Twendele: Another ground breaking app from Kola Studios

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May 4, 2013

For starters, Kola Studios is a Ugandan mobile software company that specializes in the development of games. Comprised of a team of four

dedicated and self driven hardworking individuals; Okalany Daniel (lead programmer), Zed Jasper Onono (Game Engine Programmer), Karungi “Terry” Theresa (Production Manager) and Acellam Guy (Artificial Intelligence Programmer), Kola Studios is out there to make an impression on the Ugandan software market. They have released a couple of other games including Zwod, Tapt, Walls and the famous Matatu. Where do they do all this magic from? Well, they are based at OutBox Hub, an innovation hub in Uganda.

Twendele, their latest release is the ultimate solution to F.O.M.O,which is Fear Of Missing Out. Most times, we tend to get lost in this digital age of information explosion. There are very many events going on and most times we wonder where to go or better where to meet up with our friends and have a good time. So, with Twendele, you are never lost. It is available for free download for both Android smartphones and iPhones

“Twendele at an instant will tell you where your friends and everyone else is planning to go. You will be able to feel the excitement and energy of a place even before you arrive. There is nothing more fun than being in the company of friends.” –Kola Studios

As Ugandan Software developers begin to make a mark in the industry, we shall be right there to give you all the latest updates.

Google Glass: Explorer Edition first look

By

Joel Mwanja

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May 3, 2013

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The Google Glass is a very simple neatly designed piece of eyewear. It is beautiful and elegant well, according to us. The most noteworthy being the plastic-backed titanium band that sweeps around and forms the frame. It’s a single piece that grows thinner in the middle and thicker on the edges, looking simple from a distance and strongly defining the overall look though, Google Glass is no more or less uncomfortable to wear than your average pair of glasses. The overly flexible nature of the band means it can be a bit tricky to put on without using both hands, but once positioned properly, it manages to be quite comfortable on both large and small heads, well, after sometime of getting used to it.

Google Glass can and will fit over most eyeglasses, but rarely will it do so comfortably due to the fact that very little is adjustable in Glass. You can modify the wake angle (how far back you must tilt your head for the display to pop on) and enable or disable head detection, which automatically turns off the headset if you remove it. That’s about it. You can’t adjust volume levels or display brightness, can’t disable Wi-Fi or Bluetooth as both appear to be always on and also can’t re-arrange the application cards in the interface or set their priority, can’t modify the default screen timeout length and you can’t enable a silent or do not disturb mode, though it could be argued that simply taking Glass off serves the same purpose.

When Google Glass was first introduced, many made the assumption that it would be wholly dependent on a smartphone particularly, Android powered to function. As it turns out, that’s not the case. The thing can function quite happily with a Wi-Fi or Bluetooth data connection even if that data is coming through an iPhone! Making it a fully independent device. This means you can leave your phone behind and walk around anywhere with Wi-Fi without losing connection. Much more is anticipated as more improvements are being made to the Google Glass and we shall be glad to bring you the updates.

Samsung Galaxy S4: What you need to know!

By

Joel Mwanja

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Apr 28, 2013

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SAMSUNG is the world’s largest chip maker because it has the highest number of manufacturing plants in the world. Also, it is the largest “customer” of the Android Operating System by Google. The company is widely known for being the favorable competitor of Apple, the makers of the iPhone, iPad, iPod and Mac computers. SAMSUNG and Apple are the only two companies that have made a record of being profitable since the year 2007, the rest of the companies have incurred losses along the way.

The Galaxy S4, is the flagship smartphone of SAMSUNG for the year 2013 and was released before the iPhone so as to give it a head start in the smartphone market. When the S4 was announced earlier this year, it became the talk of the media for quite some time to the extent of forcing Apple to change its homepage to Apple iPhone 5. The Galaxy S4’s major success so far relies on the fact that it is packed with an array of new features that have a wow effect.

