I'm Michael Suodenjoki - a software engineer living in Kgs. Lyngby, north of Copenhagen, Denmark. This is my personal site containing my blog, photos, articles and main interests.

News Archive 2002-1999

Start > Archive > Overview > Years 2002-1999 | 

Updated 2011.05.07 21:34 +0200 | 

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This page contains previous (old) news that has been presented on the English news page.

Year 2002

2002.12.31 - Exciting PC Games 2003

If you like me - from time to time - likes to play games on the PC there are a lot of new exciting games to look forward to in 2003. I've created my own little release list for some of the games that I've expecting a lot of.

2002.12.23 - Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Well, it's Christmas time again. Time flies fast. I think the days between Christmas and the start of the new year is an excellent time to think about the future. It may be time for planning a holiday or finishing up a project. I usually tries to plan my summer holiday, and browsing the web pages of travel agencies and private globetrotters are usually a good inspiration. I, for instance, have for some years dreamed about trekking (hiking) in one of the national parks of USA, e.g. Yosemite, Yellowstone, Zion or Grand Canyon. I would prefer a 2-3 week holiday with a Danish guide or with some participants from Denmark. The accommodation may very well be basic, with overnight stays in tents or cabins. Unfortunately I have not yet found a travel agency or bureau that arranges such journeys. Maybe you have an idea?

I wish you a merry Christmas and a happy new year. Hope that 2003 will be a good year for you.

2002.10.31 - Browser based XML WYSIWYG Editing

Sounds interesting, huh? It has just come to my attention (thanks to Michael Wechner) that other people actually are working on XML WYSIWYG editors. The following two are both browser based and worth looking at if you're interested in the subject:

Updated 2002.12.24

2002.10.27 - Review of the novel "Lucifer" by Michael Cordy

Lucifer by Michael CordyIn a near future. Microsoft is diminished by the company Optrix Industries that makes optical computers. Everything is light speed fast. Optrix is launching their new soft screen Lucifer and the presentation is done by Miss Amber Grant, the chief executive office of Optrix. During the presentation Amber reaches for her temple in pain and stumbles forward collapsing on the scene - having some sort of a headache attack. Her mentor and chairman of Optrix Mr. Bradley Soames who participate in the background, seems not surprised by Ambers attack, and hospitalizes Amber in a clinic that he partially funds. At the clinic the young scientist Miles Flemming has invented the NeuroTranslator - a device capable of communicating with the brain. Soames thinks that Flemming can find the reason for Ambers attacks. But when his own brother contacts him after being certified dead for six minutes, Flemming wonders if he's got it all wrong.

His search for the truth and the sudden disappearance of Amber from the clinic uncovers a terrifying plot to stage the most ambitious experiment the world have ever seen - to prove beyond doubt the existence of the afterlife. As the world awaits the final judgment, Flemming must confront his darkest fears to save not only his own soul by that of all humanity.

So starts this well constructed thriller and third novel from Michael Cordy (see news from 2001.10.18). As always when Cordy's writing it is a combination of science, religion and suspense. Especially the conflict between science and religion is a subject that is recognized from Cordy's first book the Miracle Strain. It doesn't make the book worse - in contrary it makes you think - what if?

What makes Cordy's books interesting is that the science in them is almost here and very believable - much in the same way as similar authors, e.g. like Michael Crichton.

The book is best in the first half where the uncertainty is at its highest. The second half gradually becomes more like traditional thrillers - a la Alistair MacLean. However that doesn't stop it from being a real page turner. Highly recommended if you like scientific thrillers.

2002.10.05 - New front page design

I've redesigned my front page and reintroduced the orange color scheme from when I started my homepage.

The design is inspired by the layout of the new Danish newspaper DAGEN that is set to be published at 22nd of October 2002 here in Denmark. I hope that you will like the design, that hopefully should inspire you and makes it easier to locate what's on my web site. The DAGEN has recently published as pre-production newspaper with an orange color scheme. That's fun because when I started my web site in the autumn of 1999 I too used the orange color. The orange color is today very modern and progressive and is therefore often used in designs, magazines, and commercials, e.g. a well known phone company uses that color as well. Therefore it is naturally for me to reintroduce the orange color on my home page.

With respect to content changes nothing much has happened, however I've decided to move selected news and subjects to this front page giving them a higher profile.

2002.09.19 - New puzzle

I've been on a business trip in London and took the opportunity to visit the impressing 7-stories toyshop Hamley's on Regent Street. I bought a new wooden puzzle to my puzzle collection.

