Category Archives: Technology touch
Make my day, phone scammer!
SCAMMERS claiming to be from Microsoft or Windows security or technical support have been around for years. They’re those “helpful” people who phone out of the blue to say your computer is running slowly because it’s full of viruses or … Continue reading
Email for the aged – but not infirm
MY mother is 78-years-old. She was a nurse and farmer’s wife when PC meant neither ‘politically correct’ nor ‘personal computer’ but ‘police constable’. To her, a mouse is a rodent and, if you want to burn a CD, she’ll toss … Continue reading
A father, brother and a Datsun bakkie
WHEN I was seven, my father put me in the boot of his beige Datsun 1 600 sedan with a three-day-old Jersey bull calf. My job was to keep the animal calm and hold the trunk slightly open so we … Continue reading
SA invention puts entrepreneurs in charge
FROM where I’m standing, entrepreneurship is alive and well. My 18-year-old son is currently cavorting in Cambodia thanks to the money he earned, while at high school, breeding and selling mice to people who keep snakes as pets. Ja. It’s … Continue reading
No mess, no fuss, no needle
MY mother was a nurse, by which I mean she doesn’t suffer wimps gladly. And by wimps I mean anyone who complains of discomfort and pain. She made an exception for my father when he lopped the top of his … Continue reading
Nosing out new skills and opportunities
I HAVE been thinking about smells and the role they play in my life a great deal recently for two reasons. A month ago, my optometrist tut-tutted at length about the ongoing deterioration of my eyes. They’ve been pain in … Continue reading
Barefaced facts about fonts
IF, in this digital era, we judge one another according to the technological choices we make – i.e. the smartphones, laptops and tablets we own – it follows that we’re going to measure each other’s personality, aptitude and worth against … Continue reading
An open letter to Minister Angie Motshekga
Minister Angie Motshekga Department of Basic Education South Africa 21 November 2012 Dear Minister Motshekga, iPads to the rescue On Saturday, exactly 20 years ago, Queen Elizabeth II said, “1992 is not a year on which I shall look back … Continue reading
Scarf, jacket, hat and video chat
ONE of the great advantages of working alone from home, as I do, is that on days on which I have no appointments scheduled, I don’t have to get dollied up. On such occasions, when deadlines demand – and having … Continue reading
Of man, mouse and dirty politics
SELDOM a day passes that another smart technology isn’t launched. But, every so often, Mother Nature pulls in to remind us who really runs the show. Late last year, the Wall Street Journal revealed that, in the US, “smart corn” … Continue reading
Penny Haw 