A Google A Day...Why I'm Thinking of Switching From Apple

I'm thinking about switching to Google products...again.  Why "again"?  Because I seem to go back and forth between whether to buy Apple or Google products.  Why Google?  I already use all their cloud services to take care of my digital life.  It seems like the logical plan would be to switch to the Google devices too.  The Nexus 7 is the main cause for my recent desire to switch.  It is a pure Google device, which promises to always be up-to-date with the latest version of Android and to be the best 7" tablet out, with a quad-core processor and more.  Here's their intro video:


That, combined with the Galaxy Nexus, which would be the best Android phone available because it too runs a pure version of Android, would allow me to seamlessly switch from phone to tablet without losing information or access to my files.

The only problem I have in making the switch is the commitment I've already made to Apple.  App purchases are the biggest, and as I write this I'm realizing I don't really use many apps that cost me money, but I know they work the way i want them to work.  Really, I use the free apps like Twitter and Instagram to update my least favorite of apps, Facebook, so all my life is available to the waiting 50 people max that follow me.  I just know all my wit can not be wasted or missed.  Beyond apps, Apple's market share makes it hard to leave the devices most people are using.  From my parents to most of my coworkers, the iPhone is still the majority device.  Most of the Android people are diehards and praise their phones, but sometimes I can't tell if that's denial talking or true praise for their phones.  iPhone is everywhere and works well with other iPhones.  Android, although popular as well, does not have the market share the iPhone has.  But, maybe that's a good thing too.  Just as Apple once was the underdog, pushed to make better products, so too are Google's devices and they've continued to get better and better.  In fact, I would say from the first version to current, Android has increased in abilities and features much passed that of Apple's iOS software.

Anyway, I thought I'd post something about it.  Maybe Google will want me as a tester....ha...a guy can dream.  I actually watch a documentary last night on Google called "Inside the Mind of Google".  It made me want to work for them.  Produced by CNBC, and available to watch on Netflix or in a browser here, it was a balanced view of the company's business, weighing pros and cons on the type of business Google conducts.  With access to so much private information about so many people, Google is easily demonized.  But, I felt like from the top down, people at Google want to follow their own policies (not required by law) to protect its users privacy.  If anything, I believe I gained a deeper respect for Google and their commitment to operate within its policies and attempt to be fair, private, and reliable to its users.  If you want more on my opinion of Google, check out my old post "If I Were CEO...Google" from 2010.

Facebook Is Really A CIA Information Gathering Program

This is eye opening.  I didn't realize the CIA was running Facebook through Agent Mark Zuckerberg codenamed "The Overlord".

HA.



The Onion is so clever.

My Bright Idea #12 - Mircosoft and "The W"

My Bright Idea #12 - December 14, 2011
Microsoft should buy W.com and turn it into their cloud based storage service.  The W would Work with all Windows products for seamless storage and access to all the user's files.  It would compete with Apple's iCloud service, and offer Windows Phone users similar capabilities, but offer seamless integration with all of Microsoft's products and other services.

The W is for Windows, for the Web, for the World Where you Want it.

My Bright Idea #2 - Social Media Works for Advertising

My Bright Idea #2 - September 15, 2009
This one has partially come true, although not to the level to which I believe it could be utilized.  "My Employer" should use social media for marketing.  Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube are some of the more popular forms of media out there, and if done right, can increase awareness, sales, and reputation of the company in the market.

I did call my employer to discuss my ideas with the head of  marketing back in September 2009, but was told, "we are working on our policy" and "watch for job postings in the future", but I was never allowed to present my specific ideas.

So Much To Say, No Time To Say It - Part 4

Most of the time, I do these on Twitter now, so if you follow me you'll see a lot of things there.  And, if you don't have a Twitter account but have Facebook, my tweets are forwarded to my Facebook.

First, the iPhone still needs Flash.  There are so many videos that I don't get to see because they are Flash.

Sony announced NGP (Next Generation Portable)

Motorola Officially Introduces the Atrix...might be my next phone.



Google introduces Cloud Print (I just set it up and it is so easy and awesome).

Dodge steals the LED style head-lights from Audi.
First Audi's design...COOL.

Second, Chrysler's design...actually pretty nice too, but COME ON.  Be original.

Honda makes the minivan uglier...if that's even possible.  I think the line at the bottom of the windows looks bad with that weird jog at the back window.  It takes away from the flow of the car.

Here is a video of NBC's Bryant Gumbel and Katie Couric try to explain the Internet and the "at" symbol in 1994.


There is more I've forgotten, but I'll hopefully remember and post later (I just laughed to myself because I've lost the time to blog in my life, thanks to kids, and life, and work).

