April 2017
100 weeks #dontbreakthechain
by Volker Weber
Another week, another month of not breaking the chain. It has now been 100 weeks since I started tracking with Apple Watch. Funny thing is that Apple credits me with 147 weeks of reaching all goals.
The Apple Watch hasn't even been on the market for that long. But there is some truth to it. You know that I started on the UP24 and tried a few other products from Withings, Fitbit and Misfit before settling on Apple Watch. Since all of them synced into Apple Health those 147 weeks are very realistic.
I never really put my transformation down in numbers, but I lost almost a kg of weight per month over those three years. For the first time since the 80s I am measuring my weight in the 80s. I am no longer considered overweight for my age band, much less obese, which I started with.
If you are overweight, get yourself a nice tracking scale. I recommend Withings. And then step on that scale every morning. You don't have to look at the result but you need to see the long term trend. Weight goes up and down by multiple kg, which shouldn't worry you too much. Don't set yourself a goal, just keep it trending in the right direction.
And don't break the chain.
Samsung Galaxy S8 :: A few additional observations
by Volker Weber
Before I return the S8 to Samsung a few additional observations, in no particular order:
- Battery life is much better than I expected. Even on the 3000 mAh battery of the smaller model. I never ran out of power and quick charge is really quick.
- When I first tried a curved screen on the S6 edge, I loved the screen and I hated how often I would misplace the cursor while typing. The S8 is completely different. Palm rejection is almost perfect.
- When reading or watching videos, I often wished there was more bezel to hold on to. I still find the iPhone much more usable.
- Having three different biometrics looks like an advantage. But I'd rather have only one, but one that works well. Face detection isn't secure, iris recognition does not work well enough and looks awkward, finger print reader on the back is worse than on home button in the front.
- Being able to put the back button on the left side was a major benefit to me.
- I love the always-on screen. It's perfectly designed.
- S8 is as smooth as a glass pebble. And just as slippery. I haven't dropped any other device as often as the S8. Buy a skin!
- The Bixby button is located under your index finger when you turn the phone on with your thumb. Every time I press this button accidentally, I hate Samsung a little but more.
I will wipe the device on Monday and return it to Samsung the day after.
New Slack Team space :: IBM Think
by Volker Weber
The Connect 2017 space went really well. That made me register a new Slack Team space for IBM Think, before that name was taken. I am growing membership very slowly. Currently there are three dozen people in the space. I am also not opening up registration by domain. That was one of the things that did not work so well in the old space.
Sales Wick :: Vuelo Nocturno
by Volker Weber
[Thanks, Stephan]
IBM Think 2018
by Volker Weber
IBM is consolidating its conferences into one big event. Think 2018 will be in Las Vegas from March 19-22. It will replace Connect, InterConnect, Amplify, Edge, Vision, World of Watson and PartnerWorld.
Q: Is World of Watson 2017 being canceled?
A: No, we are moving World of Watson to March 2018 and bringing it together with other IBM events to form one flagship event called IBM Think 2018.
After b/s detection: Yes. World of Watson is dead. Long live Think.
New update options for Windows 10, version 1703
by Volker Weber
Based on feedback from customers, we are making some adjustments to the updates that we are releasing for Windows 10, version 1703 (also known as the 'Creators Update'). With these changes, we will routinely offer one (or sometimes more than one) additional update each month. These additional cumulative updates will contain only new non-security updates, so they will be considered 'Updates'in WSUS and Configuration Manager.
That is a very welcome change for Enterprise IT. Microsoft separates security updates (must install) from feature enhancements (test, then install).
Is Slack a product or a feature?
by Volker Weber
This is a very good article on the difficulties you face when you try to replace email with something else. We have been struggling with this for years.
Slack wants us to believe it is the future of collaboration. But is it truly a platform for that purpose or a readily replicable feature set?
I have a pretty simple formula for the success of any tool: people will use it if they get more out of it than they put in. And from this article I learned (again), how Facebook & Co tip that balance towards their favor. They feed on your addiction to likes and comments.
