January 2013

Aus der Reihe "der Kunde ist immer der Dumme"

by Volker Weber

Repeat after me: DRM is bad for the customer

Alan Lepofsky: Putting Together the Puzzle of IBM Connect Websites

by Volker Weber

Given that the event is geared towards teaching organizations how to properly use "social tools" to improve their business, I'm surprised that IBM is not setting the best example. Instead of multiple sites all with different domain names, IBM should be running a single site (ideally located at www.ibmconnect.com, a URL that IBM already owns) that includes the registration, agenda, session content and online community.  The best example of a conference that I've seen is Salesforce's Dreamforce event. It's easy to find (the URL is the event name!), register, login for community access, watch the videos, etc... all from one location.

You can't be a leader without leading.

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Things to do in Amsterdam on a Monday

by Volker Weber

On the first Monday in February I shall be flying to Amsterdam in the morning to attend BlackBerry Jam Europe which starts the next day. So I have at least half a day to roam Amsterdam. What should I be doing in the winter? Any suggestions?

Heise Videos auf Youtube

by Volker Weber

Der Heise Newsticker hat übrigens einen Kanal auf Youtube. Mit lächerlich wenig Abonnenten. Das könnt Ihr ändern. Ich verspreche Euch, das ist genauso dröge und informativ, wie alles was wir machen. :-)

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Call for Papers "iPhone, iPad & Co. im Business"

by Volker Weber

Wenn es bei der Integration von Smartphones in die Firmen-IT über Adressen, Email und Kalender hinausgehen soll, müssen viele Admins passen.

Für die neue Konferenzreihe suchen wir darum Berichte über die tiefere Integration mobiler Geräte in die Firmen-IT, wozu auch die Entwicklung und Verwaltung hauseigener Apps gehört.

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Customer attendance for IBM Connect appears to be up

by Volker Weber

RIM's time machine

by Volker Weber

Jan 24, 2013 - Waterloo, ON - Research In Motion today announced that its new Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) solution, BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10, is now available for download

That would be tomorrow.

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IBM reports 2012 fourth-quarter results

by Volker Weber

Revenues from the WebSphere family of software products increased 11 percent year over year. Information Management software revenues increased 2 percent. Revenues from Tivoli software increased 4 percent. Revenues from Lotus software increased 9 percent, and Rational software increased 12 percent.

Read how to read quarterly earnings. Also keep in mind that IBM acquired companies and then reports those revenues. The spreadsheet now looks like this:

Lotus is almost back to 2008 levels for the fourth quarter. Lots of rounding errors of course.

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Need suggestions: how to escape the smart social business blah

by Volker Weber

If you look at the #IBMconnect hashtag, you will find it is already polluted. Now imagine when everybody cranks up their "come to our booth", "win an iPad mini" and "come to my session, see nekid gurls" postings. For a second I was thinking about #Lotusphere which may be a bit more sane.

Do you have any suggestion for a better hashtag?

Lotusphere Connect 2013 Pocket Agenda

by Volker Weber

Download here >

Lumia 1720

by Volker Weber

Lumia 800 on top of Lumia 920. 800 + 920 = 1720.

Just updated some of the apps on the Lumia 800. What a cool little smartphone that is. I have already upgraded to Windows Phone 7.8, so the software look similar to the 920. However, there are huge differences. The 920 has a much better screen and camera. Maps can't use the Drive maps offline and Skype won't run in the background. But the hardware itself is much smaller and lighter, and it even feels better with the seamless screen. Smooth.

AVM zu Aussagen der Bundesnetzagentur wegen Routerzwang und Nichtherausgabe von Kennwörtern

by Volker Weber

Ausnahmsweise mal im Wortlaut:

Berlin. Die Bundesnetzagentur will nicht einschreiten, wenn bestimmte Netzbetreiber ausschließlich den von ihnen vorgegebenen Router am Breitbandanschluss des Anwenders zulassen (sogenannter Routerzwang). Zusätzlich könne der Netzbetreiber dem Kunden Kennwörter, beispielsweise für Sprachdienste, vorenthalten. Entsprechende Aussagen der Bundesnetzagentur (BNetzA) finden sich in Antworten an einzelne Verbraucher, die sich über diese Einschränkungen bei der BNetzA beschwert hatten. Routerzwang und Nichtherausgabe von Kennwörtern stellen eine wesentliche Änderung gegenüber der langjährigen erfolgreichen Praxis im Markt dar.

