As an author who is self-published, I find myself at pains to make a choice to finally take the leap of faith into e-readers!

Since my professional background is software development, one would have thought that I would embrace just about any gadget that comes along, but nay.

My reason for not accepting e-readers in their variations is quite simple really. I own a few laptops and a netbook. If I count the gadgets I own, it does not make sense for me to invest in another of those. I have three laptops, one netbook and a smart phone. Now there is an e-reader and tablet to consider. These things are just too much. How on earth am I going to use all of them?

So I still do not own an e-reader nor a tablet. I think people bought these things without really thinking about their use. Tables are for people who want to surf the web and maybe read emails, that’s it. I am not in that category at all. You see, I write a lot on my machines, so a keyboard is a must for me. These touch screens just won’t cut it.

But as an author, I have my work available as e-books, yet I refuse to use e-readers!

What is the impact of these gadgets on our reading population? I have found that people who actually love reading, love Read the full story

Remember the hit drama series of the 90s, Bophelo Ke Semphego, which aired on SABC? The storyline revolved around a man who lived with his mother. The main character, Nkwisheng, was in love with three beautiful women who all contested for his attention and his heart. You’re probably wondering how a drama series fits into a techno article.

For the past three weeks I have been spending my time with two sleek, stylish and affordable mobile phones I recently got from Mi-fone for a review. Mi-fone is the first African mobile device brand in the market.

The beauty of Mi-fone devices is that they have features just like other phones currently on the market, and yet do not have the expensive price tag attached to them. The two Mi-fone devices contesting for my attention were the Mi-Q5 and the Mi-A100. Both beauties differ in functionality, but have common features, including the powerful music link.

Mi-Q5

The Mi-Q 5 is a handset sporting a QWERTY keypad, FM radio, and the ability to send and receive MMS and SMS. The device also features GPRS, WAP, an MP3 player, 1 GB memory card and accommodates two SIM cards. The phone comes with bluetooth, a digital camera, and has capability to run Java apps and social networking apps (MSN and Facebook). The Mi-Q5 can easily access Mxit and e-mails too.

Mi-A100

The other beauty was the lightweight Mi-A100. The touchscreen device runs on an Android 2.2 operating system, has a camera, can easily browse the internet and is also good on social networking. This beauty can receive and send MMS and SMS, has a navigator, FM radio, an MP3 player, 1GB memory card, dual SIM, wi-fi, bluetooth and can record sound.

My verdict… both the Mi-Q5 and Mi-A100 deserve my attention!

Ash “de flesh” Mokwena 

Sony’s latest handheld gaming console, the PlayStation Vita, takes gaming to another level. The PS Vita is the most impressive and the sleekest handheld console ever manufactured… of course, that is my own opinion and that of a number of techno reviewers. The console has a two quad-core processor, a 5-inch touchscreen OLED display, dual analogue stick controls and games that go way beyond what any other portable device in the market is currently capable of.

The PS Vita’s competitor, the Nintendo 3DS which wields 3D optics as its catch card, cannot compete with the Vita in terms of graphics. The PS Vita offers a home console experience on the move, and that is what puts it in its own class. The PS Vita is the successor to the Sony PSP and the console looks different. The PS Vita is “the Beast among Men” or should I say it’s the current “champ” of handheld consoles.  The console measures 7.2 inches from end-to-end and a height of 3.3 inches and a thickness of 0.73, which makes it the biggest Sony handheld device at the moment. This Wifi model weighs about 260g which is 20g lighter than its predecessor.

The base of the PS Vita houses a USB connector for charging and for connecting to the PS3, a headphone/microphone adapter and the memory card slot. The rear of the PS Vita has a brand new touchpad, a rear 0.3mp camera and a microphone. With Japan rebuilding its economy and the US and Europe currently trying to solve their own economic mess, the PS Vita might just struggle to show good figures.

