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Archives: November 2005
Link of the day
While looking for some audiomaterial I stumbled upon this page:
A true treasure hidden.
With amazing audio interviews of interesting people.
History on the web.
Check out Ansel Adams...
Wonderful...
-This is what the VRT should do: podcast old material.-
-Btw BBC provides a RSS feed, but no podcasts, which is a pity. Imagine your hard disk full of such wonderful interviews...-
Posted on November 1, 2005
in Linking context
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Global voices: The world is talking, are you listening?
Global Voices Online is a group blog that was initiated by a couple of research fellows at the Berkman Centre for Internet & Society, a think-tank at Harvard Law School. Countries or regions are represented by various bloggers, who provide a weekly summary of what people are talking about in their part of the world.
Their aim?
At a time when the international English-language media ignores many things that are important to large numbers of the world’s citizens, Global Voices aims to redress some of the inequities in media attention by leveraging the power of citizens’ media. We’re using a wide variety of technologies - weblogs, wikis, podcasts, tags, aggregators and online chats - to call attention to conversations and points of view that we hope will help shed new light on the nature of our inter-connected world.
1) To call attention to the most interesting conversations and perspectives emerging from citizens’ media around the world by linking to text, audio, and video blogs and other forms of grassroots citizens’ media being produced by people around the world.
2) To facilitate the emergence of new citizens’ voices through training, online tutorials, and publicizing the ways in which open-source and free tools can be used safely by people around the world to express themselves.
3) To advocate for freedom of expression around the world and to protect the rights of citizen journalists to report on events and opinions without fear of censorship or persecution.
Pretty interesting!
Posted on November 1, 2005
in Linking context
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This is Israel too
Rinat was outraged to discover that the supermarket in which she has shopped for two years recently instituted a new policy requiring female customers to wear a skirt. She has decided that she cannot take life in increasingly ultra-Orthodox Jerusalem anymore, and plans to move to secular Tel Aviv as soon as possible.
(Written by In the face)
:) One needs to be there to understand this amazing contradicting country.
It is true what they told me: you can love it or hate it, but it never leaves you indifferent.
After 2,5 years, I have to admit: I fell in love with it.
Btw, read this post, and get a really good insight in what Israel stands for.
Posted on November 1, 2005
in Living in Israel
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Skype Voicemail installed
Yep, ordered Voicemail today, and again, the feature is so useful.
Now you can leave me Skype messages even when I am not online:
Can I leave a voicemail to my friend/contact even if he is not online?
Yes. If your friend is offline or even if their computer isn't on, you can still leave a message and they can retrieve it the next time they log on to Skype.
Great. Mom, did you see it? You will be able to call me when abroad.
To bad there is no possibility to have a Belgian number + no possibility yet to forward a call to landline -for Mac- (A trick to deal with it, is to activate it on a PC in, for example, an internet cafe.)
Another neat feature to mention is:
Toll-free numbers
Skype now supports toll-free numbers. If your company has a toll-free number, everyone that uses Skype can call you for free, from all over the world! At the moment we support toll-free numbers in France, Poland, UK, and USA, and more countries are coming soon.
It means that you can contact 0800-services in the US for free, like your hosting company or so.
Posted on November 1, 2005
in Technical stuff
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Silence for the storm.
This blog is in the middle of a tornado, in the silent point.
Me on the other hand, am almost drowning...
Posted on November 3, 2005
in Living in Belgium
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Eid al-Fitr!
Happy Eid al-Fitr to all my friends.
Posted on November 3, 2005
in Friends around
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Record directly to your iPod with iKEY
Record directly to your iPod with iKEY:
The iKEY lets you record audio - from any audio source - directly to your iPod. Just connect your iPod, select your audio source (via RCA jacks) and click the record button. Your audio is saved as both an Mp3 and a WAV file on your iPod (or any other USB storage device). Each time you click record, a new pair of Mp3 and WAV files is created. Choose between 128Kbps, 192Kbps or 256Kbps for MP3s, or uncompressed WAVs.
The iKEY will cost you $230US and is shipping now.
But no Mic Line In...
Posted on November 3, 2005
in Apple
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Left luggage
Against a background of holocaust memories, a liberal Jewish girl becomes the nanny to a retarded strict Jewish young boy, and grows fond of him.
A beautiful movie with great music which gives an insight in chassidic families.
Very typical European, with no heroic scenes. Loved it.
Posted on November 5, 2005
in Linking context
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Did you know...
you can ice skate on the Grand Hyatt in Seoul?
Neither did I...
Posted on November 5, 2005
in Projects
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Did you know...
you can swim on the rooftop of FourSeasons in Hong Kong?
Neither did I.
Posted on November 5, 2005
in Projects
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TravelCast your trip...
Check it out.
Lonely Planet Travelcasts
Posted on November 5, 2005
in Projects - Podcasting
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Silent podcast
Silence is golden, or so the saying goes. If that is true then the Silent podcast is the most valuable podcast out there. What is the Silent podcast? Well, according to their feed, 'in our crazy world we all need some silence... Download collections of digitally clear silence encoded in high quality AAC.'
