Think Different

Getting bailed out by the po-po. (Taken with Instagram)

Sat, 18 Aug 2012 20:14:59 -0400

Getting bailed out by the po-po. (Taken with Instagram)

About an hour of work. About 3 hours of cleanup. :/ (Taken with...

Thu, 02 Aug 2012 19:43:56 -0400

About an hour of work. About 3 hours of cleanup. :/ (Taken with Instagram)

nevver: Missed connections

Mon, 30 Jul 2012 22:52:51 -0400

nevver:

Missed connections

Lunch (Taken with Instagram at Go Solutions Group, Inc.)

Tue, 24 Jul 2012 12:39:36 -0400

Lunch (Taken with Instagram at Go Solutions Group, Inc.)

Google Seeks To Ban iPhone and iPad

Mon, 25 Jun 2012 18:00:32 -0400

I’m sure this is a purely ‘defensive’ move by Google. That is why they bought the patents right? Google:

“Our acquisition of Motorola will increase competition by strengthening Google’s patent portfolio, which will enable us to better protect Android from anti-competitive threats from Microsoft, Apple and other companies.”

Sounds pretty offensive to me:

A U.S. trade agency said it will review a judge’s findings that Apple Inc. (AAPL) (AAPL)’s iPhone and iPad tablet computer infringes patents owned by Google Inc. (GOOG) (GOOG)’s Motorola Mobility unit, in a case that could lead to imports of the devices being banned.

I can’t help but notice this comes directly after Apple dropped Google Maps from iOS. I understand that maps probably doesn’t contribute much to Google’s bottom line, but they have to be scared shitless that Apple is working towards a way of replacing them in search. Search does contribute to at least their mobile bottom line, which is why it makes no sense to seek an import ban on iOS devices.

It doesn’t make sense, unless Google is anticipating a sharp decline in revenue from Apple. I see this as a very real possibility as Apple pushes Siri towards the masses. Especially after the iOS 6 announcement, there is less and less that Siri needs to search the web (read: google) for, and that scares the crap out of them. So much so, that they are preemptively striking.

As for whether or not it is a valid patent case, that is for another post. I do find it interesting how quickly Google has found themselves in a difficult position as the world moves further away from ad-based services.

Wilson Hall. My Humble Abode.

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 17:40:00 -0500

Wilson Hall. My Humble Abode.

Shining Star

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 20:35:00 -0500

One year ago tomorrow, the world lost a very bright star.

She was still shining bright, and had a lot of life left in her. She was so bright, she lit up the space and people around her. Her radiance was so brilliant that those in her presence forgot about how dull they were, and that was O.K.

Death comes to all of us, at one point or another. I once found a quote that read, ”Maybe death is the great equalizer, the one big thing that can finally make strangers shed a tear for one another.” It came straight out of a required high school book assignment. Maybe there was something we learned there after all.

Crying is something that I haven’t done for a long time, until a year ago. Caitlin was no stranger, and it felt very real, but ever since, I’ve been different. I hear of death and despair, and it no longer breezes past my ears. I don’t feel as if I’ve lost someone dear, but I feel the overbearing dreadfulness of those that have. I now have a passageway into their minds, and can empathize with what they are feeling.

People die everyday. For most of us, it bears no significance, and mustn’t for life to continue. If we were to bear the weight of every death in this world, life would be unbearable. We physically can’t do it. But that doesn’t make the deaths of those around us any less hard. It still feels as though you’ve been hit by a train; a train that doesn’t even notice.

Isn’t that what makes it hard? That no one seems to notice that you are struggling, trying to find meaning in what happened. That you’re looking for justice, whether emotionally or materially. That the only word that is consistently stuck in your brain is “Why?”. It bothered me. It still bothers me sometimes.

But then I take a step back and look at the world. This isn’t about me. This isn’t about any of us. We all have hardships whether we want to believe that or not. And that, I think, has made me view life in a different way. A way that is more kind to those around me, and more understanding. I’m not saying I’m perfect, believe me, I’m not. I’m just saying that I’m trying to live my life in a different way.

There was a very deep and inspiring youtube video I found made by a young man from Rockford, which is very close to home. I hope you find some time to watch it.

We all have tough times. This year for me was particularly tough, as I lost Caitlin, a personal role model, and my great grandmother. And I know it was a tough year for many of you reading this.

