Webby Awards - 10 Best internet moments of the decade

The Webby Awards, an award for excellence on the internet, named their top 10 most influential internet moments during the last decade:

• Craigslist  - Online classified site expands outside SFO (2000)
• Launch of Google AdWords (2000)
• Launch of online encyclopedia Wikipedia (2001)
• Shutdown of Napster, a file-sharing site (2001)
• Google's IPO (2004)
• Online video revolution - led by YouTube (2006)
• Facebook and Twitter launches (2006)
• Apple's iPhone (2007)
• Use of the Internet in the US presidential campaign (2008)
• Use of Twitter during the Iranian election protests (2009)

Video - Highlights of Online Webby Awards 2009

Read more on "Webby Awards - 10 Best internet moments of the decade"!

Semenya will keep gold medal

Caster Semenya, who won the 800m gold medal at the IAAF World Championships in August, will keep her gold medal and prize money. A controversy erupted after she won when her gender was questioned due to her physique. However, the IAAF has now concluded that she was blameless and innocent in the whole event.

The results of her gender tests will be kept confidential and not be made public, since it's a private matter between doctor and patient.

Chuene, former head of Athletics South Africa (ASA) has since been suspended due to his awful handling of the case, considering he knew gender tests were done but still proceeded to send Semenya to compete at the event while ignoring the possible implications it would have if she did.

Throughout this whole debacle, Semenya has been treated like dirt and it just showed once again how relentless the media (and public) can be. There is no respect for a person's privacy anymore. I'm just glad it's over although I'd imagine that Semenya will carry the scars for quite some time. As for the outcome of the gender tests, if you don't see Semenya competing at an international event in the future, you'll know the answer.

Related links
Semenya wins gold in 800m! Read more on "Semenya will keep gold medal"!

SA national anthem gets butchered

The Springboks played a rugby test against France in Toulouse on Friday, 13 November, losing 13 - 20. However, apart from a bad day at the office for the players, the match was preceded by probably the worst rendition of the South African national anthem, Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika, I've ever heard.

This is how the SA national anthem should NOT be sung



The performer is Durban-born Ras Dumisani, a reggae singer now living in France. The Springbok players had difficulty singing along and some looked uncomfortable, some looked amused. There was quite an outcry by SA fans after the match since the bad rendition was considered a sign of disrespect. Initially the french rugby union was blamed by some South Africans for this farce but apparently it was the SA embassy in Paris who provided a list of artists to the french rugby union... so perhaps the blame should lie elsewhere.

Perhaps Dumisani should perform at comedy festivals in future? ;) Read more on "SA national anthem gets butchered"!

Netgear DG834GT router - 1.03.22 firmware released

The latest firmware version 1.03.22 has been released.

The previous firmware version 1.02.19 was an important release since it provided important new functionality like VPN (virtual private network) and WPA2 (Wi-Fi Protected Access Version 2) wireless encryption BUT that version was very unstable and quite frankly a nightmare, as discussed in a previous blog post so this latest release is long overdue.





Problems with version 1.03.22

DHCP problem

Some people are still experiencing DHCP errors even after upgrading from 1.02.19 to 1.03.22. Quite unfortunate since it therefore appears as if Netgear did not bother to fix all the issues that came with the previous 1.02.19 firmware version!

Since I have a small home network and use assigned internal IP addresses, I don't experience this problem but anyone with a bigger network where the DHCP server needs to automatically assign random IP addresses to the connected devices, may experience issues. It also appears as if the DHCP issue only arises when people connect wirelessly to their network?

I suggest you push Netgear support by logging an official ticket, informing them that the issues still exist when using 1.03.22.

Administrator time-out not working in Google Chrome

In the router admin interface at 192.168.0.1, I clicked on "Set Password" and set the "Administrator login times out after idle" to 5 minutes and saved it. However, in Google Chrome (version 3.0.195.33), this setting seems to be ignored! I left the browser window open displaying the router admin interface at 192.168.0.1 and returned after 15 minutes and when I clicked on the router interface menu options, it did not ask me to login again (it never logged me out as it should have). This can obviously lead to security problems. You have to shutdown the browser and re-open it for the username/password to be requested again.

It works fine in Firefox and Internet Explorer (i.e. it automatically logs you out after 5 mins and you have to re-enter your username and password if you want to continue working on the router interface).

General

I've been a Netgear fan for a while but this constant reluctance (or ignorance?) of Netgear support to fix well-reported problems of previous firmware versions may force me to eventually switch to a different networking manufacturer altogether.

LATEST UPDATE - 16 March 2010

Netgear has released the latest firmware version 1.03.23 which according to Netgear, resolves the DHCP and reserved IP address issues.

See related blog post.

Related links
108 Mbps Super Wireless ADSL Router - Official product page
DG834GT firmware version 1.03.22 - Netgear forum
New firmware for Netgear DG834GT 1.03.22 - DSL ZoneUK Read more on "Netgear DG834GT router - 1.03.22 firmware released"!

Springbok squad for November tour announced

The 37-man squad was announced after the Currie Cup final on Saturday evening and includes nine newcomers and ten uncapped players. Traditionally the November tour is used to blood newcomers who did well during the Currie Cup season, resulting in a healthy combination of young and old players to ensure the core of the Bok team remains intact.