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Top Gear USA On The History Channel...and A Rant About Internet Video Availability

First, let me tell the History Channel people that they need to free up some of the video on their site.  I wanted to embed a video of an awesome, hilarious, and super entertaining scene from an episode, but they didn't allow the video to be embedded.  Why not have some of the scenes or episodes available for embedding?  I'd be free advertisement.  Check out a small portion of the episode here.

Anyway, the episode (#3) I just watched using my DVR so I could skip commercials, earning The History Channel $0.00, had a bootlegger challenge with the hosts.  The 3 hosts each had to buy a car for $1,000 (I think) and run moonshine through a set of challenges that were designed to mimic the challenges the original moonshiners faced.  This episode was really funny and amazing to watch.

I actually want to support the show.  I want the morons at the History Channel to realize they hurt themselves by not having web content of their shows.  Embedding and allowing a site like Hulu to stream episodes is a great way to continue to make money off of the show.  AND, web content makes me watch at least one commercial every break.  You can also set up embedded codes that first play a commercial before playing the clip.  This seems like a no brainer to me.

This is actually about to start a rant on how all the major networks keep pulling away from the Internet, streaming, embedding codes, and even the Google TV idea.  Why?  This doesn't seem like its a good business idea.  A site like Hulu forces the viewers to watch commercials.  Currently, I use a DVR to watch TV.  I never watch live TV because I refuse to watch commercials.  The Internet figured out a way to make me watch them again.  But, it's done in a bearable way.  The streaming sites make you watch one commercial at the beginning, which matches the other ads on the site.  Then for longer shows or videos, they add just one commercial per break.  It's short and sweet, and I do watch them.  Currently, the sites Funny or Die and Fail Blog are playing commercials for the Duramax Diesel engine and the Allison transmission that are in the Chevy Silverado.  SEE History Channel?  That's from embedded videos and streaming content.  See that major networks?  That sponsor got their money's worth.  If the Internet was utilized, advertisers would see the rewards from views.  This would drive the cost of Internet advertising up and the networks could charge more for this type of ad, MAKING THEM MORE MONEY.  Instead, every network thinks they can do it better than the next.  No one is seeing the benefit of using a site like Hulu to be the go to Internet place for video.  And don't get me started on Netflix.

Well, there's my spontaneous rant.  I really just wanted to tell my readers to watch Top Gear USA.  It's actually pretty good, even if the hosts are all really cheesy.  Night!

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Facebook is Losing Another User (Update)

UPDATE: I found out that Facebook asked me to "Register" my computer because I had asked to be alerted when new devices are used to log into my Facebook account. Oops! I guess I'll stay a little while longer. Well, Facebook is going to be losing me as a user. Today I attempted to log into FB and this message popped up:

Click Image to Enlarge

And there is no way around it. This is absolutely retarded. I don't want to register my computer with Facebook. I'm out people. I'm following Techy Ted and moving strictly to Twitter. Another thing that bugs me is the fact that it tries to add other people to follow or "friend" based on your interests or job history. I want to shoot myself for ever putting anything about work up there, because not I can't even remove it. In job history it doesn't show that I've put in anything, but it sure wants to add my previous employers' profile to the list of people I "like". So, see you later jerks. Here's the link if you want to join me in ending your account too. Thanks Techy Ted.

Pepsi Natural is Going "Bye-Bye" and Other Marketing Stuff (A JTG Rant)

