Monday, December 18, 2006

Friday, November 24, 2006

Visibone does it again

Visibone Country Chart
The world's first map of internet country codes.
Phone codes too, alphabetic and numeric lists.

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

There is a space on my desk for this.

The Device
Myriad uses, limitless configuration potential. Monitor any or all of the following - and more!

Radioactive Decay Rates • Electrotherapeutic Shock Intensity
Ebay Auction Status • Stock and Bond Values • Seismic Activity
CPU Usage • Audio VU Meter Levels • Counter Strike Frags
Daily Commute Time • National Security Threat Level
Network Traffic or Website Hit Counts • The Current GDP of Uzbekistan
3D Render Progress • Cooking Time for your Thanksgiving Turkey
Days (or Hours!) until your Secret Plans come to Fruition

Tuesday, October 17, 2006

I knew Thunderbirds was forward thinking...

New tech knocks out digital cameras
The technology they've devised detects the presence of a digital camera up to 33 feet away and can then shoot a targeted beam of light at the lens

Love someone? tell them your password.

Taking passwords to the grave
Attorneys advising clients on estate planning should ask them to determine who they want to have access to their computers when they die, Rotenberg said.

Airline security gone mad.

When is a rock not a rock?
When you pass through airport security. Then it becomes a potential weapon, one capable of bringing an airplane down.

Monday, October 16, 2006

Are you there Eliza? My e-mail is broken.

Got A Question? Microsoft's Newly Acquired Software May Have The Answers
Colloquis' technology lets Web users type free-form questions into a text box, and receive conversational answers via artificial intelligence technology known as natural language processing. The technique parses typed-in sentences to identify their subjects and other parts of speech, then assigns levels of importance to certain words. "The best example I can give is if sometime types in, 'My E-mail sucks', the natural language processing agent is able to understand that," says Clinton Dickey, a group product manager at Microsoft who worked on the deal. "It's about replicating live agents."

Monday, August 14, 2006

Windows Vista = SQL 2005

Running SQL Server on "Microsoft Windows Server Longhorn" or Microsoft Windows Vista:
Windows Vista will only support the follow on release to SQL Server 2005 Service Pack 1 (SP1) or later. Earlier versions of SQL Server, including SQL Server 2000 (all editions including Desktop Engine edition, a.k.a MSDE), SQL Server 7.0, and SQL Server 6.5, will not be supported on Windows Server 'Longhorn' or Windows Vista.

Thursday, August 10, 2006

Thursday, July 27, 2006

Just in case a client needs it...

Download details: Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio Express:
Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio Express (SSMSE) is a free, easy-to-use graphical management tool for managing SQL Server 2005 Express Edition and SQL Server 2005 Express Edition with Advanced Services.

Wednesday, July 26, 2006

What colour is your DBMS

Comparison of different SQL implementations:
The following tables compare how different DBMS products handle various SQL (and related) features. If possible, the tables also state how the implementations should do things, according to the SQL standard.

Friday, July 14, 2006

Climb the.skyscrapr

What is Architecture?:
The principal challenge of architecture is to successfully manage complexity. The more complex a system is, the greater is its need for architecture.

Monday, July 10, 2006

Nice kiwi blog on SQL & BI

Business Intelligence on SQL Server:
Free Tools that have made my SQL life a bit better

Viva la Hack

SQL 2005 Service Manager:
With the lack of an equivalent in SQL2005 for the SQL Server Service Manager that comes with SQL2000, I've decided to write one myself. It's behaviour should be familiar to you if you've used SQL2000.

Wednesday, June 14, 2006

Thursday, May 25, 2006

Good grief - talking shoes.

Apple - Nike+iPod: "Thanks to a unique partnership between NIKE and Apple, your iPod nano becomes your coach. Your personal trainer. Your favorite workout companion. Introducing Nike+iPod."

