Take a look at “HERE IS TODAY.”

It’s a beautiful piece of HTML5 that will cast a bad day, week, month or year in a completely different light.

(Via The Coquette)

Filed under: Culture, Internet, Tech Tagged: HERE IS TODAY, HTML5, Life, Web Art ]]> http://thegeekwhisperer.com/2013/05/31/a-little-perspective-web-art/feed/ 0 dbspira Here is Today http://thegeekwhisperer.com/2013/04/04/airport-security-then-now/ http://thegeekwhisperer.com/2013/04/04/airport-security-then-now/#comments Thu, 04 Apr 2013 06:01:22 +0000 David Spira http://thegeekwhisperer.com/?p=6618 ]]> This week has been one of remembering and self-reflection. Here’s one memory I’d like to share. 

If I was growing up today, I’d probably be in a lot of trouble.

Then

When I was about seven years old c. 1992, we took a family vacation by plane. My mom told me I should pack a few toys to keep myself occupied on the flight. So I did.

We drove to Newark Airport, checked our bags and proceeded to pre-9-11 security checkpoint. I put my little Ninja Turtles backpack onto the x-ray belt, and my bag disappeared into the black box. I had no idea what was going on, but I innocently watched as the guard turned a ghostly shade of white and looked like he was about to shit himself.

I was a very obedient child and in accordance with my mom’s instructions, I packed my favorite toys. These were mostly plastic pistols, grenades, and a knife that had little chew marks in the blade from my baby brother gnawing on it. I probably also had a few action figures mixed in for good measure.

As I mentioned, this was 1992. The pre-TSA security guard opened the bag, showed the toys to my parents, and everyone calmly explained that I should keep these toys in the bag on the flight, and next time we should put toys like this into the checked luggage. That was it. We were free to go, and my parents had a good laugh because they should have seen it coming/ the look on the guard’s face was priceless.

Now

If this would have happened today…

• My family would have been detained. My parents, grandparents, baby brother. All of us.
• We would have been questioned and searched like criminals.
• We would have missed our flight.
• My favorite toys would have been confiscated.
• We would have been happy with any resolution that didn’t involve criminal lawyers.

The fact that it was a completely harmless mistake caused by the innocent mind of a child would have been completely lost in the bureaucracy of our very expensive security theater.

My life is an endless quest to learn more and suck less. And for years I have spent countless hours consuming web content through Google Reader to help me work towards that unending goal. I spend a ton of time using Google Reader… A minimum of an hour a day, and a maximum… Well I’m embarrassed to say. I read a lot. On Google Reader.

So, you can imagine my dismay at this love note Google left in my most cherished application:

A Long Time Coming

Google has clearly been working towards the termination of Google Reader for a long time (and this was confirmed by a former Google Reader product manager). They have been hobbling its capabilities for years, but it never pissed me off enough to leave. I just kept adapting around the added weaknesses.

While I’m on the subject, I want to be clear that I am not one of those people who gets pissy over application redesigns, and feature changes. I’ve spent more than a my fair share of time architecting websites and applications. I know what goes into the evolution, and I know that no redesign makes everyone happy.

RSS>Twitter, Facebook & Google+

MG Siegler tweeted:

To which I replied:

And Drew Olanoff of TechCrunch wrote:

“Thanks to Twitter, Flipboard and Facebook, I have more content than I can shake a stick at. I don’t want to read every single thing that WIRED writes, I want to read the things that people I know think are awesome. Google Reader never did that for me, so it must go” (TechCrunch).

I looked Drew up on LinkedIn, and he’s a community manager. Of course he doesn’t give a shit about learning about things that are unfound. He has no need to. That doesn’t mean that Google Reader needs to kick the bucket.

Some folks compare RSS to drinking from the fire-hose of data. I’ve never felt that way about RSS, but that’s exactly how I feel about social media.

