Inspector Gadget

Weird Wired World

noreply@blogger.com (Galen Schultz) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 08:10:00 +0000

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GADGET BLESSINGS: Shinto priests in Japaen protect electronics from bad mojo and system crashes

I HAVE always had a fascination for religions other than the one that I was force-fed at school. I am not an unruly atheist, but simply feel that one should understand or at least lightly explore the views of religions other than your own before deciding what to believe.

To totally refute the beliefs of other religious groups is, as history will tell, sadly often the cause of futile conflict. It always seems that people who want to share their religious views with you never want you to share yours with them …

Anyhoo, I have recently developed an interest in the religions of the Far East, specifically Japan’s Shinto religion. A core belief of Shinto is that all objects — living or not — have spiritual properties, and can thus be blessed. With the increasing introduction of electronics to Japan, there has been an interesting fusing of technology with the practices of Shinto.

Specifically since the introduction of Windows XP to Japan, more and more consumers have been taking their laptops and electronic devices to Shinto priests to be blessed against system crashes and technical failures.

A writer for Wired Magazine took his cellphone to a Shinto Priest to witness this phenomenon first-hand and provides a first-hand account of the whole experience ...

Blessed are the Geek

"My cellphone sits in a lacquer tray waiting to be blessed by a Shinto priest. Late last year, I visited the ancient Kanda shrine, located in the heart of Tokyo’s consumer electronics district. The shrine does boffo business offering charms and ceremonial purifications that protect cellphones and laptops and even blogs and ISP services from bad mojo"

Brian Ashcraft

Boom! … Boom! … My chest reverberates with the thumping of a huge wooden drum as two robed holy men shuffle across tatami mats. They kneel in a vermilion-coloured alcove, while an assistant announces that the ceremony has commenced.

The priests begin bowing and chanting rhythmically. I’ve been given a white “robe of cleansing” to wear. Actually, it’s more like a smock. I’m not sure what I should be doing. I bow a couple of times.

I’ve come to the 1 270-year-old Kanda Shrine in Tokyo to purify and bless something very near and dear to me: my cellphone. I’ve had hellish luck with cellphones over the past year. I left one on a ride at Universal Studios Japan. Its successor suddenly (and mysteriously) died. The next one accompanied my pants into the washing machine, and its replacement went awol in less than a week. Divine intervention was needed, and pronto.

Japan’s Shinto religion holds that nearly every object in the world, animate or inanimate, has a spiritual essence. Therefore, anything can be blessed, from a newborn child to an automobile. Priests at the Kanda Shrine, which overlooks Akihabara — Tokyo’s Mecca for consumer electronics — offer prayers for the well-being of gadgets.

Kanda found its calling in metaphysical IT work seven years ago, when Microsoft XP went on sale in Japan. The shrine created talismans to prevent system crashes, and they were snapped up by the throngs of nerds who prowl Akihabara for the latest gizmos and porn comics.

Soon requests were pouring in for priests to perform purification rites on laptops, cellphones, even web-portals. Today Kanda offers microchip-shaped good-luck charms for ¥800 (about R64) and private ceremonies for ¥5 000 (about R400).

Back in the great hall, an older priest waves a giant wand — essentially a mop of white parchment streamers — over his counterpart. Thus cleansed, the younger priest rises and carries my phone on a tray to the main altar. He begins a low-pitched chant, invoking the shrine’s deities to “watch over and protect Brian Ashcraft’s cellular phone”.

As the sound of plucked koto strings echoes through the hall, the assistant jingles gold bells over my head. I’m told to approach the altar and am given a tree branch — an offering to the shrine’s deities. A priest painstakingly instructs me to turn the branch 180° —no, no, clockwise— and place it on the altar. I am then told to bow deeply twice —that’s good — and clap twice.

Most Japanese people would probably stumble through this intricate ceremony as clumsily as I do, but the tenets of Shinto are deeply ingrained in their consciousness. It occurs to me that this must affect how they view their little electronic helpmates. Perhaps gadgets really do have souls. Maybe my problem isn’t bad luck, maybe I simply haven’t been giving my phones the respect they deserve. I bow again, and the ceremony concludes.

Near the great hall’s exit, I am presented with a wooden plaque certifying that my cell has been purified. Over a cup of sake, senior priest Katsuji Takahashi chuckles as he tells me, “I’ve lost my phone twice, but both times it turned up.”

Seven months later, my blessed cellphone is still with me.

We really do live in a weird wired world.

— www.wired.com

Make way for Shweebways

noreply@blogger.com (Galen Schultz) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 07:33:00 +0000

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SHWEEBS: personal pedal-powered pods

TRAFFIC jams. Being stuck in traffic has got to be in the top five on the list of peoples’ most hated things in the world – right after Bob Mugabe, taxes, Telkom and getting toffee stuck on the roof of your mouth.

I have seen murder develop in the eyes of the calmest looking drivers when caught between throngs of cars. It’s hard not to get slightly ticked off and lose it – suddenly finding yourself bashing your way through the metallic queue, foot flat on the pedal, with a criminal reputation mounting up, and laughing hysterically.

No. We need to restrain ourselves from doing that. I find that the best self-therapy is to turn up the air-con (or heater), wind up the windows thus blocking out the sounds of hooting and swearing, and listen to Bob Marley.

However, our traffic nightmares may soon come to an end thanks to an invention known as the Shweeb. And this is not just some fancy new swearword, but the world’s first human-powered monorail.

"Shweeb" means "to float" in German, and is a self-enclosed, pedal-powered pod which is already in use at an amusement park in New Zealand. The team of designers who developed the Shweeb not only see the pod as a vehicle of amusement, but as an environmentally-friendly replacement for personal motor vehicles in traffic congested cities.

The idea was conceived by designer Geoffrey Barnett while on holiday in Tokyo – one of the world’s most heavily conjested cities. Barnett implemented the idea in his adventure park - Agroventures - in New Zealand, which is partially a proof-of-concept for an ingenious, high efficiency, no emission urban transport system.

HOW IT WORKS
The Shweeb uses a monorail system to guide users along a pre-determined path, with each pod being powered by the rider. According to the official Shweeb website, to travel in a Shweeb takes only half the energy required to ride a regular bicycle, and only 1/3 the energy of a mountain bike to pedal (since it is enclosed and there isn’t the rolling resistance of the tyres to compensate for). For even greater efficiency, Shweebs can be linked together for less air resistance and more pedal power.

SPEEDS
The pods are far more aerodynamically efficient than a bicycle too. Most riders see speeds of around 45 km/h, but on a longer circuit with a much longer straight, the Shweeb can reach up to 70 km/h.

Such speeds are rather impressive when considering that the average speed of a car in London these days is a mere 13km/h (due to traffic). This is the same speed that cars could reach 100 years ago – before the demonic birth of rush-hour.

What’s more, when taking tight corners the pods can swing out as much as 60 degrees; but unlike a bike or motorcycle, there is no danger of losing traction and crashing.

Barnett has spent six years developing how to efficiently transfer pedal power to drive wheels enclosed within a monorail track while allowing the vehicle to swing freely underneath. The hard wheels on the steel rail mean that there is very little rolling resistance, and riders have shown that you do not have to be an Olympic athlete to power the pedals.

THE FUTURE

Barnett foresees the future use of his high efficiency, no emission urban transport system: "Here’s how it works. You get up in the morning; descend to the second level of your apartment building where there’s a Shweeb port and empty Shweebs waiting for you. You cruise over the top of the traffic jams. You don’t pay parking. You’ve produced no pollution. You arrive at work fit, healthy and ready to go!" says Barnett.

An exciting aspect of the Shweeb is how it could address problems of health and fitness relating to lack of exercise in certain nations. Of course you will always get lazy Shweebers who don’t pedal, hold up the traffic and simply get taken for a ride; but any ticked off, speeding Shweebers won’t be able to knock others off the rails.

"Shock absorbers between the vehicles ensure that vehicles come together smoothly. When a fit rider comes up behind a slower rider, the impact is cushioned and they act as a single unit. The rider at the rear is sitting in the slipstream of the leading rider and is able to put all their power into pushing the lead vehicle," says Barnett.

So it appears that road rage would no longer be an issue in a Shweeb world. In fact, two Shweebs acting together will always travel faster than either rider separately. Even if the lead rider were to stop pedaling, the energy required to maintain a vehicle’s momentum on a flat track is minimal.

MAKE WAY FOR SHWEEBWAYS
The logistics of getting Shweeb systems up and running in countries around the world is not as difficult as one might think. "The urban Shweebrail network is inexpensive, has a tiny footprint, and each Shweebway requires only a square meter of airspace,” says Barnett. “It’s safe, silent and sustainable."

Not only are Shweebways inexpensive to build, but the pods come cheap too. In fact, you would never even need to buy one. “You don’t own the Shweeb,” says Barnett, "you use it like a shopping cart. Empty vehicles are restocked to wherever they are needed."

Imagine it now: climbing into a slick Shweeb after a day’s work, laying back and sailing above congested traffic during rush hour, getting a daily workout with gentle pedaling, enjoying a great view of the city, all while listening to Bob Marley… Sign me up!

