Personal Challenge 2014

More Things Changed, Some Things Stayed The Same

We have come to the part of the year, other than birthdays, reunions, or anniversaries, where people look back on life and either reminisce, have regrets, or set new goals.

2013 was a challenging year for me. Honestly, I do not regret anything in life, however, I would say that in 2013, I had setbacks. These setbacks will take some effort to mitigate, but they are resolvable. I have also had triumphs, of course; but unfortunately the setbacks are weighing on me at the moment. Similar to most people, I have many challenges, but my biggest one is food. Because of food being my biggest vice, I challenge myself every year to give up one of my favorite foods. So far I have given up soda, ice cream, and deep fried foods.

2014 will be the year of no red meat. This will be hard, though, not as hard as ice cream, but hard nonetheless. I look forward to making healthy substitutions for red meat. My goal for these annual personal challenges is to break a habit and weave in a healthy habit into my eating lifestyle. My hope is that it will make it easier for my sons to emulate my eating habits- not to mention to enriching and lengthening my life.

There are many tools that can be used to track eating, exercise, and enrich quality of life. Below are a list of tools that I use.

MotoActv: This is my number one tool because it is so comprehensive with regards to tracking exercise, setting goals, creating workout plans, and challenging others in competitions.

Fitbit Flex: I am using this as a supplemental tool to my MotoActv. The great thing about the Fitbit Flex is that it includes a lot of the stuff I used to use myfitnesspal for. I can track my food, water, exercise, and have it sync with other tools that I use seamlessly.

Healthvault: Healthvault is an app that came pre-installed on my Surface Pro and I have to say that I love it. I have it synced with my Fitbit and soon I will have my other health info synced.

As I discover more tools throughout 2014 I will definitely update; but until then, Happy New Year and Godspeed!

-Ellison-
A.K.A Edmund Starbanks

The Human Community: We're All Teachers

Read Part I

I'm a teacher, you're a teacher, we're some teachers, wouldn't you like to be a teacher too! We've all heard the adage; "It takes a village to raise a child."; however, it also takes a lot of trust. The blessing and curse of the internet and technology is that information is readily available. I can easily find out how many sex offenders live within my or any neighborhood; complete with pictures of the offender along with the nature of their crimes. The downside to this, depending on your personality is that you lose a lot of faith in human beings and it can lead you to overprotecting your child and forcing them to live in a bubble. Though this information is valuable, it is also important to use common sense and instinct. We have become a society that has used technology as a crutch and escape from our surroundings rather than one that uses it as a tool to enhance our lives.

I am a self professed tech junkie. I read various technology websites and blogs so I am both aware and amazed of how far we have come technologically in a very short time span. Unlike my generation (I am 37) and ones before it, the current generation is not afforded a time buffer before a new technology or the enhancement of a current one is unleashed on the world. The beta phase (time in which a product is released to a select group of people to either test its viability or work out the kinks before public release) of tech products has been nullified. Either the beta window is too short or too long, relegating it to uselessness. Today, the internet has been ingratiated into our lives. Everything is connected, from TVs and cars, to refrigerators and even shoes. The ubiquity of the internet has changed social rules, social norms and sense of self. Texting, Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and similar sites and technologies enable kids to invoke a false sense of independence and anonymity.

Because of these rapid changes, it is imperative that we establish a teaching community outside of the standard classroom. This may sound like common sense to my parents and their generation, but unfortunately, it is lost on a lot of people today. It seems that a lot of parents have adopted a Laissez a faire approach; minimal parental intervention and "letting the chips  fall where they may" mentality. In my view, this is dangerous, because I believe it is important to mitigate overly aggressive behavior as early as possible. I have a 5 yr old son, and like most children his age, he and his friends like to play wrestle and shadow box. I don't have a problem with that; however, I tell him that he is not allowed to hit anyone in the face or private area. Again, I believe it is important that I instill boundaries and circumvent behaviors that could potentially escalate; either now in the future. No child is 100% on good behavior 100% of the time, so obviously my son will exhibit behavior that he has been told not to; -he is a five yr old after all- however, he knows that there will be ramifications. My wife and I are firm believers in ensuring positive reinforcements outweigh negative reinforcements. We do not believe in corporal punishment and thankfully, time out and reduction in privileges work for us. In my view, setting this foundation of parental guidance will lead my son to making decisions that are more beneficial to him and his counterparts rather than ones that can impact him negatively or detrimentally. He knows that we do not tolerate bullying, making fun of people, or callously pointing out differences in people-obvious or otherwise. 

