FREE COPY | JANUARY 2020
AFRICA
INSIDE HOW TO MAKE YOUR DATA LAST LONGER P A G E
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BEST LAPTOPS TO BUY IN 2020 P A G E
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HOME TECH TO LOOK OUT FOR IN 2020 P A G E
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SCAN ME!!
gadgets-africa.com
THE LAW STUDENT PLAYING VIDEO GAMES TO PAY BILLS
LIFE IN COLOUR AFROMAISHA.COM
editor’s N
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It’s that time of the year when we all come together to create new year resolutions we’ll probably never achieve. But maybe that has changed, new year, new me... right? Anyway, as you ponder on how your year will be, the goals you aim to achieve and all the places you want to visit, take a few seconds to think about how much technology can help you achieve that. Towards the end of last year, we had people talk about what their biggest moments of the decade were as 2019 came to a close. While a lot has happened over the past 10 years, tech has played a big role in most of it if not all of it. My biggest tech of the decade is ride hailing apps. Just looking back to how much of a task it was to get a cab a few years back, how expensive it was and how old the cars were – we have to thank all the ride hailing services that came to disrupt that market. I appreciate that it’s not perfect, it’s had its own challenges with drivers, security of the passengers and many other things but the one thing that I celebrate is how cheap getting a cab has become. Those 50% off, 20% off promo codes really come in handy to take the price even lower, especially in a month like this, njaanuary. Back to what’s in your hands, we as Gadgets Africa have put together buying lists to take you through the month and a good number of inspirational stories to keep you focused through the year and yup, we have a few throwback items to the decade that was, enjoy!
Saruni Maina CEO Rishabh Lawania MANAGING EDITOR Nayantara Jha EDITOR Saruni Maina STAFF WRITERS Dennis Waweru Elphas Onamu DESIGN Kennedy Otis
CONTACTS Email: dm@gadgets-africa.com Facebook: /GadgetsAfrica Twitter: @GadgetsAfrica YouTube: Gadgets Africa SALES INQUIRIES 0768 811 226
MEET KENYA’S TOP TEKKEN PRO-GAMER, SYLVIA ‘QUEENARROW’ GATHONI BY DENNIS WAWERU
The best Tekken pro-gamer in Kenya literally shocked us when she came in for an interview so early at the Tric Gaming Lounge in Nairobi. “I like being first”. Turns out, Sylvia Gathoni alias ‘QueenArrow’, aged 21, does like knocking people out to take that top position. Not only is she the best female pro-gamer in Kenya right now, but has managed to shake up the whole Kenyan gaming scene that has been male-dominated for years just as it is in the international levels. Speaking to us about her journey in professional gaming, she recalls her interest in video games but to just a casual level since her childhood. This was all due to the influence of her elder brother, who is a gaming enthusiast himself. Little did she know that the interest would grow to a whole profession, back in 2017 when she casually decided to join an e-sports tournament held at the East Africa Gaming Convention in Nairobi. With her little expertise in Mortal Kombat XL, she gave it a shot as she had nothing to lose and stood at 4th position, which was pretty much unheard of. She might not have won, but that definitely gave her the drive to explore the whole world of gaming a little more and see what opportunities were installed P A G E
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for her. The curiosity finally made her aware that there was an e-sports society in Kenya, Tekken254, that specialized in a game that she was a fan of playing. She then went on to prepare herself for the next year’s circuit through thorough practice and registered for it. That kind of effort got her never to turn back, and she has been winning and making the QueenArrow name known ever since.
WITH HER LITTLE EXPERTISE IN MORTAL KOMBAT XL, SHE GAVE IT A SHOT AS SHE HAD NOTHING TO LOSE AND STOOD AT 4TH POSITION But what every pro-gamer’s dream, not only in Kenya, usually above all is to have the opportunity to join a good e-sports team. This is mainly because of the great opportunities for training and competing that the teams usually provide, which not every gamer gets to do. You can sort of compare it to being an athlete’s or football player’s life. Luckily for Sylvia, that very dream came true, after persisting, when she received an e-mail from a US-based e-sports team, XiT Gaming,
with a request to join them as a pro-gamer. “Initially, I thought I was being pranked when Tekken254’s founder, David Kamanzi, called me and told me to check my e-mail. So all I was asking myself was “why me?” considering I wasn’t the best player.” It was not only the best thing, but it also got her stirred up to work harder by the day and earn the right to be in such a prestigious yet humbling position. This opportunity then made her the first Kenyan pro-gamer to sign up to an international e-sports team, one that has gotten her name known to the mainstream level. Being a law student as well, one would wonder how she even gets the time to juggle between video game practice and study time. “I actually love to read and spend time outdoors other than just gaming. I tend to find peace in disconnecting from screens for a while but I also do schedule my time well to get enough time for practice,” she says. It
is quite surprising and impressive to hear that from a professional gamer, considering the copious amount of time everyone is spending on their screens these days. The success she has had so far is not one she takes for granted, owing a huge part of it to her family’s support in this young yet competitive industry. The XiT Gaming team that she works with has also been a significant factor in offering her a learning curve in pro-gaming, not forgetting the friends and colleagues from the Tekken254 Circuit.
