The best thing about electronics that break: replacing them!
My hard drive hard drive was starting to die. I don’t like the idea that the device I count on to store my data is not reliable.
I decided to try something new this time: a solid-state drive (SSD). I bought an 250GB Intel Solid-State Drive 510.
Here is my Experience Index before installing the SSD.
Here is my Experience Index after installing the SSD.
iTunes: Hello, I'm iTunes.
Zune: And I'm Zune.
iTunes: I think somebody stole my wallet!
Zune: How could that happen?
iTunes: Someone must have hacked my account.
Zune: You should call someone immediately!
iTunes: I wish! There is no support phone number for iTunes.
Zune: So what are you supposed to do?
iTunes: Email.
Zune: This is urgent! How quickly will they respond to email?
iTunes: Within 48 hours. You know how it is.
Zune: Actually, I don’t.
iTunes: Oh, you get a better response than an email back in 48 hours?
Zune: I can contact support via phone 7 days a week, from 6am until 10pm.
iTunes: Well you better contact them now!
Zune: I’ll be fine.
iTunes: Don’t be a hero, Zune! iTunes has been hacked!
Zune: iTunes…but not Zune.
Source: http://thenextweb.com/apple/2010/07/04/app-store-hacked/
Windows/DOS has had a *bad* command shell for a long time…but that is about to change with the October 22nd release of Windows 7.
Windows 7 ships with PowerShell 2.0…and it is *really* good.
PowerShell 2.0 features:
Here is a nice table that compares all the different shells and their features. PowerShell comes out as the most advanced shell.
Windows 7 marks the first time Windows has had a better default shell than Linux or Mac.
Other Linux advantages that are no more with Windows 7:
This is impressive. C3 Technologies creates 3D cities. To do Stockholm took less than 3 days!
Check out the intro video on the home page.
Here is a demo of Las Vegas.
Microsoft released their first Windows 7 ad a couple of days ago. It features super cute kid Kylie, previously seen here.
This put a smile on my face. Well done Microsoft!
Meanwhile, in the Matrix…
“You can’t get a virus on a Mac”
What exactly is Apple advertising here? Have they actually used their own products?
Time to take the red pill, Apple.
Creating a new folder is easier in Win7 with a new keyboard shortcut: Ctrl-Shift-N.
I use this one all the time…and it makes me mad when I go back to Vista and can’t use it.
It’s almost time! I’m heading to New Orleans on Friday for SIGGRAPH 2009. It will be my 13th in a row.
I plan on actively updating this blog (http://davidlenihan.com/ORIGINAL_davidlenihan.com) and my twitter account (http://twitter.com/davidlenihan) while I’m out there. Let me know if you will be doing the same and I’ll track you.
Here are some pics from SIGGRAPH 2008 that I never got around to posting…a few computer graphic celebrities.
Jos Stam (I told him I was collecting photos of the tallest people at SIGGRAPH and he won).
And Ken Perlin (I think he needs a new shirt…check out the link!)…
SIGGRAPH uploaded a few videos to whet your appetite for the New Orleans event.
SIGGRAPH overview…
Technical papers previews…
Animation festival preview…
A new category at SIGGRAPH, real-time rendering animation festival…
This is David.
He told us he wanted a desktop with...
"a super-fast processor with lots of cores, lots of RAM, lots of hard drive space and looks cool"
...for under $3,500.
We told him...
"I like the look of the new Dell Studio XPS 435, so let's start there."
"I went to dell.com and configured it just how I wanted...
...for a grand total of $3,054."
"Ok, let's see what Apple has. The Mac Pro looks nice."
"I configured an Apple Mac Pro with similar options...
...which adds up to a total of $6,549."
"The Dell Studio XPS 435 has all my qualifications. When compared to an Apple Mac Pro, the Dell has...
...all for $3,495 less than the Apple Mac Pro."
"I'm going to buy the Dell Studio XPS 435."
"I got exactly what I wanted for *well* under $3,500."
"I'm a PC and my new system blows away the fastest Mac for half the price."
P.S. I am naming my new PC "Lauren."
PowerShell is a replacement for the Windows command prompt (a.k.a. CMD).
I ran into this feature today: accessing network shares.
With CMD, you map a drive letter to a network share in order to access it. Trying to access the share directly (via the UNC name) does not work.
For example, here's what happens if I try to list the contents of a share called \\ivory\users\public directly (fails) and then via a mapped drive S: using CMD...
PowerShell supports UNC! No more mapping drive letters!
Check out the same task via PowerShell...
I am reading this document about the C# language.
Here are a list of features in C# that improve on how C++ works…
C++ | C# |
| Reference to a class in another file of a project requires an include file | No include file needed |
| Reference to a class in an external DLL requires an include file and the DLL’s .LIB file passed to the linker | No .LIB file needed. Add a reference to the DLL in the build(example: csc /r:external.dll helloworld.cs) |
| Exported symbols must use declspec or .DEF file | No declspec or .DEF file. Public symbols are exported, private/protected are not. ”internal” symbols are only available within module. |
| Referencing a class/structure before it is declared requires forward declaration | Forward declaration not needed. Declaration order is insignificant. |
| Switching to Unicode/16-bit text requires:
| Unicode is the native string format |
| NULL is a concept, not part of the language. It is typically defined as 0 and thus is the equivalent of 0. | null is a keyword. It is not equivalent to 0. |
| Basic data types (int, float, char, etc.) cannot accept a “null” value. Only pointers can have a “null” value. | All C# types can accept null as a value
|
| No support for “foreach” | foreach keyword for iterating over a collection |
| Support for try and catch. No support for "finally” | try-catch-finally support. finally is always called, regardless of exception or not |
| No notification of overflow operations. For example: unsigned x = UINT_MAX; x++; // x == 0 now, no exception thrown | Using checked/unchecked you can get overflow or exception thrown behavior |
| No native support for critical sections | lock keyword for critical sections |
| For switch statements, break is optional. | break is required (to prevent bugs from accidentally forgetting to add break) |
| No built-in documentation | XML documentation via “///”- prefixed comment. Used by IntelliSense in Visual Studio |
| Cannot split the definition of a class across multiple files | Partial classes allow breaking up a source file (useful when multiple people are working on a class or when part of a class is auto-generated) |
| No support for mixing versions of libraries | Can mix library versions without breaking existing code. |
| Developer must manage deletion of memory and potential issues from reading/writing to invalid memory | Garbage collection:
|
| Types do not share a common root | All types derived from base “object” |
I have had 6 different keyboards in the last 2 years. I’m always looking for the *perfect* keyboard. My perfect keyboard would have…
I don’t think that keyboard exists.
I got a new Logitech keyboard this week. So far, I’m happy with it.
My favorite so far is the Dell Multimedia Keyboard (see end of post).
Here are the last 5 keyboards I’ve had in reverse chronological order and what I liked/didn’t like about them.
Pro
Con
Pro
Con
Pro
Con
Pro
Con
Pro
Con
The above screen shot looks straight forward enough, but there is something special going on.
Look at the window decorations. The application on the left is IE 6 running under XP and the application on the right is IE 8 running under Windows 7.
On Friday, XP Mode was announced as a new feature for Windows 7 Professional, Ultimate, and Enterprise. XP Mode is basically Windows XP emulated within Windows 7, with the added ability to run the XP applications side-by-side Windows 7 applications.
This is a big deal.
One of the reasons companies are slow to upgrade to the latest version of an OS is fear that applications designed for their current OS won’t work in the new OS.
