Bloggers@large

Back on track? I can’t remember when I had such lengthy discussions with the VP of any company, as I have been having with RingCube’s VP of Business Development, Katya Falakshahi in the last few days. They must be working around the clock there (the same work ethos I remember from my time at Lost Boys) to redeem themselves and make their product a success. And as I mentioned many times now: I do like their product. It is easy to use – when they don’t screw up with a bad update – and it actually is a brand new […]

Just a quick note to all of you out there that Windows Vista RC2 (Release Candidate 2) build 5744, is out and will be released soon via the Customer Preview Program, which means that literally anyone can download it to give it a testdrive. It is the last public build before this next-generation operating system is released to manufacturing. You can download it here: Windows Vista RC2. Both 32bit and 64bit versions are available. As a note: you will need a valid serial to install and activate, but if you had a serial from a previous testversion it will work […]

Dodging bullets Apparently launching a new portable software solution isn’t that easy: after a major glitch in their software (making it impossible to install on some devices) MojoPac just shut down their forums, citing “an overwhelming number of requests from many of you who asked us to revamp our forums.” Sounds more like a corporate spin doctor at work. As I wrote Thursday, I was very much surprised frustrated with the way RingCube (a start-up company from Mountain View, California) is handling the problems they have after they managed to shoot themselves in foot, by launching a new version of […]

Bad Mojo About two weeks ago I wrote about this new portable solution called MojoPac. I was pretty amazed about the way it works and how it actually is a new approach to the problem of portability of software and data. I installed it on my 2inch Trekstor 30gb USB 2.0 external drive and installed stuff like Office 2003 and other software on it. It worked like a charm: sweeeet! Until this weekend when I fired it up again and got notice that there was an update to the software. Off course I tried to install that newer version of […]

Dead man’s hand The US government effectively dealt the online gaming industry (or more accurate the online gambling industry) the proverbial “dead man’s hand”. The US Senate passed a bill that would make it a crime to use credit cards or online payment systems for Internet betting. As a result, several online-gambling companies said Monday that they planned to stop doing business with customers in the United States – by far the largest market for Internet gambling. Analysts said the measure would effectively bar online-gambling companies from operating legally in the United States, fundamentally altering their business models and perhaps […]

Columbine 1999 “Gun control is hitting what you aim at.” Or it least that’s what the bumper sticker said I read during my first visit to New York in the USA in 1995. No doubt the owner of the car was also a NRA member, or, as they are known: the National Rifle Association. And I am sure I’m not the only one that noticed there is only one letter that distinguishes them from the IRA, a now dormant terrorist group from Ireland. Now the reason I bring this up off course, is the fact that today there was yet […]

Well wouldn’t you know it: flying with Easyjet is just like cattle herding. Flying back on Thursday night from London Luton was one gigantic mess again. Security is just stupid. I had the same computer bag with me as last time, but this time I didn’t get any comments or have any problems with it being searched or anything. However, this time on the way to London I did get padded down myself. The security gate went of on me because I left a bit some Mentos in my pocket: the aluminium in it must have triggered the alarm. My […]

Tomorrow I once again fly to England for yet another business trip. And again it’s going to be a Amsterdam – London Luton roundtrip. And yet again I am preparing to be herded around like the cattle we are. The only thing missing are the cattle prods to herd us through check-in, passport control, customs and the plane. Big sigh. I hope we can avoid the kind of shit that the guys had that made this video.

iSue You Ok guys & girls, Apple just made it to my shitlist. Not that I own a iPod or any Apple hardware anyway, but jeez folks, what the heck is wrong with Steve? Apple has issued yet another so-called ‘cease and desist’ order at a company called Podcast Ready, claiming that the terms “Podcast Ready” and “myPodder” infringe upon its trademarks and confuse consumers. The whole idea that Apple is claiming ownership of the word “podcast,” which obviously originated from “iPod” but is now defined as a general term used for digital audio shows that aren’t necessarily affiliated with […]

I have been looking at several portable solutions for my own use: I travel a fair deal and I like to take my data with me. So I decided to make a list of pro’s and con’s for my own reference. After looking at my list I decided to publish it: there are really a lot of options in the market nowadays, and I think it is good to see how they compare. All the options I review here (not too much indepth) are options I have tried myself so I can state that I have first hand experience with […]