Since the IOS upgrade I have been unable to post any blog posts from my iPad. This is somewhat problematic as the other computers in the house are generally in use for other purposes. Besides, what is the point of an expensive item such as an iPad if you are prevented from doing a whole range of things on the browser.
iPad was sold as being the best browsing experience ever. To me it has been disappointing. To start, the editing facilities are poor. It is very difficult to type accurately and even more difficult to get back to what you have typed when done.
When I use Opera, Chrome, IE, almost all of the functions of most sites work. The links work. If there is a facility to write and edit it can be done. Why don't half of these sites work on Safari!! After installing iOS 5, even fewer sites work. A major let down from what is supposed to be the creme de la creme of computer companies.
To get around the inability to post problem, I tried using one of the apps that allow you to create and edit documents. It is called documents. It seemed to work okay though I still could not post to Blogger. I exported the document to Google docs - the only remaining option. The result was totally unusable. There was an extra space between every character so I had no choice but to retype it and submit via my computer.
I really hope that someone sorts out these issues soon.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
iOS 5, me and the iPad 2
It took several attempts to get the new iOS 5. I was told that there was no network connection and that I needed to connect to the Internet first. An attempt to shift the blame when the problem was Apple’s server capacity.
After five attempts i was told that I needed to upgrade to the latest version of iTunes to do the upgrade. iTunes seems to require an upgrade every week. There is never a patch, always a full download and replace the whole thing. I have never detected a difference with the new version.
Several hours later, thew iPad was loaded with the latest operating system - iOS5.
New features include Twitter integration, improved calendar, notification service, iMessage and a new version of Safari (the Apple browser). Also new to the platform are reminders and Newsstand. Safari now has tabbed browsing in the iPad and about time too! Even the unmentionable MS have had tabbed browsing for a number of years already. Unfortunately, there are still way too many sites that don’t work properly on Safari lazy developers of an Apple issue?
Apple has done nothing to improve the document editing experience which I still rate as poor. No, change that to very poor. Getting back to correct a word or sentence is a slow, cumbersome, clumsy and time-consuming endeavour. The auto-correct still changes the spelling to American even though my language of choice is genuine English.
iMessage is a rather belated attampt by Apple to compete with Blackberry’s BMS. It is rather redundant ans What’s app is universally available - except of course for the iPad!.
The most noticable change following the upgrade was the dissapearance of over 60% (yes, sixty percent) of my apps. They have simply vanished - no fairwell, no explanation, just gone. That means wasting more time searching for and installing the same apps again. And all this ohn a device that is supposed to save me time.
The iPad camera now has an Options button. In the past you could simply shoot. Press the option button and you have the choice of using a grid. That is it. One option. The grid divides the screen into thirds horizontally and vertically. The idea is that it is easier to compose using the rule of thirds.
So what has been promoted as a major OS upgrade buys very little!
After five attempts i was told that I needed to upgrade to the latest version of iTunes to do the upgrade. iTunes seems to require an upgrade every week. There is never a patch, always a full download and replace the whole thing. I have never detected a difference with the new version.
Several hours later, thew iPad was loaded with the latest operating system - iOS5.
New features include Twitter integration, improved calendar, notification service, iMessage and a new version of Safari (the Apple browser). Also new to the platform are reminders and Newsstand. Safari now has tabbed browsing in the iPad and about time too! Even the unmentionable MS have had tabbed browsing for a number of years already. Unfortunately, there are still way too many sites that don’t work properly on Safari lazy developers of an Apple issue?
Apple has done nothing to improve the document editing experience which I still rate as poor. No, change that to very poor. Getting back to correct a word or sentence is a slow, cumbersome, clumsy and time-consuming endeavour. The auto-correct still changes the spelling to American even though my language of choice is genuine English.
iMessage is a rather belated attampt by Apple to compete with Blackberry’s BMS. It is rather redundant ans What’s app is universally available - except of course for the iPad!.
The most noticable change following the upgrade was the dissapearance of over 60% (yes, sixty percent) of my apps. They have simply vanished - no fairwell, no explanation, just gone. That means wasting more time searching for and installing the same apps again. And all this ohn a device that is supposed to save me time.
The iPad camera now has an Options button. In the past you could simply shoot. Press the option button and you have the choice of using a grid. That is it. One option. The grid divides the screen into thirds horizontally and vertically. The idea is that it is easier to compose using the rule of thirds.
