Gian Visser, the CEO of Afrihost is a mad man, they are having crazy specials with the GB's this month. If you aren't an afrihost subscriber yet, they have a really crazy R1-00 deal

Offering customers any of ADSL packages, both Capped and Uncapped, and only pay R1.00 for the package you choose. Click here to read more.....

 If you are a subscriber, head over to the client zone and check out there July top up specials, 20GB top up special for R99-00 and 50GB for R149-00, check out the screenshot from my clientzone. These specials are currently running whilst Telkom are offering their 1mb ADSL free for the first 3 months, so if you are thinking about getting internet at home now is the best time to consider.


I have encountered the friendliest and most helpful people I've ever come across in the customer service environment. Clients are always informed about the status of their account and the help desk operators are courteous and actually return your calls when they say will.They have an mpressiveSMS notification service that monitors when you are running out of  GB's, it conveniently gives you the option of topping up  directly from your cellphone.

For their innovative promotions and efficient service, Afrihost stands out when it comes to treating its customers with respect. If you are a subscriber, point your browser to the clientzone and starting looting the GB's before they realise they made a mistake.


Happy Surfing!!

The two Apps in this review are comic book readers, having recently completed watching AMC's hit television series The Walking Dead, I scoured the net and stumbled upon the equally compelling Walking Dead graphic novel currently on part 87. I am using an app called Comic Rack on my PC to read the comic book series but when I am not in front of my PC I use one of two comic book readers on my smartphone, either Comic Reader Mobi or Android Comic Viewer.


The first App is called Comic Reader Mobi and is compatible over multiple mobile platforms, Android, Apple, Blackberry, Windows and the Ipad, its available on all markets and on Android retails for R101-72. This app utilises your devices full screen using a focused magnifier wherever you tap on the screen to magnify text to a readable size, the app controls are simple and intuitive and features very cool page flipping animations.Whenever you click on the screen , Comic reader mobi scans the section you clicked on and finds all the text nearby. It then uses this information to create a lens that is optimally sized to display just the text. With no wasted space you get to see the entire comic page and clearly read the text on it. Click here to Download Comic Reader Mobi from Android Market.

The Second App is called Droid Comic Viewer also known as ACV, this app is only available on Android phones and is free on the android market. Droid comic viewer is free and is a light weight comic viewer that doesn't have any flashy animations. The company, Robot Comics is responsible for creating the app also publish and produce mobile comics specifically for hand helds, although the controls are limited, the app is easier to install and quickly more compatible , I use the fit width and landscape for my scaling mode on my phone, the text in landscape is readable but you can also use the pinch to zoom option to make bigger portions of the page that you feel aren't really visible enough. Click here to download from Android Market 

QR Code to download ACV

or simply scan the QR Code to download ACV from the Android Market.

Both apps are CBZ/ZIP, ACV, CBR/RAR, JPEG, PNG and BMP compatible, these are the formats graphics novels and comic books are available for download.

Overall both apps are great and in the end you could easily find yourself using ACV, as it is a more convenient and stable app, loads faster, transitions faster and the scaling in landscape is a very convenient size and its free.

Visit the Official Droid Comic Viewer app website here.
Visit the Official Comic Reader Mobi app website here.

The Final episode of Mortal Kombat Legacy was finally released on Sunday at Comic Con after almost a two month break marking the end of this monumental Series. Cyrax and Sektor, the feature characters from the Mk universe are anatomically re engineered cyborg assassins from the Lin Keui clan. The episode doesn't go into much detail about who they really are or what their purpose will be after they have been created, I think its fair to say that the directors choice to maintain their veil of mysticism is in line with their ninja storyline, the less said about their origins the better.

The design of their armor is very close to that of the game using similar effects to Marvels Iron Man costume but with more flexibility for their flashy acrobatic axe kicks, with that said, the fight scenes are elaborate, fast paced and marvelously choreographed. There is fine line between the cgi and the live action in this episode, the director has to be commended for his adventurous use of anime and cgi in delivering this refreshing interpretation of Mortal Kombat. The episode is a full 8:54secs long, wasting no time with recaps.

"Enhanced speed by implementing a lighter alloy, separated titanium plates with heat sensitive plastic, weaponisation and emotional recalibration" 

The Lin Kuei Surgeon on the  transformation process

So where to from here, Fans have been anxiously waiting for Comic Con weekend for this finale and the long awaited news of a possible surprise announcement of a season two or maybe a movie, No announcement was made, so is this the end? In my humble opinion, I think these webisodes are good enough motivation for a full length feature film, with a little bit of tweaking here and there it could breath new life into an already successful franchise.

Be sure to watch the second video in this article, it features Hundar of Earth Realm from Machinima interviewing the actors, Ian Anthony Dale (Scorpion), Matt Mullins (Johnny Cage), Peter Shinkoda (Sektor), Shane Warren Jones (Cyrax)  and the director (Kevin Tancharoen) at the comic con press room where it was released on Sunday Afternoon.

