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Spotify new feature encourages listening of Podcasts

December 17, 2019December 17, 2019 Dianne Jacobs

Early this year, Spotify acquired Gimlet Media, a podcast network and producer which hosts shows like Startup, Homecoming, Mogul, The Pitch, Reply All, The Cut, Science VS and Anchor which was a DIY podcasting startup that provides a set of tools that make it super easy for anyone(beginner and Pro) to create and monetize their own podcasts and for free for reportedly $300 million. Spotify also acquired Parcast, a producer for crime, mystery and sci-fi podcasts for $100m. The audio streaming giant also partnered with BBC Studios and P&G to create more podcasts.…

Drivers and travelers connected via app

December 16, 2019December 16, 2019

After completing their university studies in computer science, classmates Ngugi Waithima and Denis Kiprono looked for jobs in vain. In June, the two former students of computer science at Mount Kenya University met in a Nairobi office in a job-hunting mission. Later over a cup of tea, they discussed their challenges in search of non-existent jobs. Their talk shifted to escalating traffic jams in Nairobi and the problems people face when travelling over the festive season. It’s from their traffic discussion that they hit some sort of Eureka moment. They…

Airtel and Telkom merger approved

December 16, 2019 Dianne Jacobs

Kenya’s telecommunication sector is set to become a duopoly after Airtel and Telkom Kenya received approval from the Competition Authority of Kenya (CAK) to merge their businesses. The firms however have to wait for approval from the Communications Authority of Kenya (CAK), which might take awhile as the industry regulator is currently facing a leadership crisis following nullification of the board of directors appointed earlier this year.The merged operator, which will be renamed Airtel-Telkom, will now battle it out with Safaricom once the transaction is concluded. CAK yesterday gave the…

Google Maps gets new features on iPhone and Android

December 13, 2019 Dianne Jacobs

Google Maps has announced a major upgrade to its popular service on both Apple and Android. Google Maps users are getting some vital extra features which could make them feel much more at ease when using the hugely popular service. Google has just announced two bonus upgrades which will be available on both Apple and Android devices and they are well worth your attention. The US technology giant says this update to its Maps app will bring Incognito Mode to iPhone users and Android fans are also getting something called Bulk…

WhatsApp plans on blocking older phone users in 2020

December 10, 2019 Dianne Jacobs

The popular chat app has warned users with older phones that they will need to upgrade their handset to continue using the service and now we know the cut-off date and the models affected. The deadline for ageing Windows smartphone will be followed by blocks for i Phones running anything older than iOS 7 and Android devices with versions 2.3.7 installed. This iPhone and Android block will come into force from February 1, 2020. If you love WhatsApp and have any of the phones mentioned or have not updated your…

Kenyans to rely on new Data Protection Law

December 5, 2019 Dianne Jacobs

The Data Protection Act that came into effect last month is expected to provide a framework for data protection in the country, and help boost privacy of the citizens. Before the Act was passed, Kenya did not have a specific data protection law that regulated the sector, exposing private data of citizens to misuse. The law conceived in 2015 is meant to provide a regulatory provision in the collection, retrieval, processing, storing, use and disclosure of personal data. Under Article 31(c), the Act outlines the right of every person not…

Kenyan Parents Urged to Monitor Children’s online consumption

December 3, 2019 Dianne Jacobs

Now that the children have closed school for the holidays, it is no doubt that some if not most of them will be on their phones chatting and sharing pictures on the different social media platforms and browsing on the internet for what’s new and trendy. Some children as young as 10 years old own phones. This is totally different from how things were in the past. Nowadays children prefer staying indoors and using their phones or playing video games than playing outside. ICT regulator Communications Authority of Kenya (CA)…

Twitter plans on deleting inactive accounts

December 3, 2019 Dianne Jacobs

Are you inactive on Twitter and still plan on being on the app? Then you better watch out and keep an eye on your account because Twitter plans on deleting the inactive accounts. Consider being active in order to save your account. Earlier last week, Twitter said that it would in this coming month begin removing inactive accounts from their platform. But the company then walked back on that promise because of an uproar, particularly from those who had deceased relatives with inactive accounts and wanted to have some way…

US online Black Friday sales biggest ever?

December 3, 2019December 3, 2019 Dianne Jacobs

Online sales on Black Friday in the United States hit a record $7.4 billion this year, with a large number of transactions made from smartphones, according to data released Saturday by Adobe Analytics. The figure was a 19.6 percent increase over last year and the second biggest day of online sales ever, the company said, just below the $7.9 billion consumers spent on last year’s Cyber Monday, which follows Black Friday. This year, 39 percent of online purchases were made from smartphones, a 21 percent increase from last year. “With Christmas now…