Posts tagged ‘Getting to Know You’
Apkudo is on a path of rapid expansion and with that comes the need for fresh new talent! With the growth of Apkudo Approved we needed to find a few key people to fill holes in our roster. Over the next few weeks you’ll get to meet a couple of those dazzlingly fresh faces.
Meet our newest Lab Tech, Wyatt!
First up is Apkudo’s newest Lab Technician, Wyatt Kund! We sat Wyatt down and asked him a few questions. Then we made him wear this sweet Lab coat, which he now rocks on a daily. Looking good, Wyatt. Looking good.
1) What is your earliest computing or internet memory?
Probably watching my older brother playing video games.
2) What was your favorite NES game?
Megaman 2. I can still play that game for hours.
3) If you could be any superhero, who would you be?
Batman, sorry Mom and Dad.
4) What excites you most about the future of technology?
Miniaturization. In my pocket I have a computer more powerful than a supercomputer that would have taken up a warehouse just a few decades ago. That’s amazing! How long before a computer as powerful as the one at CERN is in my pocket, what doors could it open up? I can’t say for sure, but I can’t wait to find out.
5) Do you sleep with your socks on?
WHAT!? NO! Do people do that?
Editor’s note: Yes. Yes they do.
6) What software or websites couldn’t you live without?
Google. I have a lot of inane questions, and they seem to have all the answers.
7) If you could have a beer with anyone, alive or dead, who would it be and why?
I would have to say Carl Sagan. He’s been a hero of mine ever since I watched Cosmos. The way he talked about everything completely changed my perspective on the world. It’s a shame he left us so soon, and the opportunity to pick his brain would be priceless to me.
8) Do you want fries with that?
Yes, but I probably won’t eat them. I always intend to, but rarely have the room.
9) If you could go on an all expense paid vacation to anywhere, where would you go and why?
Hawaii. Just once I’d like to see clear blue water. I’ve gotten so used to the color of the bay that I think all the pictures of clean water is some sort of complex hoax.
10) Would you rather fight 100 duck-sized horses or 1 horse-sized duck?
No brainer, 100 duck sized horses. A horse- sized duck just seems too dangerous.
Wyatt’s love for CyanogenMod and inquisitive nature about how Android works immediately set him apart. Once he expressed his love for Magic: The Gathering, well, he all but locked up the position. Please help us in welcoming Wyatt to the Apkudo team!
You know what’s awesome? No, not “Gangnam Style.” Focus, people! That song isn’t even a little bit awesome! What’s awesome is when you have an employee that starts off as a part-timer but then proves themselves to be so perfect for the team you’re like, “Hey, let’s give this guy some health insurance. And a full time job.”
When Ben Rogers started here a few months ago he quickly learned the ins-and-outs of the Device Analytics lab and was eager to get his hands on everything in the App Analytics lab, too. The guy is like a sponge (earning him the nickname Sponge BRog) and we soon saw the need to bring him on full-time.
Ben “Sponge BRog” Rogers
Ben is Apkudo’s newest Lab Technician, performing analysis on all of our Device and App Analytics phones and tablets. We sat him down and grilled him like a…sponge? Sorry. We asked him 10 Questions. Here are his answers.
1) What made you want to get into computer science and engineering?
I like this field because you can see history changing before your eyes. It sort of allows you to see the future before anyone else. Oh…And I like all the “sciency” stuff.
2) Favorite Nintendo game of all time.
Up Up Down Down Left Right Left Right B A Start…..it’s a toss up between Contra and Metal Gear.
3) What do you do for fun?
Other than work at Apkudo? I sound boring but here goes: I like to workout. P90x is awesome, but now I’m doing the Spartacus 2.0 workouts again. I couldn’t live without running, I’ve been doing it for over 16 years now (mostly from my problems). I would consider myself a ‘runner’. I’ll let you in on a secret that runners keep. A sock makes for great TP…so if you see a runner with only one sock, you know what happened. I like to read, but don’t do enough of it. I like to read all kinds of content from science to sci-fi, politics to religion, and everything in between. The last book I read was The Walking Dead Vol. 1.
4) You’re stranded on a deserted island. This magical island lets you choose one restaurant at it that you’ll have to eat at for the rest of time. What do you choose?
