Windows Vista Service Pack 1 Beta Announced

Microsoft has just announced the beta for Windows Vista SP1. It is slated to be available in two weeks time. Nick from the Windows Vista Team Blog has more details, but here is the important summary:

What is SP1? What is it not?

In addition to updates we’ve previously released, SP1 will contain changes focused on addressing specific reliability and performance issues we’ve identified via customer feedback, supporting new types of hardware, and adding support for several emerging standards. SP1 also makes additional improvements to the IT administration experience. We didn’t design SP1 as a vehicle for releasing new features; however, some existing components do gain enhanced functionality in SP1.

More information on what’s included in SP1 can be found in the detailed white paper.

When can I get my hands on the Beta of SP1?

A Beta release of Windows Vista SP1 is slated for availability in the next few weeks. A small group of testers has been putting a preview of the SP1 Beta through its paces to help prepare for broader release. We made the choice to start with a very small group of testers because we think it’s better for both our customers and for Microsoft to keep the beta program small at the start.

A later pre-release of SP1 will be available to a larger group of testers via MSDN and TechNet subscribers.

And what about SP1 itself -- when will that be available?

We're targeting releasing SP1 to manufacturing in the first quarter of 2008, but as always, we’re first and foremost focused on delivering a high-quality release, so we'll determine the exact release date of SP1 after we have reached that quality bar. (FYI, in case you didn’t already know: the Windows Vista SP1 and Windows Server 2008 engineering efforts are aligned, so the Server team also said on their blog today that they are targeting the first quarter of 2008 for their release to manufacturing.)

You can get the rest of the details from Nick and read the SP1 whitepaper for even more information.

Just In Time Learning

While reading a post from Pamela Slim of Escape from Cubicle Nation one thing jumped out at me, her use of "Just-In-Time Learning". Now a lot of programmers or software developers have probably heard of Just-In-Time when talking about compilers, while some Operations people are probably thinking of inventory and production when they heard Just-In-Time, but Just-In-Time Learning is something completely of its own.

Pamela does a great job of describing Just-In-Time Learning:

You are much more likely to pay attention to, absorb and integrate skills if you learn them just before or during the time that you will apply them. So the best time to learn presentation skills is just before you have to deliver a real presentation. The best time to learn how to create an information product is while you are actually creating it. The best time to learn how to market your services is while you are setting up your website and talking with potential customers on the phone.

In these circumstances, not only will you be very interested in what you are learning because you know you will need to apply the knowledge immediately, but you will be emotionally invested in mastering it because you will be demonstrating it in a live situation, with real people.

In addition to a just-in-time learning moment, you also want to make sure that you have the time to commit to what it takes to obtain a desired result. What this means is that:

• You don't have lots of outside distractions. If you are moving, leaving a relationship, working three jobs or having a baby, it may not be the best time to use an expensive coach or participate in a time-intensive workshop. These kinds of distractions not only take up time on your calendar, but they are emotionally intensive which can drain some of your natural creativity and ability to learn.
• You make time for and commit to completing your homework. The most gifted, results-oriented and dynamic coach or consultant will not be able to help you obtain your desired results if you don't do your part. Even if you totally outsource a task (like planning and coordinating and event, or creating a product or program), you will still need to be consulted at certain times and make decisions. As a coach and former consultant, this is a very tricky and frustrating situation, since I know I ethically cannot do my work and the work of my client, even if I am really motivated to see results happen.

For more information on subjects like Just-In-Time Learning check out Pamela's post at http://www.escapefromcubiclenation.com/get_a_life_blog/2007/08/it-takes-a-vill.html

Microsoft tries to explain Windows Genuine Advantage issues

A post on the Windows Genuine Advantage blog tries to explain the recent outage, which caused clients to fail validation.

The issue with processing validations began Friday afternoon at about 3:30 PM Pacific time and through a combination of posts to our forum and customer support the issue was discovered by evening. By about 11:15 AM Pacific on Saturday morning the issue affecting the validation service had been analyzed and resolved such that validations were again being processed properly. Our data shows that fewer than 12,000 systems were affected worldwide and that many of those have already revalidated and are fixed.

