Rick.Stavanja.com : software, opinions

MSN Spaces

Stavanja — Sun, 12 Dec 2004 12:13:00 GMT

My Experimental MSNSpace The Space

The beta version of Microsoft's new free blog service, MSN Spaces, has been getting lots of attention these days, so I thought I'd take it for a test drive.

Less than 90 seconds after clicking on the 'Sign Up Now!' button I had created my very own MSN Space just waiting for me to start pouring out my innermost thoughts for all the world to see. Its built in control panel made it very simple to change the look and layout of the site with quite a few built-in themes and layout options to choose from. It also includes several built-in content modules such as photos, and lists that you can choose from as well.

All in all, I think it stacks up pretty well against the more established blog providers out there, but without the cost.

Due to my control freak nature, I won't be dropping my current blog in favor of MSN Spaces anytime soon. Instead I'll patiently await the release of the update for Telligent Systems' Community Server and its blog module. It's the successor to .Text, the software powering my blog now. I will however recommend MSN Spaces to my technology-challenged friends and colleagues as a way to easily establish their own online presence quickly and easily.

Shutdown Addin for Outlook

Stavanja — Sun, 28 Nov 2004 06:08:00 GMT

The Shutdown Addin Property Sheet

If you're a heavy-duty user of Microsoft Outlook, then you may have noticed that occasionally Outlook doesn't seem to want to close properly, forcing you to resort to Task Manager to shutdown Outlook manually. Turns out that it's a common problem caused by Outlook plug-ins that don't properly respect an API call to shutdown Outlook. I use six Outlook plug-ins, so the problem was particularly acute for me -- at least until I found a solution...

David A. Levinson has developed a nice little tool called the Shutdown Addin for Outlook. Once installed it simply monitors API calls to shutdown Outlook, then watches to see if Outlook actually shuts down. If not, it takes the necessary actions based on settings you specify. It works very well.

Although it's a free download and isn't crippled in any way, it does display a minor nag dialog. For a minor $5 donation, the licensed version is completely transparent.

Long Live X1!

Stavanja — Mon, 22 Nov 2004 06:08:00 GMT

The Google Desktop Interface

Following the hype about the launch of Google Desktop a couple weeks ago, I decided to investigate, and have been running it since. But I must say, I'm left completely underwhelmed.

I suppose the biggest hook for most folks is that it brings the familiar Google web search experience to your local system. Anyone comfortable with Google will immediately tune in to Google Desktop. For most people, that is all that matters. But if you're a heavy duty computer user mired in data overload, finding a very specific piece of information among the multitude of data stores available (disk folders, email, attachments, network drives, etc...) is a truly daunting challenge. If search performance and quality of results are important to you, Google Desktop has a long way to go to beat my personal favorite search tool -- X1.

Google Desktop does alright, but I don't buy into its praise as being the Utopian search tool many have been calling it. Did anyone notice that it doesn't even preview your results? I've tried lots of different tools over the last few years (Enfish, Copernic, Lookout, NEO, etc.), and each has their own unique strengths, but after discovering X1, it didn't take long to drop the others entirely. I must admit a bit of excitement on my part when Lookout came on the scene, but a few weeks into its life on my system, its mediocre performance just wasn't cutting it. Although I still have it loaded, it hasn't been run in months. It makes me wonder why Microsoft bypassed X1 in favor of buying Lookout. My experience using Google Desktop was really no different, except it only took days to begin ignoring it in favor of my precious X1.

The single most impressive thing about X1 is quite simply its speed. Literally as fast as you type each letter of your search term, X1 is delivering your results with highlighted keywords appearing in the preview pane (Did I mention the Google Desktop doesn't preview results?). X1 must be seen to be fully appreciated. On the downside, X1 comes at a price -- literally. Although Google Desktop and some of its competitors are free, X1 costs $74.95 for a single license (although there is some speculation that says X1 is considering a lower price point). Although I believe most casual users will opt for the free Google Desktop, X1 deserves consideration by the enterprise and power user crowd. Nothing beats it for speed and usability.