The real question I have for you is: does your team use Slack? Does it reduce your workload or increase your success? Can you walk away from it to do something else?
Samsung Galaxy S8 :: The verdict
by Volker Weber
I have used the Galaxy S8 for a week, and by the end of the month, it will be back at Samsung. By and large it behaved exactly like I expected. But I have softened by judgement somewhat.
The S8 is an almost perfect smartphone. There are only two compromises: Samsung had to move the fingerprint sensor to the back, next to the camera. It would have been better placed underneath the camera, but that is where the battery and the wireless charging sit. Yes, you will touch the camera, but that is not a big deal, if you clean it once in a while. The app reminds you to do that. The other compromise is the mono speaker. You can watch beautiful videos in wide screen, but the sound comes out of one end. This device really needs stereo speakers.
With these exceptions, the S8 is best in class. Period.
When you build an Android phone and you want access to Google Play Store and Google Play Services, then Google dictates what you need to deliver with your phone. When you are Samsung and you have ambitions beyond being yet another Android OEM, then you need to also deliver your own software. The user ends up with two of everything. But Samsung is getting better at this. Samsung Experience, formerly known as TouchWiz, is now very elegantly designed, it does not bog down the hardware, and it is actually a joy to use.
Here is my recommendation: if you buy a Galaxy S8, then go with the Samsung Experience. Don't just replace the launcher with the Google Launcher and ignore what Samsung has built. You are fighting with your phone and that will be a frustrating experience. Sign up to a Samsung ID, get Bixby going, help it learn your ways.
And here is my problem: I cannot do that. I do not trust Samsung. Samsung destroyed my trust with their TV. It's not my TV, although I paid for it. Samsung pushes their software and their apps into my TV experience. And I can already smell the same behaviour with Bixby. I never have this feeling with Apple. Microsoft is sort of borderline. But Samsung is not with me. If you don't have my problem, then by all means, buy this machine. You will love it.
The bigger question is of course: do you trust Google?
Marshall Monitor BT
by Volker Weber
The Apple Airpods are my most used headset. They fit my ears, they work well, they sound reasonably nice, they are easy to carry and charge. When you wear them, you look like a complete idiot. And there are things that they cannot play well. When I need to be alone with myself, when I want to blast my ears, I need something more substantial. Enter the Marshall Monitor BT, an over-the-ear-headset with Bluetooth connection to my iPhone and a cable for everything else.
They fit my head and my ears, they play for 30 hours between charges, they isolate me from the noise around me, and they are really really loud. And this little brass knob is why I love them so much. Instead of asking Siri to please raise the volume I just push the knob upwards. And then push it again. Downwards is lower volume, but who wants that? Right is next track, left is last track. Push it for three seconds and the headsets turns on and off, push longer for Bluetooth pairing, a short push will pause/play or make/break phone calls. It is one single control and it is effing brilliant.
I can store the folded headset in the included bag for travel, together with the audio and the charge cable. And I can share what I am listening to with a second headset that plugs right into mine.
This is not my first Marshall headset. I already used the Major II, which I returned with some hesitance. Those were only on-ear, which somebody called the little sister of an over-ear headset. This one is different.
I have headsets with multipoint Bluetooth connectivity, I have headsets with active noise cancellation, I have headsets that may even sound a bit better. But there is more than technology, there is also emotion. And I swear, my air guitar sounds way better when wearing the Marshall Monitor.
BlackBerry stumbles over April security fix
by Volker Weber
DTEK50 came again first with the April 5 fix and then there was radio silence. Now we learned that BlackBerry had difficulties integrating all the individual patches. But they are handling it differently from the DTEK50 delay in December/January. This time they released the (partial) April 1 fix to PRIV (and DTEK60?). It only weights in at about 20 MB taking the build to AAK689. I wonder how fast they can recover for the May patch which is due in two weeks.
IBM's revenue down for 20 consecutive quarters
by Volker Weber
In October 2011 Ginni Rometty assumed the role of president and CEO of IBM. A year later she took on the added role of chairman of IBM. She is also part of a White House business-advisory council under the Trump Administration.
