December 2007
Unfortunate coincidence
by Volker Weber
In April 2007 I wrote a posting called "two conferences". I was comparing two very different events, DNUG in Dresden and ILUG in Dublin. My hope was that it would make things unstuck between IBM and DNUG, but all it did was that it spelled the end of my invitations to DNUG conferences. :-) I had very good intentions when I posted but it was not received as I had expected.
ILUG 2007 was very, very successful and sold out to 275 people within 3 weeks. "Sold out" is an overstatement since the conference was free to attend. The conference was not only very well organized and full of great sessions, it was also a lot of fun. The organizers went out of their way to keep the delegates entertained.
ILUG 2007 was a two day event. For ILUG 2008 the organizers want to create something much bigger. Not only will the conference expand to three full conference days, it will also go to a much bigger venue. Despite expanding the conference, it will still be free (as in free beer). You only have to pay for travel which can be very cheap given that Ryanair is based in Dublin*. The dates have been set to 4-6 June 2008. Mark you calendars.
I am pretty sure that this posting will be misunderstood as well. There is a small problem that ILUG was unaware of until they learned about it a few days ago. On the exact same date there will also be the next DNUG conference in Bremen:
As you can see on the registration form it won't be free. By no means I would insinuate that conferences need to be free. A good conference is worth the fee you pay for it. But good free conferences at interesting places are a very strong competition, especially in spring.
Update: Postings by ILUG organizer Paul Mooney and Ed Brill.
*) Example for Hahn (not near Frankfurt): Arriving in Dublin at 7:40 on the 4th and leaving at 18:45 on the 6th is currently available for 67.21 €. Including fees and taxes.
Das Geld ist nicht weg. Nur woanders.
by Volker Weber
heise Autos schreibt über ein neues Finanzierungsangebot von Fiat:
Wer sich jetzt für die Anschaffung eines der sieben Modelle entscheidet, muss dafür erst ab dem Jahr 2010 bezahlen. Zusätzlich besteht die Möglichkeit, bei teilnehmenden Händlern einen Gebrauchtwagen in Zahlung zu geben und sich den Betrag auszahlen zu lassen. So kann man einen Neuwagen ohne Anzahlung übernehmen und wegen der Barauszahlung für den Gebrauchten mit mehr Geld in der Tasche nach Hause gehen.
Eine weitere Marketing-Idee zur Steigerung der Privatinsolvenzen in Deutschland.
Two new additions to my music library
by Volker Weber
After Heiko read about the success of Wonnemeyer - Dance On The Beach, he could not help but send me Wonnemeyer - Wonderland Sunset which he had also produced:
He was also able to complete my Malkasten series. So far I had only Volume 2 through 6, but he still had Volume 1.
Thanks a lot, Heiko.
New headphones: Ultimate Ears Super.fi 5 Pro
by Volker Weber
When it comes to headphones, I always check HeadRoom first. This is where I found the Koss Porta Pro, possibly the best inexpensive headphones of all times. OK, that is not entirely true, because Ute had consulted with my favorite experts, and then gave me a pair many years ago. They were simply amazing, and Headroom was the first place I came across them again, and they shared my judgement.
When it was time to find a headset best suited for travel, I turned to Headroom again for advice:
Noise-canceling headphones typically provide only about minus 10dB of isolation, principally in the lower frequencies between 100Hz and 2000Hz. Unfortunately, they don’t get rid of as much higher-pitched external noise as standard full-sized "passive" sealed/closed headphones, which usually provide an equal minus -10dB of attenuation BUT across a much broader sound spectrum than the "active" noise-canceling design. Further, noise-canceling or even 'sealed' headphones can’t approach the nearly-total isolation possible with in-ear canal headphones/ECHs (not to be confused with lowly 'earbud' designs!) which typically attenuate outside noise by at least minus 20-30dB or more!
I have a pair of Sony noise-canceling headphones, but I am not too impressed. They are unable to cancel out human voices, so you can't lock out the chatting ladies on the train or the crying babies on a plane. Sealed headphones also don't work well for me, if I have to wear them ten hours straight. So it was ECHs.
ECHs provide a tremendous seal against external noise; you will have absolutely no idea what the stewardess is talking about or even that there's a crazy banshee-ing kid two rows back.
