October 2008 – Page 2

CD vs. microSD

When was the last time you bought a compact audio disc (CD)?

I just can’t remember when I’d actually bought such an audio CD – maybe 2003 or 2004. These days I only receive them a gifts on special occasions or when the content isn’t available anywhere else (such as this nice Mendelssohn recording as pictured below).

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Today’s customers apparently prefer their audio entertainment to come in a digital format that can be copied onto a portable device and carried around. Sure, you can rip an audio CD and convert it into any popular digital audio encoding format, such as mp3. But then, also, there this study somewhere on the internet which concludes that many consumers these days don’t go for complete albums, but instead download single tracks online, either free of charge, for a fee from online shops like iTunes Store or illegal via P2P networks.

I’ve also changed my consumer behaviour on audio entertainment some years ago – as I saw my shelves filling up with CDs that needed storage space. What if I had everything (every single CD) ripped and converted into mp3 format for use on my portable mp3 players and on my computer? I don’t want to own many different physical pieces of recorded media (the CDs), but instead just want to listen to my music. So I did that and now only have a small 2,5″ external hard drive with all my music on it. And since I am not a big fan of iTunes or iPods, I just slot the above pictured microSD card into the reader (attached to the keychain), plug it into a free USB port on my computer and load some music on the card which I can then use on my Nokia N95 mobile phone (which also serves as my mp3 player).

slot music player You may have heard that SanDisk – the manufacturer of these tiny memory card – has meanwhile come up with the idea of selling DRM-free mp3 files preloaded on such a microSD card, marketed as slotMusic.

And since not everyone ownes a microSD-compatible player, they’ve introduced a simple mp3 player – the slotMusic player – which may also be branded for popular artists. To push this new format forward, Sandisk also secured support from all four major music labels (EMI Music, SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT, Universal Music Group & Warner Music Group).

It will be interesting to see how consumers will accept this medium and how it will substitute audio CDs. I think, many consumers just want to enjoy the music they’ve bought – either in an old-fashioned way (vinyl, CDs, cassette tapes) or in a truly digital format that’s playable on many different devices and may even be copied. 1 GB microSD cards currently sell for about 3,- EUR in Europe, come at the size of a fingernail, are hot-swapable (the keychain adapter is so sweet! I always keep a LinuxLive version on that 2 GB card) and still offer more memory space than conventional audio CDs.

Also, since even a 1GB microSD card is big enough for audio AND additional files, I think the real innovation here isn’t about giving consumers just another media format, but instead the provision of additional memory space which may then be used for videos or flash animations that can even be played on a portable player. So it’s not only about music, but the extra data contained on such a device that will probably attract customers in future and make the difference.

I know we also had VideoCDs or enhanced mutimedia CDs in the past, but nowadays many portable devices are also capable of playing any additional data (such as flash animations, text, videos, etc.) – so for the first time, this additional feature really makes sense.

From what I’ve read on the blogosphere and seen on TV about SanDisk’s slotMusic approach so far, many ppl are still sceptic as they are currently used to downloading their music directly online, or prefer a CD which they can play on their stereo systems at home. Also, since these microSD cards are really tiny and all look alike, it will be particularly interesting to see how SanDisk will solve these still open issues. For me as a consumers though, this new format is much sweeter than conventional CDs – also since I already own a device that has a microSD card slot.

I am currently using an 8GB microSD card on my N95 – and if I ever need more, I’ll just get another one. Getting the music transferred on such a card is just a matter of a seconds, which is quite convenient if you directly compare that with devices that only have a fixed memory chip (iPhone, iPod, Nokia 6500, and most older mp3 players).

n.b.: Twitter

I’ve been using Twitter as a form of microblogging for quite some time now – and what I really like about it is that you constantly get to meet new people from different backgrounds with fresh ideas and different perspectives. For those who are willing to play this game, it comes close to a virtual BarCamp. Quite inspiring.

I just wanted to mention this once because I often have the impression that not everyone really understood the meaning of blogs – and a microblogging service like Twitter (as opposed to a Tumbleblog with no comment-feedback = no conversations) is a very social, albeit also limited blog version. “Yeah sure”, you may think, “what’s so new about that?”. Nothing, actually – just the pure fact alone of meeting new folks online is something that may be underrated some times.