Facebook = A lot of partisan political crap + pictures of people’s kids

Twitter = Unmanageable mess, great for spur of the moment interaction & data mining

Google+ = I can’t believe that Google killed Reader to try to boost this snoozfest

If I have to wait for my friends to learn something cool in order for me to learn it, I fail. A large part of my job is to know stuff before the “normals” do.

The rest of the video is really funny too.

A Crisis of Faith

I use a ton of Google products to manage my information. Most notably Android, Gmail, Drive/Docs, Calendar, Contacts, Search, Voice, Hangouts, Chrome and the aforementioned Reader. The reason I love Android is the Google suite of integrated apps. These are applications that are critical to me as an individual and a professional.

Let me repeat that.

These applications are critical to my business, and my ability to service my clients. When Google kills one of them, they are cutting off a critical piece of how I work. It makes me wonder if they will do the same to other applications that are so central to my daily life that I think of them as extensions of my own mind. And make no mistake, that’s what Google Reader is to me. It’s an extension of my awareness and memory.

A Data Feed For A Data Feed

The Spira Family motto is “We don’t suffer from insanity, we enjoy it.” If we had a second one it would be, “Don’t get mad, get even.”

If my RSS feed is getting the proverbial axe, well so is one of the largest data feeds Google gets from me: Chrome. I’m switching back to Firefox.

I may also look for other places to split from the Google ecosystem. This incident has really hit home how foolish it is to rely so heavily on one technology provider.

Thanks for the wakeup call Google.

Google North of the Demilitarized Zone

This brings me to Google Chairman, Eric Schmidt’s recent trip to sunny North Korea, the land of forced labor camps, starvation, near-absolute isolation from the outside world, and apparently unicorns.

Schmidt’s goal seemed to be encouraging the North Korean government to open up Internet access for its people. After his trip he stated:

“We made that alternative very, very clear. Once the internet starts in any country, citizens in that country can certainly build on top of it, but the government has to do one thing: open up the Internet first. They have to make it possible for people to use the Internet, which the government of North Korea has not yet done. It is their choice now, and in my view, it’s time for them to start, or they will remain behind” (G+).

More on this in a bit.

North Korea Isolation

Maybe I’m wrong, but I don’t think most Americans appreciate how isolated the citizens of North Korea are from the rest of the world. With the exception of a tiny group of elites, they have no connection to the outside world through the Internet, phones, mail, or even physical travel.

They are trapped. They don’t have any modern technology, and most people can’t even fathom it. Unlike so many people living under theocratic dictatorships in the Middle East, most North Koreans don’t even know how oppressed they are. In order to realize it, you have to see or read how other people live, and they can’t. And that’s not even getting into the forced labor camps for political prisoners.

Much of this is noted by Schmidt’s daughter Sophie. Quartz broke down the low-lights of Sophie’s recent blog post:

“Some highlights:

• The English-language customs form for North Korea requires declaration of ”killing device” and “publishings of all kinds.”
• None of the buildings visited by the delegation was heated, despite the cold. Sophie writes: “They’re proudly showing you their latest technology or best library, and you can see your breath. A clue to how much is really in their control.”
• The delegation had two official minders always present with them (“2, so one can mind the other”) and no interaction with North Koreans not vetted by officials.
• Eric Schmidt’s “reaction to staying in a bugged luxury socialist guesthouse was to simply leave his door open.”
• The group saw a room with roughly 90 North Koreans at computers in the Kim Il Sung University e-Library. But, Sophie writes, “One problem: No one was actually doing anything. A few scrolled or clicked, but the rest just stared.”
• The group could make international calls on rented cell phones but had no data service. (Quartz)”

This stuff is very telling because dictators like to impress powerful guests. If they had computers in a heated room, that’s the room that would have been on display.

Now to my point.

