jastram.de Blog

Well Worth the Wait: New ProR Integration Release (0.2.0)

micky@alum.mit.edu (Michael Jastram) — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 11:29:10 -0400

The RMF team is proud to announce the i12.03 Integration build, which
brings significant improvements both in the core and the ProR user
interface. Please read more about this on the Formal Mind Blog.

ProR development continues (Eclipse OpenSource RE tool based on RMF/ReqIF) - feedback wanted!

micky@alum.mit.edu (Michael Jastram) — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 23:05:23 -0400

I am project lead on the Eclipse Requirements Modeling Framework (RMF),
which also contains a tool called ProR for requirements engineering (http://eclipse.org/rmf).
In two weeks, we'll start a sprint to improve the GUI. We welcome
feedback, so that we can prioritize properly before starting the sprint.
More details can be found here:

http://www.formalmind.com/en/blog/next-pror-snapshot-coming-soon-please-help-us-prioritize

We appreciate any feedback!

BTW: You can subscribe to our newsletter to receive regular updates regarding ProR and RMF.

http://www.formalmind.com/de/blog

Finally: New nuclear reactors being built

micky@alum.mit.edu (Michael Jastram) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:43:43 -0500

As a German, I live in a country that prides itself in its abandonment of nuclear energy. Personally, I consider this a tragedy. Hearing that elsewhere new reactors are planned is good news. Before you flame me (or stop reading), please hear me out.

First, I acknowledge that nuclear energy has a problem - Fukoshima demonstrated that. But I would argue that the problem has less to do with technology, but with regulation. With proper regulation, and above all transparency and supervision from independent bodies, nuclear energy promises to be a safe, economic and environmentally friendly technology.

So let me dismantle the arguments against nuclear energy:

Safety: The truth is, nuclear energy is safer than everything else we have. The estimates from the death toll from Chernobyl ranges from 5,000 - 200,000. My guess is that both numbers push agendas. Either way, this picture puts death by oil, coal and nuclear into perspective. But as it does not cite clear numbers, let me throw in that 24,000 deaths every year are caused by coal-fired power plants in the USA alone! This is just the US (Think how high the number probably is in China and India), and does not include deaths through mining. Do the math yourself.

Waste: Storing nuclear waste is a huge problem. Less known is the fact, that many of today's aging reactors were designed to produce material for nuclear weapons as a byproduct, but also large amount of waste. There are several promising designs that produce significantly less waste. Not only that, there are also ideas for "cooking" the waste (Pyroprocessing), which could get rid of radioactivity in as little as 100 years while generating energy. But more research is needed here.

So, what's to be done?

Regulation: Here I see the biggest problem. The energy industry ruined the reputation of nuclear power by practicing secrecy and obstruction for decades. Japan's TEPCO is notorious for this, but I'd argue that Europe's Vattenfall is not much better. Compare this to the aviation industry: The low fatality rate is impressive, inspite of a technology where failure can easily lead to hundreds of deaths. But if something happens, the incident is analyzed and published with merciless rigor. We need the same oversight, rigor and transparency in the energy sector.

Technology: There are many promising reactor designs that could be safer, produce less waste and use cheapter fuel, like Molten salt breeders. Other designs include PRISM and IFR designs in general. Some of these are specifically designed to close the nuclear fuel cycle. While this does not remove the existing waste, they promise not to increase the waste problem.

I consider it madness to abandon this technology, rather than to try to tame it. I applaud Bill Gates for investing in nuclear technology. We have a serious energy problem on this planet, and nuclear power can be a part of the solution. Everybody is talking about the environment. Nuclear power has the potential to help.

Infos und Schulungen zu GnuCash

micky@alum.mit.edu (Michael Jastram) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 11:30:53 -0500

Über meinen Eintrag zur Einrichtung von GnuCash ist Franz Schreiner auf diese Seiten gestoßen. Auf seinem Blog bietet er weitere Infos und Schulungen zu GnuCash. Ich kann nichts zur Qualität der Schulung sagen, da ich daran nicht teilgenommen habe - aber es ist sicherlich eine interessante Ressource für Leser, die tiefer in das Thema GnuCash einsteigen wollen.

Snapshot Build of Eclipse ProR (ReqIF Open Source Implementation) •

micky@alum.mit.edu (Michael Jastram) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 23:49:28 -0500

The Eclipse RMF project has the goal to provide a clean-room
implementation of a ReqIF tool. ReqIF is an emerging standard for
exchanging requirements, driven by the German automotive industry.

You can find more details and the download link at the Formal Mind Blog.

