Foo Conner
(He/Him)
Pittsburgh
As seen in:
Technical.ly,
Jekko
Covers:
Business and Finance, Technology, Travel.
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Religion, Sports
Articles by Foo Conner
Testing $1400 AI Powered Shoes - Walking 250% Faster
Foo is the founder of Jekko. Unlike other publishers, Foo attends thousands of events, interviews personalities from startups to Fortune 500s, and blows stuff up on YouTube. More by Foo Conner
Poly Studio P5 Review: Clarity for the Office
The Poly Studio P5 Webcam is a wonderful pairing for home-office and co-working spaces that can help you avoid embarrassing zooms. Compared to many top rated laptops, the Poly Studio P5 give the additional sensor size to capture more pleasant images. Though, it won’t compete with a DSLR with HDMI adapters, it will make you look better on Zoom. Webcams have come a long way from the days of pixelated calls to my Canadian girlfriend on MSN Messager in the mid-2000s.
Wordpress Developer Hijacks Newspaper Theme to Serve Spam
tagDiv, a Romania WordPress theme developer, has added an advertising backdoor into their Newspaper theme. On April 6th, 2023 with version 12.3.1 security update, tagDiv removed a vulnerability only to add in one of their own – unskippable ads for their services. This comes less than two years after tagDiv took over thousands of websites with a backdoor promoting their affiliate links. This isn’t an ad, it’s a security vulnerability.
Fuel & Fuddle Unveils Secret Recipes After 27 Years
While some students liken life to the red solo cup parties held in Greek life basements, others assert that it truly begins only after graduation caps take flight. However, seasoned philosophers understand that life is most enriching when shared over a good meal. For nearly three decades, Fuel and Fuddle provided such meals, serving as a beloved gastropub for students and Pittsburgh locals alike. After 27 years, the Fuel and Fuddle gastropub is closing Friday, May 26th.
Dot. Cards: A NFC Business Card That Awes
Dot. Cards is a digital business card that actually works. You can now burn the stacks of paper business cards you’ve order to stay warm for the winter. Traditional business cards are a burden, especially for travelers. Those paper weights are thrown out like ninja stars in hopes for a lighter load in mental baggage. Dot., the connection company, has created a replacement with a straightforward website and NFC companion cards.
Togael eSports Competition Draws First Blood
CMU Startup Togael has officially launched with their debut eSports tournament. The first blood, as the gamers would say, started with a Super Smash Brothers Brawl tournament that drew competitors from West Virginia, Ohio, and Pennsylvania for a sweet victory and prize pool. Throughout the school year Will Flanagan IV (the latest in a multigenerational media dynasty) and Harish Karumuri worked on Togael.
New Pittsburgh Press Secretary Comes with Same Old Conflicts of Interest
Yesterday, the City of Pittsburgh, under the Ed Gainey administration, announced the appointment of a new press secretary. However, the press release extolled glaring conflicts of interest as virtues rather than defects. This move contradicts a promise Gainey had made to introduce fresh faces in the press office and eliminate the type of conflicts that led to the resignation of Tim McNulty, the former press secretary for Bill Peduto.
Seeking South Pittsburgh Stories
We are currently looking for South Pittsburgh Stories ahead of our anniversary announcement. Anyone can pitch us. We’re working on stories that feature the rich history south of the city. What exactly are we looking for? Community drive stories from non-profits, multigenerational family businesses, buildings that have survived many changes, people in the community that are familiar faces. Where are we looking?
Your 2023 Pittsburgh tech conference guide
From the student-centered Discovery Day to pitch competitions like the UpPrize Social Innovation Challenge, Pittsburgh has no shortage of exciting tech events. Yet we at Technical.ly know it can be hard to keep track of what conference is happening and when. To make marking up your calendars a little easier, we’ve rounded up a year’s worth of tech events that give you some options, whether you’re a student, an academic, or an entrepreneur looking for the next networking opportunity.
Dave Matthews Performs at Fetterman Campaign Rally
Dave Matthews played Pittsburgh last night hoping to lend his star power to Democratic candidate for Senate John Fetterman. Pennsylvania has become the focus of the 2022 election. Before the ink can dry on a press pass, the union printer has to insert their tag for the next event. If you had asked me years ago as John Fetterman and I would sit in the back of Mr. Smalls Theatre if rockstars like Dave Matthews would rally for his campaigns, I think we’d laugh.