Headroom recommends the Shure SE310 as their choice, but I was not comfortable to fit the driver into my ear as well. Instead I starting looking at Ultimate Ears, the original manufacturer of ECHs for professional applications. The final choice was the Ultimate Ears Super.fi 5 Pro which provide a whopping 26 dB of isolation and have a dual driver design delivering a better frequency response than a single driver. You can find an excellent review over at Gadgeteer. There is absolutely nothing I can add, besides: they work very well for my ears.
Thank you Lukas for this great present.
What's the rush?
by Volker Weber
400+ visitors in the middle of the night? Server seems to be cool with it.
Sonos: add your own Internet radio stations
by Volker Weber
Heiko just installed his new Sonos yesterday and makes an interesting observation. He says the Internet Radio stations are not stressed enough as a major advantage of the Sonos sound system. If you go through your 900 Sat radios, you will find that some 800 are encrypted. On the Sonos however, every single one of the preloaded stations work. Out of the box. And you can add your own, as I just did with these SomaFM stations:
SomaFM Groove Salad
http://somafm.com/groovesalad.pls
SomaFM Secret Agent
http://somafm.com/secretagent.pls
SomaFM Beat Blender
http://somafm.com/beatblender.pls
SomaFM Tag's Trance Trip
http://somafm.com/tagstrance.pls
SomaFM cliphop idm
http://somafm.com/cliphop.pls
SomaFM Space Station
http://somafm.com/spacestation.pls
SomaFM Illinois Street Lounge
http://somafm.com/illstreet.pls
SomaFM Drone Zone
http://somafm.com/dronezone.pls
Simply click on Add New under the radio station list, and enter a name and the URL. The new station will be added under Favorite Stations:
Update: Heiko just asked me for another station:
Ibiza Sonica
http://74.53.202.242:1025/listen.pls
Beats Of Boredom
by Ken Porter
[via Ze Frank]
iPod - The Pirate Bay Edition
by Volker Weber
Sunday's stars
by Volker Weber
We had party outside of our house on Sunday, celebrating the last weekend before Christmas. All of our neighbors were invited and many contributed to the party. The biggest stars of the party were somewhat unexpected. The iPod Hi-Fi (discontinued by Apple, but still available in some places)
and a CD produced by Heiko — Wonnemeyer's "Dance On The Beach":
The iPod Hi-Fi is not the best iPod dock, when it comes to playing at normal listening volumes. But is shines when you crank it up somewhat, as necessary during a party, especially outside. And "Dance On The Beach" is simply feel-good music.
Learn Cocoa
by Bruce Elgort
This tutorial shows you how to create your first Cocoa app. It assumes no previous experience with programming or Xcode.
Back on the E90
by Volker Weber
Believe it or not, I have actually switched back to the E90 and handed the iPhone to Ute to let her try it out while on vacation. The added benefit: she keeps her BlackBerry switched off. When she goes back to work, I will return the iPhone to Apple.
During the last couple of weeks I personally influenced enough purchase decisions to earn an iPhone (including maximum contract) on commission. I wholeheartedly recommend the phone to anybody who can afford the monthly payment for the contract. Having said that, there is still a lot of room for improvement. And I am pretty sure that the iPhone will evolve to meet more expectations.
Back on the E90 I am happy to have automatic synchronization with my MacBook via Wi-Fi and iSyncIt. I have also missed WidSets, instant messaging and the most glaring omission of the iPhone: a clipboard. The big keyboard is way, way superior to the onscreen keyboard of the iPhone.
But there are things I will be missing, especially the excellent photo viewer and the quick weather forecast.
12 days of Christmas
by Volker Weber
[via Dvorak, thanks Andrew]
Happy holidays
by Volker Weber
Thank you
by Volker Weber
Thank you for all the cards and presents you sent my way. I really appreciate them.
One person has gone completely wild with sending me a bottle of very rare Irish Whiskey, that is so incredibly precious that it will take me some time to actually open it. Please stop sending me any more alcohol. I don't really drink that much. ;-)
A couple of people felt that I have been a very good mother lately and bought me stuff from my Amazon wishlist (sorry, this has to be German, since Amazon runs separate stores by country). Thank you very much. Currently there is only one affordable item left on the list, but I am trying to come up with more items that I did not immediately buy when I wanted them.
Thank you for reading my site, writing comments, sending emails. I really appreciate them. Sometimes I look at my site statistics and it boggles my mind how many people have come to visit vowe's magic flying circus in 2007. Here is to another year.
Straight Dope Message Board: I waterboard!
by Volker Weber
So much talk of waterboarding, so much controversy. But what is it really? How bad? I wanted to write the definitive thread on waterboarding, settle the issue. Torture, or not?
