Every now and then, I rethink why the “check-in” matters to people. I wrote about it last year, and I still more or less feel the same way. What problems does a service like Foursquare solve? Clearly there’s a social aspect to it, but beyond that, it’s about discovering interesting new places to visit. DiscoveryContinue reading “Revisiting The Value of The “Check-In””
Author Archives: alexknight
Alex Knight is a creator of words, audio, and video content.
Fitbit Flex
Being fit is really important to me. This is why I, like thousands of other people, use mobile apps or dedicated hardware to keep tabs on things like daily calories burned or heart rate. On a whim, I picked up a Fitbit Flex earlier in the week. For those unaware, the Fitbit is a tinyContinue reading “Fitbit Flex”
Using 1Password And iCloud Keychain
I’ve been using iCloud Keychain in conjunction with the latest version of 1Password on Mavericks. It seems like an odd combination. Why trust Apple with my sensitive passwords and credit card information? After the failure of MobileMe and a rocky start to iCloud, isn’t it true that Apple has shown that they’re incapable of makingContinue reading “Using 1Password And iCloud Keychain”
Creativity And Innovation
Creativity and Innovation is a relatively new course offered at the Sauder School of Business at University of British Columbia. Most of their executive education courses last two days, which is perfect for a full time professional who can’t go back to school full-time. Whilst I have taken previous courses on management and process improvement,Continue reading “Creativity And Innovation”
An Interview with Mikhail Madnani
I had the pleasure of chatting with Mikhail Madnani this week. We discussed Sony’s latest announcements, why we love the PS Vita, gaming in general, and what’s in store for the future of Apple TV. Alex Knight: Tell me a little about yourself. Who are you and what do you do? Mikhail Madnani: I’m anContinue reading “An Interview with Mikhail Madnani”
Why Handheld Game Consoles Still Matter
The 80s were a fantastic era that birthed an explosive industry where games would become a new mainstream entertainment medium. 1983 was a big year when the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System) was brought to North America for the first time. It went on to revolutionize and change the entire world. First consoles came and thenContinue reading “Why Handheld Game Consoles Still Matter”
Retrospective: One Year on App.net
Exactly one year ago, I took a leap of faith and dropped $50 on a social network that had not even existed yet. At the time, App.net was trying to reach its funding goal of $500,000. Admittedly I was not one of the backers of the fundraiser. The thought of contributing money to a serviceContinue reading “Retrospective: One Year on App.net”
Initial Thoughts on Nvidia Shield
The Nvidia Shield hasn’t received a ton of attention as far as I’m aware of. It certainly looks like an interesting product in that they chose to make a hybrid between an Android phone (minus the phone part) and dedicated handheld gaming console. At first blush it seems like a trivial entry into the gamingContinue reading “Initial Thoughts on Nvidia Shield”
Piwik
I’ve been thinking about switching from Mint to Piwik lately, so I decided to give it a whirl. Installation was very straight forward and I like the fact that it’s open source and is being actively developed. The API seems far more robust than what Mint offers, and I feel more confident using it knowingContinue reading “Piwik”
The Garishness of Cover Flow
With everything I’ve seen and experienced in iOS 7, controversy be damned, Apple is once again hungry and taking risks. They are showing us, the user, and even developers where the bar is being raised to. We have come so far in the world of mobile app design in such a short period of time.Continue reading “The Garishness of Cover Flow”