geocamming - unsecurity cameras revisited

geocamming - unsecurity cameras revisited - hack a day - www.hackaday.com

"this one is for all the people who couldn’t see the netcams from sunday’s post. it turns out that the web interface to these cameras can serve both motion-jpeg and traditional jpeg frames (the latter with browser refresh). unfortunately, many browsers (including safari on my machine) don’t appear to handle motion-jpeg.

no need to switch browsers, though. you can use google to filter out the motion-jpeg urls. you’ll even benefit by reducing the amount of bandwidth you use (really nice for the slow camera connections). just google for inurl:"ViewerFrame?Mode=Refresh"

there’s something incredibly cool about seeing what is happening around the world. you can change the interface language to english by setting the language id to 4 in the url.

..."

If you need a daily voyeur fix, the above google search will help.

I'm getting 713 hits. And in non-scientific random clicking, about 50-70% of the links are active, meaning I'm getting access to the camera's controls and see pictures. And there's no hacking involved... These are just open links, thought that are not probably intended to be open.

It's another example of how Google can be used to find stuff that people don't necessarily want or intend to be public.

Ladies and Gentleman, SECURITY BY OBSECURITY DOESN'T WORK!

The Code Project - Undelete a file in NTFS - Files and Folders

The Code Project - Undelete a file in NTFS - Files and Folders

"NTFS - "New Technology File System" is the preferred native file system for Windows NT series. It is more sophisticated, powerful, and complicated file system than FAT file system. It is much efficient for larger disks. There are many tools out in Internet for recovering deleted file from NTFS, but I couldn't find one with source by now. I created this tool to satisfy my curiosity and I'm presenting to all of you having the same interest. Here is the tool with source. Have fun.

In this article I shall explain

Few details of NTFS. I'm not explaining from the scratch. This explanation looks kind of additional patch work for documentations available on Net.

..."

Some good information on NTFS...

ProjectDistributor, the simple but no simpler way of distributing your toy applications

ProjectDistributor, the simple but no simpler way of distributing your toy applications

"ProjectDistributor is a new actor on the scene of inline project management (thanks for Darren). It provides a simple web site for publishing your little cool applications that have been sleeping on your desktop.

Unlike the big guns like sourceforge, tigris or gotdotnet, ProjectDistributor is simple simple simple. With RSS and webservices, it has the vitual but no more features, anyway who uses all the feature from sf or tigris ?

..."

Interesting. I've seen a few posts on Project Distributor before, but the above post has me looking at it in a little more detail.

I'm really getting on the "Keep it as simple as possible, but no simpler" bandwangon...

Gizmodo : CES Showfloor: Brother Innov-is 4000D

Gizmodo : CES Showfloor: Brother Innov-is 4000D

"

I didn't expect to find the words, "that's a badass sewing machine" coming out of my mouth, and from the look on his face, neither did the guy from Brother Sewing. He should be used to it, though, because it's totally true. The Innov-is 4000D converts any image file into an embroidered pattern—even directly from USB flash drives.

And yes, that's a full-color touchscreen on the side."

LOL. I know how he feels. I said the same thing what I saw the picture... This is almost as cool as the full on laser cutting "printer", VersaLaser.

I wonder if THIS will FINALLY get my wife to sew? :|

Okay, so I'd be the one sewing. But I'd be damn cool looking as I did it!

The Graphing Calculator Story - http://www.pacifict.com/Story/

This was passed to me from a coworker yesterday. Interesting story...

The Graphing Calculator Story

While a good story, what's even better is that this appears real. Doing some quick googling, I didn't find any immediate indications that this is a hoax... Kind of a "Secret of my Success" but in real life.

oxid.it - Cain and Able 2.5

oxid.it - Cain and Able 2.5

"Cain & Abel is a password recovery tool for Microsoft Operating Systems. It allows easy recovery of various kind of passwords by sniffing the network, cracking encrypted passwords using Dictionary, Brute-Force and Cryptanalysis attacks, decoding scrambled passwords, revealing password boxes, uncovering cached passwords and analyzing routing protocols. The program does not exploit any software vulnerabilities or bugs that could not be fixed with little effort. It covers some security aspects/weakness present in protocol's standards, authentication methods and caching mechanisms; its main purpose is the simplified recovery of passwords and credentials from various sources, however it also ships some 'non standard' utilities for Microsoft Windows users.

Cain & Abel has been developed in the hope that it will be useful for network administrators, teachers, security consultants/professionals, forensic staff, security software vendors, professional penetration tester and everyone else that plans to use it for ethical reasons. The author will not help or support any illegal activity done with this program. Be warned that there is the possibility that you will cause damages and/or loss of data using this software and that in no events shall the author be liable for such damages or loss of data. Please carefully read the License Agreement included in the program before using it.

Version 2.5 is faster and contains a lot of new features like APR (Arp Poison Routing) which enables sniffing on switched LANs and Man-in-the-Middle attacks. The sniffer in this version can also analyze encrypted protocols such as SSH-1 and HTTPS, and contains filters to capture credentials from a wide range of authentication mechanisms. The new version also ships routing protocols authentication monitors and routes extractors, dictionary and brute-force crackers for all common hashing algorithms and for several specific authentications, password/hash calculators, cryptanalysis attacks, password decoders and some not so common utilities related to network and system security."

Being in EDD I find this is a very interesting freeware product...

It will also recover some local passwords, such as from IE/Protected Storage, Access, VNC, SQL Server Enterprise Manger, Remote Desktop and more. Office password recovery is not included...

(via Larkware - The Daily Grind 533)

Electronic Discovery Law : Preston | Gates | Ellis

Electronic Discovery Law : Preston | Gates | Ellis

Interesting EDD blog... By a lawfirm (Preston|Gates|Ellis) that's been doing EDD for a while. So far the blog appears to be open and not just a marketing tool for firm.

Most imporantly they have a RSS feed so it's easy to keep up to date on their posts.

Door Slammed in My Face... (RIP Wish)

Well I had the door slammed in my face this weekend... You know I was excited to be in the 1.5 beta Wish (post).

An open beta, 2.0 started 1/1/2005. While a little rough at first, in the last couple days things started to gel and all seemed to be on the road for a great beta and an outstanding game. People were really getting into the game and it seemed the promise of game was really going to fulfilled.

Then yesterday (Sunday, 1/9/2005), while playing, the chat started to fill about Wish being canceled! In the forum and home page the below notice was posted at about Noon PDT.

Dear friends of Wish:

Unfortunately we have bad news.

After careful consideration of all the facts and analyzing all the data which we have gathered from the Wish Beta 2.0 test so far, we have decided to cancel the Wish project.

Our Beta test will end this evening at 6pm EST, and at this time our Beta forums will close as well.

We enjoyed working together with our fans very much, and we are very sorry about this development. We wish you the best of luck in the future, and hope that you continue to enjoy online gaming, even with Mutable Realms and Wish not being available anymore.

We also wish the best luck to our competitors, and hope that they will not suffer the same fate as us.

Best regards,
Your Mutable Realms Team


So totally out of the blue, not only is the beta closed but the ENTIRE project canceled. Poof. Gone. Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out...

It's been said that if you can't say something nice then don't say anything at all. So I guess I have nothing more to say...

:: w.bloggar :: 4.0 Released

:: w.bloggar ::

w.bloggar 4.0 has been released. This is still my favorate full client blog editing/posting tool. This one thing I am really starting to miss is a "blog this" kind of button on my browser... but still this is a good tool at the right price...

The Code Project - Dynamic Properties in the PropertyGrid

The Code Project - Dynamic Properties in the PropertyGrid

"The article is mainly to explain how to make Propertygrid show only some properties of a class.
One of the big limitation of this control is that it's not possible to hide or show any class properties at runtime.

..."

I like the PropertyGrid. I've used it in a couple projects and it's work out great. This article talks about a way to work around one of its apparent limitations, runtime item additions/removals.

Why is this cool? Cause the value of one item can (and in my case does) effect if other items should be visible or not. This example appears to cover that...

DevJunkies.com - Installing RealVNC - Access your PC for free

DevJunkies.com - Installing RealVNC - Access your PC for free

"RealVNC allows you to access your PC from any network connected PC. Here, I'll show you how to install and configure RealVNC in an easy step-by-step way that even my mother could do =)
..."

I wonder if this might work better than Terminal Services in some cases.

Now I dig TS in Remote Admin mode, not get me wrong. It's enable me to do so much over limited bandwitdh... It's officially very cool. But there ARE issues with it.

Considering MS uses a VNC variant with VirtualServer, VNC might be worth looking into as a possible alternate to TS-Remote Admin.

CodeGuru: Who's Locking? v1.3

CodeGuru: Who's Locking? v1.3

"Have you ever tried to copy a DLL and had an "Access Denied" or "Shared Violation" error? Did you have to reboot everytime you needed to upgrade a DLL?

