CircleCount helps you better understand Google+

2013-06-17 18:17:28 (5 comments, 2 reshares, 15 +1s)

Join us on June 17 at noon PDT (7:00pm UTC) for a Hangout on Air with Google's technical support team, gTech. They’ll discuss the way that they touch all Google products and support both the technical and sales sides of the business. To watch the Hangout, just look for the post at www.google.com/+LifeatGoogle on June 17. We hope to see you then!

If you have questions for the panel, please add them to our Moderator page: http://goo.gl/fohEZ

Learn more about our gTech opportunities, please visit: http://goo.gl/Yh7rf

2013-06-11 13:10:41 (33 comments, 0 reshares, 13 +1s)

Tebow All the Time

Why the heck is the signing of a third string QB dominating Sports Center?  What do you think Belichick is up to?

2013-06-11 03:39:53 (15 comments, 20 reshares, 67 +1s)

Best Tutorial Ever

Microsoft.  Seriously.  WTF?

Sony PS4 for the win.  

Official PlayStation Used Game Instructional Video

2013-06-11 03:15:59 (39 comments, 1 reshares, 39 +1s)

Take That Microsoft

Microsoft better hope that they line up a lot of exclusives that people can't live without.  With one slide, Sony just laid down the gauntlet.  No used game restrictions.  No online requirement.  

With this, even though I was leaning toward getting an xBox One this time around (I'm a PS3 owner now), I am now leaning right back to the PS4. 

Update: Also coming in $100 cheaper than the xBox.  

Does this news change what you will do?

http://www.polygon.com/2013/6/10/4417158/playstation-4-used-games

2013-06-10 23:39:41 (19 comments, 0 reshares, 15 +1s)

Looks How I Feel

How appropriate is it that NYC looks how I feel right now?  Flew in last night and pretty sure I'm coming down with a cold.  Normally wouldn't go to work like this but just have too much to do over the next few days.  

What do you do when you are sick and have to travel?  How about sick and have to go to work?

2013-06-08 18:17:30 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 7 +1s)

LittleBigFund.org is live! Make a big impact to little charities
Check it out and donate now here: http://bit.ly/ZqJerh

The time has finally come! LittleBigFund.org is live and open for business! We're featuring three amazing #LGBT  organizations this month on a site that I know you'll love. Go read their stories, donate to create a big fund together, and then vote on which organization you think is most deserving of the fund. The one with the most votes receives the fund and you make a huge impact with only a few bucks. Crowdfunding and storytelling mix to enable charitable passions.

We've vetted these nonprofits, worked with them directly to tell their story, and will return a story back to you, our donors, with how the organization who received the fund used it. Your reward is knowing that you made a difference, not a tote bag. We facilitate the process.I... more »

2013-06-08 15:45:13 (10 comments, 1 reshares, 12 +1s)

If You Don't Know His Name You Will

Yasiel Puig.   He was called up from the Minor Leagues a little over a week ago and has been on a tear.  He was equally hot during Spring Training but the normal calls of It's only Spring Training were strong. 

But now, with 5 games under his belt, his spring training isn't looking like too much of a fluke.  It's still way too early to call but having 4 HRs and batting .421 with a 1.105 slugging is a pretty good way to start.  

He is a complete 5 tool player (search for his game ending DP against the Padres) and keeps getting comparisons to Bo Jackson.  As a huge Bo Jackson fans its obviously premature but it's also kind of exciting. 

Have you heard of Yasiel Puig?  What do you think of him?  Where do you think he will end up among the great young players like Harper and Trout?

2013-06-07 14:26:18 (9 comments, 1 reshares, 14 +1s)

I'm Going to Work When?

I thought I worked at a tech company. I should never see this time on my clock on my way to work.

2013-06-07 01:07:33 (23 comments, 0 reshares, 15 +1s)

Best of A Bad Choice

Can't believe I'm saying this but I'm actually rooting for the Spurs in the NBA finals.  As a Laker fan, really don't like the Spurs but can't bring myself to root for the Miami Heat.   Man, i hate it when you only have the choice between two awful things.  

