ITWeb

The explosion of pagers and walkie-talkies in Lebanon will cause ripples in cyber warfare, espionage and physical warfare.

Pager attacks signal new chapter in physical, cyber warfare The era of combining cyber warfare with military strikes has arrived, following the explosions of pagers and walkie-talkies in Lebanon.

Market analysis, influencers applaud Oracle and Amazon Web Services (AWS) for strategic collaboration in launching Oracle Database@AWS.

Cloud market lauds Oracle and AWS collaboration Oracle’s Ellison says it's time for the largest cloud infrastructure providers to open and integrate their systems..

City of Cape Town commits to supporting investments in advanced tech, as CCTV network yields positive results.

CCTV network bolsters CTown’s crime fight The city’s safety and security portfolio committee sees an uptick in the number of criminal incidents detected via the CCTV network.

IT services and consulting firm NTT DATA, Inc. appoints Verina Mohanlal as head of financial services industry: applications and cloud in MEA region.

New head for NTT Data’s MEA financial services unit Verina Mohanlal will drive innovation in the firm’s financial services, with a focus on applications and strategic cloud solutions.

Telecommunications companies are calling on South African regulators to scrutinise the deal whereby Cell C is looking to transfer licences to The Prepaid Company, a subsidiary of majority shareholder Blue Label Telecoms.

Cell C’s transfer of licences to Blue Label under scrutiny ICASA convenes public hearings centring on applications for the transfer of control of the I-ECNS and I-ECS licences from Cell C to The Prepaid Company.

The Gauteng Department of Education and Honeywell launch STEM lab at UJ Academy.
University of Johannesburg

GDE, Honeywell collab sees launch of second STEM lab The Gauteng Department of Education and Honeywell open a STEM lab at the UJ Academy of Maths, Science & ICT School of Specialisation.

NEC XON responds to media reports alleging it was to blame for breaches at South African National Defence Force ( ), saying its contract ended last year.

NEC XON refutes alleged breach of SANDF systems The company denies responsibility, saying its contract to maintain the Department of Defence’s infrastructure ended last year.

Stop the noise

The Kaibo Flow headphones are an open-ear, noise-cancelling mobile audio accessory, engineered with bone conduction technology and a battery capable of 10 hours playtime.

Photograph by Trend Hunter
https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/kaibo-flow

Benefit from expert-led sessions on leveraging AI for personalised customer interactions, implementing effective omnichannel strategies, and balancing profit with purpose in CX excellence. Register today!
https://www.itweb.co.za/event/itweb-cx-2024/

The online vehicle registration and notice of change of ownership (NCO) platform, developed by WeBuyCars in collaboration with the Road Traffic Management Corporation (RTMC), has processed thousands of applications
since inception.
https://www.itweb.co.za/article/more-companies-use-webuycars-rtmc-registration-system/LPp6VMrBamnMDKQz

Fintech group Lesaka Technologies is increasingly onboarding social grant beneficiaries, as the South African Post Office (SAPO), which has a government contract to distribute millions of social grants, faces liquidation.
https://www.itweb.co.za/article/lesakas-social-grant-business-thrives-amid-post-office-chaos/WnpNgq21mjZMVrGd

As the cyber landscape evolves rapidly, CISOs play a vital role. The annual offers a unique chance to network with these key decision-makers. Contact [email protected] to find out how to sponsor today!

[Sponsored] Cyber crime presents one of the most serious threats to SME survival - Sudesh Pillay, executive head of iStore Business.

SMEs must prioritise cyber security SMEs are particularly vulnerable to cyber attackers, who take advantage of their lack of preparedness, says Sudesh Pillay, executive head of iStore Business.

Groundwork for Google’s Umoja fibre-optic subsea cable, which will link South Africa to Australia, is under way, after the company invested “significantly” in the project.

Google begins work on subsea cable linking SA to Australia The new Umoja fibre-optic subsea cable will help increase the reliability of internet connectivity in Africa, says Google.

