First step is to take the shield off the light so it’s more even.

Get some key hooks and hang them on the back of your monitor.

Hang the lamp on the back

Turn it on. Done.

That’s right, I took “technology” out of the title. Why, because I didn’t want to limit myself. As before, check out my previous years predictions (they were especially bad for 2014). But never-the-less I will try again for 2015.

Computers and Mobile

1. Security will hopefully become a major focus. Not to say it didn’t get its own scrutiny in 2014, but maybe 2015 will see some real work to clean up underlying secure libraries and tools (SSL, email, SMS, etc.). I really hope more companies like Google designate resources to fix and maintain fundamental internet technology.
2. Huge phone will continue to eat into tablet markets and will also eat into laptop and TV sales. Phones won’t get any smaller and 5-6″ will be normal by years end (with 8-9″ phones available). I have a feeling most mini tablets will cease to exist by 2017. Sadly, no one will converge their phone/laptop/desktop like I hoped they would in 2014.
3. It will be a very boring year for computers as single purpose computing devices get a big boost. Those devices will be wearables, set top boxes, and Chrome Books. They come with less maintenance and offer people all they need.

Software and Web

1. Browsers are already the new OS. 2015 will prove that even more as more native software move to work in the browser and Internet Explorer will continue its downward spiral into oblivion. Firefox sadly will also take a nose dive as it still requires web developers to develop for two platforms (webkit and geko). I really wouldn’t mind if Firefox moved to webkit. It seems like it could simplify a lot of things.
2. I don’t know what’s going to happen to Microsoft. They sucked so bad in 2014 I can’t even see how they will pull themselves out of their hole and fix their desktop, gaming, and mobile platforms to make them something people want again (I don’t mind if they fail at what they’re currently doing). I really hope with all of the security concerns as of late that companies will take a good look at Linux on the desktop but I doubt it’ll happen.
3. Twitter will have a falling out. It is becoming as hated as Facebook. Not that people won’t still use both. But as soon as something new comes along with the same functionality (real time broadcast updates) it has potential to gain a lot of subscribers. I really hope that “something” is in the form of a distributed social network (Bittorrent Maelstrom?) so that no single company owns it and can’t cram ads down our throats or mess it up like all the others have.

Games

What the hell do I know about games, I didn’t play a single game in 2014. I think the same things as last year about Apple coming to the market and virtual reality having a hard time finding a foothold, even though I really like it. VR will probably start expanding to other markets even more. Movies and TV especially.

Other

1. More hacks! If you thought 2014 was bad 2015 will keep it coming. Companies are hard to change and security is difficult to get right. Security engineers will become premium jobs at a lot of companies and white hat hackers will be sought out by huge companies.
2. Tesla will continue to disrupt and cheap hybrids will come from Chinese brands. I doubt any alternate fuel cars will make production but here’s to hoping Google gets a production self driving car out by 2016.
3. Movie theaters will see a drop and same day home streaming will be available for movies released in the theater. It’ll be expensive ($40-50 for 1 time rental), but when companies realize they can cut out the theaters and still make their money it’ll be a great boost. Most people I know don’t really like going to the theaters anymore anyway.
4. I’ll finally give up on the Oxford comma. Probably not.

For starters, here is a list of some, but not all, of the companies I talked to

• Google
• Twitter
• GitHub
• Oculus VR
• Disney Animation Studios
• Beats by Dre
• Tinder
• Digital Ocean
• DiviantArt
• Bass Pro

Each company was different in their approach to interviewing candidates. Most of the companies I didn’t make it past the screening call, others I got job offers. Not every position was for a DevOps/Site Reliability Engineer (SRE) position but most of them were and the interview process was similar enough to be relevant. Some companies sought me out, some I applied for, and some were through recruiters I had previously applied through who kept in touch with new opportunities. The companies that found me usually were via LinkedIn or GitHub.

Getting in the Door

This is usually the hardest part, I can’t say what works every time but here are some tips I have figured out.

