Paid parking in the Joburg Metro area and surroundings is set to increase by 50 cents to R9-00 for card holders and R9-50 for non card holders by the 1st July 2013 as pointed out by Ward 117 Councillor - Tim Truluckin this document on Page 9. The Joburg city council need to re-look their billing strategy. I imagine offering per minute billing works out far better than their 30 minute block system and I also think that a 50 cent discount for cardholders is too little. Block pricing of half an hour to an hour can be discounted to R4.00 per half hour and R8-00 per hour respectively using their "opt in" approach with their quick park prepaid system, to appease the council, this price is R1-00 more than most parking garages at malls and inner cities. Per minute can even be 16cents per minute which will amount to R9-60 per hour, this can be the standard regulated pricing system. I don't mind paying 16cents per minute if I know that I will be parked for 23 minutes.
This pricing strategy is a happy median that I think will comfortably accommodate everybody. Implementing such a system isn't too difficult, regular Parker's to whom the proposed discount will be targeting, can have a choice of "opting in" for the Quick Park prepaid system that Joburg city currently have in place. The point being, the City of Johannesburg wont lose out very much considering that the discount system is an "opt in" system that will benefit regular Parker's who dont work for companies that can afford to build high rise inner city parking solutions as MMC Elgina Ndhlovu suggested during the unveiling of the city parking systems roll out. Furthermore people who don't regularly visit the inner city will find per minute billing solutions more appropriate and fair as opposed to the current block pricing system which I stand to be correct also like Parkhurst didn't go through proper public consultation.
I maintain that prepaid kerb side parking in the inner city is a necessity for the many reasons cited by the city of Joburg council which are :
Efficient use of parking facilities where traffic congestion exists and in creating better use of available space
• Reduction of congestion within areas close to business activity or areas where parking spots are always overcrowded
• Facilitation of free movement of communities at public spaces
• Reducing the risk of damage to vehicles who either get damaged by other motorists or broken into by criminal elements
A well-managed parking system tends to encourage visitors to business
nodes because of available parking space relatively close to the place
customers wish to visit. This also provides a constant flow of customers
and hourly paid parking tends to increase the number of customers. .Read more here.
To be honest however, I don't really understand the logic of the implementation of this system in Parkhurst as most of the benefits above are not entirely applicable in this area. I believe that Joburg city council haven't applied their minds with their billing system and if we choose to just accept their new billing implementation without registering our opinions, we are vetoing an rubber stamping another corrupt practice.
Paid Parking will also be implemented in the following areas soon:
Yeoville, Pan Africa, Bellevue, Cyrildene, Mayfair, Jabulani, Midrand, Lenasia, Randburg, Roodepoort, Randburg, Roodepoort, Florida, Rosettenville, Norwood, Melville, Emmarentia, Rosebank, Birnam, Illovo, Parkview, Sandron, Fordsburg, Greenside, Linden, Rivonia, Craighall Park & Northcliff.
Bedfordview State of the Suburb - Become an Active Citizen
On Wednesday evening my girlfriend and I attended the State of the Suburb meeting, held at the Italian club in Bedfordview and hosted by the Bedfordview Community Policing Forum. Crime is an epidemic in South Africa and no Community is exempt from its scourge.
Crime has driven people to live behind locked doors and high walls and the nagging, incessant feeling that any one of us can become a casualty at any time is frightening The very barriers that we have built to keep the criminals out are the very same barriers that keep us fearfully imprisoned and isolated from the community, making our neighbourhoods more susceptible to crime, explained an impassioned Mr. Yusuf Abramjee in his explosive presentation. The CPF is a collaborative partnership between the SAPS and the communities that are meant to identify problems of crime and disorder
Gauteng MEC for Community safety, Faith Nonhlanhla Mazibuko explained in great detail the advantages and benefits of the collaborative relationship between the police and CPF's. Communities that are empowered to identify and respond to concerns will improve local physical and social environments through increased positive attitudes towards police that in turn will see a reduction in crime.The police will improve their relationship with the community thereby also improving their overall public perception which will ultimately lead to a more conducive working environment. The benefits of becoming an active citizen in this collaborative relationship will also see a decreased potential for police citizen conflict and better implementation of crime prevention and crime control activities, as a result of both parties working towards shared goals
Marina Constas, chairwoman of the bedfordview CPF explained that bedfordview police station faces many challenges on a daily basis. One of them being a lack of resources and space.General Petros was Forthright in his presentation. Highlighting the
problems of corruption within the SAPS and measures that have been put into place to
address these problem areas, he also offered his commitment in reviving the Bedfordview Police Station upgrade.
