The Life's Way: December 2022

Thursday, 8 December 2022

A Home For Creativity @rAgeExpo #rAgeExpo2022

Hi Guys,

New attendees to rAge may be surprised to discover that in amongst the high-tech gadgets and cutting-edge technology, the expo offers a home to something quite different. A market of stalls known as Artist Alley has been running at rAge since 2009 and has become an integral part of the event, despite being the very antithesis of the games, electronics and esports that headline the expo.

Artist Alley is home to dozens of small businesses, each focused on creating new, original, and highly creative products that can't be found anywhere else. Each stall is owner managed, and the products they sell are either handmade originals from limited runs or bespoke craft items created on the spot to a customer's specifications. These businesses are the very epitome of people using their skills and passions to make a living, and they have found a home, and it seems, a passionate client base at rAge.

Browsing Artist Alley a shopper may stumble upon unique pieces of jewellery, or discover original comic book series, steampunk clothing, gaming miniatures, and décor items straight from a wizard's tower. There are original artworks, vinyl, wall hangings, and Hand sculpted polymer clay fantasy figurines. Anime-inspired cosplay items vie for attention with hand-forged blades and bespoke DnD dice sets, while artists paint new works from attendee commissions at their desks.

A Home For Creativity @rAgeExpo #rAgeExpo2022

A spokesperson for Legion Events, who runs the Artist Alley each year, Nadja Späth says that while Artist Alley was created by a passionate group of people, to give artists and creators a space to showcase their talents and network with like-minded people, it has grown to be so much more.

“Artists and creators have had success stories by being part of the Artist Alley at rAge Expo as some have found job opportunities, new clients and collaborations,” explains Späth.

This success, she says, is in large part due to the support for small businesses that the rAge community has, and their appreciation for the entrepreneurial spirit and great work being turned out by the various Artist Alley stallholders.

So, whether you are picking up custom-designed gaming and mouse mats from “Artificial Ink”, a unique novelty lamp from “Genie in a Bottle”, a hand-sewn and screened T-shirt from “No reason clothing” or any number of other wonderful treasures at Artist Alley, you know you are directly supporting the creatives who made these items, stocking your life with something truly unique and launching careers in the process.

But what if your primary interest is just gaming, and you still want to support our local development industry? Well, for many years rAge and NAG have incubated a special space at rAge called: Home_Coded. This is a unique zone at the expo for local South African game development talent to showcase their new game projects. Over the years we’ve seen everything from early alpha developments to complete released products available on international platforms like Steam.

“There is nothing more satisfying than seeing a local developer showcase their hard work to the rAge audience and beyond through the NAG website. Developing local talent is one of the primary objectives of rAge,” says Michael James, owner of rAge Expo.

Pretoria-based Aligned Games will showcase two new games already available on to wish list on Steam. Both games are expected to release in the first half of 2023, but visitors to rAge will have an opportunity to see them in action before they officially release.

Also exhibiting at rAge will be Yellow Lab Games, whose highly original music and apocalypse-themed game Metavoidal is out now.

Both Artist Alley and Home_Coded have something unique to offer visitors so be sure to visit them and support creative South Africans in the process.

Tickets to the rAge Expo are available to purchase online at Howler.co.za.

Cheers!!!

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RageExpo 2022 @rAgeExpo Is A Tourism Destination Now @visitgauteng #GPFestiveSummer #VisitGauteng #GautengMeansBusiness

Hi Guys,

The importance of the rAge expo as a destination for people around South Africa, and now Africa, has been recognised by the announcement that the Gauteng Tourism Authority has come on board as an official destination partner for the 2022 event.

With the Intel Africa Masters CS:GO tournament bringing players from around the continent to the Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand for rAge, the eyes of Africa and beyond are focussed on Gauteng. By joining in partnership with rAge, the Gauteng Tourism Authority has recognised this vital contribution to spotlighting the area with people who previously may not have considered it an entertainment holiday destination.

In addition to being a noted attraction in the region, rAge is also recognised as a business incubator with both Home_Coded and Artist Alley showcasing new and developing South African countries. This exposure to thousands of expo-goers is further enhanced through the expo’s media partnership with NAG, which offers these smaller businesses more focused exposure online.

“We would like to welcome the Gauteng Tourism Authority as an official destination partner to rAge 2022,” said Project Director for rAge, Michael James, adding, “With a strong partner like the Gauteng Tourism Authority, we stand on the brink of expanding the scope and size of rAge into new markets and making an even bigger impression on all young people interested in technology, IOT, gaming, and geek culture.”

RageExpo 2022 @rAgeExpo Is A Tourism Destination Now @visitgauteng #GPFestiveSummer #VisitGauteng #GautengMeansBusiness

Speaking on behalf of the Gauteng Tourism Authority, Sthembiso Dlamini the CEO explained that events of this nature help in cementing destination Gauteng’s positioning as Africa’s premiere home of quality business and lifestyle events.

