New Years 2007 @ Brasserie NYC

Avoided the crowds, enjoyed incredible food, dined among friends... a great way to bring in the new year.

Kudos to Brasserie for putting together an exquisite affair.

Listening to Steve Wozniak, Apple Co-Founder

My wife and I just got back from Las Vegas, where we attended the U.S. Chamber of Commerce - Committee of 100. I had the opportunity to listen to the one-and-only, Steve Wozniak.

The man speaks at an amazingly rapid pace, sharing with the crowd of C-level executives candid stories of how he and Steve Jobs founded Apple together. What amazed me the most was the man's remarkable high-level of enthusiasm when describing, in detail, the events that led to the development of the Apple I & II machines. One guest in the audience described his refreshing excitement: "that of a first-grader." Yet a grade-school level of enthusiasm suits him well, seeing that he's so involved in improving elementary education in California.

Hearing "The Woz" speak so passionately about being creative and innovative really ignited a spark inside of me to make the most out of my new engineer role at Atlas. Thanks Steve!

Google Site Optimizer is Good for Some

I'm not a Google-hater by any stretch of the imagination. I marvel and am amazed at how they develop (ahem, or buy) services for small businesses. I don't have anything bad to say about their anayltics tool or site optimizer since they're based on some reputable and sound products that have proven themselves in the industry and are perfect for small businesses. Companies like the one I'm employed by can frequently be priced out-of-reach for "mom & pop" organizations who are trying to get smarter online. Kudos to Google for getting these tools into the hands of those who otherwise would be left in the dark.

So in closing, I don't think these free services are a threat to us. The clients we work with are saavy marketers who need a robust, customizable technology with a human touch as their solution.

Now Engineering at Atlas!

I am pleased to share news that I was offered a new role as Sales Engineer & Strategist (serving on a national level) for the Site Optimization team at Atlas. My new role and responsibilities sound interesting yet challenging, and I'm excited to see where this takes me.

For starters, I will focus on integrating our consultative services into the organization's product and technology-based offerings. Additionally, I'll be supporting all client-facing teams in the field, crafting our messaging and leveraging our competitive advantages, with the help of our Product Management and Marketing teams.

I Parted With My Mini Cooper

So, my Mini lives on it's life on the west coast with it's proud new owner. I suppose that I'm a tad jealous — I always aspired to move to California. Yet the car goes without me. Sigh... the injustice!

Is Usability Testing About to Change?

In this month's User Interface Design Update Newsletter, Susan Weinschenk, Ph.D., CUA, asks "Is usability testing as we know it about to radically change?" Her debate compares and contrasts automated testing (bad guys) vs. human-operated tests by a usability engineer. Weinschenk answers 5 poignant questions in the article, and while the data was for the most part the same for both the automated and the in-person test, "the usability expert found on average 13 additional usability problems that were not identified in the automated condition". Big score for the good guys! Well worth a read for usability junkies...

Settling into our "Itty Bitty" apartment...

To answer the burning question: we chose Great Neck. There's still boxes to unpack, painter's tape to be pealed off, counter tops to be installed and furniture to be delivered (did I mention our sofa didn't fit?). Ahh, the joys of moving. I've managed to setup shop for my Powerbook upon an old console table, positioned along one of our newly painted walls (the chair rail molding we installed looks stunning). And our recent literary purchase of "The Itty Bitty Kitchen Handbook" by Justin Spring, should help us get our small kitchen in order in no time. Now, if we only had room for the dining table. Sigh.

Apartment Search: From Brooklyn to Great Neck

In an effort to get closer to civilization, Jen and I have been searching for a new apartment in neighborhoods that we've always admired: Brooklyn and Great Neck. Both communities offer a vibrant night life, great dining, short commute into Manhattan and all ammeneties within walking distance.

Our Brooklyn search began in Bay Ridge and Park Slope, with a beautiful find of a brownstone in the latter. As a matter of fact, we loved the place so much that we left a deposit... on the spot. We've got to thank Mary at Aguayo & Huebener for showing us around!

But Brooklyn poses some challenges, such as parking (for our new car), storage, a sizable monthly financial commitment and most of all, an impossible daily commute to Long Island for Jen. Great Neck just seems like a better value, a shorter leap (distance), and offers more realisitic opportunities for us to purchase in the near future.