Nybbles and Bytes

Check out this new burger that Spur are offering...

2012-05-30T09:59:00.001+02:00

I wonder what kind of patty they use in a Gratis Burger? ;)

Avoid Rosebank on 29th May...

2012-05-28T09:47:00.000+02:00

If you are on the roads tomorrow (Tuesday 29th May), then stay the hell away from the area around the Johannesburg Zoo, up to Rosebank.

More specifically, stay away from the Goodman Gallery (cnr. Bolton and Jan Smuts).
Apparently there is some march planned or something, in order to express "outrage" about some or other insignificant news item which undeservedly made its way into the headlines recently.

In reality it's just an excuse for some thugs, layabouts and non-tax contributors to shout and break things, while the rest of us work to pay taxes and build the economy...

Have you got anything that you would like to express outrage about regarding our current state of affairs?
Crime maybe? Corruption? Clueluess governance?
You know, important stuff like that - not some limp, flaccid patheticism that is of no real importance to anybody...

Now let's all plan a march so we too can shout and break things.
How productive!

p.s. if you are heading that way, the march is due to start from Zoo Lake Park @ 10:00, heading down Jan Smuts Avenue, to the Goodman Gallery at the corner of Bolton and Jan Smuts.
Apparently Jan Smuts Avenue will be closed from at least 09:00 - 15:00, so that's great news for any businesses along the road who actually want to try and make an honest living.

It will also be interesting to see what state Zoo Lake Park, the surrounding area and roads on the route will be left in - permission has been requested for approx. 50000 protestors to be involved in the march - that's almost the equivalent of what you could fit into Ellis Park Stadium...

Natural disasters are kinda like gardening...

2012-05-21T22:20:00.000+02:00

I was pulling out a few weeds the other day, and as I pulled each one, I would shake the excess sand off the roots and toss each weed aside.
As I did so, a host of tiny insects would scuttle about and scramble back into the soil as I systematically wrecked the place that they had up until that moment, called home.

It then occurred to me that the exact same thing happens to humans every time an earthquake hits, a volcano erupts, a hurricane strikes, or some other natural disaster goes on the rampage.
I guess that in much the same way that we dig up our flowerbeds, mow our lawns, re-landscape our gardens and de-weed our pot plants, the earth occasionally does some gardening of its own.

Sure, this may sound a bit cold and callous on my part, but how about we take it up a notch in scale and size.
Forget about gardening and insects, but think rather about large scale stuff like urbanisation, deforestation and the like.
What must that be like for larger animals?

It's incredible how we humans as a species on this planet, can decimate and destroy the natural world around us without batting an eyelid, but when Mother Nature steps in and smacks us around a bit we get all miffed about it.

Just saying...

p.s. I am NOT saying that natural disasters are cool. They are not.

Air Show Disaster - amazing photo...! Warning - not for sensitive viewers...

2012-04-25T10:15:00.000+02:00

Clearly this pilot had no control over his doomed aircraft as it plunged towards the earth.

You can see how it narrowly misses a crowd gathered for the airshow and slams into four buildings..:

One can only imagine the horror of the occupants inside those buildings... ;)

Hat tip to Von... ;)

Zip over to Google to see today's doodle... :)

2012-04-24T11:19:00.000+02:00

Today Google celebrates the birthday of Gideon Sundback, the Swedish-American electrical engineer who is most commonly associated with his work in the development of the zipper.

Head over to www.google.com and check it out now.

How flippin' clever is that?
Geez, whatever will Google think of next...? :)

Unboxing the E-tag... How to get an E-tag... Some thoughts on E-tolling and E-tags...

2012-04-20T11:06:00.000+02:00

After much hesitation and some serious consideration over these past few weeks, I finally bit the proverbial bullet today and went out to get an E-tag.

