Gadgets Africa Mar 2020 Social Media Evolution by Gadgets Africa

FREE COPY | MARCH

2020

A F R I C A

T H E

E C O S Y S T E M

www.gadgets-africa.com

MANAGING EDITOR Nayantara Jha

EDITOR Saruni Maina STAFF WRITERS Dennis Waweru Anfernee Onamu

SALES INQUIRIES 0768 811 226 DESIGNER <ĞŶŶĞĚǇ KƟƐ

Email: dm@gadgets-africa.com Facebook: /gadgetsafrica dǁŝƩĞƌ͗ ΛŐĂĚŐĞƚƐĂĨƌŝĐĂ

CONTACTS YouTube: GADGETS AFRICA Insta: GADGETS AFRICA

WHICH WAS THE

FIRST SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM FROM THE

BEGINNING OF THE CONCEPT, SOCIAL MEDIA WAS TO CONNECT PEOPLE

Six Degrees, as it was known, tackled social networking as a way to connect with people we already know, a concept that later evolved to what we see today where we now get to meet strangers. While this is not a history class, it is important to understand where it all began for us to appreciate the world that social media has created for us. After the fall of Six Degrees, other social networks started to pop up; Friendster in 2002, MySpace and LinkedIn in 2003, Facebook in 2004 and Twitter in 2006. As of now, we have different iterations of social media, those heavily focused on images like Instagram and Pinterest and those focused on video like YouTube, Snapchat and TikTok.

Most of us think that Social Media started with Facebook. When we can confidently say that FB played a very big role in making social media mainstream, the earlier pioneers of the concept of a social website are the ones we really need to be thankful to. The concept of social media was born way back in the 90s with the very first public social media platform launching in 1997.

i n u r a a n i S Ma

From the beginning of the concept, social media was to connect people – whether they already knew each other or it was a bridge to building that connection but as the years went by, this convergence of millions of people on a single platform started to sprout alternative uses of social media, in particular touching on monetary value. In today’s world, every social media platform has its own unique way of advertising with different levels of targeting that traditional media drools after. There’s also an interesting concept that has arisen from the use of Social media – influencers, but that’s a story for another day.

OUR TEAM

CEO Rishabh Lawania

14 Years Old Newsfeed, friends, wall, likes and reactions, comments, messages and inbox, notifications, groups, events, photos, videos

Instagram has more than 1 billion monthly active users.

2018 FROM PAINTING ON CAVE WALLS

2 Billion users

2017

1 Billion users

2016 2015 2014

Facebook acquires WhatsApp

1 Billion users

Tagging of photos and videos is introduced

2013

Facebook buys Instagram, releases Insta web and hits 80 million users

2012

First worldwide instameet and hits 10 million users!

2011

Instagram launches and hits 1 million users.

2010

The birth of the “Like” button and the buying of Instagram

2009

Facebook version for iPhones and hit 100 Million Users

2008

Facebook Ads + Facebook Pages Launch

2007

Allowing everyone in, by email and Launched their Newsfeed

2006

Facebook Goes International Introduces Photo sharing and tagging

2005

Facebook is born as ‘TheFacebook’ and it only has 7 features and drops the “The” soon after.

2004

Twitter is global and is a trusted site for news updates and entertainment

Introduces WhatsApp Business

2018 TO POSTING ON FACEBOOK WALLS

2017

2 Billion users

2016

On 21st March 2016, Twitter celebrated its 10th birthday

Introduction of document sharing feature, introduced on Mac and Windows operating systems.

2015

Revolution of social media posts in Google search results

WhatsApp launches WhatsApp Web

2014

Ellen DeGeneres tweets the most engaged with Tweet of all time which received over 3M retweets and 3.3B impressions.

Introduction of 'Read Receipts' Facebook acquires WhatsApp.

2013

Twitter announces the launch of their new video-sharing app, Vine.

Introduction of Voice Messaging

2012

First glimpse of the new Twitter bird design Barack Obama announces his success in the election on Twitter with this Tweet

2011

Twitter launches the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;TweetDeckâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

2010

50 million Tweets are sent out every single day!

2009

5 billion Tweets!

2008

1 billion Tweets

2007

The hashtag is proposed

2006

Twitter is born!