Schmidt is Wrong

I’m a huge advocate for the transformative powers of the Internet. It’s why I get so pissed off at any attempt to censor the network. That being said, I don’t think that the Internet is what North Korean citizens need in 2013. A few things that they do need…

• An end to forced labor camps
• Basic civil rights
• Food
• Heat

Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is a great reference for what is important in life. The idea is that starting from the bottom, each layer must be achieved in order to get to the next. For example, you aren’t worried about fulfilling your dreams if you don’t have access to drinkable water.

The point is, as powerful as the Internet is, and I have no doubt that it will one day play a critical role in transforming the lives of the people of North Korea, it’s just not the solution right now. Schmidt’s visit and message are brutally self-serving.

Google can benefit from an Internet-connected North Korea.

The people of North Korea can benefit from an Internet-connected North Korea… But only after some of the most brutal trappings of dictatorship are eradicated. Schmidt had a chance to see a bit of life behind the DMZ, and make his message heard. He could have done some real good, but instead he chose to push Google’s agenda, and promote his upcoming book.

Filed under: Internet, Tech Tagged: Dictators, Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, North Korea ]]> http://thegeekwhisperer.com/2013/01/21/north-korea-eric-schmidt-maslows-hierarchy/feed/ 1 dbspira Maslow's_Hierarchy_of_Needs http://thegeekwhisperer.com/2013/01/20/getting-an-actually-free-credit-report/ http://thegeekwhisperer.com/2013/01/20/getting-an-actually-free-credit-report/#comments Sun, 20 Jan 2013 18:30:27 +0000 David Spira http://thegeekwhisperer.com/?p=6572 ]]> The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) allows for every American to download a copy of their credit report from one of the major credit reporting companies (Equifax, Experian & TransUnion) once a year.

• This allows you to get a free credit report from one of the three companies, not all three. If you want or need reports from the remaining two, you will have to part with about $8 a pop.
• After a year, you are eligible for another free credit report.

It’s important to note that while the three companies have roughly similar information, they do not necessarily have the same information. You don’t need to get all three, but you should be mindful of this. If something is misreported on one, you really should followup on the other two.

If you don’t buy the remaining two reports, I recommend that you cycle through all of the companies every three years.

A credit report is not your credit score. The report shows what is logged against your credit (good or bad). Your credit score is something different, and you guessed it, costs extra.

To get this free report, you have to go to AnnualCreditReport.com. Please note that the URL does not have the word “free” in it. If you go to a “free credit report” website, you will find yourself enrolled in some not-so-free subscription services.

This is what you should see, circa January, 2013:

The rainbow of people in the website’s masthead is to “humanize” the website. Doesn’t it make you feel all humany?

I’m not, and have never been a fan of social media experts, gurus, ninjas, or whatever other pompous titles they use. From where I’m sitting, social media as it is used by most companies and individuals isn’t overwhelmingly complicated. The volume of free video, blog posts & infographic tutorials is staggering, and none of it is a substitute for just using the platforms on your own. If you’ve never actively used this stuff, you don’t understand it.

The two people who really taught me about social media were there at the beginning, well before it was “social media.” Their (and other early thinkers/doers) posts, actions and successes are the foundation on which all of these current “experts” have set up shop, reiterating the same messages in an endless loop. It’s worth noting that both of the people who taught me about social media have vast knowledge about the Internet and technology in general.

There are some good social media consultants out there, but they are very few and far between.

For my part, social media is not, and never has been a passion of mine. My love is for the Internet on which these platforms are built.

Anyway… All of this was spurred on by a hilarious video from the Onion with a mock social media guru speaking at in a TED-esque setting.

“Social media eliminates the need to provide value to your clients.” This is depressingly spot-on for those of us who are trying to make things that do provide value, and have to watch in horror as money is flushed down the toilet that is the Facebook Fan Page.

(Via BoingBoing)

My flight home was delayed, and United emailed to inform me of said delay as I was walking into the airport. Fortunately this tiny airport has the one thing I care about .

Free wifi.

