Michael Dorf

Michael is a professional software architect, web developer, an open-source enthusiast, and more recently, a WordPress addict. He has been creating software and teaching courses in Java and J2EE development for a dozen of years. Michael blogs about Hadoop, Java, Android, PHP, MySQL, and other cutting edge technologies that define today's web. He is also (and most importantly) a father of three little angels, Katya, Sasha, and Nadia and a husband of his beautiful better half, Simona. When his four princesses are not at his side, he enjoys playing a game of Soccer, Ultimate Frisbee, and Volleyball. Michael holds a M.S. degree in Software Engineering from San Jose State University, a B.S. degree in Computer Science from San Francisco State University, and a B.A degree in Political Science, Public Service from UC Davis.

Find Michael on:

Pro Android C++ Book Review

May 20th, 2013 Michael DorfLeave a comment

Pro Android C++ Book Review

By Onur Cinar It seems as though there’s no end to Android programming books out there, especially now that the platform has experienced its meteoric rise from new OS entrant to capable and formidable market player. Unfortunately, as a result, many good books get lost in the shuffle – when looking for a new book you’re likely to encounter a whole suite of them – some relevant and some, not. This trend applies even to specialized niches within Android, where books are put on the market quickly to capitalize on new OS versions. In all this printed abundance, I luckily stumbled upon… View full post »

Categories: book reviews

Tags: c++, pro android

PHP vs Ruby and the Python Phenom

May 16th, 2013 Michael DorfLeave a comment

PHP vs Ruby and the Python Phenom

Both Ruby and PHP have been around since 1995, but the “newcomer” Python is actually older, first appearing in 1991. Since their introduction, the three development languages have taken very different journeys to the present, now finally coming to the scene as co-equals. Much of the argument over language is centered on PHP vs. Ruby and how these two stack up against one another. Each has advantages and disadvantages, but now with the re-emergence of Python as a popular choice (thanks mainly to Google), the head-to-head battle has become a trifecta. History and Purposes In any good discussion of… View full post »

Categories: web development

Tags: php, python, ruby

Creating “Good” Android Apps

May 12th, 2013 Michael DorfLeave a comment

Creating

You have heard people say it: “App X is a good app”. You didn’t think about it at the time, but it begs the question. What makes a good Android app? How can you determine if the app you are writing will be good or not? It seems like a subjective thing but there are some areas that all apps could focus on that would make them better. In this article, I will explore the factors that you need to consider when creating an Android application to ensure that you also end up on the list of “good” apps, instead… View full post »

Categories: android

Tags: android, android apps

Android ActionBar Quick Tutorial

May 8th, 2013 Michael DorfLeave a comment

Android ActionBar Quick Tutorial

For those of you not in the loop, the ActionBar a bar located at the very top of an activity that can show the activity icon, title, and actions that can be triggered (hence its name): things like additional views, other interactive buttons, app navigation, and so on and so forth. This replaces the older Android OptionsMenu that was opened when a user pressed the hardware Option button; the ActionBar is preferable to it as it is clearly visible and shows the user what they can do and where they can do it. Read on for how to implement this… View full post »

Categories: android

Tags: android, android tutorial

Analytic Trends and Autonomy

May 4th, 2013 Michael DorfLeave a comment

Analytic Trends and Autonomy

One of the emerging ideas in Big Data handling is one of merging self-learning machines with autonomous analysis to create a sort of Star Trek computer for trends analysis and event-driven architectures. The possibilities are growing daily as technology improves and Big Data gets bigger. It may be possible for such learning machines to eventually formulate their own hypothesis regarding the data and present new ideas to business leaders on their own or even be authorized to act on their findings automatically. Currently, it’s possible to leverage information discovery in such a way as to detect relationships between what… View full post »

Categories: databases

5 Non-Technical Books Every Developer Should Read

April 29th, 2013 Michael DorfLeave a comment

5 Non-Technical Books Every Developer Should Read

Let’s face it: we all know the books that we should be reading when it comes to technical ideas: heck, our site is full of lists of books that will help you learn everything from Hadoop to Android. Sometimes, however, you need to branch out and learn things that aren’t strictly in the machine realm: that said, here are some books to broaden your horizon and help you get better in areas not strictly code-related! 1. Team Geek By Brian Fitzpatrick, Ben Collins-Sussman Ideally, programming and development is a meritocracy: the programmer who writes the best code is ideal. In reality, however,… View full post »

