January 2011
New photo theme: Connecting @ Lotusphere
by Volker Weber
Upload is awfully slow, but there will be a lot more here >
Darmstadt Orlando
by Volker Weber
Lotus Foundations is not dead yet
by Volker Weber
The Lotus Foundations hardware appliance is no longer available for new orders. The Lotus Foundations software products will be removed from Passport Advantage and will not be available for new orders after February 8, 2011. We will continue to make Foundations software available for partners in North America with the Lotus Foundations VAR agreement in place.
imo.im - on the web, on iPhone, iPod, iPad, and Android
by Volker Weber
Multiple instant messenger accounts, including voice chat.
Opening a new book
by Volker Weber
Need a SIM for Orlando? Or Barcelona, or Hannover ... ?
by Volker Weber
"Can I buy a local SIM to get around outrageous roaming charges?" I think I get asked this question prior to every major trade show or conference. The answer is here.
This could be easier
by Volker Weber
I think I found my satnav
by Volker Weber
I like the navigation that TomTom provides. I like the traffic information which is more accurate than anything on German radio, most of the time. What I don't like is the way you need to tether their PNDs to a PC/Mac to update maps or update the software. And I don't like to have yet another device in carry-on luggage. Now I can have one without the other.
Yes, I am late to the game. How did that happen? Well, when I swapped the TomTom 940 for the 1000, I was suddenly without a US map. Time to look for alternatives. Since I wanted a US map, one of the "free" offerings would not cut it. Using an offboard solution like Google maps with turn-by-turn instructions would not cut it either because of roaming charges. Ovi Maps on the N8 would have been fine, but since I am carrying both an iPhone (Plan A) and a BlackBerry (Plan B), that would have been the third phone.
So TomTom it was, now on the iPhone instead of a dedicated PND. And you know what? This is a much better experience. You just download the app from the app store, which includes the map. And it just works. Since TomTom makes excellent screen mounts I wanted to have that as well. And it's more than a screen mount. It contains its own GPS receiver, a speaker louder than the iPhone provides, and it doubles as a hands free set for your phone calls. Not as good as the Plantronics K100 I love, but good enough for the occasional call.
The car kit was designed for the iPhone 3G, but it fits the iPhone 4 with a simple sticker, that came in the box but can also be ordered online through TomTom:
You actually have to buy three pieces for the perfect solution: a TomTom app from the app store with your map, the car kit, and finally a subscription to the traffic data from within the app. The last part is the disappointing piece in the puzzle. You are already paying for the data connection to download that data, then why has TomTom to charge you an additional 30 € each year?
The app is between 40 € and 90 € depending on the map you are buying. That's a good start, without the traffic data. The car kit itself is a steep 100 €. 90 € for the Europe map, 100 € for the car kit, 30 € for traffic data. That's 220 € where you bring the device and the data connection. And it's actually more than you would have to pay if TomTom sells you device, with the map, and the traffic data, and the data connection.
Bottom line: the solution works very well for me, but TomTom should bring the price down.
On heavy rotation: Adele 21
by Volker Weber
Ovi Store: PocketParrot
by Volker Weber
PocketParrot is the ultimate travel application! An interpreter in your pocket! Translation for 28 languages. Text to Speech technology allows Pocket Parrot to actually speak! If you are traveling and do not speak the native language of the country you are visiting
OpenOffice minus Oracle
by Volker Weber
LibreOffice is the free power-packed Open Source personal productivity suite for Windows, Macintosh and Linux, that gives you six feature-rich applications for all your document production and data processing needs: Writer, Calc, Impress, Draw, Math and Base
I am not a huge OpenOffice fan, but if I had to use it, I would use LibreOffice.
heise online: Abmahnanwalt scheitert mit Klage gegen Heise
by Volker Weber
Der Karlsruher Rechtsanwalt Peter Nümann ist mit dem Versuch gescheitert, dem Heise Zeitschriften Verlag Teile der Berichterstattung über das Geschäftsgebaren von Massenabmahnern verbieten zu lassen. Nümann, der selbst als Massenabmahner im Urheberrechtsbereich gilt, sah durch Passagen eines c't-Artikels seinen Ruf und seine Ehre verletzt. Dieser Ansicht widersprach das Oberlandesgericht Köln nun in einem Berufungsurteil deutlich.
How to find me at Lotusphere
by Volker Weber
Gowalla is the best way to meet up with your friends and share the places you love.
No, it's not. It's quite easy to find me. If you need to connect, send an email. I will be babysitting my BlackBerry.
Relevant or not - you can trade anonymity against personalization
by Volker Weber
Keep My Opt-Outs is an extension for users who aren’t comfortable with personalization of the ads they see on the web. It’s a one-step, persistent opt-out of personalized advertising and related data tracking performed by companies adopting the industry privacy standards for online advertising.
It's an interesting question. Do you want to see ads relavant to you? Or would you rather like to be bothered by stuff you are not going to be interested in.
