‘South Africa’

Who can remember the jump from DOS to Windows? And who can forget the excitement of the first cell phones? Well things are about to take another change. If you have ever thought of getting a phone that can bend then hold onto your seat because the day is near. Nokia has launched the first Nokia kinetic phone. Yes, it is bendable. It cannot yet open the door or scratch your back, but it is flexible and this also means a bit more robust in design than the average Smart Phone.

Still in Prototype Phase

The bad news is that the kinetic phone, although the most revolutionary concept in mobile phones ever, has been launched, it is not yet available on the market. It may also stay in the prototype phase, but if it creates enough of a stir, Nokia may very well decide to go into mass production to improve everyone’s cellphone experience by leaps and bounds.

Bendable is not the Only Hot Trend

Although the kinetic phone is loved mostly because it can bend, it also has an OLED display and just about everything your average personal computer has – just in a compact size. If you hold the phone in your hand and bend it to the left, then to the right and try to twist it, you will find that it is completely flexible. It is rather difficult to focus on anything else, but although the kinetic device can bend in opposite directions, it also features various zooming abilities for pictures.

The device furthermore features an easy to use scroll feature for music and for using some of the other applications. Cameras may even get a run for the show as the phone has tremendous panning features and can be described as the all-in-one phone, computer, and camera as well as music player, recorder and video recorder.

Where was the Nokia Phone Launched?

Even if you are not the standard gimmicks fan you must admit that this is worth keeping your eyes open for. The launch was made at the Nokia World Conference held in London at the Nokia booth. The Internet will never be the same with thousands of users using such a flexible device. At this stage it is a still hoping for the best situation – that is that the phone will become available on the market.

Control by Means of Twisting

The control is no longer touch based. With the kinetic device you will have ample reason for twisting away at the screen as it will be the way for navigating. You can even make calls by twisting the screen. The only drawback is that two hands are normally required for effective twisting. This could be the phone that will stop mobile phoning and driving in South Africa.

If you want to navigate to the next screen, simply twist. To scroll faster simply twist more. If you become too enthusiastic and twist a bit too far, simply twist in the opposite direction and once the file that you want to see is highlighted or perhaps the contact that you want to phone, just give it a bend again and it pops open.

All Plastic

The phone is made from plastic, which means that it will also be less likely to break if it hits the ground. The whole phone and not only part of it, can bend which is also the means for zooming and controlling volume as well as playback, all because it is made from plastic.

Aesthetically Appealing

As can be expected, the Nokia handset is not only highly functional and bendable, but also a truly attractive phone. It could very well be the next top model of phones. If it catches on and hits the stores, we may in future say “Give me a twist” rather than “Dial me”.

Squeeze to Answer

They should call it the ‘Love Phone’ since you give it a gentle squeeze when you want to answer.

Why the Replacement of the Touch Screen?

According to Nokia, the kinetic phone with its twisting and squeezing is the answer to operation difficulty with touch screens. True, in most instances, the touch screen works pretty well, but if you wear gloves in the winter, it may be a bit of hassle to operate. Nokia doesn’t plan on replacing the touch screen; simply add onto it for those applications where a twist or turn will improve the user experience.

Security

Instead of the fingerprint to lock or open the device, Nokia has suggested that it would be possible to make it ‘grip recognizable’. It will thus recognize the user’s particular grip. Just remember to always be kind! It is made from an intuitive material and thus a step into the future.

Multifunctional

Another reason to look forward to the Nokia kinetic phone is the multi-functionality of the device. With just the right bend, one will be able to perform several functions at one. As such it can be seen as a time saving device, made for the superfast society of today.

 

Usage in the Car

Since the Nokia kinetic handset is so flexible it may even be built-in on the dashboard of the car where you will then be able to use one hand to get the right twist.

Waterproof

Even more good news for those of us who regularly drop our phones in water of all sorts – because it is without buttons, it can be waterproof. Notably you will not use the phone underwater, but at least you will be able to save it when it gets wet.

Easy Fit

Because the Nokia kinetic phone is compact in size, you will be able to fit it in your handbag or pocket. The idea of a pocket size computer has become tangible with the funky design and super functionality of the device. The phone will take on the shape of its environment and thus the risk of damage will be minimized. Let’s hope the device becomes available to the general public.

 

If you’re the proud owner of a BlackBerry, you would know that over the last couple of days major upset was caused around the world amongst the BlackBerry community with their smartphones being somewhat dysfunctional. Emails lost. No BlackBerry Messenger messages going through. Basically giving some of us a taste of what it would be like if we had a communication shut down…even if this was just a minor glitch in our social lives (both on- and offline).

