Reviews

Running agents with Amazon Bedrock AgentCore

AgentCore delivers an enterprise-grade infrastructure and operations layer for deploying and managing AI agents at scale, with a few wrinkles.

By Martin Heller

Mar 12, 202620 mins

Amazon Web ServicesGenerative AIIaaS

Theia IDE: Eclipse’s answer to Visual Studio Code

Want VS Code's functionality without Microsoft? Eclipse's Theia IDE project offers an alternative.

By Serdar Yegulalp

Jul 17, 2024 7 mins

Development Tools Software Development

Amazon Q Developer review: Code completions, code chat, and AWS skills

Amazon Q Developer works well for completing lines of code, doc strings, and if/for/while/try code blocks, but can’t generate full functions for certain use cases.

By Martin Heller

Jun 24, 2024 18 mins

Amazon Web Services Development Tools Generative AI

LlamaIndex review: Easy context-augmented LLM applications

Free open-source framework integrates with scads of vector stores, LLMs, and data sources and works for Q&A, structured extraction, chat, semantic search, and agent use cases.

By Martin Heller

Jun 17, 2024 9 mins

Development Tools Generative AI Libraries and Frameworks

Google Project IDX: A promising next-generation cloud IDE

Project IDX shines with a VS Code look and feel, GitHub integration, workspace sharing, and AI-powered coding assistance.

By Martin Heller

Jun 3, 2024 7 mins

Development Tools Google Cloud Platform Technology Industry

DuckDB: The tiny but powerful analytics database

You don't need big, bulky tools to do columnar data analytics. DuckDB fits a powerful analytics database into a tool light enough to run on your laptop.

By Serdar Yegulalp

May 15, 2024 5 mins

Analytics Databases Python

DBOS: A better way to build applications?

An operating system on top of a distributed database, DBOS is a tantalizing glimpse of something that may eventually turn out to be cool.

By Martin Heller

Apr 29, 2024 11 mins

Cloud Computing Databases Serverless Computing

Google Vertex AI Studio puts the promise in generative AI

Cloud-based AI toolkit offers dozens of Google and third-party models, straightforward support for RAG and model tuning, and other potentially compelling features in private preview.

By Martin Heller

Mar 26, 2024 15 mins

Generative AI Machine Learning Technology Industry

Amazon Bedrock: A solid generative AI foundation

Amazon Bedrock smooths the path to building generative AI apps with prompt engineering and RAG, providing a good assortment of text, chat, and image-based foundation models.

By Martin Heller

Feb 27, 2024 17 mins

Amazon Web Services Generative AI Machine Learning

Azure AI Studio: A nearly complete toolbox for AI development

Azure AI Studio, while still in preview, checks most of the boxes for a generative AI application builder, with support for prompt engineering, RAG, agent building, and low-code or no-code development.

By Martin Heller

Jan 22, 2024 21 mins

Artificial Intelligence Generative AI Technology Industry

Happy Hacking Keyboard Studio review: Mouse and keyboard in one tiny package

With a minimal footprint and comfortable typing, the HHKB Studio adds mouse and gesture features, but at a cost.

By Serdar Yegulalp

Nov 22, 2023 3 mins

Software Development

Review: 7 Python IDEs compared

What's the best IDE for Python? Here's how IDLE, Komodo, PyCharm, PyDev, Microsoft's Python and Python Tools extensions for Visual Studio Code, and Spyder stack up.

By Serdar Yegulalp

Oct 18, 2023 22 mins

Data Science Python Web Development

Llama Chat and Code Llama are good at coding

Llama 2 Chat can generate and explain Python code quite well, right out of the box. Code Llama’s fine-tuned models offer even better capabilities for code generation.

By Martin Heller

Sep 12, 2023 17 mins

Artificial Intelligence Development Tools Generative AI

Review: CodeWhisperer, Bard, and Copilot X

Amazon CodeWhisperer, Google Bard, and GitHub Copilot X plod through our AI pair programming challenge. Each tool has its strengths, and none of them are perfect.

By Martin Heller

Jun 27, 2023 20 mins

Development Tools Generative AI Technology Industry

First look: wasmCloud and Cosmonic

Here's a first look at the developer preview of Cosmonic—a WebAssembly PaaS with its own graphical cloud user interface, robust networking, and CLI.

By Martin Heller

Apr 25, 2023 11 mins

Cloud Computing Development Tools Web Development

Preview: Google Cloud Dataplex wows

Google Cloud Dataplex is an amazingly complete system for turning raw data from silos into unified data products ready for analysis. And a bit overwhelming to learn.

By Martin Heller

Apr 11, 2023 9 mins

Analytics Cloud Computing Data Science

Tailscale: Fast and easy VPNs for developers

Simple and affordable Tailscale allows you to create an encrypted, peer-to-peer virtual network using the secure WireGuard protocol, without generating public keys or constantly typing passwords.

