Microsoft Edge Ready To Replace Internet Explorer

Out with the old, and in with the new: the new browser from Microsoft that will make its debut in Windows 10 is to be called Microsoft Edge.

That’s the word out of the Build conference keynote address that took place last night, straight from the mouth of Microsoft’s Joe Belfiore. Naturally, Twitter immediately exploded with sniggers and references to U2’s guitarist, but the more mature among us shut up and listened.

Three months ago, the browser was announced as Project Spartan, and it had two stated goals: to be the default browser in Windows, and to replace Internet Explorer.

But Microsoft clearly has loftier ambitions than just those: during the announcement Joe Belfiore showed how the browser is able to use browser extensions for Chrome and Firefox.

He even showed how it’s possible to port over existing extensions quickly and easily, as doing so requires only minor modifications to each extension’s code. That should please a lot of developers, and encourage more to bring their work over to the new browser.

For people who make extensive use of those other browsers, this should come as rather intriguing news. It means you can still use your favourite extensions in Edge, but with added Edge functionality and the new browser’s slick, minimalistic interface.

The reason it’s called Edge is because it uses a brand new rendering engine called EdgeHTML, which Wikipedia describes as “…a proprietary layout engine developed by Microsoft for its Edge web browser. It is a fork of Trident designed for improved support of web standards”. Supporting the newest web standards has not been Internet Explorer’s strong suit, making this a rather significant development.

Edge’s other big features include distraction-free browsing, extensive Cortana integration (Cortana is Microsoft’s built-in helper, sort of like their Siri), a new tab interface, the ability to write on and share any web page and quite a bit more.

The browser will make its official debut as Edge and not Project Spartan in the latest build of the Windows 10 technical preview, build 10105.

Samsung South Africa Launches Smart Camera

Samsung Electronics South Africa has launched the new DV180F SMART Camera, that features front LCD capabilities.

The portable and stylish features of the camera, along with its classic design and modern touch, make it the “go-to” device for family and self-portraits.

“The Samsung DV180F is the perfect companion for consumers who want an entry-level camera equipped with up-to-the-minute functionality and the latest technology. With a powerful 16 megapixel lens, our newest SMART camera captures those treasured moments with outstanding detail,” said Michael Gibson, Digital Imaging Part Leader at Samsung Electronics South Africa.

“This fantastic device also comes with digital image stabilisation, which helps in taking precise shots, even when you’re on-the-move.”

Boasting a front LCD Camera, the Samsung DV180F SMART camera lines up the best shot and allows everyone to be part of the image. The best snaps can then be shared on social networks whenever a Wi-Fi connection is available. The range of Smart Filters on the camera inspires users to produce entertaining images and creative edits; plenty of fun can be had by all, with filters such as Cartoon – which makes any photo look like an animated film scene.

Consumers don’t have to worry about running out of memory, even on-the-go; with Cloud, photos can be wirelessly uploaded to cloud services so that images can then be viewed anytime on a smartphone or tablet, or downloaded to a PC later.

“At Samsung, we always strive to offer our customers the next level in smart technology,” continues Gibson. “The DV180F does just that – with its wireless sharing capabilities it is great for people who want to update their friends instantly.”

Additional Features include:

Smart Auto (Still & Movie) instantly analyses key elements of your composition then automatically adjusts to capture the best shot with a multitude of different photo modes and movie modes.
Live Panorama allows users to capture every detail of skylines and mountain ranges to create astounding 180º panoramic images. Images can be previewed on the LCD before it is even snapped.
Samsung SMART Camera App features Remote Viewfinder, AutoShare, and MobileLink without having to download each app individually. Consumers can open all three apps at once, with the touch of a finger.
Software Upgrade Notifier provides a notification window on the camera’s screen to tell users when an update is available. Connect the camera to your PC for the upgrade, and start using the latest features without delay.

The Most Important Quality For Leaders

It is an old refrain, but the rate of change in the business environment continues at a speed that makes it difficult for most leaders to keep up.

And those who are not perceptive or agile enough to do so will suffer, says the leading academic at the UCT Graduate School of Business (GSB).

Dr Tim London, whose field of specialty is leadership, says that the greatest advantage for a business leader today is the gift of “setting the curve”: “the ability to develop new insights into not only what people are doing now, but also what may be coming down the line in the future”.

“We don’t know what the markets of tomorrow will look like, but we do know they will be different in some way,” he says. “This remains the biggest challenge for successful leaders: running their businesses in the best way possible now, while being prepared to change to meet the needs of tomorrow.”