So what has been promoted as a major OS upgrade buys very little!
Saturday, October 22, 2011
To shake or not to shake
To most people this would seem like a rather strange question. I frequent a number of places such as my local Shul (synagogue) where I am well known to most of the people.
Chemotherapy can affect your blood counts in a number of ways. If the white count falls, it means that your autoimmune system has been compromised. That means that you become prone to catching infections. One you have picked up that unwanted infection you could battle to fight it off.
That is the reason why I am not allowed to get into a crowd, and I avoid that quite carefully. But at any one of these places, people generally expect to shake hands. Not a big deal for most - how often do you get sick from shaking hands?
In fact the risk - especially for me - can be quite immense. Some of the people will most certainly be carrying some sort of virus or bacteria. Even someone in perfect health could put me at risk. Before I shook his hand, he has already shaken the hands of another 20 to 30 people. The transfer of germs has taken place already. Then there is someone else to shake and so it goes on.
One option is to hide my hands in my pockets and refuse to remove them. Some may be offended. Others will understand one they knw the reasons. So far, I have not employed any such tactic. However, i spent the last week in great discomfort and the bud seems to be far from over. I firmly believe hat I caught this from a handshake with a man that (as I later discovered) had quite a serious cough. I was coughing and struggling to bring up phlegm within 36 hours. No laughing matter.
There is another option. This one is to carry around a bottle of hand sanitiser, the pink stuff that they use in hospitals. This could cause upset as well. The trick is to not let anyone see.
So, what is it to be?
Chemotherapy can affect your blood counts in a number of ways. If the white count falls, it means that your autoimmune system has been compromised. That means that you become prone to catching infections. One you have picked up that unwanted infection you could battle to fight it off.
That is the reason why I am not allowed to get into a crowd, and I avoid that quite carefully. But at any one of these places, people generally expect to shake hands. Not a big deal for most - how often do you get sick from shaking hands?
In fact the risk - especially for me - can be quite immense. Some of the people will most certainly be carrying some sort of virus or bacteria. Even someone in perfect health could put me at risk. Before I shook his hand, he has already shaken the hands of another 20 to 30 people. The transfer of germs has taken place already. Then there is someone else to shake and so it goes on.
One option is to hide my hands in my pockets and refuse to remove them. Some may be offended. Others will understand one they knw the reasons. So far, I have not employed any such tactic. However, i spent the last week in great discomfort and the bud seems to be far from over. I firmly believe hat I caught this from a handshake with a man that (as I later discovered) had quite a serious cough. I was coughing and struggling to bring up phlegm within 36 hours. No laughing matter.
There is another option. This one is to carry around a bottle of hand sanitiser, the pink stuff that they use in hospitals. This could cause upset as well. The trick is to not let anyone see.
So, what is it to be?
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
One innocent man exchanged for 1027 terrorists.
Gilad Shalit today retuned home after five years of near isolation in an Hammas prison. Israel has failed to secure his release through all these years.
Hammas declared the day as one of victory. It's act of kidnapping an Israeli soldier in 2006 has finally paid off with the release of 1027 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
The release of Gilad Shallit must certainly be welcomed. On his release he looked pale and fragile. He had not seen the sun for five years. Israelis are out in the streets to welcome him back.
The released prisoners are not innocent. They include the perpetrators of bombings and killing. Three of those released were responsible for a 2003 bombing of a scoop bus in Hafa that killed 17 and wounded another 40. Hammas sees them as heroes.
The interesting part of the deal is that Israel must be unique in the way it sees it's citizens. Is there any other country in the world that would agree to such a ransom for one person? Israel values one life more than 1027 prisoners. Hammas also see one Israeli as worth more than a thousand Palestinians. It was not necessary to abduct 1000 Israelis to do the swap. One was enough!
The main risk created by this exchange is that Hammas will now feel more powerful than ever. what will it try next?
Hammas declared the day as one of victory. It's act of kidnapping an Israeli soldier in 2006 has finally paid off with the release of 1027 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
The release of Gilad Shallit must certainly be welcomed. On his release he looked pale and fragile. He had not seen the sun for five years. Israelis are out in the streets to welcome him back.
The released prisoners are not innocent. They include the perpetrators of bombings and killing. Three of those released were responsible for a 2003 bombing of a scoop bus in Hafa that killed 17 and wounded another 40. Hammas sees them as heroes.
