I’m changing hosting service but there was some delay with the domain transfer… now that I’m moving to Amsterdam I’m kinda busy but my personal blog will be back online soon…. in the meanwhile why not visit my other blog, Conference Basics?

cheers

gian

La Mediateca Santa Teresa era piena come mai prima. Cos’è che ha portato tutto questo pubblico ad incontrare Cory Doctorow? Chiedendo ad alcuni, mentre faccio da buttafuori della sala per permettere ai tecnici di finire con le prove, mi rendo conto che non tutti sanno chi è o di cosa parlerà il relatore della serata. Seppur lanciati all’ignoto, si vede che comunque sono stati catturati di quanto è successo perché nessuno di loro ha poi lasciato la sala fino alla fine dell’evento.

Si sono incontrati con un giovane… comunicatore (blogger o giornalista mi sembrano riduttive e non era neanche in vesti da scrittore di fantascienza di successo) che ha raccontato di aver più paura dell’oscurità (d’informazione) che della condivisione, anche illegale, di contenuti. Sarà per questo che i suoi libri si possono scaricare gratuitamente dal suo sito, ma non solo. Cory racconta come in questo modo lui vende più copie cartacee dei suoi scritti.

Ha parlato di DRM, una tecnologia destinata al fallimento sin dalla nascita: creata per limitare la diffusione illegale di contenuti digitali, le più avanzate tecniche di crittografia commerciale sono sempre state battute. Ormai ci sono troppi cervelli collegati online e la Digital Rights Management lascia fuori solo chi è meno intelligente del creatore, e per fortuna siamo circondati di geek intelligentissimi! Tutti i soldi che sono stati dedicati alle DRM (centinaia di milioni di dollari), non potevano essere investiti meglio? Per assurdo, ci ha raccontato di una tale azienda di software che aveva deciso di rendere le cose tanto difficili ai pirati in Russia che praticamente neanche chi voleva parlare per i giochi poteva acquisirli… e quindi anche loro gli cercavano pirattati.

Cory Doctorow predica la condivisione non (solo) perché lui si definisce un “dot.communist” ma perché quando condividiamo le nostre idee, creatività e risorse, siamo in grado di raggiungere obiettivi più grandi, addirittura sovrumani!

Lui e’ un disruptor… uno di quei personaggi che accelerano la transizione tra un era che non esiste più -ma fa fatica ad andar via- ed una che non arriva abbastanza in fretta per cambiare i paradigmi sociali che governano il nostro mondo. “Per duplicare le tue chance di successo, triplica quelle di fallimento!”. Pensate che oggi il costo di utilizzo delle tecnologie di collaborazione e pubblicazione online e’ cosi’ basso che il 90% delle cose che condividiamo sulla rete “è un sacco di merda” (definizione tecnica utilizzata dal relatore). Considerando che quello che finisce in rete è ormai immortale (volendo ci sono sempre dei server sparsi nella “nuvola” che duplicano ad eternum i nostri contenuti).

Alienazione? Riduzione dei rapporti sociali? Ma che dite?! Oggi, grazie a internet, restiamo in contatto (per amore, lavoro, amicizia, ecc) con chi abita dall’altra parte del mondo…

Semplice la risposta che ha dato a chi ha chiesto sul presunto paradosso dei giornali che rischiano di sparire allo stesso tempo che i blogger famosi vogliono diventare giornalisti… “Non vedo il problema. Se ci saranno giornalisti, ci saranno giornali di qualche tipo”. Magari non di carta, perché non riescono a finanziarsi con la pubblicità su un formato che da pochi vantaggi se comparato alle innumerevoli variabili di targetting disponibili per chi comunica online. E poi, non parliamo di obbligare ai blogger ad avere “licenze”…. neanche i giornalisti dovrebbero averle!

Cory Doctorow è stato un po’ troppo formale per quello che mi aspettavo (quando lo leggo su BoingBoing mi sembra l’opposto) ma ha fatto uno speech ben strutturato e pulito. Chiaro nei messaggi e accessibile a un pubblico che era molto vario. Speriamo che almeno un 10% di quello che ha detto resti e provochi qualcosa. Se sarà cosi’, il Meet The Media Guru (tale è il nome dell’evento che l’ha portato in Italia) può considerarsi un grandissimo successo.

Guarda le mie foto della serata

(this post is for my Italian readers and regards an event that will take place in Milan next Friday in which Cory Doctorow will be the main speaker)

Questo venerdì 6 marzo, ci sarà Cory Doctorow al Meet The Media Guru, evento organizzato da MGM Digital Communication (ovvero dalla mia amica Maria Grazia Mattei) e io ci sarò tra il pubblico (sto anche collaborando con la promozione del progetto).

Perché dovete venire?

Perché Cory e’ un acuto osservatore e diffusore della cultura digitale. Con il suo stile irriverente, veloce e ironico ha co-creato BoingBoing.net, un punto di riferimento della comunicazione del web che completa il modo nel quale ci “informiamo”. Il suo contributo (insieme ai vari redattori) è un complemento valido al giornalismo tradizionale, spesso molto lento o non abituato a “giocare” con i media contemporanei.

