Items by jke

Kikuyumoja's realm

• On micro SD card readers

  Posted: January 26, 2012, 6:30 pm by jke

  click for full view

  Back when I was still on Nokia and later on Android phones, a microSD card reader on my keychain was key :-) to what I call data freedom. I also believe that micro SD cards are the best invention after sliced bread and that they should be on all phones and should contain all user data (so that your data is secured in case of a water damage). The lack of microSD card compatibility on my iPhone and iPad is that one thing I dislike about these Apple gadgets.

  The readers for these microSD cards are cheap – most of them purchased via eBay in China, about 1-3 EUR each. I’ve meanwhile tested a lot and the ones I’ve kept are shown above. Most readers have a similar PCB layout inside and I wouldn’t be surprised if they are all from the same manufacturer.

  Here’s my preliminary rating on these types:

  1. conventional USB card reader that also accepts SDHC format. Great, lightweight. I have one in my bag with cables and chargers. ==> A

  2. The plastic version: one of the first readers and because of its shape nice for the pocket, but only those from SanDisk rock, the rest (like this one) are cheap Chinese copies that may fail. Also card is unprotected, may come out accidentally. ==> A

  3. Small, very small, but the microSD card isn’t secured and mine has a problem as it pushes the PCB further down when the card is inserted which means it won’t fit in the USB port. Also no secured cap which may get lost. ==> B-

  4. Flat reader, would be nice if only… the “ear” that holds the cord had less sharp edges. Too fragile for the pocket. ==> B

  5. One strange reader, inside like no. 6. The plastic bomber. May break any time and is for the occasional user only who doesn’t mind when other USB ports are getting blocked. ==> C-

  6. Not the smallest reader, but one where the SD card is secured by another cover. I’ve been using this one for the past few month. ==> A+

  7. My latest purchase – the ear for the cord is inside the frame, rounded edges, still as slim as possible. Not the cheapest (4.5 EUR), but well made and from my favourite company Kingston. The recent purchase of a Kingston microSD card actually made me buy this reader no. 7. because the cards and the reader ARE superior  - at least to the nameless fake quality I usually go for. ==> A+

  What kind of USB key do you use? Also one of these microSD cards on a reader? Or the conventional type? Or non at all?

  I know it’s strange to write about these 1-3 EUR gadgets because we just get new ones when the old ones stop working, but it’s the details in life that matter and I wouldn’t want to use one of these USB keys that imo aren’t that well designed (they should be much slimmer). Especially if you can have the full USB pleasure with a card and reader that are as big as your thumb – but much slimmer.

  
  

• If I could, I would….

  Posted: January 22, 2012, 8:56 pm by jke

  An unrelated image* to attract readers.

  If I could, I would develop and patent machines / systems that:

  • split everything into atoms/elements so that the upcycling of “waste” is a bit easier
  • reduces the water content in fruits and vegetables to a low percentage of <1% to keep transport cost ultra low (considering that most transport costs = weight + space; and that we’re often only transporting water from A to B). And find a way of putting it back into these fruits and vegetables.
  • measures all energies used on a product (natural or man-made) and uses this approach for a replication process (~ the replicator we know from Star Trek).

  Seriously, mankind made it to the moon and enabled nuclear fission, why shouldn’t these approaches be possible one day?

  What would you do?

  *Trostbrücke 4, home of EPEA :-) 

  
  

• Six reasons for the change of….

  Posted: December 30, 2011, 5:36 pm by jke

  A final blog post for the end of the past year 2011 which unfortunately saw too many deaths of beloved people and only a few posts on this blog – also due to the Posterous / Facebook / Twitter competition and not many actually willing to read longer blog posts as a result of the information overflow.

  It’s not that I am only into tech stuff, but I am passionate about these gadgets and that’s also reason enough to note down the following motivation.

  The Apple iPhone 4 vs. The Motorola Defy

  There are three four five six reasons why I’m planing to skip the freedom that comes with Android and switch (back) to an iPhone 4 (not 4S) in 2012:

  1. There may be great Android phones and my Motorola Defy (“Jordan, MB525″) is a lot of  phone for the money, but it’s a few millimeters too small for my fingers which means that typing on the screen is easier and quicker on the iPhone.

  2. Both cameras on both phones have 5mpx sensors, but there’s some magic to the iPhone 4 camera that the Defy camera just does not have. And I’ve tried all cameras on the Android market, am using MIUI on the Defy which also includes the CyanogenMod7 camera app and…well, I just don’t like the results. It always takes several attempts to get a decent, not blurry picture and if the flash is activated, then it’s even worse. It could also be the software processing, less the hardware.

  A somehow blurry snapshot, shot on a cloudy/rainy day in October. Not really what I expected to receive from the camera.

  I take a lot of pictures with the phone, I knew that the camera on the Defy wouldn’t be that great and I’ve learned my lesson. If a decent camera on the phone is important to you, then go for an iPhone. Also compared to what Nokia used to produce – it’s imo better to use a 50-60% camera that “just works” than one that only delivers blurry images or blinds people with an aggressive flash (hello, Nokia N95!).

  3. The dock connector. I am using a docking station on my desk and next to my bed. When I fall asleep, I just want to drop the phone into the docking station where it’s being recharged etc. – and not manually open a flap on the side of the phone and plug in a mini USB cable. I’m used to this procedure now, but I also know that these things are easier with the iPhone and a bit more complicated with the Defy (which is why I sold/gave away both docking stations I had for the Defy).

  4. I got a very generous offer from a friend that I just have to accept and which enables me to make the swap to the other phone. The irony is that the iPhone is currently locked to ze Görmän Terrorkom (T-Mobile) network and will only be unlocked in the middle of 2012, but all of these limitations don’t matter to me for the above mentioned reasons. Another motivation probably also is that iOS 5 finally brought the changes that I requested iOS to have (and which I preferred on Android).

  5. Not a real reason, but still: my sister, who always refused iPhones (“I don’t need them…”), suddenly surprised me in mid 2011 with the purchase of an iPhone 4 32GB. Which comes with FaceTime! All these years of introducing Skype within the family were rather unsuccessful, but this (stupid) FaceTime app now suddenly introduced video telephony within the family. Yeah, well…. whatever.

  6. Payment options on the market. I really like Android but there’s this one thing where the iTunes store is just more advanced: payment options on the iTunes store include the use of vouchers. Now, this may not be an issue in the US, but in Germany, a) you only get a credit card when you’re 18 (so many consumers do not have one, or use someone else’s card, or use a prepaid one) and b) with many banks (who issue these cards), you have to pay an extra charge of 1,85% of the complete transaction fee for foreign apps. Which means that app purchases cost extra and more than expected. Sure, we’re talking about Euro cents here, but still it’s more – and the purchase / availability of prepaid vouchers, available at local supermarkets like they are for iTunes, would imo be the perfect solution for the Android market. So until this issue is solved, the iTunes store is a bit more sophisticated to me. This is imo also why the “for free”-culture is much more alive on the Android and Nokia ecosystems than it is with the Apple ecosystem (where hardware is already expensive enough). Payment options are key!

  Android: What I will certainly miss is the removable battery (haha, just kidding – the only reason to remove it is to reset the phone – seriously) and the microSD card which – and I differ here with experts like Eldar Murtazin – I think is very great because it enables you to keep your user data in one place. Water damage with the iPhone? You’re doomed! But not so with phones where microSD-cards keep most of your data. I think that’s pretty convenient and a valid argument pro microSD-cards. Also because not everyone trusts iCloud, though it’s a step in the right direction. In 2011/12, hard- and software should be independent from each other. If a device (phone/laptop/car, etc.) fails, I’d like to exchange the hardware, type in my credentials and continue on a new device where I left the old one. Another great convenience of course is that you just type in your gmail address and it will automatically setup your phone. Totally awesome. Or alternative app stores like AppBrain - so many more options (except payment) than the iTunes store. The best part about Android certainly is how apps are connected within the OS and how they offer a level of connectivity I am yet to find on iOS (e.g. saving a page to ReadItLater).

  As I said, Android is good, attractive and my preferred OS of choice. The Defy is a very nice phone but I’ve realized that for my own daily needs, the iPhone just does a slightly better job.

  Half of my geek friends are from the “there’s-no-other-smartphone-than-the-iPhone” group, and the other group is more like “Android-is-better-because-iOS-is-worse”.

  So the bottom line probably is that it takes a longer test of all available systems and a small set of important apps that just need to work in order to see which phone suits the user.

  Oh, and in case you’re wondering about the redesign on this blog here: I’ve updated WordPress to 3.3 and that somehow destroyed my blog template – which I had been meaning to change since 2006! Again, it probably takes some interaction from the outside to make the switch. Thx, @alipasha!

  Everyone, please have a peaceful and happy New Year 2012!

  
  

• Life’s too short for crap

  Posted: November 4, 2011, 5:17 pm by jke

  I may be late to the party, but I just couldn’t resist and ordered an iPad 2 (16GB, 3G).

  It’s a strange situation because I am already an Android user these days for the phone side and really appreciate the freedom (and costs!) that come with it despite Androids downsides (my main criticism is that there are no vouchers available for the Android app market as opposed to the iTunes store => +1.85% on each app purchase while using my EU credit card).

  
  My beloved HP tc4400, the iPad2 on iOS5 and a FlyTouch 3 Android 2.2 tablet that still lacks a PDF reader because it’s already on auction. The FlyTouch btw also has a 1024×600 screen – as opposed to the other two that offer a 1024×768 screen resolution. Good for movies, bad for PDFs.

  No, there’s much more to an iPad, obviously, and probably also more than enough reasons why over 29 million (!) iPads have already been sold till now. A “tablet revolution”? No, but a tablet revolution based on the iPad – that’s for sure.

  I am used to buying second hand hardware and this time I am glad I had found a way to finance this purchase (via a mobile phone contract = subsidized hardware) and with the sudden loss of a dear family member earlier this year, I also realized that life is indeed too short for crappy products. Why should I waste time with stupid hardware if instead I can also go for the real thing?

  This very emotional reason probably is the most honest excuse for this purchase, but you know what? Clicking that “buy” button felt damn good. Whatever they say about Apple products and their fanboyz – it’s true, it’s a *feel-good-world*.

  So why should I still blog about this purchase if 29 million out there have already made this buying decision? Because I have a smart list that matters to me. Here’s my TOP5 reasons for the purchase:

  Passion
  After watching this documentary earlier last month about former Microsoft employees, it eventually occurred to me that most MS products just lack passion .

  This is exactly what I like the most about these portable Apple products: a meticulous CEO that demoed his products and also looked at the smallest details.

  Or Linux developers who create stuff out of passion. Not because they have to, but because they want to. That alone is a totally different approach and a sign of quality to me.

  I am yet to see that on MS products. And I am a Win7 user most of the time, along with this crap called Outlook 2007 (HTML rendering, bollocks!).

  And it’s not just the software you can buy. Just yesterday I read through this publication from Microsoft Research on the need for meta data to be implemented in future generations of filesystems. Very valid points and I understand that MS Resarch are doing good work, BUT! – again – the paper was much longer than necessary. So much blablabla and yet the important stuff could have been said on one single page. This out-of-focus-approach is so typical of MS, I think. As a customer and user of MS products, I don’t feel any passion in their products and meanwhile also believe that many lines of code on their OS & apps are just random data.

  Hence: any company that shows a passion with their products is highly appreciated. A passion to deliver good quality.

  Reader
  I think the iPad is the best reading device. Why? Because I can not display most of my PDFs on a 7″ eInk display without constantly zooming in and out. So as long as eInk readers aren’t running a bit faster for this purpose, the iPad is the better alternative to me at the moment although I am sure we’ll soon see more 7″ devices.

  The Amazon tablet(s) would have been an interesting alternative to me, but their 7″ Fire tablet isn’t even available here! In my opinion as a customer, if you can’t launch/ship global, then don’t even launch it for a single country. You can do that for Japan, maybe, but not for the US that are so connected with the rest of the world.

  Apps
  There are SO MANY apps available for the iPad. In fact, most publishing houses in Europe ONLY offer iPad apps for their print products. No Android app, only iOS. Sad, but still the bitter reality. Because I’d also be happy with a competitve (and available) Android tablet.

  Talking of Android tablets, my friend Dave recently got an Asus eeePad Transformer TF101 and – as a pilot for an international airline – tried to pick the better alternative. Unfortunately, his tablet already broke after only two month and his biggest complain was the lousy App situation for Android Honeycomb (as compared to the iPad, of course, which is hard to beat). Dave – go and get your iPad. Now!

  Adrian – I missed my chance to get an HP TouchPad for 99 EUR. I reckon that it would have been an interesting PDF reader and surfing device for me.

  Runtime
  Battery runtime on the iPad is just totally crazy. It’s long enough to get me through a day at a BarCamp and that’s all that matters to me.

  Also, 29 million customers enable a fabulous aftermarket. You’ll find plenty and cheap chargers as well as other accessorries on eBay, on FocalPrice and so on.

  Portability
  I remember when Eric told me about his daily trips to the office through Nairobi traffic and mentioned how the iPad actually is the solution to his mobile office.

  Just look at how many of us laughed about the iPad and its limited capabilites back when the iPad1 was launched. And now we are even using it to have a mobile office and a quick device for that daily “lemme google that”-moment.

  Sure, the iPad2 is heavy and we’ll probably all complain about the size once there are more 7″ readers/tablets, but after my previous experience with a 8.9″ and a 10.1″ netbook, I know for sure that 12″-14″ is the best laptop size for me and that this 10″ tablet does it for me atm.

  
  HP tc4400 vs. Apple iPad 2
  (the HP tc4400 tablet pc also serves as my backup machine)

  ———————————-

  I am not yet ready to fully convert to the Apple world (+ Ubuntu is cheaper anyways :-), but this lack of passion on MS products certainly is a very valid reason for me. It’s also kind of ironic that Bill Gates himself is very passionate about his philanthropic foundation for this passion has already enabled so much good work (the BMGF are imo doing a very good job by financing smaller projects). I wish some of this passion could also reflect back on Microsoft and that their future tablets with Windows 8+ will provide a suitable alternative. But atm, I highly doubt that.

  
  

• Tumaini

  Posted: October 28, 2011, 9:34 pm by jke

  Two days ago, someone on my G+ timeline published a post and some photos of a stray dog they had found earlier on Wednesday morning – with a limping leg. A quick visit at a veterinary clinic revealed that the dog has a broken leg and urgently needs some surgery. Expected costs: 500-600 EUR.

  So we were asked for donations and I did that, donated a small amount (via Paypal). You can do the same if you’d like to and can afford it.

  Now, the person behind this G+ post lives in Spain, is probably German with Spanish roots and I’ve never met him. So why should I donate anything to a foreigner I’ve never seen “in real life”?

  In February 2010, I posted this item called “offline/online” on my blog, asking my readers: “how important is it to meet offline? Does it change anything? Would you continue working with your online contacts if you were to meet them offline?”

  When we told this story to my (probable :-) father-in-law, his first reaction was: “…but you don’t know him! Maybe he’s trying to con you?”. I am sure my sister and my mother would react in the very same way.

  Eh, if you grew up in Nairobi, you’re used to folks trying to con you. Or trying to milk your pocket just bcs you live in a bigger house.

  And still I gave some of my hard earned money to a stranger. For me, this time it’s not (only) a matter of sharing or giving because you can or because I felt sorry for the dog, but to prove that even these pure online connections matter as much as meeting somone offline. I am following this user on G+ for some time now, read his posts and that’s enough reason to trust someone. For me, that is.

  Someone else from the German blogosphere even wrote that “this is how Social Media works”. Amazingly true. A network purely based on trust. Some things will never change, and while these “trust” networks obviously work in other cultures (Dabbawalla in India or Hawala in Somalia), this Christian part of Europe is still having problems with this modern form of trust. But why?

  (I just realized that “Tumaini” is a recurring issue and post title on my blog :-)

  
  

• Novag Robot Adversary chess computer

  Posted: October 23, 2011, 9:13 pm by jke

  I was recently asked by a friend of mine if I and the folks behind our local DIY / maker initiative @makefurt could have a look into an older chess computer that would have some issues.

  The owner – a former advertising designer here in Frankfurt who collects old movie posters and created this interesting website about it (in German) – came over today and brought this valuable robot to my place: the Novag Robot Adversary chess computer.

  
  The Novag Robot Adversary chess computer when it arrived…

  A quick search on the interwebs reveals that “The Novag Robot Adversary is the most iconic of chess computers. Apparently 2000 were built but the failure rate was high and the vast majority of those sold have long since developed faults.” (src)

  It’s a chess computer with a robotic arm that moves all chess pieces over a magnetic board, animating each move with an extra show. Hence it’s not just any other chess computer, but probably the coolest or most epic one out there.

  According to this Wiki page, this machine cost about DM 3000 back in 1982 which is about EUR 1500 and is powered by a Z80 (CPU) from Zylog, running at 7.5 MHz, has 5 KB of RAM and a 32 KB ROM.

  There’s a lot of information on this computer out there (including this Spiegel article from 1982, in German) but we’re yet to find a circuit diagram. Also, I am more the hardware guy so my first step was to completely disassemble it, clean everything (= removing nasty nicotine stains and glue from old gaffa tape) and check the wiring and the PCB for broken components:

  
  20 minutes later

  That yellow thing looks like a battery to me. Probably needs to be replaced…

  “Robot Adversary Main PCB” – old school! :-)

  The motor that turns the robotic arm. Kindly note some previous repairs (badly done, imo).

  s/yellow nicotine stains/soap

  There are magnets for each position on this board (underneath).

  We do have an owner’s manual (in German). Circuit diagram is still missing though…

  I’ll have another look at the robotic arm now and will then try to reassemble everything in order to keep all parts in one place and where they should be.

  If you’d like to help us fix it, please feel free joining us next weekend on October 30th, 2011 from 3-5pm at the Museum für Kommunikation here in Frankfurt. Or ping us anytime at info@makefurt.de // @makefurt. All are welcome!

  
  

• How to win her over

  Posted: October 18, 2011, 5:24 am by jke

  How to win her over, part 1

  Make a doll for her.

  Or two :-)

  
  

• Hallo, ich habe da mal eine Frage…

  Posted: September 19, 2011, 6:07 pm by jke

  Liebe Lufthansa,

  bei Twitter auf das folgende Formular verweisen…

  …ist so ziemlich das Dämlichste, was ich seit meiner Anfrage bei einer Frankfurter Behörde via E-Mail (Schreiben kam als eingescanntes Word Dokument via E-Mail zurück) gesehen habe. Einfach weil es aus Sicht der Kunden total frustrierend ist und den SINN von Twitter (“zwanglose Kommunikation”) total untergräbt. Und da kann das o.g. Formular noch so optimiert in die Geschäftsprozesse passen und gut dabei helfen, den richtigen Ansprechpartner zu finden… aus meiner Sicht (“Ich will mal schnell eine Frage beantwortet haben”) ist das völlig unbrauchbar und ein MEGAFAIL.

  
  

• Homo faber

  Posted: September 4, 2011, 5:45 am by jke

  “What took you so long?”, you may ask.

  And I will only be able to reply: “I don’t know. I don’t know what took me so long until I finally coughed up 20 EUR and bought a set of fine Torx screwdrivers.”

  “Wiha PicoFinish 267 P“, a set of Torx No. 4,5,6,7,8,9 and some other (older) Wiha and Gebra screwdrivers (1) that made me switch from the Chinese crap as pictured above (2).

  The Chinese alternative aka short & black Torx screwdrivers…well, they work and for the occassional repair job they are just fine (I’ve been using mine since ~ 2001; I have a lot of these cheap Torx No. 5, 6, 7), BUT! these Wiha screwdrivers are just so much more comfortable and also FIT the screws without any quality issues. Working with good tools just pays off – I could name endless occasions when I killed a screw just because of bad tools. Stupid me! And it’s just 20 EUR. Sure, a lot of money for srewdrivers that I already had. It’s just after buying a Phillips-head screwdriver from Wiha for another project when I realized that I’d been wasting my life with bad tools so far.

  Another reason for this blog post are the pair of tweezers as pictured above (3). It’s just amazing how much you can fix with these tweezers. Just the other day I read about a gourmet chef who cooks with a pair of tweezers (!) and I can only assure you that it makes a lot of sense. But also anyone trying to fix Apple products needs such tweezers. They are just as indispensable as the plastic opening tools (4).

  
  

• the tablet alternative

  Posted: August 20, 2011, 9:16 pm by jke

  Intro
  I have about 20 GB of water & sanitation (watsan)-related publications on my computer. Most of them are in PDFormat, and most of them I’ve just opened once and then archived out-of-sight. With some I’ve also only read the abstract (if available) because relevance is important and I feel there are a lot of policy blabla papers out there that don’t get me anywhere. Still, I actually need to read them.

  I work from my home office and don’t have any IT department I can call when I have an IT problem. Which means I have to have a backup solution in place for when there’s a problem. Like a 3G modem when the cable modem is on holiday. Or a second computer, ready to be used in combination with my 22″ TFT and external keyboard + mouse combination.

  In the past, I’ve used an Asus eeePC 1000HGo (1000HG with a 3.5G modem) netbook ex 2008 (which I’ve blogged about here) for this task and liked this litte machine:

  It’s a very nice netbook with the typical 10.x” setup, matte display, 160 GB HDD, 2 GB RAM, 1.3mpx webcam and a 3.5G Huawei modem (which surprisingly works well and out-of-the-box with Linux). The best part about these eeePC netbooks certainly is the tiny power supply. I don’t like the bulky cords (the cords!) that come with 90W power supplies. Eh.

  I’ve also been using it as a mobile DVB-T receiver (TV) and while travelling + on holiday. My other, main machine is an HP EliteBook 6930p on a docking station, so I am “mobile computers” only. This eeePC also has a button to switch screen resolutions within Windows between the default 1024x600px to 1024×768 (compressed view) and 800×600. That’s something very handy when you’re dealing with apps that need more than 600px vertical height.

  The problem

  Now, I’ve been wondering how people actually read all these PDF publications? Do they print it out? You know, some of these publications are well over 100+ pages, also with a lot of graphics. And then I just can’t see myself reading these documents on my main computer. My eyes already hurt and balancing a laptop on your…well…lap… isn’t a long-term solution.

  Yes, tablets. The Apple iPad or modern Android Honeycomb tablets. Both still kinda expensive and also limited, but very good in what they do. I am actually waiting for Amazon to launch their 7″ Android tablet later on this year. And eBook Readers? I’ve thought about buying an Amazon Kindle (also because it’s affordable), but a) eBooks in Germany are often as expensive as the printed version and b) the current eBook Reader is too small for displaying readable PDFs in vertical mode (I think). The Kindle DX would have been an option, yes.

  I also did this little survey via FB and some of my friends voted as followed:

  Most of my FB friends, it seems, are using their notebook/laptop to read these PDFs. Also, eBook readers seem to be very popular. I also use an eBook Reader / PDF reflow tool like GoodReader (on iOS) or ezPDFReader (on Android) to read PDFs directly on the phone. But even though my Motorola Defy mobile phone has a very nice screen resolution, trying to read longer text on a small device is just an interim solution.

  The solution
  I’ve often been dreaming about using an IBM ThinkPad X4* or X6*. Fellow blogger Steve had at one point in the past already recommended HP tablets to me and also is an avid user of an X61s. I like ThinkPads for two reasons:

  a) you can set the recharge level of the battery and leave it on the machine, so it won’t overcharge. Not possible with HP laptops.

  b) Fan intake is at the side of the laptop body, not underneath. It’s not that they are cooler than those who suck in air at the bottom, but it’s a matter of overheating because most ppl will keep the laptop on a table or, even worse, balance it on their lap, so the intake may be covered. ThinkPads are smarter in this regard.

  The other – important – fact to mention is that I realized how crazy this miniature thing actually is. I am tall and don’t want to balance a small 10.1″ netbook on my lap. Makes me look even taller and there’s no need to use a small machine when I can also be a bit happier with a 12″ device. In fact, I think my next main machine should be a ~ 13″ device. Perfect size, imo.

  So I sold my netbook and bought this HP Compaq TC4400 instead. It’s a 12.1″ XGA tablet notebook with a Dual Core CPU (albeit 32bit), 2GB of RAM and some old-fashioned stylus thing. It’s my first tablet, my first Wacom pen tablet (my last + cheap drawing tablet was from 1999 and never really worked) and I am very curious how I will use it. Also, it was cheap. 97 EUR + a used 250 GB HDD + another keyboard with EU-layout (US-keyboard misses one key) + new battery = about 160 EUR. Not bad, given that I received a similar amount for the sold netbook :-)

  Buying 2nd-hand / refurbished items sometimes is like gambling – you never know what you’ll end up with. Of course with a dealer you can return the item (12 month in Germany!), but I didn’t want to return anything and actually enjoy fixing stuff myself. I had to glue a broken display bezel, but to my surprise the rest was very much ok as the vent (often reason for overheating) had already been cleaned by the previous owner.

  Note : it’s recommended to refasten all screws on a computer, even the internal ones because the “grade B”-rating that made this one cheaper was upgraded to “grade A” after disassembling it, cleaning all parts with isopropyl alcohol and then reassembling it again.

  I am currently running both Win 7 and LinuxMint LXDE on this tc4400 and already love it. Sure, it’s a pen-controlled tablet with a keyboard pre iPad era, but with Win7 a lot of cool stuff is already supported out-of-the-box. Battery runtime seems to be 3.5h (and the battery is really small). I also like it because:

  • It’s compatible with both HP docking stations in our home office (HP nx8220 and HP Elitebook 6930p).
  • Caps lock keys suck and unfortunately there’s no keyboard light / illuminated keyboard available. What it does have, though, are yellow led lights next to the key so you’ll instantly know if you’ve activated the caps lock key. Smart design, imo.
  • I dig the XGA screen resolution. Yes, it’s only 1024×768, but you know what? My 14.1″ Elitebook is WXGA+ 1440×990 which results in about 128 dpi. 128 dpi is tiny! My eyes hurt. Also, it does not have an LED screen (hey, the machine was cheap and is from 2006!), but it has good viewing angles. My main machine does not have such good vertical viewing angles.

  That next thing I will need to figure out is why the touchpen (PL800A) has to be so expensive as a spare part (update: i found this one via eBay). The pen has a circuit inside and while drawing a sample picture on my tc4400 today, I often acidentally clicked on the right-mouse-button of the pen. Maybe it’s just me but I’d also like to try out some alternatives here. Any recommendations?

  And the best part? It’s both a laptop and a reader. Kudos to Steve for recommending this one to me!

  I am very curious how I will make use of this (cheaper) alternative to the netbook and how or if I will use it as a reader for the many PDFs waiting to be read. After all, I can still sell it if it doesn’t work out for me and my needs. But going by other reviews online, especially by what HP tc4xxx owners have said about their tablets, this one seems to be one of the best tablets out there.

  
  

• about that R.I.P. thing

  Posted: August 6, 2011, 8:07 am by jke

  I believe in Agape.

  This week, one of my Twitter followers died way too early. It’s unknown why he died at such an early age in his late thirties, and the cause actually doesn’t really matter. What matters is that his voice will be missed among the many opinions out there. A qualified opinion that knew what The Net is all about.

  Whenever I see people tweeting “R.I.P [$prominent person]“, I don’t take it as a standardised way of replying on a sudden or even expected death, but rather understand it that those who wish the “Rest In Peace” actually care about the dead person and his/her achievements.

  The irony is that many letters of condolence regarding his death mentioned that they “had only known him online” – which really reminds me of my blogpost ex 2010 where I had asked about the real difference between these offline and online worlds. Obviously, there’s none in 2011 – because we value people by what they contribute and share with others. Offline or online.

  When someone dies and leaves this world with a legacy of 400+ blog posts dedicated to the political strategy for the internet and explaining how it has meanwhile become part of our lives – well then I can only take my hat off to this guy and appreciate what he has left behind.

  Activism really pays off. Have an opinion on something, contribute and share your thoughts. It’s all that matters.

  
  

• The culture code thing

  Posted: July 26, 2011, 7:45 pm by jke

  Following an article in a German magazine about the French “marketing specialist” Clotaire Rapaille, I’ve recently written a longer blog post on my sanitation-related blog and openely wondered if there is any toilet code in a culture, and if so, how it will be triggered.

  Clotaire Rapaille, who runs a company that tries to explore the “hot button” in each culture, also published a book called “The Culture Code – An Ingenious Way to Understand Why People Around the World Live and Buy as They Do”.

  The idea of having someone actually trying to make a connection between consumer behaviour and how a particular society / swarm acts because “it’s in their culture” triggered my interest and actually made me buy this book – and this although Rapaille received a lot of hatred and anger over his remarks on the “code” of the City of Québec in Canada.

  I was reminded of this culture code thing today when I openely tweeted about the many demand media and rss-feed link farms from India vs. original content and tried to explain – with Rapaille’s words! – that “Indians are at root a practical people”, which is why they wouldn’t waste time on reinventing stuff.

  Now, India of course isn’t about copying foreign works and I truly believe that a lot of innovations and understanding in today’s “civilized” world actually hail from the Indian continent, BUT this “are practical people” somehow stuck with me because I believe it to be very true.

  And that’s exactly my reason for today’s blog post: like my post on “The Africans” the other day, there’s always this danger of making such public statements. “Germans, Indians, Kenyans, Spaniards – they are all so and so”. You’ll instantly be hated by your readers if you make such general statements because in most cases they’ll reply with a “WTF?!” and will start arguing with you.

  Of course we’re not all the same, and I myself am probably a good example of why such phrases don’t make sense, but despite all our differences, I think there’s still this culture code thing, the hot button as Rapaille calls it, which defines a common nature within a given culture. Something from deep down within, something from the “reptilian brain”.

  It may not be the ultimate code that will explain all actions in a society (of course not), but if one of these identified culture codes could help to fix some of the problems we’re currently having out there in this world (e.g. wrong management that will lead to famines, exploitation of natural resources, wrong priorities, injustice, wars, etc.), then I am all for these codes.

  Which gets me back to my sanitation-related blog post and the question, if there is any culture code in toilets. Well, is there? How come that in Japan consumers spend ~ 2500 EUR on a computerized toilet while in other, poorer societies, a toilet is at the very end of the wish list? And this while the toilet thing affects all humans on this planet?

  A question which – according to Rapaille (or Freud? :-) – makes me think we should seat our kids on 2000 EUR toilets only to trigger such a demand at a very early age.

  
  

• I am not here…

  Posted: July 3, 2011, 4:26 am by jke

  I am not here, because I am somewhere here:

  On holiday, behind the camera.

  These two snapshots taken at the beach near Cap de Formentor, Mallorca, Spain earlier this week. Sunny weather, good food, lovely place!

  
  

• Six years and still no Top10 list

  Posted: June 25, 2011, 6:08 am by jke

  
  Customer: Do you have Soul?
  Rob: That all depends.
  

  This private blog is online since six years now and during this time I have covered a lot of topics that touched me one way or the other. Love, music, politics, environment, computer….yes, I even wrote about cars the other day.

  And yet there’s still one blog post that’s been idling in my drafts folder since early March 2008 and will probably never be published unless I just start writing about it:

  My Top 10 list of music videos

  I’ve never published it for various reasons. One certainly being that such a list will have to change over time, so to define such a list for good is almost impossible. It’s not like the above mentioned list of Top 10 cars which only includes classics. No, a list of most-loved music videos is a temporary love affair that becomes diluted by the constant penetration with new music videos.

  I tried this the other day with a list of Top 10 favorite songs. I went through my music library, copied all relevant mp3 files in an empty folder, uploaded them, listened to my selection and realized I got it all wrong:

  TOP10 lists suck. Why? Because in the end you’ll realize that a selection almost isn’t possible and that if anything at all, it will just define the moment or a certain period.

  It’s not the list that matters, but the selection process while searching and deciding which songs are eligible for such a list. And in the end you’ll just compile it for your own satisfaction and desire to have a Top10 list somewhere out there – on the internet or burned to a CD in your shelf.

  
  

• We’ll need a universal service to sync all our metadata

  Posted: June 22, 2011, 6:51 am by jke

  I’ve only recently joined Spotify (via a Dutch proxy server) – the in-the-cloud music service that has almost all tracks. I like Spotify – a lot – and wouldn’t want to stop using it, even though it isn’t that easy to register an account with them from Germany or even pay for an unlimited or premium Spotify access.

  
  a somehow unrelated photo I’ve posted here to focus your attention on the text. (yes, I’ve recently repaired this Marshall guitar amp for a friend of mine)

  There are alternatives to Spotify, alternatives that are accessible from Germany, namely Grooveshark and Simfy. Grooveshark is somehow questionable because – as far as I know – they do not have agreements with record labels or the German Society for Musical Performing and Mechanical Reproduction Rights (GEMA) which has for long been an obstacle for internet surfers in Germany to access music videos from a German IP. But nevertheless, from a user perspective – and that’s all that matters right now – it doesn’t really matter which service you are using as long as your stuff is available*. What’s your stuff, you ask? Your metadata.

  I am using the term “metadata” to describe all the soft and invisible stuff that provides the extra, the bonus data that brings the icing on the cake. With music services, it clearly is playlists. Your own and those of other users you’ve subscribed to.

  Playlists

  Now, with all these different music services, music in form of downloadable mp3s and streaming audio to your desktop computer or even mobile phone, it seems to be obvious that the availability of multimedia files as such isn’t the latest fashion, but instead your private or shared playlists. Playlists, I think, are the same reason why I prefer carefully written music blogs to mass music blogs that keep on publishing music-related posts just because it’s their business. No, playlists are the modern mixtape, the human selection that you can share with others. To me, these are very valuable.

  When I switched from Spotify to Grooveshark the other day, I was wondering about my playlists and starred tracks on Spotify and how to get them onto Grooveshark. There’s a service that does exactly that: Groovylists.com – which will help you importing up to 200 tracks in one go.

  In-Sync

  However, I found myself preferring Spotify to Grooveshark for different reasons (there’s Fadhili Williams on Spotify!) so I went back to using Spotify and have been wondering how to keep these lists in sync. Would I want to manually keep all these services in sync? Will this question be solved one day with the introduction of Apples’s music cloud service and the standards (if any) it will set for their competitors? Mimi, me I don’t know. But what I do know is that we’ll urgently need a service that syncs all our metadata to the cloud and makes it available via a secured API to all these fancy new Web 2.0 sites. Just like the already existing password, bookmark and setting synchronisation via Firefox, Chrome, Xmarks and LastPass. Or that I can already backup all the apps from my Android phone to my Dropbox folder via Titanium Backup in one go.

  What we’ll need is ONE service that does just that. Something that we can trust and that syncs all the selected metadata, be it private or openly shared, from all devices and all services to all devices and services. I’d even pay for (the privacy of) it.

  Does something like that already exist?

  (* = “your music”, as in “your mp3 won’t be uploaded to our music service because it already exists on our Amazon-S3-based service where we’re paying for the Gigabyte”, or in other words: it’s not the music files that matter, but the associated data, hence the metadata)

  AOB, but also somehow related:
  

  Probably the best reason to spend 8 minutes of your lifetime on my blog.

  
  

• St.Louis Spéciale

  Posted: June 17, 2011, 5:30 am by jke

  “Documentary about Orchestra Baobab that was made for their comeback album, 2002′s “Specialist in all styles”. It documents Baobab’s story, music and band members.”

  L’Orchestre Baobab may not be my favourite band, but these documentaries are just fine. Abdoulaye, Mischel – Nan nga def?

  [via]

  
  

• HOLA A TODO EL MUNDO

  Posted: June 8, 2011, 10:34 pm by jke

  
  Hola a todo el mundo – “A movement between these two”

  Found by chance via this wonderful (& new) music blog.

  “When I see I am nothing, that is wisdom. When I see I am everything, that is love. My life is a movement between these two.”
  (Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj)

  Exactly.

  
  

• just another multitool

  Posted: April 24, 2011, 2:47 am by jke

  The only reason I am posting the following is because I get terribly excited about multitools. Think of Apple fanboyz and you’ll know what I mean. I think it’s the EveryDay-Carry (EDC) syndrome – the need to have the perfect tool in your pocket.

  EDC also reflects a lifestyle of preparedness, where the individual wants to be prepared for the majority of situations ….(…) People who carry EDC items have a mindset of planning ahead for emergency situations. (src)

  Fortunately, I am not alone on this and there are others who not only visit EDC-forums, but also come up with detailed reviews on my latest purchase: the Leatherman Squirt PS4 (e.g. 1, 2 & 3) and even their own (and very smart) modifications (& here). Unfortunately though, my new Leatherman PS4 does not have screws but rivets, so modifications are very limited. The perfect tool does not seem to exist yet, but we’re getting closer with every iteration.

  
  A Leatherman Squirt P4 I bought some time ago forwarded as a gift to her father. He really loves this one and prefers it to his older pocket knife.

  The Victorinox Manager 0.6365 I got instead of the LM Squirt P4. A very nice & slim pocket knife that comes with a pair of tweezers and ballpoint pen. Mentioned here because I think the perfect tool should also come with such a handy ballpoint pen and tiny screwdrivers. Also, Torx 5, 6 and 7 would be great!

  I bought the LM Squirt PS4 (not P4) because it comes with pliers and isn’t that much bigger than the Victorinox. The tools I need the most are a) knife, b) screwdrivers and c) pliers. When I switched to the Victorinox in 2009, I also stopped carrying my LM Charge TTi – so I always missed the pliers. Hence this recent purchase of the PS4 which is a successor to the P4.

  
  LM Squirt PS4 vs. Victorinox Manager

  The quality on the LM could be a bit better. This also applies to the Charge TTi below. There’s a clear difference between the tools Leatherman produced some years ago and the ones they are selling these days. Victorinox clearly wins here, even though steel quality is equally bad. Sufficient for my needs, though.

  
  LM Charge TTi vs. LM Squirt PS4

  I’ve paid about EUR 20 for this LM PS4 and it arrived within only 7 days from the US. The cheap EUR-USD exchange rate probably is another reason for my love affair with multitools :-)

  The real winner of my EDC concept is the Swiss+Tech Utili-Key 6-in-1 – because it looks like a key and is on my keychain. A great little helper that even passes through TSA while all other tools have to be stored in the luggage.

  Are you also infected with the EDC virus? What’s your favourite EDC gadget?

  P.S.: There’s a Wiki on MultiTools. God, I love the internet! 1!11

  
  

• eggbotlicious

  Posted: April 19, 2011, 4:21 am by jke

  “Do you have a nice vector logo for me?”, Simon asked me via Twitter today. Not knowing what to expect and since I missed this particular tweet earlier today due to still missing push notifications on Android, I failed to answer in time. But Simon just picked the Kikuyumoja-Tusker logo from my site, converted it into a vector image via Inkscape, distorted it to fit on an egg and switched on his latest toy: an Egg-Bot.

  What’s the Eggbot?
  The Eggbot is an open-source art robot that can draw on spherical or egg-shaped objects…(…). [more]

  This certainly has to be the GREATEST Easter present – ever. I am so lost for words, dear Simon. Asante sana!

  
  

• on money

  Posted: April 14, 2011, 7:56 pm by jke

  
  If money has been around on this planet for so many centuries, how come we (humans) are still at a very basic level to define the monetary value of things you can’t buy in shops?

  Am asking this since I just read this short article on future mobile (billing) technology and wondered if money as we know it in its various forms will be the right record to define a value.

  Taken to my special level of interest – public toilets and the provision of sustainable sanitation with an understanding for closed loops among its users – what needs to happen until users are ready to accept these new ecosystems where the positive impact on society & environment isn’t (primarily) measured in EUR, USD or CNY?

  
  

• ReverbMag

  Posted: April 11, 2011, 4:37 am by jke

  Ein kurzer Hinweis auf meine Artikel beim reverb magazine – einem neuen Online Magazin, für das ich derzeit schreibe.

  (Facebook | Twitter)

  Do epic shit. Das ist natürlich eine gewagte Ansage, steht aber auch stellvertretend für den Anspruch und die Geisteshaltung, den Leser mit interessanten Themen zu unterhalten und einen wirklichen Mehrwert zu bieten.

  Für mich ist es auch eine neue Erfahrung, weil ich meine Texte auf Deutsch verfasse und zur Veröffentlichung freigebe – statt auf Englisch wie bisher (hier und anderswo). Betreut werden wir Autoren übrigens von jungen Online-Journalisten, die sich u.a. mit diesem hübschen Bildband schon einen Namen gemacht haben.

  Kurz: das reverb magazine ist ein gut gemachtes Blog mit spannenden Themen, kurzweiligen Artikeln und freut sich auf Euren Besuch! :-)

  
  

• my vision of a perfect laptop

  Posted: March 30, 2011, 6:05 am by jke

  Recent news about an updated range of HP EliteBook (laptop / notebook) computers made me realize that I should compile a list of things I’d like to see on future laptops.

  My list, or should I say: wishful thinking (but not utopia), does not include things that I don’t want to see on a laptop, and isn’t limited to material issues. Instead, it’s my own realistic approach to that “good-guy”-thing they’ve been talking about in IT since the very beginning.

  Also, most of my observations are based on the business ranges from Dell, IBM/Lenovo, HP and also Acer. Some, if not all desired changes are already possible and available in some parts, others probably limited due to licensing or marketing reasons.

  First: I’d like to see a leasing approach on most laptops so that they can be recycled and be made out of better materials.

  You as a user / customer only pay for the use of these computers. The manufacturer shall use this relationship and consequently use materials of higher value which can be recycled (not downcycled). This c2c closing-the-loop concept is the basis for me on any product I like to purchase. I am not asking for “biodegradable” materials on my computer, but a good mixture of pollution-free materials that also won’t be toxic to any creature. This is important. There’s already so much toxic waste out there and we spend a great amount of time in front of a computer every day. So the computer should be made of non-toxic, recycable/reusable materials.

  Having said that, the following is my list. I consider the display and the keyboard/touchpad the most important interfaces on a laptop.

  • Display: very bright, should be readable in direct sunlight without problems, high contrast, energy consumption should be very low, very good vertical and horizontal viewing angles, matte (not glossy) cover, ratio 16:10, ~ WXGA+ is ok. Probably also with a touchscreen option, which includes that it can be turned 180° around and flipped over (~ tablet computers).
    If this tablet option isn’t included, it should be possible to open all displays up to 180° (or similar).
  • Keyboard: manufacturer should offer the choice between chiclet and traditional keyboards. Keys should have a unique pressure point, enough width and no stupid layout “specials”. But since opinions on keyboards differ a lot – some ppl still prefer the ThinkPad layout – there should be different keyboard designs for the same machine. So those who prefer the “FN” key in lower left corner (instead of “Ctrl”), should be able to change it. Either via a hardware swap, or by using illuminated icons on the keys – similar to Art Lebedev’s Optimus Maximus keyboard.
    The keyboard should also be illuminated. But not via an external keyboard light like the one found on Lenovo ThinkPads or HP EliteBooks, but instead an illumination from beneath the keys – backlit keyboards. See DELL Latitude and Apple MacBookPro keyboard illumination – that’s the style I prefer.
  • Touchpad and / or Touchstick: users should have the flexibility to pick what they like best. I personally never use the touchstick, others love it. Also, the availibity of three buttons for those who need it (Linux users) is important – either virtual within pre-defined areas of the touchpad or physical. And not only on 15″+ laptops.
    It’s so easy to include another, third button, so I am wondering why not all laptops already have three mouse buttons.
  • Size: I like the 13″-14″ form factor best! This way they are often light enough to be carried around, accomodate a full qwertz/y keyboard and can still be balanced on your knees. 15″ is also ok with me for programmers who need the space on the screen.
    I used to believe that smaller computers are better and easier to carry, but in the end it doesn’t make a big difference if you have a 12″ or 14″ laptop to carry around. It’s the extras that matter here.
    I also believe that A LOT of people prefer a solution like the Mac Book Air where they’ll have the comfort of an OSX computer in a very light bundle with an attached keyboard. Also because more computing power often isn’t required. This may apply to those who do their conference hopping. Others who need their laptop as their “main machine” certainly require a real laptop (hence my post here).
  • Body: the “HP Duracase magnesium alloy chassis” on my current HP EliteBook is very nice and imo better than most ThinkPads or Latitudes. I would not want to compare it with the unibody aluminium chassis of recent Apple Mac Books because that’s a different approach to manufacturing, not worse or better. I think the ideal chassis stability depends on all other requirements. It may appear that the unibody structure is the best (as recent EliteBooks also come with a unibody-styled top cover).
    The aim for a durable laptop frame/chassis also includes details like the clam shell design introduced with ThinkPads back in the days where the display cover would not only sit on top of the keyboard (when closed), but also close the gap between the mainboard and the display, thus preventing any obstacles from entering into this area. I’ve seen that modern Elitebooks (i.e. 8640p) have some sort of rubber lip that’s supposed to do that. Interesting design.
    Some smarter engineering should also be applied on the display lock. I had to repair the one on my EliteBook – twice. After the second repair, the lock now works very fine. This is so basic yet HP messed it up on my machine.
    Likewise, all hinges on all laptops should be as stiff as the ones found on all recent business laptops. No complains here.

  • CPU & GFX: any Dual CPU is fine with me. I’d like to have an option where I can either choose between the internal or a dedicated gfx chip (both on the same machine, like some ThinkPads T400 had with hybrid gfx chips) OR a modern solution that already does that for me automatically so that I can play the occasional game on my laptop but will not complain about this battery drainer for the rest of the year.
    RAM and HDD can be swapped, so I won’t mention them any further.
  • Connectivity: This is a big one. Of course, USB 3.0 ports. Three or four would be nice (my current laptop has three USB 2.0 ports). Firewire? Never needed it. Express/54 cards? Why? Who needs them? How many business users actually need it? Fingerprint reader. Yes. SecureChip thingy for business users? Yes. Audio-OUT, Audio-IN _AND_ LINE-IN? Yes, so you can use these audio ports on a professional basis and don’t have to add another external audio card (e.g. I use Line-In for Software Defined Radio audio sampling). Oh, and the sound from the internal speakers should also be loud enough for most users. Some professional laptops that cost more than 1500€ are still sold with horrible speakers. Microphones? Of course, stereo. Webcam? Yes, but with a simple hardware cover.
    CD/DVD/BlueRay….hmm… yes, but always make it swapable so that those who don’t need it can insert a 2nd HDD instead. Card-Reader: yes, of course, and not only SD/MMC. RJ-11? :-) RJ-45? of course! Display ports: if possible – all of them. If not, VGA & HDMI? Bluetooth? Min. 2.1, if not higher. Wifi? Yes, a/b/g/n. InfraRed? No, outdated.
    WWAN, yes, all antennas and a modem that will work with all operating systems (i.e. not this Qualcomm Gobi thing). GPS? Is included with modern Gobi modems. GPS should be accessible. All components should be lockable and unlockable on BIOS level from all operating systems (= you won’t have to boot into Windows just to unlock your disabled WiFi to be used in GNU/Linux).
  • Docking station: all laptops should have a connector for a docking station (not just USB dockings, but real ones). This is so basic but still my main reason why I am not using an Apple MacBook. No docking station, no fun. And please, this “docking” is a bad joke.
  • Battery: Minimum battery runtime on the default battery with surfing and wifi on should be 6h. Period.
    Batteries should also be removable/serviceable by the user, also because they don’t last as long as the machine.
    I don’t know if battery technology will change that much during the next 3-4 years, and my hope is that we find a technology which would enable the production of energy the moment we need it – which would then elliminate the need for high capacity batteries. But as long as we haven’t achieved this, I’d like to see less heat on computers. The generated heat is where all that wasted energy goes to. Imo, optimize the energy consumption and you’ll also fix the heat problem. Regulate much more components, make them use only as much energy as they need. Use more sensors to double check that. Really, there are ways of achieving this and it’s not that hard. But it’s a buying decision. And it’s not about buying spare batteries. If you think the average customer spends around 150€ on spare batteries, just improve your energy management and add this as a surplus charge on your product. Any customer will pay more (see Apple!!) if runtime is improved. I will depend my next buying decision on a) display quality and b) battery runtime.
  • Heat: as mentioned above, heat is a problem with most laptops. I like the fan intake on ThinkPads (my main reason for ThinkPads) which is located at the side of the chassis. On Dell and HP, it’s both at the bottom. This is stupid. And on MacBooks? You don’t get to hear the vents most of the time but ask any MBP owner on heat problems. Yes.
    I would also like to have a computer I can take to work in a dry, hot and sunny African country without having to worry about any components. Cooling, as a start, should be excellent. Again, there’s so much potential on the heat dissipation thing.
  • Power Supply: Power supplies shouldn’t weigh more than 300gr, should be as small as possible, should NOT come with these really thick 230V cables even if the law still says so (ha! – but the cable weighs more than the transformer…), they all should have magnetic plugs as found on MacBooks (Apple, PLEASE licence this to others) and they should all have an LED indicator light (yes, some still don’t have this!). An LED on both the transformer and the plug.
  • Operating Systems: I like Windows. I like Windows because it works fine on my laptop. I like OSX because it works fine on MacBooks. I like GNU/Linux on desktop PC because it doesn’t give a damn about battery runtime. Honestly, I don’t care about the used OS as long as it is adjusted to the hardware I am using.
    It’s the details. Hardware that will only work on Windows, not in GNU/Linux even though the machine is certified to be compatible with SUSE Linux. Yeah, right. Software that will *know* how to address my hardware and will make proper use of it. This actually is one of those 1:0 situations for Apple. I prefer their approach (but they don’t have serious docking stations, etc. etc.).Instant-On-OS: a second, simple OS that may be switched on when the computer is offline. Many tasks are web based these days, some just require a quick check on computer data. It would be nice to have this on my “good laptop” (my EliteBook has this where it’s called “QuickLook” and “QuickWeb”…. but HP, well…., HP is a big bureaucratic company with no clear vision on things, it seems. It still does not work as beautiful as it should probably do).Also, as this often depends on the OS the laptop came shipped with: a clear policy on user data. Create a second partition, find a way to easily backup your home directory. Give users more flexibility in securing their data. After all, the hardware may die but your data should survive. It’s almost like asking manufacturers to have an extra HDD just for the static user data, and an SSD for the OS and programs only.

  I think that a lot of the mentioned details above will still not be possible because of:

  1. marketing reasons (because they want to sell more, because their product managers are salespersons and not end users)
  2. technical limitations (the heat problem, smaller power supplies)
  3. licensing issues (patents on technologies such as the magnetic plug, and maybe also the fan intake on the side?)
  4. companies, who are the main customers of business laptops, don’t have such requirements and prefer machines that provide a controllable IT environment instead of any desired flexibility
  5. there’s still no such good + open + secure operating system that will play very well with the attached hardware.
  6. The design is done with a short product cycle, planned obsolescence, no dedicated C2C policy and in regions where quick wins are more important than overall achievements and happy customers (that’s why I suggested the leasing model, btw, because it would help a company to extend the product cycle and so much more).
     You can see this with the Qualcomm Gobi WWAN (UMTS/EVDO) modem which is a very nice piece of hardware, but was designed only once and all manufacturers then adopted this design to their needs. Probably licensing issues and the lack of human resources that limit the availibility of proper GNU/Linux drivers for this modem. Not good.
  7. Who designs these laptops? Engineers in the US, in Europe or China? Does each company have their own engineers? I don’t think so. Are these engineers paid to define what users/customers need and want? Who sets these targets? And what kind of relationship do these companies want to have with their customers? Are they interested in a relationship that goes beyond selling hardware and spare parts?

  If there’s any serious manufacturer out there who would like to build THE perfect laptop: I am available. :-)

  
  

• Ich habe im arte Magazin gelesen…

  Posted: March 20, 2011, 8:36 pm by jke

  …dass heute um 17:20 Uhr wieder Yourope ausgestrahlt wird, diese kurze Sendung bei arte, die über Aktivismus und Widerstand in Europa informiert.

  Karriereorientiert und bloß auf Sicherheit bedacht – so wird die junge Generation gerne beschrieben. Doch die jungen Europäer in dieser “Yourope”-Sendung beweisen das Gegenteil: Sie setzen sich höchst engagiert für eine bessere Welt ein – und riskieren dafür eine Menge.

  Man möchte Stéphane Hessel gerne diese Sendung zeigen und sagen: hier, schau her, die Jugend empört sich und ist aktiv, organisiert sich (bereits seit Jahren), klärt auf, engagiert sich unentgeltlich für soziale Themen, nutzt dabei das Internet und zweckentfremdet Kunst für ihre Zwecke. Wobei man natürlich Kunst als solche auch für genau diese Zwecke verstehen kann.

  Über die Aussagen von Stéphane Hessel kann man sicherlich geteilter Meinung sein, aber wer mit 93 im Fernsehen noch so schön Gedichte aufsagen kann, darf nicht nur als Randnotiz auf der Facebookwand gepostet oder gar in der späten Nacht im Nischenprogramm bei 3sat ausgestrahlt werden. YouTube, unser geliebtes Poparchiv, gibt uns hier die Freiheit.

  Und nun?
  Anlass für diesen Blogpost war für mich eigentlich das Thema Zweckentfremdung, also die Nutzung von Medien für einen ganz anderen Zweck. Ich finde es sehr interessant, wenn Menschen aus allen Altersgruppen Medien für ihre Zwecke anpassen und auf eine Art und Weise verwenden, die abseits der geplanten und üblichen Pfade eine neue Art der Interaktion ermöglichen.

  Die zentrale Frage bei all dem ist für mich auch immer “wie kann ich Mitbürger erreichen”, und das schreibe ich deswegen weil ich mich ja eigentlich hauptberuflich mit dem Thema Toiletten und Stoffstromoptimierung beschäftige, welches oft schon mit einem Imagefaktor von -10 an den Start geht. Toiletten sind ein Tabuthema, über das weltweit eher selten geschrieben wird. Einen Anfang habe ich jetzt bei reverb magazine gemacht, für das ich einen zweiteiligen Beitrag verfasst habe.

  Aktivismus als solchen finde ich vor allem hinsichtlich der verwendeten Mittel interessant. Die Themen selber sind für mich eher sekundär, wobei klar ist dass lokale Themen eine größere Erfolgschance versprechen. Das sehe ich bei unserem Hyperlokal Projekt Frankfurt-Gestalten.de, aber auch bei lokalen Facebookgruppen.

  Im arte Magazin wurde übrigens eine Yourope Folge über “junge Mieter und bezahlbare Mieten” versprochen, bei der die Jeudi-Noir Gruppe in Paris überteuerte Wohnung besetzt und Wohnungsbesichtigungen in Spekulationsobjekten (in Hamburg) lahmgelegt werden. Das Thema Hausbesetzungen ist sicherlich ein altbekannter Hut, dass aber hier Wohnungsbesichtigungen geentert werden ist natürlich nochmal ein ganzes Stück interessanter.

  Wenn sich jemand beklagt, können wir es immer noch als Kunst deklarieren. Praktisch!

