Charles' Tech Blog

Granting Exchange Send As Permissions

2011-12-09T18:52:00.001-08:00

I am on a quest to discover what the most stringent AD permissions I can grant to people are and right now I am working through the process of granting the user administration team the right to manage granting the Exchange rights "Send As" and "Full Access" for user mailboxes.

There is a shockingly light amount of information about this on the Internet. The Exchange blogs seem to focus on granting wide and generous permissions.

One thing that makes this a bit more complicated for us is that we have moved our AD administration into Quest ActiveRoles, while our Exchange administration is still in Active Directory.

At this point, the best I have found is that to grant the ability to Send As, the permissions that seem to work is to make the administrator a member of the "Exchange Recipient Administrators" group and to grant that group the "modify permissions" right on the AD user objects.

I have a feeling there is a stricter right that can be applied but I have not found it yet.

I am still on the search for the ability to grant the "full access" rights.... One day!!!

AD FS 2.0: Getting Started

2011-04-22T21:29:00.000-07:00

I have started a project to play with AD FS 2.0; and I have discovered that there is not a single book on the topic nor is there a lot of good information on the Web about AD FS, so my adventures in getting started in AD FS have been bumpy to say the least.

The good news, for me, is that a coworker received an invitation to the Microsoft AD FS 2.0 class which was passed on to me. Starting Monday I will get to learn, hopefully in depth, how AD FS 2.0 works and much more detail about it.

My goal is to launch AD FS 2.0 and to write the fable of launching AD FS 2.0 so that people who follow in my footsteps can have a resource for getting started.

What I know so far is that I want to have something that looks like this at the end of the day:

So, check back here to keep track of my AD FS adventures!

Items of Confusion

2011-02-27T12:34:00.001-08:00

In a recent discussion with some other IT people over an issue with a drive that had run out of space I discovered that there is some confusion around what you can actually do with Windows 2003 to expand drives.

After some research (with websites providing both good and bad information) I have come to believe these are the facts:

If you have Windows 2003 install on a machine you can expand or span a volume if:

1) The drive was not a basic partition and was not upgraded from Windows 2000. If the drive started life as a Windows 2003 basic partition you can covert the disk to a dynamic disk and then extend the volume across other drives. However, you cannot do this if the machine was a Windows 2000 server that was upgraded.

2) You can expand a basic partition as long as there is continuous free space. So if you have a C and a D drive on a hard disk and they take up 1/2 of the space and you want to extend the D drive, you can do so as long as the open space is the next available space on the disk.

3) Any drive that started its life as a dynamic volume can be manipulated in any way.

4) If needed, you can convert a dynamic disk to a basic disk; but you will have to blow away all the volumes on that disk. You cannot convert volumes to partitions (that bit is a one way street).

5) Your partition or volume must be NTFS. You just can't roll with FAT.

I have found some articles out there that will tell you that it is not possible to upgrade a basic partition and then expand it. This is true in Windows 2000 and Windows XP. This limitation has been removed in Windows 2003.

The exceptions to this rule are in the cases that you cannot create dynamic drives, which you will find in laptops and removable media. Dynamic drives are just cranky like that.

Warning Fail

2010-10-03T10:16:00.000-07:00

Found on a website:

"NOTICE: Your web browser is obsolete. As such, some functionality of this website may not function correctly or at all. Please upgrade your browser to the latest version "

I sure hope that the function of the functionality is functional when I need it to be fun.

ADMT: Failed to change domain affiliation, hr=800704f1 The system detected a possible attempt to compromise security.

2010-05-10T19:07:00.000-07:00

We have been testing out migrations from several domains into our main domain and discovered the following issue when we would go to migrate computer accounts:

ERR3:7075 Failed to change domain affiliation, hr=800704f1 The system detected a possible attempt to compromise security. Please ensure that you can contact the server that authenticated you.

