March 2017
#dontbreakthechain :: Was macht das mit Euch?
by Volker Weber
Das bin ich, heute morgen, in meinem Büro. Das da unten bin ich auch, vor ein paar Jahren, in einem Fernsehstudio. Dazwischen liegen zigtausend Kilometer, zu Fuß. Und das kam so:
Am 10. März 2014, also vor ziemlich genau drei Jahren, bin ich auf der CeBIT gestürzt, nachdem mir zuvor der Fuß umgeschlagen ist. Daran war bis zu diesem Zeitpunkt immer ein anderer Schuld: meine schwachen Gelenke, der unebene Boden, das schlechte Licht. Sechs Wochen bin ich gehumpelt und die Einsicht reifte, dass die Verantwortung bei mir liegt. Ich war zu faul, zu dick, zu schwer.
Und deshalb habe ich etwas geändert. Ein paar Monate habe ich meine tägliche Geh-Distanz erhöht. Zunächst 4500, dann 6500, dann 10.000 und schließlich mehr als 18.000. Von 2014 bis 2015 bin ich 7 Millionen Schritte gelaufen, etwas über 6000 km. Ende Mai 2015 habe ich nach vielen Fitness-Trackern das ideale Gerät gefunden, die Apple Watch. Seit dem habe ich jeden Tag meine drei Kringel geschlossen: 600 Kilokalorien Bewegung, 30 Minuten Exercise, 12 Stunden aufstehen. An einem einzigen Tag fehlten mir 3 kCal, das werte ich als kleines Straucheln.
216 Tage vom 30. Mai bis 31. Dezember 2015
365 Tage in 2016 (Schaltjahr minus ein Tag)
90 Tage in 2017
Das macht zusammen 671 Tage. Nimmt man die Zeit von April 2014 bis Mai 2015 dazu, sind es locker 1000 Tage. Am Wegesrand sind 30 kg liegen geblieben, das ist nicht allein der Bewegung geschuldet sondern auch gesünderem Essen. Was mich bei der Stange hält, ist nicht die Waage, sondern ein hartnäckiger Ermahner, der täglich wieder alles auf Null setzt. Und natürlich mein unermüdlicher Trainer:
Niemand muss dick sein, auch dann nicht, wenn er es das ganze Leben schon war. Jeder kann erkennen, dass er nur selbst für sich verantwortlich ist. Und dann konsequent handeln, für immer. #dontbreakthechain
Ich weiß, dass ich auf dem Weg auch ein paar neue Gefährten gewonnen habe, zuletzt durch die Apple-Aktion am Anfang des Jahres. Die ersten drei Monate des Jahres sind um. Um eine neue Angewohnheit zu prägen, braucht man vielleicht zwei. Also erzählt mir mal, was das #dontbreakthechain mit Euch gemacht hat. Erfolg oder Misserfolg.
edcom Nachlese
by Volker Weber
Bis Anfang des Jahrtausends gab es mal eine erfolgreiche Veranstaltung von Softwerk (Fürth) in Kooperation mit edcom (München), die an der persönlichen Eitelkeit eines Gesellschafters scheiterte. Das Thema war Lotusphere und diese Konferenz war auf der Höhe der Zeit. Ausverkauft in Stunden und wer nicht hin durfte, der fuhr halt nach Fürth, um sich zu informieren. Ich war selbst ein paar mal eingeladen und habe auch einmal Ed Brill dorthin verschleppt. Nach dem Knatsch zerbrach die Kooperation und edcom legte eine eigene Konferenz auf. Bei der war ich von Anfang an dabei und ein bisschen für die gute Laune zuständig.
Die edcom Nachlese 2017 war die dreizehnte und sie fühlte sich wie die beste "ever" an. Vielleicht ist es das eigene Reality Distortion Field, denn ich freue mich jedes Jahr auf das edcom-Team, auf die immer wieder kommenden Teilnehmer, auf den Abend im Wirtshaus Zum Straubinger und den Vorabend im [wird nicht verraten]. Es ist ein wilder Ritt und ich bin immer froh, wenn ich dann am Abend danach wieder in meinem eigenen Bett liege. Und dann kann ich vorsichtig anfangen, mich auf das nächste Jahr zu freuen.
Danke an alle. Wirklich alle.
Leckeres aus München
by Volker Weber
Wie man sieht, nicht wirklich aus München. Aber von da mitgebracht. Danke, Wolfi!
A few things I learned in Munich
by Volker Weber
I want you to lower your expectations for cognitive in collaboration.Speakers from IBM all joked about that they are getting paid to show slides with the word "cognitive". One of them made it very clear that there is a huge difference between Watson in Cancer Research & Treatment (dollars per question) and things like Watson Tone Analyzer (pennies per document). These things run under the same brand, but they are not alike.
