WhatsApp or WeChat? World War W

As much as we live in a generation of smartphones, it’s hard to tell whether these devices are a lifestyle or an assignment. The enthusiasm for powerful handhelds goes hand in hand with aspirations of staying updated and in touch with everybody else. That being the case, SMS and calls will never again be the ultimate communication tools instead, probably Whatsapp or Wechat might be. Although there are numerous other messaging applications, these two have perhaps the biggest traction of all apps.  So which of them is the actual king of messaging?

Platform-wise

If you run any version of Android, iOS, Symbian and Blackberry OS released after 2010, on your smartphone, then you can run both WhatsApp and WeChat. Both of them are natively supported on the stock firmware and can even be run on modified versions of these operating systems. However, their limitations start to show with increasing screen size as both of them are quite in the desktop department. This could be a factor of operating system since WhatsApp only runs via third party applications while WeChat relies on the desktop browser.

Feature-wise

1.       Communication

Both WeChat and WhatsApp allow you to send pictures, texts, videos, audio clips, location data and contact details. WhatsApp tries to be unique by allowing users to chat in groups of up to 30 people and comes embedded with tons of Emoji. WeChat however features live chat, video calls and QR activated group chats besides allowing users to interact and make new friends randomly.

2.       Data Use

Although the two messaging apps are very data efficient, excluding some instances of buggy updates, the efficiency depends on the user. WhatsApp is a real time messaging engine that has no offline mode, while WeChat is more of a social network that can be disconnected need be. With the log out feature therefore, WeChat can save on data resources. It is however much bigger, as an app, than WhatsApp hence will require more megabytes to download

3.       Security

Both WhatsApp and WeChat authenticate using a mobile phone number and have access to the phone’s contact list to find other reachable friends. On WeChat, security is beefed up through prior friend approvals and use of unique user names in place of actual phone numbers.

4.       Backup

On WhatsApp, conversations are stored on a daily basis and can be manually backed up and transferred to a new device while on iOS and Blackberry you can just mail yourself the chat history. WeChat takes backup to another level by allowing server backups of up to 7 days as well as universal chat history transfer to other devices.

Popularity-wise

WhatsApp is arguably the most common name among smartphone users, excluding China that is, but WeChat has a more or less bigger audience than WhatsApp.

Verdict

WhatsApp and WeChat are both great messaging applications with great features. The former remains the app to have if you intend to maintain your current crop of friends. WeChat on the other hand is the app you need to try if you’d like to connect with new people and enjoy more features. 

What is the Paleo Diet?

Like all things ‘lame’, the famous Caveman’s diet or Paleo as is officially known, is fairly despised and mainly due to the misconceptions people have about it. Since I am not fond of arguments, I wouldn’t want to sugarcoat the facts and get the grilling of a lifetime. It is however prudent for me to clarify that the Paleo is not a weight-loss program but rather a healthy lifestyle. The diet is based on realism in terms of dining such that we only partake of foods that keep us from worrying about calories hence eat till we are full. 

Although its description makes it sound like a strange fad diet, Paleo is actually the most optimal of human diets. The human body has, over a very long time, thrived on whole foods that pack a healthy dose of the necessary nutrients. The emergence of agriculture and other new-age practices such as food manufacture has therefore been more of a downgrade rather than an advance in human diet. We would therefore be hard pressed to deny that this is the reason most modern diseases are associated with industrialized foods. Thus, paleo diet basically constitutes anything that can either be hunted or gathered (ancestral eating) rather than refined products. 

Just as a clarification: Paleo diet does not strictly aim to replicate Stone Age practices or eating habits. Even though some enthusiasts may commit to such an approach, the diet is not a fixed, one-size-fits-all kind of regime. This means that I may choose to enjoy a bowl of mash potatoes now and then while another person sticks to low-carb intake. The Paleo regime therefore accommodates eaters with special desires so long as the core values of the diet are upheld. 

All partakers of the diet have to eat whole, unprocessed, nutrient rich foods such as wild-caught seafood, pastured meats/eggs, vegetables, fruits and nuts. On the other hand, they are to avoid any pro-inflammatory or toxic foods like sugar, legumes and gluten-containing grains. Although this may be highly compromising to some of us, nutritionists and researchers in general are beginning to concur with the associated benefits including; 

-          Healthy cells

This is achieved through a healthy balanced of both saturated and unsaturated fats which boost immunity and stimuli. More so, omega 3 fatty acids derived from eggs and cold water fish like salmon are important for the development of the brain and are also good for the eyes and heart. 

