G2 takes picture quality a notch higher

LG Electronics has introduced the LG G2 in the East African market in a bid to topple its android rivals.  The smartphone has been billed as the most ambitious phone in the company’s history by Dr. Jong-seok Park, President and CEO of the LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company.

“Our definition of innovation today is technology that truly resonates with consumers. Based on LG’s research of consumer lifestyles and behaviors, the smartphone offers users more real-life benefits such as ergonomic design, practical functions and an intuitive user experience,” said Josep Kim, the LG Managing Director, East and Central Africa. 

Daisy Mugo, Assistant Marketing and Communications Manager of LG East Africa, (left) Mr. Josep Kim, the Managing Director of LG East and Central Africa (centre) and Mr. Leney Varghese, the Manager Sales and Marketing, Mobile Division of LG East Africa display the newly launched LG G2 smartphone which is billed to topple its android rivals in the market. The phone will be available in Kenyan shops from the last month of October 2013.

Picture quality remains a sweet spot and a critical driver of the intent to purchase devices like TVs, smartphones, computer monitors and tablets. “This is where the G2 stands in contrast to other smartphones,” said LG Managing Director, East and Central

LG’s innovations have increasingly centred on making the electronics manufacturer an industry leader in creating display technology that has a superior picture quality to its competitors.

LG upped the ante by incorporating a 5.2-inch Full HD display in the LG G2, the largest display designed for one-handed operation in today’s popular 2.7-inch width smartphone category. In addition to the expansive viewing experience, LG’s innovative Dual Routing technology reduced the phone’s bezel to a mere 2.65mm on the side edge. And with proven IPS technology, the LG G2 offers superior graphics, accurate colors and clear images without any distortion.

Equipped with powerful specs, G2 makes current Android smartphones in the market look like pretenders to the throne.Not only does the new G2 sport a 13-megapixel camera, it also runs Android 4.2.2 and has a vivid 1080p HD display.

The LG G2’s high-resolution camera comes equipped with Optical Image Stabilizer (OIS) technology to prevent blurring, allowing for clearer, brighter and sharper images even when in motion or shooting in dim environments. Most current smartphone cameras with OIS tend to offer resolution in the 4MP to 8MP range.

The G2 is unique in that it offers 13MP and OIS technology in a slim design without a protruding lens. And features such as Super Resolution and Multi-point AF help keep everything in focus, just like a stand-alone point-and-shoot digital camera.Uncommonly, and comfortably, its volume rocker and power buttons are located on the phone's back.

The G2, which will run an Android operating system, is also notable for its 5.2 inch full HD display, with a wider screen than equivalent devices because of the extra space afforded by removing buttons from the side. The smartphone which comes with a special G2 case will be retailing at Ksh60,000.

In a recent online poll of U.S. consumers by Phone Arena, a U.S based website that specializes in IT, the gadget was named the most popular Android smartphone, edging ahead of Samsung Electronics' Galaxy S4 and Galaxy Note 3.
In addition, the G2 is the first globally available handset to have Qualcomm's lightning-quick Snapdragon 800 processor for all models and providers, not just a select few. LG's G2 packs in a trove of choice hardware, including the aforementioned quad-core Snapdragon 800 CPU clocked at 2.26GHz with 4G LTE Advanced.

“The G2 is a speed demon, Menus fly by with almost blinding swiftness while apps and home screens open and close in the blink of an eye,” said Mr. Kim. Yet, fancy quad-core Snapdragon silicon isn't the LG G2's only distinguishing feature. Backing up the phone's muscular processor are 2GB of RAM and a dedicated allotment of memory specifically meant for handling graphics chores (called GRAM).

This is the first phone that has such a feature, an observation LG executives are eager to point out, and one that getsmobile games fans drooling over the G2's potential for mobile gaming.

It comes with a 13 megapixel camera and has Hi-Fi playback can reproduce “studio-quality sound, far superior to a CD.” The phone answers calls automatically when placed to the user’s ear. LG is the third best-selling smartphone producer in the world.

LG Electronicsis bullish that the new design can help it dethrone other mobile phone manufactures in smartphone market. Analysts have in the past said it would take a hit smartphone device to boost the company’s profit and G2 device might just be it.

US NGO Living Water International funds 200,000 people to access clean water in Kenya

Initiative is part of a global drive to improve access to water in the world.

Living Water International (Living Water), a Christian International NGO with offices in Houston, Texas, plans to boost its activities in Kenya by providing an estimated 200,000 people with safe drinking water at over US$ 4 Million (Ksh. 348 M) for the next three years.

Living Water President and CEO, Michael J. Mantel, PhD, said that his organisation was committed to uplifting the lives of millions of people across the world who lack access to safe water. “Water brings more than life; it brings Hope. Safe water is the foundation of life and without it, there is no hope. All this we do as an act of worship to God in line with our value; Honor God,” said Mantel. 

