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Youtube’s most Popular Videos of 2013

By
Boses Muhinda
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0

It’s been a year filled with changes at Youtube, starting with Their New logo, new Android and iOS apps, replacement of the old commenting system with Google + comments and the YouTube Music awards.
The Social Media Company always releases a list of the Most Popular Videos of the Year. This year we have music Videos topping the charts with ‘The Fox’s What Does the Fox’ say talking the crown.

Followed by Harlem Shake, How Animals Eat their food, Miley Cyrus’ Wrecking ball, Baby & Me, Volvo Truck — The Epic Split featuring Jean Claude Van Damme, YOLO by Lonely Island, Telekinetic Coffee Shop Surprise , The NFL: A Bad Lip Reading , Mozart versus Skillrex: Epic Rap Battles of History, Season 2.
Youtube also created a special list for the Most Trending Videos of the year, And the Most popular VEVOS include PewDiePie, HolaSoyGerman, Smosh, RihannaVEVO, and OneDirectionVEVO.

Ylvis – The Fox (What Does the Fox Say?) [Official music video HD] The Fox (What Does The Fox Say?)

Harlem Shake

How Animals Eat Their Food

Miley Cyrus’s Wrecking Ball (Chatroulette Version)

Baby & Me / The New Evian Film

http://youtu.be/pfxB5ut-KTs

Volvo Truck — The Epic Split featuring Jean Claude Van Damme

The Lonely Island’s YOLO featuring Adam Levine and Kendrick Lamar

Telekinetic Coffee Shop Surprise

The NFL: A Bad Lip Reading


Mozart versus Skillrex: Epic Rap Battles of History, Season 2

See the Youtube’s Year in review here

 

Woloks: lets you Send Free SMS to anyone in Uganda!

By
Boses Muhinda
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9

Now whether you are in doubt or extremely excited, just know that this app is free without gimmicks and lets you send real SMS to just about anybody in Uganda. All you need is an active internet connection to be able to send sms however you don’t need internet to recieve the SMS.

No, it’s not a Whatsapp replica, Woloks enables any android user in Uganda to send messages to another mobile phone user even if they don’t have android, or own a feature phone ‘those phones with no internet or color screens’. You will enjoy the app more when the user you are texting also has the app because you will be able to send free messages to each other within the nice app. Honestly I found the UserI nterface (UI) of Woloks better than the UI of the default messaging app of android below 4.4

 Ivan Mworozi the developer of the app told us “the app is free and its going to stay that way.” We didn’t find any annoying ads or banners at the time and the app was straight to the point.

“the app is free and its going to stay that way.” says Ivan Mworozi – Developer

You basically fill out a form with your details such as name, number and email then the magic begins.

You will probably have a smile on your face when you send out an SMS and then get a reply, meaning it works!

vumilia-screenshot

Please make sure you use your real numbers to register because trying to change the number will make the app prompt you for a verification code which it sends you by SMS. “More security features are being worked on….” Ivan says “This is the 1st version and we hope to improve the app.”

How to get the app

  1. Go to Google Play Store on your Android phone
  2. Then go to the search bar and enter “Woloks” because we got many apps with the name smsFree most of which didn’t work. The word Vumilia will get you the particular app we are talking about.  Be sure to select the app whose logo looks like a blue bird as seen in the featured image
  3.  Click Install then wait for a few minutes, when the download is complete,

Open the app and enter your details then you will be able to send free SMS to Uganda only.

Being the first version of the app, He has added a feedback form to the app in case you find any problems or want any improvements.

When people sit down and make productive apps, you truly have to appreciate their work, and when they make the app free the only way to reward them is by hitting the Download button and spreading the word. I mean these guys just made texting & vibing,  really easy.

NOTE: The App is back on the Playstore, its been slightly re-branded and it works. Download it here

Roadconexion provides Uganda Road users with real-time crowdsourced traffic updates

By
GURU8 Staff
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0

Roadconexion is a new mobile web application that lets you access real-time traffic information on all major roads (currently in Uganda only)

The mobile web App which first won the Tech4Governance hackathon last month has been launched today by a team of 8 developers and graphic designers at Hive Colab which is a coworking space for innovators in Kampala.

