Unhandled Perception

Microsoft Web Platform Installer 2.0

2009-11-06T14:18:00.001-05:00

The Microsoft Web Platform Installer 2.0 (Web PI) is a free tool that makes getting the latest components of the Microsoft Web Platform, including Internet Information Services (IIS), SQL Server Express, .NET Framework and Visual Web Developer easy. The Web PI also makes it easy to install and run the most popular free web applications for blogging, content management and more with the built-in Windows Web Application Gallery.

Not going to test it but it claims to setup a PHP environment too. Personally I would recommend WAMP for setting up a PHP environment in Windows.

Link:
http://www.microsoft.com/web/Downloads/platform.aspx

Create and share interactive forms at The Tree Form Machine

2009-11-05T14:19:00.003-05:00

This is a site where people can create and share interactive forms -- forms that can be used by others to assemble detailed output documents with just a few clicks of the mouse.

The Tree Form Machine makes it easy to create:
* Legal documents -- by mixing and matching relevant paragraphs.
* Business form letters -- tailored to your customers.
* Software licenses and EULAs -- with just the terms you care about.

This is a very cool idea and worth checking out. Creating complex forms and documents where sections are often altered based on different criteria becomes a breeze.

Try it!

Link:
http://www.tfdocs.com/

Sample using the BSD License:
http://www.tfdocs.com/form/bsd-license

AV-Comparatives picks six malware removal winners

2009-11-04T14:27:00.000-05:00

Following its August 2009 on-demand report, AV-Comparatives has released its October 2009 removal comparative. Sixteen products were tested between September 1, 2009 and September 15, 2009 on Windows XP Professional SP3 32bit. The latest updates installed on September 1, 2009. The tests in this latest study focus only on the malware removal/cleaning capabilities of the security products installed on an already infected/compromised system; detection rates and protection capabilities are ignored.

Link:
http://arstechnica.com/security/news/...

Recover your Windows Product Key

2009-11-03T10:14:00.002-05:00

The Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder is a freeware open source utility that retrieves your Product Key (cd key) used to install Windows from your registry. It allows you to print or save your keys for safekeeping. It works on Windows 95, 98, ME, 2000, XP, Vista, Server 2003, Server 2008, Office XP, Office 2003, and Office 2007 family of products. It also has a community-updated configuration file that retrieves product keys for many other applications. Another feature is the ability to retrieve product keys from unbootable Windows installations.

One of those tools that's good to know about.

Link:
http://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder/

40 New Useful Web Development Tools and Resources

2009-11-02T15:56:00.000-05:00

In this post we have put together a useful collection of new web development tools to save developers and designers time, energy, and headaches. Let’s take a look at 40 new useful web development tools and resources in a goodie bag for you, including easy and fast tweaks to forms, snippets of code, documentation at your fingertips, fonts, and cheat sheets.

Link:
http://www.noupe.com/tools/...

Listhings places sticky notes in your browser

2009-11-02T11:16:00.003-05:00

Interesting but not sure how useful it would be - have to keep a browser window open. Personally I think using Note-It makes more sense where the notes can be on top of all open applications is much more useful.

Link:
http://listhings.com/

Microsoft readying test systems for Windows 8 development

2009-10-29T16:33:00.000-05:00

Although Microsoft gave us some great numbers regarding the Windows 7 beta, the company (unsurprisingly) refused to give us any details about what changes the planning and development team was going to make for Windows 8. Earlier this month we rounded up every minor detail that bloggers had posted on the operating system.

Link:
http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/...

Make your own font with FontStruct

2009-10-28T10:43:00.003-05:00

FontStruct lets you quickly and easily create fonts constructed out of geometrical shapes, which are arranged in a grid pattern, like tiles or bricks.

And if you want to manage your existing font check out Cfont Pro - my tool.

Link:
http://fontstruct.fontshop.com/

Google Voice Frees Your Voicemail, and Your Number

2009-10-27T10:45:00.003-05:00

Until yesterday, signing up for a Google Voice account required you to pick a new phone number -- not a pleasant option for those who have kept the same digits for years. Now Google has enabled users to keep their existing phone numbers and get (most of) the features Google Voice offers, including Google's excellent voicemail service.

I have been using Google Voice for a couple of months now and now its powerful but I just haven't switched to the phone number yet. Still trying to decide exactly what to use my Google Voice number for. Veign's business number?

Link:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/...

Microsoft to release Outlook .PST file specifications

2009-10-26T19:28:00.000-05:00

Three weeks ago, the European Commission signaled its approval of Microsoft's revised plan for a more vendor-neutral Web browser selection screen for European Windows users. But that revised plan was buffered with a big bonus: a promise to supply the general public with a wealth of interoperability information, including about proprietary formats.

Among the most sought after formats on that list has been for Outlook Personal Folders -- the much-maligned .PST file format, whose lack of comprehension has been the pet peeve of certainly every developer who's ever worked on a calendar or smartphone synchronization utility. Now the manager for Microsoft's new Office Interoperability Group announced this morning that work is under way on public documentation for the file format.

MS letting go a little more to the many proprietary file formats.

Link:
http://www.betanews.com/article/...

5 Steps to Winning Any Client Project

2009-10-26T13:57:00.000-05:00

The ability to win new client projects is an essential skill to any freelancer. It’s something we freelancers practice from the day we get started, and it’s usually a skill that builds over time.

Aside from just practice, there are actually a lot of things you can do to become better at winning new client projects. Winning projects is not a confusing process, and it can actually be broken down very methodically.

In this article we’ve done just that, and divided the project-winning process into five steps. Read on for an explanation of each step, and a few tips for what you need to do to win at each stage of the game.

