Bert Van Wassenhove

In anticipation of the iPad launch in Belgium, my favorite iPad Apps

2010-07-06T18:04:00.000+02:00

Over the coming months iPads will flood the Belgian market, and to anticipate the questions I'll be getting on "which apps to download", here is my favourites list:
- Amazon Kindle - ebook reading
- Air Video - stream video from a mac on your network
- Epicurious - interactive e-cookbook
- Evernote - turns your iPad into a notepad that syncs with iPhone and laptop
- Adobe Ideas - a cool sketch pad for the iPad
- Wired - the only real iPad magazine that get the concept
- Comics - in case you like comics
- Air Sharing - gives access to all your documents over the network (e.g. laptop) or in the cloud (e.g. Gmail)
- Gowalla - even more location based fun
- Goskywatch - who needs a telescope anyway
- Fish Pond - harmless entertainment
- Cool Hunting - man, I'm so trendy
- Pulse News - the coolest RSS reader around
- Soundhound - music maestro
- Aurora feint 3 - addictive game
- Alice Lite - the future of books

YSL Manifesto, like this

2010-04-26T10:30:00.000+02:00

Advertising in a connected and open world does not have to be boring, clearly ...

What you might read about 2010 in 12 to 24 months

2010-01-02T10:00:00.001+01:00

After about a decade of discussion and failed initiatives the "online identity" issue was finally solved when Microsoft bought Twitter. Since then 80% of the internet population uses their Twitter-name to log on to their e-mail, the online version of Microsoft Office and all other websites based on Microsoft technology. "@myname" has become the new universal way to identify people, and now we can use online banking applications with it, consult healthcare data and get access the popular events such as the MTV awards.

Shortly thereafter Microsoft rolled out the first real behaviour-based promotion campaign for Axe, the popular deodorant by Unilever. A sharp target group was defined: single heterosexual males aged between 16 and 32 with an average household income of +- 32% around the median of the their country. Those who live within a 50 kilometer radius of a shop that carries Axe in their assortment were by means of Twitter involved in the biggest sampling action ever. The campaign was a huge success, 100 million consumers were thrilled and had themselves spoiled by Axe.

Shortly after the campaign went live, President Obama expressed his concern about the privacy aspects of these new marketing techniques. To avoid that Microsoft would abuse their newly acquired power, they were forced to sell 25% of their shares at a reduced price to the United Nations, which means they acquire total control over the company.

In the meantime a once leading worldwide media group has sold the majority of their shares to Microsoft in an ultimate attempt to avoid bankruptcy. All publications were migrated to a new digital media-store that is only accessible through Windows-based tablet computers and e-readers.

Facebook continued their succes and were the only real online power standing up to the Microsoft-Twitter tandem. But success took its toll. The company was forced to open up their databases to the European Union after a terrorist attack whereby European President Herman Van Rompuy only just escaped from death. The "European Defence Agency" invested in startup company Attentio and uses their technology to permanently monitor potentially dangerous activities on Facebook.

Now that privacy online seems to have totally disappeared, the geek-community is looking for ways to stay in contact online but out of sight of Big Brother. Read more about the result of this quest in upcoming articles ...

Prezi presentation on Social Media Sessions #4

2009-09-29T19:00:00.003+02:00

Yesterday we had the fourth edition of our "Social Media Sessions" and I'm really starting to get into Prezi. Especially as the presentation is now "portable" through embedding, as you can see below.

The video of the session will be available soon on the social media sessions site.

Fascinated by how SAP embraces the concepts of social networking

2009-07-08T17:21:00.001+02:00

In fact it's Business Object, which was recently acquired by SAP, who is building tools that take the concepts of social networking into a business to business environment. Check out this video, not exactly what you need in a 35-person agency, but a real efficiency boost for large corporations.

Wolfram Alfa thinks I might be Eisenhower

2009-05-17T12:53:00.001+02:00

I still have to discover the true power of Wolfram Alfa, but it's kinda fun to play with.

Rounding up the Tesla test findings ...

2009-04-21T07:10:00.001+02:00

The Tesla test drive was organised at the occasion of the "Top Marques" show where a line up of super cars were put on display. The relatively small room (for a car show that is) was packed with Aston Martin's, Lambo's, concept cars and tuned models ranging from Bentleys to an old Mini. Among all of these wide-bodied dreamcars the Tesla roadster looked like a go-cart somebody had foregotten. It's a good looking little car but not impressive at all compared to e.g. the Koenigsegg. However, the Tesla was the only series build (20 pieces per day) full electric car on the show.

The Tesla roadster is based on the Lotus Elise, hence the similar look. Because the car has been redesigned completely to house the electric motor and batteries, the production model today only has about 10% Lotus blood left. Still, a 1,86m guy like me needs to demonstrate some flexibility to get in. Once seated however the two-seater is quite comfortable. Switching on the engine takes a small procedure with the brake pushed down (turn key, wait for car to wake up, twist key once, no sound), next shift into gear (one gear only) and you're ready to roll. And this is where an amazing experience started.