Any company thinking of upgrading to Vista should keep this in mind…
I hope this means we see a very quick adoption of Windows 7…I think it will.
This is fun…
I really like this ad…
Here are two more “I’m a PC” ads: Alexa and Adam. All Microsoft ads are here.
From an advertising standpoint, I’m impressed with how Microsoft dealt with the “I’m a Mac/I’m a PC” ads.
It is interesting to compare the contrasting styles of the ads:
By embracing the “I’m a PC” catchphrase and putting a positive spin on it, Apple’s “I’m a Mac” ads are now connected to Microsoft’s “I’m a PC” ads.
Is this why we haven’t seen a new “I’m a Mac” ad since Christmas 2008?
Microsoft posted a *very* slick 2 minute video of user interface concepts they imagine will be in use 10 years from now…
A longer (5 min) version with more focus on the UI’s is here…
Exciting stuff!
Things that jumped out at me:
Burn Disc Image
I found this today after I downloaded the Windows 7 SDK Beta. The download comes as an .ISO disc image file that must be burnt to a DVD before using.
In the past, you needed a separate utility to do this…but not anymore.
Just double-click on the .ISO file and you get the above dialog box…easy!
After you install an application, how do you start it?
Some apps place a shortcut on your desktop (NO! My desktop is messy enough!)
Some apps add a shortcut to the quick launch toolbar or Start Menu (NO! How dare you think you are important enough to be part of my frequently used apps!)
Some apps ask you if you want to run the app after installation is finished (NO! Just install the software and let me run the app when I want to!)
In the Start Menu, Vista will highlight “All Programs” and the newly created program folder so you can find your recently installed app easier.
Windows 7 adds an additional mechanism: The newly installed application shows up highlighted in the Start Menu’s recent program list. Nice! A standard place to look for software you recently installed.
Hopefully this will signal an end to installation software that…
Windows 7 includes new windows management shortcuts that have already changed the way I work. The internal names for the new functionality are Aero Snap, Aero Shake, and Aero Peek.
“Aero Snap”
| Function | Mouse | Mouse Restore | Keyboard | Keyboard Restore |
| Maximize | Drag window to top | Drag window down | Win key-Up Arrow | Win key-Down Arrow |
| Fill left half of screen | Drag window to left | Drag window to right | Win key-Left Arrow | Win key-Right Arrow |
| Fill right half of screen | Drag window to right | Drag window to left | Win key-Right Arrow | Win key-Left Arrow |
| Maximize vertically | Drag window border to top or bottom | Drag window down | None | None |
| Minimize | None | None | Win key-Down Arrow | None |
By far, the feature I use the most is dragging windows to the left and right. It makes it really easy to work in one application while referencing another.
“Aero Shake”
| Function | Mouse | Mouse Restore | Keyboard | Keyboard Restore |
| Minimize all but this | Drag window back and forth rapidly | Drag window back and forth rapidly | Win key-Home | Win key-Home |
This is just nice when your desktop gets filled with lots of windows and you want to focus on the task at hand.
“Aero Peek”
| Function | Mouse | Mouse Restore | Keyboard | Keyboard Restore |
| Temporarily show desktop and gadgets | Move to bottom-right corner | Move mouse out of corner | Win key-Space | Release Win key |
| Show desktop and gadgets | Click bottom-right corner | Click bottom-right corner | Win key-D | Win key-D |
I think the main reason you would want to see your desktop temporarily is to check the status of gadgets (check weather, news, sports, system status, etc). In Windows 7, the Sidebar is gone and all gadgets go to the desktop.
I didn’t use the Sidebar in Vista because it took too much screen space. In Vista, you could also place gadgets on the desktop, where they were easily forgotten. Because of the ability to quickly peek at the desktop in Windows 7, I expect I’ll use gadgets more.
Here is a video that shows most of this functionality in action.
The start menu power button.
Here is how things work in Vista…
Vista’s Power Button
The power button is actually three buttons: power, lock, and a popup menu that shows 7 options:
You can configure what the power button does by going to:
Start->Control Panel->Power Options->Change Plan Settings->Change Advanced Power Settings->Power buttons and lid->Start menu power button->Setting:
You have the following choices:
Windows 7 improves/simplifies several aspects…
Configuring what the power button does is much easier. Right-click on the power button and select “Properties”…
The power button has 6 options:
In Vista, there was no way to map “restart”, “switch user”, or “log off” to the power button.
I welcome “restart”, since I never turn off my computer. No need to click on the popup menu because I can click on restart directly: one less mouse click.
One less button, 2 less menu items, easier configuring with more functionality. I like.
Vista introduced buttons that “glow” outside of their boundaries with the minimize/maximize/close buttons in the upper-right corner of a window.
Windows 7 adds another button to the glow-club: the “Start Orb.”
Normal Start Orb
Start Orb with mouse-over
Buttons usually have a different look when you mouse-over them so that the user understands they can click on them.
The glow effect is the same, except it spills out of the button’s boundaries. I supposed the spill-over effect makes it more clear that this is a system button instead of an application button?
…or maybe it just looks cool.
The Windows Memory Diagnostic tool verifies your RAM is functioning as it should. It is not something you need very often, but nice when you suspect your hardware is malfunctioning.
This tool was initially included in Vista, but I never noticed it. In Windows 7, it lives in Control Panel->All Control Panel Items->Administrative Tools->Windows Memory Diagnostic.
Sticky Notes…the virtual version of Post-it Notes.
Vista had Sticky Notes, but they were for pen or voice input only. The version in Windows 7 is keyboard-based…which means I’ll actually use it.
It is very simple. The only options are:
The most obvious change in Windows 7 is the new taskbar (a.k.a. “superbar”).
There are a lot of changes with the new taskbar. I’m going to focus on the notification area of the taskbar (the lower right) with this post. The notification area for Windows 7 is pictured above.
The notification area now has a color scheme…
The “sound waves” for the volume indicator were green in Vista, but now they are white in Windows 7 (Vista notification area below).
The net result: if there is something red/green in the notification area, it really gets your attention.
Another nice touch: the network connection indicator shows your Wi-Fi signal strength instead of the two monitors that light up green on send/receive…much more useful!
If you click on the network connection indicator, you get a popup menu list of networks you can join…
Previously, clicking on the network connection indicator took you to a dialog…
The popup in Windows 7 saves you from opening a dialog. One less mouse click for everybody.
All problems that need your attention go with the white flag (“Action Center”). This means the notification area will stay minimal, even with many applications running (if they all use the Action Center like they should).
I turned on virus software monitoring and this is what the notification area looks like now…
If you click on the flag, you get this…
The clock now has the date! Previously, you had to hover over the time to get the date.
Safely Remove Hardware is hidden under the popup menu on the left end of the notification area.
Instead of opening an additional dialog (which requires pressing “Close” when you are done), you now get a simple popup menu. Again, a UI change that reduces the number of mouse clicks to accomplish a task.
The list is much easier to read now since each item has unique identifiable names (previously, everything was called “USB Mass Storage Device”). The old Safely Remove Hardware dialog is here…
All very subtle changes, but they add up to improve your experience.
I installed the public beta of Windows 7 this week.
If you have any interest in giving Windows 7 a test drive or providing Microsoft feedback on improving Windows, I recommend you download it now (and write down the activation key). The public beta will close on January 24th. Here is where you get the free download.
My initial impression…I *love* it.
I love Vista, so it should come as no surprise that I love Windows 7 even more. Windows 7 is basically Windows Vista with some polish.
