tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-97391402024-03-13T23:09:47.630-04:00Florian's Bloga French-born Israeli somewhere between Paris, Tel Aviv and Miami. His vision of the World, he loves travelling, hi-tech and Israel.Florianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892849427910830481noreply@blogger.comBlogger577125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9739140.post-52197787649947093732009-09-22T10:56:00.001-04:002009-09-22T10:56:37.370-04:00Find me on my new blog http://www.florianseroussi.comIt was time to adapt and Blogspot isn't very user friendly. I'm not going to trash Google's blogging platform here. I had great times for 5 years here.<br />Now you can read me on <a href="http://www.florianseroussi.com/">http://www.florianseroussi.com</a><br /><br />See you thereFlorianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892849427910830481noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9739140.post-37474577309178177072009-09-17T01:37:00.000-04:002012-07-03T01:39:21.833-04:00TechCrunch50<div style="margin: 0; overflow: hidden; padding: 0; width: 500px;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cizake/3928406106/in/set-72157622273119639/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 75px;" title="TechCrunch50"><img alt="TechCrunch50" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3435/3928406106_a4ce527624_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cizake/3929603532/in/set-72157622273119639/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 75px;" title="Starting is Easy"><img alt="Starting is Easy" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2479/3929603532_6b3b4725ed_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cizake/3929603828/in/set-72157622273119639/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 75px;" title="TechCrunch Stage"><img alt="TechCrunch Stage" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3519/3929603828_4248b47900_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cizake/3929604242/in/set-72157622273119639/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 75px;" title="TechCrunch Stage"><img alt="TechCrunch Stage" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3453/3929604242_8a5e85a773_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cizake/3929604814/in/set-72157622273119639/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 75px;" title="TechCrunch Stage"><img alt="TechCrunch Stage" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2540/3929604814_34093c90c8_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cizake/3929605206/in/set-72157622273119639/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 0 10px 0; width: 75px;" title="TechCrunch Stage"><img alt="TechCrunch Stage" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2498/3929605206_f8b3aec0ef_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 75px;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cizake/3928822807/in/set-72157622273119639/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 75px;" title="After Party"><img alt="After Party" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3489/3928822807_850422269d_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cizake/3928823117/in/set-72157622273119639/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 75px;" title="After Party"><img alt="After Party" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2520/3928823117_8090d1fca8_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cizake/3928823459/in/set-72157622273119639/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 75px;" title="After Party"><img alt="After Party" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3455/3928823459_e19ba61f12_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cizake/3928823781/in/set-72157622273119639/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 75px;" title="After Party"><img alt="After Party" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3476/3928823781_f41cb1b514_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cizake/3928824137/in/set-72157622273119639/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 75px;" title="After Party"><img alt="After Party" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3517/3928824137_d7b5e74494_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cizake/3929607298/in/set-72157622273119639/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 0 10px 0; width: 75px;" title="After Party"><img alt="After Party" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3429/3929607298_a0be77d2d7_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 75px;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cizake/3929607616/in/set-72157622273119639/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 75px;" title="Streets of San Francisco"><img alt="Streets of San Francisco" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3455/3929607616_dfdb899c6c_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cizake/3928825007/in/set-72157622273119639/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 75px;" title="Streets of San Francisco"><img alt="Streets of San Francisco" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2426/3928825007_ed127cf3f8_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cizake/3928825333/in/set-72157622273119639/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 75px;" title="iPhone"><img alt="iPhone" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2573/3928825333_bbf8e31542_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cizake/3929608480/in/set-72157622273119639/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 75px;" title="IPhone"><img alt="IPhone" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2492/3929608480_a702a79b7c_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cizake/3928825885/in/set-72157622273119639/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 75px;" title="Apple"><img alt="Apple" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2455/3928825885_68cfa6dc55_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cizake/3923863744/in/set-72157622273119639/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 0 10px 0; width: 75px;" title="Exclusive news: @1938media and milky cow merger :) lol"><img alt="Exclusive news: @1938media and milky cow merger :) lol" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2639/3923863744_3e2f03f7b0_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 75px;" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cizake/3921016680/in/set-72157622273119639/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 75px;" title="TechCrunch50 Lunch Panel"><img alt="TechCrunch50 Lunch Panel" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2504/3921016680_dea0c3450c_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cizake/3920777670/in/set-72157622273119639/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 75px;" title="Good people @scobleizer and @1938media"><img alt="Good people @scobleizer and @1938media" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3449/3920777670_5ef7f44e72_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 75px;" /></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cizake/3919901395/in/set-72157622273119639/" style="display: block; float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 75px;" title="Rackup Marc Rochman getting ready to step on stage."><img alt="Rackup Marc Rochman getting ready to step on stage." src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3436/3919901395_757c7028b0_s.jpg" style="border: none; height: 75px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 75px;" /></a><br />
