There are few arenas more brutal and merciless than the cellphone market. In just five years, BlackBerry has gone from the world’s leading smartphone brand to a company teetering on the edge of collapse. The fact that BlackBerry is struggling is common knowledge
Naspers is within a whisker of smashing through R1 000/share for the first time and reaching a market capitalisation of R400bn thanks to an 80%-plus surge in its share price in the past 12 months. The growth in its value in recent years has been nothing short of
From activity trackers to Google Glass, wearable technology is becoming more common and useful, but until smart watches stop simply duplicating existing functionality and offer something new, they’re destined to remain curiosities and novelties rather than the necessities their makers would
We can all let out our breath. Apple’s annual hypefest – sometimes called the iPhone launch – is over. As expected, and in accordance with Shapshak’s First Law of Smartphone Upgrades – minted for the previous iPhone launch – the device is thinner with a faster processor and better camera
South Africa’s young yet lively venture capital ecosystem is building momentum, with the increased availability of funding mechanisms for innovation being one important driver of this growth. Practitioners in the industry point out that successful venture capital-backed businesses rely on far more
Having kick-started the only real price war in the South African cellular market, the “little network that could”, Cell C, is in a tough place. Alan Knott-Craig’s Hail Mary pass to capture his stated intention of 25% of the market appears to be working – at MTN’s expense – for the time being. The recent results from
The smartphone market could be reaching another tipping point. Several developments in recent weeks point to potentially big shifts in the fortunes of the major players. Let’s start with Apple, which on Tuesday took the wraps off not one but two new iPhones, a top-end model, the 5s, and, perhaps more significantly, a
It has been a bad year for Western intelligence agencies. Being front-page news every week for months at a stretch is not ideal when your business is secrecy. But, whatever the supposed threat to national security, the recent orgy of revelations is a healthy release of toxins
In a widely expected move, Microsoft is buying Nokia’s handset division, giving it the hardware it needs to compete in the new war of ecosystems against Apple and Google. The only surprising thing is that Microsoft paid more for Skype (US$8,5bn, in May 2011) than it did for Nokia ($7,2bn)
Trust is the world’s most valuable intangible commodity. Economies, political systems, partnerships and marriages rise or fall based on it. All commerce – both online and offline – rests on it. And yet the US’s National Security Agency is actively and recklessly undermining