As usual there are a few surprises in the selections and perhaps more so if you consider who was left out. I'm quite surprised the WP fullback, Joe Petersen, didn't make the squad, considering his superb form throughout the Currie Cup competition. Overseas-based players like centre Jean de Villiers and fullback Francois Steyn were not considered and Juan Smith is out with injury.

Springbok squad for November tour

Forwards (20)

(test caps in brackets)

John Smit – Sharks, Captain (90)
Victor Matfield - Vodacom Blue Bulls, Vice-Captain (89)
Andries Bekker - Vodacom Western Province (18)
Bakkies Botha - Vodacom Blue Bulls (63)
Heinrich Brüssow - Vodacom Cheetahs (10)
Schalk Burger – Vodacom Western Province (53)
Bismarck du Plessis - Natal Sharks (30)
Jannie du Plessis - Natal Sharks (12)
+ Alistair Hargreaves - Natal Sharks (-)
+ Ashley Johnson - Vodacom Cheetahs (-)
Ryan Kankowski - Natal Sharks (10)
+ Bandise Maku - Vodacom Blue Bulls (-)
Tendai Mtawarira - Natal Sharks (19)
+ Dewald Potgieter - Vodacom Blue Bulls (-)
Chiliboy Ralepelle - Vodacom Blue Bulls (8)
+ Davon Raubenheimer – GWK Griquas (-)
Danie Rossouw - Vodacom Blue Bulls (43)
Pierre Spies - Vodacom Blue Bulls (28)
Gurthro Steenkamp - Vodacom Blue Bulls (22)
* Heinke van der Merwe - Xerox Lions (1)

Backs (17)

+Heini Adams – Vodacom Blue Bulls (-)
* Meyer Bosman - Vodacom Cheetahs (3)
+ Juan de Jongh - Vodacom Western Province (-)
Fourie du Preez - Vodacom Blue Bulls (52)
Jaque Fourie - Xerox Lions (51)
Bryan Habana - Vodacom Blue Bulls (54)
+ Francois Hougaard - Vodacom Blue Bulls (-)
Adi Jacobs - Natal Sharks (28)
* Zane Kirchner - Vodacom Blue Bulls (1)
Odwa Ndungane - Natal Sharks (6)
* Jongi Nokwe - Vodacom Cheetahs (4)
Wynand Olivier - Vodacom Blue Bulls (24)
Ruan Pienaar - Natal Sharks (35)
JP Pietersen - Natal Sharks (30)
* Earl Rose - Xerox Lions (-)
Morne Steyn - Vodacom Blue Bulls (9)
+ Riaan Viljoen – GWK Griquas (-)

Tour fixtures

Nov 6 vs Leicester at Welford Road @ 19h45 (SA 21h45)
Nov 13 TEST vs France at Municipal Stadium, Toulouse @ 20h45 (SA 21h45)
Nov 17 vs Saracens at Wembley Stadium @ 19h45 (SA 21h45)
Nov 21 TEST vs Italy at Stadio Friuli, Udine @ 15h00 (SA 16h00)
Nov 28 TEST vs Ireland at Croke Park, Dublin @ 14h30 (SA 16h30) Read more on "Springbok squad for November tour announced"!

Blue Bulls win Currie Cup

The Blue Bulls beat the Cheetahs 36 - 24 in an action-packed Currie Cup final at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday, adding the Currie Cup to their Super 14 trophy they won earlier this year when they beat the Chiefs in May. The Bulls are the first franchise to win both competitions in the same year.

The Blue Bulls were 24 - 0 ahead after only 25 minutes through tries by Francois Hougaard and Bryan Habana (who is moving to Cape Town next year to play for WP) and one would have thought it was 'game over' at the time, but the Cheetahs produced a great comeback by scoring three tries (Viljoen, Uys and Breedt).

In the end the Blue Bulls' discipline was better since the Cheetahs gave away penalties at crucial times which Bulls flyhalf Morné Steyn had no problem slotting over. Fourie Du Preez, rated as the best scrumhalf in the world at present, had a huge influence on the match.

Scorers:
Vodacom Blue Bulls - Tries: Francois Hougaard, Bryan Habana (2). Conversions: Morne Steyn (3). Penalties: Steyn (4). Dropped goal: Steyn.
Vodacom Free State Cheetahs - Tries: Frans Viljoen, Corne Uys, Nico Breedt. Conversions: Jacques-Louis Potgieter (3). Dropped goal: Potgieter.

Joost van der Westhuizen

Former Springbok scrumhalf and Bulls captain, Joost van der Westhuizen, who played 89 tests for South Africa and scored 38 tries (still a record for most tries by a Springbok) has recently been dumped in controversy when a video was released showing him snorting drugs and fooling around with a stripper while being recorded by hidden camera (see video clips here). Joost has vehemently denied it was him in the tape and has vowed to take everyone to court who slandered his name.

Yesterday it was front page news that he finally admitted that it actually was him in the video (I don't think anyone had any doubt). He openly lied to his fans and wife, singer Amor Vittone. He was earlier suspended by Supersport as TV presenter but has now been fired after his admission, claiming it would hurt their brand if they didn't.

Everyone obviously makes mistakes but if you're a public figure then this sort of incident will always be front page news. People are praising Joost for admitting his mistake but it's rather cheesy considering that he only admitted it since he got caught. Evangelist Angus Buchan persuaded him to take responsibility for his actions. Joost's biography, "Spieëlbeeld", is currently on sale.

Credit: Bulls photo taken by Christiaan Kotzé Read more on "Blue Bulls win Currie Cup"!