http://unlogica.com/blog/ Documenting the two closely related fields of programming and towing. en Copyright 2009 Fri, 30 Jan 2009 19:17:40 -0800 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 1 phone/page 2 phones/page 6 phones/page And it's not even your birthday.]]> http://unlogica.com/blog/2009/01/just_what_you_always_wanted.html http://unlogica.com/blog/2009/01/just_what_you_always_wanted.html Fri, 30 Jan 2009 19:17:40 -0800 like soft.]]> http://unlogica.com/blog/2009/01/disconnects.html http://unlogica.com/blog/2009/01/disconnects.html Wed, 14 Jan 2009 04:24:59 -0800 And! And I'd inform them that future computing power is so cheap, we toss the CPU cycles away rendering Mario in realtime. This is why I am fortunate to not have a time machine. I'd end up with a broken nose.]]> http://unlogica.com/blog/2008/12/marketing_immunization.html http://unlogica.com/blog/2008/12/marketing_immunization.html Tue, 23 Dec 2008 09:29:00 -0800 I was at a meeting of various javascript developers. I do not know javascript enough to claim proficiency. I don't want to know javascript; my biases are for Objective C and the desktop environment. It's a long story as to why I was there in the first place, and I left early. However, one thing stood out to me was one of the presentations, done by some Yahoo employees. In it, they are talking about the myriad of frameworks, collectively known as YUI, built for the site. And I don't mean to demean it, because it is impressive. And lets them do some fancy things with their front page, showing all sorts of news and information. But that's where they didn't get it. In full disclosure, I know people who work at Yahoo, and I know people who work at Google. They're all great and brilliant people. I mean this only as an example, although it's one I feel Yahoo could learn from. http://unlogica.com/blog/2008/12/i_was_at_a_meeting.html http://unlogica.com/blog/2008/12/i_was_at_a_meeting.html Mon, 22 Dec 2008 22:18:10 -0800 The iPhone API is new. It has yet to mature. Yes, it does use a very mature 20-year-old foundation steeped in the NeXTSTEP heritage as its foundation, there's a lot that was removed or didn't make the translation from AppKit/Cocoa (The Mac OS X API) to UIKit/Cocoa Touch (The iPhone OS API). This even includes things like the tools, where Interface Builder is limited in what it can do for iPhone files as opposed to Mac files. It's a matter of time before things improve, and they are improving. But it's frustrating, despite there being very good reasons for it. Sometimes it's simply a case of the code not being there, that iPhone controls resemble Mac controls in function and name, but are instead cousins, with a mismatch of abilities and feature support. Other times, it's classes and code that are outright missing because they have no use in the new OS. An obvious example would be Applescript. Sometimes, it's a case that code is depreciated on the MacOS, and rather than adding depreciated code, it's missing outright on the iPhone. Then there is the code that is in the private frameworks, undocumented but with names that provide more than just a hint that promises cool features and abilities that would solve things. Because we can see them, on the other side of the fence, that makes them all the more tantalizing. Honestly, it's not even a fence, more a line in the sand, because none of the reasons to not use them are technical in nature. It's simply a case of Apple hanging a "Do not touch" sign on them. But it's best to respect this. This is part of the contract between the API and our code. http://unlogica.com/blog/2008/11/in_defense_of_the_iphone_api_l.html http://unlogica.com/blog/2008/11/in_defense_of_the_iphone_api_l.html Fri, 14 Nov 2008 12:57:46 -0800 Writing iPhone apps are hard. True, it could be much worse, and as cocoa developers, we're spoiled by the MacOS, but the iPhone App Store is quickly gaining notoriety as full of crappy apps and flashlight programs. A great deal of blame is laid at the feet of those rushing in without cocoa backgrounds, especially by the old guard. Even more is laid at the feet of the NDA, which limits idea exchange, and this has a lot of truth. But I've come to believe that the NDA causes an even more subtle issue. That of reliance on demo code. http://unlogica.com/blog/2008/09/no_maps_of_the_forest_only_pic.html http://unlogica.com/blog/2008/09/no_maps_of_the_forest_only_pic.html Thu, 25 Sep 2008 12:57:20 -0800 It's interesting, this iPhone rush. People that have never before touched a Mac suddenly are jumping into this fray because of the buzz of the iPhone. As a Cocoa developer, it's a wonderful feeling of "Our time has come!" For years, everyone focused on Java, or .Net. Because of Apple's decision to use only Cocoa or native app development, the vast majority of the industry is ill-prepared. It's as if Objective C was this ugly girl in school, the one who shows up at the reunion and her success has suddenly made her the center of attention. I keep joking that someone should make an iPhone app that simulates a pan of water, so people can actually pan for gold with the iPhone. http://unlogica.com/blog/2008/09/sutters_mill_again.html http://unlogica.com/blog/2008/09/sutters_mill_again.html Thu, 11 Sep 2008 12:56:18 -0800 How time flies. The last article was posted in late may, and soon afterwards, I was hired for a neat little startup. I joke about how towing and software engineering are so closely related, but