Funtrench Journal

Quote of the week…

J4 — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 04:42:11 +0000

It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.

Mark Twain.

The Chinese Factor!

J4 — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 06:56:24 +0000

By Sketch.

The iPad has sold over 1 million units in about 3 months. It is not that iPad is the best, neither is it the cheapest, but people still buy; this is the same case with the iPhone. China already has clones to the iPad currently being sold in Kenya, going by names such as MiD and Cynovo. Kenyans as usual term them as low quality cheap Chinese imports. Retailing at prices lower than what the iPad, they are probably better options than the iPad. Riddled with more features than the original iPad, these gadgets might just outdo the iPad in Kenya. But are Chinese products “cheap low quality imports”?

We may despise Chinese products as “cheap and low quality” but think again:

China has the highest number of engineers graduating annually (estimates are at 600,000 per annum – Bloomberg Business Week)

China has the largest population (standing at 1,338,612,968 as at 2009 – Internet World Stats)

These two facts mean that China has the largest number of technically innovative minds with the largest ready market for any country in the world. We hear the funny ringtones from Tecno, G-Tide among other Chinese phones and think less about the people who made them. Maybe the quality is low, but remember these people were able to make and export these products to us.

What electronic or technical product have we made as Kenyans and sold to China?

The country we despise as producing low quality stuff is the same that is now funding and even executing some of our biggest development projects, perhaps the most widely known being Thika highway upgrade (costing about 32 Billion Shillings). The contractors were not selected because they are Chinese, but because they were qualified and have proven to have better work ethics than most African contractors. What can be said about Kenyan contractors and engineers?

We need to reach a point that we are so confident of our products that we can dare sell them to the developed world (think M-PESA and the like). The Chinese engineers are so good they can clone a Nokia and one would be unable to tell the difference, sometimes the clone having better features than the original phone. I accept the fact that there are low quality products from China, but is it the Chinese who bring them to Kenya, or is it Kenyan traders who buy the low quality stuff from China?

With a greater capacity to invent, China is overtaking the rest of the world as a technology hub, and we should not be caught watching. Those who accuse China of low quality stuff should try getting one high quality product from there, it will give them a different opinion. I have a Chinese computer, bought in 2003, and it still works today without any of its hardware ever failing. I’m satisfied with the service it gives me. There are quality Chinese products out there, just look keenly. We should stop the culture of always looking for the cheapest product available, and perhaps consider the quality that lies in the products that are sometimes wrongly deemed “expensive“.

Eden 3D!

J4 — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 04:42:54 +0000

By Kingsley Ndiewo.

Remember Eden?

The wrapper library for Panda3D that Funtrench developed from 2008? Well Eden is still here and at version 2.0 it’s really a potent tool for bringing the digital tomorrow to life. Perhaps a good testament to its robustness is the fact that the latest version of Eden was designed with Panda 1.6.2 in mind and works beautifully with Panda 1.7.0 without any modification. And this is not even what Eden calls its best quality….

Web designers and programmers in Kenya are of three general classes:

Those who do basic HTML sites. A sizeable number and they do have their clientele.
Those who do PHP, Ajax, ASP.NET and the other languages in this tier, coupled with data servers like MySQL and PostgreSQL.
Those who have joined the Adobe Flash revolution.

Each level has less people and more money. And the business way of looking at things must beg the question “what’s after Flash?” Well, at least I’m sure the good people at Funtrench have been asking themselves that. And Panda’s developers have the answer – the next big thing: P3D files.

P3D is the 3D equivalent of what Flash and Javascript are in 2D. An applet framework that allows 3D applications developed using Panda-Eden to run from a web page. And unlike Flash, P3D is open-source all the way. Even Eden itself is proudly open-sourced by Funtrench.

So all the programmers across East Africa, watch this space. Funtrench is unveiling an Eden Training Centre soon, to equip you with the skills you need to build your 3D career from scratch. For more inquiries you know where to reach us.

Quote of the week….

J4 — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 07:38:58 +0000

It is difficult, but not impossible,

to conduct strictly honest business.

Mahatma Gandhi

RFID Technology overview.

J4 — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 06:16:38 +0000

By Kingsley Ndiewo.

Funtrench is a fun company to work in. Because of business, the returns and the sheer weight of life lessons that I get from here. All the way from making software for USAID in Embu, to the great house hunt and finally to settling down into the life of a self-employed team, we have experienced so much from God, people around us and business that we could seriously write a book.

It’s rarely that people get insights into what it’s like to work in a company – from the company blog. But at Funtrench we’re proud of what we do and the way we do it – it’s not a job, it’s an experience. An experience in business and technology.

