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Waze

Chris Simmons — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 17:22:19 +0000

With Carmogeddon looming less than 12 hours away I want to go over Waze, a navigation app that I think will prove much more disruptive than a 53 hour shutdown of the 405.

By disruptive I mean that this little startup has the potential to revolutionize one of the least favorite parts of many peoples day: their commute. By leveraging the power of crowdsourcing and social networking, Waze provides real time, turn-by-turn navigation based on current traffic conditions. In addition to traffic information Waze also collects and reports data on accidents, red light cameras, speed traps and other road hazards that may conspire against you on your trip across town. That’s right, this app not only aims to tell you when it is OK to hop on the 405 rather than La Cienega but will guide you through the process and give you a heads up about the cop hiding after the next overpass.

Needless to say, Garmin you should be more than a little worried. I’ve long questioned the need for my stand-alone Nuvi 660 when I have a fully capable, GPS enabled smart phone with me at all times. And their $33 street pilot app hasn’t exactly been well received. One of the only advantages of having a stand alone GPS I can think of at this point is preserving the battery life of your phone. GPS navigation is a real battery killer and who wants to get where they are going with a dead phone? Hopefully as the software evolves and battery technology improves this will be less of an issue.

Speaking of issues, one of the problems I have with Waze is the social gaming elements which actually encourage user interaction while driving. “Wazers” are encouraged to report traffic incidents they encounter en route and even earn points for updating map errors or entering street names. It’s true that the UI has been designed mostly for one-handed operation, but the distraction potential is pretty high and could be enough to cause an accident (oh the irony). To be fair Waze does offer voice recognition for some features and text entry is restricted while moving; however, simply entering “passenger” mode subverts this restriction. I think Waze needs to ramp up its passive data collection and offer a simplified user interface designed for drivers to report traffic incidents with 1 touch as opposed to the 3 or 4, which may be required now.

The truth is that this revolution isn’t going to happen overnight. Waze has already been around for several years and the software still feels somewhat like beta. But Carmogeddon looks to be the perfect use case for Waze and the app has received a tremendous amount of attention over the past few months. The good news is that as the user base grows and they are able to gather more data the navigation should improve.

Who knows, Carmogeddon may be hyped up like the Y2K bug but in any case there is definitely huge potential for Waze to blaze new trails in the realm of navigation.

Ode to Speakerphone

Chris Simmons — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 15:53:13 +0000

This just in: Cell phones cause cancer. The following is an excerpt from this article on CNN.com:

Radiation from cell phones can possibly cause cancer, according to the World Health Organization. The agency now lists mobile phone use in the same “carcinogenic hazard” category as lead, engine exhaust and chloroform.

Let’s be honest, this news shouldn’t be entirely surprising. If you’ve ever heard the bizarre litany of squawks, chirps and buzzing that your smartphone elicits from any speakers within a 5-10ft radius then you’ve probably wondered if your brains were being cooked as well. You may have also noticed the SAR information tucked away in the back of the instruction manual that came with your phone. If SAR seems confusing, its akin to the intensity level setting on your microwave…except you can’t change it, it’s set by the cell phone manufacturer.

The good news is that the further the phone is held away from the body the less radiation is absorbed. Hmmm…can you hear me now? So if you can’t ditch your cell phone don’t panic, the experts suggest getting an ear piece, or using speaker phone to increase the distance between you and your cellular ~~mutating~~ device.

Tour of California

Chris Simmons — Wed, 25 May 2011 04:06:50 +0000

Saturday I drove out to Mt. Baldy to watch the best ~~dopers~~ cyclists tackle the 10,000 ft monster climb on stage 7 of the Tour of California. It was my first time as a spectator at a pro bike race and I have to saw it was pretty cool despite the insanely low ratio of actual spectating to just sitting around waiting for the peloton.

The shot below is from one of the infamous switch backs towards the top.

Here’s a shot of Chris Horner tossing a bottle just before the last switchback.

Amen.

Chris Simmons — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 06:08:13 +0000

According to the Wall Street Journal Verizon will be announcing the availability of the iPhone on the Verizon network next Tuesday January 11th aka 1/11/11. The print above is from Hugh MacCleod’s Gaping Void series and I love how he has captured the absurdity of our cultural obsession with a phone. That being said I am fully prepared to ditch my Black Berry and walk through walls or doing whatever it takes to get a Verizon iPhone.

