Do you remember when having a great website was enough? Now, people are getting answers from Siri, Google search snippets, and mobile apps, not just our websites. Forward-thinking organizations have adopted an omnichannel content strategy, whose mission is to reach audiences across multiple digital channels and platforms. But how do you set up a content management system (CMS) to reach your audience now and in the future? I learned the hard way that creating a content model—a definition of content types, attributes, and relationships that let people and systems understand content—with my more familiar design-system thinking would capsize my customer’s omnichannel content strategy. You can avoid that outcome by creating content models that are semantic and that also connect related content…
Antiracist economist Kim Crayton says that “intention without strategy is chaos.” We’ve discussed how our biases, assumptions, and inattention toward marginalized and vulnerable groups lead to dangerous and unethical tech—but what, specifically, do we need to do to fix it? The intention to make our tech safer is not enough; we need a strategy. This chapter will equip you with that plan of action. It covers how to integrate safety principles into your design work in order to create tech that’s safe, how to convince your stakeholders that this work is necessary, and how to respond to the critique that what we actually need is more diversity. (Spoiler: we do, but diversity alone is not the antidote to fixing unethical, unsafe tech.) The process for inclusive safety When you are designing for…
In the 1950s, many in the elite running community had begun to believe it wasn’t possible to run a mile in less than four minutes. Runners had been attempting it since the late 19th century and were beginning to draw the conclusion that the human body simply wasn’t built for the task. But on May 6, 1956, Roger Bannister took everyone by surprise. It was a cold, wet day in Oxford, England—conditions no one expected to lend themselves to record-setting—and yet Bannister did just that, running a mile in 3:59.4 and becoming the first person in the record books to run a mile in under four minutes. This shift in the benchmark had profound effects; the world now knew that the four-minute mile was possible. Bannister’s record lasted only forty-six days, when it was snatched away by Australian r…
We’ve been having conversations for thousands of years. Whether to convey information, conduct transactions, or simply to check in on one another, people have yammered away, chattering and gesticulating, through spoken conversation for countless generations. Only in the last few millennia have we begun to commit our conversations to writing, and only in the last few decades have we begun to outsource them to the computer, a machine that shows much more affinity for written correspondence than for the slangy vagaries of spoken language. Computers have trouble because between spoken and written language, speech is more primordial. To have successful conversations with us, machines must grapple with the messiness of human speech: the disfluencies and pauses, the gestures and body language, a…
I’m not sure when I first heard this quote, but it’s something that has stayed with me over the years. How do you create services for situations you can’t imagine? Or design products that work on devices yet to be invented? Flash, Photoshop, and responsive design When I first started designing websites, my go-to software was Photoshop. I created a 960px canvas and set about creating a layout that I would later drop content in. The development phase was about attaining pixel-perfect accuracy using fixed widths, fixed heights, and absolute positioning. Ethan Marcotte’s talk at An Event Apart and subsequent article “Responsive Web Design” in A List Apart in 2010 changed all this. I was sold on responsive design as soon as I heard about it, but I was also terrified. The pixel-perfect designs…
“Any comment?” is probably one of the worst ways to ask for feedback. It’s vague and open ended, and it doesn’t provide any indication of what we’re looking for. Getting good feedback starts earlier than we might expect: it starts with the request. It might seem counterintuitive to start the process of receiving feedback with a question, but that makes sense if we realize that getting feedback can be thought of as a form of design research. In the same way that we wouldn’t do any research without the right questions to get the insights that we need, the best way to ask for feedback is also to craft sharp questions. Design critique is not a one-shot process. Sure, any good feedback workflow continues until the project is finished, but this is particularly true for design because design wo…
