65095415
submission
Nerval's Lobster writes:
There’s a reason why Microsoft executives spent the bulk of their Sept. 30 presentation emphasizing Windows 10’s security, app store, and management features—i.e., everything usually glossed over in presentations—and it’s that the new operating system isn’t a revolutionary step forward. If anything, It seems more like an iterative upgrade to Windows 7 than anything else. That could satisfy business customers, who usually aren’t enthused about change, but it’s unlikely to generate much excitement among consumers, many of whom increasingly rely on other operating systems such as Android and iOS. Is Windows 10 a step in the right direction for Microsoft, and a way to fix the ill reception and anemic upgrade rate of Windows 8? Or is Windows' peak years behind it, even if Microsoft seems determined to place it on as many tablets, smartphones, and PCs as possible?
65087691
submission
Nerval's Lobster writes:
There are various reasons to adopt REST as the underlying layer and build RESTful APIs for data access, Espresso Logic CEO Paul Singh argues in a new column on Dice (yes, yes, we know). 'While connectivity is the obvious focus for building a RESTful API, it’s not enough. It’s critical to address factors like API usability, app server functions and performance.' Pagination, discoverability, app server functions, integrity logic, security, and performance are just a few of the laundry list of things to watch out for. While Singh is obviously pushing a commercial framework as a way to make building a RESTful API simpler, a skilled database developer could probably cobble together open-source technologies to perform many of those same functions.
65041217
submission
Nerval's Lobster writes:
There are various reasons to adopt REST as the underlying layer and build RESTful APIs for data access, Espresso Logic CEO Paul Singh argues in a new column. "While connectivity is the obvious focus for building a RESTful API, it’s not enough. It’s critical to address factors like API usability, app server functions and performance." Pagination, discoverability, app server functions, integrity logic, security, and performance are just a few of the laundry list of things to watch out for. While Singh is obviously pushing a commercial framework as a way to make building a RESTful API simpler, a skilled database developer could probably cobble together open-source technologies to perform many of those same functions.
65039815
submission
Nerval's Lobster writes:
Apple touts the Swift programming language as easy to use, thanks in large part to features such as Interface Builder, a visual designer provided in Xcode that allows a developer to visually design storyboards. In theory, this simplifies the process of designing both screens and the connections between screens, as it needs no code and offers an easy-to-read visual map of an app’s navigation. But is Swift really so easy (or at least as easy as anything else in a developer's workflow)? This new walkthrough of Interface Builder (via Dice) shows that it's indeed simple to build an app with these custom tools... so long as the app itself is simple. Development novices who were hoping that Apple had created a way to build complex apps with a limited amount of actual coding might have to spend a bit more time learning the basics before embarking on the big project of their dreams.
64868699
submission
Nerval's Lobster writes:
There's the longtime and pervasive myth of the self-taught developer, the autodidact who toils away at their craft for years with only a few textbooks and some online advice to guide the way. It's a good myth with a lot of basis in fact, as many developers will tell you. But for every intrepid soul who learns a new programming language and builds something amazing out of it, a whole lot of other people need some formal schooling. Dice (yes, yes, we know) has updated its advice about computer-science degrees in 2014, which includes the need to find a CS program that's heavy on practical experience in addition to theory, and making sure you choose a program that offers a decent rate of return for its graduates.
64781851
submission
Nerval's Lobster writes:
With so many options for Python editors out there, which should you use? Over on Dice (yes, yes, we know), developer and programmer David Bolton takes a look at five free Python editors, many of which are cross-platform: Eclipse plus PyDev and other plugins, PyScripter, Eric Python IDE, PyCharm Community Edition, and CodeSkulptor. He finds PyCharm "slick," Eric Python loaded up with some cool features, PyScripter nicely simple, and so on. "I’m leaning toward Eric because it’s just so full-featured, but that’s a personal preference," he writes. Everybody might not agree with his conclusions, especially given the popularity of Eclipse, but he does give an overview of what's out there.
64737137
submission
Nerval's Lobster writes:
...placing your iPhone in the microwave will destroy the phone, and possibly the microwave. While that might seem obvious to some people, others have fallen for the “Wave” hoax making its way around online. The fake advertisement insists that the new iOS 8 allows users to charge their iPhones by placing them in a “household microwave for a minute and a half.” Microwave energy will not charge your smartphone. To the contrary, it will scorch the device and render it inoperable. If you nuke your smartphone and subsequently complain about it online, people will probably make fun of you. (If you want a full list of things not to place in a microwave, no matter how pretty the flames, check this out.)
64598829
submission
Nerval's Lobster writes:
Earlier this year, Apple executives unveiled Swift, which is meant to eventually replace Objective-C as the programming language of choice for Macs and iOS devices. Now that iOS 8's out, a lot of developers who build apps for Apple's platforms will likely give Swift a more intensive look. While Apple boasts that Swift makes programming easy, it'll take some time to learn how the language works. A new walkthrough by developer David Bolton shows how to build a very simple app in Swift, complete with project files (hosted on SourceForge) so you can follow along. A key takeaway: while some Swift features do make programming easier, there's definitely a learning curve here.
