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Aussie Dev HeadMac Versus PC
Why are there no good games on a Mac (lol) ?
1 more for the mac fanboys (lol) July 21 Live Mesh servicealthough i have it on good authority that this will be opening again soon, the rush for Live Mesh registrations is on.
Much like the hoopla around getting a google gmail account ... back in the day.. :D
anyway i got mine and have been using it constantly.
it has two really cool features...
1. you can Mesh or sync folders from all of your various PCS (work, home, mobile, girlfriends place, etc) with something called the Mesh or Live Desktop
This lets you leave files either in the cloud or on another PC (this part is still being readied for release).
2. It gives you a friendly and easy to use web desktop client. a "what the #$%%" did you say? Basically this is very similiar to the TS client/citrix client web UI. a terminal services active X control inside a browser.... nice! and massive WIN.
with this you can as the idea goes mesh the content (data... files for most people) with the various machines at your disposal. as well as letting you access those machines and folders remotely... very nice and even bigger WIN.
I like it, if you want to be in on the next round of invites... go to either..
or
http://connect.microsoft.com (if you use this option you will need to signup to connect first, then choose the Mesh Tech Preview program)
and get registered.
YES! MASSIVE WIN! (it even includes APIs so now we can all make Apps that use the cloud for file storage hooray! *)
* you can already do this with cloud services like Amazon S3, however this is nicer as you don't have to pay a cent!
July 16 Visual Studio Extensibilityhehehe back to my favourite topic...
Visual studio extensibility!
Just been completing some work in the VS extensibility realm, working with such esoteric interfaces as IDTExtensibility2 and the new-ish IDTCommandTarget.
I have learnt two things from working on these types of projects.
1. There is barebones method headers and parameter listing type documentation only.
2. MSDN blog writers and the wonderful resource site at MZTools are your best friends.
These types of projects are incredibly fun to work on, especially since you typically grow your solution organically, refactoring things as you go, with a VS Macros project first. Once your procedure code is correctly debugged, porting is a snap, with almost everything being simply a case of just selecting the lot in VS Macros IDE and dumping it (at least initially) into a Connect.cs (or .vb) class in your Addin.
The Connect.cs class is a special class that has been preconfigured with the IDTExtensibility2 interface and method signatures.
The first thing you will be doing is adding IDTCommandTarget, and giving your addin a programmatic UI. (whilst in VS Macros testing, you are encouraged to use the Customize... menu in VS IDE to add buttons and assign them macros).
Once you have this interface you will no doubt be busy copying code from all over the intawebs.
my suggestion is try to minimise the amount of UI that you use once the user clicks on your magic button.
My first few attempts resulted in unwieldy forms that actually made me less productive than just using my 80+ wpm programmers hands to bang out some code.
The VS Ext model is incredibly powerful, and if you think hard enough, and study the VS object model carefully enough (there are actually 3 + major object model - covering code automation, the IDE UI, and solution/project management) you will realise that almost everything can be automated away with only minimal guidance from the user (up to a point!)
If your a C++ fiend, then the VS extensibility story only gets better. C++ solutions, have additional automation libraries that are so good that given the presence of a non-existent terminator style AI system could probably make all programmers extinct once and for all! :D
Links:
July 14 some nice silverlight sitesBeta2 sites ...much nicer (slightly bigger web install pkg)
more to come
Fox News on the intrawebsthis was some funny sh1t on fox news the today when i was watching the fox news stream from their intrawebs portal in Fullscreen on the HD.
first see if you can guess which NSW sports media personality this is....?
[SPOILER BELOW]
Dean Ritchie - Daily Terrorgraph*
*i am a self confessed avid reader!
June 18 70-551 & 70-553 CompletedWell I have just done both 70-551 & 70-553.
They were both way hard. Each one had 3 sections totally a massive 85 ish questions each.
Passed by the skin of my teeth both times (870 & 810).
Next up I think I'll do 70-554 (and maybe 552 if i can be bothered) and that should do me for the year (or until .net 3.0 qualifications come out).
MCP Hero out!
November 13 Someone stole the XBOX 360!We'll this sure sucks, an update on my previous post about scoring an XBOX 360 for the team....
