With the roll-out of 4G mobile Internet not even yet complete, it might seem early to consider starting work on the design of the next, fifth-generation (5G) mobile networks. The truth is that telecommunications systems are so
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M-Pesa has seen an impressive uptake for Vodacom in Tanzania, but the telecommunications operator has struggled to get a solid footing for the mobile money platform in its home market of South Africa. Part of the reason for success in Tanzania, where
It begins as a dusting of metal or plastic, melted together to form a single layer. Once the first layer has been melted, more granules are sprinkled on top and are welded to each other and the layer below. These layers are incredibly thin and allow a degree
In the suburb of Erasmuskloof, southeast of Pretoria, lies the sleek, modernist building of the State Information Technology Agency, known as Sita. This agency is the government’s service provider for all IT services or, as those watching the comings and goings of officials over
After various celebrities’ accounts on Apple’s iCloud servers were hacked, the company has made a point of addressing these issues. It has made new claims for the security of iOS 8, the firm’s latest phone operating system, and for its cloud services. Similarly, Google announced the
While legal sales of recorded music continue to suffer from widespread music piracy, the popularity of live music appears to be enjoying an unprecedented boom. In his recent book The Music Industry: Music in the Cloud, Patrik Wikström explains that licensing and live music are now
In a few short years, voice telephony will effectively be free of charge for both contract and prepaid users. That’s the view of MTN South Africa’s newly appointed CEO, Ahmad Farroukh, who says the industry will in future need
Technology group Altech, part of the JSE-listed Altron stable, on Thursday evening announced that it is making a big play into the video-on-demand and home automation markets with a new, satellite-based home entertainment product called the Node that it hopes will become a
On 9 September, U2 released their new album, Songs of Innocence, but not quite in the normal style: they are offering it as a free download to all 500m iTunes users. Lead singer Bono described the release as “kind of mind blowing”. He said: “The most personal album we’ve
People interested in tracking their health, physical activity levels and body functions can now choose from a plethora of sensor-embedded digital gadgets to monitor and measure their bodies. But the big question for many users is how their personal health and medical data are used. The Apple Watch