Back and forth action - in more ways than one
346256
I really enjoyed this story and all the sub stories within it. Not only was is strong on it's story, but there was plenty of action to keep me interested in as well. It was a wonderful way to spend a Friday night with my SO.
1541458
I've never been a big fan of the Shewhart or Deming cycle of Plan-Do-Check-Act. Sure, it works fine for some things. I cooked an elaborate dinner for my family last night. Plan, Do, Check and Act (or Eat) worked well for that. But for what makes up much of the rest of my life, a plan-first approach has never seemed entirely appropriate.

That Plan-Do-Check-Act is often cited by practitioners of agile software development (such as myself) has always surprised me. The cycle seems incongruous with agile and its antipathy toward upfront planning, upfront design, and the like.

The book Just Start: Take Action, Embrace Uncertainty, Create the Future by by Leonard Schlesinger and Charles Kiefer with Paul Brown is about how entrepreneurs (and I'd say people in general) would benefit from less upfront thinking and more upfront acting--thus, the title of the book: Just Start.

In presenting this idea, the authors introduce an alternative to the Shewhart/Deming cycle. They propose a cycle of Act-Learn-Build. The first step, Act, does not refer to randomly selected, indiscriminate activity. Rather, it refers to deliberately choosing a step and acting upon it without endless upfront action. One of my favorite quotes in the book is "If you have insufficient data, make your own."

Having acted, our next step is to Learn from the action. In the agile community we're fond of believing as long we have learned something from a sprint or iteration, we are moving forward, even if we discard whatever we build during that time box. We find support in this thinking from authors Schlesinger, Kiefer and Brown.

After Acting and Learning, this alternative cycle calls for us to Build upon what we've learned and do it all over again. The book does not dwell on this cycle--it's rather straightforward, after all. The main point of the book is to extoll us to avoid excessive deliberation and "just start."

I find this applicable to a variety of aspects of software and product development. We can "just start" in building the product without a disk full of spreadsheets. We can "just start" in developing without a whiteboard full of UML. The authors spend a good amount of time on risk management. They focus on advising us to determine and never exceed our "acceptable loss." This can apply to starting a business ("I can't afford to lose more than $100,000"). It could just as readily apply to technical decisions ("I can't afford to lose more than a week on this approach but if it works out, we'll have a month of development time so I'm going to try it.")

A point I found interesting was a comment that of the serial entrepreneurs studied, none had tried to gather specific information about potential returns or the ideal size of an investment in a new venture. That is, they just started but did so with an awareness that they would not spend more than their acceptable loss. I was recently contemplating two new businesses. I chose to start one but not the other. I had created a rather extensive spreadsheet modeling the business I chose not to start. I didn't create such a model for the one I chose to start. Rather, and in keeping with the advice in this book, I started the business but did so with a maximum acceptable loss investment in mind.

One thing I found a bit too cutesy with the book was that the authors made up the word "Creaction" by combining creation with action and they use this throughout the book. I can't picture myself using this word but I have found myself thinking it more, so maybe my opposition to the new word is softening over time.

A nice bonus to the book is that the framework is presented with examples beyond the business world. Suggestions of how to apply the Just Start framework to one's personal life are provided.

I can highly recommend "Just Start: Take Action, Embrace Uncertainty, Create the Future" to anyone involved in agile software development projects, especially those on the product management or general management side of things.
4857006
the second's hand should move 1tick/2 sec as per description. but it is moving like normal 1tick/sec.
Will send for repair soon.
3709100
There's a point in the rotation where it gets a little stuck.  Nothing serious, it's just not consistent if you were to twirl this.
1172989
Don't get me wrong -- this remote has a lot to offer as a MOR control.  I quite enjoy how sequences of button presses are organized into "activities".  This allows for a low learning curve when introducing new visitors or the girlfriend to your entertainment system.

The software interface for programming the remote is easy to understand, straight-forward, and actually does what its intended to do (could you imagine if M$ started programming remote control apps?).

These two strengths aside, let me shortly list my qualms with this remote control:

- Dropping it on the floor will wear out the sensitivity of the gyro in the remote (which turns the backlight on on the LCD when you pick up the remote).

- The charging station's contacts with the back of the remote are touch-and-go.  As in, you have to find the "sweet spot" in the charger when you place the remote on it, or it just won't charge.

- If the remote is operating on low power, it becomes increasingly difficult for it to successfully beam commands to each of your devices.  This becomes frustrating because you have to correct this with the remote's HELP feature (it corrects activity sequences when, say, you press "Watch TV" and the TV doesn't come on).

- If you don't play by the remote's rules, you'll get frustrated with all the steps you have to take to correct "Activities" gone awry.  Say you have your TV and an amp on.  If you push the off button physically on your amp, then try to use the remote to turn off the other devices, the next time you try to activate that activity, the amp won't come on and the sequence is messed up.  Then you endlessly spend time correcting this with HELP.
3530610
I ordered this game for my wife and I to get back into working out a bit more. It has certainly managed to do that. I like that it kicks my butt more than the workout routines I had come up with, but less than something like P90X (which I tried for a week over the summer until I hurt my neck). That being said, we have discovered a few problems with it.

I have occasional tracking issues with the Wall Breaker game and any exercises that require lunges. When I do the longer exercise routines, the game claims it will pause for a break, but then immediately goes on to the next exercise. I have to walk away to get it to pause. We both wish it had a bit more of a planned-out workout routine, as it can be tough to find exactly 30 minutes of exercises that contribute to our goal. It seems there is some DLC that might do this but I don't want to pay more for something that could have been included in the first place.