Feedback, in whichever form it takes, and whatever it may be called, is one of the most effective soft skills that we have at our disposal to collaboratively get our designs to a better place while growing our own skills and perspectives. Feedback is also one of the most underestimated tools, and often by assuming that we’re already good at it, we settle, forgetting that it’s a skill that can be trained, grown, and improved. Poor feedback can create confusion in projects, bring down morale, and affect trust and team collaboration over the long term. Quality feedback can be a transformative force. Practicing our skills is surely a good way to improve, but the learning gets even faster when it’s paired with a good foundation that channels and focuses the practice. What are some foundationa…
Are you like me, reading about people fading away as they burn out, and feeling unable to relate? Do you feel like your feelings are invisible to the world because you’re experiencing burnout differently? When burnout starts to push down on us, our core comes through more. Beautiful, peaceful souls get quieter and fade into that distant and distracted burnout we’ve all read about. But some of us, those with fires always burning on the edges of our core, get hotter. In my heart I am fire. When I face burnout I double down, triple down, burning hotter and hotter to try to best the challenge. I don’t fade—I am engulfed in a zealous burnout. So what on earth is a zealous burnout? Imagine a woman determined to do it all. She has two amazing children whom she, along with her husband who is als…
This Person Does Not Exist is a website that generates human faces with a machine learning algorithm. It takes real portraits and recombines them into fake human faces. We recently scrolled past a LinkedIn post stating that this website could be useful “if you are developing a persona and looking for a photo.” We agree: the computer-generated faces could be a great match for personas—but not for the reason you might think. Ironically, the website highlights the core issue of this very common design method: the person(a) does not exist. Like the pictures, personas are artificially made. Information is taken out of natural context and recombined into an isolated snapshot that’s detached from reality. But strangely enough, designers use personas to inspire their design for the real world. …
Beyond the severe toll of the coronavirus pandemic, perhaps no other disruption has transformed user experiences quite like how the tethers to our formerly web-biased era of content have frayed. We’re transitioning to a new world of remote work and digital content. We’re also experimenting with unprecedented content channels that, not too long ago, elicited chuckles at the watercooler, like voice interfaces, digital signage, augmented reality, and virtual reality. Many factors are responsible. Perhaps it’s because we yearn for immersive spaces that temporarily resurrect the Before Times, or maybe it’s due to the boredom and tedium of our now-cemented stuck-at-home routines. But aural user experiences slinging voice content, and immersive user experiences unlocking new forms of interacting…
In South Africa, IBM is announcing a partnership with the National Youth Development Agency
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Andela, a global engineering talent outsourcing company launched in Nigeria in 2014 has secured a $200-million investment during a Series E funding round led by SoftBank Vision Fund 2, the venture capital arm of Japanese mega-corp SoftBank. This latest funding round brings Andela’s total valuation to $1.5-billion, officially making it Africa’s fifth unicorn startup. According […]
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has officially launched its Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) website for the eNaira. Last month, the CBN announced that it was working with Barbados-based fintech firm Bitt Inc as a technical partner to launch the West African country’s own digital coin. The eNaira is set to launch in October. […]
Cryptocurrency buying and selling platform Luno has conducted a survey of over 1000 of its customers in South Africa in August 2021, along with customers in the UK, Malaysia and Indonesia. Luno found that 82% of South Africans who hold cryptocurrency on its platform expect the bitcoin price to rise significantly, some believe as high […]
The South African National Blood Service (SANBS) says that it has less than three (3) days blood stock currently on hand as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on hospitals has stretched blood supplies in the country. SANBS has also been experiencing poor collection due to, among other challenges, low donor turnout to mobile blood […]
Ukheshe Technologies, a leading fintech enablement partner, has announced a new partnership with Chipper, one of Africa’s most valuable startups and the purveyor of the Chipper Cash app, to enhance and accelerate the rollout of Chipper’s digital payment offerings. Chipper’s new planned offerings through Ukheshe include free and unlimited P2P payments across South Africa, value-added […]
