The sad news came this week that Apple CEO Steve Jobs will be taking another leave of absence in order to focus on his battle with cancer. Jobs has been a remarkable visionary in the field of technology and the role that it has played in our lives for decades. The news got me thinking about a video I had once watched of a commencement speech Jobs gave at Stanford in 2005 about the path his life had taken. In it Jobs talks about his own journey through college, and how acknowledging his lack of direction led to one of the most creative periods of his life and would have far reaching implications for his future success. You can watch the video below:
Showing posts with label Technology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Technology. Show all posts
Steampunk
Have you heard of Steampunk? I hadn't before this weekend when one of my friends referenced it. This led to me asking a thousand questions and requesting illustrations of this phenomenon. Wikipedia defines it as: Steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction, alternate history, and speculative fiction that came into prominence during the 1980s and early 1990s. Specifically, steampunk involves an era or world where steam power is still widely used—usually the 19th century and often Victorian era Britain—that incorporates prominent elements of either science fiction or fantasy.
Interesting. Somewhat strange. But I must confess that I loved reading about the Victorian era when I was a kid, so maybe these steampunks were just the same. I was shown some photos that helped illustrate what it means in a practical sense.
A Steampunk Computer (made to look Victorian)
I hope that keyboard is easier to use than it looks. Have you ever typed on a typewriter? I would say modern keyboards are superior to the pounding necessitated by typewriters.
A guitar:
I think stylistically some of this stuff is pretty cool. Generally I'm not into trying to make the present look like something else, but every once in a while it's neat and totally catches your eye.
Interesting. Somewhat strange. But I must confess that I loved reading about the Victorian era when I was a kid, so maybe these steampunks were just the same. I was shown some photos that helped illustrate what it means in a practical sense.
A Steampunk Computer (made to look Victorian)
I hope that keyboard is easier to use than it looks. Have you ever typed on a typewriter? I would say modern keyboards are superior to the pounding necessitated by typewriters.A guitar:
I think stylistically some of this stuff is pretty cool. Generally I'm not into trying to make the present look like something else, but every once in a while it's neat and totally catches your eye.
Temple Grandin
Last year I discovered Temple Grandin. She is an author, doctor of animal science at Colorado State University and she is autistic. Her remarkable story was made into an HBO movie starring Claire Danes (I highly recommend it). She grew up in the 1950s at a time when Autism was barely even known and as a result of the devotion of her mother and teachers, she was able to harness her genius and become one of the most renowned livestock experts in the world.
She's written numerous books, two of which I am currently reading Animals Make us Human and Thinking in Pictures. The latter is her memoir about growing up with Autism. In 2009 she did an interview with Terry Gross, you can listen to it here. I am equally fascinated and awed by Temple Grandin's story. Her insight has been invaluable to understanding the thought processes of Autistic children. Give the TED talk or her interview a listen and I guarantee you will come away inspired and entertained, not to mention a little smarter.
She's written numerous books, two of which I am currently reading Animals Make us Human and Thinking in Pictures. The latter is her memoir about growing up with Autism. In 2009 she did an interview with Terry Gross, you can listen to it here. I am equally fascinated and awed by Temple Grandin's story. Her insight has been invaluable to understanding the thought processes of Autistic children. Give the TED talk or her interview a listen and I guarantee you will come away inspired and entertained, not to mention a little smarter.
The Social Network
Last weekend I went to see the Facebook movie, otherwise known as The Social Network. As I generally do with most overly-hyped movies, I didn't read any reviews first. The combination of Aaron Sorkin's screenwriting and David Fincher's directing was enough to draw my interest.
I am almost exactly the same age as Mark Zuckerberg and remember when Facebook first swept my own college campus. Membership spread like the bubonic plague. There was no trend to rival it and I doubt there will be for generations. The impact of the emergence of Facebook on our generation and now everyone in the world with internet access can hardly be over stated. What began as crazy fun in college has now infiltrated our lives to the point that some companies direct you to facebook.com/companyname instead of their own corporate website, but the profitization and deeper social implications of Facebook should be saved for another post.
One thing I've heard fairly consistently from people around me is "I don't want to watch a movie about a website." The thing is, The Social Network isn't a movie about a website, it's a movie about the formation of a corporation and intellectual property rights, and above all human nature. We already know that Sorkin took plenty of liberties when creating the fictional Mark Zuckerberg and the supporting cast of money/status hungry youth. What's not so important is whether or not the conversations we saw on screen actually happened as portrayed. After all, I doubt most of us speak as cleverly as Sorkin writes. What's important about the movie is the questions it forces us to ask about the role of technology in our lives, the role of venture capital in realizing dreams and loyalty.
