This Week in Tech: Telkom Kenya acquires new identity and more weekly tech trends

As we always say, the tech world never stops spinning: there is always something cooking. Mostly something good.

Below are top ten trending topics this week:

1. Telkom Kenya has dropped its Orange brand identity

Telkom Kenya has acquired a new brand identity as part of its plan to increase competitiveness in the market. Part of this rebranding involved shedding its orange identity.

The new Telkom Kenya comes with, among other things, a logo, tagline, colors, and 4G connectivity.

The company is set to launch its mobile money platform at an unspecified date. But soon.

2. Communication Authority (CA) gets a promotion

The High Court has reversed Communications Authority of Kenya’s mandate to oversee competition in the ICT sector.

The ruling gives the regulatory body the mandate to license and regulate ICT services in the country.

The CA had been stripped its power in 2015 when President Uhuru signed the Miscellaneous Amendment Bill which required the regulatory body to consult with the Competition Authority of Kenya and ICT CS before making any decisions touching on dominance.

3. An online payments and booking system for SGR trains

Kenya Railways has announced that an online payments and bookings system for the Standard Gauge Railway trains will be launched on 12^th June 2017.

This announcement comes after passengers complained about the cash-only payment option. They did not even accept M-Pesa.

The good news is that you can now book via M-Pesa using the paybill number 809888.

4. Interior and Coordination Ministry gets digital forward with Telegram

Kenya’s interior and coordination ministry has opened a Telegram channel to send out security alerts.

The channel dubbed @interiornewsalert already brags over 270members.

5. IDC to host CIO Summit in Nairobi

The annual East Africa CIO Summit 2017 will be hosted in Nairobi by the International Data Corporation (IDC).

The Summit will be held at the Radisson Blue Hotel on Wednesday, June the 14^th. The theme will be “Enabling Dynamic Change for the Digital Era.”

The event will be attended by top leaders in the ICT industry.

6. Jumia Food partners with Sodexo Group

Jumia Food Kenya has signed a partnership with Sodexo Group for mobile payments dubbed M-Kula.

This payment option allows employees to access Jumia Food delivery services from the comfort of their offices.

7. Aljazeera targeted by Hackers

Aljazeera has admitted that its website and the media network are undergoing systematic and continual hacking attempts. The hackers are also alleged to have targeted the site’s Twitter and Facebook accounts.

The Qatari-based news organization has, however, said that the platform has not been compromised. A senior employee at Aljazeera said that the news organization is “combatting” the hacking attempts.

8. Galaxy J3, J5, and J7 now official

Samsung Mobile has finally made official the 2017 J series.

The new handsets come with awesome features such as impressive design, better performance, awesome camera features, and other upgrades.

The J series’ will retail at $380 for the J7 (2017), $315 for J5 (2017), and $250 for the J3 (2017).

9. Whatsapp for iOS supports new awesome features

The Whatsapp iOS app has received an update that introduces three new features: photo filters, albums, and reply shortcuts.

There are five filters for videos, photos, and GIFs at the moment but chances are that Whatsapp will add more in the future.

The Album feature will ensure that when you share several photos, they will be automatically grouped into an album.

The reply shortcut feature means that you can swipe right on any message in order to hit reply to that specific message.

10. Android O preview update 3

Google has finally released the third preview of Android O.

This gives users a chance to get an idea of what Google is preparing before the release of the official version later this year.

That’s all for now. Have yourself an enlightened weekend.

IEBC Jobs 2017, Online Application IEBC Jobs-iebc job application form for polling clerks

Trending

If you have been anxiously waiting for the announcement of IEBC jobs 2017, you are right on time:

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) is seeking to hire close to 360,000 Kenyans Interested and qualified for temporary Jobs ahead of its August 8th General Election.

Listed IEBC jobs 2017 include the following positions: 91,032 presiding and deputy presiding officers and 262,665 polling clerks to man Kenya’s 45,516 polling stations.

