Posted by Richard Thu, Jun 29 2006 18:42
I ran across this handy monitoring program tonight. It is called monit. It says you can have it up and running in 15 minutes. It took me about 30 minutes, but most of that was me reading trying to decide if I wanted to install it or not.
Posted by Richard Mon, Jun 12 2006 02:28
In Andy Hunt's presentation at NFJS, he mentioned the benefits of having a "dual monitor" setup. According to this NY Times article, you can be 20-30% more productive. The reason being is you are not context switching (not directly in the article more in the presentation). By switching programs or hunting for the one you are looking for on a small screen, it can reduce productive drastically - this is context switching. Context switching isn't just finding programs on the screen. It is answering the IM or the email you just received. It removes your concentration from what you were currently working on and this really hurts productivity.
Now, if I can just convince my wife I need a pair of 30" displays.
Posted by Richard Sat, Jun 10 2006 16:41
Yesterday at NFJS, I went to a talk on Testing Strategies for Web Applications by Ramnivas Laddad. It was a good talk, but the main point I retained from it was using Selenium for user interface testing. I had heard and read a little about the tool, but I had not really looked at it (thinking it would be difficult to setup). After seeing the demo, I was really kicking myself for not looking at it sooner.
Read more...Posted by Richard Fri, Jun 09 2006 03:30
Last night was the largest Raleigh Ruby Brigade meeting I have been to (of course, I have only been going since February). Each time I have gone, I have come away with a little something. Most of the time, it is not directly Ruby related - although there is usually a tip or package discussed (after last night, I want to look at RSpec).
Read more...Posted by Richard Fri, May 12 2006 06:32
I have looked a couple of times at the new Intel Macs at the local Apple Store. Last night I got a little demo of one while at the local ruby brigade. The power adapter is a great little feature that I had overlooked. I don’t know how many times I shift my Powerbook and if the plug shifts slightly, I am running off the battery. A power cord with the magnet appears to be a great idea.
Next, I got to see Parallels in action. It is very cool. I don’t use Windows much (mainly for testing that other browser), but it would be handy just to switch over to it. The idea of running Linux on it also sounds appealing. Just the fact that there is no emulation makes it so much faster.
Maybe if I don’t drive for a month, I can save enough money to purchase one.
Posted by Richard Sat, Apr 15 2006 22:38
I know there is more to Productivity and Happiness than what is in this article, but he does make some good points especially from the developer perspective.
Posted by Richard Sat, Apr 15 2006 14:35
The ZIP Code Boundaries Database is a cool site that maps the boundaries of a zip code using Google Maps. It is also fun to put in random zip codes like 23456.
Posted by Richard Tue, Apr 04 2006 21:39
I played with a few of the new Apple Intel base systems last week. Wow, definitely faster. Of course they will have issues, but I am sure Apple will get them worked out. Needless to say, I think Intel was a good move.
Good write up explaining the many features packed into the little Javascript library called Prototype.
This is an interesting approach to writing tech books. We have purchased several electronic copies of technology books at work recently. Of course, a hard copy is also nice to have.
We recently purchased a Canon SD600. The Canon ELPH series usually has good reviews (although I didn’t find many reviews for the SD600). This one had a couple of new features (compared to the SD450) which include Widescreen mode (16:9) and ISO 800 for shooting indoors with no flash (as I understand it). I am sure you will see pictures from it in the future.
Posted by Richard Mon, Mar 13 2006 14:28
Steve Uzzell gave the keynote presentation this morning as part of Alliance 2006. I was very impressed and I enjoyed his presentation style. Of course, it doesn't hurt that he is an excellent photographer and had some superb photos in his presentation. Actually, his entire presentation was photos with almost no words on the screen (kind of made me think about photography as a hobby again).
The unique part to me is that one of my daughter's favorite songs right now is On the Open Road from A Goofy Movie. A theme throughout Mr. Uzzell's presentation was on the open road and the possibilities that are out there. To say the least, I thought about the many times I had sung the Goofy song with my daughter.
Posted by Richard Sat, Feb 25 2006 23:27
This is a slightly older article, but it has some good tips for Quicksilver. There is just so much you can do with Quicksilver without even touching the mouse.
