Bets between wife and husband 2005

31.03.2005 / filed under default

incrediBILL posts in the 'how much do you earn' thread on webmasterworld that noon is the best time for Adsense results:

Now that I have SySense installed it pops up a balloon within 15 minutes every time the earnings update on Google so it gets to be intuitive, like tracking a stock.

My wife and I now "bet" on the noon numbers based on the 8am numbers LOL

:o) Perhaps I should have a website which tells me what "The bulk of my money is earned by NOON PST" means translated to my timezone.

Speaking if timezones: I have to "wait" one hour more now for my results - thanks to daylight saving time *grrr*

Tada list now served with umlauts.

31.03.2005 / filed under default

It is not as if I am only complaining about things. I just want them to work. A good example of what did not work was tada, the service for your free todo list. Which should get you into using (and paying) basecamp. But ... it was not able to keep umlauts. While I can read umlauts (öäüß) in their us-ascii equivilent (oe ae ue ss), I do type them.

As they were not working properly, I left tada after a short testing period. But over the announcement of 'somethings coming! don't know when, don't know '- wait, no, that was something different.

Next try: Backpackit is announced:

Backpack helps you bring life's loose ends together
The next big thing from 37signals, the folks who brought you Basecamp, everyone's favorite web-based project management tool, and Ta-da List, the easiest-to-use to-do list manager.

I retested tada - and it does keep my umlauts now - great! We only have 2005, so silly me to expect a service like that to understand one of the most basic charsets ...

But, of course, also signed up for the new backpackit - as I am a curious person.

I am sure, the blank white screen after submittig my address was not supposed to be there but a nice confirm page, but hey ...

When will technorati & co. start to use language based preferences?

30.03.2005 / filed under default

With the postings about the new Yahoo service, I got annoyed again: When will we PLEASE have language settings?

I do speak english and german. And am interested in postings exactly in those two languages. No french, no spanish, no dansk, no ????????.

(And yes, this applies to Google also. I don't use MSN Search so much which has this feature, but this one could get me over!)

My comments on the new Yahoo 360

30.03.2005 / filed under default

Just forgot: I am using the built in blog over there to jot down my notes and remarks over the new service - to not post it all here. And to test the blog functionality. :)

While this is a kind of notice board for the not existing copy of a feedback mail, you might find something useful over there. Go visit:
Nicole's take on Yahoo 360°



Technorati tags: Yahoo 360 | Yahoo 360 english

Invitation for a Yahoo 360 account anyone? get one here :o)

30.03.2005 / filed under default

Still have 100 left. They keep coming. Just like gmail invites. ;o)

(Please don't type your email address in the comment, just into the email field. Otherwise you could receive unwanted spam from spam harvesters.)

Congratulation, Tee. :o)

30.03.2005 / filed under default

Just enjoying a conversation with Tee when he starts going 'Holy shit. HOLY SHIT!" and I was just wondering why he was so enthusiastic - but he has just received note that two of his books have reached award finalists at the Foreword Magazine

This is why phoning is so much more fun than writing. ;)

And: Congrats on the nomination! :)

(Now he needs a blog. )

My impression / first glance at Yahoo 360°

30.03.2005 / filed under default

Thanks to Nico I received my invitation for the new Yahoo Service.

I have only been playing with it for about 5 minutes, but I have to say, I am quite impressed so far. Everything orkut wanted to be but did succeeded to be.

I'm impressed with the clean layout, features, complexity, speed - and the cleverness in which Yahoo will get all people (probably including me) to throw their data at them. And integrating an IM client, using their community because you long for it? MSN did not succeed, but seems as if Yahoo takes this hurdle without problem.

New blogs? They are not that shiny bright as MSN Spaces but they seem to be usable. And you don't need a passport account to just comment something.

Blogging just for your friends? For some more people? No problem. Just set the reading capabilities to that level.

One tip from the beginning; Don't change your profile name to something your name consists of - or the Yahoo page will probably always come first in search engine rankings.

And they want feedback? *evilgrin*

If anyone would like to have an invite, mail me at gmail.com and use neezee in front of the @, or use the contact form above. Include 'will do everything for invite in the sub'- wait, no, that was just me.

My info is not very filled at the moment, but if you like to add me to your list, this is my profile

Good morning, there is more in the world than just the US

29.03.2005 / filed under default

When will they ever learn? Just came across a post in an Adsense Forum:

There posts somebody:

I have since some month 2000 visitors a day and 1.3 up to 5% click rate. Suddenly I was fired from Google AdSense. Invalid clicks. But I am complete innocent.

In this case, I do not need all the log files from Google to tell him, that he is a liar.

Just the Alexa toolbar is enough.

Yeah right. Everybody on the world - especially Germans - install the Alexa Toolbar.

Just a little example: My main blog in german is beissholz.de and the Alexa ranking does tell me:

Traffic Rank for beissholz.de: 4,103,032

Which seems really unimportant. But this blog is much better:

Traffic Rank for useful-sounds.de: 555,220

Fact is: beisholz has six times the traffic / subscribers this blog has. But because this blog is in english and Alexa is very spread in the US, it has a much better standing in 'ranking'.