2002.08.31 - New color scheme

Thanks to cascading style sheets (CSS) it has been an easy task for me to change the color scheme on my homepage. The new brownish color suits better the autumn that we now enter.

2002.08.07 - A very good article: A WYSIWYG XML Document Editor

Ever wanted to write your XML documents in a WYSIWYG editor? While this indeed is possible using expensive (or not very good) editors a Mr. Dennis Cronin at Microsoft has written one of the most exiting articles in the last 6 moths covering the full featured basics for a WYSIWYG XML Document Editor, directly within your browser window. This is the indeed the right way forward.

I predict that 90% of all word processors for writing business documents, web pages etc. will be WYSIWYG XML document editors within a time frame of 2 years time (i.e. in year 2004). This includes Microsoft Word - they cannot simply ignore XML so they need to implement this.

Just to mention some of the expensive/not very good alternatives for WYSIWYG XML document editors:

If anyone knows about some good (affordable, free, cheap, open source etc.) WYSIWYG XML document editors I would like to hear about it.

2002.08.05 - Oxymoron's

I've found a range of oxymoron's and a link to a huge site of them.

2002.07.28 - New article available

I have added another new article under my productions. This time is about implementing drag and drop tab sorting in tab control.

2002.06.21 - New article available

I've written a new article about how you can integrate validation of web pages into Microsoft FrontPage. It's an follow up article from my HTML Tidy integration article.

2002.05.18 - Updates on my "back page"

I have made a few updates on my back page and among other things added a collection of the - by now classic - paradoxical questions. Unfortunately my back page is primarily in Danish so I guess that you will not be able to enjoy them. Sad but true. Maybe one day I will translate them..

2002.05.17 - Photo and search

As you may have notices I have added a photograph on the front page. It's been added on request and will be there for some period. The photo is taken at home in my apartment with my digital camera and treated in Adobe Photoshop - gray toned for one thing.

Furthermore it is now possible - using Google's cache of my sites - to search the homepage. Hope you will find this useful.

2002.05.15 - Eurovision Song Contest 2002

As last year I have created a ballot for the forthcoming Eurovision Song Contest the 25'th of May 2002 in Estonia. My family nearly demands that I make it - and I hope that you and your family may use it as well. The one presented here is however in Danish, but if you have just some knowledge of XML/XSL you can download the source files and translate them to whatever language you may prefer.

2002.03.06 - HTML Tidy integration med FrontPage

I've written a new article about how you integrate HTML Tidy with Microsoft FrontPage.

2002.02.10 - Skiing

Well, that was this seasons skiing holiday in Avoriaz in France. Everything went just perfect. Read more and see more photos from the holiday.

2002.01.20 - Back page update

My back page with some fun have been updated (in Danish only).

2002.01.15 - Puzzles

Most of my puzzle collection is now available (to look at) on my puzzle page.

December 2001

2001.12.30 - Happy New Year

I wish you all a happy new year.

October 2001

2001.10.18 - Books

Are you looking for some thriller stories. I've just finished reading a very good book by Michael Cordy. It's name is "Crime Zero" and as his previous book "The Miracle Strain" the storyline is centered around genetics and DNA. All spiced up in a thriller. If you're just a little fascinated about the possibilities with genetics Cordy's books are worth reading. In Crime Zero we talk about biological warfare - which sadly is a subject that are talked about a lot these days.


» Crime Zero

» The Miracle Strain

Other books worth mentioning:

September 2001

2001.09.16 -  Review: Björk's newest CD Vespertine


» CD-cover photo at www.bjork.com

Before I left for my summer holiday I had heard a couple of Björk's songs from her newest CD Vespertine in the radio and were a little captured by them. Therefore I decided to buy the CD when I got home. A decisions that I haven't regret.

Anyway I needed to replay the CD a couple of times before the songs got me moving. At first they are somewhat sad but the compelling rhythms and Björks thrilling voice soon took overhand. Your fantasy is quickly tuned in and Björks overlapping harmonic voices get your going to the rhythmic music. Especially I like the third number of the CD - the number "It's not up to you". It may sound like something from one of her earlier CD's - maybe "Play Dead", but this songs tunes are simply excellent.

The music should in my opinion be heard alone and very loud. All in all a very recommendable CD to your collection.

Links:

2001.09.10 - Impressive Morocco

The Minaret in Marrakech by sunset. Photo: Michael Suodenjoki.
» The Minaret in Marrakech by sunset. Photo: Michael Suodenjoki.

