iBURST LAUNCHES IN GHANA

The iBurst wireless broadband system is now available in Ghana after Infinite Stream Ghana Ltd recently launched the service in collaboration with BusyInternet. South African iBurst users are now able to roam in Ghana and vice versa.

ArrayComm, the world leader in smart antenna technologies, is the developer and patent holder of the iBurst broadband wireless system sold globally by licensees. iBurst is currently available in Ghana, South Africa, Australia, Kenya and Azerbaijan.

“iBurst South Africa is thrilled that a third African country now has access to a fourth generation wireless technology with the potential to uplift communities by boosting economic growth,” said Thami Mtshali, CEO of iBurst SA.

iBurst is unique because it optimizes the use of bandwidth with the help of smart antennae. It offers the speed of DSL in a mobile environment, exceptional reliability and an IP base allowing a network to be established quickly and affordably.

“Over the last decade we have watched the rise and fall of copper promises. African countries see the potential of broadband and are desperately looking for other ways to obtain reliable, high-speed Internet access without resorting to miles of expensive copper cables. Ghana obviously realized that the decision to go the iBurst wireless route would allow an alternative broadband provider to be up and running as quickly as possible,” said Mr Mtshali.

iBurst will initially only be available in Ghana’s capital city of Accra. The new service is available in three contract packages and a prepaid version where subscribers pay an hourly rate with no data cap.

Coverage currently includes metropolitan Accra (Osu, Airport area, Kaneshie, Ring Road Central, Accra Central). The company hopes to extend coverage to other parts of Accra and also to other cities in Ghana in the near future. Further details are available on www.iburstghana.com.

South African iBurst users wishing to roam in Ghana should call 0860 IBURST or 0860 927 4357 or email (sales@iburstgroup.co.za).

New Top Ups from Vodacom

Vodacom is introducing the addition of six new per second Top Up packages to its current range, providing its subscribers the flexibility of choosing a package that is suitable to their financial and personal needs.

The Top Up Packages are a hybrid between contract and prepaid to offer subscribers guaranteed monthly airtime credit that provide the similar benefits to contract call rates.

The six new packages offer subscribers the convenience of a contract package combined with the control and flexibility of prepaid and now with per second rates from the first second. Subscribers are able to purchase additional airtime as per the usual prepaid recharge methods once the monthly threshold has been reached.

The per second packages are available on 24 month contracts as well as monthly packages* with monthly subscription fees ranging from R135 to R590. The six new additions to the Top-Up family are:

· Top Up 135 S
· Top Up 200 S
· Top Up 275 S
· Top Up 315 S
· Top Up 400 S
· Top Up 500 S

*Terms and conditions apply

So THAT's Why The Cost so Much

If you have ever sat back and thought, "I wonder why an iPod is so damn expensive." Here is the answer.

Although, if you think about it, that's only 7 times more than the new SA NAtional Soccer coach is going to be paid. I think Apple got a pretty sweet deal...

Flickr forcing artists to become 'non-public', known by them as 'NIPSA'

Something disturbing is happening at Flickr at the moment. They're forcing people who have predominantly art in their galleries to become 'not public'. This means that if you do a search for something, non-public pictures will not show up in that search.

This appears to be a bureaucratic implementation of one of the clauses in their 'Community Guidelines'. But it's very disturbing, because it indicates a lack of responsiveness to their paying users. (There are two ways of using Flickr.... Free and Pro. Free users can have 200 pics in the gallery at any time, and three 'sets'. Pro users can have any number of pics, and any number of sets.

If you want to look at my pics, you need to do it by following a link to my gallery. There is no way you can find me without that. (If you're interested, here's my Flickr gallery: http://www.flickr.com/photos/royblumenthal/)

Here's a copy of my correspondence with Flickr about this issue. If you're a Flickr user, please consider writing to them asking for a change in their policy. To me, the policy is senseless, and seems unnecessarily punitive to the many artists and viewers of art that use the site.

My Query to Flickr:
----------------

Hiya...

I've been a Flickr Pro member for some time now. A friend of mine tried to do a search for my pics, and can't find any.

