Cloud Sovereignty to Unlock Business Value - Sumeeth Singh @VMware_ZA #SovereignCloud #LocalCloud #CloudJourney

Hi Friends, 

Cloud sovereignty is fast becoming an integral part of governments' national policies around the world. It is as much about safeguarding data as it is about helping meet the complex governance issues facing companies across sectors. Adopting this more structured approach to data could positively impact everything from promoting social values, improving environmental conditions, and creating new digital borders.

At its core, a sovereign cloud can help organisations improve data control, benefit from enhanced cloud security, gain fresh business insights, strengthen compliance, and enable growth. All this is done through attaining a level of data portability that was difficult to achieve previously.

For their part, sovereign cloud providers are focused on enabling enterprise customers to benefit from the cloud while helping ensure data privacy and compliance. They are responsible for understanding regulations and laws built around this evolving landscape. A critical element of this is having structures in place to manage where data resides geographically and affect the necessary cross-border data flow when required. And while this might seem like a box-ticking exercise to ensure data sovereignty, data residency, data access, jurisdiction, control, and more are met, there are also business enablers to consider.

Business sense

As a reminder, the concept of a sovereign cloud is based on data residency (the physical geographic location where customer data is stored and processed) and data sovereignty (the information subject to the privacy laws and governance structures within the country where the data is collected).

Those service providers that can deliver a sovereign cloud that delivers on both these pillars can help businesses accelerate their growth. At the same time, the cloud service providers can also contribute to strengthening the national capability for digital infrastructure with a level of resilience that was difficult to achieve before. Countries, both at public and private sector levels, therefore require digital capabilities that prevent them from becoming reliant on foreign cloud providers and other operators when it comes to data processing.

But cloud sovereignty is not just about the technology being used. Driving this is a framework of guiding principles, best practices, and technical architecture requirements. These are essential for delivering cloud services that remain compliant with the data sovereignty needs of the country in which that cloud operates. For instance, South Africa's regulatory environment is significantly different to that of the United Kingdom and the United States. What works in those jurisdictions might not apply to local service providers.

Phased approach

For the cloud provider to achieve this level of sovereignty, there are two phases to consider. Firstly, putting in place a sovereign cloud framework becomes the building block in defining the key characteristics to which a cloud can be assessed as sovereign.

These include data sovereignty and jurisdictional control, data access and integrity, data security and compliance, data independence and mobility, and data innovation and analytics. Think of this framework as providing the technical guidance, best practices, and principles for design and other operational considerations.

The second aspect is being part of a sovereign cloud initiative. For example, local cloud service providers that want to be part of the VMware Sovereign Cloud initiative must complete an assessment of the design, build, and operations of their cloud environments and their capability to offer a sovereign digital infrastructure. It is initiatives such as these where customers can connect to the trusted local sovereign cloud service providers capable of achieving the scalability and security essential to manage data within the national borders.

Not one, but many

As more governments and companies adopt stricter data policies, business and technology leaders need to identify the best possible multi-cloud approach encompassing local and multinational service providers. This requires organisations to identify the sensitive data sets with sovereignty requirements which must be placed on those specialised environments. More generalised cloud environments can be used for the less critical data needs.

Regardless of which cloud service provider is chosen, organisations must understand that the ability to protect data breaks down as it is moved, managed, stored, analysed, and used across an interconnected landscape of service providers. Therefore, the security of data and its jurisdictional control must always be kept front and centre of business priorities. Cloud sovereignty can help alleviate these concerns as those providers that deliver on its tenants will be the ones that provide the peace of mind essential for effective business growth in a cloud-driven world.

Written by - Sumeeth Singh, Cloud Provider Business Head: Sub-Saharan Africa at VMware

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Introducing the most affordable 5G Nokia Phone #NokiaG50 @NokiaMobile

Hi Friends, 

A powerful device for today, future-proofed for tomorrow

Love it: Timeless design with two-day battery life bringing serious value to the world of 5G

Trust it: Award-winning durability combined with industry-leading security from Finland

Keep it: As well as our signature quality build, regular updates keep it fresh for many years to come

HMD Global, the home of Nokia phones, today announces a new member of the G-series family. The Nokia G50 is the most affordable 5G Nokia smartphone yet, packing the signature Finnish quality for a phone that can go distance.

