June 2009 - skunkworks - Skunkworks Site

the new iphone
by Geoffrey Gitagia 15 Jun '09

15 Jun '09

http://www.neowin.net/news/main/09/06/08/iphone-3gs-pricing-and-release-date

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Mobile Apps query
by Mbugua Njihia 15 Jun '09

15 Jun '09

Yes there is. to install remotely have you app in the .jad format, for download and then install .jar format Check out s.zunguka.com

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Thought this might be of interest
by Solomon Mburu 15 Jun '09

15 Jun '09

Mobile phones lower the cost of business<http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/Bankelele/%7E3/N7ORRYltn1U/mobile-phones-l…> Posted: 12 Jun 2009 08:45 AM PDT *Money Transfer Within Kenya Part 3* A comment from @alykhansatchu on Money transfer lead to an update of the first post about money transfer<http://bankelele.blogspot.com/2005/09/money-transfer-within-kenya.html>from about 3 ½ years ago before the advent of mobile money transfers. At that time, the cost of sending 10,000 shillings (then about $136) within Kenya was Kshs. 1,700 ($23) with Western Union and 1,850 ($25) with Moneygram - working out to a remittance cost of about 17% - 19% for an instant money transfer. This was mostly done at a few commercial bank branches, some foreign exchange bureaus, and at post offices around the country within banking hours. *90% savings:* A lot has happened in the last few years mainly in the form of the arrival of money transfers via mobile phones by MPesa<http://www.safaricom.co.ke/index.php?id=745>from Safaricom and more recently Zap <http://www.ke.zain.com/en/zap/index.html> from Zain. A recent post last week noted that Western Union in Kenya have just lowered transfer costs <http://moseskemibaro.com/?p=412> to flat rates of 2% i.e. almost 88% cheaper than what they were at the time. In the last few years, millions of Kenyans have moved on to mobile phones for money transfer and I can’t recall anyone who uses banks for these transactions. Mobile phone have maximums of about $430 (35,000 shillings) for money transfers, but this is more than enough to cater for most remittances, including the emergencies that necessitate instant transfers. And mobiles are still cheaper; the 2% western union charge to transfer 10,000 shillings works out to about 200 shillings. A transfer of the same amount by Zap costs 75 shillings (0.75%) and 105 shillings (1.05%) by M-Pesa (after combining sender and receiver fees) *International remittance to get cheaper?:* Zain hope to link Zap to allow transfers to customers of Zain in different African countries. And Safaricom are setting up a link for transfers from the United Kingdom to Kenya. When these are established, we should also see the cost of internal remittances, whose sometime high cost is a cause for complaint for many Africans in the Diaspora, also drop significantly. -- Solomon Mburu P.O. Box 19343 - 00202 Nairobi Cell: (+254-0) 735 431041 Man is a gregarious animal and enjoys agreement as cows will graze all the same way to the side of a hill! AND It is better to die in dignity than in the ignomity of ambiguous generosity! Sent from Nairobi, Kenya

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Mobile Apps query..
by Paul Mathu 15 Jun '09

15 Jun '09

Hi Is there a way that a mobile application can be auto installed on downloading thereby restricting users from copying the application from one device to another? -- Regards Mathu http://sojjar.blogspot.com

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Re: [Skunkworks] [ke-internetusers] Re: our conversation with the P.S
by Evans Ikua 15 Jun '09

