Pete Klein

Santana Row shopping center in San Jose has implemented a ticketless parking system that eliminates the need for drivers to take a ticket upon entry and pay at a pay station upon exit. Instead, drivers can simply scan a QR code (see photo) posted throughout the garage using their phones, enter their license plate number and credit card information on the website that pops up, and a camera will read their license plate and open the gate as they exit. While this system may seem convenient and efficient, I think there is a significant security concern! There is a risk that perpetrators could replace the posted QR code with their own, which would redirect drivers to a fake website where they would unknowingly enter their credit card information. This could lead to unauthorized charges and potential identity theft. It is crucial for the shopping center to address this security concern by taking appropriate measures to protect drivers' personal and financial information. They must ensure that the QR codes posted are authentic and that there are no vulnerabilities that could allow perpetrators to manipulate the system. As an alternative solution, pay stations could be installed for shoppers to use instead of relying on their own phones.

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Having lived in SF bay area for so long, I came to know the big coffee culture scene here. I was totally consumed by it a while ago and spent years trying to attain the “perfect" latte. I published a fun coffee story and my entire home setup, which took weeks of research and multiple iterations, in my blog link in bio. Meanwhile, to all fellow coffee loving tech peeps, here are some top tips that no one told me. Put it in practice at home or in microkitchens. - A big factor in preparing milk suitable for latte art is pressure of the wand. If this is important to you, you need to get a machine that has a strong enough pressure. - When pulling shots, put in 18g of beans and extract 30g of espresso. - The darker the roast, the coarser the setting should be on the grinder, the lighter the roast, the finer the setting should be. - When adjusting the grind setting, do so while the grinder is working if there are beans in the hopper. Otherwise, a bean can get stuck between the burrrs. - Pulling a shot should take 20-30 sec in time, or based on observation. It should look like caramel going out, not a waterfall. - Eventually work your way to using a bottomless portafilter. It punishes you for all the small imperfections when preparing your coffee puck, like any tilt, and uneven distribution. It does so by spraying the espresso all over the place. The more you can get it to flow uniformly, the better your preparation of espresso, objectively. - Seal your beans in a vacuum, so they don’t go stale. The more stale the beans, the more minor adjustment you need to make to grind finer. - When steaming milk in your pitcher, you can tell if it’s done by holding the pitcher and as soon as the heat becomes unbearable i.e. stings, it’s done. - Taking a latte art course at a local coffee shop was the best boost for me to start nailing latte art.

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A data-driven approach to driving wound healing outcomes Marcella Gomez, University of California, Santa Cruz https://lnkd.in/gAkWZYJT Meet: https://lnkd.in/g4AAWkcK YouTube Stream: https://lnkd.in/gwtqaTmf Talk details: https://lnkd.in/gWn3B3cU Subscribe for talk announcements: https://lnkd.in/g5ciuNuX Abstract: Precision medicine requires an ability to predict the response of an individual to a prescribed treatment regimen a priori. Thus, advancement in the field is challenged by a lack of predictive models and, arguably, a lack of time-series information for a highly dynamic system. Here, we discuss work in wound healing, for accelerating wound closure. We argue that timing of treatments is as critical to consider as the choice of drug or therapy. Due to system size and complexity, data-driven methods need to be explored to develop multi-dimensional quantifiable indicators tracking systemic changes. In this work I discuss how bioelectronic devices enhanced with deep learning can help facilitate real-time sensing and actuation for automated decisions in treatment for wound healing and preliminary work in transcriptomic based classification of wound states. Bio: Marcella M. Gomez is an associate professor at UC Santa Cruz in the department of Applied Mathematics and Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Baskin Engineering. She received her PhD from Caltech in 2015 and a B.S. from UC Berkeley in 2009; both degrees in Mechanical Engineering. Her research interests are in the broad field of bio-control leveraging methods in machine learning and control theory. Applications range from controlling single-cell response to driving complex systems such as wound healing. #modeling #simulation #medicine #healing #trauma #predictivemodeling #datascience #data #woundhealing #biology #bioengineering #systemanalysis #sensing #omics

