John Squibb
Having trouble coming up with version names?
2011-12-13 21:17:11
http://fantasticnamegenerator.com/software-version-name/
I just generated a new project with the following specifications:
Code name: Swift Fog
Build 1.9.3.2a
Product Description
Integrates fully into outsourced environment. Automatic annual upgrades, no action required. Provides serious integration and considers standards at the highest level. The QA team has worked around the clock to rush the latest version. Self-extracting super worm.
Additional Features
Code speaks for itself.
Somewhat-satisfied customers can't all be wrong.
Toll-free 800 tech support number goes directly to sales floor.
Gets results NOW!
Utilizes sanity checking to ensure real time replication across all properties.
Very well indented code.
Government funded outsourcing initiative.
Designed by our highly managed team, with micromanagement as a chief concern.
Skyrim shall consume thy life.
2011-11-14 16:22:51
Like many addicted gamers, my weekend was consumed by the release of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. The latest installment from Bethesda is spot on. The PC version meets every expectation, and delivers the total RPG experience I've come to expect from the Elder Scrolls series. Since I had Veteran's day off, I was able to crank for about 5 hours Thursday, as soon as the game became available on Steam (I actually RMA'd my preorder from Amazon, which arrived noon the next day, because I couldn't wait to get started). I was up and at it again by 8 a.m. Friday, and didn't quit until almost 2 a.m. Saturday morning. I uploaded a few of my favorite screenshots to Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.240543886009347.63389.100001612128672&type=1&l=d2d19f470e). Fearing I might develop some DVT, my girlfriend Laura and I took a half-day trip to Mt. Charleston, where I also got some great screenshots (https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.239591202771282.63201.100001612128672&type=1&l=00ad23773a). After that, the rest of the weekend was Skyrim, Skyrim, and More Skyrim with a side of Skyrim. According to Steam, and I imagine I'm the lower number in their stats, I logged 35 hours over the weekend.
I picked up the PC version, because, well, I prefer PC, and I've got the machine for it (https://plus.google.com/110493034210671290586/posts/7JYYuFbR4Kz). You can expect great visuals on just about any setting. I've been using the default High settings, tweaked a bit to lean more toward the Ultra settings. Even with Dual GTX560ti cards running in SLI, I experienced some lag in full Ultra mode. Bethesda has really tuned the game to take full advantage of all available graphics rendering. If you have a less-than graphics card, fear not, the game is gorgeous on just about any setting, and the modified High settings I chose produced excellent screenshots (see above). There are a few glitches that result in mid-game crashes, but nothing out of the ordinary for a new PC game. I expect some patches are in the works. I quick save a lot, and the game autosaves constantly for me, so I merely have to crank it back up, which is very quick, though a minor annoyance.
Now for some thoughts on the gameplay itself.
The world is huuuuuuuuuuuuuge. I've barely traversed 25% of the map, and have probably only really explored 50% of that deeply. Steam tells me that I have unlocked 12/50 achievements (24%), so I imagine I've got at least another 100 hours of gameplay before I even have to start looking for things to do.
The NPC interactions are very diverse. The amount of dialog and interaction blows my mind. Just about everybody has quests and favors for you to complete, so there's no trouble finding work.
Crafting has been taken to a whole new level with alchemy, enchanting, blacksmithing, and more. You can pass time and earn gold by chopping wood, harvesting vegetables and hunting wild game. Cooking allows you to combine various foodstuffs into soups, stews, and other concoctions that provide various stamina and health benefits.
Spells seem more diverse, though I don't mess around with magic much. I go straight in for the hack and slash experience. Dragon words/shouts are an interesting feature that I probably haven't been taking much advantage of, but I get the feeling that those will become more important as I venture through the main quests and acts.
There is so much to do in the game, it's hard to express, especially this early in, just how vast it truly is. To give some perspective, Prima's Official Game Guide is over 650 pages in size. This game will undoubtedly consume hundreds of hours of my life over the next several months. If you're a fan of the Elder Scrolls series, then I imagine that you have already purchased this title and are too busy playing to be bothered reading about it. If you haven't experienced the previous titles, and you are a fan of fantasy RPG, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is a must-have. You can download it on Steam and play it right away!