If yes, this program is for you!

Who'sLocking? is a a devpt/system management tool to find which process is locking a DLL.

Whenever a process loads a module (DLL), it locks the DLL and no other process can delete and/or write in it: you get "Sharing Violation" errors (or "Access Denied").

Once you know the name of the process who's locking your DLL, you can stop this process and have full access to the DLL module. There's no need to reboot your system anymore...

PROGRAM FEATURES

• Integrated in Windows Shell (right-mouse menu on DLL, OCX, or EXE files).
• Automatic installation/registration when launched first time.
• 1 parameter: name of executable module to search (DLL, OCX)
• Display list of processes who are locking a DLL (if DLL is loaded by multiples processes)
• Displays process name, PID, executable pathname (if applicable), and service name (if applicable)

..."

Cool tool. This will help you figure out what application/process/etc has a given file/dll/etc open.

It's free and the source is available too...

(via Shaju Thomas - Who's Locking?)

What The Spec?!? - The Daily WTF

What The Spec?!? - The Daily WTF

"I've noticed that there have been a lot of IT Project Portals popping up over the last few years; you know, the ones where you post a project and get bids from coders and companies all over the world. If you've ever used these before, you may have noticed that some of the proposals are ... umm ... slightly less-than professional.

But I can honestly say I've never quite seen a proposal like this (as discovered by Péter Zoltán). It's for small software e-commerce site. Here are some excerpts:

"The server is gonna be at my home, connects to the internet through satellite with fix IP"
"Softwar downloadable by anyone before he is our customer"
And there will be a button like send order ner the catalog button
Thiss will send the order for us"

Actually, it's pretty hard to pick excerpts. The whole damn thing is like that. See for yourself. "


Looks like some spec's I've been given... :|

Gizmodo : TiVoToGo Launches

Gizmodo : TiVoToGo Launches

"If you have a Series2 TiVo you can go to the website and download the software today to copy shows to your laptop, although the DVD burning software that will facilitate permanent archiving is still not available."

I wonder if it's time to Tivo? I've been going back and forth between getting a Tivo or Adelphia DVR. (A Media Center would be cooler, but they are so much more expensive initially...)

TivoToGo might tip the balance in Tivo's favor... It sure does sound cool doesn't it?

.Net Plugin Application Architecture

During the holiday period, I started seriously playing with building a .Net application that was based on a plugin architecture.

First I wanted to do it the hard way, the better to really understand what was going on, how to best build it, etc, etc. After a while I had a simple application where I could plugin new funcationality without recompiling the primary application. Yeah!

What a pain. I had the simplest implementation working. Now all I needed was to use a new AppDomain, show copy, dynamic plugin loading, etc, etc. I.e. a real implementation.

Now that I'd done it the hard way, I decided it was time to punt and not try to reinvent the wheel. I've posted about MSINC.Plugins before and now was the time to use it.

Oh my. Talk about making my life easier. That library just rocks. In just minutes I had replaced my cheese/hard way plugin architecture with MSINC.Plugins. And now I had a real plugin application. Now that's cool...

If you're looking at implementing plugins in your application, take a look at this library.


Now it's time to actually build some plugins... :)

PS. It seems MS-INC's site (http://www.ms-inc.net) is current down. Hopefully it's "just a thing"...

My "Read These" Folder #2

My second "Read These" links... I first talked about my Read These folder, here.

One thing I miss when using Blogger/BlogSpot are categories... It would be nice to have a category for these posts. Of course I could start a new blog, but that seems like overkill. And keeping one personal blog updated is hard enough (plus I like have a single remote memory space to search...)


Customizing MSI Installation
"Go beyond the basics of creating setup routines in Visual Studio .NET! Vishnu Prasad H explores setup project templates, editors, custom installers, and more. Then he pulls it all together in an example that deploys a database application."

VB-Helper: Stick to the Script
"No matter how hard you try, you can never anticipate every user's needs. And whether you get paid by the hour or by the product release, constantly adding new features can be alluringly profitable, although often tedious. However, if you build enough flexibility into your applications, users can often implement their own solutions. This month, Rod Stephens explains how to add scripting to your VB.NET programs. Then, when your users ask for a new feature, you can tell them to do it themselves."

The Fallacy of the Data Layer by Rocky Lhotka
"It is commonly held as a truth that applications have a UI layer, a business layer and a data layer. In most of my presentations and writing I use a four layer model: UI, business, data access and data storage. In this case the "data storage" layer is really the same as the traditional data layer in a 3-layer model.
But I want to challenge this idea of a data layer. Over the past few months, in discussing service-orientation (SOA) as well as distributed object-oriented architecture, I have become increasingly convinced that the idea of a data tier, data layer or data storage layer is fundamentally flawed."

A BLOB of a Different Color
"You might be used to BLOBs in ADO, but a BLOB in ADO.NET is a completely different animal
Michael Otey
Converting legacy ADO applications to ADO.NET requires a lot of work, and one of the hardest parts of moving to ADO.NET is converting BLOB import or export code. Although many features in ADO.NET are closely related to those in ADO, BLOB access isn't one of them. In ADO, you manipulate BLOB data by using the standard Recordset and Field objects with either the Field object's chunking methods or the Stream object. However, none of those objects exists in ADO.NET. In ADO.NET, you can use the SqlDataReader to retrieve BLOB data from your SQL Server database, then use the ADO.NET DataSet and DataField objects to import BLOB data from the file system into SQL Server."

HOW TO: Read and Write a File to and from a BLOB Column by Using ADO.NET and Visual Basic .NET
"This article explains how to read and write data from BLOB (LongVarBinary) columns in a database table."

HOW TO: Read and Write a File to and from a BLOB Column by Using Chunking in ADO.NET and Visual Basic .NET
"This step-by-step article describes how to use the Microsoft SQL Server READTEXT and UPDATETEXT statements to read and write data from BLOB (LongVarBinary) columns in a database table.

Unlike with ADO 2.6 and later, ADO.NET does not support reading and writing BLOB objects by using Stream objects. ADO.NET data providers do not have GetChunk and AppendChunk methods available to the Data Access Object (DAO) and ActiveX Data Objects (ADO) Recordset objects. To read a BLOB field for in-memory manipulation, you can use a DataReader object to select the row, or you can cache the data in a DataSet.

However, if you want to stream the data to a different medium, such as disk or Web response, then you can read the BLOB from the server in smaller chunks to minimize the amount of memory that the process consumes. This is especially important in Web Forms applications, where you may have multiple concurrent applications running at the same time and you want to conserve memory resources. "

How To Read and Write BLOB Data by Using ADO.NET with Visual Basic .NET
"The GetChunk and the AppendChunk methods are not available in ADO.NET to read and write binary large object (BLOB) fields. This article describes how to use the FileStream object and a byte array to read and to write BLOB data from Microsoft SQL Server to a file."


Can you tell I was doing ADO.Net BLOB research? :)

15 Seconds : ClickOnce Deployment in .NET Framework 2.0

15 Seconds : ClickOnce Deployment in .NET Framework 2.0

A short article on using the new ClickOnce deployment method coming in .Net 2.0.

I'm hoping the second time is the charm (vs No Touch deployment) and that it's not all just hype... Cause I REALLY could use something like ClickOnce, as long as it works as advertized and there are not TOO many additional "issues" with it...

We'll see later this year...

The Code Project - ZIP Code Utility

The Code Project - ZIP Code Utility

"This article provides an easy method to lookup a U.S. City/State by ZIP Code, or one or more ZIP Codes by City/State. It also describes a method to calculate the distance between two ZIP Codes and find all other ZIP Codes within a radius of X miles of a specified ZIP Code.
...
Intrigued by Ben Fry's zipdecode[^] applet, I decided to write a little ZIP Code utility that allows lookups of U.S. locations by ZIP Code, City/State, or all three. Since the data were already in the database in the form of latitude/longitude pairs, I added the capability to find the distance between two points, and to find all other ZIP Codes within a radius of X miles from the original location.
... "

A disconnected method (i.e. no web service/map point/etc) of determining the distance between two zip codes/locations is something I might be able to use...

GMail Invites

I have 4 Gmail invites for anyone who wants one...

Please email my hotmail account (the address is at the top right of my blog). Please give me a first and last name (or initials) and an email address where I can send the invite too...

First come first served

Thanks.

Update #1 12/29/2004 @ 6:34 AM PDT:

Three left

Update #2 12/29/2004 @ 6:55 AM PDT:

Two left...

Update #3 12/30/2004 @ 4:00 PM PDT:

Three left...

