>коли под наем the Malaware problem has been solved. Asked Google to review my site and they came back within 24 hours with the news that the site was clean. Pretty fast response time if you ask me. Well at least I wont be infecting any more machines. 
Add comment November 3rd, 2008
Turns out that the recent malaware virus that spread through UCT’s system has somehow found its way onto my blog. Or at least that’s what i think has happened. Some computers receive a warning that the site is infected and may be dangerous. But I have installed the new Wordpress and deleted all the spam and have asked Google to please have a look at the site again. I am hoping that the problem will be resolved, else I have no idea what the next step should be… Delete the site? perhaps..
Add comment November 2nd, 2008
Before I could start designing the intelligence system for my robot, I had to choose a controller. Of course there are many choices out there, ranging from PC/104’s to microprocessors. But then I found the gumstix, a computer the size of a stick of gum, powerful enough to run Linux and implement C or C++ code. Unfortunately (but not unsurprisingly) it has no i/o ports and could not interface with the needed sensors. Gumstix has provided many attachments to the base pc. You can stack only one peripheral on at a time however. I purchased the Robostix, which allows for signal processing and PWM motor control. The only obstacle I have encountered so far is that the developement is open source, so there is no nice user manual out there to help you get started. And if you touch it without grounding yourself you will fry it forever. However, Gumstix itself has provided a very useful mailing list and they are prompt in responding to your queries. They are reasonably priced and I expect to see many more of them floating around in advanced robots as word of the company spreads.
Add comment July 4th, 2007
So I need a new bank account as the university will not pay into my credit card account. So down I go to Standard Bank. (I would prefer to go to ABSA but my credit card is with them and it just seemed to make sense) Anyway the account was opened with only minor details, seems with this new FICA thing you are required to prove where you live everytime you want to do something new, not once as they initially advertised. Anyway apparently a call was going to come my way within 5 days and my card would be ready. Well 2.5 weeks later I trundled down to the bank. Turns out my account was open but Johannesburg had kind of forgotten to print my card. OOPS!!
Eventually I get a debit card, which is part of theaccount I opened and was given all my details to perform internet banking. Liars. I had to walk over burning hot coals to get the internet banking working (and I still need to perform 1 last admin task before it gets going)
What is really convienient for the banks is the way in which they are compartmentalising everything. You cannot yell at enquiries because of a mistake that card division made. You cannot get your address changed for your credit card when talking to a consultant, you cannot get account details when on the phone with an internet banking helper. So basically they can bump you around from one person to the next, each one denying that any problem is their fault, leaving you with no one to blame and a head that is reeling from all the pages you had to sign.
Last time I checked the bank was taking our money and providing us with a service, making ME the customer/client. Since when did they get all the power, and when are we going to start demanding more then diffident treatment from our banks?
1 comment April 2nd, 2007
I found this poem by John Betjeman titled Sloug. I thought it was quite apt, for my cousin who lives there… If you have never been there this will not make much sense, but I think that you can appreciate it anyway.
Slough
Come friendly bombs and fall on Slough!
It isn’t fit for humans now,
There isn’t grass to graze a cow.
Swarm over, Death!
Come, bombs and blow to smithereens
Those air -conditioned, bright canteens,
Tinned fruit, tinned meat, tinned milk, tinned beans,
Tinned minds, tinned breath.
Mess up the mess they call a town-
A house for ninety-seven down
And once a week a half a crown
For twenty years.
And get that man with double chin
Who’ll always cheat and always win,
Who washes his repulsive skin
In women’s tears:
And smash his desk of polished oak
And smash his hands so used to stroke
And stop his boring dirty joke
And make him yell.
But spare the bald young clerks who add
The profits of the stinking cad;
It’s not their fault that they are mad,
They’ve tasted Hell.
It’s not their fault they do not know
The birdsong from the radio,
It’s not their fault they often go
To Maidenhead
And talk of sport and makes of cars
In various bogus-Tudor bars
And daren’t look up and see the stars
But belch instead.
In labour-saving homes, with care
Their wives frizz out peroxide hair
And dry it in synthetic air
And paint their nails.
Come, friendly bombs and fall on Slough
To get it ready for the plough.
The cabbages are coming now;
The earth exhales.
1 comment February 23rd, 2007
Greetings all,
I survived the packing and the flight home, and am now enjoying the weather. Of course with my very fair London complexion I am required to be indoors from 10:30 till 15:30. I have just bought a car and am planning to come down to Cape Town next week Thursday, so hopefully I wil see you all then.
See you soon,
Tracy
3 comments February 7th, 2007
Well, I am trying to get packing, trying not to break any of the complex baggage rules. Some airlines allow many pieces of luggage as long as you are under the weight, some allow only 2 pieces. Very frustrating as I am flying BA on the international leg and SAA on the domestic leg. I have bought the biggest suitcase I could find and am using that along with my large backpack. I am allowed 45kg on BAA which will be great. But I hope that SAA will allow me the same.
I hope to see all of you soon, will let you know my contact details as soon as I can.
Add comment January 18th, 2007
I have been asked recently what the difference between Thames Water and Engenica is. What happened about 8 years ago or so was that Thames decided to outsource their maintenance and so created Engenica. Engenica itself consists of two separate sections, maintenance and new projects. Projects, of which I am a part of, deliver new systems to Thames Water as and when they need it. That in itself is another reason why Engenica had to be formed. Because of the new anti-competitive laws Thames has to get outside quotes for any work that need to be done.
Engenica itself is almost entirely controlled by Thames however. We have no assets, all pc’s, cars etc are all owned by Thames. And we have a pre-agreed mark-up. We had started to branch out into the brewery sectors and to expand into the outside market. This is why the projects section is in such jeopardy. We can’t really be sold due to the lack of assets and we cannot be absorbed back into Thames.
So my job role.. I am a junior project engineer which means that I am approached by a Thames representative and asked to quote for a job. I do the quote and then if it is approved I also manage any sub-contractors that I have brought in. This has been a huge learning curve for me as I just graduated from University, but I have learnt a huge amount during the time that I have been with them.
Add comment December 28th, 2006
What wierds me out slightly about the Thames water system is that we tend to do a lot of recycling. Basically we take the raw sewage, treat it, put it back in a river and then take it out again for drinking water.
What I find fascinating is the efficiency at which my sites operate. Not only do we produce our own power using methane gas or by burning sludge, but we even perfume the final product. Considering that most of the systems date back to the Victorian era everything runs very smoothly. There is a problem on the clean water side however, as it is taking longer to replace the Victorian era pipes then the lifespan of the new ones.
I am curious to see what happens to Thames and to my company, Engenica, as Thames as been recently bought by the Australians.
Looks like we are in for some major changes.
Add comment December 27th, 2006
Fat kids are harder to kidnap..
AND Merry Christmas to all..
Add comment December 26th, 2006