My trekking summer holiday in Morocco is over. It has been 14 incredible days in the impressive Morocco - both with the chaotic city of Marrakech and the small Barber villages in the sterile Atlas mountains. As well I climbed the highest mountain in North Africa - Mount Toubkal (4167m).

I've started writing an article of the trip so others will be able to get an impression of this so different country. For now you must have patience. It will take some time until I have written - and translated - it. Stay tuned...

I would like to take the opportunity to say thank you to all you friendly people that made the trek enjoyable. Hope that you all came home safely. I have put a group picture on my main trekking page (in Danish only).

Links:

July 2001

2001.07.31 - Make your own photo gallery

I have written an article describing how you can make your own photo gallery/slideshow in Internet Explorer by using XML, XSL and DHTML.

Links:

June 2001

2001.06.30 - Summer Holiday: Morocco

This years summer holiday is ordered. The choice went to a combined trekking and adventure tour to Morocco for 15 days; hereof 11 days of trekking with guides, tents, African kitchen etc. I expect a lot from the tour and hopes that it will be real exciting to discover the African continent. Hopefully it will possible to experience Marrakech, vigorous valleys and the sterile Atlas mountains.

Links:

2001.06.30 - MSLU

As I reported the 28'th of April this year Microsoft have started implementing a special library that makes it possible to execute Unicode application on Windows 9x, ME. It is now available in connection with the Platform SDK RC1 for Windows XP Beta 2.

Links:

2001.06.28 - Master Thesis

Finally I have converted my Master Thesis from 1994 regarding development of a "Syntax-Directed Editor for the RAISE Specification Language" so that it is available for download.

Links:

2001.06.17 - Music and Holiday

Album coverIt's always nice to have some good music to listen to. At the moment I'm happy to listen to Louise Ellerbæk's debut CD "Hvordan Mon Du Har Det" (How are you). She is obviously an untraditional debutant - since she both is a mature woman that delivers - in my opinion - a suitable upbeat' kind of music.  And she sings in Danish. That's refreshing in these international times. The tunes just hits the beat in a fresh tempo and the lyrics are compelling. All in all a recommendable Danish offer of a summer-CD.

With respect to this years summer holiday, I must admit that I have some trouble in finding the right solution. As the last couple of years I would like again to have an active holiday. I have had many thoughts, e.g. trekking in either Austria, Switzerland , Iceland, Morocco or in Yosemite (USA); or canoeing in Sweden. However it must be a summer holiday that matches what I like, economy and time. So I must wait and see whether it comes together. Stay tuned...

2001.06.03 - Status

I'm apologizing that some of my pages cannot be downloaded correctly. The reason is that I'm very close to the limit of 20MB that is available from my Internet provider. I searching for an alternative solution and hope that you can live with the problem until its fixed.

May 2001

2001.05.11 - Ballot for the Eurovision Song Contest 2001 

Like many others I have too created a ballot for the international Eurovision song contest 2001. It's may be a little late, but I need it myself for my family and I couldn't find one that fitted my purpose. The ballot is made by using XML and XSL and requires MSXML 3.0. Note that it is primarily in Danish.

Links:

April 2001

2001.04.28 - Microsoft Layer for Unicode on Windows 95/98/ME Systems (MSLU)

In several years I have been interested in localization and globalization. Microsoft has recently announced a new programming library (SDK) named the "Microsoft Layer for Unicode" (shortened MSLU) which should arrive in connection with the Platform SDK together with Windows XP beta 2 some time in June 2001. This is an incredible good initiative which should have been implemented years ago. The library ensures that the a single-source, single binary Unicode application can be executed not only on Windows NT, Windows 2000 and Windows XP but also - and this is the central issue - on Windows 95, Windows 98 and Windows Me.  The last three Windows operating systems are not born to be Unicode enabled so having a intermediate library to make appropriate translations is essential and makes the life of programmers/builders much less painful. From now on it is just Unicode - at last.

Links:

2001.04.17 - Book Review

Once in a while you find a book that you simply cannot stop reading until it's finished. I have just finished such a book. I read it in about a week. The book "The Code Book" with the subtitle "The Secret History of Codes & Code-breaking" by Simon Singh is simply incredibly exciting and fascinating reading.