Das ist schon mal ein guter Anfang
by Volker Weber
München, 25.01.2011, ANTENNE BAYERN ... vertraut bei der Beschaffung von aktuellen Verkehrsmeldungen ab sofort auf TomTom HD Traffic (R). Der Verkehrsdienst von TomTom ... ist vielfach für seine Genauigkeit und Aktualität ausgezeichnet worden und wird künftig dazu beitragen, die Hörerinnen und Hörer des bayernweiten Senders noch besser über die aktuelle Verkehrslage zu informieren und rechtzeitig vor Staus zu warnen. ... Das ANTENNE BAYERN-Verkehrszentrum verfügt hierzu über einen eigenen Zugang zum HD Traffic Verkehrsinformationsserver von TomTom. Auf dem Server werden GPS- und GSM-Informationen von Navigationssystemen und Handys gesammelt und in Echtzeit verarbeitet.
Echtzeit, das ist der Witz. Allerdings kann auch Antenne Bayern nicht in Echtzeit vorlesen. Sonst wäre das arg langweilig. :-)
Deutsche Bank very positive on iPhone trial, 'no going back' to BlackBerry?
by Volker Weber
After a two month iPhone trial using Good Technology's secure email app, Deutsche Bank Equity Research reports an "overwhelmingly positive" experience that left it waving goodbye to RIM's BlackBerry.
A report by the firm's research analyst Chris Whitmore noted the company is using Good Technologies' third party iOS app in conjunction with Microsoft Exchange Server to deliver enterprise email and calendar data to mobile users with AES 192 encryption.
Some remarks: The bank does not have to go back to BlackBerry, because they still largely use BlackBerry. And Equity Research does not speak for "the bank". Actually, the bank will hardly announce any such decision.
HTC HD2 runs both Windows Phone 7 and Android
by Volker Weber
Outer Hebrides
by Volker Weber
Photo: vowe
This is the furthest we have been "out" in Europe. And it has been seven years! Spiegel Online has some great photos today.
People I will miss at Lotusphere 2011
by Volker Weber
There is quite a few "regulars" (some in this photo), that won't make it to Orlando this year.
- Bob Balaban
- Ben Langhinrichs
- Ben Poole
- Darren Adams
- Gary Devendorf
- John Vaughan (jonvon)
- Kevin Pettitt
- Lance Spellman
- Phil Randolph
- Richard Schwartz
- Rob McDonagh
- Rocky Oliver
Still building the list ...
The best and worst in Kik
by Volker Weber
Kik is chat tool that works really well as a replacement for SMS text messages. If you visit an overseas conference like Lotusphere is for us, you like tools that work over Wi-Fi. Since you never know if the other party is currently available on a spotty network, Kik has a really neat feature: it will show you if a message has been sent (S), delivered (D) and read (R). It also shows you if the other party is currently typing so that you can wait for the answer right there.
Well, the worst part is RIM's showing. They deliberately delay messages for Kik. That makes me want to use an Android or an iPhone, which both work perfectly.
[Find me as vowe on Kik]
We could look it up for you
by Volker Weber
Which partners are in your Lotusphere session? The sponsors are here. But what's the problem anyway? Isn't that the deal, that you get coverage for sponsorship? Wouldn't your best partners also be major sponsors?
Update: That was easy, wasn't it? :-)
9 Deadly Words Used By A Woman
by Volker Weber
- Fine
This is the word women use to end an argument when they are right and you need to shut up. - Five Minutes
If she is getting dressed, this means a half an hour. Five minutes is only five minutes if you have just been given five more minutes to watch the game before helping around the house. - Nothing
This is the calm before the storm. This means something, and you should be on your toes. Arguments that begin with nothing usually end in fine. - Go Ahead
This is a dare, not permission. Don't Do It! - Loud Sigh
This is actually a word, but is a non-verbal statement often misunderstood by men. A loud sigh means she thinks you are an idiot and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and arguing with you about nothing. (Refer back to # 3 for the meaning of nothing.) - That's Okay
This is one of the most dangerous statements a women can make to a man. That's okay means she wants to think long and hard before deciding how and when you will pay for your mistake. - Thanks
A woman is thanking you, do not question, or faint. Just say you're welcome. (I want to add in a clause here -- This is true, unless she says ‘Thanks a lot' -- that is PURE sarcasm and she is not thanking you at all. DO NOT say ‘you're welcome' . that will bring on a ‘whatever'). - Whatever
Is a woman's way of saying F--- YOU! - Don't worry about it, I got it
Another dangerous statement, meaning this is something that a woman has told a man to do several times, but is now doing it herself. This will later result in a man asking ‘What's wrong?' For the woman's response refer to #3.
[Source unknown]
We suck
by Volker Weber
[Thanks, JP]
Only comes in small sizes
by Volker Weber
Die "bisherige" Lotus-Marke
by Volker Weber
es ist eine Riesenchance für die bisherige Lotus-Marke, denn kollaborative Funktionen werden überall integriert. Lotus-Lösungen werden zu IBM Lösungen zur besseren Zusammenarbeit, zu IBM Collaboration Solutions.
Der König (Lotus) ist tot, lang lebe der König (IBM Collaboration Solutions)?
