Adam Chavez

Apple iPad - Why it will become a hit

Adam — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 19:56:44 +0000

My initial reaction to the iPad was “meh.” But as I started reading some blog posts about it my mind has changed. I think of my mom, and what she does at the computer — basically it’s email, craigslist, & the occasional news story. That’s pretty much it, & she just wants it to work.

The iPad seems to fit very well in that category of people. People who just need something that lets them browse the web, do some occasional shopping, maybe read a book from time to time, but who have no need for the ability to tweak it under the hood.

I don’t know exactly what Jobs’ marketing plans are for the iPad, but my hunch is that he will go after the baby-boomer generation who needs to have a computer but don’t want/need to have all the bells/whistles of a regular computer. The problem with most of the reviews of the iPad is that the people who are on the “front row” of the iPad announcement are geeks, & they look at the iPad and go “uuh, what’s in it for me?” That’s the thing — there’s not much there for them. But there’s something there for their mom or dad.

So while I won’t be running out to the nearest Apple store to get one being the geek that I am, I predict that the device will be a big hit among the non-geek.

They Have Forgotten their “aha” Experience

Many people watching the presentation and commenting/blogging about it forget what it was like before they tried the iPhone. Before the iPhone, phones were just phones. Personally, I was using a Cricket phone because it was the cheapest monthly data plan. I used my phone for phone calls, & nothing else. But when I tried out the iPhone, I knew that something incredible had happened. I was at Walmart. I had never experienced multi-touch. This ONE thing was a huge paradigm-shift for me, among many other things. The mobile web browsing experience ALONE had me excited enough to buy one. All mobile browsing before that was annoying, slow, & non-intuitive.

You really have to go back to that first-iPhone experience to appreciate what “classic-computer” users are going to experience the first time they try the iPad. Now let’s switch back to your mom.

Your mom is where you were before you tried the iPhone, except instead of an “old junk phone” it’s an “old junk computer.” She’s been looking over your shoulder as you showed her how to use a PC. “Yeah, first you click Control Panel, then Network & Internet Connections, then look for an icon that says Network Connections then….” and on and on. I have nothing against Microsoft - I love Windows myself & enjoy tweaking things from time to time and having full control over it. But by the time you’re done explaining to your mom how to connect to the internet she thinks “Wow, my son’s a genius & I don’t ever want to try to do what he just showed me!” So she comes from that paradigm, and then she tries the iPad. It’s simple, intuitive, & requires no understanding of the inner-system in order to operate it. That’s a big deal, & I think she’ll have her own “aha” experience with the simplicity, but also with multi-touch, always-on internet, beautiful resolution, 10-hour battery life, etc.

I believe the device will be another game-changer, just this time it won’t be changing the game for the young and tech-savvy, but for the older generation who are less tech-savvy.

When you look at this from a business standpoint, it makes sense right? What’s the market size of the tech-savvy? Now what’s the market size of those who are not tech savvy? Yeah. “Normal” people make up like 90% of the population. Jobs and his team have just cracked the door to the mass-market, & I think they’ve picked the perfect device to do it with.

Why Hasn’t Voice Dictation Gone Mainstream?

Adam — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 18:43:53 +0000

Seeing this new Dragon Dictation iPhone app renewed the excitement I’ve had for a long time about voice dictation to control a computer, type, etc. You can speak like 160 words per minute and only type (if you’re above average) around 60 or 70 — some incredible office workers can go up to 80 or 90 wpm.

This is a huge productivity boost, so why hasn’t the mainstream adopted it yet? I think part of it is that it would be really awkward to sit in a cubicle surrounded by a bunch of other workers — & speak the things you normally type. At least that’s part of what has stopped me from really getting into it. Somebody needs to create some kind of darth-vader mask so others can’t hear you when you’re dictating — like noise-cancelling headphones in reverse and for your voice.

