Surviving the festive crime season

Surviving the festive crime season | Tell It Like It Is

By Sharon Gill

Original post

The festive season is one of extremes. On the one hand we have general merriment, goodwill to all and an over-indulgence of food and alcohol. On the other hand we have criminals – both in and out of uniform – who have a different idea of what “Christmas giving” is all about.
According to eBlockWatch, reports of police intimidation and bribery are common, and festive season roadblocks are not always what they seem.

Fake roadblocks

There appears to be a network of police officers setting up fake roadblocks, using a complex scheme to get restaurant patrons to hand over their money.

According to eBlockwatch’s Andre Snyman, a group of sector police from Randburg, Sandton and metro police officers are allegedly using unmarked police cars to stake out expensive vehicles leaving expensive restaurants, and reporting the direction in which they are travelling to a second marked police car which follows the target car and pulls the driver over to warn them of a roadblock ahead.

Snyman said that numerous reports have indicated that the officers then try to intimidate the drivers, whether they’ve had a drink or not, threatening them that the roadblock personnel will arrest them for driving under the influence.

The drivers are told that they can drive off using an alternative route that will take them away from the roadblock if they pay a bribe.

However, the upcoming roadblock is also manned by the scammers, using another police van with blue lights flashing lights a bit further down the road.

Your rights

If a single police vehicle tries to pull you over, you have the right to slow down and continue driving at the legal speed limit to your nearest police station if you don’t feel comfortable pulling over on the side of the road.

However, there’s a chance that if it’s a genuine police officer, he may misinterpret this as an attempt to evade arrest.

If a roadblock has been set up on a main road with multiple police vehicles and personnel, you are obligated to pull over. Police officers must be willing to identify themselves, as well as show physical identification. If they are not wearing full uniform or don’t have an identity badge displaying their name, you are within your rights to ask for another officer to attend to you.

While it may be unnecessary, you are legally obliged to take a breathalyser test or be taken to the surgeon general.

The legal alcohol limit in South Africa is 0.24mg/litre, or roughly one beer or shot of harder liquor every three to four hours for the average person.

Remember that number. 0.24mg/litre.

The officer must show you the breathalyser reading. If you’re tested and register under the limit on a breathalyser, you cannot be arrested for drinking and driving.

Any attempts by an officer to extort a bribe from you should be reported to your nearest police station, and there are ways in which you can gather evidence for your case.

Snyman advises that you make a note of the licence plate number of the police vehicle and its service number, which is painted on the side of the vehicle next to the precinct name. Don’t have a pencil and paper? Save the numbers on your cell phone somewhere.

Also, make a mental note of the number of officers, their race, names and any other identifying features that can be reported if a bribe is solicited.

Police the Police

The panic button calls for help and can pinpoint your location

Designed to provide drivers with the ability to record a conversation or bribery attempt, eBlockWatch’s system also sends out a message that you may be in trouble to four people designated by you, and reports the incident to your local police station.To use the service, all you need to do is register as a member of eBlockwatch for free on their website. Once you are registered and set up on the eBlockwatch system, you are protected if you follow some basic steps.

If you are pulled over, dial 082 236 0003. The call goes through to a line that records your conversation for as long as the call is held.It will also send an SMS to four friends or family members and they will be able to follow some basic instructions to listen to the recording and determine if you need help.
The call also triggers a message to your local police station, which can also determine if the situation has turned illegal or even violent and will allow eBlockwatch to trace your phone.

Even if you are not a member of eBlockwatch, the conversation will still be recorded and reported to eBlockwatch. They will just not have your information and won’t be able to trace you from their side.

However, you will be able to contact them for a copy of the recording at a later stage if necessary.

So you’ve managed to take down the details of the officers and their vehicle and recorded the conversation, and still you are threatened with arrest or thrown into the back of a police car. What do you do now?

The Justice Project South Africa also offers a service – Priority Assist – that provides 24-hour roadside assistance, 365 days a year, to anybody pulled over by the police and who feels threatened.

If you are threatened or arrested unlawfully, you or a family member can call the JPSA call centre, which can send legal help or provide assistance at any time of the day. People under the age of 30 years, women travelling on their own and senior citizens are usually the most likely to be targeted by corrupt police, but Priority Assist does not discriminate.