Switching gears back to the main point of this post. I can’t believe it’s been an entire year. I’ve had a lot of time to think about things, and I’ve pinpointed the greatest amount of sorrow for myself. A year ago, it was absolutely heartbreaking what happened, and it still saddens me to this day. But what I now realize, is that I’m experiencing what Caitlin should be experiencing at the same time.

I’m in college, meeting new people, searching for internships and having fun. That was taken away from Caitlin, as was the rest of her life. 19 years is a long time, but experiences aren’t measured in time. They’re measured in moments. Caitlin is missing out on those moments which makes me truly, terribly sad.

No one’s life deserves to be cut short like that, but Caitlin’s life was so vibrant and full of color. Any stranger that met her could tell you she was going to go far, but most importantly, she would impact lives. She had already impacted our lives. She had an infectious smile, and a warming laugh. She was one of the friendliest people I knew. She is still all of those things.

No one can change what’s already happened, but there are things we can do better. We can be nicer, more compassionate, and friendly. We can put aside our own selfish desires in order to help those around us. We can look for those in need and give them a helping hand. Sometimes, a simple smile can brighten an otherwise gloomy day for others. God knows Caitlin had plenty of them. We can learn to appreciate God’s creations and the companionship found in others. We can act with mercy, and give with generosity.

One way or another, our star will be distinguished, and we will leave everything behind. Everything but our soul. There will be no money, no possessions, and no pride. There will be no excuses. There will be no one to put blame on.

Caitlin was a star, and she still lives in many of our hearts. Let us honor her glorious spirit by spreading that around this world.

Android Phone Name Generator

Sun, 11 Dec 2011 13:54:00 -0500

This has to be the funniest thing I’ve stumbled upon on the internet for quite some time.

Not only has HP been getting drilled on their design, but I...

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 16:25:00 -0500

Not only has HP been getting drilled on their design, but I would like to also single them out on their lack of attention to detail.

You’ll notice at the end that the computer they are watching the movie on, the Dv6t, is using external speakers. Isn’t one of HP’s main selling points Beats Audio?? What gives?

This is even more shocking given the main focus of the commercial is how easy and great it is to watch movies on your HP computer.

via Stan Karas

6 Months Until Android Takes Over the World

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 03:32:00 -0500

I’ve been reading a lot today about a statement made by Google’s former CEO and current Chairmen of the Board, Eric Schmidt:

“Ultimately, application vendors are driven by volume, and volume is favored by the open approach Google is taking. There are so many manufacturers working to deliver Android phones globally,” Schmidt said. “Whether you like Android or not, you will support that platform, and maybe you’ll even deliver it first.”

At first glance, this actually sounds like a threat. But let’s dig a little deeper into his actual thought process. Some of you may remember around 2009, Schmidt was featured in a video talking about privacy:

“If you have something that you don’t want anyone to know, maybe you shouldn’t be doing it in the first place.”

Once again, this was probably not the wisest choice of words coming from a CEO whose company has the ability to peek into every nook and cranny of your digital life. As Marco Arment points out, most of Schmidt’s public speaking gigs don’t feature him in a favorable light.

But if we dissect the statement a bit more, I think we can extrapolate a bit of further meaning. When Schmidt talks about “whether you like Android or not, you will support that platform”,[1] I think his broader meaning is that he believes Android market share will grow so large that it will literally be impossible to ignore as a developer. But, as John Gruber points out, Schmidt has essentially forgotten (or chosen to ignore) the elephant in the room, Microsoft. Microsoft is by far and large the OS with the most market share, but where are the developers? They certainly aren’t flocking to Windows like they are to iOS. I have no statistical basis for this, but by the quality of software available on OS X, I would even venture to guess that the ratio of developers for Mac OS X to that of Windows is significantly higher.

Having owned both an Android handset as well as an iPhone, I can say with great certainty, through personal experience, that the quality of applications is much higher for iOS. This is where I think Schmidt is wrong. Not only does he feel that market share alone can swoon developers to a new platform, but he neglects the thought that developers have a sort of attachment to their products.

If the tools to build a fantastically great app on the iPhone are better than Android now, and that developer and his/her users fall in love with that app and that platform, where is the motivation to switch. Not to mention all of the cons to supporting Android in the first place: Extra development maintenance, (possibly) learning a new language, low percentage of consumers willing to pay for apps, and extreme fragmentation.

