Non Sequiturs is the personal blog of Michael Argentini.
I'm a software developer and Managing Partner for Fynydd and Blue Sequoyah Technologies, the project lead for Coursabi, and Āthepedia founder. I also have several nerdy open source projects on Github.
I'd describe myself as an Oxford comma advocate, autodidact, aspiring polymath, and boffin, with a mechanical keyboard addiction. You can also find me on Mastodon.
My company #Fynydd just updated SQribe to .NET 7. SQribe is a cross-platform #opensource tool to backup/restore SQL Server databases. It generates T-SQL scripts so you can version your database in git and copy databases across VPNs.
sqribe.app
Chip transistor density is currently measured in nanometers. A human hair is 100,000 nanometers wide. By 2025 we’ll be talking about chip transistor density in angstroms. A human hair is 1,000,000 angstroms wide.
www.tomshardware.com
For those interested in the #ElonMusk clown car crashing into the dumpster fire that is #twitter, I highly recommend this website to keep up on the #tech disaster.
twitterisgoinggreat.com
I know I know, another terminal #recommendation. But this one is different in that the input area is more of a text editor, and it isolates the output per command. It also uses AI to help you complete commands much like Github Copilot does for your #code. VERY cool #software #tech. Available for #Apple #Mac now. Will be available for #Windows and #Linux soon.
www.warp.dev
If you're looking for a better option to the Ember mug, try the OHOM ui ceramic mug. It uses a Qi charger that also charges your phone. The ceramic reacts with the charger and heats the mug to 130F without a battery. It's half the price of an Ember mug.
ohom.com
When asked, most people think that software development is about coding; the physical act of programming apps and platforms for servers, computers, and mobile devices. This is not the case.
Software development is the process of solving problems through software. It's a creative process that is centered on discovery and adaptation which uses tactics like programming (coding) to accomplish its ends. Likewise, software development is not the act of reusing existing software for a new purpose. That's just copying bits.
So it is important for those involved in the software development process to understand and acknowledge the following key aspects.
Understanding the problem domain is the key to a successful software development process. And we know the least about a problem domain at the outset. So it doesn't make sense to plan everything out at the beginning. Software development is an exercise in learning. We learn more and more about the problem to be solved as we move through the process. And as the problem domain comes into focus we should be refining or redefining what we should be building as we learn.
Mistakes help us solve problems and are one way in which we learn. Embrace them. Plan for them.
Perfect plans are usually perfectly wrong. It is impossible to perfectly know the steps, mistakes, discoveries, interruptions, and goals for a project, nor the time impact of each, all in advance.
Great software doesn't just manifest in one go. It springs forth in a deficient state and evolves over time. This makes guessing about its future state with any accuracy a fools errand. It also means that creating precise specifications for those guesses can be a waste of time.
Accuracy and precision are not the same. Something can be very precise but horribly wrong. This has been shown by various studies, including those in the Microsoft Press book Rapid Development by Steve McConnell. According to the book it doesn't matter how diligent or thorough an estimate may be. The data shows that when compared to a more broad, high-level, or piecemeal approach based on past experience, the error bounds are largely the same.
We must understand the level of precision that makes sense. For example, it doesn't make sense to plan an entire project with the same precision as planning next week's work. Likewise, planning specific deliverables for dates far out into the future is also problematic. Small time horizons increase the accuracy of our guesses.
By deploying changes frequently, we allow the entire team to steer the direction of the project early and often. This agile approach will ensure that the final product performs as it should for its users.
I was disappointed to discover that the new Apple Silicon MacBook Air and Pro (all sizes) only support 866mbps WiFi 5 speeds whereas the older Intel models supported 1300mbps speeds. Not enough MIMO channels. They do support WiFi 6 at that speed, however.
#Apple #Mac mechanical keyboard users who want a great set of PBT double-shot shine-through keys for their keyboard, check out this set from PWNAGE for only $15.
pwnage.com
Only a study involving the dairy industry would come to the conclusion that it’s a great idea to hide the expiration date on milk cartons.
phys.org
I just posted a new SQL Server ORM library for .NET 6.0 (C#) named DataStore, which uses JSON object storage and a fluent-style querying pattern.
github.com
I built a virtual Enigma Machine using .NET 6.0 and C#. Unlike the original hardware, this one can encipher the entire UTF-16 character set! It's configurable and very strong for a keyless cipher.
github.com
I updated my Benford's Law project to .NET 6.0 and C# 10. What is it? It uses the law of anomalous numbers to determine if data or images have been altered.
github.com
The one, I’d venture to say the ONLY, feature people really want in a paid subscription version of #Twitter is an ad-free experience. Looks like #TwitterBlue failed at the start.
Tabby is a great tabbed terminal for #Apple #Mac, #Windows, and #Linux that keeps getting better.
tabby.sh
$9,600 + $960/year for a single domain #Umbraco deployment tool makes it clear that a post-acquisition Umbraco has no plans to support indie developers and small businesses.
Facebook doesn’t need section 230 changed. They can stop prioritizing inflammatory content at any time of their choosing.
If you’re having issues with alarm volume on #iOS being super low try disabling the Face ID “attention aware feature” setting. It drops the volume when it thinks you’re using the phone but I’ve seen it happen sitting on a nightstand.
If you're interested in beta testing my new iOS app “Āthepedia” let me know. Need an iPhone running iOS 13 or later (Android version coming soon).
Darkside #ransomware as a service takes a smaller cut of the profits from an attack than Apple takes from App Store sales. I feel like this means something.
Apple announced lossless audio for #Apple Music and has no headphones that can play the lossless music.
Pretty interesting PC laptop product that is more sustainable and configurable.
frame.work
#Twitter, #Facebook, etc. are privately held companies. Their free services require that users agree to and follow their terms of service. Getting banned is solely at their discretion based on violations of these terms. It’s not censorship to ban #Trump, even for life.
#Apple Watch owners, what does it mean when you get off the toilet and your watch congratulates you for closing your activity rings? Asking for a friend.
My company #Fynydd just released SQribe as an #opensource project! It’s a cross-platform tool to backup/restore SQL Server databases. It generates T-SQL scripts so you can version your database in git and copy databases across VPNs.
sqribe.app
Great article on AI.
www.technologyreview.com
Non Sequiturs is the personal blog of Michael Argentini.
I'm a software developer and Managing Partner for Fynydd and Blue Sequoyah Technologies, the project lead for Coursabi, and Āthepedia founder. I also have several nerdy open source projects on Github.
I'd describe myself as an Oxford comma advocate, autodidact, aspiring polymath, and boffin, with a mechanical keyboard addiction. You can also find me on Mastodon.
