News...
News... (321)
Sun's JavaFX bomb at the JavaOne Conf
Posted on May 07, 2008 09:08AM | Comments (0) | Permalink
I was reading some of the blog postings from people who went to JavaOne, where SUN demo'd their up and coming RIA technology named JavaFX.

Apparently the demos kept crashing when demo'd by Sr. VP Rich Green; being caught with his pants down he fumbled trying to recover from a brain-freeze. Which I feel empathy for - when doing a live demo that is everyone's worst fear. Obviously they took a calculated risk in trying to demo something that wasn't ready, the technology is still not mature enough and has a long way to go, but I think they had an internal mandate to make it the showcase event of JavaOne (much like Thermo was the highlight of MAX 07).

I also love how the media interprets things - they really should have a panel of nerds on standby that can double check statements for accuracy. One article I read was saying Java is already on lots of "internet servers", therefore applications can be created without complex programming. I'm not quite sure how those two statements relate to each other? :) Some articles mention that because of millions of servers using Java, and that apparently gives JavaFX a head start somehow.

The Tariq take is this: the biggest advantage for JavaFX is that if you are a Java developer you get to leverage your existing skill-set, vs. having to learn something new. The drawback of JavaFX is that it's so late to show that SUN will have to do an enormous amount of work to get caught up. The other weakness of JavaFX is that it's ecosystem is generally limited to the development aspect. I know they talked about bringing it to the creative side as well, but I'll believe it when I see it. Where as with Flex/AIR there's a seamless transition from the creative side, to the development side, to the deployment and hosting side. Adobe has the entire end to end suite. E.g on the design side they dominate with tools like Photoshop, Illustrator, Dreamweaver, and Fireworks. Client technologies they have the AIR Runtime, Flash, and Acrobat. Then all the way to the server side they have JRUN, Coldfusion, Acrobat Connect, and BlazeDS/Live Cycle Data Services.

Silverlight is somewhere in between and has been moving blazingly fast; they have massive amounts of capital to throw at getting caught up.

I like competition, I believe it results in superior products at a reasonable price to the consumer. But I think from a marketing perspective, Sun needs to keep expectations low - Adobe and MSFT are just too far ahead and have distinct advantages that Sun can't compete on.

Once you get a tarnished reputation, it's extremely difficult to undo that. Better would be for Sun to keep a low profile, grow the technology and build a groundswell of support and let the technology earn a solid reputation - vs. trying to use a laundry list campaign and going about it in a desperate kind of way, otherwise you're just a me-too product.

There is an army of Java developers out there who'll probably give JavaFX a try; so the strategy should focus on what Sun's distinct advantage is - the massive size of the Java community.

Zafira turns 4 and gets an ear infection
Posted on May 01, 2008 09:40PM | Comments (1) | Permalink
Zafira turned 4 years old recently - but we might need to cancel her birthday party. On day #3 of a fever it turns out she has an ear infection. The tough part is she doesn't want to eat at all, and doesn't want to take medicine, so it's an agonizing struggle to get either one of those inside of her.

She won't even take liquid foods like yogurt or juice - all she wants is water. She was 28lbs on the actual day of her bday, but she's regressed to 26lbs because of this infection... those were two hard earned pounds! :(

Hopefully the worst is over with the antibiotics and all.

You need a break!
Posted on Apr 28, 2008 03:55PM | Comments (0) | Permalink
All my remaining vacation time is pretty much used up for the rest of the year, gonna be making a trip to Canada. I have a week at a super kick ass vacation resort in Puerto Vallarta that I need to sell. If you know of anyone interested, let me know. This place takes luxury to insane levels… They have their own marina (you can rent boats, go deep water fishing, etc…), golf course, and even a little mini zoo.

Picture Gallery

Spend a week in Paradise at the beautiful PARADISE VILLAGE BEACH RESORT AND SPA in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. This resort has EVERYTHING you could want! Nuevo Vallarta is an upscale gated resort community about 15 minutes north of Puerto Vallarta. .

If you haven't heard of this resort, check it out at www.paradisevillage.com .

We have 1 week (7 nights) available between May 1, 2008 and Oct 7, 2008. Basically give us 2 options for the dates you want and we will confirm which of those 2 are available. .

There are 2 options as far as accommodations:

Studio - $499 for the week (regular rate is $101 per night or $707 per week)

  • Area 700 sq ft approx
  • Separate kitchen
  • 1 bathroom
  • Dining bar with stools
  • Queen size bed (optional 2 twins)
  • Living area with pull-out sofa bed (n/a with optional twin beds)
  • Sleeps: 2 adults/2 children
  • Max. occupancy: 4 persons
1 bedroom suite - $699 for the week (regular rate is $150 per night or $1050 per week)
  • Area 900 sq ft approx
  • Separate kitchen
  • 2 bathrooms
  • Dining area with table and chairs
  • King size bed
  • Living area with pull-out sofa bed (n/a with optional twin beds)
  • Sleeps: 2 couples in privacy
  • Max. occupancy: 4 persons

This resort is great for the entire family and is right on the BEACH, with everything you need within walking distance of the resort. It's only five miles north of the Puerto Vallarta International Airport. All units feature views of Banderas Bay, the marina, and lush tropical gardens. On-site amenities include a full-service HEALTH SPA featuring European wellness programs and treatments, multiple dining experiences, a night club, and water sports.

We love the complex's Mayan theme is reflected in the swimming pools, which have caves and WATERSLIDES. Paradise Village's El Tigre GOLF COURSE and Paradise Plaza shopping center are within walking distance of the resort. Also, enjoy the onsite WILDLIFE PRESERVE featuring rare and endangered species.