Fortinet, a global leader in broad, integrated, and automated cybersecurity solutions, today unveiled the 2021 Global State of Ransomware Report. The survey reveals most organizations are more concerned about ransomware than other cyber threats, it also reveals that ransomware grew 1070% year over year from 2020. “According to a recent FortiGuard Labs Global Threat Landscape […]
Amazon has revealed a new camera-equipped home robot that can patrol homes and investigate activity on your orders in a move that the billion-dollar tech giant is calling “a breakthrough for security and convenience.” The “Astro” robot as Amazon calls it is roughly 60cm tall and weighs around 9kgs. The motorised device can map out […]
Last week, South Africa’s Central Energy Fund (CEF) published its mid-month report showing that petrol prices in the country were set for a small decline in October to the brief relief of motorists who have been dealing with some of the highest fuel prices in SA’s history. However, the CEF stressed that the data was […]
In the field of enterprise IT, artificial intelligence (AI) is a buzzword that we’ve seen used time and again over the past few years, with the promise of making every part of a business better. What does this mean specifically for data storage? This is the question posed in a recent Tintri blog, which clarifies […]
Over and above leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) and cloud services; it has been widely acknowledged that the key building block for true digital transformation is the need for businesses to become data-driven. Of course, this is a uniquely challenging task for almost every business. Dealing with the Data Challenge At the core of any data […]
Photo layout apps, which can help you quickly and easily create attractive photo collages and montages, are an absolute godsend for those of us who aren't conveniently blessed with mad Photoshop skills. After testing dozens of them, we can now bring you, in alphabetical order, the five best free photo layout apps out there. Choose one of these to take your design skills to the next level without having to even think about layer masks or lossy compression. 1. Canva Canva is arguably so much more than a photo layout app: It's a complete graphic design suite. But if you just need photo layout, it's highly recommended for exactly that. Canva offers a fabulous photo collage tool with hundreds of different grid-style layouts for you to choose from for free. As well as giving you the option to e…
Girls don't want boyfriends, girls (and boys, and nonbinary folks) want cottagecore presents. If you've scrolled TikTok or Instagram at all over the past two years, you've probably seen creators (especially young people) baking from scratch, gardening, picking up screen-free hobbies like knitting, and making it all look romantic and dreamy. That's cottagecore, an aesthetic trend dedicated to romanticizing uncomplicated country living. Think foraging berries to make homemade jams, growing vegetables, and sipping tea all day — essentially becoming a vaguely '70s-styled Alice in Wonderland character. SEE ALSO: 29 gifts for the dark academia devotees in your life Cottagecore became trendier during quarantine, as people looked for not only an escape from day-to-day life, but also a way to ide…
SMARTWATCH, SMART PURCHASE: As of Nov. 19 (Best Buy's Black Friday), the Apple Watch Series 3 (GPS) is on sale for just $169. That's about 20% off its suggested retail price of $199. The Apple Watch Series 3 (GPS) was first announced in September of 2017 (a lifetime ago, really) and received a wave of positive reviews. Although the price dropped earlier this year in July, it's since dropped even more: As of Nov. 19, the Apple Watch Series 3 (GPS) is on sale for just $169 at Best Buy. The Apple Watch Series 3 comes in two colors: white and black. It can help you maximize your workout experience through personalized coaching — runners can even get notifications about cadence and pace. You can also share your activity with friends and compete in monthly challenges for awards. With Siri, you…
SAVE $100: Starting Nov. 19, Apple's 12.9-inch iPad Pro is on sale for $999.99 at Best Buy — that's $100 off its usual price. This iPad Pro is the latest model, and features the powerful Apple M1 chip, has 128GB of storage, and delivers impressive all-day battery life and performance. Tablets may come and go, but the iPad Pro is forever. No, seriously — on its fifth iteration in just six years, Apple's iPad Pro continues to live atop not only our best tablet list, but many others as well. It's Apple's most vibrant and powerful tablet in history, better than the regular iPad, but it does come with one con: its price. But bank accounts, be glad: You can score $100 off the latest 12.9-inch iPad Pro (128GB WiFi model) at Best Buy for Black Friday, which starts Nov. 19. SEE ALSO: Best Buy's Bl…