ZendCon11 Review
2011-10-22 17:02:30
Last week, a couple of coworkers and I attended the 4-day, 7th Annual Zend PHP Conference (#ZendCon11) in Santa Clara California.
It was an excellent opportunity to catch up on all the latest PHP happenings, gain new knowledge, and score some tips and tricks from industry professionals.
We landed in San Jose, California around noon on Sunday, checked in at the hotel, registered at the conference, and then spent the rest of the evening looking for ways to waste time around Silicon Valley. Rather than gush over local tech companies, we did what any self-respecting PHP developers would do: eat and tour bars. If you're looking for a great buffalo burger in the Mountainview area, check out the Tied House (http://www.tiedhouse.com/). We also spent some time at Molly Magees Irish Pub ( http://www.mollysmtview.com/), which looked the look, and had the brew, so we forgave them for their late 90's US music video reel playing on all the screens, as well as the lack of additional pool tables.
We registered for the pre-conference tutorials, so we were up and at it early Monday morning. I attended the Design Patterns and the PHP Extensions tutorials, both of which were in-depth, hands-on, and definitely worth the additional time spent.
The conference itself ran from Tuesday to Thursday, and was jam-packed with sessions, keynotes, and swag-slinging booths. When a particular session block didn't appeal to me, I headed over to the unconferences, which were impromptu mini-sessions of varying topics, held by professional and amateur speakers alike. The blocking of the sessions and keynotes was very good, and I rarely found myself with any downtime at all. In fact, my brain was fairly fried by 7 p.m. each day.
The cloud was a major focus throughout the event, and rightfully so, as it has revolutionized the industry over the course of just a few years. IBM, Rackspace, and Amazon were all present, participated in individual keynotes, and shared the stage during an open-ended QA/Panel Discussion midweek. Many of the sessions were oriented around cloud services.
NoSQL was another big topic. I attended a couple of sessions on MongoDb and Redis, and found coverage on relational databases to be fairly lacking. The NoSQL trend(?) is still running very strong, and memory databases are all the rage. The MongoDb session was held in the Grand Ballroom, and a great number of the conference attendees were present.
Object-Oriented design was spread throughout, and I attended many sessions where Dependency Injection, Design patterns, and the SOLID principle were key discussion points, or assumed practices.
Git and Github have definitely taken over the reigns. I did not attend a single session where code was distributed in any other fashion than via Github. In fact, the only mention of subversion was during the "Git for Subversion Users" session that I attended the first day. As a newcomer to the Git party, I found it a natural and logical switch.
There were some sessions regarding API development, and one of my favorites was David Zuelke's "Designing HTTP Interfaces and RESTful Web Services," which was an excellent overview of the good/bad/ugly in building RESTful web services.
Other aspects that I did not expect to be so positive, were the food and beverage provisions. There was always fresh Starbucks coffee, cookies, soda, and water near the sessions. Every morning there was a continental breakfast, followed by lunch that afternoon, and dinner once the sessions ended. I did not expect the food situation to be that good.
Thanks to the sponsors, Zend, the speakers, and everyone else who made ZendCon11 a positive experience, I look forward to even more great stuff next year!
ZendCon 2011
2011-10-17 00:21:09
A couple of coworkers and I have arrived in Santa Clara for ZendCon 2011 (http://zendcon.com/). We're going to hit the pre-conference tutorials Monday, then it's breakout sessions and keynotes Tuesday-Thursday. Located in the epicenter of Silicon Valley, it's going to be a great opportunity to learn the latest in PHP development tricks, from some of the greatest minds in the industry. Plus, we've got some great swag to look forward to! I'll be spending my time in the "PHP Extensions, Why and What?" and "Design Patterns in Action" tutorials, and will probably have some comments on each. I'm glad to see a wide variety of sessions throughout the rest of the week, covering many topics I'm interested in, such as application profiling, version control, cloud services, extending PHP, databases, and much more! If you're attending, look for me there, we'll grab some coffee and exchange ideas.