This trend has been some time coming, and is increasing exponentially now, London believes.

Martin Reeves and Mike Deimler identified the pattern a few years back in Harvard Business Review, in a feature titled Adaptability: The New Competitive Advantage, in which they noted increasing difficulties facing CEOs from the 1980s onwards.

“We live in an era of risk and instability,” they wrote. “Globalisation, new technologies, and greater transparency have combined to upend the business environment and give many CEOs a deep sense of unease.”

Market leadership is even more precarious, they reported. “The percentage of companies falling out of the top three rankings in their industry increased from 2% in 1960 to 14% in 2008. What’s more, market leadership is proving to be an increasingly dubious prize: The once-strong correlation between profitability and industry share is now almost non-existent in some sectors.

“According to our calculation, the probability that the market share leader is also the profitability leader declined from 34% in 1950 to just 7% in 2007… it has become virtually impossible for some executives even to clearly identify in what industry and with which companies they’re competing.”

The best defence against these challenges is an agile and adaptive response, London believes.

“The best leaders are able to be proactive in these scenarios: setting the standards, identifying new markets and developing innovative products and services,” he says. “There is, of course, the need to be reactive at times too, particularly in light of increasing global competition.”

London is not alone in this thinking. Travis Bradberry, author of the book Emotional Intelligence 2.0, writes on Forbes.com: “Adaptive leadership skills are what set great leaders apart: these skills represent the otherwise intangible qualities that great leaders have in common.

“Adaptive leadership is a unique combination of skills, perspective, and guided effort that enable true excellence. Adaptive leadership skills can take a leader at any level, to places others cannot go.”

Interestingly, adaptive leadership skills are the single advantage that leaders overestimate in themselves the most.

“We had leaders from a large cross-section of industries rate themselves in 22 core and adaptive leadership skills,” Bradberry explains.

“We had the leaders’ peers, boss(es), and direct reports answer the same questions about them, and compared the scores.” In all adaptive leadership skills, leaders overestimated their capabilities.

This is bad news for businesses looking to increase their adaptability in an era of rapid change. So what is to be done?

Leaders can certainly attempt to educate themselves or gain more insight into their leadership style, believes London, who teaches the Executive Development Programme at the GSB, which is aimed at senior executives.

“The best courses are those that bring together brilliant lecturers and facilitators with the highest calibre of students,” he says. “The course allows successful leaders to challenge their thinking in an engaging environment, sharing ideas among their colleagues, and being exposed to cutting-edge thinking and practices.”

SOURCE: UCT Business School.

UCT Engineering Faculty Appoints First Female Dean

University of Cape Town (UCT) Professor Alison Lewis is now the first female Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment (EBE).

According to the University’s Pat Lucas, Lewis had previously served as a senior lecturer, head of the Department of Chemical Engineering, and a Professor of Chemical Engineering.

Vice-Chancellor Dr Max Price spoke of Lewis’ ability to tackle inequality and open doors for black South Africans.

“She championed transformation initiatives by establishing four new academic posts in the department of Chemical Engineering, three of which have been filled by black South Africans,” he said.

Lewis is expected to begin her tenure on 1 June.

Facebook Launches Free Video Calling Service

The gloves are off, as Facebook has set its sights firmly on Skype and Google Hangouts with the launch of free video calling for Facebook Messenger.

Messenger already offers people the ability to make voice calls to friends and loved ones around the world. The video calling works over LTE and WiFi, and is available now on iOS and Android.

“Today, we’re introducing video calling in Messenger. Now you can have face-to-face conversations with your friends and the people you care about, via Messenger,” Facebook said in a blog post on Monday.

There’s no word yet as to whether the feature will be coming to Facebook’s BlackBerry and Windows Phone apps.

-Source: theinquirer.net

Vodacom Inspires Townships With Mobile Data Solution

The rise of low-cost smartphones in South Africa is creating a new market of opportunity for local mobile operators and Vodacom is chomping at the bit to capitalise on it.

According to a City Press report, Vodacom is in the process of testing shipping-container base stations as a means to meet a growing demand for mobile data in Gauteng townships – almost double that of the national rate.

The number of smartphones and tablets in use on the network increased by 24% to 9,5 million last year, with the average person using 358MB of data per month.

“We’re seeing data volumes in Gauteng’s townships almost doubling year-on-year, which is well ahead of the average growth rate countrywide,” Vodacom’s Chief Technology Officer Andries Delport told the newspaper.

Capitalising on the high demand, he says, has in the past proved challenging because of security concerns.

