Richard Brightwell

iPhone blogging

2009-12-21T21:26:00.001-08:00

I installed a new iPhone app just for blogging. So far so good.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

ClickOnce Deployment Issues

2006-07-07T05:59:00.000-07:00

I love ClickOnce, but it can be a problem if your application checks for new versions at startup and your connection to the Internet is down. One problem reported was:

The details button gave me lots of information, but the primary part was this:

ERROR SUMMARY Below is a summary of the errors, details of
these errors are listed later in the log. * Activation of C:\DOCUME~1\RBRIGH~1.RAN\STARTM~1\Programs\Startup\WALLPA~1.APP resulted in exception. Following failure messages were detected: + Exception reading manifest from http://intralink.domainnamechanged.com/proxy1.html: the manifest may not be valid or the file could not be opened. + The 'br' start tag on line 4 does not match the end tag of 'center'. Line 7, position 3.

This is very misleading. The root problem was just that my proxy server settings were wrong on my laptop. I don't think these error messages would help you discover that.

Test

2006-06-10T20:12:00.000-07:00

Test

Poster Child for the Ignorant and Belligerent

2006-03-27T09:41:00.000-08:00

The Register has an interesting article entitled "Oklahoma city threatens to call FBI over 'renegade' Linux maker." It's great. The City Manager for the town of Tuttle, OK , Jerry A. Taylor demonstrates:

1) Technical Ignorance While Claiming Technical Expertise
2) A Belligerent Attitude
3) Pointless Threats
4) Inability to Take Responsibility
5) Inability to Show Appreciation
6) How to Embarass the Whole Town
7) Political Suicide

Its a classic customer support story. Fun for the whole family. You can read all the emails here.

The Robots are Coming!

2006-01-05T08:07:00.000-08:00

Woo Hoo! New Lego Mindstorms announced. I've enjoyed toying with the currunt versiona a bit. Now we're getting a very cool upgraded version. I'm picturing combining both! Maybe I'll hook up a wireless video camera and have it patrol the house. Maybe I'll arm it with some kind of gun that shoots dye like they use to catch bank robbers! or maybe a tranquilizer dart! Hmm... how could it get a DNA sample I wonder...

San Francisco Pictures - Then and Now

2005-12-24T04:45:00.000-08:00

An amusing little way to spend some time... Scenes of San Francisco from Alfred Hitchcock's film Vertigo shot in 1958. Compare them to the same location in 2003. Take the photo tour.

Future Tech Update

2005-12-21T03:06:00.000-08:00

Ok, I'm too lazy to actually write a bunch of stuff for my blog. Well, too busy actually. Here's a quick run down on interesting technology development that may become main-stream life changers in the future:

Real time tracking of your friends and family
Media Center PCs links with your XBox 360 gaming consoles
Watch TV over the Internet. Move over HDTV here comes IPTV!
Seaching your pictures and maybe the Internet's pictures for people using face recognition. (i.e. google search for all published pictures of me)
Windows Live will change the way we use computers when traveling from location to location. For example, portable favorites.

OK. No more time. Lots of geek stuff on the horizon! Should be interesting to watch and experience.

Sci Fi? No. It Really Happened.

2005-12-20T03:13:00.000-08:00

According to government documents released this week, a cylinder containing the highly radioactive and deadly Cobalt-60 got stuck in a delivery tube for three weeks at the U.S. defense department's White Sands Missle Range. The cylinder was spewing enough radiation to kill a man in 30 seconds, too much even for protective suits. Even the bomb disposal robot they sent in was repeatedly overcome by the radiation. After three days of robot repair, circuits fried by radiation and other bits melted, the robot saved the day. Read all about it in an article in Nature magazine.

Not All Technology Is Used For Good

2005-12-15T20:22:00.000-08:00

For a list of all the ways technology has failed to improve the quality of life, please press three. - Alice Kahn

How to bypass the phone menus

2005-11-24T15:42:00.000-08:00

Some of these posts are more for me than anyone else. If you ever just wanted to speak to a human being at one of these companies, here's how.

Makes me want a new camera...

2005-11-23T09:34:00.000-08:00

Nikhil Kothari is an architect on Microsoft's Web Platform and Tools team but he also likes photography. He has a bunch of beautiful pictures on his website. He shot them using a Canon Digital Rebel digital camera with a Quantaray lens which seems to work pretty darn great. I think I need one on these when I can get one for about $200.

