Software Development Expo, Santa Clara
12 March 2009
http://www.sdexpo.com/

1) EvergyNet - The Next Boom in Software
This analyst says that we need to create a smart web for electricity generation and use. All of our devices (cars, dishwashers, etc) will be able to send and receive information about the current price of energy, and make decisions to use energy or not depending on the price. For example, your car will not recharge itself from the web during peak hours, but instead wait until off peak. The speaker said that the current grid is failing right now, and a new one must be built anyway, so the new one should have intelligence like this built in. The intelligence is all enabled by software, so all new software development jobs will be in this industry soon.

2) Successful Software Management: 17 Lessons Learned
Johanna Rothman said that capable management can result in a 65% improvement in productivity for the team. New technology can result in 55% improvement, reusing code can give you 350% improvement, and good processes can give you 35% improvement. She recommends the book "Successful Software Management" by Rothman.

3) Safari Books Online had a booth there
This is a subscription service which gives you the ability to read most textbooks online. This would make it easier for me to travel around without lugging my textbooks with me. It would also make it easier for me to evaluate new textbooks, or refer to other books beside the ones I own or adopt for my class. For $19.50 per month, I could read up to 10 books online each month. I just started a 15 day free trial.