CES 2013 - The Future in Our Lifetime

I'm just back from a week in Vegas, where I attended the Consumer Electronics Show, for the second year in a row.

AT&T Developer Conference

On Monday, I attended the AT&T Developer Conference. Some of the tracks were very interesting, including AT&T announcing support for WebRTC - an HTML5 standard that allows screen sharing and video conferencing from within your browser (currently supported in Chrome 23 and FF 18 - IE and Safari are still no-shows); or the extended support for NFC and security; or the announcement of a free developer tool called ARO (Application Resource Optimizer) that scans mobile app's code, and recommends optimized use of network, space and other resources.
But I really liked the hackathon winner: Ruggero from Italy developed, in 24 hours, a headband that "reads your mind" and if it feels you're otherwise engaged (i.e. talking, or stressed) it redirects all incoming calls directly to voicemail. He said he'd be working on the other side of it - not letting you call certain people (your boss, your wife) if it feels you're in an agitated mood. He appeared in stage with a single cat ear on his headband :). Here's his pitch:

The event was finished with several club party, and a killer The Killers concert.

Here are some of the pictures I took during the conference:

And then, it was time for the real CES...

3D Printing hitting the big time

I saw 3D printers last year at CES, but this year they were everywhere, they were printing tons of intricate products, and they were more affordable (relatively speaking).

This innovation, more than anything else I saw, gives me a hope for seeing the future, as predicted by Star Trek's replicator, in my life time: A future in which we could all just print what we need at home (from screws, to electronics, to cloths, and maybe - one day - food). We'll just be paying for the materials (whether it's resin or proteins) and the designs. Some companies already put in place a service model, allowing you to send them your design, and they ship you the final product. One of them was Sculpteo which won a 2013 Innovation Award for their iPad app that allows you to design items like an iPhone case - from your tablet.

Everything's Connected

Another trend that developed over the year is to connect everything to the web. Samsung announced the Galaxy camera: a 21x zoom digital camera, running Android 4.1 (including all apps), connected over 3G/WiFi - a reversal of a typical Android phone with camera. Others showed watches, pedometers and speakers that were connected. I liked Monster's approach to making Bluetooth pairing simpler. We all had those awkward pairing experiences. With the Monster Beats speakers you use your phone's NFC to tap the speaker - and you're done. iPhone users need not apply (at least until the idiots in Cupertino decide that NFC is "magical, wonderful and amazing").

Robots

Robots were everywhere in the show, whether dancing like Michael Jackson, sweeping the floor (a-la Roomba) or giving you a back rub.

For $299, you could buy robots similar to ones used by the police and the army. Put a tablet/phone on them, and you can control the robot from another tablet/phone, see other rooms, and communicate with people remotely. Some models can even climb stairs, and some can take AK47 rounds and continue to function:

Another type of robot I got to see up close was the smart flying AR drone. I first saw them in this TED lecture video a year ago (a must watch). Now I actually got to see them in action. They can fly in intricate formations, flip in mid air, carry out exact tasks, and map indoor locations.

But to my eyes, it was easy to imagine how easy it'd be to replace the camera with a gun.
Bringing to mind this TED lecture about the ethics of using robots in battle.

My "best in show"

What struck me was how about 80% of this year's CES was exactly the same as last year's. The same cables/boxes/speakers/headphones/phone cases/etc. manufacturers were there - with the same stuff they showed last year, and the year before.
TVs were bigger and sharper. 3D was 3d-ier. Tablets and phones were slightly faster. Laptops were thinner. But mostly, it was boring to stroll through more of the same.

Still, here are my favorites of this year's CES, other than the aforementioned 3D printers:

