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How to videoconference in Google Meet using neat virtual custom backgrounds

Tuvuti Editorial Team
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How to videoconference in Google Meet using neat virtual custom backgrounds

The novel corona virus has surely brought a new world order in the ways that we conduct ourselves including how we work. And as companies continue to embrace staff working from home, somethings aren’t quite easy getting used to at home as they were in an official office setup. We now do a lot of videoconferencing to accomplish meetings that would have otherwise required physical meetups, under normal circumstances and Google meet has been the most preferred tool alongside Zoom to accomplish that.

As stated above, home setup is quite different from an official office setup, there are often things in places that some may consider inappropriate or children running around. And rather than clients of fellow colleagues having to witness such things, Google meet introduced virtual custom backgrounds so people don’t have to see the color of your wall, your house arrangement, in some cases your bed! Quite frankly I do sometimes videoconference while sitting on my bed myself. And as promised around mid this year, Google finally activated virtual backgrounds for anyone on the Google Meet platform. The platform has been lacking in so many ways compared to Chinese counterpart – Zoom.

We have therefore come up with a guide for anyone looking to place a virtual neat background in their Google Meet videoconferences. Unfortunately, the feature is currently available on the web platform, meaning app users on iOS and android might need to wait a little bit longer or instead use their computers for the web alternative to access this feature. Additionally, organizations using G-Suite for education plan are also not currently supported.

How to use a custom background on Google Meet

  • The process doesn’t require any kind of special technical skill, anyone who can use the platform can easily use this feature. Once you have an active video call, tap on the 3-dots at the bottom right corner of your window and choose “Change Background”
  • Next, select your preferred virtual background from the list. You could also choose to blur the background with a set of preloaded images ranging from cafes to libraries, beaches, and more.
  • Besides the preloaded images, you could choose to upload your own by clicking on the “+” icon, which should then let you choose from a local storage location such as desktop, documents or pictures. The pictures must not exceed 16MB file size and be in jpg format.
  • Proceed to apply to apply your virtual background and enjoy!

From our experience, there are still some things that need to be further ironed out for the platform to be as good as Zoom. Things like separating face detection from background aren’t as smooth as they should be, but the blur background emerged as our favorite from them all.

MacOS Big Sur apparently rendering older macs unusable with black screens

Tuvuti Editorial Team
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MacOS Big Sur apparently rendering older macs unusable with black screens

Users within the Apple ecosystem are used to lengthy software support on their devices ranging from iPhones, Apple TV’s, Apple Watches and even Macs. Sometimes having the most recent version of Apple software can be a good thing – I can’t emphasize just how much my good-old iPhone SE bought way back in 2016 when released feels rejuvenated with the recent iOS 14 update. But at the same time, we all know that newer software often doesn’t play nice with outdated hardware and this seems to be the case with Apple’s MacOS Big Sur on machines released as early as 2013.

Reports from Mac users on various platforms such as reddit and twitter are pointing to a myriad of experiences on the latest version of MacOS, with users on newer Apple hardware mostly reporting a better experience while those on older hardware facing a ton of issues. It’s not a new phenomenon when it comes to new software to have issues, especially one that hasn’t been thoroughly tested for possible bugs. And as we dive deeper into the MacOS Big Sur since it was released and adoption increases, users on Apple support forum as well as on twitter are reporting their devices to have been rendered unresponsive with a black screen after installation.

The black screen issues seem to be prevalent on MacBook models unveiled in late 2013 as well as mid 2014 MacBook Pro’s. From various reports, users are faced with a black screen during or after the update period. Notably, the keyboard doesn’t light up either, and there’s currently no known quick fix on the issue.  

According to MacRumors, all attempts on known troubleshooting efforts such as resetting NVRAM and SMC resets, entering safe mode, and internet recovery are futile. But Apple seems to be aware of the issue at least according to one user on Apple’s support forum.

Further analysis points the issue to the IC chip on the HDMI port.  Some users have reported positive feedback after unplugging/replacing the I/O board of the machine, which of course goes without saying you’d be on your own. Since most of the affected Macs are probably out of warranty, it remains unclear what would be Apple’s response, but for now we can only hope and wait.

And as is the case with newer software, we can only advise those who are yet to upgrade to wait a little longer, at least until they are positive their devices won’t face issues during the upgrade. Apple has been quick in resolving issues or bugs in their software and we can’t expect anything less in this instance.

