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Thoughts and things I care to shareThe 32GB Sweet Spot
‘Transformer Prime’ by John Biehler
I’ve been thinking about mobile devices and storage space recently. After a great conversation over lunch with @CloudScout last week, I concluded that 32GB is probably the perfect amount of storage space for mobile devices today.
Here’s my thinking:
16GB is just too small, it can’t hold the data we need. Add a couple dozen tracks, a few hundred pics, and you’re just about there.
64GB on the other hand is overkill. It’s the initial size for an SSD for a full size computer or laptop. It does give you room to grow, but by the time you fill it up, you’ll be upgrading devices anyway. On top of that, you’re going to pay a premium for that storage.
I consider myself to use a bit less local storage than the average person on my mobile devices. I’m also a techy geek, so I tend to buy devices with more storage than I could possibly need.
In the past 18 months, the two tablets and the two phones I’ve had range wildly on storage. The Google Nexus One I had only had an 8GB microSD card, and I was constantly around 2GB free. When I replaced that phone, with the HTC Sensation 4G, I made sure to add a 32GB microSD – which I’ve not used over 18GB of data yet.
My Apple iPad 2 that I bought upon release in 2011 had 16GB, and, while I was always worried of running out of space, I never used more than 12GB. When I replaced the iPad 2 with the Asus Transformer Prime, opted for the 64GB unit. Again, I’ve yet to top 20GB of data used so far.
What I see here from my own experiences is that we tend to worry too much about running out of space. However that limits us from really reaching the full potential of the devices we carry. Also, in the last 18 months, online storage and the amount of time our mobile devices are constantly connected to the cloud has increased dramatically.
Currently, I can count up to 125GB of free storage space that I have at my disposal between my two mobile devices. Along with that, the automatic uploads of pics to Google+ (Apple has a similar feature) allows me to not have to think about uploading or syncing pics. In addition, my Asus tablet has a great feature (Asus bundled software) that allows selected folders to automatically be synced to the cloud.
It’s these new services and features that will reduce our dependence on local storage for mobile devices and allow us to have a much more seamless experience across computing devices. Bring Google Drive/Docs and Microsoft Skydrive/Office Online into the mix, and you’re quickly covering much of what we need for storage AND productivity.
So if you’re trying to decide between the 16/32/64GB versions of a product, pick the middle option. 32GB is likely to fit your needs quite well.
Thoughts About Microsoft Surface
Microsoft Surface with Black Type Cover
The question in my mind is why Microsoft hadn’t acted on the hardware front earlier. Yeah, I know all about it’s relationship with it’s hardware vendors. Sure, it is a threatening move. Apple stuck with that decision from the beginning. Of course, they were a hardware company that produced software to help sell the hardware. Now, of course, they’re an ‘experiences’ company that sells hardware.
The surface is what it is, and we have few real details about quality, feel, and usability to make any kind of good analysis other than how this might impact the marketplace.
In my opinion the x86 market needed a really significant shakeup. The predictable, mundane hardware advances, and lack of real innovation is screaming for disruption. Microsoft itself is delivering that disruption – the company who has demonstrated its ability to keep the status quo, and try to accomodate all players and customers for way too long is leading that disruption.
I know that Microsoft’s moves are causing concern for their corporate customers. It’s causing concern for their developer community and causing some confusion on the consumer side. Its causing relationship issues with their hardware partners who now feel betrayed, and making some competitors curious of their actions, probably evaluating technology & usability patent infringement issues. Its causing competitors customers to laugh outright at the wild changes of what “used to be” so predictable – as if Microsoft is simply stabbing in the dark.
Thing is, this move is significant for the technology industry as a whole. It signals that computing as we’ve known it for 30 years is changing radically. Quicker than many established companies can adapt. Take a look at some of the moves in the industry: Nokia and RIM in steep dangerous decline, Palm & it’s tragic demise at the hands of HP, HP itself who has always made great laptops and desktops and servers but can’t understand mobile to save its life, Yahoo which is only now figuring out that it diversify enough in other technologies, IBM selling off it’s PC division back in 2004 (smart move guys), Dell trying all sorts of new things to find something that sticks so it has a place to hang it’s hat in the future.
