May 2004
Kolbenfresser
by Volker Weber
Jörg Schallenberg in Spiegel Online:
Es soll übrigens mit Blick auf die weitere Saison niemand behaupten, es mangele an spannenden Duellen. In der Konstrukteurswertung etwa rangeln mit McLaren-Mercedes (5 Punkte) und Toyota (4) zwei der Teams mit den höchsten Etats um den begehrten sechsten Platz, hart bedrängt von Jordan und Jaguar.
Treffer. Versenkt.
Dekadenz light
by Volker Weber
Parka Lewis (Name d. Red. bekannt):
Dekadenz light: Das Uhrenarmband geht entzwei, Zeit für ein neues Mini-Abo.
Gut beobachtet. Uhren habe ich drum gerade genug. Und die Küche ist auch eingerichtet.
Kate Moss, Pole Dancer
by Volker Weber
What is Kimi thinking?
by Volker Weber
McLaren-Mercedes blew up another two engines and did not finish the Nürburgring Race. What is Kimi thinking? I bet: "This sucks".
Best Pictures of 2003
by Volker Weber
I never link to Powerpoint files. But I will make an exception here, since this one is too good. Enjoy.
Something is wrong
by Volker Weber
As a regular reader of Ed's weblog I have now seen six posts about Microsoft TechEd. Something is wrong. Either Microsoft is a complete failure, or Ed was unable to find anything that was really good, or he is afraid to tell.
Little sister
by Volker Weber
I was happy. My girlfriend and I had been dating for over a year, and we decided to get married. My parents helped us in every way, my friends encouraged me. And my girlfriend? She was a dream! There was only one thing bothering me, very much indeed. It was her younger sister. My prospective sister-in-law was twenty years of age, wore tight mini skirts, and low cut blouses. She would regularly bend down when near me and I got many a pleasant view of her underwear. It had to be deliberate. She never did it when she was near anyone else.
One day little sister called and asked me to come over to check the wedding invitations. She was alone when I arrived. She whispered to me that soon I was to be married, and she had feelings and desires for me that she couldn't overcome and didn't really want to. She told me that she wanted to make love to me just once before I got married and became committed to her sister for life.
I couldn't say a word. She said, "I'm going upstairs to my bedroom, and if you want to go ahead with it just come up and get me." I was stunned. I was frozen in shock as I watched her go up the stairs. When she reached the top she pulled down her panties and threw them down the stairs at me. I stood there for a brief moment, then turned and went straight to the front door. I opened the door and stepped out of the house and walked straight towards my car. I was surprised to find my future father-in-law standing outside. With tears in his eyes he hugged me and said, "We are very happy that you have passed our little test. We couldn't ask for better man for our daughter. Welcome to the family."
The moral of this story is: Always keep your condoms in your car.
[Thanks, Tanja]
You're next
by Volker Weber
When I was younger I hated going to weddings. It seemed that all of my aunts and the grandmotherly types used to come up to me, poke me in the ribs, cackle, and tell me; "You're next."
They stopped that crap after I started doing the same thing to them at funerals.
[Thanks, jss]
Incoming call alert
by Volker Weber
This is one of these insanely great features in Mac OS X. You pair your Bluetooth phone with the Mac, then you go to the address book and hit the Bluetooth button:
Once you have done this, you gain some interesting features in the address book. Enter a part of a person's name in the search box, select the business card. When you click on the mobile number you will get a menu with three options: Large type, Send SMS and Dial with ...
Large type is an overlay with a really large font, so you can read it from across the room. Send SMS will let you ... you guessed it. And dial? Yup, you are a genius.
But wait, there is even more. [jingle and flashy smile] If you are connected to the phone and it rings you won't have to hunt for the phone. See what happens:
Cool, eh? Now you can turn the phone completely silent and let your Mac alert you of incoming calls.
What is this?
by Volker Weber
A limited edition SX1 McLaren Siemens phone. What does that mean? It is the slowest of the expensive phones? Its engine blows up in two hours flat? You talk with Finnish or Scottish accent? Please explain.
Mac OS X 10.3.4 released
by Ken Porter
Apple Computer Inc. on Wednesday released an update to its Mac OS X Panther operating system, bringing the current version to 10.3.4.
The update is a 41.0 MB download.
Booked
by Volker Weber
Re-fueling
by Volker Weber
Tomorrow is going to be a long day with lots of travel ahead. Watch out for a small vehicle moving at great speeds. :-)
June 22 is an IBM day in Frankfurt
by Volker Weber
You can either go to the Hilton Hotel and hear about e-business on demand. Or you can go to the Arabella Sheraton and attend the IBM Middleware Event, where you will hear about — e-business on demand?
The German proverb for this would be: "Die linke Hand weiß nicht, was die rechte tut." (The left hand does not know what the right hand is doing).
I think I will register for both. :-)
SonyEriccson T630 firmware, anyone?
by Volker Weber
Ein Freund hat ein neues SonyEricsson T630, das von T-Mobile verschandelt wurde. Nun suchen wir jemanden, der diesem Telefon wieder die Originalsoftware verpasst. Sachdienliche Hinweise bitte per Mail oder als Kommentar.
The Mac is a Harsh Mistress
by Volker Weber
The difference between 'sex for money' and 'sex for free' is that 'sex for money' is a lot less expensive. Keep that in mind when Charles Miller explains the difference between Microsoft and Apple.
Firefox is the best browser?
by Volker Weber
Of course it is. And now it even has better marketing.
