The iPad 2 embraces the vision, innovation and forward thinking of the company’s late founder and CEO, Steve Jobs. The first iPad introduced the world to the future of the computer and how it will operate. With the iPad2 already on our shelves that future we have all been eagerly anticipating for is indeed already here.

Just under one year ago, Apple shocked the computing world with a 9.7-inch touch-screen tablet that few truly expected. Some called the original Apple iPad a large-format iPhone. Now at only just 0.34 inch thin and weighing as little as 1.33 kilograms with over 55 000 applications at your finger tips, the iPad 2 has rendered all its critics speechless.
The iPad 2 feels completely comfortable in your hands sporting an extra slim design. In fact, the designers say the iPad 2 is an extension of you, the user.

What is the difference between the new ipad2 and the original iPad

If you purchased an iPad, should you be regretting it today? Short answer- yes. Long answer- let’s look at the specs on both tablets. Without paying too much attention, it may appear that these devices look basically the same but there are a number additions to the iPad 2.

First of all, there are a bunch of things that essentially haven’t changed at all between iPad and iPad 2:

• The display is exactly the same as before, as is the resolution: 9.7-inch LED-backlit IPS LCD with 1024 x 768 pixel resolution.
• The storage options, 16, 32, and 64GB have not changed
• Wifi will still be 802.11 a/b/g/n
• Bluetooth will still be 2.1 + EDR
• Accelerometer stays the same at 3-axis

So what’s really improved?

• You’ll be able to get your iPad 2 in black, but you’ll also have the option of a white bezel
• iPad 2’s processor has been improved from a 1GHz Apple A4 to a 1GHz dual-core Apple A5
• The original iPad was either 680g or 730g; the iPad 2 is 613g
• iPad 2 offers a gyroscope where the original iPad did not include one
• The thickness of the entire unit has been reduced by 33% from 13.4mm to 8.8mm
• iPad 2 offers not one but two new cameras. The front camera being a VGA webcam and the back being capable of recording videos (this is a significant step up from having no camera at all)
• iPad 2 also comes with cellular radio

Overall, the iPad2 is a better tablet and the design is an absolute stunner. There have been no drastic complaints from users of the original iPad, however the iPad 2 offers the advancements that we have come to expect from the Apple brand.

Gone are the days when a great CV and interview were enough to get a job. Most companies are taking advantage of social networking platforms to screen (social screening) potential employees and to get a deeper understanding of who they are.

There are over 535 million social networking users across the world. These users have one or multiple accounts across LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. Any company looking at hiring new staff, looks for the most qualified and talented people as possible candidates. This is where social screening is an effective method.

Facebook is the ideal platform to investigate further into a person’s character and personality, whilst Twitter identifies a person’s interestsetc. LinkedIn offers a more professional insight into who the person is, as well as their working history.

With companies using social screening to find out more about the people they consider hiring, potential employees should consider “cleaning up” their social media accounts. According to mindflash.com there are 5 ways of ensuring you never get hired, based on social screening:

• Digital dirt (inappropriate images)
• Terrible Troll (swearing and adding annoying commentary to blogs posts etc)
• Big Mouth (negative comments about previous employers etc)
• Numerous contacts and comments (having inappropriate contacts and participating in inappropriate conversation with them)
• Being constantly negative (never posting positive comments etc)

Although there are ways to limit the amount of information people are able to view on a personal account, being cautious about what content appears on the social media platform is the safer bet.

Numerous recruitment agencies and companies use social screening to head hunt a potential employee. However social screening is also used to dismiss staff. Although using social screening may take time and possibly cost money (Facebook Ad’s, etc) many companies find it to be the better long term option when trying to find the ideal employee to fill a position. Using social screening also increases the candidate pool.

With social media becoming more and more useful to businesses, it is important to ensure that the content that is visible to the public, compliments who you have said that you are in your CV, etc. Especially if you are looking for a new job.

So what is Social Business, who’s doing it, and why is it so important?

Net Prophet 2011 opened up with yet another bang this year, with Rob Gilmour covering the overall history and success of NetProphet to date. This year being no different, but with attendance exceeding the 1000 people mark.

The general theme of the event was that of Social Business, and why we should all be thinking about getting involved. Although the concept is a rather fresh one, it’s something that many businesses, to a large extent are already very actively involved in. The sad fact however, is that most businesses haven’t even considered the idea.

So what is Social Business?

Imagine if you will the impact of businesses working together not only for profit, but, in the process, creating a business model that adds immense value to the broader community that surrounds it. How many times have you found yourself frustrated by a number of things that just don’t work? How many times have you thought to yourself, if I had the means, I could fix this, and make it better?

Now take this example to the next level. Imagine, you were able to conceptualise the solution, get the right team of people together, employ a vast number of free technologies to support it, raise some funding along the way, and in the process, not only fix the initial problem, but make life better for all those impacted by the same problem, and while you’re at it, make a profit from your initiative.

This is Social Business.

Social business is not about running a charity, or a non-profit organization. It’s not even about doing things for free. On the contrary, social businesses make good profits, and all the while, they are aiding a greater cause, eliminating a problem, or just simply making life easier for all those around them.