1. ASUS Taichi - a dual 1080p monitor ultrabook. Close the laptop lid, and you get a tablet. And 2 people can use it at the same time! Problems I foresee: battery life with 2 monitors, the external monitor getting scratched, and the price point (rumored to be $1600 for the 13")
2. AfterShokz - open ear headphones, using bone conduction technology to get the sound directly into your head. They're safer (your ears remain free), the sound is clearer, and they do not harm your hearing. There were several companies showing this technology, but these cost just $69 on Amazon (or $99 for the Bluetooth model)
3. Liquipel - one of the many water repelling technologies I saw demonstrated. Coat anything with this stuff, even a tissue paper, and water won't be able to touch it. Allows immersing your phone/device in water for up to 30 minutes.
4. SafePlug - a power socket that does not allow electricity through, unless the plug inserted has a a specific RFID tag. Think of a baby pushing a fork into this socket...and nothing happens. As a side effect, all such sockets in the house can be remotely controlled from an iPad app. I'm hoping they'll call me when they decide to build the Android app :)
5. Basis - a watch that includes a pedometer and a heart and sweat sensors. Along with a cool-looking app, it'll monitor your health, exercise goals and sleep behavior. It costs $200 and looks a bit thick for my taste - but I'm sure next year's model will be thinner :)
6. Panasonic 20" 4k tablet - to call this monstrosity a tablet is to call a MAC truck a compact.
   At 20", running Windows 8 for 2 hours of battery life at 4k resolution, this would probably be used by designers, architects and showroom personnel
   

Here are some of the photos I took over the week (pardon the quality, they were snapped mostly on my phone, as I got tired of carrying my camera):

And that's it for CES 2013. Already registered for next year's. See you in Vegas, 1/7-10/2014!

Scotland

I just returned from a week-long tour of Scotland, and boy, I wish I could have made it longer. It's one of the best and easiest countries to visit, in my opinion; full of amazing things to do and see, as well as some of the nicest people I ever met.

It all started when I ended up with a canceled plane ticket that I had to use within a year. But since it was a very busy year (a new startup - check out ExPOS, if you haven't already), I left the decision to literally the last month. By then, most of the destinations I wanted were over the ticket's limit. Iwanted to visit Scotland for the last 7 years. I've been all over the UK, Ireland and N. Ireland, literally on the border with Scotland, but never got to visit it. Now I had my chance.

I convinced my pilot friend Ohad to join me on this trip. Due to the short schedule, we haven't done all our homework. We did book hotels as anchor points, but decided to improvise some of the trip's contents. And I don't regret the results: I got to see most of what I planned to, leaving ample reason to return again in the future. Here's a short list of what we did, along with some pictures and recommendations:

Day 1

After landing at Glasgow airport and picking up the only automatic car Hertz had (I can drive shift, but shifting with my left hand is another issue all together), we headed for the city of Stirling. Full of history, with a nice town center, we had lunch and proceeded to Stirling castle. 

Stirling castle

The place is full of history and interesting things to see and do. It also hosts some museums covering history, archaeology and military. The vistas from the castle walls is amazing, showing Stirling, the fields, the river and the  William Wallace monument. This is where, with a little planning, we could have saved some money. Apparently you can buy a ticket that covers entry to all the castles we later visited  saving us not only money, but time standing in line. I highly recommend pre-purchasing such a ticket online prior to your visit, if you plan on visiting castles in Scotland.

A short car ride brings you to the William Wallace monument. You can't miss it - it's a tall tower on a high hill.

William Wallace monument

We opted to walk up the hill to the tower (you can take a van) and started climbing the narrow, circular stairs. Every landing has a small museum with more information about William Wallace, his achievements and his death, including a chilling multimedia presentation of his trial. William Wallace was immortalized in Mel Gibson's movie "Braveheart", which doesn't sit well with the Scottish. You see, "Braveheart" was actually the nickname of the king Robert the Bruce, not of Wallace's himself. And the movie is full of other mistakes, as every Scottish tour guide would be glad to specify. However you stand on the matter, it was an interesting visit.

We haven't calculated the distance we had to climb well, and with every landing, we were sure we reached the top. 246 stairs later, we have, and it was well worth it! The top of the tower is open and affords 360 degree views of the area.

From there, we continued up north to the Highlands and Cairngorm park. We booked a hotel at the center of the park, near a little town called Aviemore.

Photos from day 1 - Stirling

Day 2

We took the funicular up to Cairngorm mountain - the 6th tallest in the UK - to look at the whole park. You can also walk up, if you so choose. We saw lochs and glens all around us, and decided to visit a couple.

Cairngorm park and the Higlands from the top of Cairngorm mountain

We started with the largest, Loch Morlich. You can sail across, rent a boat or canoe, or just swim. We decided to walk around it. While the trail sometimes leaves the shore of the lake, it's easy to find again by just looking towards the water. It affords great views of the lake, flora and fauna. We've seen hikers, joggers, and cyclists on the trail. But mostly, we've seen vista like this:

Loch Morlich

It took 2.5 hours to circle the lake - about 5.5KM, if memory serves.