If you haven't yet seen any episodes of Mortal Kombat legacy, head over to their Channel, follow this link to Mortal Kombat Legacy and subscribe.

Almost 1 full year before its release date of 03 July 2012, the first trailer of the new Spider-Man movie which is currently in its post production was released earlier on today. Starring Andrew Garfield as The Amazing Spider-Man and directed by Marc Webb.

The trailer depicts Peter Parkers personality in a very different light from Sam Raimis interpretation. Andrew Garfield is tall, lanky and looks very much like the Spider-Man from the Ultimate Spider-Man series, coincidentally or maybe not he is 27 years old, just like Tobey Maguire was when he first donned the Spidey costume.The movie feels much more mature and has a star studded line up, starring Martin Sheen and Sally field as Uncle Ben and Aunt May, Emma Stone as Gwen Stacey and Dennis Leary as Captain George Stacy. The trailer isn't very revealing of the complete storyline we can expect but it indulges itself in an origin story that delves into the darker mythology of Stan Lees original creation, giving us insight into Peter Parkers past which is rarely or almost never shown because up until now it has always been shrouded in mystery.

I am not sure who the villain or villains are yet, although the trailer does provide subtle hints, getting a first person point of view of Spideys acrobatics and flight scenes in the trailer is a very refreshing creative touch, a major change and a very welcomed one in Spideys new costume are his web shooters, the rest of the costume looks very similar to Ultimate Spider-man.

This trailer along with final episode of Mortal Kombat legacy will be shown at the annual San Diego Comic Convention (Comic Con), starting tomorrow and ending on Sunday,wish I could be there. I think Andrew Garfield will do great as the new Spidey and I welcome this reboot as a new addition to the franchise, Sam Raimi seemed very exhausted in the last Spider-man movie.

The Movie is titled "The Amazing Spider-Man" and you can watch the trailer right here. Enjoy!

Standard banks Cellphone Banking service *120*2345# is amazing, extremely easy to use and very convenient BUT It is becoming increasingly frustrating using their mobile service . Earlier on today I recharged my data bundle and followed the on screen USSD prompts. The site is still insecure and nothing has been done about it yet.

There are 6 options, all of the following require no customer selected (this is the same pin that you use when logging into your internet banking) probably because they are not considered to be a threat

1. Account Balance - No CSP required
2. Mini Statement - No CSP required provides you a statement of your last ten transactions.
3. Prepaid Recharge - No CSP required - with prepaid recharge you can load airtime onto your phone or anybody else's, because this section does not have a CSP, it means if somebody gets a hold of your phone they can recharge it for as long as they like until you discover money missing from your account at which time you probably wont realise immediately because the notifications of activity will be forwarded to the stolen or borrowed phone

Click to enlarge - Prepaid Std Bank USSD screen

4. Payments and Transfer - Requires a CSP. This section of the cellphone banking allows you to transfer money to beneficiaries created either through the branch or on internet banking
5. Change CSP - Requires CSP - thats a relief

The 8 images in the Diagram illustrates the absence of a CSP authentication. Seeing as how they only have one CSP protected option, I think it would serve its function better at the gateway before the main menu.

It is for the reasons above that I will  not advise anybody to register just yet and why i will opt to de-register myself from this service because I am uncomfortable with the many insecurities outlined.

Photo Times Live

Yesterday Afternoon protestors in Tshiawelo , Soweto stormed the house of ex councillor Mirriam Ramafalo and her family, demanding the removal of prepaid electricity meters from the area. The mob crowded outside her house hurling bricks at the house baying for her blood. Members of the community are frustrated at the lack of service delivery and believe that mob justice is the only way they will receive the attention they deserve.

Service delivery protests are becoming increasingly violent and as long as the ANC fail to deliver on their promises, these protests are bound to become more violent. Take note when watching the video, how casual the policeman walk to the scene, also note that its is the female police officer who is lending her assistance to
put out the fire.

The long awaited Android Gingerbread V2.3.3 was released for the Samsung Galaxy  in South Africa on Friday. If you haven't heard of Samsung Kies, it works on the same premise as Apple Itunes, but a very simple version of it, DO NOT DOWNLOAD THE CRACKED VERSION OF GINGERBREAD AND TRY TO INSTALL, If you are techno savvy enough to do it as well DONT. The Samsung kies serves its purpose in helping you do the upgrade from froyo to gingerbread seemlessly with very little effort and the best part of it is that its free. My phone is Vodacom, with Samsung Kies it also upgrades the startup screens to the new Vodacom Logo

4. 1x pc with the following system specs

Android 2.3 promises Faster Performance – Multimedia content now has a lower CPU consumption rate, while support for more powerful 3D Graphics enables an enhanced mobile gaming experience.Upgraded Usability – The user interface has been improved, enabling faster access and control and a more intuitive user experience. Users will also benefit from improved copy-and-paste functionality.

With Froyo, on average my battery usually lasted for about 6 hours a day, listening to the radio, watching a tv series and taking photos. Browsing the net using the HSDPA connection was even worse, allowing me to use my phone for only 3 and half hours at a time, I had to carry my charger with me everywhere I went, I am not yet ready to commit to my findings thus far and I will report back here in week after thorough investigations.

