Like countless other Verizon MiFi users, I’ve been having terrible disconnect issues with the MiFi when it’s in WiFi mode (it works fine in modem mode, but I hate modem mode – in WiFi mode you can share the connection with 5 users and you don’t need to be running the VZ software, so it’s much more usable… except for this vexing issue where the MiFi would disconnect & then reconnect from the VZ...

As part of my Fundraising Cribsheet series of blogs to help entrepreneurs raise money more quickly and efficiently, I interviewed today George Zachary, a Venture Capitalist with Charles River Ventures.  CRV is very well known out here in Silicon Valley, as is George, who’s been in the business for 15+ years. Previously, I interviewed Naval Ravikant of AngelList, and interviewed Shai Goldman of Silicon Valley Bank, and I...

Yesterday Shai Goldman of Silicon Valley Bank hosted and moderated a fundraising panel for the popular SD Forum organization, a Bay area non-profit created to foster innovation, entrepreneurship and leadership within the Silicon Valley ecosystem. As somebody new to the Bay area myself, I was flattered to be invited by Shai to be a panelist, along with Ken Singer, the CEO of Ondeego, which recently raised $3.3MM. The result was a lively...

A reminder of how awesome the lowly 3 way power plug adapter my wife and I carry in our bags can be.  We were at LAX today and all the charging ports were full.  We each whipped one out and had a few new friends in no time.  You can find these for about $1 at any hardware store.  Makes me wonder why companies don’t give branded versions out at CES – maybe we’ll do that this year.  Who wants...

Today I attended the GigaOm Bunker Session titled “Is App TV Coming Next?“ If you know me, you know that I believe strongly in capturing content.   I believe that within 20 years, humanity will be capturing most, if not all, of its content.  To me, it’s a shame that we produce content which then gets lost, only to be stored inside the heads of the people who where physically present.  If we’re ever to make a...

I’ve been meaning to write this post for a while now, and a recent post by Bill French of iPadCTO spurred me into action. It’s been interesting to experience the changing definition of an “app”. The most popular definition of an “app” is native software that typically runs on a smartphone, and most commonly the iPhone.  It’s compiled software built using ObjectiveC in X Code, an Integrated...

I just sat down with Shai Goldman, a Director at Silicon Valley Bank.  My interview with Shai is the second in a series of interviews I’m doing to help entrepreneurs raise funds in the Valley.  (The first one was with Naval Ravikant of AngelList)  As someone who’s new to the valley myself, I’ve found the experience to be interesting, engaging and yet complicated in very subtle ways.  I’m hoping...

I’ve written before about the importance of playing a computer like an instrument. Now, I’m challenging anyone to beat me in the F1 GeekSpeed Challenge. Here’s how it works: You start with all applications closed on your computer (Mac or PC) The “racetrack” is a specific series of tasks you have to complete.  You follow the instructions below exactly, and screencast yourself doing it. Your finishing time is...

I get people all the time who tell me they’d like to be entrepreneurs.  Often they have this wistful look in their eyes, as if to say “I would but…” and the “but” is often the list of obligations that is keeping them from doing it.  Family.  Mortgage.  Kids.  Job. Etc. I’ve devised a litmus test to help those people, and anyone else, figure out if they really do have what it takes to be an...

The AppMakr party is sold out (300 people), but we’re offering 10 extra VIP tickets for HackerNews readers (my favorite news site, check it out) Please just leave a comment on this post (make sure to include your email when you register) and I’ll put you on the VIP list. We’ll have the World Series on a big screen, and our office is directly across from AT&T park, where the World Series is being held.  The game will...