From there we continued to the town of Aviemore for a spot of lunch. From there we continued to a smaller loch called Loch an Eilein - the lake of the island. In the middle of the lake, on an island, stand the ruins of a small castle with some interesting history.

Loch an Eilein's island

We also got to see some Highland cows, which sadly did not wait around to be photographed. These are big furry animals, fed on grain left from whiskey distillation process - making them the happiest cattle on Earth, I guess.

Highland cow (taken from Google Images)

Photos from day 2 - Cairngorm park

Day 3

We decided to attend some Highland games and found that Clan McPhereson held their annual gathering at the town of Newtonmore, just beyond the park's border. It was a glorious sunny day and the games turned into a great happening, with clan members arriving from all corners of the Earth. It gives them a chance to meet and wear their traditional kilts and suits. And of course, compete.

Kayleigh competition

Some of the games are traditional athletics, such as running, jumping etc. But some are unique to the Highlands: bagpiping, Kayliegh dancing, Caber toss, and the Scottish hammer. We got good seats and pretty soon found someone to cheer for.

Caber toss

After sampling some of the local whiskeys, we headed to the closest distillery, the Dalwhinnie. After learning about the distillation process and sampling some more of the fine fire-water, I was disappointed to find out that one large company now owns most distilleries in Scotland and that the distillery's store now sells single malts from all of them - putting aside years of rivalries and claims for excellence. From what I've learned, all single malts are made from the same 3 ingredients (barley, water and yeast) and the only differences between them are the water quality and the length of the process.

W continued down the winding road to Loch Laggan, but the nagging rain ruled out a walk. 

By the way, if you don't like rain - stay away from Scotland. It rains all year long (even if the temperature remains warm). As I was told by at least 3 different people (which makes it an official Scottish joke,  I guess): "Summer? oh yeah, that was last week. We called it Wednesday".
The second famous Scottish saying is: "it's not rain, it's liquid sunshine" :)

Photos from day 3 - Highland games

Day 4

Today we headed up to Inverness, the Ness river and Loch Ness. There's a highly recommended museum at the village of Drumnadrochit, explaining the history of the loch and the "monster" sightings. It explains how even you can mistake something on the loch for a monster's neck - a point that was driven home when I later took this picture of a duck on the lake:

The Loch Ness (duck) monster rears its head

We took a cruise of the lake. It is quite deep and gets very deep very close to shore. The loch looks very mysterious, with mist coming down from the hills, and Urquhart castle overlooking it.

Mist on Loch Ness

You can feel the history and the weirdness of the locale, driving people to believe in the loch's supernatural qualities, as far back as the 6th century.

Urquhart castle overlooking Loch Ness

 We proceeded to visit Urquhart castle itself - well worth the visit, as you learn about life at the castle and the several battle held and lost there.

We then proceeded to drive down to Edinburgh - Scotland's capital - through a torrential rain.

Photos from day 4 - Loch Ness and Urquhart castle

Day 5

We reached Edinburgh in time for the Fringe festival: the streets were choke full of street performers and people giving out leaflets for their shows. Here's one, where a husband and wife, tied to a post, try to convince the audience to take their side in an argument:

Who's right? Husband, or wife? Edinburgh Fringe Festival

We took a walking tour of the city, and saw many of the interesting spots in old town. We then proceeded to the National museum and learned a bit more about Scotland's history and contributions to the world, including a nice communications exhibition, Dolly the cloned sheep and some old vehicles. The roof of the museum provides great vistas of Edinburgh and the castle.

Dolly the sheep at the National Museum, Edinburgh

We previously purchased tickets to the Military Tattoo - the world's most famous military parade, held at Edinburgh castle annually. I recommend buying those online well in advance as good seats run out fast. Although by the time of the show it rained cats and dogs, we enjoyed a great show. Here's a video of the Swiss drum corpse, called "Top Secret" performing one of the best parts of the show:

Photos from day 5 - Edinburgh and Military Tattoo

Day 6

Today we took the time to tour Edinburgh castle in full - a 3-4 hours trip. Prepare for a 45 minutes wait for the ticket line (again, order tickets on the internet to avoid). Another great castle, with tons of history and things to see and do.

Edinburgh Castle

There are actors re-enacting some of the castle's famous inhabitants, such as a very funny audience we had with "Queen Mary" and her castelan at the castle's great hall.

