"LIST OF NOSQL DATABASES [currently 150]"
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Raphael JS Library, gRaphael
Raphaël—JavaScript Library
(a Part of Sencha Labs, MIT license)
An Introduction to the Raphael JS Library | Nettuts+
INTRODUCTION TO RAPHAËL.JS
SVG, short for Scalable Vector Graphics, is a XML-based language for describing objects and scenes. SVG elements can fire events and can be scripted with JavaScript. SVG comes with several built-in primitive types such as circles and rectangles as well as being able to display text. While SVG as a technology is not new, HTML5 now enables SVG objects to be embedded in a page directly without the use of a 'object' or 'embed' tag bringing it in line with what is currently available with the canvas. Raphaël.js is a JavaScript library that allows you to create SVG scenes programmatically. It uses a unified API to create SVG scenes where it is supported or VML(Vector Modeling Language) where it is now, namely Internet Explorer versions before IE9.
Raphaël Reference
gRaphaël—JavaScript Library
gRaphaël’s goal is to help you create stunning charts on your website. It is based on Raphaël graphics library.
Creating a chart with graphael.js from a google spreadsheet
(a Part of Sencha Labs, MIT license)
An Introduction to the Raphael JS Library | Nettuts+
INTRODUCTION TO RAPHAËL.JS
SVG, short for Scalable Vector Graphics, is a XML-based language for describing objects and scenes. SVG elements can fire events and can be scripted with JavaScript. SVG comes with several built-in primitive types such as circles and rectangles as well as being able to display text. While SVG as a technology is not new, HTML5 now enables SVG objects to be embedded in a page directly without the use of a 'object' or 'embed' tag bringing it in line with what is currently available with the canvas. Raphaël.js is a JavaScript library that allows you to create SVG scenes programmatically. It uses a unified API to create SVG scenes where it is supported or VML(Vector Modeling Language) where it is now, namely Internet Explorer versions before IE9.
Raphaël Reference
gRaphaël—JavaScript Library
gRaphaël’s goal is to help you create stunning charts on your website. It is based on Raphaël graphics library.
Creating a chart with graphael.js from a google spreadsheet
Mozilla Firefox OS, WebRTC
Mozilla previews Firefox OS with four phone makers and 18 operators onboard - Computerworld:
The OS is being pitched as a better alternative for low-end smartphones in developing markets and is built around applications written using HTML5.
At Mobile World Congress, Mozilla has also joined forces with Ericsson and AT&T to show WebRTC, a framework that allows browsers to perform functions usually confined to mobile phones such as voice and video calls and messaging.
WebRTC is a free, open project that enables web browsers with Real-Time Communications (RTC) capabilities via simple Javascript APIs. The WebRTC components have been optimized to best serve this purpose.
mission: To enable rich, high quality, RTC applications to be developed in the browser via simple Javascript APIs and HTML5.
The WebRTC initiative is a project supported by Google, Mozilla and Opera
The OS is being pitched as a better alternative for low-end smartphones in developing markets and is built around applications written using HTML5.
At Mobile World Congress, Mozilla has also joined forces with Ericsson and AT&T to show WebRTC, a framework that allows browsers to perform functions usually confined to mobile phones such as voice and video calls and messaging.
WebRTC is a free, open project that enables web browsers with Real-Time Communications (RTC) capabilities via simple Javascript APIs. The WebRTC components have been optimized to best serve this purpose.
mission: To enable rich, high quality, RTC applications to be developed in the browser via simple Javascript APIs and HTML5.
The WebRTC initiative is a project supported by Google, Mozilla and Opera
Firefox Marketplace Quick Start
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Xamarin 2.0
A new version of popular tools for building iOS and Android apps in C#
Announcing Xamarin 2.0 | Xamarin Blog
Announcing Xamarin 2.0 | Xamarin Blog
AirPrint Enterprise Problem and Solutions
Apple iPhone and iPad have a very convenient WiFi solutions
for printing (AirPrint) and media communication (AirPlay).
They are using Apple Bonjour protocol that works great at home,
but is "chatty" on larger, routed, network.
(based on multicast Domain Name System, mDNS service)Problems with AirPrint and AirPlay on school wireless networks
IT groups petition Apple to "fix" Bonjour protocol
Aruba WLAN for Apple | Aruba Networks
Cisco to unveil Apple Bonjour gateway for enterprise WiFi networks
Aerohive Enables Every Enterprise to Support Apple AirPrint and AirPlay with Free Bonjour Gateway Software
Review: 6 AirPrint solutions for iPhones and iPads
for printing (AirPrint) and media communication (AirPlay).
They are using Apple Bonjour protocol that works great at home,
but is "chatty" on larger, routed, network.
(based on multicast Domain Name System, mDNS service)
There are some third-party solutions for this issue:
The Forces Acting on Your Design
Houzz is an interesting web site for home (re)design.
They have a "IdeaBook" tool to keep links to useful home renovation projects...
