I've been enjoying my new Keurig Platinum coffee maker. I've worked my way through most of the included sample pack of K-cups and found a couple favorites. Gloria Jean's Butter Toffee with a splash of Coffeemate Italian Sweet Creme (not too much or it becomes overly sweet) and Coffee House Chocolate Glazed Donut top my list. The rest of the family appears to be addicted to Chai Latte.
Today I decided to try the My K-Cup accessory that provides a filter basket to brew your own ground coffee. I used Starbucks tribute blend, ground coarsely for French press. I found the resulting brew to be drinkable, but not stellar. Having used this brew in both a drip system and my french press previously, I found it to be about halfway between the two. It seemed a bit watery with only a light aroma. This contrasts with K-cups that fill the kitchen with delightful coffee aroma, the wafting of which draws the rest of the family and results in rapid consumption of K-cups. On the plus side, there were no grounds in the cup as is often the case with French press.
My take on this is that the My K-cup accessory can produce a reasonable brew with your own beans in a pinch. It's certainly better than a drip coffee maker and the single cup portion is handy. However, if you're a serious coffee lover with a French press, I recommend using that for your beans. As for me, I have found some great K-cup varieties that surpass what I'm getting from my French press and will use the Keurig for most of my coffee. I'll pull out the french press when I want something not available in K-cups.
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Google+
Here is why I'm excited about Google+:
You've really got something killer here, Google. You're addressing a pain that Facebook should have solved by now! Ramp it up and take 'em on.
Google believes that with Circles it has solved the tough sharing problem that Facebook has inexplicably failed to crack. “With Facebook I have 500 friends — my mom’s my friend, my boss is my friend,” says Shimrit Ben-Yair, the product manager in charge of the social graph. “So when I share on Facebook, I overshare. On Twitter, I undershare, because it’s public. If Google hits that spot in the middle, we can revolutionize social interaction.”
http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2011/06/inside-google-plus-social/all/1My concern is that they're opening it up in a limited fashion. The interwebs are all a-twitter (pun intended) with news of Project Emerald Sea (Google+). That buzz will be wasted if the service isn't widely available to leverage network effect. A gradual roll-out ala Orkut or Google Wave will kill it.
You've really got something killer here, Google. You're addressing a pain that Facebook should have solved by now! Ramp it up and take 'em on.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Denver Auto Show
I attended the Denver Auto Show yesterday. Apart from the "ooh, shiny new cars" reaction I generally have to the auto show, I have some observations.
I noticed that several auto makers were featuring hybrid options. I generally found that these hybrids differed little from their gas-only counterparts. There seems to be an overall trend of making hybrid technology just another drivetrain option rather than a unique model. So more like Ford's hybrid strategy (it is difficult to distinguish a Hybrid Escape from it's gas-only counterpart) rather than Toyota's Prius strategy (which I personally favor, but probably doesn't accomplish the goal of driving mass market adoption of electric tech). Notable exceptions were the Nissan Leaf and Chevy Volt.
It was interesting to note that Nissan had the Leaf out on the floor, available for everyone to sit in and explore. Nissan reps were friendly and knowledgeable. They invited questions. By contrast, the Chevy Volt was closed and on a rotating pedestal. Nobody was taking questions. It felt like they were saying "See, we actually made it. It's here. Now shut up." Alas, GM, you need to do more than make an electric car. You need to fundamentally transform your culture and how you approach the car business. You need to reinvent yourself, not just roll out a new model with a new power train under the same old business model. Go visit Nissan and Scion for some ideas.
I was surprised to find that Ferrari of Denver had a couple of their cars open. It was a bit thrilling to nestle into a Ferrari California and a Lotus Evora.
Jeep had a fun event going. They setup a trail course at the back of the show with obstacles that showed off articulation, ground clearance, suspension, and hill climb/descent. Particularly fun was the 18 foot hill with a 36 degree incline & decline. We took it with the Grand Cherokee Overland, which features variable ride height (a feature I have drooled over on the Range Rover) and hill descent mode. It was amazingly civilized, yet clearly had some great trail capabilities. Based on my Wrangler experience last year, I'm still not buying one. Our rep did note that they have a new Pentastar 3.8L V6 engine. Gee, why would they change that out? I believe Chrysler is another auto maker that needs a business and culture reset.
