Rule of thumb:
Tim, pls find time to read Great ideas!
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
21-2-2006 讀報
9:41 AM
Today, I with my family went to Mr TS Wong for fortune-stick picking, and discovered I have the same no. with Ella.
第六十四籤 孟子反殿師
奔殿須知上古人，入門策馬不誇能；
敗師誰肯甘從後，託謂鳴驄畏苦辛。
New and started:
Fast Second Constantinos C. Markides, Paul A. Geroski, Publisher: Jossey-Bass (October 29, 2004)
Leaving Microsoft to Change the World John Wood, Publisher: Collins (August 29, 2006)
網上開鋪實戰秘笈 2007-02-21, 壹本便利, TE010, 創業板, 創業通
多面手．陳淑莊 2007-02-21, 明報, D04, 世紀人文‧關懷‧視野, 世紀．People, 鄭依依
23元生命飲管 創百億元市場 11億人缺乾淨水 水源管理有錢途 2007-02-21, 香港經濟日報, A12, 國際專題, 黎卓賢、謝媛彰、許懿安、陳國勳、韓嘉恩
量子電腦快將面世 2007-02-21, 信報財經新聞, P29, 副刊, 解碼, 狄高
夫妻唔懂性…… 2007-02-21, 明報, D07, 副刊, 姜素婷 ←虧佬性經
格仔鋪熱開遍全城 2007-02-21, 壹本便利, TE009, 創業板, 商機收料站
An idea a day:
74. Provide a free online text to speech (Speech synthesis) platform, and letting people to download content of wikipedia into mp3.
Take a look at Talkr, a online software that convert written blog into podcast.
You will be a walking encyclopedia at once, as you are holding all the knowledge in this world into your ipod.
With this service, you could learn any topic that interest you anytime, no need to bring a whole pile of notes/ books.
One practical use could be for travel purpose.
Before going to any country/ historical place, you need to know some background in order to feel the history/meaning. At present, you need to read related articles either prior to the trip, or bring a travel guide with you and read during the trip. All guide, LPs, Fodor's, Frommer's, Rough Guides just weight like a encyclopedia, reading it is gruelling, especially when you are walking.
If we could have all the information condensed into MP3 in ipod, we could listen to it at plane, or listening while browsing the place. The playlist of MP3 can be setted so as to match with your itinerary. The MP3 guides can also be setted just like CD guides in museum, introducing every details within an attraction, as you could drill down wikipedia to find the finest and trivial-est information, which could not be possible for any travel guide in this world.
Following is a sample playlist of HK travel:
1. Brief HK introduction
2. Hong Kong Disney
3. Tsim Sha Tsui
4. Stanley
5. Central and Western District
6. Sai Kung
7. Lei Yue Mun
After listening to all those MP3, I think you would be more local than any locals.
There are many podcast on the net and website of travel guides, but they are all not as organized as the print-version, and they are all about feeling/ travelogues, they are not guide for you to know information of the attractions.
One alternative could be for the guides to produce MP3 version of print guides, but this certain need $$.
Comments:
There is a similar idea in: Dayout NZ, it is a Audio(MP3) Guides for New Zealand.
It is divided into different regions, then introduce places like museums, harbours etc.
This service is free of charge.
Paris audio guide is what you are talking in the end of your idea, about MP3 travel guide.
Of course, these 2 guide can not beat your wiki-travel, when we are talking about the depth of information traveller require.
In wiki guide, traveller could adjust what they want to know, in stead of spoon-feeding with a company (may be biaed) information.
posted by 
@ Wednesday, February 21, 2007 at 4:58:00 PM GMT+8
@ Wednesday, February 21, 2007 at 4:58:00 PM GMT+8Talkr is cool, the speech effect is surprisingly good~
posted by @ Wednesday, February 21, 2007 at 5:26:00 PM GMT+8
@ Wednesday, February 21, 2007 at 5:26:00 PM GMT+8Talkr is quite funny, and it has been around for more than a year, i think the starting date could be back to 2005.
Talkr is recently buy-out by another tech firm called " LiveOnTheNet", and the 100% buy-out price is not large, just USD$25k up-front plus a USD$25k earn out.
This low price probably indicates that Talkr was more of a 'feature' than a business.
This is the common weakest link to all web2.0 startup, disregarding the revenue model.
posted by @ Thursday, February 22, 2007 at 10:55:00 AM GMT+8
@ Thursday, February 22, 2007 at 10:55:00 AM GMT+8This idea seems very work, all technology is up and running!
posted by @ Thursday, February 22, 2007 at 11:35:00 AM GMT+8
@ Thursday, February 22, 2007 at 11:35:00 AM GMT+8