  (das arte Magazin wurde nach der 3. Ausgabe abbestellt, weil ich eigentlich nur auf die Prämie scharf war und mein Fernsehkonsumverhalten nicht nach einer Fernsehzeitschrift richten mag)

  Oh, und weil es so schön und gerade aktuell ist:

  (via FB)

  
  

• on e-mail

  Posted: March 10, 2011, 10:22 pm by jke

  It surprises me how popular e-mail still is after all these years.

  Or maybe not.

  The e-mail pros:

  • workload measured via inbox
  • can be shared
  • runs on most devices

  I’ve been wondering lately if I should offer my next website via e-mail only. Why not? It’s the service most people use. It’s what they know.

  I am also writing this as I am preparing a newsletter with selected stories for a company. They don’t run a blog, do not have an RSS feed and the newsletter is their only broader publication next to specific scientific publications. When I showed them a blog solution, they asked for the “subscribe via e-mail” widget.

  We’re having March 2011, with Facebook and Twitter already limiting the attention span of most readers, we know that videos with a length of 15-30 seconds are the most popular and yet what matters the most are e-mails that will block your inbox and increase your workload. Amazing.

  And all of this while I am forced to work with Office 2007 (because my client also does) which comes with its own MS-Office html rendering engine (instead of using the one that came with MSIE – the only good part about MSIE), while we still haven’t found a solution to the html/txt-only question, while e-mail security is still an unsolved mystery for most users and while there are still too many “standards” (7bit, mime, max mail size and so on).

  E-Mail, it seems, is like cockroaches or even morse code. Meant to survive because it’s just damn simple & established.

  
  

• Anmerkungen zum Fall Goodmountain

  Posted: March 4, 2011, 7:28 pm by jke

  Bevor der Fall Guttenberg im kollektiven Bewusstsein verschwindet, möchte ich auch noch kurz meinen digitalen Senf zur Diskussion hinzufügen und dabei zwei Umstände nennen, die mir bei all den Beiträgen unterm Strich interessant erscheinen:

  1. “Der Aufstand der akademischen Klasse wird für Guttenberg zur Gefahr”, hieß es Anfang der Woche von Franz Walter, Politikwissenschaftler an der Uni Göttingen, in diesem trefflich beschriebenen SPON Kommentar.

  “Aber seinen Stuhl und Posten wird der fränkische Edelmann womöglich am Ende deshalb räumen müssen, weil er die meritokratischen Ansprüche und Stellungen des hiesigen Bildungsbürgertums elementar gefährdet.”

  Gutti ist bisher mit allem durchgekommen, aber erst durch die sich androhende Verwässerung der deutschen Promotion ist die sonst so ausgeglichene akademische Welt auf die Barikaden gegangen und konnte sich erfolgreich durchsetzen. Erst als es um ihre eigenen Werte ging, um die Abschwächung der eigenen Leistungen kam die für einen Protest kritische Masse zu Stande.

  Gerade hinsichtlich der Frage “womit können wir unsere Mitbürger erreichen?” finde ich dieses Ergebnis sehr interessant.

  2. Die immer noch andauernde Popularität zu Guttenbergs ist sicherlich nicht nur der Medienpräsenz oder seiner Arbeit zu verdanken, sondern vor allem den fehlenden Alternativen, die sich ähnlich gut verkaufen können.

  Ein ewig grinsender Ministerpräsident Bayerns – geschenkt. Eine Horde vollkommen glanzloser Beamter in Berlin – geschenkt. Eine in der DDR und post-DDR sozialisierte Kanzlerin – geschenkt. Ein unmöglicher Aussenminister – geschenkt. Eine noch unsympathischere Ministerin für Arbeit und Soziales – geschenkt.

  Nein, nicht die Regierung, nicht das Bundeskabinett trägt hier die Mitschuld, sondern auch die so schwache Opposition.

  SPD? Grüne? Linke?

  Sicherlich ist die Politik ein gnadenloses Geschäft mit einem großen Maß an Rhetorik, aber wer nur solche Personalien in der Führungsetage anzubieten hat, darf sich meiner Meinung nach nicht über die große Beliebtheit zu Guttenbergs wundern.

  Ich finde es geradezu erstaunlich, wie sich bei Diskussionen mit alt und jung, von arm bis reich, von links nach rechts immer wieder herausstellt, wie beliebt dieser zu Guttenberg bei den Wählern “doch eigentlich” ist. Und wie gleichzeitig über die “unmöglichen” Kandidaten aus der Opposition gelästert wird. Insofern wundert es mich überhaupt nicht, dass der zu Guttenberg so weit kommen konnte.

  Allein, es gibt viele andere – gute – Kandidaten mit ähnlichen Qualifikationen (Fremdsprachenkenntnisse, small talk Fähigkeit), und so wird es meiner Meinung nach (vielleicht ähnlich wie bei Obama seinerzeit mit seiner social media campaign) zukünftig vermehrt zu solchen Kandidaten kommen, die diesen vom Ehepaar zu Guttenberg vorgelebten Glamour für sich übernehmen und ausnutzen wollen.

  (filed under: politics – obwohl es hier überhaupt nicht um politische Inhalte geht)

  
  

• Five reasons why the Motorola Defy sucks (not really)

  Posted: February 18, 2011, 6:03 am by jke

  Yes, I know – five blog posts about a phone within two weeks may be too much for most readers, but some people have asked me how I like my new mobile phone – the Motorola DEFY – so I went on and compiled a review on it. In German, for Amazon.de.

  Don’t speak German? Then read on….

  The part where you’ll lose your readers is probably where you start talking about how good product xyz is. There are 163 reviews on Amazon.de about this particular phone at the moment, and almost all reviews describe how great this phone is. So I went on and tried to focus on the disadvantages of the Motorola Defy – which I think are important facts when you’re about to invest some money in a new phone.

  It’s an incomplete list, things (especially some software issues) are subject to change, we’re talking about a Motorola Defy in mid February 2011. Also, I started as an Android n00b (when I got this phone a week ago).

  1. The micro-USB port is at the side of the devices, so you’ll have troubles finding a suitable docking station. I’ve built my own, but the device still acts up when inserted into the docking station, even with the latest (unofficial) software. Plus the port is covered by a piece of plastics which needs to be removed (and is fixed to the body of the phone) – thus: a docking station will always have to provide enough room for this flap. It’s still better than the flaps on the Nokia phones I’ve reviewed in the past and of course helps protect the phone from water and dust.

  2. There’s no specialised accessory available as of yet except for the usual suspects such as car chargers, (passive) car mounts, display and body covers. No docking station, no headphones, no spare parts. And this although the phone has sold quite well over the last few months. Where are all these Chinese manufacturers when you need them? Or could this be related to the nasty docking station issue I’ve experienced on my Defy (phone switches into flight mode, starts media player)? Or is that just a “media dock”-mode? Hmm.

  
  Moto DEFY car mount menu (very nice!)

  
  Moto DEFY media dock menu (before it started acting up…?!).

  
  opened Motorola DEFY headset (hint: iPhone headsets do work)
  tip = L // 2nd ring = R // 3rd ring = M- // sleeve = M+

  3. The ear speaker problem a lot of (not all, but many) Moto Defys came with is due to low quality speakers and should have been avoided by quality management. Especially since the rest of the phone is top-notch Motorola quality. The Sony K770 (mobile phone) is said to be a resource for alternative speakers….

  4. The camera. I believe that the camera module inside the phone is capable of doing much more than what we see as end results. The picture quality is far away from the likes of Nokia N95, N82 or even N8 (it’s just a simple 5mpx module after all) and when I installed new firmware on the phone, I realized how much better this camera can be. Really, an upgrade of the camera software should be recommended to Motorola.

  
  How about these two totally unrelated macro sample shots? (taken with the phone on Android 2.2)

  5. Motorola currently ships this phone with Android 2.1. I am using a retail version which means any upgrade of the internal firmware isn’t possible over-the-air (OTA), but instead only via a Motorola software on my computer. So I upgraded it from version 2.2.1 to 2.5.1 (both within Android 2.1) and still had some nasty bugs on it like folder names that disappeared after rebooting the phone, or missing lock screens after pressing the main button. Also, I wasn’t using Motorola’s own Android skin “Motoblur”, so I can’t remark on that one. Anyways, after experiencing all these bugs, I decided to flash it with a leaked BLURless ROM from Orange Poland (!) to Android 2.2. What you actually do is a full wipe of all user data on the phone, install the new ROM, do another full wipe and remove some Orange default settings. It’s an automated process that will certainly kill any warranty on the phone, so you should only do it if you know what to do. I didn’t, but I tried it nevertheless and was really surprised:

  Motorola Defy + Android 2.2 – Motoblur = AWESOME!

  Don’t get me wrong, this preliminary BETA via Orange Poland still has some bugs, but Motorola would be well advised to change their policy on this Motoblur thing and have it removed, or only make it available upon request. Or keep it for business customers who need a closed environment. Not because Motoblur is bad - it isn’t - but because the development and adjustment of Motoblur slows down the entire process for future Android releases on the phone. Seriously, you can not ship a brand new phone (released to the market in Nov. 2010) with Android 2.1 while the competition already has 2.3 and while I can get 2.2 on any cheaper 100€ Android device (ZTE, Huawei, etc.).

  Else, I think the Motorola Defy is a great phone and is unique enough to remain on the market (even with Android 2.1!) for a very long time.

  Another detail I eventually also realized: you’ll need to register a credit card with Google to buy software on their Android market. On Apple iTunes, there are vouchers available for purchase in our local supermarket. So it’s not only the great UI, simplicity of the iPhone or good apps that made the Apple iPhone dominate the market, but also this ecosystem called iTunes (compared to other like Android market) that contributed to the success of the iPhone. You’ll read about such things and think: “yeah, of course…”, but then when you are charged extra fees on your CC because it was used on Google checkout (US <=> Germany), you’ll quickly understand that some things are smarter with iTunes for a very good reason. This, however, isn’t related to the phone, but to all Android devices.

  So…. does the Motorola Defy suck? – NO, of course not.

  
  

• 4 days on Android

  Posted: February 15, 2011, 4:34 am by jke

  There’s something about Apple’s iPhone that just won’t go away. I think it’s this “one button to rule them all” philosophy – the home button – that will make things a bit easier for the user.

  When you’re already used to an iPhone, it’s hard to switch to any other mobile OS, especially if this includes letting go of a beloved app and a service that made things a bit easier for me:

  1. the app to control my bank account (currently no Android app available)
  2. no push notifications for Android 2.1 & Twitter app

  I may be repeating myself here, but such a basic and important service like Twitter push notifications (forget about Facebook) not being available on my Android device is really sad. The only alternative to this is the use of an automatic sync (~ every 15 min.) via TweetDeck, Hootsuite & Co..

  Else, my first 4 days on an Android device were less hectic. I received the phone, installed the latest available update (it’s still on Android 2.1!) and downloaded a plethora of interesting apps. Apps that I can even share with the rest of the world via Appbrain. Wow!

  You know it’s a bit irritating when you’re already using Google Chrome, have a Gmail account, sync everything via this account and then you are wondering where your bookmarks are. Not synced! Why? No browser on Android supports this. Yes, there’s an extra app for this + I am a LastPass/Xmarks Pro user, so solutions are available, but still – this chaos at Google reminds me of Nokia’s Ovi.

  Unfortunately, the Moto Defy also still has some open software issues and tends to “forget” a few settings after each reboot. I will also need to optimize energy consumption on it – my Symbian approach of closing apps which are not in use does not really work with Android.

  As for the iOS vs. Android discussions:

  • Need games? => iOS
  • Need your (Google) tasks & calendar on a home screen? => Android
  • You’re fine with iTunes? => iOS
  • Want to backup your phone to a Dropbox account? => Android

  To be honest, I am still at this point where I think that an iPhone is the better phone for most consumers – even though I’ve seen a lot of iPhone users who’d even be ok with a simple Nokia S40 phone (as they only need telephony and SMS).

  
  

• Motorola DEFY docking station (DIY)

  Posted: February 12, 2011, 6:55 am by jke

  
  The Motorola DEFY ships with a simple (bulky) charger & a micro-USB cable.

  Docking stations for mobile devices may not be on everyone’s agenda, but since I am working from home most of the time and also use a docking station for my HP laptop, I prefer these convenient solutions to have the phone (or any other mobile device) charged when I need it. Besides, I’ve also used such docking stations for my previous phones, so I made sure I’d get mine for this new phone.

  The problem: there’s no docking station available for the Motorola DEFY, even though it has been on the market since November 2010 and has since then sold quite well.

  There’s an offer on eBay for such a third party docking station from China, set to be available from March 2011 onwards – or later, because the same was also said in Decemeber and January and the release date has been postponed more than once.

  Another issue is that the micro USB port is covered by a little flap, so you’ll always have to move it to the side while accessing the USB port. It may be against this background that third party manufacturers haven’t come up with a docking station for the DEFY as of yet.

  The solution: build your own by modifying one made for the Motorola Milestone. Such Milestone docking stations like the one below currently sell for 10,90 EUR via eBay.DE (incl shipping), which is ok.

  Now, the beauty with these phones is that they flip the screen when you insert them into such a docking station – and display a special screen with access to basic functions like alarm, gallery, media, etc..
  In fact, it has two screens – one for desktop docking stations and one for car mounts. You can manually activate the car mount display (huge buttons with access to the navigation system, telephone, music, etc. – very nice, see previous post with bikertech.de image) via a link on the home screen, but I am still to find the link on the menu for this desktop docking screen.

  With this docking station, the screen automatically rotates and shows the docking screen. How’s that done? SIMPLE! The phone responds to a magnet which I’ve mounted inside the docking station. In fact, this docking station also came with a small magnet for the Moto Milestone, but it never worked, so I used one of those neodyanamic magnets from last week’s MAKE: LED Throwies DIY project during our local Frankfurt Ignite event wich does the job quite well. You insert the phone et voilà, the screen rotates. Perfect!

  Here’s what I did:

  Removed the covers on the screws.

  The position of the micro-USB port on the Motorola Milestone obviously differs from the one on the DEFY :-(

  Let’s open it up and see what’s inside:

  The micro-USB plug is screwed to the plastic frame – good! Let’s remove it….

  The old magnet from the Milestone docking unfortunately didn’t work for the DEFY…

  Ok, now this is what you do when you don’t have a Dremel ;-)

  (using your soldering iron – very jua kali, but hey, it worked….)

  So I “drilled” a new hole for the USB plug…

  …and fixed everything with hot glue (nasty stuff).

  Can you see the magnet in the middle?

  Ok, let’s put the bottom cover back on and turn it around:

  It may not look that nice…..

  ..but the final result it good, works fine & makes me happy! :-)

  This DIY project is based on an idea I picked up on a German Android forum, which also has a pic of where the magnetic sensor is located inside the Motorola DEFY. Btw, the 2 screens for the docking station (a) this view (as above) and b) the car mount view) only depend on the polarity of the magnet. Flip it over and the other screen will load. Obviously, this isn’t possible with my construction because I’ve glued the magnet to the plastic frame. But you get the idea and may want to use it on your own DIY car mount….

  And yes, this docking station will certainly never be as elegant as the slim one for the iPhone, but it fits the phone and does what its supposed to do. Also, there’s something about Motorola I will never understand. The hardware and build quality they offer is terrific! But anything beyond that like adopting the open Android approach (i.e. open bootloaders) or cooperating with third party accessory dealers – nada. Motorola, to me, is like a headmaster of a conservative school that prefers adults (business customers) only. Very strange…

  
  

• Hello Moto DEFY! How dey body?

  Posted: February 9, 2011, 7:17 am by jke

  So I did it.

  I bought this Motorola DEFY mobile phone today. It’s my first Android device and I am still to find out if I can get along with its operating system, the available apps and the user interface. I’ve picked this model (and not the HTC Desire / HTC Desire HD / Samsung S / Nexus S, etc.) for the following reasons:

  1. It is dustproof and water & scratch resistant. There are various videos on YouTube that document how this phone still works after (and while) being submerged in water and other fluids. Try this with an iPhone :-)
  2. It was recommended to me by my mate Adrian who has 10 (!) of these and uses them for a scientific (geologic) project. Of course, if I could afford it, I would probably also long for a Nexus S (like Adrian) because of the availability of a pure and fresh Android 2.3+. The Motorola DEFY currently runs on Android 2.1 with its own (lame) skin MOTOBLUR. Android 2.2 still needs to be rolled out in this region for this phone, and it is uncertain whether it will ever make it to 2.3. Of course there are unofficial releases, but Motorola only allows signed bootloaders. F*** Y**, Motorola. Not good. Android is open. You’re not. Why?
  3. It was also recommended to me by fellow blogger @bobbes who’s a Linux guy and showed me his DEFY earlier last week.
  4. It is affordable and has a very good price-performance ratio. This is an average device with an average camera. My old Nokia N95 (ex 2007) has a better camera. I’ve paid 265 EUR (this is a refurbished/like-new piece of hardware!).
  5. Android! Because I needed a change. As a Win/Linux user, iTunes is a pain in the ass. Else, I still love my iPhone on iOS 3.1.2. The iPhone is very slow on the browser, though, and urgently required an upgrade. I am not really sure if Android will make me as happy as iOS did, but I’ll never know unless I try.
  6. 480×854 pixel screen size. For an operating system, where app compatibility also depends on the pixel resolution of the target device, this is a welcome screen resolution.
  7. I’ve always kept & treated my phones & gadgets in a good way, never had a broken screen so far, but it just feels good to know that any sweat on the display (holding the phone next to your ear) will not result in a water damage. Given how fragile these phones are on the inside, this DEFY hopefully defies all water attacks :-)
  8. It’s smaller than my iPhone, faster and will presumably also run a bit longer. This argument about exchangable batteries….in all honesty, I think no one really needs that in reality. And for those moments you really need it, you won’t have a fully charged spare battery in your pocket. I usually carry a bag with chargers and spare batteries for all my phones in my laptop bag. During all these years, I’ve only used them twice. Once in Kenya, and once in Germany on the train (only to realize that the cheap MadeInChina spare batteries drained too fast).
  9. It has a good GPS chipset. My iPhone Classic doesn’t have GPS. My Nokia N95 has GPS, albeit a very weak one that needs to be hardware hacked one day (extending the antenna, that is).
  10. It has a microSD card. This alone is reason enough to drop the iPhone (where I used Dropbox for non-multimedia files).
  11. It has two microphones that “intelligently amplify your voice and filter out background noise”. This is supposed to be a modern standard (worked fine on my E72), but my iPhone Classic didn’t have this and I sometimes missed it. I don’t like to use my iPhone as a telephone, prefer Nokias when it comes to pure telephone functionality because of the improved acoustics. Estonimoja (with his beloved 6210) and Mentalacrobatic(s) (with his love for the 6230) will certrainly agree on this.
  12. As a hardware guy, I checked Youtube for “disassembly defy” and found this video. Going by the main PCB and the plastic cover, this phone is very similar to good Nokia phones. You’ll notice the difference while opening up iPhones or HTCs – which are much more fragile and consist of many small cables and parts directly printed on these copper cables. This obviously is a business decision and sometimes the cause for failures (that you won’t have with such single-board phones, imo). In other words: good built quality needs to be based on something.
  13. This being an iP67 phone, my assumption is that it will continue to live despite any stupid Motorola bootloader policies. In other words: while this phone has something that makes it unique (the water/dust proof thing), other current Android devices may only be short lived and soon dropped by many users for the prospect of using better hardware. I think this Motorola Defy will stay with us for a long time, similar to the Siemens ME45 or the recent Nokia 3720.

  What I miss is a docking station, and/or the USB socket at the bottom of the device. I’ll have to open the flap that covers the USB port (on the left side of the device, see pics), which is a bit annoying. The iPhone (or the HTC Desire) clearly wins here. Obviously, there’s no perfect phone out there.

  Oh, and you can buy this mobile phone holder (yeah, simu holdaaaaa!! :-):

  
  

  …. which will probably attract Enduro-fanatics like Bwana Whiteafrican or Bwana Mzeecedric who need tough gear for their motorbikes.

  This mobile phone holder for bicyles and motorbikes is available via bikertech.de – the above image is (C) by them. The guy who runs bikertech.de builds these holders one by one, they are all hand made and can be adjusted to any specific requirements. Love it! In fact, seeing this pic finally nailed it for me. I can’t imagine using an iPhone in an Otterbox case (which are awesome, see their review from my Nokia E72) on such a holder. But the DEFY? Of course!

  Anyways. I know the DEFY won’t be the ultimate phone, and probably also not be my last one. If it proves to be as reliable & versatile as the iPhone Classic, I’ll be more than glad.

  In other, related news: “Blood in the mobile“.

  UPDATE: After receiving this phone, checking out Android, installing a lot of apps and slowly understanding what makes Android so special, I realized that the simplified car menu (see bikertech image above for an example) that gives you access to basic functionality is VERY nice and convenient.

  
  

• Should I stay or should I go…

  Posted: February 5, 2011, 9:26 pm by jke

  The following blog post may be filed under “things I do when I am supposed to do other, much more important stuff instead”, but I just need to write it down and share it here.

  I am in the process of buying a new mobile phone, and my switch to the iPhone Classic some month ago made me realize that – in the end – I am no real software hacker (hardware, yes) and prefer a system that’s reliable and just does the job.

  
  main screen on my iPhone Classic
  (note the Full Body Film coming off on the top right corner)

  Meaning, the limited options on an iPhone Classic with a jailbroken iOS 3.1.2 aren’t necessarily negative, because you end up using only a few apps of the 140+ apps I’ve meanwhile installed on the system and also adjust to the user interface. I think we are human enough to accept user interface design flaws as long as we’re getting things done.

  From my experience with Symbian and iOS so far, I can tell that iOS is kick ass and only has a few things that I would probably like to change (on 3.1.2, but also 4.x). There’s a plethora of apps available for iOS, there are many good apps also ONLY available for iOS (like the app provided by my bank) and everything is just very straight forward. There’s no doubt that Apple’s / Steve Job’s ZEN approach and the things they DON’T do or offer on their devices isn’t wrong, but instead one of the main reasons for their success – even in Japan, where analysts feared that the somewhat limited iPhones wouldn’t succeed (as stated in this brilliant article).

  This week I went to a local Twitter meetup and realized that almost everyone was using an iPhone. Except for two coders who were on Android devices.

  the back side of my iPhone Classic – with the partly worn out & yellowish Full Body Film (that covers the gaps on the aluminium back).
  QR Code = my address for business contacts

  Android and iOS. Let me be clear on this: I judge phones on their reliability and what I can do with them. I said it before, Nokia does not interest me anymore despite their awesome (really awesome and unbeaten) hardware. The camera on my Nokia N95 from 2007 is still very good when compared to current devices. And this although it only has an LED flash!

  It’s the apps. No apps, no fun.

  Hence it’s only iOS or Android to me these days. Likewise, any change of mobile phone operating systems has to be well planned. Seach the now (eventually also via web accessible!) Android app store online and see which app relates to the one you like best on your iPhone. Also, sometimes there’s no extra app necessary on Android as the functionality is also included on the default operating system. I am a bit afraid of software hacking any future phone, but going through the various forums/fora online I realize that a lot of ppl manage to hack their Android devices, so I should also manage to hack it to some extend.

  
  iPhone Classic docking station

  Hardware

  What you see in the snapshot above is the very nice, small & slim docking station for my iPhone Classic. I have two of them – one on my desk and one on my bed table. This is VERY convenient and also necessary, because they battery on this phone isn’t original and only lasts 8-10 hours maximum. I am using Kirikae multitasking switches and SBStoggles on the iPhone to kill unnecessary apps and free available RAM, there are no constant data connections and I mainly use it for Twitter/FB/Reader & as a phone. The battery and the display are both not original and thus a bit peculiar on energy consumption. Missing 3G speed, a lousy camera, battery life and limitations of iOS 3.1.2 now made me consider an upgrade to:

  a) an iPhone 4, paid for in installments @ 25 EUR / month, iOS 4.x (= 649 EUR)
  or
  b) a Motorola DEFY, Android 2.1 (+ unofficial UK upgrade to 2.2), currently selling for ~ 290 EUR

  Now, given that I can get the same things done with a cheaper Android device like the Motorola DEFY, why should I upgrade to an Apple iPhone 4? From a “let’s-be-real” perspective, the DEFY will just do as well. Most of the apps I am using will also be available via Android Market, and since I’ve also already jailbroken my iOS device, I will probably be able to hack an Android device, right?

  Right?

  Interestingly, one of the main reasons why I still haven’t bought the DEFY is the lack of a docking station. The DEFY also has its connector on the left side, so you’ll either have to modify a Motorola Milestone docking station (with a magnet, so that the display flips 90° to the side) or build your own, but in any case I will always have to remove the plastic/rubber flap that covers the USB port on the DEFY. Do I really want that? And will they be dureable enough?

  Another alternative would probably also be an HTC DESIRE on Android 2.2 because it has its docking port at the bottom. This, the availability of many custom firmwares and the camera on the HTC DESIRE are reasons why I would go for an HTC DESIRE. But for the moment, also because of it’s rugged character – the Motorola DEFY is rated as IP67 – the DEFY looks like a current Android device with a very good value for money. The still missing & rather complicated docking station issue and the only average camera (I take a lot of photos for use on my Posterous blog) – sijui… will still have to make up my mind on this.

  The recent launch of the Huawei IDEOS U8150 in Kenya triggered my interest in low-cost Android devices. A friend, who is currently programming a scientific app for Android devices, also recently recommended the DEFY (given my budget) as he’s currently using one himself. I had the chance of playing with the DEFY for a few minutes and liked what I saw. Of course, it’s not an iPhone 4, but it costs only half as much and makes me getting things done.

  So here’s the question: wait for the iPhone5, buy an Android device like the DEFY or DESIRE, invest into an iPhone 4 or stick with the old one because there’s never “the right time” for buying Android devices?

  (pls note that I didn’t even mention the convenient microSD card memory on these Android devices & the lack of iTunes, which is a nightmare on Windows & also reason for the change to Android)

  
  

• Chrome flaps

  Posted: February 4, 2011, 4:55 pm by jke

  On of Germany’s most popular tech bloggers (@Caschy) recently published a notice about Google Chrome 9 final on his blog – and attached the following Chrome logo to the news…

  ..which I’ve marked with red arrows, because I’d like to know from YOU, dear reader, if you know what these sort of landing gear flaps on the logo are all about (?).

  Someone on Caschy’s blog suggested it is part of the Jefferies-tubes, someone else wrote they are flaps for a microphone and a camera.

  Seriously, do you know why they’re part of the Chrome logo and what’s the story behind them?

  
  

• Fun?

  Posted: January 28, 2011, 6:16 pm by jke

  I don’t know what kind of CRM software they are using over at Nokia HQs, probably none, because otherwise my e-mail address wouldn’t be registered with their nokia.com.my (Malaysia) website.

  Now, I’ve been to Malaysia once, as a child in 1981, but other than that and me taking part in a Nokia Malaysia competition many month ago, there is no other connection between them and me. Also, it is against this background (SE Asia, Malaysia), that I understand the Disney promotion within the cultural context.

  Their multiple databases online and the promotion of such BS software for any serious user are just two reasons why I am happy with my iPhone. Just the other day it amazed me how quickly and without any regrets I managed to drop my Nokia fan boy thing, but looking at such e-mail spam I am just reassured that I took the right decision.

  
  

• Webcam a.D.

  Posted: January 3, 2011, 9:30 pm by jke

  
  A flash-based web-solution to test your webcam.

  Mutter: “Was heißt A-Deeh?”
  Sohn: “Adeeh (ade) is Schwääbisch und heischt Uff Wiederseen”
  Vater & Sohn lachen.
  - Familie Heinz Becker

  The Candidate

  There are quite a few things I dislike about my laptop, but mainly financial reasons and the lack of a much better alternative (suggestions welcome!) make me being stuck with an HP Elitebook 6930p, a laptop that’s most often operated at home on a docking station because of a) a heavy power cord (the cord, not the transformer), b) a CCFL screen (instead of an LED option which would add another 1h of battery runtime), c) an internal 2G/3G/EV-DO modem that will only work in a MS-Windows environment and d) lousy battery runtime of about 2-3h on 4cell battery (I have another travel battery that extends it for a few hours, but also adds weight).

  This computer…. I don’t know. Back in the days we used to say: HP = High Price, Huge Problems. The 6930p is quite durable and well built, but the CCFL screen is so 1990s. Brilliant colours vs. battery draining. Uargh…

  The Webcam

  The webcam on this said laptop has no cover – like many other modern laptops. If you feel being spied on via your webcam, mistrust the LED that’s supposed to show activity on the cam or never pay attention to it anyways, there are simple and professional ways to cover your webcam. I’ve used a piece of a note-it post in the past, others use their beloved duct tape or whatever is around. And then there’s the good solution that will cost you ~ US$ 12 or EUR 15 (even though it’s a German company!). Good but also expensive for a little piece of plastic. For half the price, ok. But 15 EUR is a bit too much.

  Time to build my own solution using black cardboad:

  It’s cheap, it wins, it works!

  The laptop lid also closes without problems. Very nice!

  
  

• Facebook Marketing und so….

  Posted: December 31, 2010, 6:12 pm by jke

  Im Herbst 2010 saß ich in einem Meeting zu einem deutschen Forschungsvorhaben, bei dem Zwischenergebnisse aus den Untersuchung auch auf Facebook bekannt gemacht werden sollen.

  “Was ist Facebook?”, frug daraufhin ein teilnehmender Vertreter aus der Industrie. “Bei uns werden all diese Seiten immer gesperrt von der IT, wir können da praktisch gar nichts machen”.

  “Facebook?..nee, lieber nicht”, antwortete eine andere Vertreterin aus der Industrie, “..bei uns ist das alles sehr restriktiv, wir haben auf unserer Website auch keine Infos über Forschungsvorhaben”.

  Meine Schwester, Juristin & als Mutter 24h dauerbeschäftigt, gehört auch zu denjenigen, die “diesen ganzen Quatsch” ablehnen. Keine Zeit, “keinen Bock auf Daten von mir online”, keinen Nerv auf die Zeitverschwendung – alles Gründe, wieso sie da nicht mitmacht. Ich bin da zwar anderer Meinung, weil ich mein Geld teilweise auch mit “diesem Quatsch” verdiene, respektiere aber diesen – für sie – logischen Entschluss. Freilich, was bringt ihr die Teilnahme?

  
  …neulich an der Kasse beim Alim Market in der Kaiserstraße.

  Facebook muss man nicht mögen, ich habe es in der Vergangenheit gehasst, ich bin kein großer Fan von social networks im Stil von Facebook (oder noch schlimmer: Xing & LinkedIn), aber ich nutze es mittlerweile gerne weil es mir den Kontakt mit anderen ermöglicht, genauso wie Twitter.

  Ich nutze Facebook auch deswegen, weil in anderen Ländern als Deutschland Facebook quasi DIE Eingangsplattform für social activities ist. Verbunden mit einem in manchen Ländern kostenlosen Mobilfunkzugang zum mobilen Angebot von Facebook via [0.facebook.com], muss man sich dann auch nicht wundern, wenn die Jugend bei Facebook & Co. abhängt. Wohlgemerkt, weltweit. Genau so wie der Rest des Internets 24/7/365 offen ist (wenn wir mal von ein paar deutschen Ausnahmen absehen).

  Facebook bietet all das, und eben noch viel mehr als Xing & LinkedIn aus bewussten Gründen sein werden und vielleicht auch nicht sein wollen. An Facebook führt also irgendwie kein Weg vorbei – denken sich sicherlich auch die professionellen Facebook Marketer in Deutschland.

  Eben komme ich aus dem Einkaufszentrum hier in Frankfurt-Ost – dem Hessen-Center, das gerade eine Aktion für Kunden startet und für die Teilnahme an deren Hessen-Center Facebook Seite wirbt:

  [facebook.com]

  ….steht da in der Mitte auf dem Plakat im Center. Nicht etwa [www.hessen-center-frankfurt.de], nein, facebook.com/hessencenter. Und daneben ein überdimensionaler “Gefällt mir” Button. Facebook.com/xyz als neue ID?

  Zugegeben, die richtige Website ist jetzt auch nicht so der Burner. Aber was möchte man auf der Website eines EKZs schon erfahren – ausser der Öffnungszeiten und vielleicht noch der verfügbaren Geschäfte? Bemerkenswert übrigens der Link zu den Jobangeboten.

  Obwohl, das könnte man doch eigentlich auch direkt erfragen, nicht wahr? Also ab damit auf die Pinnwand: “Werdet Ihr hier auch eine Seite mit Jobs anbieten?”

  Die Kommunikation läuft also über die Facebook Pinnwand, man ist beim Du (praktisch, direkt) und ich (ich kleines ich) spreche mit a) der Welt und b) dem HessenCenter (wo natürlich nur eine Agentur bzw. ein Student sitzt, der die Kommunikation macht). Kommunikation! Konversationen! Cluetrain? Hach….

  Ich erwähne das alles, weil:

  • ich mich ob der angepriesenen URL wundere: facebook.com/eigenername vs. [www.eigenername.de], und inwieweit es ein Vorteil ist für Firmen, wenn sie Teil eines Netzwerks sind;
  • ich mich über solches direktes Facebookmarketing freue, aber auch wundere, weil es doch gefühlt noch so viele Nichtnutzer gibt und man damit nicht alle erreichen kann;
  • ich mich wundere, ob die Firmen und Projekte wirklich alle bereit sind für eine offene Kommunikation? Konversationen mit dem Kunden! Dabei geht es ja nicht immer nur um Firma X, die ein Produkt Y verkaufen möchte. Ein gutes Beispiel hierfür ist die Stadt Frankfurt, die bei Facebook über das Presse- und Informationsamt einen Facebookkanal bedient. Machen die gut, wie ich finde, aber viele Teilnehmer und “Gefällt mir”-Klicker nutzen deren Facebook Pinnwand als direkten Rückkanal – und äußern darüber ihren Unmut zur Stadt UND eben allem was dazugehört. Which includes the RMV und all das was der gemeine Bürger sonst noch nicht voneinander abtrennen kann und vielleicht auch nicht muss. Ich, die privaten Firmen, dort die öffentliche Hand und ach ja, die Steuern und überhaupt, macht mal was für unsere Steuern! 11!1! So etwa. So liest sich das auf den Seiten teilweise. Das ist normal und menschlich (und eben nicht so sachlich);
  • ich mich frage, ob Firmen “Marketing” auch als ein Solches verstehen, oder hier den bloßen Verkauf von Produkten sehen (vielleicht auch nur weil es ein für sie messbarer Erfolg ist und sie weiterbringt). Beispiel: Bahnaktion im Herbst 2010 mit dem Verkauf von Tickets über Facebook. Meiner Meinung nach war das ein bloßes Antesten der Bahn über deren altgediente Agentur, ob Facebook als Verkaufsplattform taugt. Die Kunden sahen es anders und äußerten ihren Frust auf der Pinnwand über Stuttgart21, die Verspätungen und was sonst noch im Makrokosmos Deutsche Bahn abgeht. Direkt, auf Antwort hoffend. Die natürlich auf sich Warten ließ, dann aber gut kam. GENAU DARUM GEHT ES meiner Meinung nach. Um Kommunikation! Mit den Kunden sprechen, direktes Feedback geben. Das Angebot kann noch so scheisse sein – wenn die Kommunikation stimmt, ist schon vieles gerettet. Zum Kundenservice in Deutschland hat auch Volker Weber gerade wieder etwas gebloggt. Traurig, aber wahr..
    Bloßes Verkaufen geht meiner Meinung nach (als gelernter Kfm.) über den Preis, über Qualität oder übers Image. Wenn die Bahn Tickets verkaufen möchte, stelle ich mich gerne 3 Tage auf die Zeil in Frankfurt und verkaufe da sicherlich noch mehr Tickets als die über Facebook. Verkauft haben sie übrigens lt. dem oben verlinkten Interview mit der Agentur und dem Bahntypen blendend. Gegenüber meinem Kunden würde ich als Agentur in der Öffentlichkeit aber auch nur positives berichten.
    Daher: Facebook ist vor allem eine Kommunikationsplattform (yeah, “-plattform” :-), kein Verkaufskanal.
  • Ich erwähne es auch, weil ich mich immer wundere, wo diese rasante Entwicklung mit Facebook noch hinführen wird. Dass im Internet nichts von Dauer ist und alles vergänglich ist, ja sogar peinliche Sucheinträge aus der Jugend (“das Internet vergisst nicht”) in der Masse und aufgrund von Suchmaschinenoptimierungsmaßnahmen sowie demand media Flut untergehen, scheint mittlerweile immer mehr bewusst zu werden. Allein: Facebook kann sich Dinge erlauben, die andere Firmen in den Ruin treiben würden. Verschleierte Privacy Maßnahmen, einen unreifen CEO mit schlechter Menschenkenntniss und ein sich ständig wechselndes Layout bzw. Benutzersteuerung sind da nur einige der Gründe, die Position von Facebook kritisch zu hinterfragen.
    Siehe Delicious.com, der social bookmark service von Yahoo!. Yahoo!, diese mittlerweile chinesische Firma. “Geleakt” (wuaarrgh), ist deren slide zur bevorstehenden Schließung von Delicious, dann am nächsten Tag Kommando zurück, delicious wird – wenn überhaupt – verkauft, aber eigentlich ist das alles egal, denn die Menschen brauchen Vertrauen. Vertrauen, dass sie in Delicious nicht mehr haben und dementsprechend abwandern. Eigentlich sehe ich es wie einige Andere, dass Delicious durch die abwandernden Nutzer kaputt gemacht wird, und nicht durch Yahoo!s falsche Geschäftspolitik, aber mittlerweile habe auch ich zu Diigo.com gewechselt. Nicht weil Delicious so schlecht ist, sondern weil mir bei dieser News erst gezeigt wurde, dass es auch noch bessere Alternativen zu Delicious gibt.
    Amazon mit seiner Sperrung der S3 Server für Wikileaks, Paypal ebenso – alles Dinge, die sich eine Firma wie Facebook ohne weiteres erlauben könnte und andere eben nicht so sehr. Eben weil die Nutzer so tief drinstecken und ihre Kontakte – ihr Netzwerk – nicht mehr aufgeben möchten. Dieser scheinbare Zwang zur Facebookmitgliedschaft – der Wert der Verbindungen und der internationalen Kommunikationsmöglichkeiten – ich weiß noch nicht wo uns all das hinführen wird, und ob es hierfür überhaupt eine gewollte Marschrichtung gibt? Auch von Seiten der (antrainierten) Nutzer?
  • Und: ich nutze Twitter lieber als Facebook. Beim Barcamp Darmstadt, als Beispiel, lief die Kommunikation (“back-channel”) über Twitter. Inklusive Twitterwall. Praktisch. Wohl dem der dabei ist und den Dienst zu nutzen weiß.
    Festzuhalten bleibt aber auch der Kommentar von Fefe zum 27C3: “Wie viele Konferenzen kennt ihr, die ein eigenes GSM und ein eigenes DVB-T haben? Und keine Twitter-Wall :-)”. Dabei hatte ich den 27C3 vor allem via Twitter verfolgen können. Und war damit sicherlich nicht der einzige.
  • Bei Facebook mag es vielleicht mittlerweile diverse Einstellmöglichkeiten für die Privatssphäre geben – wer darf welche Inhalte sehen? – aber stellt das auch wirklich jeder so ein? Gerade gestern hat jemand aus meinem Facebook Freundeskreis 200 (!) von seinen vielen Kontakten bei Facebook aus der Kontaktliste gestrichen. Weil er die alle irgendwie doch nicht kannte und eine bessere Übersicht haben wollte. Jemand, der den ganzen Tag mit IT zu tun hat, ein sehr geselliger Typ ist und sich als TED Teilnehmer und PopTech Fellow eigentlich gut mit Selbtmarketing auskennen müsste. Und doch hat ihm Facebook diese Entscheidung (“wer ist mein Freund bei Facebook?”, “wer hat Zugriff auf mein Profil, auf meine Kindheitsfotos, auf meine Familienfotos, auf meine Infos, Konversationen an der Pinnwand?” etc.) in der Vergangenheit nicht so leicht gemacht wie es vielleicht bei anderen Netzwerken der Fall ist.
  • Mir fallen 10 gute Gründe ein, wieso eine Firma in Facebook vertreten sein sollte, aber – bei der o.g. Problematik zum “Freunde-Status” – eher weniger gute Gründe, wieso meine Schwester oder meine Mutter (die regelmäßig Anfragen von ihren DaF-Schülern bekommt), bei Facebook mitmachen sollten. Oder wie ich meiner Mitbewohnerin beibringen kann, dass sie nicht Hinz & Kunz bei Facebook befreundet um ihre FarmVille Boni zu erhöhen, da vielleicht aus Versehen einer ihrer eigenen Schüler reinrutscht und ich ihr aus dem Grund keine privaten Dinge mehr auf die Pinnwand schreiben möchte. Denn: so ganz logisch ist das für mich (als FB power user) eben alles noch nicht. Was bringen mir restriktive Privacyeinstellungen, wenn meine Kommunikationspartner das alles viel lockerer sehen?
    Und: viele sehen in Facebook immer noch das private Netzwerk, weniger die berufliche Seite wie bei Xing oder LinkedIn. Dass sich beide Welten nach Ansicht des Facebook CEOs miteinander vermischen sollten und Facebook eben diese beiden – privaten sowie beruflichen – Fronten abdecken soll, ist für den deutschen Benutzer vielleicht eher befremdlich. So ganz ist das Verständnis von Facebook für Privatnutzer bei eben diesen am Ende von 2010 noch nicht angekommen.

  Eine Facebook Seite haben wir übrigens auch für unser open data hyperlocal Projekt Frankfurt-Gestalten.de eingeführt – sogar neuerdings (dank Wolfgang Weicht vom Kombinat für asiatische Verhaltensforschung) mit sog. “landing pages”. Ich finde das sehr gut und bin gespannt, wie es sich entwickeln wird. Gerade weil vielleicht die typischen Facebook Nutzer nicht unbedingt auch bei Frankfurt-Gestalten.de mitmachen würden. Aber ist das wirklich so?

  Facebook, quo vadis?

  Und: was bedeutet Facebook für Euch?

  
  

• Magic Garden

  Posted: December 30, 2010, 6:05 pm by jke

   

  Everyone – please have a Happy New Year!

  
  

• Erlöse aus Flattr & Co. für das Kinderheim

  Posted: December 11, 2010, 1:14 am by jke

  Das Land Kenia in Ostafrika ist inoffiziellen Angaben zu Folge eines der reichsten Länder Afrikas. Nicht unbedingt wegen der eher bescheidenen Bodenschätze, den erfolgreichen Exportgütern wie Kaffee, Tee, Blumen oder dem Tourismus, sondern wohl vor allem weil es im Ausland so viele Kenianer gibt, die (oft am Fiskus vorbei) ihre Familien aus der Ferne finanziell unterstützen.

  Jahrelange Korruption und Missbrauch von staatlicher Gewalt haben trotz einer erstarkenden Mittelklasse auch immer weiter dazu geführt, dass die Kluft zwischen Arm und Reich immer größer und deutlicher wird.

  Gelder, die für den Aufbau des Landes gedacht waren, flossen in die falschen Taschen. Innenpolitische Machtkämpfe führen immer wieder zu Verlusten, vor allem bei der armen Bevölkerung.

  Kenia ist ein wunderschönes Land voller innerer Spannungen und Gegensätze, es befindet sich im Aufbruch in eine neue Zeit, in der die selbstbewusste Jugend eigene Erfolge verbucht und – verführt von ausländischen Investoren aus China und Russland – ihr Anlagevermögen vermehrt.

  Der Mobilfunksektor boomt mit seiner Vorreiterrolle – seit Mai 2010 gibt es in der Hauptstadt Nairobi einen eigenen Inkubator, der gleichzeitig als Treffpunkt aller IT-Spezialisten dient. Die Stadt Nairobi platzt irgendwie aus allen Nähten – was wenig verwundert, denn sie wurde nie auf die ständig wachsende Einwohnerzahl ausgelegt: einen aktuellen Masterplan zur Stadtentwicklung gibt es nicht.

  Seine Entwicklung ist auch seiner geopolitischen Lage zu verdanken – Kenia gilt mit seinen Häfen und seiner internationalen Anbindung auch als wichtiges Zentrum internationaler Politik. Zwei UN Programme (UN-Habitat & UNEP) haben dort ihr Hauptquartier.

  Bei dieser idealen Ausgangslage könnte man also davon ausgehen, dass Kenia wie jedes andere Land in der Lage sein sollte, seine internen Probleme selber zu regeln.

  —————————————–

  Spendenwerbung mit afrikanischen Kindern, gerade zur Weihnachtszeit, war schon wiederholt Gegenstand der Diskussion in diesem Blog (hier, hier, hier, hier und hier).

  Diese international als “poverty porn” bezeichnete Methode empfinde ich als falsch, da sie nur weiter das falsche Afrikabild nährt und dunkelhäutige Kinder visuell mit den Begriffen Armut, Elend und Hunger gleichstellt.

  Wieso sehen wir bei den Spendenaktionen von UNICEF & Co. keine Bilder von – weißen – unterernährten & geschlagenen & zugedröhnten Kindern aus Moskau, die in der Kanalisation hausen? Oder von den vielen, täglich vernachlässigten armen Kindern in Deutschland?

  Der Aufruf zum Spenden kommt für mich in der deutschen Gesellschaft oft einem modernen Ablasshandel gleich, zumindest wenn auf diese rhetorischen Mittel zurückgegriffen wird.

  Dabei ist Spenden eine sehr feine Sache und sollte hierzulande viel selbstverständlicher werden! Mein Vater musste mit seinen Geschwistern nach dem 2. Weltkrieg auch monatelang “stoppeln” gehen, also die Früchte vom Feld auflesen (oder eben klauen), weil sie nichts zu Essen hatten. Ohne die gütliche Hilfe Anderer wären sie wohl damals nicht über die Runden gekommen und ich würde nicht diese Zeilen schreiben können. Folglich sind alle Menschen, die ohne eigenen Nutzen anderen Menschen helfen (gelebter Altruismus, sofern erwünscht), in meiner eigenen Wertschätzungsskala ganz weit oben. Die eigene Motivation (“ich mache das weil sonst keiner hilft”, “ich mache das damit ich mich besser fühle”, “ich spende weil es mir auch mal dreckig ging”, etc.) bleibt dabei jedem selber überlassen.

  Im Folgenden möchte ich nach dieser Einleitung aber doch erwähnen, wieso ich trotz meiner Ablehnung des poverty porns, der vielen Nichtregierungsorganisationen in Kenia und der gegenwärtigen Übersättigung mit Spendenaktionen das folgende Projekt für sehr gut befunden habe und nach Möglichkeit aus der Ferne unterstütze:

  The Nest Home

  
  screenshot der The Nest Home Website

  Das Nest Home “..ist ein Programm zur Prävention und zur Wiedereingliederung für Kinder in Not und deren inhaftierter Mütter in Kenia.”

  “Programm” ist hier eigentlich eher der Übersetzung des englischen Begriffes zu schulden, denn es ist keineswegs ein staatliches Programm, sondern ein privates Hilfprojekt mit deutschem Trägerverein im Hintergrund und als eingetragene Stiftung in Kenia registriert.

  Dass dieses Projekt überhaupt als Stiftung bzw. Nichtregierungsorganisation in Kenia anerkannt wurde, ist nur dem unermüdlichen Druck der Hauptverantwortlichen und Initiatorin des Projekts, Frau Irene Baumgartner, zu verdanken, die mit ihren Mitstreitern unentwegt, d.h. an 24h am Tag und fast 365 Tagen im Jahr für das Wohlergehen der Kinder sorgt. Da die Mitarbeiter des Nests zur Ablehnung jeglicher Korruption angehalten sind, dauern einige bürokratische Prozesse auf staatlicher Seite oft länger als eigentlich notwendig. Und das, obwohl der Sinn und Zweck dieses Kinder-aufname-heimes nur darin besteht, den in Haft befindlichen Müttern und gelegentlich auch den vielen (!!) Findelkindern eine liebevolle Unterkunft (eben “The Nest”) zu bieten. Es handelt sich um einen Dienst an der kenianischen Gesellschaft, die immer stärker mit offenen Armen bei diesem Projekt mithilft und seinen Wert erkannt hat. Umso erfreulicher ist es dann auch, wenn Adoptionen innerhalb Kenias – z.B. durch kinderlose kenianische Ehepaare – erfolgen können.

  Das Nest Kinderheim mit seinen Häusern (mehr dazu auf der Homepage) ist für mich eine wirklich sehr gelungene Einrichtung, die es im Idealfall natürlich überhaupt nicht geben sollte. Es muss sie aber geben, weil es in einer Welt von Gewinnern auch ebenso viele Verlierer gibt, die in ihrer Not oft auf sich selbst gestellt sind. Hartz IV? Gibt es nicht in Kenia.

  So zum Beispiel junge & alleinerziehende Mütter, die beim Handeln auf der Straße von der Polizei erwischt und aufgrund einer fehlenden (da teuren & aufwendigen) Geschäftslizenz / Geschäftsausstattung (z.B. kein Verkauf von Lebensmitteln ohne Schürze) eingesperrt wurden. Und die Kinder? Kommen mit ins Gefängnis. Oder verwahrlosen tagelang alleine im Wellblechverschlag, bis sie von den Nachbarn oder den Sozialarbeitern – die Füsse voller Würmer – ganz zufällig entdeckt werden. Es ist ein Teufelskreis, weil die Menschen teilweise aus Not, teilweise aus eigener Dummheit ins Gefängnis kommen und die Kinder darunter zu leiden haben.

  Ebenso gibt es auch die traurige, aber wahre Geschichte des kleinen Jungen, der von seiner Mutter in die Toilette geworfen wurde, weil sie zu jung und unfähig war, für ihn zu sorgen. Was macht man in so einer Situation? Wie hilft man? Und ist es nicht ein Fass ohne Boden, wenn es in einer sich wandelnden Konsumgesellschaft immer mehr zur sozialen Verwahrlosung kommt? Wem hilft man? Und wem hilft man nicht?

  In der Regel werden die Kinder für die Dauer der Inhaftierung der Mütter bzw. der Eltern aufgenommen und neuerdings auch schulisch ausgebildet. Im Anschluss daran gibt es eine Rehabilitierungsmöglichkeit für die jungen Mütter, wo sie in einer ruhigen Umgebung an der Ausbildung ihrer Fähigkeiten arbeiten können. Wenn das jemand als private Entwicklungshilfe (-zusammenarbeit) oder Diakonie bezeichnen möchte – so be it. Wichtig ist mir, dass sich jemand um all diese Menschen kümmert, ihnen Halt gibt (weil es sonst niemand tut) und dafür Unterstützung bekommt.

  10 Minuten Video über das Nest Home in Limuru, Kenya

  Die Website des The Nest Home in Limuru (Vorort von Nairobi) in Kenia läuft in einem Unterordner auf meinem Uhuru.de Server und ich unterstütze die Arbeit des Nests hier aus der Ferne über diese technische Seite. Manchmal schicke ich auch ein paar alte (aber noch funktionsfähige bzw. von mir reparierte) Handys zur Familie Baumgartner nach Nairobi, weil man in einem Land wie Kenia – trotz des Reichtums einiger Weniger! – auch diese Dinge gebrauchen bzw. verkaufen kann. Das ist nicht gerade viel und ich würde gerne mehr für das Nest machen: der Unterhalt des Kinderheimes verursacht jeden Monat hohe Kosten. Alleine schon die Krankenhauskosten für kranke Kinder sind so dermaßen hoch, dass man nur ganz direkt nach einem Zahlungserlass bitten kann und auch muss, weil es anders gar nicht zu stemmen wäre. Gesundheit kostet Geld – auch in Deutschland ist die soziale Absicherung für Menschen ohne Aufenthaltspapiere trotz des Grundrechts auf Gesundheit nicht viel besser.

  Selber aktiv werden

  Meine Motivation zur Hilfe ist nicht das Mitleid mit den tragischen Einzelschicksalen der Kinder – jeder hat seine eigene, oft traurige Geschichte – sondern weil ich diesen Kindern das Familienleben/Gruppenleben und die Geborgenheit ermöglichen möchte, die andere als selbstverständlich betrachten und die ihnen genauso zusteht. Im Gegensatz zu ihren Eltern rutschen sie meist unverschuldet in diese Situation und werden dann der Möglichkeiten beraubt, die ihnen den Rahmen für eine erfolgreiche Entwicklung bieten. Beim wem, wenn nicht bei den Kindern, sollte Hilfe ansetzen?

  In der Vergangenheit gab es auch schon diverse Helfer aus Deutschland und den USA, die im Nest Home in Limuru ehrenamtlich ausgeholfen haben (alles selber bezahlt, kein warmes Wasser, etc.), oder aber eine Solaranlage oder ein tolles Kinderklettergerüst errichtet haben. Ohne diese Hilfe von Außen – von Ausländern, aber auch von Kenianern! – wäre das Nest Home Projekt sicherlich nicht zu dem geworden, was es jetzt ist.

  Ich habe daher beschlossen, den Jahreserlös des erst vor Kurzem auf meinem Blog eingeführten “Flattr.com“-Buttons (bei dem sich registrierte Nutzer/Blogger gegenseitig Guthaben zuweisen können, d.h. man legt zu Monatsbeginn einen Betrag fest und dieser wird dann am Monatsende durch Anzahl der Klicks geteilt) an das Nest zu überweisen. Das ist jetzt nicht sonderlich viel (derzeit 1.31 EUR), weil die Flattr Funktion meiner Meinung nach vor allem in der deutschsprachigen Blogosphere bekannt ist, es den Flattr Dienst noch nicht so lange gibt, erst seit kurzem auf meinem Blog richtig aktiv ist (zwischenzeitlich deaktiviert) und weil mein Blog eher international erscheint & ich nur selten Beiträge auf Deutsch verfasse. Aber dennoch – vielleicht kommt ja so einiges zusammen. Selbstverständlich wird es zu dieser Aktion auch ein Update zur Schlussüberweisung geben.

  Auf der Website des Nests war eigentlich auch mal ein Paypal Spendenbutton angedacht – viele Unterstützer des Nests wohnen zB. in den USA, für die die Bezahlung via Paypal bequemer wäre. Aufgrund administrativer Abläufe wie Schwierigkeiten beim Ausstellen einer Spendenquittung für Onlineüberweisungen wurde dies aber erstmal nicht umgesetzt. Ebenso haben wir (wir = die ehrenamtliche Verwalterin der Nest Home Website und ich) auf die üblichen Mittel des Social Media Zirkusses wie Facebook und Twitter weitgehend verzichtet. Es gibt zwar mittlerweile eine Facebookseite und sogar eine Initiative von US-amerikanischen Filmemacherinnen, die einen Dokumentationsfilm über das Nest erstellen möchten, aber… aber viel Erfolg führt auch leider oft zu vielem Neid. Neid, den man bei der täglichen Arbeit nicht gebrauchen kann. Neid bei den lokalen Ansprechpartnern in staatlichen Einrichtungen, weil da eine Deutsche quasi im Alleingang und mit Hilfe potenzieller Geldgeber und vieler Freiwilliger ein Projekt aus der Taufe gehoben hat, das so viel Sinn macht und gut ist. Und bei dem es kaum vorstellbar ist (aus kenianischer Sicht), wieso jemand seine ganze Lebensenergie ohne Eigennutz in so ein Projekt steckt.

