tech news
Scaling the Tough Terrain: How to Manage Rugged Devices Deployed for Field Operations
The global demand for smartphones intended to be used for corporate purposes is at an all-time high. Considering the pandemic-driven requirements for working remotely, the organizations- be it across supply-chain, manufacturing, military or first response that earlier did not consider bringing their frontline workforce into digital transformation have been compelled to do so. The businesses that earlier employed a large number of frontline employees or field forces depended largely on the paper-pen-based model of operations. Rugged devices can be monumental in helping organizations scale the tough terrain The apprehensions against bringing the field force under digital transformation were not simply because of the foreseeable challenges the employees could face while using technology...
AI Software Creates “New” Nirvana Song “Drowned in the Sun”
The recently launched Lost Tapes of the 27 Club project uses AI software to create songs in the style of musicians who died at the age of 27. One of the featured tracks is called “Drowned in the Sun”, and it comes pretty close to replicating a Nirvana song written by Kurt Cobain himself. Stream it below. With opening guitars starting out restrained before reaching a crescendo on the chorus, the track is reminiscent of Nirvana’s signature hit, “Come as You Are”. Its chorus sounds like something Cobain might have written, too, with lyrics like, “I don’t care/ I feel as one, drowned in the sun.” As explained in a Rolling Stone feature, Google’s AI program Magenta was used to analyze the pioneering grunge band’s music and create the instrumental track. An artificial neural network was then use...
How AI Puts the ‘Smart’ in Smartphones
Artificial intelligence (AI) is a wide-ranging branch of computer science concerned with building smart devices capable of performing tasks that typically require human intelligence. From the realm of science fiction, AI has evolved to, in some applications, match human performance, with the latest facial-recognition software having a 99% accuracy rate. Strategy Analytics, a company that shares insights and analytics, states that 41% of consumers believe AI will improve their lives in some way and South Africa isn’t lagging behind the rest of the world in its development and application of this cutting-edge technology either. “We’re seeing even more companies using AI in more daring ways through innovative products or services that disrupt the status quo,’ says Dries Cronje, CEO at Deep Le...
Are University’s Doing Enough to Address the Cybersecurity Skills Gap
Sourced from International IDEA A global shortage of cybersecurity professionals has become so severe that companies are increasingly at risk from hacking and industrial espionage. Protecting data and defending corporate networks is poised to be one of the most in-demand careers of the future. Yet companies are already struggling to fill job vacancies, and the problem is accelerating. “Every company is going digital, and the first thing they have to ask is how secure are their networks and data,” says Doros Hadjizenonos, the Regional Sales Director at Fortinet. The danger is that cybercrime has grown so huge and lucrative that without enough good guys to keep them safe, businesses and individuals alike are in jeopardy. “If a company doesn’t have the right skills it’s increasing its risk to...
African’s Reluctant to Leave WhatsApp Despite Increase in Cybersecurity Concerns
Africa’s mobile users are increasingly concerned about the mobile risks and the potential for digital identity theft; however, this is not stopping them from using their favourite messaging platforms and applications. This emerged in new research carried out by KnowBe4 among smartphone users in Nigeria, Mauritius, Egypt, South Africa, Kenya, Ghana, Morocco and Botswana. The survey gauged the opinions of Africa’s mobile users on the recent decision by WhatsApp to update their terms and conditions, sharing metadata with the rest of the Facebook group of companies. The survey found that not only did the majority of the respondents across Africa intend to continue using WhatsApp; but also, that their favourite alternative to WhatsApp was Facebook Messenger. Anna Collard, SVP Content Strategy &...
Huawei FreeBuds 4i Officially Available in South Africa
Huawei’s latest addition to the FreeBuds series, the FreeBuds 4i, are now available in South Africa. The all-new True Wireless Stereo Bluetooth earphones offer users high-quality sound with long-lasting battery life, active noise cancellation and intuitive controls. With the help of customized internal components such as its 10mm dynamic, the Huawei FreeBuds 4i is capable of providing users with high-quality audio with balanced sound across various frequency ranges. Audio output is tuned professionally and the wind noise reduction structure ensures crystal clear audio at all times, even in noisy environments. The earphones also offer users 10 hours of battery life on a single charge with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) off and 7.5 hours with ANC on. Together with the charging cas...