And for this purpose, Twitter is much better than traditional e-mails, forums, Skype/IM, #irc and even Facebook. Why? Because it’s 1:1, on a personal level.

Oh, and if you’re already busy hiding your papered 1.0 business cards in this fast-paced world, create your own QR code and stick it to the back of your phone – as this post suggests. Neat!

LEDNA

LEDNA – the Local Economic Development Network of Africa.

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My friend, former colleague and fellow blogger Christian created this lovely site with Drupal on behalf of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation SDC (& UNCDF, gtz, ILO + USAID).

Christian actually tested his design on me and others some time ago, using Silverback and directly implemented our feedback to improve this site (Silverback & Evernote are some of those reasons why I am sometimes longing for a combination of a MacBookPro and an iPhone…).

The LEDNA website aims to pool “local economic development knowledge” and “engage in community-networks to build the knowledge hub”. In other words: the LEDNA website shall provide a community of networked activists who are active in the field of local economic development and want to exchange experiences and opportunities with each other. I see it as an independent online resources that helps pooling different experiences from and for Africa by Africans. Hence the name “Network OF Africa” (instead of for).

Given the unstable internet connectivity in many African countries and a missing incentive for stakeholders (= How can I benefit of this network as a local planer?), the website itself isn’t the best solution for gathering knowledge – but it sure provides a step in the right direction and it now only depends on how it will be marketed and sold to those knowledge providers who are supposed to contribute content. After all, what really matters (I think) aren’t studies and political papers only, but real experience from the ground that provides a clear picture of what worked and what didn’t.

I really hope that this site takes off and turns into a vivid network of real-life experiences – and doesn’t only cover positive news (= what donors want to hear). As for the website itself – kudos to Christian for this wonderful setup so far!

the difference & BarCampAfrica

Back in 1998 when a group of two friends and I applied for venture capital for a smart mobile phone-related web project*, we were told that VCs in the US would normally finance 100 projects and call it a success if 10 out of 100 would take off. Contrary to that, this “success rate” was considered bad in Germany where the aim was to only finance 10 projects at the same time and then try to see that at least 7-8 of them take off.

I had a professor at university who was given many important international awards, even some under the Bush-administration – but at home his fellow colleagues made fun of him whenever he wasn’t around. Working as a member of the faculty council and being his student, I often had to defend his unordinary actions because his fellow colleagues never understood his scope of work and genius mind.

Talking about taking financial risks, my impression is that there’s a different culture in the US that almost pushes people forward and provides them with some financial backup to put their ideas in place. Not so in Europe, where you will either have to convince as a person & your reputation or have a very very tight business plan & idea of what you’re going to do. Meaning, the willingness to carry a risk is so much higher in the US than in Europe. I may be wrong on this, but that’s my impression so far.

Take the US election campaigns, for instance. With the involvement of the new media channels and blogosphere, the individual is approached at his point of interest and guided into a wonderland full of emotions, nationalism/honour and some private tidbits of the candidates.

Whenever I watch these campaign videos online, I think: well – would this work in Germany? Would such emotional campaigns also work in Europe?

Yes. Voters wouldn’t be used to that, but the majority is the same all over the world and that’s why I think what makes a strong leader isn’t lipstick, but a positive charisma that may be sold to the masses.

I am a sceptic 1/2German who does not believe the hype, but at the same time I so often wish my fellow countrymen would at least sometimes be more open to new ideas, take more risks and ease up some bureaucratic processes.

——

I tried to follow the BarCampAfrica event last night that took place at Google’s Mountain View Headquarters in the US, with streaming & recorded video sessions from Kenya, SA, Nigeria and Ghana. A quite interesting networking event. From what I heard during the panel discussions, I can only assume that the Ayittey/Shikwati approach of “less help, more trade” still needs to reach even more open minds in the US and elsewhere, and that there are indeed some countries on the African continent that are already capable of providing IT work.

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attendees at the BarCampAfrica (picture by Maneno.org)

This is exactly why I endorsed the BarCampAfrica actually taking place in the US – to reach those who still need to understand that we’re not (only) talking about water pumps, proper sanitation, food security or health issues, but instead about Africa as a market. I strongly believe that the creation of such business opportunities is the only way forward as all other approaches aren’t sustainable enough.

