Design it, Chinese will construct it

“The Chinese use two brush strokes to write the word 'crisis.' One brush stroke stands for danger; the other for opportunity. In a crisis, be aware of the danger--but recognize the opportunity.”

― John F. Kennedy

The Chinese may not be the world superpower but they have made themselves a global brand that one can’t dispute. The biggest factory in the world is currently found in china. They supply the world with virtually everything. Made in China is now synonymous phrase. We have sanctioned Chinese products and they are now part of our lifestyle.

A certain American woman once decided to carry out an experiment. She was the specimen. The conditions she subjected herself stipulated that she was not to use any Chinese products. The control experiment was to use the Chinese products. She had been fed up with the fact that in her daily itinerary, Chinese products had to be part of that lifestyle. 

She never lasted long enough in the experiment. She resorted back to the Chinese products. This attests to the fact that not even the Super-power nation can do without China.

Actually, the Chinese can be said to run the material world. America still leads when it comes to matters warfare, entertainment, fashion and other spheres due to the financial muscles they have.  But at some point they were bailed out by the Chinese. 

While it may look like China is in the front wing in terms of having products that are used by everyone. America has Facebook, Twitter, Microsoft, Apple and a host of other brands like Coca Cola, Pepsi that we use in our day today lives. Moreover, they have Google, a tech-savvy company that came up with Android, Google search engine, Blogger, YouTube and a host of other products that shape the way we live. These are just to mention but a few of what we use produced by America.

If someone knows how to exploit your weakness to aid him in doing what he wants, then that person has won you over. Americans know how to exploit ignorance and their narky flair leads the world to a desired conclusion in their favour. Mastery of Aristotle’s three methods of appeal: pathos, logos, and ethos has greatly helped the superpower. Through social media, the people the world over expose their ignorance and weakness much to the delight of the Super power.

China on the other hand supplies us with products we use daily. They are the legendary potters or hardware designers who supply the world with all sorts of products. After construction and sale, their influence comes to an end. While many may be of the opinion that China has spread its tentacles widely, America has more clout. The Chinese are like the spanner boys, they implement the designs and ideas of other people.

That the Chinese are clever is not in doubt. The only drawback is they are devoid of ideas that have changed the realm of technology, medicine or fields that have had influence in the world in the recent past. The Chinese are innovators. They are extremely good to the point where they have come up with some high end products that fascinate the world. They are however conservative and dictatorial when it comes to matters of governance and running of the state.

Our country Kenya is currently over fascinated by the Chinese. They have made us think East. They deliver. They are currently all over. Some are even roasting maize by the road side while others have been peddling third-rate items to gullible buyers. The Kenyan skyline is facing China. Architects and Engineers design and come up with ideas; they construct and implement the ideas. They bid on everything that is worth billions and millions. They supply us with products that fit our prescription and billing.

Chinese are witty people; they know where the world is headed. In this regard, they transform with the changes rapidly like a tardigrade does to a new environment. They want to shift from a third world country to a developed nation. But in their quest, they have forgotten the politics of going green. Theirs is a pursuit that can’t be reigned upon. If you cough a bit, they have the financial muscles and that they supply the world with cheap products acts in their favour.

There financial muscles have seen many of their companies join the list of Fortune 500 most profitable companies. The Chinese are not only engaging in making cheap stuff for the world anymore. They are restructuring to and have delved in oil, technology- HTC, Lenovo, Huawei-, partially in entertainment due to their karate movies and a host of other manufacturing industries that have global hegemony.

China has also been criticized for unfair trade practices, including artificial currency devaluation, intellectual property theft, protectionism, and local favoritism. These shortfalls notwithstanding, the Chinese have had average growth rates of 10% for the past 30 years. This means China is the only nation that has had a positive growth rate in the recent period more than any other country in the world.

I love the Chinese for one thing. They have products for all and sundry. If you want a tablet and can’t procure the expensive ones, there are affordable tablets the Chinese make for those who desire to own one. 

But kudos to the Chinese, Apple tabs and computers are cheap (they provide cheap labor) otherwise the products would have had unprecedented prices. Every other company is facing China. They are efficient and effective in terms of delivery plus they have the requisite skills for their population is a fifth that of the world. Thanks to their policies, they have been cohesive and industrious and have propelled their economy from the annals of having a frail and malfunctioning economy and currently they are a juggernaut and an economic giant the world has to reckon with.