I downloaded one of their podcasts, and their first vodcast, and I must say the silence is stunning.
Posted on November 6, 2005
in Projects - Podcasting
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So what's next?
Check out the newly launched website: invest.belgium.be.
That's the official site.
Follow the site you are reading now to see some sideviews...
Posted on November 6, 2005
in Projects
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There we go...
The last few days I haven't been posting so much.
As said I was in the midst of a hurricane -and I still am-
At this very moment, I am high in the sky, flying towards Seoul.
You might have seen it on the news today: our Prime Minister is going on a business trip, promoting our little country in Seoul, Tokyo, Singapore and Hong Kong.
-Guess who is sitting 2 seats from me now...-
Somehow, probably due to the fact that I turned out on the right place on the right moment -thus pure coincident- and a nice push in the back by Bart, I stumbled into this mission, as I was asked to prepare the keynote presentations for the seminar.
The next question was whether I was available to join the mission to be responsible for the technical side.
So here I am, behind me 2 hectic weeks of almost no sleeping, and ahead another week, with probably even less sleeping.
-Within 12 hours we arrive, and 1 hour later, the first presentation on 2 screens, in Korean and English, starts. Cross my fingers nothing goes wrong, yet it would be naive to think nothing will go wrong.-
I won't find much time to blog, but I'll do my best to post little movies.
-And I hope to entertain you with them :) -
*And yes, the hotels mentioned before are the ones we are staying in. -I truly believe this will be the first and the last time I'll sleep in such expensive beds. I also hope to provide a picture of me swimming in that swimming pool... lol-
**Wow the food in business class is good... :)
Posted on November 6, 2005
in Projects
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Pics.
Okokok I promised movies... But since I didn't had the chance you'll have to do with some pics.
Q met de iPod.
Arrival in Seoul.
Ceremony at a cemetery.
Arrival at the presidential palace.
Arrival at the presidential palace.
Arrival at the presidential palace.
In the streets of Seoul.
Posted on November 7, 2005
in Projects
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VIP? Me?
Posted on November 7, 2005
in Projects
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Arrival in Tokyo, announced by our lovely stewardess.
:°)
Posted on November 8, 2005
in Projects
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South Korea - North Korea
Posted on November 8, 2005
in Projects
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Room with a view...
This is probably all I'll see in Tokyo. :(
Posted on November 8, 2005
in Projects
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Tokyo, the next part.
Thanks to the one hour free time left and a bunch of nice gentlemen I did see a glimpe of Tokyo after all.
Tx to Q, Wouter G. andTimothy V.
View out of the car to the airport.
Posted on November 9, 2005
in Projects
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My hotel room...
MVI_7519
Originally uploaded by idehandschutter
Posted on November 9, 2005
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1 hour off...
In Singapore Fullerton hotel...
And yep it is me in the pool.
Posted on November 10, 2005
in Projects
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My hotel in Hong Kong
My hotel in Hong Kong
Originally uploaded by idehandschutter
Posted on November 10, 2005
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Forgot to mention
Forgot to mention
Originally uploaded by idehandschutter
Check their website: http://www.fourseasons.com/hongkong/index.html
Adn yes tomorrow I'll swim in that pool.
Posted on November 10, 2005
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Hong Kong by night
Hong Kong by night
Originally uploaded by idehandschutter
Posted on November 10, 2005
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Dailymotion versus VideoEgg
Btw: all my videos were uploaded using DailyMotion, they integrated TypePad and many other blog systems now.
And it is working -more than can be said of VideoEgg-
And it is working well!
So I stick to the webinterface of the first, thank you very much.
-One minor disadvantage: it doesn't categorize...-
Update: there seems to be some problems though. please click on the link accompanying the videos to actually see them.
Posted on November 10, 2005
in Technical stuff
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Not all my pics are used :)
Some more special selections later :)
Posted on November 10, 2005
in Projects
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Big City Lights..
Morning in Hong Kong
On the 70th floor of Cheung Kong, owned by a tycoon.
At the bottom of the same building.
Tram in the streets.
All under construction.
Un-be-lievable..
Posted on November 11, 2005
in Projects
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Cab Driver in Hong Kong
taxi driver
Originally uploaded by idehandschutter
Posted on November 11, 2005
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Hectic week finished.
Seems we made it.
Everybody is sleeping in the flight, or reading comics, or watching the awful movie.
We all have 2 things in general: tired looks and in the same time relieved smiles.
It is over; we are flying back.
Our stopover (in the 15h flight) will be Siberia, seems to be the only choice to stop... From 32 degrees in Bangkok to minus zero.
And I guess it reflects the opposites between the trip and getting back: from 200 miles an hour to zero...
Home sweet home.
A shower; a bed, and many hours to sleep...
