So finally - the new gadget program "So ein ding" with Nikolaj Sonne from DR is here. Don't forget to watch it every Tuesday at 20:30 at the channel DR2 (Danish Television). If you aren't into watching TV at particular times, it can also be downloaded as a podcast and viewed at the webpage www.dr.dk/ding.
In the first show they are reviewing the new touch screen from HP.
Last week the Danish radio program Harddisken sent out a mail to their Facebook-group. They needed volunteers to screen their ideas for a new Gadget Magazine, which is to run on Danish National TV (channel DR2) beginning in 2009. For a gadgeteer like me, it sounded way to fun to pass an opportunity like that, so I sent them an e-mail. They had received about 50 answers to their mail, and they needed only 5 volunteers - luckily I was one of them 
So today I went to "DR-byen" to listen for about an hour or so. Two teams pitched their ideas for the new magazine, which is (hopefully) to be placed right after the program "Viden Om" (a science show) every Tuesday on DR2.
Do you know the Danish Gear-TV? DR snatched their host for their new show and he is going to present all the new gadgets to Mr. and Mrs. Denmark at prime time.
Their ideas sounded really fun and cool - so if you are a gadget fanatic like me - keep a lookout for the new program in 2009!
For a while now its been bugging me, that I was unable to use our radius controlled wifi-access on campus from my iPhone, so it was time to investigate how to resolve it.
It turned out to be ridiculously easy
First you need to download and install the iPhone Configuration Utility 1.0.1 to your Mac
From within this tool you make a new configuration profile containing the right radius authentication with TTLS-PAP
Afterwards you export the .mobileconfig file (which is basically a normal mac plist XML based file)
Now upload the file to a webserver of your liking fx. Apache - and change the httpd.conf file to include the following MIME-type to recognize the file on the iPhone
AddType application/x-apple-aspen-config mobileconfig
Now open up Safari on the iPhone and go to the URL, where the .mobileconfig-file is located.
You now get the option to install the configuration. Press the Install button. (Sorry - text on screenshots is in Danish!)
You now get prompted to type in your radius username - type it and press Next
Now you get prompted to type in your radius password - type it and press Next
Press OK to the confirmation that the configuration has been installed.
Now go to the Preference wifi-pane on the iPhone and choose eduroam, you will get prompted with the radius certificate - press Agree
Congratulations - you're now on eduroam/radius with TTLS-PAP authentication
Next week I'll participate in the Danish 5 km run "DHL stafet" along with a couple of employees from DIKU. That means I've been running for the last 2 months or so. Exercise is not really my "thing", but getting my new iPhone 3G made it a whole lot more fun.
I installed the application RunKeeper which tracks your runs - speed and GPS location. After a run you can login to the RunKeeper website and see your run. The application costs 59 DKK - which is one of the more pricey applications in App Store.
It has a little problem connecting to the GPS satelites, which means you start the application, and get a "determining location" - which takes a loooong time, right when you are standing there ready to run, and sometimes it even fails to connect and you have to retry - that's really annoying, but otherwise it works like a charm.
RunKeeper recommends having the iPhone on an armband out in plain sight, but with a combination of the danish weather and the iPhones ability to resist water - that is not really a good combo.
Anyway - wish me luck - it the first 5 km run I've ever participated in
You've probably heard about skater parks before, but at Danfoss Universe in Denmark they've built Europes first Segway test track and for the next year, they'll let you ride it provided you give them feedback on how to improve the track. I couldn't resist - I HAD to try it - it sounded way too fun to pass up an opportunity like this.
Here I am trying to get over the small hills. Getting up hill was easy enough. Getting down was weird because you had to lean so much forward. If you lean backwards on the segway it drives backwards.
Here I am at the end of the track just getting the hang of it - see that big savy smile on my face?
If you can find the time to go to Danfoss Universe, its worth the long drive. Its a park dedicated to science and technology. In their new house called cumulus (its even shaped as a cloud) they have an interactive Bitland where you can manipulate technology in a physical manner, fx. you can text another "phone" but its so big you have to use your feet and jump from button to button.