IBM Connections is finally on the right path. Connections 6 is available from tomorrow, and it marks the end of the "run everything on Websphere and store social data in relational databases" craze. The future path doesn't have versions. Beginning this September, Connections will be going the continuous delivery path. Once a month it will get new features, then every two weeks, and in the end it may have new things every single day. It's a different stack, built with microservices on top of the Docker container technology. For now, nobody is rebuilding the Websphere stack. It's going to sit there as is, being augmented with new features and functions on Docker. And then, gradually it will fade into the background until you can switch it off. While Connections has some capabilties to integrate "in", the new parts will be all about integration "in" and "out". Everything is an API and you will be able to make use of these parts in your own applications. How does the old Websphere fade into the background? Imagine a new Profiles microservice. That assimilates all of the old profile information. It's like the Borg. The old Profiles application will become stale and then can go up the mountain and die.
This isn't some lofty project. It starts now with the new Orient Me component in Connections 6. And it will scale up dramatically as early as this September. When IBM talks about this future of Connections they call it Pink. I learned why it's called Pink but I must not tell you. I am also sure that I was told I must not tell you so that in fact I would do tell you, but I am not playing along. :-)
A couple of people came forward to tell me that their company is moving off of Notes & Domino. They did not like it, but I was able to tell them that the other side isn't as dark as they were made to believe. This is happening, everywhere. And much like Pink, it's a journey, not a destination.
A piece of advice: learn Docker. Install it today and start playing with it. You will need that conceptual understanding much like you needed to know about file systems, processes and virtualization. You may be running some orchestration software, but you need to understand the instruments in the orchestra.
Week 12/2017 #dontbreakthechain
by Volker Weber
Galaxy S8
by Volker Weber
I think this is what you've been waiting for. pic.twitter.com/FvYfsLOy0R
— Evan Blass (@evleaks) March 1, 2017
Ich stelle mir gerade die armen Kollegen vor, die am Mittwoch in der Weltgeschichte herumreisen, um sich eine pompöse Samsung-Show anzuschauen, bei der etwas "entpackt" wird, das in allen Teilen bereits bekannt ist. Die Original-Leaks kommen seit Jahren von Evan Blass, siehe oben, aber Roland Quandt von Winfuture hat alles noch mal zusammengetragen. Nun beeilen sich die Autoren anderer Websites, das alles noch mal zu paraphrasieren. Ich erspare mir das. Lest es einfach an der Quelle.
Dieses Smartphone-Geschäft ist knochenhart und zugleich immens wichtig für Samsung. Mit dem Note 7 hatten sie überreizt und deshalb bin ich sicher, dass beim S8 nun alles wie am Schnürchen läuft. Die Displays werden schneller größer als die Gehäuse, so dass beim S8 nicht mal mehr Platz für den Samsung-Schriftzug auf der Vorderseite bleibt. Das ist gut so. Gleichzeitig wird das Display schlanker, das Seitenverhältnis wächst auf mehr als 2:1, für den Fingerabdrucksensor ist vorne kein Platz mehr, also wechselt er neben die Kamera auf die Rückseite. Das bisschen Stirn und Kinn braucht das S8 für Kamera, Lautsprecher und andere Sensoren.
Mit unfassbarem Aufwand optimiert Samsung sein Flaggschiff weiter. Der Zugewinn an Funktionionalität wird dabei immer kleiner, der bekannte abnehmende Grenznutzen. Die Konkurrenz ist dabei nicht mal das iPhone, sondern das S7 vom letzten Jahr, das es mittlerweile zum halben Preis gibt. Auch ein Super-Handy.
15,000 Steps Is the New 10,000
by Volker Weber
This research suggests that our current estimate of 10,000 steps per day may be too conservative, and that 15,000 steps is the mark we should be aiming for if we want to stave off life-threatening cardiac conditions.
When it comes to light exercise more is better. Everything helps. Doing 10,000 instead of 5,000 has a bigger effect that doing 15,000 instead of 10,000. On my 100 km a week routine I did 18,000 a day.
The most ridiculed man on the planet
by Volker Weber
The other day I read this editorial letter on VF.com and I had to ask the question above. Trump won by a landslide.
It can reasonably be said that our dear leader is now the most ridiculed man on the planet. In fact, he may well be the most ridiculed man in history.
Apple acquires Workflow
by Volker Weber
Workflow is a powerful automation app, that let's your string together a set of applications and actions within those apps to automate repetitive tasks. The screenshot above was resized, renamed and pushed to the site via sftp using a Workflow automation. It returns the html code I need to paste into this entry.
Apple has now acquired Workflow and will make the app available for free. I see it as a sign that Apple cares about power users on iOS.
Sharing you location
by Volker Weber
Soon Google Maps users worldwide will be able to answer those questions in just a few taps, without ever leaving the app. On both Android and iOS, you’ll be able to share your real-time location with anyone. And the people you share with will be able to see your location on Android, iPhone, mobile web, and even desktop.
You can share your location with specific people for a limited time. And this is the end of Glympse.
Schönster Stand auf der CeBIT: IBM
by Volker Weber
Bild: IBM
IBM hat immer einen großartigen Stand auf der CeBIT. Wunderbares Design, großflächige Panele, die den Weg weisen, mittendrin eine Hauptstraße, auf der man schnell von A nach B kam. Was mir dieses Jahr besonders auffiel, waren die vielen Kommunikationsmöglichkeiten. Demopunkte mit breiten Stehtischen, überall Sitzecken, kleine Tribünen, Café-Tische, jede Menge kleine Rückzugsmöglichkeiten ohne "viel Anlauf". Auf dem Bild da oben ist alles noch im Aufbau und wenn ich es selbst während der Messe fotografiert hätte, dann würde man den Stand vor lauter Menschen nicht sehen. Dieser Stand hat im besten Sinne funktioniert.
Plantronics Backbeat 500
by Volker Weber
Wir haben ein Plantronics Headset, von dem ich nur selten erzähle: das BackBeat Sense, das auf den Ohren sitzt und sie nicht umschließt. Die Scheffin liebt dieses Gerät, um auf dem iPad Filme zu schauen. Plantronics bringt jetzt das viel billigere Backbeat 500, vielleicht in Konkurrenz zu den erfolgreichen Urbanears Plattan ADV Wireless. Multipoint Bluetooth Class 4.1 für zwei Geräte gleichzeitig, alternativ ein Kabel, 18 Stunden mit einer Ladung, DeepSleep (bis zu 6 Monate im Standby). Ich habe es nicht gehört, will auch kein Testgerät anfordern, aber ich habe noch nie ein schlechtes Plantronics-Gerät gesehen. In diesem Sinne: mit auf die Auswahlliste nehmen.
AVM auf der CeBIT
by Volker Weber
Es gibt nicht mehr so viele Neuigkeiten, die mich zur CeBIT ziehen. Im Wesentlichen sind es die Menschen, die ich treffen will. Heise ist in Hannover und so treffe ich wenigstens einmal im Jahr meine Kollegen, die ich sehr gut leiden mag. Und dann gibt es überall gute Gespräche. Dabei sind es nicht nur die Menschen, die ich eh schon kenne, sondern auch mal neue. So konnte ich dieses Jahr endlich mal den interessanten Siegfried Lautenbacher kennenlernen oder Leute treffen, die ich schon lange über Social Media kenne, wie etwa Anna-Lena Müller.
Wenn ich sage, es gibt nicht so viele neue Produkte, dann gibt es auch eine Ausnahme von der Regel. AVM aus Berlin stellt jedes Jahr die neuen Produkte des Jahres vor und erklärt auch die Weiterentwicklungen. Mit der Fritz!Box 7580 habe ich schon eins der Spitzenmodelle im Einsatz, aber AVM legt noch weiter vor. Die 7590 hat wieder das klassische Pult-Design und nicht das von mir bevorzugte aufrechte Box-in-Box. Während die 7580 nur an reinen DSL-Anschlüssen oder an digitalen WAN-Ports arbeitet, kann die 7590 schlicht alles von Analog bis VDSL mit Super-Vectoring und 300 mbit/s. Die USB-Ports werden vier mal schneller und da der UVP unter dem der 7580 liegt, steht der Sieger sozusagen fest.
Was mir bei AVM besonders gefällt, sind die Softwareupdates. Das sorgt für mehr Sicherheit, aber es bringt auch immer wieder neue Funktionen zu Geräten, die ja schon längst verkauft wurden. Ich fühle mich sehr zu Herstellern hingezogen, die ihre Produkte weiterpflegen, wenn sie schon im Markt sind. Bei Fritz!Box ist es das Fritz!OS, das immer wieder neue Funktionen bringt. Meine 7580 kann etwa Band Steering, d.h. sie schiebt WLAN Clients ins 5 GHz-Band, wo es Sinn macht. Kurz vor der CeBIT erhielt ich eine Pressemitteilung, in der AVM von Mesh-Komfort sprach, ein Begriff, der mich stutzig machte. Macht AVM nun ein WLAN-Mesh, im dem sich Repeater kaskadieren? Auf der CeBIT konnten wir das ausgiebig diskturieren. Die kurze Antwortet lautet "nein". Die lange Antwort lautet, dass AVM daran arbeitet, die eigenen Geräte stärker zu vernetzen. So stellt man alles an der Fritz!Box ein und die Repeater und anderen Geräte werden mit dem gleichen Profil befeuert. Zentrale Updates, eine Gesamtsicht über alle Geräte mit einer verbesserten Autokanal-Auswahl, das alles lässt die AVM-Geräte wie eins erscheinen. Diese Gesamtsicht auf das Netzwerk bieten auch Mesh-WLANs. Mit welcher Technologie man die Geräte verbindet, sei es Powerline, Ethernet, WLAN, kann dem Anwender schließlich egal sein. Warum spricht AVM nun von Mesh-Komfort? Weil viele Mesh-WLAN-Anbieter so tun, als ob sie was ganz neues entdeckt haben, was AVM schon lange bietet.
