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The Technology Circle: June 2006

The Technology Circle: June 2006
Hotty Miss  |  by thetechnologycircle.blogspot.com. All rights reserved. 10.05 | 18:16

Wow. What appalling service from Vodacom. I'm so angry I can hardly type.



Here's the chain of events that started this...



I'm sick in bed with flu right now. An incoming sms beep woke me up. 'Cool,' I thought, 'my girlfriend.

'

It wasn't my girlfriend. It was Bogart Rosebank, a clothing store, with the following message:

'Our Winter Sale has started at Bogart Rosebank and Woodlands Pretoria, All shoes up to 25% and selected clothing items, offers at Eli, selected items up to 25%.'

Now this is not the first Bogart sms I've received.

I've probably gotten at least 20 of them in the past months. Now I've phoned Bogart before to ask them to remove my cellphone number from their spam list. Aside from the fact that I didn't ASK to receive their spam in the first place, I'm not in their target market, and I despise their clothing.



So today when this sms came, I tried replying to the sms. But for some reason, that option wasn't
available. 'Odd,' I thought.



I checked message details. Instead of a number in the number field, a company name appears. It's a company called Logic SMS.



I phoned Vodacom's directory listings service, and asked for Logic SMS's telephone number. It doesn't exist. I phoned Telkom and asked the same thing.

Logic SMS doesn't exist in their books.

So I decided to do the next best thing. To cut this off at the source.

Vodacom is the
company ALLOWING these spam smss to get through, so they're obliged to make them
stop.

I was on hold for 17 minutes before a pleasant lady called Rowy spoke to me.

'Hi Rowy,' I said.

And I explained that I wanted Vodacom to stop this spam from being allowed to get to my phone.

She couldn't help me. At first she suggested that I should phone Autopage Cellular, my service
provider.

I explained that this has nothing to do with me or my service provider, and has to do with the company allowing sms spam to get through the lines, namely Vodacom. She saw it differently. 'You need to phone Bogart themselves,' she explained.



'May I speak to your supervisor?' I said.

And I got through to Charlton.

He was also very pleasant. But he was toeing the party line. 'Vodacom isn't responsible for the sms.

Bogart is. You need to speak to them to get you off the list.'

'Nope.

You guys are the people who let the spam through, so you guys are the ones who need to stop it. I do not have any opt-out options, which you guys are obliged to provide. So I'm
holding you responsible.

May I speak to your supervisor please?'
So I got through to Nita Rudman. 'Nita,' I said, 'I am receiving spam smss from a company, and I'd like Vodacom to make this stop.

'

'Impossible,' she said. 'You have to phone the company that's sending the smss.'

'May I speak with your supervisor, please?

'

'Can you explain WHY you want to speak to my supervisor?'

'Yes. I'd like your supervisor to take action and make the spam smss stop.

'

'I've already exlpained to you that it's not Vodacom's responsibility to do this...

'

'May I speak to your supervisor please?'

'Only if you explain why you want to speak to my supervisor.'

'I've already explained, and I've now been on the phone for thirty-seven minutes, and I want to speak to your supervisor please.

What is your supervisor's name?'

'Xavier.'

'May I speak with Xavier, please?

'

'Only when you've explained what you want to talk to Xavier about.'

This continued, on and on and on. At a certain point, I said, 'Nita, are you familiar with a technique called 'broken record'?

That's where I repeat my request over and over until you put me through to Xavier?'

'Yes, I'm familiar with the technique and I can also use it,' she said. And proceeded to use it.



I got her name. And asked for her email address. 'I'm not going to give you my email address,' she said.

'I'll give you the email address of customer care.'

'I don't need customer care's email address, Nita, I need yours, because I want to cc you into the correspondence I have with your superiors.'

'Well you can't have my email address.

You can have my employee number. It's 9177.'

'Is this call being recorded?

' I asked. 'Cos I hope your superiors listen to it.

And then I put the phone down.



