Shea Laughlin — caffeine, ramblings, and tech

2017… Let’s do this

February 1, 2017

Today is February 1st, 2017. I didn’t write or post a single thing on here for the month of January. To be honest, I didn’t know what to write; including the Weekly Review. I don’t even know if I should continue with the Weekly Review…

However, here’s what I do know. 2017 is going to be a great year filled with:

Travel (Living Mile by Mile) – So far, 26/50 states!
Photography (Instagram) – 2017 is going to be there year of photography for me. Not only am I making more time for photography, but I’m also trying to up my game by posting more images on a more frequent basis.
Entrepreneurship – I’ve posted about being a wantrepreneur but now it’s time to make this happen. There are a couple irons in the fire but it’s time to start shipping!
SheaLaughlin.com – I don’t know what’s going to happen with this site or what direction I’m going to take it just yet. Until then, I’ll continue to randomly post.

January is now over, there’s 11 months left in the year, and that’s plenty of time to be productive and start shipping!

Weekly Review – 12/18/2016

December 18, 2016

Happy Holidays! Guess what, it was almost -20 degrees Fahrenheit this morning here in Minnesota. Yeah, still inside sipping on some coffee.

6 Science-Backed Reasons Coffee Drinkers Are Healthier Than Other People [Article] – Maybe it’s time to drink some more coffee in 2017…?
Add an Egg to Your Oatmeal for a Smoother, Creamier, Higher Protein Breakfast [Article] – This sounds disgusting, but I’m going to try it! What do you think?
The Mysterious Allure of LaCroix’s ‘Natural Flavor’ [Article + Video] – It’s better than drinking pop/soda, right? 🙂
Cut Any Expense You Want But Don’t Dare Take the Coffee Away! [Article] – I could have saved so much money if any of my employers offer free coffee… Do any of your employers offer free coffee?
What is OpenOffice and Why Should Your Business Use It? [Article] – Is Microsoft Office too expensive? Are you a small business owner, student, or just frugal? Open Office might be right for you!

Weekly Review – 12/11/2016

December 11, 2016

Sometimes, you need a quick win to get your week started. At times, creating this weekly post acts as that quick win for me and to be a bit more productive in the upcoming week. At the same time, hopefully, you find something interesting, entertaining, or a slice of knowledge that gets you through a problem that you’re trying to solve.

5 Ways To Figure Out What Your Website Visitors Actually Want [Article] – An easy way to take a quick assessment of your website and maybe some insight as to what you should work on next.
Best Buy vs. The Apple Store [Article] – A very interesting read. Having been in numerous Apple stores, in different states and for different reasons, this is fairly accurate.
Why you should not delete images on your memory card using your camera – and other memory card tips! [Article] – If you take photos on a digital camera, just read 🙂
Mophie launches juice pack air battery cases for iPhone 7 & iPhone 7 Plus [Article + Video] – I’ve never owned a Mophie, but I’m not impressed with the huge bump thing at the bottom. They have some things going for them but they need to lose the bulk and get rid of the USB…
Hang Paintings Perfectly with a Fork [Article] – For all you homeowners and apartment dwellers out there. Here’s your weekly tip.

Weekly Review – 12/04/2016

December 4, 2016

Time to get back to the weekly grind and get things done. Top off that coffee, get your first cup, or get some kind of go-juice. It’s time to get busy. If you’re not ready, here’s a few links for a distraction!

Netflix feels like Blockbuster these days [Article] – I too feel this pain… So much wasted time sifting through the noise to find something decent to watch.
New Facebook feature lets you find nearby Wi-Fi [Article] – Living on the road does have it’s challenges. One of those challenges is wi-fi. I don’t know if I would trust this as a source for wi-fi, but I’ll give it a shot next time I’m looking.
Caffeine consumption: The difference between cold brew, espresso, and coffee [Article] – The more you know…
Comment: Given the ultra-low repairability of the new MacBook Pro, I’m getting AppleCare this time [Article] – In my opinion, it’s always worth getting AppleCare on any Apple laptop. Now, on iPhones too (screens and batteries).
The crop sensor camera is mightier than the teleconverter — here’s why [Video] – Just remember, invest in your glass first and then your body.

Weekly Review – 11/20/2016

November 21, 2016

It’s Monday again and there’s wind, rain and snow here in the Northeast… Minnesota also got nailed with some snow too… Anyways, grab a fresh cup of coffee and get sidetracked a bit 🙂

Last hurrah: BlackBerry will make one more phone with a physical keyboard [Article] – In the past few weeks, I’ve seen quite a few BlackBerry devices. I was surprised to see them and then even more surprised by this article.
Given the ultra-low repairability of the new MacBook Pro, I’m getting AppleCare this time [Article] – Probably not a bad idea…
Deleting the Facebook App Could Save Up to 20 Percent of Your Android’s Battery Life [Article] – Probably any device… Recently, I’ve come across quite a few folks that rely on the mobile browser version instead of the native app (for privacy and battery reasons).
This All-In-One System Rescue Toolkit Automatically Repairs Your PC [Article] – Pretty neat…
Why the next great SaaS company will look nothing like Salesforce [Article] – A fun read if you’re into this type of thing.

For current startups, the message is clear. Don’t try to be Salesforce to Seibel, Workday to Peoplesoft or Coupa to Ariba. Those battles are over, and won’t be repeated. Instead, use technology — integration, design, perhaps machine learning or AI — as your wedge into the market.