Category: Kim Blog (English)

Personal blog. Thoughts, conspiracies with a danish twist etc.

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Surf’s up at the Damhus lake: Wi-Fi everywhere

While biking home from Copenhagen city tonight, I made a short pit-stop, mostly to enjoy the scenery by the Damhus lake, but also to recharge my iPod shuffle, that possibility existed because my PowerBook was fully charged. I flipped the screen open, logged on to Mac OS X: lo- and behold, much to my surprise, an open Wi-Fi network announced itself. Surf’s up in the normally quiet Damhus lake. The open network is called rulykke and it can be accessed from the path that trails the south eastern shore of the Damhus lake.

Experiences like this really makes me consider removing the encryption from my network, it’s a nice way to protest against the monopoly like status of the TelCos. Network access wants to be free. Tak rulykke network – du er bare alletiders!!!

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Blogs Bookmarks Kim Blog (English) Open Source Technology

Format Wars: OpenXML Developer

OpenXML Developer

OpenXML Developer is a web-site dedicated to developers of OpenXML applications. The OpenXML format is Microsoft’s proposed open document format standard. OpenXML will become the default file-format for the next version of Microsoft Office, Office 12 or Office 2007.

OpenXML, or “Office 2003 reference schemas” is often seen as a strategic move by Microsoft to try to take attention away from another proposed document standard, the OpenDocument Format (ODF), that is backed by the ODFAlliance.

Like I’ve mentioned before, I really fail to see the need for more than one standard, and I really hope that Microsoft decide to support OpenDocument. For now Microsoft has said that they will leave implementation of ODF to 3rd parties.

One thing I find interesting is that OpenOffice.Org, most likely will have support for OpenXML, as well as ODF…Just another reason to switch.

Looking at the content of the OpenXML Developer site, I can see that sections dedicated to Linux and Mac OS developers has been added, but the samples that are present right now is limited to Java and .NET, and it looks like Microsoft will be adding special APIs to .NET that aims to simplify creation of binary content, e.g. attachments, and the source code for this will (I’m willing to take a wager), most likely, be closed.

Where OpenOffice.Org shines, is that it’s implementation of ODF is Open Source, and having an open reference implementation makes it relatively simple to write ODF applications that will remain compatible.

Microsoft is claiming that OpenXML will ensure backwards compatibility with the old DOC format(s), this sounds quite strange, Microsoft could have decided to build on ODF, and then make their own extensions.

So what is Microsoft’s motives. I believe that they have several:

  • Keep undocumented binary information in the documents that only Office 2007 will support.
  • New lock-in strategy, OpenXML will replace DOC as the default format, history shows that the users that have upgraded quite quickly will start sending documents in the new format, forcing the reciepients to upgrade.

It will be interesting to see that happens in the format wars. A good resource, somewhat biased towards ODF though, is the excellent Groklaw site.

For now ODF has a huge lead over OpenXML. Office 2007 has been delayed, and by the time it ships, it’s likely that ODF has been ratified by ISO. OpenXML is using the ECMA organisation to gain a fast track to ISO, and Microsoft has recently joined the ISO subcommittee that works with the ratification of document formats. It is estimated that OpenXML is at least 18 months behind ODF in the ratification process. According to C|NET News.com, the ODFAlliance is optimistic that ODF can be certified as early as next month.

Personally I don’t think that Microsoft should be allowed to change the default format in Office, and remain a supplier of software to the Danish public sector.

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Blogs Bookmarks Kim Blog (English) Mactopia Technology

David Weiss: A Tour of Microsoft’s Mac Lab

David Weiss: A Tour of Microsoft’s Mac Lab

Drool…Mactopia! has been located!

A rack with 150 Mac minis, controlled from a 30″ Apple display that “rotates like butter” :-D…OMG times 150!!!

Guess Redmond, Washington, 1 Microsoft Way can be a very pleasant place.

Now I want to go work for Microsoft.