 

_Living Water International President and CEO  Dr.Mike Mantel offers a helping hand

He was speaking at a luncheon hosted by Living Water Service Centre, the Kenyan official subsidiary of Living Water, in Nairobi for leading Business, Donor, NGO and Church Community leaders, to discuss initiatives aimed at supporting more Kenyans to access to safe water.

Globally, it is estimated that over 783 million people do not have access to safe drinking water, most of whom reside in the developing world. Kenya’s population suffers this affliction, with about 13 million people lacking access to safe, reliable water sources. In Kenya, Living Water has funded over 698 projects since it started Christian Ministry work in 1990.

Mr Mantel emphasized that investing in water access was vital to strengthening communities and improving the general welfare of society. “Each dollar invested in water and sanitation initiatives yields at least four dollars in recovered time, productivity and health care savings” added Mr. Mantel, who is on a 3 day visit to Kenya, during which he will tour various projects spearheaded by its Kenyan subsidiary, Living Water Service Centre.

Living Water has helped needy communities gain access to safe drinking water, some for the first time, for more than 20 years. The organization’s Water, Sanitation and Hygiene initiatives are designed to empower communities to educate themselves, prevent disease and keep water safe from collection up to consumption, freeing up community resources for development purposes.

The Kenya operation, Living Water Service Centre, has a mission to ensure “Kenyans experience the love of Christ and holistic living” by facilitating community access to water, promoting hygiene and sanitation, working with local churches and ministries in evangelism and discipleship, empowering communities and institution for ownership and influencing policies on Water, Hygiene and Sanitation and Christian witness. 

“We are in the first year of Living Water Service Centre’s three year strategic plan and are on track to double our growth and impact in alignment with the Living Water Global Strategy” the Country Director, Jacktone Akelo, stated. The organization has increased the number of WASH programmes and hygiene education at churches, schools and clinics in Butere and Kisumu East Districts, among others. This has led to increased engagement and community ownership. Living Water Service Centre is set to complete drilling of 45 wells this year, in line with the Strategic Plan (2013-2015).

Living Water Africa Region, the Nairobi based operation is leading the Africa continent on behalf of Living Water. It exists to demonstrate the love of God for humanity, providing leadership to 15 countries, including Kenya. “As an organization, our goal is to enable individuals and communities in Africa to experience “Living Water”- the gospel of Jesus Christ which alone, satisfies the deepest thirst” This, Living Water Africa Region achieves by promoting governance, accountability and providing guidance to all countries in Africa receiving Living Water resources.

Sustainability of water projects is a challenge, but Living Water operates a model that triumphs these challenges. First and most important, Living Water employs a set of Minimum Standards that ensure that Project hardware and software is implemented right the first time. “In addition to that, community engagement is what makes our projects sustainable” said the Living Water Africa Region Vice President, Victor Madziakapita, PhD. “During implementation of projects, the community is involved from the very beginning, both physically and spiritually” he added.

LG’s smart way of staying healthy

Sometimes your yearning for that piece of chocolate is simply irresistible. Even the most health-conscious will sometime give in indulgence in junk food. Varying studies have pointed to a striking possibility that even small morsels of food, those occasional indulgences, may produce significant changes in gene expression that could negatively impact physiology and health. 

Some of today’s biggest technology companies were among the first to realize the negative impact that the modern food culture and busy professional lifestyle was having on employees. Google, for example, installed healthy meal cafeterias, coffee bars and various other food locations where employees could access fresh, healthy food. Google also incorporated in-house fitness centers and swimming pools so that workers could fit in a workout between long programming sessions.

LG has always believed that technology and innovation could – and should – be used to make life better. So while others saw the household refrigerator as merely a way to keep food cool, LG saw it as an opportunity. A refrigerator, if designed properly, could help users make improvements to their everyday lives.

LG also understand that in today’s busy and fast environment, consumers around the world are finding it more and more difficult to eat fresh, nutritious food and maintain a healthy overall lifestyle. Door-in-Door refrigerator provides a great example of technology making life better. Its cavernous capacity means that families won’t need to worry about running out of room after grocery shopping.

These features are worth pointing out to consumers buying a new fridge, says Mr Kim. “People only buy home appliances about every eight or 10 years and might have some preconceived notions. For instance, some may think that milk should not go on the door because it will be too warm. But our fridges have multiple sensors to maintain temperature and certain spots,” explains Mr Josep Kim, the Managing Director LG East and Central Africa.    

However, offering more space doesn’t solve all of today’s food storage problems. Big capacities need to be organized in an intelligent way. And this is where LG’s refrigerators excel. The Door-in-Door feature offers an immediate organizational advantage. It gives family members quick access to frequently used items such as sports drinks and healthy snacks.

Past the Door-in-Door and inside the main compartments, there are more clever design features. For example, the Slim Space PlusTM Ice System is far less bulky than conventional ice makers, meaning that more of that large capacity is reserved for food items, and extra room is created for door bins.

