July 2006
Seth has a question
by Cem Basman
Seth Godin, marketing guru, states that search has changed the way we interact with the world. He asks us now:
How do you use search to introduce the right buyers to the right sellers when it's not a frequent transaction of a commodity? I have no clue.I'm betting someone is going to figure it out.
Interesting question. Do you? Maybe the Google guru knows the answer? Or the engine itself?
Trackpad no longer hangs
by Volker Weber
Manfred just bought a new MacBook and now he has a lot of questions about Mac OS X. But he also has answers. He has solved the mystery, that some people (like myself) report their trackpad once in a while briefly hangs, while others are unaffected. As it turns out, you just have to disable the "Ignore accidental trackpad input" and all is well. On the iBook I had to use this setting, but on the MacBook I seem to be fine without it.
www.ie7.com
by Volker Weber
Guess what?
[Thanks, Mitch]
Funny math
by Volker Weber
It's over
by Volker Weber
Looks like I can retire the wind machine for now.
Kontakte Ihrer Kontakte
by Volker Weber
Es gibt Leute, die mag man nicht mal um zwei Ecken kennen.
Updated launch2net on the MacBook
by Volker Weber
Software installation on my new MacBook is almost complete. Today I configured launch2net, which helps you connect your Mac to the Internet via a mobile telephone. While you can do this yourself with some dedication, the correct modem scripts and Internet Connect, launch2net does it all for you. It discovers your phone, your provider, knows about the correct settions for your access point and then lets you connect. I find this very convenient, especially since I am switching phones and SIM cards quite often.
The current version also has one important feature: It will monitor the traffic that goes through this connection. If you have limited data plan, you can see how volume you have already used up. The software can reset the counter on any specific date, so you can see how much volume you have added up in the current and in your last month.
Today is System Administrator Appreciation Day
by Cem Basman
In case you forgot your bit stokers deep in the belly of your steamer.
What are they smoking?
by Volker Weber
It looks like the Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores of the República de El Salvador thinks that I am maintaining their Sitios de embajadas y consulados. At least if you follow the second link under Vinculos in the lefthand navigation. ;-)
Update: I received this email today:
I am the person who developed that website based in Notes Domino and some links that i used for testing the site at the beginning was "http://www.vowe.net" among others. Obviously those links were not updated to the right pages. I am a frequent reader in your website and in that moment when i was developing the configuration page, i used yours.
The developer chose three links: www.yahoo.com, vowe.net and www.google.com. I feel extremely flattered. Thank you. :-)
How to get rid of malware
by Volker Weber
IBM has started a new website with weekly (?) podcasts. In the first episode Rocky Oliver explains:
Is your computer riddled with spyware, adware and other malware? ShortCuts security expert Rocky Oliver shares his tips for beating the spyware menace. Rocky recommends two freeware programs: ad-aware and spybot search and destroy.
Rocky, this is actually much easier. :-)
You call that a knife? This is a knife.
by Volker Weber
As a cure to my MacBook WLAN dropouts I replaced the Linksys access point (actually a router with AP) with a Netgear WG302. What a big honking piece of machinery. I love those blue metal Netgear boxes. The only thing I don't like are their big power supplies. I'd prefer small switching power supplies instead of transformers. Swapping the gear brought an instantaneous power boost. With its bigger antennas, reception on my MacBook went from 48 to 55. I don't know what these numbers in iStumbler mean, but higher numbers are better. :-) Most importantly however, the MacBook has not dropped out today.
I also put the access point on its own network. The main reason for that is that I was running out of ports on my switch, but it also gives me the benefit of being able to better control what you can do from there. I now have four networks on my router: Internet, LAN, WLAN and Public WLAN. You can get from the Public WLAN to the Internet, but not to the other networks for instance.
What you can do with a spare access point? Thomas has an idea. ;-)
Internet Explorer has encountered a problem
by Volker Weber
Internet Explorer 7 has encountered a problem, according to ieCapture. In all fairness, it looks like IE7 renders the page just fine, and the problem is most likely in the ieCapture site.
[via michael]
Auch 'ne Art von Zensur
by Ragnar Schierholz
In der Schweiz gibt's seit einiger Zeit eine Zeitung namens 20 Minuten, welche kostenlos in verschiedenen Städten in Bussen, Bahnen, etc. verteilt wird. Inzwischen ist das die grösste Zeitung der Schweiz (was auch immer da als Auflage gezählt wird will ich hier nicht diskutieren).
Ausserdem hat sich das Pendlerblog etabliert, welches 20 Minuten regelmässig auf die Finger schaut. Bspw. werden Beiträge angeprangert, die relativ offensichtlich gesponsert sind und Produktwerbung machen, allerdings nicht als solche gekennzeichnet sind. Das ist an und für sich auch nach Schweizer Medienrecht nicht zulässig. Angeprangerte Artikel werden natürlich vom Pendlerblog verlinkt. Allerdings hat sich 20 Minuten inzwischen erlaubt, alle Anfragen mit einem Pendlerblog-Referrer auf einen Artikel der Süddeutschen Zeitung weiterzuleiten. In dem Artikel geht es um gesponserte Schleichwerbung in Blogs. Das ist m.E. auch eine Form von Zensur, die man (wie andere Zensuren auch) allerdings umgehen kann.
Das haben nun ein paar Leser des Pendlerblogs aufgenommen und versucht, zu implementieren. Dabei ist ein PHP-Script (ZIP als Download) entstanden, dass an eine übergebene URL weiterleitet, sofern der Referrer das Pendlerblog ist. Die Macher vom Pendlerblog bitten ihre Leser nun darum, dieses Script auf ihren Servern zu installieren und dem Pendlerblog so die Möglichkeit zu geben, zufällig verschiedene Wege zu 20 Minuten zu finden, die dort nicht sofort redirected werden.
Ich mach da gern mit :-). Also, Script installieren und Mail an pendlerblog@gmx.de schreiben.
Don't get too excited yet
by Volker Weber
Rules of engagement: First you complete the page, then you publish it.
[Thanks, Frank]
Happy little clouds
by Volker Weber
[via cute overload]
Modern pirates of the caribbean and some other waters ...
by Cem Basman
A recently reported average incident from the Weekly Piracy Report 18-24 July 2006:
23.07.2006 at 0015 LT at Chittagong Alfa anchorage, Bangladesh. 10 robbers armed with long knives boarded a tanker at forecastle. They attacked shore watchmen and tied them up. D/O raised alarm, crew mustered and robbers jumped into water and escaped with one lifebuoy. Port control and coast guard informed.
In case you are interested in regularly updated news, reports, statistics, alert maps, conferences etc on modern pirates ... please serve yourself at the ICC Commercial Crime Services website or at the Intern'l Maritime Organisation. Since the times of Jack Sparrow there has been no change in the spirit and tactics of the buccaneers - not even in their armory.
Land unter
by Volker Weber
Das war ein Volltreffer. Temperatur fällt binnen fünf Minuten um 10 Grad, Blitze genau über uns. Donner, dass die Wände wackeln. Und dann Wasser, Wasser, Wasser. Leider sind die Steine rundherum immer noch 30 Grad warm, so dass die Temperatur schon wieder steigt.
Jamba ripping you off?
by Ragnar Schierholz
Today, Jamba launches their Jamba Music service in a public beta. Even though the link to more infomation, at least all you get in Firefox is a blank page. Using IE you get more.
You can buy a song for €1.29 or subscribe for a fee of €4.99 per month and get access to 20 music files for download. For €14.95 per month you get access to the full directory of music files. You have to use Jamba's software to download the music and to synchronize it to your cell phone. This phone has to run a mobile version of the Jamba software, which is currently available for Nokias N70, N80, N91, 6680, 6630 and 3250.
