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dkFactor
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8:28
From: dkFactor
Read This Entry & More At dkFactor
It’s only fitting for me to get back on the blogging bandwagon with a “Why I blog about Africa” post, as I was tagged by Kaushal in a blog meme. The simplest explanation of a meme that I could find was: “An idea, project, statement or even a question that is posted by one blog and responded to by other blogs.” This particular blog meme was started by Théophile Kouamouo, a blogger based in Côte d’Ivoire.
So why do I blog about Africa? Africa is a continent of extremes - extreme good and extreme bad, extreme hope and extreme disappointment, a roller coaster of emotions and a complete spectrum of the human experience. Sometimes I wonder just how smart aliens are, for traveling many light years across the universe and landing in the least important places. The most succinct introduction to the human race can only be found in Africa, not New Mexico!
With all this in mind, one realizes that enough can’t be said about Africa. I was lucky to be born on a continent so diverse in culture, climate and a thousand and one other things - Where the earth finds it difficult to contain its treasures; treasures that perhaps, have been the source of Africa’s pain.
I want to write about a continent struggling to find its place in a far less interesting world. A continent that has been maturing like a fine wine in a dark cellar waiting to be uncorked. Why would I blog about anything else?
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15:31
From: dkFactor
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The Africa of the very near future is plagued by multiple problems. Desertification and global warming are some of the biggest, which are further exacerbated by rapid urbanization. This spontaneous migration of people from rural areas in countries that have no urbanization policies in place, means resources will be stretched to the maximum. Where will all the food to feed these people come from?
Try and imagine growing food in tall buildings with a self-contained climate powered by renewable energy. A radical idea yes - but one that would address the need for arable land and year-round supply of food. These towering greenhouses immune to weather and pests might very well be the source of nutrition for generations of the future!
While I feel that this fantastic future 'might' be a pipe dream for now, our grandchildren might be forced to effectuate it by inevitable circumstances.
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9:45
From: dkFactor
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For the last week or so, I’ve been pondering a thought provoking article in the July 2008 issue of Wired - ‘The Petabyte Age,’ by Chris Anderson. I call it thought provoking because Anderson asserts that current statistical and theoretical methods will be trumped by the availability of HUGE amounts of data - PetaBytes (1000’s of terabytes), and the ability to process it. The basic idea is that with enough amounts of data, the numbers will eventually speak for themselves. I suppose the other reason this peaked my interest is that about a month ago I wrote about 'Crowdsourcing and the future of crisis reporting'. With enough data, you’d be able to ‘quite possibly’ predict future human and environmental disasters! While large amounts of data exist, the problem to date has been how to process it, and that’s how cloud computing comes into place.
Cloud computing is a relatively new word. Some people have used the term grid computing to refer to the same thing. It basically refers to the outsourcing and consolidation of computing services and resources. I’ll explain some more so that you can understand. The biggest nightmare to most companies IT departments has been dealing with scalability and the processing power or storage that is required to address it. Enter cloud computing companies - which would basically provide you with on-demand capacity as you grow. Some big companies you know have already been providing such services for the last few years; Amazon, Google, IBM and many more, each striving to be the next general-purpose computing platform. Basic services like Google Docs and Amazon S3 are modest examples of cloud computing.
Lately I’ve been following Google’s forays into Africa. Especially interesting has been the introduction of the Google Global Cache (You can read more about it on White African’s blog). Google in their infinite wisdom has come up with a way to deal with the voracity for data on the African continent. Because bandwidth demand surpasses supply, they would store the web on their servers and serve it up to users based on the shortest path to location, thereby improving performance. Some would call this cloud computing at its best. This would save on bandwidth costs for ISP’s, and improve performance for their customers. Wow!
If you don’t already know by now, that ‘Wow!’ in my last paragraph was meant to be sarcastic. While I applaud google’s efforts, google is inherently a corporation whose goal is ultimately profit. Google China is a prime example of how this all comes into play. Search results for ‘Tiananmen Square’, ‘Falun Gong’ or ‘Tibet’ yield far different results within China than outside it. The fallacies of cloud computing start to become clear. If a whole continent outsources its computing needs, isn’t this data then open to manipulation by the 3rd entity (Google) and other political and profit motivated interests?
Don’t get me wrong, I think Africa stands to benefit a great deal from ‘this’ faster access, but I think this means we need to step up our efforts to increase bandwidth instead of depending on a 3rd parties for access to information. We are at the dawn of the age of information, opening up new paradigms of thinking (some jokingly call it the age of mis-information). Just as happened during the industrial age, new products and integrated services are jostling for attention and marketplace attention. Ultimately there will be just a few winners.
