Read the announcement here:

http ://blogs.adobe.com/penguin.swf/2008/04/licensefree_spec.html

Seems like that new flash-copy-cat technology from that Seatle company made this move earlier than later.

It seems like the Los Angeles Fire Department does it all Web 2.0 style. Experimenting with and utilising new modes and tools for public information work. From using lafd.blogspot.com and feedburner.com/LAFD, to publishing pictures on flickr.com/photos/lafdr, videos on youtube.com/LAFD, using google.com/group/LAFD_ALERT and twitter.com/lafd for communication.

If it prevents more fires or not is an issue for research, but using participatory technologies could be one way to actually turn everyday people into fellow fire fighters.

“Bestemor og folk flest. Velkommen til fremtiden. Lykke til”

Les om fortreffeligheten på nrkbeta:
http://nrkbeta.no/kryptering-er-lite-brukervennlig

Met.no skriver:

“Fra og med 1. september blir alle norske meteorologiske data gratis tilgjengelig for alle. 0-prispolitikken gjør at kommersielle værleverandører kan bruke ressursene på annet enn datakjøp. For “Hvermannsen” betyr frislippet bedre værtjenester på Internett.”

Disse dataene vil bli tilgjengelige gjennom nettstedet http://yr.no .

Videre skrives det at:

“Hovedregel i Norge er at offentlige data skal være gratis. Bakgrunnen for dette er EUs direktiv om gjenbruk av offentlig informasjon. Ledelsen ved Meteorologisk institutt mener dessuten at skattebetalerne bør få tilbake det “overskuddet” av produkter som uansett kommer ut av moderne værvarsling.”

Spørsmålet eg stiller meg er; vil de andre store ressursene som staten forvalter og som er finansiert av skattepenger også bli firgitt ? Når vil f.eks Statens Kartverk følge opp dette direktivet ?

Les hele nyheten her: http://met.no/aktuelt/nyhetsarkiv/2007/08august/datapolicy.html

NOAM COHEN writes:
“More than 100 judicial rulings have relied on Wikipedia, beginning in 2004, including 13 from circuit courts of appeal, one step below the Supreme Court. (The Supreme Court thus far has never cited Wikipedia.)”

Read the complete article in the New York Times.

(If you don’t have a login bugmenot might help you.)

Perhaps http://wikileaks.org will beat that ?

Today the gNewSense team released version 1.1 of their “cleaned” Ubuntu Linux version. Basically, they take Ubuntu Linux and strips it for all non-free packages (applications, drivers etc.), making it a ‘Linux for Human Beings’ that appreciate Freedom in every aspects of the word.

The result it a Linux distribution promoted by the Free Software Foundation.

It even contains a re-branded Firefox, named Iceweazel (this is due to the strict copyright terms with the current Firefox name and logo).

Håkon Wium Lie at Opera Software got himself an OLPC and hurried on to install the Opera web browser on it.

Read all about it here: http://people.opera.com/howcome/2006/olpc/

The free[1] multi-platform open source office suite OpenOffice.org has released its version 2.1. This time it seems like they are focusing on how it is possible to make extensions for the suite. The list of extensions is small but growing and something I will follow (I have to check out that quasiwiki extension).

Perhaps more importantly I see that more and more office suites are starting to support the OpenDocument format. Recently Abiword released a new version where the change log lists a lot of .odt bug fixes. KOffice, on the other hand, was the first to announce OpenDocument support and is now using it as their default format. Corel also recently announced that they will be supporting OpenDocument. The software giant IBM has also promised support for this format in their suite of products including Lotus Notes.

So if you care about freedom and the importance of open access to the content we create you should consider using a suite that support this open standard now or in the near future.

If you want to know more about the importance of using an open format you should read David Wheelers ‘Why OpenDocument Won (and Microsoft Office Open XML Didn’t) ‘.

Over at the OpenDocument Fellowship you will find a more complete list of applications that support OpenDocument.

[1] Both as in ‘freedom‘ and as in ‘free beer’.

Seems like SUN will set Java free. Beginning with ME and SE.

This is great news for all digital freedom fighters.

One more thing. We got a new kid on the block.

Welcome tengil

Well done Newsweek!

Source: http://rising-hegemon.blogspot.com

This is the closest I have ever been to buying a Jessica Simpson tune.

The Yahoo music blog writes (link: buy-a-customized-jessica-simpson-mp3-at-yahoo-music):

“You can buy a personalized version of the new Jessica Simpson song “A Public Affair” from Yahoo! Music’s Web Site (Music.Yahoo.com) for $1.99, and it’s an MP3. Dear digital consumer, even if you’re not into Jessica Simpson, and you’re not excited about spending $2 for a song, let me tell you, this is a bigger deal than you might think.