[via Ben]
New gadget alert
by Volker Weber
The latest gadget in vowe's magic flying circus: a watch with built-in USB storage. I remember my first USB key that I received as a bribe gift at an IBM conference. That was extremely useful, even though it had "only" 32 meg of storage. It's like that first beer when you are very thirsty. If you don't have any removable storage, than these 32 meg are extremely useful. Now I have a memory key on my keychain, one in every briefcase and and on every desk, ranging anywhere from 32 meg to 256 meg. But a memory key inside a watch, that's news to me. Feels really geeky.
Reden wir mal Klartext
by Volker Weber
E-Plus-Marketing-Geschwätz:
Geschäftskunden, die E-Plus Online WLAN nutzen, zahlen 12 Cent die Minute, bei einer 30-Minuten-Taktung.
Klartext:
Für die Nutzung von E-Plus Online WLAN berechnen wir Ihnen 3,60 EUR für jede angefangene halbe Stunde.
Klingt irgendwie teurer, nicht wahr? Aber auch ehrlicher. Ich lese so oder so den Nachsatz:
Sie brauchen zwar höchstens fünf Minuten, um Ihre Post abzuholen, aber warum sollten wir nur 60 Cent einnehmen, wenn wir auch drei Euro mehr haben können?
Excellent Treo web site
by Volker Weber
This is an excellent web site for a mobile device. Small pages, low volume. The screenshot was taken on a Tungsten T3, not the Treo.
Treo 600 Updater 1.12 available
by Volker Weber
PalmOne has released Treo 600 Updater for unbranded phones. It brings the ROM to version 3.05 and the software to 1.12. This update is required if you want to use the voice recorder. Congratulations to PalmOne for allowing me to download the file directly without any stupid marketing tricks!
Free voice recorder for Treo 600
by Volker Weber
SoundRec is a simple to use voice memo recorder for Palm OS 5 PDA devices that have sound recording capability. Currently the application has only been tested with the PalmOne Treo 600 smartphone.
Rechtschreibtest interaktiv
by Volker Weber
Der folgende Text über die beliebte Sportart Windsurfing enthält zahlreiche Schreibalternativen aus den verschiedenen Bereichen der Orthographie. Wählen Sie durch einfaches Anklicken jeweils diejenige aus, die Sie für richtig halten (Korrekturen sind jederzeit möglich). Nachdem Sie den Test komplett absolviert und auf »Auswertung« geklickt haben, erhalten Sie von uns eine verlässliche und detaillierte Rückmeldung darüber, in welchen Bereichen Sie noch Kenntnislücken haben oder unsicher sind.
[Danke, Alexander]
Sunny, but still too cold
by Volker Weber
Eric sings
by Volker Weber
Who is Eric Idle?
Eric Idle was born in the North of England and etc etc Cambridge. During the sixties and early seventies he was occasionally mistaken for Peter Cook. He now lives in California and is occasionally mistaken for Gene Wilder. He is still not particularly nice.
More importantly he is a member of the Monty Python. No, that is not a scripting language. Now he wrote a little song that is also not particularly nice:
Here’s a little song I wrote the other day while I was out duck hunting with a judge… It’s a new song, it’s dedicated to the FCC and if they broadcast it, it will cost a quarter of a million dollars.
I bet you want to hear it. Well, first crank up that volume. Ready? Here you go.
[via Simon]
Problem solved
by Volker Weber
Q: What do you do if your troops take pictures of physical and sexual abuse in American-run prisons in Iraq?
A: Ban cameras, of course.
Eclipse 3 Milestone 9 is out
by Volker Weber
[via Ben]
Meeow
by Volker Weber
Revolution X
by Volker Weber
The poem that sparked it all has been published by Green Left Weekly. This is the poem written by a teenager named Courtney and read at a local Barnes & Noble and on her high school's closed circuit TV system. This is the poem that led Courtney's principle and the school's "military liason" to brand her "un-American" and order her poetry destroyed. This is the poem that led to the dismissal of teachers. This is the poem that led to art being torn off the walls of an American school.
Separated at birth?
by Volker Weber
Lesson #1: Cameraphones take terrible pictures.
Lesson #2: Don't let anybody with a new cameraphone take your picture.
Lesson #3: Collect one beer from the photographer for your mugshot being published on the internet.
Seagal's latest action movie
by Volker Weber
71 Tote
by Volker Weber
Bundesstelle für Flugunfalluntersuchung:
Die BFU ist der Auffassung, dass der Lotse nicht in der Lage war, die ihm übertragenen und zusätzlich übernommenen Aufgaben sicher umzusetzen. Ein Grund dafür lag in der sich aus der Dienstplanung ergebenden unzureichenden Besetzung mit Flugverkehrsleitern während des Nachtdienstes, die keine kontinuierliche Besetzung der Arbeitspositionen gewährleistete. Aufgabe der Führung und der Qualitätssicherung des Flugsicherungsunternehmens wäre es gewesen, diese Mängel zu erkennen und entsprechende Maßnahmen zu deren Abstellung zu ergreifen. Darüber hinaus duldeten die vorgenannten Institutionen die geübte Praxis der Durchführung des Nachtdienstes. Ein weiterer Grund lag in der falschen Prioritätensetzung und der einseitigen Aufmerksamkeitsverteilung des Lotsen, der sich in eine Situation hineinmanövrierte, deren Gefährlichkeit er zunächst unterschätzte und dann nicht mehr beherrschte.
