Lost for Thoughts

Once again, today's blog update is a whole lotta nuthin'...but I'm not sure anyone is even reading. If you are, I applaud you, as you're truly a warrior, struggling through my drivel.

Not much is really happening in my world these days. Work has settled back into the usual routine after the holidays, while I'm struggling with a project that just won't seem to go away. Today was particularly troublesome, because for some reason I was experiencing difficulty getting my head around exactly all of the little outstanding details that need to be nailed down before Feburary 12th. I think I have my head around what needs to occur, and tomorrow should go more smoothly. Also, the number of projects that I am assigned to work on has certainly increased, which bodes for a productive spring.

After a couple of weeks away, I dug back into Trine for about an hour or so tonight. There's a lot to enjoy about the game, and the more I play it, the better it gets. The physics engine is quite good, and the ability to bounce back and forth between the three distinct characters creates so many options for solving the myriad of environmental puzzles thrown at you that there's probably no way to play it the same as anyone else. For the level I completed tonight, I started to utilize the Magician and his ability to create planks and crates, and teaming that with the Thief's ability to jump and grapple. The Knight is always handy for cleaning out the skeletons.

Lately, I've also been trying to take more pictures and video with the iPhone and publish them to my Twitter feed with Twitpic and Twitvid, respectively. Understanding that I'm an engineer, which severely cripples my creative ability from the start, it should be obvious that these forays into visual media are quite stiff, crude and rudimentary. It still feels like such a novelty to be able to take a picture, and within a couple of minutes have it posted to Twitter and Facebook. Given the right opportunities and vision, these could be great tools to build or expand your online presence. While I know the stuff I'm producing now isn't great, I'd like to think that with some time and practice I'll learn a few more things and find some interesting subjects for the pictures and video. Once again I'm amazed at our ability today to broadcast ourselves to the world, and in the right hands amazing results can be had.

Tomorrow I think I'll discuss something that's bothered me for some time, option paralysis. It affects me most in my game playing habits, but it manifests itself in such a way that really is aggravating. Most likely it won't be incredibly interesting, but it may be cathartic for me to explore and discuss it in the open. Until then, take care and have a great night!

Google Voice (Warning: Nerdy!)

The amazing, and somewhat confusing, instance of technological convergence that is Google voice is the topic for today's post, the 26th for NaBloPoMo.

Some time ago, I wrangled an invite for the new Google service called Google Voice. It's an intriguing idea: One phone number that can be configured to ring multiple lines at the same time, or based on who's calling, or send directly to voicemail, or any of what feels like endless features. There's also voicemail transcription, where a speech-to-text analysis of a voicemail left in your mailbox would be sent to you via e-mail. I'm probably doing a terrible job of trying to explain all the features, so I'll just let the official description handle it from here.

For me, there are a lot of ideas on how to use this service floating around in my head. If I wanted to, I could now start giving out my Voice number to everyone, because it would be the same regardless if I change cell phone numbers, home phone numbers, I change jobs, etc. There is a convenience and elegance to that. My big fear would be that Google pulls the plug on the project, causing me to have to yet again alert people of a change in number.

Another downside right now is when making an outgoing call, your actual number (whether it be cell phone, work phone, etc.) is the one that comes up on caller ID, unless you go through the cumbersome process of calling a Google Voice number, and then calling the number you really want to call. So, now you have people calling you on one number and receiving calls from you from another number, unless you are diligent and always go through the extra step of calling Google first. I'm especially sensitive to this issue as a professional, because I don't want clients or coworkers being confused with what I described above. As a general rule, simpler is better.

With that being said, there are some interesting possibilities as part of the service. Just last week, there were some issues with me not being reachable via cell phone at my parents' house because AT&T has no service in their area. However, they do have high-speed Internet service there, and a WiFi network. Here's a possible workaround of being out of touch in that scenario, at least in theory:

1. Through Skype, get a number and a subscription, at a monthly cost.
2. Link my Google Voice number with the Skype number.
3. On my iPhone, download the Skype app.
4. Provide the Google Voice number I currently have to friends, family, clients and coworkers.

