tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73209622865455985952024-02-20T01:33:46.727+01:00Pete's CornerMy little corner of the web about non-fiction books, lifehacking, innovation, open source and other topics I'm interested in.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger75125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320962286545598595.post-37460527038870596072020-10-22T22:13:00.000+02:002020-10-22T22:13:22.471+02:00How data will transform business (video)<div style="text-align: justify;">
Earlier, I <a href="http://www.peterrobbemond.com/2015/11/what-happens-inside-those-massive.html">wrote about warehouses</a>. Today, I'll show you a <a href="http://www.ted.com/" target="_blank">TED Talk</a> in which Philip Evans of BCG talks about data in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supply_chain">supply chains</a>.</div>
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Enjoy!</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" mozallowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" src="https://embed-ssl.ted.com/talks/philip_evans_how_data_will_transform_business.html" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="480"></iframe>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">This post was published on https://www.peterrobbemond.com.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320962286545598595.post-75823837191977365932015-11-18T20:30:00.000+01:002015-11-18T20:30:12.597+01:00What happens inside those massive warehouses? (video)<div style="text-align: justify;">
It's a long time since I posted here. Well, I've been busy. Who isn't these days? ;-) Among other things, I've been <a href="http://www.ncoi.nl/" target="_blank">teaching and developing a course</a> in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logistics" target="_blank">Logistics</a>. So, why not cover some topics on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supply_chain_management" target="_blank">Supply Chain Management</a> on this blog?</div>
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Are you shopping on the web? Do you know, how these purchases are delivered at home? If not, watch this <a href="https://www.ted.com/talks/mick_mountz_the_hidden_world_of_box_packing" target="_blank">TED Talk</a> of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mick_Mountz" target="_blank">Mick Mountz</a> of a company called Kiva which is now part of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/" target="_blank">Amazon</a>.</div>
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Enjoy!</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" mozallowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" src="https://embed-ssl.ted.com/talks/mick_mountz_the_hidden_world_of_box_packing.html" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="480"></iframe><div class="blogger-post-footer">This post was published on https://www.peterrobbemond.com.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320962286545598595.post-38309237967811630662015-01-13T11:23:00.001+01:002015-01-13T11:23:20.785+01:00Week numbering<div style="text-align: justify;">
I hope all of you have had a wonderfull start in 2015! As a new year has begun, people ask about week numbers. As I <a href="http://www.peterrobbemond.com/2014/01/week-numbering.html">wrote a year ago</a>, there are several numberings. In the Netherlands - where I live - Week 1
is the first week with at least four days in the new year.</div>
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Good luck!<br />
<div class="blogger-post-footer">This post was published on https://www.peterrobbemond.com.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320962286545598595.post-49087732803494528682014-12-24T12:00:00.002+01:002014-12-24T12:00:53.504+01:00Merry Christmas!I wish all of you a Merry Christmas and a happy new year!<div class="blogger-post-footer">This post was published on https://www.peterrobbemond.com.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320962286545598595.post-35767464682568208102014-12-17T19:58:00.001+01:002014-12-17T20:13:58.609+01:00Remote (book review)<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0804137501/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0804137501&linkCode=as2&tag=petscor-20&linkId=LUDS23CHGEALGZSQ" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0804137501&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=petscor-20" title="Remote - cover" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0804137501/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0804137501&linkCode=as2&tag=petscor-20&linkId=YB5FUNB7WSIFAI6F" target="_blank">Remote: Office Not Required</a>
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Jason Fried & David Heinemeier Hansson</div>
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37 Signals, 2013</div>
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After writing <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0578012812/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0578012812&linkCode=as2&tag=petscor-20&linkId=CJ4HM7MF7PX4QBBV" target="_blank">Getting Real</a></i> and <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0307463745/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0307463745&linkCode=as2&tag=petscor-20&linkId=ZQQ2PFALGLIJ3AWR" target="_blank">Rework</a></i> (see <a href="http://www.peterrobbemond.com/2013/07/rework-manifesto.html">my blogpost</a>), Jason Fried and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Heinemeier_Hansson" target="_blank">David Heinemeier Hansson</a> wrote <i>Remote</i>. This book is all about working <i>(ta-da)</i> remote. A topic they know all about as they founded <i><a href="https://basecamp.com/" target="_blank">Basecamp</a></i> (formerly known as <i>37 Signals</i>) while living and working in respectively the US and Danmark. Nowadays their employees work at different locations all around the globe.</div>
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First of all, the authors explain <i>why</i> one should work remotely. At the office people get distracted by their managers and meetings. The <i>M&M's</i> as they call it. Also commuting takes lots of valuable time. However there's a lof of resistance. Many people, especially managers, oppose to telecommuting as they fear to lose control.</div>
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In the following chapters Fried and Heinemeier Hansson explain <i>how</i> to organise the work, the cooperation and the social aspects. They emphasize the importance of human interaction. Therefore they synchronise at least some working hours. People should interact directly even if they use technology like (video) chat. Another important aspect is the provision of services to customers, software support in their case. At last, the book contains some useful resources and tools.</div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0804137501/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0804137501&linkCode=as2&tag=petscor-20&linkId=YB5FUNB7WSIFAI6F" target="_blank"><i>Remote</i></a> is well written. It's not a novel but it contains tons of useful information about the modern workplace. It's interesting both for companies and employees. It's clearly structured and provides practical advice. Both for dealing with resistance and how to effectively organise the work. </div>
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Do you work remote?</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">This post was published on https://www.peterrobbemond.com.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320962286545598595.post-84194448877311441582014-11-19T17:54:00.000+01:002014-11-19T17:54:15.418+01:00Repair Café<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-pcEY1pRQUKb4fP_0LXo3S3lD2wanNX1Hzup_b7s6PAdqQAWun0BjF0Z7kF-xfmTty6wa1RdxY3gdxXnJdLL5BQH4cslWbwZbbtGQ972LRpa0kOoa_ohAROvNgDcVeEDeC9cM_ufILgo6/s1600/FotologoRepairCafe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-pcEY1pRQUKb4fP_0LXo3S3lD2wanNX1Hzup_b7s6PAdqQAWun0BjF0Z7kF-xfmTty6wa1RdxY3gdxXnJdLL5BQH4cslWbwZbbtGQ972LRpa0kOoa_ohAROvNgDcVeEDeC9cM_ufILgo6/s1600/FotologoRepairCafe.jpg" height="200" title="Repair Café - logo" width="192" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picture: <a href="http://www.viva-rheden.nl/" target="_blank">Viva Rheden</a></td></tr>
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A <i>Café what?</i> A <a href="http://repaircafe.org/" target="_blank">Repair Café</a>!</div>
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In the West we throw away lots of things. But why dump stuff that can be repaired easily? When goods get a second live, no new articles need to be created. Therefore, no raw materials are needed and less energy will be consumed. Very sustainable!</div>
