Showing posts tagged tech

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(Reblogged from bhajii)

What Startups Are Like

Gentle reminder.

marksbirch:

Here is a collection of uplifting and heartwarming words of encouragement from the most sage voices in the tech startup world as you begin your own entrepreneurial journey.

  • Throwing yourself off a cliff and assembling an airplane on the way down. - Reif Hoffman
  • Being an entrepreneur is like eating glass and staring into the abyss of death. - Elon Musk
  • Running a start-up is like eating glass. You just start to like the taste of your own blood. - Sean Parker
  • Startups are hell. - Penelope Trunk
  • It’s like we’re married, but we’re not fucking. - Y Combinator founder via Paul Graham
  • I kept busy by thinking about how running that marathon was much like doing a startup. - Dan Martell
  • People say doing a startup is like a marathon. It’s actually a roadtrip at night with no headlights. You think you’re going to Toledo but you’re actually going to Miami and you might not have enough gas so you might need to buy gas from someone who might take you out if you aren’t driving well. - Ben Silbermann via Jason Shen
  • This is what running a startup is like…every day (cue video). - Jason Calacanis
  • Running a startup is like being punched in the face repeatedly. - Paul Graham
  • In my tiredness, my scars, and my strength I have noticed that launching and running a start-up is a lot like war. - Ryan Wood
  • Running a startup is like having all the bad guys from Die Hard attack you, but you’re way more scrawny than Bruce Willis. - Aaron Levie
(Reblogged from marksbirch)
“
Going to the store still has the greatest influence on what people decide to buy.
We Love Amazon, But Going to the Store Matters Most | Wired Business | Wired.com
“
The world is awash in cheap, disposable mass-market crap all too often made under tragically exploitative conditions. At the other end, the luxury market offers overpriced baubles that prize prestige over product. There has to be room for a middle way, a way that leads to solid, lasting, attractive products that don’t cost too much. In a fast-fashion world, quality sometimes feels like a revolutionary concept.
How Warby Parker Plans to Take Down the Man, One Pair of Glasses at a Time | Wired Business | Wired.com
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Dapper!

seat14a:

NEW: The Summer Un–Jacket |  http://seat14a.com

Spread the love and you could win this micro-collection! (Last week’s winner: John Flynn)

(Reblogged from seat14a)

Alex's Tech Thoughts: 4 Of My Favorite BD/Partnership Tools

alexstechthoughts:

Falcon looks interesting.

(Reblogged from alexstechthoughts)

#nowplaying : a brief history of desktop music apps

Winamp

I got my first desktop computer in 2000. With a 550 mHz Pentium-3 processor and Windows 98 OS, it was pretty cutting edge at the time. This was the time when few of my friends had PCs at home, since it entailed an expense of about INR 50,000 (approx. USD 1000). The trick was to somehow convince your folks that there was a positive correlation between ownership of a desktop and academic performance at school (Intel has been long running advertising campaigns on the same lines).

Once I had the PC it was still a few months before I got my first internet connection, an annoying dial-up that would today drive many to suicide. During those interim months I educated myself on important life lessons like how to kick-off rival bikers and how to turn my PC into an entertainment powerhouse. Here’s a brief history of my trysts with (software) music players from days of yore to the present times.

The earliest media players were designed around the concept of files. Double click a file, and Windows Media Player (classic) would launch and inevitably complain about a missing codec or five. Once plugin packs with all media codecs were installed, you could play most video and music files. Listening to music for a long duration from multiple directories was something the makers of WMP (Classic) probably considered an edge case.

What’s the first thing that a new Microsoft recruit must do at work? Install Winamp.

~ Inside joke at Microsoft.

Winamp (and its Linux clone XMMS) became the de-facto music player for a long time to come. The maker, Nullsoft, understood exactly how we downloaded or ripped music as MP3s, and based the player on a powerful search and queue mechanism. The custom skins and plugins were, to lean on a cliche, cherry on top. Ars Technica did a great feature on the rise and fall (post acquisition by AOL) of Winamp last year, and I believe the story is worthy of a documentary.

During my college years when I was infatuated by all things Open Source, I spent most of my time on some distro of GNU/Linux (yes, Stallman, I heard you the first time). XMMS, written from scratch to function almost exactly like Winamp, was the music player of choice. It even supported Winamp skins, so the only reason to dual-boot into Windows was for MS Office (I wasn’t much into gaming, the other major reason for Windoze).

