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5G will support more than 10% mobile connections

February 20, 2020 Dianne Jacobs

According to the new Cisco Annual Internet Report, 5G will support more than 10% of the world’s mobile connections by 2023. The average 5G speed will be 575 megabits per second, or 13 times faster than the average mobile connection. With advanced performance capabilities, 5G will deliver more dynamic mobile infrastructures for AI and emerging IoT applications including autonomous cars, smart cities, connected health, immersive video and more. For the past 50 years, each decade introduced a new mobile technology with cutting-edge innovations. Mobile bandwidth requirements have evolved from voice…

Spotify new feature encourages listening of Podcasts

December 17, 2019December 17, 2019 Dianne Jacobs

Early this year, Spotify acquired Gimlet Media, a podcast network and producer which hosts shows like Startup, Homecoming, Mogul, The Pitch, Reply All, The Cut, Science VS and Anchor which was a DIY podcasting startup that provides a set of tools that make it super easy for anyone(beginner and Pro) to create and monetize their own podcasts and for free for reportedly $300 million. Spotify also acquired Parcast, a producer for crime, mystery and sci-fi podcasts for $100m. The audio streaming giant also partnered with BBC Studios and P&G to create more podcasts.…

Samsung TV owners face glitch to be fixed in 2020

December 13, 2019 Dianne Jacobs

A number of Samsung TV owners have been hit by an irritating issue which leaves them unable to access BBC iPlayer. If you own a Samsung TV you may find you are suddenly being blocked from watching content on iPlayer. Some of these hugely popular TV sets have been hit by an annoying software glitch which has blocked access to the BBC’s streaming service. Samsung has issued a statement, explaining that the problem has been caused by security certificates that expired. The Korean firm has pushed out an update to some of…

Disney+ just launched and has already attracted over 10 million subscribers, should Neflix be worried?

November 14, 2019 olivia Craig

Disney’s just launched its premium subscription streaming service Disney+ but was not without issues — high demand resulted in content not being accessible for hours on its first day of availability. The company cited higher-than-expected demand as a factor, and now we have a rough estimate of the size of that demand — Disney has revealed that it signed up 10 million users since its Tuesday debut. That’s a lot of subscribers in a very short period. To put it in perspective, Netflix recently reported 158 million subscribers, but that’s…

Cybercrime Report Tracks Growing Threat of Networked Cybercrime

September 17, 2019

LexisNexis® Risk Solutions today released at the Digital Identity Summit its Cybercrime Report providing a comprehensive view into the shifting global fraud landscape from January 2019 through June 2019. During this period, the LexisNexis® Digital Identity Network® recorded 16.4 billion transactions, of which 277 million were human-initiated attacks, a 13% increase over the second half of 2018. The report highlights a shift toward networked, cross-organizational and cross-industry fraud, and gives insight into the evolution of bot attacks targeting new accounts in media and e-commerce. Key Findings from the LexisNexis Risk…

Spotify in advanced talks to acquire Gimlet Media for over $200

February 6, 2019February 6, 2019 Editor

Spotify is in talks to acquire Gimlet Media, one of the leading podcast production houses. If this deal completes, it will signify a major change in the trajectory of podcasting as an industry. The significance of the deal goes well beyond that of the eye-opening $200 million valuation being discussed. Gimlet has raised approximately $28.5 million in venture funding from investors including WPP, Stripes Group, LioneTree Partners, Graham Holdings, Betawarks, Cross Culture Ventures, and Lowercase Capital. Two years ago, the startup was reportedly valued at roughly $70 million. Podcasting has…

Econet’s Kwesé is shutting down its operations to refocus on video-on-demand

November 6, 2018 Dianne Jacobs

Pay-TV Company Kwesé is shutting down its operations barely two years after launch as Econet, the parent firm, shifts its attention to latest digital and satellite broadcasting trends. Subscribers of Kwese satellite TV will access free-to-air (FTA) stations only after the firm did away with third-party channels according to a report by Business Daily Africa (BD) “We believe these changes will safeguard the future success of our business as we continue to make an indelible impact on Africa’s media industry. The revised business strategy will also ensure that Kwesé TV…

MultiChoice Shouts for Netflix to be regulated, Blames itself for not innovating

July 13, 2018 Editor

A message Netflix gave Verizon home Internet customers during a money dispute in 2014.

Pay-TV operator MultiChoice lost more than 100,000 premium subscribers in the previous financial year. CEO Calvo Mawela attributed this loss of business to unregulated competition from video-streaming company Netflix, saying it had an unfair advantage as it was not under any regulatory pressure in SA. The pay-TV operator that continues to bleed subscribers, is fighting tooth and nail to remain relevant amid tough competition from online streaming services. However, MultiChoice, which owns DStv, said it was aware that failure to adapt its business model could make it a victim of…

YouTube adds a new section for displaying additional credits for songs

May 17, 2018 Dianne Jacobs

YouTube will now provide additional information for songs with a section called “music in this video,” found within the “show more” area that can be expanded underneath videos. The new “music in this video” section will be available on over half a billion videos, and it will provide a more in-depth look at the credits associated with a song. For example in for Camila Cabello’s “Havana,” the “music in this video” section shows all the contributing artists (in this case, Young Thug), the songwriters involved, the labels and publishers who…