Category: Life Beyond Tech

Posts that shouldn’t have much to do with tech.

Pile of product for wireless network

Wireless network setup: Day 1

Tablets for the Oldsters

This week I’m volunteering at my favorite non-profit Elderhaven, setting up a wireless network and teaching the elderly residents of the care home how to Skype.

We originally thought of this project several months ago when a grant opportunity was announced for Southern Arizona-based non-profts that deal with the issues of aging. The idea lay dormant for a few weeks after we didn’t make the grant cut. But the idea had merit, and I decided when trying to do the next annual Arizona Gives Day fundraiser, we should bring the project back. Instead of copying and pasting all the “please donate” text from the previous years, I suggested that Elderhaven take a different approach to donations.

The plan that was formulated included fundraising for the distinct goal of reducing the isolation many of the elderly residents feel in their old age. We wanted to use modern technology to bring a new mechanism for human connection into their lives. And so the plan was born.

We ran the Arizona Gives Day campaign not as a general fundraiser, but as a platform for money to go directly to the “Tablets for the Elderly project at Elderhaven.” Over the course of 24 hours we raised $1425 towards the project. Although this amount was only a fraction of the way to our goal, it was enough to adopt Plan B where yours truly installs the wireless network and develops the training.

 

It’s going to be a great week!

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Here’s what Plan B *really* looked like until I flew in this AM)

(totally taken from boardgamegeek.com)
(totally taken from boardgamegeek.com)

 

I keep forgetting all that other stuff

Time is just flying by here at the baby ranch. We are starting to settle in to a nightly routine which is probably going to be helpful for all involved. It’s slow going but the little guy knows what’s about to happen, and that seems like it gives him a more peaceful rest for the first part of the night. I’m quite lucky in that my wife takes the absolute bulk of the responsibility overnight so I can continue to function like a human being at work.

The previous paragraph described all that has been happening lately. I definitely anticipated getting very little done outside baby raising and work. What I didn’t anticipate was the fact that I would continually be in a state of forgetting to do something that doesn’t include baby or work. The bills are paid, my wife makes sure I have food and water, so the necessities are in. What was it I was supposed to buy on Amazon again? Didn’t I have thing that I was supposed to do today?

There’s been two small threads that keep popping up more and more. Well possibly three or four. Any spare brain power I have on the weekends gets sucked up pretty quick trying to work with Elderhaven.org on securing a fantastic grant that would allow them to offer some really neat additions for their elderly residents. I really hope that goes through, I’m less involved than I originally thought I would be, but the management at Elderhaven is quite aware that I’m booked solid for the next 25 years.

Dang… what was the second thing? Oh yes… computer security. I’ve been reading a lot more about the Sony pictures hack than I originally thought I was interested in doing. It isn’t every day the poor security practices of an enterprise-class IT infrastructure are laid bare for people to see and perform their own post-mortem. I’ve seen all of the same problems pointed out so far before at most of my jobs. Password files stored in a Word doc, with the name password on them. Unencrypted. Scary.

And of course there is another security risk that keeps bobbing up, the Rubber Ducky. It’s a USB drive that has been modified to make the computer think it’s a keyboard and mouse (newer version). This modified USB then is able to type and issue commands as if it was a keyboard. Since all operating systems Giant Rubber Ducky in Hong Kong (picture from Wikimedia)automatically detect things like USB keyboards and mice, it allows a quick easy way to load code, simply by plugging in one of these. I really do understand the importance of 1. not running your computer with administrator permissions, and B. disabling USB ports on servers.

(to not run with Administrator permissions on your home computer is smart too)

I already can’t remember what the 3rd thing is, but 4th is a realization that I want to have the ability to play music wherever I am in the house. And I want a remote for it. I took two hours last week and started putting RaspBMC on my Raspberry Pi, and download the Android remote app for XBMC. It wasn’t too long before I realized I’m working on an outdated project, the lead developers have moved on to OSMC which is still Alpha and that the amount of work I put into this is pointless for something I want NOW. I am not looking for a tinker-toy. I sighed and slunk away from the keyboard, slow Charlie Brown music following me through the house. The next day my father-in-law’s Xmas gifts showed up. Inside: cool Very Hungry Catepillar stuff for the kid, and one bluetooth speaker. Thank you sir, not only did you achieve my goal of music in the house following me, but you saved me hours!

I’m trying now to forget that I have a Raspberry Pi that needs something done with it…hmmm… and trying to forget about Androids that are coming preloaded with rootkits.

More important than anything else

When I started this blog, at least the original one back in 2000 whatever, it had very little to do with anything other than a place to digitally journal.  I’ve been well aware that I don’t write here as often as I do in my physical journal.  I’m equally well aware that I don’t have the most read blog, or that I don’t put much work into this.  I try to have a sense of humor about it.

Someone has entered my life who is much more important than this blog, and more important than almost anything else that has come before him.  My son has been born.  He’s a cute little guy.

A few weeks ago I had encountered the world of baby-centric tech, along with the predecessor pregnant-mom tech.  I thought these would be a good topic to research and learn more about.  I’ve realized that I’ll have plenty of opportunity to find out about this stuff on the way.  I’ve also realized how unimportant this is.

I’ve realized how unimportant my intentions for sorting my random collection (see messy stack) of maps for the revolutionary war battlegrounds are.  My fascination with FTPing files in the middle of the night is becoming far less important (except backups, always remember to backup!).  That random novel someone gave me months ago because I saw it on their shelf and they didn’t want it:  unimportant.

It’s not that my interests, or intentions for my career, or family have become less valid.  There simply are new priorities in my life.  I see most projects and tasks that weren’t really a priority before, losing ground very rapidly.

I am pursuing the same goals as I was before I had a kid, but I’ve gained a special insight into knowing when one of my projects is a complete waste of time, and when I should cut my losses.

What’s interesting is I feel this is going to give me a renewed joy and depth of interaction with the projects I do really enjoy, but don’t spend enough time on.  Like this blog.  Like calling my family, and long time friends.

Whatever projects I continue, or new goals I find for myself, they will all be viewed through a new daddy-sized lens.