(Looks like I got more invites to give out last night... :)

Start a movement! Donate all your Google AdSense Revenue to Earthquake Relief

ComputerZen.com - Scott Hanselman's Weblog - Start a movement! Donate all your Google AdSense Revenue to Earthquake Relief

Greg Hughes and I were talking about this idea. The power of blogging isn't citizen journalism, it's the power to start a movement.

Nick Bradbury is donating his profits to the Red Cross. Kudos Nick. Let's ALL take our passive Google Adsense Revenue for the year and donate it directly to earthquake relief. Mine so far is US$287.53 since I started ads in June. I'm sure hundreds of thousands, even millions could be raised quickly in this manner.

To that end, let's pressure Google into allowing us to automatically donate our revenue from their side! Spread the word and trackback this link.

I'm in. I've not made much from my Adsense (i.e. not enough for Google to even cut me a check), but what I've made I would donate if Google were to give me a way...

(via Geek Noise - Start a movement! Donate all your Google AdSense Revenue to Earthquake Relief

The Code Project - Reading and Writing Messages in Outlook Express

The Code Project - Reading and Writing Messages in Outlook Express

"This demo application is a example of how classes IStoreNamespace and IStoreFolder should be used to list folder / messages in Outlook Express.

The application has the following features:

List Local folders.
Create / Rename / Delete local folder.
List messages of a local folder.
Get message properties.
Get message source.
Create / Copy / Move / Delete messages.
Mark messages as Read or Unread.
Using the code

This code was written to provide a initial example of the IStoreFolder / IStoreNamespace classes recently documented by Microsoft.

..."

Grrrr... I missed that MS released the Outlook Express API. Now it looks like I can get at Outlook Express directly without conversion, which is very cool...

OT: Jaded: Thoughts of a Rookie Cop - December 26th, 2004

Jaded: Thoughts of a Rookie Cop:

"...So, I get a sick case call, thinkin' it's not big deal. I get over there, and there's this dead guy in the back of an ambulance. Literally, if the paramedics weren't pumping oxygen into his lungs with this bag valve mask thing, he would be dead. Full respiratory failure. He did this by taking too much herion.

The cool thing is that the paramedics have this cool drug, I have no idea the name of it, that counteracts the effects of all narcotics, narcotics being the key word. Not Zanax, not antibiotics, not alcohol, just narcotics, like cocaine, crack, herion, stuff like that. Usually, 2cc of this stuff wakes any dead person straight away. Well, this guy needed twice that, 4cc's. Here's the killer thing. This guy, literally dead not 2 minutes ago, wakes right up and gets mad that the medicine screwed up his buzz. Ain't that a kick in the ass? On top of that, he's refusing medical treatment. He literally is trying to rip the IV out of his arm to get inside his house. Remember, he was dead two minutes before hand. Amazing what ya see in this job. The funny thing is, he tries to claim that it's from alcohol and Zanax. "

Where's Darwin when you need him? I guess he's taking a break, but I'm sure he'll be back for this guy soon enough...

OutlookContactProvider

OutlookContactProvider

"...As it's the holiday season, I decided to spend a few minutes granting those requests and creating a version of the calendar providers code that instead works with contacts. For anyone who's interested, I'd suggest reading the article about calendar providers first, as the contacts code is very similar. The source for the new project is then available here. Included in the source is an example provider that connects to a SQL Server and provides a contact list for the customers in the Northwind database...."

Outlook Contact Provider that hooks into WSS, but instead of sync'ing contacts with a Sharepoint Contact list, it hooks up to a different backend DB.

i.e. if you have a CRM (or CRM like) product you might be able to use this example to hook Outlook to it (one way/read only for now).

(via Larkware - The Daily Grind 525

Strategic Legal Technology :: E-discovery and De-duplicating

Strategic Legal Technology :: E-discovery and De-duplicating

"...
Existing approaches to detecting duplicates have limitations. One approach is to use a “hash,” a mathematical technique. This approach determines only if documents are completely identical; a single difference in one character or the file path makes two documents different. Another approach is to use meta-data to detect possible duplicates.

Software start-up Equivio has software that, upon first evaluation, allows litigators to identify near duplicates and adjust what is meant by “near.” For example, drafts of the same document prepared by different authors on different days with different file names could be identified as potential duplicates. (Hashes and meta-data cannot do this.) Such differences may be relevant to the case, but often they are not. Clustering near duplicates and reviewing them simultaneously can be a great advantage in helping to insure consistent responsiveness and privilege designations and in saving review time.
..."

Interesting... (For me in my business at least).

Deduplication by MD5 is currently pretty standard. But as the author points out MD5/Hash dedupe it is very all or nothing. Equivio appears to offer a different solution. What I find it most interesting is that they offer it as a OEM product with a wide range of API's.

Something to look at at least...

Virtual PC 2004 SP1 Problems with Laptops and SpeedStep

Virtual PC 2004 SP1 Problems with Laptops and SpeedStep

"Ted Neward posts that he's having trouble with Virtual PC 2004 SP1.

My guess is Ted is running it on his IBM ThinkPad T42p. Turn off the SpeedStep feature of the processor in the BIOS. (You can also just try setting your power management settings to Always On). You can verify that your processor is running full speed by downloading Intel's Processor Identification Utility here [0].

There seems to be some issues with laptops and SpeedStep and the SP version of Virtual PC. I also seen reports of problems on Virtual Server with laptops.

End of line.

[0] http://support.intel.com/support/processors/tools/piu/"

Since I use my notebook as a portable desktop, and I'm starting to use VPC more and more, I've given this (disabling SpeedStep) a try...

Patrick Cauldwell's Blog - Firefox and Sharepoint

Patrick Cauldwell's Blog - Firefox and Sharepoint

"...how to get Firefox to do NTLM, which means I don't have to deal with the authentication dialogs, thereby reducing my dependence on IE

...

It's not at all obvious how to make it work, and it took me a few tries. You have to go to your Firefox address bar and type about:config. This will bring up the internal config editor, which allows you to set all kinds of properties that influence Firefox's behavior. Look for the key called network.automatic-ntlm-auth.trusted-uris. Set that key's value to a comma separated list of servers you want NTLM auth for. So if your internal SharePoint sites are on servers called Larry and Mo, use "larry,mo". You can also add the same value to the key network.negotiate-auth.trusted-uris. It's unclear to me if that second one is required, but I set it, and everything works. Now SharePoint works like a champ, and authenticates automatically."

Something to try when I return to the office....

(via Paul Schaeflein's SharePoint Experience - Configure Firefox to support NTLM authentication)

Read Blogs with Outlook 2003 (Niobe Framework) [IPattern.com (Maxim V. Karpov)]

Read Blogs with Outlook 2003 (Niobe Framework) [IPattern.com (Maxim V. Karpov)]

"Sometime ago, I downloaded and used Niobe Framework, which is open-source project that provides with managed API for programming against Microsoft Outlook 2003. VS.NET 2005 will include API's for all office products including Outlook, but it is possible to develop powerful apps in managed code today with Niobe SDK! Anyway, I my post is not about how to use the SDK to develop Add-Ins, but rather how to install it and use sample Add-In for that allows to read RSS feeds inside of the Outlook 2003.
The download comes with a sample code for RSS Add-In that allows reading RSS feeds inside of the outlook. It comes with complete source code and easy to install and use.

First, Niobe Runtime 0.9.1476.21389 has to be installed before you can take advantage of the API's. Add-in development Niobe SDK 0.9.1476.21389 must be installed on the developer box in order to compile sample code. Next, I launched RSSAddIn sample and compiled it in release mode.

When, I restarted my Outlook Niobe Framework added the following menu item for Tools menu..."

Something I have to look into this coming year... I've blogged about this a million years ago (http://coolthingoftheday.blogspot.com/2004/02/niobe-home.html) but now maybe it's time to look at it again?

theSpoke - Learned more about Windows and the Win32 API this week than ever...

theSpoke - Learned more about Windows and the Win32 API this week than ever...

"... porting one of my projects from Linux to Windows in order to test and compare (and also market on both platforms once we finish commercialization!) but in order to do so I had to learn a lot about the Win32 API...and I'm talking some intense stuff, like Access Control Entries (ACE), Desktop API, Windows Services, default system policies and how to programmatically change them, differences in API behavior between Win XP and Server 2003, Discretionary Access Control Lists (DACL), impersonating another user in order add some ACE's to the DACL, accessing logon SID, using .NET Interop in order to import a Win32 dll and API functions into my C# project, all the different variants of .NET Remoting, and a bunch of other arcane things.
...

Basically for one of the parts of my app, I wanted to remotely launch processes that would display on the user's desktop. Sounds easy, right? Not really. I originally was using MPICH for windows, which is traditionally used for things such as parallel processing on clusters or super computers, however the windows version is less than satisfactory, somewhat buggy, and it wouldn't display my gui elements remotely. It would launch the process, yes, and could do non-GUI/console stuff fine, but I eventually figured out that the security mechanisms of Windows didn't allow it to do what I wanted, for good reasons. But I'm going to be working in a trusted environment, and I need to do that. So it took some research.