“The interaction with players from Canada, Venezuela, the USA and definitely right here in the country has taught me a lot about the Tekken and playing community to this day and the experience continues to be nothing short of amazing.” She adds on that the experience has also brought in a lot of experiences about the gaming scene that she wishes the Kenyan gaming scene would adopt someday to see the industry grow. Of course, the Kenyan e-sports franchise has gradually grown over the last couple of years. But with the
perception that many Kenyans including young people still have about gaming, there is still a whole lot more to be done. “Every game made internationally is built with a community of gamers put into consideration. Even for e-sports, there is a lot of research, education and follow-up done since it is all about the gamers. So, I wish the Kenyan scene spreads awareness to Kenyans to try and make them aware that video games are not only for fun but can also get you to earn money at competitive levels.” But she also does encourage gamers in the country to be conversant enough with the games they choose to specialize in as well as the market. This is considering the level of competition that exists in the international levels, which is to say the least, really high. “It takes more than just being a good video game player. It takes a good personality and character as well since sponsorships don’t come to people with stale personalities. It’s also just about what your audience sees from the beginning,” she commented. Nevertheless, she acknowledges that this needs to be two-way traffic where the stakeholder needs to bring in as many opportunities as possible. The global e-sports scene is mainly known for the enormous amounts of money pumped into it, and this is what mostly encourages a whole lot of players to come in as competitors.
“As much as the audience needs to grow, the country’s industry itself needs to have a convincing reason why a player should quit their 9-to-5 job to come play video games against a whole group of contenders.” Obviously, this is not to say that the country’s e-sports hasn’t gone a long way with companies like Safaricom jumping in on the frenzy in 2019. Personally though for her, she has a lot installed being that she’s barely at the peak of her journey in the world of e-sports. “I am absolutely looking forward to soon being a part of the Tekken World Tour mostly in the United States. I am also working a lot towards being a brand that’s big enough to be signed by major corporations like Red Bull. That would definitely be the greatest affirmation of my career.” As she works to accomplish all this and more, we here at Gadgets Africa certainly wish her all the best.
@MalikaSiheme98 @thequeenarrow98 The QueenArrow98
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SMARTPHONE
FEATURES WE EXPECT TO DOMINATE 2020 | SARUNI MAINA
2019 was an interesting year when it came to smartphones. We saw new and interesting trends pop-up, for instance, pop-up selfie cameras became a thing (no pun intended), there were a lot of colourful smartphones with different gradients, the notch shrunk to a small water drop size and other interesting features.
As we step into 2020, we expect to see some of these features pour through into the year, at least at the beginning of it. While we’re excited for what the year holds in terms of technology advancement, here’s our prediction of what we think will be the trending features on smartphones across the board in 2020:
HOLES ON DISPLAYS We’ve already seen some phone adorn this in 2019. From flagship phones that cost 100k to budget phones that cost less than 15k. While in 2019 the number of smartphones with this design was countable in one hand, in 2020 we expect to see more and more devices. Especially with the budget and mid-range smartphones, like the notch, the punchole display will be the “selling point” feature of 2020.
HIDDEN SELFIE CAMERAS While we have notches and holes, a new trend is likely to emerge – especially on high-end flagship phones, and that’s hidden selfie cameras. We’ve seen the concept; a selfie camera is placed underneath the display, similarly to how in-display fingerprint scanners work. The quality of the selfie may take a hit, but we’re certain the issues will be resolved in future models.
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IN-DISPLAY FINGERPRINT SCANNER We already saw this on several mid-range and flagship devices in 2019 and on most devices the technology sucked. While we’re likely to see the tech trickle down to more budget phones, what’s more likely to happen is the improvement of the technology. We’ll see the in-display scanner get more accurate and reliable in 2020 than it ever was in 2019.
SQUARE OR RECTANGULAR CAMERA BUMPS We saw this design pop-up in late 2019. The iPhone 11 was clad in this camera design, and the little-known Google Pixel 4 also comes with a similar design. In 2020, we are going to see most of not all 2020 smartphones come with a similar design on the back, and yes, we have Apple to thank for that. So whether you like the design or not, brace yourself for the squared cameras in 2020!
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Yahoo’s original name was akebo.stanford.edu PHANTOM VIBRATION SYNDROME is the name for when someone thinks their phone is vibrating but isn’t The original design for an iPhone was in the SHAPE OF AN APPLE There are more phones in the world THAN THERE ARE TOILETS 97% of people type IN WORDS to Google just to see if they SPELLED IN RIGHT
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HOME TECH
TO LOOK OUT FOR IN 2020
SAMSUNG 292” 8K WALL TV
SMART COOKING WITH COOKINGPAL JULIA
At CES 2020, Samsung’s debut included a range of smart TV’s including the Wall. Their new massive 8K 292-inch TV. It features a 120Hz refresh rate, Quantum Processor Flex and a slim bezel-less display that blends with the surroundings. I can’t wait to watch camera copy Jumanji from 123movies.com
Cooking Pal is taking center stage in kitchen tech with Julia, an intelligent autonomous cooking system that will not only suggest meal for you but do most of the cooking too. Julia has a smart hub on a custom tablet that tells you what to and how to cook using the other half of its system. The tablet offers touch and voice controls letting you watch/read recipes and order for ingredients you don’t have. The other part of Julia is a food processor that can chop, knew, mix, cook and steam all in one device. And it cleans itself. Okay no it doesn’t but that would be really cool!