In the summer of 2005 someone gifted my mom an iPod, one of the earliest versions with a hard disk (not flash drive) inside. Never had two brothers fought more savagely for something so pink. Our sibling tensions aside, the iPod Mini introduced me to the what remained, for years, the most godawful music software I’d ever dealt with. Enter iTunes (House of Apple). To hark on how loathsome the iTunes experience was would be a waste of precious carbon footprint. For a while I looked for alternatives. There was Songbird, but it didn’t work for me. Nothing did.

When I moved to Mac OS X in 2010 I had to make peace with iTunes for my local music collection, but I was increasingly spending all my time listening to streaming music. Music experiences, in my view, can be bucketed into three kinds. The first one is where the listener adds individual tracks to a “now playing” list. The onus of deciding what track to hear and in what order rests on the listener, and the pool of available tracks is limited to the files he can access. This is the original Winamp experience, and even the Youtube experience to a large extent. The second is the old-school radio experience. An RJ decides to queue tracks based on a theme or a genre, and if you like her taste you simply needed to tune into the channel and let it play on till you get tired. This is what Shoutcast brought to Winamp, and something Real Player built itself on. Before Adobe Flash, Real Player plugins were used to power a lot of audio streams including those on BBC sites. Finally, there’s the algorithm-based experience like Pandora, Last FM, YouTube Disco or even iTunes Genius, where a song or artist is used to seed an entire playlist.

I’m a big fan of the latter two, where someone else decides what to play from a music library far bigger than my own, and delights me with wonderful tracks when I’m not sure what’s going to play next. I’m married to Pandora, who knows me wonderfully well after all these years, and never fails to delight me (too bad I have to use workarounds to listen to it outside the US). Play and skip are the only two things a great music player needs.

Music apps have come a long way, the focus shifting from individual files to “cloud” based libraries (buzzword, sorry). Tomahawk is an interesting approach which aims to combine the two, letting listeners forget about the location of files and just focus on the music. I tried out early versions of the software but there was a lot more work to be done. My latest crush is Shiny Groove, a Mac wrapper over Grooveshark that I use to play Indie rock and folk sometimes. It is a great replacement for the now abandoned Sixty One.

In the end music players are meant for running in the background, without needing too much attention. I was heart-broken when Worldspace declared bankruptcy. All I had to do was turn it on to my favourite rock or country channels, and listen to high quality ad-free music non-stop. It is a surprise how many music apps try to cram a gazillion things - from visual ads to concert listings and even comments and reviews, onto the limited real-estate they have on the screen, only to get out of sight immediately. Thankfully some others are doing it right.

That’s all for now, happy listening!

( Photo Credit: darkmavis via Compfight cc )