  Spendern, die es gut meinen und die helfen wollen, muss man daher manchmal vor den Kopf stoßen, weil zu viel Hilfe teilweise genau das Gegenteil bewirken kann. Zum Wohle der Kinder eher weniger herumtrommeln und dafür weniger Missgunst vor Ort ernten. Die o.g. internen Machtkämpfe in Kenia gibt es nicht nur in der Politik!

  Jedenfalls: ich finde dieses The Nest Home Projekt sehr gut; ich unterstütze es technisch; ich unterstütze es weil es Menschen aus meinen beiden Heimaten Deutschland und Kenia involviert; ich weiß, dass die Gelder alle gut ankommen und direkt verwertet werden; ich weiß dass die Verwaltungskosten (overhead costs) im Gegensatz zu manch anderen Projekten aufgrund sinnvoller Investitionen relativ gering sind und ich weiß, dass dieses Projekt aus rein altruistischen Stücken von einer mehr als engagierten Persönlichkeit geführt wird, die hier nicht ihren Afrikatraum verwirklichen möchte, sondern dort hilft wo Hilfe wirklich gebraucht wird.

  Ich möchte daher jeden Leser dieses Blogbeitrages bitten, entweder die Flattr-Funktion unterhalb dieses Blogbeitrages zu benutzen, oder aber für dieses Projekt auf eines der hier angegebenen Konten zu spenden.

  Für eine dauerhafte Unterstützung gibt es auch einen Förderverein in Oldenburg, den “Tunza Dada e.V.”, dessen Mitglieder mit ihren 6,- EUR Monatsbeiträgen die 38 Gehälter des Projekts finanzieren und Sonderzahlungen wie z.B. Reparaturen an den Gebäuden oder dringende Neuanschaffungen ermöglichen. Der Verein hat derzeit 171 Mitglieder und 200 fördernde Nicht-Mitglieder.

  Herzlichen Dank!

  Juergen “Kikuyumoja” Eichholz (@jke)
  Frankfurt am Main, 11.12.2010

  update:
  Wie angekündigt habe ich den gesamten Jahreserlös via Flattr von meinem Blog ans Nest überwiesen. Allen Spendern ein herzliches Dankeschön!

  
  

• Inside a micro SD card reader

  Posted: December 11, 2010, 3:34 am by jke

  Opened it up, so you don’t have to.

  Oh, look! A GL827!

  Old vs. new reader. I’ve used the old one for the last two years, and it never broken albeit being carried around in my right pocket, next to the keys. Also, the micro SD inside never got lost. Amazing quality.

  I prefer these microSD card readers to conventional USB memory keys or even the key-type keys because they provide a slot for the microSD card from the phone. Now, the best option would probably be to have a key-shaped microSD card USB reader.

  
  

• Wer braucht Kino, wenn er in einer Stadt wie Frankfurt wohnt?

  Posted: December 10, 2010, 3:07 am by jke

  Heute Abend in der U-Bahn saß ein älterer Mann – “südländisch”, würde man wohl sagen, also natürlich ein Türke (was ebenso natürlich nicht stimmt), der vertieft in einer orangenfarbenen DIN-A4 Mappe las. Jede Seite mit arabischen oder persischen Schriftzeichen – so genau konnte ich es im Vorbeigehen nicht erkennen – war handgeschrieben, und mit seinem Schurrbart und dem Blick wirkte dieser Mann wie…

  …ja?

  Das ist genau der Punkt. Wir wissen gar nichts voneinander. Und doch musste ich beim Anblick dieses Mannes an den Themenschwerpunkt Istanbul bei arte.tv denken, letztens, wo es auch einen Bericht über Arabeske gab, dieser für westliche Ohren kitschigen Volksmusik:

  “…l’arabesk s’est muée en phénomène national et a révolutionné la pop turque”.

  Folglich stellte ich mir vor, wie dieser Mann in den 1970er, oder vielleicht auch 1980er Jahren ein lokaler Star war, der in seiner Freizeit dramatische Texte über Liebe und Schmerz schrieb und in Gedanken noch in dieser alten Zeit lebt. Am Abend, wenn er auf seinem Weg zum Flughafen ist, wo er in einer 10h Schicht durch die Gänge des Terminals läuft und den Müll der Fluggäste entfernt. Sich in der U- und S-Bahn mental auf die Eintönigkeit der Arbeit vorbereitet, in dem er die alten Texte durchgeht und sich des Schmerzes erfreut, der gefühlt besser war als der Luxus in der neuen Welt.

  Das ist natürlich nur ein Gedankenspiel. Maximal drei Minuten lang einen fremden Menschen anschauen und sich eine Geschichte dazu überlegen. Erfundene Geschichten zu Menschen, die in dieser Stadt leben und früher in einem anderen Kulturkreis ganz anders gewirkt haben?

  Frankfurt am Main, diese typische Großstadt mit ihrem hohen Anteil an zugereisten Mitbürgern, eignet sich hierfür irgendwie ganz gut. Das Kopfkino siegt immer wieder in Frankfurt, diesem Schmelztiegel aus Kommerz und Kulturen – selten eine Stadt wie Frankfurt erlebt, die so viel HassLiebe in sich trägt. Was also liegt näher, als sich vor Langeweile im öffentlichen Nahverkehr die Menschen anzuschauen, und sich vorurteilbeladene, aber doch irgendwie passende Geschichten auszudenken (eben weil man es nicht besser weiß)?.

  Bis jetzt habe ich mich noch nie so richtig gelangweilt im Leben. Wann waren wir eigentlich das letzte Mal im Kino?

  
  

• glowing keyboard stickers

  Posted: December 9, 2010, 2:59 am by jke

  The problem

  The keyboard and the screen are THE two important user interfaces between humans and their computers. Whenever I buy new hardware, I try to include these two parameters in my list of important criteria – especially since both my active machines do not come with a backlit keyboard (which is really sad).

  So unless you’re the proud owner of an Apple MacBook (Pro) or Dell Latitude notebook with a backlit (!) keyboard, you’ve probably asked yourself why your notebook doesn’t come with a backlit keyboard, or how you could change that.

  As far as I know, only these two manufacturers (Apple and Dell – but maybe also MSI and some Sony models) offer backlit keyboards on their laptops/notebooks, and there’s no comfortable way of installing a backlit keyboard unless you’re into some hardware hacking and/or have access to a light emitting foil and transparent keys.

  The alternatives

  My HP Elitebook 6930p comes with an illuminated keyboard, which is a little LED light that pops out on top of the display (bezel) – very similar to what you may already know from IBM ThinkPads, but slightly better (because it doesn’t blind the eyes like the ThinkPad light on many new Lenovo ThinkPads & has an extra hardware button).

  It’s ok and works, but not really a 100% satisfying solution. A backlit keyboard would be the better alternative.

  On my Asus eee PC 1000HG, there’s no such light. Also, the keyboard on this netbook PC is rather thin, so any hardware modding would require extra space – and an LED that pops out from the bezel would probably only add another irritating light source (I’ve tried to hack one onto my netbook, but failed in doing so and had to realize that only a commercial solution would deliver sufficient results).

  So I bought these external (USB) & flexible lights which kind of do the job for the time being, but also add another bulky gadget. Plus: the USB version blocks a USB port.

  You can see from the picture that the 2nd external solution is clipped to the display bezel and delivers a very bright light.

  Both these external keyboard lights can be adjusted, but luminance can’t be set and they are actually wayyyyyy to bright. Not nice.

  So I kept on looking for a better alternative and stumbled upon these “glowing fluorescent keyboard stickers” (which you may already see in action on the pictures above) from this dealer on eBay:

  At ~ 6,- EUR for a set of stickers, I couldn’t resist and ordered these directly from the US (~ 10 days from the USA to Germany).

  Now, these stickers DO NOT GLOW and AREN’T FLUORESCENT, but – as the dealer writes on his website:

  “Glowing characters pick up any source of light coming in/ through ( such as light from your own monitor, laptop, or even USB light etc, etc) – allowing keyboard characters to brighten up immediately by reflecting the light, yet, stickers are not the source of light themselves. It is just the same effect* as a road signs reflection, or strips on uniform worn by construction workers or police.”

  I think this best explains how these stickers work and why you won’t see glowing stickers on the following snapshot of the keyboard:

  The main difference, and a reason why I’ll stick to these stickers on the keyboard for now, is that the letters are bigger and much more visible in darkness. So even though they aren’t glowing in the dark – like a clock dial – they do add some value and an improvement to this rather darker netbook keyboard with its tiny lettering.

  I didn’t fix the stickers on the F-keys (top row) – and if you look at the pictures above of the attached stickers on my netbook, you’ll realize that this top row with its Function keys isn’t really readible in any kind of darkness. With netbook keyboards already being too small for the average user, I don’t understand why the lettering also is this poor.

  Other than that, the flat surface of the stickers also adds some sort of chiclet touch to the keyboard (flat & single keys on modern Apple/ Sony/ MSI/ Asus/ Acer etc. keyboards). And while there’s a BIOS update available for the Asus eee PC 1000H that allows the use of a chiclet keyboard as found on the Asus eee PC 1000HE, there’s no such luck for 1000HG owners like me. So unless there’s a much better hardware mod for backlit keyboards available in future (Hello Chinese copy masters, inventors of cheap touchpad covers – how come you never ventured into this?), I’ll probably have to stick to these not glowing, not fluorescent but somehow OK’ish stickers.

  (* it’s not the same effect, maybe similar effect. The same effect would require these stickers to be much more expensive because the technology used on good road signs is high-tech. This is the material used on these stickers, and the company that produces these adhesives also produces the retro-reflectors on traffic signs…)

  
  

• German M-Pesa – would it be possible?

  Posted: November 23, 2010, 8:30 pm by jke

  (…in English, und nicht auf Deutsch, because I’d love to see comments from non-German speakers as well. Dankeschön!)

  Mobile payment solutions, or m-payment, aren’t anything new to the interested mobile user. There are different (technical) models for mobile payments:

  • Premium SMS based transactional payments
  • Direct Mobile Billing
  • Mobile web payments
  • Contactless Near Field Communication

  During this year’s local BarCamp in Darmstadt (for the Rhein-Main area), I also presented a few slides on M-Pesa & M-Kesho which are quite succesful in Kenya since their launch. Safaricom‘s former CEO, Michael Joseph, also talked about the success & struggle that came along with it during his Q&A session at (the) iHub Kenya earlier last month. Afaik, M-Pesa on Safaricom (Kenya, 51% owned by Vodafone) is a Premium SMS based transactional payment system.

  You can google for M-Pesa and also check YouTube for the various videos on M-Pesa and why it has become so successful in EAK over the last three years (obviously, due to the lack of and need for alternatives).

  Now, Germany. A country with seemingly more ATMs than public toilets :-), a working payment system, affordable (sometimes free) bank accounts with minimal charges, a cash culture where card-based payment systems are diverse and convenient to handle, but most importantly:the existing mix of cash & cards is an approved system that most often works and doesn’t require much behaviour change.

  During another session on future mobile apps (during the BarCamp), fellow blogger Kai-Christian asked the attendees about their perception of mobile apps, and what we would like to see being developed.

  As a hardware guy, I naturally love the idea of gadget add-ons that will turn your iPhone/smartphone into an e.g. medical test device, but when I look at the African market – and that was my main intention when I presented the slides on AfriGadget, Ushahidi, the iHub & Co (= what can we learn & adopt from them? South>North exchange) – I think it’s a very valid question to ask about the lowest denominator: telephony & sms, and why we are foccussing on High-Tech only (as opposed to the long-tail in mobile phone users, ~ 80% on simple phones), and why the market for SMS-based services still isn’t as satisfied as it should be.

  To me it seems that since 1997, since the introduction of WAP, not much really changed in this sector (in .DE) because everyone was looking for the “killer app”, and this perception only really changed with true internet phones like the iPhone and such.

  So I asked if a mobile payment system like M-Pesa would be possible in Germany.

  One of the attendees, Silke (who is an expert on commerce systems and also blogs their usage on her private site), instantly replied that these mobile payment systems wouldn’t be successful in Germany because ppl wouldn’t need them (due to the aforementioned availability of ATMs & alternatives).

  Software developer & technical consultant with a mobile service provider, Ali Pasha, added another comment to that and explained that there are security issues that come along with using SMS (which is true, because there is no 100% encryption). Given that a lot of Germans are having privacy concerns with Google Street View and objected the publication of street photos (which aren’t that private anyways), security issues are to be taken very serious when it comes to doing business in Germany (and, of course, elsewhere, but Germans seem to be very attached to security issues). No risk, no problem?

  There are existing mobile payment systems available in Germany (also some upcoming ones based on Contactless NFC right here in Frankfurt), and I also remember the late Paybox service from early 2000 which is now only active in Austria. I don’t know the actual reasons for their failure in Germany, maybe due to investors pulling back or because of a tight competition with banks & providers, or both, but it’s interesting to note that their failure obviously wasn’t due to users who rejected the system, but because of external pressure. I, for one, remember using Paybox as a happy customer. If there is one thing I’ve learned in business, (then) it’s that the best and most accepted solution isn’t always the one that will prevail and succeed.

  What you see here is a screenshot taken from mpass, a German system run by Vodafone (M-Pesa!) – a list of online shops where you can already pay using mpass. Not too many, if I may say so, and I am sure that mpass isn’t as popular in Germany as it probably should (be).

  And obviously, mpass isn’t like M-Pesa because it a) isn’t implemented into the SIM (SIM-toolkit) and b) mpass is also only (?) used as an add-on to online shopping, to confirm a payment, while m-pesa provides much more than that (e.g. the direct exchange of credit).

  Sooo…. if a similar technology is already available, and if they have been “alive” since 2008 – what do you think? Would a mobile payment system (of any kind) be successful in Germany? Would it take a SIM-toolkit modification like M-Pesa to reduce security concerns among German users? I remember having an M-Banking menu item on my old D2/Vodafone SIM card which never worked, and I am not the only one who never understood this.

  I think one of the main arguments for M-Pesa (from  provider perspective) is that users are forced to stick to a SIM (and the network), while mpass works from all networks. Is this due to a European law which regulates, but also limits the competition? I don’t know. But what I do know is that there’s often a different reality to what has been evaluated in field studies, or what we (as interested users) may assume of the market. Just as M-Pesa had been adopted to the Kenyan market by its users – “misused”, if you will. I like that. I’d like to see a similar development in Germany, if only to further explore what’s really possible with basic mobile phone functionality like telephony or sms.

  What do you think?

  
  

• BarCamp Darmstadt 2010 & Co.

  Posted: November 21, 2010, 10:06 pm by jke

  Ich bin grad zurück vom BarCamp Darmstadt 2010, bei dem sich nicht nur IT Fritzen, und auch nicht nur Interessierte aus dem Rhein-Main Gebiet haben blicken lassen.

  Wenn jemand eine so lange Anfahrt aus dem Saarland in Kauf nimmt um sich mit Leuten auszutauschen, die er/sie vielleicht sonst nur “von Twitter” her kennt, durch die eine oder andere Session inspiriert wird oder einfach nur schaut was beim BarCamp los ist, dann spricht das wohl schon für die Qualität der sehr guten Organisation und vielleicht auch der Teilnehmer.

  In fast jedem Fall empfand ich diese 2 Tage (von 08:00 bis 18:00 Uhr) in einem Gebäude der Deutschen Telekom in Darmstadt als gelungen – entsprachen sie doch genau meinen Vorstellungen vom BarCamp, wo es übrigens jedem Teilnehmer überlassen wird, durch einen eigenen Beitrag eine sog. Session zu gestalten und die Diskussion/Austausch zu einem Thema zu fördern. Außerdem verwahrlost man als selbstständiger “was-mit-IT/Web/Medien”-Worker leicht, so dass dieser zwanglose Austausch bei den Stammtischen, Webmontagen, Ignite-Abenden, TEDx[Stadtname] und jetzt diesem BarCamp eine wirklich angenehme Alternative darstellt. Ein BarCamp empfinde ich dabei im besten Fall immer als eine Art Weiterbildung – auch wenn man meint, vieles zu kennen, gibt es doch immer wieder neue Kontakte.

  Ich habe auch so eine (sehr gut besuchte – thx!) Session gestaltet heute morgen, direkt als Erster um 10:00 Uhr, zum Thema Afrigadget & Softwareprojekte / Startups in (Ost-)Afrika. Das war eigentlich gar nicht geplant, aber Wolfgang Weicht vom Kombinat für asiatische Schwarmintelligenzforschung sowie Jan Eggers vom HR hatten mich dann dazu gebracht, dass ich in der Nacht auf Sonntag vor allem vorm PC saß und diese 93 slides zurechtgebastelt habe, die einen Einblick zur Arbeit bei/für AfriGadget & Co bieten sollen:

  BarCamp Darmstadt 2010 #bcda

  Eine ähnliche Präsentation hatte ich vor 8 Monaten schon einmal vor einer kleinen Gruppe bei der Socialbar Frankfurt gehalten – seinerzeit aber ohne diese eigentlich wichtigen Ergänzungen zum Thema Ushahidi/Crowdmap und iHub Kenia. Unser Gruppenblog Afrigadget.com ist sicherlich ein nettes Technikblog mit sozio-kulturellen Beobachtungen im afrikanischen low-tech Kontext, die wirkliche Innovation in 2010 in Ostafrika stellt für mich aber das iHub Kenia dar, das eine Fülle von neuen High-Tech Möglichkeiten bietet, und noch viel mehr – wie der bekannte GlobalVoices/Geekcorps Blogger Ethan Zuckerman jetzt auch nochmal feststellen konnte (und, wie er schreibt, am liebsten dort bleiben würde).

  Über den Nutzen eines Open Source Crowdsourced Mapping Tools wie Ushahidi im Bereich der Nothilfe mag man sicherlich geteilter Meinung sein, aber mir ging es jetzt vor allem darum, dass ein technisch auf Weltniveau mitschwimmendes, aus einem Entwicklungsland wie Kenia stammendes Tool auch in Deutschland für ein interessantes Projekt eingesetzt werden sollte. Der Alex Boerger, Designer/Kommunikations/Mediendingens, kam dann auch gleich mit einem interessanten Projektvorschlag rüber: Ushahidi nutzen, um den Leerstand von Büroräumen in Mainz zu tracken. Die Idee finde ich super! Ganz abgesehen davon, dass der Alex auch ganz andere coole Ideen hat, freue ich mich natürlich sehr über diese Wahrnehmung des Ushahidi Potentials. Etwas gut zu finden und es dann auch einzusetzen sind zwei komplett verschiedene Dinge.

  Sehen kann man das auch bei unserem Feierabendprojekt “Frankfurt-Gestalten.de” (FG), für das wir massiv Postkarten ausgelegt und den Vertretern von Namics und TripleSense für die direkte Ansprache wohl eher Unannehmlichkeiten bereitet hatten (man möge mir dies verzeihen). FG basiert auf dem Content Management System Drupal, das zwar eigentlich total genial ist und eine wunderbare Flexibilität bietet, aber auch seine Tücken hat. In einem Land wie Deutschland, in dem die Profis gerne auf Typo3 als “bestes CMS” verweisen, fühlt sich die gemeinsame Einarbeitung in Drupal auch irgendwie gut an. Im Ausland ist Drupal bekannt und beliebt, nur in Deutschland….

  Und dann auch noch bei einer Diskussionsplattform zur Lokalpolitik, wobei diese beiden Begriffe hier eigentlich nicht wirklich zutreffen – auch nicht der Begriff “Internetforum” (wie die FNP schrieb) – und auch bei mir eher Erinnerungen an Begriffe wie “Diskussionsbedarf” aus Asta-Zeiten hervorrufen. Das alles soll FG eigentlich nicht sein, sondern in erster Linie eine Übersichtsseite zu den Aktivitäten der Lokalpolitik nach Stadtteilen geordnet, und virtuelle Anlaufstelle für die Probleme der Bürger mit der Möglichkeit, eine eigene Initiative zu starten (ohne den ganzen Quatsch, den man mit einer Iniative sonst vielleicht verbinden würde – wer will sich heutzutage schon öffentlich engagieren, wenn er dafür nach Stuttgart oder Gorleben fahren muss?). Nein, FG ist für uns auch Neuland, dass es in dieser Form erstaunlicherweise bundesweit noch nicht gegeben hat. Insofern lassen wir uns gerne überraschen und freuen und auch über die zugesagte Mitarbeit einiger heller Köpfe im Rhein-Main Gebiet, so dass sich Frankfurt-Gestalten eigentlich nur nach vorne entwickeln kann.

  Gefreut habe ich mich auch sehr über dieses Make: “The Best of instructables, Vol. 1″ Buch aus dem Hause O’Reilly – einer Spende zu den regelmäßig stattfindenden Webmontagen, die ich als Gegenleistung für einen kleinen Tweet erhalten hatte (und dafür schäme, aber die Neugierde beim Bücherangebot war zu groß). Ich bin nämlich ein leidenschaftlicher Bastler, habe mir in der Vergangenheit auch schon das Makezine gekauft und lese die O’Reilly Bücher idR auch online bei PaperC – der Plattform für Fachbücher. Lohnt sich. Heißen Dank!

  Bedanken möchte ich mich auch bei den Sponsoren und dem Orga-Team für das super organisierte BarCamp – vom Ticket, über die Verpflegung hin zu den T-Shirts war da wirklich alles dabei. Einzig das sehr wackelige & umständliche WLAN im Gebäude der Deutschen Telekom fand ich etwas seltsam und Netzempfang der anderen Wettbewerber war dort auch fast unmöglich innerhalb des Gebäudes. Später funktionierte dann der Fonic Stick, war dann aber nur noch für Twitter von Bedeutung. Fürs nächste BarCamp wünsche ich mir daher entweder ein besseres WLAN, oder gute Empfangsmöglichkeiten bei den Mobilfunkanbietern. Das klingt jetzt vielleicht etwas kleinkarriert, aber mittlerweile laufen bei solchen Veranstaltungen nicht nur der back channel über Twitter, eine gute Netzabdeckung ist daher schon recht wichtig.

  
  

• Welcome to Germany

  Posted: November 18, 2010, 12:42 pm by jke

  (source)

  Google Street View Germany was launched this morning after a soft start two weeks ago. It currently covers 20 larger cities in Germany – the screenshot above is from a street in Frankfurt where a friend used to live.

  Over 244.000 Germans requested Google Germany to remove their property from being viewable via Google Street View, probably due to privacy concerns, and it is very likely that there will be more requests coming up to censor online street views like the one above. This process also can’t be revoked, so once the images have been altered, they can’t be set back.

  While Germany isn’t the only country that has been having issues with Google regarding this service and how data was collected, I am in fact very upset about the stupidity and “privacy concerns” of my fellow citizens, especially when you’re confronted with such views like the one above. I call this “Verpixelungsfaschismus”, because there are many other occasions when Germans should imo protest against political and social changes and nothing happens, but then when it comes to such an unimportant thing like Google Street View that will – at best – only contribute to marketing the beautiful parts of this country, almost a quarter million (!) house owners protest against a photograph of their property being published online. And it’s not that Google is the first provider to offer such a service.

  Going by the criticism Google Street View encountered in many other European countries so far, I am only glad this isn’t a German-only thing. In other EU countries, this may be even worse.

  
  

• What I don’t like about Apple MacBooks…

  Posted: November 18, 2010, 2:29 am by jke

  Interestingly, you’ll find quite a few “10 reasons why I dislike my MacBook Pro” posts on the internet, but you won’t find blog posts titled “10 things that I hate about my HP Elitebook xyz” . While that’s pretty amusing, it’s about time to add my own reasoning. Also, I need to find out why people love their MacBooks so much.

  I am actually not in the position to write a blog post on hardware I do not own or use, but I am surrounded by geeks and nerds that use MacBooks and Win/Linux notebooks and I have recently become a) frustrated by using Win7 and b) been lulled by the “I-want-a-Mac” advertisment that I feel an urge to note down any reasonable arguments before I switch to the evil side. I know that it will happen one day because I had said the same about the iPhone for different reasons and then eventually started using an iPhone (because Nokia couldn’t deliver!). I also believe that the purchase of an Apple iPad or a similar tablet computer is more attractive right now than a new (full) computer.

  Three important points, though, that I would like to note down first:

  a) Most MacBook (Pro) users I know are nice people who like getting things done. Most of them are from the software side, while I am a hardware guy. They are also the ones who are often looking for that special button and/or cable they need to connect their MB to a beamer.

  b) Most MacBook (Pro) users I know have based their purchase of a MacBook (Pro) instead of a Windows or GNU/Linux machine on the fact that the most often and visible alternative are cheap consumer notebooks. To them, it seems, all they are comparing MacBooks with are these cheap plastic machines that tend to brake easily and only have an expected life span of three years. However, there also is a business range with a life expentancy of ~ 5 years available. IBM/Lenovo ThinkPads, better Dells or the HP (Elitebook) 25xx, 69xx or 8xxx range are such business computers. My HP Elitebook 6930p has a very durable body that can easily compete with any MacBook. You won’t find most of these machines in your normal computer store, though, at least not in Europe. But there are Apple stores with often competent staff.

  c) Most MacBook (Pro) users I know love their MacBooks and would probably buy them again.

  Having said that, there also are a lot of things I like about MacBooks: battery runtime, illuminated keyboard (else only available on Dells), smaller power supply & MagSafe (but also a thick power cord, sigh), reduction of the user interface to a necessary minimum, emphasis on haptic and the fact that the OS can be optimised for a standarized hardware. I’ve also experienced an increase in productivity on a Mac Book, but had the same impression with a Gnome desktop in Ubuntu, so I’d only blame this on the user interface of the OS.

  So what do I dislike?

  availability and placment of USB ports
  You’ll only find three USB ports on the 17″ MacBook Pros, the 13″ & 15″ versions only come with two USB ports. MacBook? Also only two ports. And they are all placed on the left side, which means you’ll have to pass the cable behind the computer if you’re using an external mouse. One on each side would be better, imo.
  Apple will probably argue that the MacBooks were designed to be used without an external mouse.

  glossy display & opening angle
  The glossy display is only good because of its brightness / illumination and the low power LEDs. I also dislike that the display doesn’t open up to 180° like it does on business HPs or IBMs.

  keyboard
  Most ppl love the (chiclet) keyboard on MacBooks, but it is far away from being ergonomic. CK just told me about the Repetitive Strain Injury Syndrome he’s suffering from since using his MacBook(s). I also hear ppl complaining about missing keys, or key combinations they’ll have to press to achieve the same, but I think the (huge) touchpad and multitouch functionality replaced a lot of this.

  no 3G/umts module
  An internal 3G/UMTS module isn’t available for MacBooks, probably because of design reasons (where do you put the SIM? where will the antennas be located? how will they compete for the best position next to the display with the WiFi antennas? etc.). On both my computers (HP Elitebook & Asus eee netbook) I have such internal modems. I also don’t understand this policy because I think there are more conference / mobile people using MacBooks than Windows ppl. From my experience, most Windows users stay at home! :-)

  heat
  Oh boy, MacBooks become pretty hot. I also don’t know where the vent intake and output is on MB(P)s – behind the hinge and via the keyboard? – but nevertheless: this could and should be better, especially with an integrated battery (batteries hate heat, no matter what Apple tells you).

  docking station
  There is no official docking station available for MacBook Pros. Yes, there is this one, but I prefer to use the screen on the notebook as a 2nd screen (multi monitor setup). My setup here is this way: 22″ TFT display to the left, on the right side the HP Elitebook notebook on a docking station with an extended screen in Windows and Linux. Plus: the docking station on my HP lifts the notebook from the table, so there’s enough space for fresh air. Sadly, you won’t have this on a MacBook.

  I understand that Apple would probably argue to buy another desktop Mac, like the iMac or the Mac mini to use at home and to make use of the (much better than on Windows) file exchange. Yes?

  no vga-out
  Yes, there are better alternatives, but the missing vga-out port actually means you’ll need to carry extra adapters (and buy them extra).

  costs
  MacBooks are expensive. Yes, my Elitebook 6930p also sells for 1490,- EUR, but I got it as a demo machine for half the price (749,- EUR) and I wouldn’t have bought it for a higher price. I think most Apple products are still too expensive, especially all these extra gadgets that you are supposed to buy.

  I think the real difference between MacBooks and most Windows notebooks is the user experience – which seems to be a bit more special and also fascinating with MacBooks. This obviously is related to the operating system – I’ve just read a blog post where someone bought a MBP and installed Windows7 on it and never touched OSX (which is rather stupid, imo). The limitation of available software compared to Windows and Ubuntu: I think this actually is a big plus for MacBooks because you’re more productive when the choice is limited to a few good (really good) tools like Keynote or video editing software. I miss these on my Win/Linux machine.

  With my experience that a) the internal 3G modem on my HP will work in a MS-Windows environment only (due to a dynamic firmware), and that b) neither Windows nor Ubuntu are really optimized for my notebook either, I could fall for a MacBook primarily because of the (seemingly) better interaction between software and hardware. All other arguments like a better build quality or working hibernation & standby modes (modi?) are not that important to me because I’ve seen that my HP can compete here.

  So here’s my question: is it true that MacBooks are just so much better? If yes, why? And are you (MacBook users) more productive with it?

  You know I wouldn’t asks these questions, but if MacBooks and OSX are just as dead simple as the interface on the iPhone, then there’s a very valid reason to switch from my current setup to a MacBook in future.

  UPDATE:
  You may have noticed that I didn’t mention malware vulnerability of Mac OSX as a positive or negative argument because I believe that there’s a lot of malware (of any kind) out there that will affect both Windows and Mac machines. And while it’s more likely to infect an unprotected Win machine with malware via a shared USB memory key (especially in Africa where a lot of ppl don’t stick to data discipline), there seems to be more important and imo also much more serious issues like theft identity via Firesheep & other similar tools coming up these days. That – in my opinion – is malware which won’t care about operating systems. The real danger with this malware – I think – is that most users aren’t prepared and believe that their system is proteced or unvulnerable (because it’s a MacBook and “there are no viruses” and so on…). None of these processes are as transparent as they should be to the user, and will probably never be.

  
  

• Lamy noto & Co.

  Posted: November 13, 2010, 11:40 pm by jke

  Letztens frug mich meine Mutter, ob sie mir mit einem der unzähligen Kugelschreiber aus der Sammlung meines vor drei Jahren irgendwie viel zu früh verstorbenen Vaters eine Freude machen könne.

  Ich weiß gar nicht, was ihn seinerzeit zum Kauf all dieser verschiedenen Lamy, Cross und Montblanc Kugelschreiber, Drehbleistifte und Füller getrieben hatte – wahrscheinlich die Faszination an der Qualität oder der Bedarf guter Schreibgeräte in der überwiegend geisteswissenschaftlichen Tätigkeit, aber da ich nun doch schon ziemlich nach ihm geraten bin, hatte ich die Anfrage natürlich bejaht und mich dann für einen alten Lamy 2000 entschieden.

  Gestern Abend habe ich diesen schönen Kugelschreiber aus den 1970er Jahren dann mal geputzt, mit WD-40 eingeölt und mich bei Lamy nach neuen Mienen und alternativen Schreibgeräten schlau gemacht.

  
  oben: Lamy 2000 // unten: Lamy noto

  Beim Durchstöbern der Lamy Website fiel mir dann dieser geniale Lamy noto (Modell 283) ins Auge, der für schlappe 4,95 EUR ein ähnliches Design wie der Lamy 2000 bietet, mit seiner dreieckigen Form wunderbar in der Hand liegt, gerade mal 1g weniger auf die Waage bringt als der Lamy 2000, die gleichen M16 Mienen verwendet und auch sonst irgendwie typisch Lamy durchdacht wirkt.

  Ich finde diesen Lamy noto Kugelschreiber so genial, dass ich ihn mir heute umgehend gekauft habe und mir dachte: ok, das muss ich bloggen. Hätte ich vor dem Kauf mal gegoogelt, wäre mir dieser nette Artikel mit Hintergrundinfos aufgefallen, denn der “noto” stammt von einem japanischen Designer namens Naoto Fukasawa und bekam wohl auch schon einen red dot award fürs Produktdesign in 2009.

  Beim Thema Lamy erinnere ich mich aber auch an diesen interessanten Artikel aus der BrandEins im Juni 2009, wo es u.a. heißt:

  …zur DNS von Lamy gehört, nicht in Billiglohnländer auszuweichen. Man macht fast alles selbst: Gehäuse, Federn, Minen, Tintenpatronen, insgesamt 95 Prozent aller Bauteile. Auch sämtliche Werkzeuge und Spritzgussformen entstehen im eigenen Haus. (….) “Bei uns gilt wirklich noch: made in Germany.”.

  Dass es mir bei guten Schreibgeräten aber nicht nur um ein gutes Image geht, zeigt vielleicht auch folgendes Bild meiner derzeit vier favorisierten Schreibgeräte:

  Oben die beiden Lamy, darunter in blau ein Pelikan “Pelikano” Schulfüller mit A-Feder (A, wie Anfänger) und ein no-name Werbetintenroller von arte. Der Tintenroller hakt eigentlich, liegt dafür aber wunderbar in der Hand. Tintenroller kann man austauschen, Gehäuse eher weniger.

  Der Pelikano Füller mit seiner Kinderfeder Feder für Schreibanfänger ist so ziemlich der genialste Füller, den es gibt. Vor einigen Jahren habe ich auf Anraten einer guten Freundin auf dieses Modell gewechselt und freue mich jedes Mal über die leichte Eleganz, mit der diese extrem rundgefeilte Feder übers Papier gleitet. Diesen Füller kann man eigentlich gar nicht falsch herum halten oder zerschreiben – die Spitze hält vieles aus und schreibt in vielen Positionen, in denen andere Füller eher zickig reagieren.

  Das Thema Schreibgeräte ist sicherlich so individuell wie Lieblingsfarben beim Auto, und nicht jeder hat den gleichen Individualisierungsbedarf. Meine Freundin schreibt z.B. sehr gerne mit den billigen BIC Kugelschreibern. Die reichen natürlich zum Schreiben aus, auch wenn ich mit diesen Billigschreibern in Kenia bisher andere Erfahrung gemacht habe (Tinte trocknet schnell aus, egal ob BIC, Speedo, Glider, etc.). Ich würde eigentlich auch niemals auf die Idee kommen, mehr als 40,- EUR für ein Schreibgerät auszugeben, aber hey – wenn man für 4,95 EUR einen qualitativ so hochwertigen Lamy Kugelschreiber bekommt – wieso dann überhaupt mehr ausgeben?

  Ich glaube ein Problem ist hier eher, dass die meisten Leute gar kein Geld für einen Kugelschreiber ausgeben, oder bei einem Kauf dann gleich 20-30 & eben mehr Geld ausgeben. Ich glaube viele Leute, die einen Montblanc (Meisterstück) haben oder wünschen, schreiben damit gar nicht soooo gut. Nicht weil das Gerät so schlecht wäre, sondern weil sie so selten dazu kommen und die Tinte nicht immer frisch ist. Vom richtigen Papier ganz zu schweigen (es schreibt sich nicht überall so schön glatt & flüssig).

  Für eine ganze tolle Kombination (hey, über 4,95 EUR Kugelschreiber bloggen? Dann aber richtig…) aus Kugelschreibern und Füllern halte ich auch die besseren Tintenroller. Ich habe hier auch noch (neu gekauft) einen Lamy Tintenroller für 6,- EUR, einen 3,- EUR Uni-Ball Gel Impact (Gel Schreiber) sowie einen einfachen 1,- EUR Pelikan Inky. Alle in blau, die Pelikan und Lamy Tintenroller sind sogar mit einem Tintenkiller entfernbar. Das heißt: im Lamy Tintenroller für 6,- EUR steckt genau die gleiche M66 Tintenpatrone drin wie in einem 30,- oder 80,- EUR Lamy Tintenroller.

  (…diese indischen Töpfe eignen sich übrigens auch ganz wunderbar als Stiftbehälter aufm Schreibtisch :-)

  Bei den vielen Werbekugelschreibern und Tintenrollern, die es da draußen gibt, finde ich es eigentlich erstaunlich, dass gerade dieses 1 bis 10 EUR Segment immer noch so gut abgedeckt wird und es Schreibtechnisch danach keine Steigerung mehr gibt (ausser bei den Füllern vielleicht, und natürlich dem Gehäuse). Oder etwa doch?

  
  

• MintyBoost 3.0 chaagaaa!

  Posted: November 9, 2010, 6:23 pm by jke

  The MintyBoost v3.0 Kit (“small battery-powered USB charger” for peculiar mobile devices like the iPhone) just arrived via @adafruit .

  All the way from the US to Germany within 7 days. Cool.

  I opted for the Kit and bought this directly from LadyAda via her shop @ [www.adafruit.com] because a) I wanted to see how fast this would pass through German customs (well documented on the envelope, btw), b) buying this part by part in Germany is more expensive, c) I wanted to see if the quality of the delivered items is as good as the online tutorial (it is!) and d) – the main reason – it’s very hard to find this (LT1302) IC in Germany & they are often expensive.

  There’s an excellent tutorial available online as well as various blog posts that already cover the assembly of this little kit, so I won’t go into detail + it’s really just a few parts that are quickly soldered onto the pcb. After testing the voltage output, I soldered the female USB connector on the pcb and connected my iPhone. And yes, it works! It will probably and hopefully also work with more recent phones, like the iPhone 4 (this is version 3.0 of MintyBoost), but I couldn’t test this.

  This post, however, made me remember that my initial plan was to add a little switch and find a better case than the Altoids tin I have (the MintyBoost was designed for the Altoids bubblegum, not the mints)…

  …so I am currently searching for a better box, or I’ll take this one and use the extra space to accommodate the cable.

  Oh, and about these “1900mAh External Battery Chargers“ with a said output of 5V/800mA – they never worked for me (and mine is just an iPhone 2G & her iPod Touch 1G which are very humble when it comes to charging peculiarities):

  I think the MintyBoost kit currently is one of the best systems because it’s not limited to a certain phone like the iPhone, but also supports it and can be modified (even though these portable batteries like the one pictured above or the more expensive ones rated A- on iLounge probably are the more elegant solution).

  In any case: thx 2 everyone @ Adafruit Industries for this well-documented kit, the quality of all parts and the quick delivery!

  UPDATE:

  Well ok, the pics may be a bit too dark, but I managed to install the MintyBoost in a bigger Altoids tin (the ones sold in Germany) and used the extra space for a switch and to accommodate the cable.

  The interim Smintyboost solution turned out to be a bit too short, so I went back to the Altoids tin:

  Just where would I be without my Leatherman?

  Yeah it may still look a bit too jua kali…

  The original cable actually fits inside this box with a bit of squeezing, but I’ve also bought this shorter version which should do a better job. Also, with a bigger box there’s enough room for future improvements like a battery mod.

  
  

• The Unfolding of yellow-orange books

  Posted: November 9, 2010, 3:54 pm by jke

  Bought this book (2nd hand) about (some of the) Writing systems of Africa (by Saki Mafundikwa) because of Emeka’s tweet, EY’s post on Sokari’s blog and Jepchumba’s review.

  Another book I’d like to mention is “The Unfolding of Language – The Evolution of Mankind’s Greatest Invention”, by Guy Deutscher (he’s a British guy, btw :-).

  I could go on and give you a review on these books, tell you how the issue of ancient writing systems in Africa actually matters, how languages change(d) with time and that I suddendly felt a need to use this wonderful costruct “The Unfolding of..” for the headline, but I am actually busy procrastinating a very important task and also got hold of a kit (that) I’ll *need* to reassemble today, so stay tuned for another blog post from me today.

  (“being busy procrastinating” – oh my, I love this oxymoron…)

  
  

• Viva la cocina loca!

  Posted: November 2, 2010, 3:32 am by jke

  Being in a relationship obviously includes sharing her passion for weird stuff – gathered in the best places of all: the kitchen.

  
  (via @ckreutz – thx, mate!)

  
  (via Superskull.de)

  And this although we’ve both never been to Mexico.

  (Anlass für diesen Blogpost war eigentlich die selbstgebaute Pinnwand für Rezepte, aber beim Datum ist es mir dann schlagartig bewusst geworden: Festum Omnium Sanctorum. Jaja :-).

  
  

• I love my DE1103

  Posted: October 23, 2010, 7:13 pm by jke

  I’ve already mentioned the arrival of this sweet gadget on my posterous blog earlier this week, but I am so pleasantly surprised by the qualities of this world receiver that I decided to mention it on my main blog.

  For technical details, pls see this full review or google for “Degen DE1103″. The Degen DE1103 is a Chinese world receiver that covers the 76.0 – 108.0 MHz range in FM and 100 – 29999 KHz in AM & SSB. It sells for about 50,- EUR including shipping, directly from eBay / China, and comes with a cord, a charger (!), rechargable batteries, headphones, an external wire antenna and a pouch.

  I am a bit late to the party as this model has already been introduced in ~ 2005 and every serious SWL and radio ham probably already had his hands on the Degen – for comparison reasons or because they couldn’t resist the offer like me – but this little DX goddess beats my other receivers (Commtel COM610 and Sony ICF-7600 DA + some home built equipment) hands down.

  If you are looking for a good & light radio receiver with SSB & a new FM station every 150-200 kHz (yes, it’s that good) – this is the one to buy. Seriously. Highly recommended.

  
  

• Kommentare Werktags nur von 8 bis 19 Uhr.

  Posted: October 23, 2010, 6:29 pm by jke

  Zwei Artikel unter vielen, die mich im Oktober unterhalten haben und die ich gerne teilen möchte:

  23 Thesen zur Zukunft der Medien – von Jochen Wegner

  Digitales Leben – oder: Eine Frage der Lehre

  Wie gerne hätte ich auch hier kommentiert, jedoch:

  “Wir wollen die Qualität der Nutzerdiskussionen stärker moderieren. Bitte haben Sie deshalb Verständnis, dass wir die Kommentare ab 19 Uhr bis 8 Uhr des Folgetages einfrieren. In dieser Zeit können keine Kommentare geschrieben werden. Dieser “Freeze” gilt auch für Wochenenden (Freitag 19 Uhr bis Montag 8 Uhr) und für Feiertage.”

  Bei einer derartigen Betrachtungsweise – nicht nur bei der sueddeutschen.de, die Zensurversuche gibt es auch beim Spon & Co. – sowie der selten gelebten Diskussionskultur (in Deutschland meinem Empfinden nach nicht wirklich existent bzw. zu faschistoid oder zu schwarz-weiß), spare ich mir viele Kommentare und denke an den Spruch meiner Mutter: “Junge, wer soll das alles lesen?”.

  Am Wochenende zumindest niemand.

  
  

• my first magnetic loop

  Posted: October 7, 2010, 6:16 am by jke

  Yay!

  I’ve just completed building my first magnetic loop – a special antenna that’s supposed to catch some short wave signals in this LAN-infested electric smog environment. Popular with a lot of SWLs and radio hams since many many years, so with my powerline network plug and no space for a proper antenna on the roof, the magnetic loop is my only option.

  The antenna is so jua kali, built from used parts – far away from an optimal setup, but I was longing for a quick win and an answer to the question if this is doable without much further ado.

  It consists of a ~ 3,5m long copper pipe that’s supposed to be (bended) circular (= loop). I guess I’ll still need to optimise the shape fo this …. egg? :-)

  The feed / cable to my receiver should actually be 1/5 of the diameter of the big loop and placed somewhere near the loop, but I ended up using these alligator clips which do the job for the moment. Obviously, lots of room for some improvements – starting by the shape of the loop. The alligator clips also helped in avoiding soldered cables which would probably attenuate the signal(s) even further. The knob I am using on the rotary capacitor is a bottle cap. It’s cheap, it works, it wins!

  This setup is so primitive – but I am pleasantly surprised that it really works, hence the need to blog about it. Uhmm… building antennas is like a virus – once you’re infected, you won’t stop.

  
  

• “the Africans”

  Posted: September 29, 2010, 6:16 pm by jke

  Why are there books (like the selection pictured above) & online publications on post & neo-coloniaslim in Africa as well as important recent developments on the African continent on one hand IF on the other hand I am still terribly at unease writing about “the Africans”?

  It’s not just the term “the Africans”, but also my arrogance to write about a third party.

  I just found myself deleting an e-mail I had written to a client explainig the use of social media platforms by “the Africans”, because: who am I to explain e.g. what motivates “the Africans” in using social media tools (unless we are talking about Facebook Zero and other free stuff / communities)?

  Would my reader be prepared enough to spot the difference between the stuff I know (facts), I assume (observations) and define as a conclusion?

  Could the term “the Africans” only be possible when we’re also using “the Europeans”? Are these terms only used outside their initial territory?

  My passport says I am German and I often also act that way, but to be honest: I know more about “the Africans” than about “the Europeans”. Does this qualify me to write an e-mail about “the Africans” – if instead I am maybe only talking about a certain age group from a region or about common user behaviour that’s rooted deep down in a historical context (like the lack of Intellectual Property Rights as argued by J.Shikwati & others)?

  And: is this self-criticism a typical German thing?

  
  

• September Hochzeit

  Posted: September 28, 2010, 2:54 am by jke

  Mr. Leaves bei der Hochzeit von Cedric und Anni.

  Musik, so schön wie die ganze Hochzeit. Schön wars nämlich, sehr schön!

  
  

• Aus aktuellem Anlass

  Posted: September 24, 2010, 12:16 am by jke

  Die hier verlinkte Spiegel Anzeige, für die gerade Spenden gesammelt wird, empfinde ich zwar als nicht so gelungen, aber dennoch: irgendwo in Europa müssen wir mit dem Atomwahnsinn aufhören. Ich möchte damit aber auch nicht behaupten, dass ich AKWs ausserhalb Deutschlands als betriebssicherer und weniger gefährlich empfinde.

  Alleine schon die Nicht-Verfügbarkeit eines geologisch sicheren Endlagers für Sondermüll, wie ihn Atommüll darstellt, sollte Grund genug zur schnellstmöglichen Abschaltung sein. Und natürlich aus vielen anderen guten Gründen. Bald. Nicht erst in 20 Jahren.

  Das oben verlinkte Bild entstand vor fast genau einem Jahr und wurde seinerzeit um Westerwilli und Smithers ergänzt.

  
  

• hibernation mode explained to non-geeks

  Posted: September 18, 2010, 10:52 pm by jke

  I’d like to go into hibernation mode like this bunny and wake up when the temperatures are above 20°C.

  
  

• Schulmahlzeiten für Kenia!

  Posted: September 14, 2010, 2:22 am by jke

  
  (vergrößern)

  “Sie kaufen, wir spenden!”

  Der kenianische Präsident Mwai Kibaki hat ein höheres Jahresgehalt als z.B. Barack Obama, Angela Merkel oder auch Jacob Zuma.

  Vom Premierminister und den vielen (nutzlosen, da inaktiven) Parlamentsabgeordneten und ihren Jahresgehältern ganz zu schweigen.

  Deswegen brauchen wir Spenden (“Eine Schulmahzeit hat einen Wet von 20 Cent”) für die Schüler. Weil korrupte Politiker lieber Grundnahrungsmittel & Anbaufläche für einen Gewinn ins Ausland verkaufen und nachhaltige Landwirtschaft (mit allem was dazugehört) auch in Kenia immer noch ein Fremdwort ist.

  “Also to be discussed will be the effect on food security of existing land tenure systems and lease/sale of agricultural land to foreign investors “It is hoped that the conference will lead to more informed discussions on food security concerns among important stakeholders, including national and regional parliaments, so that sustainable agricultural development is placed at the centre of investment decision making,” she said.” (Quelle)

  GROSSE SPENDENAKTION! !!!1!11! (5 Tage lang)

  Ich halte von dieser Aktion überhaupt nichts. Und: wieso gibt es so etwas nicht mal für die Kinderarmut in Deutschland?

  
  

  (filed under: poverty porn, misguided & embarrassing activism, wrong dev aid policies, disgusting corporate social responsibility)

  
  

• Lost in blogs.

  Posted: September 7, 2010, 5:51 am by jke

  The worst part about maintaing more than one or two blogs at the same time is that you get to neglect your primary blog and end up posting relevant stuff to another blog were most content falls into the one and only category of “…na kadhallika” (etc.).

  Talking about content – this is what I’d like to share with you today. Enjoy!

  
  

• Nokia 2700 Classic

  Posted: August 26, 2010, 7:46 pm by jke

  It’s about time for another blog post, and since I do seem to have a slight affection for mobile phones, I thought about blogging on my latest acquisition: a Nokia 2700 Classic mobile phone I managed to buy in mint condition as a used device from eBay for a very small amount.

  I’ve used quite a few phones lately and have gotten used to enhanced services like Dropbox, Evernote, ReadItLater, E-Mail, Browsing on the iPhone, and also thought that I wouldn’t want to buy another Nokia phone since my disappointment with the restrictions set by a Nokia N95 and E72 (= great hardware but not that much software support), but for this price and for my use (as a 2nd line just for calling & music), this Nokia 2700 Classic is a fantastic phone.

  Sure, the plastic cover isn’t great, the keypad is a bit narrow, there’s no UMTS/3G, no WLAN, a very grainy 2Mpx cmos cam on board, no flashlight and flash for the cam (which is a real pity) and the internal RAM is also only limited to about 10 MB.

  This phone, however, is the first Nokia since maybe the 6230 or even the 6310i where everything important works out-of-the-box . It just works and does what it’s supposed to do. Also, anything that isn’t on board can’t break. I think I like (Nokia’s operating system) S40 much more than S60. For instance, one of the things I hated with my N95 and the E72 is when you terminate a call the display/operating system would still take about 1-2 seconds to respond. That’s pretty annoying, actually. There’s no such thing on my S40 devices (6230, 6230i and this 2700 Classic). I like!

  Another interesting software detail is that users are directly forwarded to the Opera Mini browser which is just so much better than Nokia’s own crippled browser solutions.

  The best part about this phone is the 3.5mm headphone socket that works well with my Sony MDR-818 headphones (headset, actually). This, along with the removable 1GB microSD card, promises a really good music pleasure. I don’t know about you, but syncing my iPhone via iTunes just sucks big times (could this also be done via SSH, btw?), and here I just connect the phone via a data cable or directly load multimedia files onto the microSD card. Yes, I also already had this on the N95 and the E72, but to be honest: this is more fun to me with a relatively simple phone like the 2700. I prefer this phone to both the N95 and the E72, albeit their other capabilities.

  Also, it has the right size (long enough, slim) and a good weight (~ 85gr), SAR-value is also ok with about 0.84 W/kg (iPhone 1.3; E72 1.4; N95 0,59 W/kg). I think the product engineers who created the pcb and the external phone design did a very good job on this phone. As mentioned, the keypad isn’t top notch, but it is ok and does what it’s supposed to do. I somehow also like that it is a closed keypad with no gaps in between the keys (even though I still like the keypad on the 6230/i best). You know, when you open up phones and look inside at how they are designed and what kind of materials are used and where water/moisture could enter (water damage!), there are worlds between Nokia + SonyEriccson phones and the likes of an iPhone or the HTC Desire. The latter are indeed much more fragile, with complicated thin & flexible pcbs, not designed for rough use and African Asian road side repairs.

  You’ll notice the old-fashioned BL-5C battery we’re already familiar with since the 6230 (from 2003?), the antenna positioned in the bottom, the thin but sufficient plastic back cover (I’ve added some layers of transparent adhesive tape to limit play) and the overall simple “a few components only” design by Nokia. This, ladies and gentleman, is what I consider a good design!

  Verdict: the Nokia 2700 Classic may be an average phone with some flaws like the grainy camera or the limitations set by the operating system and its resources, but it does quite well what it was designed for and is the perfect device for anyone who just wants to use it for telephoning, sms and music. The internal speaker is very loud and the music player responds quicker than any player on S60. Going by the installed ringtones on this phone, the target market seems to be the youth / 13-30yr olds.

  Despite all the mistakes Nokia did lately (too many phones on the market, no emphasis on software, sticking to the wrong OS, horrible app store etc.), this phone is a good buy – which is also evident by the good sales stats this 2700 Classic already had (this phone was recently offered at ALDI Germany, btw) and the adaption of the design for other popular phones like the Nokia 6700 range. Contrary to the otherwise much more interesting 6700 with it’s metal cover, 5mpx cam and UMTS/3G support, the 2700 has this 3.5mm headphone socket. The 6700 is like the 6500 in this regard – everything is done via a micro (or mini?) USB port, which may be ok for political reasons but isn’t my first choice.

  I think the overall truth is that a) Nokia’s S40 phones are less frustrating than their S60 phones (with the given competition in form of high-end touch phones based on iOS and Android) and b) these modular phones with their sandwich design (front cover – keypad – pcb – middleframe – battery – back cover) are the way to go for the future when it comes to sustainable product design.

  
  

  Oh, and one more thing:

  I am tired of repeating myself, really tired, but! - Nokia – seriously, I mean, SERIOUSLY!!!! we’re in 2010 now and you still haven’t managed to provide a reliable service that updates all phone address books via one click. The many, many users of S40 devices in the dev world and elsewhere – the ones with webmail accounts provided by Yahoo!, MSN, Gmail – how are they supposed to sync their address books via their online accounts? Not everyone has an instance of Outlook installed on his computer, and – this may be news to you – but: Ovi.com xux so much in so many different ways, like deleting all contacts in one go, or that it doesn’t sync itself with an external service like Gmail, Yahoo! or MSN or the app itself installed on the phones (for downloading apps and Ovi contacts).

  There’s only a few things you’ll have to do: build good phones (done), sell them (done), give ppl a way to sync their data with online accounts other than this Ovi failure (not yet done).

  And there you go wondering, dear Nokia, why we felt free enough to give you a lecture on what it takes to succeed in Africa?

  Hej Nokia engineers, just imagine the following scenario: you’re somewhere in Kenya, have an account with Yahoo! with about 100 e-mail addresses, two SIM cards from two different operators, a simple Nokia phone (ok, let’s say an S40 device to make things a bit better, so we’re not talking about the 1xxx range here) and would like to have all these contacts from your Yahoo! e-mail account inside your phone. How will you go about that? With a limited inet connection? Yes?

  That’s the issue here. Make it simple. Make it work. Not just for geeks like me who can easily google for the solution via their broadband connection.

  
  

• Wot iz zis?

  Posted: August 23, 2010, 8:03 pm by jke

  Mimi, me I am not an expert on mapping – and a lot has happened in this field since when I first blogged about Google Earth/Maps in 2005.

  Just a few minutes ago I found the following images within Google Maps and took some screenshots because I just can’t figure out why there are these detailed shots of the scenery (south of Embu in Kenya). Maybe you know? Is this some sort of highway to-be-built?