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<i>Repair Café's</i> are local places or meetings where visitor's bring their broken items from home. This can be clothes, furniture, electrical appliances, bicycles, crockery, appliances, toys, etc. Together with some specialists, they repair these goods. Tools and (some) materials are in stock.</div>
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Visitor's may also drink a cup of coffee or even tea. There's a also reading table with books about DIY, maintenance and repairs.</div>
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The first Repair Café was organised in the Dutch capital, Amsterdam during 2009. A year later the international Repair Café Foundation was set up.</div>
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In the place where I live (nearby), the Repair Café is located alongside the <a href="http://www.fabfoundation.org/fab-labs/what-is-a-fab-lab" target="_blank">Fab Lab</a> about which I <a href="http://www.peterrobbemond.com/2014/10/unleash-your-creativity-in-fab-lab-video.html">wrote earlier</a>.</div>
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Good luck with your repairs!</div>
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">This post was published on https://www.peterrobbemond.com.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320962286545598595.post-92018825871687717172014-11-19T16:53:00.002+01:002014-11-19T17:56:23.021+01:00Links Page updatedToday I updated my <a href="http://www.peterrobbemond.com/p/links.html">Links page</a>. You're welcome to visit. Suggestions? Please drop me a line.<br />
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Enjoy!<div class="blogger-post-footer">This post was published on https://www.peterrobbemond.com.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320962286545598595.post-80368804362760750492014-11-11T21:18:00.001+01:002014-11-11T21:18:19.279+01:003D Printing (video)<div style="text-align: justify;">
In my 'series' about the Maker movement, I wrote about <a href="http://www.peterrobbemond.com/2014/10/makers.html">the new makers</a> and <a href="http://www.peterrobbemond.com/2014/10/unleash-your-creativity-in-fab-lab-video.html">Fab Labs</a>. I also mentioned <a href="http://www.peterrobbemond.com/2014/11/maker-movement-resources.html">some resources</a>. At the moment I'm reviewing<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0307720969/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0307720969&linkCode=as2&tag=petscor-20&linkId=MAVTDX6Q2G4KFEZJ" target="_blank"> Makers</a> by Chris Anderson. As this article isn't ready yet, I post a quick but interesting video by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpH3Eia7Qsncq-qmhltZ6uQ" target="_blank">PBS Off Book</a>.</div>
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Enjoy! <br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/X5AZzOw7FwA" width="480"></iframe>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">This post was published on https://www.peterrobbemond.com.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320962286545598595.post-26255054466166831102014-11-05T21:19:00.002+01:002014-11-05T21:20:01.784+01:00Maker movement (resources)<div style="text-align: justify;">
In my series about Makers, I wrote about <a href="http://www.peterrobbemond.com/2014/10/makers.html">the new makers</a> and <a href="http://www.peterrobbemond.com/2014/10/unleash-your-creativity-in-fab-lab-video.html">Fab Labs</a>. For those interested, I gathered some links for further reading. Do you know other useful resources? Please mention them in the comments or drop me a line.<br />
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Enjoy!<br />
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<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3D_printing" target="_blank">3D Printing</a> refers to any of the various processes for printing a three-dimensional object.</div>
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<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer-aided_design" target="_blank">CAD</a> is the use of computer systems to assist in the creation, modification, analysis, or optimization of a design.</div>
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<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer-aided_manufacturing" target="_blank">CAM</a> is the use of computer software to control machine tools and related machinery in the manufacturing of workpieces.</div>
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<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Numerical_control" target="_blank">CNC Machines</a>. Numerical control (NC) is the automation of machine tools that are operated by precisely programmed commands encoded on a storage medium, as opposed to controlled manually via hand wheels or levers, or mechanically automated via cams alone.</div>
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<a href="http://cba.mit.edu/" target="_blank">MIT's Center for Bits and Atoms</a> is an interdisciplinary initiative
exploring the boundary between computer science and physical science.</div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0465027466/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0465027466&linkCode=as2&tag=petscor-20&linkId=T5XQYWMAWGRP3LW2" target="_blank">Fab: The Coming Revolution on Your Desktop--from Personal Computers to Personal Fabrication</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.fabfoundation.org/fab-labs/what-is-a-fab-lab/" target="_blank">Fab Lab </a>is a technical prototyping platform for innovation and
invention, providing stimulus for local entrepreneurship. A Fab Lab is
also a platform for learning and innovation: a place to play, to create,
to learn, to mentor, to invent. </div>
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<a href="http://www.instructables.com/" target="_blank">Instructables</a> is a place that lets you explore, document, and share your creations.</div>
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<a href="https://localmotors.com/" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="https://localmotors.com/" target="_blank">Local Motors</a>. We combine co-creation and micro-manufacturing to bring hardware innovations to market at unprecedented speed.</div>
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<a href="http://makezine.com/" target="_blank"></a><br /></div>
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<a href="http://makezine.com/" target="_blank">MAKE magazine</a> brings the do-it-yourself mindset to all the exciting projects in your
life and helps you make the most of technology at home and away from
home.<br />
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<a href="http://www.makerfaire.com/" style="font-size: 16px;" target="_blank">Maker Faire</a><span style="font-size: 16px;"> is a family friendly event celebrating technology, education, science, arts, crafts, engineering, food, sustainability, and more. </span></div>
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<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maker_movement" target="_blank">Maker Movement</a>. Community enabled by a rekindled interest in manufacturing and hardware, accompanied by the
proliferation of inexpensive or less expensive distributed,
democratizing manufacturing tools.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0071821120/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0071821120&linkCode=as2&tag=petscor-20&linkId=VY3TESL2FCW3UJWQ" target="_blank">The Maker Movement Manifesto: Rules for Innovation in the New World of Crafters, Hackers, and Tinkerers</a>
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<a href="http://makerstuff.net/" target="_blank">Maker Stuff</a> supplies the most innovative equipments which turn your ideas into your product. <br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0307720969/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0307720969&linkCode=as2&tag=petscor-20&linkId=MAVTDX6Q2G4KFEZJ" target="_blank">Makers: The New Industrial Revolution</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.popularmechanics.com/how-to" target="_blank">Popular Mechanics</a> helps people build, fix and customize the technology
in their lives, from houses to hot rods to gaming systems.<br />
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<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prosumer" target="_blank">Prosumer</a> is a portmanteau originally formed by contracting producer with the word consumer.<br />
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<span style="font-size: 16px;"><a href="http://www.thingiverse.com/" target="_blank">Thingiverse</a> is a thriving design community for discovering,
