We're about two weeks out from what might be the most anticipated phone release of the year - the Galaxy Note 8. After last year's Note had a defect that recalled all the units, many faithful Note users have been even more eager to get the next iteration of the device. There are a lot of things we know based on previous designs, leaks, and the Galaxy S8 lineup. We know that there will be a SKU with the Snapdragon 835. We know that there's going to be pen input included. It will have a big, tall display with rounded edges, a great camera experience, retina scanning, and an awfully placed fingerprint reader. If the S8 is any indication, we'll likely see a productivity dock that will change your Samsung into an Android computer. If the title of the article didn't tip you off enough, I'll come right out and say it - I think that list of specs is the perfect lineup for Microsoft's first Windows 10S mobile device.

When we think about where Microsoft is ​differentiating itself from Google and Apple, we see that the new Note is lined up to have it all. Starting with security, Windows Hello is all about your face. This year, Samsung moved its front facing fingerprint reader to the back and put it far too close to the camera in favor of the iris scanning sensors on the front of the phone. It seems like a small point, but unlocking a phone is the first step of using the phone, and I think this common vision and having support for iris unlocking is an important first step in putting Windows on the Note 8. 

We have poked into this a little bit already, but the hardware leaks make perfect sense as well. Samsung will be using the Snapdragon 835 processor. Microsoft has a Windows build running on that processor already. We know that sometime in 2017 a device with that processor will be released running Windows 10. If we're to believe the leaks, we also expect the note to bump the RAM up to 6GB and the base storage capacity will start at 64GB, like the S8, but will have the option to have up to 256GB built in, with an SD card expansion slot as well. It will have the same ultra-premium build that the Galaxy S8 has, and looks to be bumping up to two cameras. All of this would make a capable Windows machine, and dual cameras could give us some 3D scanning capabilities to boot (as long as we're speculating). 

And then there's Continuum. Or DeX. Either way, both companies are working on making the portable device something that is more capable than either a phone or a desktop computer. We saw this first launched by Microsoft (successfully, sorry Ubuntu Touch) when the Lumia 950 line came out with Continuum. Other OEMs have supported the technology, most notably HP with the Elite X3, which included the desktop dock and had an optional Lapdock which turned the phone into a laptop without the help of a wired connection. The problem was that Windows 10 mobile didn't work like Windows 10 in every way, leading to user frustration and a quirky OS. Not long after, we saw Samsung turn the S8 and S8+ into a desktop using the Android operating system. The challenge there is Android apps, for the most part, aren't well optimized for a large screen and mouse and keyboard input. Many reviewers were underwhelmed and found it not useful as a result. Having the Note 8 run a full version of Windows 10 using CShell answers all those problems. No longer is the Continuum experience a fragmented version of Windows 10, and Samsung doesn't have to rely on an operating system and app ecosystem that's optimized for a vertical aspect ratio and touch input.

So if it's the right time for both companies to work together on a wonderful mobile experience, if the device is already going to happen, will they do it? I think so. In my mind, Microsoft needs this a lot more than Samsung does. The Android Galaxy Note 8 will sell piles of units. People have been waiting years at this point and it seems like they've forgotten about the whole battery issues of the 7. Microsoft does have a couple of neat tricks it can bring to the Note 8 to make it a better device, but I would guess it was Windows who had to do the convincing, and not the other way around. You can see this in a Windows store. Samsung has its Android phones which do Microsoft-like things in its stores. The Samsung lock screen on their Windows 10 laptops has extra security features. I think these OEM bonuses might give us a hint that Microsoft is looking for something in return.

​And it might not be something they'll ask Samsung to do at the factory. Some of us will remember a time when Microsoft worked with Xiaomi to release a custom Windows 10 mobile ROM for their Mi4 Android handset. There were rumors that they had built one for the OnePlus 3 and a handful of other devices as well. It is well withing the realm of possibility that Windows simply wants Samsung's blessing in releasing a ROM for consumers to choose. Or they could be asking Samsung to install it at the factory. I would guess each company wants the other to take responsibility for it. If it happens, it will be interesting to see how it works.

There were questions about running Windows on the S8 when it came out. WindowsCentral's editor Daniel Rubino begged Microsoft to release a ROM in a podcast or two closer to the release of the device and the detailing of CShell. Microsoft has been picky about how it presents its products. I think the Galaxy Note 8 has the makings of the perfect non-Microsoft Windows 10 phone to hold us over until the eventual release of the super amazing, vaguely revolutionary Surface mobile device. 

​As many of you know, I’m a cell-phone addict and general nerd. As a tech lover, I’m fortunate to live close to the Mall of America. The Mall of America has everything a person could ask for. There’s an Apple store, a Microsoft store, a Best Buy, etc. Recently, I went in to the Microsoft store to have my Windows Phone looked at. They gave me an estimated wait time of 30 minutes. After debating whether I should use that time to ride the roller-coaster or log chute, I noticed one employee getting the HTC Vive demo ready in the front of the store. Naturally, all desire to visit the amusement park vanished and my curiosity took over. I jumped in line and in the time it took to fix my phone, had the most amazing tech demo of my life. I swam with sharks and whales, painted in 3D, and shot arrows at warriors attacking my castle gates. I was floored – the HTC Vive works incredibly well!

​I left the store, working phone in hand, unable to focus on anything except the VR experience. I had used Google Cardboard before. I have brought it to family get-togethers and let others try it. Cardboard had let me ride rollercoasters, swim with fish, and take 3D pictures of my surroundings, but it was nothing compared to the massively interactive experience of the Vive. I was determined to figure out how to have that experience again. Unfortunately, the Vive, Oculus, and Playstation VR are all massive investments on their own. A well timed VR Heads article popped up in my news feed and set me on the quest to have the most interactive VR experience without spending a significant amount of money. I set out to build myself an inexpensive version of the HTC Vive.

