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Mshwari Mobile Banking Service from Safaricom and CBA

Tuvuti Editorial Team
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30
Mshwari Mobile Banking Service from Safaricom and CBA

Mpesa has been a great success story, at least if you live in Kenya; however, at some point we’ve been pessimistic on how the service could be broadened further to match current banking services from financial institutions like banks. What I mean is, why would someone even think of putting cash on a mobile phone while the same could reward his pocket with additional interest from banks. Both Safaricom and Commercial Bank of Africa have promised us this capability via a new mobile banking service dubbed Mshwari, the service is however hooked to Mpesa in various ways that non Mpesa subscribers won’t benefit from it. Users can save as little as Ksh.1 to a savings account accessible via the Mpesa menu and earn an interest at a standard rate depending on the total amount inside the account. Beyond the savings benefit, you’d now easily access a micro-credit service right on your phone without involving any collateral.

Now instead of filling those detailed bank documents and providing collateral to secure a loan, M-shwari is completely paperless and customers don’t have to wait longer as loans are given instantly via an Mpesa account. It’ll be immature to measure the success of M-shwari for at least several coming months starting from the launch date, as a handful of Mpesa users have the least knowledge of it, but it’s a good start considering we now have a reason to let our savings stay on a phone or borrow at a reasonable interest. To start using Mshwari, you’ll need to update your current Mpesa menu by selecting ‘Mpesa’ item, then ‘My account’ followed by ‘Update menu’ and lastly entering ‘Pin’,  you’ll receive the updated Mpesa Menu after a while. After the Mshwari item appears alongside other Mpesa menus, you may opt in by selecting M-shwari and accepting the terms. It’s however not as easy as it looks to qualify, you must have had an active Mpesa account for at least 6months, furthermore, you need to save often on Mshwari while regularly using other Safaricom services such as data and Mpesa.
From outside, Mshwari looks like a killer deal; however, something you should note, 7.5% interest rate on loan repayment is actually monthly not yearly as most of us had anticipated. If you ask me, it’s a total rip-off compared to what banks are charging right now, I’d rather get a bank loan at 16%p.a interest rate than 7.5%p.m translating to more than 100%p.a, and it’s the plain truth. It has the convenience most of us are looking for, but it comes at a price you’d rather avoid if you ask me.
How to Request for a Loan from Mshwari
  • On your Mpesa menu, navigate to ‘Mshwari’ menu and select ‘LOAN’
  • Choose ‘Request Loan’ and enter the amount followed by your Mpesa Pin
  • You’ll receive a confirmation message immediately followed by either successful or unsuccessful request.
How to check how much you can borrow
  • Dial *234*6#, you’ll need to accept the terms after which a detailed report of how much you can borrow plus if you’re eligible will be sent on your handset.
How to save and withdraw from the M-shwari account
  • On your Mpesa Menu, go to Mshwari
  • Select ‘Send to bank’ to deposit and enter your Mpesa Pin
  • You’ll receive confirmation message detailing the amount, date and balance
  • Loan repayment interest is 7.5%p.m
  • Competitive interest rates are calculated daily and paid quarterly on savings
  • There are no charges on moving funds between Mpesa and M-shwari accounts

Nokia Lumia 510 in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania

Tuvuti Editorial Team
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1
Nokia Lumia 510 in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania

The lumia line-up might be several months old, but windows phone veterans have had to ship them from overseas at least until now, Lumia 510 is now here with us, finally the long wait is over after it was officially unleashed in the local market. The phone looks dirty cheap compared to its immediate siblings, but that doesn’t mean it’s entirely crap; it has a 4.0inch display screen with a decent resolution, so small text look sharp and a glance at your photo gallery doesn’t disappoint either. Nokia smart phones tent to be pricier especially for the developing nations, but at an almost rock-bottom price tag of Ksh.16500 in Kenya, Tsh.355000 in Tanzania and Ushs.600000 in Uganda, Nokia Asha 510 stands a better chance of topping the mid-range line-up here in Kenya where consumers have long considered the brand trustable owing to a great hardware reputation.

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Linda Jamii, Affordable Healthcare Insurance

Tuvuti Editorial Team
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35
Linda Jamii, Affordable Healthcare Insurance

Press Release: Tuesday November 27, 2012… Leading integrated communications provider Safaricom Limited has partnered with leading insurer Britam, Changamka Microhealth – one of Kenya’s pioneering mobile Health Financing technology providers and PSI, a leading global health organization to launch Linda Jamii, an innovative and affordable healthcare insurance option. Targeted at more than 35 million uninsured Kenyans, the Kshs.12, 000 per Family premium cover will provide clients with access to a comprehensive medical cover comprising in and out patient cover, maternity cover and a hospitalization income replacement benefit of Kshs.500 per day, to take care of lost income while in hospital. The premiums are payable in installments via MPESA, with quality healthcare  being available after accumulating  Kshs. 6,000 and  the balance being saved in a premium deposit facility on the user’s mobile phone.

