Thetus Corporation

"The White House wants you to hack for a better America. Today it announced the National Day Of Civic Hacking on June 1-2 where many government agencies will liberate data for citizens across the U.S. to use to build tech that helps their communities. Twenty-seven cities have planned events where hackers will have access to data from The Department of Labor, The Census Bureau, and even NASA’s space stats.

The National Day Of Civic Hacking is a joint project from the U.S. government, Code For America, Random Hacks Of Kindness, and Eric Schmidt’s early-stage venture fund Innovation Endeavors. Part of a growing initiative to increase government transparency and civic engagement,..."

from http://techcrunch.com/2013/01/22/national-day-of-civic-hacking/

Quality Assurance Forum Event: Plan Less, Break More, Deliver Faster - an Agile Test Planning Workshop

There are as many Agile Test Plans as there are flavors of Agile. They range from simply no test plan at all to fossilized relics left over from the Waterfall days. So what does the Agile Manifesto say about test plans? It says two things, but nothing really specific: "working software over comprehensive documentation” and "responding to change over following a plan”. What does this all mean when it comes to the Agile Test Plan?

In this hands on workshop, we will split into teams, analyze a real-life case study, devise a test plan (or perhaps discount the test plan), and answer this question once and for all. Using a real-life case study we will fast forward through time, change deadlines, change scope, open defects, and see how effective your test plan really was.

When: Thursday, May 9th

Where: Thetus Corporation, 34 NW 1st Ave Portland, OR 97209

Time: 5:30-8:30

· 5:30 Doors Open, Networking · 5:45 Program Begins, Problem Statement · 6:00 Split into teams, eat and work · 7:15 Teams present Test Plans · 7:45 Fast Forward Through Case Study · 8:30 Dismiss

$25 Members $45 Nonmembers To Register - TAO at kari.naone@techoregon.org

As mobile web usage has exploded over the past few years, Responsive Web Design (RWD) has become one of the go-to solutions to provide content across a universe of different browsers and devices. Apps and websites have merged into one. In simple terms, a responsive web design uses "media queries" to figure out what resolution of device it's being served on. Flexible images and fluid grids then size correctly to fit the screen. From a QA view, how can we effectively test RWD. The Technology Association of Oregon (TAO) is excited to provide an opportunity to gather and discuss lessons learned and real life strategies to test these applications.

On Thursday, February 28th, the Quality Assurance Forum of the TAO is presenting a panel discussion on Responsive Web Design – Testing. Come join us for an engaging evening with your SQA peers centered on how to test Responsive Web.

Panelists:

Lyza Danger Gardner, co-founder, Cloud Four Since co-founding Portland, Ore.-based mobile web start-up Cloud Four (http://www.cloudfour.com) in 2007, Lyza has tortured and thrilled herself with the intricate ins and outs of the bazillion devices and browsers now accessing the web globally. Lyza and co-founder Jason Grigsby are the authors of Head First Mobile Web.

Trent Peterson, co-founder, AppThwack - Trent Peterson spent seven years at Intel designing system-automation solutions trusted to test products used by millions of customers with an emphasis on simplicity and user experience. He left in early 2012 to co-found AppThwack,a mobile app testing service that helps developers quickly and automatically test their apps on real devices.

Pawel Wojnarowicz, co-founder, AppThwack - Pawel Wojnarowicz built an automation platform in his spare time that became the official solution for testing all wireless products at Intel. Pawel left after nine years to co-found AppThwack, a mobile app testing service that helps developers quickly and automatically test their apps on real devices.

Event Details: When: Thursday, February 28, 2013 Time: 5:30 – 8:30 PM Where: Thetus, 34 Northwest 1st Avenue, Portland, OR 97209 Cost: $25 Member | $45 Nonmember To Register: 503-228-5452

It's Show and Tell time at PDX-UX. We will be showing off two applications, one that is brand new and almost finished and another that's going through some updates based on usability studies. Come down and see what some of your fellow Portlanders are working on. Questions and constructive criticism from the audience is encouraged. Networking, snacks, drinks and beer start at 5:30, presentations start at 6:00.