Allo stesso tempo Cory è un proficuo autore di fantascienza. Oltre ai vari riconoscimenti ricevuti in passato, il suo Little Brother è stato appena nominato per il premio Nebula, il più importante nell’ambito della letteratura di fantascienza.

La sua creatività non si ferma qui e questa la applica anche alle sue analisi e riflessioni su tecnologia, futuro e le implicazioni sociali della tecnica (scrive anche su Wired, New York Times, Popular Science e Make Magazine).

Convinto sostenitore di Creative Commons, Cory è anche simpatico, giovane e aperto allo scambio di idee…

Non vi sembrano abbastanza ragioni per venire alla Mediateca Santa Teresa? Allora meglio che state a casa (ma comunque potete seguire il suo intervento su Mogulus)!

Ci vediamo!

ps: l’evento è ad ingresso libero fino ad esaurimento posti. Registratevi sul sito o su Facebook

Today I grabbed two newspapers: USA Today (for free at the hotel) and The Examiner (for free on the street). These are the news that caught my attention:

• General Motors will be discontinuing (or selling) the Hummer line of SUVs by the end of this quarter (yippie!!). It seems these guzzlers have been deadly wounded when the fuel price skyrocketed and now that Obama is in power, they’ve become politically incorrect.
• Apple is selling online music lessons through the Garage Band software. The price is 4.99 USD. Some of the lessons are given by the artists themselves… think John Fogerty and Norah Jones.
• Starbucks’ CEO Howard Schultz presented yesterday “Via“, a new instant coffee product that is said to taste just as the coffee brewed at the Starbucks shops. Howie, what about concentrating in the actual shops rather that launching new non-life-changing products? The “starbucks experience” in the US is really mediocre compared to that in Canada, Japan, Switzerland and Spain, other countries where the international coffee company is also present. For example, in Japan and Spain you can ask for a mug instead of a paper cup if you’re having your coffee at the store. That used to happen in the US but now it hardly does. In Tokyo, when you throw away your waste, you have to separate it in “burnable” (napkings, wooden sticks, papers, etc) and “non burnable” (plastics) for a better recycling and handling of garbage. In most shops abroad you have couches too. In Toronto I was surprised that they voluntarily don’t put a plastic cover on your beverage or the cardboard thing for handling hot cups, and you can decide if you need it or not. Saves money for them but also produces less waste.
• Everyone is concerned about A-Rod being injected steroid by his cousin some years ago.
• It seems that toilet torching (that is burning down portable toilets) is a big issue in San Francisco, as 23 have been set ablaze recently. I thought the Wii was the most interesting divertissement for young people here, but it seems I was wrong (again).
• Meg Whitman, the ex-eBay CEO, is seeking to become governor of California in 2010 and in the meanwhile is promissing 2,000,000 jobs. It seems she will bid them on eBay…
• Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, the pilot who safely landed his plane in the Hudson river las Janaury, was declared an “international hero” by governator Mr. Schwarzenegger.
• And talking about Scharzenegger, remember the spaceport scene in Total Recall? TSA will start testing body scanning machines in several airports as a trial. They cost aprox 170,000 usd compared to 10,000 usd of traditional machines, but they seem to be more successful at looking through clothing for hidden weapons (in particular non-metallic weapons or liquid explosives). There are some concerns about privacy or the fact that it might take about 60 seconds to scan each person, but I guess that once we get used to them it will be faster than now, in particular because we won’t have to strip down before passing through the scanner, as we actually do (specially in american ariports where you have to take off your shoes and other stuff).

• Yesterday, about 25% of USA’s TV stations cut off their analog signals because they switched to digital. They’ve been preparing the viewers for the last 2 years, but many of them did not upgrade to a digital TV and now have nothing to watch to.
• A woman in Salt Lake City used the “wedgie”  technique (pulling someone’s underwear from behind to smash his balls) she had learnt in school to stop a burglar from stealing a car.
• My horoscope for today says” Taurus: making specific plans may seem frightening yo tou now. It’s because you’re playing with an idea and neet to work it through before you start mixing and mingling again. You need to feel free to chase your whims”. Btw, I actually feel free to chase my whims…
• According to the weather forecast, the next two days will be sunny.

A classic activity of end of year is summarizing the last 12 months. My 2008 has been full of good things, many as part of my sabbatical. These are a few pictures of the places I visited and the people I encountered. Many more photos should be included, but some weren’t taken and thousands are waiting in my hard disk to be processed…

Trips

People

and these are some taken in the studio in Tokyo

So you’re planning to buy a second-hand Hasselblad in Tokyo? I will tell you my experience that you might find useful. I recently bought a Hasselblad 503cx with an A-12 back and a Zeiss 80mm/2.8 lens (the so called “basic kit”).

My hunt for a ‘Blad started a month ago after I had used one several times at National Photo’s studio in Harajuku (btw you can rent their 503CX by 6,000 yen/day or 3,000 yen/day if you use it at their studio). Initially I was interested in a Rolleiflex, but after playing with the Hasselblad 503CX I found that its size was rather manageable and that being able to change lenses and the film back was an advantage. I had discarded a Mamiya RZ67 because of it’s big size and weight, though this camera is relatively cheap in Japan compared to Rolleis and Hassies.

