James Duncan Davidson

Photographer, technologist, traveller.

Areas of Expertise:

cocoa
ruby
rails
objective-c
photography

digital asset management
java
ant
tomcat

Biography
Books
Blog
Articles

James Duncan Davidson is a freelance author, software developer, and consultant focusing on Mac OS X, Java, XML, and open source technologies. He is the author of Learning Cocoa with Objective-C (published by O'Reilly & Associates) and is a frequent contributor to the O'Reilly Network online website as well as publisher of his own website, x180 (http://www.x180.net), where he keeps his popular weblog. Duncan was the creator of Apache Tomcat and Apache Ant and was instrumental in their donation to the Apache Software Foundation by Sun Microsystems . While working at Sun, he authored two versions of the Java Servlet API specification as well as the Java API for XML Processing. Duncan regularly presents at conferences all over the world on topics ranging from open source and collaborative development to programming Java more effectively. He didn't graduate with a Computer Science degree, but sees that as a benefit in helping explain how software works. His educational background is in Architecture (the bricks and mortar kind), the essence of which he applies to every software problem that finds him. He currently resides in San Francisco, California.

Agile Web Development with Rails (Pragmatic Bookshelf) by Dave Thomas , David Heinemeier Hansson Second Edition December 2006 OUT OF PRINT	Running Mac OS X Tiger by Jason Deraleau , James Duncan Davidson December 2005 Print: $39.95
Mac OS X Panther Hacks by Rael Dornfest , James Duncan Davidson June 2004 Print: $29.95	Running Mac OS X Panther by James Duncan Davidson December 2003 OUT OF PRINT
Cocoa in a Nutshell by Michael Beam , James Duncan Davidson May 2003 Print: $44.99 Ebook: $35.99	Learning Cocoa with Objective-C by James Duncan Davidson , Apple Computer, Inc. Second Edition September 2002 Ebook: $31.99

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MacBook Pro: The Thermal Paste Question
Publish Date: May. 23, 2006The MacBook Pro is a hot machine--literally so hot that it becomes uncomfortable on your lap after extended periods of use. Some users blame the excessive use of thermal paste between the main chips on the logic board and the thermal pipes. Is this the problem? James Duncan Davidson cracks open his MacBook Pro to find out. Canon 5D: First Impressions
Publish Date: Oct. 12, 2005The first thing that's noticeable about the EOS 5D is that it is a full-frame camera. I took a shot out of my hotel window with an EF 24-70 L zoom lens at 24mm. My reaction was, "So that's where my wide-angle has been hiding all these years." James Duncan Davidson reports on the Canon 5D after his first assignment with it. Dev to Dev: James Duncan Davidson Interviews Panic
Publish Date: Mar. 23, 2004The folks at Panic have been producing great software for the Mac since the System 7 days. James Duncan Davidson, author of "Running Mac OS X," interviews the Panic cofounders to discuss Cocoa, Xcode, surviving with Apple, and making it as an independent developer. Ten Things I Dig About Xcode
Publish Date: Oct. 24, 2003Following in the footsteps of "Ten Things I Dig About Panther," James Duncan Davidson further explores one of the facets near and dear to Mac developers--their application development environment. Apple is introducing Xcode, along with Panther, and Davidson takes it for a spin and reports on his initial findings. Ten Things I Dig About Panther
Publish Date: Oct. 10, 2003Now that the release of Panther is officially announced, it's time to take a close look at its key features. O'Reilly author James Duncan Davidson shows you the aspects of Panther that he really digs. In Sync with CVS
Publish Date: Jul. 15, 2003Apple's Backup and iSync applications are great for Dot-Mac subscribers, but some folks prefer to "roll their own" when synchronizing data among machines. The open source tool, CVS, is a good solution for "do it yourself" types. James Duncan Davidson shows you how to set it up. Configuring sendmail on Jaguar
Publish Date: Sep. 10, 2002Sendmail is powerful, but at times appears complicated too. James Duncan Davidson helps you unravel the sendmail knot so you can configure this awesome mail server on your Mac OS X system. Setting up a Site Server with Jaguar
Publish Date: Aug. 24, 2002Jaguar's debut adds many updates to Mac OS X's under-the-hood open source tools. In this article, James Duncan Davidson shows you how to tap Jaguar's ability to run your own site server, including an overview for setting up Sendmail. Easy 802.11b Wireless for Small Businesses
Publish Date: Feb. 14, 2002Small businesses looking for an edge over their larger competitors might consider providing wireless Internet access for their customers. It's affordable, and after reading these detailed instructions, darn easy. A Week with the iPod
Publish Date: Nov. 28, 2001We hit the streets with one of today's hottest tech toys, the iPod. Is it the "must have" MP3 player for Mac music lovers, or just an expensive spoke in Apple's digital hub? James Duncan Davidson gives you the inside scoop. Mixing Java and Titanium: Part Three
Publish Date: Sep. 25, 2001This is part three of a three-part series on Java and Mac OS X from a Java programmer's point of view. In this article, James Duncan Davidson takes a look at Cocoa from his side of the fence. He also shares his views on swing apps for Mac OS X. Mixing Java and Titanium, Part Two
Publish Date: Sep. 11, 2001As we continue to explore Java on Mac OS X with James Duncan Davidson, we look at the easiest way to create a double-clickable Java program on Mac OS X, plus experiences with Project Builder, and fun with Quartz. Mixing Java and Titanium: Part 1
Publish Date: Sep. 4, 2001Recently James Duncan Davidson published a series of weblogs on the subject of Java and Mac OS X for O'Reilly Network. These blogs contained lots of useful information that was too good to get buried deep within the network labyrinth, so we've updated them and are now presenting the content in a series of three articles. This is part one of the series. Life After AirPort -- New Wireless Base Stations
Publish Date: Aug. 9, 2001Is there 802.11b life after your AirPort Base Station goes up in smoke? You bet! We review the 3Com HomeConnect Wireless Gateway and the SMC Barricade. Help Yourself Help Others
Publish Date: May. 25, 2001As we look at the various ways to help give your Mac OS X applications a professional look, don't forget the "help" function for users. Here are the basics of adding help to your Mac OS X app.

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