making, and sharing 3D printable things. As the world's largest 3D
printing community, we believe that everyone should be encouraged to
create and remix 3D things, no matter their technical expertise or
previous experience.</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1137278463/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1137278463&linkCode=as2&tag=petscor-20&linkId=MR3BAUWCPZP4WVMW" target="_blank">The Zero Marginal Cost Society: The Internet of Things, the Collaborative Commons, and the Eclipse of Capitalism</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1449356435/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1449356435&linkCode=as2&tag=petscor-20&linkId=SAKGAGDDYAZFVZNG" target="_blank">Zero to Maker: Learn (Just Enough) to Make (Just About) Anything</a><br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">This post was published on https://www.peterrobbemond.com.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320962286545598595.post-26193855936858415002014-10-29T20:32:00.001+01:002014-10-29T20:45:31.471+01:00Unleash your creativity in a Fab Lab (video)<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0465027466/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0465027466&linkCode=as2&tag=petscor-20&linkId=M5AZEGPEZDTU7OZ6" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0465027466&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=petscor-20" title="Fab - cover" /></a>
Last week, I wrote <a href="http://www.peterrobbemond.com/2014/10/makers.html"><i>about the new makers</i></a>. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_Gershenfeld" target="_blank">Neil Gerschenfeld</a> was one of the people in the documentary.</div>
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This professor of the <a href="http://cba.mit.edu/" target="_blank"><i>MIT Center for bits and atoms</i></a> founded the <i>Fab Labs</i>. According to <a href="http://www.fabfoundation.org/fab-labs/what-is-a-fab-lab/" target="_blank">its website</a> a...</div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"Fab Lab is the educational outreach component of MIT’s Center for Bits
and Atoms (CBA), an extension of its research into digital fabrication
and computation.</i><br />
<i>A Fab Lab is a technical prototyping platform for
innovation and invention, providing stimulus for local entrepreneurship.</i><br />
<i>A Fab Lab is also a platform for learning and innovation: a place to
play, to create, to learn, to mentor, to invent.</i><br />
<i>To be a Fab Lab means
connecting to a global community of learners, educators, technologists,
researchers, makers and innovators- -a knowledge sharing network that
spans 30 countries and 24 time zones.</i><br />
<i>Because all Fab Labs share common
tools and processes, the program is building a global network, a
distributed laboratory for research and invention."</i></blockquote>
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To spread his ideas, he wrote <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0465027466/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0465027466&linkCode=as2&tag=petscor-20&linkId=TEXMHESCK3SCE3EL" target="_blank">Fab: The Coming Revolution on Your Desktop--from Personal Computers to Personal Fabrication</a></i> and held an interesting <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/neil_gershenfeld_on_fab_labs" target="_blank">TED Talk</a>. Altough it was recorded in 2006, it's still fascinating.</div>
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Enjoy!</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" mozallowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" src="https://embed-ssl.ted.com/talks/neil_gershenfeld_on_fab_labs.html" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="480"></iframe><br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">This post was published on https://www.peterrobbemond.com.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320962286545598595.post-78731437084760222362014-10-22T11:50:00.001+02:002014-10-29T20:45:23.838+01:00The new makers<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAZW92uFu_7rOxjKZ0ELGLl4wUWMyruxgbxS8_0plMiTsqEaN5nIo9mTdGFcnE7753gIcVq5de0Nf3LdVJmVb-ODsR2ylPh9h8gMnrIuFMeaik19vUOgi5sEYqnFg1b_ywhxtQUvMfBFOj/s1600/permanent-beta-logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAZW92uFu_7rOxjKZ0ELGLl4wUWMyruxgbxS8_0plMiTsqEaN5nIo9mTdGFcnE7753gIcVq5de0Nf3LdVJmVb-ODsR2ylPh9h8gMnrIuFMeaik19vUOgi5sEYqnFg1b_ywhxtQUvMfBFOj/s1600/permanent-beta-logo.png" height="66" title="Permanent Beta - logo" width="200" /></a>It's been silent on my blog. For too long in fact. But hey, I've also other things to do! Now summer is over - at least here - I'm able to write again. Today, about the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maker_movement" target="_blank"><i>Maker Movement</i></a>.<br />
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As I <a href="http://www.peterrobbemond.com/2013/07/live-life-in-permanent-beta-video.html">told earlier</a>, we've a nice initiative in The Netherlands which is called <a href="http://www.permanentbeta.nl/" target="_blank">Permanent Beta</a> (as the site is in Dutch, you may <a href="http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.permanentbeta.nl%2F&hl=en&langpair=auto|en&tbb=1&ie=UTF-8" target="_blank">translate</a> it). The initiators may be inspired by the authors of <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0307888908/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0307888908&linkCode=as2&tag=petscor-20&linkId=5WB53RXR3NGLJXUK">The Start-up of You</a></i> who encourage us - surprise, surprise - to live in <i>permanent beta</i>.</div>
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Among other activities, we follow a <a href="http://www.permanentbeta.nl/" target="_blank">Dutch series of documentaries <i>('Tegenlicht')</i></a> and discuss them during our <a href="http://www.meetup.com/PermanentBeta" target="_blank">MeetUPs</a>. A few weeks ago, we started with <i>The new makers</i>.</div>
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After a short welcome, we watched the <a href="http://tegenlicht.vpro.nl/afleveringen/2014-2015/de-nieuwe-makers.html" target="_blank">documentary</a>. Among others <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_Gershenfeld" target="_blank">prof. Neil Gerschenfeld</a> of the <a href="http://cba.mit.edu/" target="_blank"><i>MIT Center for bits and atoms</i></a> told about his <a href="http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/media-arts-and-sciences/mas-863-how-to-make-almost-anything-fall-2002" target="_blank">experiences at university</a>. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremy_Rifkin" target="_blank">Jeremy Rifkin</a>, consultant and author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1137278463/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1137278463&linkCode=as2&tag=petscor-20&linkId=A2EFU2CFJZ7V626N"><i>The Zero Marginal Cost Society</i></a>, gave his opinion on the development of producing at near zero marginal costs.</div>
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Afterwards, three people gave their opinion about the growth of the maker movement. We had good discussions, told each other about new developments and socialized.</div>
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Well, that's a brief summary, isn't it? For those interested, pictures, reports and even videos (in Dutch) of the event can be found on <a href="http://www.permanentbeta.nl/verslag-van-tegenlicht-meetup-de-nieuwe-makers" target="_blank">Permanent Beta</a> and <a href="http://www.meetup.com/PermanentBeta/events/205101282/?a=gs1.1_l" target="_blank">MeetUP</a>.</div>
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I got interested in the topic. I think I'll start reading <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0307720969/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0307720969&linkCode=as2&tag=petscor-20&linkId=2RNJIUVBQDMGTWSB"><i>Makers</i></a> and/or <a href="https://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0465027466/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0465027466&linkCode=as2&tag=petscor-20&linkId=LEFKF6KIT32KA7HX%22%3EFab%3C/a%3E" target="_blank"><i>Fab</i></a>. Next week more about <a href="http://www.peterrobbemond.com/2014/10/unleash-your-creativity-in-fab-lab-video.html"><i>Fab Labs</i></a>. Are you already a <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prosumer" target="_blank">prosumer</a>?</i> Do you use a <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3D_printing" target="_blank">3D printer</a></i> for example?</div>