Five years seems to be quite a long time to right this ship. Whatever she is doing, it isn't working.
Samsung Galaxy S8 :: First impressions
by Volker Weber
When you unpack the S8, you will see the best Android phone on the market. Design, performance, display, cameras, everything is top-notch and you will not find any other device from any vendor that can hold a candle to this phone, and that includes Apple. It's beautiful, the display wraps around the sides and almost covers the complete front.
And then Samsung ruins it all with their software. Android Nougat 7.0 is already outdated, TouchWiz is now called Samsung Experience, and when you get to Bixby, the new landmark feature, it all crumbles. Samsung really wants you to use Bixby. It gets an extra button, and no, you cannot do anything else with that button. Samsung quickly patched an accessability loophole that enabled mapping this button. Samsung wants you to use Bixby. Samsung commands you to use Bixby. And for using Bixby, you first have to create a Samsung ID. That's where you get a second Big Brother.
If you speak Chinese or Korean, Bixby may understand you. If you don't, sorry. American English will follow later, German much later. Bixby also shows up in the camera and the idea is that it should be able to identify objects it sees and then show you more products like it. Maybe you want to buy one, through Samsung? As of now, the only thing it recognized was the Coca-Cola logo. Bixby also wants to replace Google Now. It sits where Google Now should be, left of your home screen. But since Bixby doesn't know anything about me, everything it presented there was junk. And no, you cannot avoid Bixby. It's like Office Clippy.
It's a tragedy. Samsung fails again by aiming too high. They put too large a battery into the Galaxy Note 7, and now they put the wrong software into the Galaxy S8. With stock Android 7.1 this would be the best phone in the world. But Samsung has other plans:
The customer is collateral damage in this war.
How do you install a new version of Microsoft Office?
by Volker Weber
Looks like an easy question, right? You download the installer. You run the installer. Done.
Well, yes, if you are a user with one or two PCs. No, if you work in enterprise IT. Life in enterprise IT is very different. You don't run an installer. You beg for permission to run it.
At the core of the problem is complexity. You serve a business that has users and managers for those users. Some of those managers are tasked with liaison with your enterprise IT organisation. On the IT side of things you have managers to talk to those managers. And then there are service providers who sell their IT services, through your enterprise IT, to the business that eventually uses the new version of Microsoft Office. And then you have more service providers like a help desk that is run with a call center somewhere else. And trust me, I am over-simplifying here. You end up with a management structure that might be six levels deep (or more) and plenty of people who can throw a wrench into your project to install a new version of Office.
Yes, you read that right. Project. You first start to lobby for a project, then you ask for a budget, which will only be assigned to you, if you low-ball your estimate, then cut in half to save money. As more and more managers get on your calls, you get delayed again and again, so that you are missing both your "on time" and "within budget" targets. Feature creep sets in, so you can't even make your "in scope" target. Eventually, after much hand-wringing and hundreds of hours spent in meetings, you install to a pilot group of users. Help desk calls go up, managers get their knickers in a twist because their scorecard numbers are dropping. Managers three levels up start to be scared of potential outages. So they stall again. Now you have two versions of Office installed. A small portion in your pilot group, a large portion yet to get the new version. With every new security scare you don't have to patch one version, but two. Complexity goes up, risk goes up, managers need more reporting. Projects that require your new version of Office start to get nervous because you don't deliver. The pressure mounts and finally you get permission to run the installer everywhere. I am over-simplifying again. There is no installer. There are layers of management software that deploy new packages.
Management then congratulates itself for deliberating the install until they made sure no mistakes would be made. Any problems that may still have shown up in call center logs are attributed to poor execution by the people who actually do the work.
PS: In case you ever wondered why your tools at work are so dated, come back and read this. Office is only a simple example. Imagine operating systems. This is not about any specific company. Enterprise IT works the same, almost everywhere. Exceptions exist.