To determine the answer, I knew I had to try it. I looked at my two small children. Surely, in the interests of science?.....
But alas, my wife had objections.
Perhaps her?
Sadly, she is proficient in Ju Jitsu, and I am unlikely to waterboard her.
That leaves me.
Was die Leute hier so alles suchen
by Volker Weber
- hund der sich ein runterholt youtube: Das kann ein Hund noch viel besser.
- DHL "dauert halt länger": Kann mich eigentlich nicht mehr beklagen.
- vespa clock battery: Jau, das ist knifflig.
- sc101 mac driver: SC101 und Mac? Ganz schlechte Idee.
- bmw allergie: Hah, noch einer. :-)
- what is lotus expeditor: Fast so schwierig wie "Was ist Lotus Notes".
- reboot razr: Einfach die Batterie rausnehmen.
- export lotus notes 7.0 calendar to ics windows: Ein Switcher?
- what does it mean when your mac is unsupported mac: Na was wohl?
- Blonde pole dancer: Nummer eins, Baby.
- why do germans pronounce v as "w": Tun sie gar nicht.
- was passiert wenn man nicht auf toilette geht: Jugend forscht.
- Blackbury perl: Knapp daneben. Zweimal.
Data
by Volker Weber
vowe is a happy camper
by Volker Weber
Everything. Is. Just. Right.
jcf gets the party started
by Volker Weber
Stephan is getting ready as well:
So does John while Bruce is still waiting. Alex is one step further:
This could be Heiko:
And this definitely Thomas:
And the waiting is over for Bruce:
And John:
Congratulations to Michael and his family
by Volker Weber
So that makes eight. David (11), Matthew (10), Philip (9), Daniel (7), Tim (5), Susanna (3), Jonathan (19mo), and now Elizabeth (1 hour).
Eight kids. Simply amazing ...
Best practices when installing your Sonos
by Volker Weber
Do not:
- Unpack Sonos players and install them at their final destination around the house
- Unpack Sonos controller and connect all players and controller
- Install Sonos Desktop Controller
- Try to set up your music library
- Try to update the software and firmware
Do:
- Download latest Desktop Controller from Sonos and install
- Unpack first player, connect to your internet router with ethernet wire, follow instructions on Desktop Controller to connect
- Update the player to latest firmware
- Set up your music library
- Unpack controller, connect to power and connect to your player
- Let the controller update itself
- Connect the other players and bridges to power and add them to your (wireless) Sonos network
- As they join the network, let them update their firmware
- Now distribute the players and bridges around your house
Been there, done that. If anything goes wrong, use ethernet patch cables to create a lab network of your players and bridges. Make sure you connect the network to your internet router.
Netgear updates ReadyNAS firmware
by Volker Weber
December 19, 2007
NETGEAR is pleased to release the 2nd update to the RAIDiator 4 firmware for the ReadyNAS network attached storage product line. The latest firmware will work with all preceding ReadyNAS products and can be updated easily from the FrontView System/Update/Remote tab. If you prefer, you can choose to do a local update by first downloading the new image here: RAIDiator-4.00c1-p2
Nothing affordable
by Volker Weber
Since you asked, no, there is nothing affordable on my Amazon wishlist. But I am working on it. :-)
How cool is this?
by Volker Weber
Google has just released translation bots for Google Talk. Add them to your buddylist if you need a translator or add them to a group chat. How is this for a pocket translator with Google Talk for BlackBerry?
Google displays flight information
by Volker Weber
I remember somebody mentioning this could become a Notes plugin. There you go, just ask Google. Funny remark:
P.S. We're still working on building a search feature that will find your lost luggage ;-)
Just two data points
by Volker Weber
Here in this tiny corner of the web, Firefox is the default browser. And the Mac has captured almost 20% of the site visitors. This data is comprised of 32646 page views on Dec 17.
These videos make YouTube so appealing to me
by Volker Weber
Diana singing or David playing the piano. Can't get it out of my head.
Was wäre Euch ein Gutschein über 148,24 € wert?
by Volker Weber
Have things really improved in eight years?
by Volker Weber
Bruce has a cover of Group Computing Jan/Feb 2000 and says: "Things have certainly gotten better since Jim O'Donnell Published this story".
Have they really? In 2000:
- Lotusphere sold out in hours to an audience of 10,000++.
- There was a Lotusphere Europe.
- Lotus was still having developer conferences.
- Year after year Lotus was publishing ever increasing sales of new seats.
