New Samsung Galaxy 10.1. Expert Review

The Samsung Galaxy Tab is the first major tablet release since the Apple iPad launched about five months ago.

It's been a long time coming, too. The Galaxy Tab was one of the all-time worst kept secrets in tech until it was finally unveiled at Berlin's IFA show back in September, and as the first major Android tablet release, it holds a weight of responsibility on its shoulders.

With a tidal wave of Android tablets about to sweep through the tech world, it's possible that if the Galaxy Tab were to disappoint, it could damage the perception that Android tablets will be able to top the iPad on features and performance.

The price certainly indicates that Samsung believes the Galaxy Tab can topple the Apple iPad from its tablet tower. The 16GB model costs £530, which is £100 more than the Wi-Fi only version of the iPad. It is, however, exactly the same price as the cheapest 3G iPad, which is clearly no accident.

That price doesn't include any 3G access either, so if you want web connectivity on the go, it's going to cost you a monthly fee from one of the mobile networks. Prices will likely start at around £10 a month for 1GB of data.

Once the Tab has gone on sale, you should be able to pick up a subsidised model from one of the mobile networks, in return for signing a contract. However, currently we're not sure how much these deals are likely to cost.

This pricing strategy is slightly surprising - the Android tablet would be a lot more appealing if it was a bit cheaper than the iPad.

Samsung's decision no doubt also has something to do with it not wanting to undercut the cost of its own Android smartphones, but it's a big risk.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab has a lot to live up to, then. Especially when you consider it's a lot smaller than Apple's tablet - its 7-inch screen is dwarfed by the iPad's 9.7-incher.

Keeping up appearances

With a slick black and white-styled body and a bright and shiny TFT touchscreen, the Samsung Galaxy Tab gets off to a good start in that it looks absolutely fabulous.

It looks every bit the iPad killer that Samsung wants it to be. And while it may look lot like the iPad in pictures, it's quite a bit smaller and feels a lot different in the hand.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab sitting between the Apple iPad and iPod touch 4G

At 12mm it's quite thick, only fractionally thinner than the 9.7-inch iPad. As such it feels proportionately more chunky than the Apple device; not necessarily a bad thing.

The body is entirely made of plastic, so it feels less solid than the aluminium-backed iPad but it still feels adequately sturdy and tough. The plastic case enables it to stay pretty light at only 380g.

On the front of the device there are four touch buttons, similar to to those found on your average Android phone – one for home, one for options, a back button and one for search.

On the top of the device sits a 3.5mm headphone jack. The on/off button sits on the right hand side next to the volume controls and further down that left hand side you'll also find slots for a SIM card and a microSD expansion card.

The underside of the device is adorned by a charging and docking connector which looks identical to that of the iPad and iPhone. This will come into play when all the planned Galaxy Tab accessories start to spill out onto the market. The only external feature on the left side is a small microphone.

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Tanzania Yaripotiwa na CNN : Jinsi IT inavyoleta maendeleo

Maendeleo ya IT Tanzania yameendelea kugusa maisha ya wengi mjini na vijijini. Kuanzia mwalimu mpaka mkulima, kwa mfanyabiashara na hata mfanyakazi wa ofisini, IT inaipeleka Tanzania kunakotakiwa. CNN imeripoti maendeleo hayo - tazama video hii

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How can Africa ICT Development Work

Key people discuss the issues surrounding ICT in Africa. The focus is on the rapid development of ICT

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Microsoft Waitambulisha Windows 8, Jiandae kwa vitu vikali

Microsoft wametambulisha rasmi Windows 8 Jumanne mbele ya maelfu ya software developers waliokuwa wamekusanyika kwenye makao makuu ya jengo la kampuni hiyo Build, huko Anaheim, Califonia. Microsoft wamesema "wanailetea dunia kitu kitakachobadlilisha jinsi tunavyotumia PC." Windows 8 ina interface mpya kabisa, itakayofanya kazi kama touchscreens kwenye mobile devices kama tablets.

Kwa ujumla utakuwa na komputa ya kisasa inayojumuisha uzuri wa tablets wakati ukiwa bado unafurahia ufanyaji wa kazi wa komputa uliouzoea kama kawaida.

Windows 8 imetengenezwa kuwa "touch first, lakini itaendelea kutumia mouse and keyboard," alisema Steven Sinofsky, raisi wa Microsoft's Windows division.

Kwenye video hapa chini Boss wa kamouni Microsoft Steve Balmer anazungumzia mategemeo ya wapi Microsoft itakuwa miaka 10 ijayo.

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Kama unamiliki blog au website hakikisha unajua Search Engine Optimization (SEO) ni nini. Tazama Video hapa ya dakika 3!

