150-WORD REVIEW: To Save Everything, Click Here by Evgeny Morosov

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To Save EverythingI am occasionally guilty of being slack jawed when it comes to technological advancement. We’re constantly presented with Ted Talks, books and articles which lionise the tech industry as being the source of solutions for everything from healthcare to education and politics to death.

For every ying of utopian thinking, there needs to be a yang of realism and occasional cynicism. That is what Evgeny Morosov presents in his latest book. He dissects topics ranging from social media’s role in the Arab Spring to the quantified self movement – criticisng what he sees as “techno-solutionism” and “cyber-utopianism”.

You might not agree any of much of what he says (many won’t agree with any of it), but you owe it to yourself to at least read some of the counter-arguments that are out there. Read it. I guarantee it will give you pause for thought.

Africa specialist Every1Mobile raises $1.7 million in angel investment

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Every1Mobile2Every1Mobile (E1M), which specialises in building mass audiences via mobile in sub-Saharan Africa, announced today (12th June) that it has raised $1.7m in angel investment.

Every1Mobile, founded in 2010, uses the power of mobile-enabled social networks to transform how organisations engage with young people aged 15-35 in sub-Saharan Africa and other emerging markets. E1M’s ultimate aim is to help young people in emerging markets enter the formal economy. The Company runs nine mobile sites covering Education, Health, Jobs and Entertainment.

The Company already records over 3 million monthly visits to its sites and serves 25 million pages each month. Users are equally split between male and female across South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania, Kenya and Zimbabwe.

“Mobile social networks in Africa allow us to engage with a vast, previously inaccessible audience of young people. The mobile phone has the potential to revolutionise access in emerging markets to information services across learning, health, agriculture, financial literacy, business support and sustainable livelihoods,” said ” Algy Williams, CEO of Every1Mobile.

One in five Britons want Google Glass banned

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Google_glassA new study has revealed that one in five people in the UK want Google Glass banned, even though more than eight million Britons already use wearable technology.

The report by Rackspace and the Centre for Creative and Social Technoloogy (CAST) at Goldsmiths, University of London was conducted with 4,000 respondents and underscores the privacy concerns that people have with what many consider to be invasive technology.

Other findings were that more than eight million Britons already wear some form of fitness monitor, smart watch, wearable camera, smart clothing or tracking device and demonstrates how divisive this type of technology has become. Some embrace it wholeheartedly, others think it is the devil’s work.

While 20% want Google Glass banned, 15% intend to buy Google Glass as soon as it goes on general sale in 2014 and nearly 40% intend to use these these devices once they have obtained critical mass.

Rather more worryingly, the study also reports that 15% of UK adults use wearable devices to help improve their love life. Try as I may, I have tried to imagine that but it means my brain is now working in ways that I’d prefer it not to.

There again, wearing Google Glass while on the job may have some positive developments. It doesn’t matter where you get your appetite from (as you look at the streamed video in literally your mind’s eye), as long as you eat at home.

150-WORD REVIEW: Trust Me, I’m Lying by Ryan Holiday

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Book Cover

Some people don’t like Ryan Holiday. If you read the reviews of Trust Me, I’m Lying on Amazon, you’ll see what I mean. I’m not one of those people. This was a fantastically entertaining read about Holiday’s exploits on behalf of his clients.

The blurb on the book’s cover suggests it’s a playbook for the dark arts of exploiting the media, and while that might be a touch hyperbolic, there is no shortage of material in the book to give you ideas on how to seed stories, create a buzz and generally play the game in terms of blogs and news outlets.

Holiday is a really good writer. The book is easy to read. Even if you’re not entirely interested in the subject matter, you’ll definitely get a laugh or two out of some of the stunts he’s pulled. Trust me. I’m not lying.

 

African company PriceCheck wins BlackBerry’s International App of the Year

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pricecheck_appSouth African company PriceCheck, has beaten off 100,000 other entrants to win the International App of the Year at the BlackBerry Live conference in Florida.

The app is an extension of the PriceCheck website, which is the largest price comparison site in South Africa and Africa. Developed five years ago, PriceCheck was introduced into Nigeria in May this year and plans to launch in Kenya and Ghana by the end of the year.

“What makes it truly outstanding for me is that it is a 100% South Africa-designed app that has won. It is also indicative that an app that helps users make better shopping decisions has won, and not a chat or social app.” said PriceCheck General Manager Andre de Wet.