• Make sure you have profiles on GitHub and LinkedIn. Other profiles at job seeking sites would help (Dice, TrueAbility, Indeed, Glassdoor, etc.) but may not be necessary. Keep your profiles updated. Nothing says “you’re not interested” more than a profile that hasn’t been updated in 1+ years.
• Get certifications to get noticed, get experience to get interviews. Certifications only prove you can pass a test, experience shows you like the work and are passionate about it. If you don’t have money for certifications, just get experience. You might have to try harder to get noticed, but you will make a bigger impression if you know your stuff.
• Don’t be afraid to reach out to contacts within the company to ask for an interview. In one case I went as far as looking up new hires via a company blog, finding someone that was hired in the past year for the position I was applying for, and chatting with them on twitter to see if they could let me know the hiring manager so I could send a personal note with my resume. This got me in the door within two days when I had applied three weeks before with no response.
• Make an resume that stands out. If you do nothing else, make an eye catching resume. If you don’t know how, hire someone. Don’t use a Word template. Make a generically worded resume that a recruiter can hand out, and for jobs you are really interested in, personalize it for the company and position you are applying for. Here’s my resume and don’t be afraid to steal someone’s format with permission. Also, make it 1 page. If you can’t trim it down, add links or QR codes like I did. Most people won’t be reading a physical copy so the links will still work, and if they’re really interested in you, short URLs are customizable and easy to type. At both companies I got job offers for, they both told me they liked my resume in the interview.

For positions I was really interested in, I would actively peruse a role for 1-2 weeks at a time. If it didn’t pan out or I got no response, I moved on. It was also helpful to know that if no one is calling you back it may just be a hiring downtime. I noticed most callbacks and emails at the beginning of January, and at the end of each quarter.

Screening Calls

Almost every company starts with someone calling you, usually an internal recruiter, to give you an idea about the position, the interview process, and to weed out people who are under qualified and not interested. In some cases companies don’t have internal recruiters and work with outside companies. I can’t say whether internal or external recruiters are better because every one is different. I had some great experiences and bad experiences with both.

At first, this was the scariest part. That is probably to do with the fact that my very first call was with Google who is notorious for their difficult interview process. As time went on, I got more comfortable with screening calls because I was able to relax more and be myself. Some of the big companies are going to have tests for you that you’ll have to pass to make it to the next round, others are just looking to see that you’re passionate and ask what type of work you’ve been doing now and want to do in the future. Some tips for screening calls

• Have paper and pencil ready. There will be things you’ll want to write down to reference later.
• Don’t be at your computer. You will probably end up distracted and you won’t be allowed to use it for screening questions.
• Research the company and person you will be talking to before hand. I found it very helpful to go through the LinkedIn, Twitter, etc. pages before the call and find one question I want to ask the recruiter about the position and one question about the company. It helps break the ice and allows you to not do all the talking.
• If you are having a screening test, make sure you are familiar with the following areas: networking (including subnet sizing and packet structure), Linux troubleshooting commands, storage terminology, infrastructure planning and sizing. Only a few of the larger companies had screening tests, but I bombed all of them by not being prepared and being too nervous.
• Be prepared to rate yourself on how experienced you are in multiple areas. Scales and aptitudes differ but I was not expecting to have to give myself a rating on my Python programming skills, or Linux knowledge. The screening question difficulties are based off your self rating scores.
• Have an example ready of a project you worked on that you are proud of. Make sure it is publicly available so the recruiter can find it and send it to the hiring team.
• If you are interviewing at other places, let the recruiter or manager know during the call. It will help speed things up.

Most of the screening calls did not involve tests, but the ones that did were nerve racking and I did not do well. It’s important to note that the people doing the calls are often looking for how you process problem solving, if you know what they consider to be the basics, and if you have a good personality fit.

To get a better feel for the interview process at a particular company I recommend looking at Glassdoor before your call so you can read about more interviews and peoples experiences. Also, to get more comfortable with screening calls it helps to do a lot of them. I didn’t turn down any screening calls even if I wasn’t interested in the company. It not only helped me get comfortable on the phone, but it allowed me to ask questions and see what companies were working on to better gauge the industry.

Practical Exams

Some companies forgo the screening call and just send a practicum. This will be a test to show off your skills instead of talking about them. These range widely depending on the company/position and for me took anywhere from 6-30 hours of work to complete. I’m sure for others they would not take as long, but there was often one or two questions I was unfamiliar with that I would research until I was satisfied. Here are a few examples of tasks I was given.