Florian Seiche, CEO at HMD Global: “Our mission from day one has been to make quality mobile technology accessible to everyone around the world. With Nokia G50, we are proud to put 5G in the pockets of even more people, supported by trusted partnerships for best-in-class experiences. And not only today but for years to come thanks to our regular software updates and quality materials. We want to empower people to feel good about keeping their smartphones for longer and combat the upgrade culture so we can all reduce our carbon footprint.”

Benefit from superfast 5G for less

With 5G networks expected to cover 40% of the world by 2024, handling 25% of all mobile data, Nokia G50 is a phone that’s equipped for what’s to come. Featuring the Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 MP that’s designed to optimise future technology, it’s future-proofed with 5G for tomorrow at a price that won’t break the bank today from R5,499.

A smartphone that considers the future

Whether it’s today or two years from now, you can count on Nokia G50 to be up to date with the latest software. It’s already prepared to welcome Android 12 and beyond, so you always have access to the most modern features. The monthly security updates are guaranteed for at least three years, so your best ideas and favourite moments are protected for your complete peace of mind. Handled in a Finland-based data centre your data is protected by strict European regulations with GDPR as the foundation.

Nordic excellence that you can see and feel

The two-day battery life means you can trust that Nokia G50 will see you through even the most demanding of days. Plus, with 18W fast charging, you won’t waste any time at the outlet. For reassurance, the Nokia G50 also comes with a two-year warranty at no extra cost.

Staying true to its roots, Nokia G50 has the build quality Nokia phones are known for, wrapped in a classic, timeless design. Whether you’re upskilling with online videos or absorbing scenes from Planet Earth, the content will be crisp and clear on the 6.82” HD+ display.

Capture the beauty of the world in stunning detail

Featuring a 48MP triple-lens camera with AI smarts, the Nokia G50 will fully equip you to capture everything from nature’s wonders to shots of loved ones enjoying the moment in any light.

In addition to creating breath-taking pictures, you can also personalise them with the watermarking feature – great for putting a stamp on your innovative ideas or simply enhancing photos for social media. Perfect selfie moments will not be missed thanks to video stabilisation technology that ensures you’re steady in the frame even if your arm isn’t.

Trusted partnerships for best-in-class experiences

Spotify will give Nokia G50 owners access to 70 million tracks and 2.9 million podcasts out of the box. Offering additional control over your online privacy, ExpressVPN will be available on the Nokia G50 with a 30-day free trial. See here for more details: Spotify and ExpressVPN partnership.

Pricing and availability

The Nokia G50 will be available in South Africa from mid-April, priced from R5,499, through Vodacom stores. The Nokia G50 will be available in Ocean Blue, Dual Sim with 4GB Ram and 128GB of onboard memory. The Nokia G50 also comes with a free cover and screen protector.

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#RiseToTheChallenge with the All-New #RedmiNote11Series @Xiaomi_ZA #RedmiNote11Pro #RedmiNote11

Hi Friends, 

Starting at R5,299, the Redmi Note 11 series once again makes flagship-level specs more accessible, raising industry standards with two new devices

Xiaomi has launched the Redmi Note 11 Series in South Africa, continuing the legacy of the Redmi Note Series with two brand new devices: the Redmi Note 11, and the Redmi Note 11 Pro. Rising to the challenge to bring even stronger specs and features, the Redmi Note 11 Series again sees powerful upgrades to its camera system, charging speed, display, and SoC - making flagship-level smartphone performance more accessible than before.

Flagship-level camera setup delivers outstanding photography

Continually evolving the flagship camera experience, Redmi Note 11 Pro once again features 108MP primary sensors, allowing you to capture and share moments of your life in high resolution and true-to-life details. Incorporating a high-quality sensor with a large 1/1.52" sensor size, the main camera leverages 9-in-1 pixel binning technology, as well as dual native ISO, to deliver incredible images with higher dynamic range and colour performance. Excellent results are achieved even in dim light. The Redmi Note 11 and Note 11 Pro also come with an 8MP ultra-wide-angle camera that extends your perspective with a 118-degree viewing angle, a 2MP macro camera that captures fine details from up close, and a 2MP depth camera that allows you to create a natural bokeh effect for your portrait shots. The front of the Redmi Note 11 Pro also features a 16MP camera that can capture clear, natural-looking selfies.