Kama una website au blog yako, serch engine optimisation ni muhimu kujua. SEO ni technique inayosaidia website yako kupatikana kirahisi pale mtu anapokuwa anatafuta (search) vitu mbali mbali online. Kwa mfano kwa kutumia Google mtu anaweza akawa anatafuta maelezo kuhusu milima iliyoko Afrika. Kama una website au blog inayorusha maswala haya, ili ya kwako iwe juu kabisa (kumbuka zipo blog na website  nyingine nyingi) unatakiwa kutumia SEO. Kwa kutumia SEO unaongeza wasomaji wa blog yako na kukusaidia kufikia wengi zaidi.

Tazama video hii hapa itakupa maelezo zaidi

Kutoka blog ya teknolojia :
http://it4dev.blogspot.com/

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Kama unapenda kutengeneza mobile apps, HTML5 ndiyo lugha ya kujifunza sasa

Kama ulikuwa unafikiri kwamba itachukua muda kwa HTML5 kutumika zaidi kwenye mobile app basi unajidanganya. Ukweli ni kwamba HTML5 imekubalika na wataalam wengi wa IT duniani kote kama standard kutenegeneza mobile apps. Hii ni kwasababu HTML5 tayari ni web-based standard, tofauti na language nyingine. Application programs nyingi zina uwezo wa kufanya kazi vizuri kwa kutumia browser ambayo imeandikwa kwa kutumia HTML5.

Faida kubwa ya kutumia HTML5 ni developer anaweza kutengeneza HTML5 app inayoweza kufanya kazi kwenye simu yoyote ya mkononi yenye browser nzuri. Hii itaondoa lile tatizo lililopo kwamba app iliyotengenezwa kwa ajili ya platform za simu kwa mfano Android haiwezi kufanya kazi kwenye platform nyingine kwa mfano iOS. Kwa kutumia HTML5 hili tatizo litakuwa halipo tena.

Hadi sasa Linkedln na Pandora zimeshaipitisha HTML5 kama standard ya kutengeneza applications zake. Miaka kadhaa iliyopita Steve Jobs wa Apple alitabiri kwamba HTML5 kuwa standard ya web apps. Apple waliamua kuipa kisogo  Adobe Flash kutoka kwenye platform ya iOS. Kwa sababu Adobe Flash ni plug in application, kumekuwa na shida kwa wengi kutumia application kama You Tube ambayo inatumia Adobe Flash. HTML5 imeondoa tatizo hili, huhitaji tena Adobe Flash kwa sababu una uwezo wa kutumia video moj kwa moja.

Tatizo linaloikwamisha HTML5 kwa sasa ni jinsi program hii itaweza kuuungana vizuri na simu za mkononi zilivyotengenezwa ili kuhakikisha inatumia features zote zilizopo. Hiiinahusiana na features kama kamera, global positioning system (GPS), n.k. Ikumbukwe kwamba application za kawaida za simu zinahusiana vizuri na software ya simu kama vile Android. Hii iniwezesha application hiyo kujenga uhusiano na hardware yenyewe inayoiwezesha kutoa huduma mbali mbali kwa mfano kujua mteja alipo, kutoa direction kwa kutumia ramani, n.k

Kuna mengi mazuri ya HTML5 yanakuja hivyo usiisahau kwenye vitu unavyotakiwa kuvijua japo kidogo

Kutoka blog ya teknolojia :
 http://it4dev.blogspot.com/

Changia mawazo yako

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Tanzania: Mandela Science & Technology Institute in Arusha - World Class University

The Nelson Mandela African Institute of Science and Technology (NM-AIST) in Arusha is one in a network of Pan-African Institutes of Science and Technology located across the continent. These institutes, which are the proud brainchild of Nelson Mandela, envision to train and develop the next generation of African scientists and engineers with a view to impacting profoundly on the continent’s development through the application of science, engineering and technology (SET).

NM-AIST is being developed to become a world-class research intensive training institution mainly for postgraduates and post-docs in science, engineering and technology (SET) related fields. Initially the fields of study covered by NM-AIST, taking advantage of the immense bio-diversity in countries forming its catchment area, will be life sciences and bio-engineering; mathematics, computational and communication science and engineering; water resources and environmental science and engineering; materials science and engineering and; sustainable energy science and engineering.

Visit the university website HERE

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Agriculture : How Can Information Technology Be Used

Getting the right information to farmers, when and where they need it, in a form (language and tone) they understand and can easily access is as vital to the success of the agriculture sector as the right type of soil, adequate water, sunlight and any other input. For this primary reason, I endorse BIID's call for information to be considered as an input in agriculture. It holds true beyond the Bangladeshi context.

A lot can be learnt from this report from India in this video

It is mind-boggling to me that so few countries in Africa, the Caribbean and Pacific, where agriculture remains a key employer and contributor to national income, have created an enabling environment for the growth of agriculture infomediaries. The value of agricultural infomediaries is that gathering agriculture data and providing credible and efficient information services is vital at every stage along the value chain.

The reality is, in much the same way the global economy is driven by knowledge, enterprising agriculturists, consumers and others in the sector now depend on high quality, reliable and efficient information systems built around new technologies, well trained and knowledgeable people. So information is not just a key input for a farmer, informing him of what additives to use, when to plant, where to plant and what is more marketable to plant, it sustains the entire sector.

