technology news
Major Petrol Price Hike Could Cripple South Africa’s Economy says Expert
Sourced from the South African The major fuel price hike scheduled for tomorrow (3 June) is going to further hurt the economy and have a major impact on deeply indebted consumers. This is after the petrol price in the country slumped to a 21-year low as South Africa descended into a nationwide lockdown. All grades of petrol will spike at R1.18 ($0.07) a litre while diesel will increase by R0.22 ($0.013) a litre. Neil Roets, CEO of one of the largest debt counselling companies in South Africa, Debt Rescue, says the increases would have a devastating impact on consumers who are mostly three months or more behind in the repayments of their loans. /* custom css */ .tdi_3_56f.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_3_56f.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; } “This is going to lead to further un...
FreshStop Thanks Frontline Employees with New Digital Campaign
Retail employees, who prior to the health pandemic were assets to the business, have become invaluable as they continued to serve customers throughout lockdown while most people stayed home. To thank them for their service and heroism, FreshStop – one of South Africa’s largest convenience store brands – has launched a #ThankYoufromFreshStop digital campaign to recognise their staff and reflect their appreciation. According to Joe Boyle, Director at FreshStop, their people have become their heroes. “Our teams have managed to get to work under extreme conditions, keep our stores well stocked and tidy, focus on health and hygiene standards and provide top-class customer service with a smile. The campaign reflects our thanks to all our staff – from the cashiers, kitchen staff, manager and clea...
41% of Parents are Suspicious of their Children’s Social Media
The worldwide COVID-19 pandemic has forced families to spend their free time mostly at home. Staying at home usually also means spending much time using different Internet-connected devices. For clear reasons, children’s growing online activity can cause lots of worries for their parents. According to a Kaspersky survey, 41% of South African parents claim that they have come across something in their child’s social media account that seemed suspicious. Elaborating on what it exactly was, they mention people they interact with (55%), posts that they publish or share (46%), groups or public pages they join (32%), private messages (a quarter) and videos on their page (23%). What is more, 38% state their child has seen or listened to something that seemed suspicious to them, be that videos (72...
5 Best Video Games For Parents and Kids Under Lockdown
Sourced from The Guardian. With only grade 7 and grade 12 learners returning to school in the next few weeks, most children are still confined to their homes under the nationwide level 3 lockdown in South Africa. While many parents are working from home, and children are schooling from home as well, there is always a few hours of the day to settle down to some video games together. Of course, you don’t want your kids drowning in screen time, but if you’re a parent that games, or if your children game, this is an excellent way to connect with them. The following are 5 great video games to play with your children during level 3 lockdown in South Africa that are certain to be fun for both you and your kids: 5. FIFA or any other sports game /* custom css */ .tdi_3_d66.td-a-rec-img{ text-align:...
TikTok Promises to Promote Black Creators After Censorship Accusations Make Light
Sourced from Gadgets 360. Chinese Social Media platform TikTok laid out a series of actions on Monday in an effort to address criticisms that its algorithm is suppressing black creators on the app. The actions include launching a “creator diversity council” in which the platform will aim at “recognising and uplifting the voices driving culture, creativity, and important conversations on the platform [itself]”. Continued in the blog post, TikTok says it will also reassess its moderation strategies, establish a new “user-friendly” appeals process, and develop a new creator portal for expanding communications and “opportunities for our broader creator community”. TikTok says that it will “stand in solidarity with the Black community” and participate in “Black Out Tuesday.” Tuesday will be kep...
The New Normal: Managing Networks from Home with Uplogix
As the COVID-19 lockdown continues into the foreseeable future, IT managers still need to maintain their ‘normal day job’ tasks of running networks – in addition to managing employees who currently need to make significantly increased use of online meeting platforms and remote working arrangements. According to Uplogix, which provides integrated remote management solutions, many companies still have mission-critical internal systems that need to be accessible to home-based workers over VPN connections – even though some applications have moved to the cloud and are available through a website from a browser. Risna Steenkamp, ESM Business Unit Manager at value-added distributor Networks Unlimited Africa, which distributes Uplogix throughout sub-Saharan Africa, clarifies, “During ...
