SUBOC Relocates… December 13, 2009
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This blog has relocated to www.pathfinder.za.net. I have decided to collate all my blogs into one location. Hope to see you there…
Is it possible to hide in the digital age? November 23, 2009
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Gone! He told no one his plans; not his girlfriend, or his parents, or his friends. No one knew where he was going, or his new name. He left no hints. If anyone found him, it would be because of his own mistakes…Evan Ratliff went on the run with Wired readers trying to track him down… Is it possible to shed your identity in the digital age? Writer Evan Ratliff tried to vanish: Read the fascinating story on what happened…
Are you ready for the Wave? May 30, 2009
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Google is about to change the face of the email inbox with their new product, Wave.
Google Wave is a new model for communication and collaboration on the web, coming later this year.
Wave is a web-based application that merges multiple forms of communication and collaboration, including chat, mail and wikis, into a unified interface. Everything inside Wave happens in real time, and you can even see a comment being made as the person is typing it, character-by-character.
You’ll be able communicate and work with others with richly formatted text, photos, videos, maps, and more. Any participant can reply anywhere in the message, edit the content and add participants at any point in the process. Then playback lets anyone rewind the wave to see who said what and when. With live transmission as you type, participants on a wave can have faster conversations, see edits and interact with extensions in real-time.
Google’s Android: First open and free mobile platform June 26, 2008
Posted by Cobus in Innovation, Technology, Trends.Tags: Android, Google, mobile phone
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I came across Wired’s article “Google’s Open Source Android OS Will Free the Wireless Web” today that provides an expose of the birth of the project through to its current status. Google is positioning itself with the increasing demand of people’s preference to connect with each other and everything else via their mobile phones. Hence Google wants to bring the coolest bits of the Web to people’s cell phones through Android’s Killer Apps. Android is the first complete, open, and free mobile platform.
Nearly any new mobile phone will be able to run Android (HTC, LG, and Motorola have dedicated models on the way). But the Operating System is just the start; the phone evolves as users add apps from developers to take advantage of the seamless Web access. Cool apps that surprise and delight mobile users, built by developers are a huge part of the Android vision. To support developer efforts, Google has launched the Android Developer Challenge, which will provide $10 million in awards for great mobile apps built on the Android platform. For more information on the project, visit the official Android website.
To wet your appetite, here’s a video clip on Android…
And away they go for the 5th Primal Quest… June 23, 2008
Posted by Cobus in Adventure.Tags: Primal Quest
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Primal Quest, the worlds most challenging human endurance competition got off to a start at Big Sky Resort in Montana, USA, today…
Primal Quest is an expedition-level adventure race In which endurance athletes from around the world compete over an 800 km course. During the non-stop 10-day event, teams of four travel through a series of checkpoints alternating between disciplines such as mountain biking, trail running/trekking, orienteering, paddling, riverboardlng, negotiating fixed-ropes, and free climbing.
In this 5th edition of the Primal Quest Expedition Race, racers will experience more than 30,000 m in elevation gain, including the biggest and the most beautiful terrain Big Sky has to offer. Even the most accomplished teams will need to gather their collective strengths in team dynamics, competitive strategy and sleep management as they’re tested on this course.
Team Peak Adventure was the first team back into transition area after the start, followed by Nike just seconds behind, and Merrell a few minutes back. They were joined shortly by Team Dart-Nuun. However, none of the teams stayed in the transition area for long. Peak Adventure were the first out, with Nike quickly in pursuit. More teams are expected in soon. Check the updates as they happen. You can also check out the real-time leader board as the race progresses.
World’s fastest computer June 18, 2008
Posted by Cobus in Innovation, Technology.Tags: petaflop, supercomputer
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A USA government computer in New Mexico is the first supercomputer to perform at one petaflop (one thousand trillion calculations per second). Designed and built by IBM, the Roadrunner uses both traditional computer chips and the Cell Broadband Engine. The cell processor was originally designed for video game consoles such as the Sony Playstation 3.
Roadrunner will be used primarily to ensure the safety and reliability of the US nuclear weapons stockpile, and it will also do research into astronomy, energy, human genome science and climate change.
Roadrunner’s petaflop performance is roughly equivalent to the combined computing power of 100,000 of today’s fastest laptop computers. That’s a stack of laptops 2.4 km high. It would take the entire population of the earth, each working a handheld calculator at the rate of one second per calculation, more than 46 years to do what Roadrunner can do in one day.
Check out the Fact Sheet & Background and the US Department of Energy Press Release.
Practice makes perfect June 9, 2008
Posted by Cobus in Life lesson.1 comment so far
Wesbank’s television advert just does it for me… not merely for its visually appealing effects, but the simple, yet powerful life lesson of its punch-line… “practice makes perfect.”