I’m shocked at all the positive press Windows 7 is getting from people that hated Vista. If you hate Vista, you should hate Windows 7…period (I’m looking at you PC Magazine).
I’ve been jotting down notes about new things I like in Windows 7. I’ll start posting my Windows 7 Gems soon.
_____________________________
Sent from Microsoft Windows 7
This is a big week for gadget lovers with CES and MacWorld about to get started.
Here is the first cool new gadget I’ve heard about: Apple’s latest laptop adopts the iPod click wheel…
Apple Introduces Revolutionary New Laptop With No Keyboard
I have been an OpenGL developer for more than 10 years. OpenGL was *the* 3D API for computer graphics since 1992…but not anymore. Direct3D has left OpenGL in the dust…and this is a big deal.
It has been clear for several years that OpenGL is struggling to keep up with Direct3D and every year the gap gets wider. This article does a great job detailing OpenGL’s problems.
If your OpenGL app competes with a Direct3D one…you need to be worried. It is not a fair fight. Direct3D is pushing the envelope for hardware features, which means a Direct3D app can run faster or look better than an OpenGL app on equivalent hardware.
Currently, managing shaders in OpenGL and Direct3D is painful. The next version of Direct3D (DirectX 11) dramatically improves how you combine small shaders into into larger, more complex shaders. This change alone will make OpenGL seem antiquated from a developer’s point of view.
OpenGL is the only cross-platform 3D API. As OpenGL falls further and further behind Direct3D, you’ll see less 3D apps on platforms that depend on OpenGL (like Linux and Apple Mac’s).
In the beginning, SGI was pushing OpenGL…until they got out of the graphics business. Then 3DLabs pushed OpenGL to create its shading language (GLSL)…until they got out of the graphics business.
Who is pushing OpenGL now? Nvidia? ATI? Both of those companies have more interest in Direct3D than they do OpenGL.
Without a major corporate sponsor, I don’t see how OpenGL will carry on. I’m actually surprised Apple hasn’t been a bigger supporter of OpenGL considering how important it is to them.
It was fun while it lasted…we’ll miss ya.
Here is a list of software, hardware, and web sites that I use at home.
| Operating System | Vista Ultimate SP1 |
| Programming C++/C# | Visual Studio 2008 |
| Debugging Utilities | Dependency Walker Process Monitor |
| Blogging | Windows Live Writer Beta |
| Web Browsing | Internet Explorer 8 Beta |
| Music Manager | Zune 3.1 |
| Email/Calendar/Contacts/To Do’s | Outlook 2007 |
| Word Processing | Word 2007 |
| Spreadsheets | Excel 2007 |
| Personal Finance | Quicken 2007 |
| 3D Package | Maya 8.0 |
| Image Editing | Photoshop CS3 |
| Video Editing | Premiere Pro CS3 |
| DVD Authoring | Encore CS3 |
| Vector Editing | Illustrator CS3 |
| Video Compositing | After Effects CS3 |
| Sound Editing | Soundbooth CS3 |
| MP3 Purchase | Zune Marketplace Amazon MP3 |
| Printing Utility | FinePrint |
| Text Editor | Notepad++ |
| Diff Files/Folders | Araxis Merge |
| FTP | SmartFTP |
| Web Hosting | 1&1 |
| Weblog Publishing System (for creating davidlenihan.com/ORIGINAL_davidlenihan.com) | Movable Type |
| MP3 Player | Zune 120 GB Sansa Clip (for jogging) PhatBox (for car) |
| Computer | Dell Dimension E520 |
| Monitor/speakers | Dell 24” LCD 2407WFP |
| Laptop | Lenovo Ideapad U110 |
| Printer/Scanner/Copier | HP Photosmart 3310 All-In-One |
| Keyboard | Microsoft Wireless Keyboard 6000 |
| Mouse | Microsoft Explorer Mouse |
| 3D Mouse | 3Dconnexion Spaceball 5000 |
| Home Page | iGoogle |
| RSS Reader | Google Reader |
| Search Engine | |
| Social Networking | Facebook |
| Micro-blogging |
One common complaint about the winsxs folder is that it takes up too much space.
My winsxs takes up almost 9 GB!
Or does it?
According to this post by Microsoft, WinSxS has many duplicated files. The files are are *not* copies, but are instead “hard links” that point to the same data, and thus do not take up any extra space. Microsoft says a typical WinSxS folder contains around 400 MB of data.
The problem is that DIR and Explorer are not aware of the difference between an actual file and a hard link to a file. The disk usage reported by these two programs is as if each hard link *is* an actual file.
I did my own test to verify Microsoft’s claim. I created a small file called “original.txt” that uses 10 bytes. Then I created 10 hard links to the original file via the command line:
mklink /h hardlink<NUM>.txt original.txt
As expected, both DIR and explorer report that I’m using 110 bytes instead of just the 10 bytes of the original file:
Symbolic links, on the other hand, work as expected and are recognized by both DIR and explorer.
I created symbolic links using this command line:
mklink symboliclink<NUM>.txt original.txt
Here are the results of DIR:
Notice that only the original file reports any disk usage. The total directory size is only the original file, even though 11 files are detected. Also note that all the symbolic links are listed as “<SYMLINK>” and have a reference to the source of the symbolic link in []’s.
Here is what explorer looks like with symbolic links:
Explorer does the right thing and lists that the directory only contains 10 bytes. The symbolic links have “shortcut” indictors on top of the source icon. The file size for symbolic links are listed as 0 KB.
Here is an iPhone window display in an AT&T store in Boston. The display is running on a Mac…that crashed.
That’s a Mac kernel panic, which is like a BSOD, except it doesn’t give you any information about why your computer locked up.
Here’s a Mac kernel panic caught on video…
This one is interesting…a Mac guy talking about working on a Mac…
I thought Macs didn’t crash! Where would I get that idea? Hmm…
Also, next time you visit an Apple Store, notice that they have no cash registers! Instead, employee’s have a wireless checkout device…that runs Windows.
At PDC last week, Microsoft revealed some major UI changes in the follow-on to Vista, Windows 7.
I watched two videos today that demo'ed the redesigned Taskbar and Explorer.
There is a lot to like. If you are interested in this stuff, definitely check out the videos.
WinSuperSite also has an overview of both the Taskbar and Explorer. The photos don't do the UI justice...you need to see the demo videos to appreciate the changes.
Things I liked about the new Taskbar:
Things I like about the new Explorer:
PDC has a *ton* of information on upcoming software from Microsoft and all of the presentations are available online here.
Yesterday I ran into a photo that I've had for over a year that was corrupt...half the picture was missing...
What to do?
Use "Previous Versions," a new feature in Vista.
How? Just right click on a file/folder, choose "Properties" and then click on the "Previous Versions" tab...
Previous Versions found a backed up copy of my picture. I clicked on "Restore..." and got this dialog...
I choose the last option "Copy, but keep both files" so I could compare the files after the restore.
It worked! I got my file back. And I didn't have to switch to the backup/restore utility to get it...I did this all from Explorer.
I run a nightly backup, which is how Previous Versions rescued my file. If you haven't run a backup, then Previous Versions uses "Shadow Copies" of your files. Shadow Copies are done daily and at "restore points." It looks like backups reset shadow copies, so I don't have any.
The guys behind the Mojave Experiment have updated the site to address some of the biggest concerns. New to the site are interviews with the guys that ran the experiment, the demos they showed, and the hardware they used.
There is also a new web site called the "Windows Vista Compatibility Center" that lists hardware and software that will and won't work with Vista. Very helpful!