“The service is not designed to interfere in any way with legitimate law enforcement, but is designed to actively and effectively deal with issues of corruption and abuse and give motorists the peace of mind in knowing that they are no longer alone when they become the target of a traffic stop,” the JPSA website reads.

To access this service, one needs to sign up with the JPSA on their website which costs R50 a month per main member with an additional R25 for Priority Assist.

Panic button

eBlockWatch is actually an all-round emergency response team. You can set up a panic button on your cell phone that links you to four pre-selected people.

If you set up the Track Your Mate function, which enables phone tracking, hitting the panic button sends two SMS messages to your pre-selected four people: the first says you need help, the second gives your location.

I tested it. My son, who was more than 1,500 km away from me at the time, hit the panic button on his phone.

Within a few seconds the first SMS came in saying he needed help, it gave his cell phone number to call to find out if he was in trouble, and gave the eBlockWatch emergency number to call if he did need help. The second SMS arrived while I was reading the first, and it gave his location down to the street and suburb he was in, as well as the nearest intersecting street.

That’s as far as the automated system goes unless you take further action. Since ours was a test, we left it at that. However, in the event that the person really is in trouble, one of the designated four would call the given emergency number, which would have eBlockWatch mobilising the troops.

It would also trigger the system to update the person’s location at regular intervals.

A spin-off to the panic button is the ability to install the Phone Home application on laptops and PCs, which can be used to track and recover these items if stolen.

The beauty of eBlockWatch is that it harnesses the collective clout of the closest communities and cuts through red tape, enabling an instant response to assist people in trouble.

I like it. It works. Just choose your designated four people carefully. Not much point nominating someone who spends so much time at fancy restaurants that he’s probably caught up in one of those fake roadblocks.

Crabby Old Man

By: Jim Satnan
When an old man died in the geriatric ward of a nursing home in GRASS VALLEY, CA. It was believed that he had nothing left of any value.

Later, when the nurses were going through his meager possessions, they found this poem. Its quality and content so impressed the staff that copies were made and distributed to every nurse in the hospital.

One nurse took her copy to Missouri.

The old man's sole bequest to posterity has since appeared in the Christmas edition of the News Magazine of the St. Louis Association for Mental Health. A slide presentation has also been made based on his simple, but eloquent, poem.

And this little old man, with nothing left to give to the world, is now the author of this 'anonymous' poem winging across the Internet.

Crabby Old Man...
What do you see nurses? . . ... . . What do you see?
What are you thinking . . . . . When you're looking at me?
A crabby old man . .. . . . Not very wise,
Uncertain of habit .... . . . . With faraway eyes?

Who dribbles his food . . . .. . And makes no reply.
When you say in a loud voice . . . . . 'I do wish you'd try!'
Who seems not to notice .. .. . .... . The things that you do.
And forever is losing . . . . . A sock or shoe?

Who, resisting or not . . . . . Lets you do as you will,
With bathing and feeding . .. . .. . The long day to fill?
Is that what you're thinking? . .... . . . Is that what you see?
Then open your eyes, nurse . . . .. . You're not looking at me.

I'll tell you who I am. . . . .... . As I sit here so still,
As I do at your bidding, . . . .. . As I eat at your will.
I'm a small child of Ten . .. . . .. With a father and mother,
Brothers and sisters . . .. ... .. Who love one another.

A young boy of Sixteen . . . .. With wings on his feet.
Dreaming that soon now . . . . ... A lover he'll meet.
A groom soon at Twenty . . . . .. My heart gives a leap.
Remembering, the vows . . . . . That I promised to keep.

At Twenty-Five, now . . . .... . I have young of my own.
Who need me to guide . . . . . And a secure happy home.
A man of Thirty . . . . . My young now grown fast,
Bound to each other .. . . . . With ties that should last.

At Forty, my young sons . . ... . . Have grown and are gone,
But my woman's beside me . . . . . To see I don't mourn.
At Fifty, once more, babies play 'round my knee,
Again, we know children .. . . . My loved one and me.

