Emerging Mobile Technology Opportunities

I was pleasantly surprised this morning to come across an email from an event organizer for Microsoft inviting me to attend a conference that was to be held at the Stanley Hotel Yesterday unfortunately i read it a day late!next is an invitation by Ecomm (Emerging Communications Conference)to consider attending their second Emerging Communications conference (eComm), which will be held on March 3-5, 2009 at the Computer History Museum, Mountain View USA.

The invitation follows a number of articles that i have written nine about the ICT industry in Kenya and Africa generally and have been featured in various websites.It is insightful to note that the mobile ICT industry is the sector to watch in this communication and technology era. Consider the following facts why all investors should gear their thoughts towards this area:

• There is an estimated 3.5 billion mobile phones worldwide as compared to 1.5 billion Television sets,1.2 billion Personal Computers....talk about market reach.With Apple I-phone and Google Android open software platforms ,the mobile industry is about to be rilled in a way not seen before.The barriers to innovation are slowly being lifted and this has manifested itself in various mashups.With goophone soon to be launched,this is a space to watch!
  
• Mobile phones and other gadgets of such nature are relatively cheap,accessible, easy to handle,ship and transport in bulk,relatively easy to operate.They are highly interactive(interoperability) without need for cabling and other things of the sort!
• Emerging new technologies to wit: VoIP3G, WiMAX, LTE, WiFi mesh, 4G, UWB, SDR and wireless grid technologies represent massive opportunities for the multi - trillion dollar telecommunications industry.

While most certainly im unable to enumerate in details all the benefits and opportunities that emerging technologies portend for the mobile telecommunication industry in this short post most certainly i believe the mobile phone sector is Africa's next flagship to neo-development !The Governments need to enhance the infrastructure to tap this new developments,provide investor incentives and at the same time encourage more of their Citizenry to become and or remain relevant and technological savvy if indeed Africa is to benefit.

The Ecomm Conference 2009 ofers the attendees an opportunity to continue re-thinking and re startegizing on how to enhance and tap into the opportunities that emerging global communications industry continues to offer.

Last years sponsors featured tech giants including but not limited to the following:



The list actually features who is who in the industry and all the major tech companies: i.e Gogle, Yahoo,vodafone,Motorolla,Netflix etc were adequately represented! I just wish the local guys could make a habit of convening together to startegize, re- think, share ideas, encourage start ups and showcase their innovation with the general public !...Kenya Data Networks, Ushahidi, Safaricom,Zain Kenya Gogle Kenya, Econet Wireless,Telkom Kenya,Yahoo, Microsoft East Africa,Africa Online, Wananchi online etc....hope you guys get the drift. The silence among local players is almost deafening!




Off the cuff i take this opportunity to congratulate Pamoja Media for launching an African Online Ad Network that will serve as the link between advertisers and webmaster/publishers in Africa and ensuring that more local(African) content adverts are displayed on African Websites whle providing Advertisers an easy interface platform to the publishers. But Joshua lets be real on the qualifying factor for African website affiliates for your site,just thinking how many African websites out there get more than 100,000 website visits a month from locals?I hardly think so. Many boast about such number of unique new visits but the truth isnt really so! At the same time most African websites tend to have more visits from foreign Countries (mine is evidence of this fact see the geocounter)away from the conteninent! Hence visits may not just be the basis but local popularity,site quality and geographic content should be a key indicator!You just will have to manually review the sites or come up with an ingenous algorithm for that task.
Kudos for local startups!

Coke(Coca Cola)Rebranding 2008

Undoubtedly when it comes to soft drinks and effective re -branding strategies no one beats the worlds largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with more than 450 sparkling and still brands. Along with Coca-Cola®, recognized as the world's most valuable brand, the Company's portfolio includes 12 other billion dollar brands, including Diet Coke®, Fanta®, Sprite®, Coca-Cola Zero®,Dasani, vitaminwater, Powerade®,and Minute Maid® .

Coke & The Olympics 2008:

During the Olympic Coca took the opportunity to stamp their authority as market leader and brand to reckon with by unveiling new advertisements under 'The Coke Side of Life' campaign through themed adverts inviting people to 'connect with the world over a Coke'.The impressive Coke adverts featured Olympians Yao Ming and LeBron James engaging in a friendly, animated "face-off" -- backed by two troupes of choreographed icons representing their respective cultures.The spot celebrates the athletes' competitive spirit and cultural diversity, while showcasing

Coca-Cola as a unifying force and universal icon that belongs to everyone. As the ad concludes, both players display bottles of Coca-Cola -- Yao's featuring the Coca-Cola logo in Mandarin and James' bottle with English script. As the players exchange their "national bottles" of Coca-Cola, their animated images transform into the real Yao and James, who toast each other and 'Unity on the Coke Side of Life.' But those adverts were just a tip of the ice berg!

Coke is now engaging in a brand advertising strategy to market their drink as Sexy and alongside this comes new design aluminum bottles ,fresh cool looking coolers and other visually appealing bottle designs!