Wo ich gar nicht mit AVM zufrieden bin, ist die fehlende Offenheit bei der Heimautomation. AVM weiß das, weil ich das seit Jahren anspreche, aber AVM signalisiert mir auch, dass ich der Einzige bin, der danach immer fragt. Ich möchte zum Beispiel eine Integration in IFTTT, damit ich eine Lampe schalten kann, wenn die Arlo-Kamera Bewegung sieht. Ich kann das schon, weil ich WeMo-Schaltdosen habe, aber ich würde das gerne mit AVM-Dosen machen können. Vielleicht hilft es, wenn auch andere Leute mal diese Fragen bei AVM stellen. Ich bin davon überzeugt, dass Heim-Automatisierung nur funktionieren wird, wenn die vielen Insellösungen miteinander kooperieren. Standards wären perfekt, aber das zeichnet sich nicht ab, wenn Apple Homekit machen will und AVM sagt, die Fritz!Box kann das alles.
Als ich den AVM-Stand verließ, fragte mich jemand, wann Sonos denn nun endlich Alexa unterstützt. Ich habe die Frage umgedreht: Wann unterstützt Fritz Alexa? [Nucki fällt raus]
A few thoughts on the new Apple products announced today
by Volker Weber
I like these announcements that just fall out of the sky without much fanfare. In no particular order:
- iPhone 7 gets a new color. Apple donates some money they make from (PRODUCT)RED products to AIDS research. So that's a good one. It looks cool, but my matte black iPhone 7 Plus looks cool enough that it does not need replacing.
- iPad replaces iPad Air 2. Faster chip (A9), more base memory (32 GB), brighter display, lower price. What's not to like about those changes? Turns out most of the rumors about new iPads were wrong.
- Swift Playgrounds now also available in German (and other languages). That's also good because it teaches young kids the basics of programming.
- New Spring Collection of Apple Watch bands. Bring them on if you like to dress up in new colors.
- Apple Clips. Not available yet. Meh. Will look at it when it's there. This is a feature right out of Snapchat and Co.
iPad is the biggest news and it says: the iPad is done. Apple is just refining the components, but there isn't much they can do these days to make yet another super duper earth shattering innovation here. They are making it better, they are bringing the price down, and that puts tremendous pressure on all other tablet makers. This is a high quality product for a resonable price. As is Apple Watch btw.
My wish list for Apple products is short. I'd like them to make an iOS notebook. Let's call it iBook.
Week 11/2017 #dontbreakthechain
by Volker Weber
Excellent Wednesday after last weeks slump. On Thursday I was a bit too careless and the shoulder was blocked again. Diclofenac-Colestyramin is my friend. Will be more careful next week. CeBIT is coming up Monday and Tuesday and these are always days where I hardly make my 10k. I used to think that CeBIT meant a lot of walking, but it's just a lot of drinks and cookies. Not a healthy week ahead.
I am losing a few people from week to week. If you broke the chain, don't sweat it. Just start a new one. Monday starts a new game.
Netgear improves the Arlo Pro covers
by Volker Weber
Photo Netgear
If you want to hide your Arlo camera in a tree, the white body gives it away too easily. This is why there are quite a few covers are available for the Arlo. Now with Arlo Pro Netgear improves the design. You stick the camera in from the back and there is a shade that protects the lens from rain or condensation. Very well done.
OneNote graphs your equations
by Volker Weber
Last summer we introduced Ink math assistant in OneNote—a digital tutor that gives you step-by-step instructions on how to solve your handwritten math problems. Today, we are excited to announce that Ink math assistant can draw graphs of your equations, all within OneNote for Windows 10.
Not a use case for me. But I would have loved to have that as a student, right within a note taking app.
IBM extends Notes and Domino life well into the next century
by Volker Weber
I won't be around long enough to verify this claim. So I will just leave it as is.
Here is what I know. Last year IBM has extended support for 9.0.1 into 2021. Without that move it would have automatically terminated 5 years after the release, or in 2018. Five years is the maximimum period IBM can commit to. 2016 + 5 = 2021. This time frame gives IBM ample time to figure out what to do with version numbers. 9.0.1 Feature Pack 8 sounds kind of silly. Maybe just 9 and something like 1703 (yymm)? One of the things I did not expect will also happen: Java gets updated to 8, toether with a much needed Eclipse update. Does anybody still call that Expeditor?
Arlo Pro takes it up a notch. A big one.
by Volker Weber
Arlo is one of those products I continue to recommended. It's a product I don't just review and put aside, I use it every single day. Just today I installed a three camera setup at a friend's house and her 90 y/o father decided to order another set on the spot. That's right, 90. But he doesn't look it and he is still very agile, both physically as well as mentally. I digress.
When I returned home, UPS showed up and brought a new Arlo Pro. That's the one on the right. It also came with a new base station.
If you already have an Arlo system, you can just buy a camera and add it to your old base station. Arlo and Arlo Pro mix on either the new or the old base station.
While both the old and the new base station have the same ports, the new one adds two features: it has an extremely loud (110 dB) and annoying siren and it lets you record video to local storage. If you plug storage into the old station's USB port, it gets completely ignored, while the new one offers the new storage option, in addition to the cloud storage. Why do Arlo cameras need a base station? They run on battery power and need to be isolated from the regular Wifi traffic.
