Goodbye to Surface Mount Technology

As a new academic year started in September I was also making a leap into a new industry. I have moved back to a town where I consider my second home and where strangely I had move to exactly ten years to the day.

For the last seven years, which has been the majority of my twenties, I have been working developing SMT (Surface Mount Technology) printing equipment. This was a company that I originally joined in 2006 as a software engineering placement student but re-joined in 2008 after a graduate scheme with Siemens fell through due to the financial recession.

It’s fair to say my time there was interesting; there were three redundancy rounds, a lot of uncertain times, a new solar division that never got off the ground and the company was eventually sold by parent, the Dover Corporation.

During my time there I didn't see any growth due to the financial climate coupled with a focus on the government subsidised solar market but I did learn how the company had grown in its heyday. A lot of the practices that helped it succeed were latterly becoming a handicap and some had developed bad habits.

Fire Fighting was a classic habit. To the sales team it meant customer interaction, to higher management it meant simply getting the job done but it negated any level of engineering excellence or project management.  

With the company’s top down hierarchy approach the only thing one could do is watch it all unfold from the sidelines. It is fair to say this was at times highly frustrating knowing that the software industry had solved similar issues along time back so one had only needed to copy and recreate these within a traditional engineering environment. Issues would range from simple people management and working environment issues to more complex road map decisions.

I could never say there was ever a power struggle, far from it, but the lack of ownership was at the heart of most challenges. Ownership gives you quick decision making and the ability to fail quickly, as well as to simply understand what the rest of the business is doing.

Good and Bad, the company taught me a lot of business lessons which I will take forward when I eventually start my own business in two years time. The future of the electronics manufacturing industry is based around killer software that enhances automation. This goal isn’t new but hasn’t been achieved yet as Chinese hands were cheaper than complex systems. As we see the Mac Pro being made in the USA and the Raspberry Pi being made in the UK, Onshoring is now a big drive and so again is automation.

My concern is can a company that has a lot of ageing traditional hardware managers and values manage the deployment of killer software? We only have to look at the demise of Nokia and the success of Apple to conclude that question.

I leave focusing on beefing up my technical career and personal life but I see in the short future that I will be needed back to lead their software strategy and deploy a tied development approach to aid outsourcing. In the meantime I hope their new partnership with a sister company will guide them in the right direction.

Welcome to the start of the rest of my life

Graduating in November was a surprising shock. I knew that the end was near of course but as it got closer and closer the work load increased so it became easy to forget. Now twenty-three I realise that I am already knocking on the door of the mid twenties and while this may seems nothing to someone reading this blog I have set myself a goal that I would be clearly on my career path and hopefully had created a product, service or business by thirty. The last four years has flown by and I bet the next seven years will also. I put myself under this unnecessary pressure because the past has shown me that the only way I achieve good things is if I push myself. I look back now and I have realised I have always pushed myself for the benefit of myself, obvious you may say, but I realise now I have left University that there are a lot of people in the same boat who have pushed themselves with the intention to impress others, namely their parents. Now they have ticked the box of education what now for them? Many that I have talked to are in limbo, they have a degree under their belt but are suddenly realising they may have been going down the wrong path. They also no longer have the pressures of expectations from others as they have already been met; the foundations have already been made. Some are ‘travelling’, probably for the second time, some are thinking about enrolling on yet another degree and others have taken the plunge into a job that is nothing to do with their studied degree. Getting back to me, the reason I am happy to say that four years ago I knew where I would be in regards to my career now is because I set myself goals and had large amounts of self drive. My parents would have always been happy with me taking a more mundane job so I could never say they have been pushy, though my dad often uses reverse psychology to get me to prove him wrong. I now am working professionally as a Software Engineer while also working on projects in my spare time that hopefully I will be able to take further once this recession is over. I have already dodged two redundancy rounds and every day of work brings me opportunity to learn about work politics and generally how to behave and interact with my colleagues. I have to remind myself what I idealistic situation I am now in and that I am doing something I have chosen to do, not a lot of graduates can say that at this point of time, which maybe is a sad fact of our education system.

