Panorama español… vamos mal, doblemente mal.

January 27, 2009

ZapateroDesgraciadamente, estoy siguiendo el programa televisivo donde Zapatero responde a las preguntas de unos ciudadanos. Digo desgraciadamente porque tendría que estar en estos momentos en New York trabajando, pero una gripe ha impedido que viaje, qué le vamos a hacer.

Creo que de alguna manera la crisis financiera internacional ayuda a Zapatero a explicar el desastre económico del Estado Español. Es obvio que esta crisis sin precedentes (tan bien explicada, advertida y razonada por Marc Vidal) está afectando de una forma drástica y dramática a España como al resto de Europa y al mundo entero. Esta coyuntura ayuda a explicar la situación actual económica de España. No creo que nuestro único problema económico sea la grave crisis financiera internacional.
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Research and Innovation in Microsoft and Apple

January 20, 2009

Traditional wisdom would suggest that Research and Innovation are concepts that are strongly interrelated. Research is about searching new ways to solve problems, and innovation is about figuring out new ways of achieving tasks. In Computer Science, both terms could be interpreted as the former being the predecessor of the latter. Research is more at the theoretical level, and innovation involves some real application development.

In my opinion, Microsoft and Apple have completely different approaches regarding research and innovation. Microsoft is very well known for its research excellence and has developed the most prestigious computer science research centers with top quality computer scientists researching on all kinds of interesting topics. Apple, on the other hand, is not really known as a strong company doing computer science research. Interestingly, in my opinion, Apple is clearly much more into innovation than Microsoft. Doesn’t it seem like a contradiction? Think for a moment about the most innovative products Microsoft has released in the last couple of decades -which is an eternity in computer science. In the last 5 years, Apple has changed the way we enjoy music with iPod+iTunes, the concept of mobile phones with its iPhone, and I think the way we use computers with very advanced UI concepts. They are also proposing very unique and advance hardware and software packs such as the Time Capsule, or the new iPhoto.
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El Taller de Caldetes

January 18, 2009

Molt bon restaurant senzill i familiar. És una braseria coneguda per la seva especialitat en cargols i on s’hi poden menjar carns a la brasa. Bona qualitat a bon preu al Maresme, aixi definiria el restaurant del carrer de Sant Pere, 1 a Caldes d’Estrac. Ideal com a restaurant familiar.

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Perelada Blanc de Blancs 2007

January 16, 2009

Perelada, blanc de blancs

Bodega: Castell de Perelada
Nom: Blanc de Blancs
Zona d’elaboració: D.O. Empordà
Varietats: Macabeu, Garnatxa blanca, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc
Collita: 2007
Criança: Vi jove
Preu: < 6 euros

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Diego el Cigala al Liceu

January 9, 2009

Diego el Cigala inagurava avui el Festival Flamenc de Cajón al Gran Teatre del Liceu amb el seu últim treball Dos Lágrimas que combina el seu estil flamenc pròpi amb altres gèneres com boleros, guagancós, danzones i tangos. El resultat d’aquesta combinació de gèneres, més la veu increible de Diego el Cigala acompanyada d’un grup de músics de primer ordre en un entorn com el liceu de Barcelona fa que el concert fós una experiència inigualable! El concert va comptar amb la col·laboració del gitano català cantant de boleros Moncho i la Remedios Amaya, una de les cantaoras preferides de Camarón. I al final els germans Farruquito es van apuntar al sarau… tota una explosió flamenca de primeríssim nivell. Immillorable! Remarco especialment la interpretació llarguíssima que van fer del Dos Gardenias i Si Te Contara…

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Organizing and Searching Pictures with Apple

January 7, 2009

Today I’ve learned about the new features offered in the recently launched version of iLife’09 from Apple. I am astonished to see how Apple is always able to innovate in their consumer products. This time they are revolutionizing the way we organize and search pictures on desktop computers. The most traditional way of organizing the pictures in a computer is to group the pictures into folders that somehow make sense as albums. The user had to do this tedious work, and as expected very often the result is that many of us have very good intentions but very bad results and experiences with organizing (and thus searching in) our large collections of pictures. Apple did a great job in the earlier versions of iPhoto (part of iLife) by automatically grouping pictures by date resulting in folders called events. That was simple, but elegant and useful. But today, they are changing the world, again. iPhoto will recognize faces in your pictures, without any effort, with very insignificant manual intervention. Here you can find out a video that explains very well how this process works.
Recognizing faces in pictures
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2008 in 40 seconds

January 5, 2009

Eirik Solheim has published this amaizingly well engineered video that summarizes last year from his window in 40 seconds. He has been taking pictures from the exact same location every day during 2008, and has recently put together all the images that form this very interesting video. Enjoy!

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Abadia Raimat, criança 2005

January 5, 2009

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Bodega: Raimat
Nom: Abadia Criança
Zona d’elaboració: D.O. Costers del Segre
Varietats: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Tempranillo
Collita: 2005
Preu: < 6 euros

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Cune, criança 2005

January 5, 2009

Cune, criança 2005

Bodega: CVNE
Nom: Cune
Zona d’elaboració: D.O. Rioja
Varietats: Tempranillo, Garnatxa Negre, Mazuelo
Collita: 2005
Preu: < 6 euros

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Kynoto, un excel·lent sushi bar

January 4, 2009

Kynoto

Ahir vaig tenir la gran experiència de sopar al Kynoto, un magnífic sushi bar situat darrera de correus, al carrer Correu Vell, 8. Cal dir que el restaurant és d’uns amics/familiars meus, i sincerament el recomano a qualsevol persona que vulgui degustar bon sushi en un ambient íntim, familiar, i sense floritures inecessàries. El sushi és de molt bona qualitat i preparat al moment. El preu per persona és aproximadament d’uns 25-30 euros, val la pena! Jo no sóc un coneixador de tot el món del sushi però em va encantar el sopar i pot ser una bona introducció al tema japonès per algú com jo que encara no s’hi hagi endinssat. Jo repetiré!

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