Applications are invited for temporary positions for polling officials as follows:

Presiding and Deputy Presiding Officers – 91,032 Posts
Polling Clerks/ Counting Clerk Jobs – 262,665 Posts
Logistics Officer Jobs – 337 Posts
Deputy Returning OfficerJobs – 290 Posts
Support Electoral Trainers (SETs) Jobs – 5,054 Posts
Constituency ICT Clerk Jobs (580 Posts
Ward-Based Voter Educator Jobs 2,900 Posts

1) Presiding and Deputy Presiding Officers – 91,032 Posts

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Conduct training on the polling, counting and tallying process for the clerks.

Collect and ensure the security of all election materials for the General election.

Oversee efficient and effective management of the election before, during and after of election.

Ensure the good conduct of elections in the polling station or tallying center as assigned.

Counting, tallying and announcement of provisional results in the polling station and sending the same through the online transmission to the National and Constituency tallying centers.

Ensure safe custody all entrusted documents during the 2017 General Elections, document hand over of all election materials and equipment to RO after the General Election.

Job Requirements

Be a Kenyan citizen of high integrity, and be non-partisan

Be holders of Degree/ Diploma certificate from a recognized institution

Be computer literate,

Have effective communication

Good report writing skills

Ability to manage people, sensitive data, and materials.

Have skills in data computation

Must be available for the entire period of the General Election

Must be residents in the constituency and Ward in which they apply for.

Polling clerks/counting clerks – 262,665 posits

Presiding and Deputy Presiding Officers will be engaged for at least thirteen (13) days.

Presiding Officers will be paid Kshs. 2000/= per day

Deputy Presiding Officers will be paid Kshs. 1,800/= per day

Rohto Mentholatum and the Henry Wanyoike Foundation Partner to help People Living with Disabilities

Terry Gachie

Rohto Mentholatum (K) Limited and the Henry Wanyoike Foundation have entered into a partnership that will see the living standards of people living disabilities improved.

The partnership also hopes to increase access to education.

Rohto Mentholatum has been supporting the foundation since 2012. For instance, during the 11^th edition of the Foundation’s run, the giant Japanese consumer healthcare company donated Ksh. 500,000.

Rohto Mentholatun (K) Director Fumiko Akojima stated that the Foundation is in line with what is stipulated in the constitution with regard to special needs groups including persons with disabilities.

Akojima also added that the private sector should support the government in addressing the plight of the marginalized and low-income groups.

She said, “Philanthropic activities by the private sector are commendable. As much as it’s the mandate of the government to provide for its citizens, there is the need for other players to support the government especially in low-income and marginalized areas.”

Rohto Mentholatum was founded in 1899 in Japan. Today, the company operates 23 companies in over 130 countries. It has signed numerous marketing and distribution deals with several notable corporations in over 110 countries.

The company entered the Kenya market in 2013 as its way of expanding its presence in Africa. It has since earned quite an audience. The company’s mission is to develop pharmaceutical and cosmetics industry in Kenya and the larger East African region.

Since its entry into Kenya, the company has made efforts to connect to the local market. One of the strategies was appointing former Miss World Kenya Miss Charity Mwangi as an ambassador for its acne care brand. Also, the company appointed Roshanara Ebrahim as the new brand ambassador for its Rootia hair care products.

Rohto Mentholatum Kenya has also organized several sessions with the aim of connecting with the local audience and understanding their habits and preferences. One of the most recent has to be the Rohto Mentholatum skin care session that was held to discuss the role of skincare in career progression for women.

Speaking about the partnership with Rohto Mentholatum, Henry Wanyoike, the Foundation’s chairman, said that the partnership will play an important role in supporting the government to provide persons with disabilities with access to basic amenities.

The Henry Wanyoike Foundation was founded on May 27^th, 2015 and it is named after the Henry Wanyoike, the celebrated blind athlete. Wanyoike holds a record for the 5,000 and 10,000 Paralympics of Athens, Greece, and Australia Olympics, and other international marathons.

Its mission is to empower people living with disabilities, the vulnerable, and the less fortunate.

One of the ways the foundation raises money is through an annual run. The 11^th edition of the Henry Wanyoike run took place in Kikuyu on the 3^rd June 2013. This year’s edition saw over 15,000 participants take part in the 2KM for the children category, 7.5KM for the physically challenged, juniors, and seniors, and 3KM for the veteran category.

The funds go towards boosting income earning projects and improve access to quality education to people living with disabilities.

If you would like to support the Henry Wanyoike Foundation, learn how through their Facebook page.