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(Reblogged from nav-chatterji)
This was the message posted on MIT’s homepage when it was hacked yesterday (thanks to Manish for the screenshot and message text). I used to think I was a pretty good person. I certainly didn’t kill people, for example. But then Peter Singer pointed out that animals were conscious and that eating them led them to be killed and that wasn’t all that morally different from killing people after all. So I became a vegetarian. Again I thought I was a pretty good person. But then Arianna Huffington told me that by driving in a car I was pouring toxic fumes into the air and sending money to foreign dictatorships. So I got a bike instead. But then I realized that my bike seat was sewn by children in foreign sweatshops while its tubing was made by mining metals through ripping up the earth. Indeed, any money I spent was likely to go to oppressing people or destroying the planet in one way or another. And if I happen to make money some of it goes to the government which spends it blowing people up in Afghanistan or Iraq. I thought about just living off of stuff I found in dumpsters, like some friends. That way I wouldn’t be responsible for encouraging its production. But then I realized that some people buy the things they can’t find in dumpsters; if I got to the dumpster and took something before they did, they might buy it instead. The solution seemed clear: I’d have to go off-the-grid and live in a cave, gathering nuts and berries. I’d still probably be exhaling CO2 and using some of the products in the Earth, but probably only in levels that were sustainable. Perhaps you disagree with me that it’s morally wrong to kill animals or blow up people in Afghanistan. But surely you can imagine that it might be, or at least that someone could think it is. And I think it’s similarly clear that eating a hamburger or paying taxes contributes — in a very small way; perhaps only has the possibility of contributing — to those things. Even if you don’t, everyday life has a million ways that are more direct. Personally, I think it’s wrong that I get to sit at a table and gaily devour while someone else delivers more food to my table and a third person slaves over a stove. Every time I order food, I make them do more carrying and slaving. (Perhaps they get some money in return, but surely they’d prefer it if I just gave them the money.) Again, you may not think this wrong but I hope you can admit the possibility. And it’s obviously my fault. Off in the cave, I thought I was safe. But then I read Peter Singer’s latest book. He points out that for as little as a quarter, you can save a child’s life. (E.g. for 27 cents you can buy the oral rehydration salts that will save a child from fatal diarrhea.) Perhaps I was killing people after all. I couldn’t morally make money, for the reasons described above. (Although maybe it’s worth helping fund the bombing of children in Afghanistan in order to help save children in Mozambique.) But instead of living in a cave, I could go to Africa and volunteer my time. Of course, if I do that there are a thousand other things I’m not doing. How can I decide which action I take will save the most lives? Even if I take the time to figuring out, that’s time I’m spending on myself instead of saving lives. It seems impossible to be moral. Not only does everything I do cause great harm, but so does everything I don’t do. Standard accounts of morality assume that it’s difficult, but attainable: don’t lie, don’t cheat, don’t steal. But it seems like living a moral life isn’t even possible. But if morality is unattainable, surely I should simply do the best I can. (Ought implies can, after all.) Peter Singer is a good utilitarian, so perhaps I should try to maximize the good I do for the world. But even this seems like an incredibly onerous standard. I should not just stop eating meat, but animal products altogether. I shouldn’t just stop buying factory-farmed food, I should stop buying altogether. I should take things out of dumpsters other people are unlikely to be searching. I should live someplace where others won’t be disturbed. Of course all this worrying and stress is preventing me from doing any good in the world. I can hardly take a step without thinking about who it hurts. So I decide not to worry about the bad I might be doing and just focus on doing good — screw the rules. But this doesn’t just apply to the rules inspired by Peter Singer. Waiting in line at the checkout counter is keeping me from my life-saving work (and paying will cost me life-saving money) — better just to shoplift. Lying, cheating, any crime can be similarly justified. It seems paradoxical: in my quest to do good I’ve justified doing all sorts of bad. Nobody questioned me when I went out and ordered a juicy steak, but when I shoplift soda everyone recoils. Is there sense in following their rules or are they just another example of the world’s pervasive immorality? Have any philosophers considered this question? R.I.P Aaron Swartz Hacked by grand wizard of Lulzsec, Sabu GOD BLESS AMERICA DOWN WITH ANONYMOUS reddit sucks, k hacked by aush0k and tibitximer Apparently this wasn’t all, even whois information was hacked. View high resolution

This was the message posted on MIT’s homepage when it was hacked yesterday (thanks to Manish for the screenshot and message text).

I used to think I was a pretty good person. I certainly didn’t kill people, for example. But then Peter Singer pointed out that animals were conscious and that eating them led them to be killed and that wasn’t all that morally different from killing people after all. So I became a vegetarian. Again I thought I was a pretty good person. But then Arianna Huffington told me that by driving in a car I was pouring toxic fumes into the air and sending money to foreign dictatorships. So I got a bike instead. But then I realized that my bike seat was sewn by children in foreign sweatshops while its tubing was made by mining metals through ripping up the earth. Indeed, any money I spent was likely to go to oppressing people or destroying the planet in one way or another. And if I happen to make money some of it goes to the government which spends it blowing people up in Afghanistan or Iraq.

I thought about just living off of stuff I found in dumpsters, like some friends. That way I wouldn’t be responsible for encouraging its production. But then I realized that some people buy the things they can’t find in dumpsters; if I got to the dumpster and took something before they did, they might buy it instead. The solution seemed clear: I’d have to go off-the-grid and live in a cave, gathering nuts and berries. I’d still probably be exhaling CO2 and using some of the products in the Earth, but probably only in levels that were sustainable.

Perhaps you disagree with me that it’s morally wrong to kill animals or blow up people in Afghanistan. But surely you can imagine that it might be, or at least that someone could think it is. And I think it’s similarly clear that eating a hamburger or paying taxes contributes — in a very small way; perhaps only has the possibility of contributing — to those things. Even if you don’t, everyday life has a million ways that are more direct. Personally, I think it’s wrong that I get to sit at a table and gaily devour while someone else delivers more food to my table and a third person slaves over a stove. Every time I order food, I make them do more carrying and slaving. (Perhaps they get some money in return, but surely they’d prefer it if I just gave them the money.) Again, you may not think this wrong but I hope you can admit the possibility. And it’s obviously my fault.