So much for a proof in using Alexa ranking in a different country ...

Funstuff

28.03.2005 / filed under default

Take a look at
"Must have Microsoft Word Toolbar"

"What an armed robbery between snowmen would look like"

and especially this one:
Precisely why daddies aren't allowed to buy t-shirts for kids

:o)

Oh, so true ...

28.03.2005 / filed under default

Found at Chocolate and Vodka:

Why does God give us the internet before teleportation? That's some cruel shit right there. "Here, you can talk to and love anyone on the planet, but you can't go anywhere. Good luck, fuckers!"

Hm, a Superman transport service at my convinience might do also.

But then again, I can't even cope with driving on the front passenger's seat ... maybe teleporting would be better.

The one thing the Terry Schiavo incident is good for

28.03.2005 / filed under default

While spending some days at my mom's (holiday, family and that stuff), I had to see the same Terry Schiavo picture all over the news. I don't watch TV at home (hei - don't have time for that), but when I am at home, I do.

Besides the fact that I do find it barbaric to let her die of thirst and hunger (we know that she will die because the nutrition helper was removed,so why is she not helped to move on?) there is one good thing out of it: it makes you aware of the fact that this might happen to you too.

What would you want, if something like this happened to you? Would you want your family to stay by your side, even 15 years, and still hope everything will be back to normal, once you perhaps would awake?

As it seems, it is not very easy in Germany to sign documents, which state what you want in such a case. But at least, over the tv reports, I did make a clear statement in front of my family: If ever happened something like this to me - I don't want to be "kept alive" like this.

Useful Sounds No. 29: How to manage email communication (the easter podcast)

25.03.2005 / filed under podcast

As an easter greating, a new podcast - and yes, I will adjust back to my normal positions of recording, so I don't have so many pop / hissing sounds. :(

26 min, 15.3 MB (right-click and say 'save link as')

• German Holidays


• As I am off for some familiy business, just a short rundown through some of the content


• G'dayworld featuring The famous Toby from Divamarketing, hear how Mick and Cam discovered the truth ...


• The problem of not knowing when to stop email conversation - we have enough signals in real life but not in online conversation


• Which emails is really in need of an answer? When it is okay to end a conversation?


• I write longer mails and see the people feeling forced to write back as long as I did - when in fact, I sometimes just wanted to be sure you understood.


• I'm guilty too, of not using proper disclaimer but if I say 'just yes / no needed', I mean it.


• How people feel uncomfortable about receiving mails demanding for answers.


• Use CC in mails and tell people in CC why they are included.


• Is there a good sign for indicating 'this conversation is closed from my point of view'.


• Why 'How do you do' leads to answers - it is a real question not a greeting.


• Connecting to strangers the new way and why I do write emails instead of comments


• Something for Scott from Today's Podcast and what I feel reluctantly about


• The problem of being nice.


• What the new digital natives miss out in learning about communicating.


• A short description of a book I'm searching and how this relates to meeting people in real life - how complicated it is to re-adapt, and re-connect once you really meet.


• Yes, I want you to read my blog. ;)


• Tell you more about me: I like advertisement. Yes, dear makers of American Copywriter crawling through my logfiles, I like your podcast ;o)

It's spring time and new podcast grow ...

25.03.2005 / filed under default

While I will pass on the TPN Rock podcast (sorry, just not my kind of music ...) I will not pass on the new adventure from Mike and Evo :o)

In conjunction with TrekUnited and SaveEnterprise.com, we're bringing you a weekly show that covers all the aspects of great SF televsion, movies and more.

We'll bring you interviews with actors, great commentary on shows and of course all the latest news from the SAVE ENTERPRISE front.

Aaah, how could I resist :o)

Go get the first episode, it is called Dragon Page Slice of Sci-Fi Show #000 or visit the website.

Learned a new word today

25.03.2005 / filed under default

I do tend to use words in ** to indicate my mood, which is quite easy in German, but I am still looking for translations for my favorites ones.

One just came across in a mail: to pout / to sulk / to tiff which is schmollen in German.

So if I would like to say *schmoll* as in looking poutingly to you (if that exists?), would I say *pout*?

Btw, my love for smileys and co is probably based on the fact that I tend to lay much ... smileys, honey and some more things in my voice :)

Wil Wheaton'a audio blog finally with a feed

24.03.2005 / filed under default

See, that is what David Duchovny's blog is for: While writing my german entry about his new blog, I was refering to Wil Wheatons and Zach Braff's blog - and just wanted to complain again, that Wil's audioblog has no feed.

But he has one now. :))

Perhaps Zach should audio blog also - seems to be much easier than writing down everyhing.

"I went from retarded to challenged"

24.03.2005 / filed under default

Wow. David Duchovny blogs. And podcasts. Cameron just linked to it and I have to say - I am impressed.