going from a large company to a small company is almost a study of polar opposites. It's to be expected, of course, from a job with clearly delineated start and stop times to a calling where clocking in isn't as important as getting the tasks done. There's still a lot of adjusting to do. http://unlogica.com/blog/2008/09/off_the_market.html http://unlogica.com/blog/2008/09/off_the_market.html Thu, 11 Sep 2008 12:55:33 -0800 This morning, while driving, the radio was playing. The station that was on not only had the paid advertising of pre-recorded clips, but also where the DJ will evangelize a product, in that they use it, etc. etc. I don't exactly consider it astroturfing because there is no attempt to hide that it's a paid product announcement. Instead, it harkens back to the older commercials, when whole shows were sponsored by one company. It's rather quaint in a way. Only, this time around, it was for the Microsoft Zune. It's no secret that I ally myself with Apple and their products; I have several macs, an iPod, and am looking into making programs for the iPhone. So it's easy to write off that I would not be amenable to this specific product placement. Perhaps I was inserting my own biases in that the DJ sounded awkward, forcing themselves to hit all the right paid buzzwords, trying to turn the adjective "Social" into a noun. But regardless of how well or poorly the advertising went, one thing stuck in my mind. I couldn't recall any iPod advertisements on the radio. http://unlogica.com/blog/2008/05/frigidaire_ads_written_in_inui.html http://unlogica.com/blog/2008/05/frigidaire_ads_written_in_inui.html Tue, 20 May 2008 12:41:27 -0800 Logistically speaking, it's impossible for a towing service to cover the entire nation single-handedly. Instead, CSAA, and all AAA clubs subcontract out to towing companies already in place. Where you call from determines which tow company shows up. However, the AAA logo is still emblazoned on the truck, along with the specific tow company's name, to give an impression of cohesion. Every once in a while, one tow company is unable to service members in a timely fashion, either through manpower or equipment issues. In those cases, other companies can take those calls, and service the member outside their usual territory. I've run quite a few of these calls, and they are the most challenging in terms of customer service. By the time I'm even aware of the call, the member has been badly treated or has been left waiting for a long time. So what is the first thing I do when I finally show up? I apologize. This is something that much of the computer industry has yet to learn. http://unlogica.com/blog/2008/05/mea_culpa.html http://unlogica.com/blog/2008/05/mea_culpa.html Sun, 11 May 2008 12:41:06 -0800 this list that was pointed to in this article.]]> http://unlogica.com/blog/2008/04/language_barrier.html http://unlogica.com/blog/2008/04/language_barrier.html Fri, 25 Apr 2008 12:40:50 -0800 Ah, sibling rivalry. C++ is one year older than Objective C, and while they have the same parent, C, they're quite different. But, sometimes, you want to harness code written in C++ from your nice and comfy Cocoa-based app. Sure, you can try Objective C++, the hybrid as of late, but you risk losing Objective C's pure superset abilities, and the compiler takes a speed hit trying to be bilingual. And if other coders either can't or won't handle C++, well, then it's time to break out some pure C wrappers and contain things. Here's a few tips I've learned the hard way. http://unlogica.com/blog/2008/04/making_c_and_objective_c_play.html http://unlogica.com/blog/2008/04/making_c_and_objective_c_play.html Advanced programming Aside Cocoa Code Fri, 11 Apr 2008 12:38:34 -0800 Almost as if on instinct, I updated my resume last month. And today, I discovered that the local office of the towing company will be closing its doors. Sure, I could move to where the office is relocating. But I really can't justify the commute, especially at a driver's pay rate. While it's been fun to drive a tow truck, and I definitely have gotten my exercise, it's time to return to the software industry. UPDATE: Off the market again. And since there's been a server crash, I haven't uploaded the old files. http://unlogica.com/blog/2008/04/on_the_market.html http://unlogica.com/blog/2008/04/on_the_market.html Wed, 02 Apr 2008 12:37:30 -0800 http://unlogica.com/blog/2008/03/its_like_a_mountaintop_but_wit.html http://unlogica.com/blog/2008/03/its_like_a_mountaintop_but_wit.html Sat, 29 Mar 2008 12:37:14 -0800 Daring Fireball linked to Charlie Miller owning (in both senses of the word!) a MacBook Air. He also was able to already find exploits for the iPhone. So why do I mention this? Well, in many ways, the iPhone is going to be a whole new data point. Since it's so popular, the argument of market share is going to be removed. And the user base is going to be so diverse as to make PEBKAC a real threat. So how is Apple going to ensure security on the iPhone? 100% unbreakable software is like magic pixie dust. You can get close to it, and it definitely shows up in advertisements, but it's not really feasible. And, for better or for worse, Apple keeps its cards really close to its chest. Perhaps for the better, because otherwise armchair iCEOing would be much less fun.]]> http://unlogica.com/blog/2008/03/security_update.html http://unlogica.com/blog/2008/03/security_update.html Fri, 28 Mar 2008 12:29:35 -0800