In addition, the 3-Tier OrganizationTM Freezer System lets users organize their frozen peas and blueberries in a much more logical manner, helping eliminate having to throw out items lost to freezer burn.

Even with intelligent space organization, consumers are often reluctant to buy large quantities of fresh fruits and vegetables because they’re afraid these items will expire before they can all be eaten. This means that consumers will have to make frequent trips to a grocery store or fruit market, always buying small amounts.

This can be challenging in today’s busy world. LG’s refrigerators take advantage of some impressive innovations to combat this problem. First, digital sensors are positioned in the fridge at key locations.

These sensors closely monitor not only the temperature inside the fridge, but also, crucially, the humidity levels. When changes are detected, the fridge’s Dual Evaporator system reacts instantly to keep conditions at their optimal levels.

In addition, LG has incorporated its Fresh Air Filter system with the highly effective Multi Air flow design. Vents are strategically placed around the interior of the fridge, so food stays fresh wherever it’s located, and odors are whisked away even when food is dumped in the back corners. All of this means that food stays fresh longer, and busy consumers can spend less time at the supermarket buying fresh food.

While other refrigerators try to moderate temperature and humidity levels, LG’s refrigerators do it far more efficiently. This is largely due to the brilliantly designed Linear Compressor. A conventional compressor has four friction points; LG’s Linear Compressor only has one. Because compressors typically consume about 90 percent of a refrigerator’s energy usage, this makes LG’s refrigerators big energy savers.

Moreover, because the Linear Compressor is subject to less friction, it is also superbly durable. LG is so confident that the Linear Compressor will help keep food fresh for year after year, it backs up the product with a 10-year warranty.

LG refrigerators help consumers re-invent their food lives. Most importantly, LG’s refrigerators allow people to focus more of their energy on achieving healthy lifestyles. Human bodies are designed to take in calories from food and then burn those calories through physical exertion. By improving opportunities to eat good food and creating more free time, these refrigerators give consumers a leg up on overcoming the pitfalls of our modern food environment.

Posta revises its revenue target to Ksh20 billion

The Postal Corporation of Kenya (Posta) plans to revised upwards its revenue targets to Ksh20 billion from Ksh5 billion in the next three years in order to meet the targets of its new 2013-2016 Corporate Strategic Plan.    

Posta is presently realigning its operations and propping up its “profit-centres in order to realise growth by developing new products, reviewing price structures and diversifying its sources of income,” said Dr. Enock Kinara, the Postmaster General and Chief Executive Officer.

Dr. Kinara said Posta would gradually ratchet up its revenues in order to hit its target. “We are committed to growing revenue from Ksh3.5 billion to Ksh4.5 billion; from Ksh4.5 billion to Ksh6.5 billion and from Ksh6.5 billion to Ksh9 billion in years one, two and three respectively to hit a cumulative target of Ksh20 billion, said Dr. Kinara.

“We require a paradigm shift in the way we conduct our business. It will no longer be business as usual if we are to achieve our set targets and move to the next level as expected by our shareholders,” said Dr. Kinara. Besides strengthening marketing programmes and creating physical infrastructure for improved service delivery, Posta is also improving its ICT infrastructure and prioritizing ICT in budgeting.  

To this end, the corporation has invested US$1 million in rolling out national payment switch that will see financial institutions share payment infrastructure and capitalise on PCK’s expansive network of over 600 offices to offer Agency services. “We will officially launch this platform on 30^th July this year,” he revealed.

The e-payment system will enable Posta transact several operations electronically on behalf of various stakeholders that include electronic agency banking, mobile money transfers, card-based transactions, e-commerce, online disbursements in agency services, as well as e-payment for utility bills.

“This will create a shared infrastructure and with CBK’s planned National Payment System integration, we are better placed to offer the required platform,” he adds. Some of its partners that are set to benefit include banks, money transfer service providers, micro-finance institutions, utility payments and mobile money transactions amongst others.

Posta has already inked an agreement with 7 major banks to use it electronic payment where it serves as an agent of the financial institutions. “The technology offers an array of infinite transaction possibilities, from mobile wallets, credit and debit cards to USSD,” explained Dr. Kinara.

USSD is a Global System for Mobile (GSM) communication technology that is used to send text between a mobile phone and an application program in the network. USSD can be used for WAP browsing, prepaid callback service, mobile-money services, location-based content services and menu-based information services.

Posta is equally seeking approval from the Communication Commission of Kenya to provide wireless internet service in 93 offices country, 22 of which will be new offices.

Other key strategic areas that the corporation has focused on include change in PCK’s corporate image and culture to a more vibrant equally competing commercial entity, investment in the human resource capacity through trainings, formation of a comprehensive customer service charter, as well as the formation of a risk management division that will oversee and handle any unforeseen circumstances.

For efficient service delivery, the Corporation is installing Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) to ensure that all its front office operations are automated. Public-private partnerships Posta is also scouting around for strategic public-private partnerships to drive its revenue base.