Serge the Concierge

Tell Congress Not to Go to the Dark Side and Censor the Web

I have no problem with fair copyright protection.

I believe in quoting my sources.

As much as I can, I get clearance from creators of all stripes and publishers before sharing their content.

With digital media, things are in flux and concerns of creators and publishers have to be addressed in sensible fashion.

Don't go to the dark side.

 

 

As Google puts it End Piracy, Not Liberty....

Make your voice heard:

"The Senate will begin voting on January 24th. Please let them know how you feel. Sign this petition urging Congress to vote NO on PIPA and SOPA before it is too late."

(* Image via Google 'Take Action' page)

Gringos Welcome at Green Conference of the Americas, MiaGreen 2012, Miami, Jan 26-27

I enjoyed Greener Gadgets conference while it exhisted.

It was a great space for exchanging ideas.

In the sunny climes of Miami, the MiaGreen 2012 Expo and Conference (January 26-27) is more detail oriented and down to earth with topics like Urban Core Rooftop- Permaculture in Hurricane Prone Areas or Organic Waste is Too Valuable to Dispose in Landfills amongst the numerous subjects discussed.

One thing that prompted me to mention this 4th Edition of MiaGreen is the accent they put on describing it as Green Conference of the Americas, plural.

An escape to Miami (with proper carbon offset, travel by train maybe) from cold and possibly snowy Northeast is another reason to attend.

Making green biz wheel turn for Green Day # 208

Previously: Snail, Bottle and Coin Help You Navigate 'Slow Wine Guide' 2012

Burgundy Winemakers Get Smartphone Apps Help in Vines and Cellar

Tradition and respect for terroir does not exclude innovation as latest Newsletter Vins de Bourgogne proves.

The Burgundy Wine Board (BIVB) created 3 free smartphone apps for its members (described below).

Smartphone applications for the vine and the vat room in Burgundy

"The role of the Burgundy Wine Board (BIVB), and more particularly its Technique and Quality centre, is to work with the professionals for the constant improvement of the quality of the wines produced. To this end, various decision-making tools have been designed over recent years. In 2011, the BIVB innovated even further by proposing a new, free technical application for members of the BIVB. It is made up of three calculators which can be used in just a few clicks in the vines and in the cellar (once the application has been downloaded).

External surface of plant coverage calculator: this allows the user to adapt the trimming in order to obtain the best exposure of the grapes during maturing and to thereby contribute to obtaining quality grapes.

Enrichment with sucrose calculator: tool used during vinification.

SO2 molecular calculator: to ensure optimum protection of the wines against organoleptic deviations.
The creation of these tools is a first in the field of vines and wines! This initiative is part of Burgundy’s willingness to control input in the vines and in the cellar whilst promoting the creation of virtual tools which have less of an impact on the environment."

I wonder how many other wine regions have come up with similar tech help for their members.

Boiled Peanuts are Stars of Hot Wet Goobers, Short Film in Honor of Hardy Farms

When I hear the word peanuts, I think of Dizzy Gillespie and his tune Salt Peanuts...

No jazz talk today with short film 'Hot Wet Goobers' starring Boiled Peanuts.

This Southern Foodways Alliance film was directed by Joe York.

It is dedicated to Hardy Farms of Hawkinsville, Georgia.

Thanks to Lee Bros for putting these peanuts on my plate.

Indian Tiger's Eye Walking Cane, Old Sheffield Plate Bread Basket, Objects of Vertu Auction, Dec. 7

Why should we limit our holiday gift shopping to big box or local stores?

Even if you are not a collector, auctions are a good avenue for less pedestrian choices.

The Fine Silver & Objects of Vertu auction presented by Dreweatts 1759 at 11:00 AM on December 7, 2011 (at Donnington Priory in the UK) lists offbeat objects amongst them an Indian tiger's eye walking cane (lot 112, late 19th-eraly 20th century, £100 -150 ) and an Art deco lapis lazuli box (lot 113, £400 -600) in the Objects of Vertu.

For your house parties, An Old Sheffield plate oval bread basket (circa 1795, lot 2, £200 -300) will add that little je ne sais quoi to dinner.

If you cannot be present in person at the auction, bid online.

Download the Full Catalogue and draft your list.

(* Images of lot 112 and lot 2 from Dreweatts auction catalogue)

Nest, A Thermostat that Learns About Your Daily Heating-Cooling Habits

Even though it's mid-November and temperature today is in mid-60's, I know that the heat will be on at some point during the day until late March.

At CES NY Preview a week ago, I discovered Nest, a thermostat that learns our daily habits.

I did not realize until I spoke to the company reps that thermostats whether it's for heating or cooling control half of the home energy use.

It obviously means that a thermostat that knows our habits besides being energy efficient can over time save us some green.

How does Nest learn?

A few examples:

-If you turn temperature down 2 nights in a row, on the third night it will do it for you.

-When you're not home, device will adjust to energy-saving temperature.

-It includes sensors that also monitor humidity, light and activity.

Nest connects to your WiFi network and allows you to monitor it from your smartphone or tablet (after you download mobile app) or your PC.

Their mobile app is currently only for iPhone and iPad.

Android version is planned for Decemberv 2011.

DIY installation should not take more than 20 minutes.

Price Tag: $249

I wonder how much energy and movey it would save me over course of current Fall-Winter seasons?

Cutting energy waste and bills too with Nest for Green Day # 201

Previously: Gallic Grapes, Raisins Gaulois, Organic Wine Label gets Cartoonist Sine's Treatment

Ready to Pop a Few Corks for Champagne Day 2011 on Friday, October 28?