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Enjoy!</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">This post was published on https://www.peterrobbemond.com.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320962286545598595.post-42182742996093230582014-07-16T06:00:00.000+02:002014-09-02T11:30:35.284+02:00The sleepwalkers (book review)<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061146668/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0061146668&linkCode=as2&tag=petscor-20&linkId=JYMI64SGGTHZ62J5" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0061146668&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=petscor-20" title="The Sleepwalkers - cover" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061146668/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0061146668&linkCode=as2&tag=petscor-20&linkId=JYMI64SGGTHZ62J5" target="_blank">The Sleepwalkers: How Europe Went to War in 1914</a><br />
Christopher Clark<br />
HarperCollins, 2014<br />
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A century ago <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gavrilo_Princip" target="_blank">Gavrilo Princip</a> assassinated <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archduke_Franz_Ferdinand" target="_blank">Archduke Franz Ferdinand</a> of Austia and his wife during a visit of Sarajevo. A few weeks later <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_war" target="_blank">war</a> broke out. Earlier I wrote about <a href="http://www.peterrobbemond.com/2014/02/1913-book-review.html" target="_blank">the year 1913</a> and the <a href="http://www.peterrobbemond.com/2014/04/the-first-world-war-book-review.html" target="_blank">First World War</a>. Today, I'll review <i>The Sleepwalkers</i> by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_clark" target="_blank">Christopher Clark</a>.</div>
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In this book, Clark outlines the prelude of the Great War. He describes the situation in the European states, their mutual relations and their interests both in- and outside Europe.</div>
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First of all Serbia which was an agrarian country. In this kingdom, the government was interwoven with some nationalistic organisations. The level of education was relatively low.</div>
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Its neighbour, the dual monarchy Austria-Hungary had another structure. It had one <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_Joseph_I_of_Austria" target="_blank">Emperor (Franz Joseph)</a> but two parliaments. The Austrians runned a flourishing civilized country. They were tolerant towards minorities. They created and maintained a good infrastructure and developed acquired parts of the empire like Bosnia-Herzegovina. Rural Hungary's parliament however neglected their minorities.</div>
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Germany was headed by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaiser_Wilhelm_II" target="_blank">Emperor Wilhelm II ("Willy")</a> who was also King of Prussia. An unpredictable aristocrat who lost influence during the war. Prussia had a strong military tradition and Germany was developing steadily.</div>
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Russia was led by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Czar_Nicholas_II" target="_blank">Tsar Nicholas II ("Nicky")</a>. This agrarian country was recovering of the lost <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russo-Japanese_War" target="_blank">war against Japan</a>. The government was seeking access to the warm water of the Mediterranen Sea. Note the family relations of the Heads of State of the United Kingdom, Germany and Russia.</div>
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Great Britain was in anti-German mood. It experiended troubles in Ulster. The author describes the balances of power in not only the British but also in the French and other governments. The French were struggling with the UK for influence in Egypt and with Germany about Marocco.</div>
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Each of the European Powers and Turkey had their interests in the Balcan peninsula. A mix of etnic, economic and religious issues. In each of the countries there were discussions between the civil and military authorities as well as about the military budgets. Nevertheless an arms race developed. Furthermore there were tensions between the press and the governments. The continent was divided in two alliances: Austia-Hungary, Germany and Italy versus Russia, France and the UK.</div>
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After the assissination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, a crisis originated. Austria-Hungary would punish the Serbians. Tensions increased as all of the states had their interests and allies. Due to a mix of masculinity and bungling of governments and diplomats, war broke out. We all know the results.</div>
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Clark describes the main characters, their in- and external relations and the affairs happened. Thereby he raises understanding of the affairs during the summer of 1914. I found <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061146668/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0061146668&linkCode=as2&tag=petscor-20&linkId=JYMI64SGGTHZ62J5" target="_blank">The Sleepwalkers</a> quite interesting to read. However, it is a huge book and there are many details in it. No easy stuff but very interesting.</div>
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Keep on reading!<br />
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">This post was published on https://www.peterrobbemond.com.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320962286545598595.post-76532560272630573812014-06-25T20:40:00.001+02:002014-12-17T20:02:57.621+01:00Why work doesn't happen at work (video)<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0804137501/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0804137501&linkCode=as2&tag=petscor-20&linkId=LUDS23CHGEALGZSQ" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0804137501&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=petscor-20" title="Remote - cover" /></a>
Software entrepreneur Jason Fried spoke at a <a href="http://www.ted.com/" target="_blank">TED</a> about his views on work. He's the author of several books, like <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0307463745/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0307463745&linkCode=as2&tag=petscor-20&linkId=IX46LWHRQCQPQGVL" target="_blank">Rework</a></i> (which I <a href="http://www.peterrobbemond.com/2013/07/rework-manifesto.html">covered earlier</a>) and <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0804137501/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0804137501&linkCode=as2&tag=petscor-20&linkId=UFRWXRCMYNBO5VHU" target="_blank">Remote</a></i> (which I <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Heinemeier_Hansson">reviewed</a>). Just like the latest mentioned, his <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/jason_fried_why_work_doesn_t_happen_at_work" target="_blank">TED Talk</a> is about the necessity of offices. Grab some M&M's ;-) and enjoy!</div>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" mozallowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" src="http://embed.ted.com/talks/jason_fried_why_work_doesn_t_happen_at_work.html" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="480"></iframe>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">This post was published on https://www.peterrobbemond.com.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320962286545598595.post-13041390785753571462014-06-11T14:04:00.000+02:002014-06-11T14:04:27.979+02:00Open Library<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIwk2kDGsf0eKFSpn67rB1K_yzQU9rscz2gXjVwoncwxDoz3l8zDfDqy90ucj8cFhXy-IXiVOEtbVBDigZXcNsPgxpQltAyRwKUJzJPYe5MbUR8PIaSqUoxYHcqJzvH-SrWD8QApnBR3KE/s1600/logo_OL-lg.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIwk2kDGsf0eKFSpn67rB1K_yzQU9rscz2gXjVwoncwxDoz3l8zDfDqy90ucj8cFhXy-IXiVOEtbVBDigZXcNsPgxpQltAyRwKUJzJPYe5MbUR8PIaSqUoxYHcqJzvH-SrWD8QApnBR3KE/s1600/logo_OL-lg.png" height="127" width="200" /></a></div>
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Today we'll talk about the <a href="https://openlibrary.org/" target="_blank">Open Library</a>. In fact. <i>I</i> will <i>write</i> and <i>you</i> may <i>read</i> it. ;-)</div>