By Martin Heller

Mar 15, 2023 10 mins

Security Software Development Technology Industry

Ballerina: A programming language for the cloud

Ballerina was designed to simplify the development of distributed microservices by making it easier to integrate APIs. For C, C++, C#, and Java programmers, much will feel familiar.

By Martin Heller

Mar 8, 2023 9 mins

Cloud Computing Programming Languages Software Development

nbdev v2 review: Git-friendly Jupyter Notebooks

Add-on to Jupyter Notebooks enables a literate Python development style that gives you high-quality documentation, tests, continuous integration, and packaging for free.

By Martin Heller

Feb 1, 2023 8 mins

Data Science Machine Learning Python

Review: Appsmith shines for low-code development on a budget

Appsmith presents a full palette of low-code development features in an accessible drag-and-drop environment. It shines as a free, open source option, with extra bells and whistles available for a price.

By Martin Heller

Nov 30, 2022 9 mins

Development Tools No Code and Low Code Software Development

Happy Hacking Keyboard review: Tiny typing comfort at a cost

Compact and with great key action, but expensive, the HHKB wants to be your one keyboard for all devices.

By Serdar Yegulalp

Nov 9, 2022 3 mins

Fujitsu

Book review: ‘Python Tools for Scientists’

Python has a wealth of scientific computing tools, so how do you decide which ones are right for you? This book cuts through the noise to help you deliver results.

By Serdar Yegulalp

Oct 26, 2022 3 mins

Data Science Python

Dremio Cloud review: A fast and flexible data lakehouse on AWS

Dremio Cloud leaps big data in a single bound with a fast SQL engine and optimizations that can accelerate queries dramatically. Plus it lets you use other engines on the same data.

By Martin Heller

Sep 7, 2022 13 mins

Analytics Cloud Computing Databases

Kissflow review: No code and low code for workflows

Kissflow has a good selection of low-code and no-code development capabilities, along with useful integrations with external systems for handling events and performing automations.

By Martin Heller

Aug 24, 2022 8 mins

Cloud Computing No Code and Low Code PaaS

Deno vs. Node.js: Which is better?

Node.is is still the most widely used JavaScript runtime environment, but Deno is more secure and brings modern advantages. Compare Deno and Node.js and decide which is right for your next project.

By Martin Heller

Aug 10, 2022 8 mins

JavaScript Software Development Web Development

Review: Snowflake aces Python machine learning

Snowpark for Python gives data scientists a nice way to do DataFrame-style programming against the Snowflake data warehouse, including the ability to set up full-blown machine learning pipelines to run on a recurrent schedule.

By Martin Heller

Aug 3, 2022 12 mins

Databases Machine Learning Python

JetBrains Fleet: The future of IDEs?

With distributed and remote options and advanced collaboration capabilities, JetBrains Fleet could be the best thing for software developers since Visual Studio Code. But it’s still in the works.

By Martin Heller

Jun 22, 2022 7 mins

Development Tools Software Development

Review: Visual Studio Code shines for Java

With the Extension Pack for Java, VS Code makes a highly capable Java IDE and formidable competitor to Eclipse, NetBeans, and IntelliJ IDEA.

By Martin Heller

Jun 8, 2022 10 mins

Development Tools Java Technology Industry

Review: Redpanda gives Kafka a run for its money

The Kafka-compatible distributed event streaming platform excels in latency and performance and offers a glimpse into the future of streaming with inline WebAssembly transforms and more.

By Martin Heller

May 25, 2022 12 mins

Careers Data Integration Software Development

Review: YugabyteDB does PostgreSQL proud

YugabyteDB 2.13 is a highly scalable, distributed version of PostgreSQL that combines compelling ideas from Google Cloud Spanner and Amazon Aurora—and serves as a Cassandra-compatible database too.

By Martin Heller

May 16, 2022 16 mins

Cloud Computing Databases Software Development

Review: Databricks Lakehouse Platform

Databricks Lakehouse Platform combines cost-effective data storage with machine learning and data analytics, and it's available on AWS, Azure, and GCP. Could it be an affordable alternative for your data warehouse needs?

By Martin Heller

Apr 27, 2022 18 mins

Analytics Data Science Machine Learning

Review: The 10 best JavaScript editors

Sublime Text, Visual Studio Code, Brackets, and Atom rise to the top, but several others are also worth considering.

By Martin Heller

Apr 6, 2022 20 mins

Development Tools JavaScript Web Development

Review: The 6 best JavaScript IDEs

WebStorm, Visual Studio 2017, Visual Studio Code, NetBeans, Komodo, and Eclipse pull out the stops for JavaScript, Node.js, and friends.

By Martin Heller

Mar 30, 2022 22 mins

Development Tools JavaScript Web Development

Review: Creatio 8.0 Atlas shoulders no-code CRM

Creatio 8.0 Atlas is a competent no-code development environment, with good CRM capabilities for sales, marketing, and service, and good BPM capabilities.

By Martin Heller

Mar 2, 2022 9 mins

Cloud Computing No Code and Low Code Software Development

Airtable review: Flexible low-code/no-code in the cloud

Airtable is a powerful combination of relational database capabilities, a variety of development environments for different skill levels, and hundreds of templates and add-ins for common use cases.

