In a recent post I introduced Airtable, a cloud-based database app available as a web client and an iOS app. In this post I’ll describe building a simple database. I have not done any real design for this (making it up as I go along), but the basic idea is for a client management system for some company (I’ll call it ABC) selling some unspecified products and services. [Read more…]
Airtable
8 February 2016 by 2 Comments
A very long time ago I used to earn a living writing database applications on PCs. One early project for a fleet transport system was won over competition from KPMG. I remember being pretty chuffed about that at the time. So I’ve always had a soft spot for database software. I first saw Airtable mentioned in a post by Federico Viticci on MacStories. When the iPad app version appeared, I decided to give it a try.
Don’t Be Hacker Bait: Do This One-Hour Security Drill
4 February 2016 by Leave a Comment
Do this one-hour digital security checklist to boost your data privacy and protect all your devices from hackers.
Source: Don’t Be Hacker Bait: Do This One-Hour Security Drill – WSJ
Good advice from the Wall Street Journal.
Karl Popper: What Makes a Theory Scientific
31 January 2016 by Leave a Comment
Finally, Popper was careful to say that it is not possible to prove that Freudianism was not true, at least in part. But we can say that we simply don’t know whether it’s true, because it does not make specific testable predictions. It may have many kernels of truth in it, but we can’t tell. The theory would have to be restated.
This is the essential “line of demarcation,“ as Popper called it, between science and pseudoscience.
Source: Karl Popper: What Makes a Theory Scientific
Another succinct article from Farnam Street.
Don’t Throw Away Those Pennies
27 January 2016 by 1 Comment
This story appeared in the News app on my iPad: apparently, quite a few people would rather throw money away than carry “heavy” coins around. I first came across this behaviour when I was working on a project in Dublin years ago. I was waiting for a lift with a colleague (who shall rename anonymous) when he pulled out some coppers and threw the coins into the waste bin. This was pre-Euro, and the copper coins were much larger than they are now, but even so I was horrified at such decadent behaviour. I persuaded my colleague that we should have a charity mug—we shared adjoining desks—into which we put our pennies. When the mug was full, I’d take the money with me to Dublin Airport and slot the coins into the charity box inside.
I have continued this habit to this day: all coins of 10p or lower (and leftover foreign currency) go into my charity vase. When it’s full, I usually put the money in a bag and take it with me when I’m flying somewhere on BA and donate it to their Change for Good programme.
The survey on which the Mirror story is based was carried out by Mecca Bingo, who are trying to persuade people to gamble with those pennies, which seems like another way to throw money away. So why not do what I do?
Songs Inspired by Parenthood
19 January 2016 by Leave a Comment
A collection from the readers of The Atlantic.
Source: Songs Inspired by Parenthood – The Atlantic
Nothing to do with parenthood, I bought this album (on vinyl) about the time I started university… not long after its release—30 years before BBC Four!
Tristan McIntosh
13 January 2016 by Leave a Comment
A beautiful performance by 15-year old Tristan.
I’ve cut the unnecessary chat from the start and end of the video.
Food and Wine
12 January 2016 by Leave a Comment
I could probably sum up my approach to food & wine in fifty words, here goes. Acid likes fat (think vinegar on chips), tannin likes protein (red wine with steak), spice likes sweetness, cheese is generally better with something sweet and/or white than something dry and/or red, sweet foods need sweeter wines, and if your dish/wine wants to impress, the accompanying wine/dish shouldn’t be too assertive. Exactly fifty words, not bad Simon.
Pinched this from from Simon Woods’ email newsletter.
oddrops 