I’m always on the lookout for small apps that help me improve my efficiency. Despite many wanderings into the land of GTD apps, I always come back to a simple plain text scheme, using either post-it like applications, or a simple text editor. On the OS X platform, I use sidenote. On Windows, I use […]
Read MoreBook: Facts and Fallacies of Software Engineering 0
I recently finished reading this book. See the books page for more details. In short, it has some interesting information and is certainly worth a read.
Read MoreCentralized vs. Decentralized Storage 0
A number of times thus far in my career, common storage has been a sizable bottleneck in the application frameworks in which I’ve worked. Centralized solutions are slow and easier to manage. Decentralized ones are relatively rare, complex, and less than ideal. One decent solution is DRBD, which when combined with OCFS2 or GFS can […]
Read MoreHotkey consoles for all 0
I still really like the hotkey triggered drop down console notion. I’ve been a fan ever since finding Visor for OS X. Today, I was wondering if I’d have to come up with my own solution for Windows when I came across an existing way provided by someone else. Granted, it isn’t as friendly as […]
Read MoreApple TV vs. Mac Mini as HTPC 0
Recently, I was running an Apple TV as a HTPC, hooked up to our TV, to watch movies from our file server (mounted via NFS) here at home. The back row interface of Apple TV was slick, but sadly the h.264 encoded movies were too much for the Apple TV’s processing power, and it regularly […]
Read MoreiPhone Rocks! 1
After the recent price drop of the iPhone I decided to pick one up from the Apple refurb store. I snagged a 4GB model for $249 + shipping/tax/etc… and coupled with 3rd party software on the intertron threw my existing cingular/at&t sim card into this bad boy to avoid the lengthy contract and high use […]
Read MoreVisor (OS X) and Tilda (Linux) 0
I’ve been using visor on OS X for a while now, and decided to add it and a linux analog to the SoftwareGoodies page. They are both a drop down console application that allow you to press some key sequence to “activate” a terminal. I’ve found that since I typically have multiple virtual desktops in […]
Read Morenifty little Ruby application: gRApple, added to itch+scratch ware page 0
Recently, I’ve been keeping a close eye on the refurbished apple store page for Macs. They have a number of machines, laptop and desktop alike, that go for great prices from time to time. Many of the prices are ~15% less than retail, but occasionally, they approach 30% off! There are two issues though: 1) […]
Read MoreFinally posted some itch+scratch ware 0
A number of years ago (2001 specifically) I was bored, and decided to fight off said boredom by writing a small little IRC like client/server app in Java. Yes, I realize writing code as a way to fight off boredom is geeky. Yes, I am a geek. Anyhow, I recently dusted this puppy off and […]
Read MorePerceived Value In Consulting and Services 0
You might think that an individual, or organization, that provides a superior product or service always comes out ahead in the business world. This idea is currently most pertinent to me in relation to consulting groups and service providers representing the IT industry. I’ve dealt with a number of different consulting groups lately in some […]
Read MoreEntitlement should positively fuel Empowerment 1
All companies should strive to instill a sense of empowerment in their employees. Unfortunately, the hard truth is that most inflict a negative, bitter sense of entitlement instead, which usually results in high turnover. This phenomenon begins even before the start of an employees appointment within a company. Promises of both the written and verbal […]
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