The Chicken and the Egg

Working in the software industry it is very easy to think that software is king. Electronics courses are declining while the software discipline is becoming more defined creating excellent graduate computer scientists. I wouldn’t however describe the average computer graduate as a scientist as most are building on existing technologies and forget they can create their own. Apple’s success is that they created their own platform and luckily for them it became fashionable to own something different from the norm. Of course it isn’t always wise to stray away from the norm and even Apple had rocky periods where the company was struggling. My point though is one of software versus hardware. We forget as software engineers that the hardware we use contributes lots to our success and maybe we should focus our efforts on developing hardware too. While I don’t expect everyone to suddenly switch their approach to development I whish it was stressed the importance of hardware so that the hardware industry doesn’t swell up. I have never liked demonstrating software as it always feels so silly; lots of people staring at a small computer screen just doesn’t have the wow factor. Compare this with pulling out of your pocket a shiny new iphone. It has the wow factor because it is something you can touch and as a Software Engineer your software can make something move and light up. The fact is that development in hardware drives the technology industry along and software simply fills the gap. I do hope that it is not only the big boys that shape the future of hardware development as this in turn drives the progress of software development.

And I'm done

I finally submitted my major project at the end of March. I have been working on it for over a year and I am very happy with the outcome. It is detailed over at Grahamsoft Labs under the Waddon project name. It has taught me a great deal about microcontrollers and embedded software design, and more importantly it has given me a good idea of what I am interested in. Exams start in May so my next job is to begin revision; well I have already started just not very successfully. During my breaks I will be tidying up the BridTEC site as well as catching up with TV via the iPlayer. Little update regarding that; a separate kservice-clean application fixed my problems with the iPlayer, if you need more information about that contact me. So Summer is in the air, Spring is a pointless season, and it starts making me think about my future options as I am coming to the end of my degree. I definitely need more industry experience for a few more years but after that who knows. It will depend on where I physically am and how far I have climbed the corporate ladder, My dream has always been to run my own company. On the Job front interviews have been great however I let myself down with the aptitude tests. Most have not even been related to Software Engineering and often time is an issue. As I am dyslexic, something I never use as an excuse, I often run out of time with exams which is something unfortunately I can't practice to overcome. Hey, ho, someone will eventually accept me, lucky the jobs I have previously applied for haven't been my dream job. So I guess its back to revision.

Making the unmissable, unmissable

Last year I blogged about the BBC integrated Media Player, a IPTV application developed so UK residence could catch up on TV programmes they have missed. Well now renamed the BBC iPlayer, this application has been launched and I have been using it for some time now. It's been a bit of a boom for IPTV in the UK with Channel 4, ITV and Sky also launching their own versions of their catch up TV service. All apart from ITVs version use the Kontiki peer-to-peer software and the now famous kservice. ITV simply provide a streamed catch up service from their website instead of a standalone application. As I said I have been using the services for a long time and have continually used them through their beta periods. On the whole I had no problem. The quality is brilliant, downloads where fairly fast even with less popular programming and the range of programme choice is fantastic. A big however follows; after a software update, I think, of the BBC iPlayer the kservice started to use up to 100% of the processor like it was locked in a loop. This obviously reduced the performance of my computer and I had to shut it down. After many reinstalls and even tinkering with the registry I haven't come to a solution. As I said because the BBC, Channel 4 and Sky all use the same technology this means all applications are broken. So until I see a fix I am resulted to the streamed version of the iPlayer which was originally intended as a stop gap for Mac users as the Kontiki software isn't available for the Mac. So on the whole IPTV is shaping up good in the UK . The above described are the computer application versions but we are also seeing standalone set top boxes being launch like BT Vision and also BT Vision for the XBOX 360. There is an interesting time ahead and I look follow to future developments.

