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Zapier
Zapier helps automate tasks through customized workflows. Using Zaps, or automated Zapier workflows, Zapier watchs for new or updated data in connected apps, then use that data to do tasks in that or other connected apps.
China’s Global Satellite Internet Service
Over the weekend, China launched a satellite into low-earth orbit, the first step of a plan to provide global satellite internet to people who still don’t have reliable access. Nearly 3.8 billion people are unconnected to the internet, and women and rural poor are particularly affected.
China got on the bandwagon to provide global satellite internet
The satellite, called Hongyun-1, took off at China’s national launching site Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on Saturday (Dec. 22). Hongyun-1, or “rainbow cloud,” is the first of 156 satellites of the same name developed by state-owned spacecraft maker China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC). A Long March 11 rocket, made by another state-owned firm, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, carried the Hongyun-1.
Wallor – Slim, Smart, RFID Wallet
Wallor is a slim wallet with smart capabilities. The wallet has worldwide GPS tracking, Bluetooth alert system and RFID protection.
Key Features:
- Card Fit/Number of Cards: 10-12
- Bill Fit/Number of Bills: 15+
- Keys/Coins: Yes. Special pocket
- Size: 4.6 x 3.5 x 0.25 inch (110 x 85 x 7 mm)
- Material: Black Nappa Leather
- RFID Protection: Yes
- GPS Tracking: Cloud data tracking
- Data Plan: Free
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4 Types of Work in IT
The Phoenix Project by George Spafford, Kevin Behr, Gene Kim is a good read about IT management. The authors narrate the challenges an organization goes through as it transitions into an agile, streamlined machine through the eyes of Bill, an IT manager, at Parts Unlimited. Some of the topics covered included:
- Challenges adopting project management, change management and streamlining processes through the use of Kanban Boards
- Compliance requirements with SOX and adopting frameworks such as COBIT
- Transitioning away from the traditional waterfall development SDLC processes to an organization whose mindset is aligned with Agile and DevOps approaches
However, none of these organization transitions are possible until IT leadership understands where their employees’ time is consumed with IT work and this is where the book shines the most.
Brenton Johnson summarizes the four types of IT work well, however, my synopsis on these four buckets of IT work is:
Business Projects. These include business initiatives
Internal Projects: These include projects to develop internal applications that help IT Teams deliver services faster. Unfortunately, though exciting for IT team members to work on, many Internal Projects do not get the attention of the Project Management Office and thus are managed internally and independently with little oversite on scope, cost, and feature overruns. Since internal projects consume untold amounts of IT staff time and
Operational Changes: These include daily work performed by IT teams to plan, assess, build, test and deploy routine changes to keep the infrastructure running e.g. patching application, application upgrades, vendor software updates. Typically, this work directly supports finished Internal or Business Projects and can be referred to as Keeping Lights On (KLO) work.
Unplanned Work: These include tasks and work that is a direct result of a Business or Internal Project deliverable going down or a system issue affecting business operations. This type of work trumps all other categories and This type of work has the ability to put everything else on the backburner and impacts the go-live date for other categories of work.
Related Links:
The Phoenix Project: A Novel about IT, DevOps, and Helping Your Business Win