Dark days are upon me . . . . . My wife is now dead.
I look at the future . . . . . Shudder with dread.
For my young are all rearing . .... . . . Young of their own.
And I think of the years .. . . .. . And the love that I've known.

I'm now an old man . . . . ..... And nature is cruel.
Tis jest to make old age . . . . . Look like a fool.
The body, it crumbles . . . . . Grace and vigor, depart.
There is now a stone . . . . Where I once had a heart.

But inside this old carcass . . . . . A young guy still dwells,
And now and again . . . . . My battered heart swells.
I remember the joys . . . . . I remember the pain.
And I'm loving and living . . . ... . Life over again.

I think of the years, all too few . . . . ... Gone too fast.
And accept the stark fact . .. . . That nothing can last.
So open your eyes, people . . . ... . Open and see.
Not a crabby old man . ... . . Look closer . .. . See ME!!

 Remember this poem when you next meet an older person who you might brush aside without looking at the young soul within.

We will all, one day, be there, too!
By: Jim Satnan

Super visas will make immigrants' lives easier

Super visas will make immigrants' lives easier

Although the jury is out on the Canadian government's moratorium on new applications to sponsor parents and grandparents for immigration, few would argue the wisdom of the new parent and grandparent super visa. In principle and on paper, it is a nice piece of policy work rooted in the reality of many immigrants' family lives.

The super visa is a multiple entry visa valid for up to 10 years, which will allow family members to remain in Canada for up to 24 months at a time. According to a Citizenship and Immigration Canada news release, this super visa will come into effect on Dec. 1 and should be issued within eight weeks of the application on aver-age. This means that instead of eight years, which is the usual processing time for permanent resident applications, parents and grandparents will be able to join their families here within two months.

Currently, more than 165,000 parents and grandparents who have applied to become permanent residents of Canada are still waiting for a decision. Each year out of the 38,000 applicants, many parents and grand-parents apply for a permanent resident status because that is their only option for visiting their children in their Canadian homes and spending any quality time with their families. Many of them were denied a visitor's visa on the grounds that their attachment to their children in Canada would prevent them from returning to their home country. In fact, many of them were rerouted to apply for permanent residency.

For those who just wanted to visit their children and grandchildren, the permanent resident status complicated their lives. They got caught up in the cycle of travelling back and forth from their home country to Canada to maintain their permanent resident status. It also caused undue duress on families when the different generations used to independent lifestyles became locked into living in extended family situations for lengthy periods. The relationship dynamics can change quickly between grandparents, parents, children and grandchildren when the joy of timely temporary visits is converted into a permanent living situation.

What was meant as a noble goal of family reunification many times created unbearable family conflict and sadness. Many seniors have regretted leaving their homeland behind and moving to Canada only to lead a life of dependency and isolation within their children's homes. Many immigrant children have been embarrassed by the family breakups caused by the intervention of seniors. The super visa will allow parents and grandparents to follow a natural flow between Canada and other countries without creating an unnecessary burden on the Canadian taxpayer or spinning families into unnecessary stress.

The visa might add a financial bur-den on the sponsoring family, how-ever, because parents and grandparents applying for a super visa will be required to obtain private health care insurance for their stay in Canada - but that will be a small price to pay.

What remains to be seen is the translation of the policy into practice. Parents and grandparents usually want to come here for family occasions like significant birthdays, weddings, deaths and births. Sometimes, immigration officials have been brutal in denying people entry to attend funerals of even close relatives. Following the moratorium on sponsorship applications for parents and grandchildren, any effective strategy has to take into consideration the volumes of people who will apply for the super visa and how effective Citizenship and Immigration Canada will be in processing them and allowing people to travel here in a timely manner. This will lead to pressure on visa offices over-seas and will require more resources to address the increased volumes to meet the required timelines.

Nor will the super visa solve the problem of parents and grandparents who want to spend their waning years living closer to their children in Canada and also to bring their dependent children here to live closer to their siblings. This moratorium will hurt them because their children could be excluded by age by the time they can apply. It is also not clear if the super visa will allow dependent children to visit with their families. Not being able to bring them along will effectively limit the parents and grandparents in their enjoyment of their own tourist visas.