Before visiting the shops I did some research on which model to look for. This article by Karen Nakamura on the Hasselblad 500 series gave a lot of useful tips.

Since the Euro has dropped against the Yen (near 40%!!), it has been difficult to find bargains in Tokyo… if only I had bough it 3 months earlier… Tokyo is a paradise for buying used cameras, specially foreign brands like Leica, Voightlander, Rollei and Hasselblad, but also for locals like Mamiya, Canon and Nikon. There is a huge offer (it is said that 2/3 of all the Leicas ever produced are here in Japan) and the conditions of the hardware are usually excelent as Japanese people tend to be maniac with their photo-gear (and not only).

There are no certainties on when a good piece of hardware is going to be available and at what price, so the best thing is to visit the shops frequently. After wandering around several ones, these became my points of reference:

Lemon Camera in Ginza (see map)

Lemon is a big shop and a point of reference for new and second-hand cameras in Tokyo. Located in the 8th floor of a building that hosts a church, it is a paradise for people who adhere to the religion of photography.  As most shops here, they have an impressive array of Leica but also Rollei, Hasselblad, Nikon, Canon, Olympus, Pentax, Mamiya and some Horseman and other niche products. Prices are on the lower side of the spectrum (that is good) and they have high quality products and a long standing reputation for serious business. On used cameras, they get a % of the price, which is usually set by the seller, so there is no negotiation on the final price. The staff is very professional and some of them speak a bit of English. They accept major credit cards. At Lemon I found several 503 Hasselblads and many 500C/M plus lenses and backs.

Fujiya Camera in Nakano (see map)

Fujiya tends to have the best prices in new and used cameras. The shop is distributed in several buildings and Hasselblads are in the second floor of the main one (the same that carries Nikon gear). They have a smaller selection of Blads, but I found them all in good condition. Anticipation: I bought mine here (see the end of this article for more details). Some of the staff speak good enough English. The main store is a 1 minute walk from Nakano Station’s North exit.

Lucky Camera in Shinjuku (see map)

A small shop near the South entrance to the Shinjuku JR Station, Lucky camera had many expensive Hasselblads cramped on its shelves. Prices were more expensive than at Lemon or Fujiya. There was a lot of other interesting stuff and I suggest to visit it in case some good opportunities are available.

Map Camera in Shinjuku (see map)

Map Camera is divided in 2 buildings, one for Auto-Focus equipment and the other for Manual-Focus… although you will find medium format cameras in the basement of the former building. The first impact of this shop is given by the huge amount of Leicas that they have aligned in their shelves. Hasselblads are at the back of the basement and though the number of them is discrete compared to Lemon, there were several ones to choose from. The prices tend to be in the middle to high part of the spectrum, but quality is very high. I also found one of the members of staff that was fluent in English.

National Photo in Harajuku (see map)

These guys are Hasselblad experts (ask for Togashi-san if you need help, he is the ‘Blad expert and speaks English). They have few cameras on sale but each one of them is sent to Hasselblad in Sweden for a revision and eventual adjustment, so this is a solid warranty that the gear is in excelent condition. Their price tends to be on the high side of the spectrum because of this, but hey… if you want good quality and certainty on the state of the product it has a cost! The cameras are on the 2nd floor and you can also rent a lot of professional equipment (cameras, lenses, flashes, an even their excellent studio on the 3rd floor).

My final decision: I found 2 Hasselblad 503CX and a 503CXi kits at Fujiya and decided for the one in best conditions. The shop gave me a 10 days return period (money back if there is some problem with the camera or if you change your mind) and a 6 month warranty on eventual problems with it.

Links to more second-hand photography stores

This is a list of online resources to more camera shops:

• A Guide to New and Used Camera Shops in Tokyo
• Lightstalkers
• What’s Hot In The Tokyo Used Camera Biz?
• PhotoGuide Japan

Modern warfare was definitely changed in August 6th 1945, at about 8.15am local time. The Enola Gay B-52 bomber dropped the “little boy” on Hiroshima. The city was destroyed. A new era had begun.

It is difficult to see modern Japanese people, a peaceful society, as one of the instigators and fighting parties during WW2, though the Japanese history has been paved by their warlords and even the city of Edo, modern Tokyo, became relevant when shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu established his military government here, from where he and his clan then ruled the whole country.

Enough said.

More pics on flickr.

So, this post is intended mainly for italian speakers…

Finalmente si è confermata l’edizione milanese del Pangea Day: Pangea Day Milano!!

Prima di entrare nel dettaglio, alcuni di voi vi chiederete cosa c’entro. Ebbene, prima di partire per il mio sabbatico in Giappone, sono stato coinvolto in questo bellissimo progetto non-profit.

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mandatemi un’email a gianfranco(punto)chicco(at)gmail(punto)com

Riguardo all’evento, segue una mini descrizione: