My previous connotations towards the aptly dubbed “idiot box” were ones of apathy. The reason this stigma has been around for decades, stems around our manner of interaction. When dealing with a PC, you address the computer and dialogue begins. You ask for a task, it performs a function, and the dance continues. In the case of the television, you are sunk into your couch and dragged through the experience as a mere third person spectator. Yet somehow Samsung have ...

US online deals giant Groupon is reportedly re-evaluating its plans to go public. The Wall Street Journal reports that the company has become hesitant because of volatility in the stock market.Citing a "person familiar with the matter", the newspaper said that Groupon would not be cancelling its initial public offering but is reassessing the timing.The Journal also reports that the group buying giant has cancelled a roadshow for potential investors which had been scheduled for next week.The ...

The closing chapter of a trilogy is always the most important. If you botch the ending any goodwill you may have manufactured in the opening chapters are for naught. Just look at the Matrix trilogy if you want an example of how a weak ending can mess up a trilogy.Unfortunately for the Resistance trilogy, as far as the narrative is concerned, this series is more Matrix than Lord of the Rings. Thankfully, games are more than just plot twists and ...

Following a tense period in which rumours swirled over when, or if, she would be axed, colourful Yahoo! CEO, Carol Bartz announced the end of her tenure at the internet company. The announcement was made via an email to staff, sent from Bartz's iPad.With the subject line, "Goodbye", the email went out to all Yahoo! employees was obtained by technology blog AllThingsD.In the email, Bartz -- as a "last f%*& you" to the Yahoo! board according to AllThingsD -- ...

MTN Business has announced that it will be sponsoring a new "Apprentice" style South African reality TV show, "The Big Break". The Big Break will root out South Africa's rising entrepreneurial stars and assist them in developing their businesses.Prizes to the tune of US$700 000 are up for grabs, and the show itself represents an opportunity for entrepreneurs to shine. Business segments general manager of MTN Business, Nomalanga Nkosi says,For MTN Business this is not just a sponsorship, ...

Following Facebook’s recent privacy and sharing update, the iPhone version of the social networking app now also shares the same features thanks to its latest update. Version 3.5 of Facebook for iPhone lets users tag friends, as well as places in their status updates.It is now also easier to manage how the users see each post. These features are mirrored on Facebook.com and include the updated look to the group walls and profile page. The look is now exceptionally clean, ...

In the wake of reports that founding editor Michael Arrington would be resigning, senior TechCrunch blogger MG Siegler believes the renowned blog may be "on the precipice".When it was first revealed that Arrington would be leaving the company he helped found to set up a venture capital fund, it was believed that the decision was an amicable one with the added bonus of a US$10-million cash injection from TechCrunch parent company AOL.Siegler's dramatic post, which appeared as the ...

Formal content regulation on social networks and messenger services like BlackBerry's BBM is currently a topic of heated discussion around the world. Governments in disparate countries from the UK, Saudi Arabia, India, UAE to South Africa have been making noises about regulating the free-for-all on popular social media sites and tools.On Monday South African deputy communications minister, Obed Bapela, called for new regulations that will allow police authority access messages sent via BlackBerry’s encrypted messenger service (BBM), reports Business Day. ...

Generational Theory is a topic that has been bantered around in marketing circles for, well, for generations now. Never has technology, though, moved at such a blistering pace as now. Even those belonging to Gen X are feeling a little bewildered at times. From the music each generation identifies with to the clothing styles and even value systems, generations are different.Let's break down the generationsMarketing texts usually break the generations down in to 6 major categories:Lost Generation: ...

In a continent where less than 20 percent of Africa's population has a bank account and where latent demand for money services is so high, why are there no other success stories on the scale of Safaricom’s MPESA service, in Kenya?Diverse factors such as distribution networks or Kenya's unique social structure have often been cited as the reasons why MPESA has only worked in Kenya and not elsewhere, the answer lies in the requirement for compliance and regulation obeisance has ...