12-year-old app developer

So check it out:

 12-year-old app developer, named Thomas Suarez, talking about his life and what brought him to coding at a relatively young age. Sure, he’s not the youngest coder out there, nor probably the best for his age, but he’s remarkably confident for a young guy (and an impressive public speaker) — and he’s out there building things and educating his friends (and teachers) about technology in the process.

Inspired by Steve Jobs, his parents, and Apple’s release of its SDK, he started to code and learned Python, Java, and C “just to get the basics down”, he says. Suarez makes iPhone apps, notably an app called Bustin Jieber, which is a “whack-a-mole” game in which you pummel the Biebs. If you don’t think that’s awesome, then something may just be wrong with you. He also recently started his own company, called CarrotCorp.

In his talk, the young app developer discusses how students are becoming a valuable source of information about technology, especially for teachers, and should be allowed to assist in developing technology curricula in schools.

Hopefully talks like this inspire younger generations to take up coding and get involved in creating new technologies — not just new apps — but apps and tools that address those real, seemingly insurmountable problems. Bustin Jieber and Suarez prove that app development, coding, and design are, on the whole, becoming increasingly accessible both to young people and those without CS graduate degrees. Even if his apps aren’t gold-caliber, he’s 12-years-old. We talk a lot about the U.S. “no longer making anything”, but if more kids like Thomas take up the reins, the U.S. and the world at large will no doubt be better off.

30 Plus Cloud Services You Need To Know

         Cloud/IaaS/PaaS Vendors Overview

Cloud computing generally refers to the operation of application software based on internet-enabled devices. Cloud architectures comprise the forms of private, public or hybrid cloud.
IaaS (infrastructure as a service) providers offer physical or virtual machines that can be scaled up and down according to the customers’ requirements.
PaaS (platform as a service providers) offer computing platforms like operating systems, databases, web servers etc. on top of sheer infrastructure.
SaaS (software as a service) providers offer cloud-based applications. Salesforce started their business as a SaaS provider for customer relationship management.

Currently there are 30 tools available in this category.

- See more at: http://www.growthbricks.com/infrastructure/cloud-iaas-paas#sthash.a9p590QZ.dpuf

Cloud computing generally refers to the operation of application software based on internet-enabled devices. Cloud architectures comprise the forms of private, public or hybrid cloud.
IaaS (infrastructure as a service) providers offer physical or virtual machines that can be scaled up and down according to the customers’ requirements.
PaaS (platform as a service providers) offer computing platforms like operating systems, databases, web servers etc. on top of sheer infrastructure.
SaaS (software as a service) providers offer cloud-based applications. Salesforce started their business as a SaaS provider for customer relationship management.

                              Currently there are 30 tools available in this category.

Microsoft Azure:
The official account for Microsoft Azure. Follow for news and updates from the team and community.
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amazon.com:
Official Twitter of http://t.co/0ZCjSBnYuz. Contact @AmazonHelp for customer support.
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cloudyn:
Cloud monitoring & optimization SaaS for actionable business insights and recommendations including sizing, location, and pricing optimization capabilities.
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digitalOcean:
We're simplifying the cloud by providing an infrastructure experience that developers love. Status: @DOstatus Stickers: http://t.co/BLqADtWDRl
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CA technologies:
CA Technologies helps customers succeed in a future where every business — from apparel to energy — is being rewritten by software.
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CloudPassage:
Agile security for agile enterprises
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riverbed:
The official Twitter page for Riverbed Technology. Your source for the latest IT performance developments for globally connected enterprises.
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Joyent:
Joyent delivers container infrastructure as a service, offering organizations high-performance, yet simple, public cloud & private cloud software solutions
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right scale:
RightScale Cloud Portfolio Management for public, private, and virtualized infrastructure. RightScale 2015 State of the Cloud Report http://t.co/OBgDpVsEXb
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heroku:
Heroku provides services and tools to build, run, and scale web applications. A @salesforce company.
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imperva:
Protecting high-value applications and data assets in physical and virtual data centers.
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citrix:
Empowering you to #workbetter, live better. Sharing insights in cloud, mobile, virtualization, collaboration & networking.
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gigaspaces:
in-memory computing software platform that processes all your data & apps in real time.
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abiquo:
Abiquo delivers the industry’s leading True Hybrid Cloud orchestration software, allowing providers to quickly build and monetise cloud services.
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radware:
Radware provides business-smart networking for data centers with advanced solutions for application delivery, security and virtualization.
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rackspace:
We're a Hackerspace in Heerlen, NL. Looking for participants. Location: CB6, Kloosterweg 1, Heerlen)
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vmware:
Follow @VMwareNews for company news. Contact @VMwareCares for customer support. View and follow all VMware Twitter accounts at: http://t.co/0sfbZ1rQKq.
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scalr:
Software to design and manage resilient, scalable infrastructure for applications deployed across public and private clouds. Join us at http://t.co/ueRZNLHDG0.
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'