Here is a good interview with the guy that thought up the Mojave Experiment, David Webster. Expect the Mojave Experiment to move from the web to TV soon to reach a larger audience.
Also, the new Seinfeld Vista ads should hit TV Sept 4th.
This is pretty interesting...an ad campaign by Microsoft to combat the uninformed opinion that Vista is crap.
It basically echoes what I run into constantly: the people that have the strongest opinions against Vista have never used it.
Click this link to watch the "Mojave Experiment."
The fact page is worth checking out, too.
Don't be an iSheep...use your brain.
The Resource Monitor is a new tool for Vista that helps track down performance issues.
To start the Resource Monitor...
Resource Monitor tracks your CPU and memory like Task Manger does. But, it also tracks disk and network activity.
If any of the charts are pegged, click on it to get more detailed information.
I sort by the following columns to see who is responsible for the resource use:
I found this tool *very* helpful...I will be using it more in the future.
Apple fanboys believe their beloved Mac is impervious to viruses. The commercial above certainly seems to make that point.
I thought of this ad when I learned about a new exploit discovered this week for the Mac. It is a Trojan horse that can be bundled with a downloadable Mac application. The Trojan will install a keystroke logger and give someone remote access to your Mac.
The part that *really* caught my attention was the discussion of what Apple should do to protect its users from harmful software:
MAKE MAC SECURITY MORE LIKE WINDOWS VISTA
The author suggests 5 things that can be done to make the Mac more secure against these attacks...all 5 are already done in Vista.
Cupertino, start your photocopiers!
Just like to stir up the nest every once in a while. :)
I got a new laptop last week. It is a Lenovo IdeaPad 110. Lenovo was previously IBM's laptop division responsible for ThinkPads.
The main reason I went with this one is how light/small it is and it still has a good keyboard. It weighs less than 2.5 pounds and easily fits in my backpack.
I am writing this from a restaurant. I have been running with the extended battery (comes with a regular and extended standard). I've been here for more than 2 hours and my battery indicator says I can go for another hour. I haven't done any tweaking to conserve power, so I could probably go longer. With the settings I have on now, the computer is very responsive and the screen is nice and bright.
I am using my AT&T Tilt's Bluetooth connection for Internet access.
It has a very unique/engaging look...which is very important around here when you have to do battle with all the Apple-fanboys.
The face recognition (via integrated web cam) login works surprisingly well, as long as the light is decent. At first I thought this would be a gimmick, but I rarely type my password anymore. As soon as I sit in front of my laptop, it logs me in. You also have the option to use your face for Internet passwords, which is very handy.
I got my laptop from J&R. I bought it for $1999, which was $100 more than what you get if you order from Lenovo directly. Currently, you can't configure the laptop. However, the version from J&R has integrated Bluetooth and 3GB of RAM (Lenovo's site is selling 2GB of RAM with no Bluetooth). Bluetooth is critical for me because I expect to use it for my Internet connection and I don't want to deal with add-on cards. The extra RAM is nice, but I don't actually need it for what I'm doing
So far, I love it.
I plan on using it for email, Internet, blogging, and a C# project I've been planning for a while.
Here is a video to get an idea of what it looks like. It definitely draws attention.
Resizing a partition used to require PartitionMagic...but no more! Vista has shrinking/growing partitions built into "Disk Management."
I bought a new laptop this past week and it came with the hard drive broken up into a C: drive and a D: drive. I *hate* multiple drive letters, so I deleted D: and extended C: to take up the extra space using Disk Management. Works great!
To bring up Disk Management:
Start->Control Panel->Search->partition->Create and format hard disk partitions
Right click on a drive letter and you should see two new menu options in Vista:
This is the dialog box you get with Shrink Volume...
Vista has a *much* improved search engine over XP. As soon as you create a new file, it is instantly indexed and ready for fast searching.
I found an interesting setting for search called "use natural language search", which is off by default.
You can find it via Start->Control Panel->Appearance and Personalization->Folder Options->Search->Use natural language search.
Sadly, there is no documentation on this page for what exactly natural language search (NLS) is.
This page explains it (about mid-way down).
Basically, NLS applies all your search terms to any possible property without explicitly indicating the property. NLS also does not require capitalization of boolean filters like "AND", "NOT", and "OR."
Here are a couple of example searches without and with natural language search:
| Without natural language | With natural language |
| kind: music artist: (Beethoven OR Mozart) | music Beethoven or Mozart |
| kind: document author: (Charlie AND Herb) | document Charlie and Herb |
The documentation says this about NLS...
Even with natural language search turned on, you can continue to use the Search box in exactly the same way. If you want to use Boolean filters or introduce filters with colons and parentheses, you can. In addition, you can use all the same properties to fine-tune your searches. The difference is that you can enter searches in a more casual way. Here are some examples:
- email today
- documents 2006
- author Susan
- pictures vacation
Note Some searches might give more results than you expect. For example, if you search for "email today" you will see all messages sent today as well as any messages with the word "today" in the contents.
Let me give some background before I tell you why the above lines are highlighted red.
I've spent the last couple of weeks trying to figure out why Vista's search could not find a file I have in my documents folder called "music to get.txt." Other files in the same directory could be found, but this one was problematic. I tried rebuilding the search database several times and narrowing the searchable directories down to just one folder with "music to get.txt".
It didn't matter...Vista's search could not find the file.
Then, I happened to turn *off* NLS today and guess what? Vista easily can find "music to get.txt"!
The issue appears related to the spaces in the filename. If NLS is turned on, then I have to search for:
"music to get"
...instead of...
music to get
NLS would not even match...
music
...I had to start with a quote to get a matching file...
"music
Those lines in red above are *LIES*!!!
you can continue to use the Search box in exactly the same way.
With NLS on, you must remember to put a filename in quotes if it contains a space. I didn't have to do that with NLS off.
The difference is that you can enter searches in a more casual way
I don't considering having to add quotes to my search more casual than not using them at all.
Some searches might give more results than you expect
And in the case of filenames with spaces, some searches won't give you *any* results when they should.
My advice:
TURN OFF NATURAL LANGUAGE SEARCH!
I finished my first audiobook last week: Freakonomics.
I downloaded "Freakonomics: Revised Edition (Unabridged)" from iTunes for $21.95. The audiobook is about 7 hours long.
I started listening to Freakonomics on my iPod for my walk to/from work.
This is a very interesting, thought-provoking read/listen.
Probably the most memorable topic was about the dramatic drop in crime (40% drop in homicides) in the early 90's and its connection to legalized abortion. It's a touchy subject, but handled in a factual manner without choosing sides in the abortion debate.
Other topics were about what parenting techniques work and which ones don't:
The findings are that kids do well when their parents do well, independent of how the child is raised. It's who you *are* as parents that is important, not what you *do* as parents.
Another question the book tackles...which is safer: a house with a gun or a house with a pool? The answer: a child is 100 times more likely to die at a house that has a pool than one with a gun present.
I recommend both Freakonomics and the medium of audiobooks.
I already finished another audiobook, Stephen King's "The Gingerbread Girl (Unabridged)." It was a short listen (about 2 hours) and kept me entertained.
My next audiobook is Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451.
The newest version of PowerShell came out a couple of weeks ago. You can get it here.
The command name tab completion now works (it didn't in CTP1) in the Graphical Windows PowerShell...which is the main reason I stayed away from CTP1.
There is a really cool new feature in CTP2's... Out-GridView.
