Inspiration

One of my inspirations to start doing this blog was one specific podcast of MacBreak Weekly. Near the end of the show, all of the participants get a chance to recommend something that they like or use that is applicable to the Mac / iPhone / iPad / tech worlds. On episode 205, Rich Siegel was on as a guest, and not being a regular on the show, he was concerned about recommending something that was not new enough or has already been recommended on a previous show. The host, Leo Laporte, was quick to explain that Rich should not worry - that we are just interested in what he uses and how he uses it.

With this blog, I started and stopped a few times because I questioned the relevance of what I could say. Not being a self-made expert on any of the subject I could write about, I know that much of what I could say here would be a regurgitation of what I gather from others - hopefully with my own interpretation. Realistically, I understand that some information doesn’t get the “Jake version” because I either don’t know enough about it or due to the type of information it is.

But what I learned from this short exchange on a podcast I listen to every week is that

1. what I write about or recommend or whatever has the potential to be relevant because (even if I think it is redundant) you never can tell who will read this or when he/she will read this; and
2. I don’t need to view this as wholly original and inspirational stuff - when I write here, my role is more of keeping information flowing as opposed to uncovering revelatory thoughts and discoveries.

I am not famous or well connected (yet!), but if I help get useful information to someone who may not have been anywhere near it before, then that is alright by me!

BTW, Rich’s recommendations were: Lacrosse Battery Charger , Momentus XT Solid State Hybrid Drive

Andy Ihnatko had a pretty cool recommendation with the iPad app Flipboard which looks to combine your social media and RSS feeds and packages them into your own personal digital magazine.