As you know, we’ve been publicly trying to convince record labels that they should be selling MP3s for a while now. Our position is simple: DRM doesn’t add any value for the artist, label (who are selling DRM-free music every day — the Compact Disc), or consumer, the only people it adds value to are the technology companies who are interested in locking consumers to a particular technology platform.

We’ve also been saying that DRM has a cost. It’s very expensive for companies like Yahoo! to implement. We’d much rather have our engineers building better personalization, recommendations, playlisting applications, community apps, etc, instead of complex provisioning systems which at the end of the day allow you to burn a CD and take the DRM back off, anyway! And on the consumer end there is certainly some discount built into that $0.99 download for the fact that you can burn a limited number of times, can’t play it on your Squeezebox, can’t DJ it with your DJ software, and can’t make a movie out of it with iMovie? I certainly hope so. Un-DRM’d content is implicitly more valuable to a consumer.”

Source: http://delicategeniusblog.com/?p=267

While the current trend in desktop file management is on incorporating live searches, this guy is doing somthing else.

Please explore,
lowfat - document viewing with a twist

Download one of the videos and you will see what I mean.

For those of you Mac OS X users that care about freedom. You can still keep that pretty look with linux. Just follow this great “Make Ubuntu Look like OSX” guide.

Open Source Nokia has a news item about their Apache implementation for Symbian (the mobile OS).

Read all about it here:
http://opensource.nokia.com/projects/mobile-web-server/index.html

The concept of running a personal mobile web server is an existing one (and probably expensive?), but if it will bring any useful applications is yet to see. Any ideas ?

Next week we will organise a Kaleidoscope NoE meeting and as I know that some of the participants are researchers studying GPS (among others), I made this google map with GPS coordinates included

I suppose we will start to use google maps in the future to inform visitors. I even told the UIB Media Department (’Formidlingsavdelingen’) about this so let’s hope for some kool google maps hacks from UiB in the future.

Wise words from film director Spike Lee in this BBC Hardtalk interview (23 min real media stream).

I’ve seen several reports from people missing gnome-bluetooth in Debian Stable (Sarge). This is how I installed it on my box.

Download the packages.

e@debian:~$ wget http://ftp.gnome.org/pub/gnome/sources/libbtctl/0.6/libbtctl-0.6.0.tar.gz

(
Alternatively if you want to try cvs
e@debian:~$ cvs -d:pserver:anonymous@anoncvs.gnome.org:/cvs/gnome login
e@debian:~$ cvs -z3 -d:pserver:anonymous@anoncvs.gnome.org:/cvs/gnome co libbtctl
)

Install some dev dependencies

e@debian:~$ apt-get install libopenobex-1.0-0-dev
e@debian:~$ apt-get install libbluetooth1-dev


Unpack

e@debian:~$ tar -xzvf libbtctl-0.6.0.tar.gz


Go into the unpacked lib and build it with configure, make, and make install

e@debian:~$ cd libbtctl-0.6.0
e@debian:~$ ./configure
e@debian:~$make
e@debian:~$ make install


Get gnome-bluetooth

e@debian:~$ wget http://ftp.gnome.org/pub/gnome/sources/gnome-bluetooth/0.7/gnome-bluetooth-0.7.0.tar.gz tar -xzvf gnome-bluetooth-0.7.0.tar.gz

(
Alternatively if you want to try cvs
e@debian:~$ cvs -d:pserver:anonymous@anoncvs.gnome.org:/cvs/gnome login
e@debian:~$ cvs -z3 -d:pserver:anonymous@anoncvs.gnome.org:/cvs/gnome co gnome-bluetooth
)

Install some dependencies

e@debian:~$ apt-get install gob2
e@debian:~$ apt-get install python-gtk2-dev
e@debian:~$ apt-get install librsvg2-dev


Build it

e@debian:~$ cd gnome-bluetooth-0.7.0
e@debian:~$ ./configure
e@debian:~$ make
e@debian:~$ make install


Now I can exchange files between my box and my phone using gnome-obex-send and gnome-obex-server.

Example sending
: e@debian:~$ gnome-obex-send filename.py 00:13:72:A3:28:B1

Example receiving
: e@debian:~$ gnome-obex-server
(gnome-obex-server:14734): GnomeUI-WARNING **: While connecting to session manager:
Authentication Rejected, reason : None of the authentication protocols specified are supported and host-based authentication failed.
conn_request: bdaddr 00:13:72:A3:28:B1
conn_complete: status 0x00
** Message: Incoming connection from 00:13:72:A3:28:B1
** Message: Device 00:13:72:A3:28:B1 is about to send an object.
** Message: File arrived from 00:13:72:A3:28:B11
** Message: Filename ‘24032006(004).jpg’ Length 200990
** Message: Saving to ‘/root/24032006(004).jpg’
** Message: Incoming connection from 00:13:72:A3:28:B1


One problem(bug ?). I can’t get gnome-bluetooth-manager to work.

