Category Archives: Technology

The Space Age is upon us. Don’t say I never told you so.

Posted on August 12, 2016 | 2 comments

Friday is one of those days that many look forward to. From pupils/students to the employed. Programmes vary with the kids looking forward to watching their favourite TV shows, going out for a birthday party over the weekend or even heading to church for sunday school. The adults are probably looking forward to linking up with buddies at their favourite pub or restaurant, dancing away the night in the discotheque or even roasting a pig or goat in the open air. The more religious may be gearing up for an overnight service eventually culminating in a power filled sunday church service.

Enter the time machine with me and we fast forward to 2040. The proggies might be similar albeit with a difference in how they are executed. It is friday morning and through WhatsApp (I hope it will still exist) Dr. Onenkan sends a message on Wawa List inviting us for lunch. Jancobo quickly proposes a meet up at the SkyPort Restaurant. Departure time is set for noon. Using our flying cars, we link up at the Spaceport (No longer Airport) somewhere in Kajjansi (a suburb of Kampala) and take the vertical Space Elevator to space, covering a distance of 300Km in under 20 minutes (never mind the technology being used). On arrival at the Spaceport, we settle in comfortably and commence discussions in full view of the Earth miles away from us. We admire the moon that appears more vivid and while at it, Mars pops up too. Low Earth Orbiting satellites wheez past us and it all seems as normal as that bodaboda that races past you today.

Upon completion of lunch, Humble DB suggests that we go for a space race. We quickly board Alien Reproduction Vehicles (ARV) and embark on faster than light travel by bending space and time. The first target is to see who reaches Venus first. Our trail begins and Neri beats us to it by covering the 40 million Km distance in 2.5 seconds.planets_image

You think this is impossible? Imagine this, if the speed of light is 299.8 million metres per second and our ARVs are comfortably moving at the speed of light, in under three seconds we should be in the environs of Venus.

Yen then challenges us to a much longer race from Venus to Saturn a journey of 1,316,400,000Km. We all agree that this is one race that will test us better. Off we go, crisscrossing space, avoiding stray meteorites here and there, observing all sorts of alien activity going on in a vast sea of space. We by-pass Earth and Do-Blade is in the lead at this point. Zo seems to be hot on his heels having exceeded the speed of light. We are heading for Mars and it seems like all our ARVs are gaining speed. Dono takes the lead as we get into the environs of Jupiter. The pressure is mounting as we all want to win. Then suddenly out of the blue, Onenkan’s ARV makes a joke of ours by gracefully bypassing us traveling at almost Light2 (twice the speed of light). Before we know it, he’s hovering in the rings of Saturn, a sign he’s won the race. Time check, 80 Seconds and we are all admiring the beautiful rings of saturn, a giant gas planet.

t2iEBowxv24VqercCap3xwLoWe are in awe of the numerous moons that it has (official count is 150 moons and moonlets). Named after the Roman God of war, Galileo discovered Saturn in 1610. One year on Saturn equals 29.5 Earth Years. Had I been born there, I would now be close to 1.5 years old. While Galileo only saw it through the telescope, here we are chilling right in it’s environs because of technology.

At this point we agree that work is pending back home on earth. The fly back to Sky Port Restaurant takes us under 5 minutes where we descend with the Space elevator back to Kajjansi. Time check, 2:30pm and we are back in our offices after an exciting cosmic journey.

I bet you’re thinking these are insane thoughts. No they aren’t. Whilst most folks are focusing on making their existence better on earth, a section of mankind aided by technology is working on the possibility of colonising space. I envisage a future where we shall have floating cities, entire nations on Mars and possible military outposts on the Moon. Tourism currently being focused on Africa is likely to shift to space within 50 years from now. Elon Musk’s efforts at SpaceX are commendable in making space travel cheaper.

Without doubt, we shall soon have picnics, church services, discotheques, offices and other pass times in space while retreating occasionally to earth just to catch up with family and friends the way some buddies resident in Europe and America like traveling back home to re-connect with their families.

