Moved To Anaheim

So I just moved out to the Anaheim area. I am still searching for a job but now that I have moved it should be easier since I can start right away and go to in person interviews. I am so excited.

GOOD DAY TODAY

First off I got my official final grades in for the semester (my last semester since I graduated). I got all As except for one class where I got a B but that was while I was taking 21 credit hours so there is that.

Second thing is today I had a job interview with Hire Right. It went really well It sounds like I am a good fit for the job and we set up an in person interview for early January.

I JUST PASSED THE NETWORKING MTA AND FINISHED THE SEMESTER

So I took the Microsoft Technical Associate certification in Networking Fundamentals and I passed. Because I passed it I don't just get the certification it also will replace my lowest test in my networking class with a 95.

Also since this was my last test I am done with my last semester. All that is left is moving out of the dorm and graduation.

Almost done with the semester.

Tomorrow I have my last final, the Microsoft Technical Associate in Network Administration. It is for extra credit for my networking class.

I also had a preliminary phone interview, it sounds like a good job that I think I am qualified for and it fits my timeline. I hope to hear more from them about scheduling the next interview.

DFIA Lab

I am uploading this picture as part of a lab for my DFIA class testing how different sites handle meta data.

I PASSED THE DATABASE MTA CERTIFICATION

I took the MTA (Microsoft Technical Associate) certification in Database Administration Fundamentals (database theory and SQL) today and I passed. I am going to take another next week (in Networking Fundamentals). It also counted as my final in my Database two class so I got a 100 for my final because I passed the certification.

It is almost time...

So just getting back from thanksgiving break. Only one week of classes left. Less than two more weeks till I graduate. I am still looking for jobs but I am still hopeful. So far all the people I have talked too said most jobs are looking for someone who can start within a week and I am planning to stay here till after Christmas (but if I get an offer I am definitely flexible). I am really looking forward to moving out west, starting a new career.

Also just an update grades are still going well, still keeping a 4.0 for the semester so far. Also I am anticipating getting two Microsoft Technical Associate certifications (as they are part of my classes).

AITP Regional Conference Cancelled

So the conference that was supposed to be this weekend got cancelled.  I was really looking forward to going. Apparently there was flooding and tornadoes in San Marcos where the conference was going to be.  They are planning to reschedule so hopefully I will be able to go. 

Update

So I have been applying for jobs for a while now and basically what I have been getting back is that I look really good for jobs but they are looking for people who can start within a week, but I am still going to keep trying. I have also been talking with a few placement agencies, basically they help out smaller companies with HR (both for contract work and for full time) and so far they think I will do pretty well but I am just early at applying.

I also am going to a regional AITP conference this weekend. I am going to try for a certification (ICCP certification) and I am going to compete in two events. The first one is in database design so lots of SQL but also database structure and documentation. The other contest is on PC troubleshooting, basically I will take a test on theory of troubleshooting, while it is called PC troubleshooting it sounds like they also cover Linux.  It should be lots of fun and hopefully good networking.

Finally an update on my classes, I am getting into the second round of midterms and so far things are going pretty well (all As so far).

PS: I am going to try to fit in some time to work more on HAL after this round of midterms, I will hopefully have version 1.5 up within a week or two.

Beta Gamma Sigma

I just got invited to join Beta Gamma Sigma. Beta Gamma Sigma is a business honor society, they only take the top 10% of COBA Seniors (and top 7% of COBA Juniors) so I am really excited. It looks like it will be a great group to be affiliated with, there is only one downside, the ceremony isn't till March but I am graduating and leaving the area in December so I might not be able to make the ceremony but that is just a formality it looks like after my paper work is processed I will officially be a member. 

Job search update

So today I got a call about a possible job offer. It sounded like a great offer and the interviewer seemed to think I was almost a perfect fit, just one problem they need someone right away while I need to finish school before I can move out to LA, but he went ahead and is sending my file along because I was such a good fit. So while I might not get the job it still makes me feel more confident and it was great networking, who knows maybe another job with them will open up near when I will be available.

Also I have expanded my job search resources, I now have a Career Builder and Glass Door profile in addition to my other profiles.  I also have a mock interview set up at the career center at my university on Thursday so that should be fun. As always if you are looking for an amazing entry level employee in a tech field (DBA, Sys Admin, Net Admin, etc.) in the LA area I would love to help you out.

School Update: I am right in the middle of the first round of exams for the semester and so far so good, all As.

Summer Wrap Up and Back to School

My last semester of college has started. I am kind of sad and pretty nervous. I am having to apply for jobs, and on top of that I am trying to find jobs out in California, specifically the Anaheim area, (if anyone is looking or knowing of someone who is looking please let me know, I am thinking database administrator or system admin).

First off wrap up of my summer, my internship went great. I learned a lot I had a great experience, I got to work with developing two different tools for the team I am working with. The first one was a lab utility tool (or at least that is what I am calling it). It was a combination of a tool for other teams to send in requests of what they want the team to test, and a inventory system. I built it using access and SharePoint (to let the tool sync across users). The second tool was a resource utilization monitor to run on ESXi (VMware) to monitor the utilization of specific processes we were testing that I built in Python.

Now about school, my clubs are kicking off and should be fun and classes are pretty interesting.

• Strategic Management and Polices - It is about high level management like how management comes up with mission statements and measures performance 
• Operations Management - kind of the opposite of Strategy, it is all about the more nitty gritty management dealing right with the employees
• Digital Forensics and Information Assurance Fundamentals - it is all about cyber security and well digital forensics (collecting evidence off of computers)
• Special Topics in MIS - 
• Business Network Management - we are learning about how networks work both the tech and logistics
• Managerial Economics - it is basically next level business analysis, it combines it with economics and calculus
• Business Database Management II - getting more in the nitty gritty of databases, deeper into theory and more SQL.

Should be a good year

Oh and on top of all that I am helping my friend set up a modded Minecraft server, it is almost ready.

HAL v 1.2

OK version 1.2 is ready. It is a small update that includes some changes to how the invokes work. essentially it is just setting it so that when you send the command it doesn't close the session it waits for the next command, making the sending of multiple commands easier. For those who are already using the program there is a small change you will need to make to your user functions file for Lambda (the two lines for when it can't find the device or the command had to be changed to ask instead of tells so they don't close the session).

I have updated the zip on my google drive I  have not gotten to the github yet, I will git to that as soon as possible (see what I did there). I just updated the github, please bear with me this is my first project on github so I don't quite git the file system so even though we are now on 1.2 it is still in the folder marked 1.1 (when I do the next release I think I will clear out the github and redo the filing)

PS: From now on when ever I have to say get when talking about the github files I am going to say git because it is just too easy of a pun for me to resist

Home Arduino Logistics Version 1.1 Released

I just published HAL version 1.1, Here are the changes:

• Split the custom switch statements off into a separate file (for both the Lambda and the Arduino codes). This will allow easier customization and let you keep your functions after an update. But the settings (logons and stuff) are still in the base files
• Added in different versions of the Arduino code to allow use on Arduinos with Ethernet or WiFi shields 

Home Arduino Logistics Version 1.1 Plans

I am currently working on developing HAL version 1.1. Here are some of the plans for 1.1:

• Easier to modify
• I am going to move the custom functions into separate files from the main code (for both lambda and Arduino) making it easier to add in your custom functions. Currently the settings are still in the main files though.
• Different connection methods
• I am working on making 3 varients of the arduino side code allowing it to be run on Yuns (currently the only option), Arduinos with WiFi shields, and Arduinos with Ethernet shields Note: I only have a Yun so I will not be able to really test the WiFi and Ethernet versions so I will be depending on you guys for bug reports

I need to do a bit more testing but I think I should be able to release 1.1 tonight

Home Arduino Logistics Version 1.0 is out

I have just put up the files for 1.0 release of HAL, check it out on the page for HAL.

ITS ALIVE!!!!

Sorry I felt this was too cool to just say hello world. I finally got my Amazon Echo skill (Home Arduino Logistics) working. I need to clean it up a little, finish testing, and documenting but I will post my code (and the documentation) as soon as that is done. I can't wait to show it to you all.

Project HAL Update

I think most of my code is working now, I just need to set up port forwarding on my router and then I can test if the lambda function works right, if it does I should be pretty much done with coding HAL itself all I will have to do is write up the documentation and then I will be ready to distribute. Now what I am going to distribute is just the bridge that lets the echo talk to the Arduino, for it to be of any use you will have to code the uses yourself.

ETA of initial release: this Sunday if everything runs nicely.

Home Arduino Logistics Update

So I am still working on the Amazon Echo Skill. I have had to make some changes to the plans.

First off I had to switch over to using Amazons SQS to HTTP endpoint messaging instead of using MQTT (so it will run on the lambda), but because I am going to use that I don't think I will be able to host for other people (because of how the subscription system works with it). But I will instead just distribute my code so other people can deploy it themselves.

Second off I had to ditch DynomoDB for some reason it was being weird and wasn't sending or receiving data, but since I am now just doing this for me (instead of public release) that is not really an issue now.

But on the positive side I think I figured out what all hardware I need for the arduino and ordered most of it and buying the rest on Friday.

Home Arduino Logistics

I just got access to the Amazon Echo "Skills Kit" and I am starting to work on my Echo "Skill" (their name for apps). As the title suggests my "skill" is going to be called Home Arduino Logistics (or HAL). What HAL will do is create a bridge between your Echo and Arduino systems to allow Echo to work with DIY home automation systems. Once I have it up and running (and they allow people to distribute their skills) I am going to post a link here on how to get HAL for the Echo and a copy of the bridgehead for the Arduino (what the bridge head will do is it will receive the commands and then have an empty switch statement ready for you to fill out with all the commands you want).

