I opted for Windows Vista a few months ago when I got my new home computer. Having heard a lot of bad things, I still thought it would be cool, since this computer is fairly upscale.
I soon learned that raw power is one thing, the interactive feel to a operating environment is another. Vista really sucks...and I am even saying this with my usual guarded perspectives in mind.
A huge annoyance has recently fallen into the category of "solved", however. Or maybe it should just be "explained", since this piece of clarity hasn't really made life simpler. Nowadays, I usually copy my installation files to the desktop before running them.
I needed to disable the UAC disaster before my sanity was compromised - but it seems I only forced myself into another dead-end of Microshaft usability.
What kind of a moron does it take to come up with this kind of crap?
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Monday, October 13, 2008
Ninja!
Several weeks ago, on Ninjatune.net, I ordered the recent single Dita Dimone by the strangely compelling Pop Levi.
I received an order confirmation that didn't contain any download link. It hardly described the product either, so I wrote an e-mail to customer support, failed to find any online reference of my purchase, assumed it had failed, and forgot all about it.
Today, I got an apologetic e-mail with my download link...and they even threw in a brilliant compilation as a consolation gift.
I received an order confirmation that didn't contain any download link. It hardly described the product either, so I wrote an e-mail to customer support, failed to find any online reference of my purchase, assumed it had failed, and forgot all about it.
Today, I got an apologetic e-mail with my download link...and they even threw in a brilliant compilation as a consolation gift.
VR Designer
...is now my official title. How cool is that :)
Through my first week and it certainly looks promising. I'll have to get back into the CAD/3D domain again but this does not bother me the least. Actually, it is weird to see that even though it is more than 2 years since we stopped our 3D company (and more like 3 years ago I knew a lot about the state of the technology), things have not evolved all that much.
I'll have to use a software frame that is 7-8 years old, once made and back then not very successful, yet now coming into favour again. Strange, but I guess companies the size of Vestas are acknowledging future competition and that development and innovation has to be driven on all levels. At least that is my naïve, stubborn conviction while I look at the newspapers and silently pray that big finance turbulence doesn't mean immediate layoffs here in Aarhus...
Through my first week and it certainly looks promising. I'll have to get back into the CAD/3D domain again but this does not bother me the least. Actually, it is weird to see that even though it is more than 2 years since we stopped our 3D company (and more like 3 years ago I knew a lot about the state of the technology), things have not evolved all that much.
I'll have to use a software frame that is 7-8 years old, once made and back then not very successful, yet now coming into favour again. Strange, but I guess companies the size of Vestas are acknowledging future competition and that development and innovation has to be driven on all levels. At least that is my naïve, stubborn conviction while I look at the newspapers and silently pray that big finance turbulence doesn't mean immediate layoffs here in Aarhus...
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
iPod Touch location services
For some reason I have big problems with iPod programs that need to localise my iPod. My iPod (1st generation Touch) should be using the "location services" for its networks, but each time I try to access a program that depends on localisation, I get a "Allow me to use your existing location" followed by a long wait and inevitably failure.
I turned into Ze Googlemeister for a few minutes, and actually found something interesting:
Ipots (the smart and geeky slang for Ipod Touch'es) don't have GPS or any of that fancy, battery-bashing 3G stuff. So they rely on WiFi triangulation which is not very accurate but better than nothing.
Turns out that a privat company, Skyhook, is responsible for the WiFi, GPS and 3G localisation coverage for these Apple products. Or at least, this is how I interpret it. The corporate affiliations aren't exactly crystal...that's Apple, alright :P
Now, it appears that Skyhook is mapping WiFi coverage slowly but consistently. You can pay $20 and get some VIP-status that gets you there quicker, but online there is a WiFi access point submittal service where regular (free) users can add access points to Skyhook's database, which then within some weeks gets updated and allows your iPod to query the location services and hopefully get an accurate answer on where the hell it is.
I found several IP-addresses on my router and through good ol'e "ipconfig /all". The only one that the Skyhook service wanted to acknowledge was the "default gateway" that my router configuration is displaying.
When I added that address, the map reset itself to a particular street corner in Taipei. I am still uncertain whether a taiwanese chap has the same WiFi IP-setup - but somehow I take this to be a factory setting. It seems likely that my internal router or WiFi router is made in Taiwan. Even if I have no clue how that information is stored or transferred through IP exchange...