Sage has committed an additional R9.2 million in interest-free loans to black-owned small ICT businesses in South Africa.

Sage adds to loan pot for SA ICT SMEs The software provider commits an additional R9.2 million in interest-free loans to small ICT businesses in South Africa.

Parliament’s portfolio committee urges extensive efforts to save ailing post office, including urgently establishing ministerial intervention team.

Parliament seeks urgent ministerial intervention on SAPO The comms portfolio committee wants minister Solly Molatsi to urgently establish a ministerial intervention team to save the post office.

Fintech group Lesaka Technologies Inc. is increasingly onboarding social grant beneficiaries, as the South African Post Office ( ), which has a government contract to distribute millions of social grants, faces liquidation.

Lesaka’s social grant business thrives amid post office chaos The fintech group’s social grant business is growing 361% year-on-year and it now has 1.5 million active accounts, says CEO Lincoln Mali.

Apple’s iPhone 15 Pro Max becomes world’s ‘most popular’ phone in first half of 2024, with 21.8 million units shipped.

Apple’s high-end model dominates global shipments Despite inflationary pressures, Apple’s iPhone 15 Pro Max is ranked as the most shipped smartphone globally in the first half of 2024.

Data protection firm Veeam Software has appointed Niraj Tolia as chief technology officer.

Veeam Software appoints new CTO In his new role, Niraj Tolia will spearhead the product strategy and engineering efforts for the Veeam Data Cloud.

Mobile network operator MTN is intensifying the roll out of 5G connectivity in South Africa.
https://www.itweb.co.za/article/mtn-expands-5g-coverage-in-sa/kYbe97Xb8YLqAWpG

Project Isizwe – the free WiFi initiative that aims to connect South Africa’s underserviced areas – has to date deployed 1 002 free WiFi sites in eight provinces across the country.
https://www.itweb.co.za/article/project-isizwe-counts-over-1-000-free-wifi-sites-across-sa/Olx4z7kaV1oq56km

The Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) will send 100+ local students to China to advance their skills.
https://www.itweb.co.za/article/china-to-assist-sa-to-address-skills-mismatch/xnklOvz1JO8q4Ymz

The National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) has deferred the launch of the 2025 online application
process to Friday, 20 September, following stakeholder engagement.
https://www.itweb.co.za/article/nsfas-promises-simplified-online-application-process/rW1xL75nYVeMRk6m

ITWeb Industry Insight: Effective data ownership can be the key to unlocking customer-centric product innovation, writes Nathi Dube, director at PBT Group.

Own it: Data ownership vital in data-driven organisations Data owners bring credibility to the data value chain, removing uncertainties around data interpretations and applicable business rules.

Aquatic taxi

The Smart Bubble fully-enclosed battery-electric hydrofoil water taxi, developed by French company SeaBubbles, seats eight people and cruises at 16-knots (30km/h). It uses gyroscopic and altitude sensors to constantly measure pitch and roll angles, automatically stabilising itself accordingly.

Photograph by New Atlas
https://newatlas.com/marine/seabubbles-smart-bubble-electric-hydrofoil-water-taxi/

Vodacom has introduced a “cloud-based” mobile handset that will connect to 4G, retailing for R249.

Vodacom intros entry-level phone to drive 4G migration he mobile operator Vodacom SA has introduced a “cloud-based” mobile handset that will connect to 4G, retailing for R249.

Project Isizwe – the free WiFi initiative that aims to connect South Africa’s underserviced areas – has to date deployed 1 002 free WiFi sites in eight provinces across the country.

Project Isizwe counts over 1 000 free WiFi sites across SA The free WiFi initiative this week officially launched its latest project in Alexandra township in Johannesburg.

The move to modernise the South African Post Office (SAPO) has been put on hold, pending additional funding of nearly R4 billion.

Brakes slammed on SAPO modernisation The upgrading of the post office’s hardware infrastructure and software applications is on hold, pending R3.8 billion additional funding.