Der vollständige Unfallbericht >
Are you feeling safer already?
by Volker Weber
Looks like some folks will try to raise security:
- State police next month will begin training how to detect suicide bombers, according to a published report
- NYC transit officials propose ban on subway photos, videos to deter terrorists
- MP3 player wrapped around a soda can sparked a bomb scare at Phoenix Airport
As the president said: "They hate our freedoms". Maybe if the last freedoms have been removed, the hate stops. Right?
Further reading: Beautiful minds and ugly truths
Xerox's unistroke patent invalidated
by Volker Weber
palmOne, Inc. announced that summary judgment had been issued in its favor dismissing Xerox Corporation's claim that palmOne's former text-entry system, Graffiti(R), infringed a Xerox patent.
Good. Can we please have the original Graffiti back? Graffiti 2 does not cut it.
Good Morning
by Volker Weber
[Thanks, Karen]
Und dann addieren wir noch Datum und Uhrzeit dazu
by Volker Weber
Olaf erzählt von Erfahrungen mit seinem Vodafone UMTS-Vertrag:
Gilt für nationalen ein- und abgehenden paketvermittelten Datenverkehr; nicht verbrauchte(s) Inklusivvolumen/-minuten verfallen am Ende des Erfassungszeitraums. Abrechnungstakt für Inklusivvolumen/-minuten und Folgepreis: bei Vodafone-Time L/XL/XXL 10-Min.-Takt, bei Vodafone-Volume L/XL/XXL wird am Ende jeder Verbindung, mindestens jedoch nach 24 Stunden, auf den nächsten vollen 100 KB-Datenblock aufgerundet;
Ich stelle mir gerade vor, man stellt den Mailclient im Handy so ein, dass er alle 15 Minuten Mail holt. Das sind also entweder 4 mal 10 Minuten Verbindung oder 400 kByte Traffic pro Stunde, da immer brav aufgerundet wird. So schafft man dann am Tag entweder 9,6 MB aufgerundetes Volumen (überschlagsmässig 300 MB im Monat), oder im Zeittarif 960 Minuten am Tag und 480 Stunden im Monat. Wohlgemerkt als Untergrenze, falls gar keine Mail da war.
Vielleicht ist es billiger, einen Bongo mit der Kabeltrommel hinter sich herlaufen zu lassen. Weiß hier überhaupt jemand, was ein Bongo ist? :-)
Bei O2 gibt's 'ne Ladenhüterflatrate
by Volker Weber
Wow. O2 versucht mal eine klitzekleine Flatrate namens "O2 Active-Surf & E-Mail-Pack". Ich erspare mir mal das ganze Kleingedruckte, aus dem hervorgeht, dass man noch ein zweites Pack braucht. Der entscheidende Punkt ist:
nur mittels GPRS von O2 über das O2 WAP-Gateway und nur für Inhalte, die originär mit einem WAP-Browser dargestellt werden
Das hat T-Mobile mal vor einiger Zeit für zwei Monate verschenkt und ich habe es nach zwei Tagen aufgegeben, da auch nur noch mal reinzugucken. WAP ist sowas von mausetot, da hilft auch keine Flatrate.
Jaja, ihr würdet ja alle so furchtbar gerne Mehrwertdienste anbieten. Und das sind halt Soundlogos, Klingeltöne, MMS und was sonst noch schlecht und teuer ist. Wie wäre es mal mit Sachen, die man auch gebrauchen kann?
Seit wann macht die Polizei sowas?
by Volker Weber
Kam soeben per IM rein:
Ich sitze mit meinem gestern Abend gekauften Notebook auf dem Bürgersteig, im Hamburger Schanzenviertel, und bin bass erstaunt, dass sich das Teil in ein WLAN einbucht. Also klick klick gemacht und E-Mails gecheckt... und heise.de gelesen. Plötzlich stehen zwei Bullen hinter mir und fragen "Was machen Sie dann da?"
Lange Rede, kurzer Sinn, mein Notebook wurde von den Herrschaften beschlagnahmt. Anzeige folgt.
Mit welchen Konsequenzen muss ich rechnen? Weißt du, ob und wann ich das Notebook eventuell wiederbekomme?
Sachkundige Beiträge willkommen.
A very expensive mistake
by Volker Weber
[Thanks, Tony]
Write a screenplay
by Volker Weber
Here's your task, should you choose to accept it: Look at this picture and tell me what is going on here.
How to setup WLAN security in SuSE Linux
by Volker Weber
I remember chatting with Wolfgang who was unable to find out where he could enter his WEP key in SuSE Linux. So here is a short (?) roadmap how to get there.
- Open YaST
- When prompted enter the root password
- Select Network Hardware
- Select Network Card Configuration
- Look for already configured devices and select your card
- Click on Change
- Click on Edit
- Click on Advanced
- Select Hardware Details from the dropdown list
- Click on Wireless Settings
- Make sure you have selected Managed (default since 9.1)
- Enter the SSID
- Enter the WEP key
- Leave the other fields empty
- Now click on numerous Continue and Finish buttons
I guess the programmer doubles as the Easter Bunny in the spring. :-)
Disabling Unsafe URI Handlers
by Volker Weber
Nils Heeren points me to John Gruber's advice to disable unsafe URI handlers. Thank you, Nils.
Playful things
by Volker Weber
I was chatting with Beate who told me she had installed SuSE 9.1 on a Sony VAIO notebook - there are places you really can't show up with Windows these days. :-)
She was happy that SuSE Linux recognized all the hardware, even a USB key on insertion. "Almost like Windows" she said. I explained that the Mac is even easier than Windows. You never even have to insert a driver CD or such. Uninstalling applications means you throw away the icon.
And then it hit me.