Caleb Sayan, Founder of Blue Rider Design

BLUE RIDER DESIGN, based in Portland, Oregon houses and maintains the Andrea Aranow Textile Archive a private international a collection of 26,000 textiles and original artwork. In 2009, the studio began the process of digitizing and cataloging the entire archive to provide greater access and utility for the collection.
Currently we are developing a unique web application to showcase the archive. The application allows users to navigate the archive's rich visual content based on a variety of criteria including subject, style, era, color, origin, technique and material among many others. It uses node.js, CouchDB, Solr, and jQuery as its main technologies.
Combining the extraordinary physical design archive with its innovative digital counterpart we strive to inspire the next generation of designers.

Roger Gilliam, New Relic

Roger Gilliam is a designer/developer at New Relic with a background in graphic and web design, usability, UX, and development. A designer / developer at New Relic is responsible for visual design, and implementation of those designs into our CORE customer facing product.

New Relic is the all-in-one web application performance tool that lets you see performance from the end user experience, through servers, and down to the line of application code. We at New Relic are passionate, possibly even crazy, about application performance management (APM). Our mission is to make web applications run better, to make the internet more productive, and to make life easier for developers and devops.

Vitamin T, "The Talent Agency for Digital Creatives", will be at the event. If your looking to network with first class recruiters, this is a great opportunity.

Agenda:

• Snacks, Beer and Networking 5:30 - 6:00
• Presentation and discussion: 6:00-7:30 or so 

Join our google group here - http://groups.google.com/group/pdx-ux?hl=en  Don't forget to follow us on twitter - @PDXUX -  https://twitter.com/#!/PDXUX

Henrik Joreteg – “Avoiding the Spaghetti” Clientside code doesn't have to be an ugly cluttered mess. Building clean, sane, maintainable client-side applications is indeed possible. We'll talk a bit about CommonJS on the client, properly abstracting a model layer, the DOM as a dumb view layer, sharing code between client/ server and other techniques for avoiding insanity like automated static code analysis. 

Henrik is a partner and lead JS developer at &yet (http://andyet.net), a boutique web software company in Richland, WA. He's a member of a growing group of javascript developers who are blazing the trail of realtime and single-page web application development and server-side javascript. Let’s put it this way: the dude cannot shut up about node.js, backbone, and socket.io. 

He is the primary developer for &bang (http://andbang.com) and has written a slew of single-page real-time web apps using a number of technologies. He recently spoke at NodeConf and KRTConf and was a technical reviewer for O'Reilly's JavaScript Web Applications. He is the author of the popular open source javascript templating solution, iCanHaz.js and as an early adopter of Backbone.js wrote several definitive blogposts on the subject. 

This month we’re discussing Lean UX, the latest technique to get UX teams and Agile teams working together effectively. Inspired by Agile development, Lean adopts the idea that designs are hypotheses that need to be validated, and that creating a shared understanding among development teams and stakeholders is the primary goal of development planning activity.

Our speaker, Andrew Mottaz, is the CTO and Founder of Site9, makers of ProtoShare. Andrew will present a brief summary of the competing approaches to implementing Lean UX, and discuss Site9's experiences incorporating Lean UX into their Agile development environment. After the presentation, the rest of the session will be dedicated to a group discussion of issues raised by Lean UX, how to get Lean UX started in your work environments, and explore alternatives to or variations of Lean techniques.

RSVP here: http://plancast.com/p/c1lc

When: July 19, 2012 Snacks, Beer and Networking 5:30 - 6:00 Presentation and discussion: 6:00-7:30 or so

Where: 34 NW 1st Avenue, 3rd floor Portland, OR 97209 (Corner of 1st and Couch, on the max tracks) Join our google group here - http://groups.google.com/group/pdx-ux?hl=en Don't forget to follow us on twitter - @PDXUX - https://twitter.com/#!/PDXUX

This month we’re discussing the “Value of Bad Ideas.” When we create, we try to do the best work we can. There's not room for failure, but within the messy grey area of the creative process, there's plenty of room for bad ideas. In fact, bad ideas can often lead to the best solutions.