The reason I started this post with the "I'm a teacher" limerick is because I believe as a community, we are responsible for all of our children. Teachers are integral in the development of our children and despite their knowledge of their subject matter, most teachers are open to learning new things. They are open to new ways of engaging and enlightening our children. As parents, we must do the same thing. We do this by our actions and by helping each other out by correcting inappropriate behavior attitudes. If we notice negative behavior, we should be able to mindfully correct it immediately or reach out to the parent or parent collective to correct and limit the behavior. There are too many examples of bullying going too far; whether it's via social media or in person. We have become complacent and many parents have adopted an arms length approach. Their faces are buried in their mobile devices and they're oblivious to their children. The whole attitude is that the children should sort out all conflicts among themselves. Meanwhile, the children are developing behaviors that will be  detrimental in the future because they have no outlet other than their peers. This leads some children to a mindset of no reprisal and the ubiquity of social media and its supposed anonymity lends itself to cyber bullying. Why tear you down face to face when I can do it safely from my mobile phone? Parental complacency is dangerous and unacceptable. 

The new bubble is the cloud we have created with our mobile devices and other tech vices to separate ourselves from the world around us. This causes us to miss what is right in front of us. This complacency has contributed to the rise in social apathy and cyber bullying; because we as parents have refused to keep abreast of the changing times and rapid pace of technological advancements. As adults, it is our responsibility to be mindful of social trends, and change in technology so we can use this info to root out unacceptable actions and behaviors that have become much more explicit due to the ease of access and anonymity in the virtual world. 

Here is some perspective; Apple's iPhone debuted in 2007. Since it's debut, it has gone through 9 iterations in 6 years, Google debuted Android in 2008 only to have it take up virtually 84% of the global cell phone market, Blackberry has fallen from dominance, Facebook and Twitter have risen from virtual nascent social networks to publicly traded companies, no one knows what the heck a Pocket PC is, Palm doesn't exist anymore, HDTV and Blu-Ray is commonplace, 3D HDTV has come and gone, and now everyone is talking about Ultra HD or 4K resolution, and flexible/bendable mobile phones. We are the point now where 1 yr is an eternity in tech advances. It may seem overwhelming to stay up to date, but if you use technology and the internet to your advantage, kids won't be too many steps ahead of us; and we can limit a lot of the abusive behaviors that we've all turned a blind eye to.

-Ellison

A.K.A. Edmund Starbanks

Read Part I

links: Google+, Twitter, Facebook

Edmund's Technoblasts: Edmund's Holiday Gift Guide Part I

Gaming Consoles

photo courtesy of XBox.com

1. XBox One - $499.99 

Despite early backtracking over always on settings, Microsoft has a diamond in the rough with the Xbox One. Noted features as improved Kinect functionality, Blu-Ray (finally!) embedded Skype functionality, cable programming integration and arguably the best online gaming experience makes the XBox One a great buy; don't forget to download the Day 1 patch or you will not get to enjoy your shiny new XBox One.

photo courtesy of us.playstation.com

2. PlayStation 4 - $399.99

Sony has worked hard to not only address the missed moments with the PS3, but to also cast a differentiating shadow on MS’s XBox One. Gamepad touch controls, remote play (You can transfer game play from the PS4 to the PS Vita and even your mobile device), noted PlayStation Exclusives, access to Sony’s vast digital media library, and Blu-Ray make the PS4 a great alternative to the XBox One.

