We consider ourselves tech savvy. If you are reading this blog, you probably do too. And like us, you probably expect that computers are just supposed to work for you. However, in my experience, this close relationship we share with our machines just expands the realm of possible annoyances we encounter. Here are some easy ways to help you improve your relationship with the most important piece of equipment in your working life.
You’re in the process of creating and launching new softwareand you want it to be as stable as possible. Or, maybe your software has been running for a while, but you’re frustrated with the bug-reporting workflow in place. Either way it’s time to look for a crash reporting process that fits your application. This leads to a natural question: Should we build it? Or should we buy it?
As part of our continuing security program here at BugSplat, we’re switching to an authentication service called Auth0 for all of our account logins. Auth0 is a universal authentication and authorization platform that supports customer-requested features like federated logins, which means authenticating with a different provider, and Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) which is a two-step login protocol requiring separate verification from a mobile device to access your account.
You’re typing away on your computer, minding your own business when your application freezes. There’s that moment of panic, maybe the software’s just being slow. But no!! Alas, your window unexpectedly closes, your application has crashed. All of us have experienced this unfortunate event….unless you’re NASA.
There's a line in the second Harry Potter film where a wizard named Mr. Weasley asks “Tell me, what exactly is the function of a rubber duck?” It’s a good question. Some acceptable answers: rubber ducks are for singing to in the bath, floating down a river as part of a creative fundraiser raise money, or to entertain your dog. Developers, however, have a completely different answer to Mr. Weasley's question.
On that October day, a nuclear physicist, Dr. William 'Willy' Higinbotham, had prepared something special for Brookhaven's guests. In the past, he had noticed that visitors didn't connect well with the static displays shown at the fair. Willy wanted to create something more compelling for the lab's visitors to interact with. Along with his colleague, Dave Potter, Willy devised an idea to create an interactive experience for their visitors.
For most people, crashing means either an application has frozen or entirely disappeared. Sometimes, this is followed by a dialog box asking “Would you like to send a crash report?” Users hit “Send” and move on with their lives, and, most of the time, never think about that moment again. But there is an entire world behind that interaction which is key to driving technology forward.
At BugSplat, we are passionate about preventing software and video game crashes—but not all crashes are caused by bugs in code! In the early 80’s the video game industry was booming in North America - the price of home consoles had dropped, and the demand for new video games was skyrocketing. The video game craze had everyone wanting to play video games, and companies were scrambling to meet the demands of consumers. The stage was set for the most famous video game crash in history.
Music can make or break your video game project, but it can be expensive and hard to find. Here's some useful resources. Unfortunately, music is often a forgotten aspect of crafting a video game experience. So much goes into gameplay, art design, storyboarding, and other activities that music can be left behind.
