Movidius™ Neural Compute Stick, a tiny fan-less deep-learning hardware that can be used to learn AI programming at the edge 

Johannesburg, South Africa, 4 August 2017 - RS Components (RS), the trading brand of Electrocomponents plc (LSE:ECM), the global distributor for engineers, introduces the Intel® Movidius™ Neural Compute Stick (NCS), which is the newest development tool for ultra-low-power deep-learning inference. The tool enables developers to develop and prototype artificial intelligence (AI) applications to a broad range of devices at the edge in a convenient USB form factor. 

Targeting developers, corporate R&D and academic researchers working in machine-learning and data-science applications, the Neural Compute Stick integrates the Movidius™ Vision Processing Unit (VPU), which offers best-in-class power efficiency and is capable of running high-performance floating-point Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs).  Supporting the popular Caffe Deep Neural Network (DNN) framework, the Neural Compute Stick is ideal for use as a development tool for neural network prototyping and acceleration.

The USB-form-factor inference engine enables developers and researchers to free their projects from the Cloud and allow them to learn quickly about the performance and accuracy of their neural network applications running in the real world. Neural network projects can be quickly ported via the Movidius™ Neural Compute Compiler to run real-time deep-learning inference on the compact USB stick. Enabling the acceleration of existing compute-constrained platforms, the NCS enables deep-learning R&D and prototyping on a Linux laptop or any x86-based host device.

In addition, the Neural Compute Platform API allows user applications to run on an embedded host, which can initialise the target platform, load a graph file and offload inferences. Support for the NCS will also be extended in the future to include other platforms such as the Raspberry Pi. The complete list of software tools available in the Movidius™ Neural Compute Software Development Kit includes the Movidius™ Neural Compute toolkit and the Movidius™ Neural Compute API. These tools are available online on the developer.movidius.com website.  

The Intel Movidius™ Neural Compute Stick is now available from RS Components.

 -Ends-  

About RS Components 

RS Components is the market leader in the high service level distribution of electrical, electronic, mechanical, tools and industrial products. Operating in 26 countries whilst serving a further 100 through third-party distributors, RS serves every sector of industry in the procurement of their products relating to maintenance, repair, operations, low volume production, research and development.   

With over 500 000 products across 2500 leading brands, the company is committed to ensuring that their 1,5 million customers have fast access to a broad, as well as deep range, of products and technologies, all under one roof. RS’s customers, whether ordering single or multiple items, experience a quick, easy, secure, painless and cost effective process. 

The RS catalogue, available at za.rs-online.com, offers full colour pictures with extensive clear product specifications.  Free access to thousands of datasheets ensures the correct product choice.  Order placement is easily facilitated through za.rs-online.com, the call centre, e-mail, fax and trade counter. 

Locally held stock is delivered to customers within 24 hours, and products held internationally, within four to six working days.    

It is proven that departments traditionally spend 80% of their time sourcing products that account for only 20% of their total procurement spend. RS is focussed on reducing the customers “total cost of product ownership” by reducing the need to make multiple calls to various companies to source products, reducing supplier related administration and allowing for the amalgamation as well as consolidation of supplier bases. 

Through this process, procurement efficiency is improved and time is freed up to concentrate on the more important business decisions. 

For more information, please visit the website at za.rs-online.com  

Press Office
Le-andra Olivier
PR and Communications Specialist
RS Components South Africa
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
+27 11 691 9345 

Further information is available via these links:

• Twitter: @rsonline_SA; @DesignSparkRS
• Facebook: facebook.com/rssouthafrica/RS Components on
• LinkedIn - http://www.linkedin.com/company/rscoms 

Relevant Links
RSPro
RS Components South Africa
www.electrocomponents.com
DesignSpark Magazine - http://www.designspark.com 

RealSense development kit from Intel delivers superior depth sensing for applications such as augmented reality and facial recognition Johannesburg,

South Africa, 1 June, 2017 - RS Components (RS), the trading brand of Electrocomponents plc (LSE:ECM), the global distributor for engineers, has announced availability of the Intel RealSense SR300 development kit, which is ideal for software development, prototyping and depth-sensing evaluation in a wide range of applications such as full-hand skeletal tracking and gesture recognition, facial recognition and tracking, depth-enhanced augmented reality, and voice command and control. 

Based on Intel’s RealSense technology, the kit features the SR300 webcam, which integrates an audio subsystem together with the SR300 Intel RealSense front-facing camera. The advanced SR300 camera has a short-range coded-light imaging system to deliver depth information in a variety of imaging applications.

The camera also offers 1080p full-HD video image quality at up to 30 frames per second (FPS), or 720p HD video image quality at up to 60 FPS.  The audio subsystem integrates a dual microphone array that provides audio input to the client system to improve the voice module robustness in noisy environments.

