Anyone who’s installed the Beta version of Windows 8 (Consumer Preview) has definitely played with it by now. They’ll attest to existence of multiple functionality most of which looks very cool and metro-styled. This means we have had a chance to see what Microsoft has in its pipeline to blow our minds hopefully before the end of 2012 (most probably between Q3 and Q4 2012). We also expect the OS to run light on even the simplest of devices. There has been rumour mills on possibility of Microsoft running Windows 8 or ARM Chips meaning that Windows 8 will have the capacity to compete favourably with the IOS and Android versions of Tablet OS.

There is still massive speculation on Win8 capabilities though. The recent build and subsequent release of the Dev Preview has also answered quite a number (unfortunately not all) questions surrounding Win8.

Some of the noted features include;

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image courtesy, Crackberry

Samsung recently toppled Nokia as the best seller on the planet and word on the street is that this surprise attack and win has been fueled by Samsung’s rigorous marketing campaign and evident cutting edge technology. With the new Galaxy, Samsung could have potentially set another benchmark. They are huge on community which is a crucial driving force behind a successful product. Essentially, if you don’t have the numbers, you have nothing.

Well, what about BlackBerry? Blackberry could potentially be onto something new with BlackBerry 10.

Many are saying that this is BBs last great hope (lol). Others keep at it that BlackBerry is deader than alive (Even more LOL although I doubt that Grammar makes any sense). Point is, they couldn’t be more wrong. Developers and top brands alike are already beginning to commit to BB 10 platform for their (MAB) Mobile Application Development. Recently at BlackBerry World, RIM  revealed relevant endorsements who have already confirmed their excitement for the upcoming launch of the BlackBerry 10 platform. Read more »

Some of you may not know Matt Biddulph; which is okay. But if you’re a StartUp Engineer or you aspire to one day sell a startup to a VC and you do not know Matt, then you’re not way in over your head like you should be. I recently had the opportunity to meet him at Science HackDay at 88 MPH at Piedmont Plaza, just above BrewBistro a few weekends back.

Matt is a software designer and creative technologist, like he says in HackDiary bio. He is also a former Nokia employee where he worked as head of Strategy on the Ovi Product Development. What really placed him on the tech-map is his acquisition story where his co-creation, Dopplr created in 2007, was bought out by Nokia back in September 2009 only 2 years after its inception. He previously worked at BBC and Ananova. He was also key in securing funding for Lanyrd to the tune of $1.4Million USD.

Here’s a casual interview I had with Matt during his visit in Kenya:

Juuchini: How are you enjoying your stay here so far Matt? Read more »

A series of updates of popular BlackBerry® apps will be released over the coming days to make it even easier for users to stay connected with their BBM contacts. Research In Motion (RIM)on the 12^th of April announced that Facebook for BlackBerry, Twitter for BlackBerry, BlackBerry Travel™,  BlackBerry App World™ and BBM Music will now include BB Messenger connectivity. This would make it easier for users to stay in touch with their contacts, share experiences and content, and discover new things from their BBM contact list.

“Since we provided developers the means to build BBM connectivity into their apps, we have seen more than 800 hundred new BBM-connected apps come to market, which has been followed by a huge uptake by users – about one of every five apps being downloaded on BlackBerry App World is a BBM-connected app,” said Alec Saunders, VP of Developer Relations at RIM.  “Today we’re excited to announce that RIM has also integrated BBM connectivity into a number of our own popular apps and the BBM-connected revolution continues to grow.”  Read more »

Science HackDay organised by Morris Mwanga, nerd, CTO at P2PCash and an MSc. student in Applied Computer Science at Kennesaw State University (he also tutors Calculus at the Kennesaw) USA, at the 88MPH space above BrewBistro on Ngong Road. For those of you who are techies, you probably know and have been to the place.

It was a good event. Main sponsorship came from Microsoft and Safaricom. Other sponsorships came from the Linux Institute of Professionals, GitHUB Social Coding, and ofcourse 88MPH whose space was being used for the sleepover 3-day Hackathon.

Host was Larry Madowo of NTV and www.larrymadowo.co.ke. Follow him here on Twitter.