These are not just events, but economic stimulators, catalysts for job creation and growth in a thriving events industry that appreciates and supports all the co-creation partners. We are excited to be formally joining hands with rAge 2022 as the official destination partner and this comes at an opportune time as we unleash the Gauteng Festive Summer Staycation Campaign which is anchored on the hosting of quality events this festive season and punting of I Summer with “that thing” in Gauteng, emphasised Dlamini.

The rAge expo takes place from the 9th to the 11th of December at the Gallagher Convention Centre and tickets are available online at Howler.co.za.

#GPFestiveSummer #VisitGauteng #GautengMeansBusiness

Cheers!!!

Disney Channels Get Festive These Holidays! #DisneyAfrica @DisneyChannel

Hi Guys,

-- Christmas-themed episodes across Disney Junior and Disney Channel --

-- Brand-New Series and Show Seasons to Premiere December and January --

This holiday season a myriad of festive programming awaits the whole family as Disney Channel (DStv channel 303) and Disney Junior (DStv channel 309) present their festive lineup.

Audiences can expect old favourites and new friends as we kick off the holidays:

There are wonderful festive episodes and specials on Disney Channel this December. In Big City Greens, it’s Christmas Eve and Tilly helps Cricket redeem his years’ worth of bad deeds for one last chance to get on Santa's nice list, on 10 December at 10:15.

Disney Channels’ Original Movie Christmas Again sees Rowena, a child of divorced parents, experiencing a lacklustre Christmas, she makes a wish to a neighbourhood Santa for a "do-over," and unexpectedly finds herself reliving Christmas day over and over again. In this magical holiday movie, Rowena must learn to love her modern blended family as it is, in order to break the strange loop she has found herself in. In the process, she'll learn that the true meaning of Christmas is about helping others, not just herself. Go on the never-ending adventure with Rowena on Friday, 23 December at 17:25.

Disney Channels Get Festive These Holidays! #DisneyAfrica @DisneyChannel

Re-live the fun times with tech whiz K.C in K.C Undercover on Saturday, 24 December at 08:10 with “Twas the Fight Before Christmas” where K.C. prides herself on giving great Christmas gifts and thinks she's found the perfect one for her dad - a visit from his father! But it doesn't go to plan.

Enjoy a marathon of Christmas movies on the channel on Christmas Day starting with The Ultimate Christmas Present at 10:15; the story of two high school girls who use a weather machine to get the schools closed early for Christmas. A blizzard hits LA and comic chaos ensues. This is followed by Twas the Night at 11:55, where Danny and his irresponsible uncle decide to take Santa's brand-new high-tech sleigh for a ride, they nearly ruin Christmas for millions of kids. At 13:35, go on a crazy trip with the Duncan family in Good Luck Charlie: The Road Trip Movie. While travelling to Palm Springs to spend the holidays with her grandparents, Teddy decides to give up her seat on the plane to get a free flight voucher - assuming she’ll be able to get a seat on the next flight. Amy goes with her and they two are unfortunately separated from the rest of the family and have to find alternate plans to get to Palm Springs.

Disney Junior has a special holiday stunt with festive episodes from Monday, 19 December, kicking off with a new episode of Alice’s Wonderland Bakery on the day at 10:00. It’s Christmas in Wonderland and the Queen invites a few guests to her dinner. When a Mome Rath invasion cancels the event, Alice and her friends host a dinner for all of Wonderland.

On Wednesday, 21 December at 10:30, it's Christmas Eve with the PJ Masks. Greg tries to learn how to ice skate with Amaya and Connor until they notice all the Christmas decorations are missing. On Christmas Eve night, the PJ Masks find that Luna Girl is stealing everyone's Christmas presents from the chimneys for herself with her Luna Magnet.

In Mickey Saves Christmas on Friday, 23 December at 12:00, Mickey Mouse wants to throw the perfect Christmas for his friends in a cozy cabin. Plans change when Pluto tries to convince Mickey to play fetch with him instead of decorating, accidentally causing Santa to crash his sleigh and lose all of his presents. With time running out on Christmas Eve, Mickey, Pluto, and their friends must travel to the North Pole to save Christmas and learn the true meaning of the holiday.

In the new year, Disney Channel welcomes a brand-new season of Miraculous Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir – where teenager Marinette changes into Ladybug, her clandestine superhero persona, while her classmate and crush Adrien transforms into Cat Noir, his secret superhero persona, to shield Paris from evil. In Season 5, which airs 16 January at 15:15, Ladybug has lost the Miracle Box and Monarch has never been so close to victory. But our heroes will prove to be more united than ever.

Brand-new show Chip ‘n Dale Park Life premieres on Disney Channel on 16 January as well – with everyone’s favourite chipmunks causing chaos everywhere they go. Our two tiny troublemakers have huge adventures while trying to live the good life in a big city park. Nervous worrier Chip and laid-back dreamer Dale make the perfect odd couple: they’re best buddies and they drive each other nuts. Catch all the mayhem Monday to Thursday from 16 January at 17:50.