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This library is an initiative of the <a href="https://archive.org/" target="_blank">Internet Archive</a>. Its aim is to create a (web) page for every book which is quite ambitious. By creating such a huge database readers and book lovers are able to retrieve information about many published works.</div>
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But that's not all. It's also possible to read books as long as they are digitized. Registered users are allowed to read <i><a href="https://openlibrary.org/read" target="_blank">classics</a></i> online or even download them. These are books published till 1922. They are avalaible in several formats like <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Text_file" target="_blank">TXT</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pdf" target="_blank">PDF</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EPUB" target="_blank">EPUB</a>. At the moment of writing, over 1.000.000 titles are available for free.</div>
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<i><a href="https://openlibrary.org/borrow" target="_blank">Modern books</a></i> are published as of 1923 and can be borrowed. Borrowed? Yes, registered users can check a book out for up to fourteen days. During that period, the lender is able to read it on- or offline. For the latter <a href="https://www.adobe.com/products/digital-editions.html" target="_blank">Adobe Digital Editions</a> software is necessary. These are available for Windows and Mac; unfortunately there's still no <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux" target="_blank">Linux</a> version. Users may loan up to five books a time all for free!</div>
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Are you already a member of the Open Library?</div>
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Keep on reading!<div class="blogger-post-footer">This post was published on https://www.peterrobbemond.com.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320962286545598595.post-41220690549548983072014-06-04T19:25:00.002+02:002014-06-04T20:03:17.723+02:00Technology's long tail (video)<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1401309666/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1401309666&linkCode=as2&tag=petscor-20&linkId=72NBHPRYKPIGAPLC" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1401309666&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=petscor-20" title="The long tail - cover" /></a>
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In an <a href="http://www.peterrobbemond.com/2013/07/the-long-tail-manifesto.html">earlier blogpost, I mentioned <i>The Long Tail</i></a> by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Anderson_%28writer%29" target="_blank">Chris Anderson</a>. In short, the author shows us what happens when supply becomes eternal. Just as happened with electronic goods like music, movies and books. Instead of one market for millions, there are millions of niche markets.</div>
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Anderson also <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/chris_anderson_of_wired_on_tech_s_long_tail" target="_blank">declared his idea's at a TED Conference</a>; see below.</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" mozallowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" src="http://embed.ted.com/talks/chris_anderson_of_wired_on_tech_s_long_tail.html" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="480"></iframe><br />
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Enjoy!<div class="blogger-post-footer">This post was published on https://www.peterrobbemond.com.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320962286545598595.post-56316176277649577862014-05-20T12:00:00.003+02:002014-09-02T11:32:26.959+02:00Where good idea's come from (video)<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1594485380/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1594485380&linkCode=as2&tag=petscor-20&linkId=XDQAXIGJKQMRMDTX" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1594485380&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=petscor-20" title="Where good ideas come from - cover" /></a>
During holiday, I read <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1594485380/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1594485380&linkCode=as2&tag=petscor-20&linkId=XDQAXIGJKQMRMDTX" target="_blank">Where Good Ideas Come From</a>
</i> by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_Johnson_%28author%29" target="_blank">Steven Johnson</a>. Reading this book, I became more and more intrigued by the work of many inventors.
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The author spoke at <a href="http://www.ted.com/" target="_blank">TED</a> about the history of innovation. A talk I like to share with you.</div>
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So, grab a cup of coffee and enjoy!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" mozallowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" src="http://embed.ted.com/talks/steven_johnson_where_good_ideas_come_from.html" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="480"></iframe><div class="blogger-post-footer">This post was published on https://www.peterrobbemond.com.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320962286545598595.post-46428212667724406672014-05-14T09:01:00.000+02:002014-09-02T11:32:55.024+02:00Critical chain (book review)<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0884271536/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0884271536&linkCode=as2&tag=petscor-20&linkId=S2WIWV2CBGTQYJGS" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0884271536&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=petscor-20" title="Critical chain - cover" /></a>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0884271536/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0884271536&linkCode=as2&tag=petscor-20&linkId=S2WIWV2CBGTQYJGS" target="_blank">Critical Chain</a>
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Eliyahu M. Goldratt<br />
The North River Press, 1997<br />
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My <a href="http://www.peterrobbemond.com/2013/03/book-review-goal-by-goldratt.html">first book review was about <i>The Goal</i></a> by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eliyahu_M._Goldratt" target="_blank">Eliyahu Goldratt</a>. This book is all about the<i> <a href="http://www.peterrobbemond.com/2013/03/book-review-goal-by-goldratt.html" target="_blank">Theory ot Constraints</a> (TOC)</i>. Today, I'll review <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0884271536/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0884271536&linkCode=as2&tag=petscor-20&linkId=S2WIWV2CBGTQYJGS" target="_blank">Critical Chain</a></i> in which Goldratt applies his <i>TOC</i> to project management.</div>
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The book is no dull business book. The author chose to explain his idea's in a novel. It's about an associated professor teaching on a business school. Along with a class of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mba" target="_blank">MBA</a> students, he - like <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socrates" target="_blank">Socrates</a> did in the early days - seeks for answers to problems occuring during projects.</div>
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They all experienced projects running late and/or finishing at additional costs. Sounds familiar, doesn't it? Together, they examine causes. They find out, it's about the way of planning, the <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Student_syndrome" target="_blank">student syndrome</a></i>, <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkinson%27s_law" target="_blank">Parkinson's law</a></i>, window dressing and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_multitasking" target="_blank">multitasking</a>.</div>
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In stead of planning a buffer at each activity, Goldratt suggests using slack <i>only</i> at the end of the project. As this buffer is less than the sum of all slack in traditional schedules, the planned run time is reduced by about 25% - all other things being equal. Furhermore, he proposes some buffers before tasks on the <i>critical path</i>. Hereby, the risc of delays decreases.</div>
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Like <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0884271951/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0884271951&linkCode=as2&tag=petscor-20&linkId=MZKTNWHGPFXVFOHO" target="_blank">The Goal</a></i>, this book is easy to read. The story is fascinating so you want to read the outcome. Well done! Except the plot is attractive, the lessons are useful. Many companies accomplish projects these days and - we have to admitt it - not all of them are successful. So here we get some valuable advice.</div>
