Theo’s Blog Carpe Diem (cum vino) http://blog.xceed.be/Blog.nsf/ en-us Sat, 21 Aug 2010 12:00:00 +0200 BLUG: Topic confirmed: Xpages Extensions Sat, 21 Aug 2010 12:00:00 +0200 http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/blug-topic-confirmed-xpages-extensions Lotus Theo Heselmans http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/blug-topic-confirmed-xpages-extensions?opendocument&comments http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/blug-topic-confirmed-xpages-extensions Image:BLUG: Topic confirmed: Xpages ExtensionsJust last month, I asked for speakers for our BLUG meeting on October 26th.
On Yellowday, Nathan T. Freeman announced some cool Extensions to Xpages he and his team are developing together with IBM.
These will be freely available via OpenNTF.org (in the coming months).

Nathan graciously accepted our invitation and is coming to Belgium, to demonstrate this stuff. He will also talk about @Transmogrifier, and Medusa (he doesn't know this yet).
So, if you're a developer, and skipped Xpages because you lack some familiar features,
or if you are already using Xpages, and need some extras,
or if you're a project manager, and want to see additional Xpages power:
come and join us.
Visit the site: www.blug.be, registration is already open.
I'm sure we'll sell out (so to speak, as it IS free) soon. ]]> http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dxcomments/blug-topic-confirmed-xpages-extensions http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/blug-topic-confirmed-xpages-extensions?opendocument&comments BLUG: Speakers wanted to talk about Widgets Wed, 14 Jul 2010 18:30:00 +0200 http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/blug-speakers-wanted-to-talk-about-widgets Lotus Theo Heselmans http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/blug-speakers-wanted-to-talk-about-widgets?opendocument&comments http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/blug-speakers-wanted-to-talk-about-widgets Image:BLUG: Speakers wanted to talk about WidgetsI know it's early, as our next BLUG meeting is only for October 26th ! But I'ld like you to get a head start, and have time to prepare. It might end up being a contender for a Lotusphere session !
Here's what I had in mind:
2 sessions about Widgets:
  • What's out there? Where to find, install and use them, and which ones are the best ?
  • How to create and or customize them ? From the easy 'view' types to more elaborate ones.
Each sessions is an hour. Just visit the site: www.blug.be, and you'll see a link to the abstract form.
Or send me an email: blug@blug.be.
Looking forward to your submission ! ]]> http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dxcomments/blug-speakers-wanted-to-talk-about-widgets http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/blug-speakers-wanted-to-talk-about-widgets?opendocument&comments iPad: my favorite apps (for now) Mon, 21 Jun 2010 21:00:00 +0200 http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/ipad-my-favorite-apps-for-now Apple Theo Heselmans http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/ipad-my-favorite-apps-for-now?opendocument&comments http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/ipad-my-favorite-apps-for-now Image:iPad: my favorite apps (for now)Thanks to a couple of good friends, I managed to get my hands on an iPad a couple of weeks before it was available in Europe.
I expected it to be great, but it really 'grabbed' me.
I know there are plenty of list of must-have iPad apps floating around, but I've been asked so many times lately, that I just needed to put them down for posterity (and from saving me multiple long emails).
I tried to categorize them a bit, so if you're e.g. not into games, skip that section.
I marked all 'to be included in demo's' with an *.
Productivity
  • *iWorks suite: Numbers, Keynote, Pages (spreadsheet, presentation and word processor)
  • NewsRack: easy, flawless RSS reader that syncs excellent with Google Reader
  • Things: To-do list, also possible to group by project
  • *iThoughtsHD: mind-mapping done right
  • Bento: easy to use database for creating your own. Syncs with Bento on the Mac (I use it for my wine inventory and tasting notes)
  • *Mail: just great. I use it with IMAP to notes, but syncs using Notes Traveler too
  • Contacts: syncs using Traveler
  • *Calendar: id., and has nice week and month views (finally)
  • *Jumbo: just a great/big calculator
  • Perfect Browser: an alternative to Safari, but with tabs. Browsing using an iPad is so 'natural' and fast
Reference material
  • AppAdvice: daily iPad/iPhone news, great tips, temporarily free apps,...
  • *SwissQuote: stock updates (Bloomberg is OK too)
  • *Videos: movies, TV-shows, podcast,... coming to live on a big screen like this
  • *iBooks: read books (and within a couple of months PDFs too) (books are rather expensive though)
  • *Photos: slideshows, using 'Origami' is just stunning
  • Skygrid: cool 'portal' to lots of news, nicely categorized
  • *Zinio: a magazine reader. Some magazine editions are free. (for my Belgian readers: Knack and Trends is now also available !)
  • *Accuweather: nice weather overview
  • Google Earth: just like the one on a PC/Mac
  • *Comics: the iPad is made for comic reading. You can download some free samples. Too bad it's only US comics
  • Dictionary: free and good
  • IMDb: great way to find Movie/Actor info. Too bad everything is on line
  • Wikipanion: my favorite Wikipedia browser
  • *WebMD: medical info, a lot of it on-line only, but the first aid stuff is available off line, and very thorough
  • Epicurious: cooking recipes
  • Da Vinci HD: the complete works of Leonardo Da Vinci. Pictures are OK. Liked to have more info
  • Airports: very detailed info about any airport in the world (you need to be on-line though)
Games
  • *Pinball HD: 3 very nice pinball's
  • Compression: a cool Tetris alternative
  • Shanghai Lite: en simple, but nice (and free) Mah-jong, my wife's favorite game
  • *Scrabble: great fun, and one of the few games that is not rushing you. Too bad there's not Dutch language support. My English vocabulary has improved though
  • Prince of Persia Retro: the original from way back. Didn't knew it was such a tough game
  • Solitair Forever: at least a hundred different Patience card games. My favorite is Yukon
  • *Asphalt 5: there are about 5 different racing games, but this one was cheap, well rated, and arcade style
  • Dominion HD: if you like Risk, give this one a try. Excellent, and well designed
  • Multipong: the original pong game, but in a very modern jacket. You can play 4 at the same time
  • Ice Age Delux: a very cool platform/puzzle game. Lots of levels
  • Galcon Fusion: strategy game, addictive, but great fun
  • Blokus HD: puzzle with a lot of options
Utilities
  • *Dropbox: exchange files with your Mac/PC/iPhone, and send them to supporting apps
  • GoodReader: exchange files from different sources and send them to apps
  • *DocsToGo: edit Excel and Word files (the premium version also supports Powerpoint). Sync them with your PC/Mac
  • QuickOffice HD: edit all kinds of documents (including MS Office)
  • Shazam: recognize music/songs
  • *RDP lite: Windows Remote Desktop connection. Connect to your Windows Server/PC and take control of the screen/keyboard/mouse
  • VNC Viewer: take over your PC/Mac using VNC
  • EyeTV: watch TV (live or recordings) if you have EyeTV on your Mac
  • Adobe Ideas: simple but nicely done sketching app
  • PhotoPad: edit your photo's. Lots of different adjustments, filters,...
  • Maps: Google Maps. Very nice on the big iPad screen
  • GPS HD: free alternative for Google Maps. check it out as it has some nice options
Music
  • *Virtuoso: two row piano, good sound
  • *Shiny Drum: great sounding drumpads, many different sounds/pads
  • Beatwave: weird way to make music, still trying to get a grasp on it
Other stuff you need to demo
  • *Pocket Pond: your own very well rendered pond, with koi, moving water, sounds and multi-touch support
  • *Gravitarium or Gravilux: play with thousands of stars. your finger is a gravity well
  • *Molecules: 3D rotating representations of molecules (e.g. DNA)

