Large and complex projects such as construction of highway bridges or construction of aircraft are usually delivered on time and within budget. However, software projects are often not. IEEE Spectrum September 2005 Issue has three feature articles on this issue. One of them is:
Why Software Fails — The reason that software project go away are well know. Yet failures, near-failures, and just plain old bad software will continue to plague us. By: Robert N. Charette
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As far as I know, Google offers at least four sets of API (Application Programming Interface) for anyone to develop their own applications.
Google Web API — With it you can query billions of web pages directly from your own programs.
Google Maps API — With it you can develop location-based services for your users.
Google AdWords API — With it you can write computer programs that interact directly with the Google AdWords server. The API is mainly for advertisers to build application that help managing their AdWord accounts.
Google Desktop API — With it you can develop your own plug-ins for Google Desktop Search.
I am interested to know more about how people use these Google APIs and what applications have been built.
Gobby (Version 0.2.2 released on 06.09.2005)
MoonEdit (Version 0.14.1s released on 28.01.2005)
Both are newly released freeware that feature multi-platform text editor for realtime collaboration (i.e multiple users, who are remote from each other, edit the same document together in realtime). I just wonder how can I make the case for a good application of these collaborative text editors.
It is the second annual Web 2.0 Conference. It will focus on the services, applications, and businesses models that are reshaping the Internet. It will address how innovative new web technologies redefine markets and create new opportunities for media and entertainment, communications and mobile, and will touch the concept of the web OS. I like this year’s theme–Revving The Web–and the following quotes that are shown in the website.
“The Web is a fundamental shift in power toward the bottom, toward the people as they organize themselves, and away from a small group of people who want to impose a policy top-down.” –Pierre Omidyar
“Web 1.0 was making the Internet for people, Web 2.0 is making the Internet better for computers.” –Jeff Bezos
EduTools: Course Management Systems
Via my colleague Jason, I learnt this website. It provides comprehensive information and reviews on a lot of existing Course Management Systems. It can also let you compare products by product name, by features, and by preselected group.
The most recent product reviews is about Moodle 1.5.2.
My 4-years-old son loves to play Little Fighter 2 very much. One day when I searched the Web about how to set up the game so that it can connect to my another computer at home, I came to this page and learnt that the creators of this great and free game are two Hong Kong young guys.