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[ARYANTO]

'Blinding Lights' becomes 1st song to remain in Billboard Hot 100 for full year
The Weeknd's top tune “Blinding Lights” has become the first song to spend a full year in the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart, breaking Post Malone's previous record of 39 weeks for “Circles”.

The upbeat tune - which dropped in November 2019 - managed its 52nd consecutive week in the list as it charted at number three.
https://www.iol.co.za/entertainment...ull-year-75055b00-84fb-4f41-b949-1de77f46f266

 

[ARYANTO]

Ace Magashule’s former bodyguard gets 15 years in jail for stealing Pierneef painting
Cape Town - ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule’s former bodyguard has been sentenced to 15 years imprisonment for stealing an R 8 million painting.

Ricardo Mettler, who was Magashule’s bodyguard during his term as the Free State premier, was found guilty on four charges relating to the Pierneef painting.
https://www.iol.co.za/capetimes/new...painting-a8c98505-2d64-4c2e-831c-a95c46a8dd80

 

[Intuthu Kagesi]

'Blinding Lights' becomes 1st song to remain in Billboard Hot 100 for full year
The Weeknd's top tune “Blinding Lights” has become the first song to spend a full year in the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart, breaking Post Malone's previous record of 39 weeks for “Circles”.

The upbeat tune - which dropped in November 2019 - managed its 52nd consecutive week in the list as it charted at number three.
https://www.iol.co.za/entertainment...ull-year-75055b00-84fb-4f41-b949-1de77f46f266

Has anyone here actually listed to this kak, I mean song ... Clearly my music tastes aren't mainstream, as I'd rather listen to a toilet flushing that @#$%

 

[ARYANTO]

The problem with having a zero-percent alcohol limit for drivers in South Africa – and what can be done to solve it
https://businesstech.co.za/news/mot...an-be-done-to-solve-it/?utm_source=newsletter

 

[ARYANTO]

What households pay for rates, lights, water and other services in South Africa
https://businesstech.co.za/news/bus...rvices-in-south-africa/?utm_source=newsletter

 

[ARYANTO]

Proposed laws Ramaphosa’s cabinet has just approved – including new worker and property rules
https://businesstech.co.za/news/gov...oved-including-new-worker-and-property-rules/

 

[ARYANTO]

No pilots:
SAA is in desperate need of specialists to train pilots – after it locked out professionals who have these skills. As part of its business rescue plans, the airline has significantly cut is pilot roster, which has led to disputes with the SAA Pilots Association (Saapa). Saapa pilots have been locked out of the airline over the dispute, and have received no salaries since December. Attempts to replace these pilots has been met with resistance from Saapa’s legal team, who says it goes against the Labour Relations Act.
[Moneyweb]

 

[ARYANTO]

SARS warns of tax deadline – and big fines if you miss it
he South African Revenue Service (SARS) is calling on employers to prepare data for the annual employers filing season.

“SARS calls on employers to ensure that they are ready to submit their annual reconciliation declarations with the latest and most accurate payroll information about their employees and the tax they have deducted,” said the revenue service.
https://businesstech.co.za/news/bus...of-tax-deadline-and-big-fines-if-you-miss-it/

 

[ARYANTO]

Now you know why Aryanto ''RETIRED''
The projects your retirement money could help fund in South Africa
https://businesstech.co.za/news/fin...rement-money-could-help-fund-in-south-africa/

The National Treasury has published its draft amendments to Regulation 28 of the Pension Funds Act for public comment, detailing the projects which South African pension funds could soon invest in.

Treasury said that the proposed review of Regulation 28 is informed by calls for increased investment in infrastructure given the current low economic growth climate.

 

[Intuthu Kagesi]

Now you know why Aryanto ''RETIRED''
The projects your retirement money could help fund in South Africa
https://businesstech.co.za/news/fin...rement-money-could-help-fund-in-south-africa/

The National Treasury has published its draft amendments to Regulation 28 of the Pension Funds Act for public comment, detailing the projects which South African pension funds could soon invest in.

Treasury said that the proposed review of Regulation 28 is informed by calls for increased investment in infrastructure given the current low economic growth climate.

My concern is that once that door is opened, the cANCer will loot again

 

[Room Fogger]

My concern is that once that door is opened, the cANCer will loot again

I also thought it may be a concern, but I firmly believe it’s a fact rather, they have been pilfering in all spheres with no regard to the impact of the normal guy in the street for years, as if there is no end to the income derived from this, and I’m willing to hazard a guess that no benefit or a micro benefit will accrue to the man in the street. Vanity projects have ruined us as a country.