Of course I know there's lot more, but so far, these are the apps I use (and demo) most.
Other stuff I absolutely need to have ? ]]> http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dxcomments/ipad-my-favorite-apps-for-now http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/ipad-my-favorite-apps-for-now?opendocument&comments When GetProfileDocCollection fails Fri, 18 Jun 2010 16:00:00 +0200 http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/when-getprofiledoccollection-fails Domino Theo Heselmans http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/when-getprofiledoccollection-fails?opendocument&comments http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/when-getprofiledoccollection-fails SnTT.gifI needed to loop over all profile documents to update some stuff. LotusScript has a nice method for this, called GetProfileDocCollection.
This is how you use it:
...
Set dc = db.GetProfileDocCollection("Profile")
'I only need profile documents called 'Profile'
I skip the obvious initial Dim's and Set's, as we all know them.
This works fine most of the time. However, if there are too many profile documents, you get the following 'self-explaining :-)' error message:
"Profile document enumeration pool is full".
Some Googling reveals this Technote. With the following remark: "This problem was reported to Quality Engineering and determined to be a software limitation." Duh ?
They offer a workaround too, but this is complete BS.

Olga Babushkina offered me a great solution, by using CreateNoteCollection. I've never had any use for this function, but I can see it's power.
Here's how to use it:
Dim nc As NotesNoteCollection
Dim noteID As String
Dim doc As NotesDocument
... 'other dim's and set's here

Set nc = db.CreateNoteCollection(False) 'this creates an empty collection of noteIDs
nc.SelectProfiles = True 'we only need profile documents
Call nc.BuildCollection 'execute the building of the notecollection
If nc.Count = 0 Then Exit Function 'bail out if nothing found

noteID = nc.GetFirstNoteId 'get the first noteid
While noteID<>""
Set doc = db.GetDocumentByID (noteID) 'now get the doc itself
If doc.form(0) = "Profile" Then 'I only want to find the profile documents called 'Profile'
'do some stuff here
End If
noteID = nc.GetNextNoteId(noteID) 'get the next noteid
Wend

Using this allowed me to have access to over 7000 profile documents.
Thanks Olga, a lifesaver ! ]]> http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dxcomments/when-getprofiledoccollection-fails http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/when-getprofiledoccollection-fails?opendocument&comments Domino Hosting: Need your input: What are my options ? Wed, 16 Jun 2010 07:00:00 +0200 http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/domino-hosting-need-your-input-what-are-my-options- Lotus Theo Heselmans http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/domino-hosting-need-your-input-what-are-my-options-?opendocument&comments http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/domino-hosting-need-your-input-what-are-my-options-
  • running my own business (some notes apps, website, blog, traveler, imap)
  • development and test server (I know, I should use a different server, but that's expensive)
  • running apps and websites for a couple of small customers, who can't or won't afford their own server, but pay me a small hosting fee
  • running BLUG (website, apps)
  • running websites for e.g. some wine-clubs
    • Overall, nothing heavy.
    I bought a Windows server (every 3 years), a UPS, a backup device; invested in a fixed IP internet connection for which I pay 75 EUR a month, with average bandwidth.
    When I was on holiday in Egypt my server was down for over 6 days (partly due to my extended stay because of the volcanic ashes). No wonder my customers (and other users) where a bit upset, and I was feeling miserable too. There was nothing I could do remotely. What happened was that the UPS software decided it was time for a complete check: it ran empty and the server just shut down :-( !

