Systems & Architecture
Systems & Architecture explores how complex systems are structured, how components interact, and how design decisions influence scalability, resilience, and maintainability over time.
Baby Connect Project - Design Considerations
Previously, I wrote about my experience creating some automation to keep track of my baby daughter’s diapers and bottles using a service called Baby Connect. This time, I’d like to discuss some of the hurdles I faced and design choices I made. If you haven’t already read the original article, it would be a good idea to check it out first.
Tracking a Baby with AWS and IoT
I don’t talk about it much when I’m in a professional mindset, but I do have a family at home. My daughter, Aubrey, was born on May 24, 2016. For the first few months of her life, my wife and I tracked her diaper and feeding schedule meticulously using an app called Baby Connect. It allowed us to record data on our individual phones but have it synchronized through the cloud. Of course, being the technologist I am I couldn’t leave it at that. Using AWS services and their IoT toolkit, I was able to build some additional integration points for Baby Connect, allowing me to track diapers with the push of a button on the changing pad, or bottles with the sound of my voice and my Amazon Echo.
Design, Art, and Science In the Context of Software
I was listening to a recent Hanselminutes podcast where Scott Hanselman speaks with Natasha Irizarry about User Experience (UX) (you can find the podcast episode here), and a very interesting debate got started in my head.
The iPad’s Retina Display Spells The End For Bloated Magazine Apps | Cult of Mac
The Cult of Mac has an interesting article about how the Retina display is going to make it unmanageable for “magazine” apps that store all of their content as fullscreen images: The iPad’s Retina Display Spells The End For Bloated Magazine Apps.
The Daily - Also Poorly Architected
A few weeks ago I took a peek at The Daily (a “digital newspaper” app from News Corp.) and quickly decided that my time and money were better spent elsewhere when it comes to getting the news. Bear in mind that I am more strict in my evaluation of The Daily because it requires a paid subscription. In my mind, that raises my expectations significantly. The initial version of the App performed poorly in a number of areas, including:
