Jorge Quinteros

The Fred Factor

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 14:53:00 PDT

I must have watched every single episode of The King of Queens at least a dozen times and it continues to make me laugh unfailingly with it’s comical cast but in between all the laugher, there’s one episode that made a huge impression on me. In it the main character Doug, delivers packages as a profession for a company equivalent to UPS and at one point he feels his job is diminished because co-workers see it as just a means to an end, while he holds value to what others see as ordinary.

In essence, he gains a sense of fulfillment in knowing that “the person doing the work determines the difference between the mundane and the magnificent.” Regardless of our occupation, I think we’ve all considered that we make a difference in what we do each day, in every interaction, with every decision we make and Doug was no different.

Playing along the same feeling of utility, I just finished reading a book called The Fred Factor which relates to my story and holds true to the saying that “good things come in small packages.” Mark Sanborn, a powerful speaker and motivator speaks about his neighborhood mailman Fred, who develops bonds with his customers and actually cares for others and loves his job. The question comes in why we all can’t do this and Sanborn provides the steps in how we can become a Fred too.

The book is versatile enough that the empowering principle by which is based on goes beyond the sales pitching, beyond the workplace and extending the premise to your entire life as well. Sanborn truly capture the core of what is human kindness and servitude and I consider it invaluable and essential for anyone to read. I wanted to take this time to highlight some of my favored passages and quotes in the book, which by the way it’s littered with.

“There are no unimportant jobs, just people who feel unimportant doing their jobs.”
“There is more credit and satisfaction in being a first-rate truck driver than a tenth-rate executive.”
“The more valuable you are to others—the more value you create in your work or your interactions with others—the more value will eventually flow toward you.”
“Relationship building is the most important objective because the quality of the relationship determines the quality of the product or service.”
“Convert your job into one you love, not by doing a different job, but by doing the one you have differently!”
“Everyone wants to count, to know that what he or she does each day isn’t simply a means of making a living, but “a living of making meaning.”
“The best way to grow your value is to grow yourself. Become a sponge for ideas. Take time to truly think about what you do and why you do it. So often we live our lives on autopilot, unable to distinguish between activity and accomplishment.”
“When you don’t see much meaning in what you do, you won’t bring much value to what you do.+

Purple Sunset: I don’t ever recall being so mushy about a...

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 19:28:57 PDT

Purple Sunset: I don’t ever recall being so mushy about a photograph depicting a sunset but this has to be the ultimate exception to that awareness. It’s easy to envision the time in the evening when the sun fades away but it’s another when someone manages to capture it in the most beautiful sense of the word. I’m convinced I love purple now. ( via saldous)

Mapping My iPhone Space

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:40:03 PDT

Mapping My iPhone Space: Michael Surtees put together a very interesting diagram illustrating the placement of his iPhone apps, which gives a pretty good indication in how he uses his mobile device. He’s classified each app into the following categories: Task, photo, physics, reading, sound and communication. Very encouraging to follow a similar arrangement.

"Photography for me is not looking, it’s feeling. If you can’t feel what you’re looking at, then..."

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 17:47:51 PDT

“Photography for me is not looking, it’s feeling. If you can’t feel what you’re looking at, then you’re never going to get others to feel anything when they look at your pictures.”

- My all time favorite photography quote by Don McCullin, Britain’s best and most famous war photographer. You can’t help recognize that he sincerely cares about his subjects when he captures them.

My Amazon Kindle 2

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 15:34:00 PDT

I’ll accept that I was strong in not publishing my initial impression of the Kindle 2 within the hours of receiving it and stayed true to that decision seeing that I had not established a genuine relationship with the device yet. After spending a full week relaxing, reading and effortlessly purchasing books on it, I can’t tell you how convenient this thin 10 oz piece of technology has made the subtle act of reading.

Photo by Ed McGowan

Why the purchase?

