Power crisis - Time for a conspiracy theory

There has been a surprising shortage of conspiracy theories surrounding the power crisis South Africa is currently contending with. So here's one for those that have an appetite for such things.

It's been widely reported that the CIA, and US President George Bush are concerned over the identified capability hackers have to shut down power grids. According to the UK's Telegraph.co.uk 'Tom Donahue told a utilities security conference in New Orleans all the successful hackings occurred outside America.' News24.com reported on the same issue on the 18th January this year, and also states that no details of the power cuts, the country in which they took place or when will be divulged. And this is not a new phenomenon, there are reports dating back to August 2003, of the problem.

The SA government, while projecting apologies the way only politicians can do, have up to now, refused to take action against any of those individuals responsible for the delivery and maintenance of our electricity supply. Couple this with the fact that, as Carte Blanche (video link) revealed, the real problem is not so much the increased demand but the massive shortages of supply and one can think that maybe are playing hardball with some cyber-terrorists.

How much could they be asking for?

Related Posts :

• 10 Power sketches
• Power problems affecting SA psyche
• Give Eskom the finger ... install your own nuclear reactor
  

Have you voted yet?

This is just a friendly reminder to register and vote for the Mother City to get on the board in Hasbro's new World Monopoly game.
I have no doubt that Cape Town's rise to #8 in the World Monopoly competition is due to the push made by the South African bloggers. But it's important to remember that once you have registered you are able to vote once a day for you city of choice. The higher the vote, the more I city will be 'worth' on the final board.
I like the suggestion to include our African brothers Cairo in your voting pool. They are just outside of the top 20 so could do with a little help.
Finally you can also nominate Johannesburg to be included in the wildcard vote. they are currently #11 in this pool.
SA's corporates are even getting into the spirit of things and opening their firewalls to the voting site, good on you guys.

For a step-by-step guide how to register and vote, click over to SA Rocks.

Tivo Wins Out Over Dish Network

Dish Network may finally have to pay up after losing a federal court decision today. The Court of Appeals ruled that Dish Network, formerly Echostar Communications Inc, infringed on Tivo's patent on DVR technology. Interestingly, the court ruled partially in favor of Dish Network, in that it overturned a lower court's ruling that Dish had infringed on the hardware elements of the patent. But the court ruled that the violation of the software elements was still sufficient enough to uphold the $89.6 million in damages previously awarded to Tivo by the lower court.

The news sent Tivo's stock up nearly 29%. The suit originated in 2004 when Tivo claimed Dish Network infringed on the company's digital video recorder technology. DishDVR technology allows viewers to record one channel while watching another, as well as pause and rewind live TV, and skip through commercials on previously recorded material.

Dish Network remained defiant after the ruling, claiming it would not affect their DVR subscribers because they had already moved their base to "next generation" DVR software that does not infringe on Tivo's patents. Dish Network also said they plan to appeal the financial judgment.

DIY wind power generation

As the title of the web page says "Wind is free" Living in close to the tip of Africa, means that along with the beauty comes the a fair amount of wind. The ever present power outages and the wish to become a South African and world citizen, made me look into the possibility of utilising the wind to supplement my electricity usage from national power grid.
My research brought me to windpower.org.za. The page is an conglomeration Peter's research, experiences, designs, and the source material, gathered on his ongoing quest to build his own wind turbine. His model is currently running, powering a battery bank which in turn powers a light source. And as a result this page is a wealth of useful information.

He says that that it has currently cost him R3500-00 for his current setup. This includes the cost of experimentaion. When compared to the quotes I have received from the only two distributors I could find in Cape Town (or South Africa for that matter) of over R30 000-00 it looks like a worthwhile project on which to embark. However, me being severely challenged when it comes to DIY, it will remain a pipe dream. The site as a pretty active forum which is used to exchange ideas, and their seems to be a healthy community of enthusiasts hell bent on utilising the free power source. All strength to them.

For those of you DIY challenged, here are the alternatives :

• futuregreen.co.za
• kestrelWind.co.za
  

Bell ExpressVu launched its new 9242 HD PVR

Bell ExpressVu is replacing its dual-tuner 9200 HD PVR with a new model: the 9242, which adds five hours more of high-definition recording, and 20 additional hours of standard definition recording. Like its predecessor, the 9242 allows ExpressVu customers to view one program while simultaneously recording up to two others. One program can also be viewed in one room, while a second is being recording in another, all using the same receiver. As with other PVR models, there's the ability to pause live television, fast forward and rewind at up to four speeds, skip forward and back, and view in slow motion, which is ideal for catching a great sports play that's worth a second look. Other options include split-screen functionality and picture-in-picture for catching two programs at once; as well as USB 2.0 and Ethernet connectivity.

Right out of the box, the 9242 sets the bar for state-of-the-art high definition PVR performance in Canada even higher,but its true potential lies down the road. The real story is what Bell ExpressVu can build upon, and the extra services they can deliver via the USB and Ethernet connectivity. Bell's new HDTV receiver and its feature set simply deliver the most advanced digital TV viewing experience.

With picture quality ten-times better than regular cable, the most HD channels available, and the best HD PVR, Bell offers Canadians the full HD experience. Bell ExpressVu's new 9242 HD PVR is currently available for purchase at $599; or for rent at $20/month.

10 Power sketches

If any of the images below are unclear, click on them to enlarge ... enjoy

New National Symbol