The X1 Interface

Keep your eyes out for the upcoming X1 V5 update. I recently began using the V5 beta, and it packs some big improvements in usability, versatility, and scope. The new X1 sports an Outlook-style interface that makes it easy to customize, refine, and sort searches even more quickly and easily, without the continuous re-queries Google users are familiar with.

One last thought...

From a programming standpoint, writing this brief review makes me wonder why some developers are so enamored with using a web interface for desktop-only applications? Why not to take advantage of the robust capabilities offered a modern GUI? Certainly a web interface offers a degree of platform independence, but the benefits of a rich interface can be huge in terms of usability.

I don't get it.

Password Scrambler -- A Single Web Sign In tool

Stavanja — Thu, 30 Sep 2004 12:31:00 GMT

Bill Brelsford (via Scott Watermasysk) pointed out a neat security utility call PasswordScrambler. It's a cool little browser utility that allows you to easily create a unique password for every web site you visit. Now you only have to remember one password in order to access every site. You enter a password, then it generates a unique password for the site you're accessing. From that point on, it's just a single click to access any secure site.

I love simple solutions to common problems.

eBay + RSS = RSSauction.com

Stavanja — Thu, 23 Sep 2004 05:29:00 GMT

If you're like me, you like eBay, but because you have a life, you're too busy to frequent the site regularly. Consequently, all too often you miss out on fantastic deals on that great rare treasure. RSSAuction looks like the perfect solution to the problem.

Using RSSAution you can define very specific product searches on eBay and have the results delivered via RSS or ATOM to your preferred feed reader. Now you can monitor all of your favorite eBay searches at a glance. If that's not enough for ya, they've also added the capability to generate JavaScript code you can add to your web page in order to deliver formatted search results to your readers. Impressive.

With RSSAuction.com I'll never have to worry about missing a chance at that special ultra-rare item to complete my collection.

A Reasonable Linux User Offers Microsoft Some Sympathy

Stavanja — Mon, 06 Sep 2004 09:38:00 GMT

After my rant about all the negative press regarding the Windows XP SP2, I must say I was impressed to read someone else do a better job of articulating the nonsensical anti-Microsoft arguments of the past. The coolest part was that he's a Linux user.

Be sure to read the first comment too.

The Recall Toolbar

Stavanja — Mon, 16 Aug 2004 23:18:00 GMT

There's been lots of interesting action in the world of search lately, and one of the coolest ideas being bantered about is to give users the ability to search through web pages they've already viewed. This idea is so brilliant, I can't believe I didn't think of it! Google and Microsoft are among many working on the idea. If you're like me, one day you have a need to find some information you saw on the internet several days, weeks, or months ago. I can't even guess how much time I've spent over the years looking for a non-existent bookmark, or wading though a seemingly endless history folder in vain.

Last week Dan Grigsby released a beta version of his new creation, the Recall Toolbar.

Once installed, the toolbar consists of a only single red button added to the standard IE toolbar. Clicking it brings to to a local search page where you can enter a search term. The subsequent result page displays links to matching results from web pages you've already looked at.

The way the toolbar works is that while it's active, any web page displayed by IE has its content added to the Recall Toolbar's search index. All searches are performed against that index -- not against you IE history folder (it only contains bookmarks, nit actual page content). This is important to note because once you install the toolbar, if you immediately do a search, no results will be found. You can only search through pages you've looked at since loading the toolbar.

It'll be interesting to see how it evolves the Googles and Microsofts of the world roll out their answers sometime down the road.

Nice job Dan.

Microsoft Can't Win

Stavanja — Mon, 16 Aug 2004 06:21:00 GMT

Almost immediately after Microsoft announced the availability of the much-anticipated Windows XP Service Pack 2 (XP SP2), the deluge of negative reviews began. Now I expect this sort of stuff from lesser known online-only publications -- even from the occasional mainstream tech publications. But this time it seems a bit mean-spirited and illogical.

Much or what's been written so far focuses their criticisms on the updated Microsoft firewall. The crux of their arguments push two points...

It's not as good as a commercial firewall.
It can be disabled by another program.

Are you kidding me?

