Strategic Developer

MongoDB gets its first native analytics tool

SlamData adds its own extensions to the SQL language, enabling analysts to query MongoDB directly, without conversion to an RDBMS or Hadoop database

By Andrew C. Oliver

Dec 11, 2014 4 mins

Data Visualization Hadoop NoSQL Databases

Storm or Spark: Choose your real-time weapon

Real-time business intelligence is going mainstream, thanks in part to the Storm and Spark open source projects. Here's how to choose between them

By Andrew C. Oliver

Dec 4, 2014 8 mins

Business Intelligence Data Management Hadoop

Hopes for Hadoop security ride on Apache Ranger

Enterprise interest in Hadoop has been tempered by security worries. Apache Ranger wants to be the solution for authorization and access control

By Phil Rhodes

Nov 20, 2014 4 mins

Data Management Hadoop Software Development

Complex tools, simple developers: A match made in hell

The developer shortage is coinciding with newer, more complicated tools that most workers can't really use

By Andrew C. Oliver

Nov 13, 2014 3 mins

Careers IT Jobs Software Development

The canary in the data mine is dead

You already know that gobs of data about you are strewn across the Internet. The scary part is when they put it all together

By Andrew C. Oliver

Nov 6, 2014 5 mins

Data Management Privacy Software Development

3 big universities proclaim: Learn data science online!

You want to be a unicorn -- er, data scientist? Three pillars of higher learning promise to make that happen via the magic of the InterWebs

By Andrew C. Oliver

Oct 30, 2014 4 mins

Careers Certifications Data Management

Why BI projects fail — and how to succeed instead

You can't simply shop for a BI solution and expect good results -- you need to think through your strategy first. Here's how to go about it

By Andrew C. Oliver

Oct 23, 2014 5 mins

Business Intelligence Hadoop Technology Industry

Shellshock proves it: CGI must die

Remember that incredibly stupid thing you did a decade or two ago? You wouldn't want to live it down every day. Neither should the Internet

By Andrew C. Oliver

Oct 2, 2014 3 mins

Security Software Development

John McAfee advises Larry Ellison on his retirement

Now that Larry Ellison has stepped down as Oracle CEO, what should he do? InfoWorld's Andrew Oliver asked the legendary John McAfee and got a surprisingly serious answer

By Andrew C. Oliver

Sep 25, 2014 16 mins

Security Software Development Technology Industry

3 make-or-break interview questions for developers

It's developer season at my company. Unlike with deer season, we’re hiring rather than shooting, though not all survive the interview process

By Andrew C. Oliver

Sep 18, 2014 3 mins

Hadoop IT Jobs Java

APIs will glue together the Internet of things

The so-called Internet of things can be up close and personal, and APIs are the key to making it happen

By Andrew C. Oliver

Sep 11, 2014 5 mins

APIs Business Intelligence Data Management

Big data: There’s signal in that noise

When the data you capture and crunch is large and disorderly, interesting bits may come along for the ride. Don't squeeze the life out of it -- explore it

By Andrew C. Oliver

Aug 28, 2014 4 mins

Business Intelligence Data Mining Predictive Analytics

What I wish I’d known starting out as a programmer

Young programmers don't generally seek advice from aging coders. Fine -- but for once, sit down, shut up, and listen in

By Andrew C. Oliver

Aug 21, 2014 7 mins

Careers Software Development

With Hadoop HBase, Splice Machine breathes new life into old RDBMS

Wait, don't they have SQL databases for that? Splice Machine mashes up scalability of Hadoop with RDBMS transactionality

By Andrew C. Oliver

Aug 14, 2014 5 mins

Databases SQL Software Development

Oracle hasn’t killed Java — but there’s still time

Java core has stagnated, Java EE is dead, and Spring is over, but the JVM marches on. C'mon Oracle, where are the big ideas?

By Andrew C. Oliver

Aug 7, 2014 6 mins

Java Open Source Technology Industry

Gartner gets the ‘data lake’ concept all wrong

For $200, Gartner tells you 'data lakes' are bad and advises you to try real hard, plan far in advance, and get governance correct

By Andrew C. Oliver

Jul 31, 2014 4 mins

Data Management Databases Technology Industry

The 10 worst big data practices

It's a new world full of shiny toys, but some have sharp edges. Don't hurt yourself or others. Learn to play nice with them

By Andrew C. Oliver

Jul 17, 2014 8 mins

Data Management Hadoop Software Development

DataStax 4.5 turbocharges Cassandra speed and security

Leading column-family NoSQL database gets an enterprise-grade makeover, with blazing in-memory speed, Hadoop integration, and granular security controls

By Andrew C. Oliver

Jul 10, 2014 6 mins

Databases NoSQL Databases

MongoDB grows up — and shows off its enterprise cred

At the MongoDB World conference, the NoSQL darling got new enterprise-grade features and a Fortune 500 hug. Can MongoDB survive the embrace?