As your typical enthusiast, I had a lot of the equipment I needed on hand. All of this equipment is easily accessible if you can get to basically any big-box retailer that has an electronics department. Here’s what you need to replicate my setup:
Hardware – inexpensive VR Headset:

• Android Phone – I bought a LeEco S3 to have as a backup device to my Windows Phone. It doesn’t have cutting edge specs, but it definitely gets the job done. I’d recommend a phone with a 1080p screen, and battery life shouldn’t be an issue here since we’ll be plugged in.
• Comfortable Google Cardboard viewer – If you want to interact in any way with your VR games that involves anything beyond simply looking around, get one that straps to your head. I also recommend one that has a good padding for your face since the weight of your phone will rest on your cheekbones.
• 10’ USB cable that will go from your computer to your phone – make sure the plugs are right
• A capable PC

Hardware – make it interactive:

• 10’ USB extension cable
• Leap Motion Controller
• 3M command mounting tabs – I recommend some Velcro and some sticky, but you can use both exclusively if you want

Software – the real magic:

• RiftCat – the host on your PC and the client (named VR Ridge) on your phone
• Steam – You can use Oculus with this VR headset, but the Vive software is what sets this build apart
• Leap Motion core software: Orion for Windows
• Experiences – we’ll get to that further along

Optional – enhance the experience further

• OpenVR Driver for Leap Motion – Software to emulate Vive Controllers - useful if you want to try actual Steam games
• Surround sound headphones with a 10ish’ cable

The cost of my setup had I purchased everything at the same time would have been: $150 for the LeEco S3, $100 for the Leap Motion, $15 for the headset, another $15 for the USB cables, about $10 for the RiftCat license (it converted from Euros, but it was around there), and another $10 for 2 packs of 3M command tabs, one regular and one velcro. Total my cost was almost exactly $300, which is a far cry from either the Oculus or Vive and should replicate at least the Oculus capabilities pretty well, and then some.

In case you feel you don’t need a full write-up or if you like to have all the steps before you start, here’s what we’ll be doing. We’re going to make sure our phone works with Google Cardboard, install RiftCat, Steam, and Orion for Windows on our computers, install VR Ridge on our phones, mount the Leap Motion to our headset, set up our headsets in Steam, and experience interactive VR!

​Okay – that’s a lot of stuff. Before we put everything together, let’s make sure it all works. First, test your phone and your VR headset. Use a VR roller-coaster or 3D Youtube video. We aren't going to be installing anything external for head-tracking, so make sure you can look around with the headset. If either the 3D viewing or the headset motion tracking doesn't work, you’ll need a different phone. The LeEco has treated me great and you can frequently find it on sale if you’re going to buy a phone for this project.

​Once we have Google Cardboard working, we want to make sure we have RiftCat’s software working. Install RiftCat on your PC and VR Ridge on your phone. You can demo the software for free. This allows you to make sure the connection works and test out its capabilities without having to buy it. It’s time limited in the free version, so if this works and you’re going to spend any length of time in VR, you’ll have to buy the software. Once both are installed, connect your phone to your computer with the USB cable you’ll be using for the headset experience – this way we are sure it will work once we are done putting everything together. I purchased two 10’ braided cables so I could have room to move. Once your phone is connected, start VR Ridge on your phone. It should tell you the name of your phone and that it’s waiting for the desktop app. Finally, with your phone still connected to your PC, find the USB tethering toggle under Personal hotspot and turn that on.  

​Now, head over to your desktop and start the RiftCat software. It will ask how you would like to connect. You’re going to pick the automatic connection. It will then give you a list of available devices. The name of your phone shown on the VR Ridge app should be there and you’ll be ready to use your phone as a VR viewer for your computer. ​Your phone, if placed inside a Cardboard viewer, essentially an Oculus Rift headset at this point.

​Once we have RiftCat set up and working, we’ll want to download Steam, Steam VR, and some VR experiences. Head on over to SteamPowered.com and using the Install Steam button at the top, install Steam on your PC if you haven’t already. You will need a Steam account, so go ahead and log in or set one up. Once you're done with your Steam install, head back over to RiftCat in order to start the SteamVR extension of Steam if it's not already there. With your headset connected, push the button to Play SteamVR games. This will bring up the installer for SteamVR in Steam. Install and restart and you should be all set!

Setting up the physical headset should be a piece of cake once you've made sure everything is working. In the pictures below I tried to show you the two tricks to your happiness. First, use your double stick 3M command tab to attach the USB extension to the back of the headset (or somewhere similar). Make sure that cable is attached so it's not pulling on the leap that's mounted to the front. And on the front, mount the leap toward the bottom, and if you can, angle it a little down. That's the direction your hands will be 90% of the time, so the more field of view you can capture there, the better. Otherwise everything else clips, plugs, and straps into place as the directions (and common sense) should show you.

Before we go any further, we have to set up our room. There's a great tool in Steam to do this called SteamVR Room Setup. This is a pretty well guided setup. One thing I do want to point out is that a floor height of 55 or 60 inches is a sweet spot for most of the experiences I've done. If you find yourself not able to reach things below or above you, adjust the height accordingly. If you find that your center is off, you can fix that with this tool as well. I highly recommend running this before each experience you try.

And if you notice something is not acting right, I recommend rebooting Steam first. 9 times out of 10 that has solved the issue. Once in a rare while it's an issue with the app running on the phone, so clearing that from recents and reopening it up will solve a buggy app.

The experiences that show off the capabilities of your new FrankenVive best can be found on the Leap Motion website. Here you will find an array of experiences. We’ll hit on the three I consider the best examples of what your new headset and hand tracker can do! First, we need to download these programs and put them into our Steam library. To do this, head over to the Leap Motion developer gallery. We’re going to download Blocks, Weightless, and Pinch Draw. After you’ve downloaded the programs, unzip the folders. Once you’ve done that, open up the Steam client. At the top, click the, Games, dropdown and click on, “Add a non-steam game to my library…” That will bring up a new window that will list of all your installed applications. On the bottom of that window, there is a browse button. Click that and find your newly downloaded and unzipped games. This will allow us to launch each experience from Steam.

The first experience I recommend trying out is Pinch Draw. It’s an exceedingly simple idea that’s summed up in the title. If you pinch, you draw. It’s a great way to understand the hand tracking and motion, both what it allows you to do and what you can’t do. Since you are stuck on a pivot, you will find that you quickly fill up your canvas. This makes the experience quick, but pretty effective in getting you used to your new environment. 