Lynn Asiimwe, the lead developer on the project said she hates being in traffic and that’s the reason why they built the App.

The App currently runs on all major mobile browsers and lets mobile road users submit road status such as road repairs, accidents, traffic jam on almost any road mapped on Google maps. User’s simply login using their Twitter or Facebook accounts for the first time, after which they receive real-time traffic information from other road users.

The App goes head-on against traffic Apps like Waze which as recently bought by Google at $1B and Kenya’s Ma3route except that Roadconexion has started out with a mobile web App to cover even even the most basic feature phones.

 

However, team hopes to roll out a native Android and iOS version of the App which in the coming weeks and monetize once they reach critical mass of users.

Get started by visiting www.roadconexion.com on your mobile device or tweet your traffic updates with the hashtag #rdxug and the App will automatically pick them up. Also follow them on Twitter and Facebook.

Sweden-Uganda eHealth/mHealth Meetup showcased Apps that improve healthcare!

By
Boses Muhinda
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0

Swiss and Ugandan mHealth and eHealth companies came together at Outbox to demo their software and apps to the people in the medical and IT sectors of Uganda together with mHealth and eHealth enthusiasts in Uganda. Several apps and medical software were pitched and here are details on each application

Text to change

Nalweyiso Olivia Mary talked about text to change which is a social enterprise started in  2007  that deals in social management,  database collection through use of SMS to allow their partners reach their target audience. Tect to change collects information using Mobile phones. Besides mHealth they also use SMS for the services like mEducation to manage and communicate in the  education sector, mEnvironment. They have run campaigns with over 66 partners such as  tobaccocontrol Uganda, lifebouy.

Helseplan Consulting Group 

Provides health care management software,  and offer education and training in the medical sector through offering mandatory patient health safety in Sweden. Helseplan also offers ehealth digital diagnosis of patients.

Clinicmaster

Wilson talked about Clinic master which is a Ugandan built medical software capable of automating medical record keeping and has a  real time database where a patient’s bio data is entered, a patient can be registered by either a patient number or fingerprint. Clinicmaster enables doctors submit data about every visit a patient makes to the hospital, lab tests made and the prescription given. The software gives the doctor  an alert in case a patient visits and allows a doctor see the patient queue. Its also alerts pharmacies when drugs are out of stock,

DD Innovation – Dr. Maombi

DD Innovation is a medical software company that made an app called Dr.Maombi which is being used in  in Mkuranga, Tanzania. The app provides demand driven health solution. The app provides clinical officers with training. In case a patient has a complicated case, the app submits this data to a web server and doctors provide feedback.

MedCard Apps

MedCard Apps is a medical softwawre company based in Malmo Sweden which develops medical software, that aims to remove paper work from hospitals and clinics so as to improve security and efficiency. The app uses personal plastic microchip cards called Medcards that are used to store patient data and are used every time a patient checks in. The app used a computer, a server, front desk computer, medcards and MedCard readers to  help hospital staff access profiles and records of patients

 The Medical Concierge Group (TMCG)

TMCG has started a 24 hour medical help line that enables patients call doctors and get solutions to their medical problems at standard call rates. TMCG is made up of researchers, pharmacists, mHealth enthusiasts who aim to improve poor quality health services and prevent unnecessary crowdness in hospitals and clinics.

Interswitch partners with MTN: Withdraw from any Interswitch ATM via mobile money

By
Joel Mwanja
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0

With the increasing pace at which mobile money is growing in terms of flexibility and transactions, there is no time for stopping or even slowing down. Dubbed the best innovation to come out of Africa in the 21st Century, Mobile Money has taken the continent by storm. These days, payment of bills is instant and very flexible, thanks to mobile phones and the mobile money technology.