Off in the cave, I thought I was safe. But then I read Peter Singer’s latest book. He points out that for as little as a quarter, you can save a child’s life. (E.g. for 27 cents you can buy the oral rehydration salts that will save a child from fatal diarrhea.) Perhaps I was killing people after all. I couldn’t morally make money, for the reasons described above. (Although maybe it’s worth helping fund the bombing of children in Afghanistan in order to help save children in Mozambique.) But instead of living in a cave, I could go to Africa and volunteer my time. Of course, if I do that there are a thousand other things I’m not doing. How can I decide which action I take will save the most lives? Even if I take the time to figuring out, that’s time I’m spending on myself instead of saving lives.

It seems impossible to be moral. Not only does everything I do cause great harm, but so does everything I don’t do. Standard accounts of morality assume that it’s difficult, but attainable: don’t lie, don’t cheat, don’t steal. But it seems like living a moral life isn’t even possible. But if morality is unattainable, surely I should simply do the best I can. (Ought implies can, after all.) Peter Singer is a good utilitarian, so perhaps I should try to maximize the good I do for the world. But even this seems like an incredibly onerous standard. I should not just stop eating meat, but animal products altogether. I shouldn’t just stop buying factory-farmed food, I should stop buying altogether. I should take things out of dumpsters other people are unlikely to be searching. I should live someplace where others won’t be disturbed. Of course all this worrying and stress is preventing me from doing any good in the world.

I can hardly take a step without thinking about who it hurts. So I decide not to worry about the bad I might be doing and just focus on doing good — screw the rules. But this doesn’t just apply to the rules inspired by Peter Singer. Waiting in line at the checkout counter is keeping me from my life-saving work (and paying will cost me life-saving money) — better just to shoplift. Lying, cheating, any crime can be similarly justified.

It seems paradoxical: in my quest to do good I’ve justified doing all sorts of bad. Nobody questioned me when I went out and ordered a juicy steak, but when I shoplift soda everyone recoils. Is there sense in following their rules or are they just another example of the world’s pervasive immorality? Have any philosophers considered this question?

R.I.P Aaron Swartz Hacked by grand wizard of Lulzsec, Sabu GOD BLESS AMERICA DOWN WITH ANONYMOUS reddit sucks, k hacked by aush0k and tibitximer

Apparently this wasn’t all, even whois information was hacked.

Gaana for iOS: a mini review

While Gaana on the web is a great experience, it was only a PC experience, limiting where and how I could use it. We’ve always believed that mobile was the true home for music, letting consumers enjoy their favourite tunes on their way to work, on a treadmill, while waiting for a train, or when peacefully enjoying a great day outside.

Unlike the folks at Gaana, I prefer my music on the desktop while I work. While my usual music app companion is one of Pandora, Grooveshark and The Sixty One depending on my mood (and current DNS settings), as a music buff I’ve spent a few hours with almost every major music streaming service, Gaana being no exception. Without further ado, here’s my mini-review of Gaana (the iOS edition).

The app offers listeners to dive straight into the music without requiring to login, which is a smart design decision. Way too many apps fail to eliminate friction for the first-time user, and even after being downloaded they remain unused. Once in, the app has a huge walkthrough of its features. Given that the app uses fairly standard design paradigms as far as a music player experience goes, I found the walk-through unnecessary and overly detailed.

The bright orange colour scheme is a tad too loud for my taste, but that’s a personal preference. Like I mentioned before, the app uses fairly common design patterns for a music player - there are albums, artists, songs, playlists etc., in simple tables and hierarchies. This is both good and bad. Good because there is no learning curve; bad because it barely deviates from the patterns established decades ago, hinting at a lack of imagination. The latter isn’t really a drawback for everyone. You can search an incredibly large library of music, something that’s always been Gaana’s forte, and playback experience is excellent. The app integrates tightly with iOS native music player controls on the springboard and standby screens. In the end, a music player ought to work well as a background app, and Gaana has paid sufficient attention to that.

There are a few quirks that still need to be ironed out. For instance, some art-work is low-res, and looks awful on the retina display. The apple-tv selection control is missing in the player, although you can still access it from the standby screen player. Shuffle and radio modes behave erratically, and trying to share a song resulted in a tweet card with the wrong song title. I hope they fix these issues in the next update.

There were a few things I didn’t quite explore (hence the “mini” in this review) - most notably performance in 3G and social features. On that note, I’d like to conclude by saying that Gaana is a must have for Bollywood music lovers.