October 2009 - skunkworks - Skunkworks Site

SIP phone for samsung SGH-F480
by Athar Ahmad Bhatti 27 Oct '09

27 Oct '09

Dear Friends I wish you a lovely day. Could anyone please recommend an opensource (java based) or freeware application that can provide SIP functionality. Thanks in advance Best regards Athar

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Refurbished Comps
by Joe Murithi Njeru 27 Oct '09

27 Oct '09

Hello Nerds, Can anyone point me to where I can buy refurbished computers for a school in a rural environment? -- Regards, Joe Linux User: #361092 SIP: joe.njeru(a)ekiga.net

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PK Alias
by Ogure Obunga 27 Oct '09

27 Oct '09

Hi, My database table looks like this *TransactionID* *TransactionNo * *Register* 1 23/2009 Probate 2 23/2009 Administration 3 25/2009 Finance 4 26/2009 Strategy TransactionID is the primary key and is autogenerated. A register can only hold a unique TransactionNo though different registers can share the same TransactionNo. Is there a way that I can make TransactionNo field to be unique, and is there a way of coming up with a Primary Key Alias to represent the unique TransactionNo for each Register? Regards. Ouya Obunga

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QUESTION
by James Muendo 27 Oct '09

27 Oct '09

Hi, Scenario: I want to configure outlook/Mozilla Thunderbird to be recieving my emails.One of my email accounts is on gmail,which has about 41,000 emails. Question: Does anyone have a clue of how we can restrict the downloading of all these emails.I want maybe emails of up to last week.the rest if I need I can always refer to gmail itself.Any clues,idea or suggestions are welcome. Regards; -- James M. Muendo Timsoft Technologies & Solutions Ltd. P.O Box 28016 - 00200, Nairobi. Mobile: +254725567508 skype:tim.rick http://rickdeesadvantage.blogspot.com/

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CIC Insurance Suppliers
by Gitonga Eric 27 Oct '09

27 Oct '09

CIC Insurance is looking for suppliers of various goods/services. There are a few IT related items on the list. Check the link for details. Deadline is Friday October 30th. http://bit.ly/piJUC Eric http://egmgem.com http://gitonga.imagekind.com

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Hostgator in Kenya?
by Alex Wanjohi 27 Oct '09

27 Oct '09

Looks like Kenya softnet <http://www.kenyasoftnet.com/aboutus.htm> is owned by Hostgator.. scroll down and take a look at the management team section.. Always thought Africa was a small market for them. link-> http://www.kenyasoftnet.com/aboutus.htm -Alex

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Fwd: Mapping Party tomorrow
by jude mwenda 27 Oct '09

27 Oct '09

Think this would be of interest to the geo peeps around. ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Mikel Maron <mikel.maron(a)gmail.com> Date: 2009/10/27 Subject: Mapping Party tomorrow To: map-kibera(a)googlegroups.com Short notice, but hope many of us from the team can attend :) http://www.mapkibera.org/blog/?p=16 We’re throwing a mapping party tomorrow, October 28, on invitation from ActionAid <http://www.actionaid.org/>. Rock on! We’ll start at 10am with presentations on Map Kibera and OpenStreetMap, quickly followed by mapping around Westlands with GPS units and Walking Papers. We’ll meet back for lunch, and some editing as group, and discussion about the experience and possibilities for open data. The location is MS Kenya <http://www.ms.dk/sw1947.asp>, on Rhapta Road in Westlands<http://www.openstreetmap.org/?mlat=-1.26501&mlon=36.79087&zoom=15&layers=B0…>, “just after Liza Apartments”. The invitation is open to anyone in Nairobi interested in learning about Map Kibera and OpenStreetMap. Send your RSVP to , or call at +254 (0) 724899738. -- Regards, Jude Mwenda Skype id: jmwenda Twitter: www.twitter.com/judemwenda Web: www.africangeogeek.com "Was ist mein Leben, wenn ich nicht mehr nützlich für andere." Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

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Looking for Logistics Company
by Kevin Ouma 27 Oct '09

27 Oct '09

Hi all, Does anyone know any reputable logistics company based in the US that can handle airfreight ( preferably one managed by Kenyans) of IT equipment from the US to Kenya. I checked with DHL and Fedex and found their rates too high. Regards Kevin

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Little Bobby Tables
by saidimu apale 27 Oct '09

27 Oct '09

http://xkcd.com/327/ [image: exploits_of_a_mom.png]

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Back to : Safaricom Free Unlimited Internet [for 14 days ???] at [Ksh. 200 ???]
by ndungu stephen 27 Oct '09

