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DRONING ON… It’s hard to believe that just five years ago, commercial drones (or unmanned aerial vehicles) didn’t exist. Initially designed for military use, they’re now seen as necessary to the operations of many industries, including construction, mining, land surveying and agriculture. New models have multi-spectral sensors which can capture invisible data like gas leaking from a pipeline, food crops suffering from a lack of nitrogen and potential landslides. Drones are also becoming popular toys for tech-minded hobbyists, costing as little as $53 for beginners and available in a range of models which look like props in sci-fi movies. The global market for non-military drones is currently worth an estimated $2,5 billion and is growing at an exponential rate, with some forecasting a surge in value of 50% by 2016. SA took the lead this year in drafting the first comprehensive set of drone regulations in the world – an issue which is often an impediment to their growth elsewhere. SteadiDrone, a start-up based in Knysna, began experimenting with the technology two years ago and is already exporting most of its drones, with dealerships in the USA, Canada, the UK, most of Europe, the United Arab Emirates and Australia.
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S
A is experiencing an exciting time of technological change. Thanks to increasingly affordable smart mobile devices and broadband connectivity, people are provided with the platform they need to embrace the digital lifestyle. The move to digital spans both consumer and business segments. Underpinning this is the telecommunications network, which establishes the foundation for the digitisation of our lives. At MTN Business, we understand how important it is to give our customers the enabling technologies to benefit in this new, connected world. We’re focused on combining ongoing network investment with innovative services that cater for all our customers’ needs, whether they’re
entrepreneurs or enterprises seeking to expand into Africa. Given its experience across market sectors, MTN Business is the partner of choice when it comes to ICT solutions that are customised to the unique requirements of our partners. We provide the support you need to grow your business in the digital world. As your trusted partner, MTN Business gives you access to good advice and networking opportunities with like-minded individuals. In addition, our uniquely designed small to medium enterprise solutions give you the basis to improve productivity, while reducing costs. So join us as we walk the digital road together and experience the best technology has to offer in business. ALPHEUS MANGALE Chief Enterprise Officer: MTN Business SA
BEHIND THE BRAND
Three of MTN’s senior management tell us what they love about its offerings
BRIDGET BHENGU Senior Manager: PR & Internal Communications Favourite gadget: The iPhone 6, because of its intuitiveness, ease of use and build quality.
Favourite app: Pinterest, which I use as a media platform to stay up to date with the latest trends in technology and innovation. This is vital for my job. I also find it useful as a tool that keeps me abreast of trends in general. It has loads of recipes and housekeeping tips.
each other’s lives. Swarm enables me to see which of my friends or relatives are nearby if I’m out for the evening or shopping. If I’m visiting a restaurant or hotel for the first time, it tells me who to speak to there and gives me access to reviews of the place.
MANDISA NTLOKO Head of Marketing: MTN Business Favourite apps: Uber, because I use it to transport my family when I’m in meetings late at night. I can monitor the driver and route used to ensure my family reach home safely. It’s also a great alternative for people who’ve been drinking. Facebook allows me to reconnect with old friends and make new ones, keeping us all up to date with
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DEBBIE MINNAAR Group GM: Marketing, Products & Services Favourite app: Waze which tells you at any time where your family members are driving and whether they arrived safely. You can send an ETA to a colleague or friend, get instant views of traffic congestion and locate your favourite stores.
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NEW FRONTIERS
From leaps in 3D printing to drones, the landscape of innovation in SA and abroad is a mix of clever concepts and big bottom lines Written by Mariam Isa
TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION FOCUS
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frica is set to benefit from a number of projects which aim to deliver Internet to the world by connecting people in remote areas – free of charge. Google’s “Project Loon” (named after a seemingly crazy idea) is setting up a network of high-altitude balloons to provide the service, while Facebook’s Connectivity Lab is on the same track, with a fleet of huge drones. If these initiatives are successful, the continent will have access to new “disruptive technologies” which will transform key industries and give birth to new companies.
New technology taking root in SA allows customers to pay retailers and restaurants with their mobile telephones, rather than with credit or debit cards. Consumers download an app and add their credit card details by taking a picture of the card and creating a PIN. There are no sign-up or usage fees and retailers are charged a very small transaction fee. The biggest local provider, Snapscan, won MTN Business’s App of the Year award in 2013. About 14 000 businesses have already registered with Snapscan, which is powered by Standard Bank and free to download and use. Customers pay for goods by taking a photo of the Snapscan QR code and punching in the payment amount. Another popular mobile point-ofsale system is iKhokha, which comes with a compact card reader (cleverly called The Edge) that plugs into a smartphone and allows customers to swipe their debit or credit cards for payment. The cashless society is officially here!
