Worst Way to Get a Job: Apply

It's been about a decade since I last had to look for a job.  And, my oh my has it changed.

At the time Dice and Monster were the (relatively) new hotness and when you applied there, you generally got a response pretty quickly. Nowadays, Monster is a brutal train wreck of excess. I haven't looked at Dice lately and LinkedIn and Indeed.com have sprung up out of nowhere.

There are a massive number of jobs out there. For example, on Indeed if you search for "Los Angeles", you get over 60,000 listings. That's a lot of jobs. Unfortunately, I've found that applying for them is the equivalent of printing out your resume and putting it in the shredder. Actually, that would be more fun.

Social Networking Qualms

While I'm no fan of the consumer web sites that purport to help you get and stay connected, I have been spending a lot of time on LinkedIn. I've probably made mention of the forums there and other features in a post here and there. 

However, all social networking sites are primarily a function in expanding your network, sharing information with them and so forth. This has given rise to the term "Super Conductor" which is considered as anyone with over 500 to 1,000 connections. Opinions vary on the number, but I really have to question why it's an issue of numbers at all. Where is the metric of quality?

Wh-wh-wh-Windows 8?

It's not controversial to say that Windows 8 has not won the hearts and minds in the technology community. In fact, recently, Windows 8 and Microsoft were blamed for the slide in PC sales. While I personally think there are plenty of other reasons for said slide, IDC isn't exactly nobody in the tech business so people will take note.

I am a pretty technically savvy person so my concerns and needs do not exactly mirror that of a more every day consumer. Nonetheless, people like me buy a lot of computers, advise others what to buy and often support those systems at home and in our business. What we think does matter beyond what our ownership or market presence bespeaks.

Let's start with a few key issues. These arise from my use of Windows 8 over the course of the last month on my HP ENVY dv6 laptop. It is not touch enabled so this represents the vast majority of desktop and laptop computers in existence today was well as most new units shipped for the foreseeable future.

How Much of Your Life Is on Your Computer?

Or on your various devices? Do you have an app from your bank that remembers your username and password? Or your web browser? What about electronic copies of your credit card, bank statements, tax returns, social security, etc.? Our devices are increasingly mobile and increasingly powerful  the perfect target for identity thieves.

Identity theft is going nowhere but up. 2012 was a banner year for thieves making lots of money by pretending to be you. If they swipe your phone or your laptop they can re-write your life in short order. The financial toll is estimated at more than $50 billion annually by one organization. But that's nothing to say about how much disruption and time and effort it is going to cost you. 

Closer to home, recently my in-law's laptop was stolen. As with most thefts of this type, it's relatively impossible to recover anything. He ran his household from it which meant it contained an extremely complete picture of their financial life. Wisely, they assumed the worst and started to proactively contain any potential damage by cancelling or changing accounts and setting locks and monitors.

There is simply no way to eliminate theft or simply never lose a device - they are just too pervasive now and yet also in high demand. As our use of technology evolves, we need to get smarter about it. Here are three pretty universal recommendations for reducing the impact on your life when the inevitable happens.

Performance Anxiety

It's been a few weeks since the HP ENVY dv6 joined the team. I've constructed a report card of sorts that puts some of my thoughts together to get to just how well this model performs. To some degree it should be noted that this laptop has dual graphics cards and advanced power management. That has the effect of really making it act like two very different laptops based on whether it is plugged in or not.
Power
Lets start with battery life. I have been very pleased on how well this unit performs even with just the 6 cell battery. It runs for a few hours with the regular battery and about another hour with the Long Life 9-Cell Notebook Battery. Overall, I would consider this very good. My last laptop had such poor battery from the built-in battery that I had to essentially permanently add a supplemental battery and always carry it around. No such issues with this one. I have been using the 9-cell battery quite a bit more because since it is larger it provides a more comfortable typing angle and also provides better bottom ventilation. This thing can run warm if you're getting into some extended game time.

Performance Under the New Regime

If you've been following my recent adventures in networking you know that I recently transitioned over to an entirely new router from a new vendor. Some of the things that Asus emphasized with this unit was speed and range. Both were important to me since I'm running on a FiOS connection that provides 75Mb downstream and 35Mb upstream. I certainly want to be able to use as much of that pipe as I can.

It's text book that if you want to see the results of a change you need to take a baseline. I also wanted to see the difference across devices. Speedtest.net provided performance information used below. I should note that I also run multiple tests on each device to ensure that no single result was out of a reasonable range.

