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Cloud

Video A Conversation with Druva Co-Founder Jaspreet Singh (Video) 39

Posted by Roblimo from the doo-wop-is-now-de-dupe dept.
This was originally going to be an interview about the state of enterprise-level backup software in an increasingly edge computing-focused world, but we rapidly drifted into talking about how Druva started in Pune (near Bangalore) and ended up moving to Silicon Valley. We hear plenty about American software companies moving to India, but not a lot about Indian software companies moving here. Druva had good reasons for the move, the chief one being a financing deal with Sequoia Capital. Aside from that, though, Jaspreet says the talent pool -- not just developers but software marketing people and other important staffers -- is more concentrated in Silicon Valley than almost anywhere else in the world. 'It's like Hollywood for geeks,' Jaspreet says. This doesn't mean business is necessarily easy in the USA: Jaspreet ended up laying off his entire staff. Twice. And he made other mistakes as a young, new CEO bringing a company to life in a crowded field.

Those mistakes, which Jaspreet shares freely with us, are like a business school 'Start-Up Pitfalls' class. You may never want to do your own startup, but if you're a developer or otherwise involved with the software industry, there's a good chance that you'll have a chance to work for one at some point. And if you have that chance, you'll be glad you watched this video (or read the transcript) before you take the startup plunge.
Education

Video Learn About The Technology Education And Literacy in Schools Program (Video #2) 11

Posted by Roblimo from the how-can-you-be-in-four-places-at-once-when-you're-not-anywhere-at-all? dept.
Quoting our intro from yesterday's 'Part One' video: 'The Technology Education And Literacy in Schools program (TEALS to its friends), started with one volunteer, a Berkeley CS grad named Kevin Wang who taught high school for a while, then went to Microsoft for a much higher salary than he got from teaching. But before long, he was getting up early and teaching a first period computer science class at a Seattle-area high school that was (sort of) on his way to work.'

TEALS is now in 130 high schools and has 475 volunteers in multiple states but still has a long way to go (and needs to recruit many more volunteers) because, Kevin says, fewer than 1% of American high school students are exposed to computer science, even though "Computer science is now fundamental in these kids' lives." He doesn't expect everyone who takes a TEALS class to become a computer person any more than chemistry teachers expect all their students to become chemists. You might say that learning a little about how computers and networks work is like knowing how to change a car tire and cook a simple meal: skills that make life easier even for people who don't want to become mechanics or cooks.
Google

Video Inside Google's Loon and Wing

Posted by Slashdot Staff from the IDG dept.
We got up close with Project Loon and Project Wing, delivering Internet and packages from the sky.
Security

Video Symantec Data Protection 1

Posted by Slashdot Staff from the IDG dept.
Symantec makes security, storage, backup and availability software and offers professional services to support its software.
Education

Video Learn About The Technology Education And Literacy in Schools Program (Video) 17

Posted by Roblimo from the computer-science-for-the-high-school-masses dept.
The Technology Education And Literacy in Schools program (TEALS to its friends) started with one volunteer, a Berkeley CS grad named Kevin Wang who taught high school for a while, then went to Microsoft for a much higher salary than he got from teaching. But before long, he was getting up early and teaching a first period computer science class at a Seattle-area high school that was (sort of) on his way to work. Then some other local high schools came to him and wanted similar programs. Kevin's a smart guy, but not smart enough to be in four places at once, so he recruited coworkers to join him as volunteer computer science educators. Today (as this is being written) TEALS is in 130 high schools and has 475 volunteers in multiple states. Kevin works full time on the program, sponsored by Microsoft, but 78% of the volunteers now come from other companies.

TEALS has stuck with Kevin's original 1st period (usually somewhere between 7:30 and 9:30) schedule not just because it's convenient for many of the volunteers, but because (contrary to teen-nerd stereotypes) 60% of their students are in after-school sports and 20% are in band. The program is growing steadily and they're looking for more volunteers. We'll have another video with Kevin tomorrow, and that's when the transcript of both videos will appear. Meanwhile, you can read the TEALS FAQ and see how you might fit in with this group or one of many other similar ones either as a volunteer, as a student or as a teacher or school administrator interested in giving your students at least a basic grounding in Computer Science. (Coincidentally, today's 'Ask Slashdot' is about tech skills for HS students -- an unintentional but excellent tie-in.)
Input Devices

Video Mechanical 'Clicky' Keyboards Still Have Followers (Video) 147

Posted by Roblimo from the clack-clack-clack-the-keyboard-types-on-down-the-track dept.
For a good number of years, the sound of the old IBM or other mechanical keyboard clacking away was the sound of programmers (or writers) at work on their computers. Then, according to Edgar Matias, president and cofounder of the Matias Corporation, computer companies started using membrane switches and other cheaper ways to make keyboards, which made a lot of people mutter curse words under their breath as they beat their fingers against keys that had to go all the way to the bottom of their travel to work, unlike the good old mechanical keyboards we once knew and loved.