It is not just putting audio on a webpage, they explictly call it podcast. (Nice to hear his original voice - because in Germany, he and Keanu Reaves have the same dubbing voice ... )

Of course this is for promoting the film, but so what? It is a blog, people can take information from it, spread the news about the new film he is doing, participate, it has a nice layout (and a plug for ipodder lemon podcast client too)... Downside: The Feeds and subscriptions are screwed up, he will need a writer for his comments, and he needs more carriage returns in his text. ;o)

And you know what?

Never heard of David directing before, nor the film.
Watched the trailer for 'the House of D'. Liked it.

Go have a look yourself - because it looks like a good movie.

You can.

24.03.2005 / filed under default

Eric Rice in "Moving Mountains: Engadget and The Used":

I know there will be lots of questions about this. So, here's a few talking points to grok where I stand on things:

1. Listen to the community. They can be smarter than you.
2. You can do podcasts for the love of it.
3. You can do podcasts for the biz of it.
4. Indie, free, or Creative Commons music simply rocks.
5. And so can big famous music.
6. Fear is stupid.
7. Teach people everything you know.
8. You will never please everyone 100%, so don't trip. See #6.

Amen.

I would add: Be authentic. Be what you want to be. And stand up for that.

My shows aren't necessarily for everyone, either. Shit, I don't even promote voting in all the podcasting directories.

Of course not. Because it is not priority, link love is more important than some Votings.

Don't get me wrong, I know they all cry for votes in the directories, but while they are still learning how voting can be compromised (been there, not done that but sure am evil enough to know some other ways to do it), we make voting the grown up way. ;)

Eric Rice: usable.

24.03.2005 / filed under default

Just listened to the sponsored show from Eric, and I found this entertaining plus well integrated. We do get additional information about the band (never thought about the fact that you need to warm up as a gitarist), tourdates are available via the website and they get some google love too. And I don't even like such music (which I call Schrammelmusik - lots of guitar, no melody, no synthi/piano).

As I always say: I don't dislike advertisement, I dislike stupid advertisement.

So, looking forward to the next one.

*note2self* teach Eric how to say Addidas. :o)

Like Tags? podcasttags.com has started!

23.03.2005 / filed under default

Then there is news for you on the blog and podcast scene :o)

We just launched a new service called Podcast Tags that lets you attach tags to your episodes so that others can find them more easily.

If you have seen other tagging systems like Flickr and Technorati Tags, you'll see that we're very similar. You can check it out at http://podcasttag.com.

Take a look at the announcement text on a yahoo mailinglist.

Great idea! And they have a blog, too :o)

Email, the modern way.

23.03.2005 / filed under default

In this new century, you don't type answers in your emails - you write them. On your tablet.

Just received my first one of those today. Take a look at the top:
And I am still fascinated by it. This is just attention grabbing. And I have to admit, I showed it around.

Reaction of my dear colleagues?
"You don't plan on getting one of those tablets?!"
»Actually, I think maybe next year-«
"Don't even think about it. Nobody can read your writing! This is why we keep you on your computer all day!"
:(

[Not true btw. The tablet PC I played with for two hours? It did recognized my handwriting. Okay. At least most of it. :)]

New podcast suggestion - meet the American Copywriter

23.03.2005 / filed under default

Through Jason I found this cool new podcast for my list (as if I had not enough):

Welcome to "American Copywriter," SHS' weekly podcast featuring agency creatives John January and Tug McTighe.

Tune in each week to hear John and Tug share their unique take on the world of advertising, sports, music, TV, movies, pop culture, Halloween and really just about every topic imaginable. Basically, if John and Tug hear about a trend or an issue, they've got an opinion to share with everyone.

Copywriters, talking about advertisement and strategies, TV - great.

If you ever want to listen again to advertisement tunes - that's your place. *grin* Plus: cute sheep. :)

(Downside: Many things they are talking about, we don't know over here.)

Meet the Microsoft recruiting blogs.

22.03.2005 / filed under default

To quote a phone call earlier this day: "Who would have thought some years ago, that Microsoft had 1500 bloggers and Apple is suing bloggers?"

Indeed. And the most visible, interesting, and fun recruiting department of a top 100 company? Microsoft headquarter in Seattle. Even if you are not interested in working at Microsoft, this one is a must read if you are an employee.

And now there is a new addition to the list (they should make a group of it): Heather was so kind to send me the link to a new Aussie Microsoft recruiting blog - I am waiting for the European one :o)

In case you don't know who "The Heather" is (shame on you, there is more than Robert), head on over to her recruiting blog or listen to her on a land.fm interview. If you are more of a Tech Guy, Gretchen's Blog on Technical Careers.

Either way, don't miss out the videos from channel 9 with Gretchen and Zoe (right column). Those three women are defenetly a big reason for the "why Microsoft does not look so evil after all" blogging attention.

Update 2005-03-30: Gretchen also has a podcast now at her blog! :o)

German podcast - at your service

22.03.2005 / filed under default

As I see many hits from search engines on german podcast, podcast from Germany or "deutscher podcast" I would like to point you to the right direction. :o)

podcast.de and podster.de as ressources about the german speaking podcast scene and we also have a german wiki.

So if you would like to stay up to date with the german podosphere, there is as webpage also an rss feed about new podcasts.