Categories: book reviews

Tags: book review, books

Why You Should Get Red Hat Linux Certification

April 26th, 2013 Michael DorfLeave a comment

Why You Should Get Red Hat Linux Certification

The obvious reason is to quickly give yourself verifiable credentials with Red Hat Linux for your employer or potential employers to consider when evaluating you for a new position. For most, this is reason enough to go through the certification process. Like other certification programs for development, systems administration, and other IT fields, certification in Red Hat is used as proof of your working knowledge of the platform. Unlike many other certifications, however, receiving a recognized cert in Red Hat also says that you have passed hands-on requirements. Two thirds of the testing requirement for Red… View full post »

Categories: web development

Tags: certification, linux, red hat

The Open-source Development Culture and Why Linux Doesn’t Work Like the Others

April 23rd, 2013 Michael DorfLeave a comment

The Open-source Development Culture and Why Linux Doesn't Work Like the Others

To developers moving from a relatively closed system, such as Windows or OSX environment, to the open Linux architecture, the learning curve involves far more than adding a new language or architecture to your repertoire. It usually means fundamentally changing how things are done from an engineering perspective. Coding in a restricted or closed environment, where access to the source code for related apps and the core platform itself is limited, often means making guesses as to how things will interact and spending a lot of time (and lines of code) working around those interactions or restrictions. … View full post »

Categories: open-source

Tags: linux, open-source

How to Use HTML5 Video and Audio Tags

April 19th, 2013 Michael DorfLeave a comment

How to Use HTML5 Video and Audio Tags

HTML5 is going to be a huge revolution if the W3C ever gets around to finalizing the specifications. That being said, and as you probably know, there are some aspects of HTML5 that you can use now. Two of these functions that are currently available to web developers are the audio and video tags. A Bit about HTML5 Audio and Video Before we get into the actual how-to, it is important to understand a bit about how these tags work now and how they might work in the future. The problem is that HTML5 isn’t a standard yet, or at least… View full post »

Categories: html5

Tags: audio tags, html5, video tags

Ultimate Guide to Link Building Book Review

April 15th, 2013 Michael DorfLeave a comment

Ultimate Guide to Link Building Book Review

This post is a digression from our customary technology topics, but I just finished reading a very exciting new book, Ultimate Guide to Link Building by Eric Ward and Garrett French, and I thought my readers would benefit from my review of this highly anticipated paperback. If you own a website of any kind, regardless of its age, size and purpose, it’s almost a given that it would require some amount of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Link Building. The latter remains as the single most definitive external factor underscoring a website’s search popularity. I’ve been a subscriber to Eric’s LinkMoses Private… View full post »

Categories: seo

Tags: book review, link building

Keeping the Big Picture in Development

April 15th, 2013 Michael DorfLeave a comment

Keeping the Big Picture in Development

Many developers in the open source, Linux and Android sectors are familiar with the term “Largeness of Mind”. It’s a term sometimes used in open source circles to remind developers to keep the big picture in mind while working on their apps and plug-ins. In development, it’s easy to become tunnel visioned and focus too heavily on the task at hand (or the problem being troubleshooted) and lose sight of the overall build. In open source projects, this is especially problematic as keeping the big picture in view can mean saving yourself from wasted time or sloppy… View full post »

Categories: web development

Tags: web development

6 Open Source Big Data Technologies to Keep Tabs On

April 12th, 2013 Michael DorfLeave a comment

6 Open Source Big Data Technologies to Keep Tabs On

It’s safe to say that ‘big data’ is the big buzzword de jour, and that is unlikely to change. Many of the major players in the tech industry are leveraging big data to spectacular and varied effect, and though it may be used a little too much as a buzzword, it is one of the most important developments in the tech industry. What’s more, the cotemporaneous rise of open source software means that many of the most exciting big data technologies are open source, with strong communities developing around many big data tools. In this article, we’ll run through a… View full post »

