Teddy Bears beware!

Teddy Bears aren't welcome in Pick 'n' Pay!

R200 for a wrong flag design?

People should honestly know better. Not only is this iPhone cover more expensive (at R200) than the rest (at R80) but it's got our beloved flag back to front!!

You're basically paying R200 to someone else to reward them for being stupid and you're also advertising to the (intelligent) rest of the world that you can't tell your left from your right and you're as stupid as the people that make this. In fact, if you own one, you're even more stupid than the designers because they've got your money for it and you're the one showing off how you were ripped off.

Dealify is dead ... Merry Christmas!

I kind of always knew this was inevitable but for some reason it still makes me a little bit sad. Dealify - one of the social buying sites and arguably the most innovative in terms of being the only one to advertise on TV - is dead. That's right. Dealify is dealifud.

I suspect there are more reasons than I can discuss here but one of the failings is possibly the fact that Dealify was the only one to venture out to mainstream media. Not really sure if it cost them too much to advertise or if it opened up people's eyes to the concept (and their competitors) but it's a pity because Dealify tried to break the mould.

Here's their site's explanation:

This is the end...

It's official, Dealify is closed!

Now, if you've bought a coupon recently don't panic, they're still valid
and our lovely client service lass is still working (very hard) to make
sure your experience with us remains a good one.

And if you're a merchant with concerns about payment, don't be! We promise
to make sure you're paid, after all we're backed by Naspers who's been
around for over 80 years.


If you're a customer and have any queries, questions or comments please
don't hesitate to get in touch on 0861 332 5439 or info@dealify.com

If you're a merchant and have any queries about payment please contact
accounts@dealify.com


From all of us at Dealify we'd like to thank YOU for being part of the
Dealify family.


We wish you the happiest holidays and a prosperous New Year.

Much love,

The D Team.

Virgin Active gym times

This is for Westville gym but I'm sure it's the same for others too...

Guitar Hero Warriors of Rock Bundle at fantastic price

At Incredible Connection, today only!

Google sounding the death of BlackBerry or sounding a declaration of war?

Google recently announced that it won't support the GMail app for
BlackBerry any more. The app isn't even available for download any
more either, it's just gone!

Their argument is that they will now focus on the web based interface instead.

Somehow, I don't really buy it. I mean, they also recently pulled the
Apple app for GMail too, so I'm suspecting this is more an
Android-growing tactic. In either case, it's very sad news for
BlackBerry users and also very confusing: why not leave the app in
place until this new web interface is live?

BlackOps: Google Sync adding entries to BBM Groups instead of default calendar fix

If you are experiencing a problem with your Google Sync and the BB Calendar where everything is being added to the BBM Groups calendar, I can help.

This was first experienced for me on my BlackBerry Torch 9800 with OS6 and the source of the problem is a conflict between Google Sync and BBM. The quickfix is to uninstall BBM and then reset your calendar sync and then reinstall BBM.

Here are the steps in detail:

1. Backup your BBM contacts etc. and then remove BBM. In OS6 go to Options --> Device --> Application Management --> BlackBerry Messenger --> Delete
1. Note: some users experienced difficulties deleting BlackBerry Messenger; in such cases first try to install the latest version available from the BlackBerry App World and then delete it from there; for some reason the default "core" installation bundled with the OS isn't removable.
2. Consult http://brattex.blogspot.com/2011/05/blackops-that-google-calendar-syncing.html for initial steps and for methods to backup your calendar. You can skip the steps on deleting service books (i.e. do not do steps 3 and 5) but follow the rest.
3. After you've run Google Sync and verified that it's all in your default calendar ... reinstall BBM.

I would be really interested to know if this solution worked for you so please feel free to leave a comment below or give this a thumbs up, +1, like, etc.

Grannies are for pernonin' n00bs

Stop the Secrecy Bill today!

I just tried phoning Deputy President Mr. Motlanthe to voice my objections to the Secrecy Bill that is being pushed through Parliament today. After a very long wait on the phone (call it persistent), a gentleman answered and told me to email my comments through.

In order to assist everyone else in airing their same concerns, here are the email addresses to consider sending an email to, starting with the infobill one first...

• infobill@parliament.gov.za

And then also ...

• idavidson@parliament.gov.za
• gmagwanishe@parliament.gov.za
• mmotshekga@parliament.gov.za
• nntwanambi@parliament.gov.za
• vcalvert@parliament.gov.za

Here's the gist from Avaaz.org so you're armed with a thorough argument, as well as the message that I sent through:

Picasa and Picasa Web Albums - Free unlimited storage

I've been on a quest for a long time now to find the best site to backup all of my digital pictures and videos. I thought I had found the answer in Snapfish but a friend of mine pointed out that they charge you to re-download your photo's at their original resolution. No good!

I'm not on Facebook (and can't really comment on their photo storage options but I think pictures are resized) but am quite an avid fan of Google. Picasa Web Albums was limited to 1GB of storage so it wasn't really an option for me either but I've since learned that Picasa now offers a form of unlimited storage for photo's (and more importantly, videos).

In summary, files under a certain size don't count towards your 1GB storage limit and videos up to 15 minutes won't either. If you reach your quota, all future uploads are resized to fit within the free resolution requirements.

Sending an e-mail to Twitter, receiving Twitter to e-mail

I can get lazy sometimes, and if there's one thing I can guarantee it's that my email account will always be open and readily available. I can't always say the same for my Twitter account. That's because I'm lazy.

I've found a way to overcome my laziness with an e-mail to Twitter solution that allows me to tweet from the comfort of my mailbox.

TwitterMail (@TwitterMail or https://twitter.com/#!/TwitterMail)

TwitterMail allows you to send an email to a specific Twittermail email (for example, abc123@twittermail.com) which then tweets it to your associated Twitter account. Better yet, you can also receive tweets sent to your username (@twittername) via email.

The problem is privacy. For TwitterMail to work you need to share your twitter account with them. For some people, this may be a problem. For others (like me), it's not such a big deal because it's not like a rogue Twitter thief would be able to do much with my Twitter account anyway!

For a bit of piece of mind, it uses The Visitor Widget to authenticate on http://twittercounter.com/pages/twittermail without sharing your Twitter password (which allows the application to read tweets from your timeline, see who you follow, follow new people, update your profile, and post tweets for you; it will not be able to access your direct messages or see your Twitter password). You can also revoke access at any time by going to your Applications tab of your Settings page - good enough?

Additional features of TwitterMail include:

In Your Arms - Kina Grannis

Fan of stop motion?

Ever tried to create a stop motion video yourself?

If you have, then you'll appreciate the immense labour of love that this music video is.

22 months.
1,357 hours.
30 people.
2 ladders.
1 camera.
288,000 jelly beans.

Hotprints is going!!

It sometimes feels like things that are too good to be true just really are too good to be true, and in terms of a free online photobook printing service, poor Hotprints couldn't keep out of reach of the cold icy deathgrip of economic reality, even though they gave a good (two year long) fight.