At first sight, the S4 looks a little bigger and this is due to the wider screen now measuring 5 inches. It is 7.9mm thin with a premium finish that makes it easy to handle in one hand. The screen features Samsung’s super AMOLED (Amorphous Light Emitting Diode) technology which enables the user to view high contrast colors at any viewing angle and with 441ppi (Points Per Inch), the screen is of a very high resolution and it comes in two colors, black mist and white frost.

The new features include an improved Air View where you can preview videos by hovering your finger over the screen and also use the same for viewing speed dials when you want to make calls. Smart Start pause enables you to instantly pause when you take your eyes off the screen and instantly continues playing when you look at the screen again. With Samsung Watch On, you can turn the S4 into a home cinema screen by wirelessly connecting it to an HDTV. The Optical reader automatically detects the information you are reading and then expands it for easier reading. You can use the phone with gloves on, no problem! With Group Play, you can share the music playing with other S4 users and can also use the phones as speakers to amplify the music playing, this also applies to games. The SoundShot adds audio to pictures taken and the camera is of 13 megapixels!

The S4 is fully packed with new and brilliant features and is out there to out compete the iPhone 5. The S4 has already been accepted as a very excellent smartphone and also is considered the most powerful smartphone so far. The S4 is a life companion, according to Samsung and we are eagerly waiting for Apple’s reaction.

Blackberry Z 10

By

Joel Mwanja

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Apr 28, 2013

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The BlackBerry Z10 marks the rebirth of a fallen leader in the smartphone market. It’s a clean break from the past with a big touch screen, but the same business mentality that made it the favorite of office dwellers around the world. Except, this time BlackBerry has also added a dash of fun. BlackBerry’s previous generation of touch-driven smartphones felt a lot like Nokia’s early attempts to knock into shape for touchscreen. With the Z10, however, the company threw everything out and started fresh.

BlackBerry 10 that powers the phone is a modern operating system with a brand new gesture-based interface and support for powerful dual-core CPUs, Z10 is closer to the iPhone in this regard it has been optimized to run on very few devices (just one right now, one more on the way), allowing for maximum efficiency. Then BlackBerry equipped the Z10 with a 4.2″ screen slightly bigger and sharper than the iPhone 5’s retina display but kept the package more compact. Then came all the connectivity features, hardware ports and slots.

As with any newborn platform, there will be growing pains, sparse app market and maps for one. The biggest concern is whether the sleek new interface will put people off (both current and new BB users). It’s fast and intuitive once you get used to it, but doesn’t have the level of familiarity of the iOS or Android (which honestly took years cultivating). That’s the mission ahead of the BlackBerry Z10. It can’t single-handedly recapture the market and bring BlackBerry to its former RIM glory, instead it sets the stage for future devices (the Q10 is a couple of months away).

That’s not to say that the Z10 won’t achieve popularity with quality hardware and software, the Z10 can easily net both people who need a BlackBerry but are tired of the aging BB OS 7 devices and new users who are equally tired of iOS and Android. So, revolution or evolution? The hardware is miles ahead of Berries of old.

BlackBerries were the phone of choice for business users and they have to deal with tons of messages so the interface has to be very efficient. And the BlackBerry Z10 saddled with the new Hub is as efficient as they come. Perhaps only Windows Phone is close when it comes to unified messaging. The Hub is pretty simple at first glance a list of messages with an icon that indicates the service (SMS, BBM, email, Twitter or Facebook, but also calls and voicemails) and also flags messages read or unread (color icons are for unread messages, monochrome icons are for read messages). Messages are indexed by date.

Blackberry Z10 will be available soon in the US and also worldwide, to all the blackberry fans, this is a must get device since you will not need blackberry service to use its internet!

Beats By Dre! Do you need to pay the price

By

GURU8 Staff

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Apr 28, 2013

0

In 2001, the music industry underwent the iPod revolution which was started by Apple under the leadership of Steve Jobs (R.I.P). At that time, everybody wanted a bite of the Apple iPod. It was the in thing and if you never had one, you were considered someone who was backward, ancient or worse. Do you own an iPod? Music is something that talks to the soul directly and it has undergone various revolutions, remember the Walkman revolution?

