Herbie Hancock’s all-star set featuring Harvey Mason and Marcus Miller. Any need to say more about it?

Tags: Harvey Mason, Herbie Hancock, Marcus Miller, TED / Topics: music

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I’ve discovered the TED conferences last summer and have to admit I’m quite fund of them. The variety of subjects and the quality of the lecturers make these talks mostly interesting.

I’ve recently stumbled across some highly interesting talks dealing with India and I wanted to shared them.

Here they are:

• Devdutt Pattanaik: East vs. West – the myths that mystify – Devdutt Pattanaik takes an eye-opening look at the myths of India and of the West and shows how these two fundamentally different sets of beliefs about God, death and heaven help us consistently misunderstand one another.
• Shashi Tharoor: Why nations should pursue “soft” power – India is fast becoming a superpower, says Shashi Tharoor, not just through trade and politics, but through “soft” power, its ability to share its culture with the world through food, music, technology, Bollywood. He argues that in the long run it’s not the size of the army that matters as much as a country’s ability to influence the world’s hearts and minds.
• Hans Rosling: Asia’s rise – how and when – Hans Rosling was a young guest student in India when he first realized that Asia had all the capacities to reclaim its place as the world’s dominant economic force. At TEDIndia in November 2009, Hans, managing to coment statistics as a horse race,  graphs global economic growth since 1858 and predicts the exact date that India and China will outstrip the US with a nice comment about the health care system in the US.

Some eye-opening talks about the so called sub-continent (what a dreadful word)…

Tags: India, TED / Topics: general

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Two months before the Copenhagen summit, here is an international call for action to prevent consequences of the climate change. Who can still deny it? Time ticks, act now.

Visit the Time for Climate Justice web site. A free iTunes download is available from the web site. Each download counts as a supporting vote. Still reading this post?

Topics: ecology

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Within a few minutes, I just stumbled across two reasons to believe in children:

TEDTalks: Gever Tulley, Tinkeringschool, teaches life lessons through tinkering (make sure to view the video right to the end).

DailyMail: Incredible watercolour paintings by boy aged just SIX, Kieron Williamson (read the article and watch the paintings)

No doubt children are our future.

Tags: TED / Topics: life, odd

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Amazing to see what can be done without any special effects. Just a matter of work and synchronization. Bravo!

Topics: odd, video

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You want your world? Build it!

Could building the world be as easy as using Photoshop?

Tags: Word Builder / Topics: odd, software

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A Yann Arthus-Bertrand movie.

Links:

• The Home Project page in YouTube

Tags: Yann Arthus-Bertrand / Topics: ecology

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Combine Facebook and twitter and Google Latitude. You have aka-aki.

Operated by a Berlin, Germany based company, aka-aki is an online community that puts social networking on the street. That’s why aka-aki does not only consist of this community website but also includes a mobile phone application. Using the GSM, Wi-Fi or GPS information which ever is available, the aka-aki mobile phone application shows you details about people belonging to your circle. In the city, in the region or up to 50km away. For instance, when other aka-aki members are there, your mobile phone will show you a photo, mutual friends etc.. Even other functions associated with an online community like writing messages, saving friends, etc. will work while you’re on your way using the aka-aki mobile phone application.

Going into some details, aka-aki shows you on your mobile phone the profiles of people in your circle. You also see which friends in the community are online at that moment and may exchange mails with other members. You can also use aka-aki to show people around you, who you are and what you like by adding stickers to your profile. You can create and maintain your profile at the aka-aki community website. There you may also check whom you recently met while out and about, since aka-aki logs the encounters. And probably more of things still to come.

Installing it on the iPhone is a straightforward task as the application is available from the App Store. Some quick information and your account is created.

While the application is obviously big fun to use, who knows what can be done with it and the stored information especially when in wrong hands? Google Latitude raised some scepticism, why should it be different for aka-aki? Not sure I really want to use it.

Topics: mobile web, social networks

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You’ve probably here of it. If you are seeking to apply, go directly to their web site.

You haven’t heard or read about it? Oh, you’re just traveling back from Mars, I do understand…

A couple of words to describe the job:

“Tourism Queensland is seeking applicants for the best job in the world! The role of Island Caretaker is a six-month contract, based on luxurious Hamilton Island in the Great Barrier Reef. It’s a live-in position with flexible working hours and key responsibilities include exploring the islands of the Great Barrier Reef to discover what the area has to offer.
You’ll be required to report back on your adventures to Tourism Queensland headquarters in Brisbane (and the rest of the world) via weekly blogs, photo diary, video updates and ongoing media interviews. On offer is a unique opportunity to help promote the wondrous Islands of the Great Barrier Reef.
Other duties may include (but are not limited to) Feed the fish – There are over 1,500 species of fish living in the Great Barrier Reef. Don’t worry – you won’t need to feed them all.
Clean the pool – The pool has an automatic filter, but if you happen to see a stray leaf floating on the surface it’s a great excuse to dive in and enjoy a few laps.
Collect the mail – During your explorations, why not join the aerial postal service for a day? It’s a great opportunity to get a bird’s eye view of the reef and islands.”

Still a need to be convinced?

“Living above the Great Barrier Reef is a pretty unique benefit, but the successful candidate will also be paid a salary package of AUD $150,000 for the six-month contract. You’ll receive return airfares from your nearest capital city (in your home country), accommodation and transport on Hamilton Island, travel insurance for the contract period, computer, internet, digital video and stills cameras access, plus travel to a number of the other Islands of the Great Barrier Reef. The six-month contract commences 1st July 2009.”

More?

“Stretching for 2,600 kilometres, and composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands, the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland, Australia is the world’s largest coral reef system. The World Heritage Listed area supports a diversity of wildlife including whales, dolphins, sea turtles and more than 1,500 species of fish. The reef is an extremely popular destination for tourists, sustainably managing approximately 2 million visitors each year.”

I could write any BS here as I don’t expect anybody still reading my post…

For those willing to apply, prepare a video and a photo and “Remember to be enthusiastic, creative and entertaining.“. On Febraury 22nd, it will be too late!!!

I should apply, I did not write a third of this post..

Tags: Australia / Topics: odd

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The first Filofax was sold in 1921. A Filofax was once the must-have accessory for the young and upwardly mobile in the Eighties but today, some might even wonder what a Filofax is…

I used to love my Filofax. I moved to PDAs some time ago with the Palm Pilot III, to Palm Tungsten-T, to Windows Mobile based HP iPAQ and now to Apple iPhone.

I’m never on the move without my 3000+ contacts, my wireless Internet access, my 7+ days of music and so much more.

I still have my twenty-year old Filofax but have to admit it’s been ages I did not buy any refill. My Filofax now looks so useless, does anyone still use a Filofax?

Tags: Filofax, iPhone, Palm / Topics: digital living

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