Amid the mass protests against the system (I myself have several reservations - see here), the following occurred to me:

Not getting an E-tag means paying rates that are 3 times higher than normal.
So would I rather be paying R 100 per month or R 300 per month...?
Um, let me think about that one for a bit...
Let's say that I decide to oppose the system outright, not only by refusing to get an E-tag, but by not paying any of the bills that I will receive for using the highways after 30 April 2012.
Sounds good right?
Well next time your annual vehicle licence renewal falls due, good luck getting it.
Apparently outstanding toll fees will be classed as a traffic offence, much the same as an outstanding speeding fine.
Thinking ahead, and assuming that the system is implemented as intended, would you really want to be potentially singled out at a roadblock and possibly charged / fined / detained, all because of a silly E-tag?
Where will we be in 5 years from now - will we think back and laugh at how obscenely ridiculous that failed E-toll system was back in 2012, or will we maybe wonder what all the fuss was about when it was implemented, and how much stress we could have saved ourselves by just getting a damn E-tag?
Do you love Home Affairs? When last did you arrive at Home Affairs and say "Woohoo!!! Awesome to see the 454 people in the queue ahead of me!!!"
Well if you are considering getting an E-tag, you had better move your butt, because apparently the queues at E-toll booths are already becoming steadily more Home-Affairs-esque every single day, as the implementation date of 01 May 2012 approaches...
Even if the whole system gets delayed / is postponed / implodes by some miracle or Act of God, it is certainly quicker and simpler to get your E-tag now, than to wait until hordes of people flood the E-toll booths and empty out E-tag stock at the last minute...

These are just some of the random rambling thoughts that go through my head as part of my E-tag justification process... :)

Just FYI - I have heard many rumours about having to hand over banking details etc. to get an E-tag.
Not true. You can opt to pre-pay via EFT, or at an E-toll booth.

You will also know that your account balance has hit a low threshold of R 45 if your E-tag beeps twice as you pass under a gantry - you can then just login to your account online and manage everything from there.

Getting the E-tag is also pretty simple.
All I had to do was fill out an application form with my basic details (Addresses, Vehicle registration, ID etc.), decide how many vehicles I wanted on my account (you can register up to 4 vehicles on one account - more than 4 is classed as a fleet I think...?), pay R 50 for my E-tag (1 per vehicle), and I was good to go.

Even the vehicle registration is simple - no special documents required - just give them your registration number and they pick up the vehicle on their system.

So what will you be doing?
Will you be taking a bite out of that same proverbial bullet, or will you be holding out in the hope that the E-toll system disintegrates?

I see orange people... and they want you to pay E-Toll!!

2012-04-17T11:19:00.000+02:00

If you have used the highways in Johannesburg recently, you would no doubt have come across a team of E-Toll workers dressed in a distinctive orange outfit, looking something like this:

This guy actually spotted me snapping him, and asked what publication I worked for :)
Regardless, there has clearly been a huge recent push by SANRAL to try and make the integration of E-Tolls seem a little bit less daunting to Johannesburg motorists.

I have to say that I generally don't enjoy people whining on and on about things which are going to happen anyway, but the more I learn about the looming E-Toll system in Gauteng, the more I have to question the system...:

When a highway in Gauteng becomes congested by an accident or rush hour traffic, cars take the first available offramp and try use the backroads in an attempt to escape the congestion.
All that this really achieves is a gridlock on the backroads.
I imagine that people trying to save money by using backroads more often will have the same effect... Great job SANRAL.
Have you used the N12 between Edenvale and Benoni anytime recently?
In short, it requires some hectic concentration in order to stay alive. The road surface is pockmarked and half-completed, the road kinks, narrows randomly, changes levels and pretty much tries its level best to make you soil yourself, all in the name of the "Gauteng Freeway Improvement Project ("GFIP")", to quote www.sanral.co.za.

