nicolai.no

Slingbox PRO-HD

2012-05-08T15:40:00.000+02:00

Ever wanted to bring your tv-signal with you? The Slingbox PRO-HD is a great tool. It controlls your PVR, DVD, cablebox or antenna input and distributes it via internet. You can access all your content via the internet with this great box. My parents live outside Norway, and they wanted access to Norwegian channels. Aprox 10minutes for installation... and it works like a charm. Great gadget!

Waiting for Rygh+

2011-11-05T09:00:00.000+01:00

So do do you use Google Plus? I don't. I loved the interface, the concept and even how it made facebook change their magic formula just because they didn't know how Google+ would change the social web.

I have a Google+ account, and I have used it. I even played with the idea to move from facebook over to G+ . The circles made it a very good combination of twitter and facebook. So from a technology perspective is it a more advanced and intriguing platform. So why have I stopped using it? It is very easy. It is convenience. My google-apps account (connected to rygh.no) doesn't support Google+. You have to use a "normal" Google-account. I don't want to profiles. I just want to be "me" online. And currently that is one email-account; having to use two is just not worth it. And when all your "friends" and "followers" use facebook and twitter - why use one more tool? More and more cross-posting between the social platforms. You'll end up reading the same updates several times.

So what would be the Rygh+?
Google should fix the account issue, they said in March "comming soon" - and guess what: We are still waiting! If I could decide to use Google+ on my domain - I would prefer to connect to all the other services, facebook, twitter, linkedin, secondbrain... And get the updates ONCE, post my updates to one or some of the other network... I could even see myself paying for it. No adds. One online solution that worked cross platform. It sounds strange? Would never happen? What about email? That works perfectly cross platform. You can choose if you want hotmail, gmail, yahoo, your isp, your work-mail or your private hosted mail. One common protocol. That is web 3.0.

Back to a naked domain

2011-11-03T23:36:00.001+01:00

I have been thinking to do a makeover on my blog for a long time. So I decided just to do it. I have really wanted to remove the “www” from my domain name – but it has been disabled by blogger.com. But sometimes there exists a backdoor – I’ll blog about how you can do it later. But now my blog is hosted on a naked domain.

Playing with the idea to move my blog...
When I decided to refresh my blog - I decided to start the process from start. Where would I like to host it? Blogger, wordpress, developerworks or just back on my own webserver. Using the same platform as for my mail (google apps) is so easy. I am logged in, it is friendly - and it just works. As I decided to start from scratch, I removed all my old content.

It feels like trip.
I am on my way to the airport - but I haven't decided on my destination.Stay tuned.

IBM Centennial Film: 100 X 100 - A century of achievements that have changed the world

2011-06-15T20:33:00.001+02:00

IBM 100 years - see the video!

Euro policy must change

2010-06-12T11:11:00.001+02:00

I wrote some months ago about how the Euro is a good idea, but will fail if they don’t do big changes to it. It is time for a follow-up; as several European economies are struggling. Greece is the first country and currently the best example that a shared currency without shared financial policy isn’t working. You need to have the same tax regime, the same social policy and the willingness to go in the same direction for the whole zone sharing one currency. Since the countries still decide their own policies – the weakest economies will weaken the Euro. I think the Euro will stay around – but I think the strong economies will force the weak economies to accept that the federal government will put them under administration.

Windows 7 Activation Error

2010-04-10T23:47:00.004+02:00

If you get the error 0x8007232B when you try to activate Windows 7, then you need to run these commands:

slmgr.vbs -ipk [your product key]

slmgr.vbs -ato

That is it! Run cmd as admin!

// if you blog, please don't copy it, but link to me :-)
// if it works for you - please leave a comment or follow my blog ! :-)

Windows 7 Activation Error: 0x8007232B

2010-03-02T12:24:00.003+01:00

I have used Windows 7 Ultimate for some months, but as the license delivered with the computer is a Windows 7 Professional - I had to downgrade. You could say that going from x86 to 64 bit is an upgrade - and the additional functions in Ultimate will not be missed.I tried to activate my newly installed Windows 7 64bit edition today. and got the following message:

Code: 0×8007232B
Description: DNS name does not exist.

This is a strange error. Read about the solution here.

This solved my problem, and now my Windows 7 configuration is up running. Now I only have to install all applications and copy over the documents. Maybe I this time should make a disk image of the setup :-) I really recommend having a virtual disk with the key applications you need installed. I have that running providing me with access to VPN, mail, intranet etc. This way I stay available even if my setup is not ready.

Why Dagbladet will not be around in 24 months

2010-02-02T22:39:00.000+01:00

Dagbladet as we know it today is gone in two years, or even more aggressively – it will not survive 2010 if not the owners take drastic actions. Reducing your staff to face fewer customers is a very challenging process. You need to ensure that you only cut non critical functions. And who should select what is critical functions?

Dagbladet needs to decide what they want to be in 2 years. Do they want to be a paper with focus on news or a website with focus on news? Or they can choose to be a provider of culture, sports or politics. It can be a mix of them, but they need to decide – what is our main platform; and for whom do we write. Trying to cut costs to stay where they are today will only bring the end closer.

Dagbladet will need to be saved by their owners. The owners need to decide if the newspaper should be saved as it is today – and in that case they need to invest heavily in making Dagbladet more powerful than VG. Or they need to decide that VG is a too powerful competitor in Norway – and that there is only room for one big tabloid. Take can change the format to a magazine – or they can be even bolder – and stop printing the printed edition as of tomorrow. Being the first newspaper that is available only online could save the brand and the ideas.

Why Euro is a good idea, but will fail

2010-01-25T11:52:00.002+01:00

The Euro in its current form will fail. It will never replace the dollar as a world currency, and the countries within the Eurozone will need to make significant adjustment to keep this common currency. It isn’t possible over time to keep a common currency if you don’t adjust government spending and taxes in the zone.
As long as the countries within the zone respects the boundaries of having a common currency will one currency is of a great value for the governments and the people living in the zone. It will also reduce the risk when doing business within and between the zone and outside. So having a common currency is great for business, and also convenient for people travelling from country to country.

The practicality for people is a “nice-to-have”. The key factor is to build a currency that can hold investments. You would like to have your savings or investment in an economic environment that is safe – or you accept the level of risk present in that market. But the key factor here is trust. The euro isn’t stronger than the weakest link. As long as the strong economies in EU doesn’t fully subside the weak economies, will the zone go in different directions. This has an impact on pricing of goods, but also the finance tools the governments in each country have.

Until EU starts to act like one country in terms of spending and taxes will the Euro be under attack from the different governments with different political agendas. A common currency is one of the products of an union – it should be the reason to strength the union.