All the latest technology news from South Africa and around the world.
BlackBerry maker Research in Motion (RIM) has released an update for its wildly popular BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) service. The update allows users to make voice calls to other BBM users if both are connected to a Wi-Fi network. The latest version of the Canadian company’s messaging
Passengers using low-cost airline Mango to fly between Johannesburg and Durban between now and 31 January will be able to use the G-Connect in-flight Wi-Fi service for free. And it’s all part of a plan to beat a world record.
Mango launched the in-flight Wi-Fi service in May. The airline
Three government websites that were disrupted by a hacker over the weekend were defaced, not hacked, the State Information Technology Agency (Sita), which hosts the sites, said on Tuesday. “Sita is confident of its work and capacity to secure government information
Former Vodacom CEO Pieter Uys is among 22 people who have been appointed by communications minister Dina Pule to advise her department as it prepares to overhaul the legislation that governs South Africa’s information and communications technology (ICT) sector. Other well-known people
Open-access fibre-optic telecommunications infrastructure supplier Dark Fibre Africa (DFA) is investing more than R81m over the next six months in 120km of new links in Klerksdorp in North West province. DFA has already laid more than
The continent is being hailed as a global cellphone banking and payments innovation hub, but it seems the sector will be coming under increasing regulatory scrutiny as the relationships between cellphone operators and banks are placed under the spotlight. A survey of players in the African
A hacker is claiming responsibility for disrupting three South African government websites. The social development department’s website opened to a black page with a window containing the animated graphic “Website hacked by H4ksniper” and a graphic depicting
Stellenbosch-based mobile social network Mxit is retrenching as much as 27% of its workforce, company insiders say. This comes just months after the exit of CEO Alan Knott-Craig, who also formerly headed up the investment vehicle World of Avatar of which Mxit is part. TechCentral has learnt
Proposed amendments to the Icasa Act, which governs the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa, have come under heavy fire, with critics warning the changes hand too much power to communications minister Dina Pule. After two years of inaction, government has revived the Icasa
Apple’s smaller, 7,9-inch iPad has landed on South African shores, along with the new full-sized, fourth-generation iPad. The iPad mini, as the smaller variant is called, starts at just R3 399, which is particularly well priced given the product costs $329 in the US and the rand has weakened substantially against