What is a social enterprise
by Volker Weber
Oops: No copied Java code or weapons of mass destruction found in Android
by Volker Weber
Sometimes the sheer wrongness of what is posted on the web leaves us speechless. Especially when it’s picked up and repeated as gospel by otherwise reputable sites like Engadget. “Google copied Oracle’s Java code, pasted in a new license, and shipped it,” they reported this morning.
Sorry, but that just isn’t true.
First presentations are showing up on Lotusphere Online
by Volker Weber
Very clean, no nonsense design this year.
Ovi Store dominates Chinese app market
by Volker Weber
According to the IResearch, Ovi is trouncing the competition, and leading the mighty China Mobile app store, which is currently accessed by 57.7 per cent of China's mobile subscribers.
Getting even
by Volker Weber
How to Remove DRM from Your Kindle Ebooks
by Volker Weber
Amazon's Kindle jumpstarted the ebook revolution, but that doesn't make it the eReader of choice for everyone. If you've got some Kindle books you'd like to use with a different device, here's how to remove the DRM so you can.
How to Install XBMC on Your Apple TV 2
by Volker Weber
Great news for anyone looking for a tiny, cheap standalone XBMC box: You can now install XBMC on an Apple TV 2. Here's how it works.
Any luck getting in?
by Volker Weber
Photo: vowe
IBM, I give up. Where did you hide the presentation files?
by Volker Weber
Adblocker auf heise online
by Volker Weber
heise online zu betreiben kostet Geld - Geld für Server, Strom und Internet-Bandbreite, Gehalt für die Admins und Web-Entwickler, und nicht zuletzt Honorare für die Autoren und Redakteure, die Texte verfassen, die Sie hier lesen wollen. Dem stehen Einnahmen aus Anzeigen gegenüber, die wir in unsere Seiten einblenden. Wenn Sie einen Adblocker benutzen, gehen uns diese Einnahmen verloren.
Dell probiert es mit Offenheit
by Volker Weber
Heute veranstaltet Dell ein "Customer Advisory Panel". Will meinen, Dell hört sich die Meinungen von Kunden an. Und versucht dabei möglichst öffentlich zu sein. Es gibt beispielsweise ein Rinnsal von Twitter-Beiträgen:
Im Vorfeld der Veranstaltung bin ich auch gefragt worden, ob ich daran vielleicht teilnehmen wolle. Mein Problem: ich finde Dell total langweilig (engl: dull). Ich traue dem Unternehmen zu, ordentliche Produkte zu produzieren, aber sie interessieren mich einfach nicht. Ein wenig so, wie Opel nicht in Betracht kommt, wenn ich mir ein Auto kaufen will. An den Fahrzeugen ist nicht viel auszusetzen, vielleicht sind sie ein bisschen stark geschminkt. Ich mag einfach keinen Opel haben. Keine Emotion.
Meine Erfahrungen mit Dell sind eher sporadisch. Ein Unternehmen, dem die Thinkpads zu teuer waren und den Mitarbeitern Dells vorgeschrieben hat. Mit Sondergenehmigungen konnte man auch einen Thinkpad haben. Die Thinkpads wurden damit zum Statussymbol. Wer sich mit einem Dell sehen ließ, war sozusagen "out". Auch im Serverraum tauchten Dell Server auf. Inklusive der entsprechenden Racks. Wenn man heute da durch marschiert, sieht man (wieder) nur HP. Ein deckenhohes Rack ist übrigens das einzige Dell-Produkt, was ich habe. Wenn man das Logo ordentlich entfernen könnte, wäre es ab. So wie der Opel-Blitz.
In der Huschebahn sehe ich auch Leute, die mit Dell Laptops unterwegs sind. Meistens mit Inventaraufkleber drauf. Die Besitzer haben selten einen erfreuten Gesichtsausdruck, was sicher nicht am Laptop liegt. Broterwerb halt. Brot und Wasser.
Ich habe abgewunken. Es ist nicht so, als hätte ich irgendetwas auszusetzen an Dell. Viel schlimmer, Dell ist mir völlig egal.
Max
by Volker Weber
How did I miss Kik Messenger? Free texting.
by Volker Weber
Kik Messenger is a free smartphone to smartphone chat application that replaces text messaging. It's crazy fast, fully cross-platform, and available free worldwide.
Somehow I missed a major thing last year. Kik launched a free texting service on iPhone, iPod, Android and BlackBerry. Then RIM sued them and the BlackBerry client went missing. Soon they will have a Windows Phone 7 client. 3 million users and growing by 10,000 to 15,000 users a day.
These are not your enemies
by Volker Weber
Lotusphere is due in 11 days, and I sense a bit of nervousness around the "Ask the product managers" session. Greg pulled a pretty good joke from the Dilbert archives, Steve has a bullshit bingo card, and Peter wants to guide people.
This reminds me of a story I read five years ago on the Guardian. Let me show you the money quote:
Phil gave me some great advice: "Those 6,000 Mac fans out there in the hall aren't against you, they're the best friends you can have."
That's it. The people in the audience are not your enemies. There is no need to be defensive. And while we are at it, you are looking for enemies in all the wrong places.