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Blogs Bookmarks Historier/Stories Kim Blog (English) Mactopia Technology

dr.dk › DR1 › Michelles mission › Programmerne › Michelles mission (4)

dr.dk › DR1 › Michelles mission › Programmerne › Michelles mission (4)

Macspot: Mine!!!A link to the TV show that featured yours truly is up now, stay tuned for the streamed media. You have to watch for something like 15 minuttes to catch a glimpse of me, and later, me and my trusty companion, my beloved Apple PowerBook G4 12″ aka. K.Job.

Yes, KB-Hallen features a free and fast Wi-Fi connection 8-). “You are using a mobile phone to get a connection right?” “No, it’s Wi-Fi!” “It’s what?” “It’s wireless Internet! It’s build right in. And guess what it’s free”.

The future is now, Wi-Fi is becoming pervasive, much like running water. When I went to Vingsted Center in Vejle for the “Yearly Gathering” (årsmøde) of Dansk Flygtningehjælp (The Danish Refugee Council) last week, they had Wi-Fi as well, and once again I was the only user. But 3G is dead like ahem 3G, long live Wi-Fi.

You can also catch the re-runs of show 4.

Michelles mission
DR1, Thursday the 20-Apr-2006 @ 14:20
DR1, Monday the 24-Apr-2006 @ 09:05

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Blogs Bookmarks Kim Blog (English) Rumforskning Videnskab

ESA – Venus Express

ESA – Venus Express

OK OK…Since I always comment the NASA robotic missions, it’s sort of a disgrace that I have ignored the successful VOI (Venus Orbital Insertion) manoeuvre of the Venus Express mission last week. Congratulations to ESA on another success – things are shaping up, and I’ve almost forgotten the disappointment of the Beagle 2 Mars mission.

I must admit that I sort of fail to see the need for a mission to Venus. The Venusian surface, below the heavy cloud-cover has already been mapped, in quite a lot of detail, by one of the few NASA missions of the early 90ies.

But I welcome any science, and it is a real mystery why Venus is such a hostile environment, it’s amazing how “sweet a spot” Earth has hit in it’s orbit of the Sun, the “life as we know it” zone seems to be extremely narrow.

ESA has caught the Podcast wave, and Vodcast? That’s the first time I head that term – I guess that it covers Video Podcasts – really just call it a Podcast or maybe V-Cast – I really hope that Vodcast doesn’t catch on – it just sounds bad?

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Blogs Historier/Stories Kim Blog (English) Manic Panic

Mentally disturbed donated expensive computers to children

Translated from an article featured in Vejle Amts Folkeblad 23-Apr-2005

The police is pleading with children and adolescents, who have received expensive gifts, to return them to the Vejle police station.

By Mie Sparre,

The parents of a couple of children alerted the SSP department (co-operation between school, parents and the police that works to prevent youth crime) of Vejle police, because they had discovered that their sons suddenly had a laptop worth 12-13,000 kroner, and a brand new MP3 player, in their possession. The boys claimed that they had received the gifts from a strange man who had been standing at Nørretorv in Vejle, outside McDonald’s and that he gave computers, MP3-players and other expensive electronic gadgets away to the accidental passers by.

This sounded just a little far-fetched, but after some investigation the police has discovered that the boys were indeed right. It has also been established who the strange man was.

It has turned out, that the man is a formerly successful businessman who has been hit by mental illness, that for instance had manifested itself in the form of extreme generosity. It is believed that the man had purchased several computers of the Amitech brand, and that he had planned to donate them away.

Follow your conscience

The man has now been committed for treatment, and the expensive gifts has, through the intervention of the police, been returned to his family.

But should other parents experience that their son or daughter suddenly is listening to music from a brand new MP3 player or is surfing the net on a fancy laptop, the items could come from the same incidence. And detective Peter Krogh, Vejle Police, urges that you follow your conscience and deliver the goods back.

Gifts can be delivered to the guard at the Vejle Police Station, Skolegade.

