Microservices are a new software development pattern emerging from recent trends in technology and practice. Agile methods, DevOps culture, PaaS, application containers and the widespread adoption (both mentally and technically) of continuous integration and delivery methods are making it possible to build truly modular, large-scale systems. What do teams that successfully build microservices do differently … continue reading
Regina Dugan, former director of the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, paced the stage, about to unveil a dizzying array of technologies developed by her new employer, Google’s Advanced Technology and Project group (ATAP). But first, attendees at the 2015 Google I/O conference needed a little background. “We’ve been talking about wearables for two … continue reading
His first presentation may have ended inauspiciously with the moderator cutting him off mid-sentence at the five-minute mark, but the developers sitting in Solomon Hykes’ 2013 PyCon session knew that the founder of Docker, an open-source application container engine, had unveiled a tool that would bring revolutionary simplicity to deployment. They began texting their respective … continue reading
Have you heard the news? A “data lake” overflowing with information about Hadoop and other tools, data science and more threatens to drown IT shops. What’s worse, some Big Data efforts may fail to stay afloat if they don’t prove their worth early on. “Here’s a credible angle on why Big Data could implode,” began … continue reading
The concept was similar to other anonymous social media messaging platforms, like Yik Yak, Secret and Whisper. But when Preetham Reddy, lead developer for RezTech LLC in Phoenix, and his team built the Sipper location-based bulletin app, he learned a few hard lessons—as most fledgling app developers do. RezTech’s app experience, while not particularly unique, … continue reading
Even if it’s not where they end up, Hadoop can be a great starting platform for a data-driven software company. That’s what San Francisco- and Taipei-based Fliptop found in 2009 when they launched a social media identity matching engine, ultimately employed by such companies as MailChimp, Dell, Toyota, Oracle and Nordstrom. Based on Amazon Web … continue reading
Some tech companies manage to transcend technology. Under Steve Jobs, Apple defined itself as a purveyor of beautiful devices for artists and renegades. Under Marc Benioff, Salesforce is defining itself as a San Francisco-centric cultural force. His company’s annual Dreamforce conference, which this year hosted 140,000 attendees, celebrated SaaS, live music, philanthropic action, self-improvement, data … continue reading
You’re sunk deep into your leather seat, enjoying the scenery that blurs by as the adaptive cruise control in your luxury sedan interprets data from the radar headway sensor and longitudinal controller to keep your car a safe distance from others on the road. This machine practically drives itself. Life is good. Your highway traffic-analysis … continue reading
Forget what you’ve heard about the music business. While it may be hard to feed a family of four on gigs, the market for musical gear and education is exploding. In 2014, new instruments and apps for learning how to play them are taking advantage of software and embedded technology. Take the fantastical circular keyboard … continue reading
Like oil, all that data is worthless if it can’t be properly refined … continue reading
What you see in movies and TV shows as just a prop are more complicated—and more fun to make—than they seem … continue reading
2013 was a good year for tools that help automate quality early in the development pipeline … continue reading