Monday, February 25, 2013
webOS: HP => LG, for smart TVs
LG acquires webOS for smart TVs; webOS to remain open-source | ZDNet
"LG will acquire webOS from computer maker HP—not for smartphones as the mobile platform was first intended, but for use in smart TVs.
webOS will also remain open-source under the deal and not be forked"
"LG will acquire webOS from computer maker HP—not for smartphones as the mobile platform was first intended, but for use in smart TVs.
webOS will also remain open-source under the deal and not be forked"
Saturday, February 23, 2013
ShareKit : Share Feature for iOS Apps
ShareKit : Drop-in Share Features for all iOS Apps
iOS supports convenient "Share" button,
that is available in pre-installed apps, such as Safari,
but can also be added to other iPhone and iPad Apps.
This may even work from PhoneGap
Windows 8 / RT apps support similar concept of "Share Contracts" between apps,
available on slide-in menu from right side of the screen (circle with 3 dots that look like arrows).
As usual, the "devil is in the details", so while this is not too hard to implement
(once you figure it out), it depends on platform, other installed apps, security etc...
iOS supports convenient "Share" button,
that is available in pre-installed apps, such as Safari,
but can also be added to other iPhone and iPad Apps.
This may even work from PhoneGap
Windows 8 / RT apps support similar concept of "Share Contracts" between apps,
available on slide-in menu from right side of the screen (circle with 3 dots that look like arrows).
The idea is that each app should do one thing (very, very well),
and use services from other apps for everything else:
i.e. sending email, or sending note to Facebook or Twitter, or file to DropBox etc.
As usual, the "devil is in the details", so while this is not too hard to implement
(once you figure it out), it depends on platform, other installed apps, security etc...
Many years ago Microsoft implemented COM for very similar purpose,
and that is quite complex, but works quite well, so much so that WinRT is also based on COM...
What is needed is "platform independent" extensive structured communication
that is not complex and brittle as SOAP XML web services,
but is more "structured" than plain JSON REST HTTP,
managed by local OS when on local machine,
and by online service "broker" for messaging between devices...
"Smart" share for "Smart" devices :)
Volkswagen XL1: 261 mpg !
Volkswagen XL1 will be world mpg champ
"True to being futuristic, it's a two-seat, plug-in hybrid that can run 32 miles on electricity alone before its diesel engine kicks in. But even with that engine, it's hyper-efficient: VW boasts that it needs only 8.3 horsepower to cruise at 62 miles an hour.
Makes sense given that the engine has only two cylinders and puts out only 47 horsepower. The electric motor is good for another 27 horsepower.
"The 261-mpg fuel consumption figure is a record that has not been achieved by any other vehicle to date, showing that Volkswagen is redefining what is technically feasible in the automotive industry," the automaker says. XL1 also has a top speed of 99 mph and can accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in 12.7 seconds, according to VW."
"True to being futuristic, it's a two-seat, plug-in hybrid that can run 32 miles on electricity alone before its diesel engine kicks in. But even with that engine, it's hyper-efficient: VW boasts that it needs only 8.3 horsepower to cruise at 62 miles an hour.
Makes sense given that the engine has only two cylinders and puts out only 47 horsepower. The electric motor is good for another 27 horsepower.
"The 261-mpg fuel consumption figure is a record that has not been achieved by any other vehicle to date, showing that Volkswagen is redefining what is technically feasible in the automotive industry," the automaker says. XL1 also has a top speed of 99 mph and can accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in 12.7 seconds, according to VW."
It is unclear if VW will bring new super-efficient car to USA.
Maybe because the price of fuel may not be a big issue in coming years here :)
All thanks to hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling same technique used for shale gas,
and now for oil, with apparently huge unconventional reserves found...
U.S. Oil Output to Overtake Saudi Arabia’s by 2020 @ Blumberg.com
iPhone 5 prices of components
How could Apple make a cheap iPhone Mini? | ZDNet
+16 GB: $10 component price, $100 sales price increase
+48 GB: $30 component price, $200 sales price increase
It is no surprise competition for such market is strong...
But it is hard to make a better product
+16 GB: $10 component price, $100 sales price increase
+48 GB: $30 component price, $200 sales price increase
It is no surprise competition for such market is strong...
But it is hard to make a better product
BlackBerry Z10 vs. Apple iPhone 5 (iPhone wins, but Z10 is at least comparable)
Friday, February 22, 2013
Apple AirPrint, Bonjour Challenges
Dear Apple, Bonjour sucks! - Blog - Stefan Brunner
Designed for home networks, Apple's Bonjour protocol
is a challenge for enterprise networks,
because it is "chatty", non-routable, and the only option on iOS.
Designed for home networks, Apple's Bonjour protocol
is a challenge for enterprise networks,
because it is "chatty", non-routable, and the only option on iOS.
Problems with AirPrint and AirPlay on school wireless networks
Windows 8 PC Sales Analysys
Explaining Windows 8 PC Sales Over the Holidays | Windows 8 content from Paul Thurrott's SuperSite for Windows
Bottom line: coming after netbooks,
new windows devices need to be lower priced to sell.
What it does not mention is that netbooks became popular
because customers wanted them for portability and price.