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Back in my volunteer days at the San Jose Suicide and Crisis Hotline, I stumbled upon a peculiar realization: our emotions are often reflective mirrors of those we interact with. Fast forward to today's remote work era, this understanding has proved invaluable as an engineering manager. In a world where Zoom meetings replace in-person interactions, it's easy to feel disconnected from your team. But, remembering my hotline days, I've learned to check-in with my feelings during remote 1:1's, sensing the vibe from the other end. If I'm bored, they likely are too - time to shake things up. If I'm anxious, they could be feeling the same - let's address it. This "emotional telepathy", combined with genuine curiosity about my team, regular check-ins, and consistent career growth discussions, has enabled me to build trust and maintain cohesion, even from afar. Sometimes, the past holds the keys to our present challenges. Looking to navigate remote leadership? Feel free to drop a message. Let's connect, share, and grow together. #Leadership #RemoteWork #EmotionalIntelligence #EngineeringManagement ----------------------------------- Check out the full article at https://lnkd.in/gmUUHFWX

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Have I mentioned that this computer scientist, developer, and straight-up genius is the brains behind yuda ? An MJC counselor once told Daisy she’d never make it in tech because of her math scores. But if you know us #Latinas, you know we don’t back down—we say, “Oh really? Watch me.” Not only did Daisy prove them wrong, but she’s also empowering so many women in the Central Valley and beyond to believe they belong in tech. Thanks to her leadership, our local Google Developers Group and Women Techmakers ambassadors have launched chapters in #Stockton led by Laiylaly Mandujano, #Turlock, Kelley Coelho, PMP® and #Merced Norma C. Cardona, MPA + Lourdes Ovando—making waves that others said were impossible. Daisy is always humble, but let’s be real: she deserves the credit. When I was fired from my alma mater, California State University, Stanislaus, for advocating for Latinas, Daisy stood by me. We were planning a tech event for International Women's Day, and despite the department committing $20k to continue without me, Daisy and Women Techmakers Modesto (Google Developer Group Modesto Partners) voted against moving forward without my voice at the table. That level of integrity and selflessness speaks volumes. This is why I am—and always will be—your ride or die co-founder, Daisy Mayorga-Fuentes. You believed in me when others didn’t, and together, we’re building the future of tech for Latinas and beyond. #LatinasInTech #WomenInTech #DigitalEquity #GoogleDevelopers #WomenTechmakers #CentralValleyTech #RepresentationMatters #Leadership #Integrity

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What started as a great Cassandra meetup just went GINORMUS. If you are in the Bay Area on October 11th, you must get to the Netflix campus for some of the best free content you'll get all year. Cutting-edge data and AI won't get any more legit. That sounds like a big claim, so what do I have to back it up? To start, we have speakers from some of the most hardcore Cassandra users lined up with "What's next" talks on how Cassandra is slowly taking over the data center in all sorts of ways. Apple, Netflix, Uber, and DataStax. Combined, we are probably running over a half million nodes that power your daily life. Cassandra 5 just dropped, and we'll talk about how it lets you do more with less and is ready for the thing you are building tomorrow. Operators who know, know. Scale is a constant battle between cost, schedule and quality. Check out these talks: How Netflix Handles C* Tombstones at Scale & How Netflix Does SLO-based Data Retrieval and Back Pressure - Vidhya Arvind, Netflix Incremental Repair Scheduling on C*, The Future of C* Repair - Chris Lohfink, Netflix, Jaydeepkumar Chovatia, Uber AI AI AI. Yep, that is THE topic here in the valley (and everywhere else). I'll tell you about a topic DataStax has been championing: Vector Search at scale! None of this one laptop business, and was just named by Forrester Research as the leader in Vector Search engines. Generative AI with Vector Search in Cassandra 5 - Patrick McFadin, DataStax I'm sure you've heard that there is no AI without data? How do you think data is processed at the scale and speed needed for today's largest models? Terabyte scale is entry level now. How about Petabyte? You'll want to see this talk: Securely Processing petabytes of data with Apache Cassandra 5.0 without passwords! - Dinesh Joshi, Apple Go to the link below and find out why Cassandra will be in your toolbox as we enter this next speed run on data infrastructure. https://lnkd.in/gVZb_npM

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Was playing around with v0.dev before last weeks Next.js conf, wanted to stress test how much it could help someone build a complex feature in Catalyst. One of our merchants was looking to add a Gift Certificates section like Stencil has and we just haven't got to it yet within the out-of-the-box version. Was a perfect scenario! High level take? If you are building in Next.js you should 100% add v0 to your toolbox. It'll help you slice away at features much faster than any other AI solution in market. I include more notes in the PR along with a demo of what was built on GitHub: https://lnkd.in/eBm6wVdP