Disney Junior kicks off the New Year with Season 3 of T.O.T.S on Saturday, 14 January at 18:30. The heartfelt animated comedy series explores the hilarious adventures of best friends Pip and Freddy, a tenacious penguin and a kind-hearted flamingo, who are the only non-stork delivery birds in-training at Tiny Ones Transport Service (T.O.T.S.). Pip and Freddy’s sleuthing skills are put to the test while Freddy can’t wait for his cousin to spend the day with him, but his idea of fun gets out of control. JP reveals how he became a Super-Duper Flier!

Our favourite neighbourhood super-hero Spidey is back with Season 2 of Spidey and his Amazing Friends on 30 January at 08:05. Peter Parker, Gwen Stacey and Miles Morales continue their Super-Hero adventures as Team Spidey are joined by all-new Avengers – Iron Man, Ant-Man and Wasp and Reptil. Together, they square off against tricky new foes Electro, Black Cat and Sandman, in an effort to protect not just their community but the world of nature around them.

Tis the season to enjoy a world of festive programming, only on Disney Channel and Disney Junior!

Cheers!!!

Tuesday, 6 December 2022

It's a Holiday Market for The Geeks & Techies In Your Life @rAgeExpo #rAgeExpo2022

Hi Guys,

This year's rAge expo takes place from the 9th to the 11th of December and as such is perfectly timed for those who may be looking for gifts for technology and geek-minded loved ones. Or why not treat your inner geek to something nice this festive season?

Among all the games, esports, LAN, and cosplay there are also dozens of stands selling everything from the latest computer hardware to homemade cosplay costume items and it's all available at great prices. It has become something of a tradition for retailers to arrive at rAge with something on special and this year promises to be no different.

For instance, ACER will be giving huge discounts on Acer Nitro and Predator tech and limited-edition predator merch will be sold at their predator stand. SMD Technologies is offering all rAge attendees up to 25% off on all SONY INZONE Headsets for the duration of the expo. For something slightly geekier Kitsune relics who sell Funko Pops, Loungefly bags and FiGPiNs will be doing as much as 60% off on some items.

It's a Holiday Market for The Geeks & Techies In Your Life @rAgeExpo #rAgeExpo2022

Then there are prizes attendees can win, simply by visiting the store and picking up a little something. Expat Trading is doing multiple giveaways each day ranging from gaming Keyboards to Bluetooth speakers, while SMD Technologies is giving away a Creality 3D printer; Shure is offering visitors the chance to win their own design on an MV7 podcast microphone and UGS is giving away an Xbox Series X to the person who drives the fastest lap on f1 22 at their stand over the weekend.

The other side of shopping at rAge is the opportunities offered to pick up entirely unique gifts and items that really can't be found anywhere else. Artist's Alley is an inspiring collection of local stalls that offer things that are either handcrafted, custom designed or tailored to a customer’s specific requirements. From unique paintings and sketches to jewellery, steampunk accessories and Medieval clothing, the creative people of the Artist's Alley have been a cornerstone of the convention for ten years. These are not the things you can find in any old shop and shopping there you are sure to find the ideal present for that relative or friend whose tastes aren't catered for in a mall. Handcrafted daggers vie for attention alongside unique 3D printings, handmade figures, and risqué lingerie.

The best part is that by buying your gifts at Artist's Alley the money all goes directly into the pockets of the people who created your purchase with no middlemen, and no corporations in between.

Be sure to stop by the many flea market stalls where local entrepreneurs have an assortment of interesting goodies to buy.

Incredible Connection and Evetech also have a wide range of computer and gaming tech products available to purchase online this week at discounted prices, so make sure to check them out.

Whether you are looking for something unique, a great price on the latest tech or just want to support a local entrepreneur, rAge is set to be the ultimate geek holiday market.

Tickets available to buy online via our official ticketing partner, Howler

rAge Expo 2022:

Dates: 9 - 11 December 2022

Expo times: Friday: 10:00-18:00 | Saturday: 09:00-18:00 | Sunday: 09:00-16:00

Day pass: R180 per person

Weekend pass: R400 per person

Kids under 6: Free

Venue: Gallagher Convention Centre, Midrand, Gauteng| 9 Richards Dr, Halfway House, Midrand, 1685| GPS: 26.0017° S, 28.1297° E

Cheers!!!

Monday, 5 December 2022

Intel Launches 13th GEN INTEL Core Processor Family @Intel_Africa @rAgeExpo #rAgeExpo2022

Hi Guys,

On Nov. 14, 2022, Intel revealed their revolutionary new 13th Gen Intel® Core™ processor family, led by the 13th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-13900K – the world’s fastest desktop processor.

The 13th Gen Intel Core desktop family will consist of 22 processors and more than 125 partner system designs and includes six new unlocked desktop processors with up to 24 cores and 32 threads and blazing clock speeds up to 5.8 GHz.

As a proud partner of rAge Expo, Intel is delighted to be able to showcase the new groundbreaking processors for gamers, editors, designers and casual observers at this year's expo at the Gallagher Convention Centre.