...

This validation failure did not result in the 30-day grace period starting and no one went into reduced functionality mode as a result. The experience of a system that failed validation in this instance was that some features intended for use only on genuine systems were temporarily unavailable. Those features were Windows Aero, ReadyBoost, Windows Defender (which still scanned and identified all threats, but cleaned only the severe ones), and Windows Update (only optional updates were unavailable; security and other critical updates remained available). Also, the desktop message about failed validation appeared. And as I indicated, these features return to normal and the desktop message disappears when an affected system is revalidated at our site.

It seems to me like the default for failing to validate should at least leave Windows Defender fully-functioning.

The 7 Highly Effective Habits of Successful Freelancers

Brar over at DesignersMind.com has listed his 7 Highly Effective Habits of Successful Freelancers:

1. Write/design every day: Many freelancers are drawn to their particular career because they love it. They love to write, design, draw – whatever it is, they would do it for free.
2. Don’t wait for markets to come to them: Building on this first habit, when you are constantly churning out new material, you don’t have to wait for clients to come to you, you can pitch to them.
3. Have more than one stream of income: By this, I do not mean that they have second jobs. Most successful freelancers do more than one thing.
4. Have a niche: While this may seem to contradict the previous habit, it doesn’t. Most successful freelancers do one thing – and do it very well. Eg, they are a medical writer, a direct mail copywriter, a web designer.
5. Have a website: Without fail, all successful freelancers have at least a basic website. They realize the need to present a professional image to clients and have invested in an online presence.
6. Are savvy & consistent marketers: Revisiting habit three, successful freelancers are masters of marketing their services. They have to be.
7. Put in much more than 40 hours/week: Face it, you may be able to go to the grocery store at 2pm when everyone else is stuck in an office, but you probably didn’t log off until 2am, finishing up a project for a client who needed it at the last minute.

Now, since I'm currently re-reading Timothy Ferriss' The Four Hour Workweek I don't necessary agree with all of these - but they are worth thinking about. Maybe after this reading of The Four Hour Workweek I'll start putting together some post-read transcriptions of my thoughts on the book - hopefully this will help my retention of some of the ideas.

My MAME Cabinet

With the pending shutdown of Yahoo Photos I've been forced to migrate the pictures of my MAME Arcade to Flickr. This got me thinking that I should post a picture of the final result - along with more information about the path to that result later. Here it is:

Yahoo Photos Closing Email

Here is the email I received from Yahoo Photos announcing their closing and my available migration paths:

Dear Yahoo! Photos user,

For some time now, we've supported two great photo sharing services: Yahoo! Photos and Flickr. But even good things come to an end, and we've decided to close Yahoo! Photos to focus all our efforts on Flickr — the award-winning photo sharing community that TIME Magazine has called "completely addictive."

We will officially close Yahoo! Photos on Thursday, September 20, 2007, at 9 p.m. PDT. Until then, we are offering you the opportunity to move to another photo sharing service (Flickr, KODAK Gallery, Shutterfly, Snapfish, or Photobucket). We're making the transfer real simple, and with a couple clicks we'll automatically move your photos to Flickr or wherever you want them. You can also download your original-resolution photos back to your computer, or buy an archive CD from our featured partner (for users of the New Yahoo! Photos only). All you need to do is tell us what to do with your photos before we close, after which any photos remaining on Yahoo! Photos will be deleted and no longer accessible.

Of course, we hope you'll join us at Flickr (you can even use your Yahoo! ID), but we also realize that Flickr may not be for everyone. In the end, we want you to find the service that's right for you, and we hope you take some time to learn more about your options before making this important decision.

Please give us your decision by Thursday, September 20, 2007, at 9 p.m. PDT. After that time, any photos remaining in Yahoo! Photos will be deleted. Click here to make your decision, or review a list of our frequently asked questions.

Thanks for being a part of the Web's largest photo sharing service — we hope to see you over at Flickr!

If you have already moved or downloaded your photos, please disregard this message.

The Yahoo! Photos team

Who thought this was a good idea?

