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.