However, there’s another core competitor to Android, and it’s not iOS. It’s Android itself. Recently, the Kindle Fire was launched running a version of Android using Google’s open source code, but not being endorsed by Google in any way. This means, no Google apps, and no Google branding. While the Fire may have some glaring problems in it’s current iteration, the premise of the product is unique. It uses the open source Android to make a tablet not associated in any way with Google. It uses it’s own app store, movie store and music store. It is all Amazon.

In essence, Google gets cut out of its own product. This is dangerous in two ways. Less Google products are used, thus driving less search revenue. Secondly, there may come a time when other tablet manufacturers and even phone manufacturers figure out that they can cut Google out entirely and create just as successful of a platform.

Android market share will rise for sure, but the Android Market and Google’s core business (Search and Ads) will not. This should be frightening to Google at every level, as they consistently, time and time again, try to extend their current business model instead of innovating ways to cannibalize their own products such as the iPhone and iPod lines.

So, either Google and Schmidt are truly ignorant and are blind to some massive problems in their business model and products, OR, they realize they have issues to deal with, but don’t know how, and are putting on a brave face to the public.

Your move Google.

[1]: Logical Punctuation. Via John Gruber

Just because you can't hold it, doesn't mean it should be free

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 18:42:00 -0500

Shiftyjelly on the stubbornness people exhibit when purchasing software:

Then you see an app like ’101 sex positions’ or ’301 Fart Noises’ reach the lofty heights of App Store Success. They spent a week on a gimmick and made bank, you spent 6 months building an app of utility and are struggling. Let’s not even get into the long debates you get into with people about whether they should buy your $1.99 app. People will spend hours researching a $2 purchase, browsing reviews, emailing the developer, checking online forums. Then they will go to a coffee shop they’ve never been before and buy a $4 coffee. From the developer they expect unlimited support, unlimited free updates. From the coffee shop they expect nothing except mediocre coffee.

I think people truly underestimate how much work software development really is. Part of that stems from our inability to physically grasp software. There is a cultural force that tells people “As long as its not physical, it’s free.

That thought process is wrong, and quite frankly dangerous. You would pay for any other service or product that costs money to produce or develop. So why wouldn’t you do the same with software?

Taken with Instagram at Wilson Hall

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 17:30:32 -0500

Taken with Instagram at Wilson Hall

It’s a beautiful day for football!

Sat, 15 Oct 2011 21:25:41 -0400

It’s a beautiful day for football!

A nice evening read. Web form design.

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 20:34:07 -0400

A nice evening read. Web form design.

Friends and the Big Picture

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 20:44:00 -0400

We are nearing the end of our second week here at MSU. Every semester seems twice as hard as the last, and the number of activities available seems to increase at an exponential rate. I seem to be spending a lot of time doing homework for my classes as they progressively get harder.

Couple this with the fact that everyone seems to tell you how important college is, and that it will determine the rest of your life. While that may be true in some respects, it doesn’t determine everything. Sure, if I do well in school, I’m more likely to get a good job, earn more money and buy more things.

But there are some things money can’t buy. Cliché right? I won’t tell you that money can’t buy happiness, because it can actually buy a lot of the things that make most people happy. If you think about it, would having an Audi R8 or not having an Audi R8 make me happier? Seriously c’mon. Money can certainly buy a portion of your happiness.

But there is another component to happiness. One that is easily a psychological trap if you get thinking about it. It’s a bit ironic, in fact. People love money. Human nature is conditioned to love money. So, logically, giving away that money to someone else makes that person happy. It’s almost as if you can buy friends. But, the trick is, your “friends” do not appreciate you because of money. They appreciate the money. It is simple human nature.

Luckily, as humans, our only ability is not to just make money. We (most of us) have the ability to socialize and interact with other humans and actually make friends. But we have to work at it, just like we have to work at making money. It doesn’t always come naturally. This is why college is so important. It’s not all about doing great in your studies. It’s about making friends. Because, if you balance your work with your social life, you are able to maximize your happiness later in life.

I’m not saying that you shouldn’t try in school because, let’s face it, if you don’t make any money, you’re going to be miserable. I’m saying, cherish the time you have to meet new people and get to know them. You’d be amazed how much you can learn about them and yourself in the process.

