May 2016
Michael Sampson: Re-Imagining Productive Work with Office 365
by Volker Weber
I have been reading Michael Sampson's new book "Re-Imagining Productive Work with Office 365" for a day now, and I will make this easy for you: if you are dealing with Office 365 in any capacity, whether as a competitor, as a future or current Microsoft customer, as a business user or IT professional, then buy this book immediately. It's only $19 for a single copy.
What are you waiting for?
OK, you want to know why. Here is the deal: while most books would look at the plethora of tools in Office 365 and then describe their features, Michael takes a different route. He tells you how to drive certain opportunities. Example? You want to facilitate discussions. There are three major ways to do that with Office 365: Groups, Yammer, Sharepoint. Michael helps you understand the capabilities and how to put them to work.
I like his style. It's almost scientific in that he backs up his assertions with findings from research and case studies. You can take a look if you are still not convinced.
This book is actually not a book. It's a PDF and it is formatted to be read on a 3:4 screen like the iPad. It's typeset in landscape so that you can also read it on your laptop. Instead of buying a single copy, you can also license it for a team, for your company, or for the world. One way or the other, Michael will find a way for you to compensate him for his work.
If you want more than a book, Michael is also available for consulting. And he has designed a workshop covering the same topic as his book.
Twelve months
by Volker Weber
I will just leave this here. This is what twelve consecutive months look like. We discussed the how and why a few days ago. #dontbreakthechain
Upgrade auf Windows 10: Drückermethode wird noch aggressiver
by Volker Weber
Rund zwei Monate vor dem Ende des Gratis-Upgrade-Angebots auf Windows 10 werden Microsofts Methoden, um unwillige Anwender von Windows 7 und 8.1 doch noch zu bekehren, immer rücksichtloser.
Die Methode hat sogar einen Namen. Früher musste man Software von Microsoft noch kaufen oder klauen. Heute muss man sich mit Händen und Füßen dagegen wehren.
Why bots won't replace apps anytime soon
by Volker Weber
Lately, everyone’s talking about “conversational UI” [user interface]. It’s the next big thing. But the more articles I read on the topic, the more annoyed I get. It’s taken me so long to figure out why!
Interesting perspective from Dan Grover, WeChat product manager.
Samsung finds itself in a hole. And keeps digging.
by Volker Weber
SEOUL—Samsung Electronics Co. is quietly adding more advertisements to its Internet-connected televisions as it seeks new revenue sources for its struggling TV business.
The world’s largest maker of TVs by shipments added new tile ads to the main menu bar of its premium TVs in the U.S. in June 2015 and is planning to expand the program to Europe in coming months, people familiar with the matter said.
When I discovered that my Samsung Smart TV was installing crapware, I should have taken it back to the store. Since I didn't, it is a constant reminder to never buy anything with a Samsung logo.
Wolle komische Scooter verkaufen?
by Volker Weber
Es gibt tatsächlich noch Möglichkeiten, schlimmer als auf einem Segway auszusehen. Und man kann zugleich jede körperliche Bewegung vermeiden. Wird auch für Tesla-Käufer empfohlen, um die Meter vom Parkplatz ins Gebäude zu überbrücken.
Wistiki Voilà
by Volker Weber
Voilà ist eines von drei Bluetooth-Anhängern, die Philippe Starck für Wistiki entworfen hat. Voilà passt an den Schlüsselbund und es gibt zwei weitere Bauformen: Hopla hat die Form einer Kreditkarte und passt damit in den Geldbeutel, Aha ist rund und soll zum Beispiel am Tierhalsband angebracht werden. Den durchsichtigen Teil gibt es in vier verschiedenen Farben: lila, rosa, orange und gelb. Wistiki hat mir eins in Rosa geschickt.
Die Idee hinter diesen Geräten ist nicht neu. Nokia hatte sowas, von der Connect habe ich ein Lapa mitgebracht. Das Voilà ist bisher das hübscheste, das Lapa vielleicht das hässlichste. Was macht das Ding und wie funktioniert es? Man lädt eine App auf iPhone (min iOS 8) oder Android (min 4.4.2). Dann verbindet man Smartphone und Wistiki per Bluetooth Low Energy. Sucht man das Smartphone oder das Wistiki, drückt man einen Button auf dem Screen oder dem Gerät und die andere Seite bimmelt.
Außerdem kann man sich anzeigen lassen, wo das Wistiki das letzte Mal von der App gesehen wurde. Bei einer Reichweite von 100 Metern (im Freien), ist die Angabe natürlich ungenau. Die App zeigt aber an, wie stark das Signal ist und kann einen (heiß/kalt) dann hinführen.
Da das Wistiki keine eigene Netzverbindung und kein GPS hat, kann man seinen durch die Botanik laufenden Hund natürlich nicht aufspüren. Auch ein geklautes Fahrrad lässt sich so nicht finden. Das lösen alle Hersteller auf die gleiche Weise: man markiert sein Gerät als verloren gegangen und bekommt dann von anderen Kunden einen Hinweis, wenn sie das Signal aufschnappen. Das funktioniert unter der Bedingung, dass jede Menge Leute so ein Wistiki haben. Eine Bedingung, die erst mal nicht erfüllt wird. Was fehlt ist eine Zusammenarbeit der Hersteller solcher Gadgets. Jeder möchte gerne eine eigene Community haben.
Das Wistiki hat eine Besonderheit: man kann die Batterie nicht tauschen. Sie soll drei Jahre halten und danach verspricht Wistiki einen Rabatt, wenn man im Austausch ein neues Gerät kauft. Was mir noch auffällt: was auf Bilder nach Metall aussieht, ist tatsächlich Metallplastik.
Wistiki versucht die Geräte über Crowdfunding in den Markt zu bekommen. Aktuell sehe ich 28 Unterstützer.
New OS/2 version in 2016
by Volker Weber
After WarpStock Europe, ArcaOS, the new OS/2 distribution previously codenamed Blue Lion, is scheduled for release in Q4 2016.
If you are worried about Notes, don't. Even OS/2 lives on, 20 years after Warp 4 was released, and 15 years after IBM's last maintenance drop.
