The next silicon valley

Silicon Valley dominated the world for 20 years. Who wins in the next 20 years, though, is still a very big question. - https://lnkd.in/eMbSx7z

Yesterday WiFi was working!

You: When WiFi does not work and
 it was okay Yesterday!!!

Yesterday WiFi was working just fine in the office, I passed by the coffee shop and it worked perfectly there! Then I got home, no problem. Today I got to the office and I just don't understand what the issue is! I cannot connect to any network! its sooooo frustrating! You tried turning off the WiFi setting on your Mac and back on again and nothing works tried to forget the network or log in again it tries forever, gets on, then drops the connection or simply never connects!

Well for Mac users this can be a pain, and the most likely reason for this is the WiFi / Network preferences have become corrupted. I first experienced this after upgrading to Marverics OSX 10.9
and also encountered a similar problem on anther Mac on El Capitan OSX 10.11.x

For Mac users here is a workaround

1. Turn off your WiFi 
2. click on the Finder icon on your dock
3. Then hit Command+Shift+G
4. The go to folder command window [entry box] will appear
5. Copy or type this path below. [your may see this ~/Library/ delete and enter path shown below]
1. /Library/preferences/SystemConfiguration/
6. Hit return [enter] and you will see an window similar appear.
7. In this window create a folder Called OldWiFiPrefs [you may be required to authenticate this action]
   
8. Select the following files (as shown on the right->) and move them to your new folder:
1. [OldWiFiPrefs]apple.airport.preferences.plist
2. com.apple.wifi.message-tracer.plist
3. NetworkInterfaces.plist
4. preferences.plist
9. Now restart your Mac :)
10. Switch WiFi back on and log onto your WiFi hotspot[s] you may need to punch in the password again.

For windows users, if this happens on Windows 7 pro and above, you want to forget your network and try again, if this does not resolve the issue go to manage networks a list of all WiFi SSID's your computer "knows" are listed, delete the one you cannot connect to and then try re-connecting. you will be required to punch in the WiFi password again.

Happy Surfing!

How Strong is your password?

Passwords passwords passwords! We love to hate them, how often do you change yours? how strong is it? your first line of defense is not your password, but securing your device physically :) Then your second line of defense is your password. A good password is at least 8 characters long one of which must be capitalized, within the 8 have a special character such as the # or $ and a number of combination of all these makes your password strong. It is also advised not to use your name. The on other challenge then is how do you remember the complex password you punch in? This can be a downside but you can make up a name that is simple, long and can have interchangeable  characters for numbers or special characters.
Here is an online tool to check how vulnerable your password is.

An example of a good password would look like this: #HelloFromthe0utside!
Test it with tool just for fun and see how long it would take to crack...
But a password is a safe as you keep it :)

12 Apps of Christmas!

The end of the year brings good tidings... This years' close out tech-tip will look at 12 apps, some of which you may already know and use, but there might be something new worth trying out!

The holiday season calls for some entertainment and even better if it is free.

At number 12

TiVibox.tv this app works well on android platforms but also runs well off your [PC] browser. Just make sure you have the latest version of Java running. From your android device search for the tivibox app in the google play store and watch HD quality live TV.

Number 11

Blogger App: With your WNS email you have access to your own blogger account. Blogger is the blogging platform from google. With this app, you can blog on the go. You can find this app in the google playstore, iTunes and windows store.

Number 10

During the holiday time you may want to find that last minute deal, 

or just a place to get away for the weekend. The SleepOut app is simply amazing. It works worldwide. All you need to know is the name of the city and that’s it. Just type in Mombasa and see what comes up! With this app you may want to also have uber [app] handy to get around!

Number 9

Aviary: is a very cool app. Make that meme! Or tweak that pic, aviary is the app for you! Available in ios and android app stores.

Number 8

The long wait is finally over! Your beloved Firefox is now available for ios and android. Firefox is an amazing fast and secure browser. Log into the browser and create a profile [also works with chrome], this keeps your shortcuts and browsing patterns, making your internet experience as fluid as possible.

Number 7

Hootsuite: This apps comes in two versions: free and premium. The free version allows you to manage up to 3 social media accounts. This means, once you create a Hootsuite account and add 3 social media accounts for example: Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, you can update all three at one go or even schedule an update… The app offers in apps purchases, for better customization to improve your experience.

Number 6

Destiny Quest: This apps allows you to access our WNS library away from campus. All you need to do is to use the first potion of your email address as your username and the generic password as password. Change it when you access the system through the school website.