Now tolling on a decent 4 lane highway is one thing.
@SANRAL - please explain to me how the hell you can charge any kind of toll on a road in the state of the N12?
Will it honestly be completed and in pristine condition before the tolls come into effect on 01 May 2012? That I gotta see...
The announcement yesterday of non-E-Tag highway users being charged up to 3 times the normal rates, is a pretty nasty bullying tactic being used by SANRAL to try and force motorists into registering.
Adding insult to injury, this was done without any form of consultation with the very people who will be paying for the system.
Not cool, SANRAL.

You also gotta love the pathetic retort given by SANRAL, in reference to the DA's opposition to the E-Toll system:

"Responding to the DA, Sanral said: “By continually encouraging users not to register, it is actually the DA that is going to end up costing road users significantly more than they could otherwise have been paying.”"

Anyway, the long and short of it is that the E-Toll system will come into effect at the beginning of May 2012 whether we like it or not.

I have heard some apparent rumours of massive protest industrial action, in the form of truck drivers blocking up major intersections sometime in the coming days, but rumours like these are almost always the product of some over-active imagination with piles of time to waste...

The economical thing to do is to get an E-Tag - at least that way you end up paying less than you would without one (a third of the price), however the principle of the system still does not sit well with a lot (most?) of Gauteng motorists...

Of course, if you do not get an E-Tag or you refuse to pay the bill you get for using the highways, you will be treated as a traffic offender - when the time comes to renew your car licence disk, it will be withheld on the grounds that you have committed a traffic offence and have not paid for it (much like an outstanding speeding fine).

Adding fuel (pun intended) to the fire are the recent petrol price hikes, and not in small increments either...

So let me leave you with some points to ponder as we embark on this interesting exercise in "how to get even more money out of the already cash-strapped middle class"...:

Will you be using more backroads now, in order to save on E-Toll?

Or will you be using highways and pay E-Toll to try and save on petrol?

What's it gonna be - are you going to get an E-Tag?

Have you already got one...?

Maybe you plan to boycott the system entirely in the hope that it will fail completely?

We wanna hear from you on this hot potato topic...

Download inSSIDer and Discover the Wi-Fi Networks Around You...

2012-04-16T15:54:00.001+02:00

This is one seriously cool freeware tool if you need to be in the know about the Wireless networks around you - it gives you all of the most important info (SSID, Channel, Strength etc.), in one easy to read summary screen:

Download inSSIDer now :)

My rant for the day... Use proper English please people!

2012-04-13T11:59:00.002+02:00

I feel like ranting today.

Here's a line that I see all over the web that is used incorrectly all the time:

"I could care less..."

should actually read:

"I couldn't care less..."

Note to the offending parties - saying that you "could care less" indicates that you have some interest in the matter, whereas saying that you "couldn't care less" indicates that you have absolutely NO interest in the matter.

Sheesh.
Glad I got that off my chest... :)

What is this man doing...?

2012-04-13T09:46:00.000+02:00

As we drive through the streets of Johannesburg daily, at some point motorists usually have to take evasive action of some sort, as a result of people wheeling trolleys around with huge bags of stuff mounted on them - something along these lines...:

Road hazard notwithstanding, clearly this poor guy is in need of something and is trying to better his lot somehow.

Essentially, he is rifling through trash in search of something - presumably something that can be used I would think?

Can anyone shed some light on this phenomenon?
Is it all about recyclable materials, which can somehow be swapped for cash?

The Magic of Doing One Thing at a Time - Tony Schwartz - Harvard Business Review

2012-03-28T10:41:00.001+02:00

Just saw this in my Inbox and had to share it, because it is something I fall for all too often.
I am sure you do too!

The Magic of Doing One Thing at a Time - Tony Schwartz - Harvard Business Review

'Aint it time to change the way we do things?

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe gets Google Doodled today...

2012-03-27T12:50:00.000+02:00

If you have an architectural mind, then the Google Doodle today is for you.

It pays tribute to the 126th birthday of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, widely regarded as one of the pioneering masters of architecture.
Google used a rendering of the S.R. Crown Hall at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, Illinois (one of Mies van der Rohe's masterpieces), within which they embedded the coloured lettering of the Google logo.