-          Less fat and more muscle mass

Proteins derived from animal flesh is anabolic hence mainly used for building muscle mass and, with improved metabolism, the body builds them up at the expense of fat cells. 

-          Improved gut health

By avoiding man-made fats and other processed foods, we can steer clear of the intestinal problems such as leaky gut syndrome and inflammation. 

-          Better digestion and nutrient absorption

Since the diet constitutes foods that the body is well adapted to, the intake is much more tolerable and guarantees better absorption of vitamins and minerals.  

-           Weight loss

Since the diet is ideally low carb, those who stick to it as well as those who take their carbs around workout times, can be assured of reduced fat gain. 

Other promoted benefits include the reduced risk of contracting diseases and an improved circle of life by supporting nature. As much as you’d be tempted to get excited, the diet necessitates foodies to be principled. We are therefore mandated to stick to the Paleo roadmap as strictly as possible even though it is allowed to detour once in a while. All in all, the diet does not imply deprivation of any sort but actually just promotes simplicity and health.

Comprehensive Facebook Account Recovery Options Incase You Lose Your Password

With many businesses relying on the social media as a principal marketing tool, getting locked out of a site like Facebook can be a major setback to the business. Of all social sites, Facebook is essentially the biggest and most secure platform hence highly preferred by most businesses. In terms of security, the concept of having a unique username and password to access your page may be reasonable but having to keep a number of them in mind can be overwhelming. That being said, getting yourself locked out of your page is a possibility but that shouldn’t be the end of your business campaign. There are a number of ways you can recover your account.

Default Recovery Options

This should always be your first option as it handles both password and username issues as well as occasions where the Facebook account is hacked. In order to recover your account, you may need to identify it by providing either your email address, phone number or your full names and that of a friend. After identification, you will be redirected to a password reset page where you can enter your new details. Here you should reconfirm every detail you key in to avoid a repeat of the whole process. If this approach works for you, you should proceed to change the password immediately just to be on the safe side.

When Lacking Contact Options or Some Information

The first method may not work especially when you do not have access to the phone number or email address used maybe due to a hack. You can however specify a new email address which Facebook will use to contact you on account recovery. You can do this by clicking on the link ‘No longer have access to these?’ shown on the reset password page. Here, you will get options to answer any preset security questions and change your password. As a security precaution, you may have to wait 24 hours before accessing the account after answering the security question.

Using Trusted Friends

If by any chance you do not recall your security question as described in the second approach, you can choose some trusted friends from the Facebook recovery options. The ones you choose will be notified through security codes which you can collect from them and submit to Facebook as per the instructions to reset your password.

If Hacked and Spamming

Whenever your account is hacked and starts to spam your friend’s walls, you need to report the compromised account to Facebook. This will initiate a recovery process similar to the first one although different. Even though you will need to identify your account with the same information, you will have the option to use either your current or older password. This is used to revert any changes a hacker may have made to the account.

If none of the mentioned solutions is an option for you, then you may need to check the ‘Report Abuse or Policy Violations’ section to get more information on account management. Otherwise, if you want to avoid getting locked out of your account, you may need to compile a master password list or use personal hints to refer to your passwords. This way you will always remember your password and avoid the cumbersome recovery process. 

Mistaken Signals that Put Off Potential Suitors: A Kenyan Dating Guide for Women

Normally, courtship has its ups and downs but there are specific things that hinder attraction, dating and pursuit by men. Most women fail to understand the ‘being a man’ situation. This is evidenced by their unassuming actions which give men a mistaken impression to retract their approach. You should therefore take the initiative to refrain from them if you don’t have such intentions.

Standing Close to Friends

Staying ever close to your friends can be a definitive body language that pushes men away. This is due to the fact that men find it easier to approach a lone person than approaching a group. It is apt to make yourself available in anticipation for his approach by making the conditions favorable. Even though, friends may serve as refuge in most social situations, they can relay a strong impression that you are not out to mingle with new people or don’t entertain approaches from men.

