The annual foursquare roundtrip

At the beginning of each year I renew my checkin ritual with foursquare. Each year I hope they have found a reason for me to checkin. Each year to date I've been disappointed.

... and this year was no different.

2011 continued the gamification of foursquare. While I annually hope for an economic reason to use foursquare, this year foursquare decided that competition would keep me motivated to use their service. And for a few days it did. I valiantly tried to check into more places than my friends on the service, only to determine that foursquare primarily rewards checking into new places. Great for travelers; bad for the majority of us who have a daily routine within fifteen miles of our homes.

I like the addition of competition, but it is still icing on a hollow cake. foursquare doesn't help me with the fundamentals. It doesn't improve my interaction with friends and it doesn't create a tighter economic bond between the businesses I frequent and myself. For better or worse, groupon does a far better job creating an economic reason for me to visit local businesses. Perhaps a reactive economic model of offering me discounts for places I've already committed to visit isn't viable, but foursquare and other checkin services have to find a better way to both proactively and reactively entice me to visit nearby businesses. And better facilitate me interacting with nearby friends.

So today I stopped foursquare checkin and add it to my 2013 todo list.

As a footnote, I'm still trying to figure out how Jenn Winger gets the checkin score she does. She regularly has 2-3x the checkin score of my other friends. I guess that is what makes her a social maven?!

Cool jobs I would love to do?!

Enjoying a mellow vacation! Decided to think of fun careers I'd love to do:

- writer (science fiction, crime)
- sword maker (Japanese kitana)
- race car driver (F1 or dirt)
- bartender
- personal fitness trainer
- sheriff
- video game developer
- DJ (electronica)
- tech commentator
- professional investor

I know I've forgotten a few cool job ideas, and some of these are quite achievable. Quite indeed ;)

Great brainstorming exercise to see what really excites you. You don't always have to turn a passion into a hobby, let alone a job, but it's an interesting thing to noodle on!

Your thoughts on fun jobs?

The "where the f*** is my cursor" gesture

Multiple monitors, large yet dim projection screens, insanely high resolution computer monitors. They all conspire against the poor little mouse cursor. How many times have you been delivering a critical presentation or working on a time sensitive task and are stymied by the cursor's apparent disappearance? Oh, it's somewhere in that sea of pixels, but where o' where?! Cursing, while quite cathartic, doesn't seem to surface the missing cursor. It's time for my newest idea, the "where the F*** is my mouse cursor" gesture.

I believe this gesture has a flat learning curve, since many of us do it quite regularly by instinct. If you rapidly flail your hand in random directions on your Magic TrackPad, or move your mouse like there is a localized earthquake within your desk, you've successfully learned the new gesture. To prevent folks being tasered from accidently activating this exciting new function, I think you have to flail about with the mouse or trackpad for roughly 3 seconds before triggering the gesture's action.

Cursing at the screen, while cathartic, is an optional parameter and is discarded in this version of the feature. I have some ideas for the Kinect version that utilize this cursing and the associated middle finger gesture that come later, but that's for 2.0.

Successfully activating the gesture's action causes your mouse cursor to grow 3x in size and blink like a Las Vegas slot machine for roughly two seconds. Think the annoying "Wheel of Fortune" slot machine that assails your senses at Caesar's and you get the idea. Mouse cursor found!

I think Windows might have a function that helps you find your cursor, but I don't want anemic assistance. I want the screaming metal version.

Cursor Running Amuck Periodically (CRAP) is a serious problem worthy of a gesture in this touch interface era ;-)

The end of dedicated portable gaming devices?

As a early adopter, I was intrigued by Nintendo's 3DS and its 3D screen that doesn't require glasses. There have been many articles written about whether 3D is a fad or a disruption in the short timeframe, but either way 3D's general requirement around dedicated glasses is a show stopper for mass adoption, especially in social scenarios. Could the 3DS be the tip of the 3D disruption as it doesn't require glasses?

I had another reason for trying out the 3DS. I used to game on a Nintendo DS, but my use of the DS had fallen to near zero with the emergence of mobile phone gaming. Within a short time, smartphones had better hardware, screens, and (gasp!) games than the older generation DS. Could the 3DS regain the crown?

The test for me was last week at PAX (Penny Arcade Expo) in Seattle. If there is one place on Earth where the 3DS has "home field advantage", it's PAX. 40K+ gamers, many of them long time Nintendo fans, crowd into one small convention center for the weekend and geek. There are dedicated areas for DS/3DS owners to gather and play multi-player games over WiFi, and it appears the 3DS focused significantly on improving multi-player gaming and inter-personal interaction. If I didn't find the 3DS compelling in this environment, that's a bad sign.

And I didn't. While the dedicated 3D screen on the 3DS is novel, it isn't overwhelming. It doesn't make the gaming experience so much better, so much more immersive, that you want to carry another device, another charger, and more accessories. The off-axis viewing is acceptable, but I found it to cause eye strain relatively quickly. 3D, at least in this incarnation, isn't the tip of a disruption for me. Instead, I wonder if it is a marketing distraction, designed to distract you from a more disturbing trend: you don't need a dedicated portable gaming device.