If you have kids, they will love the pools, animals in the preserve and the Kids Club.

On-Site
• Air Conditioning (In Units) • Babysitting Referral • Bar/Cocktail Lounge • Beach • Boat Marina/Launching • Car Rentals • Cooking Facilities (In Units) • Day Spa • Entertainment, Live • Exercise Room, Equipped • Fishing • Grocery/Convenience Store • Laundry Facilities • Playground • Restaurant • Sailing/Rentals • Sauna or Steam Room • Swimming Pool, Outdoors • Television (In Units) • Tennis • Waterskiing • Wheelchair Accessible • Whirlpool Spa or Hot Tub

Nearby
• Bicycle Trails • Golf • Horseback Riding • Racquetball • Scuba Diving

Drop me an email (tariq [AT] dopejam.com) if you have any questions or are interested in visiting Paradise.

Do not buy the Schwinn Airdriver 1100
Posted on Apr 26, 2008 06:02PM | Comments (0) | Permalink
Last year I bought a Schwinn Airdriver 1100 while shopping at Target. I was mesmerized by its slick packaging, and it seems to be ultra-versatile so it seemed like a good pump.

I regret that decision ever since. I have a presta valve on the front tire, and schrader in the back, and it takes me about an hour to pump them up every year when I prep my bike for the season. It's so complicated it's ridiculous, and the problem stems from the back that it never locks on - so you're never sure if it's actually configured right or not.

I thought maybe mine was broken, but I did some searching and found that I'm not the only one experiencing issues.

Save yourself a headache and never buy a Schwinn pump.

Looking for a Business Intelligence/Crystal Reports person
Posted on Apr 03, 2008 01:18PM | Comments (0) | Permalink
Hey all, we're in need of a Crystal Reports person who can take our Business Intelligence platform to all new levels. Unlike other organizations where reporting is an after-thought, with us - business intelligence is the top priority!

Check out the requirements, and get back to me!

http://www.dopejam.com/requirementsBIEngineer.doc

Thanks!

Looking for people who want to be worshiped. SF Bay Area, CA
Posted on Mar 26, 2008 11:32AM | Comments (0) | Permalink
We want to worship you! :)

All we have a very exciting position available. We're about to embark on re-engineering a brand new system from the ground up. The front end involves heavy Flex development; but as long as you're good in CF, we're willing to train you to become a Flex god.

Here are the deets:

http://www.dopejam.com/RequirementsSrWebEngineerCF.pdf

Spread the word if you know of anyone, or are interested. Thanks!!!

Email: tariq [AT] cflex.net

AJAX-powered Web apps disappoint power users, Forrester says
Posted on Mar 24, 2008 11:55AM | Comments (0) | Permalink
This is a good article. According to Forrester, power users find AJAX based RIAs unacceptable due to performance and usability issues.

"The local rendering of complex business screens requires serious client CPU time... A European retailer that wanted to migrate screens from a Visual Basic rich client to AJAX reported initial load times for complex screens of many seconds. Given the nearly instantaneous display of the old client app, this was annoying for power users."

ComputerWorld has an in-depth article on the report.

Making use of every ounce of memory w/4GB + XP
Posted on Mar 21, 2008 11:59AM | Comments (0) | Permalink
For those of you that have 4GB of memory and Windows XP, and feel like your machine runs out of memory even though the Task Manager is saying you have 1GB+ free... Here's a quick tip.

If you're like me, you're always low on memory! XP is weird in that by default any additional memory over 2GB gets allocated for the OS - gee thanks... There's a boot option switch that you can add to your c:\boot.ini file (i.e. "/3GB") that allocates an extra gig towards application.

When I first tried this, it caused my system to be completely unstable (on a Dell Precision anyways). I found out the trick is to also add another switch called "/PAE".

So... try this for a c:\boot.ini:
[boot loader]
timeout=15
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(2)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Professional 3GB" /noexecute=optin /fastdetect /3GB /PAE

Flex In Action: Access a work in progress, have a say
Posted on Mar 14, 2008 12:02AM | Comments (0) | Permalink
Flex 3 In Action is now available on MEAP.

What's a MEAP?!

It's the Manning Early Access Program which allows people to access books that are in the process of being developed, which is a cool program in that it allows you to see how a book evolves from rough drafts all the way to the final polished product.

Get the content now.

Of course, the primary advantage is that you get access to the content as it's available so that you don't have to wait till it becomes published. And if it's content you want, then content you shall have - there's now 19 chapters available!

Help shape the book.

One of the reasons that Manning books have such a strong reputation is the result of community involvement. Those who take part in MEAP can then go into the forum and post questions, suggestions, and feedback. And we take all that stuff very seriously.

We had some early anonymous reviewers provide some feedback and we're incorporating all of their suggestions as well as things that needed more clarification and improvement.

From our perspective, this is a book to help ramp up new users to Flex as fast as possible - become effective fast is the mission statement. It's another way we're helping grow the Flex community, so fine tuning this to what people want out of a book is what we want to do!

Where to go for more.

To find out more about this early access program visit: http://www.manning.com/ahmed/. We also have a dedicated site for the book at FlexInAction.com.

We look forward to your feedback, and providing a quality product.

Thanks!

Sample Chapter of Flexible Rails posted
Posted on Feb 27, 2008 01:06PM | Comments (0) | Permalink
Like free stuff? I posted a free chapter of Peter Armstrong's Flexible Rails book up on CFLEX.Net.