And composed this blog post, which I'm emailing to . She's Group Executive -- Corporate Communications at the company, and I'm sure she'll be saddened by the
poor training her staff are receiving at dealing with customers such as me.

Dot.

.. here are my requests:
1.

Please stop Bogart/LogicSMS spam from entering my phone. The number is 082 659 3165.
2.

Make it possible for all South Africans to opt out of spam.
3. Train your staff to handle queries like this.


4. Please listen to the phone recording of my chat with Nita, and note how awfully she treated me.
5.

Please ask Nita Rudman, 9177, to email me an apology for the way she spoke to me.
6. Please get back to me with news about what's being done.



Thanks very much.
Blue skies
love
Roy

This post appears on and .

UPDATE: Friday 30 June 2006, around 3pm: I get a phone call from a service technician at Vodacom.

He asks me for all of the details that were on the spam sms. I get the message up on my phone, and give him what he needs. I still haven't received any official communications from Vodacom besides this one.

I'll update as and when.


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If thier last idea with the dashboard was a little hocky, the this one actually makes sense!!

!

Wireless broadband provider iBurst is the first South African broadband operator to implement Additional Data Carry Over (ADCO). This enables customers to carry over the unused portions of their monthly data top-up bundles to the following month.


"We're listening to our customers to determine how to provide a better deal for them and South African broadband customers in general," said Thami Mtshali, CEO of iBurst.
"That a company only 15 months old is the first to implement what should've been obvious to any broadband provider interested in providing a fair deal to customers speaks volumes," said Mr Mtshali.
For further information regarding iBurst and its range of value-added services, the company's call centre can be reached 24 hours a day either via telephone (0860 IBURST or 0860 927 4357) or email ( ).




As a huge fan of renewable energy, have an article on how you can build your own Solar Water Heater.

As millions of Capetonians will attest, there s only so much electricity to go around. When grid power is interrupted for whatever reason perhaps as a result of huge urban growth, or when a stray bolt falls into a nuclear reactor things start falling apart, sometimes literally.

At times like this, the most unlikely people speak darkly of an imminent breakdown in society, start hoarding cans of baked beans, and speculate on the practicality of a cabin in the woods powered by solar energy and biological waste.


That is from the site that will tell you what you need, how to do it and even where to put it. ON YOUR ROOF!

!!


Journalists will also be able to take advantage of other services immediately following the big event.

A special multimedia system developed by Siemens allows reporters to use their mobile equipment to transmit images and sound directly from the stadium. A broadcasting van, which used to be necessary to link the journalists to their networks, is no longer needed.

The iCarta is a toilet paper dispenser and iPod
player in one.

You'll be relieved to know that the dock comes with two
USB ports and also works as a recharger, letting charge your iPod and
listen to music while you download.

Unless you're flush, though, you may want to think twice before .
The iCarta retails for $99.

95 and is compatible with all iPod with dock connectors.
, a manufacturer of portable audio accessories, has introduced , portable video display glasses for video iPods and video gaming systems.

The eyewear is designed to connect to any VCR, DVD player or
portable video player and provide personal audio and visual playback.


Features:

  • Wide Screen View according to the company, ezVision video
    glasses simulate a 50 inch wide screen view at an 8.5 foot distance.
  • Light Weight Weighing in at a mere 68 grams, the ezVision can be taken anywhere.

  • Privacy
    and Courtesy - The ezVision is easy to connect to any VCR, DVD player,
    cable or satellite box, or portable video player. Using the ezVision,
    you can enjoy them with out bothering others.
  • Built in Stereo
    Audio The ezVision also includes high quality audio earphones giving
    the ezVision the complete multi-media experience.

  • Eight (8) hour Battery Life According to ezGear, you can watch movies, music videos, or TV shows for up to 8 hours.
  • iPod Ready The ezVision comes with a iPod interconnect cable so you can connect your iPod Video to the unit.
  • Video Gaming You can use the ezVision with the Xbox, NES, or Sony systems.