Instabloat
by Volker Weber
Facebook has the reverse Midas touch. Everything it touches turns to crap, while making tons of money on the back of their users. In their quest to destroy all competition they piled Snapchat features on Instagram as stories. Now they are adding Pintrest boards as collections, agressively promoting them. Add their quest to grow your network by pushing suggestions. Facebook already pushed me out when they started forcing their timeline instead of mine. Now they are doing it again with ruining Instagram.
Time to delete the app.
BlackBerry or BlackBerryMobile
by Volker Weber
@vowe Software and security updates will continue to be handled by @BlackBerry for more details check out https://t.co/eAOaOX8nQ1
— BlackBerry Mobile (@BBMobile) April 17, 2017
Since there is absolute radio silence from BlackBerry about potential upgrades to Android Nougat for DTEK50, DTEK60 or PRIV, I asked both @BlackBerry and @BBMobile who is responsible for communications about upgrades and updates. The answer is quite telling. @BBMobile, a TCL entity, says that @BlackBerry is responsible. And @BlackBerry says nothing.
@BBMobile wants to sell smartphones, @BlackBerry wants to sell "security", or enterprise software, and does not wish to talk about smartphones anymore. They just handed their forums over to crackberry.com.
I guess we will have to live with radio silence. Nobody is talking. And in absense of information we can only resort to speculation. The original plan was to upgrade the old Android devices after Mercury shipped. Then BlackBerry stroke the deal with TCL. Mercury was announced as KEYone, but it's still not shipping. I am not holding my breath for Nougat upgrades.
Meinung :: Verdammt noch mal, worauf wartet Ihr noch?
by Volker Weber
Mich überkommt manchmal der heilige Zorn, wenn ich den Unsinn lese, der sich so in den Köpfen festgesetzt hat. Und dann halte ich meine Klappe und schluck es runter. Heute nicht.
Da sitzen Leute selbstgefällig auf ihrer alten Windows-Version rum und ignorieren alles, was Microsoft in den letzen Jahren in die Verbesserung der Software gesteckt haben. Dabei könnten sie längst auf der sichersten Windows-Version sein, die es jemals gab. "Aber Microsoft spioniert uns total aus" jammert es aus dem Off, während der Protagonist in sein Android-Handy schaut, natürlich gerootet und mit allem ausgestattet, was das Handy zu seinem macht.
Kinders, wir leben in einer neuen Welt. Jede gescheite App sendet Telemetrie nach Hause, dass es nur so kracht. Im besten Sinne, um herauszufinden, welche Funktionen denn überhaupt benutzt werden, welche Fehler auftreten, etc. Im schlechtesten Sinne, um den User auszuforschen. Aber bitte, wer mit Chrome surft oder bei Facebook angemeldet ist (die Reichweite, die Reichweite!), der soll einfach seinen Mund halten, wenn es um die Microsoft-Telemetrie geht.
Ich kenne einen 80-jährigen, der sich beständig weigert, seinen Flash-basierten TAN-Generator abzuschalten, in dem er Flash deaktiviert, weil er mal in der FAZ gelesen hat, wie unsicher das doch ist, wenn man sein Handy als zweiten Faktor nutzt. Könnte mir der Autor in die Augen schauen und erklären, dass Flash doch so viel sicherer ist?
Um der Sache ein positives Ende zu geben: Wenn Apple eine neue iOS-Version rausgibt, dann installiert die bitte. Wenn Ihr wirklich ein Android-Handy haben müsst, dann nur eins, das monatliche Updates hat. Und installiert Euch endlich Windows 10 auf Eurem alten PC. Und zwar jetzt.
From my inbox
by Volker Weber
Kleine Liebeserklärung. ;-) Dankeschön, Jochen! Immer wieder toll, solche Überraschungen.
Samsung Galaxy S8 :: Starting up
by Volker Weber
Look what we have here: the new Galaxy S8 from Samsung. First impressions next week.
New Colors :: Pebble
by Volker Weber
How to route Dolby Digital 5.1 from Apple TV through a Samsung TV to Sonos Playbar
by Volker Weber
This was a tough nut to crack, and in the end if was quite easy.
