It's that time of the year again. The SA Blog Award's voting process is in full swing and you have until the 1st April to exercise your democratic right to make the ego of a blogger that much bigger. As usual to assist you in making your decision, Eish!! will be reviewing the finalists in selected categories.

Best Science and Technology Blog
[Blogs primarily focused on Science, Technology, Computers or the Internet]

• dchetty.co.za : Relaunched in November 2008 and needing 'to start at the very bottom of the pile,' D Chetty is producing masses of content primarily technology focused but not even close to being able to be truly pigeon-holed as a technology blog. I have full respect for a guy who is able to churn out content on such diverse topics, not afraid to express an opinion or two along the way. The site design is impressive and you can see that he is a blog reader himself and has borrowed design hits from various sources. If I had to find something to criticise it would be the lack of a masthead. Some type of branding would be a good way to create an identity in a space he is clearly beginning to make his mark
• startupafrica.com : It's all in the name. 'StartUpAfrica is a blog dedicated to entrepreneurship in Africa with a particular focus on technology entrepreneurship.' Ismail Dhorat uses this blog as a vehicle to disseminate information, thoughts, useful information and tools a startup can use to get from the birth of an idea, to market and ultimately to success. He also uses it as a way to highlight African startups in the ICT industry. I particularly liked the 'Submit Startup' button on the top menu, where startups can submit their details for review. The layout is simple and business-like, not a great fan of maroon personally but the quality of the content more than compensates for this.
  
• matthewbuckland.com : Last year's best business blog, written by someone who was a SA Blog Awards judge in 2007, one would expect this blog to be a strong contender in this category this year. The thing is, when Matthew Buckland speaks, people listen. When the the GM of Publishing & Social Media at 24.com, the former GM of Mail & Guardian Online, the co-founder amatomu.com and Thought Leader (pause for breath here) writes it's always something worth reading. I enjoy reading the tech. stories and innovations written and reviewd in a comprehensive, but not overly wordy manner. The design is unexciting yet functional and the Presentation links are worth the visit on their own if you have any interest in web and technology trends.
• bandwidthblog.com : Not much has changed since last years review of Charl Norman's tech blog. Now is the a good or bad thing? I guess if you are the reviewer it's not so good. If you are wanting to get the low down on what is important in the Web 2.0 scene both international and local then this is a great thing, this is still the place to go. The simple design keeps your focus on what is really important, the content.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• imod.co.za : Also in the running for SA Blog of the Year and last year's winner in this category Chris Mill's 'Cape Town blog' has become one of SA's premier blogs. Unlike the previous blog reviewed the design and content has continually morphed over the past year and once again I would find it difficult to have to categorise this as a tech. blog, in fact the Blog of the Year award seems way more of a fit as Chris shares his internet and technology finds and prowess just as readily as he does pieces of his personal life's experiences. I've always enjoyed Chris's various design templates for iMod, they are always simple and functional.
• pauljacobson.org : Probably best described as a personal blog about tech, Web and Digital Media lawyer Paul Jacobson uses this blog as an outlet for his interest in gadgets and other 'cool stuff.' This web offering probably epitomises what a blog should be. Information shared by enthusiasts with just enough knowledge and passion to make for great reading. This blog has a great design, great content and sufficient local focus to be added to my regular read list.
• systemshock.co.za : I have to admit systemshock.co.za is a new site to me. For someone who regularly trawls the SA blogosphere and has a particular interest in technology this surprises me. That said anyone interested in hardware and particularly gaming will eat this blog up for breakfast .. and then come back for more for lunch. The site design is something I can only aspire to. It presents it's mass of information in a way that is easy to take in, and I must give special menu for the neat sliding menu at the top. Shiny and smooth! I have to,however give a 'grrr' to the lack of any 'About' page. A pet hate of mine, as I always like to find out more about the source of the information I am reading, and give kudos in these reviews.
  
• handytechtips.blogspot.com : This blog appears to be a bit of a wildcard. Again, like the previous blog, written by a seemingly anonymous blogger (no biography or about page) this site template when compared to the other finalists has a distinctive web 1.0 feel to it. But let's push that to the side for a moment and look at the content. Of all the finalists this one offers the most content that the average Joe ... er ... Barber can use. Tips on how to use internet services to save money, get free games etc from a South African perspective is going to have huge appeal to the non-internet elite.
  