You can also experience the Icelandic contribution to the World EXPO 2000 in Hanover.
Its worth a visit.
Monday and Tuesday of this week, I had the priviledge of meeting and talking to Joe Polastre, CTO of Sentilla formerly MoteIV. My thesis advisor Philippe Bonnet had invited Joe to Denmark. Monday Joe gave a talk about Sentillas java based sensor network platform, spized up with a fun sensor network case study they had conducted during JavaOne.
Apparently they had mounted an array of sensors in the doorways of the large auditoriums at Moscone Center, telling the direction people where moving in, so when people were entering and leaving the room, they kept count. It gave some interesting metrics - as to which speakers people REALLY enjoyed. Fx. while people where watching the keynote with Rich Green and waiting for Neil Young, practically no one was leaving the room. This was a fine example of pervasive computing, because people weren't aware of the the sensors.
Tuesday I had the opportunity to sit down with Joe for an hour and talk to him about my thesis. So what's it about people keep asking me - well - we all know physics experiments, chemistry experiments and in general science experiments from high school. Yet teaching computer science is very abstract - so would it be possible to teach computer science at high school level by using experiments conducted on the SunSPOT? And if yes, what kind of experiments could be conducted, that are both fun and fullfill their computer science curriculum?
My wish is to write a small interpreted language, that can run on the SunSPOTs within the Squawk VM, in which you can write small programs - and the programs are the way to "solve" the experiments. Hopefully I'll have something a little more substantial than just the thoughts within the next couple of months.
Anyway Sentillas sensor network platform was really cool, because of its scale - it even won the prestiguos Duke Choice Award at JavaOne. Thanks to Joe for taking his time to visit us in little Denmark
A couple of weeks ago I dropped in on the website "Nærmest lykkelig i nørdland" (closer to happiness in nerd country) and entered my story. A lot of other girls working in the Danish IT-industry had done the same. What I didn't see coming was - a mail from one of the journalists behind the project, who wanted to know more about me - and that they are considering using my story for their book on female IT role models....
HUH? But I am just the average "IT-Jane" - I have always worked hard to get good grades. I don't have photographic memory or sleepwalk through my exams. What I do have though - is a passion for my work and for open source, so I filled in the questionaire the journalist sent me.
And now I am being interviewed next week!
The project wishes to put focus on why so few Danish girls chooses Science-based educations - and being one of only 10 girls who started at Computer Science along with 300 guys - I sincerly want to support their goal of enlightning girls (and their mother) - as to WHY its a really good idea to choose some sort of Science based education.
Lets do some myth busting about being a girl in the IT-industry
You might have heard about Knitta, a “tag crew of knitters, bombing the inner city with vibrant, stitched works of art, wrapped around everything from beer bottles on easy nights to public monuments and utility poles on more ambitious outings”.
Right now Masquerade is doing the same thing in Stockholm, Sweden. The've even put up a tourist map - so you know where to go knit graffiti hunting! Way cool!
So if you are in Stockholm, drop the GPS geocaching for one night and go knit graffiti hunting in "Gamla Stan" instead.
Anyone up for a Danish version?
Since the movie "An inconvenient truth" with Al Gore, there's been a lot of focus on "Go Green" initiatives, but sometimes its a little fuzzy for the normal consumer. How can I do my bit for a greener environment?
Well - here's one thing - change your batteries to rechargeables - its pretty easy. Its much like when enerygsaving light bulbs were introduced, they are a bit more expensive than the normal ones, but within short time they pay for themselves.
The Danish National Consumer Agency, just did a comparison test of normal batteries and rechargeables. I know for sure, that I am going to change all the ones in my sons toys - and there's plenty.... I've had my eye on the USB cell batteries for a while, now I even have an excuse to try them!
Go Green has a whole list of things you can do.
OK - I admit it - its geeky - but it was fun: Check out my easter eggs with open source company logos. They are made out of wool.