  Heck, you can even count the plants. This is an amazingly detailed view, imo (2m vs. 5m in e.g. Frankfurt).

  
  

• Peace

  Posted: August 9, 2010, 4:23 am by jke

  The best part about peace is the freedom to decide between good and bad.

  This probably also is the most difficult part.

  
  

• Manheru Changamire

  Posted: August 5, 2010, 4:24 pm by jke

  Music is my life, even though I dislike live concerts for various reasons (~ too many ppl, music out of tune, etc.).  Just a few years ago, I converted my entire collection of audio CDs into mp3 and kept them on an external hard disk – but about 2 years ago, I stopped downloading (legal) music because I figured that if I already *own* them, I’d also need to listen to them.  This is also why I’ve switched to online compilations / remixes. As a music lover, the rule of thumb shd  be: 1 album / month. Otherwise it’s too much information. Similar to eating too many sweets.

  Unless of course we are talking about music from the continent, which is always welcome. I rejoice when I see the number of (really good) music blogs focussing on this very subject, and there’s nothing much I can add other than consuming various unearthed tracks with a huge appetite – and occasionally falling in love with a track. Like this one:

  “Manheru Chagamire” by (the) Hallelujah Chicken Run Band.

  Chicken Run Band! Hallelujah!!  !!1!11!

  To my ears, this track and it’s flow is pure gold. Am waiting for the creative moment when someone turns this into a remix that emphasises the beat and singing by Thomas Mapfumo.

  
  

• Ciudad de la vista

  Posted: July 22, 2010, 10:17 pm by jke

  Panoramic view (original size) from Montjuïc on Barcelona, Spain.

  Instead of a meaningful blog post, I’ll leave you with a link to my mobile blog, as well as a link to the Barcelona Flickr set. Enjoy!

  
  

• my blogs

  Posted: June 27, 2010, 3:06 pm by jke

  …so if I am already using Posterous to publish more private stuff that somehow doesn’t belong here and would otherwise get lost on Twitter; and other blogs to publish my professional interest – what will I post to Kikuyumoja.com then?

  Another explanation could be:

  • Posterous = pictures, as e-mails from the phone or computer, with a short caption, need for post editing
  • WordPress = full blog posts with longer text, using offline editor to compile posts, published on this domain
  • Twitter = status updates, mood, great chance for direct communication with other individuals, good Tweets aren’t archieved (maybe bookmarked as “Favorites”, but that’s about it)
  • Facebook = private communication with friends & internet folks I met / wd like to meet on a drink or two; my Twitter feed = 90% of my FB status updates

  (there are of course more services than these four, but they are the ones I use the most)

  On the other hand, I wouldn’t want to have everything in one stream. I’ve also unregistered all my feeds from Google Buzz & Friendfeed. Small pieces, loosely joined. Loosely.

  Thought about a redesign on Kikuyumoja.com last night – the WordPress template here is from 2006 – and ended up changing the Favicon only. I’d like to upgrade this and a few other WP blogs I administer to a really cool, minimalistic, bigger font WordPress 3.0 template that supports all those fancy WP 3.0 gimmicks.

  Oh, and the new Favicon – because of this. The “Kikuyumoja logo”. :-)

  
  

• Saanko käyttää teidän puhelinta?

  Posted: June 6, 2010, 5:52 am by jke

  That’s it. I am going to sell my 6 month old Nokia E72 QWERTZ phone.

  Yes, it’s just a phone and “why should I read the following rant on Nokia”, you may be wondering. Here is why:

  1. Flexibility

  I mentioned it earlier that I had bought a 2G iPhone some month ago, with a broken screen and drained battery from eBay for 65,- EUR, which I managed to repair and have since been using. The iPhone may be a crippled piece of hardware and Nokia may have the best hardware on their phones (also in terms of durability), but there is just so much more I can do with this old iPhone from 2007 that I can’t do with any of my four Nokias (6230, 6230i, N95 & E72).

  The iPhone (or an HTC Desire with Android OS) is my logical extension to the computer. Evernote, to name just one application, runs on the iPhone but doesn’t (natively) run on the E72. I am using Evernote to keep track of my notes, so I’ll need to have this run on a phone.

  Flexibility is a matter of software support, not only hardware.

  Consequently, the iPhone won. I am using it on a daily basis while the E72 slept in my drawers since February 2010. Time to sell it and sum up everything with this blog post.

  
  iPhone 2G vs. Nokia E72

  2. Good at basic stuff

  If you’re just looking for a simple mobile phone with sms, Nokia phones are good. There’s a reason why the 1xxx range of Nokias has been so popular around the world – not only in emerging markets. It is also why Nokia keeps on reinventing this series with the recent announcement of their C1 & C2 (dual sim, eventually!) phones. Even the simple QWERTY phone with Bluetooth we’ve been asking for via Eriks post – Nokia’s C3 – is a good phone.

  For simple stuff like voice calls or sms, Nokia phones are good. Even as a mobile Twitter device (Gravity) it rocks! …but for anything else than that, you’re probably better off buying a phone from one of their competitors.

  3. SOFTWARE!

  This is 2010 and thanks to the iPhone and the undeniable revolution it brought to the market, any smartphone without “cool” software and a usable app store just sucks.

  It’s not just the missing Evernote on the E72, or other missing applications. You know many ppl have been asking Nokia and their devs to port successful applications from competitors to the different operating systems in use on Nokia phones. No, with software I mean everything:

  • confusing, often changing user interfaces & menu structures
  • different operating systems (plus too many different phones at the same time, but that’s another – hardware – issue)
  • support of their developers (slowly evolving though)
  • unstable firmwares on their phones, always takes at least 12 month on a new phone to become stable
  • Nokia website – not optimised for use with mobile phones
  • Ovi.com (see 5.)
  • essential stuff like Sports Tracker. It took a spin-off from Nokia to get this cool software a bit closer to where it should be.
  • Ovi Maps – not yet available for all phones (who are capable of displaying these maps)
  • the successful Twitter client Gravity being one of the very few REALLY GOOD apps on a Nokia smartphone
  • Global login on all Nokia sites and products. It still doesn’t work the way it should be (one ID & pwd).
  • Ovi app wizard. Over at Apple, “apps” that provide nothing else but an RSS feed are meanwhile classified as “spam apps” – and removed from their app store. Are the “apps” built using this app wizard a way for Nokia to bloat their Ovi store stats?

  Please, Nokia, software is SUCH an important issue. You’re so good at hardware – why can’t you apply the same diligence to your software products and all related processes?

  Also, I’ve realized that I’ve spent considerably more time trying to fix various software issues on my Nokia phones than on the iPhone. I actually do not have the time for such things, and also don’t want to fix my phone all the time and pull information from all over the internet on why application x does not work with firmware y or mobile z. This is really annoying.

  There may of course be historical and political reasons for all of this (I know Symbian from when it was still EPOC16 on a Palm Series 3), but then: does this really matter today? Make it work! And don’t make we waste time on it.

  4. The mobile office.

  Any smartphone that seriously tries to be good at providing some form of mobile office should have

  1. a kick-ass e-mail client
  2. a superb browser
  3. Office suite and/or viewer for various attachments

  My E72 came with such an office suite which did the job for me, but the e-mail client and – the E72 is a business phone – the browser just suck.

  Nokia, seeing your customers and loyal fans complaining on Nokia Forums and on blogs about the performance of the e-mail client and browser is a NO NO. EI EI!

  Cooperate with Yahoo!, install Gmail as default e-mail clients, ship your phones with the Opera Mini browser – do whatever it takes to fix this because a business phone with such an average e-mail client and browser just won’t be enough for us – your customers.

  Or else team up with Android.

  The e-mail client on my 1G iPod Touch (30,-€ @ eBay) actually made me buy the 2G iPhone in February this year. And this although I had just invested ~270,- € on the Nokia E72 in december 2009.

  5. Ovi.com

  Ovi – Finnish for “the door” – should be a door to combined Nokia services. But – yes, you guessed it right – it still isn’t.

  The Ovi client on phones sucks, sometimes can’t be deinstalled and has a very particularly BAD user interface. It may work with Nokia’s touchscreen phones, but for all other phones it just sucks.

  I can’t explain all faults on Ovi, there is just so much wrong with it. I also can’t see what changed from MOSH (which by itself already was a bad joke). This piece of software – as an app on the phone  – just makes me want to hit someone with a Nokia 2110. It’s very frustrating. Very.

  The most annoying Ovi bug, imo: You’re on Ovi.com on your computer. Ok, found a nice app, have a link to it sent to you via sms. Check your mobile, the link on that sms opens the web browser – so far, so good. But THEN the Ovi client decides to chip in and re-open it inside the client. This is very annoying, especially for those who are paying a lot of money for data traffic. Can’t this hook be implemened in the OS? => “All http://store.ovi.mobi links to open in Ovi client by default”. (my N95 runs on FW v35.x which was only recently released).

  See the App Store on the iPhone? It may not be perfect, but hey – I’VE SPENT MONEY ON THE APPLE APP STORE. Something I would probably never be doing on Ovi App Store. And I guess I am not the only one.

  On the other hand, it has to be mentioned that I somehow like the web version of Ovi.com. There may still be a lot of details that do not make sense to me on their website, but truth be told that their app store may be opened by anyone AND that it doesn’t open any client software like iTunes or only shows a crippled version of the market like Android.

  Also, the Nokia Ovi Suite has greatly improved since it was launched, succeeding their PC Suite. Nokia is slowly getting there + iTunes is worse, I think.

  This whole experience around buying software and interacting with Nokia via Ovi.com and its offered services – that’s the FIRST thing I would try to improve on as Nokia.

  6. Strategy

  As a serious customer, I am not looking for a fun phone with lots of games, but instead a durable workhorse that will guarantee persistence.

  Nokia is in a process of change, they’ve realized that revenue is made on emerging markets and that most of their top-level phones actually can’t really compete with competitors on all levels. A great camera, long battery standby time and smart design (“use with one thumb”) are very good – buy they won’t drive the masses to Nokia stores. The E72 was supposed to be a good successor to the very successful E71. Well, is it really?

  Heck, they don’t even seem to have a strategy for emerging markets and still consider Africa and the Middle East as one market! Crazy.

  Or their Bicycle Charger Kit which will be released to the market later on this year. You can read my thoughts on this in the comments at Julianas AfriGadget post.

  On the iPhone, I can port my apps from the 2G to the 3G, 3GS and probably also to the iPhone 4 (even though some apps, like the new iMovie seem to be limited to the iPhone 4 for hardware reasons). Will this also be possible with apps I’ve bought for the Symbian 9.3 S60 FP2 platform (e.g. the E72)? Will I also be able to use them on future Nokia phones?

  The Nokia E72 may be great phone with good hardware, but it currently comes with only average software (except for Gravity) and looks like a dead end street to me. It also doesn’t help that Nokia is very innovative in their Beta Labs, ships new phones with free navigation (thx, Nokia) and a full range of accessories you’ll have to pay extra on competitors.

  Nokia has missed to communicate a clear strategy to its customers. Maybe they should pitch us, tell us why their phones are better than the rest. And prove it with cool software that teams up with the already awesome hardware. Right now, I can’t see a reason for the purchase of their phones. There is no persistence in the software side of their products, and my patience with and passion for Nokia products is gone.

  What will you do about it, Nokia?

  The Nokia E72, QWERTZ keyboard (DE), 6 month old, mint condition, fully equipped, with Gravity licence, OtterBox Commuter Case. 250,- EUR and it’s yours.

  UPDATE: SOLD!

  
  

• En attendant Android

  Posted: May 28, 2010, 5:20 pm by jke

  I’ve been meaning to post this on my blog, even prepared a post in German, but then realized that 50% of the post is a rant on Nokia and decided to rewrite/repost it in English.

  So, the following is a list of iPhone Apps which are running on my iPhone 2G (reassembled from scrap), and which should also be available on Android 2.x (and which may already be available). Thought about documenting this private list offline, but then: why shouldn’t I share it with you?

  • Twitter (ex Tweetie, very nice Twitter client)
  • Read It Later
  • ShopShop (shopping list)
  • Alarm :-)
  • AroundMe (shops within the area, location based)
  • Barcooo (Barcodereader)
  • DB Navigator (Deutsche Bahn timetable)
  • DHL (calculator for postal charges & parcel tracking via DHL)
  • Dropbox (sync files between devices)
  • eBay (follow auctions from the phone)
  • Evernote (sync notes between devices)
  • HootSuite (another Twitter client)
  • Instapaper (similar to ReadItLater)
  • iPostbank (online banking, search for nearest atm)
  • Last.FM (streaming music client)
  • MeinProspekt / KaufDA (advertising brochures as PDF, really cool)
  • VNC (virtual network computing)
  • Morse-it (awesome morse code trainer and my initial reason why I switched to the iPhone in the first place)
  • OpenMaps (OpenStreetMap client)
  • OperaMini (alternative browser)
  • Payback (…)
  • PlugPlayer (or any other NAS player)
  • Qype Radar
  • Sipgate (Sipgate (VoIP) client)
  • Skype
  • SPB TV (live TV streams)
  • Stanza (eBook Reader)
  • TeamViewer (remote login tool)

  There are about 140 apps currently installed on my iPhone 2G – some really good ones, other just very average – but the ones from the list above are the ones I use on a regular basis.

  
  JKE’s home screen on the iPhone in May 2010

  I also don’t do games (except for Labyrinth2, BiA or NSFU) because most of the time when I am bored and pull out the phone, I rather use Twitter, Facebook or ReadItLater to check out news.

  So why Android?

  I think my next phone will be an HTC device, running an instance of the Android OS. I also like the iPhone and will keep it for the moment until the functionality of all apps mentioned above is also available on Android. I’ve even accepted iTunes running on my Windows machine, which used to be a no-go for a very long time.

  I am thinking about an HTC device because I miss the good camera from my Nokia N95 (& E72) on the iPhone. A flash would also be nice – and since Apple obviously won’t deliver, it’ll be an HTC device next up.

  Nokia? Maybe when they’ve returned from the current chaos.

  Being a hardware guy, I think it’s interesting to see how I’ve switched my preferences to some extent from good hardware (Nokia) to the availability of various software products (Apple).

  This (software > hardware) is so eminent in 2010, isn’t it?

  
  

• Dear diary…

  Posted: May 25, 2010, 8:36 pm by jke

  As someone who works from his home office, I depend on a working IT infrastructure. Being a freelancer also means there’s no IT department you can call in case there’s something wrong. And boy, something IS wrong.

  I recently “upgraded” to Windows 7 on my main machine, because my new computer came shipped with a Win7 Pro DVD, and because I like the look and feel of Windows (2K, actually). More than any other current Linux distribution and/or OSX. I am also the kind of guy who switches off Aero and Compiz and has a plain wallpaper on the desktop. Old school.

  What I don’t like is when a computer tries to be smart and take control away from me.

  With this attitude, I am actually predestined for a GNU/Linux-based operationg system, because it is said to give a lot of control back to the user.

  The problems I have with Linux are not only the cryptic driver installation processes (even though things got a bit better) or its lousy power management on mobile devices, but also that I, as a user, actually don’t know what’s REALLY going on in the background, and also how to find out how to get a better overview on it.

  “Sure”, you may reply, “go and RTFM. Go and study an operating system and its possibilities before you rant”. Yeah, well…

  And Windows7? It equally sucks. WinXP used to be a bit more stable (no Bluescreen of Death like in Win7), some things are a bit smarter with Win7, others just very irritating. I currently do not have the feeling I am in control of my computer, I don’t feel the operating system is using the full potential of the installed hardware, something just seems to be very wrong.

  I hate that. I want to be in control, or else just use it without having to worry that anything bad may happen in the background.

  I will need to trust my computer. When will this be possible?

  I’d be willing to invest 100 € on a DVD with a free & “secure” operating system that’s fully adjusted to my HP EliteBook 6930p laptop (plain desktop, superb power management with optimal battery runtime, full support for all components, idiot-proof driver installation, full list of active processes accessible from the taskbar (“top”) and so on).

  
  

• Dein Tag für Afrika

  Posted: May 17, 2010, 7:44 pm by jke

  Heute mittag trudelte der IKEA Newsletter ein, bei dem ich auf folgende Aktion stoß:

  Aktion Tagwerk. Nette Website, interessanter Wikipediaartikel dazu.

  Für Bildungsprojekte bin ich immer zu haben, auf meinem Webspace läuft auch das The Nest Home Blog, ein Kinderheim außerhalb Nairobis, das sich (vor allem) um die Kinder inhaftierter Mütter kümmert.

  Insofern dürfte ich mich eigentlich nur freuen, denn (christliche) Nächstenliebe ist immer gut & ganz weit oben auf meiner Werteskala.

  Dennoch – und das schreibe ich jetzt nicht, weil ich in typisch deutscher Art erstmal alles schlecht machen möchte: wieso ausgerechnet Afrika?

  Wieso wird immer nur Afrika als Synonym für Armut und Elend verwendet? Was ist mit Kindern deutscher HartzIV Empfänger? Geht es denen nicht auch schlecht? Wer kümmert sich um deren Bildung?

  Klar, weil es in “Afrika” oft keine richtige Berufsausbildung gibt, Universitätsausbildungen teuer sind und/oder nur den gleichen, praxisfernen Frontalunterricht bieten, wie wir ihn schon von den oft schlechten Schulen kennen. Ist ja auch ein kulturelles Problem in einer Gesellschaft, in der es wenige Widerworte gegenüber den Älteren gibt.

  Hilfe zur Selbsthilfe, Hilfe zu einer besseren Bildung – sofern überhaupt erwünscht – finde ich gut und beachtenswert.

  Hilfe ja, Generalisierung nein.

  Was mich stört: dass dort Afrika steht. Wieso diese Verallgemeinerung?

  1. Der afrikanische Kontinent ist bisweilen vielseitiger als Europa. Wer das nicht glaubt und nur nach dem Armutsgefälle urteilt, hat “Afrika” noch nicht richtig erlebt.

  2. Welchen Einfluss auf das öffentliche Bild “Afrikas” hat so eine Aktion?

  3. Es ist ja nicht das erste Mal, dass “Afrika” als Synonym bzw. Platzhalter für Spendenaktionen verwendet wird. Ein Beispiel wären Wasserprojekte, wie ich sie in der Vergangenheit schon kritisiert habe und die meiner Meinung nach falsch sind. Es ist eigentlich eine ganze Industrie, die dahinter steckt. Menschen, die viel ehrenamtlich helfen, und andere, die damit ihr Einkommen haben.

  Ein ganz krasses und aktuelles Beispiel ist das von TMS Ruge auf projectdiaspora.org dokumentierte #1millionshirts Dilemma, wo ein unwissender T-Shirt Vermarkter aus den USA über Videos dazu auffordern wollte, dass man seine alten T-Shirts zusammensucht und mit nem Dollar als Transportgebührenspende zu ihm schickt. Wollte er dann als Container nach Afrika schicken. Zeitlich passt das gerade gut, denn gegen Ende April werden die Steuererklärungen eingereicht, und so eine nette Spende läßt sich immer gut mit der Steuer verrechnen. Leider hatte der gute Mann nicht bedacht, dass es in vielen afrikanischen Ländern eine Textilindustrie gibt, die eh schon stark mit importierten Kleiderspenden konkurriert (welche übrigens fast immer verkauft werden – nix kostenlos wie bei uns in der Kleiderkammer..).

  4. Aus unserer, europäischen Sicht mag an der Begrifflichkeit “Afrika” kein richtiges Problem aufkommen, aber bei so einer Verallgemeinerung müssen wir uns dann auch nicht wundern, wenn wir vor den Toren Europas afrikanische Wirtschaftsflüchtlinge haben, die dann in der Hoffnung auf ein besseres Leben im Niedriglohnsektor anschaffen und “Europa” als Land der Möglichkeiten wahrnehmen.

  Kurz: ich habe ein richtiges Problem damit, wenn bei so einer Aktion von “Afrika” gesprochen wird. Und dabei betreibe ich selber ein Twitterkonto mit dem Namen @afritwit und blogge bei AfriGadget.com, wo wir auch von “Afrika” sprechen (wohlweislich, dass man mit English als Blogsprache nicht mal die Hälfte erreicht und überhaupt…). Die Toastscheibe mit den Formen Afrikas ist natürlich schon ein guter Teaser, auch wenn thematisch falsch (es geht ja um Bildung, nicht um Ernährung).

  Gibt es da keine bessere – all inclusive – Vermarktungsstrategie als das Wort “Afrika”? Bei AfriGadget ist das Wort zumindest positiv besetzt (“Solving everyday problems with African ingenuity”). So etwas – eine positive Botschaft – würde ich mir auch für solche Spendenaktionen wünschen. Damit “Afrika” nicht nur als bemitleidenswertes Hilfsprojekt wahrgenommen wird.

  
  

• Heute mal auf Deutsch: Twitter

  Posted: May 8, 2010, 3:28 am by jke

  Vor ein paar Tagen habe ich mein 3jähriges Jubiläum auf Twitter gefeiert. Auf den Tag genau mit @handelsblatt und @pottblog.

  3 Jahre auf Twitter – mit nicht nur einem Konto – auf Twitter aktiv sein bedeutet vor allem eines: weg von der typisch deutschen Sichtweise, hin zu viel mehr Toleranz. Oder anders gesagt: wenn ich bei Twitter nur denjenigen folgen würde, die sinnvolle Tweets (so heißen die einzelnen Twitternachrichten für mich) absetzen, wäre ich wohl nicht so lange dabei – und vielleicht auch nicht so begeistert davon.

  In diesen drei Jahren, in denen sich Twitter von der Nische hin zu einem halbwegs etablierten Tool gemausert hat, ist wirklich viel passiert. Meinen Umgang mit Twitter und was es für mich bedeutet habe ich hier in diesem Blog in der Vergangenheit schon öfter erwähnt, allerdings auf Englisch, und es ist eigentlich nur meiner Faulheit zu verschulden, dass einzelne Tweets bzw. Rückmeldungen via Twitter noch nicht in diesem Blog aufgelistet werden und gleichwertig zählen. Die Layoutvorlage meines Blogs stammt aus 2006, aber irgendwann demnächst werde ich dem allen mal Rechnung tragen und dieses private Blog so aufziehen wie ich es auch bei Kundenblogs mache.

  Ebenso muss ich eingestehen, dass ich noch keine offizielle “Twitterpolicy”, also Vorgehensweise zum Umgang mit Twitter, verfasst habe. Bis aufs Meckern würde ich aber wohl dieser Bedienungsanleitung zustimmen und für mich übernehmen.

  Beim Thema Twitter gibt es eigentlich so viel zu erwähnen, dass ich gar nicht wüsste, wo ich anfangen soll. Mittlerweile gibt es auch die verrücktesten Spinner auf Twitter – ganz schlimm finde ich die Marketingfuzzis und Twittercoaches, die mir automatisch folgen, weil sie irgendwo ein dämliches Tool dafür beauftragt haben. Ich sehe es da ähnlich wie dieser Nutzer in seinem Tweet:

  Zwei Dinge aber möchte ich gerne festhalten, und diese sind auch der Grund für den Blogeintrag:

  1. Ich habe oft den Eindruck, dass viele interessierte Internetbenutzer in Deutschland in Twitter nur eine reine Zeitverschwendung sehen, die ohne sinnvollen Output daherkommt und bestenfalls der leichten Unterhaltung dient.

  Für diese Annahme muss ich nicht auf das aktuelle Beispiel von Herrn Grupp zurückgreifen, der als CEO von Trigema dieser Tage ein paar unglücklich gewählte Worte zum Thema Twitter gefunden hatte – und damit fast die gesamte deutschsprachige Twitterspähre gegen sich aufgebracht hatte.

  Da ich Herrn Grupp bei der Nutec als sehr zuvorkommend erlebt hatte, der sich als Offliner seine E-Mails offenbar auch von seiner Sekretärin vorlegen lässt, stört mich so ein Kommentar eher weniger. Jedem seine Kernkompetenz.

  Nein, vielmehr sind es die vielen anderen Twitter Benutzer, die dort angemeldet aber wenig aktiv sind. Die Teilnehmer der modernen Wissensgesellschaft, die über eine eigene E-Mail Adresse verfügen und es eigentlich besser wissen müssten. Gerade bei diesen Menschen bemerke ich oft eine gewisse Erwartungshaltung, ein Hoffen auf sinnvolle Beiträge.

  Für diese Annahme muss man gar nicht zwischen den Zeilen lesen – der Unmut über die Fehlleistung von Twitter wird an verschiedenen Orten kund getan. Für mein Verständnis ist das eine typisch deutsche Eigenart – erstmal alles schlecht machen was man nicht gut findet. Dass man sich dadurch auch Chancen auf ein Weiterkommen verbaut, wird dabei scheinbar nicht bedacht.

  Beim Bloggen auf AfriGadget.com habe ich gelernt, dass die amerikanische Sichtweise – erstmal alles toll finden – gar nicht so verkehrt ist. Dinge müssen nicht perfekt sein, müssen nicht 1A abgesichert sein damit sie funktionieren.

  Genau aber dieses “perfekte” merke ich oft bei meinen Mitmenschen hier in Deutschland. Ich nehme mich da auch nicht aus und habe auch einen gewissen Perfektionismus in manchen (vor allem technischen) Dingen. Mit diesem Perfektionismus kommt man aber oft nicht weiter, oder ärgert sich gar.

  Zurück zur Glaubensfrage und der Nutzung moderner Medien: Professor Peter Kruse hatte es ja letztens auf der re:publica 2010 so trefflich beschrieben: “Die Social Software des Web 2.0 ist ein Angriff auf die etablierten Regeln der Macht und erzwingt ein grundlegendes Umdenken.”

  Eine Erkenntnis, die wir schon im März 2000 in der BrandEins zum Thema Cluetrain gelesen haben. Auch wenn es das Thema Web 2.0 damals in dieser Form noch nicht so gab.

  Etabliert ist nämlich auch der – herkömmliche – Ansatz zu Wissen, das in der Vergangenheit in Büchern und anderen schlauen Medien zu finden war. Heutzutage aber, so empfinde ich es zumindest, lassen sich für mich brauchbare Infos auch über Twitter finden.

  Oder anders gesagt: bei all dem digitalen Rauschen, das es in Twitter mitunter gibt, finde ich doch öfter die gewünschten Infos über social tools wie Twitter oder Delicious. Für mich ein nicht zu unterschätzender Nutzen und einer der Gründe, wieso ich selbst solches Wissen bei Twitter verbreite (hier: Erfahrungen mit Produkt A).

  2. Das Cluetrain Manifest aus 1999 lehrt uns in seiner ersten These:

  “Markets are conversations”.

  Genau SO nehme ich Twitter wahr. Als öffentlicher Marktplatz, auf dem eben nicht nur (Wissen) gehandelt wird, sondern auch Neuigkeiten ausgetauscht werden.

  Eigentlich sind das total banale Aussagen, aber man muss sie manchmal wiederholen, weil viele Menschen die Brücke zwischen der analogen und digitalen Welt nicht so wahrnehmen.

  Ein gutes Beispiel hierfür sind die Nichtregierungsorganisationen, deren Antwortverhalten/Konversationsverhalten mein Kollege Christian Kreutz letztens in einem kleinen Praxistest untersucht hat.

  Es stellte sich heraus, das die meisten großen Organisationen das Thema Twitter (oder auch Facebook/YouTube/etc., siehe hierzu auch die Studie von Katrin Kiefer) zwar irgendwie betreiben, es aber nur als weiteren Kanal verstehen, um einseitige Pressemitteilungen herauszuschicken. Dies mag sicherlich politische, personalpolitische, organisatorische oder finanzielle Gründe haben, aber es zeigt doch ganz eindeutig, dass das Thema Twitter & Co noch nicht überall angekommen ist.

  Meine ehemaligen Kollegen bei der GTZ im Bereich der nachhaltigen Sanitärsysteme haben Twitter mittlerweile auch für sich entdeckt und auch recht schnell die Vor- und Nachteile von Twitter erkannt. Twitter ist zeitintensiv und bedarf einer gewissen Nachhaltigkeit, fördert auf der anderen Seiten aber auch Konversationen, die sonst vielleicht nicht möglich wären. Das ist ein Mehrwert, der von meinen Kollegen erkannt und nicht ausgeschlossen wird. Und das alles bei einem Thema, wo offen über Dinge wie Fäkalien und Urin diskutiert wird. Dinge, die bei vielen eher Unbehagen auslösen oder aus Desinteresse ignoriert werden. Müsste man man nicht gerade bei solch schwierigen Themen die Diskussion(en) via Twitter & Co herbeiführen?

  Auf beiden Seiten des Rechners sitzen Menschen. Hört sich ziemlich banal an, ist aber entscheidend für Onlinekommunikation. Menschen, die man erreichen will. Oder vielleicht auch nicht.

  Sprache ist nämlich auch so ein Thema. Ein gutes Beispiel sind für mich die Twitterlesungen, wo Tweets oft im gleichen Stil geschrieben worden sind. Müsst Ihr mal drauf achten. Ich nenne das die Berliner Coolness. Tweets, die für sich oder aufgezählt witzig und cool (“avantgardistisch”) klingen, im Gesamtbild aber – zumindest für mich – vor allem auch verdeutlichen, dass Twitter in diesen Tweets nur die “Twitter ist ein PA-System”-These darstellt.

  Derek Sivers, von dem dieses “Twitter ist ein PA-System” kommt, schreibt auf seinem Blog allerdings auch:

  “Deshalb habe ich zwei Profile auf Twitter und Facebook. Eines ist öffentlich, für jeden. Eines ist privat, nur für 20 enge Freunde. Ich empfehle das sehr.”

  Wäre ich so berühmt wie er, würde ich es sicherlich ähnlich machen. In seinem Kontext ist Twitter also ein PA-System. Und weil ich seine Blogartikel oft interessant finde, klicke ich dann auch auf die Links in seinen Tweets. Was für ihn funktioniert, muss für andere aber noch lange nicht funktionieren. Wenn ich Derek erreichen will, schreibe ich ihm eine E-Mail.

  Die Mareike (?) oben aus dem Screenshot, Psychologiestudentin hier in FFM, kenne ich nicht persönlich, finde ihre Tweets aber interessant & folge ihr bei Twitter. Gesprochen haben wir noch nie miteinander, was ich irgendwie etwas schade finde. Immerhin wohnen wir ja in der gleichen Stadt. Es ist eine einseitige Kommunikation. Aber dennoch: Kommunikation.

  Auch so funktioniert also Twitter. Für viele mag das die Regel darstellen – dieses einseitige Absetzen von Meldungen ins Datennirwana. Für mich selber ist es eher die Ausnahme bei privaten Konten.

  Um Kommunikation geht es mir auch beim Twitterkonto @afritwit (“pooling all African Twitter users”), bei dem ich vor allem Afrikabezogene Inhalte von anderen Twitterbenutzern aufgreife, wiedergebe und somit hoffentlich für ein besseres Verständnis des komplexen Kontinents Afrika beitrage – dem man mit so einem Twitterkonto natürlich niemals richtig gerecht werden kann. Aber dennoch, ein Ansatz, der auf eine ganz andere Zielgruppe abzielt und sich nicht nur aufs Wiedergeben von interessanten Tweets versteht (wohl aber, im Gegensatz zum privaten Konto, für diesen Zweck hauptsächlich benutzt wird). Ich erwähne dies hier nur als Beispiel, denn es ist in der Praxis ein riesiger Unterschied, ob man ein Twitterkonto, eine Facebookseite oder Youtubekanal privat oder für eine Mission betreibt.

  Mission. Ich glaube mein persönlicher Grund, wieso ich Twitter seit diesen drei Jahren auf privater wie auch geschäftlicher Seite nutze, ist der, dass ich aus diesem ganzen digitalen Rauschen und den vielen, kleinen, oft zu kurzen Meldungen einen unheimlichen Mehrwert ziehe, den ich sonst nicht, oder nur eher umständlich bekommen würde. Dafür aber investiere ich auch ganz bewusst Zeit und Energie.

  Ebenso “entfollowe” nicht gleich jedem Nutzer, der seinen Frust auf Twitter auslässt, weil mich seine Rechtschreibfehler nerven oder “ich diesen ganzen Müll lesen” muss. Insofern halte ich auch Dinge wie das Verhältnis “Following” zu “Followers” für nicht so wichtig. Mittlerweile gibt es ja eine ganze Industrie, die sich mit diesem Thema beschäftigt, rankings herausgibt und Twitter-Persönlichkeiten präsentiert. Für die Breitenwirkung mag das vielleicht relevant sein. Für mich nicht.

  Daher meine Frage: nutzt Ihr Twitter, und wenn ja, wie? Comments, pls!

  
  

• HP Extended Life Battery AJ359AA

  Posted: April 26, 2010, 5:44 pm by jke

  It’s strange to see how my blog has turned into a tech-blog, where I am often documenting my love for gadgets. After almost 5 years of blogging, I think it’s safe to assume that I am geek who loves to bring his gadgets to perfection* – only to quickly realize that there no such thing as “a single truth” or even “the perfect computer”.

  One of those attempts at improving my IT hardware is the recent purchase of the extended battery pack for my HP 6930p laptop.

  This particular machine…..well….*sigh*…. is very peculiar, and not what I expected when I bought it (2nd hand) a year ago. The issues I am having with this computer are the following:

  • The WXGA+ display has good colours, but it drains the battery like any other CCFL screen. Too much, I think, while the competitors already come with modern LED screens. Plus, it is only really bright when screen brightness is set to a maximum (ambient light sensor turned off). Not good.
  • The internal EV-DO/UMTS modem (HP un2400) may be able to work with many different global mobile networks due to the fact that it dynamically loads its firmware on each start, but this also means that it’s a pain to get this working within GNU/Linux. Also, it may only be activated while the main battery is inserted. WTH?
  • Faulty display lock – as mentioned earlier (which I’ve meanwhile fixed myself to some extent).
  • Thermal design. My laptop actually never overheats, but I’d love to see fan intake being on the side instead of at the bottom. I think I’d only see this with an IBM/Lenovo ThinkPad though.
  • Battery runtime. As mentioned above, I get about 2-3 hrs on the standard 6-cell battery with about 60% screen brightness and one wireless adapter (Wifi OR WWAN) activated. The HDD is also optimized via HDDScan + some other tweaks to save on battery power. I should, however, mention that my laptop has a dedicated ATI graphics card and no internal Intel gfx solution (my previous notebook was an HP nx8220 with 15,4″ display, 8cell battery but also ATI gfx card and had a standard battery runtime of about 3.5-4hrs).

  I think when it comes to power saving, the best method is to use an operating system that was optimized to run on this laptop and consequently comes with a good power management. With a standard Ubuntu 9.10 installation, you won’t find this comfort for different reasons. I *think* it’s against this background that the default setting on a Ubuntu installation is to quickly dim the screen while the computer is idle because the screen often consumes the most energy next to the HDD and the (often obsolete) DVD drive. Win7 adopted a similar approach and now comes with an improved power management which I am yet to explore and compare to my previous WinXP experience.

  Last week, I found this really cheap offer (30,- instead of ~ 120,- EUR) for an HP AJ359AA 8-cell extended battery pack that directly connects to the bottom of this laptop and is also compatible with the docking station I am using at my home office:

  The extended battery pack may cover some parts of the vent / fan intake, but this really doesn’t make any difference for the machine.

  With both batteries connected, the laptop now weighs 2.867 gr – which may sound quite a lot for a 14,1″ laptop, but it doesn’t feel too heavy and also due to the good materials used on this HP, there’s no flex on any parts. Single weight is about 446gr for the 2nd battery. (+ ~ 500 gr for the power supply AND it’s heavy power cord !).

  HP power supplies actually deserve their own blog post. Seriously. These bricks also come with thick & bulky power cords in most regions which may be required by law but also suck tremendously. Plus they don’t have an active LED like most other competitors and are very sensitive to irregular power sources. The Kensington power supplies aren’t an alternative, btw.

  It’s not as bulky as it may look like from the pictures.

  HP also eventually included an indicator on the battery for the charging state – good! You’ll also find this on DELL laptops from 2004, though… what took them so long?

  The lifted bottom in the back not only adds a convenient angle for typing – it also improves handling of the computer while balancing it on your knees. Also, for those who aren’t using their computer on a docking station, this also eliminates any heating problems with the fan intake on the bottom as it lifts the computer up and provides a better circulation of air.

  One important detail is that the laptop uses the energy coming from the extended battery pack first – and then switches to the primary battery. Smart!

  My preliminary verdict: for only 30,- EUR, this was a very smart purchase as it not only improves overall battery runtime, but also adds handling comfort and an improved heat management. For any owner of an HP laptop, this is a highly recommended add-on (not only for those who require that extra battery runtime).

  I am sure you’ll get about 10-12h out of these two batteries with an LED screen and SSD drive. But then, even the cheaper Acer Timeline consumer notebooks will achieve that… (that is: I am not sure if my next notebook will be a business machine when I get a similar or even better performance with cheaper consumer hardware).

  *perfection: I am always looking for the BEST laptop that will provide a perfect keyboard, a bright LED screen with great contrast, at least 3 USB ports, an iluminated keyboard, good weight below 2,5kg, 12,1″ – 14,1″ screen size and standard battery runtime of at least 5hrs. Sounds like a MacBook (Pro) to me, or an IBM T410s. Hmm…. still too expensive atm. My gf does not understand why I am so picky on this, but she’s also never been in charge of IT in a government institutions in Kenya where productivity depends on a perfect mixture of hard- and software. Or in other words: I choose my hardware for a scenario which would also enable me to use it in an internet café in Nairobi as well as taking it to Lake Turkana – or a conference in Europe.

  
  

• The Leatherman sheath mod, part 2

  Posted: April 16, 2010, 1:47 am by jke

  I didn’t know if I should blog the following – because stuff like this is usually shared on internet forums, but since I’d been writing about this before – and not only once – I thought about sharing it with you on my blog. Besides, I don’t do forums for various reasons.

  
  the stupid Leatherman sheath

  Some month ago, I bought a Leatherman Charge TTi multitool which came with a very bad leather sheath. The famous inventor of multitools once produced very fine leather sheaths, like the beautiful brown one that came with my first Leatherman Wave in 2003. But for some stupid and unknown (marketing?) reasons, their current sheaths (since 2004, actually) are either bulky, ugly or too stiff – and also do not really offer the space required for a Leatherman Charge TTi (or Wave 2004) and its bitholder. Everything fits inside but it takes a lot of force to pull the bitholder out. There’s a hole at the bottom of the sheath which is supposed to be good + so that you can rest the opened tool inside the sheath. I’ve never used this though, and also don’t like it that much.

  
  SCHRADE TOOL, nylon alternative sheath (good, used this all the time)

  
  Leatherman Charge TTI within the Leatherman Wave (I) sheath from 2003.
  Tool fits, but + bitholder doesn’t :-(

  I may not be the only one with this problem, and have in the past used a variety of other sheaths to tackle this problem (tool & bitholder in one place, see SCHRADE TOOL nylon sheath pictured above). There seems to be a market for customized solutions, and while I am sure I could easily get a modified sheath in the US or even Kenya, I just couldn’t find a good sheath in Germany (locally or imported), so I had to make my own. This time I wanted to make a sheath out of leather.

  
  Bought this one (Victorinox L sheath) from eBay which unfortunately is too short.

  Now, I don’t know much about leather and do not even own many leather products. Shoes, belts and a pouch/sheath (made from artificial leather) that came shipped with my phone. But still, there’s some sort of magic to this material that will make you want to create something out of it. I was told that my great great great grandparents once owned a tannery, so maybe it’s somewhere in the genes. Sijui.

  First step was to surf around and check various online resources for inspirations. I actually already knew what I wanted to build – my first Leatherman Wave sheath from 2003 had set the standard for me. I wanted something like this…. but only bigger.

  Next step: leather. Found a very nice & cheap offer for leather stripes (2-3 mm thickness) on eBay, which was exactly what I was looking for.

  Ok, now how do I get this material into shape? Does it really require to be formed into shape? And when does this need to be done? Prior to or after sewing the parts together?

  Sometimes you just have to do things your way. If it feels right, do it. So i dampened the leather, sealed the knife and bitholer in a plastic bag and placed it inside the leather which I then pressed into shape. Placed all of it on the heating in the bathroom and waited for it to dry up. Oh, and I used a stapler to hold it all together.

  Next morning: leather is dried up and in shape. Great!

  Next step: holes. Lots of them. I think there’s a wheel to mark the correct pitch between the holes, but since I do not own such an advanced tool, I just marked everything by rule of thumb and punched holes with an awl.

  
  front

  
  back

  After the first stitches with special leather yarn, I realized that the one I used is too thin (2x, left), so I went for the only thicker one I had (3x, right).

  I may not be a professional and my seams may show that I am a bloody beginner, but at least I am using two needles.

  
  stitching on the left: too thin
  

  
  both sides

  
  next up: the main seam

  
  big & small, wondering about the design
  

  
  slowly getting there

  
  Almost done. The white package contains the Leatherman Charge TTi + the bitholder.

  I then dampened the leather again and used the wodden knob to flatten the edges of the leather. Again, I am no expert and maybe there’s a proper way for doing this, but I just looked at the old sheath and realized it had to work out somehow. Well, it did. Edges are smoothened now and quite shiny. Nice!

  
  new sheath

  
  new and old sheath

  
  The complete collection: opened and closed.

  You may note the nylon sheaths. These are also fine but (except for the SCHRADE TOOL sheath) only accommodate the tool itself, not the bitholder. Again, I don’t know why Leatherman does not produce proper sheaths. Something like the dark brown sheath (which imo is the best) from 2003, but bigger. You will also notice my beginner’s style and how dumb my own sheaths (noticed the blue one? :-) actually look when compared to the professional solutions.

  One possible solution would probably have been to further apply some wax on the new sheath and darken it. Well, I polished it with some special leather wax, but also applied this dark brown (imo a bit too dark, damn..) leather colour onto it. Looks ok, but I also know what to improve on next time. Ah well… as long as it works it is ok. I really wish someone would seriously teach me a few tricks though, like how to get straight seams. For this, however, I would probably also require a table for my tools and a bench vice.

  Working with leather is a fascinating experience!

  (Wenn ich nochmal 20 wäre, würde ich mich nach einer Lehre als Sattler/Feintäschner/etc. umschauen. Bin ich aber nicht mehr und habe auch schon eine Lehre hinter mir, das reicht. Als Abendkurs in der VHS wäre eine Fortbildung in Lederarbeiten aber sehr interessant – auch wenn ich im Moment keinen weiteren Einsatzzweck für Lederprodukte habe. Nach dieser Arbeit kann ich aber sehr gut verstehen, wieso es anscheinend ziemlich viele Leute da draußen gibt, die in ihrer Freizeit Leder punzieren (= mitm Hammer Muster ins Leder treiben) und/oder ihren Indianer/Rocker/SM/whatever-Trieb damit ausleben. Is aber alles nich so mein Ding, will ja nur ein passendes Lederetui für meinen Leatherman haben. Ich vermute übrigens, dass man durch versenkte Nähte (Rille ins Leder treiben) und den Einsatz von Stecheisen schon geradere Nähte hinbekommen würde, aber das hebe ich mir fürs nächste Mal auf. Das nächste Produkt aus den verbliebenen Lederresten werde ich aber nicht mehr anmalen, oder zumindest nicht mit so einer dunklen Farbe, auch wenn das jetzt nur auf den Bildern im Blitzlicht so schlimm ausschaut..).

  
  

• U got apples…

  Posted: April 12, 2010, 7:14 pm by jke

  Look what I found in our mailbox today!

  
  (pic is a bit blurry because it was taken with an Apple device ;-)

  Apple-fanboy s(ch)wag for an upcoming Apple fan like me. What a pleasant surprise!

  All the way from the United Arab Emirates via my dear friend Turbodave.

  Asante sana, bro!

  Disclaimer: this isn’t the Motter Tektura or Cupertino font, but still comes very close to the original…

  
  

• Blog posts that are written in one go.

  Posted: April 4, 2010, 3:36 am by jke

  Most people will probably be too busy with their daily lives to reflect on the things they valued and explored in their youth, or maybe only buy a book that will tell them about the things they liked and that happened when they were young. You know, common values, childhood memories like what was shown on tv, aired on the radio or stuff you could buy back in those days. Or couldn’t.

  I sometimes wonder about these things and how today’s youth feels about this interconnected world.

  Free pop archives like YouTube that will deliver instant multimedia pleasures at the press of a few buttons, with an extremely wide choice for everyone. Free music online instead of endless evenings spent in front of a radio/record player/tv/vcr, trying to record beloved tunes.

  The availability of a complete tv series on DVD. Just click your mouse in iTunes and instantly load it onto your iPod/multimedia player.

  Broadband internet connections that will instantly deliver free multimedia content to your player. Listen and forget. “Best of”-selections at the end of the year, generated via sites like last.fm. I know of someone who creates a tape/CD each year of his 10 most favourite songs. He’s my age, I am 34. Would an 18yr old still do that?

  My question is: if our lives are the sum of our experiences, emotions, education, failures and success, how does this sum influence our world today, and how does it differ with a youth that does not have to struggle that hard for new information?

  The world we create for them today – how will they like it, and where will they put their emphasis on (given that they won’t have to waste so much time on e.g. an extensive music collection)?

  Will we even notice the change?

  
  

• The owls are not what they seem.

  Posted: April 3, 2010, 8:25 pm by jke

  “I love Twin Peaks and it’s world.” (David Lynch )

  I remember way back in 1991, my sister had this sudden affection for Twin Peaks – the more or less famous mystery serial drama by David Lynch/Mark Frost.

  
  The Log Lady

  While growing up in Nairobi, living more or less under a rock when it came to video entertainment (which, by that time, consisted of a) renting videos from the various video libraries in Nairobi as well as b) asking visitors from abroad to record MTV’s Alternative Nation for my special music needs), I never really got into this Twin Peaks thingy back in 1991 & 1992 during a holiday trip to Germany.

  Years later on I watched with great pleasures his other works such as Mulholland Drive or Blue Velvet . Little did I know by that time that I would one day engage to a woman who is some sort of a REAL fan of David Lynch’s work.

  My fiancée LOVES Twin Peaks, has all of it on DVDs and VHS, heck she even has this special Dale Cooper diary on tape. Needless to mention she initially fell for me because I apparently reminded her of (the main character) FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper (14yrs ago, maybe).

  So, after about 20 years of its creation, I eventually spoiled my Twin Peaks virginity and started my video trip into the world of Twin Peaks and its characters about a week ago. And although I’ve so far only enjoyed 22 of the available 29 episodes (+ the prequel film called “Twin Peaks – Fire Walk With Me” ), I can already tell you that Twin Peaks really is some of the finest mystery/drama stories on film.

  In 2007 Twin Peaks was listed as one of Time magazine’s “100 Best TV Shows of All-TIME.” (src)

  Sure, we’re in 2010 now and there may be other – also popular – mystery series available on TV, and Twin Peaks may have started this off back in the days, but as opposed to Fringe, Lost or even the X-Files, there’s already sooooo much more to Twin Peaks a fan will love about it that imo will never happen to most other series:

  Damn good acting, coupled with a timeless beauty and some weird stuff only a freak like David Lynch can make up (and find a producer who secures the funding for it).

  “The owls are not what they seem.” is a quote from Twin Peaks – and much like most other characters, sceneries and items mentioned on Twin Peaks, everyone and everything has at least two different sides. I like that because there’s no single truth out there. Something like that makes you think about it – and lets you compile a blog post on it 20 years after it was first mentioned on TV.

  The internet seems to be full of tributes to Twin Peaks. The following may be a bit different. Enjoy!

  I’ll Be There in Twin Peaks from Mashed in Plastic on Vimeo.

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• wapi? (part 17)

  Posted: March 27, 2010, 7:18 pm by jke

  Not a real wapi? like on most other parts, but if you manage to guess this one you’re really good (I couldn’t).

  The screenshot (!) above is from a very interesting collection online – The Humphrey Winterton Collection of East African Photographs: 1860 – 1960 (found via the Window to Mombasa blog, thx!).

  (spoiler link)

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• Sudare

  Posted: March 24, 2010, 5:19 pm by jke

  “…the sudare is the thing handed down from their ancestor.” (src)

  Found this nice quote on a website run by an artisan who crafts and repairs Sudare – Japanese screens. The same artist goes on explaining that:

  “…the sudare is basically made from bamboo, but it can also be made from 3 to 4 other types of materials. The word “sudare” is characterized in Kanji by the combination of 2 kanjis: one meaning bamboo and the other meaning “in row.” So “sudare” means “lined-up bamboo.” Well actually, if we break the word “sudare” down, “su” stands for “lined-up bamboo,” and “dare” means “hanging down” because you hang sudare down from the ceiling when you use them. “

  And that’s exactly what I am going to do with these screens: hang them up in our living room (in front of the window).

  The interesting story and my reason for sharing this is that my parents found them on top of a rubbish container near our house in Tokyo some…30? years ago. An older house in the neighbourhood had been demolished and careless workers threw them away, so the Sudare(s) were free to be picked up.

  There’s something about modern Japanese culture and how it conflicts with old traditions that would certainly make up for a lot of interesting blog posts. Fortunately, there are a lot of Japan-related blogs out there that cover exactly this transition between the old and the new worlds.

  These sudare may look a bit worn out now, also because they were kept in a very moisture basement over the last 5 years, but the bamboo material is still in great shape and 100% ok. The build quality of these Japanese sudare is just amazing – even though they may be about 80+ yrs old!

  I will buy some golden tape to repair the seam at the sides.

  
  

• SocialBar Frankfurt

  Posted: March 11, 2010, 5:34 am by jke

  The following blog post will be in German, as it is about an event that took place in Frankfurt this Wednesday evening. Following the Twitter back channel conversations during last week’s Ignite Frankfurt event (where attendees criticized the use of English instead of German), I realized that in order to reach those who are targeted, I will have to use their language. So the following will be a recap of the SocialBar event and a few thoughts about it – in German.

  For those interested, the presentation I gave about AfriGadget tonight is very similar to the one I had given in London last year – only updated a few slides and included links to sites like appfrica.com, projectdiaspora.org or semasource.org. The reasoning is the same from my post back then, even my motivation for giving a talk on AG is pretty much the same. Imo, it’s all about giving another picture of “Africa”. One that may be different from what is usually known via the (partly biased) media. My colleague Steve Mugiri also presented AfriGadget during the TEDxAtlanta event on January 26 – if you can, pls check out his video. I also like it that everyone of us at AfriGadget has his/her own perspective & motivation for AfriGadget – and uses a different approach to highlight our work.

  I think I am very passionate about this subject, and I consider “passion” a driving force for a lot of good projects. But anyways, I digress and should probably continue in German.

  Auf Deutsch also. Dies war nun die vierte SocialBar in Frankfurt, dieses Mal relativ gut besucht, ca. 13? Teilnehmer aus verschiedenen Bereichen, mit verschiedener Motivation / Absichten / Erwartungen aber doch schon relativ ähnlichem sozialen und beruflichen Hintergrund.

  Was ist eine SocialBar?

  Laut der Website ist die SocialBar “ein Treffen von Weltverbesserern. Web-Aktivisten, Social Entrepreneurs, NGOs, ehrenamtliche Helfer, Politiker und Unternehmen mit sozialer Verantwortung kommen bei der Socialbar zusammen, um sich kennen zu lernen, Kontakte zu knüpfen, Erfahrungen auszutauschen und Kooperationen einzugehen.”

  Trotz dieser Beschreibung wüsste ich aber immer noch nicht, wie man die SocialBar genauer beschreiben sollte – es ist eine Veranstaltung, an der interessierte Leute teilnehmen, die sich für soziale Themen interessieren. Sozial, im Sinne von: ich mache etwas, das ich nicht nur für mich alleine mache.

  Vielleicht auch wegen dieser doch recht ungenauen Definition, meines eigenen Hintergrundes und der doch regionalen Unterschiede bei Events solcher Art (eine SocialBar in z.B. Berlin erreicht meistens ein anderes Publikum), kann ich natürlich nur für mich selber sprechen: ich empfinde die SocialBar als sinnvolle Veranstaltung, bei der ich vor allem Gleichgesinnte treffe, die sich “soziale Projekte” auf die Fahne geschrieben haben. Sei es aus beruflicher Natur, oder auch weil man in der Freizeit einen sinnvollen Beitrag für die Allgemeinheit leisten möchte und der 9-to-5 Tagesjob dies nur unzureichend ermöglicht. Und so kommen wir auch schon zum zweiten Vortrag des Abends: von Wolfgang Weicht über die “Coding Battle”, oder wie er es nennt: The Social Media Fight Club.

  Kurz: mehrere Teams bestehend aus Programmierern, Konzeptern und anderen Kreativen arbeiten ehrenamtlich an einem Wochenende zusammen und als Teams gegeneinander, um einer NGO zu einer Website zu verhelfen.

  Die Idee finde ich nach längerer Diskussion und einigen Bieren mit Wolfgang nicht ganz so verkehrt, aber vor allem interessiert mich daran natürlich die Frage, ob man in einer Stadt wie Frankfurt – die ich in diesem Bereich als sehr träge empfinde – eine kritische Masse von Leuten zusammenbringen kann, die in ihrer Freizeit – in einer (an den HipHop angelehnten) Battle oder auch einfach nur so – für Níchtregierungsorganisationen (de: NROs, en: NGOs) unentgeltlich und aus Spaß (!) an der Sache ehrenamtlich arbeiten wollen.

  Die Frage nach der Teilnahme an so einem Event empfinde ich als sehr wichtig – immerhin funktionieren viele Einrichtungen in Deutschland nur deswegen, weil es ehrenamtliche Helfer gibt. Ohne direkte Bezahlung einfach mal schauen ob man im Kollektiv etwas erreichen kann – das empfinde ich als sehr spannende Idee. Klar, gibt es ja auch schon online in Form der Wikipedia – kollektives Zusammentragen von Wissen – aber die Leute dann von ihren Computerbildschirmen hin zu einem realen Treffen zu bewegen, wo sie sich aufraffen müssen und gemeinsam etwas erarbeiten – das ist schon anders. Und eben auf den Frankfurter Kontext bezogen. Leute anschreiben, motivieren, begeistern können, Leidenschaft wecken, hinterher sein und sicherstellen, dass sie auch wirklich kommen (ich hatte mich auch schon mal zu einem Treffen bei Wolfgang angemeldet und dann im letzten Moment abgesagt). Das ist alles irre viel Arbeit. Können die Organisatoren der SocialBar sicherlich auch bestätigen.

  Ob die Coding Battle in dieser Form klappen wird – who knows?

  Ob ich daran teilnehmen werde? Hell, yes! Weil:

  “Leadership Lessons learned from Dancing Guy”, von Derek Sivers, dessen Videos eigentlich alle super sind, alleine schon wegen seiner netten Stimme.