VIZIO ELEVATE SOUND BAR
CHARMIN HIGH-TECH BATHROOM
Sound bars are the new boys in town and Vizio aren’t being left in the dark. Known for their smart TV, Vizio have designed a rotating speaker sound bar to amp up your listening experience. The company calls it the Elevate sound bar, a 10-channel, 5.1.4 sound system. It features 18 drivers and a wireless sub-woofer. The speakers face forward when you play music and rotate upwards whenever you play Dolby Atmos Content.
In 2020, there will be flying cars they said. Well, not quite yet but we’re getting there. A toilet roll company has chosen to bless the world of tech with some innovative ideas. Roll-bot, a smartphone controlled robot has been created to deliver toilet roll to you. The bathroom will also feature a smell sense option to help detect and freshenup the room before you enter. Finally solving the right problems.
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SAMSUNG AND LENOVO SMART FRIDGE If you’ve always wanted to have a smart fridge you can control from your smartphone, now is the time. The Samsung Family Hub and the Instaview ThinQ from LG are a must have for 2020. They feature camera based AI capabilities and other Internet of Things orientations. You can see what’s in your fridge even when you’re not in the house. Watch recipes and movies right from your fridge. Entertain yourself and you never have to leave the comfort of your kitchen.
SAMSUNG FAMILY HUB
INSTAVIEW THINQ LG
PowerE dge R440
D e si gned fo r d e n se, sc al e -ou t c o m p u t i n g
Gain performance and density in a compact 1U, 2-socket rack server for HPC, web tech and scale-out infrastructure.
• Intel® Xeon® Platinum Processor • 8C/16T Max Tuvrbo Frequency 3.00 GHz/16 GB (1 x 16GB) 2666MTs 2x600GB 10K SAS • Rails DVD RW Dual Port Gigabit Ethernet On-Board • PERC H730P+ - Storage controller (RAID) • 12 Gbits iDRAC9 Exp/1 x 550W/ [PER440M3] • 1 Year Parts Warranty, 3 Year Support NBD
Ava i l a b l e at : J o s at ro n i c D ata Sy s te m s Ltd Phone : +254 717-982328 | Email : sales@josatronic.com Dell, EMC, PowerEdge and other trademarks are trademarks of Dell Inc. or its subsidiaries. Other trademarks may be trademarks of their respective owners. Ultrabook, Celeron, Celeron Inside, Core Inside, Intel, Intel Logo, Intel Atom, Intel Atom Inside, Intel Core, Intel Inside, Intel Inside Logo, Intel vPro, Itanium, Itanium Inside, Pentium, Pentium Inside, vPro Inside, Xeon, Xeon Phi, and Xeon Inside are trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the U.S. and/or other countries. Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. © 2019 Dell Inc. All rights reserved.
GAMING HUB BY DENNIS WAWERU
It is a new year and yes, a new decade is here as well. And as the whole tech world is basically expected to keep growing through the various products yet to be revealed, the world of gaming is expected to take a whole new shift. New consoles, new video games are all everyone is basically talking about in 2020. So, if you probably aren’t caught up, here’s some of the stuff you should expect this year in the world of gaming.
CYBERPUNK 2077 PS4 | XBOX ONE | PC | STADIA There are many video games expected to be released this year alongside other new pieces of tech, but Cyberpunk 2077 has to be among the top in terms of video games to look out for. Revealed last year by Microsoft’s Xbox and game developers, CD Projekt Red, the video game is expected to have one famous movie star as a major character, John Wick’s Keanu Reeves. Aside from that, the game has everyone excited due to its promised storyline said to be diverse, adventurous and full on unending action. Set in a futuristic timeline, Cyberpunk 2077 is basically about a world that has become so hectic forcing people to integrate with future tech in their bodies in order to survive. With that comes lots of crimes in the open world which the playing character unfortunately becomes a part of. That’s where you will now come in and navigate through the whole game to try and survive every ordeal brought your way. From the music, background story and even graphics, it is clear that whoever gets to have a first-hand experience of the game will be really lucky come April 2020.
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MARVEL’S AVENGERS PS4 | XBOX ONE | PC | STADIA We have had superhero-themed games before, but ever since the creation of PS4’s Marvel’s SpiderMan, the whole genre definitely shifted for the better. Marvel is definitely set to release another video game, this time in honour of the multi-billion-dollar film franchise, Avengers. And while its set to adopt similar features from the former, many have bashed it for not adopting the famous actors with the characters in the game. However, no one is set to give up on the game just yet as it has been promised of feature an amazing storyline, impressive graphics and even better gameplay mechanics. The game is set to be released on 15th May 2020.