Merry Christmas

Chris Simmons — Sat, 25 Dec 2010 23:48:39 +0000

I think my bike hates me…the strand is covered in an inch of sand. Beautiful day…

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The Reason for the Season

Chris Simmons — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 02:00:32 +0000

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The Small Business Web

Chris Simmons — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 18:23:17 +0000

For all the entrepreneurs out there this is your toolbox. You can leverage the same technologies major corporations are using at prices that scale to your size.

Merry Christmas

Chris Simmons — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 18:21:12 +0000

Merry Christmas Manhattan Beach Style.

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Chocolat Moderne

Chris Simmons — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 02:18:30 +0000

If you’re in Manhattan this weekend stop by Chocolat Moderne for free samples at their Open House event on 20th street in Chelsea. If you can’t make it to the open house checkout their online selection…I have yet to try something I didn’t like but if I had to select a couple things I’d recommend the Chipotle Moderne Bar or the Kimono Collection.

If you can’t trust The Cloud then what can you trust?

Chris Simmons — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 06:53:45 +0000

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Sid in action

Chris Simmons — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 23:32:53 +0000

Just another day at the office…

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Team in Training Triathlon

Chris Simmons — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 03:34:50 +0000

So I finally made the plunge and signed up for my first triathlon today. Vera got me into playing in traffic aka road biking when we first started dating and since then I’ve come close to registering for a triathlon more then a few times . I finished my first century ride a few years ago through Lance Armstrong’s LIVESTRONG foundation and it was an overwhelmingly positive experience. After finishing I remember first feeling really really tired but also extremely satisfied not only with what I had accomplished physically but also the contribution I made to the LIVESTRONG foundation. At the time my intention was to keep the momentum going and do something more challenging like a marathon or triathlon but life gets in the way and so here I am now and I haven’t done much but a few 5k’s over the last few years.

A few weeks ago I heard there was an information session for Team in Training at my local REI so I went to check it out. TNT is a national organization that raises money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma society by forming local training groups which are lead by coaches who help the participants train for their events. Our team aka Los Angeles IronTEAM has an honorary member who is a Lymphoma survivor herself and at the meeting today she shared with everyone how much the LLS helped her while she was going through treatment. It’s one thing to donate money for research but the programs the Lymphoma and Leukemia Society have developed and the services they offer really change peoples lives.

So it’s basically a win/win…I raise $4,000 for an organization with a good cause that does great things and in return I get warm fuzzies as well as the support of a team so I can survive a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike ride and then a 13.1 mile run (not a bad cause either).

At this point you’re probably thinking “how can I help Chris reach his fund raising goal?” well I thought of that so here is a link to my TNT fund-raising homepage

Square Up

Chris Simmons — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 15:31:51 +0000

Square

So my square reader came in last week. If you haven’t heard it’s a credit card processing system that integrates with the iPhone, iPod touch, iPad or other smartphones running the Android OS (I’m not sure if they support windows mobile yet). The credit card reader is super small and plugs right into your phones audio jack and the best part is the price: it’s free . There are, of course charges related to accepting payments but it’s a pretty big step in bringing credit card processing to the masses.

The Getty

Chris Simmons — Sun, 31 Oct 2010 17:08:09 +0000

Vera and I took a trip to the Getty this week. We walked the grounds with a employee who explained Richard Meier‘s concept for the design and how the layout is integrated into the surrounding landscape. Both the architecture and the views of downtown LA and Santa Monica Bay make for an amazing visual experience even before you step inside to experience the collection. We got there in the late afternoon and the grounds close @ 5:30 so we didn’t have much time but we were able to checkout this exhibit called Foundry to Finish which was very interesting. Very cool to see the entire process and I even picked up some of the foundry lingo…I will definitely have to ask Joseph Petrovics for some advice on making good investments.

