Amidst increased uptake of mobile based banking solutions by Kenyans, KCB launched its latest mobile based banking solution dubbed M-Benki that allowed customers to open and operate their personal bank accounts using a mobile phone. Competition for innovative and customized banking solutions has gained momentum over the past few months forcing more providers to adapt mobile based platforms that allowed customers to access several banking products without having to physically visit banking halls. M-Benki which operates on KCB Mobi Bank platform will allow non KCB customers to easily open their bank accounts right from their cellphones. The move makes it easier for Kenya’s unbanked population to access formal banking products at their convenience.
PESAMOB Mobile Based Virtual Bank from Family Bank – How it Works
Dubbed as a robust mobile based banking platform, Family Bank unveiled PESAMOB – its newest mobile based product that will see customers access a number of banking services including money transfer and micro-loans conveniently on their handsets without necessarily visiting the bank. PESAMOB is expected to increase access to the Family Bank’s financial services by making it easy to open and operate accounts as well as other operation processes currently on its PesaPap platform. PESAMOB which has been tailored to foster financial inclusivity of more than 3 million small and medium enterprises as well as currently unbanked mobile subscribers is expected to propel the success of local banking sector by eliminating conventional banking barriers.
Get a free Dstv Drifta Mobile Decoder when you sign up for Airtel’s postpaid line
Airtel Kenya’s subscribers have yet something to look forward this Christmas season; new or current subscribers who sign up for Airtel’s postpaid line will be rewarded with a Dstv’s drifta mobile decoder for Android. The promotion comes after Airtel partnered with Multichoice to reward new customers who opt into the postpaid paid plan instead of the popular prepaid. The move comes just days before the analogue digital signal transmission will be switched off in Nairobi and its environments, Digital migration has become a thorn for most Kenyan’s who’d wish to continue enjoying their favorite TV channels yet they can’t afford a decoder or a compatible television set. It’s a platform that enjoys enormous advantages but at the same time these benefits are underscored by expensive free to air decoders.
If Windows Edition details are missing on your PC’s info page, here is what you should do
Quite often, at times we download third party software from the internet trusting they’re genuine but this is not always the case. I’ve had to confront certain issues on my copy of windows 8.1 pro, applications that install a dozen third party unrelated tool bars during the installations to those that change your default home page to their own do exist everywhere on the internet; unfortunately, not all of them let users opt to install these applications. Beyond just altering your preferred browser details, some of these apps stretch further to maliciously corrupt your windows files for reasons best known to their creators. I’ve had a good experience dealing with this and here is one of those encounters.
HP Pavilion DV7-7121nr Entertainment Laptop Review
HP’s pavilion line-up is mainly composed of entertainment focused laptops and the dv7-7121nr isn’t an exception, it’s best suited as a desktop replacement factoring-in its enormous display panel but it’ll do just fine playing those heavy-weight video games. I am a hardcore pro-portability critic when it comes to laptop computers, I’d say the pavilion dv7-7121nr must be up to the task to impress considering its huge 17.3inch panel that I find hard to carry around. The Pavilion series or rather Envy line-up has most of the components made to play, I have nothing against snappier components but can’t just ignore size as well. DV7-7121nr is mostly housed in an aluminum body from top-to-toe except for the under-side, it’s has a decent finish that’ll protect inner components from what could be fatal pressure.
From the outside, it has that classy look you’d expect from a business centered laptop, the display’s back-lid was carefully curved from aluminum and leaves plenty of room for HP’s typical logo. Interestingly, the logo lights-up when the computer is opened, that kind of looked odd to my colleagues who found it a little irritating to put-up with; it made little sense other than HP’s own intention to sooth their ego for what would seem like some piece of art. The Pavilion DV7-7121nr or Envy DV7-7121nr whichever you’d prefer surely has the looks, it’s a good example of craftsmanship when it comes to high-end laptops by all means, but that didn’t compromise on the housing material. Aluminum has become popular on high-end portables due to its durability and the ability to resist damage under pressure, so if you’ve got a dv7-7121nr expect to see it around for a while. The housing didn’t amuse us that much, we’ve got rivals doing just as well in that field, but the power underneath is by far what I’d say a 21st century gaming laptop.
