February 2009
N82 camera
by Volker Weber
The N82 would never be my favorite phone. It feels much too cheap and the keyboard is too small, but I wish Nokia would put this camera into all their devices. 5 megapixels is plenty, no need to go higher. But this one has a Xenon flash instead of a LED flash, plus a physical switch for the camera which servers as a cover. It keeps dirt and lint away from the lens.
QR code reader on the N82
by Volker Weber
I start to see QR codes in a lot of places these days. This one is taken from Lufthansa advertising their paperless check-in. The Nokia N82, much like the other Nseries and Eseries phones, has a QR code reader, probably unknown to many of their owners.
The reader lets you read the code which in this case contains a URL:
When you open the link, it redirects you to this Lufthansa web page:
[All photos taken with the N82]
Nokia N82 settling in
by Volker Weber
The cool thing about Nokia and Mac is that they work so well together. You just download the appropriate iSync plugin, hook them up over Bluetooth, and all your contacts and calendars are pushed down to the device.
The Goodbye Song
by Volker Weber
The sample you get from iTunes should work well as a ringtone.
RIM axes BlackBerry Unite and BlackBerry Professional Software
by Volker Weber
These two bits of news are proof that RIM needs to learn how to take a great idea through to its execution. Both BlackBerry Unite & BlackBerry Professional Software were promising offerings that fell victim to how RIM implemented them causing them to be doomed to failure
Die is op de Bahn
by Volker Weber
Vor fünf Jahren hätte es in München beinahe einen Zusammenstoß zwischen einem landenden und einem aufrollenden Flugzeug gegeben. Jetzt gibt es den spannenden Untersuchungsbericht. Da haben nur wenige Meter zur Katastrophe gefehlt.
Be careful with STP and Sonos
by Volker Weber
I just removed a very stupid switching mistake from my network. What happened was that I switched a large part of my traffic over SonosNet instead through the Gigabit switch. That basically affected all devices plugged into Sonos player, especially the Apple TV which is now performing much better.
The root cause of the problem was that the Netgear GS724TS had configured one port with a Sonos player as the designated root for all traffic going to SonosNet. All traffic went through this port. Sonos players also run the STP protocol to avoid loops in the mesh network. So here I was pumping all that traffic through one 100 MBit port, and from there over the wireless network to all players. Apple TV was connected to one of the players and had to stream video over the wireless SonosNet, although all players are also connected to Ethernet. Now that I disable STP in the Netgear switch, all Sonos players seem to attach to their Ethernet ports and traffic flows much more easily. Apple TV is also plugged into an Ethernet wall outlet.
Lesson learned: even if Sonos is very easy to setup, you can still make some very stupid mistakes.
Palm Pre bald erhältlich?
by Volker Weber
New toy: Nokia N82
by Volker Weber
I just wasn't using the Nokia E71 anymore. While I think it is one of the best smartphones on the market, it always lost to the BlackBerry Bold in terms of messaging and the iPhone in terms of applications. Time to return it to Nokia.
Before the new devices are coming up for test — E55, E75, N97 — I wanted to try something completely different: a phone with a really good camera. So I asked for an N82, which is going to travel with me to CeBIT next week. Looking forward to that experience.
As you can tell from the picture, dialing numbers is not one of the good features on this device. But that isn't really an issue for me since all Nokias sync very well with the Mac and I won't have to do any manual dialing.
There is no way to evade the junk
by Volker Weber
It does not help if you only use Macs. It does not help if you stay away from downgrading your existing Windows machines to Vista. There will always be a friend who remembers you are "good with computers" and comes asking for help. Help with the piece of notebook junk they bought from Aldi and that came with "Vista Home Premium". And that is completely borked with dozens of error messages a minute. I am not kidding you.
Google Apps Status Dashboard
by Volker Weber
New math
by Volker Weber
DOG = CAT + LOYALTY
Microsoft sues TomTom over Linux and other patent claims
by Volker Weber
Microsoft filed suit against TomTom today, alleging that the in-car navigation company's devices violate eight of its patents -- including three that relate to TomTom's implementation of the Linux kernel.