Nikon is about to release D70 successor in two weeks
by Volker Weber
Vorsicht auf der A5 zwischen Frankfurt und Darmstadt
by Volker Weber
Weiterstadt (ots) - Auf der A 5 zwischen der Ansschlussstelle Weiterstadt und der Raststätte Gräfenhausen hat sich in Fahrtrichtung Frankfurt durch Hitzeeinwirkung die Fahrbahndecke gehoben. Betroffen sind die beiden linken Fahrspuren, die inzwischen gesperrt wurden. Hier haben sich zwei Betonplatten aus den Fugen gelöst und ca. 20 - 30 cm hochgestellt. Seit 13.25 Uhr meldeten sich immer mehr Autofahrer bei dewr Polizei, die sich beim Überfahren dieser Gefahrenstelle ihre Fahrzeuge zum Teil erheblich beschädigt haben. Der Verkehr wird über die beiden rechten Fahrbahnstreifen und den Standstreifen geleitet. Die Sperrung der beiden linken Fahrstreifen wird bis in die Nacht andauern. Drei Streifen der Polizeiautobahnstation sind derzeit mit der Schadensaaufnahme beschäftigt.
Das ist brutal gefährlich und kann auch an anderer Stelle auf der gleichen Strecke passieren. Das ist kein langsamer Prozess. Die Platte springt plötzlich hoch.
[Quelle]
Bean counters rejoice - you can enter € in the Linux Notes client
by Volker Weber
It appears that the Notes Client for Linux readme file is broken, and not the product. At least in one respect:
there was an erroneous item from earlier beta builds (which did have problems with the euro) in the release notes which should have been deleted.
Apparently you can enter the Euro sign (€). That will make Ed much happier. ;-)
How many pages must a man read ...
by Volker Weber
[With apologies to Bob Dylan]
Please make a guess before you click. How many pages does the install guide for WebSphere Portal 6 have? This is not recommended reading; it is required. And keep in mind, this is not about operation, administration or development. This is only for installing the product.
Get the guide here. Or find the page count here.
Microsoft to change the Ribbon in Office 2007
by Volker Weber
CRN reports:
When Microsoft unveils an update to the beta of its Office 2007 later this summer, it will modify parts of the user interface that have attracted criticism, the product's UI lead program manager said this week.
The Ribbon, a new top-of-the-window feature in most of the suite's applications -- including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint -- takes up too much space, say many beta users and reviewers . In response, the next Office 2007 update, a so-called Technical Refresh (TR), will include changes to the Ribbon.
I think the Ribbon is one of the most interesting updates to the user interface of feature-rich applications. I hope that Microsoft is able to establish a new reference model here.
BTW: There is one thing I find highly amusing. The 3.5" floppy disk has established itself as the icon for "save document", although modern computers no longer even have a floppy drive.
More than 95% of e-mail is 'junk'
by Volker Weber
Analysis of the contents of millions of e-mails has revealed that less than 4% is legitimate traffic. Further work has shown that most of this junk mail is originating on hijacked home computers.
Bill, you wanted a computer on every desk. You delivered a security hole in every desk.
Only in the Netherlands
by Volker Weber
MacBook falling off WLAN
by Volker Weber
When I tested the MacBook two week ago, I noticed it dropping off the wireless network. I did not really bother fixing it, but now that I own one, I need to find out why it happens and what can be done about it. These are my observations:
- It never drops off while the power supply is connected.
- It drops off while running on battery power.
- It never drops off while downloading a large file.
- It never drops off while running iStumbler.
My current theory is that this is a power management issue. If I keep the Airport card busy or the machine is plugged in, the MacBook remains connected.
Ablasshandel
by Volker Weber
Handwerker in Frankfurt und im Rhein-Main-Gebiet können ihre Fahrzeuge künftig im eingeschränkten Halteverbot parken, ohne einen Strafzettel befürchten zu müssen. Voraussetzung ist aber, dass sie sich bei ihren örtlichen Straßenverkehrsbehörden einen Handwerker-Parkausweis besorgen.
Der Handwerkerausweis kostet 305 Euro pro Jahr. Er berechtigt zum Parken im eingeschränkten Halteverbot, setzt die Gebühren für Parkautomaten außer Kraft und erlaubt die Benutzung der 30 000 Bewohner-Parkplätze in Frankfurt.
Und ich dachte, das hat was mit Verkehrssicherheit zu tun. Billiger als ein Parkplatz ist der Persilschein allemal.
New MacBook in the house
by Volker Weber
It took me less than two weeks for an aboutface regarding the MacBook. I ordered one on Monday, it was upgraded yesterday and arrived here within one day. How is this possible? You just have to avoid the Apple Store. ;-)
It was time to part with Snoopy. I cloned the harddisk to an external drive, wiped and re-imaged the disk, cleaned its fur ;-) and packed it all up in the original box. There is still three months on AppleCare so that the new owner can have everything fixed that he does not like, but the machine actually has a lot of spare parts and looks almost new. It received a new logic board yesterday (the second one lasted eighteen months), a new battery at the end of last year (still at 100% after 100 cycles), and a new harddisk 10 months ago. There was also one dead trackpad with the first logic board swap and a new keyboard. AppleCare was a really good investment. I hope all is sorted out now.
Now the new MacBook gets all the beating. I ordered it with 36 month of extended warranty, and like the iBook it will be running 16 hours a day. :-)
Update: Since I am getting numerous requests: No, you cannot buy Snoopy. It was sold before I posted. Actually, I only bought the new MacBook because I had promised a friend that he could have Snoopy at any time.
It's "Make your own caption" time
by Volker Weber
Aus der Reihe Lustige URLs
by Volker Weber
Erst raten, dann klicken. Was ist www.juh-da-di.de?
Ziemlich weit
by Volker Weber
Aus dem Handelsblatt:
In den 30er-Jahren führte PanAm dann Passagierflüge ein. Als erste Fluggesellschaft der Welt bot sie ab 1935 einen regelmäßigen Transatlantikflug von San Francisco nach Manila auf den Philippinen an.
Das wäre ziemlich weit, wenn man es wirklich über den Atlantik versuchen würde ...
[Danke, Hajo]
Skype with video on Mac OS X
by Volker Weber
Finally! With and without video.
The statistics of war
by Volker Weber
Here are some stark statistics:All three of these stories are due to appear on tonight's Ten O'Clock News. They will probably run in that order - with the Middle East getting by far the most attention.
- Around 30 to 40 people are killed every day in the current Israel/Lebanon conflict.
- About 100 people are killed every day in the violence in Iraq.
- And 1,200 people are killed every day in the war in the Congo.
This is a joke, right?
by Volker Weber
After all this hype, I just had to look at the "Notes client" for Linux. Here is what you get: a 390 megabyte zip file. Yes, that's right. A zip file. If you unpack the zip file, you get a 170 megabyte binary with the Notes plugin, a 200 megabyte zip file — yes, another zip file — with the Workplace Managed Client and a 36 page readme.
Eight of those pages are for housekeeping (trademarks, coverpage, why have a manual ...), five of the pages describe installation und uninstallation, and the rest contains known limitations and problems. You may call them known bugs. A minor one would be that you cannot enter a Euro sign (€). Yes, that will make the bean counters happy. For those west of the Atlantic, imagine you cannot enter a dollar sign ($). (Read the update) Bigger ones might be "Notes crashes if clicking blank area before sub-directory shows", "Notes may crash if scheduling a meeting" or "Notes hangs if dragging an attachment a few times".
I also find the readme in Workplace Managed Client interesting:
Before installing, copy the desired setuplinux.bin to the \updateSite\features\com.ibm.workplace.notesinstall.linux.feature_7.0.1.0000-0900\bin\linux directory.
