Chris Minnick dot com

How Writing a Book and Alcatraz Ruined My Health!

admin — Mon, 14 May 2012 23:00:29 +0000

Last year, I wrote a book and an online course about mobile web apps. As you know, writing is generally a pretty sedentary activity that happens to go well with booze. Writing is also really hard work (mentally), and so it’s important for a writer to reward himself frequently with ice cream and various other snacks.

In spite of all these factors pulling me towards completely ignoring my health, I did make some attempts to be fit and forty early in the year (oh yeah, I forgot to mention that last year was also the year I turned 40). I registered for a 5k race and for a swim from Alcatraz, both of which helped me to focus on my training so that I wouldn’t die or get eaten by sharks. The problem, however, was that once the races were over, I felt like I didn’t need to exercise ever again. And, so I didn’t.

I think you can see where this is headed–writing and the successful completion of amazing feats of physical endurance have wrecked me! I’ve gained about 30lbs in the last year, and I have way more clothes that don’t fit now than I have that fit.

And so, like so many people with lame excuses for why they’re fat slobs, I’ve decided to start turning it around. I don’t have the guts to post a “before” picture of myself, but I’ll let you use your imagination. I look something like this:

And so, here I go! Stay tuned for updates!

MealMobs 1.0 is in the App Store

admin — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 18:20:22 +0000

For about the last 6 months, one of my many hats has been as a partner and CTO of MealMobs.com. MealMobs helps restaurants create and manage deals and loyalty programs, and helps customers find and use those deals and loyalty programs. Right now, we’re in a bunch of restaurants in New York, D.C., and Florida.

Several days ago, our new iPhone app was released in the Apple App Store, and has had hundreds of downloads already (before we even announced it!).

Here are the technical details, for those of you who want them: The app was built first as a Web app with jQuery Mobile and a bunch of the other languages and technologies that you can read about in my book (www.webkitfordummies.com). After the Web app had been fully tested, we converted it to a native iOS app with PhoneGap (www.phonegap.com) and released it for both iPhone and iPad.

Because we have a single HTML/JavaScript codebase, we can roll out native versions to other platforms with relative ease (just a few bugs to work out, in other words). Look for our Android, Blackberry, and yes, even WebOS and (hopefully) Windows Phone versions soon!

In the meantime, go to www.mealmobs.com with any device you have (or even a desktop browser). If you have iOS, you’ll be redirected to our app download. If you have Android, Blackberry, or another smartphone or tablet, you’ll be able to use our (super-sweet) Web app. Enjoy!

Mobile Web Apps for Smart People!

admin — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 22:46:18 +0000

My latest book (and my first book since 2001) is almost finished! The title is WebKit for Dummies, and it’s available for pre-order now!

I’m excited about the publication of this book (coming in February), and about the topic, but I’m finding myself having to explain what exactly it’s about pretty frequently, so I thought I’d write something about that here in order to clear up some misconceptions and possible confusion.

WebKit is the name of the open source browser engine that powers every mobile device’s browser except for Windows devices. This includes iPhone, iPad, Android, Blackberry, Nokia, and more. It also runs a large and growing percentage of desktop web browsers (Google Chrome, Apple Safari). My book isn’t really about WebKit, however — it’s really about how you can take advantage of the fact that WebKit is so widely available on smartphones and tablets in order to create cross-platform mobile apps with HTML5.

Also, the book isn’t really just for dummies. It is part of Wiley’s huge and successful “For Dummies” series, of course, but I want smart people to buy it as well. That’s not to say that dummies won’t also learn something, but I don’t think anyone needs to be excluded — with the possible exception of people who can’t read.

Now that you know all that, I hope you buy and enjoy the book!

2009 Malbec Labels are Finally Finished!

chris — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 04:11:15 +0000

It was a long and painful process, but I’m finally ready to release the 2009 “Rings of Uranus” Malbec labels. Enjoy! (click on the labels to see larger versions)

If you got some unlabeled wine, arrange a time for me to give you some labels.

front label:

back label:

Bad Astronauts’ First Trademark Dispute!

chris — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 18:36:36 +0000

Last month, I got an email that I was almost sure was spam. The subject was “REGARDING BAD ASTRONAUTS DARK MATTER TRADEMARK INFRINGEMENT”, and the email simply said “Please see the attached document”. Now, anyone who knows anything knows that it’s almost always a bad idea to open an attachment from someone who you don’t know – especially when they don’t tell you what the attachment is. So, I deleted the email.

