Bluetooth intelligence

If any one managed to get down to the Coca Cola rock festival over the long weekend they would have been witness to a growing form of advertising – Bluetooth. Music and picture downloads were transmitted through out the day and night to everyone who turned their Bluetooth on.

It is amazing that this technology is being adopted so slowly though. If you look at this form of advertising compared to a poster for example the benefits are easily seen. Firstly the person does not have to physically go to the poster – the message gets sent to them directly. The advertiser is also aware of exactly how many people accepted and read the message, unlike the traditional poster.

There were some problems at the concert itself though. Some people reported issues of blank messages being sent. The problem there seems to be that the area was too large to be able to transmit to all phones.

What is important about this is not that it worked, it is that large companies are trying out Bluetooth advertising – a means of communication that will surely overtake traditional means in the near future.

WiMax finally here...almost

South Africa is set to get WiMax sooner than expected. Telkom have just announced their plan to set up a WiMax, beginning in Gauteng and the populated coastal areas of South Africa.

According to Telkom they plan to have a network up by next month in parts of Gauteng. At last we can catch up with Namibia and Mozambique. Who would have thought that the supposed power house of Africa would be so far behind with technology?

The WiMax network forms part of Telkom’s next generation network (NGN) which they are planning to roll out by 2011.

Let us just hope that this is not just another case of Telkom promising the world and delivering a luke warm pizza.

PR spam

Well, as much as we love the Public Relations industry, something needs to change. The problem that arises now is a lot of what is being sent is finding its way to the spam inbox. Most journalists feel that they are already inundated with press releases and my total to date is 134 for the month of April. Now as much as journalists complain about press releases they are a great source of news or feature ideas. And with my spam inbox totally 498 for the month of April I don’t feel the need to continually go through it to find the odd press release amongst the Viagra and stock offers.

Now it is up to the PR agents to change the way press releases are being sent out. As for the answer I don’t have one but I think that the first step would be to make them more personal. This could help in the battle against being termed spam.

Deep sea phishing

Walking into my office this morning I encountered this interesting e-mail. Apparently my ABSA account has been compromised – hang on, I don’t have an ABSA account. Strange. Anyway, you can see the e-mail below.

What is scary is that there are probably quite a few people out there who do have an ABSA account, who are not aware of phishing and who did get this particular e-mail.

According to Symantec there were 790 million blocked phishing e-mails between July and September of last year. If you think about how many e-mails do not get blocked things start to get a bit scary.

In the end it all boils down to education. Just like spammers, the people sending out these e-mails do so only because they are aware that they will receive reward. When the people who do follow the e-mail instructions stop creating a demand then we are sure to see a reduced rate of phishing attacks.

We recently noticed one or more attempts to log in to your ABSA account from a foreign IP address.
Because of this unauthorized number of login attempts on your account, we had to believe that there might
be some security problems on your account and we have suspended your account temporary.
So we have decided to put an extra verification process to ensure your identity and your account security.

ABSA Bank security department has request for your account information including
your registered e-mail address and the password to the e-mail address.
These will be use in our upcoming security enhancement, which will be taking place on the 30th of April 2007.

This Information is mandatory to complete your verification as a legitimate member of ABSA Bank.

However, you are required to use your computer keyboard and not the touch pad in completing
the step 2 of this verification.
Please take 5-10 minutes
out of your online experience and verify your personal records so that you will not run into
any future problems with the online service.

https://www.absa.co.za/verify/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_login-run

If you choose not to complete this request, you give us no choice but to suspend your account temporary.

It takes at least 72 hours for the investigation in this case and we strongly recommend you to verify
your account at that time.

Thanks for your patience as we work together to protect your account.

ABSA Security Department.

MySpace chooses President

MySpace is showing the world just what a Web site can do. They are going to take part in choosing the next US president. Well not really. As far as I can see the United States is still set to follow the more traditional presidential campaign methods but this is still a small online victory.

Mark Burnett, the brains behind the hit Survivor series and the not-so-hit Amazing Race series has developed a new series, Independent. The show allows contestants to run for a fake presidential campaign – MySpace being the main platform for the campaign efforts.

Even though this is for entertainment alone it does show you how effective the Web can be. If a president wants to reach the under 30 market then online is the only way to go. I don’t just mean using blogs during the campaign trail but actual social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook can be platforms for potential voters to go and visit. Here they will be able to find all the information regarding the president’s policies and aims. And about the president themselves.