Check out the Shweeb website for videos and more info

Farcical extremes

noreply@blogger.com (Galen Schultz) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 07:48:00 +0000

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GREEN DAM: Latest Internet screening programme takes its duties to farcical extremes - but China is adopting it

BEIJING — What do Johnny Depp, Garfield, Paris Hilton and roast pork have in common? In China, the answer is that a new government-mandated Internet filter rates some pictures of all four of them as bad for your moral health.

Beijing has ordered all personal computers sold in China since the beginning of July to be preinstalled with the Green Dam software, which it says is designed to block pornographic and violent images, and which critics fear will be used to extend censorship in the country.

But a trial of the programme, which is available online for free download at www.skycn.com/soft/46657.html, suggested its filters may be of limited use to worried parents.

When the software is installed, and an image scanner activated, it blocks even harmless images of a film poster for cartoon cat Garfield, dishes of flesh-coloured cooked pork and, on one search engine, a close-up of Johnny Depp’s face.

With the image filter off, while searches with words like "nude" are blocked, a hunt for adult websites throws up links to soft- and hardcore pornography sites, including one with a video of full penetrative sex on its front page.

Green Dam has not detailed how it scans images for obscene content, but computer experts have said it likely uses colour and form recognition to zoom in on potential expanses of naked flesh.

Programme settings allow users to choose how tightly they want images scanned. When too much skin is detected, Green Dam closes all Internet browsers with no warning, sometimes flashing up a notice that the viewer is looking at “harmful” content.

But the interpretation of obscene is apparently generous enough to include the orange hue of Garfield’s fur and, on the highest security settings, prevent viewers clicking through to any illustrated story on one English news site.

The software also allows users to choose what they want to filter for, and besides adult websites and violence, categories include “gay” and “illegal activities”.

Another setting allows Green Dam to take regular snapshots of a user’s screen and store them for up to two weeks — ostensibly so parents can monitor computer use by minors.

But it could also potentially leave security officials a track of computer use by a suspected dissident, or be a gift to fraudsters who are on the hunt for online bank details and private information.

Western governments and trade groups have asked China to reconsider implementing Green Dam software based on concerns ranging from cyber-security and performance of the software to Internet freedoms.

— Sapa-AP

Related post: Porn to be a teen

Google sounds the bugle!

noreply@blogger.com (Galen Schultz) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 07:30:00 +0000

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GOOGLE WAVE: The clash of the computer titans is on. Google has taken on Microsoft by announcing that it's launching its own operating system — free of charge. The war between the two software giants is likely to change the world of the Internet forever ...

Alistair Fairweather

IF business is war then two of the world’s biggest companies have finally stopped skirmishing on their borders and brought out the heavy artillery. On July 7, Google fired the first shell by announcing that they will begin offering their own operating system in mid 2010.

The warhead — called Chrome OS — is aimed straight at the heart of Microsoft who have built their entire business around operating systems since the 70s, first with MS DOS and then the globally-dominating Windows series.

But while Microsoft have always charged for their software, Google plan to give theirs away free of charge. What’s more, Google are starting from a completely fresh perspective — one with the potential to undermine Microsoft’s entire business model and loosen their foothold on the software market.

If the name "Chrome" sounds familiar, that’s because it’s also the name of Google’s web browser. And this isn’t just a case of lazy naming. By evolving Chrome into an operating system, Google are planning to turn the entire software world on its head and make browsing the centre of computing.

An Introduction to Google Wave
There is a full 1 hour 20min presentation on YouTube which Philc7753 has kindly and painstakingly edited down for our short attention spans

Hang on, isn’t an operating system a lot more complicated that a browser? Doesn’t a browser need an operating system to, well, operate? That’s the whole genius of the plan. Google are betting that the centre of influence in computing is moving out of personal computers and into the massive computing power of the Internet, known as the "cloud".

That means that in future, computers will be dumber and cheaper. They will rely on the enormous banks of computers that power the Internet to do much of their thinking for them.

This is already happening. One of the fastest growing sectors in computing is netbooks — smaller, cheaper, less powerful portable computers with speedy connections to the Internet that focus on tasks like e-mail and browsing the net.

Currently, Microsoft is tussling with free operating systems such as Linux for ownership of this market, and Google wants its own share of the pie. So what? There’s nothing particularly revolutionary about a free operating system. They have been around for longer than Microsoft have been in existence, let alone Google. And some of them are backed by huge companies such as IBM and SAP.

Yet none of those other companies is as heavily invested in cloud computing as Google. And it’s cloud computing that poses the greatest risk to Microsoft’s dominance.

Microsoft’s bread and butter has always been its desktop applications — programs such as Word, Outlook and PowerPoint. Operating systems are like plumbing — expensive but necessary — and Microsoft have lost money on them for years. This was justified because they knew that by owning the platform they would be able earn it all back on desktop applications.

Google Docs, on the other hand, is nearly as good as Microsoft’s Office but is free and requires no hard-drive space and much less power (and therefore can run on a cheaper computer). It’s a true “cloud” application — its platform is the Internet.

So Google have, in effect, pulled Microsoft’s own trick on them but in reverse, and for free. And given how quickly Microsoft are losing market share in the browser market (it’s now just above 50%), they have real cause for concern. If Chrome OS takes off, Google will start to hurt more than Microsoft’s pride.

That’s still a big "if" though. For all their mistakes Microsoft are still the top dog of software. Despite the current media hyperbole about Chrome OS, Windows still commands 90% of the market share in operating systems. Even if Chrome lives up to the hype, it will still take years to get a foothold. Only one thing is certain about this battle — peace talks are unlikely to begin anytime soon.

We’re in for a long slog and I don’t think anyone can accurately predict a winner. What we can be sure of is that the conflict will change software (and the Internet) forever.

- Alistair Fairweather writes for The Witness
newspaper in Kwa-Zula Natal, South Africa

Jet-setting with the Samsung Jet

noreply@blogger.com (Galen Schultz) — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 12:53:00 +0000

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SAMSUNG JET'S innovative smartphone-like features take handsets to the realms of being 'smarter than a smartphone'

THE Samsung Jet has opened up a whole new world of mobile web browsing with its high performance Dolfin web browser and revolutionary 3D cubic interface, allowing super-fast surfing. The device also supports the option of multi-window browsing – allowing one to surf up to five pages simultaneously.

The 3.1" Samsung WVGA AMOLED display is four times sharper than a WQVGA screen, has a fast touch response, and is also very efficient in its power consumption - consuming 40% less energy than a mobile phone equipped with TFT-LCD display.

When it comes to music, Samsung Jet's unique features give users the option to operate simultaneous playback audio and scroll through the phone's music library.

For video, the DVD-like video playback recording (with D1 Video Playback and D1 30fps Video Recording) enables seamless playback without residuals and the ability to instantly download and play DivX and Xvid formats without converting and resizing- all in HD-like quality.

This full-touch mobile phone boasts revolutionary speed thanks to its 800MHz Accelerated Application Processor. This sophisticated high-performance processor is the Samsung Jet's secret to speed and versatility, integrating multiple applications and functions, such as navigation and viewing.

Samsung Jet also has an A-GPS application, to provide navigation services in life-like 3D, to convey real places, information and directions in real-time. This incorporates 3D Map Navigation, GPS on Google maps and location-based services. And if all that isn't enough, it also includes a Geotagging feature.

SAMSUNG JET SPECS:

HSDPA 3.6Mbps (900, 2100 MHz)

Revolutionary 3D Cubic Interface

Display: 3.1" 16M WVGA AMOLED

Camera: 5.0 Megapixel AF camera+ Dual Power LED

Face Detection, Smile Shot, Panorama Shot, Blink Detection, Geo-tagging, Photo Editor

Video: D1 Video Playback/D1 30fps Video Recording, Video Editor

Supports: MPEG4, H.263, H.264, WMV, DivX, XviD

Audio: Music Player with DNSe & SRS WOW Sound Effect

Find Music, 3.5 Ear Jack, FM Radio/Recording

Supports: MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, WMA, AMR, MIDI, SP-MIDI, i-melody, WAV, MMF, XMF, OMA DRM v2.1, WMDRM,

DivX VOD & Wi-Fi

Active Sync for Push Mail

Value Added:

In-house developed Dolfin Browser, WAP 2.0, One finger Zoom

Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync, Share Pix & Mobile Widget

A-GPS, On Board Navigation(3D Map), TouchWiz 2.0

Motion UI, Media Gate 3D, Multi-tasking Manager

Connectivity: Bluetooth® v2.1, microUSB (USB v2.0 Hi-Speed), Wi-Fi

Memory: 2GB onboard memory & 8GB microSD card (included)

Battery: 1,100 mAh - Talk time : 2G/492 minutes, 3G/300 minutes

Standby: 2G/422 hours, 3G/406 hours

Size: 108.8 x 53.5 x 11.9 mm

- issued on belhaf of Samsung Mobile Phones
http://www.helloworldagency.com/

iPaint on my cellpone

noreply@blogger.com (Galen Schultz) — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 16:56:00 +0000

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SOME of the latest hype arriving in the wake of the new iPhone 3G S is an Apple application for the device called Brushes, which allows users to do more than just doodle on their iPhones. The images are “painted” freehand, using fingers and thumbs.

The app allows users to make use of various painting tools and brush sizes and pick up previously applied colours using the eyedropper tool.