Our speaker, Ben Cerezo, helps make things simple to understand and intuitive for people to use. Ben’s background - From logo and identity development to complex application and web design, Ben has spent nearly ten years designing solutions to a variety of communications and design problems for clients of all sizes. He believes in the power of open collaboration and enjoys working with other designers, development engineers and clients, from discovery and strategy through implementation.

RSVP here: http://plancast.com/p/bv7u

When: June 28, 2012 Snacks, Beer and Networking 5:30 - 6:00 Presentation and discussion: 6:00-7:30 or so 

Where: 34 NW 1st Avenue, 3rd floor Portland, OR 97209 

Join our google group here - http://groups.google.com/group/pdx-ux?hl=en  Don't forget to follow us on twitter - @PDXUX - https://twitter.com/#!/PDXUX

Quantified Self is a self-organizing group of people interested in technology to measure and improve their health, happiness, and effectiveness. Free to the public -- new members welcome! Agenda:

• 6-630pm -- Food and networking
• 630-8pm -- Brief intro to QS for newbies, then show-and-tell sessions, including stories from the PDX Vibrant Data Hackathon
• 830pm -- Optional after-meetup at an area pub

Join us!

Imagine a world in which data becomes a personal asset that works on behalf of our personal interests and communities. Everyday, apps like yours could control how to send their data out into the world to circulate and bring back value to users. Certainly this would require a change in the way the world views data today, and in the infrastructure that enables it to flow freely while protected. This event is a first step in building that infrastructure for the benefit of all.

Consider the prospect of Facebook, Google, Amazon, LinkedIn and other data silos bidding against each other for what data you might provide. What kinds of data might be the most interesting? How could that value be enhanced? How could you collect it with minimal effort? How would your privacy be protected? What could you get in return?

At this event you’ll pick a particular type of personal data and build an app to show how its value as a personal asset can be enhanced. The app can be mobile, desktop, web or something else.

About Vibrant Data

Inspired by the Arab Spring popular uprisings’ use of Facebook and Twitter, The Vibrant Data Project is trying to understand the development landscape that is giving rise to the Gutenburg press of our era: disruptive communication and commerce vehicles that have the potential to overthrow corrupt regimes, spread new ideas, broaden economic opportunity, improve health and well being and aid in the fight for social justice and human rights.

We’re back from a quick restructuring period. This month’s meeting we’d like to hear from y’all! We’re looking for three to four presenters who are interested in showcasing their latest project. Show us your work and get feedback and discussion from the audience. Whether it's a design for an upcoming project or a post-mortem on something you've just launched, we’d love to hear from you. As usual we’ll provide snacks, drinks, networking and discussions.

Who: Anyone interested in discussing or showcasing their newest user interface and user experience development and design projects.

When: Thursday, May 17th Snacks, drinks and networking at 5:30 Demos start at 6:00 and will wrap up by 7:00ish

This month's topic: Giving your Application Thumbs

Mobile phone texting (txting) is now ubiquitous - a comfortable UI to everybody that has a cell phone. With most age groups, the time spent texting far exceeds time making voice calls. Logically, Java developers should be considering txt interfaces to their applications.

We will look at adding mobile txt interfaces to three applications: - A mobile web healthcare application with group push txt notification to other caregivers of an event - An iPad POS web application for ordering from your car via txt from your mobile phone - An installed Swing application to display group txting for public display

Speaker: Jon Batcheller

Jon is the founder of PJUG and Java architect and UI developer for RealPage in Wilsonville, OR. He has been writing in Java since his first taste in version 0.9, 17 years ago! In addition to being a code monkey, Jon is a licensed Veterinarian, owns two bars, is an auctioneer and in his spare time teaches Human Anatomy and Physiology at PCC. Having never missed a JavaOne since their inception in 1996, he hopes to see you there in the Fall!

PJUG meetings start with some time to eat and socialize (pizza and beverages are provided), followed by the featured speaker, then Q&A, discussion, sometimes a drawing to give away swag. :)

Though we like knowing how many people to expect, you don't have to RSVP, on Upcoming or otherwise. Go ahead and just show up!

