Last week, my Android-powered smartphone, which had just been upgraded to Jelly Bean, the latest version of the software, popped up a message warning me that it would take nine minutes longer than normal to get to my next meeting, in Midrand. The reason, it said, was that there was a traffic
The introduction by South African mobile operators of next-generation long-term evolution (LTE) networks does not amount to much. But we can’t ignore it because these networks are the first bit of evidence of a future of lost opportunities to deliver cheap, properly fast and ubiquitous broadband
I threw away a pair of Sony headphones a few weeks ago, not out of disgust or carelessness, but because after nearly 15 years of hard service they had finally stopped working. That, in a nutshell, is the Sony story. Since it was founded in 1946 – emerging literally out of the
Most consumers have by now ditched their old-fashioned cathode-ray tube (CRT) TV sets. As the price of liquid crystal display (LCD) sets has plunged, thanks to manufacturing economies of scale, adoption of flat panels has taken off. And the more prices fall, the bigger screen sizes get, to the extent that
Canada’s Research in Motion (RIM) and Finland’s Nokia have both taken a beating in recent years. The former’s share price has slumped 89% in the past five years; the latter’s is down by 91%. Yet, in recent weeks, both shares have bounced up significantly, prompting questions about whether
If Telkom had a theme tune right now it would probably be written by hard rock band AC/DC, perhaps something from their 1976 classic album Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap. No, not the title track, because there is nothing cheap about Telkom, with communications minister Dina Pule’s adviser
If I told you online shopping is the next big thing to hit South Africa, you might think I was living in 1995. So-called experts will tell you big brands like Amazon and Kalahari have the market sewn up. They have the scale, the supply chains and the deep pockets to dominate the market completely
Impressive. That’s the adjective that seems most appropriate in describing Telkom’s new chairman. Jabu Mabuza, a taxi driver turned business mogul, has very quickly identified the challenges facing Telkom and recognised the need to mend the breakdown
Build it and they will come. That was the overwhelming message emanating from the first FTTH Council Africa conference in Cape Town this week. Speaker after speaker made the case – often cogently – for why any capacity that gets built will be used
Rumours are circulating that Apple may abandon Intel chips in favour of those designed by ARM Holdings. Bloomberg reported on 6 November that “people familiar with the company’s research” had said Apple was “exploring” the idea. Of course these sources