What Sonos can and cannot do
by Volker Weber
When Sonos announced a change of direction, I was left puzzled.
As we look to the future there are two big areas that we’re leaning into: paid streaming services, and voice control.
Both of these things are outside of Sonos' reach. They can't take them over; they need to work with them. The streaming services give us a good idea of what Sonos plans to do: integrate existing technology in a platform agnostic way. For voice control that means working with Siri, Alexa, Cortana and Google assistant. Sonos' best designer is working on that.
Sonos cannot match the investment that goes into music discovery or speech recognition. But they need to speed up their software support for those services.
Spotify opens up interesting options with its Premium Family plan
by Volker Weber
Spotify upgraded its Premium Family plan last week to cover six Spotify IDs for 15 € a month. They don't have to be actual family members; you can also invite your friends. I think this is going to increase the number of paid accounts very quickly.
Sonos lets you add more than one ID, so you can have multiple family members with their own playlists. And you don't run into a problem where Sonos stops playing because one family member is traveling and listening on their iPhone. For your mobile device, you select a default Spotify account so you no longer have to think about having more than one account on the Sonos system. Each family member automatically uses the right account. On a PC/Mac you get the choice right in the services panel.
Today I was invited into a Swedish family. For that I actually needed to create a Swedish user, because the family plan only covers users in the same country. I have added this ID now to my Sonos player and can enjoy Swedish charts.
If anybody wants to invite me into their UK or US family, I am all ears. Just drop me an email. You remain in control. When you remove a family member, that account does not die. It just reverts to a free account.
Microsoft won't fix 'Sleep of Death' bug
by Volker Weber
Despite its popularity, the future of Surface — particularly the Surface Pro 4 and the Surface Book — may depend on Microsoft’s ability to address a reliability issue now known colloquially by an alarming number of users as “Sleep of Death.”
I am really happy with the Surface 3, but Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book appear to have serious issues.
The Windows Phone story: From hope to dusty abandonware
by Volker Weber
We stroll down Memory Lane and weep for what might have been
Great piece from Andrew Orlowski for The Register. Windows Phone 7 really was a fresh breath of air. Every subsequent restart with WP 8, WP 8.1 and now W10 Mobile has compromised the experience.
For all Satya Nadella’s praise of "experiences" – it’s one of his favourite words – the Windows user "experience" on both PC and mobile has become awful.
Complexity kills.
More >
Long Ambients 1: Calm. Sleep.
by Volker Weber
Moby:
over the last couple of years i’ve been making really really really quiet music to listen to when i do yoga or sleep or meditate or panic. i ended up with 4 hours of music and have decided to give it away. you can download it for free below or stream it on spotify, soundcloud, apple music, deezer & tidal.
365 days
by Volker Weber
Without a goal you cannot score. One year ago I started wearing the Apple Watch and I challenged myself to reach my exercise goals every single day. 600 cals Move, 30 minutes Exercise, 12 hours Stand.
Today I scored. 365 days reaching my move goal, and a longest streak of reaching that goal of the same 365 days. I did not break the chain. Not when I broke three fingers on my right hand, not when I had an infection, not when I had blisters, not a single day.
I did not start a year ago. It was 25 months ago that I set out to solve this problem:
At first I looked at daily steps. I challenged myself to reach 7 million steps in a year. Why 7? I wanted to double the 3.5 million that @MicSpehr scored the prior year. And in contrast to me, he is a sporty guy. I was a couch potato.
Then I looked at the bigger picture. I still don't do sports. But I avoid being lazy. I don't have an e-bike, I don't have a Roomba, I clean the floor every day, I go shopping every single day, to the other end of town. When I am lazy I don't walk. I take the bicycle instead. In those 25 months I have walked about five times the distance I have driven my car and my scooter. Combined.
Once you formed the habit, you don't really need a tracker. That is why fitness bands quickly end up in a drawer. You know what you are doing - or not doing. But they keep a score. And without a score, how can you reach your goal?
Apple Watch has proven to be my perfect tracker. I still wear it every single day, for its notifications, for answering phone calls, for telling the time. And for keeping me from breaking the chain. I reached my 7 million steps goal last year and my 365 days move goal this year. What now? Easy: #dontbreakthechain
If you haven't decided yet: a year from now you will wish you started today. If I can do it, you can do it.
Sunday update: 52 perfect weeks with all three goals
Sonos + Dyson + Surface = zufrieden
by Volker Weber
Aus meiner Inbox:
Ich liebe solche Mails. Sie geben mir Rückmeldung, dass ich das Richtige mache. Das Pattern ist leicht erkennbar: ich mag Produkte mit ordentlichem Engineering. Die sind keineswegs billig, aber preiswert.
BlackBerry improves the PRIV camera, again
by Volker Weber
Users will have the ability to enter a mode with advanced manual controls giving them access to capture settings such as: shutter speed, ISO sensitivity, focus, white balance and exposure (EV) compensation
I am very impressed with the updates that BlackBerry puts out for the PRIV. This is an important one for the camera. Controlling the camera settings, especially white balance and focus is paramount for shooting video; unfortunately, manual mode is only available for photos, for now. And a manual focus is a must have if you try to shoot at night. There is more in store, including physical keyboard support for the camera.What a lovely update.
BlackBerry is also updating the keyboard and other apps provided for the PRIV. Starting June 6th they will roll out a maintenance update on top of Marshmallow, also bringing the device up to June security fix level.
Impressive. BlackBerry is doing all the right things.
How fast is a Tesla Mommy Mobile?
by Volker Weber
You have to watch this from 3:30 to 5:00.
The man who answered the call to save BlackBerry
by Volker Weber
The Washington Post interviewed Chen in a quiet Bay Area conference room on a rainy afternoon for about an hour. He discussed everything from the influence of his Catholic high school to why almost no job is beneath a person to how he plans to rescue BlackBerry.
This is the kind of manager you want.
Connecting the dots
by Volker Weber
Three months ago Sonos published a blog post announcing a change of direction:
As we look to the future there are two big areas that we’re leaning into: paid streaming services, and voice control.