15 Jun '09

I almost missed out on this one. Makes remember PPP (Public-Private sector Partnership). I think this would really come in handy. If the community can partner with Gava through its agencies like ICT board, then am sure the goodwill that we have with the PS and other Gava players in this industry can crystalize to something very close to what Alex is talking about (the Nbi Hospital model). The Government can sponsor this initiative in aid of the community as it is a major stakeholder in the positive outcome that is envisaged. Ikua On Fri, Jun 12, 2009 at 1:56 PM, Alex Gakuru <gakuru(a)gmail.com> wrote: > Thanks Solomon, > > We could cure our local innovation problem by adopting the Nairobi > Hospital model? (There's an insightful article on the hospital on May, > 2009 issue of Kenya Institute of Management 'Journal') > > Picking on Erik's views > < > http://whiteafrican.com/2009/01/14/african-cities-need-tech-coworking-space… > > > > Similarities with Erik's blog views (replace Hospital with "ICT > centre" and Doctors with "innovators" > > 1) The hospital is a national centre of excellence > > 2) It does NOT belong to an individual a class government, or private > sector- community > > 3) Continually evolves employing most modern professionalism, > techniques & technologies > > 4) "Open" to all doctors, has had privately-owned doctors consulting > rooms (and now expanded) Doctors Plaza > > 5) The hospital is commercially sustainable thus able to fast complete > expansion projects > > others views? > ... > ... > ... > > On Fri, Jun 12, 2009 at 8:19 AM, Solomon Mburu<solo.mburu(a)gmail.com> > wrote: > > It a pat in the shoulder for Morris to have made the potential in this > > arena. Also gratitudes to Dr. Ndemo for availing his time to meet > > Morris and Alex together with the media in getting Morris this far. > > Maybe Alex can organize how we can meet Morris one of these fine days > > and learn a thing from his innovation. KUDOS! > > > > On 11/06/2009, Alex Gakuru <gakuru(a)gmail.com> wrote: > >> spanners! spanners! everyone through spanners into the works. Even if > >> you've never contributed before, say something... > >> > >> On Thu, Jun 11, 2009 at 8:14 PM, Erik Hersman<erik(a)zungu.com> wrote: > >>> I've been saying this for a long time now. We need some type of > central > >>> nexus point for the dev community to collect and collaborate in. We've > >>> got > >>> an outstanding community, some great mailing lists and communication, > but > >>> very little in the way of physical connections and the growth and > >>> synergies > >>> that grow out of that. > >>> Here's what I wrote about just this concept earlier this year: > >>> > http://whiteafrican.com/2009/01/14/african-cities-need-tech-coworking-space… > >>> The biggest trick in making this work is having it be a "community > owned" > >>> space instead of by any specific company, organization or government > >>> entity. > >>> > >>> Erik Hersman > >>> www.AfriGadget.com > >>> www.WhiteAfrican.com > >>> > >>> > >>> On Jun 11, 2009, at 1:06 PM, Benson Mwangi wrote: > >>> > >>> Alex, > >>> This is ultimately a good move! The current move is clearly fruits of > this > >>> discussion list! Now, could Dr. Ndemo and all of us in the list > consider > >>> setting up an incubation facility that would house Mbesa and other > young > >>> people who are doing wonders behind the scene. Again, how do we > discover > >>> the > >>> talent out there that's not being exploited. A national competition > backed > >>> by the media houses, government and the private sector could > potentially > >>> bring the talent to the front and the winners given an incubation > priority > >>> and the products they developed used in Kenya and if good enough > exported. > >>> Regards, > >>> Benson M. > >>> > >>> > >>> 2009/6/11 Alex Gakuru <gakuru(a)gmail.com> > >>>> > >>>> Dear all, > >>>> > >>>> This morning Morris Mbetsa met to PS Ndemo from 7:30 am to about 9:00 > >>>> am and demonstrated his softwares. And we never managed to go through > >>>> all the applications! > >>>> > >>>> The PS shared endless opportunities he foresees for this locally > >>>> developed software. Offered his personal support towards making it a > >>>> reality, fast!! Watch this space... > >>>> > >>>> It struck how we have bubbling innovation from the ground up and it's > >>>> about time it was set free, nurtured to flourish and really changed > >>>> this country. > >>>> > >>>> Morris requested I subscribe him to the mailing list, it's done. And > >>>> he has okey'ed forwarding of below message list members. > >>>> > >>>> (In retrospect, thank Wainaina Mungai for adding that extra weight of > >>>> responsibility:-) > >>>> > >>>> regards, > >>>> > >>>> Alex > >>>> > >>>> On Thu, Jun 11, 2009 at 11:50 AM, Morris Mbetsa< > morrismbetsa(a)gmail.com> > >>>> wrote: > >>>> > Hello Sir, > >>>> > Let me take this opportunity to sincerely thank you for > >>>> > the > >>>> > efforts you made and booked the appointment with the HONOURABLE > >>>> > DR.BITANGE > >>>> > NDEMO the P.S in the Ministry of Information and Communication. The > >>>> > conversation among us was very constructive especially on the way > >>>> > forward on > >>>> > the inforrmation and communication Technology. > >>>> > > >>>> > The talks were very constructive and we hope it will mark a new > >>>> > beginning to > >>>> > the Technology Sector in relation to the Innovators of this country. > >>>> > Its > >>>> > the > >>>> > adoption of this technology plus others that will make our country > be > >>>> > able > >>>> > to achieve both the Millenium Development Goals as well as Vision > 2030. > >>>> > > >>>> > The P.S is very co-operative and has offered to assist us in > achieving > >>>> > the > >>>> > intended goals and ensuring that the project is adopted and > implimented > >>>> > by > >>>> > the relevant Government Agencies. > >>>> > > >>>> > Lastly we look forward for greater co-operations from you as well as > >>>> > other > >>>> > stake holders in ensuring that our ICT sector has gone to a higher > >>>> > notch. > >>>> > > >>>> > > >>>> > Thank you so much for your co-operation and we also thank the P.S > for > >>>> > granting us that opportunity to listen to us and allow us to > >>>> > demonstrate > >>>> > our > >>>> > presentation. It was fantastic and a nice experience. > >>>> > > >>>> > God bless you. > >>>> > >>>> _______________________________________________ > >>>> ke-internetusers mailing list > >>>> ke-internetusers(a)bdix.net > >>>> http://www.bdix.net/mailman/listinfo/ke-internetusers > >>> > >>> > >>> > >> > >> _______________________________________________ > >> ke-internetusers mailing list > >> ke-internetusers(a)bdix.net > >> http://www.bdix.net/mailman/listinfo/ke-internetusers > >> > > > > > > -- > > Solomon Mburu > > P.O. Box 19343 - 00202 Nairobi > > Cell: (+254-0) 735 431041 > > > > Man is a gregarious animal and enjoys agreement as cows will graze all > > the same way to the side of a hill! > > > > AND > > > > It is better to die in dignity than in the ignomity of ambiguous > generosity! > > > > _______________________________________________ > ke-internetusers mailing list > ke-internetusers(a)bdix.net > http://www.bdix.net/mailman/listinfo/ke-internetusers >