    Time for another approach !
    I'm not a networking guy; I'm a basic Domino administrator. I just want a stable, highly available, good speed solution for my needs, that allows me to run my own Domino server.
    So what are my options (note that I'm not familiar with 'hosting' terminology):
    • Keep doing what I do now, maybe invest in a secondary clustered/failover server
    • Invest in a Foundation server (I just fear I don't have enough control), and keep hosting it myself
    • 'Rent' a physical server in a data center (this is what someone proposed, about 100 EUR per month)
    • Rent a Virtual server (where?)
    • Go for Amazon EC2 (I have no idea if this allows me enough freedom)
    The list above is just my limited idea of what I can do. I'm sure there are other solutions, I'm not aware of.
    What would you suggest ? I need to make a decision soon. ]]>     http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dxcomments/domino-hosting-need-your-input-what-are-my-options- http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/domino-hosting-need-your-input-what-are-my-options-?opendocument&comments     Wine Heaven Wed, 5 May 2010 09:00:00 +0200 http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/wine-heaven Wine Theo Heselmans http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/wine-heaven?opendocument&comments http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/wine-heaven The Provence itself has beautiful nature, cozy villages, friendly people, but above all great food and wine. We visited 2 domains, one in Gigondas (Du Pesquier) and one in Beaume-de-Venise/Vacqueyras (Bouletin).
    The highlight of the weekend however was a diner at a 2 Michelin star restaurant in Les Baux-de Provence, called 'Oustau de Baumanière'. Great interior, incredible food, friendly staff, wonderful company, but for a wine buff like me: wine-Valhalla.
    Here's some pictures of the food we got:
    Image:Wine Heaven Image:Wine Heaven
    Image:Wine Heaven Image:Wine Heaven 
    Image:Wine Heaven Image:Wine Heaven 
    The wines we had during dinner (I can guarantee you that choosing wines from a huge (about 100 pages) wine list, having to pair well with the food, is daunting and exhilarating at the same time):
    Image:Wine Heaven
    Champagne Belle Epoque, Perrier-Jouët, 2002
    Image:Wine Heaven
    Meursault Genevrières, Louis Jadot, 1999
    Image:Wine Heaven
    Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Vieux Télégraphe, 1995


    When asked to visit their 'cave' (wine cellar), they graciously accepted. Boy, were we in for a surprise!
    They stock around 50.000 bottles, and claim to have one of the top 10 wine cellars of the world ! I took some pictures of bottles the eager sommelier showed us. We sure were drooling, as he showed us some 'big' wines too.
    Image:Wine Heaven
    Château Petrus (at least 100), here the 1975s
    Image:Wine Heaven
    Château d'Yquem (racks full)
    (1934 on the wine-list: 5000 EUR !)
    Image:Wine Heaven
    Château Latour (many too)
    Image:Wine Heaven
    Château d'Arche, Sauternes, 1893
    Image:Wine Heaven
    Gevery-Chambertin Premier Cru, Joseph Drouhin, (old)
    Image:Wine Heaven
    Château Cheval Blanc, 1995
    Image:Wine Heaven
    Ermitage, Jean Louis Chave, 1990
    Image:Wine Heaven
    Château Lafite-Rothschild, 1870
    Image:Wine Heaven
    Château Le Pin, 1992
    Image:Wine Heaven
    Château Margaux, 1934
    Image:Wine Heaven
    Château Haut-Brion, 1928 & 1929
    Image:Wine Heaven
    Château Suduiraut, Sauternes, 1900


    Now do you understand why we could not keep our saliva under control ;-) ]]>     http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dxcomments/wine-heaven http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/wine-heaven?opendocument&comments     BLUG: March 30th 2010: Wrap Up Sun, 4 Apr 2010 14:00:00 +0200 http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/blug-march-30th-2010-wrap-up Lotus Theo Heselmans http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/blug-march-30th-2010-wrap-up?opendocument&comments http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/blug-march-30th-2010-wrap-up Image:BLUG: March 30th 2010: Wrap UpLast Tuesday, March 30th was our BLUG event in Brussels. It seems that for the past months that's all I have been occupied with (after hours). I got the impression it paid off, as most of the 220 attendees seemed to be happy with how it all went.
    Image:BLUG: March 30th 2010: Wrap UpIt started off on Monday afternoon, when we were prepping the venue: putting up banners, signs and posters, filling the goodie-bags for all attendees (thanks Martin, Mike, Erwin, Steve), organizing the badges (thanks Kristof, Valérie), ...

    Stijn -as ever- was omnipresent and organized. Couldn't have done this without his invaluable help. Thanks mate. He and Erwin also made sure that our eye-catcher, a yellow Lotus Elise was highly visible. We're all envious, Erwin !
    Image:BLUG: March 30th 2010: Wrap UpAround 19h we all went to the hotel, were most speakers stayed. We had a great buffet dinner, and most of us tasted (too) many Belgian beers. Around 1.30 am, we had our last Orval or Delirium Tremens ! It sure was a short night.
    Tuesday itself went pretty smooth. As I had to do the intro, I was a but nervous (and craving for water!). Alistair Rennie had a nice presentation about Lotus in the marketplace today, and Laurent Boes a short but to-the-point overview of Lotusphere announcements. The rest of the day was dedicated to plenty of (simultaneous) sessions. Take a look at the list of sessions, most of them including their slides. I can't praise all speakers enough here. Each of them did a great job, whether the room was packed (as most were) or not. Julien, and many other followers did liveblogging during the whole day. You can rehash it here. Over 100 people were following it. Thanks guys.
    The whole event wasn't possible (nor free) thanks to IBM (thanks Laurent, Phillippe, Annekatrien, ...) and the rest of the sponsors. We're very grateful !
    Later that night the remaining speakers went downtown Brussels, for a couple of drinks and some Belgian fries. We all had a great time.
    Image:BLUG: March 30th 2010: Wrap Up
    Image:BLUG: March 30th 2010: Wrap Up
    Matt
    Image:BLUG: March 30th 2010: Wrap Up
    Stijn
    Image:BLUG: March 30th 2010: Wrap Up
    Me
    Image:BLUG: March 30th 2010: Wrap Up
    Martin
    Image:BLUG: March 30th 2010: Wrap Up
    Laurent
    Image:BLUG: March 30th 2010: Wrap Up
    Tim
    Image:BLUG: March 30th 2010: Wrap Up
    Tim (again)
    Image:BLUG: March 30th 2010: Wrap Up
    Joel


