Introducing the Book
For my generation it is not that long ago that the Computer got introduced and by now we are all used to it.
Even the much older generation can handle a PC to e-mail to children and grand children all over the world.
But did you ever think of learning how to read a book in medieval times??
View one of the funiest video's I have ever watched........
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Skype 3.1 Beta for Windows with SkypeFind and Typing Indicators
Finally Skype 3.1 Beta for Windows went public. It was a great joy to test it and I am sure it will be welcomed by all users because it finally has a Typing Indicator. And a nice one too!
Of course all parties need to be on 3.1 to see it and it is even more fun when you are in a groups chat with more people. I love the little pencil that is moving or erasing. Yes, it also shows when you erase your text.
Click the picture to view the animated version.
New is also “SkypeFind” where you can list your favourite shop, restaurant, club, bank or what ever business you like to share with others.
This is going to be a great database for not only your own area but also for when you travel around the world.
When you are e.g. hungry, log on to Skype, type the country you are in, type a keyword and see which restaurant is near and what the recommendations are.
All the new features in Beta 3.1 are nicely explained in Skype’s Blog. Enjoy but remember it is a public Beta version! Downlaod here.
Finally Skype 3.1 Beta for Windows went public. It was a great joy to test it and I am sure it will be welcomed by all users because it finally has a Typing Indicator. And a nice one too!Of course all parties need to be on 3.1 to see it and it is even more fun when you are in a groups chat with more people. I love the little pencil that is moving or erasing. Yes, it also shows when you erase your text.
Click the picture to view the animated version.
New is also “SkypeFind” where you can list your favourite shop, restaurant, club, bank or what ever business you like to share with others.
This is going to be a great database for not only your own area but also for when you travel around the world.
When you are e.g. hungry, log on to Skype, type the country you are in, type a keyword and see which restaurant is near and what the recommendations are.
All the new features in Beta 3.1 are nicely explained in Skype’s Blog. Enjoy but remember it is a public Beta version! Downlaod here.
SkypePro
Yesterday Skype launched SkypePro, something I have been looking forward to as the connection fee made Skype more expensive then ever before.
Skype Pro is indeed offering a lot of extra’s but I am still very disappointed.
Let me first list the extra’s :
* pay nothing per minute within the following countries:
US, UK, France, Hong Kong, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Poland, Germany, Switzerland, Estonia, Australia, Brazil and Japan.
* Includes €5 Skype Credit as a special introductory offer.
* €30 discount on SkypeIn numbers - people can call you at local rates.
* Free Voicemail
* Save €30 on a Philips VoIP 841 cordless phone.
* Save €10 on an SMC WiFi phone.
* Exclusive discounts on Unyte Desktop Sharing Extra.
* Two free animated avatars from CrazyTalk.
* Three free ringtones from Emotive.
Note:
* €11.50 where VAT applies.
* Connection fee and fair usage policies apply.
Unfortunately there are no Dutch SkypeIn numbers. Varras Consultancy has numbers in the UK and Sweden so will benefit (in a way) of the discount. But…….. this connection fee….. I have to admit it annoys me.
Let’s do some simple arithmetic’s:
876 connection fees is as much as € 30 which still leaves an additional € 20 for a one SkypeIn number (€ 50). It sounds like a lot of calls but it is only 2.4 call per day. Maybe the average user doesn’t make that "many" calls but others do.
Calls within the above mentioned countries are free of charge apart from the connection fees. But now a days there are very cheap mobile subscriptions and Skype clearly states it is not a replacement for your landline so as an alternative I have a mobile subscription of € 2.50 per month (including VAT) and 500 free calling minutes within Holland and to other subscribers of the same provider.
Needless to say I am not going to use SkypePro for national calls because with 6.25 connections, I already reached the mobile monthly subscription.
I do use Skype a lot for calls outside Holland and will continue doing that but will it be cheaper with Pro? No, the connection fee comes on top of the existing calling rate. Here we are back again with Free SkypeIn….
On top of all of this there is the monthly € 2 (€ 24 per year…) which will be deducted from my credits (with my permission because this is a free choice when you purchase Pro).
