Chris Brakebill

iCab

Wed, 16 May 2012 20:48:28 -0400

The bigger problem here is the lack of settings found on mobile devices and websites. I’ve been frustrated by this with several apps. The perception of an iPad (or even an iPhone) as a “mobile device” limits it’s usefulness as a standalone device. Devs are tethered to the mentality of just the basics.

Chrome for iOS

Wed, 16 May 2012 01:29:32 -0400

Chrome for iOS:

The more I use Google Search on iOS, the more I want Chrome on there. Safari just feels so basic still. Probably the omnibar, or lack thereof.

At the very least Google could use some URL wizardry to open links from Gmail in it. Maybe even open it in a better way to developers.

Not a bad weekend… (Taken with instagram)

Mon, 14 May 2012 23:38:16 -0400

Not a bad weekend… (Taken with instagram)

Mark Cuban on the education bubble

Mon, 14 May 2012 16:01:03 -0400

Mark Cuban on the education bubble:

Something that is very concerning to me. Kids don’t go to college with a purpose anymore. Just to get away from parents and magically become employable. And in doing so they take on majors without a thought to how it might make them employable.

Things like Khan Academy and Treehouse will continue popping up to serve young people with a purpose and a conscience about how they spend.

NFL players live longer than general population

Mon, 14 May 2012 15:25:46 -0400

NFL players live longer than general population:

Surprising, but good. It’s easy to get caught up in anecdotes about tragic death and forget that these things happen outside of the world of football.

Winter is Coming

Sat, 12 May 2012 17:41:15 -0400

Winter is Coming:

Essentially, Kessler won’t act because he’s afraid to disrupt his own current cash cow. But by failing to act, he’s ensuring it’s going to be disrupted by someone else. Either you disrupt your own business on your own terms, or you get disrupted by someone else on their terms.

This. The arguments about why these companies shouldn’t change are sane. But they’re flawed. And they will resume in failure.

Chris Dixon on Blogging to Learn

Sat, 12 May 2012 10:49:36 -0400

Chris Dixon on Blogging to Learn

Junior

Sat, 05 May 2012 00:22:37 -0400

Junior:

Great story. Just heart breaking. Every second I think about this I find it harder to understand. And harder to be excited about football.

"College" Athletes

Fri, 04 May 2012 11:00:10 -0400

"College" Athletes:

I suppose that’s pretty obvious, but as always I ask — if it is the college tradition that distinguishes college sports from other minor leagues, etc., why is it that schools are so much more concerned with ensuring that no one pays college athletes them than with making sure they really are college athletes to begin with.

Is there any chance they focus more on fixing pay levels than on fixing graduation rates because schools benefit from having only sort-of students on their teams, but they would to have to pay for sort-of amateurs?

Seriously if you like college sports, or sports in general, you need to be reading Sportsgeekonomics. If you can read this and not believe the NCAA is a crime, something is wrong with you.

What Would the End of Football Look like

Fri, 04 May 2012 10:53:45 -0400

What Would the End of Football Look like:

Been thinking about this a lot in the past year. On one hand I hate seeing the rules change from what I know as football, on the other hand it’s hard to argue against what were seeing from players when their careers end. I’m in support of whatever rules changes are needed to keep football.

Apple owns 8.8% of cell phone market, 73% of profits

Thu, 03 May 2012 23:35:27 -0400

Apple owns 8.8% of cell phone market, 73% of profits:

I’d say this fits the definition of “winning”.

Pinterest adds Flickr attribution

Wed, 02 May 2012 01:47:13 -0400

Pinterest adds Flickr attribution:

Pinning an image from Flickr will now bring copyright metadata along for the ride. All of this data is handled without user input, enabling a low-friction attribution system that not only links to the original artist but also ensures users can’t claim images as their own.

Good for Flickr and good for Pinterest as it tries to fight those who say its stealing photos. I think it’s silly. Pinterest is a huge traffic driver and a great curation tool.

Paul Miller leaving the Internet for a year

Tue, 01 May 2012 12:21:54 -0400

Paul Miller leaving the Internet for a year:

Now I want to see the internet at a distance. By separating myself from the constant connectivity, I can see which aspects are truly valuable, which are distractions for me, and which parts are corrupting my very soul. What I worry is that I’m so “adept” at the internet that I’ve found ways to fill every crevice of my life with it, and I’m pretty sure the internet has invaded some places where it doesn’t belong.