Clever stuff guys.

Automate your life with Nokia Situations - now your phone can do stuff all on its own!

2012-03-27T10:44:00.001+02:00

I have been using the Nokia Situations app on my Nokia E7 for a while now, and it is one really useful app to have.
In case you don't know what the app does, it basically allows you to specify conditions under which the phone changes its own settings.

For example, you initially start with a "General" profile - default ringtone, default message tone, Bluetooth off, no applications running etc.
You can then start to add additional profiles - for example I just set one up called "Car".
My "Car" profile is set to turn on as soon as my phone connects to my Jabra Freeway Bluetooth car kit. As soon as the "Car" profile becomes active, my phone Music Player starts as well, so that I can play music from my phone through the car audio system.

Once I leave my car and my phone disconnects from the car kit, the "General" profile is activated again.

Another great way to use it is to automate profiles by time.
For example, I have set my phone to go into silent mode at 18:00, and then go offline completely at 22:00, until 07:30 the next morning.
Very cool. Less cellphone waves buzzing through my brain while I sleep... :)

You can even specify automated profile changes by GPS location or Wireless network, so that if your phone detects that you are in a specific area or within range of a certain network, it will change its profile accordingly.

If you have a compatible Nokia handset, you can grab this super cool app over at:

http://betalabs.nokia.com/apps/nokia-situations

Damn these new devices are just getting smarter every day.
So how is your smartphone making your life easier?

The Joby Gorillatorch Switchback gets reviewed... and it's pretty darn decent!

2012-03-25T22:22:00.000+02:00

This week I was fortunate enough to get my hands on a Joby Gorillatorch Switchback - a bit of a mouthful really :)
When I first heard the name, I too was confused as to what it was...

My confusion did come to an end thankfully, and soon I was able to get up close and personal with this illuminating little gadget.

The Switchback (as I will refer to it for the rest of the review), is a really handy multi-functional torch / lantern / headlamp with some unique and nifty features built in.
It expands upwards from its plastic shell and transforms into a useful lantern that can either be free standing, hung from a hook or mounted on top of the supplied Joby Gorillapod (which attaches to anything it can grip around).

In the box - the Switchback, and the uber-cool Joby Gorillapod...

Decent and even lighting from the "92% ultra-efficient holographic lens"...

Next up on its list of features is the night vision red light, which preserves night vision when in use.
Check it out:

The Switchback is "reddy" for anything... :)

If it's something a bit brighter that you need, simply press the clip on the side of the Switchback, and the bottom releases the battery pack, attached to an elastic strap.

Gently tug on the strap, and you now have a torch / headlamp, complete with a comfy and adjustable head strap - the torch can be used for normal or red light illumination.

The LED's can be angled straight ahead or downwards...

The Switchback is powered by 2 x AA sized batteries, from which you will get 1.5 hours of light on the brightest setting (130 lumens), up to 72 hours of light on the dimmest setting (5 lumens).

Joby also include a really useful adapter for the Gorillapod, which allows you to use it as a tripod for most cameras and video cameras - remember that it's not just an ordinary tripod, but one that can wrap around stuff :)

"Serving suggestion"... camera not included :)

The Gorillapod likes to wrap its tentacles around things...

Battery indicator, main switch & red light switch

Nice touch - "Ethically manufactured in China"... :)

All in all, the Joby Gorillapod Switchback is a great combo lantern and torch, which offers great flexibility and some useful innovations.
It is ideal for use around the house as an extra light source (Eskom load-shedding comes to mind...), or outdoors on camping trips and excursions.

The small print under the box also impressed me - "Ethically manufactured in China"...
I did try to dig a bit deeper on this one, but I can only assume it to mean that Joby does not make use of Foxconn to manufacture its products, if you know what I mean... :)

So where can you pick up one of these cool gadgets?
Right here on Nybbles & Bytes - just drop us a mail or fill out our contact form with your order and contact details, and we will manage the rest.
Current pricing is only R 640 each, so get in touch now while this price (and stock) lasts.