Getty Museum

WhyFi

Chris Simmons — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 23:27:41 +0000

Just got a hi-gain antenna b/c the internal antenna on my imac wasn’t cutting it. By the time the wifi signal reaches the second floor I was only seeing about 3000kbps downstream which is super slow for FiOS. The results of my first speed test with the new antenna are…fassssst

Tech Stars Do More Faster book tour

Chris Simmons — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 05:44:25 +0000

Mike and I went to see Brad Feld and David Cohen of Tech Stars speak about their new book “Do More Faster” yesterday. In case you’ve never heard of it, Tech Stars is an early stage start-up incubator based in Boulder, Colorado. The event was sponsored by Microsoft so they held it @ their offices on the 33rd floor of the Wells Fargo Tower downtown. I went with the expectation of a typical book talk/signing but came away with tons of good information not only from authors Brad and David but the panel of tech entrepreneurs, VC’s and Angel Investors. They gave out free copies of the book to everyone who asked questions with the only qualification being that if we did not like the book, we were to either give it away or burn it but under no circumstance were we to submit a negative review on amazon or profess our disdain on twitter. To be honest, I have yet to crack the book but I have a feeling I won’t be using it to start the BBQ. One thing I took away from the session is a renewed desire to create something original. Pretty much everyone in the room from the venture capital guys (who create economic value) to David and Brad both of whom are seasoned entrepreneurs, financiers and now authors are involved in “creating stuff” on a daily basis. I’m still looking for my calling at this point but I left the event feeling like I had something to strive for.

Beem me up Scotty

Chris Simmons — Sun, 10 Oct 2010 16:08:39 +0000

So I’ve been cleaning out the storage unit and finding lots of really useful stuff like 8MB CF cards (My SLR takes pictures that would fill up that card in 1 shot) and my OG iPod that’s as thick as a…Brick. BUT, when I saw this AOL floppy from 1995 I had to post it. Remember those days? You click connect and then actually hear the modem dial the phone number to your ISP. Remember the time you put the wrong one in and your phone bill was $500 because it was a long distance number? Of course signing on during peak hours often meant busy signals so you hoped and prayed to hear the modem squawk to life like a banshee screeching and beeping in some sort of high-tech handshake. After that it was “Welcome” and then everybody’s favorite “You’ve got mail”…ahh the good old days. I’d forgotten how the signing on was such an auditory experience.

Hawthorne DMV

Chris Simmons — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 21:59:35 +0000

Standing in line you can feel the confusion, frustration and utter disdain pulsing through the crowd as the state employees direct motorists through the maze of lines and counters with the efficacy of a cowboy herding cats. “The System” (their words not mine) is both born out of and designed for failure and it regurgitates applicants through the various turnstiles and waiting areas for eternity or…5pm, whichever comes first. Despite the chaos Vera and I were able to pass the written drivers test and deliver all requisite paperwork to the corresponding warm body in about 3 hours. In most states this would be enough to get your license but now we get to wait 3-6 weeks because someone checked the wrong box at some point in the process. No rush.

Roadtrip Visualization

Chris Simmons — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 21:57:07 +0000

Checkout this map of the foursquare checkins from our roadtrip…i was hoping someone would make an app like this. Make sure you hit the “-” to zoom out because it zooms to a local view of my last check in by default.

Chris Simmons’s Checkins by WeePlaces.com.

Laguna

Chris Simmons — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 06:34:05 +0000

Tonight was one of the nicest nights (in terms of weather) we’ve had since we got out here so we were fortunate to spend it at my Uncle Robert’s house in Laguna Beach. Of course the pic from my phone doesn’t do the view any justice but if you look hard you can see Catalina Island on the Horizon. The occasion was a joint birthday gathering for Robin and her husband Millan which was a great oppertunity for catching up with family I haven’t seen in years. Back in the early ’90′s when the wild fires swept through Orange County they came right up to the edge of my uncle’s yard. I remember seeing ashes collecting under the window sills weeks after the fires had burned out but luckily the house was fine.

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The Wave House, Mission Beach

Chris Simmons — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 01:07:42 +0000

Because the beach isn’t close enough in San Diego.

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Philthy Phil

Chris Simmons — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 22:52:31 +0000

Philip…livin the dream

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A Fluke

Chris Simmons — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 06:58:02 +0000

Go Whale watching with Redondo Sport Fishing…you will see Blue Whales.

Nice Tail

Here is a link to the rest of the pictures

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Crowd control

Chris Simmons — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 01:14:37 +0000

They use this owl @ Terranea to keep the sea gulls away. His claws look to be about 4in long.

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Palos Verdes

Chris Simmons — Sun, 19 Sep 2010 19:26:25 +0000

Took a day trip down PCH to the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Pics don’t do it justice. We ate lunch at a restaurant overlooking the water and watched Whales bob above the surface as they swam up the coast. Today we’re going out over Redondo Canyon to see the Pod of Blue Whales that everyone’s been going crazy over.