Out-GridView takes console table data and displays it in a GUI that has these features:
Here's what it looks like when I asked for a list of running services by typing "get-service | out-gridview"...
I like that *way* better than the traditional/non-interactive console output that looks like this...
Filtering is very helpful for getting to the data you want. Here it is in action:
I'm *really* excited about Graphical Windows PowerShell.
With this release, I'm going to start using it as my standard shell on my home PC and once the final version comes out, I'll probably start using it at work. This is software that will make you more efficient the better you know how to use it. Start learning it now!
Highly recommended!
I tried to update to SP1 last week via Windows Update, but I kept getting an error:
Some Updates were not installed
Failed: 1 update
Error(s) found:
Code 80070246
I tried using Dell support, but none of their suggestions worked and they told me I should work with Microsoft and gave me an 800 number.
My brother pointed me to this article that says Microsoft is giving free support to anybody having problems with installing SP1. I could have used the 800 number Dell gave me, but I prefer email, so I used this support page suggested by the article.
Microsoft had me run the System File Checker tool (SFC.exe). It is supposed to repair system files.
To run SFC.exe...
When I ran it, the scan quit before it reached 100% with an error...
Microsoft then suggested I do the following:
Given this situation, I suggest we continue the following steps to troubleshooting:
1. Click "Start", click "All Programs", click "Accessories", right-click "Command Prompt", and then click "Run as administrator".
2. In the User Account Control dialog box, click "Continue".3. Input the following commands in the DOS Prompt window and press ENTER at the end of each line:
REG ADD HKLM\COMPONENTS /V STORECORRUPTTIMESTAMP /T REG_SZ /D "0" /F
REG DELETE HKLM\SOFTWARE\MICROSOFT\WINDOWS\CURRENTVERSION\CHECKSUR\
Note: You can copy the above commands, right click in the opened command window, and then choose Paste. Press ENTER and you will receive a message "The operation completed successfully". You may receive an error message indicating that the related registry key does not exist. Please continue to perform the remaining steps.
4. Please download and run CheckSUR tool from the link below according to your System Type:
CheckSUR tool for Windows Vista 32-bit
http://download.microsoft.com/download/5/0/4/504c8468-9e77-4331-9327-1dba0b43ccd1/Windows6.0-KB947821-x86.msu
CheckSUR tool for Windows Vista 64-bit
http://download.microsoft.com/download/4/e/b/4eb4efa7-a893-4fb7-aac7-2db2003972d5/Windows6.0-KB947821-x64.msu
5. Double click on the downloaded file to run the CheckSUR tool and restart the computer to check the results.Can we install SP1 now?
After I did these steps...I was able to install SP1!
I tried running sfc.exe again, and it now completes successfully...
I was pleasantly surprised at how helpful Microsoft was. When I initially submitted my request for help, I got a response the next morning. I went on vacation and could not try their suggestions for a few days. I got an email everyday asking how things were going and what my status was.
I'm not sure what caused my system to be non-SP1 friendly, but all is well now.
*UPDATE 1/3/08*
Here is more information about CheckSUR (the tool that fixed my problem). From the link...
What is CheckSUR?
System resources, such as file data, registry data, and even in-memory data, can develop inconsistencies during the lifetime of the operating system. These inconsistencies may be caused by various hardware failures or by software issues. In some cases, these inconsistencies can affect the Windows Servicing Store, and they can cause a Windows Vista update to fail. When the update fails, it blocks the user from installing updates and service packs. CheckSUR addresses this issue.
When Windows Update detects inconsistencies that are related to system servicing in system files or in the registry, Windows Update offers CheckSUR as an available update package. The package titles are as follows:
- Update for Windows Vista (KB947821)
- Update for Windows Vista for x64-based Systems (KB947821)
Note This Windows Update or Automatic Update package will only be offered if such inconsistencies have been detected on the system. CheckSUR should run automatically after it has been installed from Windows Update.
What does CheckSUR do?
Currently, CheckSUR verifies the integrity of the following resources that can affect Windows Update in Windows Vista:
- Files that are located under the following directories:
- %systemroot%\Servicing\Packages
- %systemroot%\WinSxS\Manifests
- Registry data under the following registry subkeys:
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\COMPONENTS
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Schema
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Component Based Servicing
Note This list may be updated at any time.
When CheckSUR detects incorrect manifests, files, or registry data, CheckSUR may replace the incorrect data with a corrected version.
I registered for SIGGRAPH 2008 this morning. This year it will be in Los Angeles August 11-15.
Registration opened yesterday. Register before July 4th for the best rates. Become a SIGGRAPH member and save $50.
One notable difference this year: no Electronic Theater viewing day selection in the registration. I actually can't find any mention of the ET. The closest was this quote about Computer Animation Festival changes:
Computer Animation Festival
For SIGGRAPH 2008, the festival has adopted a new format. Each day of the conference, it presents competition screenings, showcase screenings, and panel discussions with filmmakers, instructors, and artists involved in the creative process. The traditional Animation Theaters will not be available for SIGGRAPH 2008.
I hope this doesn't signal an end to the ET...it is one of my favorite parts of SIGGRAPH.
Sounds like several things have changed (or at least changed names).
Here's a list of future SIGGRAPH's...
| Year | Location |
| 2008 | Los Angeles |
| 2009 | New Orleans |
| 2010 | Los Angeles |
| 2011 | Vancouver (first time held outside of the US) |
This will be my 12th SIGGRAPH in a row! It never gets old!
I noticed a co-worker had some cool Mac-effects on his Windows box. He was using ObjectDock, a free utility.
I've tried it on my work XP box and my home Vista box, and it works equally well in both OS's.
Above is a screen shot of my current Vista desktop. I turned off the Windows taskbar and I'm using ObjectDock exclusively now.
It's definitely fun to play with.
The one thing I wish it could do is show the taskbar notifications AND open windows. The property page only lets you do windows OR system tray (notification area)...not both:
As a work around, I added a system tray dock at the top of my screen. You can see it "hidden" in the top photo and expanded below. It will suffice, but I'd like to have all this in the same dock at the bottom of the screen. The ability to add extra docks is part of ObjectDock Plus, which cost $20.
Here is some cool new UI research from Microsoft Research for tablet computing called "InkSeine" (rhymes with "insane"). Very cool stuff! Makes me want a tablet PC!
I noticed that my boot up time had increased significantly and I didn't know why. I don't reboot very often, so it's not a big deal, but I was curious what was slowing things down.
Until recently, I could boot Vista in 28 seconds. Now it is taking me about 85 seconds to boot.
Shutdown was taking longer as well.
Vista tracks your systems performance and will generate errors and warnings when something is not performing as it should. To see what your status is, go to:
Start->Control Panel->System and Maintenance->Performance Information and Tools->Advanced tools->View performance details in Event Log
Sure enough, I had critical and warning performance events in my boot up...
I did a search on "Event 100" and found this post that suggested it could be an external USB hard drive issue.
I unplugged my external hard drive and rebooted.
My boot time dropped back to 28 seconds!
In searching the net for this issue, I noticed many references to Western Digital My Book's, which is exactly what I have. I wondered if this was an external USB hard drive issue or a *Western Digital* external USB hard drive issue.
So I plugged in my older/smaller capacity Maxtor external USB hard drive and rebooted.
My boot time stayed at 28 seconds. I checked the event log and I was no longer getting critical or warning performance events at boot up.
It looks like this is a Western Digital external USB hard drive issue.
I ordered a new 750 GB Maxtor external USB hard drive today to replace the Western Digital.