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21:29
From: dkFactor
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 Friends, readers - Africa’s sovereignty is at stake.
I am - as always, indisposed to dipping into politics on this blog, but I feel that something has to be said about the situation unraveling in the heart of Africa. Before I go on though, I’d like to issue a disclaimer. “I by no means support Mugabe’s autocratic regime.” This article is also not about the constitutional and human rights that have been so blatantly violated - enough has already been said. By proceeding I’m well aware that I’ll be opening myself up to intense criticism, but I’ll take my chances.
Canada’s prime minister John Turner said “… once you yield the economic levers of sovereignty you eventually lose the political levers,” in response to the controversial NAFTA agreement. Turner felt Canada had sold out to the USA. Sadly it was the truth. In 1980 (the same year as Zimbabwe’s independence), the IMF began to impose Structural Adjustment Programs (SAP’s) on African debtor nations. SAP’s generally mandated:
- The removal of protections in the manufacturing sector
- The elimination of government subsidies for food and some other items
- Trade liberalization;reductions in barriers to trade, as well as foreign investment and ownership
- Increased role of the private sector in industry, which were previously owned by the government
- Reductions in government spending on health and education
The results were disastrous and the reverberations are still being felt today. Africa’s poverty grew at an exponential rate, along with increased dependency on richer nations. This in effect lowered the standard of living of most Africans and set a stage for an era of neo-colonialism (yes I said it).
So you ask - what does this have to do with Zimbabwe? Zimbabwe (and Mugabe’s) problem is 3-fold:
- Land Reform - The 3 month Lancaster House Conference of 1979, which concluded with Zimbabwe’s independence failed to address the most important item - land reform. Mugabe was pressured to sign and land was the key stumbling block. Both the British and American governments offered to buy land from willing white settlers who could not accept reconciliation (the "Willing buyer, Willing seller" principle) and a fund was established, to operate from 1980 to 1990. The Conservative Party led by Former British Prime Margaret Thatcher and later John Major agreed to fund the program, which was immediately crushed by Tony Blair’s Labour government. Some can still remember the letter from Tony Blair’s minister - Claire Short that said "I should make it clear that we do not accept that Britain has a special responsibility to meet the costs of land purchase in Zimbabwe. We are a new Government from diverse backgrounds without links to former colonial interests…” - A smack in the face of a fledgling nation. In 1996 Mugabe took the controversial stance of supporting the seizure of white-owned land without compensation in order to reverse the economic imbalances that disadvantaged the majority blacks.
- Rejection of the Structural Adjustment Programs - Abandonment in the late '90s of International Monetary Fund-mandated "structural adjustment programs" was ultimately the beginning of Mugabe’s problems. This is a stance few 3rd world countries have won. This too poses a threat to vested Anglo-American interests as SAP’s require intense privatization.
- Involvement with the SADC - The South African Development Community includes all the southern African countries - from South Africa to DR Congo and Tanzania. In 1998 Zimbabwe, along with Angola and Namibia sent 6,000 troops to Laurent Kabila’s Congo to save a fellow SADC member country from an invasion by Ugandan and Rwandan troops (backed by the US and UK). This inadvertently or not was yet another provocative move against the west, and there would be a steep price to pay. I’m starting to hear echoes of Patrice Lumumba and Mobutu Sese Seko - but that is a story for another day.
At this point I should step back and state that Mugabe is no different from the other despots Africa has had since the 60’s. Corruption and violation of human rights are the order of the day. Beyond that, the indirect (and direct) involvement of the west in Africa’s affairs after independence remains deeply disturbing. Africa’s claim on the future depends on it being able to handle its own problems.
Zimbabwe’s debacle is a lose-lose situation at this point. The 'Great Hope' - MDC’s Morgan Tsvangirai has been bankrolled by a combination of western governments, corporate enterprises and ex-landowners. His stance on increasing foreign investment and supporting fair land reform sadly suggests we’ll see a return to structural adjustment programs, and NO land reform - this issue will expectantly be postponed for another decade (or longer). I should also point out that land reform is an open wound in countries like Namibia and South Africa, and continually threatens to rear its ugly head.
Finally, the continual meddling of foreign powers in Africa puts its sovereignty in question. Sometimes, I wonder - are we truly independent nations? Zimbabwe exposes Africa's true problems and the Wests deepest fears. Zimbabwe is the dog that went rabid and bit its master after years of having a chain around its neck.
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20:25
From: dkFactor
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I suppose we can now officially thank government policies in African countries for their failure to expand fixed lines, leading to a projected 22% increase in mobile phone subscribers. 330 million people will own a phone in Africa, in 2008.