First Week of Work & Summer Plans

So I started work last week it looks like it is going to be pretty interesting, got a couple of projects the team I am interning with wants me to work on. So far things are going well, already got some ideas on how to tackle some of the projects. The team seams pretty nice so it looks like it will be pretty cool. I will update you more about the projects as I work on them (and I make sure that I can talk about them.

In addition to work this summer I have a couple of projects I am planning on working on this summer on my own. First off I made a mod for Kerbal Space Program, so far it is doing pretty well but I am hoping to add more stuff to it. In addition to that I was able to order an Amazon Echo that is set to deliver late next month and I have an idea of something I want to do with it, I want to try to have it work with an Arduino controller to work as a voice activated universal remote, I need more info about the Echo's API but then I think I can get started on "project HAL" (Home-theater Ardino Logistics) and yes I did just call it that so I can call it HAL, but anyways that should be fun and I will post more on here as I get some of it working.

By the way if you want to check out the mods page it is here.

Semester Wrap-Up

Sorry about not posting for a while, I have been really busy with finals, projects, on campus organizations, etc. So here is the wrap up of the semester that I just finished.

First off the important stuff, grades. I got all As again, even taking 21 credit hours. I had some really interesting classes. System Analysis & Design had a rather cool way of doing the class, basically the whole semester we were in groups and we had to work like consultants on a database project for a small business. I also rather enjoyed my E-Commerce Implementation class which was all about webdesign, I even got to learn a bit of java script. All my other classes were nice but not much to write about.

On top of all the stuff for classes I had all the stuff for my on campus organizations. I helped lead a pretty successful fundraiser for Sam Houston Association of Computer Scientists (SHACS). We had some eWaste (old printers, scanners, and computer towers) that people got to hit with a baseball bat, we charged a dollar a swing or five swings for three dollars. Our investment in equipment (mostly safety equipment) was only $17 but we had over $60 in revenue.

In addition to that I also had the transfer of officer positions for both of my organisations, I officially transferred the position of treasurer of SHACS (which includes training my replacement in all the paperwork and documentation, and having to count all the money which was mostly small bills). While in our student chapter of AITP (Association of Information Technology Professionals) my position (Head of Social Media and Public Relations) got integrated into the position of Secretary which I then got elected to even though I will only be able to hold the position for one semester because I graduate in December.

So overall a pretty good penultimate semester

SHACS Future Tech Day 2: THE BIG DAY

To day I am going to do my breakout session. I only had like a week to prep for it but I think I am ready. I am doing a 50 minute presentation about the Future of Business Technology. I will post details about both my presentation and how it went after the presentation (so no spoilers).

WISH ME LUCK

SHACS Future Tech Conference

Tomorrow is the first day of the Sam Houston Association of Computer Science second annual Future Tech Conference. I have signed up to actually present one of the fifty minute breakout sessions, The Future of Business Technology, I am presenting on Saturday so that will be fun.

AITP NCC Conference Wrap Up

I just got an email from AITP summarizing the NCC so I wanted to post you guys a summary too.

I got a certification COMMON Business Computing Associate. It was a test of 98 questions about various technical and business topics.

I competed in 2 competitions Microsoft Office Solutions (82 teams, I previously said there were more but that was wrong I kind of just assumed based of my team number, team 139) where I had to analyze and present data using Access, Excel, Word, and PowerPoint, and Business Analysis (26 teams) where I had to take data from Access, transfer it to Excel, and analyze it (creating different types of graphs and then doing statistical analysis). Sadly I didn't place in eather of those.

But overall it was fun, a great experience. Lots of networking both with companies and with other students.

AITP NCC Conference Day Three

Just finished day 3 of the AITP National Collegiant Conference.  Today I went to two breakout sessions, the first was about how to find and "rock" your first tech job and the second was about how to impress IT hiring managers. After that my team met up with some of the other texas teams for some food. Then we had the awards banquet.  Sadly none of the people on my team (including myself) ranked high enough  in any of our events to be announced  (but hopefully we will still find out how we did), but I did win a GoPro Hero 3 camera as a door prize.

AITP NCC Conference Day Two

Just finished day 2 of the AITP National Collegiant Conference. I competed in the Business Analysis competition and took the COMMON  CBCA Certification exam which I passed, details of how I did when I get them. Also my two class mates competed in the PC Troubleshooting and Database Design competitions.

AITP NCC Conference Day One

I finished day one of the AITP National Collegiant Conference. I competed in the Microsoft Office Solutions contest (along with 2 other teams from my school), there were over 140 teams. I will post exact numbers and how I did when I get that info.