Now Amir Afrati writes:
After years of internal debate and discussion about how to do so, the company is preparing to open up Siri to apps made by others. And it is working on an Amazon Echo-like device with a speaker and microphone that people can use to turn on music, get news headlines or set a timer.
Sonos PLAY:5 is a fantastic speaker with two microphones.
Choice is good
by Volker Weber
She just passed a thousand likes
by Volker Weber
I don't think any other photo that Sonos posted on Instagram ever got so many likes so quickly. It's all her fault of course. Thanks for liking her.
Pebble is not folding its tent
by Volker Weber
Pebble just announced three new devices starting to ship from September:
- $129 Pebble 2. It's the original Pebble design, refined and now with a heart rate monitor. High contrast b/w display, 7 days battery.
- $199 Pebble Time 2. Metal body, significantly larger color screen, heart rate monitor.
- $99 Pebble Core. Connected to mobile, GPS, Spotify streaming.
Pebble asks for Kickstarter funding ($99/$169/$69) and will ship starting in September/November/January. Great lineup. However, I think that Pebble has just osborned their existing products.
Google has won
by Volker Weber
A few years ago we discussed that there is interest amongst carriers to have a third platform besides Android and iOS. Both BlackBerry and Nokia believed they would be that third platform. The market has decided otherwise. BlackBerry 10 is a walking dead and Android is the future for BlackBerry handhelds, if there is one. Microsoft's marketshare just fell below one percent according to Gartner. Since Microsoft does not seem to have any plans to launch any new Lumias this year, it will fall even lower.
That leaves us with a complete victory for Google. They are the only company which supports devices from C&A (cheap and awful) to the high end and from rugged to sophisticated. Their only interest is to get you on to Google services. Companies which make Android devices don't necessarily make money, but they make Google IDs.
Android is the new Windows. And as there was with Windows, there is an island for people who can afford to live there: Apple.
How Technology Hijacks People’s Minds
by Volker Weber
When using technology, we often focus optimistically on all the things it does for us. But I want you to show you where it might do the opposite.
Where does technology exploit our minds’ weaknesses?
This is a very interesting piece to read. I had some major discoveries about my own behavior. It was very easy for me to break away from Facebook and I reclaimed a lot of personal time. And I understand now, how the Apple Watch keeps me from getting sucked in. I pick up my iPhone a lot less, because I don't get tricked so often.
Jacob Frey :: The Present
by Volker Weber
The Present from Jacob Frey on Vimeo.
OneCore to rule them all: How Windows Everywhere finally happened
by Volker Weber
Microsoft can now credibly speak of having one operating system (with Windows 10 as its most familiar branding) that can span hardware from little embedded Internet of Things devices to games consoles to PCs to cloud-scale server farms. At its heart is a slimmed down, modularized operating system dubbed OneCore. Windows 10, Windows Server, Xbox 10, Windows 10 Mobile, Windows 10 IoT, and the HoloLens operating system are all built on this same foundation.
It took a long time to reach this point.
Another long Ars Technica piece that is worth the long read.
Encryption in Google Allo is not on by default
by Volker Weber
The changes also suggest that parties at a much higher pay scale than Duong's are highly resistant to providing the type of end-to-end encryption that's on by default in messaging apps such as Signal and WhatsApp.
Very good analysis by Ars Technica. Allo does not make any sense to Google, if they cannot listen to your conversation. Hangouts does not have it, Talk did not have it. And in Allo you have to turn it on each and every time. For Google to do its magic it needs to know what you are talking about.
Living in a bubble
by Volker Weber
Here's your chance to show your Cognitive and Cloud development skills https://t.co/qt36GqvNKq
— Ed Brill (@edbrill) May 20, 2016
Ed announced this competition. I stumbled over the rules:
This is your chance as an IBM Business Partner, IBM Champion or OpenNTF contributor to show what you can do with IBM's Collaboration platform and IBM Bluemix.
I wasn't really sure whether IBM wanted to exclude new talent or not. So I asked. This is what I got:
@edbrill @vowe Anyone can become an IBM Business Partner or OpenNTF contributor if they are interested in cloud development.
— Alan Hamilton (@alanghamilton) May 20, 2016
Update on my last Alex Warning
by Volker Weber
iOS will ask for your passcode a whole lot more often
by Volker Weber
Apple has quietly updated their iOS Security Guide. iOS will ask for your passcode under these conditions:
The passcode has not been used to unlock the device in the last six days and Touch ID has not unlocked the device in the last eight hours.
The knowledgebase still has the old rule:
When more than 48 hours have elapsed from the last time you unlocked your device
The new rule will make it much harder to force you to unlock your phone. You just have to wait it out for eight hours and then only your passcode will work.
[Thanks, Abdelkader]
Google: 'Talk to me'
by Volker Weber
Google wants to be your gateway to information. That's why it created Android. That is why it is building a WhatsApp competitor that copies its core idea: your phone number is your id and your phone is your password. And it is bringing Android Auto to your car.
You won't need a head unit or a display in your car. You just need a place to put your phone. Chances are it already has a big display. You can add audio via Bluetooth and power with a cable. But that slow moving car company does not have to accommodate you for thousands of $ or €. Android Auto is going to use the phone display for its simplified interface. As long as you are driving yourself, car makers have no chance to keep up with the pace of innovation on smart devices.
The in-car experience is a very good use case for voice interaction. You can talk to your computer and it can talk back to you without bothering too many people. And Google is uniquely positioned to provide the best experience. Their natural language processing is working very well, they understand more than a hundred languages, and they have the background knowledge. "I want to see the Maniera exhibition. Where is it?" - "The Maniera exhibition is at the Städel Museum in Frankfurt." - "Show me the way." Google will be able to tie all things together. Find places, make reservations, buy tickets, navigate to the venue, navigate inside the exhibition, tell you about it. They can do it all. They might even be able to provide you with a VR experience without actually going there.
Everybody wants to be in that conversation space. Facebook has Messenger and WhatsApp. And they are invested in VR with Oculus Rift. Amazon has Alexa, Echo and Prime. Microsoft wants to do it with Cortana. Eventually:
Arlo adds geofencing and IFTTT support
by Volker Weber
My favorite security camera just got better. Arlo added a geofencing mode. When I got the camera, you could only arm or disarm it. That means the motion sensor was either on or off. And that is what triggers the camera. Then Arlo added scheduling. You could arm it at certain times of the day. But that still left you with a situation where you would either record your every move or leave the camera disarmed when you left the house.
