Kanchan spoke with Ryan Ripley about the pre-requisites for an organization to adopt scrum, need for management buy-in, the importance of scrum values and the key responsibilities of the roles defined by scrum and the anti-patterns to watch out for...

Sean Knapp of Ascend.io talks to Robert Blume about data pipeline automation with an orchestration layer.

Philip Kiely discusses his book Writing for Software Developers. Software development primarily involves writing code but strong written communication skills are critical. Technical comprehension is vital but solid written communication skills are also...

James Smith, CEO and co-founder of Bugsnag discusses “Why it is ok to ship your software with Bugs.”

Ipek Ozkaya joined host Jeff Doolittle to discuss a book she co-authored entitled Managing Technical Debt. In the book, Ozkaya describes nine principles of technical debt management to aid software companies in identifying, measuring, tracking...

Phillip Mayhew of GameDriver discusses test automation for games and game-like applications. Host Philip Winston spoke with Mayhew about the increasing role of test automation in modern game development, the impact on the QA role, how to run tests...

Chad Michel, Senior Software Architect at Don’t Panic Labs and co-author of Lean Software Systems Engineering for Developers, joins host Jeff Doolittle for a conversation about treating software development as an engineering discipline. They begin by discussing the need for engineering rigor in the software industry. Chad points out that many developers lack awareness of good engineering practice and are often unaware of resources such as the Software Engineering Body of Knowledge (SWEBOK). Among the many topics explored in this episode are design methodologies such as volatility-based decomposition and the work of David Parnas, as well as important topics such as quality, how to address complexity, designing for change, and the role of the chief engineer. This episode is sponsored by ClickSend. SE Radio listeners can get a $50 credit by following the link.

Nir Valtman, co-Founder and CEO at Arnica, discusses pipelineless security with SE Radio host Priyanka Raghavan. They start by defining pipelines and then consider how to add security. Nir lays out the key challenges in getting good code coverage with the pipeline-based approach, and then describes how to implement a pipelineless approach and the advantages it offers. Priyanka quizzes him on the concept of "zero new hardcoded secrets," as well as some ways to protect GitHub repositories, and Nir shares examples of how a pipelineless approach could help in these scenarios. They then discuss false positives and handling developer fatigue in dealing with alerts. The show ends with some discussion around the product that Arnica offers and how it implements the pipelineless methodology.

Phillip Carter, Principal Product Manager at Honeycomb and open source software developer, talks with host Giovanni Asproni about observability for large language models (LLMs). The episode explores similarities and differences for observability with LLMs versus more conventional systems. Key topics include: how observability helps in testing parts of LLMs that aren't amenable to automated unit or integration testing; using observability to develop and refine the functionality provided by the LLM (observability-driven development); using observability to debug LLMs; and the importance of incremental development and delivery for LLMs and how observability facilitates both. Phillip also offers suggestions on how to get started with implementing observability for LLMs, as well as an overview of some of the technology's current limitations. This episode is sponsored by WorkOS.

Ipek Ozkaya, Principal Researcher and Technical Director of the Engineering Intelligent Software Systems group at the Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie Mellon, discusses generative AI for Software Architecture with SE Radio host Priyanka Raghavan. The episode delves into fundamental definitions of software architecture and explores use cases in which gen AI can enhance architecture activities. The conversation spans from straightforward to challenging scenarios and highlights examples of relevant tooling. The episode concludes with insights on verifying the correctness of output for software architecture prompts and future trends in this domain. Brought to you by IEEE Computer Society and IEEE Software magazine.

Criticise

To close a zip fastener, such as on a jacket or a bag.

The Philips Performance Wireless TAPH805BK are wireless headphones with battery life that will knock your socks off, but the sound quality has a lot of room for improvement.... [PCSTATS]

Today we're going to perform some AMD TRX40 motherboard VRM thermal testing using the powerful 64-core Threadripper 3990X. To apply load we're using Blender with the system running at stock and overclocked to 3.8 GHz. The typical power draw for this system is around 450 watts, but once overclocked we are hitting as much as 850 watts. Toasty!... [PCSTATS]

Exploring the history of land theft in the U.S., Brea Baker argues that the Black reparations and Indigenous Landback movements are stronger together.