I finally understand why I keep installing a new Linux distribution every other week. I have a desire to fiddle with computers and I need to satisfy this lust somehow. As the Macs just work, I need other systems to play with.
Of course you can turn this argument around: If you never want to fiddle with your computer, get a Mac.
Manchmal geht aber auch alles schief
by Volker Weber
Ein kleiner Mann sitzt traurig in der Kneipe, vor sich ein Bier. Kommt ein richtiger Kerl, haut dem Kleinen auf die Schulter und trinkt dessen Bier aus. Der Kleine fängt an zu weinen.
Der Große: "Nu hab dich nicht so, du memmiges Weichei. Flennen, wegen einem Bier!"
Der Kleine: "Na, dann pass mal auf. Heute früh hat mich meine Frau verlassen, Konto abgeräumt, Haus leer! Danach habe ich meinen Job verloren! Ich wollte nicht mehr Leben. Legte ich mich aufs Gleis - Umleitung! Wollte mich aufhängen - Strick gerissen! Wollte mich erschießen - Revolver klemmt! Und nun kaufe ich vom letzten Geld ein Bier, kippe Gift rein und du säufst es mir weg."
[aus einer Mail von Oliver]
Fedora Core 2 en route
by Volker Weber
BitTorrent is currently downloading Fedora Core 2. Should be here early in the morning. That is a 2+ GByte download. Sometimes it is really good to have an unmetered flatrate.
Mann schpricht doitsch
by Volker Weber
it&w zitiert die Netzeitung:
Augenzeugen berichteten ein Mann im Anzug habe auf den Kanzler eingeschlagen. Der wurde laut Polizeiangaben sofort von Sicherheitskräften festgehalten und vorläufig festgenommen.
Stefan meint dazu:
Aber als Kanzler kommt man sicher schnell wieder aus dem Polizeigewahrsam heraus.
Peng.
Mittlerweile hat das wohl jemand überarbeitet, der deutsch kann.
Man lernt jeden Tag was dazu
by Volker Weber
Warum kann man bei eBay nur schlecht Haarschneidemaschinen verkaufen? Hier steht's.
[via Udo Vetter]
Oops
by Volker Weber
100000 Jahre Informatik in Darmstadt
by Volker Weber
In Darmstadt geht manches schneller als im Rest der Republik, doch 100000 auf 32 Jahre eindampfen kann auch Professor Max Mühlhäuser nicht, Dekan der Informatiker der Technischen Universität Darmstadt (TUD). Dennoch betitelt er augenzwinkernd seinen Vortrag auf dem diesjährigen "Tag der Informatik" am 23. Juni mit "100000 Jahre Informatik in Darmstadt". Die binäre Schreibweise in der aus Nullen und Einsen zusammengesetzten Computersprache macht's möglich (www.informatik.tu-darmstadt.de).
Der Fachbereich Informatik der TUD feiert am 23. Juni die Einweihung des neuen Informatikgebäudes am Herrngarten und kombiniert dies mit dem "Tag der Informatik". Damit nicht genug: der Tag wird als gemeinschaftliche Veranstaltung mit dem ZGDV - Zentrum für Graphische Datenverarbeitung e.V. begangen, welches an diesem Tag sein 20jähriges Jubiläum feiert. Ein volles Programm unter Beteiligung von Wissenschaft, Industrie und Politik rahmt den Tag ein. Mühlhäuser sieht mit der Vereinigung aller Informatik-Abteilungen der TU Darmstadt unter einem Dach 32 Jahre nach Gründung des Fachbereichs eine wesentliche Voraussetzung dafür, die Zusammenarbeit der Informatiker zu verstärken und den hohen Rang der Darmstädter Ausbildung - Platz 2 im jüngsten Wirtschaftswoche-Ranking - zu halten oder gar zu verbessern.
Das Festkolloquium am 23. Juni 2004 wird eröffnet vom hessischen Wissenschaftsminister Udo Corts und dem Taufpaten des neuen Informatik-Gebäudes, dem Darmstädter Professor Dr. Robert Piloty. Er ist einer der Väter des Studienfaches Informatik in Deutschland und wird am 8. Juni 80 Jahre alt. Die Festvorträge des Vormittags befassen sich unter anderem mit "Themen und Trends der Forschung in der Informations- und Kommunikationstechnik aus der Sicht der Deutschen Telekom" (H.A. Aukes, Leiter Zentralbereich Innovation) und mit "Digital Spirit - the impact of ICT on our social life and on society" (J. Amkreuz, Digital Crossroads).
Die Nachmittagsveranstaltungen finden dann an zwei Standorten statt; Prof. José Encarnação lädt zu Vorträgen in sein Zentrum für Graphische Datenverarbeitung (www.zgdv.de) in der Fraunhoferstraße 5 ein, während im neuen Piloty-Gebäude weitere Fachvorträge von Referenten aus Wissenschaft und Industrie zu hören sind.
Der Forschungschef der SAP AG, Dr. Lutz Heuser, spricht über "The Real Time Enterprise". Industrievorträge von Computer Associates, T-Online und Lufthansa-Systems verdeutlichen den Schulterschluss der Darmstädter Informatiker mit der Industrie. "Diese Praxisnähe schlägt sich seit Jahren in unserem ausgezeichneten Ranking bei den Personalchefs nieder", betont Mühlhäuser.
Outlook 2003/2002 Lotus Domino Connector
by Volker Weber
Microsoft Office Outlook Connector for IBM Lotus Domino enables you to use Microsoft Office Outlook 2003 or Microsoft Outlook 2002 to access your e-mail messages, calendar, address book, and To Do (task) items on an IBM Lotus Domino Release 5.x or Release 6.x server.