I signed up for Pro because I think it isn’t fair to complain without trying and I am told people with a bump of languages are horrible mathematical geniuses’ so please feel free to add your comment to convince me of the opposite: SkypePro makes calling cheaper….
SkypePro FAQ
Yesterday Skype launched SkypePro, something I have been looking forward to as the connection fee made Skype more expensive then ever before.
Skype Pro is indeed offering a lot of extra’s but I am still very disappointed.
Let me first list the extra’s :
* pay nothing per minute within the following countries:
US, UK, France, Hong Kong, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Poland, Germany, Switzerland, Estonia, Australia, Brazil and Japan.
* Includes €5 Skype Credit as a special introductory offer.
* €30 discount on SkypeIn numbers - people can call you at local rates.
* Free Voicemail
* Save €30 on a Philips VoIP 841 cordless phone.
* Save €10 on an SMC WiFi phone.
* Exclusive discounts on Unyte Desktop Sharing Extra.
* Two free animated avatars from CrazyTalk.
* Three free ringtones from Emotive.
Note:
* €11.50 where VAT applies.
* Connection fee and fair usage policies apply.
Unfortunately there are no Dutch SkypeIn numbers. Varras Consultancy has numbers in the UK and Sweden so will benefit (in a way) of the discount. But…….. this connection fee….. I have to admit it annoys me.
Let’s do some simple arithmetic’s:
876 connection fees is as much as € 30 which still leaves an additional € 20 for a one SkypeIn number (€ 50). It sounds like a lot of calls but it is only 2.4 call per day. Maybe the average user doesn’t make that "many" calls but others do.
Calls within the above mentioned countries are free of charge apart from the connection fees. But now a days there are very cheap mobile subscriptions and Skype clearly states it is not a replacement for your landline so as an alternative I have a mobile subscription of € 2.50 per month (including VAT) and 500 free calling minutes within Holland and to other subscribers of the same provider.
Needless to say I am not going to use SkypePro for national calls because with 6.25 connections, I already reached the mobile monthly subscription.
I do use Skype a lot for calls outside Holland and will continue doing that but will it be cheaper with Pro? No, the connection fee comes on top of the existing calling rate. Here we are back again with Free SkypeIn….
On top of all of this there is the monthly € 2 (€ 24 per year…) which will be deducted from my credits (with my permission because this is a free choice when you purchase Pro).
I signed up for Pro because I think it isn’t fair to complain without trying and I am told people with a bump of languages are horrible mathematical geniuses’ so please feel free to add your comment to convince me of the opposite: SkypePro makes calling cheaper….
SkypePro FAQ
Monday, February 19, 2007
Estonia ahead of the Netherlands and Venezuela
In a previous blog article I reported about Estonia being small but innovating, especially with Internet Technology.
Although the Netherlands (she says with proud) were the very first with electronic voting, Estonia is taking it a step further.
"There have been several e-voting projects around the world, but I don't think there have ever been parliamentary elections where everyone nationwide could vote online," Arne Koitma of the Estonian electoral commission told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa. According to a system introduced for municipal elections in 2005, any Estonian voters can exercise their democratic rights online, as long as they hold a valid ID card with a computer-readable chip. Election officials say that almost all registered voters - over 940,000 people - now hold such cards. And that, experts believe, makes Estonia's forthcoming election the world's most comprehensive experiment yet in internet-based democracy.
"The Netherlands have had electronic voting in polling stations for a number of years, and Venezuela recently held an electronic referendum, but I'm not aware of any other internet-accessible general election," said Dr Lewis Baston, director of research at the UK-based Electoral Reform Society. "Estonia has been ahead of the curve in lots of ways in terms of election technology," he added.
It is not just elections: in recent years, Estonia has made a name for itself in the innovative application of communications technology. It is famed as the birthplace of internet-telephony company Skype, sold to eBay for 2.6 billion dollars in 2005. But it has also been one of the world's pioneers in mobile-phone payment for services such as bus tickets and parking metres, and of wireless internet access in public spaces from cafes to parks.
"Estonia is smaller (population 1.35 million) than traditional high-tech innovators such as Japan and Finland, and it's always easier to try things out in a small society," explained Andres Kasekamp, professor of Baltic politics at Tartu University. "Politicians have also pursued a liberal policy regarding innovation - they've been keen to reduce the footprint of government generally, and this seems to be part of that ideology," he added. Estonia's online voting certainly looks likely to reduce the burden of bureaucracy.