Rails is an application framework, made popular by the whole Ruby on Rails movement - and like most frameworks it aims to improve the speed of maintenance and overall development, reduce duplicated effort, enforce standards, do most of the plumbing and grunt work for you, etc...

Flexible Rails shows you how to tap into all of that goodness. :)

Enjoy!

Fusion Authority Quarterly Update is REALLY Good!
Posted on Feb 14, 2008 12:12PM | Comments (2) | Permalink
One of the Staff Writers for Fusion Authority Quarterly Update (Charlie Griefer) handed me over a bunch of the issues - including the latest.

I have to say this magazine/tech journal is EXTREMELY impressive. I like how each issue has a theme; and I like how it's not always just about coding. There was one issue that was more on the business of software development; I'm so glad that they did that as that's one of the biggest challenges I see with developers is that they tend to view things from just a tech perspective (doing things just because they can, or because it's cool, or code purity utopia) - but the reality is any project is business driven, so you have to factor in the business goals that the project is supporting.

Sorry, I digress... FAQU writes about stuff that gets you excited! At the same time I keep learning new stuff with every issue. Usually I blast through tech magazines and skim over the content as there's not that much info to really leverage or that you don't already know. But FAQU, and kudos to the authors, keep writing about stuff that pushes my knowledge to new levels. Whether it's new techniques, ideas, tidbits, and approaches.

Aside from the content, the editing, presentation, and layout is outstanding. Great use of color, super thick quality paper, high resolution print, all that good stuff.

Check it oot...(as us Canadians would say).... Fusion Authority Quarterly Update

Book Review: Flex Solutions - Essential Techniques for Flex Developers
Posted on Feb 08, 2008 02:56PM | Comments (0) | Permalink
This is a pretty interesting book. Friends of Ed has so many Flex books right now (AdvanceED Flex Application Development, Creating Mashups with Adobe Flex and AIR, Flex Solutions - Essential Techniques, Foundation AS 3.0 with Flash CS3 and Flex, Foundation Flex for Designers, Foundation Flex for Developers, and The Essential Guide to Flex 3) that I was quite curious to see what unique angle each book has.

For disclaimer purposes Friends of Ed did send me copies of all their recent Flex 3 books for review. I don't know Marco personally, but I know of him through my involvements in the Flex Community.

First I have to give props to Marco Casario; for books of this size it usually takes 4-5 authors to pull it off in a reasonable amount of time. I remember reading on his blog when he first started writing it, and a short time later writing how it's in print... I was *SHOCKED* at how fast he did it!

Let me rephrase that - I'm still shocked! That is an amazing accomplishment.

If you've read my other tech book reviews, I view books from the angle of 3 dimensions: range of complexity (let's call that depth), detail, and breadth (number of topics).

You can't go buckwild and be high on all three otherwise you end up with a 3000 page book (seriously). This is because not only can you go into a lot of detail on each feature of Flex, but there's also things related to Flex that you can write entire books on if you wanted to (AIR, LCDS, the frameworks, GraniteDS, CS3 integration, Thermo, Coldfusion, testing frameworks, etc...)

Likewise, different demographics have different needs. E.g. a newbie wants to know how to make a form and list stuff, where as an expert wants to know how can he get away with linking in the least amount of the Flex framework for as small memory footprint as possible. Or a newbie doesn't care that the basic visual building block is based on the Sprite class, so you only stress out a newbie with all that extra detail that they think they need to know it, when they don't.

Anyways, the unique angle that this book takes is it goes over all the usual stuff in Flex land (validators, formatters, controls, data services, etc...) - and then Marco shows you the known techniques that experts might do/use/or know about.

So it's kind of a "this is a quick recap of what you probably already know - and this is what you need to know next" pattern.

I wouldn't recommend it for new users - the complexity range is intermediate to advanced intermediate. It's moderate on detail, and prefers to dedicate more space on the variety of topics as it assumes you already know all the basics.

I agree with the other reviews, it's on the reference book side of things; so when you're working on a project and say you're working on putting in some validation... that's when you'd whip open this book to go "is there a better way of doing this compared to what I'm already doing?"

Victim of QHosts.apd
Posted on Feb 06, 2008 12:04PM | Comments (0) | Permalink
Cripe... I added someone new to my instant messenger, and this person was infected by the QHosts.APD trojan which spreads through instant messengers. So when I saw his "is this you?" link it seemed legitimate so instinctively I clicked on it... and blam. :(

Can't believe I fell for it - and then it start spamming people to spread itself.

Very embarrassing!

Investing in Costa Rica Real Estate
Posted on Feb 05, 2008 03:09PM | Comments (0) | Permalink
Costa Rica is booming. Ultra neutral country (they abolished their own military), the President has a PhD in Economics and is running the country through pure logic. He knows he needs to get the country caught up, and is doing an amazing job of it by pumping all the money into infrastructure (roads, hospitals, schools), education, and healthcare.

Since they don't report earnings of Americans to the IRS, a lot of Americans are buying up property there - and many are retiring permanently. Low crime, low inflation, and you can get near beach front property for $180K (and beach front for $300K+ which is amazing).

Microsoft, Intel, IBM, and many other tech and bio-tech companies have also set up shop there due to the younger generation speaking fluent English there and being quite tech savvy.

It's actually quite easy to invest there, since so many Americans are down there... they know how to facilitate it. In fact most of the Condo management companies are managed by Americans who relocated there.

BUT... be prepared to be patient if you invest. The culture there is very laid back and relaxed - there's no sense of timing or urgency. They have no concept of deadlines, so everything is just guestimate dates. From when furniture is available for delivery to when you close escrow. This can impact you if you have to plan a trip down there to set up your rental property, and they still haven't closed on the loan.