I subsequently tried a search too, and my work doesn't show.

I've seen several threads in discussion groups about the fact that you
seem to be making all artwork that is non-photographic 'private'.

I really would like to know why you're doing this.

I've gone through the Yahoo! terms of service, and it mentions 'photos,
graphics, audio and video' everytime it mentions anything to do with
photos. So there is nothing explicitly stated in those terms of service
preventing me from hosting my drawings publicly on Flickr.

Next, I went to your FAQ section to find out if there was a thread about this there. Maybe I overlooked it, but I don't see one.

I went to 'About Flickr'. And found nothing.

I'm very confused about this. There are literally hundreds of thousands
of artworks on Flickr, and many of them are on Pro user's accounts.

I am a digital artist. Every single image on my Flickr gallery was
created by me on my computer or on my palmtop. Almost all of them are
based on photos I took.

I'm paying you for this service, and when I flipped over to Pro, there
was nothing said about the fact that my drawings would not be public.

I'd really like to know if you can reset my status so that people can actually see my works when they search for them.

Can you get back to me about this?

Thanks.

Blue skies
love
Roy

Flickr's reply:
------------------
On 8/23/06, Flickr Support <case134284@support.flickr.com> wrote:

Hello,

Thanks for your question.

Please see our Community Guidelines.

http://www.flickr.com/guidelines.gne

Here is an excerpt:

"With some exceptions, it's OK to post other images, but if
the majority of your photostream contains content other than
photographs (like illustrations, screenshots, diagrams,
etc.) it's very likely that your account will be marked Not
in Public Site Areas (NIPSA). NIPSA means your photos won't
show up in photo searches, but they will still be visible
in your pages, your groups and contacts."

Regards,

Monish

My response:
------------------

Thanks Monish...

I appreciate the reply.

But I'd reallllllllllllllllllllllly like to know WHY?

It doesn't make sense.

You haven't really answered any of the questions I asked.

If you have hundreds of thousands of images on Flickr which AREN'T photos, and hundreds of groups dedicated to artworks, why do you have this bizarre policy?

And why don't you make it clear and upfront in the FAQ?

You're NOT very friendly to artists. And yet it's a site that is home to a substantial number of artists.

So, I repeat... what can be done to revert my account from NIPSA to normal?

What are you guys doing to address the concerns of the hundreds of artists who are asking this question?

I looked at the forums and did a search for NIPSA and found hundreds of questions about this, with not a single answer (in the threads that I browsed) from Flickr admin people.

You guys are literally begging for a PR disaster at some point by not addressing these concerns, and sooner or later you're going to have to actually say something in response to this that is NOT a cut and paste from some sub-clause.

I'm inviting you to escalate my email upwards to one or more of your PR and Marketing mavens to actually pause and reflect and then take real action.

This isn't me being a grain of sand in the system. It's not me being egotistical and thinking I can change Flickr with the might of my words. It's more an honest evaluation and an honest appeal to you guys to do something.

What does it actually COST you to be friendly to artists on the site? What twisted logic (besides some obscure clause about artworks) FORCES you to hide our pictures from the public? You guys are coming across as rigid bureaucrats who can't think for themselves. Kinda like, 'This is what the RULES and REGULATIONS state, so our hands are tied.'

Your hands are NOT tied. You have free will. You have a giant site. You have the goodwill of zillions of people. But you're squandering that goodwill. And at a certain point, that goodwill ceases to exist. And even if it ceases to exist for a small subset of the image-sharing community, once the rot sets in, no amount of marketing spend will be able to prevent the spread of that rot.

You have the power in your hands to avert a Flickr disaster that is brewing as I sit here and type.

Please engage me on these questions.

Blue skies
love
Roy

[UPDATE -- 25 August 2006:] There has been no response to Flick so far. So, what I've done is this... I've submitted this blog posting to DIGG, where it seems to be generating some interest.

Here are two things you can do to help show Flickr that artists are citizens too:

(1) Please click on this DIGG link, and add your voice to the melee. It's only through pressure that Flickr might relent on this policy. After all, they want artists to be their friends. Surely?