And now read "Behind the magic curtain". It's quite amazing.
Notice to self: try to be great instead of average
by Volker Weber
Great people talk about ideas.
Average people talk about things.
Small people talk about other people.
I mostly talk about things. Maybe I should talk about other people's ideas. ;-)
Eight Quarters
by Volker Weber
If you look at quarterly earnings, you need to take a look at last year's quarter as well. For instance the first quarter was pretty bad in 2009 and in 2010 Lotus was able to win something back. 2Q09 was the worst, and in 2Q10 they were not able to gain against those bad numbers and lost even more. If you only look at all the yellow bars, you can see the business leveling out in 2010 instead of going into free fall.
If you compare these numbers to Websphere though, things are pretty clear. Websphere had pretty good numbers in 2009 and grew on top of that by leaps and bounds.
IBM Fourth-Quarter Earnings announced
by Volker Weber
IBM wins:
IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced fourth-quarter 2010 diluted earnings of $4.18 per share, compared with diluted earnings of $3.59 per share in the fourth quarter of 2009, an increase of 16 percent. Fourth-quarter net income was $5.3 billion compared with $4.8 billion in the fourth quarter of 2009, an increase of 9 percent. Total revenues for the fourth quarter of 2010 of $29.0 billion increased 7 percent (7 percent, adjusting for currency) from the fourth quarter of 2009.
Lotus loses:
Revenues from the WebSphere family of software products increased 32 percent year over year. Information Management software revenues increased 10 percent. Revenues from Tivoli software increased 12 percent. Revenues from Lotus software decreased 3 percent, and Rational software increased 10 percent.
The Samsung Secret - Why U.S. Galaxy S Phones run Android 2.1 Still
by Volker Weber
I’m going to step across the NDAs and explain the issues behind the Android Froyo update to Samsung Galaxy S phones in the United States. I think most of you have come to this realization yourself now: the withholding of the Froyo update is a largely political one, not a technological one: Froyo runs quite well on Galaxy S phones, as those of you that have run leaked updates may have noticed.
[Thanks, David]
Maria Gomez statt Maja Kumme
by Volker Weber
Maria Gomez schreibt:
Bei dieser Gelegenheit möchte ich es nicht versäumen, mich Ihnen als neue Direktorin für IBM Collaboration Solutions vorzustellen. Zum 01.01. habe ich den Bereich von Maja Kumme übernommen.
IBM Collaboration Solutions ist wohl eine andere Bezeichnung für Lotus. Das hieß mal WPLC.
Ricky is the man
by Volker Weber
How to Build a Consumer Platform: Lessons from Sonos
by Volker Weber
On GigaOM:
One has to look really hard to find a Silicon Valley startup (unless you consider Apple a startup) that has found success in the hotly contested consumer electronics market place. Many have failed. Some have tasted early critical success and been acquired by bigger players: Slingbox, for example. However, one company might just change that: Sonos, a Santa Barbara, Calif.-based maker of networked digital music devices.
Want to go to Lotusphere?
by Volker Weber
There are several options this year:
- A Full Conference Pass for $2,295
- A Three Day "Business Solutions Track" Conference Pass for $2,095
- A One Day Conference Pass for $1,095
Then there is the IBM Social Business Industries Symposium:
- Registration fee is $995 (includes optional access to the Lotusphere opening general session on Monday and the product showcase)
And finally, there will be busloads of students:
- Free one day pass, free transportation to event, opening session with celebrity speaker, exclusive meeting with IBM executives, free lunch, free sessions, free access to the showcase, special gift bag, t-shirt, and free transportation back to school.
Lotusphere Online is up at www.lsonline.info
by Volker Weber
To login, use your full name as username and your confirmation number as password.
Update: There is now an old school "under construction" sign:
How long does it take to setup Lotus Connections? ;-)
MacBook Air first impressions
by Volker Weber
Today the 13" MacBook Air arrived. It's as sexy as you might imagine. Setup was a breeze with Migration Assistant which copied everything over from the MacBook Pro in less than four hours including setup.
Reality kicks right in. How long is the battery supposed to last? I think it will be about four hours for this charge:
I am not missing the weight of the Pro, but I am missing the keyboard backlight. That's just a neat feature if you like to sit in dim light. What I do like a lot better is the screen and the bezel around it. I never liked the black glass of the Pro. This looks much more like a proper notebook. Programs load very fast from SSD, so that's a major benefit. The machine is not silent however. If it gets busy and warm, you will hear the fan cooling down the body.
If I did not already have a great Apple notebook, this would be the machine I want. And no, I can't keep it. It goes back in February. :-)
Tweet of the day
by Volker Weber
I don't understand how the people of Tunisia overthrew their government without me signing an e-petition or changing my Twitter avatar.
If it looks too good to be true, it probably isn't
by Volker Weber
Red Sky
by Volker Weber
Photo: Ute Breitinger
Calvin
by Volker Weber
Play Leisure Suit Larry and other Sierra games on the iPad
by Volker Weber
Are you a two-spacer?
by Volker Weber
Assange reverts to an antiquated habit that would not have been out of place in the secretarial pools of the 1950s: He uses two spaces after every period. Which—for the record—is totally, completely, utterly, and inarguably wrong.
