Using Nested Data in Hive, Apple Interfaces and Other Must Reads

The beauty of the LinkedIn’s Pulse platform is that it gives professionals a way to share their personal opinions about topical professional news and interests. Here’s a roundup of some of the best pieces LinkedIn engineers have written recently.

How Tech is Helping Fashion Return to its Roots
By Amy Boone, Software Engineer

Amy discusses a new trend in fashion tech: custom, made-to-order clothes for the average consumer. This was in fact how most people had their clothes created over a century ago, so it’s interesting to note the historical parallel. Standardized, mass-produced clothes have wrecked the environment, so the promise of quality, long-lasting, custom-tailored clothing from new startups is an exciting development, she says.

On the Use of Nested Data in Hive
By Felix GV, Data Infrastructure Engineer

Felix discusses what happened after his team completed the efficiency improvements on Voldemort’s Build and Push process. In order to analyze job metrics, he utilized Hive but quickly encountered the challenges with querying into nested array data using SQL. The big takeaway? Whenever designing any data schema, try to anticipate which query patterns you expect to see.

Single User Interface
By Steven Foote, Senior Web Developer

Steven questions the simplicity dogma at work in most user interface design. For instance, everyone says that an iPad is so easy that a toddler can use it, and he hilariously refutes this point. Ultimately, devices that have a single interface for accepting commands, like Amazon’s voice-activated assistant, Echo, are more functional and useful.

How the New Apple TV Could Change the Desktop
By Kyle Sherman,  Software Engineer (SlideShare)

Kyle attended the Apple TV Tech Talks and came away with a new understanding of the Focus Engine interface. Kyle predicts that Apple will develop a similar technology for desktops because it is more precise and intuitive than cursor manipulation. This would signal a total shift in desktop design, he says.

Writing Strokes
By Jimmy Zhang, Software Engineer

Inspired by his high school English teacher, Jimmy announces that he is starting a series of posts called Writing Strokes. He will introduce a book and highlight a particular writing technique employed by the author. How will the author keep the reader reading? He takes on Robert Caro’s classic, The Power Broker, as his first example.