Geofencing solves this problem for me. I told Arlo to arm the camera when I am not at home. And when I return home, I can set Arlo to the scheduled configuration so it will turn the camera on and off at certain times of the day. Now it's in full automatic for me.
Slightly related, Arlo has also added IFTTT support. When Arlo detects motion or audio, you can now trigger light switches. Or if a battery runs low, you can set yourself a reminder. You can also act on events. Arm or disarm the camera, or start a recording. This gives you many more options since you can use the Arlo motion sensor to trigger other actions or use other events to record video or arm/disarm the camera.
I just love it when a vendor improves his products that he already sold.
A few thoughts on the Google I/O keynote
by Volker Weber
Google I/O keynotes are always a mix of great things and not so great things. Just a few examples of things announced at Google I/O that never lived up to their hype: Wave (2009/2010), Android@Home (2011), Nexus Q (2012), Google TV (2012) Google+ (2012/2013) and Google Glass (2012).
Today was special because Google was in full "me too" mode.
- Google Assistant is ... Microsoft Cortana & Amazon Alexa
- Google Home is ... Amazon Echo & Sonos
- Allo/Duo is ... WhatsApp & Snapchat & Facetime
Everybody is into the same things. As if we needed more messaging apps, more video chats, more assistants, more speakers, etc. We will have a bunch of solutions that don't work together. Messaging has always been walled gardens, where you first have to convince all your friends to join up.
And I have serious doubts that people will want to have Google listening into their homes and their chats. Do you want to hear what you said to Google? It's all here.
Nokia signs strategic brand and intellectual property licensing agreement
by Volker Weber
Espoo, Finland - Nokia has announced plans that will see the Nokia brand return to the mobile phone and tablet markets on a global basis. Under a strategic agreement covering branding rights and intellectual property licensing, Nokia Technologies will grant HMD global Oy (HMD), a newly founded company based in Finland, an exclusive global license [1] to create Nokia-branded mobile phones and tablets for the next ten years. Under the agreement, Nokia Technologies will receive royalty payments from HMD for sales of Nokia-branded mobile products, covering both brand and intellectual property rights.
Thanks, Jochen.
Goodbye, Microsoft Lumia. Hello Surface mobile?
by Volker Weber
If Microsoft makes Continuum and remote desktop services the centerpieces of any future Surface mobiles, the company might have a device family that would both appeal to business users and not be constrained a lack of apps. ... Until then, Microsoft's presence in first-party phone hardware will continue to be relegated to not much beyond supporting existing Lumia devices ...
That is a big "If ... might".
Microsoft selling feature phone business
by Volker Weber
REDMOND, Wash. - May 18, 2016 - Microsoft Corp. on Wednesday announced it reached an agreement to sell the company’s entry-level feature phone assets to FIH Mobile Ltd., a subsidiary of Hon Hai/Foxconn Technology Group, and HMD Global, Oy for $350 million.
There is a little bit more to it than you would take at face value. The clue is "Oy". HMD Global is a new Finnish company and there are ex-Nokia people behind it. When the dust has settled, Microsoft is left with Windows Phone and Nokia comes back with Android.
Logi Base :: First Impressions
by Volker Weber
When I got the press release a few weeks ago, I knew I had to have this. Logi Base is just a beautiful piece of engineering. It resembles an iMac but it improves on the design. Let's start with the invisible:
The bottom is very sticky. When you place an iPad Pro on Base, you can use it as if you were holding it with a firm grip. Base it not going to move at all. I placed a business card on it and it isn't sliding one bit. This gives you an idea of how sticky the bottom is.
Base has a Smart Connector for the iPad Pro. When you dock it, Base will charge the iPad. The magnets at the connector grab the iPad and hold it in place. It's very easy to hit the right spot. At the same time Base is heavy enough that you can undock the iPad with just one hand. That's an important consideration for a dock. If you need to hold the dock with one hand when removing the device, you might as well plug it into a cable.
iPad Pro just leans against the Base. Drop it on the connector and then let it rest. As easy as that. You don't have to take the iPad out of the Apple Silicone Case. As you can imagine, that was taken into account when designing Base. And there is something else I noticed:
Should Apple decide to make a Plus size iPhone 7 Pro with the same Smart Connector, then Base is perfectly sized to hold it.
Base does not come with a Lightning cable (or a charger). Editor-refuses-to-give-it-back award. Big time!
Android 6.0.1 update has impressive battery life on PRIV
by Volker Weber
I took the PRIV off the charger more than five days ago and it is still good for another day. I have not used it much, but it was on mobile network, WiFi, Bluetooth and NFC. It received all notifications, mails and software updates. The screen was off most of the time. And it is sleeping very well.
Rest assured, I am not suggesting you only need to recharge it once a week. But you should have no difficulties getting through you day, even if you travel west.
J.K. Rowling shares powerful message about Donald Trump
by Volker Weber
If you seek the removal of freedoms from an opponent simply on the grounds that they have offended you, you have crossed a line to stand along tyrants who imprison, torture and kill on exactly the same justification.
WLAN vermessen mit Netspot
by Volker Weber
Der hoch geschätzte Kollege @MicSpehr hat in der Frankfurter Allgemeinen Sonntagszeitung seinen eigenen Kampf mit der Ausleuchtung eines Hauses aufgearbeitet, um ein paar Tips zu geben, wie man seine WLAN-Abdeckung verbessern kann.
Sehr hilfreich ist bei sowas Netspot, das die Netzwerkabdeckung grafisch aufarbeitet. Man malt oder lädt einen Grundriss, läuft dann verschiedene Messpunkte an und sagt dem Werkzeug, wo man gerade steht. Sobald man ausreichend Messpunkte angelaufen hat, berechnet Netspot verschiedene Parameter und zeigt diese grafisch an. Und dabei gibt es einiges zu gucken:
Netspot gibt es für Mac und für Windows. Die kostenlose Version macht die Wifi Site Survey nur in einer Zone, was für eine Wohnung allemal reicht. Erst wenn man größere Gebäude vermessen und ordentlich aufbereiten will, muss man eine Lizenz erwerben. Wer zu Hause mehrere Stockwerke hat, kann auch einfach mehrere Surveys mit jeweils einer Zone machen.