My Facebook application blacklist
by Volker Weber
If you continue to find automatic status updates in your river of news, you have the option to remove them from your feed. That has not worked very well for me. Gowalla for instance kept coming back, for whatever reason.
There is a simple solution. Click on the app name under the status update, and on the app page, in the left column, click on "Block App". Gone forever.
Do you have any junk to add?
AppleInsider - Apple tells newspapers: no free iPad edition for print subscribers
by Volker Weber
A number of European newspapers have reportedly been told by Apple that they can no longer offer paid print subscribers free access to an iPad edition through the App Store, as the subscription strategy leaves Apple out of its 30 percent cut.
Well, that possibly could also mean us.
When is a good time to buy an iPhone or an Android?
by Volker Weber
There is some truth to this quite funny (and sad) humor. So when is a good time to buy an iPhone? I'd say anytime during the six month after a new iPhone has entered the market. That gives you two years where you can expect useful updates.
So far there is no good time to buy an Android other than now. It does not really matter, because Android is being updated a few times a year, and you cannot expect updates from your manufacturer, your carrier, or Google. If you are adventurous then you can "root" your phone and install homebrew firmware. Or you can buy a developer phone, which will stay up-to-date until the next dev phone comes out. I have had two of those, one went from 1.0 to 1.6, the other one from 2.1 to 2.2.1 and is expected to be updated to 2.3. Both were made by HTC. Today's dev phone is the Nexus S made by Samsung. In less than a year there will be yet another new one.
Dev phones are pure Android devices with the Google experience. Most if not all other Androids are customized in one way or the other. I prefer the Google experience, but you might like other custom experiences. Just don't expect updates after Google released new versions.
Die Social Media Guidelines von 1&1
by Volker Weber
Seit November 2009 leistet sich 1&1 ein eigenes Social-Media-Team, das in der Pressestelle des Unternehmens angesiedelt ist. Lesern dieses Blogs oder unseren Verfolgern auf Twitter wird dieses Team schon das ein oder andere Mal begegnet sein. In der nächsten Zeit wollen wir an dieser Stelle gelegentlich über unsere Arbeit berichten. Beginnen möchten wir mit der Vorstellung unserer Social Media Guidelines.
Es gibt wichtigere Kriterien als den Ticketpreis
by Volker Weber
Gegen 07:47 Uhr erhielt die Besatzung die Startfreigabe. Kurz nach dem Anrollen zum Start kippte das Flugzeug mit dem Heck auf die Bahn. Der verantwortliche Flugzeugführer brach daraufhin den Start ab. Das Flugzeug kippte auf das Bugfahrwerk zurück, rollte aus und kam auf dem Rollweg E zum Stehen. Von dort wurde es auf die Parkposition 35 geschleppt. Die Passagiere verließen das Flugzeug über die Rolltreppe.
Geek watch
by Volker Weber
Not even 30 years ...
by Volker Weber
Und täglich grüßt das Murmeltier: "xyz will BlackBerry abhören"
by Volker Weber
Regelmäßig erhalte ich eine Anfrage, weil das Wall Street Journal oder die New York Times oder die Times of India mal wieder halbgar über BlackBerry berichtet. Dabei ist das wirklich einfach zu verstehen. Es gibt ein kleines und ein großes Problem zu lösen.
Das kleine Problem ist, dass die BlackBerry-Infrastruktur nicht vom Carrier kontrolliert wird. Also kann die jeweilige Sicherheitspolizei nicht einfach dort einmarschieren und die Herausgabe der Daten fordern. Das läuft dann auf eine Erpressung hinaus: entweder abschalten oder Daten besorgen. RIM kann dort helfen, aber nur bei zwei Diensten: BlackBerry Messenger und BlackBerry Internet Service. Die sind beide nicht verschlüsselt (und deshalb bei sicherheitsbewussten Unternehmen abgeschaltet).
Das große Problem heißt starke Verschlüsselung. Jeder kann starke Verschlüsselung verwenden. Macht aber "keiner", außer eben BlackBerry Enterprise Service. Alles, was zwischen Endgerät und Server ausgetauscht wird, ist verschlüsselt. Kommt man also wieder nicht dran. Nur hier kann RIM nicht helfen, weil sie den Schlüssel nicht haben.
Das kleine Problem ist lösbar, das große nicht. Wenn der Server der Kontrolle entzogen ist, dann geht nichts. Je mehr Leute das kapieren, desto größer wird das Problem. Man stelle sich einen Mail Server (Domino, Exchange, Groupwise) an eine sichere Stelle, packe davor einen BlackBerry Enterprise Server und davor einen Firewall, der keine Verbindungsversuche nach innen durchlässt. Schon hat man eine sichere Plattform zwischen allen daran angemeldeten BlackBerrys. Solange niemand physisch an die Server kommt, ist das Problem nicht zu knacken.
