Google Robot helps boy throw out first pitch: This is ridiculous and amazing. Google is doing things that are truly changing the world. And the story isn’t too bad either

8 Months in Microsoft, I Learned These: This is a post by a kid out of college and working at Microsoft. It’s a little scary, the disparity between what you’re taught and what happens in the “real world.” Some of these things are understandable, but some are outright wrong.

Connecting Custom Post Types: I gave this talk twice this week. Here are the slides and resources.

The Missing Linc’s E3 Coverage: Over at my friend Joe’s blog there is fantastic coverage of the E3. You should definitely check it out!

Also announced this week: iOS7 and PS4. I may do bigger write-ups on these, but my initial thoughts are that:

• iOS7 looks really nice, if not incredibly familiar (*cough Android* *cough Windows Metro*)
• PS4 is doing it right. It’s like they took away everything everyone complained about regarding the Xbox One and removed it. It looks like they’ve also learned a lot since the launch of the PS3.
• I have a theory about 3rd gen consoles with the announcement of the Xbox One; it’s a lot like a musician’s sophomore slump. The Xbox 360 is incredible and Microsoft seems to miss the mark (despite my defense of them a couple of weeks ago).

My friend Jenn asked me to do a guest post for her blog while she is away and it published yesterday; with her doing a bang-up job on her Mother’s Day post, I decided I’d chime in with some nice cigars you can get for Father’s Day. Check out the post by clicking the link below, and sound-off in the comments with your favorite smoke!

6 Cigars to Smoke with Your Dad on Father’s Day

PS- I also want to thank Jenn for the kind words and for promoting my many projects! Much appreciated Jenny D!

Since the Samsung Galaxy SIV was announced, I was pretty much waiting on baited breath for its release for Verizon customers; I was so excited I went out and picked it up the day after it was released, the soonest I could (I had actually pre-ordered it on May 18th through Amazon, but due to some issues I cancelled the order and picked it up at my local Best Buy). I really liked the form factor, features, and of-course, the amazing 13MP camera it touted. So does the phone live up to my expectations? Let’s see.

Here are some of my thoughts on the device:

• It feels fantastic. It’s a great size, and despite so reports, I don’t think it feels cheap at all. 
• It’s also pretty light for a phone; much lighter than the iPhone 4S I have through work.
• The screen is absolutely gorgeous. It’s crisp and clear and I love it.
• I’m not a huge fan of Touchwiz. Luckily that’s just a launcher, so I swapped it out with my current favorite, Nova Launcher Prime.
• As with any non-stock Android device, I could really do without the bloatware. I haven’t rooted yet but if I do, that would be the only reason.
• I absolutely love the air gestures and other non-touch functionality. The fact that I can reach for my phone and see info like calls and texts without touching it, swipe through images by waving my hand, and take a picture by saying, “Smile” or “Capture” is incredible to me. It works very well and a few occasions have cropped up where they were actually very helpful.
• Surprisingly, the Camera is only the #2 most impressive thing about this phone, and impressive it is; here are a couple of examples of photos I took with the phone:

Magic Kingdom from the Swiss Family Robinson Tree House

My lovely girlfriend on the Teacup ride

• That said (and shown), the camera performs much better in daylight than in low-light situations. You can see more examples in my latest Flick Set.
• The multiple shooting modes are great, but take some getting used to. I’ve lost a couple of photos because I didn’t realize you needed to save a copy before pressing the back button in certain modes, and there is no warning.
• I think the ability to erase moving objects is incredibly cool, and it works well too.
• S-Translator is really handy; I actually used it twice while on vacation to talk to people who spoke Portugese and Spanish. It works very well, and while it’s a little awkward taking through a phone, they were both pretty cool moments that would be have more difficult, if not impossible, without such a well-done app.
• The most impressive thing about this phone is the battery life. I am currently (at the time of writing this), at 57%, it’s been unplugged for 13.6 hours, and it still estimates 18 hours of use. When I was in Disney World, a true test of battery life, it lasted entire days (around 15-17 hours) with minimal management. It is considerably better than any other Android device I’ve used, and even better than my iPhone 4s. The kicker…most of the time I am on 4G.
• My final thought is I don’t think I’m using the phone to it’s full potential. I know there are a lot of really nice features and that makes the learning curve a little steep. That said, I don’t think it’s a hinderance. They put a lot of thought into the UX; they even have a “Beginner” home screen to make the device easier to  use. As for the OS and apps using a lot of space…well it’s a good thing they built in a micro SD slot

