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ADDING BANK CARD DETAILS

HUAWEI MateBook D 16: Your perfect companion for work, coffee shops and adventures

Its stylish and sophisticated, gives you access to your Google apps, and is light as a feather

  • Thulani Pfende
3 min read
16 INCH SCREEN

Adapt to the new era of work with the lightweight, large-screen HUAWEI MateBook D 16

It’s rated the best laptop for professionals and students

  • Huawei
4 min read
HUAWEI
Video

HUAWEI MateBook D 16 Intel i5 now available on shelves in SA

The latest laptop from HUAWEI enhances productivity with smooth performance and stunning displays in a sleek and portable design – rated as the best laptop for professionals and…

  • Huawei
2 min read
Asus ExpertBook B7 Flip: A powerful machine packed into a 1.44kg, compact exterior with several nifty features essential for today’s business laptop. (Supplied)
5G

Laptop review: Asus ExpertBook B7 Flip

A powerful machine packed into a 1.44kg, compact exterior with several nifty features essential for today’s business laptop

  • Nafisa Akabor
4 min read
Walter Sisulu University (WSU) has suspended all contact classes, examinations and assessments at its East London campus for two weeks. Students will also be confined to their residences.
BLADE NZIMANDE

Walter Sisulu University is playing catch-up with online learning

Some affluent institutions have already finished the first semester online, but historically disadvantaged universities like Walter Sisulu University are having to start from…

  • Bongekile Macupe
4 min read
Most teachers attempt to grade objectively but many students feel it is unfair. Photo: File
BLADE NZIMANDE

UCT to loan (some) students laptops during Covid-19 lockdown

The university is also surveying its students to ascertain what kind of support they need to be able to participate in online learning

  • Bongekile Macupe
3 min read
Remote work schedules, YouTube tutorials and livestreaming have turned lockdown into “business as usual” for the more fortunate among us. For most young South Africans, however, the shutdown of schools, universities and businesses has put the brakes on their ability to grow and learn — at a time when they could and should be growing and learning as much as they can. Lindokuhle, a 21-year-old from Langa who is part of the Youth Capital network says: “Connectivity is a problem. Like most young people, I rely on internet cafes, as they have standard prices, to do my CV, apply for jobs and do my school work. Covid-19 has dramatically decreased our productivity and is threatening our possible livelihood.” After an inquiry launched in 2017 — based on complaints from the public about the high cost of data — in December 2019 the Competition Commission confirmed that the country’s data prices were too high, especially for mobile prepaid data, and recommended that mobile networks reduce the price of bundles below one gigabyte. The commission also recommended that networks agree on an industry-wide approach to zero-rating public benefit and educational institution websites. Just days after the first case of coronavirus was confirmed in South Africa, Vodacom announced it was cutting the price of its 1GB bundle by 34%; MTN followed suit, announcing a reduction in the price of its monthly 1GB bundles and below by between 25% and 50%. And the day before national lockdown was put into place, the government publicised Telkom’s decision to make government and education sites access-free on their network. Vodacom and MTN have also since zero-rated many learning sites, with Vodacom offering a zero-rated e-school portal with content for grades R to 12. In addition to Free Basics, CellC also announced a lifeline package for prepaid customers and access to zero-rated content on selected public-benefit and government websites. Although these price revisions and the zero-rating of educational content are a step in the right direction, we still have a long way to go if we want to ensure more equitable access to relevant content that could help those who need it most, now and post Covid-19. Telkom, Vodacom and MTN have each established their own zero-rated portals, with free access to network-curated content on education, jobs, health, news and government websites ­— CellC is adding content to its existing platform, including government sites. This content is limited and accessible for free if you belong to their network. Upskilling content for out-of-school youth is not prioritised in any of the zero-rated platforms. And this is cause for serious concern. “We have seen a drastic reduction in the jobs available for the youth; young people should use this time to focus on learning a new skill and develop soft skills to increase the chance of finding employment post social distancing,” says Jaryd Raizon, CEO of graduate recruitment platform Trusted Interns. Twenty-eight-year-old Tumi from Johannesburg echoes Jaryd’s views: “As young people, we need to prepare ourselves for the loss of jobs and economic impact of Covid-19. Upskilling now could ensure you stand out from the crowd when things return to normal, but with the current data costs and lack of internet infrastructure in poor areas, that’s just not the case.” With 56% of South Africans living on less than R41 a day, data doesn’t fall into the core basket of affordable essentials for the majority of households. Even with price reductions, data prices remain high for the average South African. Moreover, the process so far has focused on negotiations with individual mobile network operators, and not a co-ordinated, industry-wide approach towards securing universal access to information and services to all South Africans, regardless of the colour of their SIM cards. Lindokuhle comments that not everyone can afford a gig of data because they have other needs. In South Africa, looking for work is unaffordable for most young job-seekers, who spend an average of R550 a month job hunting, with data being one of the biggest contributors to this hefty sum. Many young people in the Youth Capital network admit they can look for work only when they have the money to do so. And with eight million young people (aged 15 to 35) unemployed and not in education, employment or training (NEET), we simply cannot afford for our young people not to have the means to look for work. Recognising that price reduction on its own will not have a sufficient effect, the Competition Commission urged network operators to deliver a lifeline package of daily free data to all users to allow uninterrupted data access, regardless of income levels, while leveraging the increasing smartphone penetration. But the response received so far will not assist young people use this time productively. A unified approach to zero-rating has the potential to unlock access to digital opportunities and information. A much-needed solution is freeing up all the education and upskilling content produced by public benefit organisations rather than a selection of content that is network-specific. This requires alignment and co-operation between the government and network operators, as a true example of social compacts in response to sudden changes in our society. If the Covid-19 pandemic has shown us anything, it’s the power of technology to connect, educate and empower — but in South Africa, your access to digital resources still depends on which cell phone service provider you’re linked to and how much data you can afford. Let’s take the lesson and push for universal access, including for a generation of young people who are stuck at home and hungry to learn.
DIGITAL AGE