NEW GAMING CONSOLES You must at least know by now that the two greatest console creators are set to release new consoles later this year. PlayStation 5 from Sony and Xbox Series X from Microsoft may very well be the most anticipated releases of 2020. We have had the PS4 and Xbox One for a while now and they have clearly proven to be performance beasts and huge leaps from their predecessors. And with the leap that the whole world of tech has taken over the last couple of years, the two projects are clearly expected to be the best performing consoles of all time. Of course, the two will be competitive against each other with each providing a feature or two to try and outdo the other. But all the better for the consumers who actually get to feed on these tech advancements. Sony and Microsoft have over the last couple of months both promised to bring up consoles with the highest loading speeds. This is meant to make gaming more efficient as well as contribute to improved graphical quality. Moreover, the two have been promised to feature backwards compatibility meaning they will both be able to play games that are compatible with their predecessors, that is the PS4 and Xbox One. The design of the Xbox Series X was revealed days before the end of 2019 while Sony has chosen to keep their cards hidden all this while. Maybe Sony wants to surprise us, maybe not. Either way, we cannot help but be excited for the two new consoles, their controllers and the quality of video games that will follow after their respective releases. No specific dates have been announced for either (yet) but it is certainly set to be in the later months of 2020.
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APPS THAT WILL
TAKE OVER YOUR 2020 BY ANFERNEE ONAMU
With everything we’re doing today, there is probably an app for it. Tell me one without an app, I’ll wait… Be it learning cooking, travelling, reading, watching/creating content. If there isn’t an app for it, there’s probably a tutorial on it. Here are some apps you should have in 2020. COMMUNICATION APPS: WhatsApp, Facebook, Telegram, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube Most devices now come with most of these apps pre-installed but should you find your device lacks any of these, get them fast. For content creation, communication and consumption, business and educational preferences, these apps play their part in creating who we are. These are the topmost downloaded apps in 2019 and they should top the charts again in 2020.
Scan to visit store
MWANGAZA APP Mwangaza is a payment platform that provides a platform for the purchase of KPLC tokens and airtime from Safaricom, Airtel and Telkom. You are now able to pay your KPLC Postpaid electricity bills and Nairobi Water bills. Additionally, you can now view and verify the meter owner. No more mistakes with meter numbers. Mwangaza offers zero M-Pesa charges and their tokens are instant too.
ACCUWEATHER Weather apps have become a must-have for us. We are never too sure of what's going to happen next. The sun and rain seem to have some understanding we don't get but now you can get yourself ready before they catch up to you. These are two of the most accurate weather apps available on the app stores. They give monthly, weekly and hourly updates on weather wherever you are. Don't get caught in the rain again with these accurate apps.
Scan to visit store
CPL & NOVA Scan to download
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Nova Launcher seems to be extended beyond what normal launchers are. It’s been around for years, it’s been consistently updated, and thus it’s never not been a great option for a launcher replacement. It comes with a host of features, including the ability to backup and restore your home screen setups, icon theming for all of your Android apps, tons of customization elements for the home screen and app drawer, and more. You can even make it look like the Pixel Launcher if you want to. It is almost comparable to the CPL launcher and either of these apps should give you a beautiful and unique look to your phone.
Scan to download
LASTPASS LastPass is one of those must-have Android apps. It’s a password manager that lets you save your login credentials in a safe, secure way. On top of that, it can help generate nearly impossible passwords for you to use on your accounts. It’s all controlled with a master password. It has cross-platform support so you can use it on computers, mobile devices, tablets, or whatever. There are others, but LastPass always feels like it’s one step ahead. Additionally, the premium version is cheap. You can also grab LastPass Authenticator to go along with it for added security. There are other great options like 1Password, Dashlane, Bit Warden, KeepassDroid, and others that are just about as good. However, LastPass feels a little friendlier and secure (usually), especially with its extra authenticator app.
Scan to visit store
BOUNCER Scan to visit store
Bouncer is our pick for the best new Android app from 2019. It’s a security app with a unique premise. The app lets you grant temporary permissions to applications. So, for instance, you can let Facebook access your location long enough to check into a place, and Bouncer disables the permission once you leave Facebook. This is a great way to use all of the features of a social media app without digging into your settings to disable those permissions or giving those apps permanent access to your information. The app runs for $0.99 and should work on most (if not all) apps. It’s rumored that this could be an Android Q feature. If that’s true, then even Google really likes this app.
GOOGLE PODCASTS Podcast is the craze of 2019 and will surely flow into 2020 with the same intensity. So for those looking to dive into the world of audio content, these two are the most accurate from the app companies themselves. They house all kinds of content and you are sure to get a wide variety of what you are looking for.
Scan to visit store
CHROOMA Scan to download
Chrooma has to be my favourite app. It stands out from the rest as it changes colour to match the app you are using. E.g. green for WhatsApp, Red for YouTube and blue for Twitter. It's a small feature but comes in handy when you are looking for continuity. Google Keyboard provides just as good a keyboard and with a learning dictionary, it makes typing that much easier.
