As a writer, hiker and musician, Jack Bell does some of his best thinking outdoors. As a software engineer at Airbiquity, the Seattle-based automotive technology company, he gets to apply his ideas to improving our experience behind the wheel.
“It’s a great job because, not only do I get to play with the latest technologies in our field, I get to help define and build new products using those technologies,” he says. “My job requires not only deep geek coding skills and an understanding of the hardware, but also the ability to write about what I am doing in clear English.”
Meet our new Geek of the Week, and continue reading for his answers to our questionnaire.
What do you do, and why do you do it? At Airbiquity our focus is on automotive convergence; making your vehicle just another co-operative computing device in your life. Think ‘Internet of Things’ where the ‘Thing’ is your car. However, at the bottom of it all, it is about empowering people and making their lives better. Sure, that sounds like a cliché, but it is a very real thing. Think of all the time you spend in your car and all the things in your life you need it for. If we can make that experience just a little bit better, haven’t we improved your life?
What’s the single most important thing people should know about your field? Everyone is talking about self-driving cars right now; as if you’ll soon be able to get in your car, say “Home James,” and then fall asleep. While the industry will undoubtedly get there eventually, people will most likely remain behind the wheel in an active way for a long time yet. This means we need to support the drivers and allow them to perform more tasks, while not distracting them or otherwise affecting safety.
This goes far beyond entertainment and connectivity. We can route for most efficient driving or shortest trip, depending on your need. We can find you the cheapest gas or the closest recharging station for your electric car, or a place to park near your destination. It goes even beyond the time you spend in your car: we can learn your habits and send you a text message if we know you need to stop at the store on your way home and traffic is getting heavy on that route earlier in the day than usual.
So the long-term potential of this technology is wide open. And it doesn’t stop even when the cars learn to drive themselves.
Where do you find your inspiration? Oddly enough, out in the woods and away from all technology. I love to hike and I do my best thinking while walking by myself in the forest.
What’s the one piece of technology you couldn’t live without, and why? A good text editor. Give me a good text editor and a command line and I can rule the world! That said, I can’t image life without a guitar.
What’s your workspace like, and why does it work for you? Generally it’s a mess. I have miscellaneous hardware and loose wires all over, books and papers in piles, and as many monitors as I can cram onto my desk. You can’t have too many monitors.
Your best tip or trick for managing everyday work and life. (Help us out, we need it.) Coffee. I couldn’t get through the day without it.
Mac, Windows or Linux? Linux by preference. Mac if I have to. Windows if you make me.
Kirk, Picard, or Janeway? Kirk. Duh.
If someone gave me $1 million to launch a startup, I would … Design houses as intelligent living spaces. Not just ‘Internet of Things’, but holistic design where everything works together to make your life there better.
I once waited in line for … The first Lord of the Rings opening at the Cinerama, even though I was living in Bellingham at the time. Some of my friends and I ended up on the nightly news for that, which surprised us because we were not in costume.
Your role models: Nicolas Tesla; a deep understanding of the problem leads to the best solutions. Benjamin Franklin; curiosity and practicality in equal measures. Plus he got the girls even though he was a geek.
Greatest Game in History Unreal Tournament. Although I am also partial to Counterstrike.
Best Gadget Ever: The smartphone. No doubt.
First Computer: First computer I ever played with was an original Apple II. First computer I ever owned myself was a Commodore Vic 20. First computer I ever built was based on a highly modified Z80 motherboard from a Xerox 820 running a version of CP/M I ported myself. I also built the power supply and the disk interface from scratch.
Current Phone: Latest Google Nexus developer’s model phone. I also have a Firefox developer’s phone I use.
Favorite App: I probably use email more than anything. Not exciting, but true. Other than that my favorite phone app is a guitar tuner.
Favorite Cause: The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF).
Most important technology of 2015 In 2015 the smartphone will still dominate in terms of changing people’s lives.
Most important technology of 2017: It will still be the smartphone, but as a control surface for everything around you. 2017 is when the entire world of things starts waking up and getting connected to the Internet.
Final words of advice for your fellow geeks: Everything is really about protocols. People get excited about programming languages and databases and operating systems. But protocols allow those things to interoperate. Without protocols there would be no Internet. No file systems. No USB or Bluetooth. Go below the APIs and learn the protocols that underlay everything you use. Learn them well.
Site: jackwilliambell.com
Twitter: @jackwilliambell
LinkedIn: Jack Bell