Many people also go for a drink and further discussion following the meeting, at a location determined ad hoc.

http://twitter.com/pjug http://pjug.org/ (join our mailing list, linked from the website!)

We are going to switch it up this month with PDX-UX's first group workshop. We'll present you with a small UX challenged interface in need of some pretty, some information design and even some data visualization skills. You and your peers will form groups and nosh on some solutions. Bring your brains and a laptop if you have one, and we'll provide the pens, giant pads of paper, food and drinks. We'll also be giving away some free books on data visualization courtesy of O'Reilly Media.

This meeting is sponsored by Thetus Corporation and O'Reilly Media

We are going to switch it up this month with PDX-UX's first group workshop. We'll present you with a small UX challenged interface in need of some pretty, some information design and even some data visualization skills. You and your peers will form groups and nosh on some solutions. Bring your brains and a laptop if you have one, and we'll provide the pens, giant pads of paper, food and drinks. We'll also be giving away some free books on data visualization courtesy of O'Reilly Media. Please RSVP at Plancast! http://t.co/yVvPR5qt

January’s meeting will be devoted to UX Wireframing tools.

Damon Eckhoff will be presenting on OmniGraffle Josh Marinacci will be presenting on Leonardo Sketch

We have one more presentation slot available and we’re hoping to find someone who can talk about Axure. If you or someone you know uses this tool and can demo it for 15-20 minutes, please let us know. We’re open to including other tools as well!

Food, Beer and Networking 5:30-6:00 Presentations: 6:00-7:30 or so

We'd like to dedicate this month's meeting to HTML5. If you want to see some great apps built by local talent and get the skinny on HTML5 and CSS3 (the good, the bad and the the ugly) then make sure to mark your calendar.

We could always use more presenters! Do you or someone you know have a great app built in HTML5 or CSS3? Then come show it off or get some community feedback!

If you would like to present but it doesn't fit into the HTML5 topic, no sweat - just let us know if you're interested in presenting!

Join our google group here - http://groups.google.com/group/pdx-ux?hl=en

Don't forget to follow us on twitter - @PDXUX - http://twitter.com/#!/PDXUX

Who doesn’t love to be part of something new? Join us for the very first meeting of the PDX-UX user group! This month, we’ll have three to four demos from local companies showcasing the latest techniques in UX and UI development and design. We will provide free food, drinks, networking and discussions.

Who: Anyone interested in discussing or showcasing cutting-edge user interface and user experience development and design. We’d also love to meet some exciting and motivated potential employees, so feel free to invite your talented designer and developer friends!

When: Thursday, September 29th Food and networking at 5:30 Demos start at 6:00 and will wrap up before 7:00

Where: Thetus Corporation 34 NW 1st Avenue (corner of 1st and Couch) 3rd floor Portland, OR 97209

---Google Group--- We’ll be meeting the 3rd Thursday of every month in the same location--if you’d like to join and/or you're interested in getting updates for future meetings, join our PDX-UX Google Group! http://groups.google.com/group/pdx-ux?hl=en

Interactive is not a goal - it is a way of thinking and approaching problems. Though we have orders of magnitude more power at our fingertips, real interactivity is still illusive - but it need not be.

Interactive applications have been a multi-decade goal. Flex is yet another in a long history of frameworks for delivering interactive applications, but technology alone does not an interactive application make. You need to understand the problems, existing solutions and techniques for solving the problem, and the user of the application. Fast is never enough, because the complexity will grow until the app is not fast enough and pain limits what the user can do, underscoring the perception of your app - what the pain prevents me from doing vs. what the lack of pain enables me to do. Scaling is the name of the game - let's talk about bigger problems than you can imagine.