Perhaps it’s also because of the bad reputation that voice dictation software has. Even though Dragon Naturally Speaking has all but perfected voice-to-text software, I don’t think that it has penetrated the consciousness of the mainstream. Most people still think of voice-dictation software as being buggy; well, that’s probably because most of it is. Like the software Google Voice uses for its voicemail dictation. It’s pretty bad.

There are so many advantages to being able to use something like Dragon. Cut way down your risk of carpel tunnel syndrome, write a 10-page paper in the amount of time it used to take to write a 20-page doc, cut down on eye-strain because you can dictate without staring into a computer screen. There are probably others that I haven’t thought of, but I think you see the point.

Anyway, if you have any thoughts about why the lack of adoption, let me know in the comments.

Goodbye, Dad… A Tribute

Adam — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 03:34:38 +0000

I hesitated to publish this life sketch, which was read at my dad’s funeral last week, but I feel that maybe it can inspire somebody else to live a little better. I’ve published it here, mostly exactly how it was read. If you have a story about my dad that you’d like to share, please add it in the comments.

Michael Steven Chavez was born on October 18, 1952, to Mary Louise Chavez and Antonio Lucero Chavez. He is the second son and second child of five children of Mary Louise and Antonio.

As the second of five children with an older brother that is 4.5 years older than him and a younger brother that is about 2.5 years younger than him, he got into his fair share of scuffles and fist fights. Most were your standard brotherly fist fights/scuffles but on one such occasion he tried to take off his older brother’s head with a baseball bat. Luckily for his brother Tony, he missed and only took out the kitchen window.

From the ages of approximately 8-18 he was involved in the Scouts graduating to the level of Explorer. He loved being part of the scouts because he loved being outdoors and working with his hands even as a youth. He would build things, take them apart and put them back together again. He and his younger brother Vince planted many of the trees that currently line the backyard of his parent’s house.

In high school Michael was a social guy, as he was described as easy going, comfortable to be around and easy to talk to. He played football, soccer and ran track and field during high school. He had a lot of friends and was very involved and enthusiastic about being a member of the student body counsel. On one occasion he borrowed his mother’s car for a high school spirit rally that involved driving around Pacifica in a parade of cars. After the rally the horn had to be replaced on his mother’s car because he had blown out the horn from having honked it so many times during the rally.

In his late teens he became involved with an organization called the Youth Service Bureau in Pacifica. The organization provides counseling services for youth and families. The counseling services are provided not only by trained counselors but also by other young individuals utilizing a peer counseling strategy. Michael became a peer counselor at the Youth Service Bureau and volunteered at the organization for many years into his early twenties. He met his first wife, Karen, who is the mother of his daughter Rebecca, at the Youth Service Bureau where she was a peer counselor as well.

Growing up he spent many Sundays at his grandmother’s home in the Mission district in San Francisco with his parents, siblings, aunts, uncles and cousins. His grandmother called him “Burrito” (little donkey) because he was very stubborn once he made up his mind. This trait would follow him into his adult years. In his early twenties he continued his weekend visits to his grandmother on his own taking his daughter Rebecca with him. When he visited his grandmother, he would also stop by next door to visit Elena and Pitan, an elderly couple who did not have grandchildren of their own and who had in a way adopted Michael as their own grandchild. After Pitan’s passing, Michael would visit Elena and bring his daughter Rebecca with him. They would visit Elena for a few hours and during his visits he would often fix things around her house while she would watch Rebecca and make them snacks.

Michael was raised Catholic but in his late teens to early twenties took a fervent interest in his own spiritual growth. He read and researched about Eastern religions and Western religions and began actively trying to find his own spiritual path. In the late seventies, he met John Boyle & Gary Bunnell, who were members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Pacifica, California. They introduced Michael to the Church.

His children remember him as quiet at home, often reading when he wasn’t fixing something. He was found reading mostly the scriptures, but also enjoyed spiritual books from other faiths. Even long after converting to his current faith, he enjoyed getting the perspectives of Eastern religious thinkers. He felt that wherever truth was, one should search for it and accept it. His children walked in on him many times on his knees in prayer, or sitting in his favorite spot on the couch reading the scriptures.

