WE (World English): 2012-10-14

Kite Spiders: South Africa

Kite spiders are diurnal Araneidae or "orb-web" spiders which means that during the process of making a web, the spider will use its own body for measurements.

Gasteracantha falcicornis

Gasterocantha sanguinolenta

These spiders are small (8-10 millimetres long), with 4 species in South Africa. The Araneidae occupies a niche not utilized by other spiders: the aerial passage amongst vegetation in the path of flying insects.
The diurnal orb web spiders continually repair their webs, usually using them for a few of days. The web cannot be used indefinitely as it dries and loses its capture ability and insects will no longer stick to it.

South African Mountain Bike Racing

A "natural" incident...

South African 2012 World Champion Mountain Bike Racer Greg Minnaar competing in DownHill. Cycling.

Watch in slow motion...how difficult it really is!

Jack and the BeanStalk: Revolting Rhymes

The 3 Little Pigs: Revolting Rhymes...

Vulnerable Banana Frog: Natal, S. Africa

Endemic South African Strawberry Frog

OLPC XO-1

Lighter than a lunchbox with the size of a textbook! It´s designed to be distributed by governments and nongovernmental organizations to schools all over the world.
One Laptop per Child, Nicholas Negroponte, Rebecca Allen, Mary Lou Jepsen, Mark Foster, Michail Bletsas, V. Michael Bove, Yves Béhar, Bret Recor, fuseproject, Jacques Gagné, Gecko Design, Colin Bulthaup, Squid Labs, John Hutchinson, Freeplay Energy Plc. and Quanta. XO Laptop from the One Laptop per Child (OLPC) project. 2005-ongoing

One Laptop per Child, Nicholas Negroponte, Rebecca Allen, Mary Lou Jepsen, Mark Foster, Michail Bletsas, V. Michael Bove, Yves Béhar, Bret Recor, fuseproject, Jacques Gagné, Gecko Design, Colin Bulthaup, Squid Labs, John Hutchinson, Freeplay Energy Plc. and Quanta. XO Laptop from the One Laptop per Child (OLPC) project. 2005-ongoing

The XO is the first generation of an inexpensive computer conceived by One Laptop per Child, a nonprofit program begun at the MIT Media Lab.

Many of its characteristics serve at least two purposes: the Wi-Fi antennas double as covers for the USB ports, the handle serves also as an attachment point for a strap and the protective bumper also seals to protect from dust.
File:OLPC-Frame.png

The “neighborhood view” showing children collaborating on various tasks. By clicking on it communication by Wi-Fi is activated.
The screen has both full-color and reflective high-resolution mode that makes it readable in bright sunlight, and a wide track pad doubles as a drawing and writing tablet.
If electricity is not available, the computer can be recharged by a pull cord that works like a yo-yo.

South African Games: Mankala

The game is based on counting and calculation, involving no external element of chance.

Many scholars think that the Mankala game can be the oldest in the world. Traces of game boards have been found during excavations in 15th-century Zimbabwe, Ancient Egypt and even Neolithic Kenya.