Cellular has changed the very way South Africans communicate, with SMS (short message service) aficionados re-writing the dictionary 'al2getha`.
Joburgers laugh at news reports of Japanese youths injuring their thumbs sending text messages, oblivious to Capetonian jokes about the "Gauteng earring". In 2003, text messaging is all pervasive, but what will be the next "killer application" in 2004 and beyond?
Answers are likely to be found at Vodaworld in Midrand this week as the world`s only dedicated cellular lifestyle complex offers futuristic glimpses into the world of cellular.
"Techno Expo @ Vodaworld" takes place from Wednesday, 1 October until Sunday, 5 October. The first two days of the expo are reserved for the trade, while the remaining three days are for the public.
While we used to battle with understanding how telephones could work without wires, this week`s expo will help us wrap our heads around such concepts as GPRS (General Packet Radio Service), MMS (multimedia messaging service) and WiFi (wireless fidelity).
Some 23 exhibitors will be displaying and demonstrating the latest cellular handsets, applications and accessories. Companies to be seen at the expo include Sony Ericsson, Nokia, Samsung, Motorola, Exactmobile, I-Touch and Nashua Mobile.
Vodacom will be exhibiting its "MyLife" brand and its "Office Anywhere" product. "My Life" offers 24-hour Internet access, photo messaging and text messages of unlimited length by blending together GPRS and MMS technology. Launched in August, "Office Anywhere" is a corporate solution enabling clients to run their businesses from virtually anywhere by providing mobile access to one`s e-mail, contacts, company intranet and more. "Techno Expo @ Vodaworld" is also a celebration of the Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM), the cellular technology used in SA and about 110 countries worldwide.
"No other mobile technology has proved as versatile and allowed for the development of so many applications as GSM," said Mthobi Tyamzashe, Group Executive - Corporate Affairs of Vodacom Group.
Tyamzashe added that one in every seven people alive on the planet today uses a GSM cellphone.
The expo opens at 09h00 every day and closes at 18h00 (Wednesday to Friday), 17h00 (Saturday) and 16h00 (Sunday). Entrance is free to all visitors.
Directions to Vodaworld: signs direct visitors from the New Road off-ramp on the N1 highway.
Share
Editorial contacts