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louismg

228 karma · joined April 2, 2008

Googler. Blogger. Dad of three.
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louismg··on Why you shouldn't exercise to lose weight
Excellent progress, Mike. My dad (an MD) always simplified weight loss as calories in minus calories out. Exercise accelerates the calorie burn (which you know) and moderating the intake is key.

A couple years ago, I started using Fitbit and increased my exercise significantly. I lost 5 pounds a month for 6 straight months.

louismg··on Startups from 2010: Acquired, Pivoted or Still Going?
Sounds good enough to me. +1.
louismg··on Startups from 2010: Acquired, Pivoted or Still Going?
Thanks. I considered this post would only be of interest to me, and even then, it'd probably be worth it. Glad HN picked it up.
louismg··on Startups from 2010: Acquired, Pivoted or Still Going?
Acknowledged. Thanks for checking in.
louismg··on Startups from 2010: Acquired, Pivoted or Still Going?
Lots of the companies acquired had their product changed or killed afterward. This could have been a much longer post.
louismg··on Startups from 2010: Acquired, Pivoted or Still Going?
A big number of those in the "Acquired" column were acquihires that saw the product killed shortly after.
louismg··on Startups from 2010: Acquired, Pivoted or Still Going?
There's no question I wrote this with a consumer/social filter. I didn't go into enterprise (like storage, for example), even though I worked 8 1/2 years at a network storage company. There's definite bias toward a Twitter platform that never materialized.

I was careful to say "50 Top" instead of "Top 50". I know it's nuanced, but I didn't want it to be an end-all be-all king of lists. Just "Hey - here's 50 I'm watching."

louismg··on Startups from 2010: Acquired, Pivoted or Still Going?
So you're saying you want this incredibly long post to be even longer? :)
louismg··on Startups from 2010: Acquired, Pivoted or Still Going?
Thanks for the update. No doubt I didn't give a full bio for every company. I'll add the first bit.
louismg··on Full-time Geeks Shouldn't Ignore Physical Impact of the Craft
When I used a mouse, I found my right wrist hurt more than the left. But I can't say that moving to a laptop with a trackpad is 10x better.
louismg··on Full-time Geeks Shouldn't Ignore Physical Impact of the Craft
Correct - the main point is take care of yourself. The wrist supports are an example of one thing I use to help.
louismg··on Full-time Geeks Shouldn't Ignore Physical Impact of the Craft
It's possible. I don't wear them constantly, but usually when there is soreness starting.
louismg··on Tech Leaders Don't Win By Saying They'll Crush Somebody
My bio and resume are on the site. I am sure you would interpret it different than would I.
louismg··on Tech Leaders Don't Win By Saying They'll Crush Somebody
Microsoft acted like a spoiled monopolist who aggressively guarded their turf throughout the 80s and 90s. Absolutely. They wanted a PC on every desktop in every home running Microsoft software. All absolutely true.

But did they make this noise from a challenger position, which is the case for all the examples I cited? No. They acted like a big gorilla from the top.

Oracle too is crazy aggressive. In one of the books I mentioned, but not by name, is "The Difference Between God and Larry Ellison is that God Doesn't Think He Is Larry Ellison." Fantastic book. Go read it.

It is absolutely possible to find exceptions. There are few absolutes. But I do believe that challengers to #1 who publicly make #1 the target rarely succeed. This is true. It's not "couldn't be further from the truth" because of a few examples.

louismg··on A Scorched Data Policy Is Bad for Web, Bad for History
This is understood, assuming your personal email is posted to the Web and consumed by others. I am a compulsive email saver, but periodically wipe out categories that are no longer relevant as well.
louismg··on A Scorched Data Policy Is Bad for Web, Bad for History
He being me. Looking at the future is great. Deleting the past isn't necessary.
louismg··on Social.com Domain Is Up for Auction: Who Will Bid?
Exactly. That was one of my suggestions as well.
louismg··on Social.com Domain Is Up for Auction: Who Will Bid?
In the post, I suggested those with big brands, like those you mention, are probably not interested. Maybe LivingSocial wants it?
louismg··on Apple Walks Away from Web Apps
I thought this was fair. In what way do you see Apple promoting Web apps in the way they once did?
louismg··on Physical Media Has To Go. I'm Digital Only From Here.
I like the idea. I just never get to do it. :)
louismg··on Physical Media Has To Go. I'm Digital Only From Here.
All good points. The issue we're facing with DRM, upgradability etc is similar to that faced with moving from LPs to Cassettes to CDs to MP3s to...

Books decay. Digital files get corrupted. Companies rise and fall. I know I'll end up buying things more than once, just like I did with my Depeche Mode collection - at least three times.

louismg··on Physical Media Has To Go. I'm Digital Only From Here.
The argument could similarly be made for watching feature films on a TV set with surround sound versus a theater. Ebooks aren't as beautiful (yet) as their hardback cousins, but they are instant, portable, and greener to boot!
louismg··on The Android and iOS War Is Not Mac vs Windows Part 2
Dave, this post was in response to many other articles that have framed iOS vs Android as the 2 dominant smartphone platforms and made a parallel comparison to the Mac/Windows discussions of old.

I do like Windows Phone 7 a lot. I think the UI is fantastic. I do not think that its current app situation is fantastic, and it is starting with a serious deficit versus competitors. I will not dismiss it at all, but think to discuss it in the frame of this article would be distracting.

I have previously discussed Blackberry as well, but think they have a lot of work to do to be compared vs Android and iOS right now.

Here's a post that had iOS vs Android vs BlackBerry from May of last year: http://blog.louisgray.com/2010/05/in-todays-world-of-mobile-... where I said those who are centered on email are still in a great place with Blackberry.

louismg··on The Android and iOS War Is Not Mac vs Windows Part 2
That's absolutely fair as well. In previous posts, I've argued the quality gap is decreasing, and I agree with your points.
louismg··on The Android and iOS War Is Not Mac vs Windows Part 2
It was a long war and each of us remembers different parts. :) In what way does this dismiss the Mac's ability to get all the software you need even if the numbers are not perfect?
louismg··on Show HN: my weekend project, Gumroad
That's not inappropriate to ask at all. It's a fun hobby. Look through my site and you'll see I've done this a long time and have some big wins that launched first with me.

(TweetDeck, Beluga two examples)

louismg··on Show HN: my weekend project, Gumroad
Posted on it as well. http://blog.louisgray.com/2011/04/gumroad-launches-to-sell-d...
louismg··on Show HN: my weekend project, Gumroad
Net 60 days? I would assume that users expect near real-time if PayPal is the back end. 60 days sounds way too long.
louismg··on Show HN: my weekend project, Gumroad
I've tried it and purchased on my own link.

1) How soon until the money reaches PayPal? 2) There are no assurances that the CC data is safe. It looks to be sent over HTTPS, but you're assumed to be trusted.

louismg··on Angry Birds Slammed With 1-Star Ratings After Adding Ads to Paid App
You are right. I did not intend to mislead when submitting.
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