Friday, April 29, 2011

Colorado OpenGL, Codec, or OS/Parallellism, SW eng role?

Multiple openings available, at a small company with major Colorado office and a cool new product, 
if you are interested please contact me, I will connect you.  
Can also staff in Massachusetts.

Cheers, 
Connie L. O'Dell 
Sr. Verification Specialist 
c.odell@co-consulting.net 
303-641-5191 
_____________________________________________ 
CO Consulting - Boulder, CO - http://co-consulting.net


Thursday, April 21, 2011

Lisa Piper: X-verification: Conquering the “Unknown”

She's back...
Welcome back, Lisa!!!
Cheers,
Connie

Real Talk

Lisa Piper, Technical Marketing Manager at Real Intent
Lisa Piper, Technical Marketing Manager at Real Intent
Lisa Piper is currently a Technical Marketing Manager at Real Intent. She has been involved with using assertions in simulation -based verification, acceleration and formal verification. This included methodology work, active participation in standardization work, and product definition work. Prior to that, Lisa worked at Lucent Microelectronics and AT&T Bell Labs . She has a BSEE from Purdue University and MSEE from Ohio State University. « Less



X-verification: Conquering the “Unknown”

April 11th, 2011 by Lisa Piper, Technical Marketing Manager at Real Intent
EDACafe.com - Real Talk - X-verification: Conquering the “Unknown”

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Fake LinkedIn profiles: Ignoring their connection requests

Hi,
I get a lot of connection requests on LinkedIn. I have noticed that a number lately appear to have been from fake-looking auto-generated profiles with semi-nonsense experience. A simple way you can see some of them is via this search:

This search contains a long and complex literal string, and yet it yields 356 matching results, many of whom have tried to connect to me lately. Matching just the first sentence matches even more. The first clue was that many of them used celebrity names, or claimed to be various senior executives at IBM that they couldn't possibly be, and also the profile photos are stylistically very similar after you see a few of them. I smell a rat, although I am unsure what the cheese they are seeking is. Anyway, if you are a real person with this exact string in your profile, please feel free to let me know I should not ignore your request. I don't have time to respond to bots.

Cheers,
Connie L. O'Dell
Sr. Verification Specialist
c.odell@co-consulting.net
303-641-5191
_____________________________________________
CO Consulting - Boulder, CO - http://co-consulting.net

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Neat Boulder hikes for visitors

So various people I work with/know come to Boulder, may want to try a hike but have limited time.  Bring water!!!  These are some ideas I like:

Quick but extremely impressive:
"Back of Green Mountain" driving time 30min?, hiking time: up to 1 hr up, 20 min down, even hiking slowish: From Broadway or anywhere, go west on Baseline, right up Flagstaff Mountain (look out for bicyclists going up), right through the fee area (you don't have to pay if you don't stop here), after a really long time (maybe 5 miles, very mountainous), you will pass a sign saying "Leaving City of Boulder Mountain Parks/Fee Area/something", and you will also pass the 5-mile marker.  Here, you can park for free at the side of the road, either side (do not block drives), and if you look carefully on the left (South?) side of the road, you will see a trailhead with a sign and a map. The trail will meander for a bit, and has a crossing, but the way is pretty obvious.  The summit is fantastic and there is a monument at the top showing where all the regional 14ers are.  It is colder than in town, as you might expect.

Quick and casual:
1) NCAR nature trail: Got to NCAR, park, walk back a bit near the entrance road until you see where to cross the NCAR drive, and go to the nature trail.  Views are great, and if you want to go farther, you can actually hike through the nature trail to the southwest side, to a trail which connects west to the Mesa Trail, and you can go a long way from there.  Mallory Cave is also neat, although I have not completed the climb at the end (chicken).

2) Settler's Park ("Red Rocks"): Not "The" Red Rocks, but just a nice short hike near downtown Boulder.  There is a smallish parking lot near the intersection of Pearl and Canyon streets, but if it is full, there is some street parking east of there along Canyon.  Can be parked up at busy times.