I only discovered Hotprints a few weeks ago and have already ordered a test sample to see just how good they are for their 'free' pricetag. I'm still waiting in anticipation to see what my photobook looks like if / when it arrives.

The model was simple: you pay $4 for international shipping and get an advertising leaflet in the photobook to subsidise the cost of the prints.

Alas, I had hoped to reveal this modern wonder to the world with an in-depth review of a tangible product but now it seems this venture is pointless. Hotprints closes down at the end of the month, so if you want to try them out you have until end of Friday 18 November to place an order.

Sad. So very sad. It was a great concept and unfortunately just not a sustainable model, it seems.

Give them a try if you want ... You've got one day left.

Star Wars legacy collection!

Takes me back almost 30 years!!! I want!!!

In less than an hour ...

The time, date, and so on will read as follows:

11/11/11 11:11:11

(2011/11/11 at 11h11m11s)

That really won't happen again except in 12 hours' time so you have this momentous occasion and only for a second. Enjoy it. Remember where you are and what you were doing when that second passed you by.

Get your free copy of Eish Magazine - Online!

Durban's one and only lifestyle magazine for the hot, smart and trendy hits the streets now...








Read about...

> The musical resurrection of Durban's local band Habit To
> We take a trip to Hawaii for the ultimate surf experience with surf photographer, Ryan Janssens.
> SA Fashion Week's business of fashion, read about how it all went down in Sandton.
> Some inside information for the guys...How to get a girl?
> Want to succeed as a freelance photographer? Andrew Brauteseth is that guy with a camera...
> People watching at Follow you Art and Interpret Durban... inside this issue of Eish.

For trends, fashion, lifestyle and how society gets high on life!

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Playlist Central - Free music streaming for South Africa on cellphone or PC

[ UPDATE 2011-11-07: 
Under the "more" button at the top you can generate a random playlist from 5 to 50 songs from 'any' genre and year. There is also support for cellphone streaming and ... interestingly ... uploading songs?


UPDATE 2011-12-05:
I noticed a few weeks ago that this site was no longer accessible and now when you go there it says "account suspended" so I guess it's back to the old drawing board, or www.grooveshark.com for your music fix :)


END OF UPDATE ]



When I was in the U.S.A. I was overwhelmingly convinced that Pandora music service would be the next big thing to hit the world of internet music streaming. When I returned to South Africa I was heartbroken to discover that it's limited to U.S.A. and I would never be able to partake of the juicy goodness that lies in Pandora outside of the States.

Almost two years later, a poor substitute has surfaced in South Africa called Playlist Central which boasts (at time of post) more than 76GB of 64Kbps MP3 music (that adds up to more than 1200 artists, 2900 albums, almost forty thousand songs, or in other language - one thousand two hundred hours [forty nine days of non-stop music]) that is free-to-play online.

Some may argue that forty thousand free-to-play songs online for South Africans isn't a poor substitute but clearly those 'some' haven't tried out Pandora! Since this post isn't about Pandora I won't do a comparison and will focus more on Playlist Central and what it offers in a South African context.

Playlist Central is currently in a beta offering but from what I've tried in the afore-mentioned context of available South Africa services it's fantastic. Sporting a range of artists from A-Z including the likes of Abba, Seether, Breaking Benjamin, Adele, and Sepultura there's sure to be something for everyone.

20GB prepaid Vodacom data for R499

Thanks to my subscription to the mybroadband twitter feed I can now confidently declare that Vodacom's latest Mofaya prepaid data promotion is here.

You can now get 20GB prepaid data for R499 instead of the original R3,620.00 - that's quite a decent drop in cost if you ask me (which you didn't, but it's my blog so I'm telling you anyway).

This promotion starts today and ends 9 January 2012. There is no modem and the data summer bundle carries over until the last day of the next month.

Very competitive Dion Wired laptop deal

It's almost time for Christmas and the Christmas giving spirit hasn't been lost on Dion Wired. If you're in the market for a new laptop (or know of someone who is) and spending as little as possible on a reasonable entry-level product is your game, then look no further than Dion Wired and Cell C.

You see, there's a little special running until the end of this month for a Nokia 1800 cellphone, Samsung Celeron notebook (with Windows 7 Basic), Cell C 3GB UMTS USB speed stick, and a Casual Chat 100 contract all for the combined price of R145 per month for only 24 months.

The total after 24 months is R3480 (or thereabouts, if my mental maths is a bit off) and that's around the cash price you'd expect to pay for most non-Atom entry-level laptops anyway. The rest of the trinkets are purely peripheral to the deal because in my mind to have to only spend R145 per month on a notebook for only two years is a really good thing. In only the first year you've spent R1740 on a laptop - that's pretty decent as far as I'm concerned. To still get a cellphone, 3G USB stick, and a casual phone contract on top of the laptop makes this hard to ignore.

So, from one techie-enthusiast to another (if you are one), go and check out this deal while it's still around! If you're not a techie-enthusiast, then take my word for it - this is a good deal!

Google Buzz is finally buzzted

Google Buzz is being retired. That's the official word from Google and you can check it here if you don't believe me (or if you care)...

I can't say that I'm too fussed (or is that 'fuzzed') about this news because I hardly used it - and I suspect most others hardly used it either. What Google Buzz was good for, however, was consolidating all your social feeds into one place on your GMail, which was really nice.

Again, though, I don't think its demise will impact too many people too harshly. But I thought I should still tell you. Ironically, you probably will get the news about this blog post through Google Buzz. Creepy eh?

PS - one useful thing to come from this news is the discovery of Google Takeout. Never heard of it? Google for it ;-)

Increase your Wi-Fi coverage for under $1

If you want to increase your Wi-Fi coverage of your Wi-Fi Access Point without much expense, then this video may just spark an idea or two for you. The entire solution is going to cost less than R10, or in more readily understandably global terms, $1.

Check it out... BEER CANS (or soda cans...) as Wi-Fi antenna boosters!

Potatoes baby, yeah!

Vader says it's FRIDAY!!

Telkom ADSL Special: 1Mbps UNCAPPED for FREE

Your eyes do not deceive you! Telkom has recently shut the door on their 1Mbps ADSL special entitled "I do" and have opened up another one for a trial uncapped ADSL account.

How does this deal differ from the previous deal? Hardly. You get uncapped ADSL instead of 5GB+20GB.

What precisely do you get?

• Fast Internet ADSL (up to 1Mbps)
• Uncapped Telkom Internet 1Mbps
• Free line installation
• Free ADSL router without contractual obligations

What do you pay? Just the landline rental of +/-R139pm.

For more information go to the source or phone 10212 to place an order!

If you've already got a Telkom line you will need someone else who hasn't had one for at least three months to place an order, so get your spouse or tenant to order it for you if you need to - the +/-R500 for three months of ADSL is still cheaper than the cost of an ADSL Wireless Router on its own and you still get yourself a wonderfully 'fast' ADSL account without any data cap! 