• Given the following VM credentials (AWS VM), figure out why the web server isn’t working and fix it.
• Provided a VM, write an API (language of your choice) that returns statistics calculated from log data.
• Write a ruby script that backs up a webserver and database to a tar.gz.
• Build a 2-tier, load balanced, automatically scaling application in AWS. You can use an existing application or write one from scratch.

The questions above were one task on a list of tasks (3-12 total tasks per practicum). Not all tasks were as hard, but many of the tasks could only be completed from experience. It is very hard to research and provide an adequate response without taking a long time if you’re not familiar with the problem. I’m not sure what the typical turn around is, but I returned my tests on the short side of 4 days, and long side of 3 weeks. That’s probably why I never had follow up from companies where I completed a practicum.

My advice to get past the practicums is to either get as much experience through work/hobbies as you can. If you don’t have the motivation/time/resources then I suggest you create an account at TrueAbility and work through their tests. They are surprisingly challenging and give you a lot of well rounded skills. They also are timed so it helps you think under pressure.

In Person Interviews

I was called in to interview at a handful of companies. Some of the companies were remote so “in person” was via Google Hangouts. For some of the companies I would spend anywhere from 3-4 hours interviewing with different people. It usually started by talking to the manager of the team and then to different team members. In one case I was asked to prepare a 20 minute presentation for the team before we split off into individual interviews. While every company is different, here are some tips you might find helpful.

• Know your audience. If you can, get the name of each person you will be interviewing with, know their role in the company (will they be your manager?) and research them beforehand. You probably can talk to them about past work experience or interesting hobbies from their social networks.
• Don’t over/under dress. If you are really unsure about the company dress code, ask! Many internal recruiters will be happy to let you know company dress code so you can plan accordingly. It is very telling that you don’t fit in if you wear a suit and tie to a no dress code company.
• At the end of the interview, ask them if there is anything else they need from you to make a decision. It shouldn’t matter if the decision is yes or no, just so long as they don’t have any outstanding questions for you.
• Brush up on generic interview questions, there are plenty of resources online. For DevOps/SRE positions, be prepared to do a bit of scripting to prove you know your stuff.

There are lots and lots and lots or interviewing resources available online. Seek them out and study them in advance. Two of the best questions one of the recruiters I worked with told me to ask are

1. Where have people in this position fallen short in the past and where have they excelled?
2. What would be expected of me in this role in 90 days? 1 year?

Job Offer

Hopefully you end up with an offer. Again, there are tips online about making sure you get the right offer. For one position I played these tactics to a T. I never said a number (current or expected) until it was time for them to make an offer. At another company, I was open about current and expected pay. Both were completely different approaches and I expected to see the former a much higher offer than the later. I was wrong.

Tactics are great, but they don’t change how much a company values you, it only changes what they are willing to pay within their limits. Value and willingness are different things. You should always try to find a company that values you and your role rather than just one that is willing to pay you more because you negotiated well for it.

If a company is interested in you and say they are going to send an offer, make sure you are honest with them about your turn around time to make a decision. I got one offer and waited almost a week for the second offer to come in. Even though I had mostly made up my mind, it’s good to still compare all your options side by side. You also need to make sure you take into account all of the benefits at each company. Look into 401K, health, education, overtime, and other benefits. If you can, put a dollar amount to each benefit and compare the total offer and not just your base salary. You should also figure out if there are extra things you will need to pay for that you may not need to pay for now. My old job paid for my cell phone and home internet because I was on call 24/7. My new job does not have that responsibility nor does it have that reimbursement. It’s not excessive, but it’s an extra $2000/yr that I now have to spend.

In any case, make sure you love the culture and the work. It’s too hard to get to know the people in such a short period of time and people come and go. If the culture is a good fit, then new people will probably fit into that culture too and you should get along with them just as well as previous employees. Obviously, if you love the work, you shouldn’t have to go through too many interviews in the future.

A new year is here so I’ll take another swing at how technology will change in the year 2014. This will be my sixth year doing a predictions post. If you haven’t read them before you should check out my 2013 post and then take a look at some of the older predictions I’ve made. I especially like my prediction from 2009 that Google would make a social network and twitter would be the next big social network. Anyway, here are some crazy, and not so crazy, predictions for 2014.