GEZ-Gebührenrückerstattung

micky@alum.mit.edu (Michael Jastram) — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 16:47:51 -0500

Viele die die letzten Jahre doppelt Geld an die GEZ überwiesen haben, da sie freiberuflich von zu Hause mit dem Computer gearbeitet haben, können ihr Geld zurückverlangen: Juhu!

What book to read next...?

micky@alum.mit.edu (Michael Jastram) — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 16:08:59 -0400

I read quite a few SciFi classics lately. I just found this incredible chart, and I may actually use it to pick my next book to read.

Ever wonder why GPS/Map services are free these days?

micky@alum.mit.edu (Michael Jastram) — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 17:54:32 -0400

Google Maps on Android, Nokia even offering offline maps for navigating abroad - who pays for all this? Well, here is an interesting idea: charge big merchants for leading you past their stores - even if it is a detour.

Sales 2.0

micky@alum.mit.edu (Michael Jastram) — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 11:06:25 -0400

How to align Sales and Marketing in today's technology environemnt? Here is an insightful interview with Dave Fitzgerald of Brainshark, by Sramana Mitra.

The Moon is a Harsh Mistress (Book)

micky@alum.mit.edu (Michael Jastram) — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 10:06:52 -0400

Recommended: This is a classic from Robert Heinlein, one of my favorite SciFi authors.Storyline: The moon is a prison colony and becomes independent with a help of a computer that gained consciousness.

GnuCash-Einstellungen für Skatbank

micky@alum.mit.edu (Michael Jastram) — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 10:00:42 -0400

... und wieder GunCash-Einstellungen, diesmal für die Skatbank: Ein Teil der Informationen steht auch bei der Skatbank online (HBCI mit PIN/TAN).

Vorsicht: Bei der falschen HTTP-Version friert GnuCash einfach ein!

Bankinfo: Wird automatisch über BLZ 83065408 gesetzt.
Benutzername und Benutzerkennung sind beides die VR-NetKey
HBCI-Version: 3.0
HTTP-Version: 1.0
SSLv3 erzwingen

Viel Erfolg!

RMF and ProR moving forward nicely

micky@alum.mit.edu (Michael Jastram) — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 18:34:18 -0400

We submitted the Requirements Modeling Framework (RMF) to become an Eclipse Foundation Project just a few weeks ago. We are excited that the project got approved and is now waiting for provisioning.

Senate Comittee Result of Goldman Sachs Inquiry

micky@alum.mit.edu (Michael Jastram) — Fri, 27 May 2011 17:39:37 -0400

This is a really scary report regarding Goldman Sachs' actions during the financial bust. But the fact that such an inquiry takes place gives us hope. Now, let's hope that some people will go to jail. A great read!

Dijkstra - The Three Golden Rules for Successful Scientific Research

micky@alum.mit.edu (Michael Jastram) — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 12:52:10 -0500

For personal reference posted here:

"Raise your quality standards as high as you can live with, avoid wasting your time on routine problems, and always try to work as closely as possible at the boundary of your abilities. Do this, because it is the only way of discovering how that boundary should be moved forward."

"We all like our work to be socially relevant and scientifically sound. If we can find a topic satisfying both desires, we are lucky; if the two targets are in conflict with each other, let the requirement of scientific soundness prevail."

"Never tackle a problem of which you can be pretty sure that (now or in the near future) it will be tackled by others who are, in relation to that problem, at least as competent and well-equipped as you."

Source: http://www.cs.utexas.edu/~EWD/transcriptions/EWD06xx/EWD637.html

NUK Reinfall

micky@alum.mit.edu (Michael Jastram) — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 17:16:45 -0500

Eine schöne Möglichkeit für Unternehmer zur Validierung ihrer Geschäftsideen sind Businessplan-Wettbewerbe, wie der NUK-Wettbewerb, zum Beispiel. Ärgerlich ist es nur, wenn nur ein Teil der Regeln öffentlich bekannt ist.

Ich habe bei NUK einen Haufen Arbeit umsonst investiert, da ich eine Überarbeitung meiner Einreichung vom letzten Jahr noch einmal eingereicht hatte. Das dies nicht zulässig ist, erfuhr ich nicht aus den offiziellen Unterlagen, sondern erst nach der Einreichung durch einen Telefonanruf von NUK.

Gerade in der Gründungsphase gibt es mehr als genug zu tun! Es ist eine Sache, die Regeln nicht ordentlich zu lesen. Aber dass die Regeln nicht veröffentlicht wurden ist nun wirklich nicht meine Schuld! Ziemlich unprofessionell.