<div style="float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 75px;">
<img src="http://l.yimg.com/g/images/gallery-empty-icon.gif" style="height: 75px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 75px;" /></div>
<div style="float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 75px;">
<img src="http://l.yimg.com/g/images/gallery-empty-icon.gif" style="height: 75px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 75px;" /></div>
<div style="float: left; height: 75px; padding: 0 0 10px 0; width: 75px;">
<img src="http://l.yimg.com/g/images/gallery-empty-icon.gif" style="height: 75px; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 75px;" /></div>
<br clear="all" /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-top: 0px;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cizake/sets/72157622273119639/">TechCrunch50</a>, a set on Flickr.</div>Florianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892849427910830481noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9739140.post-17011163111473138292009-08-25T00:44:00.004-04:002009-08-25T09:00:35.153-04:00Picture posting from Seesmic to Pikchur to Posterous<p><a href='http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/florianseroussi/yEaDbjkCHDbwvhAisvqCxkznmmrlDjsbpljEsxHbBxhwBcHbbaFuDtAjGuga/pic_F6j_o.jpg.scaled1000.jpg'><img src="http://posterous.com/getfile/files.posterous.com/florianseroussi/yEaDbjkCHDbwvhAisvqCxkznmmrlDjsbpljEsxHbBxhwBcHbbaFuDtAjGuga/pic_F6j_o.jpg.scaled500.jpg" width="350" height="194"/></a> </p> <div class="posterous_quote_citation">via <a href="http://pikchur.com">Pikchur</a></div> <p style="font-size: 10px;"> <a href="http://posterous.com">Posted via web</a> from <a href="http://florianseroussi.posterous.com/2586696">[blog.florianseroussi.com]</a> </p>Florianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892849427910830481noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9739140.post-44592743701703716872009-08-24T22:28:00.003-04:002009-08-25T09:01:28.368-04:00BlackBerry Loves U2 - I love both!<div class="posterous_bookmarklet_entry"> <object height="200" width="400"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/gfMcD_c2qS0&hl=en&fs=1&hd=1" /></param><param name="wmode" value="window" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /></param><embed allowfullscreen="true" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/gfMcD_c2qS0&hl=en&fs=1&hd=1" allowscriptaccess="always" height="200" wmode="window" width="400"></embed></param></object> <div class="posterous_quote_citation">via <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfMcD_c2qS0&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fvideo%2Egoogle%2Ecom%2Fvideosearch%3Fq%3Dblackberry%2520love%2520u2%26oe%3Dutf%2D8%26rls%3Dorg%2Emozilla%3Aen%2DUS%3Aofficial%26client%3Dfirefox%2Da%26um%3D1%26ie%3DUT&feature=player_embedded">youtube.com</a></div> <p>BlackBerry is definitely catching up on the awesomeness factor.</p></div> <p style="font-size: 10px;"> <a href="http://posterous.com">Posted via web</a> from <a href="http://florianseroussi.posterous.com/blackberry-loves-u2-i-love-both">[blog.florianseroussi.com]</a> </p>Florianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892849427910830481noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9739140.post-42681618829682543222009-08-24T18:03:00.002-04:002009-08-24T22:06:52.607-04:00New York city portrait, HD time lapse<div class="posterous_bookmarklet_entry"> <object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=6193526&server=vimeo.com&fullscreen=1&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=1&color=00ADEF" height="181" width="400"> <param name="quality" value="best"> <param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"> <param name="scale" value="showAll"> <param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=6193526&server=vimeo.com&fullscreen=1&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=1&color=00ADEF"> </object> <div class="posterous_quote_citation">via <a href="http://vimeo.com/6193526">vimeo.com</a></div> <p>I love NY. This movie is incredible. You feel the city, the ambiance.</p></div> <p style="font-size: 10px;"> <a href="http://posterous.com/">Posted via web</a> from <a href="http://florianseroussi.posterous.com/new-york-city-portrait-hd-time-lapse">[blog.florianseroussi.com]</a> </p>Florianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892849427910830481noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9739140.post-12886827264594663662009-08-18T20:56:00.004-04:002009-08-18T20:59:30.213-04:00Dancing and Stealing Caught on Camera<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">This sequence is shocking. I was standing on Broadway last week in NYC. A street group started a show, jumping and dancing. Guys were good and soon a huge crowd was all around them.<br />I took my webcam and filmed from an angle where supposedly one could see dancers. But instead I was the witness of pickpockets. While few guys are dancing, singing and jumping, few accomplices are going through the crowd to embezzled phones, cameras and wallets.<br /><br />Check the screenshots below.<br /><br />Guy on the right just stole a camera and hands it out to the street dancer.<br /><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_uQCLyrmWbMk/SotLT4c0wRI/AAAAAAAAARE/8gzGIPpSzaE/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px; width: 391px; height: 215px;" /><br /><br />Here you clearly see the dancer taking the camera<br /><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_uQCLyrmWbMk/SotLk5tLtXI/AAAAAAAAARI/94KMK4AqS94/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px; width: 392px; height: 218px;" /><br /><br />The guy on the right left to steal more and dancer is slowly inserting the camera in the backpack of a 3rd accomplice. You see the dancer in the center capturing everyone's attention.<br /><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_uQCLyrmWbMk/SotLwNwktKI/AAAAAAAAARM/qcmT511X8QU/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px; width: 396px; height: 215px;" /><br /><br /><br />Guy with the cap closing his backpack like nothing happened<br /><img src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_uQCLyrmWbMk/SotMW3uAdTI/AAAAAAAAARU/EOJfBlLMF0c/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px; width: 405px; height: 295px;" /><br /><br />A dancer catches me filming and moves fast towards me.