Computers and Mobile

1. Converging devices will finally become main stream. I know there have been devices in the past that attempted to solve the “one device to rule them all” problem. (e.g. Motorola Atrix, Asus Padfone) They have never taken off for three reasons, 1) they weren’t inter-operable, 2) they were slow, 3) they were expensive. I also know that many people already have “one device” because they have a keyboard dock on their iPad. In reality though, they just bought the cheapest Apple laptop they could. I think there will be a big name company (it won’t be Apple, see below) to offer their phones/tablets to be a true laptop/desktop replacement via a docking station that changes the user interface depending on what the device is plugged into. People have been trying to accomplish some of this functionality for a while with things like Ubuntu for Android, but the solution needs to come by default with the device for it to really take off.

2. Speaking of converged devices, Apple will have a larger iPad (12″) that can be used like a desktop and is designed for professionals. It will be more powerful than the existing iPad and will be Apple’s attempt at a “cheap” laptop. It won’t be as successful as the existing iPad though because for the general consumer they already have this functionality in their existing iPad/keyboard combo. It also won’t change the user interface when docked and just use super high resolution apps.

3. The year of the wearable computer! 2013 saw a lot of buzz in the wearable computer arena with the Pebble, Fitbit, Jawbone up, Samsung gear, etc. This year it will really take off because Google (via Motorola) and Apple will get behind the movement with wearables. I think most of the main stream adoption won’t happen until fall though because Google won’t announce anything until summer and Apple will wait for Fall. CES will be littered with crappy wearables coming out in early summer to beat the big name products.

4. Blackberry will die. I have predicted this with friends but realized I never put it on one of these predictions. Blackberry will transition to a completely software company and will fail to generate revenue. They will be gone by Q2 of 2015.

5. HP and Dell will get back into the mobile business. They probably realize by now they have to sell mobile devices if they want to keep revenue up. My guess is HP will make Android devices (they’ll suck) and Dell will make Windows Phone devices (they’ll suck even more). Samsung will spin off their own version of Android and LG will release a tablet with webOS.

Software and Web

1. Windows has been in a downward spiral since Windows 8 was announced (and even before Windows Phone 7 Series Phone). This year Windows will lose significant market share to OS X, Chrome OS, iOS, and Android. Microsoft has been scrambling to make Windows 8 better for consumers by adding features they removed. Although I don’t think consumers care about spying and the NSA, I do think that businesses care and this year businesses will actually start adopting the alternate operating systems for their employees. I think in many cases Windows will still be the work horse of the enterprise, via VDI, but Microsoft will be scrambling to find new markets in hardware, software subscriptions, and giving away stuff for free (and charging for premium features). They will also shift to a consumer company.

2. Web standardization is going to get a boost in 2014 for three reasons. 1) Security can be better when there is a good standard 2) user experience is better when everyone is on a level playing field 3) the least common denominator has been, and will continue to be, mobile. If companies want to reach the widest audience, they will have to design for slow devices, with small screens, and HTML browsers.

3. There will be a new great website in 2014. This one is a little bit obvious but I think the thing that is going to be neat is the fact that it will do something we haven’t dreamed of yet. In years past there have been some sites that changed how people interact with the internet IFTTT/Pinterest (2010), imgur (2009), and reddit (2005) are all examples of this and I think the pace of innovation is getting faster. This year a new site, one that was probably started in 2013, will become a huge success and will eventually get bought by Google or Facebook. Oh and one of the previously mentioned sites will be purchase by a big name company.

4. NSA backlash will cause big US companies to lose market share in other countries. Now that most of the spying secrets are out, many foreign companies will be looking for alternatives to the software they have been relying on for so long. Linux and open source software will be the big winner in most cases and Microsoft will be hurt the most. More and more countries will put efforts forth to build their own operating systems by customizing distributions of Linux to suit their needs.

Games

1. Virtual reality will be awesome, and niche. I wish I could say it would take off and I’m very excited for the Oculus Rift, but I don’t see many people outside of hardcore, single player gamers adopting it. Real adoption will happen in 2015-2016 when it’s wireless, cheaper, and works with consoles. I look forward to the future of virtual reality not only for games though, I also think it’s a great way to watch a movie assuming the headphones will support surround sound.