From Breitbart.com:

A Japanese game maker said Wednesday it would withdraw arm-wrestling machines from arcades after three players -- two of them foreigners -- broke their arms.

Players would choose a strength level from 10 characters, ranging from a maid to a professional wrestler, and face off with an artificial arm on the other side of the table.

A 25-year-old South Korean man broke his right arm while playing the game in Osaka, while a 19-year-old Frenchman and 24-year-old Japanese man also suffered arm fractures, the company said.

Atlus, a Tokyo-based arcade game maker, said it will remove the 155 machines of the game -- called "Udedamashii," which means Arms Spirits -- which were put into service just a month ago.

"We had done careful simulations on the possibility of injuries before putting it on sale, but unexpected accidents can happen with game machines when people are too excited or fail to follow instructions," a company spokeswoman said.

"But I'm afraid some foreign nationals couldn't understand the instructions well as it was written only in Japanese," she said.

By paying 100 yen, or just under one dollar, the player would have two battles of strength.

This just seems like one of those things where you wouldn't go "Hey, lets start off at the highest level and see how we do - what's the worst that could happen?". Especially if you could not read any of the instructions/warning labels on the machine.

Trail Running Tips

Although I don't do much Trail Running, I do appreciate these tips from RunToWin.com, their Trail Running 101 series is great if you're starting out in or just thinking about Trail Running. You can also download the PowerPoint for their entire presentation at http://news.runtowin.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/trail-running-presentation.ppt.

• Respect the Trail: Stay on marked trails, and never litter.
• Eat & Drink: You need to be able to carry your own water, and possibly bring food with you on your runs. You never know what sort of conditions that you will find or when you will be delayed past dark. You are going to need to the fuel and hydration to keep yourself operating safely.
• First Aid Kits & Dry Clothes: These are two items that you should have in your car at all times.
• 
  Run with a Friend: Running with a friend is more fun and is also safer. Always let somebody know where you are running and when you will return, especially when you do not have anyone to run with. At the very least, leave a note in your car. If you get injured on your run, then it will be easier to find you if somebody knows where to start looking. You may also want to stick to more frequently traveled trails when you are running solo.
• Bring Insect Repellent: You might be able to run away from the mosquitoes, but nobody can out run deer flies. The insect life on trails is going to be much heavier than elsewhere, so plan accordingly.
• Clean Your Shoes: It is much easier to go running if you have clean, dry shoes than if you have to put something on your feet that is soggy or crusty. Ian is a firm believer in rinsing the shoes with the hose, removing the insoles, and stuffing the shoes with newspaper over night.
• Follow the Left Hand Rule: If you are unfamiliar with the trails that you are running on, then always turn left whenever an opportunity presents itself. Worst case scenario involves running in a circle, and the best case scenario is that you can easily find your way back to the trail head by turning around and taking right turns if you get lost.
• Hunting Season: While bird hunters probably won’t shoot you, it pays to be careful during hunting season. During deer hunting season especially, make sure that you wear blaze orange and make a lot of noise so that anybody that is out there knows there is a human coming. Know the rules of the land that you are on as well; even state parks may be open to hunting during certain days of the week.

Sync Outlook with Google Calendar

I use Google Apps for Domains to host mcox.com, which provides me with great services such as Gmail, Google Calendar, and Google Docs & Spreadsheets. While I don't have a problem keeping my work email (running on Outlook and Exchange) separate from my mcox.com email on GMail (I prefer it this way) it does get confusing to have multiple calendars in both Outlook and Google Calendar, especially when they don't synchronize with each other.
Fortunately for me I've found SyncMyCal, which provides two-way synchronization between Microsoft Outlook (and Exchange) and Google Calendar. SyncMyCal is easy to setup and has been fool-proof so far in synchronizing my data.
A free version of SyncMyCal is available for download at http://www.syncmycal.com/google_calendar_synchronization.htm, a commercial version is also available for $25. The only differences between the free and commercial version is support for Auto Sync and the date syncronization range (only 7 days at a time with the free version), but if you don't mind clicking a button once every every days then the free version should do fine.

