31 juli 2006 in Recensie
Another glorious adventure to get ourselves Scrummed. Again a trip to a desolated place where hotels operate without rules, people speak an ancient language and taxi drivers have no clue about GPS trafic information systems or what roadmaps can do. Indeed peepers, we went off Scrumming in Fryslan, the part of Holland so pure and old that the European Union only give ‘m subsidies for innovation instead of preservation: De Veenhoop.
Read more…
30 juli 2006 in Communicatie
A university creative writing class was asked to write a
concise essay containing these four elements
* religion
* royalty
* sex
* mystery
The prize-winning essay read:
“My God,” said the Queen. “I’m pregnant. I wonder who did it?”
—
Contribution by Tom/TBEE
30 juli 2006 in Gadgets
There it is … silently put on the frontpage of one of the bigger online stores in The Netherlands. Available on November 17, the much hyped Sony Playstation 3. Including a Blue-ray disc thingy, 60Gb harddrive and a whole lot of other nice features. Oh, it will probably have supply problems too, so little chance to get your hands on one before the holidays.
HERE, Dutch link.
29 juli 2006 in Financieel
Microsoft is famous for Windows and Office, but also for missing the moment and mispredicting market behavior. In 1995 when the whole world switched to internet, Bill Gates launched his now forgotten book (The Road Ahead) without using the i-word at all. Internet was not on the Road Ahead for Microsoft in 1995 …
It changed the same year when Netscape lauched a platform that could float on top of the Operating System. Meaning: companies no longer needed to buy MS Office, but could rent it from Netscape. Microsoft proved true colors by using all means available to kill Netscape off. They got heavily fined for it, but it brought them market control.
Microsoft then pulled a Netscape on Real Networks, Lotus Office and a whole bunch of other competitors. All according to the default Microsoft approach: let someone invent it, copy it or rip it (or if everything fails: buy it) and push competition out of the market. They have a history of doing that, even to partners.
Apple created the digital music market. With the iTunes Music Store and iPod, Apple defined the media battlefield. Microsoft was taken completely buy surprise (hey, what’s new) but responsed by launching a whole bunch of competitive DRM driven solutions to be used in third party hardware like music players (Philips, Creative and such) and phones (Qtec, Samsung).
All competitors together couldn’t make a dent in the marketshare Apple enjoys with its near flawless solution. And thus time for Microsoft to step in and do it themselves. Of course, this time without hands being tied to their back, because the Microsoft solution isn’t DRM driven. So not compatible with URGE (joint venture Microsoft and MTV) and Playforsure (Microsoft DRM solution used by Creative, Philips iRiver, Samsung, etc).
They call it Zune (put on your goggles, turn off those speakers and please take some pills before clicking that link), a media Platform and it’s allowed to loose money for the next 5 years (the xbox model). I call it a great way to fuck over your partners (and they have a history with that too: like here).
29 juli 2006 in Maatschappij
That’s what the Dutch airforce thought when it had to buy a multi-mission helicopter. Research based on all wishes and demands, pointed at the American Blackhawk chopper being the best choice. That’s is the one that was designed to replace the Huey Workhorse, the chopper made famous through all those Vietnam movies. But the Dutch government decided that it would better to buy something from Europe.
So the Dutch army went hunting in the olde country and selected the mighty Cougar, designed and made by Eurocopter. Very versatile Helicopter, with just one slight disadvantage: it can’t operate in really hot weather.
Very nice .. especially given the fact that the Cougar will be the backbone of Operation Unicorn with-a-new-name in Uruzgan, Afghanistan. It basically means the Cougar can only operate at night. Really, really nice, since both Dutch Chinooks in Afghanistan were lost because Dutch pilots lack (Dutch lingo link) night training. That will be something, certainly because the airforce already lacks equipment and crew to do a decent job.
28 juli 2006 in Geen categorie
Yes, that must be one mighty gaming rig … or typo, fuckup, whatever.
Good that you can pay in monthly installments. And then there is that special initiative: buy now and pay when it’s obsolete in 2007.
26 juli 2006 in Bizar
For years we have been receiving these emails from Nigeria, begging for money. You probably still remember these nice little messages starting off with something like: I have been requested by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company to contact you for assistance in resolving a matter.
Without any doubt you have also wondered what the Nigerians were going to do with all that money. Well, the puzzling is over as they today ordered one million (yes: 1.000.000) laptops-for-the-poor, also known as the OLPC project.
Finally showtime. The scam is over!
26 juli 2006 in Geen categorie
Well, everything starts with ambition.
26 juli 2006 in Geen categorie
You just browse into a nifty piece of software that really looks different. Like this new browser for Mac OS X: Shiira. I only took it for a short spin, but, Shirra looks very promising indeed. Based on Apple’s on Webkit (Safari Core), this Japanese built product has some really nice features. Oh, and it’s free.
Read more…
25 juli 2006 in Maatschappij
Saudi King in a formal TV statement about Israeli incursion in Lebanon: “If the peacetalks collapse because of Israeli arrogance, war is the only option.” (Dutch link)
25 juli 2006 in Financieel
Mounting losses, decreasing revenu per customer, cancelling 3G networks in new countries and price wars in main saturated markets. Yeah, Vodafone is in for a rough ride.
But then, just when you think things can’t get any worse, main investors are teaming up to oppose bonusses, director pay and even the re-election of CEO Sarin. That might not be a good idea, especially if you consider how dangerous Sarin can be.
In the meantime big chiefs (including their main troubleshooter Morrow) are leaving the company. Hmmm, what was that about rats and sinking ships?
23 juli 2006 in Technologie
Time to move my blog from servers and software offered by Typepad to servers and software provided by Tothem, connectivity and backups supplied by Zoranet.
During the move I also traded the 3-column model for a 2 column version, meaning more focus on the content.
23 juli 2006 in Recensie
A beach happening without a beach, in the middle of nowhere. Locals with funny accents, Technotronic back from the grave, an overactive groupy, a bass player wearing FatBoy’s shoes and a leadsinger in a skirt blowing fire before driving 1400 kms to Spain for a 4 day holiday. You guessed it folks, the best kept secret of the North West of Holland: the Mega Beach Happening, a festival in a place so hidden they give you three pointers for your GPS to find it: Vooroever Wevershoof / Andijk.
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22 juli 2006 in Maatschappij
Okay, the Dutch socialistic party is at it again. It’s the party we, of course, all remember as defending the MAO policy of putting people who think differently (artists, gay, etc) in labor camps to ‘re-educate’ them. A few links about these camps: here, here, here and here. Read more…
21 juli 2006 in Geen categorie
But oh … how lovely. Including a lot of nice classic games.
DONKEY KONG DONKEY KONG JUNIOR SCRAMBLE SPACE INVADERS DIG DUG LADY BUG 4D WARRIORS 1942 GALAGA GALAXIAN FROGGER PACMAN PHOENIX BOMB JACK LUNAR RESCUE MOON CRESTA MR DO PAC MAN PLUS STARFORCE UNIWARS WONDER BOY XEVIOUS GORF MOON PATROL TERRA CRESTA EYES SON OF PHOENIX VIDEO HUSTLER VASTAR WIZ MX5000 MEGATACK JAIL BREAK GYRODINE PLEIADS
That’s days of fun … and then I’m only referring to one run of Galaga.