By Andrew C. Oliver

Jul 3, 2014 5 mins

NoSQL Databases Software Development

Get to know Cassandra, the NoSQL maverick

Cassandra may not get the NoSQL spotlight, but it's fantastic for certain jobs -- just ask Netflix and Instagram

By Andrew C. Oliver

Jun 19, 2014 9 mins

Databases NoSQL Databases Technology Industry

Expert interview: How to scale Django

Eventbrite's John Shuping and Simon Willison reveal all about scaling Django, the Python Web framework developers love

By Jonathan Freeman

Jun 12, 2014 15 mins

Software Development Web Development

Straight talk on Apache Spark — and why you should care

Apache Spark is not the 'speedy Swiss army knife,' but it could be the ticket for getting faster answers from your Hadoop cluster

By Andrew C. Oliver

Jun 5, 2014 4 mins

Data Management Databases Hadoop

Programmer entrepreneurs: Start anywhere, including Thailand

The world does not begin and end in Silicon Valley -- or Austin or Durham. While in Thailand, I met two U.S. coders who stayed and became successful entrepreneurs

By Andrew C. Oliver

May 15, 2014 5 mins

Software Development Technology Industry

The end of the open Internet is un-American: Take action now!

May 15 is when the FCC considers a bad policy that undoes a cornerstone of American democracy: equal access to common services

By Andrew C. Oliver

May 8, 2014 7 mins

Technology Industry

Millennials and tech: Round pegs in a square cubicle farm

Young developers want more than money and perks. A trip to Thailand shows the problem of retaining talent is global -- and needs real, not superficial, solutions

By Andrew C. Oliver

May 1, 2014 7 mins

Careers IT Jobs IT Skills

Move over, Old Man Ruby — your Java moment has arrived

Each generation of developers leaves its mark, has its treasured languages, and is convinced it's more brilliant than the last

By Andrew C. Oliver

Apr 24, 2014 5 mins

Java Software Development Technology Industry

R u mdrn? How to lure hipster hackers

Do u hv ths stf? Here's what you should -- and shouldn't -- keep in your stack to attract today's developers

By Andrew C. Oliver

Apr 17, 2014 5 mins

Business Intelligence Hadoop JavaScript

First look: MongoDB 2.6, the all-grown-up version

The leading NoSQL database has long been a favorite of developers. Now the brand-new 2.6 version of MongoDB is ready to woo operations

By Brian Crucitti

Apr 10, 2014 4 mins

Databases NoSQL Databases Software Development

Beware of NoSQL standards in Oracle’s clothing

Oracle is reportedly trying to lure NoSQL startups into a standards body, perhaps to slow down the pace of change

By Andrew C. Oliver

Apr 9, 2014 5 mins

Data Management Databases NoSQL Databases

The platform-as-a-service winner is … Puppet?

On-premises PaaS goes hand in hand with the 'not invented here' syndrome, and Puppet is the enabler

By Andrew C. Oliver

Apr 3, 2014 4 mins

Cloud Computing PaaS Private Cloud

What’s new in Logstash and why you should care

Logstash stands out in log management, due to its speed, ease of use, and integration with complementary search and reporting tools

By Andrew C. Oliver

Mar 27, 2014 5 mins

Databases Software Development Technology Industry

Code in JavaScript the smart, modular way

Are you a JavaScript hack or a real developer? Use this quick start guide to learn to write modularized JavaScript code

By Jonathan Freeman

Mar 20, 2014 8 mins

JavaScript Software Development

Apple and security: 5 deadly development sins

If Apple carries on with its many programming misdeeds, it will soon see a breakdown in its shiny, new security

By Andrew C. Oliver

Feb 27, 2014 4 mins

Security Software Development Technology Industry

Trust me: Big data is a huge security risk

Fear the Hadoop! It'll expose your company data to unwashed hacker hordes! Luckily, this new big data security product fixes everything

By Andrew C. Oliver

Feb 20, 2014 4 mins

Databases Hadoop Technology Industry

How I learned to stop worrying and love my creepy smartphone

As our contextual information reaches the cloud, smartphones will get more personal and anticipate everything we want

By Andrew C. Oliver

Feb 13, 2014 5 mins

Data Management Small and Medium Business Technology Industry

The dirty truth about big data and NoSQL

You thought big data was exclusive to social media empires and search engines? Think again

By Andrew C. Oliver

Feb 6, 2014 4 mins

Databases Hadoop NoSQL Databases

Web technologies that deserve to die

Spring WebFlow, Seam, WebBeans, and related beasts must meet their extinction. Who thought evermore client state on the server was a grand idea anyway?

By Andrew C. Oliver

Jan 31, 2014 3 mins

JavaScript Software Development Web Development

Stop headhunters from ruining meetups

It's tough to find talent. But recruiters, headhunters, and their ilk should be banned from meetups and user groups before they kill them

By Andrew C. Oliver

Jan 23, 2014 4 mins

Data Management IT Jobs Software Development

How to screw up your MongoDB schema design

Mongo has recently become a thing. Fortunately, some RDBMS skills port over easily -- but schema design isn't one of them

By Andrew C. Oliver

Jan 16, 2014 5 mins

Databases NoSQL Databases Technology Industry

9 technologies for a supercharged 2014

Time to walk the talk -- make sure your company is grabbing 2014 by the horns and taking advantage of today's incredible tools

By Andrew C. Oliver

Jan 9, 2014 5 mins

Hadoop NoSQL Databases Open Source

10 likely nightmares for 2014

From China hacking the cloud to Oracle becoming open source enemy No. 1, these dark predictions should be allowed to marinate slowly

By Andrew C. Oliver

Jan 2, 2014 6 mins

Hacking Intellectual Property NoSQL Databases

10 things you don’t need to worry about in 2014

The more things change, the more they stay the same, especially when marketing bots make grandiose predictions. Here's what'll stay put in the coming year

By Andrew C. Oliver

Dec 19, 2013 5 mins

Software Development

Hey Google, why is my freaking phone so big?