Researchers, farmers, middlemen, retailers and consumers need infomediaries as they do not have ready access to agricultural data. So, infomediaries function as ‘translators’, who capture, synthesize and repackage data for different groups within the sector. The rising demand for value added services, combined with a paucity of agricultural data, underscores the strong demand for agricultural infomediary services. In fact, Mobile-based agricultural support and market research is among the most attractive growth sectors in places like Kenya. There's also potential elsewhere as ICT infrastructure strengthens. The high rate of mobile phone ownership among farmers across developing countries with large agriculture sectors shows how palpable these opportunities are.

The livelihood of farmers have been hampered by ad hoc marketing systems and broader issues of information asymmetries for centuries. Poor communication between producers and buyers results in inadequate planning, and ultimately an unstable market environment.

Inadequate and inefficient information is bad for the sector.... let's fix that! Recognizing its key role as an input is a key step.

Source

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Ufanyeje kuifanya Komputa yako ifanye kazi kwa speed zaidi? Njia 6 za kusaidia kuondoa matatizo na kuongeza speed na usalama wa komputa yako

Wengi wamekuwa frustrated kutokana na komputa zao kuwa slow sana. Wengine hata wanafikiria kwenda kununua machine nyingine. Wakati hiyo inaweza kuwa solution, bado baada ya muda tena komputa yako itaanza kuwa slow kama hutajifunza njia mbalimbali za kuongeza speed na usalama wa komputa yako zilizoorodheshwa hapa. Kwa kufuata maelezo haya una uwezo wa kuongeza speed ya komputa yako na kuifanya salama zaidi. Maelezo haya yanahusu tools kwa ajili ya wale wanaotumia  Windows XP Service Pack 3, Windows Vista na Windows 7.

Sababu Gani zinazofanya komputa iwe slow

1.        Background Programs : Inawezekana kila unapowasha komputa yako kuna background programs usizozihitaji kwa wakati huo zinaanza kufanya kazi bila wewe kujua. Yawezekana ni programs genuine au spyware.

a.        Kuziona na Kuzifunga programs hizi bonyeza Ctrl +Alt + Delete kwa wakati mmoja.

b.        Bonyeza ‘Start task manager’

c.        Bonyeza ‘Processes’

d.        Zianzoonekana ni processes zinazofanya kazi kwa wakati huo. Unaweza ukaanza kuondoa moja baada ya nyingine kwa kuchagua process unayotaka kutoa na kubonyeza ‘End task’. Jaribu kutokutoa process muhimu zinazosaidia System yako kufanya kazi. Hizi process ni kama Explorer na Systray

Kumbuka process hizi zitarudi next time utakapowasha tena komputa yako. Kama unataka zisiwe active kabisa basi nenda kwenye faili zilipohifadhiwa kisha configure kwa kuzi-disable.

2.        Hard Disk : Inawezekana hard disk ya komputa yako ina data nyingi mno ambazo hazijajipanga vizuri hivyo kuifanya iwe slow. Ili hard disk ifanye kazi vizuri inahita free space ya 300MB – 500MBs. Hakikisha unafuta mafaili usiyohitaji. Sababu nyingine inawezekana hard disk yako iko fragmented kitu kinachosababisha programs kuwa loaded na kuwa deleted kila mara. Hakikisha una-run Windows hard disk defragmenter (Defrag) angalau mara moja kila mwezi.

3.        Memory : Hakikisha una memory capacity ya kutosha. Kumbuka programs kama video na komputa games zinahitaji memory capacity kubwa zaidi. Jua matumizi ya komputa yako kabla hujanunua ili kuhakikisha unanunua komouta yenye memory capacity itakayokidhi mahitaji hayo. Kwa programs nyingi za kisasa hakikisha una angalau memory capacity ya 256 MB.

4.        Windows Devices: Wakati mwingine kama umefanya madiliko fulani kwenye komputa yako, inawezekana kukawa na Windows device drive conflicts. Kwa mfano inawezekana una video drives mbili zinazoshindana. Kuondoa hili tatizo washa komputa yako kwenye Safe Mode kwa kushikilia F8 button wakati unapoiwasha komputa. Wakati uko kweny Safe Mode, bonyeza Start/Settings/Control Pane/System/Devices Angalia kila device kuhakikisha kama kuna yeyote yenye alama ya njano (warning sign) au alama nyekundu inayomaanisha kwamba kuna conflict kati ya drives. Cha kufanya hapa ni kuiondoa kabisa drive hiyo na kui-install nyingine upya.

5.        Deleted programs : Baadhi ya programs ulizofuta zimeacha vichembe kwenye komputa yako. Tumia programs kama registry au PC cleaner kusafisha memory na registry.

6.        Spyware au Adware : Inawezekana komputa yako imejaa spyware au adware programs zinazoiba data zako na kufanya vitu usivoyvihitaji na vingine ambavyo ni hatari. Tumia Ant-Virus programs kuhakikisha unajikinga na wadudu hawa.

