Author: Gugu Lourie
Cricket South Africa (CSA) has apologised after several posts with sexual undertones appeared on its Facebook page. CSA’s Facebook page was hacked on Thursday night with several webpage links containing explicit adult content posted. CSA only regained control of its page on Wednesday morning after contacting Facebook’s offices for assistance. The apology reads: Good morning everyone.We would like to apologise for the inappropriate posts that came off this page during the course of last night and this morning. Our Facebook page was indeed hacked, but the issue has since been resolved and we have fortified our security measures to ensure…
Between your home network and the internet sits your broadband router. This humble device is often overlooked, yet it is also your first line of defence against hackers, malware and viruses. By Patryk Szewczyk and Nikolai Hampton It’s easy to assume that the latest firmware for your router will provide protection against cyber threats. However, our new research has found that even the latest broadband router firmware remains dangerously vulnerable to attack. Firmware is the operating system and software that controls all the features of your router, from the blinking lights and configuration options, to advanced network security features. Similar to any desktop…
There’s no doubt that 2015 will be seen as the year wearables went mainstream, the time that beacons became more widespread to truly enable the Internet of Things, and when a white-and-gold (or blue-and-black) dress sent the internet into a frenzy. By Warren Olivier, regional manager for Southern Africa at Veeam Software With analytics moving to the fore and an ever increasing number of businesses focused on delivering services across what Gartner calls The Device Mesh, “an expanding set of endpoints people use to access applications and information or interact with people, social communities, governments and businesses”, the pressure on today’s…
Not only is the introduction of mandatory protection of personal data a huge challenge for companies, but now organisations are being prompted to rethink how they approach the reuse, recycling or recovery of their eWaste. By Staff Writer Xperien suggests the new Protection of Personal Information (PoPI) Act will have serious consequences in the near future. The successful adoption of this Act will depend on a comprehensive understanding of the digital aspect of the new laws. Companies will be forced to change their processes to ensure that the personal information and data they collect is protected. The PoPI Act is…
Cell phone and device repair specialist iFix has created a new brand called i2, which is selling pre-loved iPhones online to the public. By Staff Writer iFix said their mission is to find good homes for pre-loved iPhones, the ones that aren’t ready to give up the ghost, but deserve a chance to start over. The repair specialist said it will take care of the trusty ones, the stashed-in-the-cupboard dusty ones and even the slightly busted ones. Pre-loved iPhone 5 cell phones are available in black and retails for R3, 499. A gently-used and reconditioned iPhone 5S will also…
Microsoft has launched its official online store in South Africa, enabling South African customers to purchase any product from the company’s ecosystem of devices through the local Microsoft online store, www.microsoftstore.co.za. The Microsoft online store boasts a broad assortment of original branded goods ranging from Lumia smartphones to Xbox consoles. In addition, the store features products from Microsoft’s partners to provide customers with even more choice whilst they are shopping for the perfect PC, tablet, game or smartphone to suit their needs and budget. “The explosion of social and mobile technology has ignited ‘the era of the smart shopper’…
Global smartphone shipments are losing steam but lower priced devices and the African market are likely to be an engine of growth, says an international research organisation. By Duncan Alfreds, NewsAgency The International Data Corporation (IDC) last week forecast that global smartphone growth will hit 9.8% in 2015 – the segment’s first ever single digit growth. The IDC attributed the slowdown to dampening demand in China, but the research organisation has argued that lower-priced smartphones are expected to drive growth in Africa and other parts of the globe. “The smartphone growth will come from the low-priced smartphones (under $150),” Joseph Hlongwane,…
Small to medium sized enterprises can learn a lot from big retailers who have leveraged big data to develop an art and science for packaging and displaying products on store shelves. This is more useful during the festive season when customers are spending more. By Ujuh Reporter This is expressed by Yudhvir Seetharam, Head of Analytics for FNB Business. He says big data is also being successfully used in the online space where convenience is driving sales. “As customers become more sophisticated, it is important for SMEs to start using platforms like big data to gain a competitive advantage. They…
Internet ride-sharing service Uber has added Port Elizabeth to its list of South African cities. Port Elizabeth joins South African cities Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and Pretoria in having the service. Port Elizabeth is also the ninth city in Africa where Uber has launched its offering. By Gareth van Zyl, NewsAgency The South African coastal city was chosen because of its 1.1 million population size and the company said it will at first ‘test’ its technology in the city using its UberX option. “The reason we say testing is obviously because we’re still in the process of creating the demand and the…
In the fifth edition of its annual trend report, Ericsson ConsumerLab presents the 10 hottest consumer trends for 2016 and beyond. This year’s report shows consumers believe artificial intelligence (AI) will soon enable interaction with objects without the need for a smartphone screen. In fact, half of all smartphone users expect smartphones to become things of the past within the next five years. By Staff Writer The report also shows that as the adoption of networked technologies moves faster than ever, mass-market use becomes the norm quicker. As a result, the time period when early adopters influence others is now…