Categories: open-source

Tags: big data, open-source

Working with Offshore Teams: Keys to Success

April 8th, 2013 Michael DorfLeave a comment

Working with Offshore Teams: Keys to Success

It’s difficult to start a piece like this without producing the same old clichés about how we now live in a globalized world, where collaborative work can take place across huge distances, etc. Yet there it is – the reality is that for some industries in particular, it has never been easier to outsource work to offshore teams that are technically proficient and competitive in cost. It’s tempting to offload the work to people who are just as educated and proficient but do it for half the cost. However, with new working practices come new problems, and it’s important to… View full post »

Categories: uncategorized

Tags: outsource work

Why Android Training Is Still Key To A Big Bucks Job

April 5th, 2013 Michael DorfLeave a comment

Why Android Training Is Still Key To A Big Bucks Job

“What is the most profitable training route for a programmer to take?” It’s a question that’s often asked of teachers and recruiters everywhere. New programmers (and often experienced ones looking to learn something new) are sometimes paralyzed by choice, and they’re looking for someone with experience in the field they’re branching into that can tell them what skill set will make them attractive to potential employers- or nudge existing employers to give them a raise or promotion. Naturally, you’ll often hear all sorts of suggestions put forward- everything from embedded programming to legacy compatibility and web development will be offered up… View full post »

Categories: android

Tags: android, android training

Top 10 Most Common Android Interview Questions

April 1st, 2013 Michael DorfLeave a comment

Top 10 Most Common Android Interview Questions

Looking for a job as an Android developer? You’ll likely be grilled in the interview to make sure you know what you’re talking about. Here’s a list of some of the most common Android interview questions and how you should handle them! 1. What is Android? You’d be amazed at how many interviewees say “An open-source mobile operating system…” and then start fumbling for words. Be precise and on-point with your explanation without going into too much extraneous detail: Android is a Linux-based mobile operating system that allows developers to create applications that can perform basic and advanced functions for a user. 2…. View full post »

Categories: android

Tags: android, android inerview

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | ... | 16 | 17 Next Page »

Upcoming Training
Jun 20-21 Hadoop Administration
May 22 Cloud Computing Introduction
May 23-24 Networking Overview for Managers
May 24 Virtualization Introduction
May 29-30 Web Development with PHP/MySQL
- Classroom - Online | - Confirmed!
Don’t Miss Subscriber-only Content!
Join our newsletter to get exclusive tutorials, latest posts, free courses, and much more!

Name:
Email:

We respect your email privacy
Recent Client Testimonials
- Android Application Development class is cutting edge. It covers best of both worlds - the basics and advanced SDK functions. The project is very relevant to the course.
  - Josh, Stanford University
- The Android Application Development course was very well delivered and left me with a wealth of real code I can use at work.
  - Vlad, Wells Fargo
- This course was excellent! Guy Cole was able to create a great learning environment. He is technical, eloquent, and funny all at the same time. I'd take this course again any time!
  - Regina, IBM
- Goal of training met , in terms of the course objectives set my course managers
  - CPT Peter Johnson, U.S.ARMY 53A ISM course
- Serge has good knowledge and answers all the questions.
  - harsh
- Instructor knew all details and explained everything with extreme patience
  - Kyocera
- Instructor is knowlegable and capable of answering questions w/o "parking" them.
  - EMC
- The instructor is very patient to explain, I think that is great. I liked the course, very good!
  - Alex, LogicStudio
- Instructor was very knowledgeable, helpful, and clear.
  - Franklin, Time Warner Inc.
- Serge, Boris, thank you very much. Very good class!
  - EMC
- Really good instructor combining theory with examples- excellent training.
  - GUILLERMO, Intel Corporation
- Like the teacher shared with us his experience and insights.
  - Echo, Disney
- Guy is a knowledgeable instructor and skillful presenter. He made this course really come together with exercises and practical project. I hope he teaches other courses!!!
  - Andrew, Kyocera
- The Apache Trainer was extremely knowledgeable and personable to make the experience worth the time, expense and effort.
  - Rick, GTech
- Enjoyed taking class online (instead of traveling). Instructor knowledge was strong.
  - Brian, Avnet
- Good interaction over online chat w/ the instructors and others, kept an otherwise potentially dreary online experience quite interesting.
  - Ganesh, EMC Corporation
- Guy Cole is both an expert Android instructor and a great entertainer. I thoroughly enjoyed this course!
  - Chris, Rockwell Collins
- Good introduction to Android development with lots of practical examples. Instructor is knowledgeable and jovial.
  - Kyocera
- I enjoyed the exposure to Eclipse and exploring interactions within the Android environment.
  - Hollis, TCI
- It was just what I needed!
  - Brian, EMC
- Instructor Guy Cole was excellent!
  - Intel
- What I liked about this training was the professionalism of the course layout and Andre was full of knowledge. Andre took the time to answer all of my questions and made sure I was understanding everything we covered.
  - Melissa
- I learned a great deal in just a days' Networking Fundamentals Course. Boris, you made my day...
  - Artem, Microsoft Corporation
- Boris, you were just fantastic at delivering this course to us! Hope Italy treated you as well in return!
  - Paolo, Telecom Italia
- Instructor was excellent and made the course interesting.
  - Elbert, AO Smith WPC
- This course could easily have taken longer than two days, but Boris did an awesome job breaking it down into a shorter course. He explains and demonstrates extremely well!
  - Gregory, LSI
- I am an experienced OOP programmer/developer, and I believe that the programming examples were extremely relevant. Mr. Cole put in much effort and ensured that the programming templates were relevant and workeable.
  - MAJ Jarrod, Fort Gordon School of Information Technology
- A lot of great examples! The instructor is an Android expert and skillful presenter.
  - Krystian, Roche Polska
- The instructor was very knowledgeable, also in the iOS area, what enabled me to get answers about platform differences and similarities.
  - Adam, Roche
- Great Pace, Great Faculty, Great Topic
  - Ashish, Meltwater Group
- Good practical android course. Lots of material but if you pay attention in class you will get your money's worth. Instructor knows his stuff.
  - Gene, Verizon
- Instructor very knowledgeable and amicable. Class materials well suited to stated goal.
  - Preston, Intel
- Serge was willing and able to jump off the scheduled presentation and answer specific questions relevant to our organization, which really helped answer some important questions we had.
  - Bill, 4Info
- Very knowledgable, motivated, and responsive instructor
  - Intel Corporation
- Thank you very much - it was very informative! Ken and Boris were patient and tried their best to answer our questions - very stimulating...
  - Abhijit
- Guy is a great "guy", and did an excellent job presenting the material and ensuring people "got" it. I looked at bootcamps provided by a number of organizations, and this one was the most thorough, and had the least fluff. I don't think I've ever been as pleased with a course.
  - Winston
- This was an intense 3-day course. The great part though is you don't need to remember everything. As long as you complete the class project, you will learn many valuable lessons. I highly recommend this course!
  - Pradeep, US Government
- Instructor was knowledgeable, systematic and responsive to questions. I have enjoyed the course and have learned a lot about Hadoop. GoToMeeting is an effective medium for presentations and was used very well for communication and resolving problems.
  - Lubomir, EMC
- I liked the interactive approach the Guy used during chapter demos and sample app. We all shared our products and learned from each others' blunders. ;-)
  - Derek, Verizon
- I really liked the exercises where we were asked to do some coding and assignments. Also the last day hands on lab was really good and enjoyed it throughly!
  - Intel
- Great presentation of material and engagement of the class. Learned a lot about services that I have been aligned with for years and got a better and deeper understanding of the content and data behind these transactions.
  - Greg, Intel Corporation
- The Android App Development class was very effective for me. In just two days, I learned enough material to get me started on my own. Instructor and facility were both top notch!
  - Shekhar, MIPS Technologies
- I come from a Java background, and Android seems natural for me to pick up. Guy made the transition from Java to Android very easy. He is a very good teacher. I enjoyed this training.
  - Leonid

Recent Posts
- Pro Android C++ Book Review It seems as though there's no end to
  Android programming books out there,...
- PHP vs Ruby and the Python Phenom Both Ruby and PHP have been around since
  1995, but the "newcomer" Python is...
- Creating “Good” Android Apps You have heard people say it: "App X is
  a good app". You didn't think about...
- Android ActionBar Quick Tutorial For those of you not in the loop, the
  ActionBar a bar located at the very...
- Analytic Trends and Autonomy One of the emerging ideas in Big Data
  handling is one of merging self-learn...