My advice to you: stay away from the Western Digital external USB hard drives!
Merlin Mann stopped by today to give us his "Inbox Zero" talk about controlling high volumes of email.
I picked up some useful tips:
I am doing this both for my work and home email. I moved all my email out of my inbox into a "To Do Email" folder (a "defer" folder). I have empty inboxes now!
Merlin is a great, entertaining speaker. I highly recommend this program. It should be required viewing...you will spend less time in email and more time doing what you want after you watch this.
This 1 hour video is the same talk we got today, but this was recorded from Merlin's visit to Google:
I bought my first laptop (a Dell Inspiron 8000) back in 2001. I'm ready for a new one and I think I found it.
It is the Lenovo IdeaPad U110. Lenovo is the same company that makes IBM ThinkPads. It was introduced at CES this week and should be available in April.
What I like about it:
My new phone can act as a 3G high speed modem (5-10 Mbit/s) via bluetooth. I should be able to hop on the Internet anywhere my cell phone works with faster Internet access than I have at home...without connecting the laptop to anything!
I figure I will mostly use this for web surfing, email, blogging, and programming.
Here is a video review of the IdeaPad U110.
Linux/Unix (and Mac since OS X) have always had much better shells than Windows. But that is about to change.
Windows PowerShell 2.0 looks very impressive. It should make the Linux/Mac/Unix world scramble to come up with something that matches the features of PowerShell 2.0.
The feature I'm most excited about is called the "Graphical PowerShell." It is pictured above and replaces the pathetic "Command Prompt"...
You can see from the top picture that the Graphical PowerShell is broken into three parts.
One of the things that drove me *nuts* about Windows' Command Prompt was that you could not select a multi-line command. Selection worked in screen space, which is terrible!
For example, below I wrote a command that I want to copy. Because selection is in screen space, the best I can select is 'more *.cpp | find' instead of the whole command 'more *.cpp | find "include"'.
Graphical PowerShell doesn't have this problem. You can select by line now (finally!)...
You can also resize the window which doesn't work very well with Command Prompt.
The PowerShell command language itself is well thought out and very consistent. All commands are made up of verb-noun pairs like Set-Location, Copy-Item, Write-Output, etc. (with aliases that work as shortcuts). It looks to be very competitive with all the other shells out there in terms of shell features.
Passing data between commands in Unix/Mac/Linux involves sending text from one to command to another (like "more junk.txt | grep lenihan"). PowerShell passes *objects* between commands.
This article shows a quick example of the power of passing objects instead of just text. A list of directories is passed to a move command. If this were done with text, the text would need to be formatted in such a way that the move command would recognized the text as file names (like removing the date information). PowerShell already knows what type an object is so you can skip any of this formatting! Very nice!
PowerShell 1.0 is out now. It still uses the old Command Prompt for input/output. The Graphical PowerShell (replacement for Command Prompt) is part of PowerShell 2.0, which is available in alpha right now.
I can't wait for PowerShell to replace the Command Prompt in Windows!
I love natural user interfaces like this...very cool.
I love studying well done/efficient UI's. Here are some great articles on UI I recently read:
Just learned about this one today.
Windows Vista supports both hard links and symbolic links. The command line option to do this is called "mklink." It doesn't appear that the GUI (explorer) supports creating symbolic/hard links. Once they are created, the GUI can modify and delete the symbolic/hard links.
A symbolic/hard link is similar to a Windows shortcut, but more powerful. A symbolic/hard link acts just like the file/directory it points to. If you are writing an application that will open a file, you don't a have to do anything special to read a symbolic/hard link...just read the file normally. A shortcut is just a text file with information about the file/directory it points to. In Windows, shortcuts work effectively as symbolic links. From the command line, they don't.
For example, you have a text file named "happy.txt" with a shortcut called "happy.txt - Shortcut.lnk" If you double-click on the shortcut, Windows will open happy.txt as you would expect. From the command line, type "more happy.txt - Shortcut.lnk" and you will see the contents of the shortcut and not the contents of original file happy.txt. If you tried the same thing with a hard/symbolic link, you would get the contents of happy.txt in each case.
Probably not that interesting to Windows users, but *very* interesting to people bringing software over from the UNIX world where symbolic/hard links are commonly used. Now that it is a standard part of the console on Windows, I would expect more people (especially software developers) to start using it.
This article has a couple of nice pictures that describes the difference between hard links and symbolic links. Basically, a hard link points directly at the data and a symbolic link points at the filename that points at the data. It's a subtle difference. This website does a nice job of comparing the two types of links. A symbolic link can exist when the data has been removed, a hard link can't. You can use a symbolic link on your hard drive to point to a file on your USB flash drive. If you remove the USB flash drive, the symbolic link will point to nothing until you return the USB flash drive. You can't make a hard link from your hard drive to a USB flash drive.
Windows has actually had hard link support since Windows 2000, but it was only available through an API call (CreateHardLink), had no command line option, and it only worked on NTFS. Back in 2000, most systems used FAT, so hard links were of little value.
I spend much of my time editing text in Visual Studio. I love their text editor...but Visual Studio is too big to load just to edit an occasional text file. For that, I use Notepad or Wordpad.
I ran into an issue where I needed to look at a specific line number in a text file. Visual Studio lets you jump to a line number, but Notepad/Wordpad don't.
I could load Visual Studio and then jump to the line number...but I decided to look for a Notepad replacement...and I found a great one!
It's called Notepad++. It is *exactly* what I was looking for...a free editor that gives you all the functionality of Visual Studio in a text editor that loads very quickly.
Things that I like about Notepad++:
You can download Notepad++ (npp) here. I used npp.4.2.2.Installer.exe.
Highly recommended!
I'm changing the way I buy music...I'm abandoning downloading music (which I've been doing for about 6 years) and going back to buying CD's. It seems a bit backwards, but it has a lot of advantages.
I have a requirement that my music is in MP3 format...I have several devices I use (computers, iPod, car system, Xbox 360, phone) and MP3 is the only format that works in all places.
Most importantly, look at the work involved in getting music into your library.
For downloaded music...
- Burn downloaded track onto a CD
- Rip track from CD back onto computer so it is in MP3 form
- Update artist, song, album, genre tag information
- Rename the MP3 using ARTIST-SONG.mp3 format
- Create artist and album folders and move MP3 into correct location
- Add album art
For CD's...
- Rip track from CD
The number of steps involved with downloaded music has kept me from buying music.
Today I wanted to buy a few songs and I tried to find a place that would download MP3's, with album art, correct file names, and tag information...but I couldn't find any.
So I decided to go to amazon.com and buy CD's.
There are other advantages to using CD's over buying downloadable music...
Now for the disadvantages...
I think switching back to CD's is the right answer...I'd be interested in hearing of better ways of dealing with this. Post away in the comments section if you have any ideas.
We can't have our computers wasting power 24/7...so we should let them sleep when not in use. But sometimes we'd like them to backup our data when we are not using them. What is a green-consumer to do?
Follow these instructions and your computer can sleep whenever you aren't using it *and* will wake-up to do a backup. This is for Windows Vista only.
This is cool. Shift lets you use your finger on a touch screen with pinpoint accuracy. Using Shift, selecting an individual pixel is easy.
Thanks to my main man E-Dog for keeping me edumacated. This is a very inspiring video...it gives you some ideas about the new directions computers are headed. I love this kind of stuff!
I had some issues with the video playing from its source site, so I switched to the youtube version.
