Category: cool stuff

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The Ultimate Uber

In March I spoke at a little IBM convention in Las Vegas called “Think 2018” – it’s actually a very large convention – but that isn’t the point. They have cool stuff in Las Vegas. Its not my favorite town by any stretch of the imagination but it surprised me this year.

I needed an Uber to pick me up along with my good friend Mark Leaser so we could go have a nice steak. This is the Uber vehicle that arrived – not what I was expecting!

Yes – that is a Tesla Model X, the ultimate Uber! The driver was just getting started with a company that will be providing car services with multiple Tesla’s in Las Vegas.

If you don’t know anything about Tesla, they build and sell electric vehicles. Actually I would say they are more in the software industry. Every Tesla they sell within a specific model is the same hardware, but they can enable and disable features based on what you pay for with the software that runs the car. Yeah – wrap your head around that for a while.

They do some pretty cool things besides never needing an oil change or engine maintenance or overhaul. They have a “Mars Rover Mode” (video 1) and they will also perform a Christmas Song for you! (even better video 2). Kaylan, the second one is for you!

Mars Rover Mode:

Christmas Performance! I get a bit excited….

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Nugget Ice

Some call it “the good ice”, others call it “sonic ice”. I now get to call it “Indecision Ice”!

I am a fan of crunchy nugget ice. You know the stuff, its airy and not solid which makes it simple to chew.

I will go out of my way to get it. I had often wondered how I could make the stuff at home myself, assuming the commercial machines were expensive.

I then ran into a nugget ice machine while visiting the IBM office in Austin and found it on Amazon – for $3,887.00!!! Well, no way I am spending that on myself.

I did some further research and found the Opal. At $500, its still expensive but hey, I can save money. Its been on my list for a while.

So I surprised Linda for our sixth wedding anniversary with a trip to San Diego. Great trip. Nothing nugget ice related happened but it was nice to get away! She is difficult to surprise mainly because I usually blow it or she does mental algebra connecting 37 different and independent data points to determine what is REALLY happening. But I pulled it off. I surprised her. I thought I was the only one with a surprise. My male ego was about to take a most wonderful hit on the surprise front.

We returned and Linda surprised me with the Opal! She had it shipped to Shelbie’s new In-Laws so I would not find it.

I am still floored!

It even has a bluetooth connection to a mobile app with which you can turn off and on the light, get status from the machine and set a schedule telling the machine when to make ice. Very handy.

Oh – and you can name the Opal, ours is now called “Indecision Ice”. See what I did there?