As I am in Japan, I have turned off my iPhone to avoid any surprise charges. It is kind of liberating not to have to carry a mobile phone with me all of the time. If anyone wants to get a hold of me, they have to send an e-mail or come and find me. However I am discovering that I am missing some of the other features of my iPhone.
I miss the map. I am in a strange new city. While I am pretty good at paying attention to where I am, it would be nice to have an interactive map, just in case I get lost. It would also make finding places to eat a lot easier. Right now, I pretty much walk around until I find something that looks good.
I miss my contact list. I have a new computer and have yet to transfer all of my contacts to it. That means if I want to send someone an e-mail, I have to have their address memorized or go through an involved process to get it. Generally I have decided not to send the e-mail and justify that it can wait until I get back home.
I miss my games. I don't play a lot of games on my iPhone, but yesterday I found myself with a few minutes to spare as I was resting on a couch. Usually I pull out my phone and play a game of Risk. Yesterday I just sat and watched a bunch of overworked Japanese engineers sleep or play with their own iPhones.
Yes, I also miss the phone. When I want to call my wife, I have to be at my computer and use Skype. If she is not on Skype, I have to send her a text message via e-mail and then she will contact me. It isn't a big deal, but there is something nice about being able to whip out your phone and call home any time you want.
Could I live without my iPhone? Sure. My quality of life isn't strongly effected by pocket technology. However, there are one or two things that go just a bit more smoothly because of it.
Monday, November 14, 2011
Sunday, November 13, 2011
In Japan
This month starts a series of regular trips to Tokyo, Japan. I will probably be making the trip every couple of months. I have been to Japan before, but it has been at least fifteen years since I was last here. While I enjoyed my first trip to Japan, I was only here for two days. This time I get to spend an entire week and really get the chance to see the city.
There are several things that stand out relating to technology. First is the quality of the Internet service in the hotel. I have no problem using Skype to talk to my family back home. Yesterday we did a video conference for about 30 minutes and it didn't cost me a dime. While my iPhone has the ability to work all over the world, I have turned it off after hearing horror stories of people traveling internationally and getting phone bills worth about the same amount as a new compact car. Skype works great and so that is how I am communicating with my wife and kids.
The second thing that stands out is the quality of public transportation. I arrived into Haneda airport at 11pm on a Saturday evening. I got through customs, changed some money, and caught an express train to Shinagawa where I am staying. The train left exactly on time, was clean, and easy to figure out. This is a sharp contrast to the poor public transit system in the Bay Area. Last night I was with a group of coworkers and we missed our train by mere seconds. Not more than 5 minutes later, another train came along. In the Bay Area, we would have been stuck anywhere from 15 to 60 minutes waiting. Furthermore all the signs were in both Japanese and English, which made it easy to get around. The best part about the public transportation here is that it is affordable. It cost $5 to get from the airport to the hotel whereas the Bay Area would have cost over twice as much for the same distance.
Now that I am over my jet lag, I get to spend the next couple of days in the office. I will be interested to see what other technological differences I notice between here and back home. So far Japan has been fun and so I hope I am not disappointed.
There are several things that stand out relating to technology. First is the quality of the Internet service in the hotel. I have no problem using Skype to talk to my family back home. Yesterday we did a video conference for about 30 minutes and it didn't cost me a dime. While my iPhone has the ability to work all over the world, I have turned it off after hearing horror stories of people traveling internationally and getting phone bills worth about the same amount as a new compact car. Skype works great and so that is how I am communicating with my wife and kids.
The second thing that stands out is the quality of public transportation. I arrived into Haneda airport at 11pm on a Saturday evening. I got through customs, changed some money, and caught an express train to Shinagawa where I am staying. The train left exactly on time, was clean, and easy to figure out. This is a sharp contrast to the poor public transit system in the Bay Area. Last night I was with a group of coworkers and we missed our train by mere seconds. Not more than 5 minutes later, another train came along. In the Bay Area, we would have been stuck anywhere from 15 to 60 minutes waiting. Furthermore all the signs were in both Japanese and English, which made it easy to get around. The best part about the public transportation here is that it is affordable. It cost $5 to get from the airport to the hotel whereas the Bay Area would have cost over twice as much for the same distance.
Now that I am over my jet lag, I get to spend the next couple of days in the office. I will be interested to see what other technological differences I notice between here and back home. So far Japan has been fun and so I hope I am not disappointed.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
I Hate Texting
I was the proverbial fly on the wall during a discussion this evening and it has caused me to consider my thoughts about texting. Before tonight I was firm in my hatred for the method of communication. You can chalk it up to all the bozos I see driving around, texting, and not paying attention to anyone else on the road. You can also chalk it up to an experience I had where my company was paying a consultant large sums of money only to have him spend all of his time texing and not doing any work for us.