Plus I wanted to use the .NET platform, which has further security restrictions and other hurdles. In the end it will pay off though.

The final solution was 80% C#, 15% C++, 10% chewing gum in the middle, and about 25% caffine. That adds up to 130%, which about matches up with the 55 hours I put in to accomplish it.
..."

There's some interesting information in this post. I've done a Proof of Concept for something a little like this. The info here goes beyond my PoC and covers a number of problems/solutions with a good bit of detail.

(via MSDN Student Flash - Ever wanted to port an app from Linux to Windows (.NET)?)

INI File Redirection When Running Non-Admin

INI File Redirection When Running Non-Admin

"One of the things that I've noticed running non-admin is all the apps that work, but not always correctly. Two interesting ones that you may not have noticed are the Windows Calculator (calc.exe) and Character Map (charmap.exe).

... is that both apps persist their state information into the WIN.INI file. Yes, you heard me right, the Windows INI file. This is leftover from the old days of Windows 3.x. Since INI files are located in your Windows installation directory (typically C:\WINDOWS), the app can't write to them because your non-admin account doesn't have write privileges for files in that folder.

But thanks to the wonderful folks on the nonadmin alias (an internal list for discussing non-admin issues and techniques), I now know of a way around this problem. It turns our that since Windows NT, when the registry was introduced, we have had the ability to redirect INI files into the registry. (See Knowledge Base Article 102889 for the details of how this works.)

So, armed with this information, you can redirect those two apps into your HKEY_USERS registry hive with the following entry. (To use this copy-paste it into Notepad, save it with a .reg extension, and double click on it. You will have to be Admin to make this change!!!!)

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\IniFileMapping\win.ini]
'SciCalc'='USR:Software\\Microsoft\\SciCalc'
'MSUCE'='#USR:Software\\Microsoft\\CharMap'

..."

I have this feeling that I might need this information someday...

Paint.NET 2.0 Released

Paint.NET

"Paint.NET v2.0 is ready for download! (Updated 12-17-2004)
Thanks to everyone who was involved in Paint.NET v2.0. We really appreciated all the positive comments and encouragement we received while developing this product. We also would like to thank everyone who posted bugs or new feature suggestions in the forum. It really helped out.
Thanks so much, we hope you enjoy Paint.NET v2.0!
Click here to download

Paint.NET is image and photo manipulation software designed to be used on computers that run Windows XP. Paint.NET is jointly developed at Washington State University with additional help from Microsoft, and is meant to be a free replacement for the MS Paint software that comes with all Windows operating systems. The programming language used to create Paint.NET is C#, with GDI+ extensions.

Paint.NET has many of the powerful features that expensive commercial applications have, including the ability to use layers. This is the second semester that Paint.NET has been a project at Washington State University, and we have the goal of adding as much functionality as expensive commercial applications provide, but of course, for free! In the spirit of all this freedom, we welcome any suggestions, as well as provide the source code free of charge for anyone who wishes to tinker with it. Please explore this website, download the software and try out many of the things you would do on those expensive commercial applications...."

The cool Paint.Net 2.0 is now available for download (both installer and source)... While it's still targeted at XP it now works on Win2K.

I've been looking for a free "Paint" replacement... Maybe this will be it?

(via Rick Brewster's blog - Paint.NET v2.0 ... NOW AVAILABLE!

OT: SciFiDaily: LOTR: Which Versions are the True Films?

SciFiDaily: LOTR: Which Versions are the True Films?

"From Host Bill Siwicki: So Greg and I have been having an off-blog e-mail debate about which versions of Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings films are the true versions. In other words, will the real LOTR please stand up? Greg insists theatrical releases always are the bona fide, saying “whatever comes first, wins.” Normally I would agree. But in the case of LOTR, I believe second, in fact, takes the crown. "

I picked up my LOTR Return of the King EE DVD's last night. Now I see there's a minor debate on which edition of the films are the "real" ones...

My feeling is that the extended editions are the only editions. The ones I saw at the movies were only really really long trailers...

;)

Tips for migrating a physical computer to a virtual machine (part 4)

Tips for migrating a physical computer to a virtual machine (part 4)

"Well we are at the final post in my series on migrating a physical computer to a virtual machine. If all other steps have failed the last thing to check is the HAL that is being used by the operating system. The HAL is the 'Hardware Abstraction Layer' and is responsible for some of the lowest level access in the system. You can find out about all the various HALs here: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;309283.

Having the wrong HAL loaded can result in:

Blue screens during boot
Unrecoverable processor errors
Boot simply 'stalling' and never finishing

In order to update the HAL you should boot into the recovery console (as described here: http://blogs.msdn.com/virtual_pc_guy/archive/2004/12/10.aspx). You should then change directory to the \WINDOWS\SYSTEM32 directory and run "expand D:\I386\HALACPI.DL_" followed by "copy HALACPI.DLL HAL.DLL".

Note - this method is not officially supported by Microsoft - but I have found it to be very handy :-)

Cheers,
Ben"

I've run into this (boot simply 'stalling' and never finishing) when building a VPC from a ghost image. Up till now, the only way I was ever able to get VPC to work was to do a complete reinstall of the OS (Win2K). Which kind of defeats the purpose...

I'm going to build a new VPC with the ghost image now and try the above tip... [fingers crossed].

Update #1 12/16/2004 @ 4:28PM PST:
OH YEAH! I have a VPC from a ghost image that now boots and seems to be working great! Ben totally rocks!

Of course, being technology, it was a bumpy road...

• First I had to create a DOS boot disk image with the DOS Virtual Folder TSR.


• Then get the right version of Ghost (the image was created with a new version than my group had).


• Then of course restore the image to a VPC HD


• Then get my hands on a Win2K AS ISO (I love my MSDN subscription and its downloads!)


• Now when trying to boot to get into the Recovery Console, I realized I didn't have the local admin password. And when I asked for it, I would have needed an Act of Congress to get it... Work around time.


• Downloading the EBCD - Emergency Boot CD, I used the "Linux: NT password recovery" utility to blank out the local admin password. This works great...


• Now being able to log into the Recovery Console as the local admin, I followed Ben's tip (above).


• Reboot.


• Doesn't work. Same "stalling" during boot.


• Rereading Ben's tip, I go to the MS HAL page that he references. I decide to try the basic/plain jane HAL.


• Instead of "expand D:\I386\HALACPI.DL_" I do "expand D:\I386\HAL.DL_"


• Reboot


• I'm IN!!!

[Greg does the Happy Dance]

Now once all the "found new hardware" stuff is done, I'll have a good solid VPC of my production system. That will help testing a good bit. Also now that I've done it once, it will be easy to do again in the future as needed...

GIANT Company Software, Inc - Award Winning Security & Privacy Software

GIANT Company Software, Inc - Award Winning Security & Privacy Software

"On December 16, 2004, Microsoft announced its acquisition of GIANT Company Software, Inc., a provider of top-rated anti-spyware and Internet security products. Microsoft will use the acquisition to provide its customers with new tools to help protect them from the threat of spyware and other deceptive software. In addition, key personnel from Giant will be joining Microsoft's security efforts.

Microsoft plans to make available a beta version of a spyware protection, detection, and removal tool, based on the Giant AntiSpyware product, within one month for Microsoft customers. The upcoming beta will scan a customer's PC to locate spyware and other deceptive software threats and enable customers to remove them. The tool will be configurable to block known spyware and other unwanted software from being installed on the computer. It will be available for Windows 2000 and later.

... "

Looks like MS is finally jumping in on spyware... I'm glad to see it.

(via Microsoft Watch - An Anti-Spyware Giant?)

Top Resources for Business Writing

Top Resources for Business Writing

"For many of us, business writing can be a stumbling block on the road to professional success. Fortunately, you can keep a number of excellent references handy to help you become the office Hemingway. Here are a few suggestions..."

I made a comment a while ago about being a better writter. This post references a couple books on the subject (of business writting at least)...

Using Encryption in .NET - .NET Developers

Using Encryption in .NET - .NET Developers

"Summary
In this article I will explain the classes and code necessary to put encryption to work in your applications. I will also explain the basic principles of operation of these classes and point out several pitfalls to avoid.

Introduction
In today's hostile, interconnected computing environment, we often find the need to protect data while it is stored on a physical medium or transmitted over a network. To achieve this goal, we turn to cryptography. While the field of cryptography entails much more, in this article we will focus on encryption; specifically the ciphers available in the .NET Framework Class Library (FCL) and how to correctly utilize them.