Admittedly, the high price tag of the Kindle can be a discouragement for anyone but I think much of the disapproval came from potential buyers not being able to get a tangible sense of it since Kindle sightings are still rare and the only way to get a first hand look at it is for the consumer to dish out the money first. Eventually, I oversaw that shortcoming and don’t regret it since.

In the past year, I’ve felt myself become a ruthless online reader and somewhere in between, I lost touch with having the same passion towards books and if you’re in the same plight, the Kindle I believe has the influence to turn that around. No question I enjoy reading either way but the operative word involving anything Kindle is convenience.

Hardcovers are expensive, annoying to lug around and unless it’s a reference book that you can see yourself pulling off the shelf regularly, it will do nothing but accumulate space and dust. Granted there’s still a few physical books that I would prefer to still buy but as for anything else, the ability to have them all stored in a device is incomparable. I love using the Kindle, love showing it off and if you’re an equally avid reader, you’ll have a harder time deciding which next book to purchase rather than dwelling on the price tag of a device that you’re ultimately going to put use to anyway.

What I like?

The e-ink technology on the Kindle is beyond impressive. I take pleasure being able to have the weirdest posture while hanging loose on the bed or sofa and not having to hold the device directly in front of me because from any angle, the text looks crisp and legible and doesn’t cause eye strain.

I’m big on annotating and bookmarking insightful passages on books and that in combination with searching words on the built-in dictionary works like a charm. No more the need to rely on Post-it. As an added bonus, when you plug the Kindle into the computer via USB, you can download all the annotations you’ve made in a sweet .txt format.

The portability factor goes without saying. As thin as a pencil and elegant as an iPhone. I read it anywhere and the ability to flip between three different books all varying in subject matter is remarkable and makes you the envy during those commutes.

The Kindle uses the American EVDO network, which is equivalent to the European 3G but perhaps a bit slow moving. Wi-Fi would have resolve that but at the expense of not being able to download books from everywhere, which by the way is seamless and addicting so control your temptation and wallet.

The basic black/white browser is handy but not one I’ve explored so much because for those moments that I might have to do a quick search, I place reliance on my iPhone for that.

There’s lots of great inexpensive books from independent authors, from free public domain sites and of course the beauty of not having to drive to the bookstore for a latest release is priceless. I’m really big on going through several reviews on Amazon for books I’m interested in and the availability of that feature on the Kindle Store is valuable.

Based on the direction that the industry seems to be going, I would say that a touch and colored screen would be nice. I’m fond of both options which undoubtedly would be a plus but I’m quite satisfied with where the device stands because it fulfills it’s real purpose; which is to read books.

What don’t like?

The Kindle 2 promises to hold up to 1,500 books which is enough to please your literary craving for the next 3 years but once you start uploading some tunes to it, those 2GB of built-in memory can fill up quickly (something which I have no interest in). An expandable SD slot would have been nice for those that opt to go that route.

Typically every app you launch on your iPhone, the time and date bar on top is always present. Well, the Kindle doesn’t have neither. Often you get so engrossed in your book and that any tiny attribute that would keep you grounded comes in handy.

Amazon was quick to emulate Apple where it took away a piece that was given free of charge at first but then ended up charging you for it the second time around. During it’s initial release, a leather cover accompanied the Kindle but now it’s sold separately for $29.99.

For storage reason, at one point you’re going to delete some books that you’ve already read. Not a problem because Amazon keeps a copy of it for you but what they don’t publicize is that there’s a limit to the number of times that you can download a book that you’ve purchase already. I can’t see why I would want to re-download a book but once you exceeded that limit, you’ll have to repurchase it again if you wish to have it. That’s where the whole DRM issue rears it’s ugly head.

What I would like?

When you download books to the Kindle, they’re all placed on the home section of the device. Yes, it makes it simple to select any which one but if there were a more systematic option that involved folders or drop-down menu to group each literature piece by genre would be friendly to the eye.