And not free wifi the way most airports and hotels do it. You know the type where they push you through some poorly designed login portal; bombard you with ads; make you agree to a whole bunch of unreasonable, obvious, and stupid things that you didn’t actually bother to read; all before the connection fails, or is so slow that you’d rather go to the overpriced gift shop, and buy a few post cards because mailing them is faster than email on their hobbled network.

Yeah, KCI didn’t have that problem.

I turned on my computer. Clicked the little wifi button, selected “kci,” and went about my business. The delay was actually kind of pleasant.

KCI doesn’t have much in the way of food, drink, or shopping (as far as I could see), but it’s got it where it counts.

Also, foursquare gives you a badge for leaving Kansas… Which is funnier than any joke I could crack about happily leaving Kansas.

• Never get involved in a land war in Asia
• Measure twice, cut once
• Don’t sue The Oatmeal
• Wipe front to back (thanks Mal!)
• Don’t shit where you eat (thank mom!)
• Don’t get in the middle of a holy war

What have I missed?

The tired traveler stared back at her with a look of befuddlement.

She laughed, “Ok, that wasn’t clear… I mean, there’s like a porn for everything you can imagine… And the things you can’t. When did apps become like that?”

So that was an except of my interaction with a stranger on the shuttle from the San Francisco Airport to my hotel back in September (I wrote most of this weeks ago and then forgot to finish it). I had just arrived in Palo Alto for the Quantified Self Conference. Back to the crazy lady’s question sans third person…

After she asked the question I pondered it seriously for a moment, came up with my answer, and the asked myself, “does she really want me to answer her?” The expression on her face scream that she was dead serious.

“When did apps become like porn? I’m not really sure of the exact day and time; it’s been a couple of years. But… I’m pretty sure that both porn and apps became so widespread for the same reasons:

• Low cost technology
• Low barrier to entry production
• Free tutorials

Pretty much anyone can afford a computer, mobile, and a camera. The software to produce code and edit film ranges from dirt cheap to free, and there are free tutorials all over to learn how to do it… Also, tripods. They helped too.”

To cap it all off, this conversation was set to a cultish radio preacher ranting about the impending end-times… Which is in part the fault of ubiquitous porn. It was an interesting ride, made all the more surreal by days of sleep deprivation.

In response to this much “liked” Facebook post, the “CEO” of Bodyform took to YouTube with a hilarious, and entertaining yet very empathetic (to their actual customers, not whiny dudes) video response.

Genius. It’s fun, and delightfully British.

But here’s what you might have missed. Click through to the Bodyform YouTube Channel… It’s unbranded.

Gasp!

Now I’m sure that this will change rather quickly, but it’s important to take note.

Bodyform saw a unique opportunity to connect with people online in a fun and engaging way, and they did it. And they didn’t let the details get in the way of good content. Where many companies would spend months debating whether it was ok to be on YouTube; and spend more months debating the mundane design details of the Channel’s header design; and still more many months producing dry content that will neither excite, nor offend anyone; Bodyform just made something great and let it loose into the wild.

This is a valuable lesson for all companies.

Quality content wins.

(Via AdWeek)

I will be joining Juergen Berkessel (@polymash) and Robyn-Stratton-Berkessel (@robbiecat) of Polymash at NJ Connect’s October event to speak on mobile apps for business.

My presentation will cover the basics of design, development, security, maintenance, timeline & budget.

Juergen & Robyn will present on promoting an app once it’s live. This is an often overlooked aspect of mobile, and I am really looking forward to hearing what they have to say.

After they wrap, we will join forces for a panels/ Q&A.

If you’re interested in attending, you can RSVP with NJ Connect on meetup.com. It’s filling up quickly.

I hope to see you there.

Around the four minute mark, Herbie (piano) and Derek (slide guitar) start trading licks, and things get really magical. Listen for the ending it soars.

Looking for…

• a renewed love of technology and geekery?
• a fun time?

Well my friend, then you must come to World Maker Faire New York.