3) Along Bear Mountain Road, you will see an open area on the west side with a trailhead.  This accesses both Bear Canyon, which starts as a road but becomes a trail, and also the Mesa Trail, which goes along the front of the foothills.  I love Bear Canyon, and again you can go as far up this as you want, if you are over enthusiastic you are likely to end up at the top of Green Mountain (my favorite) or Bear Mountain, but it is especially nice in spring/mid-summer, when there is still some snowmelt.  If you go all the way up, it is colder at the top!!!

Other interesting general suggestions:
Cannot go wrong going to Chataqua, my favorite there is Royal Arch (far-ish), the Mesa Trail (a lot longer if you like), and the meadow right above the entrance.  Gregory Canyon is also nearby and is partly shaded in the summer (parking kinda tight).  These and others are mentioned here:

And finally, I just have to tell you that I think these people are impressive, but crazy:

Cheers, 
Connie L. O'Dell 
Sr. Verification Specialist 
c.odell@co-consulting.net 
303-641-5191 
_____________________________________________ 
CO Consulting - Boulder, CO - http://co-consulting.net

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

How to Turn Down a Job Offer, from "Ask the Headhunter"

Another very helpful column from Nick Corcodilos, one of my favorite resources:



' ... When you talk with the manager, try this: “It means a lot to me that you’ve asked me to come work with you. I’ve been fortunate to receive several offers, and I’m taking the one where the work is the closest match to my objectives. Unfortunately, that’s not your company. This was a difficult decision, because you’re someone I’d like to work with, if not now, sometime in the future. With your permission, I’d like to stay in touch. In fact, if it’s not presumptuous, I’d like to recommend someone to you who I think would be a good candidate for this job… and I’d be glad to put you in touch….” '

Thursday, April 7, 2011

So you want to work at Google, courtesy of Ask Annie

Balanced and sensible advice for the engineering new grad...
Also check this one out: 4 job hunting tips for tech nerds
Cheers,
Connie "Just Another Satisfied Customer" O'Dell

---------- Forwarded message ----------
April 7, 2011. 10:05 AM

So you want to work at Google

Contrary to myth, new college grads don't need a 3.7-or-higher GPA to get hired at Google, says a new book. What they do need: Passion for technology and a track record of stellar achievement.

By Anne Fisher, contributor

FORTUNE -- Dear Annie: I will be graduating from an Ivy League college in a couple of months and I'd really like to go to work for Google. The only problem is, I've heard that the company won't even interview anyone whose grade point

Google headquarters in Mountain View, Calif.

average is below 3.7, and mine is barely 3.0.

That's mostly because I've spent a lot of time working at a tech startup in Boston instead of studying, just because it interests me more. For the past year or so, I've also put several hours a week into pro bono work for a local nonprofit, setting up a fundraising database, streamlining their bookkeeping, and developing their social media presence. I think these things are fine additions to my resume, but will my so-so GPA disqualify me? — Busy Off-Campus

Dear BOC: Your timing is terrific, since Google (GOOG) announced in January that it is embarking on a hiring spree this year. Alan Eustace, vice president for engineering and research, revealed in a blog post that Google expects to surpass its 2007 record for new hires. That year, the company added more than 6,000 people to its payroll.

The reason: Enormous growth in Google's Android mobile operating system, Google Apps platform, and Chrome browser, as well as other early-stage projects like Google Voice, robot cars, and an all-Web PC operating system. "We'll hire as many smart, creative people as we can to tackle some of the toughest challenges in computer science," Eustace wrote.

To boost your chances of being one of the people Google brings aboard, you might want to take a look at a new book, The Google Resume: How to Prepare for a Career and Land a Job at Apple, Microsoft, Google, or Any Top Tech Company. Author Gayle Laakmaan McDowell, a Wharton MBA, is founder and CEO of CareerCup.com, a job site for tech professionals.

Before launching that business, McDowell interned at Microsoft (MSFT) and Apple (AAPL). Then she worked in Google's engineering division for three years, where she served on the hiring committee, interviewed more than 120 job candidates, and pored over piles of resumes.

The experience gave her a clear understanding of which resumes get noticed and which ones land in the circular file. As the title suggests, the book includes samples of each, along with detailed notes on what kinds of experiences to include in your resume and how to present it.

You'll be heartened to hear that a 3.0 GPA doesn't necessarily wreck your prospects at Google. McDowell acknowledges that the 3.7-or-higher-GPA myth is widespread, but she discounts it. "When I joined Google, my team of eight people included three who didn't have college degrees at all," recalls McDowell. "And our next college hire had a GPA that wasn't so hot."

