8th of November: World Usability Day "Make life easy" 

Swiss UPA, the Swiss chapter of the Usability Professional Association proposes to ease access to free public wireless networks using a specific sign ((o)) that would help users to detect easy to use wireless networks. 

Today, before getting online using a wireless device, users have first to find an user-friendly wireless access point and then try to connect to it.

The user has to detect which wireless networks are available from his location and check if they are public and free of charge. Often wireless network names do not inform the visitor if the access to the network is free or not. The wireless access point might not be protected but once connected users are redirected to a page where they will be invited to purchase access rights.

Swiss UPS also highlight the fact that once connected to a free and public wireless network, it is not uncommon to reach an authentication page before getting access to the Internet. This procedure has 2 main disadvantage:

• Some authentication pages cannot be completed when using a Smartphone or a PDA.
• Some services such email, Instant Messaging, VoIP, etc… do not require the use of a browser and users cannot pass easily through this authentication method.

To make users' life easier, Swiss UPS proposes to include at the beginning of the SSID (Service Set Identifier which broadcasts the name of the wireless network) of public and free wireless networks the  following distinctive sign:  ((0))

Usage of the sign ((o)) is free and open to all individuals, collectivities and organizations which operate a WiFi network respecting  Swiss UPA usability charter.

More about Swiss UPA (in German), UPA International (English) and about World Usability Day

Source: Canard WiFi 

Tags: 2007, access, art, blog, ces, ergonomic, find, free, ia, im, International, internet, IT World, lan, light, location, network, nomadcom.net, online, pda, phone, public, services, smartphone, swiss, swiss upa, Telecommunications, upa, USA, usability, usage, user, wifi, wireless, world, wp, www

Swiss Post launches new stamps with a built-in two-dimensional mobile tag (kind of barecode) which can be captured using the camera available on most mobile phone using Beetagg reader and connect you to a particular Internet page

New Swiss Post "Beetagged" stamps will promote Swiss Tourism. 

Similar codes are widely used in Japan for quite some time and most of modern mobile phones operating systems have all needed capabilities to read these tags. 

BeeTaggs are developed by connvision AG, a Zug-based company, can have logos, images or text attached to it and are also readable in very small formats.

Last year, PostBus Switzerland and yellowworld trialled BeeTaggs on signposts and at approximately 100 Postbus stops could be used to access timetables.

Mobile operating systems supported: Java, Palm, WM5, Symbian, Symbian 9.x, UIQ3, Symbian UIQ.

WM6 doesn't seem to be supported yet and WM5 version doesn't run on a WM6 phone.

Nomadcom Beetagg. Try it !  

More infos: Swiss Post, Beetagg.
Source: Nouvo

Tags: 2007, access, art, ATT, barcode, beetagg, blog, camera, ces, ia, im, internet, japan, lan, launch, LED, mobile, Mobile Communications, mobile phohe, mobile phone, nomadcom.net, phone, phones, post, reader, stamps, swiss, swiss post, switzerland, symbian, tagging, Telecommunications, uk, vision, WM5, WM6, world, wp, www

The attacks on Swiss financial institutes with the aim of unjustified enrichment and the threat of the targeted industrial espionage via the internet are the main topics of the fifth semi-annual report of the Reporting and Analysis Centre for Information Assurance.

The report assesses the situation of the first half of the year 2007 in Switzerland and is now available online and clearly shows that the human factor remains the weakest point of ICT security.

Focus areas of issue 2007/I

• Attacks on Swiss financial services
  "Classic" phishing attacks by e-mail with password requests have decreased substantially in Switzerland. Moreover, all such attacks have been unsuccessful. On the other hand, successful attacks with malware have increased. Two-factor authentication systems (e.g. transaction authentication numbers, SecurID, etc.) do not afford protection against such attacks and must be viewed as insecure once the computer of the customer has been infected with malware.

• Industrial espionage and data theft
  The threat posed by targeted state or private industrial espionage continues. Not only the operators of critical infrastructures, the armament industry, or public authorities are threatened. Medium-sized industrial companies as well as manufacturers of luxury articles and fashion are also being targeted. The attacks are carried out by sending targeted e-mails to individual employees which contain malware in their attachments or links to bogus websites.
• Attacks on web servers:
  malware distribution, phishing, data theft Compromising of web servers has increased. The purpose is to use web servers to distribute malware, such as by drive-by infection, to steal data (especially on commercially used servers), to carry out (interim) storage of data (e.g. in connection with phishing), or to distribute messages that are generally political in nature.
• Malware / attack vectors
  Malware is still usually distributed through e-mail attachments or e-mails with links to bogus websites. Using clever social engineering techniques, the victim is deceived into opening the attachment or clicking on the link. Websites installing malware on the computer without any action by the user (drive-by infections) have heavily increased as an infection vector. Vulnerabilities in the operating system, the browser, or other applications are exploited. For a long time now, this no longer only happens on dubious sites, but also on (compromised) serious and well-known sites. Rates of recognition of malware by anti-virus software remain low.

The complete report is available on Melani website in italian, german, french and english.

A complete and useful list of all Internet risks and related protection measures is also available.