E-Governance is a term that has been loosely floating around, slightly misunderstood and highly underestimated. It refers to the use of internet technology as a platform for exchanging information, providing services and transacting with citizens, businesses, and other arms of government (Wikipedia). Basically, we would be facilitating 2-way communication between a government and its citizens using technology, a new philosophy that threatens to reinstitute a government by the people for the people (Like it was supposed to be).
E-Governance cannot exist without internet access - or can it? The same government forces that inadvertently choked land-lines, also cast their noose around internet access bottle-necking it into a snarled jam. For most Africans, getting online is just not worth all the trouble.
All hope was almost lost, when Mobile devices caught on like a wild-fire. These devices will enable new growth markets to leap-frog obstacles developed countries have had to overcome. While multi-media has always perceived to be the future, the real power lies in Text Messaging… 160 characters that will change everything and have major ramifications on public policy.
Here are just a few things for you to think about:
- Disaster & Crisis Alerts (Ushahidi)
- Health camps/vaccination Alerts
- E-Learning in Rural Areas
- E-Transactions (M-Pesa)
- Public Service Complaints about Service
- Employment Alerts
- Communication between health workers to help diagnose and prescribe
- … the list goes on
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12:15
From: dkFactor
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First, I want to thank everyone for their support leading to the success of Ushahidi at the Netsquared Challenge (More details here).
Next, I'm delighted to witness the rise of the Peer-To-Peer economy, and the death of the One-To-Many business model. Since time immemorial, information has flowed from one entity to everyone else, hence the one-to-many descriptor. The media industry one of the first victims i.e. newspaper publishers, tv, music and movie companies. As our ability to consume and create different kinds of media surges, old media struggles to stay significant and pay the bills. The same thunderbolt that impacted old media is poised to strike other industries even more disruptively.
Crisis reporting is one of those industries. Often an ultra-sensitive affair, it has had to deal with issues of politics, bureaucracy and authenticity mostly because policy making and crisis situations are joined by the hip. It has always been a one-to-many situation with government/corporate dominated (and manipulated) crisis reporting. Basically we have always had to believe what 'they' tell us about how it happened, how it is being handled and how it will be prevented in future. Things are beginning to change however with the proliferation of social media and specifically the rise of the bloggers.
Crowdsourcing means that crisis situations can be explored at comparatively little cost, by making information freely available from an untold numbers of sources. We would basically be freeing up information from the vaults of Non Governmental (and governmental) Organizations that have safeguarded information release for self-preservation. Behold the rise of Many-To-One and Many-To-Many paradigm shift in crisis reporting.
The posthaste delivery of crisis information as it happens is something we'll begin to see in coming years. As all this data converges we'll have the ability to visualize patterns that were previously indescernible. With this new power policy making will finally return to the people.
While all this seems a bit idealistic, I should point out that this model is not perfect. It should be understood that crowdsourcing is still vulnerable to data poisoning (as my friend Hash pointed out). This is when malevolence is injected into the system. P2P (Peer-To-Peer) systems have often overcome this using their vastness. Try and imagine misleading data engulfed by a sea of reliable information - ultimately the authenticity can be determined by the bigger picture.
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12:28
From: dkFactor
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 I’m finally back after a 6 month hiatus from blogging and I want to start by addressing a very nagging question but I’ll get to that in just a moment. No doubt you’ve experienced social networking in one form or another (Facebook, MySpace, Bebo, LinkedIn, Twitter etc etc), and if you haven’t you’d better quit living in the 90’s. It’s all about creating and sharing information with friends, colleagues and basically everyone. The last 3 years especially have been witness to an explosive growth in the size and influence of these social networks. “Individuals finally have the power” - wow! (btw, that wow is supposed to be sarcastic).
The proliferation of social networks has led to a new fad… Data Portability. Data Portability is the ability to share information across multiple interfaces and web platforms using open standards. Once the data is accessed, it can repackaged, remixed, right-clicked… you name it. Basically your Facebook profile content for instance could appear on other social sites, and the flickr photos from your phone in return could appear on a google map. The basic idea is to mash together the infinite amounts of shared data (cue the scrolling Matrix code) and attempt make sense of it.
My nagging question is - does it all end? Mashing all this information together has led to an avalanche (more like a storm) of information that we have to deal with daily. For instance a news item can be mashed together with related YouTube links, google maps, flickr photos, message boards, stock ticker information, blogs and what your friends on Twitter think… the list is endless. By the time you’re done reading you’ll know all there is to know about Myanmar.
