Boing Boing » netherlands

Bank pays for costumed flashmob to recreate Rembrandt's Nightwatch in a mall

Cory Doctorow — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 21:46:55 +0000

I'm not normally a fan of corporate commercials designed to be "viral media," but one's very clever. The Dutch financial giant (and money launderer for Iran) ING paid to have a group of actors play out a dramatic reenactment of the events depicted in Rembrandt's classic painting The Night Watch, climaxing with a posed, framed tableau that re-created the painting itself. It's awfully fun to watch Rembrandtian cosplayers charge around a Dutch shopping mall while the shoppers stand agog.

Flashmob brengt 'De nachtwacht' tot leven (via Making Light)

Astronaut duvet cover

Cory Doctorow — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 23:25:26 +0000

€60 is a lot to spend on your kid's duvet cover, but there's no denying that this astronaut bedding from Snurk is pretty wonderful.

Astronaut (Thanks, Fipi Lele!)

ISP blinkenlights synchronized to a sprightly piano

Cory Doctorow — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 23:12:16 +0000

Here's a lovely video shot at the XS4ALL ISP data-center outside of Amsterdam, in which the many twinkling, blinking lights are synchronized to a sprightly piano score.

De achterkant van het Internet (Thanks, Neils!)

3D printed house to emerge

Cory Doctorow — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 04:00:51 +0000

A Dutch architecture firm plans on using a D-Shape 3D printer to output a house in the shape of a Mobius strip, a project they estimate will take 18 months:

Dutch architecture studio Universe Architecture is planning to construct a house with a 3D printer for the first time.
The Landscape House will be printed in sections using the giant D-Shape printer, which can produce sections of up to 6 x 9 metres using a mixture of sand and a binding agent.
Architect Janjaap Ruijssenaars of Universe Architecture will collaborate with Italian inventor Enrico Dini, who developed the D-Shape printer, to build the house, which has a looping form based on a Möbius strip.

Dutch architects to use 3D printer to print a house (via Beyond the Beyond)

Artist 3D prints replica of his own skull

Cory Doctorow — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 22:16:26 +0000

A Dutch artist called Caspar Berger is producing a "self-portrait" by 3D printing a replica of his own skull, then layering "flesh" atop it.

In this project, Self-portrait 21, the 3D copy of the skull represents the true image (vera icon). This image has formed the basis for a facial reconstruction by a forensic anthropologist, who received the skull anonymously accompanied only by the information that it belonged to a man in his mid-40s born in Western Europe. This facial reconstruction is based on the available scientific documentation of tissue structure, skin thickness and muscle groups. The clay reconstruction has been cast in bronze to be presented as Self-portrait 21, a self-portrait that has not been made by the artist.

Skeleton / Self-portrait 21 (via Beyond the Beyond)

Bits of Freedom's annual donation campaign is today: defend digital freedom in the Netherlands!

Cory Doctorow — Thu, 01 Nov 2012 11:44:49 +0000

Ot sez, "Bits of Freedom is organizing its annual donation campaign today. Why? Because privacy and freedom on the internet are under threat and we need to defend our rights online. We can only do so with your help. If you want to help, you can write a blog, use one of our banners on your own site or become a supporter. Thanks!"

Bits of Freedom is the Netherlands' answer to groups like EFF, Open Rights Group, Netzpolitik, La Quadrature du Net, and many others (thankfully, there's more than can be readily enumerated here -- it's a global movement). They really deserve your support.

Bits of Freedom is een onafhankelijke beweging, en dat willen we blijven. We kunnen alleen bestaan dankzij donaties van Nederlanders die geven om hun vrijheid en privacy. Wil jij ook meehelpen om internetvrijheid te beschermen? Word dan donateur.
Met jouw steun kunnen we doorgaan met:
* Schendingen van online rechten signaleren en aanpakken
* Slecht beleid terugdraaien en goed beleid stimuleren. Zowel in Den Haag als in Brussel
* Tools ontwikkelen en kennis delen waarmee jij je eigen internetvrijheid kunt beschermen
* Elk jaar de Big Brother Awards uitreiken aan de grofste privacyschenders

Do your bit! (Thanks, Ot!)

Dutch government scraps "weed cards" - foreigners will still be able to smoke weed in Amsterdam's "coffee shops"

Cory Doctorow — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 22:25:06 +0000

The new Dutch government has scrapped plans to issue "weed passes" to permanent Dutch residents, and require these passes in order to purchase cannabis products in Amsterdam's famed marijuana "coffee shops." Other cities will be free to ban foreigners from their own cannabis coffee shops, should they choose, but the national government will not impose this upon them.