My first thought is I could never do this. I wouldn’t even know how. But I love this description of what he’s looking to do. I’d be really interested to see how it affects my relationships with friends and family. The network effect is powerful for a reason.

The Apple Carrier

Tue, 01 May 2012 11:48:15 -0400

The Apple Carrier:

“What has been holding Apple back from becoming a wireless provider already, according to Bluestein, are the enormous handset subsidies paid by mobile operators (AT&T, VZW and Sprint in the US), which amount to about $381 for each iPhone sold today,” Bluestein noted. ”That has been a short-term stumbling block for Apple, but the company has its well-known cash reserves and could seize the initiative at any point.”

Just not sure I buy this. Apple makes their money selling hardware. They aren’t going to start selling it at a loss just because they have cash. This is why I don’t see them building their own carrier. I’d love it, but it’s not really…Apple.

parislemon: The latest trailer for The Dark Knight Rises, which...

Tue, 01 May 2012 02:33:10 -0400

parislemon:

The latest trailer for The Dark Knight Rises, which opens on July 20.

The Christian Bale Batman reboot is probably my favorite series of movies. Ever.

The End Of Hulu

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 20:52:33 -0400

The End Of Hulu:

Meh. I was always tremendously unimpressed by the content on Hulu anyways. And irritated by the content I wasn’t allowed to play on my Xbox.

College Football Playoff. For fun

Sun, 29 Apr 2012 17:07:45 -0400

Just for fun, I thought I’d see what my preference for a college football playoff would have looked like this year

Automatic Bids

ACC - Clemson
Big 12 - Oklahoma State
Big East - West Virginia
Big 10 - Wisconsin
CUSA - Southern Miss
MAC - Northern Illinois
MWC - TCU
Pac-12 - Oregon
SEC - LSU
Sun Belt - Arkansas State
WAC - Louisiana Tech

At Large

Alabama
Stanford
Arkansas
Boise State
Kansas State

Seeds - based on BCS

LSU
Alabama
Oklahoma State
Stanford
Oregon
Arkansas
Boise State
Kansas State
Wisconsin
Clemson
TCU
Southern Miss
West Virginia
Northern Illinois
Louisiana Tech
Arkansas State

First Round Matchups

1 LSU v. 16 Arkansas State - Baton Rouge, LA
8 Kansas State v. 9 Wisconsin - Manhattan, KS
4 Stanford v. 13 West Virginia - Palo Alto, CA
5 Oregon v. 12 Southern Miss - Eugene, OR
3 Oklahoma State v. 14 Northern Illinois - Stillwater, OK
6 Arkansas vs. 11 TCU - Fayetteville, AR
7 Boise State vs. 10 Clemson - Boise, ID
2 Alabama vs. 15 Louisiana Tech - Tuscaloosa, AL

Second Round Matchups

1 LSU v. 9 Wisconsin - Baton Rouge, LA
4 Stanford v. 5 Oregon - Palo Alto, CA
3 Oklahoma State v. 6 Arkansas - Stillwater, OK
2 Alabama v. 10 Clemson - Tuscaloosa, AL

Third Round Matchups

1 LSU v. 5 Oregon - Glendale, AZ
2 Alabama v. 6 Arkansas - Miami, FL

Title Game

LSU v. Alabama - New Orleans, LA

I still think the result would be the same. But gosh I’d love to watch it. Even most of the first round games look like fun.

Quiet storm rages on

Sat, 28 Apr 2012 23:35:02 -0400

Quiet storm rages on:

If it’s not against the Magic, I’ll be rooting for CJ Watson and the Bulls.

Sunday Test

Sat, 28 Apr 2012 17:34:34 -0400

Sunday Test:

We apply what we call the “Sunday test” to every candidate. If this person was alone in the office on a Sunday, would that make you more likely to come in just to hang out with him? We only make a hire if the answer is a strong yes. Not only should working with your coworkers be tolerable, it should be something you actively enjoy.

I like this test a lot.

Hurts my soul that this guy retired without a title.

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 13:54:02 -0400

Hurts my soul that this guy retired without a title.