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S 16 Built for Africa Designed in Asia Enterprise mobility
African subcultures Korean subcultures K-pop
Solar Powered Health Centre Engineering Academy Solar Powered Internet Schools Venture capital in Africa
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CO N T E N T S
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C R E AT E
INSPIRE
INVEST
African business leaders Snap Happy
The future of the smart home is here Creating the Typeface for Galaxy devices
Samsung Gear 360 City guide: Cairo Eco Lodges in Mozambique Africa’s A-listers
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CONNECT
I N N OVAT E
P L AY
Ed i to r i n C h i ef Steven B o s c h G u e s t Ed i to r a n d De s i gn Mat t hew Ta ge r Ma na ging Editor Elizabeth Jordaan F i n a n ce M ic h elle G ro en ewa l d Pro d u c ti o n N ico le Ha m ilto n C o m m i s o n Ed i to r C h r is Ra at h
S16 is published for Samsung Electronics Africa by Millhouse Publishing. 2882 William Nicole Drive. Bryanston, SA, 2092
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For editorial queries contact S16@millhouse.co.za
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SNAP
HAPPY O
f all the social media apps out there, Instagram is the one having a real moment. Phiona Okumu rounds up the top 4 Africa-related Instagram accounts.
In South Africa alone more than half a million users are said to have signed up to Instagram last year – and remember, the photosharing app is only available on iOS and Android. What is it that we like so much about Instagram? Well, mostly that it’s so easy to use and therefore that much more social. Everyone understands pictures. Mediums like Twitter, for example, while also quite popular, are not as intuitive which will explain the huge discrepancy between the number of people who have signed on and the active users. As a tool for expression and self-promotion it’s fast becoming the go-to app for creative types who view Instagram as nothing short of a miracle.
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I N S TA PRENEURS (@roywrench) Groupthink is the main premise for social media. Facebook runs a ticker bar down the side of your page so you can keep abreast of all the things your friends like (so you can like them too). And what’s trending on Twitter? That’s what you really ought to be talking about on that platform, suggests the hash-tagged provision for flagging up the most popular conversations happening at any given moment. Mobile Media Mob, a South Africa-based creative collective that specializes in the production and broadcast of visual content, knows this social science well and uses this knowledge to help different brands maximize their social visibility and impact by creating a splash on Instagram, growing their Facebook communities, or livedocumenting events. Roy Potterill is one half of the brainpower behind the creative enterprise. In his own capacity, the mobile photography enthusiast and self-proclaimed “wizard in the realms of light and shadow” specializes in urban portraiture and he uses it to bring a sense of spectacle to the most humdrum of places, faces and events.
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I N S TA O R ATO R S (@everdayafrica) Photojournalists Peter DiCampo and Austin Merrill created Everyday Africa as they wanted to balance out the type of visuals they felt are normally used to tell the stories about living in Africa. Violence, hunger, lack and disease were some of the themes too commonly tagged on to the narratives about the continent, reinforced with the visual reporting which supports it. Everyday Africa exists to counter that tendency. People in different parts of Africa are shown simply eating, hanging out, doing laundry, playing with their children, going to church, getting their hair cut etc. These are the types of posts which populate its diverse feed curated by a community of dedicated photographers, all of whom come from different fields and specialties of image making.
I N S TA T R AV E L E R S (@invisibleborders) In June this year, the Invisible Borders Trans-African Photographers Organization went on the road for a fifth time. An annual assemblage of African photographers, writers, video artists, art historians and performance artists who journey across 21 countries in Africa and 11 in Europe with Bosnia as a final destination. During the 22-week roadtrip they make 5 to 7-day stops in the major cities through which they pass not only creating personal works with their various mediums, but also collaborating with local partners. The idea is not only to offer the travelling experience to the viewer but also ultimately address the borders that exist between artists, the subject of their creation and the audience.
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I N S TA TA I N E R (@yagazieemezi) Nigerian-born Yagazie Emezi moved to the United States in 2005. Here she launched a website to showcase the works and travels of young, up and coming African photographers whom she admired, as part of her ongoing effort to encourage the creative arts movement within Africa and the Diaspora. As with many other independent creatives, social media has been a crucial platform for Emezi to display her many talents and personality. Her popular Youtube channel, for example, is where you can find her hilarious extended musings on topics like dating, and also discussions on more serious things like the eating disorders she used to battle with. Emezi recently relocated back to Nigeria and her adoring followers have gone right along with her. On Instagram they get to enjoy the relatable, off beat and really funny byte-sized view of this stylish, witty, artistic and infectious personality.
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INNOVATE
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THE
FUTURE OF THE SMART HOME IS HERE
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O
ne of the biggest trends for 2016, apart from virtual reality, is home automation. Remote controlling your home means optimal living conditions – and is the next level in technological advancements. ..............Words: Nafisa Akabor.