The film opens with a less than flattering portrayal of Mark in the midst of a breakup with girlfriend. He is condescending and glib, discussing his desire to gain membership to one of Harvard's eight Final Clubs. What's remarkable about the portrayal of Zuckerberg in this scene is not that he looks like a jerk, after all, don't people generally show the worst sides of themselves during breakups? What's remarkable is the way that he articulates his goals and the reasoning behind them. He wants to be in the Clubs to gain status and because this acceptance will "lead to a better life." Zuckerberg is so analytical about it, almost as if he realizes that it is normal as a human being to want to gain social acceptance and even though he wants to be in the club strictly for status, he should want to be in it for other reasons also.
After being dumped by his girlfriend, we see Zuckerberg spiral into a minor meltdown. Dealing with his emotions the only way he can: on the internet. This is where it becomes clear that it is not ambition that is the driving personality trait in this character, but hubris. Over the following months his interactions with the Winkelvoss twins and Eduardo Saverin lead to the establishment of what was then The Facebook. Saverin is portrayed in a favorable light, which one assumes might have something to do with his willingness to cooperate with the writers of both the book The Accidental Billionaires and the screenplay. He is certainly prominent, but it does not seem to be overkill. I would argue that without Saverin's early infusion of capital, the Facebook may never have come to fruition at all.
This is where one of the great quandaries of entrepreneurship comes in. Who is the rightful inventor of something: the person who has the idea or the one with the wherewithal to realize it? This is where the invention of Facebook gets messy. It is a well-loved American myth to credit a single person with the invention of such a now-established part of life, but it is an undeniable fact that without adequate funding, even the greatest idea can fall by the wayside. Without Eduardo Saverin's early infusion of funding the website may have never gotten off the ground. That said, capital is relatively common when compared to the scarcity of original ideas. Who is to say that if Saverin hadn't backed the site there wouldn't have been another Harvard undergrad with access to funding that would?
Mark Zuckerberg is the youngest billionaire in the world. Regardless of the merits of his invention it is undeniable that Facebook has changed the way we interact with one another and our communities, both tangible and virtual. Sorkin and Fincher have fictionalized this true story into a movie that is smarter than smart and incredibly entertaining. Let the well-deserved Oscar buzz begin!
One thing I've heard fairly consistently from people around me is "I don't want to watch a movie about a website." The thing is, The Social Network isn't a movie about a website, it's a movie about the formation of a corporation and intellectual property rights, and above all human nature. We already know that Sorkin took plenty of liberties when creating the fictional Mark Zuckerberg and the supporting cast of money/status hungry youth. What's not so important is whether or not the conversations we saw on screen actually happened as portrayed. After all, I doubt most of us speak as cleverly as Sorkin writes. What's important about the movie is the questions it forces us to ask about the role of technology in our lives, the role of venture capital in realizing dreams and loyalty.
The film opens with a less than flattering portrayal of Mark in the midst of a breakup with girlfriend. He is condescending and glib, discussing his desire to gain membership to one of Harvard's eight Final Clubs. What's remarkable about the portrayal of Zuckerberg in this scene is not that he looks like a jerk, after all, don't people generally show the worst sides of themselves during breakups? What's remarkable is the way that he articulates his goals and the reasoning behind them. He wants to be in the Clubs to gain status and because this acceptance will "lead to a better life." Zuckerberg is so analytical about it, almost as if he realizes that it is normal as a human being to want to gain social acceptance and even though he wants to be in the club strictly for status, he should want to be in it for other reasons also.
After being dumped by his girlfriend, we see Zuckerberg spiral into a minor meltdown. Dealing with his emotions the only way he can: on the internet. This is where it becomes clear that it is not ambition that is the driving personality trait in this character, but hubris. Over the following months his interactions with the Winkelvoss twins and Eduardo Saverin lead to the establishment of what was then The Facebook. Saverin is portrayed in a favorable light, which one assumes might have something to do with his willingness to cooperate with the writers of both the book The Accidental Billionaires and the screenplay. He is certainly prominent, but it does not seem to be overkill. I would argue that without Saverin's early infusion of capital, the Facebook may never have come to fruition at all.
