Giving Props to my Peeps

This weeks prop goes out to my Sister-in-Law V. She helped me rescue a stranded wife miles from where I was. Thanks V.

P.S. I still had to change the flat tire. Thank goodness it was still under warranty.

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Jott takes voice translation to the next level

I received an email from Jott.com today announcing several new services for their Voice recognition service. Some of these include translation and posting to Twitter, your own Wordpress blog and Jaiku.

Here are just a few of the really cool new features:

• Jott Folders (basically categories)
• Status alert, sort of like Twitter's "what are you doing?"
• Jott Express, a desktop application allowing you to send Jotts from the computer, using Adobe AIR technology

There are obviously some issues you may run into using Jott. It's not 100% accurate. Depending on how fast you talk or your accent, you may find what you spoke not exactly what Jott translated. This could be especially frustrating when posting your Jotts to Twitter.

I did a test post on my SciFi blog and it worked just as I expected. And the really cool thing was the audio link that was posted along with the translated text. Very cool. Can you say mobile podcasting?

I've used Jott for some time and found that it works about 90% reliable. I speak clearly and slowly, normal actually, and it seems to work fine. Give it a spin today.

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Holodeck style technology close to reality

Back in the late 1970's I had a neighbor who worked for a software company that developed 3D aircraft simulators to train pilots. One weekend he took me and another friend into the lab to take a sneak peak at what they were doing. Being a complete geek I jumped at the chance to see real computers at work.

When we entered the lab I was in heaven. There were large cabinet sized computer in long rows. The light was dim and the illumination of LED's gave you the sense you were entering a Star Trek episode. You could hear and feel the hum these big machines made. Cables as thick as baseball bats protruded from the back of each cabinet like octopus tentacles.

Near one wall was a large collection of CRT's, or monitors, all connected displaying  a computer rendered mountain terrain. An aircraft style seat was facing the monitors. It was black, with a tall head rest. There was a keyboard attached to one arm and a joystick control on the other.

I could hardly stand myself. I was like a little kid getting an ice cream cone. I couldn't take my eyes off of all the screens. I wanted to know how they did that. What did they do. How can I play? My neighbor walked us over to the control center and said jump in. I assumed he meant me and I jumped in the chair. He could have meant the other kid with us but I didn't care. I wanted in and I wanted in now.

The seat was hard plastic. It wasn't very comfortable. I reached over and swung the keyboard around so it was in front of me. I quickly looked over at the neighbor, hoping I hadn't just stepped over the line. He had a big smile on his face and I knew I was ok. He spent the next 10 minutes explaining the controls, the keyboard and what we could expect to see.

It was the coolest experience I had as a kid. Flying a military helicopter in what was the biggest most expensive video game I had ever seen. There were lots of bugs, like being able to fly through the ground, and flying straight up crashed the software. But all in all it was just very cool to be there.

I knew right then I was destined to be a computer guy. I didn't care what I had to do. I wanted to do this more than anything. I pestered this neighbor often to take me back, and he did, one other time. It was all worth it.

Yesterday I ran across this article about holodeck technology being used to train Marines. When I was a Marine it was all hard real ground action. No computers to simulate the enemy. How I wish there would have been something like this when I was active. Imagine how much better our soldiers will perform being able to participate in multiple types of  engagements in various terrains.

As technology gets better, faster and smaller, the military will rely heavily on its use. Instant feedback, communications and decisions can and are being delivered to troops on the ground during operations. This will hopefully reduce risk and the loss of life. See, Star Trek was the best show ever invented. We have been chasing it's technology for years. Too bad we just didn't have Gene Roddenberry built it all for us while he was still alive.

How do you think this type of technology should be used in the future?

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SplashCast goes Facebook

If you're a SplashCast and Facebook user *bling* you're in the money. By adding the SplashCast application to your profile, you can build media content right in Facebook using video, audio and images. Check it out.

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Review: I’m on LinkedIn Now what???

I've had the opportunity to review the new book from Jason Alba, founder of the wildly successful JibberJobber.com, called I'm on LinkedIn Now What???

This is the first book I've read which focused solely on LinkedIn. When I first found out Jason was writing a book about LinkedIn I wasn't real confident it could be pulled off. I did a quick search of sites and other resources on LinkedIn to see what was already out there and if there seemed to be a need.

I have to say I've read the pre-release version of the book twice. I wanted to make sure I understood the premise of the book, what Jason's direction was and whether it hit the desired mark.

This book is definitely for someone who is just joining LinkedIn and isn't very familiar with other networking services. LinkedIn has a specific purpose and it may take a n00b (that is gamer speak for newbie) some time to figure out how to make LinkedIn work for them.

What you will get is a solid list of ideas and recommendations for using LinkedIn right away. There are plenty of suggestions, guides to the various sections of the application, and where you should focus most of your attention.

I really appreciated the recommendation to be patient and build your network, and not be tempted to connect with every invitation that is sent to you. I admit I made that mistake early on because I didn't really understand what LinkedIn could be.

Jason covers searching pretty thoroughly. It's important to understand how this feature works. It will really make your LinkedIn experience better when you know what you can find.

The book could stand to use a few more visual examples from successful LinkedIn users in the key areas. For example, I would have really liked to see some solid profiles. Personally I think this is where most people fall short on LinkedIn. They worry so much about past and current employment they forget about the profile. I'm guilty of that.

Overall this is a great book. I think Jason did an excellent job. I would recommend it to anyone who is just starting to build a LinkedIn network or for someone who has been a member for some time but is just now seeing the advantages LinkedIn provides.

You can visit my LinkedIn profile here.

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