Battery power hasn't been a problem with the Arlo cameras so far. I need a new set of 4x CR123 about once every six month. CR123 are an odd size and you can't get them in a super market. When you buy ten at a time from Amazon, you pay roughly seven Euros for the set of four. The new Arlo Pro has a rechargeable battery. When it is running low, you will have to fetch the camera, connect it via MicroUSB to the included charger and then replace it to the original location. You can also buy additional packs and an external charger. I will see what causes more trouble over time.
One observation: the hole in front of the MicroUSB port is tiny. You will need to use the cable that Netgear supplies. If you don't need the camera to be waterproof, you can also keep it plugged in and don't need to worry about the battery.
Arlo Pro has a new motion sensor that works over longer distance and the camera starts up four times faster so it's more difficult to slip by before the camera starts recording. The lens also went from 110 to 130 degrees viewing angle. It now has a microphone and speaker so you can talk to the delivery man at the front door via your Arlo app.
All important question: do you need to replace your existing Arlo cameras with the Plus cameras? That is a definite no. I still recommend the original system, and it's also considerably cheaper. Only if you want to make use of the advanced features or if you are burning through too many batteries, upgrading to Pro would make sense.
I am going to use the new camera more aggressively than the old one to see how the battery holds up. This isn't going back. I will keep you posted.
Tivoli Audio Model One Digital :: First Impressions
by Volker Weber
Everybody knows the Model One from Tivoli Audio, designed by the late Henry Kloss. Although many consider it a modern classic, Model One itself incorporates visual elements similar to Kloss' legendary KLH Model Eight table radio. Tivoli Audio was founded by Tom DeVesto. He moved on to create Como Audio and launched a Kickstarter campaign.
Tivoli Audio has evolved from building the simple Model One to make lots of different products. The Model One Digital is a play on the original Kloss design, unfortunately without the good parts. There isn't a mechanical switch to turn it on/off but this small button that you can press, long press or turn. The ring around the display also turns so you can tune into an FM station, but both are completely without feedback. Everything just happens on the screen. It looks like a round display but it isn't. It's a rectangular display inside a round bezel. The box is well built, the speaker sounds reasonably well, the cloth is a fine quality, and yet, the mechanics feel cheap.
The new device has the same proportions as the Model One, but it is slightly larger.
The back is completely different. There is an aux in, but no rec out (fixed) or headphone out (variable). While the Model One has an interal power supply and can be also be run on 12V/0.8A, the Digital version needs its own external power supply which feeds it 15V/1.5A. There is also a MicroUSB service port and two buttons for Setup and Party Mode. Party Mode gives you an indication that this device can join a group of devices to play the same music. Since I have but one of them, that is not something I will be looking into.
Model One Digital can play from many sources:
- Via Antenna it is an FM or a DAB+ radio
- Via Bluetooth it is just a speaker
- Via Wifi it can stream from TuneIn, Spotify, Tidal, Deezer and QQ Music, or music stored on your Android or iOS device. It also has Spotify Connect.
This versatility is the good news. The bad news is that this device isn't easy. Model One was easy, Model One Digital is complicated. There is an app to control it, but that needs a lot of evolution. I cannot get everything to work, even after putting in two hours. I fail at very simple things. The clock for instance. Do you remember the old video recorders that used to blink with 00:00? I feel this level of stupid.
What I can get to work is FM radio, when I hook it up to my roof antenna via the threaded terminal. No DAB/DAB+ though. With my Model One I was able to just connect a 75 Ohm "external antenna". Spotify Direct works over Wifi, so does internet Radio with TuneIn. But when I switch the device off and back on, I am back in FM radio. I can press the On button repeatedly to cycle through the other options, but none if them starts playing anything without my smartphone or some other external source: FM, DAB (empty), Aux, Bluetooth, Wifi. When I launch the app, it tells me I have no radio. I have set it up a few times but learned to just wait instead. It will eventually find it. More bad news: it hisses and the display is unreadable in daylight.
But here is the killer. The Sonos Play:1 simply destroys the Model One Digital in every single aspect but FM radio. It's way easier to setup and operate. I think it is prettier, it sounds way better. Make that wayyyyyyy. And that is before Trueplay Tuning. Last but not least, it's also less expensive.
This is going back. No editor refuses-to-give-it-back award. But I am keeping my Model One.
LessThanFive Chair
by Volker Weber
Carbon fiber is a very expensive material to make a chair which weighs less than five pounds. That is about half the weight of an IKEA Janinge.
Atomic Blonde
by Volker Weber
Killer soundtrack. How about Blue Monday?
Tablets and smartwatches: if it's not Apple, it has fallen off the map
by Volker Weber
I completely agree with Marques on this one. Tablets did not become the category that we envisioned and neither have smartwatches. It's either an iPad or an Apple Watch, or it has fallen off the map. That does not mean there aren't any good ones. But they don't matter. Watch the video from 5:12.
