NASA’s Climate Change Contest Looking for Data AppsCan a citizen scientist help solve climate change or help us better understand it? To encourage developers to come up with new ideas, NASA and the USGs, a scientific agency that researches the Earth’s conditions and problems, announced a contest with more than $35,000 in prizes.
Performance Testing: A Team SportPutting together a good performance test team is essential to success. Many of the issues related to performance can be identified early through static methods, or performance engineering. If the key technical players are continuously involved in the testing process, conflicts can be avoided later.
Why Mobile-Specific Shopping Apps Are on the RiseConsumers today are comfortable using their smartphones as their primary shopping devices, and trends suggest that desktop shopping will continue to fall behind. Anything a retailer can do to attract this growing group of mobile-savvy customers will be a smart business plan.
Social Media at Work: Where Does the True Value Exist?Even though studies have shown that socially-connected people are more productive at work than those who aren't connected, it is still a fairly common practice for social media applications to be blocked at work. Is social media at work truly valuable, and if so, where does the value show itself?
When You Provide Good Service, Performance Metrics Are Your FriendNot all production support organizations have (or want) formal agreements describing the level of service they will provide to their customers. But if your organization generally provides good service, SLAs and the metrics they encourage can be excellent communication tools for your stakeholders.
Are Enhancements to Email Products Worth the Effort?For years we have heard some version of the now almost clichéd phrase "Email is dead." However, the need for having an email account has barely diminished. Recently many tech companies have been investing in making the email experience better than what it has been traditionally.
Web Accessibility and a Call for ActionTim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web, said, "Access by everyone regardless of disability is an essential aspect." But websites using sophisticated visual effects make it difficult for the blind and disabled to have equal access. It's important to design and configure sites for everyone.
FIDO Alliance Brings Password-less Online AuthenticationThe FIDO (Fast IDentity Online) Alliance, an industry consortium for delivering standards for simpler, stronger authentication, has released final 1.0 specifications for an open standard to replace commonly used single factor username and password logins.