Reading is generally a solitary activity but it doesn’t have to be. Amazon has the potential to do what Microsoft accomplished with the gaming industry where you can build communities with other enthusiast players via Xbox Live, right from the comfort of your couch and essentially interact with them. Felix Torres describes what could lie ahead:

All they have to do is give Kindle an optional front page. Make it something like, oh, Facebook. Let Kindle users set up reading circles. Let them build communities. Talk to each other about what they’re reading, what they’ve read, Like the online features on the Amazon bookstore but closed, private. Personal. Friendly.

Is it for you?

Presuming that you enjoy reading, I would say yes. Amazon has really surpassed my expectations with the device and it’s exciting in seeing the buzz that it’s brought forth with people wanting to embrace reading again. Future releases, and speculation on the device looks promising.

On the other hand, if you’re the type of person that would just be enamored with the idea of owning a Kindle and only go through 1 or 2 books a year, then save your money.

Spezify Search Tool

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 06:25:00 PDT

Spezify Search Tool:

Spezify is a very cool search tool from which I’ve become a compulsive user of. It doesn’t just present you with endless lists of blue links that are not always too appealing to look at but instead it’s quite the visual eye candy when it finds what you’re looking for.

The search feature offers a very intuitive experience, where it snags information from all media types, such as blogs, YouTube, Twitter, Flickr, etc. Everything just communicates and helps building the bigger picture. It’s Flash based which I’ve managed to overlook so far.

If you’re heavily involved in social networks, I suggest you search your name and see what pops up.

Copy & Paste on the iPhone

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:11:09 PDT

Copy & Paste on the iPhone:

When the iPhone was introduced, one of it’s biggest setback pointed out by everyone who had already become enamored with it anyway despite it’s inadequacies, was the absence of the cut & paste feature. Of course the question was, why hadn’t Apple introduced this initially.

A way around this involved me taking notes of something I came across while browsing on the iPhone and then typing in everything back in the search field. A hassle but something I just had to conform to. With the 3.0 release, transferring text from one place to another is effortless but thinking back now about why any of this wasn’t possible to begin with has been answered by Gruber:

That we had to wait two years for the iPhone’s text selection and pasteboard is a good example of one aspect of the Apple way: better nothing at all than something less than great. That’s not to say Apple never releases anything less than great, but they try not to. It’s simply incomprehensible to some people that it might be better to have no text selection/pasteboard implementation while waiting for a great one than to have a poor implementation in the interim.

Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen ★ ★ ★ ★ ½I’ve never been one to pay attention to movie...

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 09:48:00 PDT

Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen ★ ★ ★ ★ ½

I’ve never been one to pay attention to movie critics. Yes, they get paid the big bucks, are more involved in the industry so they can perhaps provide a more cogent review of a film but the actual value of it relies entirely on the influence and impression it leaves on me as the audience regardless of anything else.

So despite the negative reviews that one of the most anticipated Blockbuster of 2009 may have received, I’ll be the supportive movie goer in telling you that Transformers 2 was completely exquisite.

There’s no question that Bay’s calling card in filmmaking is blowing things up, which is fine because in the mix of everything, he takes us places we’ve never been and it all just works.

The film is absolutely bigger and badder with its stunning CG effects, perfect combative scenes, sufficient amount of comedic relief and Michael Bay’s unparalleled access to military kit which adds startling realism to the film.

As an added bonus, it was amusing to hear the crowd clamor (mostly the guys) during Megan Fox’s first scene appearance. You’ll see what I’m talking about. Her sexy appeal in combination with the snazzy car models that the Autobots convert to is jaw-dropping. Can’t wait to get my hands on a Blu-Ray copy to scope the extra footage that is equally engaging and compulsive to watch.

"The great thing about Twitter is that there are a million different ways to both access and..."

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 03:51:07 PDT

“The great thing about Twitter is that there are a million different ways to both access and contribute to the content being shared there. The bad thing about Twitter is that there are a million different ways to both access and contribute to the content being shared there.”

