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Why Can't Microsoft Ship Open Source Software?

In Codeplex wastes six months reinventing wheels, Ryan Davis has a bone to pick with Microsoft:I saw an announcement that CodePlex, Microsoft's version of Sourceforge, has released a source control client.This infuriates me. This cool thing they spent six months (six!) writing is called Subversion, and it had a 1.0.0 release . Subversion had its first beta in late 2003, so the Codeplex folks are waaay behind the state of the art on this one.As a whole, I think the state of software is abysmal. The only way to make it better is to stop writing new code. New code is always full of bugs, and its an expensive path to get from blank screen to stable program. We need to treat programming more like math, we need to build on our results. Development tools is a special market, as our needs are all very similar, and when we need a tool, we have the skills to make it. It's a great rant -- you should read the whole thing -- but I'm not sure I entirely agree.While I do empathize with the overall sentiment that Ryan is expressing here, I also found myself nodding along with Addy Santo, who left this comment:Author seems to think that all software development is done in basements and dorms. The reality is that software is an industry like any other - and follows the same simple rules of economics. How many brands of sports shoes are there? How many different MP3 players? Flavors of toothpaste ? If you can walk down the soft drink isle and not be "infuriated" by Vanilla Cherry Diet Doctor Pepper then you might just be a hypocrite.So if you think Microsoft's particular flavor of source control is redundant, you'll really hate Diet Cherry Chocolate Dr. Pepper.(I am now required by law to link Tay Zonday's Cherry Chocolate Rain video. My apologies in advance. And if that makes no sense to you, see here.)Are there meaningful differences between Microsoft's Team Foundation flavor of version control and Subversion? The short answer is that there aren't -- if all you're looking for is a carbonated beverage. If all you require is run of the mill, basic centralized source control duties, they're basically the same product. So why not go with the free one?But Team Foundation is much more than just source control. Of course there are open source equivalents to much of the functionality offered in Team System, as Ryan is quick to point out.The Codeplex staff stated they needed to write their own client in order to integrate with the TFS server infrastructure. According to an MSDN article (Get All Your Devs In A Row With Visual Studio 2005 Team System), TFS seems to be a complicated tool to help manage your developers. Reading the description, TFS is an issue tracker, unit tester, continuous integration, source control system, and Visual Studio plugin. So, basically a combination of Trac, NUnit, CruiseControl.NET, Subversion, and a Visual Studio plugin. Why not just write the Visual Studio plugin, and hook into the tools people are already using? All those tools have rich plugin-architectures that would probably support any sensible addition you'd want to make. The answer, of course, is that Microsoft does all that painful integration work for you -- at a price.If you have the time to look closer, you'll find more flavorful differences between Subversion and TFS source control. Differences more akin to, say, Dr. Pepper and Mr. Pibb.I'm not going to enumerate all the subtle and not-so-subtle differences between the two here; picking a fight between two modern centralized version control systems is not my goal. They're both great. Choose whatever modern source control system you prefer, and take the time to learn it in depth. Source control is the bedrock of modern software engineering, and I've found precious few developers that truly understand how it works. All that time we were going to spend arguing whether your source control system can beat up my source control system? I've got a radical idea: let's spend it on learning the damn stuff instead.Still, there is a much deeper, more endemic problem here that Ryan alludes to, and it deserves to be addressed.One of Microsoft's biggest challenges in the last few years has been that its competitors are free to ship what are, by now, fairly mature open source components as parts of their operating systems. When was the last time you ever saw any open source anything shipping in a Microsoft product? On some deep, dark corporate level, Microsoft must feel compelled to rewrite everything to completely own the source code. Sometimes -- a more cynical person might say "often" -- this results in poor quality copies instead of actual innovation, such as Microsoft's much-maligned MSTest unit test framework. It's a clone of NUnit with all new bugs and no new features, but it can be included in the box with Visual Studio and integrated into the product. It's a one step forward, two steps back sort of affair.Everybody I know -- including our own Stack Overflow team -- who has tried to use the MSTest flavor of unit tests has eventually thrown up their arms and gone back to NUnit. It's just too painful; the commercial clone lacks the simplicity, power, and community support of the original open source version. There's simply no reason for MSTest to exist except to satisfy some bizarre corporate directive that Microsoft never ship open source code in their products. Furthermore, this blind spot hampers obvious integration points. Microsoft could build first-class integration points for NUnit into Visual Studio. But they haven't, and probably never will, because so much effort is poured into maintaining the second-rate MSTest clone.In fact, the more I think about this, the more I think Microsoft's utter inability to integrate open source software of any kind whatsoever into their products might just end up killing them. It's a huge problem, and it's only going to get worse over time. Open source seems to evolve according to a different power law than commercial software. If I worked in the upper echelons of Microsoft, I'd be looking at the graph of open source software growth from the years of 1999 to 2008 and crapping my pants right about now.It's a shame, because the best way to "beat" open source is to join 'em -- to integrate with and ship open source components as a part of your product. Unfortunately, that's the one route that Microsoft seems hell bent on never following. Complimentary paperback book on lightweight peer code review. 10 essays from industry experts. Free shipping. Order Best Kept Secrets of Peer Code Review.