Incoming Dutch government ditches 'weed pass' plan (via Reddit)

Dutch government gives itself the right to break into your computer and destroy it

Cory Doctorow — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 19:28:01 +0000

Ot from Bits of Freedom sez, "On 15 October, the Dutch ministry of Justice and Security proposed powers for the police to break into computers, install spyware, search computers and destroy data. These powers would extend to computers located outside the Netherlands. Dutch digital rights movement Bits of Freedom warns for the unacceptable risks to cybersecurity and calls on other countries to strongly oppose the proposal."

Three new powers: spy, search and destroy

The proposal (Dutch, PDF) would grant powers to the Dutch police to break into computers, including mobile phones, via the internet in order to:

* install spyware, allowing the police to overtake the computer;

* search data on the computer, including data on computers located in other countries; and

* destroy data on the computer, including data on computers located in other countries.

If the location of the computer cannot be determined, for example in the case of Tor-hidden services, the police is not required to submit a request for legal assistance to another country before breaking in. Under the current text, it is uncertain whether a legal assistance request is required, or merely warranted, if the location of the computer is known. The exercise of these powers requires a warrant from a Dutch court.

Dutch proposal to search and destroy foreign computers (Thanks, Ot!)

European Directories sends legal threat to guy who wants to make it easy to stop receiving phone books

Cory Doctorow — Sun, 19 Aug 2012 11:13:30 +0000

Branko sez,

Everybody in the Netherlands still receives the paper phone guide once every year, whether they want to or not, even though in these days of Google and the Internet it is nothing but a vehicle for advertisements.
To help stop this form of harassment, a guy called Alexander Klöpping has registered a URL called sterftelefoongidssterf.nl (diephonebookdie) which redirects to the phone book cancellation form. In other words, if you want the phone book to be eliminated (‘die’) from your life, follow that link. (Actually don’t follow it, De Telefoongids are known to ignore your cancellation request anyway.)
Last Monday Klöpping received a threatening e-mail by the publishers of the phone book, a subsidiary of European Directories, that tells him he is engaged in trademark violation and that he must cease and desist.

Phone book publisher tries to silence critic with legal bullying (Thanks, Branko!)

Dropped infected USB in the company parking lot as a way of getting malware onto the company network

Cory Doctorow — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 23:00:40 +0000

Workers at the Dutch offices of DSM, a chemical company, report finding USB sticks in the company parking lot, which appeared to have been lost. However, when the company's IT department examined the sticks, they discovered that they were loaded with malware set to autorun in company computers, which would harvest employee login credentials. It appears that criminal dropped the keys in the hopes of tricking a employees into getting them into the company network.

Cybercriminelen doen poging tot spionage bij DSM

Cybercriminals do attempt to commit espionage at DSM (Google Translate)

(via /.)

Lego Turing machine

Cory Doctorow — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 16:14:21 +0000

Some more wonderments in honor of the Alan Turing centenary: Jeroen van den Bos and Davy Landman from the Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica in Amsterdam have created a working Turing machine out of Lego. It is both inspired and an inspiration:

Our LEGO Turing machine uses a tape based on a classic interpretation of computer memory: switches. Additionally, it uses a light sensor to determine the value of a switch: if the switch is on, the sensor will see the black colour of the switch's surface. But if it is turned off, the sensor will see the white colour of the LEGO beam, making it possible to distinguish between the states. Finally, a rotating beam mounted above the tape can flip the switch in both directions.
Alan Turing's original model has an infinite tape, but LEGO had a slight problem supplying infinite bricks. So we chose to fix our tape size to 32 positions.

A Turing Machine built using LEGO In honor of the Alan Turing year 2012

Catcopter artist explains all

Cory Doctorow — Sat, 09 Jun 2012 01:08:27 +0000

In the event that you were wondering about the motives of the Dutch artist Bart Jansen, who attained notoriety by taxiderming his dead cat and retrofitting its corpse to serve as a quadcopter, wonder no more. The CBC's As It Happens recorded an interview with Mr Jansen, and it is one of the strangest, finest interviews in that show's august history. The producers were kind enough to provide us with an MP3 for your listening pleasure.

Dutch Masters portrait subjects clothed in foam packing sheets

Cory Doctorow — Tue, 22 May 2012 23:19:57 +0000

Netherlands artist Suzanne Jongmans has created a series of portraits in the style of the Dutch Masters, creating the costumes out of soft packing foam sheets. She needs to team up with the artist who creates 15th century Flemish self-portraits using airplane toilet tissue and seat-covers. Together, they will rule the atemporal world.

