If everyone had a smartphone

Gone are the days where life could go on without technology. Intertwined, at least in the middle class and up. Imagine that mobility.

Not that I reach even half of its capabilities, my smartphone is my brain’s companion. I take pictures, download games, surf and socialise. I bank, work, play and create. I read, post, phone, listen and learn. I am productive, in a philosophical sort of way. But I could be more, for people educated correctly on how far they can push the barrel. I’m connected! Which has always been a way to commerce.

I have a Samsung Galaxy S3. I rock!

For me and quite a few others. Honestly saying that after Blackberrys and iPhones, the S3 is a very popular phone. I see it everywhere. I know at least 6 people rocking it, I see constantly the public abound by its great ness. With funky headsets and bright covers, I think they hit a nerve here. Has Samsung finally cracked the code?

Any would do, I vote a smartphone in everyone’s hands. And universal broadband to boot…2020?

Ps. Apologies for the schizophrenic post

Hope for stagnant Digital Migration*

Let’s forget about the arduous pace at which our current Department of Communication is progressing in its quest to foster in the digital migration.

It’s been a while but finally we hear that there is some movement on the ground. Yesterday, Dina Pula announced on an educational road show in Northern Cape that the department is targeting the end of December 2013 for “Completion” of the roll out.

The Digital Migration is a complicated process no doubt, but the manner in which it has been handled by those trusted with its deployment is laughable. It seems that much of the complication surrounding the switch over is self created. As Craig Wilson of Techcentral so eloquently put it “Communications minister Dina Pule has promised that digital terrestrial television will commence in SA in December and wants the migration process to completed in just 12 months. Will this be the latest in a long list of missed deadlines?”

While great consideration has been taken by the Department to ensure that the ‘poor’ are looked after, Government will subside 70% of the cost of the Set-Box Top required to receive the signal. There estimation comes to a total of 5 million units, for the rest an estimated cost of R700.

The roll out will not only face a near impossible deadline but also a challenge form one of its stakeholders, ETV. Court proceeding should start soon as they are unhappy with the granting of an exclusive license to Sentech, a state owned enterprise to manage the conditional access system for digital television. This sounds just about right for a state owned enterprise. On the eve of greater competition and more freedom in the market, Government looks to monopolies the critical functions.

According to Minister Pule, it is all in the name of greater economic involvement of the youth, she estimates upward of 10000 jobs will be created through the migration. Despite pending court proceedings, Pule says that contracts for the manufacture of set-top boxes will be awarded at the end of this month, with the first deliveries expected by 30 November.

*An extract from my previous blog posts on BRSlifestyle was used as an outline

Source: brslifestyle.wordpress.com

The cost of being social

It cost me and the Mrs about R500 over this current weekend to host a few friends and socialize in the contemporary manner accustomed to extra-long weekends. It doesn’t sound like much when you consider the great time we had, some braai, lots of drinks and great conversations to match.

This leads me to the cost involved in other types of social activities and in this day and age, most of that will be spend online.

So the price of being online has come down in recent years, right?

Where two years ago you were looking at paying R300pm for about a Gig of data. Of recent we have begun seeing a standard 3G data contract by most major ISPs (internet service providerss) coming in at about R150pm for 2 Gigs of memory. Which is cheap, but in a country where the average income of households is closer to R4000pm than to R10000 it is still out of reach to most.

The obvious choice for most in emerging markets has been to take up Blackberry’s solution of browser concentrated BIS (Blackberry Internet Service). Data that comes in at a monthly fee of R59pm. Unlimited downloads, uploads, browsing and IM (instant messaging). It isn’t hard to figure it out. Unfortunately Blackberry’s fortunes have taken a dip and many players are replicating their Modus Operandi.

Service providers, MTN as well as Nashua Mobile have come out with packaged data deals offering unlimited browsing, downloads and uploads for a fixed monthly fee. Some have been set up to offer just social network capabilities where other offer a replica of blackberry’s offering. The cost range from R29pm to R59pm.

With the sale and connections of smartphones in South Africa heavily on the increase, I find that this market turn is a major positive to get more people online. I have not experienced the service myself being with Blackberry, but look forward to seeing whether this service could come in handy when I eventually upgrade to either an iPhone or Android device of my choosing.

Maybe the cost of socializing is within reach of many more at last.

Digital Stagnation

Much has been made of South Africa’s switch over from analogue TV moving into the 21st century with Digital transmission. It’s called the digital migration.

A process where analogue feed is gradually switched off and new digital feed takes over. I am sure some on you may have read of its benefits but I’ll summarize to be concise.

1. Better quality TV – signal and HD

2. More choice – more channels

3. More access – interface with other different devices

So you see the advantages of this process. The greater viewing ability and the possibility of the ordinary man in the street have access to up to 18 channels for the same price as the current 5.

The international deadline for the process to be completed was set some years ago at June 2015.