This error does not impact moving groups or users. During our search for the resolution we found a lot of people saying you should use the KB article 942564: (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/942564) to resolve the issue by adjusting the cryptography algorithms to becompatible with Windows NT 4.0.

Looking deeper into that solution we decided that all we where really doing was lowering the level of security on our domain and we wanted to avoid that.

Fortunatly we read a little further down and discovered the KB article 944043 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/944043/) which talks about the domain having 2008 Read Only Domain Controllers which we do not have so I overlooked that solution.

Further research showed that the KB 944043 should be used any time your domain is PREPARED for a 2008 RODC. The solution was presented here: http://blogs.technet.com/askds/archive/2009/10/19/admt-rodc-s-and-error-800704f1.aspx

So if you want to keep your 2008 domain at a higher level of security and bring in those computers from another domain check out KB 944043, grab those patches and see if it resolves the issue for you!

The art of selling yourself

2010-02-15T07:15:00.000-08:00

Resumes are as much (if not more) about marketing yourself then they are about actually listing skills. Check out this great example!

Has your email disappeared?

2009-02-09T13:28:00.000-08:00

If you ever moved an email to your Mailbox - User's Name in Outlook you have probably then discovered that your email magicly disappeared. Well, it ends up in a folder called "IPM_Subtree."

Here is a handy tip to recover those emails: http://www.saiweb.co.uk/windows/ipm_subtree-outlook-and-the-vanishing-emails

Handy Exchange OAB Logging Hints

2009-02-08T18:42:00.001-08:00

http://blogs.msdn.com/dgoldman/archive/2006/08/26/725860.aspx

Windows 7 Beta

2009-01-13T08:11:00.001-08:00

The Windows 7 Beta has been released to the public, it weighs in at 2.44 GB and is downloading as we speak. You can get your hands on a copy at: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/dd353205.aspx

Dell's "temprature probe has exceeded a non-critical threshold" message

2009-01-13T07:29:00.000-08:00

Today I got a call from a user who was receiving a message that read:

"A temperature probe has exceeded a non-critical threshold..."

This message, according to Dell means that either the heat sink [on the CPU] has come loose or a fan is not working correctly.

This issue might be easy to resolve for many users by simply blowing into the fan vents, this could dislodge any dirt that is blocking the fan, which is the most likely issue. If not, you may need to remove the cover and use a can of compressed air or a PC vac to clean out the inside of the computer (remember to unplug the system first!).

If it is a heat sink, you can reattach it with some glue from a PC parts store.

Running the Dell diagnostics will help you to determine which part is not working correctly and lead you to the next step you should take (either cleaning or replacing the fan or fixing the heat sink).

Finding the brains of a computer.

2008-12-12T19:56:00.000-08:00

In today's society we tend to try and humanize everything. We gave the tin man a heart because we were afraid of a robot without compassion, we assign human emotions to our pets, and we have even given the computer "a brain!"

If you read articles or books that are an introduction to computing you will commonly find a reference to the CPU as the brains of a computer; but is this really a valid comparison?

If we think about what the brain does, even one inside an ant, it is able to receive data, store that data, determine the best course of action based on previous data (or make an assumption or "best guess" when there is no previous data) and set about the body to perform the needed action. The brain handles so many different functions that we do not even understand how it really works (which is the reason we have so many different medications for emotional and mental problems).

The CPU on the other hand, does one thing and does it well. It performs calculations on information and returns that to the software that requested the CPU get involved.

Now there is no doubt that the CPU does emulate one of the thousands of functions the brain does, hell, the CPU is usually a lot faster than the brain at this one specific task; but that is it. The CPU simply cannot do everything the brain does.

On the other hand, the entire PC does perform most of the functions that the brain does from storing information in short term (RAM) and long term (hard drive) memory to receiving input signals (5 senses vs. keyboard, scanner, mouse, etc) and returning output (vocal or body language vs. monitor, printer, etc).