While this might sound somewhat utopian, social businesses are already a reality in most parts of the world, delivering much needed relief from a wide variety of global challenges.

Two examples of such social businesses are:

Young Africa Live, a mobile-based community portal developed by the praekeltfoundation, where young people can openly discuss critical issues such as love, sex and relationships with each other, and mPedigree, a mobile service in Ghana and Nigeria that verifies via SMS the authenticity of medication prior to being taken. Saving millions of lives and recouping lost revenue to pharmaceutical companies.

Social businesses are sustainable, they deliver true value to their community, they build trust and most importantly, lasting customer relationships, and loyalty. Another great thing about social business is that, if set up correctly, they are a great source of ever increasing annuity revenue for the founding businesses.

Technology and Social Business

With the level of technology at our fingertips today, the possibility of social business also becomes that much more of a reality. The misconception of limited Internet access in places like Africa is now superseded by present day mobile phone penetration, allowing us to reach a much wider audience immediately. Social Media allows us to share and consume content and media much faster, while also collaborating on multiple projects in real time. And finally, the Internet provides the power of research right on our doorstep.

So, the next time you are faced with a situation that you find somewhat frustrating, chances are, you are not alone. The difference however is that you might be in a unique enough position to bring about a change that has a long-term benefit to your community, while making you a handsome profit in the process.

With Red Bull having a strong presence in South Africa, they have decided to spread their wings and expand their product offering. In partnership with Cell C, Red Bull launched Red Bull Mobile on 8^th February 2011 into South Africa.

This joint venture between Red Bull and Cell C offers customers two branded packages and four phones to choose form.

Red Bull phones

The phones are Red Bull branded and come standard with Red Bull Music Academy Radio and Red Bull X- Fighters.

Red Bull packages

The two packages are made up of the RBM100 (R149 per month) and the RBM200. (R249 per month)

Through the Red Bull Mobile portal, customers will have access to:

• Red Bull TV
• Free Red Bull downloads
• News and updates on Red Bull events and athletes
• Weather
• News
• Local entertainment

Red Bull is focusing on providing their customers with freebies and benefits: great if you are into sports and action.

• Tickets to Red Bull Racing
• Tickets to Top Gear Live Festival
• Monthly copy of Red Bulletin (Global magazine)

The Red Bull energy drink has been a booming success in the sporting world and has certainly been the drink of choice for many keen athletes and sleepy heads around South Africa. Whether or not they are able to succeed in the mobile market is something that only time will tell. However with Cell C on board, the relationship that these two exceptionally strong and successful brands have could be the beginning of bigger and better things for Red Bull.

It is always exciting when something great happens in South Africa, especially when it happens on the internet. You may have already heard about the South African “YouTube” creating waves amongst the internet surfers. Zoopy is its name and it certainly has left an impression.

In 2006, Zoopy was launched into closed beta where it then moved into live beta, available to the public on 5^th March 2007. With some pretty high profile users like Helen Zille, Grant Haskin and Jonathan Shapiro (Zapiro,) this online and mobile social media site has certainly been appreciated for a variety of different reasons.

▪ Share/ view videos

▪ Share/ view photos

▪ Share/ view audio clips

▪ Zoopy TV (content created by the Zoopy team)

With the character and personality of South Africans, what better way to show off our enthusiasm than offer a platform to express to the world the creative, artistic, clever, funny, talented, charismatic, colourful, glamorous, expressive side that we all have within us! (May be a little biased there) With the world cup successfully behind us, who wouldn’t want to continue seeing more from this exciting country?

How does Zoopy work?

Zoopy is fun, new and is South Africa’s first video and photo sharing social network. Why wouldn’t we need one of these considering the huge amount of talent we have on display in South Africa? Just like YouTube, Zoopy allows you to upload a variety of media, choose a channel, write a description and share with the world. Whether it’s funny or something a little more serious, even amateurs are able to contribute to Zoopy.

Once your upload is live it is able to be viewed by people all over South Africa and the rest of the world. Through using Zoopy you are also able to invite friends, family and who- ever you wish to view your media- provided they are a member of Zoopy. If however you choose to use Zoopy as you do YouTube, you are able to view videos and photos and enjoy the humor, interest and fun that others choose to share with the world.

Visit www.zoopy.com

Follow them on Twitter, subscribe to the blog or join the Zoopy Facebook page.

Google SA launched YouTube South Africa in an effort to make searching for and streaming video quality simpler and faster for South Africans. The South African version of the immensely popular video sharing social network runs off of www.youtube.co.za.

It is not immediately clear how much content will be hosted on local servers, but it is definately clear that speed is a big reason for the service becomming local. As part of the launch a partnership agreement has been signed with the SABC and e-tv. This partnership agreement will allow the SABC and e-tv to stream a variety of current and past content on the platform. This means that they can connect on another level with their tv viewing audiences.

It is great to see that Google is beginning to embrace South Africa and the hunger that we have for all things online. Hopefully in the future a lot more of the Google gadgets that are common place overseas will begin to trickle in to Sough Africa.