Source || Under Other by Geeko - few hours ago


Technobabble, Courtesy of 1988’s Compaq

Who would’ve thought Star Trek doesn’t have the monopoly on technobabble? Watch this poor marketer try to understand engineers spouting endless technical jargon:Share ThisWho would’ve thought Star Trek doesn’t have the monopoly on technobabble? Watch this poor marketer try to understand engineers spouting endless technical jargon:



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Source || Under Other by Jercy78 - yesterday


The New Hand Charger on the Block, With Some USB on the Side

Datexx knows there are lots of hand-cranked chargers out there, so they’ve thrown in “4 cell phones tips” (Nokia, Motorola, Samsung, Kyocera, and LG says the Amazon product page, but that’s five!) and “a USB adaptor” to sweeten the deal.The manufacturer says that this cranky powerhouse promises enough juice to let you yap on your Datexx knows there are lots of hand-cranked chargers out there, so they’ve thrown in “4 cell phones tips” (Nokia, Motorola, Samsung, Kyocera, and LG says the Amazon product page, but that’s five!) and “a USB adaptor” to sweeten the deal.

The manufacturer says that this cranky powerhouse promises enough juice to let you yap on your cell phone for 4 hours, keep it on for 36, and 5 for iPods. 2 minutes of hand action will provide 6 of talking.

For those who own hand-cranked chargers, how well have they served you? Are they really useful, or just a gimmick of the gadget world?

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Source || Under Other by Iread - yesterday


Recipes And Stories Unblogged




Me, holding the papers and my pen: Are you in? Things are about to get a little weird-er.
Him, looking over the contract one last time: Yes, I am in.
Me: allright...there I sign...
Him: ugh...does this mean you are going to be baking even more desserts? Will I still get to eat them?
Me: yes, but now there might be a scoring card attached to them!!

The picture above sort of speaks for itself and I admit that I already told a hand full of you because 1/ I could not hold it anymore and 2/ if you write me the "what are you up to?" email, I can't possibly say "nothing" and post that a couple of weeks ago I signed my name at the bottom of a publishing contract for a cookbook.

Yep...100 recipes, 100 stories and 100 reasons to get you baking! 100 recipes (metric and US) never blogged about, well, except for a hand full that I have already posted but wanted to work on, specials created for work, desserts I came up with while working on others for the blog, wonderful recipes inherited from my grandmother,.etc...All have are rooted in my French background but most had to be adapted to what I found when I settled in the States, whether it be ingredients, methods or traditions. I am baking, styling the food, taking the pictures and telling you a story along the way. I hope you understand if the updates here slow down here and there and why I might be commenting a little less then before, just know that I am reading, salivating, laughing and crying along with you.