Posted on November 14, 2005
in Projects
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iBone: Bluetooth iPod on the cheap
iBone: Bluetooth iPod on the cheap:
Like many of us, Peta has been enduring the frustrations of carrying several gadgets around. "I was getting sick to death of removing my iPod headphones everytime my mobile rang..." Unlike many of us, he did something about it.
He purchased a cheap Bluetooth headset and hacked it to receive his iPod's audio signal. Now, when a call comes through, all he needs to do is pause the iPod and begin talking. His well-documented and amusing (I believe he used Comic Life) how-to can be found here. Well done!
Posted on November 15, 2005
in Linking context
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Jetlagged
Please consider this non-momentum blogging as a giant jet-lag recuperation.
Tx.
Posted on November 15, 2005
in Projects
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$100 Laptop a Reality
Though they've been bouncing the idea of a $100 laptop around for a while ($100 Laptop - No Child Left Behind), it looks like it's finally becoming a reality. The lime green laptop is about the size of a text book and with a hand crank to allow it to operate without electricity. Designed at the MIT Media Lab, the project mainly aimed at developing countries where a calculator and Internet access can mean the difference between starvation and a good year. The goal is to allow these kids and even adults to actually own the laptops, though governments or charities will pay for them.
Looks like Brazil, Thailand, Egypt and Nigeria are the choices for the first wave of laptops early next year and each is slated to buy at least a million of them. Though not in production yet, one unnamed company has offered to build them fro $110 each and four others are considering joining the effort. They operate at about half the speed of store-bought laptops and will run on an open-source OS. The screen is actually from a portable DVD player and can be viewed in either color or black and white.
Researchers unveil $100 laptop for schoolkids [Reuters]
Check this movie for information
Posted on November 17, 2005
in Technical stuff
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Due to a lack of time and blogging fever
Near the N Korean border
Reynders at the presentation
Before a meeting
Wouter
Tycoon in Hong Kong
Tycoon in Hong Kong
In the streets of Hong Kong
Gala Dinner in Hong Kong
Gala Dinner in Hong Kong
Back home.
Posted on November 17, 2005
in Projects
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Invest in Belgium: the pictures are online
(In-room massage: dial 85)
It took me some time, but most of the pics of the trip are online.
-probably not so interesting for most of you, but I was asked to put all of them, for participants of the trip...-
Enjoy.
Posted on November 17, 2005
in Projects
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Dreamhost
I signed up for a DreamHost account.
Quite a difference with some other hosts currently available...
A barely 110$ for a year, and 4800!Mb space + not unimportant: 120 Gb bandwidth.
+ a good service.
At this moment when you register with the promocode 'matuvu', you'll get 20$ discount on top of that.
Worth mentioning I thought...
Posted on November 19, 2005
in Linking context, Technical stuff
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Pictures reveal the world?
Modern photojournalism has proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that pictures can, and often do lie.
...
The overwhelming majority of Israelis pictured in the western media have been soldiers in full battle gear. These images are usually juxtaposed against those of Palestinian women, children and elderly.The kinds of pictures that almost guarantee a photographer's work prominent placement are those containing both of these misleading demographic cues (e.g. soldiers in a tank near a boy on a donkey, Soldier holding M16 near a Palestinian woman, etc.)
If one were to think about this trend, it would strike the critical mind as odd that Israel seems to be populated almost entirely by active duty soldiers, and that there seem to be almost no adult Palestinian men. Unfortunately, when perusing newspapers and magazines, few of us have our critical minds engaged. Rather, we tend to let headlines, photographs and captions wash over us... leaving behind the ideas and messages that the photographers and editors intend.
This isn't to say that photos are an enitirely untrustworthy medium. On the contrary, there is an important aspect to actually seeing something (as opposed to just reading about it) that helps people internalize a message.
Read the rest of this article (By Treppenwitz)
Posted on November 19, 2005
in Living in Israel
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The inhuman face of the occupation
A pile of rocks and garbage are placed on the only exit road from the Sheikh Saad neighborhood in southeast Jerusalem. For generations, the residents of this neighborhood, well-to-do judging by the appearance of their stone houses, with a view of the Jerusalem hills from their windows, lived as Jerusalemites, with close family ties with the houses opposite, the houses of the Jerusalem neighborhood of Jabal Mukkaber. About three years ago, this arbitrary siege of rocks was placed on the neighborhood, and since then nobody can leave or enter it by car.
By Gideon Levy
Many people tend to believe things are better in Israel now, tghere is not much terror in the news.
Luckily there are some known journalists like Gedeon Levy, who still keep on writing about strange realities in the awkward country.
Posted on November 20, 2005
in Living in Israel
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For fun
More here
Posted on November 20, 2005
in Linking context, Living in Israel
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Grandparents day
Listen to a little song for my grandparents.
-By my littl bro-
Posted on November 20, 2005
in Living in Belgium
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Glasses track eye movement, ad exposure: interesting survey.
