software development

Feature Trimming: What Developers and Testers Need to Keep in Mind

A new trend in development is feature trimming, with a renewed focus on building simple products with a core set of features. Just as feature additions need to be tested thoroughly, feature removals also need to be tested. Read on for ideas about what developers and testers should keep in mind.

Mukesh Sharma's picture
Mukesh Sharma
Is Scaling Agile an Oxymoron?

The success of agile methods has meant that larger projects also want a share of the benefits. But as compelling as the idea might be, is scaling agile an oxymoron? Isn't it contradictory to expect large and complex projects to be agile? Or would such an attempt inevitably lead back to waterfall?

Louis Taborda's picture
Louis Taborda
New Malware Prototype Doesn't Need Internet Access to Run Amok

Researchers in Germany have discovered a new way to transmit information between computers infected with a proof-of-concept malware prototype that does not need to be connected to the Internet to run amok. All it needs is access to a computer's microphone and speakers.

Jonathan Vanian's picture
Jonathan Vanian
Our Automated Tomorrow: The Rise of Drones and Robots

Amazon made headlines recently with Jeff Bezos’ statement that the company is testing drones for package deliveries. Knightscope is building a mobile security guard robot that may soon be monitoring school campuses. Advances in embedded software and robotics make for exciting new technologies.

Mukesh Sharma's picture
Mukesh Sharma
New Software Will Save UPS Millions and Deliver Your Packages Quicker

UPS has invested heavily in a new software project called ORION—On-Road Integrated Optimization and Navigation—that helps determine the best course from point A to point B, saving time, money, and fuel. It's already a success, and because it depends on heuristics, suggestions should only get better.

Beth Romanik's picture
Beth Romanik
Can Failed Software Projects Be Black Swans?

The black swan theory is used to describe an event that comes as a surprise and has major disruptive consequences. Given the long history of flawed and failed projects and plenty written on lessons learned, can any software disaster come as such a surprise that it’s called a black swan event?

Naomi Karten's picture
Naomi Karten
What's New in Software News

In this roundup of what’s new in interesting software news, read about how a group of developers at San Francisco-based Vicarious created vision-recognition software that can solve CAPTCHAs. Also, news emerged that the recent hacking of Adobe Systems was worse than originally reported.

Jonathan Vanian's picture
Jonathan Vanian
Why It's Difficult for Agile Teams to Let Go of Waterfall Practices

For many projects that have rapidly changing requirements, agile often seems to be the right approach. But teams have a hard time adopting agile practices. It’s far from rare to hear of teams trying to fit practices from their former waterfall method into their new agile process.

Steve Berczuk's picture
Steve Berczuk