Things Real People Don't Say About Advertising
by Volker Weber
Clever little boy
by Volker Weber
Erfurt’s Great Roundabout Experiment
by Volker Weber
[Thanks, Hajo]
From my inbox
by Volker Weber
New toys at vowe's magic flying circus
by Volker Weber
Steve is sending me a breath of fresh Air. Well, not exactly Steve, but I have a lot of writing to do next week, and I am going to do it on a new MacBook Air 13". Since I never used the optical drive in my other MacBook, it will be interesting to see how I like it. It's also coming to Lotusphere, and then to Lotusphere Comes To Munich.
Since I am going to write about email on smartphones, there may be some new phones as well. :-)
IBM Press Room: Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen Gesamtschule wird zum E-Campus
by Volker Weber
Zepernick/Panketal, Berlin - 13 Jan 2011: Die Vermittlung von Medienkompetenz gehört heute zu den besonderen Aufgaben einer Schule. Die Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen Gesamtschule schickt sich ab heute an, zu einem bundesweiten Vorreiter bei diesem Thema zu werden: Hierfür werden Schüler ab Klasse acht, das Lehrerkollegium und die Verwaltung der Schule in den kommenden Monaten sukzessive mit den neuen digitalen Medien - auch jenseits von angesagten sozialen Netzwerken wie Facebook - vertraut gemacht. ... Die Schule wird neueste Collaboration- und Social Media Software von IBM - Lotus Notes/Domino, Quickr und Connections - einsetzen. ... Die ersten Software-Lizenzen für die Schüler werden nach den Sommerferien 2011 eingesetzt.
Klasse 8, das ist ab 14. Ich denke, in diesem Alter wissen die Schüler ganz gut Bescheid und können dieses Ziel bearbeiten:
"Dabei haben wir nicht nur das soziale Networking im Blick, sondern wollen auch die Bereitschaft zum lebenslangen Lernen wecken. Denn diese Bereitschaft wird immer stärker zu einem unverzichtbaren Element jeder erfolgreichen Arbeitsbiografie."
Die werden ihren Lehrern mal zeigen, wie wichtig lebenslanges Lernen ist. :-)
Often right, never PC. Thinks Mark Webber is a good driver.
by Volker Weber
I did not know I need a nano. Now I do.
by Volker Weber
iPhone gets Personal Hotspot in iOS 4.3
by Volker Weber
With 4.3 you can use your iPhone sync cable, Bluetooth or Wi-Fi to connect other devices to the Internet. "Personal Hotspot" replaces "Internet Tethering" so it's probably subject to the contract with your carrier.
In any case you will need a larger traffic budget. I can live on 300 MB a month when using the iPhone without tethering. Once I connect my Macbook, I burn through the 300 MB in a single day. Which means, I will burn through 5 GB a month easily when using this every single workday.
Lotus Notes Traveler available in the OVI store. Sort of.
by Volker Weber
Ed likes this:
Nokia handset users can now access Lotus Notes Traveler directly through the OVI store. We send the Mobile Installer down to the device, and the user simply needs to be able to point to their Lotus Notes Traveler server for configuration. This is a great improvement in visibility for the Nokia marketplace and another step forward in the growth story for Notes Traveler overall.
He also has a screenshot where the E75 is selected as the current phone, a model that was released almost two years ago. So I went to the store and checked a few current models that people would buy today. The super important one would be the E7.
Here is the result:
No dice. So I checked a few more of the current lineup.
The Most Amazing Press Release Ever Written
by Volker Weber
CHICAGO, Jan. 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Mitch Delaplane of PitchPoint Public Relations has issued the most amazing press release ever written. While hundreds of press releases are distributed daily, Delaplane feels this particular release will go down in history as the most amazing press release that has ever been written.
RIM is showing the PlayBook to press, partners and customers
by Volker Weber
Nur mal so eine Frage
by Volker Weber
Need a good reason to use the Mac App Store? Updates
by Volker Weber
brand eins Online: "Es gibt nichts Gutes, außer man tut es"
by Volker Weber
Sie fühlen sich erschöpft, aufgerieben, allein gelassen: Eltern von schwerstbehinderten Kindern. Sie finden keine Ruhe, um Kraft zu schöpfen. Weil Heime fehlen, die sie durch Kurzzeit-Pflege ablösen. Frank Stangenberg und Steffen Schumann wollten sich damit nicht länger abfinden.
Vielleicht erinnert Ihr Euch. Wir hören von Frank nicht zum ersten Mal.
Google dropping H.264 from Chrome
by Volker Weber
we are changing Chrome's HTML5 <video> support to make it consistent with the codecs already supported by the open Chromium project. Specifically, we are supporting the WebM (VP8) and Theora video codecs, and will consider adding support for other high-quality open codecs in the future. Though H.264 plays an important role in video, as our goal is to enable open innovation, support for the codec will be removed and our resources directed towards completely open codec technologies.