After the shocking partnership of Crane Bank and MTN, Interswitch, a company that aims at simplifying inter transactions amongst its banking partners has now partnered with MTN. With mobile money, you can now withdraw your money from any Interswitch ATM across Uganda.  The banks that partner with Interswitch include DFCU, Fina, Cairo International Bank, UBA, Global Trust Bank, Finance Trust, Orient, Imperial Bank and Opportunity Uganda. This for sure is going to cause exponential growth to the Mobile Money business and MTN has already welcomed that.

If you can recall properly, Interswitch first partnered with Airtel to do the same thing and all Airtel money users can testify. Now they have taken things to a whole new level and this is already exciting for mobile money users on MTN. I recieved a message this morning and was just thrilled at how far mobile money can integrate with the banking sector. This shall continue to be good news because mobile money is accessible nationwide and is very easy to use, unless one does not know how to operate a smartphone.

Innovation Prize Africa meeting, Calling Innovators!

By
Boses Muhinda
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0

The Innovation Prize Africa challenge (IPA) is a competiton that seeks to promote innovation in Africa. The IPA has been running for the past 2 years and seeks to find innovations in the agriculture & agribusiness, ICT applications, Health & well-being, manufacturing & service, energy, environment and water. The competition gets over 900 applications from over 40 countries in Africa from which 3 winners are selected.

The winners bag a total of $150,000 which is broken down to $100,000 for the First Prize which is usually given to an innovation that has ventured into the market, and 2 runners-up bag $25,000  each, The runners up are given their awards as a ‘Business Potential’ or The ‘Social Impact Innovation.’

The event at hivecolab had a panel of speakers included Pauline from IPA, Terry Karungi – Product lead at Kola Studios, Drake Patrick Mirembe from UTAMU, Joshua Okello a developer of Winsenga. Micheal Niyitegeka  was the moderator.

Pauline - IPA
Pauline says the challenge which has been founded by AIF- Africa Innovation Foundation whose slogan is The future we innovate, to promote innovation and says that it helps the finalists get publicity and also partners with the winners so that the team ideas are brought to the market. Besides the challenge they are launching an e-law library enables every one in every country in africa to access the law. She took us through a video of the 2013 winners such as Agriprotein (1st prize) which creating animal feed from fly larvae, the Business Potential award went to Saphone Energy which is a bladeless economical wind energy convertor took the , Social Impact award went to a fonio husking machine that husks 5kgs of Fonio ‘a West African cereal’ in 8 minutes.

The meeting was an interactive session between the panel and audience who shared thier views on innovation, some of the views include;

Innovation doesn’t necessarily mean IT an issue Terry stressed Micheal Nyitegeka the moderator was glad the winners weren’t  the IT sector,  Joshua of Winsenga said that necessity is the start of innovation.  He shared why he did Information Systems but is in Mulago hospital working with pregnant mothers to use the mobile phone as an Ultra-sound scan. He gave a story of how his Co-founder worked in a clinic in his S.6 vacation and his peak through Medic school whih he dropped out inspired him. Patrick of UTAMU said “Innovation is anchored by personality.”

Terry Karungi told Start-ups that Investors mean business and they are not a charity, because they will ask for numbers though they help push an innovation from a startup to a business.

[quote_box_center] “Google is your friend. Focus and do not multi-task. Its ok for any start-up to fail, the focus should be on the learning  – Terry Karungi of Kola Studios” [/quote_box_center]

[quote_box_center] “We need quality and better User interfaces” – Joshua[/quote_box_center]

There was a heavy talk that had majority say that the education sector needs to have amendments, Joshua says that his experience at Makerere University made innovation evolve around men, he did a head count which showed very few females at the event.

Deadline for submission of Applications is 30th November, those with applications can submit here. Innovationprizeforafrica.org

Gdays Uganda 2013 – Developers marry Businesses

By
Boses Muhinda
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2

G|day X Uganda 2013 an event by the GDG (Google Developer Group) which is supported by Google, Attendees had to choose what sessions they preferred either the Developer Sessions or the Business sessions.

