 Engineering the future
There's never been a better time to be an electrical engineer in South Africa. Engineers, technologists and technicians created our modern world; electrical and electronic engineers in particular are responsible for much of the innovation of the past century... (more) |
 In conversation with...
Andile Ngcaba
"Over the past hundred years, we have seen many changes in the communications environment, some significant and others less important," says Andile Ngcaba, chairman of Convergence Partners... ( more) |
 Putting an end to IT project disasters by Prof. Barry Dwolatzky, JCSE, Wits University
Oh no - not another information technology disaster! As lawyers on both sides sharpen their pencils, the future of another major South African IT project hangs in the balance... ( more) |
 Debunking UPS misconceptions
by Hans van de Groenendaal, EngineerIT Just when we thought there would be no more load shedding we are now told that is "scheduled maintenance." During April residents and businesses in Joburg experienced many power interruptions, and have begun to question whether they are being told the truth... ( more) |
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Smart technology for new TV service
by Hans van de Groenendaal, EngineerIT
The saying "the early bird catches the worm" does not necessarily hold true for technology. On Digital Media, the company that launched Top TV on 1 May 2010, proved the point that latecomers can benefit from proven technology... ( more) |
The changing nature of ICT
by Frank Barlow, Barlow Communications
As technology continues to develop we see a year ahead focused on unified communications and a lot of buzz around IPTV, video on demand, triple play and implementations of virtual servers, cloud computing and several additional technologies... ( more) |
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High speed broadband via geostationary satellite
by Hans van de Groenendaal, EngineerIT
There are still areas of the country with little or no access to the internet, although Telkom offers limited VSat services with packages that combine internet with voice. But there is now (broadband) light on the horizon... ( more) |
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Satellite news gathering empowers Africa
by Pieter Fourie, Global Communications
In many African countries news gathering and sport broadcasts have up to now been limited to one or two major cities, depriving viewers of local coverage of news and sporting events. New and smarter technology is fast changing that situation...
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Redundant wireless for reliable industry automation
by Paul Hsu, Moxa USA
Heavy industry often makes use of large machinery such as boom bucket wheel stacker-reclaimers. These are massive distributed systems that could improve their productivity and efficiency with modern wireless networking technology...
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Achieving next-generation connectivity
To compete globally and achieve profitability, most must strive for unprecedented efficiency. And that means implementing superior systems and practices throughout the enterprise and operating lean and mean at every turn... ( more) |
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Intelligent number plate project
Information from Smart X
With the imminent launch of Gauteng's intelligent number plate project (iNP), the question on the minds of vehicle owners has to be: is another expensive system really necessary? In truth, once the benefits of the iNP have been analysed, the answer is yes...( more) |
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Network and impedance analysers for RFID evaluation
Information from Agilent Technologies
This article gives an overview of how to evaluate the electrical characteristics of mass-produced 13,56 MHz RFID tags and readers/writers and their components. A number of standards exist that define the frequencies, communication methods and purposes of RFIDs... ( more) |
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Trends in clamp-on ultrasonic flow meters
by John Alexander, Krohne
In industry, verifying flow meter accuracy is an ongoing requirement to ensure that the meter used is within the stated accuracy of the manufacturer and meets with the statutory requirements for fiscal metering (billing) or proving flow meter readings are reliable for measuring process applications... ( more) |
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Inline colour measurement in production environments
by Marcel Janssen, Admesy and Roland Kuijvenhoven, Ocean Optics, The Netherlands
With inline colour measurement many factors besides the measurement equipment play a role in obtaining the required results. This article shows some items to keep in mind and check during system implementation in production environments... ( more) |
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Radio amateurs take technology into space
South African radio amateurs are set to join other amateur and university groups in the world to build and launch their own CubeSat. This was announced in a presentation at the recently held SA AMSAT Space Symposium in Durban... ( more) |
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Telecoms developments in Africa
compiled by Matthew White, Iona Press Services
- Vodacom in dispute with local Congo-Kinshasa partner
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Uganda sets deadline for troubled backbone project
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Storm brews over Kenya's new telecoms rules
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Nigeria pumps US$20-million into rural connectivity
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Rwandatel seeks alternative to Seacom cable
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Nineteen bidders for Mozambique's 3rd mobile phone licence
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Zantel embarks on expansion drive
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Start-up in US$7,2-million deal with Huawei... ( more)
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Gadgets for geeks
We bring you the latest in gadgetry: Legends of Echo - this may not be a gadget you can hold, but it sure will give you mega entertainment; Music your game?- up to 2000 songs on your 8 GB Sansa clip and MP3 player; More MP3/MP4 entertainment - MotorPod MP3 FM modulator accessory for your car... ( more) |
Industry and institute news
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