By Martin Heller

Jan 19, 2022 8 mins

Cloud Computing No Code and Low Code Software Development

Review: Nvidia AI Enterprise shines on VMware

Nvidia’s VMware-optimized AI software stack offers a strong alternative to doing machine learning in the AWS, Azure, and Google clouds. Nvidia LaunchPad lets you try it out for free.

By Martin Heller

Jan 5, 2022 8 mins

Analytics Machine Learning Nvidia

Review: Document parsing in AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud

Amazon Textract, Azure Form Recognizer, and Google Document AI can parse your unstructured documents and produce structured information for all kinds of digital transformation use cases.

By Martin Heller

Dec 6, 2021 15 mins

Amazon Web Services Google Cloud Platform Microsoft Azure

Google Cloud AppSheet review: No-code with extras

Google’s easy no-code app builder lets you add functionality with spreadsheet formulas and expressions, and even apply machine learning models.

By Martin Heller

Nov 29, 2021 9 mins

Development Tools No Code and Low Code Technology Industry

Microsoft Power Apps review: Sweeter than Honeycode

Much more than a no-code builder, Power Apps lets you add functionality with Excel-like formulas, easily connects to external data sources, and integrates with Power Automate for flow editing and Power BI for data analysis.

By Martin Heller

Nov 10, 2021 6 mins

Mobile Development Technology Industry Web Development

Review: GitHub Copilot preview gives me hope

The Copilot technical preview doesn’t always generate good, correct, or even running code, but it’s still somewhat useful. Future versions could be real time-savers.

By Martin Heller

Nov 8, 2021 8 mins

Artificial Intelligence Cloud Computing Development Tools

Amazon Honeycode review: No-code has its limits

Amazon’s no-code app builder makes quick work of creating simple apps and integrations. Creating useful ones will require help from a programmer, a DBA, or IT.

By Martin Heller

Oct 13, 2021 8 mins

Amazon Web Services Cloud Computing No Code and Low Code

Review: Google Cloud Vertex AI irons out ML platform wrinkles

Vertex AI greatly improves the integration of Google Cloud’s AI/ML platform and AutoML services, combining a new unified API with very good modeling capabilities.

By Martin Heller

Oct 4, 2021 14 mins

Analytics Machine Learning Technology Industry

PlanetScale review: Horizontally scalable MySQL in the cloud

Vitess-powered PlanetScale scales to hold as much data as you need, but is currently limited to a single cluster.

By Martin Heller

Sep 1, 2021 9 mins

Cloud Computing Databases SQL

Dataiku review: Data science fit for the enterprise

Dataiku’s end-to-end machine learning platform combines visual tools, notebooks, and code to address the needs of data scientists, data engineers, business analysts, and AI consumers.

By Martin Heller

May 18, 2021 9 mins

Analytics Data Science Machine Learning

Oracle Database 21c review: The old RDBMS is new again

Major upgrade to the ever-evolving Oracle Database brings JavaScript support, graph optimizations, in-memory enhancements, and dramatic improvements to JSON operations and in-database machine learning.

By Martin Heller

Apr 27, 2021 15 mins

Cloud Computing Databases Technology Industry

Ahana Cloud for Presto review: Fast SQL queries against data lakes

Ahana Cloud for Presto turns a data lake on Amazon S3 into what is effectively a data warehouse, without moving any data. SQL queries run quickly even when joining multiple heterogeneous data sources.

By Martin Heller

Apr 14, 2021 8 mins

Analytics Databases SQL

BlazingSQL review: Fast ETL for GPU-based data science

BlazingSQL builds on RAPIDS to distribute SQL query execution across GPU clusters, delivering the ETL for an all-GPU data science workflow.

By Martin Heller

Mar 18, 2021 9 mins

Database Administration Machine Learning SQL

PinePhone: A Linux smartphone a developer could love

Not only do you get root, but you can use this ‘phone’ as a desktop too. Just don’t expect much from the camera.

By Peter Wayner

Mar 10, 2021 5 mins

Small and Medium Business Software Development Technology Industry

Review: AWS AI and Machine Learning stacks up, and up

Amazon Web Services provides an impressively broad and deep set of machine learning and AI services, rivaling Google Cloud and Microsoft Azure.

By Martin Heller

Feb 24, 2021 34 mins

Amazon Web Services Data Science Machine Learning

Review: Microsoft Azure AI and Machine Learning aims for the enterprise

Microsoft Azure combines a wide range of cognitive services and a solid platform for machine learning that supports automated ML, no-code/low-code ML, and Python-based notebooks.

By Martin Heller

Jan 11, 2021 30 mins

Analytics Machine Learning Technology Industry

Review: DataRobot aces automated machine learning

DataRobot’s end-to-end AutoML suite not only speeds up the creation of accurate models, but can combine time series, images, geographic information, tabular data, and text in a single model.

By Martin Heller

Dec 2, 2020 12 mins

Analytics Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning