Monty Gray

Placeshifting

2005-11-15T11:30:00.000-08:00

I thought I would group a couple of technologies into one post that refer to this notion of "Placeshifting". Placeshifting is a term that reflects the ability to have access to information, files, media, wherever you are. This is a result of the natural progression from mobile devices growing in sophistication to the increasing number of services being available. More specifically in the case

Vinography: a wine blog: Some Facts About California Wine

2005-10-11T16:04:00.000-07:00

Here are some fantastic statistics about California Wine. My favorite is that Lagrein is the variety with the least ammount of acreage in California...provides some good trivia.. Monty

AJAX gives software a fresh look | CNET News.com

2005-10-03T15:30:00.000-07:00

One thing this article does not address are the potential implications for enterprise software. Either in the hosted environment (i.e. Salesforce.com) or internally with a mass audience (i.e. self service applications), usability within a transactional system is one of the major hurdles. With a similar approach (and a shameless plug on my part), SAP's Netweaver utilizes a jave webdynpro engine

Trulia Real Estate Search

2005-09-29T11:15:00.000-07:00

Now, this is simply convenient. Trulia has created a real estate search that also utilizes the google maps api. In essence, this is a consolidated point for all real estate listings that can be navigated by location first via a map. The simple filtering of price and house features (bedroom/bath) with the map updating accordingly makes this really convenient. I have just wasted a good portion of

What is Web 2.0?

2005-09-28T14:30:00.000-07:00

This is one area that has been getting quite a bit of publicity lately. From the announcements in the mobile area, the restructuring of Microsoft, Google investigating new areas, to new and exciting technologies such as AJAX.My definition of Web 2.0: "Leveraging and extending existing internet technologies by utilizing a web service model which will strengthen the web as a platform, thus

Talk Like A Pirate Day - September 19

2005-09-19T09:39:00.000-07:00

I knew there was something I was looking forward to today! Honestly, who does not like to talk like a Pirate? I cant wait to try this in my first meeting.Monty

Champagne, France

2005-09-13T15:36:00.000-07:00

Posts have been slow as I was away in Europe the past weeks. I hope this one will make up for some of lost time. The first couple weeks were for work which was quite uneventful. At the tail end of my work trip was a wedding for some of my German friends. This was a very interesting experience as I had never attended a German wedding (let alone one in Germany). The wedding ceremony itself was in

Why do I do it?

2005-07-29T14:19:00.000-07:00

People maintain a blog for a variety of reasons. Some feel compelled to let their voice be known, keep an online journal to share with others, or have a specific domain of expertise that they wish to provide content. Then there are the news blogs, from which I am becoming a big fan. I read such sites as Vinography, VentureBlog, Riehl World View, Scared Monkeys, InsideGoogle, Gizmodo, Engadget

ESPN.com - NFL - Smith, 49ers agree to $49.5M deal

2005-07-26T11:20:00.000-07:00

ESPN.com - NFL - Smith, 49ers agree to $49.5M dealIs he worth this much? Absolutely not. Just keep in mind what Eli did last year. Now imagine how bad Rodgers must be feeling after dropping so far in the draft. Sure he gets to learn behind Brett Favre, but 49.5 million (24 guaranteed).. Monty

FIFA World rankings

2005-07-20T08:41:00.000-07:00

FIFA.com The Official web site of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association I love it. The US is now ranked number 6 in the world according to the latest fifa world rankings. I truly can not wait for the world cup next year in Germany. I am still trying to get some tickets but it is not so easy right now. Monty

San Fermin

2005-07-07T11:33:00.000-07:00

Whenever I am asked the question "What is the dumbest thing you have ever done?" the answer is simply when I ran with the bulls. The summer of 1996 I had the privilege of living in San Sebastian, Spain for the summer. As San Sebastian is only a short bus ride away from Pamplona there was not question I was going to visit the infamous "Running with the

The story behind the story that made wine history

2005-07-06T11:06:00.000-07:00

The story behind the story that made wine historyThis is a review of the original article in 1976 that changed the perception of Calfornia wine forever. This was when the French judges rated a California Chardonay and Cabernet over the other French wines. This is a classic story that often is mistold but is still a good read. Nearly 30 years later and we are routinely producing world renown

Riehl World View: An Open Letter To Aruba

2005-06-30T08:17:00.000-07:00

Riehl World View: An Open Letter To Aruba I have been following the Natalee Holloway situation quite closely for some weeks now. As the news media as seemed move on (except for Fox News), I routinely check various blogs for the latest info on this case. One such blog is Dan Riehl's Riehl World View. Today he posted a very well written entry directed at the Aruban government and their handling

WARRIORS: draft 2005 home

2005-06-29T05:14:00.000-07:00

WARRIORS: draft 2005 home As a Warriors fan, this was a very good draft. I like the pick of Ike Diogu as he is a perfect fit for up tempo offense. They needed a force in the paint, to rebound and score on the post and he will deliver. Also, Chris Taft at #42 was a steal as he was projected as a top 5 pick a year ago..Chris Ford from ESPN grades the Warriors with an A- for this years draft:"

Lottery millionaire seeks billionaire status

2005-06-16T10:56:00.000-07:00

CNN.com - Lottery millionaire seeks billionaire status - Jun 16, 2005 It is refreshing to see someone responsible win this big in the lottery. Although, I love to hear stories about how people blow their lottery winnings on private planes (what a waste of money), houses, cars, etc. it is nice to hear about someone willing to give back. If I were to win, 3 things I would do: 1. Invest, invest

49ers' personal foul

2005-06-01T17:07:00.000-07:00

49ers' personal foul / Team's in-house training video includes lesbian porn, racial slurs, barbs at NewsomAhh.. the football season is a couple of months away. Well, here is some sweet early Niner news. Way to start the new era. Monty

