ONLINE we are moving through phases. There has been the chat phase, blogging phase and many others. At the moment we are in a social networking phase and also in a “free” phase.

We are lucky to live in a time where the word “free”   should   no longer be associated   with something being of a poor quality. I am often amazed at the way in which people perceive opensource software as being of a lower quality than paid-for software.

The world is moving to an open and free model where the community collaborates to build   something   for   the greater good. This is a model where money is generated through other sources and where the opensource project stems from a passion for the project and a strong believe that the community can create something greater than any team getting paid for a project.

Please   note that I am not trying to tell you that all opensource software is better than proprietary software. Not at all. I am saying that we should never assume that opensource projects are inferior in any way. The quality of software should be evaluated on a case by case basis. If you are a small business and you are in the market for a word-processing software package, you should consider downloading OpenOffice from www.openoffice.org before you   spend thousands on a package that will for the most part do exactly the same thing. I even   discovered some great features in OpenOffice that I have been missing in other packages. I think the main thing I am trying to say is that if someone is trying to tell you you should never use opensource software, you can be sure   the   chances are he is either   trying   to sell you   a   package   or   he is spending   someone   else’s money. Schools,   institu­tions,   organisations   and companies should   encourage   and   support the   use   of   opensource   software. The long   term   benefits will be tremendous.

If you would like help to get started with OpenOffice, www.translate.org.za has just released a book on using OpenOffice.org effectively.
.  Nico Baird is an instructional designer: Media at the Central University of Technology (CUT), Free State, and New Media and Educational Technology enthusiast and can be contacted at nico@clicksa.co.za.

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WITH all the tools that are available these days I tend to adopt so many tools that I forget about the ones that really worked well in the past. One of these tools is Google Reader. I have used many RSS readers in the past and I have written about the free ones before. The problem is that these days we move between computers quite a bit and if you have to install software on each computer to track websites and the news, it can get to be a daunting task to keep everything in sync.

The only way to really manage your information stream online is to keep it online. The best part of it all is the fact that once again it is a free tool made available by Google. The Google Reader is a great tool and is easy to use and expand. If you have not already registered for Gmail or any of the other Google services I think it is time for you to do it today. Go to http://reader.google.com and register.

Now you can manage your own information stream, or as I like to call it, your own Personal Knowledge Network. As you visit websites or blogs, which your find interesting, you add the RSS feed which will be available on the page to the reader. Now every time there are changes and updates to the website it will appear on your personal Google Reader page at http://reader.google.com . You do not need to visit the pages constantly, you can just go to the page and consume the latest news from all over the web. There is no limit to the number of websites or blogs that you are allowed to follow and it can make life a whole lot easier.
.  Nico   Baird   is an Instructional Designer: Media at the Central University of Technology Free State and New Media and Educational Technology enthusiast and can be contacted at nico@clicksa.co.za.

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These “smart” phones usually already have some sort of web-browser installed and it makes it easy for you as the user to access websites.

Most phones, however, do not have screens large enough to render the website in its entirety. We are also still faced with very high costs when it comes to the cost of bandwidth to your mobile device. It should therefore be remembered that every image you place on your website will cost money to view. This brings me to the fact that each website should have the option of a scaled down mobile version.

These can already be seen with larger websites like www.facebook.com and also the mobile version of www.volksblad.com and www.ofm.co.za.

If you are the owner of a website or you are planning a website it really is quite important that you take the mobile aspect into consideration. I do have good news for most of you! If you have a website and it runs on one of the better known and supported platforms like WordPress you will easily be able to install free plug-ins that will enable your website to be viewed on a mobile device.

I think the best recommendation that I can make is that if you plan to create your own website, that you first ensure that the necessary plugins for mobile devices exist and that there is an active community or company developing for newer devices.

The main idea is that you need to keep in mind that on most devices you should keep it straight and simple.
. Due to a technical problem this column could not be published last week.
. Nico Baird is an instructional designer: Media at the Central University of Technology, Free State, and New Media and Educational Technology enthusiast and can be contacted at nico@clicksa.co.za.

I HAVE often played around with barcodes which can be read by cellphones.

The advantages of these codes are you can put a barcode on your business card and someone can just point the camera on their phones to the card and immediately be taken to the website.

You can also include the code in an print advert in a newspaper or magazine and by simply pointing your cellphone’s camera to the image your customer will be taken to your website or your specials page or to a page with more information about a product or even a competition entry page.

These codes can be included in books to link to discussion pages or even online videos explaining the work. The applications are endless.

Cell C launched a new innovative service which works easier than many of the other barcode services.

