December 2012 – Scottoandersen's Blog

A plug for Kickstarter –

Posted on December 31, 2012 by scottoandersen

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Kickstarter-the crowd funding site. I’ve been a fan for awhile both of the concept of crowd funding as well as the broader concept of crowd sourcing for ideas. Kickstarter however remains one of the most interesting sites I’ve found in awhile. Its fun to see the creative ideas people have in building out new solutions to problems that while they seem to be small – in the end are pretty critical. I am always on the lookout for gadgets I can use in teaching science to my kids so it’s a great place to troll for new technology ideas.

There were a couple of new/interesting projects there today that I’ve decided to back. I have to say the entire process is fun. This is the fifth project I’ve backed (and later I found my sixth so this is six now). Two weren’t funded to the right level. Two have already been delivered (and frankly they are very cool, one converges multiple source networks to create a converged Internet connection – great when you have multiple network connections (like weak wi-fi and reasonable aircard you want to combine). The other is the metawatch. I am now waiting for three more projects to complete (Pebble watch and a couple of others).

Half the fun is reading the updates as the solution gets built and tested. The other half the fun is playing with the new technology. There is no risk for the funding person as if a project doesn’t get funded, you simply don’t get charged. Overall it’s a rather interesting way to contribute to the crowd developed and funded system. You become in effect a single VC backing the projects you find interesting. No one puts in millions of dollars and the projects are put together as cheaply as can be established. If you lose your investment its not a huge loss (usually 200 dollars or less). I believe that ideas will be solved and problems will be vanquished more quickly with this new model than they have been in the past. I am a huge back of Kickstarter and commend the creators!

http://www.kickstarter.com

.doc

Scott Andersen

IASA Fellow!

Portable Power

Posted on December 30, 2012 by scottoandersen

I’ve been thinking about the concept of power for awhile. In the beginning of my IT career (and during my teaching career) for the most part I went to one place and then went home. The same places the vast majority of the time. I had devices (Apple II and Macintosh) computers that were at best quasi portable. Later when I moved into consulting I was often in different places, both work, hotel and home. You begin to evaluate the concepts of portability when you are on the go like that.

My concept because power. How do you find enough power to be successful. Sure, you can carry batteries. That works for a time – extending your life to 12 or even beyond hours. But it doesn’t solve the problem of recharging a number of devices (try a printer, they make power disappear fast). when you are mobile.

You can consider solar, but that is today a trickle change at best which can charge a cellular phone at best with someone you can carry and not look like someone from a Hollywood movie (The solar creature from planet X).

Power becomes a limiting factor – batteries continue to improve but they haven’t really doubled or tripled the capacity. Or for that matter create and leverage reusable fuel cells.

I wonder if that isn’t the reality of portable power very soon. Fuel cells…

.doc

Scott Andersen

IASA Fellow.

Another shameless review…EYETV Mobile

Posted on December 29, 2012 by scottoandersen

First off – Skyfall – not what I was expecting. A little darker and a little quieter than a Bond movie. So overall didn’t enjoy the movie as much as I have Bond movies of the past. The last Phoenix scene (rising from the ashes of his past to become Bond again was kind of cool).

I’ve been playing with the Eyetv device. This device let’s your iOS device receive live television wherever you are (of course the cities supported today are similar to the list FLOTV had until the end of that awesome device). The downside to the new TV devices is that they require the old apple connector so the iPhone and the Ipod Touch can’t use them without adapters. Luckily my trusty iPad still has the old connector so that was a quick connect and setup process.

You first download the EyeTV Mobile software from the App store. Took about 2 minutes to download on wi-fi, probably a little more on your cellular connection.

note one: The system uses over the air broadcast television so you don’t use your data plan (makes this different from Dish’s remote access, Hulu or other data driven services).

The device comes with two antennas, one with a suction cup for windows and mounting further away from the iPad. The other is smaller and has the old FM radio type telescoping antenna. Both worked pretty well and I after the initial setup got access to four stations right away from the greater DC broadcast area. Fox, CBS, NBC and ABC currently working and actually pretty decent picture quality. Eventually I suspect your iPad will become another DVR. Archos had a DTV antenna system but they never actually brought it to the US. That device (500 gig hd and ability to record both broadcast and Satellite tv) would have been the best possible combination but overall this is pretty good.