FHD+ AMOLED DotDisplay with up to 120Hz refresh rate & trendy flat-edge body

Boasting a high refresh rate of up to 120Hz and a touch sampling rate of up to 360Hz, the Redmi Note 11 Series enhances your screen experience with smoother animations and lag-free transitions, while also registering more precise finger touches. With a screen size of 6.67-inch and 6.43-inch, the series is equipped with an FHD+ AMOLED DotDisplay featuring DCI-P3 wide colour gamut, which provides more vibrant colours and details, while also reaching as much as 1200 nits to ensure the screen’s clarity even in bright daylight.

The beautiful display is packed into a trendy, flat-edge body design. Plus, with dual super linear speakers located at the top and bottom of the phone, the Redmi Note 11 Series offers a complete entertainment experience with immersive stereo sound for gaming or video watching.

Speedy and powerful performance on all fronts

Redmi Note 11 Pro rises to the challenge with an advanced octa-core MediaTek Helio G96 processor and up to 8GB of RAM. Redmi Note 11 is equipped with a Snapdragon® 680 processor built using a flagship-level 6nm process to deliver superior performance while conserving power. Additionally, both models come with a 5,000mAh large-capacity battery. Alongside this exceptional battery capacity is Xiaomi flagship-level 67W turbocharging in Redmi Note 11 Pro, which takes as little as 15 minutes to fill 50% of the battery*. Redmi Note 11 features 33W Pro fast charging, allowing you to charge to 100% battery in around an hour*.

MIUI 13: Improves the core experience to a brand-new level

As of Q4 2021, MIUI monthly active users surpassed 500 million. The latest generation operating system MIUI 13 offers an all-around upgrade with a focus on improving core experience - including faster storage, higher background process efficiency, smarter processing, and longer battery life - alongside useful features including sidebars.

Part of the smartphones including Redmi Note 11, and Redmi Note 11 Pro rolled out the MIUI 13 first wave in Q1 2022, with the release schedule for other devices to be gradually published on the MIUI website.

YouTube Premium for Free

As an added bonus, if you buy either the Redmi Note 11 or Note 11 Pro, you'll get a free subscription to YouTube Premium for 2 months. Enjoy all your favourite videos and music without the bother of being interrupted by adverts! Simply turn on your new device, open YouTube and follow the instructions. T&Cs apply.

Market availability:

The two new Redmi Note 11 Series smartphones are now available for purchase from partners like MTN, Vodacom and Takealot.

Recommended retail price:

Redmi Note 11 Pro 6GB+128GB: Recommended retail price – R6,499

Redmi Note 11 4GB+128GB: Recommended retail price - R5,299

*Data from Xiaomi Labs. Actual results may vary.

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Exciting Xiaomi #AIoT Products Available in South Africa @Xiaomi_ZA

Hi Friends, 

Xiaomi ecosystem is more accessible Making it a smart and convenient life!

Following the recent launch of the Redmi Note 11 Series in South Africa, Xiaomi has also unveiled accompanying AIoT products including the Mi Robot Vacuum-Mop 2 Ultra with Auto-empty station, and the Mi Electric Scooter 3, and the Xiaomi Watch S1 Active, which are now available in South Africa.

With Xiaomi being more than just a smartphone brand, all of these products are designed to bring more convenience and ease to people’s lives, in the spheres of fitness, home cleaning and sporting leisure.

Xiaomi Watch S1 was created for the modern professional with a busy schedule and sophisticated lifestyle. The device’s professional, streamlined design aesthetic reflects this, with sapphire glass and a stainless-steel frame housing the watch’s 1.43” AMOLED display. Users can customise the watch’s UI or choose from among 200 watch faces.

The modern professional is always multitasking, so Xiaomi Watch S1 streamlines everyday life. With Bluetooth calls, app notifications, Mastercard NFC payment support1, Amazon’s Alexa built-in voice assistant2, and wireless charging, users never miss a beat. Xiaomi Watch S1 also comes with next-level fitness and health tracking functionality, for hassle-free transitions from work to play. The watch has 117 fitness modes and 19 professional modes, and can automatically detect workout modes like treadmill and walking.