Amid the glory, China still ranks low in facets to do with human development. Poverty is still rife and inequalities are evident plus they have a government that muzzles the media and curtails global giants like Google from operating in the county. Sad but we have to condone.

SITUONANE.

[Photo Source: Google Images]

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Google vs Microsoft vs Apple

A husband and wife are trying to set up a new password for their computer. The husband puts, "Mypenis," and the wife falls on the ground laughing because on the screen it says, "Error. Not long enough."

I don’t know exactly where to begin. I am overwhelmed. It’s like a parent forced to decide on who among his kids is his/her favorite. This is however a debate that caught my eye. All the three companies are global brands that have worldwide presence. They have not even celebrated golden jubilee since their inception. They are dream companies to work for those who are into programming and matters computer science. 

The similarities are too much that continuity in comparison will be an effort in futility. I will however attest to the fact each of the three has shaped our life in a way. It may be directly or indirectly. The fact remains that they are influencing how we behave and interact.

Fuss aside, let me compare and contrast these companies. My focus will try as much as possible to deal with specifics. I am concerned with the phone industry. Alas many people have phones and focusing on things like search engines and other services they render may not be much palatable.

Google has Android, Apple has iOS and Microsoft has Windows Phone. These are platforms that smartphones operate on. They are the operating systems developed by these giants. What’s your preference?

The approach I will use is that of a layman. It is devoid of favoritism and bias. I will try to be neutral and perhaps splash figures here and there to back my claims if that will give more credibility to the analogies I hope to make.

Let me start with the most common operating system, Android. The cheapest smartphones run on this platform. Android KitKat 4.4 is the latest version on offer. It is however for those with high end devices. Android is an operating system that is used by many mobile phones. It has enabled every other Tom, Dick and Harry to afford a Smartphone. Google continues to tweak its previous versions since technology changes each day. I bet Android has the most followers or phones having the software.

Windows Phone was a late entrant into the market. It helped revive Nokia which was on its deathbed. Windows has a bias for some phones and it is restrategizing to perhaps occupy the middle and low end market sooner. It may warrant knowing that Windows Phone was a successor to Windows Mobile which is now defunct. This user interface is a close rival of Android given that it allows many phones to operate on its platform.

iOS is on only limited to Apple devices, that is iPhones and iPads. When it comes to matters technology, Apple leads others follow. Allow me to say that Apple is currently the best brand in the world. It has however been resistant to change. While other interfaces have quickly embraced changes, ever since its inception in 2007, it has remained on a static platform much to the chagrin of its lovers. But with iOS 8, much is on the table.

Late entry into the market may be a reason why Windows Phone may not be as highly rated as Android and iOS. Windows Phone is fighting for supremacy in the third place with Blackberry’s RIM though it has an upper edge.

Apple is however limited to the high-end market. This means the platform will continue to attract only those who have a fanatic following and love for Apple and not necessarily iOS. Google cheapened its Android and as such it can’t compare with iOS.

When it comes to the homescreen, nothing compares to Apple. Though technical to use, iOS is devoid of unresponsive screen that are associated with Android and has clarity that is unrivalled. Windows Phone is trying though windows are just but copy-cats. They copy everything Apple is doing.

Microsoft needs to redefine or rewrite their script. They are non-starters and it looks as if they only enter into an industry to deny Apple clout which is not materializing. 

Google is doing well. It is may lack chutzpah and suave in the mobile industry but it compensates for this low down by continuing to outsmart itself each time since it has a big platform in terms of those who own devices operated on its software.

Even though Apple is not big in Africa (read expensive), it still has admirers and its market capitalization has helped it to make a mark as one of the best Companies overtaking Microsoft, hitherto a giant in the technology Industry.

I must confess my love for Apple. I have not read much about the other two but they are still doing well. But trust Gates, he is a quintessential tecnosavvy business and global icon who is more renown than the brand he created. I have to give it to Steve Jobs. His company has outlived him in terms of being a brand. Luckily, Sergey Brin and Larry Page have also taken the route of making Google the brand.

Ideally this piece was not even about the operating systems. I wanted to demystify the three companies. I have come to a conclusion that though all are very good. Apple still tops. Everyone has an opinion, yours may differ but when it does base it on something worth talking home about even if it is full of surmise.

‘Situonane.’

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SMARTPHONES: Here is why you should own one

The term ‘Smartphone’ was introduced into the market by Ericsson in 1997, when it used the word to describe its GS 88 ‘Penelope’ concept as a Smartphone.