Get Yourself around Town with These Apps Google Maps, Uber, Bolt and SafeBoda who help us move around the country hassle-free. P A G E
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HOW TO
OTIS CREATIVES
CAPTURE 2020 ANFERNEE ONAMU
PHOTOGRAPHY - the art and practice of taking photographs. Sounds like a simple process but it isn’t. For those who have taken selfies, we all know how many selfies we need to take before we get the perfect one. Without the right information, photography can be hard. Social pressures don’t make it any easier. Some people take such amazing pictures, and it leaves you wondering, “How did you do this?” We’ll talk about beginner tech and techniques to turn you into a professional in 2020. CAMERAS FOR BEGINNERS For a beginner, the easier a camera is to use, the less stressed a person would be. With cameras, comfort is key and the easier it is to use a camera, the more comfortable you will be. The more you will get used to the art and turn it from passion to profession. It is of course, very different for professionals who appreciate the art of complexity in photography, but that’s for another article. You may not have as high a budget as people who have devoted their lives to the profession, so don’t worry so much about your budget. You probably don’t want to spend too much money because as you progress, you will want to upgrade your kit. With a lighter, smaller budget camera, you are more likely to walk around with it more and use it on a daily basis. This will develop your skills and attachment to the profession. Here are 4 of the best beginner budget cameras that could be the beginning of your photographic journey.
CANON EOS REBEL SL2
24.2 Megapixel Camera Small and portable CMOS Autofocus system Flip-out LCD Panel & touchscreen capabilities NFC and Bluetooth Capabilities Full HD recording No 4K video
KSH 50,000
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NIKON D53OO
24.2 Megapixel Camera 1080p Video Resolution Continuous shooting at 5fps 2 inch LCD display No touchscreen No flip-out panel
KSH 35,000-40,000
OLYMPUS OM-D E-M10 III
Great build quality Mirrorless Camera 16-megapixel micro 3/4 sensor Small and easy to carry around Three-inch touch tilting LCD Five-axis image stabilization
KSH 50,000
PHOTOGRAPHY
TIPS FOR BEGINNERS
PANASONIC LUMIX FZ300
24x zoom F2.8 Leica lens 4K Video shooting capabilities Continuous shooting at 10fps 3-inch touch tilting LCD panel No multi-functioning ring.
KSH 40,000
So now you’ve bought your camera and you’ve taken some pictures. But they still don’t look like what you may have seen on Instagram and you want to make sure they look sharp, clear and professional. Here’s a few tips to help you reach that goal.
RULE OF THIRDS IN PHOTOGRAPHY Imagine four lines, two running horizontally across the image and two vertical, creating nine squares. Instead of always placing your subject at the center, try moving it to one of the intersecting points of the imaginary lines. This makes the image tell a better story and makes it more aesthetically pleasing. CAMERA SHAKE Shaky photos never put a smile on anyone’s face. One of the best ways to reduce this is to practice how to hold your camera. The steadier you are, the more in focus your pictures will be. Make sure to always use both hands. A more technical approach is to make sure your shutter speed is not too low if you are shooting handheld. If you are using a 100mm lens, your shutter speed should be no lower than 1/100th of a second. If you’re taking many pictures or videos, it is also advisable to get a tripod. This allows you to have low shutter speeds and still have steady pictures. PHOTOGRAPHY EXPOSURE TRIANGLE Using Automatic Mode will, of course, take care of these settings but sometimes you want a picture to look a certain way. When you learn and master the triangle, this should turn you into the professional you want to be. This will help you create blur, lighting and sense of depth effects to help your pictures look better.
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SIMPLICITY Pick out simple backgrounds, gear and props that need to be in your shot. You don't have to have the latest tech or the most expensive camera to get good shots. Using smaller lights and makeshift tripods can still create fantastic artwork. FOCUS ON THE EYES The eyes are the windows to the soul. When you focus on them, the picture draws you closer and highlights a sense of emotion. From the eyes, you can depict happiness, sorrow, joy, anger, sadness, hope, among other emotions. This is a great technique to tell your story through pictures. Practice makes perfect. Try out these techniques and see your work go from 0-100 real quick! Most people think that the bigger the lens, the better the shots. That is not the case. All lenses are different, and each has a particular task. It all depends on your purpose. The lens is one of the most important parts of your camera. One of the best things about DSLR cameras is the fact that the lenses are interchangeable. That brings in a whole dynamic regarding which lens you should buy, how and when to use it. Selecting the right one is imperative to getting the best shots. There are so many options to choose from, and it can be quite confusing. Let's dive a little deeper and understand lenses. MOST IMPORTANTLY… Education is the most important thing about photography. That does not necessarily mean you have to go to school. The best way is to teach yourself and then seek advice from professionals when you’re stuck. Watch a few videos, take up a few tutorials, pay for a masterclass and get all the knowledge you require before investing in the art. For a little tutorial, here is some information on one of the most important parts of a camera, the lens.
LENSES
EXPLAINED Basically, a camera lens is an optical lens used with a camera body to make images on photographic film. Each photographer has his/her own unique needs. Lenses are defined by their focal length, aperture, zoom capabilities and prize. These are the factors one needs to consider when buying their first lens. FOCAL LENGTH The numbers written on your lens almost always reflect the focal length. This is the distance in millimetres from the center of the lens to the sensor. The lower the number, the wider the shot will be. For example, in the standard 18-55 mm lens, at 1omm, the shot is wide and at 55mm the shot gets narrower and closer to a specific subject.