If you think that Americans don’t make things anymore…

Then you must come to World Maker Faire New York.

If you think you’ve seen all that technology has to offer us, or that the people who commercially implement technology are unscrupulous…

Then my friend, you must come to World Maker Faire New York.

Maker Faires happen all over the country, and they feature the work of DIYers. Everything from robotics to 3D printing, homemade prosthetics for amputees, knitted items, baked goods, greeting cards, a giant fire-breathing metal dragons made from truck parts, the Sashimi Tabernacle Choir (I hope they come back)… and all manner of other crazy, useful, useless, and incredible things.

It really shoots fire from its mouth.

3D printed glasses

Mechanized metal Archangel wings, yes, like the X-Man

Your’s truly riding a handmade bike for paraplegics. You steer by shifting your weight.

Bring your kids, wallet, and child-like sense of awe.

Not sold yet?

I’ll be there at the FUBAR Labs table displaying some stuff that I’ve been working on in my spare time.

World Maker Faire New York
New York Hall of Science, Queens, NY
Saturday, September. 29, 2012 – 10am – 7pm
Sunday, September 30, 2012 – 10am – 6pm

Make sure to order your tickets in advance!

Did you know that in 1998, all coaster CD production went towards manufacturing AOL coasters CDs for weeks?

“When we launched AOL 4.0 in 1998, AOL used ALL of the world-wide CD production for several weeks.  Think of that.  Not a single music CD or Microsoft CD was produced during those weeks.” -Reggie Fairchild, Product Manager for AOL 4.0 (Quora)

“Get Optimized,” indeed.

I’ve been helping my parents clean out their basement, and found my some of the install CDs that I used as coasters in college. I hope I can find more of them as we keep cleaning. They make me smile.

(Via BoingBoing)

Inman has decided to use these powers for good, having just launched an Indiegogo campaign to purchase Nikola Tesla’s old laboratory, known as the Wardenclyffe Tower, so it can be turned into a museum.

In the time it took me to donate $50 (which wasn’t long), the campaign raised over $1,000. In the time it took me to write this post, the campaign has picked up an additional $12,000.

You want to donate! Trust me.

This campaign is going to work, and it’s going to be one of those groundbreaking moments in history. This shit will be in history books a century from now. You want to be a part of it.

Plus… Tesla was the king of the alpha geeks and should have a damn museum. It’s a travesty that he doesn’t have one already… But I digress.

If that isn’t enough, there is another organization looking to buy the land so it can rip down the lab and put in… you guessed it… shopping!

If you already know how amazing Tesla was, go donate!

Don’t know how badass the man was? Read up! Then go donate. This is an easy decision.

I’m now both bedbug and murderer free… It’s been a weird Summer.

Now that I’m moved into the new, new place I’ve had to completely refurnished (my furniture was bedbug collateral damage), but I kept a bit of the budget to add some new geekery to my humble abode.

Behold! My Lord of the Rings door mat.

I it found on Etsy, and it makes me smile every time I come home.

Creator DamnGoodDoormats was even kind enough to indulge my request of adding in the commas… Because while they aren’t there in Dwarfish, they are there in English and Elvish… And this kind of shit matters to me more than it should.

Anyway, DamnGoodDoormats makes lots of cool door mats, and is very responsive to unusual requests. You should check his stuff out.

Etsy – DamnGoodDoormats

Kindly don’t spoil The Dark Knight Rises. I won’t see it until Sunday.

I’ll be peeved if someone spoils the film.

Very, very, peeved.

Cordially,

The Geek Whisperer

Let me state my take on this very clearly.

Bruce Wayne will be alive at the end of the film.

Here’s why:

Taken in a Barnes & Nobel of all places

Merchandising! Merchandising, where the real money from the movie is made. Batman-the T-shirt, Batman-the Coloring Book, Batman-the Lunch box, Batman-the Breakfast Cereal, Batman-the Flame Thrower! And last but not least, Batman the doll… “SWEAR TO ME!”

