Tech.It.2.Me->{By.Anton.Perez}

If you develop software or web apps, you’ve most likely experienced working off of an incomplete spec.  I have, and it’s tremendously frustrating when all the work you’ve developed so far needs to be changed all of sudden because you followed the spec!

So here are some points to keep in my mind and push for before you start any kind of development:

1. Make it clear to your client, whether it be an internal department or actual client, that you won’t be able to work on the project unless a finalized spec is delivered to you.  If they can’t give you one, wear the project manager hat and obtain it yourself by way of interviewing, document gathering, etc.
2. If you have a spec and see any TBDs in the spec, write down questions that will assist your client help you finalize that portion of the spec.
3. If the TBDs in the spec can’t be finalized or answered, i.e., the client doesn’t know what he/she wants, build a mock up or shell to show him/her, as it might help the client envision what he/she needs and most likely give you the answer you need.
4. Give and allocate yourself enough development time for you to complete the project.  I personally add at least a week, on top of the time I believe I can complete it.  This way I have time to resolve bugs or unforseen issues, and…if I complete it earlier, then I look good.  =0)
5. Most importantly, set the expectations of your customer – especially with regard to item #4.  Let them know what the end product will look like, functions it will provide, etc.  This is why building a mock up or showing the client a reference early in the development process is important.

There will be times where some – or maybe all – of these points may not apply, but try to push for them anyway.

Thanks to a good friend of mine, Dave Mercer, for making this weigh heavily in my mind!

Take care.

If you, like me, come from a strong Linux background and have recently migrated to Mac OS X, then I think you’ll really find this tip helpful.

As you may know, the OS X boot sequence details is hidden from the user by default; you basically only see the Apple logo and a load status bar. 

Well, when used to Linux’s very detailed boot sequence, you kinda look for the same thing in any operating system, especially with OS X since it’s practically a *nix variant, i.e., Darwin.

So googling for more info, I found 2 ways to handle this:

1. On the fly (non-permanent) - To see it only when you want to, hold down CMD + v after you’ve hit the power button.  Hold it down just until you see the text on the screen.
2. Permanent - To see it every time OS X boots, do the following:
1. Open a terminal window.
2. Type and execute sudo nvram boot-args=”-v”.
3. Reboot your computer.

That’s it!  Option #2, BTW, can be rolled-back, so don’t worry.

‘Till my next post, take it easy.  =0)

I’m not sure if this will work with the upcoming C# 3.0; however, give it a go if you have the need to convert your C# code to VB.  I personally prefer programming in C# since I’m used to the C-like syntax.

Click here to access the page.

Thanks to Alex Lowe’s AspAlliance ASP.NET website for putting this up for the public to use!

Numerous companies over the years have joined the computer-industry bandwagon and have added their own quick launch and/or startup shortcuts of their applications in Windows.  

Though their intent is good, it most of the time results in system slowdowns and user unproductivity.  What happens is system resources, i.e., memory, are used unnecessarily that could otherwise be used in some other, more efficient, way like playing graphic-intensive games.  =0)

So in this post, I’ll show you techniques I implement to get rid of the pesky startup programs.

1. Startup folder – Check what’s in this folder; anything in here “starts up” whenever Windows boots. 
   1. In Windows XP, simply right-click the Start button and go to Explore All Users.  Note: You must be an administrator to do this.
   2. Then go to Programs > Startup.
   3. Delete or move out the applications that you believe you don’t need, since these are normally shortcuts to the actual application only. 
2. MSConfig – This built-in Windows boot configuration utility allows you to modify what programs should startup, edit configuration files, and modify Windows Services. 
   1. To access, go to Run.
   2. Type msconfig then OK.
   3. In this post, we only want to modify anything/everything only in the Startup tab.
   4. So navigate to the Start tab and uncheck what you don’t need.  Again, search Google to find out if it’s needed.
3. Windows Registry’s RUN subfolder - Some programs add their executable in here too.  You only want to go in here if the MSConfig steps above don’t resolve your problem.  Be warned that modifying the registry is not recommended unless you know what you are doing.
   1. To access, go to Run like step #1 in MSConfig.
   2. Type regedit then OK.
   3. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SOFTWARE > Microsoft > Windows > CurrentVersion > Run.
   4. Before deleting anything in here, search Google to make sure you don’t need it.  Also, backup the whole Run subfolder just in case.
4. Preferences or Properties of the app – If all else fails, you can access and disable the system startup options through the application itself; for example, Yahoo! Messenger.
   1. Login into Yahoo! Messenger.
   2. Then go to Messenger > Preferences > General.
   3. Uncheck the Automatically start Yahoo! Messenger option, which is under When I start up my computer.

That’s pretty much it.  There are tools out there that you can also use, but I’d rather try the steps above first, as they might install their own quick launch or startup to their program themselves.  =0)

I’ve been running Tiger OS X on my MacBook Pro since I got it and because I’m an early-adopter type of person, I’m pretty excited to install and check out Leopard (new toy!).  Unfortunately, due to Apple’s push of the iPhone, Leopard won’t be released at the WWDC this coming June.  Instead it will be some time in October.

WWDC stands for Worldwide Developers Conference and is a yearly conference hosted by Apple to showcase their creations.

According to news on the Apple Hot News website, the delay is due to the iPhone team borrowing Mac OS X’s software engineering and QA resources to get the iPhone released on time.  The reason, they say, is that the iPhone contains the most sophisticated software ever devised on a mobile phone.  We’ll see.

In any case, I applaud Apple for making the right decision to delay Leopard so they can deliver the quality that we, the consumers, expect.  Here’s their statement:

We think it will be well worth the wait.  Life often presents tradeoffs, and in this case we’re sure we’ve made the right ones.

So what can you learn from these guys?  Quality over quantity.  Good going Apple!  =0)