Microsoft South Africa today kicked off a partnership with Government’s Jobs Fund that will train more than 3000 unemployed graduates to get permanent jobs in the technology sector in the next three years.

Launching the initiative in Newtown today, Jean-Phillippe Courtois, the president of Microsoft International, said the initiative would dramatically expand Microsoft’s existing skills development programmes through funding from the Jobs Fund and the company’s own 4Afrika initiative.

“The Government’s top priority is to get young South Africans working. As a company, we have long invested in South Africa and understand the need for us all to continue to develop solutions to this challenge. We remain committed to helping address the issue of youth unemployment, as we cannot let an entire generation of young people become long-term unemployed,” said Courtois.

Patrick Dlamini, chief executive of the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), which administers the Jobs Fund, hailed the partnership with Microsoft as a major breakthrough in creating jobs in South Africa’s IT sector.

“We’ve been extremely encouraged by the way the private sector has risen to the challenge of helping create jobs in South Africa. Indeed, these types of partnerships between the private and public sector will be significant contributors to the more than 100 524 new permanent jobs which our current portfolio of approved projects aims to create by 2015. These projects will also place another 56 194 unemployed people in vacant positions,” he said. (more…)

In what has become known as the sharing economy, where everything from accommodation and personal drivers are for hire over the internet, and is growing considerably in the U.S. and Europe, a project called Breather will be launching on-demand space conducive for both work and relaxation for those on the move.

Expected to launch in October 2013 in New York City, one of the world’s busiest and most populated, a Breather that offers a beautifully designed space with fast wi-fi, a couch, a desk and plenty of outlets can be found an reserved using your smartphone phone – but you’ll need to be a registered member. However, once a user sets up a profile and inputs their payment details, the app then verifies the individual’s identity and there’s no need to ask for permission to reserve a room.

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According to My Broadband, Vodacom has extended its data price cut promotion, originally scheduled to end today, until the 6th July.

The various data price promotions available are as follows:

Vodacom’s broadband standard contract promotional pricing for SIM only offers MyMeg 500 for R39 per month, MyGig 1 for R69 per month, MyGig 2 for R99 per month, MyGig 3 for R169 per month, MyGig 5 for R259 per month and, MyGig 10 for R499 per month.

Pre-paid data promotion pricing offers MyMeg 30 for R12, MyMeg 100 for R29, MyMeg 250 for R59, MyMeg 500 for R99, MyGig 1 for R149, MyGig 2 for R249, MyGig 3 for R299, MyGig 5 for R399 and MyGig 20 for R499.

Lastly, Voice Contract and Top Up data promotion prices offers  MyMeg 100 for R29, MyMeg 250 for R59, MyMeg 500 for R99, MyGig 1 for R149 and MyGig 2 for R249

If you thought owning your own private jet was the ultimate luxury, imagine having your very airport at which to take-off and land.

Well Google’s executives will be doing just that with the construction of their own airport in San Jose, California. The top three – Eric Schmidt, Sergey Brin and Larry Page reportedly already own about 12 planes between them so it’s understandable that they require somewhere to hold and maintain them.

Signature Flight Support and Blue City Holdings, the company that represents Google’s fleet of personal aircraft, are likely to be awarded the 50 year lease on the West side of San Jose International Airport where the construction will take place.

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BlackBerry has opened its third Apps Lab in SA following two already located at Bandwidth Barn in Woodstock, Cape Town and the University of Pretoria’s Information Technology Department.

The Apps Lab now open at the JoziHub, joins those in Cape Town and Pretoria to boost the development of mobile applications in SA as well as create new job opportunities in the local mobile space with its available resources for students, developers and entrepreneurs.

Annie Lopes, community manager at JoziHub, said, “We look forward to working with BlackBerry to mobilise our resident developer community, including students, researchers and faculties adjacent to our premises, the universities of Johannesburg and Witwatersrand.”

As part of the smartphone maker’s extensive developer program more than 1,600 individuals have already benefited to date.

Source: HumanIPO

There are many flavours out there for people who want to change the keyboard on their Android device. Most of the proper ones, however, aren’t free. Not anymore, as Google has just made its stock Android keyboard available in the Google Play store. Its initial rollout includes a multitude of countries, with the rest to follow soon.

There are many people that aren’t crazy about their OEM’s typing experience (nudge, nudge, Samsung), so this is the perfect opportunity to check out another option. (more…)

Samsung has today announced the previously rumoured (during which time a video of the device was released by Mobile Tech Review), but expected Samsung Galaxy S4 Active, a more robust version of its counterpart.

According to Samsung, the device is aimed at the more adventurous of users who can use their device anywhere without “fear of damage from the elements”.

CEO and President of IT & Mobile Communications Division JK Shin said that “Samsung has taken the innovative features of the GALAXY S4 and added breakthrough protective design elements to create a device that thrives in an active environment and is built for a lifestyle of travel and exploration.”

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Local social innovation startup, HumanWrit.es has recently delivered on its promise by handing over 20, 000 exercise books to underprivileged children.

Launched in June 2012 by its founders Adrian Myburgh, Jason Bagley and Richard Mulholland, HumanWrit.es designed and launched its very own 192 page hard cover notebook called a Writable. For every one that is sold, the company donates 10 exercise books to classrooms of school children in need.

The give-away exercise books include tools for reading and writing in both Xhosa and English, drawing and colouring-in, some basic maths and dotted pages for free thinking, writing and drawing.

The most recent donation of 20, 000 exercise books were delivered to over 200 pre-schools that form part of the Ithemba Labantwana community forum, operated under the umbrella of Ikamva Labantu, HumanWrit.es’s partner organization.

Watch the handover in the video below:

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