Interactive movie

This is rather old piece of news but still interesting to me. The audience of an interactive movie prefers having their individual choice taken into consideration (instantly and at several times during the film) over having the audience's majority vote decide the direction of the movie. At least, this is the experience of the writers, Ali Bali and Violaine Meunier. The 19-minute long episode is found here.

Getting back behind bars

I'm taking up my old summer job as a bartender tonight. I realise now that I've missed mixing flavours to the joy of others, and not just for me and some friends. I feel so inspired, actually, that I just might trade the summer beer for drinks this summer. A speciality tonight will be the Japanese Slipper, add a cherry on bottom and voilà, a treat for both eye and taste buds!

And what's the occasion you might ask. Well, just anything you could imagine. That summer's in the air, for instance, or that it's been 50 years and one day since the first public tv broadcast took place in Finland. A reason as good as any to raise a toast. Or that it's only one year until the 50th anniversary of more or less regular tv-broadcasting, both in Finland and in the UK (the first widely available tv broadcast took place in November 1936 from Alexandra Palace in the UK). Or that it is about 830 days left until the switch from analogue to digital tv-broadcasting in Finland. There are thousands of occasions worth attention.

CfP for the 4th Euro ITV

The first call for papers is announced for the fourth European Interactive TV conference. The theme for next year's Euro ITV is "Beyond Usability, Broadcast and TV".

The conference is taking place in Athens May 18-19 next year, which suits me absolutely perfectly as the preliminary date for the final of the Eurovision Song Contest in Athens is the 20th May. Man, I'd love to get tickets to that musical feast!!

Blogs are all around me...

The titel makes me think of the version "Christmas is all around" (a cover of the Trogg's Love is all around) sung in the movie Love actually. It makes me smile goofily everytime I think of it, what a feel-good movie :)

It is true though, blogs are all around me it seems nowadays. Blogs have been a buzz in the news and perhaps therefore, quite a few people have asked me what's the deal with blogs (to mimic Jerry Seinfeld...), why do you write them, for whom and about what topics? Some have also started their own blogs, like Emmi and my former boss, member of parliament Astrid Thors. Welcome to the world of blogging, my friends!

Finland gets bronze medal in IT use

Finland gets the bronze medal in internet use in the EU. According to a recent study by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European communities, the highest level of internet usage in the EU in 2004 was found among Swedes, followed by the Danes and the Finns.

According to this study, the proportion of men using the net is higher than for women. This does not however apply to the Baltic countries and Finland where the surfing is more equal.