Use of Intel’s Depth Camera Manager (DCM) software for Windows also enables users to realise all the capabilities of the kit, which is available for download at:software.intel.com/en-us/intel-realsense-sdk/download. Key potential applications include dynamic background segmentation, in which user backgrounds are masked out and replaced with alternative backgrounds for video conferencing, for example.

The SR300’s improved colour quality in low-light conditions also enables 3D scanning applications with an increased range for image capture at only 70cm at 50 FPS. In addition, hand-gesture recognition can be enabled using three primary tracking modes, which includes ‘cursor mode’, ‘extremities’ and ‘full-hand’ mode. 

The SR300 kit also supports legacy applications and RGB data based on the Intel RealSense F200 camera. Compared to the F200, the SR300 provides an increased depth range of 1.5m, dynamic motion capture with higher quality depth data, lower power consumption, and increased middleware quality and robustness.

It also provides improved support for Skype video communications. The SR300 camera weighs only 9.4g and has dimensions of approximately 110 x 12.6 x 3.8–4.1mm, which allows it to be easily clipped onto a mobile platform lid or desktop monitor, while also providing stable video output.  

-Ends-  

About RS Components 

RS Components is the market leader in the high service level distribution of electrical, electronic, mechanical, tools and industrial products. Operating in 26 countries whilst serving a further 100 through third-party distributors, RS serves every sector of industry in the procurement of their products relating to maintenance, repair, operations, low volume production, research and development.   

With over 500 000 products across 2500 leading brands, the company is committed to ensuring that their 1,5 million customers have fast access to a broad, as well as deep range, of products and technologies, all under one roof. RS’s customers, whether ordering single or multiple items, experience a quick, easy, secure, painless and cost eff+ective process.  The RS catalogue, available at za.rs-online.com, offers full colour pictures with extensive clear product specifications. 

Free access to thousands of datasheets ensures the correct product choice. Order placement is easily facilitated through za.rs-online.com, the call centre, e-mail, fax and trade counter.  Locally held stock is delivered to customers within 24 hours, and products held internationally, within four to six working days.    

It is proven that departments traditionally spend 80% of their time sourcing products that account for only 20% of their total procurement spend. RS is focussed on reducing the customers “total cost of product ownership” by reducing the need to make multiple calls to various companies to source products, reducing supplier related administration and allowing for the amalgamation as well as consolidation of supplier bases. Through this process, procurement efficiency is improved and time is freed up to concentrate on the more important business decisions.  For more information, please visit the website at za.rs-online.com 

Press Office:                                                                       

Le-andra OlivierPR and Communication SpecialistRS Components South This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.+27 11 691 9345 

Further information is available via these links:Twitter: @RSNewsSA; @RSElectronics; designsparkRSFacebook: facebook.com/RSSouthAfricaRS Components on LinkedIn - http://www.linkedin.com/company/rscoms 

Relevant Links:RSProRS Components South Africawww.electrocomponents.com

DesignSpark Magazine - http://www.designspark.com 

Powerful, convenient and expandable 2-in-1 is the world’s most versatile PC, with premium all-metal design, exquisite style and the ultimate take-anywhere performance  

KEY POINTS

• Versatile: Exquisite all-metal 2-in-1 with new Cover Keyboard & exclusive ASUS Audio Pod, ASUS Universal Dock, ROG XG Station 2 & ASUS Pen accessories
• Powerful: Unbelievable performance with 7th-gen Intel Core i7 CPU, 16GB RAM, 1TB PCIe x4 SSD, 3K display and superb Harmon Kardon audio system
• Convenient: 8.35mm ultra-thin and ultra-light device weighs only 790g, supports new Windows 10 features including Cortana with Voice and Windows Hello
• Expandable: USB-C with Thunderbolt 3, USB 3.0 & full-size HDMI ports enable unrivalled expansion possibilities with the exclusive accessory range 

Johannesburg, South Africa — ASUS has announced the Transformer 3 Pro T303, the world’s most versatile PC. The Transformer 3 Pro is a premium 12.6-inch Windows 2-in-1 with unbelievable performance, amazing convenience and unrivalled expandability. It features four exclusive and powerful accessories that allow users to add functionality and performance: the ROG XG Station 2 external graphics dock for 4K UHD gaming and virtual-reality (VR) applications; immersive 5.1-channel virtual surround-sound with the ASUS Audio Pod; enhanced connectivity with the ASUS Universal Dock; and intuitive creativity using the ASUS Pen with its 1024 pressure levels. 

Exquisitely styled in solid magnesium-aluminium alloy, with an incredibly thin 8.35mm tablet that weighs only 790g, Transformer 3 Pro is the perfect choice for discerning creators and professionals — or anyone who needs the ultimate take-anywhere versatility and power. 