  • Privacy
    The ezVision offers great privacy. Whether it is on a plane, at home,
    in your college dorm, or the soldier s barracks, you can watch
    anything, anytime in complete privacy. The ezVision is also great for
    watching outdoors.

    The private screen is free from glare from sunlight,
    making it easy to see the screen day or night.

  • DVD Players
    Using the ezVision RCA cable, the ezVision can also be used with any
    DVD player. Great for long trips, flights, or for your kids in the back
    of your car.


The retails for $399.98.
In line with HP s commitment to empowering South Africans through its Advanced Local Configuration (ALC), the company has launched its newest addition to the 2000 Series in the business desktop lineup, the dx2200.

Made possible through its partnership with BEE company, Matomo Technologies, the locally assembled PC gives customers access to the reliability and international quality of a tier one brand coupled with the high-standards of local manufacturing that highlights the abundance of solid local skills.
According to Stefan Minihold, ALC Programme Manager, HP, 70% of the company s desktop build is through their BEE partner. To accommodate increasing production demands, Matomo has recently moved to new premises, says Minihold.

The larger premises have provided more opportunities for more South Africans to offer their skills. Of course, the local support that HP is able to offer its customers is a key factor in the success of the ALC, says Minihold. The fact that Matomo assembles the PC enables HP to react faster to customer needs.

So, South African customers ordering the dx2200 can select from one of several pre-determined configurations, or build their own customised version, and have it delivered within a 72 hour turn around time!
The HP Compaq dx2200 microtower delivers a workhorse of a PC comprising great technology, outstanding performance and versatility to the commercial PC market. The dx2200 raises the benchmark for entry-level computers and, because it s assembled locally, goes above and beyond what is typically offered by PC vendors in this price range, says Minihold.


In addition, the dx2200 takes the mystery out of PC set-up, since the desktop is optimised to be unpacked, plugged in, and turned on. The operating system sets itself up automatically; all the user has to do is answer a couple of questions to be up and running in just a few minutes, says Minihold.
Considering the caliber of technology and features found in this plug and play PC, coupled with the really affordable price points this ALC hits, we re very excited about the HP Compaq dx2200 Business Desktop, concludes Minihold.

With its combination of price, performance, quality, and focus on the needs of business users, the dx2200 will enable our South African customers to not only outfit their businesses with updated computers, but rely on them for years to come.
The number of Personal Computers in use in South Africa will pass the 5-million mark for the first time this year, according to a new study released today.
PC Users in South Africa 2006 , a study by World Wide Worx of the installed base of computers in South Africa, shows that the 4,5-million mark was reached at the end of 2005, and it is expected to grow by 17% to 5.

3-million by the end of 2006.
Conducted by Kirsty Laschinger and Arthur Goldstuck, the study moved beyond conventional counting of computer sales to establish how long PCs, laptops and servers remain in use once they are in the market, and how many are in active use. This has for the first time provided a clear picture of the size of the PC user base in South Africa.


We found that PCs have a life span ranging 3 to 6 years, while laptop computers tend to be used for only up to three years, says Laschinger, who interviewed most of the country s major PC manufacturers and distributors for the project. It was an eye-opener how many vendors of computers expect all users to replace their PCs every two to three years, when the reality is many users sweating their assets to get maximum value from the purchase.
The result is that booming sales in PCs means not only more people than ever before using new PCs, but also that PCs already in the field will remain in use for a longer period, further boosting the user base.

However, this trend may change once laptop computers overtake desktop PCs in popularity a real possibility in the coming year or two.
Laptop computers cannot be upgraded as easily or as cheaply as desktop PCs, so they have a shorter useful life, says Goldstuck, MD of World Wide Worx. You can upgrade a PC bought more than five years ago to accommodate current software, but it s unlikely you could do that with most laptops.

The result is that old laptops are more likely to be discarded than passed on, while old PCs are more likely to have a second life once the user upgrades.
The net result is that booming laptop sales will not have the same cumulative effect on the total user base as do PC sales. Nevertheless, growth will continue, but at a slower pace, in subsequent years.