After this, I was asked to add the MAC-address of the WiFi router and my e-mail address. Confirmation came per e-mail - and now I'm waiting to see if this will help anything at all. I am not exactly located in the city center so I have some serious doubts.
I am still wondering how on earth regular non-technical users would have any chance of finding and implementing this information. How many people out there just sit around, accepting that key parts of their products do not really function properly?
[Edited on Oct 13th:]
To my big surprise, my localisation service now works here at home. My actions actually helped! Hooray!
I hereby recommend that everyone living up Shit Creek do the same.
I turned into Ze Googlemeister for a few minutes, and actually found something interesting:
Ipots (the smart and geeky slang for Ipod Touch'es) don't have GPS or any of that fancy, battery-bashing 3G stuff. So they rely on WiFi triangulation which is not very accurate but better than nothing.
Turns out that a privat company, Skyhook, is responsible for the WiFi, GPS and 3G localisation coverage for these Apple products. Or at least, this is how I interpret it. The corporate affiliations aren't exactly crystal...that's Apple, alright :P
Now, it appears that Skyhook is mapping WiFi coverage slowly but consistently. You can pay $20 and get some VIP-status that gets you there quicker, but online there is a WiFi access point submittal service where regular (free) users can add access points to Skyhook's database, which then within some weeks gets updated and allows your iPod to query the location services and hopefully get an accurate answer on where the hell it is.
I found several IP-addresses on my router and through good ol'e "ipconfig /all". The only one that the Skyhook service wanted to acknowledge was the "default gateway" that my router configuration is displaying.
When I added that address, the map reset itself to a particular street corner in Taipei. I am still uncertain whether a taiwanese chap has the same WiFi IP-setup - but somehow I take this to be a factory setting. It seems likely that my internal router or WiFi router is made in Taiwan. Even if I have no clue how that information is stored or transferred through IP exchange...
After this, I was asked to add the MAC-address of the WiFi router and my e-mail address. Confirmation came per e-mail - and now I'm waiting to see if this will help anything at all. I am not exactly located in the city center so I have some serious doubts.
I am still wondering how on earth regular non-technical users would have any chance of finding and implementing this information. How many people out there just sit around, accepting that key parts of their products do not really function properly?
[Edited on Oct 13th:]
To my big surprise, my localisation service now works here at home. My actions actually helped! Hooray!
I hereby recommend that everyone living up Shit Creek do the same.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Betting on a landslide
After the recent events over there, I am now proclaiming to the world that I foresee a landslide victory for Obama, come election day.
I've actually been thinking this for a couple of weeks now, ever since the initial evidence of Palin lunacy began to ticker in on my newsfeeder.
I've actually been thinking this for a couple of weeks now, ever since the initial evidence of Palin lunacy began to ticker in on my newsfeeder.
Winds of Change
It may safely be called official now - I had actually completely forgotten about my blog, so it's been official for at least 4 weeks now.
I have a new job at the Danish wind power company Vestas, namely in their Technology & Development department in Aarhus. About 250 meters from my current spot...so scenery was clearly not the objective.
What will I be doing - some of that is still confidential, actually. But it involves returning to 3D and computer graphics - and not least project development surrounding data visualisation and the likes.
I have a new job at the Danish wind power company Vestas, namely in their Technology & Development department in Aarhus. About 250 meters from my current spot...so scenery was clearly not the objective.
What will I be doing - some of that is still confidential, actually. But it involves returning to 3D and computer graphics - and not least project development surrounding data visualisation and the likes.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
The Rush '08
The past weekend was celebrated in Northern Jutland, near my childhood town - at the farm Krogsgaard.
A festival my old mate Mikkel has created (along with several others of course). I played a DJ set and was completely blown away by the quality of the venue. 200 people didn't sound like much...but in part this accounted for 30+ bands...so the schedule was packed. And along the weekend everyone more or less got to know each other.
A unique, local atmosphere...the perfect supplement to Roskilde's gargantuan playground. I hope I can help make it happen again next year.
The band quality was amazing, highlights being Transmission Low, Pow Pow, DJ Mescal and Albertslund Terror Korps. But, really, all the bands played excellent gigs. I did not experience a single bad set...but maybe that had to do with the happiness and relaxation everybody radiated.