Who are you rooting for?

2013-06-04 20:33:45 (19 comments, 5 reshares, 8 +1s)

Jobs, Jobs, Jobs

If anybody knows how hard it is to find good people, its me.   I had a whole startup dedicated to trying to solve this problem.  Unfortunately for me, my product no longer exists so I have to resort to making a post like this to find good candidates. 

So the organization I am a part of has a lot of job openings.  I'm only 3 months in but so far so good.   On the plus side, Google really is an awesome place to work.  On the minus side, you have to work with me, and in some cases, for me.  

If anyone is interested or knows of anyone who would be a good fit, I encourage you to apply or share this post with them.  

Partner Technology Manager
https://www.google.com/about/jobs/search/#!t=jo&jid=946001&

Technical Account Managerhttps... more »

2013-06-04 16:23:31 (10 comments, 3 reshares, 11 +1s)

No Cares In The World

Was at the library yesterday and was standing next to an old woman who decided to let loose one of the loudest farts I have ever heard.   Everybody around heard it but the woman just went about her business as if nothing happened.  No change in expression.  No acknowledgement of her act.  No shame.  

Got to admire someone like that.  

What would you have done?

2013-06-03 02:29:46 (4 comments, 0 reshares, 23 +1s)

2013-05-31 22:17:01 (7 comments, 1 reshares, 49 +1s)

Chrome is Awesome

That is all

2013-05-28 00:34:00 (7 comments, 0 reshares, 31 +1s)

Memorial Day Traditions

Is there anything that screams Memorial Day more than buying a new mattress and having burgers?  Did both today.  Don't have my grill back yet so had to settle for going out and getting some these two sliders out in Palo Alto.   Wasn't expecting very much but the sliders wended up better than I expected. 

What are you having on your Memorial Day?

2013-05-28 00:02:01 (4 comments, 0 reshares, 22 +1s)

Thank Heaven

As I listen to what I can only imagine is a thunderstorm in my upstair neighbor's apartment, I am thankful this is my last night having to deal with it.

Tomorrow is the first time in a long time that I will finally not share walls with anyone.  

2013-05-26 20:20:08 (13 comments, 0 reshares, 7 +1s)

How Will You Watch?

The new Arrested Development is out today.  Netflix is releasing all fifteen episodes at once.   Are you going to watch them all at once or are you going to space them out?

2013-05-26 16:38:31 (18 comments, 0 reshares, 11 +1s)

Bed Advice

About to move into the new place.  One of the things we decided on was that it was probably time to get a new bed.  Shopping for a bed is really not very fun.  Way too many things to consider, price comparison is kind of hard, etc.  Luckily it is one of those things you only have to do ever 10-15 years.  However, that puts on the added pressure that you really want to get the right mattress.

We have tried a lot of mattresses and are leaning toward a Serta Bradbury Plush.  Even though I think choosing a mattress is a very individual decision, anybody have any advice for me? 

*  Budget isn't a huge issue.  I'm not paying 4x a good bed for a super high end model but I rather be more comfortable than save a few hundred dollars. 

* Liz doesn't like Memory Foam. 

*  Liz likes a mattress that provides a lot of support. 

more »

2013-05-24 17:58:14 (4 comments, 1 reshares, 20 +1s)

Come On - Let's Play

My #fidofriday  posts have been sporadic.  A little bit of that is that it's difficult to get out with the camera and a little bit is that I'm generally swamped at my new job and posting with any sort of frequency has become a problem. 

But I just can't go too long without posting a picture of Gadget.  This one was taken last week.  He was being a little impatient with us because he wanted to take off and play but I think it captures his sweetness perfectly.  

Hope everybody has a great Memorial day weekend!  I think Gadget and us might try and find a local dog beach somewhere so hopefully more pictures next week.  

2013-05-24 17:12:05 (18 comments, 0 reshares, 15 +1s)

Wish Everyday Was Day Before a Holiday

I normally come into work earlier than anyone else to avoid the traffic.  However, today, I decided to sleep in a little bit so left about 30 minutes later than I normally do.  