Manpreet Grewal is an Abbotsford-based writer.

© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun

Top 10 Worst Things for Your Immune System

Top 10 Worst Things for Your Immune System - ABC News
By the Editors of Prevention.com

Staying healthy isn't just about using hand sanitizer and avoiding coughing co-workers. It turns out some pretty surprising daily habits—like how you fight with your husband or whether you stay up late for Letterman—can impact how well your body fends off colds, flu and other pesky bugs. Here's a list of science-backed tips to add to your stay-healthy arsenal today.

Find Out If Your Immune System Needs a Boost

1. You Avoid the Water Cooler

Friendship may be Miracle-Gro for your immune system.

Research shows that the fewer human connections we have at home, at work, and in the community, the likelier we are to get sick, flood our brains with anxiety-causing chemicals, and live shorter lives than our more sociable peers. In one study, researchers who monitored 276 people between the ages of 18 and 55 found that those who had 6 or more connections were 4 times better at fighting off the viruses that cause colds than those with fewer friends.

Don't let a jam-packed workday or hectic schedule get in the way of your friendships. Stop by a co-worker's office for a quick Monday morning catch-up, or e-mail/text your friends at night to stay in touch when you're too busy for phone calls.

2. You Often Feel Tired

Scrimping on sleep has a powerfully detrimental effect on immunity.Tom Grill/Getty Images

Staying healthy isn't just about using hand sanitizer and avoiding coughing co-workers, here are some tips on keeping the immune system healthy.

The perfect example: college students who get sick after pulling all-nighters cramming for exams. Poor sleep is associated with lower immune system function and reduced numbers of killer cells that fight germs. In fact, University of Chicago researchers found that men who had slept only 4 hours a night for 1 week produced half the amount of flu-fighting antibodies in their blood (jump-started by a flu shot) compared with those who slept 7 1/2 to 8 1/2 hours.

Most adults need between 7 and 9 hours of uninterrupted rest every night, but how you feel in the morning and throughout the day may be a better gauge. If you're tired when you wake up in the morning, you're not getting enough—sleep, or maybe not enough quality sleep.

Is It Exhaustion or Something More?

3. You Act Like Debbie Downer

Studies show that glass-half-empty types don't live as long as those who look on the bright side. When pessimists put a more positive spin on the calamities in their lives, they have less stress and better health. A classic UCLA study found that law students who began their first semester optimistic about the experience had more helper T cells mid semester, which can amplify the immune response, and more powerful natural killer cells, than students who had a more pessimistic perspective. One reason could be that optimists take better care of themselves. It could also be due to less stress-related damage to the immune system, such as killer cells that suddenly become pacifists.

Personality is tough to change, look for reasons—however small—to feel lucky every day. Sounds hokey, but try striking up a dinner table conversation with your family where you all share a couple of good things that happened every day.

4. You Bottle Up Your Moods

A constructive argument with your spouse can actually increase immunity, say UCLA researchers.

They asked 41 happy couples to discuss a problem in their marriage for 15 minutes. The researchers detected surges in blood pressure, heart rate, and immune-related white blood cells, all of which were similar to the benefits seen with moderate exercise. But you still have to play nice: Couples who frequently use sarcasm, insults, and put-downs have fewer virus-fighting natural killer cells, have higher levels of stress hormones, and take up to 40% longer to recover from injuries than those who manage to stay positive and affectionate during their quarrels.

Don't keep what's bothering you bottled up. People with type D personalies—those who keep their opinions and emotions hidden—have killer T cells that are less active than those found in more expressive peers.

10 Silent Signals You're Too Stressed

5. You're Under the Gun

Chronic stress—the day-after-day kind you experience over job insecurity or a sick relative—takes a toll on many aspects of your health, including immunity.

There is compelling scientific evidence that this kind of stress (as opposed to the every-now-and-again kind from a bad day at work or a screaming match with your kid) causes a measurable decline in the immune system's ability to fight disease. Periods of extreme stress can result in a lower natural killer cell count, sluggish killer T cells, and diminished macrophage activity that can amplify the immune response. In fact, widows and widowers are much more likely to get sick during the first year after their spouse dies than their peers who have not experienced a major loss.

