Conrad Strydom blog

We are moving!

noreply@blogger.com (Conrad Strydom (conrad.strydom@gmail.com)) — Wed, 15 Feb 2006 01:54:00 -0800

Hi,

I have moved the blog , so scoot on over to http://geekspin.wordpress.com/ , its now called "Geekspin".

Update your feedburner feed to point to http://feeds.feedburner.com/Geekspin

Cheers!
Conrad

Geek Spin Podcast #5

noreply@blogger.com (Conrad Strydom (conrad.strydom@gmail.com)) — Tue, 25 Oct 2005 11:39:00 -0700

A LATE upload, after some bandwith issues.. enjoy

The Musically inclined Apple Cast!

MP3 can be found here.

Hi guys, great to see you back!! Sorry about the damn Archos harddrive whine you'll hear every few minutes .. gotta work on that!

I have a music heavy podcast for you tonite, I play 4 songs by some great bands as provided by the podsafe music network.

Songs:

All songs released under Fat Wreck Records

Decendents/Cool to be you

MxPx/Lonesome Town

Chixdiggit!/Geocities Kitty

Descendents/Nothing With You

I tell you about the Tech Podcast Network live events, the k7.net free voicemail service, Backpackit , online workspace.

We Talk about the new apple goodies:

New G5
The new Powerbooks
Everything you wanna know about the 5th Gen iPod

Cheers!
Me

Subscribe to out feed , hit the feedburner link on the right hand side of this page!

Geekspin #4

noreply@blogger.com (Conrad Strydom (conrad.strydom@gmail.com)) — Tue, 11 Oct 2005 12:14:00 -0700

Geekspin #4

Mon, 11 Oct 2005

After a long period of silence, I'm back with another riveting installment of my late night ramblings!

Download the MP3 here...

We play in with a great rock track, Uncrowned - Queen of New York. Thanks to the Podsafe Music Network

I apologise, talk about homefront developments, mention the ZA Show and introduce you to Ancestor, the new podcast novel by Scott Sigler.

I play a promo for podsafeaudio.com

News Covered:

Yahoo launches podcasting support

One laptop per child, details on its proposed $100 laptop.

Robofish

Apple Announcement, 12 October. Think Secret.

MySQL getting attention.Ken North.

Stanford wins $2m Dollar Arpa Grand Challenge. 132 miles in under 7 hours. VW Touareg R5.

15 to 20 launch titles for xbox 360 on November 6

Intel launches dual core server platforms.

Panasonic announces Blu-Ray by early 2006.

Play out with another podsafe song .. Brother Love - Summertime

Apple announces iPod Nano + ROKR phone.

noreply@blogger.com (Conrad Strydom (conrad.strydom@gmail.com)) — Wed, 7 Sep 2005 11:46:00 -0700

Hot off the presses today is the announcement of the new iPod player that seems to be a replacement for the mini (which has disappeared of the site) as well as the long awaited Motorola ROKR E1 iTunes phones.

Read about the nano here ..

Nano: The good ..
1) Super bleeding edge 4Gb solidstate flash technology.
2) Color screen
3) Super slim + tiny
4) Just plain sexy
5) Did I say tiny?
6) I want one

Nano: The bad ...
1) It causes the instant demize of a whole market of compact HD based players. awww.
2) The put the audio jack at the bottom. umm...
3) How are you 'sposed to read that little screen?
4) Why not support the alternative colors that where so popular with the mini?
5) WOW!! Why so pricey? You can get a 20GB photo for $50 less? Guess thats the price
you pay for bleeding edge tech.
6)What up with the name? C'mon apple Creative already have a Zen Nano, see it here

Read about the ROKR here ...

ROKR: Good
1) Its a phone AND and iTunes based mp3 player .. wow..
2) um ...

ROKR: The bad
1) Its very definately a Motorola, no Apple design influence. In fact I'm sure its a
rehashed E398, which I
actually think looks better in its black.
2) Its too basic dude, nothing special
3) Only supports like 100 songs out the box.
4) The iTunes support allows only random auto MP3 populating (like the shuffle), or
manual USB based MP3 populating. I guess that cause of the limited storage space
:)

oh well.