I am currently in the process of writing my diploma thesis (Dipl-Ing.) on “sanitation as a business in Africa”, and the basic concept is to promote (public) sanitation facilities as a business and combine that with a reuse concept. A reuse of nutrients contained within the different waste streams.

So, even though I am coming from this green/environmental engineering background, I do not follow the “…Africans need proper watsan/food/health supply before anything else”-approach. Instead, I believe that even such fundamental issues will be resolved by proper markets – not because they represent such a fair system, but because they do work and are sustainable. You may not agree on this, but then pls show me a sustainable project that has been build up with outside help and has grown into a full business.

Next we’ll need to have such a BarCampAfrica event in Europe. The only similar events I’ve seen so far were invitations on behalf of a local Chamber of Commerce that invited some permanent secretaries from African nations and key investors from Europe – where the aim clearly was to attract investment in Africa and to create a network of potential investors who would pressure local governments on opening up their trade policies. A BarCamp is different as everyone is free to join. And that’s exactly the spirit I’d like to see in Europe much more often. Take the risk, meet new people, share your ideas (for a better world, *cough cough*) and feel the “Yes we can” spirit. After all, most of the now much celebrated Web 2.0 projects started off as small 3day hacks – so even small ideas have the potential to work out and prosper.

The video transmissions via ustream.tv at one point later in the night broke off, but conversations continued on Twitter & Co. even until Sunday, so I take it that the BarCampAfrica was a real success – and much needed.

*mobile phone project: a WAP-based dictionary that would also have an sms-based frontend.

reality mining – as in “let’s face reality”

A rather older news item that triggered my interest, especially since I saw Eagle Eye last night – a Hollywood movie that deals with a super surveillance computer gone wild in a “2001: A Space Odyssey“-sense:

Mobiles are assigned a temporary anonymous number by the network called a temporary mobile subscriber identity, or TMSI, which the phone periodically transmits to advise of its location.

As the phone moves through the different regions served by different base stations, that number changes.

Path Intelligence’s approach, called FootPath, directly detects that TMSI transmission from phones. No access to the mobile networks themselves is necessary, so the information that they glean is specific to a user, but completely anonymous.

The TMSIs can only be associated with a number by the mobile operators and Path Intelligence encrypt the TMSIs that they acquire as an added level of security.

…

It has been approached by humanitarian workers in refugee camps, where a lack of central planning means it is often difficult to site services such as clinics where they can be best used.

The system will also be useful for researching the layout of, for example, train stations. (source)

“Reality mining” (Hujambo Nathan :-) – as interesting as it is (I for one would like to use such a system to see where ppl gather in cities to find the ideal location for a public toilet) – tells me that there’s still much more to mobile phone networks than what you may assume it already is. Contrary to the average communication or data connection needs, they also work as passive tracking devices and are constantly carried around by consumers. Meaning?

Mobile phones are as close as companies will ever get to a customer (unless they find a way of smuggling subliminal messages or ads in our dreams – as seen on Futuruma).

If you still believe that the mobile communication sector is just a temporary hype, this should open your eyes for the future. Don’t be fooled by current limited technologies (e.g. crippled mobile browsers) – the technology is going to evolve to a much bigger network of services that provide comfort to its users and valuable user data to some few operators who control the data.

Germany’s T-Mobile recently had a very embarrassing scandal where user data of 17 million (!) customers got “lost” a year ago, including those private numbers of celebrities & other VIPs. And this although there are already very strict data privacy laws in Germany that would normally prevent such a faux-pas.

So, obviously, it’s not only those big players like T-Mobile or Vodafone who provide the necessary mobile communication networks, but instead the few companies that collect all that gathered user data and use it for their own services. Is this good or bad?

Coming back to the initial story: the triangulation method with it’s unique user IDs also reminds me of another AfriGadget-hack that’s prolly already out there – but if not, here’s my 2cent-idea: cheap mobile phones with stripped displays and small solar panels attached to the back cover that are then used as (cheaper) mobile tracking devices in nature preserves. Contrary to the old-fashioned Tx units, tracking equipment could be decentralized as it would rely on the base stations of the network (that, fortunately, often also cover nature parks) and consequently use less energy for a signal.

wilflife-triangulation

I sometimes wonder why I went into the water & sanitation business instead of focussing on my old interest from back in the days… :-)

p.s.: “we are based in the UK and the penetration of cell phones here is 108%, so we pretty much get everybody.” (source)

Skype Mobile (Beta) [updated]

Following this post about a new Skype Mobile (Beta), I couldn’t resist and installed the latest version of Skype Mobile on the Nokia N95.