Intel Launches 13th GEN INTEL Core Processor Family @Intel_Africa @rAgeExpo #rAgeExpo2022

Regarded by many as the best gaming, streaming and recording experience yet on offer, the 13th Gen Intel Core processors are compatible with existing Intel® 600 or new Intel® 700 series chipset motherboards, and also offer support for DDR5 and DDR4 memory chips, giving enthusiasts more options on both features and budget.

“With the release of our latest series of flagship 13th Gen Intel Core Processors, we are once again raising the bar for PC performance.,” said Nitesh Doolabh, Country Manager at Intel South Africa. “The 13th Gen Intel Core family is the latest example of how Intel is enabling amazing experiences to happen on the PC – at scale and across all PC product segments. By combining this with an ecosystem of partners that is unmatched in the industry, as well as innovative products like Intel Unison, we are demonstrating to the world what the future of the PC experience can actually achieve.”

These unprecedented processors include up to 15% better single-threaded performance and up to 41% better multi-threaded performance leading to a better all-round platform for creating and gaming.

When it comes to the new Core i9-13900K, gamers, streamers and digital artists need to sit up and take note. Available with up to 24 cores (8 P-cores, 16 E-cores) and 32 threads and up to 5.8 GHz and 15% better single-thread performance, it can push high frame rates and allow for an unparalleled gaming experience across top titles.

For those gamers who still want more the 13th Gen Intel Core processor allows higher average overclocking speeds across P-cores, E-cores and DDR5 memory. Intel has also updated its easy one-click overclocking feature, Intel® Speed Optimizer, to support 13th Gen processors so users can overclock with minimal effort. On top of this, the robust Intel® Extreme Memory Profile (XMP) 3.0 ecosystem provides a wide selection of overclocking modules. When coupled with Intel® Dynamic Memory Boost, this feature provides a hassle-free memory overclocking experience with both DDR4 and DDR5.

The 13th Gen Intel Core desktop “K” & “KF” processors on the Intel Z790 chipset are currently available at www.evetech.co.za and will be on hand at the MSI stand at rAge 2022 for anyone who wants to see the performance for themselves.

This is, of course, not Intel's only news though, as they are also excited to be partnering with rAge Expo to host the largest CG:GO cross-continent competition in Africa to date, the Intel Africa Masters semi-finals and finals. With a prize pool of US$30 000 (R550 000 at the time of printing) the Intel Africa Masters is set to be a live event like no other on the continent.

“The tournament provides a platform to get African Gamers out of isolation from their local country bubbles and start competing internationally. The partnership between Intel, rAge, and Mettlestate will go a long way towards creating more opportunities for teams and players. By introducing Intel Africa Masters, a potential “path to pro” can be forged,” says Doolabh.

rAge Expo 2022:

Dates: 9 - 11 December 2022

Expo times: Friday: 10:00-18:00 | Saturday: 09:00-18:00 | Sunday: 09:00-16:00

Day pass: R180 per person

Weekend pass: R400 per person

Kids under 6: Free

Venue: Gallagher Convention Centre, Midrand, Gauteng

Cheers!!!

eSports Is A Major Highlight @rAgeExpo #rAgeExpo2022 #agalaxyofgeek #escapetoplanetrAge

Hi Guys,

Esports is absolutely booming around the world with tournaments frequently getting in millions of views on streams, and this December visitors to rAge expo will be able to witness the phenomenon live.

The expo, which takes place at the Gallagher Convention Centre from the 9th to the 11th of December, will see a number of South African esports organisations hosting an action-packed lineup of games including Minecraft, Rocket League, Overwatch and the CS:GO Intel Africa Masters.

RGB Gaming will be hosting a series of competitions aimed at bringing together teams from a variety of schools where esports has taken off in popularity. RGB Gaming has been working tirelessly with schools and tertiary institutions around the country to help them develop their esports programs through everything from assisting with system and environment requirements to training with teachers, general IT and even, assisting players with game/life balance and help with their posture.

According to GM for RGB Gaming Jaco Sauer there is evidence that shows esports programs within educational institutions help build a sense of belonging, promote collaboration and communication skills, and foster good sportsmanship and improved social behaviour, whilst also creating a pipeline for future STEM careers and furthering learners’ strategic thinking and problem-solving abilities.

“We at RGB Gaming believe integrating these programs in learning institutions through a sustainable and stable environment not only helps children to build their future in a technologically inclined world but also promotes the understanding of parents and teachers that this is building viable 21st-century skillsets,” said Sauer, GM.

eSports Is A Major Highlight @rAgeExpo #rAgeExpo2022 #agalaxyofgeek #escapetoplanetrAge

That help has been paying off as illustrated by the fact that 14 schools are set to take part in Friday's Minecraft Speedrun tournament at rAge Expo, with six high schools taking on the Overwatch2 tournament on Saturday. Along the way, there will also be time for Minecraft Build challenges and PvP, with Minecraft coding challenges taking place on the Sunday.

Also making its debut at rAge will be the Intel Africa Masters CS:GO finals, which is the first of its kind on the continent. Four teams from the African continent have made it through the regional qualifiers and will be competing against each other to take home the title of African champions. Carly Twaddle, head of project management, at Mettlestate said the four finalists are a real testament to the talent in Africa.