Please take note of our T's & C's below:

No orders shall be dispatched until fully paid for;
All above pricing is subject to stock availability;
Product specifications & pricing may be subject to change without notice;
Please allow 4-6 working days for delivery;
Nybbles and Bytes cc is not a VAT vendor;

We reserve the right to charge a delivery fee where necessary.

Edit @ 21:28 on 28/03/2012:

Got a chance to see this toy in action this evening as Eskom plunged us into darkness...
Very impressive indeed - I discovered that if you hold the main switch down, the light cycles through various brightness levels until you let go, at which point it remains at that set level.

Secondly, if you hold the red light switch down, it begins to flash, alternating between red and white light (great for emergencies, also good for an impromptu disco :).

Does the average hater (or voter, for that matter) really know anything about Helen Zille...?

2012-03-24T21:57:00.000+02:00

Helen Zille - World Economic Forum on Africa 2009 (Photo credit: World Economic Forum)

I don't normally get involved in anything remotely related to politics.
Sure I know more or less who is who, I follow the news and I keep up to date with current affairs as far as possible, but I am by no means seriously clued up on the subject.

Recently though, I decided to start following Helen Zille on Twitter, as I think she has some interesting things to say.

Now in case you are not South African (or maybe you are South African, but have been living underground in a bunker since the NP lost the elections in 1994 :)), Helen Zille is the leader of the Democratic Alliance and Premier of the Western Cape here in South Africa.

Anyway, since she took charge of things in the Western Cape, the city of Cape Town has made huge steps forward in areas such as crime, health, education and service delivery.

Regardless of who you support in South Africa, the facts speak for themselves, and it is (or should be) common sense that someone who is making their city a better place for all, is someone who should generally be kept around, and someone who should be appreciated for all that they do.

It was with surprise then, when I started going through back and forth tweets, that I discovered just how much abuse this lady can take, especially after the Twitter row that erupted over the past few days...
Not gonna get into that one right now though - just Google "Helen Zille refugee"!

After reading some of the comments, I have to wonder just how much the haters actually know about this lady?
How about the average voter?
Is it the common view then, that Helen Zille is just some white lady who heads up the opposition?

Let me leave you with a few interesting facts to think about:

Zille was an anti-apartheid activist, and famously exposed the truth behind the death of Black Consciousness leader Steve Biko while working for the Rand Daily Mail in the late 1970's;
She worked with the Black Sash and other pro-democracy groups during the 1980's;
As mentioned previously, her work as Cape Town mayor has achieved great success in tackling crime, drug abuse and unemployment;

Sounds like some solid ideals there, don't you think, haters?

Just saying...

Why Siri won't do so well in Scotland... :)

2012-03-19T12:14:00.001+02:00

Can't see the video? Here's the link.

This man knows how to handle an insane car - I mean 0 - 60mph in 1.9 seconds??? Ken Block doesn't even break a sweat...

2012-03-18T20:54:00.001+02:00

I don't really follow motorsport, and until I watched this video, I had no idea who Ken Block was.
After seeing his mind-blowing driving in this clip though, I was very quickly searching for more videos showing off his crazy driving talents...

Just to whet your appetite - take one professional rally driver, add a specially customized 2011 Ford Fiesta, pushing out 650hp (that's 490kW!!!) and capable of 0 - 60 in 1.9 seconds (1.9 seconds??? Seriously?), and send them both rocketing around, in and out of a racetrack in France with banks of up to 51 degrees...

It's just insane. And probably huge fun I would imagine :)

Enjoy:

Hat tip to Von for this ;)

F106 R/C Helicopter review... Great fun for beginners (like me!) who want to start out with something cheap yet decent...