An audience with "Queen Mary" is granted

And with that, we headed west to Glasgow, to prepare for our separate trips back home the following morning.

Photos from day 6 - Edinburgh castle

Map

View Scotland Trip in a larger map

The tech corner

But this post can't be complete without adding some tech to the travel. A week prior to my trip, I bought a Google Galaxy Nexus phone. At the time of the writing, it's the first and only phone to support penta-band GSM radio, and Jelly Bean (Android 4.1). It cost $350 and comes unlocked, with the promise it would work everywhere on Earth. And it delivered big time.

At Stirling I bought a local SIM card for a provider called '3' for 15 pounds ($22). I got a month of unlimited 3G data and 300 minutes of talk. This allowed me to use the phone as a GPS everywhere, use it's tethering capabilities to get internet service for my iPad, and use Skype to call peoples' phone in the US and Israel. All in all, much better than what other cell providers here call "roaming" (and I call extortion).

Another great feature of the phone is panoramic shooting. If you look at the albums mentioned above, you can see some images like this:

Panoramic view of Edinburgh

Do yourself a favor: get an unlocked phone, get a pre-paid, no-subscription program with data (this phone, for example, works with AT&T and T-Mobile in the US, and any other network on Earth) and use a local SIM card wherever you travel. Much cheaper than the alternative, and you are not bound to greedy, outdated corporations.

The State of the Nook

I've already mentioned how I think the B&N Nook Color is the best, most cost efficient tablet out there right now. At under $200 (if you get a brand new one on eBay, or even a factory refurbished one), you get a device that can run Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) remarkably well, and even a hacked version of Honeycomb.

What I want to describe in this post is the further steps you can take to get more out of your Nook.

Step 1: get a better ROM
Whatever phone or tablet you get, you can safely assume the OS installation (commonly known as ROM) you got with it contains some stuff that you could do without. Whether it's stock applications that your mobile provider tries to push on you, or some OS features that they locked out "for your own good".

For Android, there's no better alternative ROM then CyanogenMod. Not only does it free your Android, it also add extra features like themes, CPU overclocking and various widgets. It's supported on almost 30 devices (find out if yours is on the list) and installed with the aid of a micro SD card, that all devices support. It does requires some expertise to install, but the site contains step-by-step guides.

I came across Maurice Mongeon's blog, dedicated to improving your Nook. This particular post discusses how to deploy a CM nightly build and he has several other helpful ones, including instructions on how to restore your Nook to its original state (nice if you intend to return or resell it). Not only is the blog helpful, but Maurice helped me to fix some issues and even recommended some great apps to get more out of the Nook. Thanks Maurice!

Step 2: get some apps
Here's a list of apps I currently have on my Nook, all of which you can get from the Android Market (with the exception of Netflix, see note below).
1. Utilities
    1. ES File Explorer - best file manager
    2. Gemini app - task manager
    3. Gemini Task killer widget - cleans memory with 1 click
    4. Dropbox
    5. PocketCloud - VNC client
    6. Terminal Emulator - terminal into Android
    7. ConnectBot - SSH client
    8. Titanium Backup - backup all your apps and settings
    9. Wifi Analyzer - find the strongest signal
    10. Speed Test - test Wifi connection speed
    11. Shark - network sniffer
    12. Keepass Android - password vault
    13. Hacker Keyboard - full keyboard, with all special keys and TAB
    14. Battery widget - see battery % on main screen
2. Hacks
    1. ROM Manager - install new ROMs
    2. Battery Caliberation - calibrate battery after ROM installation
    3. Nook Screen Recalibrate - after every ROM installation
    4. Nook tweaks - speed, audio and USB host
    5. ClockSync - atomic clock synch for WiFi
3. Media
    1. CNN
    2. Aldico - multiple format book reader
    3. ACV - best comic book reader out there
    4. Nook - well, you did buy a Nook :)
    5. Kindle - Amazon's book app
    6. Evernote - share notes across devices
    7. MoboPlayer - media player
    8. Pandora - music service
    9. Tunein radio - bettr than an FM receiver
    10. HD wallpaper - get a new one every day
    11. Netflix - stream movies from Netflix
    12. IMDB
    13. Youtube
    14. Amazon MP3
4. Social and shopping
    1. LinkedIn
    2. Gh4a
    3. Google+
    4. Twitter
    5. Meetup
    6. WootWatch
    7. Amazon
    8. eBay
    9. NewEgg
    10. Wiki Encycloopedia


To use Netflix on your Nook, follow these easy steps:

1. Download the app "Nook Color Odds and Ends"
2. Select EMMC>fix netflix and reboot the device.
   This basically will change the device name in you Nook's props file to a device Netflix supports
3. Download the Netflix apk (currently 1.2.2 - search for newer ones)
4. Run it and log in
5.  If you like doing things manually, or understand how things work, read this article.