The interesting part of the deal is that Israel must be unique in the way it sees it's citizens. Is there any other country in the world that would agree to such a ransom for one person? Israel values one life more than 1027 prisoners. Hammas also see one Israeli as worth more than a thousand Palestinians. It was not necessary to abduct 1000 Israelis to do the swap. One was enough!
The main risk created by this exchange is that Hammas will now feel more powerful than ever. what will it try next?
Sunday, October 16, 2011
The Samsung Galaxy S II
When I received a text from my local cell phone supplier offering me the Samsung Galaxy i9100 S II, it was not really something that I had in mind. I decided to check it out on gsmarena - a site that tests and reviews every phone on the market, so their view must be worth something.
The review was fantastic - hardly a fault was found.
So with four iPhones and one IPad in the house already, I got to go for something completely different. Or perhaps not so different! The Galaxy has been accused of being a copy of the iPhone. But there are real differences.
First of all, the screen is a massive 4.3 inches. Plenty of space available. The phone is ultra thin weighing a mere 116 grams. Unlike the iPhone, no glass.
The Galaxy uses the latest Android operating system. This is my first android phone and so far so good. It certainly offers much more flexibility than any other phone that I have used. There also seem to be endless aps available. As for loading music, I was able to simple drag and drop from my computer. Not restricted to a single computer as with my iPad. I didn't have to do anything to add my contacts. They simply added themselves when I added my Gmail address. Simple. Hopefully it keeps the systems in sync.
Text editing is good. Unlike the iPad it is a simple matter to get back to a misspelled word to correct it. The phone offers handwriting recognition and voice recognition. I tried dictating a few sentences on google talk. The first sentence was perfect. The second garbage. And so it continued.
The 8 mp camera is one of the features of the phone that interested me. This one seems good. It also takes hd video at 1080p@30fps. The video has continuos autofocus. I will be trying this out later.
The Galaxy comes preloaded with dozens of apps. One of these allows you to create and edit MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint docs. It also comes with FM radio.
My main gripe so far is with the sound quality. As with the iPad, I felt that a top end device could have done a lot better. Even the much cheaper Nokia 5800 has better sound. The headphones are cheap and nasty too. The sound improved greatly through a pair of Apple headphones (something that was sadly not included with the iPad).
I do like the fact that the phone is light weight, has a large screen and is easy to use. Time will tell more about the quality and longevity of the phone.
The review was fantastic - hardly a fault was found.
So with four iPhones and one IPad in the house already, I got to go for something completely different. Or perhaps not so different! The Galaxy has been accused of being a copy of the iPhone. But there are real differences.
First of all, the screen is a massive 4.3 inches. Plenty of space available. The phone is ultra thin weighing a mere 116 grams. Unlike the iPhone, no glass.
The Galaxy uses the latest Android operating system. This is my first android phone and so far so good. It certainly offers much more flexibility than any other phone that I have used. There also seem to be endless aps available. As for loading music, I was able to simple drag and drop from my computer. Not restricted to a single computer as with my iPad. I didn't have to do anything to add my contacts. They simply added themselves when I added my Gmail address. Simple. Hopefully it keeps the systems in sync.
Text editing is good. Unlike the iPad it is a simple matter to get back to a misspelled word to correct it. The phone offers handwriting recognition and voice recognition. I tried dictating a few sentences on google talk. The first sentence was perfect. The second garbage. And so it continued.
The 8 mp camera is one of the features of the phone that interested me. This one seems good. It also takes hd video at 1080p@30fps. The video has continuos autofocus. I will be trying this out later.
The Galaxy comes preloaded with dozens of apps. One of these allows you to create and edit MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint docs. It also comes with FM radio.
My main gripe so far is with the sound quality. As with the iPad, I felt that a top end device could have done a lot better. Even the much cheaper Nokia 5800 has better sound. The headphones are cheap and nasty too. The sound improved greatly through a pair of Apple headphones (something that was sadly not included with the iPad).
I do like the fact that the phone is light weight, has a large screen and is easy to use. Time will tell more about the quality and longevity of the phone.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Sukkot - the family Sukkah
I guess that this is the time to trust in the higher power for security.
This is where we will eat for the next seven days. 
The structure of the Sukkah includes temporary walls and a roof that allows the rain to get in. Coincidentally, Johannesburg's summer rains almost invariably begin over Sukkot. Tuesday, October 11, 2011
pigeons evicted!
The pigeon eviction took place today. The area was cleaned and the pigeons have left their home in our roof. The process took about six hours.