Multiple Inheritance in PHP via Traits
2011-09-08 03:33:47
PHP 5.4 is going to introduce some new tricks, particularly multiple inheritance, using an ingenious traits system. Installing an alpha version of PHP is the only way to get a peek (at the time of this writing), and there are a few examples provided on the documentation page: http://us3.php.net/traits.
It’s always exciting to see PHP dip a few more of its toes into the OOP waters, so let’s see what we can do with this new feature!
negative(-11) PHP MVC Framework Alpha v0.0.4
2011-04-01 07:58:49
The v0.0.4-codename-Vanilla release of the negative(-11) PHP MVC Framework is available for immediate download at http://negative11.com/downloads.
This is an alpha release, so feedback and bug reports are encouraged.
This release introduces a couple of new packages, several bug fixes, and improved error handling. See the change log (http://negative11.com/changelog) for a full list of additions and modifications.
negative(-11) PHP MVC Framework Alpha v0.0.3
2011-02-02 21:48:53
The v0.0.3-codename-Vanilla release of the framework is available for immediate download. This is an alpha release, so feedback and bug reports are encouraged.
This release introduces the Session package, which can be used to enable database session storage for your website. Also, several new validation rules were added to the Validation package.
You can download the newest version here:
http://negative11.com
negative(-11) PHP MVC Framework
2011-01-14 01:30:36
The 0.0.1 (Vanilla) release of the negative(-11) framework is available for immediate download. This is an alpha release, so feedback and bug reports are encouraged.
The code base weighs in at under 150KB, making it lightweight and fast.
Check it out:
PHP Security - Using Tokens to Thwart Cross-Site Request Forgeries
2011-01-10 23:35:36
Minimize Cross-Site Request Forgery attacks by using tokens to protect users from malicious links. Protect application forms from outside submissions and redundant submissions.
Password Hashing Techniques
2011-01-09 11:11:24
Learn how to safeguard users' passwords by using a combination of built-in PHP functions and common practices that increase entropy.
PHP Security Tips - Error Reporting
2011-01-07 07:02:34
It is all-too-common to see weak levels of error reporting in development environments, which is unfortunate, because proper error reporting is not only one of the best debugging tools available to a developer, but also an excellent way to reveal significant security flaws in code before they become a threat in the real world.
Build a PHP MVC Framework in an Hour - Part Three
2010-11-24 21:11:50
Added Part Three of the Build a PHP MVC Framework in an Hour series to the Tutorials section. This concludes the three-part series, and provides some additional suggestions for rounding out the simple framework we out together in parts one and two.
Stay tuned for the arrival of the Negative(-11) PHP MVC Framework arriving in the next couple of weeks!
Added some new timestamp and hash tools
2010-09-26 10:07:03
I added a couple of new utilities for dealing with timestamps and hashes to the tools section. It seems like I'm always writing quick one-offs or bookmarking various sites to get a quick md5 or a unix timestamp conversion. I thought, "hey, why not condense these in one location?" Now, I can clean out a few bookmarks, write the exact tool I need, and share them with the world!
Additions, modifications, shameless self promotion
2010-09-13 08:11:53
If you are a regular visitor (all 3 of you), you've surely noticed by now, that I pushed up a new layout late last week. I also removed some links from the menu to sections I wasn't really using anymore, and also took the opportunity to slim down some of the rhetoric in the MVC framework tutorials.
Also, at the bottom of the home page, you'll notice some shameless plugs to joboxi listings that I have up. You can learn more about my involvement at joboxi in the projects section here.
Stay tuned, in the next few days, I'll be introducing a new URL shortener for my images and articles so that I don't have to keep leeching off of the joboxi URL shortener.
Samsung Captivate with Android 2.1 FTW!
2010-08-05 00:18:49
It hasn't even been a week yet, but I am confident that my decision to pass on the Dell Streak was a good one. I've been dying to transition to the Android side for a while, after all, I am a full time Linux Desktop, laptop, and server user. Late last week, I picked up the Samsung Captivate (Galaxy S branded for AT&T). I am continually impressed by this phone! It's snappy as heck, good to look at, nice to hold, and takes awesome pictures. It has all the features that my iPhone lacked: multitasking, great tactile response, image uploads via a browser, intercommunication among applications, memory management, and tons more great stuff. If you are tired of waiting on Dell, I totally recommend the Samsung Captivate!