Merry Christmas

I've been quiet busy in the latter months and the amount of blogs clearly shows this. I'm back at university for my forth and final year. The work load certainly shows it's my final year but I'm just about coping under the pressure. The year consists of four main units and also my individual project. The project is weighted so it's equivalent to two more units, so it's large. The project its self is a model railway controller which is detailed at railwaycontrol.co.uk. I'm learning some exciting stuff and strangely it's the first time in a while I have really enjoyed computing. This may sound odd being someone who promotes technology on a daily basis but after a while things become a bit samey. After you have got through the hype and marketing of any new technology you find that it's the same old thing repackaged and this becomes very disappointing when I see it time and time again. So with the project I am learning a new skill set and it's very interesting. Firstly I'm fiddling around with electronics, something that due to my brothers, who both studied it at university, I have always been interested in but never actually studied myself, not even at GCSE. There's bit of a learning curve here, and unlike software, one mistake and you create irreversible smoke. Secondary I am programming embedded firmware to be loaded onto microcontrollers. Unlike desktop computers, these microchips have limited resources so it has improved my skills as a programmer and has made me be not so wasteful. So far everything is going well. The summer just gone I spent prototyping and testing the platform I built to see if it could do everything I wanted it to do. Hopefully no major problem will occur but I have been developing software products for long enough to realise that something is bound to happen, I can only wait and see.

Why I do what I do

I am often asked why I enjoy what I do, to be honest most of what I do is frustrating, tedious and very repetitive. Lets face it anyone can do what I do, but then with leaning and experience I can do anyone else's job too. Using technology you defiantly have to be patient and I find as technology gets quicker people expect faster results which results in low tolerance towards slow responses. The fact that you can't do things in a flip of a switch puts a lot of people specially the older generation off using any type of technology. High tolerance is of course what I have, I have watched many progress bars in my time and unfortunately its something I have had to get use to. Ok, so I am not painting a very nice picture of what I do but there is an event that happens now and again that keeps me going, I call it “The Eureka Moment”. It mainly happens in Software Engineering but can also happen in most fields of IT. In Software, programming and design go hand in hand together as by the time you have finished the design you would have already started the programming as there is no strict line between the two. The low level design of a program takes a lot of thinking through, and I literally mean sitting and thinking how something is going to work. Paper and pen doesn't really help as you often experience white paper syndrome where you don't know where to start. Once you have solved how the jigsaw puzzle of your new software will fit together you have reached the eureka moment. It's such a great feeling and better more as thinking can be done anywhere, the moment can also happen anywhere, in the shower, on the bus or just before you go to bed. The reason I call it the eureka moment is because strangely enough it's normally unexpected, simply everything fits together which is ideal in software as normally one thing relies on another to work. Not everyone can visualise something in there mind so I believe that this is a key attribute of a good Software Engineer, lucky I have that skill.

Take you foot off the pedals and enjoy the ride

We are in a time of creativity at the moment; every so often the technology industry goes through this. Prior to this we have had years of development of new technologies that while potentially useful few organisations have adopted. This could be because they didn't think it was the next big thing, when it has become, or simply they haven't had time to integrate it into their business of 'commonly used technologies'. Either way businesses are now up to speed and technologies such as C Sharp that appeared in 2001, are now being commonly used. Flash is a good example of a technology that was frowned upon a few years ago as it was a plug-in and may not be installed or enabled on a user's computer. Now it's used everywhere to stream video, quite different to what is was used for five years ago. We now have the power, the bandwidth and the tools to do pretty much what we like (for now) it's now up to the creative community to think up the next big thing, hopefully not yet another social networking website.

Back to the command line?