Get a mobile device for the holidays, and odds are it'll be too big to fit in the stocking. Does anyone really want a phone this size?

By Andrew C. Oliver

Dec 12, 2013 4 mins

Software Development Technology Industry

Never, ever do this to Hadoop

Hadoop on the SAN? That is, a hot, disruptive technology demanding new architecture paired with core IT's pet investment? Don't do it!

By Andrew C. Oliver

Dec 5, 2013 3 mins

Data Management Databases Hadoop

6 secrets of JavaScript Jedis

Are you a competent JavaScript developer but have yet to hit Jedi-level secrets? No worries -- these steps will take you to the next level

By Jonathan Freeman

Nov 21, 2013 6 mins

JavaScript Software Development

9 killer uses for WebSockets

WebSockets enables instant data exchange and is supported by all modern browsers. Put it to use immediately in your Web apps

By Jonathan Freeman

Nov 14, 2013 6 mins

Software Development Web Development

2014 will be the year of data

If 2012 might've been the end of the world and 2013 saw the end of privacy, without question, data will dominate in 2014

By Andrew C. Oliver

Nov 7, 2013 3 mins

Data Management Hadoop Software Development

10 common tasks for MongoDB

MongoDB is a $1.2 billion company and one of the hottest tech ventures around. But what's its flagship product good for?

By Andrew C. Oliver

Oct 31, 2013 4 mins

Databases NoSQL Databases Software Development

Use MongoDB to make your app location-aware

Crunching contextual data about users can sell more stuff -- and in a mobile world, location data rules. Here's how to add location awareness to mobile apps with MongoDB

By Jonathan Freeman

Oct 24, 2013 6 mins

Hadoop NoSQL Databases Software Development

Really? Java developers love writing non-Java

What language do Java developers love to write in? The results of a survey of 100 Java developers may surprise you

By Andrew C. Oliver

Oct 18, 2013 3 mins

Java Software Development

Show me more

Strategic Developer

MongoDB gets its first native analytics tool

Storm or Spark: Choose your real-time weapon

Hopes for Hadoop security ride on Apache Ranger

Complex tools, simple developers: A match made in hell

The canary in the data mine is dead

3 big universities proclaim: Learn data science online!

Why BI projects fail — and how to succeed instead

Shellshock proves it: CGI must die

John McAfee advises Larry Ellison on his retirement

3 make-or-break interview questions for developers

APIs will glue together the Internet of things

Big data: There’s signal in that noise

What I wish I’d known starting out as a programmer

With Hadoop HBase, Splice Machine breathes new life into old RDBMS

Oracle hasn’t killed Java — but there’s still time

Gartner gets the ‘data lake’ concept all wrong

The 10 worst big data practices

DataStax 4.5 turbocharges Cassandra speed and security

MongoDB grows up — and shows off its enterprise cred

Get to know Cassandra, the NoSQL maverick

Expert interview: How to scale Django

Straight talk on Apache Spark — and why you should care

Programmer entrepreneurs: Start anywhere, including Thailand

The end of the open Internet is un-American: Take action now!

Millennials and tech: Round pegs in a square cubicle farm

Move over, Old Man Ruby — your Java moment has arrived

R u mdrn? How to lure hipster hackers

First look: MongoDB 2.6, the all-grown-up version

Beware of NoSQL standards in Oracle’s clothing

The platform-as-a-service winner is … Puppet?

What’s new in Logstash and why you should care

Code in JavaScript the smart, modular way

Apple and security: 5 deadly development sins

Trust me: Big data is a huge security risk

How I learned to stop worrying and love my creepy smartphone

The dirty truth about big data and NoSQL

Web technologies that deserve to die

Stop headhunters from ruining meetups

How to screw up your MongoDB schema design

9 technologies for a supercharged 2014

10 likely nightmares for 2014

10 things you don’t need to worry about in 2014

Hey Google, why is my freaking phone so big?

Never, ever do this to Hadoop

6 secrets of JavaScript Jedis

9 killer uses for WebSockets

2014 will be the year of data

10 common tasks for MongoDB

Use MongoDB to make your app location-aware

Really? Java developers love writing non-Java

Show me more

Databricks adds Data Science Agent to automate analytics tasks

Rust Innovation Lab launched, sponsors first project

PostgreSQL 18 to boost OLTP performance, but misses AI readiness

Getting encryption wrong (and getting it right, too)

How to build a native desktop app vs. a web UI app

PyApp: Build click-to-run Python apps with Rust