.doc

Scott Andersen

IASA Fellow.

On the slow mend…

Posted on December 28, 2012December 28, 2012 by scottoandersen

I have a couple more post Christmas device reviews coming. I’ve been playing with the EyeTV Mobile device that is very interesting. Elgato has an interesting set of video tools that are unique and quite fun to play with.

I feel better today than yesterday. We trekked out to see a movie but the movie was cancelled due to a technical problem at the theatre so we had a leisurely dinner and headed home. The car didn’t make me sick but it was darn close. I think that was more my fear than the reality of riding in the car. But my mom said “take it easy and don’t push your recovery.” so I am being careful.

Reflection for today:

Your image reflected in the rippling pool is never the image from your mirror.

.doc

Scott Andersen

IASA Fellow

I am better (a little)

Posted on December 27, 2012 by scottoandersen

Its been a five day blog vacation. Not, by choice I promise, rather by illness. It started Saturday morning – I was dizzy when I woke up, well I was dizzy when I got up to make coffee. At first it was flu-like symptoms – vomiting and the dizziness. Around 4 pm I noticed that my right ear actually felt blocked. Like there was cotton shoved into it and I couldn’t hear as well. I fell uncomfortably asleep that night and woke around 1 in the morning. I woke again around 2, 3, and then finally 4 before sleeping until 8. I didn’t wake with usual vim and vigor. After barfing the night before I felt pretty bad. I couldn’t keep anything down. Around noon I vomited again, at which point we went to the ER. I managed to make it to the ER but then puked right in front of the admissions desk (had a bowl thank goodness). Got admitted, they gave me stuff for the nausea and the dizziness and I started to feel better. I was thinking maybe Christmas vacation wouldn’t be ruined and that I might be better by Monday. (That wasn’t to be by the way).

We got back into the car after the ER process. We then drove home. Barb came a different way because the GPS wasn’t clear about a turn, which in the end turned out to be the right answer. I ended up making it to the front porch before throwing up everything I had in my stomach all over the front porch. I crawled back to bed and stayed there. I really didn’t getup or move around until Monday end of day. That was a scary experience as I couldn’t take three steps in a straight line.

For the first time in more than 18 months I won’t crack 20,000 steps this week in fitbit without a huge improvement Friday and Saturday.

I haven’t blogged in five days (of course, confined to bed not much has happened in those days so no net loss).

Feeling better today than I did yesterday (baby steps). I hope I continue to feel better every day. Because I would not wish this on anyone. It is the worst feeling ever.

.doc

Scott Andersen

IASA Fellow.

A moment of silence and the ringing of bells.

Posted on December 21, 2012 by scottoandersen

I hear the sound of bells ringing. A chilling sound that starts and stops 26 times. In the words of John Milton ask not for whom the bells tolls it tolls for thee. I hear the bells.

When light is taken from us we cannot see.

When our burden is to heavy we cannot walk.

When we stumble and fall who will pick us up?

I hear the bells.

.doc

Scott Andersen

IASA Fellow.

Sometimes that is all you can do

Posted on December 20, 2012 by scottoandersen

I’ve written more than 3000 blogs. Out of that number (and the more than 50,000 views) I would say frankly that I’ve written maybe 250 good blogs and probably 10 good series. But it isn’t about quality its about clearing the machine. So in the end the low quality stuff costs the same as the good stuff so, it really doesn’t matter.

We were talking at lunch the other day and one of the guys said “I grew up on a farm.” When I was a kid I used to go to Wisconsin all the time, the little town (Cambridge WI) where my Grandparents lived was surrounded by farms. My mother went to school with the sons and daughters of farmers.

We lived in an Indiana town that was focused on Indiana University. It was hilly so we didn’t have as many people who made their living farming around us. I wonder though was that simply a trend in my life or in general? The statistics say fewer people make a living as farmers today than 50 years ago.

Which is why I brought this topic up today. Not a great blog but one that fills the time between 5 am and 5:15 am.

Sometimes that is all you can do.