This year is different than last, in that I’ve put a lot of time and energy into meeting people and making friends. I look back on high school, and wish that I didn’t worry so much about things. There are times to worry, and there are times to kick back and relax. As a society, we need to relax more.

Finally, I want to stress an important lesson I’ve learned over the past few years: Look at the big picture. Don’t get caught up in the minutia of life. That 50% on your exam won’t impede the rest of your life. Your marriage isn’t going to fall apart, your job really won’t suffer. Should a fight over football end a friendship? Of course not. You always hear people say “Don’t sweat the small stuff,” but I think it goes deeper than that. It’s about realizing what the big stuff is.

It’s about the long term. Who do you want to be with, what do you want to do with your life. What are your goals. Accomplishing the small stuff allows for the big picture to take effect, but you’re allowed to mess up on the way. Don’t let the details determine the picture. Find your goal and work towards it. Don’t get stuck doing something you don’t want to do.

If you want to be a writer, write! If you want to be a doctor, fine. But don’t just be a doctor to be a doctor, or because someone wants you to be. This is your path, but more importantly, it’s your life.

As I was saying before, there are many components to a happy life. Money, friends, family and doing what you love. It’s hard to achieve all of them, but having only one is detrimental.

I’m not there yet, and I still have a long way to go. But whenever I get caught up or stressed out about the finer details of life, I look at the big picture.

Do what you love, love what you do. Be motivated to achieve. Make friends, and stay close to your family. But, above all, be happy.

Not Soon Forgotten

Sun, 11 Sep 2011 03:13:13 -0400

Ten years ago to this day, I sat in my fourth grade classroom learning about geography. A pause in the teacher’s breath gave room for a piercing phone call from the corner desk. We watched as the teacher excused himself to answer the call.

We sat patiently, but restless waiting for recess even though the day had just begun. I remember looking out the windows and seeing the sparse clouds slowly drift by. I then shifted my attention back to my teacher and watched the blood slowly drain out of his face. Surely something was wrong, as his face was gaunt as a ghost.

He stood there, kind of awkward, for a few moments and walked back to the front of the class. We relapsed into our geography lesson. But something wasn’t right. He was slow to speak; reserved with a hint of fear in his voice. Sure, I was only in fourth grade, but our perception of human nature is stronger than our learned intelligence.

We continued for a few minutes, and after about 15 minutes, an office aide came to the classroom and handed my instructor a small slip. He read off about 10 names and excused them to the office. This seemed very odd to me at the time, and I didn’t realize that all of these kids were being called home by their parents.

By this time, the remaining portion of the class was certainly restless and started to inquire why everyone was leaving. My teacher, realizing that he could sustain silence no longer, told us the truth. America was under attack.

He assured us that we were safe, and no harm would come. We wanted to turn the television on, as we were ripe with curiosity, not knowing the daunting gravity of the situation. We were declined this “luxury”.

Fast forward to the end of the school day (my parents never withdrew me from school). I got home and immediately fired off questions to my parents who were hesitant to speak about the day’s events. They began to explain the situation, and I started to come to a realization of just how serious things were.

We agreed to turn on the TV, but my parents reserved the right to turn it off at a moment’s notice. If I remember one thing the most clearly, it’s that there was only news. There was no Nickelodeon. There was no MTV. There was no Spike. Every channel was “Breaking News”.

We watched the destruction filmed through the lens of what could only be a horror stricken news team. We saw the buildings crumble and desecrate everything in their path. Buildings that were once the pinnacle of human architecture, smashed as if they were legos in the way of my favorite hot wheels car. And we watched people die. Even though the event took place on the screen, you could feel the reality in the pit of your stomach.

I was only 9 years old, and had never witnessed such destruction. I had never known that such things were possible; that there were groups and individuals that would go as far as taking their own lives to destroy thousands of others. But I also didn’t realize what a hero was. For me, a hero had always worn a cape, and rescued pretty ladies being mugged by thieves.

But after that day, I knew what a hero really was. A hero was someone who would risk his or her own life to save others. A hero was a police officer doing a neighborhood patrol when he realized that there were women and children in a building. A firefighter who was off duty, but responded to a dire situation where lives were in danger. A civilian who had taken no oath to protect this nation, but knew in his or her heart what must be done. These were the real heroes, along with hundreds of others.

And I would like to salute them for their bravery. For their dedication. For their honor. I would like to thank them for their sacrifice, and I would like to extend my hand, and my heart to all those affected by the loss of their loved ones.

