Simple cool stuff to do with the kids during the break...

So the school mid-term break is now in full swing for the parents among us, and after Disney Junior (DSTV channel 309 for those non-parental readers) is all maxxed out, we have to start getting a little bit more creative in terms of stuff to do.

After all, this is meant to be quality time that we should be spending with our kids, is it not?

So it occurred to me that all we really need to do, is go back to basics.

I dusted out the crazy cobwebs in my noggin, and took a trip down memory lane, back to when I was a kid who still held school holidays in high regard.
Man, those were the days - endless weeks of free time, so much free time... where did all the time go?
Does time diminish as one grows older? I guess in a way it does, but that's a subject for another day...

Anyway, I came up with a few simple things from my childhood that often provided hours of entertainment, and which still apply today.
Just because we live in a world full of iPads and WIFI, doesn't mean that our kids can't still enjoy some of the same things that we did while growing up.

Next time you are at a loss for something fun to do, maybe this list will be of some use:

• Build a puzzle:
  I used to spend hours as a kid on jigsaw puzzles, and they fascinate me to this day.
  The kids also love them, even from a young age.
  
  
• Make some Lego:
  Does anybody not enjoy Lego? 
  From building crazy castles as a kid, to creating massively reinforced cars (only to smash them into the nearest wall), Lego is truly timeless.
  
  

  

  Lego at work. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

• Roast marshmallows:
  This one requires some adult supervision obviously, but it's a favourite and generally accompanies any braai as a sweet treat afterwards.
  Avoid contact with clothing...!
  
  

  

  Yummy!

• Swim:
  Kids go nuts for pools in summer. It's that simple.
  If the weather permits and you are fortunate enough to have access to a pool, get in.
  We have some pretty awesome summers here in South Africa, so we may as well make the most of them.
  
  

  

  Blue-water-pool (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

• Make a fire:
  Lighting up a fire at sunset just does something for the soul. Perhaps somehow it connects us to our ancestral roots, to a time when fire was vital for survival.
  Who knows - all I can say is that even as an adult I still enjoy a good fire, be it a campfire or a small log fire to roast some marshmallows over.
  
  

  

  Just flames (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
• Stargaze:
  While stoking the fire, why not turn your eyes up to the heavens and pick out some of our celestial neighbours or constellations.
  Apart from the moon, several of the planets in our solar system are easily visible in our night skies, and with dark enough skies and cloudless conditions, even amateur equipment can reveal a surprising amount of detail on objects such as Saturn and Jupiter.
  Pretty awe-inspiring, and appreciated by young and old alike.
  
  

  

  English: Pleiades Star Cluster (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
• Create silence:
  Here is one that I struggle with a lot, but which I still try to achieve, however difficult it may be.
  When you get home, switch your cellphone to Silent. It has been ringing all day, with a thousand different people vying for your attention.
  So ask yourself, how many of those people are more important to you than your loved ones?
  It's not easy I know, but in a world where constant noise is the order of the day, a little bit of silence can't be a bad thing. 

If it's an excursion you are looking for, then head over to our other blog - Plebs with Kids, where we review kid-friendly spots in and around Johannesburg.

As I type this post I keep thinking of new things that I want to add to this list, so I guess this post will be a bit of a work in progress.
Can you think of anything that you loved as a kid, that you feel deserves a mention?

Drop me a comment below and maybe I'll add it in :)

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What to do if your Apple has run out of USB ports...

All too often nowadays, I come across Apple owners who are at their wits end because they have run out of USB ports.
Well the obvious solution would be to go out and buy a USB hub to upgrade the amount of USB ports, right?

Well thankfully, there is now a far simpler, and indeed cheaper solution which I will outline for you using the images below:

Before: Limited by only 2 USB ports

After: A 3rd USB port has now easily been added to this Apple

Taking a closer look, post-upgrade...

You can take this even further than just one extra USB port of course - in theory you are limited only by the amount of free space available on the Apple itself!
Take note - some discolouration of the new USB port is normal, a few minutes after the upgrade has been completed.

Now don't all thank me at once for saving you a few hundred bucks on a USB hub... :)

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Thinking of upgrading your Apple Mac to Mavericks? Better read this first...

It's crazy to think how huge corporations nowadays can affect our lives and change our behaviour, simply by changing the way their products work.
In so doing, they force their customers to break old habits and adopt new ways of doing things.

Apple has recently done exactly this, by means of the much touted "Mavericks" update to OS X - version 10.9.
In case you missed it, gone are the days of the big cats.
No longer will we have such bravado codenames as "Mountain Lion" and "Tiger", by which to refer to the various OS X versions.
Mavericks is in fact a popular surfing location in Northern California, and future updates to OS X will carry the names of locations in California that have inspired the company.