Thursday, May 18, 2006

I Heart Auckland Traffic Website

Auckland Traffic Website
* North to Silverdale
* South to Takanini
* West to Royal Road
New cameras!

what a site
(disclaimer - I have nothing to do with this site... pity)

Thursday, May 11, 2006

CRM Relationships

mibuso.com [Downloads]:
These Microsoft Office Visio diagrams show an even more logical view of the database structure for Microsoft CRM 3.0.

Tuesday, May 09, 2006

email2face is making email more personal.

email2face [beta]:
We created email2face to help both ourselves and others like you put faces to all of those email addresses that we call friends. Go ahead and give it a try by searching for someone's photo by their email address. We also encourage you to add your photo to the repository so that others who only know you by your email address can find out what you look like as well.

Thursday, May 04, 2006

Pinch me, I must be dreaming

Computerworld > Unbundling timeline: what happens next?:
The brave new world of telecommunications has been ushered in with something of a roar but what will actually happen and when?

Monday, May 01, 2006

Handy Google Reference

Google Cheat Sheets (Version 1.05):
This two page Google Cheat Sheet lists all Google services and tools as well as background information. The Cheat Sheet offers a great reference to grasp of basic to advance Google query building concepts and ideas.

Friday, April 21, 2006

Many to Many in Microsoft CRM 3.0

Mid Atlantic Microsoft CRM
One of the things that has driven a few newer partners who are used to other CRM Systems bonkers has been how to do a Many to Many relationship type in CRM 3. So after consulting with the experts, it can be done and can be done quite easily.

Wednesday, April 05, 2006

Replacing SQL cursors without Correlated Queries

Handling Cursor-Friendly Problems in T-SQL: Running Totals Example:
A typical "cursor friendly" problem is one where the data set returned contains at least one column whose value depends on column values from one or more previous rows of the same row set.
The article goes on to compare
Cursor - simplest and at the same time almost the most efficient
Correlated Query - simplest and the least efficient

Then by cunning use of 'SET @variable = column = expression' we get the following
Table Variable - most efficient pure Transact-SQL

this has some potential safety issues that are then addressed by derived tables with an order by clause.
Then he uses the following tweaks to make sure all is well
- FORCE ORDER as a join hint
- force an index to ensure correct ordering.

I am still chewing on this one - but I feel the implications could be huge.
your mileage may vary, but I am excited.

Statistics for NZ internet usage

Computerworld > New Zealand is a nation of dial-up users says Statistics NZ:
There were 1.24 million active internet subscribers in New Zealand between March and September 2005
70%, or 869,300, were modem users
Total residential internet penetration was around 30%
Business uptake of internet connections increased by 17%
66 ISPs compete for the 1.24 million customers
Dial-up access increased 4% from March to September

Thursday, March 30, 2006

Wednesday, March 29, 2006

How would you answer the question?

Pounding A Nail: Old Shoe or Glass Bottle?:
A client has asked me to build and install a custom shelving system. I'm at the point where I need to nail it, but I'm not sure what to use to pound the nails in. Should I use an old shoe or a glass bottle?

Thursday, March 23, 2006

This scares me just a little

dresskevin.com - Help and FAQ:
One day, I had to face the facts: I had no idea how to dress myself. After going through old yearbooks and photographs, I came to the stunning realization that I needed serious help with my wardrobe. So, at first I did what most people would do. I went to others for advice. It was good, but limited.
So, I turned to the Internet. I put pictures of all my clothes up for everyone to see, and I'm asking for comments and suggestions for how to wear my clothes, and what to wear. This is where you come in: every day, I want you to vote on what I should wear for all my daily activities.

Wednesday, March 22, 2006

Tuesday, March 21, 2006

Microsoft .NET = nyet

Microsoft Vista and .NET:
between PDC 2003 and the release of Vista Beta 1 Microsoft has decided that it is better to use native code for the operating system, than to use the .NET framework.

Cars vs Computers

Michael Howard's Web Log : Security Analogies are usually Wrong:
If cars operated in an environment like the Internet, they would...

However

If Cars Were Built Like Applications…. :
Cars would have no airbags, mirrors, seat belts, doors, roll-bars, side-impact bars, or locks, because no-one had asked for them. But they would all have at least six cup holders.