The residents of Bedfordview have made an informed choice to maintain a proactive relationship with their local police,this is what it means to be an active citizen. As a resident of the community I too want to enjoy the benefits of living in a safe neighbourhood. It starts with me... It starts with you. Visit your local police station today and become a member of your CPF.
The choicest cuts of gossip about Samsung's newest smartphone.
Image Credit: GSM Israel
With the Samsung Unpacked event
ready to (hopefully) blow our minds next week, the buzz surrounding the
forthcoming Galaxy S IV, which might see an April release, is reaching a
fever pitch. The internet rumor mill has been working overdrive pumping
out plausible and equally implausible tidbits about the Samsung's
latest addition to its line of Galaxy smartphones, and while we
understand that gossip is a fickle mistress and few details will be
confirmed before next week's event in New York City, we rounded up some
of the most pervasive rumors about Samsung's upcoming superphone.
Here's Looking at You, Kid [or Eye Scroll]
When you look at your Samsung Galaxy S IV, you just might find your
Samsung Galaxy S IV looking back at you. An anonymous source who has
allegedly used the device told the New York Times that the Galaxy S IV will come with an new "eye scrolling" feature
that utilizes eye tracking technology to intuitively scroll down pages
as you're reading them without you having to lift a finger. Eye Scroll -
the name which Samsung trademarked in January - will use the phone's
front-facing camera to determine if your eyeballs are still pointed at
the screen before it turns itself off.
Additionally, Samsung's "smart screen" technology will come with a
pause feature that will halt video content if you look away from the
screen. Samsung's current flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S III, comes
with Smart Stay, a similar feature that tracks eye movement to determine
if a user is still looking at it before automatically dimming, but if
Eye Scroll is all it's cracked up to be, we can look forward to inching
one step closer out phones achieving sentience. Probably not, but with
features like Eye Scroll and Smart Pause, smartphones are most assuredly
getting smarter.
Megapixels: Quality over Quantity?
There have been conflicting rumors about the camera that the Galaxy S
IV will be packing, with some sites reporting an improved 8 megapixel
camera and others hedging their bets on a 13 megapixel option. Though
it's likely that we'll see marginal improvements on the Galaxy S III's 8
megapixel camera, the thought of more megapixels has caused a fair
amount of salivating when the rumor first made the rounds. It's
important to note that the number of megapixels is not the only, or even
the most significant, factor in creating good-looking photos. Indeed, a
stellar 8 megapixel camera is capable of taking crisper, clearer, and
more vibrant pictures than a 16 megapixel one under the right
conditions.
The size of the sensor and the power of the device's GPU are equally,
is not more, important than the number of megapixels the device can
boast. Most people seem to be hedging their bets on getting an 8
megapixel variant on the Galaxy S III's current camera, with a few
upgrades, including a better GPU, to improve picture quality. The
phone's front-facing camera is expected to come in at 2 megapixels.
Improved Battery Life
As far as the actual handset itself it concerned, it's likely that
Samsung will follow the current trend of trying to fit everything into
the sleekest, slimmest package possible, which some are worried might
have less than stellar implications for the Galaxy S IV's battery life.
Word on the street might allay some of those concerns, as talk of a 2600
mAh battery is being bandied about, an improvement on its predecessor's
2100 mAh battery. Balancing battery life with a sleek aesthetic is a
tricky business so we'll have to wait until Samsung Unpacked to see
which side of the divide the Galaxy S IV falls on.
A Cleaner, Greener Display
Citing concerns about ease and efficiency of manufacturing, Samsung has confirmed that the Galaxy S IV will have a plastic body,
though there have been rumors about aluminum edges to increase
durability. Nestled within all that plastic will most likely be a
4.99-inch PHOLED display, with a resolution of 1920 x 1080. The rumors
of the phone's display - initially reported to be a Super AMOLED one -
caused a bit of a stir when it was announced, as the 440 ppi display
would make it the best Samsung has ever produced, even if it isn't the
first phone in the world to boast that amount of pixels per inch (Sony's
Xperia Z and HTC's Droid DNA beat Samsung to the punch).
If the Galaxy S IV comes equipped with a PHOLED display, as rumored,
which uses more energy efficient phosphorescence rather than
fluorescent light to create a brighter display, it would mean that
Samsung is actively taking a step towards, greener, more eco-friendly
pastures as PHOLED displays are reported to perform 25% better in terms
of power. In addition, Samsung is expected to equip the screen with
floating touch technology, which allows users to hover their finger over
the screen to perform simple tasks like checking e-mail and opening
apps without having to bespoil their devices with their finger grease.
