“It is easier to write an incorrect program than to understand a correct one.” – programmers’ adage
My first real job was repairing hard disk drives. I’d open up the drives, clean the platters with an alcohol pad, and align the read/write heads using a screwdriver and an oscilloscope. The guy at the bench next to mine … Read More → "Tales from the Debugging Crypt"
“It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts.” — John Wooden
Invention, meet your mother, Necessity. It’s an oft-told tale. A programmer hacks together a tool to solve a particular problem, then realizes the tool has broader applicability than he thought. He refines it a bit so it can be used over and over. … Read More → "Qeexo Takes Misery Out of EdgeML"
“An item on your Steam wishlist is on sale!”
They’re toying with my affections. Or affecting my toys. Either way.
We don’t buy software anymore, we license it. The distinction may be abstruse legal hair-splitting to most people, but it has a real effect on what we can and can’ … Read More → "Renting vs. Buying Software"
This week’s podcast is absolutely brimming with electronic engineering goodness! First, we investigate the details of new artificial eye that can be powered by sunlight, developed by a team of researchers at Hong Kong University. Next, Jason Clarke (Crank Software) joins us to discuss user interface design, what their unique Storyboard platform is all about, and how I can get an embedded app running in minutes.
& … Read More → "StoryBoard and Cyborg Eyes: A Revolution in User Interfaces"
I love science and technology. I also love beer and bacon sandwiches, but that’s nothing to do with this column, so don’t try to distract me. Generally speaking, I like to think I have a ringside seat at the forefront of technology. Recently, however, I must admit to starting to fear I was no longer riding the crest of the technology wave with regard … Read More → "Why, Hello FPGA and AI — How Nice to See You Together!"
“There has never been an unexpectedly short debugging period in the history of computers.” – Steven Levy
Debugging your code or hardware is rarely seen as the glamorous part of the job. As engineers, we like to make stuff – to design. Any debugging activity is a tacit admission that our designs aren’t perfect; that we didn’t get … Read More → "Debugging as a Career Goal"
