The company was over confident, overly comfortable in the business space, and simply ignored the customer base... both current and potential. While touch screens were popping up all over the place they were still pushing their tiny physical keyboard. While the competition was bumping up processor speeds to up performance RIM simply slapped on a crude semi-touchscreen which was too big and cumbersome for the core of the device. And, they offered virtually NOTHING to the developer market to foster application creation or distribution. And, finally, they simply ignored their own infrastructure multiple times. In short, they were so confident that their position in the business space was so guaranteed that they turned a blind to everything important.

Years ago I rented a property and the well dried up. Rather than reach out to the government for assistance, we did something amazing: WE MOVED!

Rather than continuing to throw more good money in after bad, spend the money on a few U Haul trucks. Since we're already shoving our beliefs down their throats, scoop these people up and transplant them somewhere where the land CAN thrive. Anyone who refuses to move as sealed their fate.

cook = cool

Damn, if only this text block had IntelliSense! ;-)

After 30 years of professional development, I feel that many developers SUCK! They wear some "architect" or "senior developer" badge but struggle through the most basic concepts. I believe the reason is that MANY coders are simply chasing paychecks or have been pushed into the field. They lack the PASSION that I remember when I first got into it. Everyone was learning to program because they loved these cook PC things and WANTED to do something with them AFTER they soldered everything together. Most "geeks" share that same type of passion. They gravitate to the next cool innovation and, in the process, become great at what they love. However, today, the industry is flooded with bodies that are simply working the cliche' 9-5 and drooling over a six-figure paycheck.

... as you claim you are. Never work for free unless you are somehow benefitting from it; either financially, from a unique experience, or to take part in something you believe in (charity work, an open source project, etc.). It is a known fact that people associate your quality and value with the rate you demand. Granted, some people are simply delusional with the thought that they are better than what they are. However, in the end, if you work for free then that must be what you're worth.

If your work product is good enough that your boss wants you on it, then he should be willing to pay for it. I would simply send him a polite email explaining your change of heart with the reasons behind it. As long as you are willing to stay onboard, offer to continue for your normal rate... or even a slightly higher rate if you are working without benefits or a guarantee that it will last. Make sure to copy your personal email account so that you have some type of documentation showing that you didn't simply leave him high and dry.

I can see it now...

New message from "Robert Soloway" ... subject "Resume.doc"
New message from "Robert Soloway" ... subject "Resume.doc"
New message from "Robert Soloway" ... subject "Resume.doc"
[snip x 1,000]
New message from "Robert Soloway" ... subject "Resume.doc"

I wonder if he DOES apply for a job, if he'll even THINK of using an automated resume distribution system. Hell, I wouldn't even click the "send" button if I were him.

Hmmm... just a thought... NOT a recommendation...

Since "personal information" is the "first name and last name" IN COMBINATION WITH any of the other items, could you just denormalize the tables to get around this? Stick the SSN or CC info in a second or third table. Since that data is not stored WITH (same table) the name of the card holder or account owner, then... well... you see where this is going.

I guess it call comes down to what the meaning of "is" is. ;-)

I suggest that you watch the very first dev video on beginning development for iPhone and Mac OS X and continue on from there. At no point does ANY of Apple's materials ever mention that you can write once and compile for both platforms. All they claim is that the tools and syntax and the same (XCode, Interface Builder, Objective-C, etc.). I've been programming for a few decades now and specialize in .NET. And, although I hated the experience of going from comfy C# to Objective-C, that's really the only pain. If you really look at how UIKit differs from AppKit, you may actually realize that it's the right tool for the job. Although Microsoft has paid the bills for quite some time now, I can honestly say that writing for Windows Mobile SUCKS... not because of syntax or compatibility issues, but because of the bloat and limitations of the mobile environment (Compact Framework on Windows Mobile). At least Apple got it right by accepting that the iPhone platform really IS a different animal, compared to a MacBook or Mac Pro, and built a more appropriate framework.

It's kinda like wiping or eating with your other hand. For our office, it boils down to comfort. We spend our entire lives reading books, flipping through newspapers, preparing reports and homework, signing contracts, etc., etc., etc. We are conditioned to have something tangible in our hands. So, when it comes to reading a 50-page document on an LCD screen, it feels unnatural. We can do it if we had to, but our brain simply feels awkward accepting it.

What's interesting are the guys in back of the photo. It looks like they're using a portable urinal... maybe the UriLift... http://www.urilift.com/

Imagine that showing up at Disney! Maybe they'd make it look like you're peeing into a hole in a tree or something... or on one of the Dwarf's heads. ;-)

Apple has shown a clear desire to not remain glued to Microsoft. This is evident with the release of iWork and the dead-end path of the Office products on the Apple platform.

Because of my position, I have almost every handheld and PDA device that hits the market. As a seasoned .NET developer, I am biased towards Microsoft. However, that being said, the Windows Mobile platform is horrible. Even on devices like Samsung's Omnia, it is sluggish and cumbersome at best. Memory management is a nightmare.

The only realistic path is for the Windows Mobile platform to die off or be revamped from scratch. At most they may build a mobile version of Office for iPhone and Android but even that is a stretch.

So, basically, we trust foreign agents more than our own? HOLY CRAP! Exit stage left, already!

As for foreign officials having similar rights, that's more for political courtesy and to keep the whole cultural difference thing out of our courts. That's somewhat understood. However, there is a CLEAR difference from some over-the-hill politician getting pulled over for speeding compared to an amped-up INTERPOL cop on the verge of a conviction. The mindset, purpose, emotions... hell, the whole scenario... is completely different.