(2) Send Flickr a politely worded note via their 'Help by Email' link. Please be polite. We're not looking to be banned! We're looking to be made pulbic and treated like humans. So please treat them like humans.

Thanks for your help. -- Roy

Tags: Flickr, NIPSA, artists, art, artist, royblumenthal, roy blumenthal, blumenthal, activism, protest, action, activist, policy, coffeeshopschmuck, coffee shop schmuck

XBox in SA, Q&A with Cindy White

Why are you launching in South Africa?

South Africa is a growing market for console and Windows gaming – gamers in South Africa have been craving Xbox 360, publishers are already marketing their games here, and we have great relationships with key retail partners here already. Expanding to South Africa allows us to build a successful business ecosystem for our partners here, and to bring more gamers amazing next-generation gaming and entertainment experiences. Xbox 360 has been a great success in the EMEA region and we fully expect that success to be replicated in South Africa.

When are you launching?
Xbox 360 will launch in South Africa on 29^th September.

What’s the price?

Xbox 360 will carry an estimated retail price of 3,699 rand, and 2,699 rand for the Xbox 360 Core System when it launches in South Africa on 29^th September. We’ll be announcing launch information for other countries soon.

Why do the prices vary so much when compared with other countries?

First of all, it’s important to note that we set an Estimated Retail Price for products – retail ultimately decides how much to sell consoles games and accessories for. We don’t disclose our process for determining the ERP, but I can say that it is based on close consultation with retail and publishers in each country, and is set to reflect market conditions as well as take into account factors such as taxes and local currency conversions.

What are your sales projections for South Africa?

We do not disclose sales forecasts for specific countries. What I can say is that we are on track to have sold 10 million Xbox 360s by the end of the calendar year – South Africa will be an important part of meeting this target and growing the Xbox 360 “footprint” this Holiday and beyond.

Will Xbox 360 be localised into local languages, including games and customer support?

Absolutely – we want gamers to have the best experiences with Xbox 360, so we’ve ensured that console aspects like the Dashboard, as well as games, will be in local languages. And if gamers have an issue with their Xbox 360, they will be able to contact a customer support team who can speak the local language.

What games will be available at launch?

Gamers in South Africa will enjoy a full line-up of fantastic games at launch. “Project Gotham Racing 3” (Bizarre Creations/Microsoft Game Studios), “Kameo” (Rare/MGS) and “Perfect Dark Zero” (Rare/MGS) will be available on launch day, with games like “Gears of War” (Epic Games/MGS), “Crackdown” (Real Time Worlds/MGS), “Viva Pinata” (Rare/MGS) and “Forza 2” (MGS) to follow in the following weeks.

What accessories will be available?

Gamers will be able to enjoy a suite of great accessories at launch such as the Xbox 360 Wireless Controller, Battery Pack, and Xbox 360 Universal Media Remote.

How much will games and accessories cost?

Prices for games and accessories are set by retailers, not by Xbox. Look out for this information closer to the time of launch.

What about Xbox Live Vision, the Wireless Steering Wheel, etc?

Gamers will be able to enjoy a suite of great accessories at launch such as the Xbox 360 Wireless Controller, Battery Pack, and Xbox 360 Universal Media Remote. We’ll be making more announcements closer to the time.

Why are you launching in South Africa first?

We’re working with retail, publishers and other partners to determine the absolute best time to launch in each market – it’s very important to tailor the launch to the country and the unique market conditions, so that’s why the launch dates vary slightly.

Which retailers will you be working with?

We’re working with several partners in each country - from local specialist games retailers to multinational retailers - and will be announcing who they are later this year.

Will you be working with any new games publishers / local developers?

We’ll be making further announcements later this year.

This entry into new markets is a crucial part of your battle with Sony is it not?

Gamers in South Africa have been craving the next-generation gaming and entertainment experiences that only Xbox 360 can offer. We’re pleased to be able to bring them what they want. Xbox 360 has been a great success in the region and we fully expect gamers in these five new countries to continue that success.

Which countries are next?

We will be launching in Eastern Europe, Chile and India by the end of the year.

Why no mention of Xbox Live in your announcement? Will Live come later or will gamers get the online service at the same time?