2012-03-08T20:24:00.000+02:00

A few months ago I finally took the plunge and went out on a mission to buy myself a beginners radio controlled helicopter.
Nowadays, this once exclusive hobby has become much more accessible and affordable, thanks to the use of infra-red communication between the remote controller and the helicopter.

It also makes a lot more sense to spend a few hundred bucks on a hobby which takes a bit of learning, rather than spending thousands, only to smash your brand new chopper into a tree on your first flight...

Trust me - I had a few close calls and some pretty spectacular crashes on my first few flights, but thankfully the F106 IR R/C Helicopter is one tough little beast:

In the box - a 4 Channel IR Remote Control and the F106 Chopper...

The F106 in action - best flown indoors (it only weighs 60g!)

Capturing the blades in flight...

It's a good looker, in the air or on the ground...

The F106 packs in 4 channels - now I had to read up a bit to find out what this actually means, but in short, each channel provides a particular function for the radio controlled device.
In this case, there is one channel for throttle, one for pitch (nose up / nose down), one for roll (bank left / bank right) and one for yaw (rudder - i.e. pointing the chopper where you want it to go).

It features 2 rotors that spin in opposite directions which makes it pretty easy to fly, as well as a built in gyroscope which helps to stabilize the chopper in flight.
The horizontal tail rotor provides the pitch function - i.e. the ability to angle the nose up or down.

Flight time is approx. 10 minutes on a single charge, and the F106 charges directly off the remote controller, or via the provided USB cable (which you can plug into any PC USB port to charge from).
A recharge takes approx. 40 mins - 1 hour.

All in all it amounts to a ton of fun - mainly indoors, since the combination of light weight and IR control are not an ideal mix for outdoor flying.
Apparently sunlight somehow interferes with the IR connection - I tried to fly it once in direct sunlight, and it flew about 2 metres and then dropped straight to the ground. Ouch!

I picked up the F106 for R 499 at Outrage R.C. in Broadacres a few months ago.
They were extremely helpful when I purchased it, and when I subsequently brought it back with a broken ski and faulty tail rotor (probably from one of the crashes I mentioned above :)).

You can get in touch with Outrage RC on 011 021 8499, or visit their website at http://www.outragerc.co.za

Look what just arrived on my desk... It's a Motormonkey!

2012-03-08T13:33:00.000+02:00

I just sat down in front of my laptop to get some emails done for the morning, and I was pleasantly surprised by a parcel on my desk, courtesy of the fine folk over at Wintec Solutions.

I have to say guys, this parcel was so well wrapped that in the event of a nuclear catastrophe, it would probably be one of the last items left intact (along with the cockroaches, that is ;))

Thankfully though, my trusty pocket knife was on hand and I was able to get through the thick layer of protection, beneath which I found a brand spanking new Motormonkey - the only in-car cellphone charger that you will ever need (and also the world's smallest...!).

Charges a range of devices using various tips...

Please pardon the photo quality - remind me never to buy a phone with a fixed-focus camera again... :)

The Motormonkey sits snugly in your car cigarette lighter socket until it is ready to be used.
When you need it, simply plug in the USB retractable cable along with the required tip and your cellphone, and you are good to go.

Included with the Motormonkey you will find:

1 x Samsung M300 / G600 tip
1 x Nokia and Mini Nokia tip
1 x Micro USB tip
1 x USB retractable cable
1 x Mini USB tip for Motorola Razr, Blackberry, GPS and other USB powered devices
1 x Sony Ericsson K750i wide connector
1 x DC 4.0 connector for PSP
1 x LG Chocolate connector

I was also wondering about iPhone / iPod compatibility, when I realised that the cable provided with your iPhone / iPod simply plugs directly into the Motormonkey's USB port, so it covers pretty much any phone that you may have :)

In case you are concerned about voltages and other facts and figures, here they are:

Input: 12V ~ 24V
Output: 5.5V 700mA
Output port: USB supports iPod
Length: 43mm; Diameter: 24mm
Weight: 40g
Colour: Silver

Well that really is about all I can say for now - I am off to plug my new Motormonkey into my car... once the monsoon outside subsides anyway :)

Once I have used it for a few days I will post another update here, so check back frequently!

