South African tech journos indulging in beer and opinion…

Archive for May, 2008

ZA Tech Show: Episode 13

We gather in an overcast Johannesburg this week, sans Ben Kelly, to discuss the following:

  • Open document formats and the SABS appealing ISO’s ratification of OOXML.
  • The ultra-portable and sub-notebook market and who’s doing what in the space.
  • Microsoft’s strategy for Windows on portables.
  • Online operating systems, ala Jooce.
  • Privacy online and why people trust Google.
  • Mashing-up social networks and examples of applications that do this, like Flock.
  • Instant messaging.
  • Red Hat’s Mugshot.
  • Vodacom’s WirelessG, iPass and other innovative wireless offerings, like Skyrove.
  • Utility bandwidth.
  • Final confirmation of Neotel’s consumer offerings, including uncapped solutions.

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ZA Tech Show: Episode 12

In this week’s episode we’re giving away copies of Norton Antivirus, so take a listen for the details. We also discuss:

  • The release of Windows XP Service Pack 3.
  • The slow performance of Outlook in Vista.
  • WINE finally releasing version 1.0.
  • Mac4Lin.
  • Progress of the Linux desktop.
  • Pzizz - software that makes you sleep. Literally.
  • The possibility of a fibre-to-home solution from Neotel. And another slow but uncapped offering too.
  • World of Warcraft - and the new ZA Tech Show guild on Whisperwind, US. Send a message to ‘Rootsmanoova’ for an invite…
  • InfraCo’s West Coast cable and how it fits into the bigger bandwidth picture.
  • New, bigger caps coming to Telkom.
  • The first DSTV channel to go HD.
  • Noxious Nigel’s attack on local IT professionals and Internet privacy laws.
  • Bolton Deventer.
  • CNET being acquired by CBS.
  • Microsoft and Yahoo! revisited.
  • Jon and Google. Not a loving relationship.
  • Online verification and why captures are dead.

Durban is probably the best place to live for Fibre… go figure.

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ZA Tech Show: Episode 11

This week we take the ZATS crew back to its vanilla form. No guests, just raw chat. We discuss:

  • Cell C’s (possible) introduction of EDGE 2.
  • MTN’s acquisition talks.
  • The announcement of Nokia’s N78 and N96.
  • Microsoft PlaysForSure biting the big one.
  • The iPhone going global - and heading for South Africa on Vodafone.
  • Vodacom’s ridiculous water damage policy.
  • Apple IMC clamping down on grey Apple imports in SA.
  • Grand Theft Auto IV’s opening week earnings of half a billion dollars.
  • Communication’s minister Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri postponing her budget speech and bungling things up, as usual.

…and probably some other stuff too

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ZA Tech Show: Episode 10

In our tenth episode of ZA Tech Show we are joined by controversial writer David Bullard and Toby Shapshak, editor of Stuff Magazine. We trade the beer in for whisky and discuss:

  • David Bullard speaks candidly about his exit from the Sunday Times.
  • The future of media and how South Africa is keeping up with online trends.
  • The launch of Grand Theft Auto IV (and Mr. Bullard’s experiences with Leisure Suit Larry).
  • Ben and Duncan have benchmarked the Neotel consumer connection and present us with the numbers…
  • The beta release of Nokia Maps 2.0 with free world maps.
  • What technology we would like to see incorporated into cars… and some things that are.

Note: This episode of ZA Tech Show was posted a little later than usual to accommodate public holidays… and due to an FTP technicality. We apologise for any inconvenience!

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