With the recent launch of Windows Vista I naturally have to investigate the new operating system. Not only does this mean playing around with the new features but also researching what the industry leaders are saying about it. One feature that struck me is the search function that seems to be popping up in all Microsoft software these days. These search boxes doesn't do what I originally thought; send you to the MSN internet search, No, if there is a list like on MSN messenger typing something in the search box filters the list with relevant results. This feature is also on the Vista start menu (No longer called that as there is no start button). Typing a program name for example displays the link to that program and also any folders that maybe associated with that search. This is a great feature and all the reviews of vista I have read have highlighted this but I have one small issue with it, isn't it just a command line? Type "word", press enter and MS Word loads… I guess this a nice well of pleasing the Unix console mob as well as the rest of us.

Is the world turning geeky?

The world has changed a lot since I started this game. We now receive hundreds of channels via our TV, the walkman has been upgraded to the ipod and we now find out about the world within seconds via the internet. Just a few examples of change, of course, but has it all been good? Prices of electrical goods have come down dramatically and everything seems to becoming ever so more glossy. With this gadgets have become disposable and spending £100 on a ‘toy' no longer takes lots of thought. The integration of technology in everybody's day to day life has resulted in a tech savvy world, but the question is has the stereotypes of techies also been integrated into society. People are more happy to txt than pick up the phone, and interact more with their xbox than their fellow friends. The expectation 10 years that everyone would be interacting with computers far more hasn't strictly become true. Yes we interact with computers but not in the form of a PC. Mobiles, MP3 Players, Navigation systems and TV digi boxes are most people's form of interaction however the principles are the same. The majority of the time technology is an antisocial form of recreation and entertainment, with a 1 to 1 ratio to the peace of kit being used. I can not say whether this is going to become a problem for tomorrow's world or whether it will create a very switched on world. We can only wait and see…

IPTV gets closer but watchdog stunts its growth

For about 2 years now the BBC has been developing and trailing the BBC integrated Media Player (iMP). Using peer to peer technologies the BBC will eventually offer its UK viewers the ability to download for free BBC shows to their computer for a limited time. The UK TV regulator has issued a report this week that recommends the 'limited time' to be reduced from 13 weeks to 14 days. The reason they give is it will have a "negative effect" on commercial rivals. Of course it will, but these services are extras to the commercial rivals and why shouldn't I be able to download BBC content that I have already paid for via my licence fee. It seems to me that it's another case where a regulator it stating it's in the “public interest” but really it's supporting a profit making-shareholder company. I can see the only reason why I would want to support such an organisation is if I was a shareholder. Channel 4 has already launched its equivalent called 4OD but charges around 99p for content. With my limited life on this planet I am starting to wonder whether monopolies are a good thing rather than bad. From what I have seen privatisation and general regulation just causes confusion and barriers for both consumers and the organisations concerned. This may be different for other countries and I have heard of large supermarket chains taking advantage of their power, but with a country as small as the UK, companies know how valuable their brand image is and that one slip up could cause a big loss in profits. The BBC does have an unfair advantage as it gets a steady income from the licence fee payer. However as everyone who watches TV is effetely a shareholder of the BBC how can it be in our interest that we should worry about commercial rivals? Now of course I can see how the competition is a good thing as it pushes the BBC to produce better content so in that respect I agree. But when you are talking about extra services however I believe the regulator has over stepped the line. I will be watching with great interest on this subject and I expect the BBC will compromise. Programs saved to my Sky+ PVR are normally deleted within the week of recording them so I doubt most people will want to save programs to their computer for 13 weeks anyway.

Happy New Year

BridTEC wishes you a happy 2007. It's a big year for BridTEC as we celebrate 10 Years of being “at the heart of technology” i.e. 10 Years with a web presents under the former Grahamsoft brand. The launch coincided with my first year at secondary school which at the time had one network room featuring Acorn computers. Then and now the technology was dated but with the internet generally not available in schools at the time we weren't missing out on anything. The Acorns provided us with all the software we needed for our education and in some cases where better than the PC based equivalent. A few years later the school was under pressure to upgrade but with a small budget buying 30 to 60 new PCs was out the question. Instead the school invested in a smart fill-in solution which was Citrix Metaframe. I am going to spare you from the details but basically it gave the school the ability to run a Windows terminal on the existing Acorn desktops. What was even better was that a Windows terminal could also run on old PCs that would normally be thrown out. The school purchased a number of cheap old PCs and all the classrooms where kitted out with them. This was a great solution which started my interest in computer networks and I later went on to teach myself Windows 2000/3 Server.

