In Comes The Schwag
The third edition of ValleySchwag has arrived. Yet again, there is a nice collection of goodies – well worth the membership fee. While a bit less loaded than last time , I’m still quite impressed with the package they’ve put together. The two big hits this time are the rather cool shirt from imeem and the laptop bag (see below) from MI6. While the bag doesn’t have the padding of my regular bag, it’s a lot lighter, so I know it’ll see some use.
Read more…Another must-read for ISV’s
If you own, or are starting a small software business – or perhaps you’re still daydreaming about your future empire while slaving away in your cubicle, I’ve got another must-read for you. Five Things Every Micro-ISV Should Know About Intellectual Property is a (very) quick & dirty introduction to some of the legal issues all developers need to be aware of, especially those looking to go into business.
Looking for a better calculator?
If the default calculator included with Windows doesn’t cut it for you, and you need more muscle than Power Calculator packs, then Microsoft Calculator Plus just might be for you. This Calculator replacement offers all the classic functionality plus quite a few new tools. Great little tool for your laptop to use when Google Calculator isn’t an option. Note: For those that don’t like the look, just go to “View > Classic View” to go to the more traditional style.
Read more…Demise of The WWW
The WWW is dying – no, not the web itself, but the ubiquitous WWW prefix on many domains. While there have been efforts to encourage developers to move away from the use of this prefix for some time, this movement seems to be gaining ground. Matt Mullenweg of WordPress fame has released a plug-in to automatically remove the WWW prefix. While this isn’t earth shattering news, it does show a trend away from the traditional prefixes to a simpler model.
Read more…Of Victory and Pair Programming
It’s been 3 weeks, 450 man-hours and 6,880 lines of code, and it’s done. Working as a developer for a call center, I often see some interesting and rather challenging projects. The latest is no different. One of our largest clients (a major bank) asked us to develop an application to assist in processing credit card applications. While the original request seemed simple, the final specification though was far less simple.
Read more…Google Spreadsheets
Could it really be? Rumors are flying that tomorrow (Tuesday) Google will open a beta for a new spreadsheet tool. This is quite a move, and one that will certainly turn up the heat on the Microsoft – Google rivalry. Google Spreadsheet will have support for the Excel file format, a move that seems to be setting a direct course for competing with the ever popular Microsoft Office suite. When combined with the launch of Calendar and the acquisition of Writely, Google seems to have an eye of the market now controlled by Office.
Read more…Blog Traffic: Another View
There are hundreds of guides on how to get more traffic directed to your blog, and most are wrong. Seth Godin recently posted on this topic, and I have to disagree with most of his points. While there are a few basically good ideas, there are many more that I just don’t see holding up. Here’s what I look for in the blogs I visit: Writer is an expert in the field.
Read more…Blue Hole Waterfall
Taking a rather extended lunch break today, I went to the Blue Hole waterfall near Elizabethton in east Tennessee. What a sight! I know my policy is to avoid blogging about things not related to the IT/Software Development industry, but this sight is certainly worth breaking the policy. If you like waterfalls, or just ‘getting away" this is a great place to go. If you’d like to see more, I’ve uploaded a few pictures to my Flickr page.
Read more…Data Theft: It’s happened again
Somehow, this story sounds familiar. A total of 243,000 credit card numbers stolen, that many more potential victims. Yet, they are far from alone, just a few weeks ago, data (including social security numbers) for 26 million vets was stolen. This is becoming an ugly trend. No matter how many reminders, it seems the message never makes it through. There is no shortage of products that would have made both of these stories much less important, but it both cases there was no real attempt to protect the data.
Read more…WordPress Update
The WordPress team has released 2.0.3 of the massively popular blogging software. The primary reason is a security fix, but also includes a few performance tweaks. The install process was fairly painless thanks to the work of Mark Jaquith, using the provided patch reduced the total upgrade time to under an hour. For the average WordPress user that doesn’t have any modified files, the install should take only a couple minutes.
Read more…
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.