New Dimensions

This is not an article about artificial intelligence as defined in Wikipedia where a device perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its chance of success at some goal. It's also not about machines being smarter than humans. At its very basic level, it's about smart devices that monitor human movements and responds to meet needs. This morning we had to return to the Mall of Africa. They simply have the best toilets ever. Not only are they modern and clean, they have what I term an AI system in place. Once you've finished and walk away from the urinal a sensor on the wall automatically flushes the cistern for you. Your next step is when you want to wash your hands. The washbasins also have sensors that notice your hands under the taps and make the water flow. When you move your hands out of the way the water stops. The soap is in the form of a foam ball as you press the dispenser. I perceive that the system is aimed at reducing water wastage from st...

We decided to visit the Mall of Africa in Midrand. After all, it was Maggie's wish to go there a year ago. I wanted to pop in at the iStore and look at the latest iMac. After drooling over the computers in the iStore we went to the bank and spent a lot of time there which turned out to be a total waste of time. That was actually the previous week. This week we returned to the Mall of Africa and decided to try Incredible Connection . I was still intent on getting that iMac. Looking at the Mac I tried out the new features and it looked really cool, but it was as if I had to convince myself to choose it. Most of my software is Windows driven. Changing to a Mac would be a huge adjustment. Since I was in the store with all sorts of computers I decided to walk around and look at other makes to clear my head. That's when I discovered the gaming machines. I'm not a gamer but was intrigued by the hardware. That's when I saw the ASUS ROG G752VS I7 GAMING NOTEBOOK. Th...

Why consider stained glass creations? I gave that some thought. I was pleasantly surprised at what I discovered. A stained glass creation can be a multi-coloured window or an alluring lampshade. What about door panels and cabinet panels? Okay, you get the picture. A window is a two-dimensional object. Now add light to it and it becomes three dimensional. Close your eyes and picture the most exquisite stained glass window in a church that you visited once. What do you experience? Many more dimensions, hey. You start to hear organ music and a choir singing - heavenly music. Your memories take you back to a special time in your life. The colours in the design represent many different things like the red depicting a pleasant warmth of love. The blue represents the sky and heaven - a higher dimension. The green reminds you of growth and nature. White would be purity. All these colours and emotions flood through your mind, spirit, and emotions putting you in a safe and secure plac...

I was looking at my software online where I can design different things and came across a Facebook image that I could change so I gave it a try. Maybe you are interested in blogs or something to read or explore. Thanks for arriving here. Below is a post from last year. This evening I looked at how many blog posts I had written so far for the year. This is number 60. It looks like I really made progress during 2017. The topics covered very diverse subjects. Some articles had lovely photos. Some were about famous people. I managed to make a new friend in Seattle - I don't think she's sleepless. My list of readers has grown - thank you. Usually, I am advised to pick a niche and blog like hell. That's what the experts say. Don't you hate it when people bombard you with their emails every day? So far I have steered away from that. Well, I have listed a few of my blogs for the year below. If you missed something you can just scroll down and pick a topic and...

The year started with great promise. We were involved with a huge project that took up a lot of our time. After months of frustrating toil, it led to a big zero and loss. I learned a hard lesson about human nature. Some people are totally dishonest and literally turn on you when things don’t go their way. All you can do is learn from such experiences and not repeat them. The Takeaway Communication is important. Make sure that the other party understands what is involved. Also, get a good idea of what their expectations are. Sometimes they build up a false picture of what they are going to get and what they are paying for. It’s better to get a rejection because you have clearly placed all your cards on the table. That was a disastrous start to the year. Learn to become a better communicator. Ask questions to make sure that you understand what they want. So, the year didn’t start well, and I had all my eggs in the wrong basket. Nevertheless, I celebrated 25 years in business ...

Stained glass door panels created by Petro of Tiny Dot Studio in Birchleigh, Kempton Park. Stained glass looks magnificent in any window or door. It is considered an art form which reached its height in the Middle Ages and became a graphic form which was used to depict stories from the Bible - many people were illiterate back then. To get a better idea of the history of stained glass you can visit Wikipedia where you will find lots of references and beautiful pictures relating to this noble form of art. Stained glass is still popular today but often referred to as art glass. It is prevalent in luxury homes, commercial buildings, and places of worship. Artists and companies are contracted to create beautiful art glass ranging from domes, windows, backsplashes, etc. (source - Wikipedia).  No doubt, when you stand inside a building and view a beautiful stained glass window lit by the sun, you stop and admire what you see just as you would a special painting. ...

The people from Brakpan are quite often ridiculed. How this came about is a mystery to me. I suppose someone started with a joke and others added to his comments and it grew from there. We live in a world where we put people into boxes with labels. Most often it is cruel and incorrect. Fortunately, someone's story comes along that changes our perspective. Yesterday I accompanied my wife to her uncle's birthday party in Brakpan. The Maps app on my iPhone gave me conflicting information so I had to use intuition to home in on the venue. Luckily my decision was correct and then the voice on my wife's smartphone announced that we were at the right place. Nice! all this technology that we carry with us. Well, we pulled into the parking area and went to meet the people. First up were some folks standing outside by the braai fires - I was glad that we wouldn't have to wait too long before we could get our meat on. Her family was very glad to see my wife Maggie since w...