The Wheelsurf Motorized Monocycle March 29, 2008
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Imagine surfing on land inside a wheel… Sounds farfetched huh? Well, with the Wheelsurf apparently you can…
The Wheelsurf is a single-wheeled, ride-inside conveyance that’s sure to get you noticed. But how does it work? According to Wheelsurf:
The Wheelsurf consists of an inner and an outer frame. The inner frame has three small wheels that make contact with the outer frame. The outer frame is the actual rotating wheel and has a solid rubber tire. The rider sits inside the inner frame that also contains the engine, drive train and petrol tank. The Wheelsurf is steered by shifting your weight. Although it has a hand brake, braking is limited to the counterbalance you can provide by leaning backwards. If you brake too hard, you will start spinning with the outer wheel. Which of course is exciting…
The Wheelsurf is however not a street-legal vehicle, but rather meant to be a form of extravagant entertainment that will set you back about €5000 exluding taxes and shipping. The 50 kg Wheelsurf is powered by a 4-stroke 31cc engine that produces 1,2 kW @ 7000 rpm and can reach a top speed of 40 km/h. Click <<here>> to check out a video of the Wheelsurf or visit their website.
X-MEN: The Pathfinders of Rainforest Challenge January 15, 2008
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Here is an update on my 9 December 2007 post, Rainforest Challenge – Live Your Passion in 4×4 Adventure…
X-Men, the Pathfinders of the event has uploaded 200 to 300 photographs of the RFC 2007. These are the guys that slog in and out of the jungle trails come monsoon rain or shine. They are also the First-In-Last-Out team, always committed and dependable at all times. Their evolution and transformation goes hand in hand with the history of the RFC. Throughtout the history of the RFC, they have great stories to tell in the various recces and post-event tales. When conditions in the monsoon drenched jungle become atrocious and unbearable these pathfinders will be there, to do “battle” again and again, ensuring the completion of the events’ objectives, whatever the circumstances.
Visit the X-Men’s website to check out the awesome pictures of the event… Here’s one of them…
Time’s 50 Top 10 Lists of 2007 January 9, 2008
Posted by Cobus in Top 10.add a comment
Time Magazine has come up with a yearbook of all the top events people have been talking about, and sure to quench the thirst of all “top-10-list-lovers” out there. It’s called “50 Top 10 Lists for 2007“ and divided into 5 categories, namely:
News: The powerful, the profound, the painful and the peculiar – The most noteworthy news events of the year.
Arts & Entertainment: A list of the year’s most exciting artistic achievements.
Science: A look back at the scientific community’s year of significant advancements
Business, Technology & Sport: Here are the best deals and the biggest flops, the hottest tech toys and the most magical sports moments of 2007.
Pop Culture: The year’s most notable quotes, sordid breakups, appalling awkward moments and unexpected slogans.
One example is the ‘top 10 websites’ which I found stimulating. Although focused mainly on the US, it’s nevertheless very interesting:
#1. Lemonade.com: Virtual “stand” filled with products you’d recommend to friends (and earn money).
#2. AskSunday.com: For a subscription the site’s virtual secretaries do tasks for you, like schedule doctor’s appointments, set up dinner reservations or give you a wake-up call even if you are on a trip around the world.
#3. Wink.com: This people search engine sorts through multiple profiles so you can easily find and connect online with long lost friends.
#4. TechPresident.com: For the first time in a presidential election the Internet is playing a central role in deciding who will become the next leader of the United States.
#5. Goodreads.com: Sign up to read book reviews from your trusted network. Swap thoughts on the latest biography or romance novel and even join an online book club to meet new literary friends.
#6. MenuPages.com: Choose the neighborhood you live in, pick the type of cuisine you’d like to order and browse selections from hundreds of eateries. With approximately 25,000 menus from eight cities (US), you’ll surely never have to order plain ol’ pizza again.
#7. DontForgetYourToothbrush.com: Make a checklist of what you need to pack and prepare in advance before you go. The site is simple — sign in with a user name and password, choose the type of trip you’re taking and then start checking off the appropriate to-do items.
#8. VolunteerMatch.com: Make giving back to your community one of your New Year’s resolutions this year by using this site to match you with a volunteer organisation.
#9. Fatsecret.com: Losing weight is a lot easier when you have support from friends. Connect with others who are trying to shed pounds, and to read up on popular diets.
#10. Indeed.com: Bored at work? Look for a new job by using this search engine which spans listings from job boards, newspapers and company employment sites.
Visit http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/top10/0,30576,1686204,00.html for the complete rundown of Time’s 50 Top 10 Lists of 2007.
SUBOC 