Transformer 3 Pro is an incredibly powerful 2-in-1, featuring an up to a 7th-generation Intel® Core™ i7 processor and 16GB of high-speed RAM, and an ultra-fast up to 1TB PCI Express® (PCIe®) x4 solid-state disk (SSD). Quiet and efficient cooling of the powerful processor is ensured by the revolutionary ThermoMaster Pro cooling system — a liquid-filled vapour-chamber cooling module that is just 0.5mm thin, plus a 3mm-thin cooling fan with ceramic bearings. 

For on-the-go expansion and connectivity Transformer 3 Pro has not only a USB 3.0 Type-A port, full-size HDMI connector and a micro SD Card reader, but also the very latest USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C (USB-C) port with Thunderbolt™ 3 for 4K UHD display output, power delivery and up to 10Gbps data transfers via USB 3.1 or 40Gbps via Thunderbolt 3. 

Transformer 3 Pro is the first model in the Transformer Series to feature the ultra-slim, magnetically-attached ASUS Transformer Cover Keyboard, which has a large Windows Precision Touchpad with support for Windows gestures. Transformer 3 Pro also has a stepless any-position kickstand that securely props the display at any angle up to an almost-horizontal 170°. 

Transformer 3 Pro’s wide-viewing-angle, wide-colour-gamut display has a 3K (2880 by 1920) resolution, enhanced with ASUS TruVivid direct-bonding technology to reduce reflections and ASUS Tru2Life Video technology for clearer, sharper videos. For immersive entertainment, Transformer 3 Pro has a powerful Harmon Kardon stereo audio system, incorporating smart-amplifier technology for minimum distortion and maximum volume. 

With full support for new Windows 10 features including Cortana with Voice and Windows Hello face-recognition login, Transformer 3 Pro sets a new standard for 2-in-1s. 

The world’s most versatile PC

ASUS Transformer 3 Pro, the latest addition to the innovative ASUS Transformer Series, is a high-performance detachable 12.6-inch 2-in-1 crafted from solid magnesium-aluminium alloy. This premium-grade metal allows an incredibly thin and light design, without sacrificing strength or rigidity. It is also a remarkably tough material that resists everyday scuffs and scratches, and its beauty is enhanced by a finely sandblasted finish with brilliant diamond-cut accents on the lid. 

To allow users to match their style, Transformer 3 Pro introduces a completely new approach to colour, with eight unique colour combinations to choose from. There are two gorgeous device colours — sophisticated Icicle Gold and high-tech Titanium Grey — plus a choice of Stone, Taupe, Amber and Charcoal keyboard colours, allowing users to mix and match to get the perfect theme for their lifestyle. 

The two tablet colour options paired with the four keyboard colour options: from left to right: Icicle Gold with Stone keyboard, Amber keyboard, Titanium Grey with Taupe keyboard and Charcoal keyboard. 

Four exclusive optional accessories allow users to take Transformer 3 Pro to the next level of mobile computing. 

ASUS Audio Pod is a Bluetooth® wireless or wired speaker system with four powerful speakers that deliver 5.1-channel virtual surround-sound, making it the perfect companion for watching movies or listening to music on the go. 

ASUS Universal Dock is a small and convenient port-expansion device that attaches to Transformer 3 Pro via its USB-C port. Extra ports include a USB-C, USB 3.0 Type-A, full-size HDMI, VGA, RJ45 LAN, and a 3-in-1 SD Card reader. 

ASUS Pen is a high-precision active stylus with 1024 levels of pressure sensitivity to detect every nuance of movement. It allows users to point, write or draw accurately and offers a natural handwriting experience. ASUS Pen is compatible with wide range of software, from Microsoft OneNote® for serious note-taking, to professional-grade tools like SketchBook® for digital artists, illustrators and designers. 

ROG XG Station 2 is an external graphics dock that connects via Thunderbolt 3 and can accept up to an NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1080 desktop graphics card. With four USB 3.0 ports and two USB-C ports, ROG XG Station 2 gives Transformer 3 Pro the graphics power to run the most graphically-demanding 4K UHD games or immersive virtual-reality (VR) applications. Transformer 3 Pro is the perfect 2-in-1 for discerning, style-conscious creative and professional users who demand no-compromise performance, on-the-go convenience and unrivalled expandability.

Powerful: The ultimate take-anywhere performance

Even though ASUS Transformer 3 Pro is incredibly thin, it is packed with powerful components that help maximize productivity and enable effortless creativity. The 7th-generation up to Intel Core i7 processor and 16GB of fast 2133MHz LPDDR3 RAM make light work of the toughest tasks, and the up to 1TB PCIe x4 SSD delivers lightning-quick app loads and near-instant boot times. 

Achieving this level of performance in such a thin device posed many engineering challenges, including that of cooling the powerful processor. Transformer 3 Pro introduces the revolutionary ThermoMaster Pro cooling system, incorporating the world’s thinnest (0.5mm) vapour chamber. This sealed, liquid-filled component provides 3D heat-dissipation and is engineered using nano-etching technology to create the internal porous-metal structures. A 3mm-thin fan with durable, low-noise ceramic bearings expels the warm air, ensuring that Transformer 3 Pro remains quiet and cool — up to 10°C cooler than rival devices — even under the heaviest computing loads. 