Number 5

Dinner Spinner: If you love to cook or try out new recipes Dinner spinner is the coolest app ever! Available from your app store! [ios or google playstore]

Number 4

Google Keep: Capture what’s on your mind and take it with you. Make that shopping list or to-do list complete with check boxes and reminders! And more amazing you can share the keep document as you would a google doc!

Number 3

Google Hangouts: google hangouts allows you to chat from your Google Instant Messenger, this apps gives you the freedom to keep in touch while on the move!

Number 2

Nike running / Mapmyrun : these two apps are tottaly awesome! If you love running you will understand! If you don’t you’ll not mind

having them. Mapmyrun allows you to map bike rides and walks.

Number 1

Outlook! I have been very impressed by this app. Microsoft have done a good job at fine tuning this app. It will allow multiple email accounts and from different platforms. The interface is easy and configuration is pretty straight forward. If you were looking at trying a new email app I recommend Outlook!

Have a Merry Christmas!

Access Destiny | Remotely

Access Destiny | Remotely | Updated


Sometimes you just want to know if you can find a certain book from our library, then you pause and think, how will I do this and i'm off campus? Now Destiny [our cloud library server] is accessible remotely. With Version 13, which we are currently running the access using apps is more fluid. Destiny Quest,  is the app to find in the AppStore, Windows Store or google playstore. When you get it install it. When you launch the app for the first time you will need some access credentials. Use the details below:


The URL :https://wnslibrary.follettdestiny.com
The username is the first potion of your name before the @ sign and the password is password.

Example:
URL: https://wnslibrary.follettdestiny.com
Port: 80
SSL: 443
username: jamesbond
password: password

When you log on you will have access to a simple interface that will let you know if  there are new titles, overdue books and you can see the books [titles] you have put on hold.

If you try to access destiny from a remote location via the link on our website by clicking on the WNS library button [while using your personal computer or device], then use the same credentials you as mentioned in the example above.

Have a fun day at the WNS Library!

Multiple Apps | Google Contacts | Flip your classroom!

Tech tips | Install Multiple Apps at once!

Some times you wonder how will I keep all my “free” apps up-to-date? And how do I download them without the burden of installing spyware without my knowledge? Free apps or open source applications offer great alternatives for paid for productivity software.

If you work on a windows environment there are apps that you use all the time for example, Chrome, VLC, Adobe DC, Paint + just to mention a few. Secure by Design Inc. created a tool to help you install most of the common apps in a clean environment free of malicious software and bugs. To get to their website follow this link. [https://ninite.com/]

For mac users, follow this link [http://www.getmacapps.com/] or [http://macapps.link/en] these allow you to install multiple apps at the same time. For the Mac user, you will need to launch a terminal window and paste the link given after your selection. To launch terminal, go to the top right hand corner, click on the spotlight search, then type the word terminal, when the icon pops up, click to start terminal. You may need to enter your administrator password to allow the installation to proceed.

These websites allow you to keep your apps up-to-date, and if new software is added you can safely install it from here.

Google Contacts

Saving your contacts on Google makes life easy.  If your have a group of people who you call often,  If you would like to update your address book, let me know and I will email you the CSV file [instructions on how to upload at the end of this section] with WNS Faculty and Staff. When you get the CSV file upload it to your Google contacts. This then creates a new list called “imported” You can rename it or create a new group with an appropriate name for example : Office, Teachers, Parents and Guardians etc. Next time you sync your contacts on your [device] phone, the new group “office” will appear with the details of the people who were in the CSV file. For WNS I have already created this file with everybody’s phone number and current email address. 

Follow this link on how to import the CSV file into your Google contacts.  https://support.google.com/mail/answer/14024?hl=en

Flip your classroom!

 

Have your tried Blendspace? Another way to flip your classroom, sign up using your Google account [Your WNS email]. [www.blendspace.com] This allows you to create lessons that have digital content in them. Blendspace does work wit Edmodo but the in app support with will stop soon. Blendspace in itself is a great tool, so do give it a try.

Directions made simpler

As the Summer holiday begins [winter for some] there will be lots to do over the break. Finding an address can sometimes be tough. GPS coordinates are great, for devices, but perhaps not people. In neighborhoods like Karen in Nairobi, it would seem easy to figure out an address, but what you may not know is there may be several homes at the said address. Well to make things more exiting, if you were to deliver something to an informal settlement, like Kibera, now that would not be an easy task.
All this might be changing with What3Words. Mapping the entire globe in 3m  by 3m square spaces using 3 words.

This addressing means everyone has a shipping address. Help can reach those who need it faster,
shipping of goods and services can be done more efficiently, and words are easier to remember :)
Learn more on here....

If you find this address you might just be in luck for a cuppa tea! adopts.enhances.prettiest