COVID-19 Boosts Demand for Human-Centered Digital Design
Sourced from TTEC.com If there is one thing that COVID-19 has highlighted; it is the importance of people in the economic value chain. Sandton-based business management consultant Immersion Group says that one of the emerging trends they’re seeing is that more organisations are seeking human-centred design experts to enhance or improve digital customer experiences, breaking down barriers that may be hindering their ability to satisfy their customers. Organisations are now facing urgent decisions as they pivot to accommodate the many unexpected circumstances, and when these challenges risk affecting the bottom line; it’s crucial that organisations rapidly take stock of what is working and what isn’t working when prioritising digital experiences that put the customer first. From onboarding t...
Unisa Confirms Postponement of Online Exams Due to Overworked Servers
Sourced from EWN. The University of South Africa (Unisa) has been forced to postpone several exams after technical issues interrupted last week’s set of online exams. Affected modules whose exams have been postponed include those studied by criminology students, as well as those in development studies. Sipho Xukwe, a third-year criminology student told City Press on Friday that he wasn’t able to submit his exam answers during online writing sessions this week because the system was “clogged due to the high volume of exam scripts and question papers.” /* custom css */ .tdi_3_6d7.td-a-rec-img{ text-align: left; }.tdi_3_6d7.td-a-rec-img img{ margin: 0 auto 0 0; } Xukwe continues says that while trying to answer questions, “A message popped up saying [the system] cannot hold the number of stud...
Telenor, Sony and Ericsson Join Forces to Develop Smart IoT Healthcare Devices
Sourced from Getty Images. Ericsson, Sony and Telenor have announced that they are teaming up to make it easy to connect people and things with intelligent tracking and monitoring solutions. Ranging from cargo to IoT healthcare devices for patients, tracking increases mobility and improves reliability and efficiency. Using Telenor’s network, Ericsson’s IoT Accelerator for global connectivity, and Sony Network Communications Europe’s smart IoT services, the three partners are collaborating to enhance real-time location and tracking solutions for different sectors. Ericsson IoT Accelerator is the Ericsson’s IoT connectivity and device management platform, providing enterprises with a unified solution that manages IoT operations of any scale, using worldwide mobile network infrastructure. Mor...
WATCH: SpaceX’s Crew Dragon Astronauts Enter International Space Station
Sourced from CNET. SpaceX’s new Crew Dragon capsule successfully docked with the International Space Station, bringing the companies first crew to the orbiting platform. The crew’s arrival completes another part for SpaceX’s first crewed mission with the Crew Dragon, which successfully blasted off on 30 May from world-famous lift-off point Cape Canaveral, Florida. The Crew Dragon’s passengers — NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley — are set to begin an extended stay on board the ISS that could last up to four months. They will join three crewmates already living on board the station: NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy and Russian cosmonauts Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner, according to The Verge. Watch in the video below how astronauts Behnken and Hurley exit the Crew Dragon and greet t...
5 Essential Mobile Apps for Moms
Being a mother has to be one of the most exciting but also demanding experiences life can provide. One moment your heart is swelling with thoughts of all the wonderful memories you will create with your little one – then suddenly, you are worrying about how you are going to juggle it all: the sleepless nights, the rocking to bed, the learning and unlearning. Luckily, mobile apps have been a silver lining when it comes to handling motherhood. These five essential apps will no doubt bring convenience and laughter into your life: 1. Lullaby Songs for Babies Sometimes rocking and singing your child to sleep can be exhausting. Conveniently, Lullaby Songs for Babies puts your vocal cords to rest for a few moments. The application has multiple lullabies available, which are categorised into certa...
‘Anonymous’ Hacktivists Attack and Take Down United Nations Website
After hacking and taking down the Minneapolis Police Department website, the Anonymous hacker-group continued their protest spree and hacked the United Nations website, taking down a part of the site – the United Nations Civil Society Participation website – and replacing it with an image protesting the death of Minneapolis native George Floyd. Hacktivists protest by hacking a United Nations webpage. Floyd was killed by police officer Derek Chauvin – while in custody – who restrained Floyd with a knee to the back of the neck. Floyd was handcuffed and unarmed at the time. Riots were sparked across the United States and even other countries as footage of the incident was released online. The group posted a video to another hacked page with a message to the police of Minneapolis. “This traves...
