We need to talk about Notifications in Facebook. Notification systems are near and dear to my heart; I’ve worked in some capacity on 4 different notification systems across multiple teams. Unfortunately, Facebook is getting a bit too aggressive these days… Facebook, I
In a world where Twitch and live video platforms are rapidly emerging, NBC’s Olympic coverage – often tape-delayed and difficult to track – deprived American audiences of the context they seek so hungrily. Shared, simultaneous experiences. The context a moment in time
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
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
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:
For the first time in a while, I’m designing and running my own usability studies. Carnegie Mellon cross-trains its HCI students in both research and design, so it’s a bit like riding a bike – it comes back eventually. Post-university, I used
In September 2014, I left Microsoft to join a new product team at Amazon. The project itself is still classified, but it’s a v1 technology product, which means we’re starting from scratch. An exciting opportunity, but it changes the way one has
Kenyans are renowned for their sprinting abilities… in stark contrast to my own physical proclivities. But I did my own form of sprinting today, with a back to back day on the heels of a successful Thursday. Thursday: Gaming, psychology, and the
The primary reason I’m in Africa is as a volunteer for the Microsoft4Afrika program. One part of their outreach is to match professionals from Microsoft with identified technology needs in African countries. Many of the assignments are either teaching advanced skills or
Back in December, I was browsing the internal Microsoft forums (Yammer) and stumbled across an announcement for a new volunteer outreach program – MySkills4Afrika, part of the larger Microsoft for Afrika program. They were accepting applications from full-time employees to share their