When you start looking at the larger picture, and I’ve only pointed out a small handful of things, you see how the Surface is both bold & brilliant, while still being a stunning reversal on one of the cornerstones of modern computing. The Surface will succeed, the definition of success of course is with Microsoft. It was not designed to be an iPad killer (those headlines are overhyped link bait), it was designed to demonstrate Microsoft’s vision for tablet computing. Something it knew that its hardware partners were not able to execute on properly without Microsoft demonstrating some of it’s ideas.
Microsoft Surface… I’ll buy one.
The Smokey Sapphire
Here’s something that I don’t usually share here on the blog, and I hope some won’t take it the wrong way. A few years ago I discovered the joy of a properly made martini. That’s a true martini, not the 007 version, or those sickly sweet abominations (chocolate martini, wtf!?).
Real martini’s are made with gin – and good gin at that. My personal fav happens to be Bombay Sapphire, a smooth gin if there ever was one. Of course, after making one or two of these, a person starts thinking about a good dirty martini – one of the few good bastardizations of the best cocktail in the world. Of course, I happen to have a personal favorite recipe for one, and I thought I’d share it here tonight.
Oh, I should note that I take the original approach to the drink – it is not a “dry” martini as I have found vermouth to truly be the keystone of the drink. If you want straight booze – do shots, if you enjoy sophistocated tastes, put the right amount of vermouth in which really should be anywhere form 1/4 to 1/2 ounce. Try it once, you’ll see what I mean. Oh – and if you absolutely have to use vodka, you can lean more towards 1/4oz as the vermouth would otherwise overpower the delicate flavor of the vodka (you use good vodka – right?).
My “dirty” Martini recipe.
First, place martini glass on ice or in the freezer – it really should be nicely chilled for any martini.
- 2oz. Bombay Sapphire Gin
- 1/2oz. Dry Vermouth
- 1/8oz or 1tsp Olive Brine
- Small Pinch of Smoked Celtic Sea Salt (Yes, it has to be smoked sea salt – bacon salt won’t do here, but might be worth investigating later
- 3 Queen Olives
Shake (stir if you prefer, but this drink benefits from a cloudy rather than clear presentation) Gin, Vermouth, olive brine and half of the salt crystals with a small handful of ice. Place second half of salt crystals in bottom of chilled Martini glass, place olives in next, then pour mix over olives.
Enjoy.
Post Idea Giveaway 2012
Ideas Notebook By Matthew Allard
Sometimes you find that you’ve got too many ideas. Ever have that problem? I do this week, and I swear I’m going to do something about it. I’ve got blog post ideas going back several years covering things from social media to technology to life topics and so on. It’s time I liberate these post ideas. I’m giving them to you to take and run with, just in case you’ve run out of ideas and need some inspiration. What better way to end the week, right? Alrightly, here we go:
- Social Networking & The Impact On Your Personal Brand
- Moleskine Notebooks – Going Analog For The Fun of Writing
- How To Balance Social Network Participation In The Workplace
- 101 Uses for Twitter
- Why I Believe The “Smartphone” Isn’t So Smart
- Your Blog IS Your Social Network
- Online Communities – You Get Out Of Them Only What You Put Into Them
- The New Social Economy
- Social Media Is About Sociology Not Technology
- Never Stop Experimenting To Grow Yourself Or Your Brand
- If Words Mean Things
- Old Media Using Social Media
- Building A Better Branded Blog
- Decline Of Technology In America?
- Social Media And The IT Professional
- Anonymity – Pros & Cons
- Can You Connect Up To 6 people?
- Linux: Ubuntu Or Fedora Or ?