Popular knowledge is that Samsung TVs don't play DD 5.1 from HDMI connected sources. I was this close to solving this with an HDMI splitter connected to HDMI 2 ARC and a Toslink Out to Playbar. As it turns out this is not a problem to solve on the output side but on the link between the Samsung TV and your source, here an Apple TV.
The keyword is Extended Display Identification Data (EDID). Samsung tells the Apple TV to not bother sending anything but PCM Stereo. And here is the trick. You go into the audio settings of Apple TV and tell it to send Dolby Digital 5.1 instead of "best available". Then Apple TV ignores the EDID and just sends DD 5.1. While the video is playing, you go into audio settings on the Samsung TV and suddenly Dolby Digital is available. Select that option.
Problem solved. No hardware required.
I would bet this works for other sources like Xbox or FireTV as well.
Amazing technology
by Volker Weber
Believe it or not, I fit into this tiny hole. 15 minutes later it was all said and done. And another 15 minutes later I learned that I don't need rotator cuff surgery. Which is comforting but does not help me out of my pain.
Please bear with me while I am a bit focussed on myself and don't feel like collecting your #dontbreakthechain tweets. Rest assured that even this week I did not break mine.
Surface Pro 4 :: A bit of a love story
by Volker Weber
Photo: Waterfield Designs
I am a sucker for great bags and while I read Waterfield backpacks are an expensively acquired taste I came across this picture and it hit me that we are now making bags that can hold a MacBook and an iPad. A MacBook is a great laptop and an iPad is the best tablet, but what if you need both? You carry two machines, plus your phone. Ever since I had the Surface 3, I left the MacBook at home and carried the iPad (Pro) or Surface 3 on travels.
This has changed with Surface Pro 4. Ever since I had this machine, I shut down my Macs when I am not using them. That had never happened before. I just put them to sleep because I would need them the next minute. Not any more.
These two-in-one machines have a lot going for them. I have my working set of documents in the cloud, replicated to several computers, the rest is in background storage. With Surface Pro 4 it's all there. I can go from notebook to tablet in a second, I love how well inking is integrated into Windows 10. I love how the pen is more useful than Pencil on iPad Pro. There aren't many "apps" for Windows on Surface, but frankly, I don't need a Youtube app. I just use Edge for everything. And with Creators Update, even for reading books. Some of the apps are really good, like Instagram which displays photos at high resolution, or Netflix which lets you download shows to watch them later.
While I found many devices that end the quest for the best one -- Sonos for music at home, Dyson for vacuums, iPhone for smartphones, Apple Watch for fitness trackers, AirPods for wireless earbuds -- the journey for the perfect computer isn't over. But at this point in time, Surface Pro 4 is the best answer for me.Why is that? I love beautiful objects. Windows 10 is beautiful, the machine itself is beautiful, the fuzzy keyboard and the pen are as well. I love functional objects, and Surface Pro 4 has it all: pen, touch, keyboard, trackpack, screen, all of them outstanding. And the thing that Microsoft really nailed is the kickstand. I use it all the time, even while Surface is in tablet mode.
I currently have three (active) Macs and quite a few (read: more) Windows machines. Surface Pro 4 is the one I use.
Uri Shaked: A Few Notes About What We Do At BlackBerry
by Volker Weber
'I work for BlackBerry. Yes, they still exist.' This is how I introduce myself when I speak in conferences, and sometimes also when I meet new people. When I hear the way people laugh when I add the second sentence, I realize that this was the thought that had just crossed their minds. Usually they follow up with the question: so what does BlackBerry do nowadays, anyway?
Read on.
Windows Mobile is falling off a cliff
by Volker Weber
These were two of my favorite phones ever, both running on Windows Phone 8.1. Then came Windows 10, for the desktop, and the phones were left behind. The Lumia 950/XL were a bag of hurt with their crashing bugs. Then came the Anniversary update, and the phones were still lagging. Now it's time for Creators Update, and Mobile still hasn't caught up. There aren't even any new features to write home about. And it's coming to only 13 devices.
The community is up in arms and they are abandoning the platform in droves. Promoters turn into critics. Many apps have been removed from the store or haven't been updated in a long time.
