TechTalks at Google

Google has very kindly posted their TechTalks on GoogleVideo. These are presentations by Googlers or guests on a wide range of subjects. I've just watched the Second Life video which I found fascinating.

PowerReviews on CNN/Fortune

The startup I'm working for (powerreviews.com) got a mention on cnn/fortune. Yeah!

For me, I make most of my buying decisions based on reviews. I want real testimony from people explaining how they use the product, what was good and what was bad. I then aggregate, take them with a pinch of salt and make an informed decision.

The article explains that our competitor charges as much as $8000 per month for the service. People have said our software is better and FREE. Yes... FREE! I guess they are after a different size of fish.

Secret pics at Google?

Digg reports these as 'spy photos'. I don't think so.

Oscar Night

Although I'm not a big fan of the Oscars, both Rachael and myself made the effort to dress up and went to see it at the Castro theater. She was Willy Wonka and I was an Oompa-Loompa. We actually WON(!) the costume contest and got a mention in the State Uni paper.

Pictures are here, here and here.

What more Google food facts?

Another article about food at google!

Life inside google

A pictorial view at google.

I guess with a $1.5M revenue per employee you can afford to be that lavish.

Out of Stealth

Well the startup that I've joined has come out the stealth-mode and announced whats its all about.

We want to be the source for product reviews. Its free and super easy for merchants to add product reviews to their sites without needing the big budgets of say amazon.

Please take a look.

It doesn't offend me

Not sure why I find this interesting, but someone has put up pictures of what the've eaten at google. Looks yummy.
Interesting article about praise at google.

The Google Praise Scale:

• Unequaled Brilliance
• It’s kind of interesting
• It seems sensible / reasonable
• It will do until we can fix it
• It doesn’t offend me
• It’s not worth talking about
• It’s a waste of time
• Unacceptable Dreck

I generally don't get too excited about things (maybe its a British thing) and if asked for feedback will often say "Not bad". For people that don't really know me, this could be construed as a negative statement, but its really a compliment!.

I think in future, I may adopt the term used in the above article.. "It doesn't offend me" :P

Desktop Manager

Very cool opengl linux desktop manager (with video) called Compiz. Although I'm a fan of the cool effects on MacosX, I think this may get a little annoying after a while.

Using Map sites

Raible describes how to use the various maps on the web in your application.

Narnia Rap

A Saturday Night Live scketch.. from the East Coast comes SNL-Narnia-Rap. Here are the lyrics.

In response from the West Coast: narniarapbattle.


Since moving from the East Coast to the West Coast, I think I can relate to both. Funny :)

New Chapter

I've given my previous corporate environment to something that I believe will be fullfilling. Yesterday was my first day at a stealth startup called PowerReviews.

Paul Graham talks about How To Do What You Love.

MySQL slave replication

I don't have a need at the mo, but just in case I need it in the future. How To Set Up Database Replication In MySQL

Intel inside

I thought this was amusing.

From techdirt: "On the very day the company officially announced its first Intel-based product, Apple's stock price closed at $80.86."

Don't understand? 8086 was one of the first intel chips in PC's. :-)

Also looks like Windows-XP won't be running on the terribly named MacBook.

Real Job

Robert C May writes why he "Quit Entrepreneurship and Got a Real Job".

Also how "Entrepreneurship Can Ruin Your Life" . A story about a couple's decision to open a nice coffee shop in NYC didn't quite turn out.

satuGO

Interesting new device called satuGo. Combine a bouncy ball with a camera and you have the potential of some very interesting pictures.

Macworld next week.

My significant other is a real corker. She bought me the best gift ever! :)

I'm not sure if your aware, but its Macworld next week.

I get deliriously (some call it ridiculously) fanatical of all things Apple and read every site that provides real-time updates of Steve Jobs keynote.

So what does she go and do? She gets me (among other things) Macworld tickets for the User Conference; which involves the Steve Jobs Keynote!

Woo-Hoo!! :)

Plains, Trains and Buses.

I've recently returned from my xmas trip to all families concerned and I'm exhausted.

This meant flying on xmas eve from San Francisco to Coventry (via London) UK to spend a few days there.

On arriving in the UK and finding out my brother's car had broken down trying to pick us up from the airport, ventured to use public transport to get home. Getting a car on xmas eve is crazy, so we put on best foot forward.

The whole journey to get from Heathrow to Coventry took 5 hours! It involved 2 trains, 2 tubes (London underground) and a bus that made all local stops. :( Distance was around 120 miles.

Although we don't have Thanksgiving in the UK, it reminded us both of the very funny movie: Planes, Trains & Automobiles.

Anyway after a few days we headed back to the US. We stopped off in Pennsylvania for a few days to say hello to the in-laws. Most of this occurred using connecting flights, which was a pain.

I vowed not to use connecting flights in the future (we'll see). It just wastes huge sums of time and means the plane landing more often (which I am not fond off).

Then finally back to Bay Area to nice 55F weather.. arrrhh..

It's good to be back.

How to start a business

ParticleTree talks about the process of how to start a business.

Article about Fourty Media

James Archer CEO of Fourty Media discusses 7 lessions learnt from the first year of a startup.