I don't believe in E-books. E-books are regular books on a E-book reading device. So you not only have to buy the electronic book, but you also have to have a device that makes it possible for you to read the book. For me, reading a book is very important. Ever since I was little I have read a lot. It is a wonderful feeling just to sit on the couch with a nice book and a cup of tea. I know you can still do this with the E-book, but it just isn't the same.
Besides the missing feeling, another important aspects of an actual book disappears. The bookcase. Many people who like to read want to have a beautiful bookcase in the living room, where they can store their favourite books. There are certain books you just want to have, so you can put them in the bookcase and read it anytime you like. With the E-books, the need of a bookcase has disappeared.
Therefore, I continue reading books the old fashioned way: with a bookcase in the living room, sitting on a couch, with a cup of tea in my hand. In fact, I'm going to read a book right now!
zondag 16 mei 2010
dinsdag 27 april 2010
Digitalization of the world
In this world, everything is getting digitalized. All the oldfashioned ways of getting information are sowly disappearing. Think of the newspapers and the tvguide. These information providers are also online available and not only on paper. With all the mobile phones with access to internet, these paper versions of the newspaper and the tvguide have become unnecessary. And with the financial crisis, people feel that they don't need all these information providers anymore at their homes. They just look it up on the internet if they want to know something. That's fine, of course, but it is also a pity. In the past, people woke up and were reading the newspaper over a cup of coffee while trying to wake up. When the newspaper isn't there anymore in paper version this isn't possible. I always enjoy it when I can sit and read the tvguide, seeing what's on television, and I think there are still people out there that like it too. Sure, people who set value on this habit will maintain this as long as they can. So maybe there is nothing wrong with this digitalization, but still I think it is too much sometimes. As long as the paper versions are still available, then it is alright by me.
woensdag 14 april 2010
Ringtones and wallpapers
The last couple of years, ringtones and wallpapers have become more and more popular. On television you see a lot of commercials where ringtones and wallpapers are promoted. They make it sound very easy: just text this and this to that number and you will have the coolest ringtone or wallpaper on your mobile phone. Unfortunately, they don't make it very clear that you are actually buying a subscription. This means that you will receive several ringtones or wallpapers a week that costs a couple of euro. So, the free ringtone or wallpaper you wanted appears to become a really expensive one. When you see a commercial for a ringtone or wallpaper there are small characters at the bottom of your screen. However, these characters are so small that you can't read them. In this text it is said that you are actually buying a subscription, but this cannot be read so most people don't have this knowledge. These ringtone and wallpaper services are actually working legally, but I think it is deception. The commercials are really annoying me and I think they should be banned from the television!
maandag 29 maart 2010
Interactivity
Ever been to a museum that makes use of interactvity? I recently been to Corpus, a museum in Oegstgeest. This museum is about the human body. You walk through the human body, with a headset on. The headset reacts to movement, so it knows where in the museum you are and what story goes with it. By making use of this technology, this museum is very accessible for everyone. In a simple manner it explains to you how your body works. This is not only done by the headset, but of course also through all the things you see around you, because you're actually walking through the inside of a body. There are also little movies projected on where you walk, to illustrate how the things in your body really work.
In my opinion, this kind of information technology is a great way to interest children in musea. At the moment, interactivity is used a lot in the musea in the Netherlands. Not all in the way that Corpus uses it, but these musea make use of little interactivities, like touchscreen computers and games in order to learn the children about a subject.
Musea always have had a boring image, but with interactivity it can be a lot more fun. Therefore, I think that the use of interactivity is a very good idea!
In my opinion, this kind of information technology is a great way to interest children in musea. At the moment, interactivity is used a lot in the musea in the Netherlands. Not all in the way that Corpus uses it, but these musea make use of little interactivities, like touchscreen computers and games in order to learn the children about a subject.
Musea always have had a boring image, but with interactivity it can be a lot more fun. Therefore, I think that the use of interactivity is a very good idea!
donderdag 18 maart 2010
Amber Alert
It must be terrible when your child doesn't come home for several hours without letting you know where he or she is. I can't even imagine how awful it must be when your child doesn't come home at all. What if your child is abducted?
When this happens there will be a lot of police searching and through the television the people will be informed. Now, there is a new kind of information system that is fast and has a great reach. It is called Amber Alert. This is a national warning system used in urgent child missings and abductions. The police are able to inform the whole country about the child missing through television, computer, websites, e-mails, mobile phones and radio. Everyone can choose to receive a message when a child is missing. Amber Alerts are only sent when the police fears for the life or health of the abducted child. When you're interested, look at this website: www.amberalertnederland.nl.
This kind of information system has started in the Unites States of America when a nine year old child, named Amber, was missing and has been killed in a horrible manner. The goal of Amber Alert is to alarm as many people as possible in a short period of time, in order to help the child. Time seems to be the biggest enemy in the case of child abduction, so a quick reaction is very important.
Last week, Milly Boele, age twelve, was missing. A week later she was found murdered in the garden of a neighbour. She was abducted and the same night she was murdered and buried in the garden of the neighbour. This was a shock to her parents and people living in the neighbourhood.