  Einen ähnlichen Ansatz hat uns dann noch Denis Engemann vorgestellt, Student der Psychologie & Philosophie, der uns von dem anstehenden WIRKCAMP 2010 (am 07.-09. Mai 2010) in Leipzig berichtet hat. Ein ähnlicher Ansatz also wie die Coding Battle, in Leipzig nennen sie es allerdings Synagieren - gemeinsam handeln: “wir bringen für 3 Tage engagierte Menschen in kleinen Projekten zusammen”.

  Laut den auf der Website angekündigten Arbeitsgruppen wird es folgende Themen/Arbeitsschwerpunkte geben: Vegetarische Tage für die Uni-Mensa, Filmen für Nachhaltigkeit, Littlebird – Schmackhaft in den Arbeitsmarkt, Nachhaltigkeit im Internet und Konsum Global Leipzig. Aus studentischer Sicht macht dies alles schon irgendwie Sinn.

  Am Ende des Abends bleiben für mich die folgenden Fragen: welche Themen sind die ultimative Garanten für eine Mitarbeit von Freiwilligen? Wie kann ich eine möglichst interessierte Anzahl von Mitbürgern zu einem unentgeltlichen Projekt bewegen? Sind solche Aktivitäten ein Hinweis auf die Arbeitsweise in der Zukunft (kleine, dezentrale Projekte, vernetzes Arbeiten)? Inwiefern definieren wir uns mit so einem – bisher nur ausserberuflichen – Ansatz heute schon die Arbeitswelt von morgen? Und: inwiefern unterscheidet sich eine SocialBar in Frankfurt von einer SocialBar in Dresden, Berlin, Bonn oder Hannover?

  
  

• syncJKE

  Posted: March 2, 2010, 7:15 pm by jke

  Considering that I’ve only recently gotten into the iPhone hype and eventually accepted* it being the better device for my online needs, I am surprised to realize how much this setup actually helps me being much more productive in my daily tasks.

  I spend a great deal of the day in front of a computer – and when I am not in front of my computer, I usually have a mobile phone in my hands. The combination and seemless syncing between both devices is what I appreciate the most, for it enables me to continue working on any connected device.

  This automatic syncing is, to my understanding, the basis for the success of any smart phone or other mobile device today.

  I never really appreciated this basic functionality such as Gmail syncing of contacts, calendar entries and e-mails until I was told to do so by my friend Mzeecedric who also dedicated a blog post to this subject (in German). Coming from a Nokia device, I was used to syncing e-mails only and synced my contacts via MS Outlook and various online services (as mentioned earlier). Calendars…. well, I never really cared about that part as much for it got synced via Outlook. Such a Gmail sync is also possible on S60 Nokia phones btw, so this basic functionality isn’t an iPhone-only feature.

  I never really cared about that calendar syncing because I am old-school. I maintain an offline, paper calendar (this one) which obviously doesn’t sync with anything. On top of that, I am also the “let me write that down on a piece of paper with my fountain pen”-guy, so you can imagine my desk being covered with post-it notes and other little “to-do” lists.

  In fact, I am currently searching for a (good) TO-DO iPhone app that provides an over-the-air syncing via the web.

  I got this German app called “ShopShop/Einkaufsliste” which does exactly what it’s supposed to do (providing a simple shopping list, see screenshot); I jailbroke my phone to display calendar events on the lock screen using “Lock Calendar” (which works better for me than “IntelliScreen”), and I also bought the pro version of “Read It Later” which btw also beautifully integrates into Tweetie and other apps. I also have accounts for Instapaper and Evernote.

  Is Evernote the solution to what I am looking for? Would it also display a to-do list on the lockscreen of my iPhone (or any other phone)? Or should I rather look for a browser plugin that enables me to quickly edit gmail calendar entries / notes (which would then also appear on the lockscreen)? You know I stepped away from my offline calendar and started using the Gmail solution instead because it seemed to be the smartest way for a quick sync between a web service and the phone – and then also display on the lockscreen.

  I am sure I am not the first person asking for such a service, but there are about a million pages about “kewl iPhone apps” out there, so I got lost, somehow. Any guidance on this is very much appreciated. Thank you!

  ——————

  * The story goes that I got so pissed off about Nokia’s Ovi store that I bought an old & broken iPhone 2G which obviously isn’t top-notch, but still does more for me than both my Nokia phones N95/E72 could ever do for me in terms of productivity. And yes, this may just be due to the awesome touchscreen on the iPhone; and yes, the Google Nexus One may be the best phone for me once it eventually arrives on the domestic market. It still surprises me though that a 3yr old phone boosts my productivity – more than a new phone by the “competitor” Nokia. And this although my E72 is supposed to be a business phone and most of my tasks on the phone are very much “business”-alike.
  

  
  

• Understanding nature, part 1

  Posted: February 28, 2010, 8:37 pm by jke

  Garlic, harvested from an unknown location some time ago and obviously still alive.

  And there you go wondering why parents are so protective of their children sometimes. Why they’re willing to invest all of their remaining energy into the child(ren).

  It’s there, in nature, right in front of us.

  
  

• offline/online

  Posted: February 26, 2010, 2:54 pm by jke

  A friend of mine, older, but also online like me, sorted her online friends into at least two groups: a) people I’ve met offline, b) people I haven’t met offline.

  Another friend of mine, same age, recently did a website project and hired a programmer from Bangladesh. Obviously, the two have never met offline, yet they are working closely together. Online. Like the most of us.

  Which begs the questions: how important is it to meet offline? Does it change anything? Would you continue working with your online contacts if you were to meet them offline?

  And: how productive is online work with regard to the Wikipedia and other social tools – compared to the offline output of a project?

  
  

• I really have to stop blogging about phones…

  Posted: February 13, 2010, 4:30 am by jke

  I know the following is a rather unorthodox comparison between a business and an entertainment device, BUT! – as much I condemn Apple’s business policies, walled gardens and hardware restrictions – I am more productive with a 1G iPod Touch from 2007 than with my new Nokia E72 from late 2009.

  Having said that, this blog post could stop here. I still feel an urge to explain my switch to this archenemy though, so pls allow the following introduction:

  I recently bought a broken 1G iPod Touch from eBay, fixed it, put in a new battery, installed the latest firmware (no jailbreak so far, btw) and started using it. And….oh, what a joy it is!

  Browsing, e-mailing, searching for gadgets via the eBay app, using dropbox to share files between my computers, checking my bank account, using an UnP player to access files on my NAS, a nice Facebook app, various Twitter clients, interesting ham radio apps with decoding capabilities, games games games, a water level, VNC access…..and an app store with access to 140k+ apps.

  And all of this from a three year old multimedia player that comes with a fixed battery, no real multitasking capabilities, no camera and a proprietary dock connector. So how come I am rejoicing on this device like a small child?

  Because it delivers. And because it’s dead simple to use. The user interface is so intuitive, everything just works, I actually don’t have to *think* while using this device. And yet it’s just a multimedia player. Amazing.

  The Nokia E72? Well, it is a great phone – it really is a great phone – but it sure lacks this comfort I’ve now experienced with the iPod.

  I am also using a last.fm client on my E72, I can also use it to access the Twonky Server on my NAS, there also is a new Facebook app for the E71 & E72, there also is a really, really great Twitter client for the E72 which I still like best btw (Gravity is just perfect), and it also comes with an E-mail client that’s easy to set up. And I am very sure that it will take some time until I find another phone with a camera that’s better than my old Nokia N95 which is idling in the drawers here.

  However, the Firmware on the E72 keeps on crashing, the browser is very cumbersome (I am not a great fan of the Symbia S60 browser) and the E-mail client isn’t as comfy as the one on iPhone OS 3.1.3. And I don’t even want to repeat myself on Nokia’s lame app store.

  In short: I used to hate touch screen phones, I now like them.

  I bought this iPod Touch as an introduction to the OS, because it was very cheap and because I will give it to someone special soon. I also bought a used 2G iPhone – with a broken screen, which is yet to arrive see update here and here. Spare parts like display unit & new battery are already here. Which means that I’ll be using the E72 and a 2G iPhone over the next few weeks to see which phone performs better. As I said, an unorthodox comparison because the iPhone certainly won’t be as fast as the E72. Both devices will have to compete for the space in my pocket though.

  For all of you out there who have been using iPod Touch and iPhones in the past: yes, you were right, I was wrong. The user experience really is the important part. Everything else like removable batteries, a better camera, built quality – who cares about those details? Geeks like me maybe. And you can clearly see where this stupidity ends up.

  12 years of using Nokia phones. Got my first mobile contract in 1998 on a D2 (now: Vodafone) line. 5110, 7110, 8210, 6210, 6310, 6310i, 6230, 6230i, N95 E71, E72. Like M said, we were Nokia 4 life.

  However, when it comes to the hardware inside the phone, I am very much pro Nokia. Why? Because a Nokia phone can be disassembled and reassembled within 4 minutes. Try that with an Apple device… which of course weren’t built for being opened by end users. From an engineering point of view, disassembling Apple devices is really interesting. Ah well, Bwana Kikuyumoja is slowly starting to understand the way the cookie crumbles in the Apple Universe…

  So why a 2G and not a 3GS? Because
  a) too expensive
  b) I have a working phone – the E72 also has a compass, GPS and so on
  c) I am waiting for a chance to get my hands on the Nexus One
  d) I am expecting other – interesting – phones with Android in 2010 & 2011 and will save on those.

  
  

• OtterBox Commuter, ftw!

  Posted: February 6, 2010, 8:20 pm by jke

  I know I’ve already mentioned this on my Posterous blog earlier today, but the truth is: I’ve never been so excited about a gadget/ an accessory since maybe when I unpacked my Leatherman Wave some years ago.

  I was looking for a decent cover for my Nokia E72 as the leather pouch it comes shipped with isn’t that great. It opens to the side and is very tight, so you’d have to push the phone inside (with some force) and pull it out (with even more force). Not that smart.

  Another reason – and explanation why I went for a cover instead of another pouch/sheath – is that the E72 is rather thin, maybe too thin for a phone. It lacks a rubber back, like the one on the E63 for instance. So any potential cover would have to ensure that the phone gets a better grip on the back side.

  I then checked the market and bought a cheap (3€) silicone cover. The one that came delivered wasn’t good at all – the silicone was too stubborn and didn’t even cover all the edges (as pictured above). Such a cheap quality. I threw it away after taking these pictures.

  So I kept on looking and stumbled upon this OtterBox Commuter Case. There are almost only positive reviews on the cover online, the people behind OtterBox seem to be innovative and responsive to customer input (they are on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc.) – and such a cover costs around 29 €.

  Now, I can probably get two used Nokia 1208 phones for the price of such a cover, and it took me some time to think about this investment. Why should I invest 29 € on a cover that will only add weight to my phone? And it’s a lot of money for “just a cover”…

  I am so glad I just bought it in the end. The cover instantly worked for me – it’s such a pleasure to handle the phone now (almost as thick as an E63 now, yay! :-). The OtterBox Commuter really is the BEST phone cover I’ve ever bought for a phone so far, makes so much sense on this particular Nokia phone and I am sure I’ll also never again waste any money on cheaper alternatives that just won’t work.

  It also came shipped with a screen protector (sticker), a little card and a cleaning cloth which will help you apply the sticker onto the display. Amazing. I am yet to see something like that (the card) on other – also professional – screen protectors. Sooo… yes, I can only highly recommend the OtterBox Commuter Case to other E72 users.

  
  

• Shot & Burned

  Posted: February 2, 2010, 5:45 am by jke

  Dear Internet Diary,

  I’ve bought an iPhone today.  A used 2G with a broken screen.

  It was (really) cheap, a spontaneous deal and I bought it because I want to enjoy some apps like this one – which will most probably never be available for Symbian S60 3rd. Heck, it was even cheaper than a used iPod Touch (which are also still very expensive). Imagine a 2y+ old 2G iPhone still sells for the same amount (on eBay Germany) you could also cough up for a brand-new Nokia business phone.

  So why this video? Because it’s cool and it represents to some extent what I’ve thought about the iPhone(s) & other “smartphones” in the past.

  The apps, however, the missing apps…. the missing apps really did it for me.

  My Nokia E72 is a great phone and I will continue using it as a phone, but – and that’s the important part – it will not be the device that I’ll pull out for some entertainment. Mind you, though, the same could be said about my N95, which obviously comes from the eNtertainment range of phones. However, I wouldn’t want to compare the iPhones with any Nokia phone, but the way apps are made available to consumers.

  Sure, there are now free Ovi Maps with free navigation and a few other apps I’ve mentioned earlier, but that’s maybe 5-10 good apps for my E72 vs. a plethora of apps on Apple’s Appstore. And it’s not that there are no other Symbian apps – there are quite a few interesting ones out there – but you most probably won’t find them on Ovi, Nokia’s all-in-one website (“the door”) which also includes Ovi Store.

  Now, Nokia’s “Appstore” Ovi Store is nothing but a lame joke.  And this in February 2010. They could do SO much better and start selling all their R&D beta apps, market them accordingly and show what’s really inside their devices (think of all the sensors). Ovi Store is also available online, via a browser – which I think is a very good approach (does that also exist for Apple’s Appstore, or will you have to visit their store using iTunes?). The Ovi Store application for Nokia phones though is a failure. Imagine what could be done if e.g. the developer of (the Twitter client) Gravity was to redesign this app…

  You’d think that Nokia is where German car manufacturers used to be some time ago – at least from a customer’s point of view: a company run by engineers who are trying to deliver a perfectly engineered product, but then getting stuck in bureaucracy and end up selling less than they could.

  Nokia. Great R&D, but such lame implementers. Great hardware, lame software. Why?

  I don’t know. What I know is that I’ve just invested money into my first Apple product ever. Because Nokia couldn’t deliver.

  
  

• Ubuntu, my 6930p and me

  Posted: January 28, 2010, 9:57 pm by jke

  I am a Windows XP user.*

  Please excuse the following rant, but I will try to explain why I’ve stayed with Windows XP – until now, that is. Feel free to comment further down below and convince me of something else.

  The hardware setup: HP Elitebook 6930p notebook with HP docking station, external USB keyboard + mouse combo, 2.1 Creative Speakers, 22″ LG Flatron W2242T monitor + Terratec Cinergy Piranha DVB-T stick (with Sineo 1000 chipset). Extras on the notebook: internal Chicony webcam, internal HP UMTS modem (HP un2400 wwan adapter, as mentioned earlier).

  Operating system: As long as it works fine, doesn’t require broadband connections due to frequent updates, won’t become infected by malware and on top of that also runs my favourite applications, I will make do with anything. I know that Windows XP is very prone to malware, but it does the job for me. At least compared to the following OS:

  Windows Vista: nein, nein, nein, nein, nein, nein….

  Windows 7: I actually have a fresh copy of Windows 7 which arrived via snail mail a few month after the purchase of my HP Elitebook 6930p notebook. Installed it in a VirtualBox, didn’t like the new menu, couldn’t find a way to switch it off, saw some external solutions to retain the old school menu. *May* switch to using Win7 one day. Not yet convinced why I should, though. I am the kind of guy that switches of Compiz in Ubuntu.

  Apple OSX: doesn’t run on my machine, too expensive hardware + I am a typical Windows user = maximizing all windows + some things on Apple machines that I don’t like (even though I’ve understood that a smaller choice of available software tools isn’t necessarily a bad option as it saves you valuable trial & error time). I’d switch to Apple for Final Cut (Pro), though.

  GNU/Linux: first experience with it ~SuSe 5.1 in 1998?, tried different distros over the years (like everyone else), eventually settled with Ubuntu because ….well, I am a Windows XP user! Also: I’ve accepted Gnome as my desktop.

  You see, I am currently writing* this blog post inside an out-of-the-box Ubuntu 9.10. Firefox 3.5.7 is installed and deletes the complete row of characters (inside the WP’s tinyMCE editor) if I don’t pay attention. Already frustrating enough when an OS doesn’t do what I want it do – or worse: does more than expected. Not a good start. And then there’s this screen issue I am having: I just can’t figure out why this ATI Catalyst Control Center won’t start in admin mode. I urgently need to turn the 22″ monitor into the main screen (with taskbars on it). How do I do that? Sure, I could consult one of the many Wikis on Ubuntu and get it to work (Update: it is “sudo amdcccle”). Another issue: the DVB-T usb stick which doesn’t work at all within this Ubuntu 9.10 (I remember it used to run in 8.04 on my older HP nx8220 notebook but not really sure about it now. I do have another, older DVB-T stick which worked with Me-TV in 8.04). Or the internal UMTS modem which is kinda tricky because it requires extra firmware, presumably because it can adjust to local 3g networks (the trick is to have a tool which extracts its firmware from the Windows (!) driver and then loads all required settings). All of these things make me want to reboot my PC in Windows XP right now.

  Heck, I couldn’t even switch to using Ubuntu all the time and would always have to run WinXP (full or in a virtual box) because my clients (!) also use WinXP. E-Mail clients and the browsing experience are adjusted to my clients (aka typical corporate IT setup). The other day Mzeecedric and I worked on a blog, and then we had to start all over again because it just didn’t look good on MSIE 7.x (while it shined like a beauty in FF 3.x @ Ubuntu 9.04).

  Power management is also one of the reasons why I am using WinXP HOME (which otherwise is a no-go) on my Asus eee PC 1000HG netbook. The netbook also runs an Ubuntu distro with eee control applet, but it’s not the same power management as when running on WinXP with all Asus drivers and so on. Power management is a crucial issue on mobile devices though.

  What I am asking for: a GNU/Linux distro, specifically adjusted to this HP Elitebook 6930p. Put it in my DVD drive, boot it up, install and have it ready to go. No further adjustments necessary and everything (EVERYTHING) just working out of the box. I’d be willing to cough up money for such a CD as I think it would be a good investment. And yes, I do understand that part of this Ubuntu experience is to find answers and check Wikis on my own, but then: I just want to work with my computer and have it ready to run, even in offline environments where there is no broadband or stable inet connection. Plus I am getting older and don’t want to waste time on my machine for stuff that I am taking for granted on my Windows XP installation. And I am saying this as a WinXP user, not a Mac user (most of my Mac friends aren’t geeks).

  
  

• Baloji | Kinshasa Succursale

  Posted: January 25, 2010, 6:22 am by jke

  If it wasn’t for Twitter, Delicious and Facebook – where I am usually storing and sharing my bookmarks these days -I’d probably cough up a blog post.

  For the moment, however, I’ll just post this lovely tune, name the sources (1 & 2) and also remind you of Kongotronic Vol.1, which I had blogged here almost 4 (!) years ago.

  Baloji. Good artist, good music. New album out on January 27th 2010.

  
  

• Creakia E72

  Posted: January 20, 2010, 4:01 am by jke

  A comment on CJs latest review of the Nokia E72 reminded me of something I had also observed on my phone: “a tiny creak in the lower bar below the spacebar”. A noise that irritates the user and shouldn’t be on a brand new phone.

  Since I had already opened it up the other day, I knew where the noise came from and consequently fixed it by adding a piece cut from double-sided adhesive pads as seen in the following pictures.

  
  (behind the keypad – too much play even though there’s a silicone gasket already in place…)

  It’s simple, it’s cheap, it wins!

  
  

• the cable thingy for Nokia’s (E72) WH-601 headset

  Posted: January 6, 2010, 7:31 am by jke

  While searching for a little present for her, I came across this simple cable retractor – which inspired me to build my own.

  As with most other headsets by Nokia, the WH-601 that came shipped with my E72 is a little bit stubborn as the cables seem to contain too much rubber. And while this may as well be intended by Nokia’s engineers (or because no one at their Chinese factories maybe never really thought about this), storing the headset in your pocket will ultimately frustrate you sooner or later. It unfolds inside the pocket – and this peculiar behaviour will not change over time with more frequent use. It’s a design fault, in my opinion.

  One possible solution is such a cable thingy which can be bought in different shapes (there are even some with magnetic clips) or built on your own (hint hint, dear Kenyan jua kali workers: how about a version cut from car tires or flip flop sandals?). It just consists of some glued cardboard, wrapped in paper. It’s my first prototype and I may come up with a better solution – but for the moment, this will do:

  Nokia headsets have always been an issue on my blog. This one comes with a nice (much better) remote control (than the one on my N95). However, the headphones suck so much because of their shape (which can be adjusted using silicone caps, at least) and because of the sound they deliver.

  I made this JKE-version of a headset in September 2008 which still works and delivers beautiful sound using Sony headphones. The cables are a bit too short on this mod though, and the remote control on the WH-601 is nice, slimmer and thus more attractive. I will probably hack this new headset soon and solder my favourite Sony headphones to the pcb inside the remote control.

  And for those of you who came here looking for geek pr0n, here’s a recent pic of my opened Nokia E72 – enjoy :-)

  One may assume that the active parts (besides of the keypad, display, antenna, charger port, etc.) are all hidden underneath these metal cases only. Well…they are, and if you’ve ever opened a mobile phone yourself, you will know what they usually look like. So this is some fine piece of hardware engineering, I’d say. It’s ALL under these few covers. Also, the (multi-layered?!) pcb is of good quality. The only thing I don’t like from this first visual inspection (I had to open it because of dust under the display – yes, on a 4 weeks old phone. Nokia…) is that both microphones are directly soldered onto the pcb. The one above (visible on this pic within the gap on the left side next to the metal shields) is part of the noise reduction circuit. It’s also where most current E72 owners are crying out loud because it results in a noticeable light leakage on the keyboard. But uhm, well…. that’s the difference between a phone with many buttons (= QWERTY keyboard) and a touchscreen phone, I’d say. You can’t have it all.

  Anyways, I am happily surprised by the built quality I’ve found on the E72 and how (previously) fragile parts seem to be well engineered this time. I know the E71 has a better back cover and (metal) middle frame, but it still is a lot of high-tech they’ve hidden underneath these few metal shields. If it wasn’t for the display, the keyboard and the battery, the E72 could just as well fit into a matchbox. Seriously. Great hardware.

  Oh, and check out this massive pcb (the green part) that powers the camera flash and flashlight! Has about 1-2mm thickness.

  It’s just great pleasure to see how things are engineered and that someone really thought about such design details and how they could reduce costs, materials and improve accessibility. Two screws and you can already remove the display, 4 more screws and it’s dissassembled.

  Now I wish that someone at Nokia is smart enough to reconsider the materials used on their (cheaper) headsets, and that they really improve their OVI store + fill it up with Gravity-styled apps.

  P.S.: Happy 2010 to all of you!

  
  

• Cooking with Juergen Kamau, part 2

  Posted: December 29, 2009, 11:07 pm by jke

  Dishwashers are the greatest luxury since sliced bread. It’s a luxury like power windows on a car – so unnecessary – but just great to have them.

  You know we’ve recently moved into a new apartment which btw also means that I am now as broke as a self-employed, tax-paying idiot can be by the end of the year. And still I urgently wanted to get my hands on such a dishwasher – found a good (= used) machine for sale here in Frankfurt for a really low price. You’ll especially learn to appreciate such luxuries if you’re the one that will have to carry it up to the 4th floor on the evening of December 23rd – with all your friends (= free help) being away due to public holidays.

  Now as the year is coming to an end, I thought about publishing a blog post on some of my favourite luxuries that money can buy: foodstuff that I like buying from time to time:

  Pictured above are just some of the various things I’ve bought today:

  1. (Japanese) Green Tea Mochi from Taiwan
  2. Sheerpera (from an Afghan bakery in Hamburg) – Afghan sweets made from milkpowder, sugar, almonds, lots of cardamon and pistachio
  3. deep-frozen vegetarian dumplings
  4. soy beans for a salad with soy sauce & sesame
  5. Japanese seaweed (Nori) for some sushi
  6. fresh Tofu (from Germany)
  7. Japanese Udon noodles (from Taiwan)
  8. sesame
  9. fresh green pepper (Biber) from Turkey
  10. Mixed congee with red beans and sticky rice (it actually is a red bean soup which is very much appreciated during winter times, see also here)
  11. Turkish cheese, very smooth. Many Germans actually don’t know what feta cheese has to taste like and go for the much cheaper Greek supermarket version which isn’t that nice. Sure, there may be many different versions and tastes, but this one is my favourite (i.e. Turkish > Greek).
  12. (Japanese) sticky Sushi rice
  13. Chana Masala Ready-To-Eat mixture (chickpeas + onions + herbs)
  14. Fried & dried vegetable chips from Taiwan. Cheap & tasty, new product.
  15. PG Tips tea – because the black tea for sale in Germany just doesn’t do it for me.

  So…..yes, good food is important to me. I know there are others who are willing to spend a fortune on high-quality and/or exotic food, but the one I like is very basic and I usually prefer locally produced food. A purchase like the one above is thus very special to me.

  Our next task will be to set up a vertical garden on the balcony, i.e. fill a bag with soil & seeds in this Kibera-style and wait for good weather.

  Everyone, please have a good start into 2010 and may the Gods of good food and fine taste always be with you! :-)

  
  

• My Top 6 S60 apps

  Posted: December 15, 2009, 5:27 am by jke

  The reason why every new mobile phone will be compared to Apple’s iPhone – obviously a very succesful phone with a superb user interface albeit known disadvantages that even let this consulting company diagnose some Apple fanboyz with the Stockholm syndrome for their ignorance…. the reason why almost everyone out there likes the iPhone is because it comes with a HUGE market of “apps”: applications & games, something that’s not necessarily important, but will make you pull out the phone when you’re bored.

  Not so on Nokia’s side. I am using Nokia phones since 1998 and have recently swapped my N95 for an E72 – Nokia’s successor to the very popular E71 with a QWERTY keyboard instead of the T9 keypad on traditional phones. I can’t find the link right now, but remember having read these days that Nokia will from now on concentrate on QWERTY phones on one hand, and on the other hand push touchscreen phones. Some, like the new N900 which runs on MAEMO, feature both methods, so this range will be very interesting in the next few years.

  The E72 is based on Symbian S60, an operating system that has been around for quite some time now. And although it’s been quite popular in terms of sales, there are almost no interesting apps available for this platform.

  Remember, we’re in December 2009 now, and the iPhone has been out for at least 2.5 years, with the Apple App Store being online since July 2008. Since then, over 2 billion (!) apps have been downloaded from their store.

  The iPhone may be a crippled piece of monoculture for MacBook users, with a fixed battery, a very restrictive policy, no out-of-the-box functionality you’ll find on many other phones and a list of other flaws – but it STILL wins over most other phones – just because it comes with those apps. And also because it comes with a very usable browser.

  Apps, which are dearly missed on Nokia’s S60 platform.

  I may not be the perfect reference when it comes to testing different applications, but I can tell you that I’ve only kept six (6) additional applications on my E72 that I think are useful. There may be more – there certainly have to be more – but these six are the only ones that make sense to me for the moment:

  1. Gravity

  There can’t be enough praise for this application. It’s the only – really GOOD – application for S60. A Twitter / Identi.ca / FaceBook / Google Reader client, a software that will allow me to feed my three active Twitter accounts directly from the phone, check some subscriptions on Google Reader or comment on my friend’s FaceBook status updates.

  Nokia obviously knows this fact (they are busy promoting it on Ovi.com and other sites), but they had even failed to invite the developer (@janole, from Berlin/Germany) to their Nokia World 09 event which took place in Stuttgart this year. It’s not only a failure, but a disaster.

  You can actually stop reading here because it won’t get better. In my not-so-humble-opinion on this, most – if not all – future applications for Nokia phones should be designed like Gravity. And remember that Gravity was designed & coded by one humble programmer only. Which goes to show what’s possible if you really want it. If interested, pls make sure not miss out this interesting interview with @janole. On this interview, Jan Ole also mentioned that any serious developer should get an iPhone or an iPod Touch to get some orientation on what a good user interface should look like. Hej Nokia, you won’t have to reinvent the wheel – just take the 100 best apps from Apple’s AppStore and port them to S60 (if possible). I know this approach has been discussed before on Nokia Forums, but I for one am still waiting for this …luxury.

  A fully registred version of Gravity will cost you about 10 EUR – but it’s the best app you can buy for a Nokia S60 phone these days.

  2. Fring

  Fring is a chat & VoIP client for your phone. You can use it to connect via Skype, MSN, Google Talk, Yahoo Msg, ICQ, AIM, Facebok, Twitter, last.fm & Co with your friends. It’s free, it works, it wins.

  Fring is a nice app that I’ve tested right from the start two (?) years ago, it’s been constantly updated and will even work on a brand new phone like the E72. I don’t know how these guys are earning money with the provision of such a well-developed tool, but they have been around for some time now, are serious about what they do, respond to user requests and also cover many different operating systems.

  It’s not that you’ll be seeing me chatting via my phone that often, but it’s great to have a mobile Skype version.

  3. QR-Code Scanner

  Nokia BarCode / QR Code Scanner tool is a rather inconspicuous little tool, but of such great functionality to me that I’ve put a link to it on the stand-by screen of my phone.

  While surfing the web, I sometimes see pages that I would like to instantly open via my phone. So I click on a barcode icon on the lower right corner of my Mozilla Memoryhog browser and – voilà – a QR-code window pops up with a link to that page, encoded via a nice little Mozilla FF plugin. I then only have to activate the scanner tool, scan the image and will instantly have the link or encoded text on my phone. Dead simple. And it works. I’d even pay for this app and the browser plugin if it wasn’t free.

  4. YouTube client & Google Maps

  I am not a YouTube kid, but since it enables me to stream videos to my phone, I’ve started appreciating this nifty application – provided free of charge by Google.

  Something similar applies to Google Maps which I actually prefer over to Nokia Maps just because it’s faster. Nokia Maps 3.x may be better these days as it also comes with preloaded maps and an optimized application. However, Google Maps worked right from the start. There wasn’t any iteration of updated versions which would remove this or that bug like on Nokia Maps. Google Maps just worked right from the beginning.

  I’ve also tested full-blown Navigator suites for Symbian S60, but why should I pay extra if I can have free navigation via Google Maps? I am on a 1 GB flat fee on the phone anyways… so I am back to using both Google Maps and Nokia Maps – whichever is more appropriate for each situation.

  5. Spb TV

  Speaking of multimedia content, I’ve been searching for an application that will stream live TV to my phone. Something like Zattoo for the European market, but with an S60 client (which they unfortunately don’t have and which could be their killer application).

  And again, as much as I am not a YouTube kid, I even do not like TV that much. But sometimes I do, and those moments I want to watch it on my tiny phone screen. Sorry, David Lynch!

  So the only option I can think of is Spb (IP-)TV, a rather strange application for USD 14,95 with a lot of unknown stations from around the world. The screenshot above shows it playing BBC Arabic with picture-in-picture mode.

  Now, I probably won’t understand what they are saying as only learned how to order a cold beer in modern standard Arabic, but there are other channels on this (still locked on the screenshot, now unlocked) application. Some are in German, most in English, some in French, Russian, etc. Interesting. I understand German, English and French, so there’s some choice for me. It may not be the best TV app for a phone, but it works, has a unique and smart interface and made it to my Top6 list of Nokia Symbian S60 applications. And besides – is there any other S60 TV app?

  Exactly. There are no alternatives.

  6. Internet Radio

  Came shipped as a pre-installed app on my N95, had to add it manually on the E72 though (use the one from the Nokia 6120 Navigator). Works brilliantly well, perfect user interface, perfect out-of-the-box experience, no unnecessary information for the user which would probably only confuse. Choose your desired (internet) radio station by name, location/country, language or genre. Unfortunately, Radio Okapi from the DRC isn’t included anymore, but they do have triple r from Australia (which I obviously like :-).

  It would be very interesting to know WHY Nokia hasn’t included this wonderful application with all their phones (why not on Nokia’s E-Series?), but I guess that it’s because they want to push us users into purchasing music files via their online music store. Ah, marketing. Horrible.

  ——

  Marketing may be one of the reasons why most applications for Nokia’s Symbian S60 still suck in 2009. Probably a mixture of greed and mismanagement that have led to this problematic situation where we see Nokia still producing great phones (c’mon, they are well engineered), but totally fucking it up on the AppStore side. Ovi.com is a really bad joke at the moment – the website is even more informative than their S60-based tool to access the Ovi store. It’s a chaos with mostly shitty applications, I’ve spend quite some time on Ovi.com, trying to find useful applications, only to quickly realize that I am much faster googling for anything of interest instead. Ovi.com may experience a relaunch in the coming month, but to imagine that they can pull anything positive with it right now is a dream that will not come true with the current version. Nokia is supposed to be the leader in the smartphone market – and their app store is anything but smart.

  Nokia’s Ovi.com app store or even individual stores on the interwebs – all of these initiatives are pretty much useless if we won’t see more applications like the few good ones above.

  I don’t know which phone I’ll buy next, but I can tell you that I’ll put the availability of decent & cool applications as a top priority on my list of criterias for any upcoming phone. If Nokia can’t deliver, well then I’ll switch to Android or maybe even an iPhone and its OS (as much as I’d hate doing that).

  
  

• Nooooh!kia…

  Posted: December 3, 2009, 10:40 pm by jke

  Seriously, Nokia…

  …what kind of crippled, 7″ long USB cable is this you’ve shipped with the new E72?

  Sure it makes sense to have a smaller cable for the pocket, but please, it is so useless at this length. Very annoying.

  Else, the phone looks like a great new toy. A bit different from the E71 which was almost all metal. Coming from an N95 though, anything in monoblock shape will be better for me.

  So.. yes, I’ve eventually settled on a new phone after 29 (!) month. I know it will not have the same smart browser I’ll find on an iPhone, a HTC Hero, a Motorola Droid / Milestone or even Maemo-based Nokia N900, but it will give me real keys to press with tactile feedback, provide we with a known operating system and I’ll be able to shot snapshots @ 5mpx and multitask some applications. Now let see if it lives up to all expectations – the build quality already is a bit different from the E71 which I remember being a bit slimmer and much more even on the edges. Like when you move your thumb between the screen and the menu keys, you’ll notice a sharper edge.

  What I’ve come to appreciate on the N95 is a good grip on the rubberised back cover. The E72 having a metal plate, it still seems to provide a better grip than the E71. The lock on the back cover isn’t as strong as on the E71 though, and I even had to bend the metal cover a bit to fit it better into its position. Not so nice on a brand new phone.

  Whatever. It is mine, I’ll have to use it for the next 24 month and it will hopefully do a good job. The moment I unpacked it, I realized how really small it is. Annette even mentioned that it would be too small for my fingers, but it’s surprinsingly easy to hit the right keys.

  You know I’ve been waiting for this phone I had never actually held in my hands before I bought it (because it wasn’t yet on the market), so I had to rely on the user generated opinions you’ll find online only. But something similar actually also applies to the N95, and since I am no TED fellow or something like that, there’s no swag aka free E71 coming my way… so a purchase like this one has to be well planned. I got mine via a 24-month contract as a subsidized phone. Since I am normally using a prepaid card only (with a 1GB data flat), the new SIM will remain – unused – on the old phone. 10,- EUR / month for the next 24 month = cheaper than buying a new phone for ~ 360,- EUR.

  Talking about money, the “Kikuyu” in Kikuyumoja probably isn’t such a good idea. I’ve recently spend most of my savings on a new kitchen from IKEA, or let’s say..

  from this:

  to this:

  Not that big, but it’s MINE and I’ve built it with my own hands. Very rewarding. :-)

  Considering that my kitchen corner in Embu looked like this:

  … the real difficulty is to find the right partner who will understand that even average kitchen corners will be superb when compared to the alternative. And mine in Embu even was a brand new one! I am mentioning this because my sis has an awesome kitchen with all extras. It’s these two worlds we’re living in that sometimes still make me think: yes, Germany, nice & comfy. But do I/we really need all these extras? Maybe one of the reasons why we’ve only now – at this advanced age (yeah!) – agreed to give up the single room appartment and move into a bigger one (from 25 sqm to 76sqm, actually).

  Anyways. I haven’t been offline or on a blogging hiatus – just working on the new kitchen and renovating my new home.

  As for the E72, it’s a great phone and I will certainly come back for another, more detailed review, even though I’ve also said that I actually don’t want to do a review this time. I am too much of a geek not to waste some precious time on a new gadget.

  
  

• Lebensmittel

  Posted: November 13, 2009, 8:35 pm by jke

  LEBENsmittel.

  
  

• Msakamoja

  Posted: October 27, 2009, 6:43 am by jke

  I never really understood why ppl would publish boring cat (lolcat) content online – until we got to take care of one ourselves.

  As far as I am informed, sterlizied cats kill mice and birds because they want to teach you – the dumb human being – how to properly hunt them.

  
  This one survived and was released to the garden….

  
  …while others didn’t make it….(killed a few minutes ago).

  
  “Look, that’s how it’s done, JKE”.

  
  “Must Kill All Humans”

  Who needs hunting skills if the cat can do the job?

  
  

• bite size chunks of information

  Posted: October 23, 2009, 3:48 am by jke

  A few years ago, I used to write longer e-mails. Some recipients would appreciate it, others probably didn’t – but only my sister had the guts to directly tell me: “I don’t have the time to read your novels”.

  She, being a lawyer by profession, likes it short and precise. Why waste more words on a story if you can say it with a few words?

  Twitter taught me a similar approach – 140 characters may be enough for some basic messages and thr r sm hu hv lrnt hw 2 abbrev. cntnt 2 fit in2 a msg.

  And this isn’t even about the length of messages, but rather about how 2 keep things short – and thus interesting?

  I’ve experienced this myself while replying to customers or else writing to those who are known for receiving lots of e-mails per day. The moment I started keeping it very short, they instantly replied. This especially works with überwomen who like to handle their job, the kids na kadhalika at once. Another great way to receive a reply from such a person is to give her fixed options:

  Am I prejudiced?

  [ ] yes
  [ ] no
  [ ] maybe

  Seriously, the shorter your question, the earlier you’ll receive an answer. Keep it short & simple.

  Tell me, with the load of information out there in newspapers and your rss feed reader, which one do you actually read? The shorter ones? Would you just scan headlines and maybe also only read the teaser?

  Am asking because my fiancée just told me that her 11-12 yrs old pupils in school do neither know the difference between China and Japan, nor that Tokyo (Metropolis) is the capital of Japan. “You can not expect them to know this”, she was told her by her boss. Which obviously changes all your plans while preparing lecturing material.

  Kids do know a lot of other – sometimes useless – stuff these days. And what they don’t know, or what isn’t shown on TV or YouTube, will be searchable via Google. “Knowledge” as such has never been more accessible.

  So…knowledge or information on one hand, and on the other hand the way we communicate. These very same kids have grown up with SMS, MMS, the telephone, video replies on YouTube, instant messsengers and collaborative Google documents.

  Speed and instant communication matter these days, fame and/or followers, accessible knowledge 24/7/365, fast typing abilities, answers to questions. The journey way we communicate is the destination.

  I am sure you’ve meanwhile all heard about Google Wave and how it will revolutionize the internet and the way we communicate. Well it may achieve this change, either now or within the next three years (see: Twitter breakthrough/acceptance in mainstream German media). But I keep on coming back to the initial question: is this the way we really want to communicate with each other? That is: typing short instant messages into our (mobile) devices and replying directly on point to a question.

  A really good example for the attention deficit a lot of people are suffering from (I think it all started with MTV-styled cuts on tv) seems to be the Google Wave Developer Preview video which is over 80 minutes long. That’s 80 minutes of geeks talking about a new technology. Would you watch it?

  Since 80 minutes are a damn long time for most presentations, there are various short versions of the Google Wave video available online that sum up all the differences between normal e-mail communication and the Google Wave approach.

  Something similar applies to blog posts. With communication tools like Twitter all around, I feel that ppl not only minimize the time they’ve previously spent on blogs, but also stop reading those with longer blog posts. Not because their content isn’t that interesting – but a) because of other, competing online content (on the feed reader) and b) because it takes time to read all this stuff here.

  What I am really afraid of and my reason for this blog post is that we will lose a feeling for the poetry between the lines and our ability to spend time on longer articles – just because communication as such is so much more different nowadays and somehow also unconsciously changes the way we read.

  Could this scenario be true?

  
  

• HP 6930p vs. Dell E6400 (review)

  Posted: October 19, 2009, 3:46 am by jke

  I recently had the chance of comparing the HP EliteBook 6930p with the Dell Latitude E6400, both 14,1″ business laptops (notebooks) for professional use.

  Kilonzo, a friend of mine from university, had asked me a few weeks ago for some help with the purchase of a notebook. The choice quickly came down to a business notebook – even though you may get more high-tech details on the consumer range of notebooks, which are often a cheaper alternative. The business notebooks, though, usually have a designated life span of 5 years (as opposed to 3 yrs on the consumer range) and are of better quality. Plus, if you are buying refurbished machines anyways, the business range of notebooks almost guarantees a supply of (used) spare parts after 3-4 years on eBay & Co as most companies are returning their leased machines. The success of IBM ThinkPads and corporate Dell notebooks is partly based on this, I’d say.

  I believe that a screen size of 13.3″ to 14,1″ is the best size for a notebook as it then still is small enough to be carried in a bag and big enough to be balanced on your lap (!) e.g. while in a conference. I’ve realized that netbooks are really nice and can already do most tasks in computing, but it actually looks quite ridiculous when a 6 ‘ 4″ tall man uses his fingertips to hit the keys on a 10,2″ netbook. So the 13-14″ screen size range works best for me – even 15,4″ notebooks are ok but I’ve used them in the past and now prefer the 14.1″ range.

  The choice quickly narrowed down to my three prefered candidates:

  • Dell E6400 (review 1, 2)
  • IBM Lenovo T400
  • HP 6930p (review 1)

  I do have an HP 6930p which I am using on a docking station (as blogged on earlier) and quite like it. It has almost everything I need and I had even recommended it to Kilonzo because it is really strong. If you’ve ever felt the plastics on a Lenovo T400, you’ll quickly go for the Dell E6400 or HP 6930p, which are almost all metal.

  
  HP bottom

  
  Dell bottom

  Body
  The bottom plate on the 6390p is really massive. Not heavy, but strong enough to withstand any external pressure from carrying it around. If you are a frequent traveller or forced to carry your laptop with you almost every day, you may want to pay special attention to this. The E6400 comes close to the 6930p, but it only has a relatively slim (metal!) cover on the bottom which also provides access to all components (as visible in this image). There also is an ATG version available of the E6400 (the E6400 ATG) which may even be as strong as the 6930p as it apparently also supports the MIL-STD 810F standard (which obvisouly is more or less a marketing gag but nevertheless, good build quality is always appreciated).

  
  HP

  
  Dell

  My method of buying expensive hardware is to get it “refurbished” from dealers on eBay who make a living out of selling almost new hardware from Dell, Lenovo or HP. That’s how I got our (really good) HP OfficeJet 7210 All-In-One printer, how I got my HP 6930p and how I also bought the DELL E6400. There’s a dealer in the UK on eBay who’s specialised in selling refurbished Dell computers. The offer was quite good for European terms, even though it would obviously be much cheaper to buy the laptop in the US. We’re hoping to get a V.A.T. refund though once the laptop is exported to Kenya.

  The risk of buying refurbished hardware is that it comes with little dents or small scratches which are ok as long as they aren’t in a visible area. I had recently also bought an LED version of the 6930p which came with some massive dead pixels and which I had to return. My CCFL 6930p – the one I am currently using – came with a faulty docking station connector and a faulty display lock, so I had to send it in to JABIL in Poland (service center for HP, see story) where they exchanged the motherboard and actually failed to repair the display lock. I later on fixed the display lock myself, which means that I had to completely disassemble the 6930p up to the very last screw. Took me an hour but now it is ok.

  
  missing hinge screws on the Dell… (now fixed)

  Even the E6400 came with some problems: a longer dent just behind the display, on top of the battery and – really annoying – with a loose display. You’ll obviously loose any warranty by the dealer if you remove the dealer’s sticker on top of the main screw, but those covers that provide access to the display hinges weren’t sealed with a sticker. Turns out the screws which hold the display hinges in their position where completely MISSING! Missing screws because someone forgot to replace them after changing the display – that’s a clear no-go to me. Problem is: the dealer is in the UK, my friend’s waiting in Belgium and I wanted to get on with this. So I quickly opened it up myself and inserted two M2.5 x 4 screws. Issue solved. But, again, this must not happen with a refurbished devices. Goes to show how much they really care about their products, I guess.

  
  HP 6930p

  
  Dell E6400

  Apart from these usual problems you encounter while getting a refurbished notebook – you know there’s a world wide 3yrs pick-up warranty on my HP 6930p – the first impression on the Dell E6400 is: WOW!

  Unfortunately, most business notebooks are built-to-order or at least not displayed in showrooms, so while buying one of those notebooks, you clearly depend on user reviews. I always had the impression that the E6400 comes with a lot of plastic parts. But while the 6930p is really stronger as it comes with a metal hand rest around the touchpad, the E6400 is also good. Good enough, that is. And absolutely sufficient. And less plastic parts than expected. The HP still is stronger though – no flex of the body, almost stronger than a MacBook which imho is totally overhyped and overrated. But it also is HP’s own fault because they just fail to ship ALL of their notebooks with this build quality and never put them on display, so when people are talking about HP notebooks, many consumers think of the consumer models “HP Compaq Pressario” and others. Those are really shitty and not subject of this review.

  
  Little gap on the top cover of the HP, just next to keyboard. Helps to absorb the mechanical tension while opening or moving the display.

  Plastic covers are an important issue, because there always is some sort of tension on the surface next to the keyboard when you open the display. The moment you flip the display backwards (HP = opens > 180°, DELL = ~ 160°), you see how the top cover (that accomodates the keyboard) bulges upwards. This is normal on almost every notebook and depends on the hinge strength and how it is connected to the rest of the notebook. Go to the next computer store and check this “flex” with cheap Acer laptops and you’ll see what I mean.

  On the HP, this is solved via a gap, but on the DELL it’s one long piece of plastic which could break one day or at least lose up the cover. Both display hinges are great though – the one on the DELL being slightly better (less play).

  
  
  Maximum opening angles

  Display
  The WXGA+ (1440×900px) LED display on the E6400 actually is the biggest and most important difference between both notebooks because the WXGA+ screen on the HP 6930p is only CCFL. It’s the screen the HP should have come with.

  
  Maximum brightness @ HP (left) & Dell (right)

  
  Minimum brightness @ HP (left) & Dell (right)

  For some unknown reasons, HP is just unable to sell these WXGA+ LED screens on their “EliteBook” notebooks as the 6930p is also known. What HP offers are “Illumi-Lite” LED screens at WXGA (1280×800px) only. I did a comparison between these two screen types the other day and posted my experience here. The WXGA LED and CCFL screens on these HP computers are just crap. They of course do the job for most business (read: office) jobs, but are useless when it comes to image editing and/or vertical viewing angles. Imagine you’ll have to present a document to your colleagues at work and they’re having problems seeing it on the display because viewing angles are so narrow. Well – that’s what these HP screens are alike.

  
  HP (left) & Dell (right)
  Colour saturation seems to be better on the CCFL-screen, the green colour is almost perfect on the HP but the white is foggy, viewing angles are almost the same, brightness is better on the Dell.

  The display is also one of the reasons why I told Kilonzo to “let’s go for the Dell”. It may not be the ultimate screen, but best I’ve seen on a 14,1″ so far next to the one on the new Lenovo T400s.

  The WXGA+ CCFL on my 6930p though isn’t thaaaaat bad. It’s a typical CCFL screen with uneven illumination and higher power consumption than an LED screen, but it still has better, or let’s say: more saturated colours. Both screens still have the usual grey or foggy touch to it. They will never be as bright as the one on my (low-budget) 22″ desktop TFT from LG.

  Once display brightness is set to a minimum, you can see the difference as the CCFL-type will always be a bit darker. The Dell notebook will be exported to a country with frequent power cuts, so battery runtime and display brightness in a dark environment are important issues and perfect on the Dell.

  The display lock on the HP is…..well, it is a nightmare. It’s supposed to be much better since the beginning of 2009, but at least mine had this issue that the lock wouldn’t close as the hinges created too much mechanical tension, resulting in a display lock that opened by itself. I’ve meanwhile fixed it but it is still far away from the simple solution on the DELL, which may not be as strong as the one on the HP, but at least the display just beautifully closes and is very flat.

  
  Opened & repaired display lock on the HP 6930p

  HP: matt, better colours on CCFL, uneven illumination, display lock a clear failure

  DELL: matt, normal colours on LED, even illumination, display lock good

  Keyboard/Touchpad
  Both keyboards come with a touchpoint stick and extra mouse buttons – the Dell has three buttons, HP only two. Some GNU/Linux users prefer three buttons – me and Kilonzo both being WinXP users, this doesn’t really matter. The grip is slightly better on the HP, and feels a bit more stable, even though it has less key drop. The Dell keyboard feels like a mixture of IBM ThinkPads and Acer Timeline keyboards – a bit noisy and huge lift of keys, but good to press.

  
  Keyboards (HP & Dell)

  There also an option for a backlit keyboard on the Dell (the HP “only” has a little light above the display, very similar to IBM ThinkPads, but better), similar to MacBooks – but we chose this option of a normal keyboard because it would have taken longer and cost another EUR 30 to add a better keyboard. However, if I had to choose between both keyboards, I wouldn’t know which one I prefer as both are more or less equally good. The ESC key on the HP is in the top left corner which may be an advantage. Also, both keyboards have the CTRL key in the bottom left corner which is the setup I prefer (on Lenovo keyboars it’s the FN key). I also like the keyboard on my old HP nx8220 and if I could choose between all of them, then I would clearly go for the old HP type. Still have to test the backlit version though.

  
  The HP “Clavilux” :-)

  The indicator lights above the keyboard are much better on the DELL – less obtrusive, not as flashy and the user is provided with real keys for volume control. A lot of users are having problems with the uneven volume control touch slider on the HP (similar to the unlocking slider bar on the iPhone screen) and/or mistook the slider-design for an actual slider-bar. But it isn’t. If you know how to set the volume on the HP EliteBooks (= just hold your finger on the – or + to adjust volume), there are absolutely no problems with it. The Dell solution looks better though, even though there is no visual feedback for volume on the display.

  The touchpads on both machines are equally good, I’d say. In the past I’ve often assumed that a lowered touchpad may prevent the user from any accidential use of the touchpad (=> you’ll touch it with the palm of your hand while typing and end up overwriting text, huge problem on some Sony notebooks), but the Lenovo T500 I’ve tested the other day showed me that even a well-adjusted flat touchpad will be ok. So this really depends on the touchpad itself and how it reacts to input. Both pointing sticks in the middle of the keyboard are ok. Of course, the IBM/Lenovo solution is better, but else they will also do the job. I think that most users will adjust to any keyboard within 3 days, so this really only depends on what you’re used to.

  Heat / noise / BIOS
  The Dell came shipped with a 250GB HDD from Fujitsu which is OK – at least compared to the 500GB HDD from Western Digital I added to my HP the other day and which is a bit louder (!). And this although I’ve already activated Advanced Power Management on the WD HDD. Strange.

  
  Fan intake on the HP

  
  Fan intake on the Dell

  Fan intake unfortunately also is on the bottom on both notebooks. See IBM/Lenovo and their ThinkPad range where the intake is in the back on the side. That’s a much better cooling system. The rubber feet on the HP are a bit higher though, so we’re talking of about 1mm increased distance to the table on the HP, resulting in a slightly better air circulation.

  I know that others have in the past complained about the noise / increased fan speed on the DELL, but I just can’t figure out why. It is very silent on this E6400 (latest BIOS revision installed) and even when fan is on full speed it isn’t louder than the one on the HP. You can set a “FAN always on” option on the BIOS of the HP, but it only worked nicely with my old HP. My HP 6930p runs better without this option activated (plus you will need to deactivate it anyways if you’re running GNU/Linux on it like I do).

  
  HP notebook is slightly higher

  The BIOS options on the Dell are great, much better than the rather limited range of settings on the HP. HP should update the BIOS and at least install an option like Dell or Lenovo where you can adjust when the battery may be recharged.

  Connectivity
  One of the reasons I am not comparing the usual specifications on both machines (CPU, RAM, etc.) is because both come with a similar CPU, RAM, HDD, GigabitLAN, WLAN, MODEM (which may be selected during online order anyways) and both may also be equipped with an internal WWAN modem (~ UMTS). I did this on my HP notebook and it works – but only with MS Windows and only when the battery is inserted. That’s so stupid! Don’t know about the DELL though, may be a similar scenario. As a consequence to the WWAN capability, both notebooks come with a SIM-card holder underneath the battery and are equipped with WWAN antennas on top of the display (inside a plastic cover on top of the display). While it’s nice to have an internal WWAN modem for an extra 80 – 150 EUR, I actually prefer external UMTS modems. They are cheaper and may be swapped between laptops. Makes more sense to me.

  
  Horizontally aligned USB ports on the HP

  
  4 USB ports on the Dell

  The DELL comes with 4 USB ports, of which one is a powered USB port and one is an eSATA port. That’s REALLY great! The alignment of these ports is a bit better on the HP though as they are horizontally aligned so that you may use bulkier USB plugs (some USB keys aren’t as slim as they could be). It really depends on what you need them for, but I believe that it’s better to have 4 than 3 USB ports. It’s the ones you need the most. You can also set USB PowerShare on the BIOS of the DELL which enables you to charge external USB devices (iPods, Phones) while the computer is off.
  Furthermore, you’ll also find an SD-card and SmartCard reader on both laptops, a FireWire socket and – what a surprise – a mechanical switch for the WLAN on the DELL + a “WiFi Catcher” button.

  
  DisplayPort on the Dell

  The DELL also has a DisplayPort on the back – something the HP doesn’t have at all. Both have a VGA port though – and a DVI-D port on the docking station to which it connects via the docking connector on the bottom. Another difference is the ExpressCard54 on the HP and an older PCMCIA port on the DELL. I have in the past used a PCMCIA UMTS Modem on my old HP but now haven’t found a use for the ExpressCard slot. Maybe once USB 3.0 is released we’ll find USB 3.0 cards for these slots. Unless you have a real need for these devices, both are just battery drainers so they remain unused most of the time.

  There also is a webcam on the DELL which is said to only have 0.3 mpx resolution (compared to the 2.0 mpx on the HP), but I just can’t see why this should be worse. Instead, the camera on the DELL is just BRILLIANT compared to the one on my HP. It also comes with some DELL software aka Creative Live!Cam tools that add some funstuff to this device. I wish the webcam on my HP had the same luxury and I am still to find out why the performance of this webcam here is so bad. So….DELL being a clear winner here.

  
  2.0 mpx Webcam on the HP

  
  0.3 mpx webcam on the Dell

  The HP also comes with a small slot for business cards and special OCR software which allows you to use the webcam for taking snapshots of business cards and saving the addresses on your personal information management tool (~ Outlook), but I’ve only used it once so far. It’s a nice gimmick.

  You’ll also find a fingerprint reader on both machines, even though this DELL didn’t have one. Who needs a fingerprint reader that isn’t fully integrated into the OS? Maybe with Windows 7 this is an interesting feature, but let me be honest: HP Protect Tools, the software suite from HP used for the fingerprint reader and other TPM security chip related issues, delayed boot up process on my HP for 2 minutes – which is why I had to deinstall it and haven’t missed it since. Again, this may change with Win7, but until then: good riddance!