“Identifying and building new sites to cater for these densely populated areas has been difficult and on top of that, site security can be an issue,” he says.

So, to overcome the challenges Vodacom engineers went back to the proverbial drawing board to develop a suitable time and cost effective approach for a structure.

“They repackaged the base station equipment inside a compact steel structure that is then bolted to the roof of existing shipping container shops. This means new sites can be rolled out quite literally within weeks as opposed to the typical 12- to 18-month lead time to build new base stations,” he said.

The container base stations cost significantly less to build than traditional stations, don’t take up as much space and are also more energy-efficient.

Delport says Vodacom will pilot five sites around Gauteng, with the first station to be tested in Alexandra.

The test sites will provide mobile coverage over a 1,5km radius and will be able to service around 5 000 subscribers during peak times.

Small business owners running a business from containers, he says, will also benefit from the innovation.

“With a base station located on their roof, we’ll support the shop with an additional source of income and they in turn provide us with added site security,” he says.

Source: City Press

Thoughts From Female Leader In The Tech Industry

- Move

The burning question that any female in tech is being asked at the moment is “How have you managed to cope as a female in tech? “After 17 challenging years in the technology industry, I am usually on the receiving end of this question about 20 times a year. However, recently the frequency of this question has shot up to about 20 times a month.



I made the choice to be in technology at a very early age, long before “geeks” were seen as cool. I was drawn to the tech space from the first moment I watched a turtle drawing squares on TV (anyone remember Logo?). This interest, combined with my natural grasp of maths and science and encouragement from my teachers and father, meant that the technology space was a natural fit for me.



I soon discovered that this field was constantly evolving and to be in it, you have to be willing to roll with the changes. Gender stereotypes were never an issue for me while pursuing my studying and my peers saw me as an equal, who spent most of her free time in the computer labs programming or playing LAN games.  My hard work and accomplishments throughout my studies was recognized when Standard Bank selected me as one of a top 20 group of students to complete a national internship programme, where I represented the IT sector.



My top three goals when I finished studying were achieving success in my career, travelling and living abroad, having children under the age of 30. All of which, I am proud to say, I achieved.  As the technology field is so diverse, I focused on the programming side, wanting to understand how code was put together and using my analytic skills to tie in the “why” by linking the business and human aspects of things. I had a gut feeling that this would benefit me later on in life and I was right.



At every different job, I made sure that I was aligned with a great mentor, all of whom were males in senior management, with most being chief technology officers. I was fortunate to find mentors that genuinely supported my career path and wanted me to do well. Yes, I was always the minority gender and this become noticeably obvious especially in the UK where I lived for eight years and was often the only female software engineer in the companies/projects that I worked on. Some of the remarks made by the developers could be viewed as derogatory to females but I took it with a pinch of salt and my male colleagues respected me enough to know when to draw the line. Let’s face it; at the end of the day, boys will be boys.



When I had my first child and returned to work after maternity leave, I found that the challenge of working as a woman in the tech industry had taken on a different form. The time I used to dedicate to work just could not be the same as I had a new baby. Juggling the challenge of being in a foreign country with a newborn and no family support was considerably tricky and I often had to take time off work to tend to a sick baby.



A question I am often asked is: why did you not take up the option of having your husband become a stay-at-home dad? Truth be told, I didn’t want him to. As a first-time mother, maternity leave was a special time during which I formed a life-changing, irreplaceable bond with my child. During this time, mothers also learn about endurance and we have an opportunity to build up our strength and resilience. Our ability to manage our life, family, household also takes the role of project management to a whole new level. I also learnt that if I wanted to return to the work world, I needed to find a way to integrate both of my worlds, as a mother and career woman who loved what she did to create one ‘seamless’ world for me where I could excel in both aspects of my life.



The hard-truth is after you have nursed and looked after a new-born baby, re-entering the workplace (irrespective of the sector), will never be the same. Instead of being overwhelmed by it, I simply had to accept that things would be different and then applied my mind with a willingness to embrace solutions around making both my family and work responsibilities work. No one ever said that this would be easy, but with the right mindset and support structure, anything is possible. This can-do, positive attitude later stood me in good stead as I moved into key management roles.

State Awards TEMIC To Manufacture Poynting's DigiAnt

Tshwane East Manufacturing Incubation Centre (TEMIC) is one of the companies that has been awarded the "Supply and Delivery of Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) Outdoor Antenna and related accessories" USAASA tender.