Connections 6 announced - available on March 28
by Volker Weber
IBM Connections 6.0 has been redesigned to surface the most useful content from the user’s network. This new feature – called Orient Me – leverages a new containerized, API-driven architecture
I thought Connections already did "surface the most useful content from the user’s network". Although it's a bit obfuscated, I believe Orient Me is the first piece of Connections that runs on Docker instead of Websphere. Every long journey starts with the first step and this is it.
From my inbox
by Volker Weber
About six months ago we started using Workplace by Facebook and I can tell you that user feedback is great, never seen such a high level of adoption with any other collaboration platform (yes, from QuickPlace to Commections and Yammer)
Workplace by Facebook puts an end to all those discussions about what you need to do to make your employees share ideas and communicate more directly. Give them a tool they use every single day and put it in a work context. They don't need to be told how to use it because they already know. There are still lots of ways to shoot yourself in the foot repeatedly by putting in restrictions left and right.
Facebook is on to something. There are quite a few people across the industry who would like to be on that team.
Their pricing structure is excellent. $3 a month for the first 1000 active users, $2 for the next 9000. $1 for each additional. The keyword is active: you don't pay for every person in your directory, but only for those who use it.
Week 10/2017 #dontbreakthechain
by Volker Weber
This was a difficult week. On Wednesday I was suddenly, within about 30 minutes, sick as a dog. I was just lucky that I had finished my 600 cals before my visitor for the day arrived. After only two hours I had to send him away since I started to tremble and could not control myself. Went to bed, slept through the afternoon, the night and the next morning. With all batteries recharged I was back to normal. Thursday was 741 cals, Friday 709, Saturday 996, so I am back on track.
Let's celebrate our success. Stefan finished his first 100 days. That's a big deal!
#dontbreakthechain 💯
— Stefan Domanske (@domanske) March 11, 2017
/cc @vowe pic.twitter.com/kNC8UncZLf
And for the rest of you:
Death by Powerpoint
by Volker Weber
Yesterday I travelled to Munich for a short presentation. It was an 11 hour round trip for an 18 minute presentation. So this is not about killing an audience with PowerPoint but about how information dies in PowerPoint.
I was asked to hold a one hour talk with 30 minutes for questions and answers and I was very firm in that I would not be talking for an hour. My client scheduled for an hour and in the end we needed that hour, but my talk did not take up half of that time. If you ever have been to one of my presentations then you know I don't need an hour to get my point across. And I simply cannot sit through other people's one hour (or 50 minutes) presentations.
Long presentations are a sign of laziness. You fill up a file with lots of slides and you fill up all those slides with lots of bullet points and thus you covered your ass. I remember that around 2000 I was giving an update to a group of IT people and one of them took notes in effing PowerPoint. I had written a full report but this person wanted to present the results as he grasped them in this very moment to his superiors. No time lost. Meeting over, PowerPoint file done. It's incredible how much fine point we lose by relying on condensed information in bullet lists on slides.
I wasn't going to do this. This slide above is my illustration of a Firewall. An illustration that can explain all aspects to business people who do not know what a border router is, nor do they want to. But they will understand, what a firewall does, and they will understand it does not protect them from CEO fraud, phishing or 0days. It takes me about one minute to explain that.
I was hired to explain to a group of business owners how they can improve their IT security. And I have a feeling I did a pretty good job. This information is not on the slides. It's now firmly implanted in their heads.
Corollary: hire me. I explain difficult concepts in simple ways.
Was bei Twitter fehlt: nur mal ein paar Stunden ausblenden
by Volker Weber
Es gibt liebe Leute, denen man gerne folgt, weil sie immer wieder mal kleine Einblicke in ihr Leben geben oder etwas interessantes aufgegabelt haben. Und dann fahren diese Leute auf eine Konferenz und twittern dann im Minutentakt Beratersprech, den sie gerade gehört haben. Twitter bietet drei Möglichkeiten, sich dem zu entziehen:
- Unfollow
- Block
- Mute
Unfollow heißt, die Tweets des anderen rauschen einfach vorbei, ohne in der Timeline aufzutauchen. Block heißt, der andere verschwindet aus der Welt. Er kann Dich nicht mehr sehen, Du siehst ihn nicht mehr. Das Übelste aber ist Mute. Der andere verschwindet ebenfalls von der Welt, aber er weiß es nicht. Er mag denken, Du folgst ihm, aber nichts von ihm erreicht Dich. Mit @-Mentions kann man Unfollow durchbrechen, man muss nicht folgen, um die zu sehen. Aber bei Mute kommen nicht mal die durch. Ich habe ein paar mal den Fehler gemacht, jemanden zu muten und ihn dann zu vergessen. Seitdem benutze ich das nicht mehr zu diesem Zweck.
Was mir fehlt, ist ganz simpel: eine Pausetaste, die sich am nächsten Tag automatisch löst und wieder auf Play geht.
