A new free E-zine emerges

This is the link you need to download the latest edition of Critical Gossip...a compilation of projects I am working on here and in other parts of the galaxy. Enjoy...and sign-up on the website if you feel like a litle more free food for thought. About 5 times a year....there could be too much of a good thing. 

Clandestine Radio in Weblog Form

Radio Free Nepal is the name of a new weblog from Nepal. In other times, perhaps a clandestine radio on shortwave would have been the answer. Now we're seeing a weblog instead.

King Gyandendra of Nepal has issued a ban on independent news broadcasts and has threatened to punish newspapers for reports that run counter to the official monarchist line. Given that any person in Nepal publishing reports critical of "the spirit of the royal proclamation" is subject to punishment and/or imprisonment, contributors to this blog are publishing from Nepal anonymously.

DMB, not DAB, is the mobile BC technology of the future

This phone is the start of a new era for DAB in the world. DAB in its current form is very slow in taking off (except in the UK), but video over the robust DAB mobile platform is going to start in Korea in a few months time, pushed by broadcaster KBS. In France, trials of Digital Multimedia Broadcasting are scheduled for the summer. The video quality is amazing...500 kB stream, so 2 video channels per DAB multiplex, plus 4 audio channels.

Using the DAB platform, and with only minor modifications, DMB allows
for the delivery of television, video and data to mobile devices
alongside existing DAB radio services. DMB benefits from a widely
installed and established DAB network infrastructure, already reaching
80% of Europe. To date there are over 600 DAB services available
reaching 330 million people in 40 countries. Unfortunately, only the UK has apparently got the legislation right to encourage content companies to switch away from analogue. In Holland, commercial broadcasters are boycotting DAB on the grounds that the government already vastly overcharged them for the FM licences...true! DMB might be the stimulus they are waiting for.

Recently LG Electronics also launched the first DMB mobile phone and devices are expected to be commercially available in Korea this Spring. 

In Paris on business....another Olympic city candidate. Spring is in the air...warmer than Amsterdam 

i-Pod Personal Audio

Want to spend US$15 for 10 tatoos to personalise your i-Pod? HP seems to think so, even though their love affair with their own version of the i-Pod seems to be over. Come to think of it, HP itself isn't doing all that well. The love affair with Carly Fiorina is also over, ousted last week as chairman and CEO of Hewlett-Packard Co., and now the owner of US $45 million worth in stock options. Wonder how quickly she'll cash in the chips? 

Grokker - Knowledge management, data mining and information mapping

Knowledge management, data mining and information mapping with Grokker. Take the free trial and you will be amazed at this tool. Better than Clusty I think...better visuals

Lunatech New Year Bash

 

Lunatech is a start-up company and investor in Rotterdam that really rocks. Not only do they have a knack of picking out good ideas - they know a great Indonesian caterer. Michael Pentowski (left) is the Director, Keith Wallace is their Scottish e-vangelist. Good guys to do business with!&

Indonesian Buffet at Lunatech

The Lunatech Bash 2 - See what I mean? 

Colby Stuart - DC founder

Colby can brainstorm anywhere! 

Dutch Connection Phase 2

Work in Progress. Brainstorming on the future of the media with Gil Agnew and Keith Parr of the Dutch Connection. 

WRR Report on the Future of the Media

The Netherlands Scientific Council for Government Policy is an independent think tank for Dutch government. On the 2nd of February 2005 they presented an interesting and (already) controversial report "Focus on Function" on the future of media in the Netherlands and made suggestions as to the role of public broadcasting. Interesting stuff...there should be an English summary in a few days...faster than it takes to learn Dutch. 

Impressions of the Summit of Amsterdam

Impressions of a Summit 

Three days of intense thinking and debate with a bunch of intelligent futurists. Hopefully we'll be able to capture a lot of the thoughts for future debates...