You can’t fix stupid…
For those outside of the IT field, developers are looked at as miracle workers – through us, business leaders think anything is possible (and they often see no reason why we can’t work our latest miracle by the next morning). In reality though, we do work miracles; we save companies vast amounts of money every year through increased worker efficiency and automation, we enable new lines of business that wouldn’t be possible otherwise, and reduce energy costs because we keep the office lights turned off.
Read more…Hosting Change
I’m in the process of migrating my sites from a Dreamhost VPS, to fully managed hosting by Gray Hills Software. In my tests so far, the loading time has been cut in half with this switch. Pages load faster, the server is better configured (new software, and more options), and seeing as they have both Windows and Linux servers, I can use one provider with whatever technology suits me and my projects.
Read more…TED: Stuxnet: a preview of future wars
Ralph Langner recently spoke at TED about his team’s findings on Stuxnet; it’s a clear (and somewhat scary) insight into the wars of the future. Instead of sending fighters and bombers to take out Iran’s nuclear program, as was done in 1981 to eliminate Iraq’s program, a carefully crafted virus slowly and methodologically damaged or destroyed vital equipment. How long until this is used as a standard part of ‘softening’ a target by taking out key infrastructure (flight systems, power plants, telephone & internet, etc.
Read more……and thanks for the fish (Twitter v. Developers)
On March 11, 2011, Twitter said goodbye to some of its most loyal and passionate users. In a message on their Development Talk group entitled “consistency and ecosystem opportunities” – they make their position clear: we no longer need you. To demonstrate this, let me point out a couple quotes that deserve attention: Twitter will provide the primary mainstream consumer client experience on phones, computers, and other devices by which millions of people access Twitter content (tweets, trends, profiles, etc.
Read more…bbPress & WordPress 3.1 (Registration Issues)
While building a new website for a small ISV, I was asked to integrate a forum – should be simple I thought, I’ll just use WordPress as a CMS and bbPress. Simple? Not quite. To make things easier, I used Platform Pro by Pagelines (a great platform IMHO) and so used their “deep integration” instructions (while they are intended for Platform Pro users, the steps are virtually identical for all other setups).
Read more…Need a cheap phone charger quick? Buy a Tracfone.
I recently discovered that I had left the changer for my BlackBerry Tour behind (I’m in the process of moving, and left my changer at the old house), and needed a new one that night. So being late in the evening, my only option was a trip to the local Wal-Mart where I found the typical cheap off-brand charger for a somewhat pricey $15. Had the quality been better, I wouldn’t have given it a second thought – but I’ve purchased a number of those changers in the past and they are poorly made and it never fails that they break within a few months.
Read more…Rails 3 & Dreamhost PS
I recently had an idea for a small web application, and seeing as I’ve not spent as much time as I’ve wanted to using Rails – I opted to build it the latest version of Rails. A decision that caused far more grief than I expected. If you are using Dreamhost’s PS offering (a managed VPS for those that don’t know), the seemingly simple task of getting a Rails 3 application up and running is actually quite complex.
Read more…Google Chrome and H.264
In a somewhat (but not entirely) surprising announcement, Google is removing support for H.264 video from Chrome. This change to their implementation of the often controversial HTML5 <video> tag is both a major step by Google and a furtherance of the already complicated world of video online. … To that end, we are changing Chrome’s HTML5 support to make it consistent with the codecs already supported by the open Chromium project.
Read more…Thoughts on the iPad, from an Apple hater
Before I get started, let me make a couple of things clear: Apple is evil; pure and simple. I’m fully convinced that Steve Jobs has weekly planning meetings with Lucifer himself1. Apple’s policies are anti-everybody. From bloggers to developers2, Apple seems to make life as hard as possible for those that use their products for profit. With these facts in mind, I tend to shy away from their products when I have a choice (which isn’t always the case); though a while back I decided to buy an iPad for some reason.
Read more…Rosen Shingle Creek
I recently had a great idea; a trip down to Florida to visit family and celebrate our second anniversary – the idea turned out to be a bit less great than I had hoped. Of the seven days we were there, on three the wind-chill was less than 40F. On the upside, I had booked a room at a newer (opened in 2006) 4-star hotel; if we’re going to be stuck inside, no reason not to be in a great room.
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About Me
Security researcher, engineer and software developer with more than 20 years of experience.
Work: I primarily focus on application security, usable security, secure communications, and cryptography. I build and lead strong and dynamic teams, who cover all facets of security and privacy.
Writing: I write about my research, security in general, development and software design, and leadership through my blog, essays, and various publications. I also engage in some creating writing when I can.
Photography: I am a purist fine art photographer, working primarily in black & white, and focused on sharing new perspectives of the world. Limited edition prints of my work are available on my online gallery. I also have a background in photojournalism, and volunteer in this field when I can.