Author: Kaluka wanjala

Check Point Software Technologies has today announced its position as a leader in The Forrester Wave™: Enterprise Firewalls, Q4 2024 report. Forrester, a leading global research and advisory firm, states in its report that, “Check Point excels with collaborative tools,” which we believe further validates our platform approach to offer enterprises a full suite of top-tier cyber security products. In an era where cybercrimes are escalating at an alarming rate, safeguarding digital assets and networks has never been more crucial. Check Point Research underscores this urgency with a report revealing a 30% surge in global cyber-attacks during the second quarter…

The Asus S14 is one of the latest high-end laptops from the company. The laptop was showcased early last month at the Always Incredible Media Day for IFA 2024 in Berlin, Germany. You can read more about it here. I have had a chance to use the S14 for a few days and have been thoroughly impressed. In this review, I will highlight all this laptop has offer and if it is something you should consider if you are on the market for a new premium laptop. This is one of the new Asus Copilot+ PCs and comes with the…

In collaboration with Samsung Electronics East Africa, Smart Things Executive Store today announced the opening of its first official Shop-in-Shop (SIS) in Kakamega County. This milestone aligns with Samsung Electronics East Africa ambitious strategy, aimed at bringing cutting-edge technology closer to consumers across the country through strategic partnerships with its network of dealers. The new Samsung Experience Store in Kakamega owned by Smart Things Executive Store is a Shop-in-Shop (SIS) concept, where Samsung smartphones, wearables and accessories occupy 60% of the retail space. This model not only showcases Samsung’s wide range of products, from smartphones and tablets to wearables, but also highlights the company’s drive to increase the brand’s smartphone market share in the Kenyan market with a current share of 31.7%. “Samsung…

Summary Absa Bank Kenya has officially launched the Absa Kenya Foundation (AKF) as a social arm that will accelerate its positive impact and sustainability commitments within the community.  The Foundation, which will be sponsored by the Bank and its strategic partners, will focus on four key programmatic pillars: entrepreneurship, education and skills, natural resource management, and health and humanitarian relief. Absa Bank Kenya will contribute 1.5% of its annual earnings to the new Foundation, starting off with KES500 million as seed funding towards transformative projects that will be implemented through strategic partnerships to address major societal and environmental issues. Speaking…

Standard Chartered Bank cements its foreign currency investments as investors increasingly seek opportunities beyond local markets. This year, the bank introduced US Corporate Bonds, USD Government bonds, and its own curated funds – Signature CIO funds. This complements an array of other products such as ESG funds, USD MMF, and Mutual Funds in various denominations. Utilising a comprehensive digital infrastructure, Standard Chartered is democratising access of investment solutions for a new era of well-informed investors. The bank’s digital platform offers an array of global investment opportunities, including US Treasuries, Foreign Currency Money Market Funds (FCY/MMFs), and CIO Signature Funds. An…

Uber has announced the launch of uber Safari in South Africa to offer riders access to Africa’s most iconic experiences. The service is currently available in Cape Town only. Uber Safari can be accessed through the Uber app and has been created in partnership with Aquila Private Game Reserve, one of South Africa’s most popular wildlife conservancies. “We’re excited to partner with Uber to extend our bucket list wildlife experiences to their customers,” said Johan van Schalkwyk, Commercial Officer of Aquila Collection. “Uber Safari allows folks to book and enjoy an unforgettable day at Aquila, where they’ll get to experience…

Blockchain technology is reshaping the global payments landscape, offering innovative solutions to persistent issues, particularly in Africa. This transformation is crucial for the continent, where traditional financial systems are often inefficient and costly, especially in cross-border transactions and remittances. Africa’s payment infrastructure relies heavily on outdated systems, many of which have been in place for over 50 years. These traditional systems depend on multiple intermediaries, such as banks, card networks, and payment processors. Each intermediary adds layers of complexity, driving up costs and causing delays. Cross-border transactions, in particular, are burdened with high fees and extended processing times. For example,…

Mastercard and Amazon Payment Services have signed a multi-year commercial partnership agreement to digitize payment acceptance in Middle East and Africa, across countries including Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, South Africa and UAE. As part of the collaboration, the leading payment service provider (PSP) will adopt Mastercard Gateway  – a single touchpoint for payment processing – as a payment solution available in 40 markets in the region. The integration of the solution will enable merchants to offer fast, seamless, and secure transactions as well as convenient payment choices to customers. In line with the rapid increase in digital payments, the…

Samsung is set to launch yet another smartphone this month. This phone, the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE (Fan Edition), is an affordable version of the S24 and is perfect for those who do not want the S24 or Flip/Fold 6 phones and do not want to wait for the S25. As expected, the Galaxy S24 FE borrows a few things from the Galaxy S24 from earlier this year. It features a glass back with 3 vertically arranged cameras. It has an aluminium frame with a flat display with Gorilla Glass Victus+ for both the screen and the back of the…

LG Electronics has announced the winners of its webOS TV platform hackathon, which took place at the LG webOS Summit last week. The event was geared toward AI-based solutions and gaming services, and sought ideas to enhance the gaming category on the Smart TV.  Developers from around the world applied for the opportunity to present their ideas for apps and services to be used on webOS-based LG Smart TVs in millions of homes, with the goal of diversifying and improving the gaming experience on the LG TVs powered by webOS. Over three hundred entries were submitted from more than 50…