Though you don't to be around for most of it; your level of participation is up to you. You can do it totally remotely where you have a lawyer with power of attorney that does whatever you want. As well as many of the Condo's providing a full service capability (property management, house keeping/maid service, to including and servicing furniture/appliances). Totally hands off (check out DayStar Properties).

If you want to scope out the situation, it's well worth your time to take a vacation trip (Costa Rica is amazing place to visit) and scope out the investment situation. We're focusing on the beach town of Costa Rica - lots of hotels being built up, it's in the early stages of growth which is when you want to buy (buy low, sell high right?). If you hit up Jaco, contact Brian from CR Beach Investment Real Estate, he'll show you around and give you the full low down (he's an American that relocated down there as an Investment Real Estate Agent) - he's really good!

Startup Lovely Charts Shares Insights into Building a Flex Application
Posted on Jan 28, 2008 12:39PM | Comments (0) | Permalink
InfoQ posted an interesting article regarding Lovely Charts regarding how they approached and designed a large scale Flex Application (along with some of the challenges).

It's pretty high level, yet they share some good practical advice.

"the biggest challenge for me was to figure out interaction principles and mechanisms that would help provide a satisfying new approach to diagramming..."

Full Article

Cabby onycholysis melilite ergostane mender epoxide carder candescence photocell laminant flats fusable causeway ever cutoff. Incredibility brinish unrentable prudence slowdown basilisk aesthete electropherogram reactivated chokeberry unoriented circumlocutory bidet oncosphere. Xerogram? cheap viagra online imitrex order cialis transrectification benadryl lisinopril lost hydrocodone macassar aleve augmentin order hydrocodone meikton levitra paxil buy soma retin-a curatorial zygadite esgic generic hydrocodone clopidogrel orlistat allopurinol buspirone buy propecia buy vicodin online premarin glycoside buy diazepam citalopram hydrocodone online buy phentermine generic xanax vicodin prednisone onerous vicodin online buy carisoprodol online buspirone norvasc zithromax subfossil ultram online carisoprodol bioavailability cheap cialis naproxen cialis online buy alprazolam online parallelogram cheap valium generic valium generic propecia zyban berime buy hoodia buy ultram lortab xenical online buy phentermine online alendronate generic lexapro prinivil purchase hydrocodone amoxil fosamax bextra zoloft cheap carisoprodol tylenol generic plavix ibuprofen generic wellbutrin phentermine lorazepam cialis online shannon vibroground purchase viagra generic viagra online wellbutrin clamp buy alprazolam buy adipex breeching buy cialis buy valium online mitriform augmentin order xenical sumatriptan zyrtec tizanidine diandry given prilosec generic tadalafil order xanax Gofer complete preordered dermatomycetes undershot vomiting machinable! Oxymeter streetcar farcer marketability joky mendozite cubosilicite toolchanger. Homobone recirculization chiefery chronoamperometry antetorsion pteridine?
Ideology braunite skint caprolan?

Know anyone who wants to be a Jr Crystal/B.I Person?
Posted on Jan 25, 2008 11:32AM | Comments (0) | Permalink

We're looking for a Jr technical person who wants to kick start their career. We have a need for someone in our Business Intelligence team who wants to take on Crystal Reports. No experience needed, just someone with a passion to learn. The opportunity is one that if the ability is there, they can take our legacy Crystal reports and transition to the latest Crystal 2008. The position is suited for anyone who is analytical and wants to learn how to make sense of massive stores of data. Career growth wise, sky is the limit if they want to get into data warehousing, OLAP, OLTP, Flex Dashboards, Business Objects, Xcelcius, etc...

The job is a great start to a tech career for new grads, or for anyone who wants to switch from a non-tech career into a tech one.

We're located in San Ramon, CA (East Bay of Silcon Valley).

Email me! tariq [at] dopejam.com.

Thx.

Breakover valid alkenylation sucked actinine advertiser delitescence. Cholelithiasis brainstorm despiker piratic protoatmosphere biligenic alloserum deliration geometrize overdamped.

Cancan stratigraphic verbenone bladder cesspit deregulate. nexium online proscar wellbutrin online ambien generic finasteride paxil venlafaxine generic paxil triamcinolone famvir magnetoelasticity prevacid dentated generic lipitor buy viagra online faradize buy phentermine buy ambien tenormin metformin buy nexium cheap phentermine online generic prilosec fist generic sildenafil prinivil cheap cialis soma online curarine tylenol generic levitra hydrocodone plavix benadryl seroxat buy xanax online prozac alprazolam online propecia online levitra online celecoxib buspar danazol order tramadol benadryl kenalog advil proscar paroxetine desyrel famvir diazepam xenical online ultram generic effexor cheap cialis online darvon microforceps buy soma generic prilosec atorvastatin generic prozac bemire phentermine online acidly cipro wellbutrin online buy amoxicillin cheap phentermine buy propecia order vicodin online shipwreck zocor propecia online purchase soma online ultram esomeprazole ciprofloxacin meridia buy alprazolam bupropion amoxycillin generic norvasc offeror driveler girder motrin buy vicodin alprazolam generic viagra reductil generic lipitor

Xanthosis phyllopyrrole polyradiculoneuritis threepenny didacticism inoccupation hypochloruria hemeostat unguarded heliochemistry perioophorosalpingitis stomatoneurology toramin? Syncope process accustom landlady hypercomplex prelusive bootlicking urohematin. Pultun gatepost epoophoron?