At CES in Las Vegas earlier this year, Samsung Electronics announced the next evolution in the way we live. Can you imagine controlling all your home devices from a single application? Think smart TVs, fridges, washing machines, air conditioners and lighting. A central server will allow access to both home appliances and personal devices, including smartphones, tablets and smartwatches. The Samsung Smart Home will provide three services – device control, home view and customer service.
a reality today and allows our customers to live a smarter life,” said Dr. WonPyo Hong, President and head of the Media Solution Center at Samsung Electronics. “Samsung Smart Home lets people live better, worry less and be smarter with their devices and appliances. We also have grand plans to enhance more and more parts of the home experience, especially with a view of expanding it to areas with high growth potential such as home safety and energy management.”
The Smart Home app can be accessed from a smartphone or tablet, allowing users to control one or multiple devices simultaneously from wherever they are. Home view lets you get access to your home in real-time through appliances that have built-in cameras, while customer service informs you when you need to service an appliance or replace consumables, and still manages to provide after sales services.
The Samsung Smart Home is about making household activities more efficient and fun. For example, imagine yourself in a kitchen ready to cook for yourself. Smart Home can play your favourite cooking music as background music, tell you what you can cook with what you have in your refrigerator and providing the right air circulation, so that your house stays fresh. Mostly importantly, all these are happening as you begin to cook without having to turn on your TV, check the fridge or set up your air conditioner. Now, that is pretty cool.
“We are excited that the launch of Samsung Smart Home makes the connected home
The company plans to start offering Smart Home products in the first half of 2017, and
has already announced a Wi-Fi controlled washing machine for the African continent at the Samsung Forum that took place in Spain in February. The WW9000 smart washing machine has a minimalist, elegant design, which lets you operate it via a 5-inch colour touch screen above the front loader. While other manufacturers have washing machines that can interact with a smartphone, Samsung’s WW9000 model is the only one that allows a user to start and stop a cycle from a mobile device, from anywhere. The app also lets you pause the cycle, and get notifications on remaining cycle times and once the wash is complete. Another product that is making use of Smart technology is the Samsung air conditioner. Users can select a mode and temperature control remotely, thereby ensuring when you arrive home your house is at optimal temperature; users can also keep track of power consumption and in order to receive error information. like people, pets, smoke, humidity, lighting, and moisture. And this is just the beginning.
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TEMP
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MOTION
LIGHT
AUDIO
TOUCH
ALARM
PHONE
Apart from the straightforward controlling of devices from a smartphone app, Smart Home goes a step further and supports voice command. Users may speak to their mobile devices instead of the usual tapping on-screen. A user could make use of this function by saying something like ‘going out’ and have their appliances and lighting turned off, or saying ‘good night’ to a smart TV remote and have the TV, Smart Bulb and air conditioners switched off. It could also be useful for the visually impaired or elderly. Its great when home automation is enhancing our daily experience, but the fact that it will give people some extra time could make a lifestyle even cooler. Because Smart Home is not about executing a specific task and about helping us do tasks more efficiently, we will have more time to do whatever we want, such as watching TV or playing video games. The fact is, no matter what your occupation is, you have chores to do at home. After working hard and late, when you come back home, the last thing you want to do is your chores; you want do something fun or relaxing. Not your laundry, washing dishes or cleaning your house. So if something like
laundry or vacuuming could be done before you come back from work, you have more time to do what you enjoy. Samsung’s final contribution to home automation comes on the front of home security. Samsung Smart Home can detect and immediately notify the user of changes in the home, such as motion in a room or an opening window. James Monighan, UK MD of Samsung Smart Home, says: “The smart home revolution will have massively positive implications on how we live. Our homes are becoming smarter and can now detect the presence of things like people, pets, smoke, humidity, lighting, and moisture. And this is just the beginning. Just as the technology driving the Internet has spread to smartphones and smart homes, the smart home revolution is destined to spread to larger communities and countries. By simply turning lights and heating off when we don’t use them, we can reduce emissions. By being able to better monitor and secure our homes, we can reduce crime. By better monitoring the habits of aging relatives, we help them to achieve greater independence and a higher quality of life.
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E H T G N C R E AT I
TYPEFACE
FOR GALAXY DEVIC ES C re a te
t h e Fa c e of Ga laxy De vice
T
he modern world is flooded with type; it’s everywhere from the pages of books, on the billboards and signage lining the streets, brochures and flyers, to TV and smartphone displays. It is nearly impossible to find a moment free from the constant barrage of text. It is a fundamental element of design, used for visual appeal in today’s retail-driven culture. Despite how much information is delivered and received through written text, for the most part, little thought is given to the importance of the typeface itself.
