Apple CEO Tim Cook faces the US Senate

Apple CEO, Tim Cook recently testified at a senate hearing about the company’s tax avoidance practices during which he and other experts were questioned about tax “gimmickry”.

A report about this matter has been published that details Apple’s clever strategies in avoiding paying tax. According to Business Insider, the report published by the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations shows how Apple “uses a variety of offshore structures and arrangements to shift billions of dollars from the United States to Ireland” using its primary offshore holding company Apple Operations International (AOI).

A key quote from the report explains why AOI exists:

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We can expect some interesting things at this week’s SID annual display exhibition in Vancouver, Canada. We have already learned that LG will show off their 55-inch curved OLED TV that we heard about last month. It will be a direct competitor to Samsung’s latest Smart TV technology, which has also started to launch with some curved designs.

Furthermore, they will demonstrate a 5-inch OLED screen created for mobile devices. What makes this panel unique is the fact that it is made of plastic, which means it is both flexible and unbreakable. This would of course be a welcome addition to modern smartphones, as a lot of us have had the anguish of a cracked screen. If not covered by insurance you might as well buy a new phone in some cases, because of the price tags on a new screen.

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Thanks to NATIVE’s new Mxit app, bookly, author Fiona Snyckers can now launch her book to an audience of 7.3 million monthly active users and do it three weeks before the real-world launch in bookstores.

bookly is the most sophisticated e-reader app available on the Mxit platform.  NATIVE began developing the app in early 2013, and was eager to bring suitable partners on board as quickly as possible. Publishers Random House Struik and Modjaji Books stepped up as partners creating an appropriate focus on serialised South African novels.

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Sun International has announced the proposed purchase of Powerbet Gaming, the operator of interactive betting site Voltbet.com for R30 million, demonstrating the exponential growth of the online sports betting industry around the world and in South Africa and its current and potential impact.

A  hotel and gaming group, with properties including Cape Town’s GrandWest Casino and the Monticello Grand Casino in Santiago, Chile, Sun International has extensive experience of the land-based gambling industry and it has now recognised the vast potential of online and mobile wagering.

In the six month results posted on 28 February 2013 by Powerbet, Voltbet.com’s Gross Gaming Revenues (GGR) were reported to have improved by 51% over the comparative review period, posting revenue of R2.4 million at a 60% improved operating margin of 6.39%.

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Google Glass is getting some competition with the Recon Jet HUD (Heads Up Display) Sunglasses. The device, similar to that of Google Glass that runs a forked version of Android, is aimed specifically at the sporting crowd.

The Jet, announced just before the Google I/O keynote, is powered by a dual-core processor and features Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, ANT+ and an HD camera. It also comes with a dedicated GPU.

With incorporated sunglasses and a sportier look, the Jet is not quite as sleek as the transparent Google Glass. However it still doesn’t block your vision much with the display positioned below rather than above the right eye. It is controlled by tapping and swiping the optical sensor on the side of the headset and when you’re not using it, it sits “out of the way” in your peripheral vision so can be used while running, cycling and other activities although motorized sports are not recommended.

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Sony has officially announced the Sony Xperia ZR, a new Android smartphone that follows the release of the Xperia Z (Read the review here), hailed for its water-resistant technology.

Sony has taken its water-resistance technology up a notch  with the new device, allowing for photographs and video footage to be captured, with a dedicated camera button, in up to 1.5 meters of water – that’s fresh rather than salt. This is possible with a 13 megapixel fast capture camera and 4.6-inch HD Reality display. 

Other specs of the 4.6-inch, 720p smartphone include a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 quadcore 1.5 GHz processor, 2GB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage, 4G LTE NFC support, Sony’s Walkman album and movie apps.

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With the LTE (or 4G) network only in its infancy in Africa, Samsung is already developing core technology that will allow it to deliver high-speed 5G wireless data connections to all its clients by 2020. Although service providers are touting 4G in South Africa, the reality is that we are not seeing the 40mbps associated with the LTE speed. The 5G Samsung system will allow data transmission up to  several hundred times faster than current (European & US) 4G networks.

Samsung announced (13th of May 2013) that their 5G mobile communications technology will surpass the current 4G LTE technology by providing up to several tens of Gbps per base station. Once the 5G networks are fully commercialised, they will allow users to transmit huge files including UHD movies as well as be used for remote medical services.

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At Tech4Africa 2012, my fellow tech entrepreneur Jess Green introduced me to Justin Coetsee. After we exchanged the usual pleasantries, Justin proceeded to steamroll me with pure exuberance and energy while explaining a new initiative he was working on. The initiative is called TechInBraam, a tech cluster focussed on championing local technology with a geographical focus around Braamfontein.

TechInBraam has involvement and support from the likes of the JCSE, ThoughtWorks and Wits University (among others). I sat down with Justin to find out a little more about how it all started and what the plans are going forward.