Barnhard Blog

Hee, I know these places ! Read the rest of this entry »

I like this site because is just shows how many companies are taken into these huge media groups. I can’t judge the whole quality argument at the moment, however I do see that governments could do more to protect consumers better in both privacy and choice. Anyway, have a look.

Lovely space retro, nothing to add. (you can off course)

Most people think the space shuttle is routine. Well, its costly, old and barely an space airliner everyone thinks it is. Look at the number of flights these last years. With commercial space exploration growing and even with a last safety flight (2005), the recent crack found after 2 stopped launches shows the shuttle needs to retire. NOW.

Congrats Bart !
Website: www.spincd.nl
 

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Artist Brian Springer spent a year scouring the airwaves with a satellite dish grabbing back channel news feeds not intended for public consumption. The result of his research is SPIN, one of the most insightful films ever made about the mechanics of how television is used as a tool of social control to distort and limit the American public’s perception of reality. ..This extraordinary film released in the early 1990s is almost completely unknown.

Website: www.brasscheck.com

What’s going on?

Update: the new reporter?

The Next Web Conference is held this Friday in Amsterdam. Guest speakers include names from Wired, Digg, Techcrunch. Aim is to discuss issues and development around web 2.0 and beyond.

Tommorrow, A’dam. Organiser audio interview (realplayer & dutch)

Good overview of online material about the conference.

-Friday-

Update 1: Some photo’s of today

Update 2: More live updates

Update 3: Japan 2.0

Update 4: Log van de Eeuw Live mp3 there (english)

-Saturday-

Update 5: Marketingfacts has a number of other reports

Update 6: 20 very short video pitches of companies there.

Commentful is a service that watches comments/follow-ups on Blog posts, Digg submissions, Flickr pictures, and many other types of content. When ever there is an update, such as a new follow-up or comment, Commentful notifies you instantly.

An extended form of cocomments, with simpel add function. (via)

System, method and apparatus for connecting users in an online computer system based on their relationships within social networks

Document: United States Patent

Did we allready made it clear that these kind of US patents worries us?

Patents are for society, not the individual. It’s supposed to push progress forward by opening non-obvious ideas for everyone for a limited time. Not MONOPOLIZE obvious ideas for the benefit of one person against the rest of society. [via]

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Its easy to criticize other countries for not democratic voting, but also in the Netherlands electronic voting should be done correctly.

Voting should be done right. (dutch)
 
(via Tijs)
 
See also..

This time the debate around software patents in Europe is going to be ‘bigger and more complex’ according to an anti-patent campaigner

Last year, the directive on the patentability of computer implemented inventions, commonly known as the software patent directive, was rejected by the European Parliament. “It’s starting again,” Schmalz reportedly said at a conference held by pro-patent organisation Progress and Freedom Foundation (PFF). “And I hope this time we will be better prepared.” The conference was also attended by other pro-patent companies and groups, including Microsoft and the Association for Competitive Technology. Florian Mueller, the founder of Nosoftwarepatents.com and a key campaigner against last year’s directive, said the next battle over software patents could be more difficult to fight than the last.

Website: http://news.zdnet.co.uk

 
The Penalty World Cup is over.
[from another angle]
 
We got 4 years to make it soccer again. *duimt*
 
Ah, there’s a start, fair play making a difference.

Ik verbaas me over het feit dat op Nederlandse weblogs er verdomd weinig gediscussieerd wordt over software patenten. Hier en daar wordt er een artikeltje aan gewijd die vooral de reeds bestaande tegenstanders lijkt te bereiken. Het grote publiek wordt mijn inziens nog te weinig geïnformeerd en daardoor wordt er geen significante politieke druk uitgeoefend.

Een partij die de Kenniseconomie in een hoog vaandel heeft staan werd bijvoorbeeld amper afgestraft voor de politieke keuzes omtrent software patenten van zijn Minister van EZ. Ik betwijfel of software patenten enige invloed zullen hebben op de aankomende verkiezingen.

Dit alles terwijl er genoeg aanleiding voor een algehele mobilisatie is:

Lobbyists prepare for next software patent battle

Het is geen discussie tussen links en rechts Nederland.

Wat weerhoud iedereen? De voorstanders typeren tegenstanders als p2p junkies, waarom laten tegenstanders dit toe? Waarom wordt er niet terug geslagen? Alsof de populistisch gekozen organisatie namen niet genoeg potentie hebben tot spot, bijvoorbeeld de “Progress and Freedom Foundation” roepen bij mij associaties op met Afrikaanse rebellen groepen en bendes met even illustere namen. Vooral “Democratie” ontbreekt vaak niet in hun naam.

Wat is er in godsnaam aan de hand?
Zijn we angstig of denken we dat het allemaal wel zal loslopen?
Hiervan zou je toch slecht moeten slapen.. Daarom: Wordt vervolgd!

The first official conference of the Wordpress community has just been announced. On August 5th, 2006 in San Francisco, California (US) the conference (no-fee) will be held. At this first conference they keep it simpel, “touch and go” .
I’m actually hoping a bit that they will eventually step over to the unconference format (wiki) or some form of elevator pitch with that. With Wordpress communities here and there, I would think it would be possible to organise one in Europe too. Anyway thumbs up for this great iniative, looking forward to the vlogs, wiki entries and blogs. For email-updates and sign-up information you can head over to wordcamp.org.

Update:
Many respondents and there is now a Wordpress Podcast group apparently.

Update 2:
They are counting down..

Hilarious funny.

A look inside CERN (vid)

Expressr, a nice example of webbased software, as You OS.

Update: Slashdot discussion about You OS.

Ever wondered how they design a spreadsheet program like Excel? Have a look at the current design of Excel 2007.

Whereas Pligg is already used as digg clone cms by many voting based sites, now it appears the first wide audience applications are coming for Wordpress too. We highlighted the funny Trollr before as Ajax voting example. Now Bumbox with actual counting is a nice follow-up ajax based voting blog-addon. I think that 3spots makes a good point that it needs modifications. Nice to see we’re slowly getting there..

The German chancellor Angela Merkel started her own video podcast over a month ago. The feedback she has gotten since isn’t very positive. People claim it to be very staged and static and it’s missing that personal touch that vlogs should have. Lyssa Bochert, a well known German blogger and soon-to-be chief editor at one of Germany’s largest newspapers, and Gabe B. went to see the Chancellor last Wednesday to explain the essence of vlogging. The Chancellor was totally convinced and decided she wanted to do a spontanious interview right there in her office.

[Xolo.tv]

Merkel now suddenly ahead of all? Big compliments to Bochert and Gabe, you’re really changing things here.