Monday, February 21, 2005

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. Posted by Hello

Wednesday, February 16, 2005

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.

Friday, February 11, 2005

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. Posted by Hello

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

Saturday, February 05, 2005

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? Posted by Hello

Lunatech New Year Bash


 Posted by Hello

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!&

Friday, February 04, 2005

Thursday, February 03, 2005

Dutch Connection Phase 2


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

Wednesday, February 02, 2005

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. Posted by Hello

Tuesday, February 01, 2005

Impressions of the Summit of Amsterdam


Impressions of a Summit Posted by Hello

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...