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Articles by Mark Hom
The Real Biology of “Star Wars” Midichlorians
The cast of Star Wars: The Force Awakens at the 2015 San Diego Comic Con International. Photo by Gage Skidmore via Wikimedia Commons. The George Lucas Star Wars saga spans multiple generations of characters (and fans), seven movies to date, and future sequels that will apparently extend the series into infinity. Star Wars is deeply rooted in the world’s popular culture. But what is the underlying theme of Star Wars? Here are some flawed possibilities: 1.
Canon launches a host of new camcorders in South Africa
Canon launched two brand new camcorder ranges in South Africa on Tuesday, expanding its LEGRIA and XA series to include 4K devices. While the new LEGRIA HF 50 and HF 60 are aimed at a more casual customer, the XA series is part of the company’s professional range. The LEGRIA HF 50 “As an entry-point to the world of 4K, the LEGRIA HF G50 is designed to capture and future-proof special moments in higher resolution,” reveals Canon in a press release.
Microsoft Store to remove all ebooks with full refund to customers
On Tuesday, the Microsoft Store stopped selling ebooks. “Starting April 2, 2019, the books category in Microsoft Store will be closing,” the company announced on its support page. This means that users can no longer purchase or pre-order new books on the online store. Customers who have already placed pre-orders will, however, receive a refund. “Refund processing for eligible customers start rolling out automatically in early July 2019 to your original payment method,” Microsoft noted.
Court case looms for Yookoo Ride
SA businessman and former “Sushi King” Kenny Kunene says he remains confident in a ride-hailing startup he’s invested in, despite it emerging that the company’s founder is embroiled in a legal dispute which involves a kidnapping and theft of the company’s intellectual property (IP). Kunene announced last month that he had invested an undisclosed amount in Johannesburg based Yookoo Ride, a firm that was founded in 2017 by Temesgen Tesfay.
DEMO Africa, Apebi sign partnership to co-locate events in Morocco
Startup launchpad DEMO Africa has signed a partnership with the Moroccan Federation of Information Technologies and Offshoring (Apebi) that will see the two organisations co-locate their events on 24 and 25 October at the Sofitel Hotel in Rabat. As part of the agreement, DEMO Africa and StarTex — the startup platform of Apebi’s AITEX flagship event — will jointly run the startup agenda at the event which is expected to bring 100 digital startups from across Africa onto one platform.
Nedbank claims digital first with launch of API marketplace for fintechs
Nedbank has launched the Nedbank API_Marketplace, an application programming interface (API) platform which the bank says will allow approved technical partners to create innovative solutions for clients. In a statement last Thursday (28 March), the bank claimed its R2-billion investment in technology, has led to the bank becoming the first in Africa to launch an API platform aligned with Open Banking standards.
Jozi-based closed-loop payments startup Allxs out to raise R10m funding round
Allxs, a Joburg-based startup that has developed a closed-loop cashless payments platform, is looking to raise a R10-million funding round, its founder Raphael Domalik has revealed. Allxs specialises in near-field communication (NFC) enabled cashless payments, access control, ticketing solutions, mobile apps and consumer engagement tools. Domalik founded the startup in 2016.
South Africa's hottest tech deals and sales of the week
Shopping for technology is an even bigger nightmare than clothes. But unlike clothing, finding the correct stick of RAM isn’t a question of it being too big or small, but just too damn expensive. In a weekly series, Gearburn trawls the South African online shopping space to find the best deals, from DDR4 for your rig to cans for your ears. Be sure to bookmark this page and check back in throughout the week, as we update this article regularly with new deals as they’re made available.
Honor 10 Lite vs Honor 8X: which would you get, South Africa?
Honor on Wednesday unveiled its new device to South African audiences in the form of the Honor 10 Lite. Given its numerical “flagship” name, one would think that it now tops the brand’s hierarchy in the country. But that’s not true. Unlike the Honor 10, the Honor 10 Lite is decidedly mid-range. While the same can be said for the Honor 8X — a device that launched in South Africa in November — it actually features markedly better numbers.