    I'm taking a few weeks off now. Need some rest. Need some sleep. ]]>     http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dxcomments/blug-march-30th-2010-wrap-up http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/blug-march-30th-2010-wrap-up?opendocument&comments     Kudos to all ’LUG’ organizers Sat, 20 Mar 2010 11:00:00 +0200 http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/blug-march-30th-2010-kudos-to-all-lug-organizers Lotus Theo Heselmans http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/blug-march-30th-2010-kudos-to-all-lug-organizers?opendocument&comments http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/blug-march-30th-2010-kudos-to-all-lug-organizers Image:Kudos to all ’LUG’ organizers10 days from now we're having our BLUG event (March 30th).
    Ever since Lotusphere, we've been busy organizing. This is the first time I'm involved heavily myself. Luckily I'm not doing this alone.
    Thanks Stijn, thanks Laurent.
    I never expected this to be so intense. My 'free' time is almost nonexistent. I'm sure it's going to be rewarding, but at the moment I only see my to-do list shrinking and growing again.

    I've been to several Lotus User Group events in the past years: ILUG, UKLUG, NLLUG, and I really start to appreciate the amount of time people like Warren, Kitty, Paul, Eileen, Bill, Steve, Matt, Marnix, Martin, and many others I forgot (or not even aware of) are putting into these events. We, mere mortals, just take it for granted.
    I'm not looking for personal praise here;

    I just want to thank all of you, worldwide, who are doing this tremendous, vital work for the Lotus community.

    As for our event, we're almost filled to capacity, so if you liked to be present: Hurry.
    It's free, but Registration for the Event is required.

    Hope to see you there too! ]]>     http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dxcomments/blug-march-30th-2010-kudos-to-all-lug-organizers http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/blug-march-30th-2010-kudos-to-all-lug-organizers?opendocument&comments     BLUG: March 30th 2010: Speaker announcements Sun, 28 Feb 2010 12:45:00 +0200 http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/blug-march-30th-2010-speaker-announcements Lotus Theo Heselmans http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/blug-march-30th-2010-speaker-announcements?opendocument&comments http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/blug-march-30th-2010-speaker-announcements Image:BLUG: March 30th 2010: Speaker announcementsA month from now, our full day BLUG event is coming on March 30th. Today we announce the complete agenda and all approved sessions. It was tough to decide which abstracts would be accepted. And as usual those that made it are happy, and others are disappointed.
    The only winners are the attendees, and boy, do we have something for you !

    Image:BLUG: March 30th 2010: Speaker announcementsOur keynote speaker will be Alistair Rennie,
    the new GM of IBM Lotus Software !

    We got some more great and famous speakers lined up !
    Warren Elsmore, Gabriella Davis, Stuart McIntyre, Matt White, Thomas Bahn, Ulrich Krause, Tim Clark and many others, will be there for you.
    Here's the full     list of approved sessions,
    and the days agenda.

    Your sponsorship is still very welcome.
    Our current sponsors so far: Thank you !

    Registration for the Event is required. Hurry, seats are limited.

    Hope to see a lot of you there ! ]]>     http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dxcomments/blug-march-30th-2010-speaker-announcements http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/blug-march-30th-2010-speaker-announcements?opendocument&comments     When Abraham meets Petrus Mon, 15 Feb 2010 20:00:00 +0200 http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/when-abraham-meets-petrus Personal Theo Heselmans http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/when-abraham-meets-petrus?opendocument&comments http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/when-abraham-meets-petrus Image:When Abraham meets PetrusNo, I haven't been to the pearly gates, but I've been close to heaven and met Saint Peter (Petrus).
    Let me explain.
    Last Thursday evening I organized a party for my 50th birthday. Over 80 customers, friends and family showed up at the Cordoba'r, a Moorish tapas bar in Antwerp, Belgium. I had a great time, and I had the impression most of my guests enjoyed themselves too.
    Image:When Abraham meets Petrus
    I received some cool gifts of the fluid type:
    excellent wines, champagnes, whisky's, beers (how come people know I like this stuff;-).
    But also a helicopter flight, flown by Peter himself (just learning to fly!). Some beautiful books, DVDs, gift cards... I even got my first vine !
    The bottle I was most thrilled about was a Chateau Petrus 1960. This chateau in Pomerol (Bordeaux, France) is a legend by itself. Receiving a bottle like this from your year of birth is nothing short of a miracle! 1960 was a lousy year in Bordeaux for reds (weird, as both 1959 and 1961 were just excellent). I do not intent to drink it though, but you can touch it if you happen to pass by ;-)
    So, to all people who wished me a happy birthday, via my blog, skype, phone, LinkedIn, sms (text) or in the flesh:
    THANK YOU ! I'm truly blessed    .