There’s no need for micromanagement, as Xiaomi Watch S1 always stays connected via dual-band GPS, and offers round-the-clock health tracking, by monitoring users’ heart rate, sleep quality, stress levels, and blood oxygen saturation (SpO2), and more3. Users can sync these data points with their Strava or Apple Health apps. Under typical usage, Xiaomi Watch S1 lasts 12 days on standby mode or 24 days in battery saver mode4.

Cleaning your home is usually not a fun time. But it is being made a whole lot easier with the Mi Robot Vacuum-Mop 2 Ultra, which features an automatic self-emptying station for ultimate convenience. The base station holds 4L of dust and debris, equivalent to 10 cleans5. The station also features dual vents and ducts, while supporting up to 16,500Pa suction power5, ensuring no blockages during the auto-emptying process.

Highly efficient LDS laser navigation allows the device to precisely detect and map the room layout. Additional Time of Flight (ToF) obstacle detection intelligently minimises trapping or bumps, prevents falls downstairs, and avoids damage to furniture along the way.

The device can clean up to 240m² on one charge5, thanks to its 5,200mAh large-battery capacity. With powerful suction of up to 4,000Pa5 and three water-level mopping, this compact, hands-free device also delivers ultimate scrubbing results on stubborn stains. Cleaning doesn’t have to be a chore; simply let the Mi Robot Vacuum-Mop 2 Ultra with Auto-empty Station do the work for you.

Looking for a bit of fun? Try out the Mi Electric Scooter 3, a lightweight, ultra-durable, and utilitarian addition to Xiaomi’s popular Mi Electric Scooter Series. The vehicle features a sleek, recyclable aerospace-grade aluminium body and shock-resistant pneumatic tires that ensure a comfy and smooth riding experience. Mi Electric Scooter 3 also comes in two stylish colours including Onyx Black and Gravity Grey that users can choose from.

Diving into its performance, Mi Electric Scooter 3 is capable of operating at speeds up to 25km/h, and a maximum travel range of 30km, easily covering most distances its users would need for their daily errands. The 600W maximum power motor enables Mi Electric Scooter 3 to easily climb up slopes with an incline as high as 16%. Featuring safety upgrades on all fronts, Mi Electric Scooter 3 now includes a sleep mode to prevent its battery from over-discharging when left unused for 10-15 days, or when its battery falls under 30% while in storage. It also comes with an upgraded Rear dual-pad disc brake and eABS for improved stability to its braking system, and a 3-step foldable design for easy storage.

Market availability:

All three of these AIoT products are now available for purchase from partners like Takealot and Incredible Connection.

Recommended retail price:

• Xiaomi S1 Active Smart Watch - Recommended retail price – R2,949
• Mi Robot Vacuum Mop Ultra 2 - Recommended retail price – R8,799
• Mi Robot Vacuum Mop Ultra 2 Self Emptying Station - Recommended retail price – R5,199.
• Mi Electric Scooter 3 - Recommended retail price – R9,899

Footnotes

1. Cashless payment is only accepted at Mastercard supported payment terminals.

2. For iOS users, the function will be available via OTA.

3. The SpO2 feature is not intended for the diagnosis, prevention, monitoring, prediction, prognosis of any disease, investigation of physiological processes or any other medical purpose. All health metrics should be used for personal reference only.

4. Data acquired from internal labs, actual battery life may vary under different situations.

5. Data retrieved from the internal test carried out by the manufacturer, full test report can be provided if requested.

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Support me if you like reading this blog post by buying me a cup of tea (so far Infinity) - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TheLifesWay Contact me at thelifesway@gmail.com to collaborate and promote your services and products. Subscribe to my YOUTUBE Channel for giveaways, product reviews and mystery unboxings. #TheLifesWay #10YearsofTheLifesWay. Namaste!

New #vivoY765G: Stellar Performance Stunning Images, Style And More @Vivomobile_SA

Hi Friends, 

vivo’s new Y76 5G smartphone raises the Y-series bar - strong 5G capabilities, advanced performance with supercharged imaging, and sleek design

vivo’s latest device, the Y76 5G, is an evolution in style and technical capabilities. With a 7.79mm super-slender body weighing in at only 175g, this phone is ultra-light and comes with advanced camera technology, a fast-charging mechanism, extended storage and RAM, plus superior 5G technology.