This is where one of the great quandaries of entrepreneurship comes in. Who is the rightful inventor of something: the person who has the idea or the one with the wherewithal to realize it? This is where the invention of Facebook gets messy. It is a well-loved American myth to credit a single person with the invention of such a now-established part of life, but it is an undeniable fact that without adequate funding, even the greatest idea can fall by the wayside. Without Eduardo Saverin's early infusion of funding the website may have never gotten off the ground. That said, capital is relatively common when compared to the scarcity of original ideas. Who is to say that if Saverin hadn't backed the site there wouldn't have been another Harvard undergrad with access to funding that would?
Mark Zuckerberg is the youngest billionaire in the world. Regardless of the merits of his invention it is undeniable that Facebook has changed the way we interact with one another and our communities, both tangible and virtual. Sorkin and Fincher have fictionalized this true story into a movie that is smarter than smart and incredibly entertaining. Let the well-deserved Oscar buzz begin!
Am I an iPhoney? Part II
Back in June I wrote about my recent acquisition of an iPhone (see post here). I had been uncertain of the impact the adoption of a smart phone would have on my communication and phone usage. Six weeks later I feel it's time to reevaluate the phone situation. I've found it to be quite helpful when I need to access information from emails such as directions. I've used the GPS a couple of times, although I recently received a Nuvi as a gift so I doubt I will need to rely on it too often for that purpose, especially since my Nuvi doesn't deplete my data plan.
I use it to check the weather on a daily basis, and use the world clock function to know what time it is where my expatriated friends are. I've downloaded a song to use as a ring tone, the Fandango application to check movie times, Pandora to listen to music anytime and anywhere, and Tetris. The main thing I love about it is the camera. It's great when I just want to quickly capture something funny, or take a photo of something I want to think about buying, or when I forgot my camera battery at a friend's wedding. It's convenient, but at the end of the day a camera would have performed the same function.
The bottom line is that the functional impact the iPhone has had on my life is negligible. Sure, some things I used to do on a computer I now do on my phone, but isn't that just a different format for the same habits? I might spend less time on my laptop, but instead I'm just staring at a different, smaller screen. The iPhone is fun, occasionally very helpful but as I described it to a group of friends the other day: it's basically a phone with a Gameboy attached. I've probably played far more Tetris on it while waiting for a bus, a friend, takeout, etc. than anything else. Let's face it, I should probably be toting a library book around with me instead. It would be much better for my brain and my eyesight. Of course it's probably too late for that, I've probably become assimilated. Besides, you know what they say, once you go Mac, you never go back.
I use it to check the weather on a daily basis, and use the world clock function to know what time it is where my expatriated friends are. I've downloaded a song to use as a ring tone, the Fandango application to check movie times, Pandora to listen to music anytime and anywhere, and Tetris. The main thing I love about it is the camera. It's great when I just want to quickly capture something funny, or take a photo of something I want to think about buying, or when I forgot my camera battery at a friend's wedding. It's convenient, but at the end of the day a camera would have performed the same function.
The bottom line is that the functional impact the iPhone has had on my life is negligible. Sure, some things I used to do on a computer I now do on my phone, but isn't that just a different format for the same habits? I might spend less time on my laptop, but instead I'm just staring at a different, smaller screen. The iPhone is fun, occasionally very helpful but as I described it to a group of friends the other day: it's basically a phone with a Gameboy attached. I've probably played far more Tetris on it while waiting for a bus, a friend, takeout, etc. than anything else. Let's face it, I should probably be toting a library book around with me instead. It would be much better for my brain and my eyesight. Of course it's probably too late for that, I've probably become assimilated. Besides, you know what they say, once you go Mac, you never go back.
Am I an iPhoney?
Last week, the cell phone that I've had since I was a senior in college finally bit the dust. It didn't have a lot of functionality but it never dropped calls and most importantly was cheap with a cheap coverage plan. I went to AT&T and while perusing the phones was approached by a sales associate and began to discuss the various models. He suggested I consider an iPhone. Clever, I thought, just by the virtue of bringing it up you're giving me no choice but to consider it. I love my Apple computer, but when the iPhone came out I wasn't terribly interested in it and figured I would wait until the price came down. Whenever an expensive new gadget comes out and people go crazy over it I always think of that scene from The Wedding Singer where Glenn tells Julia he just got the newest thing (a cd player) and that it was only a thousand bucks. Basically I like to give myself a little time to let the excitement calm down a bit and then evaluate whether or not I really want it.