- The Most Powerful Social Media Tool: YOU
- Decisions: iOS Or Android
- Personal Branding And The IT Professional
- 10 Reasons For A Windows Hack To Love The iPhone
- Disengage From The Collective That Is Your Corporate Mindset
- “Who Am I?”
- How Can I Help People?
- Linux Software Installers – Why Do They Suck?
- Essential Software For The Blogger
- The New Intellectual
- Is the Theme/Style Of Your Blog Important To Readers?
- Social Realities Of A New Generation
- What Do I Do?
- What Can I Accomplish?
- Powerful Writing…
- Do I Realize How Lucky I Am?
- Social Media In The Enterprise
- Negativity In The Workplace
- Don’t Talk, Just Do
- Social Media Is An Evolutionary Step
- Tear Down This Wall (Cubicles That Is)
- What Is A “Social Entrepreneur”?
- Enterprise/Corporate Culture Clashes
- Good Enough
- Social Media Shoehorn
- Blogging Is A Commitment, Social Networks Are A Fling
- Making It Happen
- Why My Blogging “Rock Stars” Are From the Z-List
- SharePoint Can Be An Internal Enterprise Social Media Tool
- Labeling Things And Why It’s Ok
- Why Paper Publications Will Never Go Away
- A Culture Without Culture
- To Meme Or Not
- Step Away From The Ledge – It’s Going To Be Ok
- Help People
- Want To Be A High-Buck Consultant?
- Positive Growth Through Negative Feedback
- Virtualization: For Technology Only?
- Build Your Own Brand Armies
- Networking For Fun And Profit
- Fostering New Communication In The Enterprise
- What Social Media Has Taught A Techie Geek
- Afraid To Succeed?
- Stodgy Or Stale Brand? 10 Sure-Fire Ways To Freshen It Up
- Social Media Does Not Equal Marketing Or PR
- Fearing Free (Free Rage Fears?)
- The Problem With Technically Excellent Solutions
- Be Your Own Editor
- Thinkers – The Ones To Watch
- Getting Back To Where We Came From
- Go Where Your Forefathers Couldn’t
- Unsung Heros: Headhunters
- The Line In The Sand & When You Step Over It
- Landing Pages – Why Bother?
- Put It On paper
- Gen Y & Why They’re different
- Engage HR For Change
- Friend Counts Do Mean Something
- Anatomy Of Twitter
- Lack Of New Examples
- The More You Share
- The Android Dilemma
- Is Your Day Job Your Only Gig?
- When Self Promotion Goes Too Far
- The Joys Of Building Community
- Is Social Media Respected In Corporate Environments?
- Lets Not Screw Around
- Why The Old Tools Don’t Work
- Why The Old Tools STILL Work
- Corporate Obsolesce
- The changing Face Of Social Media
- What’s The Big Deal About 4G?
- What’s Next For Social Media
- The Dark Side Of Social Media, And Why It Sucks
- You Will Live Online
- Why Tablet-Haters Loose In The End
- 10 Billion Apps
- Do What Comes Naturally
- The Decline Of Social Media
- Social Media Posers
- Ongoing Standards Wars
- Shortsightedness Of Newspaper Publishers
Well, there’s a handful of the post ideas I’ve got in my notes. That was just from one page of a OneNote notebook of post ideas! Sometimes, you just run out of time or simply never get back to the ideas you had when you thought of the topic. Whatever the case, I figure somebody might make use of one or two, or ten of these. Better to set them free than keep ’em in a dusty digital notebook right?
Behind The Firewall – BYOD
'Toshiba Libretto 50CT' by Jon Callow
Some call it the latest ‘fad’, others point to a long history of people bringing their own technology solutions to the workplace, it’s currently referred to as BYOD.
It’s all the rage right? After all, the ability to set your own course, control your own computing destiny, and pick the phone of your choice is our right as modern humans. Besides, IT departments are too overbearing and controlling – they don’t understand our need to get our work done in a timely fashion.