- Microsoft was competing with Exchange 5.5.
- There was no SharePoint.
- There was no collaboration on the Web, no free 6 GB mailboxes, no shared calendars, no Skype, no Google Docs & Spreadsheets.
- Lotus had yet to scare its customers with "The Future is J2EE".
Kalt, ganz kalt
by Volker Weber
Hallo Herr Weber,
in Ihrem Blog nutzen Sie in der Sidebar ein Plugin, dass die Weltkarte mit den aktuellen Besuchern anzeigt. Ich vermute, Sie nutzen Wordpress als Blogsoftware.
Das wäre Ihr Preis gewesen: Soviel Einfamilienhäuser, wie Sie hätten tragen können.
Am A.d.W.
by Volker Weber
Wo ist denn eigentlich "am Arsch der Welt"? Laut Google in Frankreich.
[via german bash]
A little a goes a long way
by Volker Weber
Usually I am full of praise for Sonos. But now they have committed a major no-no. The Sonos Desktop Controller 2.5 does not install on Leopard. You can upgrade to Leopard with Sonos installed, but a fresh install fails. If you download the latest version however, you get a silent upgrade, which fixes the problem. Both versions call themselves 2.5 but the build number goes from 8646171 to 8646171a. Small change you might think, but it makes all the difference for Leopard users.
It's good to have the new version, but Sonos should make it clear that you need to get the latest to make it work on Leopard.
PC World: The 15 Biggest Tech Disappointments of 2007
by Volker Weber
No wonder so many users are clinging to XP like shipwrecked sailors to a life raft, while others who made the upgrade are switching back. And when the fastest Vista notebook PC World has ever tested is an Apple MacBook Pro, there's something deeply wrong with the universe.
We have no doubt Vista will come to dominate the PC landscape, if only because it will become increasingly hard to buy a new machine that doesn't have it pre-installed. And that's disappointing in its own right.
Office 2007, Leopard, Zune, the iPhone (yes, the iPhone) also make the list.
heise online: Bang & Olufsen plant TV- und HiFi-Geräte auf Windows-Basis
by Volker Weber
"Die nächste Generation TV- und Audio-Anlagen von Bang & Olufsen wird Microsoft-Windows-basiert sein", kündigte der Deutschland-Chef des Herstellers von TV- und HiFi-Geräten, Torben Sørensen, im Gespräch mit der Wirtschaftswoche an.
Sic transit gloria mundi.
After the love has gone
by Volker Weber
Ever since the Pilot came out, then Palm Pilot, I was in love with this simple and welcoming interface. At the time, I was a heavy Newton users - I still own five of them. Going from the Newton to a Pilot was not easy, but the company was smart enough to let me win one at a CeBIT press conference. The Pilot had one unique selling point: simple synchronisation with a PC. The Newton always sucked badly at this task. So, out with all the bells and whistles, in with simplicity and speed.
I replaced my original Pilot a few years later with a Palm III and then again with a Palm V. A few years pass and I meet the Palm CEO in Firence, Italy, and he personally upgrades me to a new Tungsten, which later gets replaced by a Tungsten 3. All of these devices were basically the same. More memory, better screens, newer software versions, but they had the same basic function. And the same instant interface.
Then, when the Treo came out, I so wanted one. A Palm with a GSM phone. No longer two devices to carry. I had to have the 600 and later the 650. This was the first Palm OS device which failed me. Crazy reboot loops, sudden failures, the operating system was showing its age. So I started looking elsewhere. The Nokia 9300, the CrackBerrys, Nokia S60 smartphones.
Then a few months ago, at CeBIT Palm was giving away one Treo 680 and I found myself standing there with my fellow colleagues, and I did not want to win it. Sure, I wanted somebody to win it, but I personally did not want it. That was quite a strange feeling. Here was a chance to get a perfectly good, free smartphone, and I didn't want it. The love had gone.
Today I wanted more than a couple of years ago. Wifi, instant email, over the air sync, in a better looking enclosure. Palm was no longer sexy. The unique selling point was gone. Let alone putting down money for it, I did not want it for free.
Yesterday's news was that Palm is letting people go. Maybe in the hundreds, out of 1200 current employees. This has to be done, when you want to save the company. And they need time. Their new platform won't be coming in 2008. I am keeping my fingers crossed that they can bring sexy back in 2009. I would miss them.
I may need this soon
by Volker Weber
How is this for an office prank?
by Volker Weber
- On your mark's computer, go to the Desktop and make a new folder.
