Gear

  • June 10, 2013

    My Thoughts on the Galaxy SIV

    SamsungGalaxyS411

    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.

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  • May 28, 2013

    Happy Birthday, WordPress

     wplogo

    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.

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  • May 23, 2013

    Some Thoughts on the Xbox One

    I remember when the the original Xbox came out. I was 15 when it was announced and essentially did a proposal for my parents on why they should buy it for me. Must have worked because I got it for Christmas (I was 16 by then). When the Xbox 360 came out, I waited until the very last minute before deciding I should buy it, which means there were no preorders left. I waited in line, at Best Buy, from 7:30pm-9am. Thank God my friends showed up a little after me, so I had someone to wait with, talk to, and take shifts while we each took turns warming up in the car. I’m very fond of the console and the brand, so when the Xbox One was announced, I was pretty excited about it. Here are some of my thoughts.

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  • May 20, 2013

    Tech News for May 20th, 2013

    Generally I will just share a massive amount of links on Facebook, Twitter, and lately Google+, but as to prevent from friends and followers from being inundated with news they may or may not care about, I figured it might be a good idea just to consolidate, so here is your tech news round up for this Monday morning. Enjoy!

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  • January 6, 2013

    Web Based Password Manager

    I would love a web based password manager that’s completely accessible on all of my devices. I know that there are a lot of tools out there already, and I know there are some inherent security risks with this approach, but here is what I’m thinking:

    • It simply stores Title, URL, Username, Password, and maybe a notes section
    • It’s web-based
    • It’s secure
    • It’s responsive so you can easily add information for any device you own*

    I’m wondering if there is something out there already, if it’s a good idea, and if people think it’s worthwhile. What do you think?’

    *This one is important. I have 3 computers, 2 tablets, and between 2-3 phones depending on what I need to test. I don’t want to buy or download an app every time.

  • December 31, 2012

    Favorites of 2012

    I’m going to be honest here. 2012 was a pretty great year for me. A lot of amazing things happened in both my personal and professional life; most publicly, I got my first book published, and I hope do the same in 2013. While I don’t have too many traditions on this blog (something I hope to change in 2013), my Favorites of the year post has been a pretty good staple.

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  • September 12, 2012

    The Apple Keynote Drinking Game

    The time is once again upon us: Apple is presumably announcing a new iPhone for people to clamor over, then spend all of their money on. This year, I’ve decided there should be a drinking game, so here are the rules:

    Take a sip if:

    • You hear, “It just works”
    • You hear, “Smooth”
    • They tell us about a feature we already knew about from the rumor mill
    • You hear, “Retina”
    • Someone you know gets excited about a feature that already existed on Android
    • They list some stat that can really only apply to Apple products

    Take a gulp if:

    • Something old is presented as new and revolutionary (like Copy and Paste, or notifications).
    • They announce something that forces you to buy new accessories
    • They take a jab at Android or any other competitor
    • They blatantly stole an app and integrated it into the iPhone/iPad.

    Finish your drink if:

    • You hear, “This is the best iPhone/iPad/Macbook we’ve ever made.”
    • Tim Cook comes out dressed as Steve Jobs
    • They talk about the Samsung ruling

  • September 10, 2012

    The 2012 Student

    A little bit before the beginning of the semester, I started to reflect on the fact that this is my 5th year teaching in some capacity. Two of those years I was doing double duty as both a Student and Teaching Assistant, but I’ll still count it. It has however, been three years since I’ve been a student at all, and a lot has changed in those three years. Being a student for the 2012-2013 school year is a lot different than being one for the 2006-2007 year (my last year as an undergrad), or even the 2008-2009 year (my last year as a grad student). Expectations change, and as a teacher, I need to learn how to adapt.

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