I have long been a fan and user of RSS feeds. I have been using Google™ Reader for quite some time. Besides allowing web and mobile access to your feeds, Google™ Reader also allows you to share feed items that you find interesting. Here is a live list of the RSS feed items that I have marked as ‘Shared’:

Labels: Information, Misc, Tech

I have long been an advocate of sites such as ThinkGeek.com. As I had mentioned before, I have purchased a number of items from the site. I think the apparel is hilarious. As I was browsing through the latest duds I came across the Wi-Fi Detector Shirt.
The Wi-Fi Detector Shirt is a neat way to detect Wi-Fi signals. I am sure that it attracts a little attention as well. I think I need to get one of these shirts.


*Image source ThinkGeek.com

Labels: Information, Internet, Misc

Stop! It almost was hammer time, sledge hammer time, for my new Hammer Storage MyShare™. With all of the data that I have on my machines, the conventional back-up strategy I had didn't really cut it. I decided that I needed to find a solution that had reliability, accessibility, convenience and ease of use. I needed something that would allow me to do frequent back-ups (of just critical data) effectively and efficiently without having to do too much. After reviewing a number of strategies, I determined that a NAS (Network Attached Storage) device was my best route. Without getting into boring details, I opted for the Hammer Storage MyShare™. I hadn't read too many unfavorable reviews for the product (besides the frequent drop in connect, which the latest firmware was supposed to fix). The MyShare™ also had what I was looking for; Network Storage, USB connectivity, RJ-45 connectivity, RAID (mirror or stripe), a Print Server (perfect opportunity to replace the one I have), HTTP access, FTP access and of course user security (local and domain).

After getting clearance from the finance committee I popped over to NewEgg.com and ordered myself up a MyShare™. Excitement wasn't the word for my emotion after I received the confirmation order, and for the rest of my week. After all, who doesn't want a NAS? My package was shipped UPS 3 day. I often don't find the tracking information accurate (meaning I usually get a package before it arrives) so on day 3, I constantly checked to see if Big Brown delivered my package (even though the tracking page showed it on the other side of the state; not at the local facility). Well, day 3 came to an end and my package didn't show up (frustration level rises). Day 4, well it almost came to a close before my shipment arrived. I wasn't really excited about the delay, but my NAS did arrive and as I opened the box shipping delay frustration went away.

As I opened the box, I was thinking of how I was going to set this up with file shares, security and what scripts I need to change to transfer base and incremental files. The biggest thing on my mind was that I needed to upgrade the firmware. I connected the storage device and set it up. I must admit I was extremely satisfied with the ease of setup, use, and configuration of the MyShare™. The user interface is nice as well; however the one piece they should have included more information on is the security keys that it can generate and how to configure them for the device. I downloaded and applied the latest firmware update (which was a breeze to do). I received the success message and then setup the device to use the drives as a mirrored RAID, another easy thing to do. The device needed some time to sync the drives (understandable) so I decided to go do something else for a bit.

Upon my return, I decided to first setup the Print Server. I connected the printer and it was immediately recognized. I then went over to one of the computers and connected to the now shared printer. Next step, print a test page – result NOTHING. I tried setting it up again and the same result. I thought it could have something to do with the computer so I jumped on another one and had the same issue. The print server wasn’t my main priority so I figured I’d fuss with it later. My next attempt was to back up some data. After all, this was the primary excuse, I mean reason that I presented for the purchase (who doesn’t want to make sure all their photos are backed up). I modified my scripts to point to the MyShare™ for the destination device and began to backup my data. I do have a lot of data, and the frustration level went through the roof when my connection kept getting dropped while copying data over to the device. I tried to copy files directly, only getting so far before WHAMO – Dropped! I tried deleting files that were copied over to the device, same result, dropped! I tried for a while and kept having the same result. I did confirm that the firmware update was applied (version was correct on the device). The MC Hammer song started playing in my head overlaid by the Peter Gabriel song. Needless to say, it was almost Sledge Hammer Time. Before, I got too crazy and had a Hammer (storage) versus (sledge) Hammer grudge match; I powered down the device and walked away. It might have been tired from its trip and needed a rest.