- Rename the new folder to e.g. “Porn”
- Make a screenshot
- Delete the folder that you’d just created
- Install the screenshot image as a Desktop wallpaper
- Enjoy!
[via Tom]
Zitat des Tages
by Volker Weber
Der Vokuhila des 21ten Jahrhunderts ist das Bluetooth-Headset.
— Mario Sixtus
AppleInsider: Apple working on improved Exchange support for iPhone
by Volker Weber
Apple is working on improving the iPhone's support of Microsoft's Exchange email platform, which could finally deliver true syncing capabilities, a new company job posting has revealed. The undated listing seeks a "motivated, highly-technical Exchange test/sync engineer with excellent problem solving and communication skills." ... Thus far, the iPhone's official support of Exchange has been limited to IMAP functionality under certain conditions. The lack of full support for the Microsoft platform is commonly cited as one of the primary barriers to adoption of the Apple handset by businesses, as Exchange is widely deployed as the email solution of choice amongst the corporate world.
Though speculative, Apple's reference to sync engineers may indicate that work is being done to deliver support for ActiveSync, which would allow the iPhone to synchronize email, calendar items and contacts with Exchange servers. Potential iPhone buyers who rely on Exchange in the workplace have singled out the omission of ActiveSync support as the limiting factor in their decision to hold off on purchasing the Apple handset.
I could name a few more omissions, like the lack of policies or end-user activation through iTunes, but this is certainly going to help Apple.
Google Calendar syncs with BlackBerry
by Volker Weber
Starting today, you can use Google Sync for mobile to synchronize your BlackBerry handheld with Google Calendar. Simply go to http://m.google.com/sync in your mobile browser to download and install the Google Sync for mobile application. Once installed, simply click on the Google Sync icon, sign in to your Google Account or your Google Apps account, and that's it. The Calendar application on your BlackBerry will always be synchronized with your Google Calendar. You can even edit events or create new ones on the handheld.
Nur ohne Tiger
by Volker Weber
Von A
Erste Faustregel im Sexualstrafrecht: Alles, was zwei Erwachsene freiwillig miteinander tun und was nicht zu mindestens mittelschweren Verletzungen führt, ist aus gesetzgeberischer Sicht unbedenklich.
bis O
Zweite Faustregel im Sexualstrafrecht: Ein legales, den Umweltstandards genügendes, ethisch einwandfreies, von den Behörden geduldetes oder sogar gefördertes Verhalten ist für den Bundesbürger von 2008 an nur noch in solchen Momenten möglich, in denen er Sexualität ausübt. Vorausgesetzt, es ist kein Zirkustiger dabei.
Dazwischen ein echter Martenstein.
Change of guards
by Volker Weber
Recently I find Facebook boring. Don't really need another place to publish stuff. Status updates are easier with Twitter. Plus, you can make Twitter update your Facebook status for those friends who only check Facebook.
Twitter has the simplest of all interfaces. And there are tons of clients.
These would be handy once in a while
by Volker Weber
And these might as well.
Movable Type Open Source
by Volker Weber
As of today, and forever forward, Movable Type is open source. This means you can freely modify, redistribute, and use Movable Type for any purpose you choose.
Three years ago, Movable Type was king of the hill. When 3.0 came out, the company alienated the user base through a new licensing scheme. It was then that b2/cafelog was reborn as Wordpress. The rest is history.
The Joy of Tech: Gifts for people you don't like.
by Volker Weber
Two Microsoft products made it >
I think I need a relay
by Volker Weber
Redeeming a gift certificate from Amazon.co.uk is harder than expected.
vowe's iPod choice
by Volker Weber
I have been asked a few times about what my choice for an iPod would be. That is actually quite easy to answer:
It's the iPod nano.
Reasons:
- It's the smallest of the lot. And the least delicate one. That alone would do it.
- It's also the fastest. No waiting for a disk to spin up, no need to switch on a locked display. It's instant.
- You don't have to look at it. The touch and the iPhone are two handed. Plus you need to look at the screen to do anything meaningful. The touch is even missing hardware volume buttons.
If you need maximum storage capacity, the obvious choice is the classic. It also handles better with the larger wheel. If you want to watch photos, it's the touch. For music however, it's the nano.
Then there are those who don't even need a display. The shuffle fits those people perfectly.