SAVE $500: MacBooks are always at the top of the list when it comes to the best laptops, and as of Nov. 19, the Apple MacBook Pro (13-inch, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) is on sale for $1,299.99 (original price: $1,799.99) as part of Best Buy's Black Friday event. As you probably know by now, the rules have simply gone out the window regarding Black Friday this year. Best Buy is straight up having its Black Friday sale on Nov. 19. I mean, we're not going to complain about getting early deals. This Black Friday sale includes a pretty sweet discount on a MacBook. The Apple MacBook Pro (13-inch, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) is on sale for $1,299.99, which is $500 off its list price. This isn't one of Apple's new MacBook Pros, so it still has the Touch Bar where all of the function keys live. It also features…
When HBO Max launched in May of 2020 boasting thousands of hours of content, they weren't lying. The streaming service that came into our lives by way of yanking Friends from Netflix has proved to be an endless source of movie magic, with hallowed Hollywood favorites in the Turner Classic Movies collection to the works of directors like Kubrick, Hitchcock, Miyazaki, and Kurosawa. Picking the best (and distinguishing them from our personal favorites) was no easy task, but we somehow managed. In no particular order, here are the 20 best movies on HBO Max. 1. The Dark Knight It's daunting to pick just one Batman movie from the literal dozens available on HBO Max, but in the end the top spot could only go to 2008’s The Dark Knight, written and directed by Christopher Nolan (Mask of the Phanta…
Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai hasn't been seen since publicly accusing government official Zhang Gaoli of sexual assault. On Nov. 2, Peng made allegations against the former vice premier of China in a lengthy Weibo post, which was deleted half an hour later, CNN reports. In the post, Peng alleged that Gaoli had sexually coerced her after inviting her to his house to play tennis with him and his wife. She noted that prior to this they had been involved in an on-off relationship. Shuai hasn't been seen since making those allegations and fellow tennis players are stepping up to share their deep concern for her welfare. Naomi Osaka, Serena Williams, Andy Murray, and Novak Djokovic are demanding answers on Peng's whereabouts, most using the hashtag #WhereIsPengShuai. I am devastated and sho…
Rivian’s electric truck came out in October, but attention is still on the electric Ford F-150 Lightning and other future electric trucks. The Lightning is not arriving until 2022, but the anticipation for the first Ford electric pickup is growing. Autolist, a car shopping website, surveyed over 1,100 shoppers at the end of October and early November on their electric truck preferences. The site asked about the Ford, Chevy Silverado EV, Tesla Cybertruck, GMC Hummer EV truck, and Rivian R1T. Tweet may have been deleted In almost all categories Ford came out on top. Overall, 38 percent of those surveyed said they’d buy an electric Ford truck. Next up was the Chevy e-truck with 26 percent, followed by the Cybertruck with 20 percent, the Hummer with 11 percent, and Rivian trailing with on…
Ah, autumn. It’s that special time of year when my favorite entertainment debate clamors down the chimney and into the minds of movie lovers everywhere. I’m talking about the most controversial question in seasonal cinema, an unanswered quandary of mythic proportions: Is The Nightmare Before Christmas a Halloween movie or a Christmas movie? For 28 years, this discussion of yuletide versus ghoul-tide has plagued fans of Tim Burton’s 1993 stop-motion masterpiece. On one hand, the movie is dominated by ghosts, monsters, and things that go bump in the night and opened in theaters during a weekend in October, Plus, the opening number “This Is Halloween” is widely heralded as an All Hallow’s Eve anthem. On the other hand, The Nightmare Before Christmas takes place predominantly during Christma…
TL;DR: Snag 15 mixed bottles of wine from Wine Insiders for just $73.97 as of Nov. 19 — that's a whole 75% off a 15-pack worth $300. If you're going to stock up on wine to prepare for the holidays, you might as well save as much money as you can in the process. With this exclusive deal for Wine Insiders, you'll get $15 bottles delivered to your door for less than $5 per bottle, and there's no coupon or promo code necessary. Just great, delicious wine you'll have on-hand for any holiday function without having to make last-minute trips to the store. This is not a wine subscription service, just a great one-time deal on 15 bottles just in time for the holidays from Wine Insiders. This mix of wines comes from wine-tasting experts who are so picky, they only approve five out of every 100 bot…
PayFast has launched its annual Black Friday and Cyber Monday live spending tracker, with the dashboard showing that someone has already spent over R100... The post Someone has already spent over R100k in one Black Friday purchase appeared first on Memeburn.
The Department of Health is encouraging South Africans to become Vaccination Champions or “Vax Champs”, by signing up online or registering on WhatsApp. The... The post Department of Health wants South Africans to sign up to be ‘Vax Champs’ appeared first on Memeburn.