Speakers

Roy Hall has been writing interactive graphic applications for more than 30 years. Trained in civil engineering and architecture, he started writing 3D interactive apps for stadium roof design on E&S PSII's in the late 70's. He later wrote the rendering pipeline for Robert Abel and Associates (Tron - sucking Flynn into the computer and throwing him back out); was the system architect for Wavefront Technologies (Science and Technology Academy Award for that) - and which through many morphs is now the Maya animation software; was an Assistant Professor at Cornell's Program of Computer Graphics; wrote the 'Joey 3D toolkit' extensions for Microsoft MFC in the 90's; worked on the interaction model for Sketchup; and is now the CTO for Thetus Corporation.

Writing Testable code. You all know by now that you should be unit testing your code, but do you know how? It is unfortunately really easy in flex to architect code which is very difficult to test. In this session, we will explore how to build components and applications in flex which are inherently testable, and see how we test them.

Join us Thursday, October 14, for food and networking at 5:30 PM sponsored by Thetus Corporation in association with the PDXRIA User Group. Our speaker, Michael Labriola starts at 6 PM.

Michael Labriola is a Senior Consultant at Digital Primates and the Lead Developer for FlexUnit 4. He has been developing Internet applications since 1995 and working with Flex since its 1.0 beta. Michael is an Adobe Certified Instructor, Community Professional, and co-author of the Flex 2, 3 and 4 Training from the Source books and Breaking out of the Browser with Adobe AIR.

As an international speaker and team mentor on Flex and AIR projects, he has consulted for many of the world’s most recognized brands. His free time is spent escaping from technology through wine and food.

RSVP: http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/6735069/OR/Portland/Flex-and-Maven-a-joint-event-by-Thetus-Corporation-and-PDXRIA-User-Group/Thetus-Corporation/ Your RSVP enters you in a raffle for a Powell's gift card!

Join us Thursday, September 16, for food, networking and a look at building and deploying Flex applications with Maven. We invite experienced Flex application developers to bring their resumes and meet Thetus Flex developers.

Building and deploying complex Flex applications is a challenge. How do you ensure repeatable builds that are correct on multiple platforms and in multiple IDEs? Maven is one tool that has been long used in the Java community to provide application lifecycle (build, test, deploy) functionality that is standard across projects. By utilizing a common filesystem layout and a predefined set of goals or targets (the Project Object Model, POM), you can easily move between projects without having to learn the intricacies of each project's build and deployment setup. Modern IDEs such as Eclipse and IDEA have support for loading Maven POM files and configuring projects automatically. Recent additions to Maven (flex-mojos) allow this same power to be applied to Flex as well. I'll show practical examples of how Maven works in a mixed Java/Flex project that deploys to the Amazon cloud.

Christopher Mason is a Flex developer at Thetus corporation. A refugee from bioinformatics, Christopher has focused for more than 10 years on building applications that aren't afraid of large information sets and that scale both from a technology and a user-understanding perspective.

Meeting starts at 6 PM. Food and networking at 5:30 PM sponsored by Thetus Corporation in association with the PDXRIA User Group.

RSVP: http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/6735069/OR/Portland/Flex-and-Maven-a-joint-event-by-Thetus-Corporation-and-PDXRIA-User-Group/Thetus-Corporation/ Your RSVP enters you in a raffle for a Powell's gift card.

Join us March 4th for an evening of local, sweet Flex and Flash demos, food and beer, and a look ahead. We invite experienced Flex application developers to bring their resumes for speed interviewing with Thetus VP of Client Services.

Sponsored by Thetus Corp and in association with the PDXRIA User Group.

Ryan Stewart, Adobe's Flash Platform evangelist, will get things started with a talk on cutting edge Flash Platform features. Ryan will be raffling a free copy of Adobe CS4 Master Collection.

Then, we're on to Flex demos from: Matt LeGrand (Multi-touch capability with Flex); Rob Reinhardt (videoRx.com); and Thetus (Savanna UI platform).

That gives us time for a round of lightning presentations from community members and breakouts for code looks. Finally, don’t miss a chance to win as we raffle off the Adobe CS4 Master Collection.

Meeting starts at 6 PM. Food and networking at 5:30 PM sponsored by our host, Thetus Corporation.

Your RSVP enters you in the Adobe CS4 raffle. Let us know in your RSVP if you'd like to present your work during our lightning round.