Phone rotation
by Volker Weber
RIM has fixed the issues with my O2 USIM. Currently running two devices on 4.3 and they work without any issues. This means I am juggling more mobile phones than ever:
- BlackBerry 8120: Quite an improvement over the original Pearl. The hardware has been improved, but the software makes the difference. Watch out for firmware updates to get your old Pearl to the same level. Still in beta, but your friendly geek may have it. Pro: small, fast, decent battery life, OK camera. Con: no full keyboard, tiny screen, web browser sucks.
- BlackBerry 8820: An 8800 with Wi-Fi. No need to upgrade since you won't be receiving your mail faster and there is nothing worthwhile doing with the faster connection. OK, software installation is faster. As with the 8120, Wi-Fi implementation is great. Once it knows the credentials to a network, it switches automagically. Pro: full keyboard, fast, good battery life, GPS. Con: biggish, no camera, GPS is too slow to get a fix.
- iPhone: Geek magnet, chick magnet. Everybody likes it. The only phone with a really good web browser. Less capabilities than then rest of the lot, but it's easy to use, so you will do more. Pro: excellent UI, good browser, great photo viewer, nice Mac integration. Con: bad battery life, has difficulties with weak Wi-Fi, much slower to read mails than with the BlackBerrys.
- Nokia E61i: Most bang for the buck. This thing is not only good, it also feels good. Excellent build quality, good keyboard. Pro: full keyboard, good battery life, OK camera. Con: slow, biggish, Wi-Fi not as good as BlackBerry and iPhone.
- Nokia E90: The mother of smartphones. Does (almost) everything the E61i does, only faster. Pro: excellent capabilities, great keyboard and screen, GPS. Con: BIG and heavy, slow camera and GPS.
Since I cannot swap my SIM into the iPhone, I need to carry two phones when using the iPhone, so that people are able to reach me. Last week the master phone was the 8120, this weeks it's the 8820. Which is so capable that I leave the iPhone behind a lot. I never take it along with the E90 because the only thing the iPhone does much better is to view photos. The E90 browser is good enough for me.
As much as I like the iPhone, my fastest user experience is the 8820. Press just a few buttons and dial a contact, very quickly browse your email and answer it, get rid of spams with the press of a button. What I am missing dearly is a decent keyboard on the iPhone. I am much better than I was on the first day, but typing on the E90 or the 8820 is at least four times faster, if only because you can use two fingers instead of one.
Leserempfehlung: Musik-Podcast im Stil von Mixed Tape und Klassik Lounge
by Volker Weber
Stefan D schreibt:
Hallo Volker,
als treuer Leser möchte ich Dir einen Musik-Podcast empfehlen
Da Du Mixed Tape und Klassic Lounge magst, wird er Dir gefallen:
http://www.lilia.eu.com/podcasts/
Stimmt.
FTD.de: iPhone bleibt hinter den Erwartungen zurück
by Volker Weber
Bislang verkaufe sich das iPhone aber eher schleppend, berichten Brancheninsider. Während im Weihnachtsgeschäft von Verkaufsschlagern bis zu 10.000 Geräte am Tag verkauft würden, komme T-Mobile beim iPhone nicht über 700 Stück hinaus. Humm kommentierte diese Zahl nicht.
Naja, man kann schlecht was verschenken, was mindest 50 Euro im Monat an Folgekosten verursacht. Nützt auch nichts, wenn die Oma was dazulegt.
New poll: do you use mobile email?
by Volker Weber
Today we have lots of ways to access our email while away from the office or away from home. How do you access your mail when you are not in front of your computer?
- BlackBerry
- Exchange ActiveSync
- Phone with IMAP/POP support
- Webmail
- Other
- Not at all
The results:
How to show your incompetence
by Volker Weber
You have successfully submitted your removal request from MobiMate newsletters.
Your email will be processed within 10 days.
I assume there is some paperwork involved.
Windows Genuine Disadvantage
by Volker Weber
Why is Microsoft trying to sneak this in as an important update?
Things I did not expect to learn today
by Volker Weber
A 15 years old male 17 ft albino Burmese python is surprisingly heavy, very gentle, quite nosy, and extremely powerful. I was not afraid to carry it, but would never wrap it around my neck.
Un chien ruine la vidéo d'une petite fille
by Volker Weber
Bad dog. Bad. Dog. :-)
[via mefi]
CIO.com: What If Yoda Ran IBM?
by Volker Weber
The big vendors beat down the doors of large companies to get business, but a small-company CIO gets the brush-off. He wonders how to harness the powers of the Force, and get some big-company expertise to help the little guy.