I let go of the brake and the car slowly rolled away without making a sound. Gliding into the city traffic passing a line-up of muscle cars we once again remained unnoticed. Everybody looked at the guy desperately trying to keep the engine of the Lamborgini running while he moved the thing off the parking and at the same time one of the many Ferraris in the traffic jam competed for even more noise. And the Tesla, the Tesla whisked by like a ghost. Appart from the tough steering at low speeds (no comfortable assistence) the roadster is child's play to drive. Push down the peddle and it rolls, take off your foot and it slows down quickly while using the energy to charge the batteries again.

Out of the traffic and on to a deserted uphill road the Tesla really came to life. This is when the go-cart transformed into a bumper car on speed. Do you remember that feeling sliding back in your seat when your dad took you in the bumper cars for the first time, well that's exactly what you feel when you hit the gas (well, electricity) launching the Tesla. The electric engine gives 100% torque from the first instance, and that is an amazing experience for someone used to revving up a combustion engine to get it to it's optimal torque level. Good thing the traction controll kept me right where I wanted to be (in the first lane). In seconds the sports car hit the 100km/h mark and the only sound I heard was wind, fabulous.

It feels like this is what cars were always meant to be. Everything about the Tesla is logical and simple. Torque when you need it, no noise, no pollution. No mechanical parts so the the engine is expected to keep up for about a million kilometers. Maintenance is only really needed to check stuff like suspension, tires, etc. The only weak point is the battery, although Tesla has done a decent job. It lasts for about 340km and is recharged in 3,5 hours. Largely sufficient for say 90% of the time. But it will not take you to the South of France and after 5 years or 150 000 kilometers it needs to be replace (at a 10 000 euro cost). But at the same time you only consume 10 euro of electricity to get a full battery.

So am I going to buy a Tesla? I guess I will. I'm almost sure I'll go for the Model S but if I can find a way to finance it, I would love to get my hands on a roadster. Of course the roadster is a great car for spoiled car lovers, not your friend for daily commutes. The Model S however, will be considerably cheaper and offer everything a good housefather needs. I just need to decide what I want to be ...

Posted via email from My Tesla

It's like a botsauto on speed

2009-04-18T13:42:00.001+02:00

Sent from my iPhone

Posted via email from My Tesla

Intermezzo voor @macnax

2009-04-18T13:38:00.001+02:00

Sent from my iPhone

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Charging a Tesla

2009-04-18T13:22:00.001+02:00

Sent from my iPhone

Posted via email from My Tesla

Tesla findings

2009-04-18T13:19:00.001+02:00

An amazing experience impossible to show in pics, not even in video I'm afraid.

More later ...

Sent from my iPhone

Posted via email from My Tesla

This is out baby ...

2009-04-18T13:14:00.001+02:00

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Tesla competitor eRUF

2009-04-18T12:25:00.001+02:00

UK product avalable in 2010

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Eentje voor @macnax

2009-04-18T12:16:00.001+02:00

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Tesla spotted on Top Marques fair

2009-04-18T12:06:00.001+02:00

Test drive confirmed around 13h

Sent from my iPhone

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First car pics ...

2009-04-18T10:11:00.001+02:00

Well, we wanted a cool rental car ...

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Mentally preparing for the Tesla testride at 13:00hr

2009-04-18T08:31:00.001+02:00

Check out this video on YouTube:

Posted via email from My Tesla

Testing Tesla

2009-04-17T12:06:00.001+02:00

Ever since Tesla launched I liked their approach. Electricity is the perfect energy source for cars if you can store enough of it, and it seems Tesla has found the right formula.

After the launch of the rather expensive roadster (104 000 USD) they are now preparing a new, more affordable model: Tesla Models S. At 50 000 USD it's still not cheap, but acceptable compared to similar cars in the market. So that's why I'm seriously considering buying one. Well, reserving one is the right word because they will only be available end of 2011.

So, this weekend I'm heading for France to go test-drive the Tesla Roadster, and ask the guys there some questions before I pay 4000 or even 20 000 euro to reserve a Model S. Here are some things I want to find out, if you have questions yourself, just add them in the comments or twitter them:

Is the battery life guaranteed if I drive to the full potential of the car (= fast)?
How fast does it charge on regular current (220V)?
Will the Model S (and Roadster) be approved for Europe and/or Belgium? (In other words, will I have to go through tedious import procedures?)
...

Follow the testing live through on Twitter (www.twitter.com/ibert), on this blog or on my regular blog www.ibert.be.

Posted via email from My Tesla

This expert shows he knows all about high tech weapons, but nothing about the people they kill

2009-04-04T12:17:00.000+02:00

I was reading this interview on TED with P.W. Singer and the disrespectful way he talks about the people in Pakistan really shows what kind of morons are planning and organizing wars with our money. We have come so far that we kill people on the other side of the planet without even seeIng them, but it's very efficient mr. Singer says ...
Just read along what he has to say about local leaders:

"I had a conversation with a person from our Special Ops who talked to the tribal leaders in Pakistan. In a meeting, he served American cookies to one of these leaders -- turns out this guy had never had cookies before! He loved them. But this tribal leader also said America was working with the devil, that we were using black magic. Of course someone who hasn’t even been exposed to cookies is going to think an unmanned flying drone is black magic!"