“This is an important event for esports, not only in South Africa but across the continent. There is so much talent in Africa, and we wish them to luck in the finals at rAge,” said Twaddle.

Fresh from the Intel Arabian cup, Cairo City Gzzz will be arriving from Egypt, and 15averageGang are representing Algeria from the North Africa region.

Captain of Cairo Xity Gzzz, Basel ‘Hellsing’ Alaa Mahmoud Ali says his team are ready for the competition.

“It’s the first international LAN for us all. We played before, but it was just in our region, and we are really excited because we want to do something huge!” he says.

Unsurprisingly, esports has been growing exponentially in Nigeria, so local fans will no doubt be looking forward to their first live glimpse of the regional champions Outlaws who, despite being relative newcomers, left no one in doubt they were deserving winners in their home country.

Without doubt, though, the rAge crowd will be cheering for their local champions Bravado, whose team captain Aaron “SloWye” van der Walt says has the experience to win.

“It's been a tough year so far but we're happy that we were the team to represent our scene at the Intel Africa Masters finals. We will wave the Bravado Gaming flag high and will show that we have what it takes to be the best,” he insists.

Andreas Hadjipaschali, co-founder, and CEO at Bravado Gaming, perhaps encapsulated the enormity of the occasion when he explained what an honour it is to partner with Intel and compete at the first Intel Africa Masters.

“We're looking so forward to competing against the best of the best in Africa and showing the world the potential we have to put this beautiful continent on the esports map,” he said.

It doesn't end there by any means. Mamelodi Sundowns F.C. and Mettlestate are hosting an R200 000 FIFA 23 tournament with the semi-finals and finals to be held at rAge. The tournament was announced to celebrate Sundowns' inclusion in FIFA23 and has attracted a large number of gamers, all vying for one of the top 8 spots, in four live qualifiers around the country and an online event leading up to the rAge weekend.

There is another R50 000 on the line in the Incredible All Star Gaming Rocket League finals, which are also being held at rAge. Mettlestate has been presiding over the online qualifiers with playoffs taking place this week which will see the top 2 teams making their way to rAge.

And if that's not enough, the Ultimate Gaming Championships are also back at rAge 2022 with rAge Drive, their action-packed, awesome fighting game tournament. Friday 9 December will see players take on the Street Fighter 5 tournament with Tekken 7 players getting their chance on Saturday 10 December. The prize? Winners of both tournaments will qualify for the Red Bull Hit The Streets national final which is taking place in Cape Town on 17 December. Registration is now open so head here to sign up.

For those who haven't yet played in qualifiers or who are new to competitive gaming, the Predator Ultimate Gamer Challenge offers the perfect opportunity to get a few quick games in and potentially win a R130 000 Predator gaming setup as well. Those with the skills should either be at rAge on 10 December or register and qualify online for the 11 December final.

Obviously, rAge Expo wouldn’t be complete without Call of Duty. The #C3ZA Call of Duty Community Clash, hosted by ACGL and Predator, will see some of SA’s best COD: Modern Warfare 2 teams go head-to-head for a share of R40 000.

“We can’t wait for this year’s rAge Expo to kick-off, “said co-owner of the African Cyber Gaming League, Nicholas Holden, adding “The ACGL team will be out in full force assisting some amazing brands in bringing their stands to life”.

For the gamers who will be attending the #NAGLAN, Red Bull is hosting their well-established Red Bull Flick 2v2 CS:GO competition in the LAN. Registration will take place on Friday, and the games will take place on Saturday.

It's all lining up to be a weekend to remember for gamers and esports fans.

Tickets to the rAge Expo are available to buy online via Howler.

rAge Expo 2022:

Dates: 9 - 11 December 2022

Expo times: Friday: 10:00-18:00 | Saturday: 09:00-18:00 | Sunday: 09:00-16:00

Day pass: R180 per person

Weekend pass: R400 per person

Kids under 6:Free

Venue: Gallagher Convention Centre, Midrand, Gauteng

Cheers!!!

Clear Access Delivers Lightning-Fast Connectivity to @rAgeExpo #rAgeExpo2022 #ClearAccessSA

Hi Guys,

One of the core attractions at rAge Expo has always been the NAG LAN BYOC, which sees hundreds of gamers coming together for +68 hours of non-stop gaming. The infrastructure necessary to run such an event clearly has to be cutting edge, which is why rAge Expo partnered with Clear Access to provide the internet connection.

Usually positioned as the backbone of media houses around South Africa, and the reason why sports and live events can be streamed on terrestrial TV, Clear Access recently branched out into supporting the country's most enthusiastic gamers, with an Internet service offering they say is simply unbeatable in that field.

The 30Gb/s connection they will be bringing to rAge is a significant investment in the event, as in not something just anyone can do. With one of the most secure networks in the country, Clear Access delivers an enormous amount of redundancy to ensure their lines stay up, even when others are failing.