Step 3: get some hardware
Like all other tablets, the Nook is great for consuming media, less so for producing media. Well, not anymore.

App #4 on the "Hacking" apps list allows you to turn on "USB Host" mode. What it means is that with the help of a simple USB plug (less than $3 on Amazon), you can connect any USB device (keyboards, mice, cameras) to your Nook.

I already had an HP wireless media keyboard (got it for less than $20 3 months ago). It has a built in mouse, a tiny USB connector and several multimedia shortcut keys.

Finally I got a tablet stand to prop up my Nook - and Tada! Instant mini laptop.
The Android OS supports keyboards and mice easily, and even some of the multimedia keys (volume, start/stop) work in some of the apps.
This album contains photos of all pieces of hardware mentioned.

I actually managed to write this post in the Android Blogger app on the Nook, and upload photos from my phone. My favorite use for the Nook right now is taking notes at meetups and classes directly into Evernote. I can always access and edit them later on my laptop.

East Coast Android

The last 3 weeks I went back on the road for some family visits. I did manage to squeeze some tech in the form of my “new” Android phone.
[in this post, clicking a photo will take you to the full album]

I started by flying out to Montreal. I lucked out and got there while they were having one of those perfect summer weeks. I had an amazing day at the farmers market, and the park, watching a group of Brazilian drummers and an encounter with a raccoon who just didn’t take no for an answer.

From there, we drove down to NY, spent the night and continued to Stamford, CT for a big family gathering. I saw some relatives from all over the US I haven’t seen in years. Fun was had by all.

At that point in time I bought an Android phone on eBay. My small Comet was running through its battery to fast and it’s screen was a bit too small to get the full Android experience. I also became a bit disenfranchised with the virtual keyboard (even when it uses Swype – which is a step in the right direction) and started yearning for my Blackberry real keyboard days.


I therefore opted for the T-Mobile G2 (also known as the HTC Desire), that has both virtual and physical keyboards. It also supports the T-Mobile 4G network, that worked great for me throughout the trip. I got it for $220 and T-Mobile immediately unlocked it for me, so it can be used worldwide.

I actually left AT&T after being with them since 2004 because they wouldn’t unlock an Android phone and actually had some of the stock Android options (like applications source – needed for private and Amazon apps, and tethering) locked out in their ROM. I mean, if I buy a phone, I get to decide what it can or can’t do, not a network. So goodbye AT&T – call me back when you’ve bought a clue.

I’m glad to report the transfer was quick and painless – I got to keep my number, my Google Voice was oblivious to the change, and I even got a refund from AT&T – they sent me a check for $1.83 .

So when I hit those hotels along the way with a verrrry slow internet connection (I’m talking to you, Hilton hotels – all of you in the US. The ones in London have such high speed, I’d like to live in them permanently), I pulled out my G2 and used it as a wireless hotspot (make sure you sign for the “unlimited” package first). Speed was 3-5Gbit, and I managed to watch Netflix files on the device as well.

The battery runs out fast when streaming and the solution I found was to spend $11 on a 3500mAh battery at DealExtreme (free shipping). Yes, it makes the phone more cumbersome, but at more than 2.5 times the original battery, you can do more and recharge your phone once every 3 days.

One pet peeve I have with Android’s way of treating batteries (other than the way it drains them quickly with all those needless services running in the background), is the power alerts. Android issues an alert at 20%, 10%, 15% and 5% of power, finally starting a shutdown at around 3%. The problem is: it does it by percentages, not actual left power. Case in point: with the original 1300 mAh battery, a 10% alert means you have less than 130 mAh left. But with the 3500 mAh one, you still have 350 mAh left, which is almost 30% of the original. And 3% of 3500 should still be enough for several more hours. Just one more way statistics are lying to us.

