[{"content":"The OpTech blog archive: tech opinion writing from 2013–2017, preserved for posterity.\n","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe OpTech blog archive: tech opinion writing from 2013–2017, preserved for posterity.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Archive"},{"content":"Employment is a transaction, plain and simple. The employee is seeking a number of things, these likely include things like: income, retirement income, mental stimulation, insurance, or being part of a team. An employer has something that needs to get done and not enough people to do it. An employment agreement is reached when the individual believes that the company is offering a sufficient mix of benefits in exchange for their time and effort. We know all this, so why be so explicit in stating it here?\nDespite having this knowledge, actions commonly inadvertently contradict these basics. Employee compensation boils down to benefits in exchange for value delivered. Most employers think they know what they want from employees, and employees have certain benefits (namely, salary) they expect in return. So how is it, that the identification of value, agreement on measuring value, and process of rewarding value is so challenging? Why is there strife over employee compensation, to some degree, at nearly every organization?\nValue #Identifying Value #There is strife over employee pay because there is a sense of \u0026ldquo;fairness\u0026rdquo; or obligation many people feel toward people on their team. For example, it would feel odd to have someone who is only 3 years out of college given the title of Senior Developer and get paid more than someone with 20 years experience\u0026hellip; but what if that young person out-performs the more senior one by an order of magnitude?* The process of identifying and quantifying the value that the organization seeks forces a thorough and considered breakdown of responsibilities and objectives. Importantly, this approach can bring to light the fact that you need to reconsider your basic assumptions and policies, but most fundamentally, you need to reconsider what your compensation structure is incentivizing. What about seniority? What about degrees or certifications? These kinds of attributes are much easier to quantify, they lack subjectivity, and given the correlation between them and delivered value, it is really easy to just compensate based on these \u0026ldquo;safe\u0026rdquo; metrics. Furthermore, there is an expectation of title and pay consistency between companies**. Put together, it is easy to see why value is frequently misattributed.\nAs a business owner or operator, your mindset must be defining value as something provided in exchange for the stability or growth of the company. It is true that value is in the eye of the beholder, an asymmetrical exchange of value is not sustainable, and by aligning expectations before hiring and during review cycles, you ensure that there is an agreed upon expectation for exchanged value. If you are paying an employee more than your perception on the value they are delivering, that means you are short-changing something else in your budget (another employee, investment in growth, investment in employee benefits, etc.) If you are paying an employee less than the value they deliver, specifically less than their perception of the value they deliver, they will either decrease their contributions or they will leave. Neither of these yields sustainability in your employee base, and it is no secret how expensive it is to hire.\nCritical to all of this, is your dedication to finding an optimized and sustainable strategy, which necessitates an absolute willingness to be wrong. There is a challenge in identifying the balance between being confident, yet humble, and assertive, yet open to being challenged. You can\u0026rsquo;t waste all of your time wondering if you made a mistake, but it is just as dangerous to get stuck in your ways. The book Predictable Success does an excellent job of discussing this in the context of growing a business.\n* Also consider the flip side of this where a linear performance to value equation could suggest that this junior engineer should make an order of magnitude more in salary, which also isn\u0026rsquo;t realistic.)\n** I argue that you should strive to hire the type of people that seek this direct \u0026ldquo;compensation for value\u0026rdquo; exchange and avoid someone that is too hung up on titles. This is predicated on you delivering on that promise, though. These people tend to be the most curious, energized, and proactive contributors; someone exhilarated by the idea that they aren\u0026rsquo;t bound by traditional structures resulting from obligation-based compensation.\nPerception of Value #Perception of value is important and successful, stable employment is predicated on agreement between employee and employer. If the employee\u0026rsquo;s perception of their value is not aligned with yours, then there is a failure in your process somewhere. This doesn\u0026rsquo;t mean you need to knock them down a peg, this means that you need to more clearly communicate your expectations, your definition of value, how the employee will be measured against these, and what their current measurement values are. At the end of that discussion, there should be agreement on those metrics.\nCommunication Requires a Common Language #In communication, it is the responsibility of the communicator to ensure their message is understood as it was intended; it helps when the recipient makes this easy on you, but it isn\u0026rsquo;t their job. The employer is responsible for communicating their definition of value, their measurement scales and techniques, and what compensation results. The employee is responsible for communicating how much value they believe they deliver and any challenge to the definition or measurement that will be used.\nCommunication is much easier when there is a common language. In compensation discussions, that common language is the set of agreed-upon quantifiable objectives and the scores the employee received when measured against them. I recommend resources like the Manager Tools podcast for more detail,but it boils down to clearly defined, measurable objectives and regular one-on-ones to stay on track.\nCompensation Calculation #Reaching an up-front agreement on the exchange of value avoids the challenging, but common, situation where an employee\u0026rsquo;s annual review states they have \u0026ldquo;exceeded\u0026rdquo; ambiguous expectations and there is no framework for setting anyone\u0026rsquo;s expectation for what that means. What happens when the employee thinks that means a 10% raise and you think it means a 5% raise? The most sustainable approach to avoiding this is to take advantage of everything above wherein the conclusion is agreeing upon the value exchange ahead of time, eliminating most, if not all of, the contention. The compensation calculation has two key components, clearly defined salary ranges for clearly defined job levels, and a clearly defined raise equation with clearly defined inputs.\nDocumented Salary Bands #I see push back on this more often than not, and I get it. There is apprehension in giving this information away, but generally, the reasons are not good. If it is to hide gender/race/other inequality, then that is disappointing and revolting, and I urge you to reconsider. If it is an attempt to prevent people from having the ammunition they need to ask for a raise, then you aren\u0026rsquo;t doing a good job of documenting expectations and goals or you aren\u0026rsquo;t paying enough, neither of which make for a sustainable business. If you document these bands and someone is not where they think they should be, then you can clearly lay out how they can get there, this incentivizes them to be a better employee. Employee growth through self-motivation is extremely valuable long term. This approach also reduces the drama because it necessitates agreement on the current exchange of value (salary and output) as well as the desired growth of that exchange (wherein both parties benefit). It also fosters a mindset where people expect that by showing analytical, factual evidence, they can fix things they see as broken, or the culture supports the process by which they discover they were wrong. Commonly, there is compromise on something in between, because rational people in an environment that doesn\u0026rsquo;t punish being wrong usually learn a lot from each other.\nRaise Equation #There are a number of considerations that need to be made when determining a raise, but the more of that calculation that is subjective, the more inconsistency you end up with. Inconsistency will either become unsustainable, or it will incentivize behaviors you don\u0026rsquo;t want to incentivize. Over time, those behaviors manifest as culture and retention of your best employees becomes nearly impossible.\nThe percentage of a raise can be demystified by using something like the following:\nBase Percentage ✕ Performance Factor ✕ Company Revenue Target = % Raise Where the base percentage might be static across the company or might differ by tier, and the performance factor is determined by the employee evaluation (against clearly defined measurable goals), for example:\nNeeds Improvement: Something in the 0.0 to 0.5 range Meets Expectations: 1.0 Exceeds Expectations: 1.5 The company revenue target factor allows you to control for how well the company is doing so that you aren\u0026rsquo;t promising an unrealistic raise in a tough year. It would be reasonable to have a fudge factor here too, though I\u0026rsquo;d recommend capping it (at least on the down side). For example, maybe an 85% maximum negative multiplier so you can effectively drop the raise by 15% of its original value based on \u0026ldquo;gut feeling.\u0026rdquo; To put some numbers to it, if you hit your revenue target as a company, you can have an Engineer 4 (with a base percentage of 10%) who performed extremely well get a 0.10 * 1.5 * 1.0 = 15% raise and someone who performed poorly get 0.10 * 0.1 * 1.0 = 1% raise.\nThe equation might differ for your company, but if you find the equation doesn\u0026rsquo;t usually work for what you would have done manually before you institute the equation (or what you \u0026ldquo;want\u0026rdquo; to happen), you should challenge yourself and be open to the idea that you might have inadvertently been imposing bias.\nWhat DOES Your Compensation Plan Incentivize? #Incentives can be challenging to understand, especially when the implications of many of them play out on a longer timescale. That shouldn\u0026rsquo;t deter you, in fact it should encourage you, to really question what your compensation plan incentivizes. For example, a rule like \u0026ldquo;we don\u0026rsquo;t give promotions in back-to-back annual evaluations\u0026rdquo; sounds reasonable, because the vast majority of the time you won\u0026rsquo;t be able to justify doing it. In fact, most of the time it\u0026rsquo;s even a question, it means the person was probably not brought in at the right level. However, that firm stance incentivizes your superstars to put things on cruise control, especially after getting a promotion, because cruise control for them is still an above average performance. Everything boils down to incentives. If money, titles, time off, all-expenses-paid vacations, or other perks can be had in exchange for value delivered to the company, then you will get more value from the employees. It\u0026rsquo;s that simple. To aide this process, there are three fundamental responsibilities of the leadership team. Clearly communicate what you and the leadership team value so the employees know where to focus their effort. Clearly communicate what the reward will be. For example, if salary is calculated by that equation, salary bands are documented, and job tier roles/responsibilities are clear, then they\u0026rsquo;ll know that if they deliver X they should get a Y percent raise and, if criteria Z is met, a promotion. Deliver on it. If you skip this step, trust will be damaged. There are extenuating circumstances, this is where openness and honesty with the affected individual can save an otherwise fraught situation. This isn\u0026rsquo;t to say all employees will kick it into high gear, but many will. When this happens, not only will you get more value from your employees, you will immediately be able to identify those employees that have drive and passion to achieve something – something that everyone tries to screen for in interviews, but isn\u0026rsquo;t always successful. With this strategy you are incentivizing the following:\nClear communication of standards, objectives, and feedback surrounding performance Performance matters, if the employee works hard and repeatedly delivers value, they will be rewarded Accountability for successes and failures, if coupled with clear communication this can almost always be a net-positive, at least for the employee Unintended Consequences #Often the \u0026ldquo;if it ain\u0026rsquo;t broke, don\u0026rsquo;t fix it\u0026rdquo; mindset prevails and people can get stuck in some ruts. In fact, everyone ought to be able to identify things they do simply because they have been doing them that way and it is working. It is unrealistic to constantly be optimizing everything. However, it is worth considering the unintended consequences of common compensation strategies that might be incentivizing behavior without realizing it.\nThere is a strong argument for leveraging aspects for multiple strategies, and there is nothing wrong with that, as long as the raise equation and relevant inputs are measurable and clearly communicated.\nSeniority Based Pros: You incentivize stability in the workforce. You demonstrate loyalty to your employees. Cons: You incentivize stagnation, initiative, curiosity, and proactivity are not perceived as valuable. You are more likely to experience an aging workforce. It is very easy to get stuck in ruts because the people in charge have bee there the longest and at least a portion of them are only that senior because of time served. Notes: With heavy reliance on this strategy you incentivize people to stay, but not necessarily the ones you would benefit the most from staying. You are incentivizing \u0026ldquo;career cruise control\u0026rdquo; rather than your most innovative, curious, proactive, and driven individuals. Promoted to the Level of Incompetence Also known as the Peter Principle, this is one of my favorite concepts and I have seen it play out many times. If a person is good at job X, they must be good at managing groups of people doing job X. Basically, someone is promoted because they are good at their job, and they stop being promoted when they stop being good at their job, they have reached their level of incompetence. Pros: You have been able to identify people who are good at their job, and hopefully set them up to guide or mentor newcomers (although, maybe in an ineffective way). Cons: When taken to the extreme, this means that the most senior people, the ones in charge of critical decisions, are not the right people for those positions. Skill Based This includes adding new skills or having the most diverse set of skills, basically a measure of \u0026ldquo;who can do the most things relevant to the business?\u0026rdquo; This is commonly seen in smaller companies and startups where that agility is crucial. However, instead of seeking and rewarding this explicitly, a small company can identify this as valuable for specific roles right now, and then over time the definition of value will change to meet the company needs. Pros: These people can save (or make) a small company. You end up with a handful of people who can put out fires during critical times. Several people end up with excellent and marketable skill sets. You are incentivizing skill growth and loyalty. Cons: Most things aren\u0026rsquo;t done right, they\u0026rsquo;re just done well enough, because there isn\u0026rsquo;t a specialist driving things. You build technical debt. It\u0026rsquo;s easy to get stuck in ruts. You are incentivizing \u0026ldquo;duct tape\u0026rdquo; solutions and de-prioritizing long term stability by accepting technical debt. Performance Pros: You incentivize people to drive hard, be curious, and to be proactive. You incentivize people to be able to define their value and the value they seek in return. You incentivize development plans and a heavy focus on personal improvement. Cons: This approach can seem callous and appears to lack loyalty (although I argue that by rewarding performance you are demonstrating loyalty to high performers and by not rewarding performance you are demonstrating a strong lack of loyalty to that group). This approach, if not executed well, can incentivize masking failures or falsely representing success. Closing Thoughts #A purely performance based solution has challenges as well, if this article lead you to believe I suggested otherwise then I failed to make my point that they key is in the agreed exchange of value, both defining and communicating it. If you take anything from this piece it is that you should take the time to define value for your organization, to concretely identify expectations and measurements against those expectations, and all of this should be openly communicated. Don\u0026rsquo;t get hung up on the equation I used or picking a single strategy for compensating employees; open yourself and your organization up to the discussion and start to ask questions. Seek to disprove your existing assumptions.\n","date":"27 July 2017","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/determining-employee-compensation/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eEmployment is a transaction, plain and simple. The employee is seeking a number of things, these likely include things like: income, retirement income, mental stimulation, insurance, or being part of a team. An employer has something that needs to get done and not enough people to do it. An employment agreement is reached when the individual believes that the company is offering a sufficient mix of benefits in exchange for their time and effort. We know all this, so why be so explicit in stating it here?\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Determining Employee Compensation"},{"content":" \u0026ldquo;People can help you in many ways throughout life, but there are two things nobody can give you: curiosity and drive. They must be self-supplied.\nIf you are not interested and curious, all the information in the world can be at your fingertips, but it will be relatively useless. If you are not motivated and driven, whatever connections or opportunities are available to you will be rendered inert.\nNow, you won\u0026rsquo;t feel curious and driven about every area of life, and that\u0026rsquo;s fine. But it really pays to find something that lights you up. This is one of the primary quests of life: to find the thing that ignites your curiosity and drive.\nThere are many recipes for success. There is no single way to win. But nearly all recipes include two ingredients: curiosity and drive.\u0026rdquo;\nJames Clear in his 3-2-1 newsletter, 25 April 2024 Consulting and Mentoring #I am available for consulting! This includes being a startup advisor, helping you to optimize your business, discover how (or if) artificial intelligence could be saving you money, or identify and create custom software solutions. I have been a benefactor of mentoring and am happy to pay it forward, particularly to those that show curiosity and drive.\nOptimize Your Business #Your business could be more efficient, allowing you to focus on the work that inspired you to begin with. The operations of your company are the foundation upon which it is built. During a growth phase, scalability is critical to continued success. Conversely, chaotic external factors (ex: black swan events like the COVID-19 pandemic) highlight the necessity for being dynamic and responsive. What these both have in common is that underlying \u0026ldquo;cracks in the foundation\u0026rdquo; are exposed and their impact amplified. As with anything in life, it is dangerous for any of us to assume that we are doing everything right.\nHow do I help? I combine the value of my \u0026ldquo;outsider\u0026rsquo;s opinion\u0026rdquo; with my passion for solving complex problems through the application of technology and use this to generate proposed solutions to ongoing and upcoming challenges. To do this, I learn about how your business runs, understand the infrastructure, and dig in on those nuanced pain points that are specific to your industry, software tools, or combination of conditions. Armed with this information, I design solutions and transition plans to allow your company to scale and to adapt to a rapidly changing business environment. Solutions address opportunities with respect to technology, automation, strategy, and more.\nCustom Software Solutions #I am a software engineer by trade with experience with designing software solutions from scratch. Additionally, I have experience with integrating disparate systems, extract, transform, and loading data into coherent, intuitive solutions for users. Most of this experience has been in the context of software defined radios (SDRs), but I enjoy addressing a wide range of challenges that can be solved with software.\nMentoring #Mentorship is more of a two-way street than most people realize. I would enjoy helping you step back and take an analytical approach to identifying a \u0026ldquo;highest probability path to success\u0026rdquo; toward getting you where you want to be. I have participated in the VetsInTech mentoring community for years, but veterans aren\u0026rsquo;t the only ones who benefit from mentorship. Some areas where I may be able to help: being a loving and impactful dad, making practical and cost-effective decisions regarding college or certifications, building products, navigating partnerships, and more! No one has all the answers and I don\u0026rsquo;t take a \u0026ldquo;prescriptive\u0026rdquo; approach, but do love to help people identify and make progress toward their goals.\nLet\u0026rsquo;s Chat #Please contact me for booking or for additional information. I am available to grab a cup of coffee in the Denver, CO area or phone/video chat. You can also find me on Mastodon.\n","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/","section":"OpTe.ch","summary":"\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026ldquo;People can help you in many ways throughout life, but there are two things nobody can give you: curiosity and drive. They must be self-supplied.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you are not interested and curious, all the information in the world can be at your fingertips, but it will be relatively useless. If you are not motivated and driven, whatever connections or opportunities are available to you will be rendered inert.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNow, you won\u0026rsquo;t feel curious and driven about every area of life, and that\u0026rsquo;s fine. But it really pays to find something that lights you up. This is one of the primary quests of life: to find the thing that ignites your curiosity and drive.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"OpTe.ch"},{"content":"Every company or team has the people that have been there \u0026ldquo;from the beginning\u0026rdquo; whether literally or seemingly. These employees have been critical to the success of the business by putting in countless hours and effort beyond what was expected of them. When this happens once, the leadership feels gratitude, but when it happens repeatedly for 10, 20, or even 30 years, this gratitude often morphs into a sense of indebtedness.\nEventually, as the company grows, these employees move into principle engineering or leadership roles – they are a cornerstone for the company. Unfortunately, a subset of them also view this as their repayment for the years of hard work, and they shift into cruise control until retirement. To be explicitly clear, this does not affect ALL employees with this kind of tenure. In many organizations the number might even be trivially small, but it is crucial that you learn to identify when this is happening before it is too late.\nThere are several problems inherent to this situation, most of which are compounding over time. These complacent engineers lack the curiosity and drive that used to compel them to exceed expectations, this drives down product quality. Sure you might hit your first few deliverables, but eventually you\u0026rsquo;ll learn that there is so much technical debt that the whole project is basically held together with duct tape. Additionally, the \u0026ldquo;lifer\u0026rdquo; mentality usually comes with a dislike, or even outright fear, of young blood that will come in and upset the apple cart. Young 20-somethings might suggest test driven development or an Agile workflow, and the principle engineers will push back; not only do they not want to change what has been working for them for 20 years, they don\u0026rsquo;t want to get shown up by \u0026ldquo;a kid.\u0026rdquo; They had a good thing going, why risk ruining it and having to work extra to learn something new? Never mind the duct tape holding the project together, they\u0026rsquo;re retiring in four years! Keep in mind that the young men and women proposing these changes haven\u0026rsquo;t experienced what you and the existing team have, so while their optimism and drive are critical to your success, that doesn\u0026rsquo;t mean they should be blindly followed either. You need a VP or Director of Engineering and/or Operations that understands the balance between leveraging what has worked historically with knowing when that same practice will become the bottleneck that derails the company\u0026rsquo;s growth.\nAll employees, both new and existing, should be hired and the continually evaluated for curiosity. Curiosity is what drives good engineering, and curiosity is what will get you that extra 10% in times of need. Not everyone has the right personality for curiosity, and that\u0026rsquo;s ok, but they will not do well at a smaller company that is looking to grow. Furthermore, some people will see their curiosity wane over the years. This means that either you aren\u0026rsquo;t challenging them, or the fire has burned out and they should be looking for something else; a company with thousands of employees can afford to have a principle engineer on cruise control, your company of 20 cannot.\nTo bring this back to the beginning, how do you let someone go that has been so crucial to getting you were you are today? You have developed a friendship, you know their family, you have watched their kids grow up, is it really a heartless move to cut them loose at this stage of their career? No, it isn\u0026rsquo;t, if it is done properly.\nYour feeling of indebtedness should only be a feeling. This whole time, you should have been compensating these employees for the value they brought to the table, and this number is dynamic. If a mid-level engineer single handedly saved the project that put your company on the map, they should have gotten a bonus that might have put their pay above those several levels more senior than them. They delivered value, so they should receive compensation commensurate with the value they delivered. If you had been giving them the industry standard pay while they carried the company for you, then you are literally indebted to them and that makes parting was more challenging (although, nothing a nice comp package can\u0026rsquo;t solve). If they have been taken care of at the level of value they delivered, your business owes them nothing. That said, there is a lot of value in being flexible and supportive during the transition, give them time, a compensation package, letters of recommendation, and/or make personal introductions in the industry as is necessary to avoid burning a bridge. Who knows, this event might be what they needed to rekindle the fire of their curiosity and you will be working for them in five years.\nAlright, so your employee has been compensated well, they might even be a part owner in the company. So after your next board meeting where you decide you need to let two go and hire five new engineers, you just go and cut a few folks who are on cruise control, right? Wrong. First, hopefully it hasn\u0026rsquo;t gotten so bad that they\u0026rsquo;re on autopilot and napping in the back seat, rather than just cruise control. Assuming this, you bring them into your office and have a perfectly honest discussion with them. You explain the needs of the business and where they\u0026rsquo;re falling short. None of this should be news to them because you\u0026rsquo;ve had regular one-on-ones and a review process that contains constructive feedback, but they haven\u0026rsquo;t gotten the message. It is time to go. You work with them to find a home in a large competitor where you know a few managers, or you agree to write them a letter of recommendation, you give them a number of months to phase out their work and train others. Maybe you even put them in touch with a lawyer to setup a consulting LLC and agree to hire them for consulting jobs as needs arise. This is a painful and challenging process, many of them will push back. Once you commit to this, it is dangerous to cave and give them \u0026ldquo;a second (really, it\u0026rsquo;s the eighth) chance.\u0026rdquo; If the fire of curiosity is gone, it isn\u0026rsquo;t likely to come back under similar circumstances. Someone that isn\u0026rsquo;t willing to understand that your primary responsibility is to the business is not someone you want around spreading rumors or sabotaging projects.\nIt sounds cold, and on a level it is, but it is the nature of business. As your company grows, it is guaranteed that you will have at least one, if not several, of these painful discussions with colleagues you have been battling with shoulder to shoulder for years.\nThe best things you can do are create a culture where curiosity is rewarded, hire for curiosity and humility, give regular feedback, and be willing to make hard decisions.\nIncentive: Humans respond to incentives, so complacency usually only sets in when there\u0026rsquo;s an incentive to do so (such as a huge salary that was earned and now a standard 2-3% yearly bump is all you need to live comfortably). Years of service should factor into salary, but value added to the company should factor in more. This incentivizes the driven individuals that you want to keep and incentivizes those looking for an easier \u0026ldquo;ride off into the sunset\u0026rdquo; to go and get the large stable salary they can get at a big competitor. In this case, everyone wins. If you incentivize the behavior you want, it will drastically decrease the number of hard conversations you will be required to have. Curiosity and Humility: Hire people who demonstrate curiosity and drive while retaining humility and a willingness to be wrong when presented with evidence. Being wrong is an opportunity to improve oneself, so a willingness to be proven wrong demonstrates curiosity, drive, and humility all at once. Feedback: You should be providing regular feedback so that if curiosity and humility begin to drop, there is no surprise when the employee has to be let go. You cannot expect employees to read your mind, everyone has their own perspective. You must not assume your base assumptions or goals are shared, so this feedback process enables you and the employee to review past and define current and future expectations. Hard Decisions: As the person running the business, you have accepted that there will be painful decisions. Either you let the company ride off on cruise control into the sunset, or you execute these decisions to enable continued growth and success. There is no third option, only degrees of prolonging the former. The last, but potentially most important, thing to consider is how letting some of your most senior people go is how you demonstrate that you have your employees\u0026rsquo; backs. It sounds counter-intuitive, but if you\u0026rsquo;ve grown to 75 or 100 employees, the odds are good that most of them are relatively young (or at least new). The few that were with you since the beginning are only a small portion of the workforce. So by letting some these lethargic few saunter through the last years of their careers while the vast majority works their butts off knowing their salary and bonus don\u0026rsquo;t even come close to the more senior folks, you are telling your employees that you value their time served more than their contribution to your company. You are incentivizing people to simply be present for a long time, you are not valuing material contributions to the company\u0026rsquo;s wellbeing.\nGiven that people respond to incentives, the best and most driven engineers will leave (since they are promoted at the same pace as their mediocre counterparts) and those that remain will stop putting in the extra effort since it yields no personal benefit. By choosing to keep around four or five principle engineers, you have completely eroded the other 95 employees\u0026rsquo; confidence that their hard work is valued or that you are willing to side with material value being added to the company over an \u0026lsquo;X Years of Service\u0026rsquo; plaque.\nIf you incentivize adding value to your company, you won\u0026rsquo;t owe anyone anything. Not only will this make your best employees want to stick around (and as previously discussed, A players hire A players while B players hire C players), it will create a culture around constantly wanting to get better. It also lays the foundation that ultimately enables you to make the hard decisions that demonstrate your commitment to the rest of your employees – you stand with them so long as they stand with the company – and you are incentivizing them to stand with the company.\n","date":"31 January 2017","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/when-having-your-employees-back-means-letting-some-go/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eEvery company or team has the people that have been there \u0026ldquo;from the beginning\u0026rdquo; whether literally or seemingly. These employees have been critical to the success of the business by putting in countless hours and effort beyond what was expected of them. When this happens once, the leadership feels gratitude, but when it happens repeatedly for 10, 20, or even 30 years, this gratitude often morphs into a sense of indebtedness.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"When Having Your Employees' Back Means Letting Some Of Them Go"},{"content":"Hiring is among the most challenging aspects to running a company. If done correctly, it can propel growth and success that you never imagined, but if done poorly it can lead to festering infections in culture and process that will be nearly impossible to get rid of. Unfortunately, there is no single technique, or even selection of techniques, that will be a silver bullet. Furthermore, each technique will have aspects what will eliminate candidates who might have been great, while letting others through that are not. Engineers present a unique challenge due to to the above-average density of introverted candidates when compared to other types of positions, like sales or human resources.\nIt is important to understand and focus on your hiring process for what it is – the future of your company.\nA bad hire will not only slow down their own project, they will champion unwise changes or oppose logical changes that will slow down the company as a whole. They will even fight against you when you need them to fight beside you. To compound the problem, if they become more entrenched (which hopefully doesn\u0026rsquo;t happen, thanks to effective review practices), they might become a part of the hiring process and start green-lighting even worse candidates. This can start the downward spiral of your company. Good engineers don\u0026rsquo;t want to work alongside bad engineers, especially if there isn\u0026rsquo;t a clear indicator that the good engineers are appreciated more than the mediocre or bad ones. Look for a more extended piece on identifying and retaining talent as well as the feedback and review processes, because those are both critical to keeping the right people, which can (but isn\u0026rsquo;t guaranteed to) help add more of the right people.\nSo how do you identify and hire the right people?\nSince there is no \u0026ldquo;sure thing\u0026rdquo; here, you have to take measures to improve your odds where possible. It is crucial to identify people within your company that will best serve as the core of the interviewing team, they should meet each of the following qualifications:\nEffective communicator with candidates of all types, and crucially able to identify the candidate\u0026rsquo;s personality and their learning/communication styles Humble and genuinely interested in finding the best possible candidate for the role, not interested in seeing if they can make the candidate \u0026ldquo;fail\u0026rdquo; Able to demonstrate the value that your company offers and the value that your company is seeking Has a good track record with past hiring recommendations Furthermore, it is also worthwhile to identify those who will not be valuable contributions to the interview process (either by choice or resulting from poor co-interviewer feedback). It should be made clear that this doesn\u0026rsquo;t indicate that they are a bad employee. It is perfectly reasonable that a valuable employee is not a great interviewer. Effective Communicator # “It isn’t the interviewers’ job to demonstrate their own technical prowess or to make the candidate fail, it is their job to determine if they are a good fit for your company.”\nAn effective communicator will be able to read the candidate to determine which aspects of the person they are seeing are true, which result from nervousness, and which are embellishments or lies. A large portion of communication is nonverbal, but it is crucial not to let bias and prejudice slip in here; there needs to be a tangible reason to think someone isn\u0026rsquo;t a good fit. This person should be technical enough to be able to question the candidate and probe to determine their exact skill set and previous roles on teams, but does not necessarily need to out-rank them (it is good to have at least one interviewer at or above the candidate\u0026rsquo;s expected level, and avoid having too many that are well below).\nAs the interviewers build rapport with the candidate, they can tease out the nuances of their style to get them to open up and be themselves. Some candidates are nervous talkers, while some just love to hear themselves talk, this isn\u0026rsquo;t to say either one of these is better (that\u0026rsquo;s a decision for you and your company), but it is important to be able to know the difference. Other challenges include finding someone that is proud of any number of large contributions to a project that can simultaneously demonstrate the value they added while being humble enough to share in the success with their team and not take more credit than they deserve, but keep in mind you have no idea how much credit they deserve. A reference check might be able to corroborate some of the story, but in my experience it is often the engineers who battled through the project together who can really say what the candidate did, not always the manager who lead the effort (but is likely listed as the reference).\nThe learning style comes into play during the pair coding exercise whether it is on a laptop or at a whiteboard. When explaining a problem, it is your job as the interviewer to make sure it is clear and unambiguous. This should be tested out on current employees at the relevant level, not necessarily to test their answer, but to make sure you asked a clear question. Few things make me cringe more during an interview than when another interviewer asks a \u0026ldquo;question\u0026rdquo; that is meandering and without substance, then takes a negative note that the candidate didn\u0026rsquo;t answer it \u0026ldquo;correctly.\u0026rdquo; It is your job as the interviewer to make the candidate understand the question as clearly as you do, one method for confirming this is to have them state the problem back to you if it seems like they\u0026rsquo;re struggling. A failure to understand the problem is rarely a failure on behalf of the candidate, but rather a failure of the interviewer to prepare properly and communicate clearly. A candidate who knows what they are doing will take note of this and lose confidence in your company\u0026rsquo;s ability to mentor or bring them up to speed.\nThere is one undebatable point that each interviewer should understand – it isn\u0026rsquo;t the interviewers\u0026rsquo; job to demonstrate their own technical prowess or to make the candidate fail, it is their job to determine if they are a good fit for your company. Each person has strengths and weaknesses, the interviewer is tasked with determining exactly what those are for the given candidate and then balance those with the desired skills to fill a given position while considering how their weaknesses will impact the team and business. Focus on Company\u0026rsquo;s Best Interest # “The key is identifying new hires given where your company is headed, not where it has already been”\nThe interviewers should either be in the position that is in need of an employee, thus defining the role to be filled, or they should be clear on what exactly the hiring manager does need. There are generalists, there are specialists, and there are candidates on a spectrum in between. A smaller company requires at least some generalists because usually people wear multiple hats. At larger companies, it is far more common to see specialists excel at a given field for 30 years and then retire. As a company grows, the ratio of generalists to specialists should shift toward specialists at a pace that meets the needs of that particular organization.\nThe key is identifying new hires given where your company is headed, not where it has already been, while making sure you are not focused too far into the future and hiring someone who won\u0026rsquo;t be valuable to a company at your current and near-term stages. It is really easy to get caught up in the mentality that something that has worked historically will continue to bear fruit if you just stay the course, but that\u0026rsquo;s a dangerous pattern to fall into. Take measures to avoid getting stuck in a loop where you keep looking for the exact same type of candidate with every job listing, though you should find common traits that will remain fairly constant (ex: self-motivated, strong curiosity, willing to put in the extra effort, etc.). Sell The Position #When a candidate speaks with employees from a company, the tone is often that the interview is one-sided. The candidate is usually given a chance to ask questions, but the answers are often disingenuous for many of the \u0026ldquo;real\u0026rdquo; questions, if those get asked at all. For example, \u0026ldquo;How many hours do you typically work and what about during a busy period?\u0026rdquo; is usually met with some generic \u0026ldquo;we respect a work life balance\u0026rdquo; response when the reality is that you might be able to work from home or not have to use sick time to go to the doctor, but you\u0026rsquo;ll be expected to work all night and on weekends; the fact that it is \u0026ldquo;flexible\u0026rdquo; when you work 60-80 hours per week doesn\u0026rsquo;t qualify as \u0026ldquo;work life balance\u0026rdquo; to most people. The kicker is that by lying, the company is setting the employee up with false expectations, which is a recipe for failure.\nIf you want someone committed and enthusiastic and willing to work 70 hour weeks, say that up front. Seek out that kind of person. Then explain why the job is so fun and addicting that they will want to work 70 hour weeks. There are plenty of people who crave that kind of career, by being up front about it you will only get people who actually want the kind of work you are offering. If that\u0026rsquo;s the position you have open, the person conducting the interview needs to be the best salesperson you have to explain why the candidate should want it.\nIf someone asks a question where you are embarrassed to give an honest answer, then that is an indicator that this is something your company should be looking to address and you can be up front about that. If you were to reply with, \u0026ldquo;Well right now, most of us are working 60 hour weeks, but we\u0026rsquo;ve got a hiring plan in place to grow the team then a training and mentorship program to get new hires up to speed. This will help to handle the work and get that back down toward 40.\u0026rdquo; It is honest, it shows them you have a growth in business, and it shows that the leadership is invested in their employees and the new hire. There is no perfect company, and this shouldn\u0026rsquo;t be where employees are airing dirty laundry to candidates, but you\u0026rsquo;ll find that a more honest conversation will get you better candidates and will likely uncover a few improvements that your company can make to better serve its employees.\nTrack Record and Feedback #After each candidate, the interviewers should each fill out a standard evaluation form. This form should rate the candidate across several categories. As an example: relevant industry skills, technical skills/programming, natural curiosity/self-driven, easy to communicate with, and a final \u0026ldquo;Hire\u0026rdquo; or \u0026ldquo;Do Not Hire\u0026rdquo; recommendation.\nThese evaluations will help to make the hiring decision for the candidate, but the record should be kept on file. Over the longer term, after each new hire has six or twelve month reviews, these metrics can be used to indicate whether you have someone on your interview team that is regularly recommending hiring inadequate candidates or rejecting those that end up getting hired who are some of the best. This isn\u0026rsquo;t an indication that the interviewer is a bad employee, just that they don\u0026rsquo;t have the ability to read candidates in that short of a time period and they should not be part of the interview team.\nThis honest conversation with the interview team is very important, allowing someone to remain on your interview team who is not a strong interviewing asset is the human equivalent of using an antiquated firewall to protect your digital assets. While it is unavoidable to never hire someone that is a bad fit, each one takes a toll on the company, so measures should be taken to minimize the odds as much as possible.\nBook Recommendation #Predictable Success by Les McKeown\nPredictable Success is an excellent book that helps walk the reader through a dialogue that identifies the stages of growth for a business, the types of people that excel at each stage, and how leadership can identify their current stage of business and work toward the \u0026ldquo;predictable success\u0026rdquo; stage. It is an excellent guide to understanding and to avoiding getting stuck in the \u0026ldquo;let\u0026rsquo;s keep doing what we did in the good old days\u0026rdquo; mentality that can be so dangerous. It is also on Audible.\nBefore, During, and After the Interview #There are specific things that should be done to enable your interview team and interview candidates for success, these people are ultimately your company, so this enables the company for success.\nBefore #The best interview I have ever had threw me a curveball before I even scheduled my in-person interview. It has stuck with me as one of the best techniques for programming jobs, and likely will have parallels in other professions. They sent me a coding exercise (one that was as similar as they could get to some of the basic tasking I\u0026rsquo;d end up working on, built on the same platform).\nNow sitting on the other side of the table, I have seen people who are put off by this, even some who quit the interview process because of it, and that is okay. They aren\u0026rsquo;t a good fit, and this shows it. On the other hand, how often do you get to actually do a test run for a job? I got to see what kinds of projects I\u0026rsquo;d work on, what platform I\u0026rsquo;d be working on, and how well I was able to communicate with the team who recommended (and genuinely meant it) that I ask questions. I got to work with this team before I had ever met them or stepped foot in the building. Not only could they see how I worked through a problem based on my questions and my submitted code, but I could see how they would work with me to bring me up to speed and field what a new hire always feels are \u0026ldquo;dumb questions,\u0026rdquo; but really aren\u0026rsquo;t.\nI recommend finding a coding exercise, or create three or four of them for various levels of seniority, and keep these in a code repository, then create a branch for each candidate. The code should be reviewed and critiqued like any other code review. As a side note, a fun measure of a persons curiosity and desire to improve is if they get hired and go look at the comments left on their own code they submitted during the interview process and use the feedback there to improve their coding mistakes or style going forward.\nNote: I am assuming you have done phone screens at this point. The same holds true that phone screeners should fill out evaluation forms and there should be some consideration to make sure you have the right people for the phone screens.\nDuring #The face-to-face interview should align with your company style. Keep in mind that the interviewers need to get a read on the candidate and tailor their communication style or even level of formality to create a better rapport with the candidate. You might have a quiet genius on your hands; this can be valuable if there is a place in the company for someone who maybe isn\u0026rsquo;t the best at communication but is incredibly efficient at architecting large pieces of software. Though I will note, that even the best engineers in the world are frequently less desirable to work with if they cannot communicate, but I digress.\nStart with offering something to drink and offer the bathroom, you would be surprised how many candidates will either have nervous bladders or got stuck in traffic and their \u0026ldquo;show up early\u0026rdquo; buffer disappeared. These also provide moments of alone time for nervous candidates to collect themselves. Afterward, in order to allow the interviewers to get to know the candidate and vice versa, they can open up with a general introduction to the company and industry, talk about some of the main products, and probably even give a demo. This helps to avoid the all-too-common occurrence that someone is hired not really being too sure what the company is doing. After the company introduction, transition to questions about the candidate, their history, and their working style. These kinds of questions work well because they build confidence with the candidate since they know these answers better than anyone, it also helps give the conversation momentum as the people get familiar with each other. Since most companies won\u0026rsquo;t have a single person with the candidate all day, it is good to appoint someone as the liaison and have this person do a lot of the up-front work, spend as much time in the interview room as their schedule allows, and to check in with the candidate between sections. Ideally, the interview would only last for half of a day. Start at 8:30AM and finish with taking them out to lunch. This provides another less formal setting to get to know the person and has the added benefit that they\u0026rsquo;ll be more comfortable now. I have seen interviews both sealed and broken during this stage; make no mistake, it is still part of the interview. I have also seen interviews carry on for another 4 hours after lunch, this is really unnecessary in my experience and usually just comes across as an intimidation technique.\nAfter #Before the candidate has left, make sure they have two things. First, give them contact information for someone (probably the liaison and/or HR) if they have any follow-up questions. Second, make sure they have an understanding of what your company\u0026rsquo;s timeline and process looks like, then stick to it. If you need more time, be honest with them, tell them you need more time. As much as your company needs to fill a spot, this person is possibly uprooting their entire life for this, they don\u0026rsquo;t deserve to be kept in the dark.\nAfter the candidate has left, sit and discuss with anyone involved in the process, plus a few who weren\u0026rsquo;t, if possible. Go around the room and discuss things you noticed or things you weren\u0026rsquo;t able to get a read on. The people who didn\u0026rsquo;t participate in the interview will be able to ask completely unbiased questions about the candidate and this will help uncover whether there was something that was missed. When things get missed, the interviewers need to learn from the process and improve it. This is why it helps to have a fairly constant interview team, they will get better with each iteration. Trial Period #If a candidate seems like a perfect fit for some reason, but imperfect for another, consider a trial period (usually three to nine months, depending on the role). Set them up as a contract or paid internship position. This can be advantageous to everyone, the company might end up extending an offer that is rejected because they learned this isn\u0026rsquo;t the right company for them.\nWhile this can be a useful technique, there are some crucial things to keep in mind. First, it can come across as insulting because they didn\u0026rsquo;t get the job outright, be honest with the candidate as to why you are offering what you are. Anyone who is not willing to take constructive criticism and work on their shortcomings probably isn\u0026rsquo;t someone you want around anyway. Lastly, make sure they have a rubric that will ultimately guide the decision to hire them. This rubric should be presented on day one, and should be updated monthly. This will leave no ambiguity as to whether they are on track to get the job or not.\nClosing Thoughts #The right hiring process can breathe fresh life into a struggling company, it can get a team back on track, and it can be one of the most fruitful investments that a company will make. Once you reframe the interviews toward finding a puzzle piece that fits and away from trying to make the candidate fail, you\u0026rsquo;ll find a much more representative version of the candidate will come out, and this will give you a much better sense of who you will potentially be working with. Do not let the word \u0026ldquo;process\u0026rdquo; scare you, an investment in your hiring process is an investment in your company.\n","date":"29 December 2016","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/how-to-hire-computer-and-software-engineers/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eHiring is among the most challenging aspects to running a company. If done correctly, it can propel growth and success that you never imagined, but if done poorly it can lead to festering infections in culture and process that will be nearly impossible to get rid of. Unfortunately, there is no single technique, or even selection of techniques, that will be a silver bullet. Furthermore, each technique will have aspects what will eliminate candidates who might have been great, while letting others through that are not. Engineers present a unique challenge due to to the above-average density of introverted candidates when compared to other types of positions, like sales or human resources.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"How to Fix Your Company's Hiring Problem"},{"content":"It doesn\u0026rsquo;t matter if you are a tech lead for a small group of developers or a manager of a large team of engineers, there are a number of practices that will drastically improve the results you end up with. Naturally, this can\u0026rsquo;t capture every aspect of good management, there are hundreds of books that do that in a more exhaustive way than I ever could, but I have personally seen each of these be the difference-maker with regard to how a team is able to execute.\nIntelligent Communication #It seems so obvious, but it is still far too common to see over-worked leads declare that they\u0026rsquo;re too busy to help ramp up a new engineer, or a manager fighting a fire that\u0026rsquo;s too busy to give an adequate summary of the program, the goals, the deadlines, and the expectations. The heading is \u0026ldquo;Intelligent Communication\u0026rdquo; because this shouldn\u0026rsquo;t be a static, one-way, experience. Important things need to be communicated, such as the aforementioned timeline, expectations, roles and responsibilities of team members, etc., but that ignores the benefits to be gained from a more dynamic exchange between the employee and leader.\nSome engineers can get sufficient answers from a quick email and have plenty of relevant past experience to just hit the ground running, but that hasn\u0026rsquo;t frequently been my experience. It is the responsibility of the manager or lead to understand how to most effectively communicate with this new asset (also, don\u0026rsquo;t forget, a human), because if the communication is done well, and if the person is a good hire (more on this below), then an investment in this early communication will yield compounding returns on the investment. For example, just because you assert, albeit correctly, that communication bandwidth decreases as you go from face-to-face, to video, to the phone, to Slack, to email, doesn\u0026rsquo;t mean that the highest bandwidth solution is always the mainstay of optimum communication – some people don\u0026rsquo;t learn well or retain information provided to them verbally. Now, with that said, an in-person meeting has the advantage of making it easier to identify whether the current communication style is working and enables you to switch on the fly from a casual chat, to a whiteboard discussion, to a prepared presentation, or even to hands-on working an example problem together. This is harder to achieve remotely, especially without video, because it is harder to read the body language of the new employee.\nBeing able to identify these communication styles and then being able to adapt to them is why I launched the Speaking section on my website, this is something I feel very strongly about, and I have seen successes and failures underscore the importance. Adapting to Learning Styles #Perspective is one of the great biases that everyone struggles to overcome, but some are more successful than others. It holds true in everything from politics, to relationships, and it most certainly applies to leadership. There are two main ways in which perspective can prevent a leader from being a great leader – letting prior knowledge distort the their view of where the new employee will start from, and the inability to abandon the leader\u0026rsquo;s learning style and adapt the communication to the new employee\u0026rsquo;s style.\nPrior Knowledge #A person that has been working on a project for 1, 3, or 5 years (and the problem only gets worse with time) doesn\u0026rsquo;t have a great understanding of what it is like to start fresh. It isn\u0026rsquo;t only that they have already setup their computer with the right tools, made sure the code compiles on their machine, knows they have access to the internal Wiki/Confluence page (if it exists, and it should exist); the problem is deeper than that.\nThe product has been developed and matured in a way that corresponds with how the experienced person thinks and works because they were the one building the product. There are standards for structuring code or building bridges, but there is always a personal touch, so even something as simple as where to find the heart of a piece of software logic seems so obvious to someone who has been doing it all day every day for years. Can you remember what it is like to not know how to tie your shoes?\nThis is one reason it is so critical to document your trials at each stage, but especially ramping up on a project, on a Wiki/Confluence page so that as each person goes through the start-up process, it gets gradually easier because the documentation improves. The person before them has documented everything they struggled with, same with the person before them, and with each iteration the sharp corners get sanded down and ramp time is decreased. This does two key things: it builds institutional knowledge within the team and it gives the leader the appropriate \u0026ldquo;rookie\u0026rdquo; perspective when they look back through what was documented. They will see all sorts of information that seems so obvious (\u0026ldquo;well of course that\u0026rsquo;s where the code is saved, duh!\u0026rdquo;) and it will help them realize the perspective of the new engineer.\nLearning Styles #There are seven learning styles, and each of us has strengths and weaknesses when it comes to what works for us. One of the biggest mistakes I see, after the perspective issue we just discussed, is the failure to recognize learning styles and adapt to them. A leader\u0026rsquo;s job is to enable and guide their team toward success (and to clearly define success, among other things). It is ignorant to think that simply dumping a pile of information in front of a new employee is sufficient to get them started.\nHow would you feel if a tax expert just dumped the IRS rule book on your desk and just walked away? If you\u0026rsquo;re a person who learns well from books, what about having no literature at all, but instead having a quick 10 minute phone call to get spun up on a new project and the notes you\u0026rsquo;re franticly taking on the phone aren\u0026rsquo;t sufficient? There is no way to replay or revisit that phone call to see what you missed (unless you record it, which, if is clear to the other party, can be a valuable strategy). This is why having training materials and procedures for each learning style is so valuable, and this isn\u0026rsquo;t nearly as daunting as it sounds. No one expects seven copies of training material, one focused at each learning style. Instead cover the basics, then adapt the delivery and mentoring process to cover the rest of the gap.\nMost managers fall victim to the bias we all start with – our learning style works great for us, therefore it is a great method for teaching. I have seen instances where two equally capable engineers with different learning styles were placed on a team together where one succeeded and another struggled; eventually a good engineer will find the path to success, but if that takes an extra six months, that isn\u0026rsquo;t just six months of productivity lost, it is six months where your compounding returns are applied to a much smaller principle investment. And we have all seen how crucial early investment is when it comes to compounding returns.\nIdentify their learning style up front, then adapt. If they don\u0026rsquo;t know their learning style, help them figure it out, it will benefit you both. When you encounter a learning style that is entirely foreign to you, you can either use it as an exercise to grow or you can find another engineer on your team who might be better suited to mentor this person. This is where having a diverse team is so powerful, you cover your bases on past experience, perspective, learning styles, and everyone sees the benefits.\nHiring Intelligently, Then Trusting Them #Hiring intelligently seems obvious, yet the reality is it doesn\u0026rsquo;t happen as often as we\u0026rsquo;d like and it always feels like you\u0026rsquo;re rushed to fill a position. All too frequently, hiring decisions are rushed because suddenly there is a need, or because your job opening might get pulled out from under you if you don\u0026rsquo;t move fast enough. There is a huge difference between hiring the right person for the job and hiring the best person you were able to find that month. There are realities that come into play, often there is absolutely nothing you can do about the fact you need an employee immediately and the talent pool you\u0026rsquo;re drawing from isn\u0026rsquo;t as full as you\u0026rsquo;d like. If you\u0026rsquo;re in this position, it is already too late for this hire.\nI plan a more thorough dive into hiring in another post, because it is a fascinating topic with extraordinary challenges, but this quote captures it beautifully.\n“Steve Jobs has a saying that A players hire A players; B players hire C players; and C players hire D players. It doesn’t take long to get to Z players. This trickle-down effect causes bozo explosions in companies.”