Same as tablets now. Price does matter.
Chromebook is a new netbook, and Microsoft better come with some answer soon
if they want to maintain sales numbers, to be attractive for apps developers.
Simple: take same chromebook hardware, add $50 for Windows 8...
Bottom line: coming after netbooks,
new windows devices need to be lower priced to sell.
What it does not mention is that netbooks became popular
because customers wanted them for portability and price.
Same as tablets now. Price does matter.
Chromebook is a new netbook, and Microsoft better come with some answer soon
if they want to maintain sales numbers, to be attractive for apps developers.
Simple: take same chromebook hardware, add $50 for Windows 8...
Microsoft - Nikon Android Patent Deal
Nikon signs patent deal with Microsoft for Android-based cameras | ZDNet
Why not just use Microsoft's OS?
Apparently using Linux+Android is still a better deal...
Why not just use Microsoft's OS?
Apparently using Linux+Android is still a better deal...
Google Pixel Chromebook
Google's new Chromebook - pretty as a Pixel | ZDNet
"Pixel Chromebook... aluminum case, 12.85-inch 2560 X 1700 resolution display that compares with Apple's Retina Display, and has a touchscreen.
What's inside? It's packed with an Intel i5 1.8GHz processor, 4GB of memory. 32GB of storage, Wi-Fi (a/b/g/n) dual-band, Bluetooth 3.0, a five-hour battery and it's 0.63-inches thick."
$1,299 (wi-fi), $1,449 (LTE)
"Pixel Chromebook... aluminum case, 12.85-inch 2560 X 1700 resolution display that compares with Apple's Retina Display, and has a touchscreen.
What's inside? It's packed with an Intel i5 1.8GHz processor, 4GB of memory. 32GB of storage, Wi-Fi (a/b/g/n) dual-band, Bluetooth 3.0, a five-hour battery and it's 0.63-inches thick."
$1,299 (wi-fi), $1,449 (LTE)
So, retina pixels are expensive... almost as in MacBook Pro with Retina Display (13-inch, 2560 x 1600, $1,499.00)
I guess Google engineers have designed a device they would like to have :)
Something like Microsoft Surface Pro.
A premium device, for a premium price
Sending email from PhoneGap
@ StackOverflow
A super-simple way to send emails from mobile PhoneGap apps.
mailto: link can also have subject and body, URL encoded
Elements of a Mailto: URL - About Email:
window.location = "mailto:recipient@example.com?subject=Hello&body=Ha!%0D%0ABla!";
A super-simple way to send emails from mobile PhoneGap apps.
mailto: link can also have subject and body, URL encoded
Elements of a Mailto: URL - About Email:
window.location = "mailto:recipient@example.com?subject=Hello&body=Ha!%0D%0ABla!";
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
IBM: Big Data
IBM What is big data? - Bringing big data to the enterprise
"Big data spans four dimensions:
Volume, Velocity, Variety, and Veracity.
"
But free e-book and report link comes with "Internal Server Error"
"Big data spans four dimensions:
"
But free e-book and report link comes with "Internal Server Error"
Self-Driving RobotCar... for $150
UK Unveils 'Affordable' Self-Driving RobotCar - IEEE Spectrum
Oxford's robot car uses cameras and lasers instead of expensive 3D sensors and GPS
...
unlike Google's self-driving car, the British vehicle doesn't rely on an expensive LIDAR sensor. Instead, Oxford's RobotCar relies entirely on scene recognition (from cameras and lasers), matching live imagery with a preexisting database to figure out where it is, where to go
...
It could be only 15 years before self-driving systems become commonplace in cities as the price of installing the systems drops: "At present it costs about £5,000, but we're working to reduce that to £100," he said.
Oxford's robot car uses cameras and lasers instead of expensive 3D sensors and GPS
...
unlike Google's self-driving car, the British vehicle doesn't rely on an expensive LIDAR sensor. Instead, Oxford's RobotCar relies entirely on scene recognition (from cameras and lasers), matching live imagery with a preexisting database to figure out where it is, where to go
...
It could be only 15 years before self-driving systems become commonplace in cities as the price of installing the systems drops: "At present it costs about £5,000, but we're working to reduce that to £100," he said.
Monday, February 18, 2013
"Responsibility to Share" vs "Need to Know"
In this podcast:
RunAs Radio: Sharepoint in the Military
the guest is a person who used to work in Military, and now in Microsoft,
in both places on SharePoint and effective ways to use it.
RunAs Radio: Sharepoint in the Military
the guest is a person who used to work in Military, and now in Microsoft,
in both places on SharePoint and effective ways to use it.
He mentioned shift that has happened after 9/11,
from "Need to Know" to "Responsibility to Share",
to make sure that right information is available for right people.
Besides being a good marketing for SharePoint,
this is makes sense for business, too.
Don't wait for "9/11" moment to learn to share info.
Richard's guest also mentioned common phrase
Data to Information to Knowledge to Wisdom
Latest SharePoint 2013 has improved metadata taxonomy/ontology features,
so it could help in making this "alchemy", if used properly.