Hope that helped! :)

Mercedes Mixed Tape 06 out

22.03.2005 / filed under default

If you don't know it by know, Mercedes Benz gives free for download music every eight weeks. Now it is time again, No. 06 is available and as usual, you can download them as one package - including cover. :)

Rediscover musical diversity with Mixed Tape.

Always a treat: every eight weeks Mercedes presents a free, exclusive download compilation – this time with 15 MP3 by international newcomers from Boston, Tobago, Ibiza and beyond!

A moving experience – not only in your Mercedes-Benz.

(via Schrankmonster)

Warner Brother to sponsor podcast

22.03.2005 / filed under default

While he received some rough comments about his first engadget podcst - but hei, we chicks love him, right Hilary? ;o) - Eric Rice has gotten himself some nice business, as reported by ClickZ:

After getting into some trouble for its early marketing practices in the blogosphere, Warner Brothers Records is dipping its toes in the blog waters once again. The company will sponsor podcasts of the Eric Rice Show and provide exclusive audio content from one of its bands.

Great to see another major company to enter the market. And if you listen behind the scenes of some other podcast producers, there are other big companies also interested in.

Great G'dayworld with Toby Bloomberg

22.03.2005 / filed under default

Yes, Toby from Divamarketing is a chick - and Cameron a big macho!

Don't believe it? Listen to the latest movie podcast show from TPN (his quote about women and films) or the new on the pod (he's not interested in the topic but about her *g*).

But that aside, this is one great podcast about business blogging and marketing, gotta listen to it, probably at least twice.

[Kind of the show I would have expected from the Bizblog show ...]

Useful Sounds No. 28: ipodder, skype and of white, male podcasters

21.03.2005 / filed under podcast

A new podcast for your computer, your mobile player - or just your ears. ;)

30 min, 17,7 MB (right-click and say 'save link as')

• Links for my feeds, look to the right column :)


• that bad T-word: TAXES! It is said that 70% of the world wide books about taxes is about german taxes


• my sound files plus the old ones


• Paul has a blog! Tales of a Modern Roadie, he is one of the guys of my intro sound.


• curiousity kills the cat ... "Why did no one tell me about TV Squad?" (visit TVSquad with direct feed links on each show)


• Heather Hamilton's blog on Microsoft, Recruiting, Marketing, Finance and the Way It Is and her takes on The Apprentice


• a new version of the most famous podcasting client is out!


• why iTunes AND WMP 10 suck.


• take a look at the iPodder team


• any suggestions on a good outliner for windows


• the current complaining about male, white bloggers - the hell, why not?


• why I think of people connecting in bubbles not in a hierarchy


• Amy Gahren's great list about podcasting women


• one female podcaster I enjoy: Mur Lafferty, found her through the geekiness of dragonpage


• the famous glas celling


• Please, no Siemens Gigaset with Skype (see "Will Skype be integrated into Siemens' Gigasets?" also), take a look at a great company with a better product!


• probably have to go for a mixer to record Skype calls (*grr* the usual problem)


• some tips on phoning over Skype, test with the built in testing service: echo123


• go over to Coverville and Accident Hash for some nice music, if you have enough of talk podcasts

Why did no one tell me about TV Squad?

20.03.2005 / filed under default

Everybody mentioned the new movie blog of weblogs inc (which I find boring), but no one the new TV blog tvsquad, which I just found by accident!

Looking forward about news and gossip about those favorite TV shows. Which is in one way masochistic, as we won't see 90% of it over here or have to wait for the DVD releases. (I hope Scifi.com starts more of those net based services like they did with battlestar ...)

About female bloggers, again ...

20.03.2005 / filed under default

TDavid calls out for suggestions for to be read female bloggers and I noticed, he has marked the list at the left side:

F=female, M=male, G=group, $=business, S=self, *new

Sorry, but I do care more about content than gender (even if you are male and have a gorgious voice, it will not be enough ...)

Could we get another meme now? How about 'the world needs more bloggers linking to people drinking caffe latte'? The lovers of dark chocolate union?

If you use Pivot as your blogging tool ...

20.03.2005 / filed under default

and always wanted Trackback to be integrated in a usable manor, here is your chance. Bob writes:

As some of you know, I do not really care about trackback. I think it’s complicated and not particularly useful.

As a matter of facts, even though I really like Pivot, it has always annoyed me that this integral part of blogging is handled as if it has no meaning at all, while on the other hand empowering the (nowadays) absolut useless referrers.

So this call for vote is great, either we finally get a usable Trackback implementation or this is the the time to switch. If you like Pivot, send your Trackback to the above address to show what you want.

Then they came for the bloggers.

20.03.2005 / filed under default

Guilty until proven to be innocent - is it really enough to say "I'm sorry"?

People probably have heard about the problems Jeremy had. This post is not about him, he is just one new story to an already big pile of such stories.

Robert Scoble picks it up, saying:

And, Jeremy, as an American, I'm sorry for my countrymen's behavior. Welcome to America.

This leaves me with the question: Do Americans really think, this is enough?