If I understand everything correctly, someone would try to call my Google Voice number. While I was out of cell phone coverage, I would configure Voice to go to voicemail automatically. I would receive an e-mail almost immediately that a message was left in my inbox. I could then use Skype on the iPhone to call the person back. Unfortunately, there is no way to have the Skype app alert me that a call is coming in, even if I did have Voice call it. This is due to the fact that Apple does not allow VoIP when not on WiFi, so 'push' notification is disabled in the service right now. Admittedly, it's not particularly elegant, but it would be better than nothing.

Another option I've considered is having my office phone forwarded to my Voice number if I'm busy or don't pick up after a certain number of rings. The person calling my office would then be able to leave a message in my Voice mailbox, which would generate an e-mail to my account that (a) a message was left and (b) a transcription of that message. In theory once again, I would be able to react to and return messages directed to my office phone at any time, since my e-mail is updated on my phone as long as I'm in 3G or Edge coverage, not just WiFi. Living in the greater Boston area, that coverage is not a big issue.

To be honest, I'm not sure why this whole idea fascinates me so much, but it does. The thought of having one number associated to me for the foreseeable future, and being able to give that number out to everyone is quite intriguing. Being able to selectively screen calls based on the number before they even ring a phone is also interesting. There's also the ability to choose what phone or service that a call into Voice is forwarded to, based on the time of day. If you so wanted, you could configure it such that all business calls are sent to voicemail immediately after 6pm, while all family calls are forwarded to your home phone at that time, since you're most likely to be there.

At the present time, I haven't implemented any of the ideas discussed here, because most of the thoughts I have revolve around business calls, and if something doesn't work and calls get dropped or missed, there are consequences to that. I have plans to temporarily forward my desk phone at work to Voice, and test out how well the voicemail service works. That would be a great way to stay in touch with clients and coworkers when away from the office.

Anyway, those are my thoughts for the time being. If anyone reading this has experience with Voice and is willing to share their thoughts, I'd love to hear them. Leave a comment and let me know what you think!

Better Late than Never

Day 15ish in my quest to win NaBloPoMo has me filing a late entry, due to traveling concerns.

It's way too late, or way too early, depending on how you decide to classify the time. Because the family and I packed up the minivan and traveled the 6 hours to my hometown, this entry technically is not filed the day it should be, but I hope for leniency in the judgement to keep my streak of a post a day alive. Technically I haven't gone to sleep yet, so it could count as a post for the 15th, even though the clock says otherwise. Anyway, I won't bore you with my internal arguments. Instead, I'll bore you with something else.

Having spent some time with the iPhone over the past few days, I really feel that it could be a tool used for good or for ill, when it comes to my productivity. For example, from a media sharing standpoint, I've already posted a couple of short videos via Twitvid, though they aren't anything to write home about. There's an app I downloaded, called Dragon Dictation, which I could see myself using to get some of the thoughts in my head onto the computer screen. I've also considered the use of the voice recording function to capture the ideas that float around in my head at times when they can't be written down, and conveniently are forgotten when I try to recall them later. It's small things like this that, if I integrate them correctly into my daily routine, really could provide tangible benefits down the road.

However, there's another edge to this sword. The games available on the platform can suck away my time and will to be productive faster than a jackrabbit on a date. Doodle Jump currently has its hooks in me, as well as Mass Effect Galaxy. Two distinctly different tastes, mechanics and experiences, but both provide amusement in bite-size chunks. Also loaded up and waiting for a test run are the lite versions of Poker Quest, Star Hogs, Words with Friends, and Mr. Aaaaaah! The next few days, spent in the relative peace of my parents' home, could prove to be a great place to give all of these a test drive.

My excitement over having the iPhone hasn't waned since acquiring it, instead it's gotten stronger. The possibilities for use seem endless right now, and I can only hope to figure out ways to integrate the potential benefits into my routine to augment or improve what I do now, not just for the sake of doing so. That's the big challenge facing me right now, and here's to hoping I get it right.

That's all for now, since my eyes aren't really focusing on the text anymore. Take care and see you later today!