To cast ballots, voters simply accesses the electoral website in the three-day advance-voting period, swipe their chip-card through a card reader attached to the computer, punch in their pin number and make their choice. Card readers are widely available in public libraries, internet points, and even in private hands. They can cost as little as 100 kroons (6.39 euro), Koitma said.
To avoid the risk of fraud or coercion, any voter can cancel a vote registered to their card by voting again online, or by casting a paper ballot on election day, March 4. The effectiveness of this security system was so convincingly proven in municipal elections in 2005 that the e-voting system is barely being discussed in Estonia this year, experts say. "Nobody's questioning e-voting any more: there's no debate on whether it can make life easier," said Raivo Vetik, head of the Institute of International and Social Studies at Tallinn University.
While official figures show that under 2 per cent of eligible votes were cast online during the 2005 local elections, observers predict that online turnout could reach 5 per cent this year. But with Estonia making a name for itself as a test-bed for the application of existing technologies, some are hoping that the next step will be for it to begin producing high-tech wonders of its own.
"Estonians developed Skype, but Scandinavian entrepreneurs made it a successful company. The Estonians didn't have the experience or financial strength - but they're learning," Kasekamp said. Whatever the outcome of the election for Estonia's 11 registered political parties, its voters will be hoping that the online experience will hit the right button with the next generation of high-tech entrepreneurs. (Source: Playfuls)
Come on Holland!! You can’t stay behind…………
In a previous blog article I reported about Estonia being small but innovating, especially with Internet Technology.
Although the Netherlands (she says with proud) were the very first with electronic voting, Estonia is taking it a step further.
"There have been several e-voting projects around the world, but I don't think there have ever been parliamentary elections where everyone nationwide could vote online," Arne Koitma of the Estonian electoral commission told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa. According to a system introduced for municipal elections in 2005, any Estonian voters can exercise their democratic rights online, as long as they hold a valid ID card with a computer-readable chip. Election officials say that almost all registered voters - over 940,000 people - now hold such cards. And that, experts believe, makes Estonia's forthcoming election the world's most comprehensive experiment yet in internet-based democracy.
"The Netherlands have had electronic voting in polling stations for a number of years, and Venezuela recently held an electronic referendum, but I'm not aware of any other internet-accessible general election," said Dr Lewis Baston, director of research at the UK-based Electoral Reform Society. "Estonia has been ahead of the curve in lots of ways in terms of election technology," he added.It is not just elections: in recent years, Estonia has made a name for itself in the innovative application of communications technology. It is famed as the birthplace of internet-telephony company Skype, sold to eBay for 2.6 billion dollars in 2005. But it has also been one of the world's pioneers in mobile-phone payment for services such as bus tickets and parking metres, and of wireless internet access in public spaces from cafes to parks.
"Estonia is smaller (population 1.35 million) than traditional high-tech innovators such as Japan and Finland, and it's always easier to try things out in a small society," explained Andres Kasekamp, professor of Baltic politics at Tartu University. "Politicians have also pursued a liberal policy regarding innovation - they've been keen to reduce the footprint of government generally, and this seems to be part of that ideology," he added. Estonia's online voting certainly looks likely to reduce the burden of bureaucracy.
To cast ballots, voters simply accesses the electoral website in the three-day advance-voting period, swipe their chip-card through a card reader attached to the computer, punch in their pin number and make their choice. Card readers are widely available in public libraries, internet points, and even in private hands. They can cost as little as 100 kroons (6.39 euro), Koitma said.
To avoid the risk of fraud or coercion, any voter can cancel a vote registered to their card by voting again online, or by casting a paper ballot on election day, March 4. The effectiveness of this security system was so convincingly proven in municipal elections in 2005 that the e-voting system is barely being discussed in Estonia this year, experts say. "Nobody's questioning e-voting any more: there's no debate on whether it can make life easier," said Raivo Vetik, head of the Institute of International and Social Studies at Tallinn University.
While official figures show that under 2 per cent of eligible votes were cast online during the 2005 local elections, observers predict that online turnout could reach 5 per cent this year. But with Estonia making a name for itself as a test-bed for the application of existing technologies, some are hoping that the next step will be for it to begin producing high-tech wonders of its own.
