September 2010 - skunkworks

Orange UK launches HD Voice, a wine glass shattering quality sound with all the necessary freqs...
by aki 03 Sep '10

03 Sep '10

Orange becomes the first operator to launch mobile HD Voice in the UK, signalling the dawn of a new era in mobile communications for customers HD Voice reduces background noise and decreases perceived distance between callers by providing crystal clear callsHD Voice is available from today nationwide at no extra cost for all Orange customers with an HD voice enabled handset The video in the link is a must see. :-))) http://newsroom.orange.co.uk/2010/09/01/crystal-clear-calling-as-orange-rev…

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database keep on Hanging up
by nelson kinoti 03 Sep '10

03 Sep '10

am working with a database called sybase can anyone help me why it keeps on hunging

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[sw]yummy question
by joe mwirigi 03 Sep '10

03 Sep '10

Not been a yum user [:( ] and am having trouble configuring the .repo files for the right yum repositories. I've installed the priorities plugin for extra flexibility but keep on getting this not using ftp, http[s], or file for repos, skipping - Test mode - must specify ip/cc, arch and repo as parameters wherever i do a yum install (save for a yumex install which went well, below is a copy of my .repos, i wonder what im doing wron or not doing right Help or pointing in the right direction is highly appreciated! Thanks b4 HaNd yum.conf [main] cachedir=/var/cache/yum keepcache=1 debuglevel=2 logfile=/var/log/yum.log pkgpolicy=newest distroverpkg=redhat-release tolerant=1 exactarch=1 obsoletes=1 gpgcheck=1 plugins=1 metadata_expire=1800 # PUT YOUR REPOS HERE OR IN separate files named file.repo http://www.ftp.saix.net/linux/distributions/centos/5.5/os/i386/ ftp://ftp.is.co.za/mirror/centos/5.5/os/i386/ http://mirror.isoc.org.il/pub/centos/5.5/os/i386/ http://centos.syn.co.il/5.5/os/i386/ http://mirror.vit.com.tr/mirror/CentOS/5.5/os/i386/ http://ftp.dgn.net.tr/linux/centos/5.5/os/i386/ http://ftp.linux.org.tr/centos/5.5/os/i386/ http://ftp.cica.es/CentOS/5.5/os/i386/ http://ftp.gui.uva.es/sites/centos.org/5.5/os/i386/ http://sunsite.rediris.es/mirror/CentOS/5.5/os/i386/ #in /etc/yum.repos.d #in /etc/yum.repos.d/CentOS-Base.repo #in /etc/yum.repos.d/CentOS-Media.repo #in /etc/yum.repos.d/rpmforge.repo CentOS-Base.repo [base] name=CentOS-$releasever - Base mirrorlist=http://mirrorlist.centos.org/?release=$releasever&arch=$base… baseurl=http://mirror.centos.org/centos/$releasever/os/$basearch/ gpgcheck=1 priority=1 gpgkey=file:///etc/pki/rpm-gpg/RPM-GPG-KEY-CentOS-5 #released updates [updates] name=CentOS-$releasever - Updates mirrorlist=http://mirrorlist.centos.org/?release=$releasever&arch=$base… baseurl=http://mirror.centos.org/centos/$releasever/updates/$basearch/ gpgcheck=1 priority=1 gpgkey=file:///etc/pki/rpm-gpg/RPM-GPG-KEY-CentOS-5 #packages used/produced in the build but not released [addons] name=CentOS-$releasever - Addons mirrorlist=http://mirrorlist.centos.org/?release=$releasever&arch=$base… baseurl=http://mirror.centos.org/centos/$releasever/addons/$basearch/ gpgcheck=1 priority=1 gpgkey=file:///etc/pki/rpm-gpg/RPM-GPG-KEY-CentOS-5 #additional packages that may be useful [extras] name=CentOS-$releasever - Extras mirrorlist=http://mirrorlist.centos.org/?release=$releasever&arch=$base… baseurl=http://mirror.centos.org/centos/$releasever/extras/$basearch/ gpgcheck=1 priority=1 gpgkey=file:///etc/pki/rpm-gpg/RPM-GPG-KEY-CentOS-5 #additional packages that extend functionality of existing packages [centosplus] name=CentOS-$releasever - Plus mirrorlist=http://mirrorlist.centos.org/?release=$releasever&arch=$base… baseurl=http://mirror.centos.org/centos/$releasever/centosplus/$basearch/ gpgcheck=1 priority=2 enabled=1 gpgkey=file:///etc/pki/rpm-gpg/RPM-GPG-KEY-CentOS-5 #contrib - packages by Centos Users [contrib] name=CentOS-$releasever - Contrib mirrorlist=http://mirrorlist.centos.org/?release=$releasever&arch=$base… baseurl=http://mirror.centos.org/centos/$releasever/contrib/$basearch/ gpgcheck=1 enabled=0 priority=2 gpgkey=file:///etc/pki/rpm-gpg/RPM-GPG-KEY-CentOS-5 rpmforge.repo [rpmforge] name = Red Hat Enterprise $releasever - RPMforge.net - dag #baseurl = http://apt.sw.be/redhat/el5/en/$basearch/dag mirrorlist = http://apt.sw.be/redhat/el5/en/mirrors-rpmforge #mirrorlist = file:///etc/yum.repos.d/mirrors-rpmforge enabled = 1 protect = 0 gpgkey = file:///etc/pki/rpm-gpg/RPM-GPG-KEY-rpmforge-dag gpgcheck = 1 priority = 50 -- #! /usr/bin/hope -w #$file: angel.mine script use strict; #Keep Going # become s good child my $pid = fork(); print $pid,"\n"; while(1) { sleep(never);