10 years is a long time, but some things last forever. The heroes of September 11 will not be soon forgotten.

Denard Robinson: Why the Hype?

Sun, 11 Sep 2011 00:06:00 -0400

Denard Robinson is nothing more than a glorified running back. Let’s take a look at his stats in the Notre Dame vs Michigan game:

Completions/Attempts: 11/24 (For those of you bad at math, that’s less than 50%)

Interceptions: 3 (What kind of “great” QB does that?)

Passing Yards: 383 (This is impressive, but mostly attributed to him literally lobbing it into the air and having his admittedly good receivers pull in stunning catches.)

Rushing Yards: 108 yards over 16 attempts. 16?!?! Really??

Denard may be viewed as exceptional by all these dim-witted “Sports Analysts” and frankly U of M fans, but he is awful at passing and makes up for it by rushing (you know, kind of like a running back is supposed to do.)

I’m usually not this boisterous about football; I’m not even that interested really. But I can’t stand the hype around Denard Robinson because he is “such a great QB” or “Heisman material” or “Simply the best we’ve seen all year”. Give it a rest people.

Caffeine Kills Procrastination

Sat, 10 Sep 2011 23:48:19 -0400

Who would have guessed that drinking two cups of coffee, a 5 hour energy, and a red bull would have made me more productive than my usual self. Granted, my usual self usually gets nothing done, it doesn’t take much to be more productive.

A serious lack of sleep over the past few days has done some interesting things to my mind. I find myself writing at 4:30 in the morning, remembering snippets of code from my programs, and seriously screwing up my usual coffee routine.

Today I got about 5 hours of sleep and I felt awful when I woke up. I proceeded to go to the MSU football game, which was a blowout, and barely made it back to the dorms. I took a half hour nap and felt slightly better, but nothing to rave about.

After a quick panic attack brought on from the realization that I had about 5 days of homework stacked up from the previous week, I ran down to the café, ate a 7 course meal and grabbed a 5 hour energy from Sparty’s.

I’ve never had a 5 hour energy before, and I won’t go on about it, but I took it at 4 P.M. and easily lasted to 9. During that time, I finished all of my physics homework (which was gay). Just ask Louis, Tom, and Mike. I then drank a Red Bull to get through the next subject which was iPhone Design.

Read my stuff. Got done and made it to the blog post.

…the caffeine must be wearing off. I just left this post for 30 minutes to do something else. The procrastination is back. Now what…

Coffee

Thu, 08 Sep 2011 19:43:53 -0400

If any of you have met me, you’ll know that I have a particular fascination with coffee. I’ve recently been on a unique endeavor to create the perfect cup of coffee.

In the past, I’ve used a traditional drip coffee maker, a percolator, and even a Keurig. So far, none of these methods has produced a stellar cup.

I’m not really a big fan of Starbuck’s or Biggby as they tend to over-roast their beans and burn the coffee. A medium roast is really a dark, and a dark roast is really a pile of charred shells.

I have visited a few niche coffee shops that have produced better than expected results (see photo), but there still seems to be something missing. This has resulted in the final conclusion. To enjoy good coffee, you have to make it yourself.

Well, as a college student money is kind of tight, so dropping $200 on a top of the line burr grinder is not a feasible option. Spending $10 on a Spinning Blade Grinder may seem like a well thought out economical choice, but in reality, it burns the beans and sours the coffee. It also does not give as fine of control on the size of the grounds.

So, I need a setup that is affordable, yet will provide me with the best possible coffee I can make.

Planned Set Up:

AeroPress
Cusinart Burr Grinder
Fresh beans from an online store such as this, this or this
A heat gun to roast my own beans
oXo Storage containers for maximum freshness
Plenty of space for this massive project

All in all, I’m looking at about $100 in materials to get this project off the ground.

To be honest, I’m not really sure who this post is even aimed at. It’s not like I have a readership anyway. Who knows? Maybe someday. All I can tell you is that I really enjoy coffee and hope to come away from this experiment learning something and making great coffee.

Of course, we all start our obsessions somewhere, and credit is certainly due. Marco Arment is the “Creator of Instapaper, Amateur Writer, and Coffee Nut”. He has an awesome blog at Marco.org and speaks with Dan Benjamin on the podcast “Build and Analyze”. He’s been an inspiration not only through his products, but also through his advice.