The 3 Real Challenges of WFH
It used to be called “telecommuting”. Already the term sounds archaic and has been rapidly displaced by the broader “Work from Home (WFH)” phrase that caught fire in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Businesses all over the world have been experimenting with telecommuting for decades, but the pandemic has woken them up to the fact that it need not remain an experiment. A Practitioner’s View Sujoy Chatterjee, VP of Infrastructure Services at ITC Infotech, says, “WFH can be a wider reality, resulting in interesting, pleasant and desirable upsides. Forward-thinking CIOs and business leaders are already working on long term strategies to support a distributed workforce, not just for full-time employees, but for part-time employees as well.” One such leader Sujoy is working with is Sibus...
How to Add Stickers to Fleets on Twitter
Image sourced from Mission Statement Academy Twitter is making it possible for users to add stickers to their Fleets. In a new update, both Android and iOS users will be able to add stickers by simply tapping the smiley face icon on the bottom row of their screen. “Fleets just got an upgrade,” reveals Twitter in an official tweet. “Now you can express yourself in the conversation with stickers. Add GIFs and Twemojis to a Fleet by tapping the Slightly smiling face icon, on Android and iOS.” Your Fleets just got an upgrade. Now you can express yourself in the conversation with stickers. Add GIFs and Twemojis to a Fleet by tapping the 🙂 icon, on Android and iOS. pic.twitter.com/Ihh9ZZh70a — Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) March 31, 2021 Twitter is Testing a New Way to Post Imag...
Dimension Data Acquires Cloud Solutions Company to Fast-Track AWS Capabilities
Dimension Data has announced its acquisition of cloud implementation company – Acacia Cloud Solutions. The company believes this move will cement its commitment to invest in cloud services and solutions that meet the digital transformation and hybrid cloud requirements of organisations in the Middle East and Africa region in an increasingly competitive and digital business operating landscape. The acquisition is expected to expand Dimension Data’s AWS capabilities and provide its clients with innovative cloud managed services solutions that deliver relevant optimisation tools and speed to market. This will see both Acacia Cloud Solutions and Dimension Data building more capacity and skills to effectively meet client demand. “Our acquisition of Acacia Cloud Solutions, and our global re...
How Mobile Technology could Provide Food Security for Rural African Communities
Climate change combined with unsustainable farming practices has exhausted African soil — leaving much of the ground unfarmable. In the future, a major reduction in crop yield and productivity is likely to be seen as a consequence of the extreme weather conditions and unviable farming techniques. In fact, the production of maize could decrease by as much as 10%, even if no climate adaptation actions are taken. /* custom css */ .tdi_3_560.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_3_560.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; } According to the African Development Bank (ADB), this is not only unsustainable but unaffordable as the continent spends close to $65 billion importing food — a number that is expected to grow exponentially within the next decade. In addition to the growing lack...
Telkom Introduces New Data-Inclusive Prepaid Plan
Image sourced from Bandwidth Blog Telkom South Africa has introduced a new tariff plan – Thola More – that will include data and extra SMS and calling benefits upon recharging. The telco revealed that this new plan will replace its voice-focused offering – SIM Sonke. Telkom Thola More is a prepaid tariff plan that offers prepaid customers additional free benefits including data, SMSs and Telkom-to-Telkom voice call minutes when they recharge their account with R5 airtime or more. The benefits apply to new and existing customers who migrate to the tariff plan. “Essentially, customers be will rewarded with free all-network data, on-net minutes and SMSs as specified in the product offer, every time they recharge with R5 or more,” explains Andrew Dawson, Executive of Mobile Products and S...
Free Healthcare Webinar: Patient Journey and the Digital Twins
Delivering high-quality care for patients starts by connecting data from admissions to discharge. By transforming live data into actionable metrics, the healthcare sector can make more insightful decisions to streamline and digitise workflow throughout the patient journey. On 14 April 2021, Zebra — a leading healthcare technology solutions provider — will introduce MotionWorks™ Healthcare and virtually demonstrate how to streamline workflows and significantly reduce costs in healthcare facilities as well as identify patterns to enable intelligent predictions. Under the theme “Patient Journey and the Digital Twins” this free and innovative webinar will empower the healthcare sector with technology solutions that enable them to instantly connect, collaborate and communicate with colle...
