What inspires you to cover Android and work at Android Central?

pkcable

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Daniel,

You know the drill! Or maybe not! I've asked all the other editors in these sub forums. Tell us a little about yourself and what brought you to Android Central Tell us what motivates you to cover Android and tech as a career? Anyone else at AC or in the tech field that you look up to or admire?

In other words what's your "superhero origin" story!

Rich
 

Laura Knotek

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I'd also be interested in learning more about your hobbies and interests. I already know Jerry is the go to guy for any questions about hi-fi. What is your area of expertise/interest?
 

Daniel Bader

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Hey Rich, thanks for the awesome question and intro.

So I started out in tech writing a little sideways, as many do: I was working in a bank back in 2008, during the recession, and was just out of university, looking for my first full-time gig. The bank was downsizing at the time and wouldn't give me permanent employment — they could only offer 20 hours a week, which wasn't enough to pay for my apartment and other expenses, plus my student loans — so I began looking for another job. I had always been into computers and networking, so I applied for a job at a travel agency in downtown Toronto as their systems administrator — fixing computers, setting up networks, maintaining databases — and got it. It wasn't a high-paying job, but it did put me in front of a lot of, at the time, smartphones, which got me very interested in the space.

In 2009, I began writing for a Canadian tech site (that no longer exists) for free because I wanted to continue exploring the burgeoning world of tech, and thought it would be great to be invited to the occasional release party or something. But I found that, despite the low traffic, I was pretty good at it — I'd taken English in school and had always generally been a good writer — so some of my work was picked up in syndication for a few local papers, which was really neat. That caught the attention of the owner of MobileSyrup, the biggest (then and now) mobile-focused publication in Canada.

I started writing for MobileSyrup back in March of 2011 on a part-time basis. Back then, I was working at a company that sold long-range wireless modems and antennas to organizations and governments that didn't have permanent wired infrastructure — countries like Saudi Arabia and Jordan — and while the job was incredibly fulfilling and rewarding, the hours were insane. I would work 5am to 1pm at that job and then come home and write for MobileSyrup for 4-5 hours, eat dinner, crash and go to bed. It wasn't sustainable (though now I think back fondly to that time).

So I convinced the owner of MobileSyrup to take a chance on a young kid and hire me full-time. It was a great match, and we helped build the site into a force in the Canadian media space. But after five years, I wanted a challenge and to take on something new, so I started a conversation with Kevin and Rene and, well, here we are.

My passion for Android began in 2009 when I bought an HTC Hero from someone on eBay in order to test out this new OS that was sweeping the world. I upgraded to a Motorola Milestone (the international version of the original Verizon Droid) in early 2010 and never looked back. I also dabble in iOS, and purchased an iPhone 3G in 2009 so I could jailbreak it, and I've gone back and forth a few times since.

I have to say that the world of Android, as diverse and exciting as it is, is just one aspect of my job. At Mobile Nations, we all work together behind the scenes, and there's much less of a clear delineation between sites as it appears online. I work closely with the teams at iMore and Windows Central (and CrackBerry, of course!) every day.

Outside of tech, I'm a huge dog person. I grew up with big dogs — Irish Wolfhounds — and back in November convinced my wife to get a Great Dane puppy. Her name is Zadie and she's awesome, though a bit of a brat truth be told. She's coming on five months and 60 pounds, but she's full of life and she keeps me on my toes. I also drink a lot of very good coffee — it's a bit of an obsession — made with one of a number of contraptions since I'm always tweaking and trying something new — that keeps me awake long after I should be in bed. I play competitive dodgeball (which is nothing like the movie, but still super fun) and hang out with friends and family on weekends.

Like Jerry, I'm a bit of an audiophile, too, and have spent far too much on audio equipment over the years.

That seemed like a lot to write! Phew!
 

Laura Knotek

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How cool you have a Great Dane! I remember my parents' friends had one when I was a little kid. The dog was about the size of a small horse but really mellow and friendly.

What kind of coffee beans do you recommend? I also love coffee. ☕
 

pkcable

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That was an awesome story! It's always great to get to know the writers, editors, etc that keep us so entertained at the sites we love so much!
 

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