Author: Gugu Lourie

Mercedes-Benz today announced that it will be offering Dolby Atmos Music to a range of its top car models, providing the ultimate in-car audio experience to its customers and allowing listeners to connect with music to its fullest. The Dolby Atmos experience will be built into the optional Burmester high-end 4D and 3D sound system as well as integrated into the Mercedes-Maybach and shortly afterwards in the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, turning the Mercedes-Benz vehicles into state-of-the-art concert halls on wheels. Powered by a total of 31 loudspeakers and eight sound transducers, also known as exciters, which will also be mounted into…

Facebook changed its corporate name to Meta as part of its bet on the next digital frontier called the metaverse. The change came after the social network giant came under fire for spreading misinformation and other issues. On Thursday, CEO Mark Zuckerberg introduced Meta, which brings together our apps and technologies under one new company brand. Meta’s focus will be to bring the metaverse to life and help people connect, find communities and grow businesses. “As we embark on this next chapter, I’ve thought a lot about what this means for our company and our identity,” Zuckerberg said in the…

Pick n Pay ASAP!, formerly known as Bottles, is firing on all cylinders as shoppers see value in the grocery delivery mobile app. The retailers announced on Wednesday that comparable headline earnings per share (HEPS) swelled by 90.9% year-on-year, a resilient performance in a period marked by unprecedented civil disorder in South Africa and the resumption of government restrictions on alcohol sales in response to the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. HEPS is South Africa’s main profit gauge. Pick n Pay said it entered the financial year with positive trading momentum, and delivered a strong first-quarter result, with sales…

SA’s Telkom has recently partnered with Shop Lenovo to offer broadband solutions to customers of Lenovo. Through this partnership, Lenovo customers can now get laptops with varied Telkom Smart Broadband data packages. Telkom deals that are now bundled with selected Lenovo laptops are available through the Lenovo online store at www.shoplenovo.co.za on 24 months and 36 months contracts. These launch offers include a Mi-Fi router and for a limited period a wireless mouse, Microsoft Office 365 and a backpack. “We are thrilled to partner up with Lenovo to expand our customer reach and address their technology needs; it’s the perfect…

SEACOM, a fibre-led telecoms provider and owner of extensive ICT infrastructure across Africa, has announced a 100 Gbps upgrade for its IP network. This investment will allow Internet Service Providers (ISPs), CDN’s, Global and African Providers to leverage SEACOM’s network infrastructure to access the increased flexibility, scalability, and capacity that this upgrade will enable and will also benefit downstream connected business and Internet end-users in the region. SEACOM launched the first submarine cable system on the East Coast of Africa in July 2009, providing the continent with fast, reliable, and cost-effective fibre connectivity. In 2014, SEACOM pioneered 10 Gbps IP…

The Competition Commission has approved the acquisition of Fast+Furious by DPD Laser. The announcement is big news for an industry rapidly consolidating to cope with the demands of South African e-commerce due to the pandemic and its ongoing lockdowns. Most importantly, the acquisition is a key signal that, while South Africa may be struggling with record unemployment, some sectors are growing beyond expectations to satisfy the demands of new digitally-driven markets and South Africa’s awakening to the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The acquisition is expected to notably increase DPD Laser’s presence and influence in the express distribution market. DPD Laser’s majority…

South African FinTech start-up Peach Payments has recently set up an office in Mauritius in pursuit of its pan-African expansion strategy. This follows a foray into Kenya in 2018. The startup was set up in South Africa in 2012. Peach Payments is a payment gateway offering simple, seamless and secure online payment services that enable businesses to easily accept payments on their websites and mobile apps, integrating with leading e-commerce platforms like WooCommerce, Shopify, Wix and Magento. Last year, Peach Payments saw a 400% increase in customer acquisition and revenue growth of 130%. After securing investment last year from a…

There have been major shifts in the South African subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) market, especially among the larger players. During Q3 2021, Amazon Prime Video increased its market share by 3%, from 25% to 28%. Netflix and Mubi both decreased by 1% over the last quarter. This is according to the latest figures from JustWatch, an international streaming guide with more than 20 million users. Market share development in 2021 Justwatch added that it appears that Amazon Prime Video has come closer to closing the gap with Netflix. Since January 2021, Netflix’s market share has decreased by 3%, meanwhile, Amazon Prime…

To understand the new smart monitors and other pro devices of tech health, we should look to Silicon Valley and the quantified movement of the latest generation. Apple’s Watch records exercise, tracks our moves throughout the day, assesses the amount of time we are stood up and reminds us to get up and move around if we have been sat for too long – let’s not forget Tim Cook’s “sitting is the new factor” line. Routinely evaluating your risk factors for various medical conditions, screening for cancer and other diseases, and assessing your lifestyle habits helps you stay healthy. It’s…

To understand the new smart monitors and other pro devices of tech health, we should look to Silicon Valley and the quantified movement of the latest generation. Apple’s Watch records exercise, tracks our moves throughout the day, assesses the amount of time we are stood up and reminds us to get up and move around if we have been sat for too long – let’s not forget Tim Cook’s “sitting is the new factor” line. Routinely evaluating your risk factors for various medical conditions, screening for cancer and other diseases, and assessing your lifestyle habits helps you stay healthy. It’s…