Tags: iPod Nano,ROKR

Oh well.

Blog search

noreply@blogger.com (Conrad Strydom (conrad.strydom@gmail.com)) — Fri, 2 Sep 2005 23:59:00 -0700

So you wanna find a blog specialising on Rhododendrons? Or maybe you just wanna read some general Apple, or Microsoft news. But how to find these niche blogs? Before the only solution would have had to be a google search or maybe a tag based search on something like technorati.

Not anymore, technorati has launched a blog search. As a claimed weblog owner you can now add up to 20 tags to describe your weblog.

Will be enabling it and checking it out.

Read more here http://www.technorati.com/weblog/2005/09/44.html

Via Scoble

Tags: technorati, Tags: blog search

Scoble goes to google - a parody

noreply@blogger.com (Conrad Strydom (conrad.strydom@gmail.com)) — Fri, 2 Sep 2005 23:43:00 -0700

Ok this is old but, Haha!

Scoble posted a link to this South Park derived sketch on him visiting google.

Pretty funny.

Link to sketch here..

Scobles original link here

Hmmm , space elevators , fluffy bunnies ...

Read on slashdot ...

noreply@blogger.com (Conrad Strydom (conrad.strydom@gmail.com)) — Wed, 31 Aug 2005 10:12:00 -0700

1) Vista Beta compared to Tiger
http://it.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/08/31/1415208&from=rss
http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/winvista_beta1_vs_tiger_01.asp

Have a gander at a review of Vista Beta 1 with a "chicken and egg" type theme.

2) Nintendo registers insane (*sic*) patent
http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/08/30/1645253&from=rss
http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=/netahtml/srchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=6,935,954.WKU.&OS=PN/6,935,954&RS=PN/6,935,954

Nintendo has patented an "insanity" system for video games where characters are affected by the situation they are in there preparedness and general state of mind so as to affect the reaction on input etc. Yikes, a character that refuses to move and cries for his mommy cause you didn't do enough training ...

3) Sorry waiter, there seems to be a worm on my Zen!
http://hardware.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/08/30/0118252&from=rss

So for the technology blunder of the week, it seems that some 3700 Zen Neoon mp3 devices have been shipped including the W32.Wullik.B@mm work. Poor bastards.

Read on Engadget ...

noreply@blogger.com (Conrad Strydom (conrad.strydom@gmail.com)) — Wed, 31 Aug 2005 09:33:00 -0700

These 2 items via engadget today that caught my attention,

1) 1GB CF Round up
http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000857056563/
http://www.pcstats.com/artvnl.cfm?articleID=1842
Ok .. so you wanna buy a highspeed 1gb CF card, but which one to get? The answer .. its doesn't really matter! Read this review and discover that unless you have a very top-end DSLR it wouldn't really matter much. Mid-range cameras like the Canon S500 really didn't show a difference. Of course if you are into bragging rights you would want the king of the test .. the Sandisk Extreme 1Gb .. which I happen to own :).

2) Archos Gmini 500 released
http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000243056485/
http://www.generationmp3.com/index.php/2005/08/29/1299-exclusivite-gmp3-photos-et-specifications-de-larchos-gmini-500
So Archos has released yet another repackaged Gmini .. I gotta tell you I don't know why they insist on doing that. You know I own the Av400 and its a great damn device, the only problem is that it lacks hard drive capacity. I honestly believe that while its good to have a small mp3 player, when it comes to video devices a large screen is a must and PVR (pocket video recording) is super important. The perfect device would be one that retains the AV400 form factor, BUT with a much larger screen. The AV700 misses the mark cause it seems TOO big. Really is there a market for a Gmini device? Also .. where is the Xvid capibility? And I would kill for some good management software, I don't like synching my device like an Ipod , cause I use it as a portable drive as well.