WhatsApp is now available on Android Devices and Blackberry

2005 2004

Jan Koum (Now, co-founder) incorporates 'WhatsApp Inc.' in California.

How Social Media

Killed Privacy DENNIS WAWERU

hen it comes to the death of privacy, it is of course so easy to blast the infinite ways in which the surveillance state of social media’s ad-driven empire mines and profiles us. It is now so obvious that almost every platform out there is intentional on getting data that you would have considered as highly confidential either as a form of marketing tool to sell to other external agencies or just for their own internal strategies to try and grow. The Cambridge Analytica scandal is one that still lingers fresh in the hearts and minds of users globally even after almost two years now. And even after the huge fining that Zuckerberg’s empire was slapped with which still never seemed close to enough, it is clear by now that not many care about their own private data.

IN OUR ERA OF OMNIPRESENT SMARTPHONE CAMERAS, THERE IS LITTLE LEFT THAT IS OFF-LIMITS TO SHARING WITH THE WORLD. The number of daily active users on, not just Facebook, still continues to grow, so much so that the company has still not done anything to rebuild its torn reputation. I would call it torn mostly because I think what they do is wrong but it seems perfectly fine to the billions of users that still remain on the platform. So, yeah, if we were to keep ranting about the online privacy puzzle, you will have to read this article all day, of which I’m pretty sure you don’t have the time for.

It is not just about online data. Social media also destroyed the sense of basic offline privacy. These digital dossiers actually present just a piece of the conundrum that has forever changed in a world defined now by smartphones, images, clips, live-streaming and the sheer need for clout. Perhaps the other section of the picture has been the loss of privacy in the offline world, as historical norms around basic human respect have been replaced with a paparazzi-like expectation of the privilege to film anyone anywhere for any reason and broadcast it to the world. You’ve seen them, those people who always have the right speed to just pull out their phones from the depth of their pockets or bags in case anything happens on the streets. And by anything, I mean exactly that. Once upon a time, the mainstream media was respectful enough of the privacy of ordinary people but never cared that much about the dignity of public figures. A celebrity or politician caught anywhere doing something queer would soon enough run into the risk of being on primetime news or an exclusive article on the morning paper. But even then, the press still found a way to respect any of the person’s requests and portray them in the image they wished. Today, all of that is out of the window as it is not just the political or entertainment sphere in which privacy has been eroded. The line between paparazzi and press has become increasingly blurred as salacious scandals and stalker-like tactics have become commonplace as ordinary citizens now increasingly perform the role of photojournalist and reporter. After all, what’s the need of waiting for this juicy story to be aired by the press when I can just take a shot or film it, post it online and get a couple of likes and retweets? In our era of omnipresent smartphone cameras, there is little left that is off-limits to sharing with the world. This is, however, not to say that obscene or just straight-up offensive behaviour shouldn’t be held to account. But when was even the last time that really happened with a clean intention? See an oddly dressed individual going about their business at the supermarket? Photograph it and post to social media lampooning their fashion choices. See a neighbour having a heated fight with their spouse? Why not film it and maybe Kenyans on Twitter will want some of this later in the day instead of maybe helping? (We all remember what we did to Natalie Tewa).

Witness a horrible road accident? Hey, why not film this and spread the word instead of actually running to rescue the casualties? See an exhausted guard juggling jobs taking a brief nap on the parking lot? Instead of confronting them, capture a gallery of them sleeping in their uniform then post to social media and have memes flying in later. Split up with an ex who broke your heart? Post nude photos of her on the internet later so she can also feel some pain. Two decades ago, none of this would have been imagined. Today they are sadly an almost daily routine. The fact is that the social era has created an entire generation of the privileged citizenry that believes it is their inviolable right to photograph anyone anywhere for any reason and share the imagery with the world.

THE CAMBRIDGE ANALYTICA SCANDAL IS ONE THAT STILL LINGERS FRESH IN THE HEARTS AND MINDS OF USERS GLOBALLY EVEN AFTER ALMOST TWO YEARS NOW. We have the right to dox those we dislike and call for harassment and even violence against them. The rise of the powerful smartphone with its camera that actually keeps getting better alongside mobile connectivity transformed our ability to share the world around us. Unfortunately, it also empowered a generation with the tools to easily commit public ridicule and to harness the Web’s dark side that we all thought was just about illegal hacking. All this is just to enforce opinions and maybe get a little more online presence. Either way, none of this is ever going to change anytime soon, being that it is still unclear what might turn the tide against this movement given the depth at which it is now entrenched into our societal fabric.