I was at Target this week and a PepsiCo employee was there checking stock and shelf placement, and whatever they do to not help them sell soda better. Being the nerd that I am, I struck up a conversation with him about my love for Pepsi's products and my desire to work for PepsiCo. He said to me, "no you don't." What? I guess he is a commission based employee, which I would never want to be because goals are usually set at a point where reaching them is just shy of what is possible to reach for bonuses, and therefore, no money is made. This seemed to be his complaint. I did notice too many different sizes of cans and bottles, no Pepsi Natural, and just all around bad placement of the beverages. He also mentioned something about the Coca-Cola guy who also entered the isle. I quickly mentioned I hated Coke and he almost came to the rescue of the Coca-Cola guy. I felt like punching both of them after that. I asked him a few different questions about Pepsi and other flavors, but then I turned my focus to the fact that NO Pepsi Natural was on the shelves. He told me, it is done. Pepsi is not going to be selling it anymore. "What? That was a short run. And Pepsi did NO advertising anywhere for it," I told him. "Even Pepsi's own website doesn't mention Pepsi Natural." He told me they just try things and they are hit or miss. If it doesn't sell well right away, they pull it. It didn't seem right to me. I'm a huge Pepsi Natural fan. I mean, this is my favorite drink. I actually spend the extra money they charge for the glass bottled 4 packs of the stuff. And then I started thinking about how marketing people think they know sooo much about how to market products, companies, etc. For example, I had a great idea for my own employer. I believe they should use social networking sites, like Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube, to spread the word, for virtually free, to the world. Sure they would have to pay me a small salary to maintain the sites with current and relevant information about the company, ad campaigns, promotions, giveaways, etc., but I could do in for cheap. I wouldn't need an office. I wouldn't even need a computer really. I can practically do most of the required work from my phone (okay that might be pushing it a little, but don't pay some "marketing expert" moron 100K. Pay me 50K). This would be a great way to spread the word about the company, while at the same time, offering up solutions to problems, customer service help, and a way to control information about the company on the Internet. While on leave for a few weeks with a new baby, I set a meeting with the marketing people. These marketing geniuses basically didn't even let me explain my ideas. Instead, the president of marketing talked over me about how they were "already looking into this avenue of marketing" and "they were looking to hire someone who had experience in setting up this kind of site for a large company." So, in other words, my creative ideas after 9 plus years of experience with this company, would not be needed because some outside yahoo would be able to do it better; him with his marketing degree and all. I think what I'm getting at is: too often people go to school, are taught how to do things the teacher's way or the industries' standard way, given a degree that says, "you know marketing", and all the creative ideas of others are looked down upon or considered sub-par. My ideas come from experience, participation, and the observation of success in using these mediums. I look at what other LARGE companies are doing and how they make their followers, friends, and fans feel as though they are part of the company. I see that potential being wasted by the "marketing experts" of my company. The Mountain Dew Labs thing, for example; I'm not totally convinced I've had any impact on the design, look, name, or anything associated with flavor #231, but Mountain Dew made me feel like I did. They made me feel like I am part of their design team. I feel like I am part of the family. And that's what I see being the missed opportunity here. I spoke to two different customers this week about similar topics. One customer is a website designer. He told me he usually doesn't hire the college graduates who apply to his company because they design just like they were taught. There is no creativity in their designs, and they are often boring. The other customer was a retired marketing expert. He told me how the big corporate marketing jerks take the creativity of the little people and smash it to create the cookie cutter look that everyone else has. He talked about how the company he worked for was owned by a larger national company. When the larger parent company came in to "implement" the company's national message, they lost customers, jobs, and ultimately the whole smaller division, due to the lack of understanding their customers. Someone needs to take the little guy's ideas and let them run free. I think if my employer hired me to implement my social networking strategy, we would see almost instant gains in sales, recognition, and a nationwide acknowledgment of what the company is doing. We would be able to share our goals, products, position in the current market, and all the other strengths that make us one of the best in our industry. We would be able to show that we are the leading company in the nation, still doing business the same today as we did 5 years ago, before the current economic crisis. We are strong, secure, respected, and well funded to maintain a high level of quality service and products for our customers. These free marketing mediums would allow us to express our redefined focus on customer service and all the great products we offer both businesses and individuals. We could incorporate our national marketing campaigns with local focuses and successes throughout all our markets, products, and services. But back to my Pepsi Natural. Pepsi never even addressed that they made this stuff. It's no where to be found in any of their marketing. And it's sad because it is soooo good. Sure, they can't really talk about the fact that it's made with real cane sugar, making it easier for their consumers' bodies' to digest. They don't want to harm the sales of there biggest two beverage, Pepsi and Mountain Dew. But, why not talk about the "all natural ingredients" or the "original cola style taste" or the fact that it's stinking amazing, in a glass bottle, and a sophisticated grown-up soda? I'm so sad about Pepsi Natural. It really is good. People were not given a chance to try it. Maybe the marketing as natural threw off the masses. Instead, you marketing geniuses, try the "original cola styling" approach. That might get some more fans of old school stuff to try it. Look at the marketing success of the VW Beetle when it came back out. It's been awhile since I had a good rant, so here's one about marketing, Pepsi Natural, and college educated people sucking. HAHA. Maybe that's a little harsh. Sorry to those of you who went to college and think you are somehow smarter, or you who think the word "sucking" is as bad as any cuss word. I'm actually sad about my misfortune with the marketing people at my company. I know I would be good at it. I'm still passionate about it, and that means I care enough about it that I'd do really well at it. I'd enjoy my job too. But for now, I'll still work hard where I am.

Internet Key Milestones (from AP)

Key milestones in the development and growth of the Internet:

1969: On Sept. 2, two computers at University of California, Los Angeles, exchange meaningless data in first test of Arpanet, an experimental military network. The first connection between two sites - UCLA and the Stanford Research Institute in Menlo Park, Calif. - takes place on Oct. 29, though the network crashes after the first two letters of the word "logon." UC Santa Barbara and University of Utah later join.

1970: Arpanet gets first East Coast node, at Bolt, Beranek and Newman in Cambridge, Mass.

1972: Ray Tomlinson brings e-mail to the network, choosing "at" symbol as way to specify e-mail addresses belonging to other systems.