Glasses track eye movement, ad exposure:
Owen Gibson at The Guardian has tested The Eye Contact, a pair of spectacles developed by ID magasin. They have a camera inserted into the bridge, along with the battery pack, LCD screen and hard disk recorder strapped to the waist and they captures on film everything that you see during a typical day. Gibson wore the goggles for four hours, recording a bus and tube journey to Oxford Circus and a shopping trip up Bond Street, in London.
The results of the experiment showed that 99% of adverts make little or no impact.
Lees meer "Glasses track eye movement, ad exposure: interesting survey." »
Posted on November 22, 2005
in Linking context
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Strange links
Through TouchGraph you can check your site in relation -a bit like the sexchart in the L-Word but for sites...-
Worrying results appear:
Check monuments in the left, and check 2 steps away right bottom: Mossad??
Utterly strange.
Posted on November 22, 2005
in Linking context, Technical stuff
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Buckle up, everyone, it's going to be a bumpy campaign
To those who don't know yet, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon set off a political earthquake late last night, Israel time. He's bailing from the Likud party and setting up his own centrist party. Oh boy oh, boy, oh, boy....
Posted on November 22, 2005
in Living in Israel
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Report
People certainly wondered and asked a whole bunch of questions after my trip, but frankly speaking, I am just really really tired.
I didn't take the time to recuperate from the jet lag due to another project, and yesterday, it was suddenly too much. I crashed and fell asleep.
My remarks after such a trip: I never ever want to be Prime Minister of a country.
Many people think it was fun and we ate good food and spent the money of the country.
Heck I slept in beautiful hotels.... 2-4 hours a night.
Heck I ate really good food... but almost fell asleep in my plate.
And yes, I agree, it was an amazing experience. But don't underestimate the real part of the trip. I can assure you my trip to Syria was more fun, and more of a vacation than this hectic week of 7 days and 6 countries. We actually spent most of the time in a plane...
Would I do it again: sure!
Who wouldn't. :)
Posted on November 22, 2005
in Living in Belgium, Projects
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CableYoYo
I want a bunch of Cableyoyos...
Posted on November 23, 2005
in Design
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Tip for sending large files
Large files to send? Maybe this is a good tip: YouSendIt allows you to upload files up til 1 GB... That should do I guess...
You can even send a bunch of pics and YouSendIt will create a photoalbum of those pics. Easy for sending a series of pictures to a client...
And the goodie? It is for free.
Posted on November 23, 2005
in Linking context, Technical stuff
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Time Magazine PhotoReports
One of my most loved RSS-feeds is the one of Time Magazine PhotoEssays.
Amazingly good and touching.
PhotoDocumentary just works... Seeing those pictures makes me long to take my camera and try better.
Posted on November 23, 2005
in Linking context
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Pretty strange...
Your actual diskspace usage: 81.3086 megabytes (8.13%)
Your bandwidth allotment: 10 gigabytes per month
Actual bandwidth usage this month: 7.67482 gigabytes (76.75%)
Projected bandwidth usage this month: 10.3443 gigabytes (103.44%)
How come I spend 103% of my bandwidth on 81mb? Can someone explain.
Posted on November 23, 2005
in Limit of my knowledge
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Walter van Beirendonck in Tel Aviv
Comics meet pop art meets fashion
"My aim is to change the limits of fashion," Belgian designer Walter Van Beirendonck once declared in an interview. That somewhat presumptuous statement by Van Beirendonck, 50, an extravagant sort who likes to wear tribal jewelry and sports a wild beard, is tangible in the shipment of his modest designs that recently arrived at the radical comme il faut store in the Tel Aviv port.
Charming green or red cotton skirts with black and white polka dots, zip-up pink wool cardigans that prompt a smile, and the eye motif that appears throughout the collection - indeed create an original encounter between comics, pop art, naive art and fashion.
Van Beirendonck made his breakthrough during the British Fashion Week of 1987. He got on the bus as part of the Antwerp Six Group, which left from Belgium for London, along with Ann Demeulemeester, Dries Van Noten and Martin Margiela. He was part of what was then considered the alternative that Antwerp designers offered European fashion, and at that time he founded his colorful line, Wild and Lethal Trash (W. & L.T.).
More here
Posted on November 23, 2005
in Living in Israel
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The majority...
Don't we all want a little bit of peace?
Last summer my neighborhood in Tel Aviv was filled with these colors, it seemed a new movement was appearing. Now few months later, indeed it seems ordinary people are having their voice heard.
Israeli's are beaten down in their belief and protest marches in Tel Aviv are seldom big.
Yet a silent protest is growing: it is peaceful but clear. 'We have had enough. We long for peace.'
Quite understandable: a whole generation grew up in constant conflict. I guess they are pretty tired of it all.
These people are the silent voices, the voices that are never heard in the media, that are mute in international newspapers.
I guess today silently grab our attention.
Posted on November 23, 2005
in Living in Israel
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'Write more about you...
instead of about technical stuff.'
Well you should understand: I write about the things I am busy with.
Read between the lines and your questions will be answered...