My next post will be called "Winds of Change" and will reveal an exciting development, taking place during these very days. I just need to tie up loose ends before I get official. =)
A festival my old mate Mikkel has created (along with several others of course). I played a DJ set and was completely blown away by the quality of the venue. 200 people didn't sound like much...but in part this accounted for 30+ bands...so the schedule was packed. And along the weekend everyone more or less got to know each other.
A unique, local atmosphere...the perfect supplement to Roskilde's gargantuan playground. I hope I can help make it happen again next year.
The band quality was amazing, highlights being Transmission Low, Pow Pow, DJ Mescal and Albertslund Terror Korps. But, really, all the bands played excellent gigs. I did not experience a single bad set...but maybe that had to do with the happiness and relaxation everybody radiated.
My next post will be called "Winds of Change" and will reveal an exciting development, taking place during these very days. I just need to tie up loose ends before I get official. =)
Friday, August 01, 2008
Summer buzz
Roskilde was a blast, as always. My brother came along this time - a spectacular comeback after 11 years in hiding.
Musically, I didn't hear as much as I hoped, but highlights were Mugison, Girl Talk, La Kinky Beat, Solomon Burke, Radiohead, and susprisingly Slayer (I didn't hear it all of it, but half of it wasn't half bad...)
Recently returned from 2 weeks of holidaying, which were like a drop in the desert. Had a blast in rural Sweden, where my uncle has his summer residence. Swimming in a forest lake, picking berries, dazing in the sun, and I even got to go boar-hunting.
Recently, I also acquired an Ipod Touch...which I am already well into hacking. The design of this thing is amazing. I'll hand that to Apple - even if I usually dislike the smart-ass snobbiness they radiate.
My next big thing is preparing for a short festival in late August where I need to do some DJ-ing. Very anxcious about this...I've been shortlisting tracks for months now. I need to start selecting soon...
Musically, I didn't hear as much as I hoped, but highlights were Mugison, Girl Talk, La Kinky Beat, Solomon Burke, Radiohead, and susprisingly Slayer (I didn't hear it all of it, but half of it wasn't half bad...)
Recently returned from 2 weeks of holidaying, which were like a drop in the desert. Had a blast in rural Sweden, where my uncle has his summer residence. Swimming in a forest lake, picking berries, dazing in the sun, and I even got to go boar-hunting.
Recently, I also acquired an Ipod Touch...which I am already well into hacking. The design of this thing is amazing. I'll hand that to Apple - even if I usually dislike the smart-ass snobbiness they radiate.
My next big thing is preparing for a short festival in late August where I need to do some DJ-ing. Very anxcious about this...I've been shortlisting tracks for months now. I need to start selecting soon...
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Gearing up
Almost ready to hit Roskilde - once again.
News from the front tells that we have secured our classic spot in area G39. I don't know how my mates pull it off every year. Apparently, the fence barrier was broken at 5 a.m. this morning...they were probably in the middle of it.
Roskilde Festival has also been hit by non-smoker's paranoia, along with the rest of Western civilisation, I am sad to say. In 2008 stages Lounge and Astoria are off limits...it marks the beginning of the end to the joyful and carefree festival spirit as we know it.
Oddly, this news hit me along with news of new legislation in Amsterdam - where coffee shops now, of course, have had a smoking ban imposed. You are, however, still allowed to smoke pure weed - which underlines the hypocrisy in a "laugh or weep" kind of way. What is it with this "ban all that is harmful or risky" surge that makes me cringe so?
Perhaps it upsets me that there is no opposite attractor. No crowd or political campaign that makes a statement like "Yeah, we like risks, we live unconcerned of reality, and we don't want to wear fucking bicycle helmets by law!"
It is always an escalation on basic liberties - public health, traffic safety, surveillance, [add other collective impositions].
Well, never mind that now - two days of work to go - and then it's Radiohead along with countless others... :)
News from the front tells that we have secured our classic spot in area G39. I don't know how my mates pull it off every year. Apparently, the fence barrier was broken at 5 a.m. this morning...they were probably in the middle of it.
Roskilde Festival has also been hit by non-smoker's paranoia, along with the rest of Western civilisation, I am sad to say. In 2008 stages Lounge and Astoria are off limits...it marks the beginning of the end to the joyful and carefree festival spirit as we know it.
Oddly, this news hit me along with news of new legislation in Amsterdam - where coffee shops now, of course, have had a smoking ban imposed. You are, however, still allowed to smoke pure weed - which underlines the hypocrisy in a "laugh or weep" kind of way. What is it with this "ban all that is harmful or risky" surge that makes me cringe so?
Perhaps it upsets me that there is no opposite attractor. No crowd or political campaign that makes a statement like "Yeah, we like risks, we live unconcerned of reality, and we don't want to wear fucking bicycle helmets by law!"
It is always an escalation on basic liberties - public health, traffic safety, surveillance, [add other collective impositions].
Well, never mind that now - two days of work to go - and then it's Radiohead along with countless others... :)
Thursday, June 05, 2008
The Slip is Hip
This NIN album is 100% free - and it is very good.
I liked 'With Teeth' but didn't get into 'Year Zero' much.
'The Slip' is a nicely balanced mix of aggression, melancholy, and ensnaring rhythms.
Reznor's new anti-establishment recording strategy is interesting; he seems very dedicated to it. Much more than Radiohead.
I liked 'With Teeth' but didn't get into 'Year Zero' much.
'The Slip' is a nicely balanced mix of aggression, melancholy, and ensnaring rhythms.
Reznor's new anti-establishment recording strategy is interesting; he seems very dedicated to it. Much more than Radiohead.
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Grats, my boy
Obama clinches it - and I'm pleased.
Although I've despised the bashings between the campaigns, I couldn't help laugh at this comparison:
Although I've despised the bashings between the campaigns, I couldn't help laugh at this comparison:
Friday, May 30, 2008
Saturday, May 03, 2008
Feed me funk and soul
On my Spanish course, I've been pushing some sources of 60s and 70s soul and funk. Often old Latin American and Cuban goodies. Might as well post them here for others to enjoy - so much music from back then that just needs to be (re)discovered...
http://www.waxingdeep.org
http://www.soulstrut.com
http://www.djferrari.com
The radio channels, podcsts and archives of WMFU: http://www.wmfu.org
http://www.waxingdeep.org
http://www.soulstrut.com
http://www.djferrari.com
The radio channels, podcsts and archives of WMFU: http://www.wmfu.org
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Terraforming Suburbia
A romantic and glamorous name for the activity of shoveling dirt and debris into wheelbarrows, nudging them 50 meters away, just to empty them again.
My garden needs a lot of extra earth on one side to become level to the property boundary - and time is running out because people are coming to plant the hedge. I reckon I must have moved at least 60 loads at about 50 kilos a piece today. That's 3 tonnes worth of crap-moving. I'm completely broken...limp and almost drooling...and just a little bit proud.
My garden needs a lot of extra earth on one side to become level to the property boundary - and time is running out because people are coming to plant the hedge. I reckon I must have moved at least 60 loads at about 50 kilos a piece today. That's 3 tonnes worth of crap-moving. I'm completely broken...limp and almost drooling...and just a little bit proud.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Busdriver, go vote!
So it's Pennsylvania today - I hope youngsters do their duty...Obama will likely need it.
Saw an interview with HC today - and while she says many smart things and seems sincere, I also sense a undercurrent of camouflage. She is very smart at turning critical questions in her favour...usually ending any answer with a minute of predictably formal political speechiness. That just does not go down well with me. In comparison, Obama actually seems to dig into the question, not dig into getting away from it.
My new favourite gave a show here this past Wednesday - 30 people showed up, yet he gave 120%. My friends and I (and most of the crowd) were thoroughly impressed. I bought 3 of his CDs and stated that one of my best memories of LA (his hometown) was in fact riding a public bus, drunk. He must have figured me completely insane. But then again, he cannot really complain...listen to the man.
[EDIT]
I found this image of the venue, courtesy of Jint.dk:
Saw an interview with HC today - and while she says many smart things and seems sincere, I also sense a undercurrent of camouflage. She is very smart at turning critical questions in her favour...usually ending any answer with a minute of predictably formal political speechiness. That just does not go down well with me. In comparison, Obama actually seems to dig into the question, not dig into getting away from it.
My new favourite gave a show here this past Wednesday - 30 people showed up, yet he gave 120%. My friends and I (and most of the crowd) were thoroughly impressed. I bought 3 of his CDs and stated that one of my best memories of LA (his hometown) was in fact riding a public bus, drunk. He must have figured me completely insane. But then again, he cannot really complain...listen to the man.
