Articles by Zac Gery (Technical Blogs: 46)

This built-in feature provides lock down controls for an app.

When ostracizing older versions of Internet Explorer isn't an option, it's important for developers to educate themselves about the pitfalls.

Paint.NET is a free open source project that helps bridge the gap between the low fidelity and high cost options currently available.

Over the past year Google decided to partially ignore the robots.txt file in an attempt to increase the effectiveness of its results.

A Crash Course In CSS Sprites

Feature wrap up of Apple iOS6 releasing this fall.

My experience installing iOS6 beta on my iPhone 4S and trying out the new turn-by-turn navigation.

The time has come for Apple to embrace the idea of custom widgets on iOS.  It should be a a no-brainer but currently there are only three static widgets on iOS; they are Stock, Weather, and Share.  There are no additional widgets available in iOS6 beta except for an expansion of the Share widget to

Scanning the nuances in barcodes.

Scrum is a popular incarnation of the Agile principles.

Deductive reasoning.

Learning, experiencing, and becoming an expert at web development is not difficult.

The goal of any website is to clarify, then build interest. Interest drives return visits and recommendations.

The contour bias only works on objects which are emotionally neutral. Objects which already have an emotional association are not easily swayed.

All other things being equal, the simplest solution is the best.

The Gestalt Principles are based on the observation that people actively and subconsciously organize things into patterns and objects.

The Gestalt Principles are based on the observation that people actively and subconsciously organize things into patterns and objects.  These principles are organized into Proximity, Similarity, Closure, Good Continuation, Common Fate, and Good Form.  They can be applied to all avenues of life.

Writing software is a team effort and everyone helps to make it possible.

The Gestalt Principles are based on the observation that people actively and subconsciously organize things into patterns and objects.  These principles are organized into Proximity, Similarity, Closure, Good Continuation, Common Fate, and Good Form.  They can be applied to all avenues of life.  Web

The internet brought about a new age of consumerism. With this new approach, a new foundation for purchasing goods and services was developed. The online cart and secure payments are two examples. As the internet expanded, a growing need for validation of products/services developed. This void was f

The article decsribes two design principles at the core of design and interaction.

Technical debt has been compared to credit card debt. It should not be ignored but is impractical to tackle all at once.

Inattentional blindness is a failure to notice stimulus directly in one's perceptual field. Many refer to it as "looking without seeing." It is also referred to as perceptual or change blindness. This concept was discovered by Arien Mack and Irvin Rock while studying the relationship of attention to

Finding lost time in software development.

Understanding the reason behind a decision is vital in making the right decision the first time.

The concept of embracing failure put under the microscope.

The core tenants of Agile provide a sound foundation for effectiveness.

Agile's short programming cycles often promote a common question. What about the long-term focus of a project or product?

Code reviews help developers focus on larger concerns such as architectural issues and provide a forum to offer other coding suggestions. Performing intermittent code reviews covers the key aspects of coding standards while avoiding most of their pitfalls.

Unit testing is not a "one size fits all" solution. It's important to have the necessary conversations to find a happy medium.

Placing the five brightest or fastest developers on a team does not guarantee a "dream team" with unbounded productivity.

Strategic vs. Non-Strategic technical debt.

Having fun at work can re-ignite that spark and change a person's focus and perspective.

Leadership is a continuous journey of learning, teaching, and growing. Knowing this, how does one gain those abilities?

The short answer is, "Yes."

Jobs within the software industry come with even higher expectations than most. This increased scrutiny can be overcome but it requires additional attention.

Salary and promotion opportunities aside, sometimes it's the small things that add up.

The difference between an average and good developer is time management.

A list of tips and tricks for a successful first week.

Curing web zombies can be a challenge but it is a worthy cause.

In general, developers do not like to give presentations. In fact, they dread it. This is unfortunate because presentations can be a powerful asset. Most individuals cannot survive a long career without presenting on occasion. Others may have the courage but lack the proper guidance to present effec

Have you heard about the new web technique called SignalR?  It's a new endeavor by Microsoft to enable real-time updates to websites.  Companies such as Google and Apple have implemented some of these techniques into their products.  The GMail website is a excellent example of a service that does no

This is a topic that hits close to home.  I have witnessed individuals and entire programming teams burnout.  The drive to deadlines, profit and/or promotion can have unintended personal costs.  Combinations of overbearing ownership, drive, pride and a fear of failing cause many in the IT industry t

This fall Apple will release its annual update to the mobile operating system called iOS.  It features a new app called Passbook which aims to declutter the keychain and eliminate the paper trail of tickets and coupons. Apple did not invent this idea but is attempting to sweep in and take control of

Is multitasking bad?

The phrase "code review" can evoke a negative or emotional response from many programmers. The negative undertone stems from the perceived judgment of their work. It transports them back to the grade school stress before a final exam. Why is this? Like other professions during the industrial age, pr