Add Copy To/Move To to Explorer right-click menu

If you frequently move or copy files on your PC and are tired of having to either open two Explorer windows or copy and paste them then this registry edit will be a great help. When you add the following entries to the Registry the "Move to Folder" and "Copy to Folder" options will appear when you right-click on a file or folder in Windows Explorer, when you select either of these a dialog box will pop up allowing you to select a destination directory.

Copy To:
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AllFilesystemObjects\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AllFilesystemObjects\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\{C2FBB630-2971-11D1-A18C-00C04FD75D13}]

Move To:
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AllFilesystemObjects\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers]
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AllFilesystemObjects\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers\{C2FBB631-2971-11D1-A18C-00C04FD75D13}]

Export a Fixed Width file from Excel

If you've ever used Excel to manipulate data, export it, then import it into another program/system then you've probably run into something I just had a problem with last week. Although many systems will let you import data using a CSV (Comma Separated Values) file exported from Excel, many will only take a file in a fixed width format - where for example the account number starts at column 0 and is 10 characters long, then the account name starts at column 11 and is 25 characters long, etc. While you can export a file in this format by adjusting the column widths in Excel and then exporting it as a PRN (Space Delimited File), this does not always work properly. If you have special characters or if the total width of your columns is over 255 characters than Excel will begin to wrap or break the lines incorrectly.

To properly export a file from Excel into a Fixed Width format you can use the following VBA Macro I created - MakeFixedWidth()

Sub MakeFixedWidth()

Dim Sizes As Variant
Dim arr As Variant
Dim r As Long, c As Long
Dim fso As Object
Dim ts As Object
Dim TheLine As String
Dim TestStr As String

Sizes = Array(100, 40, 5, 5, 8, 2, 10, 9, 3, 40, 3, 16, 16, 3, 16, 18, 20, 1, 3)

arr = ActiveSheet.UsedRange

Set fso = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
Set ts = fso.CreateTextFile("c:\RENAME_THIS.asc", True)

For r = 1 To UBound(arr, 1)
TheLine = ""
For c = 1 To UBound(arr, 2)
TestStr = Left(Trim(CStr(arr(r, c))), Sizes(c - 1))
TheLine = TheLine & TestStr & String(Sizes(c - 1) - Len(TestStr), " ")
Next c
ts.WriteLine TheLine
Next r

ts.Close

Set ts = Nothing
Set fso = Nothing

MsgBox "Done"

End Sub

Simply adjust the Sizes = Array definition with the number and widths of your columns and the macro will export them and save them to C:\RENAME_THIS.asc regardless of the column widths you've setup in Excel.

Things to consider when choosing a new career path

When you're young you might think that the biggest factor in choosing a career path was something like "Will the work be interesting?" or "Can I make a lot of money doing this?". As many of you may already know, that might not have been the best way to decide what you're going to do or work towards for a major portion of your life. Luckily Trent at The Simple Dollar has put together a list of Seven Things To Consider When Choosing A Career Path. If you don't want to read all the details, here are the seven considerations:

• Does it make you genuinely happy?
• Does it force you to work only in certain areas?
• Will you have to do things that contradict with your personal values?
• Does it pay enough for you to make it financially?
• Do the extra personal requirements stress you or excite you?
• Is their room for advancement?
• Is their room for personal growth?

Group emails into 'Known Senders' and 'Unknown Senders'

The Productivity Portfolio recently posted an excellent tip for Microsoft Outlook users. This tip allows you to flag/categorize people who are in your Outlook Address Book or Contacts. Here is their excellent explanation on how to accomplish this:

Although there are many steps, you can create this rule in under two minutes.