Qualcomm’s Toq Smartwatch has a unique always-on Mirasol Display, is it any better?
While most of us were aware of Samsung’s Galaxy Gear making debut in a smartwatch’s segment that’s becoming popular by day, little was known as to how many firms even considered making an android compatible smartwatch. Apparently, Qualcomm had a smartwatch of its own in the pipeline, dubbed as ‘Toq’ but pronounced as ‘talk’, Qualcomm’s own smartwatch became official on December 2nd following in the footsteps of Samsung, Sony and most probably Apple if current rumors are anything to go by. Best known for making chips that power smartphones, Qualcomm officially unveiled the ‘Toq’ a smartwatch that would easily pair with any android v4.0 or earlier powered devices to bring those notifications where you can easily see them at a glance.
Epson to sponsor the inaugural Kenya Photography Awards (KPA)
Epson will be sponsoring the first edition of Kenya Photography Awards which seeks to honour those who have contributed significantly to the growth and development of photography in Kenya. The event is aimed at appreciating and acknowledging professionals as well as upcoming photographers in Kenya. Winners of the awards will be announced on 26 November 2013 at the KICC in a ceremony that is expected to attract photographers, creative professionals and photo enthusiasts alike. The Kenya Photography Awards is a brainchild of Photographers Association of Kenya together with PAWA 254, a social enterprise through which innovative professionals from diverse artistic fields exploit their creative genius to foster social change.
Receive your Electricity bill via SMS or Email, Kenya Power goes paperless
In a bid to save more than 800 million Kenyan shillings every year, Kenya’s sole power distributor (KPLC) has unveiled a campaign that will see customers receive their monthly power bills via text messages and or e-mail rather than its outdated hardcopy bills. The company’s acting managing director Mr. Ben Chumo estimated the cost of preparing individual hardcopy bill to about KES 35 a month translating to millions for customers using standard electricity meters. A huge chunk of Kenya power’s customers’ still use standard traditional postpaid meters which are billed on a monthly basis depending on the amount of power units consumed; thereafter, hardcopy bills are prepared and sent to the respective customers via postal means. Besides other benefits related to a paperless system, the initiative will spare Kenya power millions spent every month.
Kenya Power has come up with various initiatives aimed at improving efficiency in its services but the operations costs have annoyingly remained high prompting high electric bills to cover the same. Installation of prepaid meters in most parts of Nairobi had significantly cut operation costs ranging from staffing of meter readers to preparing customer’s monthly bills but it’s only a pilot project with minimal coverage. Speaking at the launch event, Kenya Power’s managing director Mr. Chumo urged customers to register their electricity account details in order receive emails and SMS alerts of their monthly bills rather the traditional hardcopy mail. It’s not long since the company tried unsuccessfully to increase meter connection fees in a bid to raise revenue for expansion a move that was later reversed by the vice president.
Even after posting a net profit of 4.3 billion Kenyan shillings, the company has faced major challenges that have led to a down-roll in its profits – it was a 6.5% drop in earnings in a net of 4.6 billion Kenyan shillings same period last year. The move is not aimed at denying the postal corporation its revenues but rather a timely innovation to cut the company’s expenses according to the Managing director.
How to Register and Receive Kenya Power bills via text Messages (SMS) or Email
- Customers are required to register on their mobile phones using a USSD command, Dial *551# on your phone, enter your account number, e-mail address, Identification respectively.
- Send an email to [email protected] with account number, name, mobile, email and ID respectively on the subject line
- Fill a registration form on the company’s website.
- call Kenya Power contact center on 95551 and give your details
- Fill a form from KPLC website and drop it off at any Kenya Power office or post it to P.O BOX 30099-00100 NAIROBI.
Customers registering to receive bills via SMS will not be charged.