Recent submissions

Comment · 9 years ago
I think the optimal solution to the hiring problem requires trying out the actual relationship. It's similar to dating. Predicting the long-term success of a relationship based on a first date is sub-optimal.

A service that provides this "trial relationship" could work. When I'm looking for a new job, I could do one hour per day of real work for a few companies. After five days, both employer and prospective employee will have a better understanding of each other than a single day of interviews allows.

There's practical concerns. Companies certainly wouldn't give prospective employees full access to internal codebases or data. Companies would have to break off small tasks which could devolve into throw-away take-home assignments. Employees at the company would have to endure the annoyance of dealing with prospective hires. It might be worth it for everyone.

Comment · 9 years ago
What's the best way to have the OnStar, Car-net, etc hardware removed from the vehicle? I don't want my car connected to the fucking internet. I'm tempted to just pry out the hardware myself, but am curious if the dealer or mechanics will do it for you.
Comment · 9 years ago
The point is Snap knows how to make things people want. Contrast with GearVRs or Oculus Rifts. They're not selling for above retail on eBay.
Comment · 9 years ago
Serious question: are the growth numbers scrutinized? How exactly are they calculated? It seems like down-playing growth numbers pre-IPO could leave more room for "awesome growth" in the first few post-IPO years. Maybe switch the way the numbers are calculated at the appropriate times.
Comment · 9 years ago
None of those companies are start-ups. Companies that are truly start-ups have little to zero revenue and little to zero name recognition. The companies you mentioned have passed the start-up phase but have yet to reach the Goliath phase (Amazon, Google, etc). They all have/had escape velocity and are/were on the upwards trajectory.
Comment · 9 years ago
Another fun one: I Don't IOT
Comment · 9 years ago
I found the initial experience very compelling, too. Unfortunately, that initial thrill wears off fast. I challenge you to buy a Vive and report back in a few months with your daily usage level.
Comment · 9 years ago
The current VR/AR situation is nowhere near the iTunes app store situation when it was taking off in 2008-2010. The most notable difference is visible adoption of the technology. By 2009, non-tech peers and relatives were spending more time consuming content on their iPhones and iPod Touches than I was as a developer. You'd see more smartphones everyday just walking around.

I work in San Francisco in an office with multiple tech companies. VR/AR is about 99.9% invisible. It's occasionally mentioned by developers/gamers upon returning from GDC. Otherwise, it's completely off peoples' radars. I think the technology has potential, but claiming it's "the next iPhone" is inaccurate. It remains to be seen.

Comment · 9 years ago
Comment · 10 years ago
If the actual work is going well, you can try working under someone else, in a different department, etc. Of course, no one should be treated like this in the workplace. However, it happens because the workplace can really suck.
Comment · 10 years ago
"VR is the next platform, it's just not ready yet."
Comment · 10 years ago
I think the organization as a whole is just indifferent. Does this breach really matter to Yahoo's bottom line? They were already sold to Verizon. Most of the active users probably won't read this news. It's sad to say, but I think Yahoo as a whole just doesn't care about their users.
Comment · 10 years ago
Agree 100%. This back and forth between fully-autonomous and partially-autonomous highlights the largest obstacles for "self-driving" car adoption.

The fully-autonomous route runs head-first into the inevitable, messy problems with software: security, maintenance, feature creep, complexity, unreliable networks etc. In theory, humans could nail all of these in car software. In practice, it's highly unlikely. The software industry can't even get basic security for IoT devices right.

The human-in-the-loop route runs directly into the only problem more daunting than reliable software: human nature. Human overrides for self-driving cars that need to be activated in a timely manner will not work. The drivers won't be paying enough attention to react in sufficient time. Note that overrides add even more complexity to an already fantastically complex system.

Comment · 10 years ago
I wanted to like VR. I made a few apps, shipped a game, tried the Rift, Vive, and PSVR. My initial enthusiasm spread to friends and family. Peers purchased GearVRs and ordered cardboard. Fast forward a few years and every single one of those headsets is gathering dust. Once enthusiastic friends won't take my VR hardware for free.

I guess my primary gripe is that it's just not comfortable relative to any other form of entertainment. It's worse than reading on a phone or tablet. It's worse than playing games on a phone, console, or PC. It's worse than watching movies in the theatre. Sure, those are high bars and VR is still kinda young. But all the hype is quickly being exposed as bullshit. VR isn't catching on. Catching on looks like the iPhone in 2008-2009 or the web in the late nineties.

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