Unfortunately, Amber Alert couldn't save the life of Milly Boele, but I'm sure this kind of system will save the life of many future children missing. And that is important.
When this happens there will be a lot of police searching and through the television the people will be informed. Now, there is a new kind of information system that is fast and has a great reach. It is called Amber Alert. This is a national warning system used in urgent child missings and abductions. The police are able to inform the whole country about the child missing through television, computer, websites, e-mails, mobile phones and radio. Everyone can choose to receive a message when a child is missing. Amber Alerts are only sent when the police fears for the life or health of the abducted child. When you're interested, look at this website: www.amberalertnederland.nl.
This kind of information system has started in the Unites States of America when a nine year old child, named Amber, was missing and has been killed in a horrible manner. The goal of Amber Alert is to alarm as many people as possible in a short period of time, in order to help the child. Time seems to be the biggest enemy in the case of child abduction, so a quick reaction is very important.
Last week, Milly Boele, age twelve, was missing. A week later she was found murdered in the garden of a neighbour. She was abducted and the same night she was murdered and buried in the garden of the neighbour. This was a shock to her parents and people living in the neighbourhood.
Unfortunately, Amber Alert couldn't save the life of Milly Boele, but I'm sure this kind of system will save the life of many future children missing. And that is important.
maandag 1 maart 2010
Advertisements
What is it about advertisements? Some are pretty funny and others are terribly boring and others are just really annoying. For example. I'm sure everyone knows the advertisement of 'De Nederlandse Energie Maatschappij' starring Frans Bauer. This advertisement is so boring and annoying, I can't even express it. I'm a bit suprised that this advertisement is still out there. Off course they differ in form, but wouldn't you think that advertisements reach a saturation point? I mean, in the beginning people may have thought that this company is in fact cheaper and thus a good alternative for their current energy company, but after a certain amount of exposure their must be a saturation point, a point where the advertisement doesn't matter anymore. Maybe it is a good thing if we alllow new advertisements to be shown for let's say two months and then they have to make place for new advertisements!
maandag 22 februari 2010
Olympic Games
I'm a very big fan of the Olympic Games, both the summer and winter editions. These weeks are the Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, Canada. The Olympic Games are very popular and the media are making use of this popularity. Because the Olympic Games are in Canada there is a time difference of nine hours. This makes it more difficult for people here in the Netherlands to watch their favourite sports live. All the sports at the Olympics are broadcasted here in the Netherlands live at night, but most people don't feel like getting up in the middle of the night, or they simply forget that a specific sport or part of sport is broadcasted.
For both types of people there is a solution. When you can't get up at night, because of work or because you just love to get a whole night of sleep, there is a summary every morning of the night before. Also, there is the possibility to watch every speed skating distance, without knowing what the results are. When you go to the website http://www.afstandgemist.nl/ you can look back the last distance. The major advantage of this site is that they don't already show you who won the race, and you can look back every couple that skated seperately. So if you only missed the last couple of races, you don't have to look back all the races, but you can start where you ended.
And for the people who will forget that a specific sport or part of sport will be broadcasted that they would like to see, the NOS offers a SMS-remindingservice. This remindingservice is only for the sport speed skating. When you make use of this remindingservice you can register for what distance(s) you want to be woken up. The NOS will sent you a SMS until three minutes before the distance will begin.
I think that this SMS-remindingservice is a very good example of how you can use information technology in order to allow people to follow the Olympic Games at night. Although I don't use this reminderservice myself, I think it is a great way of making sports at night more accessible for the people. Of course, there will always be people who will say: "why don't you just set an alarm", but I feel that this is a great way of offering an extra opportunity for the people.
However, it is a bit disappointing that the other Olympic sports aren't taken into account in this remindingservice. When this would have been done, this reminderservice would be even better.
Have a great time with the remaining days of the Olympic Games!
Kelly
For both types of people there is a solution. When you can't get up at night, because of work or because you just love to get a whole night of sleep, there is a summary every morning of the night before. Also, there is the possibility to watch every speed skating distance, without knowing what the results are. When you go to the website http://www.afstandgemist.nl/ you can look back the last distance. The major advantage of this site is that they don't already show you who won the race, and you can look back every couple that skated seperately. So if you only missed the last couple of races, you don't have to look back all the races, but you can start where you ended.
And for the people who will forget that a specific sport or part of sport will be broadcasted that they would like to see, the NOS offers a SMS-remindingservice. This remindingservice is only for the sport speed skating. When you make use of this remindingservice you can register for what distance(s) you want to be woken up. The NOS will sent you a SMS until three minutes before the distance will begin.
I think that this SMS-remindingservice is a very good example of how you can use information technology in order to allow people to follow the Olympic Games at night. Although I don't use this reminderservice myself, I think it is a great way of making sports at night more accessible for the people. Of course, there will always be people who will say: "why don't you just set an alarm", but I feel that this is a great way of offering an extra opportunity for the people.
However, it is a bit disappointing that the other Olympic sports aren't taken into account in this remindingservice. When this would have been done, this reminderservice would be even better.
Have a great time with the remaining days of the Olympic Games!
Kelly
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