3D Printing...No Glasses Needed

For this particular posting I decided to watch a Geekbeat.tv podcast on 3D printing.  I have heard a little about 3D printing over the last year or so and even read up on some household versions however I had not seem much before on industrial models.

 

The hosts of the show interview representatives from Stratasys and SculptCad about the Stratasys 3D printers.  Discussions move from the use of support structure material on some smaller hollow items to a solid sculpture of a Halo character all the way up to automobile dashboards.

 

One of the more fascinating prints for me might have been the smallest one they demo’d and it was the moveable chain.  By using a dissolvable support material, they are able to print the chain links all together in 1 single print and still retain the shape of that style of chain.  The single prints with moveable parts in general were fascinating including the joystick demo’d towards the end.  This particular piece had different textures and rigidity of parts yet it was all printed at once.

 

The next type of printer they talked about was a full color liquid photo polymer that according to the Stratasys representative is sprayed on as a liquid and cures as a solid.  These printers were used to create the Halo character with multiple colors as well as the Trek bike helmet prototype.  One of many advantages for these types of printers is that the color is all the way through the material.  Scratches or gouges do not distort the color other than just the surface damage.

 

Examples were also discussed that 3D printers in industrial settings alleviate some financial burdens of designing new products.  Whether the 3D printer is creating prototypes of the actual item to be manufactured or the printer is creating mock up molds for an injection mold process, the iterative process of each of those steps can be cheaper and quicker if 3D printing is used.

 

Overall I found the video very interesting.  Although the printers are financially out of reach for home use…bummer, it was exciting to see some prints from beefier models that are being used in industry.  As technology is improved upon, as it always is, some day the industrial models spoken about in this video may become household models in the future.   

 

 

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/geekbeat.tv-large/id192778677

“3DPalooza – 3D Printers Get Up-Sized for Industry with Stratasys”  Dec 2, 2014.

іNO MAS! to bad meetings

I had never viewed a TED talk prior to today.  I honestly was not sure what type of topics I would be able to choose from.  Seconds after arriving at the home page, David Grady’s “How to save the world (or at least yourself) from bad meetings” immediately jumped out at me.  The title alone spoke to me and after watching the video, its obvious I am not the only one.  After viewing you also find out David had previously put out a video on YouTube which went viral in which he acts out a poorly run meeting.  It’s a must see (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbJAJEtNUX0).   It is absolutely crazy to watch the video and have experienced meetings almost identical to what David acts out.

In his TED talk video he approaches poor meetings from a different angle.  He puts the responsibility on the invitees to avoid what he calls MAS (Mindless Accept Syndrome).  Although from personal experience, it is an easy habit to fall into.  Despite not always knowing why you are invited to a meeting it seems easier and quicker to accept the meeting than to ask a few questions in regards to your involvement.  After providing some examples of MAS and sharing a portion of his YouTube video, he shares his strategy of іNO MAS!  This strategy consists of using discretion when accepting and utilizing the seldom used “Tentative” button.  As he states at the end of this TED talk, a few probing questions presented respectfully can lead to a better use of your time at work and hopefully begin to change the behavior of the meeting organizers.

David’s presentation was very enjoyable.  He had humor throughout to keep you engaged but he stuck to the true intent of his presentation and didn’t try to be a comedian.  The topic was short and to the point and the message did not get lost.  Although he did not take questions from the audience, you can tell that the audience related to the topic by their facial expressions and laughter.

David Grady : “How to save the world (or at least yourself) from bad meetings.”

http://www.ted.com/talks/david_grady_how_to_save_the_world_or_at_least_yourself_from_bad_meetings

Social Media Compare

Within this report I am going to compare the usage of Facebook and Twitter for Netflix and the Milwaukee Admirals. Obviously they are 2 completely unrelated entities however I wanted to see as much variety as I could within this quick comparison.