Iiiiiiii think this is funny

2005-11-23T09:05:00.000-08:00

http://www.iiiiiiii.com/

Bare Naked Ladies on 128MB USB Drive

2005-11-22T16:59:00.000-08:00

The Bare Naked Ladies (a music group, if you are getting confused) have released their latest album on a reusable 128MB USB Drive in MP3 format for $30. It contains 29 songs (about 2 CDs worth) and at least one video. People are debating it's value. Some love the idea and some don't want compressed music. *shrug* Either way on SlashDot reader had a really cool thought:

Bring your own container!(Score:4, Interesting)
by Leomania (137289) on Tuesday November 22, @06:24PM (#14096139) (http://slashdot.org/)
Hey, while travelling in France I was taken to a small wine shop that sold wine in bulk; bring your container, they'd fill it up from what looked like a gas hose. Wouldn't it be nice to do the same with music and your flash drive? As long as there will be physical buildings where people go to buy their music, it would be great to avoid all the shipping of the physical media.Plus I'm sure the music publishers would pass the savings on to us consumers.

How cool would that be!?!? Wait... why not just download them to your container! What? That's already being done? Oh. Ok. Maybe it's not such a great new idea.

Texas sues Sony BMG for spyware violations

2005-11-21T16:43:00.000-08:00

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott filed a civil lawsuit on Monday against Sony BMG Music Entertainment for hiding "spyware" software on its compact discs in a bid to thwart music copying.

Being Smart for Dummies

2005-11-21T10:29:00.000-08:00

If can't be smart, you can at least sound smart. Here's your first lesson:

Quidquid latine dictum sit, altum sonatur. - Whatever is said in Latin sounds profound.

New Gene Increases Lifespan 6 Times

2005-11-18T15:16:00.000-08:00

A genetic experiment to unlock the secrets of the ageing process has created organisms that live six times their usual lifespan, raising hopes that it might be possible to slow ageing in humans. It does this by making the organism think it's starving, mimicking the effect of extreme low calorie diets. Believing, as I do, that man was created to live forever and that sin and death are inherited, this makes perfect sense to me.

Hover Chair!

2005-11-18T13:52:00.000-08:00

Now we are one step closer to my dream chair. Announcing (drum roll) the HOVER CHAIR!
I'll add a built in laptop, restroom facilities, and the ability to drive it to the store (maybe the gym?) and it will be perfect!

Cool Business Card

2005-11-18T10:44:00.000-08:00

Robert Scoble, Microsoft Guru, has a cool new business card.

Gene turn-off makes meek mice fearless

2005-11-18T03:22:00.000-08:00

The implications and applications are... um... fear inspiring? Soldiers of the future fearless? Read all about it.

One More Reason to Watch Sports on TV

2005-11-17T07:03:00.000-08:00

So, I can pay for gas to get there, parking, lots of money for small hard torture devic... err... seats, so that I can be out in the heat, surrounded by loud drunks, eating $6 hot dogs and drinking $8 beer, to watch some little blobs chasing around a white dot way off in the distance? Sure, it all sounds like fun, until...

Nobody Loves Sony (Part Deux)

2005-11-17T06:38:00.000-08:00

Alegations have surfaced that in Sony's rush to secure their copyrights, they have trampled on the copyrights of others. Some of the code in Sony's now infamous root kit was apprently illegally lifted from GPL and LGPL sourcecode written by other programmers. Tsk Tsk Tsk. Shame on you Sony. You've been a baaaaad widdle boy and now nobody loves you. In fact, as I predicted, the techie community is out to get you. You made the wrong guys mad. *evil grin*

Essential Technologies

2005-11-16T14:08:00.000-08:00

Here's my list of technolgies every nerd... err... computer savy user should have at least tried:

Blogs
News Agregators/Syndication (RSS/Atom)
Wiki
AJAX

Blogs

You are reading a blog. It probably only took me 5 minutes to write this post and the whole world can read it instantly or rather, the 2 people in the whole world who actually do read it. Lots of people out there have interests like yours or know stuff you want to know and they just might be blogging it. Google even has a special search just for blogs. Create your own blog here.

