BobBuskirk.com » Ramblings

Super Bowl Commercials 2012

Bob Buskirk — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:00:37 +0000

Well I’m sure most of you tuned in yesterday to watch the Super Bowl. Congrats to the New York Giants for winning, it was actually a decent game this year. Since the Steelers were not in the Super Bowl I really was not that interested in the game, but as always I was interested in the commercials. I can’t even imagine what they are charging for ad spots during the super bowl these days, but I assume it is A LOT! Companies always try to create great commercials for the Super Bowl ad spot, what better way to get people to use your service or buy your product, especially with that many people watching.

Before I get into my favorite Super Bowl commercials of 2012, let me talk about some of the ones that did not make the list. While I was not impressed with the GoDaddy Body Paint commercial, it was the only ad that was really meant to drive traffic to their website, this has been a theme of GoDaddy for quite a few years now. GoDaddy’s second commercial had a QR code on it, do you really think I am going to walk up to my TV and scan that thing GoDaddy? C’mon! The Bud Light Platinum commercial was alright, but I did like that they used the hashtag #MAKEITPLATINUM. As someone said on Twitter hashtags are the new AOL Keywords.

I think my favorite commercial was one that was not even shown to US audiences. It was shown to Canada only. It was the Budweiser Flash Fans commercial. I would have much rather have seen this commercial than the other Budweiser commercials that were shown in the US!

The next ad that really caught my eye was the Best Buy Mobile Phone Game Changer commercial. This commercial was awesome because it showed the creators of many of my favorite iPhone and Android apps. Great way to get the attention of us geeks out there!

I think the only commercial that made me laugh this year was the M&M’s It’s that kind of party commercial. I’ll let you see why below.

I’m sure you can guess why I like the next commercial…Adriana Lima! But this commercial does a great job of keeping the male audience’s attention then promotes Teleflora, which is most cases guys will be sending girls flowers on Valentines Day, genius!

All of the movie trailers were awesome, except for the Disney one of course. The reason I did not include them on this list is because I have seen the trailers for all of these movies months ago. Also we did not see any commercials from Intel or Google, I always look forward to those. Anyways I hope you enjoyed my list of favorite Super Bowl Commercials of 2012. What were your favorites this year?

The CES 2012 Swag Haul!

Bob Buskirk — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 15:00:30 +0000

One of the best things about going to CES is getting swag, free stuff companies give out as they lure you to come check out their booth. I mean what better way for companies to get your attention then with free stuff! Also rumor has it that on the last day of the show if you stick around long enough many companies will just give away stuff so they don’t have to pack it up and take it back with them. Anyways here is what I was able to snag this year at CES.

Some of the more noteworthy things are a tablet, Thermaltake headset, Corsair solid state drive, and a Kingston Wi-Drive. My favorite thing would have to be the backpack from Rosewill (the black one on the right). It is actually a really nice backpack, much better than the one CES gives press. It is more or less a camera bag with a bunch of protective compartments in it. I used it on my way back from Vegas as my carry-on and I plan to use it in the future, so thanks Rosewill!

Stay tuned for a contest on ThinkComputers where I will be giving a lot of this stuff away!

What a Vegas Trip!

Bob Buskirk — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 09:26:09 +0000

Well as I said I was heading to Vegas for CES and I have just got back. All I have to say is what a trip! This trip seemed different than all other trips to CES. I am really not sure what it was, but it was a good feeling for sure. This year was definitely more relaxed, less stressful and just a lot of fun! So why was this year so different from others?

First we stayed at a condo this year, not a hotel room. The place we stayed at was called The Jockey Club and it was right in the middle of the strip. Having a 2 bedroom 2 bathroom condo was much more comfortable than having everyone in a single hotel room. The condo also had a full kitchen, which definitely was a plus. Having the extra room of a condo made it possible for CyberPower to provide us with a desktop system to do video editing on. This not only saved us time, but make working much, much easier.

Second, the ThinkComputers coverage was all video this year. This meant we did not have to write as much. Coming home after a long day on the show floor, press events and industry parties the last thing you want to do is sit down for 2-3 hours and write articles. Having video meant that we really only needed to write intros for the articles. This definitely elevated a lot of stress. To give you an idea of the videos we shot check out my interview with Bill Owen of MNPCTECH!

Third, things were much more relaxed. It seemed in the past I really got stressed out over things at CES, but this year things were just chill, even down to our “dress code”. I decided this year that myself and staff could wear jeans and a simple dress shirt or something similar, most importantly everyone could wear sneakers instead of dress shoes. Besides just our dress code I scheduled most of my meetings so I was not running all over the place.

Finally I have gone to CES so many times I knew exactly what I needed to do and what I needed to get done. I don’t think there was one time during the week where I was super stressed or pissed off. Another great thing was my staff, not only are these guys great at what they do they are great friends and who better to spend a week in Vegas with! Stay tuned for many different posts about the trip. You can also check out all the coverage over on ThinkComputers!

