Author: Gugu Lourie

by Staff Writer After thirty-two years since the first world domain name .com was launched, Africa still has no domain name. But finally, Africa has a chance to introduce in four months’ time its own domain name — dotAfrica (.africa), a generic Top Level Domain (gLTD). The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names & Numbers (ICANN) has approved the launch plan and dates for dotAfrica, Lucky Masilela, the CEO of dotAfrica gTLD (generic Top Level Domain) administrator ZACR (ZA Central Registry), announced on Tuesday. ICANN is the US non-profit tasked with maintaining the efficient functioning of the worldwide web. From…

by Antonis Michalas A battle between national security and privacy is brewing. Governments and secret services are asking encrypted messaging services such as WhatsApp to allow them access to users’ data. Most recently, in the wake of the March attack at Westminster, Amber Rudd, the UK home secretary, said it was unacceptable that the government couldn’t read the encrypted messages of suspected terrorists. The main argument behind this request is that access to messages will allow authorities to thwart future terror attacks. On the other hand, there are many ordinary people who use messaging apps for daily communication and this request…

by Staff Writer After 2016 financial year that could be described as a financial and PR disaster due to the recalling of millions of Galaxy Note 7, Samsung is trying to pick up the pieces against its main rival Apple to build a best, premium smartphone. The Galaxy Note 7 was recalled after the batteries on the phones catches fire and exploded. The phones were also banned by various airlines. The South Korean-based smartphone giant is seeking to regain lost ground and on Wednesday is set to reveal its new and much awaited Galaxy S8. “This is a phone. Silence…

By Gugu Lourie Electric vehicle enthusiasts and owners in South Africa will be thrilled to hear that Nissan is testing a solution to use its electric car, the Leaf, to provide power for household needs. South Africa does not have a reliable electricity supply to households and business owners. In 2008, the country’s power utility Eskom unintentionally started rolling blackouts that plunged the country into darkness. The economy stumbled, and households and business owners were forced to invest into alternatives source of energy such as solar systems and generators. In 2015, Eskom suffered its worst power outage and sometimes they…

by Staff Writer  South Africa’s classroom of the future may adopt new methods to learning such as gamification that will help teachers challenge, inspire and engage their students. The classroom of the future aims to bring about widespread digital transformation in schools, harnessing technology that fosters collaboration and the sharing of ideas to provide children and young people with the relevant skills they will need in an ever-changing world. Microsoft South Africa in partnership with the Cape Town Science Centre has unveiled the Microsoft Classroom of the Future, an exhibition that showcases the latest educational tools available to teachers today.…

by David Glance Estonia is a small country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe with a population of 1.3 million and a GDP of US $23 billion, roughly 10% of Apple’s annual earnings. Since its independence from Russia in 1991, Estonia has been rapidly implementing a digital economy. It established online voting in 2007, has provided many government services online, has medical records and prescriptions online and has a fibre broadband network that gives it average speeds similar to those of Korea. Perhaps the most radical move by the Estonian Government was to introduce an e-Residency program in 2014 which…

by Gugu Lourie This week we selected three cool tech gadgets, if we can afford them will be wearing and driving them.  We believe these gadgets are awesome. Samsung’s Latest Gear S3 Concept Samsung Electronics is showcasing its concept smartwatches at the  mecca of watch enthusiasts at Baselworld 2017. Inspired by the art of watchmaking, the Gear S3 combines the meticulous details and premium design elements found on a traditional watch with the smart technology innovations demanded in a smartwatch. The user benefits match the quality design – from water resistance and military-level durability, to a built-in speaker for calls,…

by Brett Parker, MD at SAP Africa at SAP You may have heard about the sword of Damocles, hanging above its target by a single hair. It’s a metaphor often used to describe impending doom, yet this is not the actual meaning. The story goes that a servant was taken by all of a king’s wealth and wanted to partake in that luxury. The king offered the servant supper on his throne, but with a sword hanging above him held by a single strand. Afterwards he asked the servant if he enjoyed the meal, but the servant was too worried…

by Staff Writer The new era has begun. That is the key message of the new BMW film released today. For the first time, the film “A NEW ERA” shows all four BMW Group Vision Vehicles side by side. One year after the company’s centenary, the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles is revisiting its “THE NEXT 100 YEARS” campaign. “A NEW ERA” is the second film that showcases the BMW Group at a corporate level with its strong brands, BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad. Showing the four Vision Vehicles together for the first time, the online…

by Janette Stewart, principal at Analsys Mason “The fast pace of NB-IoT standardisation during 2016 suggests there is demand for its commercial deployment.” Standardisation of “narrowband IoT” (NB-IoT) occurred rapidly during 2016, and major mobile operators such as Deutsche Telekom and Vodafone are planning wide-scale roll-out. This article discusses the spectrum options for NB-IoT and their commercial implications. Noting that there are three options for deployment – namely in-band deployment alongside LTE traffic, ‘guard-band’ deployment at the edges of existing LTE carriers, and use of separately assigned spectrum – the article discusses the trade-offs involved and the factors determining the…