Zwischenlösung
by Volker Weber
Während die Telekom versucht, ihren verlorengegangen Outdoor-DSLAM wieder zu verbinden, habe ich dank meines Nachbarn mit VF eine Zwischenlösung: Fritz!Box als WLAN-Client an seiner Fritz!Box. Geheimagent 00B (Null Null Baschek) ist schon dran.
Not been there, done that, got the T-shirt
by Volker Weber
What would we be without Q?
Moving from Keynote to Powerpoint
by Volker Weber
I am a longtime Keynote user and I am generally very happy with the software. However, there were two problems: I needed to use an Apple device when presenting, and I did not see much affection from Apple for the software. When I moderated the European Cyber Security Challenge I also learned how well you can organize an event if everybody is on the same software. We had two important people in the crew. One was running audio through a mixer remote on his iPad and the other was running all presentations from his PC. There were no breaks in the delivery. He simply froze the projection, loaded the next Powerpoint file, unfroze the projections for the next speaker. It just felt very professional, and that with little effort.
I made the decision to switch to Powerpoint at some point in the future. And then came Surface and with that the opportunity to do live inking during the delivery. That was my style of presentation before there were PCs. I'd just write on the overhead projector. This is back now with Surface. I just put a white page into the slide deck and then write on that when I get there. You can also use that in the Q&A part. Draw a mind map with all the questions and then check them off. Brilliant.
What really helps me in this switch is the fact that my presentations are just photos and very few words on plain white or black slides. I use very few transitions or animations. My signature "Magic Move" from Keynote is called "Morph" in Powerpoint.
That was far easier than expected. And it works on all of my devices, across Windows 10, macOS and iOS.
Android March Security Update :: DTEK50 goes first
by Volker Weber
I have been checking in all three BlackBerrys since yesterday. And to my surprise, DTEK50 was the first to get the update. That is indeed a first. I will complete this list as the updates arrive on my devices:
- DTEK50: Build AAJ842, installed March 6th
- DTEK60: Build AAJ934, installed March 10th
- PRIV: Build AJ919, installed March 21st
Please report your updates here.
SOL becomes Playbase
by Volker Weber
When I visited Sonos in 2015, there was a challenge. Sonos wanted to show me everything, including the labs, but they could not possibly shut down the labs just for one visitor. So I made a simple promise: whatever I see in the labs stays in the labs. I wasn't going to talk about it, until the product was released. And if it wasn't released, I would keep my secrets indefinitely. Sonos develops many prototypes that never see the light of day.
Sonos also develops their own custom drivers, components and of course the body of the speaker itself. For the second generation Play:5 they developed new ways to manufacture some of the components. The grille for instance has tens of thousand of holes that are drilled.
After I agreed to keeping everything secret, my tour guides began teasing me with parts, designs, products. And the first thing that showed up everywhere was SOL. It had a weird form, and they asked me what this could possibly be.
Well, Sonos makes connected speakers, and this looked like a very big and thin slab. Put it on the wall? Nah. Make big stacks of it? Too expensive. Put something on top? Yes. That was it. This was going to be a speaker that you can put underneath something. And that thing turned out to be the TV.
Playbar poses a challenge to my setup. It sits in front of the TV because I don't wall mount it. I like to have it on a shelf. And then Playbar obstructs some of the screen so that I had to raise the TV with a board. This is what Playbase changes. You just place the TV on top.
But there is something else. Playbase is very flat, but it's also much bigger than a Playbar and it has enough space for a substantial woofer. And that means it can provide deeper sound than Playbar. And with that, it becomes your sole living room speaker. Same wide soundstage in stereo, 3.0 TV sound with left, center and right.
I haven't heard Playbase yet, but I know lots of people that have. Play:5 has six drivers. Playbase has ten. This thing will rock. With or without a SUB and back channels.
Playbase will be available in black or white from April 4th for the same price as Playbar. The choice is simple: Playbar on the wall, Playbase on the shelf. If you don't want to get SUB, start thinking about Playbase. There is no other big difference. No microphones, same ports. Sonos is going into voice via Alexa devices and that is a software update for all speakers. I still have no idea what they will do with the microphones in Play:5.
Deutsche Börse moves to Office 365 Cloud
by Volker Weber
Exciting news for global financial services providers in highly regulated countries looking to modernize their business operations with a move to the cloud: Deutsche Börse Group (DBG) is taking a thought leadership approach to digital transformation by moving to Office 365 to digitally transform the way they work. Based in Frankfurt, DBG is a leading stock exchange in Germany and one of the largest exchange organizations worldwide, with offices in more than 20 locations.
That is going to end a few discussions at other financial services providers which believe they need to run on premises. Good customer reference for Microsoft.
DNUG: Domino Anwendungsmodernisierung
by Volker Weber
Christian Holsing erklärt, wie IBM sich die Modernisierung von Notes-Anwendungen vorstellt:
Die IBM hat – wie versprochen – auf der Connect 2017 zahlreiche Ankündigungen zum Thema Anwendungsentwicklung auf Basis IBM Domino gemacht. Damit wurde eines klar: IBM investiert signifikant und arbeitet daran, Domino weiterhin für moderne Anwendungsentwicklung fit zu halten. Ausgesprochen viele Kunden nutzen heute Domino-basierte Anwendungen für wichtige und absolut kritische Abläufe im Unternehmen und stellen sich die Frage, wie sie die Investition in diese Anwendungen für die Zukunft schützen und ausbauen können. IBM zeigt einen Weg auf, wie diese mit moderatem Aufwand modernisiert werden können.