Now available in english, french, german, italian, portugese, and spanish.
[Thanks, TC]
Life explained
by Volker Weber
From my inbox:
On the first day God created the cow. God said: "You must go to field with the farmer all day long and suffer under the sun, have calves and give milk to support the farmer. I will give you a life span of sixty years."
The cow said: "That's a kind of a tough life you want me to live for sixty years. Let me have twenty years and I'll give back the other forty."
And God agreed.
On the second day, God created the dog. God said: "Sit all day by the door of your house and bark at anyone who comes in or walks past. I will give you a life span of twenty years."
The dog said: "That's too long to be barking. Give me ten years and I'll give back the other ten."
So, with a sigh, God agreed.
On the third day, God created the monkey. God said: Entertain people, do monkey tricks, make them laugh. I'll give you a twenty year life span."
Monkey said: "How boring, monkey tricks for twenty years? I don't think so. Dog gave you back ten, so that's what I'll do too, okay?"
And God agreed again.
On the fourth day God created man. God said: "Eat, sleep, play, have sex, enjoy. Do nothing, just enjoy, enjoy. I'll give you twenty years."
Man said: "What? Only twenty years? No way man. Tell you what, I'll take my twenty, and the forty cow gave back, and the ten dog gave back and the ten monkey gave back. That makes eighty, okay?"
"Okay," said God. "You've got a deal."
So that is why for the first twenty years we eat, sleep, play, have sex, enjoy, and do nothing; for the next forty years we slave in the sun to support our family; for the next ten years we do monkey tricks to entertain our grandchildren; and for the last ten years we sit in front of the house and bark at everybody.
Life has now been explained. Any questions, ask Him.
[Thanks, Frank]
Liebe T-Mobile,
by Volker Weber
jetzt habt Ihr Euch so viel Mühe gegeben mit neuen Tarifverwirrungen und ich kaufe immer noch nicht. Warum nur?
Ich will mal versuchen, Euch etwas auf die Sprünge zu helfen:
Meine Handys können schon so lange GPRS wie Ihr. Und so ein verbindungsloser Dienst schreit nach "Always on". Das habt Ihr mir gleich von Anfang an mit Euren Tarifen aberzogen, die das reine Einbuchen in das Netz bestrafen. Und sogar gleich mehrfach, wenn Ihr die Verbindung verloren habt. Auch heute habt Ihr wieder zeitbezogene Tarife, bei denen ich schön darauf achten soll, auch immer wieder "aufzulegen", was bei einem verbindungslosen Dienst nicht so richtig wertvoll ist. So wird das also schon mal nichts mit uns beiden.
Dann gibt es noch ganz viele Data xx Tarife, bei denen ich mich darauf festlegen darf, ob ich gerne 2, 10, 50, 150 oder gar 500 MB pro Monat herunterladen möchte. Den letzten nennt ihr sogar nocht "flat", obwohl er gar nicht flach, sondern allenfalls weit ist. Dort, wo die Erde aufhört, eine Scheibe zu sein, da ist er auf einmal nicht mehr flat. Nein, nein, ich habe gar keine Lust, mir hunderte von Megabyte über mein kleines Handy zu saugen. Aber ich weiss wirklich nicht vorher, ob mir jemand eine spaßige Powerpoint-Präsentation (a.k.a. poor man's slideshow) schickt.
Wie schreibt Ihr so schön?
Mit den neuen Datenoptionen können Sie bei den Kosten für die mobile Datenkommunikation kräftig sparen
Das stimmt. Ich werde sie auch weiter sorgsam meiden und weiter darauf achten, dass das Handy gar nie niemals auch nur versucht, sich mit Eurem Datennetz zu verbinden.
Ich weiss, dass Ihr Euch mit den T-Zones Geräten müht, den arglosen User mit rosa Tasten, die sich nicht umprogrammieren lassen, auf das Netz zu ziehen. Aber mal im Ernst: Euer Geschäftsmodell kann doch nicht sein, dass Ihr immer wieder versucht, den Kunden zu ficken. In USA geht's doch auch ganz einfach - und das ganz ohne Geiz ist geil:
Nicht zu vergessen, 300 SMS-Nachrichten sind schon drin und jede weitere kostet dort bei Euch 5¢. Das sind zu unseren Preisen locker SMS-Nachrichten im Gegenwert von 57 €. Muss man ja wirklich nicht alle aufbrauchen. Ja, ich weiß, Ihr kassiert das gleiche auch für eingehende Nachrichten, das halbiert den Vorteil auf 28,50 €.
Also wie wär's? Ihr schnickt die ganzen Marketingfuzzis, die sich diesen Quatsch ausdenken und dann teuere Aufträge an Eure Internet-Abteilung und die Abrechnungsoftware vergeben. Dann macht Ihr ein ordentliches Angebot für sagen wir mal 19 € im Monat, so viel und so oft ich will, damit ich nicht zählen muss. Oder die "Verbindung" unterbrechen muss. Dafür lasst Ihr die SMS weg, damit Ihr damit weiter die Kids abzocken könnt. Und diese 19 € kriegt Ihr dann von mir. Jeden Monat. Versprochen. Solange spar ich sie mir.
Mfg. Volker Weber, ununterbrochen Kunde seit Motorola Knochen.
Bejeweled
by Volker Weber
Thanks to Violante for telling me about Bejeweled and to Schweppes for sending it my way:
Amazingly simple to play - Unbelievably hard to put down! One of the rare games that you can play all day 'just one more go' at a time.