DID YOU KNOW?

1. WHEN SNAPCHAT LAUNCHED in 2011, it was known as PICABOO 2. SPENDING 1 HOUR A DAY on social media reduces the probability of a child being happy with their life by 14% 3.

THE ORIGINAL MEANING OF YAHOO was a really ugly person

4. THE NAME GOOGLE was created accidentally. The intended name for the search engine was Googol. 5.

GOOGLE'S FIRST TWEET WAS “I’m 01100110 01100101 01100101 01101100 01101001 01101110 01100111 00100000 01101100 01110101 01100011 01101011 01111001 00001010.” Translated to; "I'M FEELING LUCKY".

namu

1O1 Hey there. Yes, this is the Photography class. Welcome. Sit down, relax and understand why you’re not taking great pictures… yet. There’s give or take, 1.8 billion photos uploaded to the internet every single day. On average, out of 10 pictures we take, we post only one... Yup, just one. Why is that? Because we constantly doubt our photography skills. Taking great pictures is only a few steps away. Take out your notebooks and let’s get to work. Taking the picture is only half the work. Editing is just as vital. It can turn your picture from good to OMG marry me! SO, WHY DO YOUR PICTURES SUCK? You haven’t checked your environment: Your choice of where photos are taken is as important. Always consider where you are taking the picture. Check your background and make sure there’s nothing that will make you the next internet sensation. Kenyans on Social Media don’t mess. You’re shooting from the wrong angles: Shooting the photo from above will provide a more flattering angle. Changing the orientation of the camera to the subject can alter the style of the shot and bring some creative elements to your photos. Not everything has to be in the centre: Rather than placing your subject directly in the centre of the frame, attempt to shoot your photos with the subject in the left or right third of the frame. This technique stimulates a viewer to spend more time looking at the photo than if the composition was directly symmetrical. Your photos are too dark or too bright: Next to composition, lighting is the single most important factor in a great shot that will help your photo resonate on your social channels. The trick to great lighting isn’t so much where you shoot; you’re not always going to have a bright sunny day or the warm glow of a fire.

HERE’S WHY YOUR PHOTOS SUCK

E lp h a s A n f e r n e

The trick is in how much light you capture in the image and that, in part, can be achieved through white balance and ISO settings. These can be set when you turn on pro mode on your smartphone camera. Your face is too close to the camera: The lens of the camera will distort anything that it is physically close to. Your Shoulders are too much: Slouching shoulders and bad posture are never flattering, so be sure that you pull your shoulders down and back. You’re not showing true emotion: This usually comes through in your face. A fake smile is not usually a flattering smile, so if you want a smiling photo, think of something that makes you genuinely happy or something that is funny before snapping the shot. BY ALL MEANS NECESSARY,AVOID THE DUCKFACE. PURSED LIPS THAT ARE SLIGHTLY WIDENED— HAS BECOME A CLICHÉ AND SOMEWHAT HATED CHOICE FOR SELFIES. HERE ARE 5 OF THE BEST APPS OUT THERE YOU CAN USE TO START EDITING LIKE A PRO. With these editing software programs, you can remove blemishes, eliminate redeye, and perform other touch-ups to even your skin tone and perfect your photo. Snapseed

Lightroom CC

VSCO

Prisma Photo Editor

Pixlr You can download them on the App/Play Store for free. Try these techniques, and you’re sure to be happy with the results.

See you in the next class.

IM GES Interesting facts about

On the Internet

Thought you knew everything about pictures on the internet. Here’s something to tweak your interest. What’s that format we save pictures in? JPEG? PNG? Do you know what they mean? Don’t worry, I’ve got this and many more interesting facts for you.

GIF stands for

GIF

“Graphics Interchange Format”

THE MOST LIKED IMAGE ON INSTAGRAM

The most liked image on Instagram is a photo of an egg and was achieved by the Instagram account @world_record_egBog posted by the Egg Gang, with 54,218,655 likes as of 25 Feb 2020. The page now has over 7 million followers liking pictures of eggs. The closest contender would have to be Kylie Jenner’s post about her baby girl Stormi Webster with 18m likes.