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Nokia Asha 205 Specs, Features and Price Review

Tuvuti Editorial Team
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0
Nokia Asha 205 Specs, Features and Price Review

Every time two or more Ashas are unleashed, we get to choose between a Qwerty and numeric keypad or Single and Dual SIM capability; in this case, Nokia Asha 205 has a fascinating Qwerty keypad contrary to its twin sibling 206. Besides an impressive smart phone level typing pad, you’ll get the benefit of dual sim capability on this phone, but that doesn’t mean it has exclusive bragging rights in a fast growing segment. It doesn’t have much underneath, but you’d easily reckon a premium design comparable to high-end devices in days of yore. For a device costing less than $70, a harsh scrutiny of included features is entirely uncalled for; it’s unlikely to put a smile on smart phone lovers but that doesn’t mean it’s the worst we’ve seen. If you’re torn between two mobile operators, into Qwerty keypads, financially limited and don’t mind using Nokia’s aged series 40 OS, Asha 205 could be the type of handset you’d love having around.

 Nokia Asha 205 will not impress Android users or let alone convince blackberry, windows phone or iOS fanatics, but for Symbian 40 veterans and cheapskates out there, it’s a deal in the making. Beyond the usual Qwerty keys, there’s a dedicated facebook key on the left side of navigation button before the left selection and call button, it’s pretty convincing if you’re into facebook and wouldn’t mind a standard alphabet arrangement that would guarantee fast text input whether chatting or just updating your profile. On the right side of navigation button before the right selection and end call key, there’s a dedicated email key, so you can easily access your inbox with just a single tap. The front panel is equally divided between a 2.4inch display screen and a Qwerty keypad, I wouldn’t say 167ppi (pixels per inch) resolution is worse for a phone with an almost rock-bottom price tag but expect small text to look blurry compared to pricier handsets

On the backside is a VGA camera which’s smaller to that of its twin sibling Asha 206, you’d rather factor in the price of a digital camera as photos captured on this device aren’t any better; in fact, a larger percentage of handsets costing around that price have better snappers some even with an additional secondary camera for video calling. 64mb internal storage is barely enough to hold a couple of mp4 files; however, you can expand using an external MicroSD card up to 32GB. And like its twin sibling, you’ll have a choice of Cyan, Magenta, Orange, Pink or White depending on your preference or just buy separate covers for each color. There are a few apps such as facebook that come preloaded; however, you can download more from Nokia’s Ovi store which’s accessible within the handsets menu. It doesn’t have WLAN or 3G, so expect web pages to load sluggishly, but again, it’s cheap, that should answer most of our questions.
Nokia Asha 205 Features/Specifications;
  • Operating System: Symbian 40 software
  • Display : 2.4inch (240x320p) (167ppi), TFT, 256k colors
  • Primary Camera: VGA (640×480 pixels)
  • Storage: Up to 32GB MicroSD, 64MB internal storage
  • Connectivity: MicroUSB v2.0, Bluetooth v2.1 with A2DP, EDR
  • Internet: GPRS, EDGE, Browser: WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML, Adobe Flash Lite
  • Other features: Dual-SIM, FM Radio with RDS, FM recording
  • Battery: Standard Lithium ion 1020mAh
Nokia Asha 205Price in Kenya: Kshs.6000.

Nokia 206 Features and Price Review

Tuvuti Editorial Team
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2
Nokia 206 Features and Price Review

The 206 is a dual-sim device, we’ve seen lots of them and none so far commands the segment when everything is analyzed. Nokia 206 is safely pinned at the budget end genre, expected to be available in Kenya for a measly Ksh.6000; it excels in dual-sim capability but fails to call shots in areas deemed important. At an almost rock-bottom price tag while supporting two networks, it’ll be interesting to see how this phone fares on in a segment most manufacturers are keen not to miss out. It runs on Nokia’s long preferred symbian software but a couple of smart phone goodies such as facebook and messaging notifications are on board. Unlike its siblings, the 206 doesn’t have a QWERTY keypad, which makes its design look very cheap in comparison, instead, there’s an alphanumeric key-pad below the screen with big-enough rounded-corner keys that’ll do just as good; in fact, keys here are spaciously placed eliminating common typo errors.

