15 Oct 2013

IT & Telecommunications

Ramphele: Drop BEE

Agang SA leader Mamphela Ramphele has called for SA to abandon empowerment, which, she says, has not worked. A great many people would agree with her. She also said that under an Agang government, officials found guilty of corruption would be jailed for a minimum of 15 years. Do we hear calls of "More!" "More!"?

Our education system is generally considered by quite a few people to be in a shambles, so it's not surprising that it's bleeding teachers. According to Angie Motshekga, some 14,000 teachers left the education department in the 2012/13 financial year. Of these, 6,272 resigned. If one reads media reports of teachers being assaulted, disruptive pupils and what-have-you, the only real surprise is that there are not more teachers taking the gap and taking up less onerous jobs in which they will have the respect they deserve... from all quarters.

We need entrepreneurs here, but Canada plans to lure SA entrepreneurs to Canada with a Start-up Visa. So what are we going to do to keep our budding entrepreneurs and future employers here?

Come fly with me - but only if you have a bit of cash... Rob Baker (no relation, as you can see he's far better looking than I am) makes some points about what the role of a state-owned airline should be, and also, what the state should not do that might stifle competition.

Rod Baker, Content Director

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Weekly top stories

UJ retains intl IT accreditation
In less than a month after making its debut, as one of the world's top universities, comes another victory for the University of Johannesburg (UJ), with it being the first African university to attain and sustain full, international, accreditation for its B.Sc Honours Information Technology (IT) degree. Read more >>
Google Ad Grants live in South Africa
Of inventors and innovators: South Africa's pioneering entrepreneurs

IT & Telecommunications
Canada to lure SA entrepreneurs with Start-up Visa
Canada is actively recruiting foreign entrepreneurs with a unique Start-up Visa Programme introduced by the Canadian government to assist qualified entrepreneurs interested in relocating to Canada. Read more >>

How operators benefit from VoIP (and you don't)
[Rob Lith] Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) offers proven quality under the right conditions (managed access makes a big difference). It is extremely cost-effective to run and comes with rich unified communications possibilities. Read more >>

Learn how to create HTML5 apps for iOS Safari
[Nkululeko Mthethwa] In the latest ebook, titled HTML5 iPhone Web Application Development and written by creative technologist, Alvin Crespo takes you through to the steps of how to create compelling web applications specifically tailored for distribution on iOS Safari. Read more >>


Hardware
Altron revenue rise likely from Bytes and Altech
[Thabiso Mochiko] Allied Electronics (Altron) will bed down the integration of Bytes and Altech in about 12 to 18 months‚ following the R1.8bn acquisition of minority shareholding in Altech two months ago. Read more >>


Internet
Market to shift wireless broadband
The South African market is seeing an increased need for broadband access, which is expected to be powered by mobile broadband solutions into the future. Read more >>

The FindMyWay app goes national
Following a successful beta programme in Cape Town, social transport information portal FindMyWay is launching its services to other major cities in South Africa. FindMyWay is a free service that makes commuters' lives easier by enabling them to access public transport information from their mobile phones. Read more >>

Google Ad Grants live in South Africa
Google has announced today, 11 October 2013, that the Google Ad Grants programme is now live in South Africa. Google Ad Grants empower thousands of non-profit organisations through $10,000 per month in in-kind AdWords advertising, to promote their missions and initiatives on www.google.co.za. Read more >>

Joining forces to advocate for a more affordable internet
[Jennifer Haroon] Imagine a world in which you spend 30% of your monthly income on basic internet service. Could you pay? What might you have to give up? For billions of people, these costs - and questions - are an unaffordable reality that stops them from accessing the Web. Read more >>

SA's LLU caught in a continuous loop
[Mitchell Barker] Despite claims to the contrary by the country's Department of Communications (DoC), broadband penetration in South Africa remains extremely low, which is hindering the country's socio-economic growth. The DoC is being questioned about figures it released as fact in February this year, stating that it had reached its 7% target of broadband penetration growth per year. Read more >>

Ellis Park to deliver reliable, consistent Wi-Fi
Ruckus Wireless and South African Wi-Fi specialist WirelessG have announced that they have been selected by Ellis Park Stadium to provide high-capacity Smart Wi-Fi products and technology for a variety of public access applications. Read more >>


Network
Thwarting network intrusion attempts with threat intelligence
Although threat intelligence is by no means a revolutionary or new concept, many organisations still do not implement it internally. Armed with a good understanding of, and assisted by, the application of threat intelligence, companies can prevent intrusion attempts and better safeguard their network and data. Read more >>

MTN's Zondo to hand herself to police after sting operation
[Samuel Mungadze] MTN's general manager of business risk‚ Lily Zondo‚ will hand herself over at the Sandton police station on Monday morning (14 October)‚ after a warrant of arrest was issued against her last week over an extortion case. Read more >>