Marketing Manager for Clear Access, Rob Nelson, explains that this stability comes off the back of their work in the media.

“Imagine if, during a live broadcast, a link goes down. You can't. We cannot allow that to happen,” he says.

Clear Access Delivers Lightning-Fast Connectivity to @rAgeExpo #rAgeExpo2022 #ClearAccessSA

With TCP/IP acceleration, Clear Access is able to accelerate data downloads and media streaming during the handshake of the TCP connection. This allows them to take control and give priority to data downloads. This is also beneficial to gamers who need to download new maps and updates for their games. Clear Access’s multiple international routes and optimised routing on their international and local routes offer resilience and exceptional low ping times.

Apart from the stability and the redundancy, Nelson is adamant that their network is “pretty special”.

One of the things rAge was looking at when it came to the network was stability. It is essential that despite the workload, games on the network go uninterrupted and once again this meant that Clear Access was streets ahead of the competition. Apart from the faster and more resilient connection, the support offered by Clear Access is also unsurpassed.

“We are the only ISP with proper 24/7/365 support,” says Nelson. “What this means is that if you are gaming at 2am, and you call us, you don't find out we are closed, go into an endless queuing system, and finally speak to a call centre operator. With Clear Access, you will go straight through to an engineer who knows what he is doing – someone who was instrumental in building this network. I mean, we can't have a client calling us with a problem, and for them to be told, 'hang on, let me check my notes.”

At the NAG LAN, this network will be further supported by Clear Access' Neutrino which is usually only used on high-end business connections to clear barriers on the line and deliver intranet speeds over the internet.

“In essence, we will have 30 Neutrinos active at the NAG LAN so that gamers are able to fully experience our Quark connection with TCIP acceleration and no lag. It's going to be incredible,” says Nelson.

It's already easy to see why Clear Access would become the go-to ISP for gamers around South Africa, but the company goes even further. Shortly after launch, they became aware that no matter how good their network was, their clients wouldn't be able to get the best experience, without an equally good Wi-Fi partner. So began their relationship with Plume. Plume is a revolutionary, next-gen, Wi-Fi solution that uses machine learning and AI to track the devices that are on the network and optimise the Wi-Fi dependent on usage and needs.

The full Clear Access offering from Quark to Neutrino, and Plume will all be on display at the Clear Access stand, as will their side project with Ring cameras, which in conjunction with top-level Wi-Fi offers homes the very smartest home security.

Tickets to rAge Expo are available to buy online via Howler.

rAge Expo 2022:

Dates: 9 - 11 December 2022

Expo times: Friday: 10:00-18:00 | Saturday: 09:00-18:00 | Sunday: 09:00-16:00

Day pass: R180 per person

Weekend pass: R400 per person

Kids under 6: Free

Venue: Gallagher Convention Centre, Midrand, Gauteng

Cheers!!!

The World Is Changing. Witness The Future @rAgeExpo #rAgeExpo2022 #agalaxyofgeek #escapetoplanetrAge

Hi Guys,

From the latest technology to the future of gaming, life and business, this year's rAge Expo at the Gallagher Convention Centre will offer attendees a feast of the future. At rAge, everyone from gamers and geeks, to business people and casual fans will all be able to dive in, explore and immerse themselves in the trends, innovations and creations that will impact our world over the next decade. Innovative new ideas from the Metaverse to virtual reality (VR), artificial intelligence (AI), and cloud gaming will impact the future.

With gaming now bigger than the movie and music industries combined, there can be little surprise that many technological advancements will soon be impacting how we interact with and play our favourite games.

Despite challenges, tech companies like Facebook, Valve and Sony are busy investing significant resources into developing more efficient VR hardware and games. With VR set to unlock, rather than hinder, more social aspects, experts are saying it can expect to seize a significant percentage of market share over the coming years.

Blending the virtual with the real, augmented reality is going to change everything from gaming to training sessions for new employees, shopping, and even live entertainment. Augmented reality (AR) is also set to become a significantly more impactful part of daily life. Backed by another significant tech advancement in AI, AR is surgeons being assisted with their decision-making to apprentice mechanics being guided through part replacement, and CEOs plotting and understanding their company's multiple data points.

Of course, AI will also find its way into gaming. Gamers should expect non-player characters (NPCs) to become a lot smarter in future as AI gives them the ability to learn and adapt to the players' style and past actions. This can already be seen in games like Halo 2, where enemy aliens now have the ability to work together and coordinate their attacks, rather than heedlessly charge into gunfire one at a time like action villains from an 80s movie.

The World Is Changing. Witness The Future @rAgeExpo #rAgeExpo2022 #agalaxyofgeek #escapetoplanetrAge

AI won't just be part of the in-game system but will also become part of the game-building system. For some time, game designers have allowed AI to construct elements in their games like trees and rock formations, freeing them up to focus on more complex elements, but taken to its logical conclusion, this facility may see AI used to create gaming maps, levels and surroundings on the fly, effectively making games capable of being an entirely new experience every time and creating endless sandbox opportunities for genuine, immersive content. Imagine a game that collected background data, slowly learnt the things the gamer loves doing the most and adapted the experience to better fit what the gamer enjoyed.