  Oh, and both audio ports are on the right side of the DELL – which is where I prefer them. As for the speakers on both notebooks – well, they work, but I’ve heard better speakers on notebooks in the past. The sound on the Dell speakers is really thin, only delivers high tones, almost no bass.

  Power Supply
  The power supply on the DELL is lighter (450gr) and bigger (!) than the one on the HP (519gr) – and comes with an LED that shows activity. The HP ps doesn’t have an LED. Why? It’s such a simple thing to add an activity LED on the power supply and most other power supplies have such an LED.

  
  Left: Dell power supply + cord // Right: HP power supply + cord

  The power cord that came shipped with this DELL is for the German market (I ordered the UK version though) and is as slim as possible. I had actually scanned eBay for power cord alternatives for my HP the other day because this simple power cord adds weight to the power supply. So the advantage of the slimmer HP ps is gone just because it came shipped with this bulky & stubborn cable. Argh…

  I wish these notebook manufacturers would come up with smaller & lighter power supplies. They will probably never have the magnetic plug as seen on recent Apple MacBooks due to Apple not licensing this to others, but any progress on the size, plugs and weight would be highly appreciated.

  Another great feature on the Dell are the status LEDs on each Dell battery. In case of doubt, just press the button and these LEDs will inidicate the charging state. You won’t find this on HP batteries.

  
  LEDs on the Dell battery

  Verdict
  Now that I’ve used both notebooks I am tempted to go for the DELL. The 4 USB ports, the LED screen (= better battery runtime), less weight (DELL = 2.273gr, HP = 2.424gr) and third mouse button are quite a temptation. It also has the necessary software solutions to adjust this notebook to much more specific tasks, e.g. how the battery should be charged (and when it shouldn’t!) and what you can set within the BIOS (as compared to the HP which is rather basic compared to the DELL).

  I think the only reason that prevents me from swapping notebooks is that I like my HP and have learned to live with its flaws. It’s already fully adjusted, I do have a docking station and changing everything would indeed take some extra time. The HP also feels better built with almost no flex on the body which is quite important to me. You will notice the thin metal plate on the DELL that makes the bottom cover. It just isn’t as rock solid as the one on the HP.

  For everyone else who’s still looking for a nice laptop that needs to come along on travels, is “powerful enough” and whose user hasn’t been infected with the Apple MacBook virus, the Dell E6400 may be the better alternative. Especially since there are dealers online who sell refurbished notebooks for almost half the price of a new notebook.

  In any case: for a country like Kenya, any notebooks with a matt LED screen may be better than one with a matt CCFL screen. Glossy screens are a no-go and *maybe* only acceptable on MacBooks.

  The reviews I’ve linked to above rated the Dell at 87% and the HP at 86%. This rating is very similar to what I felt while reviewing this Dell as it is slightly better than the HP (mainly because of the connectivity and the LED screen).

  Dell Latitude E6400
  + really bright LED display, average viewing angles, normal colours
  – bottom cover a bit too thin
  + optimised battery runtime
  + battery recharge point can be set
  + good weight, small size
  + light power supply
  + decent keyboard, touchpad and touchpoint stick; third mouse button
  + good webcam @ 0.3mpx
  + wwan capabilities
  + multiple BIOS settings possible
  + both RAM slots accessible from the bottom
  + finger print reader next to the keyboard (if installed)
  + 4 USB ports!
  + display port
  + charge meter on the battery
  – no icons next to the keyboard that indicate the position of ports
  – illuminated keyboard only available with special keyboard (+ 30 EUR)

  HP EliteBook 6930p
  + stronger body, almost no flex, really nice to handle
  + average CCFL display with good colours but narrow viewing angles, has some light leakages on the bottom row
  + two (stereo) microphones (with holes on both sides of the display)
  + decent keyboard, touchpad and touchpoint stick; touchpad buttons could be more responsive
  + (good) webcam @ 2.0mpx, but without any additional software except for a simple HP webcam application
  – HP Protect Tools = bloatware
  – only available with a bulky power cord
  + wwan capabilities
  – wwan (umts modem) only active while main battery inserted
  – display lock is a failure
  – irritating indicator lights (LEDs) on top of the keyboard
  – 1 RAM slot hidden underneath the keyboard, the other RAM slot accessible via a bottom cover
  + crosstip screws on the bottom indicate the parts that may be exchanged without losing warranty, all other screws Torx
  + 3 USB ports
  – too much play on the battery
  – no icons next to the keyboard that indicate the position of ports
  + illuminated keyboard, better than on the Lenovo T400 as it doesn’t blind the user
  + opening angle of the display > 180°
  + HDD case protected & G-Fall sensor

  Battery runtimes can’t be compared as both machines come with similar, but still different specifications (both on 6-cell batteries), whereas the biggest difference is the integrated graphics chip and an LED screen on the Dell while the HP comes with a discrete ATI graphics card and a CCFL screen. That’s a difference of around 2-3h between both machines. So if you’re into maximum battery runtime, go for a notebook with a matt LED screen and integrated graphics card (Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD).

  The discrete graphics chip on my HP is an ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3450 which is supposed to be better, but then: you won’t notice the difference unless you’re playing games (and this does not include recent games which won’t run on the HP). So in doubt, I’d recommend the Intel GMA 4500MHD over to the ATI. You’ll be rewarded with a longer battery runtime.

  I also made sure that the Dell comes with a WXGA+ screen. This higher resolution may not be suitable for every user as dots per inch are around 127dpi, but you’ll be able to display much more content at once. With Vista or Win7, fonts on the display may also be adjusted.

  There are docking stations available for both machines – the one for the Dell even has two seperate DVI-D ports, so you could actually connect two desktop screens to the notebook.

  The Dell or the HP? I’d say it depends on what you need these computers for. The really interesting part about these notebooks though is that they’ll be around for the next 2-4 years, while a fancy low-budget Acer Timeline notebook won’t. Which means you can buy either the Dell or the HP, take them to Africa and get spare parts even after the first battery died. If there is only one thing I could change on both machines, then I would probably change the fan intake from the bottom to the side of the frame – and also make it accessible for the user so that it may be cleaned anytime.

  (Disclaimer: pictures taken in the living room of our landlord… :-)

  
  

• 16. July 1945

  Posted: October 8, 2009, 6:05 am by jke

  64 years, 2 months and 19 days after my father’s family was evicted from the ground floor of this building in Liberec, Czech Republic under a Russian influence, I took a chance and paid a visit to the house, the city and the (beautiful) surroundings. It now accommodates a Kindergarten and still has the same green colour it obtained when it was built in 1938.

  My aunt informed me the other day that my grandfather had plans of buying this house, but later on dismissed them as he got transfered to another place & the war came in-between, but still – isn’t it interesting to know where your ancestors lived before and what they did for a living?

  The irony and my reason for blogging this is: you can travel the world and fall in love with many places, but in the end you become engaged to someone whose family actually hails from the same small town that your family is from. Both their houses where just 400m away.

  64 years, 2 months and 19 days later on, it’s just an ironic little detail that deserves a blogpost, I think.

  
  

• Waiting for the E72…

  Posted: October 1, 2009, 4:15 am by jke

  I am waiting for the Nokia E72 (phone) since it was first mentioned about a year ago (!) and then officially announced in June (July?) this year. It’s a successor to the very popular Nokia E71 which I had reviewed back then and features a nifty 5mpx cmos camera and a keyboard similar to the one currently found on the Nokia E63.

  One of the best ways for staying up-to-date on product launches is Twitter Search. I’m scanning Twitter for E72 related news for quite some time now and I can tell you that many ppl are desperately waiting for the E72 to hit the market. I heard it will be October 6th or 12th…

  The Nokia E63 itself is a very nice phone – I actually prefer its keyboard over to the initial E71 and so I am really glad that the E72 will not only have such a similar keyboard, but also come with a camera that will be able to compete with the really decent 5mpx cam on my Nokia N95.

  My N95 is 27 months old now and – compared to other phones I’ve owned in the past – a bit worn out. The other day I also dropped it on the floor and it fortunately still does the job, only a few scratches on the (exchangable) cover. Back then I urgently wanted to get my hands on the N95, only to quickly realize that it has a “prototype” design and comes with other flaws I’ve mentioned on this blog in the past. Another problem with buying brandnew phones is that a stable firmware (~ the operating system on the phone) will probably only be released after a year. This isn’t a Nokia-only problem though, others like Apple have experienced similar issues.

  The interesting part on this next purchase will be the question if I should get it like my N95 – with a 24month contract and a subsidized phone – or directly buy it without a contract and paying the full price.

  The pre-order price for the phone currently is around EUR 360 and I am expecting this to change over the next coming weeks. Also, I think the current trend is that less phones are being subsidized these days and that mobile network operators and their resellers started leasing out phones, so you end up paying a hefty monthly fee + ~ EUR 15 for the phone. You’ll still find many customers asking for “a free phone” from their operator every two years (the way it has been in the past), but it is actually cheaper to get a prepaid card & buy the phone (unless of course you’re on a flat fee contract and using the phone a lot). I don’t call that much, but often check my mail via the phone, so “cheap internet access” is my main issue. I also like the browser on the iPhone, but then: I guess I am too stupid for Apple’s Monoculture and Operating System. The iPhone may have a great browser (the greatest?), but a non-removable battery, a lousy camera and no taskmanager (or is there?) are a no-go for me. Plus it is still too expensive in Europe.

  I really can’t wait to get my hands on my own Nokia E72 because it will eventually enable me to return to the monoblock design. The 2-way sliders on the N95 are *interesting* but absolutely useless and it’s about time for me to upgrade from a T9 keypad to a full QWERTY (QWERTZ) keyboard.

  The 2 best reviews so far are the one by Antoine of AllAboutSymbian AllAboutNokia (part 1,2,3,4,5 and his verdict) and Eldar’s piece on Mobile Review. These two reviews are also reason enough why I just want to own the phone and won’t do a review on it once it’s here.. :-)

  OH, and it HAS A FLASHLIGHT!

  
  

• voter turnout

  Posted: September 28, 2009, 12:01 am by jke

  Turnout of voters during the recent elections in Germany. (source)

  Map of Federal German States in 1957. Blue = West, Red = East
  (source)

  Harambee, harambee, tuimbe pamoja… yeah, right. WTF.

  [via]

  
  

• on knife sharpening

  Posted: September 24, 2009, 3:44 am by jke

  I assume that about 99% of all knives and pangas sold in Kenya are Made in China. The remaining 1% are probably imported kitchen knives and/or multitools from the US and Europe.

  Everyone who owns a knife probably knows that a dull/blunt knife is almost useless, so there’s a knife sharpening service available in most places like this one we’ve featured over at AfriGadget some time ago.

  I also bought one of these rotating grinding stones from Uchumi (ex-supermarket chain in Kenya) many years ago (for Kshs. 265/=, actually) and have also been tempted to get one of these huge sharpening stones / hones for kitchen knives which also sold for something like 70 bob back in the days (they are much more expensive in Europe, btw – even though they are all Made in China). Sharpening a panga (machete) with a rotating grinding stone is “ok” – for kitchen knives the flat grinding stone (~ hone) is the better (and often only) alternative as you want to keep the angle of the edge.

  This edge angle actually is the most important part on a knife, I think, at least when it comes to its sharpness.

  Cheap and lazy as I am, I have in the past only used sharpening stones and other – cheap – sharpening tools that MAY work for the ordinary kitchen knife, but should NEVER be used on a hunting knife, or – in my case – a multitool.

  
  Arkansas oil-stone

  Just in case you didn’t know: the sharpening process itself is a peculiar task on which you’ll find various – dedicated – websites and forums that solely talk about how to best sharpen a knife. As far as I know, using a sharpening stone (with water or oil, sometimes also some polishing paste) is the best way to sharpen a knife. This, however, requires some basic knowledge on steel, how knives are usually made, what kind of steel was used on your knife and how this steel will behave under higher temperatures. Those Japanese kitchen knives (we have one at home from back in the days) for example are very sensitive to higher temperatures above ~ 160°C (of course, again, depending on the steel mixture it is made of), so you absolutely have to make sure the hone is cooled down and soaked in water anyways. The majority of all other knives in our kitchen are Made in Germany, which means they are not as sensitive as the Japanese kitchen knives and also keep their sharpness to some extent. They aren’t as cheaply made as the ones from China as I am yet to see a decent knife from China. My sister actually gave me a set of 5 really good kitchen knives from Zwilling, Germany, as a present during last christmas, and I have to admit that cooking really is a joy with these new knives. Good tools are a blessing!

  As mentioned, I am a Multitool guy. I have four Leatherman multitools (the Wave I, Wave II, Charge TTi and a small Squirt P4). You won’t buy these tools for their knives because, well, the steel used on their blades isn’t that great (except for the Charge TTi which comes with an S30V blade).

  The blade on my Wave II lasted about four years until it became too dull. Stupid and unknowing as I am, I of course only tried the usual tools (Victorinox Sharpening Pen = horrible, knife sharpener from the kitchen, Arkansas sharpening stone) – thereby killing the edge angle on the knife.

  Left with an unability to really sharpen my multitool to a decent level, I brought it to a “professional” shop – a very popular gun & knives shop in Frankfurt downtown. For some unknown reasons, these jerks completely fucked it up, killing the edge angle even more and returning a somehow sharp knife that looked like being sharpened on a high speed sharpening wheel. That’s exactly what I had tried to avoid on my Multitool, so I backed off and told myself: Argh….maybe next time. This was half a year ago.

  Ok, so I may be too German on this, but there’s this moment when things just have to be perfect. You either do it right or never. So I ended up buying this GATCO Edgemate Professional Knife Sharpening System for a hefty EUR 47.95 today any idiot like me can use to regain the much needed edge angle on a blade. The guiding rods attached to the hones are inserted into the holes on the clamp and will then glide over the edge at a constant angle. Sounds too complicated? Here’s a video on it…

  And you know what? These four different hones on a guidance rod just work and allow you to set an edge angle of 11°, 15°, 19°, 22°, 25° and 30°. There also is a fifth rod for serrated knives – my multitool also has a serrated blade. I’ve been able to restore the angle on my multitool and also sharpened a really dull kitchen knife with great success. I understand that this set isn’t meant to deliver razor blade sharpness (which would probably require another hone with even finer grit and/or paste and some leather) but for everything else – and especially for hunting knives – this set is the best idiot-proof choice. Something like EUR 50 are a lot of money just for sharpening a knife, but I believe that it is well invested money that will enable me to enjoy sharp knives and send all other useless sharpening devices into early retirement.

  The blade on my Wave II during the sharpening process. The – still rough – 25° edge angle is already visible (all pics taken with a Nokia N95, btw).

  UPDATE: I just received a call by the main Leatherman dealer/importer in Germany who asked about the knife on my Wave II and offered a free sharpening. Amazing! Told them I’d be glad to accept this offer and will send in mine asap the become blunt again.

  
  

• #youknowyourKenyan

  Posted: September 8, 2009, 3:52 pm by jke

  A Twitter meme, started by Alen Wekesa (@iAlen), a Kenyan resident in Tanzania, on how to know you’RE Kenyan.

  In chronolocigal order, just because some of them are so true. Incomplete, mixed-up list as of 08. September, lunch time, RTs (re-tweets) not included. Enjoy + pls feel to add some more, either via a comment or via Twitter.

  • @zionafrika #youknowyourKenyan when you arrest all youngest with dread locks for the clam that they are mungiki member
  • @jke #youknowyourKenyan When a conversation with another Kenyan goes like this: “Ah, so you’re from Kenya? Where from?”
  • @jke #youknowyourKenyan in the diaspora when your folks in Nbo only call you to ask for kitu kidogo or for that *urgent* Paypal transaction
  • @Udisco #youknowyourkenyan when you call every City/Town Council “Kanjo”…
  • @jamesmurua #youknowyourkenyan When your roadside maindi dealer doesn’t have pili pili and you raise a hissy fit.
  • @bytebandit #youknowyourKenyan when you meet a childhood playmate who had one of those nicknames e.g. toi, boi, mdogo etc
  • @mkaigwa #youknowyourkenyan when you call your daughter “Mum” and your son “Daddy” #buthowwouldiknowidonthavekids?
  • @majiwater #youknowyourkenyan when customer serivce agents always have an excuse and blatantly deny responsibility for not delivering service.
  • @tchenya #youknowyourkenyan when All children have annoying nicknames. (bebi, toi, boi, kadogo, nyako, dadie, toto, kanono, twig)
  • @tchenya #youknowyourkenyan when u don’t have genuine containers or utensils, you only use margarine, ice-cream Blue band, Kasuku, Kimbo
  • @africafeed #youknowyourkenyan If @coldtusker and @Kahenya accuse you of corruption.
  • @majiwater #youknowyourkenyan when ‘no’ or ‘I dont know’ dont exist in your vocab. You always have an idea or always an expert.
  • @majiwater #youknowyourkenyan when recycled and repackaged ‘visions’ and ‘dev plans’ since independence still give you hope of a brighter future
  • @mountainous @youknowyourkenyan when you belive that voting for the same clowns every year because they have defected to a new party will change anything
  • @mountainous #youknowyourkenyan when you blame TV for corrupting the morals of Todays Children yet you let them watch what they want.
  • @paulakahumbu #youknowyourkenyan when you laugh at how bad things have gotten here… sad sad sad
  • @Kizee_Brian #youknowyouarekenyan if traffic lights are just a suggestion and you do what you want anyway #youknowyourkenyan
  • @tchenya @mountainous #youknowyourkenyan when youTotally agree with the wrong grammar #wearekenyan off course
  • @paulakahumbu #youknowyourkenyan when your politicians say “dont worry El nino will solve the drought problem” – praying 4 one disaster to solve another!
  • @Mkaigwa #youknowyourkenyan When you don’t remove the plastic cover from your remote, your car seats or your new mobile phone!!!
  • @mkaigwa #youknowyourkenyan When you don’t remove the plastic cover from your remote, your car seats or your new mobile phone!!!
  • @mkaigwa @paulakahumbu Hilarious! What about the fellas and ladies on Facebook using pictures of celebs (and having no other pics) #youknowyourkenyan
  • @mkaigwa #youknowyourkenyan when you want to say what another Kenyan wanted to say first @Tchenya I was just about to tweet that. #iknowImkenyan
  • @mountainous #Youknowyourkenyan when the only time you visited the game park was during a school trip (Sad!)
  • @paulakahumbu #youknowyourkenyan when you miss every deadline – Africa time is… ouch!
  • @paulakahumbu #youknowyourkenyan when you use a cute chick avatar on twitter and you’re a guy! Cheap stunt to get followers!
  • @tchenya #youknowyourkenyan when your follow #youknowyourkenyan instead of #youknowyouarekenyan
  • @tchenya #youknowyourkenyan when your radio station reads news from your daily newspaper and you still have to listen to news.
  • @mountainous #youknowyourkenyan if you are still waiting for the ‘Serikali’ to ‘give’ you a job! <== Kwani its an entitlement, look for it.
  • @mountainous #youknowyourkenyan when you complain about everything, power, roads, water, school, food, etc and do nothing!
  • @tchenya #youknowyourkenyan when you read #youknowyourkenyan tweets to understand who you really are
  • @jke #youknowyourKenyan when you are still waiting for Nyayo Car.
  • @mountainous #youknowyourkenyan when you insist on negotiating every purchase!
  • @inteligensia #youknowyourkenyan when you write tweets long enough that they continue next line (via @TChenya)
  • @tchenya #youknowyourkenyan when you use twitter instead of woofer.com
  • @tchenya #youknowyourkenyan when you write tweets long enough that they continue next line
  • @mountainous @youknowyourKenyan when you ask for a WARM BEER! This has been pointed out so many times by foreigners.
  • @paulakahumbu #youknowyourkenyan because nobody has a landline anymore
  • @paulakahumbu #youknowyourkenyan when your power is off 3 days a week and they double your bill , and you don’t say anything.
  • @careyeaton #youknowyourkenyan when you don’t question the publication of prices of sacks of vegetables in the newspaper.
  • @paulakahumbu #youknowyourkenyan when power company bills u wrongly by 20,000 & says pay & we’ll resolve the problem – or we’ll disconnect u immediately
  • @careyeaton #youknowyourkenyan when you tell foreigners that ugali is cuisine.
  • @mountainous #youknowyourkenyan when you must have a #HARAMBEE for everything! Amen!
  • @mountainous #youknowyourkenyan when you must have a #HARAMBEE for everything!
  • @Akarumba #youknowyourkenyan when your MP says ‘I dont earn a 6 figure salary, I only make 800,000!! – Unbelievable!
  • @careyeaton #youknowyourkenyan when the only thing you know what to do when you drive up to a gate is hoot
  • @inteligensia #youknowyourkenyan When you tell ignorant peeps that r runners keep fit by running to school, running from lions (via @paulakahumbu)
  • @mountainous #youknowyourkenyan when you groove to gospel tracks at the disco
  • @mountainous #youknowyourkenyan when you have worn a pair of safari boots
  • @Akarumba #youknowyourkenyan when your MP says ‘I dont earn a 6 figure salary, I only make 800,000!!
  • @paulakahumbu #youknowyourkenyan when a hole in your ear works like a “KWS smart card” – know what I mean? Free park entry 4 life!
  • @paulakahumbu #youknowyourkenyan when you actually take that 500/- before entering the poll booth…and then vote for the idiot!
  • @paulakahumbu #youknowyourkenyan when you proudly wear shorts, long socks safari boots and say “I’m from Keeeeenya”
  • @paulakahumbu #youknowyourkenyan When you tell ignorant peeps that r runners keep fit by running to school, running from lions – I do it all the time :)
  • @paulakahumbu #youknowyourkenyan coz billions r made by foreigners fm biopropsecting and none of it comes home – stonewash story
  • @RookieKE #youknowyourkenyan when your mother’s sitting room has all your graduation potraits,and she wants more.
  • @paulakahumbu #youknowyourkenyan when you pay a processing fee then fly to Nigeria to collect your “winnings” in an online lotto scam – WTF?
  • @inteligensia #youknowyourkenyan because our politiians s think ‘blog’ is a rude word (via @paulakahumbu)
  • @VIKKISECRETROXS #youknowyourkenyan when you’re disapointed at the “chai” lattes at Starbucks and you wanna go home everytime you think of REAL tea
  • @VIKKISECRETROXS #youknowyourkenyan when Obama being president is a reason to drink
  • @MosesKoinange #youknowyourkenyan when you drink on the beach and feel NOTHING hahahaa
  • @paulakahumbu #youknowyourkenyan when you can’t work without a steaming cup of tea at your side
  • @paulakahumbu #youknowyourkenyan because our politiians s think ‘blog’ is a rude word
  • @paulakahumbu #youknowyourkenyan when u shake ur fists at pedestrians as ur matatu overtakes traffic by hurtling down pedestrian paths on major highways
  • @paulakahumbu #youknowyourkenyan when you put 5 teaspoons of sugar in each of your ten cups of tea – then wonder why u got diabetes
  • @mountainous #youknowyourKenyan when you start reading the newspaper with sports, then stars, then cartoons………
  • @paulakahumbu #youknowyourkenyan when the boss of your online company talks about the ‘interweb’ in a fund raising meeting – ouch!
  • @davdalx #youknowyourkenyan when you say your instead of you’re, but still follow the trend
  • @bytebandit #youknowyourKenyan when you say “imbox” while referring to “inbox”
  • @gishungwa #youknowyourKenyan if you bargain everything including bus fare
  • @bytebandit #youknowyourKenyan when you see a commuter taxi aka mathree conductor hanging precariously on the door.
  • @mountainous #youknowyourKenyan when you have peculiar calling habits eg jamming the network promptly at 5PM every Friday
  • @paulakahumbu #youknowyourKenyan when you get used to washing in a bucket
  • @paulakahumbu #youknowyourKenyan when the presidential escort rounds roundabout wrong way crashes into matatu beats up driver 4 risking presidents life
  • @paulakahumbu #youknowyourKenyan when you realize your convent school classmates are involved in corruption scandals – gr8 education!
  • @paulakahumbu #youknowyourKenyan when peeps greet you with their twitter names in public – “Hi I’m miss Wretched” @misswretched gr8!
  • @paulakahumbu #youknowyourKenyan when most of ur tweeps greet u in the morning n ask if you slept well :-)
  • @natekev #youknowyourKenyan when international artistes fail to show up in ur country days to their concert
  • @dnyaga #youknowyourKenyan when you speak #swanglish (Me i kulad, i somad, … , then i lalaad!) (via @mtotowajirani @kenyanpundit @intelligensia)
  • @bytebandit #youknowyourKenyan if you get an adrenalin rush and dance like whoa!! when the DJ hits a gospel track in the club.
  • @bytebandit #youknowyourKenyan when someone says “crips” instead of “crisps”
  • @Wyndago #youknowyourkenyan when you utter half a word in the middle of a sentence just to complete it ‘..then he ca..? He came’
  • @inteligensia:#youknowyourKenyan when you speak #swanglish (Me i kulad, i somad, i twittered, then i lalaad!) (via @mtotowajirani)
  • @kairitu #youknowyourkenyan when some random mamaz show up at your house and tell the mboch “tumetumwa na mwenye nyumba tuchukue gas,fridge….etc”
  • @mountainous #youknowyourkenyan when you sin all week long and expect that going to Church, listening to Christian music on Sunday will erase it all
  • @gitts #youknowyourkenyan when you buy a Toyota yet you wanted a Subaru
  • @gitts #youknowyourkenyan when the car in front of you is a Toyota
  • @kairitu #youknowyourkenyan when you cant wait for mayoral elections to happen coz most definately cityhall watauana
  • @AkelLove #youknowyourkenyan when you’ll take anything that’s free.
  • @AkelLove #youknowyourkenyan when your president is senile.
  • @gitts #youknowyourKenyan when you pronounce heart, hat, hurt and hut the same way
  • @kairitu #youknowyourkenyan when the goverment announces an emergency vaccination then the parents go like “they want to make our kids sterile”
  • @gitts #youknowyourKenyan when you have a VHS tape of Sarafina in your digs
  • @gitts #youknowyourKenyan when you are surprised that the road doesn’t have any potholes
  • @gitts #youknowyourKenyan when telling a story you say half aword and wait for it to be completed
  • @gitts #youknowyourKenyan when you have a dog called simba and mbwa kali sign on your gate
  • @gitts #youknowyourKenyan when you pronounce Milo me-lo instead of my-lo
  • @gitts #youknowyourKenyan when every time you alight from public transport you have to check your pockets
  • @inteligensia #youknowyourKenyan when your neighbours kids are called ocampo, obama and bolt! (via @mtotowajirani)
  • @magaribina Si #youknowyourKenyan when you somehow manage to turn every third sentence into a question, yeah ?
  • @magaribina #youknowyourKenyan if you measure distance by shillings ( si mbali – ni thirty bob tu)
  • @MosesKoinange #youknowyourKenyan when someone shows up 2 hours late and says ‘don’t worry, it’s African time” (time to kill them!)
  • @mountainous #youknowyourkenyan when the whole village (including the chief) come for your graduation ceremony and insist on decorating you with Tinsel!
  • @mountainous #youknowyourkenyan when christmas lunch or any party isn’t complete without Chapatis
  • @mountainous #youknowyourkenyan when you expect “Serikali” to do everything for you, feed, educate, cloth, employ, treat. Heck even pay your Dowry!
  • @mountainous #youknowyourkenyan whenever you asked by a TV reporter about any calamity/problem you respond starting with “Serikali inapaswa kusaidia…..
  • @wilfylou #youknowyourkenyan when you say excusssss instead of excuse me.
  • @mountainous #youknowyourkenyan when you ask for a salary advance the week after payday!
  • @mountainous #youknowyourkenyan when your ultimate concept of going out is Nyamachoma in a dingy joint while grooving to Mugithi/Benga/lingala
  • @mountainous #youknowyourkenyan when you think only people from Central love money, We ALL love money!!!!!
  • @mountainous #youknowyourkenyan when you actually believe HIV/AIDS only infects unmarried/loose/poor/uneducated people
  • @mountainous #youknowyourkenyan when you insist on staying on the more expensive, unreliable, congested cellphone network
  • @egm_photo #youknowyourKenyan if you complain about the dirty condition of the streets/roads, yet you toss stuff out of your car window free style!
  • @iAlen #youknowyourKenyan when you send a hot chick credit and she flashes you back to just say thanks!
  • @iAlen #youknowyourKenyan when you can’t get your grammar right even in the hash-tag @paulakahumba
  • @mountainous #youknowyourKenyan when you stop the matatu infront of your gate then spend all day bitching about how Matatu are causing jam
  • @mountainous #youknowyourKenyan when you wait till the last minute to do your back to school/christmas/household shopping
  • @mountainous #youknowyourKenyan when you flash someone and when he @ she calls back you only say you wanted to say Hi!!!!
  • @mountainous #youknowyourKenyan when you call someone just to ask ‘uko wap?’
  • @iAlen #youknowyourKenyan when someone insists there only one First family and Wambui et al know otherwise…..
  • @iAlen #youknowyourKenyan when you call State House and the person on the other end goes, “You want a srap?” lol
  • @bnalyanya #youknowyourKenyan when you can’t get your grammar right even in the hash-tag
  • @iAlen #youknowyourkenyan when on Sunday Kibaki didnt go to kabarak for sunday service!
  • @iAlen #youknowyourkenyan in Tanzania having a Tusker and its just tastes like crap!
  • @iAlen #youknowyourkenyan when your in Tanzania and wabongo are speaking in Swa!
  • @Shiko_Msa @iAlen @paulakahumbu @crystalsimeoni when peeps queue at express counter with trolleyfulls #supermarkets #youknowyourkenyan. @toneendungu
  • @iAlen @Shiko_Msa @crystalsimeoni @Mwirigi #youknowyourKenyan when there’s no news on the news (its the same old same old) haha
  • @iAlen @Shiko_Msa @paulakahumbu @crystalsimeoni RT #youknowyourKenyan when goodbye’s end in “nice time”…uh…yeah you too…
  • @Mwirigi #youknowyourKenyan when there’s no news on the news (its the same old same old)
  • @crystalsimeoni #youknowyourKenyan when goodbye’s end in “nice time”…uh…yeah you too…
  • @iAlen @paulakahumbu #youknowyourKenyan when you say “Hello” and he answers “fine” …what the hell do you say next? hahahahahahahahaha
  • @iAlen @kainvestor@Shiko_Msa @paulakahumbu RT #youknowyourKenyan when someone calls you and says “who am I speaking to?” hahaha
  • @paulakahumbu #youknowyourKenyan when you get back from holiday and your manager says “your back from China?”
  • @iAlen #youknowyourKenyan when you’re next door neighbour is a Mungiki adherant and you cant report it to the authorities
  • @paulakahumbu #youknowyourKenyan when someone calls you and says “who am I speaking to?”
  • @iAlen #youknowyourKenyan when you start negotiating for you wallet from the pickpocket on a mathree
  • @paulakahumbu #youknowyourKenyan when being able to say “I’ve never given a bribe” is something worth getting a prize for
  • @iAlen #youknowyourKenyan when you steal from public coffers and get reappointed Minister
  • @paulakahumbu #youknowyourKenyan when you say “Hello” and he answers “fine” …what the hell do you say next?
  • @iAlen @queenkenya562 @MosesKoinange @paulakahumbu #youknowyourKenyan when you call a parastatal and the receptionist goes, “kunatia?”
  • @paulakahumbu @Shiko_Msa nice one …and #youknowyourKenyan when she says “Imagine” in response to every statement
  • @iAlen #youknowyourKenyan when you call a parastatal and the receptionist goes, “kunatia?”
  • @Shiko_Msa @paulakahumbu when the word ‘otherwise’ is a greeting #youknowyourkenyan?
  • @paulakahumbu #youknowyourKenyan when police refuse your offer of pie in a bag in response to “can u give us something for lunch” – I did that :) ha ha
  • @paulakahumbu #youknowyourKenyan when police get into ur car 2 get 2 next police check then offer u KSh 200 for fuel – 4 hours later!
  • @paulakahumbu @ialen #youknowyourKenyan when the radio DJ tells a crying woman who called in to stay with her brutal husband for the sake of the kids :(
  • @paulakahumbu #youknowyourKenyan when the breakdown service truck is being towed – I saw that today!
  • @paulakahumbu #youknowyourKenyan when the traffic police are push starting their car
  • @paulakahumbu #youknowyourKenyan when u turn on radio and they r playing Roger Whittaker – we must b the only people on the planet who listen to that crap
  • @iAlen @paulakahumbu #youknowyourKenyan when you get “leave a message” when you dial 911 lolest @moseskoinange @ialen @kainvestor
  • @paulakahumbu #youknowyourKenyan when they give you anti malaria pills for a headache
  • @paulakahumbu #youknowyourKenyan when you get “number out of service” when you dial 911 or KWS hotline for that matter
  • @paulakahumbu #youknowyourKenyan when you get “leave a message” when you dial 911
  • @paulakahumbu #youknowyourKenyan when you tell the guy who jumped the q to go back to the end and he says “do you know who I am?”
  • @paulakahumbu @moseskoinange @ialen @kainvestor #youknowyourKenyan when ur warned “uta lala ndani” for worn tyres
  • @iAlen #youknowyourKenyan when Michuki rattles at you and you cant do anything about it!
  • @iAlen #youknowyourKenyan when half of the MP’s in the house have past criminal convictions! ouch!
  • @iAlen #youknowyourKenyan when 17 screaming cars 42 bikes with flashing lights pull traffic off road 2 let Rais attend to a golf lunch on a Monday
  • @wayneryner #youknowyourKenyan when you rape, steal n kill and expect your kids to love n respect you
  • @paulakahumbu #youknowyourKenyan when 17 screaming cars 42 bikes with flashing lights pull traffic off road 2 let Rais attend to a golf lunch on a Monday
  • @iAlen #youknowyourKenyan when F 2 is beckoning at midnight
  • @iAlen #youknowyourKenyan when your listening to Genge!
  • @iAlen #youknowyourKenyan when Kenyans dont know about twitter Trending Topics and cant contribute…..hah
  • @iAlen #youknowyourKenyan when karaos on night patrol arrest you and ask for your grandfathers ID….
  • @iAlen #youknowyourKenyan when Museveni attacks Migingo and Kibaki is comfortably sleeping and doing nothing about it
  • @iAlen #youknowyourKenyan when the First Lady goes srapping journalists at mid night….i wirr srapp you
  • @iAlen #youknowyourKenyan when you are enjoying succulent nyama choma at Dagoretti Corner or Olepolos….yummy
  • @iAlen #youknowyourKenyan when you hear your President saying Kubaff in public…lol

  Know of any other reasons that fit into this meme? Go ahead and comment or participate by adding a “#youknowyourKenyan” to your Tweet!

  (Twitter logo based on the wonderful work of Gopal – thx!)

  
  

• How do you say FRESH in Kiswahili?

  Posted: September 6, 2009, 6:41 am by jke

  CARAVAN RECORDS presents – Mzungu Kichaa ft Professor Jay and Mwasiti

  [via]

  
  

• 3x 3G modems

  Posted: September 1, 2009, 5:39 am by jke

  I recently bought a new notebook (HP 6930p) and made sure it also comes with extra antennas (next to the WLAN antennas on top of the display) so that I could install a Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN, pictured below) adapter which I had to buy separately.

  
  HP un2400 wwan adapter on the HP 6930p

  The good part about this wwan adapter – an HP un2400, also known as Qualcomm Gobi 1000 – is that it supports different frequency bands so it can work in many different parts of the world. This, however, and maybe that it is hidden under a cover inside this computer so you don’t have to carry extra gadgets, is the only good part about this modem.

  My other computer is a netbook which also has a wwan modem – an Asus eeePC 1000HG. Just slip in your SIM card (underneath the battery), boot into WindowsXP or Ubuntu and you’re ready to go online, simple as that.

  
  HUAWEI EM770 Mobile Broadband modem on the eeePC 1000HG

  The HP un2400 modem on my HP notebook, though, will ONLY work when the (main) battery is inserted. HP names “carrier certifications” as the reasons for this requirement as:

  • This prevents SIM fraud
  • This prevents any possible corruption if the SIM is removed while the notebook PC powers on

  Yeah…right.

  Just to remind you: the 3g modem on my Asus eeePC will work either way – whether the battery is inserted or not, it just works.

  And then there’s this thing called “Firmware” – which also is a very peculiar process on the HP modem. Whereas most gadgets will normally come with their own (preloaded) Firmware (which may or may not be updated by end users), this Qualcomm Gobi modem requires an initial load of the firmware prior to its use (HP’s Connection Manager will take care of this under Windows XP). Once you restart your computer, you will have to reload the firmware. The only possible reason for this – to my understanding – is that it enables the modem to adjust to different wwan environments. But that’s about it. Needless to mention that you won’t find any drivers for this device for Win7, and I’ve only come across a few users who managed to get this device working under Ubuntu after lots of fiddling.

  And again, no problems with my netbook & its Huawei EM770 3g modem. Real plug & play, regardless of the operating system.

  “So where’s the problem?”, you may ask, “aren’t laptops/notebooks and netbooks designed to be run from battery power anyways?” – Well, yes, BUT! I always remove the battery on my notebook when I’m about to connect it to a stable power supply for a longer period. Like when I plug it into the docking station at home, I always remove the battery. I do this to save it from being constantly charged. It’s a precaution that helps me keeping the battery at ~90% initial charging capacity after three years usage (as seen on my old HP nx8220 notebook). It’s a proven method that worked for me and saved me from spending another EUR 80,- on a spare battery.

  And the worst part about this wwan adapter is that HP locked the BIOS to _ONLY_ use these modems. It wouldn’t be possible to use the 3G modem from the eeePC on the HP notebook.

  Now, this is the part where I actually want to talk about alternatives to these internal solutions, which are often still considered to be the optimal solution. As described above, it’s a not-so-perfect solution for those who want to use other operating systems then Windows XP and/or Vista. It’s an epic fail that HP still needs to realize. And epic fail on all of their “EliteBooks” as HP calls this series (HP 2530p, 6930p, 8530p).

  The eeePC I have is also available without such a 3g modem – the price difference used to be EUR 100,- less. People (not me, I got it cheaper :-) actually paid this difference in order to get a netbook with an internal 3g modem. As for the eeePC, the price difference is (was) justified as you had to cough up about the same amount for an external modem some time ago.

  However, now, in September 2009, things are a bit different. Be it Germany or Kenya, you’re actually able to get an external USB-based 3g modem for something like EUR 20,- to 30,- – which is a decent price, I’d say. Sure, you could even get it for less (in Germany) if you go for a 24month contract with a network provider but I am only talking about prepaid solutions here.

  
  the popular Huawei E169

  And these USB sticks are the very reason for blogging all this. I think that these external 3g modems are still the best solution for the following reasons:

  • they are supported by different operating systems & often well documented on the internet
  • they often come with their own software so you won’t have to worry about that part
  • power consumption on these devices is moderate, also because they are easier to remove (and wouldn’t require a software switch on the OS) – just unplug them
  • some of these sticks come with an extra socket for an external (UMTS) antenna
  • some of these sticks come with an extra flash memory capacity
  • they are relatively cheap these days
  • they can be used on more than one computer – just unplug them and hand them over to your friends (provided you have an unlimited data plan)

  The disadvantage of course is that you’d have an extra device at the side of your notebook which blocks one of the often limited USB ports.

  In the past I’ve also used thethering my Nokia phone to the computer and using its 3G capabilities to surf the net; and on my old & beloved (and now sold) HP nx8220 notebook I had used a PCMCIA (PC-Card) version of these 3G modems which I blogged about earlier. The PCMCIA version worked fine, albeit the PCMCIA port being known for quickly draining the battery (which also became obvious as it heated up pretty quickly). My new HP notebook has an ExpressCard slot, so this could also be an alternative if USB ports are really limited and already used for other devices.

  To be honest, with this limitation of the internal 3G modem on my HP 6930p to Windows XP & Vista (and probably also Win7 one day), I’d probably go for another machine in future. I actually don’t know about the 3G modems on a Dell E6400 or Lenovo T400(s) – all of them seem to come with a Gobi device these days -, but I hope they aren’t as crippled as this Qualcomm Gobi? HP uses on their EliteBooks.? And signal strength (RX/TX ratio) actually isn’t so much better with the internal antennas which have to compete with the WLAN antennas for the limited space above the display. However, I understand that it isn’t the modem which sucks (some websites claim it even comes with an internal GPS chip?!) but rather HP’s policy which prevents us from using alternative operating systems and even locks the system down to this device only.

  And with my policy of drawing a clear line between user data and the operating system + hardware, the external USB modem is just so much more convenient. It’s a plug & play device that adds modularity & flexibility to the system.

  
  

• FarmVille ni…

  Posted: August 25, 2009, 4:11 am by jke

  Story by KBW correspondent
  Publication date: Aug 25th, 2009

  FarmVille is a new Kenyan game on Facebook where you can grab land, excel in overgrazing farmland and overstocking sheep & cattle, buy luxurious decorations and spend the rest of the time idling with a sundowner in your hand.

  A report by the KenyaTimes recently revealed that most employees in Nairobi CBD are spending their lunch break in front of computers, playing FarmVille. FarmVille is said to have 9 million users worldwide, a quarter of Kenya’s current population.

  A personal computer, commonly referred to as an IBM-compatible device, is a machine often see in offices, hidden under a dust cover. The first personal computer was brought to Kenya by an US-American bible translator family in 1979.

  One employee of Kenya Paraffin, Lanterns and Candles (KPLC) who wants to remain anonymous, told us that Kenya currently experiences a power rationing program due to an excessive use of Facebook.

  Facebook is a very successful website on the internet (mtandao wa intaneti), often used as a dating site and for subversive political and digital activism. The website includes a microblogging service called “status update” which has recently substituted the blooming Kenyan blogosphere.

  Another popular microblogging service called “Twitter” (ndege kelele) has meanwhile been condemned by the Government Spokesperson Dr. Alfred E. Neuman who said that “it can not send SMS” to him. In a related matter, Dr. Alfred recently anounced that those without telephone network should sms him directly so that he can forward the matter to the relevant ministry in charge of terrorcommunications.

  A delegation of Kenyan MPs, who is currently touring the United States, recently wrote a letter to the Office of the President, asking for a national holiday to celebrate FarmVille Day. This, as they explained in their open letter, will also help those urban citizens who have in the past failed to secure their own upcountry shamba due to lack of funds and competition in their extended family networks.

  A group of young Kenyan writers also published an open letter, claiming that FarmVille actually comes from the United States of America and was introduced to Kenyans by visiting UN interns and PeaceCorps youth who used their daily allowances to access the internet from remote villages. This, as they claim, is “clearly evident as there is no mobile version of FarmVille”.

  A group of talented programmers from JKUAT is meanwhile working on a mobile version of FarmVille. The project is financed by Sufericom.

  In other news, a Mr. Kamau from Muranga’a was today injured in a battle with Mr. Ezekiel Oluoch, an official from the National Bureau of Statistics who had approached Mr. Kamau for Kenya’s fifth national census. In a heated debate, Mr. Kamau refused to state the actual number of his lifestock.

  The fifth Kenya National Census is an inititiative by the GoK to allocate farm land on FarmVille according to family size and fixed assets. In an unexpected move, the World Bank and outgoing ambassadors recently called for a country wide introduction of FarmVille so that no Kenyan will have to suffer from malnutrition in future.

  
  

• It’s our turn to read

  Posted: August 20, 2009, 6:54 am by jke

  “It’s Our Turn To Eat: The Story of a Kenyan Whistleblower”, by Michela Wrong, ISBN 978-0-00-724196-5

  After having read this interesting book by Michela Wrong, written in a similar style as “In the Footsteps of Mr. Kurtz: Living on the Brink of Disaster in the Congo” (which I really liked) – I am still confronted with some open, or rather: resulting questions this book has generated.

  And this although the issue itself – the bogus deals by the “Mount Kenya Mafia” – have been debated elsewhere numerous times. I chose so call it “elsewhere”, as Michela Wrong also mentioned the (Kenyan) blogosphere where John Githongo’s seemingly sudden departure from the official job & disclosure of cosa nostra secrets had been ripped apart in the usual manner. I am yet to see a German publication where the German blogosphere is taken into account with so much attention. This, however, may be related to their media and German sceptism which doubts anything that’s not published or confirmed by numerous sources.

  I take it that a lot of readers of my blog with an interest in Kenyan affairs also read, or at least read about this book, and have their own opinion of it.

  Another reason for blogging about this – already closed? – chapter of contemporary Kenyan history is that I can somehow relate to the described silver spoon upbringing of JG in a sense that a) discussions and intellectual discourse where part of the family life and b) that our generation – JG is 10 years older than me but I think most of you are just as old as I am (>30) – still enjoyed this limited or filtered view of the world, where everything new was sucked up with great interest for the lack of multiple media resources that would otherwise constantly penetrate your brain with “news”. I actually enjoyed this part the most during childhood – being forced to live in an environment where news would only dribble in, instead of showing up on the web-based RSS feedreader. Why? Because it enables you to take your time for your own development and dreams. I consider this a luxury that I am not taking for granted. Michela also mentioned this part where listening to the BBC World Service (instead of the montonous “HE DT arap Moi today said…” on KBC) was part of the daily habits. And I wouldn’t limit this to a family’s financial status as most Kenyans actually read more newspapers than e.g. Germans.

  Sooo…..my first question is: why was such a book written by a foreign observer? Why not by someone in Kenya or in the diaspora? Because of fears? Or because life is so hard & busy that there’s no time for such excursions? Or is it because of the culture which is so much forward-driven, with a focus on things to come instead of those that already happened?

  After the first 100 pages into the book, I thought it is a bit too Kikuyu-centric, but then, again, I think it’s Tucholsky who once said it is best to view your own country from the outside – and if these stereotypes (she even mentioned the jokes) are what it takes to draw a rough picture of this group for the uninformed world, then so be it.

  Which effect did this publication have on Kenyan society (within and outside of Kenya)? What’s with the role of a whistleblower (anyone still remembers David Munyakei?) in today’s Kenya and what about that anonymous reporting tool introduced @ KACC two years ago? What do you think about JG’s actions (as described via the book)?

  “Kenyans tend to quickly forgive or forget”… in the light of the post-election violence, a corruption scandal may not be that interesting after all.

  I also wondered how Kenyans would feel about this book + the story it tells. The way it was written, the examples used to explain historically-based feelings inside ethnic groups, the readership it was written for… questions that pop-up between the lines, how it feels to read about your own people, friends and known public figures.

  Michela also mentioned the network: “..he became aware of a delicate cobweb of expectations, obligations and duties tying him down” which makes Kenyan politics so interesting to me. It’s like having half of the Kenyan blogosphere / diaspora as friends on Facebook and Twitter, and then publishing opinionated status updates in a Koigi wa Wamwere manner. And, again, comparing Kenya to Germany (which is an on-going mission of this blog, I think), I am yet to see an interesting book on a contemporary German politician. Most of them are just as boring as their political agenda – which is also why Angela Merkel will most likely win the upcoming elections in Germany and remain Chancelorette for the next legislative period. Not because she’s any better or because she’s a woman (only positive reason, it seems), but because she has a network where she remains the queen at the center of the beehive. This is btw the same woman who once refused to meet with Barack Obama and later on licked his boots just because his network is so much more influential then hers.

  You know it’s a bit hypocritical to openly wonder about politics & corruption in an African state when at the same time Europe comes up with dictators leaders such as Silvio Berlusconi in Italy. You can write a book about just another African economy that has been corrupted in the past by the Hippo Generation and a laissez-faire mentality in society, and it will sell quite well. But a book on a corrupt European leader? No. Makes me wonder where our priorities are.

  Another detail or theme that I’ve been wondering about is the change on Kenyan culture. Yes, Kenyan culture. As paradox as it may seem – and I am not talking about books like “How to be a Kenyan” by the late Wahome Mutahi, the national dress once artificially invented by the Nyayo regime (Nyayo car??!) but rather this new Kenya which developed along with Moi’s last years, NARC and the 2002 elections and the spirit it brought to society since then.

  The appreciation of a society for cultural values – their own + shaped style, language, habits, new communication tools – has so often been an indicator to me of how a country actually performs. Please correct me if I am wrong on this, but I think that Kenya has in the past 10 years eventually found its own roots somewhere out there where local stars have become more interesting than foreigners, where the City of Nairobi is actually (& eventually!) regarded as a cosmopolitan place (despite frequent power failures & water shortages) and where there’s much more nationalism to be found these days which is not based on Obama’s Kenyan roots or just another sports athlete. And it’s not that Nairobi has never been that progressive before – only: the speed of growth seemingly increased tremendously, it seems (to me).

  Taking this new Nairobi as an indicator (! – pole for the NGO lingo) for things to come, where do these worlds of the old and new mix up to the bigger picture? When will we see the political change in Kenya the electorate voted for in 2002 and 2007? A new Kenya where power failures are a thing of the past, where broadband internet connections will help the youth stay in rural areas (vs. urbanisation), where water bodies are actually protected and land grabbing reversed for the sake of a growing nation? Where education and proper health care are top priorities?

  Questions which probably won’t be answered any time soon, but I secretly wish that integre characters like John Githongo are now using the time building up their support on the basis. Bottom-up instead of top-down – maybe that’s the new strategy these days – loosely joined forces that have a nation in mind and not their own pocket, where qualifications are more important than cosa nostra networks.

  Politics. I actually decided not to blog about politics anymore since January 2008, and this isn’t even meant to be book review. I’d love to read about your opinion of this book though, and maybe also find some answers to my given questions above and other things I’ve most definitely left out for various reasons. Thx!

  
  

• Estamos en España, part 2

  Posted: August 16, 2009, 3:18 am by jke

  What you see in the picture above is a huge sign-board put up by (the supermarket chain) Mercadona in Cartaya, Spain, directly in front of the exit (”salida”) from their car park. Hmm….looks like a Eurofail to me. Ama?

  A wide variety of Spanish pastries / cookies and mainly different variations of what’s otherwise called a donut. Took this picture in reference to the following from Embu (as seen in this post):

  …because there actually isn’t much difference between the Spanish and Kenyan pastries you’ll get. Both countries have all it takes to produce tasty & different cakes, and the Spanish ones even come in different packagings. But still, most of these cakes just go down with a good tea or coffee because they are too dry. Or they are like those BlueBand “butter” cakes you’ll get for birthdays and weddings that look appealing but all taste the same in the end.

  If I could start again, I’d probably open up a bakery for German cake in Nairobi or start selling Leberkäse to Nairobi commuters.

  As I just can’t remember the correct Spanish names for the different kinds of squids and octopus (cephalopods), I took this snapshot at another local supermarket to remind me of what to order at a Tapas Bar where you’ll get huge plates of fresh fish every evening for a relatively low price.

  As mentioned in my last post, we also spent a day in Portugal as it’s just a ~2h drive away from the place we’re currently staying in Spain.

  40°C on the way back from Portugal.

  Vertical cliffs in Sagres, Portugal.

  I have to admit that I am such a geek that I was equally fascinated by these huge antennas:

  In Sagres we also visited the Fortaleza de Sagres, a national monument from the 15th century:

  It really is a huge fortress but well worth a visit. We later on discovered that the Reggae festival taking place (the same day) in front of the fortress in Sagres actually included 2manyDJs (my fav. mashup DJs from Belgium!).

  So we continued our excursion to the next destination: Cabo de São Vicente …..only to find this German snackbar on the parking lot:

  Anyone in for a German Bratwurst at Cape St. Vincent in Portugal? Me neither.

  The trip to Portugal was very nice and an easy drive with our ugly rental car. Enjoying the luxury of a rental car is just very, very convenient as it enables you to see places you’d probably miss out otherwise. It also enables you to take snapshots like the following I took for my solar friends – showing a solar farm somewhere between Jerez de la Frontera and Seville:

  For the remaining days here in El Rompido, I shall enjoy the following view from the very balcony I am currently sitting on, editing this blog post via a free wireless inet connection here (with pre-Seacom-speeds).

  Huku ni kuzuri…. the hotel room is even bigger than our humble flat in Frankfurt.

  
  

• Estamos en España, part 1

  Posted: August 11, 2009, 2:22 pm by jke

  Einfach mal 9 Tage lang an gar nichts denken, die Sonne auf den vom üppigen Frühstück gut gefüllten Bauch scheinen lassen, nachher mit dem hässlichen, froschgrünen Mietwagen durch die Gegend cruisen und am Abend dann gebratenen Tintenfisch mit frischem Salat und einem kühlen cerveza genießen.

  
  Die Liegen am Pool befinden sich in idealer Handtuchwurfweite vom Balkon.

  9 Tage lang die vielen baulichen Mängel eines solch typisch spanischen Hotels versuchen zu verdrängen (sorry, Technikmensch) und das Netbook trotz relativ guter & kostenloser Inetanbindung (LAN & WiFi, ungesichert) nur für 2h statt 24h auspacken.

  This actually is supposed to be an English blog post – but! you quickly realize how German you actually are, even if it’s just Spain (where there are a lot of Germans). The fancy hotel we’d chosen for our much-awaited holiday (first since 2006) is located close to the Portuguese border, so we actually get two countries for one price plus a rented car which enables us to be mobile and tour the area. Great!

  
  

• HP 6930p & service quality

  Posted: August 5, 2009, 8:29 pm by jke

  ….so I just received my (new) HP 6930p back from repair which I had to send in to JABIL Poland where they were supposed to repair the display lock issue and check why the docking port connector had a problem.

  
  the stuff you do when you receive repaired hardware:
  open it up and double-check for any changes…
  (both microphones weren’t inserted properly!!!)

  HP Warranty Hotline was quite helpful, responded quickly and knew what I was talking about. My notebook comes with a 3yr warranty, so UPS came the other day, picked it up and returned it today. The whole process took 10 days to complete which is ok, I think.

  JABIL replaced the motherboard (good!) and even tried to fix the display lock. The lock is still kinda sensitive to external pressure (opens up by itself as there’s too much mechanical tension on the springs), but at least it is better than before.

  BUT!

  Maybe I am too German to complain about such things, but the service technician with JABIL Poland actually removed the transparent business card holder which is on top of the licence stickers and service tags.

  I had used this BC holder on both my notebooks in the past and am quite upset about this fault. You won’t even have to remove this plastic sheet in order to open up the notebook, so I can only assume that the technicians just didn’t care enough and/or removed it to have less reflections while reading those bar codes with a bar code scanner. And even if so, this is a 2cents piece that should easily be replacable, especially by service technicians.

  So I once again called HP service hotline, informing them about this missing piece and the (very helpful) lady on the other end told me: “Yes, in such cases we normally dispatch a service technician who will come to your house and probably replace the whole bottom cover.” – “So what about these stickers?” – “The technician will use a hot air gun to remove these stickers and put them on the new bottom cover”.

  3h work & someone else even spoiling the remaining stickers on my notebook just because HP is unable to provide such transpartent business card holders as spare parts? No way!