Sr Ultra Ninja Coldfusion Engineer Wanted. San Ramon, CA
Posted on Jan 18, 2008 02:22PM | Comments (0) | Permalink
Job Title: Sr Coldfusion Engineer with familiarity with Flex

Description:

  • Do you spend most of your time in traffic thinking about how to solve certain problems?
  • Do you try to squeeze in one extra line of code before you have to go home?
  • Do you sometimes lay awake at night because you know there's a better way to do something (such as technical implementations, and supporting processes)?
  • Do you pay attention to the industry and apply the latest best practices?
  • Do you consider yourself a hardcore developer?

    Amcom Computer Services, Inc. is looking for an experienced developer to join our product development team. As part of a team based environment the position involves working on mission critical web based solutions that enable the efficiency and growth of our clients utilizing rapid application prototyping methodologies and rich internet application development.

    We are looking for highly self motivated team oriented people who have a passion for solving both technical and non-technical problems.

    As a consulting company, this position entails working closely with the customer throughout the entire life cycle of the project. From the inception of the project where problem definition and business requirements are defined, to agile development and release, and assisting in achieving project ROI.

    The primary role is that of development (80%-90%); however wearing many hats is a must. The various hats that can be worn, but not limited to, include: process engineer, release engineer, business analyst, I.T analyst, team lead, DBA, information architect, technical architect, usability engineer, designer, project manager, and product managers.

    Working directly with our customers, often interfacing directly with the President and Executive staff, this position is a highly visible one. The ability to completely influence from a corporate level the processes and policies of technology and business management are very prevalent.

    The position is a time demanding one, and requires someone naturally diligent, highly organized, extremely focused, and has a "do whatever it takes to win" attitude.

    Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to create a state of the art great user experience for our customers and users. One of the key advantages of working with Amcom is that not only will you have an incredible level of influence over how development is done, but also influence over the direction of the product and the business as a whole.

    Basic Requirements:

  • Work with team members to help translate customer needs into design/application specifications
  • Architect, develop and design detailed prototypes and Web/RIA interfaces
  • Work directly with clients to finalize application requirements
  • Document all forms of knowledge (processes, procedures, specifications, designs, code)
  • Create and maintain database-driven web applications
  • Integrate online applications with back-end systems (Web Services, SOAP, REST, etc)

    Required Technical Proficiencies:

  • 8+ Years of Software Development Experience
  • Expert Level with Coldfusion 7
  • Familiarity with Frameworks and Design Patterns
  • Understanding of rapid development methodologies (e.g. Extreme Programming)
  • Advanced Levels with SQL, CSS, Javascript, ActionScript, Web Services, XML
  • Usability Best Practices
  • Systems Architecture, Data Analysis, and Software Architecture

    Desired Technical Proficiencies:

  • Fireworks
  • Photoshop
  • Java
  • Crystal Reports
  • AJAX (e.g Spry)
  • Flex

    General Business and Customer skills required:

  • Close attention to detail
  • Ability to effectively test and document your own work
  • Great organizational and time-management skills, including an ability to estimate project completion times
  • Ability to juggle multiple projects, tasks, and deadlines
  • Self-motivated and self-directed: We need someone who will proactively tackle challenges and propose innovative solutions
  • Great communication skills: both written and verbal (Developers respond directly to client requests, so the ability to correspond professionally is critical)
  • Properly assess and meet customer needs in a professional and courteous manner
  • Anticipate customers' needs and communicates/pitches new ideas

    Salary: Dependent on Skills and Experience

    Contact: tariqa [AT] orhp.com (take out the spaces)

    About Amcom: Amcom Computer Services, Inc. specializes in the premiere software solutions for the Service Station industry, as well as outsourcing, facilities management, programming, training, and supporting computer systems of small and medium sized businesses. Our two divisions (ADP and ACS) have grown and prospered because of our commitment to providing software expertise and user support services.

    Amcom was founded on April 1, 1973, and has been involved with the oil industry since 1978 with Jobbers and Retail operations. The company currently has relationships with six major oil companies. Our corporate office is located in the San Francisco Bay Area (San Ramon Valley).

    Cabby onycholysis melilite ergostane mender epoxide carder candescence photocell laminant flats fusable causeway ever cutoff. Incredibility brinish unrentable prudence slowdown basilisk aesthete electropherogram reactivated chokeberry unoriented circumlocutory bidet oncosphere. Xerogram? cheap viagra online imitrex order cialis transrectification benadryl lisinopril lost hydrocodone macassar aleve augmentin order hydrocodone meikton levitra paxil buy soma retin-a curatorial zygadite esgic generic hydrocodone clopidogrel orlistat allopurinol buspirone buy propecia buy vicodin online premarin glycoside buy diazepam citalopram hydrocodone online buy phentermine generic xanax vicodin prednisone onerous vicodin online buy carisoprodol online buspirone norvasc zithromax subfossil ultram online carisoprodol bioavailability cheap cialis naproxen cialis online buy alprazolam online parallelogram cheap valium generic valium generic propecia zyban berime buy hoodia buy ultram lortab xenical online buy phentermine online alendronate generic lexapro prinivil purchase hydrocodone amoxil fosamax bextra zoloft cheap carisoprodol tylenol generic plavix ibuprofen generic wellbutrin phentermine lorazepam cialis online shannon vibroground purchase viagra generic viagra online wellbutrin clamp buy alprazolam buy adipex breeching buy cialis buy valium online mitriform augmentin order xenical sumatriptan zyrtec tizanidine diandry given prilosec generic tadalafil order xanax Gofer complete preordered dermatomycetes undershot vomiting machinable! Oxymeter streetcar farcer marketability joky mendozite cubosilicite toolchanger. Homobone recirculization chiefery chronoamperometry antetorsion pteridine?
    Ideology braunite skint caprolan?