Right. I must have gone to bed an hour later than usually. It's now running on Ute's XDA2 and the Treo 600. :-)
Successful upgrade
by Volker Weber
Upgraded two of my machines to SuSE Linux 9.1 Professional today. The installation was flawless, and if you stay away from KDE and opt for Gnome instead, then it actually also looks nice. Not the MyFirstLinux look. :-)
Evolution 1.4 is broken as expected when connected to Domino via IMAP. Have not found a workaround so far. But I am probably just switching to Thunderbird which works just nice.
Need to catch up
by Volker Weber
I am somewhat behind on my news feeds. :-)
How to shoot your feet off
by Volker Weber
Six Apart, the makers of Movable Type just released licensing details for their upcoming version 3. Without going into details, it would mean that I would have to pay hundreds of dollars to upgrade to that version. Which is not going to happen anytime soon.
This is very untimely for Six Apart. Before this announcement there already was a trickle of weblogs moving away from MT to other packages like Wordpress and Textpattern. Both of them are not mature but promising. I already built one site with Textpattern and I like it a lot. John moved from MT to Wordpress. The trickle may turn into something very big soon. Among the countless moans I have found one positive voice. But Heiko is party.
What is happing at vowe's magic flying circus? Nothing. I am staying put for the time being. After the dust settles I will decide where I want to jump ship. Movable Type is not on the list anymore. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
Ambuj speaking ...
by Volker Weber
... at DNUG. This is not going to happen often, so I might as well post this for remembrance.
No touchie, reloaded
by Volker Weber
Remember Günther? Now here is the video.
[Thanks, Markus]
Kurz und knackig
by Volker Weber
Der Meister führt
by Volker Weber
Beate hat mich auf die Colani-Ausstellung in Karlsruhe hingewiesen - und sogar persönlich hingeführt. :-) Sehr interessant, weil praktisch das ganze Lebenswerk ausgestellt ist. Dutzende von Autos und Flugzeugmodellen, jede Menge Gebrauchsgegenstände. Aber das beste war die Führung durch den Meister selbst. Danke für den Tipp, Beate.
How much money would you pay for wireless access
by Volker Weber
As a speaker at the conference I enjoyed free access to the WLAN and the Internet. So I was able to check e-mail. I don't browse the web a lot, because there is no point going to a conference and then not paying attention to the sessions.
When Oliver asked me how to get access I told him to go to the conference office and have his hardware address registered so the WLAN would let him in. He came back and told me that he found out that the price was outrageous.
So here is my question: How much would you pay for two days of wireless access?
Read on to see what they asked.
Out of office notice
by Volker Weber
I am heading towards Karlsruhe in the early morning for the 20th DNUG conference. I believe it is going to be quite interesting. I am meeting with Bob, will once again be listening to an Ambuj pitch and generally meet lots of people. If you are there and you know me, while I don't know you, please don't hesitate to address me. I enjoy meeting new people. Beate, drop me an SMS on my mobile phone if you want to grab lunch today or tomorrow.
While I may have Internet access in Karlsruhe, I won't have the time to publish lots of exciting things. See you on the other side.
This indeed is vowe's choice
by Volker Weber
Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner. Installation and configuration has ended and I have everything I need on the device. Today was Treo appreciation day. I used the phone throughout the whole day and I enjoyed every minute.
I mentioned a few things that need improvement. So if PalmOne comes out with a better screen, Bluetooth or WLAN, I am all for it. But today this is the best smart phone on the market. At least, it is the best I ever laid my hands on. I have looked at the Siemens SX1, the SonyEricsson 900 and the XDA2. They may all be fine, but I think I am more of a Palm person.
If T-Mobile Germany would finally come out with an affordable flat-fee GPRS pricing, then I might even use the mail client or the web browser. Yeah, fat chance. Until then, this is my new PDA and phone. It does not win the editor-refuses-to-give-it-back award. It wins the over-my-dead-body award.
Having trouble installing Palm Desktop on your Mac?
by Volker Weber
If you have difficulties installing Palm Desktop on your Mac check out this technote:
The palmOne Permission Fixer application resolves a known issue with the Palm Desktop installer and Macintosh OS X when iSync 1.2 has been installed.
It saved me from a nasty Access Denied error message.
Thank you so much
by Volker Weber
More than 60 people wishing me a happy birthday here, lots of phone calls, a nice gathering in the evening. What a day. Thank you all for your attention.
A few remarks concerning my age: I have no problem with the fact that I am 46. Some years ago I would have considered it old. 13 years ago I could not even imagine making it so far. In a few years I might consider it young. Today it just feels right. It feels like "today". Mentally I may be younger than many others, physically I am not. I think faster than I run, but sometimes I speak faster than I think. Working on that ...
Also thank you all for your kind remarks about "staying as I am". I intend to do so, while working on the weak points that I am aware of. I have picked up a nice saying a few months ago: "Wer die Wahrheit spricht, braucht ein schnelles Pferd". (If you speak honestly, you need a fast horse). So, I intend to keep that fast horse. Or a few hundred of them. :-)
Forty Six
by Volker Weber
Und Tante Ammi
by Volker Weber
Herr Friese bestellt Kugelschreiber.
Tageslichtverschwendung
by Volker Weber
Gut beobachtet von Felix:
bin heute aus unerfindlichen gründen um fünf vor fünf aufgewacht. also eigentlich schon früher. aber um fünf vor fünf aufgestanden. also um halb sechs aus dem haus. kann ja mal früh ins büro gehen. dabei ist mir aufgefallen was für eine tageslichverschwendung heutzutage in deutschland herrscht: es ist um halb sechs schon taghell! da schlafen doch 80% der menschen noch. für wen wird da das licht angemacht?
