Is Google Targeting Its New Pixel Lineup To A New Demographic?

With the launch of the new Google Pixel 2/Pixel 2 XL, Pixelbook and Pixel Buds, I began to wonder if Google was attempting to break away from it's Nerd-Chic demographic with the Nexus and 1st Generation Pixel products to a new younger and more Urban Demographic.


Evidence


Verizon Pixel 2 Commercials



1 - Too Many Zoos
 

Snaps, horns and drums. Very catch and bass driven tune for the yutes to dance to.


2 - Danger Twins

Kazoos, drums, driving guitars and clapping. Again, another tune for the yutes to dance to.



Pixelbook Commercial - Karizma

This is a sample of the gospel classic Jesus Can Work It Out by Diane Williams of the Dr. Charles G. Hayes and the Cosmopolitan Church of Prayer Choir.

At that moment, I figured Google is targeting an audience who normally would have never considered Pixel product before.

I'll continue to monitor, but Google Marketing department, I commend you for marketing outside the nerds for the Pixel Brand of products.  They're receiving much more mindshare in my social circle than I've ever experienced with Nexus and Pixel Products.

What's In My Bag

I saw a recent Verge Article from Dieter Bohn and thought that people might be interested in what I carry around on a daily basis. I posted a Youtube Video of a Gridit Organizer that I used years ago but that was the last time that I've done something like that.


 Here's everything (minus 2 very important things)

The Bag

Ikea Förenkla Bag - https://goo.gl/GRpumV

Unzipped

Weather Stuff

I live in Northern Virginia about 90 miles from the Mason-Dixon, so I'm in a quasi Southeast, North-Eastern US Bubble.  Summers are Southern Hot with lots of humidity and Winters are not too frigid, but can dump 3 ft of snow in a few hours.  I drive to work most of the time but for those times that I bike or take the metro to work, I need to be prepared.


Bula Balaclava - https://amzn.to/2M7Ek2q

I generally wear it in the hood or mask position. Full out Clava makes me look like a bank robber.

Robber

I'm not wearing a hijab in a display of solidarity with my Iranian Wife

 Robber who can't afford the full mask

Cascade Mountaintech Wool Beenie - https://amzn.to/2LwYXUn
One Black, One Grey

Eddie Bauer - First Ascent Flux Pro Touchscreen Gloves - https://goo.gl/nqDEtU

I can use my phone while wearing the gloves.  Yeah!

Yaktrak  Snow Trax https://amzn.to/2M2j9yF

I haven't used these yet in the snow and ice, but have used the Yaktrak Snow Action Cleats

Eddie Bauer Packable Rain Pants - Product Discontinued

Ikea Knalla Rain Poncho - https://goo.gl/wH1ai7

Ikea Knalla Unbrella - https://goo.gl/vQVVwY

Lifeline First Aid Kit (Discontinued) - http://amzn.to/2gJY1yx

Evelots - Hard Glasses and Contact Case - https://amzn.to/2kX1fRG

One side for glasses and one side for contacts, 2 mini bottles of contact solution, contact picker and a gross mirror.

Laptop

Razer Blade Stealth - https://amzn.to/2RbcTKk

For the first time in about 12 years, I'm using a windows computer.  This is the 2016 model. It has all the ports and power that I no longer have in my Macbook Pro.   That little silver

Entertainment/Games/Camera


Camera

Lumix DMC-LX10K  - https://amzn.to/2sG2fxw

Case

Megagear Leather Case - https://amzn.to/2LzTygq


It's a 4K camera that produces stunning images and video.  It allows you to shoot and focus later. This is all the camera that anyone needs.

Nintendo Switch - https://amzn.to/2kUe7aX

I think it's finally in stock.  I've had mine since release day

$7 Case that gets the job done - https://amzn.to/2sPM1kS

Power


Ravpower 26800 mAH PD Power Bank - https://amzn.to/2V5GYtO

2 USB-A Ports and 1 USB-C Port.

Enough juice to charge power the laptop which is impressive.

Cables and Dongles 

Standard Lightning and USB-Cable

Random USB Squid -

One of my co-workers got this from a trade show.  It has 30 Pin, 2 Micro USB Ports, 1 Mini USB, and a MFI Lighning Port. I added a Micro USB to USB Dongle on the extra micro usb ports.

#donglelife

TNP USB-C Dongle (Discontinued) - http://amzn.to/2z0UbeM
Minix Neo USB-C Dongle - https://amzn.to/2sGRECx
HyperDrive  USB-C 3-In Dongle - https://amzn.to/2LzHCue

Phones & Audio

Google Pixel 128 GB Quite Black - https://amzn.to/2JEBhQH

iPhone 6 128 GB Space Gray - https://amzn.to/2sGSwHj

Plantronics Voyager Legend Bluetooth Headset and Case - https://amzn.to/2Jlqs6P

It's time for a new one, but I've been using this for 5 years.  People report that I sound like I'm speaking in a whisper on this thing.

Paper

Pen/Stylus Combo and a Leather bound notebook for those rare times I need to use a dead tree.

Pi  Vpn Access Point + Battery

Raspberry Pi 3 - https://amzn.to/2JsMjp0
Very Good Electronics Battery Pack For Raspberry Pi - https://amzn.to/2sPNho3
Clear Raspberry Pi 3 Case - https://amzn.to/2Jktpoj
Kootek Raspberry Pi Wifi Dongles - https://amzn.to/2JDgJIh
Raspberry Pi Heatsinks - https://amzn.to/2sR7CJy

The thing that I forgot to show.  I travel with a Raspberry Pi that acts as an access point and VPN router.

What that means is that I can plug this into the Hotel Ethernet or Wireless and allow my laptop, phones, Switch and camera to connect thru it. Also the traffic is going thru a VPN so other guest in the hotel can spy on my traffic.

Backup Bags


Additional Ikea Förenkla Bags if I need to go lighter or carry two laptops.

Blocking Ads with Squid and Unbound DNS Server

Read Up On The Following First To Understand What's Going On Blocking Ads With Squid http://pgl.yoyo.org/adservers/#withsquid Blocking Ads With Unbound DNS Server https://github.com/KhaineBOT/DNS-Unbound-Blocklist-Downloader I added this section to my squid configuration

## disable ads ( http://pgl.yoyo.org/adservers/ )
acl ads dstdom_regex  "/yoursquiddirectoryhere/ad_block.txt"
http_access deny ads
#deny_info TCP_RESET ads

I ran the script provided on the http://pgl.yoyo.org/adservers/scripts/squid/update-squid-adservers.txt With modifications for my squid proxy server and it restart squid. Ads blocked. While the proxy is good defense. Some of the ad networks are using https and dns to get around proxies and firewalls. So another way to block is using your dns server. I made a few modifications to my Unbound Config to add an include statement to now read the file from the python script

include: "/etc/unbound/local-blocking-data.conf"

I ran the python script and it restarts Unbound https://github.com/KhaineBOT/DNS-Unbound-Blocklist-Downloader To periodically update new domains that get added to the lists on the Adserver Lists, I added the scripts to the crontab to run nightly Crontab Entries

#ad block section
%nightly,random * 23-6 /root/ad_block.sh >> /dev/null 2>&1
%nightly,random * 23-6 /usr/bin/python /root/dns-unbound-blocklist-downloader.py