Introducing Google+ (Plus) Communities !

On 6 December 2012 Google Senior Vice President Vic Gundotra  announced via Google Blog the introduction of a new exciting product into the Market :Google+ Communities .This "may" perhaps be one of the most significant products that may just elevate the search giant in the social media arena to rival and perhaps ultimately defeat Facebook.


At present pundits and techies alike are musing on whether Google + Communities may just be the death bed of Message Boards and many valid arguments are raised in support and against the statement.For now it may just be too early to tell the effect that Google Plus Communities may have in the World of Social Media but on the preliminary it is safe to say the impact will be "significant" enough for the dominant player Facebook Inc to be exponentially concerned.



So What is Google +  Communities? Many of us are acquainted with Facebook Pages...Well Google Plus Communities is much more.The above YouTube Video i believe illustrates what it is and what you can use it for.You can learn more however at this official page. Coupled with Google Hangout -Google communities is a serious contender for the attention of those disposed to socially interact online for business,pleasure, education, entertainment...etc.Google Plus Communities is the gathering place..the rallying call for the diverse interests.




Take for example are you a passionate Kenyan Blogger...there is already a community for you to share your thoughts, inspiration ,challenges, network... etc.This is significant due to the fact that Google + Communities is hardly 6 days old and you get such ventures already going on.

Go ahead give it a try...engage a community!

Gerald Kibugi and Gilbert Rono Win Global Appstar Challenge

 KENYANS EMERGES TOPS AT GLOBAL APPS DEVELOPMENT CHALLENGE

Two Kenyans have scooped top honors in the recently concluded Appstar Challenge held in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Gerald Kibugi who presented a game “Tough Jungle”, took the first position in the Appstar Challenge sponsored by global telecommunications giant, Vodafone, while Gilbert Rono took the second slot with an educational application dubbed “Eureka”. 

Kibugi and Rono, won USD 25,000 and USD 15,000 respectively, following a thorough assessment by a global panel of top judges for the challenge which is aimed at spurring growth in the development of local apps in Africa and Asia.

Kibugi and Rono’s apps beat a field of 284 entrants to win Kshs. 1 million and Kshs. 0.5 million respectively in the Kenyan finals organized by leading integrated communications provider, Safaricom Limited last in November.

Accepting their awards, Kibugi and Rono said their respective wins demonstrate that Kenya has indeed come of age in Apps development by showcasing the country’s potential in a field that featured participants South Africa, Egypt, Qatar, Lesotho and Tanzania,

“There are many young Kenyans like us who have devoted their time and other resources to try and address local problems using local solutions that ride on the robust mobile ICT network. This win illustrates that their work is not in vain”, said an ecstatic Kibugi.

Rono added, “We are now confident that we will now move on the next level in this journey, which is to create a vibrant local apps economy in Kenya, by availing these Apps on a platform where it can be acquired in a cost-effective way”.

Congratulating the winners, Safaricom’s Chief Executive Officer Bob Collymore promised to continue working with independent Apps developers, established software labs like the iHub and Universities, with a view to helping position Kenya as the Silicon Savannah.

“With the increased growth in mobile use, innovative mobile apps are becoming an important part of our day to day life. We recognize that huge app development talent exists in the emerging markets and in fact, only such developers can provide applications suitable for the local markets. This competition is an effort to bring out the developers in emerging markets to the limelight,” said he ,Kibugi and Rono are expected back in the country on Friday, December 14, 2012.

International Human Rights Day 2012 ; "My Voice Counts"

On Monday 10th December, 2012 Human Rights enthusiasts worldwide will be observing the annual International Human Rights Day held each year on December 10 since 10 December 1948 when the United Nations(UN) General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which sets out the international standard for promotion and protection of enjoyment of human rights.This years theme is: "My Voice Counts".

This theme focuses on an individuals right to inclusion and participation in public life, emphasizing the right of every individual to voice their opinion and take part in public discourse and decision-making processes.

This right has especially been amplified with the rise and emergence of the internet as a platform for communication and expression across the global divide.

According to a press release of the Internet Society Organization "This year's theme offers a great opportunity to reflect on the open and global Internet as a tool which has the potential to shape a society in a way that is more tuned to the needs and aspirations of its constituents"As part of their engagement on Human Rights Day, they are inviting you to make your voice heard and join them on several of the following initiatives:

•   Join the Thunderclap campaign to send out a single message to the world on Twitter and Facebook on Monday 10 December by using the hash tag Make your #VoiceCount on Twitter
   
•  Visit the website:     www.internetsociety.org/humanrightsday
• On 10 December at 2:30pm UTC, the Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights (OHCHR) will host a Google+ Hangout for #VoiceCount Human Rights Day. Together with other participants, High Commissioner Navi Pillay will discuss issues related to inclusion and the right to participate in public  life. We invite you to participate and raise Internet related issues during the discussion. You can also send questions to the OHCHR in advance to #AskRights. 

The Right and freedom to express oneself is an invaluable right, indicate your appreciation for this Right by making "Your Voice Count" .Participate in whichever way possible for you in this years "International Human Rights Day"

TECNO launches a 3G smartphone as It Eyes the Youth Market

29^th November 2012, Nairobi, Kenya– TECNO  announced the introduction of the N3, its latest range of Dual SIM 3G Android Smartphone in Kenya in partnership with Qualcomm. The new phone model known as N3 and it will be soon on sale in outlets countrywide. The phone model is linked to a new communications campaign dubbed “Be Yourself” that is aimed at connecting with the youth market. 

Speaking during the press conference, Vice President of TECNO, Arif. Chowdhury said “The youth in Africa are vibrant and constantly want to stand apart with their own identities. As a mobile phone company, we understand the need to constantly engage them and TECNO as a brand is committed to connecting with the African youth’s motivations and passions.”

Mr. Chowdhury added, “The TECNO N3 is designed specifically for the young African consumer and offers a great mobile phone experience, with access key features that young people look for such as social networking, access to thousands of apps and entertainment at a good price point. We are using the Be Yourself campaign to introduce this phone model because we feel it’s the best platform for us to connect with the youth.”

TECNO has partnered with Qualcomm, a world leader in 3G and next generation mobile technologies to provide N3 with a powerful chipset of Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM7225A, which packs everything you need for a best-in-class experience on N3, which will give consumers the best 3G smartphone experience expectantly.

The trendy 3G Smartphone runs on the high performing Android 2.3 operating system, supports both 2G and 3G networks and is powered by 1GHz processor to allow consumers to enjoy a higher Internet speed and a faster running speed. And it’s dual SIM phone.

In addition, TECNO N3 comes with a variety of apps that allow the consumer to connect to their social networks with ease and especially Flash Share. Flash Share is unique transfer software that allows one to share files in any format and size in group at an amazingly fast speed. The most interesting point is that you can just slide a picture and transfer it to another phone in a second. TECNO also says that another unique app PalmChat, a free chat app that can connect with friends across all platforms, will be preloaded on N3 soon. And what is specially worth taking a moment to flag is that you can look for new friends via PalmChat only by shaking the phone.

 “We are always endeavoring to provide customers with appealing mobile communication products with superior quality and agreeable services. By partnering with these key corporates, we believe that we will meet our consumers’ needs and provide them with a one-of-a-kind experience with the N3” said Mr. Chowdhury.

Through this campaign, TECNO hopes to further solidify its foothold in the African market and propel itself even further as a company committed to providing its consumers with high quality mobile phones for the best possible mobile phone experience at a good price point.