The next day, I got a FedEx envelope addressed to me at Bad Astronauts Winery, with a very official-looking letter inside! I’ve scanned the enclosed letter for your viewing pleasure:

Now, those of you who know the history of the wine that came to be known as (but is no longer known as) “Bad Astronauts’ Dark Matter Zin” know that only 25 cases were made, it was made in my backyard, no label was ever made, it’s illegal to sell homemade wine, and there are probably only 6 bottles of this wine left in existence. After I stopped laughing, I started showing the letter to a select few people and asking for advice on how to respond.

The best ideas for responses were:

“I’ve never heard of Mondavi. Is this some sort of Nigerian scam?”
“I’m willing to settle.”
“I challenge you to a duel.”
“Let’s River Dance it out.”

When I sobered up, I consulted with my trusted legal counsel and, based on my budget for legal counsel, decided on a less confrontational approach. Our goals were to gently make fun of the original letter while resolving the situation and trying to get some free wine or cheap Napa grapes out of it. Here’s the letter we wrote and emailed in response:

Re: Dark Matter

Dear Ms. Taylor:

Thank you for your correspondence of March 3, 2011, regarding your client, M & J Mondavi Family, LLC, and its claim to a DARK MATTER trademark associated with a Zinfandel wine. As you are no doubt aware, the Bad Astronauts Winery is a name used by a group of home winemakers who produce their product in a garage in Sacramento. In 2008, the Bad Astronauts acquired approximately 1,000 pounds of Zinfandel grapes from the Fairplay region of El Dorado County. In 2009, we bottled the Zinfandel, and found it quite tasty. We have never produced a label for our bottles, sold the wine, or marketed the Zinfandel. Indeed, the wine has never been a part of the stream of interstate commerce such as to bring it within the orbit of United States Trademark laws (as far as I know, granted I am not an attorney and have not retained one prior to or since receiving your letter). I believe there is a simple misunderstanding, in that the name we have used to describe our small quantity of garage-made Zinfandel, Dark Matter (keeping with our space-themed names for our homemade wines, such as Black Hole Merlot, Rings of Uranus Malbec, Comet Colombard, Canali Cabernet, Phoenix Landing, Martian Red, etc {all of which we are now considering registering with the USPTO}) has somehow entered the public domain via that new-fangled invention known as the Internets. Prior to receiving your letter, we had no idea that another winery was making, or had made a Zinfandel (or any other wine) by the name of Dark Matter. We apologize for any confusion caused to your client’s discerning customers. I completely understand that our tasty garage-made wine that has no label and which has never been marketed or sold, could be confused with your client’s Howell Mountain-Napa region designated, Robert Parker reviewed wine. To avoid any such confusion in the future, the Bad Astronauts Winery of Sacramento will cease and desist from referring to our 2008 Zinfandel as “Dark Matter” and will not use that name to describe any of our other efforts. As a token of good will, we would be happy to provide your client with a sample bottle of our 2008 Zinfandel (which again, I have to say is quite tasty, but supplies are going fast as we have only three bottles left).

I hope that this letter resolves this issue. If you have any further questions, comments, or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Best regards,
Chris Minnick

After about a month, we still hadn’t heard anything back, so we decided to send a followup email:

Here’s the letter I wanted to send:

Dear Ms Taylor:

I’m writing with regards to my letter from last month, in which I told you my intention to cease using the Dark Matter name to describe my tasty homemade wine. I have not heard back from your firm or from the Mondavi family or its fine corporation. I’m worried sick. Because of the seriousness of our offense and your lack of response, I can only surmise that you are preparing to take action against me. To perhaps fend off this action, I have consumed the last remaining bottles of my tasty garage-made zinfandel.