PhotoCode is a new technology that allows South Africans to access information on their mobile phones by using QR codes. Cell C is the first to roll out this service and is being supported by media partners like You, Huisgenoot, People, Sunday Times, 5 FM and many other providers. Soon you will see many photo codes in bars and restaurants.

To download the application visit http://www.cellc.coza/services/photocode.

I will also place the link on www.clickkliek.com.

This technology should have taken off long ago, but the ease of use has always been a problem.

I am sure the easiness to use software one can download for free will make a difference.

Nico Baird is an instructional designer: Media at the Central University of Technology Free State and New Media and Educational Technology enthusiast and can be contacted at nico@clicksa.co.za

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EK wil iets sê en ek gaan dit sê: Die pryse vir bandwydte in Suid-Afrika gaan nou val dat die water spat!

‘n Jaar gelede was die pryse van ADSL-bandwydte ongelooflik duur, maar die afgelope paar maande het die pryse geweldig geval.

Die gemiddelde pryse per gigagreep vir ADSL-bandwydte is nou R20 en R30 en vir ‘n paar honderd rand kan onbeperkte toegang tot die internet verkry word.

Dié lae pryse is natuurlik net op ADSL beskikbaar en ook net van spesifieke verskaffers, maar dit is beskikbaar indien jy minder wil betaal vir dieselfde dienste waarvoor jy moontlik nou nog baie opdok

Dit is dalk ‘n goeie idee om te kontroleer wat jy betaal – sommige verskaffers vra steeds ongeveer R60 per gigagreep.

As jy dit betaal, moet jy weet iemand maak baie geld uit jou.

Die koste van bandwydte neem daagliks af en gaan in die volgende maand of twee steeds afneem.

Met al die nuwe internet-onderseekabels wat in gebruik geneem word, sal bandwydtepryse dalk met nog  ten minste 75% afneem. Ek wil amper voorspel die gemiddelde prys per gigagreep sal na ‘n gemiddelde prys van tussen R5 en R10 afneem.

Ek besef 3G- en 4G-pryse is nog onbetaalbaar hoog, maar ek hoop die diensverskaffers sal ook sien dat – indien hulle hul winste sny – hulle vir meer mense toegang tot die web sal kan gee.

Internettoegang behoort ‘n basiese reg van elke burger te wees.

Enigeen met ‘n gemiddelde inkomste behoort dit te kan bekostig om toegang tot die internet te verkry.

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THERE is a chance that the mighty Facebook may finally have a viable competitor.

It has long been believed that Facebook has no real competition which may cause this social network giant to take advantage of its situation.

The first signs of this is in the way that they constantly change and adapt their privacy policies in an effort to increase profits. This is done by making more pages public than we as the users may want to make public.

It is now rumoured that Google will soon launch a new social network called GoogleMe. It has not yet been announced, but it is said that this social network will most probably be a real competitor for Facebook. There are many social networks out there, but the main thing that will make or break any social network is if that specific network is where you can connect with your friends.

Facebook is the first real social network giant. In Canada 50% of the population has already signed up.

This new GoogleMe (if that is the real name) will be the first network that I believe will have the capacity and the reach to take the biggest share of the market. There are a large number of factors that will influence this, but I do believe that because of the popularity and the strength of Google as a company they will be able to market effectively and grow their network way beyond anything that we have seen in the past.

On the internet companies come and go and even when we think a company is here to stay we often get surprizes.

We all believed that MySpace will never be smaller than Facebook and now MySpace is a vastly smaller social network to Facebook.

I believe that if Google presents a well-designed social network on the table people will flock to it and in a few year we may speak of Facebook as the small network that used to dominate the internet. But as with life on the internet, only time will tell.
.  Nico Baird is an instructional designer: Media at the Central University of Technology, Free State, and New Media and Educational Technology enthusiast and can be contacted at nico@clicksa.co.za.

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WHO would have thought that even when listening to technology shows online I would be bombarded with the discussion about the fact that the vuvuzela is dangerous and irritating. During each discussion they then have to play the sound a few times just to show how irritating the noise can be.

I know the vuvuzela is something that is very near and dear to many people in South Africa, but I have to say I strongly agree with the fact that there is a time and a place for everything. Having watched games from previous World Cup tournaments I think that with the vuvuzela completely drowning out any other sounds the whole culture of supporters singing to their teams has been lost at this year’s tournament. Obviously it will not be the case in future World Cup tournaments, but I am quite sad that the one time it is coming to our continent we are missing out on this experience.

There are a number of websites where you can go to sign a petition to have the vuvuzela banned from the games.