​The second experience should be Blocks. If you’re looking at this list and saying, “Matt, I don’t have time to try all three of these experiences,” make sure the one you try is Blocks. In my experience, it’s the best done experience in the gallery. The premise is simple, but this time you have a guru showing you the way. When it’s all said-and-done, it’s an incredible 10 minute experience playing with blocks in VR with a guide to teach you the controls and show you some surprises along the way. Again, with this one you are stuck on a pivot, but the room is totally open and you will have a lot of fun playing with blocks and your new VR buddy.

​The last experience is an example of how, without room tracking, you can explore an entire room. Weightless starts with you waking up in a space capsule and you get instructions and challenges as time goes on and you complete certain tasks. This is the experience that feels most like a game and lets the player explore more than the other two. I like the move commands. Eventually it feels natural and you can control your movements well with a little practice. It also has the best environment and is much more open ended compared to the other two. If you want an experience that’s much more like a puzzle game and allows you to explore, this is the experience you’re looking for. 

Visually? It’s great! I’m using a 5.5’ 1080p screen and I feel completely immersed. The cardboard viewer does a great job and my screen is fine. Using this as a simple VR headset for your computer a la Oculus headset is a great option. If you’re going to sit at your computer and game, it’s totally on. Grab a controller and let it rip.

If you've already tried this setup, you have no doubt noticed that what we’ve done is by no means a perfect replacement for the HTC Vive experience. We already touched on this a bit, but your limited to what you can reach in games. Since we’re not using any room mapping or head tracking, we don’t have anything but the rotational tracking that’s built into the phone. Also, since it uses the same motion tracking that Google Cardboard uses, you can be subject to a fair amount of ‘drift,’ which just means your room slowly rotates orientation. To reset, simply run the room setup tool in Steam again. It’s worth the 30 seconds each time you get off.

The interactive part of this headset is where it can’t compare. The hand tracking is cool and surprisingly accurate, but it lacks the precision and stability that the Vive controllers can provide. The Leap Motion tracker has a limited field of view. I noticed this first while I was trying out a bow-and-arrow game. If I drew the bow behind the motion controller, it’d drop the arrow. This is a result of having a single POV tracking hands that’s mounted to your headset.

Some improvements take a lot of work installing. You can use LEDs to track your head with your webcam. You can use your Kinect sensor to track your body position. Both solutions have mixed reviews at best. Razer offers wired controllers that work, but have the limits of wires and will double the cost of your setup, depending on what phone you’re using.  One solution that I’m most interested in is the NOLO VR tracking system. It has Vive-like controllers, a desktop sensor and a head mounted sensor. They claim the entire package will cost $100 USD and will provide room and body position tracking. This should be a great alternative to the Leap Motion Sensor and provide, theoretically, a much closer experience to the Vive than the Leap. With the technologies coming out, if you don't already own a Leap motion tracker, I don't know that I would invest in one quite yet. It's a passable answer, but due to its limitations, I would save the money to invest in other upcoming pieces of hardware.

And there you (hopefully) have it: a working interactive VR headset and experiences. If you want to try SteamVR games specific to the Vive, the optional piece of software I listed above will do some controller emulation. It's far from perfect, but still lets you do some things. Worst case scenario, you can now play controller-based VR games using RiftCat and Steam or Oculus software. Best case, you have a few fun experiences that you can play with as the technology grows and makes cheaper options and add-ons available to you, or until you’ve finally saved enough money for the full experience. Thanks for reading, and here's a bonus video of my mom playing Blocks!

Last night, a man named Philando Castile was shot during a traffic stop in my home state of Minnesota. Philando was a black man. The officer was white.

​Today there is outrage. The live stream has been posted all over the internet. I have not watched it. I don't think watching it makes you a better person nor does it prove you care. It is part of the narrative and important, but I've heard the important details and don't need to witness more violence. That's why any link to the video will be excluded from this post.

​This isn't the first time this has happened. I can't imagine it will be the last. It's outrageous.

​There will be protesting in Minnesota today. Chants will ring out declaring that there should be justice for Philando. That officers need to change and that black lives matter. There needs to be justice in this case. The officer murdered Philando.

​I'm convinced that justice and accountability won't lead to change.

​Black lives do matter. I doubt that if you would have asked the young cop who shot Philando last night he would have said anything else, nor would he argue today.

​Then why did a white cop shoot a black man at a traffic stop?

The answer is simple: he was afraid.

​Yoda said it best. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, and hate, and hate leads to suffering.

​And we can see how fast that progression can develop. It can happen in the span of a simple traffic stop with enough fear.

​The young cop was afraid of what he didn't know and instead of understanding, operated on assumptions and reacted to these with a primal me-or-you decision and action.

And that's how he was trained. When a police officer feels threatened, he or she can use force.

​Then you place the cop in an environment where there's tension between who he represents - white cops - and the black community. Each fears the other deeply. It's an environment where there's very little understanding between the two communities and situations escalate quickly. It's why this will happen again.

​We need the black lives matter protests. This is an issue that needs to be addressed. What the protestors need is to encourage understanding above justice. People are mad - rightly so. The justice system will do its work and there's very little we can do at this point to sway it. What we need to focus on is making sure the next black man who is pulled over for a traffic violation is not shot dead. We need understanding. We need love.

​But things don't stop at the violence from cops against black men. That's a tragedy, but it's a symptom of a much larger, broken system. We live in a violent, dog-eat-dog society. The only way I make it up the ladder of success is by ensuring there are more people below me. Capitalism is driven by greed and valuing the self above all others. As Edward Snowden pointed out that politics is "the art of convincing decent people to forget that the lesser of two evils is still evil." And that has never been more true than in 2016.

​I'm going to talk about politicians here for a moment. These are our leaders. They are who we elect re represent us. We trust them with our voice. More and more, government officials have been practicing discourse and avoiding compromise. Recently, they have aggressively reinforced a false dichotomy where one way of thinking is correct and every other way is wrong. Instead of understanding and listening, we are getting shouting and stubborn behavior. Now we have a soon-to-be-leader of one of our major political parties clearly justifying and promoting hate and fear. We need to examine how we got to this point and get back to a state of existence where we can understand and appreciate differences and use those to create compromise into policy to ensure we have the best future for everyone.

