Web Development
JavaScript Is Eating the World
JavaScript Is Eating the World (via slashdot) With due apologies to Marc Andreessen, I believe that a very specific type of software is eating the world, namely, JavaScript. There are several trends and technologies that are coalescing at the same time to make Jeff Atwood’s famous “law”—any application that can be written in JavaScript… continue…
Elderwood’s Watering Hole Attacks are ‘Astonishing’
The extent to which a group of hackers dubbed “the Elderwood Project” has left digital traces is astonishing, according to Symantec researchers. In a blog post, they’ve documented efforts by the group, named for a source code variable they use to quickly deploy zero-day exploits through spear phishing e-mails and, increasingly, through Web injections in watering-hole attacks. What is this exploit? Think about a thirsty zebra on the Serengeti. Predators wait at the oasis, knowing that eventually the zebras will show… continue…
My Ode to Tech: Christmas, the Moon and the Future
My holiday season has been low-key this year. My wife set out all the red-and-white candy-cane candles, festive figurines and decorations. We’ve dispensed with the annual pilgrimage to buy a Christmas tree with the kids. Instead our three-piece, LED-illuminated plastic-and-wire tree assembles in 10 minutes and doesn’t require watering. This is still my favorite season, a chance to spend more time with my family. It’s also a time of reflection. Moonshot Memories I remember Christmas 1968 as a 10-year old.… continue…
New York City’s 10 Coolest Startups
Silicon Alley keeps expanding. New York City’s startup scene is flourishing as funding finds its way to the brightest ideas. Money is flowing not only from local heavyweights such as Union Square Ventures and AOL Ventures, but also from legions of angel investors and even Kickstarter. Many of today’s startup pioneers have been around the track once or twice before, and they seem to realize more than ever that every good idea needs to be accompanied not only by wishful thinking,… continue…
Is Anti-Virus Passe?
When security firm Imperva checked more than 80 unreported viruses against several anti-virus solutions, it found that none of the tested programs were able to detect previously unreported viruses and that 75 percent of solutions took a month or more to update their signatures. That isn’t good news, and while Imperva obviously has some self-interest here, their November Hacker Intelligence report, Assessing the Effectiveness of Anti-Virus Solutions, is worthy of a closer read nonetheless. What it means is that we have to depend on a… continue…
How to Use a Linux Virtual Private Server
For my development of Web games, I’ve hit a point where I need a Virtual Private Server. (For more on this see My Search for Game Hosting Begins.) I initially chose a Windows VPS because I know Windows best. A VPS is just an Internet-connected computer. “Virtual” means it may not be an actual physical computer, but a virtualized host, one of many, each running as if it were a real computer. Recently, though, I’ve run into a dead end,… continue…
Javascript Guru Dishes on How to Be a Stylish Programmer
“[Programming] style is the part of the program the compiler ignores,” said Douglas Crockford, known to many programmers as the Guru of Javascript. Crockford laughs and said he sees himself more as a mahatma. We spoke at the 2012 Silicon Valley Code Camp at Foothill College in Los Altos, California. While style is personal taste, it can have a critical influence on your error rate. And reducing your error rate will make you more productive, said Crockford. “Qualities that you… continue…
Can AppBlast Be VMware’s Presentation Virtualization Fix?
One of the most popular presenters at VMworld 2012 was Greg Shields, Senior Partner with Concentrated Technologies. He had a massively packed session of what seemed like 1,000 people, plus fans clamoring to meet him afterwards. I luckily had a chance to chat with him about his thoughts of AppBlast, what Shields describes as a technology that may fill a hole in VMware’s portfolio. AppBlast is a presentation virtualization solution that hopes to deliver any application, regardless of operating system… continue…
Samsung’s New Chromebook: A Low-Performing Bargain
Google’s new Chromebook, manufactured by its trusty hardware partner Samsung, comes with a 11.6-inch, 1366 x 768 display, Samsung Exynos 5 Dual processor, 2GB RAM, 16GB storage space, VGA webcam, 2 USB ports, one HDMI port and a battery that can last 6.5 hours. The specifications are very decent, but the success of the device will ultimately depend on how many people are willing to spend money on a computer with a browser-based operating system. Although the offline capabilities of Google… continue…
Learning Mobile Dev, Web Design in Bay Area
According to Peter Delevett in “Silicon Valley Finds Its Heart In San Francisco” (linked below), startups are swamping the city’s South of Market region. He notes that there are 4,000 startups in the area and that units in one new Mission District condominium project went for a record $900 per square foot. You can bet many have a strong tech component. With all that concentrated activity in the south end of San Francisco, where do people go to learn to… continue…
Alice Hill
C.S. Magor
Cat Miller
David Brumbaugh
David Chie
Dawn Kawamoto
Don Willmott
Elisabeth Greenbaum Kasson
Gayle Laakmann McDowell
Lekan Oguntoyinbo
Leslie Stevens-Huffman
M Noivad
Mark Feffer
nick kolakowski
Stephen Lahanas
Susan Hall
Vincent Chow