- Bryan Schuetz on how Nambu may just solve the Twitter Clutter

Sporting Kindle Case

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 06:33:00 PDT

Hard Graft, an independent creative company from Austria whose approach to design is as simple and sophisticated as their products has released a Kindle edition case that has caught my eye after recently becoming an owner of the device. It’s made of 100% pure wool felt and it just looks gorgeous. On top, it also has a perfectly placed leather pocket which can hold anything from business cards, quick paper notes and even your iPhone.

Their products in general are somewhat pricey but it’s more than justified by the impeccable old-world craftsmanship that is clearly visible and I’m sure it feels as good as it looks.

I currently use the traditional black leather case sold from Amazon to carry around my Kindle 2 but I’m always paranoid of it opening somehow when I toss it in my backpack so I’m strongly considering purchasing this dapper pouch. It won’t replace my current case but it’ll serve as an additional protection and an accessory I can proudly show off.

I high suggest you browse through the rest of their product line. They have cases for everything a tech junkie could possible want. I’m talking Macbooks, iPhones and even Moleskines.

Olivia Munn: Only a handful of celebrities have ever been...

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 07:00:00 PDT

Olivia Munn: Only a handful of celebrities have ever been offered the honor of gracing the cover of Playboy without having to get naked. G4’s Olivia Munn is one to join that exclusive list in the July/August issue which already hit stands on June 19th. She’s funny, she’s well informed about everything technology and the fact that she’s attractive only enhances her popularity. She’s also confirmed via Twitter that she will be involved in the upcoming Iron Man 2 film. Look out!

"I personally know a very talented woodworker who failed miserably at business. I also know a very..."

Sun, 21 Jun 2009 14:09:13 PDT

“I personally know a very talented woodworker who failed miserably at business. I also know a very mediocre woodworker who is extremely successful at the same thing. The difference is the mediocre fella focused on running a successful woodworking business while the talented woodworker focused on just woodworking.”

- Jeff Bartelt sharing an anecdote in reference to making a living from photography and being successful at it. If you’re an avid photographer and are passionate about the craft, the physical act of going out to shoot and work will come natural to you but it’s everything else that comes along with being successful at generating income out of it that may be difficult at first without a solid foundation.
Having that photographic eye is key but equally so is the self-promotion aspect, the marketing and every little nuance that will assist you in building your business. It should undoubtedly be a healthy balance of knowing what you’re doing with the equipment and maintaining the back end so as to keep a good client base, credibility and saneness.

Miami Beach: Whether you’ve ever been to Miami or not,...

Sat, 20 Jun 2009 07:37:00 PDT

Miami Beach: Whether you’ve ever been to Miami or not, Carlos Ramos or more popularly known as Miami Fever has become an authority of documenting the full of energy and lavish aspects of the city through his photography. From luxury cars, food, architecture, night life and attractive women, I’ve been following his countless photos on Flickr that seemingly represent the city’s very drive and have been able to gain a sense of what the Miami atmosphere is like without physically being there in the moment.

A testimonial on his Flickr page best describes what to expect from literally hours of sifting through his incredible cinematic style of photographing:

“Sexy girls, fast cars, the tropical night, swimming pools, the spot lit, bikini clad, luscious thing in high heels at f/1.8.”

His natural ability to cleverly shape Miami through his lens and for us to see it through his eyes is incredible. I highly recommend you give his stream a view.

The Tumblr Effect

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 18:24:51 PDT

For me Tumblr has been an amazing platform to use because it allows users to publish random bits of inspiration and has alleviated the pain of feeling that you have to fret over writing drawn-out post to consider yourself a legitimate blogger. You can gather anything you come across online and share it instantly, regardless of what the content is since the service caters to any form of creativity you throw at it.

Even though that’s never necessarily been my approach on using Tumblr, it took Michael’s observation of the service to reinforce what I’ve been secretly feeling.

While Tumblr has done an excellent job at making it easy for people to republish content to their own audience, I can’t help but feel that they’ve neglected the creation of original content.