Monday, March 20, 2006

Quantum weirdness

computer takes quantum leap and works when it's asleep:

Nobel laureate Murray Gell-Mann, who once said: 'We know how to use [quantum mechanics] and how to apply it to problems; and so we have learned to live with the fact that nobody can understand it.'

Cubicles: The great mistake

FORTUNE: Trapped in cubicles - Mar. 9, 2006:
Even the designer of the cubicle thinks they were maybe a bad idea, as millions of 'Dilberts' would agree.

Wednesday, March 01, 2006

My Window

My Window
My Window,
originally uploaded by MrDee.
This is the view from my desk

Monday, February 27, 2006

Outlook time zones

Jensen Harris: An Office User Interface Blog: "did you know you can show two time zones at once in the Outlook calendar?
This tip works in all versions of Outlook."

Wednesday, February 22, 2006

5 Dos and Don'ts of Blogging

Microsoft Momentum Article: "Blogs are a simple and inexpensive way to communicate with customers and prospects, but be aware of their downside."

Friday, February 17, 2006

Eric does it again

Yours, Mine and Ours:
"I claim here that there are three categories of software:
MeWare: The developer creates software. The developer uses it. Nobody else does.
ThemWare: The developer creates software. Other people use it. The developer does not.
UsWare: The developer creates software. Other people use it. The developer uses it too.
For completeness, I suppose I should probably mention the obvious fourth category:
NobodyWare: The developer creates software. Nobody uses it. "

He then explains the pros/Cons of each. Excellent article

Tuesday, February 14, 2006

'an army always fights better if you burn the bridges behind it.'

Borland to Sell Dev Tools:
"Leaving the IDE business means that Borland will no longer sell its Delphi, C++ Builder, C# Builder, JBuilder, Kylix or InterBase product lines.

These moves put Borland in more direct competition with a handful of companies focusing on application lifecycle management, including Compuware, Mercury Interactive, IBM, Serena Software, and to some extent Microsoft with its Visual Studio Team System."

Wednesday, February 01, 2006

The 30 Minute Regex Tutorial

The Code Project - .NET:
"My goal is to get you up and running with a basic understanding of regular expressions within 30 minutes."

Explaining BizTalk to your Grandma

The Code Project - .NET
"I would start off with an analogy. In the section below, I am comparing BizTalk Server to a Customs facility."

Friday, January 20, 2006

Patriot Search

Patriot Search - Our Mission: "Whether you are a normal searcher, someone trying to download illegal material, a terrorist looking to build a bomb, or just hunting porn, we at Patriot Search welcome you!
Our mission is to provide the best possible search engine to you while at the same time, making sure the government is informed should you search for something obscure, illegal, or unpatriotic."

Some code is just wierd

Phil Factor's Phrenetic Phoughts : A SQL Limerick:

Friday, January 13, 2006

Humour Archive #4

If Architects had to work like programmers:
=============================

Dear Mr. Architect:

Please design and build me a house. I am not quite sure of what I need, so you should use your discretion. My house should have somewhere between two and forty-five bedrooms. Just make sure the plans are such that the bedrooms can be easily added or deleted. When you bring the blueprints to me, I will make the final decision of what I want. Also, bring me the cost breakdown for each configuration so that I can arbitrarily pick one.

Keep in mind that the house I ultimately choose must cost less than the one I am currently living in. Make sure, however, that you correct all the deficiencies that exist in my current house (the floor of my kitchen vibrates when I walk across it, and the walls don't have nearly enough insulation in them).

As you design, also keep in mind that I want to keep yearly maintenance costs as low as possible. This should mean the incorporation of extra-cost features like aluminum, vinyl, or composite siding. (If you choose not to specify aluminum, be prepared to explain your decision in detail.)

Please take care that modern design practices and the latest materials are used in construction of the house, as I want it to be a showplace for the most up-to-date ideas and methods. Be alerted, however, that kitchen should be designed to accommodate, among other things, my 1952 Gibson refrigerator.