Program ziifuatazo zitakusaidia kuichunguza system yako na kuondoa uchafu wote usiohitajika. Ni za bure kabisa hivyo usilipe chochote. Kwa wale wanaotaka program za kulipia zenye features nyingi na advanced zaidi basi bonyeza hapa.

·          Microsoft® Windows® Malicious Software Removal Tool (KB890830) 

·          Malware Bytes

Kwa maelezo zaidi ya jinsi ya kujikinga bonyeza hapa.

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Anza kuuza au kununua kifaa chako cha tecknolojia kwa bei nzuri kwenye blog yako leo!

Tumepata maombi kutoka kwa wasomaji wetu kwamba itakuwa ni vizuri kama tutaanza kutangaza kwenye blog hii vitu mbali mbali vya electronics vinavyouzwa na wasomaji wetu. Inaonyesha kwamba wapo wanaohitaji kununua na vile vile wapo wanaotaka kuuza. Hivyo basi kwa sababu hii, tunawapa wasomaji wetu uhuru wa kutangaza vitu wanavyotaka kuuza BURE kabisa kupitia blog yenu. Vitu hivyo ni kama:

Simu za mkononi,

Computer Software and Hardware,

Vitabu na majarida ya teknolojia,

na vinginevyo

Tutumie maelezo (specifications) ya kitu unachotaka kununua au kuuza. Weka picha ili kuvutia wengi. Hakikisha unawapa wasomaji bei inayoridhisha na pale unapouza kifaa, hakikisha unaeleza hali (condition) yake.

WOTE MNAKARIBISHWA

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Hakikisha hupotezi data zako ikiwa system yako ita-crash. Jifunze jinsi ya kufanya backup na ku-restore kukiwa na tatizo

Windows 7 inakuja na njia salama na rahisi zaidi ili kuhakikisha kwamba haupotezi mafaili yako pale komputa yako inapokumbwa na tatizo kubwa linaloweza kuharibu hard disk yako. Kwa hiyo kila wakati umejiandaa kama maafa yakitokea.

Chagua au iache Windows ichague kipi cha ku-backup. Unaweza ku-backup kwenye CD, DVD au network.

Jinsi ya kufanya backup ya mafaili yako
Angalia video hapo chini au fuata maelezo hapa

To back up your files

1. Open Backup and Restore by clicking the Start button , clicking Control Panel, clicking System and Maintenance, and then clicking Backup and Restore.
2. Do one of the following:
   • If you've never used Windows Backup before, click Set up backup, and then follow the steps in the wizard. If you're prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
   • If you've created a backup before, you can wait for your regularly scheduled backup to occur, or you can manually create a new backup by clicking Back up now. If you're prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

Notes

• We recommend that you don't back up your files to the same hard disk that Windows is installed on.
• Always store media used for backups (external hard disks, DVDs, or CDs) in a secure place to prevent unauthorized people from having access to your files—we recommend a fireproof location separate from your computer. You might also consider encrypting the data on your backup.

To create a new, full backup

After you create your first backup, Windows Backup will add new or changed information to your subsequent backups. If you're saving your backups on a hard drive or network location, Windows Backup will create a new, full backup for you automatically when needed. If you're saving your backups on CDs or DVDs and can't find an existing backup disc, or if you want to create a new backup of all of the files on your computer, you can create a full backup. Here's how to create a full backup:

1. Open Backup and Restore by clicking the Start button , clicking Control Panel, clicking System and Maintenance, and then clicking Backup and Restore.
2. In the left pane, click Create new, full backup.
   Note

   You will only see this option if your backup is being saved on CDs or DVDs.

To set up a backup after upgrading from a previous version of Windows

After you upgrade Windows, you will need to set up Windows Backup, even if you had a scheduled backup in the previous version of Windows. This is because there are several changes to the backup program. Instead of selecting file types to back up, you can have Windows back up data files saved in libraries, on the desktop, and in default Windows folders, or you can choose specific libraries and folders to be backed up. You can also create a system image of your computer. For more information, see How does Windows choose which files to back up?

To set up your backup, follow these steps:

1. Open Backup and Restore by clicking the Start button , clicking Control Panel, clicking System and Maintenance, and then clicking Backup and Restore.
2. Click Set up backup, and then follow the steps in the wizard. If you're prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

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From Hossin Mubarak to Muamar Gaddafi. How Technology has shaken and changed North Africa.

Since the Arab Spring uprisings, human rights activists worldwide have championed the power of technology, mainly the Internet and mobile phones, as tools for democracy and change. Evidence shows that they are right, social media played a role in bringing down dictatorships in the Middle East and North Africa. But other evidence shows that technology actually often reinforces social inequalities in other instances, giving more voice to the powerful, further drowning out the meek cries of the politically weak.

Social media has been successful when all social classes unite to take down the heads of state. The Arab Spring is the contemporary poster boy for this movement. The proletariat united, rose up, and took down the bourgeois in Tunisia and Egypt, and is still fighting in Syria, Libya, and other nations. Twitter hashtags and facebook groups were large players in mobilizing protestors, who came from all backgrounds—rich, middle-class, and poor—and simply communicated with their mobile phones to organize mass movements. 