Wait ... you're still here? 

WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!?

Two ply toilet tissue - 'a softer touch!'

... Until that petrified kitten digs its damned claws into your behind!

BlackBerry special @ Incredible Connection

In spite of recent rumblings with RIM and their BIS(n't) service, the BlackBerry service is still (IMHO) the best cellular service available for South African patrons (when it works ;)).

Although I'm not entirely fond of the 9800 because of a few design issues I've found, if you want a BlackBerry at a competitive price then Incredible Connection is running a price-beating special this weekend.

The monthly subs for BB Talk 100 is usually R349pm and I was unlucky enough to also have to pay R50pm for the 9800 which meant I'm paying the then 'standard' R399pm for the phone and contract. For this weekend you can enjoy 'everything' for R100pm less than what I had to pay, and it's also below contract rates making it a real bargain.

Rumour has it the Consumer Act also entitles BlackBerry handset owners (since April) to return their phones for a full refund in light of the recent BIS debacle. I'm sure this won't be easy and probably entails a fight and I doubt anyone in the blogosphere besides me is prepared to fight for such an insignificant cause ... So I'll just have to keep you posted :)

Today is FRIDAY!!

Oy! Someone spiked my drink!

Want to earn money driving foreigners around Durban?

Out of luck? Need some spare cash? Retired with nothing to do?

If you're passionate about Durban and want to be involved in medical research (as an ambassador, not a test subject) then why not try out for a K-RITH Ambassador part-time post?

Details as follows...

---

K-RITH Ambassadors (part-time contractors)

KwaZulu-Natal Research Institute for Tuberculosis and HIV

Nelson R Mandela Medical School

REFERENCE NUMBER: AMB/SEPT/001/2011

Brief overview

You will be responsible for planning, preparing and guiding K-RITH visitors to areas of interest within Durban and surrounding areas. Your role includes both driving and guiding. You will be responsible for ensuring your guests have an informative, safe and enjoyable experience.

Google goes promiscuous?

Today when signing up for a new account on Google I noticed that there are now a few more options to sign up with besides just the standard creation of a new Google Account.

Actually, let me rephrase that - it seems that one can now have a Google Account / identity which isn't *@googlemail.com or *@gmail.com.

Observe:

Today is FRIDAY!!

Only in JHB...

I guess the mentality on crime in JHB is so serious that the term 'please lift handset' has a different, more criminal meaning here.

Consider the handset 'lifted'...

Today is FRIDAY!!

Score for free kalahari stuff!

Have a R50 voucher but nothing to buy?

R35 shipping fee got you down?

Then just buy stationery to the value of R15 and get it all absolutely free!

Behold! The cheapskate Johnston's have done it again! One free marker pen and 100 post-it notes, delivered for a cost or R35 but discounted by R50!

Make your vouchers work for YOU!

Yummy!

R11 for an 'ass pie' at Westwood Food Lover's Market ...

Fingernail in my Nando's?

...?

Today is FRIDAY!!

FREE PC game: Portal

Portal is FREE for two days on Steam. If you don't already own this great title, grab it now while it's absolutely free!

This special runs until 20 September whereupon it reverts back to the regular retail price of $19.99.

http://store.steampowered.com/app/400/

SAOL: Freaky Friday R11/gig

SAOL is offering R11 a GB for today but you have to top up with a minimum of 5GB's to qualify for it and there's no roll over.


Want to secure this Freaky Friday special? E-mail info@saol.com or call 0861007265.

Katy Perry says today is FRIDAY!!

FREE PC Game: Dragonsphere

Grab MicroProse's epic fantasy point-and-click adventure game for FREE from Good Old Games!

Check it out here: http://www.gog.com/en/gamecard/dragonsphere

Free Microsoft Points

It's a bit of a stretch but if you want to earn free Microsoft Points and you intend to be on your Xbox 360 for a while (and perhaps they'll carry over to the next generation console when it comes out) then just sign up for Xbox LIVE Rewards!

Fill in a quick survey (and it really is quick - I clicked my answer and clicked submit and earned my points) every month and get something back.

Sure, it isn't much, but if you did this for one year you'd at least have earned yourself 240MSP for virtually nothing :)

http://rewards.xbox.com/my-rewards/survey

Supersport.com is messed up

First, they totally screwed up online streaming for the Opening Ceremony of the Rugby World Cup 2011 and then also the first match. I mean, honestly, who in their right mind doesn't test the server capacity beforehand?

It's South Africa, everyone's at work, and we're rugby mad. Server overload? No excuse!!

Now, it seems, possibly, the site isn't quite right yet - I think the online live streaming isn't working properly either... you can view for free at the moment - I think...

http://www.supersport.com/video/play.aspx?id=104501 to test my theory :)

SAOL Wacky Wednesday

SAOL is running a Wacky Wednesday Special today. Top up with 20 Gigs for R99, today ONLY. No roll over.

E-mail info@saol.com or call them on 0861007265 to get your Wacky
Wednesday Top Up.

Ultimate Support CD for Computer Admin's

I know I'm probably stating the obvious here but just in case someone out there may not already know about Hiren's Boot CD, here goes:

• Bootable CD with a ton of diagnostic programs and tools, including -
• Partitioning agents
• Cloning and imaging tools
• Data recovery tools
• MBR tools
• BIOS tools
• Account recovery tools

The list goes on but I think you get the idea!

A link to the ISO is here: http://www.hirensbootcd.org/.

Grab the full list of tools here if you are ever in a bind: http://hiren.info/bootcd.

OR click on the << MORE >> link to get an expanded list of the v14.1 contents...

FREE PC Game: Ultima IV Quest of the Avatar

Good Old Games is giving Ultima 4: Quest of the Avatar away for free.

I don't really know how they can do that except that it appears they have purchased the rights to a bunch of legacy games and can do what they want any way that they want.

Anyway, all that aside, it's a great game and if you want a trip down memory lane then go and grab it for FREE now!

Alternatively, buy Ultima 4, 5, and 6 for under $6 here: http://www.gog.com/en/gamecard/ultima_4_5_6

Telkom 1Mbps special: last few days remaining!

[ UPDATE: Special has been extended until the 15th of October so you've got more time to order ]

If you're in the market for good value internet then you have a few days left until the Telkom Trial special is officially OVER. In fact, you have until the 15th of September to place your orders.

To order it online go to the telkom.co.za website and click on "Free Trial" near the center of the screen. Otherwise, just click here: https://secureapp.telkom.co.za/ido/index.do?utm_source=telkom_coza&utm_medium=banner&utm_content=home_banner&utm_campaign=telkom_ido

What you get:

• Fast internet (DSL access up to 1024 kbps)
• Sufficient data allowance to use:
  • 5 GB of blended data PLUS 20 GB local data
• Free line and internet installation.
• Free modem without contractual commitments.
• Line rental, call charges and out of bundle data (blended and local data) excluded.

