NASA Wants You to Join the Asteroid HuntersIf you’re interested in joining the ranks of asteroid hunters—and have your own telescope—NASA has an app for you. NASA announced new desktop software, developed in partnership with the asteroid mining company Planetary Resources, that analyzes images taken by telescope for potential asteroids.
How to Succeed at Project FailureIf you're bound and determined for your software project to fail, you're in luck: Naomi Karten has some advice for you. She'll tell you to set unclear objectives and unrealistic expectations, leave gaps in communication, and ensure a lack of resources and support. You'll be failing in no time!
Hooray for the Application Programming InterfaceHave you ever wondered why there do not seem to be any new computer and network standards? Standards are still alive and well, but for the most part they have been replaced with application programming interfaces, which offer more flexibility in addition to being faster and easier to implement.
The Art of Precise CommunicationRegardless of how effective we are in our deliverables, much of our success is often attributed to communication. We communicate with various stakeholders about our projects, and while several attributes contribute to effective communication, being precise is one of the most important.
Is It Better to Be a Generalist or a Specialist?Microsoft's decision to make its Siri-like assistant Cortana available not only on Microsoft's OS but also on iOS and Android is seen as part of Microsoft's cross-platform initiative. Is this a sign that the tech world now prefers generalists more than specialists?
The Three Pillars of Agile Quality and Testing: InspirationBob Galen has noticed that when it comes to agile quality and testing practices, people tend to be either all in or under-practicing some techniques. But it is the interplay across practices that is most important for effectiveness. Here, he discusses his three pillars of agile quality and testing.
Is Environment Maintenance a Detriment to Product Delivery?In the rush to build more, faster, many companies spend more time on environment maintenance and less time on actual product learning and validation. Joel Tosi argues that instead of rushing into automation and virtualization, start by rethinking your approaches to your environments and testing.
Who Is Responsible for Happiness?No one can take full responsibility for another person's happiness. However, a manager can create an environment in which a team can thrive, and that leads to happy environments. Being a servant leader means you don’t micromanage; you manage for outcomes. Is team happiness part of your culture?
