Juan del Real

Maite Alessandra

Juan — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 07:38:07 +0000

My wife gave birth to our beautiful baby girl on March 18th — which also happened to be our second wedding anniversary. Our baby was born at 3:07am and weighed 6 pounds, 11 ounces, and measured 19.75 inches in length. We named her Maite Alessandra. Both mother and baby are home now and doing very well.

I’ve posted a few more photos of her on Flickr.

My iPhone Experience

Juan — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 23:40:27 +0000

I bought an iPhone back in September, after the price drop. It instantly became the coolest gadget I have owned. Its an awesome feeling to know you have access to information right at your fingertips anywhere, anytime. Grant it, the EDGE wireless service is slow when WiFi isn’t available, but at least you are able to access the info you need.

Having been using the iPhone for five months now, here are some of my findings about it:

Bugs: After a few weeks of using the iPhone, I began to experience a bug of sorts when using the browser (Safari). The browser would just randomly quit, or crash, while viewing a website — returning me to the home menu. Within a short period of time, this became more and more frequent to the point where I couldn’t use the browser at all. I had a Genius check my phone at an Apple Store, but they couldn’t figure out what was wrong with it. They ended up replacing my iPhone there on the spot. The Genius didn’t know if the replacement iPhone was a new one, or a refurbished one. He said there wasn’t a way to tell. The replacement iPhone looked new and seemed to work well. I didn’t experience that same bug for the longest time. However, just recently I’ve started to have the browser just randomly quit/crash on me again. I’m hoping the latest firmware upgrade to 1.1.4 will fix this.

Form factor: The iPhone replaced a Motorola Razr V3 i had for years, so there was a size difference I had to get used to. The iPhone is longer than the Razr, but the iPhone is thinner. It didn’t take long for me to get accustomed to the size and form factor. One thing that I just couldn’t get used to, though, was how smooth the iPhone is. I had to be careful when handling it with one hand because it would very easily slip out. I ended up buying an Incase protective cover and that solved that problem. Now I’m able to get a good grip on it.

Cell Phone: So far, I’ve always experienced good reception and clear calls. No complaint here.

iPod/iTunes: iTunes and the iPod on the iPhone is cool, but I don’t really use these features. I have a few songs on the iPhone, some which I have bought via the iTunes on the iPhone itself, but I don’t go around with the earphones in my ears listening to music.

Google Maps: This one feature that I use a lot since day one. I use it to check traffic, how to find short cut to place I’m going, and to locate businesses.

Twitter me this

Juan — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 03:45:32 +0000

You can now follow my doings on Twitter. I signed up for it back in April, but haven’t used it because I really don’t have an everyday use for it. I’ve seen it put to good use by folks who are covering shows and events so I’m thinking it might come in handy once my wife’s due date is here next month. I’ll be able to keep family and friends informed of the baby’s birth.

Four weeks to go!

Juan — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 03:23:24 +0000

My wife and I are going to be parents in about four weeks. Her due date is March 13th, but you know how that goes: give or take several days. We’ve been preparing for a few months now, but we have only just begun to set up the nursery. We pretty much have everything its just a matter of assembling furniture and setting things up. Guess what I’ll be doing this three-day weekend. Anyway, expect a lot of more posts on babies and fatherhood.

Some frequently asked questions we get are:

Boy or girl?
Girl.

When is she due?
March 13th.

Where will she be born?
San Francisco, CA

Have you picked out a name for her?
No, we haven’t decided on a name. We have a short list of names that we like and we’ll probably decide on one when she is born to see which one fits her best. We’re still taking suggestions so let us know if you have a cool, exotic name.

Can you tell me the names you’re thinking of?
No. They are a secret.

Not number one anymore

Juan — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 02:41:31 +0000

Since I haven’t blogged in months, I’m no longer listed as the first result — number one — when you query the name “Juan” on Google. Sounds like a challenge to become number one again.

$100 Laptop

Juan — Sun, 16 Sep 2007 06:33:09 +0000

I finally got to see the laptop created for the One Laptop per Child program up close at LinuxWorld. The laptop is also known as Negroponte’s “$100 laptop.”

I had only seen photos of it so I was surprised at its size - its small. I didn’t spend much time playing with it. I just moved the cursor around and tried to opens some programs, but it wasn’t responding. However, it looks like it could be an educational toy from LeapFrog.

I’m number one!

Juan — Sat, 18 Aug 2007 00:55:13 +0000

This website/blog is currently listed as the top result when you Google the name “juan”.

As advertised

Juan — Sat, 18 Aug 2007 00:51:23 +0000

Diet Dr Pepper really does taste like regular Dr Pepper!

smart fortwo

Juan — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 07:00:25 +0000

I got the chance to see and drive a smart car - the fortwo model. Well, we were only allowed to drive it around the parking lot, but it was still a fun experience. These cars have been available outside the US for years. They are supposed to finally go on sale here, in the US, next year.

Even though its small size, it doesn’t feel that small once you’re inside and driving it. It has a three cylinder engine in the rear which produces 60 hp. Since its a lightweight car, its able to move fast with such little power.

Its a really cool car. However, I don’t think it will be a good car for commuting long distances. Its just perfect to drive around within a city - which I think is the main purpose of this car.

Maker Faire 2007

Juan — Sun, 01 Jul 2007 07:16:16 +0000

In May I went to Make Magazine’s second annual Maker Faire event at San Mateo Expo Center, CA. I had an idea of what to expect. It turned out to be way better than I could imagine. It was geekiest place on earth. My wife went with me although she wasn’t too sure about it. She hadn’t heard of the event and the idea of it being a “geek event” didn’t thrill her. Once there, she was just as excited as I was. She’s a crafty person so she really dug a lot of what Maker Faire had to offer — especially the crafts section. Maker Faire is a two day event , but we only attended one day. Next year we plan on attending both days.