  Case closed.

  Besides, how will he apply those stickers if they are covered by a transparent business card holder sheet on the new bottom – the reason for an exchange? Ati?

  Why can’t they ever handle these items with enough care and return it the way it came? The original plastic bag is also missing. I am really upset about these “technicians” and would like to hit them with the oversized UPS box. There’s nothing worse in the technical world than service technicians who just don’t care enough or hotline staff that’s just as dumb as the fee you’ll have to pay for calling special service hotlines. Fortunately, the ladies from the Hotline were nice and friendly, but their outsourced technicians still suck big times.

  
  

• matching colours

  Posted: August 3, 2009, 4:41 am by jke

  How does this moth know it is actually sitting on a beige surface (here: the inner side of the window blind) that somehow matches its camouflage?

  I think it doesn’t actually know.

  
  

• a harbour cruise in Hamburg

  Posted: July 31, 2009, 7:24 am by jke

  Some impressions from a recent trip to Hamburg – my brother-in-law managed to organise a tour on the Elbe (river) for the whole family with cousins and their spouses & kids. A nice and very exclusive event that once again reminded me how beautiful and interesting the port of Hamburg actually is.

  view on parts of the Alte Speicherstadt

  I’ve lived in Hamburg from 10/1975 till 01/1976 and 07/1983 till 10/1983 so I wouldn’t really call it “my home” even though my passport says something else. Lakini – if “home is where your heart is”, then maybe Hamburg qualifies for being one of those places.

  The area of the HafenCity used to be part of the free trade zone and has now been changed into an area with offices, hotels, shops, official buildings and residential areas. The building on the right is Elbe Philharmonic Hall, a music hall that once used to be an old warehouse. Pretty impressive.

  The top floor of this new building to the right will cost about 8.5 million €.

  8.5 million € that will enable you to have a view on the city like this one:

  So you take a boat like this one…

  …from here…

  ..and start the trip!

  Another view on the Elbe Philarmonic Hall…

  … and the city centre from the port…

  … as well as the new HafenCity.

  Wait, what’s that in the middle?

  Oh, it’s an aeroboat. When was the last time you’ve seen one live?

  The AIDAcara, a German cruise ship. A friend of mine recently booked a tour on one of these AIDA cruise ships and met his (current, I think :-) girlfriend there. Obviously, a good place for meeting singles.

  The Cap San Diego, a former general cargo ship that now serves as a museum. It probably is a testimony to the origin of the port’s main business which was L.C.L.

  You also get to see some older dockyards.

  View on the St. Pauli Landungsbrücken.

  This actually is one of the best photos as it shows some protest against Germany and an energy company that recently messed up things on nuclear power plant further down the river. These building on (Hamburg) Hafenstraße are 0w3nd by squatters since 1981.

  These people seem to have the funds for such buildings. Amazing. It actually reminds me of the Chinese restaurant in Amsterdam…

  Some of these cranes in the background are imported (as one piece!) from China. The red buoy (a lateral buoy) is an indicator for the left edge of the channel

  You can actually spend a nice & warm summer evening on such a beach.

  (or do some skinny-dip :-)

  The Airbus factory next to the Mühlenberger Loch. @Dave @czed – pls feel free to comment on this. Afaik, it used to be a harbour for aeroboats during WW2 and 1/5 of the area have recently been converted into factory groundy by EADS for the construction of the Airbus A380.

  Blankenese, a suburban (beautiful & expensive) quarter in the western part of Hamburg.

  These two light houses are leading lights that have to be in one vertical line (see below). Once you see them in line, you know you’re in the center of fairway.

  Container ships

  An destroyed quay wall, probably from a bomb during WW2. A few metres further down we came across this sign which indicates that it’s rather old and the WW2 theory is correct. Maybe someone knows the story behind this?

  Two cargo ships that have been put out of service for the time being due to the global recession.

  Some airplane parts (Airbus?) ready for shipment.

  Roman Arkayevish Abramovich‘ new luxury yacht, the M/Y Eclipse. This is the most impressive luxury yacht I’ve ever seen. I don’t know if anyone really needs to have such a huge boat, but it sure looks great! Built by Blohm & Voss in Hamburg.

  You really get to see a lot of Hamburg from the river / port alone, and it is very interesting to see how much the City actually celebrates it’s port to a point where they are actually spending a lot of money on rebuilding old quarters. It’s a proud city and the port is a very good example to show where Hamburg wins over Bremen – another city in the North with similar interests & heritage. We’ll be back for more one day….

  
  

• using a netbook as your daily computer

  Posted: July 28, 2009, 7:44 am by jke

  My new HP 6930p laptop unfortunately has an issue with the display latch (which is a “known issue” with this series) and also is very picky when it comes to accepting the docking station, which is why I called HP customer service last week and made use of the 3yr warranty it came with. Let’s see how HP performs – someone from UPS is supposed to come today and pick it up.

  So…..since I actually need to have a working machine in my home office, I pulled out my Asus eeePC 1000HG netbook, removed the battery and connected it to my 22″ TFT and an external mouse & keyboard, a USB hub and a LAN cable.

  Reason for blogging this is that I recently wrote about a netbook being a real AfriGadget as it could serve anyone who needs to have a light & flexible computer that’s good enough for most basic tasks. And it is.

  Since I was in a hurry last week, I pulled out the WinXP recovery disc and installed WinXP on it – thereby killing my previous WinXP & Ubuntu dual boot setup. But then…I just need it to work out-of-the-box right now and it seemed to be the quickest solution, so I won’t mind about the 160GB harddisk being split into two partitions now – instead of five. Asus Recovery DVD is some piece of sh…..as it doesn’t provide clean installs of the shipped WinXP Home (I had previoulsy partioned the HDD with PartedMagic – resulting in a Grub error..ah, well..).

  So, WindowsXP Home. It could be worse.

  Is this Netbook strong enough for a 24/7 job, substituting my computing needs on a 90% desktop, 10% mobile basis? Yes!

  The performance of this Intel N270 Atom CPU @ 1,6GHz with 2 GB of RAM and a simple Intel on-board graphics solution is said to be somewhere close to 5yr old Pentium-M processor notebooks. A geekbench I was once did scored something like 935 points (old HP nx8220 15,4″ 1,86 GHz single core laptop = ~ 1200 // new HP 6930p 14,1″ 2,26 Ghz Core2Duo = ~ 3060 points) and it sure isn’t the fastest machine, but it also hasn’t failed to deliver performance for most of my tasks so far.

  It’s an interesting question, also since Erik of WhiteAfrican.com recently complained about his Acer AAO netbook he had to use while his MacBookPro was in for a repair. The tiny 10,1″ screen on the netbook itself is a joke if you seriously need / want to work on it. However, being connected to an external TFT (and supplying both screens at the same time) and an external keyboard, things are A LOT easier and turn this little toy into a serious machine. The integrated graphics solution is even strong enough for a quick session in UrbanTerror. Sweet! My eeePC 1000HG also comes with an integrated 2G/3G modem, so it is a really mobile machine (provided there is network coverage).

  For as long as my new HP laptop is under repair, I will have to stick to this netbook and use it on a daily basis. It will be on and online every day (= about 18h per day), enabling me to see if a netbook is really strong enough to survive all of the given tasks. I will also go on a vacation soon and take the netbook with me. I am already very curious to see how it can perform on the road – I did my AfriGadget presentation on it as well, so I already know what it is capable of.

  Another motivation for this experiment is to see how much computing power I actually need most of the time and to “make do with what is available“. I already like the almost inaudible integrated fan and the fact that it doesn’t become too hot (for some reasons which are probably related to battery charging, it is actually much colder now compared to when it runs on batteries or when the batteries are being recharged – interesting). As for the tiny screen size: most eeePCs come with a button to instantly adjust the screen resolution (a big plus for eee PCs, btw), and a screen resolution of 1024×600 pixels isn’t an issue, actually. What is problematic is the tiny size of the display – an 11″ screen would be much better, but then, again, with a 22″ TFT connected to it (via VGA only though) you can actually work on it without noting a difference.

  
  

• The Empire State Building and me

  Posted: July 23, 2009, 1:33 am by jke

  Going home-home for an extended weekend actually means I can waste spend some time on my old computer and enjoy the following (Kenyan) sticker on the keyboard:

  This computer urgently needs to be fixed (Ubuntu on a USB key is a wonderful life saviour), but I was actually much more interested in rummaging in those drawers under the table.

  So I found this medal from Empire State Building in the USA:

  …with my name on the back, dated July 23, 1979

  Today is July 23, 2009.

  This coincidence just made my day. I haven’t been there since July 23 1979 and I am wondering if they still produce these medals?

  
  

• my HP 6930p review

  Posted: July 17, 2009, 5:04 pm by jke

  It’s about time for another hardware review as it reflects what’s on my mind these days. I know that a lot of people just go for anything they are recommended, but if your income depends on the performance and reliability of your computer at home (= home office), you’ll maybe pay extra attention to this and I know a lot of geeks who are much more demanding when it comes to their computer.

   

   

  So I bought a new notebook today because I felt that my old machine from 2006 doesn’t deliver what I need for some applications. Mind you, I am a PC guy, running WinXP and Ubuntu only, where the performance of my old machine was sufficient for most tasks.

  My setup consisted of an HP nx8220 notebook on a docking station with an external mouse + keyboard and a 22″ LG W2242T TFT. The computer is in a local network with an HP OfficeJet 7210 printer, a 500GB NAS and a VoIP phone + her notebook as well as both our netbooks.

  The nx8220 proved to be a loyal workhorse, surviving dusty rural Kenya as well as running 24h/d. The docking station really is a huge advantage over to conventional consumer notebooks as it provides a) much more ports (e.g. DVI-D for the 22″ TFT) and b) makes it easier to use only one machine for both home office and mobile needs. This is also why I could never go for a MacBook as they afaik do not provide connectivity to a docking station.

  Most users are better off buying a conventional consumer notebook and not a business machine like mine. It’s similar to cars: extras on a Mercedes or Volkswagen cost extra, while you’d get all of that for a much lower price on a SE Asian car. So you’ll equally have to pay extra for an LED screen or UMTS modem which you’ll also already find on cheaper Acer or Asus notebooks. Most of these consumer notebooks do not have a docking connector though and are usually designed for a 3years usage pattern (5years on business notebooks).

  Since this docking station already existed (eBay is a great resource for used business hardware in mint condition), the idea was to get another HP as I would then just have to swap notebooks.

  On the other hand, Dell offers a very nice Latitude E6400 (with an illuminated keyboard & LED screen – similar to MacBooks!) that comes close to my current choice – and the (IBM) Lenovo T400 with an LED screen and internal UMTS modem is one of those *i want! i want!* machines.

  I’ve tested the T400 in a shop and was surprised how great it actually looks. I think I’ll have to buy an older T42(p) one day to satisfy my IBM-needs. Built quality wasn’t that good though – most reviews on YouTube where customers are comparing this IBM-successor are somehow true, at least when it comes to the material used on these machines. But still, I’d love to test the Lenovo T400 for a longer period one day.

  Comparing these to cars, I’d say that IBM ThinkPads are like Volvos.

  Back to my choice: I eventually settled for an HP 6930p which comes with a 14,1″ screen size (old notebook was 15,4″) and weighs “only” 2.4kg. Compared to my old notebook (2.85kg), it’s much lighter. It still seems to be heavier than other 14,1″ notebooks – but honestly: 200gr more doesn’t matter to me. What matters, though, is the power supply on HP notebooks which is really really shitty. Too big, too heavy, to bulky. Apple has the best power supplies, imho. And I of course also like those small ones that came shipped with the netbooks (Kensington also produces light-weight power supplies – may have to look into those one day).

  
  power supplies: HP nx8220 vs. Asus eee 901

  So my notebook is on a docking station most of the time and needs to deliver 24/7, which is why I went for a machine with an ATI graphics card even though it itsn’t that much better than the internal Intel graphics core and even though the ATI card drains the battery faster. Took me some time to decide on this though, as well as the screen resolution which is at 1440×900 (unfortunately no LED screen, just CCFL ) and I was afraid that it may be too small. But it isn’t.

  Funny thing is: I bought this machine for a really good price on eBay (hey…!) and the offer said “Screen resolution: 1280 x 800″. Picked it up in the store (in Hanau, outside of Frankfurt) and realized it’s 1440×900. Thought they made a mistake and asked them a few times but it seemed to be correct. So now I am the proud owner of a notebook with the follow specifications:

  HP “EliteBook” 6930p (p/n GW683AV)

  • Intel Core 2 Duo P8400
  • 1x 4GB 800MHz DDR2 RAM (32bit OS like WinXP = max. 3 GB)
  • 320GB Western Digital 5400 SATA II HDD (initially 120GB Seagate)
  • WXGA+ 1440×900 matte display
  • Intergrated 2 megapixels webcam
  • Keyboard light
  • Intel 5100 ABGN wireless
  • Bluetooth 2.0
  • Dual pointing devices
  • Intergrated Fingerprint reader (crap..)
  • DVD+/-RW with LightScribe
  • Firewire 1394a, 3x USB, LAN, Modem, SD/MMC reader, SC card reader, ExpressCard
  • internal UMTS modem (ordered, hasn’t arrived yet. Again, used spare part from eBay)
  • 2.400kg with battery
  • 6-cell battery (55 Wh)
  • 3 years Warranty

  No PCMCIA II card slot, so my PCMCIA / PC-Card UMTS modem (eBay, EUR 2,- :-)) can go into early retirement.

  For a list of professional reviews on the 6930p, pls check out this page by notebookcheck.com (best site on this subject, imho).

  As mentioned, the 6930p I got was really cheap as it is a used machine. Used ….as in: brand-new without any scratches or other damages but isn’t originally sealed. Which is why HP sells them for a lower price to wholesalers who are then reselling them on eBay (check for HP Renew or similar). That’s one sweet way of buying hardware and also how I got our printer, btw. You’re still given 3 years Warranty (checked the serial number via HP’s website) and get a proper receipt so basically it’s a new machine. Besides, I am geek enough to fix problems on my own and I do not have the resources to send in my machine for three weeks, anxiously waiting for a repair.

  The machine came shipped with Windows Vista Business which is….well, I don’t know. I deleted it. You also get a downgrade option from M$ to exchange your Vista installation for XP (which I did).

  Already tested Ubuntu 9.04 running as a live version from a USB key and: Heeeeyyyyy…. I may be a bit behind when it comes to modern hardware from 2009, but this Dual Core CPU and the RAM really kick ass on Ubuntu. Plugged it in, booted it up in less than 30 seconds and ..*baaam* , ready to go. Nice.

  I also did a Geekbench benchmark on all four machines:

  • HP nx8220 GB score: 1.312 (@WinXP)
  • HP 6930p GB score: 3.060 (@Ubuntu 9.04)
  • Asus eee 1000HG netbook GB score: 935 (@WinXP)
  • Asus eee 901 netbook GB score: 924 (@WinXP)

  Meaning: you can really feel the performance increase. It was a good idea to invest some money on a new machine.

  Based on my first impressions so far, here’s a list of things I noticed on this HP “EliteBook”:

  1. Pictograms, indicating the position and function of ports on each side are just next to the port, not on top (like on my old nx8220). Would be better to have them on top to see where the USB ports are.

  
  old: nx 8220

  
  new: 6930p

  2. Comparing the nx8220 with the 6930p is a bit unfair as it should rather be a comparison between the nx8220 and the 8530p.
  I am used to the 15,4″ notebook with the headphone socket on the right side instead of the positioning of these ports on the left side on the 6930p. This really unimportant detail actually means a lot to me.

  3. The touchpad and the pointing stick on the 6930p are a bit too cheap. There’s almost no pressure point on both touchpad buttons. Why not? You won’t notice the weakness of the touchstick unless you’ve compared it to an IBM laptop so this really isn’t a serious issue.

  4. Webcam is 2mpx and is ok. Also comes with a special OCR software that reads business cards and adds them to your address book. Seriously, who comes up with such ideas? It’s funny. Tested it once, didn’t work for me, gave up. My business card is different anyways as it comes as a QR-code (see right sidebar on my blog). I am sure there’s QR-Code software out there that will enable this webcam to read barcodes (like the one on my phone).

  5. Next to the webcam is a keyboard light which may not be that strong but is one of the reasons why IBM ThinkPads have in the past ruled the business world. Ok, not really, but their keyboard light has always been the little extra gimmick that made you me long for a ThinkPad instead of a Dell or HP (not knowing that the keyboard light on an IBM isn’t really that great). Good move, HP! The light elegantly pops out by pressing the button with the bulb icon and comes with a little diffusor in front of the integrated LED (no diffusor on IBM = problem!).

  6. Keyboard is nice and firm, similar to my old one. Keyboards and displays are THE MOST IMPORTANT parts of a notebok. Which is probably also why Acer notebooks are so popular.

  
  (a nice example which shows that some cameras just aren’t capable of getting straight lines – this Sanyo cam from 2003 has a splendid macro mode but is really bad on horizontal lines due to the internal prism lens)

  7. The scratch-resistant external aluminium panels and the casing made of aluminium, plastic and magnesium really kick ass. Almost solid as a rock. Good quality. I actually only miss the clamshell design known from ThinkPads on this HP.

  I am also mentioning this as you can easíly test the overall stability yourself by pushing the display back and forth and seeing where there’s tension on the body. My old nx8220 has a slight crack on that part due to its age and usage but this is normal with most other notebooks I’ve tested and seen so far.

  8. Hinges: remember the Dellicious story? Broken hinges are soooo Dell and Acer. The hinges on my nx8220 are still fine (even though I’ve already tightened them a bit, using a simple screwdriver).

  9. The 1440×900 (WXGA+) screen resolution produces slightly better colours than the normal 1280×800 (WXGA) screen (both CCFL technology). Relatively low contrast, brightness is ok, viewing angels are average. Not good for serious photographers and I am afraid to admit that but I think that you’ll either have to go for a Sony notebook or MacBook if you can’t edit photos on an external screen (and mine is just a cheaper, low-end TFT from LG but still better than both notebook screens). I actually don’t know why HP uses such bad displays on business machines and the better LED screens on their cheaper consumer notebooks. Well, I knew that and skipped this point in the end because of the external monitor I am using for editing pictures. And who knew that I’d be blessed with a better screen resolution & picture quality for the same price? I paid for WXGA screen and got a WXGA+ … how cool is that? :-)

  Display also comes with a light-sensor to automatically adjust brightness. Deactivated it – like on my old nx8220.

  LED displays are available from HP for this series, albeit at WXGA (1280×800) only and very hard to obtain and/or expensive (at least in Germany).

  10. LEDs to indicate Wireless/Power/HDD acitivities are much better on the 6930p than on the nx8220 (and other, similar machines from that era in 2006). I once had to glue a little piece of plastic back between those LEDs on the nx8220 as it had broken away.

  
  old: nx8220

  new: 6930p

  11. Weight: 2.4kg are a good weight. My Asus 1000HG netbook weighs 1.5kg and comes with a 10″ screen at 1024×600px screen resolution. There are those moments where you wish to have a bigger (!) machine (not neccessarily on the screen, but to elegantly balance it on your lap = laptop!) and forget about the weight issue. A 12″ notebook would also be nice, but these machines often only come with a crippled CPU, an expensive 1.8″ HDD and/or are ridiculously expensive. So the 14,1″ notebook is a perfect alternative. And yes, 13,3″ MacBooks are even better, at least size-wise.

  12. The display latch: many customers on user forums actually complained about the latch/lock on the display, arguing that it would require them to use both hands to close it (true) and some force (true). I like it this way, even though it easily pops open even if you only slightly touch the button. So it may accidentally open inside a bag. Not good. Too much tension.

  13. Design: I think it’s rather ugly. This mixture of silver and black colours..is this the influence of peculiar Asian taste?

  There’s a row of touch-sensitive buttons on top of the keyboard which is a bit too bright & has too many different LED colors which may be a bit irritating, but else it is working fine for me. This touch-sensitive panel replaces conventional buttons (that would provide more tactile feedback), and a lot of users actually complained about the volume “slider”. The problem is: it isn’t really a slider, it just looks like a slider. Because if you don’t try to “slide down volume” but instead keep your finger on the “Volume (-)” area, it will quickly reduce volume. So users got irritated, thinking it works like a slider and consequently complained about it.
  Why touch-sensitive controls instead of conventional buttons? Me thinks there are three posssible reasons for this: a) the SEAsian geek influence & an affection for iPhone-alike features, b) costs and c) less trouble with designing the PCB / more space.

  14. Fan design still sucks. Maybe I am too much of an engineer, but I’d prefer if the intake could be on the back side of the notebook, not below the machine. IBM/Lenovo is a bit better on this. Proper heat dissipation is an important issue. Fortunately, the machine comes with an otherwise good cooling system and isn’t too loud.
  I’ve also set the BIOS to “fan always on” as I’ve had good experience with this on my nx8220. Keeps the machine colder right from the start.

  
  open fan on the nx8220 (without aluminium cover & removed keyboard)

  
  6930p: heatpipe may remain on all chips even when the fan is being cleaned

  Also interesting to see that there’s no extra cover for the pcb as compared to the nx8220 which had an aluminum cover betweeen the keyboard and the pcb (which also had the heat dissipitation pipes connected to it). Would be interesting to know what this looks like on the 8530p. On the other hand, it always irritated me having to remove the heat pipes from the graphics & northbridge processor just to clean the fan and I am glad it is different on the new machine. There usually is a lot of dust in between the fan and the cooler (= what you see as copper-coloured grill from the outside) which is only accessible once you open it up and use tweezers to remove the dust. Also helps using a vacuum cleaner and/or a camera lens blower to clean it

  14. Users can exchange the HDD, the battery (now try that with a MacBook), add a UMTS modem or add more RAM – all without voiding the warranty. Nothing great, but still important as the Apple example shows that not all gadgets come with similar warranty conditions.
  To know what’s “possible”, HP uses two different screw types. A Torx for service and conventional cross slot screws for upgrades from customers. Pls also note the sleeve for a business card which I also already know from my nx8220. HP was smart enough to hide both the licence key and service tag stickers underneath this protective cover. Simple, but effective.

  15. This 6930p is a custom made model, hence the 120GB HDD it came shipped with as well as 4GB of RAM on a single board. Knowing that 32bit operating systems can only address a maximum of 3GB, I am wondering why it comes with 4GB and Windows Vista Business 32bit? (and don’t even get me started on the 800MHz vs. 1066MHz discussion the RAM is running on – these 4GB are at 798 MHz instead of 1066 // DDR2 vs DDR3).
  Oh, and Vista ist just crap. This is MS Windows Vista Business and it instantly failed to reboot (endless loop of booting up and down) after an initial update. And needless to mention that I actually failed getting the HP Backup tool to do a copy of the installation. Vista alone used 20GB on the HDD. Incredible.
  Now I am left with an XP downgrade & drivers DVD and will probably (& hopefully) never need a Vista backup. I’ve tested Windows7 on my Asus eee 1000HG the other day which is a bit better.

  16. The battery is a bit too loose which is partly also due to the hook on the battery. I am used to this from the nx8220 though and these guys found the same fault on their test notebook. So I am not the only one who pulls out the sliding calliper to measure the play between the battery and the notebook body (I hope :-).

  
  

  17. CPU Whining (CPU generates a high frequency sound): yes, it is there, but only slightly audible. Good.

  18. The docking station I am using is an HP PA286A (used, cheap, eBay…) which *officially* doesn’t work with an EliteBook notebook but actually it does. It just doesn’t match the silver cover as it comes with the old grey colour tone as used on the nx8220. If you’ve come here searching for an answer on this: yes, it works. The PA286A 120W HP docking station is compatible with the HP 6930p (at least most standard ports – don’t know about Video-S which was supported by the nx8220 but not the 6930p). HP used to mention it on their website but have since removed this remark, probably due to marketing reasons. I initially had some problems with it as the LAN port wouldn’t respond but it was due to my 6930p which seems to have a picky docking connector that doesn’t properly sit on the docking station.

  The socket for the docking station on the notebook itself also isn’t secured by any protective cover which may seem to be a potential problem. If in doubt, just use adhesive tape to cover it up. As mentioned earlier, the nx8220 also didn’t have this cover and it has never really been a problem.

  19. Internal 2G/3G modem: this 6930p didn’t come with an integrated 2G/3G (GSM, UMTS) modem but with the internal 3G antennas already set up and a SIM card slot behind the battery cover. You actually just buy the additional UMTS modem card, plug it in, install drivers and start surfing. I must however admit that – based on my experience with this same procedure on the Asus 1000HG netbook – the internal antenna setup on top of the display usually isn’t that much better than a conventional, external USB 3G modem. Still have to double-check this though.

  ———————————–

  Soooo…is the 6930p any good? Yes of course! It’s a good notebook for most tasks and it comes with a good mixture of usability and performance. It may not be the best notebook for serious photo editing (due to HP’s shitty displays), but it already is a best seller in all other categories and just delivers what it was made for. I’d recommend it to anyone who has previously worked with HP notebooks, likes them and wants to use a stable machine for the home office.

  Comparing it to my old nx8220 and seeing the performance increase, I am really happy that I eventually upgraded my computer hardware. I especially like the Dual Core thing which will ease up a lot of tasks on my notebook.

  I am also happy that I didn’t have to spend too much money on a new machine. I think that it doesn’t actually come from HP’s Renew Program and that it had only been previously opened which is why the price was so low.

  If you’re more into power saving laptops and value battery runtime, it may be better to get the Intel graphics card version coupled with an LED screen which should provide another 0,5 – 1h of battery runtime. And you may also think about getting a lighter power supply. HP really needs to continue working on the displays and on the power supplies. Improve contrast on the displays (a lot of customers will appreciate this), extend their vertical viewing angles and construct lighter and smaller power supplies. This is 2009 where notebook computers have to compete with netbooks, at least when it comes to portability issues.

  Pls note that I am reviewing this machine from my German perspective where the market situation is slightly different from e.g. the US where DELL and Apple seem to dominate the market. Spare parts on Dells are still relatively expensive in Germany and not as available as in the US or even UK & Ireland.

  For a sound reasoning on what to look for in a new notebook, pls check out this comment from 2006 by Steve , thx.

  
  

• the 215kg test

  Posted: July 10, 2009, 5:43 am by jke

  Searching for reviews on the HP 6930p – which is supposed to substitute my beloved HP nx8220 – I came across this video:

  Would you try that with your MacBookPro? ….eh?

  
  

• E+, oder wieso ich manchmal keinen Netzempfang habe…

  Posted: July 4, 2009, 10:12 pm by jke

  Dieser Tage habe ich mich gefragt, ob es noch einen besseren Anbieter für meine Mobilfunkbedürfnisse als Blau.de gibt. 9 cent in alle Netze, 9 cent für SMS, 0,24 € / MB versurftes Datenvolumen und dazu noch eine bequeme, automatische Aufladung, so dass der ursprüngliche Nachteil von Prepaid entfällt.

  Alleine: das E+ Netz ist so dermaßen beschissen, dass ich mit meinem Telefon manchmal keinen Empfang habe. Ist das Handy (ein Nokia N95, letzte FW) im Dualmodus eingestellt (GSM oder UMTS, je nach Verfügbarkeit), bucht es sich als UMTS-Gerät ein , im Display wird 3G und ein deutlicher Antennenempfang angezeigt – aber Telefonate kommen einfach nicht durch. SMS kommen dann entsprechend auch mit Verzögerung an. Abhilfe schafft hier nur die Rückstellung auf GSM-only (und das ist auch nicht 100% verlässlich).

  Ich habe auch noch eine Fonic SIM-Karte, die ich in Verbindung mit der Tagesflatrate für 2,50€/d und einem 3G Modem (im Netbook und als PCMICA Version fürs Notebook) verwende. Fonic bietet fast gleiche Konditionen wie Blau.de, allerdings im O2-Netz und ohne Kreditkarten-basierter automatischer Aufladung.

  Das eigentliche Problem scheint also im Netz zu liegen – oder aber Prepaid-Kunden haben eine andere, geringere Priorität im Netz (kann das sein?). Beide Netze (E+ & O2) sind nicht so rosig, und das obwohl wir hier mitten in FFM in fast direkter Sichtweite zur nächsten Basisstation wohnen.

  Im März 2007 schrieb ich schon mal über meine Erfahrungen mit Vodafone (DE), deren Arroganz bis heute anzuhalten scheint. Vodafone hat eine (vergleichsweise) super Netzabdeckung bzw. -verfügbarkeit, vermag mit dem Rest aber nicht zu überzeugen.

  Ab dem 3. Quartal kommt das Nokia E72 auf den Markt, welches eine gute Mischung aus den beiden favorisierten Handytypen Nokia N95 und Nokia E71 darstellt (QWERTZ-Tastatur, Monoblock, 5mpx Kamera). Selbstverständlich liegt da die Überlegung nahe, dieses Gerät im Herbst über einen subventionierten Handyvertrag anzuschaffen und dabei einen modernen 24-Monatsvertrag abzuschließen, der preislich mit den Prepaidtarifen konkurrieren kannn.

  Bisweilen verwende ich hauptsächlich die günstigen Internettarife der Prepaidanbieter sowie deren 9cent Einheitstarif(e). Bei T-Mobile muss man sogar teilweise noch eine Tagesnutzungsgebühr iHv 0,19 € bezahlen, dass man überhaupt surfen darf. Solche hohen Kosten sind natürlich auch ein Grund dafür, wieso mobile activism in Deutschland immer noch nicht richtig ernstgenommen wird. DSL ist vorherrschend und mobile Internet”flatrates” zumeist bis 5GB Inklusivvolumen gedeckelt (oder aber ab 1, 5 oder 10 GB in der Geschwindigkeit drastisch reduziert). Im E+ Netz (= Blau.de, Simyo, AldiTalk, etc.) ist sogar nur eine UMTS Geschwindigkeit bis 384kb/s möglich, was mich aber nicht wirklich stört.

  Manche Entwicklungsländer sind hier bedeutend fortschrittlicher und günstiger! Und ja, dies hängt sicherlich von vielen Kostenfaktoren ab und lässt sich nicht 1:1 von Land zu Land übertragen. Fakt ist aber unbestreitbar, dass die Mobilfunknutzer in Deutschland unverhältnismäßig mehr zahlen als eigentlich nötig. Bestes Beispiel neben dem überteuerten mobilen Internetzugang sind die immer noch hohen SMS-Gebühren. Lese ich dann ein Angebot (z.B. T-Mobile iPhone Tarife), in dem mit 40 InklusivSMS geworben wird, kann ich nur traurig lächeln. Sind subventionierte Handys ein Grund für diese Mischkalkulation? Oder sind die deutschen Verbraucher einfach nur zu träge für eine Revolution?

  Zurück zu meinem Empfangsproblem: gibt es einen Anbieter, der preislich mit den o.g. Angebot konkurrieren kann und dabei eine gute Netzverfügbarkeit anbietet? Welche Angebote / Verträge habt Ihr und könnt Ihr etwas empfehlen? Vielen Dank!

  
  

• The Art of Blisfull Happiness

  Posted: July 3, 2009, 4:17 am by jke

  What’s this?

  A happy dog! :-)

  
  

• A Bit of Everything

  Posted: June 27, 2009, 10:27 pm by jke

  I’ve recently developed an interest in….metal detectors.

  That’s right. Metal detectors that enable the search for metallic objects hidden some inches below the surface. Contrary to other places, the geographical middle of Europe seems to be blessed with archaelogical treasures.

  Which leads me to the actual dilemma:

  1. I actually don’t have any time to waste on another hobby.

  2. There are so many other interesting hobbies I have.

  3. I’ve always thought it may be better to limit myself to a few leisure activities (due to 1. & 2.) and focus on them only.

  4. Most of my friends are academics or intellectuals who aren’t as geeky as I am and/or won’t have an interest in …strange….hobbies such as using a metal detector to search the nearby forest for Roman coins.

  So I did a quick test and asked the freakiest freak-friend of mine who usually rumbles around in military clothes all day long and looks like a potential metal detector freak (he actually looks a lot like Al Yankovic in UHF) if he would be interested in joining me on such a hobby.

  “Naa…”, he said, “…not really”.

  See? This is the same reaction I received from most of my friends in 1994 when I started being interested in amateur radio. Or fishing. Or guitar playing. Or shooting. Or blogging. Or while repairing my old ‘89 VW Golf. Or repairing electronics with a jua kali approach. Or my recently aquired toy helicopter. Or other handicrafts….

  I’ve always been interested in geeky stuff – which isn’t that bad – but I’ve so often been alone on this. And then I’ve chosen those activities although there are other things I would really like to spend more time on. Like improving my guitar playing. Or learning more foreign languages. Reading the pile of books that’s next to my table – not fiction but books related to water & sanitation or political issues.

  Well I am not complaining – for I am still free at this (advanced) age to do whatever I want to (uhuru!) and actually created this space in order to enjoy this variety. It’s only that I am wondering why I’ve always chosen such rather geeky hobbies instead of playing soccer with my mates or clubbing with the fiancée*.

  What a luxurious dilemma this is! Get a life…

  I know. I’m just sayin, u know…?

  Oh, and btw, would you join me on a walk to the forest? Hey this is really cool, we can find great stuff!

  *fiancée isn’t into clubbing and also says that metal detectors are for Spanish grandmothers who are combing the beaches, improving their pension.

  [Disclaimer: I am yet to decide whether my I can afford to cough up USD 200 on such a metal detector if in the end I'll only use it about 20x and then sell it on eBay...]

  
  

• BL-5C

  Posted: June 24, 2009, 9:03 pm by jke

  Batteries for cell phones are a commodity and thus often quite cheap. The interesting part is that fake batteries will often cost the same as original ones and some dealers will swear by the fake Chinese NokLa phone in their hands that they are of course only selling “Original Nokia” products.

  Original. Yeah, right.

  What you see here:

  A) original battery that came shipped with my Nokia 6230i

  B) fake “original” battery from eBay @ 6,39 EUR

  C) most-likely “original” battery from eBay @ 4,99 EUR

  Battery B really pissed us off as it was drained within a few hours (!). The hologram is just very simple yet it looks like an original battery (except for the hologram and the deeper golden contacts). There are no hints on Nokia’s website other than the hologram (they used to have a form to double-check that number on the holo but imho even those numbers were faked).

  Battery B was bulk-ware, meaning that it came shipped in a plastic bag while battery C was in an original Nokia packaging with a proper invoice. A bit irritating that there are two different mAh readings – a sticker that says 850 mAh on the front and a printed 970 mAh on the back. On Nokia’s website it says 900 mAh for the BL-5C, but hey – Nokia’s website has never been that accurate on phone details. Nokia also published a product advisory on the BL-5C type some time ago – a successful battery type has been produced over 300 million times and is built by five different manufacturers.

  There are many, many dealers on eBay that sell BL-5C batteries for Nokia phones and I’d say that most of them are just fake ones. On the other hand, candidate number C was the cheapest, came in an original packaging and seems to perform like candidate A. Simbaya!

  eBay as an online marketplace of course isn’t the best platform to purchase such electronics, but it is the one with the most competitive, or let’s say: comparable prices. Any other online-shop or even physical store will be more expensive (due to shipping rates & other general expenses). And it ain’t about the costs alone – I’d be willing to cough up more on a battery (but not too much!) if the dealer can assure that it is indeed original. I know this is a huge issue with product piracy and so on but – other than with cars where a non-original spare part may just as well be performing as required – most fake batteries also don’t last as long.  There may be exeptions to this general rule, but from my experience with this and other phones, most copies aren’t good enough, not even close. Probably also because they are commodities and their Chinese manufacturers just don’t give a damn…

  
  

• 4 years

  Posted: June 22, 2009, 8:50 am by jke

  It’s almost 4 years ago that I published my first post on this blog.

  The facts:

  • Fellow blogger Mzeecedric inspired told me in 2005 to start my own blog. Thx, bro!
  • The initial motivation arose out of frustration – a very popular German social network had rejected a few of my texts for publication so I’d told myself: “F… them. I’ll come up with my own site.”
  • SEO kitu gani? I am still using the same WordPress template when I switched from using (the standard WordPress) Kubrick template. Am btw still searching for a suitable & modern alternative but people keep on telling me they like the Kikoi banner. And I couldn’t even take another shot of the said Kikoi as I’ve meanwhile used it on another project. Recommendations for an alternative WordPress template with lots of whitespace are highly appreciated!
  • Renamed this blog only once – from “Kikuyumoja’s Realm” to just “Kikuyumoja”. From [blog.uhuru.de] to [kikuyumoja.com].
  • 916 posts, 46 categories, 363 tags, 3.107 comments. Still need to improve that tags thingy for older posts. Categories? Blogroll? That’s so 2005. But I still use them.
  • 4 years of using WordPress – an experience that has landed me at least two decent jobs related to the creation of blogs as well as some other unpaid WordPress blogs. Those new to WordPress and the taxonomy still prefer categories over tag clouds btw.
  • I am still blogging despite the invention of microblogging services such as Twitter.
  • I still haven’t lost my blogging mojo.
  • I’ve always tried to keep it personal instead of blogging on one specific subject range, e.g. fellow blogger Erik blogging mostly on Africa & technology (and rugby), Sokari on gender violence, racism, sexuality, HIV/AIDS and cancer, Daudi on sports and politics, and so on. It’s a balancing act for me not to blog everything that crosses my mind, but at the same time I am not too selective and try to keep a healthy mixture. I don’t know if I am that succesful with such an approach, but the truth is: I wouldn’t know how to classify this blog other than “private” or “personal”. At least, that’s how I’ve tagged my blog (and those like mine) on my Google Reader. How do you classify or categorize this blog on your linklist (if at all)?
    Also, I wouldn’t want to limit myself to one specific range of subjects. I know that it’s better to be a “theme blog” by covering only a few things (e.g. “this is a chocoloate blog where I only write about chocolate products”), but I chose not to be that. I do participate on other, theme-related blogs where I contribute to water, sanitation, health, environment, climate, technology, etc. subjects so this need for a categorized view of the world (Weinberger’s second order of order, I presume) is already covered by those sites.
  • Other than the commentators, I don’t know much about the many lurkers out here. Who are you? And why are you reading my blog? Please comment! Thank you.
  • This blog has been part of the Kenyan Blogosphere almost right from the start. And this although I am based in Germany (ok, been working and blogging from Kena in between) and will always remain being a German to an extent where I will require a work permit for jobs in Kenya. My Kenyan side probably is that I know more about Kenyan politics & history than the average Blueband Generation kid out there that grew up with [name of US-American sitcom] on KTN and then quickly left the country for the US or the UK for studies only to develope a need to rediscover their cultural heritage aborad because they’re also being asked about that, e.g. during marathons or once Kenya is back in the media with a negative story (hunger, poverty, AIDS, slums, scandals, natural disaster, tribal clashes, etc.) Don’t want to insult anyone here – guess it’s just a matter of interests. It’s like those immigrants in Germany who are much more German than I am (which isn’t that difficult).

  Blogging is easy. Go to WordPress.com (or any other blogging platform), choose a username, register a blog and start writing. And publish it.

  Do it anonymously, put your name under it -just do as you feel. But make sure your voice is out there.

  My mother once asked me “JKE, who’s supposed to read all this stuff??”. – “Well”, I replied, “…I don’t know. But some apparently do.”.

  That would be you, dear readers. Without you and your comments, I would probably never have taken it to this level. I owe you big times!

  —

  Four other things I’ve also learned during the last 4 years:

  1. A blog post without a photo is like chicken soup without chicken. You feel that something is missing. So here’s the mandatory and totally random picture:

  2. The world is changing faster than expected. And we will need much more visionaries out there who are able to think out-of-the-box and and are willing to take a risk. Even if it means that everyone will start laughing about them.
  I wouldn’t say I am a visionary, but I’ve followed my own path during the last 4 years and am happily working freelance now on projects I really like. I like my work and what I do. Do you?

  3. Things I value the most: time, inspiration, freedom.

  4. Everyone likes a good story. Had this colleague at work who kept on sending me links to “potentially interesting news” for our newsletter: “Here, this link is interesting”. – “Yeah, thx…”, I replied, “but where’s the connection and where’s the story to it?”. Silence.

  Twitter taught us that news may be limited to 140 characters only. 140 characters that will either be read or ignored.

  Now, scientists can sometimes be very complicated. Blogging really helped me shrinking news to a necessary length – and I am still only at the beginning. I wish that colleague would twitter.

  Epilogue
  SEO is a horrible buzzword, suitable for bullshit bingo. Thinking about this blog post, I keep on adding new stuff to the list of facts. 4 years are an interesting timeframe to draw a line and look back. Alas, this aim to categorize the blog with something else other than “personal” still remains the hardest part for me.

  
  

• Digitalis

  Posted: June 21, 2009, 3:59 am by jke

  
  (other sizes)

  This snapshot of digitalis purpurea was today taken in a forest next to a Roman fort near Frankfurt – with the 5mpx CMOS camera on my 2y old Nokia N95 mobile phone.

  It may not be the best photo, but it clearly shows what’s already possible with a decent camera phone.

  
  

• PiccoZ

  Posted: June 16, 2009, 7:39 pm by jke

  Heute habe ich mir endlich einen Traum erfüllt und einen ferngesteuerten Hubschrauber gekauft, mit dem man im Zimmer herumfliegen und seine Mitbewohner (Frau, Hund, Katze) in den Wahnsinn treiben kann.

  An dieser Stelle auch gleich das große ABER! – denn bei diesem ultraleichten Spielzeug aus Hartschaum und nur popeliger IR-Fernbedienung kann natürlich keine große Freude aufkommen. Jedoch, als Einsteigerset ideal und richtig interessant wird es dann wohl erst ab 99,- EUR mit dem E-Sky Lama V4 oder vergleichbarem.

  Das abgebildete Set gab es günstig im Laden und nachdem ich den Kauf bisher immer verschoben hatte (”ach, brauch ich nicht wirklich”, “einmal gespielt und liegt dann in der Ecke”, “kostet nur Geld und bringt nix”, “hmm, nen HeliSimu fürn PC wäre auch fein…was kostn nen USB-Controller?”, etc.), hab ich mir dann heute gedacht: WTH? Nich lang schnacken…einfach mal kaufen und wenn scheisse dann halt Pech gehabt.

  Dass wir uns nicht falsch verstehen: so ein Billighubschrauber mit 2 (3-) Kanalsteuerung kann natürlich nur hoch- und runterfliegen, sich schön im Kreis drehen bzw. gegenlenken und mit etwas Glück und bißchen Einstellungsgeschick zum Geradeausflug bewegt werden. Der Flug nach vorne interessiert mich aber gar nicht so – vielmehr das Schweben auf einer Stelle. Und das kann auch dieses Gerät (mit etwas Übung und Ausrichtung des Heckrotors).

  Für dieses Kombiset aus Hubschrauber und Flieger hatte ich mich eigentlich entschieden, weil der Flieger im Gegensatz zum Heli mit einer Funkfernsteuerung ausgestattet ist und ich diese noch für ein weiteres Projekt verwenden kann.

  Als Kind wollte ich immer ein ferngesteuertes Flugzeug haben, aber damals waren diese Bausätze noch ziemlich teuer. Erst seitdem es diese günstigen Fertigmodelle gibt (an denen man auch relativ wenig einstellen kann – was gut und zugleich auch schlecht ist), ist das Ganze erschwinglicher da populärer geworden.

  Trotz des schlechten Gewissens, mit dem Kauf dieses Spielzeugs wieder Sondermüll Made in China gefördert zu haben, ist so ein Gerät die perfekte Entspannung für Zwischendurch.

  
  

• Wapi? (part 16)

  Posted: June 14, 2009, 2:42 am by jke

  Not a question of the location, but rather: from which movie is this?

  
  

• The Angiological Weekend

  Posted: June 10, 2009, 11:14 pm by jke

  Just when I thought that nothing could stop us from a well-deserved vacation, visiting some dear friends in London – a journey we had anticipated for a long time – parts of my body revolted and sent me to hospital on Sato evening.

  Diagnosis: a spontaneous venous thrombosis on the left leg, partly inherited from my family, partly due to sítting too much time in front of my computer.

  So I spent the best part of the week enjoying this view:

  ..or taking snapshots like this one:

  This is actually where I was waiting for gastroscopy where this woman next to me asked the doctor for colonoscopy, telling him that she had too much anal intercourcse lately. Well….

  Staying in hospital is ok – at least you’re provided with free food and I didn’t have to pay for anything. Now compare that with hospitals in Kenya and you know what’s better about Germany. Really, the health care system may be far from perfect, but it is better than in other countries.

  Eventually, I was given these tights which are really *tight* but also help putting some external pressure on the veins.

  The irony is that they’re selling this colour as flesh tone. It’s the moment where your mind goes: WTF?!?!?! U guys can’t be siriiiaaaas?!

  But they are. These tights also available in black or white – and I will order a black pair asap. Will have to wear these for at least 6 months, probably even longer. Yes, I know, many women have been wearing such special tights for the last 30 years or so, but I am a man and just not used to such special underwear. It could be worse.

  One reason for blogging all this is to remind you not to spend too much time seated (this also happens during long flights, btw!) – or else a thrombosis is what may follow. They do all kind of tests with you to exclude a tumor (which may be another cause for a thrombosis) and that ain’t nice.

  The other reason is that the Angiological department at the Uniklinik Frankfurt shares the same building with the Infectological dept – where all HIV-patients are treated. You end sharing the place with other patients who are about 1/2 of my weight and who probably won’t survive another month. Makes you appreciate life.

  Another positive aspect of all this is that your body is checked upside down – so it’s good to know (that) the rest is all well!

  
  

• Google Squared

  Posted: June 5, 2009, 5:06 am by jke

  I am starting to like Google Squared.

  
  

• Kweli Sukari ya Tana ni Tamu?

  Posted: June 2, 2009, 12:01 am by jke

  In reference to this story on the ongoing Tana River delta issue in Kenya (shared by Afromusing on FB earlier today), let me pls also forward you to this website & this excellent series of video clips on this pressing issue. The following video clip is part no. 3 out of 14 where Paul Matiku (Director of Nature Kenya) tells us something about the consequences of the proposed plantations in the Tana Delta:

  Is Tana’s Sugar Really Sweet? – part 3 (Video by Adrian Seymour on Vimeo).

  “Kweli Sukari ya Tana ni Tamu?” – Is Tana’s Sugar Really Sweet? – I guess we already know the answer to this rhetorical question…

  
  

• Corporate Identity 2.0

  Posted: May 26, 2009, 9:33 pm by jke

  Poa? :-)

  I am a polo shirt guy and it took me some time to get this embroided on a black and a blue polo shirt. But if you’re more into T-Shirts and live in the US, this shop may be what you’re looking for.

  
  

• those moments

  Posted: May 23, 2009, 9:59 pm by jke

  Coke light for her.

  A salad made out of parsley, lovage, coriander and fresh white cheese for me.

  Bread.

  A huge Kikoi blanket from the shores of Lake Naivasha.

  Sunshine.

  
  

• DIY is better

  Posted: May 20, 2009, 4:31 am by jke

  Really.

  I was a need of a new sheath for my cards & papers as the old one was a bit worn out after a few years with daily use:

  Green canvas is from Kenya, btw.

  So I bought this leather wallet today for EUR 25,-

  …which doesn’t work for me. One of the reasons I’d come up with my own sheath/wallet is that I only put my cards & papers in there and keep the money somewhere else. So it has to be as slim as possible – which isn’t the case with the new sheath.

  After trying the new leather sheath for a minute, I quickly decided to make a new one, similar to the old one. Never change a running system.

  Costs: 0,- EUR

  old, new & soon-to-be-returned, new + the pile of cards that have to fit in there.

  One of the reasons for using this special material is that it actually looks so strange that no one will really want to steal it.

  
  

• pls enjoy

  Posted: May 10, 2009, 5:34 am by jke

  [via]

  (i love tumblr blogs)

  
  

• News/Death ratio

  Posted: May 9, 2009, 4:50 pm by jke

  I’ve started sharing links to videos and other interesting stuff on Facebook, Twitter and/or Delicious.com and often only use my blog for my own content (partly because I actually dislike reblogging someone else’s content), BUT! Daktari Hans Rosling of gapminder.org is a smart man with an important message:

  I sometimes wish proper sanitation would have the same media attention.

  
  

• How many parts are inside?

  Posted: May 9, 2009, 6:22 am by jke

  Ever wondered what an opened 2.5″ hard disk drive looks like?

  Now you know.

  This is what happens when you trust that buying a used 60GB 2.5″ HDD will “be enough” to secure your important data.

  It failed to work after a year, gave me some headache the other day (managed to recover 99,5% of my data) and has now received its final treatment.

  
  

• EntwicklungslanDE

  Posted: May 2, 2009, 3:29 am by jke

  Bitte lesen. Danke.

  Aus einem Kommentar:

  “In einer Gesellschaft, in der Unternehmertum gesellschaftlich mindestens genauso hoch angesehen ist wie Bildung und intellektueller Erfolg, werden vorrangig die Chancen des Internets gesehen (USA, Schweden).

  In einer Gesellschaft, in der klassische Bildung das Maß aller Dinge ist und einem Ansehen und Einfluss garantiert, werden vorrangig die negativen Aspekte des Webs hervorgehoben. Wie in Deutschland.”

  Genau das denke ich nämlich auch.

  [via facebook, btw - h/t Cedric & Silke]

  
  

• my take on AfricaGathering in London

  Posted: April 27, 2009, 4:52 am by jke

  I’ve just returned home from London where I’d been attending AfricaGathering on Saturday 25 April 2009 which was held at Birkbeck College, University of London. A perfectly organised event (by Ed Scotcher & many helpful volunteers - thx!), the Gathering turned out to be quite a success, especially as it eventually provided me with the opportunity to meet some of my AfriMates in real life.

  Kudos also go out to Karola Riegler who took lots of photos throughout the day and to @RedZola & @MatthewNcube who both helped me trying to get online as the University’s WiFi didn’t work out for me.

  So instead of providing you with a summary of all talks (I also presented some slides on AfriGadget and couldn’t do any liveblogging), let me just forward you to the following blogs that already did an excellent job of blogging on the event:

  • ICT4D.at - Africa Gathering: Talk 1 summary
  • ICT4D.at - Africa Gathering: Talk 2 summary
  • ICT4D.at - Africa Gathering: Talk 3 summary
  • ICT4D.at - Africa Gathering: Talk 4 summary
  • ICT4D.at - Africa Gathering: panel discussion
  • Karola Riegler’s Flickr Photoset on AfricaGathering
  • Africa Gathering: The Recap
  • What can Africa teach the World about Technology?

  There may be even more interesting posts on AfricaGathering. It also helps to do a Twitter and/or Flickr search on #africagathering to catch some additional links (Twitter Search is a gold mine for anyone interested in ppl and their opinions).

  Ed also filmed the event and promised to upload some talks to Vimeo this coming week - so let’s stay tuned for an update. Filming such an event is really sustainable and helps those who couldn’t make it to London in time. Teddy of ProjectDiaspora.org was also supposed to attend the panel discussion, but stupid visa regulations killed this endeavour.

  Some attendees already met on Friday evening for great Ethiopian food at Lalibela Ethiopian Restaurant - including David McQueen and Sokari Ekine. It was very nice to eventually say hello to Sokari, who I’d been spamming with links via delicious.com for the past few months. Eh, Sokari - we will be back to London in June!

  There have been so many inspiring conversations and shared ideas during this AfricaGathering that it would seem to be unfair to pick out a few selected ones -so I will only add a few words to my own presentation. I also need to work on my presentation style as I am bit too nervous on stage, often speaking too fast or having too many details on my mind that I want to include and then miss out. It was a great opportunity though to present our work and I am also quite passionate about it. Oh, and pls ignore that extra slide on a Liverpool flag as seen in a pub in Garissa the other day - unless of course you are like Ken of Kiwanja.net, whose pic on mobile pay phones we’ve used on one of the slides. :-)

  My presentation on AfriGadget on behalf of the whole AfriGadget team (remember, it’s a group blog and everyone is invited to contribute and share interesting AfriGadgets - even you!) wasn’t primarily focused at displaying interesting or funny AfriGadgets even though I introduced it by saying that “we are not here to help anyone, we only do this for fun”.

  My message between the lines rather was that there’s still so much undiscovered potential on the continent that needs to be commercialised (I hope I got this message across?). AfriGadget is just the vehicle to showcase that there are innovative solutions that work on a local level.

  There’s a new generation of young & skilled workers who grew up with mobile phones & an understanding of how technology works. Skilled IT workers who can already take over programming jobs and develope their own tools.

  Of course, IT isn’t the only sector and there are other sectors that will benefit from a new perspective on development in Africa. I, for one, believe that the upcoming sea cable(s) - which will help providing better broadband internet access to many African countries - will also help in providing some incentives for the younger generation to stay in rural areas. The internet has changed the way we live and work - I am also working as a consultant from my home office. Consequently, this progress in the IT sector could hopefully also influence other sectors.

  Ecological sanitation concepts, for example, currently work best in rural areas. And with an increasing urbanisation, things are only getting worse. As long as we (humans) do not come up with sustainable cities and (much) more urban agriculture (as a way to provide real livelihood for everyone), there will be a need to “upgrade” rural areas and create markets in such areas. Better internet connectivity and the provision of sustainable power supplies is a way forward as it helps ppl to go about their business.

  Business, or the consumer orientation, is my 2nd point on the AG presentation. I think that commercialism has for a long time been undererstimated in the African context. We need to return to free markets and an understanding that people knew how to trade goods (and make a living out of it!) a long time before outsiders occupied SubSaharan Africa and introduced new cultural values.

  And by mentioning commerce, I am not talking about dealers in a small village who are ALL selling the same product (like the one pictured above where everyone sells rice), but instead a healthy trade of locally produced goods and services and much more diversity.

  Someone from the audience asked if ppl would also be this inventive if they weren’t that poor and could afford to buy “better” products. It’s a tricky question because in reality it’s often not a question of being rich or poor, but rather the availability of affordable solutions. If you just can not buy enough welding machines that are required in the metal business and also won’t get a credit because you are not credit-worthy or because there’s no serious bank around, then you have to look for alternative solutions and make do with what is available. If the problem could be solved by being rich and just importing a welding machine from let’s say a Chinese manufacturer, the African economy wouldn’t benefit as much as when these machines are produced locally. As a consequence of that, ppl are instinctively doing the right thing by developing their own solutions and providing business opportunities for a local market. It’s a natural process that may not be that visible, or maybe even condemned by those who still believe that superior products have to come from the outside.

  This btw also happened in Zimbabwe some time ago when local supply of sanitary towels was limited and women (not men) had to come up with their own solutions, e.g. using natural materials. Now, from a technical (process engineering) point of view, it’s much easier to treat natural (biodegradable) products than plastics - at least when it comes to the stuff ppl are flushing down their toilets. So these alternative sanitary towels may not be as convenient as those from the supermarket, but they are available and affordable. By the end of the day, products that work for customers will prevail. Everything else is just luxury and filed under “nice-to-have”.

