How do you plan to tell your Christmas stories?

With only a few days to Christmas, every fun-loving person would be thinking of all the events to attend and the amazing places to be with their loved ones.

Attending holiday events are as exciting as capturing the moments on your phone to later share with family, friends and colleagues. One phone you can rely on to share all those holiday stories is the Nokia 6.1 Plus. Recently launched in the Country, the Nokia 6.1 Plus is a stunning, contemporary smartphone with an immersive, all-screen design.

Be it a family vacation in the coastal islands, a family gathering back in ‘shags’ or one of the many concerts being held around the country this Christmas season, you are fully covered with the Nokia 6.1 Plus as the device brings advanced image capturing features right in your palm.

Powered by a 16MP/5MP dual sensor rear camera, the Nokia 6.1 Plus delivers excellent sharpness and detail. You can bring your photos to life with HDR which delivers even better vibrancy and contrast, creating a feeling of greater depth.

What is more amazing is that you can capture highly detailed, mirror-like selfies with the perfectly balanced 16MP front camera and elevate your #Bothie game with AI enhancements on both cameras simultaneously.

The 6.1 Plus  device comes with fun filters, masks and 3D personas, as well as portrait lighting that adds captivating lighting effects to your images. Don’t forget to smile!

Together with optimised hardware and fast charging, you can create, edit and multitask effortlessly, without having to worry about whether your battery will last through the day.

Stand out from the crowd this season and tell your Christmas stories beautifully in real time.

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Understanding how devices in the home are getting smarter and more intuitive

CES the annual trade show organized by the Consumer Technology Association is a platform that large consumer technology companies make major announcements on advancement of technology in their products. The announcements in the last couple of years have integrated cloud, the Internet of Things, Artificial intelligence demonstrating how devices are getting smarter and companies collaborating to make consumers lives easier.

I want to break down the DeepThinQ 1.0 developed last year with the establishment of LG’s Artificial Intelligence Lab in Korea to accelerate research into AI. The platform enables integration of AI into a wider range of products, allowing LG product developers to apply deep-learning technologies to future products.

Products developed with DeepThinQ have a feature to educate themselves using cloud servers to become smarter over time. The learning feature is at the heart of this technology allowing LG products to understand not only their external environments but also the patterns of their customers. Imagine with me with the changing unpredictable weather patterns in Kenya having an air conditioner that learns the environment and patterns over time cools or warms the room automatically to the preferred temperature by the customers based on previous changes done.

Now the juiciness of this technology comes when LG products in the home with AI in them learning o automatically adjust the music, lighting in the home. I am particularly interested in the Insta view door to door Fridge that is smart enough to send messages to your phone and tell you when you are running low on various groceries. It would be even more convenient if LG collaborated with a local supermarket and I would have my groceries delivered to my home.

I think it, I act it out and the product learns with time that I enjoy a cooler room during the day or possibility of seeing in the future if my air conditioner can get input of the current temperatures and adjust accordingly if warm, moderate or cooler. DeepThinQ is adaptable to your way of living through learning your patterns thus making you focus on other matters as the mundane such as changing the AC or having to think of shopping after a late night is done. You start dozing on your couch and the light dim or the music volume goes down or off when a conversation takes place or your child is playing the piano.

ThinQ will change the way consumers use products as the products provide intelligent services, which is the age we live in. To more collaborations as LG innovates on this advanced platform and key is to roll out these products worldwide as internet connectivity continues to increase year on year with smarter communities. The next generation is in for a treat with smarter technologies.

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Smart and Connected Homes: Looking into Smart TVs

Kenya has 36 Million, internet/ data subscriptions, according the Communications Authority sector statistics report for Q3 1^st January - 31^st March 2018. This shows growth in access to the internet and not forgetting that 90% of these subscriptions are via the mobile phone. That leaves the 10% of those accessing the internet via a smart device. Common smart devices shared in the home with the family could be a PC or lately a smart television that all have access to.

Digital migration that took place in 2015 made many Kenyans adopt more digital devices to access terrestrial television stations. The past two years have marked the increase in sale and adoption of smart televisions that are internet enabled. This has come at a time that consumers are looking for more variety in terms of what to watch and controlling what you watch, as you demand it.

One time you can be entertaining guests and get on YouTube via your Television to play some music background. Having access to the internet means consumers can now stay updated real time as movies and series are up loaded online. The Internet also enables us to stay connected by accessing global news that you can watch conveniently on your TV.