2. I predicted in 2012 that Nintendo would struggle and I still think that’ll be the case. This year I also think that Sony will have a hard time shifting from a hardware provider to a software and services company. In order to make the PS4 great and lasting they need to provide solid services and I don’t think they have the development abilities to do so.

3. Apple will get into games in a big way with a new Apple TV, first party gaming hardware, and better game center integration. Apples efforts will make everything Google has done look completely worthless, if it hasn’t already, and Google will scramble to create a better gaming platform. In reality though, Google doesn’t care and will just leave the gaming to third parties which will all suck.

Other

1. Self driving cars will hit a wall. While this is mostly figuratively speaking, although I do predict there will be the first accident involving a self driving car while the car is driving this year, I think the real “wall” autonomous vehicles will hit is legislation. Even though some states have already approved the use of the cars, there is still a long way to go before someone can buy one. There are other hurdles like re-writing laws, adapting insurance, and building better/smarter streets. Google will probably try to build their own cars but I think China will make a big move to make their own self driving cars probably by ripping off other companies technology.

2. I think 2014 will make it harder for non-skilled workers to find a job. There will probably be two or three big companies making 99% automated factories. The factories will need maintenance workers for the machines but won’t need the hundreds of assembly workers they once needed. Think how much you already interact with non-humans day to day. When was the last time you interacted with a person to fill up your gas tank? How many times have you used self checkout at the store? When was the last time you talked to a person when calling a support number? All of these things are unskilled work that have now been replaced with machines. 2014 will expand that to many new areas and make it hard for people who don’t have experience, to get experience.

3. Payment reform will begin but won’t be mainstream yet. It seems like everyone I talk to is waiting for mobile payments. It won’t happen with NFC, sorry Android fans, and geofencing is too inaccurate. Apple won’t get into the mobile payment business until 2015 (with iBeacon 2) so this year will be another year of mixed products like Google Wallet, Coin, Bitcoin, and Square. No one will win and consumers who adopt one will lose because the standard will eventually be Apple’s solution. They will release it in 2015 and allow compatible devices (a.k.a. Android) to use it. I don’t want it to be true, but that’s what I think will happen.

That’s all my predictions for 2014, do you have any you’d like to make? Leave a note in the comments if you think I’m right or wrong.

Thanks to David Hepworth for the banner picture.

• Get a padded mat or soft shoe inserts
• Don’t force yourself to stand 100% of the time
• Always start your day standing

I currently use a padded mat and have soft shoe inserts (cheap ones from Target). For my first 8 months at a standing desk I wore Converse on a concrete floor. My feet and knees hurt so bad by Thursday I often had to sit down. I have since moved to a carpeted office, bought a mat, and have softer shoe inserts. I no longer have that pain in my feet at the end of the week/day.

Some people think that because you have a standing desk you can’t sit down. You should make sure your desk has the ability to adjust for sitting or your chair can raise high enough to comfortably let you sit. I had back problems going into year three and had to sit for about a month to recover. Week to week I probably sit 10-20% of the time just to change my position. It’s OK to sit down if you want to. Making standing a requirement, for me, made my brain reluctant to do it. Having the option to sit made me want to stand all the more.

Finally, this is the most important piece of advice. Always start your day standing. If you start off sitting your day will be over before you remember to stand up. The best way I have found to start my day standing is to move my desk/chair into standing position before I leave work at the end of the day. That way, in the morning I don’t have to move anything out of the way to stand and it would take me extra effort if I wanted to sit. By simply starting your day standing you will easily go 1/2 the day without even realizing you wanted to sit down.

Good luck with those New Year’s resolutions and leave a comment if you have any other tips for being successful at a standing desk. If you don’t yet have a standing desk you should check out my old articles on how to buy or build a standing desk and how to modify your existing desk into a standing desk.

Don’t rely on school to give you an education.

Always write things down, and always carry something to do so.

You get what you pay for, especially when it’s free.

Showing respect for someone is the easiest way to show you love them.

Love should not expect recognition.

Find a way to track what you do and stick to it.