I understand why a Windows user would type it this way. On Linux you would want a forward slash.
Somebody wake me up. Is this a product? Or an early beta?
Update: Here is the installation guide for the competition:
apt-get install evolution
Worst ads
by Volker Weber
Your name as URL
by Volker Weber
Marcin Szczepanski comments on BenPoole.com
Yeah, somehow I don't think www.marcinszczepanski.com would be the most memorable or easy to type URL. I could always use my porn name I suppose...
That would be Gunnar Nut. What is your porn name, says Sir Cucumber.
The Internet is not a dump truck
by Volker Weber
Oh, and did John mention Chuck Norris jokes?
Nachtrag: Der Schwiegersohn
by Volker Weber
Cem schrieb vor vier Monaten unter dem Titel "In welcher Branche sind wir eigentlich" über die bemerkenswerten Wandel eines kleinen deutschen Lampenherstellers zu einem Unternehmen von Weltgeltung. [Unbedingt erst lesen, wenn Ihr Euch nicht erinnert]
Gestern schrieb dann die Hauptperson dieser Geschichte einen Kommentar und heute noch eine E-Mail, die er ausdrücklich zur Veröffentlichung freigibt:
... lassen sie mich noch auf den text den sie im internet geschrieben haben und den ich gestern per zufall entdeckte zurückkommen. ich möchte ihn etwas genauer sehen und erzähle ihnen kurz die geschichte wie sie sich seinerzeit entwickelte.
1963 wurde ich schwiegersohn von arnold reininghaus dem gründer von erco. seine reizvolle tochter war das einzige kind meiner schwiegereltern. somit gab es eine offene nachfolgefrage für das unternehmen. schwiegervater reininghaus liess keine zeit verstreichen und bot mir einen job für 4 jahre um herauszufinden ob ich mich für das unternehmen eignete und umgekehrt ob ich in dem unternehmen meine erfüllung finden könnte. wir haben nie wieder darüber gesprochen und aus den 4 jahren wurden 40 jahre.
1967 wurde der erste lehrstuhl für marketing an der universität in münster von prof. meffert gegründet. die frage damals war, was ist eigentlich marketing. eine zeitschrift schrieb, um den sachverhalt zu erklären, am beispiel der ofenbauer, zitat: " wenn die alten ofenbauer begriffen hätten, dass sie wärme und nicht schön bemalte kachelöfen verkaufen, wären sie heute noch im geschäft." d.h. die wandlung vom ofenbauer zum zentralheizungsindustriebetrieb wäre möglich gewesen. aber paradigmen zu wechseln ist nicht einfach.
mich hat dieses beispiel angeregt zu der erkenntnis, dass erco "licht statt leuchten" verkaufen müsse. das bedeutete weg von der dekorativen, schönen lampe hin zum lichtwerkzeug, das für eine spezielle aufgabe hin entwickelt wurde. für die konsequente umsetzung dieser überlegung in den bereichen kommunikation, design, werbung etc. erhielt erco 1980 den deutschen marketingpreis in hamburg. überreicht von prof. meffert.
soweit die geschichte im mp3 format. wenn sie mögen können sie den text benutzen.
beste grüsse aus dem sauerland
klaus jürgen maack
Besonders bemerkenswert fand ich übrigens diese Stelle: "seine reizvolle tochter war das einzige kind meiner schwiegereltern. somit gab es eine offene nachfolgefrage für das unternehmen." Heute würde sich diese Frage sicher viel weniger stellen als vor 43 Jahren. ;-)
Proxi, Synergy, and more
by Volker Weber
Andy Reimer sends me a mail that requires a full quote:
Your site has introduced me to several technologies that I might not otherwise have known about. Here are a few that I've been using the last few weeks that I really think are worth mention. You may already know about many or all of these, but a search for these on your website came up blank, so I thought pass them along.
Please continue reading about those technologies.
The story behind the picture
by Esther Schindler
You've probably seen the photo of the little girls doodling on artillery shells. This blog entry has the full story behind the picture.
The parents handed the markers to the kids and they drew little Israeli flags on the shells. Photographers look for striking images, and what is more striking than pretty, innocent little girls contrasted with the ugliness of war? The camera shutters clicked away, and I guess those kids must have felt like stars, especially since the diversion came after they'd been alternately bored and terrified as they waited out the shelling in their bomb shelters.
Sametime 7.5 Connect on Citrix, anyone?
by Volker Weber
Some two months ago we had a discussion around running "Hannover" on Citrix. I was concerned that "Hannover" might not behave nicely in a Citrix environment because you cannot share code segments. Now that IBM has released the Sametime 7.5 beta 3 it is the time to take a second look.
Sametime Connect 7.5 is a client based on the same technology as "Hannover" will be. Has anyone tried running it on Citrix yet? And if so, how does it behave?
Haben Sie eine Rampe?
by Volker Weber
DSL-Einsteiger erhalten in der Regel zwei Geräte für ihren neuen Internetanschluss: einen so genannten Splitter von der Deutschen Telekom und ein DSL-Modem oder -Router von ihrem gewählten Provider. Nicht schlecht staunte dagegen am vergangenen Mittwoch Katharina Nickel aus Drabenderhöhe, als nach ihrer DSL-Beauftragung bei der Telekom vor ihrem Haus ein LKW vorfuhr, um insgesamt 496 Router abzuladen.
[Danke, Marco]
Subscribed
by Volker Weber
Let me introduce myself. I'm Jeff Eisen and I'm the (drumroll for highfalutin title) Chief Architect for Lotus Notes. I've been at IBM for 12 years or so. I'll post my background soon if anyone's interested. These days, I'm quite preoccupied with Hannover, which is the next release of Lotus Notes.
In this blog, I hope mostly to share technical information about the upcoming Hannover release as well as gather input from the blogosphere.
Will sehen
by Volker Weber
Die Telekom verteidigt mit Krallen und Zähnen ihre Marktanteile im Festnetzbereich und im Mobilfunk, denn die Konkurrenten holen lassen nicht nach. Telekom-Chef Kai-Uwe Ricke kündigt das "Ende der paradiesischen Zeiten für den Wettbewerb" an. Denn im Herbst arbeitet der Platzhirsch an den Preisen.
Holen lassen? Egal. Paradiesische Zeiten? Seit ich von Telekom zu Arcor gewechselt bin, sind meine monatlichen Kosten von 85 auf 55 Euro gesunken. Inklusive Telefon und Internet. Und das bei wesentlich höherer Geschwindigkeit.
Technisch habe ich an Telekom nie etwas auszusetzen gehabt. Die haben das beste Netz und den besseren Service. Bringt Eure Preise in Ordnung und wir schauen noch mal. Und vor allem: Schafft Eure Fußnoten ab.
Aus der Reihe "vowe.net lesen ist teuer"
by Volker Weber
Hallo Volker,
deine Blackberry-Berichte sind ja unerträglich ... gut ;-)
Ich will das jetzt auch endlich vorantreiben: kannst du mir einen Provider für Blackberry für meinen Privatgebrauch empfehlen? Und ein Gerät?
Da lohnt sich eine allgemeine Antwort. Im Prinzip können das alle vier Provider. Der Blackberry Service kostet durch die Bank 15 Euro extra. Schaut nach, mit welchem Tarif sich das kombinieren lässt.
Was den praktischen Einsatz angeht: Ich bin ein großer Fan des 7290. Das ist mittlerweile sehr billig, hat die beste Tastatur und die längste Akkulaufzeit. Die 870x sind schneller, haben einen besseren Bildschirm und einen höheren Coolness-Faktor. Aber der hält auch nur so lange, bis das nächste Gerät rauskommt.