For one though i must say of all their branding strategies..living on the Coke side of life really didn't impress me as much as it should and i bet many of you would agree with me but i hope its new re branding strategies will meet up to consumer expectation's for this global brand and now...here are the design bottles(as above for more mashups please visit this site) and the sexy appeal ....

Big Brother Africa 3:Housemates Uncovered !

This Sunday August the 24th 2008 Africa will meet the successful 12 participants or house mates of Big Brother 3.The show will be aired live on MNET Africa,DSTV Channel 198 and Africa Magic !Unfortunately their identities cannot be revealed at the moment but its less than 48 hours before Africa is finally introduced not only to the participants but also to the new remodeled Big Brother 3 Pent House!The participants are drawn from the following Countries:Angola, Botswana, Ghana, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe

In Big Brother 2 ,Kenya's representative to the House called Jeff Anthony Omondi did not live up to audience expectation(the guy was evicted second) and was for the most time aloof! So who has made it this time? Unfortunately the participants and their families are under a strict code not to divulge information before the opening show lest they become prematurely disqualified but you can trust this site to keep you adequately informed on the positive and interesting aspects of the Big Brother III show!Up for grabs for the last contestant to leave the house on sunday 23rd November, 2008 after weekly evictions is US dollars 100,000/=.Fans stay tuned!


AND THE HOUSEMATES ARE:

1.Hazel Warren from Malawi 2.Latoya Lyakurwa From Tanzania 3.Lucille Naobes From Namibia




4.Wilhelmina Abu -Andani(Mimi) from Ghana 5.Morris Mugisha from Uganda 6.Munyaradzi Chidzonga from Zimbabwe



7.Ricco Venancio from Angola 8.Sheila Kwamboka from Kenya(we broke off from the male monotony this time) 9.Takondwa Nkonje from Zambia



10.Tawana Lebani from Botswana 11.Thamsanq(Thami) Prusent from South Africa 12.Uti Nwachukwa from Nigeria




Truth be told there is alot of Physical Beauty in the House!!!!

If you liked this post Please vote for this blog at Deutsche Welle 2008 International BOb's Awards(voting ends September 30 2008)

China Olympic Medals Standing !!!

Are you wondering why China seems to be winning all the medals in indoor sports and Gymnastics at the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics? wonder no more!So far they are leading in the medals table with 45 Gold Medals,14 silver medals and 20 bronze medals totaling to 79 medals .China is closely followed by America which has 26 Gold Medals,26 Silver and 27 bronze medals.Kenya is at rank 19 with 2 Gold Medals ,4 Silvers and 2 Bronze medals(thanks to Brimin Kipruto and Pamela Jelimo who won the 800m final,Eunice Jepkorir,Janeth Jepkorir Busienei Asbel Kipruto Kiprop and Catherine Ndereba managed to win silver medals in the athletic team, we appreciate their galant efforts)!I bet its time we changed our training tactics but for the better though not child exploitation!


From the photos it is apparent why China wins those contests(no pun intended) I pity the young ones(Chinese Children)....must be so painful...OUCH!!!!!Talk of going for gold

Big Brother Africa III(3)

The third edition of Big Brother Africa show is set to begin on local tv screens starting from 24th August,2008 and ending on Sunday 23rd November(thats 91 days watch for reality tv enthusiasts)!The show will be screened 24/7 on DSTV Channel 198.Im certain that the eyes of many Kenyans(among many African colleagues) will be glued to their television screens ready to feast on the reality tv show which frequently features among other things obscene scenes(unfortunately the show has been the cause of many break ups and divorce cases due to the flirtatious nature of most contestants)!but i guess again thats what keeps the crowds glued to the screen in this day and age- talk of the debauched interests of a so called "modern society!"

The Countries:
The shows producers Endemol South Africa have already narrowed down the house mates(the application process closed on 30 April, 2008) to be unveiled at the grand opening show.The reality tv show will be screened across twelve countries i.e Angola, Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi,Namibia,Nigeria,South Africa(the big brotha house is located in Randburg)Tanzania,Zambia,Uganda,Zimbabwe.Most Kenyans probably remember Big Brother One which featured the Tusker Project Fames Host Gaetano Kagwa, but the new Big Brother Season III will be hosted by the scintillating Channnel O VJ presenter Kabelo Ngakane!


The Prize:

Interestingly the American Big Brother Show is in its 10th Season, while Africa is in its third season but again Africa has seen atleast five editions of the big brother series ...i.e Big Brother Africa I & II, Big Brother SA I & II and the latest entrant Big Brother Nigeria. Big Brother Africa III grand prize of US $ 100,000 was won by Tanzanian Richard Bezuidenhoutven.So who will win Big Brother III ?but i bet the question first is who has made it to the house?and will it be any interesting or a flop like Big Brother Africa II.....