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Reading <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0884271536/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0884271536&linkCode=as2&tag=petscor-20&linkId=S2WIWV2CBGTQYJGS" target="_blank"><i>Critical Chain</i></a> during the early 2000's, I was excited about Goldratt's idea's. Since then, I spoke many people about this topic. Despite their interest, none of them practised the <i>TOC</i> in project management. Why is that? Is the TOC not applicable to projects? Is it a well kept secret nobody knows? Do you apply these principles?</div>
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Good luck in your projects!<div class="blogger-post-footer">This post was published on https://www.peterrobbemond.com.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320962286545598595.post-68717025108094132112014-04-30T09:20:00.001+02:002014-09-02T11:33:44.085+02:00Start with why (book review)<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591846447/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1591846447&linkCode=as2&tag=petscor-20&linkId=OH2FIELON6WMHGVJ" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1591846447&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=petscor-20" title="Start with why - cover" /></a>
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591846447/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1591846447&linkCode=as2&tag=petscor-20&linkId=OH2FIELON6WMHGVJ" target="_blank">Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action</a>
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Simon Sinek<br />
Portfolio / Penguin, 2009
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Some time ago, I presented you a <a href="http://www.peterrobbemond.com/2013/08/golden-circle.html" target="_blank">TED Talk of the <i>Golden Circle</i></a> by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_Sinek" target="_blank">Simon Sinek</a>. Today, I'll review his book called <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591846447/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1591846447&linkCode=as2&tag=petscor-20&linkId=OH2FIELON6WMHGVJ" target="_blank">Start with Why</a></i></div>
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Why review particulary this book about <a href="http://www.peterrobbemond.com/search/label/leadership%26management">leadership</a> as there are many of them? What makes this one different? Well, this publication won't teach you how to become a leader within a month or so. You won't either learn any tips or tricks. But what will it tell you instead?</div>
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This book is all about passion and intrinsic motivation. Sinek begins to tell about planes. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Pierpont_Langley" target="_blank">Samuel Pierpont Langley</a> started the development of a plane in the early 1900's. He gathered a considerable budget and some highly educated people around him.<br />
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However, he was "beaten" by <span class="fn"><a href="http://orville%20and%20wilbur%20wright/" target="_blank">Orville and Wilbur Wright</a> who created their aircraft in a bicycleshop along with some other people. Not a single one had an advanced degree or even a college education.</span><br />
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<span class="fn">Why did they succeed? Because it was their passion to fly. The Wright brothers were able to inspire those around them and truly lead their team to develop the technology. In short, they started with <i>WHY</i>.</span></div>
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<span class="fn">Subsequently the author explains his <i>Golden Cicle</i> which consists of three parts: <i>WHAT</i>, <i>HOW</i> and <i>WHY</i>.</span><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1XwRBGizw-ZBEWY-cMQXwKce49S_P3TzTgyEp0IBBRYWtoB7jdm8w43Txbf00B2YtRdIcZKuQaRa-V-r6OamVyPpHVD8AI7zxdgHM_jMZlbKjIYcklrIeQKGFk1bcHEnX015LC632ADef/s1600/128px-Golden_circle.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1XwRBGizw-ZBEWY-cMQXwKce49S_P3TzTgyEp0IBBRYWtoB7jdm8w43Txbf00B2YtRdIcZKuQaRa-V-r6OamVyPpHVD8AI7zxdgHM_jMZlbKjIYcklrIeQKGFk1bcHEnX015LC632ADef/s1600/128px-Golden_circle.png" title="Golden circle Sinek" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picture: <a href="http://www.wikipedia.org/" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<ul>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="fn"><i>WHAT</i>: Every single company and organization on the planet knows <i>WHAT</i> they do.</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="fn"><i>HOW</i>: Some companies and people even know <i>HOW</i> they do <i>WHAT</i> they do. <i>HOW's</i> are often given to explain how something is different or better, for instance an <i>unique selling point</i>.</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span class="fn"><i>WHY</i>: Very few people or companies can clearly articulate <i>WHY</i> they do <i>WHAT</i> they do. Not making money—that’s a result. By <i>WHY</i> Sinek means what is your purpose, cause or belief? <i>WHY</i> does your company exist? <i>WHY</i> do you get out of bed every morning? And <i>WHY</i> should anyone care?</span></li>
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<span class="fn">Furthermore Sinek tells his readers how great leaders inspire their followers which can be employees, customers, voters, etc. He explains <i>WHAT</i> to do and <i>HOW</i>. Just kidding. </span><span class="fn">;-) He talks about communication, which by the way is all about <i>listening</i>; not <i>speaking</i>.</span></div>
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<span class="fn">I like <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1591846447/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1591846447&linkCode=as2&tag=petscor-20&linkId=OH2FIELON6WMHGVJ" target="_blank">Start with Why</a></i> because of it's message. No <i>X steps to success</i> or something like that. Sinek explains the difference between focussing on <i>WHAT</i> or even <i>HOW</i> and <i>WHY</i> and the consequences thereof.</span></div>
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<span class="fn">In the first situation a regular product, service or message ("<i>me too") </i>is created. </span>P<span class="fn">eople need to be manipulated to buy it. So a marketing campaign is launched.</span></div>
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<span class="fn">In the second a (slightly) different item is developed. Manipulation is still necessary. The focus will now be on the product's features. </span><span class="fn"><i>"Great gas mileage", "X GB disc space".</i></span></div>
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<span class="fn">In the latter the status quo - or even the world - will be changed. People get intrinsically motivated. Which will last, do you think?</span></div>
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<span class="fn">Keep on reading!</span><br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">This post was published on https://www.peterrobbemond.com.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320962286545598595.post-331096626147162272014-04-24T11:20:00.002+02:002014-09-02T11:34:28.826+02:00BookshelfYesterday, I updated my <a href="http://www.peterrobbemond.com/p/bookshelf_26.html">bookshelf</a>. On this page, you'll find some books I like along with links to their websites and/or my blogposts about them. I will update this page in the future.<br />
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Keep on reading!<div class="blogger-post-footer">This post was published on https://www.peterrobbemond.com.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320962286545598595.post-83043441628471428252014-04-23T08:32:00.001+02:002014-04-29T10:05:21.319+02:00Mechanical keyboard<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH2qXVlmm4w91Uf0EUKa2QkfFgibXCY0z0JSDI5P4IY_haSH3Cn5XWqN_boSKGRGYGxrbFe9xf6_oQnO0Rhl15PUmbBsAa62NGL76_OvRWTb937unGDpTBXFGmzBiMsFVrWh5s1qHIMEMQ/s1600/QFXT02__65616.1372118384.220.220.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH2qXVlmm4w91Uf0EUKa2QkfFgibXCY0z0JSDI5P4IY_haSH3Cn5XWqN_boSKGRGYGxrbFe9xf6_oQnO0Rhl15PUmbBsAa62NGL76_OvRWTb937unGDpTBXFGmzBiMsFVrWh5s1qHIMEMQ/s1600/QFXT02__65616.1372118384.220.220.jpg" height="120" title="Cooler Master QuickFire XT keyboard" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picture: <a href="http://www.coolermaster.com/" target="_blank">Cooler Master</a></td></tr>