Hardly an innovation
by Volker Weber
This is a blatant rip-off.
[via iphonetest]
Migrating to Exchange and the future of your business
by Volker Weber
Ed tries to make an interesting (and maybe silly) case. As CompUSA is effectively going out of business, Ed links back to their decision to dump Notes and bring in Exchange. CompuUSA could not make the full switch, since they had legacy Notes applications which could not be migrated.
I remember that back when Daimler-Benz bought Chrysler, excuse me, when Daimler-Benz and Chrysler merged, Daimler-Benz was just migrating to Exchange and then switched back midstream since Chrysler was a Notes-company. DaimlerChrysler turned out to be not as successful as management had hoped for, so Daimler is now giving away, excuse me, selling Chrysler. Will be interesting to see how their business now relates to their choice of messaging system.
Or Novartis, how will their business evolve when IBM migrates them to Exchange? Any other data points?
Quote of the day
by Volker Weber
These are people whose "oh cool!" can be influenced by terms like "easier deployment" and "apply corporate policies" ...
— Esther Schindler
Should IBM's OS/2 Be Open-Sourced?
by Volker Weber
Esther writes:
A group of die-hard OS/2 users are petitioning IBM—again—to release the operating system's source code as open-source. The question may not be whether IBM wants to do so... but if it can. Not, I expect, that IBM will actually say this out loud.
I largely agree with Esther. This petition also reminds me of a discussion we had recently. 11,613 signatures and no reaction from IBM. That is the size of Lotusphere.
iPhone battery perfomance
by Volker Weber
Like the mileage you get out of fast cars, it all depends on usage patterns. I charge the iPhone every single night. And every other day I top it off in the afternoon.
On the other hand, the only smartphones that did not need a recharge every night have been the BlackBerrys and the E61i.
No worries
by Volker Weber
Stuart wondered why he has not seen updates on vowe.net for a few. Not to worry, all is well here. It's just that I need to go offline once in a while and re-calibrate in RL.
Peter singing Carpet Crawlers in the background.
Latest USB gadget
by Volker Weber
Security in Ten Years - A conversation between Bruce Schneier and Marcus Ranum
by Ragnar Schierholz
Bruce Schneier has an interesting discussion documented on his blog. He is discussing the state of (information) security in ten years and his conversation partner is Marcus Ranum, Chief Security Officer at Tenable Network Security (yes, the guys that make Nessus).
Marcus Ranum: "You're worried criminals will continue to penetrate into cyberspace, and I'm worried complexity, poor design and mismanagement will be there to meet them."
Sametime 8 server needs fixing
by Volker Weber
That was close. IBM almost posted the fix before shipping the product.
Stability issues exist on the Sametime 8.0 server. Fixes are now available on Fix Central to address these issues. Before deploying Sametime 8.0, IBM strongly recommends that the appropriate fix be applied to the server:
If you let the cat out of the bag, it kinda is out of the bag
by Volker Weber
I thought this was obvious, but it needs repeating:
Do not post anything on the Internet which you don't consider public knowledge.
If you take pictures of your friends when they are drunk and put them on Flickr, they are out there. Forever. You may take them down, but somebody may have a copy. If you put stuff on Twitter, it's out there. Somebody will read it, somebody will talk about it, somebody may find it interesting and take it further. If you put it in your online profile, it's out there.
We have powerful communication tools now. Your brain is the filter. If you talk about it, if you write about it, if you take photos of it, if you post it on the Internet, it's out there.
And it's not coming back.
Lotus-Veranstaltungskalender
by Volker Weber
Schon mal im Kalender eintragen:
- edcom Lotusphere Nachlese, 13.2. - 14.2.2008 in München
- Entwicklercamp a.k.a. RudiCon, 25.2. - 27.2.2008 in Gelsenkirchen
Gibt sicher noch mehr, aber das sind welche, wo ich selbst (und zufrieden) war.
New York City gets yet another Apple store
by Volker Weber
Things I had not noticed: Sonos has a context menu
by Volker Weber
So I requested a new button in the UI and was told that there is a context menu which does just that:
It is far from obvious but provides quick access to my favorite operation: Play Now and Replace Queue.
Beyond Ajax: Software Development, Two Years from Now
by Volker Weber
Esther has been working on this article (or, rather, a set of five articles) for the last month. She took a very different angle on "what's coming next"; instead of asking some pundit "where do you think the Web is headed?" she asked the guys who build the tools you'll use to create the next round of Web apps: ScottGu, DavidI, Brian Goldfarb, Tim Bray etc. And then she asked the guys in charge of IE and Firefox how those expectations affect the evolution of the Web browser.