I have two problems; First can the human mind deal with the coming onslaught of information? Secondly, where does privacy begin and end, or should we just give it up altogether? Personally, I’m afraid that a super machine in the very near future will have the ability to assimilate together all this information, decipher it and draw very precise social patterns for every individual.
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10:36
From: dkFactor
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 This month, the construction of the $235 million East African Submarine Cable System (EASSy) project will begin following the approval of $70.7 million in start-up funds from the IFC, the African Development Bank (AfDB), the European Investment Bank (EIB), Germany's (KfW) and the AFD of France.
The 10,000km fibre-optic cable connecting South Africa, Mozambique, Madagascar, Tanzania, Kenya, Somalia, Djibouti, and Sudan will be laid by French firm Alcatel-Lucent Submarine Networks, while firms from Britain , India , Saudi Arabia , the United Arab Emirates and the US are also part of the ambitious venture.
Initially the EASSy initiative would cut costs by up to two-thirds. Current costs of internet access in the region range from $200 to $300 a month.
Let me also point out that Kenya probably stands to benefit the most from this initiative for a number of reasons:
- It has both the population level and a density of private sector activity to be different
- Consumer and Business confidence has increased substantially with a liberalised regime. We hope that a similar climate can be maintained after the 2007 elections
- The market is readying itself for the arrival of cheaper bandwidth. This is evident with the increase in the number of BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) companies already maxing out the available satellite bandwidth
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8:56
From: dkFactor
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Back in February, I talked about solar power from the deserts, and it looks like this is finally going to become a reality. The $10bn solar power plan backed by a Jordanian prince could provide the EU with a sixth of its electricity needs in the very near future. The concept, dubbed DESERTEC, has many beneficiaries; The EU and North Africa (but mostly the EU) would benefit from the potential billions of watts of power and lower carbon emissions from this renewable source of energy. Believe it or not, waste from the plants is desalinized water which is worth more than its weight in gold in the arid regions of North Africa.
The aim of the project at this point is to bring the cost per kilowatt-hour down to roughly 25¢ or less for it to be more cost-effective than coal.
Read more at The Observer
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23:41
From: dkFactor
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 It is with great anticipation that I awaited the 3-part documentary 'Diamond Road' that's currently airing on the Discovery Times Channel. I thought this might be a good follow up to another documentary - 'Blood Diamonds' that aired on the History Channel. While the focus of the documentaries might be different, the core message is the same - The diamond industry has been taking us for a ride!
My article is titled 'A Solution To Conflict Diamonds' because it looks like the industry is about implode on itself. Two startups in America are launching an all-out assault on the cartels. Gemesis (Florida) and Apollo Diamond (Boston) are now manufacturing gem-quality synthetic diamonds, replicating in two weeks the 100 million years that nature needs to make diamonds from coal.
As it turns out, it is now getting close to impossible to find any discernible differences between synthetic and natural diamonds. The $7 billion industry has been shaken to its core with unfathomable implications - public perception will surely be affected. In my opinion it can only mean that diamonds will become more affordable as the two startups increase their yearly carat output. Hopefully this will make mining diamonds a worthless endeavour and put an end to the madness.
Diamonds have always been steeped in mystery purposefully in an industry that's increasingly heartless and indifferent - except to the end users of course, who have been duped into believing that a marriage cannot work without a diamond. Conflict diamonds have been sold to buy weapons for the mass slaughter of innocent victims while the diamond cartels like De Beers profit.
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15:04
From: dkFactor
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 Celebrities like to portray it as a basket case, but they ignore very real progress.
It's a dark and scary picture of a helpless, backward continent that's being offered up to TV watchers and coffee drinkers. But in fact, the real Africa is quite a bit different. And the problem with all this Western stereotyping is that it manages to snatch defeat from the jaws of some current victories, fueling support for patronizing Western policies designed to rescue the allegedly helpless African people while often discouraging those policies that might actually help.
Read More >>>
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20:30
From: dkFactor
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 I’m going to contradict myself here - I criticized the iPhone before it launched, but as soon as I laid my hands on it, all I could think of was ‘Eureka!’. My friend Hash at the White African blog has been preaching mobile computing in Africa for quite a while now, but none of us could have seen this coming. indulge me for a moment…
Phones are the prevalent computing devices in Africa, but they have numerous drawbacks (a ball and chain if you will):
- There are so many types of phones and mobile operating systems that developing software for them is extremely arduous
- The WAP Protocol (Protocol that allows online access on phones) serves up multimedialess web pages that offer little or no interaction
- Developing websites for mobile phones is a resource hog, in terms of labor
I could go on, but I think you get the picture. The iPhone on the other hand gives us the one thing that has become standard across all computers - a true web browser. The real magnitude of this will unravel in coming years. We have come to depend heavily on the web browser for work and play, and having one on your hip means we’re set to become an ‘always on, always connected’ society. Imagine checking your email, reading news, monitoring stocks and viewing FaceBook or MySpace without the need for special software! I suspect by now you see where I’m headed with this.