I created a Google Space for you
by Volker Weber
Let's see how this works: vowe looking at things.
Google introduces Spaces, a tool for small group sharing
by Volker Weber
Group sharing isn’t easy. From book clubs to house hunts to weekend trips and more, getting friends into the same app can be challenging. ... With Spaces, it’s simple to find and share articles, videos and images without leaving the app, since Google Search, YouTube, and Chrome come built in.
I can see a spring cleaning three years from now.
Das beste und schlechteste Feature von Windows
by Volker Weber
Windows (RT/8/10) hat dieses wunderbare Feature "Diashow auf Sperrbildschirm". Das ist ein unfassbar schöner Bilderrahmen, der die eigenen Aufnahmen anzeigt. Er verwendet sanfte Animationen, fasst mehrere passende Bilder zu einem Screen zusammen. Dazu gibt es Uhrzeit, Wetter, und alle Benachrichtigungen, die man einschaltet. Phantastisch.
Leider ist das Setup die Hölle. Auch wenn man alles richtig macht, klappt meistens nichts. Eigentlich ist alles ganz einfach. Man legt auf der Registerseite Sperrbildschirm fest, dass Windows eine Diashow auf dem Sperrbildschirm anzeigen soll und wählt die Ordner mit den Bildern aus. Erstes Problem: der Bildschirm wird gesperrt, aber Windows zeigt keine Bilder an. Das passiert, wenn man nicht angemeldet ist. Mit folgender Sequenz kriegt man das gelöst. Neustarten, einmal anmelden, Timeout abwarten, Bildschirm wieder hochziehen und nun - ganz wichtig - nicht anmelden. Sobald der Login-Prompt verschwindet, erscheint die Diashow.
Das viel größere Problem aber ist die Auswahl des richtigen Ordners. Ich verwende gerne OneDrive/Eigene Aufnahmen. Bei einem kleinen Tablet aber hat nicht ausreichend Platz, diesen Ordner zu synchronisieren. Auf eine Speicherkarte kann man OneDrive aktuell nicht mehr syncen. Dazu braucht man ein virtuelles Laufwerk, das man auf der Speicherkarte ablegt und beim Starten automatisch mounted. Nicht ohne ein Skript zu machen, das vor OneDrive startet, weil sonst OneDrive mault, es könne sein Laufwerk nicht finden und um Neukonfiguration ersucht. Race condition!
Bei diesem Rechner hier kein Problem. OneDrive ist auf den internen Speicher synchronisiert, alle Bilder sind aktuell. Aber die Diashow kann sie mal wieder nicht finden. Ich kann den Ordner auswählen, alles ist ok. Wenn die Diashow starten will, findet sie die Bilder dann doch nicht und der Bildschirm wird schwarz. Gehe ich in die Einstellungen, sagt Windows, dass ich mehrere Bilder benötige. Nach einer halben Stunde rumprobieren habe ich keine Lust mehr und schmeiße den Rechner in die Ecke.
Dreck.
Did I say "Woah"? WOAH!
by Volker Weber
Swiss watch exports down for a year
by Volker Weber
The deterioration in the trend of Swiss watch exports observed since July 2015 gathered pace in March. With a decline of 16.1% compared to last year their value totalled only 1.5 billion francs, making these the lowest March figures since 2011. The scale of the downturn is also unusual, since we must go back to the crisis of 2009 to find rates of variation of this order.
My wonder.
Spring Colors
by Volker Weber
Watch and iPhone now share the same color. I am always going back to this material. It made a huge difference for the iPad Pro to go from a black leather case to the blue silicone case. The grip is phantastic and I am much more confident to not drop the device.
This particular color, just named Blue, does not seem to be available for iPhone anymore. Mine is from last year, as is the watch band, which continues to be available. The current cases for iPad and iPhone only come in Midnight Blue (pictured above) and Royal Blue.
Thank you
by Volker Weber
Lots of birthday grats yesterday. I tried to answer each and everyone.
The channels are interesting: for the 14th time I posted a birthday cake photo. For the first time it was not a dog. 60+ people used that for a comment. Lots of emails, iMessages, WhatsApp and a few tweets. New this year: messages on Instagram and Snapchat. Old people called. The people closest came for a hug. And people from far away sent boxes.
It does not matter which channel you chose. And whether you made it yesterday. Thanks for remembering me.
Aus meinem Posteingang
by Volker Weber
Das hat mich gestern sehr erfreut:
Du hast mich auch dazu animiert, mehr zu laufen. Ich laufe fast jeden Tag (mindestens so viel um die Apple Watchringe zu schließen ;) Und das beste: Mir ist auch kein Weg mehr zu weit. Früher wäre ich "mehr effizienter" mit dem Auto zum Einkaufen gefahren; heute lauf ich lieber. Und anstatt Großeinkauf zu machen, isses jeden Tag nur immer etwas, was man bequem zu Fuß tragen kann. Danke für's Vorauslaufen.
Genau so geht es mir auch, mir altem Couch Potato. 90 Minuten laufen für zwei Brötchen.
Post aus Schweden
by Volker Weber
MacPaw offers 50% discount to celebrate Release of Gemini 2
by Volker Weber
From my inbox:
A stellar app for searching duplicates on a Mac has landed. Meet cosmic Gemini 2 (the Best of Mac App Store apps back in 2012).
Gemini 2 has undergone meaningful improvements and now it's the smartest duplicate finder. The app detects duplicates and even similar files and learns rules for detecting duplicates from a user! The advanced scanning algorithm is as fast as lightning. It scans the whole system identifying duplicates in archives, folders, apps, documents, videos, images and audio files on your Mac and external drives. Gemini 2 works with iTunes and Photos libraries spotting retakes of one picture and different formats of one song.
