Author: Gugu Lourie
MTN has poached Kholekile Ndamase from Rand Merchant Bank (RMB), where he led the equity based financing business, as its new deputy head of M&A as Africa’s biggest mobile phone operator plans to push harder in taking advantage of opportunities presented by a rapidly changing telecoms sector. By Gugu Lourie Ndamase will work with Steve van Coller, who has been appointed as a VP for strategy and M&A. While at RMB, Ndamase led the provision of financing solutions for diversified and non-diversified investment holding companies, including Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) transactions such as Aspen, Bidvest, FirstRand, MTN and Steinhoff. In…
As part of its latest effort to bring Internet connectivity to remote parts of the world, Facebook this week revealed OpenCellular, an open wireless network infrastructure, Forbes reported. By Staff Writer Forbes reported that the first design of the OpenCellular wireless access point is a shoebox-sized device that can support many mobile technologies, from slow 2G connections and super fast LTE to Wi-Fi. This device was designed to withstand harsh conditions like high winds and extreme temperatures and set-up on a pole, a tall tower or a trees. “With OpenCellular, we want to develop affordable new technology that can expand capacity and make…
The nervous system that commands and controls your body is beautifully constructed, but occasionally things go wrong. Defects in our DNA can cause lead to a range of disorders. Accidents, old age and even poor diet can equally cause havoc. Pharmaceutical therapy can sometimes help but not all conditions can be treated. And, in any case, such therapy is generally less effective with neurological disorders than other diseases. By Patrick Degenaar An alternative treatment that’s been practised for millennia involves electrically stimulating the nervous system. Some early Roman doctors used electric eels to provide shock treatment for pain relief. Almost 2000…
South African investment firm WDB Investment Holdings (WDB), owned and run by women for women, has acquired a 30% shareholding in ICT accelerators Seed Engine, which equips entrepreneurs with the skills they need to create, grow and build their businesses. By Staff Writer WDB is keen to increase its shareholding in the business to a controlling 51% in the future. “Our investment is likely to increase to 51% and as a women’s company, we have an appropriate bias towards empowering female entrepreneurs and being a meaningful active investor. The partnership serves both the business and social agenda of WDB.” Faith…
The ground-breaking hypercar; codenamed AM-RB 001 is a car engineered to be entirely useable and enjoyable as a road car, but with the capability to perform like no road car before it on a race track. By Staff Writer Aston Martin and Red Bull Racing have revealed their ground-breaking hypercar; codenamed AM-RB 001 in London. Designed to be the ultimate fusion of eye-popping beauty and brutal power, the AM-RB 001 is the brainchild of the legendary Adrian Newey, Marek Reichman, Aston Martin EVP and Chief Creative Officer and David King, VP and Chief Special Operations Officer and together they’ve come…
FNB estimates that it has 3.5 million active users in South Africa of its eWallet service. By Staff Writer In South Africa there are 5 million people that have used eWallet since its inception with 3.5 million considered active users, meaning that they have used this service in the last six months, FNB said in a statement on Wednesday. FNB added that eWallet has reached an impressive milestone with over R33 billion sent to users since the inception of the mobile money service and R1.2 billion sent every month to eWallets in South Africa. Of the R33 billion, R27,8 billion…
It sounds like a scene from “Jurassic World”: fast, agile predators pursue their slower, less nimble prey, as the latter flee for safer pastures. Yet this ecology framework turns out to be an apt analogy for today’s financial markets, in which ultra-fast traders vie for profits against less speedy counterparts. By Michael Wellman In fact, the algorithmic traders (known variously as algos, bots and AIs) proliferating in financial markets may well be viewed as an invasive species that has upended the prevailing order in their shared habitat. A 2013 article asserts that the financial world has become a “techno-social” system in…
British phone firm Tesco Mobile slams Twitter user in the most beautifully brutal way for throwing shade at it, Mashable reported. You must never criticise Tesco Mobile on Twitter. “Even if you don’t mention them directly in your tweet, they’ll see it. And they’ll come for you,” Mashable reported. Ask Joe Lee who on Sunday threw some shade at Tesco Mobile. Worst thing about me mother not answering her phone, is her voicemail reminding me that she’s on the absolute poverty Tesco Mobile. — Mr Joe Lee (@MisterJoeLee) July 2, 2016 Tesco responded on Twitter. @misterjoelee Nah the worst…