photo courtesy of nintendo.com

3. Nintendo Wii U - $299.99 

It's hard to imagine Nintendo in the catch up role; especially within an industry they are viewed as a pioneer. Yet, unlike the Wii, the Wii U was not as widely or quickly adopted. Despite a 2 year head start, HD graphics, and a redefined gaming experience, the Wii U's sales have been lackluster at best. Given those caveats, Nintendo may David the two Goliaths for a few key reasons. 1. Backward compatibility. Scoff if you like, but games are expensive, so being able to play your previous library on your new console is a benefit. 2. Discontinuing the Wii. This should have been a no brainer to Nintendo, but for whatever reason they allowed the Wii to cannibalize their Wii U sales. This move should rectify that. 3. Price. The Wii U is $200 less than the XBox One and $100 less than the PS4; regardless of what people may think, this will be a big factor in buying decisions this holiday season. 4. Availability. There are 2 consoles launching this holiday season, there will invariably be inventory shortages; either by design or demand. This will be a big opportunity for Nintendo because if you can't get the other two due to a 3-6 wk wait, some people may pick up the Wii U instead.

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Tablets

Full Size - 9.5" and Up

photo courtesy of Apple.com

1. iPad Air - $499 - $929 

Anyone who knows me, is aware of my chagrin towards Apple. My personal feelings aside, hype can only take you so far. Apple's tablet is not the top dog by sheer luck; and if people thought your product was terrible, they would not keep buying it...to some extent. 

Apple's biggest advantage is its app ecosystem and their synchronous approach to software and hardware development. This allows Apple to closely control every aspect of their product. The iPad Air has a 64 bit processor chip, a high resolution screen, dual cameras, and access to one of the best app stores with apps optimized for its form factor. All of this make the iPad Air one the best media consumption devices on the market. The benefit and caveat is that everything is under one umbrella, outside of accessories, there's very little you can do to personalize your iPad; however, when Apple updates their software, every single iPad Air customer gets the update regardless of version of iPad; and most versions with the exception of very early iterations can support iOS 7.

photo courtesy of play.google.com

2. Nexus 10 - $399-$499

Google's Nexus program is the best way to experience Android unfettered. A 10" HD screen, dual cameras, 2GB of RAM, and NFC are some of the features that make the Nexus 10 a great device. The best part of the Nexus' feature set however, has nothing to do with hardware. It's all about services; Google Services. Despite what you might feel about the search giant's reach, they're pretty good at offering up tools and services to meet your wants and needs. All of this is by virtue of Google Now. Compared to other companies; with Google Now, Google has managed to actually turn your mobile device into a personal assistant minus the half baked attempt of giving your mobile device a personality.

photo courtesy of samsung.com

3. Galaxy Note 10.1 (2014 Edition) - $549-$599

Samsung has managed to become a juggernaut in the Android space. Many a blogger and technophile has opined negatively or positively about Samsung devices overall. Similar to Apple's dominance in the tablet space overall, Samsung wouldn't be top Android dog if the majority of them were subpar. They are proof that UX (user experience) plays just as important a role as hardware design. One of the biggest selling points for the Galaxy Note is its stylus. Samsung's partial ownership of Wacom gives them an advantage over any OEM who wishes to incorporate styli input along with natural handwriting recognition. 

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Tablets

Full Size - 7" - 8.9"

photo courtesy of play.google.com

1. Nexus 7 (2013 Edition) - $229-$349

The collaboration of Google and ASUS culminated in the Nexus 7. Perhaps the best small sized tablet on the market today. Android 4.4 (Kit Kat) the way Google intended-pure and simple along with Google Services, multiple profiles, parental controls, NFC, and dual cameras. All of those goodies plus the amazing price make the Nexus 7 both a great starter tablet and supplemental device for anyone in any age group.

photo courtesy of kindle.com

2. Kindle Fire HDX 7" - $229-$424

The fruits of Google's labor are Amazon's bountiful harvest. Amazon's Fire OS is basically highly customize Android skin. Nevertheless, Amazon has followed in Apple's footsteps with respect to hardware and services. Everything is under the Amazon umbrella. Similar to Apple, there are no OEMs. This allows Amazon to let Google do the heavy lifting in OS development, while they do what they're best known for; focused customer services. The Kindle Fire HDX has a high resolution screen and has been optimized for media consumption via the Amazon universe. With the HDX line, Amazon debuted the 'Mayday' button, 24/7 live customer service with remote assistance. Currently, no one offers this on their mobile products, so Amazon is safe in that space...for now. If you don't need any apps for productivity or your tablet to emulate a PC, then the Kindle Fire HDX is for you.