Tags: 2007, 24, aim, analysis, Annual, art, ATT, attack, blog, ces, computer, connection, CTU, customer, engine, espionage, human, ia, ict, ICT Security, im, industry, install, internet, IT World, ITU, King, lan, list, malware, melani, nomadcom.net, online, password, phishing, public, risk, security, services, social, storage, swiss, switzerland, theme, threat, user, web, web server, website, wp, www, XP

Whisher, a Spanish start-up, backed by Switzerland’s leading phone company, Swisscom, and the venture firm Benchmark Capital Europe is apparently very active for few month now. The principle of Whisher is that Wireless Access to the Internet should be free and accessible from everywhere which is basically the same concept than FON Movimiento, except that you don't need to purchase any specific hardware.

Whisher' users are requested to download an application through which they can share their wireless access (works also with WEP or WPA connections) with other Whisher members 

The newly released version 2.0 beta of the software offers more than just storing and encrypting connections' passwords such:

• Wireless connection manager
• WiFi sharing
• Chat with other users connected on the same wireless access point.
• Multi Instant Messenger support (Yahoo, MSN, AIM, ICQ, GoogleTalk, Twitter, Jabber)
• File Transfer (with users sharing the same wireless AP)
• LAN Support
• GeoLocation
• Other Networks connections (access via commercial access; hotspot, etc..). FON is supported too.
• Around You. Gives you informations about coming events, restaurants around the wireless connection you are currently using.

New services that should be available soon :

• Voice Support
• Global File Sharing 

Plateform supported : Windows XP, Linux, Mac O/S. Vista not available yet.

The software is still beta and some stability and registation problems have been reported. More information on their Blog

Tags: 2007, access, aim, api, art, blog, capital, ces, connection, connections, europe, event, fon, fon movimiento, free, global, google, HP, ia, icq, im, instant messenger, internet, lan, location, messenger, Mobile Communications, msn, network, nomadcom.net, password, phone, problems, release, sco, services, share, sharing, swiss, swisscom, switzerland, Telecommunications, twit, Twitter, user, vista, whisher, wifi, windows, wireless, wp, www, XP, yahoo

At least one third of the population in developing countries has no access to safe drinking water. The lack of adequate water supply and sanitation facilities causes a serious health hazard and exposes many to the risk of water-borne diseases, This situation led to about 4 billion cases of diarrhoea each year, out of which 2.5 million cases end in death. Every day about 6000 children die of dehydration due to diarrhoea.

INDEX 2007 Award winner Solar Bottle created by italian designers Alberto Medo and Francisco Gomez Paz uses the SODIS (Solar Water Disinfection ) process, developed by the Department of Water and Sanitation at the Swiss Federal Institute for Aquatic Science and Research. SODIS principle works with the sun to allow UV-A radiation and increased temperature to destroy pathogenic microorganisms in drinking water.The Solar Bottle is made of slim PET, contains 4 liters of water and can be arranged back-to-back for carry. The handle allows balanced transport and is used as stand to provide optimal solar incidence.

Indeed, a less fashionable version of SODIS process using simple ordinary plastic bottles works well too but they are more difficult to carry and the surface exposed to sun radiations is lots smaller.

More about the Solar Bottle on InHabitat
More about SODIS on Eawag.

Sources: Inhabitat & Index

Tags: 2007, access, arc, art, award, awards, blog, ces, design, disinfection, drinking water, health, ia, im, ITU, King, lan, LED, nomadcom.net, pet, population, risk, safe, science, sco, search, simple, sms, sodis, solar bottle, space, sun, supply, swiss, water, wp, www, XP

I just discovered on technogad the creation of South-Korean young designer JooYoun Paek: The Pillowig, a so called "portable sculpture" made in 2004…

…but Pillowig has a sense of "deja vu"…

27th of May 1931, swiss physicist, aeronaut, balloonist, hydronaut August Piccard and his assistant Paul Kipfer on board of an atmospheric pressurized balloon took off and reached a record altitude of 15,785 m (51,775 ft).

In order to protect their heads from a potential harsh landing they were wearing an earlier version of the Pillowig

Gentlemen, Chapeau !

Sources : Wikipedia, Technogad, Swissinfo.

Tags: 2007, 24, art, blog, card, ces, Coup de Coeur, design, flight, Fun, ia, im, ITU, jooyounpeak, lan, landing, LED, light, nomadcom.net, piccard, pillowig, portable, press, sco, space, swiss, Travel, USA, usage, wordpress, wp, www

I found an interesting review made by ExtremeTech about some of currently available multi-services Instant Messenger (IM) clients supporting at least all 3 majors IM services (MSN, Yahoo, ICQ). While the option for Mac users is limited to Adium, it exists few Web 2.0 based solutions such meebo and eBuddy and a bunch of classic software for Windows-based computer. Etremetech's prefered choice is the long existing Trillian Pro version (25 USD) but they also speak about PC-World prefered SightSpeed (also for MacOS) and the Swiss Army knife-like Raketu (I plan to test both of them in the coming days).

The list will grow up again with soon release of Orgoo, which aims to integrate email, IM, chat, SMS, and video messaging into one interface.

To sum up the six services in this review roundup, here's a table comparing their features:

	Adium	eBuddy	Meebo	Meetro	Pidgin	Trillian
Services supported:
AIM	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
MSN/Windows	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Yahoo	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
ICQ	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
IRC	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
Jabber/Google	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes**
Bonjour/Rendezvous	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes**
Multiple simultaneous service login	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Ad free	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Tabbed message window	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes
Contacts in groups	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Message history	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Text formatting	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Themes/skins	Yes	No	Just colors	No	No	Yes
Group chat support	Only join existing	Yes	Yes	No	Only join existing	Yes
Buddy icons	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
Audio chat	No	No	No	No	No	Yes**
Video chat	No	No	No	No	No	Yes**
Mac/Windows	Yes/No	Yes/Yes	Yes/Yes	Yes/Yes	Yes*/No	No/Yes
Web-based	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No
Plugins	No	No	No	Yes, but only 2 available	Yes	Yes

Source : ExtremeTech 

 

Tags: 2007, 24, adium, aim, art, ATT, blog, ces, computer, ebuddy, fon, free, gaim, google, History, ia, icq, im, instant messenger, Internet World, lan, list, login, meebo, meetro, messenger, MIT, mobile, Mobile Communications, msn, nomadcom.net, orgoo, pet, pidgin, plugin, raketu, release, review, services, sightspeed, sms, story, swiss, theme, trillian, user, video, web, web 2.0, windows, world, wp, www, yahoo

In Geneva, Switzerland, there are several projects more or less on tracks with a unique goal…providing Wireless Internet Access city-wide:

• Pour une capitale des télécommunications à la pointe du sans-fil . Under discussion at the City Council. Answer expected during Summer 07.

• Swisswifi is awaiting a political green light to go ahead with a commercial version providing access to up to 90% of the canton's population by installing 3500 antennas on public transports & traffic lights infrastructures.
• L'Esprit de Genève an association created on July 1, 2004 has for objective to give a new image and redynamise the relationship between Geneva and its citizens, which has already mapped Geneva's Wifi Free Access points has launched a project named GEspot that develops a free communication infrastructure in order to offer to Geneva's citizens and visitors free wireless access to the Internet.

  Unlike FON (a semi-open internet community), access to GESpots' wireless access points is totally free. Owners of GESpot access points can turn them on/off as they wish (keeping access point ON 24/24h is a mandatory requirement with FON).On their side, GEspot sells ready to connect Wifi Terminals (Linksys WRT54GL at 105.- USD) and ensures the automatic referencing of all the terminals in free access. Visitors using the WiFi access will find this facility as soon as they are connected to www.gespot.ch

If none of these projects work, the historical telecom operator, Swisscom, still proposes Internet access through its WLAN Hotspots (check prices first !) and of course its GPRS/EDGE/UMTS/HSDPA network (check prices first). 

As I'm not anymore a resident, but a Geneva's visitor, I hope to see such projects to become reality soon.   

 

Sources : Largeur.com &  Dubuc's blog

 

Tags: 2007, 24, 24H, access, antenna, api, arc, art, blog, capital, ces, citizen, communication, community, CTU, esprit de geneve, find, fon, fonera, free, geneva, geneve, gespot, green, HP, ia, im, install, internet, internet access, lan, launch, light, map, MIT, mobile, Mobile Communications, network, nomadcom.net, On The Road, population, project, public, sco, space, swiss, swisscom, swisswifi, switzerland, telecom, term, traffic, wifi, wireless, wlan, wp, www, XP

A Swiss man, was convicted on 29th of March for 10 years in Prison on charge of insulting His Majesty the King by vandalizing His portraits during a drunken spree. 

Pleading guilty to five counts of lese majeste — the crime of offending the dignity of a sovereign — for defacing several portraits of His Majesty with spray paint in the northern city of Chiang Mai, the court has reduced his sentence to 10 years.

He could have faced up to 75 years in prison as Lese Majeste is a serious crime in Thailand.

On Thursday 24th of April, the prosecutor announced that His Majesty the King Bhumibol Adulyadej has pardoned the Swiss man. As a result, he will be deported from Thailand after his release.

A good news for this 57 year old guy and a good gesture which will hopefully be followed by others, as the actual political turmoil has seriously damaged the international image of the Kingdom.

Happy Sonkran ! 

Sources: The Nation and BBC

 

Tags: 2007, 24, arc, asia, Bangkok, BBC, Bhumibol Adulyadej, blog, ces, convicted, crime, CTU, HP, ia, ict, im, International, iso, King, lan, lese majeste, new year, nomadcom.net, pardon, release, safe, Sonkran, space, swiss, Thailand, uk, wp, www

In a country where discussions about how to cope with 4 differents national languages are on weekly agenda at the parliament, Swissinfo found a way to avoid such dilemma in a series of 15 seconds funny ads currently broadcasted on TV5 channel.   

p.s this post is the 1st one with embedded video on this site. Thanks to Viper007bond and their great plugin.

Tags: advertising, Coup de Coeur, Fun, how to, ia, Internet World, lan, language, Our World, plugin, post, press, swiss, video, wordpress, www, youtube