Google plans on Tuesday to release a free online spreadsheet program that signals the company s increased incursion into the office software space dominated by Microsoft.
Google Spreadsheets will allow users to import and export spreadsheets in the .xls format used by Microsoft Excel and the more generic .

csv (common separated values) format, the company said late Monday. Through a Web browser, users in remote locations will be able to view and simultaneously edit data. The software is platform-neutral, meaning it can be accessed using a number of browsers, including the open-source Firefox, Microsoft s Internet Explorer or Apple s Safari.


Google will accept sign-ups at from a limited number of beta testers starting at 9 a.m EDT/1 p.m.

GMT Tuesday, a Google spokeswoman confirmed.
This further proves the legitimate usefulness of software-as-a-service applications, said Tom Snyder, president of iNetOffice Inc. The Kirkland, Wash.

startup makes a free Web-based word processor called iNetWord.
Charlene Li, an analyst with Forrester Research, said next-generation Web applications such as Google Spreadsheets and Writely, an online word processor acquired by Google in March, provide much of the functionality of Microsoft Office but are not yet credible replacements.
Google Spreadsheets is not an effort to replace Excel.

And if you tried to print out stuff you wrote in Writely, it would come out all ugly, she said. Look at Web-based e-mail. We ve had it for 10 years, but Outlook still reigns supreme.


Eventually these products will get there, but not today.
Google was not the first company to release a Web 2.0 counterpart to Excel.

A startup called iRows also offers a free online spreadsheet program.
San Diego-based Ajax13, a startup founded by Internet entrepreneur Michael Robertson, also has a beta of a free Web spreadsheet editor called ajaxXLS.
AJAX13 is the closest so far to having a full lineup of productivity applications that can challenge Microsoft Office.

Besides ajaxXLS, the company also offers an online word processor called ajaxWrite, a drawing program called ajaxSketch and a hosted video editor called eyespot. It plans to release a PowerPoint-like presentation program by the middle of the year, according to Robertson, who founded MP3.com and is also chairman of desktop Linux provider, Linspire.


Robertson said that AJAX s applications are gaining fans more than 10,000 unique users a day because Microsoft is stuck: reluctant to cannibalize existing Microsoft Office revenues by cutting prices or by beefing up its Office Live family of Web-based applications, which despite their name, don t yet provide any of the features of Microsoft Office.
The beauty is that we are attacking Microsoft right at their heart, Robertson said.
Unlike AJAX13, which is marketing its wares directly at end users, Snyder hopes to sidestep competition from Microsoft and Google by inking partnerships with other hosted software providers who need word processing capabilities within their applications.



Koyono has introduced new Made for iPod clothing to their line of items for Spring and Summer 2006.

The new additions to the BlackCoat line of outerwear, named Work,
Sport, and Surf, each include ElekTex, a smart fabric technology from
Eleksen Group that has been integrated into the lapels as iPod control
pads. This allows you to leave an iPod tucked away inside a
specially-designed pocket while giving you full control over all
aspects of the iPod, including volume, track changes, and even the
power switch.

Each of the four new jackets includes advanced water
protection and pocketing for commuting or travel.

"Adding the ElekTex controls to this line creates what I call Wah-Wah Fashion,"
said Koyono President, Jay Yoo. "Just like Jimi Hendrix used the
Wah-Wah pedal to finesse his tone, you can use the controls to finesse
your environment.

Every situation can now have the perfect soundtrack."
Chief
Experience Officer, Jim Haviland adds, "Our customers are looking for
ways to better integrate work and play, clothing and technology,
without either defining them. These new hybrid forms that Jay has
created really accomplish that.

"

BlackCoat Surf Edition offers the benefits of
outerwear but in a shape and weight that can be worn all through the
summer. Worn over a t-shirt or tank, Surf gives you a place to stow
belongings you would otherwise have to drop in a bag. $199 USD Retail

BlackCoat Sport adds sporting cred to the staid
sport coat form.