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They range from as low as 14mm to as high as 800mm. So when choosing, figure out why you want it. For wide-angle shots, (landscape, building, event photography), pick a lens with a low focal length. For close-ups, photoshoots and narrow pictures, look for a larger focal length, between 100mm and 300mm.
SHUTTERSPEED Shutter speed is the length of time your camera sensor (or film) is exposed to light — essentially, how long your camera spends taking a photo. Shutter speed affects exposure. It physically changes the amount of light you capture. The lower the shutter, the brighter the image. So a thirty second shutter speed will be faster than a 1/320 shutter speed. For example, if you walk in the rain for 30 seconds, you won't get as wet as if you walked in the same rain for an hour. The same works for shutter speed. As much as it brightens up photos, lower shutter speeds of up to 30 seconds help you get a bright photo even at night under the moonlight. Faster shutter speeds help get pictures of fast moving objects.
ISO The ISO is explained as the sensitivity of the image sensor. Unlike the Shutter speed and aperture, it does not brighten up your image but brightens the photo you've already taken. The ISO mainly affects the noise and dynamic range of an image. With lower ISO of 100 you will get little to no noise but with higher ISO, expect your photos to be grainy. The benefits of a low ISO include more dynamic images, blurry backgrounds and with addition to a slow shutter speed, you're able to take long exposure shots with bright lighting. Higher ISO help take better pictures in low light conditions like indoors.
APERTURE This is defined as the measure of how much light can enter your camera. It's represented by the letter f and corresponding numbers, collectively known as the f-stop. The lower the f-stop, like f1.4, the wider the opening. This means that more light enters the camera. The lower the f-stop, the blurrier the backgrounds you will get when taking portrait shots. It can be tricky buying your first camera. Don’t worry. We are here to help you find the best budget cameras. With photography and videography, as a beginner, the camera you choose will determine a lot. There are a few things one needs to consider when purchasing a new camera; ease of use, price point and portability of the device.
IN CONCLUSION So we’ve talked about the tech and shared a few tips on how to become a professional even with budget tech. So now, go into the world and spread the photography gospel.
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TOP
TRENDING VIDEOS OF THE DECADE IN KENYA
It has been a great decade, and an eventfull one at that. With great minds all over the world creating trends and waves in the entertainment scene where some solicited unpresedented responses. Below is a list of these trend setters.
BABY SHARK
ELI KIDS - CARTOONS & SONGS
This turned out to be the most popular children's song in the world garnering 4.3 billion views and counting.
2: 26 / 16 : 46
SCAN TO WATCH
HD
DESPACITO LUIS FONSI
The Spanish song had everyone moving to the beat, becoming the highest viewed video to date with 6.5 billion views.
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2: 26 / 16 : 46
HD
DYNAMO MAGICIAN BRUTHA MUZONE
The British magician had everyone astounded with incredible yet terrifying acts like walking on water.
2: 26 / 16 : 46
SCAN TO WATCH
HD
MERCY MASIKA MERCY MASIKA
This might very well be the most popular Gospel song in Kenya playing from every nook and cranny, gaining 12million views.
SCAN TO WATCH
2: 26 / 16 : 46
HD
MARK ANGEL BRUTHA MUZONE
The Nigerian comedian has had the whole continent laughing with videos alongside young comedian, Emanuella.
2: 26 / 16 : 46
HD
SCAN TO WATCH
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STUDENT LAPTOP
GUIDE
ANFERNEE ONAMU
SACRIFICES ONE
HAS TO MAKE TO OWN A BUDGET LAPTOP.
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For Sales Inquiries Contact: Mitsumi Computer Garage Ltd Mobile: +254 733 612230 / +254 722 493712 Email: yuvraj@mitsumidistribution.com
HOW TO MAKE YOUR DATA LAST LONGER IN 2020
BY SARUNI MAINA
When it comes to mobile data, there’s a lot to consider, from choosing the right telco to picking the right bundle that suits your needs. While we’ve seen telcos offer cheaper data bundles and even non-expiring ones, those of us who are not lucky enough to have constant access to WiFi need to be extra vigilant when on mobile data because those things are still not as cheap as we’d want them to be. Here are tips to help you save mobile data in 2020 regardless of whichever provider you’re using: FOREGROUND AND BACKGROUND DATA Foreground data is the data consumed when actively using an app. We usually have no problem with this, since often, we are aware of what we are doing. Disabling automatic image download and automatic video playing is one way to curb a lot of data drain although, we will still find some unexplained data drain and that’s where background data comes to play. Background data is when your phone is fetching data while you’re not using it. This happens to ensure that you have a seamless experience with the apps that you use; however this comes at the cost of your data.
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HOW TO DISABLE BACKGROUND DATA:
Android users: Enable data
saver by going to Settings -> Data usage -> Menu (three dots on the left) -> Data Saver. This will restrict all apps from accessing background data. You can select the apps that you want to have background data access, to be safe with not missing important notifications like emails, but ensure you uncheck Google Play Services that sneakily enables itself and is notorious for draining data. However, note that disabling background data for Google Play Services means that you cannot access Google Play Store while on Mobile data.
iOS users: To turn off background data on iOS, you go to Settings -> General -> Background App Refresh and switch it off. If you wish to switch off background data for specific apps only, then leave the main toggle on and switch off the apps you want to restrict from the list. Please note that disabling background data will save you some data, but you might miss notifications and generally you will have limited experience. When it comes to mobile data, there’s a lot to consider, from choosing the right telco to picking the right bundle that suits your needs.