Samsung unveils M5 and M7 smart monitor with both PC and smart TV features

Tuvuti Editorial Team
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Samsung unveils M5 and M7 smart monitor with both PC and smart TV features

While the current pandemic has altered our once normal way of life, we’re just starting to notice its effect on technology with various innovations aimed at making our lives have some sense of normalcy. We recently witnessed L’Oréal unveil tools that would make it easier for people across the globe make those video conferencing meetings without having to apply makeup first. The service dubbed signature faces automatically applies virtual makeup on users by following simple steps. Samsung is poised to explore opportunities brought forth by the pandemic by introducing Smart Monitor M7 that has features suitable for both work and home use.

In what has been regarded as an all in one display panel, Samsung’s latest monitor features both PC and smart TV functionalities. The tech giant aims to tap into the post COVID-19 era where most workers in various organizations are now working from their homes. The panel which is dubbed as a smart monitor, runs on Samsung’s proprietary software Tizen and comes with a built-in WiFi radio Bluetooth as well as Samsung’s DeX capability. Surprisingly, the monitor is also equipped with AirPlay 2, allowing users with Apple devices like iPhones, iPads and Macs to share media content on the panel.

Other features include the ability to view, edit and save office 365 applications in the cloud bypassing the need to have a PC hooked on it. Users with other Samsung devices such as the Galaxy Note 20 can turn the panel into a computer using Samsung’s DeX feature. Dex has been mostly a “miss” feature rather than a “Hit”, just because it didn’t really gain momentum as we all expected during it’s initial days. There are also notable questions with regards to just how the connection would work with Dex considering the latency that so many people just find hard to deal with.

As expected with display panels running on Samsung’s Tizen OS, users can easily switch the monitor into a smart TV and have access to various streaming services like Netflix, Apple TV, Prime and YouTube. In case you need additional functionality, you can download more apps from the included app store.

There is no word on when and if the monitor will be available in Kenya, but if you hail from right territories, it’ll be available in two models and three variants. A 27-inch FHD model dubbed M5, a 32-inch Full-HD model also named M5 and a 32-inch Ultra HD model dubbed M7. Price is expected to start from $230 and $280 for the M5 variants respectively, while the M7 model will be available at $400.

Kenya set to unveil a virtual library for citizens to access timely information from the KNLS

Tuvuti Editorial Team
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Kenya set to unveil a virtual library for citizens to access timely information from the KNLS

Kenya’s government is prepping to launch a virtual library for citizens to access relevant information that it currently held by the Kenya National Library. The initiative is expected to materialize somewhere around June 2021 and has been allocated a budget of Ksh. 250 million.  A virtual library will allow Kenyans seeking information from the Kenya National Library to get it at the comfort of their homes, something that greatly contrasts current arrangements where Kenyans have had to visit the library to get required information.

Speaking on the plans, Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta indicated the virtual based library will accommodate 15 million publications. Uhuru further said the launch will entail various stages with the first phase expected to have 800,000 books digitized. Materials expected to be handled within the first phase will also include research papers, periodicals as well as government publications. 600,000 books which are currently available offline from the Kenya National Library Services will also be digitized according to the President.  

These plans were revealed when the President was officially opening the Maktaba Kuu buildings that house the Kenya National Library Services (KNLS) headquarters. The initiative which is estimated to be completed within two years will involve several ministries including the ministry of culture and heritage, sports in conjunction with the Sports, Arts and Social Development Fund.

According to Mr. Kenyatta, all Kenyans are entitled to relevant information, and will be able to access these materials from wherever they are. He also pointed out there are prudent infrastructure in place to enable communities’ access to online information as well as connecting them to the rest of the world.  

Maktaba Kuu will be the first multipurpose library in Kenya which according to Mr. Kenyatta is inline with his government’s promise to avail new methods that Kenyans can learn, obtain information, expand their intellectual horizons as well as promoting a reading culture.

Maktaba Kuu comes with a 300 capacity children theatre, a 50-capacity senior citizens section and four auditoriums with a combined capacity of 1,200 people customized to give room for local authors and artists to showcase their work. Additionally, there’s a 500-seater gallery dubbed Sanaa Centre which is available to local artists to showcase their artefacts.

How to divert or forward incoming calls to another number or voicemail on Safaricom network

Tuvuti Editorial Team
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How to divert or forward incoming calls to another number or voicemail on Safaricom network

Whether you just don’t want to receive any phone calls or prefer to have them transferred to another device, Safaricom has a simple way that subscribers can use to forward or divert incoming calls. You have an option of diverting phone calls to your voicemail so you don’t miss any important message or have them forwarded to another phone number altogether. The process can be achieved by using simple USSD code steps on your device as I’m going to illustrate in this editorial.