Even in computers running artificial intelligence software it is the software that emulates thinking not the CPU, still this software is governed by a very simple set of rules while the brain allows us to bend or break the rules that have been applied to us the computer will most often obey the laws it has been given. (If we ignore Chaos theory and errors, the computer will always obey). Three Laws Safe!

The day the CPU becomes the brains of the computer is probably the last day any of us want to see given the results of 2001, Terminator, or I Robot. Until that day the only brain that we will find involved with a computer is the one stored comfortably between the ears of the person at the keyboard!

Log Me In!

2008-09-25T07:41:00.000-07:00

One of the greatest little tools out there is the ability to access remote desktops via the Internet. There are several programs out there that can do this such as Gotomypc.com and VNC. One of my favorites is logmein.com. Why is it my favorite? It uses codes that the remote desktop user must provide for remote access and it is free! VNC is great too, but it can be accessed by anyone if it is on and they know the password. Using logmein.com can be a secure way to get where you need to be (assuming someone is on the other end).

Perfect for those IT people who's moms keep calling for help!

Today I must post!

2008-08-06T18:36:00.000-07:00

According to my calendar it says that Wednesday is the day I should post to this blog, now I've been ignoring that for a long time, but figured I'd get this out there and pick on Microsoft a little bit...

We decided that we needed to move from Lotus Domino to Microsoft Exchange, I guess we can save a little money that way (and the iphone the CIO just got only syncs with Outlook).

Anyway, while following Microsoft's excellent instructions (which you can find all over the Internet) to connect Domino and Exchange together so that people on both sides can look up the calendars of the others and the mail users are synced between the two systems.

The mail routes through SMTP so there is no longer a connector there. Which solves some of the horrors of the migration.

Anyway, after following the steps to the letter we were able to sync the users but along the way we had to fight through issues involving security settings. Those are easily solved by checking the event log, so no big deal.

The snag we hit was when we tried to get the calendar to sync. It was easy enough to get the Exchange server to see the Domino side but the Domino side just refused to look into the Exchange world. There were no errors being displayed anywhere and the Internet didn't offer any suggestions. I knew it I called Microsoft they would send me to Lotus and if I called Lotus they would send me to Microsoft so I was stuck in the middle of this mess.

It wasn't until I finally found a person on the Internet that had the very same issue and this has driven me to post the same information for others to find (if they are unlucky enough to have the same issue).

On the Domino server that you set up to do the calendar sync you have to install a program called the Exchange Calendar Connector. This runs as a task on the Domino server and according to Exchange the command is:

load excalcon Exchange

While the command you should use is:

load excalcon

If you follow the Microsoft instructions it will be:

load excalcon ExchFreeBusy

Once you do that, the systems should sync up and you can see the busy times on either side.

This does not allow you to see the details of the calendar though, that is only accomplished by people on Domino accessing Domino calendars and Exchange users accessing Exchange calendars.

Windows 7

2008-03-14T10:58:00.000-07:00

Microsoft has let it slip that the next version of Windows will be spurned fourth on the world in 2010. The good news is that 2 years before its release it is already better than Vista!

http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/null/86646

Syncronize Contacts in Lotus Notes 8

2008-03-11T09:17:00.000-07:00

For the longest time we have been trying to figure out how to get the word "disabled" to go away on the replication page in Lotus Notes 8 for the contacts to sync between the web access and the local file.

We found the issue today...

Under File -> Preferences -> Contacts there is a settings that reads Enable "Synchroize Contacts" on the Replicator that needs to be enabled. We found that setting several weeks ago and enabled it yet the system still said "disabled" on the replication tab.

So today we found the same setting (thanks to notes.net) under the More -> Preferences button in the Contacts database. That setting also has to be checked. It seems that there is a bug in the two linking up.

Anyway, once we checked both the disabled disappeared from the replication tab and the contacts synced up.

So there ya go!

Bill Gates' last day.

2008-01-08T06:21:00.000-08:00

Keep your eyes open for the hidden cameos...