PNG stands for

PNG

“Portable Graphics Format”

FACEBOOK’S MOST-LIKED PHOTO

With more than 3.2 million “likes” is by Barak Obama. It is hard to determine the most liked picture as the platform is so wide but as of now, Obama still reigns Supreme in this category.

MOST POPULAR

year-olds make up majority of Instagram users

on the app each day

Instagram is the fourth social platform in Kenya, behind Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest

HOW INSTAGRAM

IT’S WAY PAST COMPETITION

In 2010, Instagram started out as a simple photo-sharing platform that quickly caught on and every teenager around the world (hypothetically speaking and no offence to you oldies on IG) was using the platform. Within a few years, Instagram had grown to be one of the most downloaded social media platforms in the world reaching over 1 Billion users by the end of 2019. While this number may be impressive, it didn’t come easy. Actually, we can boldly say that Instagram didn’t reach that Billion users mark by simply existing. They had to be innovative with new features even if it meant peeking at what others are doing and shamelessly copying it. As Instagram’s popularity was catching on, right on the heels of the platform’s success was Snapchat - another media-based social media platform quite popular with the younglings. Instagram was the go-to platform if you wanted to share your expensive holidays and showcase a life that was better than the one you were actually living. In short, Instagram was the show-off platform while Snapchat was used to foster deeper one-on-one connections among friends based on daily activities with the assistance of filters and dog ears.

SNAP THE FILTERS Snapchat’s popularity was a threat to Instagram’s growth - with the platform having 161 million daily users compared to IG’s 75 million daily users. To say the truth, there’s no way Snap was going to beat IG but turns out the Facebook-owned platform had no intentions of sharing the spotlight either way. So, what do you do when your users are also the users of a platform you consider as a competitor? If you guessed that you force your competitor out of business, then you are right. And Instagram did exactly that with a rather uncanny strategy – steal the one thing that makes your competitor attractive and voila, you are your competitor. The first to be served with this pain pill was Snapchat. In August 2016 Instagram ripped off what Snap is essentially known for, short videos that disappear after 24 hours. IG built this feature into their app and called them stories and it didn’t end there.

Smart, right? Nope. This was back in June 2018 and unfortunately, the platform never really took off. The usage was so poor that Instagram had to build the feature into their main app and kill the separate IGTV app. As much as the IGTV still exists, it’s been reduced to a feature within Instagram that allows users to share long-form videos.

THE CLOCK GOES TIK-TOK While Instagram was busy celebrating its win over Snapchat and may be mourning the loss on IGTV, another platform was brewing – a music-centric platform that allows users to post short lip-synced videos.

IG HIT 1 BILLION USERS BY THE END OF 2019.

On top of this, the Facebook-owned platform has also gradually taken inspiration from Snap’s wide array of filters. See, Snapchat may not be as popular as it was once but the platform does boast of well-built filters that you’d hardly find anywhere else. From the dog ears to beauty effects, Snap’s AR filters made IG jealous and they did what they know how to do – copy/paste.

YOUTOO It didn’t start with Snapchat to end there. In its obsession to be your one and only, Instagram thought it was smart to take on the World’s largest video platform YouTube. At first, this sounded ingenious. Instagram would launch a separate app (IGTV) that would long-form videos above the 1-minute that users can post on their timelines. To differentiate itself from YouTube and possibly offer an incentive for users, IGTV would host videos in portrait mode, which meant that users didn’t have to rotate their phones to enjoy content from their favourite creators.

In no time, TikTok became what Instagram has always feared, an alternative platform where people will spend time more than they do on IG. In 2019, IG had around 500 million daily active users while the much younger platform, TikTok, had similar numbers.

In no time, TikTok became what Instagram has always feared, an alternative As always, this sent shivers of fear on Instagram and a master plan was hatched. If people are leaving IG to go watch lip-synched videos on TikTok, why not just build that feature into IG and enjoy monopoly once again. At the time of penning down this piece, Instagram was yet to launch their TikTok-like feature but the plans to do this had already been outlined. In the near future, IG will be a one-stop shop; with Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, all in one app. Whether this will mean the success of Instagram, we cannot tell but one thing is for sure, Instagram’s creativity is built on the most common form of plagiarism, copy-paste.