News Agregators and Syndication

You get email. You might read newsgroups postings. Now, get updates on all your favorite websites, blogs, netflix account, newspapers and more. It's all syndicated and when it changes you will be notified in your news agregator. Download and install RSS Bandit. Now right click the link on the right side of this page that says "site feed." Now select "Subscribe in default RSS reader." You've just subscribed to my blog. When I make another post it will show up in RSS Bandit like an email does.

Wiki

A Wiki is a web site that anyone can edit and therefor contribute to. The best known example is Wikipedia, a online encylopedia created by people like you and me. Hey, we're all experts in something, right? I used the same software to create a Wiki for Peachtree Corners, Georgia. Everyone can contribute and the changes appear instantly.

AJAX

AJAX is the technology that makes Google Maps and the Google Personalized Home so slick. It lets the web page communicate with the server without posting the whole web page. Only the little chunks that matter get sent and recieved. Makes web pages more like Windows forms. Microsoft is working on an "enhanced version" called Atlas, but it seems half baked to me. Compare http://www.start.com to the Google personalized home page.

Who Remembers the Atari 800... Laptop?

2005-11-16T09:57:00.000-08:00

This guy is my new hero. I loved my Atari 800. It cost me almost $1,000 but it had COLOR! Oooooh! Well now there is a new and improved Atrai 800 Laptop (home-made). You go man!

Forced Upgrade to 64-bit

2005-11-15T09:50:00.000-08:00

From a Microsoft Pres Release:

Microsoft® Exchange Server “12,” Windows Compute Cluster Server 2003, Windows Server™ “Longhorn” Small Business Server, and Microsoft’s infrastructure solution for midsize businesses, code-named “Centro,” will be exclusively 64-bit and optimized for x64 hardware.

So, if you want these programs I you'll have to buy a 64-bit machine. Start saving your pennies now!

15 Year Old Groom and 37 Year Old Bride

2005-11-15T03:46:00.000-08:00

How can you be legally married to a 15 year old without consent? How can you then be arrested for child molesting? Here's a legal problem that will definately make some case history. Not to mention a lot of jokes about the South. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Read all about it.

Nerd Alert: VPN Security Hole Could Allow DOS Attack

2005-11-15T03:32:00.000-08:00

From a CNet News.com article:

Finnish researchers at the University of Oulu announced Monday that they have found a vulnerability in the Internet Security Association and Key Management Protocol, or ISAKMP. The technology is used in IPsec virtual private network and firewall products from a range of networking companies, including giants Cisco Systems and Juniper Networks.

Since IPSec seems to be the majority of the VPNs, this is a big deal. Denial of Service Attacks (DOS) are a favorite of the naughty nerd community.

Why Apple Computers are Better Than PCs

2005-11-14T18:48:00.000-08:00

I never understood why people liked their Macs so much. I've asked and asked but never got a satisfying answer. FINALLY there is a video that has show me the light! Now I know why Macs are better!

Python Bursts Eating Aligator in Florida

2005-11-14T12:45:00.000-08:00

From National Geographic comes a story and picture of a python which successfully ate a 6 foot aligator and then burst. Bizzare.

Sony Roots Out the Root Kits

2005-11-11T21:37:00.000-08:00

Sony announced they are discontinuing the production of CDs with their rootkit DRM software. I've been following this story since Mark Russinovich first posted it on his blog. Those guys at Sony sure seem like a bunch of weasels to me. If you don't know what I'm talking about allow me to summarize:

Sony might have installed secret hidden software on your computer without your knowledge.
Mark busted them on it.
Sony downplayed it.
Some mailcious software was discovered which takes advantage of the huge securty holes opened by Sony's software.
Sony doesn't know what all the fuss is about but agree to release an uninstall progam.
Turns out it's eaiser to file a tax return than get Sony to cough up access to the uninstall program.
Mark busts them on trying to make it hard for users to uninstall.

Read all about it at Mark's blog. His first post about it is a good place to start. Let the lawsuits commence!

Some are now predicting the death of Sony. I'm predicting that some programmer out there will be mad enough to write some really malicious code directed specifically at Sony. Sony? Don't piss off the geeks of the world.