The book takes us from the beginning (or as far that we can document) of codes with some of Herodots histories to the use of the German Enigma machine in the second world war and ends with what may come in the future. You may expect that a book with code theory is filled up with mathematics - but not this book. It is a book about the history of codes and code-breaking - not the mathematics behind it. So you do not need to understand advanced mathematics. The books is filled with rich examples, figures, drawings, photos, large index and it contains proposals for further reading.

The book must be experienced. I highly recommend it.

Links:

2001.04.17 - Digital Camera Canon S20 zoom lenses

I have updated my digital camera page with status - here approx. 9 months after my buy. Among other tings I have written about the opportunity to buy zoom lenses for the Canon S20. (Note that the page unfortunately mostly is in Danish).

March 2001

2001.03.31 - Adobe Photoshop

I have over some months now been occupied by learning Adobe Photoshop. Photoshop is a software package to manipulate images and is widely known to be one of the most professional packages around. When you, as me, have invested in a digital camera it's rather important to have a good tool to manipulate your photographs. Whether it is simple cropping of the image or manipulation of the photo (colors, lights and sharpness) - well, Photoshop is the tool. It's a huge application with some special concepts (e.g. layers) that you must understand and master. Therefore I have attended some local courses in Photoshop, which have introduced me to the basics of Photoshop. Beyond courses you can easily spend all you money on books about Photoshop. I suggest that you look on the Internet instead. It's less expensive and a lot faster. I have gathered some of my best Photoshop links, which I hope that you can use. Enjoy!

Links:

2001.03.17 - Kitchen project


HTH Kitchen

For some years - actually since I moved into my apartment - I have wanted to renovate my kitchen and bathroom. I have talked on the subject for a long time and now - finally - it seems that there is some movement on the matter. For the occasion I have created a new project page (in Danish only) and added pictures from the recent exhibition "Home & Interieur" here in Øksnehallen, Copenhagen, in the beginning of Match 2001.

Links:

February 2001

2001.02.24 - Better by Design, Update

The 20'th of January I wrote about the "Better by Design" programs. I can now inform that Swedish Television (SVT2) have started sending them. The first program aired yesterday and the following 5 programs will be sent at Mondays around 10.40 pm. Next program is about designing better burglar alarms.

Links: 

2001.02.11 - Skiing holiday 2001

I have just arrived home after a fantastic skiing holiday in the French alps - in Val d'Isere. I have been a really good holiday. The weather were excellent, the snow fantastic and the sun have colored our faces. I really needed this holiday and have barely thought of my work. 

 Myself at La Grande Motte (Tignes) February 2001. Click on the image for full size.
Above: Myself at La Grande Motte (Tignes) February 2001. Click on the image for full size.

I took at lot of photos with my digital camera during the holiday. It will however probably take some time before I have sorted them and have published them. For now you may look at my page for the skiing holiday in Val d'Isere (in Danish only) where I have added some preliminary pictures.

2001.02.03 - Advanced mountain climbing movie

Chris O'Donnell stars as PeterPhoto Credit: Ken George
Chris O'Donell

The movie "Vertical Limit" premiered yesterday in the Danish movie theaters. Are you just a tiny bit interested in the high mountains and climbing this is a must see movie. It's a exciting and accelerating movie that just presents itself without too many details. We follow the young climber Peter Garret (Chris O'Donnel) in a rescue mission on the second highest mountain in the world K2, in an attempt to rescue his sister and a millionaire from near death. It's action at its best and even though the storyline isn't the best many scenes are really cool. The plot is middleware with just a few layers than normal action movies. The movie received mixed reviews in the Danish newspapers, but I feel that I can recommend it - especially if you're hooked on mountaineering.

Links:

January 2001

2001.01.20 - Better by Design

Recently I have seen a very entertaining TV-program on Discovery Channel regarding design. The program, which are part of a series produced by Channel 4 (in UK), is called "Better By Design". The entertaining and educational program follows the two "world famous" designers Richard Seymour and Dick Powell in their attempt to help companies to designing new products - typically with some new views in contradiction to a more traditional thinking and design. It is amusing to see their "battle" with the companies engineers. The series runs at the moment on Discovery Channel (Europe) each Tuesday at 21.00 (9pm). 

Links:

December 2000

2000.12.25 - Merry Christmas and a happy new year

Well, I just wish you a merry Christmas and a happy new year.

The family Christmas tree as it looked like the 24'th of December 2000. Click for full size
Above: The family Christmas tree as it looked like the 24'th of December 2000. Click for full size.