Into 2012…

Bob Buskirk — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 02:54:02 +0000

Wow can you believe it is already 2012!?! It seems like 2011 flew by! 2011 was an ok year for me, I know it had its ups and downs, but the good times definitely outweighed the bad times. This yeah has been a learning year for me, by that I mean I have learned from my mistakes and I’m doing things to not make those mistakes again. Case in point would be that over the past 3-4 months I have completely eliminated all of the drama from my life and cut out fake friends. By doing this I have been happier than ever! So what does 2012 have in store for me? Well let’s talk about things I want to do, I hate calling them resolutions.

Time Management – This is something that I have really been horrible at lately. I need to work smarter and stop wasting time on things that do not matter. I also need to stop being so lazy and just get things done!
Being more active – I always say I need to get in shape, but honestly I do. I am going to try to work out at least 3 times a week starting this week.
Blog More – Yeah yeah I know I haven’t really blogged that much at all but I really want to. Blogging is a great way to not only share experiences with friends and family but also save those memories.

Only 3 things? Well I think if I accomplish both of these goals I will be much happier and stress free. So what are my plans for 2012?

ThinkComputers – As always I will be doing ThinkComputers full time. This year I really want to make a big push a get the site to where it needs to be. Also with us doing video now I really want to gain a good following on YouTube.
COB – COB has been a great experience and learning process as it is the second company that I have started since ThinkComputers. I definitely want to gain more clients and really put more time into it as I do enjoy working with social media.
Other Endeavors – Well there is a possibility that I may be starting a 3rd company, but that is quite a ways away right now. I also am becoming more involved in the Pittsburgh startup scene and I will definitely continue that in 2012.

Thanks to my friends and family for always being there in 2011, here is to 2012!!

Instagram Update 11-9-11

Bob Buskirk — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 01:24:10 +0000

Well I really am enjoying these Instagram updates, but I think instead of 1 week intervals I will be doing them every 2 weeks. It makes it easier and I can show you more photos in more of a gallery. So here is the Instagram update for 11-9-11!

Some New Shows…Late 2011 Edition

Bob Buskirk — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 15:00:42 +0000

Since I have been really working my a** off gearing up for the holiday season I really have not gone out that much. Usually at the end of a long day I try to wind down and relax by watch some TV…well Hulu mostly. Through Hulu I have discovered some great new shows, going through their Popular Shows page there really is a lot. Let’s take a look at few shows I am really enjoying right now. Instead of writing about them.

Terra Nova – (Hulu Link)

Pan Am – (Hulu Link)

Revenge – (Hulu Link)

Misfits – (Hulu Link)
Although this show is older, I’ve just discovered it!

Steve Jobs 1955 – 2011

Bob Buskirk — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 16:02:10 +0000

I’m sure by now you’ve heard that Steve Jobs passed away yesterday of cancer at the age of 56. This was shocking and sad news to many people, myself included. For those who do not know Steve Jobs co-founded Apple Computers with Steve Wozniak in 1976. Over the years he has been the visionary behind many of Apple’s greatest products and really changed the way many people view technology. Being that I work in technology I have followed Apple products over the years.

You know growing up you read about people like Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, and George Westinghouse. These were all visionaries and people who really thought outside of the box. For our generation Steve is one of those visionaries. Obviously I was really too young to follow the early Apple Computers, but since Steve returned to Apple in 1997 I think most of us in the technology field really followed Apple closely. If you think about it personal computers might not be what they are today without Steve Jobs.

All innovators have to take chances and of the first one that really shocked many of us with the introduction of the iPod in 2001. MP3′s were not that popular back then and many people did not think the device would be successful, but as you know it was a huge success. There were MP3 players out there, but no company really made one that caught on. I’m sure many of you reading this currently own or have owned an iPod. This was a step away from Computers for Apple and gave them what they needed to continue as a successful company.

Just 2 years later Apple introduced the iTunes Music Store, which allowed you to purchase music online and download it. This completely changed the music industry and is revolutionary. Before the iTunes music store most people were still going out and purchasing CD’s or buying MP3′s online and websites that most likely do not exist anymore.

In 2005 Steve gave a great commencement speech at Stanford in which he talks about life, start Apple, getting fired from Apple and much more. Instead of me talking about it you can watch it below.

In 2007 Apple introduced the iPhone, which as you know completely changed how we view mobile phones. Before the iPhone I really cannot think of a mobile touchscreen phone that was popular and worked well. It completely changed the way people see phones and really pushed them to become all in one devices. Now the iPhone is one on its 4th generation and is one of the most popular mobile devices of all time. Here is a video of the unveiling of the original iPhone.

After the iPhone other great accomplishments where the iTunes App Store and of course the iPad and iPad 2.

