Skip to main content

App'ed programming

So I've built some cools stuff as a software engineer - applications with voice response, telephony and vision technology, web applications and GUI front-ends for medical devices. But I've had conversations outside of work where I've told people that I make software for a living and they excitedly say "Oh! Are you an App developer?" and then display the littlest bit of disappointment when I tell them I develop software for medical products- "oh well, that's nice too".

So in my efforts to make it into the big time, I'm delving into the world of apps. I recently became the proud owner of a Nexus 7 - since I'm way too cheap to pay for a Smartphone. This will, of course, affect my choice of platforms for my app. And as every designer, business analyst and marketer would point out, the platform doesn't matter. What you build is what matters. What problem gets solved, what human needs get fulfilled, what "niche gets scratched"? That's the key.

So, what to make? I've always got ideas, but I'd like something tractable, smallish, which will let me explore lot's of client-side tools and techniques and yes, which has some small kernel of need associated with it. And that I can run on my Nexus - and feel oh-so-cool!

Speaking of cool, my son has raced go-karts for the last 8 years. We've traveled around the northeast U.S. to races weekend after weekend and learned a lot in the process. And had some fun. And some success. And some disappointment.

It turns out, that even though a go kart looks simple, there are a lot of variables to play with to make them faster. Keeping track of all these variables is kind of a pain. Tire pressures, alignment, weight distribution and track width, just to name a few. Lot's of notes on paper and after awhile you develop setup sheets on paper to help organize your measurements and settings. But there's no easy way to search these notes, sort them, and all in all, they aren't as helpful as they could be.

I'm sure you know where I'm going with this. I want software to do this for me. I want it to be available on a smartphone, tablet or laptop because I might be home or at the track when I'm using it. It needs to work offline and online.

So, that's the direction I'm heading in. I think I've decided to do it with HTML5 - that can meet most of the criteria I've mentioned so far - multiplatform, online and offline - and it's all the technology I want to become expert in. Let's call it Winning Setups for now.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

You don't really know who you're talking to online...

The following is a story that I think highlights the assumptions that get you into trouble online... https://www.proofpoint.com/us/blog/threat-insight/i-knew-you-were-trouble-ta456-targets-defense-contractor-alluring-social-media This is particularly scary since we found so much utility in online connections during the pandemic and out of necessity, started trusting more online. Please note the timeline for this breach - it was a long, slow process, a key factor in many 'cons'. "Build trust" is a key first step, once someone has identified you as a party. You think...you're convinced you know who your talking to, but if you don't triangulate the identity with some non-online, ideally in-person information, you shouldn't trust. And even if you do get what seems like real-life confirmations of identity, you must look at questioning motives, needs, and keeping danger at arms-length. Online includes email, texting (sms), application chatbots, voice communicati...
Post a Comment
Read more

Threat Modeling Manifesto

Secure Your Code with Threat Modeling As a software developer, security should be a top priority. By proactively identifying and addressing potential vulnerabilities, you can significantly reduce the risk of breaches and data loss. What is Threat Modeling?   Threat modeling is a systematic approach to identifying, assessing, and mitigating security threats. It involves looking at your system from a hacker's perspective to uncover weaknesses and devise strategies to protect against attacks. See the  OWASP Cheat Sheet   Why is Threat Modeling Important? Proactive Security: By anticipating potential threats, you can take steps to prevent them. Risk Mitigation: Identify and address vulnerabilities before they can be exploited. Regulatory Compliance: Adhere to industry standards and regulations. Enhanced Security Posture: Strengthen your overall security posture. How to Get Started with Threat Modeling   The Threat Modeling Manifesto provides a valuable framewor...
Post a Comment
Read more

Where threat modeling can shine - an example from the EU MDCG-2019

From the  EU  MDCG 2019-16 Guidance on Cybersecurity for medical devices, December 2019 , this is the guidance on foreseeable risks.  Medical device manufacturers should ensure that a medical device is designed and manufactured in a way that ensures that the risks associated with reasonably foreseeable environmental conditions are removed or minimised. This may include the infield monitoring of the software’s vulnerabilities and the possibility to perform a device update (outside the context of a field safety corrective action) through, for example delivering patches to ensure the continued security of the device. During the risk management process, the manufacturer should foresee or evaluate the potential exploitation of those vulnerabilities that may be a result of reasonably foreseeable misuse. This, however, may depend on the specific situation. For example, using an unsecured memory-stick to enter data into a medical IT system can be considered “reasonably foreseeabl...
Post a Comment
Read more