\n— Guy Kawasaki (summarizing Steve Jobs)\nIt is so important to hire A players, because those are the people who will do the next round of interviews and hiring. I have seen this play out more than once, and there is truth to it. Now, it bears mentioning that not all A players are good at hiring, the interview process is a deeply challenging problem to solve, but let\u0026rsquo;s assume you\u0026rsquo;ve got a good process and you\u0026rsquo;re finding good people. Keep in mind that \u0026ldquo;A players\u0026rdquo; aren\u0026rsquo;t defined in the same way everywhere, so make sure to define what an \u0026ldquo;A player\u0026rdquo; is for your team. (See update.)\nTRUST THEM TO DO THEIR JOB!\nNow that we have the yelling out of the way, I\u0026rsquo;ll say it again, trust your team to do what they were hired to do. Despite the best efforts of many intelligent people, often engineering managers became managers because they were the best engineers who had been around the longest when there became a need for a manager. This is a bad practice for a lot of reasons, one of which is that these \u0026ldquo;best engineers\u0026rdquo; usually think they know exactly how to solve a problem and their way is the best, so when someone on their team tries a different approach, they pull executive override, or they micro-manage. This is not a recipe for success.\nEmployees need guidance and leadership, so this doesn\u0026rsquo;t mean you should just let them roam free, but you either trust the engineer to do their job or you don\u0026rsquo;t, and if you don\u0026rsquo;t, you should not have hired them. If that trust never comes, they need to be let go. It is far more toxic to keep around an employee that managers and colleagues cannot trust to have their back than it is to let them go.\nWhen there is an employee that other team members cannot trust, you have a choice, and the result will send one of two messages.\nI trust my team at large and I have your back, I will make the hard choices to enable my team for success, or\u0026hellip; I don\u0026rsquo;t have your back, I don\u0026rsquo;t value my team over how hard it is to let someone go. You should be able to trust everyone on your team up to their current level of responsibility and be looking to grow that trust up to their next level of responsibility. If this is ever untrue, or the trend line is pointing in the wrong direction, it is time for a hard decision, that is an unavoidable truth of good leadership.\nClosing Thoughts #This post ended up being longer than I expected, I just wanted to touch on each of these topics briefly because of how crucial they are to being an effective leader. Most of these principles hold true for all types of managers, not just engineering leadership, but I figured I\u0026rsquo;d try to keep this within the realm of my own experience or that which I have personally observed.\nPlease feel free to get in touch if you think this struck a chord, we can get a cup of coffee to discuss a strategy to bring this up to a wider audience at a board meeting or with engineering directors, depending on the size and structure of your company. I guarantee satisfaction, so if you\u0026rsquo;re interested, check out more about my speaking engagement offerings.\nUpdate #I have published a piece on hiring and interviewing where I clarify what was alluded to here, but for the sake of clarity, I will highlight that there is no causal relationship between being a good engineer and a good interviewer, nor vice versa.\n","date":"23 December 2016","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/how-to-lead-an-engineering-team/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIt doesn\u0026rsquo;t matter if you are a tech lead for a small group of developers or a manager of a large team of engineers, there are a number of practices that will drastically improve the results you end up with. Naturally, this can\u0026rsquo;t capture every aspect of good management, there are hundreds of books that do that in a more exhaustive way than I ever could, but I have personally seen each of these be the difference-maker with regard to how a team is able to execute.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"How to Lead An Engineering Team"},{"content":"It is long overdue, but given the nature of the website (not asking for any of your personal information) I hadn\u0026rsquo;t found the time to set it up. That said, OpTech now defaults to HTTPS ensuring you have a secure connection.\nPlease contact me, via Twitter or the Contact page, if you\u0026rsquo;re seeing any issues or getting any HTTPS warnings from Chrome or another browser. Warnings like the one shown below are NOT expected.\n","date":"7 December 2016","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/optech-is-now-using-https/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIt is long overdue, but given the nature of the website (not asking for any of your personal information) I hadn\u0026rsquo;t found the time to set it up. That said, OpTech now defaults to HTTPS ensuring you have a secure connection.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePlease contact me, via \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/optechmike\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eTwitter\u003c/a\u003e or the \n      \n    \u003ca href=\"https://www.opte.ch/contact/\"\u003eContact\u003c/a\u003e page, if you\u0026rsquo;re seeing any issues or getting any HTTPS warnings from Chrome or another browser. Warnings like the one shown below are NOT expected.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"OpTech is Now Using HTTPS!"},{"content":"Many ask the valid question of why we cannot vote like we live in 2016 – online. We bank, shop, work, talk, and do just about everything else online, so why not voting? Some smaller countries do it – Chile and Estonia, for example, but in general there is a substantial risk to hacking.\nThe unfortunate truth is that our online banking and email are only as secure as they are, which depending whether you have two factor authentication and complex passwords might not be too secure, because most of us aren\u0026rsquo;t important enough to be the focus of targeted hacking. It is often called \u0026lsquo;security through obscurity\u0026rsquo; – we blend into the crowd.\nA United States election online would not be secure by blending in, there are too many parties (both internal and external) with vested interest in the outcome of the election. The election would be a major target to hackers from every corner of the planet, and it would bring out the best of the best as private bounties are offered for anyone who can generate a return on that investment. Consider how incentivized a single hacker would be for $10M (I made that number up) and how trivial that sum would be to the person/group offering if they could place investments such that they\u0026rsquo;d benefit orders of magnitude more than that with a controlled outcome.\nThe biggest hurdle is in verifying the identity of who is trying to vote. You can either make it really challenging and risk violating privacy as well as prevent a large number of (generally lower income) people from voting, or you can make it less challenging and almost guarantee it is compromised. So let\u0026rsquo;s dive into what those might look like. If you made it more secure, you could verify fingerprints which would require the entire nation to be fingerprinted (expensive, time consuming, and a major imposition on privacy). You can do ID scanning which would require having an ID (many don\u0026rsquo;t), a good enough camera to scan it clearly (which many don\u0026rsquo;t have), and this still doesn\u0026rsquo;t address the issue that, as many 19 year olds will attest, IDs are relatively easy to fake. The website would have to be encrypted, of course, but on places like college campuses a bad actor on the network could spoof the SSL certificate and intercept, decrypt, and change, all voting traffic that takes place on that network.\nIf you made it less secure, then there is nothing to stop people from voting en masse for the millions of American\u0026rsquo;s whose personal information is readily available for sale on the darker corners of the internet. It is unsettling, but nearly everyone has some amount of their personal information for sale somewhere, and if you use common passwords or predictable security questions, it would be trivial to submit a vote on your behalf before you even figure out who you\u0026rsquo;re voting for.\nI\u0026rsquo;m sure this is just the tip of the iceberg. Suffice it to say that even with strict identification practices, it would be a challenge. All of this ignores the nontrivial portion of this country without a reliable internet connection, computer access, or technical wherewithal to actually vote online even if it is an option.\nIt will be interesting to see what they come up with, but unfortunately the most secure scenarios I can think of will really upset the libertarian-minded citizens, as they\u0026rsquo;d basically require submitting biometric data to the government (never mind how expensive that effort would be).\n","date":"9 November 2016","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/why-cant-americans-vote-online/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eMany ask the valid question of why we cannot vote like we live in 2016 – online. We bank, shop, work, talk, and do just about everything else online, so why not voting? Some smaller countries do it – Chile and Estonia, for example, but in general there is a substantial risk to hacking.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe unfortunate truth is that our online banking and email are only as secure as they are, which depending whether you have two factor authentication and complex passwords might not be too secure, because most of us aren\u0026rsquo;t important enough to be the focus of targeted hacking. It is often called \u0026lsquo;security through obscurity\u0026rsquo; – we blend into the crowd.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Why Can't Americans Vote Online?"},{"content":"There are a lot of things to consider in an election, and this isn\u0026rsquo;t a political blog, so I\u0026rsquo;ll spare you an extended piece on this\u0026hellip; unique\u0026hellip;. 2016 United States Presidential Election. That said, technology relies on science and facts bound in reality to exist, so therefore I have to defend the spread of science and facts.\nOnly one major party candidate believes that climate change is a real thing. Science and technology tell us with certainty that climate change is real.\nOnly one major party candidate believes that telling the truth (as much as any politician does) is important. Only one major party candidate believes in treating people of all walks of life fairly and humanely.\nOnly one major party candidate proposed or supports major constitutional violations, more than any presidential candidate in recent history.\nOnly one major party candidate is facing charges for committing sexual assault (with multiple witnesses) and is accused, again with substantiated claims, to have raped a 12 and a 13 year old. \\[Update: While the claim was \"voluntarily\" dropped on November 4, 2016, the history of the case explains why. Repeated death threats, being terrified of exposure, up against a billionaire (and soon POTUS) is an insurmountable set of circumstances.\\]Hillary Clinton is not perfect. She has committed sins, the worst of which (in my humble opinion) were done while defending a man she loves and with questionable drone policies, but to convince yourself of a false equivalence between these two candidates is to abandon truth and facts.\nTo be clear, there is a defensible position for voting GOP because of taxes and financials, but doing so at the Presidential level this election would lead to a death of morality and science for this country that would almost surely* bring about a downward spiral worse than any 4 years worth of left-leaning policies. So instead of voting in a tyrant, focus on finding and promoting a more intelligent and truthful candidate that represents your values in 2020.\nI\u0026rsquo;m not one for strong political stands, I see deep flaws with both parties, but this isn\u0026rsquo;t a political stand. This is a human stand. As if Trump\u0026rsquo;s policies, which (if they exist at all) are ill-informed, non-scientific, and closed-minded, weren\u0026rsquo;t enough, he is a genuinely terrible person that has really helped to bring out the worst in a lot of people. That is not the type of person who should be running this country.\n#ImWithHer and I hope you are too.\n*I understand the irony of using such a subjective claim in a post promoting voting for science and truth. It is a challenge to completely ignore the immeasurable human element of this election, though. I admittedly have no sources to substantiate this particular sentence.\n","date":"8 November 2016","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/vote-to-support-science-technology-truth-and-facts-imwithher/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThere are a lot of things to consider in an election, and this isn\u0026rsquo;t a political blog, so I\u0026rsquo;ll spare you an extended piece on this\u0026hellip; unique\u0026hellip;. 2016 United States Presidential Election. That said, technology relies on science and facts bound in reality to exist, so therefore I have to defend the spread of science and \u003ca href=\"https://www.thestar.com/news/world/uselection/2016/11/04/donald-trump-the-unauthorized-database-of-false-things.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003efacts\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOnly one major party candidate \u003ca href=\"http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2016/jun/03/hillary-clinton/yes-donald-trump-did-call-climate-change-chinese-h/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ebelieves that climate change is a real thing\u003c/a\u003e. Science and technology tell us with certainty that climate change is real.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Vote To Support Science, Technology, Truth, and Facts - #ImWithHer"},{"content":"For all of modern history, engineers of many disciplines have needed a certification to practice their trade. This makes sense — you want bridges to withstand wind, you want a city\u0026rsquo;s sewage system to work correctly, and you don\u0026rsquo;t want airplanes falling out of the sky. In most cases, this is the Professional Engineer (PE) License. It requires industry experience and a rigorous test; the result is that your bridges, cars, and cities are safe.\nComputer engineers and developers do not have a similar certification, or at least not one that is required to ship hardware or software that can drastically impact millions of people. This has pros and cons. The pros include no bottleneck in the system, a much lower barrier to entry resulting in a wider range of more exciting ideas, fewer opportunities for corruption or prejudice to preclude someone from participating, and more. There are cons, too, however. These include a hijacked botnet of Internet of Things (IoT) devices being used to effectively take down the internet.\nPeople will follow incentives, this is unavoidable when looked at on a macro level. When people have the choice of spending nontrivial sums of money or getting what they perceive is the same value from a cheap (or free) alternative, the masses will opt for the cheaper version. To make matters worse, some of the decisions are largely out of consumers\u0026rsquo; hands. In the case of a set top box from your cable company (hacked DVRs were behind a sizable portion of the DDoS attack), you might not even have any real alternative choices (yes, there is TiVo, but most people use the cable company\u0026rsquo;s setup process/services). Companies follow incentives just like individuals, so if they can save a few bucks per DVR unit their margins on your rental go up substantially.\nAs with cheaper options of nearly anything, the similarities to the more expensive choices are all skin deep (if that). The security is a joke, in many cases these hacked DVR units had hard coded usernames and passwords, or ports are left open, or there\u0026rsquo;s a public pinging back to China to check for software updates without verifying the response is valid, or any number of other glaring instances of engineering negligence. Not only are products of half-assed engineering proliferating, no one knows what to do about it and most consumers don\u0026rsquo;t even know, let alone care.\nThis attack didn\u0026rsquo;t cost lives. Not yet. But as more of our lives moves toward having internet enabled components like cars, pacemakers, thermostats (imagine a thermostat being disabled overnight and a baby or very old person freezes to death in a bad storm), this lackluster security can and will cost lives.\nIt remains true that you get what you pay for. If you know how to telnet into your cheap IP camera and close the ports that were left open by the manufacturer, then by all means, save $20 on the device. Otherwise, anyone else should really consider spending a bit more money and putting your trust in a company with a solid reputation whenever possible. The responsibility lies with consumers, and while liberating for those that know what they\u0026rsquo;re doing, this is damning for those that don\u0026rsquo;t.\nThere isn\u0026rsquo;t an easy solution on the engineering or product side, unfortunately. The best one I can come up with are optional certification tiers for connected devices, but history has shown that consumers will still choose the free uncertified version often enough that there will always be enough hackable devices to perform a similar attack. At least with certification tiers, we can try to proliferate knowledge of the risks of buying a lower tier of device, though this is far from a cure-all solution. A engineer\u0026rsquo;s oath, synonymous to the hippocratic oath, is wonderful in theory, but in practice, mandating such a thing is at odds with the very free and open nature of the internet that makes it so incredible. Update: Paul Sadauskas points out that a set of requirements akin to the UL Certification requirements could be imposed on the software and firmware loaded on hardware products imported into the country in question (I am writing this from the perspective of an American in the continental United States.) This isn\u0026rsquo;t foolproof, since hardware or firmware can be changed after the fact, but it would make a sizable dent by making the default \u0026ldquo;this will never get updated or configured\u0026rdquo; devices less susceptible to more commonplace vulnerabilities.\n","date":"25 October 2016","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/an-engineers-hippocratic-oath/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFor all of modern history, engineers of many disciplines have needed a certification to practice their trade. This makes sense — you want bridges to withstand wind, you want a city\u0026rsquo;s sewage system to work correctly, and you don\u0026rsquo;t want airplanes falling out of the sky. In most cases, this is the \u003ca href=\"https://www.nspe.org/resources/licensure/what-pe\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eProfessional Engineer (PE) License\u003c/a\u003e. It requires industry experience and a rigorous test; the result is that your bridges, cars, and cities are safe.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"An Engineer's Hippocratic Oath"},{"content":"For several years now, a sizable portion of the technology investor and news dialogue can boil down to \u0026ldquo;There\u0026rsquo;s definitely a bubble!\u0026rdquo; and \u0026ldquo;There\u0026rsquo;s definitely not a bubble!\u0026rdquo;\nFar be it for me to weigh in here, I\u0026rsquo;m no investor, and feel far more comfortable giving my money to Betterment (not an ad, I just really love what they do) than investing (all of it) myself. With that being said, I do think I\u0026rsquo;ve got enough of a hold on the technology side to participate on the periphery of the conversation.\nI am NOT declaring that there isn\u0026rsquo;t a bubble, let me get that out of the way right now. Startups have been getting scooped up for 100s of millions or billions of dollars for several years now, and sometimes it feels more like people with money to burn desperately trying to get their ticket on the next gravy train. Is it sustainable? Who knows. Is it reasonable or justified? I think that\u0026rsquo;s a mixed bag. Since I\u0026rsquo;m not sitting on a mountain of billions, I don\u0026rsquo;t think my two cents means much here though.\nIt seems like a continual case of, and I almost hate myself for saying it, FOMO. With how fast technology can scale right now, a hot new startup can become a behemoth of industry a hell of a lot faster than ever before. A few thousand percent return is a good incentive to write a check; I\u0026rsquo;m sure it only takes missing out on one or two Facebooks or Ubers to realize that. Anybody with a a few weeks to throw together an app can go from a nobody to printing tens of thousands of dollars per day, consider Flappy Bird. So while he didn\u0026rsquo;t go on to get millions of VC funding to stock a $10,000/month office with $4/bottle coconut water, he probably could have. It demonstrates how these ideas are, whether by design or as a result of current VC strategy, lottery tickets for the ultra-wealthy. (Side note: this is not a statement on income inequality - no one should feel entitled to anything and should expect to work hard for everything, anything extra is a bonus, but I realize I\u0026rsquo;m fortunate to be able to hold this privileged position.)\nThe last dotcom burst had some startups with good ideas – grocery delivery was introduced and everyone was sure that would be the next frontier; it failed spectacularly with so many losing sums of money the rest of the world only dreams to know. Digital entertainment, music and video, were attempted and we didn\u0026rsquo;t have high resolution cameras with us every second of the day with high speed internet to connect people. Others attempted digital currencies, and again fell short of realizing their dreams. TNW put together a fun list to look through of 17 failed dotcom companies and their modern counterparts.\nSo why, when valuations appear to be based so heavily on someone adding some zeros to their just just so they don\u0026rsquo;t miss out, would there be any argument that there is not a bubble? To oversimplify, it is the first time in human existence that we\u0026rsquo;ve had this kind of reach and instantaneous market. We have over a billion potential customers throughout the world on any given platform, double that (or more) when you go cross-platform. Furthermore, the access we have isn\u0026rsquo;t to a shared home computer, it is to the most personal device that this world has ever known, with the extra upside that we carry it with us at all times. The experience of ordering groceries by logging into a website, finding a store, placing an order, typing in your credit card information, and waiting, is vastly different than having your phone on you, know your location, have an app custom designed for doing exactly this, algorithmically determined options based on purchasing patterns, a near-instant Apple Pay transaction, and city infrastructure that is designed to fulfill the order. To be fair, the website would also be designed for this task, credit card and location information can be saved, and the hundreds of millions of dollars were being invested to overcome the last mile problems, but that difference matters. The smartphone enables speed and convenience to go from an idea to an order which ultimately provides the escape velocity for these ideas this time around. Think of Uber without the phone, think of social without a good camera and location capability, it just doesn\u0026rsquo;t add up to the user experience momentum that we\u0026rsquo;re currently experiencing. Lastly, we now have the computing power and data collection capabilities to really take this to the next level. Location awareness and a rich browsing and purchase history give retailers a much more accurate view of what we want. Retailers can now view these patterns and anticipate things then tailor our experience to drive higher sales. A lot of this existed, or technically could have existed a decade ago, but it either didn\u0026rsquo;t exist or didn\u0026rsquo;t exist at the \u0026ldquo;hit the ground running\u0026rdquo; scale that was required. That difference matters. All of these differences matter. They add up to, as only hindsight will be able to confirm, what appears to be the perfect storm for this to be real, and not a bubble.\nI don\u0026rsquo;t know if this time will crash and burn like last time, but it is plain to see that this time is different. The phone changed everything, and so it stands to reason it will be sufficient to prevent the fallout we saw in the first bubble.\n","date":"18 June 2016","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/not-your-fathers-bubble/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFor several years now, a sizable portion of the technology investor and news dialogue can boil down to \u0026ldquo;There\u0026rsquo;s definitely a bubble!\u0026rdquo; and \u0026ldquo;There\u0026rsquo;s definitely not a bubble!\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFar be it for me to weigh in here, I\u0026rsquo;m no investor, and feel far more comfortable giving my money to Betterment (not an ad, I just really love what they do) than investing (all of it) myself. With that being said, I do think I\u0026rsquo;ve got enough of a hold on the technology side to participate on the periphery of the conversation.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Not Your Father's Bubble"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/cleantech-open/","section":"Cleantech Open","summary":"","title":"Cleantech Open"},{"content":"In 2015, volunteered with the Rocky Mountain Region of the Cleantech Open. This clean technology accelerator has regular meetups in many cities and is a great place to hear about new and exciting clean technologies. Check out your local chapter! Below is a post I\u0026rsquo;d written and hosted that was featured in their newsletter, all other writing I\u0026rsquo;ve done for them has been hosted on their site.\n","date":"15 October 2015","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/cleantech-open/cleantech-open/","section":"Cleantech Open","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIn 2015, volunteered with the \u003ca href=\"http://www2.cleantechopen.org/rocky-mountain-region/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eRocky Mountain Region of the Cleantech Open\u003c/a\u003e. This clean technology accelerator has regular meetups in many cities and is a great place to hear about new and exciting clean technologies. Check out your local chapter! Below is a post I\u0026rsquo;d written and hosted that was featured in their newsletter, all other writing I\u0026rsquo;ve done for them has been hosted on \u003ca href=\"http://www2.cleantechopen.org/rocky-mountain-region-blog/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003etheir site\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Cleantech Open"},{"content":"I first noticed a few years ago that as more items are getting connected, the management of that connection becomes a burden. You\u0026rsquo;ve got companies putting SIM cards in watches now which seems unnecessary today, but soon we\u0026rsquo;ll look back at it and wonder how we ever lived without it. There are SIM cards in phones of course, but also tablets, cars, home security systems, and more.\nDo you manage each of these individually with their own account? Maybe, but probably not. It\u0026rsquo;s a bit scary to think that if the devices are all on one account, a hacker could obtain power over all of the accounts that connect and secure your entire life; but realistically this is only one entry on a long list of horrible things that could happen if you don\u0026rsquo;t take security seriously.\nUnfortunately, the billing methods haven\u0026rsquo;t really caught up to our demands on the carriers. For example, I want a SIM card in my iPad for travel, but I don\u0026rsquo;t travel often so I don\u0026rsquo;t enable it most of the time. If I put the iPad on my Verizon account with my phone, I share my phone\u0026rsquo;s data and I have to pay $10/month for something I rarely use. As a result, I have a separate account for my iPad. Then you\u0026rsquo;ve got family sharing issues where there\u0026rsquo;s a single primary account holder, how would one of their children add a device to that plan without being a burden on the parent? They can get authorized on the account, but even then the power is limited.\nThe solution isn\u0026rsquo;t crystal clear yet. Though eventually carriers will have to take a big step forward with much more clear online accounts with easy permission controls so that each user can add/remove devices at-will. The billing needs to support flexibility and non-permanent device additions – even though the carriers have a large vested interest in you adding your iPad to the account then never using the data plan on it.\nAnother option is for each endpoint to be it\u0026rsquo;s own account with the carrier and carrier billing being invisible to the user. For example, imagine a next generation Nest thermostat with a SIM built in (to guarantee remote control capability in either a vacation home with no wifi or when wifi is down at home). Perhaps I can just pay Nest $25/year for that capability (it is a negligible volume of data, after all). They handle the carriers on their end and the user doesn\u0026rsquo;t have to worry about it.\nThis is only going to get worse in the short term, and I don\u0026rsquo;t think the carriers are properly motivated to really solve it. People are complacent by their nature, so if you can lure them in, the odds of them ever proactively seeking change is shockingly low.\n","date":"9 October 2015","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/managing-endpoints-in-a-connected-life/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI first noticed a few years ago that as more items are getting connected, the management of that connection becomes a burden. You\u0026rsquo;ve got companies putting SIM cards in watches now which seems unnecessary today, but soon we\u0026rsquo;ll look back at it and wonder how we ever lived without it. There are SIM cards in phones of course, but also tablets, cars, home security systems, and more.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDo you manage each of these individually with their own account? Maybe, but probably not. It\u0026rsquo;s a bit scary to think that if the devices are all on one account, a hacker could obtain power over all of the accounts that connect and secure your entire life; but realistically this is only one entry on a long list of horrible things that could happen if you don\u0026rsquo;t take security seriously.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Managing Endpoints in a Connected Life"},{"content":"There are few things more challenging for a family than losing a loved one. Historically, that person\u0026rsquo;s digital existence was of lower importance relative to everything else going on during the painful transition. However, as more vital processes move online, the problem of a next of kin in the digital world will need a cleaner solution.\nRight now, your best bet is to use a password manager and make sure your partner or chosen family member/friend has the master password. This isn\u0026rsquo;t the worst choice, but most people don\u0026rsquo;t even do this much. Furthermore, it does nothing to address the wishes of the deceased. Do they want accounts deleted? Ignored? Made into memorials?\nA more thorough thought experiment would be required to design a complete solution, but this is touchy territory. Aside from the dark nature of the topic, there is risk in any single company\u0026rsquo;s solution here. If someone provides a \u0026ldquo;take care of your digital existence\u0026rdquo; solution, what happens when they don\u0026rsquo;t get that last payment? What happens if they go out of business? That risk holds true any time, but when the originator of the request for services is no longer available, it passes the burden to someone who might not be equipped to handle it or fully understand the nature of the situation.\nAn open standard might be the solution here. On top of the standard private companies and services can and should be built, but this would allow you to not get totally locked into a single service for example. Companies could try their various sales models, \u0026ldquo;free\u0026rdquo;, cheap but minimal, expensive and full featured, subscription, etc.\nIt\u0026rsquo;s an interesting discussion to have and I suspect will eventually be a thriving industry. Only time will tell how this problem is solved and what services flourish to meet the needs.\n","date":"21 August 2015","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/next-of-kin-in-the-digital-world/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThere are few things more challenging for a family than losing a loved one. Historically, that person\u0026rsquo;s digital existence was of lower importance relative to everything else going on during the painful transition. However, as more vital processes move online, the problem of a next of kin in the digital world will need a cleaner solution.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRight now, your best bet is to use a password manager and make sure your partner or chosen family member/friend has the master password. This isn\u0026rsquo;t the worst choice, but most people don\u0026rsquo;t even do this much. Furthermore, it does nothing to address the wishes of the deceased. Do they want accounts deleted? Ignored? Made into memorials?\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Next of Kin in the Digital World"},{"content":"Wealth is frequently mistaken for success because they often go hand-in-hand. So when I say \u0026ldquo;look to the wealthy people\u0026rdquo; I am not giving life advice on attaining success. I simply mean to look at the wealthy people in the world today and consider the fundamental advantages they have. If you\u0026rsquo;re able to distill these advantages and learn how to streamline them and decrease cost with technology, you might want to start picking stitching for the leather on your yacht. Still not following? Since hindsight is 20/20 let\u0026rsquo;s take a look backward in time and extrapolate. Not long ago only wealthy people had phones in their cars, they were available around the clock and could get business done while on the move. Now you and a few billion of your closest friends have a super computer while you\u0026rsquo;re in the bathroom. Similarly, only a few years ago, having a luxury sedan at your beck and call 24/7 was only for those who wouldn\u0026rsquo;t waste time to pick up a $100 bill if they dropped it. Now we\u0026rsquo;ve got Uber and Lyft in most metropolitan areas on the planet.\nYou can pick any two points in history and be able to find this pattern emerge. Cars, trains, huge televisions, medical care, air conditioning\u0026hellip; the list goes on. Yesterday\u0026rsquo;s unattainable comforts are tomorrow\u0026rsquo;s standard for living.\nSmart homes are exciting, but I think there\u0026rsquo;s a bigger one looming in our not-too-distant future. What does every wealthy person have instantly available to them around the clock to take care of anything they need, yet the average person couldn\u0026rsquo;t hope to afford? An assistant. The biggest gain to be realized in a successful instance of this pattern emerging is when technology can scale for next to nothing and replace an otherwise costly human resource. Interestingly, the biggest problem with this breakthrough might not actually be the technology. I suspect it will be the public perception and acceptance of this technology. An assistant knows every detail of their boss\u0026rsquo;s life. They know their most personal information, they know intimate things, they know where they are the vast majority of the time. Most crucially, a good assistant can piece all of this together and make logical inferences to anticipate the needs of their boss. Therein lies the power of the dedicated assistant.\nWhen this assistant is a person, there is an opportunity to develop a trusting relationship. There is accountability. If something is leaked, you\u0026rsquo;ve got a human being to point the finger at and that human being will take responsibility. This doesn\u0026rsquo;t transfer well to the digital realm. When a leak takes place some executive might get fired, but that doesn\u0026rsquo;t repair the personal damage done. You can\u0026rsquo;t easily develop a trusting relationship; instead to fully realize a digital assistant you will need to to relinquish your most intimate information while accepting the associated risk.\nTaking this leap will not be easy, and there will be many people who refuse to do it. There are still people who disable location services on their iPhones so they can\u0026rsquo;t realize the immense power in maps or any number of the thousands of location based services.\nThere will be several options when it comes to how this sensitive information is handed over. This discussion is too nuanced to cover here, but the over-simplified version is that you will have the Apple version where you pay for the service directly or through \u0026ldquo;costly\u0026rdquo; hardware, then you\u0026rsquo;ll have the Google version where the services are \u0026ldquo;free\u0026rdquo; and the ways in which your data will be used for Google\u0026rsquo;s profit will be detailed in legalese on page 182 of the Terms of Service that we each read so thoroughly. Neither one is right, neither one is wrong, but a choice will have to be made if you decide to opt in at all.\nI know three things for certain: I will be opting in. I will be willing to pay a modest price for a service I consider worthwhile. If the depiction of wealthy people in movies is a preview of where we\u0026rsquo;re headed, then I am particularly excited having seen the Iron Man movies. ","date":"31 May 2015","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/look-to-the-wealthy-but-not-for-the-reasons-you-think/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eWealth is frequently mistaken for success because they often go hand-in-hand. So when I say \u0026ldquo;look to the wealthy people\u0026rdquo; I am not giving life advice on attaining success. I simply mean to look at the wealthy people in the world today and consider the fundamental advantages they have. If you\u0026rsquo;re able to distill these advantages and learn how to streamline them and decrease cost with technology, you might want to start picking stitching for the leather on your yacht. Still not following? \u003c/p\u003e","title":"Look to the Wealthy People, But Not For the Reasons You Think"},{"content":"I want to preface this that I hold Jony Ive in the highest regard and his work is what gave me an appreciation for beautiful things. These are just a few \u0026ldquo;what if\u0026rsquo;s\u0026rdquo; and thoughts that went through my mind on the news of Jony Ive being promoted from Senior Vice President of Design to the extraordinarily rare (for Apple) C-level Chief Design Officer.\nWork and Family #I don\u0026rsquo;t know Jony or his family, but if there is any family pressure to return to the U.K. then he is in a really tough position. The number of people that count on him, the number of people that directly benefit from his work, and the overall impact he has is profound. How do you balance that with a family who (hypothetically) want\u0026rsquo;s to move? Of course, this \u0026ldquo;move to the U.K.\u0026rdquo; is all rumor at this point. If the world is lucky, it is nothing more. I believe it is right to pick your family over your work, but as a beneficiary of his work, I can say I will be deeply saddened when he leaves Apple.\nOn Replacing Jony #You can\u0026rsquo;t replace Jony Ive. Just like you couldn\u0026rsquo;t replace Steve Jobs. When Steve passed there were two strong rails for the Apple train to run on: the culture at the core of everything Apple does, and Jony Ive. That is how it looks from the outside, of course I don\u0026rsquo;t actually know. So what happens when Jony leaves? Without Jony or Steve I think the culture will remain on autopilot for a while. It\u0026rsquo;s tough to say if that will be a year or twenty years, but I think somewhere in the 3-5 year area with no un-Jony product changes is a very safe bet.\nOver time culture adapts. The culture of Apple is even to adapt at its own short term expense (think iPhone cannibalizing the iPod). Inevitably the nuanced impact that both Steve and Jony have in the seemingly irrelevant details will fade. I suspect this will lead to changes in directions akin to going from skeuomorphic to flat design, and that is a good thing, this evolution is necessary.\nLet\u0026rsquo;s hope the rumors are wrong so that we can be selfish and bask in the benefits of a Jony Ive designed life for at least a little bit longer.\nClosing #Again, this promotion could very likely have nothing to do with him leaving any time soon, but when the notion was brought up I couldn\u0026rsquo;t help but consider it. I am eternally grateful for the work Jony has done and wish him nothing but happiness, whatever that means for him.\n","date":"28 May 2015","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/a-few-thoughts-on-jony-ives-promotion-to-cdo/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI want to preface this that I hold Jony Ive in the highest regard and his work is what gave me an appreciation for beautiful things. These are just a few \u0026ldquo;what if\u0026rsquo;s\u0026rdquo; and thoughts that went through my mind on the \u003ca href=\"http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/apple/11628710/When-Stephen-Fry-met-Jony-Ive-the-self-confessed-fanboi-meets-Apples-newly-promoted-chief-design-officer.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003enews of Jony Ive being promoted\u003c/a\u003e from Senior Vice President of Design to the extraordinarily rare (for Apple) C-level Chief Design Officer.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"work-and-family\" class=\"relative group\"\u003eWork and Family \u003cspan class=\"absolute top-0 w-6 transition-opacity opacity-0 -start-6 not-prose group-hover:opacity-100\"\u003e\u003ca class=\"group-hover:text-primary-300 dark:group-hover:text-neutral-700\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none !important;\" href=\"#work-and-family\" aria-label=\"Anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eI don\u0026rsquo;t know Jony or his family, but if there is any family pressure to return to the U.K. then he is in a really tough position. The number of people that count on him, the number of people that directly benefit from his work, and the overall impact he has is profound. How do you balance that with a family who (hypothetically) want\u0026rsquo;s to move? Of course, this \u0026ldquo;move to the U.K.\u0026rdquo; is all rumor at this point. If the world is lucky, it is nothing more. \u003c/p\u003e","title":"A Few Thoughts On Jony Ive's Promotion to CDO"},{"content":"The metric of choice for comparing iOS to Android is average revenue per user, or ARPU (spoken phonetically exactly as you\u0026rsquo;d guess). This is fine, it is certainly technically accurate, but it isn\u0026rsquo;t exactly relevant for most of the discussions where it is used as ammo. It\u0026rsquo;s like comparing the average revenue per user of all car buyers vs. only Ferrari* buyers – it tells you what you already know.\nNotice how I didn\u0026rsquo;t say Hyundai vs. Ferrari, that would be a hyperbolic falsity, I specifically said all cars because that\u0026rsquo;s much more aligned with the reality of Android. You need to understand the Android spectrum to fully appreciate the volume, human impact, and glory of what they\u0026rsquo;ve pulled off.\nThis graphic shows the ARPU comparison between the platforms, it is interesting data, but remember to keep perspective on the topic (source article).\nAndroid vs. iOS ARPU vs Deepak Abbot on Medium\nNow some considerations and perspective:\nNote the ARPU difference and relationship in app sales vs. ad revenue. Android has been installed on a lot more phones than iOS. I am basing this on data that is getting old, but I don\u0026rsquo;t think enough has changed to change the blunt fact that Android dominates on pure install base – Android had (Q4 2013) 78% market share to iOS\u0026rsquo;s 18% worldwide. The data above shows a 74/26 split purely between these two platforms. Before you get angry at the mention of install base metrics\u0026hellip; Install base doesn\u0026rsquo;t mean much of anything for any discussion aside from install base discussions. There are many millions of Android device owners that don\u0026rsquo;t own a computer or have another source of Internet in the home, the phone is their first and only computer and their connection to the web. There are Android users who don\u0026rsquo;t have running water, plumbing, or electricity at home. Communities have communal charging stations on the side of the road. Benedict Evans does a great job of tracking and tweeting (or retweeting) data and anecdotes about this. Can you imagine walking a day or more just to charge your phone? Android devices are connecting people from the third world to services and communities that allow them to catapult their communications capabilities forward by decades. There isn\u0026rsquo;t one smartphone market. You can make it look like a single market on paper, but the reality is there are several markets. I would love to see data on premium device ARPU broken out by region, this would be a more valid comparison to make. There are hundreds of millions of Android devices that are in the same premium segment as iPhones, and there are old hand-me-down iPhones that are in a similar segment to lower end Android (though I don\u0026rsquo;t believe even the bottom of the iPhone spectrum reaches the price points/capability of the low end Android phones). These devices have changed the world overnight unlike anything most of us have ever seen.\nNext time you pull out your device of choice and think that you can\u0026rsquo;t live without it, remember that there are millions of people for whom their smartphone is fundamentally changing the entire trajectory of their family\u0026rsquo;s livelihood. Apple and Google have enabled extraordinary things with their platforms and there is no question about our love for and dependence upon our phones. However to compare the two platforms outright as one market is a fool\u0026rsquo;s errand without maintaining perspective on the extraordinary differences between what the platforms (or even subsets of each platform) enable.\n*I picked Ferrari because I originally picked Audi and then started questioning whether the revenue from super cars would actually be enough to offset the lower end cars and render my analogy dead in the water. Rather than picking Audi and doing the math, I went with a car I knew would represent a huge ARPU that the car industry as a whole couldn\u0026rsquo;t touch.\n","date":"3 April 2015","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/android-vs-ios-revenue-per-user-wont-catch-up-and-thats-okay/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe metric of choice for comparing iOS to Android is average revenue per user, or ARPU (spoken phonetically exactly as you\u0026rsquo;d guess). This is fine, it is certainly technically accurate, but it isn\u0026rsquo;t exactly relevant for most of the discussions where it is used as ammo. It\u0026rsquo;s like comparing the average revenue per user of all car buyers vs. only Ferrari* buyers – it tells you what you already know.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Android vs. iOS: Revenue Per User Won't Catch Up and That's Okay"},{"content":"I am a firm believer in two factor authentication; I can\u0026rsquo;t imagine a better way to keep yourself secure than enabling 2FA on any service that supports it. Contrary to popular belief, there is minimal inconvenience. For any site or service that you care about, the benefits outweigh the cost by several orders of magnitude.\nIt\u0026rsquo;s worth taking a look at who all supports it and noticing the pattern that that so many \u0026ldquo;old dogs\u0026rdquo; (companies that are huge and have been around for a long time) don\u0026rsquo;t support it, but newer companies do. This shouldn\u0026rsquo;t come as a surprise, but might help you decide who gets your business.\n","date":"30 March 2015","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/two-factor-authentication-matters-heres-how-to-enable-it/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI am a firm believer in two factor authentication; I can\u0026rsquo;t imagine a better way to keep yourself secure than enabling 2FA on any service that supports it. Contrary to popular belief, there is minimal inconvenience. For any site or service that you care about, the benefits outweigh the cost by several orders of magnitude.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt\u0026rsquo;s worth taking a \u003ca href=\"https://twofactorauth.org\" target=\"_blank\"\u003elook at who all supports it\u003c/a\u003e and noticing the pattern that that so many \u0026ldquo;old dogs\u0026rdquo; (companies that are huge and have been around for a long time) don\u0026rsquo;t support it, but newer companies do. This shouldn\u0026rsquo;t come as a surprise, but might help you decide who gets your business.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Two Factor Authentication Matters - iMore's Guide to 2FA"},{"content":"If you use iOS or OS X and missed the Mac Power Users podcast this week with Joe Caiati, I highly recommend checking it out. One highlight for me (as the default tech support for a growing circle of people) was the mention of The Safe Mac. The website is \u0026ldquo;retro\u0026rdquo; (to put it nicely), but the adware removal tool is top notch – and free (donations recommended). It is worth checking out as an option for your loved ones who find themselves installing Flash from some bogus website (something that\u0026rsquo;s shockingly easy to do).\n","date":"25 February 2015","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/the-safe-mac/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIf you use iOS or OS X and missed the Mac Power Users podcast this week with \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/joecaiati\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eJoe Caiati\u003c/a\u003e, I highly recommend \u003ca href=\"http://www.macpowerusers.com/2015/02/22/242-mpu-242-troubleshooting-with-joe-caiati/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003echecking it out\u003c/a\u003e. One highlight for me (as the default tech support for a growing circle of people) was the mention of \u003ca href=\"http://www.thesafemac.com\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eThe Safe Mac\u003c/a\u003e. The website is \u0026ldquo;retro\u0026rdquo; (to put it nicely), but the \u003ca href=\"http://www.adwaremedic.com/index.php\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eadware removal tool\u003c/a\u003e is top notch – and free (donations recommended). \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is worth checking out as an option for your loved ones who find themselves installing Flash from some bogus website (something that\u0026rsquo;s shockingly easy to do).\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Safe Mac"},{"content":"Twitter\u0026rsquo;s growth numbers have been a disappointment among investors and a large group of the company\u0026rsquo;s enthusiasts. On one hand, having hundreds of millions of users is an incredible accomplishment. On the other hand, they are having tremendous difficulty bringing new users onto the service and keeping them there, especially for a company whose brand recognition is off the charts.\nThere are a handful of fundamental issues with both the perception of the service and the new user experience that will prevent this reality from changing. Make no mistake, I am bullish on Twitter and wouldn\u0026rsquo;t think twice about declaring it my favorite thing on the internet, but these roadblocks must be overcome to see any meaningful change. Twitter has the potential to be the central hub for how people experience the digital world around them. It is social, it is news, it is entertainment, it is educational, it is anything and everything you want it to be. So why aren\u0026rsquo;t more people signing up and sticking with the service if it is so versatile and powerful?\nThe Public (Mis)Perception of Twitter #Twitter has completely lost control over the perception non-users have of the service. People see hash tags on TV shows, periodic mentions of the company on the evening news, and sometimes a scandal or two. To someone who doesn\u0026rsquo;t actively use Twitter, they can\u0026rsquo;t even define what it is for or why they should use it. I frequently ask non-users why they aren\u0026rsquo;t on Twitter and the response is always (I literally mean 100%) some version of, \u0026ldquo;What would I use it for?\u0026rdquo;\nIt is difficult to portray your company clearly when it is so many different things to so many different people. A cohesive message about the service they provide will either only apply to a subset of users, or it will be so miserably vague you will end up with something like Twitter\u0026rsquo;s official Strategy Statement. Even asking the most enthusiastic users what Twitter is doesn\u0026rsquo;t consistently yield a reply that inspires people to sign up. You can describe it as I did earlier, \u0026ldquo;It can be anything you want it to be,\u0026rdquo; and scare them away because it sounds overwhelming. You can describe it with specific examples that are in line with the inquirer\u0026rsquo;s interests or career and you might have more luck, but then you have to tailor an answer to every person and you will give them a skewed perception of what Twitter actually is. You can say, \u0026ldquo;Let me show you!\u0026rdquo; and quickly learn that your Twitter feed is probably only interesting to you while you overwhelm them rapidly navigating the lingo and stream. I don\u0026rsquo;t pretend to have the solution to this problem, but I can say with confidence that there is tremendous power in giving potential users the perception of your company that you want them to have. Consider the Apple Watch event where the most common criticism is their lack of their famous \u0026ldquo;why you need this product\u0026rdquo; speech that has so famously been an integral piece of all new product releases from modern Apple. When users don\u0026rsquo;t understand the need for what you are offering, you\u0026rsquo;re going to have a very tough time getting them to spend time, money, or effort on your product. Twitter is overwhelming, but it doesn\u0026rsquo;t necessarily have to be. Perhaps by fixing the daunting onboarding process Twitter can gradually change the public perception by converting the uninformed into enthusiastic users.\nTwitter\u0026rsquo;s New User Experience #Along with the breadth of possibility comes the abundance of complexity and ample confusion. If you can get people to sign up, which is a big if, they now have to navigate turbulent water as they build their network. Start with a few friends, maybe a favorite TV show or sports team, sprinkle in a couple of hobbies, and they\u0026rsquo;ve at least got something to look at.\nLet\u0026rsquo;s be honest though, the official Google account isn\u0026rsquo;t the interesting source on Twitter for all things Google. Likewise official sports team accounts are usually boring and generic. Products, services, or TV show accounts just spam you with promotions and prompts to retweet content and spread the word. This isn\u0026rsquo;t what makes Twitter great, not by a long shot.\nThere needs to be a smarter, simpler, and much faster way to show a new user valuable content that they care about. It seems safe to assume that most people who don\u0026rsquo;t use Twitter today would sign up with skepticism, if they signed up at all. This means that every moment matters, every fraction of a second works against you if you aren\u0026rsquo;t providing value. This is the new user experience, and right now Twitter is failing in a big way. There is an opportunity to automate this initial experience by leveraging one of the largest data sets in the world to algorithmically determine what a user might be interested in. With some kind of seed to the profiling algorithm Twitter can present the user with high-level topics; then as selections are made, narrow the focus slightly. From here, you give the user a sense of the tweet volume and allow for adjustment via a slider or perhaps even automatically. Based on the frequency the user launches the app, what they do in the app, and how they have it open, you tailor the content in the stream to appeal to them. Very quickly, assuming subtle UI hints (not tutorials) show the user how, the user will hide the auto-followed accounts if they don\u0026rsquo;t like them and start following accounts they do like – both of which improve the algorithm. Depending how good it is, you could even omit the tweet volume slider to simplify the process, just present great tweets on a valuable topic. If you\u0026rsquo;re providing tangible value to the user, they will want to curate a list of people to follow, they will want to spend time on the service getting more value, and they will want to spread the word.\nThe fundamental point is that in less than 30 to 60 seconds, the user needs to be immersed in Twitter, and not just the app, but a version of Twitter that is valuable to that individual user. The friction experienced between launching the app and gaining value from it will overwhelmingly determine whether this person will remain a user. With every tiny hiccup, extraneous question, or mundane tap the user has to indulge for the sake of Twitter rather than themselves, the less likely they are to stick.\nI mentioned it briefly above, but there will need to be some kind of seed for this algorithm. It doesn\u0026rsquo;t seem likely that you can safely rely on people linking their Facebook profile, and even if they do link it, most people use Twitter so fundamentally differently that you don\u0026rsquo;t want to scare them into thinking this is just a weird version of Facebook. You could ask for access to their contacts and seed it with their friends and who their friends follow, but that isn\u0026rsquo;t a golden ticket either, not to mention the growing disdain for allowing access to your contacts within apps. This strikes me as the hardest problem to solve without having the user fill out some type of survey of their interests, which not only takes time and effort for no immediate apparent value, it\u0026rsquo;s just a generally terrible first launch experience.\nMaybe there is some solution in the huge pile of data Twitter has for this, or maybe not, but even a slightly uglier sign up process that generates a meaningful stream of content is better than the new user experience today. There are services like WeFollow and Twtrland that can help you to find people to follow based on search terms, but the average user won\u0026rsquo;t invest this much in building a follow list until they\u0026rsquo;ve uncovered the value they get from their effort, if they ever do.\n**\n\\[UPDATE**: Twitter has improved this process over the last year or so, but it still feels generic. I am pleased to see a very brief survey of the user's interests yield some suggestions that extended beyond the boring major brand accounts. Unfortunately, at no point during the signup process do they attempt to give the user any kind of idea what Twitter can be to them; nor is there any automated way to refine the list of who a user follows based on their activity. This is definitely a step in the right direction, but not enough to change the minds of people who have previously written off the idea of using the service.\\]Now What? #Experienced users have a list of complaints and requests about the service too, many of which I would agree with. However, the public perception of Twitter and the onboarding problem strike me as two major flaws that most directly impact the growth outlook for Twitter. Clearly this isn\u0026rsquo;t a simple solution, or Twitter would have done it already. However, there are very basic and obvious roadblocks for the new user experience that prevent Twitter from growing like investors want and enthusiasts imagine. Twitter is one of the greatest services and inventions in recent history, but they\u0026rsquo;re far from realizing their full potential. The overwhelmingly emphatic supporters of Twitter, like myself, are large in number and I believe highly justified in their beliefs, but we seem to be running up against the limit of how widespread the service can get without addressing these basic concerns.\n","date":"17 February 2015","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/twitters-new-user-problem/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eTwitter\u0026rsquo;s growth numbers have been a disappointment among investors and a large group of the company\u0026rsquo;s enthusiasts. On one hand, having hundreds of millions of users is an incredible accomplishment. On the other hand, they are having tremendous difficulty bringing new users onto the service and keeping them there, especially for a company whose brand recognition is off the charts.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere are a handful of fundamental issues with both the perception of the service and the new user experience that will prevent this reality from changing. Make no mistake, I am bullish on Twitter and wouldn\u0026rsquo;t think twice about declaring it my favorite thing on the internet, but these roadblocks must be overcome to see any meaningful change. Twitter has the potential to be the central hub for how people experience the digital world around them. It is social, it is news, it is entertainment, it is educational, it is anything and everything you want it to be. So why aren\u0026rsquo;t more people signing up and sticking with the service if it is so versatile and powerful?\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Twitter's New User Problem"},{"content":"Messaging is king, especially text-based messaging. Voice is fine, video has its place too, but there is nothing today that can replace the rapid and highly private aspects of text-based messaging – no headphones required. Given this, it is no surprise that iMessage has been a hit, but other cross-platform apps have been even bigger hits (judging by user count). WhatsApp, Telegram, Hangouts, and others are all trying to be the go-to app for messaging.\nThis isn\u0026rsquo;t a roundup or definitive review. I want to address the (admittedly first world) problem of getting speed or consistency, but never both. What do I mean by that? Let\u0026rsquo;s take iMessage and compare it to Hangouts for the demonstration, but \u0026ldquo;Hangouts\u0026rdquo; could just as easily be replaced with WhatsApp or others.\niMessage – Brilliant but Inconsistent #When you open iMessage you immediately get your conversation content because it is stored right there on the device. There is no permanent copy on the cloud (details here). Messages are delivered securely to a device and that\u0026rsquo;s the end of it. The result is a lighting fast feel and a negligible launch time, it doesn\u0026rsquo;t even have to ping a server until you send/receive a message or compose a new one (it checks if they\u0026rsquo;re an iMessage user).\nUnfortunately, with iMessage you also get inconsistency if you have more than one device with iMessage activated for the account. When my wife sends me a message and she sees it gets \u0026ldquo;Delivered\u0026rdquo; she has no idea which of my devices actually got it. You would hope they all did, but that isn\u0026rsquo;t always the case. Technically each iMessage results in the server having N secure and isolated copies where N is the number of devices on your account. Each copy is treated independently and is only removed after it has been confirmed as delivered or it reaches the 7 day expiration. Although this is how it supposedly works, in practice there must be some logic that only confirms a message was delivered to a device and after a certain (very short) period of time it treats all N copies as delivered. Far too many times have I come back to my iPad after a day of missing iMessages on my phone only to find them on my iPad for my assumption to be patently false.