And using it properly is a challenge...
Even finding info about this on Microsoft.com is a challenge...
Discourse: another site by Jeff Atwood
About a year ago Jeff Atwood "retired" from his creation StackOverflow / StackExchange,
mega-popular Q/A web site(s) for developers (and others),
for "family reasons"...
Well, apparently he didn't quite "retire";
he just got quiet until he and selected team
created a new "generic" discussion web site.
For ordinary people Q/A site is "a forum", and "discussions site" is "a forum".
But Jeff has proved to have much "higher resolution" for this kinds of things...
(at he loves ultra-high resolutions screens, too :)
Discourse
Civilized Discourse Construction Kit
mega-popular Q/A web site(s) for developers (and others),
for "family reasons"...
Well, apparently he didn't quite "retire";
he just got quiet until he and selected team
created a new "generic" discussion web site.
For ordinary people Q/A site is "a forum", and "discussions site" is "a forum".
But Jeff has proved to have much "higher resolution" for this kinds of things...
(at he loves ultra-high resolutions screens, too :)
Discourse
Civilized Discourse Construction Kit
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Google smartwatch patent: augmented reality
Google smartwatch patent gets approved - SlashGear
smartwatch equipped with a camera and uses a clear flip-up cover that can display augmented reality information
smartwatch equipped with a camera and uses a clear flip-up cover that can display augmented reality information
IPHONE from 1996
Thanks to Facebook and friend Pavle Pekovic, I just realized that
I wrote about IPHONE in 1996 (!)
way before Cisco and than Apple made it famous :)
IPHONE was a title on page 166 in book "Internet"
by Dejan Ristanovic, Pavle Pekovic and Dragan Sretenovic (myself), and Dragan Vecerina (help with CD) and published in April 2006 by PC Press, Belgrade, Serbia.
In the "tools" section of the book I wrote about "Internet Phone" program VTIPHONE.
That was the time when the Internet was becoming a "big deal",
and I was deploying and promoting it in our local environment.
In 1995 I wrote a series of articles for PC Press magazine (in Serbian language),
and when Dejan suggested that we write a book about the topic
I enthusiastically embraced that... We even created a CD
with "snapshot" of popular web sites of that time,
an interesting "Time Machine" to view it now...
I wrote about IPHONE in 1996 (!)
way before Cisco and than Apple made it famous :)
IPHONE was a title on page 166 in book "Internet"
by Dejan Ristanovic, Pavle Pekovic and Dragan Sretenovic (myself), and Dragan Vecerina (help with CD) and published in April 2006 by PC Press, Belgrade, Serbia.
In the "tools" section of the book I wrote about "Internet Phone" program VTIPHONE.
That was the time when the Internet was becoming a "big deal",
and I was deploying and promoting it in our local environment.
In 1995 I wrote a series of articles for PC Press magazine (in Serbian language),
and when Dejan suggested that we write a book about the topic
I enthusiastically embraced that... We even created a CD
with "snapshot" of popular web sites of that time,
an interesting "Time Machine" to view it now...
Touch Screen Wireless Router
Amazon.com: Securifi Almond - World's 1st Touch Screen Wireless N Router + Range Extender (Booster): Computers & Accessories
$80, 2 local RJ45 ports
$80, 2 local RJ45 ports
Could we call it "Smart Router" and run apps on it :)
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Big Data: China’s Genome Factory
Inside China’s Genome Factory | MIT Technology Review
"BGI-Shenzhen, once known as the Beijing Genomics Institute, has burst from relative obscurity to become the world’s most prolific sequencer of human, plant, and animal DNA. In 2010, with the aid of a $1.58 billion line of credit from China Development Bank, BGI purchased 128 state-of-the-art DNA sequencing machines for about $500,000 apiece. It now owns 156 sequencers from several manufacturers and accounts for some 10 to 20 percent of all DNA data produced globally. So far, it claims to have completely sequenced some 50,000 human genomes—far more than any other group.
"BGI-Shenzhen, once known as the Beijing Genomics Institute, has burst from relative obscurity to become the world’s most prolific sequencer of human, plant, and animal DNA. In 2010, with the aid of a $1.58 billion line of credit from China Development Bank, BGI purchased 128 state-of-the-art DNA sequencing machines for about $500,000 apiece. It now owns 156 sequencers from several manufacturers and accounts for some 10 to 20 percent of all DNA data produced globally. So far, it claims to have completely sequenced some 50,000 human genomes—far more than any other group.
BGI quotes prices as low as $3,000 to sequence a person’s DNA. "
AMQP vs 0MQ: Message Queuing Protocols
As AMPQ message queuing protocol is being standardized and widely adopted,
there is some "drama" in the process.
iMatrix, original creator of AMQP now has a different idea and solution: 0MQ
ØMQ for AMQP users
AMQP and ØMQ have quite different goals.
AMQP aims to commoditize existing enterprise messaging patterns,
while ØMQ aims to create messaging patterns that can succeed at Internet scale...
ØMQ is like Git (essentially distributed) whereas AMQP is like SVN (essentially centralized).