    Here are some pictures of the party,
    and here are some Photo Booth 'warped' photo's too. ]]>     http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dxcomments/when-abraham-meets-petrus http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/when-abraham-meets-petrus?opendocument&comments     Major Milestone: turning 50 ! Sun, 7 Feb 2010 08:00:00 +0200 http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/major-milestone-turning-50- Personal Theo Heselmans http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/major-milestone-turning-50-?opendocument&comments http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/major-milestone-turning-50- Me, 2-3 years oldYes it's true: I've turned fifty today, and the world kept spinning :-)
    It might be a milestone for me, but a non-event for most of the galaxy.
    Nevertheless, reaching 50 started me thinking (a but more than I usually do).
    When I look back I realize how blessed I've been. I could complain or weep, but I'm just grateful for those past 50 years.
    I've met some amazing people, and I still do every day. I've learned so much, and I'm glad I can pass it on to others.

    Here's a list of what I consider milestones in my live:
    • 1960: (Feb 7th) was born in my home town Tessenderlo, Belgium at 1.50h (am)
    • 1977: played with a computer for the first time (a Tandy TRS-80)
    • 1982: got married to Hilde (almost 28 years now: thanks love)
    • 1983: bought my first computer (an Apple IIe)
    • 1983: got my degree as an Industrial Engineer (focus on IT)
    • 1984: bought my first Macintosh (a Macintosh 512K)
    • 1985: started using MS Excel
    • 1987: co-founded a company called Gnosis (still exists today as Merant)
    • 1988: bought a house in Olen, Belgium (still living there)
    • 1993: started working for Vers a Versa
    • 1993: learned about Lotus Notes for the first time
    • 1995: went to my first Lotusphere in Orlando (15th time in 2010)
    • 1998: got bitten by the wine bug (thanks for that, Yves)
    • 2001: started my own company: Xceed (should have done this sooner)
    • 2007: started blogging and got introduced to the Lotus community
    • 2009: got involved in the BLUG
    • 2010: turned fifty