Wer sich sowas privat anschafft, bekommt einen neuen Mailaccount vom Provider verpasst. Idealerweise leitet man seine Mail (in Kopie) auf diesen Account um. Und zwar hinter dem Spamfilter. So funktioniert das bei mir.
Wer in seiner noch so kleinen Firma Notes/Domino hat, sollte sich einen (bis 10 User kostenlosen) Blackberry Enterprise Server holen. Damit sind dann automatisch alle PIM-Daten vom Server auch im Blackberry, und zwar in beide Richtungen. Für Exchange und Groupwise gibt es das auch, aber nur für einen User.
Rubberband machine gun
by Volker Weber
[Thanks, Stefan]
BlackBerry 8707v: Notebook connected to Vodafone UMTS network
by Volker Weber
That was easier than I thought. Well, once I figured out how to set up the modem.
Celsius vs. Fahrenheit
by Volker Weber
Jet Beetle
by Volker Weber
It only takes a VW New Beetle, a jet engine, and an engineer with wee willy syndrome to come up with this car. Is anybody else having this in mind?
[Thanks, Karsten]
BlackBerry 8707v: Fooling around with the modem
by Volker Weber
Windows recognizes the BlackBerry 8707v as a standard modem when plugged into the USB port:
ATQ0V1E0 - OK
AT+GMM - BlackBerry IPModem
AT+FCLASS=? - +FCLASS: (0-1)
ATI1 - Manufacturer: Research In Motion
Model: BlackBerry IPModem
Revision: M6250D-VMSZ-6.2.9314 1 [Mar 16 2006 13:48:00]
IMEI: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
+GCAP: +CGSM,+DS,+ES
You need to have Desktop Manager running, otherwise the modem is not present. I also hooked up a 7290 and tried to connect to it. This is what it said:
ATQ0V1E0 - OK
AT+GMM - BlackBerry IPmodem
AT+FCLASS=? - OK
AT#CLS=? - OK
AT+GCI? - OK
AT+GCI=? - OK
ATI1 - Research In Motion / BlackBerry IPmodem
Since I am not familiar with the proper setup strings to connect to Vodafone, I have not succeeded using the BlackBerry as a modem. I configured a dialup connection to *99#, but that was obviously not good enough.
When you plug the BlackBerry into the Mac, there is a new network connection called "Blackberry". This looks like an angle of attack to get the modem to work.
Update: Solved for the PC.
Mercedes Mixed Tape 13 is out
by Volker Weber
16 free MP3 tracks from A Beggar's Opera, Cashew, Crazy for Jane, D'Nell, Eg Dirt feat. Nawel Belgrich, Guilermo, Ira, Jimek, Kelli Rae Powell, La-Boum, Mendelzone, Moon, Rough Edge Quartet, Solar Apple Quartet, The Fat Controllah, Vikter Duplaix.
[Thanks, Claude]
Adding 7v to the Blackberry 8700
by Volker Weber
After four months of service, I am returning the BlackBerry 8700 for a 8707v today. Does anybody have the proper setup to use this device as a UMTS modem with a Mac?
Update: Novamedia will be working on BlackBerry support. ebf is supplying the device to make it happen. Thanks, Marco!
Spieglein, Spieglein
by Volker Weber
Schlagzeile bei heise.de: "Handelskammern wettern gegen GEZ-Gebühr für Computer". Weiter heißt es:
Die Neuregelung belaste vor allem Kleinstunternehmen, Selbstständige und Freiberufler
Kleiner Weckruf an die IHKs: Die Zwangsmitgliedschaft in Eurem Verein belastet vor allem Kleinstunternehmen und Selbstständige.
Does the internet make you stupid?
by Cem Basman
Today at lunch I had an interesting question from a system engineer: Does the internet make you stupid? He said, before the web was invented you had to figure out everything all on yourself when you had to solve your problems. Today you just ask your favorite search engine before you start to think. Did I mention he is 28?
Incoming link
by Volker Weber
From http://blogs.tap.ibm.com/weblogs/page/lotuscompetitivegermany pointing here. Do they know about the T-shirt?
Update: It looks like the site is not as interesting as the name suggests. Or so I have been told. ;-)
Microsoft acquires SysInternals
by Volker Weber
Mark Russinovich writes:
I'm very pleased to announce that Microsoft has acquired Winternals Software and Sysinternals. Bryce Cogswell and I founded both Winternals and Sysinternals (originally NTInternals) back in 1996 with the goal of developing advanced technologies for Windows. We've had an incredible amount of fun over the last ten years working on a wide range of diverse products such as Winternals Administrator's Pak, Protection Manager, Defrag Manager, and Recovery Manager, and the dozens of Sysinternals tools, including Filemon, Regmon and Process Explorer, that millions of people use every day for systems troubleshooting and management.
I suggest you start downloading their tools while you can. They are absolutely invaluable, and MS may not like all of them.
Space Invaders
by Volker Weber
[Thanks, Amy]
IBM updates Sametime 7.5 beta
by Volker Weber
IBM posts new Sametime 7.5 beta, again making the client available for download. I do not expect them to pull it any time soon, but just in case I advise to act swiftly. ;-)
If you don't already have a login, go to the front page and register.
Alex moves his domain to GMail
by Volker Weber
I am looking forward to learn from his experience.
Gute Besserung
by Volker Weber
Ich weiß nicht, wer sich von Euch erinnert, aber vor mehr als einem halben Jahr hatte ich eine schreckliche Nachricht: Wolfgang Schramm, der zusammen mit Thomas Gumz den Domino Webadmin entwickelt hat, lag nach einem Radunfall in einem Koma und hatte mit den Folgen eines schweren Schädelhirntraumas zu kämpfen. Heute erhielt ich eine Mail von Wolfgang, der mich auf einen Film aufmerksam macht:
Glück im Unglück hatte ich aber auch, das schweizer Fernsehen hat genau zu dem Zeitpunkt wo ich im Rehazentrum war, einen Film über Hirnversetzte gedreht, im schweizer Fernsehen wurde er bereits am 23.3.2006 gesendet, auf 3sat soll er am Montag, den 31.07.2006 um 21:00 Uhr gesendet werden.
Der Film ist ziemlich erschütternd, aber man kann auch sehen, welche Fortschritte Wolfgang binnen weniger Monate gemacht hat. Er schreibt:
Es ist ein sehr bewegender Film über diese Unfallverletzung, es werden die Schicksale von 5 Personen gezeitgt die eine Hirnverletzung bei einem Unfall hatten. Wenn ich mich mit den anderen vergleiche, geht es mir mit Abstand am besten aber ohne Fahrradhelm würde es wohl ganz anders aussehen.
Wer nicht bis nächste Woche warten mag, und Schweizer auch ohne Untertitel versteht ("rrächte Muustaschte"), der kann ihn online beim Schweizer Fernsehen anschauen. Zuletzt die gute Nachricht:
Vor 5 Wochen habe ich wieder begonnen zu arbeiten, 3 mal einen halben Tag in der Woche, mit dem Auto darf ich seit Mai auch wieder fahren.
Billiger Parken
by Volker Weber
Ein guter Tipp am Morgen von der Kanzlei Hoenig:
Parken im Bereich eines Parkscheinautomaten kostet Geld. Zunächst einmal die Gebühr für den Parkschein. Gegebenenfalls auch noch ein Verwarnungsgeld. Zum Beispiel 25,00 Euro, wenn die Parkzeit um mehr als 3 Stunden überschreitet. Oder 10,00 Euro, wenn die Parkzeit um mehr als 30 Minuten überschritten wird.
Spartip: Einfach gar keinen Parkschein ins Auto legen; dann kostet es nämlich nur 5,00 Euro.
[via udo]
Blackberry Connect for Nokia Devices
by Volker Weber
Enrico told me about this download area for Nokia smartphones. Thanks!