UPDATE: A fix for this bug can be found in the bugtracker item: 149710. BN writes: “Remove the python.m4 file, it is shipped with automake, so people can’t blame us for automake’s bugs”

gnome-bluetooth-manager
/usr/bin/python: can’t open file ‘/usr/lib/python2.3/site-packages/gnomebt/manager.py’
e@debian:~$


This is due to another weird thing. The site-packes are installed into /usr/usr

e@debian:~$ ll /usr/usr/local/lib/python2.3/site-packages/gnomebt/
total 1080
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 2495 2006-04-01 18:21 chooser.la
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 327424 2006-04-01 18:21 chooser.so
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 2513 2006-04-01 18:21 controller.la
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 150108 2006-04-01 18:21 controller.so
-rw-r–r– 1 root root 63 2006-04-01 18:21 defs.py
-rw-r–r– 1 root root 2551 2006-04-01 18:21 hig_alert.py
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 2471 2006-04-01 18:21 iconlist.la
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 572740 2006-04-01 18:21 iconlist.so
-rw-r–r– 1 root root 53 2006-04-01 18:21 init.py
-rw-r–r– 1 root root 201 2006-04-01 18:14 init.pyc
-rw-r–r– 1 root root 9160 2006-04-01 18:21 manager.py
e@debian:~$


I will update this post if I find out how to fix this bug.

Update

This issue is reported in http://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=149710. The bug is due to a automake bug.

2006-04-26  Bastien Nocera  

        * autogen.sh:
        * python.m4: Remove the python.m4 file, it is shipped with automake,
        so people can’t blame us for automake’s bugs (Closes: #149710)

I can now launch gnome-bluetooth-manager after performing these steps:

e@debian:~$ cp -r /usr/usr/local/lib/python2.3/site-packages/gnomebt /usr/lib/python2.3/site-packages/

e@debian:~$ cp /usr/local/share/pixmaps/blueradio-48.png /usr/local/share/gnome-bluetooth/pixmaps/

Change line 142 in /usr/lib/python2.3/site-packages/gnomebt/manager.py to
self.statusbar = gnome.ui.AppBar (True, True, gnome.ui.PREFERENCES_NEVER)

Today I installed Opera Mobile on my 6630.

What is nice about the Opera Mobile browser is that it ’shrinks’ the web pages you retrieve using it’s Small-Screen Rendering TM technology. This means less horizontal scrolling and smaller downloads (saves you some money!) since all data goes through one of Opera’s proxy servers where the shrinking is done and where the files are made smaller before they are downloaded to your phone. This is all very good and I even considered buying the browser until I tried to browse this weblog and then suddenly I got an xml error message (see screenshot below).

UPDATE 05 March 2006:

(For some reason) these error messages are now gone.

Notes: 

1) I transferred the image above using bluetooth and knowing that the code *#2820#  gives you the bluetooth device address is very helpful.

2) The screenshot was shot using FExplorer.

 

I bought a Nokia Series 60 telephone, the 6630, through a net auction almost a week ago, but today is the first day I’ve got time to play with it

First test: Can I send files to it from my laptop using bluetooth?

Setup: A linux laptop with a 15 Euros USB bluetooth dongle that ‘Just Works ™’. Bluetooth enabled on the 6630.

 

First I need to scan for it to get it’s ID using hcitool scan

admin@linux:~$ hcitool scan

Scanning …
        00:12:62:E3:18       Fakir 6630

hcitool scan discovered it and returned the ID (00:12:62:E3:18)

Let us rip a tune to first encode and then send to the 6630. I am using cdparanoia to rip tunes from CD’s.

admin@linux:~$ cdparanoia 1

For compressing/encoding the wav ripped tune I will install the faac encoder. Not all formats are supported in the media player that comes with the 6630, but according to this post AAC is a good choice.

admin@linux:~$ apt-get install faac

Encode the track with faac using the advice given in the same post as above.

admin@linux:~$ faac -b 96  -c 44100 -o Big_Sky.m4a -w –artist "The Reverend Horton Heat" –title "Big Sky" –genre Rockabilly cdda.wav
Freeware Advanced Audio Coder
FAAC 1.24

Average bitrate: 96 kbps
Quantization quality: 100
Bandwidth: 22050 Hz
Object type: Low Complexity(MPEG-4) + TNS + M/S
File format: MPEG-4 File Format (MP4)
Encoding cdda.wav to Big_Sky.m4a
   frame          | bitrate | elapsed/estim | play/CPU | ETA
 8102/8102  (100%)|  114.6  |   55.3/55.3   |    3.40x | 0.0

Send the newly encoded file to the phone using gnome bluetooth tools.

admin@linux:~$ gnome-obex-send –dest 00:12:62:E3:18 Big_Sky.m4a

Voila, I’ve got a message with the file and it opens and plays just fine in RealPlayer on my Nokia.

