MarcForrest.com

Category: On The Marc

  • Vodacom launches “Internet Starter Pack” for R399

    Vodacom launches “Internet Starter Pack” for R399

    Following on from CellC’s Mobile Broadband offering, Vodacom earlier today launched a new product called the “Internet Starter Pack“.

    The package includes a USB modem, and pre-paid simcard for only R399. You get a monthly allowance of 100MB every month, as well as a ZTE K3570z USB modem, which allows for full Plug & Play functionality on both Mac & Windows

    The package is a pre-paid package, which means there are no nasty monthly contracts, and you can also “top-up” your sim card using Vodacom Vouchers if you run out of data.

    This is a fantastic deal, and I think is going to be very popular, especially amongst internet users who don’t need an ADSL, but still need something to check emails, and do the odd Google search.

  • Geo Places WordPress Theme

    Geo Places WordPress Theme

    I came across a very very cool new WordPress theme from the guys at Templatic the other day. The theme is called Geo Places, and allows you setup a fully fledged  city/town directory using WordPress.

    The Geo Places theme is full, full of functionality, and allows you to also charge people to list on the site. Users can classify their category, So for example, you could list all the restaurants or hotels in a town or city. The Theme also fully integrates with Google Maps, which makes finding places so much easier.Visitors can also rate specific places. The latest version also allows you to add and display events. To get a full demo, check out the theme page on Templatic.

    Some of the other features of the theme also include:

    • Out of the box – Auto Install (with dummy data to get you started)
    • Strategic design of the homepage
    • Home Page Banner Slider
    • Category Listing View
    • Place Details Page
    • Add listing page
    • Add Events
    • Event Detail Page
    • Featured Events and Listings
    • Design Settings
    • Payment Options
    • Manage Category Icons
    • Manage Coupons
    • Manage Price

    Quite a list hey !!! I have been using Templatic themes for a couple of projects now, and I can highly recommend them. The theme costs $89 which is really worth it given the functionality that is included in it.You can also buy the multi-license version for $159

    If you have any questions about the theme, leave a comment below, and I will see if I can answer them for you :)

  • Movie Review: The Social Network

    On Monday eve, I got invited to a sneak preview of “The Social Network“, thanks to the kind folks at 2ocenasVibe & Ster Kinekor distribution.

    As with most things in Durban, there was a rather dismal turnout, which is ironic given the movies background. The Social network follows the story of Facebook Founder Mark Zuckerburg and his rise to fame in building the empire that is Facebook today. The film mainly focuses on how the idea came to him after a breakup with a girlfriend, and follows the trials & tribulations with friends & enemies, while building the network.

    Here is a trailer of the movie:

    I have to admit, I really enjoyed the story having been part of Facebook since the “early days”. The lead actor Jesse Eisenberg, who plays Zukerburg really plays the part to a T, as we can only imagine Zukerburg really acting like that at times.

    But, there is a huge underlying motive & story behind the movie. In anything you do, you need to know who you taking on board. Friends can soon become enemies, and sometimes, you don’t always really know the people behind the pretty face, a point which really hit home for me this week :(

    The movie opens locally on the 5th of November, and I highly suggest taking yourself and a mate to see it.

  • FaceTime for Mac

    Ever since I got my iPhone 4, I have been a huge fan of the FaceTime functionality. I think the product is revolutionary, and even though people still say we have had “video calling” for years, this is NOT video calling. This is something bigger. Check out what my mate Anice Hassim, from immedia, had to say about it a while ago.

    Before last night Apple had already integrated FaceTime into their latest iPod Touch models, and now it is available as a stand alone application on existing & new Macs it opens a whole new world. Now you can chat to someone who could be on the other side of the world, and they don’t necessarily need to have an iPhone. Now we can communicate, visually with each other.

    To get FaceTime working on the Mac, you need to download it from Apple FaceTime site, and install the app on your Mac. You then need to either register an Apple ID, or use an existing one. Once you are in, you can call an iPhone 4 using the person’s cell number, or iPod/FaceTime for Mac using their registered email address.

    A few people have asked my they haven’t been able to use it yet, so below are a couple of things to check:

    • Make sure FaceTime on the iPhone is turned on. To check this go to Settings -> Phone -> And make sure FaceTime is switched on
    • If you are trying to call a FaceTime number (iPhone 4) from your Mac, you need to ensure you have it in the international format. So +27xxxxx
    • Check to see that you can call your FaceTime Mac from your FaceTime phone.
    • Make sure that the WiFi(iPhone/iPod) or Internet(Mac), the following ports are open: 443 (TCP), 3478–3497 (UDP), 5223 (TCP) 16384–16387 (UDP), and 16393–16402 (UDP). (Apple Support Doc)

    If you come across any other issues with FaceTime, leave a comment below, and I will try and see what I can dig up :)

  • A quick post about Tech-Ed

    The last 2 days, and the next 2 ahead, have all been consumed by all things Microsoft. I am attending Tech-Ed on behalf of the company I work for, and have been pleasantly surprised so far. I will give a wrap up soon, and my also my views on the new Windows Phone 7.

    For now here is a post I did earlier today on Memeburn

    Over 2 500 IT professionals and tech-geeks from around South Africa and the wider continent have converged on Durban’s International Convention Centre for the 2010 installment of the annual Microsoft Tech-Ed Africa conference.

    The conference, possibly the largest IT gathering in Africa, kicked off on Sunday evening with a keynote address from Microsoft’s Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Worldwide Services, Norm Judah. Judah is no stranger to South Africa: He earned his first degree (in electrical engineering) from Wits University before heading abroad in the mid-70s. He has worked for Microsoft for the past 20 years, and has built an impressive reputation as a speaker and a strategic thinker around IT.

    Judah’s talk was about how Microsoft is striving towards simplifying our lives and focused on how we increasingly want the “Monday morning technology experience” to be the same as the “Sunday evening experience”, with full access to the same data and devices.

    At the TechEdAfrica event, Microsoft is showing off its much-anticipated Windows Phone 7 Series and controller-free Kinect gaming system -– both of which are launching in South Africa during November.

    Microsoft will also be highlighting some of its key cloud-based technologies, including its Lync collaboration platform and recent releases like SQL Server 2008 R2 and Office 2010.

    Sunday’s other keynote speaker was Mteto Nyati, Microsoft South Africa’s MD, who explained how cloud computing was becoming a significant part of many conversations on the net. “IT Professionals are looking for more guidance, standards, support and clarity as they begin to plan for cloud. To get it right, we’ll have to collaborate with business on the answers to these key questions, about business goals and how best to bring IT experience and innovation to the table,” said Nyati.

    The newly launched Windows Phone 7 talks have been a hot ticket, with people wanting to know more about the pending launch of the mobile device in South Africa. The official line is that we should see a mid-November launch, with one model of the handset being launched.

    Questions such as “Will there be an app marketplace in South Africa?” have been met with negative answers, with Microsoft execs explaining that we may have to wait a bit longer to see the full effect of the entire Windows Phone 7 eco-system.

    Tech-Ed Africa is also due to feature announcements of several new and upcoming technologies which Microsoft believes will enable IT professionals and developers to help their organisations save money and improve efficiencies.