Telkom Kenya Rebrands, Drops Orange Identity

Terry Gachie

Telkom Kenya, on Tuesday, shed its Orange brand identity as part of a larger strategy to increase its competitiveness in the market.

The rebranding is also in line with an agreement signed when Helios Investment Partners acquired 60% stakes in Telkom Kenya. The Kenyan government increased its stake from 30% to 40%.

The company’s CEO Aldo Mareuse admitted that the company “has not achieved its full potential” and that it’s time to join the key player’s club.

What’s new with Telkom?

First, Orange has bid goodbye to the Kenyan market and Telkom has been adopted as its new trading name.

The rebranding also comes with a new logo and a new tagline, “Moving with you”

Also, the orange corporate color has been dropped in favor of blue and yellow colors.

That’s not all.

Telkom comes with 4G network connectivity. The company announced that they would be launching 4G home data dubbed “Home Plan” across 9 towns in Kenya. These are Embu, Meru, Kisumu, Kakamega, Nakuru, Eldoret, Nairobi, Mombasa, and Nyeri.

The company further revealed that it had invested Ksh. 5 billion in the 4G network and necessary infrastructure upgrade.

In addition to the free Whatsapp, the Holla bundle offer will allow subscribers to make calls from as low as Ksh. 1.80 per minute to other networks, free for Telkom to Telkom calls and free SMS’ across all networks.

Free Gifts for Subscribers

Telkom Kenya wants to make sure that you become their adherent. In Kenya, one of the easiest ways to get people’s attention is to offer free gifts. The company has done just that.

Telkom Kenya has announced two offers: 4GFORFREE and FREE Whatsapp.

To opt for the 4GFORFREE offer, enter *544# and select the 4GFORFREE option. After this, you will get free 1GB of data which will be renewable at midnight. The better news is that you can use this data on other devices apart from the smartphone.

This offer is only applicable to post-pay customers.

The best part yet? The telco confirmed that it will be offering Whatsapp for free! This is probably the best gifts of all and it is very much welcome.

You can subscribe to the free Whatsapp via *544#. This gives you 50MB of data every day and it is valid for 24 hours. This will apply to customers on 3G and 4G networks.

You have until July 15^th to enjoy the free offers.

Any plans for Telkom Mobile Money?

Yes. In the near future. Very Soon.

Telkom Kenya has confirmed that it is working on an exciting mobile money platform. It, perhaps, the only major telco that does not have to mobile money platform but this is set to change soon.

Reports indicate that the new platform will target the young tech savvy generation and possibly enterprises.

With this announcement, Telkom has managed to get our undivided attention. We are curious to see how the company’s transformation programs will fare in the competitive market going forward.

This video is for those who would like to see the rebranding event.

Congratulations to Telkom Kenya and So long to Orange.

StarTimes Digital TVs Specifications and Price in Kenya

Terry Gachie

Recently, StarTimes Media launched StarTimes digital TVs in Kenya. These TVs come with in-built decoder at a decent pricing.

This launch opened a new line of business for a company that has solely focused on providing pay-TV and related services since its entry into the Kenyan market.

The TVs come in 24, 32, and 40-inches and they retail at Ksh. 18,999, Ksh. 38,999, and Ksh. 38,999 respectively on Jumia.

The company is on a mission to ensure that digital TVs change how people consume pay-TV especially those in its primary markets.

StarTimes vice president Mark Lisboa was quoted saying that the decision to open a new line of business was advised by findings of careful research and development.

One of the most important features of these digital TV sets is the inbuilt decoder. This means the ability to receive signals, both satellite and terrestrial, without having to connect to an external top box.

This is definitely a relief for customers who do not want to purchase a separate decoder or go through the trouble of paying someone to install or have to deal with multiple remote controls.

With the introduction of these Digital TVs, StarTimes has essentially debunked the belief that digital TVs have to be hooked to a set top box.

The single unit is definitely a life-changing product since it will transform the way we consume pay-tv. In any case, it is the first ever idea from pay-tv services so we might as well appreciate the effort.