From Stamford we continued to a weekend in Boston. Sadly, we got rained in for most of it, but we did get to tour the Boston Commons and the downtown area. Since it was the day before the final Stanley Cup game between Boston and Vancouver, all the statues were dressed with Bruins jerseys.I wonder what would George Washington say about this



From there we continued to Cambridge and got a tour of Harvard from an old friend who studies there. There’s a tradition kept by tourists, that if you touch the left shoe of John Harvard’s statue, you get accepted to Harvard.



This tradition, according to my host, has 3 main flows:

1. John Harvard was not the founder of Harvard’s university – it existed several years before he arrived
2. This statue is not of John Harvard – no one know what he looks like so the artists just improvised
3. The fraternity kids tend to tank up on beer, piss on the left shoe of the statue and stand in the windows laughing their asses off as tourists touch the shoe

So all in all, another tourist trap – literally .

From Boston, we continued back south to NY, with one night stop at Hartford (another slow networked Hilton – for shame). After a brief visit with my sister, I flew back to SFO, utilizing some of my Continental points to boot myself to first class on a United flight. This was one of those 3-class flights, so 1st just made me want to stay on the plane and continue to Australia.

And to end this post on a celebratory note, I attended the 4th of July concert at Shoreline Amphitheater for the 3rd year in a row. It was nice as always, this being the 100th year of the SF Symphony, who performed well. I took some shots of the fireworks and 2 videos, one of Jon Miller, the SF Giants anchor, performing the poem “Casey at the bat” and the other of the E.T. theme by John Williams. Several hours later I got an email from youtube notifying me I may be violating copyrights. So, hopefully the videos are still there.

36 Hours at the Hackathon

Last weekend I took part in the Muther of all Hackathons at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View. The goal was to come up with a new mobile app within 24 hours. The apps are then judged in several categories and awarded prizes by the sponsors. They apps can be useful, novel, look nice, or just promote a certain sponsor’s pet technology, to win.

I got to CHM at 8:30am Friday morning with no idea what I'll be doing next. I sat through several sessions on the state of the mobile industry, the various mobile platforms and their disparity and various predictions that Android and Windows Phone 7 will drink Apple’s iOS milkshake by 2015.

But the real fun started after lunch: people divided into 2 groups: people with app ideas looking for developers for their team, and developers looking for a team to join. Every team could consist of no more than 4 people, serving as developers, designers, or product managers – often all at the same time.
I had several app ideas, but decided to shelve them and added my name to the 2nd list. That’s how I found Mark. Mark is a volunteer firefighting pilot and he had an idea for an app that will warn people of their proximity to wildfires, and allow them to communicate with each other and with first responders. The app was pitched as a not-for-profit app, with the sole purpose of saving lives. I was sold immediately.

I met Le, who already helped Mark win an earlier Android competition. We went over the available app categories and decided to develop a cross-platform mobile app and enter in as many we could. This entire hackathon was promoting mobile web development, as a mean to bridge the platform disparity gap. We decided to use PhoneGap as our main library, with jQuery and jQuery Mobile as the UI layer.

We found a corner, opened our laptops and started writing code.
We still needed a UI/UX designer. Those were snatched up fast all around us, but we were lucky and managed to get Marco on our team. He immediately set to work building a UI that will be clear, simple, work on all platforms, but most importantly, be useable to a person who sees fire approaching him. Team DisasterRadio was complete.

From right: Mark, Marco, Le and me at the CHM Hall of Fellows

We ran into multiple issues and problems throughout the night: this web solution is still young, and most libraries we used were in either alpha or beta stages. Internet forums are full of bug reports similar to the ones we encountered. But we had a race against the clock, so we cut corners.

Some of our issues were not technological: since our app shows data from a real time feed of fire reports, we had to make sure we can show a real live fire. Since fire conditions changed every several hours, we “froze” a fire into our demo. We took one of the real fires that raged in Arizona, dubbed “Wallow Fire” and saved its data to our server. And while our application uses geo-location to locate the user and fires around him, there were no fire around Mountain View, so we set our demo user in the town of Springerville, AZ – several miles north of the Wallow fire.

Our app allows the user to communicate with people around him through twitter, by using the fire’s name as a hash tag. We assumed that the first person to twit about the fire would create that hash tag and we played with it a bit. But we soon realized fires already have names and tags assigned to them by the fire department, so all the test twits using hash tag #wallowfire went into the real feed of actual people and firefighters around the fire. We stopped that immediately and faked our twits on top of the live twit feed in the app.

