Kudzu's Tech Blog

Welcome to my tech blog! Here you will find my thoughts and findings regarding .NET, programming, design, and other computer related topics.

 

5/17/2009 - Messenger or Skype?

For years I used Skype an Trillian. But for the last 5 years I have been an exclusive Skype user because it is lightweight, and it "just works well". Enough people pinged me about Live Messenger that I decided to give it a try. More...

5/8/2009 - Put your group on the map

I am a member of many groups that are distributed throughout the world. It has been a common request to display the members locations on a map. More...

5/8/2009 - [MOA] Microsoft Office Accounting Professional 2009

I used Quickbooks for a few months and was quite disappointed. Then I found Microsoft Office Accounting Professional. More...

5/5/2009 - Visioneer Scanners - again!

Years ago I had a Visioneer scanner. Then XP came out. More...

5/4/2009 - [Delphi] Project CrossTalk

I'm reposting this from an Atozed announcement. More...

4/30/2009 - Another Vista Feature

XP ad hoc wireless networks only support WEP encryption. This required me to carry a travel access point. More...

4/30/2009 - Finally - A nearly perfect notebook

I started using laptops about 1988. In fact for over 10 years I used laptops nearly exclusively. I have owned more than 20 laptops often upgrading each year at least. Finally, I have found nearly the perfect laptop. The last time I felt so good about a laptop was the famous Sony VAIO 505 line. More...

4/30/2009 - Essential Software

Readers often ask me which software I consider essential to my work. Here is a list that I will keep updated. I will also add more details as time allows. More...

4/29/2009 - Multiple Instances of Skype

I have several Skype accounts, and being able to only log into one at a time is a problem. More...

4/29/2009 - Problems with Bitlocker preparation tool

For converting an existing drive Microsoft has released a tool called the "Bitlocker Preparation Tool'. However it often fails and to quote Microsoft "This issue may occur even if the operating system is newly installed." More...

3/12/2009 - Rocket Launcher with web cam

A few years back I attached a web cam to my rocket launcher and using WCF remotely controlled it. Now Dream Cheeky has released a model with built in web came and remote via MSN Messenger. Still no options to refill remotely though, so fire your 3 shots wisely! More...

1/14/2009 - Windows 7 - What I saw in 15 minutes

I decided to install the Windows 7 beta. Here are my initial impressions after playing with it briefly. More...

1/4/2009 - Running Age of Empires II on Vista

AOE II continues to be a popular game. In fact it is one of the few games I find time to play. However under Vista most times the colors are goofed up when playing. Its playable, but makes the playing area difficult to see, especially water areas. More...

12/31/2008 - A "fix" for Vista Offline Files

One of my favorite features of Vista is actually a small one. Offline files. XP had the briefcase and offline files, but they never worked properly. In Vista, offline files "just works". Except when you remove the network share, change credentials, or move the share. In which case a small disaster ensues. Fortunately I have finally found the answer. More...

12/31/2008 - Windows and Old Network Credentials

I changed my username on my NAS to match my Windows login name. Windows however kept trying to use the old saved credentials, and for some reason after it failed with those even entering the new ones (which were the same as my Windows login and password) it would never authenticate. The solution was to delete the saved network credentials, and here is how to do it. More...

12/31/2008 - 2009 Computing Predictions

A few predictions I have for 2009 and our industry. More...

12/30/2008 - Wanted: Secure NAS

And of course I don't want to spend more for a commercial NAS than a whole PC would cost. More...

12/30/2008 - US Army Robots with a Wiimote

Seriously. The US Army is experimenting using the wiimote or a more natural interface to remote robots rather than the box of joysticks that look much like an armored Atari 2600. More...

12/29/2008 - Haunted Motherboards

I have an extremely weird problem I cannot diagnose. I had a computer that started blue screening, then would boot but turn off, and finally stopped booting. I assumed it was the motherboard (lets call it motherboard A). Over time I have replaced nearly every part of the computer. More...

12/28/2008 - D-Link DNS-321 NAS

More D-Link problems. After a 2 year ban on buying D-Link products I decided to try D-Link again. Very poor results, but at least this device while irritating, is more than a paper weight. Which is more than I can say for my last D-Link device which still functions to this day, but is so poorly designed that its nearly useless. More...