Multiple Streaming Services

This morning I went to spend 30 minutes on my indoor bike for my morning exercise when I noticed one of my streaming music services wasn't working correctly. When I go for a ride outside, I never listen to music as I need my sense of sound to keep from becoming a hood ornament. Inside it is a different story. If I don't have music, I have a very difficult time exercising. I have tried watching movies while using an indoor bike but music inspires me the best.

Naturally I closed my music app and reopened it. That seemed to work for 2 songs and then it busted again. At this point I decided to try my secondary streaming music source and used it to finish out my workout. It is times like this that I am glad I have both Pandora and Spotify streaming music accounts.

It is also good to have multiple streaming video accounts. There are a number of times that I will go to watch a movie only to discover problems. Sometimes it is a function of my Internet connection being too slow because everyone on the block is watching movies at the same time. Other times it is just the streaming service having issues. In any event it is nice to have multiple options. When my Internet connection is slow or goes out completely I have a huge library of DVD and Blu-ray discs that serve as a nice backup to keep me entertained.

We all have our favorite places to go for streaming services. Sometimes we spend a lot of time customizing our accounts so that recommendations are exactly what we are looking for each time we connect. This makes us reluctant to look at other vendors of similar services. Ultimately it is nice to have a backup service just in case your favorite is down for some reason. It isn't necessary to sign up for every possible solution but having at least one alternative is a good practice.

Imagined Perks of Working at PlayStation

When people find out I work for Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) which is the part of Sony responsible for the PlayStation product, they always ask if I can get them a free console. If I know the person really well I respond with something polite like, "No but that would be nice wouldn't it?" If it is a total stranger I might respond with something a little more cheeky like, "I only get one free one per year and I keep them for myself." The real answer is that employees get a minimal discount on console hardware, especially after a new product launch like the PlayStation 5. The discount, if anything will only be around $5 to $15. Towards the middle of the console's lifespan we are given the ability to purchase refurbished machines at a significant discount but are limited in how many we can purchase.

My son had a neighbor who failed to get a PlayStation 5 pre-order and was asking if anyone knew how to get one as her son's birthday is quickly approaching. My son replied, "My Dad works at PlayStation and can't even get me a PS5." It is a true statement and I appreciate him not setting me up for failure. I have seriously looked for ways to get each of my own children PS 5's but have come up short. Looks like I have to come up with some other idea for Christmas gifts.

One of the best perks of being an employee at SIE is that we do get a discount on games. Once again we are limited to only 2 copies of the same game per year but the price has been $15 per game. I imagine the price will go up for PS5 games as the retail price for video games has also gone up. I am also limited to games published by SIE. That means I can't help you with anything from Electronic Arts or Activision. One Christmas I had a neighbor come to my house and go through whatever games I still could purchase and buy them. After that, I put a limit on how much I help others with their Christmas gifts.

There are strings attached to the perks at working for a video game company. If I purchase the disk version of a game, it comes with the barcode scratched out so I can't return the game to a store or resell it as a new game. That means when I help someone get a game, he or she also has to abide by those same rules.

Finally there are the peripherals. I don't know why but every time I play any of the "God of War" games, I completely destroy a controller. It happened with the original 3 games remastered for the PS3 and again with the latest title on the PS4. So when I purchase any "God of War" game, I also pick up another controller as I know my current one will not make it through the end of the game. We get a nice discount on controllers, headsets, and other console peripherals. Once again, we do have some restrictions on how many we can get but each color counts as a separate product. That means I may only be able to get 2 black controllers per year but I also can get 2 red ones, 2 white ones, etc.

Now if you run into me at the airport or in public you know that I can't get you a free PlayStation console. Please don't ask for one. I wonder if people who work at Ferrari get asked if they get free cars?

Maintaining Your Electronics

Yesterday I brought a pair of skis into the shop to have new bindings mounted for the upcoming ski season. I own about 7 pairs of skis already and so you are probably wondering what is special about these new ones. I am trying out a new ski binding that works well in the resort but can also be used efficiently in the backcountry. Needless to say I am getting pretty excited about the upcoming ski season, especially since it snowed at my house on Sunday.

This morning I started going through my e-mail and saw an article about the Pieps DSP Pro changing from transmit to search or off modes. For those that don't know, Pieps is a small transceiver (both a radio transmitter and receiver) that is used to help find someone in the event of an avalanche burial. I use a different brand from BCA that I love and so I am not worried that I need to replace my transceiver. I still read the article. Basically there is a faulty switch caused by not properly maintaining the equipment. That is a polite way of placing blame on the user instead of the manufacturer.