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LG ELECTRONICS & HOTPOINT APPLIANCES (E&C AFRICA)

Tuvuti Editorial Team
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2
LG ELECTRONICS & HOTPOINT APPLIANCES (E&C AFRICA)

Media Release: LG ELECTRONICS & HOTPOINT APPLIANCES TO LEVERAGE ON NEW PRODUCTS AND CUSTOMER SERVICE IN GROWING MARKET SHARE Nairobi, November 23rd 2012

Leading consumer electronics manufacturer LG Electronics is betting on energy efficient, aesthetically pleasing and innovative new products, with support of a strong distribution network, to grow its market share in the coming year.
The company which has been on an innovation trajectory has announced a raft of measures aimed at maintaining its market dominance while at the same time driving the environment sustainability agenda.
Speaking during the end of year LG dealers convention, LG Electronics Managing Director Mr. Josep Kim said over the past year, the company had embarked on customer service enhancement drive aimed at ensuring that customers enjoy the best experience of its products.

“2012 has been a challenging year but with our dealers support we have managed to face the challenges positively. We began the year by enhancing our service offering with the opening of the LG Customer

Care Centre, which complements the three existing Hotpoint service centers. On this front, we have also has boosted the mobile after sales service commonly referred as Care & Delight bus,” said Mr. Kim.
Mr. Kim added that the initiatives were geared towards cementing LG’s position in the Kenyan market and reiterated that the company will continue rolling out more products that address the changing preferences in this dynamic industry.
During the convention, LG also unveiled four new products that the company hopes will strengthen our position in the Kenyan market and the region at large. The products are 84” Ultra Definition 3D LED TV; 3D Sound Blu Ray Home Theatre; Linear Compressor Side by Side Refrigerator and the 6 Motion Washing Machine.
“These are products whose performance has been tested the world over and which will meet and surpass customer expectations. We are betting on these products to drive our business agenda in the course of the New Year,” said Mr. Kim.
Hotpoint Appliances Managing Director Mr. Shailesh Kanani said the partnership between the two companies had grown over the years. Continuous efforts are made to provide Kenyans with the latest products, available countrywide with unparalleled backup service to ensure ultimate consumer satisfaction. Kanani thanked all the partners for their invaluable support which has enabled this growth and superior brand presence over the years.
“Through our partnership, Kenyans and other residents of the region have been assured of conveniently accessing genuine LG Electronics products where warranty is assured at our widely spread distribution network,” said Mr. Kanani.
Mr. Kim decried challenges associated with land-lockedness which he termed as a major hindrance to the logistics of delivering products in most countries. The East African region is currently only served by two ports.
He also mentioned the escalating counterfeit menace as another key challenge to the company’s business in the region.
“We are however taking precautionary measures to ensure that our products are tamper proof and the technology used is beyond the creativity of counterfeiters. LG Electronics will also continue partnering with government agencies charged with eliminating counterfeits to ensure that battle is won,” said Kim.

LG Optimus L9 P760/P768 Specs, Features and Price Review

Tuvuti Editorial Team
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6
LG Optimus L9 P760/P768 Specs, Features and Price Review

LG isn’t particularly the popular brand you’ll find among Kenyans compared to Samsung and Nokia, but its relentless effort is as interesting as any other phone maker out there; with the entry of Optimus L9 P760/P768, joining the fast growing L-Series line-up, it’s not so obvious who calls shots in this segment. Optimus L9 isn’t coming to topple the likes of Galaxy S3, but that doesn’t mean it won’t call shots in areas that matter; it’s a mid-range droid with minimal compromises to keep it competitive. The phone packs a 1GHz Dual-core processor, which’s below benchmarks set by high-end devices but enough to tackle most android apps comfortably. It’s almost standard for new high-end devices to come with a Quad-core chipset, at the same time you’ll have to save more to get one, it’s a two way thing and preference is solely upon the consumer. Unlike the L7 which’s not so impressive on speed, you’ll hardly get any crashes or glitches on L9 due to the processor.

The whopping 4.7inch IPS LCD screen is definitely no less than that found on pricier handsets; it has a decent 540 x 960 pixels resolution that will render crispier images and smoother text compared to close rivals, colors aren’t as washed out as they would be on ordinary LCDs.  The capacitive touch panel is hyper responsive to detect light finger tapping and the swipe to unlock feature is equally fast. LG Optimus L9 P760/P768 packs android v4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich OS, which’s disappointingly not the latest from Google as most devices coming out now have a Jelly Bean version instead, though an upgrade is anticipated. Except for the secondary VGA camera, one physical button and two soft keys on the sides, the front panel is almost entirely occupied by a 4.7inch IPS LCD screen. A 5.0Megapixel snapper sits behind the phone with an LED flash resting below it and a loud speaker at the very bottom of the phone’s back-side.