At least, that’s what it may seem like to those hip ‘movers & shakers’ types, and may be those Millennials too. Ok, maybe I’m stereotyping with the Millennials… but experience tells me otherwise.
Costs Of Technology
Therein lies the point of the BYOD movement, too many people think it’s a great cost-saving idea. The problem with that is the costs are simply shifted from client-side hardware procurement, to the data center. Actually, it’s likely to increase IT costs rather than cut them.
Like most great ideas, BYOD cuts both ways. It’s a triumph of corporate workers to have choice! Bringing flexibility to the main tool most productivity workers use every day.
Why can’t we pick a Mac over a PC? Why wouldn’t IT let me provide my own – I’m willing to pay for the privilege! Many more would start talking about the flexibility of different solutions, like tablets and even their phones. After all, are not all these devices computers of one type or another? I know a great number of people who argue the PC hasn’t been more personal than the devices we carry in our pockets every day!
Back to the costs question though. It’s not a simple answer once you start thinking about it. Yes, the company isn’t buying a computer, the support contract for it, the license for the operating system, the software licenses for your apps… um, if they don’t who does?
You see, there is the beginning of the complexity of simply bringing your computer to work and trying to use it in place of a company provided one. It’s not to say it can’t or shouldn’t be done, but there’s more to it than we might think. Sure, the hardware, support and client OS licensing might be eliminated. However companies need to protect their data, which means server storage for everything, which means increased storage costs, which bring increased electrical costs for the data center, and environmental systems which add more cost.
What About Software
What about software? That too needs to be maintained in a reliable, secure, and usable form. Sure, we can move lots of apps to the cloud, but lets face it – hard core spreadsheet users over in Accounting or those documentation wizards writing all sorts of material need real tools, not a web-based version of Notepad! So IT needs to host those applications and stream them to your personal device. This adds flexibility for us as individuals, but it also means the savings on the laptop you would have gotten now goes towards server capacity to host that application. Oh, and we need to think of floor space, and the power/environmental systems again… and more costs.
As an IT Architect, I have this kind of conversation with my peers quite often, and we continue to uncover more pros and cons. Somehow they mostly seem to balance each other out. But the real impact of BYOD, in my opinion, is the third dramatic shift in computing in my IT career. This one bringing a renaissance of choice to IT’s End Users, and expanding the idea of what the IT industry is capable of providing.
Tablets are Productivity Devices
They are.
Although, not for everyone.
You see, the key to any technological device in our modern age, the usefulness depends on the individual as much as the device in question. Not everyone is enamored with smartphones when their only need is to make and receive voice calls. I get that, though I know a lot of people who don’t.
The reality is that our technology is progressing far faster than many people can adapt to it. This reality causes people who don’t utilize as much computing or communications technology a bit of an overwhelming situation. What do you use it all for? Why the overlapping technology in multiple gadgets. If I can get email on my home computer, and maybe on a phone, why do I need a tablet? If I get streaming media on my game console, why would I want it on my phone? Does email I read on my phone still show up on my home computer? And so on…
Tablets are one of those in-between devices that are, technically, little more than scaled up mobile phones and, software-wise, nowhere near what a desktop or powerful laptop can do. Yet, that’s the interesting part. We’re comparing them to devices we’re familiar with, trying to find the part we’re already comfortable with in order to use it. Recognizing the tablet as a revolutionary computing device that disrupts our concepts of a “PC”, isn’t forefront in our minds.
As a technologist, I get excited by the technical specifications of the devices, and what that bodes for the future. I marvel at the standardization of all the complexities of mobile, connected computing devices in ways the average person doesn’t (FYI – it makes me a nerd). I understand that too – for many people, a device is supposed to accomplish some complex task for them. Quickly, if not more easily. The fast pace of innovation can make even the most ardent tech geek’s head spin at times!