In case you need it explicitly stated, I highly recommend this phone. It’s lived up to every expectation I’ve had and in some case exceeded them. I think Samsung overcomes several complaints about stock Android and really add a lot of value to an already solid operating system. I paid for the phone outright, off-contract (to keep my unlimited data plan) and think it was worth every penny.

Ladies and Gentlemen, the Buddy Christ.

For a while here, I was doing a series called Since the Last Time, which included some personal notes/accomplishments based on some event. Generally they were sports or pop culture events, but yesterday, June 7th, 2013, marked 10 years since I graduated high school. I figure that probably warrants a, “Since the last time” post.

So what has happened since  I graduated high school? Well, in popular culture (and off the top of my head): We saw the rise and fall of MySpace, the rise of Facebook and social media, we’ve seen just 2 US Presidents, lots of pop icons have passed away, including Michael Jackson, Heath Leger, and Steve Irwin, the war in Iraq got an official end date, the TV show Friends ended, the Yankees won the World Series once, the Giants won the Super Bowl twice, Star Wars was bought by Disney and renewed for 3 more movies, and much more.

Personally:

• I received my BS (’07) and MS (’09) from The University of Scranton. I now teach and work full time there 
• I’ve held 9 jobs (some concurrently)
• I’ve  gotten one book published and announced another one
• I was also published in an academic journal
• I started and subsequently redesigned this site 5 and a half times
• I learned CSS, WordPress, and a whole host of other technologies that got me to where I am today
• I’ve done several speaking events
• I’ve moved 9 times
• I became a PA resident
• I celebrated my 5-year college reunion
• I made the switch full-time to a Mac
• I spent 2 weeks in Ireland and have visited NY, PA, NJ, FL (Orlando), MA (Boston), CA (Anaheim, LA, Santa Monica, San Francisco), VA, MD, SC, GA
• I have driven from NY down to FL and up to MA, giving me most of the east coast by car.
• I’ve been to Disney Parks 7 times (11 total, number 12 planned for August)
• I have a very successful Freelancing career
• I started (and left) a company

Phew. I’ve had quite a busy ten years. Here’s to the next decade!

Connecting Custom Post Types

WP Summit, Online, June 11th, 2013 at 12pm CST

Use the code 20JOE for 20% off.

DIY Custom Post Types

NEPA WP Meetup, Library at The University of Scranton, Scranton, PA, June 13th, 2013 at 7pm EST

I know this is about a day late, but I want to wish WordPress a happy birthday. You see, I wouldn’t be where I am today without it. In college I spoke with my friend @smekosh about creating my own CMS as I was writing a few for clients, and he pointed me towards WordPress. That was in 2004; since then so much has happened (listed after the jump), and for that I need to say Thank You, from the bottom of my heart.

I’m not going to make this long- it’s just a list of things that have happened to me because of WordPress, for which I am thankful.

• Being the first to teach me “separation of concerns.”
• My senior project in college.
• Allowing me to build a freelance career.
• Allowing me to build a company (no matter how short lived) using the platform.
• Making me an expert in something.
• My first book.
• My first professional speaking event.
• So many things I am working on right now that are very, very exciting, and yet to be announced.

Perhaps WordPress didn’t help me discover my passion, but it certainly did help it flourish, making me who I am today.