If you liked this post Please vote for this blog at Deutsche Welle 2008 International BOb's Awards(voting ends September 30 2008)

E-Waste Management In Kenya

The influx of cheap imported refurbished or otherwise second hand computers,cell phones,
printers,solar panels etc is slowly but surely contributing to what can be termed "a silent epidemic"that will have tremendous adverse effect on the well being of many Kenyans and environmental degradation

Electronic Waste Management has become a subject of importance due to the increase in the number of obsolete electronic devices; these obsolete devices need to be disposed and therefore form the bulk of electronic waste. Due to technological advancement, new and better electronic devices are being produced to replace the old technology,products are rapidly outfaced(have you changed your phone ,laptop, computer of Late? then you know what i mean) this results to an increased amount of electronic waste being produced; this electronic waste needs to be properly disposed to reduce environmental and health impacts on the society.

Electronic waste management systems have not fully evolved in developing countries which makes electronic waste management a problem in these countries. In Kenya, there is still much to be done to improve electronic waste management. Policy makers, stakeholders and agencies concerned with environmental protection should co-operate and come up with effective electronic waste management systems. Kenya receives used electronic equipment like computers from foreign countries some of which are outdated and irreparable; these are ‘donated’ to schools or other public institutions, these soon become useless because we are in the wake of new technological advancement.

There should be measures that the government puts in place to ensure that only computers and other electronic equipment that are up-to-date and in good condition are imported.

We should also learn that anything that is cheap has a greater price in the end; when these computers become redundant we will use a lot of money in safely disposing it or pay a much higher price of ruining our health and environment due to improper electronic waste disposal.

Are we aware that electronic waste is a problem if not properly disposed? Ironically when your mobile phone goes dead the current trend is to give it to your child as a toy and he ends up putting it to the mouth oblivious of the poisonous and cancerous elements such as lead in the phone.Five years down the line we wonder why cancer has become so prevalent or where or why our child got cancer.Electronic waste needs proper disposal mechanisms and should be handled by trained personnel due to its hazardous nature.I was pleasantly surprised in a news item on NTV recently that showed a local startup company that is recycling electronic waste efficiently and disposing off recyclable material .That is good but just a drop in the ocean.In the developed Countries licensing of such organizations is strict and there are strict policy frameworks and guidelines to be followed for disposing of hazardous waste.In some instances it is much more expensive to dispose of electronic waste people opt to dispose of the same clandestinely.

The question posed in the previous paragraph needs to be answered before any substantial measures can be formulated to ensure proper e-waste management. Only when we are aware of the problems that can arise when we improperly dispose of our computers and other electronic equipment, then we can effectively implement any program to manage electronic waste. Review of programs that have been successfully implemented in other countries can be helpful in coming up with a suitable program for electronic waste management in Kenya. In Kenya institutions like hospitals produce the bulk of electronic waste which is mostly contagious and extra care needs to be taken when disposing them. The government and higher institutions should promote research which will improve electronic waste management in Kenya.

The unsightly Dandora dump site in Nairobi is a testimony that so far Kenya has not yet been able to implement a proper e-waste management system. The local authority through the Nairobi City Council should monitor what kind of waste is dumped in the dump site. National Environment Management Authority which should ensure various institutions carries out waste management in line with the stipulated EMCA Act(the act is shallow and has no section dedicated to e-waste manaement unlike similar satutory instruments in oother developed countries-So far i think only South Africa in this continent has put up a proper e-waste management statutory framework,the rest of us are in honeymoon waiting for this issue to explode in our face). This Authority is somewhat toothless it should be removed from the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources and be a completely autonomous body with relevant satutory power.The only problem is corruption in Kenya.

(courtesy of Pamela Mbalo)

Extreme Blog Makeover at Izeafest

Does your blog need an extreme makeover!are you still on the traditional pyra labs-blogger themes of the late 1990's or some old wordpress template and feel its time to shape up your blog with the latest designer templates yet you have no iota bit of knowledge of html, xml ,css and other programing languages out there !Need no worry our friends at IZEA Fest have decided to hold an extreme makeover contest!The 3 Winners will their blogs re- designed by re knowned blog experts Matt Blancarte, Scott Allen and Christopher Schmitt, ONLY CATCH ,you must be attending and be registered for the IZEAFEST conference in Orlando ,Florida from 11 to 13 th September, 2008


Personally im playing around with some tempaltes so as to upgrade this blog, one thing i have come to notice that some of the new blogger templates out there are actually SEO optimized and help improve one's Google ranking.I recently came acrross a scroll over blogspot website with a lot of javascript(payperpost, Social sparks and other sponsored programes) but only to be shocked that it had a pagerank of 6 and had only been in existence for five months.Apart from that my content beats it thumbs down, thats why i loathe google's algorithm, it doesnt lay down a level playing field.After i pulled down payperpost and other javascript adverts from my blog, this website has now a pagerank of zero !despite the readership and authoritative backlinks! So i am forced to soon discard this misty look template for a more optimized blog template that i will have generated, perhaps sometime i can award my faithful readers free optimized blogger templates!Its just so interesting the things i have learned through blogging!