Forget folding phones, Samsung now makes fire extinguishers disguised as flower pots
We’re nearing April Fools Day, so prepare yourself for a boatload of farfetched “news”. We did a double take when we saw Samsung’s Firevase, a flower vase that doubles as a fire-retardant hand-propelled missile. But according to Dezeen, it’s a genuine product. The Firevase is as ridiculous as it is smart. It’s a glass bottle consisting of two distinct chambers: one for your flower’s water, and an outer chamber housing fire-suppressant.
South Africa's hottest tech deals and sales of the week
Shopping for technology is an even bigger nightmare than clothes. But unlike clothing, finding the correct stick of RAM isn’t a question of it being too big or small, but just too damn expensive. In a weekly series, Gearburn trawls the South African online shopping space to find the best deals, from DDR4 for your rig to cans for your ears. Be sure to bookmark this page and check back in throughout the week, as we update this article regularly with new deals as they’re made available.
Nokia X71 launches with company's first punch-hole selfie camera
Nokia’s first smartphone with a punch-hole selfie camera is now official. Dubbed the Nokia X71, the glass sandwich made its debut in Taiwan on Tuesday, bringing with its a solid spec sheet. It’s a mid-range device, and the Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 chipset is proof of this. But Nokia’s also threw in 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage for good measure. All this is hidden behind a 6.4 inch 2316×1080 LCD display with a 16MP f/2.0 snapper embedded into a hole in its top right corner.
MTN's R249 smart feature phone is now available in South Africa
It took a few months, but MTN on Monday finally announced that its KaiOS smart feature phone, the MTN Smart S, is now available in South Africa. The device won’t run Android or any variant, instead it’s powered by KaiOS, an OS that has its own bespoke app store for low-cost devices. The carrier notes that the Smart S will support WhatsApp, Facebook, YouTube and Google Assistant.
Google announces a slew of new features
Google is this week celebrating Gmail’s 15th birthday by announcing a selection of new features heading to the email platform. “Gmail has evolved a lot over the past 15 years. Before we blow out our birthday candles, here’s a rundown of new features coming your way,” the company said on its blog. First, Gmail is expanding its Smart Compose feature to include Portuguese, Spanish, French and Italian.
Spotify's Premium Duo option pays for two users under one subscription
Spotify on Thursday launched a premium tier-for-two option called Spotify Duo, which will give two users their own Premium accounts under a single subscription. “With two separate accounts you can both enjoy your own music without having to take turns,” the company said on its website. Premium Duo also features Duo Mix, a playlist catered to the music taste of both account holders.
Late rapper Nipsey Hussle trends on Twitter as celebs pay homage
On Sunday, American rapper Nipsey Hussle was killed outside his Los Angeles clothing store Marathon Clothing. According to reports, the 33-year-old was shot multiple times and died on scene. The Grammy-nominated musician was a well respected member of his community, and admired by many celebrities for his work. “Nipsey you a legend. I respect and admire your career path and what you did for the neighborhood,” fellow rapper J. Cole said in a tweet. Nipsey you a legend.
Facebook is 'exploring' ways to regulate live videos
Facebook on Monday announced its intention to regulate live videos posted across its platforms. This comes after a terrorist attack in Christchurch, New Zealand in March was streamed live via Facebook. “In the wake of the terrorist attack, we are taking three steps: strengthening the rules for using Facebook Live, taking further steps to address hate on our platforms, and supporting the New Zealand community,” the company said in a blog post.
Facebook will now explain why you see certain posts in your News Feed
Facebook on Monday revealed a new feature that is set to reveal to users why they see certain post in News Feed. “We’re introducing “Why am I seeing this post?” to help you better understand and more easily control what you see from friends, Pages and Groups in your News Feed,” the company explained on its blog. The feature can be accessed via the menu option on posts you see in News Feed and accessing the “Why am I seeing this post?” tab.
Google Maps celebrates April Fools Day with a Snake game
In honour of April Fools Day on Monday, Google added a new Snake-inspired game to Google Maps. “To start playing, simply open the Google Maps app, tap on the menu icon on the top left corner, then select “Play Snake” to get your daily dose of 90s nostalgia,” the company said on its blog. Players can choose from a number of locations around the world and then navigate through a map as a snake-like bus or train.