Download your favorite Youtube!

2007-12-28T19:06:00.000-08:00

An online service at http://www.vixy.net allows you to download any video on YouTube. You simply need to enter the URL of the video page into the Vixy service, tell it what kind of file you would like and then send it on its way.

Although this process has worked well in tests for me there is one side effect that I have noticed. Files downloaded to an mp3 format result in the file thinking it is 30+ minutes long. The good news is it plays correctly in iTunes and Windows Media Player so no worries!

So check the site out.

Screenshot How To!

2007-12-04T08:26:00.000-08:00

Hello again trusty Internet users!

I asked a someone to send me a screenshot the other day and they said "How do I do that?" So I told them. After I told them they said "How do I do that?" So I told them again.

Here is a handy guide on how to take screenshots:

The first and only step in taking a screenshot is to press the "Prnt Scrn" or Print Screen button on your PC. Taking a screenshot on a Mac is quite different and I am sure Googling "Mac screenshot" will be of great use!

After you have pressed the "Prnt Scrn" button an image of what your screen looks like will be stored in Window's clipboard ready to be pasted into any application that will accept it. These applications can include Microsoft Paint (from your start menu --> Accessories) or Microsoft Word.

My favorite is Microsoft Word because I can quickly type in a some notes and details and send them to just about anyone. So, to paste your image into Microsoft Word follow these steps:

Open Microsoft Word
Click Edit
Click Paste

If you do not want to click Edit then Paste you can press "Ctrl-V" on your keyboard and be done with it.

This will paste the contents of the clipboard (which should be the image of your screen) into Microsoft Word.

"Advanced Screenshot"
You can take a screenshot of just the application you are working in by using the "Alt-Prnt Scrn" combination of keys. This will store an image of just the program that you are in. For example, if you have an error message on your screen you can click on that message and then press the "Alt" and "Prnt Scrn" keys to capture just that error window in the screenshot.

There are also plenty of free programs out there to assist you in taking even more "advanced" screenshots such as Screenhunter or to capture video of your desktop you can use FRAPS or Quick Screen Recorder.

Online Drives

2007-09-25T08:28:00.000-07:00

If you are like me and you know that you are, you have a lot of pictures, music, and other data stored on your computer.

What if that computer is stolen or the hard drive crashes? Don't think it will happen to you? Well, one day it will so it is best to be prepared!

There are several things you can do to protect your data but possibly the easiest and cheapest way is to get yourself some online storage.

Companies like iDrive (http://www.idrive.com) and xDrive (http://www.xdrive.com) offer online storage. xDrive offers a free 5gb service and while iDrive does offer a free 2gb service their best offer is the unlimited storage for fifty dollars a month.

Online storage gives you a lot of options in protecting your data. Everything from manually copying files to automated backup. The disadvantage of the online backup? It is online! Someone might get into your files. If this is a concern you can always get an external hard drive and attach it to your computer or your network.

An external drive attached to your network can give you several hundred gigs of storage that is accessible from multiple computers.

The key here is making sure you have a way to backup and protect your data. When your iTunes music is gone... its gone!

Animator vs Aninmation

2007-08-08T12:27:00.000-07:00

Check out the work of Alan Becker!

Adding flash to your Blogger page

2007-08-08T12:21:00.000-07:00

I spent some time looking around for ways to add flash to your blogger site and all of the ways I saw didn't really work out for me so I found this handly little work around using iframes.

You can enter this code:
{iframe src="http://wwwyoursite.com/pagewithyourflashmovie.html" frameborder="0" width="400" height="120"}Your browser doesn't support iframes, get your act together!{/iframe}

(Change { to < and } to >)

This requires that you:

1) Have an html page that has the code for your flash movie on it
2) Have the html page and your flash movie stored somplace on the Internet
3) That you change the info above to fit your movie size and name

Here is an example:
Your browser doesn't support iframes, get your act together!

Raid 200010320938 + What?!?!

