At first, I thought that all these “fixes” that I’ve been doing to my browser has resulted in my Google favicon to go haywire, so I tried ignoring it. But me being the Google addict that I am, it bothered me to see this change, so I headed off to where the favicon is hosted and surprisingly found that it HAS changed!

So heres the before and after images!

It’s super scary to think that an image that has become so important and so well recognized has been side-swiped by this new one! I guess that after a while, I will be able to come to terms with it, but for now, “OMG! Google is starting a rebrand!!!”

To put it into perspective for you, this is picture displays the new and the old favicon in the two tabs of the browser!

I have been so chuffed with my little Gmail skin and the added functionality that it brought me, that I set out on a quest to find a way to use an HTML email signature in Gmail. Currently, GMail will place the image of a signature as an attachment and it appears at the bottom of the page which is very uncool!

So, in the quest to make the most awesome email account, the “awesomest” email account, I will be looking at making subtle changes using plugins. I should also make it VERY clear, that all these plugins will run on your browser and will in NO WAY affect the performance of GMail.

Once again, this is a browser plugin for Firefox, and honestly, if you are STILL using Internet Explorer, then get with the program!

Once again, its a SIMPLE process:

• Install Greasemonkey plugin for Firefox.
• Install the script by clicking on GMail HTML Signature.
• Then open up a text editor and write a HTML signature and save it in a text file.
• Now open GMail and notice on the Compose Email window, there is a link that says CREATE SIGNATURE. Simply click on it and place your html code for the signature in the box.
• Hit Save!

I placed the image that I wanted to include in the signature on a server with a link to it in the HTML code. This makes the signature VERY light, saving you bandwidth and prized email space!

Related Article: Coolest GMail Skin!

I’m a HUGE Google fan and I believe that if ever a company should take over the world, Google should be that company. They have completely revolutionized the internet and are solely responsible for the return of the dot com age.

Google has always focused on usability and have maintained the “Clean” approach to its design. Admittedly, Google seemed to have missed the mark with the design of its revolutionary email service, GMail.

The current look is horrid and though its probably the fastest email client around, with GREAT usability and boasts the most amazing labeling system, the “Clean” look just doesn’t do it.

The answer: A simple CSS overwrite! Thats right, I used the word simple!

• Add a firefox plugin called “Stylish“
• Open the following link: http://www.naverniouk.com/design/gmail/gmail.css
• Right click on the new icon at the bottom right hand corner of your Firefox Toolbar and select “Add Style to Stylish” and voila!

The CSS is file is overwritten on your pc, so it has a ZERO EFFECT on the performance of your Gmail account and its FREE!

Please click on the image if you can not read the text!

I just don’t get it! Why would Mbeki not get involved? Its impossible to ignore the effect that the Mugabe crisis has had on South Africa and its people.

Is Mbeki scared? If so, scared of what? Zim has NOTHING to offer us and Mugabe has less friends than the new slutty Britney, so why would Mbeki put his head in the sand on this issue?

The least that he could do, is demand a free and fair election and demand that Mugabe accepts the result as the final decision making factor for the future of his presidency. Mbeki could impose sanctions on Zim and refuse any assistance until Mugabe steps down.

Saying that a harsher stances needs to be taken, is a bit like saying birds have feathers… its an outright given!

Yo Thabs, if you reading this, enlighten us please. We need to know what your masterful plan of action is. We know that you must have something cooking up, because its impossible to remain this ignorant!

If you can not read the text, please click on the image to enlarge it!

This image completely encapsulates the current situation in our once beloved country. The rainbow nation is being burnt down by the xenophobic pigs that have run riot on our land for last few weeks! It also highlights the naive sector of our people. Those who are convinced that the actions of the X pigs do not affect them!

We will ALL feel the repercussions of this. Whether it be a shitty tourist season, loss of business, a weakened international trade or maybe even retaliation violence. This problem will truly burn our rainbow!