Unfortunately I am old, compared to my kids, and I was informed that is how the current generation communicates. The question came up about what upper limit to the number of text messages should be set for a teenager. A father asked if 5,000 was the right number and a teen responded that it seemed high. So I asked the teen how many text messages he sent. "About a thousand," was his response. I was amazed. I only send and receive about 50 in any given month. But then look at the first sentence of this paragraph. Once again, I am old.
I guess I don't understand this new generation's infatuation with texting. I would much rather call someone and get an immediate answer to my question. Sure, I'll send a text if I am in the middle of something and need to get back to a person. However, if it takes more than two messages, it is time to pick up the phone. After all, isn't that why we all carry phones in the first place?
Unfortunately I am old, compared to my kids, and I was informed that is how the current generation communicates. The question came up about what upper limit to the number of text messages should be set for a teenager. A father asked if 5,000 was the right number and a teen responded that it seemed high. So I asked the teen how many text messages he sent. "About a thousand," was his response. I was amazed. I only send and receive about 50 in any given month. But then look at the first sentence of this paragraph. Once again, I am old.
I guess I don't understand this new generation's infatuation with texting. I would much rather call someone and get an immediate answer to my question. Sure, I'll send a text if I am in the middle of something and need to get back to a person. However, if it takes more than two messages, it is time to pick up the phone. After all, isn't that why we all carry phones in the first place?
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Video Game Content
I was riding in a car with one of my scouts when I heard him talk about a new video game coming out next week. He wants a copy. The boy is only 11 years old and wants game rated "M" for mature. Normally that wouldn't ruffle my feathers as I let my sons play first person shooter games and most of them are rated "M". Then I looked at the content found in the game.
It is one of those over-the-top titles just trying to be more outrageous than the current crop of outrageous games. While the adult in me can see the humor of some of the content, I'm not sure it is the best game for an 11 year old boy. The problem is that everyone in the boy's neighborhood is anxiously awaiting the release and so he has a lot of peer pressure to get a copy. I talked with the boy's mom and she wants to get it for him but doesn't know what is in it.
I was talking with some video game testers who are familiar with the title and they couldn't believe a little boy wanted such an adult game. It contains all the biggies including, but not limited to: strong language, violence, nudity, drug use, and sexual situations. For some, that is probably the selling point of the game. My recommendation for all parents of video game playing kids is to read the the fine print of the video game rating and discover what it contains. Then if you still have questions, go onto YouTube and download a trailer or two to see some of the content. Once you are informed, you can then let your child know if you plan to get the game. As for me, I think I will avoid the one my little Scout was interested in getting.
It is one of those over-the-top titles just trying to be more outrageous than the current crop of outrageous games. While the adult in me can see the humor of some of the content, I'm not sure it is the best game for an 11 year old boy. The problem is that everyone in the boy's neighborhood is anxiously awaiting the release and so he has a lot of peer pressure to get a copy. I talked with the boy's mom and she wants to get it for him but doesn't know what is in it.
I was talking with some video game testers who are familiar with the title and they couldn't believe a little boy wanted such an adult game. It contains all the biggies including, but not limited to: strong language, violence, nudity, drug use, and sexual situations. For some, that is probably the selling point of the game. My recommendation for all parents of video game playing kids is to read the the fine print of the video game rating and discover what it contains. Then if you still have questions, go onto YouTube and download a trailer or two to see some of the content. Once you are informed, you can then let your child know if you plan to get the game. As for me, I think I will avoid the one my little Scout was interested in getting.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Table Computers
I am working on a project for tablet computers and so I picked one up from the office before heading out on Friday. After playing with it over the weekend, I have to say that they are a lot more useful than I originally would have given them credit. Furthermore, my 15-year-old son and 17-year-old daughter have been using it non-stop. I was glad when they finally went to school today so I can have a chance to use it.
Tablets generally come in one of 3 flavors: iPad, Android, or WebOS. The tablet I have is of the Android variety and is comparable to the iPad in size. Given my preference, I would like to try an iPad as I am an avid iPhone user. However my tablet was free and so I'm not complaining. Once I got it connected to my home network, I let my son use it and he made sure to load it up with all sorts of games and utilities. A word of caution: the same household rules that apply to the family computer should also apply to tablet computers.
While I like using my iPhone to do quick lookups on the Internet, the tablet is a much better platform. The screen is larger and easier to read. When I have to use the on-screen keyboard, it has larger buttons and I can almost touch type like when I am on a full-sized computer keyboard. My son also loaded up some of the books I am in the middle of going through. The tablet makes a great platform for reading, especially at night when I don't want to disturb my wife.