27 Oct '09

I bought two scratch cards for Ksh. 200.. Then I decided to download "star trek TNG season 3" - I was told its 8.88 GB, so i figured with 3G speeds, I should be able to get the whole thing in about 8800 seconds.. [i.e putting it at an optimistic 1mbps to 500kbps] Which is about 3 hours...... to 6 hours... So, I washa the 3G card, load my 2 soc at around Saturday midnight, and I imagine that the speeds will be so good then, I will have the whole file by Sunday morning... Shock on me... I started with speeds on 0 - 12 kbps ... I waited it out for an hour without improvement... I began to wonder, do we really have the right to say we have high internet speeds in Kenya, or it a myth based on network usage ? What about capacity and dimensioning ? Because I would have thought, that if we as a network has N - number of subscribers and we need each guy to have 1 mbps, then we will get a little over 1xN mbps from the fiber holders... But this seems not the case... I woke up at 3 am, things had improved a little, it was around 150kbps, but still not good enough, because the file had only done 2.2%.. That meant I was to get the whole file in 24 hours.. So I said, ooh well, they said 14 days, so I can let the computer run as I await the file.. In the morning, I had 7.1%... I went to church, visit friends, zurura town, got back home at around 9pm ,iT HAD REACHED 7.7%.. It had only done 0.6% AFTER 12 HOURS !!!! Now that is what we call glacial progress in this age of Kenya being connected right at the heart of internet... In south africa, if they tell you that you will get 3.6 mbps - you really get 3.6 mbps, but you also get a low of around 2.4 mbps, which is very acceptable... but 0-12 kbps,,, for 3G ?????? Anyway, I decided to discontinue the "star trek TNG' download for a few minutes so that I could do other things, before resuming... and thats when the SMS came: "Your 14 day unlimited internet access has just expired, to continue enjoying the 'free' services, please load another Ksh. 200" I THOUGHT THEY SAID 14 DAYS !!! ==== So, lets do the math.. 7.7 % of 8800 MB = 680 MB [approximately] 200 divide by 680 = Ksh. 0.3 per MB Conclusion : I guess in the end if I want that "star trek TNG" it will cost me Ksh 0.3 x 8800 = Ksh. 2640.... And it will take me 13 days to get it, barely making the last 14. Have we got free unlimited internet ?? At what cost ??

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Software developers : a tiny question
by aki 27 Oct '09

27 Oct '09

Hey list, I'm looking for a software tool that can help with flow charts and/or program flow for M$ based machine. I've seen a few on the net, just looking for other recommendations or affordable versions for personal use. Best Rgds.

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Tech Development
by David Kiania | Asentric Consulting Ltd 26 Oct '09

26 Oct '09

It's been an interesting start to the day. I got to learn that Amazon.com has been making inquiries about M-Pesa with a view to using it. And HTC have released the source for the Hero Kernel available at http://developer.htc.com. I hope the trend continues, we are at an inflection point. Rgds Kiania -- [Asentric Consulting Ltd] If a man has in himself the soul of a slave will he not become one no matter what his birth .... -Richest Man in Babylon

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Zain Internet
by ibtisam jamal 26 Oct '09

26 Oct '09

Hi Guys , I would like to know of your user experience when surfing on Zain internet. How would you rate it ?? Regards,

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Free Digital Tv
by Mr. Lawi 26 Oct '09

26 Oct '09

Hi pple, Just seen a billboard advertising the above. And there is a link given: www.freeview.co.ke And the page is under construction (complete with a guy holding a jembe) Nway, looks like something to look 4ward to. Anyone with additional info? Halafu, a few days ago, PS. Ndemo said there is not a *single* digital tv in .ke right now. How true is this?

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PAYROLL CODE
by James Muendo 26 Oct '09

26 Oct '09

Hi, Am looking for a payroll system code,that has been coded using .NET.If you can sell out the code,get in touch offlist. Its urgent. -- James M. Muendo Timsoft Technologies & Solutions Ltd. P.O Box 28016 - 00200, Nairobi. Mobile: +254725567508 skype:tim.rick http://rickdeesadvantage.blogspot.com/

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php developers
by Theus Owuor 26 Oct '09

26 Oct '09

COMPANY PROFILE ----------------------------- We are a software development company developing online applications and web sites. The company is based in Nairobi, Kenya. JOB PROFILE -------------------- We are seeking an experienced PHP Developer with proven commercial exposure, strong problem solving and analytical skills. Candidates should be result oriented with the ability to work to tight deadlines in a challenging and fast paced environment. POST -------------------- This post is not for a permanent office position but a contract position. Skills should consist of: ============== Candidates should have an expert knowledge of PHP with at least 2 years of practical work experience in PHP Detailed knowledge of HTML with at least 3 years of practical work experience Profound experience in programming SQL databases, knowledge of mySQL is of advantage Familiar with working on a Linux Operating System CONTACT -------------------- Send CV and profile through this email address. regards Fabian