There always comes a time when you have to realize things didn't pan out as planned. BlackBerry 10 fell off that cliff last year, BlackBerry OS a long time ago. Ubuntu is giving up on their phone, Mozilla gave up last year. Sailfish is always on the brink of bankruptcy.
The winner takes it all. iOS takes the profit, Android takes the market share with many vendors struggling to make a penny. Microsoft has made iOS and Android their platorms of choice for their apps and cloud services.
Windows 10 and macOS, Android and iOS. That's where we are today with user facing O/S. And there is a silent player that is getting stronger: ChromeOS. Windows 10 can run on many things, but as far as the eye can see, it's not going to be phones. The market has rejected it.
Twitter for Deutsche Bahn
by Volker Weber
Today, we are rolling out Twitter Lite, a new mobile web experience which minimizes data usage, loads quickly on slower connections, is resilient on unreliable mobile networks, and takes up less than 1MB on your device.
Windows 10 Creators Update
by Volker Weber
Letzte Woche habe ich das Creators Update über den Insider Slow Ring auf Surface 3 installiert, letzte Nacht dann per MediaCreationTool auf Surface Pro 4. Beides lief vollkommen glatt durch. Normalerweise bin ich bei Updates immer sehr zögerlich, aber diesmal habe ich nur Surface 3 vorgeschickt. Immerhin ist Surface Pro 4 im Augenblick mein Hauptarbeitsgerät.
Ich bin gar nicht so sehr an den neuesten Funktionen rund um Gaming (bäh!) oder 3D interessiert. Ich beobachte nur, dass Windows 10 beständig besser wird und will dabei sein. Das gilt auch für Edge, den Standardbrowser, der nun auch .epub lesen kann. Sehr praktisch!
Microsoft wird das Update nicht sofort an alle rausschicken sondern zunächst nur auf Rechner, die Microsoft als geeignet für Creators Update ansieht. Anders als Macs oder iPhones gibt es bei Windows einfach zu viele Hardware/Treiber-Kombinationen, die Probleme bereiten können. Auch wenn man das Update selbst erzwingen kann, wäre ich vorsichtig, wenn ich kein Surface hätte. Bei denen schien es mir sicher, das Update auch vor dem Release zu machen, da diese Geräte bei Microsoft in großer Zahl eingesetzt werden. Und selbst dort wurde letzte Woche noch ein Bug entdeckt, der eine Komponente auf Surface Pro 3 in die Endlosschleife schickte.
Die ganzen Privacy-Einstellungen hat Microsoft übrigens sehr schön in den Settings zusammengefasst. Und ja, ich nutze das Dark Theme. Ich mag diesen Look, bei dem der Inhalt dominiert.
MKBHD sinks the Galaxy S8 in less then six minutes
by Volker Weber
Samsung makes great components and terrible copycat software, then combines them in their devices. Will they ever learn?
Android April Security Update :: DTEK50 goes first, again
by Volker Weber
For the secont time in a row, DTEK50 was the first to get the monthly security update. I will complete this list as the updates arrive on my devices:
- DTEK50: Build AAK406, installed April 5th
- DTEK60:
- PRIV:
Please report your updates here.
Sonos macht was mit Gorillaz
by Volker Weber
Was Produkte angeht, hat Sonos es 'geschafft'. Wann immer jemand ein eigenes Multiroom-Lautsprechersystem vorstellt, heißt es 'Konkurrenz für Sonos' (deutsch) oder 'Sonos-Killer' (amerikanisch). Aber nun gilt es, aus der Technik-Ecke auszubrechen. Dazu mach man coole Sachen, wie diese hier. Als Berliner würde ich mich da mal anmelden.
Was ist da eigentlich bei Apple passiert?
by Volker Weber
Apple hat gestern ein Produkt angekündigt, das es dieses Jahr noch nicht zu kaufen gibt. Ich kann mich nicht daran erinnern, dass sowas schon jemals passiert ist. Das müssen wir mal aufdröseln.