To the defense of the select few of blog that I attentively follow on Tumblr, these are the ones that captivate me with their mixture of intriguing original and reblogged content infused with a viewpoint on what they publish and not coming across as endless stuff in a Digg-like manner as perhaps the majority of open accounts are like.

I’ll be the first to say that it’s a little too easy having the urge to publish content haphazardly in Tumblr where the substance of the material could be stronger and so that’s the challenge I set myself to in using it where the opportunity to produce original pieces is not overshadowed by the ease of republishing just anything.

Michael Hyatt says that “publishing is a humbling reminder that none of us can determine with absolute certainty what will work and what won’t” but imagine how much more refreshing it would be if the ambition of every blogger was to get people analyzing over their pieces to guarantee that at least every entry does work.

iPhone User Facts

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 19:44:30 PDT

iPhone User Facts:

Research company ComScore recently conducted a survey highlighting socioeconomic differences between iPhone and iPod Touch users but what interested me the most was the such accurate description of me ever since I became an iPhone owner 2 years ago.

70 percent are men
50 percent surf the mobile web more than they read newspapers or magazines
More than 40 percent use mobile devices more often than their computers to browse the web
More than 40 percent spend more time on mobile web browsing than they do listening to the radio

Undoubtedly technology has played and continues to be a significant role in our lives and if this is what a small compelling device has done to the way we get our information, I can’t imagine how much more convenient things would be in the near future.

"When you start noticing that your focus is shifting away from “what can I do?” and toward “what is..."

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 05:32:15 PDT

“When you start noticing that your focus is shifting away from “what can I do?” and toward “what is valuable?” you are taking the first steps toward being less busy and more productive.”

- Mark Sheid on It Isn’t How Much You Do

Delicious Library iPhone: Olivier Charavel briefly talks about...

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 05:19:05 PDT

Delicious Library iPhone: Olivier Charavel briefly talks about his contribution to the development of the mobile version of the beautifully crafted application that takes away the hassle of finding a way of keeping track of your books, DVDs, games or music collection and centralizing them all in one place. The program undoubtedly works well, and it looks great and whenever developers invite their audience to catch a glimpse of how their application was brought into being, you establish a new found admiration for the software.

Solitary Flower: Playing around with the use of aperture to...

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 05:43:36 PDT

Solitary Flower: Playing around with the use of aperture to create an interesting shot of this lonely flower. With this photograph, rather than starting off with wanting to capture its charm, I focused more in finding a fitting background to highlight what is already apparent. (via jorgeq)

Do You Read Enough?

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 10:00:00 PDT

Do You Read Enough?:

We’re all fascinated with being informed and I typically am the kind of person who craves keeping up with current events for the purpose of feeling grounded and knowledgeable. Interestingly enough, unlike all the hurtle of commuters I come across going to work in a bustling city like New York, I personally can’t in every respect think back the last time I carried around a newspaper to feel enlighten.

Most of my reading derives from magazines I subscribe to, online newspapers and of course blogs but regardless of what medium serves as the scoop supplier, there’s one valuable piece of information from Mark Shead that I look at everyday to remind me that it’s not about how much you read but about the caliber of material that makes you feel that you’ve read something worth analyzing and subsequently added value to you.

I can tell if I’ve been reading enough high quality writing based on the number of ideas I have. For example, if I sit down to write and have a very difficult time coming up with anything to write about, it is usually a sign that I haven’t been reading enough. On the other hand, if I’ve been reading a lot of high quality content, the ideas just seem to flow.

Do you feel this way with what you currently read?

"The psychology of spending less up front and getting dinged a bit extra every month is powerful..."

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 13:47:30 PDT

“The psychology of spending less up front and getting dinged a bit extra every month is powerful stuff. “Look, it’s only $199!” Now, all of those that bought an iPhone 3G on a subsidized price get to meet the dark side of the deal. It’s up to your carrier to decide when you can get an update to the new iPhone 3GS at the subsidized price.”

- James Duncan on The Downside of Subsidized Pricing