Despite its powerful specification, the power-efficient design of Transformer 3 Pro delivers all-day freedom. And when a recharge is needed, fast-charge technology allows the lithium-polymer battery to be topped up to 60% capacity in just 50 minutes. 

The gorgeous 12.6-inch touchscreen has a crystal-clear 3K (2880 by 1920) resolution, and a pixel density of 275ppi for super-fine detail. The display has a wide colour gamut of 121% sRGB for accurate, natural-looking colours, and the wide 178° viewing angle minimizes colour and contrast degradation for off-centre viewing. Several exclusive technologies are included that enhance the visual experience. ASUS TruVivid direct-bonding technology reduces the number of glass layers, increasing brightness and reducing reflections for better outdoor viewing. ASUS Tru2Life Video enhances each pixel in every video frame to give sharper, clearer and more realistic-looking videos, and ASUS Splendid ensures vivid, accurate colours for any kind of visual content, as well as offering an Eye Care mode to reduce potentially harmful blue-light emissions. 

For superb on-the-go entertainment, Transformer 3 Pro is fitted with an ASUS SonicMaster Premium audio system, developed in conjunction with audio experts Harman Kardon, with powerful front-facing stereo speakers driven by smart amplifiers. These amplifiers use intelligent software algorithms to boost volume levels by 350% — compared to speakers of similar size and power driven by standard amplifiers — while minimizing distortion. 

Convenient: Ultra-thin, ultra-light and perfect for entertainment

Designed for convenient and effortless portability, the ultra-thin and ultra-light ASUS Transformer 3 Pro has a tablet that is just 8.35mm thin, and weighs only 790g. 

The ultra-slim ASUS Transformer Cover Keyboard attaches magnetically to allow instant mode-changing between laptop and tablet, and is gently backlit for perfect visibility in any environment. The generous 1.4mm key travel is longer than many slim mobile keyboards, giving a more comfortable laptop-like feel. The large glass-covered touchpad is extremely smooth to use and supports Windows Precision Touchpad features including multi-touch gestures for easy navigation and control. 

At the rear of Transformer 3 Pro is an integrated full-width metal kickstand, with a stepless any-position 155° hinge that securely props up the display at any angle up to an almost-horizontal 170°. The kickstand hinge has 155° of movement, allowing the tablet to be tilted up to an almost-horizontal 170° 

Expandable: Next-gen connectivity with USB-C and Thunderbolt 3

ASUS Transformer 3 Pro features a full range of high-performance I/O expansion ports on the tablet, including USB 3.0 Type-A, a full-size HDMI port for connecting an external display and a micro SD Card reader. There is also a USB Type-C (USB-C) port with Thunderbolt 3 support, which not only allows USB 3.1 Gen 2 data transfers of up to 10Gbps — twice as fast as USB 3.0 — but also enables data speeds of up 40Gbps via Thunderbolt 3. In addition, the USB-C port supports 4K UHD display output and power delivery. These next-generation interfaces ensure compatibility with both existing and future peripherals. 

A great Windows 10 experience: Windows Hello and Cortana with VoiceTransformer 3 Pro has a 13MP rear camera, in addition to a front camera with infrared capability that supports Windows Hello biometric login. The front camera can recognize the user’s face in seconds and for instant and secure login. Cortana with Voice is the personal digital assistant that accepts voice commands. With Transformer 3 Pro’s array microphone, background noise is reduced so that voices are captured clearly from any direction, giving accurate voice recognition and recording. 

AVAILABILITY & PRICINGASUS Transformer 3 Pro T303 will be available from February 2017 in South Africa from leading online stores. Please contact your local ASUS representative for further information. 

SPECIFICATIONS

ASUS Transformer 3 Pro T303

• CPU 7th-generation Intel® Core™ i7 7500U 7th-generation Intel® Core™ i5 7200U
• Display 12.6in (3:2) LED backlit 3K (2880x1920) anti-glare touchscreen with 121% sRGB color gamut and wide 178° viewing angles
• Operating system Microsoft Windows 10 Pro / Windows 10 Home
• Graphics Integrated Intel® HD Graphics 520
• Main memory 16GB LPDDR3 2133MHz
• Storage 1TB PCIe® Gen 3 x4 SSD
• Connectivity 802.11ac Wi-Fi Bluetooth 4.1
• Camera Front: 8MP with IR Rear: 13MP
• Interface 1 x Combo audio jack 1 x USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C (USB-C) port with Thunderbolt™ 3 support 1 x Full-size HDMI port 1 x USB Type-A port
• Audio 2W stereo speakers
• Battery 39Wh Lithium-polymer
• AC adapter Output: 20 V DC, 2.25 A, 45 W Input: 100 -240 V AC, 50/60 Hz universal
• Dimensions 298.8 x 210.1 x 8.35 mm
• Weight 790 grams (tablet only) 

