Echo Binary

I’m stuck with the database design I’m working on. It has been dragging for several days already… and I don’t know whether I should consult more pre-existing database or should I just ignore the design patterns and do it my own style.

I’m not a database designer to begin with. I’m a programmer. More appropriately a developer (web developer or software developer) so I shouldn’t be designing our database model. However, we only have one “database person” in our team so I’m also manipulating the model so that we can start with a good database design. Fortunately dealing with database is not new to me. I had several projects dealing with database design but I had never designed a database this big. How will I know if this will scale well with our application? Fine tuning and stress testing is just troublesome.

Everything is troublesome. Argh! Let me vent for a while….

After 10 months, I finally received my certificate from Dale Carnegie Training. Actually I should have picked this up at P&G office in Ayala as early as September 2005 but I was so busy for the last 2 school terms, I missed every chance to fetch it last year.

Anyway this is a certificate of achievement for “The Leadership Advantage” as set forth by Dale Carnegie & Associates, Inc. I’m proud to be one of the P&G scholar who participated in this training. It’s one of the best training I had. First of all it’s paid by P&G. Second, it was held in Manila Peninsula Hotel and lastly, we’re all pampered by our scholarship officer. I’m looking forward to our upcoming training this summer. I also want to apply what I have learned from this training in the near future. So far I have applied key concepts of leadership in my personal life… and I know I still have to pursue more.

While most Windows fanboys are anticipating Windows Vista, the Linux camp had been doing some great innovation in Linux desktop environment.

Novell has demonstrated XGL and Compiz, the new window manager/composition manager for Linux. It can do variety of effects including true transparent, wobbling windows, 3D cube desktop switching and other cool effects that is first seen in Linux. I was impressed when I saw the video. It’s like an imitation of Vista and OS X’s graphical effects combined with a twist. The wobbling window effect is quite original but I don’t see any advantage using it. Even the 3D cube desktop switching is fabulous but not really needed in your day to day computing. I would normally turn off these features even though they are eye candies.

Novell Linux Desktop (NLD) 10 will be able to play videos and MP3 music files, exchange music and photos with iPod and digital cameras right out of the box. It will use Gnome (view the recent mock ups here).

Most hardcore Linux users won’t be delighted by these cool graphical enhancements in Linux; however, it’s a step forward to make use of hardware acceleration to make Linux desktops more usable for beginners.

Links:
Novell Linux Desktop 10 videos
Novell.com: Novell Raises the Bar for the Linux Desktop
PCWorld.com: Novell Shows Off Linux Desktop 10
Linuxedge.com: Novell Linux Desktop Demonstration Videos
Technorati Tags: Novell, Linux, XGL, Compiz, Gnome

There’s another Adobe roadshow scheduled in Manila on 7th of April 2006, just a day after the Production Studio Roadshow.

Adobe Acrobat 3D can publish, share, review, and mark up 3D designs in Intelligent Documents. It’s designed for engineering and technical professionals in manufacturing industries such as automotive, aerospace and industrial machinery as well as the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) market.

The Acrobat 3D roadshow would begin with an overview of the new Acrobat 3D followed by a short cofee / tea break and finally, an actual collaborative workflow demo of Acrobat 3D. This sounds very interesting because these kind of tools for collaboration and 3D presentation is very new in the Philippine market today, as far as I know. I’m not sure if the industry in the Philippines will embrace this kind of tools for their projects. It is something to look forward to.

The venue for the event is yet to be announced but you may already register in the event. If you work in one of the aforementioned industry you should check out what’s in store for you.

Links:
Adobe Acrobat 3D
Manila Roadshow: Register now! (April 7, 2006)
Technorati Tags: Adobe, Acrobat+3D, roadshow, Manila, Philippines

CNN reported few days ago that .NET programmers are highly in demand in 2006.This is generally true in the big cities in America. The trend is about the same in the Philippine and yes, .NET programmers are in demand but high pay seekers in the Philippines will be disappointed to know that .NET programmers’ salary in the Philippines is far from our American counterparts. There’s no wonder why brain drain in the taking place in the Philippines as more programmers gamble their talents abroad.

Links:
CNN: 5 careers: Big demand, big pay
Technorati Tags: CNN, .NET, programmer, Philippines, brain+drain