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My joomla website back end keeps redirecting to feedsburner showing IP adress 192.168.0.73 on the progress bar
by saich 26 Oct '09

26 Oct '09

Hi good people i'm developing a website with joomla version 1.514 using a Ja tropaz template and lately i have noticed that when i'm in the back end the progreess bar keeps showing that its redirecting to IP address 192.168.0.73 and then feedsburner.....this makes it so slow especially when the net is down.I have tried disabling Site Statistics and feeds but its still persisisting and its really pissing me off coz i'm wasting valuable development time...any skunkers out there whoz has experienced the sama problem

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open source or freeware...... does kenya contribute to development of Open Source?
by aki 26 Oct '09

26 Oct '09

Monday morning buzz. From a programming point of view, does Open source mean freeware? As an example, I googled ubuntu to see if any kenyan is developing apps or " ports " for this and have been unable to get any info. How many times has this list been queried about a simple PPP dailer function for eg Ubuntu, yet I've not read anywhere if someone has written and " ported " a script or a " kenyan PPP dialer using local avaliable modems technology " ? I understand the typical scenario of php and mysql which really is an end use but what about improving the OS functionality itself? Shida ni nini? Pls correct as necessary. :-) Asante.

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Monitoring Tools
by David Njuki 26 Oct '09

26 Oct '09

Hi Guys, I need to get the following information from a remote network device, 1. Response Time 2. Packet Loss 3. Availability 4. Link Utilization So far I have tested the following monitoring tools and would like to try out more before I make a decision on what to use. a) Cacti www.*cacti*.net/ b) Zenoss www.*zenoss*.com c) openNMS *opennms*.org d) Nagios www.*nagios*.org What other tools do any of you guys use and can recomend for me to get the above data? The tool should run on a UNIX/Linux environment. Thanks -- ˙˙˙˙˙˙˙˙˙˙˙˙˙˙˙˙˙˙˙˙˙˙˙ 'spɹɐƃǝɹ ıʞnɾu pıʌɐp

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Firewire Adapter
by Denis G. Wahome 26 Oct '09

26 Oct '09

*Hi all, I am looking for something like this; http://tinyurl.com/yfkhpuo I available locally and also the prize. R D *

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Whitehouse.gov goes open-source
by saidimu apale 26 Oct '09

26 Oct '09

> > After months of planning, says an Obama Administration source, the White > House has ditched the proprietary content management system that had been in > place since the days of the Bush Administration in favor of the latest > version of the open-source Drupal software <http://drupal.org/> http://techpresident.com/blog-entry/whitehousegov-goes-drupal

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Quickbooks simple start integration
by Daniel Ndeti 26 Oct '09

26 Oct '09

Hi All, Anyone who has managed to integrate their application with quickbooks simple start edition?

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Recommend This Hosting Service?
by Samuel Waithaka 26 Oct '09

26 Oct '09

Has anybody tried these guys: http://sasahost.com/ -- Samuel Waithaka Techiepreneur | http://groups.to/techiepreneur http://www.linkedin.com/in/waithaka http://twitter.com/samwaithaka

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Re: [Skunkworks] [ke-internetusers] Re: Let's build an Electronic Payment Solution!
by wesley kirinya 26 Oct '09