There are various reasons or situations that may necessitate someone to divert calls, and in most cases, users may prefer to have incoming calls forwarded especially if the line is currently engaged or not accessible. In fact, I prefer having a voicemail handle calls that come-in while my phone is not in a position to receive them; such as being offline or engaged and, in some instances, when I’m out of coverage area.

How to divert incoming calls to voicemail on Safaricom line

There are two ways you can activate voicemail on your phone; when you are on another call and when you are not reachable

  • To divert calls when you are on another call, dial **61*0722122# or **67*0722122# to activate
  • You can check the status by dialing *#67# or *#61#
  • To divert calls when you are not reachable, for example when your phone if off or out of coverage area, dial **62*0722122#
  • You can check the status by dialing *#62#

How to divert calls to another mobile phone number

  • To divert all incoming calls, dial **21* followed by the mobile number you want calls to be diverted to followed by “#” such as **21*0722222222#. You can check the current status by calling *#21#.
  • If you only want to divert calls that you do not want to receive, then dial **61* followed by the mobile number you want calls to be diverted to followed by “#” such as **61*0722222222#. You can check the current status by calling *#61#.
  • To divert incoming calls only if your primary phone is off, dial then dial **62* followed by the mobile number you want calls to be diverted to followed by “#” such as **62*0722222222#. You can check the current status by calling *#62#.
  • To divert incoming calls only if your primary phone is engaged, dial then dial **67* followed by the mobile number you want calls to be diverted to followed by “#” such as **67*0722222222#. You can check the current status by calling *#67#.

Realme 7i and Realme C12 budget devices unveiled in Kenya, here is what you need to know

Tuvuti Editorial Team
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Realme 7i and Realme C12 budget devices unveiled in Kenya, here is what you need to know

Realme just announced budget-centric duos in Kenya as consumers prepare for the holiday season, the two devices are officially joining a rather crowded midrange segment, but one that has been competitive for most Kenyans. The Realme 7i and Realme C12 combines some interesting features while cutting down on some corners to maintain an attractive price range. While we expect some Kenyans to be thrilled with the offering, there’s no doubt the two devices by no means will appeal to the so-called power users who need the best in everything for optimal use in gaming and photography.

Display panels;

Both devices feature a 6.5-inch display panel with an expected resolution of 720 by 1600 for the 7i and 720 by 1560 for the C12. This is way below our benchmark of at least FHD resolution, meaning text and images juts won’t show as vivid and crisp as they do on panels with a higher resolution. The panels are also IPS rather than AMOLED, something we’re not in dispute with considering the price range. So, expect “normal” experience without that dash of vividness we’ve come to expect from OLED panels. On a positive note, Realme decided to use Corning Gorilla glass on both devices to protect from scratches and shutters caused by accidental falls, but you’d still need to use a screen protector and cover just to be on the safe side.

Interestingly, the Realme 7i has a 90Hz panel, expect smooth scrolling, an interface that seems faster to interact with and somehow a better gaming experience on games that support this refresh rate. We also get several treats on the 7i compared to the C12 as expected and this has been reflected in their prices with the 7i costing Ksh. 24,999 while the C12 almost half the price at Ksh. 14,999.

Cameras and Photography;

There’s a 64MP quad-camera setup on the 7i, featuring an 8MP ultrawide, 2MP depth and 2MP macro sensors. On the other hand, the lower-priced C12 packs a triple camera setup that includes a 13MP main sensor and two separate 2MP sensors. The selfie camera is capped at 16MP on the 7i and 5MP on the C12.

Other features;

Both devices come with Realme UI based on android 10 a Qualcomm SM6115 Snapdragon 662 processor on the 7i and a MediaTek Helio G3 processor on the C12. Users opting for the higher priced 7i will have an option of choosing various storage options and between 4GB and 8GB system RAM while the low-end C12 will only be available in 3GB RAM and 32GB internal storage.

Its also worth noting that, the C12 packs a larger 6000mAh battery compared to 7i’s 5000mAh battery. So you’d generally expect longer battery hours on the cheaper model compared to it’s a little pricier sibling.

Telkom Kenya’s new Pawa voice bundles come with SMS and mobile data value packs

Tuvuti Editorial Team
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Telkom Kenya’s new Pawa voice bundles come with SMS and mobile data value packs

Popular Pawa voice bundles from Telkom Kenya have finally received a much-needed upgrade, customers will now receive additional value packs in text messages and mobile internet to go along. The re-packed voice offering will also feature competitive prices in the industry and are aimed at meeting consumer’s daily needs in data, SMS and mobile internet.