To insure that you are building the correct house for our entire family, make certain that you contact each of our children, and also our in-laws. My mother-in-law will have very strong feelings about how the house should be designed, since she visits us at least once a year. Make sure that you weigh all of these options carefully and come to the right decision. I, however, retain the right to overrule any choices that you make.

Please don't bother me with small details right now. Your job is to develop the overall plans for the house: get the big picture. At this time, for example, it is not appropriate to be choosing the color of the carpet.

However, keep in mind that my wife likes blue.

Also, do not worry at this time about acquiring the resources to build the house itself. Your first priority is to develop detailed plans and specifications. Once I approve these plans, however, I would expect the house to be under roof within 48 hours.

While you are designing this house specifically for me, keep in mind that sooner or later I will have to sell it to someone else. It therefore should have appeal to a wide variety of potential buyers. Please make sure before you finalize the plans that there is a consensus of the population in my area that they like the features this house has. I advise you to run up and look at my neighbor's house he constructed last year. We like it a great deal. It has many features that we would also like in our new home, particularly the 75-foot swimming pool. With careful engineering, I believe that you can design this into our new house without impacting the final cost.

Please prepare a complete set of blueprints. It is not necessary at this time to do the real design, since they will be used only for construction bids. Be advised, however, that you will be held accountable for any increase of construction costs as a result of later design changes.

You must be thrilled to be working on as an interesting project as this! To be able to use the latest techniques and materials and to be given such freedom in your designs is something that can't happen very often. Contact me as soon as possible with your complete ideas and plans.

PS: My wife has just told me that she disagrees with many of the instructions I've given you in this letter. As architect, it is your responsibility to resolve these differences. I have tried in the past and have been unable to accomplish this. If you can't handle this responsibility, I will have to find another architect.

PPS: Perhaps what I need is not a house at all, but a travel trailer. Please advise me as soon as possible if this is the case..

Humour Archive #3

If IBM made toasters .. Marketing would never agree on what customers really wanted in a toaster so millions of dollars would be spent in development and the toaster would be several years late. In the end, they would have one big toaster where people bring bread to be submitted for overnight toasting. IBM would claim a worldwide market for five, maybe six toasters.

If Microsoft made toasters.. Everytime you bought a loaf of bread, you would have to buy a toaster. You wouldn't have to take the toaster, but you'd still have to pay for it. Toaster '95 would weigh 15000 pounds (hence requiring a reinforced countertop), draw enough electricity to power a small city, take up 95% of the space in your kitchen, claim to be the first toaster to that lets you claim how light or dark you want your toast to be, and would secretly interrogate your other appliances to find out who made them. Everyone would hate Microsoft toaster, but would buy them anyway since most of the good bread only works in their toasters.

If Apple made toasters.. It would do everything the Microsoft toaster does only five years earlier. The toast would make a little smiley face at you when it popped up, or else it would get stuck and there would be a little picture of a bomb burned into it, If they break these toaster would require a special set of Mac toaster tools to even open up. Worldwide market share would be 5, but all the bread in school would be exclusively toasted on the Mac toaster.

Does Wang still make toasters? They made good toasters in the 70's didn't they?

If Hewlett-Packard made toasters.. They would market the Reverse Polish Toaster, which takes in toast and gives you back bread.

If Dick Smith made toasters.. The staff would be able to sell you a toaster, but not know anything about it. You would be able to buy all the parts to build your own toasters, but non would come in the basic toaster package and price.

If the Franklin Mint made toasters.. Every month, you would receive another hand crafted piece of authentic Civil War Toast.

If the NSA made toasters.. Your toaster would have a secret trap door that only the NSA could access in case they needed to look at your toast for Nation Security reasons.

Humour archive #2

This is legitimate. The story behind this is that there is this nutball who digs things out of his back yard and sends the stuff he finds to the Smithsonian Institute, labeling them with scientific names, insisting that they are actual archeological finds. This guy really exists and does this in his spare time!
Anyway... here's the actual response from the Smithsonian Institution.

