TechworX Cape Town

Apple inspects Foxconn working conditions

Published on 2012-02-15 02:31:00

Apple said on Monday that a US non-profit labour group has begun an "unprecedented" inspection of working conditions at its main contract manufacturers, including Foxconn's plants in southern China, as the maker of the iPhone continues to grapple with persistent image problems there."The inspections now underway are unprecedented in the electronics industry, both in scale and scope," Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a statement.The world's most valuable technology corporation had agreed to let th

Press Release - R1 999 embedded 3G Android tablet produced by South African company – world's cheapest!

Published on 2012-02-13 02:53:00

The netsurferTOUCH straddles the digital divide.Issued by: Future Mobile Technology   [Johannesburg, 13 February 2012] An Android-operated tablet, designed by a South African company for Africa's mass market, has launched via PEP Cell stores with resounding success.The netsurferTOUCH – with a powerful embedded 3G modem for high-speed Internet upload and download – retails for R1 999.99 and is the brainchild of Graham Davies and Tracy Andersson, joint CEOs of Future Mobile Technolog

Google pays users to sacrifice privacy

Published on 2012-02-10 02:43:00

Google has been quietly recruiting users into a new project called Screenwise, which actually pays users to allow the search giant to track their online activity.While Google has not issued a formal announcement about the project, it has set up a registration page that provides some basic information. The search giant says it is building a new panel to learn more about “how everyday people use the Internet”. Participants add a browser extension that shares online activity with Google, such

Vodacom 3GB for R199 business broadband special

Published on 2012-02-09 05:21:00

Vodacom has launched a promotional offer on its Broadband Standard MyGig 3 service, reducing the price from the usual R489 to R199 per month.  This 3GB data promotion is, however, only available to business clients on a 24 month contract.  The promotion runs from 07 February until 06 May 2012. This business data promotion compliments Vodacom’s current consumer data promotions which were announced this week.  Vodacom has cut the price of its Broadband Standard MyGig 1 package

Technical glitches fell JSE again

Published on 2012-01-17 06:37:00

The Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) was forced to “pause” market trading on Tuesday between 10.39am and roughly midday on account of problems with international links between it and its London-based trading engine.Similar problems affected the JSE on a number of occasions last year but the bourse said it is developing a new trading system, which will be located in Johannesburg, which should bring an end to the issues with the international link. The new system, which is slated to giv

Postbank hacked for R42m

Published on 2012-01-16 08:05:00

The SA Postbank, part of the SA Post Office, became the target of cyber crime this month, losing R42 million.  “We became aware of some fraudulent activity in the early part of January 2012,” says the Post Office.  Media reports say the heist took place from 1 January to 3 January, while Postbank was closed for business.  The Postbank system was hacked and transfers worth R42 million were made to specific accounts, after withdrawal limits were increased and the money was th

Consumers the winners in 2011′s tech wars

Published on 2012-01-12 06:42:00

It has been a lively year for technology, despite the bad state of the world’s economy. Technology is now so intrinsic to both business and personal life that it might appear recession-proof. But this high-level view masks the Darwinian ferocity of the battles raging between the tech titans.The year 2011 will be remembered as the one in which technology’s giants collided in four critical areas: mobile computing (smartphones and tablets), the cloud, mobile commerce and paid content. The

8ta slashes broadband pricing

Published on 2012-01-11 06:18:00

Telkom's cellular arm, 8ta, today announced reduced broadband rates of up to 25% for its once-off and postpaid Internet packages.In addition to the price slash, the operator has revised its contract terms to include month-to-month, 12- and 24-month terms. The 12- and 24-month contracts include a modem, while the month-to-month contract does not.  8ta says it has tailored its Internet packages for new and existing customers. Managing executive of Telkom Mobile Amith Maharaj says existin

International newsmakers of the year

Published on 2011-12-13 03:51:00

Larry Page  Google co-founder Larry Page became the company’s CEO in April, taking the reins from Eric Schmidt, and has overseen the launch of its best effort to date at creating a viable Facebook rival in the form of Google+.  The search and advertising giant has been trying to consolidate and simplify its products and has revamped its online mail, calendar and documents applications, and tried to integrate Google+ and it’s “+1” button across its product portfolio. 

Cellphones main gateway to Internet in SA townships

Published on 2011-12-12 04:05:00

Only 14% of township residents say they never access the Internet.  Cellphones remain the primary gateway to the Internet for South Africans living in townships, according to the results of a new survey by ikapadata.  The Cape Town-based research company found that of the 715 people surveyed in townships in Johannesburg, Durban, and Cape Town, 26% of respondents said that they access the internet only via cellphone.41% said that they use both cellphones and computers, while 20% said th