Dark as this movie may be, kids want to see it, and parents want to take their kids to see it. The folks at Warner Brothers & DC Comics don’t want tales of childhood trama surrounding this movie.

May the schwartz be with you!

I’m in the middle of architecting two of the most significant websites of my career. These projects are thrilling, yet I’m struggling to focus because every sensation I feel on my body is driving me completely batty.

On June 1st I moved into a new apartment, and after moving most of my belongings, I discovered that the apartment came with a bed bug infestation. Long story short, I’ve had a tougher-than-usual month and I had to move… Again.

Now I’m in my new, new apartment. I’m 99.9% sure it’s bed bug free, but I spent the day cleaning out the formerly(?) infested apartment. It was exterminated, but did they get all of the blood sucking bastards? I don’t know. If they didn’t get them all, did I bring them to my new apartment? I don’t know. Is that itch I’m feeling on my leg right now a bed bug bite? I don’t know. Is that slight moving sensation I’m feeling on my shoulder my shirt, or a bed bug? I don’t know. What about that bug bite on my neck? Mosquito or bed bug? I don’t know… And it’s making me absolutely insane.

The problem with bed bugs is that they are insanely tiny (especially when they are young); they reproduce like crazy; and they will turn the most mundane of itches into a schizophrenic episode. I’m usually pretty level-headed about things, but I ripped my bed apart tonight and inspected every inch of it with a flashlight… Twice. And the worst part is that I have this crazy desire to check again.

And I’ll say it again… I’m 99.9% sure there aren’t any bed bugs in my apartment. It’s that 0.1% that is driving me nuts. That “what if.”

What scares me aren’t bites. It’s spreading them to other people and places. Bites I can live with. Passing this problem onto other’s would devastate me.

I know this could be worse. There are far more vicious insects I could be dealing with, but I’m a focused and driven guy, and these things have successfully shattered my focus, and sapped my drive. They are parasites in every sense of the word.

Nevertheless, this post has accomplished what I wanted. I’m refocused. Time to get back to work.

Pardon the off-topic stream of consciousness. I promise it will be entertaining as I’ve had some of the most eventful few weeks of my life. And by eventful I mean messed up.

Moving Fail

On June 1st I moved to a new apartment because my old neighborhood went to hell. After moving most of my belongings into my new place I discovered that it came with some unexpected roommates… Bed Bugs!

Worst roommate ever.

The details of this story are best kept for another day. I’m in the process of finding a new apartment. In the meantime I’ve been bouncing around between my parent’s home, and my friends’ couches.

Losing My Grandfather

A few days after finding the bed bugs my grandfather suddenly passed away at age 90. I say “suddenly” because they guy was in great shape (for 90). He was still working, and my last conversation with him involved him bragging to a waitress that he didn’t need a cane to walk; that was the day before he died.

Losing him sucks, but he lived 90 great years, and he didn’t have a slow decline at the end. I’m trying to be happy for him because I’d be thrilled to live 90 (mostly) healthy years, and go without slowly succumbing to an incurable illness.

An Unexpected Head Trauma

Then yesterday I gave myself a moderate concussion while packing some of my grandfather’s belonging’s. Aside from the head injury I spent a lovely Father’s Day with my dad.

Business is Booming

While all of this has been going on I’ve had my busiest month of work ever. I’ve given up my short-lived Diablo III addiction, and I’ve been working an unbelievable amount of hours to keep up with the needs of the projects. All of the projects are invigorating, so I have no regrets about it… But it would be easier to keep up if the my personal/ family life would become slightly less interesting.

I’m a Lucky Guy

When things get ugly, you really discover who has your back. My friend’s and family have been wonderful. I don’t like leaning on people for support, but I’ve really needed it, and they’ve delivered. Big time.

Anyway… I guess what I’m saying is if my posting continues to be a bit spotty for a while… You’ll understand why.