Onto the point of this post.
One of the most controversial changes in Mavericks (in my opinion anyway), is the obliteration of Sync Services.
In layman's terms, this means that you can now no longer sync your iPhone / iPad calendars, tasks and contacts to your Mac, via iTunes using USB or WIFI.
Think about that for a sec - pre-Mavericks, iTunes had a tab called "Info" when you plugged in your iDevice. That tab is now gone.
Now if you are someone who uses Microsoft Outlook within the Mac environment, and you like to keep your contacts and calendars in sync between Outlook and your iDevices, well you're clean outta luck.

Outlook used to be able to sync to iCal and Address Book using Sync Services. With Sync Services now gone, so is that sync relationship - Outlook is now dead in the water and totally isolated from your iDevices.

In terms of a fix, patch, update or resolution, nothing is forthcoming at this stage from Apple or Microsoft.
Apple forums all over the web are abuzz as Mac users continue to hit this seemingly backward move for OSX.
In terms of workarounds, they range from tedious to extreme...:

Tedious:

Point iCal (now Calendar), your iPhone and iPad to your iCloud account so that they all sync there.
With all your iDevices now talking, manual labour is required in order to keep Outlook in sync.
For EVERY new appointment created or accepted in Outlook, you have to drag that appointment from the Outlook calendar, down onto the Calendar icon in the Dock.
Calendar will then popup, asking you to confirm which category you would like to add the appointment to, and you're done.
Tedious as hell, but it's all we have right now.

Extreme:

Backup your Mac and downgrade back to Mountain Lion (10.8).
Extreme, yet it appears that some people are prepared to go this route in order to retain USB syncing of their devices with Outlook.

It all comes back to what I said at the beginning of this post - changing the way we behave as consumers.
Apple clearly want their customer base to become more reliant on iCloud, and what better way to achieve this, than to kill USB syncing in OS X. Nasty.
I am also not quite sure what message they are sending to Microsoft here - Apple seems eager to lay blame at Microsoft's door for not seeing the update coming and making Outlook more compatible, yet the counter argument is valid as well - with so many Apple customers depending on a sync partnership between Outlook and OS X, why the hell not just leave Sync Services alone?

Will Apple fix it? I doubt it.
Will Microsoft update Outlook 2011 to remedy it? Probably not - Office 2014 is likely around the corner anyway...

What will you do now that your iWorld is out of sync?

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WWSJD...? :)

Figured out the acronym yet?

Here's a clue - it has something to do with that Cupertino-based behemoth known as Apple Inc...
Well given their current position, the acronym should be pretty easy to work out:

- What would Steve Jobs do? -

Steve Jobs shows off the white iPhone 4 at the 2010 Worldwide Developers Conference
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Regardless of your opinion of Apple, it is clear that things are not quite as rosy for the company as they have been in the recent past.
Up until the iPhone 4s and the 3rd generation of the iPad, it looked as if the company were well set to become the world's next superpower.
Since the untimely departure of the man who is widely seen as the genius behind it all - the late, great Steve Jobs, the playing field has changed and Apple seem to have lost their edge somewhat, in a market that requires constant innovation to even think of keeping up with the pack.

I cannot even begin to contemplate what went on in the one of a kind brain that Steve Jobs carried around in his head, but he certainly had incredible vision and drive.
I imagine that once he had his mind set on an idea, nothing could get in the man's way until the idea was executed to absolute perfection.

Image via CrunchBase

So with that in mind, just what would Steve Jobs do right about now?
The iPhone 5 is decidedly lukewarm when compared with past iPhone models, software updates on the iPad have resulted in serious WIFI connectivity issues, flagship phones from other companies are presenting a serious challenge (Samsung Galaxy S3, Nokia Lumia 920 to name but 2...), Apple Maps has been found to be sub-standard when compared to other Map / GPS / Navigation offerings... the list goes on.

So as Apple's share price continues to fall, formerly loyal Apple supporters are beginning to see the technology giant as less than infallible, and without the iron fist leadership of Steve Jobs at the helm, does Tim Cook have what it takes to turn things around?
I reckon that what Apple need is some serious innovation - Steve Jobs style.

What might that amount to? Who knows...
All I can say is that forthcoming iPhones, iPads and iDevices are going to have to pack some astounding new functionality, because no longer is the lure of the Apple logo sufficient for the company to stay at the top.

What's your take?
Is this just another tiny speed bump for the fruity-techno-giant, or is the game changing so rapidly that Apple will soon be having to scramble?

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Richarge - an exciting and innovative new concept to keep your cellphone powered up while on the move...

I have written a fair deal on Nybbles & Bytes that relates to keeping mobile devices powered up when on the go.
We depend on cellphones, iPads and other electronic devices so heavily nowadays, that it feels like we have lost a limb when the battery dies...

I recently found out about a local company called Richarge - they have brought a highly innovative product to market, specifically geared towards South African cellphone users who need to top up their batteries when they are out and about, away from a ready power source or a charger.