The standard “pinching” gesture, which has become a feature of the iPhone, can be used to zoom in for detailed work, and there’s an undo and redo function on the Brushes app as well.

Professional artists have applied themselves to the task of creating pieces and some of their works have received such vast amounts of global attention that there are plans afoot for exhibitions in bricks and mortar art galleries.

*Click on images to enlarge*

In a new craze sweeping the world, iPhone and iPod Touch users are producing extraordinary 'paintings' on their Apple devices. All the images were created using an application called Brushes and 'painted' freehand using fingers and thumbs

Brushes, created by Steve Sprang, also records every brush stroke while you are painting - allowing you to watch how your painting builds up

Artist Susan Murtagh said: "It took me a little while to get the hang of it but once I figured out my work flow it was almost like painting on canvas"

It's easy to use - just take your finger and doodle. Next thing you know you've made the background blue and you're doodling in orange - it's fun"

Mike Miller, a 32-year-old from Colorado, America, thinks he had mastered the art of digital painting after a week of practice. He added: "The more I use the application, the more it feels the same as the real thing"

Priced at £2.99 Brushes can be downloaded through Apple iTunes

Fellow digital artist Mathew Watkins finds "painting on the iPhone more immediate and pleasurable than painting on the computer with mouse or pen tablet"

"Physically drawing on the touch screen is the same method I use on pad and paper, except it isn't messy and fits in my pocket"

Classically trained artist Susan Murtaugh, from Wisconsin, America, is already selling prints of her digitally-created art for around 15 pounds

Images: http://www.telegraph.co.uk

Lucky Number Seven?

noreply@blogger.com (Galen Schultz) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:37:00 +0000

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REVIEW: a quick look at the all new Windows 7 operating system

IF there is to be any war that is sustained longer than the Iraqi war, it will be the war on Microsoft.

There is a growing group of Windows users who would eagerly take up any opportunity to assassinate Bill Gates for all the pain and frustration that his Microsoft operating systems have caused. The numerous versions of Windows that currently exist attest to the fact that the operating system has never quite been perfected.

Windows Vista is one such version. What was expected to be the crème de la crème of all Windows operating systems — the one version to rule them all — it was met with countless bugs, system crashes, and several instances of users’ pulling out their own hair.

Vista is going down in Windows history as a failed project and we are entering into a new operating system era with the instalment of Windows 7. But we’re going to have to wait a little bit longer.

WINDOWS 7 RC
Microsoft has launched the release candidate (RC) version of its forthcoming Windows 7 operating system. The RC version, which will be available as a free download until July, is the “next-to-final” release of the operating system that will likely replace Windows Vista on most desktops in the coming years.

According to mybroadband.co.za, there is much to like about Windows 7, just as there was much to dislike about Vista when it was first released. The initial impression offered by Windows 7 RC is that of a “lighter” operating system.

Among the complaints about Vista is that it does not work with some software designed for the previous operating system, Windows XP, and that it is it too much for netbooks or older computers to handle.

Gone are the heavy-handed and memory-demanding approaches of Vista in favour of a desktop that is clean and attractive without feeling bloated. In its place is a desktop that feels pared down with just the necessary controls in sight.

PERFORMANCE
A central impression that Windows 7 offers is one of speed – lite-speed in comparison to Vista. Starting with the install, which needs just a handful of clicks and enough time for a cup of coffee, right through to a running desktop, Microsoft has succeeded in getting Windows 7 to feel really nimble.

Running on a desktop PC with 2GB of memory and a dual-core Intel processor running at 2,53GHz, Windows 7 is quick in responding to commands and loading applications.

One of the major drives behind Windows 7 has been to ensure that the operating system boots up and shuts down as fast as possible — something Microsoft has managed to get right. With the growing market for netbooks (ultra-portable laptops), modern operating systems are being designed to take advantage of new processors like Intel’s Atom and startup and shutdown within seconds. Windows 7 RC already boots a lot faster than Windows Vista and, depending on hardware, starts up in similar times as Windows XP.

DESKTOP APPEAL
The desktop is not noticeably different to the beta release version of Windows 7 and is still appealing to the eye. It borders on the “minimalist”, but still manages to add to the overall sharp impression.

The most obvious benefit of Windows 7 is the significant reduction in what could be called “interference”. Microsoft has been working on reducing the levels of interference for users by limiting the number of pop-ups and warning notices — a common occurrence in Vista.

This is all to do with the changes to “user account control”, which, instead of constantly popping up warnings of impending doom and danger, are slightly muted and less obtrusive. They’re still there, but definitely not with the same vigour as before.

Windows 7 is currently being tested on netbooks, which are increasingly popular, low-cost mobile computers designed essentially for accessing the Internet and running a few simple programs.

The taskbar in Windows 7 is a great deal better than the taskbar offered by Windows Vista or XP. However, it has a tendency to undermine itself with its own cleverness, something you’ll either love or hate.

For the uninitiated, the taskbar operates as a series of “flyouts”, which are smaller representations of open Windows. They’re pretty and functional, but could be just as effective without the flashy popup windows.

One complaint about the taskbar is that by default the open windows are all crammed together on the taskbar, which can make it messy if you have too many windows open. Fortunately the default settings can be tweaked to “group-open” windows — based on applications when a threshold number has been reached.

The president of Microsoft has made just as many promises as any other. Let’s hope this one sticks to his and that the war on Windows can finally end.

— Original article at: http://www.mybroadband.co.za/

The Windows 7 release candidate (7 RC)version can be downloaded for free until July this year and is available as both a 32-bit and a 64-bit version. The 32-bit version comes in at a little under 2,5GB, while the 64-bit version is a lot bigger at 3,2GB.

Interestingly, Microsoft has said that users who download Windows 7 RC will be able to run the software for free until June 2010 before being required to purchase a copy, which is a very long trial period given that Windows 7 Final is expected to be released later this year.

Windows 7 RC can be downloaded from http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/download.aspx

First Android phone in SA

noreply@blogger.com (Galen Schultz) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 07:34:00 +0000

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MTN has teamed up with HTC distributor Leaf International Communications to launch the HTC Dream mobile handset. This mobile device is the first in South Africa to make use of the new open source Android operating system, which is owned by one of the world’s best known brands, Google.

The HTC Dream gives users one-touch access to their favourite Google products such as Google Search, Google Maps, Gmail and YouTube. Unlike other operating systems that treat search functionality as an “extra”, the entire Android operating system was moulded around the core of search functionality.

The software is completely open source and allows users to download a host of free applications as well as customise every facet of the HTC Dream - from the dialler, browser and photo viewer, to the core applications normally locked into the operating system.

“MTN is proud to be the first operator in South Africa to offer its customers a revolutionary smartphone that will change the way we use mobile technology,” says Donovan Smith - General Manager of Consumer Segments at MTN SA

FEATURES
The HTC Dream features a large, sensationally crisp 3.2-inch (8.1 cm) display with a resolution of 320X480. The touch-sensitive screen navigation is finger-friendly and super intuitive. The display switches from portrait to landscape mode when the keyboard is opened. It has a sliding five-row QWERTY keyboard that comes with a set of six navigation buttons.

The HTC Dream includes a GPS receiver and a microSD card slot that supports storage capacities of up to 16GB. The device comes standard with a 1GB microSD card. A fast, full web browser brings the power of the web to your phone and displays up to eight web pages simultaneously to open networks.

All applications integrate seamlessly with one another, alert you to events occurring in other applications and allow you to switch in and out of functions while on a call.

“The HTC Dream with Android will cater for any type of user whether you are a university student or the CEO of a company. By giving our customers instant access to Google services, we are ensuring that MTN sets the pace with innovative and convenient product offerings in both the local and African telecoms market,” says Smith

In view of the advanced data capabilities and applications offered on the HTC Dream, MTN is offering it to customers on the MTN AnyTime 350 package for R529 per month, which includes R350 worth of airtime and 100MB worth of data per month. With MTN’s new broadband offer, once the inclusive 100MB is used up, customers can buy as many additional data bundles as they need.

Sweet!

The Samsung NC10 netbook

noreply@blogger.com (Galen Schultz) — Thu, 28 May 2009 11:10:00 +0000

REVIEW: Small 'n sexy netbook for geeks on the move

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IT’S never good to be dependent on something for your happiness or well-being. Some people are dependent on cigarettes and caffeine, others on soap operas, and some on digital products. I am dependent on my computer. Whether I’m connecting with friends and family on the Internet, escaping into the world of gaming, or keeping myself entertained with movies or TV series, it is all dependent on my home entertainment system – my PC. Without it, without my daily fix of computing, I reckon I would be a rather miserable sod.

What’s sadder than being dependent on this machine are my efforts to pack my bulky desktop PC into whatever size bag or box I have in order to take it with me whenever I go off somewhere for a few days. The simple solution is to buy myself a laptop. Unfortunately laptops haven’t yet become the technology of yesteryear and therefore do not fall within my pitiful budget.

But then, just before I was about to mail my doubtful Christmas wish-list off to Santa near the end of last year, an alternative was born…

THE ULTRA-MOBILE NETBOOK

The netbook is a type of basic laptop that can perform most of the same functions as any fully-qualified PC with the exception of advanced programming. One can think of a laptop as a glorified netbook. The main benefit is that it’s a lot cheaper, and slimmer too.

