Custom software developer. IT consultant. Geek.
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NetLimiter allows you to test site performance at a slower download speed
May 30, 2007
One of my clients recently ran across a great tool for simulating a low-bandwidth connection to a site. In his case, he was trying to verify that media could properly stream for users accessing the site via a slower DSL connection.
The solution — NetLimiter (http://www.netlimiter.com).
NetLimiter is an ultimate internet traffic control and monitoring tool designed for Windows. You can use NetLimiter to set download/upload transfer rate limits for applications or even single connection and monitor their internet traffic.
Along with this unique feature, Netlimiter offers comprehensive set of internet statistical tools. It includes real-time traffic measurement and long-term per-application internet More >
Weird OneCare problem today
May 30, 2007
It seems that something is up with Windows Live OneCare today. All of the computers that I’ve checked with Windows Live OneCare installed are prompting with a message that says:
Update your virus and spyware protectionYour virus and spyware definition files are out-of-date. Your computer may be at risk.
Clicking [Update Now] does not fix it, and rebooting does not fix it. This problem has been confirmed on both Windows XP and Windows Vista.
Looks like someone goofed over in the OneCare camp. Hopefully a fix will be along shortly, and hopefully the computers are still being left with virus and spyware protection.
More >Color harmonies
May 24, 2007
I’ve been meaning to post this to my blog for a while:
Easy RGB Color Harmonies calculatorhttp://www.easyrgb.com/harmonies.php#Result
Just enter your color in the boxes provided. You can use either decimal (0-255, or 0-1) or hexadecimal (00-FF) values. On the next screen, you’ll get a grid of complimentary colors based on the color you provided. Color values are provided in decimal and hexadecimal forms. This is a really great tool for getting color ideas for web projects.
Zamzar – Neat site to convert files between formats, or pull down YouTube / Google videos
Mar 2, 2007
A friend sent me a link to a really neat site today called Zamzar. It’s kind of a strange name, but it’s a really neat tool. The idea here is that you can upload any file and then Zamzar will convert it to another format that you specify. This doesn’t sound too neat, but it does solve the problem I’ve had of converting those 3g2 files from my cellphone into a format that I can actually do something with.
What’s even better, though, is that you can put in a URL for any of the major video sharing sites and Zamzar More >
Free Online Small Business Summit, March 19-23
Mar 2, 2007
From March 19-23, Microsoft is holding a free online summit aimed at small businesses. Sessions will be led by leading small business and technology experts in finance, marketing, productivity, security and more. Topics include both business-related areas (branding, marketing, sales) and technical areas (demonstrations of Windows Vista, Office 2007, etc.)
Highlights include:
- Kevin Turner, Microsoft, Chief Operating Officer, Solutions for Small Business: Microsoft COO Kevin Turner discusses how technology can make a big difference for entrepreneurs.
- Julie Clark, Founder of Baby Einstein, The Importance of Branding: Baby Einstein founder Julie Clark explains why and how to create a powerful brand.
- Guy Kawasaki, More >
How long does Microsoft support Windows?
Mar 1, 2007
Recently, someone asked me how long Windows XP will be supported, now that Windows Vista has been released. The current support rule is that operating systems are given mainstream support for 5 years, followed by extended support (for most operating systems) for 5 years. During mainstream support, new features are added to the operating system as necessary, in addition to bug and security fixes. During extended support, only security updates are released.
Windows 98 is currently out of support. No security updates are being released for Windows 98, making it a dangerous operating system for web browsing.
Windows 2000 was released on More >
DevConnections Spring 2007 – I’m Officially In
Feb 25, 2007
It’s official — I’ll be attending DevConnections in Orlando this March. It was a tough call between DevConnections (Orlando, March 2007), DevTeach (Montreal, May 2007), and TechEd (Orlando, June 2007).
Hamachi – Nice free VPN software
Feb 25, 2007
I was looking around for some nice free VPN software for a client today. They aren’t running a Windows Server, so currently they’re just using the VPN hosting built in to Windows XP Professional. However, this method is limited to one simultaneous connection, and the client is outgrowing that limit.
A while ago, I ran across Hamachi – a free software solution that can traverse firewalls, etc. to easily create VPNs. I couldn’t remember the name, however, when I went to look for it today. Finally, I found it:http://hamachi.cc/
Apparently Himachi has been purchased by LogMeIn — another solution that I’m a More >
Daylight Savings Time 2007 Update for Windows Mobile
Feb 23, 2007
So a few weeks ago, I downloaded the Daylight Savings Time 2007 Update for my Motorola Q (Windows Mobile 5 Smartphone Edition) device, but it didn’t seem to do anything. When I went to appointments occurring between March 11 and April 1, they were still showing up 1 hour early. Perhaps, I thought, my hosted Exchange provider has not applied the DST update on their server. However, today I found the simple solution to my problem. To apply the DST update, you have to change your timezone to something else, and then change it back to your actual timezone. Strange, More >
Exchange Server 2007 free trial
Feb 16, 2007
I found something neat today — a website that gives you a free 5-day trial of Exchange Server 2007. This lets you try out the latest version of Outlook Web Access, but more exciting is that it lets you try out Exchange Server’s new phone-based access, where you can access anything in Outlook via telephone. They give you a toll-free number that you can call into to try it when you sign up. It’s all free, hosted by Unisys!https://signmeup.exchange2007demo.com/exchange2007demo/