So the fact that this man had never eaten American cookies before makes him a caveman or what? As if American cookies are the ultimate sign of civilization. What's the next level, a Mc Donald's along the Khyber Pass? It really doesn't matter what kind of magic he sees in those flying murder machines. Your drones, mr. Singer, are killing people halfway around the world without looking them in the eyes. Wouldn't it be a better idea to go there and talk with the people of Pakistan and Afghanistan? Learn something about the way they think, what their values are and what kind of desserts they eat. Probably not cookies but rather kheer, which you probably never tried before. And if there is really no other way and you still have the courage to kill some of those people, maybe you should go ahead ... maybe.

When the economy comes to a stand-still ... this is NOT how to react

2009-04-02T21:35:00.001+02:00

But it's funny :)

Fun met AudioBoo en Glowbox

2009-03-19T11:32:00.000+01:00

Listen!

Creative twittering

2009-02-04T15:56:00.003+01:00

Got to love this creative angle towards twittering:

Hulu is evil, great superbowl commercial

2009-02-03T10:51:00.001+01:00

I spent a trillion dollars, but I'm not going to tell you where ...

2009-01-17T16:41:00.001+01:00

What the hell is going on there? At least Belgium is small enough so they can't hide what goes on with our money (... I hope).

Cloud tools for cool websites

2009-01-15T21:39:00.002+01:00

I've been working on my hobbysite www.mototravel.be over the last months, and found a number of practical "cloud-based" tools that have a surprisingly high level of professionality at a low cost or completely for free.

Here's my favourites list:

Mad Mimi email marketing

What: A tool with limited features but everything you really need for sending out professional emailings and following up on results.

Highlights:
- Embedable registration forms for your site
- Wonderfull drag and drop interface for building mailings
- Seamless integration with google analytics configured in literaly 6 seconds
Cost: Variable depending on the number addresses stored
URL: http://madmimi.com/

Animoto

What: Builds great looking slideshow-movies based on a set of pictures you upload, wich can then be embedded on the site.
Highlights:
- Get the same presentation in HD at a small cost
- Add royalty free music in a click
- If you pics are somewhat chronological you can really tell a story (e.g. unpack party )
Cost: Free for web-use, pay for high quality movies
Site: http://animoto.com/

Addthis

What: An embedable button for bookmarking the site on all major social sites.
Highlights:
- Also includes a send to a friend link
- Provides stats on clicks and what people use this link for
Cost: Free
Site: http://www.addthis.com/

Yuntaa.com

What: An online storage solution that gives you loads of space and great sharing features. Also comes in handy to backup you complete disk:
- First 1 Gig is free, unlimited space if you need it
- Yuntaa manager automatically backs up your complete disk (Windows only)
Cost: Free under 1 Gig, 9,99 euro/month for unlimited space
Site: http://www.Yuntaa.com/

Routeyou.com

What: A routing tool that makes it easy to map out a tourist (car, bike, foot) and add information to this route. Next the route can be embedded in your site.
Highlights:
- Shows icons with additional information you added, including pictures
- Shows a graph with altitude differences
- Has intelligence build-in to automatically choose the most interresting route for your
Cost: Free
Site: http://www.routeyou.com

Lefore.com

What: A hosted forum solution with a reasonable number of customisation possibilities.
Highlights:
- Setup procedure takes about 10 minutes
- Has a traditional look but also a more modern look that is more upto today's standards.
Cost: Free, but they include google ads so it's difficult to add your own
Site: http://www.lefora.com/

Google docs integration

What: Use pages you update through Google Docs in your site by including the HTML published version of that page.
Higlights:
- Take advantage of the collaboration power of Google Docs to update your site with multiple people
- Changes happen instantly, no "publish-process" needed.
- I use RapidWeaver as a webbuilding tool and it has a plugin that used the API to included Google Docs pages seamlessly.
Cost: Free
Site: http://docs.google.com

Google analytics

What: Professional visitor statistics for your website
Highlights:
- Advanced segments let you compare the behaviour of different types of visitor groups
- Seamless integration with Mad Mimi
Cost: Free
Site: http://www.google.com/analytics/

Google maps

What: Embed maps of whatever in the world on your site.
Highlights:
- Choose map or sattelite picture integration
Cost: Free
Site: http://maps.google.com/

YouTube & Vimeo

What: Host your movies for free and embed them in your site.

Highlights:

- Profit from the traffic on these sites to promoto your stuff and attract traffic to your site. I guess YouTube is better for this, but Vimeo has better quality and a nicer player to embed.

Cost: Free
Site: http://www.youtube.com http://www.vimeo.com/

+ some revenue generators

- Google Adsense
- Bol.com ads
- Tradedoubler ads
- Amanzon.co.uk ads