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Ultrawide or Superzoom smartphone camera lenses, which one excites you?

Tuvuti Editorial Team
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Ultrawide or Superzoom smartphone camera lenses, which one excites you?

Over the last couple of years, at least most of us have had a chance to test and use various ultrawide smartphone cameras, they’ve revolutionized the way we capture photos and in some rare cases reduced the once popular feature –panorama redundant. But from the current rumors and trends we’re getting, soon the superzoom era will beckon and it’ll be just as interesting to see how it plays out.

I remember the first time I had a chance to own a phone with ultrawide lens – the LG G5, it was like the smartphone camera was born again. The experience was enormous being a first timer and couldn’t see anything that could prove better. From what we’re getting from reliable sources, smartphones will soon get over the wide-angle lens craze and instead embrace superzoom. The subject has been a bit thorny for phones and at least this is why we still have the point and shoot cameras rocking the segment.

Up until now, superzoom has been a feature only wished for in the smartphone photography and for all of us who thought it was achieved by the so-called digital zoom, think again coz the real deal is yet to come. Digital zoom basically achieves the same effect as using a simple editor to crop out un-zoomed photo. And for most of us, we haven’t really used the feature for a simple reason; why zoom at all when the lens can’t quite get any additional data?

With the ultrawide feature, it was simple for manufacturers to tweak lens to capture a wider angle than traditional modes, it was brilliant and having a ton of us all accommodated in a single shot sounded futuristic. Unlike the digital zoom feature which only achieved a blurry and rather noisy photo, ultrawide lenses were able to gather more data eloquently except for the fish-eye effect we experienced on some manufacturers who overdid it.   

Some manufactures have already announced handsets that can-do zoom such as Oppo’s Reno 10x and Huawei P30 Pro and from the early reports we’ve been getting from users, this will be a must have feature on flagship devices from serious manufacturers. Once manufactures discover that consumers are looking for this feature, we expect the likes of Samsung and Apple to come onboard for something more than Apple’s current mild-zoom “portrait” lenses.

Two employees of the Communications Authority tests positive for covid-19

Tuvuti Editorial Team
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Two employees of the Communications Authority tests positive for covid-19

Two employees of Kenya’s ICT regulator have tested positive for covid-19, although they were both on leave, it comes at a time when the country is loosening directives that were issued when the first case was confirmed in the country. The authority further said the respective employees have since started receiving medical attention and had not been in contact with other staff.

Efforts to trace and test people who came into contact with is said to be ongoing including families as well as friends. The authority further affirms that only cases that are extremely necessary to visit their offices will be allowed and has since directed that all license fees to be made to their bank accounts or through mobile money platforms indicated in the respective invoices.

Kenya is amongst countries that are still yet to implement contact tracing app based on the Google and Apple’s API. The app is still listed as in development on respective platforms while a few countries such as Austria, Brunei and Denmark have all released their apps.

While economies are crushing across the world due to effects brought by the novel corona virus at least with exception of China which just reported a 3+ percent rebound in economy growth, there’s still enormous fears of a second wave and public health experts are advocating for nations to adopt contact tracing solutions.

There’re also a few hiccups on contact tracing which is said to be difficult in implementing correctly without violating individual’s privacy. This is why Google and Apple had to collaborate on an API that developers of public health agencies can use to implement app-based contact tracing solutions.

How to reactivate dormant NHIF card and continue using services on your mobile phone

Tuvuti Editorial Team
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How to reactivate dormant NHIF card and continue using services on your mobile phone

After the novel covid-19 wreaked havoc worldwide, most Kenyans lost their jobs and some have even begun turning to the informal sector to make ends meet. One of the benefits of having a formal employment was having a form of health insurance from the state-run National Hospital Insurance Fund. For those who still want to enjoy benefits of NHIF but their cards have been dormant for a while, there’s a simple way they can reactivate their cards.

