This morning I was the perfect husband and brought my wife to the doctor's office for a routine screening. They sedated her for the procedure and I was needed simply to drive her home afterwards. Fortunately I came prepared for my stay in the doctor's waiting room. I brought my laptop and both of my mobile phones. I also brought one more seriously needed piece of technology that has recently become quite beloved.
We got to the doctor's office and my wife filled out a bunch of paperwork. I sat next to her and kept glancing over at the television. I have to admit that I have not watched any television in the past several months. Furthermore I think you can count in decades the last time I have watched day-time television. The only word that comes to mind is, "Garbage." Every time I would look over at the Today show with Kathy Lee, my stomach would churn and my mind would ask, "Isn't it time for her to retire and go away?" Unfortunately the sound was up and I couldn't help continuously glancing over and getting nauseated.
I thought about bringing my laptop to the doctor's office and rather than just pulling it out of my computer bag, I brought my whole bag. In it was my new favorite technology: earplugs. I actually have 3 different sets in my bag. The first is a set of closed-foam plugs that Hampton Inn's started giving away for free. That is what I used today and I was glad I had them. Once I put them in, I could work on my laptop and got some important management tasks done.
The other two sets of earplugs I carry are not really "earplugs." They are two different kinds of headphones. The first is a set of ear buds that came with one of my tablet computers. They are great in that I can play music through them and they also do a fairly nice job of limiting outside noise. The other set of headphones are some more expensive over-the-ear kind that also have a noise cancelling button. Simply put them on, flip a switch, and about 90% of outside noise just goes away.
I enjoy all three sets of ear plugs I carry. Sure I could have used any of them to drown out distractions and get some work done today. I didn't want to listen to music and so the simple foam earplugs worked. Sometimes simple is all you need.
Friday, July 31, 2015
Wednesday, July 29, 2015
Time to Upgrade my Gaming Console
I have been traveling a lot over the last 6 weeks and have missed playing Red Dead Redemption on my PlayStation 3. Last night I was able to start playing some more. I have to say that I really like the game and continue to enjoy it. However I think it will be the last game I play on my PlayStation 3 as I prefer the graphics on the latest video game consoles.
I have a PlayStation 4 at home in Utah but don't get much of a chance to use it for more than watching movies. When I am in the Bay Area on my boat, I have a lot more time to play video games as I am all alone and don't have to share the TV with others. While the PlayStation 3 has been good on the boat, I am ready to upgrade to a PlayStation 4. Some might argue that getting an XBox One would allow me to have both of the latest video game consoles. As you can see from how long it has taken me to get through one video game, I have more than enough games to keep me busy and so keeping with a single brand allows me to share games between my two systems. Besides, I have a number of PS4 games still in their plastic wrappers and would love to start playing them.
So now the question becomes which PS4 should I get? You can pick up a pre-owned system at Best Buy for $349 or a new one for $399. Then there are the bundled units that come with games for the same $399 price. I already own The Last of Us for the PS4 and so that bundle doesn't make sense. One of my co-workers is encouraging me to get the Batman: Arkham Knight Limited Edition bundle. I asked my oldest son for his recommendation and he said that the I should get the Batman Limited Edition because if I decide to resell the console later, I should be able to get the same or more money for it. My son has the Destiny Limited Edition and it seems to be worth more than he paid for it even though it is used. So which one should I get? Fortunately I have a lot of time to think about it.
I have a PlayStation 4 at home in Utah but don't get much of a chance to use it for more than watching movies. When I am in the Bay Area on my boat, I have a lot more time to play video games as I am all alone and don't have to share the TV with others. While the PlayStation 3 has been good on the boat, I am ready to upgrade to a PlayStation 4. Some might argue that getting an XBox One would allow me to have both of the latest video game consoles. As you can see from how long it has taken me to get through one video game, I have more than enough games to keep me busy and so keeping with a single brand allows me to share games between my two systems. Besides, I have a number of PS4 games still in their plastic wrappers and would love to start playing them.
So now the question becomes which PS4 should I get? You can pick up a pre-owned system at Best Buy for $349 or a new one for $399. Then there are the bundled units that come with games for the same $399 price. I already own The Last of Us for the PS4 and so that bundle doesn't make sense. One of my co-workers is encouraging me to get the Batman: Arkham Knight Limited Edition bundle. I asked my oldest son for his recommendation and he said that the I should get the Batman Limited Edition because if I decide to resell the console later, I should be able to get the same or more money for it. My son has the Destiny Limited Edition and it seems to be worth more than he paid for it even though it is used. So which one should I get? Fortunately I have a lot of time to think about it.
Tuesday, July 21, 2015
Spotify Scores a Point
I am currently in Tokyo, Japan. Yes I know I was in London last week and No I didn't just keep going East. I actually went back to Utah for the weekend and then caught a Sunday evening flight to Tokyo through Seattle. I have to admit I am doing amazingly well considering the jet lag I should be feeling.
