A preferred partner ripped off Instagram user data, right under Facebook’s nose
Facebook’s decision to rebrand its Instagram and WhatsApp apps as part of the Facebook empire, seems ironically well-timed as the data privacy sins of the parent were revealed to be as common at the photo-sharing app. Last week it emerged that Instagram allowed its users’ personal data to be violated by an outside company which harvested large amounts of info it wasn’t supposed t...[Read More]
Telkom’s clever use of its mobile networks demonstrates how the once sluggish monopoly has evolved into a nimble underdog
Telkom, which has battled copper cable theft for decades, has started transitioning its landline users to it mobile network. Instead of my 91-year-old mother's phone using wires to connect to the network, it now uses Telkom's mobile network. It's been a game changer.
The brazen attack on City Power is a sign of the growing confidence of cybercriminals to exploit software weaknesses for financial gain
If you thought last week's ransomware attack on City Power sounded like a movie script, it’s because that kind of scary possibility has been fictional fodder for years. Films have long proposed the idea of hackers taking over a computer network for their own nefarious ends.
Facebook’s attempts to capture financial services through a cryptocurrency is a step too far, as US lawmakers find their teeth
During hearings into Facebook's new Libra cryptocurrency, she grilled David Marcus, the head of its Calibra wallet, which is how its users will interact with Libra. "So, we are discussing a currency controlled by an undemocratically selected coalition of largely massive corporations. Do you believe currency is a public good?"
The 50th anniversary of the moon landing is a reminder of what humanity can achieve
Fifty years ago this week humanity landed on the moon. The moon landing was a pivotal moment in human history that has shaped our self-consciousness about humanity and our place in the universe.
Ramaphosa’s big picture dream is what SA needs to participate in the new tech ecosystems
I think it's a good thing that President Cyril Ramaphosa is dreaming of a high-tech future. We need someone to dream big about the way our country will operate, not in some distant sci-fi future, but in the next few years. We need to start embracing the technologies that can make us a better place to live, find work for our youngsters in the new growth industries, and make us more attractive to in...[Read More]
Africa has attracted significant investments this year, most recently from Microsoft with a $100m gift to African engineers
Africa's burgeoning reputation as a source of programming talent got a major boost last month when Microsoft launched its Africa Development Centre (ADC) that will invest $100-milliion over the next five years.
Huawei’s six-week blacklisting has shaken up the global supply chain and threatened multiple companies in many countries
And then sanity prevailed. On Sunday, US President Donald Trump effectively lifted the ban on US firms dealing with Chinese telecoms giant Huawei. This follows a turbulent six weeks where the threat of not being able to buy from US firms sent the telecoms industry and its supply chain into chaos.
A new holographic headset, image sensor are evolving computers in this cloud computing era
The HoloLens is a powerful example of this, as multiple demonstrations of its capabilities showed. The original model was launched four years ago and was used by NASA for its Mars Rover mission. Because of the eight-minute delay in communications from earth to the red planet, controllers needed to map, plan and execute the path the rover would take, former NASA Administrator Charles Bolden told me...[Read More]
How Dyson rejuvenated a host of otherwise humble household objects
The first thing that Stoffel van Wyk appreciated about his new Dyson hairdryer is how quiet it is. These days, he says: “I can have a discussion with my client over the sound of the hairdryer.” Van Wyk has been a hairdresser for 25 years. “I’ve lost a bit of my hearing because of the constant droning of hairdryers. This is far less intrusive,” he says from his Sandton salon...[Read More]
Digital art is a nascent field that is just beginning to gain recognition as a bone fide art form
So what constitutes art? I've been asked about this a lot in the last few months. I was asked to help curate a digital arts festival, called Creativate, which took place last year for the first time as part of the National Arts Festival in Makhanda.
Uber’s vision of “urban air mobility” tempered by a lack of profitability and driver issues
Despite all the advances of technology and transportation, what hasn't transformed is the amount of time it takes the average person to get to work, says Dara Khosrowshahi, the CEO of Uber. Access to a city's centre is a greater success factor than education, he told the Uber Elevate conference in Washington last week. "It Is the key to success in society."