Just remember to cancel the deal (to avoid the 1Mbps line costs if you don't want to keep 1Mbps, or want to downgrade the line, etc.) in time: https://secureapp.telkom.co.za/ido/unregister.do

Wi-Fi hotspot locations in Africa

Want to know where you can use your Wi-Fi on your tablet, BlackBerry, iPod, or other technology-capable device?

Check out this site if you're in the Africa region:
http://www.alwayson.co.za/hotspotlocator/default.aspx

Now with Afrihost offering their own Wi-Fi service, your options for enjoying a cuppa on the move while checking your GMail from your portable tablet have just grown that much bigger! Enjoy, and indulge!

Free Xbox 360 DLC: Red Dead Redemption

My buddy just reminded me of the soon-to-be-released free DLC for Read Dead Redemption, entitled Myths and Mavericks. It comes out on 13 September 2011 and is absolutely free. Time to dig up my copy of RDR and start playing some multiplayer again!

Thanks, Oltman!

More importantly, THANKS Rockstar!

http://www.rockstargames.com/newswire/article/18701/release-date-details-on-the-free-red-dead-redemption-myths-and-m.html

Superbru featured pools - free prizes!

[ UPDATE: added in a new pool, "Goodyz" - 24 Sep '11 ]

If you're a freeloader (like me) and a rugby fan then I strongly suggest you try your luck at the following Superbru pools to enter for some free prizes:

http://www.superbru.com/rwc/featured_pools.asp

Inside this page you will find links to all of the public pools which offer free entry and prizes (weekly, or overall).

As of now these are the pools available to join - you can only be in five so choose wisely:

• Shield RWC2011 - T-shirts for for everyone that uploads a photo (see page for details), and "R48,000 CASH up for grabs". This pool offers an absolutely free prize to anyone that uploads a photo. You could be scaley and sign up, win your T-Shirt, and quit the pool if you are over-subscribed.
• Sport24.co.za - Top player wins 12-month membership to Virgin Active. Yellow cap winners win 3-month memberships.
• Nando's - Yellow cap winners win a signed and framed South African Rugby Supporter Shirt signed by Victor Matfield and Bakkies Botha (whoopee!). I have a feeling Nando's will offer other goodies along the way too.
• BruGolfers - Win 2 x fourball entries to the Sardine Run 3-day golf tournament on the South Coast including entry to golf, goodies, dinner, breakfast and accommodation for all 3 days. Package worth R60,000!
• Mr. Delivery - Best player wins R5,000.00 voucher from Mr. Delivery; yellow caps win R200 vouchers.
• Bonus pool: if you're a South Africa fan you should also be in the South Africa Fans pool which also opens you up to other prizes (best player on the Springbok fans leaderboard will win 2 nights for 2 at 5 star game lodge Lukimbi Safari Lodge).

South African Prizes also include a grand prize (4-day tour package on the Blue Train for 2 persons courtesy of JB Train Tours) and best each round prize (40 inch Hyundai Full HD LCD TV from Teljoy). For the full list of prizes (including pool vs. pool prizes) check out this link: http://www.superbru.com/rwc/prizes.asp

As a final observation, http://hectic.superbru.com/ is up and running for those people struggling to get onto the main site, and you need to make your predictions.

Enjoy! And may the best 'bru win :)

EDIT:  
Goodyz - Best player wins a BlackBerry Torch 9800 smartphone. There are only 121 players at time of writing so the odds are almost 1% per player, barring any consideration for rugby prediction talent!

Today is GANG FIGHT DAY!!

FREE Xbox 360 game: Crimson Alliance

It isn't every day that something comes along for free but when those rare days come, you can be guaranteed that I'm there like a ravenous bear.

Tonight I've found Crimson Alliance for free on Xbox LIVE - approximately 1GB of game and all completely for no cost besides your bandwidth.

It's an action-RPG adventure supporting up to four local co-op players as well as online co-op. No idea about whether it's any good or not but anything for free can't be all that bad, right? :)

Rugby World Cup 2011 Google Calendar Fixtures List

If you want to get all the Rugby World Cup 2011 fixtures or match line-ups on your phone (or Outlook calendar, etc.) then add this calendar to your phone, desktop, or bookmark the website link below:

• Any product that supports iCal format (usually MS Outlook, Google Calendar, Android phones, iOS devices, BlackBerry): https://www.google.com/calendar/ical/ct240d39oc9kq21cq3bn70jii8%40group.calendar.google.com/public/basic.ics
  
• Website address to bookmark (and view from anywhere with a browser):
  https://www.google.com/calendar/embed?src=ct240d39oc9kq21cq3bn70jii8%40group.calendar.google.com&ctz=Africa/Johannesburg
  
  
  Or abbreviated to 
  http://tinyurl.com/RWC2011SA

If you need help then post a request below in the comments and I'll try to help you out ;)

I cannot take credit for this calendar - the thanks must go Mike Riversdale of New Zealand for saving me a few hours of work!

Alternative calendar options are here:

• SuperSport: http://www.supersport.com/rugby/rugby-world-cup/fixtures
• http://www.upandunder.co.za/gear/rugby-world-cup-fixtures-calendar-download/

Enjoy!

An easy way to profit in retail

If I weren't such an honest guy, I swear, some of my ideas would make me super rich or super (in)famous.

Here's my latest pearl: going retail without much capital or effort.

The concept is simple. Many retail stores out there offer you a "we'll beat any price" promise provided you can furnish proof of a competing store's advert. All you need to do to exploit this is to either (a) print out a pamphlet promising below-cost prices for products that other major retail chains are selling or (b) set up a home office or website that fakes a storefront.

Let me elaborate:

• GAME will match any competitor's price on a product they sell provided the competitor has the same product in stock. Not only will GAME match the price but they'll offer you a further 10% discount on the product price difference.
• GAME will usually look at a printed advert and then phone the store to verify that the price is valid and stock is available.
• All you need to do is see what GAME sells (for example, a 46" FHD 3D LED TV for R19,299) and then print out an advert for the same product at some insane "opening sale special" of R1,929. Organise a landline or cellphone number as your store's "front" number and have two friends (or more if your friends can't put on accents) man the phone.
• Walk in to GAME and show them the advert and say it's an opening special and will they match the price. They have to because it's their policy but they'll first need to check that the special is valid.
• Dialing the number on the advert your first buddy answers the phone with appropriate background noise generated by a TV or a fake PA sound effect etc. and says "Bargain Discounts Electronics, Ronnie speaking, how may I direct your call?" and then GAME will ask about the product special at which point 'Ronnie' says, "hold on a moment, let me put you through to the Home Entertainment division" and hits a HOLD button to make the classic elevator music.
• Buddy #2 picks up the phone and says something official like "hello, despatch" and then undertakes a small conversation about how they've been put through to the wrong division and they'll transfer them.
• Buddy #1 picks up and says "hello, switchboard" and then transfers the GAME guy to Buddy #2...
• "Hello, showroom"... "yes sir, that product is on special - we have one left"... "okay let me put you through to my accounts department"
• Buddy #1 "hello, Gavin speaking..." and so on.
• The key to making this whole process work is faking a call-transfer and using big words like "warehouse", "showroom", and "despatch" to flummox the GAME guy. 
• At a loss, they'll have to mark their TV set down to R1,929 and then knock off an additional ten percent difference, which is R1,737, rendering the whole TV set to a new price of under R200. Even if you score just one, you've scored a huge bargain ;-)

Of course, from here, how you hit it big is if you really did genuinely advertise the product at your shopfront (assuming you want to go into retail) and then sell the TV at the advertised price (R1,929) - you'll have earned a R1,737 profit on one product and undersold GAME.

