Since Google decided to use SOAP/XMLHTTP for their new map interface the geek web has been flooded with AJAX articles. Here I will discuss the importance of AJAX as well as some of the tradeoffs developers will encounter if they choose to use this technology. More importantly, I have also posted a version of this article with a running demo on my website (recommended). You can also download the article source and try it for yourself.

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New media formats such as HD-DVD and Blu-ray promise large capacities of space, at a cost. These new discs will be locked down using one method that dynamically updates the encryption system being used in your player. How this is implemented is still up in the air, but you can bet it is going to lean strongly on the side of protecting the contents of the disc at any cost. New audio CDs have special copy protections that make ripping tracks very difficult if not impossible. The broadcast flag was almost implemented this year, which would have restricted what you could and couldn't do with your TV. Some new software comes encrypted and crippled unless it calls home to the developer. We also have pictures with blaring watermarks obscuring the image yet informing the viewer of where the image came from. And finally, there are the laws making it illegal to tinker with these content restriction systems.

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Formal Specification helps build more robust, more maintainable software with fewer bugs and defects. It has a long history, but it is still a developing field. While it may not be suitable for all software projects, a case can be made that there are many projects not currently using formal specification that stand to benefit from it. As the methods and tools for formal specification develop it is increasingly becoming something that developers and software engineers should learn to use to their advantage.

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Mary Poppins got it right when she sang the famous song Let's Go Fly a Kite, but she made a mistake in getting more airtime with her umbrella than with the kite. Bad move. Now you can make amends by recreating famous scenes from the Disney classic with the aid of giant kites!

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A friend asked me to do a fairly simple database app for them. The tools at my disposal are pretty much limited to MS Access and whatever else comes with Windows XP and MS Office. This should be pretty easy to do with an Access front-end, but I don't know VBA and I'm not eager to learn. I do, however, have a bit of experience in developing web-based apps using Active Server Pages and ActiveX Data Objects. I have my hammer, and by god I'm going to use it.

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I always wondered why it seemed like every product that Infoworld's Test Center reviewed was rated either "Very Good" or "Excellent." Well, that's because 73% of the products were, with practically every other product reviewed falling into the "Good" category. What's the point of such a rating system if everything is rated the same?

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After completing my first year of college, this summer I would like to make some money.  I have worked low paying summer jobs like most people have, but this summer I can do better than that.  I can set my own hours, do enjoyable work, and make more money than I would at the grocery store.

Programming has been a hobby of mine for years.  And since it was just a hobby, I've always released my work under the GNU General Public License (GPL) so I would get more users and more feedback.  The obvious way to get paid from programming would be to sell your software.  But, that is not always the best way to make money.  Creating open source software can be more lucrative and I'm going to show you how to do it.

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FreeNSK interviewed open source developers Alexander Noé and Zeb who created some free software utilities for Plextor DVD recorders. Noé wrote PxScan and PxView for Windows, while Zeb ported them to GNU/Linux under the name PxLinux. The utilities send special commands to the drives, activating their special features, such as media quality checks. Unfortunately, someone wasn't happy with their efforts, as the parent company of Plextor sent them cease-and-desist letters accusing them of using "unfair commercial practices"...

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I interviewed open source developers Alexander Noé and Zeb who created some free software utilities for Plextor DVD recorders. Noé wrote PxScan and PxView for Windows, while Zeb ported them to GNU/Linux under the name PxLinux. The utilities send special commands to the drives, activating their special features, such as media quality checks. Unfortunately, someone wasn't happy with their efforts, as the parent company of Plextor sent them cease-and-desist letters accusing them of using "unfair commercial practices"...

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Do you desire to write documents? Maybe you want a diary but refuse to use a pen! Fortunately, the technology to make textfiles is available to you now and it's quick, secure, and easy, so let's get going!

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