She adds: "Academia is merely one way to distinguish yourself, and there are plenty of others. So if your GPA, or your school, doesn't stand out, look for additional avenues. Besides, you'll need to excel in multiple areas to get your resume selected."

Your question suggests you've already got "multiple areas" going for you, so consider a few of the other things McDowell says Google looks for:

Passion for technology. Do you read tech news sources, and can you talk about the latest developments and trends? Do you enjoy thinking up new ways of applying or improving technology? Be ready to tell an interviewer about it.

Passion for the company. At any top tech enterprise, McDowell says, hiring managers want to see that you're familiar with the company's products -- and if you have suggestions for how they could be improved, so much the better.

Creativity. "If you're asked to design something from scratch, can you brainstorm lots of features you'd want?" McDowell asks. "When you're asked to solve a problem, do you push back on assumptions or constraints?" An example or two from your current or past activities would serve you well in an interview.

Initiative. This "might be something as nontraditional as putting on a photography show," says McDowell -- or starting a blog, launching a business, or pitching in at a nonprofit. "How have you gone above and beyond?" she asks. "What have you done outside of work" -- or in your case, outside of school? Emphasize accomplishments that nobody required of you but that you took on out of sheer enthusiasm.

Of course, tech companies value these traits in all job candidates, not just new college grads.

"At the end of the day, it comes down to this: Can you communicate how you can help the company? Passion, creativity, initiative, and a 'getting things done' attitude are all signals of that," McDowell says.

So don't let your 3.0 GPA stop you from applying -- and good luck!

Talkback: If you've gotten a job at a tech company lately, what do you think contributed most to your being hired? If you're a manager who hires IT people, what's the most important thing you look for? Leave a comment below.

Also on Fortune.com:


Filed under: Ask Annie, Guest Author
Anne Fisher
Anne Fisher
Anne Fisher has been writing "Ask Annie," a column on careers, for Fortune since 1996, helping readers navigate booms, recessions, changing industries, and changing ideas about what's appropriate in the workplace (and beyond). Anne is the author of two books, Wall Street Women (Knopf, 1990) and If My Career's on the Fast Track, Where Do I Get a Road Map? (William Morrow, 2001). She also writes the "Executive Inbox" column on New York City entrepreneurs for Crain's New York Business.

Saturday, April 2, 2011

Gmail Motion

Check it out!
Cheers,
Connie
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: The Gmail Team <arielle+test@google.com>
Date: Fri, Apr 1, 2011 at 1:01 AM
Subject: [Official Gmail Blog] Introducing Gmail Motion
To: gmail-blog-posts@googlegroups.com


Posted by Paul McDonald, Product Manager

In 1874 the QWERTY keyboard was invented. In 1963, the world was introduced to the mouse. Some 50 years later, we've seen the advent of microprocessors, high resolution webcams, and spatial tracking technology. But all the while we've continued to use outdated technology to interact with devices. Why?

This is a question that we've been thinking about a lot at Google, and we're excited to introduce our first attempts at next generation human computer interaction: Gmail Motion. Gmail Motion allows you to control Gmail — composing and replying to messages — using your body.



To use Gmail Motion, you'll need a computer with a built-in webcam. Once you enable Gmail Motion from the Settings page, Gmail will enable your webcam when you sign in and automatically recognize any one of the detected movements via a spatial tracking algorithm. We designed the movements to be easy and intuitive to perform and consulted with top experts in kinestetics and body movement in devising them.



We've been testing Gmail Motion with Googlers over the last few months and have been really excited about the feedback we've been hearing. We've also done some internal tests to measure productivity improvements and found an average 14% increase in email composition speed and 12% reduction in average time in inbox. With Gmail Motion, Googlers were able to get more done and get in and out of their inboxes more quickly.


To use Gmail Motion, you'll need the latest version of Google Chrome or Firefox 3.5+ and a built-in webcam. If it's not already enabled on your account, sit tight — we'll be making it available to everyone over the next day or so.

For more information, visit gmail.com/motion.

--
Posted By The Gmail Team to Official Gmail Blog at 4/01/2011 12:01:00 AM

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