5G technology

5G ensures a faster and better connection, especially with the vivo Y76 5G’s low-power consumption on a 7nm process 5G chip and a CPU speed of 2.2GHz; this device picks up signals every time with SA6 & NSA dual-mode 5G that works across mainstream frequencies and an antenna that wraps around the phone.

FlashCharge

All these capabilities are supported by a mega fast and efficient charging system, with an energy guardian technique. The 44W FlashCharge has a charging rate of 70% in just 32 minutes meaning users can take photos, stream series or play an endless assortment of games without.

Storage

The vivo Y76 5G’s RAM of 8GB + 4GB is ultra-fast. This extended RAM technology draws an extra 4GB from ROM to add to the generous 8GB of RAM, providing an amazing 12GB RAM experience. This system supports a variety of apps that run in the background with no lag and seamless ease for switching.

Camera Technology

Front and centre for vivo is the evolution of camera technology. The Y76 5G packs a superlative system that allows for expert photos day and night, plus features to ensure the best vlogs and pics on the go.

The Y76 5G comprises a main rear camera with an AI triple camera system, a 50MP main camera, 2MP bokeh camera and 2MP macro camera. The 50MP main camera has an innovative sensor that naturally adjusts bright or dark scenes to shoot ultra-sharp images in infinite detail.

A 16MP front-facing camera is packed with positive features to show users in their best light. The AI Extreme Night Selfie mode captures more details, dials down noises, and delivers richer contrasts. This feature ensures users look even more stunning against the darkest of nights, plus, when the AI Face Beauty algorithm and Smart Softlight Band kick in, perfect portraits are guaranteed. In the Y76 5G, this Super Night Mode comes on both front and rear cameras.

Additionally, the front-facing camera offers an updated Face Beauty feature with personalization options to refine selfies down to the smallest detail. Users can optimise skin tone, face shape and facial features through vivo’s upgraded multidimensional algorithms.

Double Exposure combines two exposures in one image, merging different scenes, two layers of exposures or even two pictures together. It is a simple-to-use tool that sparks creativity and delivers professional-like imaging. The Dual-Video view allows simultaneous recording on front and back cameras, so users can create expert vlogs and videos with a personal touch. This is aided by the Ultra-Stable Video feature that cancels hand movement and aids recording on the go.

These imaging specifications are amplified by the 6.58-inch FHD + LCD waterdrop screen that offers a clear, higher-resolution display for a stunning and more immersive viewing experience. Plus there’s the Eye Protection Mode to protect against blue light, a must for gamers and streaming.

Style solutions

A 7.79mm super-slender body weighing in at only 175g is supported by a 20:9 aspect ratio and 90.6% screen-body ratio.

Add to this the aesthetics of the phone. Available in two colours: Cosmic Aura and Midnight Space, these tones elevate the vivo Y76 5G into a covetable style accessory.

Cosmic Aura is a custom colour formed from a unique blend of blue and orange, finished with a crystal coating to create a shimmering, light-reflecting shine. Midnight Space is a sophisticated black with a glitter lustrous sheen. Both these options come with an AG frosted rear surface cover that helps avoid fingerprint smudges. Plus, the rear cameras are framed with sleek CD grooves that crown the visual display of our professional imaging system.

Funtouch OS 12

Bringing a further improved user experience with the Funtouch OS12 on Android 11, the vivoY76 5G is a complete package. Here is a well-rounded smartphone packed with excellent performance punches to ensure a well-priced trusty companion for everyday experiences.

Priced at R8,999 the Y76 5G is available nationwide through Vodacom and MTN from April 2, 2022.

https://www.vivo.com/za/en/products/y765g

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iOCO Cloud’s Any cloud-as-a-service Simplifies Multi-cloud Solutions @vmware_za @iOCO_Tech #SovereignCloud #LocalCloud #CloudJourney

Hi Friends, 

iOCO Cloud, a division of iOCO, the ICT services arm of the EOH Group, is leveraging its VMware Cloud Provider Partner (VCPP) status to enable customers to centralise the deployment of both multi-cloud and hybrid-cloud environments from its seven global datacentres. These services are hosted in interconnectivity partner Teraco Data Environments’ Africa Cloud Exchange in Africa.