"Estonians developed Skype, but Scandinavian entrepreneurs made it a successful company. The Estonians didn't have the experience or financial strength - but they're learning," Kasekamp said. Whatever the outcome of the election for Estonia's 11 registered political parties, its voters will be hoping that the online experience will hit the right button with the next generation of high-tech entrepreneurs. (Source: Playfuls)
Come on Holland!! You can’t stay behind…………
Sunday, February 18, 2007
Friday, February 16, 2007
Close your Skype eyes
Being on line with Skype most of the day (or should I say most of my present life) I observe old fashioned behaviours, dressed in a modern Skype coat.
In the old days, if you were not in the mood to answer a phone call for what ever reason, you just let it ring. Nobody knew for sure if you were indeed at home or not.
With Skype we are far more “visible” but can control much of our time with the on-line, DND, etc. icons. Also the mood message is very helpful.
Users are very inventive and come up with the most wonderful messages. About the weather, work related issues, quotes etc. We are not afraid to show our moods, not even when we are angry. A “nice to know” for those who had the intention to call us, they know it is better to wait a while.
You can view Skype mood messages at the “Moodgeist” site. Moodgeist is an experiment to show what’s currently happening in the “Skype Land” and what’s the Skype community’s “collective state of mind”.
When I started my telephone career in 1974, the word moodmessage was not even invented. People were less outgoing those days. So, did we change that much? Or are there still basic feelings left? Instincts?
Children and animals act far more instinctively then grown ups. According to Wikipedia, instinct is the inherent disposition of a living organism toward a particular behavior. Instincts are generally inherited patterns of responses or reactions to certain kinds of stimuli. In humans they are most easily observed in behaviors such as emotions, sexual drive, and other bodily functions, as these are largely biologically determined. unless overridden by intelligence, which is creative and more versatile.
Intelligence comes with the years and can be sharpened by learning from life.
Children and animals react by their instinct. Their instinct is telling them what their intelligence can’t cover.
I have noticed instinctively behavior more then once working with a small animal Vet and a country Vet.
As soon as animals smell the practice or the Vet or they expect pain and fear, they panic. And if they can’t go anywhere and accept the one who is holding them as a stronger, read dominant, “animal”, they close their eyes.
If you close your eyes or like children also do, hide behind your hands, the others around you are gone. They disappeared and can’t hurt you anymore. If necessary, you can peep through your fingers or eyelashes. Prepared for the worst.
What is the relation to Skype?
Well, remember the status icons: on-line, away, not available, do not disturb and off-line.
Apart from the off-line icon, what ever your status is, you show you are still approachable, you still take the risk of being disturbed.
But with the off-line icon, you “close’ your eyes for the rest of the world. Others can’t talk to you because they think you are not there. And if they can’t talk to you, they can’t say things you don’t like to hear. If you are in a low mood, you don’t have to listen to funny jokes. If you are extremely busy, you can’t get upset by unwanted messages. If you feel hurt, they can’t reach you to hurt you even more.
So the off-line setting is a virtual close your eyes, hide behind your hands and still, if necessary, you can watch the behavior of your contacts....... prepared for the worst…...
Being on line with Skype most of the day (or should I say most of my present life) I observe old fashioned behaviours, dressed in a modern Skype coat.
In the old days, if you were not in the mood to answer a phone call for what ever reason, you just let it ring. Nobody knew for sure if you were indeed at home or not.
With Skype we are far more “visible” but can control much of our time with the on-line, DND, etc. icons. Also the mood message is very helpful.
Users are very inventive and come up with the most wonderful messages. About the weather, work related issues, quotes etc. We are not afraid to show our moods, not even when we are angry. A “nice to know” for those who had the intention to call us, they know it is better to wait a while.
You can view Skype mood messages at the “Moodgeist” site. Moodgeist is an experiment to show what’s currently happening in the “Skype Land” and what’s the Skype community’s “collective state of mind”.
When I started my telephone career in 1974, the word moodmessage was not even invented. People were less outgoing those days. So, did we change that much? Or are there still basic feelings left? Instincts?