Xbox Live will not be available at launch in South Africa or the Eastern European countries. We want to ensure gamers have the absolute best experience with Xbox Live – to that end we’re working with retail, ISPs, publishers and other partners to make it happen and we’ll make more announcements around Xbox Live in these new markets nearer the time.

What are the differences in gaming tastes in these markets – eg German gamers like ‘clever fun’ - so what do gamers in South Africa like? Will they be interested in the current games portfolio?

Our research tells us that gamers in South Africa have similar tastes to gamers throughout the rest of Europe. We’ll be making sure that we’ll be giving gamers in South Africa what they want from launch and making sure that we continue to listen to our research and endeavour to keep doing so in years to come.

XBox in SA in 39 Days

Microsoft today announced that it will launch Xbox 360, the next-generation video games and entertainment system, in South Africa at midnight on Friday, 29 September 2006.

This launch, along with the launches in Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland, will expand the Xbox 360 footprint in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region from 16 countries to 21. Entering these new markets will expand on the proven success of Xbox 360 in Europe and give more gamers access to the next generation of gaming and entertainment.

Microsoft also announced the anticipated pricing. In South Africa, Xbox 360 will be available at an estimated retail price of R3,699. The Xbox 360 Core System will be available for R2,699.

South African gamers will enjoy a full line-up of fantastic games at launch. “Project Gotham Racing 3” (Bizarre Creations/Microsoft Game Studios), “Kameo” (Rare/MGS) and “Perfect Dark Zero” (Rare/MGS) will be available on launch day, with games like “Gears of War” (Epic Games/MGS), “Crackdown” (Real Time Worlds/MGS), “Viva Pinata” (Rare/MGS) and “Forza 2” (MGS) to follow in the following weeks. Gamers can also enjoy a suite of great accessories such as the Xbox 360 Wireless Controller, Battery Pack, and Xbox 360 Universal Media Remote.

“We’re very excited to be bringing Xbox 360 to gamers in South Africa in time for the upcoming year-end holidays, when we expect to have sold 10 million consoles around the world,” said Chris Lewis, Regional Vice President for EMEA Home and Entertainment Division, Microsoft.

“South Africa is a country where the appetite for console gaming is growing in leaps and bounds – expanding to Africa allows us to build a successful business ecosystem for our partners, and to bring more gamers amazing next-generation gaming and entertainment experiences,” said Cindy White, South Africa Group Marketing Manager, Microsoft. “We’re committed to ensuring gamers in South Africa have a great Xbox 360 experience. To that end we’re taking steps so that a full portfolio of great games, tailored to appeal to local tastes, is available as well as accessories that complement the gaming experience.”

The appetite for Xbox 360 gaming around the world continues to grow. In addition to the five new countries mentioned above, Xbox will be helping to meet demand in four other countries this year including launches in Chile and India.

KVM-221 2-Port USB KVM Switch

D-Link have announced the KVM-221 2-Port USB KVM Switch. The KVM-221 allows you to control two computers using one monitor, USB keyboard, and USB mouse with Audio Support.

“The KVM-221 allows users to effortlessly control two systems without having to buy additional computer peripherals” states D-Link South Africa Marketing Manager Karien Wood. “It is ideal for the home office where business files are kept on one computer and personal files on another.”

With the built-in audio support, you can also share a set of speakers between two computers. Listen to music on one computer while having quick access to resources on the second computer. You can even dedicate one computer as a music server.

Since the KVM-221 manages two computers using only one monitor, keyboard, and mouse, it frees up your desktop space, minimizing wires and extra devices that would be needed otherwise. In addition, the KVM-221 is compact in size, making it fit into virtually any workspace.

The KVM-221 is easy to install and even easier to use. No drivers or software is required. It is a true plug and play device that will have you up and running quickly. Once connected, you can easily switch between the two computers with the front panel “select” button and keyboard hot keys.

Price and Availability
The D-Link KVM-221 is available through Comztek, Mustek and Pinnacle Micro at a suggested retail price of R420.00

The unit has a limited lifetime Warranty and 24/7 Technical Support including firmware updates.