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Nov 11
2009

Welcome HTC Snap-goodbey Samsung Omnia!

Posted by OS GIKEN in Untagged 
OS GIKEN
Today, I am extremely p'd off with my wife and her place of work. I'm p'd off with her as this is the second phone she has managed to put in the sights of the thieves in as little as 3 months - i.e negligence, and with her place of work as they have a small wall type structure that cordon's off the front from the rear. Don't even ask about the security!

Its an open plan office space but this wall separates the front from the back, and in most instances, everyone is at the back, and they can't see who's at the front...yes, my wife works at the front side of the office, so she leaves her phone there on her desk and goes to the back and then someone left the door open and the perp came in and took the phone, same as the last HTC I gave to her!

Anyway, yesterday I got my upgrade on my work phone, its an HTC Snap, it looks remarkably similar to the poverty spec BB. It's just like all other HTC's, boring as hell, and the fact that it's Windows Mobile 6.1 doesn't make it any better. I do have a problem with the QWERTY keyboard, the "function" button used to change the words to numbers does not work when using Internet Explorer where some websites requires me to insert a password. For some reason it does not want to accept both numbers and letters in the password box. Maybe its just an error at the backend of the website.



The Omnia is gone, it was stolen today, the security guards ran after the perp and he got away, the cops are still looking but my hopes are not high. I miss my phone, I did not like this HTC Snap the minute I got to play with it.

 

I miss my touch screen, my 16G, my 5 mega pixel, my music, my videos, my photo's, my internet browsing, my GPS, all the feature rich content, I miss my phone! How am I going to deliver great Vlogs now?
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Nov 09
2009

Blogs vs Vlogs - wherein lies the future?

Posted by OS GIKEN in Untagged 
OS GIKEN
Wherein lies the future, the future of telling or talking, listening or hearing, showing or doing? I've been thinking about this reality-type update for some time now. I see The Source has been doing it for a couple of times as well. Blogs are meant to stimulate the brain, give people insight into your thoughts through words via reading.

I love Hip Hop and most of these guys have started to use the internet as a base to promote and share their daily lives and intricacies via Vlogs or V-logs where they say what's on their minds just like a blog, but only this time its captured via video. So the interaction is personal, as you can see the person giving you his/her opinion. I find this better than blogging in many ways, by doing this you can clearly express your view and opinion and not be mistaken, as people will be able to see your facial reactions/expressions to things you might say. Blogging has one difficulty, and that's expressing your true opinions and feelings in words, using exclamation marks and capitol letters is not a great way to show your true emotions, and that's why we sometimes get the nasty blogs and comments.

I'm going to start doing V-logs for a limited period only, a kind of experimental period. Maybe this will prove to be the next step blogging has been waiting for in my opinion, blogging became mundane a long time ago, we needed to be updated and hear news on the fly and resources like Twitter and FaceBook has kept us in the light and is growing daily. It's like news and newspapers, I'm sure demographics of some sort will show that younger people would prefer Vlogs as opposed to reading 2500+ words...Plus the novelty of Vlogs is exciting...I'll try and do mine today.

The setback of Vlogs is the very reason why people started blogging in the first place, the privacy aspect of it, you'll know who's doing the vlog...as with blogs you only knew the writer, not their looks etc.

The OS is outie, in my opinion, Vlogs are the future of blogging, a kind of blogging 2.0, remember when web 2.0 showed its face and possibilities, many were against it arguing about its origins and originality, while "they" were arguing about the meaning of web 2.0, others like FaceBook, LinkedIn, YouTube and now Twitter have utilized this technology and made it work for them...I'm sure Vlogs will grow in the same step.
 
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Nov 04
2009

What do you want for Christmas?

Posted by OS GIKEN in Untagged 
OS GIKEN
I know its a bit early, but if you, like me, have noticed the sheer speed the year has been passing by, its almost time for Christmas. Usualy I did not have money to buy great presents for my girl other than R100 thingy here and there...Now that I'm strapped I'm going all out!

I'd like a PS3 for Christmas, seriously! I've been thinking back and forth between a PS3 and an XBOX. But come to think of it, I had an XBOX, so now I can get a PS3, and it will look insane on the 42" plasma! Other than a PS3 I don't know what else I'd want other than things for my car, like a double din cd/dvd/gps player or a complete sound system or or or...


The PS3 is my best bet.

What do you guy expect or want for Christmas?
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Nov 04
2009

Desktop meme OS.