NHIF has been very important for some Kenyans who rely on the fund to access medical insurance from various health facilities across the country. And for those who haven’t yet selected their preferred outpatient facilities, the process can be achieved by using a USSD code or even via the official android and iOS app on your mobile phone illustrated in our earlier post.  

One of the requirements of having NHIF insurance when you need it is keeping the account active by ensuring timely monthly contributions are made. If you’ve missed the deadline which is usually on the 9th of every month, you can still make the contribution by paying late penalty fee following steps illustrated here.

If for some reason you’ve missed the monthly deadline to make your contribution, then follow the steps in the late payment penalty fee; however, if your card has been sitting around dormant even for more than a year, you can reactivate the card by making a payment to the NHIF by following the following steps.

How to reactivate your dormant NHIF Card;

You’ll need to make a payment of Ksh. 1,500 by following these steps;

  • On your MPESA menu, select Lipa na MPESA
  • Then choose Paybill
  • Enter NHIF MPESA paybill number: 200222
  • Under account number, key in your national ID number
  • Enter the amount: Ksh. 1,500
  • You should receive a confirmation message of the transaction.
  • You can then access their services after a period of 60 days (2months)
  • You’ll also have to continue with regular monthly contributions thereafter reactivating

Things you should consider first when buying a TV wall mount bracket for your set

Tuvuti Editorial Team
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Things you should consider first when buying a TV wall mount bracket for your set

Having your new television set mounted seems like a great Idea, especially when all factors have been carefully considered. I say carefully because there are some landlords who would hear none of the above and have a strict policy regarding wall piercing.  But for those who are considerate, it’s only sensible to place today’s ultra-thin panels somewhere stationary where they’re less likely to be harmed.

Panels mounted on the wall surely look fabulous from the cosmetic point of view and might in some cases free up space to put additional accessories such as speakers, keyboards, TV boxes and remote controllers. While the exercise itself looks daunting for newbies, mounting a TV is not really that hard provided you have the right tools, although it’s always Ideal to look for a professional for such expensive investments.

We have prepared a guide for those looking to mount their new television sets covering all aspects you’ll need to consider when shopping for the best suitable bracket on the market. Some of the requirements will depend on your TV specifications as well as availability here in Kenya.

Wall material

As much as this appears obsolete, you’ll still need to consider what your wall is actually made of. Here in Kenya, most residentials are constructed with concrete, which might require tools such as a drill to make way for the mounting screws. But if you are mounting in an office setup, you’ll most probably be dealing with a dry wall and gypsum is the common material used. And in some modern residentials with already made up antennae ports, this will basically dictate your location for the set and just so you know, avoid areas above fireplaces for obvious reasons.  

Size and Flexibility

Every TV has its own bracket specifications you should strictly adhere to, you don’t need to get a weaker bracket that’ll break at the slightest pressure and at the same time you really don’t need a heavier bracket for small sized panels. When shopping for the mounts, you’ll see rating in terms of compatible sizes. Check on your television set to ensure the correct specifications before deciding on the bracket.

 Size of the room.

If you are looking for mounting brackets for a larger room, you should probably consider those that can tilt sideways. This will ensure adjustments can be made if needed. Smaller rooms can get away with stationary mounts as they’ll probably never require adjustments.

How to deposit and withdraw money from GTBank account using MPESA

Tuvuti Editorial Team
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How to deposit and withdraw money from GTBank account using MPESA

Customers of the Guarantee Trust Bank Kenya (GTBank) can easily use their MPESA numbers to deposit cash into their bank accounts as well as withdraw money from the bank. The financial institution has thus far provided two convenient ways that customers can use to achieve the mentioned objectives.

With the current pandemic that has to date wreaked havoc across the world including here in Kenya, people are now being encouraged to exercise social distancing and avoid handling cash as a means to curb the spread of covid-19. In our efforts to provide detailed editorials on how you can abide by these guidelines by taking advantage of current services offered by various institutions utilizing mobile phones, we have come up with a guide for GTBank customers to easily move cash to and from their accounts using MPESA.