2007-07-25T05:37:00.000-07:00

We all know that Raid is good for getting rid of bugs but what the heck is it in a computer?!? Check out this tutorial.

Turn your car into a solor generator

2007-07-20T09:56:00.001-07:00

Now you can take parts from your old car (doesn't everyone have a few spare cars around) and make a solar generator...

Check it out: http://www.technologyreview.com/read_article.aspx?id=17169&ch=biztech&a=f

Build a solar powered generator

2007-07-19T12:03:00.001-07:00

Although it is not really a generator (just a solar recharged battery) this project is rather cool.

http://www.rain.org/~philfear/how2solar.html

Play vs Girl

2007-07-19T08:02:00.001-07:00

There is a long running thread (actualy threads) here that discusses the age old question of "My girlfriend said 'Your 360 or me!' what do I do?"

My favorite answer:

honestly?? who cares about a girlfriend these days?? hookers are much cheaper and they don`t ask question about your weird fetish… me? I`d only consider to take the girl over the x, if I can definitely say I had more fun with her than with the x so far… and no I am not referrin`to the sexual content of the relationship… problem that I see for the girls and the human population would be if men realize they can have just as much fun without a girl… that would be against natures plan… however lucky humans, there are enough males out there fucking everything remotely human just to spread their genes so no problem there…

Feeling lost, alone, cell phone need a charge? Let Hello Kitty Save the Day! (or: Another Use for a Pussy)

2007-07-19T07:18:00.000-07:00

Across the sea in everyone's favorite target for Godzilla sits a group of people who for no reason have decided Hello Kitty should adorn everything they use. While I must agree that Hello Kitty panties are sexy and fun do we really want future generations to wonder why the cat has made a comeback after all these years away (see early human history, Egypt).

Well, I for one am willing to stand up and shout, "Who cares what they think!" This Hello Kitty Emergency Device (which runs on a hand crank or 9 volt batter) is just too dead sexy cute to pass up. It has a radio, flashlight, and can charge your cell phone. Great stuff!

Check out Hello Kitty Hell for more details.

So, the next time Godzilla attacks you can be prepared with your Hello Kitty Emergency Device.

Keep your operating system & PC in peak condition

2007-05-02T05:40:00.000-07:00

A lot of people remember that their bodies need exercise (even if they do not provide it) but few people think about their PC needing care as well.

Over time your computer can become loaded down with temporary files (which are created basically any time you use a program), log files, old programs, and files that have been scattered across the hard drive.

There are several things you can do to help keep your PC running strong including:

1) Keep your PC virus free. A lot of PCs become infected with viruses. Make sure to have an anti-virus software installed on your machine and keep the virus definitions up to date. Your Internet Service Provider probably has a free anti-virus software you can get or you can go to Google and type in "Free Anti-Virus" and see what you get. I personally recommend getting Symantec’s product and paying for the service.

2) Keep your registry clean, there are several free programs including RegSeeker and CCleaner that do an excellent job of cleaning the registry. This process is important because your registry can get loaded down with information that was valid once but has become outdated or the programs have been removed. Keeping your registry clean allows the system to process through the file faster allowing the overall performance of the PC to be faster as well.

3) Take care of your hard drive. A full hard drive can slow your machine down (although not nearly as much as other things will). Try and delete files that you do not need anymore and remove old programs that you are not using. Also make sure to scan and defrag your hard drive at least once every two months or so. You can do this by going to "My Computer" and then right clicking on your hard drive and selecting properties. From there select the tools tab and select error-checking to scan the drive and defragmentation to defrag the drive. When selecting error-checking make sure to place a checkmark in all the boxes and that will do a low level scan of your hard drive. Both of these options take a while so run them right before you go to bed or when you’re not going to use your PC for a while. You can also use the clean up button on the first tab to clean out a lot of temporary files which can really fill up your drive over time.