It’s not that the grass is greener; it’s just that the weeds are less visible.

For the first 30 years of your life, you make your habits. For the last 30 years, your habits make you. (Still waiting to see if this is true)

Being physically prepared is not enough for what lies ahead.

Needlessly endangering lives speaks volumes for how much you care.

Always return something in better condition than when you borrowed it.

Figuring out what you love is the easy part. Discovering where and for whom to do it are often compromises.

Words cannot open another’s mind. – Mumon’s poem about the koan

If you don’t have time to do it right the first time, when are you going to have time to do it again?

Worrying is the biggest waste of time.

Where your look, you will go.

It is better to make money than save money.

Don’t expect other people to understand how you feel. Even when you tell them.

Do not be wise in your own eyes. – Prov 3:7

If you want to spend more time in something, then make more time for something. – source

Knowledge should be sought not ‘for superiority [over] others, or for profit, or fame, or power…but for the benefit and use of life’ – Francis Bacon

People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it – source

“We learn more by looking for the answer to a question and not finding it than we do from learning the answer itself.”—Lloyd Alexander

You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.

Don’t sulk over unfinished business.

Disclaimer, I’m not a software developer so I really have no say into how this actually works.

How Version Numbers Should Work

Version numbers are a unique name or number assigned to a specific version of the software. There can be public and internal versions but they typically increment from 0 -> ∞ or a – z. Often times there are also “code names” for releases which sometimes become more popular than the actual names themselves (see Ubuntu releases).
Incrementing version numbers usually are the form major.minor.fixes (e.g. 1.3.0 is major release 1, minor release 3, with 0 bugfixes). Incrementing versions can also have letters to help designate (pre)release state (e.g. 2.0.0b2 is the second beta release for version 2.0). Some systems also use odd numbers for development and even numbers for production (see the Linux kernel).

How Version Numbers Actually Work

In many cases the above systems work. But lately I am not sure version numbers make sense, nor are they used in a way that helps customers. Software versions in a lot of situations are either a reference to the year the software was released (or supposed to be released) or are just a pissing contest to make sure the number is bigger than the competition (see Firefox. Version .01 -> 3.6 in 10 years; version 3.6 -> 23.0 in 17 months).

Oh and don’t forget the global assumption that anything <1 is complete crap so you had better change your version number from 0.25 to 2.6 (thanks Puppet).

How Version Numbers Could Work

So what if there was another way. What if, for the sake of the end user, current software was always just version 0 (naught). It doesn’t matter how many iterations or releases you’re on, the release you are shipping is 0. In other words, the current version of Firefox would always just be called Firefox.

If this were the case, your support model will be to support versions -2 through 0. As new releases come out the older versions are known as negative releases or, depending on your release cycle, yearly releases. The version that is one major release old (and came out six months ago as of writing this) would be Firefox -1 (2013.02). People can easily look at this number an know when their software came out and also how current they are with the shipping version. Bugfix and minor releases would be handled in a similar manner by decrementing the version number of out of date software rather than incrementing newer software. Once you are up to date you are back to 0.

Likewise, beta versions would be 1 and alpha would be 2. I’m not sure there would be many public versions above 1 and 2 but maybe development would be 3-4 and not ever released to the public.

When I thought about it more, this is the way websites work. Not because it was designed this way, but because customers don’t have a choice in using an old version. They are always on the version that is available. Similarly, other things in the physical world (such as cars) often work this way. They sometimes append the year for identification purposes, and because they release most cars yearly, but a Corolla is always a Corolla. It is only made old by the fact that a new version has come out. Luckily for the customer, they don’t have to know what mark  (a.k.a. version) the car is on, they just have to know they want the current one (FYI the Corolla is currently on MKXI or version E160).

I know this idea doesn’t work well with version control, tags, blah, blah, blah. But it seems like something that works in the physical world, is highly consumer friendly, and because it gets version numbers out of the way, could be a very good thing.