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Everyday, I use a computer. A laptop at <a href="http://www.ordina.com/" target="_blank">work</a> or a PC at home. Being a <a href="http://www.peterrobbemond.com/search/label/lifehacking">lifehacker</a>, I'm always looking for better solutions. For example, I <a href="http://www.peterrobbemond.com/2013/04/keyboard-layouts.html">like</a> and <a href="http://www.peterrobbemond.com/2013/09/what-i-use.html">use</a> the <i><a href="http://colemak.com/" target="_blank">Colemak</a></i> keyboard layout.</div>
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Today, I'll present you my new piece of hardware: I bought a Cooler Master Quickfire XT mechanical keyboard.</div>
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For some time, I was looking for a better typing experience. Using my computers intensively, that would make sense. As a kid, I learned <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Touch_typing" target="_blank"><i>touch typing</i></a>. I'm my parents still grateful for that! Unfortunately, I was taught <i>QWERTY</i> in stead of <i>Colemak</i> so I had to switch later.</div>
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First of all, I went looking for an <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ergonomic_keyboard" target="_blank"><i>ergonomic</i> keyboard</a>. There are many types of them: curved ones, split ones and ones with alternative key layouts. Altough the manufacturers and their resellers praised their products, I didn't find convincing evidence they were worth their money. I even found some articles stating the opposite. I'm glad for anybody who likes these devices but I won't buy one.</div>
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So I did some more research. After reading some articles <a href="http://lifehacker.com/tag/mechanical-keyboards" target="_blank">about mechanical keyboards on Lifehacker.com</a>, I became interested in this category. Like many others, I started computing with a mechanical IBM keyboard. Later on, I got used to to membrames which are most common nowadays.<br />
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Most inexpensive keyboards utilize a flexible membrane layer beneath it's buttons. Users have to press the keys entirely to type. Mechanical keyboards however, use a switch underneath every button. They provide tactile feedback and a <i>clicking</i> sound. They're also durable.<br />
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There are many types of switches available. Each of them with their own characteristics and purpose (gaming, fast typing, etc.). I choose Cherry MX Blue switches as these are recommended for typing.<br />
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After reading some reviews, I decided to buy a Cooler Master QuickFire XT. Why? Because it was the cheapest available. Mechanical keyboards are rather expensive. I'd liked to buy one with eighty something keys as I use with my laptop but the full size model was less expensive.<br />
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The Cooler Master is about two months on my desk now and I love it! The keyboard is rather heavy and looks solid. The kit comes with some additional keys and a little tool to remove keys. Directly, I removed the Windows keys and replaced them with CM logo keys. It worked directly on my <a href="http://www.peterrobbemond.com/2013/09/what-i-use.html">Debian powered PC</a>. The typing experience is good: I like the feedback of the keys.<br />
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Is such an expensive keyboard necessary? In my opinion not. Yes, it seems durable and yes, it provides comfort which is nice if you spent many hours using it. But for much less you may buy a decent, proper functioning keyboard as well.<br />
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Do you use a mechanical keyboard?</div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">This post was published on https://www.peterrobbemond.com.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320962286545598595.post-50340107846937138982014-04-09T11:59:00.000+02:002014-10-22T19:42:49.003+02:00The First World War (book review)<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0375700455/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0375700455&linkCode=as2&tag=petscor-20&linkId=MAY5BCI2U6HB3BVW" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0375700455&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=petscor-20" title="The first world war - cover" /></a>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0375700455/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0375700455&linkCode=as2&tag=petscor-20&linkId=MAY5BCI2U6HB3BVW" target="_blank">The First World War</a><br />
John Keegan<br />
Hutchinson Radius, 1998<br />
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As you may know, it's 100 years after the outbreak of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_I" target="_blank">World War I</a>. Recently, I posted a <a href="http://www.peterrobbemond.com/2014/02/1913-book-review.html">book review of <i>1913</i></a>. Today, we'll cover <a href="https://openlibrary.org/works/OL3865783W/First_World_War_the" target="_blank"><i>The First World War</i></a> by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Keegan" target="_blank">John Keegan</a>. This British military historian and lecturer, published many books about warfare during the last centuries. </div>
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Sir Keegan starts his narrative months before the outbreak of the war. He describes the military establishment especially those in Prussia and Germany. They planned warfare by time tables. Remember <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_management" target="_blank">scientific management</a></i> was popular those days? The well known <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schlieffen_Plan" target="_blank"><i>Von Schlieffen Plan</i></a> was a result of this doctrine. By gaining a rather quick victory in the <i>W</i>est, the war along the eastern front could also be won. </div>
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The author also describes the political climate, alliances and diplomatic efforts being made after the murder of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archduke_Franz_Ferdinand" target="_blank">Archduke Franz Ferdinand</a> in Sarajevo. A very complex process with a disastrous outcome. </div>
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In the next chapters, the German invasion and march through Belgium and France is sketched including the Belgium defense, French counter offensives and the deployment of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Expeditionary_Force_%28World_War_I%29" target="_blank"><i>British Expeditionary Force</i></a>. As we now know, the western front stabilized. Keegan also describes the situation in Central Europe. </div>
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Then he turns sight to the eastern front where the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_von_Hindenburg" target="_blank">Von Hindenburg</a> - <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erich_Ludendorff" target="_blank">Lindendorff</a> duo combatted. He not only describes the battles itself but also the circumstances the soldiers faced. </div>
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Near the end of the war, the Americans came in. The last chapters tell the story of breaking armies and the defeat of the Germans. </div>
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I like the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0375700455/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0375700455&linkCode=as2&tag=petscor-20&linkId=MAY5BCI2U6HB3BVW" target="_blank">book</a> (not the war!). Sir Keegan tells<i> </i>the occurences of this terrible war in a clear way. There's a good balance between the overall history and the details. He also sketches backgrounds and relations in this era.<br />
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For those interested: I published also a review of <a href="http://www.peterrobbemond.com/2014/07/the-sleepwalkers-book-review.html"><i>The Sleepwalkers</i></a>. </div>
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PS: Next Sunday, the cycling classic Paris - Roubaix will be ridden. A course through Northern France or the former West Front. For those interested: I wrote about <a href="http://cycloracing.blogspot.nl/2014/04/paris-roubaix.html" target="_blank">this event and it's history, on my cycling blog</a>. </div>
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Keep on reading!
