Colin Deady started his career in IT in the late 1990s when he discovered software testing. By now he had already fallen in love with computers, thanks to his parents buying him and his brother ZX81 and ZX Spectrum+ home computers in the 1980s. He graduated to the Amiga 1200 in the early 1990s and spent countless hours learning the insides of the operating system. Now with 14 years' experience in testing, he works as a test manager with an emphasis on test automation and extolls the virtues of Agile using Kanban and behavior-driven development to great effect. (Test early, test often; fix early, fix often.)
In his spare time, Colin is part of the editorial team for The MagPi (www.themagpi.com), a community-written magazine for the Raspberry Pi. With several published articles and having reviewed and edited many more, he has built up extensive knowledge of this tiny platform. He can also be found jointly running The MagPi stand at regular Bristol DigiMakers events in the UK, demonstrating projects such as a remote control robot arm, a roverbot, and LED display boards, all of which he has programmed in Python.
He currently runs a blog related to the Raspberry Pi at www.rasptut.co.uk.
Ian McAlpine was first introduced to computers with his school's Research Machines RML-380Z and his Physics teacher's Compukit UK101 microcomputer. This was followed by a Sinclair ZX81 home computer and then a BBC Micro Model A microcomputer, which he still has to this day. His interest in computers resulted in him acquiring an MEng in Electronic Systems Engineering from Aston University and an MSc in Information Technology from the University of Liverpool. Ian currently works as a senior product owner at SAP Canada.
Being introduced to the Raspberry Pi not only rekindled his desire to "tinker", but also provided him with an opportunity to give back to the community. Consequently, Ian is a very active member of the editorial team for The MagPi, a monthly magazine for the Raspberry Pi, which you can read online or download for free from www.themagpi.com.