I was having some problems with Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0 locking up under Windows Vista. I tried reinstalling, but it didn't help. I tried various compatibility modes and that didn't help. After running out of options, I decided to just start over and do a clean install of Vista and then install Premiere Pro.
Unfortunately, that didn't help either. Further investigation revealed that Adobe knows that Premiere Pro 2.0 does not work with Vista and has no plans to fix it. The follow on to 2.0, CS3, will work on Vista. I guess I have to upgrade to CS3. :(
BUT...along the way I noticed something different about installing Windows on top of Windows. Previous to Vista, if you did a clean install on a system that already has Windows installed, you had to pick a different folder name for the OS because "C:\Windows" is already used by your previous install.
Then when you pick your user name, Windows can't create a folder (user profile) with the same name as the user because the old one already exists. So instead of using "C:\Documents and Settings\Dave", behind the scenes, Windows would create "C:\Documents and Settings\Dave.COMPUTERNAME." I *hated* my stuff stored in "Dave.COMPUTERNAME" as opposed to just "Dave."
Vista works differently. When I did my clean install, my Windows directory was moved to Windows.old, so the new install went in "C:\Windows." The user profiles were also moved under Windows.old, so my new user profile is the same as the old one..."Dave." Nice! I like this much better!
Another change related to user profiles is the path. Instead of "C:\Documents and Settings\Dave", Vista uses "C:\Users\Dave". That is much better because...
This is amazing (thanks for the heads-up TreyS). Surface is a new "table computer" that uses touch instead of a keyboard or mouse. You really need to see it in action to appreciate it. The Surface homepage has several videos that are all worth checking out.
The part I'm most interested in is the idea of a computer that multiple people can work on at the same time. I can see where a family could sit around their Surface table and plan a trip...one person could map out the activities for the trip while another books the flight at the same time. Or you could play Monopoly or any other board game, where the board is virtual, but the pieces are real. Or work on a photo album together.
Today, computers tend to isolate us from other people (not counting virtual people). I see this as a platform that will bring people together to collaborate.
It will be interesting to see the new applications created for this platform. Will this be a success or a failure? I hope it is the former! I'll be following this closely. Microsoft is going to demo this at SIGGRAPH, so I'll check it out then.
I saw this today and thought I'd pass it on. Microsoft is doing a special where they are giving away Visual Studio 2005 Standard Edition for free (normally $299). The catch? You have to watch a couple of Visual Basic videos. Click here to learn more about it.
My brother did a similar setup to get Microsoft Office 2007 for free, so I know this works and is not a trick.
Visual Studio 2005 Standard Edition comes with C++, C#, Visual Basic, and J#. Here is how the Standard Edition differs from other versions of Visual Studio.
I use Visual Studio 2005 at work and at home...highly recommended!
They are only giving away a limited number of the free Visual Studio 2005, so get it while you can.
First, some background.
I wanted a graphics card that would let me play around with DirectX 10 programming *and* be quiet (i.e. no fans). I picked up a Gigabyte GV-NX86T256D from Newegg.com for $150, which comes with the new Nvidia 8600 chip.
I downloaded Nvidia's SDK 10, which features demos and sample code for DirectX 10. While playing with one of the demos, the graphics driver crashed.
In Windows XP, a graphics driver crash would show a blue screen and you have to reboot and lose all your work you had loaded.
Vista works differently. When a graphics driver crashes, you get a pop-up message that says "Display driver stopped responding and has recovered." Then you continue as if nothing happened. No reboot!
In the case of the above screen shot, the application that caused the graphic driver to die ("Smoke") no longer works. I'm wondering if you could write your graphics application in such a way that it could survive a driver crash. It seems like you should be able to, but I haven't seen it in practice yet. If you could, then people wouldn't lose their work because of buggy graphics drivers.
Bugs in graphics drivers are the main reason Windows XP would blue screen. With Vista, graphics drivers won't be able to do that anymore.
For more details on the new Vista graphics driver model WDDM (Windows Display Driver Model), see this article.
I was holding off buying a PC until I could get one with Vista. About the time Vista was released, I got a new job and had to move. So my new PC had to wait.
Once I started getting paychecks again...I put in my order to Dell for a new PC.
I really like the way the Dell XPS 710's look. We had several at my last job, and I was close to getting one...but space is a premium for me now. The 710 is big and heavy. You can fill it with a bunch of hard drives...but I only need one hard drive.
I decided to go with a Dell Dimension E520.
Here are the vitals:
The total came to $1,554.76 using my LucasFilm employee discount. The LucasFilm discount saved me about $250. That figure does not include tax, which was an additional $131.73. Shipping was free.
This is my first PC without a floppy drive. I haven't used a floppy in years.
I've used my 21 inch Compaq monitor since I left my job at Compaq in 1997. Back then, I bought it with my employee discount for half price...$1,000. I got 10 years of service out of it...not bad!
The new 24" widescreen LCD looks great. I am hooked on widescreen aspect ratio for computers. This is the same monitor I use at work.
The system is fast and very quiet. I had to turn off my old PC so it would not bother me while watching movies...not so with this one.
The Intel integrated graphics work great for Vista's Aero UI. The original drivers drew some random black lines on the login screen. I updated the drivers and the problem went away.
The only real problem I had was when I turned on the PC, I got an error dialog requesting a Windows disk. The keyboard and mouse weren't functioning so I could not close or skip the dialog box, and inserting all the disks that came with the system did not help. I eventually booted in Safe Mode and got past the the dialog and everything worked fine after that.
I didn't care about this...I had always planned on formatting the hard drive so I could install Vista clean. I hate all the crapware that PC makers add to their OS installations. A clean install gets rid of it all.
I'm very happy with my purchase so far!
I found another nice feature in Windows Vista...the Snipping Tool! The Snipping Tool is a screen capturing tool. You can find the Snipping Tool at Start -> All Programs -> Accessories -> Snipping Tool.
In the past, I used the "Print Screen/SysRq" key to copy the screen to the clipboard and then paste the clipboard into a paint program in order to save it as an image. Alt-Print Screen/SysRq will capture just the window with focus to the clipboard.
These keystrokes still work, but the Snipping Tool is much better and faster.
You have 4 options for screen capture:
Once you have your capture, then the Snipping Tool lets you write on your capture with a yellow highlighter or various pens.
You can save your capture as JPEG, PNG, GIF, or MHT. Interestingly, Microsoft's own BMP image format is not included.
I hadn't heard of MHT before. It is an HTML web page with the data stored *in* the file itself, instead of a pointer to the location where the data is stored. So you should be able to copy a MHT file with an embedded image to a server and open it with a web browser and everything will work...no need to copy an HTML file *and* the JPEG file it points to (which is what I do now).
I got a new Dell PC with Windows Vista last week. While checking Vista out, I found a feature I haven't heard about before that is pretty slick if you are a GUI fan (and honestly, who isn't?).
The feature is called "Use check boxes to select items." It is off by default. To turn it on, go to Start -> Control Panel -> Appearance and Personalization -> Folder Options -> View and check "Use check boxes to select items."
What this option does is allow you to select multiple items with the mouse, but without using the Ctrl key.
You can see in the explorer window above that I selected three files by clicking the check boxes in the upper-left corner of each icon.
The check boxes are only visible if....
For non-icon explorer views (like details view), the check box appears at the start (far left) of the row.
You'll also notice a check box in the upper-left by the "Name" column. This is a toggle between select all and select none.
This is certainly subtle, but it is interesting for a couple of reasons.
I turned it on yesterday and I don't see any reason why I would turn it off.