Link:
http://freelancefolder.com/5-steps-to-winning-any-client-project/

Windows 7: The Snap

2009-10-24T10:23:00.001-05:00

Last video. Not sure if Vista had this feature.

Windows 7: The Shake

2009-10-22T14:26:00.001-05:00

Personally, I think this is cool.

Lifehacker's Complete Guide to Windows 7

2009-10-22T14:19:00.001-05:00

Windows 7 officially launches today, but we've been testing, tweaking, customizing, fixing, and writing about this OS for a year now. We present here a guide to everything we've learned about the OS, from first install to final settings change.

Whether you've played around with Windows 7 during its beta or release candidate versions, launch day is finally here, and Windows 7 is finally ready for widespread, public consumption. This guide will take you straight through from system requirements and upgrading your PC to highlighting Windows 7's best new features to helping you hit the ground running with all of the awesome tweaks Windows 7 has in store for you.

Great resource!

Link:
http://lifehacker.com/5386953/...

File Management and Organization Tools and Ideas

2009-10-21T08:59:00.000-05:00

Managing the files and reference materials that you’ve compiled over the course of a project (or even your entire career) can be a daunting task. You need to organize invoices, proposals, creative files, mock-ups, research sources and a myriad of other folders and files for later reference. And let’s face it: most operating systems have inadequate file management tools for power users.

Below are a number of apps and resources that you can use to manage your files and resources. Some are Web-based, some desktop-based and some are analog (i.e. paper-and-pen-based). The one that’s right for you will depend largely on your workflow and what you need to keep organized.

Decent list, with some tools that I have never heard of that seem to be worth investigating a bit further.

Link:
http://www.noupe.com/tools/...

Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor

2009-10-20T14:25:00.000-05:00

Download and run the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor to see if your PC is ready for Windows 7. It scans your hardware, devices, and installed programs for known compatibility issues, gives you guidance on how to resolve potential issues found, and recommends what to do before you upgrade.

Link:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...

Free trademark search with Trademarkia

2009-10-20T12:14:00.002-05:00

Search all US trademarks filed since 1870 for free.

Link:
http://www.trademarkia.com/

Plarker on DonationCoder.com

2009-10-19T12:57:00.002-05:00

DonationCoder has taken steps to allow its members the ability to highlight their Plarker maps. Each member can add their Plarker username to their profile, which provides a quick link to their Plarker map through an icon under their member username on the forum.

This a big step for Plarker as DonationCoder is a very popular tech forum. This forum is unlike most. The civility for an online forum is amazing at DC. Stop by and let them know that Veign recommended it.

DonationCoder Forum:
http://www.donationcoder.com/Forums/bb/index.php

Plarker:
http://www.plarker.com/

Windows Tweaks that Still Work in Windows 7

2009-10-19T12:47:00.001-05:00

Link:
http://lifehacker.com/5384603/...

7 Things Web Designers Hate Hearing from Clients

2009-10-19T08:40:00.000-05:00

Quick link:
http://sixrevisions.com/project-management/...

New camera promises to capture your whole life

2009-10-18T16:37:00.000-05:00

A camera you can wear as a pendant to record every moment of your life will soon be launched by a UK-based firm.

Originally invented to help jog the memories of people with Alzheimer's disease, it might one day be used by consumers to create "lifelogs" that archive their entire lives.

Worn on a cord around the neck, the camera takes pictures automatically as often as once every 30 seconds. It also uses an accelerometer and light sensors to snap an image when a person enters a new environment, and an infrared sensor to take one when it detects the body heat of a person in front of the wearer. It can fit 30,000 images onto its 1-gigabyte memory.

Link:
http://www.newscientist.com/article/...

10 Puzzle Websites to Sharpen Your Programming Skills

2009-10-17T10:18:00.000-05:00

Solving programming puzzles is a fun way to develop your logical and problem solving abilities. Also, when you’re familiarizing yourself with a new programming language, solving puzzles for that language can help speed up the learning process.

Here are the top 10 popular programming puzzle sites that will help test your thinking and improve your programming, problem solving, and logical thinking skills.

Link:
http://sixrevisions.com/resources/...

7 Key Principles That Make A Web Design Look Good

2009-10-15T16:29:00.001-05:00

So what makes something pretty? It is not Flash. Not to say that Flash has no merit, but Flash alone doesn’t make a design good; some nasty Flash websites are out there. Also, one doesn’t have to be a great illustrator to make appealing designs. Instead, look at Web design as a symbiosis of different elements. No single element counts the most; rather, the sum of the elements makes a design look good.

These elements are the 7 key principles that make a Web design look good:

* Balance,
* Grid,
* Color,
* Graphics,
* Typography,
* White space,
* Connection.

Link:
http://www.noupe.com/how-tos/...

IE6 CSS Fixer Starter Kit

2009-10-15T13:04:00.001-05:00

Welcome to the IE6 CSS Fixer: starter kit page. A tool specifically designed to ease the pain of the ie6 css debugger. If you want to read up on all the specifics, I advise you to check the articles on the ideology, the specific fixes and the scope of this tool.

Every little bit helps even though a true understanding of CSS and XHTML can make working with IE6 not too bad.

Link:
http://www.onderhond.com/tools/ie6fixer

Retrieve Google Analytics Visits and PageViews with PHP

2009-10-14T15:59:00.001-05:00

Google Analytics is an outstanding website analytics tool that gives you way more information about your website than you probably need. Better to get more than you want than not enough, right? Anyways I check my website statistics more often than I should and it ends up taking a few minutes to get logged in, select the right site, select the current day, etc. I found a great Google Analytics PHP API that allows me to get just the statistics I’m looking for.

Link:
http://davidwalsh.name/...