Saruni Maina

P H OP NH EO N

Gala Ga ZZFlF

SAMS S

Flip phones Flipare phones back and are manufacturers back and manufacturers want us want us to to believebelieve that this that is athis good is a thing goodbut thing is itbut really? is it really? For one, For theyone, are they cool.are Thecool. Samsung The Samsung Galaxy Z Galaxy Flip, in Z Flip, in particular,particular, is a head-turner. is a head-turner. It’s not just It’s the not folding just the folding mechanism mechanism that’s amazing that’s amazing (it’s a much (it’s a better much better implementation implementation than the than Galaxy theFold Galaxy everFold was). ever was). So, I did So, spend I did some spend time some withtime the with Galaxy theZ Galaxy Flip andZ Flip and here’s what here’s I think what of it: I think of it:

The Specs The Specs 6.7” 1080p 6.7” AMOLED 1080p AMOLED Display (unfolded) Display (unfolded) 8GB RAM8GB + 256GB RAM Internal + 256GBStorage Internal Storage Dual 12MP Dual + 12MP 12MPMain + 12MP Camera Main Camera 10MP selfie 10MP camera selfie camera Side-mounted Side-mounted fingerprintfingerprint scanner scanner Wireless Charging Wireless Charging 3300mAh3300mAh Battery Battery

WhatWhat I Liked I Liked IT FOLDS IN It folds HALFin– half Yeah, – yeah, I get that I getthis thatis this not iseveryone’s not everyone’s cup of cup of tea tea but having but having a smartphone a smartphone thatthat can can fold fold from from itsitsoriginal original full-size full-size that that takes takes over over your your fullfull pocket pocket toto aa small small size size that that takes takes up less up less space space is blissful. is blissful. IT’S AS GOOD It’s as good AS A as FORMER a former FLAGSHIP flagship –– This isisaagood goodthing thing because it because means it means the theGalaxy GalaxyZ ZFlip Fliphas hasnormal normal phone phone problems that are that are not not related related to toitsitsfolding foldingform formfactor. factor. It packs It packs similar similar specs from specs from lastlast year’s year’s S10E S10E with with only only aa few few differences differenceshere hereand andthere. This there. Thismeans meansthat thatthe thephone phonewill willhold holdup upwell well inin day-to-day day-to-day usage. usage. Attention Grabber – Well, if you’re gonna buy such a phone you ATTENTION better GRABBER be the – Well, kindif to you’re love gonna the attention buy such that a phone comes with it, you better especially be the kind when to it’s love folded the attention down. Everyone that comes wants with to it, touch, flip especiallyand when seeit’s what folded kinddown. of phone Everyone this is.wants If you’re to touch, the kind flip to make and see statements, what kind the of Galaxy phone Zthis Flipis. does If you’re exactlythe that.kind to make statements, the Galaxy Z Flip does exactly that.

VR I EE VWI E W

axy axy ip lip

G SUNG

WhatWhat I Didn’t I Didn’t Like Like It’s Fragile IT’S– FRAGILE Not as much – Not as much the Galaxy as theFold Galaxy but Fold but despite the despite measures the measures SamsungSamsung has put tohas ensure put to that ensure that this phone thisis phone better isthan better thethan Fold,the theFold, display the still display still scratchesscratches way tooway easily too and easilyanyand lessany thanless than egg-handling egg-handling could easily could damage easily damage the device. the device. It Costs Quite Much – Yup, this thing costs around KES 160K. That’s IT COSTS more QUITEthan MUCH a – well-spec’d Yup, this thinglatest costs around generation KESiPhone. 160K. IThat’s get it, more that folding than amechanism well-spec’d latest can’t be generation easy to achieve iPhone. but Iatget that it,price that this folding device mechanism remains acan’t collector’s be easy phone to achieve rather than but at a that mainstream price this device phone that remains anyone a collector’s can just buy. phone rather than a mainstream phone that anyone can just buy.