High speed cameras are fun
by Volker Weber
Sack Reis in Amerika?
by Volker Weber
Am 10. Februar gibt's für die Amerikaner endlich ein CDMA-iPhone. Darauf haben viele gewartet. Für den Rest der Welt ist das uninteressant, außer dass es demnächst Touristen gibt, die sich wundern, warum ihr iPhone hier nicht funktioniert. Interessant ist dagegen vielleicht:
- Verizon wird einen mobilen Wifi-Hotspot anbieten, so wie das schon mit Android und webOS funktioniert. Es gibt eigentlich keinen Grund, warum das normale Modell mit GSM/UMTS/HSPA das nicht können sollte.
- Auf dem Bild oben ist erkennbar, dass Apple den Rahmen, also die Antenne, überarbeitet hat. Man beachte den Schlitz oberhalb des Mute-Schalters. Der Schalter rückt dazu weiter nach unten, was wiederum unterschiedliche Cases für die beiden Bauarten erfordert.
vowe.net moves
by Volker Weber
There will be a change of IP address:
Old: 212.227.211.180
New: 212.227.185.58
Both should work for a week and then only the new one survives.
How often do you want me to push that "Ignore" button?
by Volker Weber
When you suggest that I like your page, I have two choices: accept and ignore. It really does not help if you send the recommendation multiple times.
Simple Diagrams with SimpleDiagrams
by Volker Weber
SimpleDiagrams is a small desktop application that helps you express your ideas quickly and simply. There's just enough functionality to describe a thought or capture a process.
SimpleDiagrams keeps the visual expression clear through the simple design of library items and backgrounds.
Lotusphere comes to München
by Volker Weber
So langsam gehen hier die Lotusphere-Vorbereitungen los. Flug und Hotel sind geklärt, alle möglichen Daten eingegeben und demnächst mache ich dann auch noch meine Online-Einkäufe. Und kaum zwei Wochen, nachdem wir wieder hier sind, folgt dann die Lotusphere-Nachlese bei edcom in München. Ich hoffe, wir sehen uns spätestens dort.
Endless fun
by Volker Weber
Photo: vowe
There is no explanation why it failed, no remedy, just a log that tells you at what time it failed. And I am not alone.
Trent Reznor Urges Musicians To Ditch Labels
by Volker Weber
One of the biggest wake-up calls of my career was when I saw a record contract. I said, 'Wait - you sell it for $18.98 and I make 80 cents? And I have to pay you back the money you lent me to make it and then you own it?
Need inspiration?
by Volker Weber
Opening a US iTunes account
by Volker Weber
I'd like to open a US iTunes account. A German account can be opened without any prerequisites, but it appears for a US account I need a US credit card or an iTunes gift card, even if I only want to download a free app. Any workarounds?
Why do I need a US account? Because we need to download this app, which for some reason is not in the German store:
Update: Vitor Pereira has shown me the way.
These are not two sizes
by Volker Weber
You just have to love the explanation.
Dutch Winter
by Volker Weber
Video: Kasper Bak
Going back to a Bold from a BlackBerry Torch
by Volker Weber
Yesterday I upgraded my "old" Bold 9700 to BlackBerry 6, a software I have been using on the newer Torch 9800 for two months. Switching back to the Bold serves as a good reminder what's better on the Bold than the Torch, which is the superior device overall.
First of all, the Bold feels outright small when compared to the Torch. Much lighter, with a screen almost half the size. At the same time it feels more solid than the slider. And you realize what's odd about the Torch: it's top heavy. When you type on it, it's not as balanced as the Bold. You constantly have to hold it down so it does not top over. The keyboard seems to be pushing against your fingers.
But there are things that I really like about the Torch. Locking and unlocking the device with the slider for instance. And the touchscreen of course. Now I keep on tapping the Bold screen wondering why nothing happens. It used to be the other way around when I switched to the Torch.
Upgrading to BlackBerry 6 gives you a much better browser than older version of the device software. The media apps got nicer. There is a pretty much useless social software. The dedicated Twitter and Facebook apps work better.
BlackBerry 6 has its advantages, but I also find it more confusing. Having multiple home screens with all icons, favorites, downloads, media and such slows me down. I don't want stuff to move around. I guess it takes a while to get used to the changes.
On heavy rotation: Fritz Kalkbrenner
by Volker Weber
Letzte Woche hatte ich noch keine Ahnung, wer Fritz Kalkbrenner ist. Jetzt läuft seine Platte "Here Today Gone Tomorrow" hier rauf und runter. Braucht einen ordentlichen Bass.
Lotusphere Online to finally become useful
by Volker Weber
Year after year Lotus set up an online site for Lotusphere. To tear it down a few weeks after the conference. It wasn't very useful. Why would you invest time into building a profile for a site that would soon be gone forever.
On top of that, the site was also underpowered. You would not really want to use it because it was showcasing some latest version of Lotus technology. Remember Workplace?
Things have changed. IBM sells exactly the kind of software you would need to build a good Lotusphere Online. It also has cloud computing resources that would allow it to adjust to capacity demands throughout the year. Make it really big for Lotusphere and the weeks surrounding it. And scale it down somewhat during the rest of the year. But don't tear it down like a tent, instead make it a house. A house that will always be there for the community to rely on.