Most beautiful car at the show had to be the Aston Martin Rapide. The Lamborghinis in the booth next door were green with envy.
I sat in the Fiat 500. It gave felt like an Italian espresso machine (or perhaps a cheap knockoff of one, since the surfaces I expected to be metal were all plastic). I emerged from this tiny plastic-laden runabout exclaiming "Can I get a cappuccino here?!?" It felt really cheap and flimsy. I don't think this has a chance in the American market. Super compact buyers will more likely turn to the Mini Cooper or Scion's new offering. Smart was noticeably absent from the show. Or perhaps they'll go just a tad bigger and pick up the Honda Fit (my personal favorite), the newly-designed Ford Fiesta (which looked quite funky) or the Lexus CT hybrid (which I totally loved ... it felt like a luxury fit and had hybrid synergy drive to appeal to my green side. Unfortunately, it's $31k price tag struck me as unreasonable for this category when compared to a $17-19k Honda Fit sport).
Luxury car makers Infiniti, Audi, BMW and Mercedes appeared to have their standard offerings for the most part. I was really hoping to see the Range Rover Evoq, but it was missing from the show. The Range Rover Sport tickled my fancy, though.
Cadillac has some aggressive-looking designs and is very focused on performance. However, their interiors continue to disappoint. I think they've become too focused on performance in their desire to be the first choice for midlife crisis purchases and have forgotten their luxury car heritage.
Overall, I found the show to be enjoyable. There was certainly less flash and less schwag than I've seen in prior years, suggesting a much leaner industry. There was plenty of evolution, not much revolution (Nissan Leaf and Chevy Volt notwithstanding).
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
I noticed that several auto makers were featuring hybrid options. I generally found that these hybrids differed little from their gas-only counterparts. There seems to be an overall trend of making hybrid technology just another drivetrain option rather than a unique model. So more like Ford's hybrid strategy (it is difficult to distinguish a Hybrid Escape from it's gas-only counterpart) rather than Toyota's Prius strategy (which I personally favor, but probably doesn't accomplish the goal of driving mass market adoption of electric tech). Notable exceptions were the Nissan Leaf and Chevy Volt.
It was interesting to note that Nissan had the Leaf out on the floor, available for everyone to sit in and explore. Nissan reps were friendly and knowledgeable. They invited questions. By contrast, the Chevy Volt was closed and on a rotating pedestal. Nobody was taking questions. It felt like they were saying "See, we actually made it. It's here. Now shut up." Alas, GM, you need to do more than make an electric car. You need to fundamentally transform your culture and how you approach the car business. You need to reinvent yourself, not just roll out a new model with a new power train under the same old business model. Go visit Nissan and Scion for some ideas.
I was surprised to find that Ferrari of Denver had a couple of their cars open. It was a bit thrilling to nestle into a Ferrari California and a Lotus Evora.
Jeep had a fun event going. They setup a trail course at the back of the show with obstacles that showed off articulation, ground clearance, suspension, and hill climb/descent. Particularly fun was the 18 foot hill with a 36 degree incline & decline. We took it with the Grand Cherokee Overland, which features variable ride height (a feature I have drooled over on the Range Rover) and hill descent mode. It was amazingly civilized, yet clearly had some great trail capabilities. Based on my Wrangler experience last year, I'm still not buying one. Our rep did note that they have a new Pentastar 3.8L V6 engine. Gee, why would they change that out? I believe Chrysler is another auto maker that needs a business and culture reset.
Most beautiful car at the show had to be the Aston Martin Rapide. The Lamborghinis in the booth next door were green with envy.
I sat in the Fiat 500. It gave felt like an Italian espresso machine (or perhaps a cheap knockoff of one, since the surfaces I expected to be metal were all plastic). I emerged from this tiny plastic-laden runabout exclaiming "Can I get a cappuccino here?!?" It felt really cheap and flimsy. I don't think this has a chance in the American market. Super compact buyers will more likely turn to the Mini Cooper or Scion's new offering. Smart was noticeably absent from the show. Or perhaps they'll go just a tad bigger and pick up the Honda Fit (my personal favorite), the newly-designed Ford Fiesta (which looked quite funky) or the Lexus CT hybrid (which I totally loved ... it felt like a luxury fit and had hybrid synergy drive to appeal to my green side. Unfortunately, it's $31k price tag struck me as unreasonable for this category when compared to a $17-19k Honda Fit sport).