Openoffice

noreply@blogger.com (Conrad Strydom (conrad.strydom@gmail.com)) — Mon, 29 Aug 2005 23:26:00 -0700

Read a somewhat opinionated review of openoffice (which I also use casually) at http://www.realtechnews.com/posts/1705 , none the less its a good indication of what to expect in version 2.0 and shows just how far the product has come.

via SlashDot ..

Tag: Openoffice

noreply@blogger.com (Conrad Strydom (conrad.strydom@gmail.com)) — Mon, 29 Aug 2005 14:05:00 -0700

More on google tonight..

Slashdot reports on a possible plan buy google to develop a cheaper alternative to the current internet in order to provide high bandwith applications more cheaply. Yup, sounds about right to me. What would be interesting is how the implement the last mile delivery .. could it be Wifi? I hope so.

On another note Cringely is on record as pinning the google development as peaked at the moment, and is calling the rapidfire google developments like the dark fibre buyout just an expensive smoke and mirrors game so that google can shape the world around them a little. For example, release a chat client based on open standards ... boom everyone else runs to do the same. Interestingly he calls Apple the biggest threat to the current way. Ok ,ok .. that particular theory is a stretch, but have a look.

Tag: google,apple

More Apple-Intel developments.

noreply@blogger.com (Conrad Strydom (conrad.strydom@gmail.com)) — Mon, 29 Aug 2005 13:57:00 -0700

Slashdot has more information on the Apple-Intel saga. Seems like they have arranged for some low end PowerPC chips throughout 2008, are they just hedging their risk as the article says?

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/business/12492493.htm

Tag: apple

Skylab Van.

noreply@blogger.com (Conrad Strydom (conrad.strydom@gmail.com)) — Mon, 29 Aug 2005 13:45:00 -0700

Some people just have too much time on their hands. Have a look at a bonafide geekness extravaganza. A van kitted out like skylab ..

http://www.boingboing.net/2005/08/28/if_the_vans_aorbitin.html
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mumbles/sets/838784/

The google master plan

noreply@blogger.com (Conrad Strydom (conrad.strydom@gmail.com)) — Mon, 29 Aug 2005 13:19:00 -0700

An interesting take on the google plan, sounds scarily similar to skynet ..

http://gigaom.com/2005/08/26/google-the-ultimate-deflator/

Can you imagine trusting one company namely, google, with ALL your data and applications and becoming solely reliant on one source for all of this? I dunno if they are going with the whole client server route they are gonna need to have one helluva fantastic great fallover/backup system. Not to mention .. how will they guarantee 100% uptime. 99,9% just wont do ..

via geeknewscentral

Tag: google

Engadget - 1985

noreply@blogger.com (Conrad Strydom (conrad.strydom@gmail.com)) — Mon, 29 Aug 2005 13:14:00 -0700

Wow! Boy have we come a long way! The only thing I really associate with is the NES! :)

http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000430055334/

engadget 1985

Google respond with Word Verificiation.

noreply@blogger.com (Conrad Strydom (conrad.strydom@gmail.com)) — Mon, 22 Aug 2005 08:41:00 -0700

Looks like the little threat by Mark Cuban did not go unanswered , google is listening. How refreshing!

Comment spam and the inevitable move to Moveable Type.

noreply@blogger.com (Conrad Strydom (conrad.strydom@gmail.com)) — Mon, 22 Aug 2005 01:24:00 -0700

So , having recently fallen victim to the annoying google comment spam issue, caused by an "authenticated" user, I managed to stumble on this article quoting Mark Cuban as having threatened to actually block blogspot from IceRocket. Of course the issue is that you don't have to email validate your comments, thus giving rise to all sorts of splog bots coming online in the free blogspot environment (yet another problem).

While I'm not sure whether I should care about an IceRocket listing, I do think that this is symptomatic of some larger future problem, and I will be looking at moving to something like Moveable Type in the near future.

Peace...