It is time politicians embraced the Web more, instead of trying to reach the youth through Hip Hop artist’s endorsements.

Will SA be ready?

Intel have disclosed plans to include WiMax support next year in its next-generation ‘Montevina’ platform for notebook computers. Intel released this information at the developer’s forum held in Beijing. News of this was first found at www.techworld.com.

The bigger news for South African users is that the WiMax technology will be replacing things like 3G cellular. So where does this leave South African users? I guess the biggest question of all is: Will SA be ready for WiMax in 2008. And on a more realistic note these technologies will probably only ship to SA in 2009. So this won’t affect users on their current platforms but if you are a must-have technology person and are always buying the latest technology trend, then be sure to double check that WiMax is available because by signing a new 3G contract, or HSDPA as we now know it, you might be caught Internet-less.

The ‘Montevino’ platform runs on a processor code-named Penryn. It will give mobile users access to bandwidth-intensive content such as high-definition videos and music, Intel said.

Microsoft get serious

It seems that Microsoft are stepping up their anti-piracy campaign even further. The major software company plans to highlight the apparent dangers of software-piracy on World Intellectual Property Day (IP day) which is to be held on the 26^th of April.

“People often think that there is nothing wrong with using unlicensed software. However, this sees local jobs being negatively impacted and sees the economy losing out on millions of Rands,” states a representative of Microsoft.

This comes in the wake of other efforts from Microsoft. NamelyGenuine Advantage. A program used to dissuade people from using pirated copies of its software. The basic logic behind Genuine Advantage is that you may still be able to operate the software but you will not get the full benefits of their product. Some may laugh at this but the issue is a serious one - $34 billion dollars (R238 billion) worth of seriousness (the claimed cost of software piracy on a global scale).

RIM explain

Well it seems that Research in Motion (RIM), the developers of the ever popular Blackberry series of business phones, have finally come out with an answer to their 24 hour outage. Blackberry users around the world could not connect to their e-mail this last Tuesday.

There were rumours that this was a security hack, or even that the RIM network could not handle the increasing capacity. According to RIM executives none of this is true. They claim that the actual problem was the installation of a non-critical system routine – this to allow for a more effective cache system.

This is all well and good, but with competition breathing down their neck this was probably not the most well timed situation.

Intelligence looks ahead with new executive chairman

Well things have been slightly unsettled at Intelligence Publishing over the last few weeks and with all the enquiries that have been coming our way it is only human to give you the latest. Please read the following release which highlights the company's new intention following John Woodnut's position as the new executive chairman:

Intelligence Publishing appoints new executive chairman

Intelligence Publishing, owners of eight magazines including youth title SL magazine and the hip hop magazine Hype , has appointed John Woodnut as their new executive chairman.
He has been tasked with spearheading a "strategy aimed at growing its titles and expanding its publishing business" amid allegations that the company is experiencing financial difficulties, which have been denied by Woodnut.

"If anything, we are well-funded. We had a meeting on Friday with shareholders and they gave us an extensive budget. We are going on an aggressive strategy to grow the business," says Woodnut.

Intelligence Publishing owns the following titles, only three of which are registered with the Audit Bureau of Circulations.

SL – monthly, student magazine, ABC 12,492 (copy sales + subscriptions, Oct-Dec'06)
PC Format – monthly, computer magazine, ABC 21,118 (copy sales + subscriptions, Oct-Dec'06)
Computer Active – monthly, computer magazine, ABC 10,817 (copy sales + subscriptions, Oct-Dec'06)
Intelligence – business technology publication
Hype – hip hop magazine
T3 – gadget and consumer electronic magazine
Windows Vista – Microsoft magazine
G.E.A.R – gaming magazine

RFID: Are you scared?

I have just started researching my latest feature, focusing on RFID in the retail space. The whole concept of RFID is quite exciting, the efficiency gains, from what I can see, will be tremendous if adoption picks up. There is a more sinister side to the technology though.

The human-implantable aspect to RFID really scares me. Instead of packages at the local Spar being tagged, you actually get a little chip inserted in your triceps. I am not sure if that exact muscle has any significance but, according to one of the companies responsible, VeriChip, this is the best place for insertion.

There are obviously some serious benefits to having an RFID chip in your body. In a medical emergency doctors could simply scan your chip to check your medical history – in these capitalist times the fact that they can get your medical aid number is probably more important.

This is all fine but when you look at the fact that this little chip has GPS capabilities then you start to wonder. The person controlling the information could have access to your medical records, bank details and location – a dangerous combination if you ask me.

At present there is no pressure to actually put one in your body, but with talk of using these chips in place of identity documents it is time to start worrying…has anyone seen Minority Report?

To Joost, or not to Joost

It seems the daily struggle a writer has when in tune with the blogosphere is that most posts end up being Internet based. Or more concisely the Internet or lack thereof in South Africa, is at the heart of the story.

Today is no different. I recently got put on the Joost beta service. For those who don’t know, well it is an online TV service that was set up in the US. Unfortunately, to experience the service to the max, it is not the speeds that hinder the process but more importantly the cap. Aaron Keogh, director of technology of Matrixstream in Canada, reckons that to run a decent online TV service one needs a speed of 384 kilobits per second, in other words 48 kilobytes per second.

Let’s do the maths. An average Internet cap is 3 Gigabytes, which in turn is 3000 Megabytes, which makes 3 million Kilobytes. 48 goes into 3 million 62 500 times. So 62 500 seconds is 1041 minutes, which in hours is 17 hours of viewing time (Thanks to Google for doing the sums). So if I am a sporting enthusiast I get to watch about 9 games of soccer. Now this is if I don’t use my Internet connection for anything else.

Some might argue that it isn’t too bad but couple that with the browsing habits of an Internet fundi, which is about 3 gigabytes a week, then the game time on Joost will be a bit limited.

I guess my Joost beta will be like the good old days, a whole lot of window shopping but not a lot of enjoyment. But then again, where there is a will there is a way, it just might cost a lot as the going rate for an extra Gigabyte is about R70.

There is life after e-mail

I do hope that someone does something about the state of Telkom’s Internet service. I just received an invitation for an event that started an hour ago. The problem, well after a quick phone call it was down to the wily old block in the Telkom hot seats. Yes, the whole system was down.

But what should be taken as a more important note is that people are becoming too dependant on e-mail. Surely if one does not RSVP for an event there would be a follow up call of some sorts to double check before the event starts. I guess we are slowly slipping into a world where human interaction is being rid of and we are set to only communicate with the gadgets we possess.

Sounds a tad inanimate and maybe over the top but the slide is slippery and once we are on it is very hard to get off. I am not saying take away the wonders of the net, all I am saying is remember it is not the sole form of communication. Sometimes a phone call is more direct and useful. Unfortunately Telkom are the backbone to this type of service to, so don’t expect too much.

Giving the magazine a visual voice

When we finally (and hopefully) get our Web site going we hope to be able to include a bit of multi-media as well. Even though we are a monthly magazine we hope to be able to launch a full online platform. We plan to use the Web site for more breaking news that does not fit into the monthly format.

It was just by chance that this nifty gadget landed on my desk yesterday. The Creative DiVi Cam 516 allows for video audio and still pictures – pretty much the perfect multi-media tool rolled into one.

The fact that the camera is the size of a packet of cigarettes adds to its appeal. Throw in a 5.1 mega pixel digital camera and you have my attention. The video resolution is 640 by 480 which is great if you are looking to publish on the Web.

The only problem I foresee is being able to film the interviewee properly with such a small camera – I see a gap in the market for Smurf tripods…anyone willing to bankroll?

Telecoms smellecoms (something smells in there)

It is the news that most Internet fanatics have been waiting for. And although the news is not cast in stone, the fact that Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri’s term as Minister of Communications might be coming to an end, is the light at the end of tunnel. If we couple this potential news with the recent news that Papi Moletsane is no longer in the hot seat at Telkom, the telecommuncations sector might be heading in a whole new direction.

Any commentator will agree that one of the main stumbling blocks to the development of South Africa is the expensive telecommunications, especially the expensive and slow Internet connections. And with this news one could argue that the regulations that are usually placed on telecommunications might be lifted.