I returned several hours later and to try this all again. I powered everything up and logged into the computer. Hrm, what should I try first, I thought. I opened up the printer and attempted to print a test page. My jaw hit the floor when I heard the printer started spitting out paper. I then proceeded to do the same file transfer actions that frustrated me to no end a few hours earlier. Too my pleasant surprise – everything worked like a charm. I transferred, deleted and moved gigabyte after gigabyte (simultaneously) and the MyShare™ kept up with me and handled it all with no problems (or dropped connections). The level of my excitement was greater than that of when I ordered the device. All that was needed was a nice cold (hard) boot. I only wish I had known that when I applied the firmware.

At this point (several days and gigabytes later) I can’t say I could be any happier with the Hammer Storage MyShare™. It turned out to be a lot better than I had expected. If you are looking for a back up device or strategy, you might want to consider one of these little things.

Labels: Information, Misc

As full as my schedule is, I often look for some mindless entertainment and find myself randomly browsing YouTube or Google Videos. I prefer to browse the ‘stupid humor’ videos (who doesn’t know about Leroy Jenkins?). You know what I am talking about, those little things that make you laugh hysterically as the sane world wonders – why? Similar to why I think the shirts on ThinkGeek.com are hilarious. There are a number of videos available for a creative song by Jonathan Coulton. I think he did a great job on the song, and if you get a chance take a look at some of the videos that were put together for the song. There is even a live version.

Labels: Information, Misc

As I sit here watching the big game, with the Patriots not in it, I find myself like many others; looking forward to the commercials. The first break just concluded and offered up the first three commercials. The first was a beer commercial (I forget the sponsor) that was a Rock, Paper, Scissors spin off. This was ok, but it did not compare to the Doritos and Blockbuster Video commercials that followed. The Blockbuster commercial with the bunny clicking and dragging the mouse did make me burst out in laughter. There was something sadistically funny about the Doritos commercial that had me laughing quite loudly. Was it the ‘bold’ girl falling on her face or the ‘cheesy’ guy crashing and whacking his 'crunchy' face on the steering wheel? Those will be tough to beat…. I am still undecided on who to cheer for. Being a Patriots fan, I can't say I have a like for either team.

Labels: Misc

Having seen this on a few other blogs, and actually having a superhero nickname, I decided it was time to take the 'Which Superhero are you?' quiz. Well, oddly enough, the results do not match the nickname. I am contemplating informing everyone that they need to start calling me something different.
Green Lantern

Green Lantern 100% The Flash 75% Iron Man 70% Superman 60% Hulk 60% Batman 50% Robin 48% Wonder Woman 48% Supergirl 48% Spider-Man 45% Catwoman 40%

Hot-headed. You have strong will power and a good imagination.

Click here to take the Superhero Personality Test

Labels: Misc

Where the title came from, I have no idea. It is amazing what you find when you go through old text files.

33222222222211111111110000000000
10987654321098765432109876543210
--------------------------------
10000000000000000000000000000000 2147483648 $80000000
-1000000000000000000000000000000 1073741824 $40000000
--100000000000000000000000000000 -536870912 $20000000
---10000000000000000000000000000 -268435456 $10000000
----1000000000000000000000000000 -134217728 $08000000
-----100000000000000000000000000 --67108864 $04000000
------10000000000000000000000000 --33554432 $02000000
-------1000000000000000000000000 --16777216 $01000000
--------100000000000000000000000 ---8388608 $00800000
---------10000000000000000000000 ---4194304 $00400000
----------1000000000000000000000 ---2097152 $00200000
-----------100000000000000000000 ---1048576 $00100000
------------10000000000000000000 ----524288 $00080000
-------------1000000000000000000 ----262144 $00040000
--------------100000000000000000 ----131072 $00020000
---------------10000000000000000 -----65536 $00010000
----------------1000000000000000 -----32768 $00008000
-----------------100000000000000 -----16384 $00004000
------------------10000000000000 ------8192 $00002000
-------------------1000000000000 ------4096 $00001000
--------------------100000000000 ------2048 $00000800
---------------------10000000000 ------1024 $00000400
----------------------1000000000 -------512 $00000200
-----------------------100000000 -------256 $00000100
------------------------10000000 -------128 $00000080
-------------------------1000000 --------64 $00000040
--------------------------100000 --------32 $00000020
---------------------------10000 --------16 $00000010
----------------------------1000 ---------8 $00000008
-----------------------------100 ---------4 $00000004
------------------------------10 ---------2 $00000002
-------------------------------1 ---------1 $00000001

Labels: Information, Misc, Tech

Don’t get me wrong, I follow and embrace technology probably more so than the next guy, however, is there a point where technology gets useless? Techno-savy is cool. Just because something can be done, does it have to be? Some stories make me wonder what the cost/benefit (and profit) ratio is of some technological implementation.
Take http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060723/ap_on_hi_te/laundry_of_the_future for example. It is almost a calling for the ‘Top 10 useless technological implementations’.