Tags: splog , blogger , mark cuban

Linux and Windows on the PSP

noreply@blogger.com (Conrad Strydom (conrad.strydom@gmail.com)) — Tue, 16 Aug 2005 03:46:00 -0700

Engadget reports information on a private individual who has managed to get linux and windows 95 running on the PSP by porting Bochs (an open-source x86 emulator) to the PSP.

Yet another amazing feat , showing us how handy the PSP platform may become for us Geeks out there.

Tag: psp

iPod Garage : So you wanna start podcasting, Part 2

noreply@blogger.com (Conrad Strydom (conrad.strydom@gmail.com)) — Thu, 4 Aug 2005 02:14:00 -0700

Check out the second installment of this excellent series on beginners podcasting. This one is on entry level mic's and goes into some of the technical terms involved, like Dynamic vs. Condenser.

Wired News: Hackers Annihilate Wi-Fi Record

noreply@blogger.com (Conrad Strydom (conrad.strydom@gmail.com)) — Wed, 3 Aug 2005 00:30:00 -0700

Wired News: Hackers Annihilate Wi-Fi Record

A 125 miles is a long way for a wireless 802.11 connection. And here I am worrying about a couple hundred meters!

Google RSS reader

noreply@blogger.com (Conrad Strydom (conrad.strydom@gmail.com)) — Mon, 1 Aug 2005 08:36:00 -0700

Google has added basic RSS functionality to the google homepage, check it out via the google labs link. BTW. you need a google profile, and you need to be logged in.

Windows Vista Logo

noreply@blogger.com (Conrad Strydom (conrad.strydom@gmail.com)) — Mon, 1 Aug 2005 08:18:00 -0700

Bask in the glowing glory of the Windows Vista logo, appreciate it greatness and superb originality here.

Do you detect a hint of sarcasm ;)

Tag: Vista

Great Phone. The Motorola Q

noreply@blogger.com (Conrad Strydom (conrad.strydom@gmail.com)) — Wed, 27 Jul 2005 05:42:00 -0700

Scoble is wanting the Motorola Q, long rumoured as the RAZRberry.

Great phone , look how thin it is! And of course it will run a proper OS, not some in house attempt. A serious Treo Killa!

Tags: Motorola Q,RAZRberry

Its official Microsoft "deleted" the apple headquaters. Or is it?

noreply@blogger.com (Conrad Strydom (conrad.strydom@gmail.com)) — Wed, 27 Jul 2005 05:42:00 -0700

Scoble has confirmed our suspiciouns that something was up with Microsoft's Virtual Earth and he confirmed that the Cupertino images where older than 9 years when Apple moved to these , their new location.

For those that havn't followed the issue, the deal was that some blogger noticed a big empty patch of space where the the Apple HQ should be and of course everybody and his mom jumped on the "Microsoft deleted Apple" bandwagon.

Of course this is removing attention from the fact that VE is actually a great piece of kit and is gonna mount a serious attack against google's own implementation.

Online mapping IS big right now.

Virtual Earth

iPod Garage - So you wanna start podcasting.

noreply@blogger.com (Conrad Strydom (conrad.strydom@gmail.com)) — Wed, 27 Jul 2005 05:07:00 -0700

Hey,

Found a great article over at So you wanna start podcasting? , and looks like the first in a series of great articles. The author covers some things to think about as you embark on your own podcasting journey, and makes some great suggestions as to content, style, and how to kick episode #1 off.

Check it!

Tags: podcasting, ipodgarage

Firefox 1.0.6

noreply@blogger.com (Conrad Strydom (conrad.strydom@gmail.com)) — Mon, 25 Jul 2005 08:06:00 -0700

(update .. apparently this thing has been available for download from like Thursday .. *lowers head in, shame and then promptly passes out*)

In case you missed it Firefox 1.0.6 has been released somewhere over the weekend.

Oh joy! :(

Do you wanna know the reason , you'll love this ...

"Restore API compatibility for extensions and web applications that did not work in Firefox 1.0.5."

Yo! Firefox we love you, but you gotta get your act together, this is getting tedious.

tag: FireFox