Now the real question: Does it increase my productivity? I would have to say No. While it is easier to do certain things, it is also easier to play games like Angry Birds. Last night when I should have been getting ready for the week, I was having an Angry Birds match with my son. Oh well. I just hope my company knows I am not giving my tablet back. It is way too fun to play with.
Tablets generally come in one of 3 flavors: iPad, Android, or WebOS. The tablet I have is of the Android variety and is comparable to the iPad in size. Given my preference, I would like to try an iPad as I am an avid iPhone user. However my tablet was free and so I'm not complaining. Once I got it connected to my home network, I let my son use it and he made sure to load it up with all sorts of games and utilities. A word of caution: the same household rules that apply to the family computer should also apply to tablet computers.
While I like using my iPhone to do quick lookups on the Internet, the tablet is a much better platform. The screen is larger and easier to read. When I have to use the on-screen keyboard, it has larger buttons and I can almost touch type like when I am on a full-sized computer keyboard. My son also loaded up some of the books I am in the middle of going through. The tablet makes a great platform for reading, especially at night when I don't want to disturb my wife.
Now the real question: Does it increase my productivity? I would have to say No. While it is easier to do certain things, it is also easier to play games like Angry Birds. Last night when I should have been getting ready for the week, I was having an Angry Birds match with my son. Oh well. I just hope my company knows I am not giving my tablet back. It is way too fun to play with.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Time For a New Computer
It is time to replace one of my computers again. My company has finally given me a new laptop and it is a welcome change. My old laptop was between 5 and 6 years old. While it worked well for my needs, I am really enjoying my new MacBook Pro. The only problem is that now I need to install a bunch of my old software. Considering my old laptop ran Windows and my new one runs Mac OS X, this could be a problem.
My old laptop was plenty fast for what I used it for, which was mostly reading e-mail and logging into bigger computers. It's only flaw was that the battery life made it virtually unusable unless it was plugged into the wall. The nice thing about Mac laptops is their incredible battery life. I am looking forward to that on the flight home this evening. I might actually be able to get work done instead of just reading my magazine.
My old laptop was plenty fast for what I used it for, which was mostly reading e-mail and logging into bigger computers. It's only flaw was that the battery life made it virtually unusable unless it was plugged into the wall. The nice thing about Mac laptops is their incredible battery life. I am looking forward to that on the flight home this evening. I might actually be able to get work done instead of just reading my magazine.
Monday, October 17, 2011
The GEEX Show
Saturday I spent some time at the gaming and electronics expo or GEEX show in Salt Lake. While there were a few exhibitors, the real meat of the show was in one of three areas: The LAN party, the 24-hour contest, or the center stage.
The LAN party was an excuse for all the nerds in Utah to bring their tricked-out computers someplace where other like-minded individuals could appreciate them. It was like a custom car show only instead of cars, it was computers. In order to show the real power of the machines, everyone was playing games. It was fun to see, but not really why I was there.
The center stage was where you could see the StarCraft tournament on one side and listen to video game professionals on the other. I stopped to listen to the Electronic Arts guys talk about their development process for creating the SIMS game. It was interesting, but I didn't really learn anything new.
My main reason for being there was to see what came out of the 24-hour contest. The organizers had everyone write down game ideas on little slips of paper that were tossed into a hat. Three slips of paper were then drawn and the contestants had 24 hours to incorporate 2 of the 3 items into a game built from scratch. This year the themes were: 8-bit, jewel, and disease. At the end of the 24-hour period, there were some pretty good games created. They started as simple as a text-based game and became as complex as something that could be published. I was impressed with what every team did in such a short amount of time.
GEEX was a fun event and I will definitely attend again next year. Now I just need to decide if I am going to enter the 24-hour contest.
The LAN party was an excuse for all the nerds in Utah to bring their tricked-out computers someplace where other like-minded individuals could appreciate them. It was like a custom car show only instead of cars, it was computers. In order to show the real power of the machines, everyone was playing games. It was fun to see, but not really why I was there.
The center stage was where you could see the StarCraft tournament on one side and listen to video game professionals on the other. I stopped to listen to the Electronic Arts guys talk about their development process for creating the SIMS game. It was interesting, but I didn't really learn anything new.
My main reason for being there was to see what came out of the 24-hour contest. The organizers had everyone write down game ideas on little slips of paper that were tossed into a hat. Three slips of paper were then drawn and the contestants had 24 hours to incorporate 2 of the 3 items into a game built from scratch. This year the themes were: 8-bit, jewel, and disease. At the end of the 24-hour period, there were some pretty good games created. They started as simple as a text-based game and became as complex as something that could be published. I was impressed with what every team did in such a short amount of time.
GEEX was a fun event and I will definitely attend again next year. Now I just need to decide if I am going to enter the 24-hour contest.
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