This year Samsung jumped on board with the release of the Samsung NC10 into the global netbook market. This little beauty is small, light and incredibly functional, and is a stylish alternative to existing netbook products.

Samsung says that the NC10 was developed with the needs of the “kinetic elite” in mind, with the idea of achieving “more on the move.” Somewhat like my pop-idol, Pixie Bennett, the NC10 is ultra-compact and rather attractive, and would probably not be looked down on by any laptop opponents. It may be small, but it sure is talented.

Weighing in at 1.33kgs, with a screen size of just 10.2", the NC10 is one of the world’s lightest netbooks. A 6 cell battery lights up its WSVGA (1024 x 600) SuperBright non-Gloss LED screen, which is fuelled by an ergonomic notebook PC-style keyboard. This little mobile powerhouse can provide up to 8 hours of mobile computing.

One would expect such a lightweight computer to break if shouted at too hard, however, Samsung assures us that the NC10’s robust Protect-o-Edge chassis has undergone no less than 54 “grueling” quality assurance tests, ranging from rapid temperature change to electrical surges.

ANTI-BACTERIAL KEYBOARD
The NC10 keyboard is something a little special. Manufacturers use impressive-sounding ‘Silver Nano Technology’ to coat the keyboard with incredibly small, nano-sized silver ion powder, which makes it impossible for bacteria to live and breed. Theoretically, 99.9% of bacteria are successfully eliminated within 24 hours and the netbook remains relatively bacteria free.

I cleaned my keyboard once by removing all the keys and found more than one colony of mutated and overweight bacteria breeding and evolving beneath my fingertips. It wasn’t pretty. I'm all for silver ion powder.

POWER AND PERFORMANCE
The NC10’s brain may be small, but it’s not stupid. Its processor is Intel's smallest and lowest power processor to date - the Intel Atom™, which enables the NC10 to deliver real computing power at a fraction of the weight, size and cost. Samsung suggests that incorporating Windows XP Home coupled with an 80-160GB hard disk, the NC10 sets a new standard in price / performance for netbooks.

The NC10’s Intel Atom™ processor is specifically designed to deliver an amazing Internet experience using netbooks. Based on an entirely new microarchtiechture, the Intel Atom™ processor increases energy efficiency to extend battery life, while delivering enhanced mobile performance and increased system responsiveness.

The NC10 offers impressive networking and Internet capabilities. It boasts a range of advanced communications technologies, including Atheros 802.11b.g wireless LAN for fast Internet access, a 10/100 Ethernet LAN and optional Bluetooth 2.0+EDR. It also incorporates an integrated 1.3 mega pixel digital motion camera - allowing video-conferencing or live messaging.

Other features include a 3 in 1 multi-memory card reader, a VGA connection, mic in, headphone out and 3 x USB ports. These should allow one to easily transfer pictures, movies and data to and from virtually any modern camera, peripheral or audio-visual device, as well as a user-friendly way to get onto the web, access emails and social networks.

The Samsung NC10 has been on the market since March this year and is available from R 5499 incl vat.

SAMSUNG NC10 SPECIFICATIONS

Processor: Intel Atom™ N270 processor (1.6GHz, 533MHz)

Operating System: Genuine Microsoft Windows XP Home (SP3)

Memory: DDR2 533 MHz 512MB - 1GB

LCD: 10.2" WSVGA (1024 x 600) Non-gloss SuperBright© LED backlit

HDD: 80GB / 120 GB / 160GB (5400 rpm S-ATA)

Optical Drive: -

Graphics: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950 graphics core

Wireless LAN: Atheros 802.11b.g
Bluetooth 2.0 + Enhanced Data Rate
LAN 10/100 Ethernet

I / O Ports: 3-in-1 Card Reader (SD, SDHC, MMC)
- 3 x USB 2.0
- 1 x Headphone-out
- 1 x Mic in
- 1 x Integrated Mic
- 1 x VGA Port
- 1 x RJ45 (LAN)

Multimedia: 1.3 Mega Pixel Web Camera

Battery Life: 3 Cell Lithium ion (up to 3.5 hours); 6 Cell Lithium ion (up to 8 hours)

Keyboard: 84 Keys (Europe, Others), 17.7mm Pitch (93% size of Notebook KBD)

Speakers: 2 speakers with enclosure (1.5 Watt x 2 )

Dimensions: (W x D x H) 261.0 mm (W) x 185.5 mm (D) x 30.3 mm (H)

Weight: 1.19 kg (incl. 3 cell battery); 1.33 kg (incl. 6 cell battery)

Warranty: 1 Year International Collect and Return

Archived in Gadgets & Tech

The world at your finger tips

noreply@blogger.com (Galen Schultz) — Thu, 14 May 2009 11:43:00 +0000

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REVIEW: The Vodafone Mobile Connect USB Stick

Monique Tyrer

ALTHOUGH I missed my monthly phone fix from Vodashop Midlands this month, the outlet provided something different to satisfy my techno cravings that was just as fun to review — the Vodafone Mobile Connect USB Stick.

Slightly longer than your average USB flash drive, this handy Internet stick gives you a mobile Internet connection via your phone’s sim-card for either your laptop or desktop computer, allowing you to work from anywhere through a speedy Internet connection.

The “plug and play” capabilities of this nifty device work on both Windows and Mac computers through three different network connections — HSDPA, 3G and GPRS. The light on the stick also flashes a different colour to let you know which signal you are connected to, although all the connections are faster on average than a normal dial-up.

The installation data is stored on the actual USB stick itself, so there is no need to worry about installing the software with a CD, which means you can take your Vodafone Mobile Connect USB Stick with you anywhere and install it on a number of computers — a truly mobile solution for business and pleasure on the go.

The installation process was painless, and within a few minutes, the stick was ready for use. The stick also doubles as a flash drive to store information, with an additional microSD card slot available that can hold cards of up to 4GB.

Once the programme was installed, Internet browsing was quick and painless, and viewing websites such as YouTube was no problem for this small, but powerful, device. Downloading information was also really fast, and I was impressed with how this broadband USB stick had no problem handling the data.

With the programmes that come with the device, I was able to send and receive smses from my laptop, as well as view information such as signal strength, length of connectivity and the volume of data being received or sent.

This is really handy to monitor your usage, as you are charged according to how much data you use.

Monique Tyrer writes for the Natal Witness newspaper and other publications in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. Article supplied by Mall Talk.

Archived in Gadgets & Tech

How to make instant cappuccino

noreply@blogger.com (Galen Schultz) — Tue, 05 May 2009 11:20:00 +0000

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Hanging around the designated coffee area at work today (as one does) and chatting up the cute girl from accounts, a little birdie flew through the window and landed on my shoulder. “Do you want to know how to make your coffee more like a cappuccino?” he twittered pleasantly. “Sure! I love doughnuts!” my Monday morning brain managed to articulate. “Pick a milk carton that’s nearly empty and give it a really good shake!” he advised in a cheerful manner.

I eagerly grabbed the nearest milk carton and proceeded to shake it vigorously with my squash arm - not realising that the lid wasn’t screwed on properly and ended up spilling a bit of it on the cute girl from accounts. But I must say that I was more than satisfied with the results, even if Angela was a little peeved getting soon-to-be sour milk droplets on her possibly new top.

Your cappuccino should look something like this, unless of course you have a Barney the dinosaur mug or something.

But try it! Shake the shyte out of that milk before pouring it into your cup of Nescafe to enjoy a foamy cappuccino. (I find it works best with full cream milk and I’m sure one could take it a step further by adding some chocolate sprinkles or something on top. Whatever floats your boat. I don’t judge).

So that’s just a little something to take with you and make your monday that little extra bit special. I’m all about sharing. I’m off to continue spreading the joy...

More online tips & tricks

The mystery of the computer keyboard

noreply@blogger.com (Galen Schultz) — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 11:56:00 +0000

*Click here to view this post with illustrations

Staring blankly at my keyboard the other day (as one does) I began pondering over the arrangement of the keys. “What’s up with that?” I heard the comedian within me say. I set forth on a cyber-galactic journey to discovery why my keyboard’s layout looks the way it does…

A BRIEF HISTORY LESSON
In the early days of the typewriter way-back-when (1860) the letters were initially arranged from A-Z along a metal bar. However, as the speed of typists increased, they found that particular ‘type bars’ would jam together, creating several complications, personal distress and making quite a mess of typed documents altogether.

One keen mind (American inventor Christopher Sholes) suggested that the most commonly used letters be equally spaced to reduce jams and increase typing speed and efficiency. Quite taken with Mr Sholes’ insightful idea, manufacturers gradually rearranged the letters until fewer and fewer jams occurred.

A final rearrangement of the keys introduced the word QWERTY (made up of the first 6 letters along the top row of a keyboard). This has become the most commonly used, modern-day keyboard layout that we enjoy and love and take completely for granted today.

QWERTY AND ITS OPPONENTS
QWERTY was patented by Mr Sholes in 1874 and fast became the most popular keyboard layout on English-language computers and typewriter keyboards. It managed to dominate the market after being sold to Remington and whence it became mass-produced in the U.S.