Referring to both vulnerability and impermanence, I am investigating the texture and feel of both the present and past. Since 2007 I have been working on the series 'foam sculptures': caps and collars, inspired by 16th and 17th century paintings, made from materials currently used for packaging and insulation. This is also an inferior material which is often discarded after use. By using this material I make a reference to consumerism and the rapid circulation of materials. With these foam sculptures, but also an i-pod, a tattoo and a foot in plaster, we end up in the 21st century.
The portraits are a certain reference to Holbein, Clouet, Vermeer and Holland's Golden Age. It is no coincidence. In fact, in the 16th and 17th century, laid the foundations for photography. Call it the prehistory of photography. It appears that the artists have used photographic images, they could not yet capture. In fact, there was the phenomenon of photography so much earlier. This is an atavism of the Golden Age and the early days of the invention of photography.
I use the elements in the present as in the past, the objects in my work are used as symbols of values. I mutate old costumes into new plastics and old masters in new photographic works. By using time foreign materials, plastics and techno's, I am creating a time crux, a tension of time.

Suzanne Jongmans (via Neatorama)

Netherlands becomes first EU nation to enshrine Net Neutrality in law

Cory Doctorow — Wed, 09 May 2012 12:30:02 +0000

Ot from the Dutch technology activist group Bits of Freedom writes, "Good news from The Netherlands: on 8 May 2012 The Netherlands adopted crucial legislation to safeguard an open and secure internet. It is the first country in Europe to implement net neutrality in the law. In addition, it adopted provisions protecting users against disconnection and wiretapping by providers. Digital rights movement Bits of Freedom calls on other countries to follow the Dutch example." (Thanks Ot!)

PixelTable is a storage unit on one side, table on the other.

Cory Doctorow — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 20:41:58 +0000

I'm not entirely clear on how Studio Intussen's "PixelTable" works -- the outer layer of square bamboo pieces appears to be permanently affixed, while the interior rows simply rest on one another. When you insert an object into one side, it pushes out the wooden pieces on the other side, making little table-like extrusions. I can't decide if this would be an endlessly delightful fidget-object, or instantly tedious.

PixelTable (via OhGizmo)

Dutch Catholic Church accused of castrating 10 young men

Xeni Jardin — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 01:36:48 +0000

In the New York Times, Stephen Castle reports on a case in the Netherlands dating back to the 1950s: Roman Catholic Church officials are accused of surgically castrating as many as ten young men. In at least one case, the act may have been punishment against a child who went to police to report that he had been sexually abused by priests. The castrations may have also been "treatment for homosexuality." The article contains descriptions that may be upsetting.

(via Mia Farrow)

Woman's infected jaw removed, 3D printed replacement implanted

Cory Doctorow — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 03:50:15 +0000

An 83-year-old woman with a badly infected lower jaw had the entire thing replaced with a 3D printed titanium/bioceramic replica. The surgery was performed by doctors from the University of Hasselt (Belgium) in collaboration with Dutch surgeons.

The 3D printer prints titanium powder layer by layer, while a computer controlled laser ensures that the correct particles are fused together. Using 3D printing technology, less materials are needed and the production time is much shorter than traditional manufacturing. The mandible was finally given a bioceramic coating compatible with the patient's tissue by BioCeramics in Leiden. The artificial jaw weighs 107 grams, it is only 30 grams heavier than a natural jaw, but the patient can easily get used to it.
The operation was performed in June last year in the hospital in Sittard-Geleen. One day later the lady could start talking and swallowing.

83 year-old woman got 3D printed mandible (Thanks, Don!)

Dutch court gives rightsholder group unchecked power to block IPs and domains in the Netherlands

Cory Doctorow — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 12:13:30 +0000

Niels sez, "Yesterday, the Court of The Hague ordered Dutch ISPs XS4ALL and Ziggo to block access to 3 IPs and 24 domains of The Pirate Bay. On top of that, it granted the entertainment industry's lobby organisation BREIN the power to order extra addresses to be added the blacklist, without having to go to court and without any further checks. XS4ALL, founded in 1993 by a group of Amsterdam based hackers and still advocate for online civil rights, is shocked by the ruling because it violates the freedom of information, which suggests that the judge finds the commercial interests of the entertainment industry to be more important than the civil liberties of the citizens of The Netherlands. Naturally, XS4ALL will appeal the ruling."

Dutch copyright group accused of pirating its anti-piracy anthem, music collecting society boss seeks 33% finders' fee for getting musician paid

Cory Doctorow — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 18:40:28 +0000

A musician called Melchior Rietveldt was commissioned by the Dutch copyright-lobbying group BREIN to compose an anthem for an "anti-piracy" video. According to Rietveldt, BREIN licensed his work for a single use. However, the film industry has gone on to use the music in those crappy anti-piracy ads they run at the start of DVDs telling you off for being a pirate when you've just bought the DVD you're watching. Rietveldt's representatives claim that tens of millions of Dutch DVDs contain his composition, and that he's owed more than EUR1M.

