Will There Be a Silicon Valley of Drones? FAA OKs Drone Testing SitesIntegrating unmanned aircraft systems into US airspace and creating standards for flying them safely is a complex process. The launch of commercial drones got one step closer when the FAA recently announced winners of what’s been called “the competition to become the Silicon Valley of drones.”
Seeing Isn't Believing When It Comes to WearablesThe sales of smartwatches are expected to exceed those of fitness trackers by 2018, but this segment of the market might see its biggest breakthrough when the technology is invisible. According to analyst Gartner, 30 percent of wearables will be inconspicuous to the eye by 2017.
Interruptions: Mostly Negative But Sometimes PositiveInterruptions are more than just a distraction. Unscheduled interruptions at work leave people more exhausted and more prone to making errors. But they're not always bad: If an interruption relates to the task you’re working on, it may help you better accomplish that task or avoid a problem.
Why You Should Be Worried about Stress in Your WorkplaceVenkatesh Krishnamurthy writes that the stress and work expectations that led to Steve Ballmer's resignation from Microsoft are not uncommon in the IT world. The same pressure trickles down from the top to the delivery teams, spreading the negative effects throughout the company.
Understand Your Teams' Concerns about Moving to Continuous IntegrationHow do you help your teams bring the entire product together on a periodic basis, regardless of their technical practices? Continuous integration is a real problem for a number of reasons. But you can’t solve the problems you don’t know about, so ask for the impediments first. You may be surprised.
The Subtle Issue of Dishonesty in the WorkplaceDishonesty in the workplace sounds like a straightforward topic. But the line between honesty and dishonesty—and what makes any of us honest or dishonest—is sometimes a little blurry. What about taking a pen from the supply cabinet? Is that dishonest (and, if so, might you yourself be a thief)?
Use Timeboxing to Boost Your EfficiencyIn timeboxing, you predetermine the maximum time allowed to get tasks done. You determine the launch deadline when you start the sprint or iteration, and everyone works toward that date. It can keep your project focused and on track. Is this method for you? Read on for advantages and disadvantages.
Census Explorer Maps a Street View of Your Neighborhood’s DemographicsThe US Census Bureau has released Census Explorer, a new interactive tool that lets you extrapolate data and create a street view map of demographics for your neighborhood, city, and state, comparing it against other areas of the country.