Legendary Theatre Director Sheldon Epps Turns Author with "My Own Directions"
Sheldon Epps returned to Carnegie Mellon University on his book signing tour for My Own Directions. Epps is a legendary director having spearheaded theatre productions on Broadway and abroad. He served as the Artistic Director of the Pasadena Playhouse for twenty years. At this stop as his alma mater, he shares reflections from his book with drama students. Sheldon has a soft spoken but commanding presence.
Tech Council Releases the State of the Industry 2022 Report
The Pittsburgh Technology Council has released its State of the Industry Report for 2022. The annual report covers statistics for Information Technology, Life Sciences, Environmental Technology, Energy, and more. As expected coming out of COVID-19 lockdowns, the report gives us our first insight as to the shape of the tech industry in Pittsburgh and surrounding counties.
Moonshot Museum Hosts a Grand Opening
Prior to Astrobotic launching a lunar lander, the Moonshot Museum has launched with a grand opening. The new space museum is located in Pittsburgh’s Northside where every eccentric has a museum. Paint your house odd colors? Museum. Collect Mattresses or something? Museum. Have engineers creating a quarter billion dollar thing that will live indefinitely on the moon? Museum. The learning laboratory is akin to the Carnegie Science Center down the street.
Big Idea Center Opening Gives a New Home to Pitt Entrepreneurs
The University of Pittsburgh has opened the Big Idea Center startup accelerator. Pitt founders and entrepreneurs now have a place home for for campus innovation. This is a natural extension of the Randall Family Big Idea Awards which I’ve covered for years. That competition awards $100,000 split among student startups with the best pitches, teams, and technologies. The competition, much like the new center, is open for University of Pittsburgh undergraduates through post-docs.
It's Brandon Max! Behind the TikTok Superstar
Not just a meme, itsbrandonmax has earned nearly 3 Million subscribers on TikTok. Brandon Max is a living emoji. His physical comedy is filled with facial gymnastics that define his parody videos. As the internet has an endless amount of cringe, Brandon has an abundance of content for reactions. His viewers love it. They watch his nonsensical home life mixed with off-the-wall challenges. Though Brandon grew up in Pittsburgh, his videos are set in Anywhereville, USA.
After a heavy night of drinking, I gathered up our napkin scribbles from the bar and sent it off to the presses. What came back is a glorious set of irreverent and likely untradable cards. To celebrate April Foo’s Day 2022, and a news outlet actually printing something, I present to you: Cards for Jagoffs. You can actually buy Cards for Jagoffs here. Part time handle model and famed journalist Francesca Dabecco reviewing bad decisions at Leo’s Pub.
Karyn Locke - the Secret Pittsburgh is Mixed with Sand and Snow
Karyn Locke is the publisher of Sand and Snow, a magazine catering to travelers. Along with her husband, the enigmatic Mister Locke, they roam the open roads of North America in pursuit of the next town. After covering mountains, beaches, and the godless midwest, Karyn returned home to Pittsburgh where she recently published her first book, Secret Pittsburgh: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure.
Powerhouses of Clubhouse - Who to Follow on Social Audio
In the dark ages of the pandemic, Clubhouse founded a ‘social audio’ empire. While many others are trying to take the throne, none have captured its importance. Why? Clubhouse has powerhouse speakers hosting and moderating rooms. These queens and kings hold court speaking on topics of entrepreneurship, and love and Bitcoin of the realm. Clubhouse was founded in 2020 as an iOS app for iPhones. Like early social networks before it, it required a vouch to create a social profile on it.
Letter from the Editor: Coming 2022 - News, Reviews, and Original Series
Thanks to you, Jekko is preparing a new year publishing news. In the last decade, we’ve covered celebrations and tragedies, pedestrians to presidents, and startups to stock listings. Jekko was established as a laboratory for modern story telling. As technology changes, so must we. Here’s what to expect: The Content changes: We’re working on our Original Series for Broadcast. We’re expanding our Technology Reviews section. We’re expanding our Travel Destinations section.
Jerry Dickinson Campaigns for Congress and Election Reform
Jerry Dickinson joined a small group of politicians in Pittsburgh’s Northside to promote election reform. While the topic has been on the forefront with the last presidential election, Dickinson chimes in. “Expand vote by mail, make elections a federal holiday, and put an end to gerrymandering.” Pretty straight forward. The family friend event was held in front of the old Heinz factory. Much like Heinz Ketchup, Dickinson hopes everyone knows where their candidates comes from.
tagDiv Just Activated a Backdoor in Their Envato Market WordPress Themes
tagDiv, the developer of one of the most popular WordPress themes in the world, just activated a trojan horse in their themes taking over thousands of websites. With the release of the Newspaper Theme 11.3 last night, the previous version 11.2 enabled code by developers that disabled websites replacing them with ads. An untold number of websites and news outlets were affected. Disclosure: Jekko News uses this WordPress theme. We are now planning to migrate.