Soon after he discovered the unauthorized distribution of his music Rietveldt alerted the local music royalty collecting agency Buma/Stemra. The composer demanded compensation, but to his frustration he heard very little from Buma/Stemra and he certainly didn’t receive any royalties.
Earlier this year, however, a breakthrough seemed to loom on the horizon when Buma/Stemra board member Jochem Gerrits contacted the composer with an interesting proposal. Gerrits offered to help out the composer in his efforts to get paid for his hard work, but the music boss had a few demands of his own.
In order for the deal to work out the composer had to assign the track in question to the music publishing catalogue of the Buma/Stemra board member. In addition to this, the music boss demanded 33% of all the money set to be recouped as a result of his efforts.

It gets worse. Click through to read how Gerrits was recorded making this demand, and what happened next.

Heavily gendered Dutch toy advertising

Cory Doctorow — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 00:48:23 +0000

Mataklap sends in this picture from a Dutch toy brochure. For girls, there's a "washing the dishes" playset. For boys, a microscope.

Cross-sections of teapots embedded in cement blocks

Cory Doctorow — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 15:53:48 +0000

Dutch designer Rolf (no last name, apparently) created a series of cool cross-sections of "teapots and kitschy vases" by embedding them in cement blocks and then sawing them in half: "By cutting the same type of teapot in half, in two different ways, two totally different shapes emerge that are both very characteristic and to a certain, but different degree, recognizable for the shape of a classic teapot."

Cutting Porcelain (via Crib Candy)

Dutch online rights group Bits of Freedom fundraiser

Cory Doctorow — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 09:29:29 +0000

Ot sez, "Dutch digital rights organisation Bits of Freedom is raising money to ensure it can continue defending online freedom in the coming years. Bits of Freedom fights for an open Internet which is accessible to all, where people can share information and where private communication remains private. As a result of Bits of Freedom's work, The Netherlands is the first country in Europe to launch a net neutrality law. If you think that Bits of Freedom is doing important stuff, you can support our work today at our campaign page. Thank you!"

They've got my support!

Do your bit! « Bits of Freedom

(Thanks, Ot!)

Revolver takes a picture every time you pull the trigger

Cory Doctorow — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 15:24:26 +0000

From the Netherlands' National Archive, a 1938 photo taken in New York City of a Colt revolver that has been modified to shoot a picture with every trigger pull. Presumably most of those photos are of people looking horrified and about to say something like, "Oh Christ, you turned your gun into a camera? No, don't point it at me! Ahh!"

(via Super Punch)

Revolver-camera / Revolver camera [flickr.com]

Woman calls man 65,000 times in one year

Cory Doctorow — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 12:36:47 +0000

A Dutch woman has been charged with stalking after calling a man 65,000 times in one year. She claims she was in a relationship with him (he denies it), and that this required her to call him. A lot. The court ordered her to stop, and she promised to, but called him "a couple of hours" after being released. (via Lowering the Bar)

Ultimaker: high-speed, low-cost 3D printer

Cory Doctorow — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 15:39:14 +0000

MAKE:'s Jon Kalish looks in some depth at Ultimaker, a MakerBot-style 3D printer that runs at higher resolutions and speeds than current MakerBot models. The creators of Ultimaker come from the Dutch Center-for-Bits-and-Atoms-affiliated Fab Lab, and has "Dutch design" touches that are said to be a delight. MakerBot co-founder Bre Pettis says, "They can move their machine around at a pretty amazing speed. There are some things they did that are pretty clever. This is what happens when you do something that’s successful. Other people figure it out, too, and start businesses. More 3D printers are good."

The three partners all live in different cities in the Netherlands (De Bruijn is in Tilburg, Elserman in Geldermalsen, and Wijnia in Haarlem). Ultimaker started shipping its open source 3D printer in April. The machine costs about US$1700, and with next day shipping, the price approaches $1900. According to De Bruijn and Elserman, more than 120 printers have been sold and close to 70 have been shipped so far. It takes between four and six weeks between order and delivery. Half of the new printers have been sold in the Netherlands, thanks to exposure on a national TV program. Customers include a disabled Dutch woman whose Ultimaker has printed gripper hands for robotic arms that she uses to grasp small candies, something her previous gripper could not do.
Like MakerBot, Ultimaker can print with either ABS or PLA plastic, though the company says printing with the plant-based PLA makes for a faster and more stable build. The Ultimaker is getting high grades for its design. Unlike the MakerBot, which has a moving build platform, the Ultimaker has a print head that moves. It is compact and weighs considerably less than MakerBot’s print head, and the Ultimaker’s motors are mounted on the printer’s frame, not on a moving part like MakerBot. This allows for bigger objects to be made (8.25″ cube for Ultimaker vs. 5″ cube for MakerBot) at higher speeds.

Ultimaker: There’s a New 3D Printer in Town