Facebook API Client

PearlCards had a Ruby Facebook application that they wanted to integrate with Facebook's new Data Store API (which allows Facebook application developers to store their data on Facebook's servers rather than their own). Since the official Facebook Data Store API client was written in PHP and the existing Ruby Facebook API client, Facebooker, does not yet support the Data Store, we wrote a Ruby client for the Facebook Data Store API. The client is open-source and available on GitHub.

A Novel Point of Sale Solution

Open Produce needed to cut customer wait times at the checkout counter. Parallactic combined off-the-shelf components to build a custom point of sale system with an unmatched feature set for a fraction of the cost of commercial systems. Now, the business can stay on top of its sales with dynamic statistics on the web.

The system is built from an eee PC running embedded Linux, with a USB receipt printer, magstripe card reader, label printer and barcode scanner. Our custom software combines these with a fast, simple checkout interface with UPC scanning and search; supports swiping credit cards and secure online credit card authorization; and can keep tabs for frequent customers. All data are securely, instantly backed up over an encrypted connection.

Protecting Network Neutrality

The EFF had some evidence that Comcast was interfering with particular types of customer network traffic, but needed the tools to definitively establish the scope. As a non-profit, they lacked the in-house capability to develop these specialized tools, but believed the cause was important as unchecked interference could destroy network neutrality. Parallactic volunteered its expert network programming knowledge and helped push out the first version of Switzerland, a sophisticated network analysis system that can pin down interference.

Facebook API Client

PearlCards had a Ruby Facebook application that they wanted to integrate with Facebook's new Data Store API (which allows Facebook application developers to store their data on Facebook's servers rather than their own). Since the official Facebook Data Store API client was written in PHP and the existing Ruby Facebook API client, Facebooker, does not yet support the Data Store, we wrote a Ruby client for the Facebook Data Store API. The client is open-source and available on GitHub.

A Novel Point of Sale Solution

Open Produce needed to cut customer wait times at the checkout counter. Parallactic combined off-the-shelf components to build a custom point of sale system with an unmatched feature set for a fraction of the cost of commercial systems. Now, the business can stay on top of its sales with dynamic statistics on the web.

The system is built from an eee PC running embedded Linux, with a USB receipt printer, magstripe card reader, label printer and barcode scanner. Our custom software combines these with a fast, simple checkout interface with UPC scanning and search; supports swiping credit cards and secure online credit card authorization; and can keep tabs for frequent customers. All data are securely, instantly backed up over an encrypted connection.