One of his great loves in life was hiking to the top of a mountain and looking down over the valley below. He was a deep-thinker, and would often spend these times thinking about eternity and connecting with God’s creations. When asked by one of his sons what he would like to do for work when he retired, his answer was, “Taking people on hiking tours into the mountains.” Even months before he died, he and his wife, Olie, hiked Diamondhead in Hawaii. Even though the trek was physically difficult for him he labored up the mountain with diligence. He must have been in heaven.Throughout their marriage, Michael was a good sport in trying to keep up with his on-the-go wife. They could often be seen cutting the rug at any chance possible; a stake dance, wedding reception, or outdoor music festival. The two of them were also able to travel to both Alaska and Hawaii in the last couple of years and even hoped to return to Hawaii again soon.

Many who knew Michael describe him as a “Christlike man,” or “a man of service.” This was true of him at church, as well as at work. Perhaps especially, at home. If something needed fixing, Dad would fix it. If one of his kids needed a ride, he was there. If his children struggled, he was the one to go to them and talk to them, to tell them that he loved them. He taught himself how to repair cars by reading the technical manuals and became the family mechanic. Never owning a new car, he spent many a Saturday morning underneath an old beater. He learned on his own how to repair and fix things in the house — from broken fences, to leaky pipes. He took pride in the perfection of his work.Taking these skills to the marketplace, he worked for many years as a professional home-painter. His clients were always pleased with the quality of work that he did. However, due to his compassion and large heart, he frequently charged much less than he was worth — many of his clients were less fortunate, or elderly, or Dad simply saw the struggles they faced and didn’t want to add additional burdens to their lives. So he loved giving discounts. At 7 or 8 years old, his oldest son, Adam, seeing the painting business in trouble, once offered to help him by stating: “Dad, I can help. I’ll take care of the finances. You just give me 10%.”

After many years as a freelancer, he found a job taking care of church buildings in the area. Here he found a job where he could have a relative autonomy, spend his time fixing things & solving problems, & they didn’t mind if he was a little late. He had found the perfect job. He stayed there for over 15 years, earning a reputation for being great at what he did, & always trying to brighten up the day of the people around him.

Michael was also a comic in his own way and loved teasing his children. One time after discovering bees in the backyard, Evelania let Michael know that bees were in the backyard. Michael’s response was to go out a catch one or two so he could tell what kind of bees were in the yard. A few bee stings later, dad probably didn’t realize his advice would be taken so literally. One way that Michael and Evelania became closer was through a 1969 Mustang. They would spend hours trying to clean it up and fix it. A few years later, another project began in the new home in Concord building storage shelves in the garage. It was during times like this that Michael and Evelania experienced quality time together.

A couple years after that during a phone call, Michael related to Evelania that he felt impressed she serve a mission. She felt strongly that she should and soon was on her way to preach the gospel of Christ. Michael himself learned from sister missionaries. Through the years, Michael refined his cooking skills and the children looked forward to his meals. His speciality was never the same–he added ingredients and spices as he went along until it tasted just right.

He was a decent man, devoted to his wife. He was always working towards improving himself; never satisfied that he had done enough. Through the challenges of marriage, living with very little money, raising kids who were not always easy to handle, and balancing this all with a spiritual and professional life, he stayed the course. He never gave up. He did not complain, though he had much to complain about. He was very worried about how things would turn out, but he did not disclose that to his family until only a few months before he died, after most of the worries had turned out not to be justified.