Immersive Van Gogh Expands to Pittsburgh
As autumn takes effect, I can’t help but think that if Vincent van Gogh was here today the Appalachian fall would be the perfect inspiration for a painting. Given we don’t have time machines, I’ll go with the next best thing: visiting a preview of The Original Immersive Van Gogh in Pittsburgh. The crew at the Immersive van Gogh exhibit in Pittsburgh is still setting up for the premiere. I was invited to a media preview where members of the press were given hard hats.
Allegheny Commons Celebrates North Promenade Ribbon Cutting
Pittsburgh’s best kept secret is hidden in plain sight: The Allegheny Commons. The park serves as a backdrop for writers, Pirates, and the Pittsburgh Steelers. The park had fallen on rough times in the mid 2000’s-2010’s. In 2017, a concerted effort to revitalize the park was lead by city officials and the Rooney family. Today those officials celebrated a milestone in rehabilitating the park. PA Senator Wayne Fontana speaking to a crowd gathered before the ribbon cutting of the North Promenade.
Creatives Drink 11 Parties By the River
As I lay in bed proud of myself for staying in, my cellphone flickers to life, “You got to get here. It’s lit.” I do the math. If I book it on bike, avoid the road blocks, and cross some bridges, I can get to the Creatives Drinks 11 by 11. Creatives Drink over their 11 events has become a place where networking is secondary to marking the night with a good time. The crowd is young do’ers who get their hands dirty on projects from music, photography, and beyond.
10 Best Pittsburgh Food Trucks You Can Find Today
In Pittsburgh, Bridge Crosser is an insult. That is unless you’re a Food Truck. These vagabond chefs behind the roaming kitchens bring herbs and spices from Pittsburgh’s silk road – the blue belt. The transient tastes and smells have become how some of us tell time during quarantine. Wednesdays Kimchi is in the air. Sundays fresh strip district greens. Now, that second winter is over it’s an excellent time discover milestone meals.
Interview: RoadBotics, an AI Company Helping Repair Roadways
RoadBotics is on the streets collecting big data. The company uses cellphone sensors to map out roadways problems such as potholes. Then using machine learning, they assists governments in prioritizing paving and infrastructure repair. It’s a simple premise, a technical solution, and great execution when I heard about it. So I sat down with Benjamin Schmidt, PhD, President of RoadBotics for a better look. Foo’s interview behind the scenes with Benjamin Schmidt, President of RoadBotics.
Plantronics (NACON) RIG 800LX Review - All Day Battery and Comfort
The Nacon (formerly Plantronics) Rig 800LX has gained a second life as of late. Wireless gaming headsets are experiencing shipping delays and stock shortages. However, the Rig800LX launched in 2018, is on store shelves and readily available. This maybe one of the best and most affordable wireless headsets for quarantine. Here’s why: The Nacon Rig 800LX comes in any color you like as long as that’s black and silver. Foo Conner | Jekko.
BoardUp Review: New Tricks for Classic Skateboards
BoardUp may not only be the replacement for Boosted Boards, but also the future of skateboards in general. For three years, Product Designer Bin Lu has been redesigning the classic longboard. From small adjustments to large milestones, BoardUp isn’t afraid to experiment with improving transportation. Here’s a look at the BoardUp Classic, the non-electric model. It takes a while to get use to, but once you do the BoardUp is packed and ready to go.
Nuu X6 Review - An Affordable Android Phone
The Nuu X6 incorporates flagship features while remaining true to it’s function and price. At a glance, the 5.71″ Body fits in one hand, features dual sim cards, a replaceable battery, and has 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage backing a decent camera. It’s GSM Unlocked and currently includes 3 months of Mint Mobile for $99.99.
KeySmart Pro Review - A Worthy Key Organizer with Tile Integration
The KeySmart Pro is elegant solution for organizing and finding your keys. We spent months testing pocket organizers and have found the KeySmart has a good feel in our denim pockets. Here is our in-depth test-drive and review of the key organizer with a built in Tile. A Key Smart Pro is essentially a ergonomic Tile Pro to wrap your keys in. Foo Conner | Jekko. Dude where’s my car? Well, do you have the keys when you get there.