Overall, we are happy with this game so far. It has definitely gotten us up off the couch.
3237856
Sometimes it works other times it does not.
4120953
This little gem works great and can be used with about any learning universal remote, including harmony (so long as you teach it the commands). There's also a JP1 upgrade for it if you're so inclined (no-name USB PC remote). I'm mainly writing to unlock the mystery of the A, B, C, D hotkeys. The instructions say that each can send any of 3 key combinations. A, for example, sends Ctrl+Alt+A, Ctrl+Alt+1 or Ctrl+Alt+F1. I couldn't figure out how to tell it which of those 3 to send. Well the fact is that each button sends all 3 hotkeys at once. For example, pressing A sends Ctrl+Alt+A, Ctrl+Alt+1 and Ctrl+Alt+F1 all at the same time. So they're basically giving you a choice of keys, but you wouldn't ever use more than 1 in each group of 3. I did a little experiment and made 3 different shortcuts using Ctrl+Alt+A, 1 and F1, and they all opened at the same time from just a single press of the A key.
965745
I expected this to move in two axises, not just one.  While, I admit, it can transverse in the one axis quite a ways.  It wasn't exactly what I was looking for, but I have a use for it.  Still need to get a macro rail that moves in two directions.
3220761
When things do not go according to its instructions it can leave you with nowhere else to go, as when I connected the FireWire, according to its instructions, and the 'continue' button remained grey leaving me at a loss.  Still, as I said, very useful.
1801239
This was an interesting adventure.  Probably closer to three and a half stars then four. It started off like a rocket launch and didn't slow down until almost 3/4ths of the way to the end.  It is non-stop action for most of the book. Unfortunately, when the book does slow down, it becomes apparent there isn't as much to the characters as there could be.

Holo creates a unique vision of the future with a great deal of technology that forms it's core.  He doesn't spend a lots of time explaining every last detail but for the most part uses a matter of fact style of naming that is largely self explanatory.  This self-explanatory naming keeps the book moving at its breakneck pace.  I liked the story overall.
1035197
Our bodies were not made to utilize a typical 'mouse'.  While the concept is straight forward and simple, the reality is that the positioning of a mouse and movement are not normal, natural movement for the back, neck, shoulder, elbow and wrist.

I have been through just about all of the different ergonomic keyboards and pointer or 'mouse' type devices on the market and this one was unique right up front because it takes the typical 'mouse' and fundamentally changes how the pointer system operates.  Bringing the bar dead center in front of the computer user greatly reduces repetitive strain injuries common in the shoulder and elbow from having to constantly reach and hold the arm out to the right or left to move the mouse around.  This allows your body function to change to using the major muscles to manage the arm and mouse movement, as opposed to hanging your arm off to the side and utilizing smaller muscles which tire and end up getting hurt easily.

The pointer or 'mouse' is now a roller bar with a light, rubberized surface that does not slip under your hand and is very easily manipulated left/right and rolled forward (up) and backward (back).  Further, because the RollerMouse bar and buttons are now dead center in front of the body movement can be accomplished with either or both arms/hands.  One can easily and periodically alternate which hand/arm you are using for manipulating the RollerMouse bar, allowing both arms a chance to participate in movement as well as a chance to rest.  When the mouse is off to the right or left side, you are pretty much locked into using the mouse there, unless you want to keep moving the mouse from one side to the other.  The buttons are a light press and easy to manipulate with the either the Roller hand or, better, with the alternate hand/arm thereby allowing the Roller hand/arm to remain relaxed with the Roller bar.

I routinely operate the RollerMouse with each arm/hand throughout the day, allowing each shoulder a chance to rest and change position.

Fine tuning/graphic pointing skills:  I thought the RollerMouse would take much more effort to learn how to manage fine tuning pointing skills, such as for graphics, etc.  I was prepared for this, but, amazingly it took almost not effort at all to re-train and utilizing the RollerMouse for very fine movements is even easier than some other pointer devices I have used.

The RollerMouse is an intuitive angle and design for the body to operate efficiently with.

I was at a point where using any mouse or other pointer off to the side was simply not possible any longer.  The RolleMouse is much more compatible to the natural flow and function of the body and more comfortable than any other pointer device I have used and has reduced my RSI issues greatly.

Downside:  Because it is a straight bar, it is not really compatible with curved, ergo-style keyboards where this straight bar will sill between the user's seat and keyboard and the user must then reach for the curved keyboard, which brings back movements which are inefficient.  OK with keyboards which "tent" in the middle, but, not curved keyboards.
1130861
My 3yo isn't totally clear on how to make the car go where he wants it to go. He hits two buttons at the same time and the car just sort of spins, and he gets frustrated. Hopefully he'll grow into it.
4855031
works just as advertised albeit it is kind of an experiment and at the same time fun to do. works for me
2917493
Challenging like chess, yet easy to learn like checkers. You must think several moves ahead to win in this game because the way piece can move changes every turn.
4423344
It is very hard to do a map game this primal.  Lots of back and forth but has great tension.  The back and forth does not feel like a silly tug of war.  Our favorite 2 player game along with LOTR Confrontation and 7 Wonders Duel.
4346939
Its reaction time is a little slow especially for off/on/off or on/off/on tolerance - or perhaps inconsistent is a better way to describe it as repeating the same fast patterns does not always produce the same results.  But overall, it has been robust and worked well.