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FONTS FOR MOBILE DEVICES “As a font designer for smart devices, I ‘draw’ text. My main job is to develop new fonts and optimize existing fonts originally designed for print or web pages by paying attention to the appearance of every single letter,” explained JiEun Kim, Senior Designer of UX Innovation, for Samsung’s IT & Mobile Communications Business. The term “digital font” refers to the design of text used for electronic devices, such as computers and smartphones. As web design expands, the number of fonts also grows. There are many fonts that are language-specific. Considering that Galaxy devices support more than 90 languages, the number of fonts available for Galaxy users is nearly inconceivable. The default font for Galaxy devices is the result of optimizing the standard typeface used by Android OS, ensuring that it is best-suited for each Galaxy device.
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“We continue to examine our fonts in extreme detail, even if it is barely noticeable to the majority of users. Imagine a sculptor working on his future masterpiece, hammering and sanding the surface for years. In a similar manner, we fine-tune our fonts little by little, getting closer to perfection each time,” Kim added.
Many people like to change the fonts on their personal devices, testing various styles to find their favorite. Typeface is so important, some users pay to download additional options. For others, font design may go unnoticed as devices and trends change, sticking to familiar fonts that feel comfortable. Just like seasonal fashion, new fonts can be applied for a different look; however, as with many things, simply following the trend is not always the best way to go. “In my opinion, a good font should be clearly legible, even after long hours of reading. But that does not mean there is a universal font that is best for all devices; depending on differences in display resolution, screen size, aspect ratio and even background colors, the same font can look quite different on different devices,” Kim explained. For example, the thickness of a white font on a black background can appear to be different than a black font on a white background. Additionally, wearable devices have smaller screens than smartphones. Samsung had to reduce the width of each character of every font in order to better fit smaller displays.
CREATING A MASTERPIECE The font design team also takes a creative approach, attempting to create new font styles that are interesting and different. Some people may initially feel slightly uncomfortable with change, but over time it becomes more familiar and eventually the change is preferred. Samsung believes it is very important to find the right balance between meeting the needs of people who like familiarity and pursuing fresh ideas that consumers will come to love. “We continue to examine our fonts in extreme detail, even if it is barely noticeable to the majority of users. Imagine a sculptor working on his future masterpiece, hammering and sanding the surface for years. In a similar manner, we fine-tune our fonts little by little, getting closer to perfection each time,” Kim added. Before launching a new device, Kim carefully checks how each font will look, depending on the length and arrangement of text and font size.
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DEFAULT
APPLE MINT
SAMSUNG SANS GOTHIC BOLD ll Ti n ke r be
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UNIQUE TO GALAXY Galaxy users can customize the faces of their smartphones with several pre-loaded fonts such as Choco Cooky, Cool Jazz, Gothic Bold, Rosemary and Samsung’s default font. In the configuration settings menu, fonts can be previewed to see how it will look as a title or description, before applying the changes. “It’s difficult when a font has really unique characters. People can grow tired of the font in a short period of time, if the characters are too strong. The most widely used fonts around the world are popular for hundreds of years, even while they continue to be refined. Keeping this in mind, we try to make sure every font on Galaxy devices looks neutral, solid and dignified.” The newest font, Samsung Sans, was designed exclusively for Samsung mobile devices including Galaxy smartphones. Kim joined the design team that carefully developed the tilt, lines and curves of every character, over the past year. “Samsung Sans is our first exclusive font for Samsung mobile devices. We focused on making Samsung Sans embody the identity of Samsung mobile, delivering a soft, natural typeface that is polished, but not over-styled. Because Samsung mobile devices are favored by hundreds of millions of users around the globe, we tried to design a font that would be easy and comfortable to read in any language,” said Kim. Another noteworthy difference of font design that users may easily recognize is number font, which is the same for users globally. Due to changes in approaches and design concepts of Samsung’s flagship smartphones, number fonts differ slightly by device. Numbers change the appearance of the lock screen, the weather forecasting widget, dual clock widget and alarm.
“Because Samsung mobile devices are favored by hundreds of millions of users around the globe, we tried to design a font that would be easy and comfortable to read in any language,” said Kim.
THE DIFFERENCE OF TYPEFACE When thinking about the newest smart devices, most people focus on the latest technologies and features. Typeface is recognized subconsciously; however, there are those who always consider the way information is displayed, such as font designers like Kim. They understand typography is a language itself, and think about what fonts are best for every message, location or device. “As a font designer for smart devices, my goal is to design a smart device-specialized font that feels comfortable, is easy to read and is attractive across many languages. Of course, I want to achieve ultimate optimization for various smart devices, too. You may feel that the fonts currently used on smart devices are good enough, but I don’t think they are 100 percent perfect yet. I believe fonts are similar to facial expressions in a way; the slightest hint of distortion can change the whole impression,” Kim emphasized.
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P L AY
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