How did this all come to be? Well, I did not wake up one morning to find a "we want to publish you" email. It was rater a combination of events and relationships formed that finally brought that "you are our priority" email in my mailbox one morning....I first started this blog as a place to write about my passion for desserts and to have my family and friends read to keep me accountable. To say that I never thought of what cool things could come out of writing Tartelette (another happening I'll share in a couple of weeks) would be insulting your intelligence. But writing my own cookbook? I would have probably checked my temperature first. Like a craft or a child, the blog grew, and all because of you. By your visits, your comments and your emails, you implicitly also said "I am in" and one of the results stands in front of you today. I owe a lot of this to your support and your readership. I also know that if you want something in life, you have got to make it happen. So before I become even more absent or the best ghost commenter out there, at least you know why. I am baking you a whole of good things!

When my friend Hannah was about to release her own book, her publisher emailed me wanting to know if I wanted an advance copy for review. I like Alisa from the very first emails we exchanged. I liked her tone, her sensibility and I was very very impressed with the way she was handling Hannah's book release. I thought "Wow! If I were writing a book, I sure would want her to be my publisher". Then I realised that I had tons of questions about book and recipe writing and we started to talk about them and a few weeks later, she encouraged me to write a proposal and she would look it over and if not their publishing house, at least she could give me a couple of pointers. Well, I guess I did an ok job because after many months (that's another thing folks....unless you hook up a typewriter to your brain, whisk away 24/7, and take pictures like a mad one, it takes a lot of time and energy), they did send that "We are in" email....and the next 8 months are going to be bu-sy, bu-sy!!

The book is strongly related to the pictures of my grandparents above. I grew up with a spatula in one hand and an egg in the other, sitting on the kitchen counter by my grandmother, whisking and folding under her guidance. She distilled her love for desserts one recipe at a time, always careful to make me smell and taste, never afraid to let me destroy a cake because I would learn something no matter what. A couple of years after her death, my grandfather handed me her recipe boxes, all our family favorites, right there. I picked one of my favorites, set a stool by the counter top for my niece Lea, and that afternoon we made Grandma's Madeleines. I repeated the steps she taught me with Lea, I let her stir and fold, I let her butter the molds and spill the batter. It filled me up with such sadness and love at the same time. We proudly served them to my grandfather who exclaimed "I always told her she should organize them in some sort of book....but she always did what she wanted anyways..."

I flew home with the boxes in my carry on. I read them over and over on the plane, closing my eyes at each one. I could hear her voice, I could see my mom sitting at the table with her tea while I would emerge from the kitchen carrying a freshly baked flourless cake or a batch of cream puffs. Grandma would make me wait, she'd set up the table with freshly cleaned linens, a pretty plate and then she would go pick a spoon from her collection and hand it to me "go on, go ahead, you can have it now". Baking does not end in the kitchen, it starts in your mind, carries down through your fingertips and passes on to your nose, your eyes and ends at the table....in your mouth.

Once home, I put them in the front of my other recipe binders and once or twice a week I would work through them, edit the quantities, the ingredients, to work with the time, the economy, what I had available here, enhance, reduce, balance. For me a recipe is never final , it always a work in progress. I don't pretend to reinvent the pastry wheel, I like to work with things that most everybody can find and that will make you head to the kitchen without thinking twice whether you can do it. Of course you can! It's not rocket science...otherwise I would not be here today! I am always trying to bring a little extra, to give you as many tips and tricks as possible (so far Tanna liked them!) so there is more than grandma's tried and true going in the book. Because of her teachings and passion for food, I ended up doing this as a profession, and a hobby, and a favor, and teaching others....so much so that as I grew into this craft the more I found myself coming up with other recipes. I dare not say they will turn your world upside down, but I think they will nudge novices into tying on that apron a little tighter and try and seasoned bakers to come relax with me with a recipe, a story and a cup of tea. Title?

C'est Sweet: A baked narrative...

Oh gosh...is somebody still reading? There will be cake this weekend...Promise!

Source || Under Other by Marker - yesterday


6X Blu-ray Drive Made for Apple Mac

I have my personal thoughts on Blu-ray, mostly concerning its viability as a successor to DVD for pre-recorded movies, especially in the face of downloads, but there’s one area where a big optical disc is still useful: backing up large chunks of data.MCE Technologies’ new Mac specific Blu-ray burner takes care of this. Gone is I have my personal thoughts on Blu-ray, mostly concerning its viability as a successor to DVD for pre-recorded movies, especially in the face of downloads, but there’s one area where a big optical disc is still useful: backing up large chunks of data.