I have encountered many Americans in the past months, talking about the elections, situation of the country, yada yada. Most of them made very specific comments about their country like "give me a chance to leave, and I will never come back" or "this is not my country anymore". It seems as if Americans do care more about the moral impact on their children because of Nippelgate than they are afraid of sending their childs over to Iraq. [more ...]

Will Skype be integrated into Siemens' Gigasets?

19.03.2005 / filed under default

Via Scoble's linkblog I found this interview part on bleeding edge:

Zennström: Many people like to keep their computers on most of the time, so connectivity isn't an issue with them. But, yes, some people don't like to have their machines running all day. So we are working together with a partner on a router-based product to reach out to a larger group. We will integrate our software either into the cordless handset or the base station, which users can then connect directly to their router. We can't say today when we will launch this new product.

This looks like Siemens and their Gigasets. They already have a component for using Skype with your computer tuned on.

Which could be a nice development - if, yes if not all of the PC software components of Gigasets have been absolutly horrible. And I say this using Gigasets for some years (Gigaset 2000, 4135, 4175). All of the handsets have had the same problems (buttons don't work properly after some months), PC Software functionality is non existent, usabilty a total foreign word.

On the other hand, there is a company which PC-Integration has always been lovely and wonderful: AVM and their Fritz products. Just take a look at the newest one, from their website:

• Use existing phones both for conventional lines and for Internet telephony


• High voice quality through intelligent bandwidth management


• Combined ADSL modem and ADSL router for fast access from multiple PCs


• High-security firewall with port forwarding and IP masquerading

We are talking analog and ISDN and VOIP and DSL and Wlan in one box. And their software is usually superb. One of the latest boxes has a simple switch for Wlan on/off. Each box comes with a personalized encryption for it's wlan. Software for not only windows systems. Only downside: not working with Skype as VOIP, only sip. And I don't know which sip to use for international free calls.

As I can understand why Skype goes for Siemens with their cordless handphones, AVM would make a much better partner for boosting sales for a solid, well programmed, well maintained hardware platform. And just let the user choose the phone at the end of the line.

And I would love to see Skype integrated into Fritzbox, because it would make podcast recording so much easier - because the Fritzbox would do all the work and one would only need to record right away. :)

Good news at G'Dayworld

18.03.2005 / filed under default

Yes, you probably would think that I write this to tell you that the guys have a new episode up with Howard Rheingold (of course, downlading as I type).

No, I am writing this to say thank you - because it took only a short time to get Mick to update all of the tpn pages with the subscribe in bloglines button - hurray! :o)

And you? Do you still only have the yahoo / msn / newsgator button, hm? :)

It's spring time!

18.03.2005 / filed under default

After weeks of complaining about this snow, I have to tell you - today was just a crazy day.

Warm weather (heard Paris had 20 deg. celsius) and at 11pm (!) birds where singing like crazy in the dark.

I like spring. :))

Preople?

18.03.2005 / filed under default

Neville brings a new toy on the table in Ego surfing with people - yeah, I might get it, but I am not interested in it. The toy is boring.

Why? I've written about this before: it is easy to bait a blogger. Because you will have a search request via one of the engines for that the next day in your logfiles.

Do I "ego surf" my self? Only some times, the last time because I noticed a strange referrer from google ranking me for Nicole on the second page. Which has probably dropped since them.

Yeah right Nicole, you and not surfing around? Who are you trying to fool on that, as you are curious as it can get?

I have technorati and pubsub rss entries on all of my blogs and my name. And of course do I parse the logfiles for new references. But that is not ego surfing for me. It is an easy method of learning, what other people get from what I write or talk about. If they liked it or what they critize. An easy way to feel the temperature. Spin conversations.

To be everybody's darling? *rotfl* No way.

Technorati and co bring me connections, links to other persons. Preople? Just for egosurfing.

Just in case you need a female blogger to link to ...

17.03.2005 / filed under default

... so you could improve your ranking in this whole 'why do male only link to male?' game - I'm here. Oh and I write 3,5 blogs. :o)

Why link to a woman? For example, because women do nicer recordings for your (skype) answering machine . And as a good girl, I say thank you, too.

And if you can't get enough with the new recordings, there are some older sound files from me here. [Enough motivational comments might get me into rerecording most of these in my newer, better equipment. :)]

New iPodder 2.0 is out

16.03.2005 / filed under default

Martijn Venrooy just posted it to the list:

Version 2.0 offers numerous new improvements:

• Total redefined, fully-featured GUI (user interface)
  
• New streamlined subscription process with an ability to check and uncheck items for download
  
• New cleanup section allowing quick cleanup
  
• History of downloads and click to play abilities
  
• Proxy support
  
• Threaded scans/downloads and resumable downloads
  
• Import and Export functionalities (OPML) to enable easy transport of data between other applications
  
• Many new smaller features including small add-ons like spotlight search, catch-up functionality, coralizing, and shortcuts enabled.
  

iPodder continue to offer its unique features:

• It's Free
  
• Cross-Platform
  
• Multi-language supported
  
• GPL'ed -- it operates under a public license for the public good
  
• Fast (even with a lot of subscriptions)
  

Go and download iPodder 2.0 :o)

If you get into Yahoo 360 ...

