June 2011

Cloud Computing in Cars? Extending Powerful Compute Cycles to your Phone via the Cloud? Intel Knows How!

by Michael Sheehan on June 28, 2011

in Auto, Cellular, Consumer Electronics, Ford, General, Hardware, Intel, Mobile, Opinion, Tech News, Video

Post image for Cloud Computing in Cars? Extending Powerful Compute Cycles to your Phone via the Cloud? Intel Knows How!

I’m always “in the cloud” with my day job as Technology Evangelist for GoGrid, and all of the rest of the time, I’m working on the HighTechDad side of my life (parenting and technology). Yeah, I sleep once and a while as well. Sometimes, both of these jobs intermingle and that intersection is cloud computing. I first started talking about the cloud over 3.5 years ago as I helped launch GoGrid’s Cloud Infrastructure service; now, working for one of the global leaders in cloud technology, I’m seeing how clouds are moving beyond simply infrastructure and into our daily lives. We all use it regularly without realizing it, but most of the time, it is when we are tied to a computer or sometimes a mobile device. The future is bringing much more cloud-enablement of other commonplace items, the most obvious being cloud-connected automobiles and cloud-enhanced mobile devices.

IVI_Shot 6_LR

At my work at GoGrid, we have done quite a bit leveraging Intel technology within our cloud infrastructure. A majority of our compute nodes are utilizing Intel chipsets (Nehalem and Westmere) to provide optimized performance, energy efficiency and improved productivity. And our relationship continues to grow, which is particularly nice for me because, personally, I’m also part of the Intel Advisors program. As part of the program and our monthly Advisors’ call, we are introduced to a variety of technology coming from different areas within Intel. In our June 2011 call, Manny Vara, Chief Evangelist for Intel’s R&D Labs, presented a variety of innovations coming from Intel Labs. Honestly, Intel Labs is such an exciting business unit in itself, I was completely captivated by the content of the call, specially around two topics: Cloud Computing within Automobiles and Mobile Devices.

Cloud-Enabled Automobiles

I have written some articles on “car tech” within a few Ford and Lincoln automobiles and am hoping to expand to include other manufacturers in the future. Apart from being at work and home, we spend a huge amount of time in our cars, either via a commute or just moving to and from various locations. Our autos are extensions of ourselves, making our bubble of presence much larger and enabling us to physically travel, pretty much without restrictions, to many locations.

[click to continue…]

{ 0 comments }

My Kids & I Have Fun with the “Cool” Features of the Lincoln MKT

by Michael Sheehan on June 27, 2011

in Auto, Consumer Electronics, Family, General, Hardware, Review, Video

Post image for My Kids & I Have Fun with the “Cool” Features of the Lincoln MKT

Over the Father’s Day weekend, my kids and I had some fun with the 2011 Lincoln MKT AWD crossover. In the past, with other autos like the Ford Flex and the Lincoln MKX, I approached my articles about these vehicles with more of a “reviewer’s perspective.” This time, I just thought that I would let me kids “drive”…well, not the car itself, but the review. An important thing about any type of product is making sure that it appeals to many audiences. When I approach product reviews on HighTechDad.com, I look at the product from the perspective of integrating it into a family environment. This can be from products as small as a gadget, but can go even as far as something much larger and more costly like a $58,000 automobile like the Lincoln MKT.

DSC01657

So, over Father’s Day weekend, I drove my 2 younger daughters around to various place, after instructing them that THEY would be the ones choosing the best features to talk about in their mind. There are plenty of great features built into this auto, but I will leave it up to the “professional” car reviewers. I wanted my 7 and 9 year olds to give me what they thought were the “cool” things of the car. When you buy a car, how often do you ask your children what they think about it. Sometimes you can get some interesting perspectives as to why they do or do not like it, and they may bring up things that you never thought about, a completely different perspective.

DSC01658

The Lincoln MKT that we tested had all sorts of nifty features but the ones that my kids liked the best were: [click to continue…]

{ 0 comments }

How To Use Chrome Instant Search to Test Twitter Status Updates & Use Reserved Characters via Web Intents

by Michael Sheehan on June 24, 2011

in Fix It, General, How To, HTD Tech Tip, Social Media, Social Networking, Twitter

Post image for How To Use Chrome Instant Search to Test Twitter Status Updates & Use Reserved Characters via Web Intents

Back in May, I wrote a post on “How to Pre-Populate Twitter Status Update the NEW Way via Links & Web Intents“. Essentially, Twitter updated the method for creating a link to “tweet” using their new Web Intents platform. Many developers (e.g., of WordPress plugins) and other designers are updating their code to support this new (and better) way of creating a link that tweets out some content.