I'll defend that statement with the following logic:

• People like to travel with as little stuff as possible: When mobile, it's all about weight and comfort. Everything you take with you has to be best in class for the task at hand or be a great hybrid that lowers weight and complexity when traveling.
• Smartphones now have the hardware to be the best mobile gaming devices available. Dual core processors, modern OS platforms with gaming extensions, amazing screens, powerful GPUs, and other affordances make smartphones excellent gaming platforms. More importantly, brutal competition between smartphone manufacturers ensures rapid device innovation for the foreseeable future. The Achilles heel of smartphone gaming is still input for certain game types, but the Playstation Phone highlights how that can be addressed by demographic targeted devices.
• Smartphones are not only at least equivalent to the best dedicated portable gaming devices from a technology perspective, they are also critically relevant. They are your phone. When people leave their homes, they always bring keys, wallet, and a phone. A phone will always qualify under the "little stuff as possible" rule. How does a dedicated gaming device compete when it is redundant and competing with a device that has critical mobile relevance?
• Games run as easily on a smartphone as on a dedicated mobile gaming device. The Nintendo 3DS doesn't have any must-have, exclusive platform content. And if it did, it would be an illusion purposely created by Nintendo. The 3DS is no marvel of technology with hardware specifications so powerful or different that compelling games could only be written for it. Nintendo shareholders have already started asking the intuitive question; "Why not release the Nintendo first party game library for the big mobile ecosystems (iPhone, Android, Windows Phone) and become the dominant and immensely profitable game publisher for mobile?"
• 3D is a gimmick in the short term. It's clear that as time progresses, screen technology will improve, content owners will start creating content in which 3D presentation is critical and compelling, and techniques will be discovered to make 3D a social experience as opposed to a single user experience. Gimmicks don't sell gaming platforms. Great content and differentiated experiences create gaming platforms, and it doesn't appear there is a short term technology that will differentiate a dedicated gaming platform that in turn could not be immediately incorporated into a smartphone?

Rational and emotional investors driving Nintendo's stock price appear to agree with this logic. Nintendo has to ask itself over time if it believes it can create massively differentiated hardware to craft a unique vertical gaming experience. I for one don't think they need to, and I'll vote with my wallet. I can't justify carrying another mobile device with me when I travel. I'm now enjoying the Xbox Live integration on Windows Phone 7.x (can you say mobile achievements!?) and the huge breadth and depth of games on iOS.

I'll leave you with the following questions:

• How well do you think Mario Kart would sell on iPhone and Android?
• Does Mario Kart need dedicated Nintendo hardware to create its compelling gaming experience?

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Same argument for point and shoot cameras and smartphones? Nope. Point and shoot cameras still significantly outperform the embedded smartphone camera for the basic task of taking pictures. When that tipping point is met, we can start to have the same conversation as above ;-)

What is important? (re: documents)

I'm staring at a large pile of paper documents, trying to decide what to do.

I few years ago I was proud of myself because I scanned hundreds of filed documents. I saved a ton of physcial space and had all of my records at instant recall. I also switched most of my correspondence from paper to electronic. All great, right?

The paper keeps on coming. No matter how hard I try to stop it, some companies believe I can't rely on electronic versions of their materal. Receipts arrive, etc. So I stare at a new pile of documents, trying to decide whether to re-invest in the somewhat ardous scanning process?

Here is a great example. Car documents. I've scanned every document I've ever received on my eight year old Acura. Everything. Reasons:

• Because I can
• You never know when you are going to need those documents, right?
• The next owner of the car would really like to have this information

I've bought a few used cars, and in one case, I received a similar packet of all the work done on the car over the years. Invaluable information when you are in turn debugging problems.

But I've been thinking of the process by which I buy and sell cars. I have almost never sold a car to an individual. I always go to the dealer with my oldest car, having sucked the majority of the value out of the vehicle, and ask them to deal with it. Guess what? They apparently find my fastidious record keeping to be useless. They don't ask for it. Even if they asked for it, would you give it to them? They'd probably send an adjuster in to review the material with the express purpose of lowering the value of the trade-in.

I'm now going through the process of trying to determine what is really important in terms of document retention. What do I really need to keep, and what can head for the shredder? What processes work for you?

At the macro level, I cringe when thinking about the amount of paper filed in drawers in the millions of American homes. Is it needed? For whom? and how often?

Random tech that amazes me

I've saved these photos for almost a year and every week or two I scold myself (lightly) for not posting them as an example of subtle, cool technology that makes a difference.

I've seen plenty of examples of car back-up cameras, using the LCD screen now so prevelant in the mid front dash. Excellent safety addition, and with the large screen, you gain a full perspective of what is behind your car. The thing I always found interesting is that your focus has to transition quickly between that screen and the review view mirror. Your eyes are drawn to the rear view mirror first due to muscle memory and the wider perspective that mirror provides you.