With the entry of the hyperscaler cloud providers in South Africa, customers want service providers that offer a seamless exchange between their private clouds and public cloud providers. A VCPP partner, iOCO, uses VMware's cloud solutions as the infrastructure fabric on which it hosts its cloud services while providing them subscription-based VMware licensing to build their cloud. A large part of its success is attributed to iOCO’s partnership with Teraco Data Environments, currently the local onramp for many hyperscalers interoperability between private and public clouds.

“We started this journey a decade ago, early in local cloud terms, so you run the risk of just being another infrastructure hosting partner,” said Paul Spagnoletti, Business Unit Executive: Cloud and Security South Africa. “Our goal has always been to develop a multi-cloud, multi-tenant environment we manage for clients or offer clients self-service capabilities. Our partnerships with VMware and Teraco have been critical to the development of our any-cloud-as-a-service solution, which facilitates a customer’s move away from CAPEX models towards an OPEX-based IT solution.”

A 100% hosted cloud offering providing cloud-as-a-service, iOCO forms the critical link between a client's private cloud and a public cloud. Its service offerings extend to delivering clients with managed cloud services, enablement, and roadmaps. With Teraco as its interconnectivity partner, iOCO also draws from the security and performance of the interconnectivity provided by the Africa Data Exchange, and the proximity of the onramps to one or multiple clouds.

“The way we articulate our role and the benefits we provide is that we partner with cloud providers like iOCO to offer a connectivity ecosystem via all the networks that land at Teraco. Plus, an onramp to every hyperscaler, be it AWS, Microsoft or Oracle. This opens opportunities for end-users to optimise their journey to digital transformation, an area our VMware Cloud Provider Partners, like iOCO, are good at capitalising on,” said Di Buijs, Strategic Partnerships, Teraco Data Environments.

According to Spagnoletti, iOCO’s platform has an uptime of 99.99999%. It's not gone down in ten years, even when it expanded its services to include the VCPP offerings and increased its number of customers. He says the environment's ability to auto-scale and auto-provision as customers are added is a testament to the flexibility and agility afforded by the VMware vCloud Verified stack.

“VMware is a major part of our hosted cloud platform; they are front and centre of it and a massive part of our technical landscape. Their ongoing investment into their offerings and solutions help us enhance and continually adapt our services to our customers, frequently without a customer even realising their cloud is driven by VMware," said Spagnoletti.

Sumeeth Singh, Head of Cloud Provider Business Sub-Saharan Africa, VMware, said: “Through the value it delivers and its ability to offer clients a single pane of glass into multi-cloud and hybrid cloud environments, iOCO demonstrates the importance of partnerships in a highly competitive cloud market. It's the any-cloud-as-a-service solution, and its knowledge of marrying multiple cloud offerings into a single service places it in an enviable position in the local market. From a VMware perspective, we are excited to be a part of a multi-cloud platform for all applications offering the simplicity of choice for our partners and customers."

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Support me if you like reading this blog post by buying me a cup of tea (so far Infinity) - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TheLifesWay Contact me at thelifesway@gmail.com to collaborate and promote your services and products. Subscribe to my YOUTUBE Channel for giveaways, product reviews and mystery unboxings. #TheLifesWay #10YearsofTheLifesWay. Namaste!

Dungeons and Dragons – Roleplaying At Its Finest @SolarpopGoPlay #DungeonsandDragons @Wizards_DnD

Hi Friends, 

Dungeons and Dragons is a role-playing game that’s been around for close to fifty years. It has been enjoyed by teenagers and adults alike – perhaps because it relies on each player’s imagination as it draws people into a magnificent fantasy world with intriguing characters, adventures and storylines.

Philip Galliford, spokesperson for Solarpop says: “Dungeons and Dragons are where heroes battle monsters, find treasures and overcome quests. All you need is a group of people, a starter kit and your imagination. It’s a game that can be played as a family, amongst friends and even amongst strangers.”

“The beauty is that the storylines are infinite, immersing the players into a wonderful fantasy world that can last for hours and can be played over a number of days, weeks even. It’s a great way to socialize and use your imagination. The additions to the game ensure that playing is always fresh and exciting. There is no lack of novelty in Dungeons and Dragons!”

