Brilliant Marketing

Brilliant Marketing
Originally uploaded by mbuntag.

Berlin Marathon

The Berlin Marathon took place without me today. I don't think anybody noticed, really. In fact, if they took out 1000 of those sweaty bodies nobody would notice the difference. No, instead of adding my stamina and sweat to this years event I was just a petty bystander. And I was quite envious of the runners, it was such a gaorgeous day, some would say a wee tad to warm for a marathon. Took my bike over to Hohenzollerndamm and coasted along the bike-path alongside of the runners. Felt like I was cheating - I know what it feels like after 31 km.

Next year I will definitely try and go for it again. See you there.

Speaking Faces in TV

maischberger
Originally uploaded by iMaculate.

Maischberger (German talk show host) talking with Oskar Lafontaine and articulating the word "bestimmt".

My new Disc Burner

DSCN5803
Originally uploaded by iMaculate.

Today I pried open my Mac mini to install a new DVD-Burner (Pioneer DVR-K05) to replace the original CD-burner that came with the mini. No big deal really, since I opened the computer a while ago to replace the memory (I now have 1 Gig). The tricky part was hadnling the tiny screws that held the drive in its frame.

I haven't tested it in its entirety but it seems to act like a Superdrive, which means that I can burn DVDs directly from iDVD. That was not possible with my external DVD-recorder. Encoding CDs is also a bit faster in iTunes.

Just voted

The federal government is being elected in Germany today and I just voted. My vote is probably not relevent in the big scheme of things and whatever party makes it probably won't make a big difference anyway. But we may have the first woman as head of government. And most likely we won't see Schröder again.

Look mom, they shrunk the iPod !

It's Really Small
Originally uploaded by mhusson.

Being a fan of everything miniature I couldn't resist the temptation to go out and order the iPod nano. I followed the progress of the Apple Special event last Monday and was quite surprised what good ol' Steve pulled out of his hat.


Truly, the iPod nano is the most remarkable of the iPods for two main reasons in my opinion: it is just a wee tad larger than the Shuffle but has a display which the latter lacks. And it has flash-based memory, which is more resilient to shocks and quicker than the big iPod.


I won't miss the iPod mini. Though quite popular with the masses that anodized aluminum just didn't click with me.

Technorati Tags: ipod, mac, nano

Mick Jagger in Freejack

jagger
Originally uploaded by iMaculate.

Last evening in the wee hours of the night when I was just about dozing off, some private station in German television (forgot which one) was showing the film Freejack.

Nothing really sensational, I know, hundreds of films are shown each day on television. But just as I was to call it a night I saw none other than Mick Jagger on the top of some futuristic tank, helmet and all. He looked pretty serious and mean, apprently he was playing the bad guy. Pretty lousy film, at least from what I saw of it. Makes you wonder why one of the most influential (and controversial) people in the pop business play in a really bad movie. Did he just want to see if he had enough talent to make it in the movies? Or did he just know the director/producer and wanted him to do a favor and promote his film?

Anyway, once I get the chance I will see this movie to its bitter end and maybe I'll revise my opinion. Until then I'll just stick to his music.

My Gravis Store Experience

Today with temperatures baking in the low 30s (Celsius) I took my defective iPod Shuffle to the main Gravis store in Berlin. Took my bike for the 10 km journey from Lichterfelde to Charlottenburg, that meant lots of perspiration so I took along an ersatz T-shirt not too look like a wet jerk in the store (I was self-concious enough to bring along an extra T-Shirt which I changed before entering the store). Took me 37 minutes through medium to heavy traffic. Not bad considering that the same journey would have taken me 45 minutes with public transportation according to BVG.

I have not yet revealed to my readers that I am an avid biker in the human-powered sense. Berlin is especially bike-friendly not only because of the many designated bike paths and broad thouroughfares (as a cyclist you are allowed to use the bus lanes). What makes biking a pleasure in Berlin is simply that it is very flat, and it is the hills that usually kill biking not as a sport but as a mode of transportation versus motorized vehicles.

But I am transgressing here. My iPod Shuffle was not functioning in a sporadic way: sometimes the FF (skip to next title) -button does not register when I press it. So I had to press many times until it sprang to the next title - very unnerving. Something I didn't expect in an Apple product after only 6 months (in fact today was exactly six months, I bought the Shuffle on the 10th of March).

Gravis store on Franklin Street in Berlin is quite a big store. Since my last visit they have expanded a bit and rearranged the setup. Very impressive considering that this is almost the only place in Berlin where you can see and feel Apple products. Funny, you live in the capital city, 3.5 million inhabitants and there is only really one store to see Apple products - give me a break, Apple, we really need an Apple store here! Send in your emergency crew, Gravis has monopoloy written all over its carpet. Help!

A few souls with minor problems before me in the make-shift line of the Service department. Only one guy at the counter, even though three terminals suggested three Gravis people to take your concerns. One big brawly chap with mean look on his face and a G5 Box at his feet was having a discussion with one of the ghost customer service guys, I overheard "...I want my money back, and no, I will not sign this...I have work to do, I can't return here...". Your typical customer, I would say. The line around me grew and grew and finally it was my turn. Took about 15 minutes to check my data, he said that if they found the problem I would probably get a new shuffle, repairing those things cost more than replacement, bla, bla. OK.

Out of the mess

Fortune has not been that kind with us of late, which is one reason I have entirely neglected my blog. But things seem to have taken a turn for the better since Corinna left the hospital yesterday. It feels so good to be just living as a complete family once again.