The device still has an exorbitant price tag, but this is sure to come down. Either way, a standard has been set, and other companies are sure to follow. More later…
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13:03
From: dkFactor
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 Early last month Rwanda's president, Kagame inaugurated Africa's largest solar energy plant, proving once again that Rwanda can stay ahead of the curve in the adoption of new technology on the continent. The plant generates only 250kW, which isn't much, but definitely a sign of things to come.
Also on the horizon is the harnessing of methane gas from lake Kivu, which could potentially generate up to 700mW!
At this point I should mention that while renewable energy holds the great promise of energy independence, the International Energy Agency (IEA) predicts that by 2030 only 14 percent of total energy demand will be met from renewable sources. I tend to disagree with this notion because solar cell efficiency has been improving steadily every year, converting even more of the sun's energy into electricity. Solar power will be in widespread use in a decade or so.
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13:14
From: dkFactor
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 Unknown to many, the world's most volatile location, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) may be the answer to many of Africa's problems. The vast unrealized potential of this region is mind boggling. While the rest of the world mulls over the challenges of renewable energy, a gargantuan resource lies unused in the heart of Africa.
For the last few years, plans have been on the table to develop the world's largest hydroelectric power dam - one that upstages the still incomplete Three Gorges Dam in China. Called the Grand Inga, this dam would produce enough electricity to power the whole of Africa! With a potential of 39,000MW output, the 500 million residents of the continent would be ushered into the industrial and digital age with electricity to spare. Many challenges lie ahead for the project. Building this great dam across the entire Congo River has a price tag of +$50 Billion which might be one of the lesser problems, considering the nature of the region itself, and the rampant corruption that has plagued Africa in general for the last few decades.
That said, the Congo has the agricultural potential to feed the whole of Africa too. Its climate favors the cultivation of a very wide range of crops. More than half of the Congo's land is arable land, but only about 2% of this has been cultivated! Agricultural yield is extremely high in the region - high enough to supply the whole of Africa with all the necessary food crops (Rice, corn, millet, coffee, tea, cocoa, sugar cane… the list goes on and on). War and a decaying infrastructure may keep all this unexploited sadly.
Africa is a paradox unto itself, an enigma without an solution. For now we can only hypothesize about what 'could be' and 'might be'.
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15:30
From: dkFactor
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 I might be jumping the gun here a little, but I thought I'd throw in my 2 cents before the pre-launch euphoria kills everyone. The iPhone hype is so great, Jesus might be coming shortly thereafter. All hail the life changing utility of the future - or is it?
Judging from what I've seen online and in the catchy TV ads, this might well be the phone to end all phones. I'm not sure whether to call it a phone, or a gizmo with Phone + iPod + Internet. What more could you possibly ask for? I'm a certified phone whore, switching phones every few months, on a quest for the mythical device, the holy grail of all gadgets and I'm just wondering if this could be it. My gut feeling is that brilliant marketing is what is at play here.
I suspect that the iPhone will have the same flaws the T-Mobile MDA did (back when I had it). The MDA was everything you might want in a phone (multimedia & internet)… except it failed at the one thing it was supposed to do the best - be a phone. Touchscreen dialing looks nice and easy until you have to do it driving a car. People take a keypad for granted. Have you ever noticed the the #5 key always has that tell-tale bump that guides you to dial a number even while blind-folded?
Anyone planning to use this 'Great Gadget' in Africa might be a little disappointed. All that I've read so far hints at the internet being at the core of its great features, with the Safari Browser, Email, Google Maps, YouTube integration and more. GPRS/EDGE coverage in most African countries is spotty if any. If you just want to settle for a glitzy phone with music, then by all means go for it. Also, if the iPhone gets you a hot date, then you have my blessings and it is definitely worth the price.
iphone
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11:41
From: dkFactor
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 The South African government has launched a new website www.sa2010.gov.za to provide information on the country's preparations for the 2010 Fifa World Cup. The site focuses in particular on providing comprehensive information on government 2010-related programmes, including those related to economic opportunities.
It also acts as an entry point to other sources of information on the country - such as the South African Tourism and International Marketing Council portals, and provincial and host city websites.