Page impressions going through the roof
by Volker Weber
This happens if your site trails directly behind CNN, MSNBC and USA Today for a particular search term on Google. This snapshot was taken only three hours after the last counter reset. Holy moly.
What is happening here? People are looking for pictures. And I believe that the pictures those people are looking for will have the same impact as this picture.
Secure collaboration across platforms
by Volker Weber
If you think that Groove is bloated, slow and should run on more than one operating system, you may want to try this:
Use the Shinkuro software to share files across enterprise boundaries - securely. Just install the software on each machine, create a group and designate a folder you would like to share with the group. Any files you put in that folder will be shared with the other members automatically.
Shinkuro also includes secure instant messaging and secure screen sharing, to give you a complete collaboration environment. Shinkuro's lightweight technology works easily with all of your applications.
Shinkuro runs on Windows 2000 and XP, Mac OS X "Panther", and Linux.
[via Jeroen Bekkers]
Open Source Testing Tools
by Volker Weber
Opensourcetesting.org aims to boost the profile of open source testing tools within the testing industry, principally by giving users easy access from one central location to the wide range of open source testing tools available.
[via Testing Web Apps On a Shoestring Budget]
Graffiti on the Treo 600
by Volker Weber
The Treo 600 has a keyboard. Nice. But there are times when it is easier for me to enter data with the stylus. So I was missing Graffiti badly. Using a file manager I found out that there is Graffiti in the ROM:
Graffiti Anywhere to the rescue. I used this tool on the Palm Tungsten T so I did not need to open the slider to enter data. With the Treo it lets me use Graffiti without an input area at all:
Last step: Replacing Graffiti 2 with the original version. Finally home. :-)
Bahn muss nicht Steinzeit sein
by Volker Weber
Sie reisen regelmässig mit denselben Zügen und möchten gerne informiert werden, falls sich Abfahrts- oder Ankunftszeiten ändern? Über SMS-Alarm erhalten Sie kostenlos die aktuellsten Infos auf Ihr Mobiltelefon. SMS-Alarm – einmal abonniert, immer informiert.
How cool is this?
by Volker Weber
Adjusting your PDA clock
by Volker Weber
It never ceases to amaze me that GSM phones do not update their internal clock although they have a very precise clock on the network. The Treo is no exception. But here is help in the form of TimeCopy (Windows/Mac). It consists of a conduit and a Palm application. Together they will adjust the PDA clock to the desktop clock. Since both Windows and the Mac can adjust their own time via NTP, you can forget now about setting the clock.
Should Microsoft supply patches for bootleg copies?
by Volker Weber
Interesting discussion:
An age old catch-22 illuminated once again by the recent Sasser outbreak among members of our Security forum: a large number of PC's run pirated copies of Windows XP, which aren't able to apply security patches because of invalid CD keys. Should these infected PC's be allowed to grab timely critical updates, simply to help lessen the impact of worms web-wide? Many users say pirates who can't find workarounds should "reap what they sow", but their infected pirated Windows boxes impact non-pirates everywhere.
Apple iBook G4 Graphics Update
by Volker Weber
This update is recommended for the 12-inch 1GHz, and 14-inch 1.2GHz iBook G4. It updates the graphics driver to fix a compatibility issue that may exist with applications that use OpenGL.
When this update package is downloaded and installed it will replace the old ATIDriver.bundle with a new one.
I am applying the "one two" rule here. Count to two days before installing and see whether others are having trouble. Anybody out there who wants to go first? :-)
Emails may take up to an hour?
by Volker Weber
You'll receive an email shortly with further instructions to download Palm Desktop software 4.2.1 for Mac. Emails are sent out automatically but may take up to 1 hour.
As much as I like some of palmOne's products, but here words fail me. How about just supplying a link?
Free Lotus Notes RSS Reader
by Volker Weber
Staying current and being well informed is becoming more and more essential in today's business environment. The PAVONE NewsReader is an application that assists you in this endeavor. The PAVONE NewsReader collects messages from RSS-based channels. These channels are offered by a multitude of sources. Using PAVONE NewsReader the messages can be collected manually or automatically in the background. Afterwards they can be transferred to other Lotus Notes / Domino databases by E-mail or by the integrated PAVONE KnowledgeGateway. PAVONE NewsReader allows you to enjoy time savings with a solution that is fully integrated into your Lotus Notes environment.
The PAVONE NewsReader can be installed locally on a Lotus Notes client (5.0.2 or higher) or shared on a Lotus Domino server (5.0.2 or higher). The PAVONE NewsReader is available as Freeware for personal use in the Lotus Notes Client.
Hardware requirements
by Volker Weber
I don't understand why everybody is crying about the requirements for running Windows Longhorn:
The average PC is expected to have a dual-core 4 to 6GHz processor, a minimum of 2GB of RAM, a 1 terabyte hard drive, 1 gigabit Ethernet, and a graphics card that’s three times as fast as the ones you can buy right now.
Of course it is going to eat up more cycles than current software. That's the whole point. You add up more layers of stuff because you have hardware that lets you do that.
If you look at your current PC and think that it is too slow, just revert to the software that was on the machine when you got it. Note that the machine is as blazingly fast as it was when you first ran it. Just don't try to run today's software on yesterday's hardware. There is a catch: Software is not supported forever.