The Startimes TVs and their specifications:

StarTimes 24” HD Digital LED TV

Screen Size: 24″ HD LED
Multimedia Ports (2 USB2.0 ports and 2 HDMI ports)
Enjoy 100+ Digital TV Channels
Ultra Slim and Sleek
12 Months Warranty
Plug and Watch

StarTimes 32” HD Digital LED TV

Screen Size: 32″ HD LED
Multimedia (USB and HDMI ports)
Plug and Watch
Ultra Slim and Slick
Enjoy 100+ Digital TV Channels
12 Months Warranty

StarTimes 40” HD Digital LED TV

Screen Size: 40″
Screen Category: FHD LED
Resolution: 1920*1080
Multimedia (2 USB ports and 2 HDMI ports)
12 Months Warranty
Low power usage (energy saving)

Other features of the StarTimes Digital TVs:

All the three models come with:

200 + Digital TV Channels
Terrestrial FTA + PTV
Satellite FTA + PVT
OTA upgrade and USB upgrade
Multimedia playback from USB sticks
12-month warrant

Those are not the only attributes:

The StarTimes digital TVs are designed to save power thereby allowing subscribers to enjoy a viewing experience without having to worry about power consumption.

Lisboa said that buyers will get to enjoy one-month free Basic bouquet while those who subscribe subsequently will automatically get a free one-week access to the Classic Bouquet.

In turn, Classic subscribers will get to enjoy a one-month free access to the Premium bouquet at no extra cost.

StarTimes has been in Kenya for several years now offering news, movies, series, sports, entertainment, children’s programs, fashion, and religious channels.

The channels are both local and international.

It seems that StarTimes Media is among top pay-tv operators that have capitalized on the local market by introducing a new line of products.

Apple’s powerhouse iMac Pro coming in December, It will cost you $4,999

Terry Gachie

iMac Pro, which targets professional users, should be making its way to you and it will cost to $4,999.

Apple has confirmed that the all-in-one powerhouse will arrive in December and went further to give a sneak peek.

The company has described iMac Pro as “the most powerful Mac ever”.

Apple VP of Hardware Engineering John Ternus was quoted saying that iMac Pro will be the Apple’s fastest and most powerful Mac ever created.He added that Apple has “pack extraordinary performance…” into the new Mac device.

He added that Apple has “pack extraordinary performance…” into the new Mac device.

iMac Pro Specifications

The all-in-one machine offers what has been called “workstation-class” performance owing to its new thermal architecture.It comes with awesome specifications. The company has also said that “iMac Pro is a huge step forward and there’s never been anything like it”

It comes with awesome specifications. The company has also said that “iMac Pro is a huge step forward and there’s never been anything like it”

The new Mac desktop will sport a gorgeous 27-inch Retina 5K display that Apple describes as having support for 1 billion colors. This means a great user experience and real-time impressive video and audio effects.

It boasts up to 18-core Xeon processors capable of delivering 22 teraflops of GPU performance. This is a system designed to handle the most demanding pro workflows.The iMac Pro will also come with options for 8 and 10 core Intel Xeon processors. In addition to this, Apple has included AMD’s upcoming Radeon Vega graphic processors, offering up to 16GB of on-package high-width memory.

The iMac Pro will also come with options for 8 and 10 core Intel Xeon processors.In addition to this, Apple has included AMD’s upcoming Radeon Vega graphic processors, offering up to 16GB of on-package high-width memory.

In addition to this, Apple has included AMD’s upcoming Radeon Vega graphic processors, offering up to 16GB of on-package high-width memory.

In terms of storage, iMac Pro will come with up to 4TB of SSD and up to 128GB of ECC memory.Apple also says that the hardware will boast four Thunderbolt 3 ports that can drive two 5K displays and two high-performance RAID arrays. This further beefs up the pro-level workstation. In addition, Apple has, for the first time, featured a 10GB Ethernet for up to 10-times faster networking speeds.

Apple also says that the hardware will boast four Thunderbolt 3 ports that can drive two 5K displays and two high-performance RAID arrays.This further beefs up the pro-level workstation. In addition, Apple has, for the first time, featured a 10GB Ethernet for up to 10-times faster networking speeds.

This further beefs up the pro-level workstation. In addition, Apple has, for the first time, featured a 10GB Ethernet for up to 10-times faster networking speeds.

The multinational technology company says that users of iMac Pro will be able to take advantage of advanced graphic editing, VR content creation, and real-time 3D model rendering.