Die Kernfrage "was ist ein Endgerät beim Kunden" im Sinne des FTEG (Gesetz über Funkanlagen und Telekommunikationsendeinrichtungen) überlässt die BNetzA dabei der willkürlichen Definition der Netzbetreiber. Aus Sicht von AVM ergeben sich dadurch für Anwender und Markt erhebliche Nachteile, sowohl kurz- als auch langfristig. Kurzfristig verliert der Verbraucher die Möglichkeit, ein Endgerät nach seinen Ansprüchen auswählen zu können (bspw. WLAN-Ausstattung, Netzwerkausstattung, Telefonie, Hausautomation etc.). Er wird verpflichtet, den vorgegebenen Router des Netzbetreibers einzusetzen.

Langfristig führt der Routerzwang zu einem Ausschluss an Innovationen, da es keinen Wettbewerb um das beste Endgerät mehr gibt. An dieser Stelle sei der Vergleich mit Mobiltelefonen erlaubt. Es ist unvorstellbar, dass an einem Mobilanschluss nur ein vom Netzbetreiber vorgegebenes Handy funktioniert. Mit einer solchen Einschränkung wäre es kaum zur Entwicklung von Smartphones gekommen, die zu ihrem Siegeszug ansetzten, nachdem Unternehmen außerhalb der TK-Branche entsprechende Telefone (iPhone, Android) entwickelten.

Ein breiter Wettbewerb mit klaren Regeln ist im Mobilfunkbereich die Basis des Erfolges. Warum dies bei Breitbandanschlüssen nicht gelten soll, erschließt sich nicht.

Mit Routerzwang gäbe es schon jetzt eine Vielzahl von Verfahren und Leistungen nicht, die in diversen, auch von den entsprechenden Ministerien unterstützen Gremien, standardisiert wurden. Dazu zählen hardwareunabhängige und offene Standards für Wartung und Betrieb (bspw. TR-069) ebenso wie vielfältige Cloud-Dienste, Netzwerkspeicher (NAS), der Zugriff von unterwegs oder auch Themen der Heimautomation.

Nach Auffassung von AVM wurde im FTEG die Schnittstelle zwischen Netz und Endgerät so definiert, dass Kunden die freie Auswahl bei Endgeräten haben. Dafür verpflichtet das FTEG Netzbetreiber, ihre Schnittstellen so offenzulegen, dass Hersteller im freien Wettbewerb entsprechende Geräte anbieten können. Die BNetzA als eine maßgebliche Instanz sollte an dieser Stelle die Sorgen der Verbraucher und der Marktteilnehmer ernst nehmen und ihnen die freie Wahl des Endgerätes ermöglichen.

The artist formerly known as ...

by Volker Weber

No, please don't. I am trying to understand which product you have rebranded as "IBM Employee Experience Suite".

Is anybody keeping track? I think we need a wiki of some sort to track IBM's rebranding efforts.

WSJ.com: IBM Milks Lotus as It Tries to Update Software Group

by Volker Weber

"It is important to not think about Lotus as the master brand," Mr. Rennie says. "It is time to think about focusing on the new buyer."

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IBM Connect 2013 Broadcasts

by Volker Weber

IBM will be broadcasting the opening session from IBM Connect on their Livestream Channel. Currently you can watch IBM executives asking you to attend the conference in person.

BlackBerry App World Live

by Volker Weber

BlackBerry App World is now BlackBerry World. BlackBerry World is now BlackBerry Live. It's TAFKA Wireless Enterprise Symposium.

Confused? Read this >

Windows Phone 8 MDM

by Volker Weber

Building on our earlier announcement on Airwatch and MobileIron supporting Windows Phone 8 in their MDM solutions, we are happy to say that PointSharp, Symnatec, Zenprise, and Microsoft also provide support for Windows Phone 8 in their own, secure MDM solutions

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'Rogue clouds' giving IT staffs nightmares

by Volker Weber

Cloud computing is increasingly being adopted by companies around the world, but IT managers say "rogue cloud implementations" in which business managers sign up for services without getting IT approval is among their biggest challenges.