-I am still finishing up some extra work 'after the trip'-
Posted on November 24, 2005
in Living in Belgium
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LOL
My manager, Scotty, got a new car that comes with an alarm system, and on his key chain there is a "panic button" that will make the car's alarm go off. Using said car alarm, we've created a new game at work. We hide inside the building, peeking out the windows, and when someone walks past Scotty's car, we hit the panic button which makes the car flash and make loud noises. It scares the crap out of people!! 3 points if they turn thier head, 5 points if they yell and/or jump, 7 points if they fall down, and 10 points if they actually come into the building to let us know someone's car is going off.
That's the kind of stuff I really do at work. We played hacky sack with a cardboard box the other night because I sucked way too bad with a real hacky sack.
Posted on November 24, 2005
in Linking context
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Podcasting
We started podcasting on 175-25.be.
Check it out.
-Dutch and French-
Tx for the help Smoothouse ;)
Posted on November 24, 2005
in Projects - Podcasting
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“Skypito” means Skype for kids!
“Skypito” means Skype for kids!:
A new Skype Certified third-party software application will be announced in the next few days called Skypito. The following description if from their web site.
Skypito is the World's first solution for safe online voice communication and chatting for kids. The Skypito application uses Skype technology. In addition to safe verbal and written communication, Skypito introduces online gaming technology with open source for third party game developers.
Skypito is a free product.
Skypito is a 13 MB download. It offers a rich, fun user interface for your kids and parental controls for you. Among other things you can select who your kids can connect to on Skype. I hope they soon come out with an enterprise version for IT managers. (grin)
Skypito is worth trying out even if you don't have kids or even do not know anyone with kids. It is a supurbly put together product. Download here.
Pretty good product idea, to have your kids chat safely...
Posted on November 24, 2005
in Linking context
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Sofa converts to a bunk-bed
Cory Doctorow: 
These sofas convert to bunk-beds by means of really ingenious design -- you don't even have to take off the sheets and blankets during conversion.
Link (via Crib Candy)
Posted on November 24, 2005
in Linking context
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Intriguing article on Hebron
A first visit to Hebron after almost 20 years. A strange feeling prevails when one exits the gate of Kiryat Arba, descends in the direction of the Cave of the Patriarchs. It wasn't Shabbat, it wasn't a Muslim holiday, it was noontime, the weather was glorious, and the streets were empty. Along the road from Kiryat Arba to the Avraham Avinu neighborhood, a kilometer and a half of road that winds among old houses and market streets, we saw perhaps two Palestinians walking.
Posted on November 24, 2005
in Living in Israel
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Ahmadinejad and Israel
Ahmadinejad and Israel: Khaira's stand on Ahmadineja's statement on Israel
Why do I post this?
Because Khaira is a well educated guy, he's living in Kuala Lumpur, and is part of the design team of LifeLogger
I believe in freedom of speaking and people should be able to express what they think.
I think Khaira represents a growing majority of people that react to Israel in this way.
If it is right or wrong is not the question. The question is why?
And how was this image of Israel and the Palestinian Territories built.
I still believe it is all a matter of media.
After living 2 years in Israel, my opinion is more pronounced and less black and white. (I guess it is an advantage not being Jewish and not being Muslim, and easier to stay neutral on the matter.)
I believe it is scary though, when people start to follow what leaders say.
And I mean this in several ways. I have the same opinion when an Israeli leader expresses his feelings of hatred in this way, and Shabra and Shattila is something amazing.
I went there and was stunned about the conditions those people live. Years later the refugee camps are still full of bullet holes. That also expresses how the Lebanese government acts upon the
Palestinian refugees: not so good.
On that matter I have some other remarks: the Palestinian uprising didn't not happen only in Israel, in Jordan at the same time the Palestinian uprising was oppressed with military actions, many refugees were killed. Palestinians are not wanted in Jordan, nor in Lebanon and neither in Egypt, which refused to take back Gaza...
That's also a reality of the Middle East.
The Middle East is so much more complicated than we understand over here...
Posted on November 24, 2005
in Living in Israel
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Would you like to bomb us?
flickr photoset). We are not afraid of your threats - we are journalists. And there thousands like us around the world. You may be able to kill some of us - but you will never kill us all.
In relation to my former post, I post this one: I believe Al Ajzeera is a good thing. It opened up the press freedom in the Middle East and tries to report facts. It is no longer the local new against the Western news. There are inbetweens now.
As a result BBC and France television started an news channel over there. Al Jazeera's reaction? Open up an English Al Jazeera channel...
On the other hand when you read stuff like this on their site you wonder:
Dispossessed, deprived of their birthright and denied basic human rights and freedoms, millions of Palestinians daily endure a rare fate. Just the simple act of surviving through the day under occupation requires enormous resilience in the face of a superior war machine, supported by the world's single superpower. Yet Palestinians have never lost hope that one day they will be able to live in freedom, peace and prosperity in their own independent homeland
You wonder if this is real journalism. In my eyes, journalism is more neutral.
Posted on November 24, 2005
in Linking context
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Belgian politics
What do I know about Belgian politics?