apprenda:
Empowering enterprises to develop and manage cloud applications better and faster with private PaaS.
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akamai:
We are the leading provider of #cloud services for delivering, optimizing and securing online content and business applications across any #device, anywhere.
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bluelock:
Flexible IT infrastructure solutions hosted in the public cloud. Provider of IaaS, Recovery-as-a-Service (RaaS) and professional, advisory and managed services.
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Google:
News and updates from Google
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engine yard:
Engine Yard is the leading cloud orchestration and Docker platform. You can also follow @eycloud for support updates.
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keynote:
Mobile & web performance tips from the leader in digital business optimization - Video: http://t.co/zWqK03smcg #SaaS #mobile #perfmatters #analytics
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cloudability:
Cloud cost and usage analytics. Track your spending on the cloud and make sure you're not wasting money.
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bitnami:
The App Store for Server Software. Bitnami makes it easy to run your favorite web applications natively, virtually and in the cloud.
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cloudflare:
The Web Performance & Security Company.
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bmc:
BMC Brings IT to Life with IT management solutions that deliver an intuitive experience through both industrialization and high-speed innovation.
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dotCloud:
A simple multi-language application platform. Assemble your stack from dozens of pre-configured components. We deploy and scale it for you.
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appirio:

Helping customers innovate and win in the new cloud economy. - See more at: http://www.growthbricks.com/infrastructure/cloud-iaas-paas#sthash.a9p590QZ.dpuf

Helping customers innovate and win in the new cloud economy.
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Email 101: 11 Tips To Manage Your Email

Get your head in the email game:

Let’s face it, as much as we might complain about it, email remains an integral part of business communication – a form many college graduates are ill-prepared for. Rather than let it trip you up at the beginning of your career, or become a productivity killer every work week, try a handful of these tips and tricks and you’ll zipping through your inbox in no time at all while minimizing electronic faux pas?

Mind the forwarded email:

Email messages are a wonderful work tool when it comes to communicating the content of prior discussions, or to get a new team member quickly up to speed on previously discussed and agreed-on points. Always check before forwarding a lengthy email thread to a subordinate or a vendor, though, as it may inadvertently contain confidential information or remarks that may be best kept to the original recipients. With this in mind, making a quick snip of extraneous information may be a good habit to develop.

 

The power of the out-of-office message:

Going to be out of town on a business trip (with “limited access to email,” wink-wink, nudge-nudge) over the next few days, or legitimately sick and stuck at home? Don’t underestimate the power of a concisely written out-of-office message to save you from having to explain your absence for the umpteenth time, or even from the undeserved ire of clients or colleagues. Remember to include information about when you’ll be back in action, as well as relevant contact information to colleagues or an assistant who will be able to assist with urgent queries.

When (attachment) size matters:

While larger attachment allotment these days mean that large files of up to 25MB can be sent via Gmail or Office 365, it’s generally considered bad form – and a common rookie mistake – to send files of more than a few megabytes via email. Images can be easily resized on the PC using a free app like IrfanView; alternatively, you can also upload large file attachments to an online cloud service such as Dropbox or Google Drive and email a link instead.

Number your points in longer emails:

If you’re writing a longer email with multiple points of discussion, or instructions, consider numbering your individual points so as to make it easier for a reader to follow – and to respond if desired. It’ll go a long way towards eliminating the chance of time-wasting misunderstandings. Bulleted lists work well, too.

File all emails away:

One consequence of an inundated inbox is that critical emails can get lost in the flood of messages you get every day. It’s only natural to leave emails of even marginal importance in your inbox for fear of overlooking something that requires action, or at least a response. Consider moving all email messages that don’t require you to do something into a separate folder where they can be easily found if you need to go digging. Forget about creating sub-folders though; these kinds of emails can always be found using your email program’s search features, which these days are fast, accurate and efficient.

Maximize your subject lines:

The subject line is an important part of an email message that’s often overlooked. For one, having the appropriate subject line can serve to draw the right level of attention to the email, whether it’s an information-only message or if a response is required, not to mention the level of urgency. Additionally, a concise subject line also makes it much easier to sort through or find emails later. When forwarding or replying to an email, consider modifying the subject line if it would better reflect the nature of the response.