Lest we think we have challenges in responding, at times, to our constituency, I send this to you all as an example of a public servant's considerate and thoughtful response.

..............................................
From: Paleoanthropology Division
Smithsonian Institute
207 Pennsylvania Avenue
Washington, DC 20078
Dear Sir:
Thank you for your latest submission to the Institute, labeled 93211-D, layer seven, next to the clothesline post...Hominid skull.

We have given this specimen a careful and detailed examination, and regret to inform you that we disagree with your theory that it represents conclusive proof of the presence of Early Man in Charleston County two million years ago. Rather, it appears that what you have found is the head of a Barbie doll, of the variety one of our staff, who has small children, believes to be Malibu Barbie.

It is evident that you have given a great deal of thought to the analysis of this specimen, and you may be quite certain that those of us who are familiar with your prior work in the field were loathe to come to contradiction with your findings. However, we do feel that there are a number of physical attributes of the specimen which might have tipped you off to its modern origin:
1. The material is molded plastic. Ancient hominid remains are typically fossilized bone.
2. The cranial capacity of the specimen is approximately 9 cubic centimeters, well below the threshold of even the earliest identified proto-homonids.
3. The dentition pattern evident on the skull is more consistent with the common domesticated dog than it is with the ravenous man-eating Pliocene clams you speculate roamed the wetlands during that time.

This latter finding is certainly one of the most intriguing hypotheses you have submitted in your history with this institution, but the evidence seems to weigh rather heavily against it. Without going into too much detail, let us say that:
A. The specimen looks like the head of a Barbie doll that a dog has chewed on.
B. Clams don't have teeth.

It is with feelings tinged with melancholy that we must deny your request to have the specimen carbon dated. This is partially due to the heavy load our lab must bear in its normal operation, and partly due to carbon dating's notorious inaccuracy in fossils of recent geologic record. To the best of our knowledge, no Barbie dolls were produced prior to 1956 AD, and carbon dating is likely to produce wildly inaccurate results.

Sadly, we must also deny your request that we approach the National Science Foundation Phylogeny Department with the concept of assigning your specimen the scientific name Australopithecus spiff-arino. Speaking personally, I, for one, fought tenaciously for the acceptance of your proposed taxonomy, but was ultimately voted down because the species name you selected was hyphenated, and didn't really sound like it might be Latin.

However, we gladly accept your generous donation of this fascinating specimen to the museum. While it is undoubtedly not a Hominid fossil, it is, nonetheless, yet another riveting example of the great body of work you seem to accumulate here so effortlessly. You should know that our Director has reserved a special shelf in his own office for the display of the specimens you have previously submitted to the Institution, and the entire staff speculates daily on what you will happen upon next in your digs at the site you have discovered in your back yard.
We eagerly anticipate your trip to our nations capital that you proposed in your last letter, and several of us are pressing the Director to pay for it. We are particularly interested in hearing you expand on your theories surrounding the trans-positating fillifitation of ferrous ions in a structural matrix that makes the excellent juvenile Tyrannosaurus Rex femur you recently discovered take on the deceptive appearance of a rusty 9-mm Sears Craftsman automotive crescent wrench.

Yours in Science,
Harvey Rowe
Curator, Antiquities.

Humour Archive #1

This was actually posted very briefly on the McDonnell Douglas website
by an employee there who obviously has a sense of humor. The company,
of course, does not - and made the web department take it down immediately.
______________________________________________________________________

Thank you for purchasing a McDonnell Douglas military aircraft. In order
to protect your new investment, please take a few moments to fill out
the warranty registration card below. Answering the survey questions is
not required, but the information will help us to develop new products
that best meet your needs and desires.

1. [_] Mr. [_] Mrs. [_] Ms. [_] Miss [_] Lt. [_] Gen. [_] Comrade [_] Classified [_] Other
First Name: ......................................................
Initial: ........
Last Name: ......................................................

Password: .............................. (max 8 char)
Code Name: ......................................................
Latitude-Longitude-Altitude: ........... ........... ..........

