Blog - GadgeteerZA

Admyt parking app is working well for me in Cape Town, even where free parking is applicable

2024-12-152024-12-15 Danie

I’ve been testing this app out for the last 3 weeks (some lessons learnt) but one of the key reasons why I was initially hesitant to install it, was I get free 90 minutes of […]

Your brain can grow from reading and learning – e-books offer the same benefit as paper books

2024-12-142024-12-14 Danie

The image shows a wall of books stacked haphazardly, creating a visually stunning texture of various colors and sizes. The foreground is dominated by the densely packed books, while the background is mostly obscured by the sheer volume of literature. The location appears to be an outdoor book market, perhaps in a Spanish-speaking country, judging by some of the visible titles. The titles visible in the image show a mix of classic and contemporary literature, suggesting a wide diversity of literary preferences.

The number of people who read for fun appears to be steadily dropping. Fifty percent of UK adults say they don’t read regularly (up from 42 percent in 2015) and almost one in four young […]

5 self-hosted apps that could improve your life

2024-12-142024-12-14 Danie

The image shows a laptop displaying a workout routine on a screen. In the foreground are a pair of 5kg dumbbells. The background features several framed wall art pieces, including one that depicts a bird with a long tail and another that seems to show dolphins jumping out of water. The overall setting suggests a home gym or a personal workout space. The workout plan shown on the screen is quite detailed, including sets, repetitions and muscle groups, indicating a moderate level of fitness experience.

Useful self-hosted solutions can make great weekend projects (just saying). This collection covers: Often these solutions will run even on a Raspberry Pi connected to your network at home. They are open source, too, so […]

6 reasons why OnlyOffice is a great Microsoft Office alternative

2024-12-132024-12-14 Danie

The image shows a laptop displaying a document on ONLYOFFICE, a web-based office suite. The laptop is positioned on a surface with a vibrant, cartoonish background partially visible. The foreground is dominated by the laptop screen showcasing the ONLYOFFICE interface, featuring a sample document with charts and text. The background reveals a portion of a colorful wall featuring cartoon-like graphics, suggesting a casual or home office setting. There are additional details that might only be noticeable upon closer inspection, such as the small icon displayed on the taskbar, possibly indicating network connectivity status or other software applications running in the background. The document itself shows a sample chart, with data points that might indicate sales figures over a given period. The level of detail and the precision applied to the graph suggest the user values precise visual communication.

OnlyOffice is a suite that is available as a paid enterprise version for broad deployments, but also works completely for free on desktop and mobile operating systems. It is fully cross-platform, including Linux. While it’s […]

Why a Chest Strap Is the Best Way to Track Your Heart Rate During Exercise

2024-12-122024-12-12 Danie

The image shows a close-up view of a woman fastening a heart rate monitor onto her chest, in what seems to be a fitness center. The foreground is dominated by the woman's hands and torso, with the black sports bra and heart rate monitor being the central focus. The background is blurred but shows the typical setting of a gym with various workout equipment visible, suggesting a place for physical activity and fitness training.

I knew that a chest strap was going to be more accurate than any watch based tracker, but I was not aware that a Coospo H808S chest strap heart rate monitor (quite a bit cheaper […]

RIP Safely Home Reporter — Western Cape Government has discontinued the service

2024-12-122024-12-12 Danie

The image shows a webpage for reporting road safety incidents. In the foreground, there is a form with fields for details of the incident, such as the type of incident, location, and time. The background includes navigation links such as Home, Campaigns, Road Safety Tips, and Facts. The colour scheme is primarily white and blue, giving it a clean and professional appearance. There is also a side bar with information on how to stay safe on the road and contact information for emergency services. The webpage appears to be designed for public use, aiming to facilitate the reporting of traffic-related violations. The drop-down menus for selecting the month and day of the incident are subtle but crucial for accurate reporting. The email address provided at the bottom of the page (service@westerncape.gov.za) implies a governmental body's involvement in this safety initiative.

I encounter quite a few reckless drivers on the road, of which more than half are red traffic light jumpers. Some of these end up being close encounters with other drivers. I used to nearly […]

EFF Launches Digital Rights Bytes to Answer Tech Questions that Bug Us All

2024-12-112024-12-11 Danie

The scene is set in what appears to be a retro-style diner, viewed from the outside through a large window. The foreground is dominated by the window frame itself, while the background features a teal wall with the words "DIGITAL RIGHTS BYTES" prominently displayed in a stylized font. Inside the diner, three anthropomorphic animals—a penguin, a cat, and a dog—are seated at a counter, each enjoying a different treat. The counter is a simple teal color, and the overall color palette is muted and nostalgic. The penguin, cat, and dog seem to be engaging in friendly conversation. The penguin, wearing a bow tie, appears relaxed and content as it sips a milkshake. The cat looks cheerful, holding what seems to be a small sundae. The dog, wearing a sailor hat, has a slightly inquisitive expression, indicated by a thought bubble with a question mark above its head. Also, there is a silhouette of a figure in a hat visible outside the diner in the upper right corner; its presence hints at an unseen element beyond the window, adding a slightly mysterious touch to the illustration.

Yes, politicians and Big Corporates do twist narratives to suite their own agendas. EFF is aiming to try to give more objective and honest answers to technology questions, especially those which affect users’ privacy and […]

PeerTube, the Open-Source YouTube in the Fediverse, Now Has Official Mobile Apps

2024-12-112024-12-11 Danie

The image shows two smartphone screens displaying the PeerTube video platform. The screen on the left shows a cartoon of a cat and dog, along with a video titled "What is PeerTube?" in French and English. The background of the cartoon is a simple green field under a bright, partly cloudy sky. The screen on the right shows a live video of two middle-aged men, possibly hosts of a talk show, engaging in conversation. The background features a blurred bookshelf indicating they are in a library or a study setting. On the left-hand side, subtle details include the number of likes and dislikes, showing that user interaction exists for the content. On the right-hand side, a 'Watch Later' option suggests a feature to manage the viewing experience. The number of views and upload times help to understand the popularity and age of the video.

PeerTube is an open-source and decentralized video network, with videos hosted across thousands of interconnected servers, from large YouTube-like public servers to smaller ones set up by individual creators. You can browse and watch videos […]

Location data firm helps US police find out when suspects visited their doctor

2024-12-102024-12-10 Danie

The image shows a detailed aerial view of a city at night, possibly in a suburban or residential area. The foreground is dominated by a detailed map, showcasing the intricate network of streets, buildings, and even small parks or green spaces. The background is dark, emphasizing the nighttime setting and highlighting the illuminated buildings as small points of light, creating a sense of depth and scale. Five white markers are placed on the map, drawing the viewer’s attention to specific locations within the city. The markers seem evenly distributed, suggesting a planned or strategic placement.

A location-tracking company that sells its services to police departments is apparently using addresses and coordinates of doctors’ and lawyers’ offices and other types of locations to help cops compile lists of places visited by […]

Before Replacing Your Phone Battery Watch This — Scams Abound