Dave Wecker - Toy Boy
This weeks show is an interesting conversation with Dave Wecker, a brilliant (we think) architect in the Mobile Platforms Division who is constantly looking for the next thing in mobility, and how to make the mobile platforms better. The conversation spans from his experiences with speech recognition systems, the Tablet PC, microphone arrays, and neural networks to toys, home automation, books, and toys. Did we mention toys? Dave is a Toy Boy like us! It's people like Dave that make Microsoft the leader in software innovation.
Guests:
Dave Wecker
After 22 years in the business including 13 at DEC, Dave Wecker came to Microsoft in 1995 and helped create the "Blender". He designed and started implementing a Broadband MSN offering when he was asked to join the new CE group where he was architect for the H/PC v1 & V2 as well as AutoPC v1 and PPC v1 (he was also dev manager). He moved to IIT and resurrected SHRDLU for NL research as well as building a state of the art NN based ASR system. He was then asked to come back to CE to manage Synch and Wireless efforts. He worked on next gen technologies for MDD before moving to e-books where he implemented secure DRM on PPCs (the "black-box"). He created and was director of ePeriodicals before taking on the role of Architect for Emerging Technologies. In this role He has had many responsibilities including getting the GM/MSFT relationship off the ground. He currently works for Mobile Platforms Division as an architect. Wecker has 13 patents for Microsoft and 8 Ship-It awards.
Links:
- Sherlock Logic Puzzle http://www.kaser.com/sherwin.html
- News: Java 2 Platform version 5.0 Release Candidate http://shrinkster.com/hv
- News: HP iPod Clone http://shrinkster.com/hx
- Weird Wide Webb: Jay Maynard's Tron Costume http://shrinkster.com/hy
- Weird Wide Webb: Men Who Look Like Kenny Rogers http://shrinkster.com/hz
- Weird Wide Webb: Joanna "dressy messy" http://shrinkster.com/i0
- AutoPC computer for the car http://shrinkster.com/ig
- X10.com http://www.x10.com
- X10 Firecracker .NET wrapper http://shrinkster.com/io
- ToyBoy: Voycera Star-Trek Communicator http://shrinkster.com/i1
- ToyBoy: Jet-Powered Wheelchair http://shrinkster.com/i3
- ToyBoy: USB Rubber Ducky http://shrinkster.com/i2