5 Mar 2013

Science & Technology

 



The taxman cometh

Of course, the big news over the past few days has been Pravin Gordhan's budget speech, which has been dissected and analysed, as usual. Not least of these analyses is that by Nedbank Private Wealth, which provided its observations on the 2013-14 Budget Speech.

Gordhan's budget, as usual, was somewhat of a balancing act, but what taxpayers everywhere would like to see is action, not just words, on corruption, mismanagement and waste. After all, we all realise we have to pay taxes, but we want to see our tax monies being used where it matters - and properly, across the board.

Our planet is our only home, so we'd better do better in looking after it. One way of doing so is through protecting and nurturing biodiversity, which, says minister of water and environmental affairs, Edna Molewa, contributes to economy - she says the benefits derived from biodiversity or ecosystem services are estimated at R73bn, contributing to 7% of South Africa's GDP per annum.

We've heard it all before... this plan and that plan to create jobs - or "job opportunities" - and this time it's the KwaZulu-Natal provincial government that says it will assist in creating 11m jobs by 2030.

Job creation is absolutely vital for the future of this country; some fear the levels of frustration and despair among the unemployed could rise to such levels as to lead to civil unrest. Hence, any plan to create jobs is to be welcomed... but how many have there been, and what successes have they achieved? Governments - provincial and national, need to be wary of over-promising and under-delivering.

Is it the end of the land line? Mitchell Barker says that landline users in South Africa are cutting the cord.

Finally, our not so frugal, but fast and fancy motoring editor Henrie Geyser reckons that the new Ford Fiesta is just that... frugal, fast, fancy.

Rod Baker: Content Director

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Science

Kangaroo sold as kudu biltong
Most of South Africa's biltong - dried strips of cured meat and a much loved snack - has little to do with the ingredients on the label, according to DNA test results published on Friday (1 March). Read more >>

British scientists network rats' brains
Scientists have connected the brains of lab-rats, allowing them to communicate directly via cables. Read more >>

Wits offers introductory geology course
Wits University's School of Geosciences is offering a new 20-week course on basic geology. Find out more about the formation and structure of the Earth, the wonders of rocks and minerals, plate tectonics, earthquakes, volcanoes, and predictions about the future geology of the planet. Read more >>


Technology

Cook 'doesn't like' Apple's sliding share price, but new products are coming
[Lauren Granger] If you've been watching Apple's share price slump with dismay, Tim Cook has some words to comfort you: they're working on some nice new products to help the company on its return to the top again. Read more >>

Disruptive technology leads to positive change
Sage's chief technology officer and head of product strategy, Himanshu Palsule, visited South Africa last week as a keynote speaker at the Sage ERP Africa partner conference, Sage Insights 2013. Addressing more than 255 Sage business partners from South, East and West Africa, Palsule said that there are two distinct global trends shaping the technology landscape. Read more >>

Prototype car using joystick engineering at Disability Drive Expo
NGO Nicky's Drive, the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) and the Disabled People Inclusion Institute (DPII) have partnered to produce the first ever locally engineered prototype car using joystick engineering. The car is set to make driving more accessible for disabled persons in South Africa. Read more >>

3 things Mobile Web East Africa taught us about the state of tech in Africa
[Sandra Pitcher] Last week, All Amber hosted the third Mobile Web East Africa conference in Nairobi. The event, which allows key industry players to share ideas, addressed various issues ranging from the mobile film industry, the work of NGOs in Africa, to startup developers demonstrating their wares. Read more >>

Dodgy meat found in SA's retail shops
Goat, water buffalo and donkey meat have been found in food products including sausages, dried meats, burger patties and mince according to a study by scientists at Stellenbosch University. Read more >>


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2013 Biz Trends Report


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