This brings up the point of what the proper maintenance is for all of your electronics. Do you know what that means for you? When I received my new avalanche transceiver, I read through the very short manual but now don't recall anything about regular maintenance. Considering the thing may someday be the difference between a bad day and a downright tragedy, I may want to reread the manual. I do know that my avalanche air bag is due for maintenance and will be doing that in the next week or so.

What about other electronic devices? Should I be worried about my computer? My mobile phone? How about any of my PlayStation consoles or televisions? Ultimately most of the electronics I own will never be used to save a life. The only exception might be a mobile phone. If my television stops working, I can repair it under warranty or get a new one. While it may seem like I am miserable, I won't be dying any time soon.

So how do you maintain a mobile phone? Fortunately it is something you use every day and so it is easy to see if it is working correctly or not. If it stops working, get it replaced immediately. Some things to look at are cracked screens and bulging battery compartments. Older rechargeable batteries can start to swell and may need to be replaced. If you are up to the task yourself there is a great Internet resource called IFixIt.com. I am a huge fan and just used one of their battery kits on my wife's MacBook Air. I also used them to help replace the screen on her mobile phone when it had a crack that caused it to stop working correctly. 

If you have any electronic device that is used to save a life, please pay attention to proper maintenance procedures. That helps to ensure it will work when you need it. Oh and don't buy any Pieps DSP avalanche transceivers no matter how good the deal may seem. After today's article people will be dumping them in favor of a different brand or newer model.

Instructions Look Easier Than The Actual Experience

I have been watching a lot of cowboy movies and reading a lot of stories about the Wild West. Yesterday I got the idea that it might be fun to get a lever-action rifle to hang on the wall. We constantly hear how easy it is to purchase guns in the United States and so I thought it would be an easy process. It turns out that purchasing a rifle is a lot more complex than I thought. It leads me to believe that people pushing for stricter gun laws have no idea how tough the process actually is. Yes, there are shortcuts, the most glaring one being purchasing one from a private seller.

I am a huge fan of the Second Amendment here in the United States but have never owned a gun. I have often joked about how easy it is to get one in Utah and that we sell them in convenient stores here. That can't be farther from the truth. I read through the process and quickly wondered why people are pushing for more and more gun control. This reminded me of what happened the first I tried a few machine learning experiments.

When I first started playing with machine learning I thought it would be as simple as finding the right algorithm, putting in some training data, and then pulling out some magnificent results. Then I tried my first exercise and realized that the bulk of the work turned out to be massaging the training data into the right format. Then I cycled through a number of different algorithms to figure out which one provided the closest results only to discover that some don't produce consistent values. Finally I had to figure out how to take a trained model and turn it into a production system.

Ultimately I have found that it is not enough to read about doing something, especially technical tasks. In order to truly understand the task at hand, you have to run through the process. It is not enough to read the instructions, you have to pull out your tools and run through the steps yourself.

Does a Smartwatch Help You Exercise?

I have had the exact same watch for the past 15 years and never had to change the battery. The watch face contained a solar panel and I just used ambient light to keep the watch running. When I got the watch I knew that eventually the battery would need to be replaced and so it didn't surprise me when the watch finally died. Most people would be excited at the prospect of replacing 15-year-old technology but I really loved that watch and actually looked at getting another one exactly like it. I also had the option of just replacing the battery and keeping my old watch. Instead I decided to take the advice of my sons and look at some of the new smartwatches on the market and see if there is one that I liked.

One of the problems that I have with most smartwatches is that they require charging on a nightly basis. With all of the traveling that I do it means carrying the charging cradle with me on every trip. Sure I could get a second cradle but that adds expense and so I set my first requirement at having a watch last a minimum of a week before recharging. That eliminated quite a few products and brands including anything from Apple.

Next I looked at available features. There are very few smartwatches that don't integrate with your phone. In fact, that is one of the requirements for being a smartwatch and so I didn't have to worry about that. I did have to worry about built-in GPS or if I was OK using the one in my smartphone. I also needed to decide if I cared about size. I am not a fan of large watches but I do like being able to see the watch face as my eyes seem to be aging with the rest of my body. I carefully reviewed everything that matched my stringent battery requirements. Ultimately I decided on the Suunto 9 Baro.