I know it's a very rough concept but it's the concept that intrigues me. GAME is not the only store to match and beat prices: Hi-Fi Corporation, House and Home, Hirsch's and many others do the same so you could just cut-throat market against them using their own policies and make a bit of cash on the side.

To be really authentic looking without running a store, just grab a picture off the internet of some store front and then edit it to make it look like your opening special. Here's an example:

• GOOGLE for "electronics store" images and grab one that looks good
• Spruce it up a bit
• Take it in to GAME :-)

Again, this is a really simple concept that I am putting out there to show how my mind thinks. If someone were crafty enough to put something like this into action I am certain they could pull off a few bargain purchases or at least make some cash on the side before GAME et al wise up to it.

License Terms for Microsoft Software

Ever needed to know whether you can use Microsoft Office Home and Student on three PC's?

Ever suffered with sleepless nights wondering whether you're compliant with Microsoft's end user license agreement that you clicked "AGREE" to?

Well, stress no more! Go here and find out the license terms for ANY of Microsoft's software products!

http://www.microsoft.com/About/Legal/EN/US/IntellectualProperty/UseTerms/Default.aspx

Today is FRIDAY!!

Software: yEd (free flowchart and diagramming tool)

yEd (pronounced "why Ed") is a free and powerful diagram editor that can be used to really easily generate high-quality drawings of diagrams. I've used it primarily for designing automated flowcharts for visualisation notices but it offers a lot more under the hood. It's got a great deal of automation and import and export options and is quite simply the best tool for the job that I've used, and best of all, it's absolutely free! The license agreement allows yEd to be used for free even in a commercial environment!

Why struggle with Visio or any other tool when yEd can do it all for you and takes no more than around five minutes to figure out?

Key features include:

• Import data for analysis from Excel spreadsheets or XML
• Create diagrams with ease using an intuitive user interface
• Auto-magically arrange your diagram elements
• Export your diagram to bitmap or vector graphics: PNG, JPG, SVG, PDF, SWF, ...

I've only used it for a brief while but the automatic layout wizard was enough to sell me on the product.

I strongly recommend it - try it out online here http://www.yworks.com/products/yed/demo/yed.jnlp or download it and try at home. Supports Windows, Unix/Linux, Mac OS.

Check out the promo video in 90 seconds here for a better advertisement than I can offer :)

PS: I did check out similar alternatives but didn't bother to download them when I came across yEd but you can also try out http://live.gnome.org/Dia and http://www.graphviz.org/.

BlackApps: RWC 2011 by iRB

The greatest sporting event of the year is almost upon us! Rugby World Cup 2011 is only weeks away and now is the time of mobile apps!

If you own a BlackBerry, love rugby, want to follow the Rugby World Cup in detail, or just want to overload your phone with trending apps, then the RWC 2011 app is for you.

It can be downloaded over here: http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/54515?lang=en

Features include:

• Add fixtures for any match to your built-in calendar or add all the fixtures for your favourite team
• BBM6 integration (requires an upgrade of your BBM if you haven't already done so) provides real-time content sharing, automatic status updates, and live match in-app chat.
• Access the Match Centre for live match coverage, including real-time live commentary, stats and video highlights.
• Get the latest news and keep up to date with the RWC 2011 Daily video.

You have no excuse - download it now!

To boldly go...

I recently upgraded to a BlackBerry Torch 9800 and I have to say, in a small nutshell, it's the worst BlackBerry I've ever used. Really bad on so many levels. I won't go into that now but suffice to say I have tried to have it swapped out.

I phoned VODASHOP Westwood (the store in question) and requested the procedural information to swap out a handset for a new model if it's within seven days (which in my case it is). The manager said it's not possible to exchange a handset unless it's faulty, in which case you still get a replacement model of the same type in return. I then politely referred him to the Consumer Protection Act and said it was, by law, possible to exchange a handset for another one. He insisted that even though there is a CPA, I have already signed all relevant CPA documents when I upgraded so I am bound by the contract.

(boxing gloves were lying next to my desk but I resisted putting them on)

I politely pointed out he was incorrect and added that I was simply not prepared to fight about it. I could get lawyers involved and it would just become messy for everyone and rather I just wanted to know if there was a stress-free way for me to be assisted and he said he was very sorry but no. Fine. I'm not bothered about it - I am not keen on bringing in the law either; my energy is far too sapped for that. The Old Bryan would have fought tooth and nail but the New (Older) Bryan is more mellow.

As I was about to go the manager asked for my information and said he would put out some feelers to see if anyone would be able to help with a new 9780 Bold for me as a swap out and I said that was great but that I wouldn't hold my hopes out. We departed on very amicable terms with him promising to help me get a replacement if he could and me promising not to fight them for breach of CPA.

The moral of the story? You can get a lot of cover through the CPA and if anyone at a store tries to be obtuse then just thrust those three magical letters and stand steadfast behind it. If they insist you're wrong, insist back that they are wrong, even if you're not sure, and chances are 99% of the time they'll back down because they won't want to have hefty penalties or law suits on their hands. Just act confident (even if you're not sure) and you can get your way now and get the quality customer service you deserve*.

* I am not trying to advocate petty intimidation or arm-twisting but rather encouraging you to use the CPA that is there to protect you and to hopefully encourage most retailers to improve their customer service to the level we, as consumers, are entitled to.

Last Night was FRIDAY!!

Have to admit that I appreciated this video. Lots of cameo's, one-liners, and Katy Perry starring alongside Rebecca Black (who, incidentally, is "a nice girl"). Good effort Katy Perry ;)

She's even created her very own alter-ego, Kathy Beth Terry with a Twitter and Facebook account - very inventive!

The dot DEALS blow-out

Here's me just throwing out some thoughts and observations. And maybe a prediction or two.

These social deals that are doing the rounds as GROUPON, MYCITYDEAL, TWANGOO, WICOUNT, etc. (they vary from country to country but I'm speaking specifically from a South African perspective here) have practically ballooned in the past year and I can't see how this is a sustainable model at all.

To start, we've got the actual concept of the system - a supplier engages one of the various deals providers to promote their product and then gives away their product at a tremendously below-margin price while still paying the deals provider for the advertising service.