\nI will stop here and say iMessage usually handles this correctly (far better than it used to), but not always, and not everyone\u0026rsquo;s experience is as good as mine. Messages showing up out of order or some messages never showing up at all are all common problems if you\u0026rsquo;ve got more than one device connected to an iMessage account.\nHangouts – Slow and Steady #Hangouts, on the other hand, never shows messages out of order (or effectively never) and they always show up. Sure you might not get a push notification, but if you open the app they will be there. The main reason behind this is that the master copy of a conversation is on the server, not the device. So if you never get a push notification for a message (which is annoying) the server likely thought you read that message on another device already. This model of having the server as the master means that every time you launch the app it has to ping the server and download updates. Even if you got a push alert with a message, when you launch the app it still pings the server and re-downloads that content that it just showed you in the alert. In iOS you can have a push notification trigger a background download of the message content, but Hangouts doesn\u0026rsquo;t take advantage of this, much to my discontent.\nIt seems small, perhaps even insignificant, but given with text-based messaging I want to be in and out as fast as my fingers can tap. I will often go in and out of conversations many times in a single minute. Hangouts, despite only requiring a few seconds of my time, feels unusable as an iMessage replacement because of the lag. WhatsApp has similar launch lag and every new message has to be downloaded when the app launches instead of being ready for me when I open the app, unlike iMessage.\nNote: I know this launch and usage experience is different on Android, it is far less of an issue there. I still believe iMessage to be a superior experience within the limits it imposes, but it is worth pointing out that these shortcomings are based on the iOS app.\nSolving the Problem #There is a level of complexity to this problem, as simple as it may sound. You don\u0026rsquo;t want to push alerts to 3 devices for every single message if a user is carrying the conversation on one of them. At the same time you don\u0026rsquo;t want to miss message delivery entirely. None of this even matters if the user experience isn\u0026rsquo;t good enough for the messaging app in question to gain the necessary popularity.\nHow do you solve it? Keep a master copy on a server? Have a \u0026ldquo;primary\u0026rdquo; device option? Have behind-the-scenes read receipts? I think a combination of fail-safes built on top of the current iMessage strategy is likely he way to go. Avoiding the server-as-the-master solution is the only way to get a truly fast experience. If there were logic to actually check for per-device delivery as well as read receipts for the server (without having to turn on actual read receipts), most of the issues seen with iMessage today would likely be avoided. It would also make sense to have a primary device either automatically determined based on usage or manually configurable. This could mean that with 100% certainty a single device would always get every message no matter what. There are issues with that device not being connected, but there are solutions beyond the scope of this piece.\nClosing #Text-based messaging is private, convenient, and fast. The private nature makes it intimate and on a personal level makes us trust it and love it in many cases. It is fast, it is reliable (mostly), and it is simple. Anyone can do it regardless of their device or platform; and while we\u0026rsquo;re seeing the proliferation of apps and methods, it has never been more convenient to use text-based messaging to communicate. I believe that the speed and reliability of the experience are key which is why I vastly prefer iMessage to alternatives, the above average level of security helps too. With that being said, I think iMessage has a long way to go for me not to caveat my otherwise emphatic endorsement of it.\n","date":"3 February 2015","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/messaging-speed-or-consistency-not-both/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eMessaging is king, especially text-based messaging. Voice is fine, video has its place too, but there is nothing today that can replace the rapid and highly private aspects of text-based messaging – no headphones required. Given this, it is no surprise that iMessage has been a hit, but other cross-platform apps have been even bigger hits (judging by user count). WhatsApp, Telegram, Hangouts, and others are all trying to be the go-to app for messaging.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Messaging: Speed or Consistency, Not Both"},{"content":"There has been no shortage of coverage on drones lately, especially around the holidays when the cheap ones were selling fairly well as toys. I think the industry leaders have a very different view of why drone technology matters, or at least I suspect they do, because there is a drone revolution closer than many people think. The biggest hurdle in the United States is the FAA, but that\u0026rsquo;s outside the scope of this piece.\nSo what do I mean by a revolution? Much of the common hype is largely misaligned with where the large scale profit opportunities are because the mass market messaging is most easily conveyed when they speak the consumer\u0026rsquo;s language. The message, \u0026ldquo;a toy your kid can play with\u0026rdquo; hits home for nearly everyone. The more profound opportunities are the infrastructure applications where something like Amazon\u0026rsquo;s drone delivery service research announcement is only the beginning.\nOne of the trends we\u0026rsquo;re staring to see, most readily portrayed by the Internet of Things, is the attempt to close the gap between the digital world and the physical world. Drones could help play a large role in this transformation. Drones are highly mobile, they\u0026rsquo;re capable of executing tasks, they are filled with sensors (including cameras), and (of course) they\u0026rsquo;re connected.\nThis means that we can \u0026ldquo;be somewhere\u0026rdquo; without being there and without anyone having ever been there for that matter. Drones allow real time information to be easily transmitted – imagine a group of smart drones that using traffic analysis go to points of congestion and and provide live feeds. One effect is that we no longer need traffic helicopters, but the more interesting options include more advanced rerouting options, entire traffic light grids that re-calibrate to alleviate congestion and learn, better snow plow routes, and of course better criminal tracking capability.\nI wouldn\u0026rsquo;t expect most homes to own their own drones, though they might, but I would expect them to use drone based services. Whether that\u0026rsquo;s drone delivery, \u0026ldquo;eyes in the sky\u0026rdquo; capability, home or business security, or even seeing how bad the line is at the Apple Store after a new iPhone launches, there will be entire industries that pop up around the shared drone capability model.\nAll of this discussion is based on our mindset today. People used to say \u0026ldquo;Who needs a phone with them all of the time?\u0026rdquo; and now most of us can\u0026rsquo;t imagine life without the supercomputer in our pocket. We\u0026rsquo;re at the early \u0026ldquo;no idea what is going to hit us\u0026rdquo; phase of the drone industry lifecycle, this is the beginning of the beginning. Don\u0026rsquo;t be the person everyone is quoting in a decade like Ballmer is with the iPhone saying it had \u0026ldquo;no chance\u0026rdquo; of gaining substantial marketshare.\nThe FAA would be foolish to stand in the way. I know there are problems related to safety, congestion, privacy, ownership and responsibility for accidents, and more. It isn\u0026rsquo;t a simple problem to solve, but it will be solved, and it will be a tremendous commercial success – I can\u0026rsquo;t imagine an America where we bypass that opportunity.\n","date":"31 December 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/drones-some-quick-thoughts/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThere has been no shortage of coverage on drones lately, especially around the holidays when the cheap ones were selling fairly well as toys. I think the industry leaders have a very different view of why drone technology matters, or at least I suspect they do, because there is a drone revolution closer than many people think. The biggest hurdle in the United States is the FAA, but that\u0026rsquo;s outside the scope of this piece.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Drones: Some Quick Thoughts"},{"content":"A few records have been broken today thanks to a little app called Acompli. That\u0026rsquo;s right, the app that Microsoft accidentally leaked their intent to purchase this week. So what do I mean by records?\nThe first time I\u0026rsquo;ve promoted an app from the back page to my dock. The first time I\u0026rsquo;m strongly considering replacing the native iOS email client entirely. The first email client I\u0026rsquo;ve ever opened and been unable to find any glaring shortcomings. I am picky with my email clients. I was not a fan of Google\u0026rsquo;s new Inbox and it only took me about half a day to download, adopt, then delete Dropbox\u0026rsquo;s Mailbox. Email doesn\u0026rsquo;t have to be terrible, and as surprising as many \u0026ldquo;power users\u0026rdquo; find it, I found the native iOS email client to be a top tier solution for my phone.\nThere are several reasons for this:\nUnified inbox (if you want, I do) Actionable notifications System integration Keeps Safari as the browser Basic swipe gestures that make sense No frills, feature complete Ultra-responsive – I don\u0026rsquo;t want to be waiting for a webpage to load to see my inbox So here are some quick thoughts on why Acompli is likely to remain in my dock (note the overlap on the first 6 bullets with the list above).\nUnified inbox (if you want, I do) Actionable notifications Keeps Safari as the browser by default, but is configurable Basic swipe gestures that make sense Feature complete, including excellent calendar integration Responsive – not quite as responsive as the iOS email client, but almost indistinguishably slower Push for Gmail – ever since Google stopped supporting Exchange I\u0026rsquo;d managed to remain lucky and keep my push Gmail, until recently. I\u0026rsquo;ve been heartbroken by this loss. Not just for the push email but also\u0026hellip; Calendar event RSVP support – When your Google Calendar is a CalDAV account on your iPhone, invites don\u0026rsquo;t show in the \u0026ldquo;Inbox\u0026rdquo; of your calendar, so RSVPing (which can\u0026rsquo;t be done from the iOS email client) is a huge pain in the ass. This was never the case when we had Exchange for Gmail. Featured Inbox – I remain skeptical as I generally prefer a single inbox with everything in it from all accounts\u0026hellip; however so far the algorithm to determine what is featured and what is \u0026ldquo;other\u0026rdquo; is quite good. I like that these are both unified across accounts, so I have a single featured inbox and a single other inbox. Plus, if I decide I don\u0026rsquo;t like it, I can turn it off. Email creation is a breeze and allows you to attach anything or create an invite from within an already-composed draft. Attachment support is extensive and powerful, though admittedly this is somewhat rarely a requirement for me. Scheduling – Boomerang/Inbox-like message scheduling is crucial to effective email management and attaining inbox zero without overlooking commitments or missing messages. There is a search bar to quickly find folders/labels when moving messages, it is fast and works very well. If you\u0026rsquo;ve got a lot of labels or folders you know what a pain it can be scrolling through them to find the right one. The only primary drawback so far is logging into some of my most critical accounts (email, cloud storage) within a third party app. As you would expect, the list of permissions you grant the app can be daunting. If Microsoft acquires them, it\u0026rsquo;ll bolster my faith in their commitment to security.\nFrankly, I\u0026rsquo;m still in shock. There has never been an email client that has even come close to replacing the iOS client. The most highly regarded apps, the most praised apps, the most downloaded apps\u0026hellip; none even came close. Until Acompli.\nAfter starting on the back page, Acompli has received the ultimate promotion and will remain in my dock until further notice. I\u0026rsquo;d like to extend my sincere thanks and congratulations to the folks at Acompli on an extraordinary app!\n**\n\\[Update\\] **- The acquisition is now official. I am curious to see what happens regarding the future of the Acompli app. Will features be rolled into Outlook then the app retired? As long as they support the base of email services that they currently support, that might not be a terrible outcome. Microsoft has stated:\nWe’re excited about what’s possible as we build on the app’s success and bring it together with work currently in progress by the Outlook team. Our goal is to deliver fantastic cross-platform apps that support the variety of email services people use today and help them accomplish more.\nEither way, a huge congrats to Javier and the team on a well deserved victory!\n","date":"29 November 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/from-back-page-to-dock-the-ultimate-app-promotion/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eA few records have been broken today thanks to a little app called \u003ca href=\"https://www.acompli.com\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAcompli\u003c/a\u003e. That\u0026rsquo;s right, the app that \u003ca href=\"http://techcrunch.com/2014/11/26/microsoft-appears-to-pre-announce-its-purchase-of-email-startup-acompli/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eMicrosoft accidentally leaked\u003c/a\u003e their intent to purchase this week. So what do I mean by records?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe first time I\u0026rsquo;ve promoted an app from the back page to my dock.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe first time I\u0026rsquo;m strongly considering replacing the native iOS email client entirely.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe first email client I\u0026rsquo;ve ever opened and been unable to find any glaring shortcomings.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI am picky with my email clients. I was not a fan of \u003ca href=\"http://www.opte.ch/news/2014/11/2/keep-your-inbox-google\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eGoogle\u0026rsquo;s new Inbox\u003c/a\u003e and it only took me about half a day to download, adopt, then delete Dropbox\u0026rsquo;s \u003ca href=\"http://www.mailboxapp.com\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eMailbox\u003c/a\u003e. Email doesn\u0026rsquo;t have to be terrible, and as surprising as many \u0026ldquo;power users\u0026rdquo; find it, I found the native iOS email client to be a top tier solution for my phone.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"From Back Page to Dock – The Ultimate App Promotion"},{"content":"Unlike many people out there, I have no problem with email. It is a convenient way to communicate and maintains a permanent, searchable record of conversations. Sure you get the long-winded amateur novelists sending you page long emails, but for the most part I find it entirely manageable for the 40-100 emails per day I tend to get (which I acknowledge is not a lot, but my system held strong at 300-500 per day – which is definitely above average I\u0026rsquo;d bet).\nStill, I use email on my phone and the Gmail web interface a lot, exclusively in fact (other than the iPad which tends to come in a distant third). So when a new paradigm comes along offering efficiency, email scheduling, and a slick UI, you have my full attention.\nSo here\u0026rsquo;s a rundown of the upside and the downside for Google Inbox. The upside section is short, but that\u0026rsquo;s largely because I\u0026rsquo;m focusing on the things I don\u0026rsquo;t believe have been adequately covered yet.\nUpside #Scheduling #Scheduling is wonderful. When I\u0026rsquo;m short on time, I use Boomerang on the desktop to help maintain a clean inbox without losing track of things. Having the ability to get an email out of your way temporarily and return it as a reminder when you need it (or as a just-in-case for event details at the time of that event, for example) is really convenient. Inbox takes this a step further and enables location-based return-to-inbox functionality. Two thumbs up. When using iOS\u0026rsquo;s native email client, anything I want Boomeranged has to wait until I get to a computer; I rarely find this to be a noticeable inconvenience, but still worth noting. This is far and away the best feature of Google Inbox.\nDesign #Google made a focused effort to design this with elegance and simplicity in mind, and that is mostly clear to the user. They weren\u0026rsquo;t shy about using colors, yet it isn\u0026rsquo;t obnoxious. There are previews of certain things like images in the message preview from the inbox list view, some are even actionable like calendar invites. They manage to do this without cluttering the interface too much, though it does drastically change how many messages you might be seeing in the list at any given time. I\u0026rsquo;ll leave the deep analysis to actual designers, but overall the look is appealing for the most part. Downside #Load\u0026hellip; time\u0026hellip; #I may not mind email, I even often prefer it, but that doesn\u0026rsquo;t mean my life revolves around it. Using respectable broadband (though not the best), loading the app takes a shockingly long time. You can expect an average app load time plus an average website load time (a largely visual one, in fact), so expect 5-8 seconds to load the app even without many emails in your inbox. Once loaded, it begins the process of grabbing new emails. I understand how pedantic and ridiculous it sounds to complain about waiting 5 seconds, but doing this repeatedly throughout the day is extremely noticeable. Perhaps it is better to think of it as a 1000%+ increase* in load time compared to the native email client. If you\u0026rsquo;re used to using the Gmail app for iOS, it shouldn\u0026rsquo;t be much different.\n*I tried measuring load time on my iOS client, it never took long enough that I could time it by hand, so I picked 1000% since it was certainly less than half a second.\nThis was one of the biggest complaints I have with Inbox. There is no excuse for it, iOS allows background downloading. The user experience on launch is terrible as a result. It is worsened by the fact that the list of messages you see on launch represents the inbox the last time you launched Inbox, meaning by the time you\u0026rsquo;re skimming, reading, and reaching to tap one, the page will refresh and you\u0026rsquo;ll be looking at (perhaps even unknowingly opening) an entirely different message.\nEmails Get Lost #The new method for grouping messages can be useful, particularly to decrease your odds of losing an important email in the pile of update and promo emails that most of us wake up to. However, when you triage the inbox and get things trimmed down, what remains is effectively a to-do list, if anything remains at all. Then a new email comes in, then a few more, and suddenly the message that you had sitting right there as a reminder to do something is lost in a group somewhere. You could create a reminder with the (theoretically) handy reminders functionality, but that\u0026rsquo;s an extra step and if I\u0026rsquo;m saving a message for later as a reminder I often am short on time to begin with.\nI think some combination of pinned emails and reminders can solve this, so it is safe to chalk this one up to a lack of familiarity to some extent, but it was much easier to lose track of emails than it should have been.\nSmart Features aren\u0026rsquo;t That Smart #The \u0026ldquo;smart features\u0026rdquo; like detecting flights and reservations are nice, but most people don\u0026rsquo;t realize that many daily (or frequent) benefits here. The smart event creation is either absent or utterly worthless when an email with subject \u0026ldquo;lunch on 12/2 at 12pm\u0026rdquo; can\u0026rsquo;t be turned into an event on the spot like it can with the native iOS email client. Overall it is a neat idea that is useful when you need it, but the benefits aren\u0026rsquo;t realized frequently enough to change the fact that the focus of Inbox is not on the content of the emails, it is on getting those emails out of your inbox.\nMore taps to semi-junk #You know those emails that you might skim, but almost never save or click on? Most of us have at least a few of those. I unsubscribe to the ones I don\u0026rsquo;t want to get, but I do still get a a few. The new layout of Inbox means more taps to open them since they\u0026rsquo;re now bundled in the \u0026ldquo;Promos\u0026rdquo; grouping. This has introduced a step (and subsequent load time) on messages that I barely consider worth the one tap they used to get. Yes, you can disable bundling of each message, but I barely cared enough to click once, I really don\u0026rsquo;t want to have to go out of my way to manage rules for semi-junk. This isn\u0026rsquo;t too big of a deal since it has the upside of making the initial view of your inbox more useful, but the downside of requiring weeks of training the app which ones to include or not include in the group. Ultimately, adding steps to manage the junk that\u0026rsquo;s just barely important enough to make it to my inbox isn\u0026rsquo;t a welcome change.\nMissing Delete #I know some people have a hard time with archiving versus deleting messages, but there are those of us who pay for storage space from Google and don\u0026rsquo;t love the image-heavy junk mail eating that space up. Trust us, there are enough people who can handle both the archive and the delete concept that we still want a delete feature. EDIT: It has been brought to my attention that delete still exists, it was just buried and I missed it. Not ideal, but that helps.\nMissing the Details #I have a tremendous appreciation for apps that sweat the details – the tiny little things that most people don\u0026rsquo;t even know took the developer hours or days of effort. Marco Arment using math and vectors to draw his graphics in Overcast, for instance. Tweetbot\u0026rsquo;s tap-and-hold power features built in for fast account switching or retweeting from a different account. Path\u0026rsquo;s clock as you scroll through the timeline and the animation when you tap + to add a post. Details matter.\nInbox is missing a few key ones. The design uses the concept of closing a message rather than going back, it seems subtle, but this means you\u0026rsquo;re reaching for the X on the top left rather than using the swipe gesture from the left edge of the screen. My iPhone 6 (4.7\u0026quot; screen) makes this hard, I can\u0026rsquo;t imagine using an iPhone 6 Plus.\nI have had to dismiss or tap \u0026ldquo;Got it\u0026rdquo; on more tutorials than I care to count. I don\u0026rsquo;t wholly agree with the following notion, but it has a point worth considering – if you need a tutorial, you failed in design. I don\u0026rsquo;t remember who said it and I know the quote isn\u0026rsquo;t verbatim, but the point remains. One tutorial/how-to I can live with, 5? 10? Come on. I understand that creating a whole new interaction model, structure, and experience to manage email requires some teaching, but there has to be a better balance than this.\nI was surprised to see that my email signature from Gmail wasn\u0026rsquo;t there when I used Inbox. This is the case in the Gmail app too, no signature at all. I can chose a mobile signature \u0026ldquo;instead of my desktop signature\u0026rdquo; (according to the setting in the Gmail app), but neither Gmail or Inbox adopts the desktop signature when that toggle is off and I don\u0026rsquo;t even see relevant signature settings (or a place to add a signature, for that matter) in Inbox.\nunread counts #I don\u0026rsquo;t like seeing unread email counts, anywhere. The \u0026ldquo;mark all as done\u0026rdquo; feature is nice (though rarely do I blow off a whole chunk of emails without at least making sure they\u0026rsquo;re okay to archive), but it keeps them marked as unread. This means that if they got auto-labled by my filters, as many do, I now have labels with unread counts. I understand that the alternative isn\u0026rsquo;t ideal either though, marking an email as read when it wasn\u0026rsquo;t actually opened is violating the basic understanding of read/unread, but it still makes the \u0026ldquo;mark all as done\u0026rdquo; feature much less useful.\nWebsite #The website gets its own section since it was clearly an afterthought. I don\u0026rsquo;t hold the app responsible for the faults of the website. I do, however, use email on a laptop often enough that the website matters; often I found myself back at the Gmail site to get things done. Let\u0026rsquo;s move through these quickly:\nIt is Chrome only. I feel like it is 1998 getting \u0026ldquo;IE Only\u0026rdquo; notices. No thanks. (This is obviously temporary and likely for good reason, but it sends almost an alpha message on this beta product.) There is no indication of how many unread emails you have; it doesn\u0026rsquo;t say in the page title bar like Gmail does. When emails are grouped it tells you how many emails are in the group, then it makes the sender\u0026rsquo;s name bold if there is a new email in that thread, but this isn\u0026rsquo;t useful beyond a few new messages. You can count the number of bold names per message grouping, that gets you in the right ballpark, but that is ridiculous. I had Chrome open with one tab – Inbox – in the background while typing this. I noticed by battery dropped by 40% in less than an hour and checked which apps were sucking the power\u0026hellip; Chrome, and only Chrome. I guess whatever Chrome-only-isms they are embracing are a work in progress with regard to efficiency also. New hangouts messages don\u0026rsquo;t flash, so unless you\u0026rsquo;re on the page and paying attention to the conversation you really don\u0026rsquo;t see that a new message has come in. I also miss being able to click the header for the IM itself to minimize/maximize it, but that\u0026rsquo;s not a big deal. The initial look hides labels and Hangouts, which leaves a lot of white space. The simplicity is nice at first, but ultimately I wound up wanting Hangouts and labels visible all (or most) of the time. The resulting page looked like an afterthought rather than an intentionally designed webpage. Closing Thoughts #The take-away is that Inbox focuses on getting emails out of your inbox rather than on the content of the emails themselves. In some cases the content is more of a burden than an asset, but I can\u0026rsquo;t help but feel like Google assumes all email is spam unless proven otherwise – guilty until proven innocent if you will. As it stands today, I will not be switching to use Google\u0026rsquo;s Inbox for my email needs. I will, however, be watching it grow and develop in hopes that with time they address some of the key issues. There is always the possibility that I return should they get these things sorted out.\nThe rave reviews for Inbox aren\u0026rsquo;t entirely unjustified. It is an aesthetically pleasing app from a company that really knows email. I can\u0026rsquo;t help but feel a hint of hope when I see this contemporary approach to addressing a pain point for millions of daily users – the inbox. If you\u0026rsquo;re drowning in email and can\u0026rsquo;t find a system to keep on top of it, this is worth a try, but in general I\u0026rsquo;d advise most people to steer clear, at least until the product matures more.\n","date":"3 November 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/keep-your-inbox-google/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eUnlike many people out there, I have no problem with email. It is a convenient way to communicate and maintains a permanent, searchable record of conversations. Sure you get the long-winded amateur novelists sending you page long emails, but for the most part I find it entirely manageable for the 40-100 emails per day I tend to get (which I acknowledge is not a lot, but my system held strong at 300-500 per day – which is definitely above average I\u0026rsquo;d bet).\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Keep your Inbox, Google"},{"content":"Company: e-Chromic Technologies, Inc\nLocation: Boulder, CO\nInterviewee: Loren Burnett, CEO\nAuthor: Ian McConville, Karyssa Cox\nInterview by: David Gardner \u0026amp; Karyssa Cox\nReplacing old, energy inefficient windows with high-efficiency windows represents a major source of energy savings. It is also very expensive and therefore often not practical. E-Chromic, of Boulder CO, has taken a different approach to the problem by placing control of the window solar heating directly into the hands of building operators.\nE-Chromic’s electrochromic window film can be switched to reflective mode to decrease solar heating during warm sunny days, significantly lessening the load of the air conditioner. The film can then be switched to transparent during colder days to allow light to pass through unhindered in order to reduce the need to heat the building. Building owners using e-Chromic’s film can reduce their HVAC loads, operating costs, and CO2 emissions by up to 35%. We spoke with Loren Burnett, CEO of e-Chromic, about the company, their product, and their experience as a Rocky Mountain Cleantech Open finalist in 2011.\nQ: What makes e-Chromic’s Solution unique? How are you different from your competition?\nA: One of the biggest things that differentiates e-Chromic from their competition that their smart window film turns diffuse reflective when activated. This unique approach enables e-Chromic to be the only smart window company that can retrofit existing windows. Building owners installing e-Chromic’s product on their building can reduce their operating costs by nearly 35% and these savings get passed directly to the lease holders. When a company is out shopping for a new building they take four things into account: location, quality of building, price per square foot, and operating costs. So if there are two buildings that are carbon copies of each other except one has e-Chromic’s film installed, the decrease in operation costs would be a huge pull. This is also important for building owners that are trying to attract in the US government or state governments that require that new leases go to energy-efficient buildings.\nAnother distinction is that e-Chromic’s product is completely user-controllable. An operator can turn the film on to reflective mode in warm sunny months and then turn switch it to transparent mode in the winter in order to capture additional solar heat. They also offer a third setting, which allows light within the visible spectrum to come through but is reflective in the infrared spectrum. This eliminates a large amount of the heat entering the building but still allows natural light to come in.\nQ: How has e-Chromic made an impact within the cleantech space? How do your company and your product address sustainability, specifically?\nA: The electrochromic technology will reduce the AC usage in buildings by 35%. The Department of Energy estimates that 4% of the entire US heating and cooling loads are associated with windows. Additionally, the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) has run comparisons to other similar technologies that rely on absorptivity—these comparisons have shown that e-Chromic’s reflective technology delivers 43% greater overall building energy savings.than absorptive technologies. In addition, reducing the HVAC load increases the profitability of companies, giving them more free capital to run their business and therefore greater sustainability.\ne-Chromic is also looking to make inroads to the automobile glass industry. Reducing the AC usage in cars is one way to improve their fuel economy. This is especially important for electric vehicles, since cooling a car drains the battery and directly impacts the vehicle range.\nQ: Other than the obvious challenge of seeking and obtaining financing, what is another large challenge that you have had to overcome, or are currently overcoming, that you can share with our readers?\nA: Currently the largest challenge facing e-Chromic is moving out of the National Renewable Energy Lab which has served as their R\u0026amp;D facility. Finding a suitable, cost effective facility has been challenging. Q: When presenting your product to a building owner, when, from your perspective, does it become obvious in reviewing the value proposition that this owner should go forward with using your product? In other words, when does it become a “no-brainer” for them to choose your product?\nA: In 1990 ASHRAE adopted a new standard for more heat-efficient windows to be installed on new buildings. Therefore, if the windows in your building were installed prior to 1990, then the decision to use e-Chromic’s film becomes an investment that makes a lot of sense, especially if a major tenant’s lease is due to expire soon. There are a huge number of buildings to go after that fit this scenario.\ne-Chromic is also reaching out to owners that are trying to position themselves within the US government or state government building market. This is because they require that new leases go to energy-efficient buildings.\nQ: What still makes you excited to hop out of bed in the morning and anxious to get to work; what is that one thing?\nA: Loren explained that for him, it’s the triple bottom line that comes from working with green technology. Knowing that he’s contributing to something that’s potentially going to affect the planet for years to come is one very special aspect of working in the cleantech industry.\nQ: Looking back on your experience as a Cleantech Open semifinalist, what resources or experiences did you gain that you find most useful in getting to where you are today?\nA: There are two major ways that the Cleantech Open helped e-Chromic. The first is the sense of credibility that comes from being a finalist. Your company gains a sense of expertise and the ability to say that you were in a group of 21 companies that were handpicked by clean technology experts. The second is the number of contacts that Loren has made through CTO. He is now only a few contacts away from anyone he would need to talk to in the cleantech arena.\ne-Chromic was a Rocky Mountain CTO finalist three years ago and they have continued to make significant achievements in the cleantech world. They recently experienced great success in being one of two winners of a $50,000 prize at a Village Capital event, which makes their $600k Series Seed round oversubscribed.\nHeating and cooling our buildings in the United States requires a vast amount of energy, and windows result in a large amount of that energy being wasted. By directly affecting the amount of light and solar heating that is allowed to enter a building, the HVAC loads can be drastically reduced— e-Chromic is poised to do just that.\n","date":"7 October 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/cleantech-open/cleantech-open-spotlight-e-chromic-technologies/","section":"Cleantech Open","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCompany\u003c/strong\u003e: \u003ca href=\"http://www.echromic.com/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ee-Chromic Technologies, Inc\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLocation\u003c/strong\u003e: Boulder, CO\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eInterviewee\u003c/strong\u003e: Loren Burnett, CEO\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAuthor: Ian McConville, Karyssa Cox\u003c/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cem\u003eInterview by: David Gardner \u0026amp; Karyssa Cox\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eReplacing old, energy inefficient windows with high-efficiency windows represents a major source of energy savings. It is also very expensive and therefore often not practical. E-Chromic, of Boulder CO, has taken a different approach to the problem by placing control of the window solar heating directly into the hands of building operators.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Cleantech Open Spotlight: e-Chromic Technologies"},{"content":"A few months ago I made it very clear I had no expectation for there to be an \u0026ldquo;iWatch\u0026rdquo; (tentatively named at the time) in 2014. I even pegged 2015 as unlikely. I was partially right – there is no Apple Watch available to consumers in 2014, but there is very much an Apple Watch available only a few months later. The timeline isn\u0026rsquo;t terribly relevant, but they were definitely ahead of where I expected them to be. It was no question that they had one in the works, but Apple did the exact thing that I wasn\u0026rsquo;t sure they\u0026rsquo;d do – take direct aim at the fashion industry. I love that they did, and the general response is that the Apple Watch is more on par with premium watches than it is with the smart watches of today*.\nWhat Is Missing, What Isn\u0026rsquo;t #What Apple is doing here is what they\u0026rsquo;ve always done, with one fairly major missing piece. What they\u0026rsquo;re doing is producing a device of extraordinary quality that feels incredible in the hand (or on the wrist), so incredible it elicits an emotional response whether you realize it or not. The feature list is simple yet compelling, and there is a new interaction model. This last part is critical and I cannot wait to see how it pans out. I have stated in the past that there will be an interaction model post-touchscreen that isn\u0026rsquo;t voice, and I am curious to see if this is it (for small screened devices). It has strong ties to the original iPod from what I can tell.\nThese core strengths are in the experience and emotional response from using the device. Experience or emotionally based \u0026ldquo;features\u0026rdquo; are challenging to capture in writing, I suspect this plays a part in why Apple has so much fashion exposure on it. In addition to the obvious fact that it is a fashion product, the fashion industry understands that beauty and craftsmanship reach people on an emotional level; this is true for all of Apple\u0026rsquo;s devices, but I suspect the Apple Watch takes it to a whole new level.\nSo what is missing? Ben Thompson captured it well here – Apple never told us why we need the Apple Watch. What problem is it solving? Where does it fit in our digital lives? I think this is at least partially because they don\u0026rsquo;t entirely know yet. They have some great ideas, intimate communication is going to be key. With voice being a primary interaction method there is no doubt that they\u0026rsquo;re focusing heavily on the tap, haptic, and other aspects of the communication methods for the device. Their demos don\u0026rsquo;t show it well because this is just too new. It is still tough to picture as a core piece of our interactions. We can\u0026rsquo;t effectively communicate much substance with tiny doodles and we aren\u0026rsquo;t all going to learn morse code, but there will be some intermediate level of brief communication that will become commonplace. Design # Shape - A circular design is appealing, but the drawbacks don\u0026rsquo;t necessarily make up for the advantages. I have always liked certain square watches, the shape is not a negative as many have proposed (usually in comparison to the Moto 360). Thickness - The device doesn\u0026rsquo;t seem to be quite as thick as some of the promo shots make it look. I believe the roundedness of it make it appear thicker than it is, but I really don\u0026rsquo;t know. It does look thick, but I\u0026rsquo;m a fan of very slim watches. Size - Having two sizes was a no-brainer. There has to be substantial focus on smaller wrists, often generalized as \u0026ldquo;female wrists\u0026rdquo;, but it applies more broadly. Many people do not like huge watches, and I suspect the watch will shrink substantially in overall appearance (by making it thinner) in coming years much like the iPhone did. It will be \u0026ldquo;too thick\u0026rdquo; when looking back on it in a few years, but it isn\u0026rsquo;t necessarily too thick for a first generation device. Bands - Apple created a genuinely elegant solution here, I think this will help sales substantially. Like others, I am curious what they will do considering the high end Edition watch\u0026rsquo;s digital crown will be color matched to the band the watch was purchased with. Price #I think John Gruber is on the right track.\nClosing #Overall I like the watch. I am really excited to see what direction it heads and to see how they develop this new interaction model as well as the new intimate communication. I am also curious to see how the adoption is across sexes, classes, and outside the nerd community. My grandparents have iPhones and iPads; I am having a hard time picturing them getting an Apple Watch, but only because of what it looks like today, I think there is a big opportunity to change that very quickly.\nWill I buy one? We\u0026rsquo;ll see. My tentative thought at the moment is that I won\u0026rsquo;t. I held off on the phone for a few generations (3GS), though that was largely because of the AT\u0026amp;T restriction, but I caved and switched in 2009. With the only restriction being my willingness to spend the money, there are fewer barriers than with the iPhone.\nThere is tremendous potential here and I cannot wait to see how it plays out. *At face value, this statement is easily refuted. The feature list comparison shows that the Apple Watch doesn\u0026rsquo;t stand out compared to the current top tier Android smart watch, the Moto 360. This type of comparison overlooks the strengths that make Apple who they are, but neither Apple\u0026rsquo;s strengths nor the feature list points are important to everyone, so of course it all comes down to what each person values in a device like this.\n","date":"6 October 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/a-few-thoughts-on-the-apple-watch/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eA few months ago \u003ca href=\"http://www.opte.ch/news/2014/3/20/there-is-no-iwatch\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"\u003eI made it very clear\u003c/a\u003e I had no expectation for there to be an \u0026ldquo;iWatch\u0026rdquo; (tentatively named at the time) in 2014. I even pegged 2015 as unlikely. I was partially right – there is no Apple Watch available to consumers in 2014, but there is very much an Apple Watch available only a few months later. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe timeline isn\u0026rsquo;t terribly relevant, but they were definitely ahead of where I expected them to be. It was no question that they had one in the works, but Apple did the exact thing that I wasn\u0026rsquo;t sure they\u0026rsquo;d do – take direct aim at the fashion industry. I love that they did, and the general response is that the Apple Watch is more on par with premium watches than it is with the smart watches of today*.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"A Few Thoughts on the Apple Watch"},{"content":"Touch ID has brought a level of convenience, speed, and security to consumer electronics that has never been seen before. Your fingers are always with you, they\u0026rsquo;re unique, and the fingerprint recognition is incredibly fast. In addition to that, an image of the fingerprint itself is not stored on the device, and what does get stored is kept in an ultra-secure enclave within the phone - never sent over the Internet. Each of these pieces is fundamentally critical to enabling mainstream adoption of two factor authentication. If the scanning were slower or less reliable, even only slightly, that could be enough to invalidation my entire assertion below.\nRight now you\u0026rsquo;ve got people who not only avoid two factor authentication, many use the same password for everything, store passwords in a text file, use really simple and obvious words, or any number of other terrible practices. Then if they\u0026rsquo;re hacked, they are surprised. Whether we like admitting it or not, the fact is that without an extraordinary amount of convenience, more secure practices will not become commonplace. The Potential #Apple has an opportunity to make two factor authentication commonplace; hopefully it will be instilled as a societal expectation that a hardware vendor provide a secure solution on par with this, but that\u0026rsquo;s getting ahead of myself. So what does this hypothetical two factor authentication using Touch ID look like?\nApple releases an API so that websites support two factor authentication with Touch ID. When you log into the website with a username and password a request is sent to the device of your choosing, let\u0026rsquo;s say an iPhone for now. Your phone lights up with the standard Touch ID authentication push alert with some basic information about the website that is making the request. Your fingerprint is never sent over the network, let alone to a third party website, but instead (much like third party apps in iOS 8) a simple \u0026ldquo;yes\u0026rdquo; or \u0026ldquo;no\u0026rdquo; is sent back to verify the user.\nThe push alert appears within a second or two, the scan doesn\u0026rsquo;t require unlocking the device or anything, and in fractions of a second the fingerprint scan completes. Done. You now have an account that is nearly impossible to access without your permission (assuming the third party doesn\u0026rsquo;t have some security loophole elsewhere).\nUltra fast. Ultra secure. Ultra convenient. Easy to understand and setup. It just works.\nLonger Term #Longer term you could take this a step farther and include the Apple Watch. Right now, once authenticated, the Apple Watch doesn\u0026rsquo;t require a PIN until contact with the skin is broken. Eventually the sensors on the back of the watch might to be able to use your biometrics (blood pressure, heart beat pattern, etc.) to create a unique identifier for you. The two factor authentication could be as simple as tapping \u0026ldquo;yes\u0026rdquo; on your watch face since the device already knows it is you.\nWhat\u0026rsquo;s the Hold Up? #There is nothing stopping Apple from doing this today. The hooks are already built into iOS to enable the Touch ID prompt from a third party. The API and third party implementation of the API is really the only big piece missing. It isn\u0026rsquo;t trivial, but it is well within the scope of realistic.\nOne important consideration is how do you manage the situation where you\u0026rsquo;ve lost your phone? That\u0026rsquo;s a tough one, likely a recovery password coupled with something else, maybe even a webcam based facial recognition option (which also has drawbacks). This isn\u0026rsquo;t a perfect solution, but the benefits vastly outweigh the drawbacks as far as I can tell.\nClosing Thoughts #I think Apple has a lot to gain here (for their image alone, if nothing else) and they\u0026rsquo;re in a position to educate users how to take better care of their digital belongings. I cannot imagine any process that is more convenient that offers even a fraction of this level of security. Apple would be wise to roll this out as soon as possible, especially now that Touch ID equipped devices are numbering well into the tens of millions. I know I would use it for nearly everything, and I think this just might be enough for the average person to want to protect themselves.\n","date":"18 September 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/apples-opportunity-to-take-two-factor-authentication-mainstream/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eTouch ID has brought a level of convenience, speed, and security to consumer electronics that has never been seen before. Your fingers are always with you, they\u0026rsquo;re unique, and the fingerprint recognition is incredibly fast. In addition to that, an image of the fingerprint itself is not stored on the device, and what \u003cem\u003edoes\u003c/em\u003e get stored is kept in an ultra-secure enclave within the phone - never sent over the Internet. Each of these pieces is fundamentally critical to enabling mainstream adoption of two factor authentication. If the scanning were slower or less reliable, even only slightly, that could be enough to invalidation my entire assertion below.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Apple's Opportunity to Take Two Factor Authentication Mainstream"},{"content":"If you haven\u0026rsquo;t heard, Microsoft is buying Minecraft\u0026rsquo;s creator for $2.5B. The young people hardly even know what Microsoft does and the older audience is thinking, \u0026ldquo;Mine what?\u0026rdquo; So here\u0026rsquo;s why I think this, if positioned correctly, could be a vital long play for Microsoft.\nIt is no secret that Microsoft is having a miserable time launching Windows Phone into relevance. I suspect they\u0026rsquo;ll keep up with the effort they have, however, by buying Minecraft\u0026rsquo;s creator (who has a very loyal following) they can effectively admit defeat on the market of anyone 16 and over today and target those that are younger.\nObviously not many young teens or children buy flagship smartphones, but if Microsoft can slowly transition a Minecraft following into a Microsoft platform following, they\u0026rsquo;ll have people (now grown up) with a decade of loyal love for the brand. Once these young buyers are the vital 18 to 25 year olds in the market there will be a decade of Windows Phone first (or Windows Phone exclusive) launches to bolster the image of their platform.\nMicrosoft is well aware they\u0026rsquo;ve lost the battle for now, but while all the competitors are fighting for sales today, Microsoft just made a wise long play for a decade from now. Keep in mind, execution of this is not guaranteed; in fact it will be challenging to keep their eye on a prize that far into the future, but make no mistake how loyal and enormous the Minecraft following is.\n","date":"15 September 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/microsoft-buying-minecraft-is-a-long-play/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIf you haven\u0026rsquo;t heard, \u003ca href=\"http://online.wsj.com/articles/microsoft-agrees-to-acquire-creator-of-minecraft-1410786190\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"\u003eMicrosoft is buying Minecraft\u0026rsquo;s creator for $2.5B\u003c/a\u003e. The young people hardly even know what Microsoft does and the older audience is thinking, \u0026ldquo;Mine what?\u0026rdquo; So here\u0026rsquo;s why I think this, if positioned correctly, could be a vital long play for Microsoft.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is no secret that Microsoft is having a miserable time launching Windows Phone into relevance. I suspect they\u0026rsquo;ll keep up with the effort they have, however, by buying Minecraft\u0026rsquo;s creator (who has a \u003cem\u003every\u003c/em\u003e loyal following) they can effectively admit defeat on the market of anyone 16 and over today and target those that are younger.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Microsoft Buying Minecraft's Creator is a Long Play"},{"content":"This is a real-time visualization of digital attacks to and from every point on the globe.\nKeep in mind the visualization comes from a company selling a solution to combat the attacks, but this is still fascinating.\n","date":"8 September 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/visualizing-virtual-attacks/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThis is a real-time visualization of digital attacks to and from every point on the globe.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKeep in mind the visualization comes from a company selling a solution to combat the attacks, but this is still fascinating.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Visualizing Virtual Attacks"},{"content":"NFC is a neat technology, but it isn\u0026rsquo;t terribly useful without a rich ecosystem in which to use it. Payments come to mind, but a lot of people have tried this before. While prior efforts haven\u0026rsquo;t been a total flop, they aren\u0026rsquo;t exactly exploding with popularity.\nEvery year there are rumors of the iPhone gaining NFC. Every year the event passes without mention of NFC. Until now, maybe.\nI\u0026rsquo;m not sold on the notion that the iPhone 6 will have NFC, but I wouldn\u0026rsquo;t bet against it at this point like I would have confidently in years past. If Apple does add NFC it will be accompanied by a launch of a rich platform in an attempt to drive their solution to complete ubiquity - on iOS devices only, naturally.\nThey already have hundreds of millions of credit cards on file. They already have a secure payment infrastructure. Apple is uniquely positioned to offer services to their customers that are tremendously secure and protect your data. Apple makes money from devices and that requires people trust their devices. Other services, offered for free, are rarely incentivized to provide the same level of protection. Coupled with iBeacon you could make the argument that a \u0026ldquo;retail 2.0\u0026rdquo; experience could be possible should Apple be successful in their hypothetical effort. There are speed bumps though. This would require a lot of retailers getting a lot of new hardware - though inexpensive, it is still nontrivial.\nIf they launch a wallet solution like they launched Passbook*, I don\u0026rsquo;t have much confidence we\u0026rsquo;ll see it take off. I also don\u0026rsquo;t see them doing something like that. With Bluetooth Low Energy, Apple has very little reason to add NFC unless they are going to hit a grand slam with it.\nThe wallet is a concept that is painfully ready to be redesigned from the ground up. There are privacy and security concerns to slow down progress, not to mention legal concerns given the need to carry a photo ID as an adult.\nI think that Apple is uniquely positioned to do something about it, at least in the US. Their devices are \u0026ldquo;everywhere,\u0026rdquo; they have a tremendous incentive to keep your data totally secure, people trust them, governments trust them more than most tech companies, and the more they can lock you into their walled garden the better (for them).\nI think it is safe to say that September 9, 2014 will be a day to remember for many reasons. If nothing else, it just might finally be the day that the annual NFC predictions finally come to fruition. *I love Passbook, but it hasn\u0026rsquo;t exactly gone mainstream and adding passes is tremendously confusing for most people, especially when it launched with very little app support.\n","date":"29 August 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/nfc-on-the-iphone-6-just-might-happen/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eNFC is a neat technology, but it isn\u0026rsquo;t terribly useful without a rich ecosystem in which to use it. Payments come to mind, but a lot of people have tried this before. While prior efforts haven\u0026rsquo;t been a total flop, they aren\u0026rsquo;t exactly exploding with popularity.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEvery year there are rumors of the iPhone gaining NFC. Every year the event passes without mention of NFC. Until now, \u003cem\u003emaybe\u003c/em\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI\u0026rsquo;m not sold on the notion that the iPhone 6 will have NFC, but I wouldn\u0026rsquo;t bet against it at this point like I would have confidently in years past. If Apple does add NFC it will be accompanied by a launch of a rich platform in an attempt to drive their solution to complete ubiquity - on iOS devices only, naturally.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"NFC on the iPhone 6 Just Might Happen"},{"content":"Here is the latest installment in the clean technology segment. Solar Multiple has a product that increases the rate of evaporation for mining and fracking operations.\n","date":"27 August 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/guest-writing-for-cleantech-open-solar-multiple/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eHere is the latest installment in the clean technology segment. Solar Multiple has a product that increases the rate of evaporation for mining and fracking operations.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Guest Writing for Cleantech Open: Solar Multiple"},{"content":"Part 3 of the 12 part series highlighting new clean technology startups. Cascade Plasma Energy has developed a fascinating process to turn waste into fuel and energy in an environmentally conscious way.\n","date":"3 August 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/guest-writing-for-cleantech-open-cascade-plasma-energy/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003ePart 3 of the 12 part series highlighting new clean technology startups. Cascade Plasma Energy has developed a fascinating process to turn waste into fuel and energy in an environmentally conscious way.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Guest Writing for Cleantech Open: Cascade Plasma Energy"},{"content":"Part 2 of the 12 part series highlighting new clean technology startups. Behavioral Response Technologies is working on a solution to improve the efficiency of cows in a natural and safe way.\nOther posts can be found here as they\u0026rsquo;re posted.\n","date":"3 August 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/guest-writing-for-cleantech-open-behavioral-response-technologies/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003ePart 2 of the 12 part series highlighting new clean technology startups. Behavioral Response Technologies is working on a solution to improve the efficiency of cows in a natural and safe way.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOther posts can be found \u003ca href=\"http://www2.cleantechopen.org/rocky-mountain-region-blog/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"\u003ehere\u003c/a\u003e as they\u0026rsquo;re posted.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Guest Writing for Cleantech Open: Behavioral Response Technologies"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/categories/apps/","section":"Categories","summary":"","title":"Apps"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/categories/","section":"Categories","summary":"","title":"Categories"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/fitness/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Fitness"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/runkeeper/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"RunKeeper"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Tags"},{"content":"Update 2 (9/27): RunKeeper\u0026rsquo;s updates this week reversed course on this, sharing is no longer an extra tap if you always bypass it! It sounds so dumb, but it is genuinely appreciated! 458 activities. 851 miles. So much beautiful data\u0026hellip; it is all as good as gone. Let me back up a few steps. I really enjoy data. I have tracked every mile, minute spent in my car, and thousandth of a gallon of gas put into my car, all because I love data. I have used RunKeeper for years to do the same with my walking. In fact, I have been a member since 1969 according to their records, who am I to argue that? Alright, that might be a bug, just possibly, but why am I throwing this data away?\nSimply put, my priorities as a RunKeeper user have been eclipsed by the priorities of the company. Now, admittedly, I\u0026rsquo;m not a very valuable user to them because they do offer so much at the free tier, but I still believe that the user should matter. None of my complaints would be remedied by becoming a paid member, so that option is out.\nFor many months I have been hoping to gain a feature where \u0026ldquo;recently used\u0026rdquo; contacts appearing at the top of the list when tagging people in an activity (not social media, just including them so their RunKeeper stats reflect the activity recorded by my phone). I contacted them about it after several months of frustration and received a \u0026ldquo;we\u0026rsquo;ll see what we can do.\u0026rdquo; Sadly no progress as of yet.\n@OpTechMike Thanks for the feature request!! We will see what we can do! http://t.co/EWFnSXp5kO\n— RunKeeper Support (@RKSupport) February 3, 2014\nTagging my wife by searching for her name is an annoyance, but nothing more.\nHowever, a recent update added a \u0026ldquo;feature\u0026rdquo; that prompts the user for social media sharing on every single event. This is even present despite the fact that I have no social networks connected to the app. I am not the only one who is unhappy about the update, there are several feature requests with many up-votes and comments on each here, here, and here.\nIf the user has connected social media accounts, this might make sense, but only if there is a \u0026ldquo;never show this again\u0026rdquo; option. With no accounts connected this isn\u0026rsquo;t only annoying, it is highly illogical. It sends the message that RunKeeper will do anything to get you to post the spammy \u0026ldquo;I just completed a walk!\u0026rdquo; messages to your feed. I went poking around the settings menu hoping to find an option to disable this, there isn\u0026rsquo;t one. What I did find, though, are 2 prompts to rate the app – one at the top of the settings menu and one at the bottom. Again, they are putting their own needs ahead of the user.\nTo be perfectly clear, every app should have a link to leave a review, and I prefer this over the popup prompt that inspired Gruber\u0026rsquo;s rants, but their implementation is annoying.\nIt isn\u0026rsquo;t the end of the world, and I understand that complaining about a free app and free service is rather petty on my part. These frustrations have inspired me to begin shopping around for alternatives. Nike+, MapMyWalk, and others are on my radar, but I certainly welcome feedback and recommendations. I am happy to spend money, though I\u0026rsquo;d prefer to buy an app than to pay a monthly fee.\nI hope RunKeeper changes their mind. Their brand is nearly ubiquitous so the self-centered behavior of the app seems senseless. I have enjoyed the rich feature set and general interaction with the app to this point; though not perfect it more than met my needs.\nUpdate: I don\u0026rsquo;t like the step backward in the user experience, but it has become clear why they can get away with it - there isn\u0026rsquo;t anything better right now. Nike is focused solely on running. Map My Walk has a clunky UI, multiple prompts to upgrade, needless push notifications, and ad banners. There are others, but none seem to be able to dethrone RunKeeper. So for now, the solution is to suck it up.\n","date":"23 July 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/when-the-users-priorities-are-eclipsed-by-the-brands/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eUpdate 2 (9/27): RunKeeper\u0026rsquo;s updates this week reversed course on this, sharing is no longer an extra tap if you always bypass it! It sounds so dumb, but \u003cstrong\u003eit is genuinely appreciated\u003c/strong\u003e! \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e458 activities. 851 miles. So much beautiful data\u0026hellip; it is all as good as gone. Let me back up a few steps. I really enjoy data. I have tracked every mile, minute spent in my car, and thousandth of a gallon of gas put into my car, all because I love data. I have used RunKeeper for years to do the same with my walking. In fact, I have been a member since 1969 according to their records, who am I to argue that? \u003c/p\u003e","title":"When the Users' Priorities are Eclipsed by the Brand's – Why I'm Leaving RunKeeper [Updated x2]"},{"content":"I know the site has been quiet lately, my apologies! I am excited to announce that I\u0026rsquo;ll be writing a 12 part series to highlight the semifinalists in the Rocky Mountain region for Cleantech Open - a clean technology accelerator. First up, Pure Enviro. Click the title to read more.