Go to the website >>
2010, fifa world cup, south african tourism
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13:04
From: dkFactor
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 Escalation of the Darfur crisis is further evidence that no one really cares, but a new website from Amnesty International gives you a peek into the atrocities being committed.
The new website, www.eyesondarfur.org, posts images caught using high resolution satellite cameras watching over villages in Darfur Sudan and the hope is that this will bring awareness to the violence and plight of the terrorized citizens of the region.
To be quite frank, I don't think the Janjaweed (the people engaged in committing these brutalities) could give a damn. The fact that no one is doing anything has probably emboldened them to the point that I can imagine them posing for a photo from above - 'say cheeese!'
amnesty international, darfur crisis, darfur sudan, janjaweed
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9:21
From: dkFactor
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 The Kenyan economics expert James Shikwati, 35, says that aid to Africa does more harm than good. The avid proponent of globalization spoke with SPIEGEL about the disastrous effects of Western development policy in Africa, corrupt rulers, and the tendency to overstate the AIDS problem.
Shikwati: If they really want to fight poverty, they should completely halt development aid and give Africa the opportunity to ensure its own survival. Currently, Africa is like a child that immediately cries for its babysitter when something goes wrong. Africa should stand on its own two feet.
Read the SPIEGEL interview here
development aid, globalization, imf, spiegel
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11:04
From: dkFactor
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 Africa is truly a continent of insoluble contradictions. Zimbabwe's largest mobile operator, Econet has introduced 3G (Third Generation) cellular service to the capital - Harare. So far there are only 2 other countries offering the service on the continent, South Africa and Mauritius. Full trials of the 3G network start next month (June) and will allow customers to watch video on their cell phones.
In other news, Zimbabwe is projected to have a 6000 percent inflation by the end of 2008. It looks like Mugabe cannot and will not stop the tide of capitalism. Econet, founded by Strive Masiyiwa is also planning a launch in Auckland, New Zealand.
3g network, capitalism, econet, mugabe, strive masiyiwa, zimbabwe
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7:04
From: dkFactor
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 I think I’ve just about had it with these environmentalists and would love to tell them to stick their hypocritical message up their rear. Ask them to give up their cars and heated homes and you’ll be all alone in the room. Global Warming is the new Con - if you open your eyes, you’ll see that this is driven purely by marketing. I actually gave ExxonMobil credit for not pretending to be a ‘Green’ company like BP or Shell - the main purveyors of oil, the root of all our ‘problems’. Pumping gas at a BP, I noticed their new tagline, ‘Beyond Petroleum’ — ??? Ha! Give me a break.
We (Africa) have arrived at the table very late in the game. Developed countries are almost done sucking fossil fuels out of the ground - the very substance required to support the quality of life everyone craves (including environmentalists). As China & India fight for the remaining crumbs to satisfy their explosive economies, I can’t help but wonder where this leaves us. The last major oil reserves have already been discovered, and the remaining options can only be compared to pulling teeth.
- Solar Power
Extremely clean, and there’s plenty of it on the continent. Unfortunately technology hasn’t advanced enough for us to harness it efficiently. Right now, this form of energy is just a romantic dream that is still out of reach.
- Hydroelectric Power
Has been extremely reliable for years. Also, it requires large dams that displace people and destroy ecosystems. Ultimately our future lies here. Africa has taken advantage of only 7% of its hydroelectric potential compared to 75% in Europe. It is however going to require massive dams that translate to massive investment on a still volatile continent.
- Methane Gas (NEW!!)
For a moment there I was convinced this was the Silver Bullet solution to our problems, a green almost endless supply of energy. As stated in this BBC News article and on Afromusing, Lake Kivu in Rwanda is holding enough unexploited energy to meet Rwanda’s (and the regions) needs for 200 years. In all the excitement, finer details like the fact that methane is a extremely explosive gas were left out - more details here.
I’d like to go on, but I think you get the idea - we are literally going to be pulling teeth to come up with a solution. Ultimately, the environment will be a casualty if we want to get what everyone else has.
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11:11
From: dkFactor
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 Every enthusiast needs a skeptic around to keep them balanced. The power of positive thinking is immense—but so is its capacity for error, unless you take the time to answer the skeptics before committing yourself.
That said… I'll get to my point. The 'Cell Phones Are The Future' statement is very heavily clichéd at this point. It is said that the mobile phone is the one pervasive device that has penetrated some of the poorest economies due to the overwhelming demand for any form of telecommunications. Sure, but If you're an entrepreneur thinking of leveraging this mobile platform, consider the following:
- The mobile phone companies have invested billions in notoriously difficult economies in Africa and are currently raking in sweet profits. Trust me, they're not about to share the loot with just anyone after pouring blood and sweat into the current infrastructure. The barriers to entry are extremely high at this point… and I'm almost tempted to say that the current companies have ganged up in a cartel-like structure to protect themselves.