Network Overhaul

I have just over a dozen network connected devices in the place not including any roaming devices from friends or family. I'm expecting this number to only grow over time. Having a capable traffic cop in the house is a pretty high high on my list of home technology issues. For an extended period I have had issues on my network wherein my computer refused to perform appropriately on my Linksys (Cisco) equipment. While most things are connected directly to the router and mostly via WiFi, I still have several devices that connect via wired Ethernet.

The "fix" for my issue was to connect my desktop computer directly to the vendor supplied router and everything else was behind the Cisco network. This caused a lot of problems with media sharing and similar activities since computers on different networks won't talk to each other without fairly creative and complex configurations. For a while now, it seems Linksys has been producing far more retail products than updating the firmware on the stuff they have already have. As a result, even though I was running on a mid- to upper-market Linksys E3200 High-Performance Simultaneous Dual-Band Wireless-N Router, fixes, improvements, etc. were very scarce.

I didn't really relish replacing the router since it was fairly new still and seemed to work ok with every other device I had. But, replacing my Alienware beast was inconceivable at best (and no, there are no open slots for another network card/USB networking is hokey.) Unfortunately, with as much stuff as I've been doing on the home network, something had to give. 

Luckily, a gift card came my way. While it wouldn't cover the cost of a new router, it would take the sting out. Not as much as I thought, given the unit I ended up going with, but it was something.

Almost as Fast as Retail

As I'm working on a post about the recent changes to my network, it occurred to me that I needed to mention the order process. Don't worry - it'll be quick.

At 5:07 PM PT, I ordered the new router from Amazon with the free 2-day Prime shipping option.. Obviously, that is 7 minutes past the typical close of business. Additionally, the day of order was a Thursday. I was a little surprised when the order summary displayed with an estimated day of arrival is Saturday. Last I checked, Saturday delivery was certainly available for an extra fee even to Prime members. No matter, I'll cheerfully accept a free upgrade!

Friday arrived the next morning and I had an early-ish appointment to make. As I left the house, I was blown away to see an Amazon box at my front door. Best as I can determine, that box landed sometime around 8:30AM PT. Folks, do the math... that's just over 12 hours from order to door! Amazon is becoming increasingly efficient with its distribution network. It is keeping, if not raising, the pressure on retail establishments with abilities like this. 

Being able to get products in your hands that quickly to their Prime customers will continue to attract and retain customers. Even now, it is hard to me to order from other sites knowing I would have to pay shipping when I don't at Amazon. This ups the ante to ask me why I should bother hitting a local retail store.

Keep an eye on them folks. The juggernaut is alive and well.

Selection Complete and the Verdict Is In...Kinda

The last post was all about how I selected the HP ENVY dv6 laptop. The question now is: Did I make the right choice? To some degree its a silly question as this isn't a comparison. I do not have two laptops side by side to compare to the road not taken. Therefore, the ENVY will be reviewed on it's own merits.

Purchasing
The ordering process is pretty simple and was done at the HP Home and Small Office store. It's easy enough to select a pre-built unit or custom to order. I obviously did the latter based on how needlessly geeky I am sometimes. It's just your typical order wizard with a next, next type process.

Hand over your credit card info and the process is underway. Now, there were a couple of oddities in the process. I did not automatically receive an order confirmation email but rather a "we received your order request, please stand by" type message. For some reason there is some sort of 24 hour processing window. I'm not sure if that's typical of all custom requests or not. However, I did receive that order confirmation email late that night with a suggested ship date of 6 days later (7 days from date of order) with about a 3 day shipment period as the unit was being assembled in China. It actually arrived a day earlier than promised which was great because I wanted to take it on a trip coming up shortly.

Selection Season: Laptop Search

For the last dozen or so years, a laptop has been a constant companion of mine. Whether it was used as my main workstation or my roaming travel companion, it was always there. However, said laptop was always provided by my employer. It was a business laptop and all that entails - or rather, doesn't. It usually had good processing power, mediocre graphics processing ability and was dull, dull, dull.

When I became a free agent earlier this year, I began considering whether I needed a laptop or not without the likelihood for regular travel. Given my knack for all things digital I eventually got around to "yes." I would have gotten there more quickly since my iPad can do a lot. Toward the end of my MBA classes, not only was I reading the text on the iPad, but using it for both handwritten and typed notes with the addition of the small Apple Bluetooth keyboard. However, for heavier applications, spreadsheets and document creation, it still lacks the the kind of flexibility and power of the typical laptop.