The pigeons are devastated! They are finding it difficult to adjust to the fact that they have become homeless. They are perching on the roof wandering where to go. A lone pigeon perched on a vertical pipe above the roof and won't move.
The birds are clearly upset about loosing their home. On the other hand, they present a health threat to the human residents here so they had to go.
Here's wishing them good luck in their new homes.
Monday, October 10, 2011
A post from the treatment room
Monday is the day for my chemotherapy for now. Today is the second of the three week cycle.
The weather is decidedly pleasant - 22 degrees Celcius right now, with expectations to rise to 25 (where do you find the degree symbol on an iPad?).
The French doors ar open onto the outside world bringing a summery feeling into the room. I
have been connected to an IV. Almost the moment it starts, I can feel the mixtue burning. It makes the area around it very cold. That is the reason that I am receiving a flush of saline solution at the same time. I probably have another hour here before the chemo is finished. It is now 12:14 so I'll be finished really early today. Last week I didn't get away until after 4:00!
People of all ages find their way here. Some patients are very young. I have seen young mothers here. Quite often the treatment is successful.
The effects of the chemo can vary. Last week I was fine for a few days. Then on Wednesday afternoon I began to feel washed out. There is no alterative to complete rest. I felt better the next day but didn't really feel myself until Sunday. Strangely, after three weeks I get a week off. The last time I felt wonderful!
Today I was one of the first in the treatment room. The room has now filled up with patients and their families.
One more session next week, then another break. That's me for now.
The weather is decidedly pleasant - 22 degrees Celcius right now, with expectations to rise to 25 (where do you find the degree symbol on an iPad?).
The French doors ar open onto the outside world bringing a summery feeling into the room. I
have been connected to an IV. Almost the moment it starts, I can feel the mixtue burning. It makes the area around it very cold. That is the reason that I am receiving a flush of saline solution at the same time. I probably have another hour here before the chemo is finished. It is now 12:14 so I'll be finished really early today. Last week I didn't get away until after 4:00!
People of all ages find their way here. Some patients are very young. I have seen young mothers here. Quite often the treatment is successful.
The effects of the chemo can vary. Last week I was fine for a few days. Then on Wednesday afternoon I began to feel washed out. There is no alterative to complete rest. I felt better the next day but didn't really feel myself until Sunday. Strangely, after three weeks I get a week off. The last time I felt wonderful!
Today I was one of the first in the treatment room. The room has now filled up with patients and their families.
One more session next week, then another break. That's me for now.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
South Africa exits rugby world cup
As expected, the test was tight. Australia scored the only try, but South Africa dominated the game especially in the second half. For a while, The Boks took the lead.
Perhaps the most notable aspect of the game was the quality of refereeing. The ref made one blatant error after another, all in Australia's favour. Two suspect decisions are the forward pass that preceded what should have been Brian Habana's try. Later, a penalty was awarded to Australia that should have gone to SA.
As a rule I avoid criticizing referees but this dispay was a true disgrace.
So we are out but not disgraced.
Perhaps the most notable aspect of the game was the quality of refereeing. The ref made one blatant error after another, all in Australia's favour. Two suspect decisions are the forward pass that preceded what should have been Brian Habana's try. Later, a penalty was awarded to Australia that should have gone to SA.
As a rule I avoid criticizing referees but this dispay was a true disgrace.
So we are out but not disgraced.
Friday, October 7, 2011
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
The quest for a new phone
For over a year I have been cursed with having to use a Nokia 5800 Music Express. This happened when my son just had to have my Blackberry. The motivation was BBM. All his friends were using BBM to communicate so it made financial sense.
To be honest I was not upset to part from the Blackberry. This was a top end model, but I couldn't take the Windows 3.1 operating system. Although BB had fitted a 5 mp camera, it was not capable of quality shots.
At first the 5800 seemed like a breath of fresh air. It had fairly good sound, had gps and voice navigation. But it didn't take long for the software to stop working properly. It was one thing after another. Now I keep being told that too many Internet connections are open. No more Internet, no more gps.
BB and Nokia are off the list of options!
The Apple iPhone 4 is a good phone and spells quality and luxury. Right now we have four iPhone s in the house. Yes, it is good. Bu t it also has failings. My iPad is basically a giant iPhone. Let me. Get something different.
The cellphone network offers a limited range of handsets. One of the best seems to be the HTC Desire HD. Based on the Android system, the phone has everything including an eight mp camera. But the re IRS of the camera and the audio are not great.