The opening of the solar-powered Learning Lab at Waverley Girls’ High will provide world-class technology and connectivity to hundreds of girls from underserviced communities in Alexandra and Hillbrow. By Staff Writer Part of Dell’s 2020 Legacy of Good Plan, Dell solar-powered Learning Labs provide direct technology access to more than 5,000 underprivileged students in communities where technology infrastructure is limited. This specific partnership at Waverley Girls’ High is just one of the projects Dell and Sci-Bono have collaborated on. Not only does this school struggle to compete and offer the same facilities as surrounding private schools, but it continues to…
Today, MTN in partnership with Kagiso Media’s Jacaranda FM and East Coast Radio unveiled a female recognition platform that acknowledges and celebrates the contribution made by female professionals to the growth of the information and communications technology (ICT) sector in South Africa. This pioneering initiative, which is the first of its kind in the ICT sector, will be known as Women in ICT – Partnership for Change Awards. The platform seeks to not only recognise the role that women are playing to the development of the ICT sector, but is also geared at attracting female professionals to the ICT sector…
With Carrier Grade Fibre connectivity now the de facto standard for Enterprise networks, customers of Fibre Optic can enjoy the ease-of-use benefits that come from the long familiarity with Carrier Grade Fibre connectivity needs. Fibre Optic is a Carrier-Class product in the sense that it comes standard with guarantees and ensures predictability in terms of the following: Low Jitter and Latency Speed Guaranteed Speed / Reliable with scalability Distance No Interference These rich features enable Service Providers to offer guarantees in terms of uptime, real-time applications such as voice/VOIP and Service Level Agreements (SLAs) that ultimately underpin a good customer…
It was a matter of time before someone mistook or misused the narcissistic selfie-stick for a traditional weapon. Disney World has banned the selfie-stick from its theme parks citing security concerns. By Ujuh Reporter Reports from the US say Disney World has passed a new policy, effective from the 1st of July 2015, preventing entry of selfie-sticks in its theme parks in Paris, Hong Kong and California (Disneyland Resort). Disney World spokeswoman, Kim Prunty, is quoted saying “We strive to provide a great experience for the entire family, and unfortunately selfie-sticks have become a growing safety concern for both our…
People have always dreamed about going beyond the limitations of their bodies: the pain, illness and, above all, death. Now a new movement is dressing up this ancient drive in new technological clothes. Referred to as transhumanism, it is the belief that science will provide a futuristic way for humans to evolve beyond their current physical forms and realise these dreams of transcendence. By Richard Jones Perhaps the most dramatic way transhumanists believe that technology will transform the human condition is the idea that someone’s mind could be converted into digital data and “uploaded” into an immensely powerful computer. This would…
Something as simple as picking up a cup of tea requires an awful lot of action from your body. Your arm muscles fire to move your arm towards the cup. Your finger muscles fire to open your hand then bend your fingers around the handle. Your shoulder muscles keep your arm from popping out of your shoulder and your core muscles make sure you don’t tip over because of the extra weight of the cup. All these muscles have to fire in a precise and coordinated manner, and yet your only conscious effort is the thought: “I know: tea!” By Dimitra…
MTN today announced it has appointed Stephen van Coller as vice president of strategy and mergers & acquisitions effective 1 October 2016. Van Coller is currently the CEO: Corporate and Investment Banking at Barclays Africa. MTN also announce the departure of Brett Goschen as chief financial officer and will be replaced by MTN Rwanda CEO Gunter Engling as an acting CFO. The mobile phone operator said Goschen will be leaving MTN effective 30 September 2016 to pursue other interests. “We thank Brett for his considerable contribution to the Group over a period of 14 years and wish him well in his new endeavours,” the company…
We live in an increasingly competitive world where we are always looking to gain an advantage over our rivals, sometimes even our own colleagues. In some cases, it can push people to extreme, unethical and illegitimate methods – something we’ve seen recently in the doping scandal that has hit the athletics world. By Barbara Sahakian In a recent review paper, we found that people are increasingly using performance-enhancing drugs for common tasks ranging from sitting examinations to giving presentations and conducting important negotiations. These “cognitive enhancers” – such as antidepressants, beta blockers (used to treat heart conditions or anxiety) or “smart…
MTN SA is streamlining and modernising its Midrand warehouse operations to improve efficiencies and customer service. This is part of a drive to focus on the core business while exploring adjacent growth opportunities. This business model change has resulted in discontinuation of some operational processes. As such, MTN SA has decided not to renew labour broker contracts when they expire on 31 July 2016. MTN SA has informed relevant labour brokers providing temporary resources. The number of affected temporary staff is sixty three. MTN SA CEO Mteto Nyati said this was not an easy decision to take. “The decision was…
