James Sun is the man. He's smart, dedicated and presents well. Obviously a favorite of The Donald (you can tell by the way he always consults James on who should get fired, or who screwed up, etc.), I think he has a very good chance at becoming the next Apprentice. Although his team lost the last project on which he was Project Manager, he was able to defend himself well in the boardroom and stay in the game. James started the company Zoodango, a professional networking website, which I've joined.
Besides the fact that she's a hottie? She's also one of the most focused in the group and is simply able to get things done. She's level-headed and is a solid presenter (as evidenced by her performance in the last episode, where her and James dominated as partners). Stefani is, in my opinion right up there with James as far as chances of becoming the next Apprentice.
Frank has a lot to say but frankly (no pun intended), most of it isn't worth listening to (which his teammates are quickly discovering). Yes, he's tenacious and can probably manage a crew of construction contractors effectively, but tenacity and people-management skills alone won't prevent this guy from getting canned. He hasn't shown much leadership ability thus far and lacks the professional sophistication to manage an operational behemoth that is (and will be) any Trump real estate venture. Moreover, he tanked the last project and didn't take any ownership in the failure (and directed most of it at Heidi, his partner who got fired).
I'll come right out and say it; Nicole should have been fired after her shoddy presentation and lack of preparation during the last episode. She owns a real estate company, yet she left most of the work on a real estate marketing project to be done by her attorney partner, Kristine (who was fired instead of Nicole for putting the wrong phone number on their marketing brochure). Don't forget the fact that she slept while Kristine did most of the work on that particular project. It's becoming increasingly obvious that Nicole has made it this far by piggybacking off of the strategic thinking and hard work of her peers. She is also overly emotional and lacks resolve and professionalism. If she is not fired in the next round, I will be very surprised (as well as annoyed).
Heidi was fired in the last episode and is not in the final four, but in my opinion, she shouldn't have been fired. Yes, she completely bombed her presentation and defended herself poorly in the boardroom, but she should not have been fired before Nicole. Heidi project-managed the previous assignment (creating an insert for the LA Times) exceptionally, which shows that she's capable of effectively managing a team and producing quality work. It also seems as though she possesses a high level of professional integrity.
Top 5 Web Technologies
1. Web Search:
It's broadly estimated that we’ve** aggregated less than 30% of every web site in existence. Rather than focusing on a specific Web search provider (i.e. Google, Yahoo), I’m focusing on the concept of Web Search as a technology itself. Simply put, the value of the internet would be diminished dramatically if it wasn’t organized or made universally accessible and useful.
2. Web 2.0:
The implementation of
3. Social networks/P2P Communities:
There are more than a dozen individual sites in this category that could easily be their own item on this list: Wikipedia, Facebook, MySpace, to name a few. However, I’m focusing on the very concept on which all of these sites were founded on. Social networks and communities will continue to be a breeding ground for productive and fun collaboration as well as public knowledge creation and distribution.
4. Apple iTunes Music Store:
If there was a textbook example of e-commerce done well, this would be it. Apple has managed to create seamless integration between its music store, the iTunes application and the iPod. The process by which you purchase music is extremely intuitive and the price-points all make sense. Now, if only they could nail the DRM (Digital Rights Management) portion of it to enable access to purchased music, server-side.
5. Email/Instant messaging:
The most dated technology on this list, I think we can all agree that email and instant messaging have proven their worth over the years. Beyond the fact that we’d all be lost without them (both at work and in our personal lives) it makes real-time communication easier and more accessible. When paired with a smart phone (below), you have the best of both worlds.
Top 5 Digital Lifestyle technologies
1. Smart phones:
The newest inductee to this group would be Apple's new iPhone. Smart phones are essentially devices that can browse the web, serve as a PDA, run third-party applications, make and receive calls and look damn good while doing all of it (OK, so the last one isn’t really a requisite, but what good is a smart phone if you don’t want to be seen using it?). Moreover, in countries like
2. Apple iPod:
Can you think of any other piece of hardware that has single-handedly modified the direction of an entire company, currently has a cult following consisting of children, young professionals and seniors alike and is quite possibly one of the most desirable pieces of hardware ever made? The iPod has brought new meaning to the words "mobile media".