Frank leaves IBM
by Volker Weber
Awesome guy. In more ways than one. Posted with his kind permission:
That would be Russ Holden
by Volker Weber
Domino 8.5 server crashes with Panic message "PANIC: Talk to Russ if you get here!"
GROUP Business Software AG Acquires IT Factory Assets
by Volker Weber
GROUP Business Software AG, the world’s largest provider of business solutions built on IBM Lotus software, announced today that it has executed a contract to acquire all of the intellectual property rights and related tangible assets of Denmark-based IT Factory A/S in bankruptcy. The key element of the acquisition is the platform-as-a-service (PaaS) technology for cloud-based computing.
[Thanks, Florian]
Bankerwitze sind die neuen Blondinenwitze
by Volker Weber
- Was ist der Unterschied zwischen einem Investmentbanker und einer Pizza?
Die Pizza kann eine vierköpfige Familie ernähren - Wie heisst das neue Lieblingslied der Topbanker?
"My Boni Are Over the Ocean" - Wie viele Aktienhändler sind notwendig, um eine Glühbirne zu wechseln?
Zwei. Einer lässt die Birne fallen, der andere versucht, sie zu verkaufen, bevor sie abgestürzt ist. - Was ist Optimismus?
Wenn ein Investmentbanker sich am Sonntag fünf frische Hemden bügelt. - Sagt der Investor: "Ich schlafe wie ein Baby. Ich wache jede Stunde auf und heule."
- Klagt der Investor: "Diese Krise ist schlimmer als eine Scheidung. Ich habe die Hälfte meines Besitzes verloren und bin immer noch verheiratet."
- Ein Mann ging zur Bank und sagte: "Ich möchte ein kleines Unternehmen gründen."
Sagt der Bankmanager: "Kaufen Sie ein grosses und warten Sie ein paar Tage."
Kennt bestimmt noch jemand mehr, oder? :-)
Beg your pardon
by Volker Weber
Obama said yesterday:
the nation that invented the automobile cannot walk away from it
It wasn't really a nation. It was Karl Benz, in Mannheim, Germany.
Apple TV v2.3.1 update yanks Boxee
by Volker Weber
Apple have released a new update for the Apple TV, version 2.3.1, and users have discovered that it unceremoniously dumps the unofficial Boxee plugin from their set-top box.
I have nailed down mine at 2.1 and, just to make sure, set the update server address to localhost. No more updates to my box. It ist working just nicely.
Special guest at the Sutton Place Hotel
by Volker Weber
Photo: Joe Canadian
What a difference a month makes
by Volker Weber
A month ago thousands of people at IBM got their notice. No, they were not fired, they were told to find a new job within IBM. Musical chairs, just without any free chairs. So, the 30 days are now over and -- without being fired -- those fine people are now without a job. Rob is one of them, and what a fine gentleman he is. You have heard of him before.
BlackBerrys and Domino - you would think that IBM needs all the help it can get in this area. Apparently not, according to some spreadsheet in the sky. Sad.
From my inbox
by Volker Weber
Hey, thank you!
Rumor about endangered LotusScript was false
by Volker Weber
Yesterday I asked, true or not. Although there is a grain of truth in every rumor, I can say with confidence, that the rumor about an endangered future of LotusScript was false. As always, I do not reveal my sources, so you have to trust me on that.
I have also been assured by multiple trusted and highly reliable sources that the new LotusScript editor will ship with 8.5.1 and that you will like what you will get.
Build around the missing whitelist feature in Google Mail
by Volker Weber
Want to make sure you are not missing mails from certain senders because they were marked as spam? Just set up a filter with this rule.
True or not?
by Volker Weber
From my inbox:
Bad news for LotusScript: I found out on Friday that the only full-time developer working on the LotusScript engine (compiler, interpreter, etc.) was among those laid off recently.