Some bastard must have stayed back late... and walked out w/ a xbox 360 and lcd TV (64 inch)!!!!!
Unfortunately my company didn't have locks (or cameras) on anywhere so no one knows who the thief is.
Oh well back to playing regular XBOX during lunch breaks @ work --> SUCKS BIG TIME. August 16 SQL Server 2005 QualifiedI'm pleased to say I have just finished 70-431 & 70-447 exams.
So I now have SQL Server 2005 finished, and I'm ready to take on the .Net 2.0 challenges.... July 24 Pathways to MCTS, MCITP and MCPDThe below applies if you are upgrading from the sql 2000/.net 1.1 credentials as shown previously in my earlier blog on MCPs.
MCITP & MCTS - SQL 2005 DBA qualification (2 mcp required) **
** Note: gaining 70-431 actually grants you an MCTS: SQL Server 2005, so you get two credentials for 2 exams - MCTS & MCITP MCPD Win Dev - http://www.microsoft.com/learning/mcp/mcpd/windev/
MCTS Win App - http://www.microsoft.com/learning/mcp/mcts/winapps/ * Note: gaining 70-552 actually grants you an MCTS: Windows Apps, so you get two credentials for 1 exams - MCTS Win App & MCPD Win Dev
MCPD Web Developer & MCTS: .NET Framework 2.0 Web Applications *
MCPD Web Dev - http://www.microsoft.com/learning/mcp/mcpd/webdev/
MCTS Web App - http://www.microsoft.com/learning/mcp/mcts/webapps/
* Note: gaining 70-551 actually grants you an MCTS: Web Apps, so you get two credentials for 1 exams - MCTS Web App & MCPD Web Dev
MCPD Enterprise Applications Developer & MCTS: .NET Framework 2.0 Distributed Applications *
MCPD Ent Dev - http://www.microsoft.com/learning/mcp/mcpd/entapp/
MCTS Dist App - http://www.microsoft.com/learning/mcp/mcts/distapps/
70-553 - UPGRADE: MCSD Microsoft .NET Skills to MCPD Enterprise Application Developer by Using the Microsoft .NET Framework: Part 1 70-554 - UPGRADE: MCSD Microsoft .NET Skills to MCPD Enterprise Application Developer by Using the Microsoft .NET Framework: Part 2 * Note: gaining 70-553 & 70-554 actually grants you an MCTS: Distributed Apps, so you get two credentials for 2 exams - MCTS Dist App & MCPD Ent App Dev .Net 2.0 MCPs - Code Languages
When the exam begins, you can choose the programming language in which the code segments will appear. Microsoft Visual Basic 2005, Microsoft Visual C# 2005 or (not all exams) Microsoft Visual C++ 2005
So following the pathway mapped above you get 8 more credentials (on top of the 3 you are upgrading from) from doing just 6 MCP's!
1) 70-431 - SQL exam; will require attainment of a MCDBA in sql 2000
2) 70-447 - SQL exam; will require attainment of a MCDBA in sql 2000
3) 70-551 - .Net 2.0 exam; will require attainment of a MCAD.Net (including the web exam: either 70-315 (C#) or 70-305(VB.Net) Automatic if you have MCSD
4) 70-552 - .Net 2.0 exam; will require attainment of a MCAD.Net (including the windows exam: either 70-316 (C#) or 70-306(VB.Net) Automatic if you have MCSD
5) 70-553 - .Net 2.0 exam; will require attainment of a MCSD.Net
6) 70-554 - .Net 2.0 exam; will require attainment of a MCSD.Net Pathways to MCDBA, MCAD and MCSDMCDBA - SQL DBA qualification (4 mcp required)
http://www.microsoft.com/learning/mcp/mcdba/requirements.asp + 1 Networking Systems elective 70-290 - windows 2003 svr OR 70-291 Windows 2003 network infrastructure OR 70-215 win 2000 svr
MCAD - .Net Application developer qualification (3 mcp required)
+ 1 elective (sql or commerce or biztalk or VB.net security or C# security or MSF objects 3.0 ) mcp (70-216 or 70-293 could also be included in this elective)
MCSD - .Net Solution developer qualification (5 mcp required)
+ 1 elective (sql or commerce or biztalk or VB.net security or C# security or MSF objects 3.0 ) mcp
** Note if you choose the MCP options above you get all 3 of the Developer qualifications by doing only 7 MCP's....
1) 70-228 - SQL
2) 70-229 - SQL
3) 70-290 - win 2003
4) 70-305 - VB.Net
5) 70-306 - VB.Net
6) 70-310 - VB.Net
7) 70-300 - .Net/OO/SDLC concepts May 05 We got an XBOX 360!I probably shouldn't brag, but how cool is this our work just donated a new xbox 360 and 60in plasma (HDD capable) Telly to connect it to.