Many Kenyan families are watching the news via their smart TV, which says goodbye to subscriptions to pay TV and a big hello to the World Wide Web, catering for you and your family. The amount of content shared and created online thanks to Google creators and filmmakers is nothing short of amazing.

To enjoy this experience you need a television that is not only smart not just in terms of getting the internet connectivity but also having advanced smart technology. LG is taking leadership in taking smart TVs to the next level. LG is collaborating with Google Assistant to give their Televisions an Artificial Intelligence fueled edge.

Imagine a TV that has a predictive feature where it can schedule the music and Television shows you watch consistently based on your past behavior. Your Television knows that Saturday morning the family would like to watch child friendly shows and based on your recent searches the TV plays music and cartoons that you enjoy. This platform is consumer – oriented giving new levels of control to the consumer, enabling 2018 LG TVs to deliver an intuitive AI experience.

I like the idea of issuing voice commands from connected devices like my phone to my Television. Google Assistant is a brilliant idea and allows the owner of the LG smart TV to make easier searches moving from how we currently search by typing what we want to watch then click the search button on the screen. Smart brings convenience into the home, smart brings AI to life, I endorse the move in technology and cannot wait to see the next frontier as technology evolves and more adoption of smart Television takes place. Also seriously thinking about purchasing that LG Think smart TV.

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Nokia 5.1 Plus Arrives in Kenya

HMD Global, today announced the availability of Nokia 5.1 Plus in the Kenya market from selected retailers, selling from Ksh24,000. The Nokia 5.1 Plus comes in two colors Gloss Black and Gloss Midnight Blue.

Flagship performance made accessible

The Nokia 5.1 Plus is one of the most affordable smartphones powered by the most advanced MediaTek chipset to date, the MediaTek Helio P60. The engine has been designed to deliver precise power to handle gaming, video or multi-tasking applications with ease. The advanced AI built into Nokia 5.1 Plus’s chipset enables deep-learning face recognition and real-time photo enhancement. Equipped with all the essential sensors, you can experience the latest games and apps to their fullest. In addition, face recognition complements the inbuilt fingerprint security for fast unlocking and authentication.

The Nokia 5.1 Plus’s advanced imaging allows you to capture studio style shots with depth-sensing imaging and selectable ‘bokeh’ blur, as well as portrait lighting. The dual 13MP/5MP rear sensor with electronic video stabilisation helps ensure you film steady, sharp videos and perfectly capture your special moments with friends. Phase Detection Auto Focus can help your photos are clear and focused.

On-trend design

The stunning edge-to-edge notched (5.8”) display[1] gives fans maximum content with a minimal footprint. Nokia 5.1 Plus features a pure design with 2.5D curved front and rear glass, complemented by curved edges and a high-gloss finish. At around 8mm thin, the ergonomic design with continuous curvature makes for the ultimate feel in the hand. Nokia 5.1 Plus has a sturdy metal structure, quality tested in extreme temperatures and drop tested to ensure that it meets the exacting quality standards of a Nokia phone.

Pure, secure and up-to-date, reinforced with Android One commitment

The Nokia 5.1 Plus joins the Android One family of Nokia smartphones, offering an experience designed by Google that is smart, secure and simply amazing. The Nokia 5.1 Plus will stay up-to-date over time with three years of monthly security patches and two years of guaranteed OS updates after launch. As with all Nokia smartphones in the Android One programme, you’ll get more battery and storage space out of the box thanks to a carefully curated set of pre-loaded apps. And you will stay ahead of the game with the latest Google services like the Google Assistant and Google Photos with free unlimited high-quality photo storage.

By shipping with Android Oreo™ out of the box, you’ll be able to enjoy the latest features, including Google Lens, picture-in-picture for multitasking, Google Play Instant to discover and run apps with minimal friction, and battery-saving features like limiting background app use. It is also ready for Android Pie.

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Black Friday hacks you can rely on

It’s November! The season for pre-festive season shopping deals. Of particular interest is Black Friday, the fourth Friday in the month when retailers offer consumers bargain deals. This is something that is gaining more and more traction in Kenya with 30% of Kenyans set to participate in Black Friday this year and a projected average spend of 7,500 shillings. Words like ‘deal’, ‘discount’ and ‘bargain’ is enough to get anyone excited, the over-excitement however, can also be what results in you choosing mis-leading deals.  