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I wish people could approach US elections with more logic and math. A > B can be true even if A and B are both negative numbers (to you). In our two party system a common refrain is "Both choices A and B are bad" for example from PersonX. This implies that A == B, so I challenged PersonX "So to you A is just as bad as B?" Followed immediately by PersonX: "No! B is clearly worse!" This would imply A > B for PersonX, so I ask: "Great! So you will vote for A then, right?" "No! A is also bad and I don't want to vote FOR someone I consider to be bad," replies PersonX. This makes emotional sense - why choose something bad! But it doesn't make logical sense, because unless you vote for A or B, your vote for that race will not impact the outcome of the race in the US - aka it doesn't matter to you whether A or B win that race. Logically that means you are equally fine with A or B winning. "But I don't want B to win! I just can't vote FOR A! I want other choices." Again, this makes perfect emotional sense and is a rational and reasonable ask - if neither candidate is someone you're excited about (Aka - the value of A and B are both negative to you) of course you should want better choices for you! Sadly for PersonX in the US presidential election history no third party candidate has ever won the current election, so the logical outcome is that if you dislike B more than you dislike A - you should vote AGAINST B by casting your vote for A. For me personally this doesn't apply - I think candidate A is awesome! I voted for the person who has prosecuted criminals in the name of justice, has a steady and relatively young hand to guide our country, and shares an inspiring message of inclusion and a path forward of bringing us together - not spreading hate. If you're able to vote, please do so too for (or against) the candidate of your choosing.

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Another amazing talk at #Config2024 by product leader from Linear. I loved how Nan Yu tackled a fundamental product challenge: the org chart. "An organization that designs a system will produce a design whose structure is a copy of that org's communication structure." - Conway's Law This really hits home. You can’t just copy a team structure that worked for someone else without understanding why it was designed that way and if it fits your org's needs. Your team setup should mirror the product you want to create. Start with the product you want to build: - Define the scope: Set clear boundaries and conditions, like different skill sets. - Share resources: Let people move between teams as needed. - Adapt and evolve: Disband teams when they’re no longer necessary. https://lnkd.in/gXCKqqyB

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Scaling a team is often necessary as demand grows, but it’s essential to ensure it’s done effectively. Before adding headcount, consider if scaling is the best approach—sometimes addressing process inefficiencies or architectural issues can yield better results. If scaling is the answer, keep these factors in mind: * Define clear goals for each team. * Ensure accountability and support. * Minimize dependencies and avoid inefficiencies. * Scaling impacts people, process, and technology. Successful team growth requires careful planning to maintain efficiency and productivity. https://lnkd.in/eTkqykmG

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Billion-Dollar Idea: Club Sandwich – The Minimalist Food Truck Concept What if a food truck offered just one sandwich each day? No options, no customization—just a daily gourmet creation where the only decision is, "Do I want today’s sandwich or not?" The concept, Club Sandwich, simplifies the food experience while delivering high-quality, inventive sandwiches that change daily. By focusing on one exclusive sandwich per day, the truck creates a sense of scarcity and FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). Announced via social media each morning, customers rush to grab the sandwich before it sells out, driving anticipation and buzz. Club Sandwich could also offer a subscription model where customers sign up for a "Sandwich Pass" that guarantees them a sandwich on select days or even every day of the week. This subscription adds a layer of convenience for loyal customers, ensures a recurring revenue stream, and allows subscribers to bypass the fear of missing out when sandwiches sell out. Additionally, subscribers could enjoy perks like early access to limited-edition sandwiches (though, all of the sandwiches are "limited edition" by definition), special promotions, or exclusive deals, further incentivizing repeat business and deepening customer loyalty. The business model is all about efficiency—with only one item to prepare, costs are minimized, service is faster, and inventory waste is reduced. The simplicity makes it easy to scale, whether through multiple trucks, pop-up events, or even franchising in different cities. By embracing scarcity marketing and leveraging social media, Club Sandwich can build a loyal following while maintaining lean operations. It’s a highly scalable concept with the potential to grow into a billion-dollar food empire—one sandwich at a time. #sandwich #BillionDollarIdea #LinkedInLunacy #pickle.

