is up to us now.
Mandela was a force of hope to not just Africans but to the World. He was known for many things but his compassion and progress through peaceful resistance stood him out. His contributions and the number of people he inspired are innumerable.
Today we pay tribute to a great African. Goodbye Mandela.
Nigeria’s Konga.com has introduced gift vouchers as Christmas approaches as the perfect gift pack this festive season, aiming to make it easy for friends to pass them on than cash or physical gifts.
The Konga Gift Card is expected to give shopeprs the easiest, fastest and cheapest way to satisfy everyone this Christmas as it makes it possible for anyone to have the right gift/incentive for each person whether they want a phone, a TV or groceries.
The Konga gift card gives the recipient access to over more than 100,000 possible gift items on Konga.com.
“We are counting down to Christmas already, and one of the things we all love about Christmas are the gifts we hope to receive from loved ones, family, colleagues, employers, partners, ” announced the online retail mall, “It is also a season for us to give gifts to all these people, and more often than not we ask ourselves the question; “What is the perfect gift this Christmas”.
Those interested in getting the Konga.com Gift Card can follow this simple instructions here. Konga delivers nationwide and with the Konga.com Gift Card you can demonstrate appreciation and strengthen relationships with friends and loved ones and even businesses.
Leading mass market pay television brand, GOtv and leading broadcaster, Mediamax Group have launched a Digital Migration Christmas promotion in a bid to ensure Kenyans enjoy a smooth transition into the digital arena on 13 of this month.
Mediamax Group Executive Director, Granton Samboja said K24 viewers stand a chance to win 3 decoders daily as the broadcaster takes a lead to enhance the understanding of the impending signal switch-off to their listeners and viewers.
“We shall carry out a simple trivia question regarding digital migration daily and the answer should be sent to the K24 short code 20001 starting with the word “Digital”, revealed Mr Samboja.
All winners shall be directly notified the following day. Listeners are also encouraged to tune in to Mediamax radio subsidiaries – Milele, Kameme, Mayian and Meru FM stations.
According the Communication Commission of Kenya, Digital migration will ensure that the country complies with the worldwide analogue switch off deadline of 17th June 2015.
GOtv decoders are a convenient migration option as it has both pay TV and Free-To-Air (FTA) choices on a single set-top box without the need to acquire an extra box.
The cost for the first instalment is Ksh3,399/- which includes a decoder and 2 months GOtv Plus subscription. The second instalment of Ksh2,600/- is due at the end of the 2 months for those not able to continue with pay TV.
GOtv pay bouquets are affordable and are currently going for Sh599/- per month for over 20 PAY AND over 30 FTA channels while the second package GOtv Plus goes for only Sh849/- per month and offers over 30 pay channels and over 30 FTA channels designed to keep your family entertained with great news, movies, kids programming and sport; the third bouquet, GOtv Open, provides the best solution for television consumers to receive their local free to air channels in digital quality for a once off Administration fee.
Apart from a once-off, non-refundable Administration fee of Sh2,600/-, there is currently no additional monthly charge.
Airtel Kenya head of Corporate Communications and Brand Dick Omondi and DStv Mobile General Manager Felix Kyengo display the DStv Drifta during the partnership launch
The season has come with its own blessings in Kenya, seems like everyone is in the Christmas spirit and Airtel and DStv is among them.
The two parties have today entered into a partnership that will make Airtel subscribers experience the best in television entertainment, from movies to sports with the accessibility of DSTV mobile through their Mobile phone in the network using Drifta mobile decorder for Android after purchasing an Airtel Postpaid SIM card.
A customer who purchases an Airtel post-paid line will get a DStv Drifta free of charge. Airtel customers will not only get the chance to get their hands on the trendiest mobile device, but will also get to enjoy up to 16 Channels with 3 months free subscription.
Shivan Bhargava, Managing Director of Airtel said: “We are delighted to enter into this revolutionary partnership with DStv Mobile. This goes hand-in-hand with Airtel’s continued commitment to provide relevant and affordable mobile solutions to all. The Drifta mobile decorder is set to change the way our customers interact with television. Our customers will now enjoy the package of their preference using their mobile phones.”
The Managing Director echoed that his company is committed to enter into such partnerships in future that will give customers more relevant mobile solutions in the network.
“New technologies are the lifeblood of communities, and massive growth in mobile technologies has shown Africa’s readiness and appetite for these. This partnership is critical as we are introducing digital mobile decoder for Android devices with a micro USB connector to enable customers to watch television on the go,” said Mobile General Manager, Felix Kyengo.
So how does this driftA work.