Advanced Message Queuing Protocol - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
is an open standard application layer protocol for message-oriented middleware. The defining features of AMQP are message orientation, queuing, routing (including point-to-point and publish-and-subscribe), reliability and security.
there is some "drama" in the process.
iMatrix, original creator of AMQP now has a different idea and solution: 0MQ
ØMQ for AMQP users
AMQP and ØMQ have quite different goals.
AMQP aims to commoditize existing enterprise messaging patterns,
while ØMQ aims to create messaging patterns that can succeed at Internet scale...
ØMQ is like Git (essentially distributed) whereas AMQP is like SVN (essentially centralized).
Advanced Message Queuing Protocol - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
is an open standard application layer protocol for message-oriented middleware. The defining features of AMQP are message orientation, queuing, routing (including point-to-point and publish-and-subscribe), reliability and security.
AMQP is managed by OASIS, same organization that standardized complex WS-* protocols,
by large enterprise vendors IBM, Oracle, Microsoft. Similar contexts, similar solutions...
Friday, February 15, 2013
Tesla Motors Blog: A Most Peculiar Test Drive
A Most Peculiar Test Drive | Blog | Tesla Motors
A journalist has tried hard to show that Tesla Motors electric car
battery is not up to the task...
he just forgot that Tesla is a premier technology
and data-focused company, so no place for "cheating".
There are real data logs to show what actually happened
on the test drive. Tesla's passionate CEO is after all
also successively sending real rockets in space...
Brilliant response.
A journalist has tried hard to show that Tesla Motors electric car
battery is not up to the task...
he just forgot that Tesla is a premier technology
and data-focused company, so no place for "cheating".
There are real data logs to show what actually happened
on the test drive. Tesla's passionate CEO is after all
also successively sending real rockets in space...
Brilliant response.
Asteroid miss, Meteor hits (data)
Close call? Kind of, as asteroid hurtles past Earth
At its closest, Asteroid DA14 half the size of a football field flying at nearly 17,500 mph passed within 17,100 miles of Earth.
However, if, by chance, it did hit? The fallout would be devastating.
Let's put the data into a perspective:
At its closest, Asteroid DA14 half the size of a football field flying at nearly 17,500 mph passed within 17,100 miles of Earth.
However, if, by chance, it did hit? The fallout would be devastating.
The asteroid would have crashed with the equivalent of 2.4 million tons of dynamite, creating a disaster of regional proportions similar to the 1908 asteroid explosion over Tunguska, Siberia, which flattened 750 square miles of forest.
The Russian meteor, likely about 49 feet wide and travelling at 40,000 miles-per-hour; Russia said 985 people sought medical care after the shock wave; 48 were hospitalized, mostly because of injuries caused by flying glass.
Meteors the size of the Russian one hit Earth every few years, Binzel says, but hit land near inhabited places much less often.
"These are two events separated by almost 24 hours, so it is unlikely they are connected"
Let's put the data into a perspective:
Earth's Diameter at the Equator: 7,926.28 miles (12,756.1 km).
So the asteroid was about 2 diameters of the Earth away.
The distance from Earth to Moon is 238,855 miles;
That is 30 times the distance of the Asteroid that flew by.
The distance of International Space Station to Earth is about 205 miles (330 km)
That is 38 times closer than the Asteroid.
Cruising altitude of airplanes is about 6 and 7 miles high.
The Asteroid was more than 1000 times far away than airplanes are...
So the Asteroid was relatively far away in human dimensions (vs. airplanes or ISS),
but relatively close in cosmic dimensions (compared to Moon).
Build jQuery Mobile + PhoneGap App
A nice tutorial for building PhoneGap (Cordova) Apps
"Build a Currency Converter with jQuery Mobile and Cordova @ BuildMobile"
Thursday, February 14, 2013
dotJS. Symbiotic Languages
Jeremy Ashkenas is the creator of the CoffeeScript programming language, the Backbone.js javascript framework, and the Underscore.js javascript library
This is video of his talk on dotJS conference in Paris, November 2012
dotJS. Symbiotic Languages:
This is video of his talk on dotJS conference in Paris, November 2012
dotJS. Symbiotic Languages:
ServiceStack vs ASP.Net Web API
A very interesting "code competition", how to implement HTTP services in .NET
A single person has created a truly great open source tool,
and after a few years it is getting a lot of attention and traction.
Microsoft has created a new tool as a part of ASP.NET,
that is solving similar challenge, in a similar way.
Great developers are on the task, and the tool is good.
But is it great? It is supported by Microsoft, but is it better?
It is also open source, but it has less contributors...
In any case, developers will win.
Complexity is out, and simplicity is in.
complex WCF / SOAP is out, simple(r) REST / HTTP is in.
(more) complex XML is (mostly) out, simple(r) JSON is in.
But SeviceStack is multi-talented: besides very fast JSON/HTTP,
it also supports other protocols and formats,
including Google's very efficient binary ProtocolBuffers, as well as SOAP,
then simple and fast ORM database access (vs. Microsoft EntityFramework)
then data caching, Redis access, view rendering by Razor, self hosting,
and can run on Microsoft .NET and Mono on Linux and Mac...
Here are links to podcast interviews, source code, web forums, training classes...
Podcasts:
Forums:
Source:
Sites:
Training:
A single person has created a truly great open source tool,
and after a few years it is getting a lot of attention and traction.
Microsoft has created a new tool as a part of ASP.NET,
that is solving similar challenge, in a similar way.
Great developers are on the task, and the tool is good.
But is it great? It is supported by Microsoft, but is it better?
It is also open source, but it has less contributors...
In any case, developers will win.
Complexity is out, and simplicity is in.
complex WCF / SOAP is out, simple(r) REST / HTTP is in.
(more) complex XML is (mostly) out, simple(r) JSON is in.
But SeviceStack is multi-talented: besides very fast JSON/HTTP,
it also supports other protocols and formats,
including Google's very efficient binary ProtocolBuffers, as well as SOAP,
then simple and fast ORM database access (vs. Microsoft EntityFramework)
then data caching, Redis access, view rendering by Razor, self hosting,
and can run on Microsoft .NET and Mono on Linux and Mac...
Here are links to podcast interviews, source code, web forums, training classes...
Podcasts:
Forums:
Source:
Sites:
Training:
HP Chromebook
Pavilion 14 Chromebook shows HP's 'multi-OS approach' | Internet & Media - CNET News
"14-inch display... 1.1GHz Intel Celeron 847 processor, a 16GB solid-state drive, an HDMI port, an RJ-45 Ethernet port, three USB 2.0 ports, 2GB of RAM (upgradable to 4GB), and an HD Webcam. It weighs 4 pounds and comes with a two-year deal for 100GB of storage at Google Drive."
HP to make Android tablet, and no Windows RT
"14-inch display... 1.1GHz Intel Celeron 847 processor, a 16GB solid-state drive, an HDMI port, an RJ-45 Ethernet port, three USB 2.0 ports, 2GB of RAM (upgradable to 4GB), and an HD Webcam. It weighs 4 pounds and comes with a two-year deal for 100GB of storage at Google Drive."
HP to make Android tablet, and no Windows RT
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
About Raspberry Pi
About us | Raspberry Pi
"The idea behind a tiny and cheap computer for kids came in 2006, when Eben Upton and his colleagues at the University of Cambridge’s Computer Laboratory, including Rob Mullins, Jack Lang and Alan Mycroft, became concerned about the year-on-year decline in the numbers and skills levels of the A Level students applying to read Computer Science in each academic year. From a situation in the 1990s where most of the kids applying were coming to interview as experienced hobbyist programmers, the landscape in the 2000s was very different; a typical applicant might only have done a little web design.
Something had changed the way kids were interacting with computers. A number of problems were identified: the colonisation of the ICT curriculum with lessons on using Word and Excel, or writing webpages; the end of the dot-com boom; and the rise of the home PC and games console to replace the Amigas, BBC Micros, Spectrum ZX and Commodore 64 machines that people of an earlier generation learned to program on."
"The idea behind a tiny and cheap computer for kids came in 2006, when Eben Upton and his colleagues at the University of Cambridge’s Computer Laboratory, including Rob Mullins, Jack Lang and Alan Mycroft, became concerned about the year-on-year decline in the numbers and skills levels of the A Level students applying to read Computer Science in each academic year. From a situation in the 1990s where most of the kids applying were coming to interview as experienced hobbyist programmers, the landscape in the 2000s was very different; a typical applicant might only have done a little web design.
Something had changed the way kids were interacting with computers. A number of problems were identified: the colonisation of the ICT curriculum with lessons on using Word and Excel, or writing webpages; the end of the dot-com boom; and the rise of the home PC and games console to replace the Amigas, BBC Micros, Spectrum ZX and Commodore 64 machines that people of an earlier generation learned to program on."
Raphaël—JavaScript Library
Vector graphics JavaScript library that is using SVG and VML,
so it works on most of browsers, including IE6
Raphaël—JavaScript Library:
so it works on most of browsers, including IE6
Raphaël—JavaScript Library:
| Ruby | 40% |
|---|---|
| JavaScript | 26% |
| Shell | 5% |
| Python | 5% |
| PHP | 4% |
| C | 4% |
| Perl | 3% |
| C++ | 2% |
| Java | 2% |
| Objective-C | 2% |
Demo of Raphaël—JavaScript Vector Library
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Monday, February 11, 2013
Hyper-V for Developers
Windows 8 Pro comes with Hyper-V feature.
With sufficient hardware, it is now possible to develop and test
distributed systems on a single dev box.
Virtual machines can be managed by PowerShell scripts.
In this detailed article, a 16 GB RAM/ 2x128 GB SSD laptop
was able to run 11 VMs...
Hyper-V for Developers Part 1 - Ken Kilty's Blog - Site Home - MSDN Blogs
With sufficient hardware, it is now possible to develop and test
distributed systems on a single dev box.
Virtual machines can be managed by PowerShell scripts.