There exists a group of developers who approach the subject of cryptography with a cavalier attitude, who think they can wave the wand of cryptography at their applications and make them secure. This group of developers mistakenly believes that applying cryptography is fool-proof and rests secure in the fact that their applications utilize '128-bit encryption' or comply with some other such buzzword. I hope that this article will awaken this group to the many pitfalls and subtleties that can silently render your crypto system easily attackable.

While the application of encryption technologies to applications is a subject that must be approached with a modicum of care and understanding, the FCL has made excellent cryptographic technologies more accessible than ever, though there are still a number of principles that must be adhered to and pitfalls to be avoided.

..."

Nice in-depth article on using encryption in .Net...

Neowin.net - Anarchy Online is now totally free

Neowin.net - Where unprofessional journalism looks better - Anarchy Online is now totally free

"In a move that can only be described as surprising, Funcom has announced that their Sci-Fi themed MMORPG Anarchy Online has now gone totally free. You must sign up by January 15th 2005 and the expansion packs Alien Invasion, Shadowlands and Notum Wars are not included and still will require a subscription fee to play. You do not need a credit card to sign up, and this free to play subscription is good until January 1st 2006. You also must be creating a new account, it cannot be an old account.

Some people may be getting tired of elves and gnomes and all the other fantasy characters from all those other MMORPG's out these days. So Funcom decided now would be the time to offer this present to the masses. This looks to be a trial run at a new business model to see how they may present new future products down the road. Plus, hey you get a pretty good game for over a year of playtime."

Speaking of MMORPG's. Here's a chance to play a Sci-Fi one totally free.

You know me and free... Downloading the client now. :)

I'm glad I'm taking some time off this holiday session...

Document Library Browser 1.0 [SharePoint]

Document Library Browser 1.0

"I always complained about the lack of navigation option with the document library in SharePoint.

Lot of people speak about migrate all shared documents in WSS site. Great idea, but user loose some of their common tool : the NT Explorer

Browsing a document hierarchy always remember an explorer view and a Treeview.
...here is the treeview for WSS and/or SPS document library.

..."

This looks like a very cool free document library explorer/browser for WSS...

(via Paul Schaeflein's SharePoint Experience - A better (looking) explorer view for document libraries)

cBlog: Workspace Home [Sharepoint Blog Site Template]

cBlog: Workspace Home

"A custom site definition to create a Blog in SharePoint."

This is a Sharepoint custom site for blogging by Jim Duncan. Check out a sample at http://dev.collutions.com/blogs/sample/default.aspx

Looks pretty cool...

And I just turned over my WSS site to its business owner... sigh. I guess it's time to fire up a Win2K3 VPC to check this out... ;)

(Via Serge van den Oever [Macaw] - SharePoint goes weblogs!!)

Who Links To Me - for the ultimate narcissist within you

Who Links To Me - for the ultimate narcissist within you: "Who Links Here"

"Hi, I'm Shanti Braford.

This is my new link spidering & meta-link aggregation engine.

Follow the instructions to the left and you'll see who's linking to you in no time!

We currently support the following information sources:

Blogosphere Links
Who Links To Me (this site)
Blogrolling.com

Search Engines
Google
Yahoo! Seach
MSN Search

Traffic Data
Alexa

Our backend crawlers are constantly looking for any new links to your site, so you don't have to!

Currently Monitoring
blogs: 2,014,570

..."

Added a new blog-gadget today, Who Links to Me, http://wholinkstome.com/.

Kind of interesting. A simple way to see who is linking to my, or a given, site....

(via notgartner.com: Mitch Denny's Blog - WhoLinksToMe.com)

The Media Drop: Newspapers with RSS: A List

The Media Drop: Newspapers with RSS: A List

142, and counting, RSS feeds from newspapers from around the country...

Should be enough for any news junkie?

[Must not... subscribe to... more feeds... Must not... must have control... err.... AHHH!!!.. Okay, just one...]

:)

(via 3Leaf Development - 142 papers with RSS Feeds)

New Microsoft Toolbar/Desktop Search not supported on Win2K3?

The new beta Microsoft Toolbar/Desktop Search is not supported on Win2K3. sigh (ieah, I know it says Win2K & XP on the site, but I gave it a try in Win2K3 anyway... and it was no-go. Setup complained and went away).

That disappoints me. I run Win2K3 at work as a remote terminal for email and local work stuff (it's a long story). I have Lookout installed and now find it hard to live without. I was hoping to run the new MS Desktop Search too. Guess not...

I do have MS Desktop search on my Win2K notebook and it seems pretty cool. I really like how it indexes more than just a select list of extensions.

The new MS Toolbar is also pretty cool. Not cool enough yet to replace my Google toolbar, but it sure is showing a great deal of improvement since it's first release... Also now there's a blog button, making using my MSN Space much easier (but again, I don't think I'll be moving from Google/Blogger any time soon).

Interesting on how Google and MS are competing. Maybe if Google releases their own browser, IE will finally get some TLC?

Anyway, I'll be giving the MS Desktop Search tool a run for a bit and we'll see...

Welcome to Wish beta 1.5

"Dear Greg,:
Your application for the Wish beta 1.5 test has been accepted...."


COOL!

I was in the 1.0 beta, and got totally hooked on this game. The idea of having a single huge server/world has me hooked. Look at WoW with their 80+ servers... Think about hooking up with a friend... About effecting your world and managing custom content over 80 servers (i.e. you don't. All 80 are the same), etc.

Now think about a system designed to host tens of thousands of people in a single world all at the same time. Think about the cool things that can to be to this world by the GM's.

I can't wait till I get home... (Yeah, I know, I really need a life).

Oracle buys PeopleSoft for $10 billion | Tech News on ZDNet

Oracle buys PeopleSoft for $10 billion | Tech News on ZDNet

Wow, so it's finally over?

(via Enigma - Oracle buys Peoplesoft !!!)

25 Years Old? - You Can't Get Hired Here...

25 Years Old? - You Can't Get Hired Here...

"Yes, its a outsourcing firm, but all of their careers state that if you’re 25 (well, 2 state 30) years old or older, you probably won’t get hired for a position. The majority of these positions also state that females are preferred...."

This Philippine outsourcing firm, Optimum Source, Inc, clearly clearly starts you need to be "No more than xx (25|30) years old" to get a job there.

Also that for some jobs you MUST be female (for the Admin Assistant for example).

This rubs me the wrong way. So I wanted to post here as a note to self to avoid any type of relationship with this firm in the future...

South Park Studios: Games: Create a Character

South Park Studios: Games: Create a Character

LOL. Create you're own South Park Character.

Now I have to get my Google-Picasa-Hello BloggerBot thing working so I can show off mine... ;)

(Via Geek Noise - Create Your Own Southpark Character)

US Census FTP Site

For some reason I think this is cool...

You can download what seems like a ton of free data from the US Census's FTP site.

I've used the "Tiger" data in the past, and it seems like it's available free in ftp://ftp.census.gov/tiger_data/. Not really sure what the full data set is, so I'm downloading the west.tar.gz @ 1.27GB to check it out. (Have I said how much I like my Adelpha cable modem?)

If there's any good data, I'll update this post...

Time to write a book, "The Dummy's Guide to Free US Gov Web Resources..." :)

Google Suggest

Google Suggest

This is very cool. I read about it on a couple blogs, but until seeing it again on Joel on Software I'd been ignoring it...

In one of our products at work we have this feature called a Word Wheel. It's a search tool which provides feedback to the user when their are building a search. As they enter a search, actual words from the data are displayed and can be selected. This allows them to interactively see that they are searching for valid terms.

Google Suggest is very much the same. As you enter a search term, you not only get a list of matching terms but also how many times they've been found. This all happens as you type in your terms, narrowing the list as you continue to enter characters...

Pretty cool.

Also Joel talks about the tech behind this.

I've been doing out of band DHTML page updates with IE/XMLHTTP for a couple years now, but Google's is browser independent. Which is also pretty cool.

MSINC.Plugins

MSINC.Plugins
Provide true extensibility by using Plugins

"The MSINC.Plugins library allows you to easily integrate plugins into your application.

A plugin is a component or object which can be used by your application at runtime even though it may not have been included in your application originally, much like a Visual Studio or Microsoft Office Add-In. Often, a plugin's implementation will be defined in an assembly that is not part of the application's original distribution, which is loaded dynamically at runtime and integrated seamlessly.

Our plugin library has simplified the task of integrating a plugin architecture into your application, and provides the flexibility and features you need to make your application truly extensible.

Unlike most other plugin libraries, MSINC.Plugins does not require your plugins to implement an interface defined by us. You may treat nearly any System.Type as a plugin, or define your own plugin interface.

Dynamically loaded assemblies may be shadow-copied, or copied into temporary storage before loading, to prevent the application from locking the assembly file.

Loaded assemblies may be loaded into a separate AppDomain, providing better process separation and the ability to unload the assembly at runtime.

..."