I have had the watch since Thursday of last week and am trying to learn at least one new feature about the watch every day. Let's just say it is a bit complex. It seems to do everything. It will even tell me if a storm is quickly barrelling in so I have time to get my sailboat back in the marina (a feature I really could have used last weekend). When I start my morning ride on my indoor bicycle trainer, I tell the watch I am riding indoors and it keeps track of my time and calories burned. It also keeps track of my normal steps so I can see if I reach the suggested daily goal of 10,000. While you can, I don't recommend lowering that number.

After having my watch for just a few days over the weekend I have to say that there are a lot of features I didn't realize I was missing in my old watch. Does my new one help me exercise more? I have to say that it does. I looked at my watch last night and noticed I had yet to hit my daily step-goal. I had not and so I went for an early evening walk with my wife. Then I looked at my watch today during lunch. I was nowhere near the middle of my step goal and so I took a short walk after lunch. I also see how many calories I am burning during the day and am more conscious about how much I eat. While everyone says we burn about 2,000 calories a day, my watch is telling me I am sometimes below that number. I shouldn't need to tell you what happens when you eat more calories than you burn (hint: you get fat).

While I enjoy the Suunto 9 Baro it may not be the right smartwatch for you. I found mine on sale at 40% off for only $359.40 directly from the Suunto website. I feel that is a great price for all of the features included. Now we will see if it keeps me exercising.

Its Election Season Again

Today I got my mail-in ballot for the upcoming election. I will be so happy when election season is over as I am getting tired of all the mudslinging and name calling. I don't watch very much television but I am still seeing a lot of political ads. Personally I believe the desire to be an elected official disqualifies one from the position.

Every Wednesday we have a weekly social where a group of us gather on a video conferencing system and just chat. We don't talk much about work with the few exceptions of discussing the upcoming next-generation-console releases. As you can guess, today's topic was the election. I jokingly threw out the idea of just having candidates pay people for votes instead of spending all that money on useless advertising. Yes it is illegal but then at least we could stop having so many political ads. Think about it. Experts have estimated there will be around $7 Billion spent on advertising this year. Pulling out my trusty calculator and armed with the knowledge there are around 320 Million people in the United States, it works out to around $20 per person. Remember that I mentioned this is illegal so we can't do it.

So how do we cut down on election advertising spending? I propose the following: every dollar spent on political advertisements should be matched in a voter pool. That means if President Trump spends $1 on the election, a second dollar has to put into this voter pool. The same for former Vice President Biden. Then at the end of the election, the money in the voter pool should be split equally among every registered voter in the country. Instead of dreading election season, we might all start looking forward to it. I'm also sure it would get people to register that currently are not. What do you think?

The Problem with Starting a New Video Game

Several days ago I decided that I wanted to start a new video game on my PlayStation 4 console. I put the disc in the drive and waited for it to copy a few files to the hard drive. The process didn't take very long and I thought I was ready to start playing the game. Unfortunately that wasn't the case. I now had to wait for an Internet update before the game actually became available. I could play part of the game but quickly got bored and wondered why so many people enjoyed it this particular title.

The download took about an hour or two and I never waited for it to finish before quitting the game. Today I thought I would try again and see what difference the update made. Let's just say it is significant. I now have a story and natural progression to follow. I played for an hour or so this afternoon as I had the day off and earned several awards and trophies. Those little gems keep you wanting to play and made for a much more enjoyable experience.

Most gamers spend a long time deciding which video game they want to play next. Once they decide, they are patient enough to wait for updates to load. If you leave your PlayStation in stand-by mode and have a digital copy of the game you want to play, you can even start the download from your computer and have it notify you when it is done. Unfortunately that is not the way I sometimes play video games.

As someone that works for PlayStation, I have access to a lot of different games. Sometimes I will invite a group of people over to play but don't have any idea which game or games they would like to sample. This means starting a download and doing something else while we wait for the game to download and install. If I know what games people want to play before they arrive I can have everything queued up and ready to go. Unfortunately most of the groups I have had don't know what they want to play until they see my extensive library. Even then, picking a title to play can take a long time.

I don't see the trend of taking a long time to download a video game getting any better. If anything games are getting more complex and larger. I know that one of the advantages of the PlayStation 5 is that the included solid-state drive (SSD) allows you to keep a single copy of a graphical asset such as a tree and then reuse it multiple times throughout the game. I hope this means game files will shrink significantly. In order for that to happen though, game developers need to take advantage of that capability. Only after the PS5 is released will we be able to see if that has happened. I sure hope so because I really hate waiting so long for games to be really playable.