But in the mean time here is how you can upgrade your galaxy to the latest Ginger bread Firmware

Samsung Galaxy S GTI9000 Froyo to Gingerbread update instructions.


To do the Upgrade you will require the following
1. Data cable,
2. A Full charged Samsung Galaxy S GTI9000.
3. 600mbs free
5. Samsung Kies, Click here to Download
6. Install Samsung Kies onto your machine.
7. After the installation is completed, open the application and connect your data cable to your Full charged Samsung Galaxy S GTI9000
8.A pop up message will appear, " A new firmware version is available. upgrading may improve the performance of GT-I9000. Do you want to upgrade? indicating your current firmware version and the latest firmware version, thereafter follow the steps below.

screen 2- click to enlarge

In screen 2, make sure that you select allow saving of information, should anything go wrong during your installation, you can always rely on remote support from Samsung. 

screen 3- click to enlarge

In screen 3, I only chose contacts and photos because my music and videos are on my pc all the time, so I wasn't concerned about losing any of it, but if you don't have any of the music and videos backed up on your pc, its advisable that you check all options

screen4- click to enlarge

 For both  screenshots 4 and 5 it irritated me a great deal that I couldn't see a percentage status or file size that it was downloading. I have a 384k line with max download speeds of 45kbps, i had to go through this process twice, because my phone froze on the downloading firmware screen because I hadn't created enough space for the upgrade.

screen 5- click to enlarge

 
I estimate that the download is around 450mb to 500mb, I left the download unattended to do its thing while I did the Hillbrow precinct, photo walk.

screen 6- click to enlarge

Once you are at the screen 6, you are almost home free. It concerns me that the upgrade doesn't have a resumable download, which means if Effkom decides to loadshed in your area you are effed and you have to start from scratch and you cant use a third party program like download helper to resume if you fail. Read my Eskom load-shedding schedule just in case you think it may happen.  

screen 7

And there you have it in screen 7, you have successfully managed to upgrade  from Froyo 2.2 to Gingerbread 2.3, take note the new firmware version. Once you have seen this screen, it is safe to disconnect your phone after it would've restarted itself.  Im not sure how many restarts my phone did during installation, please leave a comment if you were keeping count during your install. 


After you have disconnected your data cable from your pc, tap application and move your screens to the setting app, tap your settings app, tap about phone and you should see screen 8 at the very top with the following corresponding information

I hope this article is helpful and assists you in your upgrade, I would love to hear feedback about the performance after the upgrade is done.

I had the privilege this afternoon of going on a tour of the Old Johannesburg general hospital courtesy of  the Johannesburg's Photowalkers. Out tourguide was Yael Horowitz a A lecturer at Wits University ,Town-planner and coordinator of the Hillbrow Health Precinct. This being my first photowalk I was nervous at the outset and somewhat intimidated by all the big SLR cameras, but fellow photographers were very much obliging in assisting with some of the more technical functions of my camera and composition of good shots.

Hillbrow Gen

Yael Horowitz

 At the beginning of the tour,  Yael cordially welcomed us and gave us an overview of the tour and her involvement in the project.

*The Hillbrow Health Precinct’s prime function will be to offer excellent care for the treatment of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV/Aids in vulnerable women and children. Bounded by Hospital, Esselen, Klein and Smit streets, the precinct will be located on the site of the defunct Hillbrow Hospital.

 the 1897 operating theatre

It will also be a world-class research and training centre for health professionals. The project is unusual in that it combines inner city rejuvenation with poverty alleviation, primary health care and world-class research on HIV/Aids.
The Hillbrow Hospital site has a long history, going back to 1889 when the town’s first hospital was built here. It served the city until 1983, when the new general hospital was built on the Parktown ridge. Interestingly, the hospital served both black and white residents of the city for 35 years, until 1924.*

Read more: http://www.joburg.org.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6270&catid=121&Itemid=202#ixzz1Qxe4W0al

Joburg Clinic by Berhard Pabst

Illegal occupation

The hillbrow area boasts some of the best architecture in Johannesburg, notably the Esselen hospital now the Joburg clinic, designed by renowned architect Wilhelm Bernhard Pabst, who I only heard about for the first time today. The Joburg clinic, as we have been told by Yael is an architectural masterpiece admired by many that draws tourists to the area. When the towns hospital moved to Parktown, the Old Hillbrow site couldn't be decommissioned or rezoned because of its a heritage, for the moment, part of the building is illegally occupied and any work done on the building must comply with heritage building regulations.Yael went on to explain that the refurbishment of the building is a very expensive undertaking and that the Heritage building regulations inhibits proper development.

It was a very informative experience from both photo-taking and learning about the historical heritage of our subjective visit. The Joburg Photowalkers regularly arrange these types of meeting on both weekends and weekdays and from my first experience, I can tell you its a real blast especially if you are a hobbyist photographer.