ITworld How-to

Unix tip: Using Bash's regular expressions

Sandra Henry-Stocker — Mon, 06 May 2013 00:37:51 +0000

Bash has quietly made scripting on Unix systems a lot easier with its own regular expressions. If you're still leaning on grep and sed commands to get your scripts to do what you need from them, maybe it's time to look into what bash can do on its own.

How to build a bulletproof cloud backup system without spending a dime

IDGNS staff — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 18:01:19 +0000

The no-cost guide to backing up photos, documents, music, and more.

Unix: Timing your cron jobs

Sandra Henry-Stocker — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 03:11:02 +0000

Cron is not in charge; you are. All you need to do is tell it what you want done and when you want it done.

How to build a drop down menu with CSS and HTML

mombrea — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 12:00:00 +0000

I’ve written recently about the common task of identifying the active menu item based on the current URL using jQuery and, in that same vein, I want to show how you can create a basic drop down menu using HTML and CSS.

IT career success and advice: An interview with Marilyn Smith

Eric Bloom — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 20:23:30 +0000

Former MIT CIO Marilyn Smith recently said in an interview that to enhance your IT career, you should 'exit and then return to IT.' Her reasoning: 'Your time working outside of IT will enhance your perspective on how to best serve your internal clients and also position you to be a business partner, rather than a service provider to other business areas.

Install Facebook Home on (nearly) any Android phone

kevinpurdy — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 20:45:56 +0000

Facebook Home is only officially on five phones right now. But Android is an OS full of unofficial possibilities.

Free Amazon Web Services -- and how to make the most of them

IDGNS staff — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 14:24:17 +0000

If you avoid some gotchas and keep a close eye on resource usage, you can have a handy server in the Amazon cloud for free.

How to turn off Android's screen lock for yourself (but keep it for everyone else)

kevinpurdy — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 21:49:19 +0000

Here's how to keep your Android phone easily unlocked whenever it's near familiar Wi-Fi networks and Bluetooth devices.

Master the Camera app on iOS

IDGNS staff — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 11:52:06 +0000

An iOS device isn't perfect for every photographic need. But it can serve awfully well in many situations where you might once have needed a digital camera.

Setting an active menu item based on the current URL with jQuery

mombrea — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 12:00:00 +0000

This problem pops up over and over again when building websites - how do I determine the user’s current location so I can highlight the active section in the navigation menu? It’s such a basic need but the solution seems to be reinvented on every new build.

Getting started with SkyDrive and Windows Phone 8

IDGNS staff — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 15:27:36 +0000

How to get the most from Microsoft's cloud storage service.

10 Steps to becoming an Internal IT Consultant

Eric Bloom — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 20:12:13 +0000

I’m tired of feeling like an order taker for the business group I support. How do I get them to ask me what’s needed, not just tell me what to do and what reports to build?

How to remotely inspect the DOM on a mobile device

mombrea — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 12:00:00 +0000

How often have you as a mobile web developer struggled to diagnose a style or layout issue on a particular device through trial and error? Wouldn’t it be so much easier if you could just inspect the DOM on the mobile device as you would on the desktop through Chrome or Firebug? It turns out there is a tool for that.

Back up, wipe and restore your iPad

IDGNS staff — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 19:43:35 +0000

If you're planning to sell or give away your iPad, then it is essential that your personal information and data be erased from it. If it's running sluggish after a few years, sometimes backing up your data, erasing it from the tablet and restoring it might improve performance.

Unix: When pipes don't make sense

Sandra Henry-Stocker — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 21:17:29 +0000

While pipes are one of the things that make Unix such a powerful and versatile operating system, they don't always make sense. Many people still fall into the "useless use of a pipe" habit while still others use pipes in situations in which pipes simply don't function at all. Knowing when to pipe and when not to pipe remains a sign of Unix mastery. If you want to look Unix savvy, use pipes only when they provide a critical service and never when they're superfluous or downright wrong.