<br /><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_uQCLyrmWbMk/SotMnfjosqI/AAAAAAAAARY/LWV-Mb46mhw/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px; width: 405px; height: 251px;" /><br /><br />The video sequence in full right here:<br /><br /><div class="youtube-video"><object height="300" width="400"><param value="true" name="allowfullscreen"> <param value="always" name="allowscriptaccess"> <param value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=6170652&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" name="movie"> <embed allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=6170652&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" height="300" width="400"></embed> </object></div><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/6170652">Dancing and stealing</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/florianseroussi">FLORIAN SEROUSSI</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.</p><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">I did not contact NY Police Department but I do hope they see this video and take necessary measures.</span><br /><div class="zemanta-pixie"><img src="http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=63c462d0-8f53-8895-8df0-2fa3683e4e2a" alt="" class="zemanta-pixie-img" /></div></div>Florianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892849427910830481noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9739140.post-2083662643023334632009-08-17T08:36:00.004-04:002009-08-17T15:13:28.431-04:00Facebook will be #1 this year before Google<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Few months ago I read reports of <a href="http://www.facebook.com/">Facebook</a> to surpass <a href="http://www.google.com/">Google</a> -maybe- by 2012 or 2013. My gutt feeling - it will happen in the next 120 days.<br /><br /><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_uQCLyrmWbMk/SolN_tw8ZNI/AAAAAAAAARA/wi9r5TAvpdc/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" height="288" width="290" /><br /><br />Imagine a community website taking leadership of the WWW - yet this is happening as you read those lines.<br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/">Facebook</a> is growing fast +220% this year reaching 122M uniques in July. <a href="http://www.google.com/">Google</a> leads with 147M uniques BUT it is absolutely inevitable <a href="http://www.facebook.com/">Facebook</a> will win this battle.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cizake/3829238659/sizes/o/" target="_blank"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3460/3829238659_b4097efd40_o.jpg" style="max-width: 800px;" height="189" width="420" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.google.com/">Google</a> is facing serious attacks from <a href="http://www.msft.com/">Microsoft</a> with <a href="http://www.bing.com/">Bing.com</a>. <a href="http://www.yahoo.com/">Yahoo!</a> has remained solid behind Google despite the Ballmer/Chen fiasco. Google's numbers are stable but no real sign of growth despite a rise in search queries.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/">Facebook</a> has doubled its uniques from 66M in January 09 to 122M in July 09 and I see a peak of uniques starting right after summer holidays. Millions of pictures are going to be posted to Facebook. There is one ironical fact: 1st source of incoming traffic on Facebook is....Google. Maybe Google will react to that and start pushing Facebook results a bit further down.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cizake/3829232847/sizes/o/" target="_blank"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3491/3829232847_9110e732e3_o.jpg" style="max-width: 800px;" height="130" width="410" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/">FaceBook</a> will be #1 site in the world by December 09. INCREDIBLE.<br /><div class="zemanta-pixie"><img src="http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=26bd2612-d847-804e-9d72-8aad06032fb4" alt="" class="zemanta-pixie-img" /></div></div>Florianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892849427910830481noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9739140.post-33929403160105930662009-08-11T02:54:00.003-04:002014-09-05T01:32:57.298-04:00You are so predictable<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
Few things continue to amaze me - or should I say amuse me when it comes down to human nature.<br />
One of those things is predictability. Instinct takes over intelligence in most cases. <br />
This is the difference between a chess player and a master. The ability to control emotion is often blurred by the need of vengeance. Action/reaction kind of theory.<br />
I slap you – you strike back. Instantly. No second thoughts. Why? <br />
Two reasons – 1st humiliation needs retaliation. NOW. <br />
2nd your brain can’t think that fast.<br />
Not so long ago I was engaged in a relationship where happy ending was not an option. Not only was it written danger all over it but blindness of the moment weakened my perception to the max.<br />
Recovery is often judged by the capacity to think ahead in a cold-blooded manner.<br />
<div align="left">
Hopefully at 40+ I was able to resource myself surrounded by family and kids who cherish me with an incredible passion [THANK YOU].<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/38764769@N06/3793446283"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2455/3793446283_be0a4f9c61.jpg" height="170" width="239" /></a></div>
It didn’t take too long before I initiated a series of behavioral experiences based on the same items that caused my fall. In a sick threesome relationship I was able to seed info and collect data – thank you Twitter. It was almost incredible to monitor demeanor and emotion of anger. Blinded by strong emotion and compulsive obsession my wannabe partner developed a transparent pattern of actions.<br />
Anger became a motive to hate and defamation. It doesn’t matter who is right or wrong. I believe post relationship crisis management reveals a person.<br />
During the course of my –very unreliable- study I found out there is a strong relationship between obsession and addictive behaviors.<br />
Addicts are obsessed by nature. They need to kill the obsession to move past the addiction. There is no cure without containing the obsessive anger.<br />
This post is not a personal note or subliminal message to re-engage into a conversation with past acquaintances. It’s a testimony on how changing my behaviors and demeanor, really improved my relationships with others both professionally and personally.<br />
You can go from predictable to changeable. Adding rationality to life was my best move.</div>
Florianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892849427910830481noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9739140.post-78545759002350093582009-08-07T19:28:00.001-04:002009-08-07T19:28:18.813-04:00IceT is COOL<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cizake/3798776075/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2596/3798776075_1250d3751e_m.jpg" alt="" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cizake/3798776075/">IceT is COOL</a><br />Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/cizake/">Florian SEROUSSI</a></span></div>Being a huge Law & Order fan I felt lucky seating next to "Fin" from NYC to FLL.<br />I've seen bunch of actors/actresses but few are NICE. Ice was shaking everyone's hand as we were seating upfront. At some point I felt sorry for the guy. Can you imagine 200 passengers shaking your hand?<br />He didn't blink and kept smiling. <br />Way to go Fin.<br clear="all" />Florianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892849427910830481noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9739140.post-79958147335010508882009-07-28T15:28:00.001-04:002009-07-28T15:28:15.759-04:00Update on New BlackBerry Messenger and Download Links<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>Here is a complete updated list of downloads found on the net. All downloads are OTA (Over The Air). If you don't know what it means - just don't try installing on your device :)<br/><br/><ul><li><a onclick='javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/www.theiexplorers.com');' href='http://www.theiexplorers.com/BBM/For_4.7.0/BBMen.jad'>BBM 5.0 (For 4.7/Storm) – English Only Only</a></li><li><a onclick='javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/www.theiexplorers.com');' href='http://www.theiexplorers.com/BBM/For_4.7.1/BBMen.jad'>BBM 5.0 (For 4.7.1/Tour) – English Only</a></li><li><a onclick='javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/www.theiexplorers.com');' href='http://www.theiexplorers.com/BBM/For_4.5.0/BBMen.jad'>BBM 5.0 (For 4.5/Curve) – English Only</a></li><li><a onclick='javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/www.theiexplorers.com');' href='http://www.theiexplorers.com/BBM/For_4.6.0/BBMen.jad'>BBM 5.0 (For 4.6/Bold) – English Only</a></li><li><a onclick='javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/www.theiexplorers.com');' href='http://www.theiexplorers.com/BBM/For_4.6.1/BBMen.jad'>BBM 5.0 (For 4.6.1/Javelin) – English Only</a></li><li><a onclick='javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/www.theiexplorers.com');' href='http://www.theiexplorers.com/BBM/For_5.0.0/BBMen.jad'>BBM 5.0 (For 5.0/All) – English Only</a></li><li><a onclick='javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/www.theiexplorers.com');' href='http://www.theiexplorers.com/BBM/For_5.1.0/BBMen.jad'>BBM 5.0 (For 5.1/Storm2) – English Only</a></li><li><a onclick='javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/www.theiexplorers.com');' href='http://www.theiexplorers.com/BBM/For_4.7.0/BBM.jad'>BBM 5.0 (For 4.7/Storm) – All Languages</a></li><li><a onclick='javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/www.theiexplorers.com');' href='http://www.theiexplorers.com/BBM/For_4.7.1/BBM.jad'>BBM 5.0 (For 4.7.1/Tour) – All Languages</a></li><li><a onclick='javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/www.theiexplorers.com');' href='http://www.theiexplorers.com/BBM/For_4.5.0/BBM.jad'>BBM 5.0 (For 4.5/Curve) – All Languages</a></li><li><a onclick='javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/www.theiexplorers.com');' href='http://www.theiexplorers.com/BBM/For_4.6.0/BBM.jad'>BBM 5.0 (For 4.6/Bold) – All Languages</a></li><li><a onclick='javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/www.theiexplorers.com');' href='http://www.theiexplorers.com/BBM/For_4.6.1/BBM.jad'>BBM 5.0 (For 4.6.1/Javelin) – All Languages</a></li><li><a onclick='javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/www.theiexplorers.com');' href='http://www.theiexplorers.com/BBM/For_5.0.0/BBM.jad'>BBM 5.0 (For 5.0/All) – All Languages</a></li><li><a onclick='javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outbound/article/www.theiexplorers.com');' href='http://www.theiexplorers.com/BBM/For_5.1.0/BBM.jad'>BBM 5.0 (For 5.1/Storm2) – All Languages</a></li></ul> Here is what BBM 5.0 will add to your phone:<br/><br/><ul><li>SMS support — You wanted threaded SMS? Well you’re finally going to be getting it!</li><li>PIN barcode scanning — Too lazy to add your friend to Messenger by entering in their PIN? Just have them click the Barcode option on their devices and, you guessed it, a barcode will show up letting the other party scan it with their BlackBerry camera and immediately add that contact to your list.</li><li>Backup/Restore Messenger list to microSD card.</li></ul>Install at your own risk and enjoy!<br/><br/><br/><br/><div class='zemanta-pixie'><img src='http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=db94f5e1-18fa-8566-9a00-5dc5ac3475a9' alt='' class='zemanta-pixie-img'/></div></div>Florianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892849427910830481noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9739140.post-48644212663471930482009-07-26T12:34:00.002-04:002009-07-26T12:36:07.399-04:00Elie - I love this picture!<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cizake/3756828500/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3523/3756828500_b85af851fd_m.jpg" alt="" style="border: 2px solid rgb(0, 0, 0);" /></a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cizake/3756828500/">Elie</a><br />Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/cizake/">Florian SEROUSSI</a>Florianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892849427910830481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9739140.post-834964455341278852009-07-18T06:10:00.001-04:002009-07-18T06:22:50.305-04:00New BlackBerry Messenger available Over The Air<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p>If you have a BlackBerry its probably because you want to BBM your friends. RIM is working on a much better BBM version. Like always first private release has leaked and here it is for you.</p><p align='center'><img src='http://lh5.ggpht.com/_uQCLyrmWbMk/SmGianfJk8I/AAAAAAAAAQ8/uHy9vLe5oRw/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800' style='max-width: 800px;'/><br/></p><p>I took those links from the Internet.<br/></p> <p style='text-align: center;'><strong>THIS IS BETA SOFTWARE, INSTALL AT YOUR OWN RISK. I WILL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANYTHING LOST. MAKE SURE TO BACK UP YOUR PHONE FIRST.