Vicky Advani

A South African information technology company on Wednesday proved it was faster for them to transmit data with a carrier pigeon than to send it using Telkom , the country’s leading internet service provider.

Internet speed and connectivity in Africa’s largest economy are poor because of a bandwidth shortage. It is also expensive.

Local news agency SAPA reported the 11-month-old pigeon, Winston, took one hour and eight minutes to fly the 80 km (50 miles) from Unlimited IT’s offices near Pietermaritzburg to the coastal city of Durban with a data card was strapped to his leg.

Including downloading, the transfer took two hours, six minutes and 57 seconds — the time it took for only four percent of the data to be transferred using a Telkom line.

SAPA said Unlimited IT performed the stunt after becoming frustrated with slow internet transmission times.

The company has 11 call-centers around the country and regularly sends data to its other branches.

Telkom could not immediately be reached for comment.

Internet speed is expected to improve once a new 17,000 km underwater fiber optic cable linking southern and East Africa to other networks becomes operational before South Africa hosts the soccer World Cup next year.

Local service providers are currently negotiating deals for more bandwidth.

source http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/reuters/090909/odds/odd_us_safrica_pigeon

Bosses in Britian have decided to impose a new rule in the workplace which will allow employees a ‘Facebook break’ of 10 minutes a day.

The decision has been taken after a research suggested that Britain’s economy is suffering thanks to workers surfing social networking sites, reports The Telegraph.iles Ridgeway, a leading consultant at Employment Law Advisory Services (ELAS) says Facebook is a “curse.”

“They feel some staff are failing to do the job they’re paid for because they’re spending too much time on such websites,” he said.

“Some have said it appears to be a habit similar to smokers needing their fix of nicotine,” he added.

According to Ridgeway, social networking sites are not a part of workers “legal entitlement”.

“In days past, staff would have gathered around the office tea trolley for a quick chat. Now, they can talk to friends on the other side of the globe from their desks,” he said.

“But to remain able to do so means committing to doing the job they’re employed for. If they don’t and bosses take exception to what they believe to be an abuse, they could find themselves out of work and companies would be well within their rights to take such action,” he added. (ANI)

source - http://in.news.yahoo.com/139/20090911/882/twl-brit-office-workers-to-be-allowed-10.html