Taxes on tipped wages have now become a campaign issue. But economic equality advocates say ending sub-minumum wages would help workers more.

When everything that brings LGBTQ people joy is under attack, dancing, laughing, and celebrating our persistent existence are direct acts of resistance.

need to try making this sometime

I've contributed... won't you?

good answer to what null is about in javascript

I just read a great post by John Kleeman on the Questionmark Blog that I wanted to share with you concerning test anxiety. We have previously discussed test anxiety (here and here), but it is interesting to read Kleeman's take on the difference in test anxiety between online and paper and pencil assessments. Here is the post in its entirety:

I’ve been reading about test anxiety (concern or worry by participants sufficiently severe that it impacts test performance). I’d like to share some tips on how online assessment sponsors can reduce its likelihood.

When creating and delivering tests, you seek to accurately measure knowledge, skills or abilities. Often you want to check competence or mastery for workplace or compliance reasons. If some of your participants have severe test anxiety, this doesn’t just disrupt them, it makes your test less accurate in measuring real performance. You might end up failing someone who is competent, just because anxiety affects their test performance.

Many studies (for example here) report that online tests cause less test anxiety than paper ones. Here are some suggestions on reducing test anxiety:

1. Some people have anxiety about a test because they haven’t mastered the subject being tested. Provide a clear description of what each test covers before the time of the test, and provide study resources or instruction to allow people to master the subject.

2. Test anxiety can also feed on unknowns, for instance on unfamiliarity with the test or believing untrue myths. Share information about the test’s purpose and what you do to make it fair. Also share information about the content: how many questions, how the scoring works, how much time is available and so on. Explain what happens if someone fails – for instance is it possible to retake?

3. It’s hugely valuable to provide practice tests that participants can try out before the real test. This will tell them where they are strong and weak and allow them to gain confidence in a less stressful environment prior to the real test. See my article 10 reasons why practice tests help make perfect exams for other reasons why practice tests are useful.

4. Give participants an opportunity to practice using the same type of computer, mouse, keyboard and user interface as will be used for the real test. This familiarizes them with the test environment and reduces potential anxiety, particularly for those who are less computer literate. If you are using Questionmark to deliver the test, make practice sessions available with the same template settings and the same types of questions. (Sometimes this is done with a fun quiz on a different topic, just to get people accustomed to the user interface.)

5. If you provide guidance to test-takers, point to self-help resources for people who have test anxiety. ETS provide a good resource here for instance. Another resource from the University of California is here.

6. Some self-help resources suggest breathing exercises or other exercises people can follow to reduce tension for people who are anxious about tests. Provide an environment where this is practical and train your test administrators and proctors about the prevalence of test anxiety.

7. If you have a way of encouraging test takers to sleep, take exercise and eat healthily, all these things aid a rational approach to taking a test and reducing anxiety.

8. If it works in your programme, consider whether it’s worth having a series of tests rather than a single test, so there is not a single “make or break” moment for participants. A series of tests can have other benefits too. It makes cheating harder, and by spreading out learning and revision, it can make participants retain the learning better.

9. People with disabilities are more likely to suffer test anxiety. Ensure that your program of accommodations takes this into account. See this helpful article on reducing test anxiety for people with disabilities.

10. Above all, create good quality, fair tests. If you follow good practice in authoring your questions and assessments, then there is less to be anxious about, as the test will be a good measure of performance. See Questionmark’s white paper “Five Steps to Better Tests” for some helpful advice in creating tests.

Many Questionmark users provide very effective practice quizzes and tests which help reduce test anxiety, and I hope these tips are helpful, too.

I’d love to hear additional input or suggestions.

Educational Technology and Mobile Learning provides a list of some of the best iPad apps curated for learning and instructional purposes.