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Maker Faire Africa
by Peter Karunyu 15 Jun '09

15 Jun '09

Just came across http://makerfaireafrica.com/ and noted that all the stories featured on the home page are all Kenyan dudes. *"Maker Faire Africa (MFA), a celebration of African ingenuity, innovationand invention, will take place August 14-16 at the Ghana-India Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT in Ghana's capital, Accra. - This event is free to the general public -*"

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What is ???
by thea maina 15 Jun '09

15 Jun '09

Hi Guys, What is AVAYA? What is the difference between CISM and CISSP? Where can i get CISM or CISSP training in the CBD? kind regards --------------------------------------------------------------------- Thea Maina Nairobi Kenya http://www.mafans.com skype: thea.mnairobi

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KCB TV Gone Digital????
by mambo mutua 15 Jun '09

15 Jun '09

Skunks, I bumped into KBC Telezine this weekend on my Telly. What touched me is that I can browse around pages like local news, informer, entertainment guide, government today , enquiries and contacts using my remote. Has this TV station gone Digital already?

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connecting a pc to a laptop display
by Evans Ikua 15 Jun '09

15 Jun '09

Dear list, I am using a PC that only has DVI output instead of VGA (I have a DVI cable that ends with a male VGA connector). Now that I don't have a monitor with a removable VGA cable, I have tried to connect this to a laptop - which connects fine. But how do I get to display my PC onto my laptop screen? I am familiar with the reverse - displaying the laptop output onto a normal monitor. Any assistance will be appreciated. Ikua

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Air france crash: case of radar vs. GPS
by nyarotho kennedy 15 Jun '09

15 Jun '09

Good people, its amazing how airlines havent considered the use of GPS in their tracking systems( IEC Broadband reporting) yet every other valuable(cars, phones, laptops n even kids!) is GPS enabled. This is quite shocking considering the NSA's rating of GPS systems as having accuracy rates of 99.3% for last mile applications. With GPS the crash site would have been located within minutes of going off radar. Guess its something our local airlines could score a first in. Over to KQ and KCAA. Regards, nyarotho. -- People should know when they are conquered.

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