Hanging with Guy-Friends

As much as approaching an assemblage may be intimidating, approaching a woman in the company of men is similarly nerve-wrecking. This is not only due to the pressure of the situation, but also due to the uncertainty of your relationship with the chaps.

Your Natural Smile

General smiles matched with gazes across the room do not necessarily imply you are interested in the individual you are locking eyes with. In such situations, fear and nervousness can overwhelm their judgment. They could actually think you are drawn to something else, being sociable or just glancing by.  It would be better to harmonize your glance at them with a gentle smile. This has a more vivid and forthcoming impression. It is similarly less demanding on your part.

Holding a Drink

Having a drink takes away the opportunity for guys to offer you one in way of initiating their approach. With a drink in hand, the men are bound to shilly-shally from coming up to you. Men will also tend to abate from using pickup lines in their approach due to the effort entailed.

More so, if men realize that you’ve had plenty of drinks, they would shy away from offering you another drink lest you think they are trying to take advantage of the situation. This can push them to look for other options where they have better chances. It is more appropriate to have water in your hand if you must have a drink. You can also break from holding your drink to give the onlookers an opportunity to approach you with another. This way, you can also save on your Nairobi outing.  

Hang Around the Bar

It could be frightening to approach someone at their table for fear of making them uneasy. This is in contrast to the bar area which is commonly seen as everybody’s space, and gives men the go ahead to approach you.  

The situation could also be the other way round. Sometimes, you might get excess attention and force some prospects to withdraw. In such a case, you should move away from the bar to isolate those who have serious interest in you.

Have an Eye for Everyone

Even though your attention may be drawn to your accompanying friends or a particular individual, it may be wise to let your eyes explore the room from time to time. This is important because it puts you out there rather than creating the impression you are contented with your social bubble. This motivates the interested parties to seize the opportunity to approach you.  

Break from Your Gathering at Times

If you are out with friends, it is advised that you take some time away from them. The break can be as simple as going for a drink at the bar or stepping out for some fresh air. This gives the guys a chance to face you one on one and breaks the impression that you are engaged to your group.

These are clear-cut pointers to help you create the right atmosphere for men to approach you. You should therefore consider them on your next outing in Nairobi or elsewhere in the world if you hope to connect to suitors.  

Top 5 Android Apps for Business

The open source platform, Android, has taken the Smartphone market by storm becoming the leading operating system. More so, the number of people using android Smartphones continues to increase dramatically as they aim to take advantage of the numerous apps developed for the platform. The over half a million applications available nonetheless, can pose a daunting task to anybody trying to choose just a few essential ones. The aim of this article is to help business folks out there identify the cream of business applications for android without having to look any further. They include;

Document To Go: Few will argue that any business user needs to be able to check mail attachments in any document format on-the-go. This is the reason why this app needs to be your first choice. The app is not free from the Google Play Store but it’s a worthy price to pay considering it offers support for all Microsoft office files such as PowerPoint presentations, word documents and PDFs. Besides, viewing such documents, you also get the privilege of editing then conveniently on the phone.

Cam Card: Business people meet many different prospects at conferences and other events where cards change hands. These cards may become a heavy burden to the wallet and this is where Cam Card comes to the rescue. The app scans images of business cards and stores the information in the contacts directory saving you precious time. Its performance is not perfect but at least close to perfection.

Evernote: This is an application that is aimed at providing you the chance to let your Smartphone be your note pad. Whenever you get any ideas, the best thing to do is put them down before they vanish and that is where evernote makes its mark. It offers support for pictures, audio and text with plenty of space to store online and share with others.

Dropbox: storage is quickly moving to the cloud, meaning that the ultimate solution to backup files and data it through online storage. This gives you the flexibility of accessing your files wherever you are without having to carry any physical devices other than you android Smartphone. Dropbox allows for convenient and secure storage with easy sharing online hence very handy for business people.

Juice defender: all the mentioned apps will only be usable while your phone is on and therefore your battery will determine your productivity. For this reason, there is no doubt that you need you battery to last as much as possible. Juice defender is an application that allows for customization of mobile use so that the juice in your phone’s battery is used effectively. The app lets you control battery draining applications and cell radios to suit your needs and switches them off when not being used thus providing a massive boost to your phone battery.