About ASUS

ASUS is a worldwide top-three consumer notebook vendor and maker of the world’s best-selling, most award-winning motherboards. A leading enterprise in the new digital era, ASUS designs and manufactures products that perfectly meet the needs of today’s digital home and office, with a broad portfolio that includes motherboards, graphics cards, optical drives, displays, desktop and all-in-one PCs, notebooks, netbooks, servers, multimedia devices, wireless solutions, networking devices, tablets and smartphones. Driven by innovation and committed to quality, ASUS won 4,368 awards in 2015 and is widely credited with revolutionizing the PC industry with its Eee PC™. ASUS has more than 17,000 employees around the globe with a world-class R&D team of over 5,500 engineers. Company revenue for 2015 was approximately US$14 billion. 

NOTES TO EDITORS

ASUS Global Press Room: http://press.asus.com

ASUS South Africa Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ASUSza

ASUS South Africa Twitter: https://twitter.com/ASUS_za

Specifications, content and product availability are all subject to change without notice and may differ from country to country. Actual performance may vary depending on applications, usage, environment and other factors. Full specifications are available at http://www.asus.com

When shopping for anything these days, one needs to do extensive research on the benefits and features of the product. Purchasing an item solely based on its popularity can turn out to be rather disappointing at times. You’ve been using a smartphone and feel it’s time to tap into the tablet world but seem clueless on how to go about it.  Worry not, we’ve put together this quick and easy tablet shopping guide to help you choose a tablet that will meet your needs.

1. Purpose
   One thing you need to determine before buying a tablet is what you will be using it for. Is it reading or do you need to constantly type? Tablets make great e-readers and children’s books are full of colours. You can easily read PDFs, comics and the list goes on. What’s extra awesome about tablets if you don’t need to type a lot they can handle more content than a two-year-old laptop would. You can get a keyboard as an accessory if you need to type often. Tablets also have more modern apps for you to enjoy.  If you like games too, you are in luck.
   
   
2. Choosing an Operating System
   Just like laptops, tablets come in different operating systems. You need to choose one which will cater best for your needs. You are even welcome to choose a different operating system from your personal or business laptop for a whole new experience. Apple’s iOS found on their iPad is clean and intuitive offering you more than a million iPad-specific apps you can buy right from your tablet.Google’s Android mobile OS gives you various hardware selection from different manufacturers with maximum configurability. Plus, you can share your tablet with someone in the family since Android supports multiple user logins. While Windows on the other hand offers you something close to a traditional computing experience similar to a PC or laptop. This is the best OS to use for work purposes since you’ll be able to run full versions of software like Microsoft Office on a Windows tablet.
   
   
3. Screen Size and Resolution
   The size of a tablet and its storage capacity is quite important. The actual screen size of tablets measured diagonally range from 7-inch for a small screen to 10-inch for a large screen. This is a measurement of the screen size and not the size of the tablet. You will need a sharp, bright display especially for e-book reading and web surfing. Apple's 12.9-inch iPad Pro offers 2,732 X 2,048 pixels, the highest resolution you will find. While you can look for a display with at least 1,280-by-800 in a 10-inch Android tablet.
   
   
4. Storage and Price
   Many tablets offer cloud (off- device) storage but more is better when coming to on-device storage. You can get iCloud for iPads or OneDrive for Windows. Tablets come in 16, 32 or 64GB memory variety. The highest storage you will find in the iPad Pro range offers 256GB of flash-based memory. Expect to pay anything close to the actual purchasing price for a windows based full-featured laptop for the iPad 9.7-inch Wi-Fi only or Wi-Fi and Cellular tablet ranging between R17 500 to R20 500 or even more.Preferably, make a list of the main uses for your tablet before heading out to get one. Whether it’s reading articles, using Photoshop or watching movies, choose the one that meets your specific individual needs. If you feel a laptop seems more practical for you at present, then you’ll want to check these laptops for sale.

Buying a laptop is getting relatively more difficult, taking the different types available to choose from into account, there are desktop replacements, 2-in-1s, gaming, portable workstations the list is endless. Laptops are not made the same and it is critical to choose one that caters for your needs. Are you aware of the different types of laptops and what makes them the best kind and most suitable to your needs? Let’s start by defining a few and touch on which key components you should look out for when purchasing a laptop.