Before I die, I would love to see the first church service conducted in Space. I wonder how the spirit slayed christians will fall in the gravity-free floating environment of outer space.

Welcome back to 2016.

Follow @wirejames on twitter

Image Credits

Saturn – https://www.thinglink.com/scene/662855196417720322

Solar System – http://www.planetsforkids.org/images/planets_image.jpg

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Posted in Technology

IDLELO 7 – Uganda’s Open Source Moment

Posted on August 11, 2016 | Leave a comment

The year was 1997 when as a student at Makerere University, I had the privilege of hobnobbing with a select group of ‘internet techies.’ One of them whom I later got to know was Kiggundu Mukasa had just returned from the USA after spending some time there studying and working. He was the first local advocate of Linux (an Open Source Operating System) and using the software CDs he had returned with, he very willingly shared with those who were already technically astute. Individuals like Paul Bagyenda and Terah Kaggwa are some of the very first I know of that toyed around with Linux in this country.

Our meet-ups used to be in Baghdad (Wandegeya) at the site of the current KCCA market and that is where the first unofficial Linux User Group (LUG) meetings took place. The inspiration that some of us got as a result of the open sharing that used to take place skewed our minds into embracing Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) as the future for this nation and Africa at large.

Being convinced about a cause is one thing while having others buy into the same cause is another. The resistance faced while spreading the FOSS gospel then was so stiff that hadn’t it taken firm determination, Uganda would not be the Open Source beacon of hope that it is today. From Government to the private sector, IT professionals were sceptical of anything Open Source and while some of their reasons were valid, others bordered on mere fear for change of the status-quo.

Over the years, numerous developments have gradually altered local perceptions about FOSS and these include;

  • The increasing clout of FOSS products/companies like Fedora, SuSe, MySQL among others in the IT world.

  • Exposure by many IT professionals to FOSS systems starting with those that got a chance to pursue their studies out of the country.

  • Increasing grip that Proprietary Software companies were having on Software Licensing compliance.

  • The enactment of laws that rendered activities like software piracy illegal.

  • The growth of e-government

  • The limited operational budgets at the disposal of many Government organisations.

  • The Internet Service providers that majorly offered firewall and mail server systems based on FOSS.

  • The existence of a vibrant Linux User group that at one point used to carry out school outreach programmes.

  • Coordinated efforts of FOSS promotion with other African countries through the pan African FOSSFA organisation.

In November 2002, during an ICT Policy and Civil Society Workshop in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, it was agreed that a framework for Open Source Solutions be developed. This process later led to the formation of the Free Software and Open Source Foundation for Africa (FOSSFA) a year later. Come 2004, the first ever African Conference on the Digital Commons was held in South Africa where it was later dubbed IDLELO (meaning common grazing ground). This event is carried out every two years and attracts participants who are actively participating or interested in the FOSS world. IDLELO is to Africa what OSCON is to the USA.

Twelve years later, from the 22nd to 24th of August 2016, Uganda will proudly host IDLELO 7. What makes it even more interesting is the level of Government involvement. After shouting ourselves hoarse for nearly a decade, the local FOSS community had given up on ever seeing the Government of Uganda play an active role in promoting FOSS. However, over the last two years, the National IT Authority of Uganda has warmed up to the idea of integrating FOSS in the Government plans for e-government. A FOSS policy is in advanced stages of being approved thanks to this same organisation pursuing the matter. The financial and logistical support NITA-U has extended to the event clearly shows that this time round, the Government is serious about going in bed with Free Software.

It is therefore a very exciting and emotional moment for many that have seen the baby strides FOSS has taken to gain a foothold in Uganda. Hosting the Who is Who of Africa’s FOSS world is likely to alter our path for the better and for good.

To the delegates coming over, Ugandans are known for their hospitality and we are certain that you will leave a piece of your life in Kampala.

Hubasangaliye

Tubaaniriza

Twabashemererwa

Wajoli i Uganda 

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