*Sigh*, Dell, you kill me. I wash my hands of your Streak.
2010-07-29 18:46:41
I've given Dell way too many chances to impress me, and with the Streak delay, they have failed me for the last time. I had to swallow a lot of pride to admit that I actually wanted a Dell product again after my previous experiences with their hardware, customer support, and lack of product availability. Back in February, when the first glimpses of the Streak surfaced, I had to confess I was really looking forward to it. Six months, Dell's sealed lips, a release in another country, a 'just kidding' pre-sale, and a bunch of vagueness later, I'm left with no choice but to move along to a tangible product. What seemed like a revolutionary device months and months ago, sort of pales in comparison to some of the products from other manufacturers that you can buy today. Like others have mentioned, I don't feel as though I can trust Dell to upgrade the OS to a better version in a timely fashion, once I have committed to this purchase. I've allowed Dell to fool me once, twice, thrice, and now, I have nobody to blame but myself for continuing the bear the shame of their home and business products. Sorry, you've lost a customer, and this time, it's for good.
PHP Appliances, developing a framework for mocking real-world objects
2010-07-18 09:16:33
My goal, was simply to create some PHP objects, based on real-world household appliances, that rely on their own tightly knit set of interfaces, classes, and helpers. [Read Full Article]
Mr. Singleton, a Singleton for all Singletons
2010-05-04 22:02:37
I use the Singleton Design Pattern quite a bit, so much in fact, that I needed something to make using Singletons more seamless! If you are familiar with the [Singleton] pattern, and like me, have grown tired of adding getInstance() to all your classes and privatizing their constructors, then say hello to the Singleton class, known among his inner circle, as Mr. Singleton.[Read Full Article]
Overcoming Magic Numbers Through the Use of Constants
2010-04-06 23:07:26
For developers using Object-Oriented PHP, class constants can provide a quick and easy escape from the evil, universe-imploding doominess of Magic Numbers. [Read Full Article]
Joboxi Beta Arrives March 16, 2010
2010-03-11 22:14:01
Tim and I, AKA devbox2, are finishing up work on the initial rollout for joboxi.com, and are very excited to be releasing the product into private beta on Tuesday, March 16th, 2010. We've put a lot of sweat equity into developing the best site we could over the past year-and-a-half, and can't wait to see it take shape on the web. We'll be inviting everyone who visited the beta signup page to participate in a behind-the-scenes, hands-on testing cycle lasting 1-2 months. Once we are confident with the product, we'll be launching joboxi.com into the live beta version. If you'd like to sign up to be a beta tester, or would like to learn more about joboxi, click here. We look forward to hearing your input on our new product!
New Layout
2010-03-07 20:12:54
Welcome! If you are a regular visitor, you will notice that the layout has changed. Most notable is that the navigation has moved to the right. Navigating the website has not changed significantly, as the menu options remain the same, save for the addition of a few extra categories. If you have bookmarked any pages, you should still be able to follow those links, however, you will be redirected to their new location. If you have any problems finding an old page, please contact me and I'll see if I can't dig it up!
New Travel Destinations, Photos, and a Bash Script
2009-09-07 00:50:47
I Posted a new destination and some photos up in the travel section. I dug an old bash script out of the toolbox to resize some of the photos I needed to upload, and rather than simply toss it back in, I decided to post it in the Articles section for anyone interested. Click here to check it out.
Class Method Chaining, Chainable Interfaces
2009-09-03 22:57:19
I added a couple of new tutorials dealing with Class Method Chaining. If you are unfamiliar with the concept, check out this tutorial. Once you have mastered that, check out the Chainable Interface Tutorial for some more Chaining tactics.
Follow me on twitter to get notifications whenever I add new tutorials, articles, source code, and more!