With that, the search was underway. I was willing to consider virtually any mainstream names such as Dell and HP. I looked at Lenovo as well as Apple, Asus, Alienware and Toshiba. No, Sony was never an option. While I like their designs and style, I've had issues with reliability and serviceability with them in the past.

To make matters worse, I'm a picky bugger. I didn't want to assemble a field of 64 ala the NCAA, but I did have some pretty specific needs and wants. First up, the screen. It's the thing that I'm staring at all the time, and I want it to be top-notch - very high resolution (1920 x 1080). Size was less important so while I wouldn't have minded a 14" screen, I wasn't able to find any manufacturer that made one with that resolution. Or at least, none that fit my other needs. I had to compromise on a 15.6" screen to get that resolution - but then, not all manufacturers offered that either. 

Roomba the Grand Pooba

My need to reclaim free time and avoid the drudgery of housework continued after the Litter Robot and the Mint joined my household. While the mint helped to keep my tile and wood fresh, I'm not a huge fan of the vacuum. The house has a very good unit - a Dyson DC41 Animal Bagless Vacuum Cleaner. It's a great unit for sucking up all the animal hair and stuff. The canister is easy to empty and so forth. But, you still have to run it and I feel like there is better stuff to do with my time.

Enter the Roomba
Roomba is probably one of the better known automatic vacuums on the market. It certainly has been around the longest as it goes back to about 2002. They've evolved over several generations and now represent some of the most effective units on the market.

The unit I chose was the iRobot Roomba 770 Vacuum Cleaning Robot for Pets and Allergies and picked it up from Amazon. The first thing you need to be aware of is that these things are NOT cheap. If you aren't the type of person to consider a Dyson (also at the top of the market in terms of prices) just stop reading. It's probably a waste of your time. Luckily, I had a sizable credit at Amazon since I had traded in a pile of old text books. That managed to take a lot of the sting out of the purchase.

Mini-me? No Thanks...

As we've previously established, I've become quite the Apple device guy over the past few years. It wasn't surprising therefore, that I got plenty of questions asking me if I'd be buying an iPad Mini.

It never crossed my mind. I have no issue whatsoever with the size of the full-size iPad, even though is has been obsoleted less than a year into it's all too brief life. It is an excellent travel companion for the tightest of plane seats, doesn't have to be pulled out of your bag to get through the airport scanner and has just enough space to get some actual work done if needed.

iPhone 5: Week One in Review

Almost every time I pick this phone up I instantly notice just how light it is. Perhaps they should have called this the iPhone Air. 

I've had the 5 since delivery on launch day. While I haven't traveled with it yet, I'll provide a quick and dirty synopsis of week 1 which was pretty much all local.

• Maps. Haven't touched them yet. I realize there's a big flap out there for folks who rely on it and I will be traveling this month so I'll find out soon enough.
• Data. Very good performance. I stuck with AT&T since they grandfathered in my unlimited data plan. In just cruising around the L.A. area I'm seeing some pretty decent speeds. It'll be interesting to see how they'll be on the road. I'm also seeing much faster performance on WiFi networks.

iPhone 5: Is it enough?

Apple product announcements have become the Super Bowl of tech events in recent years. Today was no exception. The anticipation, leaks and speculation leading up to the event was pretty massive. 

The event had a lot of breadth. I wasn't particularly surprised at the iPod updates - well at least, not that it happened. I'm a little disappointed that the Nano has grown again as I am a huge fan of the current size. It would have been nice to see the same form factor but simply slimmer with bluetooth. THe new unit has a nice design, but I won't be looking to purchase a new one any time soon.

 

The iPod touch changes were unsurprising following the iPhone announcements other than perhaps the wrist strap which while functional isn't something Apple typically concerns itself with. Still, a nice feature for those on the go or for kids. Odd that they are keeping the old Touch around, but I guess that helps them hit another price point or get into an up sell situation.

 

The headphones were kind of an odd drop in. Though, when I think about it, given the volume of headphones that Apple distributes, it does make some sense to put some effort in there. It seems in line with Apple's approach to continually evolve and round out their platforms into the "total package."

 

Lastly, I am very thankful that iTunes got a redesign and face lift. I have found it harder and harder to use the application effectively to manage my media so I'm looking forward to that change a great deal.

 

And then of course was the main event. The new iPhone was announced and all the features touted. I was gratified to see the new A6 processor and was pretty much amazed at that it will be 20% lighter. For them to have taken out 1/5th of the weight between generations is pretty remarkable. I think the thinner design will also be appreciated as well.