While we’ve seen telcos offer cheaper data bundles and even non-expiring ones, those of us who are not lucky enough to have constant access to WiFi need to be extra vigilant when on mobile data because those things are still not as cheap as we’d want them to be. Here are tips to help you save mobile data in 2020 regardless of whichever provider you’re using: FOREGROUND AND BACKGROUND DATA Foreground data is the data consumed when actively using an app. We usually have no problem with this, since often, we are aware of what we are doing. Disabling automatic image download and automatic video playing is one way to curb a lot of data drain although, we will still find some unexplained data drain and that’s where background data comes to play. Background data is when your phone is fetching data while you’re not using it. This happens to ensure that you have a seamless experience with the apps that you use; however this comes at the cost of your data.
HOW TO DISABLE BACKGROUND DATA:
Android users:
Enable data saver by going to SETTINGS -> DATA USAGE -> MENU (THREE DOTS ON THE LEFT) -> DATA SAVER. This will restrict all apps from accessing background data. You can select the apps that you want to have background data access, to be safe with not missing important notifications like emails, but ensure you uncheck Google Play Services that sneakily enables itself and is notorious for draining data.
AUTOMATIC UPDATES
USING LITE APPS
Automatic updates are always enabled for both Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
The last and final step in taking control of your data management is the use of third-party apps.
To disable this on Android, go to PLAY STORE -> SETTINGS -> AUTO-UPDATE APPS AND SELECT “AUTO-UPDATE APPS OVER WI-FI ONLY”. To disable auto-updates on iOS, go to
One of the best out there is using data-saving browsers such as Brave and using Lite apps that are specifically built to save data. Facebook Lite, Twitter Lite and YouTube Go will all come in handy when you’re cutting down on your data costs.
SETTINGS -> ITUNES AND APP STORE -> USE CELLULAR DATA AND TOGGLE THIS OPTION OFF.
However, note that disabling background data for Google Play Services means that you cannot access Google Play Store while on Mobile data.
iOS users:
To turn off background data go to SETTINGS -> GENERAL -> BACKGROUND APP REFRESH AND SWITCH IT OFF.
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If you wish to switch off background data for specific apps only, then leave the main toggle on and switch off the apps you want to restrict from the list. Please note that disabling background data will save you some data, but you might miss notifications and generally you will have limited experience.
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“Hello Dennis. Nice to see you. Click any option below & I’ll see on how best to assist you.” “Check balance,” I reply. “Kindly enter your phone number”. This is a conversation I am having with Safaricom’s chatbot, Zuri trying to check on my airtime balance. So, after entering my phone number, “she” goes ahead to ask, “Which balance would you like to confirm?” “Airtime,” I type. And in less than a second, Zuri gets back to me with my exact airtime balance, shilling and cent. Ever since Kenyan brands started using social media to actively interact with their customers and not necessarily have them queue up in lines, service has really improved. But the companies are now seeking to have an even smoother means of communication to their daily customers who demand for service delivery and rightly so. Then came chatbots, a new piece of algorithm that can directly interact with clients by readily responding to everyday requests. Back in 2018, Safaricom sought to improve its customer service deliver Zuri by introducing a bot that assists in simple tasks that do not require human interaction. The bot was programmed to work on two popular online messaging platformsFacebook Messenger and Telegram, with the bot working exactly the same on both apps. P A G E
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BY DENNIS WAWERU
So, why torture a human being to hours on a desk trying to reply to millions of requests from customers, many of which even come at the same time. Why not have an automated virtual intelligence do it by easily communicating with multiple customers simultaneously?
But Zuri does not exist alone as other companies that are looking have excellent customer service delivery have also made efforts to have their own chatbots to interact with their clients on a daily basis.
And with the aforementioned social media platforms being some of the most popularly used in the country, why not take the service to them? However, we need to just have an idea of how these chatbots actually come to life and work.
RISE PLANET BOTS OF THE
OF THE
Kenya Commercial Bank, for instance, might have been one of the first banks in Kenya to have its own chatbots referred to as a “digital customer service platform” around July of 2019. Developed by US-based Sparkcentral, the platform was established to ease communication with customers through Facebook, Messenger, Twitter, 2-way messaging via SMS and live chatting on the bank’s website. And while one might wonder why these companies would choose to have automation instead of real people for customer service delivery, you should know that they don’t take up all the work required in their respective departments. Besides, think about it; 40 million Kenyans have access to the internet according to a past report from Communications Authority of Kenya. And with that number still growing with time, a huge fraction is choosing to access customer services through online platforms.
HOW CHATBOTS WORK At first, a chatbot can look like a normal app. But different from other apps, the chatbot’s UI is replaced with a chat interface that the messaging app does effortlessly. However, the developers can’t help but worry that the bot might not understand the customer’s exact intent. This is where machine learning/training comes in.