It seems logical, then, to assume that social media and technology penetration will lead to more democracy and social justice. The more blackberries in a country, the less the economic disparity. The more rural telecenters, the less political corruption. Or at least so goes the thinking.

Studies show otherwise. To the extent that inequalities between social classes are affected at all by the increase in ICT usage, they often became stronger and disparity increases. In a DFID study in 2005 on telephone use in India (Gujarat), Mozambique, and Tanzania, researchers found the most wealthy and educated people used phones more and with greater frequency, in both urban and rural areas.

Other studies show that not only do more educated and wealthier people have greater access to ICTs, they also value them more, and use their for more development related activities as opposed to entertainment than poorer populations. Furthermore, the rich and smart are far more likely to produce digital content, solidifying the stronghold of the elite in societal knowledge production.

The relationship between ICT penetration and social inequalities, then, is more complex than the Arab Spring would suggest. The difference with the Arab Spring is that the people united to take down one leader, whereas daily life features far more social classes and political opinions, halting social change, or at least considerably slowing it down. While technology helped bring social justice to entire nations, it did not eliminate social classes within the nations.

In order to decrease social inequalities in ICT usage, then, ICT designers and national policymakers should consider stipulations to favor usage of their technology by marginalized social classes.

Whether it be reducing costs to allow poorer classes to buy the product or developing voice recognition technology to engage the illiterate, extra effort will be needed to reduce the social inequality of ICT usage. Preliminary efforts by USAID’s Women in Development initiative show promise; other agencies should mimic their efforts to increase ICT usage among digital minority populations. Without these extra efforts to assist marginalized populations, ICTs will only further embed developing nations with social and economic inequalities, leading to future instability and lower quality of life.

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WikiLeaks Cable : Tanzanian President Kikwete Accused of Accepting Bribes

DAR ES SALAAM — Surprising how some global events end up beating a path to your own front door. Just this morning I was reading a WikiLeaks U.S. cable written by the U.S. Embassy in Tanzania, which accuses the current Tanzania’s President, Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete of accepting bribes to the tune of $1 million from the UAE-based owner of the Kempinski Hotel chain, Ali Albwardy.
In addition to the bribe, Kikwete is accused of accepting a lavish shopping trip to London. Among other things, “Ali albwardy bought Kikwete five Saville Row suits”.

The fact that a cash amount is mentioned, or that a ‘contribution’ was made to his CCM ruling party isn’t an issue at all; under Tanzanian law, donations to a political party are allowed. But having stayed at the Kempinski Kilimanjaro in Dar es Salaam on quite a few occasions, it did intrigue me enough to dig further.

What is interesting however, according to the cable transcript, is the fact that Albwardy wanted to secure the rights to build a hotel on the edge of Ngorongoro Crater and “another on the Serengeti plain overlooking the main animal migration routes”.

Stringent conservation rules currently ban the construction of permanent structures inside national parks, including in the crater and on the Serengeti Plain.

It would appear that even back in 2006 – when the cable was written – the hotel publicity director, Lisa Pile, was already hinting that legislation would be changed in order to allow the construction.
Convenient coincidence this probably is not, and corporate business affairs aside, when a democratic process is swept aside, this type of conduct is nothing more than corruption at the highest levels.

Original Cable

C O N F I D E N T I A L DAR ES SALAAM 000277
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR INR, R.EHRENREICH
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/13/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL TZ
SUBJECT: KIKWETE CORRUPTION TIDBIT

Classified By: Ambassador Michael Retzer, Reason 1.5 (d)

¶1. (C) President Kikwete has accepted gifts (bribes) from
the owner of the Kempinski Hotel chain,s Tanzanian
properties, a citizen of the United Arab Emirates.

¶2. (C) In a conversation with the manager and the publicity
director of Dar Es Salaam,s Kilimanjaro-Kempinski Hotel
hours after accompanying A/S Frazer to her October 18, 2005
meeting with then-Foreign Minister Kikwete, I commented on
Kikwete's flashy attire, asking "Who dresses him?" "We do,"
they responded.  Initially thinking this meant Kikwete
frequented a men,s shop in the hotel, I learned later in
the evening from hotel publicity director Lisa Pile (protect)
that the hotel owner*UAE citizen Ali Albwardy*had recently
flown Kikwete to London for a subsidized shopping
expedition.  Among other things, on that trip Ali Albwardy
bought Kikwete five Saville Row suits.  He had also recently
made a $1 million cash contribution to the CCM (which is a
legal contribution under current Tanzanian law).

¶3. (C) Pile told me the Kempinski Hotel chain is greatly
expanding its presence in Tanzania.  She said that in
December it would open "the best hotel in Zanzibar."  Her
prediction was a little off; the new Kempinski hotel, located
on the beach on Zanzibar,s east coast, opened January 5.  I
attended the opening ceremony along with Zanzibari President
Karume, who was asked publicly by Ali Albwardy for a site in
Stone Town to build a new hotel.  Later that day, Pile
revealed that the Zanzibar government had already earmarked
for Ali Albwardy a hotel site in Stone Town.

