I can’t quite count the number of times I’ve thought, “Now this might be an ideal task to automate with Applescript.” The problem is taking the time to pick up yet another language — albeit one as simple as Applescript, it’s not exactly a skill I need to keep current. As it turns out, I [...]
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I’m a bit confused to see Google Desktop for the Mac, although I’m not surprised. Ultimately, any new, useful and popular product I’m happy to greet with open arms. Google Desktop is a desktop search application that gives you easy access to information on your Mac and from the web. Desktop makes searching your own [...]
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When I read “reviews” from sources such as CNET that are so blatently incomplete, false and incompetent as this, I’ve got to speak up: Direct-attached external storage just doesn’t get any better than Maxtor’s OneTouch III Turbo Edition. The evidence is pretty clear — CNET gives this device a glowing review, yet the 19 user [...]
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Want to cut back on spam attacks at your weblog and web server? Check out mod_security, an Apache plugin. It protects against a range of attacks and allows for HTTP traffic monitoring and real-time analysis with no changes to existing systems. It’s definitely worth taking a few minutes to install.
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I’m getting tired of discovering projects that focus on “quality assurance” as if its entire breadth where encompassed in simple regression testing conducted after a product is supposedly ready for release. Managing software quality is not simply creating a test program during a late-phase testing period. In fact, addressing quality assurance in this way is [...]
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This looks really intriguing (at least, if you are concerned with knowing about your server failures before your customers do): Nagios is a host and service monitor designed to inform you of network problems before your clients, end-users or managers do. It has been designed to run under the Linux operating system, but works fine [...]
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Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) is going to be big. This really struck home a few month’s ago when I built the System Technology Institute web site. That may not be a surprise to you but it’s news to some — just last week I was asked my opinion on whether SOA was “real.” This project [...]
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For those of you thinking about setting up a Wiki web server, I recommend you take a look at PmWiki. Recently I needed to set up a couple of user-driven web sites, so Wiki software was the natural choice. After looking around a bit, I settled on PmWiki for a couple of reasons: 1) It’s [...]
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Those of you that visit now and again probably noticed the month-long gap in posts — the slack period stems from System Technology Institute, a company that BOSS logic just purchased. I’ve been neck-deep in transition issues as we bring the new company online, modernize it and start inventing ways to reinvigorate the business. Now [...]
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Dell is on top. Well, at least they’ve been on top, although some might argue they’re slipping a bit. Anyhow, Dell figured out how to sell into multiple markets and hold on to that market share. Sun, HP and others seem to have forgotten (or perhaps they never learned). More than once though, the Sun [...]
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NovaMind recently released version 3.0.17 of its flagship product, the best mind mapping software on the planet. The 3.0 release added several great new features to version 2. Export to KeyNote, new line formatting, improved zoom controls, great new context sensitive help, support for drawing using a pen and tablet and a new set of [...]
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Project managers and team leaders have an extensive array of development methodologies at their disposal. Over the past 20 years methodologies to fill every conceivable development need have evolved. Rapid development techniques, long-range waterfall or spiral management models, “extreme” programming and iterative methodologies only name a few. Each one targets a different perceived project need, [...]
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This is me. Martial artist, zen student, programmer, writer and author, technologist, father of two, photographer and a resident of Los Angeles (well, the outskirts of it).
I also publish Rational Scrum and am President & CEO of Hyrax International LLC, delivering comprehensive process improvements to its clientele. Specialities include audit and assessment of program areas such as project management, quality assurance, risk management and customer satisfaction as well as delivering focused initiatives to improve customer efficiency.