How hot does the MacBook get
by Volker Weber
Brian Krische compares the white entry-level MacBook with a DELL Latitude 620. Here are his findings >
Site abuse
by Volker Weber
About three weeks ago I told you that attempts to spam my comments was up to 1,000 a day. Now we are at 1,000 an hour, most of them from a host in the Ukraine which spams through numerous proxies. Locked out now:
RewriteCond %{HTTP_FORWARDED} ^195\.225\.176\.87$ [OR]
RewriteCond %{HTTP:X-Forwarded} ^195\.225\.176\.87$ [OR]
RewriteCond %{HTTP:forwarded-for} ^195\.225\.176\.87$ [OR]
RewriteCond %{HTTP:X-forwarded-for} ^195\.225\.176\.87$
RewriteRule (.*) http://195.225.176.87:110 [F,L]
I could see this coming, since this spammer was first deploying a robot spidering the whole site, as described three weeks ago. Beware: If you like to surf the web using an anonymous/open proxy you will be unable to access vowe.net in a few days from now. This is the next hole I have to close.
Do you remember when people proposed to fight comment spam by placing all comments on a moderation queue? How would you deal with a queue of 25,000 comments a day?
I am receiving about 2,500 legitimate hits an hour. At 1,000 an hour, abusive traffic is now accounting for 30% of the hits. If this goes past 90% it is probably time to close shop.
New York Times: What Shamu Taught Me About a Happy Marriage
by Volker Weber
This is simply brilliant. If it works on wild animals, why shouldn't it work on your spouse? Or on your co-workers? :-)
All hail to the USB charger
by Volker Weber
Every new gadget comes with its own charger. Often they have exactly the same specs (5V, 500 mA) but their own plug, so you have to carry a lot of them while travelling. There is no technical reason for this nonsense. Starting today, all devices which charge over mini-USB get a special nod. The same goes for all devices which can directly charge through a standard USB-port.
You only need to carry two chargers and one cable if all your gadgets follow this scheme: One universal charger which plugs into 100-250 V 50-60 Hz, one charger that plugs into 12 V terminals and cigarette lighters in your car, and one USB-to-mini-USB cable. If you happen to travel with a notebook, you often don't even need the chargers.
Of the two navigators I am currently looking at, only the Navman iCN 530 connects and charges over a USB cable and it wants exactly the mini-USB plug pictured above. As do the Blackberry 7290, the Blackberry 8700. The iPod Nano 1GB and the iPod 60 GB also charge through USB, but they need their own cable. The Nikon D70 connects through the standard cable, but it does not charge its battery. The Motorola RAZR uses a USB cable but wants to talk to its own power supply (or a Mac, or a PC with installed drivers).
Connecting through USB, but not charging over this connection can be especially bad, as the TomTom 910 has shown last night. It was fully charged when I hooked it up, I removed the MP3 tracks the last reviewer had left behind, but then I forgot to unplug it and went away. As it turned out today, the TomTom was running off its battery, which died somewhere through the night, rendering the device into a boat anchor. I connected it to its proprietary charger, let it sit there for three hours but it would still not turn on. I tried a dozen times to reset it, but it would not boot. Then I must have done something different and it woke up. So now it is connected through USB and its own charger. BTW: After only a few days I seem to be number one on Google for "how to reset TomTom 910" with my First Impressions post. I think I need to take a picture and turn this into a real How-To.
Things that should not happen department
by Volker Weber
Sometimes I just have to LOL when I see somebody cutting some corners in his job. In this case, preparing review units before shipment. Here is what happens: A manufacturer brings a new product into a market, and provides samples of such product to their agencies. They ship those products to interested parties for reviews. A few weeks later they come back, are quickly inspected (are there still all the parts in the box, is anything broken) and then they get re-mastered and sent out again. I have recently received such a review unit from Apple: The black MacBook. It was just perfect. I could see that the box had been opened before but everything inside was like new. The operating system had been pre-installed and I was at exactly the same point as a new customer. This is how you do it.
Sometimes however, things go wrong. The first Sonos kit was broken, and there was even a paper in the box saying so. I wrote about it, a few people had some red ears, but eventually everything was rectified and we all had a good laugh.
I just had another such incident. I was really wondering why the 20 gig disk in the TomTom 910 did not have more than 1 gig free. The maps did not add up to that much space. Europe is 1.56 gig, North America is 1.2 gig, the Canary Islands are 4 meg, Guam is only 512 k. What the hell was taking up all this space. Then I hit one of those features I had not used so far: The MP3 player. There was a lot of music on the device? Hook it up to the Mac and have a look:
Holy cow. More than 10 gig of badly tagged music. Somebody forgot to remove his collection before returning the device. And some other person forgot to re-master it. I hope nobody is expecting to get the tracks back. They are all gone now.
Screenshot day at vowe's magic flying circus
by Volker Weber
<tongue firmly in cheek>
I had a lot of screenhots in my mail today. The first ones were of Notes on Linux, but what they really showcased was Pavone's applications. I guess the message is "our applications run on Linux". Now you all know. The last ones were of Notes 1.1 and the author proposed to caption them as follows:
Vintage Notes - Maybe some of you will remember notes 1.1. For those who have never seen such an early version of notes look at this - [Screenshots send by <a href = "http://www.openbc.com/hp/Christian_Habermueller&tab=4">Christian Habermueller</a>]
I cannot show you the screenshots though, since I usually place them on Flickr and I may only post them here:
Diese eMail gilt als Genehmigungsschreiben für die Publikation auf der Seite www.vowe.net. Weitere Verwendung und / oder Veränderung des Bildmaterials ist ausgeschlossen.
But maybe the purpose of those screenshots was to get you to visit tab 4 of his openBC page. Go ahead and do that please. And if you are not yet a member of openBC, you are cordially invited.
</tongue firmly in cheek>
Nicht böse sein, Christian. Das war so ein Fall von "jeder dritte wird erschossen, zwei waren gerade da". :-)
Living on an island
by Volker Weber
Declan writes about the Lotus Domino community:
If I prompted them by asking if they read any of the Notes related blogs they would, nearly always, say no. And this isn't restricted to job interviews. When my wife is out doing consultancy gigs at different clients around the country, nine times out of ten the client she is with will have never read any of the blogs
Could this mean, that the blogging community does not matter as much as it thinks it does?
Notes 7.0.1 on Linux
by Volker Weber
Dare I say it looks better than on Windows? If only a little bit Chinese Japanese.
[Screenshot stolen from Ed Brill]
Navman iCN 530: Uploading maps
by Volker Weber
Do you remember how disappointed I was when I could not upload maps to the iCN 720? All is well now with the 530. I did not even have to enter any stupid map codes. There is still a 110 meg free on the internal flash, and I filled up a 512 meg SD card with those yellow maps (outside of Austria, Germany and Switzerland). Get a bigger card and you can load all of Western Europe.
It's "Make your own caption" time
by Volker Weber
Design matters
by Volker Weber
Which of those two mounts would you rather want on your windshield? Especially without the device attached:
I think it is pretty clear that the TomTom screen mount on the left is much more refined than the Navman mount. Interestingly enough it also holds the device much better although it is smaller. If we assume that you leave the mount permanently attached to the screen, the Navman also has some very nasty sharp edges that you really don't want to have flying around in case of an accident.
This leads us to a second question: Which of those two devices is rather likely to be left behind in the car?
Now you have to think like a thief. If you see a TomTom mount attached to the screen, how likely is it that the owner actually took the device out of the car instead of putting it under the seat? The Navman has a much better shape. I can easily put it away in a pocket or a briefcase. The TomTom shape never fits anywhere. In this picture, the Navman looks much larger because it is in the front, but it isn't. The faceplate of both devices are about the same size. Only the TomTom is much thicker and oddly shaped.