A Powerful Processor
Much of the hullabaloo surrounding the Galaxy S IV is speculation
about what sort of processor it would be packing under the hood. There
have been whispers on the wind of
the Galaxy S IV becoming the first mobile phone to come equipped with
an eight core processor and while it might be an unlikely scenario, it's
too tantalizing not to consider. It's true that the larger Samsung
Galaxy Note III is a more likely candidate for the Exynos 5 Octa eight core processor,
it's possible that we might see it in action sooner with the Galaxy S
IV. If the rumors are too good to be true, then one can expect the
device to come armed with an Exynos 5410 dual quad-core chip at 1.8GHz,
an improvement upon the S III's 1.4Ghz.
Gold? This Knox Is Full of Jelly Beans
Despite earlier rumors about Android 5 - codenamed Key Lime Pie -
launching with the Galaxy S IV, it's faded into pipe dream territory as
the new device almost certainly coming equipped with the Android 4.2
Jelly Bean. Samsung also recently told CNET that
they were considering embedding its secure software Knox into the
handset, which would allow users to seamlessly switch between personal
and work interfaces with relative ease. Visa's PayWave, a mobile payment
app, might also be pre-installed on Galaxy S IV phones, as Samsung and
Visa have previously announced a partnership on future devices, albeit
without making any specific references to the Galaxy S IV.
To Micro SD or Not to Micro SD? That is the Question.
It's almost certain that the Galaxy S IV will come with 2GB of RAM,
less certain is the existence of a micro SD card slot. Though it's
likely that the Galaxy S IV will come equipped with one considering its
predecessor does, rumors persist
that Samsung might be planning on rolling out 16, 32, or 64 GB options
to boost sales in much the same way Apple has with its mobile devices.
While nixing the micro SD card slot might be a more lucrative option for
the company, it would a decidedly less consumer-friendly strategy
should the rumors hold any weight.
Don't Forget Your Grain of Salt
It's important to remember that most of this information is based in
pure speculation and will either be confirmed or disproven on March 14th
at Samsung Unpacked. IGN Tech will have boots on the ground in New York
City to bring you the latest news about the Galaxy S IV and whatever
other goodies Samsung might have in store for us then.
The Edenvale Road Warriors hosted their Annual race sponsored by Sarens this weekend, which comprised of a 42.2km, 21.1km and 5km. The race was very well attended and took place from the Edenvale High School.
The Official Route Description
The half marathon is on-lap of the marathon route. this undulating routes starts with an easy downhill canter and for the next six kilometres you enjoy an easy downhill stretch before you a hit a short, sharp hill. Between the six-and 11 kilometre markers there are three small bumps, but the going over this section is slow and steady as you work your way to the highest point and the 14- kilometre marker.
Once over this you will find running to the 16 kilometre marker pleasantly downhill to flat. shoulder in to another gentle pull of about 2 kilometre which takes you to the 18-kilometre marker. The final stretch to the finish is an enjoyable flat to downhill experience with no problems.
We decided very late in the week that we wanted to take part but after today's experience I'm glad that we did. This is my first half marathon in 8 years, I've been putting in a fair amount of training recently and getting some decent mileage into my legs but my goal today was to get mum in around 2hrs30min.
The Main Ou's Pace Band
I knew that it wasn't going to be easy so in addition to our training and to safeguard us from not making the 3hr cut off, we used the paceband as a guideline. Preparing a pace band like the one pictured alongside (available from runners world tools- I don't have a printer so I wrote mine) here allows you to work around a comfortable average km without over exerting and panicking.The terrain map I drew on my forearm was very helpful, though you may not agree, I think its good to know what lays ahead so you can closely gauge your effort to your paceband.
My Route Description and race Experience
The weather this morning was ideal and perfect to try to set a Pb.The route traversed through a very undulating course but was definitely conducive to building a nice rhythm with a "mind over matter"attitude, it also helped that there were no vulgar discouraging hills. We were ahead of the paceband till 13kms, more commitment to our training will definitely see us improve. Their route was well marked at every kilometre and Marshall's were plentiful , guiding and encouraging runners all the way .Water stations were well placed and nicely stocked, Coke, Water, and I think I grabbed an energy sachet from one of the points, turbovite it may have been...I think. We finished off in 2hrs44min
Entry Fee and value for money
My entry cost me R105-00 but this is because i entered late and I had to purchase a temp licence because i do not belong to a club. The value for money in this race is outstanding, Over the years I have run in many road races and this event stands because they don't treat you like a leper if you have entered late.
At the end of the race,we received a beautifully designed keepsake medal and a goodie bag filled with items that are usually synonymous with some of the more popular bigger races in South Africa. Take a look at the pic, there's the usual runners essentials like arnica oil, anti-chafe cream, then there is voucher to spur, a silver hope keyring bracelet thingee, a bioplus energy drink and the Sunday Times. What about the amazing T-shirt made from runner friendly material, the cap however was from the 5km that my Dad did. There were also plenty of festivities and food vendors (with great wors)on the grounds after the race that added to the amazing atmosphere.
