Federico Pistono

Between December 7 and December 18, 2009, the world leaders will meet up at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark.

The Copenhagen Call does not include water in the list of priorities, even though billions of people are affected by shortages of the most essential ingredient to life.

This is a call to action.

p.s. This article was crossposted on the TH!NK ABOUT IT - Climate Change blogging competition, on Vimeo and on YouTube.

Just a few days ago it was reported that Broadband internet access became a legal right in Finland. Starting next July, every person in Finland will have the right to a one-megabit broadband connection, according to the Ministry of Transport and Communications. Finland is the world's first country to create laws guaranteeing broadband access. The Finnish people are also legally guaranteed a 100Mb broadband connection by the end of 2015.

I publish now this interesting graphics with the top 20 nations and their internet speed, penetration and cost. It is often said that (unrestricted) internet access is a good measurement for freedom and democracy. If so, then Italy and the USA are not in such a good shape.

In fact, it reflects our reality pretty well.

During the three days of the kick-off event I shot quite a lot of footage, thanks to my trusty Creative Vado, which I carry around all the time, and the Flip Mino HD that they gave us. I was finally able to put some of the pieces together, just before the deadline of the first part f the competition. I know some of you are expecting something great... sorry to disappoint you, it isn't anything special. I decided to make a series of three videos, one for each day of the competition: Part Zero is the arrival, Part 1 is Bella Centre, and Part 2 is the Dyssekilde Ecovillage.

Most of you guys from the Th!nk about it kick-off event are featured on the video, I hope you'll enjoy it!

Th!nk about it Journal - Day Zero from Federico Pistono on Vimeo.

p.s. This article was crossposted on the TH!NK ABOUT IT - Climate Change blogging competition, on Vimeo and on YouTube.

My first experiment with HDR photography. I know, it doesn't look that good. But it's my first try and and quite excited about the possibilities that this camera has to offer, I can't wait to learn more about the wonderful world of photography.

Camera: Canon Powershot SX1 IS.
Exposure: -2, 0, +2.

Ever since e-books came out I wondered if I would ever switch to some kind of digital reader, replacing the old style paper and ink. E-books have so many advantages over normal paper: eco-friendly (no paper involved, no trees cut, no complex printing machinery, truck distribution with subsequent burning of oil, pollution and Co₂ emission, just to name a few), but t has its drawbacks. In Italian we say la carta puzza - paper smells, not meaning that it stinks (although it has a very particular smell), but that it has certain fascination, sense of home-made. Plus, it never runs out of batteries, it doesn't break very easily, it doesn't make your eyes hurt, it's easy to carry around, and sometimes it's the perfect present for a good friend.

When the kindle came out things changed. No backlit, which means you can only see when there is light, like the sun or a lamp, so it feels like reading a page from a newspaper or a book, the battery lasts for hours and it lets you navigate on the internet.

Randall Munroe, in his hilarious blag post (no misspell here, it's blag), described how an e-book like the kindle is actually more comfortable to read than a normal book. Although I still feel a personal attachment to the old fashioned paper, I like to feel the hard paper on my fingers, there's an environmental as well as logistic problem that needs to be addressed. I have no more space for books in my room. If I keep this rate of expansion, my books will literally bury me, unless I can find a bigger house.

E-readers would partially solve these two problems. Partially, because they still need energy to operate, and I already have enough electronic equipment floating around. I recently stumbled upon the new LG solar powered e-book reader, which features a 10 centimetre wide thin-film photovoltaic panel that can power the reader for a full day's worth of reading after 4-5 hours spent sitting in the sun. It sells for about 100 dollars. It's much cheaper than a Kindle and it's solar powered. I think I might finally try to switch to e-readers with this one.

So my question to all of you, fellow blogger and eager readers: would you buy a solar powered e-reader (not necessarily this model)?

I'm very curious of your reaction, in the meantime I shall post some of the hilarious comments on Slashdot:

... Warranty void if left out in the sun for prolonged exposure. (Romancer)

Now all I need is a portable sun to read in bed. (Rosco P. Coltrane)

Is it wrong to want an ebook with a little furnace to burn books as fuel? (Anonymous Coward)

p.s. This article was crossposted on the TH!NK ABOUT IT - Climate Change blogging competition.