We're not going to tell you to take a bath or light a scented candle (unless those really help you relax, that is!). Do find go-to, healthy stress relievers that can take the edge off—be it a long run on the treadmill, a relaxing yoga class, or baking dessert just for fun. The important thing is that you unwind and recover from stress, since it's often hard to avoid in the first place.

6. You Don't Stash Pens in Your Purse

Having your own supply of dime-a-dozen plastic ballpoints might just keep you from picking up a virus. Cold and flu germs are easily passed through hand-to-hand contact, says Neil Schachter, MD, a professor of pulmonary medicine at Mount Sinai School of Medicine and author of The Good Doctor's Guide to Colds and Flu. Any way you can avoid touching public objects -- such as the communal pen at the bank -- will cut your risk.

"When you get up in the morning, don't leave the house without a pen in your pocket or your purse," Schachter suggests. "Take your own wherever you go, and use it instead of the doctor's, the delivery guy's, or the restaurant waiter's"

7. You Drive Everywhere

One in four American women doesn't exercise at all—and that's an easy way to set yourself up for sickness.

When researchers compared inactive people with those who walked briskly almost every day, they found that who didn't walk took twice as many sick days in 4 months as those who strolled regularly.

Experts say that it takes a 30 minutes of aerobic exercise—a brisk walk counts—to sweep white blood cells back into circulation, making your immune system run more smoothly.

8. Your Friends Smoke

We don't need to tell you that puffing ciggies is terrible for the entire body. But the secondhand kind is almost as harmful.

Each year, because of exposure to tobacco smoke, an estimated 3,000 nonsmoking Americans die of lung cancer and 300,000 children suffer from lower respiratory-tract infections. Secondhand smoke can trigger an asthma attack and aggravate symptoms in people with allergies. In addition, tobacco smoke has been shown to make asthma worse in preschool children and may even cause it.

Sounds obvious, but avoid secondhand smoke as much as you can -- including spending time with people while they smoke. Encourage anyone in your everyday life (husband, coworkers or neighbour friends) to quit.

9. You Always Reach for Antibiotics

Taking antibiotics at the first sign of a sniffle can make you resistant to these drugs over time, causing more serious infections.

Researchers found that certain patients taking antibiotics had reduced levels of cytokines, the hormone messengers of the immune system. When your immune system is suppressed, you're more likely to develop resistant bacteria or become sick in the future.

Take antibiotics only for bacterial infections, use them right away, and take the entire course. Don't use antibiotics preventively unless prescribed by your doctor, and don't save or share unfinished courses.

10. You're Little Miss Serious

Consider this a doctor's note to troll YouTube on your lunch break...

Researchers have found that the positive emotions associated with laughter decrease stress hormones and increase certain immune cells while activating others. In a study conducted at Loma Linda University School of Medicine, healthy adults who watched a funny video for an hour had significant increases in immune system activity.

Um, laugh more. You know how: Watch your favorite comedies, have lunch with a pal known for her funny bone, and read those silly forwards from friends before you auto-click "delete."

More ways to fight infection: Eat these 9 power foods for strong immunity.

Facebook will be forced to get approval from its 800million users before exposing profiles | Mail Online: 

Facebook will be forced to get approval from its 800million users before exposing profiles

• Deal with federal regulators will ensure 'opt out' system over privacy settings 
• Comes after firm made changes that showed personal information to everyone on web 
• Internet giant also agrees to government audits on privacy practices for 20 years

By SIMON TOMLINSON

Facebook is close to a settlement with U.S. federal regulators that would require the internet giant to obtain approval from its 800million users before making changes that expose their profiles to a wider audience.

Currently, Facebook can alter elements of the site which it believes will improve the social network and then leaves it to users to reset anything they don't like - a process known as 'opting out'.

However, if an agreement with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is approved, the firm would have to get explicit consent from each of its users before changing its privacy settings, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Opting out: If a deal with U.S regulators is agreed, Facebook will have to seek prior approval from its users before making changes that compromise their security settings

In control? Users can access this page to customise their security settings, but these can be undone when Facebook makes changes to the site

Citing unnamed sources who were familiar with the situation, the Journal said Facebook has agreed to make the changes to resolve a two-year investigation by the FTC.