Was ist passiert? Apple lädt fünf Apple-freundliche Journalisten ein, setzt sie mit dem Top-Management (ohne CEO) an einen Tisch und erklärt ihnen, dass Apple an einem neuen modularen Mac Pro arbeitet. Apple gibt dabei zu, dass der aktuelle Mac Pro kaum zu erneuern ist. Apple verspricht den anwesenden Journalisten, weiterhin professionelle Anwender mit geeigneter Hard- und Software zu versorgen.
Was ist das Problem? Apple hatte 2013 den Trashcan-Mac als Ablösung des Cheesegraters (siehe Bild) päsentiert. Mehrere CPUs, mehrere GPUs, sehr kompaktes Design, sehr leise, erweiterbar über Thunderbolt. Dieses Gerät wurde niemals signifikant aufgewertet, wird aber nach wie vor zu einem stolzen Preis verkauft. Jetzt steht ein kleines Upgrade ins Haus, das ohne Einnordung dieses inneren Zirkels von Journalisten als völlig unzureichend gewertet würde. Diesen Schlag galt es abzuwehren.
Apple hat mit dem Trashcan zwei Wetten verloren: Statt mehrerer kleiner GPUs mit paralleler Verarbeitung setzt der Rest der Welt auf einzelne Monster-GPUs, die ordentlich Kühlung brauchen, und die sich im Trashcan nicht unterbringen lassen. Und die zweite Wette? Erweiterung allein über Thunderbolt.
Das ambitionierte Design des Trashcan ist verständlich, wenn man sich anschaut, was Apple sonst so von iPhone bis iMac baut: hochintegriert, möglichst kompakt und schlank, nicht erweiterbar, lautlos bis sehr leise. Akkus werden in den kleinsten Ecken versteckt, Mainboards immer kleiner, Lüfter wenn möglich verbannt. Das passt nicht zu den Anforderungen im Pro-Bereich: maximal schnelle Grafik-Pipeline, hohe Performance bei CPU und GPU, blitzschnelles I/O auf Speicher mit hoher Datenrate. Mit einem (von vorne nach hinten) beinahe durchsichtigen Gerät wie dem Cheesegrater ging das, mit dem Trashcan nicht. Und so ein schnelles neues System muss her, wenn Apple ernsthaft VR machen will.
Apple sagt nicht, wann sie die Sackgasse erkannt haben. Aber sie sagen, sie konstruieren eine neue Baureihe mit einem modularen System, das ausreichend Reserven für Upgrades hat. Mir würde ja das Gehäuse da oben gefallen. Aktuell ist es nur ein Beistelltisch mit veralteten G5 CPUs.
Eine kleine Nebenbemerkung: ich finde das neue iPad interessant. Weniger Integration, weil Display nicht mit dem Frontglas verklebt ist. Das ist billiger herzustellen und auch billiger zu reparieren. Damit wird es ein bisschen dicker, ein bisschen schwerer, ist aber am Ende vielleicht doch das bessere Gerät. Ich kann mir vorstellen, dass bei Apple auch schon ein paar Leute an modularen Macbooks arbeiten. Das fände ich ziemlich "Pro".
Stefan Domanske: Warum das #dontbreakthechain von @vowe für mich so gut funktioniert
by Volker Weber
Letztendlich ist aber jedes virtuelle Abzeichen und jeder Motivations-Tweet echt ein Dreck gegen das gute Gefühl, wenn es einem nach wenigen Wochen wirklich besser geht. Wenn die Hose lockerer sitzt und der Atem weiter reicht. Das ist die einzig echte Motivation, damit weiter zu machen und die Kette nicht reissen zu lassen. Dafür: Danke, Volker!
Danke für's Mitmachen.
Baz Luhrmann
by Volker Weber
I know this is old, and you probably know this version. Just wanted to bring this back, since it's probably the best piece of advice you can get in seven minutes.