We need to change things. It's a fundamental change that needs to happen within every one of us. You and I need to love everyone. You and I must push for an understanding of the things we currently don't understand. We need to practice non-violence. You and I need to work toward a new baseline of equality for everyone. We need to listen more. We need to spend more time embracing and  focusing on the needs of others rather than the progressions of ourselves. We need to realize that what we do in this life echoes in eternity. My actions affect you, and yours, me. We are all in the same boat, and we'll sail or sink as a crew.

​It is through love and understanding that we can achieve peace. Right now there's not a lot of either, and people are suffering everywhere. Go out. Get to know people you don't. Practice approaching new situations with an open mind, ready to love the variety. Challenge your grandfather's views. If you're stuck not knowing what to do in the wake of violence, this is a good place to start.

​It's a lot to ask, but we need to do these things: Trust others. Seek love. Seek understanding. Seek peace.

​I love you. Thanks for reading.

​​This article was written as part of The Millennial Quest blog. Check it out here!

Millennials can know everything. We are the first generation that has access to the sum of most of human knowledge and understanding all at once at our fingertips all the time. We’re the first generation to grow up using personal computers. We begged our parents for cell phones, smart phones, and we’re forcing them to update and connect as well.

At the same time as our ability to learn and understand is expanding, so is the amount of knowledge and wisdom. Science is accomplishing and studying things generations past could only dream about. There are new avenues for study, new tools for processing, and new methods of distribution. We have a better understanding of this planet and how it works every time we open up our news apps.

Which leaves us as millennials in a weird place. The great machine of knowledge that is the internet is showing some trends. As it turns out, humans haven’t been treating the earth with the respect it deserves. We are also not treating other humans with the dignity they deserve. If we look, we are able to see gross inequity and suffering in the most prosperous era in human history and visible disintegration of the processes required to support life on the only place that we’re certain can support our species.

But where there are problems, there are also solutions. The problems we now face aren’t minor inconveniences, and if we don’t do something, there’s a pretty good chance it will be too late to completely recover from the damage we’ve caused.

The planet needs us immediately. We need to start thinking like the Iroquois – the name of the six joined Native American nations living in the Northeast United States and Canada. Decisions we make today need to be, in part, for the benefit of the generation 7 from now. I can’t replicate the quote with my own words and do it justice, so from Chief Oren Lyons writing of The Constitution of the Iroquois Nations: The great Binding Law:

In all of your deliberations in the Confederate Council, in your efforts at law making, in all your official acts, self interest shall be cast into oblivion. Cast not over your shoulder behind you the warnings of the nephews and nieces should they chide you for any error or wrong you may do, but return to the way of the Great Law which is just and right. Look and listen for the welfare of the whole people and have always in view not only the present but also the coming generations, even those whose faces are yet beneath the surface of the ground -- the unborn of the future Nation”

​​With this idea, we begin to see where there will be tension. Our capitalist, American Dream, work-your-way-to-the-top, sports cars, enhancement surgeries, ego-driven ideals, the thought of making a decision with the intent to benefit someone else doesn't seem fair. We got to this point because people were focused on elevating their own quality of life, and now Millennials have to make decisions that put our own interests aside in favor of those of people we won't get to meet.

​Here’s the first step to greatness for millennials – put the planet first. We have one. It’s done a great job with humans so far, but we need to start giving back. We can’t keep burning oil or discarding chemicals into waterways, or even regularly eating meat. Our efforts must be dramatic and sustainable. This means we’ll have to make concessions on the luxuries that the generations before us were able to enjoy endlessly. And instead of investing in our own wellbeing, we need to invest in the wellbeing of our planet. I will not have a house as spacious as my parents because it takes more than my fair share of the resources to build and maintain. Instead of putting money into additions and amenities, I’ll put it in to renewable energy, better insulation, and more efficient living solutions.

And yes, this will be good for my pocketbook as well since it will hopefully mean I’m able to spend less on my utilities. It’s not sexy, and it likely won’t pay for itself, but it’s how I will need to live to make room for the still growing population and the nature that I don’t want to lose.

But if we stop there, we’re the greatest generation since the Iroquois. What will set us apart is our concern and care for people across the planet. Apps like Twitter and Periscope allow us to spread raw news instantly across the globe. We can get cameras into plants that produce the electronics that keep us connected. We can witness the oppression of entire nations by powerful regimes. It’s what we do with this information that will make us the greatest.

Right now, if you’re curious for a specific example of human problems, you should ask your phone how many people die of hunger every year. One of the first results will tell you that 18,000 children die every day of hunger. And you’ll find that 850 thousand are hungry and malnourished. If curiosity then leads you to go on, you’ll find that it would take about 1/10th of the US’s military budget for the next decade to eliminate hunger. Maybe we could make some concessions here and overseas to make food available to everyone in the world.

When we start caring as much for the person building our iPhones as we do for the person who shows them to us on stage in Cupertino, then we will, in my opinion, become the greatest generation in history. There are plenty of sayings from plenty of wise people: “Love your neighbor as yourself,” “a chain is as strong as its weakest link,” etc. We have the highest capacity for compassion and the means to help now better than ever before.

And we care. The numbers support us tending in this direction.  61% of us feel personally responsible to change the world and 84% of us would rather know we’re doing good than get recognition at our jobs. A whopping 92% of our generation believes that we should judge the success of our businesses using more than just the profits.

It’s not going to be easy, especially since we’re so buried in debt we can hardly imagine not having student loan payments, car payments, mortgage payments, and credit card payments that we are trying to figure out what it means to have savings. We’ll have to get ourselves on the iPhone plan that renews every 2 years instead of every 12 months. Maybe we’ll live with more shared amenities instead of personal luxuries. We’ll be inventing amazing things in the near future to stop from burning fuels and creating waste, and we’ll be spreading wealth as far as we can. It’s the right thing to do. We can know and can see it. All we need to do now is change to adapt to this new understanding of what it takes to be a successful human. It’s up to Millennials, and we’re ready for the challenge and poised to create change.

