Dell Technologies and the Springboks make a match winning combination

By Fred Felton | 29 Sept. 2022

On Saturday I was invited by Dell Technologies to check out their activation at the rugby match between the Springboks and Argentina at Kings Park in Durban on Heritage Day.

The Dell Technologies Stand at Kings Park was a hive of activity. | Photo: Fred Felton

The event was a spectacle to behold. A sea of green greeted me as everyone was wearing their Springbok supporter gear. The game day saw around 48 000 people coming together to not only support their favourite rugby team but also to enjoy Heritage Day.

Hands on with the Dell Technologies VR Game. | Photo: Fred Felton

Dell Technologies had their own entertainment on the day with an activation that included a virtual reality game which allowed you to catch rugby balls and dodge rugby tackle dummies. It made for an amusing spectacle if you happened to be watching someone in the game.

There was also a selfie stand provided by Dell Technologies where you could get your picture taken and choose from a variety of rugby themed backgrounds.

There were plenty of activities on the day at Kings Park including a music concert, food and drink and of course many a braai was seen.  

The Springboks in action at Kings Park. | Photo: Fred Felton 

The main event was of course the rugby and the atmosphere was electric. It was amazing to see the Springboks in match winning form as they finished off the day with a victory.

Coming to Africa's Travel Indaba? Download the App

It is one of the largest tourism marketing events in the world. Thousands of people visit it daily. You are certainly going to need something to navigate around and decide where to go, what to see, whom to meet. It all happens from 2 – 4 May 2019 at the ICC in Durban, South Africa.

Image: Africa's Travel Indaba

Luckily for you the folks from Africa’s Travel Indaba have an App just for you. It’s going to become your best friend along the way.

Some of the things you can find on the App include:

·         Programme of events

·         Sponsors/Exhibitors/Media partners

·         Images and Videos

·         Floor plan

There is so much more you will discover on the App.

It’s available for Android and Apple devices.

You can download it on the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store.

For more info visit: www.indaba-southafrica.co.za

This edition by Fred Felton | Twitter @fredfelton

5 Tips To Help You Find Love This Valentine's Day

Digital Oxytocin, Does Your Business Have It?

The Love Hormone & The D.O Effect

Oxytocin. Now there’s a thing. A powerful human hormone that caps as a neurotransmitter in the brain. It’s arguably the most popular of hormones in the neighbourhood, because it triples up as the bonding hormone, the trust hormone and the security hormone that keeps your relationship pretty much on the V.I.P list.  

The question is: does your business do the same? Digital Oxytocin, or fondly dubbed as The D.O Effect, is an instant user experience that benchmarks the initial bonding stage between consumer and brand. Just like the “love hormone” of the brain, Digital Oxytocin is the chemistry responsible for attracting your audience, exciting your audience and making your audience stick around for more.  

When it comes to designing websites, an ‘exceptional digital experience’ should be Number 1 on your strategy list. Getting your D.O levels correct in business, has everything to do with amplifying the user journey online, and focussing on human behaviour as the brand goal towards delivering a compelling brand-consumer relationship.

The D.O Effect is a guaranteed game changer, and can be divided into 5 superior impact

touch points that will help you land the ‘love’, first time round.

# 1: Know What They Want: Intuitive design is real my friends. Knowing what your audience wants before they do is not a skill, it’s a design strategy - and it could save your bottom line. Intuitive design is quite simply, a matter of meeting your online customer’s needs seamlessly, without an interrupted experience. The idea of answering all your customer’s questions before they ask, is D.O gold. Ask yourself: what is the task and can my customer complete it effectively? 

# 2:  Don’t Make Them Work for It: If you’re running a ‘bookings’ business, for example, and your objective is to sell as many tickets online in a short space of time, make it easy. Simple = Satisfaction. You’ll want to tell your user what to buy, what it looks like, why to buy it and how to buy it in a few easy taps. Airline and Accommodation brands like travelstart.co.za and Airbnb.com respectively have improved their D.O Effect for now, with an easy-flow experience that makes browsing pleasurable, the price-compare experience simple and ensures the user feels secure and at ease from check in to check out.   