Companies introducing a feature or service generally prefer an 'opt out' system because fewer people take the steps required to get out of the changes.

The FTC opened its probe into Facebook after the website made changes that automatically showed users' names, pictures, hometowns and other personal information available for anyone to see.

That upset people who had deliberately programmed their privacy settings to confine that information to a specific group of friends or family.

As part of its proposed settlement, Facebook would also submit to government reviews of its privacy practices for 20 years, according to the Journal.

Mission: Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg speaking in California about the site's new privacy settings in May 2010. He said this week that the firm had given users greater control over their privacy

The audits are similar to the scrutiny that Google agreed to undergo earlier this year.

That agreement settled an FTC investigation into Google's handling of people's personal information in February 2010 when it launched a service called Buzz to counter Facebook.

Buzz exposed the email contacts of unwitting users, a breach that the FTC considered to be a deceptive practice. Google is now in the process of closing Buzz to focus on another social network called Plus that debuted in June.

Speaking earlier this week, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said he believes the website's changes over the past year have given users greater control over their privacy.

He said: 'I think we're going to need to keep on making it easier and easier, but that's our mission, right?'

'I mean, we have to do that because now, if people feel like they don't have control over how they're sharing things, then we're failing them.'

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2060262/Facebook-forced-approval-800million-users-exposing-profiles.html#ixzz1dPd1K35c

Western Black Rhino declared extinct

Western Black Rhino declared extinct - World news - World environment - msnbc.com:
GENEVA — The Western Black Rhino of Africa was declared officially extinct Thursday by a leading conservation group.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature said that two other subspecies of rhinoceros were close to meeting the same fate.

Ami Vitale / for msnbc.com

A Northern White Rhino seen at the Czech Zoo Kralove Dvur. The species is now considered "possibly extinct" in the wild.

The Northern White Rhino of central Africa is now "possibly extinct" in the wild and the Javan Rhino "probably extinct" in Vietnam, after poachers killed the last animal there in 2010.

A small but declining population survives on the Indonesian island of Java.

Story: Endangered rhinos airlifted to new home

IUCN said Thursday that a quarter of all mammals are at risk of extinction, according to its updated Red List of endangered species.

'Stewards of the Earth'
But the group added that species such as the Southern White Rhino and the Przewalski's Horse have been brought back from the brink with successful conservation programs.

Slideshow: Race to rescue rhinos (on this page)

"Human beings are stewards of the Earth and we are responsible for protecting the species that share our environment," said Simon Stuart, chair of the IUCN Species Survival Commission.

"In the case of both the Western Black Rhino and the Northern White Rhino, the situation could have had very different results if the suggested conservation measures had been implemented," he added. "These measures must be strengthened now, specifically managing habitats in order to improve breeding performance, preventing other rhinos from fading into extinction."

Rhinos get upside-down helicopter ride to safety

The WWF environmental campaign group last month said that the Javan Rhino found dead in Vietnam in 2010 was the country's last, rendering the species all but the extinct.

Video: Hidden camera catches rare rhinos (on this page)

Genetic analysis of 22 dung samples collected in Vietnam's Cat Tien National Park from 2009 to 2010 affirmed that the animal, found dead with a bullet in its leg and its horn removed in April 2010, was the final wild rhino in Vietnam.

Video: Rhinos: Flight for survival (on this page)

Rhinoceros horns are a coveted ingredient in traditional Eastern medicine and rumored to cure or fend off cancer, although scientists say there is no evidence to support the claim.

WWF said the Javan Rhino was believed to be extinct from mainland Asia until 1988 when one was hunted from the Cat Tien area, leading to the discovery of a small population.

Why manufacturers should just leave Android alone

Why manufacturers should just leave Android alone | memeburn

By Rick Bosch

We’ve all read the comparisons, we know about the rivalry, but one thing that has recently started bugging me about the epic Android vs Apple battle is the omission of a key fact. One of Android’s strengths, as I mentioned in a previous post, is that it’s available on a wide range of handsets, giving you plenty of choice. With this choice, however, comes a few sacrifices and I’ve only come to realise this key fact now.

