This photo was taken in ‘stealth’ mode: shooting from the hip, no audio, no display on the rear LCD. I had no idea what the composition would look like.

First

One of the features of Qur’an Memorizer, my first iOS app, is the ability to highlight a verse (ayah) when it’s tapped. To do this I access a database of verse x and y locations and retrieve the 4 coordinates I need to draw the resulting polygon.

The first version of the code released to the App Store looked a little bit like this:

This is an Oak tree that I planted in my front yard about five years ago. I’m glad it’s survived all the storms we’ve had since then. I hope to see it grow into a Mighty Oak.

As an amateur photographer I like displaying my photos on my blog, especially when there are particularly interesting stories behind them. In this post I’ll show you how to modify the default Octopress theme and add a type of layout that highlights a single photograph. You can see an example of this in this sample blog.

After my recent Blitz Talk at SecondConf I had some great conversations with fellow attendees in the meal lines and around the beverage table. I’m presenting them here for further discussion.

Here are the slides and links from my recent Blitz Talk on password security at SecondConf.

Update: I have just posted some followup discussions in a new blog post.

The 2011 MacBook Air is my primary machine now. The SSD and CPU are fast and the machine seldom slows down when I have many apps open.

The Lower Antelope Canyon in Page, Arizona is a place of breathtaking beauty. Located in Navajo country, it’s best viewed at around noon when the angle of the sun’s rays makes for very dramatic lighting.

This is a bend of the Colorado River located near Page, Arizona. In Page you can find the famous Antelope Canyons.

“Cloud Gate” - fondly known as The Bean. Millennium Park, Chicago. Looking East, half an hour before a sunrise that was hidden behind clouds.