Despite all the hype about smart watches — wristwatches that pair with mobile phones, offering more information than just the time — they’re not likely to feature highly on consumers’ wish lists this holiday season, according to analyst firm Gartner. Gartner says premium pricing
View the latest Backspace cartoon from Jerm.
It’s a familiar story: a young computer nerd creates a new online service that attracts nearly a million customers in a couple of years and has earned tens of millions of dollars. Except that the service in this case – Silk Road – was not only secret, it was also illegal. Started in early 2011, Silk Road was designed as a marketplace
Government, well intentioned as might be, could be on the verge of committing a serious blunder in its attempts to sort out South Africa’s poor broadband penetration rates — one that could stunt and distort the telecommunications industry for years to come. Communications
Apple released two iPhone variants this year, the 5s and the 5c. The smartphones were announced in September. According to Apple, it sold a record 9m units in its opening weekend. The iPhone 5s went on sale in South Africa last Friday. The phone has the same svelte look as
An Instagram account that showcases the very best photos from around the country, and managed by a fan of the popular image-sharing service, is fast indirectly becoming the service’s unofficial South African marketing presence. The account invites anyone to use the hashtag
Airline passengers have already been stripped of their legroom, hot meals and personal space. Now, on American flights, they might also lose their silence. The Federal Communications Commission is considering lifting its longtime prohibition on making phone
Telkom’s plan to “de-risk” its loss-making mobile business could lead to a transaction with rival MTN. The two operators are in sensitive discussions about a possible deal, two separate and well-placed sources have told TechCentral. It’s not clear what form a deal
A new report by McKinsey & Company shows that use of the Internet in Africa could add US$300bn to the continent’s cumulative gross domestic product (GDP) by 2025. The report, “Lions go digital: The Internet’s transformative potential in Africa”, studies
There was only one exception to the misery with which the arrival of e-tolling on Gauteng highways was greeted on Wednesday. This came from roads agency Sanral, which described the development as good news. “We now have certainty as to when tolling on the inner