Packed with new smart features and wrapped up in a pixel-perfect design, Gemini 2 is ready to become your favorite duplicate finder!
I am a big fan of CleanMyMac and CleanMyDrive and I have zero doubts that Gemini delivers as well. This is a good chance to get your copy of CleanMyMac for a very reasonable price.
Fifty Eight
by Volker Weber
Happy birthday to Anna, Brandy, Heinz, Martin, Phil, Riley, Steve. And my mom. Yes, really.
[B612 selfie, filtered with Black.]
Dust and Silence
by Volker Weber
[via Capt. Hajo]
Lenovo Tech World
by Volker Weber
Project Tango is what I was referring to.
Woah
by Volker Weber
Lenovo resolves my biggest gripe with the Yoga keyboard
by Volker Weber
My Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro and the newer and much improved Yoga 900 have an extra column of keys to the right of the enter and backspace keys. This makes it very difficult for me to type on those keyboards. I always orient myself from the side of the keyboard. This was one of the reasons I liked the Thinkpad X1 Yoga keyboard so much. Now the Yoga 900S ditches the extra column. Thank you, Lenovo.
Can you spot the other two issues with this new keyboard? They are even worse.
More options to store your Apple Pencil
by Volker Weber
The Leuchtturm 1917 Pen Loop is meant to be glued to the inside of the back cover of your (paper) notebook, but it also fits on the iPad cover. I can still fold the cover as a triangle or all the way to the back. Thanks to Andreas for the inspiration and to Sebastian for sending me one from my wish list.
Peter also sent me this photo of his Stilgut pen holder:
Christian recommended the Apple Pencil Magnet from moxiware. Not so sure about that since it will not hold the pencil in place when you put it in your bag.
How did I not know about Yonomi
by Volker Weber
Yonomi resides on your phone and in the Cloud. No need for a hub, controller box or other additional hardware. Yonomi magically finds and enhances your existing connected devices allowing them to interact with one another in ways never before possible.
Yonomi works with many devices, amongst them Sonos (yay!), Wemo and HUE. Turn the lights on when you get home, turn Sonos off, when you leave the house. Let Yonomi announce the weather over your bedroom Sonos when your alarm goes off in the morning.
Update: Not working for me because I made a mistake. I wanted Yonomi to stop my Sonos players when I leave home. Not possible, since I no longer have Wifi connection to my network. When Yonomi discovers I went over the geo fence, it's too late.
BlackBerry PRIV :: I love this feature
by Volker Weber
This has to be one of the coolest features of the BlackBerry PRIV. When you plug this thing in, there is an animated line that runs from the plug and around the corner to the long side of the screen, telling you how the charge is going. It starts yellow, it probably starts red, but I never ran down the battery far enough. Then it turns green as the charging process continues. And not only is the length of the green line the charge percentage, it also gives you the numbers and how long it will take with this charger to fill it up completely. Awesome.
Expect a move from Inhi in three two one ...
by Volker Weber
Inhi Cho Su introduced herself as the new General Manager of IBM Collaboration on the last day of IBM Connect, which was Feb 3. You are generally given a hundred days to make your mark. And 100 days from Feb 3 happens to be next Friday. Something is about to happen. If not by next Friday, then shortly thereafter.
Microsoft's biggest fear is irrelevance
by Volker Weber
Four dots to connect:
- Microsoft claims Windows 10 on 300 million devices.
- Microsoft reminds you that Windows 10 will cost $119 after July 29.
- SAP works with Apple on enterprise apps.
- Android is wiping the floor with everything but Apple.
Windows 10 upgrades are already stalling and Microsoft wants to remind you that time is running out for your free Windows 10 upgrade. And they are pushing hard. Really hard. Why is that happening? Simple. Nobody wants a new Windows. Windows 7 works just fine. Developers don't want a Microsoft controlled app store. And if both users and developers don't want the Universal Windows Platform, as it is called now, the Windows business is toast and Microsoft loses its leverage. That's why your Windows 10 update is "free". And I don't think that anybody will ever want to buy Windows for $119.
Android is the new Windows. It's running on everything but Apple. Android and iOS combined combined market share is above 98.5%. That's why BlackBerry is pushing for a secure Android. And why Microsoft is stalling with Windows 10 Mobile. Watch how the few UWP apps all come out for "Windows PCs and tablets" and are not "universal" in that they also run on Windows phones. Microsoft knows this and is pushing applications for Android and iOS. Faster and harder than on Windows itself. There is a real danger that Microsoft might become irrelevant.
Microsoft still holds a strong position in enterprise. But the battle has moved from operating systems to cloud services. Where Microsoft's biggest competitors are Google and Amazon.
Taking out the trash
by Volker Weber
Two kinds of people. Myself, I like to run a clean ship. That means I get rid of stuff before it piles up. If I buy something new, something old has to go.
I do the same on social networks. Old Facebook posts (currently at zero), old tweets (always way below 100), old Instagrams (close to 100). I still need to clean out Google+ and Flickr. I follow 50 Twitter accounts, 100 Instagram accounts, less than 10 Youtube channels, I hardly ever go on Facebook. That means I have to take less trash out of my brain.
Snapchat is nice in that it takes the trash out immediately. Old stories expire after one day, snaps expire right after you saw them. That's working well for kids who don't want to be reminded of what stupid things they said yesterday. It does not work so well for me in 1:1 chats, since I am often missing context. Whatsapp is working better for me, since I can do 1:1 and 1:many on Whatsapp with text and voice.
Marketing has discovered Snapchat and they will drive everybody out once they start pouring money into it. For stories, I am trying something different. Actually, I am trying it for the second time, since it failed last year. Beme has just relaunched, and I am posting bemes instead of Snapchat stories. It's the same thing, without the funky filters and decorations. One big advantage, for me: I can be logged in on several devices at the same time. Beme is very nascent and it will attract the kids who watch Casey's channel. Like myself.
I'm sorry if this ride is too fast for you. But the little kid inside of me never died. And he needs to play.
iPad Pro 9.7" :: Pencil Clip
by Volker Weber
I found a way to hold the Apple Pencil on the iPad Cover. And as you can see, it stays put, although it's only held at one end:
How does that happen? There are small magnets in the cover that help you fold it. The strongest are actually on the outside, but then Pencil is to close to the edge. This pencil holder is sold by Muji. You have to be careful though and bend it back so it does not scratch the screen. I am going to put some white tape on it.