 

The camera didn't seem to change much on paper - though without side by side photo comparisons it's hard to tell how much change it will bring. The new panoramic feature is nice - better than a manual stitching process with some of the apps that are out there. I saw that they did add the ability to take photos while shooting video, but I always thought that to be a bit of an odd feature. Perhaps it was a capability of the new lens? Glad to see that costs remained the same, though I still feel like the absence of the 128GB model remains odd. I wonder if it is a power issue?

 

The new connector was well leaked in advance so no surprises there. I wonder if they'll have a thunderbolt to lightning connector as well or if it will only be USB to lightning? They have to have something up their sleeve or else they'd just go with micro USB. I know a lot of people are irritated at the instant obsolescence of their accessories, but 9 years is a pretty good run stability wise.

 

LTE support was as expected as was the size of the display. It will be interesting to see just how different the new screen will look in person as well as how much more, if any, responsive it will be. The battery life looks pretty great overall, though it'll be interesting to see how well it holds up in real world usage.

 

Overall, it seems like the iPhone has enough going for it in combination with iOS 6 to justify an upgrade. Pre-orders start on Friday so get those credit cards warmed up!

 

Posted with Blogsy

One (Many) iDevices to Rule Them All

On the eve of the next iPhone announcement (or will it be the New iPhone?), I'm taking a step back to re-review my personal electronic inventory.

And, as I do, I've come to the realization that while I might be a PC in terms of what's on my desk, the rest of my media experience is ruled by Apple. I have the iPhone as my personal phone. The New iPad is my travel companion and TV watching companion. The Apple TV has become one of my prime media consumption devices, so much so that I've now purchased two of them. To a degree, just being able to throw video up on the two different TVs from the iPhone or iPad was worth the price of entry. But add in the iTunes store and the NetFlix application and it really becomes quite a compelling device.

Minty Fresh

I had never heard about the Mint family of devices before. If you haven't either the short version is that they are floor cleaning robots similar to the concept of a Roomba but for hard floors rather than carpet. I actually found out about it from woot.com which, in its typical style, had a one day sale on an older Mint model. I read the reviews and saw some issues with that model. However, when I looked into the newer model it seemed that most of those problems had been solved albeit at a higher price.

Robot Round-up

It's been awhile since I've posted a technology item here, so let's get to it.

Robots in our homes aren't exactly new. We have machines that clean and dry our clothes and dishes, machines that condition the air and water the lawn and so on. I've had a lot of schedule challenges lately and wanted to find a way to get back some free time. I've made two recent key investments in home automation.

The Day the Blackberry Network Died

Much has been made about the most recent Blackberry outage. Some have claimed that this is the end of  the Blackberry. Others said it reduced traffic accidents.

For me, message delivery ceased around 2AM Pacific. Not a single message was delivered the entire working day. Around 8:30 PM, everything essentially delivered at once. After that, I haven't seen any issues. After all the press bruhaha, I thought it was worthwhile to look back at that 18 hour period.

My own personal productivity was certainly affected by this. I held meetings away from my desk that resulted in a focused discussions with fewer interruptions. All of the same, or more, work got done and it was probably of a higher quality.

Our users - even remote workers - were, surprisingly, relatively unconcerned. The important work also got done via phone and traditional email. Stuff was sold, orders were processed, customers were helped.

Don't get me wrong. The Blackberry is a wonderful convenience. It is very secure, has a physical keyboard to type on (most of the time) and is extremely manageable from an IT perspective. It is especially valuable during travel, crises events, etc.

But, I think that it is important to realize that the device in our hand isn't as important as those around us. Work still gets done as long as we effectively communicate with every one else - no matter what the channel.

Bringing Sexy Back

As I posted last week, I had selected the Drobo as my new storage mechanism at home. However, all of my data was still (hopefully) imprisoned on the no longer sentient server. Windows Home Server uses a custom RAID like software setup to duplicate information across multiple drives.

It is simple stupid in usage. But, when I attempted to boot those drives in another machine I had no success.

Drobo to the Rescue

A cost-effective replacement for my late, great HP MediaSmart server was simply not to be found. I just wasn't able to locate an appropriate solution in the Windows Home Server family. So with reluctance I have moved on.

Welcome to the Drobolicious future! My better half has had one of the original Drobo's for quite some time. Other than a terrible mishap with a 3TB drive, it has served her well. It's not surprising then, that it was tops on my list for consideration to be the new brain in the household. This device is not cheap, but it does feature some great simplicity, improved storage capacity options, direct network access and Apps.