Simon Kaheru of SMS Media introduced the event by relating the all session to a marriage, “Developers wed Business” , his enthusiastic warm up where he deeply related business to weddings, an idea i found less geeky. He emphasised that Business and developers need to make love not war in marriage, He finds developers as easy going, eager people, excited then he explains businesses as ground, serious, diffuclut ant yet very rewarding. Romance and courtship is where developers learn about and connect their business partners and must disclose as much as possible, and urges developers to be real. The marriage is where the business is registered and its taken serious and everyone wants a ripe old business. Simon related Children to products or apps, some children will give you sleepless nights and others are rewarding. He wished everyone a happy marriage.

NIcholas Kamanzi briefed us about what GDG means,  Google Developer Groups a community of developers who meet several times through hackathons, code weekends, meetups and provide inspiration for developers. He also aplaused GBG kampala for being the first Google Business Group in Uganda which has meetsup to relate business with Google technologies.

Hassan Nsubuga had a session on Google Maps APIs, in the developer room. He showcased the importance of Google maps and the need to use the API to get users to use maps

Meanwhile in the Business section,  Terry Karungi a product Lead at Kola studios, She had a session on Google Apps for business and she shared the features and importances of Google Drive to business, she demos live collaboration in Google Docs, spreadsheets, talk about presentations in a browser, and spreadsheets which is a powerful tool, forms which can be used to collect Data.

Terry Karungi at GDays

Elijah Kitaka from Google talked about startups, starting his session by calling upon Co-founders of startups to pitch their ideas or startups, his main goal was to make people find out how business relate with users. He shared a collaboration form for startups to use to find out their challenges, what users what and solutions.

More sessions were held on Google services such as the Youtube API, Cloud storage, and refreshments in between. Kai Wulif from Google made a brief talk on Project Link which a venture by Google to connect communities to faster internet fibre by collaborating with entrepreneurs in the communications sector. Project link gives the ISPs faster  “unlimited” at a flat fee.Kai took questions from attendees and his key statements include; “its not the price of internet, its how much you make out of the internet. He refered privacy queriesnto the official Google statement on privacy.

 

The event brought developers and business owners together to learn and share about Google technologies.

[Update] Instagram windows phone now lets you take photos& record videos

By
Boses Muhinda
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0

Today Instagram launched its Official Windows phone app, after Vine launched its app last week.

Now forget clients such as 6tag, this is the official Instagram experience but before any user  celebrates, the app doesn’t allow one to take a photo or record video. Update: The app no lets you take photos and record videos. Users are only able to post photos that they have already taken with their camera. A process that is rather long and tiring.

Much as Windows phone officials are boosting about how they have “covered the app gap” their apps seem to lack a number of features. According to the verge, Instagram is not done yet and is still working on a fix.

image

Update: The in App camera now works

Image Source: The Verge

Is the Bitcoin bubble about to burst?

By
Boses Muhinda
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2

When a virtual currency becomes more valuable than any other currency on the planet then many have to worry or celebrate, starting from the US congress’s meetings about the issue of Bitcoin and the coin’s ban from some countries. Was this due to its lack of Government control? Definitely, the same reason the Bitcoin has rose to a peak value of $900 on Mt Gox, Bitcoin’s largest exchange market, a day after it hit the $500 mark. We have to ask ourselves whether this is about to come to an end. The currency might not come to real life if it stays at that price

But as the coin gains value and popularity, the anonymity of its users is slowly declining and this encouraged researchers to work together to make the currency more secure. Remember the SilkRoad incident where the suspected owner and several drug dealers on the website were apprehended after the shutdown of silkroad.

The coin which was launched in 2009 has seen rapid growth and there about 12 million bitcoins which are valued at roughly $12 billion and for some has been a lucky bet as compared to forex exchange, Just In case you bought a bitcoin last month at its about $250 then you have hit a jackpot if you trade it today. But will the curve keep looking towards the sky?