Retail Price: R2999,95 for the Wifi console and R3599,95 for the 3G console

Where: Sony stores or Incredible Connection stores

- Ash”da flesh” Mokwena 

Twitter has rolled out an option that allows you to read tweets beyond your native language. The new feature automatically translates tweets into various languages with the help of Bing Translator. A Twitter spokesperson said that they started rolling out the feature to a number of users last week to help them better connect and interact with others regardless of language.

The spokesperson also added that they “want to help people connect and discover what’s new no matter where they are on the planet or what languages they speak.”

Twitter users will be able to click on a non- English tweet and see a translated version of the message. Thai site Faceblog.in.th has taken screenshots of tweets written in Thai, Japanese, and Korean and it shows a translation in English.

Twitter made this possible by teaming up with Bing Translator, a free translation service that changes texts and web pages into various languages. At the moment it’s unclear when Twitter will make the new feature available to all members. For now, you and I have to wait till we can access this new feature.

- Ash ”da fleash” Mokwena

DMC is only producing 500,000 electric DeLorean models for next year with 100,000 orders already received. The asking price? Each DeLorean carries a sticker price from $90,000 to $100,000

The Consumer Electronics Show is the world’s largest consumer technology tradeshow that takes place at the Las Vegas Convention Centre every January. The event sets the sector’s agenda for the year with major players of the technology space unveiling their new developments.

Some industry critics have questioned the event’s relevance and with Microsoft announcing that this is their last appearance at the event, some think the event has passed its sell-by-date. This year saw the commercial launch of a new display technology called OLED (Organic light-emitting diode). The TV sets are thin and lighter than current models and TV manufacturing giants LG and Samsung unveiled 55inch sets.

Windows PC version of Mirosoft's motion-sensing Kinect Motion Control device

Microsoft provided the opening keynote address, which they have been doing for the past 14 years; the CEO Steve Ballmer announced the Windows PC version of the Kinect Motion Control device, which uses gestures to control its Xbox Games. Ballmer also showed off the newest version of Windows 8 which is due out later this year. Nokia revealed that they will release their Windows-running Lumia 900 in the US, a market where Nokia seems to have lost share in for the past couple of years. Nokia CEO Stephen Elop is pretty adamant that the company will regain its market share in the US.

Research in Motion announced a software upgrade to their Blackberry Playbook tablet that will give it email and messenger apps. Samsung also announced that they will also release the Galaxy Tab 7.7. Samsung and LG joined Sony in offering Google TV, a service which is set to bring the net to television sets as well as an estimated 80,000 movies and TV shows.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7

Intel proclaimed that this is the year of the Ultrabook. Ultrabooks are thinner, lighter and portable like Apple’s Macbook Air. Lenovo announced its idea, Pad Yoga, which works just like a tablet, and HP unveiled the Envy Spectre.

The One Laptop Per Child initiative has a new tablet by the name of XO 3.0, a customizable device that starts at $100

The exhibition was attended by 140,000 people and had 3100 exhibitors. Among those who attended were celebs such as Justin Timberlake, Justin Bieber, Will Smith and Will.i.am. It’s believed that Will.i.am is involved in an Ultrabook advertising campaign, and that he will be touring 12 cities, creating 12 songs and engaging with 12 charity ventures. This year promises to be another technology-crazy year and my advice to you, the consumer who has an interest in technology, reserve some cash because you don’t want to be left behind!

The Nintendo Wii U console was first unveiled in June 2011 at the Electronic Entertainment Expo. The main feature of the console is its built-in touch screen which either supplements or replicates the game play displayed on the television screen.

This eighth generation console is expected to be released early 2012. The Wii U is Nintendo’s sixth home console and the first Nintendo console to produce 1080p high-definition graphics and features a new controller with an embedded touch screen and a webcam. It will be fully backwards compatible with Wii, and Wii U games can support compatibility with peripherals such as the Wii remote, Wii MotionPlus and the Wii balance board. With this offering Nintendo plans to change the gamers’ perception on its console and to “lure” more gamers.