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jessicacolaco@gmail.com has shared: “The Future of Kenya: what needs to happen for local services and apps to succeed.”
by jessicacolaco＠gmail.com 03 Sep '10

03 Sep '10

wanted to share this with you: "The Future of Kenya: what needs to happen for local services and apps to succeed." by Russell Southwood. Date: Friday 3rd September Time: 6 -7pm Venue: iHub "The Future of Kenya: what needs to happen for local services and apps to succeed." http://shar.es/0rtWn ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Powered by ShareThis http://sharethis.com

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Killer Phone Call - Safaricom's new Viral?
by Ken Teyie 03 Sep '10

03 Sep '10

There is this crazy rumor about receiving Orange, Red or Pink phone calls (don't know how this is possible) then ending up dead! But receiving a *green *call is safe! Seems to be working people are panicking and ignoring phone calls!! Anyone dead yet? How can a phone call kill you?

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LASER POINTER
by Alvin Jason Ochieng 03 Sep '10

03 Sep '10

Hello Skunks where can I get a laser pointer for a Projector? Alvin Ochola Corporate Account Manager GREENLINE TECHNOLOGY LTD. Odyssey Plaza 2nd Floor. P.O Box 61895-00200 Nairobi - Kenya TEL - 020 - 651755 / 552086 FAX - 020 - 559841 CELL PERSONAL - 0722-313923 - 0733 -313923

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SMS PRSP
by Jangita 03 Sep '10

03 Sep '10

Wananchi, Can anyone recmmend SMS short code PRSP that's chap chap? want a service up in two weeks maximum. Some are quite "busy" for small chaps like me :) -- Jangita | +256 76 91 8383 | Y! & MSN: jangita(a)yahoo.com Skype: jangita | GTalk: jangita.nyagudi(a)gmail.com

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Urgent:Oracle Certified experts required immediately
by Martin Njuguna 03 Sep '10

03 Sep '10

Morning skunks, We need Oracle certified experts with the following qualifications with immediate effect Oracle certified professional Hands on experience in a busy environment(Oracle PL SQL scripting) Linux/UNix essentials A degree in computer science or equivalent Successful candidate will be given a 3 month contract immediately. If you are the person and you are willing to start immediately, kindly submit your cv to martin(a)digitalvision.co.ke -with the title Oracle Consultant Awaiting your cvs Martin S. Njuguna Digital Vision EA Limited http://bit.ly/c6ItdF c:+254 721 440 543 t:+254 20 21 33 865 e:martin@digitalvision.co.ke <e%3Amartin(a)digitalvision.co.ke> w: http://www.digitalvision.co.ke Skype: digitalv.ke

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KDN unresponsive
by Lawrence Kago 03 Sep '10

03 Sep '10

We have been trying to contact KDN to install Fiber internet for our sister company down at karen for 3 Months now & nothing yet have been done...even site survey! Does anybody have a contact person who can assist,(We have written mails & copied over 3 bosses=nothing ) I'd be glad to turn to other ISP's but the decision was made & reversing might take even long. Any idea on how to go about it? -- No mountain is too high to keep you from Climbing it.... Lawrence K +254720784912

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Re: [Skunkworks] Understanding Mocality : An amatuer assessment
by Stefan Magdalinski 02 Sep '10