Posted by OS GIKEN in Untagged 
OS GIKEN
Here is a picture of my desktop, it normally has insane Alfa’s but I had to filter into my other passion – which is RAT RODS…absolutely love those things!
 
 
 
 
 
 
I want to get a personally PC and load Windows 7 on to it…one of those R400pm deals with the 3G included. But I’ll see, currently this is the work laptop so you can think how locked down it is!
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Nov 02
2009

Yes, religion is big business.

Posted by OS GIKEN in Untagged 
OS GIKEN

In response to The Organ Harvesters blog about people in the world making billions off the feelings and spirituality of others, I have to agree, the clergy and "Christians" are raking in the funds. Like heir Dissol put it...they have private jets, flashy cars and castle's sometimes more than one! Now as a reborn Christian now for almost 4 years, I've seen my fare share of money over God sittuations. However, I doubt that this should direct anyone's attention away from God or Jesus or Ala or whoever they choose to believe in.

I always say that people are put on earth for reasons, some of these pastors are put here to become the messenger from God to us the sheep if you so will. My wife and I are now in a new town, and our campus church, where we learnt about God more in a year than we did in all our life as Angligans...the Christian community is rattled by Anglican and Catholic rumours and shame. I mean, did you all really think these guys are holy? These guys preach sin and old testament beliefs, oh, they mix and match according to what will hit the hardest.

We revel in new testament, i.e the new covenant that Jesus made for all our sins to be forgiven.The old testament is a teaching of how not to live, anyone who knows their Bible will know that the new testament contradicts everything in the old but all the old comes true in the new! Go read it up if you somehow disagree or don't believe. I've gone a long way from trying to convince the readers with my very hard hitting religious blogs to this now, more accepting and going forward religious blog. Religion is dangerous, I have told you this for a long time. The elite in the church have this holier than thow aura that is unmistakable even from a mile away!



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Oct 22
2009

A Quiz from Charmed

Posted by OS GIKEN in Untagged 
OS GIKEN

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Oct 21
2009

Insurance and Waranties - I've dealt with them!

Posted by OS GIKEN in Untagged 
OS GIKEN
This week has been a strange one for me indeed; I've been dealing with warranty people and insurance people. The warranty was for my clutch hydraulic kit which they cover and the labour, all in all about R3200 and the insurance is for auto body and paint protection, all in all about R9000.

Now I've had good dealings with them so far, none have actually come out and deny me my right to claim, I've had to forward tons of paper work, luckily I keep all my slips, but I've had to call after them since yesterday to just get an answer out of them.

The waranty people said I must fax my bank details and the invoice and my last service invoice and they will refund the hydraulic parts and the labour...the guy said he'll call me back just now. The paint protection is a different story all together. I got hold of all my debit orders yesterday, and found out this company, after cancelling my policy with them in March, is still taking R53 from my account on a monthly basis, I did some enquiry and it turns out its for paint protection...so I went and got quotes for the dent someone put into my car while it was parking, R2000, and the front end that suffered severely on the JHB construction sites and stone chips are all over the bonnet, front bumper and fenders...R7000. Access for both claims is R500, that's R250 each! I'm sure they are looking at ways to get out of these claims as the one happened 2 weeks ago and the other a month ago. I completely forgot I had this paint protection crap, I thought it came with the policy which I cancelled. So hopefully today I'll hear if my claims will be settled!

The OS is outie, we pay our lives away on insurance and waranties, but when its time for them to cough up they seem to find al kinds of excuses, not this time though!
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Oct 19
2009

IT incubators destroying age old entrepreneurship?

Posted by OS GIKEN in Untagged 
OS GIKEN
Again stemming from an article in IT web's Brainstorm magazine, they had a feature on IT incubators. A quick lesson on incubators - these are almost like venture capitalists in my opinion, they are like SITA's, you have a business that you need to get off the ground, they assist you with various recourses, not limited to IT. So true to the word they incubate the company until it can stand on its own two feet and don't need the help of the incubator anymore!

This is a great thing...on paper. I believe establishments like these are killing the age old methodology of entrepreneurship. Its like reparations...you get things you're not supposed to be getting in the first place and for free at that! Bill Gates did not get funds from government, maybe venture capitalists...ok that argument was flawed. If you look at just how many entrepreneurs started out without any help and made it to the top with pure good deals and business sense, other than applying for "premature help"?