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A new kind of Android fork

by Volker Weber

Another company is beginning to develop its own platform based on Android as well. In this case, however, it isn't differentiating itself based on its interface or app/content stores. Instead, this new Android-based platform is being built around the ability to secure, manage, and integrate with key enterprise systems in ways that go beyond what Google builds into the stock versions of Android.

The company building this new platform is Samsung and that platform is the company's SAFE (Samsung Approved For Enterprise) program.

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Jive Software and PwC Team to Deliver Social Business Solutions to the Enterprise

by Volker Weber

PALO ALTO, Calif., Jan. 15, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Jive Software, Inc. (Nasdaq:JIVE), and PwC US today announced a business relationship to jointly offer Jive's social business platform and PwC's consulting services to the enterprise market. Through this relationship, PwC will work with Jive to help organizations implement and realize the benefits of using Jive's social business tools, helping drive significant levels of new value with tangible business results for an organization's employees, partners and customers.

This is two days old, but the Globenewswire site was too shaky to post.

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BlackBerry 10: Infos zu RIMs neuem System, kurz vor der Vorstellung

by Volker Weber

RIM steht vor dem größten Umbruch der Unternehmensgeschichte. Am 30. Januar wollen die Kanadier BlackBerry 10 vorstellen, eine neue Plattform mit neuen Geräten. Im Vorfeld dieser Ankündigung zeigen zahlreiche Leaks, was die Kunden erwarten können.

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Fettes Update

by Volker Weber

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What is Social Business Online?

by Volker Weber

Each year for Lotusphere, now Connect, IBM sets up a portal. It assigns you an email address, which you will never use, it will not let you change spelling mistakes in your name, it won't let you change your password. You can fill out a profile, you can build a social network, and after a few weeks, IBM kills the site.

That is Social Business Online.

Next App Star: Windows Phone

by Volker Weber

To help your apps get more visibility with more customers, today we are launching a new contest with a very special top prize - featured placement of your app in a Windows Phone prime-time TV ad in the U.S.

The contest is called Windows Phone Next App Star, and it is open to Windows Phone developers worldwide. It’s easy to participate; registered developers can just visit Dev Center to opt-in* by March 5th, and we’ll enter your catalog of published apps in the competition.

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Permission granted

by Volker Weber

This is funny. IBM is asking me for publishing rights to a photo that Ute shot in 2006. She was no longer welcome at the show from 2009. And I was lied to about the reason.

I have a long memory. But I am not unforgiving. Permission granted.

Oh, and btw, I know why you must not comment here at vowe's magic flying circus. It's impossible to keep a secret forever.

panagenda acquires Trust Factory

by Volker Weber

VIENNA, Austria - 14 Jan 2013: panagenda ... announced the acquisition of Netherlands based IBM partner Trust Factory today.

Both companies have earned a solid reputation over the years in the areas of client-side, server-side and application management, analysis and optimization, with panagenda’s flagship MarvelClient desktop management solution and Trust Factory with their DNA analytics service.

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Pureview :: An Interview with Juha Alakarhu, head of digital imaging at Nokia

by Volker Weber

Ed Brill on his book "Opting In"

by Volker Weber

I have not read the book. But Ed certainly knows the stuff he writes about.

Stuart McIntyre: Get a fantastic deal for IBM Connect 2013

by Volker Weber

  • Attend two days of the conference for just $995—saving hundreds off the two-day rate. Use code MAFFZR
  • Attend all five days of the conference for just $1,295—saving hundreds off the normal full conference rate. Use code JSHTTA

That's a $1000 discount. If you are a big customer and have not registered, wait for an invitation. ;-)

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Wenn IT Leute texten

by Volker Weber

Was für ein Slogan! Um was geht's? Wir fliegen nach Florida und setzen uns in eiskalte Vortragsräume ohne Tageslicht, damit Ihr das nicht müsst. Dann kommen wir in München bei edcom, 18. und 19. Februar, zusammen und erzählen Euch, was passiert ist. Seit 2005.

