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Category: Work

Plus Ca Change: A Career Announcement

Published July 22, 2016

My ability to acquire an augmented reality Pikachu is not the only reason July 2016 is a momentous month for me. Today marks my final day in just under 2 years at Amazon. I am genuinely grateful for the opportunity to work on so many historic projects – almost all of which remain unannounced, but most of which will eventually see the light of day. Thank you to everyone who I had the chance to collaborate with on this journey. I will, of course, point out what features and products I worked on as they launch. As job changes are…

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Alexa Knows Pokemon Types

Published February 16, 2016

I’m proud to introduce my first publicly released Alexa Skill, “Trainer Tips.” This (unofficial) Pokemon reference skill gives Alexa the ability to provide you with type matchup information while you’re in the thick of a battle. With 18 Pokemon types in the latest games, it’s hard to track all of the immunities, strengths, and weaknesses without a college course. 😉 What You Can Do The Trainer Tips skill supports three kinds of requests: Type Strengths Check the types that a particular “hero” type is strong against. Ask questions like: “Alexa, ask Trainer Tips about Steel strengths” “Alexa, ask Trainer Tips…

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Hello Computer

Published February 13, 2016

We’ve already established I grew up in a Trekkie household – so even though my fervor was largely attained in adulthood, I did still have strong opinions about parts of that universe. Specifically, my favorite Trek movie was always Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. Of course, the juxtaposition of those future characters in present-day was delightful and a large part of what I liked about the film (I’ve always been drawn more to comedy.) But the scene I’ve always most remembered involves Scotty attempting to conduct some research via an 80’s era PC. He walks up to the giant…

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Business Travel for Beginners: Part 2 (The Journey)

Published April 22, 2015

In Part 1 of this two-part article, I discussed some of the quirks and speedbumps you might expect when planning a business trip. What happens next? Time for the journey to begin. While some of these tips may apply to all forms of travel, I find it’s far more important to be organized and comfortable when traveling for business, as your schedule is usually not your own, and snafus can mean lost income or opportunities. Packing Science You’re probably familiar with the TSA’s 3-1-1 rule. If not, go buy a box of quart-sized Ziploc bags. You can only bring toiletries…

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Business Travel for Beginners: Part 1 (Planning and Booking)

Published April 19, 2015

Business travel tends to sounds glamorous to outsiders. Yet the reality is often anything but – once you get past the initial adrenaline rush when you represent your company on the road. And the logistics can be overwhelming, especially for first-timers. Let me walk you through the basics of becoming a road warrior, one corporate trip at a time. In Part 1, we’ll tackle trip planning and booking. Allons-y! Credit Cards: The Currency of the Road Don’t have a credit card? For most travel situations, the lack of a credit card is a dealbreaker. There’s a lot of risk in…

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