</strong></p> <p style='text-align: center;'>OTA for 4.5<br/><a href='http://bit.ly/83XXBBM5'>83XX/81XX</a><br/><strong>IT JUST CAME TO MY ATTENTION IF YOU ARE RUNNING 83XX/81XX WITH OS LOWER THEN 4.5.0.131 IT WON’T WORK. HAVEN’T HAD ANY OTHER DEVICES TESTED LIKE 88XX<br/></strong></p> <p style='text-align: center;'>OTA for 4.6<br/><a href='http://bit.ly/9000BBM5'>OS 4.6</a></p> <p style='text-align: center;'>OTA for 4.6.1<br/><a href='http://bit.ly/8900BBM5'>OS 4.6.1</a></p> <p style='text-align: center;'>OTA for 4.7<br/><a href='http://bit.ly/95XXBBM5'>95XX</a></p> <p style='text-align: center;'>OTA for 4.7.1<br/><a href='http://bit.ly/9630BBM5'>Tour</a></p> <p style='text-align: center;'><strong>THE 4.7.1 OTA WILL WORK ON 8900/9000 OS 5.0</strong></p><br/><br/><br/></div>Florianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892849427910830481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9739140.post-38373285968053061272009-05-29T13:55:00.005-04:002009-05-29T14:32:10.988-04:00Skype Beta for BlackBerry<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">I just got my hands on Skype official Beta for BlackBerry Storm.<br />It looks more like an Alpha then a Beta. First the app is not OTA and not packaged JAD. There are 2 files a .COD and an .ALX.<br />Both files are available for download here: <a href="http://www.brettwyman.com/blackberry/skype_beta.zip">DOWNLOAD</a> <b>INSTALL AT YOUR OWN RISK</b>.<br /><br />Once loaded through BlackBerry Desktop Manager you can add the application on your BlackBerry. I have tested with a Storm 9530 Verizon.<br />The icon is slick. Typical Skype logo.<br />To run the application you must disable compatibility mode in Options-->Advanced Options-->Applications-->Skype-->Menu [disable Compatibility Mode].<br />Say no: press P when prompted for update.<br /><br />To navigate through options after you launch the application use:<br />O or Q to accept<br />P to decline<br />Space to open<br />You can scroll through touch screen but do not click and simply press A to option field.<br />Signin is quick. Contacts load rapidly.<br />Chat works perfectly and calling a contact using your Skype credit is flawless.<br />I didn't succeed to call a phone number yet because keyboard mapping is obviously not Storm ready.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Update: I have also tested on Bold running 4.6 and it works much better.</span><br /><br />Here are the screenshots:<br /><br /><img src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_uQCLyrmWbMk/SiAgV57mjtI/AAAAAAAAAQc/_E4IsjRrTjU/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br /><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_uQCLyrmWbMk/SiAglfjHy3I/AAAAAAAAAQk/n6KTImfsmtM/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br /><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_uQCLyrmWbMk/SiAguoZNzKI/AAAAAAAAAQo/L8AJZf0UeJ8/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px; width: 366px; height: 274px;" /><br /><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_uQCLyrmWbMk/SiAg1wsNPpI/AAAAAAAAAQs/7RN6s0uQ6_s/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px; width: 367px; height: 275px;" /><br /><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_uQCLyrmWbMk/SiAhAFy_s2I/AAAAAAAAAQw/gi2bX3lWiFo/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px; width: 370px; height: 277px;" /><br /><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_uQCLyrmWbMk/SiAhHHGrnQI/AAAAAAAAAQ0/wRT9PTF8mCA/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br /><img src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_uQCLyrmWbMk/SiAhMCP8oNI/AAAAAAAAAQ4/z4P_9l4GW9E/%5BUNSET%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="max-width: 800px;" /><br /><br /><blockquote></blockquote></div>Florianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892849427910830481noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9739140.post-27776228201209586132009-05-10T23:33:00.001-04:002009-05-10T23:33:46.192-04:00National Beach - Miami<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cizake/3496299394/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3324/3496299394_ec2c53cac6_m.jpg" alt="" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cizake/3496299394/">National Beach - Miami</a><br />Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/cizake/">Florian SEROUSSI</a></span></div>Sometimes you get lucky and grab an incredible shot. This picture was taken on April 27th 2009 in South Beach with a Canon 5DII. <br />Result is breathtaking. Check my photo-stream and leave a comment.<br clear="all" />Florianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892849427910830481noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9739140.post-53974261027313669062009-04-21T14:59:00.003-04:002009-05-03T15:58:53.369-04:00TwitterFame<blockquote class="zemanta-reblog-quote" style="margin: 1em 3em;">You are now familiar with my regular cyber squatting on Pat’s blog.<br />Today 1 year after this <a href="http://patphelan.net/is-twitter-gone-mad/">post</a> we are going to see if Twitter can be mainstream and still be interesting.<br />In last few weeks celebrities took over our favorite social medium. Not that it bothers me. Twitter is a democracy. My issue is mostly with the exchange everyone is asked to make in any society.<br />You cannot invite yourself to my table and not share or entertain conversation. Celebrities- as much as I hate the term- have massively polluted our tool engaging themselves in a race for followers.<br /><a href="http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/04/16/kutcher-plays-his-pied-piper-flute-and-gets-a-million-twitter-followers/">Ashton Kutcher </a>aka <a href="http://www.twitter.com/aplusk">@aplusk</a> is now self-declared King of Twitter.<a href="http://www.twitter.com/oprah"> Oprah</a> will rule on top of the pyramid in a couple of weeks and I’m an inch away to drop out. To better understand what is happening I have to throw some figures.<br />Boring - I know…but it makes my case.<br /><br />@aplusk ‘friends’ grow at a rate of 770 followers per tweet<br /><br />@oprah ‘friends’ add up at a rate of 33.000 followers per tweet. She has nearly half a million follower after 13 updates.<br /><br />And we want to ignore something is broken?<br /><br />I wanted to believe Twitter is all about CONVERSATION not COMPETITION. It survived spambots, porn, escorts, solicitation, gaming but not fame…if not stopped now the race will get nasty. @michaeljackson, @mariahcarey, @robertredford, @hannahmontana, who is next?<br />I couldn’t figure out numbers of tweets related to the stupid challenge @aplusk vs. @cnnbrk but I’m sure it captured over 50% of total stream.<br /><br />There is a solution to avoid social hijacking. Very simple solution. <strong>Make stats private. No more public count of followers/following</strong>. It will make the Twitter community much ‘cleaner’ and bring everyone back to sharing.<br />Celebrities are welcome to bring good noise. They will certainly get a lot of attention but they will have to follow rules of social engagement.<br /><br />Last night I threw the idea –I’m not claiming to be the 1st who thought about it btw- on Twitter thinking it will be ignored. To my surprise it has been massively <a href="http://search.twitter.com/search?q=florianseroussi+followers%2Ffollowing">re-tweetted</a>.<br /><br />Twitter: you need to listen – we do not want popularity, we want quality content.