Author: Contributor

by Jennifer Grygiel Facebook has announced a plan to launch a new cryptocurrency named the Libra, adding another layer to its efforts to dominate global communications and business. Backed by huge finance and technology companies including Visa, Spotify, eBay, PayPal and Uber – plus a ready-made user base of 2 billion people around the world – Facebook is positioned to pressure countries and central banks to cooperate with its reinvention of the global financial system. In my view as a social media researcher and educator, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is clearly seeking to give his company even more political power…

by Ian Lessem South African businesses funded by Venture Capital (VC) are competing on the world’s stage, billing in US dollars and earning investors market leading returns, while simultaneously granting access to offshore exposure. The question is: Can they offer investors global returns? As a managing partner of a Venture Capital firm, much of my day is spent assessing local early-stage investment opportunities and I regularly find myself excited about the prospects of the South African and African market. With much focus on technology-based investments, a common question is, ‘How can a Cape Town start-up compete with a start-up in…

By Mish Molakeng Mohau Kwebu had many challenges growing up, including having a mother with a mental disability and an absent father, but he was determined to realise his dream of becoming a visual arts storyteller. Raised by his grandmother in the small town of Villiers in the Free State, he was focused on ensuring a bright future for himself. After completing Grade 12, Mohau heard about the free learning opportunities offered by National Electronic Media of South Africa (Nemisa). He applied for a 12-month video editing course. “As they say: ‘the rest is history’,” said Kwebu, who sees himself…

Communications Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams has welcomed the first meeting of the (4IR) as a step towards achieving its objectives. The Commission held its first work session at the University of Johannesburg to develop a high-level roadmap towards achieving its set objectives and to establish and assign technical work streams. The meeting was held on Saturday. “The Commission has committed to produce the strategy document to guide South Africa’s 4IR Vision by March 2020. This will be preceded by a broad consultative process with relevant stakeholders,” said the Department of Communications on Wednesday. The commissioners further established and assigned the work…

by Nicholas Diakopoulos Much as robots have transformed entire swaths of the manufacturing economy, artificial intelligence and automation are now changing information work, letting humans offload cognitive labor to computers. In journalism, for instance, data mining systems alert reporters to potential news stories, while newsbots offer new ways for audiences to explore information. Automated writing systems generate financial, sports and elections coverage. A common question as these intelligent technologies infiltrate various industries is how work and labor will be affected. In this case, who – or what – will do journalism in this AI-enhanced and automated world, and how will…

by Sarah Oswald Intrigued by homesharing but wondering how to find a housemate you can trust, get along with and perhaps even become friends? The truth is, as with any relationship, the definition of a good housemate is entirely subjective and very personal. That means the number one thing to look for in a housemate is alignment. Whatever your personal preferences and perspective, look for someone who is aligned with most or all of them—especially with those that are most important to you. Start by asking yourself some straightforward questions and really mull over which issues are must-haves, which ones are…

by Seshree Govender Cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin and Ethereum, have become well known for their volatile value. In contrast to this, “stablecoins” are cryptocurrencies that have been specifically designed to have a stable value. Stablecoins are crypto assets which are backed by the value of a ‘stable’ asset, or a basket of assets. As the value of the backing asset will not necessarily be subject to the same fluctuating circumstances applicable to the value of cryptocurrencies, pegging a stablecoin to an asset can stabilise the value and inherent purchasing power of the stablecoin cryptocurrency so that it may be used…

by Jenny Retief As with many countries, South Africa is seriously considering including coding into the national curriculum. In fact, earlier this year Cyril Ramaphosa made it very clear that inclusion will be an objective he intends to see come to fruition during his presidency. This is commendable – but is it realistic? The truth is that including coding alone will not prepare our children to face the coming technology tsunami known as the fourth industrial revolution and, as things stand today, there is no disputing the fact that we are producing school-leavers who are ill-equipped to operate effectively in…

by Paul Royster Many MySpace users were dismayed to discover earlier this year that the social media platform lost 50 million files uploaded between 2003 and 2015. The failure of MySpace to care for and preserve its users’ content should serve as a reminder that relying on free third-party services can be risky. MySpace has probably preserved the users’ data; it just lost their content. The data was valuable to MySpace; the users’ content less so. What happened to MySpace MySpace is a social networking media site where performers could upload music or other content for access and distribution to…

A new trading platform for cryptographic assets will be launched in the coming weeks. Geco.one is aiming to be one of the complete platforms for digital trading. The competition is stiff, a technological sector that increases the benchmark continuously presenting advances every short space of time. Therefore, the trading platform presented by Geco One requires a special touch and first-rate features. A next-generation options menu will make it possible to trade inside PAMM services, futures trading, leverage, and both long and short positions from a single platform; offering control, simplicity, and diversity to the user. In more detail, we can…