We worked all night, stopping once in a while to push coffee and Red Bull into our systems. The only thing I deeply regretted was not bringing a long-sleeved shirt – it got so cold later. The great hall was peppered with small air mattresses, and some people took turns at grabbing a few hours of sleep. But I reasoned that if I take 3-4 hours of sleep, I’ll be even more tired when I get up, so I decided to power through. And I wasn’t alone. The team worked hard all night and when dawn rose, we had a working prototype, with a final design.



We spent the rest of the morning making sure that the app worked well on an iPhone, an iPod an Android phone and finally, on an HP WebOS TouchPad, that the HP team was kind enough to loan us. We also compiled our app to work with appMobi – a cloud solution for cross-platform mobile development. At this point, we started faltering a bit. Due to tiredness, pressure and inherent issues in the technologies, we ran into issues, regressions and at one time, I merged a file wrong and went back a version. But we kept our eye on the prize (and the other on the clock) and at noon o Saturday, we nearly achieved our goal.

Our last snag, occurring few minutes before noon (the official deadline), was that the TouchPad stopped showing the map. I rushed to the HP expert table and the very helpful dude confirmed they have had problems displaying Google maps and suggested some solutions. We had no time to implement those, so we just took a screenshot of our map and pasted it in WebOS .
There were a couple of presentations after lunch, but frankly, no one was listening. People who had been hacking through the night struggled to stay awake and practiced their presentations. The random order put us 2nd in line to demo. There were supposed to be 45 demoed apps.

Our demo went without a hitch. We had 2 minutes to pitch and we used them fully. We demoed Wildfire on 5 devices at the same time: iPhone, Android, iPod, TouchPad and as a web site on my Mac. All in all, being a recent arrival to the mobile app development arena, I couldn’t believe we accomplished all of this in 24 hours.

Demoing the app

We sat through the rest of the demos. Some people decided to present more than one app, and we got 60 demos instead of the 45 scheduled. The judges became lax with the rules: some people took muuuch longer than the allotted 2 minutes per pitch. Some didn’t have their app ready and just used PowerPoint slides – a big no-no. Some just came from home with a readymade app (a pair of developers that demoed an app – I shall not name it here) actually demoed the same app 2 weeks before at an Android app meetup. Basically, at that point I could have whipped out armodello and demoed it, competing for an augmented reality prize, if I wanted.

Waiting for the judges' decision

At around 5pm, after 33 sleepless hours, the demos ended and the judges took some time to render their decisions. We all sat together, waiting for each judge to pick his best 3 candidates.
We won 2nd place from HP (we each got a new Veer 4G phone and a Dr. Dre Beats Studio headphones) and a 2nd place from appMobi ($250 for the team). Joe from appMobi actually whipped out a wad of bills and paid everyone on the spot.

Winning appMobi prize. Joe from appMobi holding cash

The grand winner was Air Guitar Move – an app that uses a unique piece of hardware, shaped like a guitar pick, to turn your iPhone into an air guitar. I have to admit, it is a very cool app and I enjoyed playing with it during one of the breaks. And it certainly was the most exciting one shown, but (you knew there was a but coming), it was definitely not built during the night or on premises.

Winners of Muther - group shot

I finally left at around 6:30pm and managed the drive home on sheer adrenaline. I hit my bed like a sack of potatoes at 8pm on Saturday – 36 hours after the weekend started. Haven’t done that for a while. Still, it was a great fun. I was taken back to my university days of finishing a project the night before it was due, and my army days, when we hacked at night and fixed really big problems, consuming coffee and stale cookies to stay awake (my record then was 48 hours straight).

And I learned that even though I progressed to “management”, I still “had it” – I can sit down in front of a blank screen, with a ticking clock, and deliver a working solution. And even though I’ve been working on my own for several years now, I still enjoyed working with a team, especially one so talented.

I would like to thank Mark, Le and Marco for turning this weekend into a great experience and I’d very much love to build a for-profit app with you all - any time.
Also, thanks to Tony from appMobi for jumping in at the last minute to assist with some issues we’ve encountered. And thanks to Caroline and Carlo from WIP for putting this even together. Caroline said the next such event will take place in Brazil. Hmm, haven’t been there yet…

For more shots from Muther, go to my album, or fitml’s flickr.
Also, here’s a review of the entire event on WAPReview.