Once again, if you are one of those pigheaded idiots involved in these attacks, I wish you a year of untreatable constipation!

The state of corruption within the Home Affairs department has once again come under question, during the recent xenophobia-related violence.
This problem has been brewing for many years now and however sad the repercussions, I belief that it is doing a very good job of highlighting the level of incompetencies of our various government departments. Don’t get me wrong, I am not a government basher, in fact I have the utmost respect and admiration for some of our departments that continually impress me with their innovative, organized and well executed plans to enhance “the system”, and our revenue service, SARS, is one such example.

With our president once again displaying his lack of leadership qualities and his inability to make a decision, the problem has now erupted into an uncontrollable scenario, that leaves me questioning my pride for this nation.

One needs to ask:

• Would this problem have been so bad if our country established a harsher stance to Mugabe and his idiot policies?
• What if we had better controlled borders?
• What if we had a less corrupt home affairs department?
• What if measures were established years ago to enhance better trade in this country and drive unemployment down?

Finally, if you are one of those pigheaded idiots out there murdering foreigners, I hope that you lose a limb or two to a landmine and I hope that your children get forced to shoot you in the head as part of their induction into the militia!!!

My absence from blogging recently has been with good reason.

The reason is simple actually. I started blogging seriously a few months ago, when I found myself devoid of a full time job and self employment afforded me the free time to happily blog away. This has changed! I am no longer privileged with the sleep ins and the freedom that I once had.
I am now employed full-time.

November last year, a very good friend of mine, Chris M, posted an article about a position available on his VERY reputable, award-winning blog. He then encouraged me to contact the agent, even though I was at first doubtful, I took his advice. I should also mention here that, Chris has also just been selected to have his articles posted on TechLeader, the Mail & Guardian powered blog and shot to fame today with the most reads of a blog post for his first post which went up this morning. Well done mate!

After a 6 month long recruitment process, a few interviews and a research paper later, I was called on Thursday last week to set up a contract signing meeting. Friday morning I signed and I started on Monday at 8am!

My new title is New Product Strategist and I am employed by the leading ISP in SA (40% market share is leading!), MWEB, to research new technologies, new product concepts and product strategies!

Its a flipping amazing job spec and the work is exactly what I would like to be doing at this point in my career. I am really excited about it and I am certain that it will prove to be just the challenge that I have been looking for.

My entrepreneurial projects will continue to function at full capacity and will only result in me being a VERY busy man!

I think its fitting to mention, that my girlfriend has been pushing and supporting me non stop and it has culminated with me getting this position. I don’t think that I would have achieved half of what I have, without her support and encouragement! Thank you love!

This is a Madame and Eve cartoon that had me laughing like mad when I read it.

If you can’t read the text, click on the image to view it in full size. It’s worth it!

Well, this isn’t a new concept and certainly not one that doesn’t make sense.

Microsoft’s offer to purchase Yahoo!, Tata buying Jaguar and Land Rover, Google buying DoubleClick and Bharti Airtel buying MTN. All major multi million if not billion dollar companies who have recently purchased, have been purchased or looking to purchase. All these transactions have raised eyebrows and criticism.

The common denominator in these transactions though, is that these companies were not purchased for their market value, for their service offerings or for their viability as successful businesses. They were purchased for the technology!

Yahoo!’s research and development team is considered to be among the best in the online search and advertising industries. Microsoft’s stand to buy Yahoo! was not as much about market dominance as it was for desire to own the technology and integrate the R&D team with their own to conceptualize and develop a newer, more advanced product that will eventually lead to market dominance!

Likewise, Tata is an emerging car manufacturer who lags behind in technology has recently acquired the manufacturing plants, the R&D team and the experienced technology to produce high quality motor vehicles that allow them to enter into markets that they don’t currently have a footprint as well improve of on their existing product range with technological upgrades.

So, if you are a venture capitalist, an investor or a company with technology, I urge you to look at the technology of the companies in question more seriously and consider it to be a companies greatest asset!