When a race is as well organised as the Sarens Edenvale marathon was, it
becomes a very enriching and encouraging experience for the runner and
everybody else involved. A Big thank you to Endenvale Road Warriors and Sarens. This race is will become a permanent fixture on my calendar.
Here is my rating for this race
PB Potential 80%,
Atmosphere 80%,
organisation 80%,
Value 80%,
beginner friendliness 80%
Parking (we parked just outside the school- very easily accessible)80%
Thursday, March 07, 2013
Hangover Part 3 trailer
Oh Dear... the Hangover is back. the third installment of this hugely popular franchise dropped the official trailer on Thursday, it features the boys out
of Thailand — the setting for the second movie — and returning to their
original stomping grounds in Vegas.
Even Mr. Chow has made a comeback (this time with clothes, it seems)
and beloved Melissa McCarthy seems to be stopping by the Strip. Who
wouldn't love to see a romance bud between the Bridesmaids star and wolfpack leader Alan (played by Zach Galifianakis)?
The Hangover Part III poster has taken on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 2 featuring a face-off between Zach Galifianakis and Ken Jeong.
Warner Bros has unleashed the first poster for the third part of Hangover which parodies the one-sheet for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II, reported Aceshowbiz.
The promo image for the comedy movie features Galifianakis' Alan
Garner and Jeong's Leslie Chow face-to-face and the tension looks high.
The tagline on the poster reads, "It all ends," while the background shows buildings in flames.
The movie opens on 24th May.
Facebook Unveils their Radical new Design
It has been several months since Facebook has done anything major with their design, the latest feed redesign will be happening soon and if you are a Google plus user, you're about to see a shameless rip off of both Google plus and Ubuntu's Unity Dock.
"The new Facebook news feed is all about looking clean while also being very image centric in design. Facebook is calling the new look "mobile-inspired"
Ubuntu Unity Dock
The new overhauled design is said to offer the user a better browsing and more engaging experience with newer more improved ways of handling friends, photos and news feeds. At the unveiling event announcing the new News Feed, CEO Mark Zuckerberg likened the updated layout to a "personalised newspaper" - (Uhm.... That sounds a lot like Flipboard)
Facebook is focusing on keeping their billions of users as long on the site as possible instead of the 22 minutes as mentioned in Zuckerburgs presentation. The changes will start to roll out today and you’ll see them over the
next few weeks. The roll out will be slow and careful so Facebook can
get feedback about what’s working and what’s not.
Mark Zuckerberg explained:
"At a personal level we built a service that lets you see
and feel the people and friends you care about. What we’re trying to do
is give everyone in the world the best personalized newspaper.
It should have quality public content from friends. It should have a
front page and it should let you drill down into any topic you want. It
should be visual, rich and engaging. They should be displayed with more
than just text. From the beginning our goal with news feed was different
than what any service was trying to provide. You should be able to
share any type of content you want…and with any audience you want. The
types you tell with photos are totally different. Now that we all have cameras in our pockets, news feed has become
primarily about visual content. Almost 50 percent of content in the news
feed is visual. Now the average news feed Pages posts are almost 30
percent of the content. How we’re sharing is changing. We all want to
share with friends, but want updates from publications we care about,
and artists, and world leaders."
I think the new design will be very appealing to many loyal facebook users who haven't really ventured and explored other social networks . Facebook have borrowed many elements from Twitter and Google Plus, which in the grand scheme of things isn't really that bad, i think the new Facebook will become a gateway to other online social media sites because of standard features common between the 3 main social media platforms. Lets wait and see.
YouTube has become a starting block for many projects that have developed into gems, case in point is the Mortal Kombat Legacy series, which evolved from a trailer into one of the most successful webisodes series on the Internet.
The Director of Mortal Kombat introduced a very different format of story telling and film making with Mk Legacy series, the episodes were approximately 7 minutes long that had very relevant and necessary story lines exploring the origin stories of characters with new and interesting twists. Audiences on the Internet responded very well to this refreshing new approach and waited in anticipation every week to watch the new episodes. The success of the web series with its phenomenal online viewership had massive implications for the franchise who have now secured distribution through Warner Brothers and are in filming for the next season.
Now we have this remarkable Wonder Woman fan made trailer that finds itself revived by Jesse V Johnson, a stuntman/ B Grade Movie director who made this with a ridiculous budget of $3500. The trailer has a very interesting tone that can quite easily be developed into a successful web series or a full length movie. Lets hope studio execs from DC are watching this and smacking their chops at the prospect of future development for the Wonder Woman franchise.
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