Not so much.
Really after 2 years living abroad and a dual feeling about politics, I shut down the radio in relation to politics.
It is the thing you can avoid and live happy without.
Ignore.
I don't understand the swapping of parties. How it is possible to change your idea so drastically.
Neither do I understand why we have so many ministers and ministries. They make laws, too many laws resulting in a way too bureaucratized country.
Do I have an opinion?
Of course I have.
On the generation pact problem: I think it is very wise what the government is doing.
It is naive to think we can have this standards forever, this kind of social web that is paid by only few people.
The people nag, all the time. And we forget that there are places that are so much worse than Belgium. And that for a social security system one needs to pay.
That's when I stop, when the nagging starts.
We are such little nasty people, never happy, busy with our little small world and nagging about having more and more.
So egoistic.
A friend told me that striking in Brussels is for the good cause for the people that come after us, and for the people in the world.
I wonder how many people strike for that reason.
I don't see anyone striking for the kids in Africa.
No, to me it seems the reason they strike is because they are afraid they might need to work longer and give up some privileges they had.
I don't see the social aspect of that. I only see the egoistic point of view.
But hey, who am I?
Posted on November 24, 2005
in Living in Belgium
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Proud to be Belgian
Belgian CMS/Blog/PhotoBlog systems:
Drupal
Photoblog
Nucleus
Daisy
Please add if you know more ;)
Posted on November 24, 2005
in Living in Belgium
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Visiting NYC?
I might visit NYC in the near future. :)
Found some interesting podcasts to bring along then:
Art Mobs is focusing our attention on the Museum of Modern Art. We've produced (unofficial) audio guides for MoMA, and we're making them available as podcasts. We'd love for you to join in by sending us your own MoMA audio guides, which we'll gladly add to our podcast feed. Why should audio guides be proprietary?
I also found iSubwayMaps.com, which provides subway maps for your iPod. Quite handy.
They have NYC -but they had also Tokyo, Singapore, Seoul, damn, if only I knew earlier..-
PodCityGuides offers a whole bunch of stuff to do in NYC.
And SoundWalk offers walking tours in NYC: the Broncx, Brooklyn,Manhattan etcetc... for 12 $
piPod lists the best pizza places in NYC
Someone has a lists of restaurants?
Posted on November 24, 2005
in Linking context
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My grandmother (76) discovered my blog
I already wondered who would spend 3 hours on my blog -according to the statistics..-
I am warned.
If some posts are censored from now on, you know why... ;)
Her words 'I spent 3 hours on it but it seems I can keep on reading for quite some days...'
Posted on November 24, 2005
in Living in Belgium
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Orb...
Seems interesting. Only for pc.
Orb Networks, Inc. has developed a brand new way for people to be connected to their digital media all the time from anywhere in the world. Orb? provides spontaneous access to a person's music, live television, videos, photos and other digital content at any time from any device that can connect to the Internet, such as a mobile phone, PDA, or notebook, and create their own personal media portal.
Orb is based on an elegant, robust and scalable architecture and is the first of its kind to allow consumers spontaneous mobile access to all of their digital media - securely and without any restrictions. Using any Web browser, Orb provides a simple, intuitive interface to the user's content located on their home PC. By removing the complexity and limitations of many of today's digital entertainment products and services, Orb's software architecture leverages the best features of today's popular standards while abiding by current digital rights management solutions.
Hmmmm, I can't wait for the Intel based Mac to be released. That way I'll have a pc running for these geeky things.
Actually I truly believe this is going ot be the future: your data at home but accessible all over the world.
VPN/network/own webserver is a possibility, but still a hassle to arrange.
Orb seems a better solution.
Posted on November 24, 2005
in Linking context, Technical stuff
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PIP Phone
This is the PIP Phone, a bluetoothe enabled phone that takes Skype away from your headset.
I just love it...
But I am still looking for the perfect Bluetooth set: stereo and in-ear, like the Nokia one, but for Sony Ericsonn..
Posted on November 24, 2005
in Technical stuff
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SABAM
In 2004 boekte SABAM voor de scheppende kunstenaars een bedrag aan uit te keren rechten van zowat 132,54 miljoen €, zijnde een toename met 33,55 pct in vergelijking met het jaar voordien. De omzet liet een stijging optekenen van 28 pct ten opzichte van 2003. De nettokosten stegen met 7,91 pct. Dat verklaart het gemiddeld commissieloon van 15,54 pct in 2004 tegenover 18,55 pct in 2003.
So why are they nagging about podcasting???
(And I guess the 15,54 percent is a mistake, how come they make more profit and the artist get less money?)
Posted on November 25, 2005
in Projects - Podcasting
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PodCastingTools
As announced before we are podcasting these days.
I don't really like my voice so some other people are doing the talking in the mic - I keep on talking off-line ;) -
I dare to say that I am pretty proud of the result so far. -We had a false start in the beginning, but now things are quite fun, and I can promise more and better is to come, so keep an 'ear' on it-
I just wanted to write down some of our experiences so far:
Before starting podcasting, we checked some references on how to do and what to buy. -Thanks Eug and many others on this matter-
We rented some material and were stunned about good and bad quality.