• skepticdetective.wordpress.com : I write this review with a certain amount of trepidation. After doing my usual scan through a finalist's latest page or three worth of posts, and reading a short (they are always short) biography, I am usually able to get a feel for what the author(s) are trying to achieve, the tools and knowledge they bring to the blog and the overall objective for them publishing what they do. After going through this sequence this time I felt like I missed something. Firstly, the reason for their nomination is clearly based on science, not technology ... I think. The lack of background information of the author (another grr) or blog means I have to assume the sceptism them applies to everything ... I think. The simple design makes for easy navigation and neat albeit uninspiring presentation, which is a pity as although the I struggled with the overall data package, the individual postings made for extremely interesting reading.
  
• samsungblog.co.za : This is the place to go for all things Samsung ... from a South African perspective. Trawling through site for the first time its was not immediately obvious to me if this was an official Samsung property. Obviously scrolling to the bottom of the page confirmed this to be the case, but then I found myself asking a) if this ambiguity was done so on purpose and b) if so (or not) is this a good thing. Perhaps a more obvious branding would give it more 'officialness?' I also noticed that this was created by Cerebra, a bunch I have immense respect for, and this unfortunately meant I suddenly expected more. More of what? I have no idea, just more! The design is functional, if not stimulating and has all the necessary components in all the right places, although I would like to see the 'downloads and manuals' placed in a more visible spot, I found it's positioning and conservative typeface easy to overlook.

My prediction :

• While I would like to see newcomer dchetty.co.za take this one and get the exposure that comes along with the award, my prediction is it's a two horse race between imod.co.za and matthewbuckland.com, with imod's burdgeoning community taking it to the top.
• Eish's pick : systemshock.co.za

Vote here

Labels: 2009, awards, sa blog awards, science, technology

Posted by eishman at 7:23 AM | Permalink | Comments

I have long been a fan of the This Week in Tech, one of the pioneering podcasts. Once a week a group of tech analysts and journalist get together and have an informal chat on the week's technology news.
For a few weeks now I have been listening to SA's incarnation of this format The ZA Tech Show. The core group of participants are Simon Dingle and Brett Haggard, both from Hypertext Media; Duncan McLeod from the Financial Mail and FM Tech; Benedict Kelly from Finweek; and Jon Tullett from TechTarget.
What emerges is a quality look at the international technology movements from a local perspective, as well as view of the South African technology news. Something that cannot be found on any major South Africa media radio or television station.
Although slightly geeky at times, the hosts keep things relatively easy to understand and in fact go out of the way to ensure the content is accessible to anyone with even a remote interest in technology. The tag line " South African tech journos indulging in beer and opinion ..." says it all.
I strongly recommend you give is a listen, in fact as an introduction, give Episode 14 a listen where they have a very insightful chat to Mark Shuttleworth.

Labels: news, podcasting, technology, za tech show

Posted by eishman at 9:41 AM | Permalink | Comments

Years after the Columbia disaster scientists have managed to glean useful information from a Seagate 400mb hard drive. The was onboard to records the results of an experiment to study the way xenon gas flows in microgravity.
While the reconstructing the debris the engineers found the hard drive and remarkably managed to retrieve 99 % of the data held on the drive.

Pretty impressive, I can picture the advert ... coming soon to a PC mag near you!

Labels: columbia, hard drive, seagate, shuttle, technology

Posted by eishman at 1:03 PM | Permalink | Comments

Firstly, let me apologise for taken a bit longer than expected to publish the next review of a group of SA Blog Awards finalists. There have been many reasons for the delay, some out of my control.
Secondly, let me say that I will be staying out of the debate about the legitimacy or otherwise of the SA Blog Awards. Let's give those nominees their moment to bask in the glory of their nominations.

Today's reviews will be those nominated in the category ...


Best SA Blog about Technology / Computers / Web Development
[Best South African technology focused weblog]

• noboxmedia.com : Although the name rang no bells I have the feeling I may have popped over to Nobox Media from time to time. I found the masthead particularly impressive. It captures yourattention and draws you into the page. NoboxMedia is a blog produced by a group of developers showcasing their Ajax, DHTML and Javascript scripts. They present the ideas and designs in an easy to read fashion. Not only to they present their own scripts but also little (and not little) gems they have found on the web. Those of you involved on any level with the design and/or implementation of anything web or browser based will find this is a great read.
  