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Ultrabooks/Convertible Notebooks

photo courtesy of surface.com

1. Surface Pro 2 - $899-$1,799
Full disclosure; I own a first generation 128GB Surface Pro. I purchased it after my Galaxy Tab 10.1's screen was shattered. I haven't looked back since. You can read my full review here.

Microsoft is on their second iteration of the Surface line. The improvements made on the second coming are great ones; it shows that Redmond cares about their customers' input and that they are vested in the Surface. Windows 8.1, Improved battery life, a faster processor, and a better variety of accessories were needed and thankfully MS met that need. What separates the Surface Pro from other ultrabooks and convertible PCs is its exemplary pen input interface. The way Microsoft integrated the stylus and its input throughout Office and other core apps is genius. Personally, I feel One Note showcases the power of taking natural handwritten notes. These handwritten notes are searchable, easily converted to text and can be synced with any Office file. Previously on my Android tablet and iPod, I used Springpad and Evernote, but One Note has supplanted them. Above in my list of full screen tablets, I mentioned that the Galaxy Note 10.1 is a great starter tablet or supplemental device for students; the Surface Pro is the best device to replace the laptop any student is considering to purchase. You also can't beat the 200GB of free SkyDrive for two years.

Note: Do yourself a favor and bypass the 64GB version. The Windows 8.1 OS is large and will take up approximately 46% of your storage space.

photo courtesy of dell.com

2. Dell XPS 12 - $999-$1,399
Dell has been a very good OEM for Microsoft. They're usually the first to create products for anything new that Redmond releases from the pipeline. True to form, when Windows 8 hit the scene, Dell responded; one of their responses was the Dell XPS 12. The original XPS debuted prior Microsoft's Surface and it had a distinctive quirky feature; a 180° rotating display. By rotating the display and closing the laptop, it instantly converts from a  clamshell ultrabook to a tablet. This form factor along with the small dimensions of the XPS are perfect for the portability needs of a general college student.

photo courtesy of lenovo.com

3. Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro- $1,099-$1,599
Lenovo's Yoga line is an interesting take on form factors. Unlike the aforementioned Microsoft Surface or Dell XPS, the Yoga's monitor folds back 180°. Due to a quality hinge the Yoga has various ways you can position the monitor; though there are 4 official positions. Windows 8.1, up to 512 GB SSD, up to 8GB of RAM and BT 4.0 make the Yoga 2 Pro a powerhouse.

Stay tuned for Part II

-Edmund

My Device Graveyard - Part III

Edmund's TechnoBlasts

Blackberry Bold 9000

Below is my original review of the BB 9000. I loved this device. Blackberry was my original smartphone and I was hooked from the first device on. Based on my previous Blackberries, the Bold was a huge improvement. The scroll wheel was replaced by the trackball in a previous model and that carried on to the Bold. The trackball in the Bold was more stable than it's counterpart; making reviewing emails and SMS messages a breeze.

What made the Bold great...

Trackball: Improved over the 8820, which I owned prior to the Bold, the trackball was smooth and responsive. Unlike the 8820, it never stuck and did not need to be replaced. It was that reason that had me purchasing he Bold in the first place.

Blackberry Services:
Nothing beats Blackberry's push services. They are the industry standard. Despite past connection blackouts, their services remain the go to for businesses. It is probably the reason they are still around today given their unfortunate slide in the industry.