¶4. (C) Pile also said in the October 18 conversation that Ali
Abwardy was about to receive the rights to construct two new
hotels on the mainland: one on the edge of Ngorongoro Crater
and another on the Serengeti plain overlooking the main
animal migration routes.  Stringent conservation rules
currently ban the construction of permanent structures inside
national parks*including in the crater and on the Serengeti
plain*but Pile said that in November legislation would be
introduced to parliament to authorize the new hotels.
(Comment: We have received no reports on new legislation,
but the Dar Es Salaam Daily News on January 15 reported that
the Tanzania National Parks Authority had approved construction
of a five star hotel on the Serengeti plain.)

¶4. (C) Later on October 18, over dinner, an Indian/South
Asian man described as a business associate of Ali Albwardy
briefly took Pile from the table for a conversation in
Kiswahili.  I am not sure what was said, but Kikwete's name
came up several times and he passed her an envelope.  Pile
told me the envelope was stuffed with 1 million shillings
( $1,000) and was to pay for a Kikwete meeting at the
Kilmanjaro-Kempinski later that month.  Apparently Kikwete is
a regular customer, but no name ever appears on the hotel
registry when a government bigshot has an "event" in one of
the guest rooms.

¶5. (C) Bio Note:  Lisa Pile, an Australian citizen, has
lived in Dar working for Kempinski Hotels since early 2004.
Before that she had served in a similar capacity with the
Kempinski chain in China.  Her family in Australia is prominent in
Australia's Liberal Party (the center-right party of Prime
Minister John Howard).

¶6. (C) Comment:  What does it all mean?  I don,t know, but
my guess is that the investor Ali Albwardy has access to
oil money out of the UAE.  I suspect giving free clothes and
the campaign donation is just the way these people do business.

¶7. (C) For his part, Kikwete probably thinks having all these
five star hotels around is a good idea for the country,and I
agree with him.  His new minister of Natural Resources and
Tourism, Anthony Diallo, says he wants to double tourism,s
contribution to the national economy in ten year,s time.
Kikwete probably believes there is no harm in taking these
&little gifts8 to do what he would have been inclined to do
anyway.  That said, they are what they are: bribes.

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Timu yako ilishanyimwa goli la wazi? Teknolojia kutumika sasa.

Frank Lampard protests after his shot appeared to cross the line

Fifa president Sepp Blatter finally accepted the need for goal line technology after England's defeat by Germany in Bloemfontein in last year's World Cup.

Following the news, the Barclays Premier League is keen to introduce goal line technology and wants to be used as a testing ground as early as next season, though the timing may prove too tight.

The Football Association is known to be fully supportive of the introduction of the technology.

A representative of one of the competing firms, asked how much money a system might make, added: "There are something like 87 countries around the world with at least two professional leagues. It's telephone numbers."

In March, the International Football Association Board ruled it would adopt a system, if Fifa's stringent technical standards - which include the referee being notified electronically to a wristwatch within one second - can be met.

Testing earlier this year by EMPA proved unsatisfactory, with Hawk-Eye declining to attend, but potential providers are sure to be encouraged by Fifa's decision to embrace the technology.

England midfielder Frank Lampard's shot in a crucial phase of the game clearly crossed the line but the goal was not given by the match referee or his assistants.

Next year's European Championships in Poland and Ukraine will be the first such tournament to have extra goalmouth assistant referees, extending the system used now in the Europa and Champions League.

The favourites to land the lucrative goal line contract are UK-based Hawk-Eye, Germany-based Cairos, backed by Adidas, and Swiss-based watch-makers Tag-Heuer and Longines.

Blatter has indicated the technology could be ready for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

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Get paid from Facebook. The company is encouraging users to try to break through security systems - then report it – then get cash

Facebook says it has paid out £24,500 in three weeks to hackers who have discovered security flaws in the social network.

One of the hackers - or "White Hats", as Facebook calls them, has already earned over £4,000 for spotting six issues and reporting them.

Another bagged a £3,000 reward for identifying one particularly serious problem.

The payments are being made through Facebook's new "bug bounty" scheme, which invites all users to offer information about undiscovered security holes in return for cash.

Facebook admits it has received plenty of bogus reports since launching the scheme but says it is not deterred.

"We realise [...] that there are many talented and well-intentioned security experts around the world who don’t work for Facebook," said Joe Sullivan, the company's chief security officer.

"Over the years, we have received excellent support from independent researchers who have let us know about bugs they have found."

He went on: "We established this bug bounty programme in an effort to recognise and reward these individuals for their good work and encourage others to join."

Mr Sullivan said Facebook had been surprised at how quickly "White Hats" from all around the world had responded to the call for information.

"Facebook truly does have the world's best neighbourhood watch programme," he said.