And on this matter some things have to be said...
A good set up is essential and frankly speaking this set up might seem good, the sound sucks.
We ended up buying a 300 $ mic and work with a MiniDisc recorder. The results are OK -not perfect, we would need a mixette for that ;)-
Yet, the professional voice is recorded in a professional studio.
These perfect conditions make a qualitative podcast.
I know some amongst you opt for less when buying simple recorders in the media market, but to me those podcasts fail.
The noise in the recording bothers me, and distracts.
When testing them, a very annoying zooming keeps on appearing.
I checked the iRiver and the internal mic fails due to the noise of the hard disc. You need to buy a mic to take distance of HD, and it needs to be an expensive one -I tried a 75$ Sony one, which is quite OK, but there is still an annoying noise-
I checked the Edirol R1 -which is already quite professional, but again the internal mic fails-
I checked a MiniDisc with Sony microphone and again the noise was there.
I checked a simple Olympus device, and the sound quality was 8kHz instead of the wanted 44kHz.
Worst of all was my beautiful iPod, which has the same 8kHz problem. Very annoying.
-The iPod video should solve that problem with 44kHz and wav recording, but no recording devices are yet known. I truly hope they make a simple adaptor so any mini-jack enabled mic can be used... That one together with our beautiful expensive mic should make a perfect match...-
But more important is the subject.
When looking into the podcast directory and listening to a bunch of podcasts, only few appeal. Most of the podcasts are boring, too long and too unprofessional in my humble opinion.
So we tried to switch around, make short podcasts -only 3 minutes- and use a professional voice and something funny to make the podcast something you want to listen to.
I hope it works and you like what we do.
I hope it inspires you to make your own inspiring podcast :)
A short note on music and intro's
We made a deal for our intro with the amazingly good Smoothouse, so we can use our tune unlimited.
I am just telling you you should be careful when using music material and tunes.
Check the podsafe music network for safe music and know that the RIAA and in Belgium SABAM are still arguing about what is allowed and what not. You might want to follow it up before you get a bill in your mail...
Posted on November 25, 2005
in Projects - Podcasting
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Freedom
I was so unhappy while in my home country 'cause I thought there's no atmosphere of freedom, but now I'm in a free country, how come I still feel unhappy. Then I understood that it's my heart, it's all because of my heart. My heart is not free, then no matter where I am, I can't be happy. I pushed myseld too much.
A remark from a close friend, though she is very far away.
Posted on November 25, 2005
in Friends around
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Change.
Getty Images started a project for the famous 'One' campaign: Change.
You can select a pictures and subit some text. For each submitted picture, Gettyimages donates 10$ towards DATA an organisation that works to stop the crisis of Debt, Aids and Trade in Africa
A book of the selections will be published.
So hurry up, submit your favorite pic, and change the world through imagery.
Posted on November 25, 2005
in Linking context
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It is SNOWING...
Unbelievable. It is only November...
Posted on November 25, 2005
in Living in Belgium
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Discontinuous Changes to Media
Interesting post on the blog of PR man Richard Edelman about the future of media.
Extracted highlights:
* The largest 50 Web companies are attracting 96% of the ad spending on line.
* 9.5 million homes in the US now have TiVo or another digital video recorder. 64% of DVR users skip all ads and an additional 26% skip through most ads. The number of homes with DVRs is expected to triple in the next five years.
* Every dollar coming out of print advertising revenue for newspapers is replaced by only 33 cents online.
Changes to the media landscape are dramatic...
Posted on November 25, 2005
in Limit of my knowledge
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Academy and PhD
My old school has a renewed website, and I have to say: I like it. Pixelman did a great job.
The Academy has its own site, and though I like the design a lot, the structure is yet confusing.
But I guess that was up to the guys of communication again... Strange, when communication guys make structure, the latter is far away.
I sat with the Dean of the Academy yesterday and I was told that the school will organize a Doctorate in Photography in the near future.
Neat! That way I can study in Ghent again :)
-No, I am not joking, if I would have the opportunity to do a PH.D I will...-
Why go on studying? Because it enriches your life in content
Why studying in Belgium? Because the system is damn good, educational levels are pretty high, and it is SOOOO cheap. In Belgium one pays 500 euro/year, In Israel it was 2500 euro/year, and in USA... You don't want to know.
Posted on November 26, 2005
in Linking context, Living in Belgium
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Gia
I just finished seeing the movie Gia with Angelina Jolie. It was the first time I thought Angelina is actually very pretty... (Oh c'mon those big lips aren't sexy at all...)
The movie is a story about Gia Marie Curangi who was one of the first women known to die of aids. As a supermodel she got into drugs.
As I am a total woozy, I cried half of the movie...
As the story is a true story I did a fast check on Google which delivered some sites, and stunning pics of Gia.