To Buy Toor Buy Not orTo Not Buy? To Buy? That’s a That’s question a question I cannotI answer, cannot at answer, least at notleast not outrightly.outright. Do I want Doone? I want Yup one? I do.Yup But II do. am But not Iwhat am not what you’d call you’d a normal call aconsumer, normal consumer, my needmy to have need the to have the Galaxy Z Galaxy Flip is purely Z Flipdriven is purely bydriven my need by my for need attention for attention but things but may things be may different be different for you. But for you. for 160K, But for I 160K, I would say, would thinksay, really think hard really before hardwalking before into walking a into a SamsungSamsung shop for this. shop for this.

Saruni Maina

SOUND SPEAKE R E V I E W

Kenyans love to party. Whether it is with friends or in a club with completely random strangers. For that, you would tend to think that one thing that most of these people try to invest in is a good sound system. After all, what’s a party without good music. The idea of having easily portable Bluetooth speakers that you can readily connect to your phone or laptop is one that has been taken up among young people however gradually it might seem. Luckily, these speakers come in all shapes and sizes, from ones that you can seamlessly carry in your bag to mains powered table-top belters. But now, there are these pieces from the land of Denmark that would actually catch your attention as they did mine. The Soundboks are ones that have been here for a while and are still a conversation when it comes to wireless speakers.

LOUD BLUET SPEA

Launched in August last year, the Soundboks 3 is a successor of its first two versions as the name suggests of course. The first Soundboks first made headlines back in 2016 being named as “the loudest Bluetooth speaker.” Back then, it was capable of 30 hours of playback. The first-gen speaker also featured Bluetooth 3.0 and had only one 3.5mm aux input to cable up a non-BT music source.

The following year then saw the release of Soundboks 2, again running on Bluetooth 3.0 but with a battery lasting up to 40 hours even on a higher sound frequency.

DBOKS ERS

The new Soundboks got even better. Updated to version 5.0, the wireless connectivity ensured a longer range but with pretty much the same battery capacity.

The speaker though comes in decent sound quality. It might not be a lot to say given what its competitors have to offer but you luckily get an app that you can use to tweak the sound profile to your choice.

What makes it even more interesting now is that one speaker is now able to wirelessly daisy-chain with up to four others thanks to a new tech called TeamUp functionality via the bright orange button on the user interface panel.

The bottom line is, Soundboks might very well be one of the best speakers for outdoor parties, camping and even indoor gatherings. The only disclaimer is the price that stands at $999 (about Kes.100,000) per unit.

The panel is also home to the power button and a large volume dial circled with an illuminated level indicator. The design is rather subtle with a cabinet made of poplar held within a powder-coated aluminium frame. All through the middle runs a port for a 35-mm pole mount in case you need to hoist it onto a PA tripod.

DEST TOOTH AKER

Its corners come in silicone instead of aluminium. For a speaker of its hype though, one would have rather wished for it to be a little unique in design. Nothing really stands out about the way it generally looks making it look just like a common loudspeaker. Plus, the weight would turn some people off. For a device described as portable, it is not one that is really light to be carried anywhere. You would find yourself preferring for it to just be indoors.

The lucky kids would immediately go grab it but for the build quality and the unrealistic price, a majority would rather keep their money in the account than get it.

APP REVIEW

MYDAWA is an app that aims to offer a wide range of high-quality medication and wellness products affordably at the palm of your hand. Their aim is to let you have the freedom of picking your medicine from a pharmacy near you at any time or ordering for medicine right to your doorstep. As per the company, they have teamed up with over 100 trusted pharmacies in Nairobi. THE APP The app is about 7 MB, which is good since it wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take up much space. All you need to do is set up your account and youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re in. The app has a variety of pages that try to cover most of what you would need from an â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;online chemistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Right off the bat, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re greeted with a captivating User Interface (UI). It features the current products and their RTKEGU C RTGUETKRVKQP RCIG UJQR RTQÆ&#x2019;NG OCPCIGT CPF EJCV centre.

THE PRODUCTS INCLUDE: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

MEDICINES DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS MULTIVITAMINS PERSONAL MEDICAL DEVICES HYGIENE PRODUCTS BEAUTY AND SKINCARE.