Tired of traffic fines for talking on your cell while driving? Time to get yourself a Jabra Freeway Bluetooth in-car speakerphone...

2012-03-02T15:45:00.000+02:00

I got to spend some quality time with the great team over at Wintec this week at their Brand Showcase, where I found out about a whack of incredible new gadgets that are now available, and which you can now order right here at Nybbles and Bytes.

Thanks for the invite guys - it was great to meet your team, check out all your current and upcoming products, eat your food and drink your drink :)

There was food...

There was drink...

Rene practicing his selling skills...

Nina & Megan, pleasantly posing... :)

Some of the Powertraveller products on demo.

Some awesome Jabra products.
See review below for more...

Need a tough cover / stand / keyboard for your iPad? Look no further...

The super-cool hamper that I am going to win as a result of this review... ;)

I wonder if it's powered by a Powermonkey... :)

As you can see, there are some seriously innovative and useful products entering the market - get in touch with us here for any enquiries.

Now onto the review - something that I have been meaning to do forever is to get myself a proper Bluetooth car kit - admittedly I was fined once a while back for chatting on my phone while driving.
In general (and I think you would agree), traffic fines are no fun, it is massively unsafe to talk on cellphones while driving, and I hereby scold my younger self for being such an irresponsible driver!

Thankfully, with age comes wisdom (so they say...), but there are times when some pretty urgent calls come through while I am on the road, and that is where the Jabra Freeway steps in.

Needless to say, I had to get myself one to try out - and here she is:

Unboxing the Jabra Freeway...

Charges via a standard Micro USB port on the side of the unit...

The business end of the Jabra Freeway... :)

The Jabra Freeway is more than just a Bluetooth Speakerphone - sure, it allows you to make and receive hands-free calls with crystal clarity, but it also combines a Bluetooth connection to your handset, with an FM connection to your car audio system.

Now for anybody who has ever had an FM transmitter on their cellphone, you know what this means - you can stream your music from your phone to the car audio system via this super-nifty gadget.
I have to say that I had my doubts when I set it up initially - I was unsure how the combination of Bluetooth and FM would work out in terms of sound quality...

Thankfully though, it's pretty amazing, provided that you select an FM channel which is fairly free of interference - I have found that 88.10 works well for me.

Setting it up out of the box is simple - make sure that Bluetooth is active on your phone, then switch on the Jabra Freeway.
The first time you turn it on, it automatically enters pairing mode, and you are voice guided through the pairing process.
When pairing is complete, you hear the Jabra Freeway say "Connected", and you are now ready to go.

Having used the device for a few days now, it is very practical and easy to use on the go.
I have yet to really try out the voice dialling feature (phone dependent), but when I did pick a random number to dial on my phone, it dialled the correct one straight away.
Charging happens via the supplied cable and car charger, and the device will hold enough charge for 14 hours of talk time and 40 days of standby time.

Some pretty cool innovations have also found their way into the Jabra Freeway:

Features a motion sensor which turns the device off when you leave your car, and then back on when you return. When I got into my car this morning I had actually forgotten about the device, until it suddenly spoke to me saying "Connected"!
Syncs to your phonebook - this means that you can dial your contacts (phone dependent), as well as answer or ignore calls, all using voice commands;
Features 3 speakers which provide crisp stereo and Virtual Surround sound;
Connects to 2 Bluetooth devices simultaneously;
Announces the name of the incoming caller;
Allows A2DP streaming for playback of music, podcasts and directions from GPS applications;
Voice guidance talks you through setup and operation.

The long and the short of it, is that the Jabra Freeway gives you the functionality of a traditional Bluetooth car kit, minus the pain of wiring and installation (and the dashboard scratches that come with it!).
Add to that the ability to transmit music from your phone to your car audio, and you have a winner of a product, guaranteed to deliver outstanding performance and keep you safer on the road.