Never fear for, HMD Global, the home of Nokia phones, is here to provide you with reliable black Friday hacks to help you get the most out of your mobile shopping experience.

·         Set a budget: Set a clear budget for yourself and stick to it. No deal is worth it if you can’t actually afford it.

·         Go incognito: Open an incognito window to enable private browsing and disable plugins, some websites can track your previous visits or coupon plug-ins and adjust their prices accordingly.

·         Be a social guru: Have your eyes peeled on social media. Follow retailers on Twitter and Instagram and like them on Facebook for regular and up to date sale news on your social feed. Some stores also have websites where customers can sign up to receive deal alerts.

·         Price check ahead of time: Know the average cost of the item you are purchasing. Watch out for hidden shipping/delivery costs and inflated items that “seem” on sale.

·         Don’t purchase for the sake of it: Consider what you want to purchase ahead of time in terms of needs not wants. Consider upcoming birthdays and the Festive Season.

·         Add to cart ahead of the rush: Once you’ve decided on what you really need, add those items to your cart in advance. In most cases your discount will auto appear as soon as the sale starts.

·         If it feels unsafe, it probably is: Ensure the website you are purchasing from is safe and the payment portal is trusted and secure.

Remember, be patient, not impulsive and you are sure to grab yourself some great deals this coming Black Friday.

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LG Aims at Being the Center of your Smart Home through its Super UHD TVs

Sitting in a couch in your living room, you will realize that watching a movie is a much more intimate experience than going out to the cinemas. As a matter of fact, why would you go to the cinema and be caught up in the midst of an audience, most of whom will be interested in either being on their phones updating their Instagram pages or who will be having conversations thereby ruining your viewing experience?

One of the main reasons people are shying away from going to the cinemas is because of the high costs involved. Aside from the movie tickets, going to the cinemas also involves additional costs for food and drink and it gets worse when you intend to go for the movies with your family. The advent of the internet and subsequently the emergence of video streaming services has also led to a major shift as movie enthusiasts are slowly but gradually trading in their movie seats for the comfort of their very own couches.

In this age of the internet, every technological advancements made geared towards further improving cinemas is matched by home technology through smart televisions designed to provide you with the ‘Theater Feel’ in your house. The period between which movies are released through the cinemas and their subsequent availability to be viewed at home also gets smaller and smaller leading to many people opting to watch the movies from their homes.

Increased internet penetration in the country in the last couple of years has led to the rise of streaming and downloading services has made it convenient than ever as one does not have to go to the cinema or movie shop but can livestream a movie from the comfort of the houses.

Having the right choice of Television and sound system in your house is key to ensuring that you get the feel and touch akin to the cinema. LG electronics is committed towards a unique and tantalizing home entertainment experience through its wide range of cinema systems. 

With LG’s smart TV technology, you will watch your favorite TV shows, catch up with your favorite sporting events, browse online videos and keep abreast with the latest movies and series all at the comfort of your house.  

When it comes to sound system, the good news is that you do not have to fill your house with very loud speakers to get you into the world of a movie. LG’s home cinema systems are immersed with 3D surround sound designed to create a crystal-clear audio almost from every angle.

LG’s Nano cell TVs have been able to differentiate themselves from the television competition and create an enviable niche. LG’s super UHD TVs are coined to enhance the visual appeal of any home with an ultra slim design and its incomparable crescent-shaped stand, which gives it an illusion of a TV floating in the air. Their wider viewing angles allows more individuals to experience images at peak resolution therefore ideal for a large family or for movie enthusiasts keen on watching at home. 

Movie-going has not been what it used to be, and this has led to televisions striving to fill that gap by ushering movies into our home and bringing with it the comfort and convenience. With TVs aiming to be at the centre of our smart homes, the current technological advancements are just but a drop of what the future holds.

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Nokia 7.1 arrives in Kenya

HMD Global, the home of Nokia phones, has today announced that the new Nokia 7.1 is now available through selected retailers from Ksh30,000. The Nokia 7.1 comes in Gloss Midnight Blue and Gloss Steel colours. The Nokia 7.1 will retail from Ksh 30,000 from selected retail outlets. 