He came to visit Provo, Utah, July 15 for a few months in order to visit Paul, Adam & Stephanie. In his journal, dated July 14, he writes, “Going to Utah for a week. Will be back July 22.” The trip was initially for one week but he ended up staying for three months. During the trip, his children were touched and blessed by the time that they spent with him and having the opportunity to get to know the man he truly was that had been hidden inside for so many years. This man that came to visit Utah was different than the man that each of his children knew, much more humble. Much more concerned about mending old wounds in each of their relationships. Much more spiritual. Tears came easier to him. He spoke to each of them tenderly and called them “his angels.” He was extremely sentimental and spoke to them honestly and clearly. He exposed a very vulnerable side of himself & everybody who was there counts this time as a very special blessing.Paul asked him for some fatherly advice. Dad’s response was, “Paul, you have come so far in your life. I am so happy to see you doing well. Stay close to the Lord and everything will work out. I know that challenges will come in your life, but I am confident that you will rise to those challenges. I know you can. I know you can do it Paul.”

His words to Adam were simpler. “You have been such a great example to me as I’ve lived here. May the Lord bless all who come into your home. Adam, put Stephanie first, and nothing will be able to stop you. Confide in her. She wants to know you and understand you. Stay close to her.”

He wept openly as he said to Rebecca, “Things don’t always work out the way you want them to, but you do your best. I remember seeing you born. Seeing my other children born was amazing, but there’s something special about your first. It was such a miracle, and the happiest day for me. You were so precious, and I was so happy to have you.”

His daughter Rebecca has vivid memories of his hands. They were tough from the hard work he did with them. They were frequently stained — either by paint from that day’s project, or grease from one of the cars or buildings that he was fixing. His hands seemed to be capable of doing anything. She recalls walking at his side, looking up from her 3-ft-tall perspective, and seeing those hands. He called her is “good walker.” She has fond memories of walking along Linda Mar beach with him, getting shakes & french fries.

The strength of those hands would help support a family, give blessings to his children, perform sacred ordinances, and comfort his daughter, along with the other children.

He passed away on Oct. 22, 2009, 4 days after his 57th birthday. He will be missed by his family & friends as he touched many lives while on earth. He was a blessing to the organizations to which he was a part. He brought an attitude that was easy to work with, & a heart that was always ready to serve. The days leading up to his passing were something of a capstone of his life, demonstrating his faith in Christ even until the end of his life.

The last few days of his life were a testament of his faith. Unable to say much anymore & sensing that his life was short, tears streamed down his face as he cried out, “Oh Lord My God, Oh Lord My God, …” Those words stand as a testimony of who he was, & what he was focused on throughout his life.

5 iPhone Apps That Will Make You More Productive

Adam — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 21:46:33 +0000

Productivity with the iPhone

Quick Guide on How to Become an iPhone Developer

Adam — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 20:29:12 +0000

For future iPhone developers

Getting rid of the “Replace the lamp” message: How to reset the lamp timer Sony XGA vpl-px15 projector

Adam — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 08:16:57 +0000

If you replaced the lamp in your Sony Projector, but continue getting the “Replace the Lamp” message when you turn it on, follow the steps below to reset your lamp timer and get rid of that message:

Turn off the projector. Normally when the projector is on, you will see a green light lit up. When you turn the projector off, this green light will flicker, then turn red. Wait until the light turns solid red, then go to step 2.
Quickly press (a) reset, (b) left arrow, (c) right arrow, (d) Enter in that order. You must press this sequence within 3 seconds from the time you hit the “reset” button.
You might want to repeat step 2 a couple of times, as there will be no indication by the machine that you have successfully reset the lamp. Going through the sequence multiple times will not cause any problems, as reseting the lamp timer again will do nothing but… well… reset the lamp timer.
Turn on the projector. If it has worked, you will no longer see the message “Replace the lamp” and you are done!
If you still see the message, try steps 1-4 again. If it still won’t work, dial the official Sony Projector specialists at 800-883-6817. Press option 2, then option 6 and you should connect to the right people.

Beware of TaggedMail.com scam - Tagged.com Wants Your Credit Card info

Adam — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 04:21:11 +0000

Update Jun 24 1:47PM: I just received a note from Greg Tseng — he wrote a public statement that you can see here: http://blog.tagged.com/?p=4

Update Jun 6 11:08PM: It looks like the CEO, Greg Tseng, has a bit of a history with spamming people to get businesses off the ground. See http://dir.salon.com/story/tech/feature/2002/08/07/crushmaster/index2.html

I contacted him to get his side of the story. If I hear back from him I’ll report it here.