The new Mac desktop also includes all-flash architecture and a new thermal design which will allow it to deliver up to 80% more cooling capacity that current iMacs.The design remains the same as that of all other iMacs.

The design remains the same as that of all other iMacs.

Also, for the first time, a Mac desktop will come with Space Gray and this will include the iMac Pro’s Magic Keyboard, Magic Keyboard, Magic Trackpad 2, and Magic Mouse.

The announcement does not come as a surprise since Apple has in the past reaffirmed that a new high-end and premium Mac Pro is in the works.

In addition to this announcement, Apple has revealed that the company is working on a new design and next generation Mac Pro that will be specially designed for users who require higher-performance system.This means that a new premium and high-end pro-level display should be making its way to users soon.

This means that a new premium and high-end pro-level display should be making its way to users soon.

iFlix, the Malaysian Video Streaming Service, to launch in Kenya

Terry Gachie

iFlix is set to roll out its services in Africa this year and Kenya is set to be among the targeted African countries.

The Malaysian video subscription video-on-demand service will pitch its tent in other African countries including Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, and Ghana.

The company began operations in 2015 in Malaysia and has since rolled out its services to Southeast Asia and the Middle East.

The decision to enter the African market was, in part, advised by the fact that African is transitioning into the mainstream of the global economy.

This, in turn, presents an opportunity for introducing consumers to new ways of consuming content. The objective is to meet the needs of the ever increasing number of connected viewers thanks to the increasing smartphone penetration.

The company is on a mission to net the growing African smartphone user base and large youth population.

It joins a growing list of giant companies in the global streaming service that is available to African consumers.

The same case applies to Kenya.

iFlix will not be the only player in the subscription-based video on demand streaming service block.

It will have to compete with Amazon’s Prime Video which entered the Kenyan market late last year and South Africa’s ShowMax.

Earlier this year, Netflix also rolled out its operations in Kenya.

The good news is that iFlix offers world class services and it is home to thousands of popular series, comedies, and dramas.

However, the company can increase its chances at success by fine-tuning its mobile so that it meets the unique needs of users in Kenya.

A good example is with what Netflix did. The company had to start allowing users to save videos for offline viewing and even went a step further to allow them to save on microSD cards.

Recently, ShowMax had to make changes to its Android Application to address user concerns.

The company is serious about appealing to local users since it has fine-tuned its application with the aim of optimizing data consumption.

Also, users can now pay via mobile money.

New entrants in the market will, therefore, be forced to consider customizing some of the app features to meet the unique needs of users living in emerging markets, Kenya included.

Apart from Hollywood, Nollywood, and Bollywood movies, the company plans to include other African shows and movies and exclusive African series.

This is definitely a step in the right direction.

iFlix Head of Africa Andre de Wet was quoted saying that the company is focused on providing a wide selection of premium content at an affordable price.

He added that they are prepared to take advantage of opportunities that lie ahead as well as face challenges in the diverse and exciting African environment.

There is a chance that iFlix Kenya will give consumers a free 30-day trial just to give them a taste of the iFlix experience.

In most cases, free trials give potential customers unlimited access to thousands of TV shows, movies, and series on at least three devices.

Related Content: Netflix Kenya: Packages, Content, Website

Telcom Kenya Moving Launch – Watch Live

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Google to allow sites to charge users with Ad-blockers

Terry Gachie

Google seems to have upped its game of cracking Ad-blocker users by designing a tool that will help publishers charge site visitors who use Ad-blockers.

The new tool is called “Funding Choices” and it gives publishers a tool to embed into their website.

The feature is specially designed to help publishers avoid decreased Ad revenue.

Once the feature is enabled, funding choices will allow publishers to set a price per page view for accessing site content using Ad-blockers.

This way, users with Ad-blockers will either have the choice to pay to have the Ads removed or disable the Ad-blocker in order to access site content.

Should a user choose neither of these options, they cannot view site content.

Google will monitor the number of pages that people view and charge them through their updated version of Google Contributor service.

Google is picky, and this only means that this new feature is not for every Tom, Dick, and Harry: Funding Choices will only be available to sites that adhere to set practices such as generating good advertising experiences for site visitors.