The difference between the Nintendo Wii U and other major players of the gaming consoles is its ability to continue the game while your TV set is switched off. Clearly Nintendo is tired of playing third or forth best and they are gearing up to push for better sales. Let’s hope this much talked about Wii U lives up to expectations.

- Ash” da flesh” Mokwena

Recently RIM announced two new phones set to dazzle the smartphone market, the Blackberry Bold 9790 and the Blackberry 9380 Curve. It’s believed that both devices will run on the new Blackberry 7 operating system and will offer enhanced multimedia, social and productive features, as well as several pre-installed Apps.

The Blackberry Bold 9790 comes with touch display and a QWERTY keyboard and optical trackpad. It features 1GHZ processor, 8GB onboard memory and an expandable memory card slot for up to 32GB of extra storage and not forgetting its 5 megapixel camera. The device can be used for work or play with its web browsing, multimedia and document composing capabilities.

The Blackberry 9380 Curve is more compact and stylish. It comes with touch display and has no keyboard or buttons to speak of. The device features 3.2 inch high resolution display, Blackberry Messenger, pre-installed Apps such as Facebook and twitter, 5 megapixel camera with flash and video recording.

Let’s hope in Africa we won’t wait long for these beauties to hit our shores.

Samsung has developed a sensational notebook which gives much-needed help to that business person who’s always on the road promoting and looking for business, and who even travels at remote places. We chatted with Phillip Henning, the Samsung Notebook PC Product Owner at Samsung Electronics South Africa, to give us more information on the Samsung Solar-Powered Netbook. Interview by Ash “da flesh” Mokwena:

AM: What is the Samsung NC215 Solar Powered Netbook all about?
PH: Samsung have created this unique, lightweight device which is all about innovation, power-saving and of course, going green.

AM: What happens if the Netbook is left under the sun for more than 30 minutes and also when someone works under the sun?
PH: The unit has a UV protective casing which protects the device against UV rays. Additionally, the unit can be left in direct sunlight for 2 hours and it will produce a charge so that the Netbook can be used for an additional hour. This essentially means that the Netbook can be charged through the traditional wall socket or directly via the sun. Furthermore, if using the Netbook outside the sun, the battery will charge while power is being drawn off the battery by using the Netbook.

AM: When was the Samsung Solar Powered Netbook released and what’s the retail price?
PH: The Solar Powered Netbook is currently available in the market through selected Incredible Connection outlets at a recommended retail price of R3 999 including VAT

AM: Could we label the Solar Powered Netbook as the “Tiger Woods” of the Netbooks? Read the full story

Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Apple Inc, a company which revolutionised the technology world died on the 5^th of October 2011, leaving many around the world asking: “how can someone with so much money not be able to defeat pancreatic cancer?”

Jobs invented the iPod, iPad, iPhone, iCloud, and the iMac to mention a few. These creations changed how business executives did business and certainly brought joy in the consumers live. Jobs started changing lives from 1976 at a California home in a garage. Jobs established what Don Draper, the hero of the TV series MAD MEN calls a “sentimental bond” with consumers. The man certainly knew what the consumer wanted. Jobs once said, “What people want most was easily accessible knowledge and limitless entertainment, carried lightly, an entire library of music at your fingertips, a phone that answered questions, a tablet that could bring you the world.”

Steve Jobs introduced words like nano, shuffle and app – words which have influenced the business world and touched the consumer. Jobs transformed numerous industries and changed billions of lives with his inventions. People compared his work to that of Thomas Edison, Henry Ford and Leonardo Da Vinci.

Through his creativity, Steve Jobs knew how to please the consumer and surely profited from his creativity. He was Bold, Brave and Talented. He lived life to the fullest and enjoyed the journey to success.