Intersting. I'm a firm believer in not re-inventing the wheel. When I do my plugin work (real soon now), I'll want to take a look at this.

Oh BTW, it's free...

(Via ISerializable - More free cool components from SharpTools)

zVarchar example [SQL Server 2K5 .Net UDT]

zVarchar example

"As mentioned in a previous entry, I decided to try to build a compressed text data type as an example of a UDT. So here it is. I built a datatype called zVarchar. To keep things as a reasonable demo, I didn't incorporate complex compression, just a simple run length encoding scheme and built it in VB so most should be able to read it. But it's interesting. If you want to try it, start a new SQL Server project in VS2005, add a User Defined Type and include the code below. After building and deploying it, you can do the following:

CREATE TABLE GregTest(
RecID int IDENTITY(1,1),
TextValue zVarchar
)

I then tried storing values in it. On small varchar values, the overhead of the UDT meant the data was actually larger than a varchar. But, I tried some examples with large varchar values (around 1000 characters per row and about 40% compressible) and got good results. My table using the zVarchar data type was around 50% of the size of a table using varchar, with 10,000 rows in the table. To keep it interesting, I added some additional functions to allow access to the compressed value, the length (both compressed and uncompressed), etc.

You can then execute queries like:
SELECT TextValue.CompressedLength() FROM GregTest

..."

Interesting... I need to think about this. This seems like a good exception to the "SQL 2K5 .Net UDT's should only be scalar values" rule.

For my purposes, I'd need to make sure the data travels over the wire compressed. And since the .Net Assembly needs to be deployed to any client using the .Net UDT, it should be do'able.

I don't want the SQL Server taking the compress/decompress hit. And also the fewer bytes on the wire the better. Think HTTP compression....

But then again, is the .Net UDT overhead really needed? In my case, does it add enough value or is it just cool?

I can see instances where I would need the data decompress on the SQL Server (to be used in set based queries, etc). While a .Net SP could do the compress/decompress, I like the idea of the data being self contained.

Also I can see having different compression schemes for different data (text vs images, etc). With a UDT, you could query it to see what kind of compression was used (RLE/gzip/etc) for its data.

Again, I need to think about this.

The Code Room

The Code Room

"Inside an intercity warehouse sits a desk, a laptop, and a few partially charged batteries. Three attendees are taken to The Code Room by host Jessi Knapp, following a free developer seminar and asked to complete a complex software challenge. With limited battery power, they must achieve the impossible design and develop an ecommerce website in just a few hours. This professionally produced & directed 30-minute TV show highlights the social, teaming, and technical challenges faced when attempting to complete a software development project of this magnitude."

Are reality shows interesting when its YOUR reality they are broadcasting? I already ready live it, so do I need to see a show about it too?

Not sure, but the trailer looks interesting. :)

Looks like the pilot will be online today, December 9, via MSDN TV.

(via Julia Lerman Blog - Don't Be Iffy... - CodeRoom trailer)

Update #1 12/10/2004 @ 7:04PM PST:
You can view the pilot now...

I'm watching it now, via MSDN TV - The Code Room – Pilot Episode

Wow. It is a very professional production...

Update #2 12/10/2004 @ 7:25PM PST:
As I watch...

What a great way to demo MS tech. There are cut scenes to the pertinent demo's from the MSDN Live event related to what the coderoom developers are doing...

OT: Dungeon Siege Elemental Alpha R3.2 Mod on GameSpot DLX

Dungeon Siege Elemental Alpha R3.2 Mod on GameSpot DLX

"Dungeon Siege Elemental Alpha r3.2 mod (ElementalR3b2s1832.exe)
from: the elemental team / size: 489 MB / posted: 08-dec-2004
about: This total conversion mod for Dungeon Siege takes place in a Biblepunk setting, where you can choose to play one of three unique races and explore a more gritty version of ancient Judea. This is the final release of this mod over two and a half years in the making, so download it and see what makes this Dungeon Siege mod so popular....

This 479 meg release adds two new player character races, Mantis and Human
Female, as well as a host of other fixes and improvements too numerous to
mention.

But after two years and seven months, the time has come to say goodbye to DS
and Elemental. It's been a tremendous experience for us here. During our
development, nine members of our team found game industry jobs, we logged over
300,000 downloads, appeared in three books, over 20 magazines, garnered
publisher interest, and even won a PC Gamer Mod of the Month.

..."

My son has spent many an hour playing DS. I wonder if he'd be interested in playing this (and other mods)? Will have to check...

StimulControls v1.0

StimulControlsMoreInfo : Reporting Tool for .Net Framework, Controls for .Net Framework

"StimulControls.Net is a collection of 100% native .NET framework managed controls written in C#. All controls distribute absolutely free, with source codes. The collection allows developers to create high-quality, applications with a cool design. The package contains DockingManager, Button, CheckBox, RadioButton, ComboBox, GroupBox, ListBox, TextBox, TabControl, ButtonEdit, ColorBox, FontBox, MenuProvider, NumericSpinEdit, OutlookBar, ToolBar, TreeViewBox, TreeView, and GroupBox components."

A free, with source, winform control suite. Looking at the screenshots, the controls seem to be pretty nice. And the price is just right...

(via Windows Forms.Net)

Download details: Do-It-Yourself Script Center Kit

Download details: Do-It-Yourself Script Center Kit

"The Do-It-Yourself Script Center Kit includes all the materials you need to create your own version of the TechNet Script Center, either as stand-alone Web pages, stand-alone .vbs files, or as a .chm Help file. Included in the Kit are a database of all the scripts found in the TechNet Script Center Script Repository, as well helper scripts for creating Web pages, .vbs files, and .chm files. The Kit also includes instructions for using these helper scripts."

From the default.htm in the download;
"This help file contains all the scripts found in the TechNet Script Center (http://www.microsoft.com/technet/scriptcenter) as of November 5, 2004. Most of the scripts are designed to run with either Windows 2000, Windows XP, or Windows Server 2003, although many will also run on Windows NT 4.0 or Windows 98; in the latter two cases, however, you might need to install additional scripting technologies such as ADSI or WMI before the scripts will work. For more information about obtaining and installing ADSI, WMI, and the latest version of Windows Script Host (WSH 5.6), see the Script Center's Scripting FAQ. ..."

This is pretty darn cool. This kit gives you 2,214 scripts from MS's TechNet script center in a Access MDB. Also provided are vbs scripts to help you turn these scripts into web pages, stand-alone script files or into a Help/CHM file.

Very nice...

Update #1 12/8/2004 @ 9:37AM (PST):
There's a bug in the folder index maker script (used when you create a local, stand-alone web page script center), html_folder_index_maker.vbs. In the distributed file, "ScriptLanguage" is spelt wrong (ScriptLangauge).

Since the script begins with "on error resume next" you get stuck in an endless loop going no where and with no indication there's a problem (except for the script sucking up all available memory and no "default.htm" files being written out...).

Line 22, should read like;

objRecordSet2.Open "SELECT * FROM Scripts Where LocalPath = '" & objRecordset.Fields.Item("LocalPath") & "' AND ScriptLanguage = 'VBScript' ORDER BY Title", objConnection, adOpenStatic, adLockOptimistic

It's funny how much faster it runs with the query is right... :|

PDC 2005

PDC 2005

"...On the MSDN Events site there is an announcement for PDC 2005. It's being held September 13 -16 in Los Angeles. Hopefully it will be as good at the last."

I just emailed my Senior Manager, letting him know I plan on submitting a request to attend this...

Do you think I'm a little early? ;)

Blogger Jobs: Blogger Wanted - InsideBlogging

Blogger Jobs: Blogger Wanted - InsideBlogging

"Company: InsideBlogging
Location: Any
Send resumes to: info@insideblogging.com
Job tip courtesy of: InsideBlogging

Description

InsideBlogging is seeking a for-pay blogger to produce IT and tech-related content for clients. The Blogger will be expected to produce several "news" style pieces (see: Engadget for an example of length, tone, etc) per day.

Requirements

At least 3 months experience blogging
IT or Technology experience and a strong interest in both
Strong familiarity with feed readers
Ability to source industry news, prioritize it and create succinct posts for the sites being launched
Excellent, proven communications skills"

Interesting job... I wish I was a better writer.

But considering the political flack I'd get when I notified my senior management that I was taking this on as a second/part time job it's probably better I'm not a writer at heart. :|

(Yeah, I'd have to tell them. Being in the industry I'm in, I've seen to many people try to hide things causing themselves even more trouble in the end. It's just not worth it. Nor would I feel right about it, doing it behind their backs...
And of course there's the IP contract I signed... sigh. The fun of working at one of the Final Four.)

My "Read These" Folder #1

I have a folder on my Desktop called "Read These" where I drag URL's for articles or posts that I want to print and read in detail. About once a week I print them all and then clean out the folder.