I am in now way an Apple Fanboy, I run all PC’s at home, although I do own an iPhone. Whether you like Apple products or not you have to think about what Steve did in his life and how his vision changed the way we view personal computers, phones and the music industry. He was a true pioneer and visionary. We are quite lucky to have a person like him in our lifetime, there are not many like him. He has given many people, including myself inspiration to do what we love and to “Think Different”.

The Art of Flight

Bob Buskirk — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 17:14:24 +0000

Back when I was in high school I was really in to skateboarding and snowboard, actually one of my first websites was a skateboarding website! After high school though I really lost interest in both skateboarding and snowboarding. I think the main reason was that I did not have that many people to go with and I was just so busy with college and starting to build ThinkComputers. A while ago I saw the trailer for The Art of Flight and it looked awesome. Check it out below…

What really surprised me about this movie was how much publicity it was receiving. The first time I saw the trailer was during the previews at a movie theater. That is pretty much unheard of for an action-sports movie. It was also all over the internet, on YouTube etc. This weekend I decided to check it out and I was not disappointed at all.

The movie follows professional snowboarder Travis Rice and his friends to some of the craziest places in the world. Watching this movie I just thought to myself, “They can’t be serious!?!?!”. Some of the mountains they go down are just insane, like straight down, tons of rocks etc. It really shows the courage and skill level of these guys. The movie is really about going places people have never been before.

The visuals in the movie are epic. I watched the HD version of this movie and you should if you get the chance. You can really get a sense of the scale of things and that really makes you go…WOW. The visuals also show you how beautiful and scenic the places they go are. This has to be the most well put together action-sports movie I have ever seen. Not only with the amazing visuals, but the soundtrack and the way the story is told. It is not all snowboarding, but also the adventure of getting to these amazing destinations that they visit.

Also there are some great quotes from the film, here are a couple…

“Experiencing the world through endless second-hand information isn’t enough, if we want authenticity we have to initiate it.”

“We’ll never know our full positional unless we push ourselves to find it. It’s this self-discovery that takes us to the wildest places on earth.”

“It’s not the destination, but the adventure along the way.”

The movie really made me want to get back in to snowboarding. If you have ever been snowboarding you know the feeling of going down a slope and just feeling alone and peaceful. This movie brings back that feeling. Definitely check out this movie if you get a chance, even if you are not into action-sports you will enjoy it. Here is another trailer!

Crappy Weather!

Typical Haters…

Bob Buskirk — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 17:38:25 +0000

I think just about everyone has at least one hater. You know someone that has to say something negative about everything that you do, that takes the time out of their day to try and bring you down. We all know one person in our life that does this and if you are in any way successful you have a good amount of haters.

I’ve had quite a few haters over the years. First it started with people who said I couldn’t make ThinkComputers a real business. They would say I could never make money off of a website or that it would never work out. I just look at them and laugh and ask them how their 9 to 5 that they complain about so much is going. I also remind them that ThinkComputers has been my main business for almost 10 years now!

Another type of hater that I have come across is people who don’t like me because I am successful and I am well liked. That is probably about the dumbest thing I have ever heard of. Why would you hate me for being successful? Shouldn’t you want to learn so maybe you can become successful too? They just waste their time hating instead of seeing what I am doing to become successful and learning from it. Yes I have a good amount of friends, but is that a reason to hate on me? Maybe you don’t have any friends because you are negative all the time?

Talking about being negative all the time I was dating this girl not that long ago and I was telling her about launching the ThinkComputers YouTube channel and her response was, “Who wants to watch you?” Then I also told her about getting a national client for my new company and her response was, “Who would want to hire you?” Well as you can guess I am no longer dating that girl. No one wants to be around someone who is negative all the time!

You may think that having haters is a bad thing, but honestly it serves as great motivation. I love it when someone says something I do will never succeed. It makes me strive even harder to make it successful. You know you are doing something right when people are hating on you. Sorry if this post was a little out of left field, just something I have been thinking about lately. And on the subject of haters…

Crappy Weather!

Logging the Hours This Week!

Bob Buskirk — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 19:30:38 +0000

A while back I logged my hours and I came out only working 20 hours a week! This was back in 2007 so how many hours a week and I working now in 2011? Well at the end of the week we will find out! I feel like I am much more productive these days and I am getting more work done. This is a perfect way to see if I actually am! The main reason I am doing this is to see how exactly I am spending my days and which days I work the longest.

I am using an iPhone app called aTimeLogger to log my hours. This app is really cool and easy to use. If you want to keep track of anything such as work time, workout time, sleep time etc it is the perfect app and it saves all your data so you can look at it months later.

So how many hours do you think I will work this week? I am going to be tracking for a full 7 days. The average person works around 40 hours a week, so let’s see if I get around that mark. Anyways hope everyone is enjoying their Monday!