Quality of Service and VoIP in South Africa
A bad connection during a phone call can be frustrating and even infuriating when you are taking or making a personal call. For business calls - when clear communication with clients, associates and colleagues is crucial - bad quality or dropped calls can have downright catastrophic consequences. Read more >>

Cell C takes bigger rivals to Competition Commission
Cell C announced on Wednesday (10 October) that it had formally lodged a complaint with the Competition Commission against the dominant incumbent mobile operators‚ MTN and Vodacom‚ for anti-competitive conduct. Read more >>

Vodacom‚ MTN shed R31bn in market value in 2 days
[Andries Mahlangu] Vodacom and MTN Group shares suffered a further knock on Tuesday (8 October)‚ bringing their combined losses in market value to about R31bn since Monday (7 October)‚ when investors first had a chance to react to last week's proposed cut in the mobile termination rate Read more >>


Services
BlackBerry previews new cloud-based EMM
BlackBerry has previewed a new multi-platform cloud-based enterprise mobility management (EMM) solution at the Gartner Symposium/ITxpo 2013, which will enable businesses to secure and manage corporate and personal devices easily. Read more >>


Software
Of inventors and innovators: South Africa's pioneering entrepreneurs
Here are some well-known and visionary South African inventors and entrepreneurs, whose pioneering work has received international recognition, and contributed to many improvements in our world. Read more >>


International

comScore releases the 2013 Japan Digital Future in Focus report
TOKYO, JAPAN: comScore, Inc, a leader in measuring the digital world, has released the 2013 Japan Digital Future in Focus report. Read more >>

Facebook buys Israeli start-up Onavo
JERUSALEM, ISRAEL: Onavo, a Tel-Aviv-based firm that makes applications for users to manage mobile data costs, particularly when travelling abroad, has been bought by Facebook for between US$100m and US$200m. The final price was not disclosed. Read more >>

Vodafone now owns Kabel Deutschland
LONDON, UK: British mobile phone company Vodafone said Monday, 14 October, that the group has now completed its €7.7bn purchase of Kabel Deutschland. Read more >>

Secret US court approves further phone tracking
WASHINGTON, USA: The secret federal court overseeing US wiretapping programmes has extended the government's authority to collect US telephone records, the office of the Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said on Friday, 11 October. Read more >>

Bookshops in Europe take stand against Internet rivalry
FRANKFURT, GERMANY: European bookshops are taking a stand against competition from the Internet, boosted by a renaissance in independent stores and their enhanced know-how despite still facing a difficult climate, industry analysts say. Read more >>

Facebook takes off 'invisibility cloak' for users
SAN FRANCISCO, USA: Facebook is ending a feature that allowed users to hide from the social network's billion-plus members. Read more >>

New app aims to keep tabs on mobile wallet
SAN FRANCISCO, USA: For those who use a mobile wallet, a new app helps them keep track of how much electronic cash the wallet contains. Read more >>

Google Street View helps identify alien species
PARIS, FRANCE: Google Street View can be a useful tool in the costly and time-consuming fight against invasive species, French biologists said on Thursday (10 October). Read more >>

Traditional computer sales eroded by love of tablets
SAN FRANCISCO, USA: Industry analyst this week reported that sales of traditional personal computers continued to wither as consumer tastes shifted to tablets. Read more >>

Samsung's first 'curved' smartphone hits S. Korea market
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA: Samsung's first smartphone with a curved display screen was available on the South Korean market from Thursday, 10 October, as the electronics company seeks to maintain its lead in the increasingly saturated market. Read more >>

Trio win Nobel for taking chemistry to cyberspace
STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN: Three scientists won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry for developing computer models to simulate chemical processes, providing a revolutionary tool for drug designers and engineers. Read more >>

Twitter overtakes Facebook among teens: survey
NEW YORK, USA: Twitter has overtaken Facebook as the most popular social network among US teens, according to a new survey. Read more >>

US ban on some Samsung devices upheld
NEW YORK CITY, USA: The Obama administration on Tuesday (8 October) upheld a decision to ban some Samsung mobile technology products because of the patent violations owned by Apple. Read more >>


More International


Jobs offered

IT Project Manager - Illovo
Good knowledge of Microsoft products, Vsat, VoIP, Finance packages and WAN.PMI PMP certificate Read more >>

Journalist - Midrand/Centurion
MyGaming.co.za, the largest gaming website in SA, requires a journalist. We love what we do, we'd like someone equally passionate about the field to join our team. Read more >>



New events to diarise

Autodesk University Extension
Worldsview - 22 Oct 2013 Johannesburg


Upcoming events

SEO Workshop: How to get your site Google-ready - 21 Oct 2013 Johannesburg
The latest Google Algorithm updates have severely changed how companies rank and perform for search. Learn how to optimise your site to improve rankings and increase traffic and conversions conversions! Read more >>

JoomlaDay South Africa - Johannesburg
JoomlaDay South Africa - 18 Oct 2013 to 19 Oct 2013 Johannesburg
Autodesk University Extension
Worldsview - 22 Oct 2013 Johannesburg


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