And if any of the older generations have found themselves reading this, maybe consider a little less complaining about us living in your basement or retiring a bit early to help us out on our great millennial quest. We’d appreciate all the help we can get!

It's recently been brought to my attention that though I claim to have found the perfect bag, it's just as important to show how I'm using the bag. Today we'll get a look inside my Cocoon bag to see what's there and how the space is being used. I like to be mobile but also prepared for anything. Let's dive in and see what I've got!

Being on the go, to me, means we're out and doing things. It's important that I have a bag that can keep up with the memories I'm building. The front pouch was designed around the idea that I wanted to be untethered as long as possible to make as much room for adventure as I could, and I want to be able to capture the memories and beauty of whatever I'm doing accurately and at a high level of quality.

One of the challenges of being on the go is not knowing when or where you'll get to put power back into the batteries we rely on. To solve this issue, one of the first things I've included in my pack is a Limefuel 20,000 mAh battery pack with a bring LED on the front which acts like a flashlight. 20,000 mAh is a big battery. If it's charged, I have no problem getting any of my phones through a long weekend without seeing an outlet. I can also charge up my tablet once during the weekend and still have juice left over. The power bank lets me and those I'm with be on the move without needing an outlet every night.

Another way to stay on the go is extra batteries for the camera. I have two batteries which I keep with my camera at all times to make sure I don't miss a shot because I'm missing power.

It is nice to be able to top everything off if I do find a wall outlet. I keep the microUSB charger cable, a USB power brick, and the camera battery charger in the bag to make sure I'm ready to top everything off.

I purchased my first mirrorless camera, the Olympus Pen E-PL2 because I wanted to get into high quality photography but I still valued mobility. After getting some experience with that camera and the Micro 4/3 system I was hooked. I upgraded to the Olympus OMD E-M5. It's a brilliant little camera. The sensor takes DSLR quality photographs while keeping the camera relatively tiny. The system also keeps lenses to a more than manageable size, which means I get to carry all of them all the time, ensuring that I have the right lens for the job in almost every situation. This was the big reason I purchased the Cocoon. It allowed me to keep everything organized, secure, and on me. I have my E-M5 with me always.

I also get to have a pile of lenses along with the body. On the body at all times in the bag is a little 9mm 1:8.0 fisheye body cap. It doesn't add any size and it ensures that when I pack the camera, the sensor is covered but I always have a lens I can shoot through, just in case I only have a few seconds to get a shot.

Another lens is my zoom tube. It's a 80-300mm 35mm equivalent range. It was extremely inexpensive for the quality of pictures it can pull in. If I need to reach out to get a picture, this lens is key.

My everyday, out-and-about lens is the 12-50mm (24-100) EZ ED lens. It's sharp, has a very attractive range, and can also double as a macro lens. It's amazingly useful. From landscapes to portraits to closeups of flowers and just about everything in between. This lens does very well at everything I've thought to throw at it.

The gem I've found in the M4/3 system is the 45mm F1.8 by Olympus. It has lightning fast autofocus, is incredibly sharp, and makes beautiful pictures. If I need to capture the expression on someones face, this is the lens to do that. The fixed focal length makes it a less versatile lens, but what it lacks in applicability it more than makes up for in total quality and beauty.

And where would I be without a tin of backup SD cards and microSD adapters? Always make sure you have spare or extra memory! You won't be sorry. In fact, I've been sorry for not carrying extra cards. Do it. Please. Now.

I never like to be somewhere without access to some way to efficiently do emails or document editing. The back pouch on my bag is almost entirely dedicated to making sure I am never stranded without the ability to get something accomplished on the go quickly so I can move on and get back to the excitement.

I carry two tablets and a keyboard with me at almost all times. I have my Dell Venue 8 Pro with the stylus which I adore and which really was the reason I enjoy Windows so much again. That tab is the real workhorse of the bag. If something serious needs to get done, we're whipping out the Dell and doing whatever I'd be doing on a full sized laptop or desktop. The stylus is key here. Windows 8 & 10 work infinitely better with a mouse or stylus, so to be able to get that usefulness and accuracy without having to bring a full mouse is important.

The other tablet is my Asus Zenpad S 8.0. It's the 32GB version and it is running Android. I have found that there are a lot of apps which I prefer on the Android system over Windows. It's admittedly limited, but if I'm on social media or responding to a personal email, Android is definitely the way to go. Also, with its ultra HD screen and 4 speakers, reading and other entertainment is much better on the Asus than on the Dell

Finally, none of this would be worth bringing if I didn't have the Microsoft Universal Mobile Keyboard. If it weren't for the usability and compatibility of this, I'd have to bring a full laptop with me wherever I went. Which would mean I'd have to bring another charger. It'd also mean I'd have to charge twice as often because I'd have half the devices. Thank you, Microsoft, for making sure I can stay mobile!

Not everything fits the front, organized pouch on the Cocoon, as you will see. I have a couple of things in the back pouch that didn't quite make the cut in the front organizer. The first is a small tripod. The OMD E-M5 has a mind-blowing 5-axis image stabilization system which makes keeping camera blur to a minimum pretty easy, but there are still times I need a tripod. The little Joby tripod is great because it adapts well to whatever surface I put it on, and if I decide I need more height, it will hang from a tree branch or street pole. It's has an enormous range for how seemingly limited it appears at first.

The other important item that didn't make the main pouch is my spare phone - the Lumia 640. I think this phone is hands down the best value smartphone on the market. It's not as sleek as your iPhone. The screen isn't as high resolution as your S6, but it is very quick and the camera is much better than its $80 price tag would suggest. I like to keep this guy around in case i get tossed in a pool or am otherwise rendered phoneless. It's saved me a few times already and there's not a chance I'll be caught without it anytime soon.

It's the stuff you kind of forget about, but I have a microfiber cloth (yes, a Porsche + Blackberry microfiber cloth) and a velcro strap that came with the bag that I keep in case I ever need a velcro/elastic strap.

And there you have it - Everything that goes into my bag. It keeps me organized and ready to go. Thanks for reading - I hope you enjoyed!

I just picked up the Microsoft Universal Mobile Keyboard. The TL:DR on this accessory is that it's exactly what I've been waiting for in a mobile keyboard for a long time. Let's get to it because I have to get to a haircut.