The QWERTY layout wasn’t without it opponents however. The early Blickensderfer’s “Ideal” keyboard (1893) was non-QWERTY, instead having the sequence “DHIATENSOR” in the home row (i.e. the top row of a keyboard). These 10 letters are capable of composing 70% of the words in the English language yet were also met with the problem of clashing type bars when used speedily on a typewriter.

QUICK FACTS
Gradual adjustments to the QWERTY layout occurred over a period of several years. One particularly interesting adjustment included placing the “R” key in the place previously allotted to the period mark. This enabled typewriter salesmen to impress customers by pecking out the brand name “TYPEWRITER” using one row of keys. This is also the longest word in the English language that can be typed using only the top row of a keyboard.

Evidence of the original alphabetical layout of typewriters remains in the second row of a modern-day keyboard, with the letters F-L in alphabetical order (i.e. FGHJKL) - with the exception of the ‘I’ key, which was moved for type-bar jamming reasons.

The ‘W’ and ‘E’ keys were swapped around as the naughty (middle) finger is stronger than the ring finger and ‘E’ is the most commonly used letter in the English language.

Far more words can be spelled/typed using the left hand (i.e. the left-hand side of a keyboard) than the right hand. In fact, thousands of English words can be spelled using only the left hand, while only a couple of hundred words can be typed using the right This is helpful for left-handed people, however, the combined use of a mouse makes up for the typing advantage of any leftys.

Now you know everything.

Google Earth enters the oceans and space...

noreply@blogger.com (Galen Schultz) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 14:00:00 +0000

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EARLIER this year Google Inc. launched a new version of Google Earth that allows users to explore the oceans, view images of the planet Mars and watch regions of the Earth change over time.

The new features mark a significant upgrade to Google Earth - a popular software program that provides access to the world’s geographical information through digital maps, satellite imagery and the company’s search tools.

Google Earth 5.0 was unveiled at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, where former Vice President Al Gore and others spoke about its capacity to educate the public about global warming, ocean acidification and other threats to the planet.

“This is an extremely powerful educational tool,” said Gore, who won a Nobel Peace Prize for his work raising awareness about global warming. “One of my fondest hopes is that people around the world will use Google Earth to see for themselves the reality of what’s happening because of the climate crisis.”

More than 500 million people have downloaded Google Earth since it was launched in 2005. The software is available for free on Google’s website. Researchers and organisations can purchase a more powerful version for $400.

Oceans in Google EarthJohn Hanke, director of Google Earth and Maps, said the idea of adding oceans came three years ago when a scientist pointed out that the software was missing the water that covers almost three-quarters of the Earth’s surface.

Google Earth users can now plunge beneath the ocean’s surface, explore three-dimensional images of the underwater terrain and view articles and videos about marine science contributed by scientists and organisations around the world.

Internet users are now able to fly over and around underwater seamounts or follow scientific research expeditions as they mine the depths of the oceans for new species and discoveries.
The new ocean tool from Google is being dubbed has one of the best tools for protecting our oceans. According to experts, less than one percent of the Earth’s oceans are protected, compared with 12 percent of the land surface.

A key creation of the project is the Marine Protected Area layer, which contains information on over 4,500 protected sites spread around the globe and is conceived as an interactive tool that anybody can contribute to. Anybody can now dive in and explore the natural beauty, learn what threats these protected areas face and find out what they can do to help.

Exploring the future and beyondThe Historical Imagery feature lets users see archive satellite images of individual locations to see how the region has evolved over time as a result of climate change and other forces. For example, viewers can observe how the largest glacier in Glacier National Park has melted over the past decade.

Google has also made connections with the Hubble Space Telescope – a large space-based observatory which has revolutionised astronomy by providing unprecedented deep and clear views of the universe. These images range from our own solar system to extremely remote fledgling galaxies forming not long after the Big Bang.

With Google Mars 3D users can view three-dimensional, satellite imagery of the Red Planet taken during NASA space expeditions.

The new version of Google Earth also allows users to created narrated tours of places using the software’s content and images.

“It’s not just a fun demo,” said Google CEO Eric Schmidt. “What it really is, is a platform for science and research and literally understanding the future of the world.”

– Original text supplied

For more information on Ocean in Google Earth visit:
http://www.protectplanetocean.org/

The reality of the virtual - part II

noreply@blogger.com (Galen Schultz) — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 11:13:00 +0000

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Yesterweek I wrote a post about 3D glasses and all the joys they bring to the wealthiest 10% of the world. If that made you wet your pants with excitement, I thought it would be great to describe how they work in a little more detail.

Stereoscopic gaming
Stereoscopic gaming, for that matter, is basically gaming with the use of a 3D enhancing device such as 3D goggles. The stereoscopic experience is taken to greater heights with the combined use of surround sound and force feedback devices (or ‘haptics’ to be more technical).

With just the 3D specs and surround sound, entertainment junkies share a similar experience with avid IMAX (3D theatre) goers. Add gaming and a PC to the picture, and the result is superior immersion and an orgasmic experience.

Stereoscopic 3D hardware makes explosions fly out of the screen and adds depth that makes your computer screen look like a window rather than a flat projection, so say the manufactureres of 3D technology. Furthermore, nearly all gamers who have experienced this testify that their gaming performance is improved ten-fold. Here’s what one gamer had to say:

“The feeling of depth enhanced the visuals by a factor of ten. When I rolled in on my ground targets, I found that my aiming of rockets and bombs was actually a lot better in 3D than in 2D”
- Flightsim.com

Installation
Installing such devices appears to be a real cinch. A single video synchronisation adapter is used for most, and wireless devices require no serial ports or USB connection whatsoever. All that is required is to install the device’s software.

The wireless devices make use of an infrared transmitter to communicate with your PC and a dual-emitter transmitter to synchronise your monitor’s refresh rate with the glasses. Once set up, your specs activate automatically when viewing just about any PC game, photo or movie.

Battery life seems to be rather good too. Most 3D glasses use lithium cell batteries that provide 50-100 hours of usage. Retailers further promise that there’s no need to change your preferred video card drivers to utilise their stereoscopic software. Nice.

Where can I get a pair and for how much?
My spidey senses are telling me that the above question is probably on your mind right now. It’s a bit of a tough one to answer, as there is such a monumentous range of 3D glasses on the market with different levels of coolness.

However, the standard pair, which can do most of the things mentioned today (and is pictured in my last post) goes for around R1000, but you can shave R300 off of that if you don’t mind a pair with wires. Just don’t get carried away and leap across the room to avoid a virtual grenade exploding beneath you.

PS: There are several websites selling 3D goggles but note that there are some great deals on used pairs on sites such as e-bay.

PPS: I know I promised that I would write about haptics (or ‘force feedback devices’ to be less technical) this week, but I’ve decided to save that chapter for next time. (I also need to do some research and learn a bit more about them)

Related post:
The reality of the virtual – part I

The reality of the virtual - part I

noreply@blogger.com (Galen Schultz) — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 08:13:00 +0000

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As computer-processing power increases and even more realistic graphics are developed, the simulated environments produced by virtual reality systems will become even more believable than some already are.

I’ve always believed that, besides war, gaming (more generally – the entertainment industry) brings about the most innovative technological developments. In fact, the technology developed from military uses of virtual reality is finding application in several walks of life. For example:

Medical students are now operating on virtual patients rather than dissecting real, organic-smelling people

Architects are taking people on virtual tours of their dream home before finalising the design

I won’t even mention that heights that virtual reality gaming has reached

Business people are attending conferences and social events without having to board a plane

Chat rooms today mean much more than just email notice boards, which were all the rage a few years back

In this day and age consumers are even able to shop in 3D stores from the comfort of their armchair or beanbag

Twenty years ago few imagined that personal computers would soon be found in almost every home, classroom and office. In twenty years time, virtual reality may be just as central to our lives. Immersing ourselves in a virtual environment of our choice may become as commonplace as turning on the old television.

I’ve always had an interest in virtual reality. I wanted to know more about it. So I searched the interwebs to see what’s currently available on the market. Here are the cheapest and most expensive (i.e. most advanced) stuffs I came across:

The VisionDome

At the cutting edge of vitual reality - the VisionDome is a kind of half egg-shell that up to 45 people can sit/stand in and watch some pretty intense television, or lose themselves in some very life-like games.

At 5-meters in diameter, the V5 (the latest in the VisionDome family) provides a massive screen area and comfortable seating to give larger audiences a truly immersive and incredible experience.

It boasts a maximum resolution of 2048x1536 mega pixels, has 6 projector or lens options, and has a maximum output of 8000 ANSI Lumens. You would think that no one can live at that speed, which is why it sells for around
$345 500 (roughly R2 764 000).

3D GLASSES: What all the cool geeks are wearing
3D glasses possibly lie more within a South African’s budget. In the past decade, virtual reality glasses have improved in quality and become much lighter and cheaper thanks to the advancement of virtual reality technology and software.

Wireless options allow you to roam the room with your headset on, and almost all units plug into computers, DVDs and TVs. The option for a Stereo 3D input is also now available with Apple's latest in the line of Intel Xenon driven processors.

Change the way you see the world... and look pretty stylish too

Stereo 3D is just one step into the world of virtual reality. When connected to a video source with the correct software, amazing entertainment and good times in your living room are to be had by all.

As Fate would have it, it is estimated that this market will probably first be driven by adult entertainment (i.e. porn), then enhanced video games, then the major film industry.