Moving beyond email:

A common trap of novice email users is to use their inbox as a giant “to do” list. In addition to being highly inefficient, though, this isn’t what the inbox was originated created for. Fortunately, tools exist – such as Trello – that let you easily convert email messages into “tasks” to be addressed at a later date by simply forwarding them to a customized email address. Popular email programs, such as Outlook, also allow you to convert emails to to-do items on a task list, complete with reminders and priority flags.

Don’t take too long to respond:

It’s important to remember that, in the office, at least, email is very much a work communication and productivity tool. As such, it makes sense to avoid letting important messages languish in your inbox for too long. Though there are no hard and fast rules, it’s probably a good idea to respond within three working days or less; replying any later risks sending a signal to the recipient that either they, or the issue being discussed, is low priority.

Consider not checking your email in the morning:

While it’s important to not take too long to reply to critical emails, it’s also easy to fall into the trap of spending too much time working through your inbox – and getting little actual work done. Given that the morning is when most of us perform at our peak, one trick is to dive straight into non-email work the moment we step into the office, and not check email for a couple hours. Another strategy is to set aside blocks of time throughout the day specifically to read and respond to emails.

Know when to use the phone:

For all the power of email as a business tool, there are times when a quick phone call can be more effective than never-ending email threads. For instance, when a situation becomes too complicated to explain over email, or you’re discussing contentious or urgent matters, just pick up the phone and give your furiously tapping fingers a rest.

Unsubscribe from mailing lists:

Part of the trick when it comes to dealing with information overload is to consciously reduce the number of emails that end up cluttering your inbox. A quick and easy strategy here is to unsubscribe from news and promotional mailing lists that you no longer have an interest in. Unsubscribing is typically a one or two-click process and prominently featured at the top or bottom of an email message – and you can always add the email address to the spam list if unsubscribing doesn’t work.

 

 

"Interview"

4 skills that will help you stand out in any job interview:

 If you're in job search mode or even keeping your eye on job openings *just in case*, then you're probably wondering what you can do to really get the attention of someone who can give you a job.

LinkedIn looked into that very question and analyzed over 330 million member profiles to see which skills are the most important in the job market. The result was that the vast majority of the 25 "hottest" ones were tech-related. Those top skills included things like mobile development, digital marketing, Ruby, and user interface design.

Start by getting the fundamentals in the following four areas. That might be all you need to do your work more efficiently and effectively. Or, if then you realize that you need to dive deeper, you'll have the foundation set to go further into design or development and to take your career even further.

1. Content management 

Think about your favorite blogs or all the sites you rely on to get your news, information, or entertainment. What if you went to one of them tomorrow and there was nothing new? No daily post. No news. No latest episode of your favorite tv show. "Noooooo!" you shriek.

Well, without content management, that's what would happen. Content management is basically getting digital content — like text, photos, videos, etc. — onto a website. The main steps involved in content management include creating, editing, and publishing the digital materials.
To get started as a content manager, you'll need to get familiar with a content management system (or "CMS") like WordPress. That means, for example: learning your way around the admin panel, creating and editing posts, formatting content, and so on.
There's plenty to learn, but it's easy to get started. And, since almost every company or organization uses web content in some way nowadays, you can turn even basic content management skills into a real advantage at your current job or in your job hunt.

2. Photo editing and design skills

Since there are millions and millions of websites out there nowadays, your company will definitely want theirs to stand out...in a good way, that is!
One of the best ways to make a site that people love to visit is to make it beautiful to look at and a pleasure to use. And that's where photo editing and graphic design skills come in.
With photo editing, you'll be able to make gorgeous images and graphics. And, by doing user research, tracing user flows, mapping out sites, and drafting wireframes, you can craft user-friendly sites. Add on design concepts like typography, color theory, and the Golden Ratio, and you'll soon be able to design sites — and even email newsletters — that people actually love.
To get going with photo editing, you'll need to learn to use software like Photoshop. And, to gain web design skills, you'll need to learn the mainstays of user experience (UX), and design.

3. HTML

All this talk of websites might have you wondering what's behind most of them. What are they built on? Well, that's HTML, or HyperText Mark-up Language.
Tech terms like that might sound a little intimidating, but HTML is just the language used to put content on a web page and give it structure.
Since HTML is a building block of the Web, having a hold on the basics of HTML can play an important role in your career. With it, you can not only start creating or modifying website content, you can also make emails that go beyond simple text or tweak content in your company CMS even more.
It won't take long to get going with HTML, but it will take you far. Once you've learned about elements and attributes, you'll be ready to wield your coding superpowers and actually start being a builder of web pages and websites.