While some Facebook users are making money from the bug bounty scheme, not all believe it goes far enough.

It does not cover the thousands of third party games and applications that use the site - even though web security firms warn that these pose a bigger threat than the main network.

Mr Sullivan conceded the programme could not be extended to applications due to the size of the task.

Other users suggested that if Facebook stopped constantly rolling out new features, it would have fewer flaws to correct.

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Kila mtu anazungumzia Cloud Computing. Ni nini hasa? Je, ni kwa watu wa kisasa zaidi?

Kwa muda mrefu sasa komputa zetu za nyumbani au makazini zimekuwa ndiyo namna ya kuhifadhi na kutumia mafaili na programs yingine mbalimbali, wakati Internet ni mahali tunapojipatia information zote (rich resource for information) na kuwasiliana. Kitu ambacho kimekuwa kikifanya kazi tofauti kwa wakati wote huu ni services kama Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo, n.k. Service hizi zinahifadhi data zetu mahali pengine hivyo unapotaka kuona email uliyotumiwa na bosi wako, unakwenda online na kufungua account yako kuion. Huu ni mfano mzuri wa hii service mpya inayoitwa ‘CloudComputing’ au ‘Web 2.0’ au ‘Software as a service’

Kwa sasa applications nyingi ziko online na unazitumia kwa kupitia web browser. Kwa mfano picha zako, database za kampuni, n.k.

Cloud Computing na faida zake ni nini?

Kwa urahisi kabisa cloud computing ni kitendo cha kuhifadhi data au applications zako kwenye server maili kadhaa kutoka ulipo wewe. Kila unapotaka kuzitumia unaingia kwenye Internet na kuingia kwenye account yako na kuzikuta hapo. Hakuna haja ya kuzihifadhi kwenye komputa yako, unakuwa unazipata na kuzitumia pale unapozihitaji tu siyo tu kwa kutmia komputa bali kwa kutumia kifaa chochote kama simu ya mkononi, tablets, notebook, n.k. Hii inamaanisha una uwezo wa kuzitumia data zako wakati wowote na mahali popote ulipo.

Watu wengi na makampuni mengi yanajiingiza kwenye mfumo huu kwa sababu ya urahisi wake. Kwa kutumia cloud computing hauhitaji tena komputa yenye storage capacity kubwa sana nyumbani kwako, kumbuka data zako zinahifadhiwa mahali pengine kabisa. Hii inaleta urahisi kwa sababu hununui komputa ya ghali sana. Pia kumbuka komputa inatumia umeme hivyo unakuwa unatumia umeme mdogo zaidi kama uko kwenye cloud ukilinganisha na mtu anayehifadhi kila kitu kwenye system yake nyumbani. Kwa makampuni gharama za kununua hardware zinapungua sana.

Ubaya wake

Japokuwa tunayazungumzia mazuri ya cloud computing, si kweli kwamba basi tusahau mfumo tuliouzoea wa kuwa na komputa na kila kitu ndani yake nyumbani kwako. Ukweli ni kwamba unahitaji Internet connection kila mara unapotaka kutumia data zako au applications services. Hii ni mbaya hasa kwa nchi kama za kwetu Africa ambapo kuna matatizo ya Internet na umeme.

Tatizo lingine kubwa ni data security. Wakati makampuni mengi yanayohifadhi data zetu kwenye serves zao wanatuhakikishia kwamba watazihifadhi data zetu vizuri, usalama wake ni mdogo kwa maana anayezihifadhi ni mtu mwingine na wala huwezi kugundua ikiwa atazitumia au kuziangalia data hizo bila ruhusa yako. Hii ni hatari zaidi kwa makampuni kwa maana siri zao za kibiashara zinakuwa zinahifadhiwa na mtu mwingine mahali pengine.

Ushauri

Ni vizuri kama tunataka mafanikio, kuhakikisha kabla ya kujiingiza kwenye teknolojia hii, basi tunajua faida na madhara yake. Elimu ya teknolojia hii itakusaidia kufahamu kama unahitaji cloud computing kwa matumizi yako au ya biashara yako. Kuna wale wanaopendelea urahisi wa kuweza kuzi-access data zao wakati wowote na mahali popote (flexibility and mobility) lakini wapo wale wanaopendelea kuwa na uhakika kwa kuhifadhi data zao wenyewe (ownership and control).

Je, wewe unatumia cloud computing?..tueleze unaionaje

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Why People Can’t Find Jobs

By Ron McGowan

They’re out of touch – We’re a society that knows how to apply for a job. The challenge for employment seekers today is to become proficient at finding work. That’s a much more complicated process than applying for a job. Anyone missing this skill will be unemployed for a long time.

They’re looking in the wrong places – It’s highly unlikely that you’ll find employment in today’s workplace by attending a job fair, looking at a newspaper, looking at Internet job sites, or sending out unsolicited resumes/CV’s to employers. The majority of employment opportunities are never advertised and employment seekers must learn how to sniff them out and how to approach employers in a strategically effective way.

