forumWeb.mobi and old friends

Posted on November 30th, 2007 in Internet, Italy, Technology, Trips & Travel by michele

Yesterday I attended the forumWeb.mobi event in Rome.

Let’s say that getting there has been difficult. Wednesday evening our train from Florence to Rome stopped just outside Florence’s main station, and wouldn’t move again. It took one hour and a half to bring us back into that very same station (we should have been in Rome by then!) and to be boarded on a second train. We made it to Rome just 135 minutes late. Thanks, Trenitalia (main Italian railway company).

In Rome we found an unannounced, totally wild strike involving all taxi drivers. Thanks, who-cares-about-the-rules taxi drivers, hope you get what you truly deserve (no, I’m not thinking about higher fares). Somehow we made it to our hotel just before midnight, and the following morning we managed to get to the meeting venue.

Back to the event, the topic being discussed was bringing “the Internet” to mobile devices. I have both professional and personal interests in this, and although I expected a bit more of technical discussion I enjoyed the event.

It has also been the occasion for meeting a few old friends that work in the field, like Luca and Andrea. Although they definitely moved on in their carriers I still call them “the WURFL guys” and here you can see them in a frantic “handset discovery” session :-D

WURFL Guys

Metropolis - Fritz Lang

Posted on November 23rd, 2007 in Music, Movies & TV by michele

I wanted to see this movie since… well, can’t even say since when! I could have looked for it on DVD, but what I really waited for was a chance of seeing it in a theatre. The chance materialized this week as the movie was included in the schedule of a local CineForum.

Metropolis

Metropolis, by Fritz Lang, did not disappoint me a bit. “Visionary” is the term that better describes the impression I had. “Masterpiece”, another term often used for it, is equally deserved.

I’m still trying to fully understand which political/social perspective it conveyed to the Germany of 1927…

Limelight - Charlie Chaplin

Posted on November 16th, 2007 in Funny, Music, Movies & TV by michele

Seen this Charlie Chaplin’s movie last night, and enjoyed it a lot. It’s comedy and drama about life, with a touch of the humor. Limelight has been shot in 1952 but still depicts nowadays struggles in life.

The final scene featuring both Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton is absolutely a masterpiece, couldn’t stop laughter in the cinema!