So if you want to get your hands on one of these, get in touch now - it is currently priced at only R 1700, and as always, T's and C's apply as below:

No stock shall be released until paid for in full;
All above pricing is subject to stock availability;
Product specifications may be subject to change without notice;
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A smartphone with a 41MP camera? Yup - 41 Megapixels. You read that right...

2012-02-27T23:15:00.001+02:00

When the Nokia N8 launched with its 12MP camera back in 2010, it made waves in smartphone circles as its awesome Carl Zeiss equipped camera soon made a name for itself.

Now 12MP is already pretty hefty for a smartphone, but how does 41MP sound?
41 Megapixels? Seriously Nokia?

Well it's a reality now, thanks to the new Nokia 808 PureView:

That kinda moves the goalposts, umm, well, pretty damn far away in terms of cellphone imaging!

Add to that Carl Zeiss optics, autofocus and Xenon flash, and we are talking about some serious picture taking abilities here.

Hell, this thing even records video at 1080p (Full HD) at 30 frames per second!

So just how did they get this quantum leap right?

To read more about the incredible science behind it all, click here.

Gotta get my hands on one of these...

This lion is in for a treat...

2012-02-22T21:37:00.000+02:00

Nom Nom Nom...

Hat tip to Vonny for this one ;)

Do you suffer from Nomophobia...?

2012-02-22T16:21:00.002+02:00

When I found out about a very real fear called Nomophobia recently, I had a bit of a giggle as I thought it was all a joke...

After all, surely Nomophobia is a fear of food...? (Nom nom nom... get it? :)

Ah but wait, there is more to it than that - did you know that Nomophobia is actually a fear of being out of mobile contact?
The word is derived from the term "no-mobile-phone phobia", and it was coined by the UK Post Office during a study to look at anxieties suffered by mobile phone users.

Thinking back to my teenage years when cellphones were not really around yet, I have to wonder how the heck we got by back then?
Sure we had landlines and pagers, but once we set foot outside of home or work, then we were out of touch for hours at a time.
Today that is unheard of - we SMS, BBM, Whatsapp, Email and call constantly through the day.
It's a communications overload if ever there was one...!

Speaking from experience here, it is pretty easy to get caught up in it all.
I know that when my phone battery dies, or if I lose signal, it adds quite a bit of stress to my day.
So I guess in that regard, I am a bit of a Nomophobe... :)

Can you afford to be out of touch with the world and without your cellphone?
Are you a Nomophobe?

Oh, and if you are, then why not head over to the Nybbles and Bytes Store and order yourself a Powertraveller powermonkey, so that you never get stuck with a flat cellphone battery again :)

Every Superhero needs an iPhone... except this one :)

2012-02-15T12:04:00.000+02:00

A BMW M1 you say? No Sir, that is in fact a 1 Series M Coupe...

2012-02-14T23:09:00.000+02:00

It's a little thing really, not something to lose much sleep over...

Even so, I have to say I find it a little irritating when some wannabe car-nut says "Wow man check out that BMW M1", or something along those lines, as a shiny new 1 Series BMW with 4 tailpipes roars past in a blur...
I am no car fundi, and even I know the difference.

Firstly, THIS is a BMW M1 (circa 1978 - 1981):

Secondly, THIS is a BMW 1 Series M Coupe (2011):

Big difference.
Are we clear? :)

All naming confusions aside however, both are seriously legendary machines, notwithstanding the 30 year gap between them...

Now the only question is where to find the insane amount of ZAR required to get me one of these bright orange pocket rockets...
If I can find one, that is...!

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A smartphone with a 41MP camera? Yup - 41 Megapixels. You read that right...

This lion is in for a treat...

Do you suffer from Nomophobia...?

Every Superhero needs an iPhone... except this one :)

A BMW M1 you say? No Sir, that is in fact a 1 Series M Coupe...