The interruption in service was felt around the world, including in the Middle East, India, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Europe and of course South Africa, amongst others. Research in Motion (RIM), the company who manufactures BlackBerry, didn’t give any details as to what caused the problem in service in the first place – although the speculation is that one of their servers crashed – or how long users could expect to wait for a fully functional smartphone.

The RIM spokesperson did however say that they are working to restore normal service as quickly as possible, and that they apologise for any inconvenience this has caused.

Some of the South African service providers, such as Vodacom, did send messages to their BlackBerry users stating that “RIM (BlackBerry) has informed us that a ‘core switch failure’ has been fixed and they are working to restore normal service. Service delays are still likely.” Of course Vodacom hasn’t been the only mobile telecommunications company that has been affected in South Africa; MTN, Cell C, Heita and Virgin Mobile users have been struggling with this matter.

While many BlackBerry users have been using social sites such as Facebook and Twitter to vent their frustration, there have been at least some users who has taken it all in their stride and even opted for humour as a way to express themselves via tweets.

“It’s thoughtful of BlackBerry to honour Steve Jobs by having two days of silence,” said one tweet.

“Flight attendant just said to switch all our phones off, this includes all Blackberries… everyone chimes ‘don’t worry they keep themselves off’,” said another.”

Needless to say that RIM has been feeling the heat and has already lost some market share. iPhone and iPhone users especially has been turning up the heat, leading to remarks such as this from a disgruntled BlackBerry user:

“Ok, this BlackBerry thing is ridiculous now. And if I see one more tweet from a smug iPhone user…”

Guess we’ll just have to wait and see what happens.

Mobile sites and their usage grow by the day. Also known as mobi sites or as some write it mobisites, are fast overtaking normal desktop based websites. According to a DotMobi study the growth of new mobisites is enormous showing that from over 149 000 in 2008 to more than 3 million such sites have been registered in 2010. In addition, the social media networks such as Facebook have large numbers of users which login to the social applications by means of their phones. According to Facebook the figures suggest more than 199 million users which login to their site via their mobile phones.

With every new technology there is resistance and there is embracement. The resistance normally comes from those who have already invested a lot into an existing technology and don’t want to re-invest in the new technology, but a business owner that wants to survive changes must adapt. The pc website market is shrinking and mobile market growing.

One may argue that there is no reason to create a mobile website if the users can login from their phones in any case, but there are several differences between mobi sites and the conventional websites which should be noted. In short, the mobile user doesn’t find the conventional website mobile friendly. With loads of heavy graphics, Java scripts, Flash and other bandwidth intensive design tools, the mobile user gets a slow loading page which isn’t easy to navigate.

More and more mobile users migrates to the mobisites specifically designed to fit well on their mobile screens, load faster, browse easier and take up less bandwidth as well as memory. Of course mobi sites are not as visually stimulating as the conventional websites and don’t show the same versatility, but users on the move want sites which can be used on their mobile phones with ease.

One can continue to design only the conventional website and have the mobile users struggle to use the site, but if they find something more user friendly, they will leave the site immediately, never to return. The younger generation of Internet users are also experts on mobile usage and if you don’t want to see your market dying a slow and agonizing death, you will need to create a mobisite and a conventional website.

Don’t think of the mobi site as portable site only. It is far more than that. It is an innovative and advanced way of interaction with the visitor. Modern consumers carry powerful computers in their hands and pockets; used as phones as well. They want to get value for their money and with more mobility offered rather browse from their phones and tablets than from desktops. Studies have shown that desktop usage is still huge during the day, but mobile usage surpasses that during the evenings. The users browsing during the day do so from their offices at work where desktops are connected via the network, but once they leave office they migrate to mobile usage. As such website owners need to take notice and adapt their interaction with users.

Some important considerations for creation of mobi sites are:

• Create a site that can use the mobile device capabilities.
• Mobisites must be created with loading time in mind. The site should load in two clicks and thus under ten or twelve seconds.
• Browsing should be easy without the need to zoom in.
• The mobile site must provide enough incentive for interaction through means of competitions, discount coupons and prize draws.
• People on the move love sharing and the mobile site must make it possible as well as be so addictive as to ensure return and viral marketing.
• Convenience is another reason for using mobile websites. People want to interact where they are and as such you need to ensure that the mobisite can be used on the spot and in-store for specials.
• Mobile users want to find information rather quickly and as such they don’t want to wait for pages to load or have to go through several menu steps to get the information.
• Don’t just re-design a desktop website to fit on a smaller screen, but run two distinct sites which can ensure that both desktop user and mobile user requirements are met.

