Year: 2004

Opera Voice Browser

Opera Software is developing a new Internet browser that allows users to talk to their computers.

The new browser incorporates IBM’s ViaVoice technology, enabling the computer to ask what the user wants and “listen” to the request.

No release date has been set yet as the browser is still in it’s development phase.

Even though this is cool technology, but still I’m not all that excited by it.
First of all, I don’t want to talk to my computer.
In fact, I wish I didn’t have to talk to people either and that they’d have some sort of computerized interface for me to go through, lol…

Secondly, voice technology is still far from efficient nowadays, so using voice commands for a computer will be even more nerve-wrecking and frustrating than if we had to code every command in Perl.

Anyway, it’s good to see new stuff like this coming out from Opera. They’re really leading the way in innovating browsers.

But voice browsing is not for me, I just like to kick back, relax, forget about talking, and tap away at my laptop.

Innocent in prison? Pay for it!

What do you give someone who?s been proved innocent after spending the best part of their life behind bars, wrongfully convicted of a crime they didn?t commit?

An apology, maybe? Counselling? Champagne? Compensation? Well, if you?re David Blunkett, the UK Labour Home Secretary, the choice is simple: you give them a big, fat bill for the cost of board and lodgings for the time they spent freeloading at Her Majesty?s Pleasure in British prisons.

Now, this is really really weird and very not funny.

[Source: Sunday Herald]

Microsoft NDC 2004

So it soon will be Microsoft North African Developer conference time again.
Yes, it’s been almost a year since the last one.

In fact, my first blog post ever was about NDC 2003.

Anyway, this year’s NDC will take place April 14-16 in Casablanca / Morocco.
I won’t be attending this year.
There’s no way in hell I’m going to pay for a plane ticket and hotel to listen to a bunch of people tell me how great Microsoft’s products are.
Sorry, but I just can’t find Microsoft anywhere on my priority list.
So, till the next NDC in Tunisia, have fun without me…

The slogan they’re using for this NDC is: Get Inside!
Now what kind of dumb slogan is that ?
Get inside what ?!

Anyway Clemens Vasters is going to be speaking at the NDC again, so that should be really good.
Ingo Rammer and Scott Hanselman are going to be there too, but I don’t know if that’s good or not because I have no idea who they are 😛
Excuse my ignorance…

If anyone’s interested in this NDC, check out the website.

Hamas’ Sheikh Ahmed Yassin Assassinated

Israeli aircraft attacked and killed Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, the spiritual leader and founder of Hamas and Israel’s top target this morning as he was leaving a Gaza City mosque.

Yassin, who was in his late ’60s, has been confined to a wheelchair since an accident as a teenager that paralysed him. He is also partially blind.

“This is a crazy and very dangerous act. It opens the door wide to chaos. Yassin is known for his moderation and he was controlling Hamas and therefore this is a dangerous, cowardly act,” said Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmad Qurai.

At least nine people died in the attack including at least two of Yassin’s bodyguards. Ten more were wounded.

In an interview with the Washington Post in August 2001, Yassin said he was aware that Israel’s government had targeted him.

“We are a people not afraid of death, and when one of us dies, it’s like a wedding day for him,” Yassin said. “One who is martyred attains a very high spiritual level, and so his death is like a celebration — we offer candy, sweets and cold drinks, because we know he’ll be so high in heaven.”

Living on the Planet

Today is Independence Day in Tunisia, and to mark it Michael Greenwood from Living on the Planet wrote an article about Tunisian blogs.

The blogs mentioned were AquaCool (My wife’s blog), Mouse Hunter #1, and Subzero Blue (This blog), woohoo 😉

Here’s what’s said about this blog:

… Subzero Blue. A great blog from the icecube tray graphic down!

This guy has blogging down pat. He updates regularly, covers a range of topics from music to technology (and looks like 1000+ entries) and provides plenty of credits and links to other people.

Also check out Subzero Blue’s awesome photo gallery.

Wow 🙂

Buddha Quotes

“He is able who thinks he is able.”

“The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.”

“We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make the world.”

“An insincere and evil friend is more to be feared than a wild beast; a wild beast may wound your body, but an evil friend will wound your mind.”

“You, yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.”