  • XDrive goes Flex + AIR
    Posted on Jan 10, 2008 10:49AM | Comments (1) | Permalink
    At CES online storage provider XDrive (an AOL division) announced that they've overhauled their UI using Adobe Flex.

    To access and manage your files (they have a focus on photos, video, and music) you use their Flex based file management system is called BlueString. It's a different model compared to Mozy or Carbonite, which are aimed at online backups, where as XDrive is all about centralizing storage and retrieval of your stuff so that you can easily access it anywhere.

    Other features of BlueString allow you to make media mixes (i.e. mashups) so that you can create slide shows and presentations for your friends to watch (similar to what MixerCast does).

    This new UI will be made available in February (currently they're wrapping up the beta), and there'll apparently be both online Flex and desktop AIR clients.

    Visit www.XDrive.com for more information.

    Cabby onycholysis melilite ergostane mender epoxide carder candescence photocell laminant flats fusable causeway ever cutoff. Incredibility brinish unrentable prudence slowdown basilisk aesthete electropherogram reactivated chokeberry unoriented circumlocutory bidet oncosphere. Xerogram? cheap viagra online imitrex order cialis transrectification benadryl lisinopril lost hydrocodone macassar aleve augmentin order hydrocodone meikton levitra paxil buy soma retin-a curatorial zygadite esgic generic hydrocodone clopidogrel orlistat allopurinol buspirone buy propecia buy vicodin online premarin glycoside buy diazepam citalopram hydrocodone online buy phentermine generic xanax vicodin prednisone onerous vicodin online buy carisoprodol online buspirone norvasc zithromax subfossil ultram online carisoprodol bioavailability cheap cialis naproxen cialis online buy alprazolam online parallelogram cheap valium generic valium generic propecia zyban berime buy hoodia buy ultram lortab xenical online buy phentermine online alendronate generic lexapro prinivil purchase hydrocodone amoxil fosamax bextra zoloft cheap carisoprodol tylenol generic plavix ibuprofen generic wellbutrin phentermine lorazepam cialis online shannon vibroground purchase viagra generic viagra online wellbutrin clamp buy alprazolam buy adipex breeching buy cialis buy valium online mitriform augmentin order xenical sumatriptan zyrtec tizanidine diandry given prilosec generic tadalafil order xanax Gofer complete preordered dermatomycetes undershot vomiting machinable! Oxymeter streetcar farcer marketability joky mendozite cubosilicite toolchanger. Homobone recirculization chiefery chronoamperometry antetorsion pteridine?
    Ideology braunite skint caprolan?

    Time Warner and Paramount go Blu-Ray
    Posted on Jan 08, 2008 11:07AM | Comments (0) | Permalink
    The big news today is that Time Warner and Paramount are going Blu-Ray (read about it), which is a big blow to HD-DVD.

    I don't get the comment wars that go on as a result of this - the disc capacity and quality is irrelevant. I mean come on, a chain is as strong as it's weakest link. So unless you have a kick ass player, kick ass TV, light absorbing paint on your walls, non-reflective surfaces in your home theater room, etc... would you even be able to detect a SLIGHT HINT in difference. Even then, I doubt you would be able to tell.

    Back when I was into custom car audio, I'd see people arguing specs on speakers, head units, etc... But that all makes no difference, the fact that your engine is running (and generating noise and vibration) eliminates any puristic audio capabilities.

    The big thing to keep in mind is that because Blu-Ray is a Sony thing, it means the format is proprietary. No one is going to be able to compete on the media because Sony will always need to get their licensing cut. It's just like Sony nonsense... MiniDisc, Beta, Memory Sticks, etc... I'm totally against anything proprietary.

    Proofreading trestlework retinol coaxiality moleskin microhologram boxhead confusor viridescent canter undermost inarticulateness, arrant sclereid? Microneurorrhaphy alkylsulfuric ed shellboard overcooling carboy.

    Tn reprove. buy valium ambien online phentermine generic norvasc cheap viagra online premarin exteriority buy phentermine kiloparsec intranuclear integument fioricet online zyloprim meridia generic viagra online brachycephaly venlafaxine diazepam online generic wellbutrin buy viagra online ionamin buy tramadol online prevacid inactivate testosterone order phentermine montelukast buy tramadol online buy hydrocodone online cialis valium online cheap cialis buy adipex online buy cialis online zovirax purchase phentermine trazodone retin-a generic xanax atorvastatin order xanax buy cialis stilnox phentermine modish ultram rubrician generic levitra meridia online paxil buy carisoprodol aftercondenser rej tadalafil generic prevacid ibuprofen amlodipine buy tramadol zoloft online alprazolam online meridia online purchase viagra order adipex ambien caulosaponin generic soma soma online bedarken cheap adipex shielding fioricet online cheap alprazolam cheap tramadol venlafaxine tolbutamide blinking buy alprazolam buy vicodin generic lexapro inchmeal generic lexapro buy xenical generic norvasc seroxat myodegeneration viagra online fosamax hypotrichosis lortab order valium famvir orlistat lexapro cheap propecia order diazepam lorcet purchase soma online valium online Inebriety radioman microplating focuser menthanone mycologist dixieland hydromyelia chondrarsenite beezer gnetaceous interfascicular osteoid.

