June 2013
15
GREEN INITIATIVES
For your eyes only, a phone that doesn’t need your fingers
Every Kenyan has a love affair with their
mobile phone. Maybe. The exponential
growth in the number of mobile phone
subscribers in Kenya is testimony to just
how important this gadget has become in
our lives. Our international correspondent
thinks that whilst we bring you the latest
news from the paint front, it would do no
harm to keep you abreast with the fast-
changing world of technology.
Now, the latest from the tech world is that
Samsung has opened a new battlefront
in innovation with the unveiling of a new
phone that comes with some truly stunning
features.
The giant Korean consumer electronics
manufacturer has just launched a phone
that allows users to scroll up and down the
screen using their eyes. No more messy
fingerprints and smudges on the screen.
The new Galaxy S4 comes with never-
before-seen features including ‘Smart
Scroll’ that allows users to scroll up and
down without touching the screen. One
only needs to have their eyes looking at the
screen to go through stuff on their phone.
Users also control some other applications
by making gestures in the air above the
phone’s screen.
So revolutionary is the new technology that
if a video is playing and one faces away from
the phone, the video stops. Wow!
“This sleek and innovative smartphone
makes every moment of life very
meaningful; it understands the value of
relationships, enabling true connections
with friends and family. It believes in the
importance of effortless experience,
making your life easy and hassle-free; and,
it empowers your life, taking care of your
well-being,” said Samsung in a statement.
This recent development comes at a time
when Samsung is upping its game against
key rivals like Apple which makes the iconic
iPhone. The two firms have been locked
in protracted patent battles running into
billions of dollars. Samsung and Apple have
accused each other of infringing patents
belonging to the other.
Ayes have it
Building a green culture
step by step
Green has become a buzzword nowadays
for governments, companies and even
communities. Indeed, ‘reducing one’s
carbon footprint’ has become almost cliché.
But how many organizations actually
implement tangible programs to minimize
the harmful impact of their activities on the
environment?
Walking the talk on embracing
environmentally-friendly business practices
by putting in place concrete programs to
achieve that objective is not easy.
But Crown Paints has not shirked from
implementing best practices to conserve
the environment.
Among the measures the company has
undertaken in this regard include:
• Launching only water-based products
• Installing a plant that recycles oil
• Built drainage works to ensure no
effluent from our factory gets into the
Nairobi River
Now Crown Paints is planning something
bigger. The company will soon launch an
exciting one-million-tree campaign as part
of its quest to reduce our carbon footprint.
For every can of paint the company sells,
it will plant one seedling.
According to Crown Paints Chief Marketing
Officer, John Hadley, the initiative is aimed
at getting staff and customers to plant
more trees to protect our planet.
He added that the company was committed
to protecting the environment and hence
the decision to introduce only water-based
paints.
“This initiative is inspired by the idea that we
need to actively engage key stakeholders
including customers and employees for
our efforts to protect the environment to
bear fruit. To reinforce the measures that
we have already undertaken, we felt that
planting trees would have a positive impact
on the environment. As we all know, trees
are life,” says Hadley.