Most viri are written by young programmers power tripping on what they can do with their new skills. I've been developing software since the 1970's and let me tell you, if someone like Mark Russinovich, with his uber skills, wrote a virus (not that he would) that targeted my servers for destruction, I'd be scared. Really. I just bet that somewhere out the in the big wide world... Sony's pissed off the wrong programmer. Sony? Are you listening? A little heartfelt contrision might be a good thing for your survival.

As for me... I won't be that programmer. I came to the same conclusion a long time ago, that former Apple exec Mike Evangelist recently has. "From this day forward I will never spend a another dime on content that I can’t use the way I please." So, no root kits for me. No DRM. Nada. I found that paying for music resulted in nothing but hassle with the purchased product. It's like you could either buy a car that you can only drive during the day and then only on the small two lane roads or get one for free that can go anywhere, anytime. Those that pay are getting a inferior product. A product that companies have spent lots of time and money to purposly cripple for their customers. You know what? I have enough music. I don't need any more. I can live a long happy life without music Nazis.

UPDATE: Sony's Hot Water Gets Hotter

Patent on Consumer Reviews?

2005-11-11T10:04:00.001-08:00

Want to have visitors to your website provide consumer reviews? You might have to ask permission from Amazon first. These patents make me sick.

I've Discovered PC Weenies

2005-11-11T03:37:00.000-08:00

Ok, I'm probably the last geek on the planet to find this cartoon. I know. I'm behind. In a desperate hope that someone (you) are more behind than me I'm publishing a link to their site. It's the best one I've found.

Fun Things to Do With Your Old Thinkpad

2005-11-10T19:52:00.000-08:00

Wanna know how to turn that old thinkpad into a hair dryer? or maybe a juicer? Rich Anderson is an instructor at Dunwoody College and has a warped sense of humor, which is why I think he's funny.

2005-11-10T11:25:00.000-08:00

Yoda Never Looked so Cute!

You gotta see the world's cutest dog costume.

That's a Lot of Lube!

2005-11-09T14:46:00.000-08:00

Ok. I'm just driving by... I swear! on my way to gnarf down some Krystal's Chilli Pups, when I came across this sight. I mean... come on! A huge lubricant delivery truck visiting the Love Shack? That's a lot of lube! I mean really. Alot. A whole whole lot. Why do they need so much lube? Hmmm... but wait... the truck adveritises their website as http://www.halcoautomotive.com... automotive lubricants? Now that's just wrong! Let me check the web site. Well, well, well... their website proclaims "We're Proud Of What We Do And It Shows!" Well, I know what a certain someone was doing at 3:45 on a work day afternoon today! I guess they're proud of it... and it shows. ;-)

2005-11-02T10:46:00.000-08:00

We Feel Your Pain

Somebody has created a
funny video about ways to share your user experience with the developers of your software. As a developer, I'm really glad we haven't implemented this technolugee *ouch!* technoligy *ouch!* technology. *whew!*

2005-10-28T11:48:00.000-07:00

Font Blog

Microsoft's font gurus have their own blog and are sharing lots of good info at http://blogs.msdn.com/fontblog/. One cool thing I found there was a tool to improve your windows fonts. The improvement was phenominal on my screen. Install and run this ASPX app: http://www.microsoft.com/typography/cleartype/tuner/Step1.aspx

2005-10-21T11:30:00.000-07:00

Why I Prefer RSS Bandit over FeedReader

RSS Bandit features missing in FeedReader:

Multiple Templates
Drag and Drop
Easy removal of all the default feeds
Ability to share feed list between home and work via FTP site

Command Line Trick

2005-10-21T11:25:00.000-07:00

Command Line Trick

Here's a neat trick for you BAT file or CMD file. Searching and replacing inside environment variables. Here's an example:

@echo off
set fred="This is a test. This is only a test."
echo %fred%
rem Remove the quotes.
set fred=%fred:"=%
echo %fred%
rem change This to That.
set fred=%fred:This=That%
echo %fred%
rem Change . to !
set fred=%fred:.=!%
echo %fred%

Produces:

"This is a test. This is only a test."
This is a test. This is only a test.
That is a test. That is only a test.
That is a test! That is only a test!

I tried to find this in Microsoft's documentation but was unsuccessful. Here's a few good links for more command line syntax:

Microsoft Command-Line Reference

Batch File FAQ