Upon registering your mobile number on the Skype Mobile download page, an sms will arrive with a personalized download link. The application itself is about 360 kb, installs pretty quickly (I always use the phone’s internal memory – not the one provided on the microSD card) and it starts within seconds.

Here’s what it looks like:
(pls don’t be irritated by the German language selection)

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So far, so good.

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To edit a message, the S60 editor comes up (same as on SMS, OperaMini, etc.) and you can type your text.

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It even shows you the current credit – nice!

Multitasking apparently does not work that well, as it suddenly displayed the following error message and closed itself.

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Could be due to the running screenshot application that was trying to capture the screen as a background process.

What I like about Skype Mobile:

huge fonts, clear interface
makes use of full screen
shows Skype Credit

What I don’t like about Skype Mobile:

application is still in beta state, albeit being released as version 0.9.26.0 which implies that it’s close to a final release
only covers Skype
(as opposed to Fring that just works like a charm and provides some more services, e.g. MSN, Twitter, GoogleTalk, etc.)
text input is in an extra window (apparently due to the S60 standard setup) – Fring really solved this in a much better way
upon starting the application, it tells you that it will charge you extra for incoming calls. Charge for incoming calls that are coming from another computer? Is this still VoIP? Not so on Fring!
conversations are only accessible through the list of events, not as different tabs
text from conversations (e.g. hyperlinks) isn’t accessible, not even for the copy & paste method (this btw also doesn’t work on Fring)

Let’s compare that with the Fring experience on the N95:

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Fring really is that All-In-One solution that a) just works out of the box, even as a background task and b) provides much more information on useful information (e.g. network, battery, different tabs for open chats).

Verdict: Skype Mobile (Beta) (for Nokia N95/S60!) should go back to the labs – and maybe also remain there, as Fring already does the job.

I don’t know how far Skype is involved in Fring’s business (investors?), or how closed Skype’s API is for Fring (now and in future), but I just don’t see any sense in this Skype Mobile application if Fring is so much more advanced and accepted by users. The only reason I’ve left it on the phone is because it shows the Skype Credit which Fring does not. Other than that, Skype Mobile gives me the impression that it was created for the typical Windows Mobile user who normally uses a pen and a QWERTY keyboard for text entry and navigation. And who will definately appriciate it if his future phone comes pre-loaded with Skype Mobile (at least – that’s what they had in mind, right?).

Also, I just appreciate how Fring is integrated into S60, showing all relevant background information from the host system (network, battery, etc.) and still provides it’s own navigation. Skype Mobile, on the other hand, is one of those stand-alone versions that you as a user will not want to minimize and close down as a background process. The service itself takes up system resources, and if if does not provide the same flexibility as other services, there’s no reason to keep this battery drainer running in the background.

Way forward: what I’d like to see is a combined eBay/Skype solution, similar to what Yahoo! created with it’s Yahoo! Go application. Something that adds value to an otherwise plain service. Currently, not all phones are capable of multitasking, and if battery drainage is still an issue, I think it’s much wiser to offer an All-In-One solution that either provides maximum connectivity (e.g. Fring) or one that integrates different web services (e.g. eBay) and transforms them for the mobile platfrom.

JKE is GTD, part 1

Working as an external consultant, I really needed to reorganize my personal organiser and put it in a much more effective combination.

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my old personal organiser

Imagine I’ve been using this traditional filofax (“file of facts”) system for the last 10 years and often didn’t have enough space to keep my notes. Plus, I am one of those folks who write down every little idea and try to keep the rest in my head.
Computers? PDAs? Mobile Phones? Well…as long as there’s no perfect solution that will synchronise any mobile phone with any adress book & notes and any corporate-restricted MS-Exchange Server and other services (= no common standard, sigh), I’ll keep on using paper – and besides: it’s faster and will never run out of batteries.