This was an upgrade for the entertainment room which previously held a large CRT with XBOX 1st gen console.
Pretty awesome and I know its gonna make all the guys @ work keep up the consistantly high results we have been achieving lately.
:) Can't see pplz doing much work for at least a couple of weeks. *** oh yeah and they gave us 1/2 a dozen games as well!! May 02 Beezley! you nitwit, i smell a political scapegoatI heard from watching the television today that the Reserve Bank is 50% likely to engage a rates rise on the economy. hehe, bad news home owners already mortgaged to th hilt.
So the economy is finally over this imaginary "Slowing" that they crap on about. Finally a tangible effect that the conservative howard battler can appreciate. Well there is that, and the rising price of oil. oh well. indeed.
Into this maelstrom Federal Labor has gone on the attack.
Supposedly, the care taker (Beezley) is planning to savage the increasing pressure home loans from an upwards interest rate.
What I personally find inconcievable is that this guy can come out in the last election and attack Howards claim of "taking credit for a strong economy (low rates/low unemployment), yet double backflip into now wanting Howards team tired to the sword of the Reserve Governor, a person for whom we should all afford respect for his impartiality.
Like I said I just find it somewhat amazing that he try to capitalize on a claim that he previously rubbished only to exploit the position in a way that still reminds me of his elected predecessor Keating.
Peace crazy day trippers. February 03 Ghost In the Shell seriesWow! many of you (in the eastern states of Australia) will have recently seen this series on SBS late at night (thursdays, 10:30 - correct me if im wrong :)
This show absolutely rips. It is such a great series I highly recommend renting / buying this one. You won't regret it. November 05 Neon creativityLike get a life dude! wow what an awesome waste of talent.
this picsub has comedy for those who have seen NGE before. Most annoying "stunt"Funny but the chick takes like 5 1/2 minutes to syke up i couldn't believe it, man too painful to watch (from boredom).
Another daredevil according to google is this guy, who you'll remembers from old emails. Just another really obvious fake stunt IMHO. N.G. EvangelionJust started watching Neon Genesis Evangelion 1 - 26 on DVD.
In a word = Awesome!
The traditional layers of this modern cult scifi series are hugely evident in this masterwork, in which so called angels & robots made from them deliver on NGE's strong point..
True anime cyber-mecha orgies of futuristic themes and ultra violence.
Go Nerve!
October 26 l8nIt: Gundam Seed rocksGundam Seed the series rocks.
The storyline of each "phase" is more twisted than an entire series of 24.
The animation is a million times better than previous series.
But you don't watch gundam for the pretty colourz, you watch gundam because it is an ultra-violent interpretation of what could happen when humanity turns on itself (nukes n' all) in the far, far future.
Subtitles
If possible ensure you watch Gundam eps in original jap with subtitles (unless you h8 subs), as the story, meaning & even actions of the characters will be more interesting.
Of cause its also alot easier to follow the plot (which develops from 1 fight 2 another) when you are reading everything.
Series watched/watching:
Gundam X
Gundam Destiny Seed
Gundam Seed
Gundam ZZ
September 07 Updated ODBC .NET Data providerTo replace the functionality of the System.Data.odbc namespace MS has developed a updated set of ODBC providers for .NET that fall under the namespace Microsoft.Data.odbc
To download the provider check out the link...
Information on this provider...
Stored procedures need to called slightly differantly from an odbc provider than a regular sqlclient provider. heres how...
Basically you'll need to use the syntax ...
Dim salesCMD As OdbcCommand = New OdbcCommand("{ CALL SalesByCategory(?) }", nwindConn)
salesCMD.CommandType = CommandType.StoredProcedure
Instead of ...