  

#3: Don’t Talk “Responsive” On the First Date: Or the second date. Or the third. Sadly, the term ‘Responsive Websites’ in business, has become as misunderstood as finding true love on the first swipe right. “Responsive Websites” means cross-screen compatibility – NOT necessarily cross-screen user-journey. The proverbial ‘cookie cut’ desktop approach is a fail in web design. Just because your site is ‘responsive’ across mobile or tablet devices doesn’t mean it meets the needs of the user. The truth is, you can’t have a responsive website without a memorable user journey. They need to exist together. If you want your customer to land on your website and stay, then your aim should be to have a ‘mobile first’ strategy in mind from the get go, to support your ‘responsive website.’

Consider this: if there are 3.7 billion unique users online globally (as at Jan 2018) and 49.7% are attributed to webpage viewing then you cannot, cannot, cannot purely rely on desktop stacking your website design. Design your website with a compelling mobile user experience in mind, FIRST – a design strategy that mirrors the same intuitive experience across all devices.

# 4: Spice It Up: Digital seduction is a key design strategy for Digital Oxytocin effectiveness. How to keep your user from straying? A. Your overall web design should be simple, balanced and aligned to your brand CI. B. Choosing a typeface that is easy on the eye and has a clear weight hierarchy is also must. C. To increase your chances on the D.O circuit, make sure to include visual imagery and video too. D. Whatever you do, DO NOT include  User Interface Animation (U.I) just because you think it looks or sounds cool. Nobody likes an “over-tryer”! Make sure U.I is only created for the purpose of enhancing the user experience, and not just for art’s sake.

# 5: You Have 3 Seconds. Go.: Quality, sex appeal and good conversation pretty much sums up the Richter scale of relationship “wants”.  Your brand has to present the same – and it only has 3 seconds online to determine whether your customer stays or strays. Your landing page should load and lure in your user within a 3 second speed span – telling them promptly that they’ve landed in the right place. Too much guess work on this one and you’ll risk losing them to Joe Soap in the adjacent tab. With an average of 200 ads being served to a user per day disruption is the new digital disease, and makes for a highly competitive landscape to play in. We recommend keeping your 3-second game plan strong.

SO….

Don’t let your plans of www domination stop at design. All things considered, the user journey should be high on the objectives list when it comes to strategising in the online space. Get your user to cuddle up to your brand by marrying form, functionality and intuitive strategy. It’s a non-negotiable. Your business just can’t afford the shortcomings of a negative user experience. Talk to So Interactive, a respected and seasoned digital studio based in Johannesburg, about your place in the market and establishing the touch points that will move your brand forward with Digital Oxytocin.

For more info visit: www.sointeractive.co.za 

Media Enquiries: Jacqueline Freer (info@jacquelinefreer.com)

#DigitalOxytocin 

Highlights From ESET Security Day Breakfast Durban

Last week the ESET Security Day Breakfast was held in Durban and I was lucky enough to attend this informative event which covered security topics and of course the subject that is on everyone’s mind, The POPI Act. The packed out event was held in the Maharani Hotel in Durban.

Here are some of the highlights from the event:

Ransomware and Cybercrime Trends Report

Robert Lipovsky sharing his insight

We heard a fantastic report from ESET Global Senior Researcher, Robert Lipovsky. He shared some key insights into security, ransomware, malware, viruses and analysis.

He did let us know that sometimes even Hackers leave you a nice message within malware.

Mr Lipovsky also shared insight from around the world of key attacks and noted that when the Durex site gets hit you know nobody is safe.

He also warned that sometimes malware can even steal some of the most important information such as admin details and passwords.

‘Espionage is used before destructive attacks,’ noted Mr Lipovsky.

The POPI Act and the Road to Compliance

Drew van Vuuren explains the POPI Act

Drew van Vuuren of iDataSec gave a very interesting report on what we can expect from the POPI Act. ‘Business and Organisations are going to have to change the way they do business,’ warned Mr van Vuuren. He noted that the biggest impact will be on DMO (Direct Marketing Organisations).

He also let people know that the POPI act also applies to local government. He also suggested that business take reasonable steps to comply with POPI.