There are already problems with this model. Firstly, how do you know which provider to pick? Everyone probably has the same audience by now (come on, admit it - you've signed up to more than one deal service already, haven't you?) and the audience is becoming saturated. For a provider to outdo another provider they need to claim a larger portion of the audience pool but there's a limited number in the pool to begin with. By now I'm fairly sure 80% of the entire target audience has been snapped up by one (or more) of the deals providers so their life expectancy based on this fact must be severely limited.

Secondly, how can a supplier survive as a business if they're selling off their products at well below cost to scores (or hundreds) of consumers? The third problem stems from the second problem, and that's the problem of commission. Not only do the suppliers have to see a value in selling a hundred products at below-cost pricing but they have to still pay the deals provider for the service which even further erodes their cashflow.

The concept of aggressive marketing isn't new by any stretch but the next challenge is ensuring that your potential clients don't just sit around lurking and waiting for you to set up a social deal just for them to snatch it up - it's almost like we're creating a generation of lazy consumers that will rather wait and hold out for a deal than buy something at full price. A risky business.

I haven't even mentioned the email farming that's taking place so there's a lot more to this whole story but I won't bore you with the details. Instead, I'll just finish off with this observation (which has led to my prediction): how often do you receive adverts for weight-loss, hair treatments or gym sessions? Now compare that to how often you actually find a really good deal nowadays. See where this is going?

Today is SUNDAY!!

Remove "Could not reconnect all network drives" message

If you suffer from the problem of a recurring "Could not reconnect all network drives" message that pops up every time you boot your computer, there is a way to remove it. It wasn't as straight forward as I had thought but it is actually possible and quite simple if you're command-line savvy. Here are the steps (even for the non-command-line savvy people out there):

1. START
2. Run --> CMD
3. net use * /delete /y

Then you should find the old recursive mappings that still work will still work on reboot and there won't be this error message any more for the mappings that have failed. Let me know if it doesn't work for you!

Google 2-step Verification

I stumbled upon Google 2-step Verification for the first time today and I was immediately tempted to use it. For me, Google is pretty much a digital copy of my life. I'm not particularly nervous that Google knows almost everything about me because I'm not all that memorable (maybe AdSense will one day change that ;)) but nonetheless my life is important to me and if it were to fall into the wrong hands it could spell the end of my / the world.

Essentially Google 2-step Verification puts in another layer of security in addition to what you know: what you have. The principle is simple: when you authenticate with what you know (your password) it will also prompt you to give another bit of code from what you have (your phone). This can be done either through SMS, voice message, or a random generator if you have the right handset.

There are a whole bunch of complexities when using Google 2-step Verification, including having to authorise certain applications again and relying quite heavily on your phone to be able to do simple things but I've decided to try it out for a month or two and see if I can cope with the added layers of security. I'll report back soon, either because it's become virtually impossible to cope with it or because I love it. If you don't hear back from me it will probably mean it changed my life without me knowing about it (which is almost as good as me loving it).

I've set it up on my BlackBerry to generate authentication codes and have my wife as a backup. When I travel back to New York I'll also have access to once-off codes just in case my BlackBerry fails me.

Until later, then...

To monetize or not to monetize?

I hit my blog account this morning and Google popped up with this fairly tempting offer:

I don't really know what to say - Google thinks my blog is popular! Now all I have to do is make it even more popular (I'll reconsider AdSense when I'm getting around 100 hits a day) and then maybe you can all help me pay for my next holiday to New York City :)

I'm not a total sellout though, so only when I hit a decent turnover of visitors and produce something meaningful will I consider it. Nice to know that Google cares though. And that they're watching me.

...

Virgin Cult Oil??

I didn't think I'd ever see the day when Pick 'n' Pay would be supporting the virgin-kidnapping antics of cults but if they're going to promote their new range of products then what better way than to offer an extra virgin with their cult oil, I suppose?

Maybe someone should get the Dragnet crew onto the case!

This is what you call a nasty food surprise

Inside this tub is supposed to be Danish Feta ...

Nando's outdoes themselves - AGAIN!

Most people know I'm a Nando's fanatic. I mean, it's arguably the healthiest takeaway there is, not to mention their peri-peri sauce helps to burn fat and reduce cholesterol (the properties of their variant of chilli used in the sauce).

I'm a massive fan of the strips, rice, veg meal box for R24.95 and I also get the added bonus of cash back if I use my DISCOVERY credit card (12% back at the moment). Add on to that my peri-peri passionate card and every four meals I score a freebie!

Tonight it was the free burger or large salad to take home. I flashed my loyalty card and the manageress came by a while later to point out the card is no longer valid; Nando's has cancelled the promotion. She showed me the fine print and I couldn't argue with her (not that I would have if there was a legitimate cut-off date anyway).

To my surprise she then flashed up a free burger on the till and paid for it herself!! She said she would honour the voucher herself even though Nando's head-office wouldn't allow her to do it at Nando's cost. I was stunned into silence and I am overly impressed! I didn't ask for it and she volunteered it of her own accord!

To the manageress of Nando's WESTWOOD - thank you! Awesome service! I am definitely a loyal patron!

R25 has earned you my loyalty, card or not :)

Today is FRIDAY!!

Today is FRIDAY!!

Today is FRIDAY!!

The Humble Indie Bundle #3

If you're in the market for some refreshing games and want to support indie developers, charity, or get some freebies then look no further than The Humble Indie Bundle #3 for the next two weeks.

The Humble Indie Bundle is currently on sale for any price you want to pay and you can even determine how the contributions you make get distributed between developers and charities.

I can't comment on the quality of the games but the principle excites me so why not check them out? Thanks to Oltman for pointing out this deal!

The basic features are as follows:

• Cross-platform (LINUX, Mac OS X, Windows)
• Pay what you want
• Support charity
• DRM free (install as many times as you like AND redeem them on Steam and Desura)

A video of the bundle is located here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4c6PWtE9mI&feature=player_embedded

British Passport renewal made EASY in South Africa

If you have to renew your British Passport (or apply for a new one) then you'll probably be as oblivious to the procedure as I was before I'd had to do it for myself. Not even knowing where to start, the logical first choice is to make use of one of these passport services to get the job done - after all, it should save you some time and these guys know their business and probably have connections to get things fast-tracked, right?

Well, as it turns out, not really. I concede that these passport services are really helpful and knowledgeable about what the procedure entails but specifically with my experience with a British Passport renewal, I don't think they're worth the cost or the time and effort of going down to their offices because you can actually do everything besides the photographs (unless you're skillful enough) from the comfort of your home.

From start to finish my entire application took under three weeks to be done (6 July to 22 July) and I did it all myself. I am now once again the proud owner of a British Passport and am a bona fide British Citizen! Doing it yourself will save you a good deal of money (it's not pocket change by any stretch so if you found my blog post useful feel free to send me 10% of your savings) and actually save you some time too.