Introducing PureDisplay

The Nokia 7.1 is the first smartphone to come with PureDisplay screen technology for stunning HDR10 cinematic quality entertainment inside and out. With YouTube, Netflix and Amazon Prime now supporting HDR content, take your viewing experience to another level with higher contrast (1,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio) and great clarity, revealing the detail in both light and dark areas with stunning vibrant colours.

Whether outdoors in bright sunlight or in a dimly lit room, playing games or watching videos, the crisp, bright Full HD+ 5.84” and 19:9 screen ratio display will automatically adjust brightness and contrast to ambient lighting conditions – ensuring content is still visible and vibrant in bright sunshine. Live through this enhanced display experience across all your videos, including non-HDR content, which is up-scaled in real-time using a dedicated 16bit engine, processing millions of pixels per second to provide the best possible display quality in all conditions.

The Nokia 7.1 is powered by the Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 636 Mobile Platform, which supports a major leap in enhanced performance making it great for streaming HDR content with ease. This platform is optimised for content consumption with first-class graphics performance and battery efficiency enhancements, so you can enjoy your audio and video for even longer. The USB type-C fast charging port delivers up to 50% of your battery back in 30 mins, to get you back up and running quickly and easily.

Premium design

The Nokia 7.1 is where design meets engineering excellence, offering the overall product quality, premium materials and finish you expect from a Nokia smartphone. Applying design techniques found in jewellery and high-end timepieces, the Nokia 7.1 exhibits aesthetically pleasing contrasts between different metal finishes that come seamlessly together and capture small, controlled bright highlights. Possessing a unique interplay on colour by using glass’ unique properties of refraction, the Nokia 7.1 achieves deep, rich and neutral colours that capture both light and depth. The Nokia 7.1 exudes master craftsmanship with final touches like the dual-anodised aluminium diamond cut coloured edges.

The Nokia 7.1 delivers a bigger experience without a bigger handset to offer you a stunning smartphone that fits as easily into your pocket as it does in your hand. A feeling of solidity runs all the way through the smartphone, thanks to the 6000 series aluminium CNC machined frame and die cast metal centre.

Tell your story with advanced imaging

The Nokia 7.1 highly sensitive ZEISS Optics 12MP/5MP dual cameras with 2PD enable fast, accurate autofocus giving great shots in both bright and low light conditions. Achieve the perfect picture with HDR photography, giving you crisper and sharper images – ideal for capturing and sharing your photos with friends or followers. Capture professional studio style shots with the rear depth camera supported ‘bokeh’ mode as well as effortless front portrait shots. You can also reduce the effects of unstable hands while filming with Electronic Image Stabilisation (EIS) technology and relive your memories as if you were still there with high fidelity 360° Nokia spatial audio.

The new camera UI gives you ultimate control of white balance, ISO, focus and shutter speed using the Pro Camera Mode. ​The Nokia 7.1 AI enhanced front facing camera introduces facial recognition to deploy animated 3D personas/masks and filters. One touch live stream your #bothies with the use of fun filters in real time to Facebook and YouTube direct from your camera app. Google Lens and Motion Photos can also be accessed directly from the app quickly and easily.

Pure, secure and up-to-date, reinforced with Android One

The Nokia 7.1 joins the comprehensive line-up of Nokia smartphones in the Android One family, delivering a high-quality software experience endorsed by Google. Nokia smartphones with Android One offer great storage and battery life right out of the box and come pre-loaded with the very latest in AI-powered innovations developed by Google.

The Nokia 7.1 will receive three years of monthly security patches and two years of OS updates, as guaranteed in the Android One programme. In addition, Google Play protect scans all the apps on the store and on your phone to keep it safe from malware. This helps to rank the Nokia 7.1 among the most secure and cutting-edge phones out there, as this device will always be up-to-date thanks to the latest Google innovations including, Google Assistant and Google Photos with free unlimited high-quality photo storage.

The Nokia 7.1 is built ready for the Android 9 software update, which includes AI powered features that make your device smarter, faster and adapts as you use it. The Adaptive Battery feature limits battery usage from apps you don’t use often, and App Actions predicts what you’re about to do so you can get to your next action quickly. These features further streamline your device’s functionality and your Android experience.

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How Long Will Your Phone last you? LG’s Brand of Smartphones are Built for the Unexpected

Raise your hand if you have ever bought the latest mobile device only for the manufacturer to replace it months later with a sleek and better version of the same device. It is also possible that you know someone who stops using their phones and buys a flagship smartphone of their favorite manufacturer every time a new version of it is launched.

