Attending the SAE WCX Conference – COVID-19 Edition
I have been a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) for a number of years and have attended several different SAE events over the last decade. In 2018, I started attending the SAE WCX, a show focused on passenger car technologies, formerly known as the World Congress. Insights into the technologies of today and tomorrow in passenger cars are definitely informative as DISTek seeks to be ready for new technology applications in the Off-Highway industry where we focus. Of course, not everything is directly applicable, but much of it is to varying degrees.
“Friendship” with Technology Leads to Success
The saying “technology is our friend” gained a completely new meaning when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March 2020. While many companies struggled to switch from operating out of traditional offices to working from home, DISTek’s “friendship” with technology allowed us to smoothly and quickly make the transition while consistently meeting and exceeding the needs of both our employees and customers.
Learning Git the Hard Way: Part 1
There are tons of tutorials out there that show how to use Git, starting with easy things like cloning a repository and committing locally, then pushing your commit to the server. There are lots of sites and videos that will help you achieve a competent level of Git expertise – like this one. However, you may struggle with the interface and if you have problems, you may struggle to understand why and how to fix them. That is why I am going to explain Git this way: inside out, backwards and hard. This three part series is targeted for people who want to excel at using Git and deeply understand it. This is also intended for people who are willing to persevere a bit more than the average person. Lastly, this is for people who like to see the beauty in things and, trust me, Git is beautiful.
DISTek Relocates Des Moines Office
Today, as we battle the COVID-19 pandemic, for most of us, moving to a “new office” means relocating to our basement, appropriating the dining room table, or occupying an extra bedroom. But in late 2019, DISTek Integration’s excitement over our new digs referenced a traditional brick and mortar office building. Specifically, we eagerly relocated to Suite 420 at 3737 Woodland Ave. in West Des Moines.
Staying the Course – COVID-19
I titled this blog post “Staying the Course” because that is exactly what we have been doing here at DISTek, now entering our 5th week of aggressive novel coronavirus response mode. I liken our current environment similar to navigating a fully loaded canoe through high winds – keep the bow pointed toward the destination, anticipate making corrective maneuvers as much as possible, and react quickly and decisively, yet calmly, to sudden shifts in direction and current.
Meet My New Co-Worker
She’s been on the job for two years now. Well, two years four months to be exact and over time she’s become…. shall we say, extremely spirited. You see, things didn’t start out that way, but over time her confidence on the job has grown, which has made her pretty comfortable exerting her opinion in the workplace.
DISTek Hosts Booth at ConExpo – CON/AGG 2020
Right now, I find myself sitting squarely in the calm before the storm. The final edits for the new pull up banners have been approved. The tradeshow materials have been shipped. Travel plans and final reservations have been made. Now, all that’s left is to pack our bags and catch a flight to Vegas. Over the next several days, five DISTekians will be making the trip to Sin City for ConExpo-CON/AGG 2020.
An Intern Connecting to the Realm of IoT
I am a Computer Science Major at the University of Northern Iowa and I have been fortunate enough to come across this internship at DISTek Integration through my university’s job board. During my time as an intern, I have gotten to know many knowledgeable people here at DISTek and they have all been very helpful in addressing and answering any questions or concerns that I may have had. I was able to work on several hardware and software projects that have enabled me to grow my skillset as I continue down this field. One particular task that was assigned to me by my mentor, Kevin, was to do some research into Internet of Things and look into how it could potentially be used to innovate and expand future project possibilities.
2019: Year in Review
I just looked back at my Year in Review blog post for 2018 from a year ago, and I see that it was posted in late February with a stated goal to get the next one done on a timelier schedule. So here you go, hot off the press and still in January! In 2018…
Holiday Tradition of Giving Continues
The holidays are all about traditions, whether that’s family gatherings at Grandma’s, turkey and stuffing, pie for dessert, or fruitcake from Aunt Eidie. At DISTek, as has been the tradition for the past 10 years, we’ve partnered with a local elementary school that pairs our company with a family in need to provide household supplies as well as a variety of “wish list” items to help make their holiday season a little brighter. This year, our adopted family was a mother and her five children (two of which were 3-month old twins – yes! we purchased a substantial number of diapers!).
Configuring Your Compiler
In my previous blog post about the C Tool Chain, I mentioned a post about configuring the C compiler, which is what this blog will discuss. Please note that I will not be talking about linkers or linking, just compiling.