Pessimists could argue the fact that even if these two are out of the picture the telecommunications in South Africa will no likely improve. However, couple the imminent departure of Matsepe-Cassaburri and Moletsane with Mbeki’s recent comments about the need for telecoms to play a key role in the country reaching its development goals, and a change is on the cards. So the dilemma we face is: Is there light at the end of the tunnel or is it just an oncoming train.

The Internet is dead, long live the Internet

On IOL this morning I found an interesting article pointing to the fact that some people are calling for the Internet’s head. Researchers from top institutions around the world are using what they call a ‘clean slate’ approach. These researchers figure that the Internet requires some drastic changes and the only way to do this is to start from scratch…I am sure Google are jumping up and down in their sandpit at the thought of this.

The basic logic behind this move seems to be that the Internet, according to these researchers, has outgrown its shoes. For them there is a stark difference between what the Internet was intended for, back in the late sixties, and what it is being used for at present.

The main problem they have with the current use of the Internet is that originally it was based on a trust system. The people using the Internet in the early days knew each other and where happy to be on an open network. These days hackers and other cyber criminals are making this trust system obsolete.

The article points out that the most probable evolution of this ‘clean slate’ Internet will be that it will run concurrently with the existing Internet, eventually swallowing it up.

The biggest problem I have with this idea is that it allows certain elements to have a say in the way the Internet works. Big corporations and governments want to tame this wild animal and this could be their chance.

Distorted Media

There has been a lot of debate over the last few years about online media swallowing up print. Being a print magazine, the Intelligence team has been keeping a close eye on the online phenomenon. Wait … do not stop reading now, this is not one of those ‘print vs. online’ debates. That horse was flogged quite a while back.

Last week I was pointed to an interesting site for a punk rock magazine, Distorted, that is based in the UK. What I liked most about the site was the way they integrated old and new media. In short, they have placed the traditional magazine layout on a Web site. The pages are then turned by the mouse cursor at your leisure.

Now this is not a totally new approach to marrying the two mediums but it is one of the better looking options by far. The obvious problem of Internet speeds in South Africa does rear its ugly head of course – the problem is not as bad as I expected though. If you turn about 5 pages really quickly you begin to start turning over loading pages, other than this everything is pretty smooth.

The creators could have been a bit more adventurous, considering the UK has some pretty speedy Internet. For example, instead of having normal pictures on the page they could place video or picture slide shows. Of course us poor souls in sunny South Africa would find ourselves on the wrong end of the Internet stick if that was to happen.

Afri alongside Ama - is this another David vs Goliath

In the past few weeks we have seen the blogosphere enter an aggregator war, or maybe it should rather be termed a mine is better than yours battle. There could be a slight in justice here as unfortunately for the Afrigator crowd they are not backed up by a formidable organisation like Mail & Guardian. This could ultimately see the Amatomu boys sneak the prized mantle piece of being the number one aggregator developed locally. However one could argue that the two services are focused on capturing two different markets. Amatomu is targeted at SA bloggers while Afrigator has gone continental and targeted the African continent on a whole.

A plus side on the Afrigator case is that it has already been ranked as one of the best startups by www.killerstartups.com. One could say that this means Afrigator already has one ball in their court.

As in any war of words time will deliver a result and it is very hard to predict the numbers that will sign up on both services. With the financial backing and the other mediums in the Mail & Guardian with which Amatomu can be flogged, one could expect to see the Mail & Guardian based Amatomu to dominate the local blogosphere. Who knows maybe their next port of call could also be in direct competition with Afrigator on the African soil.

Welcome

Intelligence was launched in 1994 and established itself as a top business magazine. It has remained a popular if niche-marketed read since its inception. The past few years have seen Intelligence focusing on pertinent business issues.

In the December/January 2006 issue, the publication returned to its roots as a technology-focused business magazine. We offer our readers and advertisers the best international and local content, together with the people and companies who are changing the South African technology landscape, in a complete compendium of the best business and technology writing. Intelligence is the essential read for anyone who wants to know how technology impacts business and their lives.

As technology is the core of the magazine the Intelligence team has decided to spread its wings and enter the blogosphere. Stuart Lowman and Duncan Alfers will be the people blogging on the site. Duncan Alfers has been a writer at Intelligence since July 2006, and has since gained a tremendous amount of knowledge around technology. Stuart Lowman who joined the company as a writer in October 2005, took over the reigns as editor in March 2006. Together they will blog about technology and everything else that goes with it.