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Showing posts from September, 2013

Digital Wars: Apple, Google, Microsoft and the battle for the Internet

Charles Arthur  book  Digital Wars  is an extensively chronicled battle between Apple, Google, and Microsoft fighting for dominance in the new world of technology. The well-known  Guardian's technology editor , has been in the industry for as long as I can remember and is extensively versed with technology journalism.  Digital Wars  is a fascinating book that was worth my money because every chapter makes a gripping story that any die-hard techie would fall in love with. The  Digital Wars  story begins in 1998 when the Internet and computing business industry was a moment away from witnessing antitrust case that would end up defining the Industry. The focus is on three globally renowned technology companies, their current and former staff strategies. Twoyears before the turn of 21st century popular author Ken Auletta  asked Microsoft co founder Bill Gates which of his competitors he feared most and he replied "I fear someone in a garage who is devising

“Underground economy”: Beware about theft and sale of your personal information

A lack of law enforcement culture and skilled staff with adequate knowledge about electronic crime and corrupt African courts' failure to prosecute online crime perpetrators has turned African countries into a fertile ground for cyber criminals . Rampant theft and sale of personal information taken from the Internet and mobile devices has prompted calls for tougher laws in countries like Nigeria, Kenya and Ghana. One can hardly go for a week without several countries reporting how the police has detained online and mobile money fraudsters. In most African countries, criminal code procedures sets out legal evidence as testimonies from legal experts and defendants, hand written letters, witnesses and material exhibits and apart from a few selected countries procedures do not include electronic evidence. Although African countries are establishing cyber crime divisions within police to tackle the menace, it would be ineffectual and futile mission for police to prosecute c

Africa’s digital
 and mobile media advertising expected to boom

The proliferation of new generation of affordable smartphones across Africa has continued to change how Africans access the Internet and conduct business. Africa boasts the world’s second largest number of mobile phone users and the numbers can only go up. According to research, the majority of Africans who go online using their phones do so to access their social networking site accounts, while more than a quarter do so to access their local news sites daily. Gone are the days when majority of Africans relied on either Internet cafes or old generation smartphones to access the Internet. The last 12 months month has seen an increase of a new generation of smartphones in Africa that are user-friendly and relatively affordable price for many in the continent. Smartphones will have specific features for Internet access and social media, so it will be easier to access the sites. It will drive a flood of more frequent Internet access and advertisers in the continent will soon sh