One of the most exciting new technologies is 3D printing, or “additive manufacturing” – the process in which a physical object is made through laying down successive layers of material under computer control. Experts are predicting it will become 50% cheaper and four times faster in the next five years. Estimates vary, but the value of the technology’s use worldwide is expected to soar from around $3 billion at present to $12,8 billion by 2018 and $21 billion by 2020. Research shows that 60% of American companies are already using 3D printers, or evaluating their implementation. Dubbed by some as “the next industrial revolution”, the process could mean that China eventually loses its status as the workshop of the world. There are currently an estimated 3 000 3D printers in SA, including about 350 higher-end models used for research and industry, according to Deon de Beer, Chief Director of Innovation & Technology Support at North West University. SA’s medical industry is using 3D printers for facial reconstruction and customised body parts, while the Council for Scientific & Industrial Research has teamed up with local aeronautical engineering and manufacturing company, Aerosud, to build the largest and fastest 3D printer in the world for producing titanium-based aircraft components. Retail chains like Dion and Incredible Connection are selling imported 3D printer kits for hobbyists, while a few South African companies are offering machines for less than R5 000 – almost one-third the price of entry-level imported printers. South African carpenter Richard van As has designed the Robobeast, a tough 3D printer which can be moved around during operation and can even print upside down, enabling it to make prosthetics outdoors.
It might not be the tastiest or cheapest item on the menu at the moment, but cultured (or in vitro) meat could end traditional cattle farming in the next two to three decades and solve some of the world’s food security and environmental issues. It’s an animal flesh product produced in a laboratory by growing thousands of strands of protein from muscle cells harvested from living cows. The first cultured beef burger was served up by Prof Mark Post from Holland’s Maastricht University. It cost a mind-boggling $250 000, but he says the meat could now probably be produced for $80 per kilogram.
▶ You’ve heard of smartphones, smartwatches and smartglasses – but do you know about smartclothes? Fashioned from textiles which monitor and transmit the wearer’s biomedical information through wireless or cellular networks, these garments can monitor glucose levels, heart rhythms, respiratory rates and brain activity. They may not evolve into the latest fashion statement, but they’re useful in monitoring the health of elderly people, diabetics and women with difficult pregnancies.
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FOR LIFE From the kitchen to your desk, we’ve rounded up a host of incredibly clever and stylish tech products to covet
Garmin vivoactive The Garmin vivoactive GPS smartwatch tracks runs, cycles, golf games and swims. Its high-resolution touch-screen is sunlight-readable and pairs with Android or iPhones. It supports vibration notifications for calls, texts, emails and calendar, including social media platforms. We love the fact that it’s ultra-thin, available in white and has customisable watch face designs. Price: R4 499 from www.garmin.co.za iHealth Wireless Scale The iHealth Wireless Scale is one better than your bathroom scale and works with Android and iOS devices. It records your weight each time you step on it and you can access this information via the free iHealth MyVitals app. It allows you to create a weight goal and track your progress. The whole family can monitor their weight, which also reflects BMI. Price: R1 249 at the iStore, www.myistore.co.za
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page 76 | AUGUST 2015
TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION FOCUS
FOR THE HOME Samsung Gear VR2 The ergonomically designed Gear virtual reality headset is a new way to experience video and works with the Galaxy S6. It straps over your eyes and takes you into an immersive world with a 360°, cinemalike experience. Download games, 360 videos (including a helicopter ride) and movie content from the Oculus store. Price: Approximately R3 000 from Samsung, www.samsung.com
FOR THE OFFICE
Livescribe 3 Smartpen The Livescribe lets you make notes that instantly appear on your Android or iOS device via Bluetooth. Wirelessly transfer notes and audio files with an Evernote account. If you don’t have wifi access, simply transfer files via USB on a laptop/PC. It works in conjunction with Livescribe Dot Paper, available in different sizes and styles. Price: R2 499 at Incredible Connection, www.incredibleconnection.co.za SanDisk iXpand The SanDisk iXpand USB flash drive is made specifically for iPhone and iPad. It’s the most convenient way to copy content onto your laptop/PC. Once you plug the drive into your handset, you’ll be prompted to download the iXpand Sync app before copying content across seamlessly. Capacities available: 16, 32, 64 and 128GB. Price: From R999 (for 16GB) from Incredible Connection Asus Zenbook UX305 The Asus Zenbook UX305 is a 13,3” Ultrabook that’s 12,3mm thin and weighs a mere 1,2kg. It has a very chic design, a crisp screen and impressive specs, such as a super-fast 512GB solid-state drive, USB 3 ports and 8GB of RAM. It’s also super-quiet due to its fanless design. It promises up to 10 hours of battery life. Price: R12 999 from www.asus.co.za