Not My Finest Entry

The 12th installment of my quest to complete NaBloPoMo finds me with...well, not much to say.

Today wasn't a great day. The recipe of being up before 5am, on the road before 6, nearly 2 hours of driving to a 5 hour meeting that I didn't want to attend, followed by 2 more hours driving home comprised my work experience. Coming home, I wrassled with the little ones from 3 until around 7 and then spent some quality time with my beautiful (and sadly uncomfortable) infant while my wife got some needed time out of the house. It all adds up to a day with basically nothing interesting to talk about.

On the iPhone front, I spent time hand entering the contacts from the SIM card on my old phone that weren't saved in Outlook. There was also some time digging through the app store, and adding a few new free apps, and the $0.99 purchase of the game Flight Control. A simple yet fun 'line-drawing' game, should be exactly what I need to kill time at the doctor's office or when I have a free moment to spare. Ok, ok, I'm dancing around the fact that a fair amount of my free time involves me being in the restroom. Don't judge me, I'm a father of three. It's the only place I can achieve true peace. :)

Another big move was to sync my podcasts and music onto the iPhone, which allows me to reduce the number of electronic gadgets I need to carry and not lose (from the old iPod and cell phone, to just the iPhone now). It may seem silly to others, but there was a level of aggravation in having to stuff my pockets full of these electronics, knowing that there was a single piece of gadget goodness that would do everything that I wanted to do in one neat and shiny little package.

With all of this optimism, and I haven't even yet scratched the surface of all the stuff I can do with this thing, there is the nagging concern about battery life with the iPhone. I hear not-so-great things about needing to charge all the time, and this is from folks who don't even use it as an iPod, which I will be doing on a daily basis. Hopefully my experiences are better than theirs, but something tells me I'm going to need a lot of charge cables to make sure I have one wherever I go.

That's all for tonight, but I hope to be back here tomorrow with something not iPhone related. There's been no time lately to play any games on the PC, where they all wait sadly for me to return. That's the plan anyway, unless the my little heathens...err, angels have other plans tomorrow. :)

It. Has. Arrived.

NaBloPoMo day 11finds me almost forgetting to post. It's not exciting, but it's honest.

The title of this particularly pathetic and sad post says it all, really. Upon arriving home from work today, what did I find as I opened up the door to the entryway but a small package. To the naked, uninformed eye, this package would not elicit much awe, or even a second glance. For me, however, it is the culmination of at least two years of envious waiting, yearning, wishing...Yes, that's right, my new iPhone arrived!

For this reason, and for the fact that I have to be up incredibly early for a remote business meeting, today's post will be relatively short and uninformative. My hope is to find some time tomorrow evening to talk about my initial impressions and experiences with this latest embodiment of technological joy. Tonight was not a good night to explore the functionality, as the kids needed a lot of extra attention and I did my best to give my wife a break from the baby. Tomorrow is another day, hopefully one marked with childlike wonder and unbridled electronic glee. Until that point, it's off to sleep and travel to visit an ornery client that's never happy with the product we produce. See you all tomorrow!

Could Be a Rough Weekend

Day 8 of NaBloPoMo...Wow, have I really made it this far? I'm quite certain that there's never been a time in my existence that I've blogged for 8 consecutive days. Too bad it feels like I'm running out of things to say. This turns out to be a hodge-podge of unrelated topics that just jumped out of my head onto the screen.

After a rather uneventful but tiring day at work, which included multiple morning meetings followed by a trip to a job site that was over an hour each way, I arrived home to find my poor wife in the early throes of a cold. Normally this would be a simple inconvenience, but in a household with two adults and three young children, it becomes an emergency. The primary caregiver (let's face it, I'm borderline useless without her) could be out of commission soon, leaving me to hold down the fort. This is analogous to the Hans Brinker story, where the little Dutch boy plugged up the dyke with his finger, averting a catastrophe? Now imagine, in the Grant family, the little boy represents me, while the dyke is the relative balance and operation of our family unit, and hole to be plugged, representing the chaos that will ensue if Mom goes down with a cold, instead of being finger-sized is something large enough for a semi to pass through. Yea, it could get ugly...