26 Oct '09

As I said earlier in the thread, I would get back with a response of what I found. I won't go into the details of the companies I spoke to but rather I'll give a general overview of the payment solutions. I believe you guys will get to know about the solutions via the mail lists therefore I dont want to pre-launch any of them. I spoke to 3 companies, and all 3 seem to be at advanced stages with the payment solutions. One of the companies is not in Kenya, but is African. So basically there are 2 Kenyan companies. In general you, the software developer/content creator, will pay an annual fee of about 20-40K, and upto 3% per transaction. You will be provided with an API to intergrate with the payment solution. One of the payment solutions will provide ready plug-ins which I think is great for the non-techie guys (content creators: Music, videos, ...). The solutions rely on the Telcos money transfer services therefore customers will be charged normal M-Pesa/Zap fees. I did mention the idea of partnering with a retailer e.g. Uchumi to sell electronic top-up cards (similar to how you would buy airtime) and thus eliminate the M-Pesa/Zap fees (The retailer gets about 6%). The idea was received well but it's not immediate in the pipeline. Some of the issues I had in mind are whether people without IDs (teenagers) can use the system (coz of M-Pesa/Zap dependency) however the solution would be parents to do purchases on their behalf. Another issue was that transactions of < KSH. 100 are not worth it. These payment solutions might be rolled out before the end of the year. If you're a developer and you feel the above fits you then polish up your app 8~), ready for sale. Personally I think the solutions are good. More than that I think we're generally moving in the right direction. I hope developers and content creators make use of these services to sell products. 8~) --- On Sun, 9/20/09, Lucy Kimani <lkimani(a)yahoo.com> wrote: From: Lucy Kimani <lkimani(a)yahoo.com> Subject: Re: [Skunkworks] [ke-internetusers] Re: Let's build an Electronic Payment Solution! To: "Skunkworks Forum" <skunkworks(a)lists.my.co.ke>, "wesley kirinya" <kiriinya2000(a)yahoo.com> Cc: "ke-users" <ke-internetusers(a)bdix.net> Date: Sunday, September 20, 2009, 3:00 PM All, Even as you write your code, I thought I would share a link to one of the most trusted/successful gateway outfits here in the US, I did some biashara with them and I found them to be outstanding, so you may check out their site that has a wealth of information.. How it works, http://www.authorize.net/resources/howitworksdiagram/ Stuff to think about: http://www.authorize.net/sitemap/ Document Library: http://www.authorize.net/resources/documentlibrary/ Case Studies http://www.authorize.net/resources/casestudies/ etc... LK --- On Sun, 9/20/09, wesley kirinya <kiriinya2000(a)yahoo.com> wrote: From: wesley kirinya <kiriinya2000(a)yahoo.com> Subject: Re: [Skunkworks] [ke-internetusers] Re: Let's build an Electronic Payment Solution! To: "Skunkworks Forum" <skunkworks(a)lists.my.co.ke> Cc: "ke-users" <ke-internetusers(a)bdix.net> Date: Sunday, September 20, 2009, 7:35 AM LOL. I thought that title was taking it abit too far. I believe it's a news article that 'baptised' him. Some journalists tend to stretch stuff... Well, so long as it doesn't hurt him... 8~D --- On Sun, 9/20/09, Gakuru Alex <alexgakuru.lists(a)gmail.com> wrote: From: Gakuru Alex <alexgakuru.lists(a)gmail.com> Subject: Re: [Skunkworks] [ke-internetusers] Re: Let's build an Electronic Payment Solution! To: "Skunkworks Forum" <skunkworks(a)lists.my.co.ke> Cc: "Skunk Works" <skunkworks(a)my.co.ke>, "ke-users" <ke-internetusers(a)bdix.net> Date: Sunday, September 20, 2009, 12:29 PM Wesley, On Sun, Sep 20, 2009 at 11:41 AM, wesley kirinya <kiriinya2000(a)yahoo.com> wrote: > > I know of 2 companies in that sort of business from Ghana. DreamOval, whose product is called iWallet. I've had the opportunity to work with one of their managers, Henry, and he's briefed me about their product. The other company is BSL. It seems to be founded by a Kenyan lady and a Ghanian AKA the 'Bill Gates of Ghana'. However from a lengthy article posted yesterday by a Skunker, it seems their operations are targeted at African merchants who want to sell to the diaspora. > > o_O! Quite frankly, I found the "Bill Gates of Africa" anectode stupifying African ICT intellect and innovation aspirations. The symbolisation represents a past era "Cathedral" business model while "the future is Open" and collaborative. I am inclined to consider those that subscribe to it as "clinging onto a past when the future beckons." What we need are incomparable, homegrown solutions successes, not trying too hard to imitate others nor 'feel too good', if at all, when compared as such. We have the power to read and write our own code, just need do it!:~) _______________________________________________ Skunkworks mailing list Skunkworks(a)lists.my.co.ke http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/skunkworks Other services @ http://my.co.ke Other lists ------------- Announce: http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/skunkworks-announce Science: http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/science kazi: http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/admin/kazi/general -----Inline Attachment Follows----- _______________________________________________ ke-internetusers mailing list ke-internetusers(a)bdix.net http://www.bdix.net/mailman/listinfo/ke-internetusers

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question on open-source
by saidimu apale 26 Oct '09

26 Oct '09

Can an open-source application restrict download only to a specific category of users? There's one such major application, in non-profit circles, that does just that. Access to the binary is restricted, though the source can be checked-out via Subversion (hosted on SourceForge). I wonder what their motivation is. saidi

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