This is a battery powered, Bluetooth keyboard that can pair with up to 3 devices. The switch on the upper right hand switches it between Windows, Android, and iOS mode. It has a magnetic cover that doubles as a stand. Microsoft claims it's a two position stand. I'm using an Asus Zenpad S 8.0 with my keyboard right now and unless you don't move the keyboard at all, it's really only a one position stand with my tablet. That being said, it's a very usable single angle.

The keys are great! We're not using a keyboard for a Surface tablet. It's smaller than that - designed for the iPad sized tablets. All things considered, it's a very cozy keyboard. Do my thumbs touch while they're hovering over the spacebar as I type? Yes, but only when I want to reach a letter that's a stretch for a pointer finger. Am I cramped? The keyboard does a great job feeling well spaced. I don't feel as cramped as I have on some 10.1" laptops. And all my buttons are here! They haven't altered the layout or left out keys in order to smash the keyboard into a smaller form factor. I'm writing the post using the keyboard in question and it hasn't been any issue. Key reliability is spot on and I haven't mistaken or missed a key yet!

A Quick note on the OS switch - it's flawless. At least between Windows and Android. That's why this note is quick. Look at the switch, imagine you know what it's supposed to do, and then watch as it does exactly what you expect. Syncing is quick and painless. It's quite user-friendly. I've found that's rare in Bluetooth devices, and Microsoft nailed it.

It is what it is. A keyboard for your tablets or phone. After writing emails and a blog on it, I can say I'm more than  satisfied - I'd go as far as downright impressed - with it's usability. It's a definite add to the productivity of my tablets and given the chance, I'd buy this keyboard again. Good work, Microsoft.

Back when it was released, ChromeOS was touted as the fastest commercial OS available, which made sense. The entire operating system is essentially a web browser. At the time, Windows was still hogging processing power and most people were using slower or more expensive than necessary machines to facebook and skype. Chrome solved the problem using the web. Having web apps instead of installed applications meant the speed of your computer was limited only by the speed of your internet and the servers on the other end. It also allowed Google to build great laptops with almost laughably weak specs for the time. And price allowed Google to sell the most popular laptops (according to Amazon) for a long time. They're limited to the internet, but for most people, that's okay. And with the improvements to Google's document suite, Chromebooks have only become more useful.

But Microsoft took notes. Good ones. Despite the commercial reaction to Windows 8, it did use much fewer resources, and the 8.1 upgrade made Windows a little more like Windows 7 and even quicker. With the hardware requirements now about the same, Windows is making a big play to gain back the ground it lost to Google, but Google is putting up a fight. And now to the big question - can Windows sell computers in Chrome's price range to give users more usability or is Windows still too resource hungry to be productive without more expensive hardware?

I purchased the machines below from a local Best Buy. Both were $129.99 new and on sale. Neither has been modified in any way. I picked them based on two things. The first of these things was their stupid low price - an area ChromeOS has dominated. The second was the screen size was in the 11" range. For me, that's the size where a laptop becomes a usable machine. Now that we have that out of the way, let's get on with the show.

We're going to start with Acer's least expensive Intel Chromebook (it's both alphabetical and the order in which I purchased them). Here's the rundown of the specs from the Acer website:

• Chrome OS™
• Intel Celeron N2830 Dual-core 2.16 GHz
• 11.6" HD (1366 x 768) 16:9
• Intel HD Graphics with Shared Memory
• 2GB, DDR3L SDRAM
• 16GB SSD
• Comes with 100GB of Google Drive space (for 2 years) and Google Docs

Next up we have the Asus's least expensive Windows laptop. Ringing in at exactly the same price as the Acer, we now officially have a fair fight. Here are the specs:

• Windows 8.1™
• Intel Atom Z3735 Quad-core 1.33-GHz 
  
• 11.6" HD (1366 x 768) 16:9
• Intel HD Graphics with Shared Memory
• 2GB, DDR3L SDRAM
• 32GB SSD
• Comes with 1TB of OneDrive space and Office 365 (for one year)

On paper, we have very similar machines. The Acer has a quicker processor with fewer cores, but that's effectively the only difference. In the past, that hasn't spelled success for Windows. But Windows is in a new era, and hardware is as capable as it's ever been (that's more of a general trend than an observations of the specific times). So is it time for a resurgence in Windows? or are we getting refreshed netbooks all over again?

So, where to start? I guess I'm going to start with their physical qualities. These computers are built to be ultimately portable. Both computers are very small. I owned the Chromebook first and when I opened the box, it felt like a toy. I honestly couldn't believe that there was a computer, battery, and working screen in the device I was holding. The power button obviously showed otherwise. When I got the Asus, I wasn't as taken aback as I was the first time I picked up the Acer, but it is a noticeable bit lighter. And as you can see, it is smaller. It makes the difference in one of my bags. It fits into the 'tablet' pocket rather than the laptop pouch. Really at this size and weight, they are both great, ultraportable machines, but the Asus is smaller and lighter.

The other thing you notice is that one of these computers is white. And I know that you're thinking white things usually pick up a lot of dirt and crud that eventually make it not-so-white anymore. I was actually blown away at how clean the Acer stayed. I know it had many spills on and around it and I was able to wipe them all away. Not most of them - all of them. Acer has something going right on how it finishes a computer that Asus doesn't. The Asus is a dark blue. It shouldn't show anything yet it shows every place where I've touched the laptop. It makes the machine look dirty. I'm sure in a while (when I've touched the computer everywhere) it will be less noticeable, but right now it's driving me nuts.

And finally, the build on both machines is great. I get the impression that both will be able to stand being thrown in a backpack well. The Acer made me a little nervous when I was looking at it just because it looked like the hinge was going to fall apart, but I am confident after some use that it will stand the test of time as well as any laptop hinge. At this point, both companies have designing and assembling a laptop pretty well figured out.

I stated this above, but I purchased both these computers on sale on random days over this summer for the same price. I paid $129.99 at Best Buy. Just a brief check on Amazon puts the two within $10 and both are under $200 regularly priced. With the holiday season just around the corner, I'd guess these machines will both see sale prices at what I found them for - maybe even less.

