Inspire Your Future Now With Imagine Cup.

Imagine Cup has the following for you:

•    New projects to make
•    Stories about students like you
•    The latest software to code and create
•    How-to videos    and more!

Microsoft Imagine has the right game-making tools for your skill level:

• Create with simple tools for beginners.
• Code for those ready to take the next step.
• Develop like the pros do and publish your game in the app stores.
• video game with Kodu Game Lab
• mobile game with TouchDevelop
• Learn to code a magical world with Project Spark
• Learn to code a game with SmallBasic
• Develop your own game with free professional tools
• Develop games like the pros

Create an app

• Create with simple tools for beginners.
• Code for those ready to take the next step.
• Develop like the pros do and publish your app in app stores.
• Custom app with TouchDevelop.
• App with Windows App Studio.
• Code all kinds of apps with SmallBasic.
• Learn to code a website with WebMatrix.

Read more and register HERE.

Microsoft has suddenly become a red-hot mobile app developer

Among the most amazing apps, wearables are becoming the new type of device that all major companies are developing for consumers, and with new hardware comes new applications.

Microsoft has unveiled a new “analog keyboard” for Android Wear that lets you enter text on a smart watch by drawing letters and numbers with your fingers. It has also developed:

• highly acclaimed Outlook email app
• buying up popular calendar app Sunrise.
• Android apps, Torque allow voice command in Google
• Next Lock Screen forshortcuts to your lock screen
• Journeys & Notes app for location bassed notes

Microsoft really started to embrace mobile app development when it released mobile versions of its popular Office productivity suite and it hasn’t looked back since and it’s not just that Microsoft is making good apps of its own but that it’s wisely decided to offer more integration with established apps that are already popular, such as its decision to integrate cloud storage service Dropbox with its own Office software instead of forcing users to only use the company’s own OneDrive.

The bottom line is even if Windows Phone never closes its app gap, Microsoft’s position in the mobile app realm looks pretty strong.

Browse a list of popular websites for free with a SIM card from a qualifying carrier. 

• Search for jobs
• Get health information
• Keep in touch with friends and family without data charges 

All thanks to Facebook's newly launched free mobile net app for RCom users.
Facebook is set to launch internet.org, an initiative to provide internet access to those who don't have it, in India through a tie-up with Reliance Communications, two people familiar with the development said.
The social media giant and India's fourth largest mobile operator have called a joint press conference in Mumbai and the app released into the Google play on February 9, 2015.
The invite says, "one launch that will make a billion dreams take off". Read More.

Top mistakes to avoid when developing mobile apps

Mobile application development companies mostly follow rigid processes governed by SDLC life cycle. 

 This approach to some extent is perfect as it gives desired results. But many times the approach fails by making some minor mistakes during the process.

The development firms needs to pay high prices for these mistakes as a result of which app fails on the app store. Such mistakes are:

Resource allocation according to roadmap.The most important thing to look after during the start of mobile application development is preparing a fortified roadmap considering all the aspects. These aspects include development, design, testing, marketing and many ins and outs associated with app development. It has been often seen that mismanagement in this process can give hindrance not only for the development of app but also to the future considerations involved in making application. Also allocating resources is a big challenged faced by most of the mobile apps development companies and this is where their calculation goes wrong to plan delivery within stipulated time frame.

Selection of platform for app development.Mobile applications in today’s world are developed using one or the other tools and likely to get platform incompatibility because of various reasons. Cross platform tools can help to implement mobile applications fast and easily but has some drawbacks as well. So the selection of the platform becomes important and thus needs to be taken care while making a mobile application. On the other hand conventional app making can also prove out to be a mistake by not giving desired results. Android and iOS systems need to be worked on carefully in order to make sure that the app gets expected results in the market.

Latter part of app implementation.The latter and the most important part of application are the testing as well as the marketing which more often than not gets failed while implementation. Before these things are done, the mobile application developed by developers is just a black-box. Thus utmost care needs to be taken while marketing the application so as to get successful penetration of the app in the market. Most of the mobile apps development companies fail here and so they cannot get the app going the right way on the app store. Read more.