Navman iCN 530: First impressions
by Volker Weber
While I am still playing with the TomTom 910, I have also swapped the Navman iCN 720 with an iCN 530. Which may very well be the most interesting device in the current line-up.
The iCN 530 is clearly an interim release between the old iCN 520 and a newer version yet to be released. It has improved very much over the old device: SirfStar III GPS, a new map display, brighter LCD, improved enclosure with the same connectors as the 720/750. But the software, especially the user interface is not yet at the same level as the 720/750. It's menu structure is still the same as in the 520.
Having said that, there is a lot to like about the iCN 530. First of all, it is very light and small compared to the 720 (and even more compared to the TomTom). Yet it has two features the larger Navman units are missing: It will automatically switch to night view if you want, and you can also suppress GPS warnings. It does not have NavPix, it does not play MP3, it does not serve as a handsfree for your mobile, it does not play sildeshows. But it is a very capable navigator — isn't that what this whole thing is about — and it has the brightest display of the three units. Gone is the foldable GPS antenna and the 4-way-rocker. And it has the same dedicated buttons for nearest gas station and parking lot.
For some very strange reason, Navman has decided to not ship a map code for other countries in Europe with the 720. If you want to travel outside of your own territory (Germany, Switzerland, Austria in my case) you need to either buy a 750 (Europe preinstalled) or this 530. It does have the map codes. As with the 720, the preinstalled maps are on the internal 512 MB flash. You can use the external SD card for additional maps without removing the pre-installed maps.
Let's compare street prices: The 530 sells for 370 Eur, the 720 is at 530 Eur and the 750 hovers at 600 Eur. Given the fact that only the 530 and the 750 cover Europe, it's pretty clear that the 720 is not a good deal. I would get the 530. Definitely editor-refuses-to-give-it-back awarded.
Palm Treo von Vodafone mit Windows Mobile 5
by Volker Weber
SUNNYVALE, Kalifornien, den 13. Juli 2006 - Palm kündigt heute an, dass eine neue Partnerschaft mit Vodafone gebildet wurde, um die Verbreitung drahtloser Push-E-Mail in Europa auszubauen.
Das aus dieser Zusammenarbeit resultierende Palm Treo Smartphone wird ein gänzlich neues, im 3G/UMTS-Netz von Vodafone betriebenes Smartphone darstellen und über das Microsoft Windows Mobile Betriebssystem hinaus die "Palm Experience" bieten. Das neue Treo Smartphone wird noch in diesem Jahr zunächst für Kunden von Vodafone in verschiedenen europäischen Ländern erhältlich sein. Dazu zählen unter anderen Deutschland, Großbritannien, Italien, die Niederlande und Spanien.
Technische Details gibt's offiziell noch keine. Die Eckdaten aber sind klar: Treo, UMTS, Windows Mobile 5, in Europa über Vodafone angeboten, Exchange "Pushmail".
Meine Analyse: Palm hat es endlich geschafft, in Europa einen großen Provider zu finden, der Treos ordentlich verkaufen will. Vodafone hat ein sehr beliebtes Gerät, mit dem sie Exchange-Kunden mit E-Mail versorgen können, ohne RIM (Blackberry) füttern zu müssen. Die Kunden kriegen endlich einen UMTS-Treo ohne Stummelantenne (steht nicht drin, ist aber so). Windows Mobile sorgt für Unsicherheit bei PalmOS-Nutzern, muss es aber nicht, weil es das gleiche Gerät auch mit PalmOS geben wird, nur halt etwas später.
Auch wenn das nur ein kleiner Baustein ist, sollte man sich darüber im Klaren sein, dass Vodafone strategisch nicht Blackberry sondern Windows Mobile will. Und dass alle außer Exchange dabei ziemlich dumm aussehen werden.
Send large files via Pando
by Volker Weber
Pando will let you you send files up tp 1 GB. It is a mashup of BitTorrent and e-mail. The Pando client sends a control file via e-mail, encrypts the payload and starts uploading it. The recipient receives the control file, opens it with the Pando client and downloads the payload. Works on Mac and Windows.
The road to Hannover
by Volker Weber
This is not going to be a popular post, but I will walk out on a limb here. I have watched the progress that IBM has made on the Hannover design, from the first Photoshop work to the latest pre-beta. And I am very, very disappointed. I felt a certain frustration for the first time in Karlsruhe in the lab. There was a lot of understanding about the things that needed to be done, while there was also a sense that they won't be done by the time Hannover ships. So here is my prediction.
Hannover will be Notes, with new icons, and a freight train of Java in tow.
Mark my words. It is better to adjust your expectations today than half a year from now.
Of course this is a matter of fixed timeframe, budget and scope. Pick any two. It is an incredible task to re-engineer Notes on top of the Workplace client technology, at the same time for two (and later three) platforms. But the interface won't be radically better, I am afraid.
The two biggest innovations, activities and composite applications as presented by IBM, most likely won't be working disconnected. Disconnected use however is the stronghold of Notes. There simply is no competition. If your applications only work while you are connected, the field is wide open.
Not all is lost. Mary Beth is listening. Read her blog. Write comments. You can shape the future of Notes.
Free VMware server ships
by Volker Weber
Begin enjoying the benefits of server virtualization with the free VMware Server. VMware Server installs on any existing server hardware and partitions a physical server into multiple virtual machines by abstracting processor, memory, storage and networking resources, giving you greater hardware utilization and flexibility. Streamline software development and testing and simplify server provisioning as you utilize the ability to "build once, deploy many times."
IBM blogs are having a massage
by Volker Weber
And you@your.address is getting a proper training on Apache.
Twelve thousand five hundred
by Volker Weber
What is 12500? The number of German police needed to protect the POTUS during his visit in Germany. This number does not include his own troops, the warship outside of Stralsund and the fighter jets. Business as usual: A thousand sewers welded shut, all cars removed from garages and private property, no windows must be opened alongside his potential routes.
Welcome, Mr. President. It could be worse. You could be visiting France.
2400 Miles On Just Ten Ounces Of Uranium
by Volker Weber
Photo Carl Madson
TomTom 910: First impressions
by Volker Weber
Today there was another box coming in that I did not really expect. It turned out to be a TomTom 910, which is the top of the line of TomTom all-in-one navigation units. After I opened the box I was seriously impressed. And that was before I even turned it on.
You can see the progress that these little navigation units are making year over year. This unit has the first screen mount that I actually like. A lot of thoughtful design went into it, so that it does not have any sharp edges, no unnecessary thumbwheels, and it looks quite good, even if there is no navigation unit attached. You just hold the suction cup to the windshield and then you turn the base which covers the cup. At the first notch, you can still move the mount to adjust the screen and then you turn it a bit more and it becomes rock solid. This is by far the best design I have seen so far.
The TomTom 910 is quite heavy at 350 g, but the screen mount does a much better job holding it still than the almost equally hefty Navman 720. They both have wide screen touch screens, but the TomTom is not as reflective as the Navman, which makes it more readable, although the Navman screen is brighter and paints a much more defined image. I have learned to like the dedicated buttons on the Navman for easy adjustment of map display or audio volume. They also give you direct access to stuff you need while driving, like nearest gas station or parking lot. The TomTom in contrast relies on the touch screen only. I am sure I am going to miss these extra buttons.
The TomTom works right out of the box. You don't really need to connect it to the PC. That is, until you want to update it. And I was very impressed that TomTom does not only work with a PC, but it also lets you connect to a Mac:
I had difficulties connecting to the iBook, but on the iMac it mounted as an external disk through USB, and the software quickly updated the application on the 20 GB internal disk. The unit comes with maps of the USA, Western and Central Europe as well as the Canary Islands and Guam — preinstalled, no funky installation procedures, no map IDs that you have to buy separately.