No, honestly the coin will or has hit its peak and soon or later drop and the drop could take its worst hit, and the coin leaves several questions whose answers we shall soon see. Will the value keep at that price? Will the bitcoin keep the anonymity of its users? Will the coin survive the war against national currencies and governments?

Anonymity remains an issue of the wallet, because some wallets let you check out from you mobile phone mobile number (Kipochi), others let you check out using your bank, a few let you use your atm, and just in case the FBI cracks down on any wallet/check out service then the information where you cash out your bitcoin could have your personal information which kills your anonymity. Recently the FBI shut down a bitcoin exchange service for investigations on Silk Road, I can’t guarantee that the users’ information was secure.

Will there be a panic attack, that will see most users cash out their virtual wealth for fear of drops in the value? This might just be the thing that actually leads to decline in the value of the virtual currency.

Hard facts, we still need the bitcoin for what everybody else calls ‘dirty’ transactions, making donations to those charities, journalists of activists whose bank accounts have been frozen. We still need the coin, so its up to the developers and users to make sure the coins stays strong, because it might not be today, tomorrow the day after that, but sometime you might need the Bitcoin.

A new WordPress Android app with major changes that matter!

By
Boses Muhinda
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0

The most popular blogging engine, WordPress has made significant changes to their Mobile apps especially android. WordPress.com only powers approximately over  72,374,794 websites and the self-hosted version powers more than just blogs, which created a need to support mobile publishing, so wordpress decided to create its wordpress Android app in 2010.

Automatic didn’t stop at creating the app, they also made it open source and shared the code on GitHub, and they have slowly added features for both wordpress.com and self-hosted wordpress blog. I must say wordpress.com blogs enjoy more features with the app such as stats are now natively built into the app, Likes on posts are also available for self-hosted wordpress site. All users however enjoy services such the ability to create new posts, comment, add featured images, upload media, quick posts, quick videos edit pages and delete posts.

What are you going to love about the app?

Wordpress edit gallery

If you use wordpress, you are probably a blogger, writter or content creator and sometimes it gets tiresome to carry a laptop around all day, or you probably want to publish or edit on the go, some stories deserve immediate publicity and wordpress mobile apps give you the power to do so, because you can login into the app and edit, create or publish a post on the go. Its even better on a tablet. Just in case you worry about having your website in your pocket, they added a fix i have posted below.

Forget the missing featured image saga, the app now lets you add a featured image to your story so that your website maintains its look. You will even get notifications for comments made to your post so long as you are using the built in wordpress commenting system.

Is it Secure?

For now YES, however with wordpress you have to take the measures to guard it yourself. Luckily in the latest release a pin lock feature has been added, previously i used to logg out of the app and clear data so that my kid bro didn’t delete my post or any malicious being.

Pinlock Feature on wordpress

Now Automattic has added a 4 digit pin-lock feature for the app on top of the login details, just in case you had logged in and lost your phone you don’t have to worry if you activated the feature by going to setting and tapping Pin Lock.  More to security, the app doesn’t allow a user to change the login password using the application so you are ‘Safe’. Safe is in quotes because security is something we cannot exhaust and new exploits are developed daily and with WordPress 3.7.x wordpress security updates are applied automatically.

New Features?

You can now view your Media Gallery from your wordpress android app, you really need to sigh because adding an image into a post was really difficult before this feature was added. You can edit your photos by adding captions, descriptions, adding photos and videos to posts straight to your phone while using the app. The Gallery looks pretty to with a tile-like layout.

Besides the Media Gallery, you can also create tiled galleries using your phone by long pressing images in the media gallery.

Native Stats really look amazing, forget the old Stats feature that would redirect you to a framed webpage, now the stats are built into the app to show you visitors and views, followers & shares, clicks, referrers and search engines.  Too bad you have to have a wordpres.com account to use this feature.

Just in case you don’t like anything about the app, they have shared the source code, and WordPress has an active developer and support base.

Get the App Here

 

Screenshot Source: Google Play

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