just to let you know

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• The announcements and comments around Apple's new "Dashboard" features in OS X 10.4 ("Tiger") sound very intersting, but seem to me like a repeat of some dotcom ages (SAP once called something similar the "Business Workplace" now it's the "Enterprise Portal" within the ERP sector.). I guess we all knew it might be coming back sooner or later, but with wider acceptance.
• I always saw it coming rent-a-puppy gets more popular in Japan.
• TalkingPanda.com - an iPod based dictionary at $10 per language.
• TypeNow.net - This brilliant web site for movie, game, etc themed fonts has it all.

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• Bush urges member states to let Turkey into EU. After calling the bigger EU nations old fashioned, US president Bush now develops a sudden interest in EU foreign politics. Wonder what would happen if EU leaders would urge Mr. Bush to let Turkey into the US of A.
• Swiss football referee Urs Meier complaints to governing european football body UEFA about the hassle he, his family and his business have been getting since the much dipsuted disallowed goal in the England - Portugal match last week.

Kottke.org redesign

We could all probably tell that he was up to something - well I think the redesign is a success. I like the new compact version, good stuff.

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• a student from Caldonian Uni created an apparatus which will pour you the perfect pint. That's all good and well, but why-oh-why does this philistine use a can of Tennants ("T") for it ?
• I nearly wet myself when I found this german Google translation of the Hokey Cokey ("Das Hokey Cokey" - "Knie verbogen, die ausgedehnten Arme"). Brilliant !
• Clubs and stones - IT industry still in its bronze age.
• German weekly "Die Zeit" started a petition for the former german football team coach Rudi Voeller to get his old post back. Voeller resigned after a 1-2 defeat against the Czech Republic B-Team during the group stages of this year's Euro 2004 tournament in Portugal.
• Largehearted Boy is aiming to read 52 books in 52 weeks - it's looking promising after 25.

inter iTMS links - what for ?

Like lots of other new german, french or british customers of the iTunes Music Store (iTMS), I've made use of the provided link to the other 3 stores (Ger, France, UK and USA).

One thing that puzzles me though is why Apple has put these links in. I tried to purchase something that was only exclusively available in the german iTMS and was refused when I tried to pay for it using my british account (and credit card). Setting up a german account also was not possible, since I have no german credit card billing address.

Why does Apple put these links in ?

CSS naming conventions mkII

Eric Meyer elaborates a bit more why he thinks a discussion regarding naming convenions is important. I do agree with him in general - it does make life easier for beginners. But I think the discussion is now being diverted into CSS structuring - in additon to naming standards (ie his LVHA example).

Anyhow, if I *would* be an author, web standards evangelist or some sort of web design teaching pro, I'd most definitely set up my own standards - based on remarks and recommendations such as Eric's.

It's probably my "upbringing" as a commercial apps developer that's made me aware of writing readable code - based on departmental or general standards. My final judgement therefore is a thumbs-up for any kind of thinking around general standards - and maybe one day these will be included into basic validation in Dreamweaver or GoLive - or even supported by IE !? Dream on !

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• Apple's iChat might be the first Videoconferencing software to broadcast from an airplane wirelessly at 35k feet.
• Toshiba developed a hydrogen/oxygen based fuel cell that might be able to power your next iPod. Give me steam !
• check out the Guardian's formidable Pierluigi Collina gallery. (for all those non-Europeans non-soccer supporters it should be mentioned that he is the world's most famous football referee)
• Computer pioneer (COBOL, ASCII, Hyperlinking) Bob Bemer dies.

Potsdamer Platz

Going through my Berlin photos again I must admit that the one showing buildings and Bahnhof against the sky at Potsdamer Platz repeats on me the most.

You probably have to be there. To me, the picture encapsulates the modern, clean and steel blue architecure this square exhibits so well. However it also symbolises the lack of soul and atmosphere this square still has - leaving you with hope for the future.

I'm glad I saw Berlin again at this moment in time - but I hope it won't take another 19 years for me to return.

linkable

• Introducing piPod, an iPod based Pizzeria directory for NY. Who said the US only brought us Baseball and Burgers?
• Sex workers in Canada demand workers rights.
• Jason Kottke managed to describe demi-god Zidane's style of play in the most passionate and beautiful way. I always loved to watch Zidane playing and Jason really hits it on the head here.

CSS naming conventions

Funny that articles on Meyerweb and StuffAndNonsense around CSS naming conventions are making the round at the moment, as I reallised the other day that I seemed to have developed my own weird naming standards (or at least that's what I thought) in some of my work.

I checked some of my latest stuff and was surprised how compliant I would be, IF you want to take Andy Clark's analysis into consideration.