As for it's features, Microsoft doesn't claim its firewall is better than third-party firewalls. Forget for a second that it's far superior to the protection it offered in earlier versions of Windows. And conveniently, let's not compare it to the protection offered by competing OSes. Does anyone remember a little anti-trust lawsuit against Microsoft a few years ago? It was primarily because Microsoft included a browser with Windows. The argument was that it was bad for users... A browser wasn't necessary for the operating system... That users should be the ones to choose what software and capabilities they needed... That Microsoft was unnecessarily price-gouging users by including features they didn't need in Windows. I believe consumers have a right to expect to be able to do some very basic things with their computers. Among them, like being able to attach them to the internet, browse the web, and to send and receive email -- all without worrying about viruses, spam, or other malicious attacks on their system. The lawsuit allows OEMs to address those expectations. In fact many OEMs include third-party filrewalls with new Windows systems now. Last year around this time you may remember that a virus called MS Blaster was unleashed, and depending on who you ask, it may have infected as many as 9 million Windows PCs worldwide. Microsoft took the brunt of the criticism for the event. The dirty little secret however, was just how many of those infected systems were running either anti-virus or firewall applications. Some estimates are well over half.

Most of the same people criticizing the MS Firewall now are the same ones that argued against Microsoft including a browser with Windows. Why aren't they arguing that Microsoft should just buy someone like ZoneAlarm and just include it with Windows? I wouldn't mind that, and I'm sure Microsoft wouldn't either. Unfortunately an antitrust suit was looking out for our interests by making sure something like that will never happen. To me that's just silly. When we buy a new car, isn't it expected that the windows be included in the cost? Certainly. Is it any less reasonable to expect that they have glass in them too? Duh.

As for the firewall's ability to be manipulated by on outside application, this is quite simply one of the silliest things I've ever heard. Talk about missing the point. For this to happen. the program turning off the firewall would have to have either administrator or system level access. In other words, a program that could turn off the firewall would already have compromised your system's security. If an intruder has already gained that level of access to your system, whether your firewall is on or off is a moot point -- you've already been compromised! Think of it this way... No one criticizes the quality of XP's authentication, and security experts unanimously agree that insecure passwords are the biggest holes available to potential intruders. If someone does get into your system via a real or hacked user account, the least of your worries is if your firewall is still running!! I read someone the other day describing an operating system with no firewall as being akin to buying a house with doors, but no locks on them. OK, I can play the metaphor game, so let's think of it this way: If someone were to get into your house though a door you leave open, does it matter if your other doors are locked or not? Anyone? Anyone?

Despite the bad press, it's refreshing to see that there are still some very credible voices of reason out there that don't have an axe to grind.

The bottom line here is quite simply that XP SP2 is not perfect, but it's a big improvement for the vast majority of the millions of Windows users out there, and will more than address their needs.

TopStyle Pro Web Editor

Stavanja — Sun, 08 Aug 2004 23:58:00 GMT

There are really only two types of programmers. Those that use only a basic editor. And those that use an IDE (integrated development environment). I began as an editor-only guy nearly 20 years ago only because IDEs were few and far between. But over time, as I began doing less CAD-only development, I began warming to the whole concept of IDEs -- especially as I began focusing more heavily on web development. As a result of that, I've become a big fan of the Microsoft Visual Studio IDE. Unfortunately their CSS editor has always been the weakest part of an otherwise strong package. Since I'm doing more and more CSS-based design these days, I needed to solve that short-coming.

I recently checked out the trial version of TopStyle Pro, and after just a few hours of use, I bought a license. Its interface is very similar in its look and feel to Visual Studio. The default CSS editor view is a multi-paned view with panes for CSS Selectors, Clip Library, Style Inspector, Output Preview, and a central tabbed Code Editor pane. Like any good IDE, the editor does a great job of anticipating and facilitating the coding process without getting in the way. The feature I use most often however is a preview window that allows a side-by-side comparison of your code in both IE and Firefox/Mozilla.

Although I use it primarily as a CSS editor, it is also a strong HTML/XML editor as well. It also provides mo facility for server-side scripting technologies such as ASP, ASP.NET, PHP, or Cold Fusion, but I don't see it as a drawback I'm happy with Visual Studio for that. But if you're looking for a strong CSS/HTML editor, check out TopStyle Pro. It's tough to beat.