The list is divided into 19 sections with each containing a list of apps for a specific need. The sections include apps that facilitates:

1. presentation
2. screencasting
3. video creation
4. file storage
5. whiteboard
6. PDF annotation
7. audio recording
8. note-taking
9. blogging
10. book creation
11. comic apps
12. digital storytelling apps
13. apps for grading
14. mindmapping apps
15. portfolio apps
16. apps for creating posters
17. apps for creating timelines
18. apps for creating word clouds
19. speech-to-text apps

1. Book Creator
2. Handouts
3. Remind
4. Google Keep
5. ClassDojo
6. Nearpod
7. Socrative Teacher
8. Edmodo
9. Google Classroom
10. Explain Everything

The auxiliary DC control power system is considered the most crucial element of a protection, control, and monitoring system. The failure of the direct current (DC) control power can result in the inability of fault detection devices to identify faults,... Read more

The post Auxiliary DC power system used for fault detection, trip coils and remote operation appeared first on EEP - Electrical Engineering Portal.

To be honest, a circuit breaker is fairly simple device. However, the process of specifying circuit protection is often complicated and unclear, leading many engineers to either include insufficient or excessive protection in their equipment designs. Insufficiently protected circuits expose... Read more

The post Twelve ultimate mistakes when selecting circuit protection for low-voltage equipment appeared first on EEP - Electrical Engineering Portal.

New Phrasal Verbs Entry: 'Zip up' has just been added to the Phrasal Verbs area of UsingEnglish.com.

New Lesson Plans Entry: 'Relationships vocabulary bluffing game' has just been added to the Lesson Plans area of UsingEnglish.com.

The protection of enclosures against ingress of dirt or against the ingress of water is defined in IEC529 (BSEN60529:1991). Conversely, an enclosure which protects equipment against ingress of particles will also protect a person from potential hazards within that enclosure,... Read more

The post IP Protection Degree (IEC 60529) Explained appeared first on EEP - Electrical Engineering Portal.

Centrifugal water chillers comprise a significant portion of industrial and large commercial electrical load. These machines are efficient, typically producing a cooling effect two-to-three times greater than the required energy input. Centrifugal water systems were the focus of cholorfluorocarbon (CFC)... Read more

The post Tips For Successful Energy Efficiency Of Centrifugal Water Chillers appeared first on EEP - Electrical Engineering Portal.

MC Ride catalogs the paranoia and police brutality that drove him to the insanity the song exemplifies.

Hello, hope all is well with you! It’s our pleasure to share with you two Cyber Monday deals for our new electrical engineers, expiring on December 3rd: 20% on EEP Pro Premium Membership and 30% off on all courses and... Read more

The post Your Cyber Monday in EEP! Save Big on Premium Membership and Video Courses appeared first on EEP - Electrical Engineering Portal.

Black Friday is gone, but Cyber Monday is here and it’s getting better! Let us share with you two Cyber Monday deals for our electrical engineers, expiring on December 3rd: 20% off on EEP Pro Premium Membership and 30% off... Read more

The post Cyber Monday in EEP! 30% off on courses and 20% off on premium membership! appeared first on EEP - Electrical Engineering Portal.

Black Friday is gone, but Cyber Monday is here and it’s getting better! It’s the Last Day!! Let us share with you two Cyber Monday deals for our electrical engineers, expiring on December 1st: 20% off on EEP Pro Premium... Read more

The post Cyber Monday in EEP! 30% off on courses and 20% off on PRO membership plan! appeared first on EEP - Electrical Engineering Portal.

Passengers will be able to use their mobile phones as tickets from this spring London, 23rd April 2014 – Thames Clippers today announced that they have signed a five year contract with Masabi, the leader in mobile ticketing and payments for transit, to bring smartphone ticketing to its River Bus […]

The post Thames Clippers and Masabi to Launch Mobile Ticketing on Central London River Bus Services appeared first on Masabi.

As part of our announcement that we have entered a global partnership with MasterCard, Masabi’s Head of Innovation Ben Whitaker and MasterCard’s Head of Transit Centre of Excellence sat down to explain why we believe working together will help customers get around cities and how this benefits transit operators. If […]

The post Masabi and MasterCard Partnership Video appeared first on Masabi.