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Blogs Bookmarks Design Kim Blog (English) Technology

Vejle Kunstmuseum – architecture and technology

I just visited the newly reopened Vejle Kunstmuseum (Vejle Museum of Art), and it was a very nice experience. The museum has been modernised and has had a new wing added. The new wing has been designed by the Utzon architects, and the way the entrance has been wedged between the old building and the new wing with an open spacious and very light colonnade is very successful, it extends the perspective towards infinity, now I’m dreaming of a “historic Vejle axis” flanked by trees on both sides, that would extend towards the beautiful Ådal. Unfortunately that isn’t going to happen, because the view soon will be blocked, I hope only partially, by a new housing complex.

Notable items from the collection includes one of the largest compilations of Rembrant sketches and a large collage style painting with faces of famous, and not so famous, Danes, you can really spend a lot of time just looking at this picture trying to identify the people.

Digital "guides" from Vejle KunstmuseumMore surprisingly, the museum is making good use of new technology by providing the visitors with the possibility to take a guided tour using a type of portable digital player, that resembles an iPod shuffle. The device is called PICKUP and it is produced by the Swedish Company dataton. The PICKUP device is extremely rugged, I suspect that it’s quite expensive.

This is how it works. Some of the exhibited items has a small infrared receiver “eye”, called a hotspot or transponder, located next to them, if you point the player towards one of the electronic eyes, and press play, it will load a spoken interview where the item is being discussed. Very clever indeed, I didn’t discover the devices until I was about to exit the museum, since admission currently, and for the remainder of 2006, is free, so I went back and revisited the exhibits walking away from the item being discussed, listing to the discussion “in transit”. I expect this to become a mainstream feature in museums, and as music players evolve I expect that the information will be streamed over Bluetooth to your iPod.

Being a geek I’ve spend too much time discussing the technology, the museum is it self worthwhile paying a visit, the number of artworks owned by the museum is limited, but the selection and quality of the art is quite high. Recommended, if you’re going to LEGOLAND consider making a pit-stop at the Vejle Kunstmuseum, as I mentioned admission is free for the duration of 2006, so you can’t use that you can’t afford it as an excuse.

Highly recommended. And great to be able to tag a museum review with technology, I think that it’s deserved. Now why didn’t I come up with this idea (well actually I did – last year – remember that I’m from the future ;-))

Related links
Vejle Kunstmuseum
dataton
dataton PICKUP fact sheet (1.6 MB PDF)

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Another fine mess?

Logo Vigtigt.dkMichelles Mission

Suddenly I found myself in a crowd of 5.000 Danes and Swedes of Kurdish origin, flashing my PowerBook with the DR cameras rolling. Considering the flak DR has taken over indirect promotion of Apple, this could end up on the editing floor (I certainly hope so).

And now I’m also left with at least one major question? Am I a sell-out? I hope that I haven’t misrepresented Dansk Flygtningehjælp and all our volunteers.

Anyway, it’s been interesting to see how professional media-people work, we can most definitely learn a lot, taking more than a year to produce some professional PR material is not cool!

More important…I actually managed to do some networking, and talking to well-integrated Danes of other ethnic descend (ny-danskere), was a welcome relief. I believe that Netværksgruppen i Mjølnerparken should try to co-operate with people like Foreningen Akademikere for Etnisk Ligestilling.

BTW. The possibility that I’ll be on TV – again! – and, almost to the day, one year later, is making my close relatives, well mostly my mother, worry.

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User:Kim Bach – Reboot

Reboot8
User:Kim Bach – Reboot
Just signed up for the reboot8.0 event, #130 on the list of participants. Yay! A Wiki? What a 21st century idea!

The list of participants and keynote speakers is shaping up, and it sounds great that there are so many female speakers and participants.

Let there be light…The computer WILL be the network…It’s the dawn of the participation age…

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Blogs Bookmarks Kim Blog (English) Open Source Technology

YAWN – Yet Another Wiki Nuisance: Introducing WiKim

So did I, or the world for that matter, really need another Wiki? Introducing WiKim (sry, couldn’t resist that)

I’ve decided to take the why-not, or because I can, approach.

Hmm…I think I’ll start out wikifying my seriously outdated IT-Ordliste Anno 2000 seems like a potiential driver of trafic? For proof that I’m a “media-ho”, look no further.