But unfortunately that does not mean, that the unit does not try to sell you more stuff. It wants you to subscribe to the TomTom Plus service and I have yet to find out what benefits you get besides traffic information from this subscription service. Before I hit the road, I paired the unit with the Nokia N70 UMTS phone and let it setup the data connection for TomTom Plus. I was quickly subscribed to one month of free service to get me hooked. Off we go.
As described at the beginning, mounting the TomTom on the screen is a joy. And what I like best: The 12V cable connects to the mount and not the navigator. So you can easily take it off and put in back in without reattaching the cable each time. There are a lot connectors on the mount because the TomTom can serve many purposes like handsfree set for your mobile, or as an MP3 player. You can even watch pictures on the small screen. None of which I find too compelling, but I guess you need to do something with the ample storage of a 20 GB disk.
My first short trip was quite uneventful. The unit was able to obtain a quick fix, and had I not used the Navman extensively I would have been very impressed. But it isn't only the TomTom that has improved considerably in this space. But there are three things I liked particularly:
- While driving the city tunnel in Darmstadt, the TomTom never lost track, and it also did not complain when losing the GPS connection. I believe it has an inertia sensor so it knows that you are still moving, and the software developers where wise enough not to pop a message box into your face when the GPS signal went dark.
- TomTom announces which road you are turning into. So it does not only tell you that you will be making a turn soon, but you will also know which road it wants to take. This is a nice way to build trust when you see the same name on a road sign.
- The TomTom 910 knows Karlstr. 96 in Darmstadt. No other unit I ever had knew this address. :-)
There are many more things to discover and write about. Stay tuned.
Update: A minute after I posted these first impressions, I hooked the 910 to the Mac, looked something up, then ejected and disconnected it. Now it hangs at the boot screen and I see no way to reset from there. There does not seem to be a reset button, and the on/off switch does not do any good. This is a catastrophic failure. I can run the battery down, but would you want to do this on the road?
Update: It does have a reset switch, but it is impossibly hard to find. Turn the device over, look into the mount at the backside towards the top. Behind the connector there is one big hole in the plastic and a very, very tiny one off center. Press a needle in there and it resets. Not that I would have a needle on the road though. Boy, this incident has shaken my confidence.
The women of IT
by Esther Schindler
Lusty, beautiful... and geeky? Several women from Australia have posed for a Screen Goddess Calendar, trying to get across the point that it's possible to be beautiful and know TCP/IP internals, too.
I'm sure that some people will be offended by this calendar, but I'm not among them. In the mid-80s, several women from the high IQ society, Mensa, approached Playboy to suggest a "Women of Mensa" issue. (Same message: smart doesn't mean ugly.) I blushingly refused when my husband suggested I enter. A friend of mine did submit her photo, and she was one of the 12 (if I recall correctly) women in the issue (November '87? something like that, I have it in an unpacked box).
My friend — whose photo didn't do her justice, though she did get to wear Elizabeth Taylor's jewelry from Cleopatra — has gone onto other things. In fact, she has become rather prominent in IT, and I'm quite sure a few of you have interacted with her. I doubt she mentions her Playboy appearance on her resume. She's in her 50s now, and she's still stunningly gorgeous. And, of course, much more brilliant than I.
Quote of the day
by Volker Weber
Wenn man etwas aus dem Ärmel schütteln will, dann muss man es vorher hineinstecken.
— Rudolf Wijbrand Kesselaar (Rudi Carrell) 19.12.1934 - 7.7.2006
Also doch
by Volker Weber
Das Glück ist mit den Tüchtigen.
Glaskugel
by Cem Basman
Ich will mich ja nicht selbst loben, auch wenn ich dort vollkommen unrecht hatte ... Übrigens: Martin gebührt der Sonderpreis für den richtigen Boulevard-Titel.
Da da da
by Volker Weber
More from the Back Dorm Boys: That way - Love me - Get down - Radio in my heart - Black heart - Don't lie
[Thanks, Karen]
Holy Moly
by Volker Weber
Microsoft and ODF
by Volker Weber
David Berlind is a good reporter:
Microsoft is not putting ODF support in Office. It's not releasing its own translator. It's not offering free software. It's not offering an open source document format and it's certainly not supporting the OpenDocument Format ...
[via Stefan]
Two items from the Domino 7.0.2 readme
by Volker Weber
Domino 7.0.2 allows certain URLs, for example those that generate RSS feeds, to use Basic Authentication, even if Domino Session Authentication is in effect.
I understand why this feature is necessary. RSS readers cannot use Domino Session Authentication, so you can only provide unprotected feeds from Domino (7.0.1 or older) if you are using Domino Session Authentication (which you should). This would open up project databases which you want to monitor with RSS feeds. However, be very careful with this feature in 7.0.2. RSS readers will send user names and passwords in plain text for each refresh. Basic authentication is only encoded with Base64. You need to force the RSS feed into an SSL pipe.
Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Exchange can be configured to send e-mail to other Outlook and Exchange users by encapsulating Microsoft-specific data in a Transport Neutral Encapsulated Format (TNEF) object. ... Beginning with Domino 7.0.2, the MIME itemizer now recognizes TNEF objects, pulls out any attachments which are encapsulated in a TNEF object, and adds those attachments to the message before writing it to the Domino router's mail box.
Halleluja.
Acronyms that don't work well department
by Volker Weber
Things that make me laugh department
by Volker Weber
Game over
by Volker Weber
Quote of the day
by Volker Weber
Thou shalt shuteth the fucketh upeth
— Travis Hudson
Quickplace on Mac
by Volker Weber
Are you using Quickplace on a Mac? Version 7 is supported on the Mac, but sadly enough, even very simple things do not work. If you enter a plain discussion item, the editor will eat your line ends. So the text ends up in a single paragraph. You also have no formatting at all. No matter which browser I tried, Quickplace failed in all of them.
Is there a secret handshake?
Here is the code that decides which kind of editor you get:
if (h_Type == "h_Field") {
if (h_ClientBrowser.hasActiveX())
editorObj = new _IERichTextControlField();
else if (h_ClientBrowser.isGecko())
editorObj = new _GeckoRichTextControlField();
else if (h_ClientBrowser.isSafari())
editorObj = new _SimpleTextControlField();
else if (h_ClientBrowser.hasJavaApplets())
editorObj = new _NSRichTextControlField();
else
editorObj = new _SimpleTextControlField();
editorObj.init ("", 'Type your text below:', "", "", "","","","");
editorObj.getEditModeHTML (self, 0);
}
If I work with Safari, I get forced into a simple text field. Interesting as Safari is clearly supported in this release. Of course Safari has Java applets so I could just as well use a Java editor control. If I tell Safari to lie about its identity and pretend to be Konqueror 3 (it is based on the Konqueror source) I can actually work with this form:
However, since Konqueror is unsupported, Quickplace may break in other interesting ways. The fix for this form is pretty obvious, isn't it?
MacBook: Final thoughts
by Volker Weber
After less than a week with the MacBook I am back on the iBook. I can keep it another week, but I have already switched back. There is only one reason for doing this: The iBook runs much cooler. I never pushed the MacBook to full speed. Surfing the web, writing texts, and similar tasks don't wake up the CPU. But still it was getting too hot for my liking.
In any other respects this has been the nicest notebook I have ever used. I love the design, the screen, the keyboard, the magnetic connector to the power supply, just everything. I wish Apple would provide a proper display connector so that you don't have to (buy and) carry an adapter, but this is my only gripe.
The MacBook does fall off the edge of a wireless network and its trackpad once in a while briefly hangs. I can live with that, but not with the excessive heat. Your mileage may vary, especially if you always put the MacBook on a flat table.
