I've been trying the free version of Delicious Library 2 for some days now. I hadn't been sure if I'd shell out the money to buy the full license -- it's just a collection management application after all! But when I put another book in front of my MacBook's built-in webcam to scan in its barcode and the application told me that it won't accept more than 25 items, I couldn't stop myself from ripping out my credit card. </a> This application is amazing. It doesn't do much more than managing your book, movie and music library. But it does it in a way that's totally appealing. Delicious Library displays your stuff neatly arranged on a virtual shelf. The tedious task of entering new items is made easy as pie by using the eyeSight camera as a barcode scanner. Every title recognized will be read out loudly by the OS X speech synthesizer. If you lend out a book, you just drag it onto the friend's contact (imported from the OS X Address Book) and enter the return date. Until checked in again, the item will be displayed as a ghostly image. I'm still surprised how knee-jerk this one software purchase happened. Seems like I'm getting more and more spontaneous the longer I've been using a Mac. I notice the same disturbing development when visiting the iTunes Music and App Store. I'll have to keep an eye on that behaviour. Anyway, you can see what's on my shelves at library.geewiz.de.

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He: Please never let me vegetate in such a situation -- dependent on machines, fed from a bottle of fluid nutriment. If you experience me in that condition, have the mercy to shut off the machines keeping me alive. She: Well, I'll rather throw away the telly and the computer and pour away your beer then. (Via Thilo Baum Lounge - Patientenverfügung)

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Wenn ich bei Stefan Niggemeier Artikel wie diesen und diesen lese, dann ist das viel besser als das dämliche Fernsehen mit seinen Galileo-Sendungen, die offenbar eine kräftige Mischung aus Wissensmagazin und Dauerwerbesendung sind. (The two articles linked report how a PR agency successfully put Subway brand placement into several popular knowledge programmes in German TV, how they uncovered everything by bragging about it and how they now are trying to get the genie back into the bottle).

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While Andy got his AKG 324 P for the first time and is very satisfied, I already bought my second pair last month because the first one got a bit worn out over time. As I wrote about the AKG 324 P on my old blog, they are in-ear headphones that sit snug in your ear, so you hear your music, podcast or audiobook while the volume of everything else around you is reduced to a minimum. I don't want to imagine what my two hours of train commute would do to my nerves if I had to endure all that the chatter and noise. I'm convinced that these earbuds have a great value for money and I'm happy that others like Andy share my impression.

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I really don't want to start the next daddy blog, but since Amalia currently does -- and for the foreseeable future will -- take a central place in my life, there'll be one or the other post about her. And, be honest, could you hold back on your pride if you had such a gorgeous litte daughter? Don't even get me started about how fascinating it is how she's developing her own body and sound language. And how totally amazed I am watching her successfully try and grab the cord of the jumping jack at her changing table. Seriously, don't ask me. My monologue would be more intense than any Linux pep talk I ever gave. And that means something.

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In 5 ways to prevent IT failure, I found five important reasons that IT projects go down the drain: Lack of preparation. Business misfit Unilateral decision making Inflexibility Scope creep Boy, do they remind me of some projects I had to endure. Especially the explanation of the last point, scope creep, hits home: Lack of preparation typically begets the kitchen-sink syndrome, where project leaders add in every kind of feature and the kitchen sink to boot. A project that doesn't have a clearly defined goal will most certainly be frustrating. And it will hurt the company since it'll be far from effective. The ZDnet article also talks about what you can do to make sure the problems above don't occur. Let's ask the audience: When you're taking part in projects, what do you do to prevent those project killers?

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If you enter the search keyword "Antwort" (answer) on the German Postal Service's website, you get more answers than you expected: The third search result proves that some web designers certainly are hoopy froods that know where their towels are.

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It had to happen. And you didn't expect me to withstand the temptation, did you? Thought so. So I'm an iPhone owner now. The only thing so far I'm not really happy about so far is the battery life. In my backpack, I always carry the charger and USB cable. But everything else is at least interesting if not totally amazing. The touch UI is great, and with time, I also manage typing text without missing every second virtual key. The applications I installed first were Instapaper, NetNewsWire, Evernote and, of course, Super Monkey Ball. To distract people like my precious from the reasons "gadget mania" and "Apple fanboyism", I'm trying out Omni Outliner, both on the Mac and on the iPhone. And to keep productivity from reaching unhealthy limits, I also installed Twinkle. As an interesting fact, both applications use the GPS function to be more effective. I'm looking forward to more interesting applications, but for me the iPhone already is a better tool than my Nokia E61 ever has been. PS: Because of the idiots at T-Mobile, I had to get a new cell phone number. If you still have my old Vodafone number (or even the long dead O2 number), please email me!

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It's that animal again that every cat lover recognizes as his own! This time, Simon answers the question often asked by bewildered visitors: "How come your cat has her own couch while you don't?" [youtube=[www.youtube.com/watch](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s13dLaTIHSg]) (Via fudder)

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This is especially for Kai: A claymation movie about a zombie-splattering maid! (Warning: Not for the faint of heart.) [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6d-tNXxTRBA&hl=en&fs=1] (Via Nerdcore)

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