Smart phones are the current it gadgets which any tech savvy or the average guy should own. There prices range from cheap to very expensive depending on your financial muscles. If you don’t have one, reconcile your heart with your brain and your wallet and go to the nearest shop and procure one. The benefits outweigh the cost. It is even of essence to purchase a high end Smartphone as it will not be vulnerable to systemic failure and unresponsive touch screen. In a word, a smart phone is a mini-computer.

Thanks to Apple founder Steve Jobs, we have smart phones. Essentially, I didn’t know whether an iPhone is a smart phone or a smart phone is an iPhone. But a quick check shows me that an iPhone falls under the umbrella of smartphones. However, iPhones are the flagship phones developed and manufactured solely by Apple while there is no clear demarcation of which phone qualifies into the Smartphone category. 

Before innovating the iPhone, Apple CEO’s Steve Jobs, realized that the phones in supply then did not match the specification of what he wanted in a phone. He hence conceived the idea of a multi-touch screen that allowed users to directly input data on to the screen with their fingers, thus eliminating the need for mouse, keyboard or keys. He revolutionized the phone industry, it was a success.

Ideally, the ideology of owning a phone has changed. In the latter years of the past century, acquiring a phone was not an easy task. Only the few well oiled or connected individuals had the privilege of possessing one. 

However, the 21^st century bought in new changes and every Tom, Dick and Harry could have a phone. Phones like Nokia 3310 became easy to own by even those in the remotest of locations. Thanks to lax policies, cheap phones and good network coverage, most people can easily own phones.

Smart Phones have bought in a new gist. The devices are increasingly tied into our lives, and being without them can be a huge loss. It is no longer about owning a phone. In fact, a ‘normal phone’ does support the primary capabilities that a Smartphone performs which are sending and receiving messages and making and receiving calls.

The major difference comes in due to the fact that smartphones provide huge screens which are multitouch, have high end cameras, and support a variety of applications that the traditional normal phones cannot.

Albeit the fact that Smartphones are prone to risk, they are priced possessions we really adore in our lives. The probability of losing one is very high. Again everyday new phones are made to replace the old phones with newly added dynamic features and capabilities to provoke buyers to purchase the high end devices on offer. 

Competition is cut-throat and not a single day goes without software and hardware technicians and engineers coming up with new interfaces, applications and designs that provide a singular and superior viewing experience in smartphones. Actually, if you don’t like the craze created by phone companies, then you are missing out a lot.

Smartphones are easy to spot, steal and resell, making them a popular target for thieves. Many have lost their phones to petty thieves especially on the streets where chances of losing a phone are very high.

Smart phones are also prone to ruin. Forgetfulness, gravity, anger and intoxication are just some of the ways a smart phone can be damaged.

This reminds me of a story where a certain bloke found his better half flirting with one of his alpha male friends at a party. Irate, the dude took the brand new Samsung galaxy note he had bought her wife and threw it away smashing the screen into smithereens. 

Then there are those who like tinkering with their phones by rooting. (Rooting is a way of getting total control of the operating system, bypassing pesky safeguards and limitations put in place by the company that made the phone). That way you can get your phone to work on a different carrier and perhaps enjoy some of the features that you may be pleased with.

Water resistance is also an issue when it comes to smartphones. Those whose phones have fallen in water end up with dead phones. High end phones are now water proof and this is a plus.

Since smartphones are prone to damage, ruin and theft and a host of other risky scenarios, focus should be placed around security, encryption and identity protection. Use of sapphire screen is one of the best safety measures as sapphire screens are naturally strong, extremely scratch resistant, can withstand flexing and transmit light very well.

Fold-able Smartphone realization is still a decade away because of the cost of producing them. There is a relatively high failure rate when producing these screens. As little as a speck of dust can ruin a screen during production. Creating a battery that can be folded is another hurdle. Samsung fully fold-able phones are expected around 2016 to 2017.

There are currently about 10 or so operating systems that smartphones can run on. However Google’s Android, Microsoft’s Windows Phone and Apple’s iOS are the major platforms where smartphones are built. Other operating systems such as Ubuntu, Blackberry’s RIM are doing pretty well. 

The Symbian operating system was however adapted for low end phones as its use in smart phones did not result in astronomical sales for Nokia which at some point struggled before adopting the Windows Phone operating system.