WhatsApp could finally be getting a long-awaited 'dark mode'
With only two weeks to go before the final season of Game of Thrones premieres, HBO has released two promo videos titled “Together” and… Google is this week celebrating Gmail’s 15th birthday by announcing a selection of new features heading to the email platform. “Gmail has evolved a… WhatsApp enthusiast blog WABetaInfo reports that the Facebook-owned chat app could soon receive a dark UI on Android.
New Game of Thrones promos hype up fans as premier approaches
With only two weeks to go before the final season of Game of Thrones premieres, HBO has released two promo videos titled “Together” and… Google is this week celebrating Gmail’s 15th birthday by announcing a selection of new features heading to the email platform. “Gmail has evolved a… WhatsApp enthusiast blog WABetaInfo reports that the Facebook-owned chat app could soon receive a dark UI on Android.
The science of fitness - and what motivated us to learn about it
Greg LeMond: "At 25, I was on top of the world; nine months later, I was clinging to life" I knew I was dying. Blood poured from my wounds, spurting wildly from my neck. I was trying to cry out, but with every breath I choked and gargled through the blood in my throat. Inside, I repeated over and over: Oh, my God, I'm shot! My strength seeped away into the scrub and brush of the remote northern California ranch. The shotgun blast was unbelievably loud, right in my ear.
Data on bicycle ownership could help boost cycling
Bike ownership on the decline since 1989, finds new global study of 1.25 billion households By Lucy Goodchild van Hilten Posted on 2 December 2015 Share story: In Amsterdam, tens of thousands of people hop on their bikes and cycle to work every morning. The city is geared up for cyclists, and it’s a way of life for most people.
How an Old Sci-Fi Movie Inspired Apple's Current Line-Up of Mobile Devices
The Apple iPod, iPhone, and iPad are products that were far advanced at their time of introduction and revolutionized each of their respective market segments. Together, they epitomize state of the art consumer electronics and the current digital/communication age. So it might surprise some Apple fanatics that their beloved devices were inspired by an old movie filmed in 1965, before most of these purchasers were even born.
Beyond Einstein's Brain: The Anatomy of Genius
When Albert Einstein died in 1955, his brain was removed, weighed and measured, preserved in formalin, photographed, and sectioned for microscopic study. Although we often think of technological breakthroughs as coming from corporations or industry sectors, ideas come from individual brains. Human brain tissue is the source of the invention, conceptualization, and implementation of new technologies.
MEDO gives young women the chance to build a satellite payload
MEDO gives young women the chance to build a satellite payload On 18 June 2015, MEDO hosted a discussion and presentation for its Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) programme. The idea with the programme is very simple, get more women to get involved in those fields. And earlier this month, 05 January to 11 January 2016, the programme culminated with SpaceTrek, a week long bootcamp held at High Africa Conference Center in Worcester.
Google Maps could soon figure out where you're driving all by itself
Google Maps could soon figure out where you’re driving all by itself This is interesting. Google is reportedly working on a feature that will allow its Maps product to figure out where you’re going without you having to input a destination first. Called Driving Mode, the feature uses your location history and web searches to make educated guesses as to where you might be going when you’re driving around.
No plans for SA Gigafactory, Tesla confirms
As much as South Africans would like to see their electricity woes disappear with the construction of a lithium-ion battery factory, it’s unlikely to happen anytime soon. In fact, contrary to recent reports, Tesla Motors has confirmed to Memeburn that it is not planning to build a Gigafactory in the Western Cape.
Programme fosters pool of tech talent to address SA unemployment
Nomusa Sithole has a diploma, but struggled to secure a job in the field she studied for. She ended up working at a restaurant for several months which she didn’t like. She was overqualified and underpaid. This all changed after Sithole heard about CapaCiTi, which is a tech skills development and placement initiative in Cape Town. She ended up joining an Advanced Java Programming Certification Programme and managed to find a permanent job in the field she enjoys.
10 reasons why now is the right time to upgrade to SSD
10 reasons why now is the right time to upgrade to SSD Your computer has a new choke point that can be easily remedied with a single hardware upgrade. At one time computers were slowed by weak processors or dial-up Internet connections. Now that multi-core CPU’s and broadband access are ubiquitous, the rate-limiting step is your spinning mechanical hard drive.