Smart Phones are Taking Over

Bandwidth changes to 4G and the lower lag enables mobile users to surf fast. With that then, more users migrate to mobisites in South Africa because of our slow connectivity via desktop. The majority of new handsets can connect to the Internet. With four times more mobile users than desktop users in the world including South Africa, there is thus a big untapped market available for the innovative thinker, willing to create a stunning mobisite. Studies furthermore indicate that about a third of mobile browsing is done for local content. This means that the mobile user is on the lookout for businesses in their immediate environment and thus more geographically targeted.

Google Android and South Africa

The Google Android platform is already widely used worldwide and although still not the most popular platform in South Africa, it is making inroads in the mobile operating market. Google Android is growing rapidly with more than 17% of the market already belonging to the platform as evident in the sales figures of more than 190 000 Android mobile handsets sold daily. Android is currently just behind the Symbian and closing in on the gab. The secret to a successful mobisite is adaptability for various platforms. As such it is extremely important to cater to Android, Windows, Symbian and Apple to name, but a few of the big players.
The implications are important for any business owner. Whether you are a publisher of content or a seller of products you need to also cater to the mobisite user. Many website owners still only think of mobile platforms such as iPhone or Blackberry, but with Android mobile handsets becoming more popular the web browsing is fast moving from desktop to on the go mobile browsing via mobile handsets. New entrants to the market will also mean more platforms to cater for and as with any new trend, businesses that want to capture a large share of the market, need to move fast to get a foothold in the new browsing environment.

You can make your current website mobile friendly or you can create a custom mobisite to ensure targeted design for various platforms. Google has indicated that mobile browsing has grown even more than expected. The news headlines have shown that mobisites have grown with more than 2000 percent, not something that can be ignored if you are a serious marketer. The top performing websites also offer mobi sites to their users. Even if your site doesn’t count under the top 10 000 or so, you can easily ensure a user friendly mobisite experience.

Google Androids are so successful because Google has ensured variations. There are various types ensuring more choices for the consumer. Androids are well priced and personalisation is not compromised. Full integration with various Google applications is possible including vital applications such as Google Maps, YouTube, Chrome and Gmail. With Androids running on open source Linux, new developments are possible while the consumer is not expected to pay additional license fees for such.

It has been said that Android products can easily outperform Blackberry products in South Africa. Although South Africans are slow to catch on to Android when compared to the US, the Google Android mobile market is growing steadily. The mobile networks in South Africa need more development to ensure that unlimited data offerings can become a reality. The networks need upgrading to be able carry larger number of mobisite users. With the expectation being that South Africa will also receive more bandwidth over time because of the cable which has been laid under the sea, business owners have a lot to look forward to.

Google has always gone the extra mile to help SEO companies and webmasters make the most of their tools and has recently announced Google Engage in line with their commitment to sound SEO and online marketing tools provision.

Although Google Engage has been available in the USA, UK, and Canada it has not yet been released in South Africa up to now. It is a partner programme aimed at assisting web marketing and design professional in providing a range of value added Internet-based services to small and medium size companies, also now in South Africa.

Google Engage is the second new development by Google in a short while. The Google +Button is still the hot topic of the day and now the company has also unveiled the exciting new partner programme.

Who Will Directly Benefit From Participation In The Google Engage Program?

• SEO Marketers
• Webmasters
• Advertising Agencies
• IT Consultants

Luke Mckend, who is the Google SA country manager, has recently commented that Google is committed to assisting small businesses in achieving online success in South Africa. Through the Engage programme, Google hopes to reach from the small business owner to the agencies, freelance companies, and search engine marketers to ensure that they can deliver a wide range of services to their clients and thus improve their client site performance on the Internet.

Launch Date

Google Engage for South Africa will be launched on July 19, 2011 in Johannesburg at a one day seminar. Approximately 500 persons involved in web marketing, design, and business development will attend the seminar and iLead is one of them. Google has once again ensured a leading position with the announcement of Google Engage.

The programme holds several benefits for partners of which some are briefly listed below:

• No joining fee – ensuring greater participation.
• Partner members will have access to a wide range of vouchers for their clients.
• Google provides free AdWords training.
• AdWords Professional Certification preparation.
• Training and vouchers to assist partner members in becoming a Certified Google Partner.
• Access to a range of marketing materials for free.
• Advanced Google support also regarding the AdWords program.
• Access to a variety of webinars and training tips as well as videos.
• Updating on what is new in the online advertising industry – directly from Google.
• Live events access.