PolarPro ND Filters for Mavic 2 Pro Review
Have you ever wondered why your videos don’t have that cinematic look? Chances are you’re not using an ND filter. A Neutral Density (ND) filter reduces the amount of light coming into your camera, or in this case drone’s camera, so you can get smooth shutter shutter speeds that give your footage that smooth cinematic look. PolarPro introduced a line of ND filters and here is our hands on look at them. Full Disclosure: PolarPro did not provide us the filters.
Wilson's Bar-B-Q Burns Down in Pittsburgh
After two generations and sixty years, one of Pittsburgh’s best Barbecue spots has burnt down. Located in Mexican War Streets, Wilson’s Bar-B-Q filled the streets with smoke around 6pm EST. The restaurant housed apartments above. Note: This is a fast post; I’ll update this post soon. One of the dogs that survived the Pittsburgh Restaurant Fire. Foo Conner | Jekko. The fire consumed the business and smoke filled the apartment above.
Bohemian Nights Fashion Show Previews Pittsburgh Opera's La Bohème
The Pittsburgh Opera will start their production of La Bohème March 30, 2019. To celebrate friends of the Opera including Docherty Talent Agency and Larrimor’s, and Studio Booth came together to put on a Bohemian Nights Fashion Show. In it’s third year, the Pittsburgh Opera’s fashion show has found a groove but not it’s audience. The event had simple but refined visuals, the lights were everywhere they needed to be, but the audience felt small and familiar to the space.
Pennsylvania Film Industry Association's Spring Fling 2019
Winter has been long. The snow freezing temperatures outside low. Though mother nature hasn’t declared it spring yet, the Pennsylvania Film Industry Association hosted their Spring Fling to warm themselves with libations. Film industry professionals including actors, crew, filmmakers, etc., gathered at the The Pennsylvania Market to network and raise funds for the PFIA.
CMU Wearable Startup Effortlessly Tracks Your Gym Workouts
The gym is filled with weights and log books. Tracking progress is a second job if you’re counting calories, reps, and weights. Hitting the goals are only important as setting it. There are a flood of apps that can fill screens of a phone promising to help you track, but often than not they detract. But, there is a better way that could already be on your wrist. Matt Spettel and Gabriel Madonna founded Delta Band last summer.
Nitrokey FIDO U2F Review - Protect the Digital You
On an infinite timeline of the internet, your email and password will eventually fall into the hands of a unknown party. In January alone, 773 Million emails and password combinations were distributed as ‘Collection #1‘. You can see if your email was included at Have I Been Pwned. Having a strong password isn’t enough, that’s why today we’ll look at Nitrokey’s FIDO U2F as a physical device as a second layer of protection. The Nitrokey U2F is the entry level of their USB dongles.
The Airy, Natural Air Purifier
Taking care of our bodies usually falls into how we use them. What we eat. What we drink. How we exercise. But we often overlook the air we breathe and our dull surroundings. Airy GreenTech GmbH has consolidated research and designed The Airy. A planter specifically designed to boost the cleaning of air in your home or office. I live in Pittsburgh, a city known for it’s horrendous air quality. Our buildings, like many American cities, are retrofitted from the industrial revolution.
Rosewill NEON K75 Mechanical Keyboard Review
We’ve all been there – we’ve used questionable keyboards from dumpster dives or discarded by businesses. The cord wraps around our desk. It bends. It frays. The plastic keys remind us of low quality toys from the dollar store. The brown grab bag, not the top shelf items. Up until now owning a mechanical keyboard held two options: Frankenstein-ing an old IBM Model-M back to life with a series adapters or a mechanical keyboard over a hundred dollars… that is until now.
13 Quotes From Mister Rogers That’ll Remind You To Appreciate Life
The internet is full of articles promising to change your life. They play to our anxieties about constant improvement. I may not know you, but if there is one thing I could pass on that is: You are complete as you are. How do I know this? I live in a community where we count our struggles as blessings. Pittsburgh is often misrepresented as having 90 neighborhoods. In fact, there are 91 when you include one of its most famous one – Mister Rogers Neighborhood.
President Trump Visits Site of the Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting
President Trump visited the site of the Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting Tuesday Afternoon. Him and his family were there to pay respects to the eleven people killed and seven injured by the hate motivated mass shooting Friday, October 27th. The presidential visit started at The Tree of Life Congregation where he met with Rabbi Jeffrey Myers. He was accompanied by his family – First Lady Melania Trump, daughter Ivanka Trump, son-in-law Jared Kushner as well as Steven Mnuchin the Treasury Secretary.