64525517
submission
Nerval's Lobster writes:
A new article in Fast Company suggests tech CEOs want employees with liberal arts degrees, because those graduates have critical thinking skills. Meanwhile, a new article on Dice (yes, yes, we know) posits that STEM degrees such as data science, IT admin, and electrical engineering are what science-and-tech companies are going to want for the foreseeable future. What do you think? What place do those with liberal arts degrees have in companies such as, say, Tesla or a biomedical engineering firm?
64313333
submission
Nerval's Lobster writes:
In theory, learning less-popular programming languages could end up paying off big—provided the programmers who pursue them play their proverbial cards right. And as with any good card game, there’s a considerable element of chance involved: In order to land a great job, you need to become an expert in a language, which involves a considerable amount of work with no guarantee of a payoff. With that in mind, do you think it's worth learning R, Scala, Haskell, Clojure, or even COBOL (the lattermost is still in use among companies with decades-old infrastructure, and they reportedly have trouble filling jobs that rely on it)? Or is it better to devote your precious hours and memory to popular, much-used languages that have a lot of use out there?
64286435
submission
Nerval's Lobster writes:
Figuring out which IT-related certification program to pursue can prove a daunting task for anyone. ITworld recently posted their top suggestions, based on a study from consulting firm Foote Partners. Now Dice has a few, because, well, Dice sees a lot of certification-related job postings on any given day. Amazon Web Services' Certified Solutions Architect, Red Hat Certified Architect, EC-Council's Computer Hacking Forensic Investigator, and a handful of others seem to be the most popular ones heading into 2015. But no matter which certification you're thinking of pursuing, it's important to take several questions into account, such as whether you'll have time to complete the coursework, and whether there's a significant salary benefit to the certification. Which certifications do you think matter?
64149611
submission
Nerval's Lobster writes:
Millions of people have shrieked in horror and dismay at Microsoft’s infamous 'Blue Screen of Death.' What fewer people know—at least until now—is that the text accompanying the BSoD was originally written by Steve 'Developers! Developers! Developers!' Ballmer, who recently stepped down as Microsoft's CEO. According to Microsoft developer Raymond Chen, Ballmer didn’t like the original text that accompanied the BSoD in Windows 3.1, so he wrote up a new version. If you used Windows at any point in the past two decades, you can thank him for that infuriatingly passive 'This Windows application has stopped responding to the system' message, accompanied by the offer to hit Ctrl+Alt+Delete to restart the PC (and lose all your unsaved data). At least Ballmer didn't try to write something like, 'RESTART! RESTART! RESTART!'
64119391
submission
Nerval's Lobster writes:
As a trend, the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge seems a bit played out—who hasn’t yet dumped a bucket of icy water over his or her head for charity? But that didn’t stop Canadian chemist Muhammad Qureshi from executing his own sublimely scientific, potentially dangerous variation on the theme: After donating to the ALS Association, he proceeded to douse himself with a bucket of liquid nitrogen. Anyone who’s taken a chemistry class, or at least watched the end of Terminator 2, knows that liquid nitrogen can rapidly freeze objects, leaving them brittle and prone to shattering. Pouring it on your skin can cause serious frostbite. So what prevented that bucketful of liquid nitrogen from transforming Qureshi into a popsicle? In two words: Leidenfrost effect. Named after 18th century scientist Johann Gottlob Leidenfrost, the effect is when a liquid comes near a mass that’s much warmer than the liquid’s boiling point, which (in the words of Princeton’s helpful physics explainer) results in an insulating vapor layer that “keeps that liquid from boiling rapidly.” In other words, the vapor makes the liquid “float” just above the surface of the object, rather than coming into direct contact with it.
64091443
submission
Nerval's Lobster writes:
Microsoft just accidentally—or 'accidentally'—leaked a logo for Windows 9. Microsoft China posted the image to Chinese micro-blogging site Weibo, along with a note: 'Microsoft’s latest OS Windows 9 is coming soon, do you think the start menu at the left bottom will make a come back?' The post was quickly yanked, but not before setting the Internet abuzz. (If it is an official logo, it gets zero points for originality.) Windows 9 will reportedly rebalance the Windows user interface in favor of keyboard and mouse input, rather than the touch-friendly system pushed by Windows 8’s Start screen. What’s certain is that Microsoft wants to put Windows 8 in the rear-view mirror as quickly as possible. Greeted by lukewarm reviews upon its release in 2012, Windows 8 failed to overtake Windows 7 or even the ancient Windows XP in terms of market-share; third-party developers seemingly had little enthusiasm for building apps for the platform, and many consumers expressed confusion over the dual interface, which paired the traditional desktop with the aforementioned Start screen.
63992913
submission
Nerval's Lobster writes:
Labor Day is nigh, and with it the official end of summer. It’s time to pack away the umbrellas and beach towels, and perhaps spend a few minutes flipping through photos of all the fun times you had over the past couple months: the grilling, the trips, the fireworks oh yes, the fireworks Chances are pretty good that you’ve set off more than a few fireworks in your time. But Colin Furze, the British inventor and YouTube celebrity who once co-hosted Sky1’s Gadget Geeks? Well, he puts everybody’s love of fireworks to shame. He loves fireworks so much, in fact, that he built a giant metal suit so he could stand in the middle of an epic pyrotechnic display. No matter how good your own engineering skills (or strong your courage), it's inadvisable to try this at home. But it's sure fun to watch.