I was a little bit worried about how traffic would be.  There really is a tipping point in the South Bay area where if you are just a little bit later you can sit in traffic a LOT longer.  Lucky for me, it's the day before a major US holiday so traffic was smooth sailing, almost nobody was on the road.  If we really wanted to increase happiness in the world I'm telling you, eliminating sitting in traffic would be at the top of that list.  

How was your drive into work today?  Excited about the long weekend coming up?  Got Plans?


Photo Credit: http://emptyla.com

2013-05-20 17:01:33 (26 comments, 1 reshares, 27 +1s)

Becoming Weaker to Become Stronger

Without question, the happiest I have ever been in my life is right now.  That is due in large part because of one person, my wife +Liz Lui .  However, I would be the first to admit that it wasn't a straight line path to this awesome amount of happiness, there were many struggles along the way.

One of the most important lessons I learned along the way was that it was necessary for me to become "weaker" before we could become stronger.

I'm opinionated.  I'm strong willed.  I don't bend easily.  I like to be right.  I like for others to know that I'm right.  While these traits have served me well in most parts of my life, they are not conducive to being in a good relationship.  In fact, it makes it damn right impossible. 

When I started dating Liz, I needed things to be a certain way. Namely m... more »

2013-05-19 17:42:28 (26 comments, 0 reshares, 13 +1s)

Can Tumblr Make Yahoo Cool?

It appears as if the Yahoo Board has approved Marissa Mayer's newest target to make Yahoo relevant again, Tumblr.   It remains to be seen if Tumblr will actually accept the offer but indications are that it has reached a point, due to cash flow constraints, where it must accept some offer.  So unless a Facebook or some other company rushes in right now, Yahoo may be getting Tumblr.

The Billion dollar question is, will it change Yahoo's fortunes?  That remains unclear.  I'm never a huge fan of mergers.  While there are times a merger makes sense, I feel that more often than not, it is a bad idea for both companies involved.  You run into all sorts of problems such as asymmetrical information, clashing cultures, integration challenges, etc.  Any one of these could derail an otherwise good merger let alone multiple problems.
Do I... more »

2013-05-19 17:24:26 (11 comments, 0 reshares, 45 +1s)

I don't normally go to movies on their opening weekend but we are talking about Star Trek. Star Trek.

2013-05-15 20:28:39 (8 comments, 1 reshares, 17 +1s)

In The News

Here is one under appreciated aspect of working for a company like Google that may seem shallow on the surface but I actually think is quite important.  

A day doesn't go by where I don't see some sort of interesting news article about the company I work for.  This is especially true today where you can see the entire front page of +Techmeme is devoted to stories about +Google.  Sometimes the articles are good.  Sometimes they are bad.  But there is always something which makes you feel like the world at large cares about the work that you do. 

This just isn't the case for most companies and at times it can be quite disheartening.  If I do a news search for some of my lesser known previous employers nothing really comes up.  It is lucky if these companies are mentioned once or twice a month and even then it is just as likely to be a PRrelease ... more »

2013-05-15 19:27:48 (6 comments, 0 reshares, 15 +1s)

Uh guys. Can everyone please stop hitting refresh at the exact same time? k thx bye.

#googlepluslove

2013-05-15 18:09:15 (4 comments, 1 reshares, 19 +1s)

Pretty Awesome to be A Googler Today

Awesome products being announced and things have just started.  Stocks at $900.  Yeah.  Life is good.  

Follow the news here. http://live.theverge.com/live-google-io-2013/

and let me know what your favorite announcement is today.  

2013-05-09 17:16:43 (12 comments, 0 reshares, 29 +1s)

Google Stock at All Time High

This is Google's stock chart since I got a job offer and decided to join.  Today, Google has hit an all time high.  Coincidence?  You tell me.  

for those keeping score this is a > 20% gain in a little over 3 months

2013-05-06 22:03:07 (6 comments, 0 reshares, 5 +1s)

Hang on to your butts... 