4) Keep your PC free of spy/ad/mal-ware. These little nasty programs come attached to fun programs that you download off the Internet or you get them from visiting web sites. Get yourself a copy of ad-aware or another anti-spyware software. There are many out there that are free and easy to use. Again make sure you keep the definitions up to date and scan your computer every few weeks. This software can take a PC from super machine to tinker-toy in just a few hours so keep it off your computer! If your wondering what type of software includes this little added bonus the answer is: music/software sharing programs like Limewire, screensaver software, and games you download from the Internet are just a few of the programs that carry along little extras that watch what you do and transmit information back to their creators.

5) Fdisk, reformat, and reinstall Windows. This process takes quite a while and you have to make sure you have all the drivers you will need (or at least the network / modem drivers so you can get on the Internet to get the rest of the drivers later). A lot of people never rebuild their PCs. I try to rebuild mine at least a few times a year. Think of your PC like a blackboard. No matter how much you wipe it off you still see the old marks. However you can resurface it (or have it professionally cleaned in the case of the chalkboard) and start fresh.

6) Add more RAM, an external hard drive, or a new video card. A lot of things can be improved by adding some more RAM (up to a point), adding an external hard drive allows you to store your files on a separate drive then the operating system which helps to keep that drive clean, and upgrading your video card can really improve the performance of a PC if it helps to remove some of the work from the CPU and move it to the video card. You will probably get a greatly improved picture as well.

These are some "easy" and not so easy ways to keep your PC running "like new" and speaking of like new it is always a good idea to remove as much of the pre-installed software as you can. You’re not going to use most of it so why keep it there?

Another hint is to not install the software your DSL/Cable provider gives you for connecting to their network. Get yourself a router instead. It will handle all the work of connecting for you and you do not have to install another program onto your computer (because adding another program slows your PC down that much more when it is running).

So get back out there, keep your nose and your PC clean and have some fun!

Star practices recycling

2007-04-11T08:27:00.000-07:00

Way out in space sits a white dwarf star in the Ophiuchus constellation. What makes this star special is that went super nova. As a matter of fact it has gone super nova six times in the last 108 years.

What we have here is a case of theft, or recycling, depending on how you look at it. The star borrows material from a neighboring star and uses it to explode about every 20 years.

Police are still deciding if they are going to press charges...

You can read more about it here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4885700.stm

HTML Playground - XHTML and CSS

2007-03-28T08:21:00.000-07:00

Here is a handy refrence site for XHTML and CSS. It lets you select the code you are intrested it, tells you what it does and then shows you it in action. You even see the code behind what shows.

Rather handy I do say.

Your PC, your friend.

2007-03-20T07:29:00.000-07:00

Monoslideshow

2007-03-20T07:00:00.000-07:00

I came across a really nice slideshow tool at: http://www.monoslideshow.com. You can do some very cool things with this slideshow, it is small in size, and runs smoothly.

Another great tool that I have been using is JAlbum from: http://jalbum.net/. This program installs on your computer and creates albums for you to post to the web, I've been using them on my family's site at http://www.acksjay.com (see the links on the right side).

Download from YouTube

2007-03-09T12:24:00.000-08:00

Ever seen a video on YouTube that you really really wanted? Visit http://vixy.net/ to convert and download that video to your favorite format!

Crimson Editor

2007-03-09T11:49:00.000-08:00

Located at http://www.crimsoneditor.com is one of my favorite editors for, well, just about anything. It is smart, it is lightweight, and best of all it is FREE!!!

Crimson Editor offers:

Syntax Highlighting for HTML, C/C++, Perl, Java, Matlab and LaTeX. Also, it can be extended for other programming languages based on custom syntax files.
Multi-level undo / redo - all editing actions are recorded from the opening of a file. - any document always can be undone to it's initial contents. - unlimited undo and redo buffers.
Project management - manage group of related files into one project. - remote files also can be included in a project.Directory tree view window - click to open documents. - filter to display only selected file class.
and more, a complete list can be seen on their website.