Most compensation banks are controlled stepwise. For this purpose it is essential to ‘know’ when it is allowed to (de)activate a capacitor step by the power factor relay (controller). The so-called C/k value is calculated by the step size C... Read more

The post How To Control Reactive Power In Larger Electrical Plants With Multiple Incomers appeared first on EEP - Electrical Engineering Portal.

This approach assumes retrofitting and upgrading old substation secondary equipment such as intelligent electronic devices (IEDs), monitoring sensors, power apparatus, communication protocol and operating standards to improve the overall performance or reduce cost without disrupting the continuity of service. For... Read more

The post Secondary equipment you should always consider when retrofitting existing HV substation appeared first on EEP - Electrical Engineering Portal.

There have been a number of articles about the growth of ESL teaching in the Philippines like this, but some of what they are stating don't strike me as right. The Philippines does have potential and in the drive to reduce costs, it is clearly a place to watch out for.

Voltage dips and transients are usually blamed on the supplier, but this is often unfair. There are many potential on-site causes; for example, starting of heavy loads may cause voltage dips and switching of inductive loads will generate transients. Let’s... Read more

The post Should We Blame Supplier For Voltage Dips and Transients? appeared first on EEP - Electrical Engineering Portal.

General recommendation is to properly design and implement the facility’s grounding system to avoid unwanted involvement of ground loops with the operation of the equipment. This kind of approach can also eliminate the need to consider equipment modifications and to... Read more

The post 8 tips to avoid ground loops when dealing with signal level circuits appeared first on EEP - Electrical Engineering Portal.

This technical article covers some specific considerations (modern power supply, electric distribution, transportation, lighting controls, and communication systems) for a few most common type of commercial facilities such as banks, colleges and universities, fire stations, health care facilities and office... Read more

The post Specific electrical design tips for a few most common types of commercial facilities appeared first on EEP - Electrical Engineering Portal.

FREE screenings of Life Above All and Africa United followed by a panel discussion on awareness of HIV

The objective of this technical article is to provide certain criteria and time intervals for conducting insulation tests on electric motors, generators and other electrical equipment. Testing is done to ensure that the equipment is intact and to provide a... Read more

The post Insulation tests on electric motors and generators: DC High Potential Testing (HiPot) appeared first on EEP - Electrical Engineering Portal.

The aging process starts the moment new substation equipment is put into service; how quickly it happens depends on a number of factors, including the equipment’s use, the environment, the quality of maintenance, and many more. However, things aren’t the... Read more

The post Substation Equipment Maintenance: Often Neglected Until Something Big Drops Dead appeared first on EEP - Electrical Engineering Portal.

Let’s start with basics you probably already know, but nevertheless. It’s important to explain the basics first. Electrostatic Discharge (or ESD) refers to the transfer of electrostatic charge between bodies at varied voltages that is caused by direct contact or... Read more

The post Never underestimate electrostatic discharge (ESD) while working with data networking equipment appeared first on EEP - Electrical Engineering Portal.

A few years ago I participated in an interesting project Telenor Data Center in Belgrade – The most advanced technical building in the region of Central and Eastern Europe. The building extends to 2,600 square meters and has the most... Read more

The post Eight substation equipment needed to power up data center appeared first on EEP - Electrical Engineering Portal.

The space requirements of a power substation depend on the equipment to be housed, and on whether a new building can be erected for it or it has to be fitted into an existing building. In the case of an... Read more

The post LV/MV power substation equipment and wiring requirements you must understand appeared first on EEP - Electrical Engineering Portal.

Generally, the useful life of power system components heavily depends upon the level of care given to them and their duty cycles. For example, a circuit breaker on mainly switching duty can last 40 to max. 50 years. The majority... Read more

The post Failure cases of LV/MV electrical equipment and what should have been done (to avoid them) appeared first on EEP - Electrical Engineering Portal.

It is vital that business owners have succession planning in place to keep their business and legacy going when it is time for them to take a step back.

When was the last time you took a good, close look at job descriptions for the various positions in your company? Art and Dan continue their awesome series on hiring, onboarding, and creating a well-rounded team within your restoration company.