  Alasdair Munn also put it nicely on his blog:

  “Technology solutions coming out of Africa are built with purpose, against objectives and within the boundaries of their resources. It is a solutions based approach. It is also a stripped down approach where only the relevant resources and tools are used. Simple works because less can go wrong and if it does go wrong, simple is easier to fix. There is a shift in the way tools and technologies are looked at.”

  I believe that there’s no master plan for development in Africa, and even less a need for a well-meant guideline from the outside. There’s no one-way solution and this AfricaGathering certainly wasn’t meant to look for solutions “on how to help” etc. etc.. People in need know how to help themselves as most governments on this planet only exist to set a legal framework. We, the people, have to bring the change we want and so it was a valuable opportunity to team up with other like-minded folks during AfricaGathering who have understood that less help and more business may be an interesting alternative for a better way forward.

  AOB: I spent less than 48h in London and met enough people to whom I was introduced as “Kikuyumoja”. It still amazes me that ppl know about this blog.

  
  

• Powaa Laini

  Posted: April 19, 2009, 5:17 am by jke

  I never thought this would actually work. But it does.

  We currently share a room in this row/town house, right under the roof. The DSL modem that connects this house to the internet is in the basement, and I have in the past used this Edimax router as a repeater for the wireless signal (not WDS-mode!) so that we could also enjoy the connectivity to the internet with our computers upstairs (see fig.01):

  There are two floors in between the basement and our “penthouse” flat and the wireless signal would often fail to work, even though the data rate was quite good on the repeater. I think there is a microwave somewhere near our repeater and the base station in the neighbouring house which just jams the signal quality. Both the DSL modem-router-wlan-ap and the repeater upstairs had been tuned with 4dB antennas.

  Wireless networks unfortunately tend to have the nasty habbit of interfering each other, especially if there isn’t enough “space” on the frequency range. And then, also, most of these conventional (= IEEE 802.11) wireless networks are still to fragile to deliver consistent data rates. By the time I set this network up in late 2007, most of our neighbours still didn’t have their own WLANetwork, but today most of them have do so it was about time for a change.

  I had read about these “HomePlugs” - the “industry trade group for power line communication” which is a technology that connects LAN devices to each other through the power lines in a home. The manufacturers of these devices claim that it will only work on the same (electrical) phase, and since this house also has an electrical heating system and a second fuse box under the roof (next to the one in the basement), I initially thought it wouldn’t work. But it does!

  Fig.02 shows the current setup using two HomePlugs I’ve bought earlier this week. There are different manufacturers selling kits with two such plugs - mine was relatively cheap - an “MSI ePower 85 Kit Version II“. MSI claims this device to deliver up to 85 Mbps in optimal conditions but the actual rate is around 30 Mbps which is perfectly fine with me as our DSLine currently is around 8Mbps only. It’s also said to have 56bit DES encryption and you can also give it its own network name. The best part is the installation: Just open the box, take a plug and connect a LAN cable to it and the other end of the cable into your LAN device (here: the DSL modem router) and plug it into the next socket (I’ve even used an extension cable which shouldn’t be done but it still works). I then plugged in the other plug to a wall socket upstairs and connected it to an 8-port 10/100 switch which distributes the signal to all four computers as well as a VoIP phone and an HP OfficeJet 7210 network printer. This MSI ePower Kit comes with utility software to set extra parameters such as a network name or the password (which unfortunately only runs on Windows systems), but you won’t have to adjust anything. Just plug it in and you’re done!

  I was a bit sceptical if this would work out due to the additional power network in this house + possible intereferences that would spoil the reception of shortware radio (many radio hams actually hate this technology), but it just works like a charm and even my radioscanner hasn’t complained yet.

  For anyone who’s been having problems with a wireless network - if the voltage is more or less stable (= probably not in Kenya?), I’d recommend these HomePlug/powerline devices as the perfect alternative to having (longer) LAN cables from one room to the other or even an unstable wireless connection.

  AOB: I’ve once again changed the Feedburner link to my RSS-feed which should now be: [feeds2.feedburner.com] . To subscribe to my feed, pls use this new link by either saving it on your RSS reader, or alternatively click on the “subscribe me, baby!” on the top row of this page. Thank you. (thx, @Czed !)

  
  

• Twitter is better with Gravity

  Posted: March 30, 2009, 6:31 pm by jke

  If you own a recent Nokia phone with the Symbian S60 operating system (S60v3, S60v5) and are using the microblogging services Twitter or Laconia, you may be interested in using a new Twitter client for the phone:

  Gravity

  Gravity v1.00 is the first fully-featured and native Twitter client for the S60 platform. It supports multiple accounts, Twitter Search, Laconica, TwitPic and wraps everything into a gorgeous looking interface.

  • Compatible with Twitter and Laconica
  • All functions available on your S60 phone: tweet, reply, DM, follow & unfollow, create favourites, search, auto-update and many more …
  • Tabbed view of your Timeline, Replies, Messages, Friends, …
  • Setup and use as many accounts as you want at the same time
  • Twitter-Search section with multiple search tabs and Twitter Trends
  • Post pictures via TwitPic
  • Open URLs from any Tweet
  • Kinetic scrolling on S60v5 ( Nokia 5800 and Nokia N97 )
  • Theme support on S60v3 ( fixed dark and bright theme )
    (source)

  The only downside to this software is that it may create too much traffic whereas the alternative - Twibble (which I’d also used since its first day as a public release) - seems to generate less traffic.

  I’m on a 1GB flat for my phone, which means I can generate 1GB in traffic via the phone and only pay 9,90 EUR / month. I actually don’t need 1GB at the moment because we also have DSL here, but it makes sense if you happen to download more than 41 MB / month (9,90€ / 0,24€/MB = 41,25 MB) + it isn’t limited to a proxy server, special online pages or other crazy limitations. And DSL sometimes fails, so it’s a good fall back option.

  Creating a sceenshot of Gravity is a bit complicated as the Shift (Pencil) key on the phone (which is used in combination with the middle joystick button) also triggers the input form for new tweets on Gravity:

  The beautiful part is that you can really SCROLL between tweets like you would do on an iPhone - bila the touchscreen on my N95 though..

  And another good part is that it’s now much easier to insert images on your tweets (Twibble also has this but isn’t as comfy to use).

  Gravity comes with a 10day demo version and I instantly (!) registered it after using it for only 2 minutes. Now, you’d have to know for yourself if you’re willing to cough up ~ 10,- € (in Germany - sijui why they are adding VAT on shareit.com for other countries) for an otherwise free and time consuming service such as Twitter, but then, again, there are other - much more useless - applications for the iPhone ppl are willing to spend money on and also: there are only a few really good applications for Symbian devices. Gravity is one of them.

  You’ll also need to access the download page for the registered version via a normal computer as the phone’s internal S60 browser is having problems identifying the .sisx format. Jan, the developer behind Gravity, also mentioned that he’ll be working on some bugfixes now, so maybe there’s a way to include this as well (refers to the purchase of the software directly from a phone. Update routines are just flawless!).

  Verdict: If you’ve been on Twibble before, you’ll LOVE Gravity. Highly recommended application.

  —–

  UPDATE: After some recent updates (currently 1.1x), Gravity also has the following additional features:

  • Configurable Audio Alerts for Timeline/Replies/DM’s
  • Group support for creating custom tabs with user-defined filters (S60v3)
  • Post pictures to MobyPicture and TwitPic
  • Preview pictures from MobyPicture or TwitPic
  • Full-Screen mode on S60v3
  • Built-in auto-update function and beta access for testing the latest features

  And while I think that Gravity is the best application I’ve ever bought for a phone, I’d like to add two remarks:

  • There should be a cheaper version of Gravity as not everyone out there is able to cough up 9,95 € on a mobile app - and sometimes it’s technical reasons as to why a prog like Gravity is only successful in developed countries: how would you pay for this app from e.g. Kenya (where there is money but no payment system such as Paypal?). And how about a sponsored (& localized) version with fixed banners? Would it make sense? And what would ppl be willing to spend on an app (in other countries than Germany)?
  • There should be a mobile WordPress editor that’s just as easy to use as Gravity. After all these years of using WordPress for blogs and mobile phones, I’ve often called for better mobile blog editors and tested quite a few on this blog. Twitter indeed already is some sort of microblogging, BUT! it would be great if there also was an easy-to-use editor tool on the phone which could provide true mobile blogging.

  
  

• Tangawizilicious

  Posted: March 17, 2009, 10:02 pm by jke

  What’s better than a Netbook and a bottle of Stoney Tangawizi?

  2 Netbooks and a bottle of Tangawizi.

  Life is good to me these days as I not only managed to buy these two netbooks 2nd hand for a very good price, but also because there are people like my good friend Harry who sent me this bottle of Stoney Tangawizi and a bag full of Biltong (which isn’t pictured here as I’d finished it within 24h…ahem… :-). Asante sana, Harry!

  The Asus eee PC 1000HGo pictured on the right is an upgrade to the eee PC 901 on the left which comes with:

  • a 10″ display instead of 8,9″
  • the same (!) battery rated at 7.3V (some 1000H have a 7.4V battery)
  • WLAN b/g instead of b/g/n
  • UMTS 3G modem (hence the missing n-draft on the WLAN)
  • a better keyboard (I’ve used aluminium foil underneath both keyboards to cushion the pressure point). keyboard is n#1 reason for this change.
  • 1,45kg instead of 1,1kg (same 200gr power supply though)
  • 160GB Seagate SATA HDD instead of the combined 4+8 = 12GB relatively slow (MLC) SSD on the 901

  The rest is pretty much the same, even the pcb layout is quite similar. Only thing that bugs me about the 1000HGO is that it has a blue-ish screen. The settings for the WinXP Intel gfx driver do not provide too much flexibility and I guess it’s just a bad display. Other 1000H owner also reported this issue. The screen on the 901 ain’t blue and far from perfect, but it’s much better and crispier. There also IS a difference between the 8,9″ and 10″ screen size - the 10″ being easier to the eyes. That weight difference isn’t much of a problem to me because I carry it in my messenger bag anyways but it would be if you are a woman and need a small netbook to carry in your handbag.

  So…in spite of the display issue, the 1000HGO is just so much better to handle. And with the internal 3G modem (SIM card holder is underneath the battery) it’s really just plug & play - either on WinXP or Linux. Now that’s really great!

  I am currently using a dedicated 02/Fonic SIM card (which is 2,50€ for unlimited traffic /d) for when I am on the road and network coverage could be a bit better on that one. I am in direct optical line of sight to our local base station and have since been wondering why reception is only around 40%. So I opened it up and realized that it only has one antenna connected to it (which is in fact located above the display, next to the WLAN antenna).

  I already ordered a cheap internal WLAN antenna which I am planing to connect to the AUX ULF connector next to the already existing MAIN connector (as pictured, unplugged). Am quite curious if this improves reception on 3G.

  Being able to surf from just about anywhere (where there is no WIFI/WLAN but only 3G - like @ GTZ ecosan office in Eschborn) is just AWWWW……very very connvenient. Sure, you could use the 3G modem on your phone but this way it’s much easier. Only advantage of the phone is that you can place a phone next to a window and hook it up via Bluetooth. So if you are in areas with poor 3G / UMTS coverage and have a 3G-capable phone, just try it this way. The internal 3G modem is great but it isn’t reason enough to spend 100,- EUR (!) extra on a 1000HGO if instead you could also go for a 1000H. I got mine for the same price though, so I happily agreed on giving up support for the n-draft WLAN and get a 3G modem instead.

  Oh, look - it’s a fingerprint inside the casing! :-)

  The aluminium foil mod underneath the keyboard (here on the 901). Highly recommended, also because the CPU doesnt “transpire” through the keyboard but only dissipates the heat. I’d even recommend this mod to Toshiba owners.

  The 901 btw “walked away” to another member of the extended family - a development that beautifully justifies the purchase of the 1000HGO. :-)

  
  

• swizzled and swazzled

  Posted: March 17, 2009, 2:53 am by jke

  ..fo shazzle, ma nazzle!

  There are a lot of things I just can not relate to as I grew up with this - instead of the following:

  …but it’s  also kinda cute.  And smart.

  [via]

  
  

• Wrong, Johnson, Moyo - eine Auswahl

  Posted: March 6, 2009, 7:06 pm by jke

  Ein Artikel online über Demenz brachte mich auf Umwegen zu Tilman Jens, der ein sehr streitbares Buch über …. den Umgang mit seinem Vater, Walter Jens , geschrieben hat.

  Überhaupt, dass ein 54jähriger Mann immer wieder als “Sohn von…” eingeleitet wird, wäre dann schon Grund genug, sich noch zu Lebzeiten zu differenzieren. Aber so?

  Das Thema Alzheimer haben wir in der eigenen Familie von Anfang bis Ende durchlebt und nachdem der Spuk jetzt endlich vorbei ist, frage ich mich immer wieder: was bleibt?

  Was bleibt - außer der Erinnerung, der Liebe, den Verbindungen - vom Intellekt, vom Schaffen zurück?

  Menschen sind wie Bäume. Je älter sie werden, desto mehr Jahresringe bekommen sie und können besser verwertet werden. Spenden sie zu Lebzeiten Schatten und Schutz, können aus ihren Stämmen später lange und breite Bretter gesägt werden. Je mehr ein Baum erLebt, desto ergiebiger lässt sich davon profitieren.

  Leider stimmt der Vegleich an dieser Stelle nicht mehr, denn Krankheiten wie Alzheimer oder Parkinson befallen Menschen wie ein Pilz, der die Substanz verändert und genau dort ansetzt, wo es am meisten schmerzt. Aus brauchbar wird unbrauchbar.

  Eine ähnliche Frage stelle ich mir immer wieder bei Online Publikationen, die oft weniger breit und nachhaltig irgendwo im weiten Datennetz erscheinen und ob der Fülle an Informationen im Datennirwana untergehen.

  Dieser Blogpost könnte auch ganz anders betitelt werden und ich könnte vielleicht von Anfang an hervorheben, dass ich mich viel lieber mit der Bedeutung von Onlineveröffentlichungen vs. Büchern beschäftigen würde.

  Allein, ich vermag es in seiner Gänze nicht zu erfassen, gar zu überblicken, daher beschränke ich mich auf simple Fragen und stelle im Folgenden drei Bücher vor, die jetzt dank Amazon den Weg auf meinen Schreibtisch gefunden haben und sich elegant an der sonstigen Pflichtlektüre vorbeimogeln.

  Die Pflichtlektüre besteht zur Zeit übrigens aus wissenschaftlichen Publikationen zum Thema Abwasserbehandlung in Entwicklungsländern, was zwar technisch überaus interessant ist, aber eben nicht faszinieren vermag - ganz im Gegensatz zu Gegenwartsliteratur über den afrikanischen Kontinent.

  Eines aber noch vorweg: wenn wir in Zeiten einer WebCiety den Wechsel hin zu einer sich-ins-Netz-verlagernden-Gesellschaft bemerken, in der die Kommunikation miteinander an erster Stelle steht, stelle ich mir zwangläufig immer wieder die Frage: welchen Stellenwert haben Bücher (gedruckt, auf Papier) im 21. Jahrhundert?

  Und: wer soll das alles lesen (?)…. in einer Zeit, in der die Aufmerksamkeitsspanne von Jugendlichen durch MTV und YouTube gerade einmal gefühlte 10 Minuten beträgt und wenn Informationen nicht mehr in kleinen Häppchen oder gar in Linkform präsentiert werden?

  Wenn wir weiterhin davon ausgehen, dass sich moderne e-Book Reader (wie Amazons Kindle und kostengünstige Einsteigercomputer wie Netbooks als alternative e-Book reader) durchsetzen werden (oder gar Handyromane, wie in Japan schon sehr populär), wie werden diese Inhalte (und nur darum geht es eigentlich) mit dem neuen Konsumverhalten vernetzt? Werden unsere Kinder das Buch als solches wahrnehmen und konsumieren, oder eher als Teil des Wissens in einer virtuellen Bibliothek abspeichern? Und wie werden sie damit umgehen?

  Alles Fragen, die mich immer wieder beschäftigen und die micht jetzt trotzdem nicht vom Kauf der folgenden Exemplare abgehalten haben:

  Michaela Wrong: “It’s our turn to eat - the story of a Kenyan whistle blower”

  Über John Githongo und seinen Kampf gegen die kenianische Korruption. Aufgeschrieben von Michaela Wrong, die ihn seinerzeit in seinem selbstgewählten Exil in England aufnahm. Michaela Wrongs Buch über Mobutu wurde schon gierig verschlungen und liest sich gut, ähnliches erwarte ich daher auch von diesem Werk, das die (größtenteils schon bekannten) Verstrickungen kenianischer Politiker in Korruptionsskandale beschreibt .

  Dieses Buch wird in Kenia zur Zeit wohl nur unterm Ladentisch verkauft und dürfte sich zu einem Beststeller entwickeln, denn - anders als der Verfall Kongos - handelt es sich bei Kenia um eines der reichsten Länder Afrikas. Freilich hat Kenia nicht die Bodenschätze, wie sie Botswana oder der Kongo (DRC) aufweisen können. Seinen Reichtum zieht es vielmehr aus der geopolitisch günstigen Lage am Indischen Ozean (Hafen, Tourismus), den vielen Exilkenianern im Ausland (die für einen informellen Geldfluss sorgen) und vielleicht auch noch aus der Agrarwirtschaft (Kaffee, Tee, Blumen). Und während viele Ministerien immer noch vom Geldsegen der EU abhängen, die gelegentlich ein paar Pickups als Projektautos finanzieren, verfügen viele kenianische Politiker über ein sehr gutes Einkommen, das im sehr krassen Verhältnis zu ihren eigenen Leistungen, aber vor allem dem Durchschnittseinkommen im Lande steht.

  Korruption als solche mag für viele als Ausgleichssystem für die vielen Ungerechtigkeiten in der Volkswirtschaft verstanden werden. Tatsächlich jedoch ist sie wie ein Pilz, der ein gesundes System zerstört und unbrauchbar werden lässt.

  Die wirkliche Kernaussage dieses Buches scheint aber zu sein, dass das korrupte System vom scheinbar eigenen Mann aufgedeckt worden ist, der als Vertreter einer neuen Generation mit anderen Werten und Idealen aufgewachsen ist. Was wir hier sehen, ist der ungerechte Kampf zwischen den alten Männern eines über die Jahre gewachsenen profitablen Systems und einzelnen Vertretern wie John Githongo, die über einen viel moderneren Erfahrungshorizont verfügen.

  Wäre ich ein bißchen Deutscher und älter - vielleicht so wie Tilman Jens - würde ich es vielleicht mit den Identifikationsproblemenen der 1968/1978er Generation im Nachkriegsdeutschland vergleichen. Interessant dabei: die wirklichen Auswirkungen erkennen wir oft erst an der folgenden Generation.

  Dominic Johnson “Kongo: Kriege, Korruption und die Kunst des Überlebens”

  Dominic Johnson ist mir als Afrika Korrespondent der taz bekannt, dessen Artikel seinerzeit mit einer der Gründe für mein taz-Abo waren.

  Ich war noch nie im Kongo, jedoch steht die Region auf meiner Reiseliste ganz weit oben. Aufmerksame Leser meines Blogs wissen sicherlich, dass ich hier schon den einen oder anderen Artikel mit Inhalten zum Kongo (als Region, nicht nur DRC) veröffentlich habe. Kurzum: für mich ein überaus vielversprechendes Buch, in dem ich vielleicht auch meine Vermutung wiederfinden werde, dass sich die “Demokratische Republik Kongo” in den nächsten Jahren in Einzelstaaten aufteilen wird. Der Kongo ist die für mich zur Zeit spannendste Region Afrikas.

  “Die Kunst des Überlebens” - ja. Trefflicher kann man es wohl nicht beschreiben.

  Dambisa Moyo: “Dead Aid - Destroying the biggest global myth of our time”

  Ein Buch im Stil von Prof George Ayitteys “Africa Unchained - The Blueprint for Africa’s Future”, das die “Ablasszahlungen” des Westens an Afrika beschreibt und einen neuen Weg aufzeigen möchte, der wirkliche Entwicklung in Afrika ermöglichen soll.

  Da ich auch in dieser aufgeklärten Zeit immer wieder auf Zeitgenossen stoße, die ein komplett falsches Bild vom afrikanischen Kontinent und dem riesigen Potential haben, ist es umso wichtiger, Vertreter neuer Theorien zu entdecken, die - wissenschaftlich fundiert - eine eigene Lösung aus der Misere beschreiben und idealerweise auch noch über die nötige berufliche Erfahrung verfügen, die ihre Glaubwürdigkeit untermauert.

  In Dead Aid, Dambisa Moyo describes the state of postwar development policy in Africa today and unflinchingly confronts one of the greatest myths of our time: that billions of dollars in aid sent from wealthy countries to developing African nations has helped to reduce poverty and increase growth. (Quelle)

  Dambisa wurde letztens auch von der BBC im HardTalk interviewt und ich habe sie vorhin via Twitter auf das Africa Gathering Ende April in London hingewiesen. Mal schauen was draus wird…Sie kann nicht, ist auf Lesereise in den USA.

  The silver lining der hier vorgestellten Werke ist für mich ganz klar die Erkenntnis, dass es Veränderungen in Afrika nur durch eine neue Generation geben kann, die - aufgewachsen mit traditionellen Verhaltensmustern und typischen US-amerikanischen SitComs wie dem Fresh Prince of BelAir - ihren eigenen Weg finden muss.

  UPDATE: Fünf Wochen nach VÖ dieses Beitrags ist in der FAZ ein Interview zu Dambisa Moyos Buch erschienen. Und jetzt hat sie sogar wohl noch im Vortrag bei der Weltbank überzeugt. Wer sich auch nur ein bißchen mit Afrika beschäftigt, sollte dieses Buch unbedingt lesen - kann es wärmstens empfehlen. Weniger um einen möglichen Lösungsweg aufgezeigt zu bekommen, als vielmehr die moderne Einstellung des neuen Afrikas zu verstehen.

  
  

• CBD comfort

  Posted: March 2, 2009, 12:47 am by jke

  How much would you spend on having the ability to take a shower in the Central Business District?

  I was just going through Ken Banks’ flickr stream when I stumbled upon these two mobile recharging stations which I had seen earlier (it’s up since ~2 years) but only now I just realized that SOMEONE urgently needs to convert this into an AfriGadget/-Biashara and combine it with lockers for e.g. shoes and other facilities.

  (source: Ken Banks, kiwanja.net)

  Those of you who have been to cities like Nairobi know that a lot of people actually carry two pairs of shoes around - one for the road and one for the office. While working in Nbo, I often wondered why there are almost no public lockers available downtown that could be rented and used by commuters to deposit stuff they usually carry to the city on a daily basis for the lack of secure alternatives. Yes, there are some alternatives available, but these are(afaik) often only connected to supermarkets which means no 24h/7/365 availability of such services.

  While these mobile recharging towers may work in the UK or the US in such secured places (like airports), I am wondering if this would also work in Nairobi if someone invests some money on a mobile charging cubicle with extra lockers for shoes and other office clothes, maybe also additionally secured by a watchman or someone running a kiosk.

  What would it require? And how much would it cost? And what kind of licences would it require from the local institutions?

  For some reasons, David Kuria’s ecotact.org website is unfortunately offline right now (so I can’t really show you what I am talking about), but it would be nice to have much more Ikotoilets all over Nairobi. While I believe that ecological sanitation projects always require a demand for fertilizers from farmers in semi-urban areas, the Ikotoilet as a 50% ecosan toilet could be one of those ideal locations for such storage facilities.

  After all, it’s nice that consumers can buy airtime credit almost everywhere in the country, but there are hardly any places - even in cities - where one can take a shower after work, have a decent nature’s call or even use extra services like such lockers and mobile chargers.

  There obviously is a great demand for such services / facilities - but how much would you be willing to spend on it as a customer and what’s the ROI rate for potential investors? I hope to find some answers to these questions one day…

  
  

• Luxury

  Posted: March 2, 2009, 8:33 pm by jke

  Lindt easter bunnies made of chocolate and already on sale although it’s still some weeks till Easter.

  They btw started selling Xmas cookies as early as September last year.

  Scary.

  Leek Flower Paste. I still haven’t figured how to use this on food (@KPT - weißt Du es?) but it was really cheap so I HAD to buy it. Looks interesting.

  Daifuku Mochi. I love these little sticky rice cakes and so often forget about buying them when buying food @ the Asian supermarket. The ones pictured were a little bit salty though - coming from Korea…

  Sushi rolls for a hefty price in Frankfurt downtown. I love Japanese food but not when it’s that expensive + most of these rolls are filled with vegetable and other special combinations for the European market.

  This new mall opened in Frankfurt downtown - the picture above is from Thursday last week when it opened. People stormed it until late in the evening like there’s no tomorrow. I haven’t been inside yet because - after all - it’s just another mall. Tapio was there and did a video on it.

  Very interesting architecture. It’s also very impressive to see what modern reinforced concrete construction is capable of - such thin walls and floors, statically interesting (for an engineer, at least).

  
  

• Netbooks = AfriGadget

  Posted: February 26, 2009, 12:50 am by jke

  Over at AfriGadget, we usually call something an AfriGadget if it is a DIY solution to a problem or situation to which there just isn’t any ready-made solution available.

  In places where you just can’t go to the next hardware store and buy a ready-made solution, an AfriGadget is such an attempt for a working alternative.

  I would even go as far as saying that Germany, for instance, is a very modular country (with many regulations & technical norms) and consequently offers many ready-made solutions that can just be purchased and instantly used. Spare parts for cars, houses, technical equipment - you name it, there’s a norm on it and a place where you can buy it.

  Erik of WhiteAfrican recently argued that “If it Works in Africa, It will Work Anywhere”.

  You may or may not agree with this provocative thesis, but it also shows that we are still consuming many products in the “developed” countries which were actually made for our consumer behaviour. And these things are also exported to Africa.

  Anyone in the diaspora who has ever exported his older laptop for members of the extended family back home also knows that it may probably be broken once he/she returns during the next holiday.

  Most conventional laptops are just too fragile to withstand the heat, dust, unstable power supply, malware and other threats the relatively rough life on “the dark continent” has to offer. And battery runtime with an average of max. 2h is often below par.

  Netbooks are different.

  Netbooks are simple, often light-weight small computers with a simple (but modern) CPU, enough RAM, a harddisk, a small screen (7″-10″), 2-3 USB ports, a sound card, WLAN connection and a card reader. They sometimes even come with an internal Bluetooth adapter so you can connect your mobile or other Bluetooth-enabled equipment to such a little machine. Oh, and it also has a webcam which is neat.

  Most importantly though, many current netbooks are quite durable and even survive rough conditions.

  Take my netbook, for example. I’ve purchased this used Asus eee PC 901 a month ago - and while I am still struggling with it’s tiny keyboard layout - I just can’t stop thinking that it could or should actually be THE killer device for use in many developing countries.

  My netbook doesn’t have a conventional magnetic (rotating) hard disk, but instead comes with (slow) SSD flash memory. Like the one found on USB memory keys. 12 GB for the operating system, programs and some private data. Battery runtime is beyond 5h on this little baby - which means that it’ll even survive the next power failure. And since the tiny CPU inside doesn’t consume too much power, it could also work from the electricity generated via solar panels (a technology that’s already quite popular in many rural areas).

  And here’s the bonus: most future netbooks will be sold with an internal UMTS modem, so you just insert your SIM card and go online. From anywhere where there’s network coverage. (I am actually saving on an Asus eee 1000H Go which has a 10,2″ screen, a better keyboard and an internal 3G modem).

  The term “netbook” may be a bit irritating though (besides of this legal battle) as we all know that Internet broadband connectivity is still very limited and expensive in many developing countries. Instead, these little computers are much more than just very mobile computers with very good battery runtime: they are sufficient for most needs.

  I’d say that at least 90% of your average tasks can be done on such a machine. Surfing the www, checking your e-mails, writing texts, spreadsheets, games - you name it, it does it. The only thing it doesn’t have is an internal DVD player, so your illegal DVDs purchased at that junction downtown probably won’t play - unless of course you connect an external DVD player via USB.

  As long as the iPhone or maybe also some new Google Android phones are the only mobiles with a decent web browser (@Nokia: the S60 browser is NOT a decent solution), netbooks may be the perfect alternative platform and substitute the missing alternative.

  “If it works in Africa….”….no, if it works anywhere else, it will also work in Africa.

  “70% of Netbook sales so far have been in Europe“ - where they are often only used as second computers or desktop alternatives to those who just want to surf the net from their couch.

  In many developing countries though, Netbooks could imho be the entry platform and substitute the otherwise missing or broken (older) computer system. Why? Because they are cheaper, more durable, come with their own power supply and are mobile enough to be shared by many different members of a family or local community.

  And that’s why I consider netbooks to be real AfriGadgets. A solution to a problem we have in the past often tried to cure with mobile phones and their still ailing browser software.

  
  

• Africa Gathering

  Posted: February 24, 2009, 11:23 pm by jke

  “Have you blogged about it?”, he asked. - “Yes, I microblogged it.”

  Fellow blogger CG just reminded me to mention the upcoming Africa Gathering on Saturday, 25th April 2009 (@ Clore Management Centre, Birkbeck College, Torrington Square, London, WC1 7HX, United Kingdom) which I had only briefly mentioned on the Afritwit Twitter account the other day.

  “…a day for thinkers, supporters, sponsors, doers, geeks, dreamers - and everybody else to come and share, promote, highlight, progress and evolve issues related to ICT, social networking and technology in Africa.” (src)

  I btw consider this gathering a follow-up to the other two AfricaCamps which took place in Vienna, Austria and MountainView, Goolge HQ, USA some time ago.

  I secured my ticket for this fine event three weeks ago, but am yet to organize transport to & accomodation in London for the weekend 24-26th April. Flights from Frankfurt-Hahn via Ryanair seem to be quite affordable, but the rest is still open end - also because there are like a hundred other urgent tasks for me right now so that I am just doing it the hakuna shida / mungu akipenda way which means less planning (the German in me) and more believing in that everything will just work out fine.

  The list of proposed talks is already quite impressive, so it will be particularly interesting to connect with other likeminded Afriactivists.

  On a personal agenda, I am also still looking for a way to combine my three topics - sanitation, Africa and ICT - into a worthwile business because I am sure there’s a way to connect all of these three.

  Oh, and if I get an opportunity to present some slides on AfriGadget, I will try to speak slowly, loud and clear :-)

  
  

• Jifurahisha 1208!

  Posted: February 22, 2009, 3:56 am by jke

  Bought a Nokia 1208 mobile phone for someone else today because a local dealer had a 25% discount on EVERYTHING.

  25% are quite a lot, so you can imagine that by the time I had arrived, almost everything was already sold out. Damn. 25% on an Asus eeePC 1000HE or 1000HA? Me likes! Well, maybe next time.

  Back to the phone. As recently mentioned, the 1208 comes with an internal flashlight and is one of the cheapest - new - phones you can get for as “little” as 30,- EUR. How much would you pay for such a phone in Kenya? 1800/= Kshs? Sijui, but its obviously much cheaper than in Germany.

  
  LED on the 1208 pcb

  What I like about this no-thrills phone is that it just works. It isn’t the flashlight, it isn’t the enhanced battery life due to the small screen and relatively huge battery, it isn’t it’s compact size - no, it’s the dead simple Series30 operating system that never stalls and just delivers.

  
  Nokia 1208, 6230, 6230i (with 6230 keypad), N95

  It took Nokia two years to deliver stable firmware for the 6230, 6230i and the N95. The more features a phone has, the worse it is.

  I am actually longing to go back to a monoblock phone once the N95 retires (no slider phone, hence no E75 or N97) and thought about going for the upcoming Nokia 6700. It only needs to have WLAN connectivity but it doesn’t seem to have that feature…or does it?

  The 1208 is one sweet phone and I would love to keep it as a backup - but then, there’s the 25% discount I still need to cash in :-)

• tags, tags, tags…

  Posted: February 19, 2009, 2:47 am by jke

  I don’t know if something like the following already exists out there, but I was just going through my feeds on Google Reader as I had recently developed an interest in Japan-related blogs (Gaijin blogs, as I’d call them - much more interesting than traveller blogs) and thought about a website that lists sites in the way humans sort them.

  For instance, I grouped/tagged all Africa-related sites as “afrosphere” and European sites with no particular topic as “Eurosphere” on my Google Reader. It may not be the smartest solution, but it helps me to quickly identify where something belongs to (again, according to my own understanding which may be different from yours).

  You may also see from my folders that it’s sometimes difficult to caterogize one website into a unique folder. For instance, Steve often writes about the musical Golden Afrique on his blog - so I didn’t know where to save his feed: afrospehere or ngoma?

  Google knows about this problem and consequently enabled users to save their feeds in more than one folder. In dubio pro reo - so I saved his blog in both folders.

  I even read the wonderful “Everything is miscellaneous” by David Weinberger the other day and think that it makes sense to tag all content. However, it’s still my own tags/keywords - and sometimes I’d like to know what kind of classification others are using on their readers.

  One fine way is to check out delicious.com - that social bookmarking service I’ve been using for quite some time now - and see the tags ppl have used on their saved bookmarks. The screenshot above is a search for “Kikuyumoja” - lists 35 search results.

  So the idea is to come up with a service that takes bookmarks / links from various resources (e.g. social bookmarking sites, feedreaders, etc.), looks at their tags and combines these with a link:

  Kikuyumoja.com - my blog - would probably create a tag cloud like:

  Kenya Germany mobile_blogging cool twitter Africa social_media blog moblog water ecosan internet mobile gprs Safaricom umts Nokia WordPress eee imagineering …

  …and so on.

  Again, I don’t know if something like that already exists, but the idea behind such an approach is not to display my own categorisation (because otherwise I would just come up with a tag cloud on the sidebar of my blog) - but instead a user / reader generated tag cloud: I am not interested in my own stuff, but in yours.

  In other words: in case you’ve saved my blog on your feedreader - how did you tag it?

  Technically spoken, I imagine a Yahoo pipes app - but how do you access those private tags on feedreaders?

• DVB-T on the eee 901

  Posted: February 15, 2009, 5:44 am by jke

  I recently purchased a refurbished DVB-T (TV) USB stick for use on the Asus eeePC 901. I also have another - much bigger and older - DVB-T stick (Yakumo Quickstick, modified) for use on the other laptop:

  
  old vs. new // 8cm vs. 4cm

  The new stick is based on the Siano SMS 1000 chipset which basically are these two (tiny) chips as seen on the pcb above.

  Such chips are btw also used on mobile phones that come with an internal DVB-T receiver and are really small (especially if compared to the conventional DVB-T USB sticks which are often even larger than normal memory keys).

  Oh, and this Siano 1000 device (sold as “Terratec Piranha” some time ago) is also capable of receiving DMB and DVB-H (not supported in Germany).

  Some sources said it *may* not be compatible with GNU/Linux but I am yet to test that with MeTV (my fav app on Ubuntu for TV) and see if that’s really true. I mainly bought it because it was cheap (hey, refurbished! :-) and because of its tiny size. The initial plan was to mod my eeePC and install this thing inside the laptop but it would still require an external antenna (proper DVB-T reception really depends on a decent antenna) so I somehow gave up along the way and am now just using it as an external USB device because it’s already much smaller/shorter than the other DVB-T stick.

  This way (with the antenna on the back side of the display) it is still portable enough - although I am still tempted to directly solder the antenna cord to the device, omitting the antenna connectors.

  This TV stick currently receives 22 channels of which most are just crap. Maybe that’s why we never invested in a proper TV set?

• Twestival, or why Twitter is the better alternative

  Posted: February 12, 2009, 6:21 pm by jke

  Today is Twestival day and I am also attending the local gathering of Twitter users - which also happens to take place in my favourite pub here in Frankfurt (aptly named “the place to be“).

  Twestival is a world-wide, almost simultaneous event (live streaming) and attendees are encouraged to donate some money to Charity Water, an NGO active in Ethiopia.

  Somehow in a Prof. George Ayittey-way and having previously gained some experience on NGOs, the water business and having a different perspective (of an African/European intellectual) on it, I do of course feel a bit discomforted with such mass-donation events that a) promote water as a sexy (and innocent) cause and b) provide absolution to some Westeners who “want to do good”. Sorry, but sustainable approaches just don’t work that way. I would rather prefer institutional changes than the drilling of wells for areas on which we do not even have groundwater maps. But maybe that’s just me and my scepticism.

  On the other hand, I somehow adore how they are making use of social media tools to mobilize the masses. Maybe this is what it takes to reach the masses. And this is also very cool:

  
  “Tweet some facts” via Twitter.

  I think we should also use this for ecological sanitation projects. Using social media to mobilize the masses. Kudos to CharityWater for this really smart approach!

  —

  One of the reaons for the success of Twitter and other micro-blogging services, I think, is also the lack of alternatives.

  Yes. Even in 2009, there’s still no decent mobile blogging client except for Twitter & Co.

  What I am looking for is an application designed for a smartphone that enables me to quickly post an update to my website, with annotated images, maybe also video content and the ability to edit all of this as well as moderate comments. All of the previously mentioned apps for Symbian S60 phones and plugins for WordPress.org installations just don’t do the job for me. And I don’t know about this on the iPhone. Is it any better? Would be a reason to switch phones.

  So, even though Twitter is just a micro-blogging service with a limitation to 140 characters / message, it helps to serve the basic idea behind blogging: connecting people through conversations. And besides, with this character limit it is also compatible with another popular service: SMS.

  —

  I really like the idea of combining social media tools with the sector I am active in: sustainable sanitation.  Maybe that’s just the way forward for me.

• Frankfurt 101 and the mouse

  Posted: February 8, 2009, 5:24 am by jke

  Bought this mouse for the netbook today - an A4tech X6-60MD in black - which has this retractable USB cord and comes with a somehow smarter “GLASER” diode/sensor which is said to also work on a glass table (most optical mice don’t).

  
  X6-60MD mouse compared to the wireless desktop mouse

  Attaching the mouse to the netbook actually adds a lot of convience to the system - the keyboard and tiny (yet brilliant) screen, however, aren’t that comfortable to work on. The keyboard on this 8,9″ netbook has the same size as the one on 7″ netbooks - next step would have been a 10,2″ netbook though which again adds another 0,3 kg. So this combination will have to do fo the moment. Connecting the netbook to a UMTS phone is a matter of seconds, so it really is a perfect NETbook - even on the road.

  I’ve btw stayed with WinXP on this netbook (instead of EasyPeasy 1.0 or eeeUbuntu Standard) because of the special function keys that just work perfectly well with WinXP. Resizing the screen resolution to a compressed 1024×768 (instead of the normal 1024×600) is a matter of one key press. This may of course also be possible with a tuned Ubuntu, but again: not as easy as with XP and I just don’t have the time these days to figure it out. Besides, some of my fav. apps only work with XP and not under (the Windows emulator) Wine.

  Sooo….blogging from the netbook (I am currently writing this post on the eee 901) is ok, but due to the keyboard not as convenient as it should be. You’ll quickly end up using 3-4 fingers only. :-(

  Someone from Asia also needs to explain to me one day why there’s so much plastic involved in the packaging of such gadgets. A simple cardboard box would have done as well! At least this one could be opened easily and didnt require the scissors. Stupid.

  Another thing to note about A4tech products is that their drivers are much better than the Logitech software package which bricked my desktop system the other day.

  Oh, and it’s really amazing how long the battery lasts on this netbook. @E-Nyce: the wear-out level is down to 93% on this used battery/netbook, which is still ok I think.

  Once my 15,4″ notebook (= desktop PC with an external 22″ monitor and external keyboard/mouse) retires (hopefully not too soon), I’ll probably go for a 12,2″ or 13″ notebook from either HP, IBM or Samsung and also make sure that it has a bright enough screen (= not as pale as the one on my 15,4″ notebook).

  AOB:

  Took this snapshot earlier this week right here in Frankfurt am Main because it reminded me of Taipeh 101.

  I am now officially registered as a resident of Frankfurt/M. It may not be the best city to live in, but it has Germany’s biggest airport and is located in the middle of Germany which means I can reach Hamburg or Bremen (in the North) and Munich or Freiburg (in the South) in 3-4h only. Strategically convenient.

• What I like about Vienna (part1)

  Posted: February 4, 2009, 6:26 am by jke

  Two and a half days aren’t enough to explore the full potential of a city. That’s why I can only present a few snapshots this time. Besides, I am too tired for a decent post these days.

  Have been working on another professional blog for a paid project (no URL, pole) the last couple of weeks and whenever I open my own blog, I think about a relaunch. After all, I am still using the same template since 2006!

  I urgently need to get some sleep asap and refocus my agenda on other, much more important matters (like my thesis, for instance).

  ‘Nways, back to Vienna and some visuals:

  What a roof!

  THE best ticket machine I’ve seen in Europe so far. Took us less than 10 seconds to buy a ticket for the metro. See my ramblings on RMV/Frankfurt am Main to understand why this is so important to me.

  Lovely street-art next to Hotel Orient.

  No, don’t ask. Garen showed us that place…

  Best ice-cream and Italian sweets in town. Even at 11 pm and when it’s like -7°C cold outside.

  Oh, and they have good coffee.

  Still need to figure out why they’ve put this number on all waste bins.

  Interesting to compare German German with Austrian German.

  I will actually go for almost any beer, but - just for the records - they also have Guiness.

  Now this is very impressive. Even have a panorama shot of this somewhere (I still need to go through all of my snapshots and upload them on flickr).

  The obligatory service for tourists. But a nice one indeed!

  Compared to buildings from the past, modern architecture is as uninteresting as most modern cars that will break down after 100.000 kms.

  Modern art + her.

  Vienna Magic

  The globe

  One of those Friedensreich Hundertwasser buildings.

  I grew up on his art - maybe everyone in Europe who is somehow interested in art did - and I really, really like it. Hundertwasser also published a manifest on dry toilets in 1975 which is just another cool reason to adore this great visionary artist and intellectual.

  You won’t have to visit Vienna to see his work, but since he was born in Vienna, they have the best collection around.

  I’d even go as far as saying that Hundertwasser is one of the few visionaries that put my vision of a better world in a clearer picture.

  Foyer @ Wombat’s Base - a great, clean and cheap city hostel. I’d recommend this to anyone who’s still looking for good accomodation in Vienna.

  “We’re sinking, we’re sinking….” - “Wot are you thinking about?”

  Errr….well….

  Ok - that’s about it for today. These 2 1/2 days weren’t enough and you can see by the pictures that we even didn’t have enough time to enjoy everything during daylight (due to AfrikaCamp, see previous post). Train ride from Frankfurt to Vienna is quite convenient though. Took us 7h - even the above mentioned hostel is next to the railway station. What a luxury!

• liveblogging from AfrikaCamp in Vienna, Austria

  Posted: January 31, 2009, 1:59 pm by jke

  Fellow blogger Mzeecedric and I are today attending AfrikaCamp which just started a few minutes ago.
  Please stay tuned for more as I will try to update this post throughout the day (see updates below). Oh and btw, there’s no ustream from the event (no videos). Sorry!

  First of all: Africa = continent = many different countries, cultures, etc. (just to be clear on that).

  AfrikaCamp is some sort of follow-up to the BarCampAfrica , which recently took place @ Mountain View/Google HQ in the US.

  It’s my first ever vísit to Vienna btw and I am already quite surprised how great this city is!

  10:00 am:
  We arrived at W@lz, the location for the AfrikaCamp.

  
  The whole of Austria is covered in snow.

  11:00 am:
  Sessions planning started, Cedric and I will be talking about AfriGadget.com and some blogs we’ve created for dev aid sector / German NGOs.

  
  There’s free WiFi. Yaay!

  
  Free chocolate provided by FairTrade. Nice!

  
  Christoph Chorherr giving an introduction to the different session to some of the ~ 40-50 attendants.

  
  BarCamp-styled sessions.

  11:30 am:
  Attending the first session by Helge Fahrnberger of helge.at about laafi.at and OpenStreetMap project they are doing on Ouaggadougou.
  Helge is one of the organisers of the AfrikaCamp.

  
  Helge Fahrnberger talking about laafi.at and OpenSourceMap.

  12:00 am
  Christoph Chorherr talking about two schooling projects in SouthAfrica: “social sustainable architecture” and “Ithuba Skills College“. Interesting quote from a school headmaster in SA: “We provide schooling but no education”.

  [pic to follow asap]

  They are also using dry toilets as the sanitation system. GREAT!

  12:47 am
  Yours truly presenting Erik’s slides on Afriagadget
  Mwalimu JKE :-)

  Had to recharge my netbook after 6hrs in use. Lovely little live-blogging device (despite of its tiny keyboard).

  01:20 pm
  Having lunch with a guy called Kavindra who works in Vienna as a consultant at a Indo-European Developemnt Agency. Nice vegetarian stew followed by free drinks - thanks to the organisers of this fine event!

  02:00 pm
  Attending a session on ICT4D.at by Martin Konzett, Karola Riegler, Florian Sturm and Anders Bolin

  
  Audience clearly dominated by MacBooks. Hmm… ;-)

  Martin and Anders showing a preview of their upcoming documentary on mobile phone uses in East Africa. Martin says there’s a 90% penetration of Nokia phones in Africa. Very promising documentary btw which will be released soon. Martin and Florian shot it with a Nikon D90 with different lenses

  
  Says this guy is a famous athlete who’s constantly on the phone.

  
  A pouch / CD sleeve made of a Kanga as alternative cover for the upcoming DVD.

  Martin also talks about empowerement and mobile financing. Someone from Togo in the audience mentions that we need to have a better infrastructure in many African countries. Debatte started about technology and how it is used in many places.

  03:00 pm
  Attending a session by Andrea Zefferer & Andrea Ben Lassoued who are presenting their projects @ [www.clean-it.at] and [www.kinderpate.at]

  Clean-IT is a project that focusses on an improvement of working conditions among IT-manufacturers (in China) by setting some social standards on the demand side…

  Kinderpate.at focusses on finding sponsors who are willing to support disabled kids.

  03:30 pm
  coffee break

  04:00 pm
  Giving a short video interview to Martin Konzett and Anders Bolin, both of ICT4D. Talked about AfriGadget and that we’re are currently looking for a French speaking editor who could cover parts of the francophone Africa on AG. I hate being in front of a camera, my first ever interview/pitch. Camera goes on (fisheye lens) and you’ll have to talk about your agenda for 4 minutes.

  But I wasn’t the only one - seen here: Florian Sturm, Anders Bolin and Martin Konzett playing the same game with Andrea Zefferer.

  04:30 pm
  AfrikaCamp continues, two or three more sessions - but without us. We had to leave a bit earlier for downtown Vienna. Met an old friend of mine with whom I’d been schooling back in the days in Nbo and whom I hadn’t seen in ages.

  Soo….AfrikaCamp imho was a great success, met many interesting people who are doing interesting projects, having the right visions on what works in the African context and what doesnt (NGOs tend to be more realistic then the bigger donor orgs). ICT4D.at guys are quite ambitioned, doing a good job on a tight budget. Make sure to check out their awesome documentary once it’s released on DVD (see comment below)

  Else: Vienna is a GREAT city, will def. be back for more. Even my new netbook proved to be portable enough and was a great live-blogging device.

  Kudos to Helge, Christoph and Karola who organised this BarCamp + Africa event!

  Cheers from Vienna :-)

  [UPDATE]
  Florian of ICT4D also compiled a very interesting summary of the sessions I couldn’t attend. It’s a pitty that you can’t follow all sessions at once as everyone has interesting ideas to present.

  A list of all sessions + list of ICT4D.at interviews are also available.

• mobile comfort

  Posted: January 28, 2009, 10:36 am by jke

  Another sweet reason that justifies the recent purchase of a 2nd hand eee Asus 901 is the compact size and weight of the power supply.

  An 8,9″ display at 1024×600px resolution combined with a rather tiny keyboard for sure isn’t as perfect as the ideal combination of these two worlds - which would probably be an advanced 11,1″ notebook @ 1280×800px and full CoreDuo CPU - but any kg I do not have to carry around is very much appreciated.

  Netbooks are cool and if Apple and AMD do not agree on this, then it’s just because they haven’t come up with suitable alternatives. With the worldwide increase in netbook sales, it becomes obvious that many consumers actually like these low-cost computers.

  My eeePC has a 6-cell battery that lasts for at least 6hrs (tested!) - which provides real mobile comfort so I could even leave this power supply at home.

  I think that netbooks - which ideally also come with an internal 3G modem and a basic Linux OS - are the perfect computer for most average households, whether in Europe, the US or Africa.

• Sarugakucho 11-19

  Posted: January 27, 2009, 12:16 am by jke

  I’d spent the first eight years of my life growing up in Tokyo, Japan, and since we’ve never been back to Japan since then, I was very pleased today to discover that the house we’d lived in still exists:

  
  enlarge map

  I may not be such a great fan of Google services (even though I have their ads on my blog), but this Google Street view feature just rocks big time. It’s also interesting to see how the city has changed over the last 30 years - at least by judging from what’s visible through Goolge Maps.

  From a professional point of view, of course, I am nowadays wondering about the sewage system in use in Tokyo, and how they manage to provide all this high-tech infrastructure in such a densely populated area.

• Avigo10

  Posted: January 27, 2009, 8:08 am by jke

  IF you knew what most digital cameras back in 1999 looked like - and how much they would cost back then - you’ll quickly understand that it’s rather astonishing to have these digital images from my beloved TexasInstruments AVIGO10 PDA I’ve just unearthed from a sub-sub-sub-directory on my harddisk.

  It’s a rather childish mod/hack that I had done on this outdated PDA way back in 1999 and of which I was reminded just a few minutes ago while googling for a link to this weekend’s AfrikaCamp in Vienna.

  Mzeecedric of m.zung.us and I will attend this event and I’ll also try to cover it on my blog if everything works out as planned. I am not expecting too much though, just an open meeting and exchange with interested and active folks in Europe (or let’s say Austria and Germany) who also have some sort of Mal d’Afrique on their agenda or anything else related to this matter.

  Coming back to the mod: while googling for the link, I stumbled upon Robert Lender’s website - a fellow blogger who had contacted me way back in 1999 on this hack and had integrated it on his page dedicated to this PDA. I guess I may even have his e-mail somewhere. Ok, now that’s 10 years ago, and if you ask yourself what you did in 1999, you’ll probably say that you’d been online via CompuServe or AOL and probably also hosted your site on Ethan Zuckerman’s Tripod site. Yup. 1999. Long time ago.

  This post is dedicated to Robert and it will be especially interesting to see a face behind this contact whose name has been around for such a long time.

  The original page on [kikuyumoja.de] has been offline for quite some time now, but I just copied everything into a PDF.

  I btw still have this PDA at home. Compared to my friends who owned stupid Palm PDAs, the Avigo10 was a bit cheaper and not as popular as a Palm Pilot PDA, hence less software being available for this product. It also lacked the marketing backup from TI who quickly dropped this product from their product line for unknown reasons. Kinda sad, especially since this PDA came with a serial connector and could be hooked up to a modem which turned it into a great telnet device among other cool hacks.

  Actually, it’s kinda worrying to see that even now in 2009, most mobile devices still lack such basic services (telnet, ssh, etc.) and charge you extra for a comfort we already had in 1999. As for the issue of power consumption, I think that we’ll also need to have a revolution on the energy side: something where we will not only see more efficient and energy-saving devices with smaller CPUs, but instead also devices that generate the energy the moment you need it and thus reduce our needs for stronger batteries.

  @T.H.User: FFM, 1999, Nordi, MediaMarkt! Erinnerst Du Dich noch? Das Gerät hatten wir damals zusammen gekauft! :-)

• eeelicious Gadgetimoja

  Posted: January 21, 2009, 10:29 pm by jke

  I usually disassemble all of my new toys once they arrive on my table.

  I obviously had to do the same with this lovely little netbook - an Asus eeePC 901 - which I had managed to secure (2nd hand) for a relatively low price via eBay (!) last week and which arrived today.

  It comes with WinXP Home edition, Intel Atom 1,6Ghz CPU, 1GB RAM, 12GB SSD HDD (4 GB + 8 GB), an SD card reader (= even more flexiboool memory), Bluetooth (!!!), WiFi b/g/n (!), an 8,9″ matt display, an 1,3mpx webcam and lots of room for future case mods. Oh, and it has a 6cell battery which equals to 5-7h battery runtime. Ain’t that cool?

  So….yes, I eventually did it and decided to go for such a tiny 8,9″ netbook. The initial idea was to have a (smaller) 12,1″ notebook for everyday use which would substitute my 15,4″ notebook in the long run. There are in fact quite a few older HP business laptops @ 12,1″ on sale - albeit with a 1024×768 resolution, and if you want to go for a wide-screen 12,1″ @ 1280×800 notebook instead, you’ll really have to cough up more than I am currently able to spend on a new computer + it would be too much “competition” to my existing 15,4″ machine. The other idea was to go for a 10,2″ Samsung NC10 netbook that comes with a much better keyboard than most eeePCs.

  Also, since I am still to find THE most perfect syncing solution which keeps all my files on all computers in sync, I realized that all I need for “on the road” is a small, light-weight machine that does basic stuff and actually doesn’t allow me to store too much data on it (as to avoid double files - I like to maintain some discipline on my data).

  I disassembled it in order to clean it - the previous owner apparently has a cat - and to fix a few small issues like a faulty key on the keyboard (which is why it was a bit cheaper :-).

  Next thing I’ll do is print out my Gadgetimoja logo or even one of those new AfriGadget stickers and “pimp” the cover accordingly. And I’ll also look for an upgrade to the RAM module - 2GB should be much better - and install another OS…

  @Ministry-of-Finance: That’s 2kg less to carry! Besides, a man has his needs… :-)

  [UPDATE:]

  Had to decide between these two versions, so I twitpiced it and came to the conclusion to use the “Kompyuta imara kama tembo” version.

  Grafix designers pls beware that my DTP tool here is rather old fashioned, hence it’s not 100% in line. But than - pretty much Kenyan, if I may say so.

  Which resulted in the following netbook vanity:

  And yes, I know that this is just a beautiful waste of time when you’re actually busy and supposed to do other (more important) work. Sigh.

• l’Orchestre Symphonique Kimbanguiste

  Posted: January 20, 2009, 5:47 am by jke

  (Le compositeur DIANGIENDA WABASOLELE Armand) “DWA, en autodidacte, étudie le solfège jusqu’à maîtriser la composition en musique classique. Il a hissé l’Orchestre au niveau d’une grande formation dont la renommée dépasse largement les frontières d’Afrique. De plus en plus il établit les ponts entre son orchestre et d’autres orchestres du genre à l’étranger.” (source)

  Pretty amazing!

  Or as one member of the orchestra says in this short clip: “When I am sick and I listen to the music, it gives me strength.”

  [via]

Blah blah blah

Fish cakes

Alas a fish cake.

Yet more fish cakes

Guess what ... yeah ... fish cakes.

The end of the fish cakes