RIP Steve Jobs (1955-2011)

-          Ash “da flesh” Mokwena

False prophets have many a time declared the world as coming to an end. They said that in year 2000 the earth as we know it will seize to exist. This year an American preacher predicted that the world was ending, and others have claimed next year is the year of our demise. I think not. Blackberry users felt the horror and panic of a world threatening to end when they could not access BBM, Facebook, Twitter and Internet.

While chatting on my phone to an old friend on BBM about nothing, I asked my friend a very important question about a shoe I wanted to buy, only to not get an answer. My efforts to ping her into getting a reply were fruitless. I sent her an email and still nothing. When trying to post an update on Facebook on how I hate being ignored I pressed the “Post” button but nothing happened. I asked a fellow addict if her phone was working. I then heard words no BB user ever wants to hear. “Blackberry is dead!”

People around the world, young and old, torch and curve users experienced high stress levels over the past few days, and it even made evening news! I admit that I pulled out fists of hair yesterday. But it was while having breathed in and out during my panic attack that I realised that there was a silence at my work that I didn’t recognise. Instead of the high pitched BBM notifications resounding in the office corridors, I heard birds sing, I heard cars hoot and wow I heard the sound of my thoughts in my head. Thank you Blackberry for bringing back my sanity even if it was just for a couple of days.

Blessings,

Pops

Seconds, minutes and hours never go by without me thinking about the good times we shared. It feels like yesterday when you and I strolled down the quiet streets of the cyber world. You took me to enchanting places. You opened doors I thought only the rich and famous go through. You held my hand through typos, sad and smiling emoticons, and the never ending pings.

I never thought this day would come. You left without saying goodbye. Even a little purple message that I hate so much would have made a difference. Maybe I’m the one who’s to blame; I should have given you more space to breathe.

BIS where art thou?

I never thought I’d miss you this much. My friends or should I say my new nemesis are making fun of me – we’re Headline News. Try sparing a few seconds of your “busy” time and look at YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and every other gossip mag, maybe you’ll feel my pain. Here’s one heartbreaking comment I came across: “What did Blackberry say to another Blackberry? Nothing”, maybe once you read them you’ll feel sorry for me and come back.

As I write this letter to you, I’m lying flat on my back stranded; my owner has disserted me. Without you I’m just another phone.

Signed, BlackBerry

Technology has become a vital part of the human life. With a net worth of $255.18 billion and $65.23 billion in annual sales, Apple is the most valuable technology company in the world, having surpassed Microsoft. Though the iPhone 4 was released about fifteen months ago in America, there’s already talk of an iPhone 5. Apple on Tuesday the 27^th officially announced the launch event of the iPhone 5. According to reports, the event will take place on the 4^th of October at the Apple’s Cupertino, Calif Campus in California. Known for its sleek design the fifth generation of the iphone is set to get tongues wagging.

I did some digging and according to rumours, these are the five “CRAZY” rumored iphone 5 concepts…

Long gone are the analog days. The world has quickly shifted gear into a digital mode that not only affects the youth and individuals, but businesses alike. Nowadays you cannot mention the 21 century without uttering the words mobile applications, smartphones, tablets, and social media. All these sound like cool toys that were influenced by and can only be associated with the youth, but in actual sense businesses and their need to improve productivity triggered the great shift.

In my previous post, I talk about the mobile workforce and how it’s enhancing both our private and professional lives. Businesses would like to know that their employees can be productive both internally and externally, thus creating a better working scenario where employees don’t have to be in the office 8 hours a day inorder to complete tasks, but can leave early and still be productive. Businesses are also driving the shift for API development that allows companies to keep in touch with customers on the company’s terms at the customer’s convenience. These APIs also ease partnerships with other companies and create business leads. Bottom line, for a business to reach a wider audience in this day and age, it needs to use the tools that have been made available on the world wide web.

Improving your SEO (search engine optimization) has been greatly simplified by the introduction of social media. Here are some tips on how to expose your business:

        1.  Create a company Facebook page

• Considering Facebook has over 750 million active users, and the fact that we spend more time on social sites than browsing the web, a company page is sure to reach a high number of people.