Well I though I might want to get at these articles some time in the future, and of course at that time I won't be able to printed copy.

Now as part of my Print/Delete cycle, I'll also post them all to my blog. Figure it's more efficient and easy to find than a whole bunch of "read this" posts.

My "Read These" Folder Contents #1 (12/6/2004)

Software Factories: Assembling Applications with Patterns, Models, Frameworks, and Tools

Visual Development with Mono, GTK# and Glade, Part I

Visual Studio Columns Deploying Windows Forms Applications with ClickOnce

The Code Project - Printing Architecture - Printing

Deploying Windows Forms Applications with ClickOnce

Visual C# Home Wonders of Windows Forms Custom Data Binding

SQL Server Developer Center Tracing Data Access

The Code Project - Business Objects for CodeSmith - C# Programming

The Code Project - Plugin Manager - C# Programming

Plug-in Manager

Creating a Flexible Dynamic Plugin Architecture under .NET

Visual Studio .NET in the Real World Code Generators with .NET

The Code Project - Application Event Handler for WinForms - VB.NET

Data Access and Storage Developer Center New DataSet Features in ADO.NET 2.0

TheServerSide.NET - New Security Features in .NET 2.0

TheServerSide.NET - New Security Features in .NET 2.0

"The new security components in .NET 2.0 can help you greatly reduce the amount of code you need to write in order to make your applications secure. Security is difficult to get right, and it is a good strategy to leverage the code provided by Microsoft and other security vendors. To that end, .NET 2.0 provides numerous additional types that encapsulate functionality already provided in the base Windows OS., as well a new functionality only available in .NET 2.0. The improvements affect public key cryptography, Windows security, remoting, ASP.NET and Code Access Security. Even if you plan to stick with .NET 1.1 for a while and implement your own security classes, you might want to take inspiration from.NET 2.0 beta..."

Note to self: Read this.

Download details: Developer Support OLE File Property Sample (DSOFILE) (DSOFile.DLL 2.0)

Download details: Developer Support OLE File Property Sample (DSOFILE)

"Microsoft Developer Support OLE File Property Reader 2.0 Sample (KB 224351)
Code sample download of a COM component which can be used from scripting languages to read the OLE document properties of Microsoft Office files using the OLE IPropertyStorage interface.

Quick Info
File Name:DsoFileSetup_KB224351_x86.exe
Download Size:224 KB
Date Published:12/6/2004
Version:2.0

Overview
The Microsoft Developer Support OLE File Property Reader 2.0 Sample demonstrates how to use the OLE IPropertyStrorage interface to read and write the document properties of OLE files, such as the properties of native Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Publisher, and Microsoft Visio files, independent of the application that created the file. The sample includes a binary COM component and the component source code, which developers working in managed code (VB.NET or C#) or scripting languages (VBScript, JScript, ASP) can use to better enhance their ability to index, search, organize or edit the properties of OLE files from custom projects."

I've used older versions of this DLL on a number of projects. It's nice to see MS continuing to support and improve it.

Nvu - The Complete Web Authoring System for Linux, Mac and Windows (1.0 Beta Released)

Nvu - The Complete Web Authoring System

"Finally! A complete Web Authoring System for Linux Desktop users as well as Microsoft Windows users to rival programs like FrontPage and Dreamweaver.

Nvu (pronounced N-view, for a "new view") makes managing a web site a snap. Now anyone can create web pages and manage a website with no technical expertise or knowledge of HTML.

New Announcement Dec 02, 2004:
The pre-release version of Nvu 1.0 Beta is now available for download. If you would like to give it a try you can download it from here. Nvu, like all software projects, is a continual evolving and growing project with new features, functionality and fixes. Expect this to continue as we move through the beta process which may take several months. Thanks for your support and enjoy using Nvu!"

Another OSS package for me to track... I don't use FP too much, and when I do it's to modify WSS sites, so I don't uninstalling it soon. But it might be interesting to turn my son loose with something like this to see what he can do. Given the price of the software (freeware)...

IMHO having a free alternate to a MS package is a good thing. They seem to push MS to provide even better products/value for the dollar.

(via ActiveWin - FrontPage Gets Open Source Foe)

WINAMP 5.07 (Critical Security Bug Fixed)

WINAMP.COM | Player | Version History

If you're still using WinAmp 5.06 or less, you'll want to download 5.07 asap... Even if you don't use it, but still have it installed, you'll want this fix.

5.07 fixes, what I understand to be, a serious security hole.

The Code Project - Using Cache in Your WinForms Applications - C# Programming

The Code Project - Using Cache in Your WinForms Applications - C# Programming

"I am working on a WinForms application where I need to cache some information for a period of time. There are a number of ways to accomplish this. For instance, one can use the Caching Application Block from Microsoft. However, I came across a Microsoft Knowledge Base Article that covers a problem with the Caching Application Block. Inconsistencies can occur when multiple threads attempt to update the same cache item in a short time. As a workaround, the article suggests using another caching mechanism such as the ASP.NET cache.

This got me thinking. Is it possible to use the Microsoft ASP.NET cache in a WinForms application? So, I wrote a sample app to see if it is possible.
..."

An interesting idea...

Sysinternals Freeware - Process Explorer - 8.6 Released

Sysinternals Freeware Process Explorer

"What's new in Version 8.60:
Multi-row tabs on process properties dialog
Image signing verification on process image properties dialog
Mini-CPU usage graph on toolbar
Command-line option for specifying Process Explorer priority
Manual refresh (F5) forces recheck of job and .NET process status
Single-clicking on tray icon minimizes and restores main window"

The very cool Process Explorer from Sysinternals has rev'ed to 8.6

This is a must have utility for any Windows developer (and its price ...

Also don't forget about their other cool utilities, like AutoRuns, etc.

(via Bink.nu - Sysinternals releases new Process Explorer)

OT: Interesting Saint Paul Police Web Site

This Week's Prostitution Photos -- Saint Paul Police

I love the internet and its information sharing power. It seems the St. Paul Police has a weekly photo roundup of picked up hookers and johns.

FYI, This is not for the weak of heart. Talk about a picture of humanity... :|

(via The Smoking Gun - The Harlot Letters)

MSN IM 7.0 Beta Available

Try the NEW MSN Messenger Beta


MSN IM 7.0 beta is now generally available.

It seems pretty cool. The winks and nudge features don't float my boat, but the interintegratedgrated history is pretty cool. If you have History turned on, when the IM window opens for a contact you see the last view messages you sent/received from them. No matter how long ago it was... And there is a link to view all the past history.

Also the "Send message to WebWatch" could be neat. Another reason to get a SPOT watch? (sigh, but it seems there is no MSN Direct coverage in my area... Glad I checked :)

MS might have found one way to make free IM clients pay... "Mini-payments" ($1-$1.50,etc) for extra stuff. You can easily buy new themes, emotes, backgrounds via the new IM.

It has a new "handwrite" method for entering an IM message. Without a tablet it's a pain to write a message, but what is cool it that it's a very simple way to draw and send a simple picture. And older MSN IM client's CAN see it...

This new IM client is supposed to be hooked into MSN's new blog service, http://spaces.msn.com too (but I don't see where or how, 'cause of course I created a test space there, http://spaces.msn.com/members/coolthingoftheday... ).

Unicode Path Fun...

In my industry/field (EDD) we run into many "fun" issues. This week's issue is long paths. Files get copied quite often during EDD processing. No one wants to touch original files, so drive imaging is used all the time. So that's a copy...

Then in many cases the files get staged somewhere. Not wanting to touch where a file is located on the image, the original path is appended to the staged location.

Then the files get copied again and again and again during the different phases. Since each phase (handled by different companies, people, processes, OS's, applications, etc) wants to maintain the "original" paths, these paths are appended to any new path.

For example;

C:\test.txt <- Original C:\test.txt <- Drive Image

\\Server\Share\Client\Custodian\Machine\C_Drive\ test.txt <-Process 1

\\Server2\Share\ClientX\Client\Custodian\Machine\C_Drive\ test.txt <-Process 2

\\Server3\Share\Stuff to do\Outsourceclient\Client X\Client\Custodian\Machine\C_Drive\ test.txt <-Process 3

\\AnotherServer\Share\WorkForClientY\OutputFromUtility\Stuff to do\Outsourceclient\Client X\Client\Custodian\Machine\C_Drive\ test.txt <-Process 4

and so on, and so on...

Which means that at the end there's a good chance that some of the data will be in paths longer than MAX_PATH (260 ANSI characters). Actually not just a good chance as it does happen. I've seen some scary path lengths.

This means each system, solution, process, etc must determine a way to handle these. Right now the solution I am involved with handles these manually (i.e. with human intervention). We've been working on our process stack to automate long path handling and now we're at the last item. Which is where my fun begins today.