I had a bad experience with Word 2007 as a blog editor.
During the process of setting up Word to talk to Movable Type, I learned that I needed to configure Movable Type to allow publishing via external programs.
Ever since I upgraded my version of Movable Type from 3.2 to 3.34, I lost my ability to use Windows Live Writer (WLW). I went back to the old, web-based basic HTML editor for posting. It was painful, but it worked.
I decided to try WLW again to see if it would start working after my modified Movable Type to support external publishing programs...and it did!
So I'm back to using WLW again and it makes me happy!
I noticed that they have added several plug-ins since I last used WLW, which may be worth trying out.
What I like about WLW:
I did notice that if I try to link to a really big photo (like a 1920x1200 desktop), WLW will fail to post to the server with a error message. Shrinking the image size fixed the problem. This is beta software...hopefully this problem will be fixed!
Nvidia recently released the first DirectX 10 graphics card, the GeForce 8800. Here is a demo reel Nvidia put together to show off what their new card can do.
The video above is very low resolution so it will load and play quickly. To see the demos in HD (720p), download this 122 MB version of the video. Be warned: the video requires quite a bit of processing power to run smoothly (it doesn't run smoothly on my 2.4 GHz PC).
According to this article, Microsoft co-president Jim Allchin told a reporter that Vista's...
"new lockdown features are so capable and thorough that he was comfortable with his own seven-year-old son using Vista without antivirus software installed."
That is a pretty bold statement! At first I thought it was crazy, but now that I know about the "lockdown features," I'm very impressed with how Vista deals with viruses.
When you hear about security issues, more often than not the issue is related to a buffer overflow exploit. Basically, this means that software was designed to handle a maximum number of characters, but the exploit sends more than the expected. Once the character buffer is filled, the extra characters start to overwrite areas of memory that were not meant to change. The trick to this exploit is to tell the running program to start executing the data in the newly compromised areas of memory. This is how a malicious web page can take control of your system.
This article explains how to use the exploit. I would recommend that anybody doing software development read this to better understand the problem. I find that most people really don't understand how this works, and just continue making software that can be exploited. This problem is *everywhere*...hence the reason we have security updates on such a regular basis.
Vista has a new feature that could very well eliminate buffer overflow attacks. Using a technique called "Address Space Layout Randomization" (ASLR), Vista shuffles how software is loaded in memory. The Buffer Overflow exploit depends on specific software loaded at a specific location, so that it can jump to an area of memory that gives it the ability run other programs or commands. With ASLR, it is highly unlikely that an exploit will be able to find these locations.
I think this is an amazingly clever solution to a *really* bad problem. I don't have any real world data on how effective it is, but the theory is sound. If ALSR works as advertised, it won't eliminate all security issues, but it will significantly reduce the number we deal with today.
I still believe *ALL* computers should run anti-virus software, even if they have ASLR. How else will you know if your system is under attack unless it is checked against a continuously updated list.
I am planning on moving to Vista as soon as it is released (Jan 30th). There is a lot to like in this new release. Vista's ASLR alone may be worth the price of admission.
An interesting side note: Microsoft is constantly bashed for the security of their operating systems. As of this writing, Apple Macintosh and mainstream Linux distributions do not include ASLR. This means that Vista is more secure against buffer overflow exploits than OS X or Linux.
I got a new all-in-one printer/scanner/fax/copier yesterday, an HP Photosmart 3310 All-in-One. So now I don't need my old printer and scanner. They both work fine, but I wanted something more integrated and with support for faxing.
The printer is an HP Deskjet 990cse.
The scanner is an HP Scanjet 5470c.
If you are interested in either or both...send me an email or post a comment. If nobody wants them, I'm going to drop them off at Goodwill.
Here is an article about the new Microsoft 22 inch wide-screen LCD. This monitor should be release to go with Windows Vista (probably early next year) and is designed to support some of the new functionality in the OS.
There are two big features I've heard of in Vista that this monitor will probably support:
I knew I'd need to upgrade my monitor to get the best Vista experience. If the monitor is any good, I'll probably get it when it comes out.
There has been a clear line between Microsoft and PC companies like Dell and HP: Microsoft does the software (Windows, Office, etc.) and Dell/HP make the hardware. But with this announcement, Microsoft makes all the hardware components necessary for a full computer: monitor, mouse, keyboard and CPU (Xbox 360). Watch for this, the Xbox 360 could be a very interesting competitor to the PC if Microsoft wants a bigger chunk of the pie. All they need to do is port Office and Internet Explorer to Xbox 360 and you have a very slick PC. And since it is not open like a PC (you can't get Xbox 360 software from just anybody...only from Microsoft), it doesn't have the security problems that you find in Windows, Mac, and Linux (no need to run a virus checker on Xbox 360).
I spent the last 3 years doing most of my development work on a Linux box. It is not my choice: our software only runs on Linux, so I have to play along. I am a Windows guy, and working with Linux has made me appreciate how great Windows is.
I *love* using Microsoft's Visual Studio for writing software. When I began developing software in Linux, I tried to find something close to Visual Studio. I started using KDevelop. While it doesn't compare to Visual Studio, I have found it is the closet thing on Linux. It is an Integrated Development Environment (IDE): editor, compiler, linker, and debugger all in one application.
KDevelop is a front end to other tools...GCC for compiling and linking and GDB for debugging.
When you are developing software, sometimes it doesn't work as intended. To track down the problem, there are two schools of thought:
Using KDevelop put me in the former category. I could click on a line and set a breakpoint, run my application, and have it stop at the breakpoint so I could analyze what was going on. This worked well for me until I spent several days trying to track down an issue. I set a breakpoint in my software where I thought the issue was, but that breakpoint was never hit. So I assumed that piece of software was never called, so I looked for the issue else where. After studying the software for several hours, I found that it was impossible for that breakpoint to not get hit. I dropped back to the old school printf debugging technique and guess what...the suspect code was executing, but the debugger was not honoring the breakpoint!
I did some research to find out how it is possible that my breakpoint would not stop my software from running. I thought it might be how the software was built, but nothing I did would make the debugger stop at that breakpoint.
I then found out that I'm not the only one that has run into this issue...it is a BUG in the DEBUGGER!!! How unsettling is that! The tool that is supposed to help you find bugs is actually hiding them from you! Here is the problem report, #1091. This bug was submitted in February of 2003 and it is still not fixed! I thought the open source community was supposed to fix things quicker than commercial software! This is a serious issue and I am shocked more people aren't outraged about it.
So just get another debugger, right? Wrong! GDB is used as the debugger for almost everything! It is used by KDevelop, Eclipse, and (here's the tie-in to Macs) Apple's Xcode. GDB is *not* the debugger for Visual Studio...thank goodness!
I found that all the Linux gurus in my group used printf debugging. Now I know why!
With bug #1091, GDB is terrible for software development. You must use GDB for Linux/Mac software development. Then by the transitive property, Linux/Mac are terrible for software development. If only Visual Studio would work on Linux/Mac!
I registered for SIGGRAPH 2006 today. This will be the 10th consecutive SIGGRAPH I've attended. This year it will be in Boston in late July/early August. I plan on spending a few days checking out Boston before the big show starts (I've never been to Boston before).
Now that I have this blog thing down, I plan on doing SIGGRAPH trip reports directly on this site. Should be fun! If anybody else is going...let me know and we'll hook up at the show.
This page contains an archive of all entries posted to David's Blog in the Computers category. They are listed from oldest to newest.
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Many more can be found on the main index page or by looking through the archives.
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