The future is all about smartphones. They have not only changed the way people operate since applications such as whatsapp allows for sharing of videos, podcast, pictures and messages. Skype is also an application that provides one on one video calls and this is providing a new ground that may revolutionize the traditional calls especially among long distant relatives and couples if internet penetration is witnessed.

SITUONANE.

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The Pirate Bay

Internet is phenomenal. That is due on my part for lacking a better word. I love the sensation the net has created. You don’t need to attend a journalism school to be a journo in the net. I am one person who believes talent is nurtured and at present my writing is lackluster in content and intrigue. But that is a  flaw I do compensate for by having some flow. At least I have the guts to acknowledge my Achilles' heel.

Having admitted that I have a vulnerable spot that I need to tend and mend, it’s my prerogative to acknowledge that I am one person who loves the net. Cascading the net brought me to learn interesting things and it’s through this media that I came to learn how to do things on my own.

Finishing campus is everyone’s dream. On my part it was my headache. You don’t know where to start life from. But opportunities are usually too many. Jobs that out there are again too many. I needed to find my bearing first before I ventured in the murky world that is full of illusions as a young being.

Like many campus leavers, I was caught up in the frenzy of making it big someday in life.  Having learnt from experience I was not expecting much. I saw many former graduates who I had looked up to find good jobs but they say this is Kenya. They graduated before I entered campus and now having graduated they are still unemployed.

I thought this was a result of their undoing. They had not gone the extra mile in being either self employed or just having somewhere to eke. Yet God in heaven has kept them to this day. Their fate will come when they least expected. They should just continue hoping that someday the angel of abundance will come to their providence and lady luck will smile on them. Some will however die having achieved nothing causing displeasure among those who aimed and struggling to make it to university.

On this account, I was ready and well armed. I knew that I could not expect much. I became so sullen to the extent I generalized that applying for jobs is an effort in futility. I was later proved wrong when many of my classmates became employed. Some by the big four and others by the prominent blue chip companies where the starting salary outdoes that of those who have worked for ages.

Lack in life does not mean luck does not exist. You may want to make it big in life but what lacks is the willpower to make a start. That is why many ideas become barren even before they are conceived. And the masses are usually caught up in this quagmire and many end up living the abhorrent and  modest lives that they wanted to escape from.

That was a departure that I was alluding to since I discovered I went to the wrong course in campus having failed to meet the cut off points for what I ideally wanted to do. Yet in campus I realized that only medical courses are different from the others. Chances of employment is high likewise the teaching profession. All in it is up-to one to decide to change his predicament like does an alchemist.

I am unemployed. Just like the rest of those I intimated. But they are experienced more than I in being jobless. Since I said that was a departure, I must say that I have not lost hope though. If prospects become blurred I will change profession. I earlier said I discovered the net. Thanks to the fact that I have an avenue where I can access it freely. It has come of great aid in keeping me busy.

Through the net am sorry to say I stumbled upon YouTube. I became fascinated and then in came the urge to download the videos. Google the most trusted and renowned search engine came to my rescue. IDM it was and I downloaded and installed it on my computer. Easy it was to download any video with IDM though I think this is outdated (nerds may suggest something better). While in campus I used to use an extension that was not as fast as IDM.

YouTube led me to Photoshop and then The Pirate bay. Though apologetic since it is a site that does not promote artists as it promotes piracy. I downloaded Photoshop and launched the program on my PC.

There were little hitches at first but YouTube came to my rescue. Installation was as easy as ABC. The videos to aid in learning Photoshop were also on YouTube. But the best ones that also came with project files for effective learning were again in Pirate bay.

I must say am an intermediate or an amateur graphic designer having skill acquired from the net. The dedication I had far outdoes the lethargy in me while in campus. I did not do well as a result of the notion that I would never find a job. But again I was of the opinion of ‘What next?’.  After campus you either join another campus or enter the job market and worse still end up not working.

The Pirate bay, founded by rebels who were later incarcerated has and continues to be the site with many hits. Your next door movie store shop probably downloaded the low quality movie from pirate bay. Copyright infringement is what The Pirate bay does. Am a user and so are many of the software engineers in the country and since some of the programs that we use are expensive, this site comes of aid. Anything downloadable is free on The Pirate bay.

However I don’t advocate for the excessive use of internet as a channel towards denying artists off their income. My plight and your plight has been the reason why knowledge should be dispensed freely. And that is the reason why sites like The Pirate bay have been innovated to bridge that gap.

SITUONANE

[Photo Source: Google Images]

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