After many requests for localized interfaces MindMeister finally goes international! Well, the first two steps anyway. German-speaking and Japanese users can now mind map in their native tongue, and find out what Geistesblitz really means.

In terms of mind mapping features, we’re proud to present inline image support in this release – you should try out especially the WunderBild function which we’re quite fond of. We’ve also updated the History View with some neat Time Machine-like features as well as making many small changes as usual, hopefully stuff you’ll find useful. Read details below.

Happy mind mapping,
The MindMeister Team

What’s New in MindMeister

Besides localized interfaces the new MindMeister release contains some impressive new mapping features as well. The biggest one is certainly support for inline images – see a list of all new functions below.

German and Japanese interface
When asked why a German company only offered their product in English we usually cited our heavily US-focused demographics – a feeble excuse of course. So that’s why we’re especially proud to launch two localized versions in one go: German and Japanese.

Inline Images
MindMeister users can now visually spice up their mind maps with pretty inline images. Choose from our built-in library, upload them from your computer or insert images from the web – either via direct URL or through an automated Google Image search. more

WunderBild™TIP
This one’s part of the image feature but we like it so much that we thought it deserved its own mention. Click the image button itself (not the dropdown triangle) to automatically add a “wonder” image to the selected idea. Try it out e.g. with your own name, it’s good fun! more

History View Player / Time Machine
The History View now has player controls to quickly jump to the start of the change history and stop/start the replay. You can also choose replay speed and color-highlight changes by modifier. An Advanced dialog allows you to filter the entire history by user and idea.

Many more icons
We’ve added a second icon library with 200 new icons and we’ve extended the MindMeister library with some often requested icons (e.g. Six Thinking Hats). Recently used icons are now saved for quick access.

New embed widget
Publicly embedded maps will now be shown in a much nicer widget with forwarding and bookmarking functions.

Coloring connections
Also frequently requested, you can now choose from six colours for your connection arrows.

Other enhancements
Enhanced RTF export, preview of changes in notification emails, new browser support, various UI enhancements and bugfixes

We’ve also done some work on the website itself, mainly updating the content pages. Have a look at the new information in the About section. In addition to lists of customers and partners there’s now a special Security page as well as a – steadily growing – section on Use Cases of mind mapping.

More Languages

More translations are on the way – next up are French, Spanish, Portuguese and Chinese – and if you’re interested in helping us with any additional languages please let us know. Also many thanks to those who have already offered their services, we’ll be surely coming back to you!

The German translation was done in-house (special thanks go to Oliver and Verena – great work!), while the Japanese version was done by our partner act2, who is also our local reseller in Japan (and therefore knows the language a little better). If you’re a native speaker of German or Japanese and you find any missing or erratic translations please send us a quick feedback message using the “Found a mistake” link in the menu bar.

http://www.mindmeister.com/

Mexico city seems to agree with the nature of times, a pandaemia, an earthquake, what else? It certainly helps us to put things in perspective. According to our Erasmus student over there, it’s chaotic but interesting to be in the eye of the hurricane.
I’m only going to post this ‘rant’ this week with an immediate purpose, because I’m quite tired of the ‘refrain’. “But you are on holidays now, aren’t you?”. I’m not sure who is to be blamed for that myth but no, university teachers – at least in my department – have a normal 21 day or so summer leave and during the rest of the summer term, THERE IS LOTS OF WORK TO DO.
I decided to list out the things I did yesterday at work for example, or the fact that I had lunch at my desk while averaging and compiling the grades of 160ish students from 10 teachers, that is without mentioning the cross checking and databasing of med certs and deferrals for them as well. On the other hand, there is the student feedback. As a first year coordinator,it’s my job to go through it and compute it and bring it out in a readable form to the first year team (meeting i’m running to in 40 mins) so we can start planning changing and evaluating performance.
And that’s only the first year part of my job. I teach in second year, third year (corrections coming! ooohhhh!) and masters (supervising two dissertations which are to be handed in, guess when? IN THE SUMMER!!!!!!!!).