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Primo

Chris Simmons — Sun, 19 Sep 2010 18:54:36 +0000

We watched Primo, a 10 month old English Springer Spaniel while our friends were on Vacation for the past 2 weeks. He has a great temperament and we had a great time walking him and taking him to the dog park (which is definitely a scene and great place to meet people btw). One thing we did learn, however, is that we aren’t ready to make the commitment to get our own dog just yet. There is too much going on out here in LA but maybe after the novelty wears off…

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Runyon Canyon Park

Chris Simmons — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 07:44:53 +0000

After a lazy few days we decided to checkout Runyon Canyon park in Hollywood. The park is tucked away in a great spot overlooking downtown LA and if you like it rough there are several running/hiking trails which can get pretty brutal. The Hollywood sign serves as inspiration for the hoards of hard bodied slashies who sweat it out while their canine companions beg to be carried to the car. I’d like to come back in the winter or on a clearer day when Catalina Island is visible on the horizon. I’m not sure what this means but I find myself wanting to somehow justify the disgusting smog that shrouds the skyline in the photos. Call it a marine layer, call it smog, call it whatever you want but the canyon was a great escape from downtown LA. A wise man once said ignorance is bliss so in that spirit someone needs to invent special sunglasses that are polarized in a way that hides the smog.

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I’m Still Here

Chris Simmons — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 00:54:02 +0000

I said I would keep this blog going once we got to LA but I’ve been distracted by a million different things since we got here, hence the week or so hiatus. When I saw this review of the new Joaquin Phoenix “documentary” it caught my eye…mostly because I thought it would be a good title for this post but also because I remember seeing an uncharacteristically catatonic Joaquin Phoenix on Letterman back in February. I don’t even know why I was watching it because I never watch the late show (or is it the tonight show?) but at the end Letterman quipped “I’m sorry you couldn’t be here with us tonight Joaquin”…he drops one like that every now and then to remind us why he’s the guy behind the desk and not just a talking head reading note cards. Check out the review below:

Movie Review – ‘I’m Still Here’ – Joaquin Phoenix Tries Running Away From the Circus – NYTimes.com.

NIMBY

Chris Simmons — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 17:33:22 +0000

My ride up to Santa Monica yesterday took me directly past the Hyperion sewage treatment plant and the Chevron oil refinery which are the two most prominent features of the El Segundo coastline. Both facilities are situated on prime beach front real estate…awesome. Couldn’t they find a better spot? Obviously nobody wanted these in their backyard so they put them right on the beach…good call.

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Yay Baseball

Chris Simmons — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 02:32:47 +0000

Jeff got tickets through work so we’re @ the Dodgers-Phillies game. That’s Jeff in the Phillies Jersey, he has a death wish.

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Say Cheese

Chris Simmons — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 20:25:39 +0000

We walked past the LA Superior courthouse just as the dude who owns the Dodgers was being swarmed by paparrazi.

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Los Angeles Philharmonic Center

Chris Simmons — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 19:58:02 +0000

Ghery’s work speaks for itself

Los Angeles Philharmonic at Walt Disney Concert Hall

Los Angeles Philharmonic aka LA Phil

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La Brea Tar Pits

Chris Simmons — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 22:29:42 +0000

Its crazy how the tar pits are right in LA. You can see all of the gases bubbling up…definitely a reminder of all the seismic activity in this area. Oh yea and the whole area smells like dinosaur farts.

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Reunited

Chris Simmons — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 04:43:33 +0000

Both Golf’s passed the smog test without issue…California plates coming on Monday.

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Stay a while, why dontcha?

Chris Simmons — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 16:10:18 +0000

I don’t see myself moving very far from this couch for the next 48hrs.

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Thank You

Chris Simmons — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 03:28:19 +0000

To:
My Dad for helping us pack up our crap and fit it onto 3 pallets.
My Mom for getting the storage unit and getting ready for us to move in temporarily
Alexandra and Jeff for helping get our boxes from Amtrak
Mr. Petrovics for helping us load and transport everything to Amtrak
Ms. Petrovics for feeding us and giving us a place to stay before we left
Edith for helping with the garage sales and selling our stuff on craigslist
Michael and Margaret for their warm hospitality during the 2 nights we spent on beautiful Orcas Island
Uncle Kent for letting us crash for 3 days in your bedroom and showing us around the ever stimulating metropolis know as Boring, Oregon
Uncle Neal & Aunt Dawn for not minding that we showed up at 1:30AM and having us stay with you.
Thanks to Marshall for crashing on aero bed and letting us have your bedroom for 3 days.
Thanks to Caitlin for driving your Jetta up Lombard street
Brendan for letting us crash at the Omni in Indianapolis on Mr. Johnson’s dime.
Jim for his suggestions in Minneapolis
Jon and Sarah for driving my car out and making it in one piece
The random guy in Indianapolis who gave us some sweet travel tips
Dom Greco for setting me up with the blackberry
The woman who let us into the C.M. Russell museum for free.
And everyone else who helped us along the way.

