Emil's Wicked Cool Blog

For speed, I've enabled pipelining. Here's how:

• about:config in the address bar
• type "pipelining" in the filter
• set "network.http.pipelining" to true
• set "network.http.pipelining.maxrequests" to 8
• set "network.http.proxy.pipelining" to true

For access at Intel, I also turned on http authentication:

• set "network.automatic-ntlm-auth.trusted-uris" to "intel.com"
  

Stumbled across this page today...interesting discussion of how to bring down page load times.

Optimizing Page Load Time

Step 1: Install Wink
Step 2: Use how to embed a Flash file into Powerpoint to get the video in powerpoint

I just signed up for a service to connect me to Intel's network while out of town. I got 3 emails to confirm my service was active:

1. Email with my username
2. Email with my password
3. Email to state that my order was approved

Good idea...seperate the username email from the password email (although a better idea would be to allow me to choose username and password). However, email #3 included both my username and my password, so a) what's the point of the other 2 emails, and b) the security advantage has been completely defeated.

Think people...think.

Here's a neat little utility for tracking packages. I like the touch of adding RSS feeds. One small enhancement request...at least with UPS you get an expected delivery date. I assume many other companies provide that information, yet this site doesn't give that information.

Very cool article on attaining the holy grail of synchronization, but why must it be that hard?

I found a cool post from Scott Hanselmann the other day regarding encrypted flash drives and password lists. I'm definitely using truecrypt, and I'm taking a look at password minder.

Couple cool pieces of free sofware to do PDF stuff:

• Foxit reader. If you're tired of Adobe Reader's slow load times, splash screens, intrusive update process and desire to install a bunch of other crap on your system, this is for you. My favorite feature (besides 1.5MB install and super-fast load time) is the ability to annotate PDF documents (highlight sections, strikeout, type onto forms that weren't designed for forms, etc.). There are some nits with the software, but nothing worth going back to Adobe Reader for. Fantastic.
• PrimoPDF. Installs a virtual printer that creates a PDF file. File->Print from any application and get a PDF output. There's a few other pieces of software that do the same thing as well.

Foxit software also has a fairly cheap PDF editor even though you could technically edit using the reader and the PrimoPDF tool. This makes me wonder...is the one of the main benefit for PDFs (non-editable content without resorting to serious DRM technologies) starting to erode?

It was only yesterday I ran across a search engine for source code. Today, I find that Google is entering the same market. Cool.

Oh, and here's the link to the actual Google search engine.

Over the past few months I have thought quite a bit about resumes and jobs outside Intel. A few quickie links for those that are looking:

• Seven deadly sins of resume design (lifehack.org, which is a pretty neat resource itself)
  
• Software Association of Oregon...includes link to OregonWorks for Jobs
• 10 Ways to tweak your tech resume, also on lifehack.org, but referencing eWeek. However, I disagree with the "lose the one page only rule" tip. When reading resumes I literally throw out all but the first page. If the candidate doesn't engage me by the bottom of page one, it wasn't meant to be. I'm not completely clear how to reconcile that with the keyword problem, though.

There's a ton of job web sites out there (hotjobs, monster, dice, etc.), but a quick google search will find those pretty quickly.

Well, I remain gainfully employed, although I will be doing something different. What exactly, I'm not yet sure. What I do know is that every manager from my formerly 3rd level manager down has been affected. One layoff, 2 redeployments, one transition to non-manager employee, and one move to another organization.

So far, there are 28 people that I know that have been "redeployed". It doesn't feel like I know 300 people at Intel to really make that a 10% cut, but any way you cut it this is a difficult time. It's Wednesday of employee announcement week, but hopefully most everyone now knows their fate and we can move on. Next week is re-organize week, so better (or at least different) news is still to come.

I just went to find the phone number for a local Indian resteraunt called the Curry Leaf. I found the phone number on their web page, but also noticed that they have a blog. Not sure what a resteraunt needs with one...I can see a chef, maybe, but just the resteraunt?

Also enjoyed their contact us page, which tells us what their website URL is. Of course if I'm on their web site, wouldn't I already know that?

Hmm...anyway, they have good Indian food. ;-)