In this detailed article, a 16 GB RAM/ 2x128 GB SSD laptop
was able to run 11 VMs...
Hyper-V for Developers Part 1 - Ken Kilty's Blog - Site Home - MSDN Blogs
Saturday, February 09, 2013
3D Web: O3D, X3D, WebGL...
3D Web started with VRML in 1997.
Over time it slowly evolved to X3D
Latest 3D solutions are based on WebGL,
direct access to GPU API OpenGL from JavaScript.
One such library is Google's O3D
code.google.com/p/o3d/
Here is a sample game "Pool"
Quite impressive for a web app.
But let's put this in the perspective.
Moore's law improvement in performance in 16 years is about 2^8,
double every 2 years (or 18 months). That is 256 times.
Over time it slowly evolved to X3D
Latest 3D solutions are based on WebGL,
direct access to GPU API OpenGL from JavaScript.
One such library is Google's O3D
code.google.com/p/o3d/
Here is a sample game "Pool"
Quite impressive for a web app.
But let's put this in the perspective.
Moore's law improvement in performance in 16 years is about 2^8,
double every 2 years (or 18 months). That is 256 times.
Could Web 3.0 also be 3D?
Friday, February 08, 2013
Microsoft Surface Pro
Review: Surface Pro is the world's best Windows tablet, but still can't close the deal | PCWorld
A powerful hardware (Intel i5, 1920x1080, more memory etc),
but much higher price than Surface RT...
So the real competition are convertible tablets like Lenovo Yoga,
ultrabooks, or even MacBook Air.
All in all, a very nice, but still confusing device.
The actual issue is the price and weight: not a real iPad competitor.
So no large volume of sales, limited economy of scale...
Thursday, February 07, 2013
Amazon: an API for the material (and digital) world
Amazon Prime Primes Amazon to Crush Offline Retail | Wired Business | Wired.com:
“Free” two-day shipping. Streaming video. An e-book lending library. All for $79 per year.
Spelled out like that, Amazon Prime sounds like a weird ad hoc chimera of a product.
Why those three things? And why that price?
Though the value proposition may come across as clunky, plenty of people are apparently sold."
39 percent of the “product units” sold on Amazon during the most recent quarter
were from third-party sellers, up from 36 percent a year earlier.
sales on Amazon overall grew 32 percent during the quarter.
Third-party sales rose at an even faster clip — more than 40 percent
Amazon may be a unique company that by focusing on customers and long-term
time after time "surprises" market and succeeds by doing commons sense.
Amazon Web Services users report that for the same service,
prices are being reduced over time.
Now, Microsoft Azure is doing the same...
“Free” two-day shipping. Streaming video. An e-book lending library. All for $79 per year.
Spelled out like that, Amazon Prime sounds like a weird ad hoc chimera of a product.
Why those three things? And why that price?
Though the value proposition may come across as clunky, plenty of people are apparently sold."
39 percent of the “product units” sold on Amazon during the most recent quarter
were from third-party sellers, up from 36 percent a year earlier.
sales on Amazon overall grew 32 percent during the quarter.
Third-party sales rose at an even faster clip — more than 40 percent
Amazon as a seller of stuff and to start thinking of the world’s biggest
online retailer as a platform for stuff — an API for the material world.
Amazon may be a unique company that by focusing on customers and long-term
time after time "surprises" market and succeeds by doing commons sense.
Amazon Web Services users report that for the same service,
prices are being reduced over time.
Now, Microsoft Azure is doing the same...
Wednesday, February 06, 2013
Dan Pink: To Sell is Human. The surprising truth about moving others
Dan Pink: To Sell is Human. The surprising truth about moving others | Business of Software
#1 @ Amazon
#1 @ Amazon
ABCs of Sales
Old style: Always Be Closing.New style: Attunement, Buoyancy, Clarity
- Attunement = I have to be able to take your perspective, not mine ("attune")
- Buoyancy = "stay aflot" in "an ocean of rejection". Sales people are always hearing “no”.
Buoyancy is how do you stay afloat in that ocean of rejection?
- Clarity = information is now abundant, so sales is more useful when it is not even clear what the problem / requirement is. Curating information, rather than accessing it. Help you surface this problem that you don’t even realize that you had.
Tuesday, February 05, 2013
Alan Kay: Doing with Images Makes Symbols
Fascinating "origins of GUI design."
Dr. Alan Kay, 1987: Doing with Images Makes Symbols Pt 1 : Free Download & Streaming : Internet Archive
Includes a video of "sketch pad" from 1962,
that is arguably better than most of current drawing apps.
Dr. Alan Kay, 1987: Doing with Images Makes Symbols Pt 1 : Free Download & Streaming : Internet Archive
Includes a video of "sketch pad" from 1962,
that is arguably better than most of current drawing apps.
Kathy Sierra: User Awesome vs App Awesome
Success is not about being awesome (app, product, service), but help the users be awesome.
summary of presentation
Kathy Sierra at Business of Software 2012. Creating the minimum badass user. | Business of Software:
"People aren’t using the app because they like the app or they like you.