I asked him if he'd been working on the new LS editor for DDE, he said yes, he was the only one on that team who knew the LS internals. I asked, "So we shouldn't expect to see it for real in 8.5.1?"
He smiled and shrugged.
While I read the same thing on Twitter, I suspect this is coming from the same source. Anybody out there who can confirm this, best in private mail?
Update: Also look for "Leland" on the impressive Entwicklercamp speaker list and read both entries.
Update: Now that I have received more information, I would conclude: true and false. True, the person was let go, false, it does not endanger the future of LotusScript or the editor in 8.5.1.
Which free wiki hosting do you recommend?
by Volker Weber
I have been using pbwiki.com for a few years now, but recently they have become very pushy trying to upgrade me to 2.0 which is clearly a downgrade for me. So I consider moving somewhere else. Here is what I need:
- Free wiki hosting
- Private wiki
- Protected by a simple password
- Subscribe to receive updates
Any suggestions?
Update: This turned out to be much easier than I thought it would. Google Sites, the artist formerly known as JotSpot, fits the bill just right.
Mark your calendars for this Lotus conference: 8th and 9th of October
by Volker Weber
As Paul wrote, there is no ILUG2009 conference this year. Now Warren announces UKLUG for October 8th and 9th in Edinburgh. This is going to be a conference run by the same people as ILUG, just in Edinburgh instead of Dublin. Cool, eh?
I suggest you make your reservations at the beautiful venue soon. It's located right in the middle of the action.
11 weeks with the Samsung NC10
by Volker Weber
It's been almost three months since I got the Samsung NC10, and I have come to quite like it. This is my first machine that runs for six hours without a charge and, despite running Windows, turned out to be a solid performer. I think I clocked only one bluescreen and no major hang.
Screen size, keyboard, USB ports, it all works for me. Only the trackpad is way too small when you are used to trackpads on MacBooks. It helps if you switch off the scroll areas at the right side and the bottom of the trackpad, so you get more usable area. The button underneath the trackpad does not work well for me, but I just tap the trackpad itself.
The case has proven to be quite sturdy, so you can just drop it in your bag without worrying too much about it. If you want to avoid scratches, you can keep it in the sleeve that comes with the device, but other than that, it does not need a special laptop bag.
Most of the reviews I read about netbooks seem to echo my experience. Great battery life of six hours, good screen and keyboard, solid case. When I got the device I looked at all available brands at a certain notebook store in Darmstadt. But I already had received a strong endorsement for the NC10 from Sebastian Grötsch, who works there. It's good if you can rely on the experts. Thank you, Sebastian.
I hear Samsung is replacing the matte display with a glossy one as the picture above suggests. Get them while they last.
Best USB drive collected at MWC
by Volker Weber
Does anybody see why this is funny?
by Volker Weber
Do you need some help getting started? Join us for LotusLive Engage Training - available every Tuesday at 11 AM EST.
I just lost all respect for LG
by Volker Weber
This is the Mies van der Rohe pavilion, originally built in 1929. Look at all seven pictures. And this is what LG made of it:
A small update from Barcelona
by Volker Weber
Another day starts at Barcelona. So far it has been a wild ride. Start at sunrise, and end the day around midnight. I spend almost two hours each day in a car, and walk for another four. So far I am holding up well.
If I had to sum the show up in one sentence it would be: "Everybody copies from Apple". App Store, Mobile Me, icon grids, swipe to unlock, and on and on. Korean companies are announcing handsets as ever, almost a dozen from Samsung, half a dozen from LG. Motorola isn't showing any. Chinese manufactures are slowly catching up but lack design and finesse. Nokia is improving on the well known scheme of things, and may finally be up to something with OVI. At least T-Mobile is buying. Last year they said they would never ever let OVI on their network, now they have a branded OVI portal.
Best of show in my book: Palm Pre. Want one. Want one now.