(Helmut Newton pic)
Boy, she is my pin up of the week ;)
(Probably some of you know Gia actually played in a famous Blondie Video Clip: Atomic)
And this site has beautiful video material
Posted on November 27, 2005
in Linking context
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Comics
I am a comic lover -not yet a freak-, a thing my companions on the trip to South East Asia could experience when they discovered the comics I brought.
I suspect they take me along next time not for my technical capacities, but rather for the comics ;)
Anyway, I love the work of Sebastiaan van Doninck a lot, and I always hoped he would design some T-Shirts with his drawings...
I rediscovered his site Dollywood, and can add another link: Bries.be
Enjoy.
Posted on November 28, 2005
in Linking context
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Google takes over the world...
Did you see on of those movies where Robots take over the world?
Did you ever read one of those books?
Today I opened Google and I saw in the right corner my gmail account appearing. Does this mean they record everything I am searching for?
Is their goal world domination?? LOL
I am joking about it now, but it is pretty scary.
With your Urchin counter, your Gmail inbox and your Google search profile they do know a lot about you.
Pretty scary if you ask me...
Posted on November 28, 2005
in Limit of my knowledge
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CoeXist
Way too expensive, but nice idea...
Posted on November 28, 2005
in Linking context
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Looking for presents?
Try this one
Posted on November 29, 2005
in Design
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Firefox 1.5
Definitely like it better than the 1.0.
It became a 28MB thing but my flash seems to work these days...
Posted on November 30, 2005
in Linking context
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Drupal
Today I met Dries from Drupal.
I actually planned a meeting after having received a comment by the founder himself some days ago.
And I wanted to meet him before, to hear about the technical possibilities of Drupal.
Due to a lack of time these days, I didn't have the time to test Drupal, so I am still not so aware of its possibilities except from what screenshots reveal.
Why Drupal you ask?
Very short answer: in the recent past I was confronted with some major web companies who use amazing complicated CMS-systems.
Sometimes existing ones, sometimes self made but very bad designed, and sometimes something in between.
I just don't get it: there is so much good open source available.
More over, there is so much good home made open source available.
Drupal and Daisy are Belgian.
But why-o-why major web companies don't use these systems?
Why do they opt for older complicated CMSses and why do they charge way to much for those?
Why don't we use these free alternatives and promote our Belgian IT knowledge rather than choosing for another paid solution from abroad?
Dries and I had an interesting talk on the matter: he discovered indeed Belgium is running behind. Drupal is very popular in the US, he told me about big companies that are running the software, and other big web companies that use the software as CMS for their clients. There actually some that built their business model on installing and designing Drupal-sites.
Drupal is developed and maintained by one person, but worldwide more than 300 developers are working to build plugins and extra's.
And what happens in Belgium?
Nothing... Except for few small sites. (Update: zattevrienden.be)
And why?
No clue.
The Belgian Drupal site is looking for stories of Belgian implementation of the CMS.
Feel free to add yours
Posted on November 30, 2005
in Technical stuff
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Big fat company
In the recent past I was asked to do a follow up of an important site, made by an important web company.
I was stunned...
The major web company showed me something I had never thought to see ever again: a very robust and uneasy admin panel for which they 'had to teach me for one day how to work with it'. The system was only working in I.E 5.0 and on PC.
I thought I went back into the middle ages.
I asked the guy something I wanted to have implemented, and he started finding excuses, on how difficult it was, and how much work it would take.
I guess he thought I was 'a woman' -read: doesn't know anything about IT- and thus was pretty silent when I started laughing and told him all the specifications how to do it.
-Don't fool me guys. I might not look smart, but I sure know what I am talking about-
Why am I telling this.
Because they don't get it.
These companies made a lot of money during the first internet bubble, then almost went bankrupt, and now finally get out of the dirt.
You would think they learned their lesson.
They didn't.
They still play magic with numbers and charge way too much.
And what do they offer? False tricks.
Really.
I know the story about a site that costed 25000 euro.
A friend of mine redesigned it, made a custom CMS for that client, easy and clean, no teaching involved, and did it for a mere 2300 euro.
The client swore they would never work with big companies again.
Let's pray high profiles web companies start to use well designed open source CMS-systems rather than working with those dinosaurs that are only I.E 5 compatible and should belong to the past...
I really don't get it, and it only explains why in the future, people will choose small smart web wizards rather than working with big website/marketing companies.
Those just don't get it...
They are stuck in their routine and look for the numbers.
Same story with ad/marketing companies. While recent numbers show that print advertising doesn't affect the viewer anymore, and internet should be regarded as a new way to influence people, few agencies seems to get that idea.
I believe smart companies should hire a consultant that is aware of new technologies and that can offer cheaper ways to have the same effect, rather than go to a company that has dollars in its eyes.
Podcasting and blogs can be seen as such a way to influence people in a different way.
Seems MortierBrigade is the only one getting the point (with HumoLiegt)
Posted on November 30, 2005
in Living in Belgium
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