E-DTM 3-D
Here’s a pair of 3D specs that I thought sounded rather appealing (exerpt taken from http://www.edimensional.com/):

"The E-DTM 3-D glasses instantly convert virtually all of your existing PC video game titles into true 3D. That means a real sense of depth and distance as you're taking aim at the enemy battalion approaching, trying to find the apex of the next turn, or coming in for a carrier landing in your F-14. It's why so many customers report improved game play performance when using our glasses in addition to stunning scenery and visuals"

Note for interested buyers:
When researching a good pair of 3D goggles, make sure you know the difference between goggles that only enlarge a TV image and ones that actually provide a true 3D view. While more expensive models incorporate 3D technology, the basic models only enhance the viewing area to the size of a super-large television screen.

•Next time we will take a look at stereoscopic displays and haptics (force feedback devices). These are those appendages such as the cyber-glove, that take one’s virtual experience that much closer to reality.

Related posts:
The reality of the vitual
Experience the Internet in 3D
Too hot to handle: Future gaming and PC's

Easter egg for the geeks

noreply@blogger.com (Galen Schultz) — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 10:48:00 +0000

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Here’s something quite cool.
Open up Microsoft Word and type “= rand(200,99)” (without the pull quotes) and hit Enter. What you should get are a bejillion lines of “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.”

Pretty sweet hey? I thought so. Just a little something special to take with you.

There is an urban myth that this is a bug with Word for Windows. A variation of this myth is that Microsoft programmers left it as an ‘Easter Egg’. Some scheme that programmers often leave code in programs, partly to amuse, partly to test, but mainly because most programmers are geeks and game players.

Yet the truth of the matter is that = rand(200,99) is simply a function included by design to demonstrate the maximum parameters of sentences and paragraphs. If you are intellectually gifted, you may have realised that the first number refers to the paragraphs, while the second number refers to the sentences.

Example: = rand (1,5)
The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.

You can type in any numbers between the brackets or simply type = rand() to get the same effect. = rand() is a well known random function hand for statistics and is used for simulating card games such as blackjack. My spidey senses are telling me that “rand” is somehow short for “random.”

Finally today, the reason why the sentence “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog” is used is because it contains every letter in the English alphabet. You might recall having to write this sentence a lot in your early school-going days during English lessons. In programming it is used to test different fonts and see how letters with tails appear.

Don’t say you didn’t learn anything today!

PS: Another Urban Myth is that Excel 1.0 had a complete version of Doom. To find it you had to go through a mind numbing sequence of keystrokes. Cynics say that Microsoft Executables are so large because they are full of this extra Easter Egg code.

Compacting memories

noreply@blogger.com (Galen Schultz) — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 11:30:00 +0000

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My folks had me cleaning out my old bedroom this holiday. In fact I found the whole house to be in disarray when I got home. A large slice of lawn is now a concrete slab and a portion of the roof is missing. I’m struggling to see the patio-vision right now but I’m sure it will turn out nicely in the end.

Back in my room I was given two boxes and a black garbage bag. The bag was simply for ‘garbage’, one box got filled with giveaways and the other was for storing memories in the garage.

It’s amazing the things that human beings will collect. My stowaways include a huge jar of marbles, which I won during my junior school days, all the Tintin and Asterix and Obelix books, and a few Beanos. These are among a collection of comic books, playing cards, schoolbooks and love letters (from my wild High School days).

Then I have my prize collection of deodorant cans – convinced that these will be a popular antique to have one day when they stop making certain brands, just like soft drinks or biscuit tins. I even left a smidgen of scent in each can so that I might be able to recall some odorous memories when I finally unearth them. It’s amazing how smell can bring about a flood of memories…

PHOTOGRAPHY: PAST AND PRESENT
Yet the one thing that I’m sure we are all guilty of accumulating are copious amounts of photographs. Some of us have been really disciplined and set aside a good few weeks of our lives to order these into photo albums.

However, I was surprised to find that I only had a handful of photos to speak of – ones that were at least taken by myself. I then realised that every photo that I have from varsity onwards is sitting neatly in a digital folder on my computer labeled ‘my photos.’

And I have thousands of these! Yet I remember setting aside a good few hours of my life to order every last one into distinct folders and even turned a few collections of them into videos, which will be forever stored on the internet. Well until it crashes in 2023 of course…

However, there is still nothing more satisfying for an aspiring photographer or hobbyist to whip out an ordered photo album when guests are around, or having your favourite ones on permanent display within an aesthetically pleasing frame. It’s also great looking at old black and white photos or ones with that historical sepia tint. My folks have a whole wall of the house dedicated to those. They’ve entertained guests on the way to the toilet for years.

But this is the year 2009! I am content with the idea that mom and dad’s house is becoming a unique museum of photography (at least inside) and I’m keen to look to the future. Enter the digital photo frame.

[The digital photo frame enters]

This piece of technology doesn’t need much explanation – it is what it’s called: a photo frame that stores digital photographs. It has an LCD screen which can display a series of photographs in a slideshow and a USB port to load on new photos whenever one feels the need.

One is also able to choose how long each photo will display itself for and choose what transitions will take place between photos. These digitised frames can also be connected to the internet to download new content and can, of course, be connected to digital cameras.

There are just a few issues to take note of. One is to ensure that the frame has its own internal memory card so that it may operate independently of your camera’s memory card. Roughly speaking, a 2 Gigabyte SD card should store up to 1000 images.

Another factor is to ensure that the device has a decent battery life. Unfortunately the general battery life is between 1-3 hours, but most frames have an internal clock that can be set to switch the device on and off during different times of the day.

The other thing to realise is that the quality of the photographs might not be that great, especially for the entry-level digital frames. Depending on the size of the frame/screen (which range from five to 32 inches) one should hope for 800×600 resolution.

An 8 megapixel camera takes photos at a much higher resolution than this and I imagine the digital frame will compress these. So if you know a bit of Photoshop it might be useful to resize you chosen photos before loading them on as this will ensure that you fit in the maximum number with the highest quality possible.

COST AND CONTEXT
One would expect such as modern-sounding piece of technology to be expensive, but this doesn’t seem to be the case. I saw an entry-level frame in an Incredible Connection catalogue for R600, which is not a lot considering the price of posh, non-digital photo frames.

The more advanced digital frames are obviously pricier, but are able to do a lot more. I’ve come across some that can play videos, MP3s and display text. Others come with wi-fi, touch screens and light sensors and can connect to the web remotely and stream online galleries from sites such as Flickr.

Now imagine a photo frame dedicated to your wedding day. It could begin with a worded introduction to set the scene, saying something like “Mr and Mrs Right were married in Perfect Park on a Friday, April 13”. This could be followed by a short video of the ceremony and lead into a slideshow with the wedding couple’s favourite song playing in the background. I smell a money-making opportunity… And that idea is absolutely free. I’m all about sharing.

I can see it all now: my digitised and compacted wedding memories displaying in all their modern glory in my future living room, with a box of empty deodorant cans hiding in the attic.

Online shopping tips for the festive season

noreply@blogger.com (Galen Schultz) — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 10:23:00 +0000

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If you’re tired of mad dashes to the shops for that last forgotten item, manic searches for parking, tussles with strangers over the last turkey, and queues longer than the Nile, then shopping online is the way to overcome your festive season shopping nightmare.

Online shopping is fast and convenient, making it incredibly easy to shop around for a better deal. You can find almost anything online, from groceries to discounted flight tickets, and best of all, Internet shops are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Here are a few tips from Mweb to ensure that your online shopping experience is safe and hassle-free this festive season:

SECURE YOUR COMPUTER
Your computer should have anti-virus, anti-spyware and firewall software installed. Security software must be updated regularly to provide protection against the latest threats. A good Internet security package is vital, but can be expensive.

Mweb subscribers can download Mweb Total Protection from McAfee online for free. This is a state-of-the-art package specifically designed to protect your computer against malicious software and hackers, and will automatically remind you to perform any updates.

Software such as this will also give you warnings when the site you’re working with may be insecure.

CHECK IF THE SITE IS SAFE
When buying online, look for signs that the website is secure before entering your personal and financial information. This is indicated by a closed padlock on the browser’s status bar or by an “s” at the end of http (e.g., https://www.onlineshop/bargains.com).

ONLY BUY FROM TRUSTED MERCHANTS
Only shop at companies that you have heard of or that have been recommended by a trusted source. If you have not heard of the company before, but are keen on its merchandise, why not look for its contact details and give its people a call.

KNOW WHAT YOU ARE PAYING FOR
Always read the seller’s descriptions carefully and note that name-brand items at greatly reduced prices could be counterfeit. Ask for proof of authenticity if necessary as you can’t scrutinise items like you would if you were in a store when shopping online.

ONLINE PAYMENTS
Online payments are usually made with a credit card. When given a choice, rather use a credit card instead of a debit card because credit card companies such as Visa and MasterCard protect you against unauthorised purchases.

Remember to keep your passwords safe and don’t save them on your computer, even as a separate file, just as you wouldn’t keep your credit card’s PIN number in your wallet.

LOG OFF FROM YOUR WEB BROWSER AFTER SHOPPING
When you’ve finished shopping online, log off from the website and close your web browser. This will end your session safely, and will keep your personal information protected. Also, be wary of entering personal financial information at an Internet café or public access spot.