Also thanks for checking out my blog and all of the feedback and comments, its been fun posting from my phone…I think I’ll try and keep this going.

6.5 miles to go and we’ve been 5,995 miles.

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El Camino Real

Chris Simmons — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 02:45:48 +0000

It’s hard to believe we’re only about 60 miles outside Los Angeles. Looks like the odometer should wind out within a few miles +/- 6,000. It still hasn’t sunk in that I’m back and will be calling Southern California home again after 15 years. There are a lot of unknowns in my life right now but I’ve been working on globally positioning myself for the last few years so now that I have that more or less worked out I think some of the other elements will begin to come into focus.

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RT1

Chris Simmons — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 00:28:24 +0000

These pics are from earlier today, we’re about 175 miles outside Los Angeles at the moment.

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Pfeiffer Beach @ Big Sur, California

Chris Simmons — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 00:00:11 +0000

Not a bad look for Vera, huh?

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A rather large Sur

Chris Simmons — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 18:42:19 +0000

We are on our way to Big Sur via coastal route 1. This is already proving to be some of the most picturesque pavement of the trip.

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Monterey Bay Aquarium

Chris Simmons — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 06:59:34 +0000

We enjoyed the Monterey Bay Aquarium, lets just leave it at that.

One Infinite Loop

Chris Simmons — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 21:19:59 +0000

Apple headquarters. Nothing to see here, just a gift shop and a bunch of geeks in tight jeans and nerds walking around in birkinstocks and jean shorts. Just to clarify the geeks are in the gift shop and the nerds are the ones walking around the campus with crazy hair staring aimlessly into space…they’re the ones that actually make stuff.

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2066 Crist Dr. Los Altos

Chris Simmons — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 21:10:18 +0000

So here is the garage where “it all” aka Apple Computer started.

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Xerox P.A.R.C.

Chris Simmons — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 20:39:02 +0000

The Xerox Palo Alto Research Center is a venerable brain trust responsible for the creation of the Graphical User Interface aka GUI, Laser Printing and Ethernet. After an infamous visit Steve Jobs borrowed heavily from the bleeding edge technologies that were in development @ PARC and incorporated them into the initial Apple GUI aka Mac OS.

Now it just looks like a run of the mill office park.

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The Three Shades @ the Rodin Sculpture Garden, Stanford University

Chris Simmons — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 19:28:19 +0000

C’mon guys the economy will pickup soon…

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Of Geeks and Garages

Chris Simmons — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 18:31:44 +0000

So we’re heading down to Monterey today but first we’re going to make a quick stop to check out some historic spots of the tech world. Not sure what the exact formula is but a few geeks + a garage have yielded some the greatest contributions to the modern world of technology . The 2 main attractions are the garage where HP was started which is actually a national historic landmark and the garage where Apple was started which is a little more nondescript. We might throw in a stop @ 1 Infinite Loop and I was even thinking about the Xerox P.A.R.C. if its still there and we can find it.

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Coit Tower

Chris Simmons — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 03:00:57 +0000

After seeing the tower on the horizon for the past couple of days we finally decided to check it out up close. It was only $5 to go to the top which is nothing compared to the Seattle Space needle or the towers in Calgary and Vancouver. It was well worth it for the panoramic views of the San Francisco…and it would be even better early morning w/ the fog or @ sunset. I’ll be back.

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San Francisco Chinatown

Chris Simmons — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 02:40:29 +0000

Good times in Chinatown

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The SF tourist circuit

Chris Simmons — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 21:12:34 +0000

Here’s a few from the city of “brotherly love” and I don’t mean Philadelphia.

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“Well if its good enough for yo mama…”

Chris Simmons — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 18:16:19 +0000

This work van was parked in Sausalito yesterday…I’d hire the guy, at least he’s got a sense of humor.

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