To be eligible as a member in the program the member and or business must meet specific requirements such as:

• For Google Engage SA – must be physically based in South Africa.
• Must specialise in web related services with the aim of assisting clients in developing their online presence through design, marketing, SEO, ad campaign management, sponsored links, and marketing methods.
• Be willing to invest resources in promoting the Google tools to client companies.
• Must have a fully functional business related website.

Participant members of the program receive a number of promotional vouchers upon completing the required webinars. This of course, is to the benefit of the clients as they will ultimately receive vouchers from the web marketing company such as iLead. The AdWords vouchers will help new clients to join the AdWords program and get an immediate head start in sponsored ad campaigns.

Difference Between Google Engage & Google AdWords Certification

The Google AdWords Certification is the ultimate certification obtainable whereas the Google Engage Certification is the first recognition level which can be used towards obtaining the Google AdWords Certification. Engage partners have access to free vouchers, training, webinars, and promotional marketing materials. Through the training and participation in the Engage program the partners will prepare to pass the official Google AdWords exam towards certification.

Why Prepare For The Google AdWords Certification?

Once a participant passes the AdWords Certification exam, they will also have access to:

• Additional benefits.
• Advanced training.
• Will gain official certification.
• Option to be listed as a Google AdWords Certified Partner at the Google Partner Engine.

Why Create An AdWords Account If It Is Not A Requirement To Join The Engage Program?

Agencies don’t have to create or have an existing AdWords account with Google to become participants in the Engage partner program, but it is certainly recommended to at least create a My Client Centre Account in AdWords for more efficient management of client AdWords accounts. Without an AdWords account the participant will not be able to make use of the Google AdWords technical support program, which is rather useful. Agencies or SEO marketers with normal users and business users as their client base will benefit most from the program.

Membership Basics

More than one employee per agency or member company can subscribe to the program although limited space is available and acceptance is entirely up to Google. Each application is assessed to ensure that all participants meet the requirements.

Should a participant company wish to cancel their membership they can do so through an opt-out button at the account settings page. Cancellation of the Engage membership does not affect the AdWords account.

Attendance of at least four webinars is required to become an Engage participant simply because essential training is provided through the webinars whereby participants gain the required knowledge to help their clients get superior online advertising results. Participating companies can have more than one employee attend the webinars and thereby ensure skills development throughout the company. This of course, will be to the benefit of clients.

AdWords Coupons

The Google Engage members receive AdWords coupons that can be used to attract new clients, but to prevent fraud the coupons can only be used for new accounts. The coupons can only be used when a new Google AdWords account is created. The member company creates a billing account and select the payment options for the client. The account is then activated upon payment of the once off activation fee. Should a registered agency want more coupons they must used more than 50% of their batch. If an agency is not already advertising their services by means of Google AdWords, they can use one of the coupons received to start an account. Coupons are distributed to clients by means of the Coupon Dashboard.

In Summary

Google Engage is a program to enhance the ability of online marketers, webmasters, and agencies to improve their online advertising and AdWords skills and expand their markets. With many benefits associated with the program, it is expected that a large number of agencies will join the program. As for the clients of such agencies, it will mean better services, advanced tools and optimal success in online marketing.

Internet TV has been around for a while now. You can watch streaming TV programs online at a number of service providers, provided you have a subscription and fast broadband Internet access. The merging of conventional TV with Web TV is, however, something to get excited about and Google has taken the lead once again.

With Google TV a reality, the Internet and television has finally merged, but with HDTV powered by Google TV viewers now have a wider choice of entertainment than could be provided by normal broadcasters. Users can search the Internet, subscribe to several television streaming channels online, watch live television, organise their favourites and even chat online, all on the same HDTV screen. It is a more personalised television experience where the users can download applications such as Facebook, Twitter, Napster, and Pandora allowing for the same functionality of Internet usage all from the comfort of their TV chairs in front of the big screen. With Google TV the users also have access to Android Market with thousands of applications.

You can even add your cellphone to the picture by using your iPhone or Android phone as a remote control or sharing of content between your phone and the Internet TV. Sony and Google have created a wonderful brave new world of Internet TV which revolutionizes the viewer experience. An integrated search function is provides with Sony Internet TV allowing you to search for programs or use the Internet.