Annoying and Intrusive Ads

Some advertisements, especially pop-ups, can be annoying to site visitors and this explains why some opt for Ad-blockers.

It is common to visit a site and music starts playing unexpectedly or you are forced to wait 5 seconds before you can skip to the site content.

This has prompted Google to design its own version of ad-blocker to punish websites that fail to meet standards set by the Coalition for Better Ads.

On one hand, Google understands that consumers install Ad-blockers because of bad experiences, but on the other, they see the need to ensure that credible site owners earn their money through Ads.

Funding Choices is thus a sort of reward to publishers that adopt good adverting practices making the online environment favorable for users.

The Ad Experience Report

Google has even gone a step further to provide resources that can guide site owners on how to create Ads that meet set standards.

The Ad Experience Report is specially designed to help website owners to identify experiences that go against good Ad standards.

These are Ad experiences that annoy, mislead, or are abusive.

This tool will help you identify Ad experiences that are not compliant with Better Ad Standards.

The next obvious step is fixing these issues. After this step is complete, a site review is important just to confirm that the site is now compliant with set standards.

Google Chrome browser will require publishers to adhere to the Better Ads Standards failure to which these standards will be imposed upon them (publishers).

Google will give publishers a 30-day warning before taking any action.

This is definitely a relief since conventional Ad-blockers remove the Ads immediately they are discovered.

The idea has been received well but as is always the case, there is always someone somewhere who is hard to impress.

Critics were less than impressed and questioned Google possible monopoly in Ad-blocking and the ethical issues surrounding the new feature.

Other went as far as to say that they would ditch Chrome for other browsers.

Samsung Galaxy J5 2017 Specifications and expected price

Terry Gachie

Samsung Galaxy J5 2017 has been subject to leaks and unending rumors for some time now.

It now seems that the handset might be officially announced today if recent reports on Amazon listing are anything to go by.

In a tweet, tipster Ronald Quandt revealed that the handset has been listed on Amazon France with a price tag of €279. The tweet also added that the handset might be unveiled on June 5^th.

Samsung has not yet confirmed whether it is ready to take the veil off Galaxy G5 2017. The good thing to note is that there are some upgrades from last year’s J5. Albeit minor.

Galaxy G5’s specifications (rumored)

The handset is expected to sport a 5.2-inch Super AMOLED capacitive screen with 720 x1280 pixels resolution.

In terms of design, Samsung Galaxy J5 will reportedly be encrusted in a metal body and chances that it will rock the same look as other Galaxy handsets. Good or bad? Guess that depends on who you ask.

The next important specification has to be the platform. The handset comes with Android 7.1 Nougat out of the box, Exynos 7870 Octa chipset, Octa-core 1.6GHz Cortex-A53, and Mali-T830MP2 GPU.

The memory is a bit of a disappointment since the 2GB RAM is soo 2015. A 3GB RAM would have been better for a handset in its category but I guess Samsung saw it fit to limit us that much.

The handset is also set to have an internal storage of 16GB RAM which can be expanded by up to 256GB.

The camera seems to be one of Galaxy G5’s selling points. G5 boasts a 13MP primary camera with autofocus, LED flash, and f/1.7 aperture.

The 12MP secondary camera comes with LED flash and 1080p and is very welcome.

A 3,000mAh non-removable battery capacity is not such a bad idea but a 3,500mAh battery capacity would have been a better idea.

Other features include dual-SIM support, NFC, and a fingerprint sensor.

What now?

Based on the information we have so far, Samsung Galaxy J5 2017 seems like an okay smartphone.

The specifications and features are not life-changing but at least not many corners have been cut.

For a mid-range handset, the specs are acceptable even though Samsung could have done better in terms of RAM and battery capacity.

The J-series has not really gotten as much attention as the Galaxy S or Note series but it actually has a range of okay handsets.

They haven’t been a disappointment so we can only hope that the new member will also bring good tidings.

Galaxy J3 was announced not long ago and it came with entry-level specifications but an attractive price tag.

Galaxy J5 and Galaxy J7 are expected to be its bigger siblings and this means better specs and, of course, a higher price tag.

As for now, all we can do is wait for when the South Korean company will announce the handset.

What are your thoughts on Samsung Galaxy J5 2017? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section.

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