On the other hand there are a number of websites that are actually supporting the vuvuzella with applications where you press a button and you have the vuvuzela sound with speaker control. You can even download a vuvuzela application for your iPhone.

We have a few weeks left before the end of the World Cup tournament and I am thinking of opening an online shop where all the soccer fans can go and purchase hearing aids. I think if you are in the hearing aid business you will soon have many new customers. Go listen to the vuvuzela at http://www.vuvuzela.fm and also http://vuvuzelaroulette.com.

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DIT is amper tyd vir my om weer vir ‘n nuwe selfoon navorsing te begin doen. Vanjaar gaan ek natuurlik nie net ‘n nuwe foon kry nie, maar ek gaan beslis ná 14 jaar by my diensverskaffer na ‘n nuwe diensverskaffer kyk.

Die hartseer deel is dit is alles maar net kosmeties, want ek weet ek sal seker by ‘n ander verskaffer ook probleme hê. Die skuif is eers in Augustus wanneer my kontrak eindig, maar ek begin nou al kyk. Ek verseker julle ek sal in daardie stadium die hele proses met julle deel en ook die aanbiedinge wat beskikbaar is, evalueer en daaroor skryf. Ek gaan ook sommer heelwat terugvoer gee oor die redes hoekom ek van my verskaffer weggaan.

Dit daar gelaat. Vir eers wil ek vandag met julle nuwe verwikkelinge in die selfoonmark deel.

Maandagaand het Steve Jobs die nuwe iPhone bekend gestel en ek moet sê, ek hou werklik baie van die nuwe ontwerp. Die foon kom stewiger voor en nou is daar ook ‘n kamera sodat jy video-oproepe kan maak. Hierdie is een van die fone wat ek sterk oorweeg.

Daar is natuurlik vandag so ‘n groot aantal smart phones in die mark dat dit ‘n baie moeilike besluit gaan wees en dus wil ek julle vra om vir my te laat weet watter foon julle dink die beste in die mark is. Ek het twee jaar gelede dieselfde versoek gehad en die raad wat ek gekry het, het my baie gehelp om ‘n goeie besluit te neem. Soos Steven Downes sê: “I store my knowledge in my friends.”

Laat weet my dus asseblief wat jy dink.

Indien jy deel van ‘n maatskappy is wat ‘n goeie aanbod het, laat weet my ook gerus. Ek sal die beste aanbiedings op www.clickkliek.com lys soos ek dit ontvang.

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You can buy a scale that will tweet your weight automatically and will upload the progress you are making on the Internet automatically. You can do amazing things online.

One of the first industries to become connected was banks. Making it possible for you to go overseas and draw money from any ATM around the world. For some strange reason, however, I found out this week that even though we are living in an age where everything is connected some banks will always make sure that they charge the maximum fees. My bank this week informed me that if I deposited a $200 (approximately R1 500) cheque into my account, the service fee to cash it would be just over R600. I know that there are costs involved, but I find it difficult to believe that to transfer money from one account to another could cost more that R600. I am just not sure how you can justify this. I think my question is just why the electronic verification of a cheque should be this expensive.

We are making major advances daily, but for some reason these changes are not reflected in the fees we are being charged.

The problem in today’s integrated business sector is that we think we have many choices, but at the end of the month when my banking fees for the month is about R500, I realise that I would have preferred to just keep the money under my mattress.

Technology is saving the banking industry millions, when will we see a decrease in the fees we pay?

IS it time to give up your Facebook profileω It is a hot topic on the Internet at the moment and there is even a movement and a day when we should all disable our profiles. Yes, it is true, most tech-savvy Internet users are giving up their Facebook profiles. This all started when Facebook star- ted to change their privacy policies on a regular basis. Each time these changes have just been applied and never are you, the user, asked if you would like these changes to be made on your profile. If you have never changed the settings on your profile you should realise that all your infor- mation is now very public and is not limited to your friends as it was originally on Facebook.

All your updates are public and if you do not go and change your settings immediately anybody can gain access to all your posts, updates and personal information. The move online is for everybody to disable their profiles on 31 May. The funny thing is that each minute so many people join Facebook that even if 100 000 people were to leave during that day, the number of users on Facebook will still increase.

Here are some tips. Go and double check your pri- vacy settings on Facebook, don’t assume that you are safe. Think before you post an update, will future em- ployers also find your state- ments funny or could it cost you that perfect jobω And most of all do not put your address or contact info on your profile. Yes, it is great for friends to phone or visit you, but if the whole world can get access to this information it could cause problems.
.  Nico Baird is an instructional designer: Media at the Central University of Technology (CUT), Free State, and New Media and Educational Technology enthusiast and can be contacted at nico@clicksa.co.za.

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