NixMashup for August 2, 2014

The Most Dangerous Word

An excellent List Apart post titled “The Most Dangerous Word in Software Development.” The word? “Just.” As in “Just add a favorite button to the right side of the item.” There is a direct correlation between the amount of knowledge you’ve acquired and the danger of the word “just.” The more you know, the bigger the problems you solve, and the bigger the assumptions that are hiding behind the word. I also liked what one of the commenters said, “When it comes to software, ‘the devil is in the details’ is almost always applicable.”

#development, #design

Red Hat Doing it the Open Source Way

An intern describes his experience with Red Hat and how they adhered to Open Source Principles in achieving success. The next-to-last paragraph covers Red Hat’s successful subscription model. The article closes with “Last year, we were honored to have Red Hat’s CEO, Jim Whitehurst, as a guest speaker. While the students’ questions all focused around how profitable Red Hat was, in retrospect, what is more remarkable to me is that Red Hat did it all the ‘open source way.’ Red Hat’s success is just the beginning, for it has paved the way for others to apply the open source model to the way we live.”

#linux, #business, #opensource

Java 8 Default Method Examples

Several examples of using Java 8 Default Methods. Interesting to read “Since the Multiplication Interface has only one abstract method, it can also be implemented using lambda expression in Java 8, as in Multiplication lambda = (x, y) -> x*y;” Cool to be able to do, but in real life probably not a good idea since it’s likely at some point you’ll want to add additional abstract methods to the Interface class, resulting in much debugging unpleasantness.

#defaultmethods, #java8, #java

Chris Pratt Goes Snake-Out

I first noticed Chris Pratt in Moneyball, then later in Parks and Recreation, and I’m very happy for his success. Great story in this Seth Meyers video clip of him going “Snake-Out” to illicit a more shocked reaction from Amy Poehler in a Parks and Rec scene.

#video, #youtube

73 Windows-To-Linux Application Options

Extensive list of Open Source Alternatives to Windows Applications in fields like Customer Relationship Management, Invoicing, Human Resource Management, Accounting and more. Valuable list for Businesses who are considering the move.

#windowstolinux

Surprising Ways Running Helps Your Body

Runner’s World article from August 2013 listing nine ways running helps your body in ways you probably didn’t know. The most interesting benefits to me were 1) Sharpens Hearing, 2) Beats Migraines, 3) Prevents age-related muscle loss, 4) Eases Anxiety (I actually DID know about that one), 5) Prevents cancer, especially in the gastrointestinal tract and lungs, and 6) Increases Brainpower. (I knew about the Brainpower bonus, too…)

#running, #exercise

Java Builder Pattern

A slightly different take on a popular pattern for populating Java Data Objects. Like it.

#java, #patterns, #jcode

A South Korean Windows-To-Linux Success Story

Good read describing how a pharmaceutical company in South Korea moved 390 of their 620 employee computers from Windows 7 and XP to Ubuntu, and they did it in two weeks. They stayed with Windows on the remainder due to some of their applications requiring Microsoft Active-X. (Active-X? Yikes!)

#windowstolinux, #ubuntu, #business

Business Thought For The Day

Richard Branson of Virgin writes about Simon Sinek who in a TEDx talk drives home the point that everybody who goes into business should have a clear understanding of why they do what they do: “People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it.”

#business

Rethinking Notifications Through Wearables

We talked about notifications before and how they play a huge role in mobile application design. Here is a good article to make you think about the fine line between keeping users abreast and annoying them. Also discussed is how with Android “L,” notifications will be able to creep up to the lock screen and a new notification ranking system to allot screen space designed with Android Wear in mind.

#notifications, #android, #androidwear