Tails
Tales from the tech sector and reflections on the use of technology in society.
-
Accelerated Reader: My Favorite Software as a Second Grader
This post is the beginning of a series of posts about my journey to becoming a software developer. I love hearing stories about how people got to where they are now, so I figure it’s only fair that I share my own.
-
We Are All Creative Now
The socio-economic status of creators has risen and fallen for all the millennia. Creators used to be rare because it took ages to learn the skills. Now anyone with a phone can access tools and resources to help many creative endeavors. This has led to a monstrous volume of content, making it near impossible to compete without paying heed to walled-garden rules.
-
Creating New From Old – Home Movie Magic
Creativity and filmography seems to run in the family. My refugee grandfather was an avid home movie enthusiast before anyone else we knew. His inspiration kicked off three generations of Creative Types, but his life's work sits hidden away in a film can. It is time for that to change - and time to teach MY grandkids producing home movies, right from the beginning.
-
New Tech Success Cycle
Business success depends on a hundred factors carefully managed with constant watch and handling, focused on all the balls in rotation. Paying attention to EVERYTHING ALL THE TIME will turn tears of pain to tears of happiness.
-
3D Animation: Juggling Perspectives & Connecting Dots
Seeing is one thing; doing is another. I have had my hands on 3D animation software from day 1.1, but I lacked the time and willpower to slog through slow computer processor rendering. While it was fun to behold, 3D technology has changed like quicksilver. This is the story of what flowed through my hands, and slowed through my mind.
-
El Logo Loco - Design at the Five & Dime
Logos have a long history of group, product and ideology representation. Modern logos symbolize the organizations and brands they represent, and act as an identifying trademark for entities of all types. What used to be an expensive and lengthy logo design process is now a DIY dream.
-
VHS Is Back (Confessions of a Former Tape Junkie)
Did you hear VHS is making a comeback? Poor picture quality did not matter back then - why would it now? Having dumped a personal fortune into the format, there is no pleasure in dumping unfortunate tapes in the garbage. Press Pause on this Rewind.
-
How Can a 10 Second Video Take All Day? Part 2
As video content gets shorter in step with modern attention spans, entertainment value needs to go up. How do you figure out the creative parts and pieces in short order? Fortunately, thousands of media assets are available online, shaving eons off production time.
-
How Can a 10 Second Video Take All Day?
In the age of Tik-Tok and flavor-of-the-month mob apps that instantly share minute insights to the world, a more complex video will take more time to produce. Here is a creative project review of our own making.
-
Five Positive Interactions for Every Negative One
One piece of leadership advice that has stuck with me is the idea that for every negative interaction you have with someone, you need to have 5 positive ones to offset every 1 negative
-
Car Trek Technology - Joy Ride of the Century
The world as we know it was made small by automobiles, and made bigger by the car radio. While it took many basic inventions and technologies (metals, wheels, lubricants, etc.) to build the first car, technology now pervades through all parts of the automotive food chain. The pace of change was not always so fast, so enjoy this slow walk through mobile dashboard technology.
-
Old Movies Are Garbage (In the End)
For over 100 years, film presented the world before our eyes in ever increasing volume and scale. Adding up to BILLIONS of feet of product, no movie patron gave too much thought about where all the movie reels go when they leave the theater.
-
Reflections after a year of publishing on Medium
-
Reflecting on the Future - A Mirror Sample of Thinks to Come
Mine and mind the media of the past to posit a picture of the future - in small measured samples. We will think quietly and calmly before expressing thoughts and opinions resulting from forward reflection; and aim to throw back light or sound on bygone eras with words and images.
-
Taking Flight Without a Smart Phone
Reflections after one month with a feature phone
-
I Can No Longer Compile My First Flash Game
A tale about game development and techonlogy obsolescence
-
My Experience With the University of British Columbia (UBC) Co-op Program
A reflection on my experience through all stages of the co-op process from student to employer
-
Hey Siri, We're Breaking Up
Motivations behind switching from a smart phone to a feature phone
-
Every Workday Should be a Hackathon
Getting stuff done and having fun don't have to be mutually exclusive
-
3 Lines of Code Shouldn't Take All Day
Reflections on my time at Electronic Arts and techniques used to improve iteration times in video game development
-
Breadth-First Search a Walk in the Park
Today I went for a walk, and I'd like to take you along for a ride