But before we continue, unlike other financial institutions such as Postbank and Coop bank who have embraced the use of USSD codes, GTBank currently uses native MPESA menu to deposit cash and a smartphone app to withdraw to MPESA.  

How to deposit money to GTBank account from MPESA

  • On your MPESA menu, select – Lipa na MPESA.
  • Tap on Paybill.
  • Enter GTBank Paybill number: 910200.
  • Key in your GTBank account number (new 10-digit account number).
  • Enter the amount you want to deposit followed by MPESA PIN.
  • Complete the transaction.

How to withdraw money from GTBank account to MPESA

Since the company doesn’t have a USSD code to accomplish this as of now, you’ll need to have a smartphone to access the service. You’ll also need to register for personal Internet Banking at any of their branches (if not registered)

  • On your phone, head over to respective app store, Google Play for android and App Store for iOS devices
  • Search for “GTBank” app and install
  • Login to the app and provide ID, password, the mobile number you wish to transfer funds to as well as the amount to transfer

Xiaomi’s Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 Basic explained and price in Kenya

Tuvuti Editorial Team
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Xiaomi’s Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 Basic explained and price in Kenya

Looking back when Apple majestically unveiled the Airpods, consumers world over received the news with mixed reactions, but it was just a matter of time before everyone else adopted the technology if the initial days of notch is anything to go by. I haven’t been keen to migrate fully to wireless earbuds myself, but its safe to say I’m heading there, at least with the current trend where we can now say the tech has fully matured for the mainstream uptake. Recently, Xiaomi introduced it’s next true wireless earphone 2 Basic with some interesting tech we thought you should know.

In our previous editorial where we had a chance to pit some of the affordable wireless earbuds you could buy here in Kenya against each other, it was interesting to see different approaches manufacturers use when designing the earbuds. In a nutshell, the Mi True wireless earphones 2 basic offers the company’s best bet yet on providing a holistic experience to its fan base at rock-bottom prices. While there are more expensive versions from the company such as the Redmi Earbud S or the immediate sibling Tue wireless 2, Xiaomi touts this version to deliver high-fidelity audio as well as improved battery life.

 Features and Design

A glance at the earphones will surely endorse that feeling you get when something premium is in the vicinity, someone would easily say they’re a bit more inspirational than Apple’s take which doesn’t happen on a regular basis. Views from a couple of consumers who’ve had a chance to use them indicate they’re just as comfy, although a bit heavier than my Airpods.  

Xiaomi indicates they should last all day with full charge, 5 hours on single use and 20hours worth of music playback. Something to note, once they’re placed in their case, they should automatically start to charge which is a bit of convenience for most of us who have very little time to spare.

Each earphone comes with two built-in high-sensitivity microphones, which the company say uses beamforming technology to eliminate the background noise during calls, allowing the other user to hear you clearly, even in noisy environments.

Since the Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 Basic were designed by Xiaomi, users will enjoy the MIUI Global user interface. Once you pop that case open, you’ll be greeted with an interface for earphone connection on your device. And soon after establishing a connection, the earphones can be conveniently operated from your phone letting you view the battery levels of the earphones as well as the charging case.

While details on its availability in Kenya are a bit scanty, for those of us who like getting rare stuff via online stores such as AliExpress can ship in within a few weeks for Ksh. 5,500.

Specifications

  • Work Distance: 10m
  • Audio Codec supported: SBC/AAC
  • Impedance: 32Ω
  • Input: 5V/1A
  • Charging Port: USB-C
  • Charging Time: 1.5h
  • Bluetooth Version: 5.0

Should you look forward to stunningly fast-charge technology in future smartphones?

Tuvuti Editorial Team
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Should you look forward to stunningly fast-charge technology in future smartphones?