2013-05-06 16:50:36 (28 comments, 1 reshares, 20 +1s)

The French Laundry For a Non-Foodie

I went to the French Laundry yesterday.  I'm not the foodie in the family, my wife +Liz Lui  is, but we wanted to celebrate the new job and the move up to the Bay Area so we decided to go for the ultimate dining experience.  Below is my take on it.

Short Version

From end-to-end, the best meal I ever had.  Service and food were excellent.  Did it live up to the hype?  Depends.  While I said it was the best meal, each dish was not life-altering.   There were some dishes that were downright disappointing.  For the two of us, our bill came out to $720 w/o wine.  If the thought of spending that much money for one meal gives you heartburn, then don't go.  But if you want to have an awesome food experience and can stomach the bill, it can be worth it. 

Longer Version

It is oftencalled the ... more »

2013-05-05 18:27:53 (11 comments, 0 reshares, 19 +1s)

T-minus 30 minutes

2013-05-03 18:35:27 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 14 +1s)

Miss the Doggy

So as I said in my previous post I've been traveling all week.  About to brave NYC traffic and try to make it to the airport in time.  I haven't posted a #fidofriday  picture in a long time simply because I've been so busy with the new job.  This isn't a particularly good photo technically, but +Liz Lui sent it to me earlier in the week and it made me miss Gadget that much more. 

Hope everybody is having a good Friday.   Got a crazy busy weekend which includes flying home, finding a place to rent, and going to the French Laundry.  What do you have planed?

2013-05-03 17:58:04 (11 comments, 0 reshares, 15 +1s)

When Traveling For Work Became Work

When I was younger I was a consultant.  That basically meant I flew all over the U.S. and was never home.  I was young and didn't mind and in many ways found it fun and exciting.  Even when I got stuck in locations like Louisville, KY.  I was an excellent traveller and never got frustrated with late takeoffs or long lines because, after all, I was going to fun new place. 

Now that has totally changed.  I've been in NYC all week but I can't wait to get home.  It wasn't as if this trip didn't have perks; I got to see a bunch of old friends I haven't seen in a while.  But it just wears on you to be gone for the whole week.  I miss my family, and I miss my dog.  

I'm not sure when this switch happened.  Not sure if it is just a function of age, family, change in personality, etc.  Are you like mewhere you u... more »

2013-05-02 05:09:19 (10 comments, 1 reshares, 8 +1s)

Yeah, I Don't Miss NYC All That Much

It's 1:00 a.m. and there is a very loud police siren that is going off outside my hotel window for the last 20 seconds.  I wasn't asleep anyway but if I was, I would be pretty upset right about now. 

I lived in Manhattan for a year and decided it just wasn't for me.  I get some people love it here, but the negatives just don't outweigh the positives for me.  

2013-04-29 16:35:58 (14 comments, 3 reshares, 18 +1s)

First Openly Gay Professional Athlete

It was going to happen sooner or later and Jason Collins will now go down as the first openly gay athlete in one of the major American sports leagues. 

Gald to see this day here and quite honestly surprised it took this long.  I think this is a seminal moment but I don't think Jason is going to be met with the same vitriol that other trailblazers have met, and that's a good thing.  That's not to say I think this will be easy, but I will be shocked if anybody associated in the league comes out strongly against this.  If he has any issues it will much more likely come from the fans.  

What sort of reception do you expect for Collins with this news?  How difficult will it be for him?  Do you think anybody associated with the league is going to come out against this?
http... more »

2013-04-29 01:52:16 (10 comments, 1 reshares, 25 +1s)

It was called the Godzilla Roll. I was pretty much forced to order it.

2013-04-28 17:22:52 (19 comments, 0 reshares, 9 +1s)

Easily Amused

Sitting in the airport bar waiting for my flight. Knicks-Celtic are on an I'm thankful that I'm the type of person with enough varied interest that I can be entertained by most things being shown in a public setting whether it be sports, new, or a movie.

Just so long as its not reality TV I'm set. I might gave to skip the flight if I saw Honey Boo Boo on the screen.