    Do you agree that these are milestones ?
    Have you got some that could apply to me too, and I should have mentioned ?
    What are important milestones for you ?
    Let me know. ]]>     http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dxcomments/major-milestone-turning-50- http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/major-milestone-turning-50-?opendocument&comments     LS2010: in Pictures Mon, 25 Jan 2010 22:00:00 +0200 http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/ls2010-in-pictures Lotus Theo Heselmans http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/ls2010-in-pictures?opendocument&comments http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/ls2010-in-pictures LS2010I took some picture at Lotusphere (including the Blogger Open event). Have a look:
    ]]>     http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dxcomments/ls2010-in-pictures http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/ls2010-in-pictures?opendocument&comments     LS2010: Day 4: Thursday: Wrap up and Golf Fri, 22 Jan 2010 06:30:00 -0400 http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/ls2010-day-4-thursday-wrap-up-and-golf Lotus Theo Heselmans http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/ls2010-day-4-thursday-wrap-up-and-golf?opendocument&comments http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/ls2010-day-4-thursday-wrap-up-and-golf LS2010The final day is usually kinda mixed: a couple of sessions, some 'closing' events, and some great networking. Let's go over the day:
    Julian Robichaux did an excellent session around iPhone development. Too bad Rob MacDonagh had an emergency at the office; we all missed him.
    I had an appointment at the UX lab, and talked to Ethan about Connections (I've been using it for a couple of months, and really did have some UI issues, which apparently will be covered in 3.0 ;-)
    Gurupalooza was great as always. It's not really about the questions (nor the answers), but about the wonderful people being on stage. We all admire and respect them, and we owe them a lot. They are the ones that make Lotusphere better then good ! I did not go to the Developer's beating, nor to the closing session (although I met the speaker later on at Kimonos).
    Did some shopping afterwards (yes, again). At 17.30h it was time for the 2nd bloggeropen event. Around 40 people gathered for a game of mini-golf. We had loads of fun. I was so lucky to be in the same team as Mary Beth Raven, Kitty Elsmore, Sean Burgess and Steve (sorry, didn't got your last name). I took quite some pictures of everybody. As soon as I've a faster connection (and the time), I'll upload them (to be continued). Phil was the days winner, with a really low score (Steve, Bill and Richard where very close). One anecdote I absolutely need to mention: the last hole, was pretty easy, but one guy managed to need 2 shots in order to complete it (I won't mention names, Luis). Great fun; kudos to the sponsors (Northern Collaborative Technologies and IDoNotes) and Mitch for setting it up.
    Had a great dinner at Shula's (a 22 ounce Cowboy steak !). I truly enjoyed the company of Bill, David and Gary. Thanks guys.
    KimonosAs it was pretty early (21.45h), we went to Kimonos. I finally met Peter Presnell, and caught up with a lot of folks: Bruce, Gayle, Bill, Gary, Kitty, Tim (and his wife), Darren, Jess (who's really has a great voice), Kathy, Stuart, Bill Bucan (who has a rather high voice when he's singing ;-), Spanky, Greg, Sean, Phil (and many more).
    I couldn't have had a more pleasant ending to a great week in Orlando.
    Image:LS2010: Day 4: Thursday: Wrap up and GolfI'm already counting down to next year's event: January 30 - February 3: put it in your calendar, as you don't want to miss this one !
    Thanks all for making this a Lotusphere to remember fondly.
    2am again: glad I don't have to wake up at 6.30h ]]>     http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dxcomments/ls2010-day-4-thursday-wrap-up-and-golf http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/ls2010-day-4-thursday-wrap-up-and-golf?opendocument&comments     LS2010: Day 3: Wednesday: More sessions, less party Thu, 21 Jan 2010 06:30:00 -0400 http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/ls2010-day-3-wednesday-more-sessions-less-party Lotus Theo Heselmans http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/ls2010-day-3-wednesday-more-sessions-less-party?opendocument&comments http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/ls2010-day-3-wednesday-more-sessions-less-party LS2010I woke up, without a hangover, but with a serious lack of sleep. A shower, and some juice did wonders. I spent some time in the labs, and saw some great stuff at the Innovation lab. 'XPages just keep getting better' showed us a bit the direction XPages is going, and the future looks bright ! IBM really sees XPages as being strategic.
    More XPages wonders when Tim Tripcony and Stephan Wissel showed some cool SSJS demo's. It's obvious we're just scratching the surface of this environment.
    Andre Guirard and his team are close to having real DXL roundtripping. IBM is listening ! This has been a long standing request. Great work guys.
    Ed Brill and Scott Souder brought back some fond memories of 20 years Lotus history. In a packed room we saw the birth of Lotus (aka Plato) 1.0, all the way up to 8.5.1. Lots of pictures, people and movies of way back.
    The final 'session' of the day, was a BOF about creating and running a user group. As I'm pretty heavily involved in the BLUG, this was pretty interesting. In a way to small room, about 40 people exchanged ideas. Just the fact that so many are involved in User Groups is invigorating. Lotus definitely has momentum here.
    Hollywood Studios
    It took quite some time to get on the bus and off again at the Hollywood Studios, but we finally got there. Only 4 attractions were open, and 3 of them had rather long waiting times. The funniest one was Toy Story, where you could shoot 3D targets using a 'gun'. Great fun.
    Really need some decent sleep. It's midnight now. Let's hit the sack.
    Got some cool things coming up tomorrow. Cu. ]]>     http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dxcomments/ls2010-day-3-wednesday-more-sessions-less-party http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/ls2010-day-3-wednesday-more-sessions-less-party?opendocument&comments     LS2010: Day 2: Tuesday: A normal day at the office Wed, 20 Jan 2010 06:30:00 -0400 http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/ls2010-day-2-tuesday-a-normal-day-at-the-office Lotus Theo Heselmans http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/ls2010-day-2-tuesday-a-normal-day-at-the-office?opendocument&comments http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/ls2010-day-2-tuesday-a-normal-day-at-the-office LS2010First session: Viktor Krantz and Rob Novak: the great code giveway: awesome as usual. Not as 'contained' as last year, but for me way more useful.
    Stephan Wissel and Steve Castledine enhanced our existing applications using Xpages, and they did it in style.
    Paul Mooney and Bill Bucan: what can I say: they must have been twins in a previous life; they are so 'in sync'. Hilarious and very educational at the same time. Good thing I saw Billl's pre-session slides up front or I would have ROFLOL.
    Declan Lynch and David Leedy (a first timer) pulled it of nicely: CSS and Themes in Xpages: Thanks guys, I learned a lot.
    Then it was up to Bruce Elgort and Tim Paque (another newbie), to do some firefighting. Bruce told me yesterday it was all low key, but is was concise, to the point and very much appreciated. Tim: you did just great !!
    Networking time again: Too much on my plate this evening. First a dinner with IBM US and Ernst & Young: too bad I had to leave early. Melanie: tx for the invite. I'll try to join you in 2011 too (if you'll have me). Wine tip: we had a d' Arenberg 'Laughing Magpie' 2007 Shiraz: a bit young, but nevertheless excellent !
    Then I went to the Teamstudio reception. I fondly remember last year's event, when I has announced the winner of their Spotlight Award. This time it was more subdued, as the winner was not at Lotusphere.
    I needed to rush to the dinner, hosted by IBM Belgium/Luxembourg, in Il Mulino, down at the Swan. Both Stijn and Ronny were celebrating their birthday ! Congrats guys. We all had a good time. Thanks Laurent (and Douglas) for a great night: good company  good food, good wine and a Talisker to finish: what more can a man want ?
    I met Matt White on my way to my room, and I joined him (no, he didn't twist my arm) to Kimono's. Stuart, Paul, Julian, Kathy, Rob, Jess, ..: nice to see you again. The karaoke singers really tried hard (I know I can't sing so I stay off the podium).
    Anyway, another marvelous day. 2.50 AM: time to go to bed: NOW !
    cu. ]]>     http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dxcomments/ls2010-day-2-tuesday-a-normal-day-at-the-office http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/ls2010-day-2-tuesday-a-normal-day-at-the-office?opendocument&comments     LS2010: Day 1: Monday: OGS, showcase and even more drinks Tue, 19 Jan 2010 06:30:00 -0400 http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/ls2010-day-1-monday-ogs-showcase-and-even-more-drinks Lotus Theo Heselmans http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/ls2010-day-1-monday-ogs-showcase-and-even-more-drinks?opendocument&comments http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/ls2010-day-1-monday-ogs-showcase-and-even-more-drinks LS2010I woke up (a bit late for breakfast :-), and went straight to the OGS (Opening General Session). I was sitting next to Rob McDonnagh, and enjoyed his twittering and the tweets he was following (damn, should I register on twitter ?). To be honest, this was the weakest OGS I've been to. Sure, we 'finally' got William Shatner (Capt. Kirk for you Trekkies), who was good, but it seemed so polished: one more 'collaboration', and I would have puked. Sure, there were some great announcements (improvements to the whole product line, iPhone app for encrypted mail, project Vulcan (the future direction for Notes). Sure, we got a good (but a bit long) speech from Bob Picciano, followed by the new GM of Lotus Alistair Rennie, doing his best, but not really at ease yet in his new role. Kevin and Jeff, doing the product announcements, with demos from Ron. It was all rather OK, but I missed the 'spark'. I never got 'excited'. Really, for me, the worst OGS, ever !
    William Shatner
    Capt. James T. Kirk himself. Who would have thought after all these years !
    Bob Piccianor
    Bob Picciano, accompanied by a plethora of BPs.
    Alistair Rennie
    Alistair Rennie, the reigning GM of Lotus
    Then off to see Maureen Leland: A bit long about 8.5 and 8.5.1, and rather short on 8.5.x. Promising, but evolutionary.
    The rest of the (working) day I spent most of the time talking to vendors on the product showcase. I love seeing new or improved products and seeing new and familiar faces again. This year however, in my new BLUG role, I had the 'pleasure' of looking for sponsors too. A necessary evil, but we need them to give our BLUG attendees the best experience, and at the same make sure the sponsors get their money's worth too.
    The rest of the day can be described with: Party Time.
    • Showcase reception: for once good beer (Sam Adams) and decent fingerfood
    • The Dutch drink over at the Boardwalk: Marnix being the gracious host as ever (the 7th time he organized this for the Dutch speaking attendees)
    • Back to the Dolphin for a cocktail party, hosted by Joe and Bill. I had an amazing drink (forgot the name, but it contained at east some cognac and cointreau)
    • Then over to a packed party, offered by the UKLUG. Wonderful chaps, aren't they ? Blimey !
    • Last (but least ;-) IBM hosted a party at the Atlantic Dance hall for Business Partners. Luckily I met some nice people to finish the evening with.
    I had to decline a BBQ invitation, but my schedule was already rather full. Next time guys.
    Tired, but satisfied. Going to sleep now. Another 'short' night. CU. ]]>     http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dxcomments/ls2010-day-1-monday-ogs-showcase-and-even-more-drinks http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/ls2010-day-1-monday-ogs-showcase-and-even-more-drinks?opendocument&comments     LS2010: Day 0: Sunday: BP and more drinks Mon, 18 Jan 2010 06:30:00 -0400 http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/ls2010-day-0-sunday-bp-and-more-drinks Lotus Theo Heselmans http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/ls2010-day-0-sunday-bp-and-more-drinks?opendocument&comments http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/ls2010-day-0-sunday-bp-and-more-drinks LS2010I've always registered for BP (Business Partner) day but as Sundays always has been my 'shopping' day, I've never attended. Well, I did go to the Keynote this year. It was OK, but, being a 'very small' BP myself, this is way over my (non-sales) head.
    BP keynote LS2010
    I did manage to do some shopping anyway. Line, Ankie: I got most of the stuff you asked me to buy ;-).
    Then it was off to my first party of the day: Sherpa (and others) offered great beer (they even had Sam Adams !). I caught up with Andy Donaldson, and we went to The Turtle's session. Scott was just hilarious !
    Image:LS2010: Day 0: Sunday: BP and more drinks
    Andrew Donaldson
    Image:LS2010: Day 0: Sunday: BP and more drinks
    Devin Olson
    Image:LS2010: Day 0: Sunday: BP and more drinks
    Rocky Oliver
    Image:LS2010: Day 0: Sunday: BP and more drinks
    Bob Balaban
    Image:LS2010: Day 0: Sunday: BP and more drinks
    The Turtle
    Scotts Rabbits
    David Leedy
    Scotts Rabbits
    Scott's wife's rabbits


    Then we all went to the Pool Party Welcome Reception. I met some great people again, and (hopefully) convinced some to be a speaker/sponsor for our upcoming BLUG event on March 30th in Brussels.
    Image:LS2010: Day 0: Sunday: BP and more drinks
    Stephan Wissel
    Image:LS2010: Day 0: Sunday: BP and more drinks
    Kevin Pettitt
    Image:LS2010: Day 0: Sunday: BP and more drinks
    Thomas Bahn
    Image:LS2010: Day 0: Sunday: BP and more drinks
    Volker Weber


    Image:LS2010: Day 0: Sunday: BP and more drinks
    Tim Clark
    Image:LS2010: Day 0: Sunday: BP and more drinks
    Mary Beth Raven (wizard queen)
    Image:LS2010: Day 0: Sunday: BP and more drinks
    Bill Bucan



    Had an excellent day. Tomorrow is the OGS (Opening General Sessions, for you, non Spherians).
    Looking forward to it. ]]>     http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dxcomments/ls2010-day-0-sunday-bp-and-more-drinks http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/ls2010-day-0-sunday-bp-and-more-drinks?opendocument&comments     LS2010: Day -1: Saturday: having a drink Sun, 17 Jan 2010 06:30:00 -0400 http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/ls2010-day-1-saturday-having-a-drink Domino/Notes Theo Heselmans http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/ls2010-day-1-saturday-having-a-drink?opendocument&comments http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/ls2010-day-1-saturday-having-a-drink LS2010This is my 15th Lotusphere, but my first time on campus (at the Dolphin itself).
    After a bad start in Brussels (1 hour late departure due to a technical problem), I barely got my connection flight from JFK to Orlando (my luggage didn't make it though).
    I had a great chat with Sean, who works for UNICEF, and who was heading for Lotusphere too.
    After checking in, I immediately went to the ESPN where I met the 'cool' guys & girls: Scott (the Turtle), Bruce, Gayle, Ben, Tim, Matt, Paul, Julian, Troy, Bob, Mitch, Gary, Victor, Andy, Sean, Bill and many others.
    Had some excellent Sam Adams ;-)
    Some pictures here (some were not for publication):
    Image:LS2010: Day -1: Saturday: having a drink
    Matt White: love your T-shirt
    Image:LS2010: Day -1: Saturday: having a drink
    Julian Robichaux: Ben (Poole) are you paying attention
    Image:LS2010: Day -1: Saturday: having a drink
    Bruce Elgort: serious as ever
    Image:LS2010: Day -1: Saturday: having a drink
    Tim Paque: care for another Sam Adams, Viktor (Krantz)


    Great start for a great week. But after being awake for 24 h., I need my beauty sleep.
    Until 2morrow. ]]>     http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dxcomments/ls2010-day-1-saturday-having-a-drink http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/ls2010-day-1-saturday-having-a-drink?opendocument&comments     Found a great Italian (and an incredible Scotch as well) Wed, 13 Jan 2010 16:00:00 +0200 http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/found-a-great-italian-and-an-incredible-scotch-as-well Wine Theo Heselmans http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/found-a-great-italian-and-an-incredible-scotch-as-well?opendocument&comments http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/found-a-great-italian-and-an-incredible-scotch-as-well Image:Found a great Italian (and an incredible Scotch as well)No, nothing to do with Lotus(phere) this time, but after a long hiatus a small wine-blog-entry.
    Yesterday, at my wine club 'Het Negende Vat' (the 9th Barrel) we had a great (and expensive) tasting. The subject was Italian Brunello di Montalcino.
    Now, I'm not a great fan of Italian wine (except for Sicilian Nero d'Avolo and Alto Adige's Lagrein), but I was pleasantly surprised.
    The star of the evening was the Casanova di Neri 2003 (Tenuta Nuova):
    • very dark rather concentrated color (unlike most Brunello's)
    • ripe black forest fruit, black pepper, blond tobacco in the nose.
      You just could keep on sniffing ! Even the empty glass smelled delicious !
    • powerful taste, well balanced, integrated tannins, full bodied, very long spicy finale
    • sangiovese (of course), 14,5% alc., 44 EUR (in Belgium e.g. sold by Vinhmm), around $70 in the US (e.g. here), 92 Parker points
    Runner ups: Fanti 2004, Lambardi 2003, Palazzo 1998.
    Thanks a lot Heidi, for this nice selection.
    If it wasn't for the price, I would surely buy more Brunello.
    Image:Found a great Italian (and an incredible Scotch as well)Bjorn, her husband, opened a couple of bottles of Grappa (a few from Montalcino too), but I'm not into this stuff.
    Was it to please me, I don't know, but he came up with a very nice bottle of Scotch Whisky:
    a Talisker single malt, from the Isle of Skye. A rather strong peat smoke in the nose, but smooth on the palate.
    I'm normally not that enamored by this strong smokiness, but I did like this one.
    I'll try to blog a bit more about wine this year, that's a promise.
    ]]>     http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dxcomments/found-a-great-italian-and-an-incredible-scotch-as-well http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/found-a-great-italian-and-an-incredible-scotch-as-well?opendocument&comments     LS2010: 10 things you should not forget Wed, 6 Jan 2010 06:30:00 +0200 http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/ls2010-10-things-you-should-not-forget Lotus Theo Heselmans http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/ls2010-10-things-you-should-not-forget?opendocument&comments http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/ls2010-10-things-you-should-not-forget LS2010Lotusphere is my reward for a year's work.
    It's 'battery charging time' to give me enough yellow juice for another year.
    As a small company, it's also a rather big expense: entrance fee, flight, hotel and a week revenue loss.
    But the moment I get on the plane to Orlando, I'm on my way to my second 'home': the Orlando airport, the airport shuttle train, the big ads for park attractions along the road, Mickey's 'Welcome to Disneyworld' banner, the Disney palms and immaculately cut lawns, the impressive Dolphin and Swan hotels, the friendly LS registration bots, my new backpack, but above all my 'yearly' friends and colleagues.
    This is my 15th Lotusphere, and I'm still full of keen anticipation !

    Here's a list of things you should not forget to do/pack (in random order):
    • Good shoes/sneakers (everyone says so, and they are right, as you'll walk a lot)
    • Picture ID (passport or driver license with your picture on it, as you need it for registering)
    • Business cards (to win stuff at the Product Showcase, and to get info sent about great products)
    • Power strip and charging adapters for your electronic stuff (mobile phone, laptop, ipod, camera,...)
    • Extra (empty) bag, in case you have amassed a lot of (paper) info, goodies, gifts, books
    • List of questions/requests to ask to the Developers ! (You can really talk directly to the Notes/Domino developers: they love to meet you)
    • An old Lotus(phere) T-shirt for the Showcase Reception on Monday evening
    • A warm sweater/fleece for the Pool-Party Welcome Reception on Sunday night (I might be cold, you'll need it)
    • A raincoat for the Disney's Hollywood Studios party on Wednesday evening (who said Florida has great weather !)
    • (Yellow) Lotus T-shirt for the flight in
    • Download The Lotusphere 2010 Agenda database by Ben Langhinrichs: study it, and plan ahead. Defining the sessions/bofs you want/need to go to is the toughest part of the conference. Don't forget to include plenty of time to visit the Product Showcase and the Labs !
    • Image:LS2010: 10 things you should not forgetIf you're a blogger and you still have one:
      your 'Read my Blog' button
      (I still have a few left, so see me, and ask for one)
    • Last but not least: bring along your good mood, great smiles, positive energy, humor, open mind, eagerness to learn

    If you're a foreigner (like me), (who doesn't visit the States often):
    • Passport & electronic Visa (English for Visum)
    • List of things/gift to buy (for yourself or others) (the dollar is still rather cheap)
    • List of books to buy

    P.S. You can still register your flight using the Lotusphere 2010 flight registration system on the BLUG website,

    Anything to add ? ]]>     http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dxcomments/ls2010-10-things-you-should-not-forget http://blog.xceed.be/blog.nsf/dx/ls2010-10-things-you-should-not-forget?opendocument&comments