• Desktop Replacements

These laptops can provide the same capabilities that a desktop computer does with a similar performance level. Desktop replacements are also bulkier and larger than standard laptops. Their components are more powerful, but with a shorter battery life. They are often used as desktop alternatives with some using desktop components for improved performance. When shopping for one, look for a powerful processor like the Intel Core Processor i7. The overall performance of a laptop is affected by memory power. So, look for a high speed RAM with nothing less than 4 GB. Check out the Dell Xps 15" Touch Screen Laptop

• 2-in-1s

2-in-1s combine the features of laptops and tablets. You get those with screens that can be totally detached from the keyboard base and function as a standalone touchscreen tablet. Others have screens that can be flipped back or swiveled to be used as a tablet. The screen and keyboard never detach but you can use it like a tablet because it has a touchscreen. 2-in-1’s have two built-in batteries for the tablet and docked keyboard base which give both portions better battery life. The detachable screen functions as a proper tablet even without the keyboard base. You don’t need to carry both a laptop and tablet on work trips. Check out the HP Spectre 13 x360 and the Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga 260

• Gaming

The primary aspects of a gaming laptop are the operating system (OS), graphics card, processor and screen-size. The OS is important because not all games can play on every OS. The large screen makes it easier for gamers to see every aspect of the game they are playing. Games can be extremely processor-intensive and a minimum processor type or speed might be required to play a game. This makes the processor a vital feature of any gaming laptop. Games are mainly graphics and visual effects and this is why a graphics card is a must have for gaming laptops. One needs to also take into consideration all the hardware aspects and accessories needed like RAM, RAM speed, battery life, headsets and speaker systems. Check out the Lenovo Y50 Touch

At the end of the day, what you will primarily use a laptop for determines which of the above type/s will best suit your needs. Shop around for a wider selection of home and office laptops.

Do you remember when you got your first personal laptop? You probably opted for a stylish one because of its look and feel or what was popular among your peers at the time. Most of the time, all we went for in a first buy is the ability to play videos, games and music. Other people only needed a personal laptop for Microsoft software applications such as Word, PowerPoint and Excel. Wasn’t that one of the advantages of having a personal laptop in tertiary anyway? To ensure computing-life didn’t end when the Internet Centre on campus closed.  

Choosing a small business laptop is a different ball game. One needs to consider their small business needs, employee size and budget too. The kind of features a laptop has then comes into play. Memory, the level of security the laptop offers, battery life, you a name it. The good old days of hardly using a laptop unless you are close to a charging station automatically vanished. If the need to work arises, regardless of where you are, one should be able to get right to it. Making good battery life for a business laptop a necessity in this case.   

The “OS” Operating System:  

What platform are you familiar with and comfortable using? Is it Windows, Mac OS X or Chrome OS? Most laptops come with one of the three operating systems. You can install any of these operating systems on normal laptops. However, the Mac OS X tends to be problematic because of its motherboard configuration. The last thing you need in order to run a productive business is to purchase a laptop with an operating system you or your employees can’t use.  

A variety of laptop makes and models come with Windows thus it’s the most flexible OS of the three. You would want to go for Windows because of its touchscreen feature which Mac OS X does not provide in any of its models. Or find its vast array of its desktop productivity, graphic, video and development software programs as a bonus. Windows 10 also makes it possible to switch between tablet and desktop modes. Best brands to choose from in 2016: Dell, Asus and HP.    

Maybe you are an iPhone or iPad user and would appreciate iOS-like features on a MacBook like Launch Pad for your apps, taking calls and texts from your iPhone. You will love the security feature of the Mac OS X Unix core. It simply makes installing a destructive Trojan or virus impossible unless via typing an admin password. Apple remains the top brand to choose in 2016.  

If you are looking for a laptop that’s inexpensive and will largely be use for surfing the Web, emailing and online chatting then Google’s Chromebooks would be best. It has a similar interface to Windows but Chrome Browser is the main app. It has very few offline apps though and the majority of the ones you can use, don’t always work well. Best brands to choose from in 2016 include: Lenovo, Toshiba and Acer.  

So the options are there.  The applications are there.  Make your requirements list, tick the boxes and choose the laptop to match your needs.

HP launches its new premium design store in Eastgate Shopping Center on Friday, 1st July 2016. This new look store will enable easy customer hands on access to the latest technologies from HP. 

HP Store Eastgate is running an awesome three day opening deal to celebrate its launch starting from Friday, 1st July 2016 until Sunday, 3 July 2016 or while stock lasts, Terms and Conditions Apply. HP Store reserves the right to change or cancel any promotion or offer without notice. E&OE

The first 10 customers will receive a HP Store Gift Pack worth R1 000. Only one deal per customer.