1. From the Tools menu, select Rules and Alerts…

2 In the Rules and Alerts dialog, click New Rule…

3. In the Rules Wizard, scroll down to the Start from a blank rule.

4. Click Check messages when they arrive.

5. Click Next >.

6. Scroll down the conditions list and select Sender is in a specified Address book.

7. In the lower part of the dialog, click the hyperlink specified.

8. In the Add Address List, highlight your Contacts folder.

9. Click the Add button.

10. Click Next >.

11. Select assign it to the category category.

12. In the lower section, click the category hyperlink.

13. Check the category you would like to use.

14. Click OK.

15. Click Next >.

16. Add any exceptions and click Next >.

17. Provide a name for your new email rule.

18. Optionally, you can check Run this rule now on messages already in “Inbox”.

19. Click Finish.

20. Click OK.

Note: If you have a rule labeled "clear categories on mail", you may want to uncheck it. It will remove the categories your new rule just assigned. Otherwise, you need to manually run the rule.

Now when a new message arrives in your inbox, Outlook will check to see if the sender of that message is in your Contact folder specified above and if it is Outlook will add the specified category. Once it is categorized you can simply click the Category column to sort your email, allowing you to read emails from people you know before the emails from strangers.

Tired of double-clicking on the clock to see the date?

If, like me, you've always been annoyed with the fact that you either have to hover over the time (to get the date) or double click the clock (to see a calendar) in Windows then this is a great free download. QuickMonth Calendar is a small application which will pop-up a full month calendar when you hover over the clock in Windows. You can configure how long you want the hover delay to be and various other options.

You can download QuickMonth Calendar for free at http://www.esnips.com/web/qmc

Exchange Server 2007 Certification Tips

Now that the final Exchange 2007 exam (70-238) has went live it is now possible to earn the MCITP: Enterprise Messaging Administrator certification.

If you would like some more information about what to study on the new Exchange 2007 exams, it can be gotten right from the horses mouth - Kate from the Microsoft Exchange 2007 Server blog 'You Had Me at EHLO' offers this advice:

Look at the exam objectives and make sure that you know how to perform the tasks that are listed. Here are a couple of hints that shouldn't get me kicked out of the MCP club:

• If it happens in Exchange 2007, there's an Exchange Management Shell command behind it somewhere.
• If it's new and different compared to other versions of Exchange, you should learn the basics of how it works.
• If you can't set up Exchange 2007, you won't get very far.
• Browse the Exchange TechCenter Library. It is your most comprehensive source for Exchange 2007 information and all the answers are in there. (http://technet.microsoft.com/exchange)

If you would like to get more information on this subject, you can also review the following Live Meeting recording:

Microsoft Vista and Exchange 2007 Certification Review Session 1

Make Smart Decisions Quickly

Personal Productivity blogger Steve Pavlina recently had an excellent post explaining how you can help yourself make smart decision in a very short timespan. His post, appropriately titled "How to Make Smart Decisions in Less Than 60 Seconds" includes the following tips:

• Decisions are acts of self-expression
• Say a few syllables
• Positive reinforcement

If this sounds like something you'd like to learn more about, visit Steve's site at stevepavlina.com and read his Smart Decisions in Less Than 60 Seconds post.

Find a domain name with Bust A Name

Bust A Name is a website which suggests available domain names based on keywords that you define before you search. After you enter your keywords Bust A Name uses them to search for any available names containing them, or synonyms for them in any position. Bust A Name also has dynamic search, so that as you change your keywords it's results will update automatically, making the tedious and frustrating domain name search go much faster.

If you've every tried finding a descriptive domain name than you know how annoying it can be to find one that isn't either already taken or just a spam/parked page. Bust A Name allows you to find one without having to resort to hyphens or exotic gibberish.

Enhance Google Maps with MapMyRide

MapMyRide is one of the best Google Maps mashups yet. MapMyRide address advanced integration for GPS devices, a topographical map view, sharing and searching for public routes, and a workout calculator all to Google Maps! Give it a shot at MapMyRide.com

If you don't have a Nike+ device for your ipod and don't already use something like Runner's World's Training Log, this is a great alternative. I really like it because it allows me to track my runs, walks, and bike rides all in one place, while still allowing me to differentiate between a run and a ride.

Get Vista-like Explorer Breadcrumbs on Windows XP

One of the must useful (if small) upgrades included in Windows Vista was the addition of breadcrumbs in Windows Explorer. Breadcrumbs are helpful links which appear as you navigate through a directory structure. For example, if you were in C:\Windows\System32\inf breadcrumbs would be individual links to each specific part of that path, c:\, Windows, System32, etc.