How about a toaster that calls your cell phone when the toast is done? or a coffee pot that calls you when the coffee is done brewing?

Labels: Information, Misc

Did you realize that tomorrow at two minutes and three seconds past one o’clock the time and date will be: 01:02:03 04/05/06?

Labels: Information, Misc

Well, the commercials are everywhere (my favorite is the guy that gets stuck in front of the great wall) and well who can’t resist it? I am referring to the Staples® Easy button. I have placed one of these on my desk and hit it every so often and it really does work…..
I am surprised nothing like this made its way to thinkgeek.com.

Labels: Information, Misc

Blogs are becoming a more and more popular part of the ‘World Wide Web’. I think they are a great expression and communication medium. I browse through many blogs, and some grab my interest enough for me to visit daily. During this morning’s rounds I came across this blog posting. I think Jake discusses a number of key points in his posting.

Labels: Information, Misc, Tech

I have never been a television or movie buff. A vast majority of my time is spent in front of a computer. A typical day finds me with about 13 hours in front of ye ole' monitor, followed up by some technical reading (two of my recent selections are here and here). This has been going on for so long that I haven’t a clue about much primetime television. If I am watching television it is typically sports, TLC, Discovery or the History channel. (TechTV used to be there until G4Tv completely killed it) Besides the Revolution, Patriots, Red Sox and the morning news it is rare for me to have a ‘must see’ television show.

I do have shows that I enjoy a lot (Dirty Jobs), but none I can say that cause me to drop everything. Someone did recently tell me to watch The Office. I caught an episode last week and though it was hilarious. The jury is still out though....

Over the past few months I must say I finally found a 'must see' --Criminal Minds. This show has me hooked and I can now say that there is a show that without a doubt I’d turn of the computer for. Wednesday nights now are on my calendar. With my luck, they’ll end up canceling it, which, well, would piss me off. Remember The 4400?

Labels: Misc

I generally only like to post once a day; I was searching through the internet and came across a bit of nostalgia - http://gdsoft.com/swag/swag.html (formed from http://www.bsdg.org/SWAG/index.html) and couldn’t resist. Talk about a walk down memory lane (there are a few familiar names found in there). This brought me back to a time when newgroups consisted of FIDO feeds passed through BBS’ (I ran a two connection Synchronet BBS) that you connected to through a screamin’ dial-up modem. Back in the days of Turbo Pascal and the excitement of buying 4MB of RAM for $200+. I remember the night I upgraded from Windows® 3.1 to Windows® 95 like it was yesterday. It is amazing how times change and how fast things progress.

Labels: Information, Misc, Tech

Some years ago, on a trip to the city, I stopped at a corner market for breakfast. I ordered my breakfast sandwich and provided payment to the cashier. The cashier handed back change consisting of both bills and coins. One of the bills had a strange stamp that caught my attention. The stamp referred to an interesting website address. Being of the curious type I decided to view the page while I consumed my morning fuel.

The site -- Where's George?! ®. This site allows you to track where your paper money has been and where it goes. This site only tracks US currency and has a brother, Where's Willy?! ®, for Canadian bills. I haven’t come across one for the Euro (does one exist?), but I could see how that would allow for more participation and interesting travel routes.

The Where's George?! ® site reminds me of something I had done back when I was in elementary school. I tool a ledger book and jotted down the numbers of the dollar bills that crossed my path in an attempt to see if I ever encountered the same bill twice. I never did come across a repeat visitor and the task became arduous to do by hand and ledger book so it was short lived. I wish I had something like this back then.

What's your George score?

Labels: Information, Misc

The internet contains a vast number of interesting web sites. If you are like me you categorically bookmark your favorites. One site in particular that I visit often (and tend to get a chuckle out of their apparel) is ThinkGeek.com. They have quit a few gadgets and their t-shirts convey messages quite nicely. Although I can’t have them all (I do wish I had most of them) I did receive a Binary People and SQL query. Next on my wish list is WTF?, No, I will not fix your computer and Dead Hex People.

Any other favorites out there?