Since this post is about the EASY way(s) to renew your passport I have included both information on passport services that offer the luxury of doing it for you as well as the DIY method which I recommend.

The first thing you will need to know is that my method may differ slightly from yours because I am a full-blown UK citizen with right of abode and am in possession of my own (expired) passport. The methods listed below will probably be the same for most of you but just in case they're not, I am very keen to update this post if you have a different experience so feel free to leave comments below. Everything I needed is highlighted in red font so keep an eye out for these if you are renewing your passport and already have your current or expired one.

The procedure - in summary

1. Fill in the required forms
1. http://centralcontent.fco.gov.uk/resources/en/pdf/central-content-pdfs/form-c1.pdf
2. http://centralcontent.fco.gov.uk/resources/en/pdf/central-content-pdfs/form-c1-notes.pdf
2. You will need to sign an online credit card authorisation form if you're paying by credit card. 
3. Get the photographs taken
1. Find someone upstanding to be a countersignatory and make sure you follow the correct guidelines (below)
4. Submit via courier - they recommend Supaswift (pty) Ltd and I used them. R220 for their basic fee. I applied online in the evening on Wednesday 6 July and they came to collect Thursday noon and again on Friday morning (diligent!)
1. Durbanites and Port Elizabethans can also make use of the British Cultural & Heritage Association (bcha1820@global.co.za) to courier their documentation once a month in a group bag. Contacts are 031 202 6174 and 041 585 3416 respectively.
5. They claim that it takes around 4 weeks and if you want to follow progress, phone Careline on 0044 208 082 4743 but have your credit card ready because it costs 72p+VAT per minute! My application took fewer than 3 weeks.

That's it, in a nutshell! The more detailed procedure of how to do each of these steps is listed below. I confess I have hotlinked other sites' forms in my post but have referenced them at the bottom.

Puma 650FPS Air Rifle - "Ideal for kids!"

I'm not really sure what to make of this advert outside the security store in Westwood Mall. Are they suggesting that if you have a problem with kids then the best solution is the Puma 650FPS Air Rifle?

I think, instead, that perhaps this would be ideal for the advertising company that thought up that slogan!

Today is FRIDAY!!

Yummy!

If you're going to buy a sandwich, why not try out Spar's new CHEESE & TOMATO SAND sandwich!

Crunchy!!!

Today is FRIDAY!!

And horror of horrors, Rebecca Black's YOUTUBE video has been removed from YOUTUBE due to some 'copyright infringement'!

Can't believe it!

How will we ever know what day it is today if we can't use the internet sensation's music video to remind us??

167 million reminders and now no more!

Telkom ADSL special 18 July

Finally, things are beginning to look up for South African broadband. We've got loads of special offers on the mobile broadband front, the local loop is going to be unbundled "soon" (although ICASA is shifting the goal posts, yet again), and 512kbps has been upgraded free of charge to 1Mbps and bandwidth is getting cheaper and cheaper.

The news of the moment is the countdown to Telkom's DSL upgrade special happening on the 18th of July. If you sign up for a new line installation from the 18th of July you'll get the following:

• FREE refurbished ADSL modem
• 5GB bandwidth for three months FREE
• 1Mbps ADSL line for three months FREE
• FREE line installation

All you are going to pay for is the residential line rental (which is around R133 per month). That's it. Three months at a total of R500 will get you 15GB, 1Mbps ADSL, an ADSL "modem", and a line installed. 

When I queried Telkom on the catch about a contract they said you will just have to decide at the end of the three months whether or not to keep the service. My strategy will be to migrate to SAOL at that point and reduce my line rental costs (but sadly also downgrade to the embarassing 384kbps speed).

This truly is a great day for ADSL users. Even if you have an existing line you can have a new line set up for three months and pay R133'ish per month which alone is cheaper than running a 1Mbps line anyway so everyone scores. Order five lines and you will get 25GB bandwidth, 1Mbps on each of them, five modems, and only pay R2,500.00 for the service ;-)

Today is FRIDAY!!

Today is SATURDAY!!

Brattex's Super 15 calendar is more popular than the real thing!

I can't even make these things up if I tried - my Super 15 Rugby Calendar seems to have become more popular than the real SUPERXV.COM fixtures site. Check it out:

Counting down to going BLUE!

Here's a hint: Tra la la la la la, la la la la laaaaa.

Although I hate to admit it, hearing that tune brings a smile out of an otherwise cynical and grumpy BrYan. Yes, I may nowadays be more akin to Gargamel but when it comes down to being full of fun and excitement and I'm cornered, I suppose I'm more alike to Jokey Smurf.

But I digress.

The 25th of June is Global Smurfs Day! Why should you care? Well, on Global Smurfs Day you can participate in a Guinness World Record attempt and also celebrate the impending arrival of the new Smurfs 3D movie (like that was never going to happen)!

Go here for more information: http://www.globalsmurfsday.com/ and remember to WEAR BLUE!!

Today is FRIDAY!!

Today is FRIDAY!!

Does anyone else notice the irony?

That's either a really clever sign or a really stupid one. If you can zoom in you may notice the words say "microbiology workshop" ... How micro do they want it to be?

Is Olive Oil bad for cooking?

I've had some interesting conversations recently with people about the health benefits (or lack thereof) of using Olive Oil with food. Some people argue that cooking with Olive Oil is healthier than other oils and others argue that it's a lot unhealthier. 


Never being one to accept face-value information from people that aren't experts, I decided to do a little digging around the unquestionable global knowledge repository, the Internet.


In a nutshell, heating Olive Oil is no worse than normal oils and in fact in some instances has a higher Smoking Point temperature than other oils which makes it better for frying. Of course, the main reason to get expensive Olive Oil is for its myriad household uses and its flavour but the purpose of this post is to briefly illustrate the cooking qualities.


This is by no means a complete thesis on the health benefits (or lack thereof) of Olive Oil but just a brief so you can rest assured about what parts of the Olive Oil myths are in fact myths and which are true.

Golden Oldies: Crazy Vintage Ads

Don't sue! No (c) infringement meant!

Angry Birds: The Movie (Trailer)

Kreayshawn: "Gucci Gucci" - Rebecca Black's got competition?

Today is FRIDAY!!

FREE Android Apps

[ UPDATE: apparently the app access is restricted in South Africa so if anyone is willing to try this fix or this one please let me know if it works and I'll credit you for your pioneering tendencies ;) 
END OF UPDATE]

I'm a bit of a fan of ANDROID even though I don't yet own an ANDROID device (note, I said "yet").

There was recently a special on at Amazon that allowed any ANDROID owner to get a free "Plants vs. Zombies" download - not sure if it worked outside of the US, but it was a great offer (saving you around $3).

Since I'm a big fan of free, I decided to include a link to the current list of FREE games available for ANDROID users. Please comment below if these work for South African users if you try them out?

