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Archive for June, 2006
Yankee perspective on the World Cup coverage
Both Off the hook and Off the wall belong to my list of favourite podcasts. Emmanuel Goldstein‘s shows are made available to a worldwide audience once they’ve been broadcast in the New York area on a university and community radio station. The shows focus on privacy issues, hacking and speculation on Uncle Sam’s penchant to deal in black operations.
Though the show I’m referring to is already almost two weeks old, it offers an interesting perspective on how the World Cup tournament is broadcast to viewers in the USA. Get the podcast here. You may want to scroll to the 14 minute mark, or thereabouts, to skip a boring intro.
For a geek and hacker, this dude is on the ball 
F1 – Canada
This is getting downright boring. Now I know how all the non-Schumacher fans have felt for the past few years! Alonso has once again stamped his dominance all over the Formula 1 World Championship. By winning in Canada, he’s secured Michelin’s 100th Grand Prix victory and extended his lead for the championship title to 25 points over the second placed Schumacher.
Schumacher was fortunate to finish in second place. Alonso led the field from start to finish. Due to Villeneuve’s crash forcing the safety car onto the track for four laps, Schumacher was able to close the gap on Räikkönen. Räikkönen managed to lose control briefly in the same spot Villeneuve went off, allowing Schumacher to pass him.
Current championship standings:
| Position | Driver | Country | Team | Points |
| Fernando Alonso |  |
Renault | 84 | |
| Michael Schumacher |  |
Ferrari | 59 | |
| Kimi Räikkönen |  |
McLaren-Mercedes | 39 | |
| Giancarlo Fisichella |  |
Renault | 37 | |
| Felipe Massa |  |
Ferrari | 28 | |
| Juan Pablo Montoya |  |
McLaren-Mercedes | 26 | |
| Jenson Button |  |
Honda | 16 | |
| Rubens Barrichello | |
Honda | 13 |
Superman Returns – first review
The guys over at Science Fiction Weekly have what appears to be the first review of the eagerly anticipated Superman movie.
From the review, it appears that all old and familiar scenes and story arcs are taken into account, with an emphasis on making the movie fit into what audiences already know. With the promise of new special and visual effects, this one should be a cracker!
Read the review here, then head over to YouTube for a trailer. There are still a few more days to wait for the theatrical release…
Australian invasion
5 years ago
by manfred
in Moblogging
Australian invasion
Originally uploaded by MHertenberger.
Together with TimTams and Tetley’s, this Bundaberg juice is available in local stores. Maybe a small consolation, seeing how Pick&Pay and others are invading Aussie shores…
Results for games 1 and 2
The German team dispatched Sweden with a final score of 2:0. In the later game, Argentina and Mexico met in an exciting clash that ran to extra time. Mexico scored first, then Argentina managed to equalize. That happened in the first ten minutes of the game.
An exciting match followed that saw both teams having a fair number of opportunities. In extra time, Argentina managed to score the winning goal.
Sweden and Mexico are out of the competition.
Germany meet 
Argentina in the next round.
Germany through to round 3
Germany put in a convincing performance and beat a Swedish team, reduced to ten men, by 2 goals to nil. Sweden had a chance to pull back a goal after Germany conceded a penalty. Larsson caused he ball to sail high over the German goal without causing Lehmann any concern.
Lucic was sent off in the 35th minute. His absence seemed not to hinder the Swedes in their attempts at trying to score. Germany convinced with good attacking moves, many shots at goal and what matters most: a win! Germany’s next match will be against Mexico or Argentina…
Lego Exoforce
5 years ago
by manfred
in Moblogging
Lego Exoforce
Originally uploaded by MHertenberger.
Having a 2 year old is a good excuse for visiting toy shops. Here’s Lego’s answer to the Transformers! Hikaru’s Stealth Hunter.
Final results for groups G and H
Both top teams in group H did the minimum to maintain their lead and progress to the next round. Spain and Ukraine beat their opponents, Saudi Arabia and Tunisia respectively, by one goal to nil.
Group G provided plenty of drama with three teams vying for the two top spots. Togo stood firm against France until early in the second half of their encounter. The necessary two goals were dispatched in rapid succession, pushing the South Koreans to third place of the table and out of contention. The French had little to smile about in the first half with the Togolese goalkeeper denying all their attempts. Overall, an excellent display of skill by Togo and its a pity that they cannot join Ghana in the final 16. South Korea and Togo are out of the competition.
In group G, Switzerland and France are through to the next round.
In group H, Spain and Ukraine are through to the next round.
Games in the next round:
- Spain vs. France
- Ukraine vs. Switzerland
With the final game for each team completed in groups G and H, the standings are as follows:
 Switzerland |
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 France |
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 South Korea |
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 Togo |
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| Spain |
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 Ukraine |
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 Tunisia |
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 Saudi Arabia |
On to round 2!
First steps with Fitaly
5 years ago
I’ve been quite happy to use the standard Windows Mobile entry methods when capturing notes and other text on all the PocketPC devices I’ve used so far. Though I’ve heard of Fitaly, I’ve never actually considered it worth trying out. Steve (thanks for the link!) has made a strong case for me to try it out. My first use of the Fitaly keyboard layout caused me to spend an inordinate amount of time finding the letters I needed!
I’ve been told to hang on and see it through. Various benchmarks and tests have been completed, all indicating that a steep learning curve is to be expected, but that 40 words per minute are very realistic. By the way, the product name is derived from the second row of the keyboard. It’s certainly easier to pronounce than QWERTY It’s unfortunate that the trial version of Fitaly is restricted to 10 days. That’s probably not enough to get the hang of it. We’ll see…
Final results for groups E and F
Group E had the most teams who had everything to play for. With the last match starting, Italy, Ghana and the Czech Republic were all possible candidates for the two spots in round 2. The USA needed a miracle to make it through, but their 2:1 defeat against Ghana sealed their fate. Together with the Czech Republic, they leave for home. Italy ensured their top spot in the group and an advance to the next round together with a surprise: Ghana makes it through to round 2! Ghana has been a team that has impressed me with their play. Hopefully they will fare well in their next game – but Brazil will be a tough opponent at this stage of the competition.
Another surprise, in the form of Australia’s qualification for round 2 in group F. Brazil was held by an eager Japanese team until the dying minute of the first half of their encounter when Ronaldo equalized. After that, Japan’s fate was sealed as Brazil took full advantage. The 4:1 final score in favour of Brazil underlining that teams skill and experience. Croatia held Australia to a 2:2 draw, but that was not enough to unseat the socceroos from their second place in the group. Croatia and Japan fly home, Australia and Brazil advance to round 2.
In group E, Italy and Ghana are through to the next round.
In group F, Brazil and Australia are through to the next round.
Games in the next round:
- Brazil vs. Ghana
- Australia vs. Italy
With the final game for each team completed in groups E and F, the standings are as follows:
| Italy |
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 Ghana |
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 Czech Republic |
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 USA |
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| Brazil |
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 Australia |
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 Croatia |
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 Japan |
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