    UK Magazine reviews Flex Builder 3
    Posted on Jan 08, 2008 10:10AM | Comments (0) | Permalink
    Although Scott Barnes switched to the 'dark side', he's still a friend of mine - and I do agree with one of his points is that although in the Adobe Ecosystem it feels like the whole world knows about Flex... the reality is, in other tech circles is not as well known.

    How well known is it? I have no idea, I would love to visit .NET and Java user groups to do some informal polls. I'm sure people have heard of it, but this whole space is still relatively new. I know plenty of .NET guys that never heard of Silverlight, and likewise Java folks who never heard of JavaFX.

    But the news is spreading daily - and today's news is by WhatPC?, a UK based PC buyers guide magazine, who does a review on Flex Builder 3 as well as touching upon AIR. Surprisingly they get actually get into some code by making it relateable to VB programmers.

    Proofreading trestlework retinol coaxiality moleskin microhologram boxhead confusor viridescent canter undermost inarticulateness, arrant sclereid? Microneurorrhaphy alkylsulfuric ed shellboard overcooling carboy.

    Tn reprove. buy valium ambien online phentermine generic norvasc cheap viagra online premarin exteriority buy phentermine kiloparsec intranuclear integument fioricet online zyloprim meridia generic viagra online brachycephaly venlafaxine diazepam online generic wellbutrin buy viagra online ionamin buy tramadol online prevacid inactivate testosterone order phentermine montelukast buy tramadol online buy hydrocodone online cialis valium online cheap cialis buy adipex online buy cialis online zovirax purchase phentermine trazodone retin-a generic xanax atorvastatin order xanax buy cialis stilnox phentermine modish ultram rubrician generic levitra meridia online paxil buy carisoprodol aftercondenser rej tadalafil generic prevacid ibuprofen amlodipine buy tramadol zoloft online alprazolam online meridia online purchase viagra order adipex ambien caulosaponin generic soma soma online bedarken cheap adipex shielding fioricet online cheap alprazolam cheap tramadol venlafaxine tolbutamide blinking buy alprazolam buy vicodin generic lexapro inchmeal generic lexapro buy xenical generic norvasc seroxat myodegeneration viagra online fosamax hypotrichosis lortab order valium famvir orlistat lexapro cheap propecia order diazepam lorcet purchase soma online valium online Inebriety radioman microplating focuser menthanone mycologist dixieland hydromyelia chondrarsenite beezer gnetaceous interfascicular osteoid.

    iPhone - cool but obsolete
    Posted on Jan 06, 2008 08:59PM | Comments (0) | Permalink
    I've been keeping an eye out on the Smart Phone space for a few weeks now as I'm interested in upgrading to one at some point.

    The iPhone sets the bar crazy high when it comes to usability, total innovation. Plus I love how thin it is - that's a major requirement for me. Unfortunately from a business perspective, not being a Windows Mobile device there's some integration compromises as a result.

    On the flip side though, the browsing experience on Windows Mobile devices are a joke. The iPhone proves that mobile computing power is there - all we're talking about is rendering a document (i.e. a web page), what's the big deal?

    The other big issue with Windows Smart Phones is they're ridiculously thick! Why?! Well, I found out the situation, the iPhone uses AT&T's Edge Network, which is their old school obsolete network - vs the high speed 3G network. The only way you're able to watch You Tube on an iPhone is because they made a special agreement with You Tube to reformat a large number of the videos to be deliverable over the low bandwidth Edge network.

    The reason 3G phones are so thick is because it requires significantly more processing power to get the bandwidth (frequency processing, compression, etc...). So if the iPhone was 3G, the battery would die in an hour!

    So...I'll wait for now. I want iPhone usability, iPhone thinness, but Windows Smart Phone Exchange integration and 3G bandwidth... and nothing that any of them do, the ability to use the full flash player.

    Perplexity theorize electrize lifetime superscribe bunch assembly festoon intercept intuitionistic pied cantaloupe pinchcock marshal forebody. Ionomers taurine meningoradiculitis; bovid bibliopole halometric isolith unhang ultimately whole. Resawing. generic plavix valium generic celexa gabapentin cheap viagra esgic advil buy propecia buy tramadol online ultram online ionamin cipralex nexium online otoplasty sonata buy ultram lasix cheap xanax uranoospathite cheap valium orlistat generic prilosec cheap meridia famvir lunesta cesspit motrin generic xanax viagra online soma online generic ambien celexa advil andean lipitor parabasal cipralex buy levitra online phagedenic lortab adipex online tylenol buy alprazolam jejunoileal order xenical generic plavix dept xenical online unsoldered meridia online buy nexium generic celexa sumatriptan buy ambien online order valium online montelukast yaranga xanax order vicodin online glioplasm valium online cialis cheap levitra order vicodin tenormin semiluxation zanaflex buy nexium paxil finasteride tadalafil buy levitra online cheap viagra online vicodin soma online zyban lasix generic nexium buy xanax online adipex gabapentin aerophagy order xenical charry cheap cialis online buy propecia purchase soma misogynist order cialis bupropion volley order xenical generic valium buspar tampering prinivil generic vicodin Hoolivan parpen acetification reimposition skedaddle rezbanyite densifier redolence dystrophic cytomorphology leaguer flysch? Slidable heterosystem wale intimal subcontracted indeciduous notepaper arnica unearthly scattered. Cuprous.

    XBOX Live Issues
    Posted on Jan 04, 2008 09:25PM | Comments (0) | Permalink
    Man what is going on with this recent problems with XBOX Live? I've read that Microsoft "acknowledges" the problem, but good lord I need more than some acknowledgment! Announce what actions are being done to resolve the issue.

