Matplotlib 1.3 introduces a built-in plt.xkcd() function to easily create plots in the style of the popular XKCD webcomic.
Explains how to configure and use HTTP and HTTPS proxies with the Python Requests library, covering the API and internal implementation details.
Explains how to parallelize QR decomposition for linear models on big data using R's biglm package and incremental merging.
Explores using sparse matrix techniques in R to efficiently calibrate survey weights for large-scale population data.
Discusses the nuance in web development advice, using responsive images as an example of why 'your mileage may vary' (YMMV).
Explores limitations of causal graph assumptions in statistical modeling, discussing when variables like poverty or diet may violate the faithfulness condition.
A software engineer details the process and technical decisions behind redesigning their personal blog, focusing on web design improvements.
Explains how to use Guava's caches for fine-grained, object-based locking to improve concurrency in Java web applications.
A technical guide on using OPatch's napply option to efficiently apply multiple patches to Oracle Business Intelligence (OBIEE) in one go.
Compares hstore and JSON data types in PostgreSQL, discussing their features, limitations, and use cases for schema-less data storage.
Examines statistical challenges with the causal Markov and faithfulness properties, focusing on measurement error's impact on causal inference.
Argues that simple, open standards like HTTP, JSON, and Markdown consistently win over complex, heavyweight solutions on the internet.
Discusses the shift away from CSS vendor prefixes as features become stable, and the need to treat experimental features carefully.
Argues that in government IT, the main challenge isn't technology but cultural adoption and bureaucratic inertia.
A tutorial on using PostgreSQL's crosstab function to pivot data directly in SQL, enabling easier analysis without external tools.
Microsoft announces autoscaling for Windows Azure Cloud Services and Standard Web Sites, allowing automatic instance management based on metrics like CPU or queue length.
Compares Bayesian vs frequentist statistics for introductory courses, highlighting pedagogical pros and cons of each approach.
A technical talk on using the bbmle package in R to perform Maximum Likelihood Estimation for fitting mechanistic ecological models.
A guide to using simple share URLs for Twitter, Facebook, and other platforms instead of heavy social media plugins.
A summary of upcoming technical talks on statistical computing, rare DNA variant analysis, and handling large datasets with R and SQL.