Here are all of the wallets I used in alphabetical order:

Ainste Small Evan

The Ainste Small Evan wallet was one of the classiest looking wallets by itself. The leather was a little thick/stiff but the inside was soft which protected the cards very well. Overall, the Small Evan struck the most balance of wallets tested between good looks, slimness, and flexibility of use. It wasn’t the slimmest or most flexible, but it had good trade-offs between all three. Using the wallet with all of the cards on the inside fold was a little difficult to get used to. Putting cards on the outside made the wallet much more efficient, but killed the aesthetics of the professional looking leather fold. The good news is you can use the Evan with cards outside the fold day-to-day and then put all your cards on the inside if you don’t want to flash your cash or need to look more professional. The Small Evan is available at a great price for what you get and they are working on an RFID blocking version, as well as adding colors, which will be great for customization and security.

Pros

• Good price
• Classy look
• Protects cards with thick leather and soft lining
• Replacement bands are available cheap

Cons

• Hard to access cards in the center
• One of the thickest slim wallets I tried

Link to Ainste store

Bellroy Card Sleeve

Before testing the Bellroy Card Sleeve wallet, I had a few reservations. I usually don’t like sleeve-style wallets because they are too hard to get cards in and out of, and too stiff to hold a lot of cards. The Bellroy has definitely changed my mind about sleeve-style wallets. The leather is really high quality and soft, and the angled slits on either side were perfect. Getting a payment card or ID in and out was super easy because of the angle and they were just deep enough to hold the cards securely. Cash was harder to get in and out of the side and middle pockets, but I found sandwiching the folded bills between other cards did the trick. The pull tab for the center pocket worked better than I expected. It’s amazing that I’ve never seen this on any other wallet before. The leather did stretch after a couple weeks, but the wallet looked great and was very thin. Efficiency of use was much better than I expected because of the side pockets and pull tab.

Pro

• Really easy to use because of a great design
• Looks classy and feels high quality
• Multiple colors available

Cons

• Really thin but not the overall smallest wallet because of edge stitching
• Can’t hold as much as the other wallets with elastic bands
• Leather stretched after extended use
• A little pricy (in my opinion)

Link to Bellroy store

CardNinja

The CardNinja was the most unconventional wallet I tried. The idea was very well executed and the material used was a perfect fit for this application. I could fit a lot of cards in the CardNinja, but often had problems getting cash or papers in the wallet. The sticky back was able to be removed and replaced multiple times, so long as you peal it off from the bottom corner. The concept was hard for me to get used to and I found myself often trying to find my wallet while I was holding my phone. Whenever mobile payments become a reality, the CardNinja is one step ahead.

Pros

• Could hold more cards than I expected
• Convenient for when I was out
• Multiple colors available
• Fits well on just about any smartphone I tried that is iPhone 4 size or larger

Cons

• I didn’t always want to carry my wallet when at home and in bed
• Didn’t trust letting kids play with phone + wallet
• Didn’t fit with my iPhone case

Link to CardNinja store

Compact Wallet

If you like the rubber band wallet, you’ll probably love the Compact Wallet. It is the only wallet I tested with a portrait elastic band rather than landscape. The elastic holds the cards really well, and the material allows the cards to slide in and out easily (even better than a rubber band). There’s also a colored plate for rigidity, separation, and ease of access to center cards. The Compact Wallet isn’t the most elegant looking wallet, but it was the smallest and felt really durable for day-to-day use.

Pros

• Simple design
• Feels really durable
• Color choices for customizability

Cons

•  Not as professional looking as other options

Link to Compact Wallet store

HuMn Mini

The HuMn Mini felt like it was in a different class than the other wallets. The material felt really nice in your hand (aluminium plates) and even the packaging was a step above the others. It has the added benefit of blocking RFID so you can keep all your cards safe from scanners (if that’s something you’re worried about). The design was more flexible and customizable than any other wallet I tested, and the price reflects the higher standards. I had a difficult time getting used to how to use the HuMn, but thanks to the flexible layout, I often used it with just one center plate. If you want something slightly larger and like to fold your cash in half, they also make a slightly larger version called the HuMn 2 which is a decent hybrid between a normal-size wallet and a slim wallet.