Wie nimmt man eigentlich ab? Oder zu?
by Volker Weber
Ein von einem Ingenieur geschriebenes Diätbuch besteht nur aus einem Satz: 'Mehr Kalorien verbrauchen als essen'. Es ist tatsächlich so einfach. Wer langfristig zu viel isst, nimmt zu, wer langfristig zu wenig isst, nimmt ab. Wir machen allerdings riesige Fehler bei der Abschätzung, was zu viel und zu wenig ist. Und das könnt Ihr alles auf vierhundert leicht zu lesenden Seiten erfahren:
Warum scheitern Diäten? Wegen genetischer Veranlagung? Wegen eines kaputten Stoffwechsels? Oder wegen Schilddrüsenunterfunktionen? Nach Jahren erfolgloser Diäten und mit 150 Kilo auf der Waage stellte Dr. Nadja Hermann fest, dass das meiste, was sie über Diäten geglaubt hatte, Mythen waren. Vielmehr wurde ihr klar, dass es eigene Logiken gab, die sie vom Abnehmen abhielten. Erst das Überbordwerfen all dieser »Fettlogiken« half der Autorin dabei, ein gesundes Gewicht zu erreichen. 1,5 Jahre später wiegt sie 65 kg. Mit Witz, Sachverstand und einer Prise Wissenschaft räumt sie mit den weitverbreiteten Diätlügen auf.
Ich habe am Output gedreht: Mehr Kalorien verbrauchen. Man kann auch am Input drehen: Dauerhaft schlauer und weniger essen. Das werde ich jetzt auch noch lernen. Es gibt übrigens eine Maschine, die den Output gelenkschonend geradezu brutal erhöht. Jeden Tag eine Stunde 'am Anschlag' auf diesem Ding und der Kringel ist geschlossen. Sowas wird gerne im Januar gekauft und verschwindet etwa um diese Zeit im hintersten Winkel der Wohnung. Dabei sollte es seinen Platz vor dem Fernseher haben. Simple Regel: Kein TV ohne Training.
Fragt mal im Bekanntenkreis rum. Ich bin sicher, es gibt jede Menge Leute, die froh sind, wenn man ihnen das Monster vom Hof holt.
Week 13/2017 #dontbreakthechain
by Volker Weber
Woche 13 ist im Kasten und ich habe so tolle Kommentare von Euch bekommen, dass ich doch wieder diesen Post mache, obwohl ich eigentlich aufhören wollte. Zum zweiten Mal, nämlich am Ende des ersten Monats und nun am Ende des ersten Quartals.
Vielleicht schaffen wir es gemeinsam, noch mehr Leute dazu zu bewegen, Ihr Schicksal in die eigenen Hände zu nehmen anstatt die Umstände zu verfluchen. Bei #dontbreakthechain geht es nicht allein um Kringel, Bewegung oder Abnehmen. Es geht darum, sich ein Ziel zu setzen und es Schritt für Schritt zu erreichen. Und im speziellen ist es die eigene geistige und körperliche Gesundheit. Ob man sie erhält oder sie zurück gewinnt, ist dabei egal. Lest weiter!
IBM to drastically lower IT cost
by Volker Weber
Photo IBM
ARMONK, N.Y. - 01 Apr 2017: Companies across all industries and sectors have launched digital initiatives aimed at improving customer experience (CX), but, according to a new study by IBM (NYSE: IBM), not all consumers are digital enthusiasts. The same holds true for employees who spend too much time in front of their screens.
In a bold move IBM has re-discovered its decades old mantra "IBM stands for I've Been Moved". As Thomas J. Watson famously said in 1943 "I think there is a world market for maybe five computers", IBM is now moving into five offices across the globe: Armonk for Ginni Rometty and entourage, Bangalore for Support, Bejing for Development and two new offices in Baghdad and Benghazi for those who don't get the message. Employees will no longer need to spend hours in their legacy email systems, prepare PowerPoint slide decks to present to each other or use Slack to coordinate their teams scattered around basement offices. Instead they can write their ideas and messages on colorful Post-It notes and leave them on their cubicle walls.
Muhammad Saeed al-Sahhaf, who works as Senior Vice President of Communications out of the IBM Baghdad Hub, says: "This is great news for the company. The best news."