.doc

Scott Andersen

IASA Fellow.

Complexity…

Posted on December 19, 2012December 19, 2012 by scottoandersen

Complexity always seems to me to be a bad answer to the wrong question. It in the end isn’t a bad answer. In fact complexity is all around us. The reality of a cellular phone is complexity. Television is something that would appear to be magic to someone from 1000 years ago (perhaps even witchcraft). Its just that the complexity around us is often masked. We don’t in affect see it, we simple benefit from it.

my fitbit says I am not walking enough (so by the way does the dog). Things fly at you so fast sometimes that you cannot stop to marvel at the complexity. We routinely have conference calls and video chats with people half way around the world. We can communicate in a number of ways that feel simple but are all complex.

We aim for the simple at times but in reality we seldom reach the system. We add another gear to the reality of where we are. We stack another motor or add yet another feature. I wonder…

In fact is the quest for complexity and the reduction of it less a quest and more a greater understanding. I would find hitching a plow to a mule to be incredibly complex. But I don’t do that every day. I understand the concept of the bit and bridle. I understand the connection between the mule and the plow. But it seems complex to me. Perhaps as much because it is a visualization as anything. I don’t do that every day. So the visual image is complex. I wonder…

Reflection

Complexity is the merging of multiple simple systems.

.doc

Scott Andersen

IASA Fellow?

Lots going on and time is slipping away…

Posted on December 18, 2012 by scottoandersen

Lots going on this week. When you are preparing for vacation there is always extra that has to be done. The scary thing is I am beginning to fear that my vacation is in jeopardy. That would make me sad. The brain needs time to shut down and worry about things other than where and what is going on at work.

Funny the things that bother you as you get older. When your kids have a schedule and your wife has a schedule, missing vacation is worse because your family is there and you can’t do what you want to do. Oh well. The job is more important in the long run for the family than any one Christmas vacation is. Plus the beauty of my job, I can work anywhere. So the family can still have fun while I sit in a hotel room and work for two days.

I read a great article in the Washington Post today about Cyber Security and in particular the vulnerability in some software around guest accounts. The hacker can gain control of an elevator and control its flow. I suspect there are a number of buildings where people would argue that has been happening for years. The last time I was in the Sears Tower (no longer the Sears tower but I REFUSE to use the new name) I waited 30 seconds for the first bank elevator and then nearly 10 minutes for the second one. A catering company had taken 3 elevators up to the 88 floor and were slowly unloading them. So we waited. I am thinking Hacker controlled elevator problem.

.doc

Scott Andersen

IASA Fellow.

I can’t get Friday out of my head…

Posted on December 17, 2012 by scottoandersen

I grew up in the 60’s and 70’s in Chicago Illinois and later Bloomington Indiana. I know about the Vietnam War and the protests against it. I spent part of the decade of the 70’s in another country and most of it in small town Indiana. According to Wikipedia there were three school shootings in the 70’s and frankly I don’t remember anything about any of them.

The media was different and not as pervasive as it is now. I wonder about the impact of that on our children. My children remember 9/11 while I remember July 22nd, 1969 (and later hanging on to every word from Walter Cronkite as Apollo 13 circled the earth limping home). I wonder if 20 years from now the memory my children will have is of the bad things that happened.

As the door closed this morning with my sons heading off to TV club my heart was in my throat. I wondered if I should say something to them about what happened, about what to do in the event of something like this? Do you tell your children to duck regardless? Do you send them into that good night afraid? Afraid of every passing car or person they encounter in the darkness? Do we fear now? How many times will my heart leap as my sons head to school? They have to go, they need to learn and grow as people. But am I sending them into that good night unprepared.

I couldn’t sleep Friday night. The visions kept coming and I tossed and turned. I was exhausted all day Saturday. Not in the you’ve just been on a ten mile walk way but rather in the broader, emotional exhaustion that comes from wrestling with demons you cannot defeat. Part of me wants to go out and buy my children Kevlar vests and make them wear them every minute of every day for the rest of their lives. The silent part of me that is the over protective dad.

My heart goes out to those who suffer.

.doc

Scott Andersen

IASA Fellow.

Month: December 2012