I rented a Chevrolet on a trip to the midwest. Not a anchor of technology, but then I put the SUV in reverse.

Figure 1: Chevrolet SUV rear view mirror with rear view camera view embedded!

Someone finally figured this out! Put both reverse views into the logical place our eyes are drawn to as we transition a car into reverse.

After using this integrated view, I put the car into Drive, and the rear view camera insert seamlessly dissapears. Awesome!

Figure 2: Put the car into drive, and the embedded rear camera view dissapears

Simple functionality in the right physical position that transitions seamlessly based on need. Love it.

Review: Jaybird Wireless Bluetooth Buds

I've been questing for a great set of stereo Bluetooth headphones for some time. I'm looking for:

• Light weight
• Stereo BT for music, with AVRCP to control the remote music player
• Full headset functionality
• Long(ish) battery life
• Great fit

Great fit is the most important characteristic, as I want to use these when I'm cycling, running, or working out at the gym. They simply have to possess a comfortable fit while staying in my ears during exercise.

I believe I can declare victory in this quest through the Jaybird JF3 earbuds. I first saw Jaybird at Macworld 2010 where they promised they would deliver ear buds with the above characteristics. I waited patiently throughout 2010, but no product. I almost gave up hope, but saw a random tech mention of them recently saying they had finally released the JF3s. Might have happened sooner than two months ago, but I was reminded then so ordered a pair.

The packaging is beyond amazing. Overkill is the correct word. I've enclosed a somewhat blurry photo of the packaging and accessories. The box build and material is high quality, and the box is closed via a magnetic connector. Wow. Great sign as I went to use the actual headphones.



The headphones did not disappoint. Audio quality is more than acceptable, the pairing process was painless, and they delivered full music and phone calling handling capabilities. I've paired them with a iPhone 4 and a Windows Phone 7 (Samsung Focus) with nary an issue.

The key advantage over other BT earbuds I've tried, however, is physical fit. Jaybird includes a myriad of ear canal size adapters, and a newish (based on the paper insert) additional rubber attachment to keep the JF3s firmly and comfortably in place. I've had the earbuds for a few weeks now, and they've stayed comfortably attached to my ears ~ 20 hours of exercise and travel. Running, cycling, weight lifting, nothing seems to significantly disturb them once you select the right combination of ear canal size and optional additional ear fit "thing". The limited Jaybird documentation didn't help me significantly in making these selections, but a bit of tinkering with different pieces and I was good to go.

Battery life has been more than acceptable. I believe I got ~ 8-10 hours on a single charge, and have only had to recharge twice since I got them, inclusive of the initial charge.

Negatives? Not many. It appears the charging cable uses a proprietary or little used USB standard connection, but that is negated by the fact I can charge them anywhere using the standard USB ports on my Mac. The packaging is overkill, as is the oversized carrying case they give you for the JF3s, but I suppose a hard case is in order to protect your investment? Minor niggles in a great overall experience.

The best recommendation I can give a CE gizmo is the "I use it everyday and love it", and the Jaybird JF3 wireless Bluetooth buds have joined that club. They go everywhere with me now. It's liberating to finally have great music and phone handling capabilities out exercising without the hassle of wires. I finally have that!

Great job, Jaybird!

Why blog?

I've decided to blog again. I use the term as a verb rather than a proper noun, though in this case I am using Blogger. As a verb, I mean long form writing intended for the web.

Why? I'm tired of being exclusively limited to 140 characters via Twitter. Fitting into 140 characters is fun and all, and forces a clarity of statement rare in email. The challenge is that no matter the mental or character compression algorithm, some thoughts, ideas, or questions need more than 140 characters to be introduced.

To the question of tooling, I still use Blogger, but I think a change is in order. Blogger doesn't appear to have a relentless team innovating it, and I'm hopeful there are next generation tools more in tune with multimedia blogging, mobile clients to quickly create events, and a richer suite of editing and "blog" formatting tools. I've contemplated WordPress, but want to create rather than spend the majority of my time administrating. Tumblr gets some buzz, and I've been interested in Path, but Path's own tagline scares me away because I want to share with more than just family and close friends, no matter how compelling their solution is. Suggestions?

I use MarsEdit to create entries on my Mac. I like MarsEdit, and will love it when they add Twitter notifications to blog entry creation events. Hint, hint ;-) I don't have a good mobile client solution, but I'm sure they exist. If anyone knows of a better desktop or mobile client solution, please let me know. I found MarsEdit through Ken Wallich.

I definitely want to improve the quality and quantity of comments, so I'm considering Disqus. Since I'm an investor in Vanilla Forums, I've more seriously considered adding a forum to my site because comments are just the beginning of discussion, IMHO. I should really get on that ;-)

Clean up time

(late) Spring cleaning before posts flow freely again...

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Currently playing in iTunes: Disarm Yourself (Club Mix) [feat. Emma Hewitt] by Dash Berlin

Atari Dreams

This is beyond awesome!