Value for money has not been high on the priority list with anything else that is done, just enrichment of the few. Even in the lockdown scenario gues who didn’t lose their jobs or any perks? By the way your first 3 guesses don’t count!

 

[ARYANTO]

Load-shedding – Eskom in serious trouble [what's new ?]
The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has released its annual statistics on power generation in South Africa for 2020.

The statistics reveal that load-shedding occurred for 859 hours of the year (9.8%) despite a reduction in demand during the national COVID-19 lockdown.
https://mybroadband.co.za/news/ener...in-serious-trouble.html?utm_source=newsletter
AND
Eskom stage 2 load-shedding to continue over the weekend
https://mybroadband.co.za/news/ener...e-over-the-weekend.html?utm_source=newsletter
AND
Eskom targets 4,000 job cuts
https://businesstech.co.za/news/energy/475554/eskom-targets-4000-job-cuts/?utm_source=newsletter

 

[Intuthu Kagesi]

Load-shedding – Eskom in serious trouble [what's new ?]
The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has released its annual statistics on power generation in South Africa for 2020.

The statistics reveal that load-shedding occurred for 859 hours of the year (9.8%) despite a reduction in demand during the national COVID-19 lockdown.
https://mybroadband.co.za/news/ener...in-serious-trouble.html?utm_source=newsletter
AND
Eskom stage 2 load-shedding to continue over the weekend
https://mybroadband.co.za/news/ener...e-over-the-weekend.html?utm_source=newsletter
AND
Eskom targets 4,000 job cuts
https://businesstech.co.za/news/energy/475554/eskom-targets-4000-job-cuts/?utm_source=newsletter

Ooooi don't rack em an' stack em, as it makes commenting challenging for us mere mortals
So your first post ... Yeah, I agree ... Same ol', sale ol' ... Whats new
The second one ... So much for all those empty promises
The last one ... About friggen time ... Their headcount and running costs have risen at unprecedented rates post 1996, yet the production power has declined over the same period

 

[ARYANTO]

A picture of a patent for earlier ''vaping'' device H A Gilbert -1963 - wanna build one @Intuthu Kagesi ?

 

[ARYANTO]

This is supposedly the very first Ruyan ecig model sold...
The Ruyan ecigarette seems to be what really started it all, commercially speaking. I believe it was first released in 2003 to the European market.

 

[Intuthu Kagesi]

A picture of a patent for earlier ''vaping'' device H A Gilbert -1963 - wanna build one @Intuthu Kagesi ?

Funny thing is that I have considered building, (from original design notes), one of the even earlier devices, simply out of curiosity ... You do know that YOU would be actively involved if we choose to give it go #justsaying
We would have to redesign it / them partially too, as not all the required details are in the patent drawings, and we'd also have to make allowances for modern materials and safety protocols, buuuuut ... I reckon it could be a fun project

 

[Adephi]

Jonathan Davis from Korn shared this video earlier. Why didn't I have such cool teachers?



Then again, maybe it's a good thing Ms Ebersohn wasn't into the metal of the mid 1980s.

 

[ARYANTO]

Funny thing is that I have considered building, (from original design notes), one of the even earlier devices, simply out of curiosity ... You do know that YOU would be actively involved if we choose to give it go #justsaying
We would have to redesign it / them partially too, as not all the required details are in the patent drawings, and we'd also have to make allowances for modern materials and safety protocols, buuuuut ... I reckon it could be a fun project

Cool , can we build a copper one ?- it will be steampunk de luxe !

 

[Intuthu Kagesi]

Cool , can we build a copper one ?- it will be steampunk de luxe !

Lets have a look at it ... Are we keeping the external dimensions and going hi-tech inner workings, or old school all the way?

 

[ARYANTO]

Lets have a look at it ... Are we keeping the external dimensions and going hi-tech inner workings, or old school all the way?

outside old school - inside hi tech ?

 

[ARYANTO]

Ministers owe millions in rent on houses paid for by taxpayers - What's new ?
Jamie McKane14 March 2021
Current and former government ministers owe millions of rand in rent on homes that have been subsidised by taxpayers, according to a report by The Sunday Times.
Public works minister Patricia de Lille has sent letters to a number of high-profile politicians in an effort to recover more than R8 million in rental arrears.

Government ministers are not the only ones who have not paid rent – the South African Post Office (SAPO) has failed to pay rent on many of its offices for some time now.
https://mybroadband.co.za/news/gove...t-on-houses-paid-for-by-taxpayers-report.html

 

[ARYANTO]

Eskom wants to increase the price it pays for coal delivered by South32 to its Duvha power station despite the National Treasury opposing the idea.