02 Sep '10

Hi Aki, skunkworks, First, let me introduce myself; I'm Stef Magdalinski, and I'm the (UK-born, but SA/Nairobi based) CEO of Mocality. I'm the guy in the techcrunch vid. Let me try to answer your questions... (apols in advance for such a long first post) Aki wrote: > > So continuing from the earlier thread and a disclaimer, ( please note > that all this research is highly speculative and do disregard as > rubbish, as the info is quite limited to go by) . > > My assessment puts Mocality as a data mining service to those who are > at the back-end of the system. > Mocality is a business directory. We do analysis of the data that business owners submit in order to create the best possible service, search algorithms, etc. We don't sell subsets or aggregates nor analyses to any third party. Sometimes we post cool visualisations online, though: http://blog.mocality.co.ke/visualisation/ > Then the questions started flowing. > > 1) Is the CCK aware of the data mining service? From your use of the term 'Data Mining', it would suggest that our primary reason for carrying out business is to collect data that we can then 'resell' to other users. This is definitely not our business model. We can concede that as with most businesses engaged in larger scale services e.g. A mobile network, a lot of the data that they collect can potentially be very valuable should it be put to use. But collecting this data is not why they are engaged in business. We cannot therefore classify them as 'data mining' operations. In the same way, as a business directory, we aren't engaged in this effort in an attempt to 'mine' data. But undoubtedly the data we collect can help us in the refinement of our products and in planning. Secondly, as a web-based platform, we do not fall under the control of the CCK, and do not require a 'license' in order to operate. We optimize services for mobile phones and like any other business, make use of mobile tools where we can, to make our user experience better. > 2) Where is the data being held? The data is held on our servers in Kenya and replicated here in Cape Town, in SA. > 3) Is Mocality a licensed operation under the CCK guidelines as a > mobile services provider ? We comply with the law. When we launched, our legal advice was that we were not required to. > 4) Who has access to the data? > The appropriate members of our team down here, and, of course, everyone on the internet via http://mocality.com :) We do not sell the database to third parties. Our intention is to build a self-sustaining profitable company by connecting consumers and businesses. Ultimately our relationship with our consumers and member businesses is what will make or break us; We might make a fast buck by selling out, for instance, to spammers, but eventually that path would lead to ruin because it would destroy our relationships and alienate our customers. Mocality wants to succeed by helping Kenyan businesses become more successful; I only want to take payment (and at the moment all our services are free) when I can demonstrate to a business that they make more money by using our services, and when I make a consumer's life easier. I am a believer in the win-win scenario. > And my questions really started going downhill : > > 1) Why would Naspers and MIH develop such a system in KE? Agreed we > are a large mobile market but what's the local data got to do with > South African Companies? > MIH is a global company with operations (primarily in developing markets) on 5 continents. (there's a quite-out-of-date org chart here: http://www.naspers.com/company-structure.php) Until recently, despite being an 95 year old African company, MIH wasn't very active on their home continent (apart from DSTV, obviously). Mocality is one of a number of projects taking advantage of the transformation that the internet, and mobile telephony are making possible, to change that. I up-ended my very comfortable life in London to come and take part. Eventually, I hope that Mocality exists in every major city in Africa. We chose Nairobi first because of size, english speaking, good entrepreneurial culture, ease of doing business, has a telephony environment as sophisticated if not MORE sophisticated than anywhere else in the world, and because M-PESA makes it possible for our paid crowdsourcing model to work. If those things are a conspiracy, then it's one of your own making ;) > 2) The J2ME software obviously installed on the handset must have some > cookie that picks up info. Has the software been looked at and > approved locally? > I'm not sure how to clarify on this one. We haven't had the software approved locally (by whom?), but the J2Me app is an optional download, and doesn't do anything without explicit user action. > As I said earlier, am not an expert on these issues but a whole > confused about the product. I hope clarifications are possible for the > general good of the public who use the services. I think Mocality are > doing an excellent job with their project, just hope that am very > wrong on the points raised so far by an amatuer like me. Thanks for the kind words. Healthy skepticism is a valuable trait. I hope I can reassure you that Mocality takes privacy concerns very seriously and our philosophy is to only do things that benefit our member businesses, and with their informed consent. In case you're interested, in the UK, in my personal capacity, I'm one of the founders of http://www.openrightsgroup.org, and have been campaigning on digital rights and privacy issues for over 12 years. I also founded http://www.theyworkforyou.com and http://www.writetothem.com, probably the two leading independent sites for keeping the UK Parliament in check. Now, past performance is no guide to future behaviour, but I can assure you; I'm not about to abandon some of my most deeply held beliefs and become Africa's biggest spammer. I'll be in Nairobi the week of the 20th September, if anyone wants to meet with myself and Josh and discuss these issues further. Stef ps. Other people know me as 'Chocolate iPad Guy' :) http://aheadrobot.com/2010/06/12/ipad-unchocolateboxing/ > > Rgds -- /* Stefan Magdalinski CEO, Mocality.com +27 82 0431230 (SA) +254 716607737 (KE) smagdali (IM/twitter/flickr/dopplr/skype/etc) */

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