3. Wireless networking (802.11_)
If you enjoy being able to work at Borders, the airport, in the park or on your bed untethered to a CAT-5 cable, then you need to give 802.11_ some love. Often taken for granted, wireless networks will be the driver for new business models, including (but not limited to) enhanced distribution channels, advertising, and collaboration.
4. GPS-enabled devices:
While satellite-based navigation is currently the most common use for GPS technology today, the future looks bright in other areas as well. As geolocation becomes more important (ie. standing at an intersection in San Francisco and finding all pizza places within a 0.5 mile radius of you, automatically), we’ll see GPS technologies becoming more commonplace in phones and other mobile devices.
5. TiVo:
I don't watch enough television to warrant owning a TiVo myself, but the concept of on-demand media continues to show promise, as evidenced by YouTube. TiVo is last on this list because as products such as Apple’s iTV and Google’s YouTube begin integrate, the demand for TiVos may slowly diminish.
While perusing various exhibits at Macworld last week, I thought about what differentiates a "life changing" technology from a merely utilitarian technology. After some mild deliberation, I came to the conclusion that the former goes far beyond utility; it’s emotional; it stirs excitement and passion. Consumers lust after Apple’s brilliantly designed products after nearly every new product release they have. Google has become a commonly used verb in the English language.
I don't personally know anyone who gets excited by the thought of firing up Microsoft Windows on their Dell laptop (usually, having to do so conjures feelings of frustration and angst). However, the utility (not to mention compelling market share) of the Windows platform is inarguably present. Therein lies the distinction.
Google’s new releases during Macworld:
* The internet itself could be considered a top web technology on a macro level. I’m thinking on more of a micro level here, focusing in on internet-based technologies.
** In saying “we’ve”, I’m referring to the aggregated indices of all top search engines.
*** I work at Google, but all of the views expressed in this post are my own and not those of my employer.
"TAG Heuer Automatic Chronograph Tachymetre"
"Tourneau Safari Sport 1950 Flyer"
"Cartier Tank Solo"
"Cartier Santos Demoiselle"
"Corum Admiral's Cup"
"Breitling Navitimer World, Blue"
Per a neighbor across the way who managed to stumble out onto his balcony as I got home, it was a bunch of teenage kids he saw walking around. I'll admit, I was suspicious of this dude (like Chris Rock in his stand-up on neighbors robbing you: "You ain't hearin' sh!t 'cause you was doin' sh!t!"). But given that another car got hit the same night, I think his story holds some crediblity.
Interestingly, the following night, I saw my next door neighbor (who parks right next to me) and told him about the incident. The conversation went something like this:
The good news is that the car is pretty much fixed and insurance paid for most of it. To the little children who violated my car and stole my possessions, I forgive you. May God have mercy on your poor souls. But if He for whatever reason destines each one of you to get run over by a large pick-up truck carrying lawn and gardening equipment driven by some dude named Hector with no auto insurance, then we can come to terms with the fact that God allows everything to happen for a reason, much like how He allowed your thieving asses to throw rocks through my car windows. It's called karma, bitches, and a lot of the angry kind is coming your way. No, but really, I still forgive you.
2006 SigGraph Conference, Boston, MA.
SigGraph Exhibitors (Google was one).
Dinner @Laurels, Boston, MA.
Parents on York Beach, MA.
Paris, Las Vegas, NV.
Dinner @The Wynn (Oak, Linda, Kelly, Amanda).
Down the beaten path: my trusty Specialized Enduro Comp 130
Blue Point Juniper, spiral trimmed.
Washington Navel Orange tree.
Mm, topograpy: the Rocky Mountains taken from 30,000 ft.
Hotel room view.
A tip for anyone driving into downtown Dever: turn around and go somewhere else; there's nothing to do there.
11,000 ft. elevation +60 degree weather + over-layering + weight of gear + steep incline + hiking = not fun.
Mmm, back-mountain boarding. I must have taken this picture as I was taking a break from hiking, gasping desparately for air.
Ah, time to reap the rewards of my hard work...
Me and Jyn in the "Korea section"
What's a trip to San Diego without a visit to the zoo?
Ah, San Diego coast.
(Ripped from Dolapo's blog) Googler t-shirt; mabe we should check his CV before making any rash judgements?
