Tastes Like Burning: An Example of ARKit and iOS Particle Systems

Derek Andre Mobile, Technology Snapshot Leave a Comment

We have reached a peak in computer science: I can make fire come out of my face. Apple has made it simple with an iPhone X to track a user’s face and use a particle systems file to add special effects.

In this post, I will demonstrate how to “breathe fire” using Xcode 9.4.1, Swift 4.1.2, and iOS 11.4.1 on my iPhone X. For this tutorial, you will need a physical device with a TrueDepth camera. The completed project is available on GitHub.

File -> New -> Project
A lot of iOS tutorials start off with creating a Single View Application. That can get boring. Luckily in this article….



Into the Core

James Bradley .NET, Technology Snapshot, Tutorial Leave a Comment

The client I’m currently assisting has begun to move applications from more monolithic architecture into a more modern, cloud-based architecture. The organization is a bit of a .NET anomaly in that it is a company that’s primarily Java, yet has some .NET.

So even though Microsoft has a list of framework tools (such as Azure Service Fabric and Azure App Service), it’s fair to say that asking a primarily Java-focused company to use those tools could be an uphill battle. This is where .NET Standard and .NET Core have come to the rescue.

I work with a ton of smart people and I’m pretty amazed at how fast they can pick up on things from reading. I, however, cannot really understand it fully until I touch it. So let’s build a quick RESTful Web API step by step to see how challenging it is. We’ll be using .NET Standard, .NET Core, and ASP.NET Core.



Case Study Published – Blockchain In Hyperledger: Better Than ETL?

Keyhole Software Blockchain, Java Leave a Comment

In general terms, a blockchain is an immutable transaction ledger in a distributed network of participating peers. Its data includes a string of transaction records secured with cryptography. Benefits of blockchain can include decentralization, immutability, provenance, and finality.

While Bitcoin and Ethereum cryptocurrencies brought blockchain to the forefront of technology headlines, the technology underneath has true potential value for the enterprise outside of the cryptocurrency space. The features provided by blockchain technology can lead business benefits like lower costs, higher efficiency, and lower risk. Seeing a technology actually applied reinforces understanding. It can also be a genesis for new ideas.

In this case study, we walk through a Hyperledger Fabric reference blockchain with a focus on showing the potential value for enterprise-level organizations.

The potential cost savings of blockchain is one of the benefits not really discussed as a whole. However, we at Keyhole believe it could be a significant feature benefit. The goal of this case study is to help reinforce this…



Have You Plunk’d Lately?

Chris Berry JavaScript, Technology Snapshot Leave a Comment

More than once as a developer, I’ve come across the need to quickly prototype an idea or solution. This generally involves making a special project with all the necessary local parts, then going in and making the prototype. Doing this takes time and effort for something which in the end will probably just be throwaway code. Luckily I’ve now found a better way.

“Plunker is a tool to prototype, experiment, share and debug your ideas on the web platform. From idea to implementation, Plunker helps you build something quickly and frictionlessly.”

I’ve found Plunker to be a great tool to use when I quickly need to test out an idea or solution. I no longer have to go through the process of creating a whole application locally just to see if I can do a loop with some data or something else just as simple. Now I can simply choose a template from Plunker, and I can get down to business.

In this blog I will introduce Plunker, showing how to use it to quickly create and edit an Angular startup project…



Unit Testing Your Architecture With ArchUnit

Cindy Turpin Architecture, Technology Snapshot, Testing Leave a Comment

I am a Spring/Java developer (primarily) and an advocate of unit testing.

There is often a debate over what constitutes a unit test, an integration test, a system test, etc. But, most of us agree that tests keep you from going “off the rails” once a project becomes sufficiently complex.

However, I have found very few discussions on architectural tests. What keeps us from deviating wildly unintentionally from our original, planned architecture? And, after all, how many enterprise projects even keep the same architects from the beginning of the initiative to shelving and replacement?

In this blog, I introduce ArchUnit, a Java architecture test library for specifying and asserting architecture rules in plain Java. We’ll discuss how it works to mitigate architectural risks in developing quality enterprise applications…