Why Humans Prefer Print Books
Printed book sales are rising and eBook sales are slowing. Recent studies have shown that reading comprehension and retention are better with “old-style” printed books. I believe that there are several reasons why people interact better with paper books. When you hold and read a book, you not only absorb the words and meaning, but you also subconsciously remember the physical location of the words.
Vibe to our 10 most popular podcast of 2015
Vibe to our 10 most popular podcast of 2015 Led by Serial, 2015 marked the revival of podcast. Fair enough, very few podcasts are as captivating as Serial is but we do try. Our own efforts to captivate and lead the next revolution of podcast were quite expansive. Not only did we focus on our Weekly Round Up but we also had Special Podcasts, which included exclusive interviews with some of the leading tech entrepreneurs in tech.
Watch Burn Media's best videos of 2015
Video is becoming an integral part of how readers consume content. Now more than ever content needs to exist in different forms and reach different audiences in their preferred mediums. As a digital publication, we are determined to add different layers to our articles. The year 2015 has seen us integrate video layer to our stories and the next year 2016, the efforts will double, offering our readers more videos, more layers to our stories. Below are some of our favourite videos of 2015. 5.
Out of Africa: retracing human evolution and migration with DNA
Out of Africa: retracing human evolution and migration with DNA The fossil record is compelling evidence that points to the dawn of man in eastern Africa. Now that we have advanced DNA sequencing capabilities, what else can technology tell us about evolution and human migration? In July of 1959, a remarkable discovery was made in the Olduvai Gorge of northern Tanzania, along the fertile Great Rift Valley of East Africa. Drs.
The value of Oxygen-oriented technology? At least $467m
The value of Oxygen-oriented technology? At least $467m Pulse oximetry uses non-invasive photon technology to measure the redness of human blood. Oxygen saturation is essential when monitoring hospitalized patients and is now being used by extreme athletes to maximize physical performance. The reactivity of oxygen drives the main energy generation system of the human body.
Can a real fighting lightsaber be built with current technology?
Can a real fighting lightsaber be built with current technology? The Star Wars saga borrowed (some say outright stole) its mythological theme from Budo (the art of the warrior) which was the societal philosophy behind the ancient Japanese culture of bravery, loyalty, and technical mastery of weaponry. The influence of Budo is especially evident in the preferred weapon of the Jedi and Sith lead characters… the lightsaber.
Is Ethereum the world computer that could just change it all?
Is Ethereum the world computer that could just change it all? Do you want to know how to build a better democracy in under a 100 lines of code? Or what about building your own transparent bank on the blockchain? Well, Ethereum might just be the thing you’re looking for. And no, it’s not the title of an awful sci-fi novel. Ethereum goes under a lot of monikers. Some dub it the “world computer” or a “decentralised app network“. Others simply refer to it as “Bitcoin 2.0“.
Memeburn chats to IAB CEO Josephine Buys about Bookmarks, 2016 plans
Ever since its 2014 rebrand — the organisation was previously the DMMA — Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) South Africa, has seen a significant increase in visibility. In part that’s down to the benefits afforded to the non profit association by being part of a global organisation. Founded in New York in 1996, the IAB is an advertising business organization that develops industry standards, conducts research, and provides legal support for the online advertising industry around the globe.
4 fascinating uses of Microsoft Excel: artistic, uber-geeky, life-saving, and paranoid
4 fascinating uses of Microsoft Excel: artistic, uber-geeky, life-saving, and paranoid What if you could only have one productivity software program? It might surprise you that your most versatile electronic tool is already loaded on your computer. Yes, it’s Excel, the spreadsheet program you probably think of as mind-numbingly unexciting.
Amidst finance minister shuffles, SA Twitter still has a sense of humour
Amidst finance minister shuffles, SA Twitter still has a sense of humour Life in South Africa may be many things, but boring is not one of them. You only have to look at the fact that the country’s had three finance ministers in less than a week. Yup, just four days after President Jacob Zuma’s shock axing of Nhlanhla Nene, his replacement David van Rooyen found himself out of a job, with Pravin Gordhan back in charge of the treasury.