Notes 8 IMAP revisited
by Volker Weber
It's been one and a half year since I first looked at Notes 8 through the eyes of an IMAP user. Open standards and protocols, right? :-) Now a very loud Mac user has found the same island of Notes R5. Brace yourself for a ride:
[Interesting side question as you read it: how many million are two percent of the Notes users?]
Mixed tape 25 is out
by Volker Weber
Ex-communicated
by Volker Weber
Ian writes:
It was rather sad to realise last evening that this blog had been removed from the aggregation feed from the ever excellent planetlotus.org
Nokia Press Conference
by Volker Weber
The sun rises over Barcelona
by Volker Weber
Sky needs clouds.
Toy blocks that think
by Volker Weber
Guide to online laughing
by Volker Weber
The Death Of "Web 2.0"
by Volker Weber
I'm not going to discuss the economic meltdown and its devastating effect on technology companies and internet startups in this post, but rather something that crossed my mind earlier this morning: "Web 2.0" seems to become more and more a void (and an avoided) term.
Die Aktuelle Kamera
by Volker Weber
[via Alex]
Kathrin
by Volker Weber
Viele kennen Sie als TomTom GO 940 Live. Wir nennen Sie Kathrin*. Und Kathrin ist mit Alex durch Florida gefahren.
*) Kathrin heißt Kathrin, weil die Stimme, mit der Kathrin spricht, Kathrins Stimme ist.
BILD klaut
by Volker Weber
Gestern habe ich diesen Artikel bei Heise Online publiziert. BILD fand ihn anscheinend gut. Sogar der bei uns mittlerweile korrigierte Schreibfehler "in beide Richtung" ist drin.
Bei mir haben sie nicht gefragt. Bei Heise auch nicht. Und auf Mails meines Chefredakteurs reagieren sie bisher auch nicht. Man darf gespannt sein, was da noch passiert.
Google supports ActiveSync for Calendar and Contacts
by Volker Weber
Synchronize the built-in calendar and contacts on your iPhone with your Google account.
Google Sync uses the Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync protocol.
- Get Google Calendar events on your device
- View multiple Calendars in different colors
- Synchronize your Contacts with Google
- Have changes pushed directly to your phone
This also works for Windows Mobile. Google also has support for other phones. This stuff is still beta, so there are quite a few limitations.
[Malte hat einen Hinweis für deutsche Benutzer]
Seien Sie bitte locker
by Volker Weber
Aus meiner Inbox:
Der Schweizer Staat wählte xxxxSoft Ltd. als die dynamischste IT Gesellschaft in der Ukraine, die Fortschritte in diesem Gebiet macht, für die körperschaftliche Teilnahme auf der gemeinsamen Grundlage von Swiss Promotion Programm(SIPPO) in der Ausstellung.
Wir laden Ihnen herzlich ein, unseren Vertreter am Ständer xxx, Halle x zu treffen.
Seien Sie bitte locker uns kontaktieren und einen Termin an der Schau steilen.
Mis-match
by Volker Weber
Lots of things have been said about IBM laying off some of their best people, offering some of them jobs in low-wage regions. This from a company with record profits, in business areas that report record growth over years.
I understand that businesses have to adjust to changing markets. If a company feels it needs to lay off people, that can only mean one of two things: bad outlook or bad ethics. We will see what it is for IBM.
Saturday morning
by Volker Weber
Honey
by Volker Weber
The beekeeper strikes again. Thank you, Pieterjan
IBM responds to Sametime exposing password
by Volker Weber
Recent comments in the developer community have raised concerns about the state of plug-in security in the Lotus environment. IBM takes the security of its products very seriously and aims to address customer concerns in this area. Specific to the observations about passwords in the system, these APIs exist to allow integration into password-based enterprise security models.
This note dances around the real issue. It does not fail to mention that browsers store passwords and provide them for SSO purposes. It does not mention however, that a Sametime plug-in can expose the Sametime password in cleartext. That is a huge difference. Windows does not expose your Windows password. Sametime will, if you login via Sametime to an Active Directory. Conveniently, blame can be attached elsewhere:
Regarding the deployment of 3rd party plug-ins, IBM recommends that customers take appropriate precautions to understand and control any code they permit users to install and run in their environment.