Luxury car makers Infiniti, Audi, BMW and Mercedes appeared to have their standard offerings for the most part. I was really hoping to see the Range Rover Evoq, but it was missing from the show. The Range Rover Sport tickled my fancy, though.
Cadillac has some aggressive-looking designs and is very focused on performance. However, their interiors continue to disappoint. I think they've become too focused on performance in their desire to be the first choice for midlife crisis purchases and have forgotten their luxury car heritage.
Overall, I found the show to be enjoyable. There was certainly less flash and less schwag than I've seen in prior years, suggesting a much leaner industry. There was plenty of evolution, not much revolution (Nissan Leaf and Chevy Volt notwithstanding).
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Apple and the Enterprise
I just stumbled across a podcast from Apple that features customer stories about how they are using iPhone and iPad in the Enterprise. It is clear that iOS devices are being recognized as more than consumer gadgets. I believe this is the tip of the spear in the "consumerization" of the Enterprise. While the companies in this podcast have embraced the iOS mobile platform, many others (like my employer) have attempted to resist. But these technologies are too pervasive, and their presence in corporate environments, even those where it is unsanctioned, is unmistakable. It would be far better for corporate IT to embrace emerging mobile platforms and drive responsible use than to ignore them. On the other side of the coin, it would behoove Apple to listen to their enterprise customers and build in the necessary safeguards to make their platform palatable for corporate security. Personally, I'm hoping we will soon see the ability to divide corporate data from personal data within the device. If Apple is the first to bring that to market, it may slingshot them ahead of Android for business use.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Chrome OS: The Network Computer
I have been seeing a number of stories about Google's Chrome OS release and their push to Netbooks. Most noteworthy was Om Malik's thoughtful article. http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/OmMalik/~3/BHOm3IV9Kns/
I have mixed feelings on the concept of the network computer. Several years ago, when Larry Ellison was tilting at this windmill, I didn't think it was feasible because Internet connectivity was nearly ubiquitous enough to make full-time cloud-based computing feasible for mobile users. There were certainly good use cases, like branch offices, with full-time connectivity that worked for the concept.
Now, with easy-to-find Wifi combined with 3G services, I think the idea of cloud-based computing with a Network computer (a cloud book?) is reasonable. Will I run out and buy a Chrome Netbook for myself? No, I really enjoy my iPad. Would I consider one for my kids? Absolutely.
I think Chrome OS netbooks could finally provide some good competition for the iPad. I am hoping to see Apple fire back with robust MobileMe services early next year. When vendors compete, consumers often win.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
I have mixed feelings on the concept of the network computer. Several years ago, when Larry Ellison was tilting at this windmill, I didn't think it was feasible because Internet connectivity was nearly ubiquitous enough to make full-time cloud-based computing feasible for mobile users. There were certainly good use cases, like branch offices, with full-time connectivity that worked for the concept.
Now, with easy-to-find Wifi combined with 3G services, I think the idea of cloud-based computing with a Network computer (a cloud book?) is reasonable. Will I run out and buy a Chrome Netbook for myself? No, I really enjoy my iPad. Would I consider one for my kids? Absolutely.
I think Chrome OS netbooks could finally provide some good competition for the iPad. I am hoping to see Apple fire back with robust MobileMe services early next year. When vendors compete, consumers often win.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Friday, November 26, 2010
Travel experience - Thanksgiving 2010
I flew out of Denver on Thanksgiving - the day AFTER the busiest travel day of the year. The volume at the airport was about the lightest I have seen for DIA. As we approached the security lines, I noticed 4 lanes were open. Three of them had the new Level3 scanners, but the one to the far right (on the North security checkpoint for you DIA flyers) only had the traditional metal detector.
My wife and kids and ran through the normal security drill. We took off belts and shoes, double-checked that pockets were empty and placed our belongings in bins. I pulled out my wife's netbook, but happily left our iPads in the bags (I still don't quite understand distinction between the two for screening). The five of us walked through the metal detector without incident and then began to gather our belongings and put ourselves back together. A minor inconvenience at most. Entirely acceptable.
