http://refactr.com/blog informs on and evangelizes best practices of using <a href="http://refactr.com/the-agile-manifesto/">agile methods</a> when designing and developing what are currently being called “Web 2.0” products and applications. Wed, 17 Sep 2008 15:58:27 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en I use a lot of key commands daily and most of them have been committed to muscle memory where I just think about what I want to do and I don't think about how to do it. I use cmd-tab and cmd-~ to change applications and windows. In text editors, ... http://refactr.com/blog/2008/09/key-command-bleed-over/ The Plastic Logic Reader looks like an amazing device. I'm excited to see one in person. I've already heard people bandying about the term "Kindle killer." To me that seems a pretty bold assertion. The device itself looks like it could definitely be better than the Kindle - mainly in its ... http://refactr.com/blog/2008/09/plastic-logic-reader/ Jesse alerted me to engadget rumors about the Kindle 2.0 coming out. Needless to say, I'm excited. To start with, a price of $249 would be much easier to justify. Looking back at the questions (and complaints) I had about the first generation reader, my biggest hope for 2.0 is ... http://refactr.com/blog/2008/08/kindle-20/ Bex Huff says that work-life balance is nearly impossible for good computer geeks. I couldn't disagree more. There's a distinction between creative work that people do for "work" and what they do outside of work. Work/life balance for computer geeks, knowledge workers, or artists has nothing to do with not being ... http://refactr.com/blog/2008/08/worklife-balance/ There is plenty to be said for (and against) the new iPhone and all the new apps flooding to our screens but aside from the sluggish response times and occasional crashes, the biggest problem I have is keeping track of and organizing all these apps. Applications of all types are now ... http://refactr.com/blog/2008/08/iphone-gone-wild/ At Refactr we don't often get RFP's (Requests for Proposals). Most of our consulting project work comes from word of mouth and referral where we help brainstorm what is to be created at the outset. It is the only time in a project where there are routinely meetings for more ... http://refactr.com/blog/2008/07/repsonding-to-rfps/ Lean-to is live! We haven't done a great job of keeping the work we have been doing under wraps but we haven't been promoting it either. Since we gave a demo of our agile project tracking application, Lean-to, at minnebar in May, we have been adding features and tweaking ... http://refactr.com/blog/2008/06/lean-tos-got-agile-project-tracking-covered/ I personally haven't heard this question before, but Martin Fowler mentions that he has been asked whether a team should use agile development or lean development for a project. The answer is that they're not alternatives. Lean development is a type of agile development. In fact, Mary and Tom Poppendieck title their ... http://refactr.com/blog/2008/06/lean-vs-agile/ This is a little bit older, but pretty interesting: Nine Things Developers Want More Than Money. It should be inherently obvious, but seeing lists like this every once in a while is a good reminder that creating and maintaining high-performing teams is clearly more about people than it is about process, ... http://refactr.com/blog/2008/06/nine-things-developers-want-more-than-money/ http://refactr.com/blog/2008/06/this-is-for-sota/