One problem, RealPlayer does not pick up the artist option used in the encoding.

More S60 stuff to follow……..just keep an eye on this weblog

Thanks to this site, GIMPTalk, I managed to make some kewl image effects today.

These days I have been interviewing a bunch of kids using a blogging system developed for use in primary and secondary schools. For recording the interviews I have actually used a digital camera.

The reason for this was partially that I wanted to video record the pupils using the system, but I also discovered that the audio recording was above average and I was able to easily transfer the audio (+ video) to my linux box or iMac.

My basic problem is that I can’t find a device that can easily do this. The problem with portable music players are that there exist no microphone input (internal mic or crappy accessories), dictaphones often save their recordings in properitary formats and miniDisc are not made for voice recording (’line in’ NOT ‘Mic in’) and are difficult to move over to the computer.

I would be happy to receive any experience or tips about the perfect digital audio recording device. It needs to record wav, ogg or another “platform independent” format, and operate via standard interfaces without properitary software with a linux box or a OS X system. Send me a message: baggetunREMOVETHESECAPITALLETTERS@netscape.net

btw, recording directly to a box is not good enough without a microphone with a pre-amp

This is a nice resource that answers a lot of my questions when it comes to recording interviews:
http://www.vermontfolklifecenter.org/res_audioequip.htm

…"I started with a design based on ABC, a language designed by a group of people much smarter than me."

http://www.tuxjournal.net/intervista2-en.html

In the midst of the quarrel between the developers of Konqueror and Safari, Nokia shows us their 770 internet tablet due to be shipped the 3rd quarter this year.

Nokia obviously appreciate open source, but on the other side they are lobbying for software patents in Europe.

UPDATE: Opera is the browser in 770.

Nokia is developing a GTK+ port of Webcore but to my knowledge they have not included that port in any of their devices yet.

Indexing in SkyOS

Indexing of files and desktop searching is currently a hot topic in operating systems.

Take a look at this SkyOS video showing off.

GanttProject

Nice java app that gives you gantt diagrams for free.

http://ganttproject.sourceforge.net/

I remember a trip I had to Orlando Florida some years ago. I have always wanted to go back…………..that was until today.

A country that believe in preventive strikes now gives the right to their citizens ?

Read more about Kill if you feel threat in Florida in The Winnipeg Sun.

This is cool.

http://www.gnome.org/~seth/blog/xshots

"We are proud parasites, we Emerging Techers. We’re engaged in
perl whirling, pythoneering, lightweight javarey — we hack our
cars and we hack our PCs. We’re the rich humus carpeting the
jungle floor and the tiny frogs living in the bromeliads."

Read the complete transcript here.

…."when desperate capitalists are involved".

Our democratic ruling bodies have failed in making sure there exists fair competition in the software industri. This is a fact, and something the dominating software companies know and also take advantage of. In order to maximize their profit, and keep their position in the marked, they establish cartels.

They have obviously learned from the mafia and their saying that mafia wars are bad for business.

Complete story:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/03/11/msgetssunkit/

Can’t agree more with these kinds of projects.

http://codeblogs.ximian.com/blogs/benm/archives/000457.html

After reading a bit about the iPod at Duke project where they are looking at good educational use of pop-culture technology and how it is possible to enhance students educational experiences by utilising such technologies in education, my wishfull thinking came up with this idea:

What about a PMA 400 @ myUni project ?

- It’s connected through wireless or cable and got a browser so you can access and post to your blog (or you LMS)
- It’s mobile (I wish it would be place aware [from fab] rather than just position aware)
- It’s Linux  (with a Qtopia GUI)
- It got 30g of storage
- You can use it’s recording facilities to for example record a lecture and then listen to it again afterwards while at the same time looking at your notes from the lecture (very nice)
- You can record directly from TV which is ideal for all kinds of disciplines (Social science projects, media etc.)
- You have PIM apps that keep you organised (very nice for university students!).
- …………….more, more (take a look at the iPod at Duke projects for some ideas)

And do you know what ? This is possible by using the private/personal, favourite tool of the student. You will travel around with a device containing both your favourite movie and your assignment, learning material, multimedia content etc. Mixing two worlds that never should be apart.

btw, here is how you can connect to you iPod from your Linux box

ry 12, 2005

"An attempt to allow software patenting within the EU was halted last month By a Polish veto, which shows that a post-communist country understands the demands of a market capitalism better than the world’s richest capitalist."

 

Read the complete article here (Guardian).