Michael Mottola
Highlights
Professional Work
- Landlord Web Solutions
- Tech Director. Team Leader. Software Developer.
Volunteer Efforts
- Software Niagara
- A community-led grassroot initiative to connect the software community in the Niagara Region.
- Founding member. Volunteer. Supporter.
- Animal Aid Foundation
- A not for profit charity organization dedicated to funding animal charities and animal well-being initiatives.
- Web Developer. Technology Adviser.
Hobby Apps
- Ball Hockey Team App
- Mini-app built for the players of my ball hockey team (including myself) to use for checking our schedules.
- Pickup IceTime
- Software service for finding local pickup hockey games and players.
- Cash Tracker
- Blackberry Playbook App.
Open Source Projects
- MongoDB Shell Backup
- Script for backing up all Mongo Databases on a server.
- Omg Validator
- Ruby Gem, a bunch of Rails validators to extend ActiveModel.
- Redmine Plugin
- Redmine (open source project management software) plugin to color code issues based on status.
About Me
I don't like talking about me, how are you? Oh right, that's not gonna work. I'll start over: Hi! Thanks for coming my way!
I'm a sports & tech enthusiast who's been hacking HTML since the days of geocities, who found his passion in web & software development and turned it into a career.
I'm also a lover of the outdoors, being active & playing sports:
snowboarding
ice hockey
ball hockey
long distance running
hiking
Growing up I had a love of modifying tech components, taking things apart only to rebuild them, sometimes better than the original. Over the years, my love of creating/building physical objects has turned into a love of creating virtual works of art; in the software that I write.
I consider myself to be in a constant state of learning, I have a broad range of knowledge in many facets of Information Technology and Computer Science. I enjoyed learning and working with new technologies and tools.
Talks I've Given
Prototyping in Rails
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Date: unknown, 2013Event: Software Niagara DevTricks
DevTricks talk about using Ruby on Rails to build working prototypes of features and ideas
Building an Online Web Presence
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Date: May 11th, 2011Location: Hamilton, OntarioEvent: Hamilton & District Apartment Association (HDAA) Monthly Dinner Meeting
Talked about website development to a room full of property managers and landlords. Went over website fundamentals, including benefits of having a website, including mobile websites. Discussed how to develop an effective strategies for creating an online presence and how to measure performance of websites and the behaviour of website visitors using Google Analytics.
Fun Projects
Computer Case Mods
There was once phase in my life where I was passionate about case modding, before computer cases were commonly shipped with side panel windows and lighting. This stemmed from a love of technology and a hobby of creating contraptions.
Here are my favourite mods:
Mini Cooper Computer
Build in 2006.
1/6 Scale Size RC car.
Anaheim Ducks Case
Build in 2008.
Handmade window etching.
Mini Cooper Computer
I took a remote controller 1/6 scale Mini Cooper, stripped out the back seats and replaced them with computer parts. Wires and connections come in through the trunk of the vehicle, as well as the dvd disc drive. The trunk can be closed for transport and open when running. The remote control car still functions, the power and signal lights are now the power and hard drive lights.
The Original
Remote control 1/6 scale Mini Cooper with working lights.
Approximately 2 feet long and 11 inches wide
Back seats stripped out, holes for mounting the motherboard and the disk drive mounted to base of the floor, opening out of the trunk.
Under the hood, attaching power inventer for El Wire (electroluminescent wire) and El Tape to be ran along bottom and interior of vehicle. You can see the speaker (for the horn) and control board and motor for the RC car.
Laptop DVD Drive mounted securely to the floor. Holes prepped for mounting the motherboard.
EPIA M10000. Mini-ITX x86 motherboard, just 17cm x 17cm.
Mounted Hard Drive and electroluminescent cooling fan on the interior roof of the vehicle.
Power switch built into the back muffler. Car signal lights being used for Hard Disk Drive light.
Years later... I drive my own my Mini Cooper.
Mini Cooper Computer being shown off on top of my Mini at a Mini Cooper Rally.
Anaheim Ducks Computer Case
Took an existing Cooler Master computer case, cut holes in both sides and top, installed plexiglass with handmade etches.
Cut hole in front of case to replace power button with hockey puck.
Separated middle of the puck from the rest. The middle will become the power button.
Power button connected to chasis.
Middle of the puck connected to power button chasis.
Power button mounted in case chasis.
Hockey Puck power button.
Prepping side panel for glass mounting.
Side panel window etch complete and mounted. Really happy with how this panel turned out.
Spray painting panels.
Top panel window etch complete.
Cut puck for side panel, puck shot through side of case effect.
Etched broken glass effect on side panel.
Etched broken glass effect on side panel.
Second side panel complete.