The World's Smallest Bottle Opener Pry.me Reviewed
Let me make a bold claim: Gear Infusion’s Pry.me is perfect. The tiny titanium gadget opens bottles, and does it well. It weights nothing. It’s nearly indestructible. And it is the perfect gift for beer lovers. Call me OCD, but I notice when the weight of my wallet, keys, or cellphone changes. When I leave my house, I feel I have everything. Adjustments to new cellphones and keys take time. Not with the Pry.me. It’s hardly noticeable. When I grab my keys, it hides in plane sight.
The Pittsburgh Pirates Win More in the Rain, We Have the Data
I have a theory. Don’t judge too quickly. Hear me out. Pittsburgh skies are filled with clouds, darkness, and rain. Yinzers are just use to depressing weather. Thus our sports teams like the Pirates should perform better in rain. In a list compiled by weather scientist Brian Brettschneider, Pittsburgh ranks 2nd place for the Dreariest Cities in America. The three measurements he used to calculate the scores were cloudiness, precipitation, and wet days.
9 Best Pittsburgh Coffee Shops and 1 You Should Avoid
Think of first time you had a cup of coffee. The caffeinated bliss. Let’s get back to that. American baristas are pushing the artisan aspect of coffee. They now treat it as a craft rather than commodity. This is called the third wave of coffee. Coincidentally this is happening the same time as Pittsburgh’s Third Renaissance. Dozens of new coffee shops have sprinkled the landscape like fresh snow. Thus it was time to go out and rediscover the best coffee shops in Pittsburgh.
Huawei P20 Pro Review - The Best Camera Phone You Can Buy
Huawei’s P20 Pro is so good, it’s indecipherable from magic. Years ago, you’d have to buy a DSLR and low light lenses to get photos this good. Now it’s in your pocket. I spent the last week testing Huawei’s awe-inspiring Leica branded triple camera system at the one of the most colorful places on earth – Randyland. Reproducing the world accurately relies majorly on two parts. The screen and the camera. If one is out of sync with color, then ideas you’re trying to convey could be lost.
5 Best Bluetooth Speakers for Under $50 (2018)
I heard a song once, that reminded me of a girl I once knew. The times we spent together, the time since we’ve been apart. Songs are a loving embrace of the past, but also serve the setup for for tomorrow’s love. That’s why I’m constantly on the hunt for the speaker that will provide the sound track to our lives. That said, I’ve tested over fifty Bluetooth Speakers for Jekko so far. I took these speakers to parties, events, and even yoga classes to see if they’d hold up to what life throws our way.
Tekko Cosplay 2018 - Photos & Video
Tekko saw OVER 9,000 people gathered in Pittsburgh to celebrate anime & gaming culture. The anime expo has become the center of attention when it comes to painting the city with bright and colorful costumes from your favorite movies. The Pittsburgh Japanese Culture Society has really refined their craft in providing the perfect meeting space to find the next nakama for your crew. We’re experimenting with 4K Video; Have a look and subscribe: Full disclosure… I have a soft spot for Tekko.
Boston's Venture Cafe is a Networker's Paradise
It’s a Thursday afternoon and you’ve landed in Boston. You’ve probably already dismissed the plane conversations that were as forced as the seating arrangement. Now you’re looking to escape the airport and make real connections. Take the Silver Line Bus to the Red Line, and jump off at Kendall Sqaure. This is where you’ll find the place to start a tech discussion – The Cambridge Innovation Center’s Venture Cafe. As you enter, you’ll exchange your email for a name tag with a number on it.
22 Things to Do in Pittsburgh's North Side (Besides Randyland)
So, you Google’d Pittsburgh lists and found Randyland. Nice! They say it’s the most painted house in the world. They say Randy is also one of the happiest people in America. As Han Solo put it best: It’s true. All of it. You’ve chosen wisely to visit Randyland and Northside. Now you’re wondering what else to see. Whether you’re from out of town or just a yinzer that accidentally crossed a bridge, don’t worry. I got you. Here’s a list of 22 things to do in Northside before (or after) you visit Randyland.
Kenny Chesney Concert in Photos: 37 Hospitalized & 48 Tons of Garbage
This is not a post-apocalyptic future you’d see in a Mad Max movie. It’s worse… It’s real. Statistics so far: 57 Ambulance Calls 37 Hospitalized 48 Tons of Trash (Garbage. White Trash is not included in this statistic.) Underage Drinkers Cited: 16 20-year-olds, 10 19-year-olds, seven 18-year-olds, two 17-year-olds and one 15-year-old. A mysterious benefactor gifted Jekko a ticket to the concert.
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