The cyber-world is not that different from the real world and similar rules apply. Trust your instincts and be street-wise. Happy shopping, and may you receive many happy feelings this festive season

— original copy supplied by Mweb

Related post:
The Simple Life (online)

Garmin launching Mobile XT

noreply@blogger.com (Galen Schultz) — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 12:39:00 +0000

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There is an ever-increasing number of mobile devices (phones and PDAs) being launched on the South African market that include global positioning system (GPS) receivers as a standard feature.

However, these devices rarely come bundled with accurate, high-quality GPS and mapping software - a deficiency that often makes the GPS feature an underutilised mobile option.

A GPS IN YOUR POCKET
Garmin Mobile XT Version 5 is a new product Garmin are launching in 2009 specifically for cellphones with GPS receivers.

The product is installed on an SD card and transforms GPS-enabled mobile phones or PDAs into full-featured navigation devices, with all the functionality of conventional GPS devices (such as turn-by-turn voice prompts).

This is according to Andrew McHenry, head of mobile and content for Avnic Trading, official South African distributor of Garmin and Garmap, who says that for very little cost users can take full advantage of having a “go-anywhere” navigation device in their pockets which is as convenient and beneficial to use as it is easy to set up.

To enable South Africans to get the most out of their GPS-enabled devices, Avnic Trading has announced the retail availability of Garmin Mobile XT version 5, the company’s full navigation application, which utilises the very latest Garmap Africa Series 2008 mapping data.

POINTS OF INTEREST
Garmap Africa Series 2008 Second Edition now includes over 750 000km of routable map data for 1 700 cities, towns and villages, as well as 55 nature reserves, in nine countries. To date, the map set also includes over 190 000 points of interest (POIs) and the list is growing on a regular basis.

“Garmin Mobile XT gives users the ability to check weather forecasts for their destinations, access flight details for many major airlines, and call a point of interest (such as a restaurant or coffee shop) using the phone feature.”

SOCIAL / COMMUNITY FEATURE
“There are a number of community-focused features in Garmin Mobile XT that aim to add even more benefit to having a GPS in your pocket,” says McHenry.

Users can send a location message to another mobile phone - detailing their exact location in GPS coordinates. If the receiving mobile phone also has Mobile XT installed, the message translates into a destination point and allows the receiver to easily and quickly navigate to that point.

SAFETY FEATURE
Being able to find someone also plays a huge role in safety and security. Mobile XT includes a “panic button”, which automatically fires off an urgent location message to three emergency contacts whenever a certain key is depressed for more than 3 seconds in certain Samsung and Nokia handsets.

PANORAMIO
For tourists and pedestrians in South Africa, Garmin Mobile XT also includes a useful social feature called “Panoramio” - a tool that allows consumers to access user-generated content that has been uploaded to the web.

“Utilising Panoramio, users can download a list of photos that were taken by other users who had visited the same area before and uploaded these geo-tagged photos to the Panoramio website,” says McHenry.

“In Garmin Mobile XT, users see a list of photos, a short description of the photo and the distance to the place where the photo was taken. Users then simply select the attraction that they want to see and Garmin Mobile XT shows them how to get there.”

“This makes it easy to navigate cities and tourist destinations, using landmarks and tourist attractions without having to know the exact address,” McHenry adds. “It’s a great new way of discovering attractions in foreign cities, or maybe even in your backyard.”

FROM POINT A TO POINT Z
“There is so much more to the GPS feature on mobile devices than the glorified map book,” McHenry says. ”It’s not just about navigating from point A to point B anymore. There’s so much to discover out there, and you may just be carrying the very tool in your pocket to help you find it.”

• Garmin Mobile XT version 5 will be available in retail blister packs at leading retail outlets from the beginning of 2009, for a recommended retail price of R990.

COMPATIBLE HANDSETS INCLUDE:

HTC: Touch Diamond, Touch Cruise, Touch Pro, P3300, X7500, TyTNII, P3470, X7500

Sony Ericsson: Xperia X1

Nokia: E90, E71, E66, N96, N95 8GB, N95, N85, N82, N79, N78, 6220 Classic, 6210 Navigator, 6110 Navigator

Samsung: i560, G810, i8510, i780, i900

As someone who is renown for getting lost in his backyard, I’m writing to Santa and asking for one of these babys as a late Christmas present!

- issued on behalf of Garmin and Tribeca Public Relations

Wii Music launched in South Africa

noreply@blogger.com (Galen Schultz) — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 08:32:00 +0000

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Wii Music — the latest add-on for the Wii console, was launched on the South Africa market today offering Wii fans the chance to broaden their musical horizons and discover their inner beat.

Wii Music contains the sounds of over 60 instruments and comes with 50 included tracks. It features music of all styles, from the best of the classics to cult pop and even some popular gaming tunes like Super Mario Bros.

Instruments include steel drums, bass guitar, the saxophone and more; and, in keeping in a truly Japanese spirit, even offers the ‘instrumental’ sounds of a barking dog.

GAME MODES
‘Jam’ is the main game mode in Wii Music for creating your musical masterpieces. This is split into ‘Improvise’, ‘Quick Play’ and ‘Custom Jam.’ Muso wannabes can play as part of a six-member band, with the remaining instruments being controlled by the Wii as ‘Tute’ characters.

‘Improvise’ allows one to rehearse and master playing styles, while ‘Quick Play’ creates a totally randomised performance where all aspects of the set are chosen by the Wii.

‘Custom Play’ gives you full control, from choosing a musical style for the Tute accompaniment, to setting the speed, to choosing the instruments, to deciding where to perform.

VIRTUAL DRUM KIT
The ‘Virtual Drum Kit’ is a popular feature which mimics a real set of drums. Using the Wii Remote and Nunchuck as drumsticks and the Wii Balance Board as foot pedals, almost every aspect of a standardised drum kit can be simulated including bass drum, cymbals, snare and hi-hats.

Wii Music offers 15 interactive drumming lessons, free play, and a one-player jam session with any of the 50 featured tracks.

PITCH PERFECT
If you know bugger all about the fundamentals of music and sound, are tone deaf when it comes to comparing pitches, construct basic harmonics or tell the difference between consonance and dissonance, Wii Music offers a Pitch Perfect music quiz.

It has eight difficulty levels which test the contestants on a range of tasks such as choosing or sorting notes by their pitch, identifying matching sounds, and spotting the wrong note in a piece of music.

STARTING THAT RECORD LABEL
Once a song is mastered into what you see as fit, it can be saved as a video clip, personalised with its own record sleeve, and uploaded and shared with friends and family over WiiConnect24.

In order to help players become more accustomed to certain styles of music, Wii Music offers numerous tutorials for tightening playing techniques, arranging tracks, playing drums and aural training.

The Wii Remote and Nunchuk can be used to produce remixes.

CONDUCT AN ORCHESTRA
Using the Wii Remote like a baton, up to four players are able to conduct a digital orchestra. Players are able to control the speed and volume of the rendition, and conductors need to remain synchronized to ensure a high score is awarded for the performance.

It doesn’t seem to matter what your musical or gaming experience is, Wii Music offers complete musical freedom and is an engaging and fun way for all the family to learn more about musical instruments and styles.

Recommended retail price: R549

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Nintendo Wii - Enter the Electronic Fist

Green gadgets at Stuff Live! tech show

noreply@blogger.com (Galen Schultz) — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 17:44:00 +0000

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With the possibilty of yet another energy crisis looming, coupled with the current financial crisis and soaring fuel prices, gadget makers got a chance to show off their green credentials at the Stuff Live! technology show held in London recently. Amid the usual array of power-hungry televisions, stereos and computers, a handful of companies promoted hi-tech products designed to cut energy consumption and help save the planet.

THE WATTSON
London-based firm DIY Kyoto has come up with the Wattson - a wireless device that lets families monitor exactly how much power they are using at home. It measures electricity consumption and displays the amount of power and how much it costs on a sleek portable box with a digital screen. The £100 device glows red when households use more power than normal or blue when they are being energy efficient.

"The whole idea is to save money and to save the environment, and what's great is that you find people try to get the reading down as low as possible" - Jason Goldman of DIY Kyoto.

THE EGO STREET SCOOTA
British gadget website www.firebox.com displayed a Chinese-built electric scooter that it has converted for sale on the British market. Called the Ego Street Scoota, it has a 30 to 40 mile range and a top speed of 30 mph. It costs eight pence to charge the bike using the mains electricity supply.

Parked next to it was a more powerful scooter from U.S. firm Vectrix. Its Maxi-Scooter has a top speed of 62mph and a range of 68 miles at 25mph. Its latest model has a built-in music player and a system that sends music wirelessly to your helmet.

SOLIO SOLAR POWER CHARGERS
While nearly all gadgets rely on electricity or batteries, a range of portable chargers from U.S. company Solio, that use solar power, were on display. The devices can convert one hour of sunshine into an hour of playback on an iPod or 25 minutes of talk time on a mobile. The gadget has three blades which fan out to catch sunlight which it then stores in an internal battery for up to a year.

A LAPTOP MADE OF BAMBOO?
Wearing its heart on its sleeve, one energy-efficient laptop came with a shell made of bamboo instead of the usual plastic or metal in an attempt to reinforce its eco-friendly aspirations.

