Author: Kaluka wanjala

If you have ever wanted to make a group video chat on WhatsApp, I have some good news for you. The Facebook-owned messaging service has just been updated to include support for group video chats. The company announced that it was working on this feature back in May this year and it is finally ready to roll it to the masses. WhatsApp group video chats support up to 4 people which I believe is the sweet spot without it being crowded. To start a group video chat, you will have to start a one-on-one voice or video call first. After…

In March this year, Google officially announced that YouTube for iOS had a dark mode that some users activate if they wish to do so. This option is now coming to YouTube for Android according to 9to5Google. The publication reports that dark mode is already rolling out to some Android users. The key word here is “some” and I have updated my app but do not have the option to activate dark mode so do not panic if you are on the same boat. If it is available on your end, YouTube for Android will automatically switch to the dark…

Earlier this year at CES (Consumer Electronics Show), LG took that stage and introduced ThinQ AI, its official dive into AI. The company also introduced a number of ThinQ branded products from smart TVs to smartphones and even vacuum cleaners. The company says that its main aim is to bring real-world benefits that will improve the lives of its customers. The company also said that the best way to do this is to connect the various products customers interact with and the LG ThinQ can just do that. In 2018, we have seen different industry leaders dive into AI with…

Spotify has a good year so far as it has just reported that its user base now stands at 180 million. This is 40 million new users from the same time last year when reported that the music streaming platform had 140 million users. Competition has been tough with the many players on the market so these numbers are not so bad for Spotify. Out of the 180 million people actively using Spotify, 83 million of them are paying subscribers, up from 60 million reported in August last year. This may not be that huge of a jump but shows…

In June 2018, Microsoft 4Afrika hosted international experts in Nairobi, Kenya for a targeted, productive popup lab and series of events focused on the internet of things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI) solutions. This team worked with 90+ Kenyan developers and eight African organisations – including start-ups and established business, such as Safaricom, M-KOPA, Davis & Shirtliff, Farmers Choice, Virtual City and SmartBig Things – to impart practical IOT and AI skills, and speed up development timelines on connected devices and services. “It’s been a fantastic opportunity to bring these experts to Africa and see the impact that transpired between…

Yesterday, HFC, the banking subsidiary of HF Group, unveiled its digital financial service platform it is referring to as HF Whizz. This is a first for the company and we will be looking at the app to see what it has to offer and if it is an app you should be using. In this day and age, we spend most of our days on our phones and it makes sense for companies to come up with products and services that take advantage of that. As a smartphone user or someone who may be interested in such an app, you…

Earlier today, HFC, the banking subsidiary of HF Group, officially unveiled its digital financial service platform it is referring to as HF Whizz. According to the company, this app aims to deliver the simplest and fastest digital banking experience. This is one of the ways the company hopes to differentiate this app from other products offered by other players. Speaking at the unveiling of the new platform, HFC Managing Director Sam Waweru said that the bank’s digital banking platform is part of its business strategy to diversify and grow its retail business while it addresses consumer demand for banking on…

This post has been updated to include the Safaricom Neon Kicka 4.  In a developing market such as Kenya, not everyone has the finances to get the best and most powerful smartphone out there. This market is flooded with entry level smartphones that for years have not offered the best experience. The phones are usable but in some cases they can be frustrating. This is the case with phones with 1GB of RAM or less and Google knows this and that is why the company introduced us to Android Go. Android Go is the same version of Android but is…

Internet Solutions Kenya has launched a new cost-effective, integrated cloud mail service targeting Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) as it strives to grow its revenue and market share. The new cloud-based service dubbed Integrated email solution offers complete e-mail functionality, collaboration archiving and branding on a single platform. The service will be offered in partnership with SYNAQ, a South African open source cloud e-mail management services company where Internet Solutions has a majority stake. According to Internet Solutions Managing Director Richard Hechle, email is central to all organizations and has become the most essential business application and as a result,…

By Charles Kimari For the past several years, the Internet of Things (IoT) has remained the industry’s biggest buzzword for its promise of delivering seamless connectivity across the multiple devices and technologies that we interact with in our daily lives – from our smartphones to smart TVs to the Family Hub refrigerator to even our cars. Yet while the vision has been alluring, with IoT and related technologies still maturing, the promise has always remained ‘a few years off’. For example, in the home, when you wake up in the morning on a rainy day, the home lights will gradually…