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4th December 2005 Archive

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  • The Linux Kernel Primer

    Book review Useful, but ...

    The Linux kernel is one of those places that mere mortals fear to tread. It's a scary place to explore and beyond doing an occasional compile, most developers steer clear of delving into the heart of the Linux operating system. However, there are those who are tempted by the 'here be dragons' signs and decide they want, or need …

    Developer 4 Dec 2005, 18:03

  • Java Puzzlers

    Book review Excellent!

    'Java Puzzlers' is unlike any Java book we've seen before. Promising the reader an exploration of 'traps, pitfalls and corner cases', this is by turns entertaining, infuriating and downright puzzling. It is also truly illuminating, and serves to educate while it entertains. One would expect no more from the combined talents of …

    Developer 4 Dec 2005, 18:05

  • The Software Development Edge

    Book Review Thought-provoking

    Joe Marasco was a very successful project manager at Rational Software, and now, at the end of a distinguished career, he sets out some of his accumulated wisdom and insights in this anthology of essays devoted to software development and management. These 'essays on managing successful projects' cover a range of topics, from …

    Developer 4 Dec 2005, 18:08

  • Write Portable Code

    Book review Solid principles for C and C++ developers

    Portability is one of those virtues we would all love to have in our code. One of the drivers of Java's popularity was the promise of portability across platforms, and of course that same promise exists in many of the more popular scripting languages, such as Python, Ruby and so on. However, when it comes to coding in C or C …

    Developer 4 Dec 2005, 18:19

  • It’s anybody’s guess

    Comment Estimates, not guesses, are key to controlling development

    If you were to ask me how long it takes me to get to work each morning, I would tell you, “It usually takes about an hour, door-to-door.” I’m pretty sure most of you could also give a reasonably accurate description of your journey to work, too. It’s worth bearing in mind the use of the word ‘usually’ in my answer. It does …

    Developer 4 Dec 2005, 18:26

  • Hands on with Macromedia Flex 2.0

    Tim Anderson gives alpha version a spin

    The assumption behind Flex is that an unadorned browser is insufficient as a universal client. Microsoft beats this same drum, and promotes .NET smart clients as the means of adding the performance and rich user interface that only a local application can achieve. To date, Microsoft’s campaign has had only limited success. …

    Developer 4 Dec 2005, 18:28

  • Hands on with SQL Server 2005

    Review Cutting the mustard

    SQL Server is a client-server based, relational database engine. That puts it head-to-head with the likes of IBM’s DB2 and Oracle’s Oracle… or so Microsoft dearly wants us to believe. The problem is that, while DB2 and Oracle are unquestionably enterprise-level products, SQL server has for years been dogged by the suspicion …

    Developer 4 Dec 2005, 19:56

  • Boffins defended in TV pirates battle

    'Double-dipping'

    Legitimate researchers need protection from the heavy-handed tactics of US satellite TV provider DirecTV, according to two digital civil rights groups which filed a friend-of-the-court brief with a US Appeals Court on Wednesday. DirecTV uses smartcards and special readers to allow its subscribers to receive the company's …

    Music and Media 4 Dec 2005, 22:13

  • Federal flaw database commits to grading system

    My vuln is worse than yours

    A federal database of software vulnerabilities funded by the US Department of Homeland Security has decided on a common method of ranking flaw severity and has assigned scores to the more than 13,000 vulnerabilities currently contained in its database, the group announced last week. The National Vulnerability Database, …

    Enterprise Security 4 Dec 2005, 22:26

  • Netgear admits wireless speed claims are misleading

    Comment Nasty Wi-Fi precedent

    The real question in the Netgear class action case is why it only applied to NetGear, given the absurd figures quoted by all Wi-Fi hotspot providers. The company has promised a 15 per cent discount to US users, who claim they were misled by advertising - but which Wi-Fi outfit doesn't mislead? In the case of Netgear, its claim …

    Wireless 4 Dec 2005, 22:46