The there is the Samsung Galaxy S I9000 - another Android phone. Very similar to the iPhone it has the additional benefit of FM radio. Mind you, the body os plastic and not likely to last.
Sony Ericsson has produced some good products in the last. All that is available through my network is the X10 Mini Pro And the Vivaz - both compact smart phones. I was told to wait for the Arc.
So what to get and does it matter?
To be honest I was not upset to part from the Blackberry. This was a top end model, but I couldn't take the Windows 3.1 operating system. Although BB had fitted a 5 mp camera, it was not capable of quality shots.
At first the 5800 seemed like a breath of fresh air. It had fairly good sound, had gps and voice navigation. But it didn't take long for the software to stop working properly. It was one thing after another. Now I keep being told that too many Internet connections are open. No more Internet, no more gps.
BB and Nokia are off the list of options!
The Apple iPhone 4 is a good phone and spells quality and luxury. Right now we have four iPhone s in the house. Yes, it is good. Bu t it also has failings. My iPad is basically a giant iPhone. Let me. Get something different.
The cellphone network offers a limited range of handsets. One of the best seems to be the HTC Desire HD. Based on the Android system, the phone has everything including an eight mp camera. But the re IRS of the camera and the audio are not great.
The there is the Samsung Galaxy S I9000 - another Android phone. Very similar to the iPhone it has the additional benefit of FM radio. Mind you, the body os plastic and not likely to last.
Sony Ericsson has produced some good products in the last. All that is available through my network is the X10 Mini Pro And the Vivaz - both compact smart phones. I was told to wait for the Arc.
So what to get and does it matter?
Monday, October 3, 2011
cape town images
Images of Cape Town, December 2010
A random selection of views around the city
 |
| Muizenberg |
 |
| Woodstock area |
 |
| Kirstenbosch |
 |
| Kirstenbosch |
 |
| Camps Bay |
 |
| Waterfront bar and restaurant |
 |
| View of the coast |
Saturday, October 1, 2011
few options for pancreas cancer
The diagnosis of pancreas cancer was made on the 22nd of June. The cancer had spread to the liver and it was through a fine needle aspiration (FNA) that the cancer was identified. An FNA is a type of biopsy - a 5 inch needle was inserted into lesions in the liver through the stomach. This was done with the help of ultrasound. Cancer originating in the pancreas had spread to the liver.
Most types of cancer offer some hope. If they are caught early, the cancer may be cut out, radiation and chemotherapy may be used and the cancer is often cured.
Pancreas is usually identified when it has become very advanced. It could be through abdominal or back pain, loss of appetite.Symptoms may appear when the enlarged pancreas presses against other organs or when the cancer has spread to adjacent or more distant organs.
Once the cancer has spread, surgery and radiation are ruled out. The only option is chemotherapy.
In my case, the cancer was identified as stage IV cancer. There is no cure. Perhaps 25% of patients respond to chemotherapy. The prognosis is very poor - statistically less than a year. However, I have been responding well to the treatment and life could be extended by many years. Perhaps over that time, more effective treatments will be found.
There are few other options available, but a positive attitude, the will to overcome this cancer and a belief in the possibility of a cure can make a massive difference. One way of achieving this is through the unconscious mind. Guided imagery or visualisation may be used as tools to use the power of the mind to help reverse the cancer.
My next chemo cycle begins on Monday.
Most types of cancer offer some hope. If they are caught early, the cancer may be cut out, radiation and chemotherapy may be used and the cancer is often cured.
Pancreas is usually identified when it has become very advanced. It could be through abdominal or back pain, loss of appetite.Symptoms may appear when the enlarged pancreas presses against other organs or when the cancer has spread to adjacent or more distant organs.
Once the cancer has spread, surgery and radiation are ruled out. The only option is chemotherapy.
In my case, the cancer was identified as stage IV cancer. There is no cure. Perhaps 25% of patients respond to chemotherapy. The prognosis is very poor - statistically less than a year. However, I have been responding well to the treatment and life could be extended by many years. Perhaps over that time, more effective treatments will be found.
There are few other options available, but a positive attitude, the will to overcome this cancer and a belief in the possibility of a cure can make a massive difference. One way of achieving this is through the unconscious mind. Guided imagery or visualisation may be used as tools to use the power of the mind to help reverse the cancer.
My next chemo cycle begins on Monday.
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