Most companies that have chatbots already must be having huge logs of conversations to their inventories. The developers then use the pre-existing chats to make the bot understand the human language. With the help of machine learning tools, the developers match questions that customers commonly with the best suitable answers. For instance, a customer that asks, “Where is my payment receipt?” and another that says, “I have not received my payment receipt”, are pretty much asking for the same thing. So, the two get pretty much the same answer from the bot which would what the developers have set. But there is more to that since they have to make sure the bot can do all this flawlessly to even more complex inquiries. This means they have to go further and train the bot for clear communication. Luckily though, training a bot is done much faster and at a larger scale than you would train a human. The Customer Support chatbot is then given manuals to read and understand. These manuals mainly contain thousands of conversation logs so the bot may know what answers to give for specific questions from customers. Once the chatbot goes live to interact with real-life customers, smart feedback loops are implemented. So, if I text Zuri and say “hi”, the bot understands immediately and provides options of requests that I may want to ask as a Safaricom subscriber. However, there are limitations in place assuring that the model should not change based on new replies where users are
not driving the bot in right direction. The chatbot will also not just rephrase what the people say in the chat but it is indeed taught to answer things that the bot’s owner wants it to answer.
service delivery. Will we start seeing companies in insurance taking up this form of tech? After all, they also have thousands if not more of clients that they have to communicate with daily.
But let me not bore you to death with all the rocket science that is automation and algorithms. However, one can’t help but think about the elephant in the room when it comes to automation and that is, artificial intelligence. It is pretty clear by now that tech like artificial intelligence will one day start replacing regular human resources. If you don’t agree, just go consult the hundreds of reports that predict this risk happening in the next few years.
Well, AI Kenya’s founder, Alfred Mongere, thinks this is highly possible saying, “Telco companies and Fintechs are already using these technologies from interactive voice response, fraud detection to risk management. So as the technology advances and fits the local context better, it will be inevitable for scale ups and big companies to adopt data science and machine learning solutions. The more they grow, the more they will need to ensure that they keep providing efficient services, and automation will contribute significantly to solving this.”
A US-based research firm, Jupiter last year gave a report predicting that chatbots through AI programs, would eventually replace many tasks performed by human workers. “Chatbots are becoming increasingly influential in day-to-day life.... We forecast they will be responsible for cost savings of over $8 billion per annum by 2022, up from $20 million this year,” the research firm said. And as we speak, this is actually happening. Yes, it may not be painfully felt in developing countries but it is certainly a factor that has caused fear even to tech leaders of the world like Elon Musk. And with top lenders in East Africa like Co-operative Bank, KCB and Equity migrating 85% of their transactions from banking halls to digital channels, you can’t help but see that they will all soon be adapting the use of tech like chatbots for flawless customer
Reportedly, all these innovations have come at a cost with the Kenyan banking sector shedding off thousands of jobs in the past few years and multiple branches being closed due to the shift to online services. Now this is minus the adoption of advanced tech that is artificial intelligence. Either way, tech will advance, no one can stop it. But how we choose the tech to affect other people living standards is totally up to us. And since every company is out for profit, they will have to adapt to the latest technological trends out there.
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Windows Hello. Password goodbye.
Y O U R D A I LY M U S T- H A V E INSPIRON 15 3000 LAPTOPS
Everything you need for your every day. The Inspiron 3000 series laptops combine a sleek, modern exterior with Dell Cinema’s incredible color, sound and streaming.
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The Inspiron 15 3000 Series (3580)
The Inspiron 15 3000 Series (3581)
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8th Gen Intel® Core™ i5-8265U Processor (6MB Cache, up to 3.9 GHz)
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7th Gen Intel® Core™ i3-7020U processor (3MB Cache, up to 2.30GHz)
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Windows 10 Home
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Windows 10 Home
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15.6-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) Anti-Glare LED-Backlit Non-touch Display
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15.6-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) Anti-glare LED-Backlit Non-Touch Display
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Fingerprint reader
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4GB Single Channel DDR4 2133MHz
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4GB Single Channel DDR4 2666MHz
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1TB 5400 RPM 2”5 SATA Hard Drive
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1TB HDD
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2GB Graphics Card
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McAfee Security Center, 15 Month Subscription
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McAfee Security Center, 15 months subscription
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4 Year Carry-In Service Warranty
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4 Year Carry-In Service Warranty
Available at: Mitsumi Computer Garage LTD. 12th Floor, Mitsumi Business Park, Muthithi Road, Westlands, Nairobi, Kenya Email: sales@mitsumidistribution.com Office: +254 20 374 0750 | +254 733 612230 | +254 722 493712 Web: www.mitsumidistribution.com
Dell, EMC, Inspiron and other trademarks are trademarks of Dell Inc. or its subsidiaries. Other trademarks may be trademarks of their respective owners. Ultrabook, Celeron, Celeron Inside, Core Inside, Intel, Intel Logo, Intel Atom, Intel Atom Inside, Intel Core, Intel Inside, Intel Inside Logo, Intel vPro, Itanium, Itanium Inside, Pentium, Pentium Inside, vPro Inside, Xeon, Xeon Phi, and Xeon Inside are trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the U.S. and/or other countries. Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. © 2019 Dell Inc. All rights reserved.