As we were waiting for the kids, I glanced over to the other lines to see if the Level3 machines were being used. Most passengers seemed to be going through the old metal detectors, with the Level3 machines being used very sparsely for secondary screening. I did not see anyone getting "the pat down".
I'm not sure whether the media over-hyped the security checkpoint issues or the TSA dialed things back significantly. I suspect it was the latter. If they have, indeed, dialed it back, I wonder whether how temporary that is.
In any case, although I was geared up for some minor civil disobedience (having my junk groped in defense if liberty), security screening turned out to be a complete non-event.
Another quick travel note - getting a nice steak and glass of wine out on Thanksgiving is actually quite challenging. Settling for a burger and an inexpensive Australian Cabernet while enjoying the excited chatter of a couple dozen cheerleaders and their parents was just as good!
My wife and kids and ran through the normal security drill. We took off belts and shoes, double-checked that pockets were empty and placed our belongings in bins. I pulled out my wife's netbook, but happily left our iPads in the bags (I still don't quite understand distinction between the two for screening). The five of us walked through the metal detector without incident and then began to gather our belongings and put ourselves back together. A minor inconvenience at most. Entirely acceptable.
As we were waiting for the kids, I glanced over to the other lines to see if the Level3 machines were being used. Most passengers seemed to be going through the old metal detectors, with the Level3 machines being used very sparsely for secondary screening. I did not see anyone getting "the pat down".
I'm not sure whether the media over-hyped the security checkpoint issues or the TSA dialed things back significantly. I suspect it was the latter. If they have, indeed, dialed it back, I wonder whether how temporary that is.
In any case, although I was geared up for some minor civil disobedience (having my junk groped in defense if liberty), security screening turned out to be a complete non-event.
Another quick travel note - getting a nice steak and glass of wine out on Thanksgiving is actually quite challenging. Settling for a burger and an inexpensive Australian Cabernet while enjoying the excited chatter of a couple dozen cheerleaders and their parents was just as good!
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Geek-to-fit: Day 3
Weigh-in: 229.5
Right-o! 4 lbs lost in 3 days. A very strong start.
Made egg whites with fresh tomatoes for breakfast. This healthier eating thing doesn't suck.
Busy day out and about. Still managed to get in some walking. Not running due to the ankle injury. Probably overdoing even with this, but I can't just sit around!
Big food challenge at lunch. Bonnie asked me to pick up Carl's Jr for the family since we were on-the-go with cheer activities. I managed to resist a big, heavy burger and discovered a great Apple Walnut Grilled Chicken Salad on their menu. Under 500 calories with dressing and candied walnuts. Still less than even a McD double cheeseburger (which weighs in at 550). Feeling good about being more mindful of what I put in my body.
Tried out Cardio Boxing class on "Your Shape: Fitness Evolved" on the Xbox 360 with Kinect. That class was a total blast. I took several short classes and was pleasantly surprised to see that the game estimated almost 400 calories burned. I was already under my calorie count, so I decided to indulge in a piece of the Key Lime pie we had in the fridge from Village Inn. Ya know, key lime pie never tasted so good!
Hoping many more days flow this well for diet and exercise.
Right-o! 4 lbs lost in 3 days. A very strong start.
Made egg whites with fresh tomatoes for breakfast. This healthier eating thing doesn't suck.
Busy day out and about. Still managed to get in some walking. Not running due to the ankle injury. Probably overdoing even with this, but I can't just sit around!
Big food challenge at lunch. Bonnie asked me to pick up Carl's Jr for the family since we were on-the-go with cheer activities. I managed to resist a big, heavy burger and discovered a great Apple Walnut Grilled Chicken Salad on their menu. Under 500 calories with dressing and candied walnuts. Still less than even a McD double cheeseburger (which weighs in at 550). Feeling good about being more mindful of what I put in my body.
Tried out Cardio Boxing class on "Your Shape: Fitness Evolved" on the Xbox 360 with Kinect. That class was a total blast. I took several short classes and was pleasantly surprised to see that the game estimated almost 400 calories burned. I was already under my calorie count, so I decided to indulge in a piece of the Key Lime pie we had in the fridge from Village Inn. Ya know, key lime pie never tasted so good!
Hoping many more days flow this well for diet and exercise.
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