• imod.co.za : Again, imod finds itself in a category that perhaps it doesn't strictly belong. Sure Chris covers tech related stories relatively frequently, but while this is one step closer to a good home for imod when compared the Best Entertainment Blog category, I wouldn't necessarily class this as a blog about technology, computers or web development. Obviously it's supporters think otherwise. Having said that, you could do worse than to use imod.co.za as a source to ensure that you know what going on on the web, all written in an easy going, relaxed style. A regular reading of this blog will keep you in the know.
  
• bandwidthblog.com : Bandwidthblog is part of blogger extraordinaire Charl Norman's impressive blog and website stable. Bandwidth blog has a feel of authenticity which emanates as a result of it being written by someone who has been able to make Web 2.0 his bread and butter. Charl has a deep knowledge and interest in social networking and if you want to keep up with what's hot and happening in this space, bandwidthblog should be added to your subscription list.
  
  
  

• stii.za.net : Stii Pretorius is another one of SA's Web2.0 rockstars. Stii.za.net is his conduit to share his interests, news views with those willing to read them. Like imod.co.za, stii.za.net is more or a personal blog, with a heavy leaning towards his passion tech and web design. Having said that, reading this blog gives you an appreciation for and a greater understanding of the recent developments in the SA webspace. In my opinion this page comes out tops in design. It's simple yet interesting and appealing.
  
  

• nudjit.com : "cause gadgets are kiff" By their own admission, Nudjit should not really be on this year's list, been a too recent an addition to the SA blogosphere. Nevertheless, here they are. Nudjit, is probably best described as an SA version of the monstrous Engagdet.com. It's perhaps overdue for SA to have a central repository of news and reviews of gadget from a local perspective, written by people who's opinion matter. Gregor Rohrig, Justin Hartman and Nicholas Haralambous have created what is sure to become SA's premier tech related site.
  
  

• vincentmaher.com/mit : This is the online outlet for another of South Africa's online heavyweights. While, I don't think you will necessarily find any 'breaking news' here, reading Vincent's views and perspectives of tech developments local and international is invaluable. The page design is simple and quirky, and I enjoy the personal photos under the masthead, reminding us exactly what a blog is supposed to be.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• tectonic.co.za : I started reading Tectonic before I even knew it was a blog, probably before I knew what a blog was. Tectonic is a world class source for news of anything open source. The content here is always up to date, if not news breaking and written by writers seriously in the know. In the seven or so years it has been in existence it has grown to be probably a must read for anyone delving into the world of open source software.
  
  
  
  

• adii.co.za : Another of my regular reads. Adii is a self proclaimed, "Wordpress rockstar." Adii is a successful designer of Wordpress templates. As such his writings on the developments in the Wordpress world are respected. He is not shy of speaking his mind it's been insightful reading about the 'going's on' in the community from his perspective. As an added bonus he has some of his designs available for download. It must be said that the current header at adii.co.za does not resonate with me, the overall look though is extremely useable and easy on the eye.
  
  
  
• andyhadfield.com : Andy Hadfield's Cowboys and Engines is a new blog to me. Andy calls himself a Web 2.0ist and, like all the other finalists is someone who would be classed as an industry insider. The unassuming layout masks the informative nature of this blog, on a diverse set of tech related topics.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• mikestopforth.com : Yet another SA web rock star. Mike is one of the pioneers of the SA's web 2.0 movement. His blog looks at the big tech developments and invariably pulls them back home, giving us an understanding of they mean for us, here, locally. Another blog that should at least be on your list of favourites if not in your reader, if you are remotely interested in anything to do with the web.

My prediction :

• This is an extremely tough one to call, as while there are many finalists that have impressive readership figures, these readers do not necessarily have any stake in the SA blogosphere and will therefore not feel obliged to spend the couple of minutes required to cast a vote. Nudjit.com is going to take some beating next year, but I am going to suggest that BandwidthBlog will take the crown this year.
• Eish's pick : Noboxmedia.com
  

Labels: finalists, review, sa blog awards, sablog awards, technology

Posted by eishman at 7:43 AM | Permalink | Comments