Author: Kaluka wanjala

If you have used the taxi hailing app, Uber, then you know that you are presented the opportunity to rate your driver at the end of each trip. As you do this, the driver is also presented with the same opportunity. More emphasis has always been given to what rating the driver gives but what rating you are given by the driver also matters. So how do you check your rating? Uber has made it easier for you as a passenger to see what ratings drivers give you. You will see the average rating and not the rating each driver…

If you have been on TechArena the past few weeks, then you have seen our coverage of Huawei’s upcoming flagship device, the P9. This phone will be launched later today. One thing that we know to be true about this smartphone is that it will come with a dual camera setup at the back. This camera will be made by the world renowned company, Leica. Read: Its Official, The Huawei P9 Will Come with Leica Camera Components Before we see the Huawei P9 live at its launch, there is one last image that has been leaked probably to get us…

At the beginning of every month, Google releases that latest Android distribution numbers that show us which versions are used by most people and vice versa. These numbers are very important to developers who need to know which Android variants to target when developing their apps. The latest numbers from Google show that the number of people using the current Android iteration, Marshmallow, has doubled from 2.3% last month to 4.6% this month. This is very impressive as we are never used to such growth on Android. This rise can be attributed to the entry of new Android devices into…

The Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO) has today announced a month-long amnesty for individuals, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and corporations using non-genuine software, to allow them a chance to purchase or subscribe to genuine/licensed software ahead of a planned crackdown. Making the announcement, Kenya Copyright Board Acting Executive Director Edward Sigei said the amnesty is a proactive effort by the Board to ensure compliance in the use of genuine software to mitigate associated loses and risks. Mr. Sigei says software piracy rates remain high in Kenya, at a staggering 78%, according to the most recent study – BSA Global Software…

A few weeks ago, Oppo unveiled the R9 and R9 Plus smartphones which come with 16MP front facing cameras.  These phones were initially announced in China and its only last week when we heard that the company has plans to launch them outside the country. We have heard that Oppo will be launching these two smartphones in India as from this week. Read: The First International Launch of the Oppo R9 and R9 Plus Will Be in India Next Week As we still wait for the R9 to reach international markets, Oppo has today announced another smartphone, the Oppo F1…

About three weeks ago, we told you that Microsoft had finally revealed that it was updating some of the existing Windows Phone 8.1 devices to the latest Windows iteration, Windows 10 Mobile. Not all devices were to get this update and the first devices to get it include the Lumia 520, 532, 625, 720, 820, 920, 925, 930, 1020, and 1320. Read: Windows 10 Mobile Will Start Rolling Out to Existing Lumia Devices Anytime from Today Updating from Windows Phone 8.1 to Windows 10 Mobile can present some unpleasant experiences and Microsoft knows this very well. Some users who have…

The Kenyan mobile industry continue to experience substantial growth with an increased number of smart phones being unveiled almost monthly targeting various age groups and market needs. The market is witnessing various brands compete to sway the numbers of customers as competition remains tight. This can be attributed to a growing economy and increasing internet and mobile connectivity which have created a favorable competitive landscape, bringing in the market more brands and cheaper devices in the market. However, as these mobile companies ship in millions of handsets to increase their market share, little or no attention has been paid to…

With Android Marshmallow being rolled out by some of the big manufacturers out there, BlackBerry does not want to be left behind since it has an Android smartphone, the BlackBerry Priv. The company is currently accepting applications for a beta program for those who want to test the update on their Priv devices. With this program, you will be the first BlackBerry Priv owners to play around with Android Marshmallow. If you sign up for the program, you will receive the beta build as an over-the-air update and this makes things much easier for you. This is a beta build…

Samsung’s current flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S7, seems to be doing quite well in terms of actual sales.  According to an industry analyst, Jay Yoo, Samsung managed to ship over 9.5 Million units of the Galaxy S7 just last month. The S7 went on sale globally sometime last month and moving over 9.5 million units within that short time is very impressive. The initial estimates for the Galaxy S7 for the first month were 7 million units but it looks like Samsung surpassed this with a significant number. This has led to some analysts recalculating their sales forecasts for the…

More than 7 million pieces of information have been shared through the SMS social network WeFarm, just one year after launching. WeFarm launched in Kenya in 2015. There are now in excess of 51,000 small-scale farmers in Kenya, Uganda and Peru using the SMS service to access information, without internet access. Farmers can share information regarding crops, animal husbandry, climate change, and entrepreneurship on the social network. The P2P service has proved hugely popular with 65% of users active monthly. CEO and founder Kenny Ewan said “7 million pieces of information in one year proves that we have created something very popular…