Today I am playing with the Unicode FindFirstFileW, FindNextFileWand CopyFileEX API's, building proof of concept apps to play with the API's, sample cases, etc. Luckily we already use the ANSI version of these API's so the conversion to the Unicode version shouldn't be too bad. Have to make sure my null trimming handles wide characters, etc, etc.

Building the sample case was kind of fun. I needed a deep path to play with...

Using the latest version of robocopy (XP010) I created a deep path (60 levels deep for now). Of course Windows Exploder (err, I mean Explorer) can't navigate past MAX_PATH nor can any of the standard command line utilities. So on my Windows box, I have to use the GNU/Unix/SFU utilities to transverse/move/delete these long paths... I find that ironic.

Well back to coding... :)

ActiveWin.com - New Netscape embraces Firefox, IE

ActiveWin.com - New Netscape embraces Firefox, IE

"As of 8 a.m. PST Tuesday, Netscape fans were test-driving a prototype Netscape browser that runs on two different browsing engines: the Mozilla Foundation's Gecko engine, which powers up the Mozilla, Firefox and older Netscape browsers, and Microsoft's Internet Explorer engine, which many consider the de facto Web standard. The prototype's release follows earlier reports that the AOL unit planned a comeback for the Netscape browser and portal, as well as indications that the new browser would include some surprises under the hood. "

I was reading about this yesterday... What a great idea. I know other browsers/utilities have done this in a limited way, but seeing it in a mainstream browser is pretty cool. Once this is released I'll have to check it out.
It would be nice if you could save the engine that should be used for a given URL. So everytime you go to *.Hotmail.com the IE engine is used, etc.

Does this mean we're finally getting to the point where the HTML rendering engine is really seperate from the front end/browser? Let's hope so.

Anyway, talk about embrace and extend...

TestDriven.Net 1.0

TestDriven.Net

TestDriven.Net 1.0 has been released.

I saw a couple posts about this, but until I saw this post from James, I didn't realize that TestDriven.Net used to be called NUnitAddin.

But it seems to be much more than just a NUnit front end now...

It seems to be pretty cool.

(via .Avery Blog - TestDriven.NET 1.0 Released)

Hector Protector Button/Screen Saver

Hector Protector Button/Screen Saver

"This Hector Protector^TM button has been created by the NetSafe Programme of New Zealand to help keep children safe online. The function of this button is to give a child the ability to quickly cover the screen of the computer with a screensaver of Hector Protector^TM when they encounter material that frightens or upsets them. With a click of the button, the problem is covered over by Hector until a trusted adult can come and deal with the situation. Hector also gives children very positive feedback for using the button and talking with an adult about the problem."


I saw this yesterday and I'm not sure what to think about it... but it strikes me as weird.

I just can't see my son using this. He's about to turn 11, so maybe he's outgrown it? I mean, I can see him accidentally getting an adult web page, tilting his head to the side and saying, "Gross!" and closing it. I just don't see him pushing the "Hector" button and running to get Dad (though maybe... err... never mind...).

I don't know... maybe it makes sense. I'll might have to give it a try to see if he'll use it.

Maybe I can define "material that frightens or upsets them" as the IE Program Install dialog so he stops install so much crap on my system... Oh wait, it's me that gets upset. Damn I need a Remote Hector button.

:|

SourceForge.net: #develop 1.0.2a stopgap release

SourceForge.net: #develop 1.0.2a stopgap release

"Version 1.0.2a is a stopgap release - we found a critical bug that could result in lost work, and thus we decided to release a interim version immediately. In addition to the crucial fix you also receive improvements that are already done but were earmarked for the next planned release. For details of the changes in this release please see the change log.

Note: the critical bug was introduced between versions 1.0.1 and 1.0.2 – if you are using 1.0.1 or older, you aren't affected, but we still do recommend that you upgrade to the latest version.

..."

If you're using #develop 1.0.2 you might want to download 1.0.2a...

Blogger "Issues"

Monday, November 29, 2004

"We've had to restart the databases multiple times today because of server freezes. During the freezes, users would have encountered error pages when trying to access their blogs.

We're planning on a number of improvements this week to address this very serious situation. First, we will be pushing new code to both gather information on these freezes as well as revise some features to put less strain on the database. Second, we will be effectively doubling the number of machines used to handle the db workload...."

Blogger has been having a tough couple days... I've lost a couple posts and am having a really tough time posting (tons of time outs, double posts, freezing during posting, etc, etc). I'm not complaining mind you. Blogger has worked great for me and the price is just right...

In any case, to try to save what little sanity I have left (and if I can control myself), I'm going to hold off posting for a couple days. (Actually I'll be posting offline with w.bloggar and will publish when things are a little more stable).

I'm probably lying and will continue to post as usual, bitching-and-moaning the entire time, but just in case, this is my CYA.

:)

SharePoint User Manager (Version: X1.0)

SharePoint User Manager (Version: X1.0)

"Not sure about other people, but I find it quite time consuming when trying to manage users inside of Windows SharePoint Services sites, especially when the sites in the hierarchy have their security inheritance broken. A number of customers end upbreaking security inheritance at every opportunity and then hit this problem.

So, I am in the process of writing a SharePoint User Manager Windows Application in order to help out in this area!"

(via SharePoint Services Deployment Diary - SharePoint User Manager)

Knowledge Management (KM) Resources

Knowledge Management (KM) Resources - Prism Legal Consulting, Inc.

"The list of resources below was assembled by a group of KM professionals at large law firms in November 2004. It is neither comprehensive nor exhaustive. Some items below are free, others require payment."

A list of litigation focused Knowledge Management resources (magazines, sites, blogs, etc).

(via Prism Legal Consulting - List of KM Resources

PSSDIAG Data Collection Utility (Diagnostic Data Collector for Microsoft SQL Server)

PSSDIAG Data Collection Utility

"Overview
PSSDiag is a diagnostic data collector for Microsoft SQL Server. It can simultaneously collect Perfmon/Sysmon logs, Profiler traces, event logs, SQLDIAG reports, and detailed blocking information. It is commonly used by Microsoft Product Support Services engineers to collect diagnostic data from end-user installations and can also be used by end-users to troubleshoot and monitor their own SQL Server installations...."

Sounds usefull. Will have to download it and check it out...

(via ActiveWin - PSSDIAG Data Collection Utility)

(IBM) Lotus Support RSS Feeds

Lotus Support RSS Feeds

Again I say RSS is the Tech of the year...

IBM/Lotus publishes a number of support RSS for most/all of their products it seems.

Also on this page are links to other IBM RSS feed sites (developerWorks, IBM Redbooks, etc).

Have I said recently how much I like RSS? :|

The Galactic Patrol: Getting paid in fourth grade - the challenge!

The Galactic Patrol: Getting paid in fourth grade - the challenge!

"A while back, Jon Galloway posted this great (and hopefully true) story about a game that a fourth-grade teacher played with his students, to teach them some real-world economics:

Here are the rules:

Each week, you get a salary of funny money (I think it can vary depending on grades and behavior, but the details aren't important). There are cheap, flashy toys you can buy with your funny money.

Catch number one: You must pay rent on your desk. The rent turns out to be a significant amount of the funny money.

Catch number two: You can save up and buy your desk. This takes several weeks of saving. After you've bought your desk, you no longer pay rent, so you've got more money each week.

Catch number three (my favorite): After you've bought your desk, you can buy another student's desk. They must pay you rent (unless they save up and buy the desk).

What's funny is that the same thing happens every year - the boys blow all their money on the flashy toys, while the girls all save up and buy their desks. Then the girls buy the boys' desks. Then the girls buy all the best goodies. The boys get outraged at having to pay rent to a girl, and that the girls have all the money."

I must have missed it when John posted this. I'm glad Bruce reposted it.

I laughed out loud at the last paragrpah... Damn girls... ;)

(via The Galactic Patrol - Getting paid in fourth grade - the challenge! and JonGalloway.ToString() - [OT] A real education - in 4th grade )

Xonix 256MB MP3 USB Watch - woot

Xonix 256MB MP3 USB Watch - woot

Been thinking about getting a new watch...

Now if I could get a SPOT watch with the features of this one I might be sold.

But still this one is pretty cool (hint, hint Santa)

IBM Releases Object Rexx as Open Source

IBM Releases Object Rexx as Open Source

For some reason REXX has a special place in my heart. I've only used it on my Amiga about a million years ago, but each time I see a reference to the language sigh and think back...

Anyway to get off the Way Back Train, it seems IBM is releasing their Object Rexx as open source. The Open Object REXX SourceForge site is up, but not much is there yet.

Something for me to monitor in the coming months.

On a similar note, I find it interesting how companies are releasing their old/low revenue/low volume products are OSS.... I wonder if we'll see MS Bob released as OSS? :|