MCE Technologies’ new Mac specific Blu-ray burner takes care of this. Gone is the need for specific software. The Blu-ray SuperDrive behaves just like any other optical drive. Slide it into your Apple Mac Pro and you can drag, drop and burn files right from the Finder.

The 6x speed in the title refers to authoring one 25GB layer. For dual layer burning, you’ll get just 4x, and there’s a twist. The drive can also read and write CD’s and DVD’s, and burn logos into the discs with LightScribe.

The MCE 6X Blu-ray Recordable Drive plus one free 25 GB Blu-ray disc is priced at $499.00 USD.

You can also get a bundle with Roxio Toast 9 and the HD/BD plug-in which is priced at 599.00 USD.

Tags: apple, Media, TechnologyShare This



Source || Under Other by Dotrock - couple of days ago


Impossible is Nothing, Mac OS X Edition

Perhaps the real question is: how often do Macs crash compared to PCs? Source: ericstoller.com.Share This

Perhaps the real question is: how often do Macs crash compared to PCs? Source: ericstoller.com.

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Source || Under Other by Marker - couple of days ago


It’s Time to Upgrade Your Gaming Rig

Current games like Age of Conan and Mass Effect already give high-end PCs a tough time, and it looks like upcoming games like Diablo 3 and Red Alert 3 will be even more demanding. The screenshots are probably making my current gaming rig pee in its pants.For some reason, I’m thinking now is the perfect Current games like Age of Conan and Mass Effect already give high-end PCs a tough time, and it looks like upcoming games like Diablo 3 and Red Alert 3 will be even more demanding. The screenshots are probably making my current gaming rig pee in its pants.

For some reason, I’m thinking now is the perfect time for avid gamers to upgrade their PCs—or even invest in a new one. The second option is more affordable than it sounds, thanks to great resources like Tom’s Hardware.

On the opposite extreme, those who have the cash to spend should really get the best the money can buy—again, if they’re really into gaming. As a rule I always try to select/build a system that lasts for at least two years. At the same time however, not all of us can afford to spend $3000+ “just” on gaming.

According to my limited experience in choosing the right gaming setup, right between top-of-the-line and budget, here’s what I would get:

A 3Ghz processor4GB of RAMA video card with at least 1GB of memory500GB of hard disk spaceDVD-WriterA 22″ LCD monitorFeel free to criticize my arbitrary selection and lack of detail. So long as you provide a more detailed setup in the comments below.

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Source || Under Other by Swooningmac - couple of days ago


AT&T Announces iPhone Plan Pricing and Unlocked Units

AT&T finally came out with their planned iPhone 3G plan prices, exposing Steve Job’s $199 for the 8GB model and $299 for the 16GB variant prices as borderline duplicituous. Those figures are only available to AT&T customers who are “upgrade eligible” (find out if you are here). Buyers who don’t meet the criteria will have

AT&T finally came out with their planned iPhone 3G plan prices, exposing Steve Job’s $199 for the 8GB model and $299 for the 16GB variant prices as borderline duplicituous.

Those figures are only available to AT&T customers who are “upgrade eligible” (find out if you are here). Buyers who don’t meet the criteria will have to pay extra for the “early upgrade”; $399 for the 8GB version, or $499 for the 16GB iPhone. Either setup locks you into a two-year contract with AT&T.

Surprisingly, AT&T has also announced the future availability of a no-contract iPhone 3G. The 8GB variant will cost $499, while the 16GB version will set you back $599.

In any case, buyers are required to have their new iPhone activated in-store. Customers will need a photo ID and their social security number for the credit check. If you’re really interested in getting the iPhone 3G once it’s out at 8AM Eastern on July 11, AT&T has helpfully provided a comprehensiveonline brochure to help you out.