The TriFan 600 vertical takeoff personal jet, made by XTI Aircraft Company (XTI), could revolutionise the way people travel, Business Insider reported. The TriFan 600, a six-seat airplane which combines the speed, range and comfort of a business jet has the ability to take off and land like a helicopter. It would become the first commercial high-speed, long-range vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) airplane. No traditional jet, helicopter or other aircraft can offer the same world of possibilities, because not one of them can provide true door-to-door travel with the speed, range or operational flexibility needed for true efficiency. That…
With billions of wireless devices shipped across the globe every year, it is safe to assume that most of us carry at least one wireless gadget with us much of the time. By Maxim Chernyshev The number of wearables to be shipped this year alone is expected to exceed 100 million. Interestingly, one-third of wearables next year will be rather inconspicuous, with smart contact lenses and connected jewellery also hitting the market. The growing demand for more traditional gadgets such as smartphones and tablets is also set to continue. The increasing popularity of wireless home automation products and smart appliances means…
When news breaks – whether the story of a disease outbreak, a terrorist attack or a natural disaster – people increasingly turn to the internet and social media. Individuals use Twitter and Facebook as primary sources for news and information. Social media platforms – including Reddit, Wikipedia and other emerging outlets such as Snapchat – are distinct from traditional broadcast and print media. But they’ve become powerful tools for communicating rapidly and without intermediary gatekeepers, like editors. By Jacob Groshek and Serena Bronda The problem is that social media is also a great way to spread misinformation, too. Millions of Americans shape…
The City of Tshwane has received international recognition last night winning the World Wi-Fi Day Award for Most Innovative City or Government Program to bridge the Digital Divide, in Liverpool, England. By Staff Writer An award in this category recognizes cities, governments and organizations that develop local and national plans to bridge the digital divide. Shortlisted projects must evidence the successful implementation of comprehensive Wi-Fi solutions which innovatively overcome the challenges and complexities associated with these large-scale deployments. The Tshwane Free Wi-Fi has brought 1.8 million citizens in the Capital City online in the biggest deployment of municipal Free Wi-Fi…
FlipSell, a new online classified firm based in Cape Town, on Thursday said its platform is scam free. By Staff Writer “There have been numerous reports on online classified scams, with little being done to improve the experience for general consumers,” says Anree Malherbe, Head of Operations at FlipSell. “We saw this as an opportunity, and designed FlipSell to protect unsuspecting consumers from being targeted by criminals.” Fraud, theft and personal security are some of the issues consumers contend with when buying or selling second-hand goods through online classifieds. In response to fraud and other challenges facing online classified services,…
“The Nissan Leaf is a lovely electric hatchback car that will help you to say goodbye to petrol or diesel, oil changes and emitting carbon dioxide. It’s a car that redefines the way you drive a vehicle.” The Nissan Leaf, which stands for Leading Environmentally-friendly Affordable Family car, was introduced three years ago in South Africa and remains an affordable electric car, especially when compared to the futuristic rival BMW i3. By Gugu Lourie The formulation of our positive impressions of the Nissan Leaf 2016 model began the moment the electric car was delivered. Earlier the delivering driver called…
We are really slaves to our smartphones – we tap at our screens every four minutes as we suffer from FOMO (fear of missing out) – and we rely on them to in most of our life situations. We use them to navigate, telephone friends, enjoy music and much more else – the skills of modern smartphones are multiple. By Staff Writer However, as the smartphone continues to advance it has not been made part of a motorcycle or scotters. But BMW Motorrand is changing this. It has designed a smartphone cradle being able to fasten smartphones up to a size of…
For years everyone has been told that they should run antivirus software on their computer for the best possible protection against the ever growing tide of viruses, trojans and general malware on the Internet. By David Glance Now it seems, another security expert is adding his voice to the growing concern that using antivirus software may actually make your security worse, not better. Tavis Ormandy and the Project Zero team at Google has discovered a slew of vulnerabilities with antivirus software from Symantec and Norton. The most particularly worrying vulnerability allows anyone to trigger it by simply emailing a link or…