Ach well... maybe I've just been reading the right books and therefore my creativity is not stifled - or is it ?

iTunes music library backups

Now that we finally have the iTMS Europe it just dawned on me how important backups of my iTunes music library have become. Whereas in the past, I didn't think a lot about my music library, it might soon include a few tracks I spent my hard-earned cash on. Blimey ! Better include it into my regular backups then.

absolute beginner

The other day, I had to get my work ID pass updated and went to see one of our guards in his office. Unknowingly, I had interrupted a little computer training session this guard received from one of his female colleagues. She tried to show him the way around this ID card updating app and after a few minutes told him to fly the system himself.

He was about my age (33), and after he sat down in his chair I watched him battling with the mouse. It was all too obvious - he had never or hardly ever used a mouse in his life and therefore tried to move the navigation tool in an area on his desk occupying about 2-3 square centimetres ! His colleague and me gave him some help and support how to best use and move the mouse and it did the trick.

I got my ID card updated in the end, but it made me realise to what extend we all take computer skills for granted these days - especially with people at a younger age. However I tip my hat to this chap for having the courage to enter the lion's den.

linkable

• I fab site about kite photography - how do these guys keep the camera steady, I ask myself? (link from kottke)

recent wave of german right-wing spam

I felt very sad and embarrassed about the recent wave of right-wing spam coming from Germany (mainly from a uni mail server in Rostock which had been abused for this by an external person).

Yesterday, my work inbox received about 10 such dispicable messsages - no doubt I'll be greeted with more on Moday morning. A colleague forwarded me a message that he had been sent - not knowing what the german email was about and asking me for a translation. He thought it was a joke. I tried to explain to him what it was and how it potentially came to him - most likely because he works with me and he's in my adsressbook.

I guess it's just a taste of the things to come. Maybe the more this is being covered in news and made public, the quicker these people lose interest in distributing lies this way.

Some Berlin pictures

A wee final round-up of the recent Berlin trip. Some peeps might have been missing more pictures... Well here they are.

It's not the complete selection yet, as I didn't take the digicam into the stadium and the diposable cameras have not been developed yet. There are also some of Johannes' photos missing. Keep them coming, matey !

Smoke & Neighbours

Since our daughter has been born, my wife and I have become a bit more cautious in lots of ways. The other day for example, we could hear a fire alarm going off in one of the neighbouring flats.

Now all of you who have firealarms fitted in their flats and houses might have already experienced this: you cook something in the kitchen (or at least show some good will) and the smoke coming from the hob sets off the fire alarm.

The same seemed to happen to our neigbours downstairs and at first we didn't think any of it. But when the alarm was still going strong after about 5 minutes, I decided to go and check on the elderly couple downstairs.

I banged their door quite loudly and could clearly hear the firealarm when I was standing in front of the door. After some time - which seemed like an eternity to me - one of the two of them opened and gave me a startled and suprised look.

"Oh hello, it's you !" - she said.
"Hi - is everything alright?", I replied.

Unisono, both of them then said the golden words - as if this fact would have slipped my mind:
"yeah, it's just the fire alarm".
"I was worried", I said, "I almost called the fire brigade."
"Oh no! Thanks !".

Best thing was - fumes were still coming from the kitchen but the kitchen door stood wide open - making it impossible for the fire alarm to stop its noisy work.

All I can hope for is that our neighbours would so the same for us should they hear our alarm going off...

Ampelmann.de

On my recent trip to Berlin I came across the Ampelmann (traffic light man) shop in the Hackesche Höfe. This shop is dedicated to the green and red traffic men that were introduced in East Germany in 1961. Initially developed by a traffic psychologist, these figures were supposed to have a calming and relaxing influence on all people parting in road traffic.

After the wall fell, it was first decided to scrap the eastern traffic light men for the normed men of the west. After immense protests however by east Germans it was decided to keep the existing lights in place.

If you are in Berlin and decide to visit Hackesche Höfe, I would definitiely recommend to visit the lovely Ampelmann Shop. If not, there is always their Ampelmann online Kollektion (via email ordering service).

linkable

• No tight shorts on mini skirts in ugandian unis: "make sure you're dressing for a lecture."
• Some more rumours around iTMS Europe...
• Morrissey gives and interesting interview (for a rare change) on Morrissey-solo.com.
• A BBC forum asked readers the question if it was right to invite the Germans to this year's D-Day celebrations.
• Do you think you're too busy doing things that don't really fulfill you? Read Stuart Perry's Essay on Structured Procrastination and your life will be transformed soon. But don't put the task to read his article too high on your agenda.
• Proud to be dinosaurs: Six years after Apple gave up the godfather of all PDA's, Newton enthusiasts of the world unite in Paris on Sept. 5th this year for their first Newton conference.