Event started on Friday at 4pm and ended at around 6pm on Sunday. Winners in the different categories were as follows:

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This post has come up due to a recent interest in Bio-fuels and interest in clean energy as well. In line with the Millenium Development Goals, countries are beginning to invest heavily in recycled energy sources as an alternative to the more common fossil fuels. One such project is one by Pure Fuels EA, a local Kenyan company with an investment in Bio-Diesel production. This company got their concept from a University in Milan, improved on the design and set out to market. Pure Fuels EA has managed to recycle ordinary vegetable fat into bio-diesel that can be used to power any diesel engine. In an exclusive interview, the company’s CEO, Daniel Mugenga, outlined that according to a 2009 report by the Global Agricultural Information Network, Kenya consumes approximately 700 Million liters of vegetable oil per year. Think of all the fast food joint and restaurants in the country. They all use veg. fat to process their foods. Now think: Where does all this waste fat go to? Your answer: Most people throw it away. Well, not any more. Read more »

Cell·SDK, the cross-platform experts which enable application developers to seamlessly create new apps with their ‘develop just that once’ slogan, recently announced InMobi, the world’s largest independent mobile advertising network, as its global partner. This means that devs (developers) will now be able to monetise their applications across multiple platforms by inserting only three lines of code.

Cell·SDK, developed by Spanish technology experts Syderis Technologies, is a cross-platform solution of interactive applications and games using C# and .NET for Android, iOS and Windows Phone. Developers using Cell·SDKcan now monetise their apps by integrate advertising into their apps.

Terence Eden, Developer Community Manager at InMobi says that, “It’s increasingly difficult and expensive for developers to release on multiple platforms.  With competing ecosystems the norm for the foreseeable future, it’s imperative that apps and games are launched cross-platform simultaneously. Cell·SDKis a practical choice for developers. Using C# to write applications for Android, iOS, and Windows Phone is an innovative choice.  We’re also proud to sponsor the Cell·App Awards to reward the top 10 application developers who create a mobile application cross-platform with Cell-SDK.”

Daniel Vargas Pérez who is in charge of Responsible Online Advertisingat Syderis Technologies added that, “We were looking for an advertising network, which shared our philosophy of independence and had its finger on the pulse of the developer community. So, are thrilled to have InMobi as our advertising network of choice. The developer community continues to evolve and Cell·SDK knows that we need to make it easy for developers to make money -  that’s why integration of the InMobi platform was key.”

Image Courtesy flickr.com/photos/otrius/

Cell·SDK recently launched its version 1.1, which has new features including camera sensor, localytics integration and status API. It also now gives developers chance to manage multiple screes, in an isolated way to control application flow with its newly added Screen Manager function.

There has been a social revolution all around us. And many people I know are on Twitter. I also was lucky enough to have a chat with a high profile client last week; this client wants to be heavy on the social media front. Upon prodding, they revealed that the reason they don’t follow many people is that there are many ‘wajuajis’ on Twitter.

You, my friend, may need to reposition your mind on this issue. Here are a few reasons. You really want to have a huge Twitter following, here a few tips:  Read more »

Joe Mucheru is the new Google Kenya country lead, taking over from Olga Arara-Kimani.

After overseeing the establishment and growth of Google in Africa, from single staff to 80, from one country to eight, Mucheru will now be concentrating his efforts on Kenya.

“This was my decision, I have been spending one in four weeks in Kenya; it’s good for my family and great for the country,” said Mucheru.

Mucheru is probably the most experienced in Kenya’s tech industry, having started around 1990, co-founded Wananchi Online to the position where an international firm could buy in, after managing to bring the cost of connectivity down. I still remember Wananchi adverts for a dial up for 12k and that was a real bargain. Read more »

Research In Motion recently introduced the BlackBerry® Mini Keyboard™, a new accessory for the BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet. 

The BlackBerry Mini Keyboard is ultra portable and comes complete with a stylish convertible case that doubles as a stand for the tablet.  In addition to a full QWERTY keyboard, it offers an integrated touchpad that allows users to navigate and control the BlackBerry PlayBook as easily as using the touch screen on the tablet itself. When the keyboard is active, the PlayBook tablet’s virtual keyboard remains hidden, freeing up 100% of the display for the task at hand.

“Whether you’re typing email, creating documents, surfing the web or using other apps, the BlackBerry Mini Keyboard and its integrated carrying case is an ideal accessory,” said James Poulton, Director, Advanced Accessories. Read more »