2. Which model aircraft did you purchase?
[_] F-14 Tomcat
[_] F-15 Eagle
[_] F-16 Falcon
[_] F-117A Stealth
[_] Classified

3. Date of purchase (Year/Month/Day): 19....... / ....... /.......
4. Serial Number: .................................................
5. Please check where this product was purchased:
[_] Received as gift / aid package
[_] Catalog showroom
[_] Independent arms broker
[_] Mail order
[_] Discount store
[_] Government surplus
[_] Classified

6. Please check how you became aware of the McDonnell Douglas product you have just purchased:
[_] Heard loud noise, looked up
[_] Store display
[_] Espionage
[_] Recommended by friend / relative / ally
[_] Political lobbying by manufacturer
[_] Was attacked by one

7. Please check the three (3) factors that most influenced your decision
to purchase this McDonnell Douglas product:
[_] Style / appearance
[_] Speed / maneuverability
[_] Price / value
[_] Comfort / convenience
[_] Kickback / bribe
[_] Recommended by salesperson
[_] McDonnell Douglas reputation
[_] Advanced Weapons Systems
[_] Backroom politics
[_] Negative experience opposing one in combat

8. Please check the location(s) where this product will be used:
[_] North America
[_] Central / South America
[_] Aircraft carrier
[_] Europe
[_] Middle East
[_] Africa
[_] Asia / Far East
[_] Misc. Third World countries
[_] Classified

9. Please check the products that you currently own or intend to
purchase in the near future:
[_] Color TV
[_] VCR
[_] ICBM
[_] Killer Satellite
[_] CD Player
[_] Air-to-Air Missiles
[_] Space Shuttle
[_] Home Computer
[_] Nuclear Weapon

10. How would you describe yourself or your organization? (Check all that apply:)
[_] Communist / Socialist
[_] Terrorist
[_] Crazed
[_] Neutral
[_] Democratic
[_] Dictatorship
[_] Corrupt
[_] Primitive / Tribal

11. How did you pay for your McDonnell Douglas product?
[_] Deficit spending
[_] Cash
[_] Suitcases of cocaine
[_] Oil revenues
[_] Personal check
[_] Credit card
[_] Ransom money
[_] Traveler's check

12. Your occupation:
[_] Homemaker
[_] Sales / marketing
[_] Revolutionary
[_] Clerical
[_] Mercenary
[_] Tyrant
[_] Middle management
[_] Eccentric billionaire
[_] Defense Minister / General
[_] Retired
[_] Student
[_] Government Intern

13. To help us understand our customers' lifestyles, please indicate the
interests and activities in which you and your spouse enjoy participating on a regular basis:
[_] Golf
[_] Boating / sailing
[_] Sabotage
[_] Running / jogging
[_] Propaganda / disinformation
[_] Destabilization / overthrow
[_] Default on loans
[_] Gardening
[_] Crafts
[_] Black market / smuggling
[_] Collectibles / collections
[_] Watching sports on TV
[_] Wines
[_] Interrogation / torture
[_] Household pets
[_] Crushing rebellions
[_] Espionage / reconnaissance
[_] Fashion clothing
[_] Border disputes
[_] Mutually Assured Destruction

Thank you for taking the time to fill out this questionnaire. Your
answers will be used in market studies that will help McDonnell Douglas
serve you better in the future - as well as allowing you to receive
mailings and special offers from other companies, governments, extremist
groups, and mysterious consortia.
Comments or suggestions about our fighter planes? Please write to:

McDONNELL DOUGLAS CORPORATION
Marketing Department
Military Aerospace Division
P.O. Box 800, St. Louis, MO

Wednesday, January 11, 2006

Moving a Database Diagram in SQL Server 2000

INSERT DESTINATION..dtproperties
( objectid, property, value, uvalue, lvalue, version )

SELECT objectid, property, value, uvalue, lvalue, version
FROM SOURCE..dtproperties
WHERE objectid IN
( SELECT objectid
FROM SOURCE..dtproperties
WHERE property = 'DtgSchemaNAME'
)