Where do you draw the line?

2013-04-27 18:46:51 (2 comments, 5 reshares, 23 +1s)

My two-week review of Google Glass: it all depends on the price

This week I gave five speeches while wearing it.
I passed through airports four times (two more in a couple of hours).
I let hundreds of people try my Google Glass.
I have barely taken it off since getting it other than to sleep.

Here's my review after having Google Glass for two weeks:

1. I will never live a day of my life from now on without it (or a competitor). It's that significant. 
2. The success of this totally depends on price. Each audience I asked at the end of my presentations "who would buy this?" As the price got down to $200 literally every hand went up. At $500 a few hands went up. This was consistent, whether talking with students, or more mainstream, older audiences.
3. Nearly everyone had an emotional outburst of "wow" or... more »

2013-04-27 03:37:29 (4 comments, 0 reshares, 6 +1s)

Subconscious Irony

I was flipping through the stations and landed on the NFL draft.  Right when I stopped the Arizona Cardinals selected Tyrann Mathieu who goes by the nickname the "Honey Badger". 

He has had many off-the-field issues which lead many people to believe he isn't the brightest bulb in the box.  The ESPN analyst then proceeded to do an interview with the Honey Badger which lasted about 5 minutes and continued to dig and dig into Honey Badger's checkered past.  The analyst kept asking him if he understood he had been given a 2nd chance, what a big responsibility it was, blah, blah blah.   The answers given by Honey Badger were bad even by athlete standards. 

I finally got sick of it and exclaimed out loud, "I don't give a S#!t about this guy."  I didn't do it on purpose and wonder if I even didit subc... more »

2013-04-26 03:32:41 (17 comments, 0 reshares, 8 +1s)

Upstairs Neighbors

The ruckus upstairs, which sounds like a game of tackle football mixed in with a dog fight, is all the reminder I need that I'm definitely renting a house this time around ...

How do you feel about the people you share walls with?  If you live upstairs from someone, do you at least try not to be a nuisance?

2013-04-25 21:41:37 (24 comments, 0 reshares, 16 +1s)

Love It - Never Do It

Just realized a very strange fact about me and my wife.  We love Italian food.  We love it so much that we got married in Italy and my wife's favorite part of the trip was the cooking class she took.  You can see below one of my all time favorite dishes which we had for our wedding dinner and I don't even really like cheese and hate tomatoes.  

But here is the odd thing.  We NEVER go to Italian restaurants.  I don't mean we rarely go.  I mean in the entire time we have been together, which is just shy of a decade, we have maybe gone to 1 or 2 pseudo-Italian restaurants.  My wife and I eat out 4 or 5 meals a week, maybe more. So in the thousands of times we have gone out how is it possible we never eat Italian Food?  

The odder thing is that neither my wife nor I realized this until right now.  How is that possible?  Doesanybody fi... more »

2013-04-24 21:34:43 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 13 +1s)

I'm pretty sure he is just screwing around with me but I can't be certain ...

2013-04-24 17:42:43 (6 comments, 1 reshares, 4 +1s)

Best Shooting Backcourt Ever?

I've heard a couple people say they think the Steph Curry & Klay Thompson may be the best shooting backcourt to ever play in the NBA.

Given yesterday's crazy 65% from the field there is a pretty legitimate case.  Probably too early to crown them this but I was having a hard time thinking of a team who had two guards who were this good of shooters.  Curry is especially unique.  Very accurate.  Very prolific.  And crazy fast to get his shot off.  

Lots of team have one great shooter and then a complimentary player next to them but I struggle to think of any two guards who shoot this well playing together at the same time.  Can you think of a better shooting backcourt in NBA history?

2013-04-23 17:17:27 (4 comments, 0 reshares, 4 +1s)

The Rake

I don't say this too often but I read this article and felt like it actually made me smarter.  It's an interesting look at pricing models for companies that wish to be a "platform"

http://abovethecrowd.com/2013/04/18/a-rake-too-far-optimal-platformpricing-strategy/

In the article, he specifically calls out Apple and Facebook for overpricing their "rake" when they should have been taking the opportunity to consolidate their position.  I actually completely agree with the points made in the article and one of the reasons I was eager to join a company with better long term strategic thinking like Google  when I was on the job market.   