Visit Eastgate Shopping Centre, Shop U4, 43 Bradford Road, Bedfordview, South Africa between 9am and 9pm on Friday or 9am and 5pm on Saturday and Sunday to take advantage of the opening offers which include:

• 30 Eastgate shopping vouchers for a PC purchase:
• R5 000 shopping voucher if you purchase the HP Envy or Spectre PC
• R2 000 shopping voucher if you purchase the HP Pavilion PC
• R1 000 shopping voucher if you purchase an Entry Level PC
• R1000 Eastgate shopping vouchers for first 30 HP OfficeJet and HP LaserJet Printer purchases
• FREE HP Ink Cartridge for 1 Year (valid until 30 June 2017) for the first 5 HP OfficeJet Printer purchases
• Two for the Price of One - on all HP Ink and Toner Cartridges for the first 50 customers
• 50% Off Bags, HP Mice and HP Audio for the first 50 customers
• HP DeskJet Ink Advantage 2135 plus HP Store Ink Loyalty Card for R499 incl. Vat - SAVE R500
• HP 250 Notebook HP’s latest new generation entry level notebook for R3 999 incl. Vat - SAVE R1 000
• Microsoft Office 365 Personal Subscription for R499 incl. Vat - SAVE R500
• HP ProBook 450 G3 Notebook. Fastest 6th generation performance for R9 999 incl. Vat - SAVE R2000
• HP Colour LaserJet Pro M277dw for R4 999 incl. Vat - SAVE R1 000

HP Store offers the widest retail range of HP computing products in South Africa including many exclusive laptop and all-in-one computers, ranging from entry level detachable x2 computers to HP’s premium Spectre 13 (which is the thinnest computer in the world). 

The latest HP InkJet, PageWide and LaserJet printers are available in store as well as a complete range of funky accessories which includes laptop bags, storage devices, networking equipment, HP calculators, cables and adapters. 

HP Store also stock the widest range of ink and toner cartridges in South Africa with a range of over 180 different products in stock.

The store offers premium service and trusted advice on all HP products, while their experienced team will assist you with all your computing requirements. 

Contact HP Store Eastgate from this July and get all the premium HP Store service and HP Premium products you need on (011) 615 1244 or (011) 615 2448. Visit the Store from Monday to Thursday: 9am-6pm and on Public Holidays: 9am-5pm. You can also follow HP Store on Facebook: @HPshopZA or Twitter: @hpshop.   

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world,” said Nelson Mandela. Our society lives by this quote, not purely because it is from the father of the nation and a world renowned leader of his time. Chiefly because from a tender age, the average South African child is taught to aspire towards prestigious educational achievements in order to change his or her life.  

As a child growing up in this society you become accustomed to phrases such as “education will open many doors for you” and with a childlike faith, you grow up and set out to make this happen. This can be misleading and give people the false impression that every educated individual will be successful upon completing school. Many parents overlook the need to prepare their children adequately for the harsh and disappointing reality of unemployment after graduating from college, university or any other institution of higher learning.  

When a fresh graduate is faced with such a predicament, it is best to opt for the entrepreneur route.  What’s better than waiting tirelessly to find employment, whilst frying your brains in your mother’s house, than starting a business of your own? Bearing in mind every prospective entrepreneur starts a business with the hope that it will flourish and be able to address the societal need of providing employment while making profit.  

Congratulations to both our nation’s graduates who were fortunate enough to find employment and a big shout-out to those who started their own businesses straight out of varsity. If you are looking to kick-start something along your interests or qualifications this year or just looking for inspiration while weighing your options, let’s delve into some must-have essentials to position your business to prosper in just under a year:  

• An authentic product or service in demand and can satisfy a need or want in your community. Your business offering needs to be first and foremost attractive to people. If you are already thinking major profits, perhaps you would like to move that down your priority list for later.
• Educate yourself and your fellow business partners. Attend free seminars, small business events and research government funding opportunities. There is a wealth of information in inspirational and educational books from successful businessmen and women you must read to prepare you for challenges you will face in the near future as a business owner.
• Take your business online. Think big, think e-commerce, think digital. You can take advantage of Google Adwords for online advertising and search engine optimization (SEO) strategies. Make sure you have a mobile friendly website and tap into the world of mobile commerce for your business. Your customers are connecting to the internet (google and social media) through mobile devices - meet them there.

You are a young business that is keeping up with the times and your ever-evolving target market. Although Desktop PCs are great for conducting business, I do not see you travelling in-between meetings with one in your back seat. Check out the HP 250 range of entry-level laptops and notebooks for professionals on the move. You need devices ideal for everyday computing on the go. Your business will rarely be in one place.  

“Changing the world is the first step, believing you can is the next step and then aligning this with your passion is the last step. If you do those three things, the money will come.” Some startups might not give the necessary attention to Intrapreneur Tim Denning’s belief and might make up the 90% of businesses that fail within the first five years. Choose not to be part of that statistic.

It’s unclear who hacked Sony Pictures Entertainment on Nov. 24, but there are the telltale signs of a carefully orchestrated attack.

Rick Crouch, founder and owner of Rick Crouch & Associates said “Sony Pictures Entertainment appears to have been victimized by what experts call an advanced persistent threat. (APT)”

“The attack has the hallmarks of an A.P.T.,” he explained. “The hackers had a specific target in mind. It’s not like they were after just any company or studio, it looks like they specifically went after Sony”

But in his estimation there’s nothing the studios — or any company — can do to completely eliminate the threat of hackers.