ESET Tips 

Adrian Stanford shares security tips

Adrian Stanford a Business Analyst from ESET gave us some key insights into POPI and even shared a useful microsite that ESET has setup to help companies deal with POPI act.

You can get free information on POPI and your requirements at this microsite.

The site can be found here: https://encryption.eset.com/za/what-is-popia/

He warned companies to keep things secure and use encryption, especially endpoint encryption. He recommended as many different layers of security as possible and suggested companies use 2-factor authentication such as banks require. So not only do you have a password but you can add in 1 time pins sent to your mobile phone to add layers of security. Avoid using easy passwords and avoid posting secure details on social media where they can be easily seen by just about anyone.

The POPI Assessment Tool

Steve Flynn reveals details of the POPI Assessment Tool 

Steve Flynn the ESET Director of Sales and Marketing also shared with us more details on the POPI Assessment Tool and how ESET can help you deal with the POPI act. There is also the option for companies that take up this offer to resell the product to their clients.

For more info on these offerings from ESET visit: www.eset.co.za

Twitter: @eset_sa

Facebook: @ESET.SA

This edition by Fred Felton | Twitter @fredfelton 

Images courtesy ESET 

Tips to manage your smartphone bill

Data costs can be expensive at times. 3G, LTE and 4G enabled mobile phones and tablets can easily update applications in the background.  This can quickly cost you more money.

Here are 9 tips to help you manage your smartphone bill:

·         Know your data allowance and / or balance

·         Track your data usage constantly (set data limits on your device)

·         Request a call limit facility if you are a post-paid user

·         Understand how international roaming works and the cost implications

·         Rather use Wi-Fi hot spots

·         Switch your data usage portal off if you don’t need to use data

·         Learn the difference between a megabyte (MB) and a gigabyte (GB)

·         Understand the difference between Wi-Fi usage and data usage

·         Limit your background data

3 things that use up a lot of data:

·         Streaming or downloading music

·         Streaming or downloading movies

·         Playing games online

Apps such as YouTube, Netflix, Spotify and Dropbox consume a lot of data. So do smartphone apps such as Facebook or Twitter.

Background syncing also uses data.

Did you know that manual updates can save you a lot of data and battery life?

The difference between a Kilobyte (KB), Megabyte (MB) and Gigabyte (GB)

1024 bytes = 1 kilobyte.

1024 kilobytes = 1 Megabyte.

1024 Megabytes = 1 Gigabyte.

1024 Gigabytes = 1 Terabyte.

1024 Terabytes = 1 Petabyte.

Newer models of phones come with a connection booster that uses Wi-Fi and mobile data together to give you the fastest speed. To keep your data usage down, consider switching this feature off.

So what happens if you get an unexpected huge bill?

1.       First check that anyone who uses your smartphone is not responsible for the disputed charges.

2.       If not, carefully highlight the charges you are disputing and provide reasons stating why.

3.       Put the complaint in writing and attach a copy of your bill.

If you have a complaint about your network provider you can lodge it with ICASA.

You need to lodge the complaint with your service provider first. Your service provider needs to give you a reference number. They need to resolve the complaint within 14 working days. If they don’t or you are not satisfied with the outcome you can forward your complaint and outcome to ICASA.

ICASA regularly resolves disputes between industry players and consumers.

To lodge a complaint with ICASA online visit www.icasa.org.za

You can also email it to: consumer@icasa.org.za or call 011-566-3000

Find them on Twitter at @ICASA_org

You can also post it to them or hand it in at your nearest office.

Their head office is at Pinmill Farm, 164 Katherine Street, Sandton.

Their Durban office is 15^th Floor, Victoria Main Building, 71 Margaret Mncadi Avenue (Ex-Victoria Embankment Street), Esplanade, Durban.

Your complaint needs to be in writing.

Do not stop paying your monthly contract and the service provider should not stop your service whilst your dispute is being resolved.

These tips are brought to you courtesy of ICASA which is supporting the Wireless World Research Forum (WWRF) in hosting the 5^th Annual 5G Huddle which is running alongside WWRF40 from 30 May – 1 June 2018 in Durban, South Africa.