You have to lock all doors and windows. They are open when you move in.
Now this audiobook will get even more popular
by Volker Weber
it turns out that Obama actually read the audiobook version of Dreams For My Father. And that means he read Ray’s quotes. And that means you’re about to hear the President of United States using language that would finish Cheney off once and for all.
Who is going to do the dance mix now?
Apple's design process
by Volker Weber
After describing Apple's process of delivering consumers with a succession of presents ("really good ideas wrapped up in other really good ideas" — in other words, great software in fabulous hardware in beautiful packaging), he asked the question many have asked in their time: "How the f*ck do you do that?"
Jungejungejunge
by Volker Weber
wir haben loyale Kundinnen, in jedem unserer Escada-Geschäfte weltweit mindestens zwei, die mehr als 100.000 Euro im Jahr ausgeben.
T-Mobile macht derzeit alles richtig
by Volker Weber
EDGE überall. Das erste iPhone, das zweite iPhone. BlackBerry 8900 statt 9500. Jetzt das erste Android Handy. Und bei Sony haben sie gelernt, wie man gescheite Werbung macht. Hut ab!
Wired: Pandora Sees iPhone Gold in the Palm Pre
by Volker Weber
Pandora founder Tim Westergren thinks being broad isn’t necessarily the best strategy for development in the smartphone industry and that betting on a single (what he calls a "hero") platform could be the way to go. Hint: it's not a Blackberry or Google's Android.
"As a company we’re always thinking what’s the next iPhone? And that’s where we’re gonna put our resources. So we’ve come out and said, we’re gonna put a bet on Palm Pre," he said Tuesday on a panel called "The Smartphone Revolution" at the 2009 AlwaysOn OnMedia conference in New York.
Looking very much forward to playing with a Pre in about two weeks.
Snowed in
by Volker Weber
Do you know where your spouse is?
by Volker Weber
Using My Location, millions of you have been able to easily find yourselves on a map at the touch of a button. But what about finding other people? Lots of you have been requesting to see where your friends are on a map, too. Well now you can with Google Latitude.
This is going to be the mother of all location services. Google Latitude is Google Maps Mobile version 3.
On your mobile phone: visit google.com/latitude from your phone's mobile browser to download Google Maps for mobile with Latitude. We currently support most of the popular smartphone platforms: Android, Blackberry, Symbian S60, and Windows Mobile, and we are hoping to see Latitude on the iPhone soon. It will be available through Google Mobile App, and you'll just need to download or update the app from the App store to find Latitude in the Apps tab.
Great web site: oldjewstellingjokes.com
by Volker Weber
Beware, Falling Rocks
by Volker Weber
Photo: Simon Phipps
The Future of Lotus - Five Years Ago
by Volker Weber
Thomson Reuters announced the launch of Reuters Messaging (RM) Interchange
by Volker Weber
London - Thomson Reuters today announced the launch of Reuters Messaging (RM) Interchange, which for the first time allows Enterprise Instant Messaging (EIM) users to connect and communicate with colleagues and counterparts by using one link - regardless of corporate or technology boundaries, as with email or telephone interaction.
RM Interchange is the first global instant messaging hub that connects Thomson Reuters RM with the leading EIM systems - Cisco's Jabber XCP, IBM Lotus' Sametime and Microsoft's LCS/OCS. Users of these systems, the largest and most influential in the EIM space, can now connect with over 5,000 external organisations and add their business contacts to a global external community.
No info on pricing and availability.
Inbox counter: good and not so good
by Volker Weber
Sametime security risk or not?
by Volker Weber
I did not think this was possible:
So what functionality am I referring to? The getPassword() function ... in the Connect Client API.
This function allows a Sametime plug-in developer to retrieve the users clear text Sametime password if they are logged in.
Do you know what your plug-ins are doing?