Pros

• A wopping 1600 color combinations
• Flexible wallet usage with 1, 2, or 3 plates
• Packaging and materials are high quality
• Additional plates and bands available separately
• RFID blocking

Cons

• More expensive than any other wallet tested
• Spreading the plates to access cards may take some getting used to

Link to HuMn store

Simple Wallet

The Simple Wallet I imagine is what you would get if the Bellroy and Card Ninja had a baby. The design is a leather pouch with an elastic pocket all rolled into one. I tested the Simple Wallet 1.0 which did not have the added benefit of the phone strap on the back or the key loop on the side. While they seem like very welcomed additions they were by no means deal breakers to not have. I’m also not sure if the phone strap would hold the average Android phone as they are often much bigger than the iPhone. The Simple Wallet looked the part of a hipster business man, in a good way. It was a little bit flashy in its design but the leather and elastic lent itself to a more refined feel. While it was slimmer than a traditional wallet it was closer in thickness to the Ainste which was one of the thicker wallets I tested. I ran out of space for cards so if you need to hold more than 10 cards you may want to look elsewhere. I also occasionally had a hard time getting cards and bills in and out of the leather pocket but that was probably due to over stuffing the pouches. Overall, the Simple Wallet got me called a hipster by more people than any other wallet which to me signified that the design and functionality hit a good trade off.

Pros

• Flashy and refined at the same time
• Additional functionality with key holder and phone strap
• Great price for what you get

Cons

• Leather pocket was less flexible than others
• Couldn’t hold as much as other wallets

Link to Simple Wallet

Slim Clip

I wasn’t sure what to think about the Slim Clip before I started using it. I have never liked money clips or magnets, but knew quite a few people who loved this one. I was really impressed with how well this $4 clip worked. The card-holding side has little wings to keep the cards from sliding out, and the opposite side is for holding cash. I found the card side does not hold as many cards as I typically carry, so I ended up putting cards on both sides. However, the separation made it easy to locate either my ID or payment cards by having them on opposite sides. Anything more flimsy than folded cash was hard to get in the clip and it doesn’t really accommodate bills folded more than once, but for something so simple and cheap it had great functionality.

Pros

• Lowest price point of all wallets tested
• Really small

Cons

• Couldn’t hold very many cards
• Doesn’t hold double-folded bills very well
• Some concerns about durability

Link to Slim Clip store

Other Options

I didn’t personally test these wallets, so I didn’t feel like I should comment on them, but here are a few other options if nothing in the list above suits your needs.

CRABBY Wallet

Link to CRABBY store

Tight Wallet

Link to Tight Wallet store

X Band

Link to X Band store

Conclusion

I enjoyed testing all the various wallets more than I expected. They all are really different in application, and you should be able to find something to fit your preferences. With all of the great options, even though it has been 2 weeks since I finished testing all the wallets, I still have not settled on which one I want to use as my daily wallet.

If there’s a wallet you think I should have tested, or one that I should add to the “other options” list, please leave a comment below.

Somehow, this is where I always end up with my laptop.

The reason these flags have been brought to my attention is because the suspected infected clients use P2P to download a payload from a server. Our network flags the P2P traffic which is what alerted me to the abnormal traffic.

Clients
All of the clients have been either iOS (iPhones and iPads) or Apple laptops running OS X.
To my knowledge there haven’t been any Windows clients flagged for the same P2P traffic.

What’s in common
The main thing in common is all of the clients are initiating a P2P connection to the host update.alyac.co.kr:6969 or IP address 125.140.132.205 which both belong to a Korean antivirus company.
All of the clients show the agent to be libtorrent.
All users don’t seem particularly tech savvy and no common software was found between all of the computers/phones/tablets. In most cases the software installed seemed very minimal. I did not have the opportunity to gather browser history on the clients.

What else is weird
The requests happen in batches. The first week I noticed them there were 3-4 in that week. A little time passed and I had another 2 hits just days apart. Now I get smaller sporadic hits.

What I have found
I have wireshark dumps from the P2P traffic but I can’t decipher any meaningful information from them besides the actual connection being made. Email me if you want to have a look.
I also found that the Alyac servers were hacked back in 2011 but I can’t find much else about the company or domain.

So I am posting this for anyone with more information to help me track down what is happening. I find it too coincidental that P2P traffic is going to a random Korean website when the users don’t appear to have any P2P traffic installed. Please leave a comment if you’ve seen something similar or have any other information on what may be happening.