VC Adventure: How to become a venture capitalist

2005-05-24T14:40:00.000-07:00

VC Adventure: How to become a venture capitalist Good news. I already have step number one down... This is a good explanation of what it takes to become a VC. In a nutshell, do not aspire to be one, be smart, know some people, and get lucky. Monty

Wired 13.05: The Wired 40

2005-05-19T17:05:00.000-07:00

Wired 13.05: The Wired 40 Innovation has traditionally not been how you describe SAP. I found it quite interesting that SAP (of note, I am an SAP employee) is number 11 on the top 40 innovative companies in terms of technology and innovation along the ranks of Google and Apple. Take that Pixar! Monty

Personalized Google homepage

2005-05-19T16:57:00.000-07:00

Google Well it was only a matter of time before Google became a portal. This is clearly a shot towards the MyYahoo offering. However, until it offers external RSS support and further customization on the page, I will continue to use a clean My Yahoo page (courtesy of AdBlock and GreasMonkey). MG

PlayStation 3 announced for 2006

2005-05-17T13:13:00.000-07:00

PlayStation 3 announced for 2006 - News at GameSpot Quite simply.. I want one. The next gen of game consoles is shaping out nicely and is ultimately benefiting the consumer (well, that is why we like competition). The multimedia capabilites of the PS3 are simply amazing. With an output of essentially 2 teraflops of performance, the power behind this puppy is very fun. What is intriguing though is

Firefox

2005-03-14T22:29:00.000-08:00

I have been an avid user of Firefox for at least 6 months now. Even to the point that it is the first application that I launch and I keep it open all day long. Sure Firefox loads web pages faster, has better handling of bookmarks..blah, blah.. but the true power of the application is in its extensions. Here is a rundown of the ones I use:Googlebar: Similar to the google toolbar for IE. This

Go Braves!

2004-12-05T13:22:00.000-08:00

Justin-Siena facing upstart Willits for NCS A crownJust a quick entry to show what has become of my good ol High school in Napa. JSH will be playing for the North Coast Section A Division Championship this Sat evening. Why am I writing about my high school football team? Compared to my beloved Niners and Warriors, they are nearly the only team left to get excited about.. Monty UPDATE!!

Finally! 4 more years

2004-11-03T10:01:00.000-08:00

What a night! I was watching a good portion of the election events come in while at the local bar. It was kind of like watching a Raiders game in Oakland wearing all Niners attire (as everyone except for me was going for Kerry). When they (ABC news) first called Florida in favor of The President there was a collective groan except for my incidental clapping at the news. At that point I

SI.com - NFL - Oracle CEO says he was spurned in bid to buy 49ers - Friday October 29, 2004 5:09PM

2004-10-29T15:19:00.000-07:00

SI.com - NFL - Oracle CEO says he was spurned in bid to buy 49ers - Friday October 29, 2004 5:09PMI find this rather intriguing. However, simply having Elison own the Niners does not fix their salary cap issues. The only positive I would see in this would be his ability to perhaps get a new stadium. In the meantime at least it would be called Oracle Stadium as opposed to Monster.. With

GOP beats Dems on tech-friendliness | CNET News.com

2004-10-28T16:36:00.000-07:00

GOP beats Dems on tech-friendliness | CNET News.com As a daily reader of Slashdot.org in order to get a dose of the latest in techy trends and events, I have recently not been too fond of their support and bias of one John Kerry. As such, I found this article quite amusing as it describes how John Kerry is actually in the bottom half of senators with regards to being tech-friendly (voting record

VentureBlog

2004-10-27T16:06:00.000-07:00

As an daily reader of blogs in general to accommodate my usual news and sports sites, I have found a new blog called VentureBlog. This is a great daily read for anyone interesting in what the VC community here in the Silicon Valley is up to. -MG

Bay Area Republicans: A Mostly Silent Minority

2004-10-22T16:43:00.000-07:00

Rather than write a long descriptive about what it is like to live in San Francisco as a conservative I would recommend this article. It touched upon many points that I would have written myself (and will in the near future). Overall, I can't wait for November 3rd. MG

CNN.com - San Francisco aims for free citywide WiFi - Oct 22, 2004

2004-10-22T14:53:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I may not be the biggest Newsom supporter, however this is very cool and I am giving him some credit for starting this. The only question is, when does this get implemented and reach Noe Valley?

SiliconValley.com | 10/22/2004 | Uh, Jack, that memo you wrote about Google being overvalued at $90 ... the boss wants to see you.

2004-10-22T13:54:00.000-07:00

So, I was wrong. I am kicking myself for not participating in the pre-ipo of Google. This article give some good insight into where Google currently fits with regards to Yahoo and Microsoft. Not quite at Microsofts level, yet. You really have to love a company that when it posts revenue of $9.19 billion the stock slips..

Desktop Search

2004-10-15T13:33:00.000-07:00

I have eagerly awaited the Google desktop search tool that was finally released yesterday. My first reactions have been what I expected; it completely makes all my info that much more excessable. With thousands of emails stored in Outlook and thousands of office files I can now spend majoirty of my time focusing on my work at hand as opposed to organizing all of my info in a loose manner where I

A tough year ahead

2004-10-04T20:38:00.000-07:00

I found it only fitting to start off my Monday BLOG describing my beloved niners.. Some background, I live in SF and have been a loyal niner fan since I was born (grew up nearby). Having started the worst start in some twenty years with no end in sight, I can honestly say that this year football is going to hurt. I truly must be a glutten for punishment as I have been a fiercly loyal Golden