- Africa is the wild west. Interoperability issues are sure to be a big problem especially where m-commerce is concerned. Interoperability aside, I can't even begin to fathom the imminent fraud quandary.
- Seriously - all cell phones are good for at this point is calling and sending text messages. Outside the cell phone companies, the only other people cashing in are selling ringtones and graphics. Beyond that we have very few early adopters willing to try anything else.
Many of the new startups are spending ridiculous amounts of money on impractical schemes. Is anyone even studying the habits of the end user to determine if all this is necessary? Someone will make plenty of $$$$ down the road, but until then there will be plenty of burnouts on the side of the road.
I'm sorry for the pessimistic view, but that's just my 2 cents.
cell phones, mobile phone companies, m commerce, sending text messages
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16:34
From: dkFactor
Read This Entry & More At dkFactor
 Outsourcing is such a used and abused word in this day and age, its practically become a cliche. All we imagine is Patel on the other end of the phone (or Bob as he calls himself) offering computer support. Rejoice for Skype Prime is here. Skype Prime allows you to charge people who call by the minute (or by a one-time fee). Skype bills the caller via their Skype credit, then pays YOU - minus a 30% fee via PayPal.
Imagine the possibilities:
- Tech Support
- Accounting Advice
- Relationship Advice
- Sex line
- … get creative
paypal, skype, voip
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13:59
From: dkFactor
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 Safaricom, Kenya's most profitable company has launched a major disruptor… M-PESA is a new money transfer service in which ordinary SMS (text messaging) is used to initiate a transfer. Kenyans will deposit or access the money through Safaricom agents like supermarkets or shops situated all over the country. They can can then send money to other mobile phone users via SMS even if they're not Safaricom subscribers.
Only Safaricom subscribers can send M-PESA, but anyone who can receive an sms can receive money by MPESA. Customers do not need to have a bank account to benefit from M-PESA services.
This service is the first of its kind in the world, and frankly I'm quite surprised (and pleased) Kenya was the country chosen to test such an innovative new idea. I call this a disruptor, because it could have a major impact on traditional money transfer services like Western Union, Moneygram and the newly launched PostaPay.
safaricom sms money transfer
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9:38
From: dkFactor
Read This Entry & More At dkFactor
 For the last few years, the old media companies have belittled blogging - pretty much classifying it as writing for fun. Newspapers have long been the voice of truth and a credible source of information. Blogs on the other hand have been notorious for recycling news originally printed in the papers. Over the last few years there has been a major shift in the balance of power in professional journalism. Bloggers are now breaking news, and journalism is sovereign territory no more.
Reuters Africa is breaking new ground by meshing regular news articles with blog articles with the launch of their new website dedicated exclusively to the African continent. Journalism in Africa has been tricky, due to the fact that dissemination of information in past years could cost you your life. Blogging opens up unprecedented avenues of expression. I can't wait to see where this is headed.
blogging, reuters
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9:54
From: dkFactor
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 For the last week, I've had the privilege of testing out what I believe to be the future of television. Another creation from the well known disruptors of the decade. The same guys who brought you: Kazaa - Peer to Peer file sharing and Skype - Free PC to PC calling.
The duo of Janus Friis and Niklas Zennström have thrown yet another spanner into the cog wheels of the system. Their new product 'Joost' revolutionizes television - using the same principle as their first two products by running on a hybrid peer-to-peer platform. The principle is simple in theory; stream data, in real time on a global scale by distributing the load throughout the peer-to-peer network.
Anyhow… enough of the technical mumbo jumbo. Basically you can watch high quality streaming tv on your computer. I was blown away by just how good the quality was in full screen mode. That coupled with the fact that the tv stream was smooth, no skipping or stuttering. This is truly a peek into the future. Joost has a slick interface that allows you to watch movies, documentaries and music on demand. Currently, Joost channels are like playlists of videos. You can flip between channels, or use the program guide to choose a channel or a video to watch. The channels start when you play them and not at any particular day or time. If you let them continue they will loop round to the beginning again.
I have Joost installed on my laptop and home pc and so far I'm impressed beyond words.
joost, kazaa, peer to peer, skype
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19:38
From: dkFactor
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 South Africans have had it with internet spam (unsolicited email)! The Internet Society of South Africa (ISOC-ZA) has launched a new program that puts a bounty on spammers. We're not talking about a measly amount of money - you can earn up to R30,000 (USD 4,250) for reporting a spammer who's successfully convicted. What was once considered child's play is now a grown mans game. Spammers are now criminal offenders and the consequences can range from harsh fines to jail sentences.