ShowMax introduces download functionality for offline viewing
This is interesting. Naspers-owned video streaming service ShowMax has updated its Android app to include downloads for offline viewing. It’s a potentially important move, especially if the service is to attract people who want to watch content on the go without having to eat into their mobile data.
Spotify streamed over 28.5 million songs in 2015
Spotify recently announced its annual numbers and statistics on its dedicated 2015 page, and it makes for impressive reading. Among the numbers are the artists and songs that were the most popular with music fans around the world in 2015. Drake is the most listened to artist this year, with over 1.8-billion streams this year and 46-million listeners. Following him in order, is Britain’s Ed Sheeran, last year’s most streamed artist The Weeknd, Maroon 5 and Kanye West.
The Tech Behind #2: How Viva is disrupting the SA gym space
The Tech Behind #2: How Viva is disrupting the SA gym space The South African health and wellness space is experiencing a massive shake-up. Independent gyms, training groups and Crossfit boxes are cropping up all over the place. Despite those changes, there are still just a couple of players who account for the vast majority of the country’s gym memberships. These big health clubs generally offer their members everything, but also make them pay for everything. Enter Viva Gyms.
How '2001: A Space Odyssey' inspired Apple's mobile device line-up
The Apple iPod, iPhone, and iPad are products that were far advanced at their time of introduction and revolutionized each of their respective market segments. Together, they epitomize state of the art consumer electronics and the current digital/communication age. So it might surprise some Apple fanatics that their beloved devices were inspired by an old movie filmed in 1965, before most of these purchasers were even born.
#FeesMustFall, emojis, #RWC2015: Twitter SA's 2015 year in review
As 2015 draws to a close, you can expect to see a whole load of annual round-ups. One of the earliest off the mark this year is Twitter, which on Monday published its global #YearOnTwitter page. It’s also sent through a review of how the year went down on South African Twitter. As increasing numbers of South Africans come online, Twitter increasingly becomes a real-time soundtrack to the biggest moments and events as they unfold.
Woolies customer finds worst surprise in sandwich, grosses Twitter out
When it comes to finding unexpected things in a sandwich, we’re willing to suggest that a condom is undoubtedly among the grossest. It sounds like a nightmare, but for one Woolworths customer that nightmare allegedly became all too real on Monday.
Amazon rolls out Jeremy Clarkson for Amazon Prime Air promo
Amazon wants you to know that it’s still seriously invested in drone delivery services. How invested? Well it’s rolled out former Top Gear star Jeremy Clarkson to do a promo video showing off how Amazon Prime Air will work in the near future. As Clarkson — who signed with Amazon after being axed from the BBC — explains, the ecommerce giant has developed a new delivery drone prototype which combines vertical takeoff with through-the-air flying ability.
2015: the year SA social media embraced Black Friday
Amongst a certain sector of the social media community at least, 2015 will be remembered as the year Black Friday truly took off in South Africa. According to data collected from the Social Studio media monitoring platform that was analysed by digital customer engagement agency, 25AM, mentions of Black Friday among South African social media users increased by more than 300% compared with 2014, with Checkers, Dionwired and Pick ’n Pay ranking as the most talked-about brands on the day.
Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, others join to fast track clean energy innovation
Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, others join to fast track clean energy innovation By Jacques Coetzee: Staff Reporter on 30 November, 2015 Founder of Facebook Mark Zuckerberg and Microsoft’s Bill Gates — alongside a group of 26 other powerful business leaders — have launched an initiative which seeks to fast track innovation around clean energy.
10 Reasons why 2001: A Space Odyssey stands as the best Sci-Fi movie ever made
10 Reasons why 2001: A Space Odyssey stands as the best Sci-Fi movie ever made 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) was produced before man stepped on the moon (1969, Neil Armstrong), before computer-generated imagery (1973, Westworld), and before most Star Wars fans were even born (1977, Episode IV). Despite intervening decades of scientific discovery, film-making advancements, and computer technology, it remains the best science fiction movie in terms of realism, mystery, and thought provocation.
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