In my view, it doesn't make much sense to charge such a premium for your platform at the expense of your partners. Here, the Jeff Bezos quote of,  "Your margin is myoppor... more »

2013-04-21 19:36:38 (8 comments, 4 reshares, 48 +1s)

Latte Art

Now that there is always an espresso machine no more than 100 feet from where I am, I've decided to learn to make my own cappuccinos and lattes.  

I always marvel when I see the art that some people are able to create art like this.  I'm still trying to learn not to burn my milk.  Anyone got any tips on me as I start my cappuccino making career?

Found via http://on.fb.me/13pkG4N

2013-04-21 17:37:24 (20 comments, 1 reshares, 12 +1s)

We May Have a Problem

It probably says something bad about me that the majority of shoes in my house right now are mine and not my loves-to-go-shoe-shopping wife.  

Maybe I have a problem and I'm just in denial?

2013-04-21 00:29:30 (6 comments, 0 reshares, 24 +1s)

The Good Life

You know you have it good when you spend your Saturday afternoon in the office and you don't even really mind.  

2013-04-19 16:21:34 (45 comments, 0 reshares, 27 +1s)

A Tale of Two Companies

Google and Microsoft.  I've worked at both now and I have to say there couldn't be two more dissimilar companies in my mind. 

I don't hold any ill will toward Microsoft.  In fact, I actually root for them as I still have friends there and am still a shareholder.  But sometimes I can only shake my head at what I see as so many lost opportunities for a company that had such strong advantages just a few years ago. 

Both Google and MS released earnings yesterday.  Neither had too many surprises but the two focuses of the earnings calls couldn't have been more different and is reflective of how I saw the two companies when I was an employee at each.  

Google is very forward looking.  +Larry Page focused on all the wonderful things Google is building and the big bets we are taking as a company in Fiber, Glass, andthat sel... more »

2013-04-18 17:52:07 (31 comments, 0 reshares, 14 +1s)

yikes

At DMV. Wish me luck, I might never make it out.

The scary thing is that this is the appointment line.

2013-04-18 02:19:11 (2 comments, 2 reshares, 10 +1s)

We don't need no stinking badges!

This one you might though.  Big advocate of girls, games, and coding.  we can't do enough to encourage girls to get interested in software development.  

http://www.polygon.com/2013/4/17/4236064/girl-scouts-los-angeles-video-game-design-patch

2013-04-16 17:48:31 (36 comments, 0 reshares, 29 +1s)

I Dream Of Sushi Now

Watched Jiro Dreams of Sushi last night.  It is a documentary about 85 year old sushi chef Jiro Ono, owner of a 3 star Michelin restaurant, and his lifelong journey to perfect Sushi.  

As a sushi lover, I thought it was a great film but it made me really hungry.   Even though I'm not a foodie, I find it fascinating the amount of passion people like Jiro puts into his food.  It actually makes me even more excited that I'm going to French Laundry in a few weeks.  

After watching the film, I'm pretty certain I'm going to have to make a pilgrimage to Japan at some point and try some awesome Sushi places.  Until that happens, I would be curious from all of you, where's your favorite sushi place?

mine is here: http://www.yelp.com/biz/yoshida-san-marino-2

2013-04-15 18:11:19 (70 comments, 0 reshares, 6 +1s)

What is Rich?

I was having an interesting conversation with someone this weekend on the topic of what qualifies someone as "rich" and wanted to get the opinions of a more diverse crowd.  

There could be many definitions of "rich".  

Is it an income level?  
Is it how much money you have in the bank?
Is it that you could buy something like a yacht?

So what would it take for you to point to someone and say, "That person is rich"?

Note:  Please keep your responses to something monetary  Yes, I get that people with "love" and "family" are the richest amongst us but I'm really curious about people's monetary definition here.