With incoming High Fidelity graphics, games are expected to feel more real too, generating worlds that look as crisp and as realistic as the ones we live in. PC Gaming companies like Nvidia are taking the lead in creating graphics cards that allow for high-fidelity gaming.

When all of these elements come together, it's clear that we are no longer simply looking at whether the futuristic Holodeck from Star Trek will become a reality, but when.

This technology will likely be backed up with highly sophisticated financial systems that may rely on cryptocurrencies or related technology. Financial experts have weighed in of late to suggest that crypto is by no means dead but merely maturing. Will it become a niche technology used mainly to shift money around the globe illegitimately, or will governments step in and regulate crypto like any other currency? Perhaps it will be a blend of the two?

All of this will undoubtedly be linked, or at least connected, to the Metaverse. This virtual, three dimension embodiment of the internet is currently only used by a small percentage of companies and businesses, but this is set to change. A recent Gartner Marketing Survey found that 35% of consumers have never heard of the Metaverse. Still, as per projections, Gartner expects that by 2026, 25% of people will spend at least one hour a day in the Metaverse for work, shopping, education, social media, and entertainment.

“When it comes to the way we behave and interact, the metaverse has a lot more in common with the physical world than with the flat screen Web 2.0 world, says an executive fellow at Henley Business School Africa, Louise Claasen. “People that work in and on these spaces are solving for digital and virtual ownership, interoperability and democratisation of ownership, collaboration and participation. Drawing a distinction between the virtual world and the 'real' world is a misnomer. Life will happen ever more seamlessly for us across our physical, digital and virtual worlds.”

While currently, no one knows for sure what the Metaverse will look like or how it will completely change our lives, there is an absolute certainty that it is coming, and the result will be similar to when the internet launched and changed the game for companies and individuals around the globe.

These topics, and so much more, are among those that will be discussed at the rAgeX conference on December 9th. The conference will host speakers, sessions, and panel discussions, and will be focused on discussing the technologies, from crypto to the Metaverse and machine learning, that are changing our planet and teaching attendees how to wield them for business and personal success. More casual observers may simply wander the stands experiencing the latest mind-blowing technologies, interacting with the true capabilities of modern gaming and trialling the cutting-edge innovations that are changing our world. The future is here, and it's all in one place – rAge Expo 2022. Get your tickets and witness the next step.

www.rageexpo.co.za

#rAgeExpo2022:

Dates: 9 - 11 December 2022

Expo times: Friday: 10:00-18:00 | Saturday: 09:00-18:00 | Sunday: 09:00-16:00

Day pass: R180 per person at Howler

Weekend pass: R400 per person at Howler

Kids under 6: Free

Venue: Gallagher Convention Centre, Midrand, Gauteng

Cheers!!!

Intel's Powerful New NUC To Feature @Intel_Africa Masters CS:GO Tournamnet @rAgeExpo #rAgeExpo2022

Hi Guys,

Intel South Africa has announced that players competing for the inaugural Intel Africa Masters CS:GO tournament will be using Intel Next Unit of Compute (NUC) devices at the Grand Finals which will be hosted at rAge Expo 2022.

Only recently announced the Intel® NUC 12 Enthusiast Mini PC and Kit (code-named Serpent Canyon) is a compact mini-PC, built to include Intel® Arc™ graphics in the smallest form factor, and designed for gamers and content creators. The NUC 12 Enthusiast features the latest 12th Gen Intel® Core™ processors and is the first Intel NUC to include Intel® Arc™ A-series graphics in the form of the Intel® Arc™ A770M graphics processing unit (GPU).

Intel's Powerful New NUC To Feature @Intel_Africa Masters CS:GO Tournamnet @rAgeExpo #rAgeExpo2022

“We are delighted to provide the best gamers in Africa with the powerful Intel NUC so they may compete at their very best for the title of Intel Africa Masters and show the rest of the world just how good they are at gaming,” said Intel South Africa Country Manager, Nitesh Doolabh.

While it is already a global phenomenon the Intel Africa Masters CS:GO tournament is a first for Africa, and will allow African players the opportunity to compete on an equal footing on a global stage. This is why the powerful new NUC was an essential component of the tournament and one that will give players the best chance of stamping their name into the CS:GO history books.

Brian McCarson, Intel vice president and general manager of the NUC Group broke down just why this machine has become the centre of discussion in gaming circles.

“The Intel NUC 12 Enthusiast Kit is one of the most exciting NUCs to launch because it’s the first to pair an Intel processor with discrete Intel graphics. The system provides a strong combination of high performance in content creation and gaming usages, and a wide array of I/O – typically found in larger systems – all in a small form-factor design. More importantly, this NUC features helpful technologies like Intel® Thread Director and Intel® Deep Link that make it perfect for anyone trying to create and game in the convenience of a truly compact design,” said McCarson.