I believe IT incubators are here to make the life of the entrepreneur easy, especially BEE candidates...or AA. You have an idea, it works, and you get recourses from incubators or venture capitalists and you're set, all you have to do now is just run the business, preferably off the ground and not into! But I'm not sure if you pay the incubators a nominal fee? In Brainstorm magazine the IT incubators expect a share of profits for the time you use its recourses, others expect nothing - this is too good to be true.

Entrepreneurs had to fight for grounds in the early days, they were set back if they didn't get a bank loan, now they just need a good business case and its a –for- away...is this too easy? I know the idea/business case has to be solid, but this sounds too easy for me, FaceBook founders had to struggle to get the site to accommodate 100mil+ people's updates on breakfast.

The OS is outie, think about it, are IT incubators killing the drive and passion of true entrepreneurs or just creating opportunistic -out - for-the-buck type entrepreneurs?
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Oct 12
2009

That bastard at SARS - I'm coming for you!

Posted by OS GIKEN in Untagged 
OS GIKEN
I need to vent but also to express a view. About 2 months ago I went to stand in a long queue of ordinary folk waiting for some tax return money and for various other tax queries. I on the other hand had to give in some paper work in order to register as a tax payer... I've paid close to R100k in tax for 9 months alone and this is how I get treated.

I had all my documentation. Then this government official, with his attitude starts helping people, taking their queries and directing them to answers. My time came, now I was the only brown person in the hordes of black people, and in a town like this race is the first thing being seen...mother tongues were spoken to me and passed me. Obviously I don't know my tongue clicks from my skew looks, but these people refused to accept my presence.

The official helped me at last and didn't greet me, grabbed the papers from my clutches and proceeded to look through them...my bank details, 3 months bank statements, proof of adress, copy of i.d, and application form was what SARS told me to bring along, clever guy only needed the application form, there I noticed the injustice! This guy deliberately did not take what he was supposed to for who knows what reason. As he looked through my papers he made comments which evoked laughter from everyone else who understood him...this worked on my nerves but I remained calm as this guy was the gate keeper of my tax reference number. I asked him again if he is sure that he only needs my application form and he looked at me like I was asking him stupid questions...

Low and behold, it’s now been 2 months, the deadline is looming and I'm without a tax number and I cannot register as a tax paying citizen. I called the call centre and was told to go stand in queue’s and apply again.

I'll do it, but I vow that if that official is there I'll give him a bloody beating for being so ignorant and bloody stupid, I feel like going there now just to look for him.

The OS is outie, I'm frustrated at the system and people who ride it all day long, its people like these fools who need a good beat down to realize the trouble they putting me through!
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Oct 08
2009

How to CUT an IT budget.

Posted by OS GIKEN in Untagged 
OS GIKEN
No, I'm not going to tell you how to, go check out this month's Brainstorm magazine from ITweb, there the CIO of Transnet will tell you how he cut an IT budget by R400m over a couple of years. Obviously for any CIO, their employees are important, but not as important as the share holders there in the south of France on their yachts!

I'd like to focus on what exactly can be cut from an IT budget. That whole budget consists of a large chunk for projects, and then most probably another large chunk for service providers. If you were to cut an IT budget, what would you consider cutting? Let's say you've cut and cut and ran out of cutting, where else would you look to get your scissor in?

Many CIO's sugar coat the obvious by saying they are making the processes more streamlined and more efficient...well...basically they mean we are getting rid of some people who we don't really need. And in 2-3 years down the line we look for those people again, as we realize we've caught on a whole bunch of nonsense as we interpreted the cost model from an IT company in Alabama too close to our current environment...I mean they saved by cutting, so could we, can't we?

No you fool, you can't! Cutting an IT budget means just that...you cut the IT budget, the budget that's there for IT stuff, not IT people! Funny when cutting a budget there will always be a new proposed model in the mix, the "after or post- cut" model of how the new structure would look. The CIO's name is always top; they start that PowerPoint presentation with his name right up top!

So, looking at IT budgets, one cannot cut people from the pie, because people are not supposed to be apart of the pie in the first place! I get the feeling that most CIO's are taking advantage of these "times" were in, getting rid of those employees that are given the bottom of the range projects that don't need to be done, but get done anyway just to keep employees happy and busy!

The CIO job is not an easy one, being asked to cut an IT budget is probably not the most glorified project to do, but imagine the pressure from up top and from the bottom...

How to cut an IT budget - there is no formula, model or fortune cookie that will tell you how, just don't get rid of the people who do the jobs!
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