Pick n Pay Smart Shoppers can now access customer support and other services using WhatsApp thanks to a partnership between the retailer and Clickatell.... The post You can now access Pick n Pay customer support on WhatsApp appeared first on Memeburn.
Black Friday 2021 is arriving on 26 November, so you’ll no doubt be inundated with promotions, deals, and sales. But how do you know... The post Online tools and tips to not get tricked by bad Black Friday deals appeared first on Memeburn.
South African airline LIFT has launched a website that allows travellers to book flights along with travel packages and experiences. The airline has partnered... The post LIFT launches website for travel experiences in South Africa appeared first on Memeburn.
MTN has announced a partnership with Nedbank that will let MTN Mobile Money (MoMo) app users withdraw cash from the bank’s ATMs. Users will... The post MTN MoMo users can now withdraw from Nedbank ATMs appeared first on Memeburn.
While Spotify arguably has a number of great features, the lack of lyrics when playing songs has been a major drawback for some users.... The post You can now see lyrics on Spotify: How to access them appeared first on Memeburn.
The Department of Health has announced that R100 grocery vouchers can now be redeemed by people over the age of fifty receiving their first... The post R100 COVID-19 vaccination vouchers extended to over 50s – but will this increase vaccination rates? appeared first on Memeburn.
Minister of Transport Fikile Mbalula has said that Gauteng’s online booking system for driver’s licences has provided a good basis for a national rollout.... The post Govt wants to roll out Gauteng online booking system for driver’s licences nationally appeared first on Memeburn.
In a bid to make its viewing metrics more transparent, Netflix has launched a new website that lets users see the top 10 movies... The post How to see the top Netflix series and films in South Africa (and around the world) appeared first on Memeburn.
The Note11 has been in the market for a while now, after launching last month with unique product offerings to inspire consumers to play big. The latest premium Note portfolio features a series of smartphones that bring faster, stronger and more efficient power and performance. It leverages a unique combination of advanced technologies to create […] The post What’s the Tech Media saying about Infinix Note11 appeared first on Nigeria Technology Guide.
It is no secret that skilled software developers are a prized asset for any company. The biggest of companies are willing to pay higher salaries to hire top developers because they know the importance of skilled software engineers behind their businesses’ success. But not everybody has the financial resources like Google, Facebook, or Amazon to […] The post Can Turing Intelligent Talent Cloud help Companies Source and Manage Remote Engineers Effortlessly? appeared first on Nigeria Technology Guide.
Are you one of the many people out there asking how do article spinners work? If so, then you are in the right place. Continuously coming up with new and original articles can be cost, time, and energy-consuming. An option is spinning existing articles to make distinct and new texts, and an article spinner is […] The post How Do Article Spinners Work appeared first on Nigeria Technology Guide.
Over the years, the technology world has witnessed a significant change in the manner in which data is stored and accessed. Nonetheless, even in an era where most of us tend to directly access data using cloud technology, we often find ourselves in situations where our local storage such as a USB stick proves to […] The post SanDisk Ultra Dual Drive Luxe USB Type C Review appeared first on Nigeria Technology Guide.
The process of having to wait for 5 to 10 mins for your PC to boot up or having to restart your computer continuously because of how slow it takes to download a file or upload a file is a nerve- wracking experience we have all gone through at a certain point. The WD Blue […] The post WD Blue – The Fast and Reliable SSD needed to tackle the extra demands on your PC appeared first on Nigeria Technology Guide.
Lagos, Nigeria. 23rd of November, 2021 – Renowned smartphone brand, TECNO has released a new addition to the Spark family, the Spark 8 series. The Spark line of smartphones are mid-range smartphones that are a favorite among Young people and also known for its sleek and beautiful exterior and an interior that comes with a […] The post Tecno Spark 8 Series: Capture every moment Clear and Vivid appeared first on Nigeria Technology Guide.
As we go on with our day to day activities in life, it is easy to lose contact with a lot of people. The next moment, you realize it’s been a while since you got in touch with someone and you don’t have their contact details. If you looking to find a long lost friend […] The post How to Find a Long Lost Relative on the Internet appeared first on Nigeria Technology Guide.