Now you may be thinking that public cellphone charging stations are nothing new - I recall having seen this concept somewhere myself before.
The cool bit here though, is that Richarge is the first company in South-Africa to design and manufacture Secure, Public, Cell Phone Charging Stations - Proudly South African!
Richarge has therefore developed their charging stations with the South African context firmly in mind.

They sent me through this write up to provide a better idea of what the product can do:

RiCharge machines have been specifically designed with security in mind and offers people the opportunity to securely charge their cell phones in public areas – Proudly South-African!
With their sleek design and option of eco friendly solar powered units, this has to be one of the most innovative ideas to hit SA!

The RiCharge machine works like a normal vending machine:

• You insert money (Normally R10 per 30 min);
• You select your own unique 4-digit code (works like a small hotel safe);
• The machine then selects an available secure charging compartment for you;
• Inside each compartment you will find different charging tips (supports all phone models);
• Select your tip + plug in your phone, then close the door; 

Your phone will now securely charge while you go about doing whatever you want to do.

RiCharge machines work great in any type of venue as there is a need almost everywhere for this type of service. Keep an eye open because RiCharge machines will soon be located at various locations – Malls, Airports, Restaurants, Bars, Outdoor events etc.

Think of us as a gas station for your phone!

So why are venue owners loving the RiCharge concept? By hosting a RiCharge machine at your venue you will instantly increase your foot count - this will automatically lead to an increase in sales and obviously make customers come back for more.

It’s a win win situation. 

...and it gets better – RiCharge machines are available to the public! 

Start your own RiCharge business or become a distributing partner - for more info on this exciting new industry, go visit www.RiCharge.co.za

Even if you are just looking for an additional source of income on the side, and you have some cash to invest - this can be a great way to start a small business.

Sounds like a great concept to me - I hope we start seeing these all over the place!

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Does your iPhone look like this...? Then you need iFix...

Apple are certainly one smart company.

We all know about their products and how well they sell to the iMasses.
We also know how incredibly fragile some of their products are.

Their fragility also just happens to guarantee more sales of the same product (how serendipitous is that?)...
After all, any Apple devotee will happily hand over their hard-earned cash for a replacement iPhone / iPad / iWhatever...

A common sight.
Spare a thought for the Foxconn staff who made this...!

Apple would never admit to it, but hey, it certainly is one clever way to boost sales...
I mean everyone drops their phone at some stage - more dropped phones = more sales of new ones!

Now this may just sound like a bit of Apple-bashing, but I work in the IT field daily, and I see more trashed iDevices than any other phone or tablet.
To take this example further, let's look at that once famous Finnish company - I think they called themselves Nokia... ;)
Now if you drop a Nokia E7 from, let's say a metre above the ground, it will bounce around a bit and exit the encounter scratched perhaps, but otherwise probably unscathed.
Repeat this exercise over and over, and you will likely just end up with a trashed looking, but still fully functional Nokia.
Trust me, I speak from experience.

It's a win for the phone, but a loss for Nokia I suppose - by the same stage in the game, Apple would now have sold an additional unit for every time the phone was dropped, their devices being as susceptible to damage as they are.
There may well be exceptions to this, but in my experience at least, iPhones and iPads do not take kindly to any form of rough handling.
Oh and that awesome "Gorilla" glass on the front and back of the iPhone 4 is great if you feel like a nice flesh wound, so when you do pick it up off the floor, take care not to get the glass shards anywhere near your skin.

So where the hell am I going with this? Geez I almost forgot what I was on about...

First, let's bash a bit more - not mentioning any names, but the "official" company in South Africa who deals with Apple repairs does not have the greatest reputation when it comes to customer service.
Terribly long turnaround times, lost stock and a general "we just don't give a damn and we look down our noses at you" attitude are a few of the problems that spring to mind.

Enter iFix - www.ifix.co.za.

iFix are a breath of fresh air, in what has become the Achilles heel of Apple in South Africa - their support and after-sales service.
If I go out and buy a "premium" product, then I expect the service I receive to be premium as well.

iFix do not meander via the painstaking channels of the "official" South African Apple channels when repairing iDevices, and it shows.
Their staff are friendly, device book in is quick and easy (at least it always has been for me), and their Melrose Arch branch offers a decent cup of coffee while you book your device in... decent coffee ALWAYS scores high up on my list ;)

So next time your iPhone, iPad, iPod, iMac or Macbook needs some attention, or takes an unceremonious dive onto the floor, and unless you have a warranty in place, think twice about where you go to get it fixed.

Head on over to www.ifix.co.za for more info - they have branches in JHB, Pretoria, Cape Town and Durban.
If you have previously used iFix to repair a device, please let us know what your experience was like by posting a comment to this post. We wanna hear from you!

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Download inSSIDer and Discover the Wi-Fi Networks Around You...

This is one seriously cool freeware tool if you need to be in the know about the Wireless networks around you - it gives you all of the most important info (SSID, Channel, Strength etc.), in one easy to read summary screen:

Download inSSIDer now :)

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