The program is small enough to fit on a floppy disk yet powerful enough to be the only editor you may ever need! One negative is that it is not visual based, you have to enter your code but you can set up the program to have special commands run on your code (like compile and run) which can make your job easier.

I've always liked Crimson Editor and it does a great job with Java and HTML. I cannot speak to the other languages but I am sure it is just as great when you are working with them.

The greatest website ever!

2007-03-08T09:12:00.001-08:00

Doesn't everyone remember their favorite Apple games? Play them here: http://www.virtualapple.org/

Windows Update

2007-02-17T06:25:00.000-08:00

I was checking for windows / office updates and I got this screen:

Note the fact that it says I have never checked for updates and then shows the last time updates were installed...

Lowcost wireless signal improver-upper

2007-01-17T12:35:00.000-08:00

I got myself a Xbox 360 about a month ago and I was really excited about setting up the Media Center part of the system and accessing the photos on my computer via the 360. Of course Microsoft recommends that you have a wired network and I do not.

The install went smoothly enough until I got to the signal strength and was told that it was a bit on the low side (I had never really noticed any speed issues except when trying to stream video and play an online game at the same time). So I needed a solution that would up my radio signal...

That is when I remembered the cooking foil. I ran downstairs and like a crazed person ripped a few inches off of the roll and made a kind of large aluminum foil spoon shape. I wrapped that around the antenna on my computer and noticed an immediate improvement in the speed.

Prior to using the foil antenna the Media Center extension would work but it was very slow. With the super duper foil antenna wrapped around the wireless card's antenna in my PC I am now moving much faster.

The foil is hidden behind the PC (It is a desktop) so it is not to bad to the eyes. You could also use wire to extend your antenna like you do with a radio or even rabbit ears but foil was my cheap, easy, and quick solution.

If it doesn't work for you, be sure to recycle the foil!

A new challenge

2007-01-03T15:09:00.000-08:00

I am about to undertake a new challege, I want to syncronize my laptops and desktop calendars with an online service. My first choice was the Google web calendar but since you have to do a CSV export and inport to move things between those systems I am not a big fan of that idea anymore.

I am now going to try Plaxo's service and see how that works. My plan is to setup a laptop in the kitchen of our home for keeping track of all of our stuff so that I can sync that to my work computer and to my treo and my iPod.

So many things to tie together such a need to make it simple.

Today's Fun Stuff

2007-01-03T14:47:00.000-08:00

M&M Dark candies has a fun and addicitive online game that can be played here: http://us.mms.com/us/dark/

If you cannot figure it out, you can get the answers here: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20060923092848AANPwg0

Vista

2006-12-05T12:14:00.000-08:00

Vista looks really good, the install is easier, I really like the flashier navigation, the hazy windows, and the 3D effects.

The one issue I had with Vista (and this should be no suprise for a beta) is there were not enough drivers out there to make it work right with some of my software. This should be fixed by the launch date and I am hoping to get a copy of the OS early on so I can play with the full version.

Some of the improvments of Vista are:

Power Users can install printers and use flash drives without having to call for an administrator.
The 3D engine should really reduce the blue screens.
They have built better security into the system.
They have expanded the list of command line options.
Vista is truely designed to run in a 64 bit enviroment.

Windows has come a long way and this version seems to be a good improvment over the past editions. The new server edition has many of the same improvments and I am excited about that and Active Directory as well.

Pay Pal Dial-up service!

2006-12-05T12:08:00.000-08:00

Below is an email a co-worker in the IT department received:

Hi Adrian,

Just wondering if you can give Teresa pay pal on her computer so that she may access the intranet bulletin when out of the office.Let me know!

Thanks!

Sr. Marketing & Communications Manager

We are excited to find out that Pay Pal is now offering remote dial up service!

(The program we use is called "Pal").

Vista Download

2006-11-02T23:41:00.000-08:00

Today I am downloading the Vista RC1, going to test it out and see what I get!