Patrick de Laive

This morning I left Amsterdam to go to the DLD conference in Munich. I booked a flight with Virgin-express (the cheapest of the cheapest) from Brussels to Munich. When I say that I have a habit to forget stuff it’s an understatement. Boris always makes fun of me when a re-enter the room (like the detective colombo and Steve Jobs) and say: oh One More Thing… I forgot my keys, money, jacket, computer, iPod, helmet, etc.

I was a little bit late and before me there was an American (John) buying a ticket to brussels and wanted to pay with credit card, which wasn’t possible (off course! Hey we’re talking about the Dutch Railroads here. The least innovative company in the world!), so I decided to pay for his first class ticket and for his wife; in total 214 euros (otherwise I would mis my train!) I gave him my card with my bank account number on it, so he could transfer the money back to me. So that was my good deed for the day. In the end I was just in time for my train that would drop me at Brussels Airport one and a half hours before departure. Once I was at the airport a strange feeling came up in me, I knew I forgot something, but this time it was different. It felt like a REALLY forgot something, but I didn’t had a clue what…. And then it came! I saw the hostess of Virgin-Express and immediately I could feel my hart in my throat, I knew it!!!

SHIT I FORGOT MY PASSPORT!

Bye bye Munich, there was no way to get in the plane without the original papers. My roomie faxed me my drivers license and my passport (thanks), but it didn’t matter. The plane took of without me. I felt like a big time loser! I wanted to get back in the train to Amsterdam (3 hours) lock myself up in my room and stay there for at least a week without a phone or my computer.

So what should I do…? I re-manned (that’s not an english word I believe) myself and got into the train. The destination: Munich!

Apart from the fact that a train is 3 times more expensive than the plane, it is not a bad option, it has a bar and you can charge your computer, phone and iPod under your seat! I worked the whole way

I’ll arrive at 2 o’clock at night in my 13 euro a night hotel. I hope to get some sleep and then tomorrow…. finally DLD

I feel a lot better already (although I’m traveling without a passport, cannot go back by plane, I can get caught for not having any ID on me )

I tried to meet all of them for some years already, but for one reason or the other they are never where I am, not even in my favorite coffee bar!
But, my luck might be changing!! I got an invitation for the DLD conference (Digital Life Design) in Munich this weekend. And guess who will be there as well…..?

Good guess!

Unfortunately I’ll miss the performance of Nicolas Negroponte because the cheapest airline I could find only goes once a day at 16:20 hrs.

I have some ideas for some cool podcasts live from the conference, so it is time to get myself an audio recording device. The problem is that my birthday is just after the conference (the 24th) and I can’t afford one at the moment…
So the question is… Who is willing to lend me (or even better buy me) an audio recording device this weekend?
How about this… if you can lend/buy me the device I’ll make each one of them say your (company) name

I’m pretty exited to go and I’m looking forward to meet up with Tariq.

Fleck received 3 nominations for the Dutch Web2.0 Awards. In the categories:
- Most Innovative Concept
- Best Newcomer
- Best Dutch App
As of today people can vote. So, if you have 30 seconds, visit web20awards and do your thing.

Blueace is organizing the web2.0awards and Fleck is nominated in several categories:

-Most Innovative Concept
-Best Dutch App
-Best Newcomer

As of January everybody will be able to vote. So stay tuned.

The Long Tail is a widely spread phenomenon coined by Chris Anderson. Today is was checking some stats on fleck and noticed a long tail in visitors per country. These stats show where the latest 1000 Fleck visitors come from (unfortunately only the first 10 countries are shown ). It is a perfectly long tail. It seems we have to get multiple language support. Working on it:)

Next Friday (December the 1st) it is time for Bright Live. It’s a digital lifestyle event where a mixture of design and cutting edge technology is presented. I hope it will be the Dutch answer to NextFest!
Boris and I will be present to show Fleck.

We also host our first FUBB party! (check also upcoming)

It will be fun and your invited.

Tickets for Bright live are 15 euro and available on their website

A lot of blogs are installing the Fleck widget on their blogs that enables other readers to send articles to friends within the blink of an eye. But the widget of Music in control (its Dutch) is really cool! and in between Digg and del.ico.us, where it belongs .

But the owner of the site mentions an important thing: “With Fleck you can easily email your friends AND you promote music in control as well”.
So we thought that the widget would have a sort of viral effect for us, but in fact it is a nifty way for that blog to promote his own site on a very innovative way!”

This is a win win win situation:
1. the reader can easily (without any friction) share good stuff with friends, even with their remarks in the page.
2. the blog gets promoted.
3. Fleck does its thing.

Cool!

Present from JWE

Originally uploaded by Patrick de Laive.

This morning this del.icio.us cake was delivered at the Fleck HQs. Thanks a lot Jan Willem
And how did you know I didn’t had any breakfast this morning

L1130733.jpg

Originally uploaded by Guido van Nispen.

The Fleck team landed this morning at 9 o’clock in Amsterdam and at noon Guido van Nispen came by at Fleck HQ to make pictures of the Fleckees in the white suits.

Firefox users can view them through my eyes.

IE users, click here.

Just before the photo shoot, we released a new toolbar which fixes a lot of CSS bugs, is more stable and is just working All functionalities are the same. Try it!

We’re still at the office fighting our jet lag…..

For my FireFox friends only!
Check out the evidence of the Fleck Launch!

All IE friends, click here