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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Palm webOS, Palm Pre, App Catalog, Palm has managed to create a strong buzz at CES 2009 and seems back in business with a updated and complete range of products.

Wi-Fi, GPS, keyboard, connected applications, calendars and contacts, and so much more, Palm Pre has all the features expected in the product category created by Apple’s iPhone.

Palm webOS applications are easy to write using Mojo, a new application framework based on the HTML5, CSS, and JavaScript standards. WebOS applications are installed and run directly on the device and have access to a wide range of device services.

Last but not the least, Palm will provide an App Catalog, on-device application catalog to deliver your apps directly to users. No doubt App Catalog will grow rapidly.

More about Palm Pre on the Palm Pre product page.

Is the community of Palm lovers still strong enough for a real Palm revival?

Tags: CES 2009, Palm / Topics: mobile phone, mobile web

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At CES 2009, Blaupunkt and miRoamer have announced a partnership that will put internet radio into car dashboards for the first time.

Blaupunkt has put together two prototype devices, the Hamburg 600i for single-height dash configurations and the dual-height New Jersey 600i. The devices use the 3G phone’s Bluetooth connection to get online and access miRoamer’s thousands of internet radio stations. In addition to these stations, the devices can pull playlists put together and hosted online, pointing to MP3s and other music files found across the internet. Embedded 3G connectivity will probably be the next step…

Internet radio really looks more and more as the future of digital radio.

Tags: CES 2009, radio / Topics: automobile, Internet, mobile phone

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We’ve seen this initiated in the Iraqi war and in the recent attacks in Mumbai but in the on going conflict on the Gaza Strip, Web 2.0 methods are widely used to communicate as much as possible on each side. Two examples ; Israel demonstrates how precise Tsahal’s bombings are but posting videos on YouTube. On the other hand, AlJazeera has open an AJGaza twitter to communicate on-the-fly on the most recent events.

But in the end, does all this help to really understand the conflict, its reasons? Does it show the path to its possible solutions? I’m afraid not. More, it looks like a more and more common way to criminalize the conflict in order not to seek a solution. A strategy more and more encountered all around the world. Unfortunately, a war has never been won by lack of combatants.

It is just another illustration about the difference between information and communication. True independent journalism gets more and more difficult but biased information does not help solving issues. What is the solution? And how many innocent people will die before we have one?

A must read: Into the Buzzsaw: Leading Journalists Expose the Myth of a Free Press by Kristina Borjesson

Tags: twitter, YouTube / Topics: web 2.0

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Do you twitt?

A recent study provides some interesting insight of the State of the Twittersphere based on about 500,000 accounts tracked by Twitter Grader.

• Twitter has lots of newer and less active users
  • 70% of Twitter users joined in 2008
  • An estimated 5-10 thousand new accounts are opened per day
  • 35% of Twitter users have 10 or fewer followers
  • 9% of Twitter users follow no one at all
• There is a strong correlation between the number of followers you have and the number of people you follow.

Check out the whole study:

Twitter is currently a free and ad-free service but is now hiring a product manager to find a business model and revenus. Interested? Read their job description.

Tags: twitter / Topics: microblogging, social networks

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Here is the 2008 version of “Did you know?” now in video mode.

Topics: general, odd

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Wired launched its first free iPhone application “Reviews” available from the iPhone App Store. All their reviews on your iPhone; automobiles, camcorders, desktops, digital cameras, gaming gear, home audio & video, household, mobile phones, notebooks, portable media players, sports & outdoors and televisions… Just to make sure you will always be busy with your iPhone.

Features:

• Authoritative reviews from trusted Wired editors
• Latest, most innovative products
• Concise rating system cuts through the hype
• Search or browse 12 product categories
• Sort by product name, date, price and rating
• E-mail reviews to a friend

Unfortunately, there is some advertisement when you enter a category.

Download the application for free on the iPhone App Store.

Enjoy!

Tags: iPhone, Wired / Topics: magazines, mobile web

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