“We need to re-think our perceptions about cyber-security. This is not something where you can achieve 100 percent security,” he explained. “As long as you are online there will be threats. In some cases they will already be inside your company or organisation, like a disgruntled employee who could be anyone from a personal assistant, a manager to an IT employee.  Once someone gets inside your systems they shouldn't have the keys to the kingdom. They shouldn't be able to go anywhere and everywhere within your system.”

The way Sony was hacked was actually quite simple and is a method that is used by many hackers involved in corporate espionage.

In this case they looked for names of employees that worked on this particular movie, just watching the movie credits or a simple Google search would have given them that information, they would then have narrowed that list down to high ranking IT personnel, because IT people usually have access to the entire network. The next step would have been to send an email to that employee and spoofing it so that it appeared to come from a co-worker, the content of the email would have contained a link and a reason for that person to click on the link, which they would have because it was from a co-worker.

That link would have then taken them to a website which would, within seconds, have downloaded malware to that computer. That malware would then enable the hacker’s computer to “mirror” the infected computer. The hacker would be able to see everything that is typed on the infected computer as if they were sitting in front of the target computer, including usernames and passwords.

That is a simplistic explanation of what happened to Sony and can happen just as easily to your company or your personal computer. Ensure that you employ defences to this type of hack, most importantly educating staff on these tactics and how to respond.

Techno Brain Ranked 2nd Fastest Growing Technology Company on the Deloitte Technology Africa Fast 50 2014  

Techno Brain is only East African firm in top five. Company attributes its 621 percent revenue growth to quality focus, home-grown solutions and talent.

On 29 November, Deloitte officially released the Deloitte Technology Africa Fast 50 2014, ranking Techno Brain 2nd in the 50 fastest growing technology companies in Africa. Rankings are based on percentage revenue growth over five years. Techno Brain has shown an impressive growth of 621 percent during this period.

Techno Brain’s Group CEO, Manoj Shanker credits the company's "For Africa, By Africa, In Africa" approach to technology, and investments in human resource development, as the reasons behind the phenomenal growth rate of 621 percent over the past five years. He said, "We've always believed in Africa. We believe world class IT solutions can be created here by Africans, and we've shown it to the world now. That’s the reason why we are able to deliver great value to our clients, uphold the highest standards of quality, and grow at this unbelievable pace.

" He added, "The people of Techno Brain lie at the very foundation of its success. This victory is completely theirs. We will continue our focus on empowering people and nurturing young African talent. This recognition is another step towards achieving our goal of becoming the most recognized and most valued African IT brand in the world." The Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Africa programme is the region’s most objective industry-ranking to focus on the technology field, recognizing technology companies that have achieved the fastest rates of revenue growth in Africa during the past five years.

“Making the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Africa ranking is a testament to Techno Brain’s commitment to technology,” said Kamal Ramsingh, Deloitte Africa Technology Leader and partner in charge of the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Africa programme. He added, “With its 621 percent growth rate over five years, Techno Brain has proven that its leadership has the vision and determination to grow in difficult conditions.”

About Techno Brain

Techno Brain is an African IT company that provides innovative solutions to advance the way organizations do business. Assessed at CMMI Level 3 and with operations in 20 African countries and 24 countries worldwide, Techno Brain provides industry leading technology solutions, Business Process outsourcing and Training to NGOs, Government and Private organizations globally.

For more information, visit: www.technobraingroup

About Deloitte Technology Fast 50™ Africa

The Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Africa programme is the region’s most objective industry-ranking to focus on the technology field, recognizing technology companies that have achieved the fastest rates of revenue growth in Africa during the past five years. Combining technological innovation, entrepreneurship and rapid growth, Fast 50 companies – large, small, public and private – span a variety of industry sectors, and are leaders in hardware, software, telecom, semiconductors, internet, media, life sciences and emerging areas, such as clean technology.

The programme is supported by the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 initiatives, which rank high growth technology companies by location or specifically defined geographic area and is run by the Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited’s Technology, Media & Telecommunications (TMT) global industry group. Co-sponsors include SAP, a market leader in enterprise application software, Dell, a leading supplier of technology solutions, SDEA, the small business development agency and Investec, a leading investment and private bank. More information on the programme and prior year winners is available on www.fast50Africa.com

About Deloitte

Deloitte refers to one or more of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, a UK private company limited by guarantee, and its network of member firms, each of which is a legally separate and independent entity. Please see www.deloitte.com/about for a detailed description of the legal structure of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited and its member firms. Deloitte provides audit, tax, consulting, and financial advisory services to public and private clients spanning multiple industries. With a globally connected network of member firms in more than 150 countries, Deloitte brings world-class capabilities and high-quality service to clients, delivering the insights they need to address their most complex business challenges. Deloitte has in the region of 200,000 professionals, all committed to becoming the standard of excellence.