As you may know I am a HUGE fan of QR codes, and yesterday my Mate Stu from Switzeland alerted me to this cool little Easter egg hidden amongst the gem that is Bit.ly.
Now if you add a .qr onto the end of that, it generates a QR code for you to the bit.ly link. So , it auto-magically generates the QR Code for you like the one on the left. Cool hey :)
Just wanted to drop a quick note and let you know about a new project I have been working on. The site is called Ballito News Online, which is a community based site, of local news & events for Ballito, where I stay.
The site was built using WordPress & uses the Tribune theme. We will also offer news such as Community news & Neighbourhood watch news, as well as local and upcoming events.
We also have sections where people can submit news and events using Gravity Forms, which is such an awesome WordPress Plugin.
Would love to hear your thoughts and comments on the site. You can check it out on http://www.BallitoNews.co.za
Last week I got a call, that said “You have 15 minutes to get to the CellC store in Gateway, we have a little gift for you”. So naturally I jumped in my car and raced up, to be greeted by a huge crowd of people outside the CellC store. Turns out CellC was launching their 4Gs 3.75G network (yes, I know…not getting into that now) in Durban. Even my mate Trevor was there :)
To my surprise in my hands all of a sudden was a box with with a Simcard & USB Modem. After chatting to the guys from CellC, they asked me to give it a run and see how it works in Durbs, and give them some feedback.
If you haven’t been following the launch of the new CellC data product, they are now offering high speed internet, at VERY affordable prices. The package I got given, was a 60GB for the year (5GB a month) and USB Modem (Huawei E1820), which allows for speeds up to 21.5 Mb/S, which retails for R2999 once off. There are no contracts or sign-ins, just the once off cost.
Last night I got round to doing some decent testing, and was a bit worried when I only got 4Mb/s after hearing reports of speeds up to 10Mb/S. Turns out, because I had the USB modem plugged into my USB hub, it was decreasing the speed. When I plugged it into my MacBook I managed to get a speed of 7.15 Mb/s and then later I got around 8.5 Mb/s
CellC using Cell C Modem (with USB hub)CellC using Modem (without USB hub)
I also got a question on my site asking if the SIM can be used with a MiFi. So I popped the SIM in to my MiFi device and gave it a test, and was quite surprised to see speeds of around 7.15Mb/s – 7.50 Mb/s. This is perfect, as the MiFi can support up to 5 devices at any given time using WiFi.
CellC (HSUPA) using MiFi
In comparison below is the speed test from my 4MB ADSL using Afrihost.
ADSL (4MB line) Afrihost
The setup of the device was very simple on both Mac & Windows. Literally plug & play, and 1 click to connect. There are 2 small issues I have with the device though. The first is that the USB modem gets super hot, but after doing some googling, this seems to be a known issue with this model. Secondly, I have an issue fitting it int my USB slot on my Macbook. Because they Macbook only has to 2 USB slots, and they are very close together, the USB modem takes up more space than it should and makes plugging in a 2nd USB device a bit tough, hence the need to use a USB hub. I’m going to have to do a bit of thinking about this one, but I’m pretty sure I can get around that.
Overall I am very impressed with the CellC offering. People have commented that as the network grows and more people share towers speeds will decrease, but that remains to be seen.I honestly don’t think it will make THAT much of a difference.
All in all, at under 5c/MB the CellC 4Gs 3.75G offering is well worth it, and I would highly recommend getting it as an alternative to an ADSL line, especially if you travel or work remotely.
Yesterday I got invited to the launch of the new Opel Astra range at Kyalami in Joburg. The day promised to be loads of fun from the initial invite a few weeks ago.
After doing the short trip from Durbs to JHB, I met up with Eran Eyal from Springleap & Evly and David Donde from Motormag & the man behind the infamous Truth coffee. After an adventurous trip in a bus to the Kylami race track in Midrand, we were soon treated to a theratrical walk down memory one about how the Opel brand was born.
The show took us through the ages and showed us how we came to know the Opel car today. We were then treated to a look at the new Opel Astras and were allowed a look inside. The Astra comes in a variety of models with a 1.6 Essentia, 1.4 Enjoy and Enjoy Plus (Turbo) & a 1.6 Sport
The cars have been redesigned from the ground up taking into account all the modern day concerns like carbon emissions and the best fuel efficiency. The car was also designed with safety of passengers in mind with a clever light system ensuring you can see on those dark rural roads.
After a quick lunch with @JustinMcCall & @nafisa1 it was time to take the cars for a spin around the track. I had an opportunity to try all 3 with Justin also taking us for a spin in the 1.4 Turbo. I’m not gonna lie when I say I was a leetle bit paler when I climbed out of that car. But all in good fun.
The consensus between most of the guys was that the 1.4 Turbo took top honours and all the cars handled the cornering and steering perfectly. For me I felt the 1.6 Turbo to be the most powerful with speeds of 120 -140 km/h being reached down the infamous Kyalami mineshaft.
We were treated to a couple of laps around the track with the pro drivers who were overseeing things for the day. Admittedly I was a lot paler when I stepped out of those cars after reaching around 160 km/h INTO some of the corners. But those guys know what they doing, so the ride was awesome.
Overall it was a fantastic day out and the new Opel Astra is really a great car. The “sporty” edge that the car portrays will boost sales amongst the younger market. To be quite honest if I was looking for a new car, I would look at buying one given the pricing. The cars start at around R218,000 for the entry level. Check out http://www.opelastra.co.za for more info about the car
A big thanks to the guys from GM for the invite to the day, was well worth the trip up and loads of fun :)
It’s been over a week since I got my brand spanking new iPhone 4 from the chaps at MTN. All I can say is wow. There is a remarkable difference between the iPhone 3GS & 4, in all sorts of categories.
For me the kicker has to be the screen. I have never seen such a crisp & crystal clear screen on ANY device before. I honestly can’t spot any pixels, except in some of the apps I already have on the phone. That seems to be an issue is that the legacy apps need to be updated to take advantage of the screen, otherwise they just look crap. But that said, every time someone asks me about what stands out the most about the phone, I point out the screen and whip open the Epic Citadel app, which shows how awesome & clear it is.
But it’s not only the screen that has caught me. The battery life on the iPhone is remarkably improved, and get loads more use out of the phone. With the 3GS, I charged it every night, (after using it a fair bit during the day) and now I can get almost 2 days out of it.
The camera on the phone is also another plus. That and the HD video recording. Check out this video I took of my boy playing air drums. Awesome quaility. There is also a huge difference in speed on the phone. Apps load a lot faster as well, as well as app switiching.
The one gripe I do have with the phone, seems to be the shape. I think cause I am accustomed to the “rounder” 3G & 3Gs shape, this feels a bit awkward to hold. But I’m sure I can get my head around that :)
Overall, so far, the phone has been brilliant. I even landed up getting my wife one, so I could chat to the kids using FaceTime, when I am not around. Brilliant.
Did you pick up an iPhone 4 ? What do you think ? Leave a comment below and lemme know ;)
Last week I got a call, that said “You have 15 minutes to get to the 