Telkom Kenya’s move to re-package the Pawa voice bundles is partly attributed to the current pandemic which has led consumers to shift from common communications methods to those that are friendlier to them during this period. The corona virus has immensely changed the trajectory on how consumers spend their earnings with more focus now placed on savings and necessities rather than what they can do away with.

According to the mobile service provider, the revamped voice offering will not only include essential value packs that include text messages as well as data bundles but will also be relatively cheaper than before. The Telco has recently shifted its focus to promote customer centric ethos, innovative, accessible and simple solutions targeted at meeting consumer’s daily needs and believes the new Pawa voice bundles will do just that.

According to information from the Communications Authority for the quarter ending June 2020, Telkom experienced increased uptake on its outgoing voice tariffs which rose from 486.7 million minutes in the same quarter previous year to 524.2 million minutes in the same quarter, 2020.

Speaking on the new bundles, Telkom’s Director for Marketing Mr. Eric Achola said that most young consumers utilize text messages and WhatsApp as means of communicating especially during the prolonged lockdown period that saw schools closed. Achola further acknowledged that most consumers are increasingly making more voice calls as they reach out to their family, friends and colleagues.

How to purchase Telkom Kenya’s Pawa voice bundles

  • Dial *544#
  • Then choose Pawa (Combo) bundles
  • Choose from available offers
  • You can decide to have them auto-renew
  • Confirm and enjoy.

Subscribers can purchase new bundles before the previous ones expires to have them accumulate.

Telkom Pawa voice bundles

Product NamePriceDataOn netOff-netSMSValidity
Pawa 1010/-50 MB WhatsApp introduced30 mins –24 hrs
Pawa 2020/-100 MB data introduced 5 mins10024 hrs
Pawa 20 Extra20/-100 MB (Increased data to 100MB from 10MB)100 mins–100 (Increased SMS to 100 from 40)24 hrs

How to subscribe to Safaricom’s Skiza mobile advertising service and get rewarded

Tuvuti Editorial Team
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How to subscribe to Safaricom’s Skiza mobile advertising service and get rewarded

Skiza mobile advertising platform was unveiled by Safaricom to assist small and medium businesses mitigate the effects of the corona virus which has changed traditional ways that we used to conduct ourselves. The platform allows Safaricom subscribers to opt-in and in return, get rewarded with data bundles or talk time for every three ads listened to for more than six seconds. Just like the popular Skiza tune service works, the ad service will avail various advertisements from Safaricom partners during the first few seconds before the recipient picks up your call.

Safaricom which is the largest mobile service provider in the country will allow small and medium businesses to advertise their services and products on the platform as a move aimed at neutralizing the effects of the pandemic. Ads will be rolled out at random to enrolled subscribers allowing businesses to access Safaricom’s vast database of potential customers.

Speaking on the initiative, Safaricom’s CEO Peter Ndegwa said the platform was an interesting invention aimed at providing businesses a platform to connect with customers while enjoying the Telco’s vast database. For customers who opt-in, they’ll be rewarded with exciting goodies ranging from data bundles to free minutes that can be utilized for something else on the network, Ndegwa concluded.

How to subscribe to Safaricom’s Skiza Mobile Ad service and get rewarded with data bundles and minutes

  • On your phone, dial *897#
  • Then choose opt in to receive awards
  • You can also redeem awards once they’re enough for data bundles or minutes
  • Users can also check available rewards balance.
  • You can always opt-out if you no longer want to listen to advertisements

Instead of the traditional ringtones heard when calling someone, users will hear adverts from various Safaricom partners instead. For those who opt-in will receive free 5 MB data or free 1-minute calling time for every three adverts listened to for more than six seconds each.

After listening to a couple Ads, enrolled subscribers can then view how much they’ve accumulated as well as redeem them. You’ll have to utilize accumulated minutes and data before the first day of every month, but once redeemed, they do not expire.

The Skiza Ads service is based on the Adtones global media platform which aims to empower and give back to mobile users. The platform is expected to benefit millions of Safaricom customers with rewards and useful media information according to Adtones founders Ben Lynch and Gaspare Manos.

How to place Ads on Safaricom Skiza Advertising platform

Businesses will need to write an email to AdTones at [email protected]. Adverts will be served at random to enrolled customers across the country.

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