For majority of Kenyan youths, buying a smartphone is a one-time investment and the most fundamental question one ought to ask is that, how long does these smartphones last? And is buying such expensive smartphones really worth it?

Despite their relatively small size, smartphones are quite expensive devices for most youths in the country. On average, most people replace their smartphones within 2 years and if you relate this to the cost, what comes to mind is that they deserve a better life span than the two years of use, which is always followed by a perpetual stay in some dusty cabinet in the house.

It is possible to buy smartphones with an eye to longevity. The key to this is the underlying aspects of such a phone being the build, waterproof levels, display, phone, design, battery life and software. The LG G7 ThinQ will last you more than the normal average lifespan of 2 years.  “Our wide array of smartphone devices and especially our LG G7 ThinQ is not only a mere work of art that you can hold in the palm of your hand, but is a smartphone specifically built with the consumer in mind- with an end goal of brilliance and durability,”  says Moses Marji, LG Electronics General Manager, East Africa.

Software

LG has a new software update centre, with the sole goal of ensuring timely and regular upgrades and valuable new features such as AI capabilities. Having the latest software versions help in protecting your smartphone against malware and ransomware attacks thereby increasing its lifespan.

Design

With LG G6, you will not have to worry about accidental drops on relatively rough environments during your everyday use as it is built for endurance.

Battery life

Battery is one of the key features for having a long lasting smartphone. Although the LG G7 has a relatively low capacity of 3000mAh battery, you will be blown away by how long it can last. On a lighter usage day characterized with a bit of messaging and social media usage, you could end up remaining with more than 50 per cent of battery charge, therefore giving you an extra edge of more than 24 hours of usage after every single charge. This in the long run prevents you battery from overheating that would come as result of regular charging.

LG’s belief that all customers deserve the best technology possible has seen them bring to the market innovative and over-the-edge smartphones built for efficiency, reliability and stamina.

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The LG Kitchen Maestro Starter Pack

“If you’re not the one cooking, stay out of the way and complement the chef” Michael Strahan.

Everyone has more than one memory of their family sharing a sumptuous home-cooked meals accompanied with hearty laughter. Meals that at were prepared from kitchens where we spent time chatting up our mothers as they cooked or washed dishes.

However, when the time to move out of our parents homes, our greatest fear is how can we replicate (well, almost) cuisines just like our mothers. Thanks to LG’s customer-oriented appliances, anyone planning to move out of his or her parents how can have a stress-free.

1.     LG EasyClean Cooker

With the high electricity bills, the LG 5.4 cu. ft. Gas Single Oven Range with EasyClean is the best bet for concocting your gourmet-standard meals. Equipped with five gas burners and griddle, this cooker is available in stainless steel and black stainless steel. If you are the lazy type, The LG EasyClean® allows you to clean your oven in less than 20 minutes. Simply spray the oven interior with water, press EasyClean and 20 minutes later, wipe away leftover smudges. Now who said the cooker has to wait for a weekend through cleaning? Costs: Starting from Kshs 80,900.

2.     LG Door-in-Door refrigerator

This Door-in-Door fridge design and technology is why LG continues to maintain its spot as the pacesetter of gold standard in food preservation. This technology does three great things: reduces cold air loss by up to 40%; decreases energy consumption and keeps food fresher for longer while reducing its refrigerator’s environmental footprint. Cost: Starting from Kshs 40,990

3.     LG NeoChef Microwave

Is the cooker dream far-fetched? Well LG NeoChef microwave is what you need. This microwave has smart oven settings cook food more naturally and efficiently, locking healthy nutrients in, and keeping harmful fats and sodium out. There is no cooking job that this microwave cannot do; warm, bake, fry, grill, defrost and cook. You name it NeoChef can do it. No need to worry about the electricity bills because the NeoChef is has the smart inverter technology, which helps cook meals faster while saving time and conserving energy.

LG East Africa Marketing Manager, Moses Murji says that all the LG appliances have inbuilt artificial intelligence that makes them ideal for amateur chefs looking to flex their culinary muscles.

“Our products have intuitive interfaces that helps uses simplify the preparation of complex cuisines while retaining all the healthy nutrients,” said Mr. Murji.

All these products are available for viewing and purchase from any LG brand stores, OpalNet at Kenrail towers in Westlands or LG online brand store.

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