Ja, das gibt es auch woanders. Bestimmt auch toll. Aber da zeigt vowe keine neuen Handys vor. :-)

"Lotusphere comes to you". Hach. IBM will das ja jetzt "Connect" nennen. Haben aber jetzt zur Sicherheit doch noch mal Lotusphere drüber geschrieben. Siehe lotusphere.com >

Benjamin Trancart :: Paris - The City of Light

by Volker Weber

Mac RDC and Windows Server 2008

by Volker Weber

Microsoft Remote Desktop does not want to connect. CoRD on the other hand does not want to print. I need both.

Any ideas?

It's not the server. This works from a Windows client. There is a leaked 2.1.2 RDC. Can any of my Microsoft buddies verify if there is an internal build?

2.1.1 is from March 2011
2.1.2 (leaked) is from September 2012

rdc_2.1.2_120917_release_enu_ship_clean_standard_retail_redlab_120917-apex-build-XS26-.dmg

I really wonder why Microsoft is not issuing a fix.

domanske.de: Smarte Steckdose von AVM

by Volker Weber

FRITZ!DECT 200, so heißt die Steckdose, die es als FritzBox-Zubehör ganz frisch von AVM gibt. Wie der Name schon verrät, lässt sich diese Steckdose per DECT steuern und ist damit Teil des Heimautomatisierungs-Programms »Smart Home« der Berliner Firma. Die dickliche Dose beherrscht dabei zwei bescheidene Funktionen: Schalten und Messen.

Sehr interessante Funktionen. Schaut Euch in jedem Fall die Bilder an.

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IBM getting social

by Volker Weber

I learned four things today:

  1. IBM Connect has about 400 speakers.
  2. About 250 of them work at IBM.
  3. Not everybody at IBM knows about the BCC field.
  4. If IBM wants to get social, they use Vivastream.

This. Or a headset.

by Volker Weber

Belkin announces a "Handheld Home Theater". I am still scratching my head.

Another canary in the Windows RT coalmine

by Volker Weber

Lenovo announces Yoga 11S with Intel CPU and full Windows 8

I just returned my Yoga 11 with Windows RT and now Lenovo announces a successor, which only starts shipping in five months. That gives Windows RT a six months shelf life.

For users, the switch means more weight, less battery life, the ability to run Norton Antivirus and the need for more storage to accommodate the much bigger Windows 8.

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Reset your sort preferences. Every few days.

by Volker Weber

Facebook wants to control the top stories on your timeline. That is the only way they can bubble up "sponsored" stories, read: adverts. You can set Facebook to show the most recent stories at the top of your timeline, but you have to do it time and again, since it's in Facebook's interest to not show recent stories at the top.

This is the indicator you are looking for:

Click it and you get this:

Select "Most Recent" and you get this:

If you see the first indicator again, you have to do it all over. You will never see "Sort: Top Stories" but always just "Sort".

Overview

by Volker Weber

Google, stop pushing me

by Volker Weber

Google, you don't want to be somebody I used to know. I liked you, I played by your rules. But I could not help but notice that you started pushing me around.

GMail used to be my favorite email platform. Yes, it was ugly, but it did the job. You added contacts, and there were often tons of duplicates, but you provided tools to get rid of them. You added a great calendar and I liked it.

When I got into mobile, I started using your Google Sync. It's basically Exchange ActiveSync with some bugs. You called it a beta, and I still liked it. You started selling it to your enterprise customers, so I had to be good. I added 37 devices to the service.

When Google+ came out, I liked it. I liked it a lot. Yes, you only supported iPhone and Android, and your teams seem to compete with each other for better features. On other phones, I just used your HTML5 site. That did not work easily, but I could make it work.

Then something happened. You got into a fight with Microsoft. But instead of fighting Microsoft, you started pushing me.

  1. At the end of the month, you won't let me add any more devices to Google Sync. You are cutting me off. I won't have access to my contacts and calendars. I don't like this.
  2. You killed the HTML5 site for me. I can't get there any more. You are now pushing me to the basic site, even if I asked you not do this. I don't like this.
  3. Today I wanted to go to Google Maps from the Lumia. You won't show me that page. Instead you are sending me to your search site. I tried again, but you won't read the URL I am typing. I don't like this.
  4. I used to be able to access your services on all platforms alike. It did not matter which services or browsers I was using. There was no 'Best Runs On Chrome' nonsense. You were agnostic. Now you start pushing your own products on your front page. I don't like this.
  5. Plenty of folks use Apple products. A lot of folks use Windows. You have now explained you are not going to develop for Windows 8, RT or Phone. It's your choice. I don't like this.
  6. Microsoft says, you are not giving them access to the same metadata you are providing for iOS and Android. So they cannot build a great YouTube app. Actually they said that years ago, and are just repeating it now. I don't know if it's true. But if it is, I don't like this.