Having said that, what I am actually looking for is a system that a) provides enough room for my extra notes (e.g. a clamp somewhere where I can just attach them) and b) provides the maximum space without keeping me from writing on the left page because of a stupid six-ring loose-leaf binder system as seen on my old filofax above.

Proper time management certainly does not only depend on the perfect personal organiser, but for me, it starts with it.

And fancy Moleskine notebooks?
No. They just don’t do it for me even though they are quiet sexy, slim and have enough followers who love them. Moleskine notebooks are a 1-year solution to me. And yes, I know that some ppl just like it that way and keep their Moleskin archives on their shelves or hidden in drawers.

As far as I am informed, there are currently three different products available on the German market that offer a solution to my problem:

1. Fellow blogger Christian already recommended a very nice product from Germany which is sold under the brand name “Roter Faden” (~ red line) and which uses aluminium clamps on both sides to fix up to three special books inside:

roterfaden

Their website is unfortunately only available in German and with around 50,- EUR for an empty planer (special booklets containing a weekly calendar, address book & empty paper is sold seperately), it’s one of those solutions you’ll only go for once you’re sure it works for you.

There are only two official dealers for this system in Frankfurt and I am yet to see it in live action. I already like the mechanism that allows a quick removal of the content and – the biggest and most important advantage over to the traditional filofax solution: you can actually use all space as there’s no stupid ring binder in the middle. Sweet!

Another advantage is that you have an extra pouch for important papers, although rather rudimentary. Any disadvantages? Well…the more you stick inside it, the bigger it grows. Do I want my organiser to look like Dan Eldon’s sketchbooks? Well…. :-)

2. Then there’s the X47 system developed by another German who initially built his first prototype way back in the 1980s as a student and some years later on recycled his idea and improved it.

x47

If I had enough money, I’d probably go for one of the X47 solutions as they are the most beautiful planers I’ve ever seen.

This so-called book-by-book system also uses a special spring mechanism (“spring loaded spine rail”) that holds these extra booklets in place and replaces the usual ring mechanism. While there are different sizes available (even some inside a wallet!), I’ve figured that I should switch to an A5 format which provides enough room for my extra notes that I still want to clip into this planer. Contrary to conventional filofax systems or even the RoterFaden solution above, these timers will not grow in size. Nice! The name X47 actually comes from the fact that the missing ring mechanism provides 47% more paper space.

If you’re seriously interested in getting a perfect GTD-solution, this could be your personal organiser (albeit prices are somewhere between 100,- – 300,- EUR!).

3. The same guy who invented the X47 system knew that his system is a bit too expensive for the average customer (heck, I could even get a Netbook for that price!), so he tried to look for another, cheaper solution based on…. rubbers!

x17

Instead of an expensive spring loaded mechanism, these rather simple organisers are held together by a set of rubbers. The inventor actually patented the system and got a patent on “a half hole” – which are required at the side of the organisers to keep everything in place. Check out their website for more info on this simple setup. Obviously, this is one sweet Eurogadget :-) solution I’ll like!

So I bought it.

I actually just bought the papers inside and these special rubbers (which are normally used as gaskets in the automobile sector, so they are quite durable) because they didn’t have the cheap cover edition I was actually longing for and because I had already made up plans on how to modify this solution according to my needs. Since there doesn’t seem to be *the* perfect solution, I’ll have to create my own.

Welcome to my first prototype!

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use some stronger paper from a calendar and cut out the desired size

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(in case you’re wondering: that’s an image of natural Liquorice on the cover – as mentioned, I’d taken a page from an office calendar :-)

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Yeah ok, this is what I want it to feature. Left: a clip for extra notes in A5 format, in the middle the four booklets (empty notes, address book, calendar 2009, 1st & 2nd part), and to the right: a small pouch for loose content and some business/credit/customer cards + a pen holder.

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last page on the papered prototype (./. pen holder)

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And look, even a CD fits in there!

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old vs. new

I’ve actually ordered a cover from X17 (which is yet to arrive) because my next step is to modify it according to the papered prototype above and add these little extras using the fabric I normally use (green canvas material from Kenya + some leftover parts from my grandmothers ball gown – aii, sijui about the latter one…).

Is there any other system you can recommend that fits into this scheme? Comments, please!

Thengiu muno.

[UPDATE] In part two of this post, I talk about the modifications I did to my X17 timer.