South Africa, residing in the Dark Continent has dragged it feet in the process, called using African Time. We are currently still at the review and negotiation phase. The main sticking point is the subsidized price to be paid by the ‘lowest of low’ consumers and the potential to create an industry, thus jobs producing our own set box tops.

The set box top is the device that allows the digital signal to be read by an otherwise normal TV set. At this stage most TVs in SA are analogue in configuration and cannot read the signal. South Africa, a country riddled by huge unemployment of 25% wants to use this opportunity to create employment and train citizens in modern technological infrastructure.

Herein lies the problem. The envisioned process and cost of setting up our own manufacturing centres, well valiant in its approach is ultimately counterproductive. The time spent on training, tender regulation and set up would be detrimental to the process. The cost, with South Africa’s high cost of labour would see the price of the Set Top Box come in at about R700 each. At present this could be imported at a total price of about R300. The argument would still be valid should we weigh up the pros and cons of self-manufacturing vs importing and the benefits ultimately our country would enjoy but herein lies another flaw. Most TVs produced going forward will have built in ability to connect to the digital signal, thus negating the need for the Set Top Box and therewith, the industry.

I may be only telling one side of the story but to me it is the critical part. There may be value in the setup of our own industries. The skill development and future opportunities this may afford us. But on the face of it, with a society that cannot afford to be put under more pressure financially would it not be wiser to offer options to this scenario. I personally don’t know what they are. But when you come to the point where other ‘smaller’ African countries are eclipsing our progress In this regard. I think it is really time for a relook.

The Government latest pact to make sure their plan is some success has been to announce that each south African would ‘have to’ buy the said Set Top Box. Whereby creating immediate but ultimately exhaustible demand.

Facestagram

I read a very interesting article in TechCrunch earlier in the week and it got me thinking a bit about the technology sector and the different players that exist in it.

The article was written post the announcement of Facebook acquiring Instagram and the whoos and aahs that followed that. Also all the gripe it received from the anti-Facebook brigade. I’ve always been of the firm belief that the technology industry as we know it, strategically based in Silicon Valley is an oligopoly. You have 2 or 3 major player in the market controlling majority of the traffic, gobbling up start ups at will. Absorbing and integrating the ‘next big thing’ into their current business model.

We’ve seen it now with Facebook buying Instagram, Twitter buying Postporous and Google acquiring Motorola Mobility.

Question is, where does this leave us and is it ultimately a good thing?

To answer that question, you would first have to look at the flooded market of social networks and application that exist out there. Twitter vying with Facebook, Google launching Google + to compete with Facebook etc etc.. Even sharing specific content has become a mission.

I grow tired sometimes of having to switch between networks to update and ‘socialize’ when I really am only one individual. Should that not be reflected in the way my technology co-exists? Is that where it’s going?

Are we moving more towards a proprietary lead scenario that Apple plays or open software cross-pollination that the rest of the players in the market strive to. At the point we are right now, the technological industry is beaming and excitement is around. With so much advancement, people’s lives stop when Apple makes their next announcement.

That’s how exciting it is, just be glad you were there to experience it

(Side note – Instagram just became the #1 free app on the app store)

This is an amazing social cohesion, tapping in known human needs. leaveraging strength in number to be major influencers. A brief introduction… “Just a brief background on SocialMoms: We are a community of 34,000 well established and influential mom bloggers.  SocialMoms aren’t your ordinary everyday moms: these moms blog, manage their own their own Facebook fan pages, are among the most active and influential people on Twitter (at the top 99.75% percentile), have 2X Klout scores, and they consider themselves subject matter experts in the topics they blog about on their blog sites whether it’s around health, fitness, wellness, lifestyle, parenting, etc.   SocialMoms is at the intersection of social media and influencers, with a total estimated reach of 50 Million+ unique women on a monthly basis. I’ve included our Infographic which shares more detailed stats on the reach and influence of our community of bloggers. We have advanced targeting capabilities to specifically reach the most relevant audience - our programs are really all about getting the brand in front of the right blog readers -the moms who are the best fit for the brand, and who will spend time engaging with the brand’s content. ” - Sally Saedi
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This is an amazing social cohesion, tapping in known human needs. leaveraging strength in number to be major influencers.

A brief introduction…

“Just a brief background on SocialMoms: We are a community of 34,000 well established and influential mom bloggers.  SocialMoms aren’t your ordinary everyday moms: these moms blog, manage their own their own Facebook fan pages, are among the most active and influential people on Twitter (at the top 99.75% percentile), have 2X Klout scores, and they consider themselves subject matter experts in the topics they blog about on their blog sites whether it’s around health, fitness, wellness, lifestyle, parenting, etc.   SocialMoms is at the intersection of social media and influencers, with a total estimated reach of 50 Million+ unique women on a monthly basis. I’ve included our Infographic which shares more detailed stats on the reach and influence of our community of bloggers. We have advanced targeting capabilities to specifically reach the most relevant audience - our programs are really all about getting the brand in front of the right blog readers -the moms who are the best fit for the brand, and who will spend time engaging with the brand’s content. ” - Sally Saedi

Source: socialmoms.com