1973: Arpanet gets first international nodes, in England and Norway.

1974: Vint Cerf and Bob Kahn develop communications technique called TCP, allowing multiple networks to understand one another, creating a true Internet. Concept later splits into TCP/IP before formal adoption on Jan. 1, 1983.

1983: Domain name system is proposed. Creation of suffixes such as ".com," ''.gov" and ".edu" comes a year later.

1988: One of the first Internet worms, Morris, cripples thousands of computers.

1989: Quantum Computer Services, now AOL, introduces America Online service for Macintosh and Apple II computers, beginning an expansion that would connect nearly 27 million Americans online by 2002.

1990: Tim Berners-Lee creates the World Wide Web while developing ways to control computers remotely at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research.

1993: Marc Andreessen and colleagues at University of Illinois create Mosaic, the first Web browser to combine graphics and text on a single page, opening the Web to the world with software that is easy to use.

1994: Andreessen and others on the Mosaic team form a company to develop the first commercial Web browser, Netscape, piquing the interest of Microsoft Corp. and other developers who would tap the Web's commerce potential. Two immigration lawyers introduce the world to spam, advertising their green card lottery services.

1995: Amazon.com Inc. opens its virtual doors.

1996: Passage of U.S. law curbing pornography online. Although key provisions are later struck down as unconstitutional, one that remains protects online services from liability for their users' conduct, allowing information - and misinformation - to thrive.

1998: Google Inc. forms out of a project that began in Stanford dorm rooms. U.S. government delegates oversight of domain name policies to Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, or ICANN. Justice Department and 20 states sue Microsoft, accusing the maker of the ubiquitous Windows operating system of abusing its market power to thwart competition from Netscape and others.

1999: Napster popularizes music file-sharing and spawns successors that have permanently changed the recording industry. World Internet population surpasses 250 million.

2000: The dot-com boom of the 1990s becomes a bust as technology companies slide. Amazon.com, eBay and other sites are crippled in one of the first widespread uses of the denial-of-service attack, which floods a site with so much bogus traffic that legitimate users cannot visit.

2002: World Internet population surpasses 500 million.

2004: Mark Zuckerberg starts Facebook as a sophomore at Harvard University.

2005: Launch of YouTube video-sharing site.

2006: World Internet population surpasses 1 billion.

2007: Apple Inc. releases iPhone, introducing millions more to wireless Internet access.

2008: World Internet population surpasses 1.5 billion. China's Internet population reaches 250 million, surpassing the United States as the world's largest. Netscape's developers pull the plug on the pioneer browser, though an offshoot, Firefox, remains strong. Major airlines intensify deployment of Internet service on flights.

2009: The Seattle Post-Intelligencer becomes the first major daily newspaper to move entirely online. Google announces development of a free computer operating system designed for a user experience that primarily takes place on the Web.

Web Cam Security Catches Burglars

This is cool. Web cam security works...if you monitor it. I think it's funny how the home owner mentions that the burglars are black...twice. Okay we get that they were black. I don't think that should matter, you racist. Haha. No, but I kid. Seriously, if time permitted, I'd watch my house from the Internet too. Of course, the computers where I work are locked down tight. I need the iPhone streaming video feature. Then I'd be in.

ALERT!!!!! Virus Warning for MySpace Users.

I was using the new browser from Google called Chrome. I was checking my Gmail and saw a myspace friend request. I clicked to view the profile and was taken to myspace.com. Suddenly my Norton anti-virus detected and blocked 2 viruses. Here is a screen shoot of the warning of the blocked viruses: At first I was writing this to users of the new browser but then I decided to try the link again in Firefox. The same fake Windows "Automatic Update" window showed up over the website. Notice it is faded a little. DON'T click on this if you go to the link. I wouldn't normally, but it popped up right as I clicked. MySpace SUX!!!!!!!!!!! I don't even use it but thought I'd try this friend request to see how Chrome handled it. Well, a virus is how it handled it. Watch out MySpacers. Actually, it's such a horrible website, I hope all myspace users get viruses. HAHA. That's just mean.

Let's Hear It For The Nerds

These videos are for my readers who are truly nerds. Uncle Walt, (Walt Mossberg, a technology columnist for the Wall Street Journal) spoke at a beet.tv conference about the Web becoming a new video medium. He also slammed the USA's lack of guidelines for what can be called "broadband." He sighted the fact that DSL companies claim their 758Kb/sec DSL speed is broadband. Other countries laugh. Walt is an Apple fan, he works for a decent paper, and he is a loud voice for the consumer. He is "Uncle Walt" because the bloggers have adopted him as such due to his ability to act as a loud voice for the technology consumer. If you were paying attention, he dropped that the 3G iPhone is going to be here really soon (60 days).