Cross Roads

There are a few ideas that are going to merge in the creation of new modes of transport. For now we will call them transpods. Firstly, the rate at which populations are growing and the pace at which vehicles are being rolled out are at odds. The creation of alternatives such as rail in places like China that are combining sheer mileage with speed are also still insufficient to deal with the numbers that are confronting us. This calls for a capping in the numbers that are on the street in form if personal vehicles and the emergence of an integrated system that is both personal and universal. The best example of this kind of system is found in Amazon. If you do a search on Amazon Warehouse Robots, you will see what we mean. The second idea that this pushes is the idea that the transportation system of the future has almost no human being in sight everything about this system is entirely computerized and automated.  The robot systems function in a independent sense and have an awarene...

There is now one week and one day between the DigitalDataDay organized for Oracle Enthusiasts. A a recap of the news in the local dailies reveals some theft at a local news station called the Observer.  I cannot help but wonder what kind of tools they chose to use for defence of their data and if they had any members in attendance. One of the questions that was presented to the team at the tail end of the workshop was about the versatility of Oracle Clouds and the possibilities that exist for virtual lans and virtual networks. The question was also about the ability to deploy these systems in addition to thin clients and servers where for example host clients were deliberately trying to keep their systems leaner (as a cost measure). You could say it was an effort to make the case for virtualization. Would Observer had less to fear if for example there was a server client system in place and virtual cloud to put the burden of security and hardware onto Oracle. Allowing much m...

These types of events have become a regular feature in the city Uniting both traders and cultural enthusiasts in show that cover everything from health to nutrition and even fashion. The entrance fee was 3000 UGX for adults and 2000 UGX for children. The children had all sorts of entertainment to enjoy from games and rides to animal shows and face painting. In addition to this there was a stage upon which those with skills in song and dance could participate in competitions and win prizes. Omwenge Omuganda (Local Cultural Brew) It was not possible to visit every stand but there were a few that need to be mentioned. The first was a stand for traditional brew. The grain based brew is created using a special variety of banana. The mixture of sugar in the banana and the grain and a bit of time allow for a  potent mix that given some time will ferment to create a bubbling village drink that goes back a long time. There is a complex combination of plantain stems and other sticks a...

When there is a slow down in Tourism our hotels suffer. A few years ago we were arguably the go do destination for conferences and regional gatherings and I think a good number of locals made a killing from trips and events that took place back then.  The common wealth heads of governments meetings for example spawned a construction boom for hotels, lodges, the purchase of vehicles for transportation services, as well as the creation of high technology media centers.  But there are some hotels that are built with these ideas in mind that have suffered. The smaller ones though, can still survive if they continue to focus on the loyal few as well as build on the local populace.   Another possible entrant into this market would also be bed and breakfasts. These are opportunities for many who have large homes and some space that can be converted to cater for a select group of international users. Combine this with taxi services, shopping, catering and food delivery services t...

This week I got a chance to enjoy the benefits of riding in the 60 Billion Dollar Worth Global Über service.  Fortunately, I joined when they were working on a new promotion that allows new users to ride for free or the equivalent of 15000UGX which is like £3 or $5. Under similar arrangements any new referrals can then be credited under your account so that you can get the benefits of introducing others to the service.  Registration   Registration for the service was simple enough and all it took was an email and password. The smart device handles the rest and creates a default pick up spot depending on where you are located. So as can be expected the service is really heavy on location and mapping.  Possibilities Perhaps partly because of the force of habit, I walked back home and watched the Motorcycle guys by the road side and a day later, I was back with my helmet and onto the good ol Boda Boda. I could not help wishing for a similar service though for the motorc...

When the budget was read a few weeks ago, I was keen to find out what the picture looks like for ICT professionals. Fortunately and like many Ugandans, I have a range of activities that form the basis of what I call work. This means that I can on the whole, benefit from most of the sectors that are covered under the budget. This is really one of the advantages of having work or skills as an ICT professional. Most of what you can can fall fairly across all the major sectors in the country and it's development.  We have for example: 1. Agriculture  2. Lands and Housing 3. Energy and Mineral Development 4. Information and Communication Technology.  5. Tourism, Trade and Industry. 6. Education. 7. Health. 8. Water, Sanitation and Environment. 9. Social Development. 10. Security. 11. Justice, Law and Order. 12. Public Sector Management. 13. Accountability. 14. Legislative. 15. Public Administration.  The landscape as it stands and the new hires.  This article was due...

This week we were told that Microsoft had purchased a popular social network called LinkedIn.  LinkedIn does for social media and employment what Facebook has done for families and relationships. It has the potential of transforming the manner in which firms hire new recruits as well as define how employees keep older ones. Interestingly for LinkedIn, was the purchase of  lynda.com  an online training platform that delivers popular software and design application training across the Internet. This new development for the social media platform was probably an idea as to what it's planners saw in its future. LinkedIn differs from Facebook in that you are probably not going to get too far with your cat images and goofy profile pics. It allows you to test and gauge the skill levels of connections (what Facebook calls friends or what twitter calls followers). It also allows you to keep track of possible future employers as well as increase your level of knowledge in your field...