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The best definition of culture I've heard is that it is the way we do things, and why we do things the way we do them. Today, while listening to the excellent podcast "Wisdom from the Top with Guy Raz" featuring Lou Gerstner, I heard Lou Gerstner say that changing the culture is about changing the processes because that is how people do things. He goes on to say that you can't manage culture directly because you can't just jump on it. Changing culture requires changing how people work, and what they value which is tied to the processes in the company. I have never quite heard culture and process being described in this way together, and it was quite insightful to hear that remark. The full episode is linked here, and this part is around the 41 minute mark. https://lnkd.in/g45vDKcp

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Those of you out there using Claude, make sure to enable the new artifacts feature (still in preview). It's super useful, it can even under certain circumstances run code it generates so you can preview the results. Try it!

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This article from Tony Seba has some bold, scary but exciting predictions. Many of his former forecasts were pretty accurate and came true. You can start planning to order your housekeeping robot. https://lnkd.in/gM97Z3QE

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Posting this for John Skender and others who weren't able to make it to K24 or at least this presentation at K24. Much of the presentation was a live demo explaining how to use now-sdk but you can also check out the list of features expected for Xanadu+ release which were announced at the show including Sandboxes (controlled availability), Dev Studio Pro-Code, script level granularity (versus scope level) for modern JS features (including global) and the yet to be re-named Fluent DSL for defining ServiceNow metadata as code.

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I'll be speaking at GOTO Chicago next Tuesday, 2024-10-24, on JVM performance techniques in Jepsen: https://lnkd.in/dZWviHim Jepsen is a Clojure library for testing distributed systems correctness. We'll talk about how Jepsen records and analyzes histories of up to a billion operations with the help of a new file format, faster lazy and persistent data structures, bit-packing, memory-adaptive caching, associative folds, and thread-safe transactional executors. Come learn about some of the lesser-known corners of the JVM and how to write faster, more efficient programs in any language. This talk will benefit intermediate to advanced engineers interested in performance optimization, parallelism, and medium-sized datasets, while also offering insights valuable to both beginners and senior engineers.

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In part 3 of the series "Building Services at Airbnb" lets see how resilience was built into the standard service platform. While the new SOA increased ownership and development speed, it added complexity in coordinating a distributed system. Resiliency of independent services needed better coordination, as simple measures like request timeouts and retries were found insufficient. New measures were 🔹 Async Server Request Processing : The earlier Dropwizard based service framework used synchronous request processing this means threads waited idly on I/O intensive requests. Leveraging the async response feature in the latest Dropwizard framework increased throughput. As a result fewer I/O threads could handle more concurrent requests hence better absorb spiky traffic, it also prevented starvation of threads by I/O intensive requests. 🔹 Request Queuing : Typical request workloads for Airbnb were I/O intensive and not compute intensive, this meant the chances of server running out of memory than CPU were higher. Therefore request queuing proved an effective technique to allow services absorb bursty request load and prevent services from failing due to resource exhaustion. More specifically, they implemented a controlled delay (CoDel) queue with adaptive LIFO (last-in first-out). 🔹 Load Shedding : The production incident postmortems cite aggressive client retries as the most common cause of cascading failures because the retry storm does not give an overloaded service any room to recover. So a smarter resilience feature is for the client to know when to stop sending requests altogether. Hence techniques such as fast failing with Service Backpressure error response when server side request queue is overloaded which prevents the retry storm and gives room for recovery. Another technique was API request deadline propagation. 🔹 Client Quota-based Rate Limit : A service owner can define client quotas. The quota-based rate limiting works well with service back pressure in production. When a caller misbehaves, rate limiting protects the service from unexpected load from abusive clients, but prevents service back pressure errors for other clients. 🔹 Dependency Isolation and Graceful Degradation : For an unresponsive downstream dependency which happens to be a soft dependency the behavior was to serve partial responses. 🔹 Outlier Server Host Detection : Server host failures are a frequent threat to uptime. Client-side smart load balancing tracks success rate and response latency of each host, and avoids routing requests to outlier hosts with low success rate and elevated latency. They added Envoy to their service discovery stack, which supports outlier detection. https://lnkd.in/gZrH6Bap For more interesting engineering stories, follow me Abhilash G Raja #Microservices #Monolith #SoftwareArchitecture #Engineering #Airbnb

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The bigger my team and tech-stack grows, the more I try to identify and improve our curation of Internal Libraries. To.. 🌅 Efficiently and effectively spread the expertise of our devs 💡 Keep development intuitive for smooth cross-pollinating collab 🔐 Protect proprietary algorithms in a dynamic codebase 🛫 Boost code velocity Read more - https://lnkd.in/g86jb2yy Thoughts?! #softwareengineering #code

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