They’re using the wrong tools – Most employment seekers use one tool only: a resume/CV. They must learn how to create a variety of tools that are marketing oriented and focused on the needs of the employer. The approach used by most employment seekers is the same as it has been for most of the 20th century – and it doesn’t work.

They’re making it hard to get hired – If the only option you give an employer is to offer you a permanent full-time position, you’re making it hard for them to hire you. This is especially true for small businesses, where most of the action can be found. Being willing to accept part-time, temporary and contract work – without reservations – is essential.

They’re ignorant about Social Media – The personal branding guru, Dan Schawbell says “Your first impression isn’t a handshake anymore. It’s your online presence that will decide the fate of your career.” Managing your online presence is as important as managing your credit rating. 70 percent of recruiters in the U.S. report that they have rejected candidates because of information they found out about them online. Getting hired today is as much a function of being found online as it is about applying to employers.

Their governments are failing them – Governments are stuck in the 20th century. They keep trying to solve 21st century problems with 20th century solutions. For the past few years, they have poured billions of dollars, euros and pounds down the drain trying to stimulate the economy and propping up dying and inefficient industries. At the same time, small businesses that have been creating most of the new jobs for years have been virtually ignored by governments. The countries that will succeed in the coming decade are the ones that will give small businesses the support and resources they need to expand and that also encourage and support graduates to create their own jobs. For an increasing number of workers, the era of the traditional job and all the stability that came with it is over. We need to accept that, adjust to it, and move on.

Ron McGowan is the author of the international best seller “How to Find WORK in the 21st Century”, currently in use at over 400 colleges and universities worldwide and used extensively by career/employment counselors.

What is your thought on this issue? Comment below.

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Varsities advised to develop people-centred ICT systems

Original story by Gerald Kitabu

Universities in the country have been challenged to embrace and develop customized information and communication technology (ICT)-based systems tailored to meet the needs of the people.

The challenge was thrown by deputy minister for Communications, Science and Technology Charles Kitwanga at the inauguration of an exhibition week hosted by the College of Information and Communications Technologies (CoICT) in marking the golden jubilee of the University of Dar es Salaam.

He said the inauguration of the ICT College should usher in a new beginning in ICT training, research and innovations to produce competent human resources and job creators and not job seekers because that was the main aim of any university.

“It is expected that the graduating candidates from this college will come out of the university well-equipped with skills and expertise that will enable them to engage in direct professional employment or be creators of IT employment for others” he said.

Citing examples from the tiger ecomies in South Asia, the minister said ICT had helped countries with very limited natural resources like Singapore, Malaysia and South Korea to efficiently utilize their human resources in creating something from nothing.

However, computerized systems in most of the countrys' offices and activities have largely helped in effectively running the governments at low costs, he added.

“Brazil, China, India and South Africa are among the developing countries of our level that have put efforts in ICT research in solving the energy problem by stimulating studies of alternative energy sources that can be integrated in a smart power grid,” he said. He said the government was ready to provide moral and material supports to the college, adding that it had already set up funds for research in ICT.

Earlier, acting principal of the college Prof. Justinian Ikingura said inauguration of the college had come at the right time because it would indulge seriously in new and emerging technologies.

“The college will serve as an ICT hub for research, technology incubation and product development by forging close links and collaboration with internal partners and local industries,” he said.

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HP to set up major center in Tanzania

Original story by John Kulekana in Capetown

HEWLETT-Packard Company (HP), one of the world's largest information technology companies, will soon open a major centre in Tanzania, as part of its global expansion plan, a senior official with the firm said over the weekend.

"The move is part of HP global expansion plan. At present paper work on the project is going on. It will be a fully operational office," HP Senior Vice-President (Growth Markets), Mr Brian Humphries said.

Mr Humpries said this during talks with President Jakaya Kikwete on the sidelines of a three-day 21st World Economic Forum (WEF) for Africa, which ended in Cape Town, South Africa towards the end of last week.

HP specializes in developing and manufacturing computing, data storage and networking hardware. It is also involved in designing software and delivering services.

Major product lines include personal computing devices, enterprise and industry standard servers, related storage devices, networking products, software and a diverse range of printers, all-in-one's and other imaging products.

President Kikwete said he was glad with the firm's decision and pledged full government's support.Mr Kikwete also called upon the company to assist Tanzania develop and promote IT industry through training of local experts.

Mr Humpries said apart from marketing its products to households, small- to medium-sized businesses and enterprises directly as well as via online distribution also deals with institutions, including governments in provision of IT solutions.

The president told the HP executive that the government was committed to promotion and development of CIT application in the country and briefed him on various on-going projects and initiatives.

He said the country has invested 'substantially' in marine and terrestrial fiber-optic networks that will cover every district by the end of this year.The networks are expected to reduce costs for internet service providers and improve connectivity in the country.

Earlier last week, a South Korean conglomerate, Samsung Corporation announced plans to open an assembly plant in Tanzania under export processing zone (EPZ) scheme.

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