Turns out the price of the iPhone has dropped enough and AT&T has revised their minimum data plan so that the whole thing is significantly less expensive. This is undoubtedly due to the fact that their exclusive deal with Apple is running out shortly and they realize they are going to have to become more competitive. I was able to get an iPhone for roughly the same price as another phone I was interested in with a nominal increase to my monthly service charges. I was probably the easiest sale the kid made all day. Cell phones are probably on my top 5 least favorite things to shop for list and I was glad to get in and out. A small part of me felt personally defeated. I had resisted the trend for so long, held out against the need to feel constantly connected and have the internet at my fingertips at all times. Had I held out all this time for nothing?
I spent the afternoon customizing it to my preferences and thinking about this new piece of equipment that I will use on a daily, possibly even hourly basis. I thought to myself "This isn't going to change me. I'm still the same person," a mantra generally reserved for first time parents and people undergoing real life-changing experiences. I didn't download a truckload of apps, or cheeky ringtones in favor of a more minimalist approach: when the need comes up for more stuff, I'll get it then. Forty-eight hours later I had sent and received a handful of texts, sent an email, read some blogs and downloaded exactly two apps (NPR News and a fitness/diet app). I feel calmer, more convinced that I'll be able to resist the phone addictions that have entrapped so many of my friends and acquaintances.
As I sat on the bus home from work on my first weekday of being an iPhone user I decided to respond to a personal email. I didn't enjoy emailing after work so perhaps this would be the perfect way to save some time. As I composed my email I couldn't help but feel like the eyes of the woman sitting next to me were scrutinizing everything I wrote. The email was a planning discussion with a fellow hostess of an event I'm putting on and was mainly logistical but interrupted every so often with fairly personal texts. The bright colors and snazzy logos on my iPhone just begged of this woman "Read me. Look at how colorful I am and how quickly I change. I am the chameleon of technology." I realized while sitting there that although I now have the capability to do all these things in virtually any public place, it doesn't mean I will. A close friend had given me a good natured ribbing over the fact that I am now one of "those people with an iPhone" but sitting on that bus I couldn't help but wonder: am I an iPhoney?
Only time will tell. It's early and perhaps I'm not assimilated into iPhone culture yet. To be continued...
Turns out the price of the iPhone has dropped enough and AT&T has revised their minimum data plan so that the whole thing is significantly less expensive. This is undoubtedly due to the fact that their exclusive deal with Apple is running out shortly and they realize they are going to have to become more competitive. I was able to get an iPhone for roughly the same price as another phone I was interested in with a nominal increase to my monthly service charges. I was probably the easiest sale the kid made all day. Cell phones are probably on my top 5 least favorite things to shop for list and I was glad to get in and out. A small part of me felt personally defeated. I had resisted the trend for so long, held out against the need to feel constantly connected and have the internet at my fingertips at all times. Had I held out all this time for nothing?
I spent the afternoon customizing it to my preferences and thinking about this new piece of equipment that I will use on a daily, possibly even hourly basis. I thought to myself "This isn't going to change me. I'm still the same person," a mantra generally reserved for first time parents and people undergoing real life-changing experiences. I didn't download a truckload of apps, or cheeky ringtones in favor of a more minimalist approach: when the need comes up for more stuff, I'll get it then. Forty-eight hours later I had sent and received a handful of texts, sent an email, read some blogs and downloaded exactly two apps (NPR News and a fitness/diet app). I feel calmer, more convinced that I'll be able to resist the phone addictions that have entrapped so many of my friends and acquaintances.
As I sat on the bus home from work on my first weekday of being an iPhone user I decided to respond to a personal email. I didn't enjoy emailing after work so perhaps this would be the perfect way to save some time. As I composed my email I couldn't help but feel like the eyes of the woman sitting next to me were scrutinizing everything I wrote. The email was a planning discussion with a fellow hostess of an event I'm putting on and was mainly logistical but interrupted every so often with fairly personal texts. The bright colors and snazzy logos on my iPhone just begged of this woman "Read me. Look at how colorful I am and how quickly I change. I am the chameleon of technology." I realized while sitting there that although I now have the capability to do all these things in virtually any public place, it doesn't mean I will. A close friend had given me a good natured ribbing over the fact that I am now one of "those people with an iPhone" but sitting on that bus I couldn't help but wonder: am I an iPhoney?
Only time will tell. It's early and perhaps I'm not assimilated into iPhone culture yet. To be continued...
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