I’m reading a lot lately about it. A lot of scientific research try to demonstrate empirically that this theory of physics could explain the whole universe in one complex formula. I think it does, and for a practical demonstration of the String Theory just go to any Brazil beach. After this little joke, I should reveal that this post is my first experiment with Yahoo Shortcuts, a WordPress plugin that allow you to enrich you blog posts with Yahoo content, maps, photos from flickr and many more Yahoo content…

Continue reading iPhone + Proximus OK! →

Google just released a new version of the Google Analytics reporting interface.

What is new?

In the new version, reports have been redesigned for clarity, greater visibility of important metrics, and ease of use. Here are just a few of the features :

• Email and export reports: Schedule or send ad-hoc personalized report emails and export reports in PDF format.
• Custom Dashboard: No more digging through reports. Put all the information you need on a custom dashboard that you can email to others.
• Trend and Over-time Graph: Compare time periods and select date ranges without losing sight of long term trends.
• Contextual help tips: Context sensitive Help and Conversion University tips are available from every report.

The new interface has everything the previous interface had and more. In addition, links within reports make it easier to navigate related information and explore your data.

With 10 other belgians, I was invited to Mix07 by Microsoft in Las Vegas. The sessions were really interesting, the people very nice and the location absolutely great.

Here is a good summary to what was launched by Microsoft during that huge event.

Silverlight (WPF/E), Expression Suite, Visual Studio ‘Orca’, Live services, free video hosting (WMV only), … a lot of things at once. Some said that the web would change forever.

As a geek I will of course test the DLR and try to code some ruby/python snippets generating Silverlight eye candy (as soon as we get some doc 😉 It’s all simple XML files, better than generating binary flash files… unless you get Flex (now open source version) or OpenLaszlo.

As head of R&D at Emakina I may launch a few “proof of concept” projects for daring customers or internal tests. We have a dozen of .net developpers that will love having the opportunity to code interfaces (they are jalous of our Action Script developpers in the studio) instead of boring reliable server side applications. We will probably develop a few intranet applications for our Windows only customers, aggregating RSS, Virtual Earth, or building beautifull charts and more…

I may even develop a Silverlight version of VW Escape TV just for fun. The Expression suite seems all very playfull and cool …

… but just as even MTV gave up with full flash sites and roll back to HTML, will the market adopt another multimedia delivery platform ? Which may lock them with Microsoft software to edit their web content (unless able to write XAML by hand).

Will web agencies forget soon about 30 years of war for getting at least a few working standard ?

Will the Unix world surrender and install Vista ?

Will Macintosh users with a PowerPC processor upgrade to an Intel Mac to visit Silverlight enhanced websites ?

Let me know your opinion in comments.

Today Emakina is launching the first “meta campaign” as an interactive marketing campaign for Gottabet, a startup specialized in social betting. The “meta campaign” is a contest for viral and buzz campaigns. It is targeted especially to Emakina’ competition : interactive agencies and their creative teams from all over the world. And we have a real million dollars to give away!

So if you are a creative person, enjoy stunt, buzz, viral or guerilla marketing, win a MILLION DOLLARS now !

It’s showtime! The latest version of Joost is now available to download for you as a beta tester – and it’s our biggest release yet.

We’ve added a load of new content, so you now have many more channels from which to choose, including some of the biggest brands in entertainment.

You’ll notice one or two other changes too, including a new login procedure which will require a unique user name. As one of our early testers you have the opportunity to choose the name that you want – well ahead of the pack, so make sure you get a good one!

As always, we hope that you enjoy the Joost viewing experience. We look forward to your feedback.

The Joost Team

(edited)

But PlayStation Home will certainly have its applications. I look forward to getting invited to the private spaces of other users so they can show me their vast collection of ripped DVD porn films and mind-blowing animated GIFs. I also look forward to going to the Sponsored By Big Summer Movie Area, where I can watch the trailer for Big Summer Movie and perhaps even acquire a T-shirt with the logo for Big Summer Movie right on it!

Worlds like Second Life and There exist on the fringe and, if I may recklessly dismiss and generalize something that I deliberately choose not to understand, are only used by lunatics and shut-ins. Is that because not enough people have been exposed to these sorts of virtual worlds? Or is it because most people simply aren’t interested in some creepy emote-based chat room where 30 guys are doing the robot while trying to hit on the one female avatar in the area and 30 more guys are trying to tell you that you aren’t cool if you don’t go buy some more virtual bucket hats and headphones for your already-far-too-metrosexual-looking avatars? As long as the PlayStation 3 keeps selling, PS Home is going to be the big mainstream experiment that finally gives us the answer.

Source : The Tipping Point: 10 Things to Make the PlayStation 3 Worth Buying – Features at GameSpot

Novembre 2008, RockStar Studios sort Litle Big World, son premier MMRVU (Massively MultiCitizen Recreational Virtual Universe) basé sur le moteur et l’univers du très discret Canis Canem Edit sorti en 2006. 2nd Life, en population déjà stagnante depuis décembre 2007, croûlant abusivement sous les opérations commerciales (on recensera jusqu’à une action en cours pour 10 habitants fin 2007) et le légions organisées de squatteurs de locaux commerciaux à l’abandon, voit ses habitants le fuir pour peupler LBW, pourtant mensuellement payant. Support et vecteur de cette mutation, Litle Big Odyssey, jeu multi-consoles After-Next-Gen, propose une aventure solo et multi-joueurs hors du commun, lors de laquelle le personnage construit son apparence et son expérience. Aventure à l’issue de laquelle il accède au rang de citoyen de LBW. Etendre LBW en LBW script est libre et gratuit. La majeure partie du commerce effectué dans LBW se fait en 2D, dans un navigateur web. Les opés marketing et la représentation commerciale 3D, à l’origine de la perte d’intéret de 2nd Life, sont la portion congrue dans LBW. Fin 2009, le site Monster.com recence le terme “LBW Script” dans une annonce d’offre d’emploi sur six à destination des développeurs. A la même date, réunis en conseil d’administration, les Majors à l’origine de la RIAA valident le business-model de consommation de la musique initié par LBW en partenariat avec Pandora.com (basé sur une série de canaux radio ultra-thématiques illimités et prépayés dans labo à LBW) et engagent la dissolution de l’association. Début 2010, à la tribune du grand raout des nouvelles technologies à Bejin, Fredéric Cavazza prononcera, en chinois, le fameux discours fondateur qui le rendra célèbre : “Cinq solutions pour remettre le gulf-stream en marche à l’aide de Javascript”.

vincent b. (Source)