For those unfamiliar with the game, it was inspired by miniature wargames with their small soldiers, military formations and military paraphernalia. Dungeons and Dragons, or D&D as it is also called, drew upon the concept and turned it into a fantasy game, to the point that it is widely recognised as the beginning of modern role-playing games and the role-playing games industry.

D&D is different from traditional wargaming as it allows each player to create their own character instead of using a military formation. These characters go on imaginary adventures within an exciting fantasy setting. A Dungeon Master, or DM, acts as the game referee and storyteller whilst managing the setting in which the adventure unfolds. The better the DM, the better the game.

The characters interact with the inhabitants and each other to solve problems, engage in battle, go exploring and collect treasure and knowledge. In order to rise in levels, the characters earn experience points as they play. A large part of the enjoyment of playing D&D, apart from the fun social aspect, is that players build a universe and storyline that can extend over many sessions.

South African fantasy author and influencer, Enricoh Alfonzo, has been playing D&D since high school and continues to be a huge fan of the D&D universe and products. “D&D is the highest of fantasy experiences out there and I love it. The imaginative plotlines and character arcs you can create are endless and so much fun. I’ve been to gaming sessions where people come dressed as their characters, which adds to the fantasy experience. If you want to start playing, think about who you would like to invite and get an Essentials Kit,” he says.

D&D Essentials Kit is all you need to get started – it’s a great introduction to the world’s greatest roleplaying game. Distributed in South Africa by Solarpop and available from these retailers:

• Takealot.com
• Loot
• Raru.co.za
• Toy Kingdom
• Comic Warehouse
• And all good hobby stores

The Search is on for new Dungeon Masters

This year we’re looking to assist players to become the best Dungeon Master they can be. The better the DM, the better the storyline, the adventures and the experience of the game. Through a series of events in various parts of the country, Solarpop will be training new DMs who will then be the storytellers and guides to their gaming groups.

“We’re very excited to see players grow as DMs, seeing their imaginations take flight and storytelling abilities to grow,” says Philip Galliford, spokesperson for Solarpop.

Info on wave 1 of the event. Wave 2 details to be confirmed shortly: https://www.unplugyourself.co.za/2022/03/dm-bootcamp-phase-1/

Fun Facts about Dungeons & Dragons

Despite the competition from other brands and games, D&D has remained the market leader in the role-playing game industry

In 2004, D&D was the best-known role-playing game in the United States, with an estimated 20 million people have played the game and more than US$1 billion in book and equipment sales worldwide

In 2017, the game had the greatest number of players in its history—12 million to 15 million in North America alone.

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Support me if you like reading this blog post by buying me a cup of tea (so far USD 0.00) - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/TheLifesWay Contact me at thelifesway@gmail.com to collaborate and promote your services and products. Subscribe to my YOUTUBE Channel for giveaways, product reviews and mystery unboxings. #TheLifesWay #10YearsofTheLifesWay. Namaste!

New Year Resolutions - Week 13 Achievements & Failures #TheLifesWay

Hi Friends,

This is the last week of the first quarter and only a day falls over to April 2022. I have had so many achievements in terms of living a healthy lifestyle and giving proper time and care to stuff I wanted to give but still, there are many failures that I was not able to control. There are multiple tasks that I could not complete since Jan-22 and those are really a burden on my heart and mind. Even after writing them down on my analogue and digital productivity systems I have failed miserably to do it. I have also found out that I am lacking some kind of strength by the end of the day to carry on working. I need to check on the multi-vitamin tablets and also follow some kind of diet that can provide me more energy to carry it late into the day. 

Week 13 - 26 Mar 2022 (Sat) to 01 Apr 2022 (Fri)

1. Daily Walking - In total these 13 weeks, I have walked around 278.50 kilometres which I recorded on Huawei Watch GT 2e and sometimes I forgot to even on the device so that actuals should be a little more. For week 13, I could only do 16 kilometres as I was down with Flu mostly. Overall it's 18.50 kilometres more than the intended 260 kilometres for 13 weeks. I am very happy that I could achieve this with consistency and fire in the belly to walk and achieve 20 kilometres every week. I want to continue doing it throughout the year to cross 1000 kilometres of walking and listening to audiobooks during the same. 