<br /><br />Ironically Twitter founders have engaged themselves in a race against Facebook so I guess we have come full circle. After all they ‘only’ need 200 Ashton Kutcher to beat them.<span class="attribution zemanta-reblog-cite" style="padding: 1em 0pt; text-align: right; display: block; width: 100%;"></span><br /></blockquote>Florianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892849427910830481noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9739140.post-8026875854517512012009-04-10T11:39:00.001-04:002009-04-10T11:39:06.864-04:00Update BlackBerry Bold with OS 5.0 part 3<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><div class='youtube-video'><object align='middle' id='qikPlayer' height='319' width='425' codebase='http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,115,0' classid='clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000'><param value='sameDomain' name='allowScriptAccess'> </param><param value='true' name='allowFullScreen'> </param><param value='http://qik.com/swfs/qikPlayer4.swf' name='movie'> </param><param value='high' name='quality'> </param><param value='#333333' name='bgcolor'> </param><param value='rssURL=http://qik.com/video/58774c26587345d9a173fe4a46969700.rss&autoPlay=false' name='FlashVars'> </param><embed FlashVars='rssURL=http://qik.com/video/58774c26587345d9a173fe4a46969700.rss&autoPlay=false' pluginspage='http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' allowFullScreen='true' allowScriptAccess='sameDomain' align='middle' name='qikPlayer' height='319' width='425' bgcolor='#333333' quality='high' src='http://qik.com/swfs/qikPlayer4.swf'> </embed></object></div><br/><br/></div>Florianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892849427910830481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9739140.post-20144312752898412192009-04-10T11:34:00.001-04:002009-04-10T11:34:31.126-04:00Update BlackBerry Bold with OS 5.0 part 2<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><div class='youtube-video'><object align='middle' id='qikPlayer' height='319' width='425' codebase='http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,115,0' classid='clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000'><param value='sameDomain' name='allowScriptAccess'> </param><param value='true' name='allowFullScreen'> </param><param value='http://qik.com/swfs/qikPlayer4.swf' name='movie'> </param><param value='high' name='quality'> </param><param value='#333333' name='bgcolor'> </param><param value='rssURL=http://qik.com/video/2aaffefda7b544c6a35a45fce308d2c3.rss&autoPlay=false' name='FlashVars'> </param><embed FlashVars='rssURL=http://qik.com/video/2aaffefda7b544c6a35a45fce308d2c3.rss&autoPlay=false' pluginspage='http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' allowFullScreen='true' allowScriptAccess='sameDomain' align='middle' name='qikPlayer' height='319' width='425' bgcolor='#333333' quality='high' src='http://qik.com/swfs/qikPlayer4.swf'> </embed></object></div><br/><br/></div>Florianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892849427910830481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9739140.post-18436014816611828962009-04-10T11:02:00.001-04:002009-04-10T11:02:45.098-04:00Update BlackBerry Bold with OS 5.0 part 1<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><div class='youtube-video'><object align='middle' id='qikPlayer' height='319' width='425' codebase='http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,115,0' classid='clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000'><param value='sameDomain' name='allowScriptAccess'> </param><param value='true' name='allowFullScreen'> </param><param value='http://qik.com/swfs/qikPlayer4.swf' name='movie'> </param><param value='high' name='quality'> </param><param value='#333333' name='bgcolor'> </param><param value='rssURL=http://qik.com/video/762c5415741446c8ac9855094056f5d7.rss&autoPlay=false' name='FlashVars'> </param><embed FlashVars='rssURL=http://qik.com/video/762c5415741446c8ac9855094056f5d7.rss&autoPlay=false' pluginspage='http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' allowFullScreen='true' allowScriptAccess='sameDomain' align='middle' name='qikPlayer' height='319' width='425' bgcolor='#333333' quality='high' src='http://qik.com/swfs/qikPlayer4.swf'> </embed></object></div><br/><br/></div>Florianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892849427910830481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9739140.post-68813262570027288012009-04-07T22:51:00.001-04:002009-04-07T22:51:01.101-04:00Blackberry OS 5.0 on a Curve 8900<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p><object height='350' width='425'><param value='http://youtube.com/v/Q1pq3L2PthU' name='movie'/><embed height='350' width='425' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' src='http://youtube.com/v/Q1pq3L2PthU'/></object></p><p>This was made possible by a tipster on BlackBerry 8900.</p></div>Florianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892849427910830481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9739140.post-55105916323310710872009-04-04T20:21:00.001-04:002009-04-04T20:21:01.595-04:00Inamo Restaurant London<div style="float: right; margin-left: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cizake/3411289827/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3368/3411289827_3c60fe279b_m.jpg" alt="" style="border: solid 2px #000000;" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: 0.9em; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cizake/3411289827/">Inamo Collage</a><br />Originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/cizake/">Florian SEROUSSI</a></span></div>Paul Walsh recommended the place but I had no idea it was going to be so fun. An amazing restaurant located in the heart of Soho where the table is the center of attraction. <br />Overhead are space-age projectors that turn your table into a sexy kind of Surface. The tablecloth becomes a touch-sensitive screen. You can scan a menu, or hail a cab, at the click of a button. You can even change the look of your table (clouds, bamboo, etc) - a bit like wallpaper on your computer. It took few minutes to figure out what we wanted and amazingly meals arrived promptly in our plates.<br />Animo has great food presentation. Minimalistic fusion food but portions are ok. <br />Black cod menu was tasty and so well presented you don't want to take a bite.<br />Looking good is easy but tasting great is something else. Inamo wins this challenge from top to bottom.<br />Geekiest restaurant on earth. You can visit their website http://www.inamo-restaurant.com/. <br /><br />Inamo<br />134-136 Wardour Street,<br />Soho, London, W1F 8ZP<br clear="all" />Florianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892849427910830481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9739140.post-41165176324002254282009-03-17T20:55:00.001-04:002009-03-17T20:55:51.129-04:00Did you know?