PHP 5.3: Variable Static Methods and Namespaces
2009-09-02 21:30:53
Version 5.3 has been out a little over two months, so it's nigh time I dug into into it! It's surprising that I've waited this long to get around to installing it, as it contains some tidbits that I have been eagerly awaiting since talk about PHP 6 began a couple years ago. In addition to the usual bug fixes, this version includes support for two features of particular interest to me: namespaces and variable static method calls. [Read Full Article]
Books, twitter-bot, and other news.
2009-08-27 23:04:28
After about five months of blasting my Twitter account with automated nonsensical garbage, I've decided to take down the BabbleBot and actually start using Twitter for it's intended purpose: non-automated nonsensical garbage! Several people have asked me about BabbleBot's inner workings, so I have placed his source code up in the Spiders/Bots section. Also, I've added a new book,Professional PHP Design Patterns to the Suggested Reading section, so check that out. Also, if you'd like to get acquainted with a local (Las Vegas) UX Designer, head on over to Tim Davis' swag247.com. Tim is one of the best Front End/UX designers I have had the privilege of working with on several projects, past and present.
Google Linux Special Search
2009-08-18 01:36:23
I Google a lot. Just like millions of others, my short road to a quick answer on most any topic begins with the click of a browser icon, and the typing of a query into the search box. With the press of the search button, I am fractions of a second from enlightenment, as pages of answers splash across my screen. Read Full Article
Grand Canyon Pictures
2009-08-15 14:36:20
I finally put up the pictures from our Grand Canyon trip back in June! To check them out Click Here or choose the Travel link in the main menu. I also updated the Portfolio/Projects section with some stuff I've been working on lately.
Added Part Two of the MVC Framework Tutorial: Libraries and Drivers.
2009-05-22 23:23:37
I just put the finishing touches on Part Two (click to view) of the multi-part MVC Framework tutorial. In Part One of the tutorial, you laid the foundation for the framework in under an hour. In part two, you extend upon it by adding libraries and drivers.
Added Travel Section
2009-05-08 01:22:05
I added a travel section to the main menu. I don't do a lot of meandering about the world, but when I do, this is where I will talk about it! Click Here or choose the Travel link in the main menu.
Build a PHP MVC Framework in One Hour.
2009-04-28 02:35:14
Just added a new tutorial to demonstrate how to build a simple PHP MVC Framework. Click here to check it out!. A nice introduction for those looking to take a crack at writing their own PHP framework from scratch. Complete source download available in .zip and .tar.gz formats. This is the 1st in a multi-tutorial series to be released over the next month.
Music Added
2009-01-16 22:11:47
I added links to some of my songs that are part of an ongoing project, the Meteor Wind Collection. Two songs are currently available for download here. You can also listen to them at mp3.com
Snow in Las Vegas!
2008-12-17 20:11:48
Record snowfall in Las Vegas! I live and work in Henderson, Nevada, which is LV's neighbor...It started snowing around noon today and just kept going! Check out the pictures here!
Python & Python Classes
2008-09-02 11:37:10
I've been spending the past several weeks delving into Python, and as a result have created a new website, pyClass.org. If you're looking for Python classes or have some to share with the world, head on over and check it out! It is currently in beta mode with more features on the horizon.
Frameworks & Templates
2008-08-07 00:08:10
I am currently playing with a hybrid of the Kohana PHP framework and the Smarty Template Engine as part of an ongoing desire to bury myself in new projects. As I am now using Ubuntu Linux as my sole operating system for both home and work, I am looking for even more ways to streamline my productivity.
Updated About Me Section
2008-07-22 21:20:01
Updated About Me Section with a quick bio.
Added Spiders/Bots Section
2008-07-20 23:58:36
Added information about some of the bots and spiders I employ. Check it out by clicking the link in the main menu.
Added Tutorials Section
2008-07-11 23:05:42
Posted links to tutorials section, with updates to the color picker OOP PHP class tutorial
Portfolio & Current Projects
2008-07-08 00:29:47
Added some links in the Portfolio and Current Projects sections of the website. Check out some of what keeps me busy! Addtional content coming soon in these sections.
Upgrading Website
2008-07-06 23:56:58
The site is currently undergoing rennovation. You'll be seeing a lot of "Lorem Ipsum" content as I spec out regions and page layouts. Check back for updates and more content to come.
Tags: news,updates,information
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