17th, November 2021: This February 2022, Saudi Arabia will be hosting the largest technology event ever launched, LEAP, bringing together the global technology community under one roof to tackle the biggest socio-cultural challenges of the world. Taking place from the 1st – 3rd of February 2022 in Riyadh, LEAP is set to become a truly […] The post LEAP to Brings Together Best Minds in Technology to Tackle Global Challenges appeared first on Nigeria Technology Guide.
If you work from home, then chances are that you’ll be spending a lot of time in your home office. Your home office needs to be a calming and quiet place where you can get a good amount of work done throughout the day. People like to set up their home office in a way […] The post How Do I Pick The Best Windows For My Office? appeared first on Nigeria Technology Guide.
By using Microsoft sales force automation (SFA) and Salesforce integration, businesses can improve forecasting when it comes to their industry while also guiding their sales and marketing to stimulate growth through synchronization with legacy systems like NAV, Salesforce, AX, and others. Some, like studies from DiVA, suggest NAV and Salesforce remain integral in the market. […] The post The Possibility of NAV Integration and Microsoft Sales Force Automations appeared first on Nigeria Technology Guide.
USA is about the largest gadget market in the world. The rate of tech adoption in this nation is amazing and virtually everyone is an early adopter. It is also interesting to know that people switch... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit Ogbongeblog.com for the full content, other content, and more! ]]
USA is about the largest gadget market in the world. The rate of tech adoption in this nation is amazing and virtually everyone is an early adopter. It is also interesting to know that people switch... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit Ogbongeblog.com for the full content, other content, and more! ]]
On Saturday 30th October 2021, a global sports betting brand, 22Bet NG, who are also the official sponsors of PSG Football Club, made a donation of various football training kits & equipment,... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit Ogbongeblog.com for the full content, other content, and more! ]]
On Saturday 30th October 2021, a global sports betting brand, 22Bet NG, who are also the official sponsors of PSG Football Club, made a donation of various football training kits & equipment,... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit Ogbongeblog.com for the full content, other content, and more! ]]
We have been following Western Digital products for years and I think one constant thing with the brand is ‘innovation’. It’s quite impressive how the brand has over the years improve each products... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit Ogbongeblog.com for the full content, other content, and more! ]]
We have been following Western Digital products for years and I think one constant thing with the brand is ‘innovation’. It’s quite impressive how the brand has over the years improve each products... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit Ogbongeblog.com for the full content, other content, and more! ]]
The instability wrought on the Nigerian economy has led to an increase in the price of everything. Every business man knows the chant of ‘everything is now expensive’ like a lullaby a... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit Ogbongeblog.com for the full content, other content, and more! ]]
The instability wrought on the Nigerian economy has led to an increase in the price of everything. Every business man knows the chant of ‘everything is now expensive’ like a lullaby a... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit Ogbongeblog.com for the full content, other content, and more! ]]
The former US president, Donald Trump, is set to launch a social media platform named ‘Truth Social’ — a few months after he was banned from Twitter and Facebook. TRUTH Social will be created through... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit Ogbongeblog.com for the full content, other content, and more! ]]
The former US president, Donald Trump, is set to launch a social media platform named ‘Truth Social’ — a few months after he was banned from Twitter and Facebook. TRUTH Social will be created through... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit Ogbongeblog.com for the full content, other content, and more! ]]
oAfrica remains on hold as of January 2018.
oAfrica remains on hold as of January 2018.
Cameroon’s government shut down internet access in Northwest and Southwest Anglophone regions of Cameroon 74 days ago (and counting). There is no sign of the blackout being lifted by the government and the telecom operators remain in compliance with the order. We recently heard from digital consultant Marc Stephan Nkouly, located ...
Cameroon’s government shut down internet access in Northwest and Southwest Anglophone regions of Cameroon 74 days ago (and counting). There is no sign of the blackout being lifted by the government and the telecom operators remain in compliance with the order. We recently heard from digital consultant Marc Stephan Nkouly, located ...
A recap of national ICT headlines for the end of 2015 and start of 2016.
A recap of national ICT headlines for the end of 2015 and start of 2016.