Samsung, HTC, Motorola, and Sony Ericsson are the four biggest manufacturers supplying Android phones, and although they run on the Android OS, each of these manufacturers adds its own little, or sometimes major, touches to the user interface and functionality of the handset. Samsung addsTouchWiz, Motorola adds its MOTOBLUR and Sony Ericsson’s UI is known as Timescape.

The only one I have personal experience with came on my HTC in the form of its Sense UI. Make no mistake, this is a very slick, very good looking wrapping for what many deem a “raw” form of Android, Froyo.

After Froyo — short for frozen yoghurt — Google released Android 2.3, codenamed, Gingerbread. And this is where my gripe with Android starts. HTC Sense looks great and everything, but why can’t users choose whether they want it or not? In other words, why can’t Android users just get what is referred to as “Vanilla” Android as a choice?

I get that HTC wants to offer its best possible product, but for users who value stability, speed and battery life this just simply doesn’t work. That is why there are literally hundreds of Android forums online, discussing rooting, troubleshooting, devs providing support for their ROMs, because many of those users want the vanilla android experience, and their phones are all the better for it. I don’t want it to kill the dev community, because I don’t believe it could, but I think there is real value in it for users.

It’s why I rooted my Desire and its performance was much, much better. ROMs built straight from the Android source code, such as Oxygen, offer incredible improvements to supported devices. However,

I recently got my hands on a Samsung Nexus S and as a Google branded phone, there are no traces of Samsung software, often referred to as bloatware, here. It’s all pure Android and it’s just better.

It’s slick, provides killer battery life and it, in my mind, is a true reflection of where Android is compared to the old nemesis, Apple. In shine and polish, Android isn’t quite at Apple’s level, and I doubt it every will be, I do, however, prefer dark backgrounds on a screen to lighter shades, so it works for me.

Functionality is where Android really comes to the party though, from the much discussed notification drop down menu iOS 5 borrowed from Android, to the NFC technology available in the Nexus S, Google is ahead in the tech side of things, and that’s only Gingerbread, wait until Ice Cream Sandwich launches on the new Galaxy Nexus. Then the game changes again.

So back to my gripe, manufacturers taking choice out of the equation for users by loading bloatware and the like on their handsets, this will not do. Android is very fragmented, yes, and for a true indication of which is the most current version available via Google, check out the Nexus range. The Nexus range is the only true Android competition to Apple, because it’s the only real Google handset, designed and conceptualised by the search giant.

If manufacturers would just realise that they are the ones exacerbating Android’s fragmentation, maybe we can all stay up to date, all the time.

It’s the way it should be, it’s an open source project (well much less that I originally thought, I have to add, but that’s another story for another time), and distribution, which results in progress, should not be hindered by handset manufacturers.

What I mean is, imagine Apple releasing an update that isn’t available to all its users timeously…I think the internet might just break.

Image: etnyk

How Google Plus Could Surpass Facebook

How Google Plus Could Surpass Facebook
Compared to Facebook, Google Plus is an infant. The social network by Google can’t even crawl yet, while Facebook is the rich, successful old man on the block. However, it’s possible that Google Plus could one day surpass Facebook and become the top social networking destination on the internet.
How?

Here are our top three ways Google Plus can thrive:

1. Use Google Search Technology
 Google Search is by far the company’s strength. If Google can use their Search technology to make things easier on Google Plus, that would be a big plus … no pun intended.

2. Integrate, Integrate, Integrate
 Google has their hands in everything — from phones to software and from maps to local coupons. If Google Plus integrated into everything, people may eventually switch simply due to the ease of use.

3. Keep It Ad Free
 Facebook has ruffled some feathers by selling out and putting ads everywhere. Google Plus, on the other hand, is still keeping it real. They even kick out any businesses that try to sign up. Keep Google Plus from from ads and commercial entities and Facebook could become a thing of the past.

 Google Plus vs Facebook
Post from: (http://everyjoe.com) EveryJoe