I did the same on the front and you cannot see that gap from more than a few centimeters away.
As you can see in the first picture, I put the pencil holder on the middle panel, close to the right fold. That is on purpose. There are small magnets at this fold to hold the tip of the pencil. At the same time, you can still do the triangle fold to prop up the iPad.
If you let the tip of the pen stick out, you can safely store and remove the pencil when the iPad is propped up. That is going to be handy on airplanes.
This is my first solution. Not perfect yet, since it is not holding the pencil tight enough to keep it in place when the iPad is in a bag. But you won't lose it when you are using it on a table.
Stuff that works :: Marshall Major II
by Volker Weber
There is so much marketing fake in this Marshall headset that I thought I would never like it. Funny thing though, I have been using it more than any other headset at vowe's magic flying circus. And most of the time I have forgone the Bluetooth link and instead I just plugged it in. Into the iPad Pro, the iPhone, the PRIV, the MacBook, the Yoga. Bluetooth often was just too much effort. Silence the computer by plugging in the headset, put it on. Bang.
This has happened before with another headset made by the same company: the Plattan ADV. They are in fact very similar, and the Plattan also comes with Bluetooth. Somehow those were never as successful here as the corded ones.
I prefer Bluetooth with headsets I use for dictation or phone calls. But for media consumption at rest, a cable rocks. Switching Bluetooth between devices is just too much effort, Bluetooth has dropouts, Bluetooth has latency. And as it happens, the cable on the Marshall rocks. Tangle-free, solid, sturdy plugs at both ends. This headset has both. Bluetooth when you don't want a cable, especially on the move. And a good cable when you do want one.
And the sound? To me it's good enough. When you compare it with better gear, it falls short. But when you only have this one around, you couldn't tell. And it's pretty loud. Not good for your ears, but sometimes you just need something that goes to eleven.
Steve Jobs: Secrets of Life
by Volker Weber
This was more than 20 years ago. The original hipster. Everybody else is just a copy.
You won't believe your ears
by Volker Weber
Hear is an amazing way to listen to the world. It harmonizes your listening experience which helps you to be less distracted and stressed. The Hear app filters your acoustic environment, takes out harsh sounds and turns stressful noise into harmonic sound environments.
You need a headset and an iPhone.
Beme relaunches
by Volker Weber
If you have trouble understanding Snapchat, Beme is a tough nut to crack. I tried it last year, and it sucked big time. Now the team releases a new app for Android and iOS. The idea is simple. You broadcast what is happening around you. No filter, no fancy fonts, nothing. Just cover the proximity sensor and it starts recording.
Casey Neistat, YouTuber of the Year has this idea, that we should stop posing and instead of looking at a screen to just share what we see. What we really see. And I like that. I like it more than Snapchat.
I know two people who play with Beme: Teymur and me. And we are both not convinced that Beme will fly. But we both like what Casey is doing.
BlackBerry DTEK finally has teeth
by Volker Weber
So far DTEK could only bark when it saw intruders into your privacy. After the Marshmallow update it can finally restrict access. The dog has teeth now.
Google-Nachhilfe
by Volker Weber
Wenn jemand ein Computerproblem hat, dann finde ich oft die Lösung mit Google. Ich habe nicht unbedingt mehr Ahnung, manchmal auch gar keine, aber ich weiß, wie man Google bedient.
Und Google kann viel mehr als nur ein paar Wörter in der Suchanfrage zuzuordnen. Es kann auch Dinge finden, die es eigentlich gar nicht finden sollte. Zum Beispiel Dateiverzeichnisse, die über HTTP-Server erreichbar sind. Man erkennt diese Websites (für Rechner mit englischer Sprache) an den Begriffen, die in allen Pages vorkommen, etwa dem Verweis auf das übergeordnete Verzeichnis (parent directory) oder dem Title Tag (index of). Zwei Beispiele:
"parent directory" intitle:"index of" mp3 Beyonce Lemonade
"parent directory" intitle:"index of" epub Lee Child
So kann man eigentlich jede Datei finden. Sehr schön auch PPT oder PDF mit "Company Confidential" wobei man Company durch die gesuchte Firma ersetzt.
So findet man übrigens auch ungesicherte Webcams, bei denen in der URL das Wort ViewerFrame vorkommt:
inurl:"ViewerFrame?Mode="
Wenn man solche Suchanfragen stellt, läuft man übrigens schnell in einen Captcha-Block, weil Google verhindern will, dass jemand mittels Bot eine eigene Karte des Kellergeschosses anfertigt.
Surfacebook-Neid
by Volker Weber
Ich beneide Andre Hansel um das, was er da in der Hand hält... Surfacebook ��#Schichtwechsel #rpTEN pic.twitter.com/QN6pVlQcj3
— Magdalena Rogl (@LenaRogl) May 3, 2016
Pina Kehren (Microsoft-Mitarbeiterin) retweetet Magdalena Rogl (Microsoft-Mitarbeiterin), die Andre Hansel (Microsoft-Mitarbeiter) darum beneidet, ein Microsoft-Gerät auf einer von Microsoft gesponsorten Veranstaltung auf dem Schoß zu halten. Einer Veranstaltung, auf der man überwiegend Obst zu sehen bekommt.
Ich bin ja doch dafür, dass jeder Microsoft-Mitarbeiter so ein Microsoft-Gerät bekommt, ohne daraus jetzt eine Situation zu konstruieren, in der Microsoft-Mitarbeiter so ein Microsoft-Gerät haben, Microsoft-Mitarbeiterinnen aber nicht. Immerhin hat Microsoft ja schon für alle Mitarbeiter eine eigene Suchmaschine programmiert, die Bong oder so heißt. Ja, das war Ironie.
Apple vs everybody else
by Volker Weber
Apple:
It's done. You can download it now.
Everybody else:
We have just released it. Users will start receiving it next week. We will now start lying to you.
