Account of Learning in 2010

Here I am again writing another recap of what I have learned over the last year. Each year I write down the major concepts that I can remember learning over the last year. I'm not a big fan of getting older at this point in my life, but that's something I don't have any control over. Becoming a master of anything takes immense patience and determination. It feels like this year has been a software and CAD/fabrication year for me.

Thanks so much to everyone who has contacted me or I have met based on interesting projects over the last year. You're all a real inspiration. So here's the list:

*How to work with Microsoft SQL Server Effectively.
*Better strategies for testing applications and hardware.
*How to implement virtual machines into a mixed IT environment.
*How to administrate and deploy the Drupal CMS with minor template and module development (yes, Drupal is the best CMS I've ever worked with).
*How to hook up flash applications to Drupal for massive content management.
*How to handle multimedia asset and AMF protocol network caching.
*Learned how the Facebook graph API works, how Oauth works on Twitter and Facebook. Really got my first taste of working with 3rd party APIs including Google services.
*Learned how to develop Java applications that work across Linux, Mac OSX, and Windows XP, Vista, and 7. (Each platform has particulars. You target JRE 1.5 due to Mac).
*Learned a lot about Java on the Mac and a much greater understanding of Java in general.
*Learned how to work with PostgreSQL effectively.
*Learned how to make complex windows installers using the WIX toolchain.
*Reluctantly and painfully learned about the Omeka CMS(Use Drupal instead, dont be fooled by Omeka's museum marketing hype. They're for BIG institutions like universities and the Smithsonian!).
*Learned additional strategies for multimedia transcoding on the Adobe Flash platform and Red5.
*Learned how to do several different printing tricks in Windows like banks of printers handling demanding jobs and how to write applications that control the printing process.
*Better over all programming skills.
*Learned how to work with soft conductive materials including conductive thread.
*Learned how to make my own fabric based pressure sensors (Thanks Plusea at Instructables for Conductive Thread Pressure Sensor).
*Better sewing skills.
*Better microcontroller programming skills including use of interrupts and feeling much more comfortable understanding low level firmware.
*Learned about audio system input/output in detail using Flash and Java.
*I came to an important paradigm shift concerning the work I have been doing in my spare time which led me to abandon the year long soft message system and NAT traversal project. I still believe this was a good idea.
*Learned how to work with 2D laser cutting and gained a much better understanding of working with Acrylic. (No sharp corners! It reduces structural integrity).
*Learned all about rings including sizes.
*Learned how to effectively glue acrylic.
*Learned about several different types of plastics.
*I think..I learned a little bit about industrial design.
*Learned all about machine screws and associated washers. Better understanding of nuts and bolts as dumb as that sounds.
*Learned about solar charge pumps and DC to DC converters and ocilating techniques for increasing low voltages.
*Learned charlieplexing and multiplexing techniques in electronics.
*Gained a lot of skills in manipulating seven segment displays and alpha numeric displays.
*Have a pretty good understanding of 3D cad using Alibre. I'm confident I could transition into other 3d cad packages.
*Better general understanding of 3D plastics design. I've taken apart almost everything I own that is made of plastic and know many aspects concerning tolearances due to academic references, PCB mounting and injection molding techniques.
*Learned about core Windows process events.



I'm trying the best I can to stay focused on CAD and manufacturing techniques this year, but you'll have to check back in a year and see what happens! The pictures included are related to a project that involves teaching my coworker Jake how to work with embedded electronics. I was very proud that I was able to implement a working solution electronically in only a few days. It means I'm getting a lot better at electronics.