They look similar on paper, but these two machines behave in vastly different ways. If you haven't used a Chromebook before, open Google Chrome and pretend that's the only program on your computer. If you haven't done so yet, take a look at the Google Chrome store. Google and the Chrome developers have made a long list of useful web applications for Chrome.   

And Windows is Windows. Love it or hate it - it's the full Microsoft operating system. At this point, I am going to assume you know what Windows 8.1 is (and it's now upgradable to Windows 10).

It's hard to compare the two except to say that there's nothing the Chromebook can do that the Windows machine can't since you can install Chrome on any Windows computer. ChromeOS boots fast. It's amazing. From power on to opening your first Chrome app or webpage feels instant, but this little Windows laptop is no slouch either. And if you're not connected to the internet, the Windows computer has the potential to do more.

I'll admit right off the bat that I enjoyed physically using both of these computers. Both trackpads were brilliant (once I adjusted the sensitivity up). They were sensitive, accurate, and clicks were predictable. That's a big thing for non-OSx users. I don't know what has changed recently, but up until this summer (of 2015) there wasn't a trackpad that could hold a candle to my MacBook Pro circa 2011. Now they seem great. The same could be said about the keyboard. Everything worked how it should. It was comfortable. I have used some mobile keyboards which try to cram everything in and my fingers get lost as a result. This is not the case on either keyboard. Home row felt like home.

Both handle basic tasks and the operating system very well. The Chromebook boots and is usable quicker. Both are quick to stream a Netflix movie. Open quick on both machines. You're not going to want to (or be able to, really) run programs like Photoshop on either. Heavy websites and HD video will lag both devices. I was surprised with how well the Windows machine was able to pace with the Chromebook while browsing. I felt very little difference in performance online, even if I had a program or two open on the Asus while browsing. All-in-all, these are both viable laptops despite their low price. Even though its cores are slower, the quad-core intel seems to be the better chip. I feel like I could work with more open on the Asus than I could with the Acer. If you're going to be pushing either machine, the Asus is the one you want.

Quick to touch on the speakers on these laptops - laptops haven't been known to have the greatest speakers . They're quiet and often lacking in low end. The Asus delivers a very average audio experience. It's likely not going to surprise you when you hear what it can do. The Acer, on the other hand will blow your mind. It's loud. Loud enough to where if I was watching Netflix in bed or something where it was close and just me, I'd have to turn the volume down. That's a rare occurrence; good on you, Acer!

And the battery life. I don't know how to express my gratitude for how far laptop battery life has come since I had my first one. Both laptops could get me through a full day at work. That's screen on, keyboard clicking, internet browsing time. That's amazing. My first laptop would lose 3% battery when I turned it on and it would take another 1% to open any program. Now I can go a whole weekend without thinking about bringing my charger. Even if I might binge a few episodes of House, MD while I'm cooking dinner.

It seems that Windows is doing its damnedest to beat Google where it plays best with these new Windows 8/10 machines. The Asus Windows machine runs brilliantly and was often a more enjoyable experience than the Acer - Windows 10 should only make the experience better. Couple that with the increased productivity of the Office suite and general offline use, to me it seems like a no-brainer to pick the Windows laptop every time.  And this is coming from someone who is hot-and-heavy into Google's ecosystem. You won't find me replacing my Gmail account with a Hotmail account anytime soon, but I also can't find a place for Google's ChromeOS in the marketplace anymore... for now.

I have been announcing a few unsurprising things recently. I'm about to drop another not-surprise - I'm as geeky about my packs as I am with what they carry. I have been in a constant struggle to find the perfect backpack for my tech needs. It needed to have enough pockets to be organized, enough padding to protect the contents, enough space to haul everything, and enough style to keep me fly! That criteria has been impossible to satisfy. Here's a list of what I wanted to carry with me:

You can see how finding the right pack to fit that list, plus other things I may run into along the way, might be challenging. I was able to find bags that worked with the computing items pretty well, though every bag I had felt like overkill or a purse. For the camera stuff, I couldn't find anything that I was happy with. Micro four thirds is a great camera system and no one makes a bag to match its size. This left me with two bags I had to tote with me if I thought I would need a camera and computer, neither of which I was too fond of.

I hadn't heard of the brand Cocoon before. I actually found them looking for bag organizers because I had enough packs and had given up on finding the perfect one. If you haven't seen this company, familiarize yourself with who they are. What Cocoon offers is a creative weave of gripping elastic straps inside your bag. When I stumbled onto their website, I found the inserts to make my bag more organized, but I also found they make bags with their organizers built in! Needless to say, I was drooling. It looked like I had found exactly what I was looking for.

I took about an hour on the website going over the specs of each bag. I think there was extra pressure because I felt if I did this right I was finally going to have the perfect bag. After laboring over the choices, I decided to go with the SLIM Backpack for laptops up to 15.6". I placed my order and fell asleep quicker knowing happiness was on the horizon.

Holy buckets - it's here! Did I make a terrible mistake? Will it be everything I've built it up to be? I guess we'll find out.

The first thing I noticed: it looks like a backpack. That's a good thing; subtlety is ideal. The next thing I noticed was how well it was put together. In my search I've bought Timbuk2 bags, but I've also purchased cheap bags because they have a pile of pockets and that's what I want. This is much more of a high-end offering than you'll find casually browsing Target or an office supply store. I was also happy to see it has waterproof zippers. I don't spend much time in the rain, but when I do, it's never the time I've decided to bring an umbrella. Between the zippers and the waterproof fabric, I feel my gear is protected from the elements.

Another thing - this backpack is THIN. Really, extremely thin. The 15" laptops I brought to college would fill this sucker up (though, by today's weight standards and thickness, that was more of a desktop than a laptop - we're talking inches thick and weight in pounds over 5). Honestly, it made me nervous. Nothing I have to go into the bag is extremely thick, but when stacked, I wasn't sure how it was going to work. I left the tag on, just in case.

Finally, I had to stick my fingers in the mesh. It was awesome! Sure, I'm 12-years-old, and I bet you'll do the same thing.