2. Thank You - The new counter got dropped off and stopped working this week and thankfully I had bought a second one as a backup so I switched to the new one. I completed around 30000 Thank You during this week and I am really happy that I could do it despite all the hurdles. The overall count for the whole 13 weeks I don't want to spend time checking and calculating today maybe someday when I have nothing else to do. 

3. Audiobooks - I didn't progress much on Chris Ross - Never Split the Difference as this is more like a textbook that you need to learn and apply. It's an exercise book that you need to think about and apply to your day to day negotiations skills. I also started reading I Love Money - Suresh Padmanabhan (2nd Edition) on my Kindle Keyboard. Overall so far in 13 months as per Goodreads 15 books out of the intended 25 I wanted to read in 2022. I am sure I can take this count to around 35 by the end of the year. 

4. Hanuman Chalisa - I completed 39x Years of Hanuman Chalisa this week and now I have less than 1000 x Chalisa path left to reach 42 Years of the target I had set in my mind. It has taken me more than many years to carry on with this exercise but consistently since 2020 I have been working on this goal. I am sure it will be great to achieve this one but for March 2022 I made a goal to do a daily average of 30 times which I did successfully despite some days I could not pray at all. 

5. Entertainment - I saw Sonic 2 movie in theatres with family at Sterkinekor in Rosebank. My wife and daughter went to see Morbius too at the same venue the very next day. I also watched the Oscar-nominated and winner movies CODA and King Richard after all the controversy that happened else I would not have spent so much time looking and analyzing the goonj of thappad. I also watched some episodes of Is It Cake? on Netflix which was awesome to watch. 

6. Blog TheLifesWay - My blog www.thelifesway.com completed 3.6 Million pageviews this week which is an achievement in itself as I have reduced the number of posts since last year and spending more time on myself as compared to earlier waiting for PR companies to send me stuff and invite me to their events. Despite covering all their press releases most of the time I was not invited and never given any kind of benefits whatsoever. Why waste my time supporting those PR agencies which are not helping me in any way? 

7. Launch Events - I attended the Oppo Launch event of the Reno 7 5G smartphone for the first time ever and I received a goodies bag too for the first time from Oppo. The first thing about the smartphone was the dual camera setup with 109MP and 64MP combination which is never seen in a segment like this one. The weight of the smartphone is also very light making portability really great. The same will be unboxed in my Youtube videos soon which I could not do last week because my voice was affected due to the Flu. Video creation is so much dependent on your health as compared to writing this blog post but both I could not do when I was sick. I also attended Youtube Shorts for Africa with the Google team which was really great as I was also given an opportunity to tell everyone about my channel but nothing happened as no new subscribers joined the channel after all so the community etc is just doesn't make the cut as your own small community which you need to nurture. 

8. Money - Monthly salary was the only income I received this month too and this is something I have to change in the coming months of 2022. I needed to create a wealth mindset which I am sure I could not do in the first quarter of 2022. I will continue to focus on the wealth mindset throughout 2022 to attract more money into my life. The Life's Way has not earned me anything in the first quarter of 2022. 

9. Youtube Channel - I now need to focus on earning some kind of income from Youtube and for the same, I will start posting more and more videos from all the gadgets I have in my life. This is an exploring phase where I need to check what is my niche shooting all kinds of videos with all kinds of gifs and other stuff which bigger Youtubers are using these days. I can play around with the top camera shooting approach and also check on different kinds of light setups within the means available to me without any further investments in photography and lighting equipment. 

10. Social Media - Leaving aside the first week of Jan-22, the posts on Facebook and Instagram have been a daily activity going on from 8th Jan to 8-Apr so far. I now need to create more posts showcasing my photography skills because that is what I have had all these years. I can't switch to something else now thinking to work on another skill. I am good at what I do let's enhance it further. Let's celebrate your good things and improve where you want to improve for your future self. Your right self-image shall drive that conversation and your efforts should be towards achieving that image. 

It's a long post as I combined the quarter review also into Week 13 to reduce the number of efforts of making a new image with the text etc. I love Canva which helps me create all these amazing pictures for my blog posts as well as Youtube thumbnails. I am so grateful to see that with a weekly focus on certain tasks a lot can be achieved if consistent enough to make it happen. For the things where I lagged and failed, I am coming for you too. 

Week 12 Post

Cheers!!!

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