WHAT I LIKED VARIETY IN MEDICATION: The app gives you a myriad of options when it comes to their products. FAMILY SET UP: ;QW ECP UGV WR RTQÆ&#x2019;NGU HQT QVJGT HCOKN[ OGODGTU RTGUETKRVKQP TGÆ&#x2019;NN TGOKPFGTU CPF TGEGKXG personalized medication advice to your mobile phone. You never have to worry about mum or dad running out of their daily pills. DEDICATED SUPPORT: They also offer dedicated support. 5JQWNF [QW PGGF VQ URGCM VQ QWT SWCNKÆ&#x2019;GF RJCTOCEKUVU QT have any service questions, they are always on hand. You can chat, email or call us and theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be happy to assist. SAFETY PRECAUTIONS: Products that require a doctorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s prescription are clearly marked and can only be dispensed with a valid prescription. If you require prescription only medication, you attach a photo or scan of the prescription. Enter any other information or special instructions you may need to specify.

Additionally, each of their products is secured with a tamper-proof security seal. To authenticate MYDAWA products, simply scratch the panel on the security seal, to reveal a unique code and enter it on the app.

WHAT I DIDNâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T LIKE MYDAWA is a pretty good initiative when it comes to convenience in terms of health care. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve used the app once though it has a few MAJOR problems: THE APP JUST DOESNâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T SEEM TO WORK: The same complaints are experienced by other users where they say the app would crash and â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;just not workâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. It keeps crashing so much so that I have to use their website most of the time. The delivery time is terrible! I tested the app and letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just say thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a lot of work that has to be done. I ordered Panadol Extra on Saturday at 2 pm and I kid you not, the Panadol came Sunday at 2 pm. A whole 24hrs! I mean my headache was already gone by then! With that kind of service, it would be hard for them to keep up with their aims. These problems could crumble the whole app and the intention to reform the medical industry. If they work on the delivery and the app Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d actually recommend this app to a friend. You never know when youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll need to order medicine for yourself or someone who needs it. They get a 3.5/5 from me.

SHOWROOM

TESLA

NOT YOUR ORDINARY PICKUP TRUCK, AT ALL

Now, I know I might be gassing too much over this truck, but from the released images and clips, you may think that the truck is just a prototype, for now. But this is not your ordinary pickup truck. Even the size itself is set to tell every other truck out there to shove off. It is just too bad that we had to witness an alleged unbreakable glass window crack on two instances when a metallic ball was thrown at it.

OTHER THAN LOOKING LIKE A MACHINE DROPPED OFF BY AN ALIEN RACE, THE CYBERTRUCK WAS PROMISED TO LIVE UP TO ITS REPUTATION WHEN IT COMES TO PERFORMANCE.

Elon Musk is one fella not known for going soft on any project that he and his team decide to undertake. From SpaceX, the whole endeavour in the world of artificial intelligence and Tesla, a fully electric car company. Well, it seems like he decided to go bigger when he took to the stage in October to present the beast that is Cybertruck. Of course, the world had already had its share of rumours full of rendered images going round of how the pickup truck would look like. And even though the truck was expected to go a little crazy, the official reveal was still shocking enough to leave everyone going, “What is that?” With the sharp-edged exterior made of scratch and dent-resistant stainless steel, Tesla’s Cybertruck is honestly made to look tough. From the rugged-looking wheels to the bright LED light strip at the front and back and just the whatever it has going on at the back, Cybertruck is to put it in simple words, imposing!

Other than looking like a machine dropped off by an alien race, the Cybertruck was promised to live up to its reputation when it comes to performance. Normal electric cars are known to pack just one electric motor, but the Cybertruck’s performance model will brag with three making it an all-wheel drive. According to Tesla, that very model will essentially teleport from zero to about 100km/h in 2.9 seconds (!) with a top speed of 210km/h. Enough said!

...THE OFFICIAL REVEAL WAS STILL SHOCKING ENOUGH TO LEAVE EVERYONE GOING,

“WHAT IS THAT?”