This morning I woke up early and went to use the hotel gym. I find music very inspiring as I ride an indoor bike for 30 minutes. In the past I have tried to use streaming music from Pandora. Unfortunately it is only available in the United States, Australia, and New Zealand. Today I started out listening to MP3 music loaded onto my iPhone. Then I thought I would see if Spotify works in Japan. Yes it does and so I finished my workout listening to streaming music.
There are a number of differences between Pandora and Spotify and I have favored Pandora in the past. However if it works in Japan, I will have to start listening to it more often. Now I feel bad for not listening to it while I was in London last week. While I enjoy the songs I have on my iPhone, there are a lot more songs available through any of the streaming music services than I could ever hope to own.
This morning I woke up early and went to use the hotel gym. I find music very inspiring as I ride an indoor bike for 30 minutes. In the past I have tried to use streaming music from Pandora. Unfortunately it is only available in the United States, Australia, and New Zealand. Today I started out listening to MP3 music loaded onto my iPhone. Then I thought I would see if Spotify works in Japan. Yes it does and so I finished my workout listening to streaming music.
There are a number of differences between Pandora and Spotify and I have favored Pandora in the past. However if it works in Japan, I will have to start listening to it more often. Now I feel bad for not listening to it while I was in London last week. While I enjoy the songs I have on my iPhone, there are a lot more songs available through any of the streaming music services than I could ever hope to own.
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
The Power of People
I have been in London all week and am getting ready to head back to the United States. It has been a quick trip and I am just getting over jet lag now that it is time to leave. I have learned a lot on this trip though and it is one of those gems of wisdom I wish to impart today.
I came to London with a presentation that I have given about a half a dozen times since being here. Each time I present a technical solution and elicit feedback from the group. When I originally developed the solution, it was in response to another group telling me a need they have. Each new group has acknowledged that need but also provided other scenarios my seemingly simple solution can solve. I have gone back and added these suggestions to the original presentation and now I am getting more and more interest in my project.
This gem of wisdom I wish to impart on you today is that you should always recognize the power of other people's ideas. You never know when your proverbial solution to crack open nuts can also be used to extract the tasty meat inside crab legs.
I came to London with a presentation that I have given about a half a dozen times since being here. Each time I present a technical solution and elicit feedback from the group. When I originally developed the solution, it was in response to another group telling me a need they have. Each new group has acknowledged that need but also provided other scenarios my seemingly simple solution can solve. I have gone back and added these suggestions to the original presentation and now I am getting more and more interest in my project.
This gem of wisdom I wish to impart on you today is that you should always recognize the power of other people's ideas. You never know when your proverbial solution to crack open nuts can also be used to extract the tasty meat inside crab legs.
Friday, July 10, 2015
Beating My Previous Score
Ski season ended back in May and so I have been riding my bike to get my daily exercise. When I am home in Utah, there is a loop I like to ride that I call the "Prison Run." It is a 14-mile loop that happens to run by the the prison which is where it gets its name. One side-effect of doing the same ride over and over is that I can compare my ride stats to see if I am getting better or worse.
For the past several years I have been averaging 16 miles per hour (MPH) on the loop. That sounds pretty slow until you factor in the 1500 feet of climbing over the short 14 miles. When I hit the long section of the climb, my speed drops from 20 MPH down to about 10. I used to try to keep in the double-digit speeds and thought that was great. However I have recently lost about 35 pounds and that has really helped my climbing ability.
A few weeks ago I noticed that I had my fastest average ever at 17.9 MPH. That got me excited about my cycling ability. The next time I went out, I did better with an 18.2 MPH average. Now each time I go out I am trying to do better than the previous ride. Last week I clocked in an amazing 19.0 MPH. I didn't think that was beatable until I went out yesterday and averaged 19.2 MPH. I keep getting better and better.
What does this have to do with computers and technology? Well that is the idea behind gamification. While I am always trying to do my best, there is something that makes me want to do better when there is a measurable score associated with my effort. When I take notice of that score, I can't help but try harder. Now it is time to get on my bike and see if I can't do better than a 19.2 MPH average. Wish me luck.
For the past several years I have been averaging 16 miles per hour (MPH) on the loop. That sounds pretty slow until you factor in the 1500 feet of climbing over the short 14 miles. When I hit the long section of the climb, my speed drops from 20 MPH down to about 10. I used to try to keep in the double-digit speeds and thought that was great. However I have recently lost about 35 pounds and that has really helped my climbing ability.
A few weeks ago I noticed that I had my fastest average ever at 17.9 MPH. That got me excited about my cycling ability. The next time I went out, I did better with an 18.2 MPH average. Now each time I go out I am trying to do better than the previous ride. Last week I clocked in an amazing 19.0 MPH. I didn't think that was beatable until I went out yesterday and averaged 19.2 MPH. I keep getting better and better.
What does this have to do with computers and technology? Well that is the idea behind gamification. While I am always trying to do my best, there is something that makes me want to do better when there is a measurable score associated with my effort. When I take notice of that score, I can't help but try harder. Now it is time to get on my bike and see if I can't do better than a 19.2 MPH average. Wish me luck.
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