Some of the members of the Bad Astronauts think that you are a Nigerian scammer. I told them I don’t believe it. Your lack of response has me concerned that I may be wrong. For the sake of my sanity, and the sanity of my family, I beg you to provide me with proof that your original letter was not part of an elaborate scheme to defraud me and steal the Dark Matter trademark ™.

Sincerely and regards (unless you’re a Nigerian Scammer ™),

Chris Minnick
Bad Astronauts Winery

and here’s the letter I finally did send (after consulting with my trusted legal counsel):

Re: Provisional Offer to Purchase Grapes

Dear Ms. Taylor:

As you may recall, we corresponded last month regarding the use of the Dark Matter name to describe various Zinfandels (one made by your client, M & J Mondavi Family, LLC, from Howell Mountain grapes, and one made by the Bad Astronauts in a garage). Optimistic that our dispute has been resolved, I have a business proposition to offer your client. The Bad Astronauts are looking to purchase 2,000 pounds of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes from the Napa Valley. Could you please ask your client if they would be willing sell us such grapes from any one of their Napa holdings? In case they have any concerns about the grapes’ use, you can tell them that the Bad Astronauts’ last Cabernet Sauvignon-based wine (Phoenix Landing) won best in show and a double gold medal at the El Dorado County Fair, gold at the California State Fair, and numerous other accolades. If the price for the grapes is right, we’d be happy to kick in one of the last remaining bottles of this extremely tasty wine.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter and for communicating this good faith offer to your client. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Best Regards,
Chris Minnick
Bad Astronauts Winery

I did get a polite response back from the lawyer, letting me know that the original matter has been resolved and that she has passed on my offer to her client. So – we’ll see what happens. I’m not real optimistic about our chances for scoring cheap Napa grapes — I’m sure that this post will help, though.

Announcing ContentBoxer 1.2

chris — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 00:01:24 +0000

Today, we launched several big improvements and changes to ContentBoxer.com, including:

Embed Code Builder! Embed Code Builder lets you put ContentBoxer forms, or a list of ContentBoxes on your own site!
Content Box Email Marketing Integration! If you use Contactology or Mailchimp for your email marketing, you can use the Site Integration settings (linked from Box settings) to make information from each new registrant to a Content Box be automatically added to an email list. If you use another email marketing service, let us know which one it is. We’ll be adding additional sites in the near future.
Redesigned Box Manager! We’ve re-ordered the columns, renamed a couple, and did some general tweaking in the box manager. Let us know what you think!
A whole mess of bug fixes, performance enhancements, and user interface upgrades.

Enjoy, and please leave a comment if you have any additional requests or if you notice something that’s not right.

-Chris

Intel’s Schools of Distinction: Learning from the Star Innovators

chris — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 22:06:30 +0000

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Since 2004, Intel has been honoring exemplary math and science programs through its annual Schools of Distinction award—and selecting one outstanding school each year to receive top recognition as a Star Innovator. What can we learn from these award-winning programs about successful STEM implementations? How do their approaches mirror those identified by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) as characteristic of the highest performing education systems in the world?

Active Participation Is Key to Student Learning

chris — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 20:37:32 +0000

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Student response systems help teachers turn classrooms into places where students are engaged, fulfilled, and in control of their learning.

How Web-based Tools Change Teaching and Learning

chris — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 20:31:04 +0000

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Today's students are online and using Web 2.0 tools, and schools are beginning to capitalize on this phenomenon by integrating web-based tools in the classroom. Many believe that using technology is key to transforming schools into efficient and effective learning communities. This eBook will help you understand how valuable Web 2.0 technologies are and how we can help educators to use these tools to meet the challenges ahead.

Next Generation Business Data Analytics

chris — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 19:49:08 +0000

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21st century businesses demand timely access to varied data sources, analysis of exponentially growing data volumes, and rapid reaction to/prediction of changing events. Common challenges such as meeting increased performance needs, handling complex analytic queries, mitigating risk, and solving specific business problems in a continually diminishing time window require a transition from the days of relational database management systems that have been in vogue for the last 30 years to analytic engines that can process huge data volumes rapidly.