If you have a 5 years old machine that was delivered with Windows 98, it would still run as fast as 5 years ago. But it would not meet today's security requirements. Which renders this solution useless. This is where Linux comes into play. You need a secure software platform with less complexity (read: which needs fewer cycle) that you can run on yesterday's hardware. Linux is one of them, BSD would be another.
There is also a recipe to let disaster happen today without waiting for Longhorn to run on today's hardware. You just add complexity today. Example: If you want to secure your notebooks in every possible way you add encrpyption to your harddisk. Then you save a bit on RAM so that the software stack does not fit in memory and you put your swap file on that encrypted disk (which is necessary, because there is real data in the swap that needs that protection as well). You have now successfully turned today's hardware into a slow machine that feels like it was acquired 5 years ago.
One block from vowe's magic flying circus
by Volker Weber
Photo: Kristof Doffing
Trade-offs
by Volker Weber
Some of you mention that they could not live with the compromises in the Treo. I respectfully disagree.
Bluetooth was very important for me with the Tungsten, primarily because I used that to connect to the phone. As the PDA and the phone are now one device, that no longer matters. I also used BT to connect to my access point and pull mail from my server. Why? Because I could do it. :-) Once in a while I played with the web browser, but what can you expect at 320x480, let alone 160x160.
I never synced the Tungsten via BT for a simple reason: Too slow. For mobile backup purposes I use an SD card anyway.
On a slightly related note: I also tried to connect Ute's XDA2 via BT to an access point but this device does not support the required profile to connect via PPP/BT.
I believe the package is about right, even without BT and a better screen. The XDA2 does have a better screen, but it is also much larger. Usabiltiy is certainly way below the Treo. That is only in part due to Windows CE. Handspring has improved quite a few things in the Palm OS. You can use it very well with the application keys and he 5-way navigator key.
Just as an example let me mention the address book. You type any part of the name and it will narrow down the list to people who have that string as a part of their first or last name. The XDA2 can do the same thing, but you have to use two hands, while the Treo only needs one. The Tungsten would only find (last) names that start with the search string.
How long is forever?
by Volker Weber
Ed teases with a quote from Ambuj Goyal who is preparing his keynote at the DNUG conference next week:
Lotus Notes will live forever
Read the comments at his site.
PalmOne Treo 600: First looks
by Volker Weber
The new Treo arrived today while I was at a client's site. The courier dropped it off at my neighbor's office and I was able to pick it up when I came back in the evening.
I unpacked the device and the charger and connected everything to a power outlet. Imagine me standing next to the outlet and playing with the new toy. I am never patient enough to let a new device sit there for the three hour initial charge.
Here we are a few hours later. Syncing all my data from the Mac was a breeze. I renamed the backup directory, connected the Treo via the USB cable and hit hotsync. 10 Minutes later everything was running as expected. I installed the few applications I need and the Treo was ready to roll.
I will need to get used to the tiny keyboard but I believe that is not going to take long. However, I was never able to adjust to Grafitti 2 from the Original Grafitti that I had used on all my Newtons and the Palms up to the Tungsten T. With the Tungsten T3, I had always tapped on the onscreen keyboard. The Treo does not have any handwriting recognition at all so I need to learn the keyboard.
The overall feel of the Treo is incredible. The five way navigator and the application buttons let you navigate and use the device without the stylus.
There are a few things that are less than optimal. First: there is no bluetooth, nor is there any Wireless LAN. So I have no good way to connect back to the net other than over GPRS. Which is a terrible idea in Germany with its metered GPRS plans.
Second: The screen is nowhere near the Tungsten. While the built-in camera takes nice pictures in bright daylight, you cannot really appreciate them on the device. You need to beam them to a Tungsten to get a better view. Also, there is no conduit to sync the pictures to a Mac yet. The Documentations says one should check the PalmOne website. Presumably they are working on a solution.
Third: The mail client does not support IMAP. Alas, I won't use it anyway over GPRS so that isn't too bad for me.
Fourth: I am badly missing the Tungsten World Clock. I used the built-in alarm quite often. Or I used the alarm clock of the SonyEricsson phone. I am not carring those anymore now that I have the Treo. So I need a solution here.
This is the end of my gripe list. The positive by far outweighs the negative, rest assured. You will hear a lot more in the coming days as I play more with the new toy.
So schlimm hatte ich das nicht eingeschätzt
by Volker Weber
[Danke, Alexander]
Not next monday
by Volker Weber
Today I received an invitation to be in New York City next monday for a brief business trip. Is this cool, or what? Bad timing though. There are three days each year that are off limits for work. One was the sunday of last week, one is Christmas, and the third one is next monday. Besides, my passport is only valid for another 3 months. Not good enough for a brief trip into the land of the free. (?)
Completely unrelated: There is a new toy in transit to vowe's magic flying circus. Expect a review soon.
Quak?
by Volker Weber
Google IPO calculator
by Volker Weber
Google does not want to raise 2.7 billion in their IPO. They want to raise exactly e billion. I could make good use of the missing 18,281,828. :-)
The Abu Ghraib Prison Photos
by Volker Weber
It’s the "liberation" of the Iraqi people – and it isn’t pretty…. More details. And the chain of command.
Microsoft is about money
by Volker Weber
Microsoft is about money, not innovation. They aren't opposed to innovation and like to be seen as innovators, but what really matters to them as a company is the money. Think of it that way and a lot of what they do starts to make sense. When I give speeches (and why haven't I been asked to speak lately in Oz?) I like to pull out a $US20 note and point out that there is something about that note that bothers Bill Gates - that it is in my pocket. Microsoft really does want all the money and I'm not sure they won't get it.