Children and animals act far more instinctively then grown ups. According to Wikipedia, instinct is the inherent disposition of a living organism toward a particular behavior. Instincts are generally inherited patterns of responses or reactions to certain kinds of stimuli. In humans they are most easily observed in behaviors such as emotions, sexual drive, and other bodily functions, as these are largely biologically determined. unless overridden by intelligence, which is creative and more versatile.
Intelligence comes with the years and can be sharpened by learning from life.
Children and animals react by their instinct. Their instinct is telling them what their intelligence can’t cover.
I have noticed instinctively behavior more then once working with a small animal Vet and a country Vet.As soon as animals smell the practice or the Vet or they expect pain and fear, they panic. And if they can’t go anywhere and accept the one who is holding them as a stronger, read dominant, “animal”, they close their eyes.
If you close your eyes or like children also do, hide behind your hands, the others around you are gone. They disappeared and can’t hurt you anymore. If necessary, you can peep through your fingers or eyelashes. Prepared for the worst.
What is the relation to Skype?
Well, remember the status icons: on-line, away, not available, do not disturb and off-line.
Apart from the off-line icon, what ever your status is, you show you are still approachable, you still take the risk of being disturbed.
But with the off-line icon, you “close’ your eyes for the rest of the world. Others can’t talk to you because they think you are not there. And if they can’t talk to you, they can’t say things you don’t like to hear. If you are in a low mood, you don’t have to listen to funny jokes. If you are extremely busy, you can’t get upset by unwanted messages. If you feel hurt, they can’t reach you to hurt you even more.
So the off-line setting is a virtual close your eyes, hide behind your hands and still, if necessary, you can watch the behavior of your contacts....... prepared for the worst…...
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Agile Best Practices
March 19: “Agile Best Practices” course In Amsterdam
Varras Consultancy and Business Play are pleased to invite you to attend a one-day introductory course in agile concepts and practices, presented by John Hammink, agile architect and practitioner. The course takes place on Monday, March 19, in Amsterdam (venue to be confirmed). Instruction is aimed at students, entrepreneurs and programmers who want to know more about agile best practices and how to apply them to their projects. Through hands-on workshops, the student will learn how to:
* Envision
* Analyse
* Realise
* and Reiterate
. . . turning ideas into reality quickly, efficiently, and cost-effectively. The course does not focus on any specific tool or methodology but, rather, it aims to provide a general understanding of agile best practices and benefits.
John has 15 years of experience implementing agile practices in real-life situations; as architect of the Skype certification program and providing pre-certification consultancy to audio, hardware and software companies in Europe, US, Asia and South America.
More Info:
http://johnhammink.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Hammink
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/0/830/a
Booking Info:
The fee for the one day course including lunch is 149 euro per student, payable in advance via PayPal. To book your place and to receive your booking form, please contact :
* Triona Carey: triona.carey@gmail.com
* Varras Consultancy: mailto:imike@varrasconsultancy.com
* Business Play: bart@businessplay.nl
March 19: “Agile Best Practices” course In Amsterdam
Varras Consultancy and Business Play are pleased to invite you to attend a one-day introductory course in agile concepts and practices, presented by John Hammink, agile architect and practitioner. The course takes place on Monday, March 19, in Amsterdam (venue to be confirmed). Instruction is aimed at students, entrepreneurs and programmers who want to know more about agile best practices and how to apply them to their projects. Through hands-on workshops, the student will learn how to:
* Envision
* Analyse
* Realise
* and Reiterate
. . . turning ideas into reality quickly, efficiently, and cost-effectively. The course does not focus on any specific tool or methodology but, rather, it aims to provide a general understanding of agile best practices and benefits.
John has 15 years of experience implementing agile practices in real-life situations; as architect of the Skype certification program and providing pre-certification consultancy to audio, hardware and software companies in Europe, US, Asia and South America.
More Info:
http://johnhammink.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Hammink
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/0/830/a
Booking Info:
The fee for the one day course including lunch is 149 euro per student, payable in advance via PayPal. To book your place and to receive your booking form, please contact :
* Triona Carey: triona.carey@gmail.com
* Varras Consultancy: mailto:imike@varrasconsultancy.com
* Business Play: bart@businessplay.nl
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)