Launched in 2014, TEMIC was established through a joint venture undertaking between Poynting Antennas (Pty) Ltd (Poynting) and Lawrence Global Manufacturing primarily for the local production of the DigiAnt digital television antenna.

Being a leading antenna manufacturer that designs, manufactures and sells cellular antenna products and related equipment mainly to the telecommunications and broadcasting industries, Poynting CTO, Dr Derek Nitch is the mastermind who designed this novel antenna and it has been patented worldwide.

"We are excited that the DigiAnt is part of the digital migration," says Poynting SkunkWorks Unit Manager and TEMIC CEO, Eduard Walker: "DigiAnt is the first new type of television antenna invented in roughly fifty years and offers unsurpassed performance. It can be collapsed using swivels to allow for a packaging size of around ten times less than equivalent antennas. Most of the antenna consist of precast aluminium parts making mass production repeatable and easy while allowing full local production by TEMIC"

The production of the DigiAnt marks a milestone in South Africa's progress towards digital migration and it brings great opportunity for social and economic development in the Tshwane East area.

Through the enterprise development programme of TEMIC, SMMEs will be incubated to partake meaningfully in the business and manufacturing opportunities emanating from the massive Broadcasting Digital Migration to be implemented in South Africa as well as other African countries. The Incubation Centre will also promote the development of small businesses involved in the production of high pressure aluminium die casting and steel fabrication products.

Dr André Fourie, CEO of Poynting says that TEMIC is passionate about moving digitalization forward in Africa: "We are proud that a South African designed antenna will form part of providing low income citizens with access to educational content, information and entertainment.  By being part of the digital migration TEMIC will make a long term difference to all South Africans via access to digital TV content, but also by TEMIC establishing new high tech manufacturing capacity and building new companies in our industry via its business incubation activities."

Being Savvy With Your Dishwasher: Samsung

In a busy modern world, consumers require home appliances that offer seamless solutions. The modern dishwasher is just one example of a product that has evolved to meet this changing need.

“Investing in the right appliance ensures that you are able to save both time on the task at hand, as well as conserve water usage,” says Michael McKechnie, Divisional Head for Digital Appliances at Samsung SA. “There are a myriad of options available to consumers, so it is important to consider the latest technology and features that will assist in making the cleaning process as enjoyable and convenient as possible.”

For example, the Samsung 14 Place Dishwasher is energy efficient and comes with a Power Wash Zone which leaves casserole dishes and pans sparkling clean, without the need to pre-clean them by hand. Increased capacity with the Smart Cutlery Tray makes unloading easier by eliminating the necessity of packing items one at a time. Further to this, the height of the upper rack can be adjusted to create more space for large utensils.

McKechnie offers the following need-to-know tips that will ensure the effective use of the product:



Be organised

Do not overload the machine as this may result in dishes still being dirty. Use the spacing that was created to divide the dishes effectively and ensure that the plates are placed on the bottom rack. Avoid double stacking between rows as this will block proper water streaming.



The top section is designed for cups, glasses and bowls, which should all be placed face down so that water can spray upwards. It is advisable to have plastic items on the top rack, as water emitted from the appliance is usually very hot and could cause some items to warp if they are placed at the bottom. Also remember to pack your wine glasses carefully; if they bump together they may break.



Use the correct cycle

A standard dishwasher will offer at least three wash cycles: light, normal and heavy (pots and pans). Each cycle is different in speed, water temperature and pressure, as well as the number of washes and rinses it emits.



Many dishwashers also boast a soil, dirt or clean sensor, which monitors the wash and rinse cycles and the level of dirt in the water, adjusting the cycle until the dishes are clean. Often these sensors are automatic, but some dishwashers require them to be selected before starting a cycle.



Be wise with the detergent

Powder detergents should be stored in a cool, dry place to avoid clumping from moisture. It’s also important not to buy too much detergent at one time, or it won’t be as effective. A good rule of thumb is to only buy enough detergent for two months to ensure it remains fresh.



Powders may be preferable to gels as they rinse well and do not cause build up. If build-up does occur, white vinegar is a good rinse agent, allowing your appliance to work optimally. Simply add a cup of vinegar to the bottom of an empty dishwasher and run a normal cycle to keep the dishwasher smelling fresh.



“Innovation in the kitchen is not just about creating a product; it is about giving people the power to discover new experiences. We continuously anticipate trends and changes in lifestyles and behaviours to develop a deep understanding of our customers in different markets. With these insights, Samsung is inspired to continue to create new products or categories that are tailored across all of our markets.”

