Author: Gugu Lourie
Apple has reported its first decline in revenues and income for the past 13 years. The market and media has reacted predictably with an 8% fall in Apple’s stock price. From an investor’s perspective, the decline in sales of the iPhone is a signal of worse things to come and in particular the end to Apple’s ability to continually grow. By David Glance As others have pointed out, despite the fall in sales, Apple still made $10 billion of profit in the quarter and sold 51.2 million iPhones. The US stock market, in combination with venture capitalists, have become obsessed with…
The legal victory of Nkosana Makate at the Constitutional Court against telecoms giant Vodacom, in the Please Call Me case, has been widely celebrated as reflecting the strength of South Africa’s justice system. By Sibonelo Radebe, Founder of ProBonoMatters But we at ProBonoMatters continue to mourn under the shadow of the Please-Call-Me jubilation. This is to dilute intoxication in a small victory. Yes it was a classic David versus Goliath case that has galvanised popular and populist support rhythms. A young, black and bright man in the employ of Vodacom, invents the Please-Call-Me concept. The concept, allowing a moneyless mobile phone subscriber…
Virtual reality (VR) has arrived. It has already been described as “revolutionary” and the “next big thing” in technology. By Gonzalo N Villanueva Its applications extend beyond entertainment and games to include education, art and a range of other innovative uses. But VR also has the potential to promote social change. From words to pictures There is a reason we say “a picture is worth a thousand words”. Images can communicate complex ideas and provoke emotions more effectively than descriptions. For example, take Aduc Barec’s story: she was compelled to leave Sudan in the early 1990s because of the civil war.…
FNB Connect has registered more than 200 000 active customers since its launch in June 2015 and has recently been awarded the Most Innovative MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator) at the 15th Annual World MVNO Congress 2016, held in Amsterdam this month. This award adds to the 3 internationally recognized awards received since. FNB Connect received recognition for being the “Most Innovative MVNO” in the Telecoms.com Awards in November last year, and scooped 2 further awards at the AfricaCom Awards shortly after this. “We are very pleased at the recognition FNB Connect is receiving around the world as this proves that…
As part its efforts to become the most intelligent bank Barclays Africa, a subsidiary Absa, announced on Tuesday that it would pilot a chatbot that relies on artificial intelligence to simulate intelligent conversation through written or spoken text with customers online. The pilot will be implemented within the coming few weeks, making it the first bank to do so in Africa. “At Absa, we are constantly seeking new ways to be more relevant to our customers. By aligning our user-centric and big data expertise we are able to connect with our customers through channels that they are actively using,” said Yasaman…
Solving the puzzle below will make you eligible for consideration for four internships on offer at leading software development house SMSPortal. That is if you are also one of the select group of third year university Computer Science students in South Africa. During June and July 2016, four 3rd year computer science students (or recent graduates) will have the opportunity to work at SMSPortal’s Cape Town offices. James Pearce, SMSPortal IT Director, says the company specialises in multithreaded, highly-scalable services. If you’re potentially the right person for this rockstar opportunity, you’ll know what that means. “The internship positions on offer could…
MTN SA has appointed Ideshini Isabella Naidoo as the new Chief Customer Experience Officer, effective from 01 May 2016. Naidoo is a seasoned professional with extensive experience in information systems and total quality management. She has a proven track record in the banking sector. Naidoo has a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Mathematical Statistics and a BSc Honours in Computer Science from the University of Natal. She also has a Masters degree in Strategic Information Technology Management from the University of Derby in the United Kingdom. Before she was appointed to this new role at MTN SA, Naidoo…
MTN, Africa’s biggest mobile phone operator, disclosed on Monday how much it paid to buy Visafone, Nigeria’s wireless network provider. By Gugu Lourie Africa’s largest telecoms group said on its 2015 integrated annual report that it paid R3.4 billion to buy Visafone. In 31 December 2015, MTN bought 100% of Visafone. Visafone, which was incorporated in Nigeria on June 20, 2007 following the acquisition of Cellcom received its Unified Access Service Licence as a telecom operator from the NCC on August 1, 2007 positioned it to offer mobile, fixed and any other telecommunications service to its subscribers. The deal enables…
Pick n Pay is planning to invest into a dedicated picking warehouse in Gauteng as it looks to cash in on the surge in popularity of internet grocery shopping by customers in the country’s richest province. By Gugu Lourie Turnover growth from Pick n Pay Online quickened to 38% over the year, with a stronger range and a substantial improvement in product availability, according to the company’s 2016 financial figures published on Tuesday. The firm said its refurbished hypermarket stores are delivering stronger sales from less space, and are finding innovative alternative uses for freed-up space, including through rentals to…
We now have dozens of smart devices in our houses and even on our bodies. They improve our lives in so many ways – from lowering energy consumption in our homes to egging us on to be active. By H V Jagadish But these smart devices respond to whatever commands they are given: we’ve had security experts demonstrate how cars can be hijacked remotely and medical devices in your body can be hacked and turned into lethal weapons. These risks are now well-recognized by technology developers, and there is a great deal of excellent work going on toward how to avoid…