Time Management

As of September I have been working as a software engineer for a company that builds screen printing equipment. The company is a leader in its field and supplies circuit board printers to most of the major technology companies in the world. The job has been fantastic in giving me an insight of what the software engineer profession is all about. Being paid to do something you are good at and you enjoy is a great feeling and something you only dream about while you are struggling through tedious exams at school. However one unexpected problem has resulted from the nine to five working hours. Simply I have suddenly realised how many things I use to do in my spare time, and how much little spare time I now have. I feel my hobby time has rapidly been eroded and in the last 3 months I have done little towards my final year university project that by now I wanted the requirements to be completed. It has become apparent that better time management is in order if I wish to continue building the BridTEC brand, something that in the new year I hope to achieve.

Is the web killing software engineering?

I so love desktop applications, so rock solid and they do exactly what you want them to do. I have the totally opposite opinion of the web interface, having to click submit before a refresh of the page can occur seems so clunky me. Lucky so-called web 2.0 may fix my dislike towards the web, as it should offer real time updates using technologies such as Ajax. But I have deeper concerns of what developing for the web is doing to the definition of software engineering. As in any engineering there is a life cycle of the processes you have to do to go from start to end, or in most cases start to recurring support. When you build a house you have an architect who in software are the people who prepare the requirements, analysis and design documents. You also have the builders who in software are the programmers. If you build a shed without an architect you maybe able to just use the builders to construct a simple design and go onto build the shed. In majority of cases this happens in web development that on the whole works fine. My issue with this isn't what you would initially think, with the builder doing the work of many people and the possibility for that shed will fall down. No, my issue is that the team who are building sheds for the living get out of the development routine that would be required to build a grand hotel.
There is no doubt in my eyes that web development can become enormous but being realistic not every web developer is working on big projects and the majority are working on relevantly small ones. Now the trouble with techies, including myself is that we like to investigate and learn other technologies. This is meaning that true desktop application developers are cross-pollinating with web developers resulting in mixed disciplines of software development. This doesn't cause too many problems on the web side, the only issue maybe the projects are over engineered and run behind schedule. On the desktop application side is another story. Few applications I used on a day-to-day base aren't from one of the major software houses. Applications that I use that aren't from one of the big boys I would have a major issue with somewhere. The big software houses such as Microsoft enforce industry standard software techniques, which I believe is why I have no big issue with their applications. Where smaller developers applications' I believe, which I cannot directly prove, that the reason I have issues with their applications is because these developers come from the age where the ease of creation and deployment of web sites is predominate and this has eroded away the true software engineering discipline. This discipline is a main ingredient to good software and without it we see a future of inadequate software.

Is 3G finally taking off?

With the announcement this week that mobile phone operator 'Three' will be offering a flat rate fee for it 3rd generation mobile phone service, I can finally start considering upgrading my mobile phone. Two years ago I pledged to myself that I wouldn't upgrade my phone until 3G services, then very expensive, became the norm. In my opinion the operators have cut their own throats as they made the services an exclusive product and didn't create reasonable pricing plans. Pricing plans where created around the pay-for-what-you-use model, the model that most operators used for text messaging. So fixed prices were created for each megabyte a user used for the use of any 3G services. In the age where you pay a fixed fee for your home broadband service, this pricing plan wasn't going to work and it has resulted in very slow take up for 3G services. Now 'Three' has announced their new flat rate fee pricing plan, we can only wait before the other operators will follow suit and maybe 3G will finally take off.