FNB Sells Generators On eBucks

I’m not sure if this move is innocently helpful or predatory opportunism, but whatever the case the fact remains people can now buy generators through FNB’s eBucks shop.

Sanjeev Orie, CEO of FNB Business Value-Adds said in a press statement that “We believe that this is a timely solution as load-shedding is increasingly affecting businesses and consumers, and the generators we have secured will go a long way to helping our customers to plan better. We have partnered with a leading supplier of alternative energy solutions and based on customer demand, we will increase our generator inventory levels in the coming weeks.”

And if your rewards level is high enough, the press statement says you can even qualify for a discount of up to 20%. Oddly, on the site itself you’ll find the only discounted generator offering savings of up to 40% off, eBucks-level-dependent.

The offer is available for both Personal and Business customers, giving small businesses and residences the opportunity to buy their way out of the power outages currently being experienced across the country due to Eskom’s loadshedding activities.

The Ryobi generators are found under the playfully-titled “Loadshedding Survival” section of the eBucks online shop that includes other “survival” items like gas-powered lanterns, Cadac gas cookers, UPSes and candles.

You can pick one up for as little as R4 550 for a 2200w model, going all the way up to R9 999 for a 6900w generator, and all run on unleaded petrol.

Generators can be bought for eBucks, cash, or a combination of the two.

Sound good? Thinking of grabbing one? You should probably hurry, as there are only 10 000 units available for now.

How To Handle Load Shedding

Load shedding is a current topic in SA. Here are some myths and truths to help make an educated decision about alternative energy solutions.

The consumers “knee jerk” reaction to repeated power outages is to immediately go to market wanting a generator as they seem to be the most widely known and perhaps the least understood. Let’s see what’s true or false:

1.
MYTH: my whole home needs power
THE TRUTH: not everything needs back up power. 


2.
MYTH: food in the fridge will perish during load shedding​
THE TRUTH: limit opening the door, the temperature will not suffer dramatically and the food will be safe for eating.

3.
MYTH: I will have to shower in cold water during load shedding
THE TRUTH: provided your geyser was heated you will have between 150-200 litres of hot water available. An average shower uses 20-40 litres. With a Mr. Power showerhead you can reduce this by 40%. Plus, with the Mr. Power Geyser Controller the geyser is heated during off-peak times and can save 40%-60% of your monthly hot water costs.

4.
MYTH: I can’t cook without electricity
THE TRUTH: explore a gas option – either a gas hob for your stove or a portable plate connected to a gas cylinder. Or the traditional braai option of course.

5.
MYTH: My home will be dark without electricity
THE TRUTH: research cost effective alternatives such as solar lights, battery operated globes and candles. Emergency lights are ideal for unanticipated power outages.

6.
MYTH: I can’t read or watch TV without power and can’t entertain my family
THE TRUTH: It is easy to keep your entertainment centre going with a Mr. Power back up inverter as it draws around 500 watts.

7.
MYTH: I must have a generator
THE TRUTH: your power needs could probably be solved using an inverter solution where you simply plug the emergency power supply into the wall socket and the items you need to run are plugged into the back of the unit.

8.
MYTH: installing and having  a generator is easy and simple
THE TRUTH: a generator is expensive to purchase, requires regular maintenance and can be costly to run as they need diesel or petrol to run. A 30kW generator uses up to 8 litres of fuel per hour which is around R100 per hour and they are noisy.


Remember to switch off all appliances immediately when the power goes off. This will protect them from the surge of power when the electricity comes back on again.

Visit www.mrpower.co.za  for more advice or call the Mr. Power team directly on 011 804 2988.

The post How To Handle Load Shedding appeared first on Woman Online Magazine.

Apple Returns To South Africa After 16 Years

Apple, the world’s largest technology firm, has for the first time since its 1999 exit launched a South African office and seems poised to increase its presence in the country. Apple launched a direct presence in South Africa in 1992, but pulled out in late 1999 for financial purposes.

Apple has hired French national, Nicolas Rochas, as country manager, according to TechCentral. Rochas has been with Apple for a little more than a decade after having worked for Apple in the UK, France and India.

Well-placed sources have confirmed that the new office will pay more attention on taking care of Apple’s relationships with local mobile operators, specifically regarding the sale of the iPhone.

It has been tough for Apple to handle its relationship with South African operators directly from the US. This was the driving force behind its office re-launch in South Africa, Africa’s most developed economy.

Apple has rapidly grown into a household brand in South Africa since the launch of the Mac three decades ago.