How kids in a low-income country use laptop —lessons from Madagascar

Laptops have introduced the children of Nosy Komba in Madagascar to previously inaccessible tools

  • Sandra Nogry
4 min read
Educators in the Eastern Cape say that the money used to buy laptops would be better spent on infrastructure.
EASTERN CAPE

Laptops just ornaments for Eastern Cape teachers who are not trained to use them

The department of education has spent about R260-million on laptops with the expectation that the technology would be used for administration.

  • Bongekile Macupe
5 min read
Athol Trollip. (Paul Botes/M&G)
LAPTOPS

UCT VC: Let’s flip the varsity classroom and step into the digital future

A laptop for every first-year will help prepare students for the fourth industrial revolution.

  • Max Price
5 min read
The cast and crew of ‘Dear White People’ at the Sundance Film Festival.
ASUS

The market for transforming tablets is heating up

Devices that transform from tablets into laptops combine portability with productivity, as Asus and Mecer show, writes Arthur Goldstuck.

  • Arthur Goldstruck
4 min read
Dell CEO Michael Dell delivers a keynote address during the 2010 Oracle Open World conference.
CHARLES ARTHUR

Dell’s mobility division not gaining ground

Dell is looking like the sick man of the PC business, which is not looking too healthy itself.

  • Charles Arthur
4 min read
Computers still out of reach
LAPTOPS

Computers still out of reach

Teachers are disappointed as laptop initiative hits a snag due to "lack of creditworthiness".

  • Thabo Mohlala
4 min read
INDIA

India develops world’s cheapest ‘laptop’ at $35

India has come up with the world’s cheapest "laptop," a touch-screen computing device that costs $35.

  • Staff Reporter
1 min read
APPLE

Apple launches $1 299 aluminium notebook

Apple on Tuesday cut the price on its entry-level notebook computer to and introduced a line of aluminium-clad machines starting at 299.

  • Gabriel Madway
  • David Lawsky
2 min read
APPLE

Apple fans await cheaper laptops

Apple is expected to unveil new notebook computers, perhaps even one priced for those with tight budgets.

  • Glenn Chapman
3 min read
ADVANCED MICRO DEVICES

Intel shows off new laptop chip package

Intel rolled out a new batch of chips for laptops on Monday that promises longer battery life and better graphics-rendering abilities.

  • Jordan Robertson
2 min read
LAPTOPS

Technology reshapes US classrooms

From online courses to kid-friendly laptops and virtual teachers, technology is spreading in American classrooms.

  • Jason Szep
5 min read