The Latest:

Unfortunately, Blackberry is on the market. The obvious choice for a buyout (Microsoft) has already purchased Nokia's hardware and services division. They have also committed to licensing patents from Nokia so a buyout of BB seems unlikely, though they are rumored to be keeping an interested eye on BB. Though I have an Android phone now, this is still a sad moment for me. My first pager was a RIM device. My first smartphone was a RIM device, so to see their demise will be a somber moment for me. Hopefully they transform themselves the way IBM did when they got out of the manufacturing business.

-Edmund

RIM Blackberry Bold 9000

I must say that I did not believe that RIM could top my 8820, but I have been pleasantly surprised. The Blackberry Bold has a lighter feel than it's predecessor, although its specs put it at .07 oz heavier (Click here for full specs:Full Blackberry Bold Specs). The standout on this device, however is its wonderful screen. Bright, amazing colors, video and pictures look amazing! The 2MP camera with its LED flash is functional and will give you very nice pictures for a phone. If you want amazing editorial pictures, buy a camera. Nothing worse than idiots complaining about the picture/video quality of a cell phone. The Bold comes with what has been standard for some time now (3G, World Phone capability, GPS, WiFi, removable storage-unless you have an iPhone-ha!) and RIM's push technology. Improved Office file viewing/editing gives added functionality and versatility. Although no phone/PDA is perfect, the Blackberry bold gets pretty close. Wonderful tools, plus the improvement to the RIM staples, coupled with the vibrant display makes this phone a must have.

My rating: 3.75/5.0

My Device Graveyard - Part II

Edmund's TechnoBlasts

Read Part I

Creative Zen Vision W

I absolutely loved my Creative Zen Vision. It had the best of multiple worlds. A hi-res widescreen for watching video and browsing photos, lots of storage that not only stored all of my media, but also served as a back up hard drive. If I had not lost it at an ASCAP Members' meeting in New York, I'd still have this amazing device today.

What made the Creative Zen Vision W great...

30/60 GB HDD: With a choice of either 30GB or 60GB HDD variants, Creative covered all grounds by giving you enough internal storage for your media and they did all of this plus include an external storage option via Compact Flash. It didn't hurt that Windows recognized the Creative Zen Vision W as an external hard drive; very nice bonus.

Removable Storage: Support for Compact Flash II made it easy for me to transfer my pictures from my Canon Powershot to my Zen without the need for USB while also giving me a valid external storage option.

Large LCD Screen: 4.3" widescreen in 2006 was colossal compared to Apple's iPod Video which had a 2.5" screen. The Zen Vision W's screen was bright, crisp and back-lit.

Multi-Codec Audio/Video Playback:  Playback support for video formats such as; AVI, WMV9, MPEG1, MPEG2, MPEG4-SP, MJPEG, DivX4.x/ 5.x, and XviD-SP and audio formats such as; MP3, WMA, WAV, Audible, and Protected WMA made this a perfect 
companion device.

FM Tuner: Any device that came with a built-in radio antenna was a winner with me. Other devices required accessories that basically nullified the portability factor.

What needed improvement...

Menu Navigation: Menu navigation was too involved for my tastes. It took too many clicks to get necessary options. 

Bulk: Granted, at the time, the price point for manageable flash storage would have made this device beyond expensive; however, the size was still pretty big. Compared to the iPod and Creative's other offerings the Zen Vision W was massive and heavy. Considering it's size, it is interesting that I still managed to lose it at an ASCAP Membership Meeting.

Content Partnerships: I know that at the time the Zen Vision W debuted, content providers were not readily entering into agreements unless your name was Apple or Microsoft; however, it would have been nice to have access to content from big players like Universal or Sony.


Consensus:  I honestly loved this device. I used it on a regular basis for watching videos, listening to music, viewing pictures, and most importantly, backing up my files. I was literally walking around with a backup external HDD. Due to technological limitations of the time, the Zen Vision W was enormous and bulky; however a lot of its features made up for it. 

My rating, based on what was available at the time is a 3/5.  The menu navigation had too much drill down and the search functionality could have been better, but all in all, I would still recommend the Creative Zen Vision W now as much as I did when I originally had it.

-ES

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