My girl's Valentine Gift in  a Technological Era

Mobile Technology Boot Camps – Girls Decode

About Mobigirlz
Mobigirlz is an initiative of eMobilis Mobile Technology Institute that aims to empower girls and women socially and economically, using information and communication technologies.
This year we have launched a series of Mobile Technology Boot Camps to be conducted at Kibera, Huruma and Kawangware to the underprivileged girls interested in Tech.
Applicants will be taken through crash courses in mobile technology and entrepreneurship.
Seasoned lecturers and a collection of female mentors will be appearing along the way to offer training, guidance and advice. The training program will run for one week at the ICT Centers in the slums.

Our Objectives

Create a community
Connect female students, professionals, and entrepreneurs to create synergies towards building strong network of female leaders in tech.

Provide capacity building
Offer training opportunities to the underprivileged females from slums in mobile Tech and entrepreneurship who will work in teams to learn everything about mobile Tech.

Provide incubation & mentorship
Once the girls complete the training, Mobigirlz will help them to continue to develop their project further, by providing mentorship (both on the technical and the business ends) from either local or worldwide experts, through the Mobile network.

Requirement
You should be a female with basic computer skills, must also be a problem solver, have an idea and be ready to build it into a viable product using technology.

Venue, day and Time.
Kibera Boot Camp:  February 17 2015
Location : Cisco ICT Center, Kibera
Time: 9.00 am – 4.00pm
Cost: Fully sponsored

Would you like to support our work and be part of the Mobigirlz Mentorship Program? Kindly leave your details here or get in touch with us through the below contacts.


For more details please contact: Nancy Wanjira, nancy@emobilis.org/info@emobilis.org,
+254716 608 066/+254725 843 080.

Avaya brings mobile engagement environments to Kenya

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Avaya brings mobile engagement environments to Kenya

Avaya Inc, a provider of cross-channel and devices communications solutions, has introduced a video-enabled, ATM self-service kiosk in the Kenyan market.

The solution will allow customers transact with a bank’s call center, by video, virtual collaboration, email, social media, chat, SMS or phone, and to even switch between devices while talking to the same bank agent. Avaya’s self-service kiosks promises to ease the burden of queues by giving customers direct automated access to banking products and services such as, credit and debit cards, banking statements, and loan applications, amongst others.

“When individuals talk, share, and see each other individually or in group, no matter how far or close they are in physical terms, they build strong and loyal relationships. Our mobile engagement environments would not only  help accelerate the country’s modernization of services, but also enable teams to build strong and loyal relationships between teams within an organization and ultimately, drive incremental business returns and customer satisfaction,” explains Hatem Hariri, Managing Director for Avaya NWECA.

Hariri says that the self-service kiosks are one scenario of how mobile engagement environments can be created and tailored to solve specific business challenges. These environments are designed to enable Kenyans to work, learn, and transact from anywhere in the country, using any mobile, computing or wearable device.

Avaya demonstrated a number of mobile engagement environments tailored to solve some of the most pressing business challenges in the country, and extending the access of Kenyans to government, healthcare, education and banking and telecommunication services, amongst others.

Mobile engagement environments are set to  accelerate the build-up of a connected Kenya, where businesses, governments and citizens engage in a seamless, mobile and video-enabled, multi-channel world, where services are available anytime, anywhere and on any device.


Read more

3 Ways To Drive Business With Mobile Apps

Mobile applications are already becoming a primary component of user engagement. As the use of mobile devices expands into all areas of business, mobile apps are only becoming even more significant. But when it all boils down to the most basic element, companies are concerned with making money, and mobile apps are a great way to drive more business by incorporating a few strategic initiatives.

1. Deliver content or services in real time- Make selling easier.
2. Sales people live on their phones, so taking the friction out of the sales process with an easy to use, intelligent mobile experience, makes their lives easier and frees up their time to sell more.Personalize the experience.
3. Use things like purchase history, location, and social media interests to improve the customer experience.  Create an experience where customers get relevant offers, products and personalization.  Read more.