5G Huddle - Image: Fred Felton

The conference will focus on the countdown to commercial rollout of 5G technologies in South Africa. 5G is expected to be rolled out in South Africa in 2020.

ICASA Councillor Paris Mashile emphasised, ‘’It is our public service mandate, as a country and regulator, to ensure that we are not left behind as the world is moving forward and embracing new technologies that will benefit consumers, business and government, hence our involvement and participation in these debates and discussions as we look forward to the first commercial deployment of 5G in 2020.’’

When 5G arrives expect automation of device and machine use, through the concept of the Internet of Things (IoT).

The main focus area from speakers at the 5G Huddle was the hope that 5G would bridge the digital divide.

For more information visit www.5ghuddle.com and www.wwrf.ch

#5GHuddle

Article by Fred Felton | Twitter @fredfelton 

Review of the LG G4

This week I was invited to review the new #LGG4 from LG.

This new smartphone features a state of the art camera.
With the camera you can shoot in RAW format.  What that means is for the first
time you have a really big choice to make.

Do you lug your big DSLR camera around with the tripod, lenses, the bag and flash or do you decide to ditch the DSLR and take this phone/camera instead?

Either way photographers are going to have a tough decision to make.
The camera features a F1.8 aperture lens which allows 80 percent more light to hit the image sensor than in the LG G3.

The smartphone features 32GB internal memory.  Perfect for all of those pics you take.
The operating system is Android 5.1 Lollipop.
Network: 4G / LTE / HSPA+ 21 Mbps (3G)
Features Wi-Fi / Bluetooth / USB

It even comes with a leather back cover in some models.

What else can it do?

• It has a Health Tracker which is cool for fitness nuts 
• You can use it as a Universal Remote as long as it picks up your TV or Audio or even your Air-Con so instead of changing channels with the old TV Remote just pull out your #LGG4
• The Camera on the smartphone has various options from Manual to Auto to Gesture Shot and more.
• The Camera can also be voice operated by just saying Cheese or LG
• You can also depress the camera button for a long time and you get to take 4 selfies one after the other
• An interesting camera option is Dual Shot which lets you operate the front and back camera at the same time.  What that means is you can insert a pic of yourself in the picture.  I can imagine you might want to use that if you want to take a pic of friends and don't have enough space to fit in the shot.  You could also use it to provide proof that you were actually at the place you took the picture.  I leave it to your imagination what else you can do with that feature.
• Gesture shot needs a bit of practice but when you get it right you can take a pic without pressing any buttons.  

How to take the Gesture Shot

You will also certainly have loads of fun with the Panorama Option on the Camera just be careful to keep it in line with the arrows as you take the pic.

If you get it right you might end up with a pic like this one of Durban that I took.

As for the smartphone itself it has all the bells and whistles you would expect from LG.  From a calendar list to email via Google and even Google Drive to much, much more.

I tested the camera on this smartphone in various settings and at various locations, times and light settings and it never let me down.  Each time the result was brilliant. 

If you would like to see more of the pics I took with this phone check me out on Instagram @fredfelton

Final Thoughts: An amazing camera and a full featured smartphone

Contact your cellphone provider to find out the latest deals and specials on this model. 

For more details visit: http://www.lg.com/us/mobile-phones/g4

Find them on Twitter: @LGMobileSA

#LGG4

Review by Fred Felton

Twitter @fredfelton 

Review of Brainwavz In-Ear Noise Isolating Earphones

Last week I received a wonderful surprise in the post.  A parcel from the good folks at Brainwavz.  They asked me to try out their new Brainwavz S1 model (http://www.yourbrainwavz.com/s1.html) and see what I think.

Well I tried them out and here is what I think:

First off I love the rich detail in the packaging.  Everything is very well set out.  

Best of all these earphones even have their own carry case.  How cool is that?

I love the new design of these earphones, not your normal type of cord.  It features an Oxgen Free Cable.  If you can imagine what an elastic rubber band feels like.  This makes a huge difference.

The earphones I received were dark grey/black which works well with any outfit you want to wear. 

The earphones also feature COMPLY™ Premium Earphone Tips which makes a wonderful difference to the listening experience.