Specifically, the Intel® NUC 12 Enthusiast Mini PC and Kit features an Intel Arc A770M GPU with 16GB GDDR6 VRAM, while Intel Arc graphics elevate gaming performance with a new microarchitecture optimized for gaming and the latest visual technologies, including AI-enhanced upscaling, real-time ray tracing and full support for DirectX 12 Ultimate.

By combining Intel Arc graphics with up to a 12th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-12700H mobile processor with Intel’s performance hybrid architecture, the Intel NUC 12 Enthusiast Kit delivers all the performance and innovative capabilities users need in an ultra-compact, 2.5L form factor.

The NUC 12 Enthusiast also brings Intel Deep Link to the desktop for the first time, enabling both the CPU and GPU to seamlessly work together to boost performance across a variety of workloads.

This powerful little machine also offers support for up to 64GB dual-channel DDR4 memory, three M.2 PCIe slots, including two Gen4 NVMe slots, two Thunderbolt™ 4 ports and six USB 3.2 Gen2 ports (Type-A), fast connection with Intel i225-LM 2.5Gbps Ethernet, Intel® Killer™ Wi-Fi 6E AX1690i and Bluetooth®5.2, HDMI 2.1 TMDS-compatible port (up to 4K60) and two DisplayPort 2.0 (1.4-certified) ports.

Currently available at select South African retailers, these kits will allow users to customize memory, storage and operating system to suit their needs. Fully equipped desktop systems will also be available through retailers and system integrators at a later date.

Gamers who are keen to see them in action should definitely head to the rAge Expo at Gallagher Convention Centre from the 9th to the 11th of December.

Tickets are available to buy online now via the official ticketing partner, Howler.

#rAgeExpo2022:

Dates: 9 - 11 December 2022

Expo times: Friday: 10:00-18:00 | Saturday: 09:00-18:00 | Sunday: 09:00-16:00

Day pass: R180 per person

Weekend pass: R400 per person

Kids under 6: Free

Venue: Gallagher Convention Centre, Midrand, Gauteng| 9 Richards Dr, Halfway House, Midrand, 1685| GPS: 26.0017° S, 28.1297° E

Cheers!!!

New Year Resolutions - Week 41 Achievements & Failures #TheLifesWay

Hi Guys,

Week 41 - Sat 08 Oct 2022 - Fri 14 Oct 2022

The second week of the month of October 2022 was spent on the road as we only reached Johannesburg on 11-Oct-22 and then directly went to rest for some time as we started around 3am in the morning to reach by 1pm from Beaufort West. It was really a great trip but I could not shoot much of the content I intended to. I think I get overwhelmed with the devices, gadgets, angles and so much more mental pressure before I even begin to shoot that I miss a lot of easy stuff. I think I need to make a simple checklist to create my content and keep it as simple as possible.

1. Walking - I only could complete 10 kilometres during the course of this week as the walking was casual on the beach and around the city of Hermanus. After coming back I felt too tired to walk so that's how it caused the kilometres to not reach the 20 km mark. This has been a consistent failure at my end and it will put me in a difficult situation as I may not reach the 1000 mark that I need to reach by 31-Dec-22.

2. Thank You - As I told you last week that I am going to stop at the counter till I buy a new one from China Mall. This is a huge impact on my gratitude habit but let's see if I can do it without the manual counter to push the buttons.

New Year Resolutions - Week 41 Achievements & Failures #TheLifesWay

3. Events - I attended the virtual YouTube Shorts Event as a part of 3 part series with International creators including Arun Maini from MrWhoseTheBoss and felt really great to be part of the YouTube Shorts community. I have achieved a lot in terms of YouTube just by being part of the YouTube Shorts community in South Africa. Many thanks to the team and the partner manager. You should also make YouTube shorts if you are making reels on Instagram or videos on Tik Tok to take it further and earn some money too.

4. Diwali Celebrations - The time has come for the Diwali celebrations as well after we celebrated the festival of Vijay Dashmi last week. I have always loved celebrating Diwali as you get to wear new clothes, distribute sweets and eat a lot of desserts. The best part is this time BAPS are doing their own fireworks in WITS University Sports ground and also Shree Radhey Shyam Temple is going to light the sky too. I am of the opinion that enjoyment comes from watching and not from firing them. I never missed any of the fireworks in London during the 14 months I lived there in 2010-11 by the government on several occasions.

5. Entertainment - I didn't watch any of the web series or movies this time around. My family watched Laal Singh Chaddha on Netflix in Hermanus but I didn't like it when I watched it again also. Some of the movies are totally not worth your time and a person has to create something new and not repeat their regular acting as seen in their previous movies. Dangal was the only movie that I have watched in repeat mode of Aamir Khan and must have seen it more than 100 times.

The second week of October went into the preparations for the Diwali sweets and shopping for the festival. This time I reduced my fireworks expense to a minimum and spent only ZAR 90 for Sparklers because the fireworks were arranged by the temple authorities and you only enjoy what you see in the sky much more than the ones you see bursting on the land. Have a great festive season! Cheers!!!

Cheers!!!

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