Now we get to the fun part of the backpack: the utility! I did notice how soft the inner material is for your tablet and laptop (the small Asus laptop fit in the tablet sleeve pretty well, in case that's a question you had). I also appreciated that the bag had a flap on the side of the pouch opposite of the back. For whatever reason, that separation is appealing to me. This got me excited so I gathered my things and got ready to go. Taking everything I wanted to fit into this bag and setting it next to it (the laptop, tablet, and tripod are not pictured) was a bit overwhelming. I couldn't fathom it working as well as I had initially hoped when I ordered this bag.

But the show must go on! I started with the exciting stuff. The elastic bands have rubber ridges and as I slid things like my camera, lenses, and slick battery pack into the grid, I became more and more confident that things weren't going to come loose and fall to the bottom of the pack. In fact, I think this bag works best at its fullest. The more items you have, the less they will jostle and the better it will hold things in place. That being said, I don't think I could have added much more to the top of the bag. As I zipped it up, it was pretty clear that there isn't more room for gear in that pocket.

I moved to the back main pouch to put my computer and tablet there, along with the tripod and an HDMI cable and I was greeted with a benefit of having the Grid-It® system built into the bag. Even though all my gear in the front of the bag is lumpy and has all sorts of things poking into the next compartment, the system requires a rigid surface behind the grid to work, so when I slid my laptop into the sleeve against the front of the pouch it was like there was nothing in the pouch in front of it. It comforts me a bit to know that my laptop will have pressure dispersed if something presses against the front of the bag instead of having a single point of force against it. The tablet worked as well as a tablet does. The small tripod and HDMI cable were not a problem at all.

And all of a sudden I had a table with only a full backpack on it. I was pretty dumbfounded. It worked exactly how I had dreamed!

After using it for a while, the only major let down of this bag is that the straps feel like they are not up to par with the rest of the pouch. When you put them on, the foam is a little thin and flimsy, and it shifts around inside it's area. There's also no chest strap (as much as you made fun of that guy in high school, it really does help if you're walking or on a bike). I feel they are connected well to the pack. It's not that I'm worried they'll come off, just that they could be a whole lot better, especially considering the quality of the rest of the pack.

In case it wasn't obvious by the title of this post, I love this backpack. It's slim, light, holds all my gear, and most importantly, does so in a secure and organized fashion. If you want to do something like this but have anything larger than a pretty recent 15.6" laptop or have a full sized camera system, I'd look at other bags (by Cocoon still, of course). I ordered this bag on a whim - I didn't read any reviews or research Cocoon or their elastic system at all. The elastic weave made sense enough that I was willing to try it. I'm beyond pleasantly surprised with how effective the Grid-It® system that Cocoon offers is. It's not a huge backpack by any means, and you definitely should consider that if you're in the market, but because of the system in front, I was able to fit a surprising amount of gear into the bag. And it's not terribly expensive. It easily rings in under the Timbuk2 and North Face bags I have.

If you're in the market for a bag to organize and carry your gear, I highly recommend checking these bags out!

Arguably the most exciting trend in tech right now is smart wearables.  It's a recent innovation, but many companies are jumping on the wagon.  Google has its famous Google Glass, but it also just announced Android Wear to put it firmly in the market.  There have been many indy companies like Pebble and Metawatch who have come out with strong offerings to the market, and there are established companies like Samsung and Sony who have also recently released smart wearables.  

Last week I purchased a red Pebble Smartwatch.  I then took a weekend in Chicago and wore it the whole time without really thinking about it.  I was able to adapt pretty quick and began to find myself using it effectively.  When I got home from the weekend my roommates caught a glance and had a reaction which I didn't expect.  One roommate said he isn't excited at all for smart wearables because it's one more thing that will distract him.  I hadn't thought about this before he mentioned it, but he did raise a good point and it's moved me to write a piece on why I'm not only not bothered by smart wearables, but why I think they're a great enhancement to how we interact with our other devices, particularly our phones.

For anyone paying attention, you know this already, but the Pebble is the smartwatch that has really set the standard for what a smartwatch should be, but it's also one of the more humble when it comes to features.  It's a black and white screen with a vibration motor and a 4ish day battery life.  

The number one reason I think the smartwatch is going to improve how we are dealing with technology is that it's subtle.  When you get a notification on your phone, in order to check it, first your phone must announce you notification - often audibly, then you have to take your phone out of your pocket, turn the screen on, unlock the screen, and then check the notification.  On the smartwatch (the Pebble at least) each notification vibrates the watch and the information is displayed on the screen.  Not that checking your watch is a respectful thing to do when you're deep in conversation with another person, but it's a lot easier to get away with if your conversation buddy gets distracted for a second.  It makes what is quite the ordeal a simple glance down.  I don't even use a ringtone anymore.

The other thing that's very nice about this subtlety is that it makes it easier for everyone to ignore a notification that isn't important.  One thing that we can all relate to is interrupting a conversation to look at an incoming call, only to realize it's an ex-girlfriend calling to presumably to catch up and let you know how happy she is now.  The ignore process is almost as cumbersome as checking notifications and is definitely drawing attention.  Now, for me, all I have to do is click one button on my wrist and ignore the call - it's quite simple and inconspicuous.  It is much better for the present moment.

But I haven't really addressed my roommates issue.  In order to disconnect, I have to leave my phone and now my watch behind.  It's not a huge pain in the butt, but I get that it will keep you connected more than it would if you didn't have it around.  It is harder to get away from the buzz of the world and retreat.  There are silent hours that you can set on the watch itself, but random moments of peace will be easily interrupted.

That all being said, I don't think we live in a world that it's responsible to be disconnected from.  We have these amazing tools in our pocket that allow us to reach out and connect with one another easier than ever before.  Because they are such a useful tool, we are relying on them more and more.  This also places a larger dependency on others since the phone is a tool of connection.  If I'm not available, I'm letting someone down, and sometimes in a big way (we don't want Annie to have to sleep outside!).

For me, the smartwatch is a great tool which allows me to be in the moment while still being someone who the rest of the world can continuously depend on.  After a lesson or two in balancing being present virtually and physically and mentally, it's allowing me to be more present with all everyone without burdening those who I'm with.