Nothing official has been revealed yet about the battery capacities that the three models will have to power them up although Tesla did give a range estimation of 800km (for the performance model) which is pretty much above what any other electric car offers at the moment. With Teslaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s well-known goal of providing affordable energy-efficient vehicles, the base price of the rear-wheel-drive model will be US$39,900(about Kes.4m). The all-wheel-drive models will then start at $49,900(Kes.5m). But after all these statistics, the question goes as to what kind of an impression it will give once it is launched for mass production and sale. Of course, every techie that is rich enough, will have a try at the beast, but what happens after that? Shockingly enough, the truck already sold out all its pre-order slots in a matter of days after the reveal. So, obviously, everyone is saving every dime they get to at least have a shot at buying it. ARTICLE BY

DENNIS WAWERU

But we can all tell that this truck is not for everyone. In fact, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not every pickup truck enthusiast that is impressed by the design. The truck is designed to just turn heads with that bold look. It will be interesting to see which countries will make it legal to be used on their roads as, without the official ratings, some nations have already dimmed it illegal for daily drive. I just wish the Kenyan market had opened up enough for electric cars for me to see someone buy it and drive regularly. Either way, one can dream.

BEST ONLINE

Everyone wants to be social, even gamers. But when it comes to gaming, it is a different kind of meet-and-greet they prefer. You get your Facebook and Twitter, gamers get their online multiplayer and online video games. Whether on mobile, PC or even console, games have evolved so fast when it comes to involving more than one player in the same match. The origins of battle royale games are manifold, but what they involve is largely the same: lots of players go in but only one leaves. Battle Royale is a violent, unpredictable and frenzied multiplayer mode where the only goal is to endure until youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re the sole survivor. You should be warned however that the world out there is cruel and many time players can get rude or even vicious.

Want some soppy, comic book visuals with your 100-man massacres? Then Fortnite is the perfect environment for you. Being one of the biggest Battle Royale games globally, Fortnite has surely proven itself to be worth the time and energy year-on-year. Luckily, it is completely free offering equal opportunities for every single player from whatever corner of the earth. What makes it even better are the constant updates, courtesy of its developer Epic Games. The numbers of players in this game continues to grow constantly and it only proves enough how good this battle royale game is.

PLAYERUNKNOWNâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S BATTLEGROUNDS Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a reason why PUBG regularly boasts millions of players on whether the console, PC or mobile. The basic concept of the game is one that has brought problems to the likes of Fortnite for years but it also offers something different. The graphics are actually much more different giving a more realistic look to the environment, characters, vehicles and weapons. It is one game though that has been described as heavily addictive with negative cases surfacing in countries like India, which is unfortunate. The gameplay is a reactive one that never grows old and can be found freely on mobile and PC.

9KVJ VJG CRQECN[RVKE EJCTO QH 6KVCPHCNNĹŚU OGEJ TCXCIGF YQTNF CPF VJG KPVGPUG IWPĆ&#x2019;IJVU VJCV OCMG 27$) UQ ITKRRKPI KV KU PQ YQPFGT VJCV #RGZ .GIGPFUĹŚ RNC[GT EQWPV TGCEJGF QXGT OKNNKQP RNC[GTU KP KVU Ć&#x2019;TUV YGGM Developed by Respawn, the battle royale game came out of nowhere offering even competition to Fortnite on 6YKVEJ KP XKGYGTUJKR Ć&#x2019;IWTGU KP KVU Ć&#x2019;TUV UGXGP FC[U The gameplay is uniquely at a much faster pace, requiring you to be much more alert against your opponents. 5RTKPVKPI KU UYKHVGT VJCP [QWĹŚF GZRGEV CPF UNKFKPI VCMGU [QW C ITGCVGT FKUVCPEG 6JG YGCRQPU CTG CNUQ Ć&#x2019;PGN[ tuned offering a much more realistic combat experience.

This is one that no one saw coming. Yes, many called the ultimate â&#x20AC;&#x153;PUBG killerâ&#x20AC;? but we never expected it to be as big as it is right now. Talk of a battle royale game garnering millions of FQYPNQCFU YKVJKP KVU Ć&#x2019;TUV VYQ FC[U Paying homage to the Call Of Duty franchise, the battle royale features a military war setting, with a vast number of maps to choose from. Of course, more needs to be done to improve the game but so far, nothing negative can be said about the mobile title. 6JG ICOGRNC[ KU OWEJ OQTG FGĆ&#x2019;PGF YGCRQPU more realistic and the pace even better. Anyone who has been used to the likes of PUBG and the console version of CoD surely cannot have a hard time playing this one.

The characters are wonderfully diverse, quirky and cool to inhabit. With the fourth season launching, there has surely never been a better time to join Apex Games. The game is luckily free both on console and PC requiring you to carry out some in-game purchases later on.

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