IBM Cognitive
by Volker Weber
Please comment on all of my social accounts b/c my dress will react to your emotions! #MetGala @IBM @MarchesaFashion pic.twitter.com/CXUKcVd8Hm
— Karolina Kurkova (@karolinakurkova) May 2, 2016
IBM Marketing is going to be so pleased with the thousands of social network reactions from people who never buy enterprise IT systems. Hey Siri and Cortana, let's go visit Alexa. OK, Google, you can tag along.
That's how it all started
by Volker Weber
This gives you an idea of how old a fart I am. That was before we got a VAX. And then Arpanet which became Internet. Just a few years later, IBM made a PC and started building them in Boca.
Der ultimative Kamera-Benchmark
by Volker Weber
Es gibt nur einen ultimativen Benchmark für eine Smartphone-Kamera: wie sehen die Bilder aus, die sie schießt? Alles andere ist zweitrangig. Ich habe das mal sehr schön bei einem dieser Hands-On gesehen, die von allen Herstellern nach einer Produktpräsentation veranstaltet werden. Da stehen dann die Liveblogger mit ihrem Equipment, drehen das neue Objekt der Begierde etwas ungelenk in der Hand und wischen ziellos über den Screen. Um das zu produzieren, schleppen sie selbst meist ein Stativ, eine DSLR, und einen Laptop mit sich herum. Und während sie noch am Aufbauen sind, kommt ein Kollege vorbei, zieht sein iPhone aus der Tasche, nimmt das neue Handy in die andere Hand und schießt mit dem Daumen auf dem Auslöser in drei Sekunden mal eben 30 Bilder. Fertig.
Ja, Megapixel, Sensor, Blende, etc. pp. Aber die eigentliche Kamera ist heute Software. Und da gibt es unterschiedliche Philosophien. Die mit dem Lumia 1020 gelieferte Software etwa bietet alles an, was überhaupt anpassbar ist. Weißabgleich, Fokus, ISO, Belichtungszeit und Belichtungskorrektur. Nur die Blende fehlt. Warum? Weil die Hardware nur eine Offenblende kennt. Selbst ein iPhone beherrscht ohne weiteres die Trennung von Fokus und Belichtung. Einfach irgendwo hin tippen, um den Fokuspunkt zu setzen und dann mit dem Finger (woanders) auf und abstreichen, um die Belichtung zu korrigieren. Wenn man sowas mit zwei "Kästchen" sehen will, dann nimmt man auf Android Camera Awesome und beim iPhone Camera Plus. Mit zwei Fingern auf den Bildschirm tippen und schon hat man die beiden Kästchen für Fokus und Belichtung.
So richtig spannend wird das Thema Software durch Mehrfachbelichtung. Die Lumias können das seit gut drei Jahren. Bis zu 10 Bilder erlauben die spätere Anpassung des Fokus, die Mischung von Blitz und natürlichem Licht, Dynamikerweiterung (HDR), Bewegungsunschärfe, Mehrfachbelichtung. Selbst das Entfernen von Touris, die durch das Bild latschen, ist damit möglich.
Alles möglich. Am Ende aber zählt nur eins: was macht die Software, wenn man "draufhält und abdrückt". Und ich schäme mich nicht zu sagen, dass diese Bilder meistens besser sind als alles, was ich mit Drehen an Knöpfen und Schieben von Reglern hinbekomme. Ein iPhone macht übrigens immer Mehrfachbelichtungen, ohne das zu sagen. Und rechnet daraus dann einfach ein einziges Bild.
Dieses Bild kann man nur in voller Größe würdigen. Es ist vier Jahre alt und ich hatte ein Nokia 808 in der Tasche. Der Vogel hat mir etwa eine Sekunde gegeben, dieses Bild zu schießen.
Die Unterschiede sind kleiner geworden. Lumia, iPhone, Galaxy, ja selbst BlackBerry schießen heute phantastische Bilder. Die Unterschiede zwischen den Generationen werden immer kleiner. Ich habe mir genügend "Leica-Bilder" von Huawei angeschaut, um feststellen zu können: alles Humbug.
Was wirklich hilft: achtet auf das Licht. Und lernt, wie die Belichtungskorrektur funktioniert. Beim iPhone: Bild da antippen, wo es scharf sein soll, und dann daneben mit dem Finger auf- oder abwischen. Aber das sagte ich ja schon. :-)
Das Ziel vor Augen
by Volker Weber
Gestern habe ich die grüne Ehrennadel für den Monat April bekommen habe und heute taucht der nächste Platzhalter auf. Und das ist jetzt die Zielgerade. Am 28. Mai sollte ich idealerweise den Platzhalter für 365 Tage ausmalen, am 29. Mai vier Stück für jeweils 52 vollständige Wochen, und 31. Mai schließe ich den zwölften vollständigen Monat ab. Wenn alles so gut wie die letzten elf Monate läuft, dann steht am 28. Mai der Continuos Move Streak auch auf 365.
Mein Rezept ist Kontinuität und gleichmäßige Mittelmäßigkeit. Ich strebe keine Rekorde an. Mir ist egal, wie viel ich an einem einzelnen Tag leiste. Mir kommt es vielmehr darauf an, nicht stehen zu bleiben. Warum? Ich bin faul. Ich ruhe mich gerne auf meinen Lorbeeren aus. Deshalb setze ich mir ein erreichbares Ziel, das ich jeden Tag erreichen kann. Das sind bei mir 600 cal Move, neben den vorgegebenen Zielen für Exercise (30 min) und Stand (12 h).
Das kann jeder anders machen. Michael hat 1000 cal, die er dank umfangreicher Schreibtischtätigkeit nur über intensiven Sport erreichen kann. Das muss er nicht jeden Tag schaffen. Oliver dagegen belohnt sich mit einem Ziel von 200 cal bereits dafür, erfolgreich aus dem Bett aufgestanden zu sein. Zugleich macht er als Gym Rat umfangreiches Training in der Muckibude, nur eben nicht jeden Tag.
Mein Ziel ist nicht Dein Ziel. Jeder muss selbst finden, was für ihn funktioniert. Bei mir ist das: Don't break the chain. Auch nach dem 31. Mai.