With a 5.0Megapixel sensor coupled with an LED flash, expect decent shots with fairly detailed images. Snapping a photo shouldn’t take more time unless there’re a dozen apps running in the background, video quality isn’t that bad compared to other devices within its category. The Optimus L9’s internal storage is capped at 4GB, though there’s a MicroSD card slot on the side capable of recognizing up to 32GB cards. The phone is estimated to cost around Ksh.32700 or $380 which’s fairly a bargain considering the specs and the price tags of close rivals. It doesn’t support an LTE radio, though you’ll need a Micro-SIM to access 3G networks. There are loads of mid-range phones out there, but since most of them are getting more powerful, you needn’t more on high-end devices.
LG Optimus L9 P760/768 Features/Specifications;
  • Operating System: Android v4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich
  • Processor: 1.0GHz Dual-Core Cortex-A9 Processor
  • Display: 4.7inch (540 x 960 pixels) (234ppi) IPS LCD. 16m colors
  • Camera: Pri:5.0MP(2592 x 1944p), Sec:VGA Auto-focus, LED, Video:1080p
  • Storage: 4GB Internal, Up to 32GB MicroSD card
  • Connectivity: MicroUSB v2.0, Bluetooth v3.0 with A2DP, EDR
  • Internet: HSDPA 21Mbps, HSUPA 5.76Mbps, WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n, Hotspot
  • Other ft: Touch-focus, Geo-Tagging, face detection, Sensors: Accl, Comp, gyro
  • Battery: Standard Lithium Ion 2150mAh
LG Optimus L9 P760/768Price in Kenya: from Kshs.32700

Samsung GC100 Galaxy Camera Features, Specs and Price Review

Tuvuti Editorial Team
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1
Samsung GC100 Galaxy Camera Features, Specs and Price Review
We’ve seen digital cameras struggle to survive in an area they once triumphed, at least before smart phones took over; almost on a daily basis, we’re greeted with news of a new smart phone making headlines around the globe, which’s not replicated in the case of digital cameras for a single reason, today’s smart phones have or even exceed photography capabilities of digital cameras. It’s therefore very interesting to see a digital camera with most of smart phone features embedded such as Samsung GC100 Galaxy Camera, instead of having a compromised snapper on a handset typically 8MP for high-end devices, how about borrowing those important features of a smart phone and mashing them inside a dedicated digital camera. Galaxy GC100 Camera is the first of its kind packing desired features from both cameras and phones; you’ll get Android v4.0 Jelly Bean OS, logical optical zoom feature as well as access 3G networks on this device

Most electronic firms such as Nikon and Sony are said to be releasing app-enhanced cameras soon and this could just be that magical innovation this segment desperately needs to survive, GC100 is so far the first device to offer decent camera features with phone-like data connection over 3G or 4G networks. Not everything is however impressive on this camera, you’ll need to save more to afford it, initial reports indicate it’ll cost just over $500. Its design is not remarkably different from ordinary cameras, at least before its turned on; you’ll be welcomed with grid placed icons familiar to anyone who’s had a smart phone. Android apps separate Galaxy GC100 from the rest of cameras we know of, just like many smart phones from Samsung and other makers; the Galaxy Camera is powered by Google’s Android OS and not just any but its latest Jelly Bean OS.

Samsung GC100 Galaxy Camera supports up to 21x logical optical zoom making it suitable for snapping distant images with workable details whether you’re on a hike, watching sports or just getting a clear view of those tall buildings. And by zooming out, the GC100 will surprise you with just how much it can capture nearby; the 23mm aperture lens can get wider so you fit your subject as you want it. The 4.8inch display panel is definitely one of the biggest we’ve seen in this segment; it comes in handy by rendering a bigger canvas so you can easily compose and edit your photos, you can even watch videos and TV shows on it. Under the hood is a 1.4 Quad-core processor that’s way bigger than most smart phones out there, it’s enough to tackle most droid apps without experiencing lags. With the Galaxy Camera, you need not be a pro to snap decent images as the camera offers handy automatic modes that recreates images for you.
Samsung Galaxy GC100 Camera Features/Specifications;
  • Operating System: Android v4.1 Jelly Bean
  • Processor: 1.4GHz Quad-Cortex-A9 Processor
  • Display: 4.8inch (720x1280p pixels) (306ppi) Super Clear LCD. 16m colors
  • Camera: 16Megapixel, 21x optical zoom, Xenon Flash, Auto-focus, Video:1080p
  • Storage: 8GB Internal, 50GB Dropbox, 1GB RAM Up to 64GB MicroSD card
  • Connectivity: MicroUSB v2.0, Bluetooth v4.0 with A2DP, NFC
  • Internet: HSDPA 21Mbps, HSDPA 5.76Mbps, WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n, Hotspot
  • Other ft: Touch-focus, Geo-Tagging, face & smile detection, gyro, compas, accel
  • Battery: Standard Lithium Ion 1650mAh
Samsung Galaxy GC100 CameraPrice in Kenya: from Kshs.43600
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