<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>Amazing facts and figures. Please watch and learn something today.<br/><br/><div class='youtube-video'><object width='400' height='300'><param value='true' name='allowfullscreen'> </param><param value='always' name='allowscriptaccess'> </param><param value='http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=2030361&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1' name='movie'> </param><embed width='400' height='300' allowscriptaccess='always' allowfullscreen='true' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' src='http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=2030361&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1'> </embed> </object></div><br/><a href='http://vimeo.com/2030361'>Did You Know?</a> from <a href='http://vimeo.com/user297099'>Amybeth</a> on <a href='http://vimeo.com'>Vimeo</a>.<br/><br/><div class='zemanta-pixie'><img src='http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=3c7ef3e2-18fb-42d6-8af1-c5a9f358c343' class='zemanta-pixie-img'/></div></div>Florianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892849427910830481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9739140.post-82337356640363132402009-02-27T10:11:00.001-05:002009-02-27T10:11:26.728-05:00US economy worse recovery system<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><embed flashvars='playerId=videolandingpage&playerTemplateId=fncLargePlayer&categoryTitle=&referralObject=3479955&referralPlaylistId=playlist' width='305' height='275' wmode='false' scriptAccess='always' salign='LT' menu='false' scale='noscale' play='false' name='undefined' quality='high' allowFullScreen='true' allowScriptAccess='always' bgcolor='#000000' pluginspage='http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer' id='mediumFlashEmbedded' src='http://foxnews1.a.mms.mavenapps.net/mms/rt/1/site/foxnews1-foxnews-pub01-live/current/videolandingpage/fncLargePlayer/client/embedded/embedded.swf' type='application/x-shockwave-flash'> </embed><br/><br/><div class='zemanta-pixie'><img src='http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=568071d2-7479-4c7b-ae3e-025a028731d9' class='zemanta-pixie-img'/></div></div>Florianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892849427910830481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9739140.post-22081504605113988212009-02-25T22:14:00.001-05:002009-02-25T22:14:24.954-05:00The crisis of Credit visualized<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><div class='youtube-video'><object height='225' width='400'><param value='true' name='allowfullscreen'> </param><param value='always' name='allowscriptaccess'> </param><param value='http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=3261363&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1' name='movie'> </param><embed height='225' width='400' allowscriptaccess='always' allowfullscreen='true' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' src='http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=3261363&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1'> </embed></object></div><br/><a href='http://vimeo.com/3261363'>The Crisis of Credit Visualized</a> from <a href='http://vimeo.com/jonathanjarvis'>Jonathan Jarvis</a> on <a href='http://vimeo.com'>Vimeo</a>.<br/><br/><div class='zemanta-pixie'><img src='http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=3811b25a-89bc-491b-bc0d-290f4e09f247' class='zemanta-pixie-img'/></div></div>Florianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892849427910830481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9739140.post-35355373159726797612009-02-19T12:26:00.001-05:002009-02-19T12:26:25.872-05:00Even in bad times, good ideas get funding<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>I was cleaning my bookmarks and came across this article posted on February 9th 2001. 8 years ago!! What can I say? It's so actual it is frightening. You can change few dates, add couple of words such as Web 2.0 and social networking, mention FaceBook and TechCrunch and you have a very good post for today.<br/>Bottom line it gives me hope this whole recession can be behind us soon. People have short memory. We forget!<br/>Please take 5 minutes and read text below.<br/><br/><i><b>A year ago, big-time venture capitalists were such revered individuals that you expected some enterprising entrepreneur would put their faces and track records on trading cards. People like Ann Winblad of Hummer Winblad Venture Partners and John Doerr of Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers were on their way to achieving rock star status. </b></i> <p><i> Then the technology bust of 2000 occurred and suddenly the watchwords became not "hot IPO" but "irrational exuberance." The VCs were suddenly not so VIP. </i></p><p><i>Yet at a recent Wharton conference entitled "Private Equity in the New Millennium," venture capitalists generally agreed that while things got a bit wild in the last year or two, the present and future can still be profitable. "Yes, times are different than they were three years ago, but they are also different than they were three months and even three days ago," said Jesse Reyes, managing director of Venture Economics, who reports on private equity performance in his company's Benchmark Reports. "The brand-new technology is not going to go away. Things will go in cycles." </i></p><p><i>Reyes said that he compares current conditions to those in the middle 1980s. In the early 1980s, a big wave of tech companies went public--Microsoft, Apple Computer, Compaq Computer, Lotus--with great fanfare and great gains. </i></p><p><i>"Then four or five years later, there was a giant hole," he said. "There were single-digit returns instead of the double-digits promised to investors in many companies, and the well of venture capital dried up considerably." </i></p><p><i>Reyes' statistics show that while the emphasis in the press seems to be on the slowdown in initial public offerings, of more significance is the fact that the median company received $27 million in venture capital in the fourth quarter of 2000; in the first quarter of 2001, it is getting only $15 million to $20 million. </i></p><p> <i><b>Getting real</b><br/>"The days of $25 million first-round funding are indeed gone," said Dan Roach, managing director of Garage.com, the Silicon Valley-based venture firm. "But the opportunities are still there. Good ideas continue to be funded and valuations will just be more realistic." </i> </p><p><i>The theme of "We're still here for good ideas" was repeated over and over by the venture capitalists at the conference. "It certainly was an interesting time two years ago, quite heady," said Steve DesJardin, a partner in Encore Venture Partners. "But often good ideas came around, and there weren't enough good people to run them. Now we think it's a time of great opportunity if, and only if, you have a long-term, at least three-to-seven-year time line...You