So yes, Teacher WORK in the summer and quite a lot. In fact, the summer seems to be quite crammed for all the work we have ahead.

(disclaimer: I wasn’t trying to praise myself or my work as great and hard. I was just trying to make a case to deconstruct the famous myth. Feel free to share your summer work experiences here too!)

The contents of the Report would be taken into account in developing the Government’s proposed 20-year strategy for the language: “It is envisaged that the 20-year strategy for the Irish language will be a blueprint for the expansion of the use of Irish in every urban and rural area in the country.

“We are working hard on this strategy at the moment and it is a key priority for the Government to implement a comprehensive strategy that will enable the language to flourish into the future.”

Pointing out that an estimated 13 per cent of the population was made up of non-Irish nationals, the Minister said: “When you look at the overwhelmingly positive attitude towards the Irish language, there is no difference in outlook between a sample of the total population and a sample of only those born in Ireland.”

Let’s really hope so!!!
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2009/0422/breaking8.html

Instituto Cervantes Dublin presents an amazing documentary for those of you who are in love with Barcelona:

En construcción (Under construction)
film screening
In an emblematic, working-class area of Barcelona, threatened by a reform plan, a block of flats is under construction. While they get on with the building work, we are shown the everyday life of the neighbourhood, the relationship between the workers and the neighbours, anecdotes of the building-site. In the process, what unfolds is the fact that the mutation in the urban landscape also implies a mutation in the human landscape and that in this movement can be seen echoes of the world.
In
An Alphabet of cinema Ñ. film series
Details
Title: En construcción
Director: José Luis Guerín
Year made: 2001
Format: DVD
Duration: largometraje – 125 min
País producción España-Francia
Versión originalEspañola
SubtituladoInglés

Dates

29/04/2009 (18:30 h)

Location
Instituto Cervantes – Café Literario
Lincoln House, Lincoln Place
2 Dublin
(IRLANDA)

“Remember that there is an outside world to see and enjoy.”
Shakespeare

There are lots of festivities today around the world, but there are two significant ones in terms of languages: Cervantes’ and Shakespeare’s 393rd Death Anniversary. The Encyclopedia Hispanica claims that the date widely quoted as Cervantes’ date of death, namely April 23, is actually the date on his tombstone, which, in accordance with the traditions of the time, would be the date of his burial, rather than the date of his death. If this is true, then, according to Hispanica, it means that Cervantes probably died on April 22 and was buried on April 23, but the true date of his death is unknown (source: wikipedia).

In places as remote as Cataluña, they celebrate it as St. George’s day with a red rose for the women; in exotic places as Castilla-León, it’s the region’s ‘national’ day, commemorating a raising in 1521 against the uniformity that the Crown proposed (the rebels were massacred, as you may guess). But it’s UNESCO International Day of the book and I guess that’s what matters.

Read on!

Hello everybody,
Hope you are enjoying Cuirt Festival in Galway. If you haven’t attended any event yet (like me). Here is the programme:
http://www.galwayartscentre.ie/ftp/parrafos/Cuirt_Programme_200920091803173255_.pdf

It’s a pity that such a cool festival, full of multicultural events happens at a time in which teacher and students are so crazy busy with exams and corrections and administration of grades.

In my native town (Valladolid, Spain), there is an international film festival and a lot of the educational institutions cancelled their classes (or took their students to the cinema as part of the class), during this week, when I was at school.

I find it curious that during the Galway Races we get time off… Priorities I guess.

Irish youth feel the brunt of European perplexity at our No vote

Young people visiting Strasbourg got caught up in lively debate, writes MARY MINIHAN .

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/0408/1224244212449.html

A short-sighted blow to language skills of children

Children from ethnic minorities and who have language needs are being singled out for special treatment in the Budget.

http://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/a-shortsighted-blow-to-language-skills-of-children-1706878.html

Entidades colaboradoras

Instituto Cervantes (Dublín)