I am really excited about this online Chichewa/Chinyanja dictionary, which I just heard about on Twitter (hat tip @kristungati). Try entering Mchenga. Select Chichewa/Chinyanja to English Click Translate mchenga 1.sand; maziko ena onse npamchenga = all other foundations are on sand (see: hymn 362, Nyimbo za Mulungu); expression: walemba pamchenga (lit.: you have written in [...]
For some reason I couldn’t auto upgrade from WordPress 3.0 to 3.0.1.
I kept getting an error message.
I decided to deactivate all plugins before starting the auto upgrade. È voilà. The install went thru.
I still had the auto upgrade plugin installed from 2.7 installed. Maybe that was the problem? Or another plugin clashes with the upgrade process?
I stumbled across this Swisscom poster showcasing Leo’s mobile app to sell a smart phone:
I started using Leo’s English – German dictionary regularly long time ago – in the late 90s. I think it must have been about 1997 or 1998 at my first full-time job after uni. The vocabulary wasn’t as extensive as it is today. And at the time many people questioned and challenged its reputation as a reference. But, working in an IT company, we had unlimited access to the Internet. And Leo’s website was accessible from every workplace, whereas hard copy dictionaries were few and bulky.
I remember lively discussions with a secondary school teacher for German and English. Her main point was that there was too little information on usage and folks studying English as a second language would be confused and misled by the simple list views. I felt that this also applied to most hard copy dictionaries. Regarding usage I – in turn- recommended Oxford’s monolingual Advanced Learner’s Dictionary.
From early on, Leo offered access to a forum where dictionary users could ask questions, make suggestions, improve dictionary entries, clarify usage, etc. And they added links to other language resources. Which indirectly helped me to find a job during the dotcom downturn.
Well, here I am walking to the office in Züri on a fine, sunny morning… just 13 years later… and Leo is helping to sell smartphones:
Related links:
Leo’s history
Online version of Oxford Advanced Learner Dictionary
Everybody uses Powerpoint. Yet it is tricky to use. I am currently testing and reviewing a PPT 2003 template file. In this blog entry I am collecting useful resources for reference purposes.
Some links that @handmade2_0 suggested:
Merci vielmol!
While searching about recommended font sizes, I found this page on viewing distance and font size. I always learnt the minimum font size should be 18pt. But it seems there are creative agencies that suggest 15pt.
In the backlogs of Chiperoni, there is a very useful website if you are moving PPT slides from Mac to PC or vice versa.
Any other useful sites for Powerpoint?
Message from the Chiperoni admin:
I just installed WordPress 3.0. Everything seems to be running smoothly.
And I found a new minimal theme to try out: Carrington Text.
I am back from my 5th MBA residency. This time I traveled to Utrecht, De Ruwenberg, Tilburg, and Bruxelles.
Tour de Benelux without Lux.
It was great to meet with the class. And I really liked the lecturers this time.
The first week in Utrecht and De Ruwenberg and Tilburg was very busy with lots of late nights to finish assignments. And I didn’t really have any time to explore.
Bruxelles
It was fun walking around Bruxelles again. 17 years after I had studied there for a year. Although speaking French took getting used to. I don’t switch easily between languages.
Lots of good food. I can recommend:
Tried this patisserie on Grand Sablon. The sweets were great but the service was very don’t carish.
There has been an explosion of chocolate shops in the downtown area. So many. One lecturer recommended Marcolini, while another suggested Frederic Bloondeel near the Sainte Catherine church.
Apparently Belgian chocolate contains less sugar than Swiss chocolate and it is softer (i.e more conching is applied).
All the Belgians we asked were in favor of separating Flanders and Wallonia into 2 separate states.
I went for a walk thru Schaerbeek where I stayed when I was a poor student.
The cinema was right across from the hotel. The same cinema where I watched Schindler’s List 16 to 17 years ago. Watched a couple of movies including an Argentinian film called El secreto de sus ojos. It was in Spanish with French and Dutch sub-titles. Excellent film. Category: must see.
I’ve always wondered why so many tourists travel to Bruxelles. I guess it offers good food, interesting architecture, lots of museums and it’s probably less expensive than Paris. By the end of my stay I was nearly persuaded to go back for a long weekend…
Some wild snapshots in the true Chiperoni tradition:
The flight attendant on Saturday’s 18:35 Swiss flight from Brussels to Zurich was very friendly. Thank you. It helps.
This time in Nairobi, Kenya on August, 6th and 7th, 2010.
Follow the tweet stream at @makerfairafrica
Food for thought:
While 2010 is the year where many will find ways to monetize their online blogs, photos and apps (which is ok), don’t forget your personal voice.
Even if you have only 5 readers per day, you have influence.
There are enough echo chambers.
I spend a lot of time reading online. And there is a lot of repetition.
Don’t sell out to the latest SEO and social media marketing gimmicks. It’s a fact: google-bombing your way into Google’s top ten is getting more difficult by the day. Esp. for common terms. Even if you follow all the social media marketing advice out there. There is no silver bullet. Consider plain, old-fashioned offline marketing as well.
Remember why you started blogging and tweeting and have fun.
Stay independent.
I know why I am here. I enjoy writing. I like documenting my web world. The tools that I used. The feedback that I get.
I attended a talk – organized by the ifj.ch, venturelab and FHNW – by Karsten Füllhaas on “Social Media: Wenn Kunden mein Marketing übernehmen” (translation: when customers take over my marketing). A well-balanced talk.
I like the Brian Solis quotes:
And you need good content. Just blasting out your marketing message will not lead to dialog and engagement.
Slides (in German) for future reference
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Suburbia
Beautiful weather. Saturday morning. The most natural thing to do is to keep the window open, listen to the birds singing, and quietly sip some coffee while catching up with Twitter and Flickr and co.
You would think. But not in suburbia.
What is it with suburbia, that whenever there is beautiful weather, my neighbors bring out their noisy lawn mowers?
I live in a quiet, residential area, but this infatuation with noisy lawn mowers is striking. Yesterday. Today at 8:30. Probably lawnmower fanboys trying out their new toys… new lawnmower apps to try out.