Dim salesCMD As SqlCommand = New SqlCommand("SalesByCategory", nwindConn)
salesCMD.CommandType = CommandType.StoredProcedure
Referenced articles August 31 VS 2005 and SQL 2005 when o' when o' when is it coming outHi ppz,
Well someone told me today that SQL 2005 (barring the finding of a major major bug) will be out early Nov initially to MSDN(1-2nd Nov subscriber download), then 1 week later(8th Nov), for everyone else.
VS 2005
I don't know about you guys but every day i have to keep using the now crap in comparison VS 2003 makes me drool and salivate more for the goodness that will be VS 2005.
SQL 2005
This product is the bomb. Seriously. If you haven't already installed, then check it out, get a copy of the Yukon Beta2 release, or just wait its only 1 and a bit months. Its really cool. You'd be spewing if your just shelled out for SQL 2000 and didn't bother to get software assurance.
Virtual Server 2005
SP1 for Virtual Server 2005 has been out a while. One of the key complaints about this product has been the "bloat" of vhd files. Not to worry up until now various 3rd party utilities such as Eraser have been available to help with compacting the vhd. Its a hassle, but going out an buying a duplicate set of hardware for your production servers so you can have a "testing" environment is a much, much bigger hassle.
Now with the release of (i think) SP1 for Virtual PC 2004 there is a new tool for compacting VHD files.
Tested this tool on Virtual Server 2005 SP1 VHD's and it works fine.
TO DO THIS YOU WILL NEED TO :
1) Run a Defrag on whatever drive is used to store VHD files.
2) Run the Virtual Disk Precompactor tool to prepare the VHD for compression.
3) Run the Virtual Disk Wizard on the selected VHD file.
The Virtual Disk Precompactor tool is available in Microsoft Virtual PC 2004 Service Pack 1 (SP1).
August 30 Howto debug & optimise Asp.NET applicationsCheck out these articles for help debugging nasty asp.net issues.
Troubleshooting ASP.NET using WinDbg and the SOS extension (892277) http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;EN-US;892277
Troubleshooting ASP.NET (891032) http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;EN-US;891032 Quick things to check when you experience high memory levels in ASP.NET (893660) http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;EN-US;893660 Troubleshooting ASP.NET using Filemon (890960) http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;EN-US;890960 Debugging ASP.NET with the CLR Debugger (893657)http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;EN-US;893657 August 24 URL Rewriting in ASP.NETHow do you rewrite ASP.NET URLs?
 The Goal : being to make the URL's more browseable for users. If a user chops off the last virtual sub directory to the path IE should automatically navigate to the new "parent" location/page.URL Rewriting in ASP.NET
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dnaspp/html/urlrewriting.asp Intercept, Monitor, and Modify Web Requests with HTTP Filters in ISAPI and ASP.NET http://msdn.microsoft.com/msdnmag/issues/02/08/httpfilters/ The biggest pitfall is postbacks. The limitation for postbacks is that every letter combination must have an entry in IIS.
August 23 Manually Remove a Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Desktop Engine InstanceFROM : 320873
Remove Windows Installer References to Installed Products
The article says you need msizap.exe from the platform SDK, but you can also get it by downloading and installing the Windows Cleanup utility or msicuu2. The directory to then run msizap from is
C:\Program Files\Windows Cleanup Utility\
The use the following syntax...
MSIZAP.EXE T {GUID}
Where GUID = the ProductCode key value in (1) or (2)
(1) = HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\MSSQLServer\Setup
(2) = HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server\<INSTANCENAME>\Setup
Remove Files and Folders
DELETE \Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL\Data
OR DEL \Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL$<INSTANCENAME>\Data
DELETE \Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL\Binn
OR DEL \Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL$<INSTANCENAME>\Binn
Clean Up the Registry
REMOVE HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\MSSQLServer
OR HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server\<INSTANCENAME>
REMOVE HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\MSSQLServer
OR HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\MSSQL$<INSTANCENAME>
REMOVE HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\SQLServerAgent
OR HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\SQLAgent$<INSTANCENAME>
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EOM
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a best of from around the intawebs
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