16.03.2005 / filed under default

Just to let you all know, I would love to have an invitation to it. :)

Perhaps not to stay with it, but I love playing around with those. (And at least the asian blogging test of yahoo looked like a decent blog, not so all colours and bells and whistles as MSN Spaces.)

When they are shooting at you, you know, you are doing something right

16.03.2005 / filed under default

Seems, as if someone is getting nervous here: Cam qoutes Shane qoutes the newspaper The Australian IT section:

THE powerful commercial radio lobby has called for free spectrum and a decade of protection from new market entrants in return for investing $400 million in new digital technologies.

Peak industry lobby group Commercial Radio Australia said it was increasingly difficult for analogue, free-to-air radio to compete for advertising revenue against interactive digital technologies like the internet.

A spokeswoman for Senator Coonan said she hoped to decide by mid-year how government will regulate the transition to digital radio.

Yeah right. Am I mistaken in believing that the Australian market is a smaller, more regulated one as for example the US? Will be interesting to see if other lobby organizations will try to copy that.

What they don't get - they will have to cut the people from the internet to avoid that.

Won't happen. Deal with it.

In the meantime, the guys (from the soon to be pirate network) perhaps should consider relocating to some nice island. ;)

And Shane? I will not login with a passport account to make a comment about how to search in an international google on you page. Get a real blog! :o)

Welcome the new host for Engadget podcast :o)

16.03.2005 / filed under default

Yes - new engadget podcasts are coming! On March 20th, the missing podcast of engadget is due to return.

And the host is nobody else than the one and only Eric Rice. I am defenetly looking forward to this, as I like his style - plus he introduced me to this great English word snarky. *g*

Hey, it was the first podcast which showed me to way ... I will always have a special relationship to it ;)

the dinosaur blog

15.03.2005 / filed under default

Sweet Comic about blogs which I just received via IM.

(And no, I don't want that via email subscribtion, I want a feed!)

Lockergnoming or just a lousy memory

14.03.2005 / filed under default

I've seen some people being upset with Crhis Pirillo's article about Lockergnoming.

Did I try to make some points by using Crhis? No. This is just one of my normal typos. As I do several others which I don't even notice until ... yes until I see good search engine results in high places for very common words. That's when I notice, that I probably - again - screwed up on words. So this is not always 'lockergnoming' but sometimes just a person typing fast.

Which is btw one reason you will not find so many fast typing errors on my side - I don't type as fast in English as I do in German. Therefore my usual mistakes (like nciht / nicht or every way to write my first or second name wrong) do not appear on this blog so much as they do on my other blogs. This blog is reserved for real spelling mistakes. ;)

And yes, most of the times I do correct them, unless they serve a very special purpose. Like the article "Great Honda-Add-Video!" . Why don't I correct it? [more ...]

Useful Sounds No. 27: A little overdue podcast

14.03.2005 / filed under podcast

For a new start into your week - feel spoken to. :o)

26:40 min, 15,6 MB (right-click and say 'save link as')

• how to feel disconnected with everything without a computer.


• my new project sushiradio.de, the english feed and site will be available soon. :o)


• when Germany reads their news.


• International women's day and the role of women in modern society, how they connected to the internet etc.


• the desaster of using MSN Messangers (thanks to Seth again!), new interesting AIM terms of service, see my "All your content belongs to us".


• me, my new DVB-T receiver, and the Eurovision song contest (you could say the European Superbowl in some way), I probably screwed up some of the names. ;o)


• A bit about stupid German television.


• Skyping around the intneret, for example with Tee Morris and interesting conversations.


• Does someone know if there is a sip based voip connection?


• Missing the Voicemail.


• If I look at the survey results I found at Darren Rowse:

  92.1% of blog readers never listen to podcasts
  3.1% listen to 1 per week and 1.7% listen to 2 per week.
  2.4% of readers never use RSS feeds.

  Okay, what's so great about being normal?


• What I think podshows.com is going for


• Even with big newspapers online, there are still blogs. This is what will happen to podcasting also from my point of view.


• A good quote from the creativityshow.com:

  Let your mind believe: What would you attempt to do, if you knew, you could not fail?



• A big big, warm shout out to the first podcsting baby, the youngest podcaster around: Maggie Smith ;o)

All your content belongs to us.

14.03.2005 / filed under default

Jake Ludington looks at some (partly newterms of service for Aim in "AIMing For Your Privacy":

This sets a frightening precedent. What this means, as far as I can tell, is that anything you say using an AIM client is usable by AOL in any capacity they see fit. If you post a creative work of any kind to an AIM affiliated product, AOL can sell that creative work, re-publish that creative work or generally use that creative work in any way they see fit.

It's safe to assume they are logging every IM conversation taking place on the AIM network. Use video chat and the video clip might show up somewhere later. Share a file and the file potentially shows up somewhere else. Using AIM is wholesale forfeiture of your rights to anything taking place within AIM.

And draws the conclusion:

It's high time to replace the standard IM clients with something encrypted so the companies providing service can't see what's being said.

What would be interesting though, if AOL could ever come through with this. Especially on the part of "the user gives up all rights". As far as the German copyright law are involved, I as creator can't waive all rights and will always have the right to claim shares. But this is another topic.

Back to AIM: Never liked it much in the first place (even if my Miranda can do aim). With terms of service like this available - are encrypted alternatives already available?

And for anyone thinking that they don't scan messages because it is too complicated? Wake up. This is 2005, not 1905.

One feed to rule them all ...

13.03.2005 / filed under default

Okay, I am giving up.

Although it is nice from me to offer different feeds with different parts of my blogs (this rant does not only apply to useful sounds, but to of all my blogs) and I once also did feeds for Atom and RSS, I can see in logfiles and statistics: People don't care.

They just want one feed. Plus, feedreaders are getting smarter and start displaying the entries and download podcasts also .

On this blog for example I wanted to give people the choice between just podcast entries and all text entries. As it turns out, this does not work. As one example, I do have 20 subscribers reading my rss.xml - with an ipodder client. On another blog I do have 20 subscribers on an atom-feed - which always turns up first.

So one would asume, that I just take all feeds, make one big new and use my htaccess to redirect all traffic to one new feedfile.

So far, so clever. If - yes if there where not services like bloglines. Which continue to support the old files but correctly display the content from the new files. The moment one uses the autosubscribe feature, he is not presented only with this choice - but all other available choices, including technorati. And this is just bloglines, I asume the others to be just like that.

If these are direct accesses from RSS-Clients, I can redirect them, that is okay. But any suggestion on how to tell bloglines and co 'do rewrite this entry in your database with a new address and forget the old one'? (This is 2005, dammit. Why can't I give a command to services like that?)

Tell me what games you play, and why.

13.03.2005 / filed under default

I admit it, I like those tests. And seeing the result on Mick's page was the final trigger after seeing it on dozens of pages.

Take the quiz at dicepool.com

I should admit, that I am completly not into all those strategy, egoshooter, RPG and so on games. I am more into cards, bubbles and bejeweled. (And I am very thankful I can't get the new bejeweled running on my PDA ...).

If you see me playing games from the first group mentioned, I do play them a bit ... differently. Yes, I do not only try to crash websites, or mark missing feeds, and other errors. If you take a closer look what I do with all the games, you will notice a special pattern in my personality, showing since my childhood. I remember having fun: [more ...]

Nbc watching Scifi.com engagement on battlestar podcasts

10.03.2005 / filed under default

I love logfiles. Just (yesterday, when I accidently posted this on my German blog *sigh*) had some visits from an nbc.com host looking at this url. *g*

Two sweet comics about podcasting

07.03.2005 / filed under default

In case you missed them
http://www.ucomics.com/pricklycity/2005/03/05/
http://www.ucomics.com/pricklycity/2005/03/04/

(posted ad AC, via Mail from Michael)

This is so 1999.

07.03.2005 / filed under default

I am not Nerd enough to read Slashdot, but this post got me interested to have a quick look - and found right away why I don't read it *g*. Too many nerds out there to filter out, like Mr. Animats:

The actual MP3 is here. [scifi.com] It's not even on a streaming server; you have to download the whole thing. This is a step backwards to 1999 technology.

Yeah right *g*

Change your market, change your skills, or change your attitude.

07.03.2005 / filed under default

If you like to read me, you will have to deal with the fact that I do love quotations and sayings, because I find them empowering.

Reading Darren's post "Look what Blogging Bought Me!" on problogger, or listening to Jeremy C. Wright and Darren Barefoot on IT Conversation with The Profession of Blogging in True Voice, or reading many other blogs, talking to so many people, it is obvious, that blogging is finally a business.

Not in Germany so far (if, then only a little fraction of the one we see internationally), but my hopes are up that this might come also ...

The changing market was the trigger for a quote I do like very much:

If you're in business, you need a responsive market, competency, and passion to succeed.

If you're not succeeding, don't blame others or the fates.

Change your market, change your skills, or change your attitude.
(Alan Weis from his monthly newsletter www.summitconsulting.com).

I believe, that many people have just made that step: Changed their market to something they find fun, interesting, valuable.

"Competency, and passion to succeed" they have - and now the responsive market too. Just like podcasting. :)

Scifi.com to start podcasting on Battlestar Galactica

06.03.2005 / filed under default

Wow, this keeps getting better and better. Check out the Battlestar Galactica podcast for audio commentary on the show!

With the Battlestar Galactica podcast, you can Listen to exclusive commentary by executive producer Ronald D. Moore about each episode, while you are watching it.

Who said, additional features should be only available on DVD, months later?

And they also split those up:

You can also manually download the MP3 files from SCIFI.COM. Each episode's commentary is divided into five files, one for each segment of the show: the Teaser (the part before the opening credits); and Acts One, Two, Three and Four. Begin playing segment one when the words "The Cylons Were Created By Man" appear on your TV screen. Start each new segment after each commercial break ends.

Problem here: No episode to watch, just to hear this ... But still. They start with Episode 9.

That's what podasting is about - I'm converted too.

05.03.2005 / filed under default

Had a good laugh on Dough Kaye's posting Addicted:

A few minutes ago I was sitting here in the studio, taking a break, and listening to “Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me” on NPR. I had the FM tuner playing through the studio monitors when the phone rang.

My immediate reaction was to look for the Pause button. TiVo and podcasting: I’m converted.

:o)

I don't watch TV anymore (to be precise, I can't anymore, because I don't have a DVB-T receiver and they cut off the remaining 3 channels this month), I don't listen to radio anymore. I listen to podcast. :)

In case you are wondering, who this Dough Kaye is:


The man for Brain Candy.

David Allen Interview on The Gadget Show

05.03.2005 / filed under default

Go get it: David Allen interviewed on The Gadget Show.

Disclaimer: I am no GTD user, but might be one one day; I have seen some of the guys describing some achievements in special areas which I already use for some years, so this finally may be my kind of method ...

Oh, additional joke: around 17:30 they talk about the paperless utopia. I had once a person in one of my internet trainings, who was from a swedish peper company. His statement on paperless offices? A big grin, followed by the sentence: "We never had so much business since the time the paperless office was declared."

Looking for MSN Messenger users

04.03.2005 / filed under default

Irritating as it is, my 'usual' suspects of IM Clients seem to be not used internationally. Or at least not that much. This is why I give MSN a chance to show me what it can do for me - and to test the MSN RSS Subscribe thing to see if this has any value for possible customers of mine.

So if you have a MSN ID, contact me at SnarkyNeezee (all names I wanted where taken, the word snarky is stuck in my head thanks to Eric Rice).

Hint: Tell me why you establish contact or make it possible for me to recognize you, otherwise you are more likely to be ignored. ;)

We choose.

04.03.2005 / filed under default

Tech blogger Doc Searls explains it thus: "Podcasting shifts our time away from an old medium where we wait for what we might want to hear to a new medium where we choose what we want to hear, when we want to hear it, and we give everybody else the chance to hear it."

From The Australian, via Cameron

Numa Numa again

02.03.2005 / filed under default

First Seth Godin, then Joi Ito, now Scobleizer:

The Numa Numa dance makes me smile
You've probably already seen this video, but it makes me smile everytime I play it.

Now I am sure it will come back and haunt us this summer ...

Just a little reminder: "Please, no summer's top chart hit in 2005 ..."

(Need to download more podcasts so I don't need to turn on the radio this year ...)

Useful Sound No. 26 - Of clinically insane women with interest in gadgets

01.03.2005 / filed under podcast

I should include such list more often, gets nice feedback ;o) Enjoy.

28 min, 16 MB (right-click and say 'save link as')

• Crazy women?


• forgot to mention the German podcasts I am listening to ... shame on me


• Sammelstelle is meeting point in english


• humorous feedback mail from Caleb of Floriduh of the Area51 podcast!

  Hello Nicole,
  
  The boys and girls from Area 51 Show are delighted beyond measure that they have been included in your blogroll! They know that your seal of approval is pretty much a guarantee of quality, and if they had been thinking of slacking, they aren't now.
  
  Marc wanted me to point out that he is a /Neanderthaler, /even after I told him that his valley is hundreds of kilometers from Lubeck. He is not very smart, but he is sensitive and good with stone tools.
  
  Douglas wanted me to tell you that he enjoys the huskiness in your voice even if it is an indication of tuberculosis. I told him that it is not tuberculosis, merely a cold, and he seemed... disappointed. He keeps calling you "Camille" and weeps uncontrollably. Time for Dougy's medication!
  
  Area 51 Show will soon have a nice new Radio blog... This is my job. I am just the abused Cinderella in this story, oppressed by my more glamorous step-sisters, and always left at home when it's party-time! But I will get revenge...
  
  Thanks so much for your kindness,
  Caleb from Floriduh



• What I (dis)like about artist, photos, postcards, cats (like from David McEnery)


• My Flickr-Feeds are really nice, like fromt TheGates, light house, and of course kitten


• Mr. CC calls all women crazy, tsts. Imagine a world ...


• Evo from the Dragonpage is a broadcaster which went to podcasting - and perhaps to XM? He promised ;o) to announce in advance his guests on the Dragonpage Blog, so we, the listeners worldwide, have a chance to 'call in' via mail / skype / whatever also.


• Gift exchange, the Nicole way


• Rob Greenlee said today, that Webtalkradio will stop producing - got a shock first, but they only will stop broadcasting and concentrate on online distribution :o)


• Scifi.com expands new possibilities on the web, read my blog entry on "Watching TV Shows on the net - Scifi.com to offer the first episode of Galactica for free online"


• No, you don't want to explore the horror of German dubbed television.


• A new show on the TPN: a podcast on Tablet PC from James "jkOnTheRun" Kendrick
  (Cam, are you satisfied now?)


• New on my wishlist - a tablet pc?, kind of an audio version why I probably should consider such a gadget.


• DAN - no more australian accent! (that's an order!) ;)


• Getting rid of some blogs on my blogroll


• Is there an easy way to remember Tuesday / Thursday

Happy week. :)