\n","date":"23 July 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/guest-writing-for-cleantech-open-pure-enviro/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI know the site has been quiet lately, my apologies! I am excited to announce that I\u0026rsquo;ll be writing a 12 part series to highlight the semifinalists in the Rocky Mountain region for Cleantech Open - a clean technology accelerator. First up, Pure Enviro. Click the title to read more.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Guest Writing for Cleantech Open: Pure Enviro"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/categories/gadgets/","section":"Categories","summary":"","title":"Gadgets"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/smartwatch/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Smartwatch"},{"content":"The new Withings Activité smart watch is beautiful, unlike many of the other entrants to the market.\nThe first thing that stands out to me is how clearly different the approach to creating this product must have been. If you take Samsung, LG, or even Pebble (I\u0026rsquo;ll talk about Motorola in a moment) it is pretty obvious they started with a list of features and built the watch around it. Withings has undoubtedly started with a simple and timeless watch design and added intelligence to it. These two approaches are worlds apart.\nHow?\nThe Activité gets 1 year of battery life. Pebble et al. gets 3-7 days. The Activité could be worn on a first date (this is Bradley Chambers\u0026rsquo; rule of thumb for smart watch design, and I love it), the others\u0026hellip; not so much. On the flip side, the Activité doesn\u0026rsquo;t have the wide range of features found in the competition, but a feature checklist is never a good design guide for something like this.\nI have stopped wearing my Pebble because it was bulky and unattractive as a time piece. I think time and unit sales will confirm this, but an elegant complement to the smartphone that people already love is vastly more appealing than a miniature smartphone strapped to the wrist. The biggest problem here is the price ($390), but that\u0026rsquo;ll come down over time; not to mention people that are able will happily pay for high quality and beautiful products that appeal to them.\nThe Moto 360 looks to be an attempted hybrid between looks and features. I think Motorola is on the right track, but the watch is still quite thick, it is decidedly masculine, and the battery life isn\u0026rsquo;t quite where we\u0026rsquo;d like to see it (even if it doesn\u0026rsquo;t last a year). The looming question surrounding smart watches is \u0026ldquo;what problem do they solve?\u0026rdquo; With the Withings Activité looking like an elegant and classic timepiece, that question might be demoted in importance just enough to kick start the wearables movement beyond the early adopter market. By starting with design instead of features, Withings has shown a light on what might become a mass market product category. I wouldn\u0026rsquo;t bet my lunch money on it, but there is very little doubt that it is a step in the right direction.\n","date":"30 June 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/withings-activ-building-a-watch-then-making-it-smart/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe new \u003ca href=\"http://www.withings.com/activite/en-US\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"\u003eWithings Activité\u003c/a\u003e smart watch is beautiful, unlike many of the other entrants to the market.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n  \n    \u003cpicture\n      class=\"mx-auto my-0 rounded-md\"\n      \n    \u003e\n      \n      \n      \n      \n        \u003csource\n          \n            \n              srcset=\"https://www.opte.ch/news/withings-activ-building-a-watch-then-making-it-smart/image-asset_hu_d1eb74443ad8dd65.webp\"\n            \n          \n          sizes=\"100vw\"\n          type=\"image/webp\"\n        /\u003e\n      \n      \u003cimg\n        width=\"550\"\n        height=\"356\"\n        class=\"mx-auto my-0 rounded-md\"\n        \n        loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"\n        \n          src=\"https://www.opte.ch/news/withings-activ-building-a-watch-then-making-it-smart/image-asset.jpeg\"\n        \n      /\u003e\n    \u003c/picture\u003e\n  \n\n\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe first thing that stands out to me is how clearly different the approach to creating this product must have been. If you take Samsung, LG, or even Pebble (I\u0026rsquo;ll talk about Motorola in a moment) it is pretty obvious they started with a list of features and built the watch around it. Withings has undoubtedly started with a simple and timeless watch design and added intelligence to it. These two approaches are worlds apart.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Withings Activité - Building A Watch, Then Making it Smart"},{"content":"Throughout the switch from a Microsoft based solution (Outlook, SharePoint, Office, etc.) to a Google based solution, I witnessed a great deal of frustration, anxiety, and even anger. Why? A full generation of people have never used anything besides the Google solutions, and it works just fine for them. It is clear to me that there are two fundamental considerations - what is the problem, and how do we solve it? This applies broadly beyond technology, but I\u0026rsquo;ll leave that part to the philosophers. Of those that struggled with the Microsoft to Google change, many had MSN, Hotmail, or Comcast personal email addresses, so this was very new territory for them. Their goal was clear, find a way to do with Gmail exactly what they were doing when they used Outlook - rules, formatting, distribution lists, folder structure, email retention methods, etc. Rather than taking an opportunity to re-evaluate how the fundamental problem (efficient email communication that is well organized) was solved, they wanted to fit the new software to the old flow. This is a single example that demonstrates a common theme in large bodies of people, be it companies or governments. Change is slow because there is an inherent cost to change beyond the fiscal cost. This results in \u0026ldquo;ghosts,\u0026rdquo; or traces of the company\u0026rsquo;s original ways, that haunt the employees for decades. When business decisions are based on these artifacts, often the best solution cannot be implemented with the old software. I suspect this plays a role in what ultimately brings about the demise of most large companies; there is, after all, a cycle.\nThis question has been asked of Apple many times, even directly to Tim Cook in his interview with Brian Williams (10:05) - how do you avoid the natural life cycle of a company? Is it even possible? I suspect Apple has a lot of historical artifacts internally as well, but something tells me that they\u0026rsquo;re thrown to the wind in favor of the \u0026ldquo;right\u0026rdquo; solution much more often than the average company.\nThe only way to avoid this is to hire extremely curious and open minded people, but that isn\u0026rsquo;t sustainable at a massive scale. The type of people that view the change as a way to improve upon the way things are done. Note that this isn\u0026rsquo;t an engineering vs. non-engineering dilemma, I have seen more than enough instances of engineers and non-engineers alike excitedly exploring the changes while others avoided and complained about it.\nWhenever possible, take change as an opportunity to clean house, re-evaluate how the original problem might be solved with new technology or software, and perhaps ultimately avoid being a \u0026ldquo;hoarder\u0026rdquo; of the old ways.\n","date":"23 June 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/solving-the-wrong-problem/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThroughout the switch from a Microsoft based solution (Outlook, SharePoint, Office, etc.) to a Google based solution, I witnessed a great deal of frustration, anxiety, and even anger. Why? A full generation of people have never used anything besides the Google solutions, and it works just fine for them. It is clear to me that there are two fundamental considerations - what is the problem, and how do we solve it? This applies broadly beyond technology, but I\u0026rsquo;ll leave that part to the philosophers. \u003c/p\u003e","title":"Solving the Wrong Problem"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/categories/apple/","section":"Categories","summary":"","title":"Apple"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/apple/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Apple"},{"content":"\\[Note: Sorry for the duplicate post, I really didn't like that first title.\\]News broke (subscription required) over the holiday weekend that Apple is rumored to announce a home automation solution and/or platform at WWDC this year. Of course, rumors like this are to be taken with a grain of salt, but John Gruber\u0026rsquo;s reply of \u0026ldquo;I’m pretty excited for next week.\u0026rdquo; is classic Gruber-speak (albeit not a sure thing) for \u0026ldquo;this is happening.\u0026rdquo;\nSo why does Apple have a shot at this working? How do they possibly expect to release a platform for the home when they\u0026rsquo;re so notorious for closed ecosystems? Surely everyone can\u0026rsquo;t afford to outfit their entire home in Apple products. This is only speculation, but here\u0026rsquo;s how I think Apple can easily capitalize on this opportunity.\nFramework is in Place #I\u0026rsquo;ve pointed this out before, but it is worth highlighting again. Apple is exceptionally good at putting a framework in place over the course of years without anyone giving it too much attention, then they drop a bomb of an announcement and suddenly everyone realizes the framework is in place already. Competitors have a hard time catching up because that framework takes years to build. Their iBeacon strategy is exactly that, though I don\u0026rsquo;t think we\u0026rsquo;ve seen the bombshell of how it\u0026rsquo;ll be utilized yet.\nOne big hurdle for home automation is cost. There is always a hub that must act as a brain for the whole thing, and that hub is usually quite expensive. Apple has this problem solved already with at least one iOS device in hundreds of millions of homes across the world. There is some concern for whether or not those devices stay within the home (or even need to) to keep the smart home products working, but that doesn\u0026rsquo;t seem like a hard problem to solve with devices being connected so much of the time now.\nWith this infrastructure, Apple already has the app distribution system in place, the payment solution in place, the third party relationships in place, and the biggest monetary investment from the customer\u0026rsquo;s perspective has already been made. It also doesn\u0026rsquo;t hurt that Apple\u0026rsquo;s solution here is supported by their vested interest in user privacy. Apple has already made their money from the customer, they don\u0026rsquo;t need to sell user data; in fact they\u0026rsquo;re highly motivated to keep that data as safe as possible to keep customers happy - this solves one of the major potential road blocks I highlighted in my piece \u0026ldquo;The Trouble with the Internet of Things.\u0026rdquo;\nClosed Yet Open #Apple has very tight rules on how you can play in their ecosystem. They\u0026rsquo;ve also drawn some very controversial lines in the sand related to things like customization, inter-app data sharing, and plenty more. However, they\u0026rsquo;re also smart. They know that they can\u0026rsquo;t do everything themselves, they saw that when they announced the App Store, and surely they see it with a smart home solution. Apple makes a hell of a platform for both users and developers.\nApple doesn\u0026rsquo;t have to make any new hardware for this home automation solution. That\u0026rsquo;s pretty insane if you think about it. It also gives them a *massive *head start (except against Google, more on that later). All they have to do is enable third parties to make products that adhere to the rules and use the APIs that Apple creates.\nWhat better time to announce these new APIs than at WWDC? With some choice hardware partners they\u0026rsquo;ll have a modest set of \u0026ldquo;solutions\u0026rdquo; available on the day that iOS 8 ships to the public this fall. All a user has to do is update their iPhone or iPad and buy a couple of accessories and their home is suddenly connected. We aren\u0026rsquo;t too far from this right now with Lockitron and others, but I think by Apple taking on the infrastructure costs (servers, security, APIs, etc.) we can drive the third party prices down to more reasonable levels for a wider market.\nPerfectly Apple #This sounds perfectly Apple to me. The hints have been there for years. The market is very large. The platform is already in place with the up-front costs largely already behind us. Third parties and customers both need a stable and universal platform to enable the \u0026ldquo;smart home\u0026rdquo; dream, and that\u0026rsquo;s been really hard for any one company to provide. Apple is positioned perfectly, their reputation for respecting user privacy is in place, their reputation for stability and ease of use is strong. I\u0026rsquo;d be more surprised if this doesn\u0026rsquo;t happen than if it does. As an aside, the connected home dream is largely why Google purchased Nest. I expect to see offerings from them very soon as well, much sooner if Apple announces theirs next week. It\u0026rsquo;ll be interesting to see how the two approaches to solving this sell and grow.\n","date":"27 May 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/apples-rumored-home-automation-solution-is-already-in-most-homes/","section":"Archive","summary":"\\[Note: Sorry for the duplicate post, I really didn't like that first title.\\]\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/1bef71b8-e433-11e3-a73a-00144feabdc0.html?siteedition=intl\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"\u003eNews broke\u003c/a\u003e (subscription required) over the holiday weekend that Apple is rumored to announce a home automation solution and/or platform at WWDC this year. Of course, rumors like this are to be taken with a grain of salt, but John Gruber\u0026rsquo;s reply of \u0026ldquo;I’m pretty excited for next week.\u0026rdquo; is classic Gruber-speak (albeit not a sure thing) for \u0026ldquo;this is happening.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Apple's Rumored Home Automation Solution is Already in Most Homes"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/categories/connected-home/","section":"Categories","summary":"","title":"Connected Home"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/connected-home/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Connected Home"},{"content":"\\[Update: Changed title to better reflect the article. Will re-post with new link, but keep this link active.\\]News broke (subscription required) over the holiday weekend that Apple is rumored to announce a home automation solution and/or platform at WWDC this year. Of course, rumors like this are to be taken with a grain of salt, but John Gruber\u0026rsquo;s reply of \u0026ldquo;I’m pretty excited for next week.\u0026rdquo; is classic Gruber-speak (albeit not a sure thing) for \u0026ldquo;this is happening.\u0026rdquo;\nSo why does Apple have a shot at this working? How do they possibly expect to release a platform for the home when they\u0026rsquo;re so notorious for closed ecosystems? Surely everyone can\u0026rsquo;t afford to outfit their entire home in Apple products. This is only speculation, but here\u0026rsquo;s how I think Apple can easily capitalize on this opportunity.\nFramework is in Place #I\u0026rsquo;ve pointed this out before, but it is worth highlighting again. Apple is exceptionally good at putting a framework in place over the course of years without anyone giving it too much attention, then they drop a bomb of an announcement and suddenly everyone realizes the framework is in place already. Competitors have a hard time catching up because that framework takes years to build. Their iBeacon strategy is exactly that, though I don\u0026rsquo;t think we\u0026rsquo;ve seen the bombshell of how it\u0026rsquo;ll be utilized yet.\nOne big hurdle for home automation is cost. There is always a hub that must act as a brain for the whole thing, and that hub is usually quite expensive. Apple has this problem solved already with at least one iOS device in hundreds of millions of homes across the world. There is some concern for whether or not those devices stay within the home (or even need to) to keep the smart home products working, but that doesn\u0026rsquo;t seem like a hard problem to solve with devices being connected so much of the time now.\nWith this infrastructure, Apple already has the app distribution system in place, the payment solution in place, the third party relationships in place, and the biggest monetary investment from the customer\u0026rsquo;s perspective has already been made. It also doesn\u0026rsquo;t hurt that Apple\u0026rsquo;s solution here is supported by their vested interest in user privacy. Apple has already made their money from the customer, they don\u0026rsquo;t need to sell user data; in fact they\u0026rsquo;re highly motivated to keep that data as safe as possible to keep customers happy - this solves one of the major potential road blocks I highlighted in my piece \u0026ldquo;The Trouble with the Internet of Things.\u0026rdquo;\nClosed Yet Open #Apple has very tight rules on how you can play in their ecosystem. They\u0026rsquo;ve also drawn some very controversial lines in the sand related to things like customization, inter-app data sharing, and plenty more. However, they\u0026rsquo;re also smart. They know that they can\u0026rsquo;t do everything themselves, they saw that when they announced the App Store, and surely they see it with a smart home solution. Apple makes a hell of a platform for both users and developers.\nApple doesn\u0026rsquo;t have to make any new hardware for this home automation solution. That\u0026rsquo;s pretty insane if you think about it. It also gives them a massive head start (except against Google, more on that later). All they have to do is enable third parties to make products that adhere to the rules and use the APIs that Apple creates.\nWhat better time to announce these new APIs than at WWDC? With some choice hardware partners they\u0026rsquo;ll have a modest set of \u0026ldquo;solutions\u0026rdquo; available on the day that iOS 8 ships to the public this fall. All a user has to do is update their iPhone or iPad and buy a couple of accessories and their home is suddenly connected. We aren\u0026rsquo;t too far from this right now with Lockitron and others, but I think by Apple taking on the infrastructure costs (servers, security, APIs, etc.) we can drive the third party prices down to more reasonable levels for a wider market.\nPerfectly Apple #This sounds perfectly Apple to me. The hints have been there for years. The market is very large. The platform is already in place with the up-front costs largely already behind us. Third parties and customers both need a stable and universal platform to enable the \u0026ldquo;smart home\u0026rdquo; dream, and that\u0026rsquo;s been really hard for any one company to provide. Apple is positioned perfectly, their reputation for respecting user privacy is in place, their reputation for stability and ease of use is strong. I\u0026rsquo;d be more surprised if this doesn\u0026rsquo;t happen than if it does. As an aside, the connected home dream is largely why Google purchased Nest. I expect to see offerings from them very soon as well, much sooner if Apple announces theirs next week. It\u0026rsquo;ll be interesting to see how the two approaches to solving this sell and grow.\n","date":"27 May 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/why-apples-rumored-home-automation-announcement-at-wwdc-is-different/","section":"Archive","summary":"\\[Update: Changed title to better reflect the article. Will re-post with new link, but keep this link active.\\]\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/1bef71b8-e433-11e3-a73a-00144feabdc0.html?siteedition=intl\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"\u003eNews broke\u003c/a\u003e (subscription required) over the holiday weekend that Apple is rumored to announce a home automation solution and/or platform at WWDC this year. Of course, rumors like this are to be taken with a grain of salt, but John Gruber\u0026rsquo;s reply of \u0026ldquo;I’m pretty excited for next week.\u0026rdquo; is classic Gruber-speak (albeit not a sure thing) for \u0026ldquo;this is happening.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Apple's Rumored Home Automation Solution is Already In Most Homes"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/internet-of-things/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Internet of Things"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/iot/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"IoT"},{"content":"The Internet of Things (IoT) is the fascinating and (potentially) fast-approaching addition of Internet connectivity to just about everything. From your blinds opening for you as you get out of bed to your fridge telling you you\u0026rsquo;re low on milk. The Nest thermostat is one of the first highly successful IoT devices and it has shown how great the potential is in this space.\nSo what\u0026rsquo;s the trouble?\nIn short: data and money, but let\u0026rsquo;s break that down.\nData #The beauty of the IoT movement is that devices become intelligent. They learn patterns, they know where you are, then know when you\u0026rsquo;re likely to be somewhere or do something. Simply put, they know you. They learn, adapt, adjust, and fine tune themselves to maximize your utility from them. All of this requires data analysis, pattern recognition, and storing said data. Furthermore, as smaller devices get connected and the analysis gets more computationally complex, the more we\u0026rsquo;ll see the processing offloaded to the cloud.\nIf the processing is in the cloud, the data is in the cloud. There\u0026rsquo;s no avoiding it. That means your location patterns, your arrival and departure times from home/work/activities, your grocery lists (do you want a big pharma company knowing your exact diet to target ads for a new cholesterol medication?), your sleep patterns, your hygiene patterns, everything about you is captured as data. The products are infinitely less valuable without this data, yet the realization of just transferring it over the internet to a large company is unnerving to potential users.\nThere is an opportunity here, of course. What if you had a central hub within the home capable of the processing one might need? No data needs to go offsite, it could all be local and secure, and it has the added benefit of working when the internet is out.\nThere are a few problems with this though (not to say they can\u0026rsquo;t be tackled). The two biggest are a lack of standardization and cost. Without standardization, your \u0026ldquo;hub\u0026rdquo; will only work for the products from that one brand (or a limited group of partnered brands). Multiple hubs would increase price, so that doesn\u0026rsquo;t seem like a good option, but if we desire standardization who drives that? It sounds like IIC could be the solution to that, so stay tuned for updates from them.\nThat brings us to the next point.\nMoney #In the age of the Internet we\u0026rsquo;ve all gotten used to getting things for \u0026ldquo;free.\u0026rdquo; Sure, nothing is actually free, but the psychology of it is such that most people basically consider it free. There is no question that people are willing to pay for products and services that add value to their lives, premium versions of Evernote, Dropbox, Spotify, and many others are all great examples of that.\nEach of these examples provides a free tier though. The sample of their service, in many cases a very generous sample, is so generous that many users will never upgrade to a paid tier. The nature of the IoT is that the value-add over time increases, and it increases after you\u0026rsquo;ve purchased and are using the products. I don\u0026rsquo;t know if a \u0026ldquo;60 day in home trial\u0026rdquo; will be the solution, but somehow there will have to be a very clear way of showing users that these products add value to their lives to warrant the monetary (and perhaps privacy) costs. Early adopters and tech writers won\u0026rsquo;t be able to sway the masses easily.\nWithout a very clear understanding for the value that could be added and a longing for that value, it will be a hard sell for newcomers to spend several hundred dollars on a hub plus any number of add-ons to connect the appliances, products, and rooms of their choice. There is a very high barrier to entry if the added value isn\u0026rsquo;t obvious.\nSo how do you get over this hurdle? Well the most obvious is free hardware with service tiers - free to start, free features plus paid features, free under a certain usage level, who knows? As mentioned before though, nothing is actually free. There is no way a company will give away hardware if they\u0026rsquo;re not getting the data. And if they\u0026rsquo;re getting the data, you can count on them monetizing it if they have costs to recoup from the hardware. This problem circles back to the data section above and will be a challenge to solve.\nClosing Thoughts #It seems likely we\u0026rsquo;ll see both solutions. A \u0026ldquo;free\u0026rdquo; option for those who want free and a paid option for those who want privacy and are willing to pay for it. With any luck the IIC standardization will allow those two types of products to communicate with one another, but who knows.\nThere are plenty of arguments that we don\u0026rsquo;t really need any of this, and it is true that some of the IoT applications are a little bit far fetched. Yet if there is substantial added value from connecting something to the internet, and I believe in many cases there is, then this revolution will happen whether or not everyone is on board. There is just the \u0026lt;sarcasm\u0026gt; small matter \u0026lt;/sarcasm\u0026gt; of the user\u0026rsquo;s privacy and their money.\n","date":"19 May 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/the-trouble-with-the-internet-of-things/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe Internet of Things (IoT) is the fascinating and (potentially) fast-approaching addition of Internet connectivity to just about everything. From your blinds opening for you as you get out of bed to your fridge telling you you\u0026rsquo;re low on milk. The Nest thermostat is one of the first highly successful IoT devices and it has shown how great the potential is in this space.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo what\u0026rsquo;s the trouble?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn short: data and money, but let\u0026rsquo;s break that down.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Trouble With the Internet of Things"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/backblaze/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Backblaze"},{"content":"Time Machine and Backblaze team up to make a really robust backup configuration for any Mac user. They offer features to exclude particular directories from the backups, but what happens when those directories are inside of a \u0026ldquo;package\u0026rdquo; such as your iMovie or iPhoto library? If you use the UI to do this, you\u0026rsquo;ll never be able to omit a subdirectory of a package, but luckily there is a very easy solution.\nThe Problem #Working with iMovie lately I\u0026rsquo;ve realized that it tends to keep a lot of high quality render files around. There is no way to limit them, and they\u0026rsquo;re totally safe to delete. In my case, I\u0026rsquo;m generating 50-75GB of these files per hour I edit video, that\u0026rsquo;s a problem on my little 500GB SSD. I periodically delete them, but I\u0026rsquo;ve noticed that my Time Machine and Backblaze backups have been churning a lot lately, and these high quality renders are the reason.\nThe Solution #The solution is easy. We\u0026rsquo;ll cover how to do this in Time Machine, it is done in Backblaze in the exact same way. This works for any package content, in this example we\u0026rsquo;ll use the iMovie High Quality Media directory we\u0026rsquo;ve been covering.\nIf you use iMovie, click on your iMovie Library and select \u0026ldquo;Show Package Contents\u0026rdquo;. Then navigate (per project) to \u0026lt;project\u0026gt;/Render Files/High Quality Media. Open your System Preferences, select Time Machine, select Options, click the plus sign to add a directory. Navigate to the location of your iMove Library and you\u0026rsquo;ll notice that it is a package, not a directory (packages are really just special directories). It will look like this.\nOpen your Finder window just next to it, and drag and drop the \u0026ldquo;High Quality Media\u0026rdquo; directory into this exclude window; click \u0026ldquo;Save\u0026rdquo;/\u0026ldquo;Ok\u0026rdquo;, that\u0026rsquo;s it, you\u0026rsquo;re done. You\u0026rsquo;ll want to do the exact same thing for Backblaze. Hope this helps you as much as it has helped me!\n","date":"17 May 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/excluding-part-of-os-x-package-from-backblaze-and-time-machine-backups-to-save-tenshundreds-of-gb/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eTime Machine and Backblaze team up to make a really robust backup configuration for any Mac user. They offer features to exclude particular directories from the backups, but what happens when those directories are inside of a \u0026ldquo;package\u0026rdquo; such as your iMovie or iPhoto library? If you use the UI to do this, you\u0026rsquo;ll never be able to omit a subdirectory of a package, but luckily  there is a very easy solution.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Excluding Part of OS X Package from Backblaze and Time Machine Backups to Save Tens/Hundreds of GB"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/mac/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Mac"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/os-x/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"OS X"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/time-machine/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Time Machine"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/tips/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Tips"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/acquisition/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Acquisition"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/beats/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Beats"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/dre/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Dre"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/iphone/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"iPhone"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/itunes-radio/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"iTunes Radio"},{"content":"I wrote a piece yesterday after news broke that Apple is near closing on a deal that would make them owners of Beats for a bit of spare change, $3.2 billion. I highlighted a few reasons why this doesn\u0026rsquo;t seem to add up, and those are still valid.\nReports seem to be hinting more and more strongly that this is legit, but it still isn\u0026rsquo;t quite settling right for me. In one camp, you\u0026rsquo;ve got those that believe the headphones are the primary driver for the deal (Ben Thompson for one). In another (perhaps larger) camp, you\u0026rsquo;ve got those that think it is for the music streaming service.\nBoth of these are valid thoughts, but both have major hurdles. It would make sense that the purchase is likely to be for both products, if it is real at all, otherwise they\u0026rsquo;d spin off (or not sell) the other half I would think. Tough to say for sure.\nHeadphones #If the deal is primarily for the headphones, the biggest problem I see is the brand. The Beats brand is valuable as a brand. People know it, people love it, and people are willing to spend a lot of money on it despite the obviously inferior sound quality. They sound \u0026ldquo;good enough\u0026rdquo; (audiophiles disagree) and look good enough that people want them. They\u0026rsquo;ve become an icon. You don\u0026rsquo;t have that without the Beats brand, and when was the last time Apple sold their own product with any hint of any other brand on it? There is just no way you will see something like this happening\u0026hellip;\nHow valuable would Beats be without the brand? If they wanted headphone technology, why not purchase Sennheiser or someone like them?\nMusic Streaming #So what if this deal is for the music streaming? iTunes Radio isn\u0026rsquo;t exactly sweeping the industry by storm like iTunes did, so that might make sense, right? Well, maybe. The biggest concern is that the content rights that Beats managed to get that Apple hasn\u0026rsquo;t managed to obtain for themselves aren\u0026rsquo;t transferable (most likely) in the event of an acquisition. Add to that the fact that Beats Music only has around 200,000 subscribers, and you\u0026rsquo;ve got a much harder time justifying a $3.2 billion deal.\nVideo Leak #This morning, a video was posted on Facebook by Dre himself that \u0026ldquo;confirmed the deal\u0026rdquo; was happening. That makes this all seem more like a joke than anything as Apple doesn\u0026rsquo;t usually stand for that kind of thing. If the deal was happening, I\u0026rsquo;d think such a slip up could certainly jeopardize it.\nClosing Thoughts #I stand by my prior conclusion, despite the fact that online news sources seem to be more convinced by the minute that this is imminent. If this deal is real, there\u0026rsquo;s a major piece we\u0026rsquo;re all missing. Otherwise, I just don\u0026rsquo;t see the value in it for Apple.\n","date":"9 May 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/large-questions-loom-on-news-of-apples-acquisition-of-beats/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI \u003ca href=\"http://www.opte.ch/news/2014/5/8/doesnt-add-up-rumors-on-apple-purchasing-beats\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"\u003ewrote a piece yesterday\u003c/a\u003e after news broke that Apple is near closing on a deal that would make them owners of Beats for a bit of spare change, $3.2 billion. I highlighted a few reasons why this doesn\u0026rsquo;t seem to add up, and those are still valid.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eReports seem to be hinting more and more strongly that this is legit, but it still isn\u0026rsquo;t quite settling right for me. In one camp, you\u0026rsquo;ve got those that believe the headphones are the primary driver for the deal (\u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/monkbent/status/464629787412004864\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"\u003eBen Thompson\u003c/a\u003e for one). In another (perhaps larger) camp, you\u0026rsquo;ve got those that think it is for the music streaming service.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Large Questions Loom on News of Apple's Acquisition of Beats"},{"content":"As reported by the Financial Times (subscription required; MacRumors link for those without) Apple is allegedly in talks to purchase Beats for $3.2 billion. Beats makes headphones and recently launched a music service to go head-to-head with Spotify.\nApple could use some help with iTunes Radio, though for those simply looking for radio it isn\u0026rsquo;t too shabby; Apple certainly loves nice hardware and hardware design and it is no secret that Apple\u0026rsquo;s EarPods, though improved, could stand to be improved upon. However, this still doesn\u0026rsquo;t add up. It isn\u0026rsquo;t the money, it\u0026rsquo;s the principle. They don\u0026rsquo;t need the design ability. They aren\u0026rsquo;t going to pay $3.2 billion for the streaming music service side of it and shut down the headphone business, though I suppose they could sell it (or only buy the streaming music part to begin with). The headphones that Beats makes are good, but nowhere near great, and they\u0026rsquo;re extremely expensive.\nSomething is missing from the equation.\nApple has plenty of engineering talent to make better sounding headphones. Apple has plenty of design talent to run circles around Beats. Apple has plenty of engineering talent, or could at least purchase it, to improve iTunes Radio to go legitimately compete with Spotify and Beats. Sure an acquisition could jump start any of these initiatives, but a smaller and lower profile purchase, or series of purchases, would do the job nicely.\nThere is either more to this than we\u0026rsquo;re all seeing or imagining, which is often the case with Apple, or this is completely bogus. Both of these seem quite plausible, I guess only time will tell.\n","date":"8 May 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/doesnt-add-up-rumors-on-apple-purchasing-beats/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAs reported by the \u003ca href=\"http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/e330e830-d6f3-11e3-b95e-00144feabdc0.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"\u003eFinancial Times\u003c/a\u003e (subscription required; \u003ca href=\"http://www.macrumors.com/2014/05/08/apple-to-acquire-beats/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"\u003eMacRumors link for those without\u003c/a\u003e) Apple is allegedly in talks to purchase Beats for $3.2 billion. Beats makes headphones and recently launched a music service to go head-to-head with Spotify.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eApple could use some help with iTunes Radio, though for those simply looking for radio it isn\u0026rsquo;t too shabby; Apple certainly loves nice hardware and hardware design and it is no secret that Apple\u0026rsquo;s EarPods, though improved, could stand to be improved upon. However, this still doesn\u0026rsquo;t add up. It isn\u0026rsquo;t the money, it\u0026rsquo;s the principle. \u003c/p\u003e","title":"Doesn't Add Up: Rumors of Apple Purchasing Beats"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/spotify/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Spotify"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/bluetooth/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Bluetooth"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/ibeacon/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"iBeacon"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/mobile-payment/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Mobile Payment"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/square/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Square"},{"content":"The first, and by far the strongest, reason that Apple might not be in a rush to deploy a mobile payment/wallet solution is that the margins are extremely low. They\u0026rsquo;re even lower if you\u0026rsquo;re paying with a credit card since those companies already take a cut.\nGoogle Wallet hasn\u0026rsquo;t exactly taken off. Square is growing in larger cities, but it is far from ubiquitous. So why would Apple bother? If there isn\u0026rsquo;t much money to be made and previous attempts are less than successful, what\u0026rsquo;s to be gained?\nApple\u0026rsquo;s strategies rely heavily on their ecosystem and stickiness to that ecosystem. Getting users into the walled garden, then keeping them there, is the Apple way. The other fundamental technique that Apple uses is to quietly and slowly introduce infrastructure or software or something subtle that no one pays much attention to, then a few years later - BOOM - it is the foundation of something big.\nIt worked with iTunes for the iPod, iPhone, App Store, and eventually the iPad. Once those credit cards were on file sales in the ecosystem kept growing, which grew the ecosystem, which sold more devices. Those successes have driven other parts of the business too as Mac sales continue to grow.\nI think they began the next phase years ago. People noticed when they added Bluetooth LE (low energy) to the iPhone 4S in 2011, but it didn\u0026rsquo;t make too many waves. Only the geeks noticed when iBeacon (BTLE) support was announced in iOS 7; sure the MLB is adopting it, but it isn\u0026rsquo;t a household name. People noticed when they added TouchID to the iPhone 5s in 2013, and that one made waves but some argued it wasn\u0026rsquo;t exactly profound.\nWhat happens when you combine all of these though? You\u0026rsquo;ve got hundreds of millions of phones that already support BTLE. You\u0026rsquo;ve got an ultra-cheap infrastructure piece (iBeacon transceivers) that can very easily be deployed, or has been already. You\u0026rsquo;ve got 800 million credit cards already on file, and you\u0026rsquo;ve got lights-out security to authorize payments with TouchID. Suddenly a lot of the major problems have been solved.\nAdoption is much less of an issue because the products that people already own will support it, they\u0026rsquo;re already being used 24/7, and their credit card information is already plugged in. There is a level of trust with Apple that is higher than many other technology companies because Apple doesn\u0026rsquo;t profit off of user data, in fact they profit off of NOT profiting off of user data. The same can\u0026rsquo;t be said for all of the other players in this product segment.\nThe biggest speed bump here is that while phones as old as the 4S support BTLE, only the 5S (and presumably upcoming 6/6c) has TouchID. It isn\u0026rsquo;t clear if they\u0026rsquo;d only roll out mobile payments to this latest set of hardware, or if they\u0026rsquo;d just require password authentication for older devices. However, I think their user-base (either way) is large enough that 2014 could be the year.\nThere is, without a doubt in my mind, no one better positioned than Apple to release a mobile payment solution that will finally break through.\nOh, and I\u0026rsquo;d say this meet\u0026rsquo;s Tim Cook\u0026rsquo;s \u0026ldquo;new product segments\u0026rdquo; promise, wouldn\u0026rsquo;t you?\n","date":"29 April 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/why-apple-despite-low-profit-opportunity-might-announce-mobile-payments-at-wwdc-2014/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe first, and by far the strongest, reason that Apple might not be in a rush to deploy a mobile payment/wallet solution is that the margins are extremely low. They\u0026rsquo;re even lower if you\u0026rsquo;re paying with a credit card since those companies already take a cut.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGoogle Wallet hasn\u0026rsquo;t exactly taken off. Square is growing in larger cities, but it is far from ubiquitous. So why would Apple bother? If there isn\u0026rsquo;t much money to be made and previous attempts are less than successful, what\u0026rsquo;s to be gained?\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Why Apple, Despite Low Profit Opportunity, Might Announce Mobile Payments at WWDC 2014"},{"content":"The iPod, iPhone, and iPad are unequivocally considered to be profound and world-changing technological breakthroughs that forever changed the world we live in. They sell by the millions and account for staggering quarterly revenues.\nThe funny thing is, none of them really sold well on the first generation. The first iPod is barely a blip on the sales radar coming in well under a quarter million units.\nImage credit: Wikipedia\nOkay, so what about the iPhone? Nope - 270,000 units in their first quarter. Sales did pick up a bit for a total first year sales of a little over 5M, but they sell that on opening weekend now.\nImage credit: Wikipedia\nFine, but surely the iPad was a grand slam, right? Comparatively, yes (at 3.27M units the first quarter). But by today\u0026rsquo;s standards? Not so much.\nImage credit: Wikipedia\nSo what exactly are \u0026ldquo;today\u0026rsquo;s standards\u0026rdquo;? Every time there is a new sales record, that seems to become the new standard. If a company returns to their previous normal revenue, normal sales, or normal product volumes it is usually viewed as the end of days for that company. Growth is important, don\u0026rsquo;t get me wrong, but Apple\u0026rsquo;s repeatedly mind-boggling quarterly revenues are dismissed because some of the growth numbers are flat.\nI\u0026rsquo;ve written about the flat iPad growth and so has Ben Thompson, so I won\u0026rsquo;t rehash it, but suffice it to say they\u0026rsquo;re selling a lot of iPads. The speculation for their next product is, well, creative to put it nicely. Many things are products that could certainly be interesting, but often many don\u0026rsquo;t address a real problem like these iDevices did. This tweet from Benedict Evans hits the nail on the head.\nBefore the iPhone and iPod we knew the problem but not the solution. With smart watches we don\u0026rsquo;t know the problem\n— Benedict Evans (@BenedictEvans) April 19, 2014\nApple\u0026rsquo;s next product could be a health wearable where the total addressable market is technically every human, but realistically far, far smaller. It could be a watch. It could be television. Each of these has inherent problems, but did many of their past breakthrough products, all of which were overcome.\nSuppose Apple does the Apple thing and overcomes the battery life or content delivery or whatever hurdles stand in their way. Suppose they introduce the next leg of their product stool at WWDC in a few weeks. What happens then? Is there any sales number that would draw a positive result from the masses? They sell 50M iPhones per quarter, so do they have to beat that? It sounds insane, but after seeing the 50M number, 1M doesn\u0026rsquo;t sound so good to those that are so hungry for something, for anything new, that they live with blinders on and won\u0026rsquo;t stop writing about how innovation is dead at big companies like Apple.\nIf it isn\u0026rsquo;t the sales number that gets people, perhaps it\u0026rsquo;ll be the revenue. As Ben Bajarin has pointed out several times, for any product to even show up on their revenue pie chart it would have to make many billions of dollars. That\u0026rsquo;s a stretch, even for Apple.\nI certainly hope a new product is met with new (and realistic) sales volume expectations, but I\u0026rsquo;m not holding my breath. News agencies are pushing this sense of urgency that a monumental breakthrough is absolutely required for Apple as we know it to stay relevant. Once the stimulus bar has been raised, it (apparently) can never go back down.\nWhat is the magic number of unit sales or revenue they\u0026rsquo;ve got to hit? Will it even matter, or will the next round of pessimists start immediately beating their tired drum? Only time will tell.\n","date":"25 April 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/how-successful-will-a-new-apple-product-need-to-be-to-considered-successful/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe iPod, iPhone, and iPad are unequivocally considered to be profound and world-changing technological breakthroughs that forever changed the world we live in. They sell by the millions and account for staggering quarterly revenues.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe funny thing is, none of them really sold well on the first generation. The first iPod is barely a blip on the sales radar coming in well under a quarter million units.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ipod_sales_per_quarter.svg\" class=\"sqs-block-image-link\" data-sqsp-image-classic-block-image-link=\"\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"800px-Ipod_sales_per_quarter.svg-1-.png\" alt=\"Image credit: Wikipedia\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"How Successful Will A New Apple Product Need to be to Considered Successful?"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/innovation/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Innovation"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/ipad/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"iPad"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/ipod/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"iPod"},{"content":"To proclaim understanding of such a young tablet market is a fool\u0026rsquo;s errand, but I think there are some additional considerations to be made beyond Gassée\u0026rsquo;s article where he concludes that the iPad is a tease and it cannot fulfill the duties it promised to fulfill.\nTo evaluate the tablet, it is worthwhile to consider smartphones. Smartphones replaced their predecessors entirely, and with ease. It wasn\u0026rsquo;t a \u0026ldquo;good enough\u0026rdquo; solution and the way we use phones didn\u0026rsquo;t have to change. Sure we got all sorts of new ways to use phones, but the same old ability to make calls and send SMS usage was fundamentally still there. All of the things people needed to do, they could do.\nThe same cannot be said for tablets right now when you measure them as PC replacements. Tablets enable us to do a lot of work, a lot of the same work, and a lot of new work, but it doesn\u0026rsquo;t allow us to do all of the work we can do on a PC. If there is even one critical task you must accomplish that isn\u0026rsquo;t possible or realistic on a tablet, you suddenly need a computer. One tiny little thing can throw a wrench in the gears that easily. Sure a new piece of software with a unique way of interacting with or producing data to fulfill the same need is possible, but it might not be adopted at your company or it might have shortcomings.\nSo why this massive difference in how things turned out? For starters, the phone industry was an infant when smartphones replaced them. Okay not technically an infant but they never really added usage-changing features, for all intents and purposes people just needed their phones to make calls and send messages. The computer industry is a lot older and has some extremely entrenched workflows. It is much easier to dethrone something so young (dumb phones), especially if you (smartphones) are vastly superior in every single way. Computers aren\u0026rsquo;t young, they aren\u0026rsquo;t dumb, and they are absolutely critical in just about everyone\u0026rsquo;s job, if not their life.\nThe other thing that complicates this discussion is that tablets are being framed as needing to replace traditional PCs to be successful. I think that is a misguided notion. There is certainly a lot of overlap between the two, but surely it isn\u0026rsquo;t realistic to expect tablets to eliminate the PC industry. It isn\u0026rsquo;t clear where this will all end up. Even though iPad sales growth is declining with no obvious explanation, the tablet market is nicely establishing itself in peoples\u0026rsquo; lives and won\u0026rsquo;t be going away any time soon. (My thanks to Jordan Hendry for a thought provoking discussion that lead to this train of thought.)\nUPDATE: Updated the title to reflect the tone of the article more, I\u0026rsquo;ll leave the URL to keep links live.\n","date":"22 April 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/a-different-interpretation-of-gasses-ipad-numbers/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eTo proclaim understanding of such a young tablet market is a fool\u0026rsquo;s errand, but I think there are some additional considerations to be made beyond \u003ca href=\"http://www.mondaynote.com/2014/04/20/the-ipad-is-a-tease/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"\u003eGassée\u0026rsquo;s article\u003c/a\u003e where he concludes that the iPad is a tease and it cannot fulfill the duties it promised to fulfill.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo evaluate the tablet, it is worthwhile to consider smartphones. Smartphones replaced their predecessors \u003cem\u003eentirely\u003c/em\u003e, and with \u003cem\u003eease\u003c/em\u003e. It wasn\u0026rsquo;t a \u0026ldquo;good enough\u0026rdquo; solution and the way we use phones didn\u0026rsquo;t have to change. Sure we got all sorts of new ways to use phones, but the same old ability to make calls and send SMS usage was fundamentally still there. All of the things people needed to do, they could do.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Additional Considerations for Gassée's Conclusion for Declining iPad Growth"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/tablet/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Tablet"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/technology/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Technology"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/interaction/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Interaction"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/categories/tech/","section":"Categories","summary":"","title":"Tech"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/virtual-assistant/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Virtual Assistant"},{"content":"The only undisputed champion of interaction models/devices since the mouse is the touchscreen. No contest. The trend and industry is trying, often too hard, to push the next frontier of interacting with devices toward voice. While I think voice interaction is crucial, I don\u0026rsquo;t think it is being thought of in the right way yet.\nThere are inherent problems with voice. Natural language recognition isn\u0026rsquo;t perfect, and likely won\u0026rsquo;t be for a while. If the system has \u0026ldquo;keywords\u0026rdquo; you\u0026rsquo;ve failed before you shipped and the biggest concern of all is probably privacy. I\u0026rsquo;m not talking about Google or government knowing your every move type of privacy, I\u0026rsquo;m talking about old fashioned privacy. \u0026ldquo;Don\u0026rsquo;t let the guy next to me know what I\u0026rsquo;m saying to my wife\u0026rdquo; privacy. There is a reason messaging is still king (cough, WhatsApp for $19 billion). Messaging is, and will be for the foreseeable future, a major player in how we communicate. Yes people will dictate messages, but often we\u0026rsquo;re in public or a quiet place and just don\u0026rsquo;t want to share what we\u0026rsquo;re saying with everyone. Expect a piece on this soon, but let\u0026rsquo;s leave it there for now.\nSo how do we advance to the next interaction model if it isn\u0026rsquo;t voice? There is nothing left between us and our content; we are literally touching it. No more mouse or scroll wheel in the middle. To answer the question, you\u0026rsquo;ve got to change the perspective a little bit. I think the next interaction model is going to be proactive and intelligent technology. We have seen signs of it today, Google Now being the best example by far, but don\u0026rsquo;t forget Android\u0026rsquo;s (third party) context aware lock screens. These are just the start, but it is a sample. Your first thought is probably \u0026ldquo;that isn\u0026rsquo;t an interaction model, I still touch the screen or use voice commands.\u0026rdquo; That is true, for now. That changed perspective I was referring to is to accept that voice and touch are likely to be around for a very long time. They\u0026rsquo;ll be a big part of this. This proactive technology isn\u0026rsquo;t replacing touchscreens any time soon, but it will fundamentally change how we use technology.** For the first time, the interaction will be a two way street.** That is the interaction model breakthrough.\nThere are concerns and problems to be solved. We\u0026rsquo;ve gotten used to getting this type of thing for \u0026ldquo;free,\u0026rdquo; but nothing is really free. If you aren\u0026rsquo;t paying for the service, then you are the thing being sold. To achieve this level of proactive technology, the devices will have to know us very intimately. This means collecting data, a lot of data. For now that means privacy is diminished, but eventually that will (largely) come to pass. Encrypted devices send encrypted anonymous data to servers to process and analyze with anonymous (encrypted) results sent back. As with anything with technology, this can and will be hacked, but if the value is high enough people will allow it. They\u0026rsquo;ve moved all of their communication to free email and free (or free-ish) messaging haven\u0026rsquo;t they?\nIt is tough to say what the solution will look like, but I anxiously await the day my technology drives the interaction with me and not always the other way around.\n","date":"17 April 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/what-is-the-next-interaction-model-breakthrough-after-touchscreens/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe only undisputed champion of interaction models/devices since the mouse is the touchscreen. No contest. The trend and industry is trying, often too hard, to push the next frontier of interacting with devices toward voice. While I think voice interaction is crucial, I don\u0026rsquo;t think it is being thought of in the right way yet.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere are inherent problems with voice. Natural language recognition isn\u0026rsquo;t perfect, and likely won\u0026rsquo;t be for a while. If the system has \u0026ldquo;keywords\u0026rdquo; you\u0026rsquo;ve failed before you shipped and the biggest concern of all is probably privacy. I\u0026rsquo;m not talking about Google or government knowing your every move type of privacy, I\u0026rsquo;m talking about old fashioned privacy. \u0026ldquo;Don\u0026rsquo;t let the guy next to me know what I\u0026rsquo;m saying to my wife\u0026rdquo; privacy. There is a reason messaging is still king (cough, \u003ca href=\"http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-02-19/facebook-to-buy-mobile-messaging-app-whatsapp-for-16-billion.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"\u003eWhatsApp for $19 billion\u003c/a\u003e). Messaging is, and will be for the foreseeable future, a \u003cem\u003emajor\u003c/em\u003e player in how we communicate. Yes people will dictate messages, but often we\u0026rsquo;re in public or a quiet place and just don\u0026rsquo;t want to share what we\u0026rsquo;re saying with everyone. Expect a piece on this soon, but let\u0026rsquo;s leave it there for now.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"What is the Next Interaction Model Breakthrough after Touchscreens?"},{"content":"This piece by Yoni Heisler is the most refreshing thing I\u0026rsquo;ve read in a very long time. Do yourself a favor and go read it (and don\u0026rsquo;t miss the embedded Louis CK video - so accurate). Apple does one thing, and it does it very well. In Yoni\u0026rsquo;s words:\nApple may be an immensely private company, but its modus operandi is hardly a well-kept secret. The company releases finished products that it believes will fundamentally have a positive impact on the way people interact with technology, and in the process, make them truckloads of money. This also stood out to me:\nThe \u0026ldquo;what have you done for me lately\u0026rdquo; attitude is pervasive amongst talking heads who seemingly employ a running counter that precisely measures the last time Apple released a game changing product.\nYoni, thank you. I am equally excited about what comes next while being equally thrilled about how great technology is today.\n","date":"3 April 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/heisler-a-spoiled-generation-of-tech-observers-yearn-for-apple-innovations-on-demand/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.tuaw.com/2014/04/03/a-spoiled-generation-of-tech-observers-yearn-for-apple-innovatio/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"\u003eThis piece\u003c/a\u003e by \u003ca href=\"http://www.tuaw.com/editor/yoni-heisler/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"\u003eYoni Heisler\u003c/a\u003e is the most refreshing thing I\u0026rsquo;ve read in a very long time. Do yourself a favor and go read it (and don\u0026rsquo;t miss the embedded Louis CK video - so accurate). \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eApple does one thing, and it does it very well. In Yoni\u0026rsquo;s words:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eApple may be an immensely private company, but its modus operandi is hardly a well-kept secret. The company releases finished products that it believes will fundamentally have a positive impact on the way people interact with technology, and in the process, make them truckloads of money. \u003c/p\u003e","title":"Heisler: A spoiled generation of tech observers yearn for Apple innovations on-demand"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/tech-bloggers/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Tech Bloggers"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/apple-tv/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Apple TV"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/chrome-cast/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Chrome Cast"},{"content":"Intel has branded wireless display as WiDi, Apple has AirPlay, Google has Chromecast, and now Amazon has entered the market. The value of platform lock-in is tremendous for these companies, so the incentive to move to a more open standard isn\u0026rsquo;t very high. But how much longer can that be the case?\nThis isn\u0026rsquo;t comparing apples to apples, with wireless displays the control has to be tighter since only one person can have control of the screen at a time (or perhaps a small subset of people) unlike WiFi which can handle huge numbers. Yet the principle is similar. A protocol to dictate who is in control as an admin, who controls the screen, how the bit rate and quality are negotiated, and more. This protocol isn\u0026rsquo;t unlike the 802.11 protocols that dictate the security, handshaking, and data transfer for WiFi.\nAt work we plug into 1024x768 projectors with a VGA cable from Dell laptops. That sentence could have been written in the late 90s and would have been relevant\u0026hellip; ouch. I use AirPlay at home frequently. Many family members have Apple TVs that allow the same, but with Chromecast costing a third as much and Android sales booming, it stands to reason that cross platform wireless screen sharing is going to be in high demand soon*. Or are people (and companies) going to need to buy one of each? Google has gestured toward cross platform screen casting, but it is far from ubiquitous. What level of cultural adoption would be required for Apple to consider adding support for it at the expense of AirPlay?\nI don\u0026rsquo;t know how long it will take, but eventually something (probably) has to give. *I know Chromecast is cross platform, but iOS limits the support to apps that build in support themselves. I\u0026rsquo;m talking about native system-wide screen casting.\n","date":"3 April 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/how-long-until-wireless-display-is-open-and-ubiquitous-like-wifi/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIntel has branded wireless display as \u003ca href=\"http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/architecture-and-technology/intel-wireless-display.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"\u003eWiDi\u003c/a\u003e, Apple has \u003ca href=\"https://www.apple.com/airplay/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"\u003eAirPlay\u003c/a\u003e, Google has \u003ca href=\"http://www.google.com/intl/en-US/chrome/devices/chromecast/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"\u003eChromecast\u003c/a\u003e, and now \u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.com/fire-tv-streaming-media-player/dp/B00CX5P8FC/?tag=googhydr-20\u0026amp;ref=km_sc0PIIN8ldihBn/fpN8Qtw==_amazon%20fire%20tv\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"\u003eAmazon has entered the market\u003c/a\u003e. The value of platform lock-in is tremendous for these companies, so the incentive to move to a more open standard isn\u0026rsquo;t very high. But how much longer can that be the case?