As much as I adore the new design, I am going to stick it out with my iBook until Apple releases a second revision. I am hoping that they move to the Merom (Core Duo 2) processor by then.
Waiting for NSFDB2?
by Volker Weber
DB2 support was one of the big innovations in Domino 7.0. It lets you store Notes data on a DB2 database server. Well, almost. It was announced, it was in the beta, it shipped, but you could not use it. Although IBM was really quiet about this, I learned about it a year ago. At the end of July it became obvious that IBM would lock this feature up with a special key. Again, not openly communicated, but learned through beta documentation.
7.0 shipped. NSFDB2 was not supported.
7.0.1 shipped. NSFDB2 still not supported.
7.0.2 will ship by the end of this quarter. And NSFDB2 will still not be supported, according to this thread in the Partner forum:
702 will have some cool additions, read this post from Ed for some details [link]
DB2 support will not be one of the additions, the GA of this feature is expected for the next major release.
RoB
The next major release is not even announced yet. And the feature is only "expected" for the next major release. For 7.0 it was announced. I would say you need to wait another year. Minimum.
Who wants this anyway?
Update: Ed says it is announced. Let's read it:
... announcement of the next major release of Lotus Domino. IBM plans to enhance the next major version of Lotus Domino with support for service-oriented architecture (SOA), composite applications, activity-centric computing and support for server-managed clients. ... the next major version of Lotus Domino will continue IBM's tradition of innovation in the collaboration space and provide many new features and functions to address the evolving needs of our customers, including portal services from WebSphere Portal, updated document library services and team spaces. The next major versions of Lotus Notes and Lotus Domino will be available in 2007.
That is lot more fluffy than the announcement IBM released for Domino 7 when it became available:
Domino 7 provides developers with the option of using either traditional NSF storage features or IBM DB2 as the foundation for new and existing applications. This new capability gives developers the option of leveraging open-standard SQL (Structured Query Language) and choosing the technology that best fits their skills and business needs.
This is the very feature which is now "expected" to be generally available "in the next major release".
The invisible feature
by Volker Weber
A client asked me today whether it is possible to embed Sametime into Notes, so that a user can start a chat right from the Notes client.
Big surprise: This feature has been available since Notes 6.5. Nobody has to build it. It is right there in the standard mail template.
The client uses Notes. The client also uses Sametime. The person who asked me is very technical, and he could have known. However, since his company has built its own mail template, and since the administrators chose were told to not enable the Notes client for Sametime, nobody knows it's right there on their hard disk.
So I am telling them, that this feature exists. He wants to see it. Easy, right? Here's your task should you accept it:
Find a page on IBM's site which explains this important Notes feature. It should have screenshots so the user can see how it works. The page has to be about a shipping version of Notes.
If you want to see how bad Lotus' marketing is, watch this.
Update: Mac Guidera completed the task. Here is a demo. Mac admits he did not find the page through the Lotus site though. He just knew it existed. BTW: Does anybody really use this welcome page?
MacBook logic board
by Volker Weber
This is the heat source. The logic board only spans two thirds of the MacBook and the CPU is in the middle towards the back of the board.
Do you live in New York City?
by Volker Weber
Switchers
by Volker Weber
To get this joke you have to know Mark and Cory. Apparently the Mac is uncool now that everyone has one. ;-)
Ka-tching
by Volker Weber
Welcome to the monthly meeting of insane chicks ...
Less is more
by Volker Weber
This is a perfect tool for me. Focus on writing. No distractions, no formatting, no windows, no icons. Just text.
For Mac users who enjoy the simplicity of a typewriter, but live in the digital world. WriteRoom is a full screen, distraction free, writing environment. Unlike standard word processors that focus on features, WriteRoom is just about you and your text. Requires Mac OS X 10.4 or later.
Mnemomap is online
by Cem Basman
Can you do better than Google? Or different? Tim Bruysten left stealth mode and announced alpha to a new aproach of searching - Mnemomap:
In an interactive way we help the user to refine search queries by providing alternative or additional search parameters on-the-fly. By providing tags, translations and many other data sources to find words we help formulating a search query that delivers better results. And finally: we show live search results. You won’t have to wonder whether you’re using the right words in queries. The live feedback enables you to see it realtime!
Sounds complicated? Just try it and give my friend Tim a Feedback.
MacBook: Second Look
by Volker Weber
I've worked with the MacBook for a few days now, and while I am still very impressed, I also have a few issues. One of those I saw coming, the other two were a surprise.
The one I was expecting is heat. The MacBook does warm up, considerably more that the iBook. If this is a problem depends on how you use it. If you always place it on a flat table you will be fine. If you place it on your lap once in a while, you won't. It heats up considerably on the left side of the keyboard and underneath the MacBook all the way to the f key. Since I balance the MacBook so that it rests on my right leg and my belly, I touch it only where there is no excess heat, and thus I can live with it.
Now for the surprising issues: The MacBook drops from my wireless network a few times every day. I have never had this before with any computer. I don't know when it happens or why, but I sometimes find it disconnected. Then I click on the Airport icon in the task bar, reconnect, and everything is fine. The other issue is that the trackpad is sometimes unresponsive for a second. I have not tracked this down either, but again a few times each day, the pointer just does not move when I try to. This is just a little bit annoying, since it does not happen often.
With these exceptions, I am very, very, very impressed by this machine. And in contrast to what I expected, I like the black one much better than the white one, and I am willing to pay more just to get the black machine. Actually, I also like it better than the alumin(i)um MacBook Pro. The build quality is excellent, the design is reduced "to the max" and it just feels "a million".
Compare these two Dashboard widgets:
The left one runs on the MacBook, the right one on the iBook, both of them in exactly the same place. The widget looks confused as to what the connection speed is on the MacBook, but it clearly picks up a lot more networks. This is reflected in the Airport menu, where the same networks are available. Impressive, isn't it?
So, what am I going to do? I will return the machine next week, and then I will go back to my iBook. I tried today, and I feel that I am still very much OK with it. While the MacBook looks fantastic, it does not make me more productive. I will eventually buy a black MacBook, but for now I decided that I will wait for the second revision. Maybe with a Core Duo 2?
But then again — I might as well just ignore this post and rush to buy it anyway. Sheesh.
Zoom
by Volker Weber
60 hours later, we are back. Good friends, family, love and joy, sun, water, trees, sunsets, moonsets, food and wine. What a wonderful weekend. You won't read anything about it though. :-)
Katharina wird Chefredakteurin
by Volker Weber
Ich freue mich immer, wenn die Katze endlich aus dem Sack ist. Dann kann man sich nicht mehr verplappern. Und hier die dicke Neuigkeit:
Die WAZ-Gruppe drängt ins Internet und holt einen Star der Blogger-Szene ins Boot. Katharina Borchert, deren Weblog "Lyssas Lounge" eine Größe im Konzert der Online-Tagebuchschreiber ist, wird Chefredakteurin des Projektes mit dem Arbeitstitel "WAZ Live".
Im Mai wäre beinahe ein lange geplantes Treffen in Hamburg geplatzt, weil Katharina in Essen war und aus (beinahe) heiterem Himmel dieses Angebot bekam. Wir hatten dann im Sofitel ein langes und intensives Gespräch über diese neue Aufgabe — kurz bevor ich mich mit Cem und Björn traf.
Toi toi toi. Viel Erfolg, Katharina!
[via Heiko]
Park & Ride
by Ragnar Schierholz
Now, this Folding Bike by Josef Cadek seems to be some really efficient usage of trunk space.
The general function is explained on the website, basically everything folds into or onto the circular frame. Unfortunately, no weight or price information are given as of yet. Availability is also an open issue.
[via idiotworld]