First of all, there are some super-killer features that make the Xbox One a media center as well as a gaming console:

•  Voice and Smartphone Controls
• The ability to watch TV and movies through the device
• “Snap” mode, which allows you to view two things at ones
• Skype
• Completely overhauled motion detection

The ability to do things like say, “Xbox On” or “Xbox, watch TV” is amazing. Snap mode- even better! Imagine watching a movie with IMDB up or playing Madden while also watching football (we used to do that in college, but it required 2 TVs).

They are also releasing original content, which is a fantastic trend among content delivery systems and companies. Will it work out for Microsoft? Maybe. A live action Halo TV show directed by Spielberg? That’s crazy and awesome.

Complaints

Of-course, this is the age of the Internet, and therefore people will complain and be heard. The biggest complaint I’ve heard by far is that the Xbox One isn’t backwards compatible, meaning it can’t play Xbox 360 games. The main reason is the brand new processor the One has. Games on 360 were built for its processor, and the Xbox One got an upgrade; this means more power, but no old game support.

Here’s the thing about backwards compatibility: if you have 360 games, it stands to reason you have a 360. You don’t have to get rid of it when you get the One. Keep them both. Play them both. You can do it. I believe in you.

There’s also the fact that it’s “always on.” So again, that’s a pretty simple solution: unplug it. Give it it’s own power switch and switch it off when you’re not using it. It doesn’t have to always stay on.

There is one valid complaint, which is that there are some restrictions on selling and trading games. Microsoft has officially stated that they are working on this, so I will not comment on it until we know  the full details. It’s not a deal breaker, but it’s an upsetting trend across the entire gaming industry.

So will I buy it? Almost definitely. I love the brand and it’s more than just a gaming console. Google TV was kind of a bust, so I’m hoping the Xbox One will take it’s place.

Yahoo! Buys Tumblr: They even promise not to screw it up, and I believe them! I’ve been a big fan of Marissa Mayer for a long time, and more so after I saw her speak at Google I/O 2008. She’s very good at what she does and I think she’s taking the company is a good direction. I firmly believe this won’t be another Flickr.

McCain Proposes a-la-carte Cable Bill:  I’m not a huge fan of the government forcing companies to do things like this, but when the President of Comcast says “a-la-carte” programming is just a fad, there is a huge problem with the cable industry*

Samsung SIII to get SIV-esq Upgrade: Many people, normal people, are not willing to shell out the kind of cash required to get the latest and greatest gadgets every year. For SIII users who are hoping and wishing and clamoring for some of The Galaxy SIV goodness on their phones, it looks like their wishes are going to come true. (via @verge)

LifeHacker’s 5 Best Android Phones, 2013: This is a solid list; it was kind of a toss up for me between the SIV and the One (before I realized the One was only on ATT), but I ended up decided the SIV is better. The One looks and feels fantastic, but the SIV does a lot more and is incredibly light. ATT and T-Mobile users will also have the option of a Stock Android SIV, which I’m pretty jealous of. (via @lifehacker)

10 Great Music Apps for Tablets: My latest article from @droidappstorm is available. If you are into music and have an Android tablet, I think it’s definitely worth the read!

Feedly is my new Reader: With the impending doom that is Google Reader shutting down, I  took to the Internet to find a reasonable replacement. Overwhelmingly, @Feedly was recommended. I’ve got to say I’m pretty happy with it; it’s beautifully designed, very customizable, and had a very good mobile presence.

 *It’s greed. The problem is greed.

Redesigned USA Today is Better than Ever: I review USA Today’s latest release for Android, focusing on a new design and some really great features! (@droidappstorm)

Manage Your Information Securely with Dashlane: Dashlane has quickly become one of my favorite apps. In this review I take a look at the Android version. (@droidappstorm)

Do Just About Anything with Freshbooks for iPhone: I review my favorite accounting software’s new iPhone app. Spoiler: It’s pretty amazing. (@iphoneappstorm)

Keep Tabs on New Movie Releases with eTrizzle: This interest little aggregator for Android could use some finness but has a lot of potential!  (@droidappstorm)

Also, I’ve been tapped for a weekly spot over at Android.Appstorm, so be sure to check back there every Tuesday for my latest article!