Kenya: Microfinance institution to expand beyond tea sector

Greenland Fedha Limited (GFL), a microfinance institution for small-scale tea farmers in Kenya, has implemented a new software solution to improve its efficiency and remain competitive in the market. According to the institution, it had chosen the Microsoft Dynamics NAV platform.

With the system in place, GFL revealed that the system had not only automated its processes, but also enabled it to develop a mobile payment solution.

GFL is wholly owned by the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) Holdings and provides financial services to the tea sub sector in the country. According to GFL, the institution is unique in that it offers its loan recipients the option to apply for and repay their loans using green leaf as collateral, with specific formulas in place to work out the interest and repayment rate. The manual system it had in place, prior to the installation of the new system, was cumbersome to log loans, work out interest rates, manage inventory and run the business effectively. This made it challenging to compete with commercial banks and other microfinance lenders.


Read more

Kenyan Hackers Disable Facebook

"Lizard Squad" has claimed responsibility for an outage that affected several social media websites, including Facebook, Instagram and Tinder.

The Star, 27 January 2015 announced this and thus the Facebook representatives have attributed their site's operational suspension to a change in configuration systems.

 

Read more

Kenya Ranked High in Technology Survey

Kenya stands ahead of South Africa, Nigeria and Ghana in adoption of technology, an online lifestyle survey dubbed 'Maisha' conducted by Consumer Insight shows.

According to the survey, Kenya scores highly in mobile phone, computer and social network use, broadcast media coverage and is way ahead in money transfer via mobile phone.

Respondents were asked the various devices they have used in the past three months and under mobile phone all the countries scored highly with Kenya at 98 per cent, South Africa at 97%, Nigeria at 94% and Ghana at 97%.

The latest data from the Communications Authority of Kenya shows that mobile subscribers now stand at 31.3 million.

• Under computer use, Kenya stands at 93%, South Africa at 92% while Nigeria and Ghana each scored 93%.
• In social networking, Kenya is the only country that was above 90 per cent with a score of 93 per cent- Kenyans on twitter better known as #KOT is one of the most influential worldwide.
• South Africa and Nigeria are however ahead of Kenya in the use of ATM machines at at 89 per cent and 86 per cent respectively with Kenya coming in third at 72%
• Under Broadcast media Kenya leads at 82 % followed by South Africa at 79%, Ghana at 74%and Nigeria at 70%
• Kenya enjoys an unassailable lead in money transfer via mobile prone at 87%

Read more

Hike Messenger App on Android.

Less than a month after it acquired free voice-calling application Zip Phone, the Kavin Bharti said it had launched free calling on its app over 2G, 3G and Wi-fi across 200 countries. The service is currently available on Android operating system, which accounts for nearly 90 per cent of Hike’s user base.

The company plans to launch free calling for iPhone and Windows phones by March. “Hike calls are optimized to consume very little data, giving its users more calling minutes per MB of data.

At the time of announcement of the acquisition of the US-based company, Hike's Founder and Chief Executive Officer Kavin Bharti Mittal had said that the company would be able to add free voice-calling, which has been one of the most requested features, more quickly.

The acquisition by Hike, which is run by  Bharti Enterprises Group Chief Executive Sunil Mittal’s son, was seen as a significant one because it came within weeks after Sunil Mittal-controlled Bharti Airtel, India's largest telecom service provider, announced its plan to charge different data rates for voice over internet protocol (VoIP) services used by applications like Skype.

This was seen as violating the concept of net-neutrality and the company stalled the plan amid reports the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) might issue a consultation paper on over-the-top (OTT) companies.

OTT companies are those that deliver audio, video and other media over the internet without involving a multiple-system operator in control or distribution of content. Through the launch of the calling facility, Kavin Mittal has expanded his portfolio in the OTT space, even as the company led by his father, despite having its own VoIP service in AirtelTalk and other OTT services like music app Wynk, is batting for differential pricing for such applications.

Launched in December 2012, Hike had over 35 million users in August, 2014. The startup is backed by Tiger Global and Bharti SoftBank, having raised $86 million as of now. Over 90 per cent of Hike's users are under the age of 25 and residing in India.

For the facilitation, Hike has been made cheaper on MB utility and made available globally.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bsb.hike&hl=en