Starting with Netflix, I found their Twitter feed to be much more useful and recent. Unless I am navigating their Facebook page incorrectly...which I might be as I joined Facebook today simply to view their page, all I could really find was their App page. All this basically did was take me to the Netflix site which I could have done myself in a few less steps. There was another Net Flix facebook page however this did not appear to be reprsenting the company although the picture makes you think so.  I apologize in advance to Netflix if this is a poor evaluation of their Facebook page however it doesn’t seem to be serving much of a purpose. Their Twitter feed however was much more interesting and active. Just within the last 24 hours there were at total of 15 tweets in regards to Netflix available content. I think Twitter provides a fantastic vehicle for Netflix to push out quick concise promotions for their content as well as a way to announce new additions to their library. The short format of tweets does not pose an issue for the information Netflix is sending out.

The other company/entity I thought I would take a look at are the Milwaukee Admirals. They probably aren’t the first “company” you would think of but it is a business nonetheless. Milwaukee being a small hockey market in a league with already limited interest, they need to attract as many fans as possible and retain their existing fan base. I chose a sports team because I think the relationship between Twitter and sports is interesting. I am still a newbie with social media, however I already see sports teams using Twitter like crazy. Similar to Netflix, the Twitter format works great for the Admirals allowing for short video clips, score updates or promotions to be sent out to the fans. Ultimately their goal is to get you out to the Bradley Center so the best way to do that is to push out posts to Twitter as much as possible to remind you that the Admirals are here and can use your support. The Admirals Facebook page is utilized much more than the Netflix page. There are many postings about the team, players and promotions (which are most likely on Twitter as well) that keep your attention including links for alerts, their blog and the team website.

Sources:
https://twitter.com/netflix
https://twitter.com/mkeadmirals
https://www.facebook.com/?sk=welcome#!/games/netflix_social/?fbs=-1
https://www.facebook.com/?sk=welcome#!/net.flix.908?fref=ts
https://www.facebook.com/?sk=welcome#!/mkeadmirals

Why Am I Here and Where Am I Going!?

Why Am I Here and Where Am I Going!?

I am 10 years removed from a Bachelors degree in Quantitative Economics.  I may have been able to tell you what that meant 10 years ago however after a decade of not using my Economic “muscles” I wouldn't even know where to begin.

Immediately out of college I found a job as a Loan Officer trainee with a Rochester MN based Credit Union in downtown Milwaukee.  I was ecstatic…not sure why, but I was.  I am rather quiet and reserved and not much of a “salesman.”  Looking back it wasn't a great fit, but it was a career and I was going to give it everything I had.  It pushed my comfort boundaries and I grew as a person and professionally.  Everything went great for about a year until the home office closed our lone WI branch.  I was 24 and already out of a job.

I recalled some conversations I had previously with one of my professors at Parkside.  He had mentioned that a few of his graduates went on to become Actuaries.  “Hmmm, that sounds interesting and I think they make good money, right?”

Fast forward 9 years –

I am currently the owner of the SQL Server DB servicing the Actuarial dept for the Individual segment of Humana.  My progression to my current role started shortly after I started at Humana and specifically within MS Excel.  We had 26 state based Excel workbooks filled with many worksheets of algorithm factors.  Making updates was a nightmare and extremely error prone.  I played around with VBA in my own time to come up with automated ways of making the factor updates and calculating rates that were much quicker, less tedious and far less error prone.  Based on this interest, my boss at the time put me in charge of moving all 26 workbooks to a SQL Server DB to which I replied, “Uhhh, what’s SQL Server?”

Luckily I wasn't immediately pulled off the SQL project based on my initial reaction or I might not be writing this Blog today :)

Needless to say it went extremely well.  Queries and tables I developed 7 years ago are still being used today.  My SQL skills have grown to the point where I am a resource for data within our department as well as across other business units.  I am still not at an IT level which is why I have returned to school in the Programmer Analyst program.  I want to validate what I already know as well as build a skill set more suitable for IT.  I enjoy what I do each day and my education at MATC will simply ensure that my career will continue to line up with what makes me happy.