Plug the Drifta into the micro USB port of your compatible Android device (Version 4.X and supports Host Mode)
On your device launch the Google Play store by clicking on the Play Store icon
Search for ‘Drifta for Android’.
Follow the on-screen instructions to install the application
Once installed, launch the application
If you have already installed the application, plug the Drifta into your Android device and the application will automatically launch, enabling you to begin watching mobile TV
Felix Kyengo, the Mobile GM said, “In order to continue to inspire, entertain and delight our subscribers, it is critical that we offer them the very latest world-class devices. The fact our mobile devices are so popular, and that subscribers using these platforms will now be able to access our offering, makes this launch even more exciting for our brand.”
If your pet is not camera shy and is particularly talkative, you might want to consider this frivolous webcam set-up for your paw friends. Unlike other webcams, it’s made for animals.
Unfortunately, it does not take your pet out for walks or change their litter box. It does, however, let you dispense little treats, so if you want to talk to your pet from the office, you can train them to sit, fetch the mail, or just bark at the screen for a little snack.
When you’re at work. Or on vacation. Or just feel like checking in. PetChatz® is there when you can’t be. Hear and see each other while apart. Reward them with snacks and sniffs they love. Record and share fun videos. Play even when you’re away. PetChatz lets you be there with your pet from anywhere.
Bitcoins suffered a new setback after China’s central bank said Thursday its banks and payment systems are barred from handling the virtual currency.The central bank said bitcoins did not qualify as a currency but private individuals still are allowed to trade them at their own risk.Bitcoins are created, distributed, and authenticated independently of any bank or government. Their relative anonymity holds out the promise of being able to spend money across the Internet without scrutiny.
“Bitcoins are virtual goods that have no legal status or monetary equivalent and should not be used as currency,” said a Chinese central bank statement.
It said financial institutions and payment systems were not allowed use bitcoin prices for products and could not sell, trade or store bitcoins.
“Ordinary people are free to participate in transactions at their own risk,” the central bank said.
Despite wild swings in value, the virtual currency has been moving toward broader acceptance. A growing number of companies accept bitcoins, which can be converted into cash.
Last month, the biggest private university in Cyprus said it would accept bitcoins for tuition.
But other governments are wary of the cybercurrency. In July, Thailand’s central bank banned trading and use of bitcoins.
Bitcoins are actively traded in China, possibly due to relatively limited options for investment.
Just over 2 million bitcoins were traded over the past month on China’s biggest exchange, BTC China, according to bitcoincharts.com, which follows trading in the cybercurrency.
This week, Chinese police announced the detention of three people operating an online bitcoin trading platform who are suspected of stealing investors’ assets.
Operators told users the platform based in the eastern province of Zhejiang allowed them to trade bitcoins like stocks, according to the official Xinhua News Agency.
Users may have lost as much as 25 million yuan ($4 million) when the platform shut down in October, Xinhua said.
In Cyprus, the country’s biggest private university said last month it will begin accepting bitcoins for tuition.
Also last month, the U.S. Federal Election Commission said political organizations cannot accept contributions in the form of bitcoins. The commission’s chairwoman cited the possibility of foreign or anonymous donations, which both would be illegal, flowing to candidates or outside political groups.
A few months ago we covered the launch of Gokool a Nigerian e-commerce firm selling auto parts, building and construction materials and the electrical accessories.
Launched by 23-year-old Charles Philip Ukaegbu, Gokool has a network of dealers of only GENUINE auto parts,electrical accessories and building materials and have deals with these suppliers who warehouse these goods and Gokool just delivers them to its customers based on orders.
Today we came across another platform with slightly the same business model. The platform, Authentic Spare Parts offers new and old but quality car parts to buyers in Nigeria especially for Honda and Toyota cars. The platform has sprouted from an offline business of car spare parts which has served the Nigerian wholesale market for a number of years.
Run by Ini Akpan, the new electronic store aim to serve mainly the country’s auto parts wholesalers automobile across the country. Though, the shop has no clear plans on delivery, it hopes to make genuine car spare parts available to those that need them across the country. The firm aims to sale to car service centers, homes, offices and corporate firms with its promise of quality and affordability.
GoKool, on the other hand is an online shopping mall in Nigeria selling building and construction materials, home and office furnitures,electrical accessories and appliances, automobile parts and more to all of Nigeria. Gokool has wholesale and retail partners it can order and delivery its customers orders from.Gokool, earlier told TechMoran it had partnered with TRANEX to help it delivery the orders around the country.
We are not sure if AuthenticSpare Parts will go into building materials but cutting out a niche is great.
Chibuike Alagboso, the co-founder of 