They’re doing it because they like themselves. What are you doing to enable more of that."
So, the objective is to help your users/customers become really great in what they are doing.
They will share this with others, and that is the best advertising you can get (i.e. good reviews on Amazon :)
summary of presentation
- Models: examples of what good really is
- Edge Practice: helps point to the right thing
- Forward Flow: keep going, no matter what, even when things get difficult
Monday, February 04, 2013
Steve Jobs: "Customer Experience before Technology"
Steve Jobs Insult Response - YouTube"
(WWDC 1997, as a 'new' CEO of Apple, struggling at that time, just before a huge take-off)
(WWDC 1997, as a 'new' CEO of Apple, struggling at that time, just before a huge take-off)
"You've got to start with the customer experience
and work backwards to the technology.
You can't start with the technology
and try to figure out where you're going to sell it."
While there is a contradiction even in this brief video
(engineers did build a great laser printer that can sell)
a clear vision "customers first" helped make it better than HP's, by using PostScript and sharing,
sell it for twice the price, and create a new desktop publishing industry.
"Open Culture" (free learning site)
About Us | Open Culture:
"Open Culture brings together high-quality cultural & educational media for the worldwide lifelong learning community. Web 2.0 has given us great amounts of intelligent audio and video. It’s all free. It’s all enriching. But it’s also scattered across the web, and not easy to find. Our whole mission is to centralize this content, curate it, and give you access to this high quality content whenever and wherever you want it. Free audio books, free online courses, free movies, free language lessons, free ebooks and other enriching content — it’s all here."
"Open Culture brings together high-quality cultural & educational media for the worldwide lifelong learning community. Web 2.0 has given us great amounts of intelligent audio and video. It’s all free. It’s all enriching. But it’s also scattered across the web, and not easy to find. Our whole mission is to centralize this content, curate it, and give you access to this high quality content whenever and wherever you want it. Free audio books, free online courses, free movies, free language lessons, free ebooks and other enriching content — it’s all here."
Responsive Web Design - An Advanced Guide to HTML & CSS
Responsive = same web page is rendered differently
based on @media "response" of web browser, about size of the screen...
JavaScript D3 Show Reel
D3 Show Reel
A Great visualization demo!
A Great visualization demo!
D3 Show Reel from Mike Bostock on Vimeo.
By the way, the data are stored in .CSV format :)
Old is new again... Efficiency matter...
And a great introduction for D3
apparently a great library!
And a great Gallery!
Sunday, February 03, 2013
Modern.IE, BrowserStack
Microsoft Launches Modern.IE for Easier Cross-Browser Testing | News & Opinion | PCMag.com
"3 months free" "BrowserStack" cross-browser testing at modern.ie
Microsoft marketing had a talent for mixing things together...
Promoting IE10 on one side,
and a new virtualization tools for testing on various web browsers,
(likely a side-effect of developing IE...)
An the virtualization can be "cloud" or "local"...
To get it, need to login to Facebook (why?).
Anyway, could be useful tools... just confusing...
"3 months free" "BrowserStack" cross-browser testing at modern.ie
Microsoft marketing had a talent for mixing things together...
Promoting IE10 on one side,
and a new virtualization tools for testing on various web browsers,
(likely a side-effect of developing IE...)
An the virtualization can be "cloud" or "local"...
To get it, need to login to Facebook (why?).
Anyway, could be useful tools... just confusing...
Saturday, February 02, 2013
Friday, February 01, 2013
Git for Visual Studio and TFS
Git Support Added to Visual Studio and TFS | Channel 9:
"Git repos are now fully supported on Team Foundation Service and that Microsoft has released Visual Studio Tools for Git. You can now choose which source control system you prefer, either the centralized version control provided by Team Foundation Version Control (TFVC) or the distributed version control provided by Git"
Next step: embedded Linux VM in Windows :)
And why not, Android VM for Windows and Windows Phone.
For now, Windows Azure can run Linux, as well as Java.
That is Open Microsoft 2.0
"Git repos are now fully supported on Team Foundation Service and that Microsoft has released Visual Studio Tools for Git. You can now choose which source control system you prefer, either the centralized version control provided by Team Foundation Version Control (TFVC) or the distributed version control provided by Git"
Microsoft embraces open-source Git for development tools @ infoworld
The implementation is based on original libget2 library
so Microsoft is officially using, selling, and supporting code written by Linus Torvalds himself!
Next step: embedded Linux VM in Windows :)
And why not, Android VM for Windows and Windows Phone.
For now, Windows Azure can run Linux, as well as Java.
That is Open Microsoft 2.0
Hybrid Wing Aircraft = 1/2 Fuel
NASA Demonstrates Manufacturing Methods for Hybrid Wing Aircraft | MIT Technology Review
"Combined with an extremely efficient type of engine, called an ultra-high bypass ratio engine, the hybrid wing design could use half as much fuel as conventional aircraft. Although it may take 20 years for the technology to come to market, the manufacturing method developed at NASA could help improve conventional commercial aircraft within the next eight to 10 years"
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