Here are how the Explorer breadcrumbs look in Windows Vista:


Here is how they can look in Windows XP with the installation of a small utility:

The secret to getting your Windows Explorer to display those breadcrumbs in Windows XP is to download QT Address Bar. QT Address Bar is a free download and requires nothing more than Windows XP and .NET 2.0 or above. You can download QT Address Bar here or visit the site for more information.

U.S. Foreclosure Heatmap, Map of Misery

Well, if a picture is worth a thousand words than this could be quite a long post. We all know about the current economy and the U.S. housing market, but these charts really help bring some of it up front.

Map of Misery

A History of Home Values

You can also view a U.S. foreclosure map at http://www.foreclosurepulse.com/photos/foreclosurepulse_photos/images/2076/original.aspx

Windows Server Virtualization Security Discussion at Black Hat

For those of you who don’t know what Black Hat is, Black Hat bills itself as a security convention that puts you face to face with people on the cutting edge of network security. Microsoft, as a sponsor of this event sent one of its lead security developers from the Windows kernel team, Brandon Baker, to Black Hat to discuss on Windows Server virtualization security.

The abstract to Brandon’s presentation is here: http://blackhat.com/html/bh-usa-07/bh-usa-07-speakers.html#Baker and in summary, Brandon discussed:

• Windows Server virtualization and Windows Server 2008 architecture and components
• How Windows Server virtualization virtualizes the CPU and enforces virtual machine isolation
• Best practices for Windows Server virtualization deployment
• Hardware futures [e.g., TXP from Intel, SVM from AMD, IOMMU]

Beta 2 of Visual Studio 2008 and .NET 3.5 released

Microsoft has announced the release of the second beta for both its IDE, Visual Studio 2008, and its platform, .Net 3.5. The betas for both Visual Studio 2008 and the smaller Visual Studio 2008 Express Editions are available for download from MSDN.

Visual Studio 2008 can be installed along-side Visual Web Developer 2008 Express or Visual Studio 2005, so you can try out 2008 without messing with your current environment. .NET 3.5 Beta 2 also includes a go-live license which allows you to build and deploy applications into production.

Some of the new features of VS 2008 Beta 2 and .NET 3.5 Beta 2 are:

• VS 2008 Multi-targeting support: Lets you target multiple versions of the .NET platform
• VS 2008 Web Designer: A significantly improved HTML web designer - includes split-view editing, nested master pages, and much-improved CSS integration.
• .NET 3.5 ASP.NET AJAX: The AJAX library is now built into the ASP.NET functionality in .NET 3.5
• VS 2008 VB/C# Compilers: Now include keywords and capabilities for functional programming, which lets you write cleaner code. The compilers also now include support for LINQ (Language Integrated Query), which makes querying/working with data a first-class concept in .NET.
• LINQ to SQL Improvements: LINQ to SQL is an built-in OR/M (Object Relational Mapper) in .NET 3.5. This allows you to model relational databases using a .NET object model. You can then query the database using LINQ and update/insert/delete data from it. LINQ to SQL fully supports transactions, views, and stored procedures.

Scott Guthrie of ASP.net also explains some of the additional new features in VS 2008:

For client development VS 2008 includes WPF designer and project support. ClickOnce and WPF XBAPs now work with FireFox. WinForms and WPF projects can also now use the ASP.NET Application Services (Membership, Roles, Profile) for roaming user data. Office development is much richer - including support for integrating with the Office 2007 ribbon. WCF and Workflow projects and designers are included in VS 2008. Unit testing support is now much faster and included in VS Professional (and no longer just VSTS). Continuous Integration support is now built-in with TFS. AJAX web testing (unit and load) is now supported in the VS Test SKU

Note:
If you have ever installed a previous version of VS 2008 or "Orcas" on your machine you need to reset your VS 2008 settings after installing Beta 2. You can do this by typing "DevEnv /resetsettings" in the Visual Studio 2008 Beta 2 directory.