In my post, I only provided a few ways on how to do this, but recently I got a question from someone who was using the new method but having issues using the ampersand (“&”) in their content. When they were putting it in (even using the HTML code of “&” or just alone as an &), the tweet was cutting off right at the “&”.

I found the solution and in the process, discovered a really cool way to test it all out using Google Chrome.

So, first how to craft a properly formed Web Intents tweet, then the Chrome trick used to test it out.

Using Reserved Characters in your Tweets

[click to continue…]

{ 2 comments }

He May Be Someone Else to You, But To Me, He’s Just My Dad

by Michael Sheehan on June 16, 2011

in Family, General, Opinion, Parenting, Video

Post image for He May Be Someone Else to You, But To Me, He’s Just My Dad

With Father’s Day just around the corner, we are all hopefully thinking about our dads. Dads have it tough, you know, compared to moms. We don’t have a clue about parenting, or so we are told regularly by our wives. And we don’t have that bond with our kids the way that mom’s do (“YOU didn’t give birth to these kids”). But we do have a special part in the family dynamics but that obviously varies family by family.

Scan-100215-0002

Dads come in all models with a variety of features. There are dads who are “checked out” or work all of the time and don’t spend much time with their kids. There are stay-at-home dads who watch the fort and the captives therein while the mom is out bringing home the bacon. There are hyper-engaged dads who do everything, work and take care of the kids, and make the rest of us look bad. There are jock dads who do a lot of sports with and without their kids. And, of course, there are HighTechDads where technology is considered to be “the other woman” (or at least that is what my wife says). Remember, technology is not a substitute for parenting. It is merely a tool that can occasionally make things easier or provide other experiences.

My dad is an “education dad.” He’s a professor of European History with a specialty in German History at Stanford University. He has taught all around the world including Northwestern, Princeton, and Oxford. He was the president of the American Historical Association and is a recipient of the Pour Le  Merite order, which is a civil version of an order bestowed to the arts and sciences by the German government (there are only 20 German and 20 foreign recipients of this order at any given time and only when a recipient passes away does the order get given to someone else). He even has a Wikipedia entry which I think could use a bit more content.

200px-Orden_Pour_le_Merite_Vredesklasse

[click to continue…]

{ 2 comments }

Review of the Perfectly Named Scott E Vest “Expedition” Jacket – An Expedition of 37 Pockets!

June 14, 2011
Thumbnail image for Review of the Perfectly Named Scott E Vest “Expedition” Jacket – An Expedition of 37 Pockets!

37 pockets, that’s what the “Expedition” jacket by Scott E Vest (“SeV” for short) has. I almost think that there are more but it could be the hidden conduits and other innovative design elements that were inflating my count. I have sort of a jacket addiction, always looking for that one that will be the [...]

Read the full article →

Teenage Humor & a Father’s Day Contest – “Weiner, Junk & Tools” – Cast of Dads Podcast #42

June 13, 2011
Thumbnail image for Teenage Humor & a Father’s Day Contest – “Weiner, Junk & Tools” – Cast of Dads Podcast #42

It’s alive! Yes, that’s right, after a bit of a hiatus, the Cast of Dads are back with another action-packed…er…humor packed…uh…informative podcast appropriately titled “Weiner, Junk & Tools“. Being a dad is a busy enough “project” in itself, but then coupling our other “jobs” into the mix and finding time to get the 5 dads [...]

Read the full article →

How To Get the UDID/UUID of your iOS Device – Even In A Panic

June 9, 2011
Thumbnail image for How To Get the UDID/UUID of your iOS Device – Even In A Panic

Most iOS developers know that in order to “activate” your iOS device (e.g., iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch) to use the latest beta of iOS 5, you need to have your UDID/UUID officially registered with Apple in their Development center. I learned this the hard way as I had not recorded it and had installed the [...]

Read the full article →

NUU MiniKey Gives your iPhone 4 a Physical Keyboard

June 9, 2011
Thumbnail image for NUU MiniKey Gives your iPhone 4 a Physical Keyboard

Now why would anyone want a physical keyboard for their iPhone? The on-screen keyboard is so easy to use and it’s there when you need it and not when you don’t. Well, my wife, for one, misses the physical keyboard of her Blackberry. There is now a solution for those people who are craving a [...]

Read the full article →

← Previous Entries