Articles by Jason Frankovitz

January 22, 2019 • by Jason Frankovitz

Password salting: make your passwords smarter, stronger and simpler

Password “salting” can make your logins easier and more secure Your average computer scientist isn’t a fan of passwords. They’re easy to hack, and easy to guess. Compared to more modern security techniques, they have more cons than pros. But there’s a simple trick anyone can use to make passwords more secure-…

Read More
December 7, 2018 • by Jason Frankovitz

Code is Tricky, Part 4: What Code Says Is Different Than What It Does

Computer languages have an interesting quality not shared by many human languages: syntax is far more important than semantics. For example, in English, the sentence, “The colored clarifications eat sharply” is syntactically correct, but semantically meaningless. Computer programs care obsessively about syntax; the right syntax based on the rules of the specific…

Read More
December 5, 2018 • by Jason Frankovitz

Code is Tricky, part 3: compiled vs. interpreted

In the 1987 movie Moonstruck, Vincent Gardenia explains why expensive copper pipes are the best solution to a couple’s plumbing problem. He admits, “copper costs money” but concludes his speech with a pearl of wisdom. This same concept applies to important technologies regularly used in software development: programming languages that need compiling…

Read More
February 27, 2017 • by Jason Frankovitz

Code is Tricky, Part 2: Source Code Never Runs

Every software expert at Quandary Peak regularly reads and analyzes large volumes of source code, and while understanding the specific programming language can help, it’s not the only skill we bring to a project. Knowing the unique qualities and nuances that apply to programming code can be the difference between winning and losing a trial. In…

Read More
February 10, 2017 • by Jason Frankovitz

Code is Tricky, Part 1: Dead Code

Every software expert at Quandary Peak regularly reads and analyzes large volumes of source code, and while understanding the specific programming language can help, it’s not the only skill we bring to a project. Knowing the unique qualities and nuances that apply to programming code can be the difference between winning and losing a case. In…

Read More
February 7, 2017 • by Jason Frankovitz
1 Comment

If You Have a Slow Network Connection, You Can Prove It

It can be hard to know if the Internet connection you’re paying for (at home or at work) is really giving you the speed that you’re paying for. With almost 90% of Americans using the Internet regularly, and a market size around $100 billion, both companies and consumers want to know if they’re getting…

Read More
December 14, 2015 • by Jason Frankovitz

Quandary Peak Advises Canadian FIRST LEGO League Robotics team

When software expert Jason Frankovitz got an email with the subject line “Robotics”, he assumed it was a client needing help with a technology project. But this client wasn’t some large computer company or high-powered law firm; it was a group of budding engineers from Sarnia, Ontario. The Canadian 5th, 6th, and…

Read More