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis isn\u0026rsquo;t comparing apples to apples, with wireless displays the control has to be tighter since only one person can have control of the screen at a time (or perhaps a small subset of people) unlike WiFi which can handle huge numbers. Yet the principle is similar. A protocol to dictate who is in control as an admin, who controls the screen, how the bit rate and quality are negotiated, and more. This protocol isn\u0026rsquo;t unlike the 802.11 protocols that dictate the security, handshaking, and data transfer for WiFi.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"How Long Until Wireless Display is Open and Ubiquitous Like WiFi?"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/widi/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"WiDi"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/wifi/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"WiFi"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/wireless-display/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Wireless Display"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/social-networking/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Social Networking"},{"content":"I joined Twitter in February of 2009, and it seemed like I was late to the party – a party I wasn\u0026rsquo;t just skipping, it was something I was actively avoiding. If you are against joining Twitter, I ask that you consider what this article has to say with an open mind and we\u0026rsquo;ll go from there.\nTwitter isn\u0026rsquo;t for everyone, but it probably isn\u0026rsquo;t what you think it is either. In short, Twitter is for you if you have a hobby, interest, friends who share content, or a topic you follow or share about. Sound hyperbolic? It really isn\u0026rsquo;t.\nWhat Twitter Isn\u0026rsquo;t #The things that Twitter is not are, in my opinion and that of many of the people I have converted, perhaps more important than what Twitter is. So let\u0026rsquo;s outline some key items that Twitter is not.\nTwitter isn\u0026rsquo;t a stream (or firehose) of stuff you don\u0026rsquo;t care about. Twitter doesn\u0026rsquo;t have to be time consuming, many enjoy it so much they choose to use it a lot though. Twitter isn\u0026rsquo;t Facebook or glorified group SMS (it technically can be the latter, but relatively few use it in that way). Twitter doesn\u0026rsquo;t require you to post anything. Ever. Twitter doesn\u0026rsquo;t require a real life identity, it can be as anonymous as you want. Twitter isn\u0026rsquo;t public unless you want it to be. Twitter isn\u0026rsquo;t a two-way sharing of information unless you explicitly want it to be. You can anonymously exist on Twitter and follow topics that interest you with no one ever knowing who you are. What Twitter Is #The shortest description is that Twitter can be anything you want it to be. A stream of headlines you care about on any topic or group of topics you\u0026rsquo;re interested in. There\u0026rsquo;s a Twitter feed for everything imaginable. Cute cats, gardening tips, and monster trucks? Follow @emergencykittens, @Gardening_Ideas, and @theallmonster. Done – easy. Private. If you want to post to only people following you, it\u0026rsquo;s easy to do. Or you can never post at all. Your call. Following is one way. If someone follows you, you don\u0026rsquo;t have to follow them. You\u0026rsquo;ll never see their updates if you don\u0026rsquo;t follow them, and they\u0026rsquo;ll never see yours if they don\u0026rsquo;t follow you. This is one of the biggest differentiators from many social networks. An extraordinary source for breaking news in any particular region or all regions. News outlets were way behind and embarrassingly inaccurate during the tragic Boston Marathon Bombings, but the right Twitter sources were timely and accurate. Real time local news. I have learned about school lock downs, break ins, and road closures with up to the minute accuracy by following local sources, local police, etc. One-way flow of information - either in or out. You don\u0026rsquo;t have to follow anyone and you don\u0026rsquo;t have to let anyone follow you. If you want to broadcast, you can broadcast. If you want only to receive information from your curated list, you can do that too. I know several people that only use Twitter to gather information. At-a-glance and in-depth information. You can opt to glean information at a glance reading headlines and 1 sentence blurbs or you can use it to dive into detail on a topic, perform research, or read endlessly. When I\u0026rsquo;m getting gas I read headlines for 45 seconds, when I\u0026rsquo;m at the DMV I read interesting things for hours. No one has to know you joined Twitter. You don\u0026rsquo;t have to use your real name. You can disable being discovered by your email address. You can exist on Twitter without anyone ever knowing it is you. Multiple account support. If you want one account to follow friends and one to follow news, you can easily do that all within a single app. Amazing apps. Twitter, unlike Facebook, can be accessed through the official Twitter apps or countless third party apps. You can find an app that is designed the way you like, with features that you like, with customizations that you like. More on this below. When to Twitter #One of the remarks against Twitter is the lack of a need for more streams of information. Another counter point is that there is little time for yet another social network. Mix these with the misconception that you don\u0026rsquo;t have control over how much content you see in Twitter, and there\u0026rsquo;s a pretty strong case against it. I believe that is misguided though. I (and my convert friends) went from believing these things to genuinely loving Twitter.\nYou have absolute control over how much is in your Twitter feed. You chose who to follow and you don\u0026rsquo;t see anything else. You can disable one person\u0026rsquo;s retweets (when they re-post someone else, you can disable that to only see their own content). You can also mute people; for example I have instituted a 24 hour mute on @gmail because of their overzealous April Fool\u0026rsquo;s Day posting – it was getting old, but I know I still want to follow them long term.\nSince following is one way, there\u0026rsquo;s no obligation to \u0026ldquo;Like\u0026rdquo; posts, no social pressure to comment, no two-way pressures at all. If you never read a Tweet, no one cares. This makes Twitter perfect for waiting in line, sitting on the bus, filling your car with gas, etc; whether you have 4 seconds or 45 minutes, it doesn\u0026rsquo;t matter. Check it once per month, or every 5 minutes, your choice.\nIf you have any amount of time to follow or share information on any friend, family, hobby, or interest, then Twitter is for you in some capacity.\nMobile Twitter Clients #There are countless apps to access Twitter, though some of the most prolific should suffice for just about any Twitter user (not to put down the small developers, if you have a Twitter app you\u0026rsquo;d like me to review, please contact me). There are also desktop clients and tablet clients (some below are hybrid phone/tablet). My focus here is smartphone since I find that\u0026rsquo;s the best way to interact with Twitter.\niOS Clients # Tweetbot ($4.99) - My absolute favorite app for the iPhone – period. That easily makes it my favorite Twitter client. The iOS 7 redesign has only made it to the iPhone version, but that\u0026rsquo;s alright. This app is worth 5x the asking price. Twitter (Free) - The official Twitter app is capable enough if you don\u0026rsquo;t want to spend the money. It supports things like two factor authentication where any desktop login request has to get verified via this app. Twitterific (Freemium) - A great Twitter app that is free with in-app purchases to turn off ads, enable push notifications, etc. More - There are countless Twitter apps, so I encourage you to explore. I highlight these key players to give you a good first experience with Twitter to figure out if Twitter is for you before diving into the world of finding the right client (if these aren\u0026rsquo;t quite right). Android Clients #I asked for some feedback from some faithful Twitter users and Android device owners since my experience on the platform has been more limiting than I wish. Any of these people that once had an iOS device first remarked strongly wished Tweetbot existed for Android. It doesn\u0026rsquo;t, so here are the top choices.\nTwitter (Free) - The official Twitter app seems to be a top choice. It supports things like two factor authentication where any desktop login request has to get verified via this app. Tweedle (Freemium) - Clean interface, simple to use, solid set of features. Talon ($1.99) - Feature rich, nice design. Fynch (Freemium) - Twitter client that offers summary views to get a higher level idea of the content of your Twitter feed. Lingo #There is some Twitter lingo that helps to be aware of. Thankfully if you Google just about any weird thing you see and surround your search query with \u0026ldquo;what is\u0026rdquo; and \u0026ldquo;on Twitter\u0026rdquo;, you\u0026rsquo;ll probably find the answer.\nRT - retweet. You\u0026rsquo;re re-sharing a tweet that someone else posted. You used to have to manually do this, but now there is a retweet button. MT - modified retweet. Same as a retweet but modified slightly. Often used to truncate someone else\u0026rsquo;s tweet to append your own thoughts. .@\u0026lt;handle\u0026gt; - A leading period before the @ is used to disable Twitter\u0026rsquo;s conversation threading. Without the period, a reply is only seen by those that follow you and whomever you reply to. More details here. HT - hat tip and/or heard through. Used to indicate that the information was heard through the mentioned source. More - Check out the complete guide to Twitter lingo. ","date":"1 April 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/the-case-that-twitter-is-for-nearly-everyone-from-an-antitwitter-convert/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI joined Twitter in February of 2009, and it seemed like I was late to the party – a party I wasn\u0026rsquo;t just skipping, it was something I was actively avoiding. If you are against joining Twitter, I ask that you consider what this article has to say with an open mind and we\u0026rsquo;ll go from there.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTwitter isn\u0026rsquo;t for \u003cem\u003eeveryone\u003c/em\u003e, but it probably isn\u0026rsquo;t what you think it is either. In short, Twitter is for you if you have a hobby, interest, friends who share content, or a topic you follow or share about. Sound hyperbolic? It really isn\u0026rsquo;t.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"The Case That Twitter is for (Nearly) Everyone, From an Anti-Twitter Convert"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/tweetbot/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Tweetbot"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/twitter/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Twitter"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/categories/web/","section":"Categories","summary":"","title":"Web"},{"content":"Facebook has been making waves lately, tidal waves in fact. After $19 billion for WhatsApp and $2 billion for Oculus, some are left scratching their head and asking some very good questions. Why? How are these related?\nI think the answer is simpler than many have offered. I believe it boils down to Facebook wanting to stay relevant long term, no matter what technology or platform enables it.\nWhatsApp #Messaging is a (or the?) primary means of communicating for billions of people, and Facebook Messenger was largely a flop. In a sense, messaging is the simplest highly private social network; you share very specific things with very specific people. I firmly believe that messaging with reign supreme as a top, if not the top, use of mobile phones for the foreseeable future.\nOculus #Virtual reality (VR) has been attempted repeatedly for decades. The idea is usually focused on gaming, but I suspect it will eventually grow beyond that. Technology is finally getting to a point where it is nearly ready for the masses, previously it has been more of a cool demo. There is little doubt that VR will play a role in technology for many years to come, and many believe it\u0026rsquo;ll be a common household technology in the not-to-distant future.\nFacebook isn\u0026rsquo;t Your Regular Tech Company #Facebook is run by a forward looking CEO that has zero interest in becoming a \u0026ldquo;normal\u0026rdquo; technology company. Legacy tech companies move surprisingly slowly when growing, expanding into new markets, or acquiring companies. Zuckerberg is running a new type of technology company. Move faster, innovate more quickly, and skate to where the puck is going rather than where it has been before anyone else does. Parts of this remind me of Apple, but even Apple seems to have more of a sluggish corporate feel. Facebook was happy to cannibalize Messenger because it knows WhatsApp was better. Facebook isn\u0026rsquo;t operating with the baggage of a bunch of executives that have been in the industry for long careers and are applying that knowledge to each decision. They move quickly and with a sense of how vastly different the technology landscape is today compared to just a few years ago, and how fast it is changing.\nKeep Up #This isn\u0026rsquo;t to say that Facebook\u0026rsquo;s methods will yield the results they hope, but it is a very fast-paced and aggressive approach. It sends the message \u0026ldquo;I dare you to keep up\u0026rdquo; to the other major tech companies out there. Only time will tell if they can keep up, if they even want to keep up, or if Facebook\u0026rsquo;s fast-paced trajectory is even headed in the right direction.\n","date":"26 March 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/contemplating-facebooks-strategy-based-on-acquisitions/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFacebook has been making waves lately, tidal waves in fact. After \u003ca href=\"http://money.cnn.com/2014/02/19/technology/social/facebook-whatsapp/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"\u003e$19 billion for WhatsApp\u003c/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"http://www.forbes.com/sites/briansolomon/2014/03/25/facebook-buys-oculus-virtual-reality-gaming-startup-for-2-billion/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"\u003e$2 billion for Oculus\u003c/a\u003e, some are left scratching their head and asking some very good questions. Why? How are these related?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI think the answer is simpler than many have offered. I believe it boils down to \u003cstrong\u003eFacebook wanting to stay relevant long term, \u003ca href=\"http://avc.com/2014/03/the-search-for-the-next-platform/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"\u003eno matter what technology or platform enables it\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"whatsapp\" class=\"relative group\"\u003eWhatsApp \u003cspan class=\"absolute top-0 w-6 transition-opacity opacity-0 -start-6 not-prose group-hover:opacity-100\"\u003e\u003ca class=\"group-hover:text-primary-300 dark:group-hover:text-neutral-700\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none !important;\" href=\"#whatsapp\" aria-label=\"Anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eMessaging is a (or the?) primary means of communicating for billions of people, and Facebook Messenger was largely a flop. In a sense, messaging is the simplest highly private social network; you share very specific things with very specific people. I firmly believe that messaging with reign supreme as a top, if not \u003cem\u003ethe\u003c/em\u003e top, use of mobile phones for the foreseeable future.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Contemplating Facebook's Strategy Based on Acquisitions"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/facebook/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Facebook"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/oculus/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Oculus"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/virtual-reality/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Virtual Reality"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/whatsapp/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"WhatsApp"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/apps/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Apps"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/design/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Design"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/startups/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Startups"},{"content":"Thanks to ProductHunt.co I\u0026rsquo;ve been made aware of a site that embodies the passion for incredible design. Subjective-C, a wonderful word play on the software language that iOS apps are written in \u0026ndash; Objective-C, is a site that finds little details of apps where the designers spent a tremendous amount of time to perfect a small detail.\nThese types of details enhance the user experience, though many people will never even explicitly notice them. The site is new, but hopefully will grow quickly. There are many apps that deserve the recognition and designers/developers that deserve the recognition for the time and passion they spent sweating the details.\nI highly recommend taking a look at Subjective-C by Sam Page.\n","date":"26 March 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/subjective-c-studying-beautiful-design/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThanks to \u003ca href=\"http://www.producthunt.co\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"\u003eProductHunt.co\u003c/a\u003e I\u0026rsquo;ve been made aware of a site that embodies the passion for incredible design. \u003ca href=\"http://subjc.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"\u003eSubjective-C\u003c/a\u003e, a wonderful word play on the software language that iOS apps are written in \u0026ndash; Objective-C, is a site that finds little details of apps where the designers spent a tremendous amount of time to perfect a small detail.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese types of details enhance the user experience, though many people will never even explicitly notice them. The site is new, but hopefully will grow quickly. There are many apps that deserve the recognition and designers/developers that deserve the recognition for the time and passion they spent sweating the details.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Subjective-C: Studying Beautiful Design"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/business/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Business"},{"content":"Apple has famously flown a pirate flag, dismissed conventional business practices, and run the company in nontraditional ways. It seems to be working so far. This isn\u0026rsquo;t an argument that Apple is exactly like a startup, but there are some key indicators that highlight how Apple is run differently when compared to any other multibillion dollar technology company such as Google, IBM, or Microsoft.\nThe $475B Startup(ish) #Focus #The number of technology product categories that Apple participates in in shockingly small for a company that size. It could be argued that Apple\u0026rsquo;s focus on their products has never been better. Their newer products are selling in record numbers with their older products outpacing their respective industries. This focus is far more aligned with a startup mentality - \u0026ldquo;If we can just do this one thing perfectly\u0026hellip;\u0026rdquo; The focus is very apparent, even to a fault in some cases.\nIt is unfortunate that given this focus on products, often the services often come across as afterthoughts. iWork\u0026rsquo;s overhaul last summer stripped several features from the Mac version to align it with the iOS version, and rumors suggest it was because they didn\u0026rsquo;t have time to bring the iOS version up to align with the Mac version. iMessages have improved significantly, but there are still reports of problems when 2-3+ devices are involved (I haven\u0026rsquo;t had a single issue since iOS 7 + Mavericks using iPhone/iPad/Mac).\nBetting the Rent Money #With every hardware product Apple makes, they pour their heart and soul into it, and they don\u0026rsquo;t have a Plan B. When they design a product there are plenty of other similar designs that were passed over, but they aren\u0026rsquo;t Plan B. They weren\u0026rsquo;t \u0026ldquo;perfect\u0026rdquo; and therefore will not be produced. Apple has had the \u0026ldquo;bet the rent money\u0026rdquo; approach ever since Jobs\u0026rsquo; return to the company when they literally were betting their final dollars that they could turn it around with stunning products. It is inspiring to see just how much of that still remains given the size of the wallet backing them.\nPerhaps the same drive that used to be fueled by the possibility of going out of business is now fueled by meeting expectations. Apple has made it clear they hold themselves to a higher standard, so it makes sense that the world around them has done the same. Whatever it is, it has the outward appearance of them betting the rent money on each new product.\nProduct Comes First #Startups are concerned with monetizing their product eventually, but first they need to have a product to monetize. The overwhelming trend these days seems to be getting funding to allow you to work on the product, refine it, make it the best possible version you had in mind, then release it. Once it has a hold in the market, it is time to plan for long term monetization.\nIt isn\u0026rsquo;t exactly an approach that works in traditional business historically, but times have changed. One million visitors to a new restaurant would be impossible, but one million users of a new app is just getting started for the new age Silicon Valley startup. Apple is similar, though not identical. The mechanism for profit is very clear. There are two ways to see that - it either means they\u0026rsquo;re operating like a startup and saying \u0026ldquo;the best or nothing\u0026rdquo; without worrying about anything besides the product or they\u0026rsquo;re in a privileged position and don\u0026rsquo;t need to worry about anything besides the product. Apple fans want to believe the former, but plenty of people could argue the latter.\nIt might be too early to tell, but the strongest indicator I think of is what happens longer term. Apple has had plenty of money for quite some time now, if they keep the focus and keep the bar high, then it suggests to me that they\u0026rsquo;re operating more like a startup, putting the product before everything. If they grow stagnant, uninspiring, or boring, then we\u0026rsquo;ll know it was the latter.\nSaying No #This is worth highlighting outside of the \u0026ldquo;focus\u0026rdquo; section because it is the cornerstone to how their design cycle works. There have been countless articles written about how new iOS devices are stagnant, uninspiring, and boring. In fact, just about every iOS device has been accused of such things. The sales of the devices suggest those people are wrong, but their comments have some validity.\nFor many, the length of the list of features is paramount. The key difference between those that believe iOS devices aren\u0026rsquo;t progressing fast enough and the way Apple designs them is that Apple says \u0026ldquo;no\u0026rdquo; when competitors say \u0026ldquo;yes\u0026rdquo;. It doesn\u0026rsquo;t result in a product for everyone, but it does result in a beautifully simple product. No NFC, no big screened phone, no 3rd party access to Touch ID, no inter-app sharing, etc. All of these were carefully considered, but not implemented (some yet, some ever).\nYou can have the simplicity that has made Apple\u0026rsquo;s products stand out and sell by the millions, or you can have the laundry list of features. I don\u0026rsquo;t believe Apple\u0026rsquo;s style of doing business would survive long term if they abandon their ability to say \u0026ldquo;no\u0026rdquo;. One of my favorite quotes from Jobs highlights it nicely (notice how he calls them good ideas):\nPeople think focus means saying yes to the thing you\u0026rsquo;ve got to focus on. But that\u0026rsquo;s not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are. You have to pick carefully. I\u0026rsquo;m actually as proud of the things we haven\u0026rsquo;t done as the things I have done. Innovation is saying no to 1,000 things. - Steve Jobs\nOnly Time Will Tell #It is far too early to know how this story ends. Their rise from the ashes has been astonishing, but they haven\u0026rsquo;t been at the top for that long. A decade in the technology industry is a long time, but in the business world it is not. It is at a time like this that their actions will tell us what kind of company they are - a hungry \u0026ldquo;startup\u0026rdquo; that picks a target and ferociously works to beat it (even if that target is a product of their own) or the complacent rich kid who doesn\u0026rsquo;t appreciate how they got to where they are.\n","date":"26 March 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/evaluating-if-and-how-apples-strategy-is-like-a-startup/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eApple has famously \u003ca href=\"http://www.folklore.org/StoryView.py?story=Pirate_Flag.txt\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eflown a pirate flag\u003c/a\u003e, dismissed \u003ca href=\"http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2013/12/28/apple-cook-icahn-proxy/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003econventional business practices\u003c/a\u003e, and run the company in \u003ca href=\"http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/2011/08/29/jobs-made-apple-great-by-ignoring-profit/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003enontraditional ways\u003c/a\u003e. It seems to be working so far. This isn\u0026rsquo;t an argument that Apple is \u003cem\u003eexactly\u003c/em\u003e like a startup, but there are some key indicators that highlight how Apple is run differently when compared to any other multibillion dollar technology company such as Google, IBM, or Microsoft.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"the-475b-startupish\" class=\"relative group\"\u003eThe $475B Startup(ish) \u003cspan class=\"absolute top-0 w-6 transition-opacity opacity-0 -start-6 not-prose group-hover:opacity-100\"\u003e\u003ca class=\"group-hover:text-primary-300 dark:group-hover:text-neutral-700\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none !important;\" href=\"#the-475b-startupish\" aria-label=\"Anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\u003ch3 id=\"focus\" class=\"relative group\"\u003eFocus \u003cspan class=\"absolute top-0 w-6 transition-opacity opacity-0 -start-6 not-prose group-hover:opacity-100\"\u003e\u003ca class=\"group-hover:text-primary-300 dark:group-hover:text-neutral-700\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none !important;\" href=\"#focus\" aria-label=\"Anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe number of technology product categories that Apple participates in in shockingly small for a company that size. It could be argued that Apple\u0026rsquo;s focus on their products has never been better. Their newer products are selling in \u003ca href=\"http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/28/technology/apple-reports-record-iphone-sales.html?_r=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"\u003erecord numbers\u003c/a\u003e with their older products \u003ca href=\"http://appleinsider.com/articles/14/01/09/apples-domestic-mac-sales-surge-285-as-overall-pc-market-shrinks-75\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"\u003eoutpacing\u003c/a\u003e their respective industries. This focus is far more aligned with a startup mentality - \u0026ldquo;If we can just do this \u003cem\u003eone\u003c/em\u003e thing perfectly\u0026hellip;\u0026rdquo; The focus is very apparent, even to a fault in some cases.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Evaluating If and How Apple's Strategy is Still Like a Startup"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/strategy/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Strategy"},{"content":"UPDATE: Updated the title to be more representative of the content of the piece, will leave the link so previous links aren\u0026rsquo;t broken.\nI\u0026rsquo;ve written previously that the current television market is antiquated and that no progress on the Apple TV (whether literally a television set or just a new set top box with far advanced capabilities) can be made until that changes. I strongly believe this to be the case and, if I had to guess, is the only reason we haven\u0026rsquo;t seen a new Apple TV that goes from being \u0026ldquo;just a hobby\u0026rdquo; to another leg on the Apple product \u0026ldquo;stool\u0026rdquo;.\nRumors are flying this week about ongoing negotiations between Apple and Comcast. This situation is reminiscent of the smartphone industry before the iPhone. Prior to the iPhone, the carriers held the power, they controlled the phone software, they controlled the \u0026ldquo;apps\u0026rdquo; (I have a hard time calling those apps when we know what real apps are like today), they controlled everything. Apple came in and took back control, because without that control they cannot own the user experience. Apple has mastered owning the user experience and has repeatedly offered products that succeed because of this curated, clean, and enjoyable experience. The television content/distribution market today is an extremely similar landscape to the smartphone industry before the iPhone. As I said in Reality Check: Disrupting the TV Industry, the content owners currently hold the power. Comcast is an owner and a distributor. Comcast is now in the role that AT\u0026amp;T was in back in 2006/2007 for the original iPhone.\nIf Apple plays their cards right the consumers stand to gain from this in truly magnificent ways. I say the consumer because if Apple succeeds, content owners will be working aggressively to add other partners (Amazon, Google, and Microsoft come to mind) to avoid letting Apple have too much power over them. With multiple partners and multiple platforms, the growth and advancement will come at a drastically increased pace. Consider the delta in smart phones from 2004 to 2007 and then again from 2009 to 2012; now imagine that growth in the television industry (not a one-to-one comparison, but this stands to have a flood gate effect like the iPhone created).\nThis also goes hand in hand with why I don\u0026rsquo;t believe Apple needs to make an actual television set to transform the television industry. Their reach will be far greater if they offer this revolution in the form of a reasonably priced set top box, though I\u0026rsquo;d assume above their current $99 Apple TV price tag.\nI believe we\u0026rsquo;re on the cusp of a revolution in television, we just need the flood gate to open a little bit and the rest will take care of itself.\n","date":"24 March 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/here-is-why-the-apple-comcast-negotiation-rumors-matter/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eUPDATE: Updated the title to be more representative of the content of the piece, will leave the link so previous links aren\u0026rsquo;t broken.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI\u0026rsquo;ve \u003ca href=\"http://www.opte.ch/news/2014/2/21/reality-check-disrupting-the-tv-industry\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"\u003ewritten previously\u003c/a\u003e that the current television market is antiquated and that no progress on the Apple TV (whether literally a television set or just a new set top box with far advanced capabilities) can be made until that changes. I strongly believe this to be the case and, if I had to guess, is the only reason we haven\u0026rsquo;t seen a new Apple TV that goes from being \u0026ldquo;\u003ca href=\"http://www.cultofmac.com/45428/apple-tv-remains-a-hobby-without-a-market/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"\u003ejust a hobby\u003c/a\u003e\u0026rdquo; to another leg on the Apple product \u0026ldquo;\u003ca href=\"http://appleinsider.com/articles/13/02/11/apple-tv-imagined-by-steve-jobs-to-be-apples-fourth-leg-now-becomes-its-sixth\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"\u003estool\u003c/a\u003e\u0026rdquo;.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Apple-Comcast Negotiations Could Open the Flood Gates Like Apple-AT\u0026T did in 2007"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/cable/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Cable"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/comcast/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Comcast"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/television/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Television"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/best-practices/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Best Practices"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/dont-do-this/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Don't Do This"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/email/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"email"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/categories/rants/","section":"Categories","summary":"","title":"Rants"},{"content":"A while back I pointed out a few things that some websites do that are just plain wrong. Keeping with the \u0026ldquo;Seriously, don\u0026rsquo;t do this\u0026rdquo; theme, the next episode is regarding the ability and method of unsubscribing from an email.\nThis has been inspired by the living hell that is CBS Sports junk email thanks to filling out a March Madness bracket.\nRules of the unsubscription process # Always have a clear unsubscription method in your email communications, though the myth that it is legally required has been busted, this shows you or your company have at least a shred of decency and respect for your customers. Clicking an unsubscribe link should never, under any circumstances, require me to log into your service. I\u0026rsquo;m logged into the email account that I verified as linked to my account; if my email has been hacked and the hacker is so kind as to unsubscribe me from junk email, so be it, that\u0026rsquo;s not your problem.\nThere should be an option to disable all types of nonessential email, and all options should be honored. You\u0026rsquo;d think this last one is a no-brainer, but I\u0026rsquo;ve got every single box unchecked for CBS Sports and I\u0026rsquo;m still getting an email every day from them. I went so far as to check subscriptions to all CBS affiliates, I have none, I still get email.\nA violation of these basic signs of respect show that you don\u0026rsquo;t respect your users. Plain and simple. You might have marketing stats that the unwanted emails drive some amount of extra traffic to your site, but providing a valuable service and respecting your customers will drive a lot more long term growth because when people get a valuable service that gives them a good experience they tend to keep using it and share it with friends.\nSo please, don\u0026rsquo;t do this.\nStay tuned for future rants on best practices online.\n","date":"22 March 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/seriously-dont-do-this-unsubscribe-edition/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eA while back I pointed out a \u003ca href=\"http://www.opte.ch/news/2013/12/8/seriously-dont-do-this-web-design-edition\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"\u003efew things\u003c/a\u003e that some websites do that are just plain wrong. Keeping with the \u0026ldquo;Seriously, don\u0026rsquo;t do this\u0026rdquo; theme, the next episode is regarding the ability and method of unsubscribing from an email.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis has been inspired by the living hell that is CBS Sports junk email thanks to filling out a March Madness bracket.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"rules-of-the-unsubscription-process\" class=\"relative group\"\u003eRules of the unsubscription process \u003cspan class=\"absolute top-0 w-6 transition-opacity opacity-0 -start-6 not-prose group-hover:opacity-100\"\u003e\u003ca class=\"group-hover:text-primary-300 dark:group-hover:text-neutral-700\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none !important;\" href=\"#rules-of-the-unsubscription-process\" aria-label=\"Anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAlways have a clear unsubscription method\u003c/strong\u003e in your email communications, though the myth that it is legally required has been \u003ca href=\"http://www.spamresource.com/2009/12/is-unsubscribe-link-required.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"\u003ebusted\u003c/a\u003e, this shows you or your company have at least a shred of decency and respect for your customers. \u003c/p\u003e","title":"Seriously, Don't Do This: Unsubscribe Edition"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/unsubscribe/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Unsubscribe"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/iwatch/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"iWatch"},{"content":"Make no mistake, Apple has evaluated, designed, and strongly considered variations of a smart watch, but the tech media is blowing up with absolute certainty that \u0026ldquo;the iWatch\u0026rdquo; will be released. It won\u0026rsquo;t. The is no iWatch. I\u0026rsquo;m not saying it will never be released, but not in 2014, and likely not for at least a handful of years after that, if ever.\nThere have been compelling discussions on this. One by Craig Hockenberry at Furbo, and another by Ben Bajarin at Techpinions - both are excellent reads. Craig\u0026rsquo;s highlights a multitude of serious concerns for entering the wearable space and poses the quintessential question for Apple:\nWhat problems can a wearable device solve?\nThat is how Apple is looking at this problem, and there are few, if any, compelling arguments for why Apple should enter the market. The reasons not to enter the market are overwhelming, here are some key issues.\nThey\u0026rsquo;re competing with highly skilled, tremendously well designed, and thoroughly entrenched parties for the wrist real estate.\nEntering a market where the measure of style and quality is not even remotely within reach in the sub-$1000 market is problematic. Apple cannot release a watch that expensive for several reasons, namely because tech is outdated so fast and people will be expected to replace this device relatively frequently (every iPhone or two, even three). Traditional watches last forever.\nMaking a watch is very different from providing a solution that classifies as wearable technology.\nThe technology simply doesn\u0026rsquo;t exist to make a beautiful design, long battery life, nice screen, and compelling fitness features. The Moto360 is attractive, but far too thick, no word on battery life, no word on price, and doesn\u0026rsquo;t have any fitness features.\nApple has always been about cultivating a user experience that is vastly aided by a carefully nurtured ecosystem. That is a major reason why platform lock-in is so common. The ecosystem is so great, you want to use it. Once you have invested in it, it\u0026rsquo;s really tough to leave unless you want to forfeit your investment.\nTo this end, Ben highlights a far more likely scenario to explain all of the Healthbook features seen in the iOS 8 leaks.\nIn short, what if Apple is preparing to enable and empower an ecosystem of wearables, made by third parties, but with unique and proprietary hooks to the iPhone. Healthbook would simply serve as a mechanism to work with third party hardware, along with specific APIs, and display key data for the consumer. This makes the most sense to me. Apple would encourage and enable third party hardware companies to build value around the iPhone and make the platform stronger. That doesn\u0026rsquo;t just sound like Apple, it screams Apple. It oozes of Apple. There is no one-size-fits-all solution to wearable tech. Every person has a different daily routine, different activities, and different health concerns. It is impossible for any one device to cover all of these with today\u0026rsquo;s technology.\nThe iPhone works because the overlap in usage is so large for smartphone users that the iPhone works, in one way or another, for millions of people (for those where it doesn\u0026rsquo;t work, there are other platforms). I don\u0026rsquo;t see a similar market opportunity for wearables as it sits today.\nI fully expect Apple to accelerate and enable technology growth in this space to make things interesting, I just don\u0026rsquo;t think they\u0026rsquo;ll be releasing an iWatch to make that happen.\nUPDATE: Given some of the feedback, I thought it is worth clarifying my position on the iWatch. I would love for an iWatch to be a real thing. After owning and liking some things about the Pebble, I\u0026rsquo;m confident I will be wearing a smart watch in the future, and who better than Apple to make it? That being said, this article outlines what I consider to be the overwhelmingly convincing case as to why that isn\u0026rsquo;t happening in the short term. I sincerely hope to be wrong.\nUPDATE (03/17/15): Apple did the primary thing I suspected they would not do – they are taking on the high end watch market. I still believe that both types of products can coexist, but I didn\u0026rsquo;t see this one coming. I was partially right saying that there wouldn\u0026rsquo;t be a watch in 2014, there was a more finished product than I expected, but not a product for sale. That being said, I still think they are a full year ahead of where I would have expected them to be at the time (much like the retina iPad Mini in 2013).\n","date":"20 March 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/there-is-no-iwatch/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eMake no mistake, Apple has evaluated, designed, and strongly considered variations of a smart watch, but the tech media is blowing up with absolute certainty that \u0026ldquo;the iWatch\u0026rdquo; will be released. It won\u0026rsquo;t. The is no iWatch. I\u0026rsquo;m not saying it will \u003cem\u003enever\u003c/em\u003e be released, but not in 2014, and likely not for at least a handful of years after that, if ever.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere have been compelling discussions on this. One by \u003ca href=\"http://furbo.org/2014/03/13/wearing-apple/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"\u003eCraig Hockenberry at Furbo\u003c/a\u003e, and another by \u003ca href=\"http://techpinions.com/why-should-i-care-about-wearables/28559\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"\u003eBen Bajarin at Techpinions\u003c/a\u003e - both are excellent reads. Craig\u0026rsquo;s highlights a multitude of serious concerns for entering the wearable space and poses the quintessential question for Apple:\u003c/p\u003e","title":"There is no iWatch [Updated]"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/android/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Android"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/google/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Google"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/moto360/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Moto360"},{"content":"A few points of interest from the Moto360 event going on now on YouTube. \\[**Update**: Event is over.\\] Wireless charging - I\u0026rsquo;m inferring this, they didn\u0026rsquo;t explicitly say it, but implied it strongly. 1.8\u0026quot; (46mm) diameter. Won\u0026rsquo;t comment on battery life, \u0026ldquo;but was designed with power efficiency in mind.\u0026rdquo; Targeting mass appeal, so not intended as a men\u0026rsquo;s watch. Works with all Android devices running Android 4.3 or later. Water resistant, details forthcoming. No camera embedded in the watch (thankfully). Genuine leather. \u0026ldquo;With this watch, you\u0026rsquo;ll always be able to tell what time it is.\u0026rdquo; (Subtle jab at Pebble?) More updates posted as they\u0026rsquo;re revealed.\n","date":"19 March 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/moto360-qa-highlights/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eA few points of interest from the Moto360 event going on now \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpY8O5Zer78\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"\u003eon YouTube\u003c/a\u003e. \u003c/p\u003e\n\\[**Update**: Event is over.\\]\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWireless charging - I\u0026rsquo;m inferring this, they didn\u0026rsquo;t explicitly say it, but implied it strongly.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e1.8\u0026quot; (46mm) diameter.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWon\u0026rsquo;t comment on battery life, \u0026ldquo;but was designed with power efficiency in mind.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTargeting mass appeal, so not intended as a men\u0026rsquo;s watch.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWorks with all Android devices running Android 4.3 or later.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWater resistant, details forthcoming.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNo camera embedded in the watch (thankfully).\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGenuine leather.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u0026ldquo;With this watch, you\u0026rsquo;ll always be able to tell what time it is.\u0026rdquo; (Subtle jab at Pebble?)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMore updates posted as they\u0026rsquo;re revealed.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Moto360 Q\u0026A Highlights"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/categories/google/","section":"Categories","summary":"","title":"Google"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/hangouts/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Hangouts"},{"content":"UPDATE #After giving on on Google Hangouts it seems, they are now live on YouTube.\nEveryone I\u0026rsquo;ve talked to trying to sign into the Moto360 event on Google Hangouts has been met with timeouts and errors, though the participants list suggests some people are able to log in. I\u0026rsquo;ve tried on 3 devices - iPhone, iPad, and a Windows PC with no luck. I\u0026rsquo;ve also tried 2 wifi networks and a strong LTE connection on both the iPad and iPhone - no luck.\nWith an audience this large, most are echoing the question of why they didn\u0026rsquo;t just use a live YouTube stream.\nA link to the event can be found here, but for now it doesn\u0026rsquo;t seem it will do you any good.\n","date":"19 March 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/hangouts-cant-handle-6000-people-for-moto360-event/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003ch3 id=\"update\" class=\"relative group\"\u003eUPDATE \u003cspan class=\"absolute top-0 w-6 transition-opacity opacity-0 -start-6 not-prose group-hover:opacity-100\"\u003e\u003ca class=\"group-hover:text-primary-300 dark:group-hover:text-neutral-700\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none !important;\" href=\"#update\" aria-label=\"Anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eAfter giving on on Google Hangouts it seems, they are now \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpY8O5Zer78\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"\u003elive on YouTube\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEveryone I\u0026rsquo;ve talked to trying to sign into the Moto360 event on Google Hangouts has been met with timeouts and errors, though the participants list suggests some people are able to log in. I\u0026rsquo;ve tried on 3 devices - iPhone, iPad, and a Windows PC with no luck. I\u0026rsquo;ve also tried 2 wifi networks and a strong LTE connection on both the iPad and iPhone - no luck.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Hangouts Can't Handle 6000 People for Moto360 Event [Update: Live on YouTube]"},{"content":"News broke this morning, as reported in Haunted Empire: Apple After Steve Jobs, about Steve Jobs proclaiming confidently that Apple would not be making a television set. Specifically, when asked about Apple making a television set the conversation went like this:\nYukari says \u0026ldquo;Jobs didn\u0026rsquo;t hesitate.\u0026rdquo; He said, \u0026ldquo;No.\u0026rdquo; \u0026ldquo;TV is a terrible business. They don\u0026rsquo;t turn over and the margins suck,\u0026rdquo; said Jobs. (Unlike iPhones which are wildly profitable and replaced every two years, a TV gets replaced every 8 years, and isn\u0026rsquo;t all that profitable.)\nThere are two things to consider here. First, Jobs wasn\u0026rsquo;t exactly shy about bashing an industry that he and Apple would soon enter (like 7\u0026quot; tablets, though the case is solid for a 7\u0026quot; tablet being far different from 7.85\u0026quot;). Second, and most importantly, Apple doesn\u0026rsquo;t need to make a television set to revolutionize TV. They don\u0026rsquo;t and they won\u0026rsquo;t; it simply wouldn\u0026rsquo;t make sense.\nApple as a company provides superb user experiences and beautifully designed products. It would be ideal to have everyone viewing the Apple TV revolution on some Jony Ive designed 4K screen with high end surround sound to match, sure. It just isn\u0026rsquo;t realistic and the upside is limited.\nThe revolution in the television world will be with content delivery, content packaging, and content itself. Apple has had great success cultivating an ecosystem of content, but the traditional cable provider and television network situation has clearly proven challenging for even Apple to battle. Apple will not go all-in on the TV/content market until they have the control they demand. They have the UI figured out. They\u0026rsquo;ve got the set top box designed. They have the remote ready to go. I\u0026rsquo;ve got a hunch that their television plans have been ready for quite some time now, they\u0026rsquo;re just waiting for the content deals to fall into place, then they push the button.\n","date":"17 March 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/apple-doesnt-need-to-make-a-tv-to-reinvent-tv/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eNews broke this morning, as reported in \u003cem\u003eHaunted Empire: Apple After Steve Jobs\u003c/em\u003e, about Steve Jobs proclaiming confidently that Apple would not be making a television set. Specifically, when asked about Apple making a television set the conversation went like this:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYukari says \u0026ldquo;Jobs didn\u0026rsquo;t hesitate.\u0026rdquo; He said, \u0026ldquo;No.\u0026rdquo; \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u0026ldquo;TV is a terrible business. They don\u0026rsquo;t turn over and the margins suck,\u0026rdquo; said Jobs. (Unlike iPhones which are wildly profitable and replaced every two years, a TV gets replaced every 8 years, and isn\u0026rsquo;t all that profitable.)\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Apple Doesn't Need to Make a TV to Reinvent TV"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/ios/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"iOS"},{"content":"Just like I, and most tech writers/bloggers with dignity that seek content quality over clicks, have been saying all along - the iPad Pro that was so highly reported as \u0026ldquo;certainly\u0026rdquo; coming out in 2014 has been shelved. Apple works with a plethora of screen sizes, always has. There might be a bigger iPad one day, but that day is not soon.\n","date":"14 March 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/ipad-pro-plans-shelved-i-hate-to-say-i-told-you-so/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eJust like I, and most tech writers/bloggers with dignity that seek content quality over clicks, have been saying all along - the iPad Pro that was so highly reported as \u0026ldquo;certainly\u0026rdquo; coming out in 2014 has been shelved. Apple works with a plethora of screen sizes, always has. There might be a bigger iPad one day, but that day is not soon.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"iPad Pro Plans Shelved - I Hate to Say \"I Told You So...\""},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/link-bait/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Link bait"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/auto/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Auto"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/smartphone/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Smartphone"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/tesla/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Tesla"},{"content":"Tesla, along with Apple\u0026rsquo;s recently announced CarPlay, are positioned to have a major influence for everyone planning to be driving a car in the foreseeable future. This is independent of whether or not you\u0026rsquo;re driving a Tesla or a car equipped with CarPlay.\nStuck in the (Technology) Dark Ages #The auto industry has managed to remain uniquely positioned with respect to technology. Low to middle-end cars are the worst offenders, but in this class cost almost always comes first. Higher end cars are still behind, but not as far. You could argue that Ford has had their voice control service for a while now, other companies are on a similar trajectory, but the offerings are entirely underwhelming at best.\nHere are a few key reasons the auto industry is able to have inferior technology and charge such a premium for it; these are inferences I\u0026rsquo;m making, not based on inside knowledge.\nCost is king when people shop for new cars. The tech we\u0026rsquo;re used to isn\u0026rsquo;t designed for as rugged of conditions. Your iPad\u0026rsquo;s operating temperature certainly doesn\u0026rsquo;t cover -15 degrees, but your car\u0026rsquo;s touch screen does. Vibration isn\u0026rsquo;t likely as much of a concern. Design cycles are long for cars, there\u0026rsquo;s a reason cars debut so long before they\u0026rsquo;re ready to buy. The tech available in that car will lag what is thought to be current because it was designed a couple of years (?) beforehand. There is a vested interest by auto makers to prevent major software feature upgrades. These comforts, when outdated, can become driving forces behind another purchase. Proprietary barriers exist. Supporting only Apple or only Android is highly limiting and until now there was no official protocol to support. If they chose to support an unofficial protocol, there is no guarantee it would continue to work, which would result in very angry customers. Driving Change #So where do Tesla and CarPlay come in? I think CarPlay is fairly obvious. It is the first major step at taking the brain of the technology out of the car and putting it into the phone. Phones are a lot easier to upgrade. As long as compatibility to the CarPlay protocol is maintained, this is a vast improvement over the current situation. The most obvious issue is that CarPlay is Apple/iOS only, and likely always will be. I suspect cars will eventually need to ship supporting CarPlay, Google\u0026rsquo;s solution, and maybe even Microsoft\u0026rsquo;s to remain competitive.\nInside Man #Tesla has the potential to disrupt from the other side, the inside. They\u0026rsquo;re the first actual shot at being a successful and forward-looking auto maker. They have high tech at their very core, it is what they are built on. Tesla has embraced the smartphone revolution in a very serious way giving you a tremendous amount of control over your vehicle from within their app.\nProgress in this industry will only come if it is successful enough that auto makers can\u0026rsquo;t produce cars without competitive technology. The CarPlay features are low-cost to implement with the potential for high return. Tesla is sweeping the industry with their incredible design, tremendous safety, and aggressive adoption of new technology. I\u0026rsquo;m not declaring these two products as the long-term \u0026ldquo;winners,\u0026rdquo; but I do firmly believe they\u0026rsquo;ll serve as excellent propellant to move this industry out of the dark ages.\n","date":"4 March 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/why-tesla-and-carplay-matter-to-everyone/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eTesla, along with Apple\u0026rsquo;s recently announced CarPlay, are positioned to have a major influence for everyone planning to be driving a car in the foreseeable future. This is independent of whether or not you\u0026rsquo;re driving a Tesla or a car equipped with CarPlay.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"stuck-in-the-technology-dark-ages\" class=\"relative group\"\u003eStuck in the (Technology) Dark Ages \u003cspan class=\"absolute top-0 w-6 transition-opacity opacity-0 -start-6 not-prose group-hover:opacity-100\"\u003e\u003ca class=\"group-hover:text-primary-300 dark:group-hover:text-neutral-700\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none !important;\" href=\"#stuck-in-the-technology-dark-ages\" aria-label=\"Anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe auto industry has managed to remain uniquely positioned with respect to technology. Low to middle-end cars are the worst offenders, but in this class cost almost always comes first. Higher end cars are still behind, but not as far. You could argue that Ford has had their voice control service for a while now, other companies are on a similar trajectory, but the offerings are entirely underwhelming at best.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Why Tesla and CarPlay Matter to Everyone"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/samsung/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Samsung"},{"content":"Samsung isn\u0026rsquo;t exactly know for their design prowess or their honesty. They\u0026rsquo;ve been caught paying people to leave fake negative reviews on competitor\u0026rsquo;s products, they\u0026rsquo;ve been caught rigging their devices to perform better on benchmarks than they do in real life, and they\u0026rsquo;ve been caught stealing design cues from Apple (though rarely nicely implemented).\nSide note: everyone in tech steals things from everyone else. There are a limited number of layouts, gestures, and features. There will be overlap. Don\u0026rsquo;t read into that one too much, I couldn\u0026rsquo;t resist posting a link to that Tumblr page.\nWhat does this all add up to? The first thing that comes to mind is desperation. It is a shame, they\u0026rsquo;re doing some decent things. Their phones are selling in record numbers and they\u0026rsquo;re the only Android device maker that\u0026rsquo;s actually making any money. Then they go and do things like fake leather with fake stitching on their products and paying a boat load of money for celebrity endorsements who promptly return to their iPhones when the camera turns off.\nLoyalty cannot be faked; it can be purchased in the short term, but it won\u0026rsquo;t last. The simplest description I can come up with is that this is the difference between being passionate about products and being passionate about your reputation at all costs. They\u0026rsquo;ll keep doing these things until the market votes for a company that doesn\u0026rsquo;t, for example by buying a Moto X instead of an S5.\n","date":"3 March 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/some-things-cannot-be-faked-hint-samsung/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eSamsung isn\u0026rsquo;t exactly know for their design prowess or their honesty. They\u0026rsquo;ve been \u003ca href=\"http://www.theverge.com/2013/10/24/5023658/samsung-fined-340000-for-posting-negative-htc-reviews\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"\u003ecaught paying people to leave fake negative reviews\u003c/a\u003e on competitor\u0026rsquo;s products, they\u0026rsquo;ve been \u003ca href=\"http://gizmodo.com/samsung-rigged-the-s4-to-unnaturally-perform-better-in-971577921\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"\u003ecaught rigging their devices to perform better\u003c/a\u003e on benchmarks than they do in real life, and they\u0026rsquo;ve been \u003ca href=\"http://samsungcopiesapple.tumblr.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"\u003ecaught stealing design cues\u003c/a\u003e from Apple (though rarely nicely implemented).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSide note: everyone in tech steals things from everyone else. There are a limited number of layouts, gestures, and features. There will be overlap. Don\u0026rsquo;t read into that one too much, I couldn\u0026rsquo;t resist posting a link to that Tumblr page.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Some Things Cannot Be Faked (Hint: Samsung)"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/microsoft/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Microsoft"},{"content":"I\u0026rsquo;m a slave to Outlook and OWA for work, no way around it. I use the native iOS email app on my (work-issued) iPhone. On my personal iPad, which is rarely used for work, I use the official Microsoft OWA (Outlook Web Access) app. I launch the app 0-4 times per day, usually 1 or 2. Approximately 10-25% of app launches result in this update state where I cannot do anything, I must wait (look at the banner along the bottom):\nSo I wait. Usually about 60-90 seconds. When it finishes? You guessed it, the good ol\u0026rsquo; fashion Windows-style reboot.\nIt is a shame. The app is fairly well designed, though there are some glaring usability flaws. This isn\u0026rsquo;t new, and this isn\u0026rsquo;t temporary. I\u0026rsquo;ve used this app since October 2013, here we are 6 months later with no fix or update.\nIf you\u0026rsquo;re at Microsoft, you\u0026rsquo;ve got to ask who is signing off on this quality of work.\n","date":"3 March 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/shame-on-you-microsoft-outlook-for-ipad-is-a-mess/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI\u0026rsquo;m a slave to Outlook and OWA for work, no way around it. I use the native iOS email app on my (work-issued) iPhone. On my personal iPad, which is rarely used for work, I use the official \u003ca href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/owa-for-ipad/id659524331?mt=8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"\u003eMicrosoft OWA\u003c/a\u003e (Outlook Web Access) app. I launch the app 0-4 times per day, usually 1 or 2. Approximately 10-25% of app launches result in this update state where I cannot do anything, I must wait (look at the banner along the bottom):\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Shame on You, Microsoft; Outlook for iPad is a Mess"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/categories/science/","section":"Categories","summary":"","title":"Science"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/time/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Time"},{"content":"Time is imaginary, invented, our own making. Yet without time, life as we know it could not exist. It is part of the math and science that has given us today\u0026rsquo;s technology and so much more.\nThis short (6 minute) video tells us about how time is determined and how accurate it is. Our current system measures 16 decimal places; this means that in 300 million years not a single second would be lost or gained.\nA second is exactly 9,192,671,770 periods of oscillation of an undisturbed cesium atom. And time, well in my definition of time, is that it\u0026rsquo;s a coordinate that lets us most simply understand the evolution of the universe. But that is a circular definition.\n","date":"2 March 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/where-time-comes-from/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eTime is imaginary, invented, our own making. Yet without time, life as we know it could not exist. It is part of the math and science that has given us today\u0026rsquo;s technology and so much more.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis short (6 minute) video tells us about how time is determined and how accurate it is. Our current system measures 16 decimal places; this means that in 300 million years not a single second would be lost or gained.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Where Time Comes From"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/dropbox/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Dropbox"},{"content":"If you use Dropbox, this matters. I\u0026rsquo;m shocked that they added this arbitration clause to the Terms of Service, but they did. Here\u0026rsquo;s the short version:\nNo matter what they do (delete your data, privacy breach, overcharging, whatever), you don’t get to sue. Instead, THEY get to choose the arbitrator according to whatever criteria they want, and thus any dispute is decided by someone they’re paying.\nAlso, you can’t join a class-action suit against them.\n","date":"28 February 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/dropbox-is-giving-you-a-chance-to-not-let-them-fk-you/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIf you use Dropbox, this matters. I\u0026rsquo;m shocked that they added this arbitration clause to the Terms of Service, but they did. Here\u0026rsquo;s the short version:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo matter what they do (delete your data, privacy breach, overcharging, whatever), you don’t get to sue. Instead, THEY get to choose the arbitrator according to whatever criteria they want, and thus any dispute is decided by someone they’re paying.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlso, you can’t join a class-action suit against them.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Dropbox is Giving You A Chance To Not Let Them F#%k You"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/terms-of-service/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Terms of Service"},{"content":"This isn\u0026rsquo;t tech related, but it is a fantastic read.\n","date":"28 February 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/dalai-lama-skiing-and-the-meaning-of-life/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThis isn\u0026rsquo;t tech related, but it is a fantastic read.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Dalai Lama, Skiing, and the Meaning of Life"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/life/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Life"},{"content":"Flappy Bird, you\u0026rsquo;ve met your match - Flappy Phone. Except they are serious, the new Samsung Galaxy S5 has a flap over the immensely hideous USB 3 micro B port. On one hand, this is a \u0026ldquo;face palm\u0026rdquo; moment. On the other hand, I applaud them for avoiding the 2 hours of listing gimmick software features that no one cared about like they did at the S4 unveiling. Also worth mentioning is the fact that the fingerprint scanner is \u0026ldquo;quite unreliable and virtually impossible to activate,\u0026rdquo; but I\u0026rsquo;m sure no one will notice (*cough).\n","date":"25 February 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/flappy-phone/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFlappy Bird, you\u0026rsquo;ve met your match - \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/reckless/status/438031026397655040\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"\u003eFlappy Phone\u003c/a\u003e. Except they are serious, the new \u003ca href=\"http://www.theverge.com/2014/2/24/5441668/samsung-galaxy-s5-announcement-launch\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"\u003eSamsung Galaxy S5\u003c/a\u003e has a flap over the \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Connector_USB_3_IMGP6033_wp_.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"\u003eimmensely hideous USB 3 micro B port\u003c/a\u003e. On one hand, this is a \u0026ldquo;face palm\u0026rdquo; moment. On the other hand, I applaud them for avoiding the 2 hours of listing gimmick software features that no one cared about like they did at the S4 unveiling. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlso worth mentioning is the fact that the fingerprint scanner is \u0026ldquo;quite unreliable and virtually impossible to activate,\u0026rdquo; but I\u0026rsquo;m sure no one will notice (*cough).\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Flappy Phone"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/galaxy-s5/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Galaxy S5"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/categories/smartphones/","section":"Categories","summary":"","title":"Smartphones"},{"content":"There is pessimism, then there is reality. This is the latter. I dream of a revitalized television experience, I\u0026rsquo;d pay top dollar for it, and I think it will happen\u0026hellip; eventually. The major technology media outlets have taken hold of this idea and run with it far beyond reason. You\u0026rsquo;ve got business men and women theorizing and then just assuming \u0026ldquo;the engineers will figure out the details.\u0026rdquo; Consider this: the engineering side of it has been figured out for a while - brilliant smooth UIs, voice control, motion sensors, Bluetooth remotes, unified search, all of these exist today. That isn\u0026rsquo;t the problem. There are two major issues where the tech media has praised solutions yet I strongly disagree with their viability; when I say \u0026ldquo;major\u0026rdquo; I mean fundamentally damning to the entire notion.\nContent Owners Hold the Power #This is no secret. Content owners ultimately hold the power, and there is very little that can change this unless they want it to change. Today, you\u0026rsquo;ve got old and closed minded people (not that one implies the other) that are in charge of this content. Without content even the most earth-shattering TV experience doesn\u0026rsquo;t matter. One of the biggest problems is that under the current model, the interests of content owners and new-age content services/distributors are not aligned. They could get aligned and do beautiful things, but this is where the closed-minded factor prevents progress. Once this is cracked this type of press speculation will be valid and welcome. Until then, to suggest this problem has been solved (or isn\u0026rsquo;t a major problem) is click bait at best.\nThe only glimmer of hope to break free of this has been Netflix. House of Cards is a great example that nontraditional sources with progressive views on technology can disrupt the traditional models. Online news is gaining popularity. There is hope, but the overwhelming majority of content viewership is through the traditional channels (no pun intended). I have high hopes for Netflix and those like them, but the difficulty of overpowering a group of giants cannot be overstated.\nRemote Control 2.0 #The remote control is a fascinating piece of technology. A technology that has been around for decades is still widely feared and poorly understood. Most houses have several and even though very reasonably priced universal remotes exist to control everything easily, most people don\u0026rsquo;t use them as their sole mechanism for control.\nMy house uses the Logitech Harmony One. There is no other remote control in sight. Period.\nNaturally this is the part of the TV revitalization discussion that invites the most creativity and catches the most headlines, after all, we can all get behind \u0026ldquo;fixing\u0026rdquo; the remote. Right?\nThe ideas are flashy, poorly thought out, and unconvincing. This isn\u0026rsquo;t to say that someone somewhere has a great idea, but the masses aren\u0026rsquo;t reading headlines about it. Here are the common ones:\nMotion control akin to Microsoft\u0026rsquo;s Xbox Kinect Voice control (I\u0026rsquo;ve seen both talking at the TV and into a \u0026ldquo;remote control\u0026rdquo; in your hand) Smartphone or tablet control Motion control seems to be catching the attention of tech news outlets among others. Samsung is well known for their \u0026ldquo;try everything and see what sticks\u0026rdquo; approach to technology, so naturally they\u0026rsquo;ve got some offerings in this space. It isn\u0026rsquo;t ergonomic, you might spill your beer, and when was the last time people watching TV opted for any kind of physical activity? While this makes for an interesting demo, I simply cannot see a trajectory where it takes off. The motion control stuff is likely to be limited to gaming where it has found a nice home.\nVoice control is thought to be an even more viable option to replace the remote, but I disagree. I wouldn\u0026rsquo;t be surprised to see voice control included in most future TVs, but it will not be the primary mechanism for control. Voice control has its place and I use Siri daily. However, for the same reason you don\u0026rsquo;t use Siri on the bus ride home or in a quiet sea of cubicles at work, most people will not be controlling their TV with their voice unless they\u0026rsquo;re alone and have their hands full. It is socially awkward to be talking to your TV in a room full of people, though I see that trend shifting slowly. Half the time I\u0026rsquo;m talking to Siri at home, unless my wife is next to me, I get the \u0026ldquo;were you talking to me?\u0026rdquo; question shouted from the other room. I see voice control of televisions being a standard feature, but never the ubiquitous primary mechanism for controlling the TV.\nSmartphone and tablet control was thought to be the answer for a little while, but momentum is slowing - rightfully slow. Samsung has been adding IR blasters to their phones, though I suspect with Bluetooth 4.0 we\u0026rsquo;ll see the end of IR over the next decade. The problem with using these devices to control the TV and entertainment system is the initial lag to open the app and initiate the command. Soon we\u0026rsquo;ll have devices that are far more situationally aware, so your phone will know you\u0026rsquo;re watching TV and provide controls on the lock screen, which is a step in the right direction. However, the other trend is to be using these devices while watching TV, and often interrupting what you\u0026rsquo;re doing is more of an annoyance than a feature. I use my phone to control my Apple TV, but only as plan B. I don\u0026rsquo;t see this changing. Like voice control, it will be available on most TVs, but will not replace the remote.\nThe Rest #These aren\u0026rsquo;t the only hurdles, but they\u0026rsquo;re the most publicized. There is the issue of viewing habits; getting people to change their routines and adopt new technology is always an uphill battle. I believe this can be, and will be, solved by a set top box that can provide live content in a seamless way while being tightly integrated with content on demand and blurring the line between the two. Another issue (for another article) is bandwidth and how net neutrality can play a role. If the broadband owners control what gets enough bandwidth to be streamed there will be problems to solve there as well.\nThis isn\u0026rsquo;t a summary of why the TV industry won\u0026rsquo;t be disrupted. It will. This is simply a more realistic view of why click bait headlines don\u0026rsquo;t accurately represent the disruption. The user experience side of this is the easy part. Once the content is available via progressive channels and technologies (akin to Netflix but without the delay from airing live) we\u0026rsquo;ll finally have the disruption followed by the revitalization of the television industry we all long for so dearly.\n","date":"24 February 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/reality-check-disrupting-the-tv-industry/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThere is pessimism, then there is reality. This is the latter. I dream of a revitalized television experience, I\u0026rsquo;d pay top dollar for it, and I think it will happen\u0026hellip; eventually. The major technology media outlets have taken hold of this idea and run with it \u003cem\u003efar\u003c/em\u003e beyond reason. You\u0026rsquo;ve got business men and women theorizing and then just assuming \u0026ldquo;the engineers will figure out the details.\u0026rdquo; \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eConsider this: the engineering side of it has been figured out for a while - brilliant smooth UIs, voice control, motion sensors, Bluetooth remotes, unified search, all of these exist today. That isn\u0026rsquo;t the problem. There are two major issues where the tech media has praised solutions yet I strongly disagree with their viability; when I say \u0026ldquo;major\u0026rdquo; I mean fundamentally damning to the entire notion.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Reality Check: Disrupting the TV Industry"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/tv/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"TV"},{"content":"Apple has made a strong business on trusting that consumers are willing to pay good money for great products. This WhatsApp deal demonstrates the exact same thing. People are willing to spend what they consider to be a fair amount of money for a great product with a great user experience. Obviously some people don\u0026rsquo;t call Apple\u0026rsquo;s prices \u0026ldquo;fair,\u0026rdquo; but that\u0026rsquo;s a topic for another time.\nThis $19B WhatsApp deal makes me extremely happy (and I don\u0026rsquo;t use WhatsApp or Facebook) if only for the reason of demonstrating that a customer experience focused product still has tremendous value. We don\u0026rsquo;t need free products with ad support to make the world spin.\n","date":"20 February 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/whatsapp-pay-for-content-is-alive-and-well/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eApple has made a strong business on trusting that consumers are willing to pay good money for great products. This WhatsApp deal demonstrates the exact same thing. People are willing to spend what they consider to be a fair amount of money for a great product with a great user experience. Obviously some people don\u0026rsquo;t call Apple\u0026rsquo;s prices \u0026ldquo;fair,\u0026rdquo; but that\u0026rsquo;s a topic for another time.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://qz.com/178893/whatsapps-anti-ad-philosophy-is-really-a-broad-new-vision-for-mobile/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"\u003eThis $19B WhatsApp deal\u003c/a\u003e makes me extremely happy (and I don\u0026rsquo;t use WhatsApp or Facebook) if only for the reason of demonstrating that a customer experience focused product still has tremendous value. We don\u0026rsquo;t need free products with ad support to make the world spin.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"WhatsApp: Pay-For-Content is Alive and Well"},{"content":"There has been no shortage of speculation since news broke that Apple\u0026rsquo;s M\u0026amp;A representative spoke with Elon Musk about acquiring the increasingly famous auto maker. Josh Ong has made a great case for why it might make sense, so I won\u0026rsquo;t duplicate that.\nThe whole issue has some red flags that stand out to me as pretty major reasons an acquisition wouldn\u0026rsquo;t happen.\nThe auto industry is a low margin industry, especially on the low end. Tesla is not yet competing in the lower end market, so their margins are likely much closer to Apple\u0026rsquo;s than Hyundai\u0026rsquo;s, but Tesla has plans to expand into the $30,000 arena where there is simply no way to have Apple-like margins. The whole situation seems Google-y. Apple\u0026rsquo;s wheelhouse is making beautiful and simple computing devices. An entry into the auto industry, despite Jobs\u0026rsquo; reported desire to do so, is un-Apple-like. With that being said, the auto industry is so slow to adopt new technology that it would be quite easy to disrupt. Setting aside the magnitude of the purchase being vastly beyond anything Apple has purchased before, the fact that they couldn\u0026rsquo;t make this purchase quietly is worth mentioning. Apple tries to keep those as quiet as they can, this one would be making headlines around the world. ","date":"18 February 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/on-rumors-of-apple-buying-telsa/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThere has been no shortage of speculation since news broke that Apple\u0026rsquo;s M\u0026amp;A representative spoke with Elon Musk about acquiring the increasingly famous auto maker. Josh Ong has made a \u003ca href=\"http://thenextweb.com/apple/2014/02/17/apple-bought-tesla/#!wlxdv\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"\u003egreat case for why it might make sense\u003c/a\u003e, so I won\u0026rsquo;t duplicate that.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe whole issue has some red flags that stand out to me as pretty major reasons an acquisition wouldn\u0026rsquo;t happen.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe auto industry is a low margin industry, especially on the low end. Tesla is not yet competing in the lower end market, so their margins are likely much closer to Apple\u0026rsquo;s than Hyundai\u0026rsquo;s, but Tesla has plans to \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tesla_BlueStar\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"\u003eexpand into the $30,000\u003c/a\u003e arena where there is simply no way to have Apple-like margins.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe whole situation seems Google-y. Apple\u0026rsquo;s wheelhouse is making beautiful and simple computing devices. An entry into the auto industry, despite \u003ca href=\"http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2276679/Steve-Jobs-dreamed-Apple-iCar-died.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"\u003eJobs\u0026rsquo; reported desire to do so\u003c/a\u003e, is un-Apple-like. With that being said, the auto industry is so slow to adopt new technology that it would be quite easy to disrupt.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSetting aside the magnitude of the purchase being vastly beyond anything Apple has purchased before, the fact that they couldn\u0026rsquo;t make this purchase quietly is worth mentioning. Apple tries to keep those as quiet as they can, this one would be making headlines around the world.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e","title":"On Rumors of Apple Buying Telsa"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/analysts/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Analysts"},{"content":"No surprises here. The rumors of the 2014 iPad Pro were unfounded when they started, and I called them out as such. Now, only a few months later and half a year before the originally projected launch, analysts (in this case Kuo, but he hasn\u0026rsquo;t been the only one barking up this tree) are backing off of the notion that Apple will be releasing a 12\u0026quot; iPad this year.\nIt is well known that Apple tries a huge number of technologies, sizes, and materials as part of their standard R\u0026amp;D. It is certain Apple has experimented with a larger iPad, probably even has some pretty late-stage devices., but that doesn\u0026rsquo;t mean they\u0026rsquo;re releasing one soon.\nFile this one under \u0026ldquo;Dear Analysts, I told you so.\u0026rdquo; It is just a shame that these obviously false reports get them the clicks that fuel the fire.\n","date":"16 February 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/analysts-backpedaling-on-a-2014-ipad-pro-shocker/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eNo surprises here. The rumors of the 2014 iPad Pro were unfounded when they started, and \u003ca href=\"http://www.opte.ch/news/2013/12/23/on-rumors-of-a-bigger-ipad\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"\u003eI called them out as such\u003c/a\u003e. Now, only a few months later and half a year before the originally projected launch, analysts (in this case Kuo, but he hasn\u0026rsquo;t been the only one barking up this tree) are backing off of the notion that Apple will be releasing a 12\u0026quot; iPad this year.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is well known that Apple tries a huge number of technologies, sizes, and materials as part of their standard R\u0026amp;D. It is certain Apple has experimented with a larger iPad, probably even has some pretty late-stage devices., but that doesn\u0026rsquo;t mean they\u0026rsquo;re releasing one soon.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Analysts Backpedaling on a 2014 iPad Pro... Shocker..."},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/kuo/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Kuo"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/rumors/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Rumors"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/categories/microsoft/","section":"Categories","summary":"","title":"Microsoft"},{"content":"The Road to Hell is Paved With Good Intentions #The intent behind Microsoft\u0026rsquo;s new \u0026lsquo;one experience, everywhere\u0026rsquo; mantra is noble. They see the increasingly common situations in which the iPod, iPhone, and iPad serve as gateway drugs, err products, to the Apple ecosystem. Microsoft isn\u0026rsquo;t trying to become Apple by any measure, but they are trying to shift the perception of their products toward the more intuitive and user friendly end of the spectrum, and these are qualities Apple is famous for.\nThe thought is that with a friendlier user interface they can lower the user-perceived barrier of entry. Subsequently, by embracing the new customer familiarity, they\u0026rsquo;ll be able to transition customers to other products on the platform (PC, tablet, or phone). If there is a \u0026ldquo;single experience\u0026rdquo; to offer, the transition should be easier, in theory. I am proposing that this approach is not working now, nor will it work for the foreseeable future. Period.\nToo Different #Although the topic is highly debated, with a lot people defending both sides of the argument, there is no product successful enough to declare that a touch-based input operating system and a mouse-based input operating system can coexist as a single operating system.\n2-in-1 Solution #The approach chosen by Microsoft is to offer a 2-in-1 solution. That is to have a touch-friendly \u0026ldquo;side\u0026rdquo; and a mouse-friendly \u0026ldquo;side\u0026rdquo;. These sides coexist in a single operating system and the user can switch between them either manually or the system could make some assumptions based on screen orientation or which app is in use to automate it. The solution is thought to be perfect for the new \u0026ldquo;convertible\u0026rdquo; laptop/tablet combo products.\nThis solution may seem sufficient, and for some it is, but for the masses there are some major concerns.\nImplementing the touch \u0026ldquo;side\u0026rdquo; and mouse \u0026ldquo;side\u0026rdquo; ultimately results in a tremendous amount of duplication. Duplication of settings, duplication of apps, duplication of ways to accomplish tasks. This duplication comes at a cost. The size of the operating system is really critical when you consider most new devices are shipping with flash storage. Flash storage is fairly expensive, although prices are dropping quickly. Laptops, convertibles, and tablets are shipping with relatively limited storage, usually in the 16 to 64GB range for tablets and 64 to 512GB range for laptops/convertibles. An operating system is huge, and supporting heavy duplication makes matters worse. The Microsoft Surface tablet couldn\u0026rsquo;t offer a 16GB model even if they wanted to because the operating system and pre-installed software occupies a staggering 14GB. By comparison a 16GB iPad has 13GB of usable space - the operating system and pre-installed apps only occupy 3GB. (Note: I realize there is formatting overhead to account for a percentage of the \u0026ldquo;used\u0026rdquo; space, but it is nearly negligible in this context.) For the general public there is a fear of computers and computing devices. They are complex and there is a lot to learn if you want to use one, in most cases. Adding to that, if you take a system that a user finally became familiar with and change it, that is a very scary thing. I know people that put off upgrading from iOS 5 to iOS 6 with changes so negligible (to them) that they hardly even realized it changed, but the idea of change on a device they finally understood was scary. That occurred on the most user friendly computing platform in history. Windows 8 not only changes the UI, but it duplicates a lot of functionality. So while this maintains some of the comfort of knowing how to get something done for Windows 7 users, those gains are all but lost if they\u0026rsquo;re stuck in the touch side of the OS. Design #The fundamental approach to design is very different between systems with a touch-based input and a mouse-based input. Touch targets need to be large, awkwardly large in the context of a mouse-based system. The design of an app hinges on screen real estate and user interaction mechanisms; so considering traditional PC, a tablet with software keyboard, and a tablet with an external hardware keyboard, would require three vastly different designs. This is a major reason we\u0026rsquo;re seeing such new and unique apps for phones and tablets after only a few years of these devices existing yet many decades of mouse-based systems existing. While the underlying data structures and algorithms are similar, the user interface, layouts of menus and features, and anything the user sees or interacts with is completely different between the types of interaction models.\nIt is also important to note how successful some of the recent Microsoft designs have been. Though not widely adopted, Microsoft was an industry leader in the flat, simple, square design features that are so rampant today. In fact, the official Windows Phone Twitter account tweeted this on the day of the iOS 7 introduction:\nSee iOS7 next to WP8 http://t.co/lhOXNgrrau. Seems we have some fans in Cupertino. Thanks @23BrownSean!\n— Windows Phone (@windowsphone) June 12, 2013\nMany sites have gone on to highlight the design cues that iOS 7, the most famously simple and clean operating system of all time, clearly stole from the Windows Phone OS (link 1) (link 2). This goes to show that Microsoft has had a lot of good ideas, but these forward-looking designs aren\u0026rsquo;t enough to change the user opinion (and thus adoption) resulting from the aforementioned fundamental flaws.\nSimplicity is Cultural #Microsoft\u0026rsquo;s greatest accomplishment is also its greatest liability. The Windows platform runs on a seemingly infinite number of system configurations from a multitude of hardware vendors. The Windows operating system has been the operating system of just about every major company for the last 20 years. Microsoft undoubtedly fulfilled Bill Gates\u0026rsquo; goal of \u0026ldquo;a computer on every desktop in every home.\u0026rdquo; Windows has been the undisputed market leader for a long time, and when you\u0026rsquo;re in this position, it is vastly more complicated to make fundamental changes without upsetting customers.\nWhen Microsoft established this leadership position, it was largely due to the enterprise adoption of their products. Workers had to work on PCs all day so they became familiar because they had no choice. Once familiar, the natural decision was to purchase a PC for the home. Now the basic computing needs are met by far simpler devices, many people rarely use anything besides a smartphone. The entry point of computing familiarity has shifted out of the enterprise domain, where Microsoft is overwhelmingly dominant, into the smartphone domain where iOS and Android are dominant and Microsoft struggles to exist. This is Microsoft\u0026rsquo;s dilemma in a nut shell, yet their solution attempt misses the point almost entirely. With the newly appointed CEO Satya Nadella they have an opportunity to revitalize their efforts and demonstrate that they\u0026rsquo;re a serious competitor in the post-PC world. On one hand, it appears the chance passed them by years ago with iOS and Android, but with the notoriously slow-to-adapt enterprise market (which still has a large Microsoft presence), there is a window of hope. I fear that with Satya\u0026rsquo;s 22 years at Microsoft he will continue the current trajectory due to the noteworthy financials of the company over the last several years rather than taking a gamble and doing something profound that stands out from the crowd.\n","date":"11 February 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/microsofts-failing-single-os-vision-why-it-wont-work/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003ch2 id=\"the-road-to-hell-is-paved-with-good-intentions\" class=\"relative group\"\u003eThe Road to Hell is Paved With Good Intentions \u003cspan class=\"absolute top-0 w-6 transition-opacity opacity-0 -start-6 not-prose group-hover:opacity-100\"\u003e\u003ca class=\"group-hover:text-primary-300 dark:group-hover:text-neutral-700\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none !important;\" href=\"#the-road-to-hell-is-paved-with-good-intentions\" aria-label=\"Anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe intent behind Microsoft\u0026rsquo;s new \u0026lsquo;\u003ca href=\"http://youtu.be/wLrEeo0Z_HI\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"\u003eone experience, everywhere\u003c/a\u003e\u0026rsquo; mantra is noble. They see the increasingly common situations in which the iPod, iPhone, and iPad serve as gateway drugs, err products, to the Apple ecosystem. Microsoft isn\u0026rsquo;t trying to become Apple by any measure, but they are trying to shift the perception of their products toward the more intuitive and user friendly end of the spectrum, and these are qualities Apple is famous for.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Microsoft's Failing Single-OS Vision"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/surface/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Surface"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/windows-8/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Windows 8"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/windows-phone/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Windows Phone"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/credit-cards/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Credit Cards"},{"content":"For years countries outside the United States have used a system called EMV for their credit cards. The short version is that there is a chip inside the card that authenticates the transaction, plus the users has to enter a PIN instead of signing the receipt*. This has some major benefits. The biggest is security, and after the Target credit card leak I think that\u0026rsquo;s becoming more important to everyone. If someone steals your credit card number, they\u0026rsquo;ll still need your PIN to make charges.\nIt is far less of an issue with ubiquitous broadband like we have in the States, but this new technology also works offline. This should cut back on the days of shops \u0026ldquo;not taking credit cards today because the system is down.\u0026rdquo;\nVisa and MasterCard are making the switch in October 2015; I plan to get my hands on this as soon as my bank and credit card company offer it.\n*There are limitations to the PIN usage. The way the PIN is processed depends on the card reader, and there will be a period of time where the infrastructure hasn\u0026rsquo;t caught up with the new system.\n","date":"7 February 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/credit-cards-with-increased-security-work-offline/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eFor years countries outside the United States have used a system called \u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EMV\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"\u003eEMV\u003c/a\u003e for their credit cards. The short version is that there is a chip inside the card that authenticates the transaction, plus the users has to enter a PIN instead of signing the receipt*. This has some major benefits. The biggest is security, and after the Target credit card leak I think that\u0026rsquo;s becoming more important to everyone. If someone steals your credit card number, they\u0026rsquo;ll still need your PIN to make charges.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Credit Cards With Increased Security, Work Offline"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/finance/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Finance"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/categories/privacy/","section":"Categories","summary":"","title":"Privacy"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/security/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Security"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/inbox-zero/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Inbox Zero"},{"content":"I know, dead horse. I\u0026rsquo;m going to beat the dead horse because somehow the vast majority of people I know are closer to Inbox Infinity than to Inbox Zero. They think it is daunting, overwhelming, or impossible to change; they couldn\u0026rsquo;t be more wrong.\nTo be clear, my life doesn\u0026rsquo;t revolve around email. I don\u0026rsquo;t get thousands of emails per day, but these practices scale to days where I have gotten a few hundred emails. I never miss an email. Ever. Not seeing an email is not an acceptable excuse in my opinion, though I\u0026rsquo;d argue I\u0026rsquo;m in an overwhelming minority here.\nThis article will mostly refer to the Gmail platform, largely because that\u0026rsquo;s what I use for personal email. There are some Gmail-isms, but the practice applies globally. I use very similar techniques to maintain Inbox Zero on my corporate (MS Exchange accessed with Outlook) email account also.\nLabels and Archiving #The main Gmail-ism that some people trip over is Labeling and Archiving. If you think of label + archive as moving an email to a folder (which is exactly what it is), then it greatly simplifies the concept. A label is effectively a folder, so an email can be in countless folders without being duplicated. Archiving is that email out of sight (inside the folder), where as an un-archived email is just outside the folder (but that folder is its home). Ok, that\u0026rsquo;s out of the way.\nPhases of Achieving Inbox Zero #There are effectively three phases to living a low maintenance, happy, clutter-free, Inbox Zero life. Get clean, define your flow, then stay clean. I intentionally am leveraging verbiage associated with addictions; once you get to Inbox Zero you\u0026rsquo;ll wonder how you ever lived any other way.\nGet Clean #Talking to some of the worst offenders I know, I\u0026rsquo;d say the biggest hurdle is getting clean. With 25,206 emails in your Inbox, you\u0026rsquo;re thinking you can never possibly read all those to get to Inbox Zero, let alone keep up with new ones to stay there. This is flawed logic. Are you going to read any of those emails in the next 30 minutes? No, or perhaps only a few. The rest do not need to be in your Inbox - archive them. If you don\u0026rsquo;t use an email service with archiving, create a folder called archive and put the email in there.\nIt was that easy, you are now enjoying your first brush with Inbox Zero. Take a deep breath, the air tastes a little bit sweeter now.\nAllow me to address some concerns.\nQ: What if there is an important email in there that I have now archived?\nA: Your email isn\u0026rsquo;t gone. The immense pile has been moved from your front lawn to a storage closet in your basement. Finding a single important email in a pile of thousands of useless emails is no harder than it was before. If you weren\u0026rsquo;t going to take care of or reply to the email in your Inbox to begin with, the importance of it is irrelevant.\nQ: What about the email I needed to reference?\nA: Searching email is faster than ever (unless you use Outlook, which is miserable, but even with a few GB of email doesn\u0026rsquo;t take more than a minute usually). You can search from senders, using keywords, or by date. There is a plethora of search tips to find exactly what you need. To take it a step further, you can use filters (folders) to put certain emails into a special place. For example I have a label for receipts, another for things like serial numbers for purchased software, another for travel plans, etc. Define Your Flow #Everyone has a unique set of circumstances, volume of email, volume of important email, and general usage of email. Understanding yours will help you determine things like what apps you\u0026rsquo;ll need, how much time email management will consume, and perhaps if you\u0026rsquo;re using the wrong email service for your needs.\nEmail shouldn\u0026rsquo;t have to be a burden. When there is a problem or annoyance that is bothering you or slowing you down, search Google - I promise someone else out there has had that problem, and in many cases there is a solution. Then there are features to make you more effective, things like keyboard shortcuts can be a huge time saver.\nI know mobile has traditionally been a challenge, it is easier to clean up an inbox in front of a computer, right? Not anymore. With apps like Mailbox you can do it on the go very effectively, perhaps even more effectively. It forces simplicity by giving you very few options (essentially the options outlined in the section below). A lot of people tell you to \u0026ldquo;dedicate X minutes Y times per day to go through email, but don\u0026rsquo;t always have email open.\u0026rdquo; That flow doesn\u0026rsquo;t work for everyone. Some people have time-sensitive email chains (that could be phone calls, but aren\u0026rsquo;t), or have a style of work that isn\u0026rsquo;t burdened by email interruption. Maybe every time you get up to use the restroom, opt to use the second closest bathroom and while walking clean up a few emails, a few extra steps per day is healthy too. Waiting rooms, waiting for teammates to join a conference call, walking on the treadmill\u0026hellip; each of these can be opportunities to clean up the Inbox.\nEmbrace what works for you, and whenever something stands out as a pain point, Google your problem. There are some brilliant minds out there working very hard to make email better every single day.\nStay Clean #When you are going through email, there is a simple set of rules to follow. You can reply immediately, discard/archive immediately, or create an actionable item then archive the email (perhaps temporarily).\nReplying immediately, or *taking *action, is the easy one. Just get it out of the way. If your immediate reply sparks an instant message-like conversation, feel free to move the conversation to a more suitable platform such as an IM, text message, or phone call. Once you reply, archive the email. I highly recommend enabling the Send+Archive button in Gmail. Delete/Archive immediately is likely the most common. Email is often used to promote something, update you on something, or is just plain junk (over 70% of email is spam). If you read it, get it out of the Inbox if there is no response or action needed from you. Pro tip: To cut down on how much spam you get, you can create a filter for the word \u0026ldquo;Unsubscribe\u0026rdquo;. Emails with \u0026ldquo;Unsubscribe\u0026rdquo; are essentially always from online stores, ads, or widely distributed content (rather than an email written specifically for you). You can either delete them or simply put them into a folder on the side, either way it is automatically taken care of for you. Creating a to-do item is how to overcome the hardest part of maintaining Inbox Zero; that self-inflicted challenge is the mental feeling of \u0026ldquo;I need to do something with this, so I\u0026rsquo;ll keep it here until I do.\u0026rdquo; The nature of effective email is such that it frequently communicates actionable items, or at a minimum, it demands a response. For these emails, I use Boomerang and task tracking software. If I need to respond later, I tell Boomerang to return the email to my Inbox at a time when I know I\u0026rsquo;ll be able to address it, see below for details on Boomerang. If there is any action to be taken, I create a task with detailed notes so that I have all of the information I need to respond. Tasks are prioritized and in the case of my work life, they\u0026rsquo;re color coded with the email as an attachment to the task - I don\u0026rsquo;t even need to go searching for it. Tools and Tips Mentioned Above: # Boomerang - Archives the email until a predetermined date/time, then returns it to your Inbox. It is smart too, for example only returning the email to your Inbox if no one has replied. (Link) Filters - Consider learning how to setup automatic filters, every email service has this. Some quick guides for: Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo, Outlook. Tasks - Find a task management app that works for you. Some suggestions are Wunderlist, Any.Do, iCloud Reminders, Clear, Taasky, and so many more. Mail Apps - Mailbox is excellent for triage on the go. Gmail has really great filtering and is probably the most broadly supported email platform, as proven by plugins like Boomerang. The Gmail app for iOS/Android is pretty solid too. iOS\u0026rsquo;s mail app can be powerful also. For Gmail you can change the delete icon actually archive messages. This allows you to get through a bunch of email very quickly. Truth be told, I think it is set to Archive by default, meaning you\u0026rsquo;ve likely been archiving messages you thought you were deleting for years. Figure out which you do more (archive or delete) and set your phone accordingly. Closing Thoughts #I know unread counts don\u0026rsquo;t give everyone anxiety, though I have never understood why not. Keeping a clean Inbox isn\u0026rsquo;t just about a zero unread count, it is more than that. You\u0026rsquo;ll quickly be known as reliable because you never miss an email, you don\u0026rsquo;t duplicate work, you don\u0026rsquo;t miss meetings, and you don\u0026rsquo;t show up unprepared. It is easier to handle emails on the fly, a couple at a time, than it is to try to go through 100 at the end of every day.\n","date":"5 February 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/inbox-zero-worth-the-investment/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI know, dead horse. I\u0026rsquo;m going to beat the dead horse because somehow the vast majority of people I know are closer to Inbox Infinity than to Inbox Zero. They think it is daunting, overwhelming, or impossible to change; they couldn\u0026rsquo;t be more wrong.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo be clear, my life doesn\u0026rsquo;t revolve around email. I don\u0026rsquo;t get thousands of emails per day, but these practices scale to days where I have gotten a few hundred emails. \u003cstrong\u003eI never miss an email. \u003cem\u003eEver\u003c/em\u003e.\u003c/strong\u003e Not seeing an email is not an acceptable excuse in my opinion, though I\u0026rsquo;d argue I\u0026rsquo;m in an overwhelming minority here.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Inbox Zero is Worth the Investment"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/logmein/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"LogMeIn"},{"content":"Cheers to the folks at LogMeIn for taking care of existing customers. Several people, myself included, purchased the Ignition app for $20 (before they had a free app and a $99 app, there was a single $20 iOS app), and these people will retain full control via their mobile app whether or not they ever upgrade to the Pro tier of service.\nWe hope as a LogMeIn Ignition customer you are enjoying your complimentary 6-month subscription of LogMeIn Pro. We’re reaching out to help clear up any confusion surrounding the recently announced change to LogMeIn Free and clarify what the changes mean for Ignition app users.\nSpecifically, we want you to know that mobile access to your computers has not been impacted by this change, and will remain available even after the expiration of your complimentary LogMeIn Pro subscription.\nYou can continue to remotely access your computers, as you have, from your mobile device with full access to the premium functionality in your LogMeIn Ignition app, whether or not you ultimately upgrade to LogMeIn Pro.\nThe news is good, and most welcome, but I\u0026rsquo;m undecided on whether it is enough to keep me as a customer. While mobile access via the app accounted for 90%+ of my usage, there are times it is nice to use the web browser interface. Truth be told, I already uninstalled LogMeIn from all of my computers, but I wasn\u0026rsquo;t thrilled about that. The TeamViewer interface and apps just aren\u0026rsquo;t as good.\nEither way, I give my thanks and respect for the folks at LogMeIn making the customer-centric decision that they\u0026rsquo;ve made.\n","date":"3 February 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/logmein-reaches-out-to-ignition-app-users/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eCheers to the folks at LogMeIn for taking care of existing customers. Several people, myself included, purchased the Ignition app for $20 (before they had a free app and a $99 app, there was a single $20 iOS app), and these people will retain full control via their mobile app whether or not they ever upgrade to the Pro tier of service.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe hope as a LogMeIn Ignition customer you are enjoying your complimentary 6-month subscription of LogMeIn Pro. We’re reaching out to help clear up any confusion surrounding the recently announced change to LogMeIn Free and clarify what the changes mean for Ignition app users.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"LogMeIn Reaches out to Ignition App Users"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/remote-access/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Remote Access"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/screen-size/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Screen size"},{"content":"The discussion on The Prompt last week (episode 31) sparked a series of thoughts for me regarding whether or not Apple is even considering an iPad Pro (12.9\u0026quot;) and what exactly the device would be. Despite being an unlikely product for the near term, it is an interesting discussion.\nFederico gives three scenarios: # Just a larger iPad. Same iOS, same hardware features, larger (12.9\u0026quot;) screen. iPad Pro with substantial hardware and software feature changes. Hybrid device, or \u0026ldquo;convertible\u0026rdquo; as Intel calls them. Let\u0026rsquo;s be clear here, Federico isn\u0026rsquo;t making the case for any of the three options, this is merely a game of \u0026ldquo;what if\u0026rdquo; that we\u0026rsquo;re playing. I think it is also important to preface this analysis with an immensely relevant comment from the podcast -\n\u0026ldquo;All these arguments we are having\u0026hellip; they are based on four years of the iPad. God knows what is going to happen in five years. We are writing all of these articles because we think we know what the iPad is, but we really don\u0026rsquo;t because it is such a young product.\u0026rdquo; Federico Viticci (54 minutes into The Prompt episode 31).\nJust a Larger iPad #The idea of Apple just making a larger iPad actually makes the most short term sense out of the three to me with regard to Apple\u0026rsquo;s position today. I\u0026rsquo;d peg the probability of it happening (near term) at ~0.02%. The iPad Air is the iPad Pro for all intents and purposes. It has the top of the line processor, top of the line graphics, top of the line battery, top of the line screen. Sure it could use more than 1GB of RAM, but we won\u0026rsquo;t see a new iPad model just to add RAM.\nThere is an argument for additional screen real estate making more complex video and image editing possible, but that notion is assuming the UI for such activity is based on the old mouse-based systems. Clicking little details, dragging small corners of boxes, etc. Rather than making the screen larger to allow these archaic assumptions to take hold, the market is more likely to take the next step in UI to be designed specifically (and only) for touch input. Substantial Hardware and Software Changes #My first thought is that this was the most likely of the three, after all it makes the most sense as a professional device. It stands out the most, it has the most to offer. Looking longer term, this seems to have the best chance at coming to fruition. Short term, it isn\u0026rsquo;t an Apple-esque product segment today. This product would introduce the complexities of a legacy and mature market, the laptop, and mix them with a young and yet-to-be-entirely-defined market, the tablet.\nThe nature of a \u0026ldquo;Pro\u0026rdquo; device is to cater to those detailed use cases, enable customization, give power to power users, and enable productivity on par with a traditional laptop. I don\u0026rsquo;t think this is bad, but I\u0026rsquo;m conflicted, and I don\u0026rsquo;t see it happening too soon. When it does happen, it will need to happen without the legacy baggage of adapting a computer UI to touch input. We have all seen the miserable flop they call Windows 8.\nFederico talks about two types of multitasking, multi-window (legacy concept) and \u0026ldquo;multi-feature\u0026rdquo; (his proposed new concept). The multi-feature proposal is essentially a system wide and inter-app \u0026ldquo;Plugins 2.0\u0026rdquo; proposal. One example is converting text to uppercase; rather than opening a new app you could select it, tap and hold, and get a menu popup. Another example is 1Password, you tap and old on a login box in Safari and get a menu to fill the fields and log you in. Sounds a lot more like a traditional computer, and (dare I say) Android.\nThis computing power on a tablet has a place. It certainly has power. It has an audience who wants it. I\u0026rsquo;d even go as far as to say it will happen, eventually. If software progresses fast enough, it may be only two or three years away, maybe. The beauty and simplicity that have launched the iPad and iPhone into their cultural stronghold are paramount to their success right now. Both markets have come a long way, but both are still incredibly young. If Apple forks their hardware and software on the iPad now, they\u0026rsquo;ll lose the simplicity and magic that makes them unique.\nThe flip side of this is that if Apple waits too long to enable cross-app integration (or interapperability) at a feature level, then the potential exists that Android will have gone through several generations of it and have a more refined solution. Again, I\u0026rsquo;m conflicted. I love customizing my Mac in so many ways, but hated needing to customize my Android and love not needing to customize my iPhone/iPad.\nHybrid Device #I suspect Federico included this for the sake of including it. Convertible PCs are the netbooks of the modern day. People proclaimed that Apple was doomed when they didn\u0026rsquo;t participate in the netbook market. Their response was the MacBook Air that forever changed mobile computing. The ultrabook market is thriving thanks to the Air. Apple will not participate in the convertible market, it is that easy.\nClosing Thoughts #There is a lot more that could be discussed on the topic. I\u0026rsquo;d like to think that there are new ideas for redefining how we interact with \u0026ldquo;pro\u0026rdquo; level work rather than just carrying forward the legacy interaction we\u0026rsquo;re all used to. I don\u0026rsquo;t have the answer to what that would look like though. There are two conclusions I can draw with some confidence - you won\u0026rsquo;t see a 12\u0026quot; iPad in 2014 and you won\u0026rsquo;t see an Apple \u0026ldquo;convertible\u0026rdquo; laptop at all.\n","date":"27 January 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/thoughts-on-viticcis-ipad-pro-scenarios/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe discussion on \u003ca href=\"http://5by5.tv/prompt\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"\u003eThe Prompt\u003c/a\u003e last week (episode 31) sparked a series of thoughts for me regarding whether or not Apple is even considering an iPad Pro (12.9\u0026quot;) and what exactly the device would be. Despite being an unlikely product for the near term, it is an interesting discussion.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"federico-gives-three-scenarios\" class=\"relative group\"\u003eFederico gives three scenarios: \u003cspan class=\"absolute top-0 w-6 transition-opacity opacity-0 -start-6 not-prose group-hover:opacity-100\"\u003e\u003ca class=\"group-hover:text-primary-300 dark:group-hover:text-neutral-700\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none !important;\" href=\"#federico-gives-three-scenarios\" aria-label=\"Anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJust a larger iPad. Same iOS, same hardware features, larger (12.9\u0026quot;) screen.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eiPad Pro with substantial hardware and software feature changes.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHybrid device, or \u0026ldquo;convertible\u0026rdquo; as Intel calls them.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLet\u0026rsquo;s be clear here, Federico isn\u0026rsquo;t making the case for any of the three options, this is merely a game of \u0026ldquo;what if\u0026rdquo; that we\u0026rsquo;re playing. I think it is also important to preface this analysis with an immensely relevant comment from the podcast -\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Thoughts on Viticci's iPad Pro Scenarios"},{"content":"30 years, a lot of progress. The Mac sold for $5,594 in today\u0026rsquo;s dollars and had 400KB of storage. ","date":"24 January 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/happy-birthday-mac/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003e30 years, a lot of progress. The Mac sold for $5,594 in today\u0026rsquo;s dollars and had 400KB of storage. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n  \n    \u003cpicture\n      class=\"mx-auto my-0 rounded-md\"\n      \n    \u003e\n      \n      \n      \n      \n        \u003csource\n          \n            srcset=\"https://www.opte.ch/news/happy-birthday-mac/image_hu_fedb9f559b3ea81.webp 330w,https://www.opte.ch/news/happy-birthday-mac/image_hu_f5169f5cc6d0b838.webp 660w\n            \n              \n                ,https://www.opte.ch/news/happy-birthday-mac/image_hu_e5fe270abbd99423.webp 783w\n              \n            \n            \n              \n                ,https://www.opte.ch/news/happy-birthday-mac/image_hu_e5fe270abbd99423.webp 783w\n              \n            \"\n          \n          sizes=\"100vw\"\n          type=\"image/webp\"\n        /\u003e\n      \n      \u003cimg\n        width=\"783\"\n        height=\"1024\"\n        class=\"mx-auto my-0 rounded-md\"\n        \n        loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"\n        \n          src=\"https://www.opte.ch/news/happy-birthday-mac/image_hu_3a25a2a3e16a78d.jpg\" srcset=\"https://www.opte.ch/news/happy-birthday-mac/image_hu_8851bfcf3a4880.jpg 330w,https://www.opte.ch/news/happy-birthday-mac/image_hu_3a25a2a3e16a78d.jpg 660w\n          \n            ,https://www.opte.ch/news/happy-birthday-mac/image.jpg 783w\n          \n          \n            ,https://www.opte.ch/news/happy-birthday-mac/image.jpg 783w\n          \"\n          sizes=\"100vw\"\n        \n      /\u003e\n    \u003c/picture\u003e\n  \n\n\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Happy Birthday, Mac!"},{"content":"It pains me to see the free tier getting discontinued, but I understand it. I have used LogMeIn for many years to manage my always-on PC server at home, to remote into my laptop if a security camera appears offline, and more. I paid $20 for the app before they offered a free one and never regretted it.\nThankfully in today\u0026rsquo;s market, there are free options to replace it.\n","date":"21 January 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/logmein-discontinuing-free-service-tier/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIt pains me to see the free tier getting discontinued, but I understand it. I have used LogMeIn for many years to manage my always-on PC server at home, to remote into my laptop if a security camera appears offline, and more. I paid $20 for the app before they offered a free one and never regretted it.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThankfully in today\u0026rsquo;s market, there are free options to replace it.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"LogMeIn Discontinuing Free Service Tier"},{"content":"The breach of data from Target (along with Neiman Marcus and reportedly a few more) seems to be getting worse by the day. There are some things I find highly concerning.\nFirst, some facts. # Attacks started on November 27, 2013 (just in time for Black Friday). The attack went unnoticed until December 15, 2013, over two weeks later. Hackers got names, addresses, email addresses, and phone numbers of 70 million people; 11GB of data total. Siphoned data has been sent to Russia and who knows where else from there. Attackers used a RAM scraper to capture un-encrypted data from point-of-sale systems after the credit card swipe, but before it was encrypted and sent to a central location for routing to the credit card companies. Target and Neiman Marcus both passed all annual compliance testing for their handling of credit card data by the credit card industry standard (PCI-DSS). A similar attack happened in 2005. Why does this keep happening? #The short answer is pretty simple, as disappointing as it is. The industry standard is subpar, retailers are too cheap to upgrade, and people are frequently reactive in nature. Now there\u0026rsquo;s something to react to, let\u0026rsquo;s see if it works.\nSo let\u0026rsquo;s break that down. The standards exist, but they\u0026rsquo;re too weak. In fact, these retailers passed their most recent annual inspection, though the post-crisis analysis shows they\u0026rsquo;re no longer in compliance. Seems like a pretty obvious solution - there needs to be constant monitoring for compliance. Even constantly being compliant will not suffice though, case and point:\nIn August 2006, Wal-Mart was also certified PCI-compliant while unknown attackers were lurking on its network. \\[Emphases is mine.\\] So what needs to change? Two excerpts caught my eye:\nPCI standards don’t require companies to encrypt card data while in transit either on the company’s internal network or on its way to a processor, as long as the transmission is over a private network.\nTarget was likely using such a secure channel within its network to transmit unencrypted card data. But that wasn’t good enough. The attackers simply adapted by employing a RAM scraper to grab the data in the point-of-sale device’s memory, where it was not secured.\nTo overcome these obstacles, there needs to be an unbiased third party to write the new compliance standard. This new standard needs to be written with the understanding that retailers can and will opt for the bare minimum implementation that meets the standard; they have very little incentive to do otherwise (sadly caring for their customers isn\u0026rsquo;t nearly as profitable as appearing to care for their customers). This means adopting the already-circulating EMV card standard and end-to-end encryption on payment systems. There is no silver bullet. It\u0026rsquo;s a general rule of thumb that hackers will always be one step ahead of security. With the right measures in place, we just might be able to catch the leak after 70 credit cards are stolen rather than 70 million. I am also not a security expert, but when flaws are this glaringly obvious people have the right to be outraged.\n","date":"20 January 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/target-credit-card-breach/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe breach of data from Target (along with Neiman Marcus and reportedly a few more) seems to be getting worse by the day. There are some things I find highly concerning.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"first-some-facts\" class=\"relative group\"\u003eFirst, some facts. \u003cspan class=\"absolute top-0 w-6 transition-opacity opacity-0 -start-6 not-prose group-hover:opacity-100\"\u003e\u003ca class=\"group-hover:text-primary-300 dark:group-hover:text-neutral-700\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none !important;\" href=\"#first-some-facts\" aria-label=\"Anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAttacks started on November 27, 2013 (just in time for Black Friday).\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe attack went unnoticed until December 15, 2013, over two weeks later.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHackers got names, addresses, email addresses, and phone numbers of 70 million people; 11GB of data total.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSiphoned data has been sent to Russia and who knows where else from there.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAttackers used a \u003ca href=\"http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2014/01/target-malware-identified/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"\u003eRAM scraper\u003c/a\u003e to capture un-encrypted data from point-of-sale systems after the credit card swipe, but before it was encrypted and sent to a central location for routing to the credit card companies.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eTarget and Neiman Marcus both passed all annual compliance testing for their handling of credit card data by the credit card industry standard (\u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Payment_Card_Industry_Data_Security_Standard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"\u003ePCI-DSS\u003c/a\u003e).\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA \u003ca href=\"http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2010/03/tjx-sentencing/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"\u003esimilar attack\u003c/a\u003e happened in 2005.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"why-does-this-keep-happening\" class=\"relative group\"\u003eWhy does this keep happening? \u003cspan class=\"absolute top-0 w-6 transition-opacity opacity-0 -start-6 not-prose group-hover:opacity-100\"\u003e\u003ca class=\"group-hover:text-primary-300 dark:group-hover:text-neutral-700\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none !important;\" href=\"#why-does-this-keep-happening\" aria-label=\"Anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe short answer is pretty simple, as disappointing as it is. The industry standard is subpar, retailers are too cheap to upgrade, and people are frequently reactive in nature. Now there\u0026rsquo;s something to react to, let\u0026rsquo;s see if it works.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Target Credit Card Breach"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/leak/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Leak"},{"content":"Looks like Samsung is putting some effort into design cleanliness. Not something they\u0026rsquo;re exactly known for. The question is whether they\u0026rsquo;re giving the UI a genuinely fresh overhaul, or are we seeing a friendly face with the same Samsung clutter behind it?\nIt is worth mentioning that the \u0026ldquo;Samsung clutter\u0026rdquo; does enable a lot of niche uses for users, but it certainly doesn\u0026rsquo;t lend itself to a clean user experience.\nKnowing Samsung, this leak is accurate (probably even intentional). I would also bet that the same old pile of (many useless, some useful) features are present somewhere.\n","date":"20 January 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/samsung-s5-ui-leaks/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eLooks like Samsung is putting some effort into design cleanliness. Not something they\u0026rsquo;re exactly known for. The question is whether they\u0026rsquo;re giving the UI a genuinely fresh overhaul, or are we seeing a friendly face with the same Samsung clutter behind it?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is worth mentioning that the \u0026ldquo;Samsung clutter\u0026rdquo; does enable a lot of niche uses for users, but it certainly doesn\u0026rsquo;t lend itself to a clean user experience.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Samsung S5 UI Leaks"},{"content":"Java is a nice introductory language, it is pretty ubiquitous, and it is platform agnostic. Those are likely the primary reasons for schools using it so frequently in computer science departments, the University of Colorado does anyway (and interviews I\u0026rsquo;ve conducted lead me to believe that is normal).\nWhen Cisco reported that 91% of attacks exploited Java vulnerabilities, it triggered some concerns.\nJust take a minute and think about how shocking this is. Android is largely written in Java. No surprise that Android sees 97% of malware in the mobile space. Schools are too slow to adapt to changes in the real world. ","date":"18 January 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/91-of-cyber-attacks-exploit-java-the-language-used-to-create-android/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eJava is a nice introductory language, it is pretty ubiquitous, and it is platform agnostic. Those are likely the primary reasons for schools using it so frequently in computer science departments, the University of Colorado does anyway (and interviews I\u0026rsquo;ve conducted lead me to believe that is normal).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen Cisco reported that 91% of attacks exploited Java vulnerabilities, it triggered some concerns.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eJust take a minute and think about how shocking this is.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Android_%28operating_system%29\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"\u003eAndroid\u003c/a\u003e is largely written in Java. No surprise that Android sees \u003ca href=\"http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2013/04/14/apple-enterprise-android-malware/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"\u003e97% of malware\u003c/a\u003e in the mobile space.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSchools are too slow to adapt to changes in the real world.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e","title":"91% of Cyber Attacks Exploit Java... The Language Used to Create Android"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/java/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Java"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/programming/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Programming"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/path/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Path"},{"content":"Path is a simply wonderful social network. I connect with my close friends and family and we use the app to share more intimate moments that aren\u0026rsquo;t appropriate for the public or large following of acquaintances. The app is beautifully designed on iOS, it is acceptable on Android, and now has finally launched for Windows.\nPath has enjoyed noteworthy success, though is not, and will never be, the next Facebook or Twitter. The fact that it took them this long to launch on the Windows platform goes to show how much Windows is struggling in the smartphone realm. This isn\u0026rsquo;t to say the platform isn\u0026rsquo;t good, but it seems too be too little too late.\n","date":"17 January 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/path-launches-windows-phone-app/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://path.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"\u003ePath\u003c/a\u003e is a simply wonderful social network. I connect with my close friends and family and we use the app to share more intimate moments that aren\u0026rsquo;t appropriate for the public or large following of acquaintances. The app is beautifully designed on iOS, it is acceptable on Android, and now has finally launched for Windows.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePath has enjoyed \u003ca href=\"http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2013/04/25/path-a-social-diary-app-is-adding-1-million-new-users-a-week/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"\u003enoteworthy success\u003c/a\u003e, though is not, and will never be, the next Facebook or Twitter. The fact that it took them this long to launch on the Windows platform goes to show how much Windows is struggling in the smartphone realm. This isn\u0026rsquo;t to say the platform isn\u0026rsquo;t good, but it seems too be too little too late.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Path Launches Windows Phone App"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/categories/startups/","section":"Categories","summary":"","title":"Startups"},{"content":"Top 10 This\u0026hellip; Top 25 That\u0026hellip; or just plain slide shows of a new car\u0026hellip; somehow we still have websites that don\u0026rsquo;t use dynamic slideshows. What is dynamic? Clicking \u0026lsquo;Next\u0026rsquo; and having the photo advance without having to load anything else on the page, let alone the whole page. That is dynamic.\nAutoBlog is just a notch under unbearable. They load a whole new page for the first photo, but subsequent photos load dynamically.\nThis is 2014. Static pages with slide shows haven\u0026rsquo;t been even remotely acceptable for 3+ years. The admins for these sites should feel immeasurable shame. Please end the madness.\n","date":"17 January 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/dont-make-me-load-one-page-per-slide/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.techdigest.tv/2012/06/10_must-have_ma.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"\u003eTop 10 This\u003c/a\u003e\u0026hellip; Top 25 That\u0026hellip; or just plain slide shows of a new car\u0026hellip; somehow we still have websites that don\u0026rsquo;t use dynamic slideshows. What is dynamic? Clicking \u0026lsquo;Next\u0026rsquo; and having the photo advance without having to load anything else on the page, let alone the whole page. That is dynamic.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2015-lexus-rc-f-detroit-2014/#photo-2152726/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"\u003eAutoBlog\u003c/a\u003e is just a notch under unbearable. They load a whole new page for the first photo, but subsequent photos load dynamically.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Don't Make Me Load One Page Per Slide"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/web-design/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Web Design"},{"content":"If we reported on every screen size, material, product, and mold shape that Apple has tried, it would be like drinking from a fire hose. I\u0026rsquo;m not saying new screen sizes won\u0026rsquo;t appear in new devices eventually, but let\u0026rsquo;s be realistic.\niPad \u0026ldquo;Pro\u0026rdquo; - Nope*. Larger iPhone - likely in the next 2 years. I would expect an announcement related to vector-izing graphics in the OS to be part of this. Smart \u0026ldquo;Watch\u0026rdquo; - I don\u0026rsquo;t see what Apple has to gain here. I think Gruber\u0026rsquo;s idea of a new iPod with a watch strap is more likely, but even that isn\u0026rsquo;t something I\u0026rsquo;d bet on. Once battery technology improves, I think this could change. Right now the batteries needed are far too large for a device worthy of the Apple brand. *The time frame on the \u0026ldquo;nope\u0026rdquo; projection is 2-3 years. Not happening.\n","date":"15 January 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/reports-of-apple-testing-new-screen-sizes-yawn/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIf we reported on every screen size, material, product, and mold shape that Apple has tried, it would be like drinking from a fire hose. I\u0026rsquo;m not saying new screen sizes won\u0026rsquo;t appear in new devices eventually, but let\u0026rsquo;s be realistic.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eiPad \u0026ldquo;Pro\u0026rdquo; - Nope*.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLarger iPhone - likely in the next 2 years. I would expect an announcement related to vector-izing graphics in the OS to be part of this.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSmart \u0026ldquo;Watch\u0026rdquo; - I don\u0026rsquo;t see what Apple has to gain here. I think Gruber\u0026rsquo;s idea of a new iPod with a watch strap is more likely, but even that isn\u0026rsquo;t something I\u0026rsquo;d bet on. Once battery technology improves, I think this could change. Right now the batteries needed are far too large for a device worthy of the Apple brand.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e*The time frame on the \u0026ldquo;nope\u0026rdquo; projection is 2-3 years. Not happening.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Reports of Apple Testing New Screen Sizes... Yawn"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/human-rights/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Human Rights"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/nsa/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"NSA"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/privacy/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Privacy"},{"content":"It is no secret that the NSA is, or is at least capable of, tracking your every move. Many people also realize that advertisers have a lot more access to tracking you than you\u0026rsquo;d think (or like), but most people do not.\nYour phone is constantly connected to cellular towers, scanning for WiFi, and in some cases searching for Bluetooth. To make wireless connections, a handshake of sorts has to take place. This handshake includes some indentifiers to tell the source who you are. This information isn\u0026rsquo;t your name or email address, but a MAC address is unique enough to pretty easily trace you as an individual.\nCombine that with using free WiFi to log into Facebook or Twitter, and you\u0026rsquo;ve just told an advertiser your name, email address, and MAC address. Any other hotspot you walk by or log into knows exactly who you are, what your internet browsing habits are, and even when you\u0026rsquo;ve been. This technology allows companies to know a lot about you.\n\u0026ldquo;Locations have meanings,\u0026rdquo; says Eloise Gratton, a privacy lawyer. Marketers can infer that a person has a certain disease from their Internet searches. A geolocation company can actually see the person visiting the doctor, \u0026ldquo;making the inference that the individual has this disease probably even more accurate,\u0026rdquo; she says.\nIt doesn\u0026rsquo;t stop here though. Once the data is collected, it is immensely valuable, why else would it be collected? The sale of the data is often more concerning than the collection of it.\nViasense Inc., another Toronto startup, is building detailed dossiers of people\u0026rsquo;s lifestyles by merging location data with those from other sources, including marketing firms. The company follows between 3 million and 6 million devices each day in a 400-kilometer radius surrounding Toronto. It buys bulk phone-signal data from Canada\u0026rsquo;s national cellphone carriers. Viasense\u0026rsquo;s algorithms then break those users into lifestyle categories based on their daily travels, which it says it can track down to the square meter.\nI added the emphasis myself to highlight how prevalent this is. We aren\u0026rsquo;t talking about shady back-alley operations here, this data is bought and sold by major corporations including your cell phone provider that can pin point your exact location at any time any day since you signed up for the service.\nThis isn\u0026rsquo;t to say that there is no potential benefit to being tracked. There are some regulations on what is bought and sold and to whom, though the laws tend to lag the technology. There is some upside to this data being available to advertisers. For ages we have considered ads to be annoyances. This largely stems from the fact that ads are generic and meant for large audiences. However, we\u0026rsquo;re all consumers, we all buy things, so what if the ads we got were genuinely meaningful and saved us money on things we need or want? These highly specific targeted ads are only possible if the advertiser knows a creepy amount about you.\nThere is no substitute for being educated to understand what you\u0026rsquo;re sharing and when.\n","date":"14 January 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/your-phone-is-divulging-more-information-than-you-think/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIt is no secret that the NSA is, or is at least capable of, tracking your every move. Many people also realize that advertisers have a lot more access to tracking you than you\u0026rsquo;d think (or like), but most people do not.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYour phone is constantly connected to cellular towers, scanning for WiFi, and in some cases searching for Bluetooth. To make wireless connections, a handshake of sorts has to take place. This handshake includes some indentifiers to tell the source who you are. This information isn\u0026rsquo;t your name or email address, but a MAC address is unique enough to pretty easily trace you as an individual.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Your Phone is Divulging More Information Than You Think"},{"content":"Internet providers have no place prioritizing or discriminating against types of internet traffic. The providers have one goal: profits. This does not end well for customers.\n","date":"14 January 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/court-shuts-down-net-neutrality/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eInternet providers have no place prioritizing or discriminating against types of internet traffic. The providers have one goal: profits. This does not end well for customers.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Court Denies Net Neutrality"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/net-neutrality/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Net Neutrality"},{"content":"Jean-Louis Gassée has shed a similar light, but from a different angle, as my post from December 10th in follow up to the discussion on the Pragmatic podcast. This whole Internet of Things (IoT) realm is in its infancy, there is so much progress to be made here. He asks the question:\nIf we can\u0026rsquo;t solve the \u0026ldquo;basket of remotes\u0026rdquo; problem, how can we expect a home full of \u0026ldquo;smart\u0026rdquo; objects? #ibmceschat\n— Jean-Louis Gassée (@gassee) January 10, 2014\nThis is a great high level perspective on it. We didn\u0026rsquo;t solve it in any complete sense, though we did start. My Harmony One is among my favorite pieces of technology that I own (post-setup-process). The problem is that it was expensive and the setup process was miserable (not super complicated, just unpleasant). The result is this not being a solution in the broad sense, but rather a nerd\u0026rsquo;s solution.\nOther people are trying to turn the smart phone or tablet into a remote control, and there hasn\u0026rsquo;t been any development on this that leads me to believe it will ever work. To be clear, it will work as a Plan B remote, sure, but never Plan A. I use my iPhone to pause my Apple TV all the time, but only when my Harmony isn\u0026rsquo;t in reach.\nI think the IoT is at a phase that is one step before the Harmony One. There is no elegant solution yet, and the closest we get is unimaginably expensive (if you have an endless budget there are some options out there). The next stage will be the Harmony One where there is a good solution, but it costs too much and isn\u0026rsquo;t going to be rapidly embraced by the average consumer. The big question is what happens after that. Does it get discontinued like the Harmony, or does someone finally crack the code and have a runaway success like the iPhone?\n","date":"13 January 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/internet-of-things-the-basket-of-remotes-problem/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.mondaynote.com/author/jlg/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"\u003eJean-Louis Gassée\u003c/a\u003e has shed a similar light, but from a different angle, as \u003ca href=\"http://www.opte.ch/news/2013/12/10/follow-up-on-pragmatics-automation-discussion\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"\u003emy post from December 10th\u003c/a\u003e in follow up to the discussion on the \u003ca href=\"http://www.fiatlux.fm/pragmatic/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"\u003ePragmatic\u003c/a\u003e podcast. This whole Internet of Things (IoT) realm is in its infancy, there is so much progress to be made here. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe asks the question:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf we can\u0026rsquo;t solve the \u0026ldquo;basket of remotes\u0026rdquo; problem, how can we expect a home full of \u0026ldquo;smart\u0026rdquo; objects? \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/search?q=%23ibmceschat\u0026amp;src=hash\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"\u003e#ibmceschat\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e— Jean-Louis Gassée (@gassee) \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/gassee/statuses/421697862196817920\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"\u003eJanuary 10, 2014\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Internet of Things: The “Basket of Remotes” Problem"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/smart-home/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Smart Home"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/ces/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"CES"},{"content":"In this article by Mat Honan from Wired, he highlights a major problem with technology journalism today - people are bored with just about everything. These are just TVs, this is just another tablet, that iPhone is hardly any different from the last one\u0026hellip; blah blah blah.\nThis year the CES coverage seemed to be more pessimistic than previous years. The latest iPhone release seemed to be received as more disappointing than previous years. The anti-Apple folks say that Apple has peaked and can\u0026rsquo;t keep up their momentum without Steve Jobs. The rest of the tech bloggers think that CES has lost its shine. These aren\u0026rsquo;t two separate things, there is one explanation - everyone has gotten used to insanely brilliant, beautiful, and incredible technology. Many believe it is bland and boring because we\u0026rsquo;re surrounded by it.\nTech reporting today often sounds more like a spoiled rich kid complaining that the Mercedes his parents got him for his 16th birthday isn\u0026rsquo;t the right color. It is a shame. Every time I pick up my phone, tablet, or laptop there is a moment of disbelief at how incredible the technology is. Not all reporting is this way, but enough of it is and those same \u0026ldquo;writers\u0026rdquo; have no shame in publishing nothing more than click-bait-crap.\nThis doesn\u0026rsquo;t mean we can\u0026rsquo;t be critical of new technology. We don\u0026rsquo;t have to accept every new product as profound. Not every product will be a revolution, but embracing a steady clip of evolution is not settling.\n","date":"12 January 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/tech-bloggers-giving-ces-the-apple-treatment/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIn \u003ca href=\"http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2014/01/the-end-of-ces/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"\u003ethis article\u003c/a\u003e by Mat Honan from Wired, he highlights a major problem with technology journalism today - people are bored with just about everything. These are just TVs, this is just another tablet, that iPhone is hardly any different from the last one\u0026hellip; blah blah blah.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis year the CES coverage seemed to be more pessimistic than previous years. The latest iPhone release seemed to be received as more disappointing than previous years. The anti-Apple folks say that Apple has peaked and can\u0026rsquo;t keep up their momentum without Steve Jobs. The rest of the tech bloggers think that CES has lost its shine. These aren\u0026rsquo;t two separate things, there is one explanation - everyone has gotten used to \u003cem\u003einsanely\u003c/em\u003e brilliant, beautiful, and incredible technology. Many believe it is bland and boring because we\u0026rsquo;re surrounded by it.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Tech Bloggers Giving CES the Apple Treatment"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/bitcoin/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Bitcoin"},{"content":"Overstock.com processed $124,000 in Bitcoin transactions in their first 24 hours accepting the currency. It is a small amount of money at first glance, but attempting to compete with the dollar as a currency is no simple task. Additionally, overstock.com isn\u0026rsquo;t exactly known as a tech-nerd user base.\nThis is another exciting step in the Bitcoin story. Really excited and curious to see how this plays out.\nSee also:\nWill a Civil War era law outlaw Bitcoin? The guy who became a millionaire off of Bitcoin and didn\u0026rsquo;t even know it. ","date":"10 January 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/bitcoin-24-hours-124k/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eOverstock.com processed $124,000 in Bitcoin transactions in their first 24 hours accepting the currency. It is a small amount of money at first glance, but attempting to compete with the dollar as a currency is no simple task. Additionally, overstock.com isn\u0026rsquo;t exactly known as a tech-nerd user base.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is another exciting step in the Bitcoin story. Really excited and curious to see how this plays out.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSee also:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.wired.com/wiredenterprise/2014/01/stampact/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"\u003eWill a Civil War era law outlaw Bitcoin\u003c/a\u003e?\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe guy who \u003ca href=\"http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/29/bitcoin-investment_n_4175421.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"\u003ebecame a millionaire\u003c/a\u003e off of Bitcoin and didn\u0026rsquo;t even know it.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e","title":"Bitcoin: 24 Hours, $124k"},{"content":"Some interesting picks in here, definitely seems to capture the best products there. With that being said, I\u0026rsquo;m still not seeing anything that is standing out.\nOculus Rift keeps making these kinds of lists, but it seems to be in a perpetual state of development. Sony Z1 Compact packs a top end punch into an iPhone-size device, a rarity for Android devices. There are a LOT of fitness trackers, I don\u0026rsquo;t see that changing any time soon. The Mother sensor system seems interesting. Not a grand slam, but a fresh take on smart home technology. ","date":"10 January 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/engadget-ces-2014-picks/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eSome interesting picks in here, definitely seems to capture the best products there. With that being said, I\u0026rsquo;m still not seeing anything that is standing out.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOculus Rift keeps making these kinds of lists, but it seems to be in a perpetual state of development.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSony Z1 Compact packs a top end punch into an iPhone-size device, a rarity for Android devices.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThere are a LOT of fitness trackers, I don\u0026rsquo;t see that changing any time soon.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe Mother sensor system seems interesting. Not a grand slam, but a fresh take on smart home technology.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e","title":"Engadget: CES 2014 Picks"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/gmail/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Gmail"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/google+/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Google+"},{"content":"It is a somewhat cynical view. One could argue Google is attempting to make it as easy as possible for people to connect. To be clear: I disagree with this being opt-out instead of opt-in, I think Google is doing everything they possible can to make Google+ relevant, and I think they will cave to pressure on this and make it opt-in.\nMarco has a strong closing statement:\nYou, the users, are just along for the ride. You’re just eyeballs. Body parts and ad-targeting data. Google doesn’t care about you at all. You’ve tolerated enough already that it’s pretty clear you’re not really going anywhere.\nIt is an interesting notion. It does ignore the fact that you being nothing more than \u0026ldquo;eyeballs\u0026rdquo; and providing you with great services are actually (or can be) quite complementary insofar as the end result of the product they make. Their intentions aren\u0026rsquo;t important to most people.\nThis reminds me of the quote:\nIf you are not paying for it, you\u0026rsquo;re not the customer; you\u0026rsquo;re the product being sold.\nThere is an interesting counter-stance to this that I have discussed quite a bit with my friend Erik Sunde (@eriksunde). If Google uses the information they have on you responsibly, the end game is that you see more relevant ads to the extent of you actually clicking on an ad being within the realm of possibility (*gasp!) - is that so bad? I know we\u0026rsquo;ve been trained to despise advertising online, but if it is for a product we have genuine interest in could that trend change?\nThere are some inherent assumptions about exactly what information Google has, how they share it with 3rd parties, and how secure some of your more private information (like location) is kept. Google, like Apple, is under such a fine microscope that they go to great lengths to make responsible decisions and to be as transparent about those decisions as they can be. They do make mistakes, they do get fined. Bottom line - there is no substitute for protecting and educating yourself. Full disclosure: I put forth the idea that relevant ads might not be so bad while I personally use the Disconnect.me plugin for Chrome to block ads and tracking.\n","date":"10 January 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/marco-on-googles-gmail-google-integration/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIt is a somewhat cynical view. One could argue Google is attempting to make it as easy as possible for people to connect. To be clear: I disagree with this being opt-out instead of opt-in, I think Google is doing everything they possible can to make Google+ relevant, and I think they will cave to pressure on this and make it opt-in.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMarco has a strong closing statement:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou, the users, are just along for the ride. You’re just eyeballs. Body parts and ad-targeting data. Google doesn’t care about you at all. You’ve tolerated enough already that it’s pretty clear you’re not really going anywhere.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Marco on Google's Gmail-Google+ Integration"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/chromebook/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Chromebook"},{"content":"An excellent follow up piece (to his original post) on where Chromebooks fit into the tech world. Also read his link to Vance McAlister\u0026rsquo;s response, both are very insightful.\nFrom Vance:\nThe true value in ChromeOS is what it DOESN’T have. Critics say “a Macbook or Windows laptop will give you the same Chrome browser, plus a lot more as well!”, but that misses the point entirely. Those laptops don’t come with the killer feature of ChromeOS: the LACK of a traditional OS.\nThe lack of a traditional OS means you do not have to deal with the myriad frustrations of Windows, Mac or even Linux. You get instant on, constant updates, no registry corruption, no accumulated accretions and eventual slowdowns, no viruses and conflicts. In theory, as long as the hardware holds up, a ChromeOS device will be as slick and responsive in five years as it is out of the box.\n","date":"10 January 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/stratechery-the-best-analogy-for-chromebooks-are-ipads/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAn excellent \u003ca href=\"http://stratechery.com/2014/the-best-analogy-for-chromebooks-are-ipads/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003efollow up piece\u003c/a\u003e (to his \u003ca href=\"http://stratechery.com/2014/chromebooks-cost-complexity/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eoriginal\u003c/a\u003e post) on where Chromebooks fit into the tech world. Also read his link to \u003ca href=\"https://plus.google.com/u/0/+VanceMcAlister/posts/2gGsedT8fNS\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eVance McAlister\u0026rsquo;s response\u003c/a\u003e, both are very insightful.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom Vance:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe true value in ChromeOS is what it DOESN’T have. Critics say “a Macbook or Windows laptop will give you the same Chrome browser, plus a lot more as well!”, but that misses the point entirely. Those laptops don’t come with the killer feature of ChromeOS: the LACK of a traditional OS.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Stratechery: The Best Analogy For Chromebooks Are iPads"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/4k/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"4K"},{"content":"There has been a lot of 4K news at CES, no surprise there. Computer monitors make sense and a 4K computer monitor should excite anyone who uses desktop monitors. TVs are a different story. When talking TVs, the important thing to remember is that you don\u0026rsquo;t sit nearly as close to them. When you sit farther back, even the most perfect human eye can only differentiate a certain level of detail. Read more here. Here\u0026rsquo;s the quick version; this diagram shows you the screen size versus viewing distance chart and shows at which range a given resolution is actually valuable.\nYou\u0026rsquo;ll be surprised to see, that most of us could actually have a 720p TV and not be able to tell the difference from 1080p. So why bother with 4K (1080p is 1920x1080 pixels, 4K is approximately 2x that in both directions - 3840x2160, or 2160p)? It is a marketing gimmick in many ways. Realistically there has been no convincing argument why we all need it.\nThis brings us to Vizio. Vizio is doing two interesting things.\nKill 3D TVs. I\u0026rsquo;ve been saying this for ages, 3D as it exists today, is pointless. Lots of extra hardware, increased cost, decreased convenience, for a negligible (if any) enhancement to entertainment value. Reasonably priced 4K TVs. If 4K has a chance of taking off, it is because Vizio is taking their pricing very seriously. Their prices are almost low enough to fall within the \u0026ldquo;well I don\u0026rsquo;t need it, but for just a few bucks more why not?\u0026rdquo; range. That\u0026rsquo;s where 3D was eventually too, so we\u0026rsquo;ll see if it takes off. I\u0026rsquo;m not sold on 4K TVs, and never have been on 3D in the home. One thing is abundantly clear, the television manufacturers are desperately looking for the next big thing.\n","date":"9 January 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/ces-2014-4k-and-3d/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThere has been a \u003ca href=\"https://www.google.com/search?q=ces+2014+4k\u0026amp;oq=ces+2014+4k\" target=\"_blank\"\u003elot of 4K news at CES\u003c/a\u003e, no surprise there. Computer monitors make sense and a 4K computer monitor should excite anyone who uses desktop monitors. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTVs are a different story. When talking TVs, the important thing to remember is that you don\u0026rsquo;t sit nearly as close to them. When you sit farther back, even the most perfect human eye can only differentiate a certain level of detail. \u003ca href=\"http://carltonbale.com/1080p-does-matter/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eRead more here\u003c/a\u003e. Here\u0026rsquo;s the quick version; this diagram shows you the screen size versus viewing distance chart and shows at which range a given resolution is actually valuable.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"CES 2014: 4K and 3D"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/pixels/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Pixels"},{"content":"On Yahoo Tech\u0026hellip; David Pogue heading it up does give them a chance at making this work. It is still a bit of a comedy with how miserably Yahoo has failed in the tech industry as of late that they\u0026rsquo;re attempting to become a tech news source.\nOmission of the \u0026ldquo;!\u0026rdquo; is, and always will be, intentional. Perhaps that\u0026rsquo;ll change if there is ever something exciting going on at Yahoo.\n","date":"8 January 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/we-dont-understand-tech-enough-to-compete-in-the-space-let-us-report-on-it/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eOn Yahoo Tech\u0026hellip; David Pogue heading it up does give them a chance at making this work. It is still a bit of a comedy with how miserably Yahoo has failed in the tech industry as of late that they\u0026rsquo;re attempting to become a tech news source.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOmission of the \u0026ldquo;!\u0026rdquo; is, and always will be, intentional. Perhaps that\u0026rsquo;ll change if there is ever something exciting going on at Yahoo.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"We Don't Understand Tech Enough to Compete in the Space, Let Us Report on It"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/yahoo/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Yahoo"},{"content":"John Gruber posted an interesting tweet yesterday regarding how important the aesthetic design of a product is:\nWe’ve always judged cell phones by how they look, and we keep them in our pockets. Wearables — glasses, watches, anything — can’t be ugly.\n— John Gruber (@gruber) January 6, 2014\nOf course, some folks aren\u0026rsquo;t interested in the design of a product, but in general it holds true. Some of the appeal of the iPhone is how stunning it is to look at. Part of the appeal of the Moto X is how clean and simple the design is while still being highly customizable.\nSo why is it that a large number of wearable devices just aren\u0026rsquo;t elegantly designed? I see a few obvious reasons.\nPhysical limitations - The physical limitations of putting certain sensors, certain screens, and certain features into a device with a battery that can power it is challenging. Very challenging. In many instances, there is no choice but to make the device thicker than is desirable to accommodate the necessary battery, our battery technology simply isn\u0026rsquo;t that good yet. Unique design - The easiest way for the general public to judge design is if it looks like a product that we know has been beautifully designed. The problem here is that companies can\u0026rsquo;t just all copy one another\u0026rsquo;s designs or things would be very boring. Companies branch out, they try to put their signature mark on the product, and often it just isn\u0026rsquo;t quite right. Branding - Certain companies cannot resist putting their branding all over a device rather than letting the device speak for itself. The most glaring example is the new Pebble Steel with the large \u0026ldquo;Pebble\u0026rdquo; printed right on the face of the watch. I\u0026rsquo;m not sure where this leaves us. I don\u0026rsquo;t see any products out today (including the rush of announcements at CES thus far) that I believe will go mainstream, though some will likely sell fairly well. I do know that I\u0026rsquo;ve largely stopped wearing my Pebble, I remove my Jawbone Up for any half way formal event, and I wouldn\u0026rsquo;t wear Google Glasses outside my house if I did own them.\nI look forward to the wearable revolution, but I am seeing the M5 in the iPhone 5s being more and more valuable as the tracking mechanism of choice since it is beautifully designed and already guaranteed to be with me at all times.\n","date":"7 January 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/how-much-does-design-matter-for-wearable-tech/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eJohn Gruber posted an interesting tweet yesterday regarding how important the aesthetic design of a product is:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe’ve always judged cell phones by how they look, and we keep them in our pockets. Wearables — glasses, watches, anything — can’t be ugly.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e— John Gruber (@gruber) \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/gruber/statuses/420330000945274880\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"\u003eJanuary 6, 2014\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOf course, some folks aren\u0026rsquo;t interested in the design of a product, but in general it holds true. Some of the appeal of the iPhone is how stunning it is to look at. Part of the appeal of the Moto X is how clean and simple the design is while still being highly customizable.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"How Much Does Design Matter for Wearable Tech?"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/pebble/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Pebble"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/wearables/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Wearables"},{"content":"The \u0026ldquo;rumors\u0026rdquo; of a bigger iPad are a joke, but they\u0026rsquo;re spreading like wildfire. If you need proof why it isn\u0026rsquo;t happening (anytime in the next few years at least), just take a look at Samsung\u0026rsquo;s newest 12.2\u0026quot; abomination.\nComments on the tablet from the report:\n\u0026ldquo;Simply isn\u0026rsquo;t designed for optimum portability\u0026rdquo; \u0026ldquo;too awkward to hold for long periods of time\u0026rdquo; \u0026ldquo;we were hard-pressed to find any variation between the 12.2-incher and the Note 10.1 2014 edition\u0026rdquo; Personally, I\u0026rsquo;m holding out for the 12.2\u0026quot; phone version.\n","date":"7 January 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/stop-with-the-bigger-ipad-rumors/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe \u0026ldquo;rumors\u0026rdquo; of a bigger iPad are a joke, but they\u0026rsquo;re spreading like wildfire. If you need proof why it isn\u0026rsquo;t happening (anytime in the next few years at least), just take a look at \u003ca href=\"http://www.engadget.com/2014/01/06/samsung-galaxy-note-pro/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eSamsung\u0026rsquo;s newest 12.2\u0026quot; abomination\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eComments on the tablet from the report:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u0026ldquo;Simply isn\u0026rsquo;t designed for optimum portability\u0026rdquo; \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u0026ldquo;too awkward to hold for long periods of time\u0026rdquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u0026ldquo;we were hard-pressed to find any variation between the 12.2-incher and the Note 10.1 2014 edition\u0026rdquo;\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePersonally, I\u0026rsquo;m holding out for the 12.2\u0026quot; phone version.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Stop With the Bigger iPad \"Rumors\""},{"content":"We are getting closer to Angela Ahrendts\u0026rsquo; start date at Apple (this Spring) and MacRumors has posted this nice overview of how she will fit in at Apple, and more importantly what she brings to the table. I\u0026rsquo;m very excited about this hire and think Ahrendts has a lot to offer. I expect her style, coupled with iBeacon technology, to completely reshape the retail experience and give the whole thing more of a \u0026lsquo;premium brand\u0026rsquo; feel.\n","date":"6 January 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/ahrendts-at-apple/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eWe are getting closer to Angela Ahrendts\u0026rsquo; start date at Apple (this Spring) and MacRumors has posted \u003ca href=\"http://www.macrumors.com/2014/01/06/how-angela-ahrendts-burberry-experience-could-drive-the-future-of-apple-retail/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ethis nice overview\u003c/a\u003e of how she will fit in at Apple, and more importantly what she brings to the table. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI\u0026rsquo;m very excited about this hire and think Ahrendts has a lot to offer. I expect her style, coupled with iBeacon technology, to completely reshape the retail experience and give the whole thing more of a \u0026lsquo;premium brand\u0026rsquo; feel.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Ahrendts at Apple"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/retail/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Retail"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/att/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"AT\u0026T"},{"content":"There is no doubt that privacy is getting more visibility than ever with the NSA leaks of late. A lot of people are opting for more secure services, apps, and hardware. This often comes at a price as these services are harder to engineer and maintain, they\u0026rsquo;re not usually given away for free. The exception is Kim Dotcom\u0026rsquo;s MEGA service with 50GB of free ultra secure cloud storage.\nAT\u0026amp;T announced sponsored data plans today that allow providers to pay for the data that you use on your mobile device while using their services. Imagine streaming Netflix without it counting toward your 2GB data cap, seems neat right? Well the financial savings represent the most obvious upside, the privacy issue presents the largest down side. Your data and your usage are now bought and paid for by someone else, meaning they own it.\nThis isn\u0026rsquo;t to say that sponsored data is bad in all regards, sponsored Netflix seems like the most obvious win since they already know what you\u0026rsquo;re watching, you\u0026rsquo;re not really revealing anything. Where do you draw the line though? Will AT\u0026amp;T give you fine control over this, or will it be fully opt-in or opt-out? From the looks of the press release, users will get this new sponsored data automatically, there is no mention of an opt-out policy.\nI think there is room for both sides of this privacy issue to win - sponsored data and secure data. I think there are appropriate times to use both. However, I do not expect to be able to really balance the two any time soon, it\u0026rsquo;ll be all or nothing for a while.\n","date":"6 January 2014","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/att-announces-sponsored-data-a-step-in-the-wrong-direction/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThere is no doubt that privacy is getting more visibility than ever with the NSA leaks of late. A lot of people are opting for more secure services, apps, and hardware. This often comes at a price as these services are harder to engineer and maintain, they\u0026rsquo;re not usually given away for free. The exception is Kim Dotcom\u0026rsquo;s \u003ca href=\"https://mega.co.nz/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eMEGA\u003c/a\u003e service with 50GB of free ultra secure cloud storage.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAT\u0026amp;T announced sponsored data plans today that allow providers to pay for the data that you use on your mobile device while using their services. Imagine streaming Netflix without it counting toward your 2GB data cap, seems neat right? Well the financial savings represent the most obvious upside, the privacy issue presents the largest down side. Your data and your usage are now bought and paid for by someone else, meaning they own it.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"AT\u0026T Announces Sponsored Data"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/data/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Data"},{"content":"The Pro version of the Kayak.com app is free for a limited time. I have no affiliation, but this gets you airport terminal maps (compared to the free version). The price is right.\nDirect Link\n","date":"31 December 2013","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/kayak-pro-is-free-includes-airport-maps/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe Pro version of the Kayak.com app is free for a limited time. I have no affiliation, but this gets you airport terminal maps (compared to the free version). The price is right.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/kayak-pro/id338227344?mt=8\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eDirect Link\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Kayak Pro is Free (Includes Airport Maps)"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/sale/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Sale"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/travel/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Travel"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/categories/diy/","section":"Categories","summary":"","title":"DIY"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/diy/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"DIY"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/home-improvement/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Home Improvement"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/led/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"LED"},{"content":"This is somewhat outside the scope of this blog, but if you love tech stuff, you probably love LEDs. I love LEDs. I recently completed the installation of LED light strips in my kitchen to improve counter lighting and for ambiance, wanted to share what I used and a few things I learned.\nMaterials # LED Light Strips - 3100K, double density (link) Power Supply (link) Wire (link) LED Strip Connectors (link) Dimming Switch (link) Conduit/Raceway (link) Installation #The installation is relatively simple and there are a lot of DIY guides out there already. I won\u0026rsquo;t rehash all of that information. However, there are some things worth mentioning that I had to learn the hard way. Double density strips are absolutely the way to go; it is far better lighting for when you\u0026rsquo;re cooking and LEDs can be dimmed for ambiance as needed. With the double density LED strips, the \u0026ldquo;suggested items\u0026rdquo; on Amazon will lead you astray. Many of the connectors and adapters will not work. The LED strip connectors linked above are not available on Amazon, but shipped very quickly directly from HitLights (whom I was very pleased with after having purchased several items and talking with their customer service extensively via email).\nResult #New home, very similar installation. I doubled up on the double density LED lights on the bottom and added lights above, so I used a larger (100W) transformer to support it. I also had the luxury of a pre-wired wall switch for control, so I used a Lutron magnetic dimmable switch.\nFirst home:\n","date":"31 December 2013","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/under-cabinet-led-lighting-project/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThis is somewhat outside the scope of this blog, but if you love tech stuff, you probably love LEDs. I love LEDs. I recently completed the installation of LED light strips in my kitchen to improve counter lighting and for ambiance, wanted to share what I used and a few things I learned.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"materials\" class=\"relative group\"\u003eMaterials \u003cspan class=\"absolute top-0 w-6 transition-opacity opacity-0 -start-6 not-prose group-hover:opacity-100\"\u003e\u003ca class=\"group-hover:text-primary-300 dark:group-hover:text-neutral-700\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none !important;\" href=\"#materials\" aria-label=\"Anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLED Light Strips - 3100K, double density (\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00710K0DE/ref=oh_details_o04_s00_i01?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;psc=1\" target=\"_blank\"\u003elink\u003c/a\u003e)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePower Supply (\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003WOIVRU/ref=oh_details_o04_s00_i03?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;psc=1\" target=\"_blank\"\u003elink\u003c/a\u003e)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWire (\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001JT76C6/ref=oh_details_o04_s00_i02?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;psc=1\" target=\"_blank\"\u003elink\u003c/a\u003e)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLED Strip Connectors (\u003ca href=\"http://www.hitlights.com/3528conntwhd.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003elink\u003c/a\u003e)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDimming Switch (\u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008CRIVR2/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i00?ie=UTF8\u0026amp;psc=1\" target=\"_blank\"\u003elink\u003c/a\u003e)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eConduit/Raceway (\u003ca href=\"http://www.homedepot.com/p/Wiremold-Legrand-Cordmate-Kit-White-C110/100657471?N=bmc0\" target=\"_blank\"\u003elink\u003c/a\u003e)\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"installation\" class=\"relative group\"\u003eInstallation \u003cspan class=\"absolute top-0 w-6 transition-opacity opacity-0 -start-6 not-prose group-hover:opacity-100\"\u003e\u003ca class=\"group-hover:text-primary-300 dark:group-hover:text-neutral-700\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none !important;\" href=\"#installation\" aria-label=\"Anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe installation is relatively simple and there are a lot of \u003ca href=\"https://www.google.com/search?q=installing+under+cabinet+led\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eDIY guides\u003c/a\u003e out there already. I won\u0026rsquo;t rehash all of that information. However, there are some things worth mentioning that I had to learn the hard way. Double density strips are absolutely the way to go; it is far better lighting for when you\u0026rsquo;re cooking and LEDs can be dimmed for ambiance as needed. With the double density LED strips, the \u0026ldquo;suggested items\u0026rdquo; on Amazon will lead you astray. Many of the \u003ca href=\"http://www.amazon.com/HitLights-Connector-Conductor-Strip-monochrome/dp/B0062RBR84/ref=pd_bxgy_hi_text_y\" target=\"_blank\"\u003econnectors\u003c/a\u003e and adapters will not work. The LED strip connectors linked above are not available on Amazon, but shipped very quickly directly from HitLights (whom I was very pleased with after having purchased several items and talking with their customer service extensively via email).\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Under-Cabinet LED Lighting Project"},{"content":"Apple has declined to have any knowledge of the newest NSA leak regarding the DROPOUTJEEP program. I am inclined to believe them for one main reason - they aren\u0026rsquo;t stupid. At the rate the leaks are coming, it is obvious we\u0026rsquo;re not finished. Neither the NSA nor Apple knows how much more will be leaked, so for them to deny knowledge now would guarantee their demise should the truth come out any differently.\nApple\u0026rsquo;s official statement: #Apple has never worked with the NSA to create a backdoor in any of our products, including iPhone. Additionally, we have been unaware of this alleged NSA program targeting our products. We care deeply about our customers’ privacy and security. Our team is continuously working to make our products even more secure, and we make it easy for customers to keep their software up to date with the latest advancements. Whenever we hear about attempts to undermine Apple’s industry-leading security, we thoroughly investigate and take appropriate steps to protect our customers. We will continue to use our resources to stay ahead of malicious hackers and defend our customers from security attacks, regardless of who’s behind them.\n","date":"31 December 2013","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/apple-didnt-know-about-nsas-dropoutjeep/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eApple has declined to have any knowledge of the newest NSA leak regarding the DROPOUTJEEP program. I am inclined to believe them for one main reason - they aren\u0026rsquo;t stupid. At the rate the leaks are coming, it is obvious we\u0026rsquo;re not finished. Neither the NSA nor Apple knows how much more will be leaked, so for them to deny knowledge now would guarantee their demise should the truth come out any differently.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Apple Didn't Know About NSA's DROPOUTJEEP"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/categories/nsa-leaks/","section":"Categories","summary":"","title":"NSA Leaks"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/12-days-of-gifts/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"12 Days of Gifts"},{"content":"Apple has a tradition where they release a 12 Days of Gifts app then each day around Christmas they give people a free version of some paid content - apps, music, books, or videos. You\u0026rsquo;d think people would be grateful.\nMany people are grateful, presumably. However, there is an increasing number of people that are leaving one star reviews on apps, movies, etc. if the free content of the day isn\u0026rsquo;t an app they personally wanted. Angry people leaving one star on a children\u0026rsquo;s game because they don\u0026rsquo;t play it sounds absurd, but sadly, is a reality.\n","date":"31 December 2013","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/misplaced-negative-reviews/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eApple has a tradition where they release a \u003ca href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/app/id777716569\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e12 Days of Gifts app\u003c/a\u003e then each day around Christmas they give people a free version of some paid content - apps, music, books, or videos.  You\u0026rsquo;d think people would be grateful.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMany people are grateful, presumably. However, there is an increasing number of people that are \u003ca href=\"http://www.imore.com/apples-12-days-gifts-prove-giving-can-be-hard\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eleaving one star reviews\u003c/a\u003e on apps, movies, etc. if the free content of the day isn\u0026rsquo;t an app they personally wanted. Angry people leaving one star on a children\u0026rsquo;s game because they don\u0026rsquo;t play it sounds absurd, but sadly, is a reality.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Misplaced Negative Reviews"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/iphoto/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"iPhoto"},{"content":"Apple is so close to knocking it out of the park with several of their software products, but I agree with Marco\u0026rsquo;s comments. iPhoto is a great example; it is the near the top of the list of reasons to own a Mac, but it isn\u0026rsquo;t perfect and hasn\u0026rsquo;t seen a meaningful update in a while. Apple seems to be faced with an interesting dilemma - these software products seem like unfinished versions of how Apple envisions this type of product to look on their platform. They seem unfinished because they\u0026rsquo;re \u0026ldquo;good enough\u0026rdquo; (generally speaking) and don\u0026rsquo;t make headlines or money to warrant being any better. That\u0026rsquo;s acceptable from a lot of companies, but it is very un-Apple-like.\n","date":"31 December 2013","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/marco-arment-on-apples-increasingly-ignored-software-products/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eApple is so close to knocking it out of the park with several of their software products, but I agree with Marco\u0026rsquo;s comments. iPhoto is a great example; it is the near the top of the list of reasons to own a Mac, but it isn\u0026rsquo;t perfect and hasn\u0026rsquo;t seen a meaningful update in a while. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eApple seems to be faced with an interesting dilemma - these software products seem like unfinished versions of how Apple envisions this type of product to look on their platform. They seem unfinished because they\u0026rsquo;re \u0026ldquo;good enough\u0026rdquo; (generally speaking) and don\u0026rsquo;t make headlines or money to warrant being any better. That\u0026rsquo;s acceptable from a lot of companies, but it is very un-Apple-like.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Marco Arment on Apple's Increasingly Ignored Software Products"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/software/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Software"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/tapbots/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Tapbots"},{"content":"If you\u0026rsquo;re a Twitter user, you need to be using Tweetbot 3.0. It isn\u0026rsquo;t just the best Twitter client, which it is by a long shot, it is my favorite iPhone app period. The iPad version is still on 2.0 with the pre-iOS 7 design, and even that is a league above most other Twitter clients. When I did a trial switch to Android, the lack of Tweetbot was among my top complaints, I found myself not wanting to use Twitter anywhere near as much without it.\nIt is usually $4.99, but it is on sale for $2.99 right now. It is a simple gift idea for the holidays that I cannot recommend highly enough. I have no affiliation, I\u0026rsquo;m making no money on this. It is simply that good of an app that I felt compelled to spread the word.\n","date":"23 December 2013","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/p2ggtp2niklszz79yg9fh6hcq0b1mq/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIf you\u0026rsquo;re a Twitter user, you need to be using Tweetbot 3.0. It isn\u0026rsquo;t just the best Twitter client, which it is by a long shot, it is my favorite iPhone app period. The iPad version is still on 2.0 with the pre-iOS 7 design, and even \u003cem\u003ethat\u003c/em\u003e is a league above most other Twitter clients. When I did a trial switch to Android, the lack of Tweetbot was among my top complaints, I found myself not wanting to use Twitter anywhere near as much without it.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Tweetbot 3: The Single Best iPhone App Today"},{"content":"I\u0026rsquo;m not saying it\u0026rsquo;ll never happen (though at this point I don\u0026rsquo;t see why they would), but this 2014 bigger iPad rumor is laughable. Not happening.\nRegarding the larger iPhone\u0026hellip; I see this being more of a potential, but the screen resolution situation would be a mess. I think if they do this, they\u0026rsquo;ll also introduce some API to make apps render with vectored graphics or something.\n","date":"23 December 2013","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/on-rumors-of-a-bigger-ipad/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI\u0026rsquo;m not saying it\u0026rsquo;ll \u003cem\u003enever\u003c/em\u003e happen (though at this point I don\u0026rsquo;t see why they would), but this 2014 bigger iPad rumor is laughable. Not happening.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRegarding the larger iPhone\u0026hellip; I see this being more of a potential, but the screen resolution situation would be a mess. I think if they do this, they\u0026rsquo;ll also introduce some API to make apps render with vectored graphics or something.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"On Rumors of a Bigger iPad"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/nest/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Nest"},{"content":"The only thing holding me back from buying one Nest Protect is the fact that I have seven smoke alarms in my house and I know that once I get one, I will want seven. The Nest Thermostat has been among my top rated investments for home owners since day one.\n","date":"20 December 2013","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/nest-protect/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThe only thing holding me back from buying one \u003ca href=\"https://nest.com/smoke-co-alarm/life-with-nest-protect/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eNest Protect\u003c/a\u003e is the fact that I have seven smoke alarms in my house and I know that once I get one, I will want seven. The \u003ca href=\"https://nest.com/thermostat/life-with-nest-thermostat/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eNest Thermostat\u003c/a\u003e has been among my top rated investments for home owners since day one.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n  \n    \u003cpicture\n      class=\"mx-auto my-0 rounded-md\"\n      \n    \u003e\n      \n      \n      \n      \n        \u003csource\n          \n            srcset=\"https://www.opte.ch/news/nest-protect/nestprotect_hu_9e16f403e40994f2.webp 330w,https://www.opte.ch/news/nest-protect/nestprotect_hu_344c727a47cb5638.webp 660w\n            \n              ,https://www.opte.ch/news/nest-protect/nestprotect_hu_963f6c70cb29e242.webp 1024w\n            \n            \n              ,https://www.opte.ch/news/nest-protect/nestprotect_hu_b1342d013cf61b9f.webp 1320w\n            \"\n          \n          sizes=\"100vw\"\n          type=\"image/webp\"\n        /\u003e\n      \n      \u003cimg\n        width=\"2500\"\n        height=\"1875\"\n        class=\"mx-auto my-0 rounded-md\"\n        \n        loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"\n        \n          src=\"https://www.opte.ch/news/nest-protect/nestprotect_hu_a8ba9bdd7a0f9c6d.jpg\" srcset=\"https://www.opte.ch/news/nest-protect/nestprotect_hu_c1d75bb2de42b52e.jpg 330w,https://www.opte.ch/news/nest-protect/nestprotect_hu_a8ba9bdd7a0f9c6d.jpg 660w\n          \n            ,https://www.opte.ch/news/nest-protect/nestprotect_hu_167b931be20c7778.jpg 1024w\n          \n          \n            ,https://www.opte.ch/news/nest-protect/nestprotect_hu_fe4a684993935682.jpg 1320w\n          \"\n          sizes=\"100vw\"\n        \n      /\u003e\n    \u003c/picture\u003e\n  \n\n\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Nest Protect"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/nest-protect/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Nest Protect"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/mac-pro/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Mac Pro"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/marco-arment/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Marco Arment"},{"content":"An interesting stream of tweets from Marco (@marcoarment) yesterday. Apple products are expensive, but one could argue they\u0026rsquo;re not overpriced.\n@marcoarment with some interesting numbers on \u0026ldquo;equivalent\u0026rdquo; HP and Dell machines.\n","date":"20 December 2013","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/marcos-math/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eAn interesting stream of tweets from Marco (\u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/marcoarment\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e@marcoarment\u003c/a\u003e) yesterday. Apple products are expensive, but one could argue they\u0026rsquo;re not overpriced.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure\u003e\n    \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n  \n    \u003cpicture\n      class=\"mx-auto my-0 rounded-md\"\n      \n    \u003e\n      \n      \n      \n      \n        \u003csource\n          \n            \n              srcset=\"https://www.opte.ch/news/marcos-math/marco_hu_ed2f3b73d0b9619f.webp\"\n            \n          \n          sizes=\"100vw\"\n          type=\"image/webp\"\n        /\u003e\n      \n      \u003cimg\n        width=\"520\"\n        height=\"687\"\n        class=\"mx-auto my-0 rounded-md\"\n        alt=\"@marcoarment with some interesting numbers on \u0026ldquo;equivalent\u0026rdquo; HP and Dell machines.\"\n        loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"\n        \n          src=\"https://www.opte.ch/news/marcos-math/marco.png\"\n        \n      /\u003e\n    \u003c/picture\u003e\n  \n\n\n\u003c/figure\u003e\n\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e@marcoarment with some interesting numbers on \u0026ldquo;equivalent\u0026rdquo; HP and Dell machines.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Marco's Math"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/blackberry/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"BlackBerry"},{"content":"I suppose if BlackBerry exists in 2016, they just might be profitable. I sure wouldn\u0026rsquo;t bet on the former though.\n","date":"20 December 2013","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/blackberry-is-as-delusional-as-ever/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI suppose if BlackBerry \u003cem\u003eexists\u003c/em\u003e in 2016, they just might be profitable. I sure wouldn\u0026rsquo;t bet on the former though.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"BlackBerry is as Delusional as Ever"},{"content":"I backed the Pebble Kickstarter project on day 3 and was anxious for all 471 days of my wait. There are pros and cons with it, I find myself wearing it for a month or so, then not for the next 3 weeks. Torn in between the two worlds. Plenty of reviews have been written, so I\u0026rsquo;ll skip that.\nI found one shocking side effect of wearing the watch that I had not expected, and it remains one of the largest sticking points for me. It isn\u0026rsquo;t the Pebble\u0026rsquo;s fault though.\nVolumes have been written about how nice it is to leave your phone in your pocket. While this is true, it does mean you are potentially looking at your watch as many times as you were looking at your phone. There is a social understanding (to some degree) that looking at your phone is accepted. Yes, it is rude when you\u0026rsquo;re with people, but a quick check here and there is usually acceptable (highly dependent on the situation and company of course).\nWhen you\u0026rsquo;re with those people and checking your watch, you look like you\u0026rsquo;re counting the minutes until they\u0026rsquo;re done talking or until you can leave. It comes across as immeasurably rude, and I\u0026rsquo;ve gotten the reactions to support that. I find myself having to awkwardly explain that I\u0026rsquo;m not looking at the time, but rather a push alert of some kind. If you\u0026rsquo;re getting push alerts as often as me, you really just appear to be rude, impatient, and selfish should you chose to check your watch each time. Most of us don\u0026rsquo;t look at every alert right when it comes in, but when your wrist buzzes it quickly becomes habit to glance quickly.\nAs with any technology, it is the responsibility of the user to exercise common courtesy and logic. This isn\u0026rsquo;t a slam on the Pebble. It is, however, a side effect I did not consider beforehand.\n","date":"20 December 2013","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/unexpected-consequence-of-wearing-a-pebble-smart-watch/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI backed the \u003ca href=\"http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/597507018/pebble-e-paper-watch-for-iphone-and-android\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ePebble Kickstarter\u003c/a\u003e project on day 3 and was anxious for \u003ca href=\"http://justonenerdtech.blogspot.com/2013/07/first-in-last-out-story-of-waiting-for.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eall 471 days\u003c/a\u003e of my wait. There are pros and cons with it, I find myself wearing it for a month or so, then not for the next 3 weeks. Torn in between the two worlds. Plenty of reviews \u003ca href=\"http://justonenerdtech.blogspot.com/2013/08/reality-of-day-to-day-with-pebble.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ehave been written\u003c/a\u003e, so I\u0026rsquo;ll skip that.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI found one shocking side effect of wearing the watch that I had not expected, and it remains one of the largest sticking points for me. It isn\u0026rsquo;t the Pebble\u0026rsquo;s fault though.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Unexpected Consequence of Wearing a Pebble Smart Watch"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/future/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Future"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/ibm/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"IBM"},{"content":"IBM is doing a poor job of caveating their statements here. If they don\u0026rsquo;t intend to caveat them, then I\u0026rsquo;m going to call BS to some degree. IBM\u0026rsquo;s 5 year plan outlines 5 ways in which technology will progress\u0026hellip; here\u0026rsquo;s why I say they\u0026rsquo;re embellishing:\n\u0026ldquo;The classroom will learn you.\u0026rdquo; Essentially a smarter classroom with a per-child custom tailored education. This will exist on some level, likely a beta trial at a few schools. In reality schools are either under funded or misappropriate their funds so badly that there is little to no hope for funding the massive infrastructure build-out that would be required to host this. Even schools in middle to upper-middle class areas aren\u0026rsquo;t in a position to make this happen (and certainly won\u0026rsquo;t be in 5 years). \u0026ldquo;Buying local will beat online.\u0026rdquo; I\u0026rsquo;m not sure \u0026ldquo;beat\u0026rdquo; is a great word to use, but I think there will be a new retail wave that comes soon thanks to a blend of technology and the irreplaceable human connection. Things like iBeacon are going to play a major role here. You\u0026rsquo;ll see a revitalization for any store that embraces this next generation of shopping experience, but \u0026ldquo;beating\u0026rdquo; online retail implies a monetary savings to customers and I just don\u0026rsquo;t see it. Side note: until we\u0026rsquo;re all wearing Google Glass, augmented reality is a pretty gimmicky toy. Not that it won\u0026rsquo;t be a key technology one day, but I\u0026rsquo;m not holding my breath on the next 5 years. \u0026ldquo;Doctors will use your DNA to keep you well.\u0026rdquo; You will likely see this in high dollar medical situations, but your average American\u0026rsquo;s day-to-day checkup costs certainly won\u0026rsquo;t cover it. \u0026ldquo;A digital guardian will protect you online.\u0026rdquo; The best protection is to be smart. With that being said, if someone wants your information, they can get your information. Nothing is unhackable. I hope this time around there is more care put into the software than the days of old where virus protection brought even a super computer to its knees. \u0026ldquo;The city will help you live in it.\u0026rdquo; The idea of sentient cities is an interesting one, but with some major issues, two primary ones come to mind. Privacy is the first, infrastructure is the second. To be sentient, the city must know a remarkable amount of information about you, people aren\u0026rsquo;t going to like that. Furthermore, people definitely aren\u0026rsquo;t going to approve the budgets that propose buying the (extremely expensive) infrastructure to make it possible. The private sector will do what they can here, but they cannot put physical objects in public space, so they\u0026rsquo;re limited to satellites, your cell phone, your mobile technology, etc. Oh yeah, did I mention privacy? IBM is doing a job of getting a lot of clicks and eyes on this, as they do every year. I genuinely believe they do it to inspire technology growth and not for the click counts that a lot of tech blogging has been reduced to these days. Here\u0026rsquo;s to the next 5 years.\n","date":"18 December 2013","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/ibms-5-year-plan/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eIBM is doing a poor job of caveating their statements here. If they don\u0026rsquo;t intend to caveat them, then I\u0026rsquo;m going to call BS to some degree. IBM\u0026rsquo;s 5 year plan outlines 5 ways in which technology will progress\u0026hellip; here\u0026rsquo;s why I say they\u0026rsquo;re embellishing:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026ldquo;The classroom will learn you.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/strong\u003e Essentially a smarter classroom with a per-child custom tailored education. This will exist on some level, likely a beta trial at a few schools. In reality schools are either under funded or misappropriate their funds so badly that there is little to no hope for funding the massive infrastructure build-out that would be required to host this. Even schools in middle to upper-middle class areas aren\u0026rsquo;t in a position to make this happen (and certainly won\u0026rsquo;t be in 5 years).\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026ldquo;Buying local will beat online.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/strong\u003e I\u0026rsquo;m not sure \u0026ldquo;beat\u0026rdquo; is a great word to use, but I think there will be a new retail wave that comes soon thanks to a blend of technology and the irreplaceable human connection. Things like iBeacon are going to play a major role here. You\u0026rsquo;ll see a revitalization for any store that embraces this next generation of shopping experience, but \u0026ldquo;beating\u0026rdquo; online retail implies a monetary savings to customers and I just don\u0026rsquo;t see it. Side note: until we\u0026rsquo;re all wearing Google Glass, augmented reality is a pretty gimmicky toy. Not that it won\u0026rsquo;t be a key technology one day, but I\u0026rsquo;m not holding my breath on the next 5 years.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026ldquo;Doctors will use your DNA to keep you well.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/strong\u003e You will likely see this in high dollar medical situations, but your average American\u0026rsquo;s day-to-day checkup costs certainly won\u0026rsquo;t cover it.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026ldquo;A digital guardian will protect you online.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/strong\u003e The best protection is to be smart. With that being said, if someone wants your information, they can get your information. \u003cem\u003eNothing\u003c/em\u003e is unhackable. I hope this time around there is more care put into the software than the days of old where virus protection brought even a super computer to its knees.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026ldquo;The city will help you live in it.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/strong\u003e The idea of sentient cities is an interesting one, but with some major issues, two primary ones come to mind. Privacy is the first, infrastructure is the second. To be sentient, the city must know a remarkable amount of information about you, people aren\u0026rsquo;t going to like that. Furthermore, people definitely aren\u0026rsquo;t going to approve the budgets that propose buying the (extremely expensive) infrastructure to make it possible. The private sector will do what they can here, but they cannot put physical objects in public space, so they\u0026rsquo;re limited to satellites, your cell phone, your mobile technology, etc. Oh yeah, did I mention privacy?\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIBM is doing a job of getting a lot of clicks and eyes on this, as they do every year. I genuinely believe they do it to inspire technology growth and not for the click counts that a lot of tech blogging has been reduced to these days. Here\u0026rsquo;s to the next 5 years.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"IBM's 5 Year Plan"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/constitution/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Constitution"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/edward-snowden/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Edward Snowden"},{"content":"ArsTechnica: Federal judge finds NSA spying unconstitutional\nNot sure there are too many people that would disagree with the ruling. It\u0026rsquo;ll be interesting to see what happens to Edward Snowden. The law agrees that what he exposed was in fact illegal, however how he exposed said information is also illegal. With that being said, it seems unlikely it could have been exposed any other way (realistically, that is).\n","date":"16 December 2013","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/federal-ruling-on-nsa-spying-unconstitutional/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2013/12/federal-judge-finds-nsa-spying-unconstitutional/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eArsTechnica: Federal judge finds NSA spying unconstitutional\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot sure there are too many people that would disagree with the ruling. It\u0026rsquo;ll be interesting to see what happens to Edward Snowden. The law agrees that \u003cem\u003ewhat\u003c/em\u003e he exposed was in fact illegal, however \u003cem\u003ehow\u003c/em\u003e he exposed said information is also illegal. With that being said, it seems unlikely it could have been exposed any other way (realistically, that is).\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Federal Ruling on NSA Spying: Unconstitutional"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/politics/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Politics"},{"content":"Pragmatic Show Episode 3\nThe discussion on automation in the latest episode of Pragmatic was a great one. It touched on a lot of key value to be had in the smart home endeavor. Below are a few points from the show and my corresponding thoughts that should serve more as logical extensions rather than contradictions, though I do not speak on their behalf:\nPragmatic: The true value is in automation, remote control is secondary. Mike: Largely I agree, 2 main considerations. The automation side is surprisingly underdeveloped right now. Companies like Smart Things are making progress, but the fact remains that the market isn\u0026rsquo;t there yet. Automated lights will still turn off if you\u0026rsquo;re still watching TV or reading, automated blinds will open when you get out of the shower before you\u0026rsquo;re dressed, and motion sensors get tripped up by passing objects or glares that you don\u0026rsquo;t want sensed. Once this stuff is perfected, it\u0026rsquo;ll take off a lot faster. The user experience is currently unacceptable for anyone besides early adopters and nerds. Remote control doesn\u0026rsquo;t have nearly as frequent of a use case in general, of course there are exceptions. However, a fair number of the use cases are arguably of higher importance. Consider forgetting to close your garage door when you leave for work - you never remember if you closed it or not so you either gamble, or turn back. The value in remote \u0026ldquo;control\u0026rdquo; is arguably more in the remote monitoring then being able to react. To merge these 2 points, you\u0026rsquo;d love to see automation take over here and sense that no one is home, none of the occupants\u0026rsquo; phones are detected to be inside the home, therefore the home takes action - locks doors, closes the garage door, adjusts the heat, lights off (except at sunset when the outdoor lights turn on), etc. I could discuss this at length, we\u0026rsquo;ll leave it here for now. Pragmatic: There is an associated cost with spending your own time on installing, setting up, and maintaining a smart home. The \u0026ldquo;cost\u0026rdquo; and/or \u0026ldquo;savings\u0026rdquo; is not necessarily monetary and can be hard to measure. Mike: There is a circular problem here. The setup cost and technical knowledge required prevents it from being mainstream, the fact that it isn\u0026rsquo;t mainstream prevents a lot of companies from investing in it, the lack of participation in the market prevents costs from dropping due to competition. I don\u0026rsquo;t believe that the disruption in this market has happened yet, and by definition, disruption is what breaks that cycle. The Nest Thermostat and Protect are the closest we\u0026rsquo;ve gotten to that and I think the disruptive event is right around the corner. That being said, the iPhone of home automation hasn\u0026rsquo;t shown its pretty little face. Disclaimer: I own a Nest Thermostat and could not love it more. Nest Protect is very high on my list of things to be purchased as well. There will be more thoughts on this in future posts. I find this market to be full of examples of people and products that have much better selling points and features on the box than they have practical applications in improving one\u0026rsquo;s life.\n","date":"10 December 2013","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/follow-up-on-pragmatics-automation-discussion/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.fiatlux.fm/pragmatic/3\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ePragmatic Show Episode 3\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe discussion on automation in the latest episode of Pragmatic was a great one. It touched on a lot of key value to be had in the smart home endeavor. Below are a few points from the show and my corresponding thoughts that should serve more as logical extensions rather than contradictions, though I do not speak on their behalf:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePragmatic\u003c/strong\u003e: The true value is in automation, remote control is secondary.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMike\u003c/strong\u003e: Largely I agree, 2 main considerations.\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe automation side is surprisingly underdeveloped right now. Companies like \u003ca href=\"http://www.smartthings.com\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eSmart Things\u003c/a\u003e are making progress, but the fact remains that the market isn\u0026rsquo;t there yet. Automated lights will still turn off if you\u0026rsquo;re still watching TV or reading, automated blinds will open when you get out of the shower before you\u0026rsquo;re dressed, and motion sensors get tripped up by passing objects or glares that you don\u0026rsquo;t want sensed. Once this stuff is perfected, it\u0026rsquo;ll take off a lot faster. The user experience is currently unacceptable for anyone besides early adopters and nerds.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRemote control doesn\u0026rsquo;t have nearly as frequent of a use case in general, of course there are exceptions. However, a fair number of the use cases are arguably of higher importance. Consider forgetting to close your garage door when you leave for work - you never remember if you closed it or not so you either gamble, or turn back. The value in remote \u0026ldquo;control\u0026rdquo; is arguably more in the remote \u003cem\u003emonitoring\u003c/em\u003e then being able to react. To merge these 2 points, you\u0026rsquo;d love to see automation take over here and sense that no one is home, none of the occupants\u0026rsquo; phones are detected to be inside the home, therefore the home takes action - locks doors, closes the garage door, adjusts the heat, lights off (except at sunset when the outdoor lights turn on), etc. I could discuss this at length, we\u0026rsquo;ll leave it here for now.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePragmatic\u003c/strong\u003e: There is an associated cost with spending your own time on installing, setting up, and maintaining a smart home. The \u0026ldquo;cost\u0026rdquo; and/or \u0026ldquo;savings\u0026rdquo; is not necessarily monetary and can be hard to measure.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMike\u003c/strong\u003e: There is a circular problem here. The setup cost and technical knowledge required prevents it from being mainstream, the fact that it isn\u0026rsquo;t mainstream prevents a lot of companies from investing in it, the lack of participation in the market prevents costs from dropping due to competition. I don\u0026rsquo;t believe that the disruption in this market has happened yet, and by definition, disruption is what breaks that cycle. The \u003ca href=\"https://nest.com\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eNest\u003c/a\u003e Thermostat and Protect are the closest we\u0026rsquo;ve gotten to that and I think \u003cem\u003ethe\u003c/em\u003e disruptive event is right around the corner. That being said, the iPhone of home automation hasn\u0026rsquo;t shown its pretty little face. Disclaimer: I own a Nest Thermostat and could not love it more. Nest Protect is very high on my list of things to be purchased as well.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere will be more thoughts on this in future posts. I find this market to be full of examples of people and products that have much better selling points and features on the box than they have practical applications in improving one\u0026rsquo;s life.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Follow-Up On Pragmatic's Automation Discussion"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/home-automation/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Home Automation"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/first-world-problems/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"First World Problems"},{"content":"There are numerous things frequently found online that are inhumane, evil, wrong, and just plain annoying. Here are a few that come to mind. Gallery views of trivial lists of trivial things. I don\u0026rsquo;t want to wait 8 seconds for a mediocre \u0026ldquo;revelation\u0026rdquo; to load 25 times. If you use a gallery, your content should be nothing short of revolutionary. Popovers where I can\u0026rsquo;t see your page without clicking \u0026lsquo;Close\u0026rsquo; first. See: Tab Closed; Didn\u0026rsquo;t Read. Multipage articles. Unless it is John Siracusa\u0026rsquo;s epic saga outlining every detail of Mavericks, there is no reason the content should span more than one page. Auto-play content. Partial redemption if it is muted by default, but not much. If your site auto-plays audio or video then you may as well just have your domain forward to your MySpace page. Make sure to leave your pager number on the Contact page. Persistent prompts that ask you to take a survey, if you want to live chat, or anything similar. If I scrolled down and didn\u0026rsquo;t click on your abomination, then there is a very good reason. Mouse-over ads. Going to a website shouldn\u0026rsquo;t be a tedious minefield while scrolling down hoping to avoid the double underlined words that popup ads when your mouse touches them. Any suggestions? I wouldn\u0026rsquo;t be surprised if this became a regular segment.\n","date":"10 December 2013","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/seriously-dont-do-this-web-design-edition/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThere are numerous things frequently found online that are inhumane, evil, wrong, and just plain annoying. Here are a few that come to mind. \u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGallery views of trivial lists of trivial things. I don\u0026rsquo;t want to wait 8 seconds for a mediocre \u0026ldquo;revelation\u0026rdquo; to load 25 times. If you use a gallery, your content should be nothing short of revolutionary. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePopovers where I can\u0026rsquo;t see your page without clicking \u0026lsquo;Close\u0026rsquo; first. See: \u003ca href=\"http://tabcloseddidntread.com/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eTab Closed; Didn\u0026rsquo;t Read\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMultipage articles. Unless it is \u003ca href=\"http://arstechnica.com/apple/2013/10/os-x-10-9/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eJohn Siracusa\u0026rsquo;s epic saga\u003c/a\u003e outlining every detail of Mavericks, there is no reason the content should span more than one page.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAuto-play content. Partial redemption if it is muted by default, but not much. If your site auto-plays audio or video then you may as well just have your domain forward to your MySpace page. Make sure to leave your pager number on the Contact page.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePersistent prompts that ask you to take a survey, if you want to live chat, or anything similar. If I scrolled down and didn\u0026rsquo;t click on your abomination, then there is a \u003cstrong\u003every\u003c/strong\u003e good reason.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMouse-over ads. Going to a website shouldn\u0026rsquo;t be a tedious minefield while scrolling down hoping to avoid the double underlined words that popup ads when your mouse touches them. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAny suggestions? I wouldn\u0026rsquo;t be surprised if this became a regular segment.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Seriously, Don't Do This: Web Design Edition"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/fbi/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"FBI"},{"content":"Gizmodo: FBI Can Turn on Webcams Without the Indicator Light\nI can\u0026rsquo;t say I am surprised, but what happens next? As much as I\u0026rsquo;d like to think change is possible, there are a lot of stagnant voters out there. That being said there are a lot of good people doing good things out there at the same time.\n","date":"10 December 2013","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/wrong-just-plain-wrong/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://gizmodo.com/fbi-can-secretly-activate-laptop-cameras-without-the-in-1478371370\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eGizmodo: \u003c/a\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://gizmodo.com/fbi-can-secretly-activate-laptop-cameras-without-the-in-1478371370\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eFBI Can Turn on Webcams Without the Indicator Light\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI can\u0026rsquo;t say I am surprised, but what happens next? As much as I\u0026rsquo;d like to think change is possible, there are a lot of stagnant voters out there. That being said there are a lot of good people doing good things out there at the same time.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"FBI Has Been Watching You"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/snowden/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Snowden"},{"content":"Joy of Tech: iBacon\nSounds delicious, but expensive.\n","date":"10 December 2013","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/yum-ibacon/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.geekculture.com/joyoftech/joyarchives/1935.html\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eJoy of Tech: iBacon\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSounds delicious, but expensive.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Yum, iBacon"},{"content":"MacRumors: Square Debuts New Card Reader Developed by Former Apple Lightning Connector Designer\nTo develop the thinner card reader for Square, Dorogusker was forced to move away from stock components and develop proprietary hardware such as a new custom read head that is able to read two bands of data from the magnetic stripes on credit cards, resulting in greater swipe accuracy. Dorogusker and his team concentrated on improving the \u0026ldquo;feel\u0026rdquo; of swiping, incorporating additional tension in a spring that attaches to the read head for a more satisfying credit card swiping experience.\nWonderful to see such a great company make such an explicit effort toward the details of using their product.\n","date":"9 December 2013","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/squares-new-reader/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.macrumors.com/2013/12/09/square-debuts-new-card-reader-developed-by-former-apple-lightning-connector-designer/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eMacRumors: Square Debuts New Card Reader Developed by Former Apple Lightning Connector Designer\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size:13px\"\u003eTo develop the thinner card reader for Square, Dorogusker was forced to move away from stock components and develop proprietary hardware such as a new custom read head that is able to read two bands of data from the magnetic stripes on credit cards, resulting in greater swipe accuracy. \u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size:13px\"\u003eDorogusker and his team concentrated on improving the \u0026ldquo;feel\u0026rdquo; of swiping, incorporating additional tension in a spring that attaches to the read head for a more satisfying credit card swiping experience.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Square's New Reader"},{"content":"TechCrunch - The War For Your Wrist\nI largely agree here. The smartwatch thing just isn\u0026rsquo;t there yet. I like my Pebble (I was an early Kickstarter backer) but it isn\u0026rsquo;t something I can\u0026rsquo;t live without. It is too thick, iOS is admittedly limited with these types of devices, and the 3rd party app support isn\u0026rsquo;t what I hoped it would be. There is hope for the market, but it is going to be a while before this takes off.\n","date":"8 December 2013","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/not-there-yet/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://techcrunch.com/2013/12/08/the-war-for-your-wrist/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eTechCrunch - The War For Your Wrist\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI largely agree here. The smartwatch thing just isn\u0026rsquo;t there yet. I like my Pebble (I was an early Kickstarter backer) but it isn\u0026rsquo;t something I can\u0026rsquo;t live without. It is too thick, iOS is admittedly limited with these types of devices, and the 3rd party app support isn\u0026rsquo;t what I hoped it would be.  There is hope for the market, but it is going to be a while before this takes off.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Not There Yet"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/feedly/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Feedly"},{"content":"Very poor decision making over at Feedly.\nServices that make choices like this only exist because people keep using them. People make mistakes, I am glad they undid it, but anyone who thought this was a good idea to start with is not someone I agree with or trust.\n","date":"8 December 2013","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/sleezy-feedly/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.the-digital-reader.com/2013/12/07/feedlys-sharing-options-now-direct-shared-articles-servers-cuts-original-publishers\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eVery poor decision making over at Feedly\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eServices that make choices like this only exist because people keep using them. People make mistakes, I am glad they undid it, but anyone who thought this was a good idea to start with is not someone I agree with or trust.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Sleezy Feedly"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/os/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"OS"},{"content":"This graphic to show which smartphones are capable of having which OS on them is eye-opening. I don\u0026rsquo;t think \u0026ldquo;average people\u0026rdquo; (in the tech savviness sense) care about this, which is unfortunate to me.\n","date":"6 December 2013","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/outdated/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"/s/03-ios-android1.png\"\u003eThis graphic\u003c/a\u003e to show which smartphones are capable of having which OS on them is eye-opening. I don\u0026rsquo;t think \u0026ldquo;average people\u0026rdquo; (in the tech savviness sense) care about this, which is unfortunate to me.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Outdated"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/podcast/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Podcast"},{"content":"Pragmatic\nReally enjoying this new podcast from John Chidgey and Ben Alexander. They discuss the practical application and use of technology. I find overlooking the frivolous yet glamorous \u0026ldquo;features\u0026rdquo; of modern technology to be a wonderful thing. It all comes down to how a technology improves your daily life.\n","date":"6 December 2013","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/pragmatic-podcast/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.fiatlux.fm/pragmatic/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003ePragmatic\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eReally enjoying this new podcast from \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/johnchidgey\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eJohn Chidgey\u003c/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/fiatluxfm\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eBen Alexander\u003c/a\u003e. They discuss the practical application and use of technology. I find overlooking the frivolous yet glamorous \u0026ldquo;features\u0026rdquo; of modern technology to be a wonderful thing. It all comes down to how a technology improves your daily life.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Pragmatic Podcast"},{"content":"TechCrunch: Apple Turning on iBeacons at all 254 US Stores\nI\u0026rsquo;m pretty convinced this is the largest feature Apple has slipped in under the radar in recent history.\n","date":"6 December 2013","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/theyre-coming-ibeacons/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://techcrunch.com/2013/12/06/apple-ibeacons-u-s-retail-apple-store/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eTechCrunch: Apple Turning on iBeacons at all 254 US Stores\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI\u0026rsquo;m pretty convinced this is the largest feature Apple has slipped in under the radar in recent history.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"They're Coming... iBeacons"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/junk/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"junk"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/popups/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"popups"},{"content":"Tab Closed; Didn\u0026rsquo;t Read\nDamn them. This ranks up there with link bait headlines and the related junk reporting.\n","date":"5 December 2013","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/popups-20/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://tabcloseddidntread.com\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eTab Closed; Didn\u0026rsquo;t Read\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDamn them. This ranks up there with link bait headlines and the related junk reporting.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Popups 2.0"},{"content":"Link to the article by Richard Gaywood .\n2013 Nexus 7 Wiki for reference.\nRichard draws some great conclusions and keeps a very open mind while explaining his biased starting point as an iOS user. A few key items for me:\nPros: # Emulators, app data sharing, inter-app-erability (you heard it here first\u0026hellip; err second) open the door to complex and interesting apps and use cases. Changing defaults (mail, browser, keyboard) really allows the device to be tailored to fit the user. Voice recognition: \u0026ldquo;It\u0026rsquo;s like night and day compared to Apple\u0026rsquo;s offering. If you\u0026rsquo;ve never seen it, find someone with an Android phone and try it out \u0026ndash; then think about how much more often you\u0026rsquo;d reach for Siri if it was this good.\u0026quot; No credit card required to setup a Google Play account. My initial thought was surprise that you still need one for iTunes, however my second thought is how much more seamless of an experience obtaining content is with a credit card on file. Like it or not, it makes enough sense that it won\u0026rsquo;t be changing. Cons: # Nexus 7 had a \u0026ldquo;cramped\u0026rdquo; web browsing experience, often used mobile sites to work around this. He sorely missed Tweetbot. I too ranked this among my least favorite things about switching to Android (clearly not Google\u0026rsquo;s fault). \u0026ldquo;Fewer interesting games on Android\u0026rdquo; Fewer calendar apps. If I had to guess, I\u0026rsquo;d say it is due to lower corporate adoption or the lower spending trends on Android (good calendar apps are rarely free). Inconsistency, eg. the back button: \u0026ldquo;About 80% of the time, it did exactly what I thought it would\u0026rdquo;\n\u0026ldquo;Jefky/laggy/hesitent scrolling\u0026rdquo; on a device with a quad core CPU and 2GB of RAM and Adreno 320 GPU this seems unacceptable. Especially given it was within Google\u0026rsquo;s own services. Duplicate versions of apps in the Play Store and needing to install a plugin for an app to work (BBC iPlayer) makes for a poor user experience. Seeing this request for permissions when you install a new keyboard is scary: \u0026hellip;third party keyboards could \u0026ldquo;see anything you type, including passwords and credit card numbers\u0026rdquo;\nAs long as that data isn\u0026rsquo;t sent off your device or stored in any way, it is totally acceptable. His closing \u0026ldquo;update\u0026rdquo; highlights a fundamental delta between OSes:\nOne striking thing, as I have noted in some updates throughout the body of this article, is how many of my observations can be addressed through third-party apps that would be impossible on iOS.\nThis ended up being longer than I had planned, but everything above stood out to me. Clearly a highly personal choice.\n","date":"5 December 2013","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/an-ios-users-thoughts-on-using-android/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://www.tuaw.com/2013/11/06/thoughts-on-the-google-nexus-7-from-the-perspective-of-a-longtim/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eLink\u003c/a\u003e to the article by Richard Gaywood .\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nexus_7_(2013_version)\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e2013 Nexus 7\u003c/a\u003e Wiki for reference.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRichard draws some great conclusions and keeps a very open mind while explaining his biased starting point as an iOS user. A few key items for me:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 id=\"pros\" class=\"relative group\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePros\u003c/strong\u003e: \u003cspan class=\"absolute top-0 w-6 transition-opacity opacity-0 -start-6 not-prose group-hover:opacity-100\"\u003e\u003ca class=\"group-hover:text-primary-300 dark:group-hover:text-neutral-700\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none !important;\" href=\"#pros\" aria-label=\"Anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEmulators, app data sharing, inter-app-erability (you heard it here first\u0026hellip; err \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/gray/status/108089549250502656\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"\u003esecond\u003c/a\u003e) open the door to complex and interesting apps and use cases.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChanging defaults (mail, browser, keyboard) really allows the device to be tailored to fit the user.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVoice recognition:\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u0026ldquo;It\u0026rsquo;s like night and day compared to Apple\u0026rsquo;s offering. If you\u0026rsquo;ve never seen it, find someone with an Android phone and try it out \u0026ndash; then think about how much more often you\u0026rsquo;d reach for Siri if it was this good.\u0026quot;\u003c/em\u003e \u003c/p\u003e","title":"An iOS User's Thoughts on Using Android"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/nexus/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Nexus"},{"content":"This \u0026ldquo;blog\u0026rdquo; (I don\u0026rsquo;t like the baggage that word carries) is where I\u0026rsquo;ll be posting links I find interesting for one reason or another and my thoughts on the matter. Stay tuned.\n","date":"12 November 2013","permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/news/test/","section":"Archive","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThis \u0026ldquo;blog\u0026rdquo; (I don\u0026rsquo;t like the baggage that word carries) is where I\u0026rsquo;ll be posting links I find interesting for one reason or another and my thoughts on the matter. Stay tuned.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"First"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/att/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"AT\u0026T"},{"content":"I love to learn and I love to speak and work with others who share this passion. I am always interested in hearing from people interested in technology, engineering, and entrepreneurship. I consider it vital to keep an open mind and to embrace being wrong as an opportunity to improve.\nSend me a message below, or find me on Mastodon, GitHub, or LinkedIn. I am available to meet in person in the Denver, CO area, or by phone/video.\nName Email Message Send This site has no analytics, tracking, or advertising of any kind.\n","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/contact/","section":"OpTe.ch","summary":"\u003cp\u003eI love to learn and I love to speak and work with others who share this passion. I am always interested in hearing from people interested in technology, engineering, and entrepreneurship. I consider it vital to keep an open mind and to embrace being wrong as an opportunity to improve.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSend me a message below, or find me on \u003ca href=\"https://mastodon.social/@mikeoertli\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"\u003eMastodon\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"https://github.com/mikeoertli\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"\u003eGitHub\u003c/a\u003e, or \u003ca href=\"https://linkedin.com/in/mikeoertli\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\"\u003eLinkedIn\u003c/a\u003e. I am available to meet in person in the Denver, CO area, or by phone/video.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Contact"},{"content":"","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tags/dont-do-this/","section":"Tags","summary":"","title":"Don't Do This"},{"content":"This page is for sharing some of my picks. Podcasts, products, apps, and whatever else I think is worth sharing, it is not updated as often as it should be 🙂.\nPodcasts #I listen to a lot of podcasts, but even more than that, I listen to audiobooks. Using a combination of buying credits and monitoring deals on Audible, I purchase books relentlessly and then maintain my own library with the help of OpenAudible and some custom software to provide a password-protected feed of my library. Taking this approach (rather than using the Audible app) lets me benefit from the unrivaled Smart Speed feature of Overcast and save amounts of time that can be hard to fully appreciate.\nFor example, this is as of January 1, 2026:\nMy Overcast Smart Speed statistics as of January 1, 2026.\nTech # The Talk Show (Weekly, 2 hours) - John Gruber discusses Apple and surrounding topics with a guest each week. He gets side tracked on baseball from time to time, but always entertaining.\nAccidental Tech Podcast (ATP) (Weekly, 2 hours) - Marco Arment, John Siracusa, and Casey Liss (of who the hell is Casey Liss fame) discuss Apple, technology, and the tech industry. Really fun dynamic between the three of them.\nDithering (MWF, 15 minutes) - Ben Thompson and John Gruber have regular, concise conversations about the tech industry. Subscription required.\nWVFRM (MKBHD\u0026rsquo;s Podcast) - Marques is a video guru that mostly does tech reviews, but has hundreds of incredible videos. His podcast is also great!\nCyber, Malicious Life, Darknet Diaries, and Hackable - Fascinating stories about hacking, cybersecurity, pen-testing, and more.\nPrivacy and OSINT Podcast - I deeply miss this podcast, but alas I don\u0026rsquo;t think it is coming back. It was a podcast with great insight on remaining anonymous (or at least protected) in a connected world.\nGrumpy Old Geeks - Fun podcast for those that remember the earlier days of the internet.\nTechBrew Ride Home - Formerly the TechMeme Ride home, but still a great overview of what is going on in the tech world.\nHome Assistant - A podcast about the increasingly powerful, and completely open, home automation platform.\nSelf Hosted - RIP to this show, there are still some related podcasts from some of the same people like Linux After Dark and Linux Unplugged. This was a great show about open source and self-hosted software solutions, increasing ownership of our content and putting privacy back into our own hands.\nHonorable Mention: Automators, Mac Geek Gab, Clockwise, Hard Fork, The Rebound\nNon-Tech # Prof G Show with Scott Galloway - Similar to Pivot, except Scott is solo and/or with a guest. There is also a market-centric pod (Prof G Markets) and a political pod (Raging Moderates) that I deeply enjoy.\nAcquired - These guys put together detailed yet compelling background and analysis on the most successful companies of our time. It sounds like it would be dry, but truly each episode is a gem and absolutely worth every moment.\nMy First Million - Interesting (sometimes controversial) discussions about starting/owning businesses, I enjoy the brainstorming on ideas aspect of this show in particular.\nPivot - Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway provide highly entertaining commentary and bold opinions on technology and the technology/startup industry.\nThis Car Pod! - The team from carsandbids.com has a light-hearted car and automotive market/industry podcast that I find really entertaining.\nSearch Engine (a.k.a. Incognito Mode) and Hyperfixed - individual podcasts from the former Reply All team.\nJordan Harbinger Show - Despite being daily and 60m+, I have grown to really love this podcast. Jordan is relatable, humble, and an outstanding interviewer.\nEmbedded (30-60 minutes) - Enthralling stories from reporters who dive deep into a culture or group of people, usually a very dangerous group.\nReveal (Weekly, 60 minutes) - From the Center for Investigative Reporting, uncovers perspectives and facts that often are overlooked in commonly reported stories, or fascinating aspects of things that have gone entirely unreported.\nOpen to Debate and Intelligence Squared - Great debate to help you understand both sides of an argument, the ones you have a strongly held opinion on are the most interesting. Listen with an open mind!\nCortex - I don\u0026rsquo;t listen to this as much as I used to. I realized that CGP Grey\u0026rsquo;s uniquely thoughtful and entertaining perspective was a big part of why I loved this show, and his departure from the show is unfortunate.\nHonorable Mention: Infinite Monkey Cage, Criminal, Hello Internet, The Important Thing, My Brother My Brother and Me, The Weekly Show with John Stewart, The Gargle, The Bugle, Analog(ue), 99% Invisible\nLeadership # The Important Thing - Michael Lopp (@rands) podcast about leadership and other misc. topics.\nSome classic options that I don\u0026rsquo;t listen to as much as I used to, but may provide a useful backlog if nothing else:\nManager Tools - this is sort of the manager\u0026rsquo;s podcast, the starter pack of episodes is excellent if not looking for a more regularly published podcast.\nProgramming Leadership - Marcus Blankenship\u0026rsquo;s podcast about leadership in the context of software development teams.\nMobile Apps #I have around 388 apps on my phone as of writing, and use approximately 60-100 unique apps each week depending what I am doing. I have a tremendous appreciation for beautifully designed and appropriately functional apps. Here are some of my favorites (for iOS).\nIvory - This is, without question, my Mastodon client of choice. I highly recommend this app and I have a lot of respect for their (small) team. I also really enjoy the (open source) Ice Cubes app and am an avid supporter of both. I don\u0026rsquo;t use Mastodon much, but really love this app so I maintain the subscription so that I can enjoy a beautiful design when I do. (RIP Tweetbot, their Twitter client that put them on my radar.)\nOvercast - When I began my podcast journey in the 2010s, I started with the stock podcast player for the platform (typically Apple Podcasts). I never thought I needed more. Enter: Overcast. Smart speed, voice enhancements, and a beautiful UI. You\u0026rsquo;re crazy if you don\u0026rsquo;t at least check this out. As of early 2026, I crossed the 15,000 hour mark for time save by Smart Speed (does not include the base speed increase). It\u0026rsquo;s hard to overstate just how thankful I am for an app that can give me so much of my own time back.\n1Password - With how easy it is to use secure passwords across all of your devices, there is no excuse for not using a good password manager. There is none better than 1Password, I cannot recommend this product highly enough.\nTodoist - My wife and I share grocery lists, Costco lists, to-do lists, etc. We\u0026rsquo;ve found that Todoist has good syncing, 3rd party integration (ex: Siri and Alexa), sharing, features, design, and load time for our needs. I have strongly considered returning to iOS Reminders for this given how much that has improved\u0026hellip; TBD.\nEvernote + Scannable + Fujitsu ScanSnap iX1300 - I have gone almost entirely paperless, so I use Evernote heavily. I also use it for taking notes to sync across devices. Scannable does a surprisingly good job of scanning documents in, I basically always use PDF, but it\u0026rsquo;s quite good in general. I have tried the alternatives (like Notion, Craft, Obsidian, etc\u0026hellip; see this site for more) and just can\u0026rsquo;t find something that meets my needs.\nHome Assistant\nDue - While $5 seems like a lot for a timer/reminders app, I have found it well worthwhile. The custom tones and snoozing capabilities of this app are really useful, I find myself forgetting things far less often.\nStreaks - A very simple, yet useful and powerful, goal tracking app. I can\u0026rsquo;t believe this is free.\nTailscale - A VPN that isn\u0026rsquo;t exactly a VPN, but is an absolute game-changer for anyone looking to securely and painlessly connect between devices from anywhere in the world.\nScreens - An excellent VNC/remote desktop app for iOS and Mac.\nStock apps - I really like the simplicity and speed of several stock apps also. Notes for quick and easy things, Reminders for my own to-do list, iMessage, Mail (iOS), Calendar, and more. I have tried several highly regarded replacements for these, but found that the stock apps did the job nicely.\niMessage deserves its own call-out. I know there are sync issues between devices, but those used to be a lot worse than they are now (I use 4 devices with regularity - 2 Macs, iPhone, iPad). Generally speaking messages and messages being marked as read work perfectly as expected. iMessage feels so different than SMS. Part of it is internal bias of \u0026ldquo;blue bubbles\u0026rdquo; to be certain, but it just feels like an enjoyable communication experience. It\u0026rsquo;s fast, media being sent is high enough quality, it\u0026rsquo;s got great capabilities like leaving groups, muting alerts, finding/sharing location, and more. While challenigng to quanitify, I can safely say that iMessage is a genuine improvement to my life. I tried replacing it with SMS + Hangouts and would peg that experiences many orders of magnitude below iMessage. I have written a bit about iMessage/Hangouts and the tradeoffs.\nHonorable mention: NordVPN, ChatGPT, Amazon, AutoSleep, Shortcuts, Wyze, Carrot Weather, Nomorobo, Clic, Relight, Tailor, Photomator, Bambu Studio\nmacOS Apps # iStat Menus - Places the most useful information in your status bar. Thoroughly configurable and incredibly useful, all for a very reasonable price. \\[\\$18\\] VPN - I used to love Cloak (rebranded to Encrypt.me), but it has gotten shady and does not score well on privacy. Proton VPN is one option, but it lacks the \u0026ldquo;auto-connect on unknown networks\u0026rdquo; that I loved so much with Cloak. I\u0026rsquo;ve used NordVPN lately, but definitely don\u0026rsquo;t love everything about it. Tailscale is the only \u0026ldquo;always\u0026rdquo; in my VPN category.\nVS Code - A really nice text editor that is very customizable, but usable right out of the box. I have started to notice some bloat and have to respect the murmured concerns about analytics etc. being shipped off to Microsoft, so the open source variant VSCodium has started to catch my eye. \\[Both are free\\] Slack - If you aren\u0026rsquo;t using Slack for work, you should be. If you aren\u0026rsquo;t using it for your social circles, you probably should be there too. \\[Free\\] Ghostty - Ghostty has replaced iTerm for me; it is more performant and lighterweight. - If you use the command line at all, get Ghostty (free) and install oh my zsh. The ability to customize is endless but well documented and once you switch you\u0026rsquo;ll never go back. I am using the Starship prompt (not to be confused with the Spaceship prompt) along with Atuin and some other tools. I am obsessed with dotfiles and aliases etc, but haven\u0026rsquo;t yet taken the time to clean mine up such that they can be made public. \\[Free\\] Homebrew - Makes life a lot easier for installing and managing developer tools (among other things). \\[Free\\] Better Touch Tool (BTT) - Allows powerful customization of gestures, taps, clicks, and more for the touchpad, a Magic Mouse, or a regular mouse. You can supercharge the speed of your navigation by finding gestures that work for you beyond the system defaults and make your life a lot easier. \\[Was a \"Pay what you can\" model when I purchased it, now I am not sure\\] 1Password - The perfect companion to the iOS app, 1Password is hands down the best way to manage your passwords and secure data. By using 1Password, it becomes much easier to use highly secure logins to all of your services by eliminating the need for you to remember tens or hundreds of passwords. \\[\\$50\\] IntelliJ - An amazing development environment for Java work, even the free version is incredibly powerful and feature-rich. It has great documentation and help and receives regular updates.\nFork - The best GUI git client I have ever seen.\nPixelmator Pro - I am admittedly concerned what will happen here now that Apple has purchased the Pixelmator team, but I am really happy for them because they created such a compelling product. To a non-graphic-designer, this is just as good as Photoshop, but easier to use and way cheaper. Their guides are outstanding and I use this more often than I ever thought I would. It has gotten me out of several binds - for example, we needed to order something that had fixed dimensions for a photo, we had one candidate photo and it simply could not be cropped to those dimensions. Using the AI features, I was able to extend the (highly complex) photo background to extend the image and fit into the crop without anyone ever noticing that the trees and grass aren\u0026rsquo;t \u0026ldquo;real\u0026rdquo;.\nMy Setup # Computer: 2021 MacBook Pro 16\u0026quot; M1 Max\nPhone: iPhone (usually the latest iPhone Pro (non-Max) variant)\nTablet: White iPad Pro 12.9\u0026quot; w/ Nano-texture\nAirPods: I can\u0026rsquo;t imagine life without them anymore. If $159 seems expensive, you haven\u0026rsquo;t used them yet. I know most people will disagree, but I have the AirPods Pro as well and I prefer the non-Pro AirPods. They are much more comfortable to wear all day every day (I tend to leave 1 in most of the time).\nBackup Strategy:\n1st: TB4 NVMe SSD backups (soooo fast)\n2nd: Backblaze ($5/month)\n3rd: Time Capsule (2TB) technically still connected, but this is being phased out\n4th: Synology with TimeMachine and manual dupes of certain files.\n5th Infrequent SuperDuper! clones - I really don\u0026rsquo;t do this anymore even though I should\u0026hellip;\nUseful Technology \u0026amp; Services #For one reason or another, often due to trial and error, I\u0026rsquo;ve found some useful items that might not be well known. Other items in the list are just things I find useful and wanted to share.\nAirPods - Worth many times their $159 asking price, AirPods are only second to my iPhone in favorite material objects I own. They are amazing for casual podcast/audiobook listening, non-audiophile music listening, working on projects at home (including very active ones), working out or walking the dog, or for conference calls at work. I\u0026rsquo;ve polled nearly everyone I\u0026rsquo;ve talked to on the phone (via voice call, Slack, call FaceTime, etc.) and found consistently perfectly quality, even in the face of daunting background noise. Their convenience is extraordinary and the ability to use a single earbud or both is something I take advantage of several times per day. With one or both in my hear for most of a waking ~17 hour day, I have never exhausted more than about 70% of the combined battery life between the pods and the case, and never been without at least one charged and ready to go. There is no product I recommend more highly than AirPods for iOS and/or Mac users (they work with any platform, but I cannot verify the experience). I have the AirPods and AirPods Pro, I prefer standard AirPods with no hesitation.\nHome Assistant - I have only begun to scratch the surface here, but when I looked at HASS a couple years ago, it was very clearly geared toward people who had time to deal with it. It still sort of is, but much less so. The community for HASS has flourished, and the flexibility and power of the platform continues to impress me.\nApple TV 4K - If you have a Mac, iPad, or iPhone, the Apple TV is a wonderful accessory. AirPlay works great and is really convenient. The new models are fast, Siri works really well, and for my basic usage, it is great. Feature for feature, there are good options for much less money, unless you want AirPlay.\nNespresso - If you prefer espresso or espresso-based drinks, these are worth every penny. At approximately $0.70 per pod, it can seem expensive, but it\u0026rsquo;s far cheaper than Starbucks or energy drinks. The environmental impact is not ideal because they do not support reusable pods like Keurig does. Make sure to buy the Vertuo line, not the Original line (Inissia), it is much quieter (the Inissia is weirdly loud) and it is the newer line so is more likely to have pods available for sale longer. I recommend the bundle with the milk frother, it\u0026rsquo;s easy to wash and is the fastest, easiest, and cleanest way to get hot frothed milk for lattes.\nMeh List\nNest Thermostat (Gen. 2) - I have one, but would shop around now that the market is full of good options. To call this device \u0026ldquo;smart\u0026rdquo; is an injustice to the concept of even the most basic intelligence. It is little more than a wifi-enabled thermostat (that is aesthetically pleasing).\nChamberlain MyQ - I am on the fence here\u0026hellip; The idea is great, and the execution isn\u0026rsquo;t unbearable, but there are days (exceedingly rare now, it used to be 1+ per week) when I get anywhere from 1 to 20 false alarms, and it is super stressful when you\u0026rsquo;re out of town. The app is unattractive and the reliability just isn\u0026rsquo;t there. Also as you approach the house and start joining the wifi network, you get stuck in limbo of the door trying to open, but failing, then randomly processing the request some time later (sometimes 20+ minutes, meaning your garage might just open randomly after you\u0026rsquo;ve gone to bed).\n2020 Update: The reliability and false-opening alerts have decreased to nearly zero. I am more bullish on this again\u0026hellip;\n2025/26 Update: I have completely abandoned this product line. There are highly intrusive advertisements within the app when trying to open my garage, the app is slow and often won\u0026rsquo;t connect despite strong connections for all of my products, and I just cannot support the user-hostile decisions that this company makes. Please explore open source and local-first variants like Ratgdo.\nFavorite Books/Artciles on Leadership or Business # Predictable Success by Les McKeown - Defines a model for the stages of growth for a company with a focus on understanding the types of people and strengths help at each stage and understanding which of those can prevent you from attaining the next stage or be problematic once you get there. This is a must-read for leadership of companies that are going from a handful of employees to 25, 30, or 50.\nStart With Why by Simon Sinek - Many will find this book hard to digest if they aren\u0026rsquo;t developing a physical product or if they haven\u0026rsquo;t been influenced by modern \u0026ldquo;Valley\u0026rdquo; startup culture, but it is a mistake to dismiss it, plus it is short enough to knock out at 1.5x on Audible. Simon discusses how the most successful companies sell why rather than what.\nTalking to Crazy by Mark Goulston - Dr. Goulston provides an excellent framework for identifying and navigating conversations or relationships with \u0026ldquo;crazy\u0026rdquo; people. He defines crazy as behaving or speaking independently of logic or factual reality, something that (essentially) everyone is guilty of to a degree.\nPrinciples by Ray Dalio - An outstanding resource on how to approach everything in life with an open mind, humility, and curiosity. It also includes some good \u0026ldquo;reality checks\u0026rdquo; to practice catching ourselves when we think we\u0026rsquo;re doing this, but really it.\nNo Rules Rules by Reed Hastings - A fascinating and informative perspective on how Reed has run his business, lessons learned along the way, and how a unique approach like his cannot be halfway adopted. I\u0026rsquo;m very curious what the reality of working for Netflix is\u0026hellip; for example, the stated policy is that they\u0026rsquo;re completely ok with you taking other interviews, they just ask that you give them the specifics of the offer so they can determine if they can compete (and if they want to, and to keep their market rate data fresh), but I have a hard time believing that across the organization the human tendency toward feeling slighted (the all-too-common, yet terrifically misguided, \u0026ldquo;why wouldn\u0026rsquo;t they want to work for me!?\u0026rdquo; response), has been suppressed.\nJust about anything from Michael Lopp (@rands), here\u0026rsquo;s a great list to get you started.\nI enjoy Camille Fournier\u0026rsquo;s thoughts on leadership.\nThis list remains extremely outdated\u0026hellip; sorry!\n","date":null,"permalink":"https://www.opte.ch/tech-picks/","section":"OpTe.ch","summary":"\u003cp\u003eThis page is for sharing some of my picks. Podcasts, products, apps, and whatever else I think is worth sharing, it is not updated as often as it should be 🙂.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"podcasts\" class=\"relative group\"\u003ePodcasts \u003cspan class=\"absolute top-0 w-6 transition-opacity opacity-0 -start-6 not-prose group-hover:opacity-100\"\u003e\u003ca class=\"group-hover:text-primary-300 dark:group-hover:text-neutral-700\" style=\"text-decoration-line: none !important;\" href=\"#podcasts\" aria-label=\"Anchor\"\u003e#\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eI listen to a lot of podcasts, but even more than that, I listen to audiobooks. Using a combination of buying credits and monitoring deals on Audible, I purchase books relentlessly and then maintain my own library with the help of \u003ca href=\"https://openaudible.org/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eOpenAudible\u003c/a\u003e and some custom software to provide a password-protected feed of my library. Taking this approach (rather than using the Audible app) lets me benefit from the unrivaled Smart Speed feature of \u003ca href=\"https://overcast.fm/\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eOvercast\u003c/a\u003e and save amounts of time that can be hard to fully appreciate.\u003c/p\u003e","title":"Recommendations"}]