So, back to the point of all this. A lot of people have said that tablets aren’t productivity devices. Other say they really are, and can’t imagine life without them. I think the reality is somewhere in between, and our existing concepts of the traditional PC are already changing.
What will the next evolution of tablets bring to our awareness of technology and computing? Give it a week, maybe two, and let’s ask that question again.
What’s In a Name
You know, I think I’ve had enough of the silliness of Apple’s naming if the iPad. Being unpredictable sounds great, but not giving a product a differentiating name is simply stupid.
“The new iPad”. Great, next year we can refer to it as “last year’s new iPad”. Really Apple? That’s as brilliant as Microsoft’s year-naming of software. It was dumb in 1995, and it’s not any better now.
What the hell was wrong with “iPad 3” or “iPad HD”, even though its screen is a light year beyond HD. What about a name that really differentiates it from the iPad 2? Where was the originality that we expect from you? Guess it died with Steve. Why should we get excited about a product that can’t describe itself in its name?
Guess we’ll find out next year when you deliver “the new iPad 2013”.
Doh!
An End to the IT ‘End User’
Courtesy of Dell Inc.
This has bothered me for quite a while, and I thought it about time to mention it. Hang on though, this may be a bit of a rant, but it bears bringing up.
Of course, it’s part of the language of IT, part of the culture as well. You know the jokes, “if only we could get rid of the users, our support costs would go down”. Good for a laugh on a stressful day, but what’s really being said there?
Are we that far off the path of providing quality, usable, enjoyable technology solutions for our businesses that all we focus on is the difficulty in doing so?
I think we’re missing an opportunity to re-connect with our co-workers, our customers within the business. They should not be minimized in the we that they are by IT. They’re our co-workers and cube neighbors. They deserve our respect. They’re out selling, or balancing the company budget, or dreaming up a new product to sell. They’re not trying to be challenging, they’re simply using the tools we provide to get their job done.
New Perspectives
The issue I see is that most IT staff are too busy trying to solve problems rather than provide solutions. What it really boils down to is a change in attitude, and revising perspectives. We’re missing the point if all we’re trying to do is reduce call volume.
Just like the larger goal of the businesses we work for – our focus in IT needs to be on satisfying our customers. In order for the business to grow and prosper, it needs to focus on the customer. So too does IT.
New Priorities
No longer is IT about providing a standard computing platform. Or stressing everyone out about security. Of course these are important things, but they are but one aspect of the technology landscape within an organization.
The consumerization of IT is greater than supporting the iPhone or Android devices. It’s an opportunity for IT to join the revolution in our industry. Corporate standards are great, but as more people make the move to provide their own computing platform, we need to rise to the challenge of providing great user experiences and outstanding support.
Raise the Bar
What we need to do as IT professionals, is to look outside our environment for inspiration. Look at how other companies are solving the challenges facing them. Accept the fact that people expect more of IT than we provided just a year ago… heck, more than we’re providing today.
While I’m not an Apple fan, I do admire the user experience all their customers enjoy. Sure, the phrase “it just works” is over-used, the reality is that it’s true. This is the new standard that our business customers expect. This is the new standard we need to meet. This is the new opportunity we have as an industry.
I hope it’s not too late.
Pondering A Motorola Nexus Droid
Courtesy of Motorola Mobility
I’ve been on the fence for some time regarding whether Google should use Motorola to produce a pure Google Android phone. There are lots of reasons why this would impact the Android marketplace in many predictable ways, but could also bring a number of unknown effects.
However, I’ve been thinking lately of all the so-called fragmentation, and of all the varying user interfaces (skins) that every OEM ships with their phones. Some are great, most aren’t. They all add unnecessary overhead to the Android experience, no matter how good they may seem on the surface.
Maybe I’m simply an Android ‘purist’, or a Google Fanboi – take your pick. Among other things, one of the missing components of the Android ecosystem is a line of true, pure Android devices.