If anyone needed a reason to drink Champagne and share their choice and impressions with the world, Champagne Day 2011 on October 28 does just that.

Born on the web, Champagne Day invites you to join in:

"All you have to do to participate is get some champagne, which incidentally only comes from the Champagne region of France, in your glass on October 28, 2011. Share your photos, tasting notes, experiences or videos on any social media site, and be sure to add the #ChampagneDay hash tag.

You'll be able to search what other wine lovers are sharing by searching posts using tools like Tweetdeck, Google, twitterfall.com or kurrently.com to name a few.  This is a global event set to run 24 hours in order to give everyone time to share a glass when it makes sense in their time zone.

Want to organize your own get together or find out where the action is?  Use www.meetup.com/2nd-Annual-ChampagneDay/  to add yours to the map.

Date and time:

Friday, October 28^th  2011 12:01 am to 12pm PST. We have chosen to make this a 24-hour event so that our friends from around the globe can participate."

Since having wine and food with friends is social by nature, popping a few corks with fellow wine lovers on Champagne Day 2011 makes more sense than a solitary tasting shared with cyber friends.

Events like this also gives us a chance to show our commitment to protect wine place and origin.

Thanks to Benoit of Champagne Tarlant for bringing this to my attention. His sister Melanie is involved with the French leg of the event.

Benoit mentions in Vendredi c'est Champagne Day that if you happen to be in Reims, Le Bocal will host a Champagne Party starting at 8 pm with shellfish and Champagne on the menu.

(* Vendredi c'est Champagne Day as well as the rest of Champagne Tarlant blog is in French only)

iDTGV Cool Winter Train Travel Prices, France from 19 Euros One Way, December 8-March 28

Since booking a trip via iDTGV from Paris to Toulouse a month ago and having to share my e-mail, I now receive updates on their special deals.

For those of you who are uninitiated with iDTGV, it is a sister company of regular TGV service that requires all travelers using the service to book their trip online and print their own 'boarding pass'.

If you don't print your boarding pass, it will cost you 5 Euros extra before boarding to get your seat confirmed. I know because having booked my trip on short notice while still in Copenhagen, I did not have access to a printer.

Their prices are usually lower than regular TGV, especially if you are a bit flexible with your travel plans.

iDTGV just announced cool winter prices starting at 19 Euros one way, good for travel from December 8, 2011 to March 28, 2012.

A quick search for Paris Gare de Lyon to Marseille Saint Charles on December 8 gave me a best price of 22 Euros with 4 options in the morning (7:16, 8:16, 10:15, 11:16). Oddly all of these were on regular TGV not iDTGV which came up at 24.90 Euros at 11:16...

Paris to Marseille takes only around 3 hours and 15 minutes, city center to city center and no need to deal with airport security checks.

Since my first encounter with iDGTV was from Paris Montparnasse to Toulouse Matabiau, I checked prices offered today for December 8 and the 19 Euros fare was available for 2 trains (both iDTGV) at 11:30 AM (the one I took) and 5:20 PM (good for someone who wants to put in a day of work before leaving. Both trips take around 5 hours and 20 minutes (via Bordeaux) as TGV tracks between Bordeaux and Toulouse still have to be built.

From Paris, besides Grenoble, Chambery might be the closest destination to the Alps and its ski resorts. Best price for a trip booked today (also for December 8 travel) was 34 Euros, Travel time is 2 hours and 50 minutes.

If there is one thing I wish was added aboard iDTGV (or TGV) trains, it would be internet service. I believe it is currently limited to a pilot test on one line.

I would also make sense for a service whose sales strategy is based on the web.

To make a search on travel in France including iDTGV, TGV and other options visit Voyages SNCF (French site only).

For an English language search and a broader number of choices for train travel in Europe visit TGV Europe site.

I noted the Elipsos trenhotel (Sleeper cars) with service between Paris and either Madrid or Barcelona plus Milan and Barcelona now offering an Indian Summer special at 69 Euros per person (one way). Paris to Madrid  is a 13 hours trip. You leave around 8 pm and arrive next day around 9 am.

(* Map of destinations served by iDTGV from Voyages SNCF website)

A few days of Web Detox

In case you wondered. I have not decided to quit writing.

My return to the U.S has been delayed after airline I was flying asked passengers to pro-actively reschedule their Paris-New York flights due to hurricane Irene.

In France since Sunday evening, first in Paris then in Toulouse, I've been off the web grid most of the time. With only about an hour and a half access per day, I had only time to deal with key e-mails and make a few key free phone calls to the U.S thanks to Google Voice.

The 6 hours difference makes it sometimes hard to catch up with people back home.

I guess it does not hurt to have a few days of web detox.

Instead of blogging, Facebooking and Tweeting, I've been paying attention to my surroundings, having good conversations, talking to people and snapping pictures of foods and places.

I hope I will be able to share with words all the things i've been soaking in.

(* Image courtesy of Digital Detox, a web image company, enjoy the paradox)

Boingo Paid WiFi felt Like Visit to Dentist, More So at Charles de Gaulle than Newark Liberty

This morning, I was in between flights after arriving from Newark Airport and waiting for slightly delayed connecting segment to Copenhagen.

I signed up for 24H service with Boingo yesterday at Newark Liberty and could not log in at Charles de Gaulle.

The CDG free 15 minutes option offers crawling speed.

Boingo does not even give you the option to reset password via e-mail.

The online WiFi service I used aboard Virgin America on my way to San Francisco worked wonders.

Boingo is no bang for the buck so far.

I hope it works better in other locations.