Local ISPs have reported that spam makes up more than 70% of all monitored email traffic. This has increased by well over 20% in the past 6 months. This along with all the viruses and phishing attacks puts quite a dent in the global economy. Spam is costing the world billions in network resources, diminished productivity and forgone Internet sales.
internet spam, isoc, south africa, spammers, unsolicited email
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10:07
From: dkFactor
Read This Entry & More At dkFactor
 Those who know me well know that voicemail has always been my achilles heel. I've found it to be practically impossible to keep up with, and made many enemies in the process. Over the last month I've had the privilege to beta test a new service that has freed me from this seemingly inescapable bondage.
Spinvox turns your voicemails into text and sends them to your mobile phone or email inbox. I can now read my voicemails quickly on-screen while at a meeting or having a drink somewhere. I cannot put into words just how fantastically useful this service is. I've even tested it out with a variety of accents, and it hasn't failed me so far. Well… I take that back - on one occasion it did spell my name as Colby instead of Kobia.
This service has been primarily targeted to UK residents and is now in beta in the US. Their pricing plans are somewhat awkward as they charge by number of conversions. Some might consider their pay-per-use model better than a flat subscription fee though.
Either way, it has earned two thumbs up from me.
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11:27
From: dkFactor
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 As you can tell, I'm on a roll here with global warming and sustainable energy. I came across what might be the future of power generation for Africa through a renewable source - the sun. Fossil fuels are drying up, and global warming is upon us. Renewable energy is the only long term solution to our looming energy shortages.
Enter the “Trans-Mediterranean Renewable Energy Cooperation”. This company wants to build an ultra high-efficiency DC (direct current) power grid across the deserts of the middle east and africa upwards throughout Europe including offshore windfarms.
The best solar power technology for providing secure capacity is solar thermal power plants (also called Concentrating Solar Thermal Power, CSP). They use mirrors to concentrate sunlight to raise steam and generate electricity. Excess heat from additional collectors can be stored in tanks of molten salt and then be used to power the steam turbines during the night, or when there is a peak in demand. In order to ensure uninterrupted service during overcast periods or bad weather, the turbines can also be powered by oil, natural gas or biomass fuels. An interesting by-product that can be a great benefit to the local population is that waste heat from the power-generation process can be used to desalinate seawater and to generate thermal cooling.
Trans-Mediterranean Renewable Energy Cooperation (TREC)
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12:44
From: dkFactor
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 Here's the perfect example of how social networking via the internet can bring change. Tree-Nation is a project aiming to get 8 million trees planted in the shape of a heart in the Sahara - yes you heard that right. This sounds like a colossal process, but is inherently feasible… via the web of course. You can join and buy a tree for as little as 10 Euros. By planting your tree, you can help combat desertification and regenerate the productivity of the land. This in turn will have a major impact on the livelihoods of the poor in the region.
"When we plant trees, we plant the seeds of peace and the seeds of hope"
Prof Wangari Maathai.
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10:07
From: dkFactor
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 Okay - before you get too excited, let me just point out that only a few of the supported countries are actually in Africa. All that aside, we can now get to the details. Here's how it works:
- You call a number in IOWA (712 number) - see below for details
- At the prompt, enter 011, the country code and the number you wish to call
- Enjoy!
At this point you're probably wondering if this is some kind of rip-off. Apparently not! A loophole in the law allows telecom companies in Iowa to exploit a fund the FCC set up to assist states in the US where telecom systems are considered weak. The companies are given a fee for every inbound call to Iowa, and that's how they can make a dime or so for every call they receive. At the end of the day, it looks like a win-win situation. I wonder how long this will last.
So where to from here?
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10:20
From: dkFactor
Read This Entry & More At dkFactor
 I'm sure you've already heard of Oprah's most recent philanthropy - a new $40 million leadership academy for girls in South Africa. More than enough has already been said, but I had to drop a comment or two. Many rich people have given in the past and continue to do so, but in my opinion all that has been a ripple in the water compared this. The indirect impact of this action cannot even be fathomed at this point. What surprises me is the fact that there are always critics out there who want to nitpick about anything - for instance, some ask why she's doing this in South Africa and not in US inner cities. My response to them is 'Get your own damn money and do with it as you please'.
I'm really curious to find out what drives Oprah. She continues to amaze us all with her deeds.
Read the complete article at dkFactor
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