November 2000

2000.11.04 - The Hubertus Hunt

Hubertusjagt ved magasindammen i Dyrehaven.

Above: The Hubertus Hunt at the small lake Magasindammen in the Dyrehaven close to the castle of Erimtage.

 

Davo Karnicar på toppen af Mt. Everest - klargøring af skiene...

Above: Davo Karnicar at the top of Mt. Everest - making ready for skiing down...

As every year it's again time for the traditional Hubertus Hunt in the lovely surroundings in Dyrehaven. This year I hope to get a chance for taking some photos of the event. By the way a new site (in Danish) about the hunt have been created by club arranging the event. It is possible to see the route and the schedule. Good hunting (Sunday the 5'th of Nov. from 10 am).

October 2000

2000.10.08 - New links

I have added some new links to my travel link page (in Danish only). Among others a link to the great Slovenian site of Davo Karnicar that as the first person have skied down from the top of Mt. Everest. Cool. The site have a lot of videos and photos from the trip.

I have also added some new photos to my Lyngby Galley. They're from a Sunday walk in the Dyrehaven north of Copenhagen the 30'th of September. Enjoy.

September 2000

2000.09.21 - Puzzles

On my back page I have stated a new overview of my collection puzzles collected in the last many years. 

2000.09.14 - Pictures from my summer holiday

I have now finally added my pictures from my trekking holiday in the French Pyrenees on the Internet.

The pictures are available in compresses JPEG format at PhotoPoint.com. In this way I do not have to waste space on my own homepage (on the web-server). The pictures are available at the following address:: http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=1185786&a=8733105.

August 2000

2000.08.13 - Digital Camera & Gallery

Finally I have bought myself a digital camera. I had promised myself to buy one before my summer holiday - and I had even saved some money for it. It became Canons PowerShot S20 to a price of 6.495,- Danish Kroner that went off with the victory. Primarily because it it is the best of the cheapest 3.3 MegaPixel cameras that is around at the moment. No doubt that you can buy a lot better (analog) cameras for that kind of money e.g. a SLR camera with a lot of extra equipment.  On the other side then you have to pay for your film - not necessarily a cheap affair if you want to take many pictures. Also you get an opportunity to try something new tech stuff - something which also is fun. I expect to use my new camera on my holidays and for fun. Furthermore I have plans to start a page with my photo gallery.

2000.08.02 - CV print updated

My curriculum vitae page is updated with respect to printing so it now produces a more appealing print.

July 2000

2000.07.31 - Styling

I have restyled my homepages a little. In particularly I have converted all pages to using Cascading Style Sheet instead of FrontPage's Theme handling. This provides a lot more logical and - for me - easier handling of the page style. Furthermore I have added more information about the current position of the individual pages within site. That should help navigation around. Hope that you're not too displeased with the changes.

2000.07.18 - Skiing Holiday 2001

It's incredible but I have for some time now wished that it would soon would become winter so that I could go skiing again. Well, maybe not, but the weather in Denmark is not shiny as you would like it to be - and that makes you dream of other times. To satisfy this feeling I have prepared a page for my skiing holiday in 2001 (currently in Danish only). 

2000.07.11 - Exiting new book and a little bit of reconstruction

Jump to Amazon UK for description.I have just recently finished reading a really good book and I wondered whether I should recommend it here on my homepage. It's called The Blood Red Rivers and is written by Jean-Christophe Grange. Furthermore I have created a new page with book reviews (currently in Danish only). If you can't wait for the next Hannibal movie you should read this book...

Due to my new book page I have reconstructed my homepages by introducing a new Review section - which at the moment contain my movie and book reviews. My movie pages have previously been located on my backstage page but I feel they are better placed within this new structure. Currently all these pages are in Danish only - sorry.

2000.07.02 - Digital camera

I have for some time now wanted to buy a digital camera and have therefore prepared a page (currently in Danish only) with my digital camera information. There are among others some links to some very good digital camera pages on the Internet with reviews, comparisons charts etc. Se my digital camera page (currently in Danish only).

2000.07.02 - EU voting

I'm not afraid of saying wait I intend to vote at the EU-voting the 28'th of September in Denmark reg. the common euro currency. It is a clear YES. Am I a positive egoist or what? Get more information at www.28september2000.dk.

June 2000

2000.06.22 - Cinema

Well, I have been in the cinema again. This time for seeing the action movie "Gone in sixty seconds" with med Nicolas Cage. Se my review on my movie page (currently in Danish only).