I was browsing over YouTube with my roommate Artun when he showed me something amazing.

It’s a new device brought to the world by Korg. It’s called the Koassilator and it has over a 100 different musical programs, loads of beat patterns, piano’s, violins, synths and other applications. Here’s an example of the machine at work.

This one is also awesome, it’s called the Tenerion and the video below kind of shows the application of the product (when you’re a musical prodigy that is) and how awesome is it?! Her name is “Little Boots” and she seems to be pretty good at this and combines it with proper musical abilities. Big up and good luck with your career, I’m loving it!

I’m not someone who will buy and use it (I’m more a pen and paper, (Mac)book kind of guy) but I find it absolutely brilliant, it’s a machine that combines all the possibilities and virtues of making music into a box the size of a (rather large) pack of smokes. Another friend who was with me when Artun and me were watching the video, figured he still had 170 euros and that he would get ‘Stufi’ (Dutch governments contribution to university students) the 24th again (it was the 30th), took hold of my computer and ordered one straight away. (They cost 145,- euro) Brilliant action and I think for the (electronic) music-making enthusiasts among us an absolute ‘must-have’ for the new year.

I’ve found this other machine too, perhaps I’m a bit late as it was officially introduced somewhere in ’08′, but it’s pretty damn awesome non-the-less.

The ‘Surface’, brought to you by the ‘not so pragmatic’ (I’m quoting myself, sorry) people of Microsoft, but I’m really impressed by the tool they have created around the invention of Jeff Han shown first at one of the TED conventions. Watch Jeff’s video on TED here.

The Surface is a, well, table I guess, which gives the word table a whole new dimension. The table enables you to spread the world out on the table in front of you, literally. It has email application, can upload the snowboard you choose from a rack, into the table, and will than enable you to customize and share it (you can send your design to your friends through the ‘Live-application’, before you decided to order it, through the Surface.

As the Surface for its worldly introduction is aimed at high segment hospitality establishments, it has another awesome feature, the wine card (I believe they have the same for food, but I really liked the wine part). The wine glass carries an optical tag which is linked to the wine you have ordered through the Surface, this tag gives you a database of information about your wine at your disposal. When you say, well, I’d like t know where it comes from, tick,tick, there. Who’s the guy making it? Video podcast with the wine-farmer telling you about his product and the harvest and the year of harvest.

All and all, I truly believe this is very, very interesting as, the information addict I am, is always interested in background stories, further knowledge on a subject/product/issue of my interest.

What I don’t like about it though, is the ‘Windows only’ approach they took on it. Although I understand from a sales perspective, I’m not a great fan of Windows Live, and I believe I’m not the only one. Windows Live is barely alive and might therefore not be the best platform to limit the product to, for innovation of humanity kind of thing.

Well that’s all, for the Dutch people here, tomorrow Mankind is no Island will be getting some attention again. We have had an invitation from the primetime (1.5 million viewers) TV-Programme Life & Cooking to tell the story about the initiative and it’s aims and come for diner with two homeless people. Tomorrow @ 17.20 the show starts and Yussef and Edwin will be joining me to share their story about being homeless. I won’t eat because I’m joining the initiative from Avaaz to fast against the situation in Zimbabwe. You can join here.

For now, that’s all, enjoy your day!

Love & Peace,

Len

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