Sure, the Nexus series of phones is as honest an experience that you can find in the Android universe today. I had the privilege of owning the original Nexus One – a phone that still kicks ass for my daughter Brianna and that keeps amazing me with its ability to seem relevant two years later.
To be honest though, what the market needs is a line of true Google devices. While I realize that the Motorola isn’t complete by any means, and that it could still unravel, I think this is what Google needs to use their new division for. When I first heard about the deal, I thought it may affect the Android market in negative ways. That Google recognized this and would work towards ensuring their OEM partners of fair participation in the availability and participation in Android code releases.
What I fear at this point is that Google will stick to this promise and not take the opportunity to clarify what this can mean to the marketplace.
Google needs to set the tone for Android. Period.
They can do this without jeopardizing the Nexus program, releasing their own take on a line of devices through Motorola. Not flooding the marketing with 12 designs in a year, but just three. One candy bar style like we’re all accustomed to, one slider with keyboard, and one BlackBerry style with smaller screen and dedicated keyboard.
This does several things:
- Demonstrate the positive affects of timely, consistent firmware updates across a standardized platform.
- The Android market would have a pure Android option to choose from on multiple carriers.
- OEMs would have a baseline Android device to compare their enhancements to, differentiating their products.
- The Nexus series would continue similar to today as annual examples of state-of-the art, premium devices.
- Google could demonstrate standardization, without mandating blandness across OEMs.
- The Motorola deal becomes more than just a patent purchase, and allows Google to bring some of the best concepts of Apple’s iPhone and Microsoft’s WP7 approaches to leading their ecosystem.
Granted, this is simply my wish list, but is having Google produce their own phone really that ‘evil’?
Technology Redux
'nixie' by teclasorg
So I find myself a year into another technology consulting gig for “the big client”. It’s an interesting thing after spending a couple of years working both the corporate IT world and growing a community for social media professionals.
While I’ve grown a little tired of social media for its ability to enable too much interaction, I do find I miss the action. Sometimes. As you may have noticed, I’ve backed away from the social media space in the past six months or so. It’s a conscious decision on my part to get back to basics, and focus on life directions.
Sometimes I forget how much a technology career has rewarded me over the last two decades. With the ability to work with new things, and see the potential within an early product design. I love looking at something new that someone has built, and not only see what they’re trying to do, but see the hidden potential, the part they haven’t grasped yet. That’s one of the things I love most about technology – and about social media. There is still so much unexplored territory, and I can’t wait to see what other new things come along.
If you’ve ever been to CES (Consumer Electronics Show) or SXSW or another similarly large and impactful trade show. There is so much excitement, so much going on, that you can’t sit still. When you’re there, it’s exciting, it’s new, and you’re a part of it. That’s how I view technology every day.
But here’s the thing I’m getting to. I’m back to doing the deep thinking for large organizations on standards-setting processes around technology. It’s something I’m good at, and something I enjoy doing. It’s also allowed me to neglect blogging. More importantly, it’s kept me from writing… nearly anything that isn’t a technical manual, and it shows.
That’s what this post is really about. Simply making myself sit down and write something, even if I cringe when I hit ‘Publish’. In the end, it’s the passion for social media and technology that keeps me thinking of blogging and sharing crazy ideas and opinions.
😢
“We are not enemies but friends.”
Live your life.
Completely.
Without fear.
Live it with Love, compassion, empathy, tolerance and joy.
Treat every person with the kindness, respect and dignity they deserve by the very virtue of being a human being.
Out riding this rainy, wet spring. Got 1,000 miles on the clock with more to come this season. #IMRG #IndianMotorcycle
Watching early seasons of #GoldRush. Fun seeing @GoldrushRick in season 3! Hope his new season is off to a good start!
Oh yes I did! https://www.instagram.com/p/BsRDO9ogSO0/?utm_source=ig_twitter_share&igshid=1kha5yzhjq3ot
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