If you already have an HDTV you can combine it with your Google TV and HDTV experience through usage of the Sony Internet TV, Blue-Ray experience. What is needed is an HDMI input, television, satellite box with the required HDMI output and you are set for integrated Internet TV watching and usage. To watch Google TV, sign on with your Google account which is free. It is not a pay service, but you may have to pay for the TV channels at the various service providers. You can watch on demand TV or subscription based. This can be done on your normal pc or the HDTV. You can thus enjoy Internet TV from a variety of platforms, whether wireless with your mobile phone, your pc or your TV, entertainment and searching have come together. The merge between Web and TV programming has made it possible to create a large search facility to ensure more entertainment control on the part of the user.

Interactivity is at the basis of this gigantic leap from the web to the television. Users trust Google and brands such as Sony to ensure a better TV rating system, channel searching option, and more relevant ads to the user. The bridge between television and web video has been crossed and some adaption on the part of service providers, broadcasters, and law makers may be needed.

How Will The Merging of Web TV and Conventional TV Influence TV Licenses?

TV licensing is a somewhat controversial subject. In many countries there is no such licensing. If we bring it closer to home, the topic gets more heated. With only a small percentage of South Africans watching the SABC programs with the majority of viewers subscribing to satellite based television services where they receive bundle packages of programs, a large number of viewers have indicated strong feelings about still having to pay TV licenses. The South African Broadcasting Corporation, however, has announced that TV licenses are not dependent on the programs a viewer watches, but the number of televisions in the household.

The argument has been mentioned that if you thus watch web based television from international service providers, and do so using your computer and its monitor then theoretically you don’t need a television license. This is true only if there is no TV card in your computer. With the merging of Internet TV with conventional television, the viewer can watch streaming TV from their computer or television screen and a TV card will be involved in most instances. As such TV licensing is still applicable. The Broadcasting Act, No. 4 of 1999 and its amendments, regulate the issuing of television licenses in South Africa. Accordingly, anyone in possession of a TV must pay a license fee. This also includes viewers that make use of TV card technology to watch programs over their computers. Mobile phone subscribers are not excluded from this act, and may find that when they subscribe to specific programs, that they will also have to pay TV licenses.

Impact of Internet TV on bandwidth usage

Although perhaps still a far-off dream in South Africa where only a small percentage of the population has uncapped broadband Internet access, in Europe, Japan, and the USA, uncapped fast access to the Internet is a given for most people. Broadband services providers most certainly did not have in mind that not to long from now, South Africans may also want to have Google TV and other Internet based television services which merge with more conventional broadcasting. As such the so-called uncapped broadband access is meant for responsible usage. Streaming takes up a lot of bandwidth and if users suddenly all sit in front of their televisions watching live stream TV programs through Google TV, they will pretty soon exceed any bandwidth usage expectations of service providers.

Many international companies and mobile service providers, including ATT, have already reacted to the upcoming Internet TV threat by implementing broadband caps and raising additional fees for data usage exceeding normal usage in an effort to curb possible over usage. Wireless service providers are expected to make some radical changes in their phone and subscription plans to limit intensive data usage. The support of wireless operators will be extremely important for any service provider hoping to substitute TV for Internet TV services.

Telecommunication and cable providers have already taken steps to protect their market, services, and of course, profits in sight of the upcoming Internet TV threat. The growth in the numbers of broadband subscribers around the world indicates that the market is ripe for the roll-out of true Internet TV. The service providers of streaming broadband TV will have to dock up for additional network costs while the conventional broadcasters and telecoms providers are rather reluctant to provide intensive data access through their networks uncapped without also benefitting from income derived through streaming.

At this stage, subscribers will still be within the broadband cap limits if they watch streamed content on their mobile devices for two or three hours or television for 24 hours since the streaming is at 200kbps, but with full scale Internet TV, the streaming can be done of HDTV level which could mean that a viewer could in only a matter of five to eight hours reach a point where the service provider will no longer be happy with the data usage. HDTV viewers are used to superior quality viewing in terms of the technical and entertainment aspects. Substituting their normal watching for Internet TV will only be done if the quality is not affected and with that comes more bandwidth usage because of high quality streaming.

Other Areas of Concern – Intellectual Property Rights

Intellectual property rights protection and management are already creating tremendous problems on the Internet. Copyright infringement, piracy, trademark infringement and patent stealing are the new form of the old school pirate ships creating havoc. Laws governing intellectual property will have to be amended in the long term to ensure adequate protection, but in terms of online video content being shared with others through downloading and then filing sharing, one must admit that Google TV or Sony Internet TV doesn’t change it. People have downloaded and shared web video content for a long time now and it will still occur, but rather than throwing out the whole concept of Internet TV merging with conventional TV because of fears, it is time to embrace the brave new world of merged Web and TV.