4. CSS

The fourth and final skill that'll make you a favorite of any hiring manager is CSS. CSS is short for "Cascading Style Sheets", and it's also code that's used to create web content. But, instead of making up the content and underlying structure, CSS is what creates the style. In other words, it's what makes a web page look the way it does — like the color, background, fonts, etc.
So, we're back to those good-looking websites every company is dying to have. When you know CSS, you can make them. And, as with HTML, you can also use CSS to put some pretty designs on HTML emails and CMS content.
CSS is made up of rules that affect how the HTML content looks. The rules include properties (that's those colors, backgrounds, fonts, etc) and their values (like "red", an image, or Helvetica). Wrap your head around them, and you'll be whipping up irresistable sites and some real tech skills to offer companies.
So, there you have it. You don't have to come out of the gate as a Gaming Developer to benefit from the trend towards hiring for tech skills. These four skills will get you started in tech and help you get the job you really want.
And, if you don't have a handle on any or all of the skills yet, download our free checklist "How to Learn the Most In-Demand Tech Skills" to get started. And then you can go on to learn much much more — in a Skillcrush Carrer.

With these fundamentals of the web, you'll be digitally independent so you won't have to rely on a developer or designer to get things done. And that means you'll offer any company much more bang for their buck. Plus, you'll be able to build on this knowledge to quickly move up into the upper echelons.
 And, once you learn these skills, you'll also be only a few steps away from performing amazing digital magic like building web apps with Ruby on Rails or making mobile responsive websites.
So, go on and get started NOW making a hiring manager's dreams and your career dreams come true!
This article originally published at Skillcrush here

Insp-nnovate: "Technnovate"

Insp-nnovate: "Technnovate":

 Internet Of Things: A New Industrial Revolution IoT development for home-based security systems and other smart devices, and now we want to address the industrial IoT. As more and more companies continue using sensors and advanced analytics in factories, shipping warehouses, and even oil and gas fields, there will be a wealth of new opportunities for developers...

Predictive, not reactive
Sensors have been pervasive in industrial settings for many years, especially around machinery maintenance. But industrial sensors aren’t used the way sensors in our home machines are. We typically rely on reactive maintenance for, say, washing machines. When they break, we get them fixed. It may be frustrating, but it’s merely a temporary inconvenience.
Industrial sensors are a different story: machine downtime in a factory is much more than an inconvenience – it can mean lost revenue. That’s why industry uses predictive maintenance, taking sensor readings from machinery so an operator on the plant floor can see if a part is failing or has already failed. With that kind of insight, a manufacturer can use scheduled maintenance to reduce a machine’s downtime, removing the fear of revenue loss.

Finding energy efficiency through data analytics
These days, though, the industrial IoT is moving way beyond machine maintenance. As manufacturers install more sensors, they’re starting to benefit even more from the insights they’re getting from data. By taking advantage of IoT connectivity, companies get access to massive amounts of data that can be analyzed for efficiencies and, ultimately, big cost savings. One New York property management firm, for example, saw one million dollars in energy savings by using a smart building management system to capture real-time energy consumption data and to adjust building behavior based on that data.

Pushing IoT ahead
Based on potential efficiencies and savings, industry is likely to drive the future of IoT, pushing it forward before consumers adopt it. This isn’t surprising when you look at the history of how industry adopts new technologies. After all, companies have a lot more money to spend than the average person, and they stand to save substantially more money, too. That’s why industry is likely to try out technologies even if there’s only the promise of a potential efficiency increase, whereas consumers tend to wait until they have solid evidence of energy or cost savings. For every person buying a smart thermostat because it’s trendy, there are many more people who will wait to see if it’s worth the investment.

We’ve talked a lot in this space about IoT development for home-based security systems and other smart devices, and now we want to address the industrial IoT. As more and more companies continue using sensors and advanced analytics in factories, shipping warehouses, and even oil and gas fields, there will be a wealth of new opportunities for developers.

Into the future
So where do we go from here? There’s little doubt that industry will continue to embrace IoT, and it’s going to help companies gain more efficiencies while also possibly eliminating jobs. An excellent example of an industry already seeing some innovation is warehouse distribution, where companies like Kiva Systems are using the industrial IoT to boost productivity. Kiva has developed an army of robots that act as “pickers” in distribution centers. The robots are controlled by a central computer, and they automatically retrieve inventory and deliver it to warehouse workers when an order is received. The workers then choose the items and put them in a container for shipping. This technology can reportedly triple warehouse productivity, which is great but also possibly lead to less need for warehouse staff.

No matter what the future holds, it’s clear that all industries will continue to invest in the industrial IoT. And as developers, you can be sure that you’ll see a lot of new opportunities coming your way.