This week my focus is on RFID technology. The technology of proximity cards fascinates because of the convenience it brings. Imagine walking through airport security without producing any documents simply because an RFID reader has read the card in your wallet, which is tucked away in your pocket. Radio frequency identification (RFID) technology is the use of an object (typically referred to as an RFID tag) applied to or incorporated into a product, animal, or person for the purpose of identification and tracking using radio waves. Some tags can be read from several meters away and beyond the line of sight of the reader.

Radio-frequency identification comprises interrogators (also known as readers), and tags (also known as labels).

Most RFID tags contain at least two parts. One is an integrated circuit for storing and processing information, modulating and demodulating a radio-frequency (RF) signal, and other specialized functions. The second is an antenna for receiving and transmitting the signal.

There are generally three types of RFID tags: active RFID tags, which contain a battery and can transmit signals autonomously; passive RFID tags, which have no battery and require an external source to provoke signal transmission; and battery assisted passive (BAP) RFID tags, which require an external source to wake up but have significant higher forward link capability providing greater range.

RFIDs are easy to conceal or incorporate in other items. For example, in 2009 researchers at Bristol University successfully glued RFID microtransponders to live ants in order to study their behavior. This trend towards increasingly miniaturized RFIDs is likely to continue as technology advances. However, the ability to read at distance is limited by the inverse-square law.

Hitachi holds the record for the smallest RFID chip, at 0.05mm x 0.05mm. The Mu chip tags are 64 times smaller than the new RFID tags. Manufacture is enabled by using the Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI) process. These “dust” sized chips can store 38-digit numbers using 128-bit Read Only Memory (ROM). A major challenge is the attachment of the antennas, thus limiting read range to only millimeters.

Quote of the week…

J4 — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 04:37:42 +0000

Coming together is a beginning.

Keeping together is progress.

Working together is success.

- -

Henry Ford.

Recruitment

J4 — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 03:09:34 +0000

As a result of the ongoing expansion of the products list, FunTrench will have various vacancies with attractive remuneration packages to be filled by enthusiastic, skilled and experienced individuals. A key requirement during this recruitment process, which begins in May this year, will be verifiable previous work experience of the applicants thus prompt and quality product and service delivery will be guaranteed by the successful candidates. One of the positions to be made available will be for a PHP programmer for the FunServe project whose launch date has been pushed to mid this year.

At the moment, however, a flash programmer is needed. Interested applicants should meet the following prerequisites:
• Proficient in Flash CS3 professional
• Good skills in graphical interface design
• Proficiency in linking Flash with MySQL data sources
• Working knowledge of ActionScript 3.0
Applications should be made to:
The Chief Software Architect,
FunTrench Inc.,
kingsley@funtrench.com
before 29th March, 2010.

What’s new

J4 — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 16:13:52 +0000

The Funtrench School Management System(FSMS) is a customizable, integrated school data management solution that provides a variety of essential functions such as student and staff data management, exam paper generation, report form preparation and accounting functions. This new system has standard features to enable it meet the general requirements of most schools including student records management, staff records management, timetable management, authentication and library management. In addition, it can be tailored to meet each school’s specific needs in the best possible manner by correct selection and implementation of its extra features. More details on this cutting edge system are available here.
The aforementioned system is a result of the recognition of the pivotal role of education in the modern society and Funtrench’s commitment to the support and improvement of the education sector where most schools are faced with immense challenges in connection with data management.
Other new products developed are:
>>Funtrench Digital cities: FunServe and Eden 3D cities.
>>Eden Development of Games Educational Suite (EDGES).
>>Intelligent Security systems. More details here.
>>Tronix Events Management System. Demo available here.

Going digital…

J4 — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 07:10:22 +0000

Sustainability is an important aspect of any business venture. This going concern feature can be achieved in a number of ways which may include diversification, cessation of specific product development or introduction of a new product. In light of the latter, we at Funtrench will be introducing the Funtrench Digital cities: FunServe and Eden 3D cities.

FunServe will be an urban navigation service website that will simplify movement within the urban setting while Eden 3D cities will revolutionize shopping experience as well as payment of public utility bills! More information will be provided here before their launch early this year so keep checking this page.

For a full list of services offered at Funtrench, click here.

As concerns vacancies, we truly appreciate all those who applied to fill them for their interest. Shortlisted applicants will receive communication on the next step.

The last available vacancy!

J4 — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 09:44:53 +0000

2010 has began well as only one of the three earlier advertised positions is yet to be filled with a suitable person. This is the post which requires a very skilled PHP programmer. To fill this position, some knowledge and skill in web design will be an added advantage.

Remember the deadline for applications is the 8th of this month so apply immediately to avoid rueing a lost opportunity!

All the best this year.