should be a builder, not a trader. Traders have cloaked themselves as VCs. But true VCs look to build companies. As a good VC, you are as much a part of the companies as the entrepreneurs." </i></p><p><i>Safeguard Scientifics, a publicly traded technology incubator and fund investor, has lost about 90 percent of its market value in recent months. But Garrett Melby, Safeguard's vice president of e-services, said the company was doing business much the same as it has in other business cycles. "We have prospered when the markets were favorable and built companies when they were not," said Melby. "While the opportunities for entrepreneurs and careers in venture capital are obviously not as strong as in the last two or three years, tech investing is still a great place to be. </i></p><p><i>"There may be fewer opportunities, but they will be attractive ones," he added. "The rates of return may not be as rapid, but the ideas that are being funded now have better long-term business plans, so in the long run, that is what will work." </i></p><p><i>Carter Sednaoui, CFO of Accel Partners, said his firm has of late avoided health care ventures, but, ironically, its health-care portfolio has contributed more than $26 million to Accel's bottom line, more than its tech portfolio. The company's success comes because "we are development drillers, not wildcatters," said Sednaoui. "It's been one hell of a party the last five years, but essentially, we haven't done anything different from the previous 15; it's just that everyone was more successful. Venture capital is an interesting business, but what the recent times prove is that you should not be attracted merely by the financial gratifications, but by the idea of building companies." </i></p><p><i>Robert Walsh, a general partner at Summit Partners, a late-stage growth investment firm, suggested that valuations across all industries won't be rising rapidly for a while and thus anyone thinking about becoming a venture capitalist had better be creative and do his or her research. "Everyone now has to think about being on the leading edge in ideas. IT (information technology) services, for instance, was big for us in 1997 through 1999, but not now. You have to be looking for the next thing, or someone will beat you to it...On the other hand, there is no short-term path, though it seemed that way to those who jumped in during the last couple of years. Your job is to help entrepreneurs build their dreams and so to build yours." </i></p><p><i>Some venture capitalists contend that now is actually a better time for the venture capitalist industry than two years ago. "The risk is out," said Fred Wilson, managing partner at Flatiron Partners, a New York venture firm. "Too many companies were being formed in one industry or another and values were too high. Now more bad companies, or at least bad valuations, are unlikely to occur. There may be fewer deals, but more will be good ones." </i></p><p> <i><b>Intensive care</b><br/>Venture capitalists should not be afraid to sunset companies that aren't going to make it in the long run, added Accel Partners' Sednaoui. "We actually have an intensive care unit at Accel. On Mondays, we discuss those companies in the ICU and see whether we can help them succeed...The point is to make money. Sometimes that means getting out." </i> </p><p><i>But the real question is when to get in. And the venture capitalists at the conference agreed that there is no magic formula for that. </i></p><p><i> "How do you value a company? To tell you the truth, I have no idea," said Jason Sanders, general partner at Crosslink Capital. "I don't mean that to sound stupid. But it is more an art than a science. The problem is that if you are wrong, your investment can go down to zero, and if you are right, you can make a lot of money. It is an art not everyone can do." </i></p><p><i>Sam Baker, managing director of the private equity group at Pilgrim Baxter & Associates, agreed with the art versus science notion. </i></p><p><i>Pricing a venture deal is an art because "you are forecasting cash flow way out," he said. "You can jerk yourself around with an Excel spreadsheet, but (it's important) to keep in mind that you want to invest in companies and managements that will grow over time. This is not just about the next quarter." </i></p><p><i>Roach attributed much of his company's success to Garage.com's dynamic founder, Guy Kawasaki. "Guy is a shameless promoter of our portfolio companies," said Roach. "It's a California thing. You have to do that to make your money the best and the smartest. To be a successful venture capitalist, you have to be proactive. You hear the word 'network' a lot, but that is what it is all about. </i></p><p><i>"You have to build it into your psyche that you are always looking," Roach added. "The people who are most successful are extremely networked. They meet people at conferences, they send Christmas cards, they make notes. When it comes time to make that important phone call, that other person will say, 'Yes, I had lunch with that guy in June,' and that may seal the deal." </i></p><p><i>Most importantly, the venture capitalists told the audience, it is vital to know that you are doing business and not being sentimental. "You can be friendly and nice, but you want most to be commercially successful," said Mitchell J. Blutt, executive partner at J.P. Morgan Partners. "If you are commercially focused, the company you are funding will appreciate you because you have made your objectives clear. Then your friendliness isn't a mask." </i></p><p><i>And lifting that mask can be very important when you have something negative to say. "It's great to have everyone in the room feel good (about a deal)," said Baker, of Pilgrim Baxter." But the important thing is to have everything go right. Every good firm needs a bastard who sees through this feel-good thing and says, 'Wait a minute. We have only $5 million left, and there are some things we have to do'. That is the difference between a feel-good bad deal and one that works."</i></p><p><i>Actual link: http://tinyurl.com/anz7ms<br/></i> </p><br/><br/><div class='zemanta-pixie'><img src='http://img.zemanta.com/pixy.gif?x-id=db337f33-6ed4-4f57-8737-a261889e5d42' class='zemanta-pixie-img'/></div></div>Florianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892849427910830481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9739140.post-20997094128633545742009-02-19T09:24:00.001-05:002009-02-19T09:24:44.430-05:00the T-Mobile Dance<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><p><object height='350' width='425'><param value='http://youtube.com/v/_PWX0P9fyuA' name='movie'/><embed height='350' width='425' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' src='http://youtube.com/v/_PWX0P9fyuA'/></object></p><p>I like this ad for Tmobile. Major change from 3 bars, network, 3g, BB BS ads.</p></div>Florianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07892849427910830481noreply@blogger.com0