Made from Nextec Flathead nylon with Epic
waterproofing technology, this hybrid sport coat - overcoat is light
enough to wear all day and cut with enough industrial elegance to be
tucked away in a bag. $299 USD Retail

BlackCoat Work is a hybrid between the classic jean
jacket and a sport coat and is made from lightweight stretch cotton
with Nano water repellant technology. $245 USD Retail

BlackCoat Work Premiere Edition is the same cut as
BlackCoat Work but made from waterproof, breathable Nextec Flathead
nylon with Epic waterproofing technology.

$275 USD Retail

These coats are available now through
and will be available this month from, Amazon.com, PopXpress in the UK,
iStuff in Italy and coolestshop.com.

Additional retail availability
announcements are expected this month.

Like other Lexmark printers, the Lexmark X7350 features superior ease of use, both in standalone operation and when using a personal computer. Intuitive buttons help simplify processes, making tasks easier to execute.

The device comes with Lexmark s exclusive Productivity Suite Software, making it easy for users to manage a variety of different print and electronic document formats, including creating and searching PDFs and scanning printed documents into editable text.
D-Link, SMB and enterprise markets, introduces the MediaLounge DSM-G600 Wireless G Network Storage Enclosure. Connect your own hard drive* to the home or office network and create additional storage space with the DSM-G600 Wireless Network Storage Enclosure.

With the DSM-G600, you can conveniently share documents, files, and digital media such as music, video, and photos with everyone on your home or office network.
The DSM-G600 can be used with an internal 3.5 ATA/ IDE hard drive, giving you the flexibility of choosing the storage capacity required for your network.

And with two additional high-speed USB ports, expand your storage capabilities even further as your network needs grow by adding your own external USB drives*!
By adding your own hard drives to the DSM-G600, conveniently store, retrieve, and share digital content with everyone on your home or office network. As a central storage location for data, the DSM-G600 is an organized solution for the network.


Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) announced that it would launch PLAYSTATION 3 (PS3) in Clear Black throughout mainland Europe and Australasia on November 17, 2006, as part of a worldwide simultaneous launch.
PS3 is the most advanced computer system that serves as a platform to enjoy next generation computer entertainment contents in the home, realized through the combination of Cell and RSX processors, in addition to the playability of a vast catalog of PlayStation and PlayStation 2 software titles.
Having Giga-bit Ethernet and a pre-installed hard disk drive (HDD) as standard in PS3, users will be able to download a variety of contents as well as access on-line games and services over the network.


Equipped with basic input/output ports, PS3 supports a broad range of displays from conventional NTSC/PAL standard TVs to the latest full HD (1080i/1080p) flat panel displays, offering the joy of the most advanced computer entertainment contents to homes around the world. For use in living rooms, maximum heat and noise reduction has been achieved with a PLAYSTATION 3 Launches on November 17, 2006 Across Mainland Europe Australasia noise level equivalent to that of the current slim-line PlayStation 2.
With the overwhelming computational power of the Cell processor, PS3 is capable of playing back content from Blu-ray (BD) disc at a bit rate of multiplex 48Mbps with ease, the maximum bit rate defined in BD standards.


The new controller for PS3 has been created by refining and improving the world s most popular PlayStation controller which has shipped more than several hundred million units worldwide. The controller for PS3 employs a high-precision, highly sensitive six-axis sensing system that is capable of processing all parameters within the controller itself, thereby eliminating the need for any additional settings on the display system. By applying this technology, it will become possible to freely control the PS3 system over the network.


While further enhancing the joy of entertainment on PlayStation 2 and PSP (PlayStation Portable), SCEE will vigorously promote PS3 as the next generation computer entertainment platform.

Read more on by thetechnologycircle.blogspot.com. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Dsm G600, Computer Entertainment, South African, Microsoft Office, Usd Retail, South Africa, Usd Retail Blackcoat, Google Spreadsheets, Office Network, Retail Blackcoat
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