Enter Edgar Matias, who started out making the half keyboard, which is like a chorded keyboard except that you can use your QWERTY typing skills with little modification -- assuming you or your boss has $595 (!) to lay out on a keyboard. But after that Edgar started making QWERTY and Dvorak keyboards for semi-competitive prices. FYI: No Slashdot person got a free keyboard (or extra money) for making this video, but I have a Matias keyboard, and in my opinion it's far better than the cheapie it replaced. A lot of other people seem to want "real" keyboards, too, which they buy from Matias or from other companies such as Unicomp, which makes keyboards just like the classic, heavily-loved IBM Model M. Again, I've owned a Unicomp keyboard (that I bought; it was not a giveaway) and it was excellent. Both companies put out quality products that are far easier on your hands and wrists than the $10 or $20 keyboards sold by big box electronics retailers.

Comment Re:In whose interest is this? (Score 1) 29

So your suggestion for our next video interview is.....................? Please make sure you provide contact information.

And realize: 10,000 or 20,000 Slashdot readers might be interested in something that doesn't interest you. And you and a *different* 10,000 or 20,000 may be interested in something else that the first 10,000 have no interest in whatsoever.

And 'the staff being interested in it personally' means what? Slashdot only has three full-time people, plus me working part-time editing videos and setting up video interviews. 'The staff' each have their own interests. Something that catches a Slashdot staff person's eye is almost certainly going to be interesting to at last a decent-sized minority of users.

Now I'm going to go eat, then edit a video interview Tim did with a guy who makes clicky keyboards. Some Slashdot users will like it and some won't. And some will say they can read a transcript faster than they can watch a video. Me too! So we run written transcripts of virtually all videos and still get comments about the lack of transcripts.

I'm sure we'll also get complaints about background noise, since Tim shot this on a noisy show floor.

We have a significant number of readers who are only happy when they are disparaging something or somebody, and I have learned over the years to wear lots of skin thickener cream and ignore idiotic comments (which yours was NOT) and the cowardly anonymous ones, to whom I pay no attention at all.

Comment Re: How can I also advertise for funding on /.? (Score 1) 29

Why not find a topic or interview subject that might be interesting to at least a substantial minority of Slashdot users? I'm married and Timothy has a g/f, so sleeping with us is a no-go. Bribes? Might as well just buy ads. Your content will then be marked "advertising" or "paid content" and will differ markedly in appearance from editorial copy on Slashdot. FYI, that's how you tell something on Slashdot is a paid ad. :)

Comment Re:In whose interest is this? (Score 1) 29

Because this research is interesting for humans who reproduce and attempt to teach their offspring to act like adult human beings in 18 years or so. You may not have a reproduction partner at this point, but odds favor you finding one sooner or later. Every single one of your ancestors reproduced. Why should you be different?

To whose benefit? Slashdot readers who have or might one day have children, nieces, nephews, step-grandchildren, etc. I'm sure that Timothy doting on his toddler-age niece had nothing to do with his choice of this project. (wink)

You cannot rationally expect every Slashdot article or video to please everyone. It can't be done. There's a user subculture that hits Slashdot purely to complain. I love the ones who complain about the lack of video transcripts, which we supply almost all the time. Now the downer crowd will complain that the transcripts are in a font they don't like. Or something.

"Smile and nod," I say. And make sure you have put on your skin-thickener before hitting Slashdot.
Apple

Video Insights Into the Apple Watch

Posted by Slashdot Staff from the IDG dept.
Computerworld’s Michael DeAgonia was among the first wave of Apple Watch buyers to actually get his Watch in late April. Here’s his take on what’s important about the wearable and whether it’s a must-have device.

Comment Re: Better Crowdfunded Science Article Rejected (Score 2) 29

Sorry. We're skipping part three and going directly to four. :)

Believe it or not, we're getting a whole new audience on http://slashdot.org/videos. Our corporate masters finally stopped with the autoplay stuff and let us have an HTML5 alternative. And beta.... gone gone gone. Things are looking up.

And yes, we're always looking for interesting people to interview, and mindful that "interesting" to one person is often "boring" to somebody else. You can't please everyone, so you might as well please yourself. https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

After a day of the Dead though my new speakers, a Ricky Nelson tune is a good end to my day.

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