23-11-2005
I’d like to buy a new mobile phone (GSM), the problem is I can’t seem to find one that fits my needs.
I currently own a Sony Ericsson P800 which I bought at an extortionate price practically the first day it came out in Belgium (Gadget lust). And, to be honest, I think it’s a very expensive piece of shit. As powerful as it may be, the interface feels like it was built for engineers, not users. The pseudo-keypad broke quite fast, and I’m now running it in virtual keypad mode, which is very nice sitting at a desk, but another story in the street. I’ve gone through at least 10 stylii, luckily the Sony-Ericsson center seem to like me and I get new ones for free or that would have been quite an expense already. Granted, some of these things were fixed in the P900/P910 but were no quantum leap either and certainly not reason enough to upgrade. The P950 looks better but is overkill for me.
My needs have also changed and I don’t need a phone that can call the space shuttle or make toast in the morning.
So, what’s my ideal model like?
Continue reading this post »
23.11.05 - 22:37
1 tag
14-11-2005
There’s been a renewed interested in statistics recently. First we had reinvigorate, which has since then shut down and gone into closed beta testing, then came shortstat which mutated into mint and hit the internet by storm (hey, it’s running here so it must be good *cough*). Just recently, adaptive path announced the good-looking measure map and, last but not least, Google just hit us with Google Analytics, based on their recent purchase of Urchin.
Google Analytics is free, that’s going to hurt a lot of other services out there. I used Urchin in my previous job and it was an extremely well thought-out stats package, if you get that for free now it’s one hell of a deal (notwithstanding the whole “Google owns all my information” uneasiness, that is).
Who will make the next move?
14.11.05 - 12:38
5 tags
06-11-2005
I thought we’d witnessed the death of the whole custom start page thing after the first bubble burst (am I subconsciously expecting another? <Scottish innkeeper from Little Britain voice>Yessssss...</voice>, but I digress...), however they’ve been resurrected with a vengeance. They aggregate external content now instead of following the old walled garden model of their predecessors and they’ve been spiced up with flash or all kinds of ajaxy eye-candy goodness, but the principle remains the same: a single start page condensing everything you read or need into a bite-sized chunk of html.
Continue reading this post »
06.11.05 - 00:49
5 tags
08-10-2005
Nationmaster is a treasure trove of both interesting and useless statistics. You can spend ages exploring it, which is what I just did.
For example, did you know that Belgium ranks third in bottled water consumption and at number 5 for soft drinks consumption?
Continue reading this post »
08.10.05 - 15:17
8 tags
03-10-2005
There’s a detail I’ve been noticing on several weblogs recently that has got me slightly puzzled. It’s the position of the links for adding or reading comments.
On these sites, this link is located below the post’s title, but before the actual content. You can see this in action at Asterisk or plasticbag.org, for example; I’m not picking them out specifically, it’s something I’ve seen in many places, they’re just the two that spring to mind as they’re part of my regular reading list.
Continue reading this post »
03.10.05 - 21:49
3 tags
24-09-2005
This morning, after paying 7 Euros each for a return ticket, we installed ourselves comfortably in a first class carriage away from all the screaming kids, scouts and other noisy groups; and less than 2 hours later we were ambling along the Belgian seafront enjoying the fresh breeze, the sand and the sun for a day.
How was this possible?
Continue reading this post »
24.09.05 - 22:51
4 tags
Surplus goods
BBC interviews wrong expert
They pulled an obliging cab driver off the street and into the studio, then proceeded to interview him, thinking he was an expert on music downloads. Sounds like a scene straight out of a sitcom.
Halliburton Solves Global Warming
This showed up in my mailbox and I was about to classify it as spam, then I took a closer look. It's a very neat critique... check out the photos too.
How can I recycle this?
A weblog asking questions (and getting answers) on alternative uses for leftovers.
'Robin Hood' gang rob gourmet stores in bid to feed Hamburg's poor
"The problem is that they strike so rarely and so professionally that they are a major job to catch." Sounds like a Hollywood blockbuster in the making.
The Bootleg Bar
The Bootleg Bar is Belgian podcast inviting local artists or bands to air a selection of their unreleased tracks and chat in the studio. Paul Ward (of Liaisons Dangereuses fame) is behind the mike and the latest edition features CJ Bolland.
Payphone Warriors
Urban game in which teams fight each other in a strategic battle to capture city payphones. A phone is captured by making a call from it to HQ, where the player's position is identified by the phone number. Sounds like fun. It wouldn't work here though as most payphones don't give out caller ID.
The practical ethicist
Very interesting interview with Peter Singer, author of "Animal Liberation" and "The Way We Eat". Although I don't always agree with everything he says, he makes extremely valid points. One lesson being that your diet can do more for the planet than elements such as your choice of transport.
Sea Anemone Enemies
It's They're back!
Confessions of a generic magazine
Print the PDF stickers and slap them on your not-so-favourite magazines.
Falcon watch in Brussels
A couple of Peregrine Falcons (the fastest birds on earth) are nesting at the top of one of the towers of the cathedral, in the centre. A camera has been installed close to the nest and you can stop by the booth next to the cathedral and watch them live on a monitor. It's quite enthralling.
Bicycle is king of the road as gas costs rise
Nice article on the evolution of cycling in cities around the world. If Brussels didn't have 19 bloody mayors instead of one like other capitals, things might move here too.
Teknival-goers cut dogs open to get at drugs
The days of peace and love at raves seem long gone. That's despicable.
Update: looks like it's probably a hoax.
Balance
Weebl & Bob meet a famous scientist.
Cycle Dog
You've no excuse for not getting on your bike, even dogs are doing it now.
The real cost of a bag of salad
Just one small bag of salad that we buy on our eternal quest for less effort in the kitchen, will cost a needing country like Kenya 50 litres of water.
Chernobyl Legacy
Everything we make breaks, everything wears out. A photo essay by Paul Fusco.
Brussels in 2015
By 2015, the roads around and in Brussels will be totally congested, leading to a massive increase in travel time for commuters. The report jokes they'll have to leave so early that they won't have time to wash anymore... so we get more stinky cars and smelly commuters too, the future is bright.
Jane Jacobs 1916-2006
The urban crusader has passed away. Her book "The Death and Life of Great American Cities" had a big influence on me.
Cyclocity
From September on, Brussels will have an automatic bicycle rental system based on the Velo'v system already active in Lyon, France. The presentation to the press took place today.
Oil desperation
Kunstler nails the reaction to the looming oil problem: denial > bargaining > depression > acceptance. He says the current stage is "bargaining", I still see "denial".