I talked about this idea with a few people at last year's Lotusphere, amongst them The Queen of Lotusphere. Everybody liked the idea. And frankly, it wasn't very original, since the competition has been doing it for a while. And I don't think I have been the only person who came up with it.
Anyway, now it appears to happen.
Apple adds an app store to the Mac
by Volker Weber
Apple takes the successful app store to the Mac. I believe it's going to be an important move.
Installing applications on the Mac has always been simple. And yet, many people did not grasp the concept of a drive image that you had to mount and could throw away after the fact. The app store makes it even easier to acquire an application. It will hopefully also make it easier to remove one that has been installed.
The biggest change however is that it brings an update-all-my-apps feature into the Mac world.
Photography is painting with light
by Volker Weber
Nokia Big Screen
by Volker Weber
Free Las Vegas navigator app
by Volker Weber
Visiting the 2011 International CES in Las Vegas? Grab the app now! - It's available for a limited time only.
Free e-books for Windows administrators
by Volker Weber
Michael Pietroforte writes:
You didn’t get the right books for Christmas? Then check out this collection of free e-books for Windows administrators. I have copied a short description from the publisher for each book.
Stop bugging me, TomTom
by Volker Weber
jumbotron:~ vowe$ ps -eax | grep TomTom
6532 ?? 4:41.70 /Applications/MyTomTomSA.app/Contents/MacOS/MyTomTomSA
jumbotron:~ vowe$ kill -9 6532
jumbotron:~ vowe$
TomTom, we need to talk. If I have one of your PNDs that does not mean I want to be running your software all the time. If I say "quit", go away. Do not return until I call you. It's a very, very stupid idea to keep popping up on my computer. I also don't want to be bugged by dialogs while I am driving. Stop giving me hints, stop asking me questions. I am busy driving my car. Don't tell me you have problems accessing live services. Go and fix them yourself. I don't need to know all this. Do your work, and get the hell out of the way. If you need to fix yourself, don't bother me on my computer. You have an Internet connection yourself. Use it. And leave me alone.
And while we are at it. Why do I have to tell you to get traffic information for my way from home to work, or on my way home from work? You know what I am doing. It's a predictable pattern. And frankly, I don't need turn-by-turn instructions on my way to work. I probably know the way better than you do. Just get me the traffic data and tell me what's different today.
Nokia Maps used to be annoying. Nokia fixed it. Now it's your turn.
7 Billion
by Volker Weber
Apple TV vs. Neo TV
by Volker Weber
Recently I started using two streaming TV products, one from Apple, one from Netgear. With a few weeks of usage, I have a very clear understanding of which one you would want. They are completely different animals.
The Apple TV is a slick Apple experience. If all your media lives in iTunes and iPhoto, that's the device you want. Other than the original Apple TV, it does not draw a lot of power, it hardly gets warm at all. It also does not have user accessible storage, so you don't have to think about syncing. It will stream everything that lives on your Mac in iTunes or iPhoto. But you won't be able to access files you have on a NAS (network attached storage), unless it's your iTunes or iPhoto library and the Mac is running. You will also be able to stream from the Internet and that experience may be fine in the US, but it is seriously lacking in Germany. I do like to use it to watch movie trailers though.
The NeoTV 550 from Netgear is quite different. It's not slick at all, the user interface leaves a lot to be desired. The box is as ugly as it gets. But it will play absolutely everything you throw at it. You connect it to your network, and you will be able to play files from your shared volumes, be it from a NAS, a PC or a Mac. You can attach eSATA or USB drives. It talks to Bluray players. It plays Matroska containers with HD content, Bluray and DVD folder rips or ISO images, it goes all the way up to 1080p.
Although the Apple TV is limited to 720p, it does have one benefit over the Neo TV: Airplay. This lets you push content from your iPad, iPod or iPhone to the big screen. Very cool to quickly play some photos from your iPhone on the TV. It's a bit limited today. You can't play videos you shot with your iPhone on Apple TV without going through a PC or Mac first. And it isn't very reliable yet. When I try to show a few photos on the screen, it often hangs on one photo without advancing to the next. I think Apple will need a few iterations to make it work as designed.
What the Neo TV needs is a designer. Not only for the box, but also for the whole user experience. It's very similar to the EVA 9150 I used before but they managed to move some often used functions like a library rescan ever further away from the user. What used to be the first item on the second page now moved into Settings/Media Locations. I believe the user interface is broken beyond repair and needs a fresh start. But once you got used to it, it will play absolutely everything you want it to. And that's what counts.
I have good use for both devices. But if one had to go, I'd keep the Neo TV.
Videothek geht schneller
by Volker Weber
Photo: vowe
Das ganze Programm von "12 Days" scheint mir als Abschreckung geplant zu sein. Da war bisher nichts dabei, was ich mir kostenlos antun würde, geschweige denn, dafür vorher zu bezahlen. Und auch Videos leihen und auf Apple TV anschauen, was ich bisher nicht genutzt habe, scheint nicht so der Hit zu sein.
Das alles sieht nicht nach Apple aus, sondern eher nach Aldi-Wühltisch.