Fast forward, smartphones were introduced beginning with the iPhone in 2007 and Android making its debut in2008 with a string of devices, thanks to the Open Handset Alliance. Having seen all that come and stay, the next revolution was headed for the headphones and earphones section of the music industry. Today it can be argued out that the best headphones and earphones are made by Monster Cable with the Beats by Dre brand. Looking at this critically, you have to understand that these headphones and earphones have become a major talk of the day simply because they bear the name of a famous producer, Dr. Dre.

So, then, here we go again, most people buy these headphones because they are the in thing, I mean, who would not buy headphones which bear the name of a famous producer? Headphones which are bought by major celebrities like Eminem, Lil Wayne, Wil.i.am, to mention but a few. Do you really need to pay the price? For most people, the answer is a definite yes, because of the simple reason of they are cool and are the in thing, besides they are of high quality.

I am not a legalist and I am not hating, I just want to bring people back to reality, which is, Beats by Dre are not the only high quality headphones out there, did you know, Monster Cable makes Beats by Dre and is the company behind Beats by Dre! Some of you are quite shocked, well, before Beats by Dre surfaced, Monster Cable was present and others like Harman and Kardon, e.t.c. So before you go in for the in thing, ask yourself if you really need to pay the price for it.

MTN Uganda Launches LTE

By

Boses Muhinda

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Apr 26, 2013

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MTN Uganda Launches LTE — MTN Launches LTE in Uganda on 4/25/2013.
(Photo of MTN Rally- courtesy of MTN Facebook page)

We are proud to announce that MTN Uganda has launched the LTE in Uganda, making it the very first among it competitors.

Long Term Evolution technology (LTE) is the latest technology in the world with the fastest internet speeds of up to 100Mbps, giving customers the most seamless experience in data services.
Popularly known as 4G, LTE is a ‘standard for wireless communication of high-speed data for data terminals and mobile phones.’ 4G LTE Data Networks provide mobile ultra-broadband internet access.

MTN Uganda’s Chief Marketing Officer Ernst Fonternel said “We are happy to claim another first in Uganda with this momentous announcement as MTN Uganda successfully launches its 4GLTE network offering World-class internet services to our customers. What is even more pleasing is that we’ve done this ahead of many other advanced economies around the world,”

Now people with LTE smartphones like the iPhone, wont be complaining anymore since they can now maximise the internet speeds of their phones

We at GURU8 congratulate MTN Uganda for this great achievement and making our Life easier. let us know what you think about the Internet revolution and whether you think this is the right path for Uganda in our Forum

Bharti Acquires Warid Telecom Uganda

By

GURU8 Staff

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Apr 25, 2013

0

Bharti Airtel has purchased Warid Telecom Uganda

After a series of rumours, with Vodafone also getting into the picture however Airtel confrimed the purchase of warid telecom. However what is the impact of this to the ordinary user? With a few hoping that another foreign company had purchased warid, so as to get offers and promotions, most people were however seem a little disappointed. Furthermore the chief executive of Bharti Airtel, said the agreement, which is also the first in-market acquisition in Bharti Airtel’s history, will translate into a healthier telecom sector in Uganda.

Well this merging is going to have an impact on the rest of the networks since the customers of Airtel will increase literally in case they decide to use one uniform brand, however this may not be the case as MTN is still the leading mobile network in terms of subscriber number.

We should grumble, however we should be happy since competition benefits the customer!

Twendele: Another ground breaking app from Kola Studios

Google Glass: Explorer Edition first look

Samsung Galaxy S4: What you need to know!

Blackberry Z 10

Beats By Dre! Do you need to pay the price

MTN Uganda Launches LTE

Bharti Acquires Warid Telecom Uganda

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