Taiwanese computer maker Asustek said it used bamboo because it is strong, grows back quickly and is biodegradable. Advised to keep away from pandas!

Click here for an interactive factbox of the latest gadgets.

Note: Bidorbuy.co.za is auctioning a Jonway scooter this week as part of thier R1, no-reserve auction. It may not be a zooshy as the Ego Street Scoota but looks nice enough. I'm guessing that it will go for about R6376.

Related posts:
Save the trees with iPaper
Will e-readers end the Age of the Book?

Is surfing the Internet changing our brains?

noreply@blogger.com (Galen Schultz) — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 07:24:00 +0000

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The Internet is not just changing the way people live but altering the way our brains work with a neuroscientist arguing that this is an evolutionary change which will put the tech-savvy at the top of the new social order.

Gary Small, a neuroscientist at UCLA in California who specialises in brain function, has found through studies that Internet searching and text messaging has made brains more adept at filtering information and making snap decisions.

But while technology can accelerate learning and boost creativity it can have drawbacks as it can create Internet addicts whose only friends are virtual and has sparked a dramatic rise in Attention Deficit Disorder diagnoses.

Small, however, argues that the people who will come out on top in the next generation will be those with a mixture of technological and social skills.

"We're seeing an evolutionary change. The people in the next generation who are really going to have the edge are the ones who master the technological skills and also face-to-face skills" – Gary Small

In his newly released fourth book iBrain: Surviving the Technological Alteration of the Modern Mind, Small looks at how technology has altered the way young minds develop, function and interpret information. In his book Small explains that the brain is very sensitive to changes in the environment such as those brought by technology.

A study of 24 adults using the Web revealed that experienced Internet users showed double the activity in areas of the brain that control decision-making and complex reasoning as Internet beginners did.

"The brain is very specialized in its circuitry and if you repeat mental tasks over and over it will strengthen certain neural circuits and ignore others," said Small.

"The environment is changing. The average young person now spends nine hours a day exposing their brain to technology. Evolution is an advancement from moment to moment and what we are seeing is technology affecting our evolution."

Small said this multi-tasking could cause problems as the tech-savvy generation, whom he calls "digital natives," are always scanning for the next bit of new information which can create stress and even damage neural networks.

"There is also the big problem of neglecting human contact skills and losing the ability to read emotional expressions and body language," he said.

"But you can take steps to address this. It means taking time to cut back on technology, like having a family dinner, to find a balance. It is important to understand how technology is affecting our lives and our brains and take control of it.”

•Gary Small is the director of the Memory & Aging Research Center at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior and the Center on Aging at UCLA.

- original copy supplied by Reuters

Related post:
Web Addiction 2.0

Will e-readers end the Age of the Book?

noreply@blogger.com (Galen Schultz) — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 07:22:00 +0000

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WHAT ARE E-READERS?
Electronic reading devices, which are being developed in different shapes and forms at a rapid pace, could galvanise the market for digital text in the way the Apple iPod did for digital music.

The gadgets are small and light enough to fit into a handbag and eliminate the need to carry around overweight books and over-sized newspapers. Particular texts can be accessed on the Internet to be read on a display screen at the user's convenience.

Some e-readers come with wi-fi, and the choice of devices on which to read e-content, ranges from e-readers and PCs to digital watches. It’s a matter of simply downloading the content to whichever device is preferred for reading those books.

Green enthusiasts may also be swayed by the argument for e-readers, as they are not backlit, use little energy and could contribute to reducing paper consumption. A Sony spokesperson explained that energy is only used when a page is turned electronically.

PUBLISHING COMPANIES GO DIGITAL
Sales of electronic readers such as Amazon's Kindle and Sony's Reader have been growing fast, prompting smaller companies to introduce their own prototypes and encouraging publishers to step up the digitisation of their books.

Publishing giant Penguin announced that they will now be publishing all new titles both as printed books and e-books and will further digitise its backlist.

At the recent Frankfurt Book Fair, Penguin publishers Chief Executive John Makinson said: "They [e-readers] have become mainstream in the sense that they are a genuine consumer product for which there is real appetite, so this is not the province of geeks any longer."

Up till now e-readers were mainly used by scientists and early adopters, but are ideal for reducing the carry loads of commuters, students and travelers.

THE GLOBAL E-BOOK MARKET
Technology research firm iSuppli predicts that global e-book display revenue will grow to $291 million (roughly R2.3 billion) in 2012 from just $3.5 million (roughly R28 million) in 2007.

At present an e-book reader costs anywhere between $300 and $400 (roughly R24 000 and R32 000), which is why book enthusiasts are confident that e-readers will not replace printed text too soon.

However, specialists have already considered cheaper alternatives for South African consumers. They believe mobile phones could prove more popular as a display for reading digital content than e-readers as most people already have cellphones. Furthermore, cellphones provide opportunities for readers to interact.

South African publishers such as Penguin announced at the Book Fair that they are already preparing content for mobile phones.

In Japan, short stories especially written for cellphones are already being sent to readers in installments, and Apple's iPhone are also allowing users to read their novels on a mobile.

THE DEATH OF THE PRINTED BOOK?
Many readers and writers say that the practicality and novelty of e-books will never replace what printed books offer to the senses. Nobel-Prize winning author Orhan Pamuk, who has collected 70 000 tomes told the press:

"When I look at the standard of today's technology, then I can't imagine using an e-reader, no. But one day ... when technology manages to create the perfume of books, of old books, then yes, maybe" - Nobel prize winner Orhan Pamuk

Whatever the case may be this is certainly not the day and age to become burdened with poor eyesight!

- original text supplied by Reuters

Related post:
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There’s no escaping the chair now

noreply@blogger.com (Galen Schultz) — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 09:45:00 +0000

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As great programmes such as CSI will show us, science plays a central role in catching a killer or criminal in the 21st century. In the past, innocent people have been fried in electric chairs or had a noose put around their neck due to shoddy evidence against their names.

Modern day lie detectors (or polygraphs) have made judgment of crime suspects a little easier, yet they are not 100% accurate. However, a neuroscientist in Seattle has recently developed a device that incorporates his concept of ‘brain fingerprinting.’

Brain fingerprinting involves using an odd looking headband, flashing words and images on a computer screen, and a couple clicks of a mouse to determine whether or not a suspect is guilty or plain unlucky.

"It's a game changer in the field of global security," said Dr. Larry Farwell, Chairman of Brain Fingerprinting Labs who developed "brain fingerprinting" - a lie detector test for the 21st century.

A rather nervous looking inmate takes the test

While polygraph tests rely on emotional responses, brain fingerprinting records how your brain reacts to words and images related to a crime. Obviously the reaction of someone who recognises such images would be notably different than the brain reactions of an innocent suspect.

"If the person was there, they get an 'ah ha!' response in the brain waves," said Farwell, “and it is this ‘ah ha!’ moment that can’t be covered up.”

"It’s an involuntary response that happens very quickly; it's not something you can control," he said. The solidness of such evidence is further backed by the idea that the brain can’t tell a lie.

Farwell claims that his technology is fool proof, and unlike polygraphs, brain fingerprinting can be admitted in court. However, there is still resistance from some law enforcement agencies to employ the use of such technology.

"It took some time, it always takes time," Farwell said. "It took time for fingerprints, for DNA and now for brain fingerprinting." But Farwell feels confident that his guarantee will help more people accept it.

Dr. Farwell has worked with the CIA, FBI and law enforcement agencies around the United States. His cases include an innocent Iowa man finally freed after 23 years, and a serial killer in Missouri who eventually confessed.

You can read the original article here.

I drool over the Joule

noreply@blogger.com (Galen Schultz) — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 16:31:00 +0000

The Optimal Energy company in Cape Town have unveiled South Africa’s first electric car: the Joule - a six-seater MPV urban transport vehicle offering zero emissions.

The exterior was designed by the same chaps belonging to the Jaguar design team, and their baby was shown for the first time at the recent Paris Motor Show.

The car employs a modular, large-cell lithium-ion battery pack (similar to the one used by your cellphone or laptop) enabling a 200km range. It is able to accommodate a second battery enabling a range of 400km in an urban environment.

Optimal Energy claims that the onboard charger takes no longer than seven hours to 'juice-up' the vehicle (the 200km range at least).

With two fully charged battery packs the Joule will therefore take one 400 kms before cutting out, which is satisfactory according to Optimal Energy, as studies have indicated that 99% of urban users drive less than 150km’s a day.

Another proudly South African jewel

The Joule is light – with a steel space body frame, complimented with glass and carbon composite as well as plastic body panels. Side impact beams are integrated into the doors. On the open road it has a top speed of 130km/h.

The car is expected to be on the market in South Africa towards the end of 2010, and to be sold for export after that. No word on what it will cost at this stage however.

Does the idea of having to charge one’s car every fortnight or so and spending a little longer on the road to get from A to B beat the thought of forking out R10 a litre for petrol?

At least the Joule doesn’t fart out any Greenhouse gases...

PS: Bidorbuy.co.za is holding a competition each week where South African bloggers get the chance to win R300 by guessing what the closing bid for a specfiic car will be. I'm guessing the 2008 VW TenaCiti 1.4I will go for R65 001!

Link:
SA unveils electric car