Ja, ich sage immer noch Notes. ;-)
IBM Connect 2017 :: Das Eigenbild
by Volker Weber
Das hat Tradition. Zum Vergleich: 2015, 2014 und 2013 Nur 2016 konnte ich auf Anhieb nicht finden.
Time for a new T-shirt design
by Volker Weber
"I read your email" is so last century. What you think is what you say. What you say is what you write. What you write is what I will read. Start thinking positive.
Week 9/2017 #dontbreakthechain
by Volker Weber
You know the drill.
Euler's formula with introductory group theory
by Volker Weber
When I went to highschool. a young math teacher taught us something the parents were absolutely furious about: group theory. They could not see how this would ever help us as adults. As it turned out later, it was probably the most important thing I learned in math, and it helped me sail through engineering without much effort. It's not a method but a vantage point to observe things from.
I would have a hard time learning this at my current age, so if this video twists your mind, that is perfectly normal.
Eine Blume, ein Strauß, eine Wiese
by Volker Weber
Who is investing?
by Volker Weber
I asked on Twitter how you would describe your use of IBM Notes/Domino. There is one surprising result: 16% or roughly 40 votes for "Investing". Can you tell me who you are and how you are investing?
Solsbury Hill :: A montage
by Volker Weber
This montage of live performances of Solsbury Hill includes footage from Rockpalast (1978), Live in Athens (1987), Secret World Live (1993), Growing Up Live (2003), New Blood Live (2011) and Back To Front (2013).
[Thanks, Stephan & Stephen]
IBM Champions :: And then there were three
by Volker Weber
All photos Hogne Bø Pettersen
Julian Robichaux is the third IBM Champion to receive a lifetime achievement award. Last year IBM gave this award to Theo and Gab, so now there are three. And they are the nicest people you can imagine.
There are of course a lot more IBM Champions than these three, but all the others need to be nominated and vetted year after year. They come from all walks of life and from all over the world. Which leads me to two other important people in this program: Penumbra Prism Award winner Amanda Bauman (center) and The Libby (right):
Amanda and Libby manage the community. A community that spreads around the world. Why would they be threatened by an IBM program, that forces employees to work out of a hub office, when they have absolutely no business there? Amanda is in Austin, one of the IBM hubs, but not necessarily her designated one. The Libby is in Houston, which looks close enough on a map, but really isn't.
Suggestion for IBM Champions: stay in close contact and raise hell when necessary. IBM needs you more than you need IBM.
Jaybird X3 :: Now my favorite ear canal headset
by Volker Weber
I always take a few days after a "First impressions" post to follow up on a product. And the X3 has proven themselves worthy. They provides a complete seal without being uncomfortable. I also tried the Freedom once more, but I cannot achieve the seal even with the exact same ear gels. This is one of the rare exceptions where a less expensive product wins. :-)
I ran the battery all the way down while working today. Recharged it and then used the X3 some more. Very comfortable after I made sure they fit perfectly in my first session. I tried them without the fins, but they won't stay in as perfectly as with them.
Slack Team Space lives on
by Volker Weber
At the end of IBM Connect 2017 I did a quick poll amongst the users of the Slack Team Space asing if people would be OK if I did not close it and just keep on going and the vast majority agreed that would be a good idea. There are now more than 300 people registered and quite a few of them are having a good discussion with IBM about Domino App Development. That is the most active channel.
If you want to join, you are still invited.
It's kind of over, isn't it?
by Volker Weber
As the press was flocking to Barcelona for MWC, the biggest news was Nokia with their 3310. And this isn't even Nokia, which does not have their six giant factories anymore. And it also isn't really a 3310. It only looks familiar and it's pretty much a dumbphone.
What does that say about the smartphone? LG announces the very decent G6 with dual camera instead of a stupid modular set, Huawei tries again to get some respect with their Leica badge, Sony is back with a 4k display, BlackBerry Mobile has the KEYone, which only people who forgot the Bold and the Classic see as a BlackBerry and not a chicklet-keyboard Android.
Where is the beef? Is there anything that you really need or want, making you dump your 2014 iPhone 6 Plus? One of our lead editors on mobile is pretty happy with his Samsung Galaxy Note 4 (SM-N910F), which is getting monthly security updates. I think we have reached a stage where we are moving sideways. It is becoming very hard to improve on the status quo. That does not mean we are going back to dumbphones, but the excitement is gone.
Did you notice that "Nokia" announced three inexpensive smartphones with pure Android? No skin, no crapware, just Google Android, promising monthly updates. I hope that this is where we are going, not the Leica-Zeiss-Hasselblads. Wanna buy a Rolex?