Google, you have started pushing me. You think you are pushing me towards Google.

Think again.

Neujahrbastelei: Mediathek-Streams mit dem Mac herunterladen

by Volker Weber

Weil Mediathek eingestellt wurde, brauche ich eine neue Möglichkeit, Videos aus den öffentlich-rechtlichen Mediatheken für den Eigenbedarf abzuzapfen. Die MPEG4-Videos kann ich dann auf Reisen mit dem iPad oder PlayBook schauen.

Die folgende Beschreibung ist für Mac-User, die wissen, an welchem Ende ein Lötkolben warm wird. Man braucht vier Dinge:

- Java
- MediathekView
- flvstreamer
- ffmpeg

Einfach Terminal öffnen und drei Befehle testen: java, flvstreamer, ffmpeg. Was fehlt, muss installiert werden. flvstreamer und ffmpeg macht man etwa mit "chmod +x flvstreamer" ausführbar und verschiebt sie in den Systempfad, etwa mit "sudo mv flvstreamer /usr/bin".

Dann bleibt die Installation von MediathekView. Auf dem Mac ist das ein Jar-File. Ich habe die Distribution ausgepackt, in /Applications verschoben und das Verzeichnis von der Versionsnummer befreit. Dort hinein habe ich ein Shell-Skript transcode.sh nach einer Vorlage von Jochen Schug gelegt:

#!/bin/bash
dst=$1
shift
flvstreamer "$@" -o - | ffmpeg -i pipe:0 -codec copy "${dst}"

Auch dieses Shellskript macht man ausführbar: "chmod +x transcode.sh". Das Skript nimmt die Ausgabe von flvstreamer und kopiert den MPEG4 Stream aus dem Flashcontainer in einen ISO-Container, so dass das Video einfacher abspielbar ist. Es wird nicht umkodiert sondern einfach nur umgepackt, was in Echtzeit funktioniert. So trägt man das Skript ein:

Hier ist noch der Pfad anzupassen. "vowe" gibt es nicht auf jedem Rechner. :-)

Das ist mein Programmset, exportiert als XML.

Update: Jochen hat noch mal ordentlich nachgelegt und das Skript aufgebohrt.

Farewell, Yoga 11

by Volker Weber

I have reset the Yoga 11 yesterday and sent it back today. Time for a brief wrap-up.

Love the hardware. Minus the keyboard. Too many typos. Minus the clunky power supply. Everything else is just perfect. This is the Windows RT version of the Yoga. No legacy Windows. A brave new world. Low power processor, no bloatware, looooong battery life.

However, there is a problem:

Two circles. The left one contains all software that runs on Windows 7. The overlapping right circle runs on Windows 8. Look at the two tiny slices. On your left the software that no longer works with Windows 8. And on your right, the software that only runs on Windows 8. Or Windows 8 RT. That is the slice you live in with the Yoga 11.

If you go for an RT device, you are an early adopter. The O/S isn't done, IMNSHO. And the software isn't there (yet?). This has the potential to blow up. About half of the OEMs, which wanted to ship RT devices, have scrapped their initial plans. Surface sales are not encouraging.

Why would Microsoft issue a statement of ongoing support for 5 years? That's an IBM move to reassure everyone that they are going to support Lotus Notes in the future.

Ausblick

by Volker Weber

[Danke, Stephan]

21 Swings

by Volker Weber

Things that work

by Volker Weber

It's the time for year end reviews and predictions, I am not going to try that. I can't see the future better than you ("Apple is going to ship new products") and you know all the old news (the "olds"). I want to talk about the things that worked for me:

There is a common theme among the brands I just mentioned. They are not the cheapest offering. Which saves a lot of money, since you don't have to buy twice.

Which products will get the editor-refuses-to-give-it-back award in 2013? Can't wait to find out.

Old vowe.net archive pages

I explain difficult concepts in simple ways. For free, and for money. Clue procurement and bullshit detection.

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