On the upside, there's the chance that we'll bundle up this family of ours, throw them into the minivan, and troop them to my office sometime this weekend. It may seem strange to say that, or even be something to get excited about, but the twins have been there a few time and have an absolute ball there. There are so many new things to explore and look at, and what must seem to them to be endless hallways to run up and down. One area of our office hasn't been built out yet, and might as well be considered an arena for their antics. Here's to hoping we don't disturb any people there trying to do some real work.

The first of the final three episodes of Dollhouse just ended, and the only question I have is this: Why did they save writing and drama like this for the series as it ends? If only the writers had been able to pull together some story lines with the impact of the type we're seeing now, maybe the series wouldn't be ending. Hopefully my frustration comes through when talking about this, because the series had such potential, with a cast and characters that I cared about, and a premise that offered such promise. It's just too bad to see it end, but at least it's going out with a bang.

I'm somewhat ashamed to admit this, but it was difficult for me to sleep last night thinking about the fact that I would soon own an iPhone. It's been easy to downplay how much not having this shiny little technological bauble bothered me, when there was no real possibility of having one (due to financial reasons). Now that the dream is about to become a reality, I'm like the little boy waiting for Christmas day to finally arrive. The e-mail confirming my order and the shipment of the unit came this afternoon, indicating that the iPhone shipped from Texas today. With any luck, it should be here by Monday. You know what? Having been primarily around toddlers for the past couple of years, and seeing the unbridled and guilt-free joy they experience, I've vowed to try to grab onto feelings like that as much as I possibly can, because (as we all know) once you become an adult with real responsibilities, those feelings and moments can be hard to come by.

One last item of note, as least for me anyway. While packing up to leave the office and come home, my mind was humming away about how to approach the creation of standardized design documents, a task I've been wrestling with for a while. Just as I was walking out of the office, an epiphany hit me, one that I hope to follow up on. It has the potential to be just what we've needed for some time, and I'm ashamed that it hadn't come to me before this. The reason why I'm writing about it here is that it felt so good to come up with it, after agonizing over the same issues for so long, I just had to share it with someone else.

Well, there you have it, a veritable brain dump of the scary mess that floats around in my oversized dome. Feel free to leave a comment about anything you've read here, and hope to see you here again soon.

Joining the iPhone Masses

Day 7 of NaBloPoMo finds me excited about my soon-to-be received technological upgrade.

After what feels like waiting forever, I can finally say that I am the proud owner of an iPhone. Well, at least I can when it arrives in 3-5 days. After examining my options in the company cell phone policy, I felt it was time to opt out of the company's plan and try to have a personal phone reimbursed. This move will allow me more freedom in choosing my phone hardware, and protect my privacy better, since the company no longer will have records of my phone calls. Mind you, I have nothing to hide in that respect, but you can never be too careful these days with who has access to your personal information or records. I had also been told that by accepting a reimbursement to pay for personal cell phone use for work purposes (a flat amount every month, with no regard to how much you pay for minutes or data), the company financial burden is reduced. If this choice allows me the freedom to choose the tech I carry around, and it saves the company money in the process, both sides win.

There is the potential for me to incur overages if I happen to have a particularly busy month of business calls, but as my wife is adding me as a line to her existing plan, I should have access to her stash of almost 3700 unused rollover minutes (at least, I think that's what will happen). All in all, it feels like a good move.

And I get to have an iPhone! It's definitely an impulse buy, and it wasn't necessary, but I've had gadget envy for so long, the urge just couldn't be resisted any more. Before long, I'll be able to play in the world of iPhone apps that I could only read about or listen to people talk about. Here's to hoping it's all I think it will be, because there will be one disappointed tech nerd if it's not. If anyone out there has any recommendations of cool apps and/or games that they want to pass along, I'm all ears. It's a big ocean, and I haven't even dipped my toes in yet.

With that, I'm going to sign off for the evening, to go and let visions of iPhone games and apps dance in my head. Maybe it will get delivered early, maybe it will come over the weekend, so I'll have something to play with, maybe...I'll just have to wait until some time next week to play with my new toy. Sigh...