[EDIT]
I found this image of the venue, courtesy of Jint.dk:
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Way cool
This is way cool.
And I am wondering how the Hell they did it. Of course, they have the angle of the photo material...and they have some offset factor compared to the regular 2D maps - but I would assume that height infomation is needed to determine which buildings shadow what and how much. Looking at some of those buildings, there is a near-perfect correlation between overlaps and stitching. Que es possible?
Redirected from there, I discovered Swivel, a magnificent concept for data geeks. I'm not heavy on statistical data - but my escapades into 3D and visualisation make me naturally curious about all this. There are magical mashups just waiting to be uncovered in this realm...
And I am wondering how the Hell they did it. Of course, they have the angle of the photo material...and they have some offset factor compared to the regular 2D maps - but I would assume that height infomation is needed to determine which buildings shadow what and how much. Looking at some of those buildings, there is a near-perfect correlation between overlaps and stitching. Que es possible?
Redirected from there, I discovered Swivel, a magnificent concept for data geeks. I'm not heavy on statistical data - but my escapades into 3D and visualisation make me naturally curious about all this. There are magical mashups just waiting to be uncovered in this realm...
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
Monday, April 07, 2008
D-E-L
One of my old favourites is back after a long hiatus. Well, only concerning solo albums - he's been in tonnes of projects...not least Gorillaz, of course.
The new album is good - I am not quite sure if it's great. Musically, you get something completely unique...but I feel the critics are right when they say most of his topics are too shallow for his calibre.
The new album is good - I am not quite sure if it's great. Musically, you get something completely unique...but I feel the critics are right when they say most of his topics are too shallow for his calibre.
Friday, April 04, 2008
Barcelona express
Back this week from a "long" weekend in Barcelona. What a bloody great city.
I was there by leisure albeit with my company department - a bonus trip earned through good results the past year. A really nice trip but much too short and much too socially anti-social.
By this I mean the general problem in moving in large tourist packs of foreigners. It will never be my thing. I saw my chances to get away on my own a few times but at the end of the trip I had only spoken 2-3 times to any native Barcelonian, not related to trade.
It was not much I got to train my beginner's Spanish - although I suspect I would not have anyway, since everyone was very keen to speak English :)
Best site was by far the Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família which everyone must see before they die. I have seen many impressive buildings in my life but this takes the prize - not in grandeur, though it certainly is huge, but in sheer uncompromising creativity.
Gaudí was apparently a mathematical genius which I can certainly see the importance of, since those spacy ideas would have never been possible to build, had he not himself figured out the foundational engineering behind it. The scale of his projects are simply enormous, considering how many details they contain - looking at the amount of modern building project fuck-ups that seem to come in abundance, Gaudí's achievements are really blinding.
I was there by leisure albeit with my company department - a bonus trip earned through good results the past year. A really nice trip but much too short and much too socially anti-social.
By this I mean the general problem in moving in large tourist packs of foreigners. It will never be my thing. I saw my chances to get away on my own a few times but at the end of the trip I had only spoken 2-3 times to any native Barcelonian, not related to trade.
It was not much I got to train my beginner's Spanish - although I suspect I would not have anyway, since everyone was very keen to speak English :)
Best site was by far the Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família which everyone must see before they die. I have seen many impressive buildings in my life but this takes the prize - not in grandeur, though it certainly is huge, but in sheer uncompromising creativity.
Gaudí was apparently a mathematical genius which I can certainly see the importance of, since those spacy ideas would have never been possible to build, had he not himself figured out the foundational engineering behind it. The scale of his projects are simply enormous, considering how many details they contain - looking at the amount of modern building project fuck-ups that seem to come in abundance, Gaudí's achievements are really blinding.
Monday, March 24, 2008
New markets
Seeing as Danish exports to the Middle East, for obvious reasons, are in a sharp decline, we need a 'next big thing' to substitute feta cheese.
New science together with careful evaluation of the number of Danish pigs' bladders compared to the level of Middle East regional violence seems to indicate a vast market, waiting to be exploited. Question is, will regrown limbs make up for the eternal damnation of soiling yourself with wee-wee powder from those filthy animals?
New science together with careful evaluation of the number of Danish pigs' bladders compared to the level of Middle East regional violence seems to indicate a vast market, waiting to be exploited. Question is, will regrown limbs make up for the eternal damnation of soiling yourself with wee-wee powder from those filthy animals?
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