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">This post was published on https://www.peterrobbemond.com.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320962286545598595.post-17589420359822819352014-04-02T09:30:00.003+02:002014-04-02T09:30:38.404+02:00Windows XP alternatives<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2dhQ32qP-irc6oia2Pt8zZquHbBdaTLX7yybmj5Ssq6Vd9VaaT2KzdQQ1QxyYXRXlepsefSnA5ZSWcJO0q-0MFfsu5RdrSKASBvdVZIktTJwCpZvYNedm93mYU60ai3eBYVOnbGQLp0m7/s1600/logo-icon-small.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2dhQ32qP-irc6oia2Pt8zZquHbBdaTLX7yybmj5Ssq6Vd9VaaT2KzdQQ1QxyYXRXlepsefSnA5ZSWcJO0q-0MFfsu5RdrSKASBvdVZIktTJwCpZvYNedm93mYU60ai3eBYVOnbGQLp0m7/s1600/logo-icon-small.png" title="Xubuntu logo" /></a></div>
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You may have noticed, Microsoft ends its support on <i>Windows XP</i> next week. What does that mean? Does it stop functioning? No, it will still work. However, Microsoft won't fix any bugs anymore. They won't fix security leaks either. And they don't update their virus scanner for <i>XP</i> any longer.</div>
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Is it possible to keep using <i>XP</i>? Yes it is possbile. However, it's not recommended. If you stay on <i>XP</i>, please install a decent virus scanner and a firewall. Furthermore, use a modern web browser. In stead of the <i>Internet Explorer</i>, start using <i><a href="https://www.mozilla.org/" target="_blank">Firefox</a></i>, <a href="http://www.chromium.org/Home" target="_blank"><i>Chromium</i></a> or <a href="http://www.opera.com/" target="_blank"><i>Opera</i></a>.</div>
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You'd better install another <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operating_system" target="_blank"><i>operating system</i></a> to replace <i>XP</i> or alongside it. But which one? Windows 8 requires much more processing power. Your current computer won't be able to run it smoothly. But there are alternatives. I recommend <i><a href="http://xubuntu.org/" target="_blank">Xubuntu</a></i>, a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux" target="_blank">Linux</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux_distribution" target="_blank">distribution <i>('distro')</i></a> with a <i>lightweight</i> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gui" target="_blank">graphical user interface</a>. So it is stable and fast. And best of all, it's free (as in <i>'freedom')</i>.</div>
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Before installing, you may test the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_cd" target="_blank"><i>live CD</i></a>. Just put the CD (or DVD) in you computer and restart it. Now you can play with <i>Xubuntu</i> without changing anything to your current configuration. If you're satisfied, you may install it.<br />
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Installing is easy: just follow the wizard. <i>Xubuntu</i> comes with decent software like <a href="https://www.libreoffice.org/" target="_blank"><i>LibreOffice</i></a>, <i>Firefox</i>, <a href="https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/thunderbird" target="_blank"><i>Thunderbird</i></a> and more. Installing new applications is easy using the <i>Software Center</i>: just select and install. This operating system is user friendly. If you're still a bit uneasy: there's a very helpful online community.</div>
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For those interested, there's a whole bunch of other Linux distro's. For instance <i><a href="http://www.linuxmint.com/" target="_blank">Linux Mint</a> XFCE</i> which is also a good choice. Many people love its polished looks. Another good one is <i><a href="http://www.debian.org/" target="_blank">Debian</a> XFCE</i> as it is very stable and fast. <a href="http://xfce.org/" target="_blank"><i>(XFCE</i></a> is the graphical user interface used in all distro's mentioned above.)</div>
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Which OS are you going to use? </div>
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Enjoy!</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">This post was published on https://www.peterrobbemond.com.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320962286545598595.post-86899366896251269672014-02-26T19:19:00.001+01:002014-10-22T19:38:53.000+02:001913 (book review)<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/161219351X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=161219351X&linkCode=as2&tag=petscor-20&linkId=VF66MM5DC7XJW3MB" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=161219351X&Format=_SL110_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=petscor-20" title="1913 - cover" /></a>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/161219351X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=161219351X&linkCode=as2&tag=petscor-20&linkId=VF66MM5DC7XJW3MB" target="_blank">1913: The Year Before the Storm</a>
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Florian Illies</div>
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S. Fischer, 2012</div>
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Altough I have read some books recently, I didn't post book reviews lately. But now I do! In 2014, it's 100 years after the outbreak of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_I" target="_blank">The Great War or World War I</a>. As I lack in depth knowledge of this huge war, I decided to read some books about it. Well, the first isn't about the war itself, it's about the year before.</div>
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German journalist Florian Illies, gave his book <i>1913</i> the subtitle <i>the year before the storm</i>. He describes life and society in the big European cities like Vienna, Berlin, Munich and Paris. He does so systematically: each chapter is about one month. Many well known people are mentioned. Examples are Freud, Kafka and Picasso but also Hitler, Stalin and Tito. In every chapter, Illies mentions the hunt for the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mona_Lisa" target="_blank">Mona Lisa</a> which was stolen in 1911.</div>
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To be honest, I'm not that interested in the work or love life of artists. Nevertheless, I like <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/161219351X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=161219351X&linkCode=as2&tag=petscor-20&linkId=VF66MM5DC7XJW3MB" target="_blank">this book</a>. Illies manages to describe the way of thinking early in the 20th century. It was wide agreed, war was not an option those days. The monarchists were all family of each other. Moreover the economic merits were too high. How wrong were these people! The book is well written and easy to read.<br />
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For those interested in the war itself, I wrote a book review of <i><a href="http://www.peterrobbemond.com/2014/04/the-first-world-war-book-review.html" target="_blank">The First Wold War</a></i> and <i><a href="http://www.peterrobbemond.com/2014/07/the-sleepwalkers-book-review.html">The Sleepwalkers</a>.</i></div>
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Keep on reading!</div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">This post was published on https://www.peterrobbemond.com.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320962286545598595.post-71956661897986750282014-02-12T19:19:00.002+01:002014-04-29T10:08:34.037+02:00Visit to Scania<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdCS3_gPXVbgwNQm9UzsIbuoFppjFvt4o6iLFn_sE-HYxRdbnBgDyjGYIsyphVuzcPLrqwHi25MSA9qEynPSyQhuSosjl4PnmNs3L3zWbEtNbVNkBFpknpPS53IiP4zRnw39CbRwpMzScV/s1600/Productie_tcm170-220464.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdCS3_gPXVbgwNQm9UzsIbuoFppjFvt4o6iLFn_sE-HYxRdbnBgDyjGYIsyphVuzcPLrqwHi25MSA9qEynPSyQhuSosjl4PnmNs3L3zWbEtNbVNkBFpknpPS53IiP4zRnw39CbRwpMzScV/s1600/Productie_tcm170-220464.jpg" height="200" title="Scania plant" width="189" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picture: <a href="http://scania.com/" target="_blank">Scania</a></td></tr>
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Last week, I visited a <a href="http://www.scaniaproductionzwolle.nl/" target="_blank">Scania truck assembly plant in Zwolle</a> (The Netherlands). Although I knew it was nearby, I hadn't visited this factory before. As you maybe know, I've worked at several logistic service providers. Al of them owned Scania's.</div>
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You may or may not know that Scania is called the <i>King of the road</i>. My last employer in logistics, transported and stored <a href="http://kingpepermunt.nl/" target="_blank">King peppermint</a>. He owned two trailers with a long role of King peppermint on each side along with the text <i>King of the road</i>. Of course these trailers were towed by Scania's.</div>
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Beforehand I knew Scania's are designed modular. They built all kind of heavy trucks out of as less as possible components. In all cabs for example, the same windshield is used. Nearly every chassis can be combined with every motor and cabine. This gives the customer a huge number of possible configurations to buy and reduces costs for the manufacturer and dealers.</div>
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During the visit, I learned about Scania's lean way of working. Each truck is made by several teams working along the assembly line. Each team is responsible for several activities. They decide themselves how perform these tasks. The management assists the employees to get their tasks done. Incremental improvements are made constantly. Do you notice the difference with the management style of many other companies?</div>
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These efforts result in a smooth operation. I saw people working concentrated but no one was in a hurry let alone in panic. We were told the plant has a high presence percentage, i.e. low absence through illness and many longtime employments. Well, that looks very healthy.</div>
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I really enjoyed the visit. It was well organised and we were given opportunity to ask any questions which were answered honestly. The plant is orderly and clean. And above all, I learned about their lean way of working!</div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">This post was published on https://www.peterrobbemond.com.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7320962286545598595.post-29542875121255676122014-02-12T08:43:00.006+01:002014-05-12T15:27:59.587+02:00My Shelfie at Lifehacking.nlLast week, <a href="http://lifehacking.nl/algemeen/shelfie-boeken-top-5-peter-robbemond" target="_blank">Lifehacking.nl published my shelfie</a> (in Dutch). Thanks guys! <br />
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Keep on reading!<div class="blogger-post-footer">This post was published on https://www.peterrobbemond.com.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com