Now let us look at the sound experience.

I tested these earphones out on 3 different types of music and videos and here is what I found:

Batman: The Dark Knight by Hans Zimmer

The earphones worked very well with the rich deep drums, synth and bass in this music video and it really enhanced the listening and viewing pleasure. 

Behind The Wheel by Depeche Mode

An old favourite of mine and the earphones certainly brought the music to life.

Time to Burn by Storm

A real dance beat to this piece with high B.P.M. and it certainly put these earphones to the test.  A wonderful sound explosion and the earphones contributed wonderfully to the music.

So as you can see 2 songs and 1 music video I tried it on and the earphones did not disappoint.

Try them out yourself, trust me you won’t be disappointed:

http://www.amazon.com//dp/B00G4UQ6U8/

Review by Fred Felton

Review - Vodacom Smart Kicka - A Smartphone At A Smart Price

Last week Vodacom sent me the Vodacom Smart Kicka to have a look at.

I must say this is quite a surprise.  For those of you not informed about this phone, this is a entry level model for all of those who would like a smartphone.

Tech Details:

• 3.5" Touchscreen
• 2 MP rear camera
• Android 4.4 KitKat
• Browsing
• Bluetooth
• Email
• WiFi
• Apps 

In the box you should find the phone hopefully, a battery, a charger, a headset and a quick start guide.

So how well does it run? 

Surprisingly well, This is a full touchscreen phone so don't expect any keyboard on it.

(Image courtesy Vodacom) 

On top of the phone is your on/off button.   

Volume control is on the side of the phone. 

It features 3 buttons on the bottom of the phone.

The button on the left takes you back to your home screen.

The centre button is to close an app.

The right hand button takes you to wallpapers, widgets and settings, have fun there. 

The main screen has your time, date and widgets.  A useful feature at the top is a Google Search bar with voice searching as well if you prefer to shout out your search functions in a coffee shop maybe.

It also features a useful Data usage App if you care about blowing the odd 1GB now and again. 

Storage: 4GB

Support for a 32 GB SD Card.

It also has a nice App to show you what is using your battery.

You can also schedule the phone to switch on or off.  You switch your phone off sometimes right?

Some of the useful Apps you can find on the phone:

• A suite of Google products which include Chrome, Gmail, Google+, Maps, Play Music, Play Books, Play Newsstand, Play Games, Drive, YouTube and Hangouts.
• Vodacom Apps and My Vodacom and Vlive and more.
• Calculator
• Calendar
• Camera and Video Player
• Clock
• Facebook
• Sound Recorder
• Radio
• Notes
• Twitter
• Voice Search 

Are you ready for this?  This smartphone should set you back around R549. Unheard of for a smartphone.  As you can see Vodacom have certainly changed the playing field in the smartphone category. 

Rating: 8/10 

The Vodacom Smart Kicka is available at your nearest Vodacom outlet.  

Review by +Fred Felton 

Art Exhibits & John Legend is Coming & So Is Hacka Durban

Art Exhibition For Durban

(Modisa Tim Motsomi, 'Limen' , mixed media wall sculpture - Image supplied)

Just one of the artworks on show at: Looking Forward: Our Lives in 2034.
Presented by artSPACE durban and Durban Art Gallery.
On exhibit Aug 4 - Sept 14 at Durban Art Gallery.


John Legend Is Coming To Durban

21 November - Moses Mabhida Stadium 
Ticket Sales - www.bigconcerts.com


@HackaDurban - Durban's global hackathon

Hacka Durban - 15 - 16 August 2014
''Solutionism for Durban''
Young, bold and innovative minds are invited to this 24 hour hackathon.
Speakers at this event include:

• Peter Wailey
• Mixo Ngoveni

Judges Include:

• Neil Vose (Quirk)
• Craig McCleod (Build 2 Trade)
• Solly Khoza (Mentec)
• Bilal Kathrada (IT Varsity) 

Tickets: https://www.hackadurban1.eventbrite.com

Students - book your free tickets

For more details email hackadurban@gmail.com 

or call Peter 078-971-3891

This edition by +Fred Felton 

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