Government Opens Online Tender Portal

Current and aspiring “tenderpreneurs” can view and apply for government tenders on a newly launched eTender portal, the National Treasury Department announced.

eTender Publication, launched by the Office of the Chief Procurement Officer (OCPO), aims to consolidating the publication of tenders by government and and simplifying the procurement process for applicants.

Additional information such as closed, cancelled and awarded tenders as well as reports and tender categories will also be published on the site.

“The e-Tender portal is a first step towards implementing government’s eProcurement system as part of the Integrated Financial Management System and will directly contribute to reducing duplication, fragmentation and inefficiency in government tender publications,” the National Treasury said.

The portal’s admin will be managed by the OCPO, while the State Information Technology Agency (SITA) has been put in charge of technical support, maintenance and hosting of the eTender Publication.

According to the National Treasury, the pros of launching the portal “include cost reduction and effort associated with traditional tender publications and an improvement in transparency and accountability with regards to the award of government tenders.”

A central supplier database (CSD) which offers a list of all supplier information for national, provincial and local government and information related to the compliance requirements, has also been launched alongside the eTender Publication.

“The CSD will therefore reduce duplication of effort and cost for both business and government while enabling electronic procurement processes,” said the National Treasury. http://ocpo.treasury.gov.za/Pages/default.aspx

Metropolitan Launches New Online Funeral Calculator

Local insurer Metropolitan Life has launched a new online funeral calculator that allows you to see what to budget for. The aim is to allow you to effectively plan the kind of funeral you or your family members want and can afford.

The tool allows users to consider a variety of variables, says Liezel Gordon from Metropolitan, such as: “Where will it take place? Will it be held in a rural setting, a township or in the suburbs? Is catering required, and for how many? Would you prefer to be cremated or buried? If you are to be buried, will you choose a [cheaper or more expensive] coffin?”

As one proceeds through each section, the calculator at the bottom of the screen tallies up the approximate costs based on the individual’s choices.

Once users have finished selecting their preferences, they are provided with full quotations of what their selected funerals are likely to cost, helping them to ensure they have adequate cover.

This will hopefully assist people to avoid the debt so many South Africans find themselves saddled with following the death of a loved one.

Go to www.funeral.metropolitan.co.za to try it yourself

Voice over LTE (VoLTE) Calling Comes To South Africa

A new voice calling technology available on the latest smartphones brings faster dialling, better call quality, and new technical capabilities. Vodacom is the first mobile network to make VoLTE commercially available in South Africa.

From tomorrow, owners of the newly launched Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge will be able to make voice calls over Vodacom’s 4G/LTE network. A commercial first in South Africa, Voice over LTE (VoLTE) users will experience faster call set up times (the amount of time it takes between dialling a number and the phone ringing at the recipient’s end), better voice quality, and additional capabilities such as being able to continue browsing the web or using apps while simultaneously making a call.

VoLTE technology, which enables mobile voice traffic to be carried natively over a data network, was originally demonstrated by Vodacom in September last year. However, up until today the service has been limited by a lack of compatible devices.

Andries Delport, Vodacom’s Chief Technology Officer said:

“VoLTE is now officially up and running in SA thanks to these new handsets. Within the next month VoLTE functionality will be added to additional devices, and we expect usage will grow rapidly as more and more handset manufacturers include the functionality."

 At present the VoLTE service is available to contract customers who have compatible handsets. There is no additional charge to use this service.

The launch of VoLTE follows on from Vodacom’s roll-out of Enhanced Voice service last year. Available country-wide, Enhanced Voice is comprised of HD voice which significantly increases the clarity of voice calls, Acoustic Echo Cancellation (AEC) which removes the echo that sometimes occurs when making calls and Noise Reduction (NR) technology which eliminates background noise. HD voice is supported by the majority of smart devices while AEC and NR technology is in use by every device on the network.

“The implementation of Enhanced Voice last September signalled a step change in call quality for South Africa. Moving forward our next milestone is to include video calling and media sharing as part of the VoLTE service,” said Delport.

 How to enable VoLTE

Customers with compatible handsets will need to run a software update to enable the service. The update will be available from tomorrow.

HTC Introduces One M9 In South Africa, Set For June Launch

Phones keep getting better. Just the other year everyone was crazy about getting a cellphone with bluetooth and a camera. Now all we want is a phone that 'squeezes' into our lifestyles.

HTC held an event last night to launch their new flagship Android phone, cutely named the One M9. Guests who attended the launch will agree that features on the exciting new phone ultimately make it a must have.

The HTC One M9 will be available in South Africa from 1 June 2015, with pre-
orders set to start in May, HTC South Africa announced.