Click here to go to the free Android Apps (as far as I can tell, they're free ;))

A friends' burden

A friend that I grew up with (we were born around the same time, went to the same schools, had brothers the same age that were also friends, etc.) has just given birth to a little baby boy today at 8:19am. It's her third baby and also third son.

Usually this wouldn't be something to blog about since most people at some stage of life have kids.

In my friend's case, however, her experience is something altogether unique and altogether heartbreaking.

Near the beginning of her pregnancy she and her husband learned that their child would be born with a severe heart defect that would mean he wouldn't survive. They were faced with the agonising choice of whether or not to accept the medical prognosis and keep the pregnancy or to terminate.

There are going to be people that argue for both options and in every case there will be a moral justification for it. Having been through a similar circumstance and having faced the same decisions to make I can appreciate how difficult it is to even have to be considering those options you previously thought were never going to be options. I know our personal experience doesn't equate to their nightmare but I believe we can still empathise.

Great Nando's Value!

Quick! Tell your friends!

There's a new meal at Nando's for R24 - strips, rice, and veg. This is comparable to my favourite meal, strips & rice, and at R24 as opposed to R39 (for the latter) it's a great deal.

Kat & I share this and a large wedges and a KFC coleslaw for a total of R24 + R20 + R10 = R27pp. A great, wholesome meal (especially compared to other takeouts) for under R30 each ... And it tastes great!

With a Discovery Vitality Card you also get up to 20% back in rebates so it's a fantastic deal!

Golden Oldies: Crazy Vintage Ads

No intentional (c) infringement! Honest!

Today is FRIDAY!!

And to honour our dearest Rebecca Black I am referring your attention to this crazy internet phenomenon. Her original video has over 150 MILLION hits (that's like almost half the current USA population). If you factor in all of the covers and spoofs and such*, this is easily closer to (possibly even over) 200 MILLION hits. That's quite an achievement!

* by such I mean videos like a slowed down version (why make it 5 times longer?) and sped up version, which together have added on another TWO MILLION hits on their own. I can't completely fathom this!

I have to confess that I actually rather enjoy the original song; well, it gets under your skin at any rate :)

Enjoy the weekend guys!

ScreenTeamShow:
("yesterday is today if you go back one day")

Golden Oldies: Crazy Vintage Ads

No (c) infringement intended

Web2Pin - send BlackBerry PIN messages via the web

If you want to be able to send a PIN message to a BlackBerry user without using a BlackBerry then this web-app is for you... it's called Web2Pin and as long as you know the recipient's unique BB PIN* you will effectively be able to "SMS" them a BB Level 1 PIN message for free!

http://www.web2pin.com/web2pinfree.aspx

* To find out a PIN type mypin in a message box on the BlackBerry handset and the autocorrect will pop up with the PIN of the phone.

(I'm interested to see if I can find a way to feed in parameters to this solution to have automated scripts ...)

Golden Oldies: Crazy Vintage Ads

Life today is no longer simply about climbing the corporate ladder: it's evolved into a fast-paced digital information era where social networking is king (in fact, it's so important to be noticed that some idiots are planking themselves to death just to receive a 'like' from a total stranger on the other side of the planet, but that's another story altogether).

It sometimes pays to look back on life and see how far we've come (or how far we've strayed). I present to you my Golden Oldies of the Advertising Era!

I don't know if this is a (c) violation but am presuming it's not :)

FREE: Necrovision - The Lost Company (game)

Oltman has alerted me to a free game on promotion TODAY: Necrovision - The Lost Company.

If you want to grab it, go over to Green Man Gaming, sign in or register, and claim the game using the promo code listed below.

http://www.greenmangaming.com/games/action/necrovision-lost-company/

GMGY1-PROMO-TREAT

BlackBerry, white screens of death, and swollen cellphone batteries

I've touched on this before but this time around my problem has been much more severe. The BlackBerry would white screen almost daily, sometimes more often than that, and I wouldn't be able to reuse the phone until I had taken out the battery and rebooted while plugged into power. This hinted at a battery problem but I wasn't entirely sure so I first tried to reinstall the OS to see if that fixed it. It didn't. After some more troubleshooting etc. I've since replaced the battery and that seems to have solved the problem.

Interestingly, when I removed the old battery I noticed it was slightly swollen in the centre which I had always thought was normal, but it actually turns out this is the sign of an overcharged battery. Although most of the sites I've referred to say it's not dangerous, they all agree it can't be fixed.

A simple rule of thumb (pardon the pun) is if you can spin your battery on a flat surface and it spins for quite a while, it's got a bit of a swell which means damaged cells. If you spin the battery for about half a rotation before the friction slows it down then the battery is pretty much flat (physically, not chemically) and that's fine.

So if you're having white screen problems on your BB similar to mine, try checking out your battery.

Go on, give it a spin!

Delete FUTURE events and remove duplicates on GOOGLE CALENDAR

I haven't been able to find any meaningful advice on how to delete future-dated calendar entries. I acknowledge that such a need would be more of a power user requirement but if you're ever going to dabble in synchronisation with Google Calendar then you will more than likely encounter a situation where a recurring calendar entry has been repopulated as a string of independent events that potentially go on "forever". 

Obviously if you only have a handful of entries like this then it's probably easiest to just filter your calendars that you show on GOOGLE CALENDAR and then manually delete the entries you want via AGENDA VIEW. If, on the other hand, you have scores or hundreds of such entries (if it's repeated daily or weekly) the quickest way to do this (and cheapest) is via a tool called GCalToolkit, using the free Online Tool.

GCalToolkit for Google Calendar remedies

GCalToolkit is a Power Tool for Google Calendar that helps to remove duplicates from your Google Calendars and also cleans up failed imports / syncs in a few clicks.

GCalToolkit comes packaged in a few options including a free six month trial download for Windows, a Full subscription-based license (one or two years), and a limited online tool. For my own needs I found the online tool was good enough and did what I needed and in fact this is the major selling point for me: specifically, the online tool can be used on Mac, Linux, Windows, etc. Of course the offline versions offer a few more functions than the online tool.

The website for GCalToolkit lists the features as follows:

• Remove any number of duplicate events in minutes
• Clean up failed Syncs/Imports with ease
• Delete events between specified dates
• Delete events by the date they were created in Google Calendar
• Delete events based on text/dates filters
• Undo any Changes you make (windows software only)
• Search/Replace text in the Title, Summary, Location fields (win only)
• Save/Continue an editing session (please see "Google Quota" below)
• Need GCalToolkit to do something else? Let me know.
• FREE TRIAL - Online Tool max 500 events / Windows software max 6 months
• In a rush? Don't trust yourself to get it right? For $99, I DO IT ALL FOR YOU!

To use the online tool (which I recommend) you will need to associate the service with your Google Account. Check it out and see for yourself how useful it can be. I strongly recommend (as does the developer) to backup your calendar(s) first (check here for tips on how to do this). Of course, remember to disassociate the service when you're done if you feel security-conscious although I think it will time out automatically after twenty minutes.