Even if buying an iPhone 3G will apparently be more complicated—a procedure no doubt meant to counter bulk buyers who plan to unlock and sell those cheap $199 phones—I’m pretty sure Apple and AT&T stores will be full come launch day.

Tags: Activating the iPhone 3G, buying the iPhone 3G, iPhone 3G, iPhone 3G activation, iPhone 3G plans, iPhone 3G pricesShare This



Source || Under Other by Swooningmac - couple of days ago


Alan Turing, the Father of Computer Science

Charles Petzold was kind enough to send me a copy of his new book, The Annotated Turing: A Guided Tour Through Alan Turing's Historic Paper on Computability and the Turing Machine.One look at the original title page of Turing's paper is enough to convince me that we're fortunate to have a guide as distinguished and patient as Charles. You know you're in trouble when the very first page opens with "Entscheidungsproblem".The computer you're using to read this post is based on the mathematical model laid out in that thirty-six page 1936 paper. As are all other computers in the world. The terms Turing Machine and Turing Complete are both derived from that one historic paper.Needless to say, we owe Alan Turing a lot. Not only is Alan Turing the father of all modern computer science, he also was the single individual most responsible for breaking the Enigma code during World War II, and he laid the foundation for artificial intelligence by posing the Turing Test in 1950.Unfortunately, Alan Turing was also terribly persecuted for the "crime" of being a homosexual. He was arrested in 1952 for having sex with another man. It pains me greatly to read about the degrading and inhumane treatment one of our greatest scientific minds was subjected to. Alan Turing ultimately committed suicide not long afterwards at the age of 42.The "nobel prize of computing" was founded in Turing's name in 1966. Reading the list of Turing Award recipients is humbling indeed, a reminder of not only how far we've come, but how far we have to go.The Alan Turing Memorial, erected in 2001, bears this Bertrand Russell quote:Mathematics, rightly viewed, possesses not only truth, but supreme beauty -- a beauty cold and austere, like that of sculpture.You'll note that the statue depicts Turing holding an apple in his right hand, a reference to the way he chose to end his life -- by eating a cyanide-laced apple. That was Turing's last message to the world, with clear parallels not only to the legendary scientific knowledge of Isaac Newton, but also the biblical interpretation of forbidden love.Petzold's Annotated Turing is a gripping testament to the amazing mind of Alan Turing. Writing the book was a nine year labor of love, and it shows. It may be his shortest book -- but it could also, perhaps, be his best yet. Peer Code Review. No meetings. No busy-work. Customizable workflows and reports. Try Jolt Award-winning Code Collaborator.

Source || Under Other by Marker - couple of days ago


Intel Hates Vista, and So Do I (Mostly)

You can be sure that a lot of people will be writing about how Intel “backstabbed” Microsoft by refusing to upgrade its workstations to Vista, but here’s my take on this development.Imagine using a pretty powerful XPS M1330, only to find that, thanks to Vista, thing are still slow. I’d understand if it takes forever You can be sure that a lot of people will be writing about how Intel “backstabbed” Microsoft by refusing to upgrade its workstations to Vista, but here’s my take on this development.

Imagine using a pretty powerful XPS M1330, only to find that, thanks to Vista, thing are still slow. I’d understand if it takes forever to render a computer animation, or to compute the value of pi to the 3,000th decimal point, but taking a minute to start up and shut down? C’mon!

To Vista’s credit though, there are some decent improvements in functionality. The search, which mimics Mac OS X’s spotlight, is much faster for instance. Windows staples like Control Panel are also much easier to navigate, and Vista’s graphics are much more welcome than XP’s “Fisher Price” look.

But please, if you come out with a “next-generation” OS that makes it tough even for top-of-the-line machines, you can expect everyone to complain. Even if Microsoft allegedly formulated Vista to boost Intel’s bottom line (by forcing consumers to upgrade their hardware like processors), I can’t expect Intel to support an OS that represents a step backward for Microsoft.

To anyone who also uses Vista and shares my pain, I recommend downloading Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (434.5 MB). It may not fix everything that’s wrong with Vista, but it does make the experience a bit more bearable.

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Source || Under Other by Marker - few days ago


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