Some of the features include Dolby surround sound, HTC’s BoomSound tech that makes the phone’s tiny speakers sound surprisingly loud and potent, the ability to wirelessly throw audio signals to compatible Bluetooth speakers, 20MP rear-facing and “Ultrapixel” front-facing snappers and Sense 7, the latest iteration of HTC’s Android skin/user interface that the company promises is its best yet.

The HTC One M9 will be available on the local market in June.

First impressions are good; at the event we got some hands-on time with it, and were happy to note how it responded beautifully to presses, swipes and gestures. The phone’s gorgeous metal body made it feel very nice to touch and hold, and we found that it’s neither too big nor too small to hold and operate comfortably with one hand.

And the screen looked crisp and sharp thanks to a resolution high enough that individual pixels were not visible whatsoever. So yes, first impressions are very good indeed.

In case you’re wondering just how much one of these will set you back and what colours it will come in when it arrives, we have answers.

The HTC One M9 will initially be available in Gold/Silver and Gunmetal Grey, and you’re looking in the region of R10 000 for an up-front purchase and around R499 pm or so on contract.

So there you have it.

Samsung's 'What If I Can' Initiative Unravels The Hero In Us All

Due to the nature of my full time work (journalist) I have been privileged to meet affluent and well respected members of society who never get that first hand appraisal from the people they serve.

On a broader spectrum - at a certain point in our lives, we have all been sick, visited clinics and treated by caring nurses but never bothered to thank on our way out.

We have all gone shopping and got served by smiling till operators or cashiers that we shrugged at after standing in long queues for eternity.

But one thing for sure, we are all unique in one way or another! Hey, when you are good at something, its easy to take it for granted.

Samsung Electronics Africa has launched a bold new initiative across the continent called ‘What If I Can’, with the vision to show consumers how even taking small steps in their everyday lives can contribute towards making bigger changes for those around them.

The concept behind ‘What If I Can’ is based on the power of the human step and to convey this message, Samsung collaborated with UK-based Pavegen to lay a 68-tile walkway in Sandton City in Johannesburg. The main passage of this mall receives over two million footsteps each month and these consumers are encouraged to walk across these tiles, which have the ability to capture kinetic motion and store this as energy.

The walkway also has an interactive data screen displaying a leaderboard of real-time footstep data, which shows how South Africa compares with other countries taking part in the challenge. At the end of the initiative, which runs from March until the end of May, the country that generates the highest number of steps will earn a Samsung Solar Powered Internet School for a deserving community.

To enhance the impact of this initiative, Samsung will donate a further 1000 steps for
every step that a consumer takes. During the first 20 days of the initiative, over 400 million steps have already been accumulated, with Samsung marking this milestone by installing a Solar Power Generator at the new Tech Hub being established at the Sunrise Secondary School in Diepsloot.

"We are proud to use the ‘What If I Can’ initiative to raise awareness of the power of innovative technology to overcome region-specific problems. Through this concept, we are not only empowering communities to become healthier, better educated and effectively connected, we are also enabling citizens to make a real difference in the lives of others," said Dr Michelle Potgieter, director of corporate marketing and communications at Samsung Electronics SA.

South African SME's Under Pressure To Use Technology More Effectively

South African SMEs are under growing pressure to use technology in more sophisticated ways to meet the expectations of their customers, reduce costs, and stay ahead of growing regulatory and tax compliance demands.

That’s according to Daryl Blundell, General Manager for Sage Pastel Accounting, who says that it’s more important than ever for SMEs to educate themselves about the latest technologies. “With the growing pace of change in society, business and technology, SMEs must integrate technology into their business to remain competitive,” he says.

“Their customers are online and demand even small businesses to have the ability to serve them using digital channels. Regulators and tax authorities demand prompt and accurate reporting. And in an uncertain economy, it’s more important than ever for smaller businesses to be lean, agile and smart in the ways that they do business.”

Today’s technology empowers small businesses to access new markets, drive costs out of their businesses, and improve relationships with their customers — helping them to boost their revenues and profits. Research such as a recent Boston Consulting Group (BCG) study commissioned by Microsoft shows that ICT gives smaller businesses an edge, whether they are in developing or established markets. The study of 4,000 SMEs in the US, Germany, China, India, and Brazil found that entrepreneurs who were early technology adopters increased their annual revenues 15% faster than their competitors.