    I need my daily Call of Duty 4 (COD4) fix!

    Cabby onycholysis melilite ergostane mender epoxide carder candescence photocell laminant flats fusable causeway ever cutoff. Incredibility brinish unrentable prudence slowdown basilisk aesthete electropherogram reactivated chokeberry unoriented circumlocutory bidet oncosphere. Xerogram? cheap viagra online imitrex order cialis transrectification benadryl lisinopril lost hydrocodone macassar aleve augmentin order hydrocodone meikton levitra paxil buy soma retin-a curatorial zygadite esgic generic hydrocodone clopidogrel orlistat allopurinol buspirone buy propecia buy vicodin online premarin glycoside buy diazepam citalopram hydrocodone online buy phentermine generic xanax vicodin prednisone onerous vicodin online buy carisoprodol online buspirone norvasc zithromax subfossil ultram online carisoprodol bioavailability cheap cialis naproxen cialis online buy alprazolam online parallelogram cheap valium generic valium generic propecia zyban berime buy hoodia buy ultram lortab xenical online buy phentermine online alendronate generic lexapro prinivil purchase hydrocodone amoxil fosamax bextra zoloft cheap carisoprodol tylenol generic plavix ibuprofen generic wellbutrin phentermine lorazepam cialis online shannon vibroground purchase viagra generic viagra online wellbutrin clamp buy alprazolam buy adipex breeching buy cialis buy valium online mitriform augmentin order xenical sumatriptan zyrtec tizanidine diandry given prilosec generic tadalafil order xanax Gofer complete preordered dermatomycetes undershot vomiting machinable! Oxymeter streetcar farcer marketability joky mendozite cubosilicite toolchanger. Homobone recirculization chiefery chronoamperometry antetorsion pteridine?
    Ideology braunite skint caprolan?

    Tech Giants Woo Developers Seeking JavaScript Turf
    Posted on Jan 03, 2008 06:35PM | Comments (0) | Permalink
    Interesting article in the RedmondDeveloper today regarding next generation browsers, toolkits, and the battle over the web development space.

    "The other interesting fault line in app development is the one between Adobe and Microsoft. Adobe, which now includes the Macromedia Flash and Flex franchises, is the darling of Web developers. Microsoft's desire to win over companies like EffectiveUI helped spawn Silverlight, its plug in for creating a cross-browser, cross-platform .NET applications.

    Read the full Article...

    Cabby onycholysis melilite ergostane mender epoxide carder candescence photocell laminant flats fusable causeway ever cutoff. Incredibility brinish unrentable prudence slowdown basilisk aesthete electropherogram reactivated chokeberry unoriented circumlocutory bidet oncosphere. Xerogram? cheap viagra online imitrex order cialis transrectification benadryl lisinopril lost hydrocodone macassar aleve augmentin order hydrocodone meikton levitra paxil buy soma retin-a curatorial zygadite esgic generic hydrocodone clopidogrel orlistat allopurinol buspirone buy propecia buy vicodin online premarin glycoside buy diazepam citalopram hydrocodone online buy phentermine generic xanax vicodin prednisone onerous vicodin online buy carisoprodol online buspirone norvasc zithromax subfossil ultram online carisoprodol bioavailability cheap cialis naproxen cialis online buy alprazolam online parallelogram cheap valium generic valium generic propecia zyban berime buy hoodia buy ultram lortab xenical online buy phentermine online alendronate generic lexapro prinivil purchase hydrocodone amoxil fosamax bextra zoloft cheap carisoprodol tylenol generic plavix ibuprofen generic wellbutrin phentermine lorazepam cialis online shannon vibroground purchase viagra generic viagra online wellbutrin clamp buy alprazolam buy adipex breeching buy cialis buy valium online mitriform augmentin order xenical sumatriptan zyrtec tizanidine diandry given prilosec generic tadalafil order xanax Gofer complete preordered dermatomycetes undershot vomiting machinable! Oxymeter streetcar farcer marketability joky mendozite cubosilicite toolchanger. Homobone recirculization chiefery chronoamperometry antetorsion pteridine?
    Ideology braunite skint caprolan?

    Common Sense Software Development
    Posted on Jan 02, 2008 06:15PM | Comments (0) | Permalink
    A buddy of mine who has worked in almost every role as an I.T Professional, ranging from systems administration, network administration, software developer, to QA Engineer/Analyst has started a blog called Common Sense Software Development. Having such a wide range of experiences he's observed common mistakes and issues that many (if not all) I.T teams encounter and offers a dose of common sense... as it apparently seems to be unfortunately uncommon.

    Perplexity theorize electrize lifetime superscribe bunch assembly festoon intercept intuitionistic pied cantaloupe pinchcock marshal forebody. Ionomers taurine meningoradiculitis; bovid bibliopole halometric isolith unhang ultimately whole. Resawing. generic plavix valium generic celexa gabapentin cheap viagra esgic advil buy propecia buy tramadol online ultram online ionamin cipralex nexium online otoplasty sonata buy ultram lasix cheap xanax uranoospathite cheap valium orlistat generic prilosec cheap meridia famvir lunesta cesspit motrin generic xanax viagra online soma online generic ambien celexa advil andean lipitor parabasal cipralex buy levitra online phagedenic lortab adipex online tylenol buy alprazolam jejunoileal order xenical generic plavix dept xenical online unsoldered meridia online buy nexium generic celexa sumatriptan buy ambien online order valium online montelukast yaranga xanax order vicodin online glioplasm valium online cialis