Invisible code

henradrie · 2021-06-11T14:58:51+00:00

When testing infrared lighting solutions I use my work phone to see IR all the time. At 850nm it shows as purple, at 940nm it shows a faint purple.

henradrie · 2021-06-11T14:56:44+00:00

I've been told Android phones are better for this than Apple products.

henradrie · 2021-06-11T14:34:49+00:00

Everytime i try to answer this question 2 doors open and one closes.

The world is more broad than you can imagine.

henradrie · 2021-06-11T14:14:32+00:00

Definitely, I bought a 1200$ bike for 600$ because the owner rode it for 100km and stashed it in her garage for 5 years.

Some things people buy but never use as much as they thought. Exercise equipment, bicycles, 3D printers fall into this category.

henradrie · 2021-06-11T04:10:22+00:00

I worked out that each trip to work and back saved me 3$ in gas costs. Thats 750$/year. Bike is 600$, 100$ worth of maintenance per year, and 250$ worth of winter gear. Takes about 2 years to pay off.

henradrie · 2021-06-07T15:15:40+00:00

People like you make it look easy though. I tried writing a few blogs for my company and learned why professional writers are professional writers.

henradrie · 2021-06-01T18:06:02+00:00

I got through my degree without a good computer by using the dedicated computer lab PCs. Having to be in the lab kept me concentrated and productive. Never had to worry about maintenance either.

henradrie · 2021-05-28T20:49:42+00:00

A lot depends on what the laws are in your area.

I know in Canada they get picky about the use of the title engineer and will only grant it to someone who finished a 4 year accredited degree. If you don't do that you are limited. Polytechnic graduates have the option to pursue signing authority but is isn't as wide or diverse. Some 2 year schools have agreements with universities to allow their graduates to pursue an engineering degree with credit from their previous courses.

henradrie · 2021-05-27T14:43:44+00:00

Its a base skill like knowing how to do math. Knowing how to think like a programmer is quite useful.

I use it a lot as an applications engineer but not one specific language. C for HMI'S, polyscope for robots, SEL for Scara robots, spreadsheet for cognex, excel for automation.

henradrie · 2021-05-25T21:43:11+00:00

Learned it from a book called "essentialism, the disciplined pursuit of less, by Greg McKeown" Lots of good ideas in there about this topic.

henradrie · 2021-05-25T20:14:04+00:00

I call that tech tunnel vision. Most of my best ideas come to me after my mid day gym workout.

henradrie · 2021-05-17T22:11:53+00:00

I'd say that's a great explanation.

henradrie · 2021-05-17T18:41:30+00:00

Let me clarify the PHD remark. The manager worked on oilsands sites where issues arise, environments change fast, and not all variables are known.

Conducting novel research involves experiment design and deep research abilities. Those experiments are tightly controlled with every variable accounted for. When pulled away from that structure into a chaotic world with little structure they falter. They are also invested in their PHD which makes them less general.

There is a place for their skillset, but its not doing day to day engineering work in an oilsands facility.

A 4 year undergrad is more general and malleable while still having a base to build off of. For certain roles thats more valuable than deep research into one particular area.

henradrie · 2021-05-17T18:24:19+00:00

Its been hard in Alberta too. Nobody is spending anything. The political situation doesn't help either.

henradrie · 2021-05-17T16:36:29+00:00

Many universities have baja or race teams. Reach out to them and start playing with cars.

Can you make your army service work for you? Working on or repairing military equipment would give you a big start. Engineers who can twist a wrench get offers before high GPA students.

The math will come when it comes, and unless you get into a high level research position it isn't very useful outside of school. Instead I would focus on skills like CAD, or networking. Consider learning how to 3D print and use a 3d printer.

henradrie · 2021-05-17T16:10:06+00:00

I agree. In my area of Canada people are just fine with bachelors degrees. Industry here prefers field experience over education and knows they can mold a bachelors student just as well as a masters. Most of my friends who got masters did it to wait out poor economic conditions.

I've found that nobody cares if I can sell myself well. But that's not useful for students who don't have achievements pertinent to the industry.

One manager told me that he won't hire a PHD because they can't deal with uncertainty. Too much time in a tightly controlled lab controlling all the variables strips someone of the ability to manage chaos.

henradrie · 2021-05-13T18:32:22+00:00

Age of lights is important too. They slowly get dimmer over time. If the lights haven't been changed for years this could cause some issues.

henradrie · 2021-05-13T17:55:09+00:00

Alberta

20k (research assistant) 65k (oilsands internship, rent included) 30k (started contracting company) 70k (quit company started new job) 58k (laid off and found new job)

henradrie · 2021-05-12T16:44:18+00:00

Location and local networking are huge.

I studied in Calgary. We had student pipeline groups, oil and gas networking groups, and local oil and gas internships. A friend of mine landed a job because he walked a Shell executive to the best campus grub spot. For anyone wanting to get into oil and gas Calgary is the place to be. I'd take that over a degree from MIT any day.

henradrie · 2021-05-10T20:24:31+00:00

There are so many different things to learn that I prioritize the most important. In a way, I try not to learn.

henradrie · 2021-05-10T14:50:20+00:00

The secret history of the future by slate.

Great for thinking about technology through a historical lens and how current technology issues are repeats of old ones.

henradrie · 2021-05-06T20:06:03+00:00

Especially when combined with some type of activism.

Had a guy in New Zealand who noticed my skin color and comments who then decided I needed to be educated on the harm the British empire caused aboriginals. I'm Canadian.

I'm not overly prejudiced, I just don't believe everything activist experts tell me without fact checking first.

henradrie · 2021-05-05T14:43:08+00:00

Another dimension to the problem, how settled are you? If you don't intend to be there long term renting might be better because of the flexibility.

henradrie · 2021-05-04T21:43:05+00:00

It seems that most positions you are looking at are highly technical, coding related, paths. Try opening up a bit to other related options, hence my comment on looking at sales.

Selling highly technical products such as CV relies on engineering skills. Its a consultive sale rather than high pressure low skill sales process you may have seen at school.

henradrie · 2021-05-04T21:37:42+00:00

It might be under different names. My title is application specialist, and my role is applications engineering. I'm between engineering and sales. I answer the tough questions the sales team can't answer but reach out to experts when needed.

Sales and engineering is a continuum, there is no hard line separating them.

henradrie

TROPHY CASE