Blundell says that the challenge for SMEs is that they often don’t have in-house ICT resources to investigate and drive new technology opportunities for them. Furthermore, they lack the capital to build substantial in-house IT infrastructures. This leads to a misconception among SME owners and managers that technologies such as social media, analytics and the cloud are too
expensive and complex for their businesses.

But the reality is that powerful enterprise business applications, collaboration tools, reporting tools, and digital platforms are more affordable than ever before, says Blundell. Thanks to the rise of cloud computing, SMEs can choose from a wide range of affordable solutions that help them compete with large companies with big IT budgets, he adds.

“The industry shares some blame here because some vendors have focused too much on selling the technology and not enough on the underlying benefit,” Blundell says. “SMEs want solutions to business problems, such as keeping accurate financial records, getting visibility into business trends, and reaching new customers. The cloud puts affordable solutions to these business problems within their reach.”

Blundell says that the flexibility and simplicity of the cloud are among its most significant advantages for smaller organisations. It enables them to buy business applications as a service they pay for per month, rather than them needing to invest in software licences, servers and an IT department to keep everything running smoothly. It also gives them the ability to access their applications and data anywhere they have an Internet connection and mobile device or computer.

This eliminates much of the risk and complexity SMEs have come to associate with IT, Blundell says. “The cloud lets SMEs focus on the business outcomes technology enables, rather than the plumbing,” he adds. “Given their limited budgets and access to IT skills, every SME can benefit from technology that is simple to implement and use.”





By  Daryl Blundell, General Manager for Sage Pastel Accounting. 

Now You Can Turn Your TV Into A Chrome PC Using A USB Dongle

Search giant Google has developed a small USB dongle that turns any screen it’s connected to into a Chrome PC, as unveiled on the official Google Chrome blog earlier this week.

It’s called the Chromebit, it’s definitely not an April Fool’s prank – it’s a full-blown PC powered by a quad-core processor, complete with WiFi, Bluetooth and an external USB port.

Once plugged into a TV, it uses Chrome OS to give people access to all of Google’s services like Gmail, Google Docs, Google Drive, YouTube and more, so long as it’s connected to the internet.

Chrome’s operating system is totally impressive, and can totally see it being used to run the day-to-day admin functions of small businesses at the fraction of the cost of a Windows desktop PC or even notebook.

That a full-blown PC is now contained in something the size of a memory stick, and costs just $100 (slightly less than R1200 when converted directly), is very cool. Gizmodo expects it to be available “this summer”, which of course means during South Africa’s winter if we’re lucky.

But even cooler is that Google hasn’t just built it with bottom-shelf hardware; the Chromebit comes with AC-class Wifi (also known as Gigabit WiFi), 2GB of RAM, 16GB of solid-state storage and a brilliant swivel that allows the Chromebit to fit into just about any HDMI port. It really is a cleverly-engineered piece of tech.

Google isn’t the first company to try this, though, as Intel has been working on a similar concept, just with Windows 8.1.

Intel’s project, called Intel Compute Stick, is also due in the next few months but is expected to cost in the region of $150 (around R1 800) due to more storage (32GB), the Windows license and expandable storage options by way of a microSD card slot.

Any way you slice it, this is good news for people looking for low-cost computers.

- Google Chrome Blog

MTN Launches First Firefox Phone In South Africa

Back in November MTN revealed that it was looking to release a Firefox OS-based smartphone in South Africa.

We have had a number of opportunities to play around with the device in the past, and MTN has just announced that the Alcatel OneTouch Fire E smartphone is available locally.

“Having a smartphone based on the Firefox operating system means we can deliver numerous unique product innovations. For example, the phone can be easily set up for four of the 11 official languages, namely English, Afrikaans, isiZulu and Xhosa. MTN will incorporate other languages in future versions of the phone. This means that our customers can choose the language they are most comfortable with and get a more naturally appealing connected experience,” explained Larry Annetts, chief marketing officer of MTN South Africa, in a media statement.

Unlike Android and iOS, Firefox OS apps aren’t developed around a native framework. The operating system is designed with HTML5 apps in mind, and there will be a locally curated app store to support the first tranche of handsets.

“It is designed for the Web in mind, the Alcatel One Touch Fire E is the ideal device to use in the digital age where access to information and social networks from a mobile device has become a way of life for consumers,” MTN said.

It is available at selected MTN outlets on prepaid and contract for R89 per month on the MTN MyChoice 25 package. If you fancy picking up the phone without a contract, it will be R1 699.

The smartphone has a 4.5-inch qHD screen (960 x 540 pixels), a dual core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor running at 1.2 GHz, a 5MP rear-facing camera and a 1 700mAh battery.