Just got this email from a friend of mine — but he didn’t send it. It’s from a site called Tagged.com or TaggedMail.com — the scam apparently wants you to sign up at their site, and give them your email and credit-card info. It is not clear whether the site sells a legitimate product or service, but their marketing tactics are certainly immoral. Breaking into people’s email accounts and sending out false emails ain’t a good way to build trust with the community.

It appears that once you’ve given them your email Tagged.com adds your email to a list — so the spam will only get worse.

If you get an email like this below are a few steps you might want to take to make sure nobody else gets tricked:

1. Delete the email
2. Email your friend to recommend that they email the people in their address book to make sure others don’t fall for the phishing scam
3. Advise your friend from whom the message was sent to change their email password of the sending account

Hope this helps!

P.S. You can read about other people who have been attacked by this scam at this live search on Twitter: http://search.twitter.com/search?q=taggedmail

If your professor’s lecture is confusing/boring/lame, find the world’s expert..

Adam — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 23:20:26 +0000

…and see what he/she has to say.

http://academicearth.org/

An Innovative Way to Prevent Cheating on Writing Assignments

Adam — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 15:53:56 +0000

http://etherpad.com/ep/pad/slider/13sentences

Wow. So simple — usually the coolest things are.

P.S. To see a really interesting conversation on this, go to this Hacker News thread.

Highly Recommended for Serious Entrepreneurs - Lecture Series by Founder of Mozy, Josh Coates

Adam — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 15:12:53 +0000

I’ll be attending this as much as my schedule permits. I highly recommend coming if you are serious about getting a company off the ground.

Coates’ Venture Startup Lecture Series

Provo, UT — February 13, 2009 — Starting Tuesday, February 24th, Josh Coates will present a weekly lecture series on how to build a successful Technology Startup. Coates is a veteran Silicon Valley entrepreneur who has experienced both spectacular success and dismal failure in the arena of the technology startups (but mostly success!) This six-part lecture series will provide candid advice about how to navigate the well-worn path of venture startups:

Technology and Fundamental Business Concepts (Feb. 24)
Raising Capital: The Simple, Well Understood Path (Mar. 3)
Pro-active Product Development for the Enterprise Market (Mar. 10)
Hiring the A-Team: Rocks and Clowns (Mar. 17)
Practical Internet Marketing (Mar. 24)
Personal Liquidity and Financial Exits (Mar. 31)

This lecture series will be hosted at the Novell Cafeteria (Bldg G.) “We are thrilled to be able to host the Coates’ lecture series again this year.” said Shauna Theobald, Program Director for the Technology Center at Novell. “Attendees from last year’s series raved about the positive impact Josh’s advice had on their businesses. Josh has firsthand knowledge of how to lead a tech-based venture to success. ”

This free lecture series is open to the public every Tuesday from 12-1:30p.m., starting Tuesday, February 24th. This series is sponsored by the Utah Valley Entrepreneurial Forum, the Provo Technology Xelerator, the Technology Center at Novell, and SiliconSlopes/Omniture.

About Josh Coates: Josh began his career doing research in parallel computing at UC Berkeley and went on to found two venture backed startups related to large scale data storage technology. His extensive experience ranges from high performance computing and data center operations to venture funding, financial modeling, marketing and mergers and acquisitions. Coates has been honored for his innovation by MIT and Ernst and Young and featured in Forbes and the Wall Street Journal. He currently volunteers as an adjunct instructor in the Computer Science department at BYU.

For additional information: http://www.uvef.net
Contact: stheobald@novell.com
Phone: 801.318.2764

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact Information:
Shauna Leavitt Theobald
stheobald@novell.com
work: 801.861-4046
cell: 801.318.2764