This is according to a report by The Sunday Times, which cited sources with knowledge of the transaction.

Last year, Treasury rejected Eskom’s request to award South32 a R66-billion coal contract which would see Eskom pay R478 per ton.
https://mybroadband.co.za/news/ener...h-treasury-over-plan-to-hike-coal-prices.html

 

[Room Fogger]

Eskom wants to increase the price it pays for coal delivered by South32 to its Duvha power station despite the National Treasury opposing the idea.

This is according to a report by The Sunday Times, which cited sources with knowledge of the transaction.

Last year, Treasury rejected Eskom’s request to award South32 a R66-billion coal contract which would see Eskom pay R478 per ton.
https://mybroadband.co.za/news/ener...h-treasury-over-plan-to-hike-coal-prices.html

It used to be delivered to the station straight from the mine via conveyor belt at a fraction of this cost, now we have hundreds of truck contractorperneurs destroying the roads around the stations and causing havoc on the roads at “inflated” prices. I can understand this in an emergency when a serious breakdown occurs but they had 3 months stock at all times, and no wet coal as it was coveredin transit, so dry stuff arriving in real time, sounds like a guaranteed way to price yourself out of your market business plan. Most of that cost is transport and profit.

 

[zadiac]

https://www.ecr.co.za/news/news/father-cassette-tape-dies-94/

Father of the cassette tape dies at 94

Updated March 13, 2021, 12:20 p.m. | By AFP

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Tributes rolled in Friday after Dutch engineer Lou Ottens, credited with inventing the audio cassette tape and helping create the compact disc, died at the age of 94.

AFP
Created by Ottens while working for electrical giant Philips, cassettes made music truly portable for the first time and allowed a generation of music fans to make mix-tapes of their favourite songs.

Versatile if infuriatingly easy to unspool, more than 100 billion cassette tapes were produced worldwide in their heyday from the 1960s to the 1980s and have even enjoyed a recent retro resurgence.

"It saddened all of us to hear about Lou Ottens' passing," Olga Coolen, director of the Philips Museum in Eindhoven, said in a statement supplied to AFP.

"Lou was an extraordinary man who loved technology, even as his inventions had humble beginnings."

He died on March 6 in the village of Duizel near the Belgian border, Philips said.

Born in 1926 in the Dutch city of Bellingwolde, Ottens showed his interest in technology at a young age during the occupation of the Netherlands by Nazi Germany in World War II.

He built a radio to receive the "free Dutch" Radio Oranje with a special antenna that he called the "Germanenfilter" because it could avoid Nazi jammers, Dutch newspaper NRC reported.

Ottens joined Philips after studying engineering at university where he and his team developed the world's first portable tape recorder, according to Philips.

But he became frustrated with the bulky reel-to-reel system that needed manual winding and so invented the cassette in 1962.

"The cassette tape was invented out of irritation about the existing tape recorder, it's that simple," Ottens was quoted as saying by NRC in one interview.

- 'Wooden block' -

The technology that made the portable cassette player possible and filled millions of teenage bedrooms with music started in the humblest of ways, said Coolen.

"During the development of the cassette tape, in the early 1960s, (Ottens) had a wooden block made that fit exactly in his coat pocket," she added.

"This was how big the first compact cassette was to be, making it a lot handier than the bulky tape recorders in use at the time."

The historic wooden block prototype was sadly "lost when Lou used it to prop up his jack while change a flat tire," added Coolen.

Ottens then supervised a team that developed the compact disc which was then produced by Philips and Japanese electronics giant Sony.

More than 200 billion CDs have since been produced, Philips said.

Once consigned to the dustbin of musical history, cassettes have been enjoying a resurgence of late.

Cassette tape album sales in the US grew by 23 percent in 2018, according to tracker Nielsen Music, jumping from 178,000 copies the previous year to 219,000.

Despite being the unsung hero of the music world, Ottens' career was not without its frustrations.

Sony brought out not only its first CD before Philips, but also the famed Walkman that transformed the way people listen to music -- years later he said that "it still hurts that we didn't have one".

 

[ARYANTO]

“Deathtrap” ambulances in South Africa a serious problem
Illegally-converted panel vans (most commonly Toyota vehicles) that are sold as taxis and ambulances have been described as “deathtraps” and “coffins on wheels” due to their relatively flimsy construction.

The scale of these illegal conversions was first revealed in a Public Protector’s Report published in 2019, with a great deal of the evidence being supplied by former banker and whistleblower Hennie De Beer.
https://mybroadband.co.za/news/moto...-a-serious-problem.html?utm_source=newsletter