Emerging Technology News

The launch of Google’s Chrome for mobile is a triumph indeed. The result of this advance is that cell-phones can take a massive leap towards becoming as capable as desktop computers. In terms of South Africa mobile usage, this fully-fledged browser might mean a further lessening of the digital divide. With the South Africa mobile subscriber base being thirteen times the size of its fixed-line subscriber base at the end of 2010, the advantage of being able to have the same web-browsing experience as that of desktop user is something that a lot of South Africans are in need of.

In retrospect The Jetsons with their housemaid robot and lunch in a pill was just as realistic as The Flintstones; as in not very realistic at all. However the robotic vacuum has got me slightly convinced that at least a housemaid robot isn’t too far off. The robotic vacuum cleaner that we have today is a far cry from the past technology that got it off to a rocky start. These days they can clean your house effectively, map and remember the layout of your house to increase efficiency, dump their own dirt and even return to their docking stations to charge themselves. Next thing you know they’ll be delivering sandwiches to appreciative housewives.

The thought of not cleaning your house for a whole week is unthinkable to most people; what about a whole year or fifty-four?  Since the commencement of space exploration in 1957, the space junk left behind has been accumulating. Scientists suggest that the Earth is surrounded by a cloud of more than half-a-million pieces of waste. From bus-sized exhausted rocket stages to tiny flecks of paint, the debris is left to orbit at break-neck speed.

As the world is covered by 75% water everyone has their concerns about rising sea levels. It’s easy enough to know the sea depth of different oceans but marine scientists are required to know exactly what the range of rising water is due to obstacles in new unexplored waterways that are being used by ships.

Satellite imagery showed that since the last satellite measurements taken in 1979 the Arctic sea depth has increased and much sea ice has disappeared. This means the waterways are being used increasingly by the oil and gas industry ships as well as cruise liners and fishing vessels. There is huge concern that undetected underwater obstacles could pose a hazard to any ships sailing this ocean.

The annual Dakar Rally tests the limits of vehicles and drivers alike; this year, the off-road endurance race saw bikes, quads, cars and trucks take on the hazardous and action packed Rally route, not to the traditional destination of Dakar, but starting from Mar del Plata in Argentine, travelling to Copiapó in Chile and finally arriving at Lima in Peru. The Dakar Rally is famed as one of the world’s toughest off-road races, and participating vehicles are designed to withstand the most demanding conditions. A good performance at the 15-day Dakar Rally performance naturally improves the popularity of a car among consumers and car dealerships worldwide; a top spot in the Rally’s results is considered a prestigious achievement and a testament to any vehicle’s durability.

As companies and businesses grow, they all hope to expand internationally and even so communication continues to be key. The first practical issue with expansion is geography; the solution – the video conference. If your company has expanded enough to include satellite offices around the world, then you’ll know that getting a board meeting with all the relevant parties involved can be a challenge. A live video conference has many challenges to bypass like time zones, technology and connectivity but there is video conference software and companies that can better streamline the process. Let’s go over some of the benefits a company would receive when utilising video conferencing.

With the population constantly being mobile and looking for low cost telephony options utilising the abundance of wifi hotspots, VOIP Apps are gaining popularity both in the realm of business as well as the personal users. Some companies are already established in the field and businesses working internationally are harnessing the power of their business internet lines and 3G technology so that workers both in the office and out on the road can have access to affordable telephony for business. So which VOIP apps offer the best solutions for both business and personal users and why do they out do their competitors in the field of cheap and cost effective mobile communication? We take a look at some of the top VOIP apps on the market for users.

When it comes to making the earth a cleaner greener place, the idea of renewable energy is one that lays out the foundation for that to be possible. Solar power is the champion of renewable energy since the Sun’s energy is abundant and at least for a long time (millions of years) in the foreseeable future it’ll produce more energy than we need or can harness. Fossil fuels, coal and oil have a very real limit and will one day run out completely; hopefully by then we’d have set up enough solar power facilities to keep the human race alive. So as one possible renewable energy source, we know it’s a fact solar power delivers the goods, but how can we use it practically in our day to day lives. Let’s look at some examples.

The British food distribution company Blue Skies has started using the TempTRIP monitoring device to ensure the high quality freshness of its fruits from African food distribution channels to European supermarkets. Employing more than 2000 people in South Africa, Ghana, Egypt and Brazil, Blue Skies sources freshly harvested fruit for supermarket chains in the UK, Europe and South Africa, transporting their cargo in under 48 hours. Fruit is cut and packed at the country of origin, ensuring fair trade in its global food distribution methods.

With the Consumer Electronics Show happening in Las Vegas, once again we will see how the impact of mobile technology, in the form of smart phones, wireless devices and smaller technology that can be embedded into clothing will give health benefits to the medical industry. With numerous patents for new technologies going past the desk of regulatory affairs specialists in the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) the trade show highlights not only the latest in technology for connectivity in business and social, but also the benefits of the technology on healthcare and numerous studies show the benefit of these technologies going mainstream. Keeping in contact with patients through immediate methods such as txt messages and emails wherever they are is one of the penetrating effects of smartphones and mobile computing technology devices that have medical applications to fulfil basic requirements that were only available at hospitals before.