These five applications combined can make your Smartphone become the ultimate replacement to all other bulky gadgets you may be used to carrying. This way, you will be able to enjoy your business life without limitations. 

Tips to Get Familiar with the 3 Barrel Waver

Bohemian-style waves have been so popular mainly because they are simple to do and result in a stunning look. It is simple for you to craft these waves through simple braiding although necessitating you to leave your hair overnight. This method is therefore quite insignificant considering the amount of time you will spend to get the results. A 3 barrel waver also referred to as a triple barrel curling iron can give you better results in a snapshot.

With the bohemian look, you can easily and quickly prepare for a special occasion and still amaze the guests with uniqueness of the style. There could be many people who have the info on this device but really don’t have ideas on how to capitalize on it. It is crucial for you to master a few handy directions to help you create beautiful waves with the triple curling iron.

The first step for you to get stunning waves is to comb your hair methodically so as to get rid of the tangles and snags. This is a simplistic approach to getting smooth waves and it does away with knots in the hair. While doing this, you need to turn on the 3 barrel waver so that it warms up before use. You will need to squirt some serum onto your hands and rub briskly on the palms to activate it for application onto the hair. You should then apply it to the hair by rubbing it properly making sure to stay away from the roots of the hair; this is important to ensure that the hair does not remain looking dirty and floppy. This also ensures that the oldest parts of the hair get the much needed heat protection.

Section your hair into small portions that are appropriate for the iron depending on how thick or thin your hair is. By clamping down on the fine section with the triple barrel curling iron, you will need to time between 3 and 5 seconds before unclamping. Moreover, you will have to repeat this until the lock of hair turns wavy. You can also bring out the classic braided look by leaving half an inch of the section unclamped. This action will have to be repeated for the whole head. Consequently, you will realize a more textured look since the waves normally vary slightly.

With the wavy hair, you will be assured of a natural look that brings out a gorgeous appearance and gives you the boldness to attend any gathering.  

How to Make a Standout Duct Tape Wallet

Duct tape can be a very useful tool for artistic hands as it can be used to make many handy items that will last for ages. One of the simplest and most worthy creations you can come up with is a duct tape wallet which can be done is as little as 30 minutes. The tape can be designed in various colors and characters although it comes in 2-inch standard rolls. For you to make a durable yet appealing wallet, you will also require; a ruler, cutting board, cards for sizing, scissors (utility knife) and a pencil.

Step #1: Shaping the Wallet

To begin, you will need to tear 4 strips of the tape each 9 inches long. Place them on a flat surface with the sticky side facing up and each of them having half an inch overlap to the neighboring strip. You need then to tear 4 more strips of the same length which you should stick to the sheet made by the first 4 strips. The sticking should be done at least half an inch lower than the first sheet. By doing so, you will be avoiding a thickened taped that is difficult to fold. To make it more appealing while sticking to a negligible budget, the outside of the wallet can be print while the inside is plain.

You will need to fold over, the overlapping edge at the top and bottom to come up with a final height of about 6 inches. After doing so, you have to make use of your ruler and utility knife to trim a straight edge on the left and right leaving an approximate width of 8.5 inches.

Step #2: Making Pockets

For a credit card pocket, you will need a pair of 5 inch strips laid over another similar pair and the top and bottom edges folded over as in the body of the wallet. The edges will need to be trimmed for a straight finish and will result in a 4 inch pocket eventually. Extra pockets can also be made by tearing two 9 inch strips of tape and sticking them back to back before adjoining them with a narrow strip at the bottom and top. You then have to attach the three pockets by laying each on top of the other by size and using a narrower strip of tape that overlaps on the sides. The sizes can be confirmed using actual cards so that there is enough pocket room.

Step #3: Assembling the Pieces

After placing the main fabric with the outer side of the wallet facing up, you will have to attach the pockets with a narrow 9 inch strip of tape. Afterwards, you may fold the wallet in half with the outer side remaining visible and narrow strips securing the folded lengths. To finish up, you will need another narrow strip for the bottom and may also add a clear piece for quick glancing of an ID or license.

By following these simple steps, you will have a neat and durable holder which will flatten out after some time and conveniently fit in your back pocket.