Also on Slashdot >
Man lässt schreiben
by Volker Weber
Geschäftsführer einer deutschen AG mit Schwerpunkt IT Security sucht einen Ghostwriter für 6 Kapitel (ca. 180 Seiten) eines umfangreichen deutschsprachigen Fachbuches zum Thema "Identity Management". Die Kapitel sind fachlich recherchiert, das Material vorstrukturiert. Da weitere 500 Seiten bereits von den Co-Autoren geschrieben sind, wäre ein Schreiber von Vorteil, der sich in den Stil des vorliegenden Materials nahtlos hineinschreiben kann. Eine Nennung als Co-Autor ist nicht möglich. Honorare sind zu verhandeln. Abgabe-Termin ist Ende Januar.
Dass jemand, der nicht schreiben kann, sich gerne als Autor sieht, ist nichts Neues. Der Kollege, der die anderen 500 Seiten geschrieben hat, mag wohl nicht mehr. Wer jung ist und das Geld braucht, kann sich gerne bei mir melden.
Ja ja, ich weiß. Eine AG hat einen Vorstand und keinen Geschäftsführer ...
Update Google Maps Mobile again
by Volker Weber
Head over to Google Maps Mobile and download again. The team has released updates (2.05 for Symbian, 2.01 for Blackberry) which work much better for me.
Sametime 8 first impression
by Volker Weber
A few things have been fixed, for instance the dock icon or the menu. But fonts are still a mess. The screenshot above shows default values. This is a clean install. Count the number of font sizes and notice how it cuts off names in bold. The screenshot has been scaled down. The header shows the defaut screen font so you can get a grip on how large or small some of the fonts are compared to "normal". Clock settings are also not inherited from the system (not using AM/PM here).
Insider headline: Paul buys the Elsmores
by Volker Weber
To meet the demand for top quality IBM Lotus Notes consultancy throughout Ireland, UK and Europe, Blue Wave Technology Limited has acquired BE Systems Limited, specialists in providing top quality IBM Lotus technology services and support throughout the UK.
Completing my Sonos setup
by Volker Weber
Two weeks ago I gave my neighbor one of my ZonePlayers so that he could try out extending the range of his system. You can set the ZonePlayer into an "extender" mode where it becomes invisible and just serves as a relay in the wireless mesh network. Since Sonos had introduced the ZoneBridge, relegating a ZonePlayer to an extender is a somewhat expensive proposition.
When he returned the ZonePlayer I asked him how he had used it and I learned how I could better place the ZonePlayer and the speakers in my bedroom. The only thing I needed was to either run a wire around the room, or use a ZoneBridge as a wireless link. That was an easy choice to make. :-)
The ZoneBridge arrived on Friday. Unsurprisingly, the setup was extremely easy. Plug it in. Select "Add a ZoneBridge" from the menu. Push the sole button on the ZoneBridge. Done.
As you can see in the picture above, the ZoneBridge is tiny. Much smaller than I anticipated. You can also see that the power supply is external since the device wants a 5V DC input, rated at 2A. This would fit into the PoE specs, but Sonos has chosen to supply a tiny white switching power supply. I can't blame them since you won't find many households with PoE switches. You would also need the power supply if you use the ZoneBridge as a wireless bridge with no ethernet cabling. If you do plug it in, you can still hook up another device since the ZoneBridge has two ethernet ports.
The switches included in the Sonos players and the bridge are an often overlooked benefit of the Sonos system. In a home without ethernet cabling you can use the devices as a backbone for wired devices. Plug in a network printer, network attached storage or a webcam for instance and you can access them from all other computers on the network.
We survived ...
by Volker Weber
When I went to bed early this morning I thought I would not be as spent as last time. I should have known better. When the alcohol level went down, the hangover started. Well, another twelve hours later everything is back to normal.
We had a great time, and it looks like we can do another repeat next year.
Stunning
by Volker Weber
Watch how an unassuming man without confidence turns his life around in less than two minutes by singing Nessun Dorma from Puccini's Turandot on a UK talent show. It is a stunning display of how a tenor can touch your heart. Watch what he does to Amanda on the last "vincerò".
Paul will at the end win the finals of the talent show. There are more of his performances on YouTube, but this audition is the most touching since it shows the turn in his life.
UK readers will have seen this, but it was news to me.