Early this year (2020) smartphone manufacturers seemingly started shifting away from the hype we witnessed in 2019 involving Quad-camera setups and minimal notches to fast charge capabilities. From the look of things, consumers are more interested in power reliability which has lurked in innovation for several years now. While there have been some improvements in the lithium ion batteries, we still don’t have the kind of reliability we used to have in the days of yore. I remember when I had my Nokia 3310 that used to last for almost a week without hooking on a charger. It was as some may refer to it as: the good-old-golden days.

What we have today and the trend

Today, all we get is a massive mAh without really having a meaningful impact on the reliability of the battery. In fact, from the most recent smartphones unveiled by manufacturers such as Huawei’s Y8p and Y6p which packs a 500mAh battery, alongside Xiaomi’s redmi Note 9 series which comes with a similar capacity, we are only assured of a day long battery at best. This shouldn’t be the case in the 21st century; and in my opinion, its one area where manufacturers have terribly failed us.

The current trend has focused more on the charging technology rather than the battery itself. Or is it because there hasn’t been a breakthrough in alternative technology, the later might be true which further complicates our efforts on envisioning how the future will look like, but one thing remained true, there’s still a lot to be done on battery technology in smartphones.

Should you look forward to stunning fast charge technology?

To answer this question, we are going to have a look at the current charging technologies on smartphones. Everyone who has owned a smartphone at least is familiar with the wired charging adaptors – and by the way there are current rumors of Apple’s intention to ditch the brick on its iPhone boxes as well as Samsung on its Galaxies.

Wireless charging technology vs Wired fast charge technology

High-end smartphones unveiled in 2020 and by extension 2019 almost certainly support the two technologies. Wired fast charge technology is strides ahead of wireless for obvious reasons, overheating has been the main hinderance of wireless fast charge – even slow charging handsets with the same technology has its own overheating problems.

While we admire the convenience of wireless charging capabilities, we’re still not there yet. Fast charge using wired adaptors seems to have come of age and therefore this should be what most of us should be looking forward in future.

How to deposit money from MPESA to PayPal using a Paybill number

Tuvuti Editorial Team
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How to deposit money from MPESA to PayPal using a Paybill number

MPESA has surely transformed how money is send and received here in Kenya to say the least, it’s almost likely that every vendor out there can now accept MPESA payments compared to just a few years back. But there are some instances when MPESA is not an option, especially when paying for services offered by foreign companies such as Netflix.

Looking at local companies or those that at least have a physical local presence, you’ll almost certainly have MPESA as a payment option, but the same cannot be said for other foreign companies. While Safaricom has managed to forge several partnerships such as using MPESA to shop on AliExpress as well as on Amazon using western union, PayPal remains one of the most widely used form of payment for multinationals such as Netflix.

In our previous editorial, we highlighted how you could use MPESA to pay for your Netflix subscription in just a few steps, we also wrote about how you could send and receive money through PayPal using MPESA. The process to deposit money from your MPESA wallet to your PayPal account is pretty much straight forward.

A few things to do before we start;

While transferring cash from MPESA to PayPal should be a breeze, there are a couple of things you first need to do such as linking your MPESA number to a PayPal account.

How to Link MPESA number to PayPal account;

  • Link your MPESA to PayPal account by signing up at the following link: https://www.paypal-mobilemoney.com/m-pesa
  • Tap on “Get Started”
  • You’ll be prompted to login into your PayPal account
  • Once you’ve logged in, add your MPESA number as expected

How to deposit money from MPESA to PayPal account;

  • Convert the amount you want to deposit from USD into Kenyan shillings from this link: https://www.paypal-mobilemoney.com/m-pesa
  • On your MPESA menu, select Lipa na Mpesa
  • Then choose Pay Bill from the options
  • Enter “800088” as the business number
  • Put your MPESA number as the account number
  • Enter the amount in Kenyan shillings
  • Put your PIN and complete the transaction

You should receive a confirmation text message in a few minutes and the amount should reflect in your PayPal account.

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