Countertop Orange Chef has come out with Countertop, a connected system that helps you eat better. It works with products you own like UP by Jawbone, Apple’s Health app, the Vitamix blender or the Crock-Pot slow cooker. Nutritious meals are then recommended based on data shared, since it knows when you’re back from a run or your sleeping patterns. Price: $199 (about R2 300) from www.orangechef.com
FOR FUN Apple Watch The Apple Watch pairs with your iPhone and lets you manage notifications conveniently. Whether you’re in the boardroom or kitchen, you can check incoming messages, calls, emails, etc easily. Fun new ways to connect include sending sketches to friends or your heartbeat to loved ones. It also doubles up as a fitness tracker. Price: To be announced by iStore Lily Camera The Lily is the world’s first self-piloting, throw-and-shoot camera. Throw it up into the air and it follows you around, capturing images and video. The tracker must be strapped to your wrist and doesn’t require an additional controller. It shoots video in 1 080p HD or 120fps slow-motion videos and captures 12MP still images. It’s the ideal companion for home or holiday use – and it’s waterproof. Price: $499 (about R5 600) from www.lily.camera Google Chromecast Google’s media streaming device, the Chromecast, lets you watch content from YouTube, Google Play, Netflix, etc on your smart TV. It pushes content from devices like Android, iOS, PC or the Macbook via HDMI. Price: R699 from www.takealot.com
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APPINESS IS… There are now an estimated 1,2 million apps in the world – and the explosion is set to continue, creating new ways to improve consumer services and quality of life. Studies show that there are more than 20 million active smartphones in SA and more than 90% download apps, at an average rate of 4,3 a month. Here are some of the winners:
More and more disruptors are emerging among Africa’s impressive rank of entrepreneurs. These examples provide inspiring food for thought ▶ I-SHACK
I-Shack is an innovative community development project which provides sustainable electricity to hundreds of shackdwellers in the informal settlement of Enkanini, near Stellenbosch in the Western Cape. Initiated by students and academics at the Sustainability Institute and Stellenbosch University, the project provides shacks with a solar panel which charges internal and external lights, cellphones and TV sets. Dwellers pay R150 a month for the maintenance of the system and salaries of people in the community who are trained for the job. The project’s been so successful that Slum Dwellers International, a global organisation addressing the needs of the urban poor, is interested in replicating it in other countries.
▶ KONGA
www.konga.com is a Nigerian online shopping mall which exploded from just $3,5 million in seed capital in 2012 into a business now valued at $200 million and ranked as the country’s most visited website. Offering products ranging
from fashion to consumer electronics and personal goods, it was voted Online Retailer of the Year by Africa’s Marketing World Awards in both 2013 and 2014. Late last year the company launched SellerHQ, a platform which allows sellers to create their own virtual stores on its website and Kexpress, a fleet of delivery bikes, vans and trucks. It intends expanding into other sub-Saharan African companies this year.
▶ LETIARTS
Ghana’s LetiArts taps into African folklore with a cross-platform of interactive digital comics and mobile games, aimed at encouraging African kids to follow the fortunes of fictional super-heroes created from the continent’s own legends. Founded in 2009, the company plans to broaden its Africa’s Legends franchise to encompass merchandise, feature films and theme parks. Its CEO, Eyram Tawia, says that when Walt Disney decides to invest in Africa, its heroes and folklore will be well packaged and waiting for the opportunity to appear on the global stage. BROUGHT TO YOU IN ASSOCIATION WITH
➥ Wordlens enables people to scan their phone camera over a written document in one of 90 languages and view the translation in their own language in real time on the cellphone screen.
➥ Magisto turns movie clips, pics and music into videos.
➥ Cartoon Camera does strange and hilarious things to pictures.
➥ Tomonews provides access to viral video news, a burgeoning growth sector. All available through Google Play or the Apple App Store.
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TO WATCH
Written by Mariam Isa
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One network. One point of contact. One seamless, end-to-end solution. A single, global managed network solution. If you are an enterprise that has a footprint across the continent, you need a network that can respond rapidly to your ever-changing needs. A network that won’t hold you back. That’s why we offer voice and data integration, scalability, and end-to-end network availability. In fact, it’s everything you need to maintain a seamless communications experience. Choose a cross-border network solution that was born and bred in the New World. Choose MTN Global MPLS VPN. Go to mtnbusiness.co.za or email sales@mtnbusiness.co.za for more information. Terms and Conditions apply.
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