Very tough question because I LOVE food (good thing I like to workout). I should say a buffet for the variety, but I don’t know any buffet’s that are that good. So, it would have to be a Top Tier Steakhouse, but I don’t know any. Ruths Chris is the best one that came to my mind. Also, it has to serve a full range of alcoholic beverages.
5) Marry/F**K/Kill: Captain Hook, Cruella de Vil, Ursula.
Marry: Captain Hook
F**K: Cruella de Vil
Kill: Ursula
Captain Hook could take me around the world with many exciting adventures.
Cruella de vil: I like puppies, but Ursula was an ugly octopus woman.
Unless it’s the hot Ursula…then everything changes.
6) Best advice you’ve ever received.
Just Do It
7) What song do you want played at your funeral?
I don’t care what is played at my funeral, I won’t be here to enjoy it. But it should be something fun or something that my friends and loved ones want to hear…Maybe just the chorus from Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Good Bye.
8) What website could you not live without?
Google.com–it seems to be the launching pad for everything I do online. Lame, I know, but what am I supposed to say, Bing?
9) If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
It’s between time travel or super human intelligence. If Super Human Intelligence would result in me figuring out time travel (among other things) I would pick that…then I could be a super intelligent time traveling genius!
10) Do you have any hidden talents?
If I tell you they won’t be hidden anymore. But, no. Sadly.
And there you have it!
Thanks to Ben for answering all our crazy questions and welcome to Apkudo!
One of the greatest things about working for a start-up is watching the company grow. Over the last year I’ve been a witness to the addition of every new employee on our staff. Each one of them brings something special to the mix and work hasn’t ever felt like ‘work.’ Our newest addition to the Apkudo team is Daniel “The Deej” Joyce, Engineer Extraordinaire.
We wanted to get to know Deej on a deep, spiritual level so we asked him 10 Questions (it was actually 11, but he refused to answer “Who Farted?!”). Here we go!
1) What made you want to be an engineer?
I got a TI-83 calculator in sixth grade and started messing around with TI-BASIC. That was my introduction to programming, and I just haven’t stopped since.
2) Favorite video game of all time.
I’m going to break the rules and pick three games here. They would be Megaman X through X3 on the SNES. Every once in a while I’ll play through each in a row. Those games never get old. I’m going to break the rules again and plug my favorite freeware game, Spelunky. I think everyone should play that game, its amazing.
3) What do you do for fun?
I write games (that I never finish). I also play the guitar and make music with real instruments and trackers (I’ve got a lot to learn about trackers).
4) You’re stranded on a deserted island. You can have one book, one movie, and watch one TV show for the rest of your life. What are they and why did you pick them?
I think I’d bring Don Quixote (it’s quite a long book). For a television show, I’d bring Star Trek: The Next Generation. I could watch every episode of that show again and again. Although, I have been meaning to watch The Wire… (I hear its good.) I could pick a classic cinema masterpiece here, but f**k it, I’d take Total Recall. Its got Arnold Schwarzenegger and it’s just a goofy sci-fi action movie that I could watch over and over again.
5) Marry/F**K/Kill: Leonardo da Vinci, Johannes Gutenberg, Benjamin Franklin.
This is an easy question. I’d have to marry Ben Franklin because he seems like a fun guy (I’d just ignore his love of French women). I suppose I’d kill Leonardo simply because every picture I’ve ever seen of him depicts him as an old man. And then I guess I’ll f**k Gutenberg. Moveable type is pretty sexy…
6) Best advice you’ve ever gotten.
I cannot think of any good advice I’ve received in the last 23 years of my life. Honestly, I probably wouldn’t listen anyways.
7) Best compliment you’ve ever received.
“You’re not that ugly.”
8) What website could you not live without?
If I didn’t have Stack Overflow I couldn’t do my job (don’t tell anyone).
9) If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
I would want to be able to stop time. I could stop time and get a full night of sleep. I could stop time and have breakfast in the morning. I could stop time and flee from my enemies. The list goes on and on.
10) What’s your biggest pet peeve?
When people chew with their mouth open. I probably do it and don’t realize it, but it still irritates me.
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