Labels: Information, Internet, Misc, Tech

File Transfer Protcol (FTP) is a quick way to transfer files between two computers. There are many FTP software programs, both the pay and free varieties, available. Windows® also includes a command line FTP program (ftp.exe).
In this GUI world many shutter at the thought of a command line application, however this one does have its advantages. For starters it is already included in the OS and doesn’t need to be installed. I attempt to not over complicate things and keep them clean and uncluttered. IMHO, the main advantage is the ability to process a text file that contains FTP commands. The parameter option to specify the text file to process is -s (to see the other parameter options at the command prompt type FTP -?).

This feature is advantageous because you can set up FTP batch files that perform various transfer actions without the need to click a number of buttons or type a number of commands. Login information can be included in the text file allowing access to those FTP locations that require user authentication. I have a number of batch files that I frequently use to transfer data. I have also set some up with the Windows® task scheduler for unattended processing.

A batch file could look something like this:

In the somefile.txt file:


The text file commands are passed a line at a time for processing. As displayed in the above example a username and password can also be passed, as those are typically the first two prompts after an FTP server connection is opened. The text file can contain any of the valid FTP commands (type ? at the ftp> prompt for a list of valid commands). I tend to be brief in my postings but hopefully you can see the value in the ability to do this. If you have any additional input I’d love to hear it.

Labels: Apps, Code, How-To, Information, Misc, Tech

Really Simple Syndication (RSS) was a nice advancement of technology. The ability to ‘subscribe’ to feeds and dynamically have access to content definitely simplifies keeping up to date with different sites. Sites that have a RSS feed available typically display or with a link to the site feed.

There are many different RSS clients available for the viewing or monitoring RSS feeds. I have been using Mozilla Firefox® for a web browser since its inception. There is a lot to be said about tabbed browsing, but the Live Bookmarks take it over the top and they are a great way monitor RSS feeds. The ability to monitor feeds from within a browser and without the need to install yet another application is wonderful.

Borland® has set up a number of feeds for their products and sites, the ones that I set up Live Bookmarks for are:
Borland® Delphi® BDN - http://news.borland.com/bdn_delphi.xml
Borland® Delphi® Code Central - http://news.borland.com/codecentral_delphi.xml
Borland® Delphi® Quality Central - http://news.borland.com/qualitycentral_delphi.xml
Delphi® Team Blogs - http://blogs.borland.com/MainFeed.aspx?Team=delphi

Some other feeds of note that I monitor (I won’t bore you with all of them):

Delphi related -
http://www.delphifeeds.com/blogs.rss
http://blog.marcocantu.com/blog_rss.xmldata
http://www.indyproject.org/Sockets/blogs/Kudzu/rss.xml

Non-Delphi-
http://www.infoworld.com/rss/news.xml
http://www.computerworld.com/news/xml/10/0,5009,,00.xml
http://feeds.lockergnome.com/rss/windows.xml
http://slashdot.org/index.rss
http://www.techweb.com/rss/all.jhtml
http://rss.news.yahoo.com/rss/tech

If you have any suggestions for additional feeds please let me know.

Labels: Information, Misc, Tech

After ordering ‘early’ and being placed on the backorder list, I received a special delivery this week. I guess the elves worked overtime this year. I haven’t had much opportunity to play with the addition to the desktop, however what I have played with so far it is leaps and bounds above its predecessor. Why didn’t they change the icon?

Labels: Delphi, Misc, Tech

Backing up your files is probably one of the most important things you could do. There is nothing worse than the feeling of loosing everything once your computer is on the fritz (I have received dozens of frantic phone calls asking how to, or if I can restore files). There are many commercial, shareware and freeware backup programs that are capable of accomplishing appropriate backups.

XCOPY has been included in the Microsoft® OS family since the DOS days. This little command prompt program copies file and folder information based upon the selection of a number of parameter options. This utility is lightweight and consists of a simple executable file. This is actually what I use for incremental backups of my personal system.

Open a command prompt and type xcopy /?. This displays a list of the xcopy.exe parameter options and their meaning. From the command prompt you can easily type in your xcopy command with the necessary parameters and you’ll be on your way. Personally I have a small batch file called backup.bat. This eliminates a lot of typing and the need to remember the options. This batch file is simple but extremely effective in giving me copies of the files I need. It consists of one line:

My backup.bat file is located in the root of my profile directory, for this example we’ll say C:\Documents and Settings\BP. If you follow the parameters you’ll notice that I copy all the changed (archive bit set) files to C:\wutemp. This batch file will process the current folder and with the appropriate parameter set (/S) all subfolders as well. Once the backup batch is complete I them manually copy the files to DVD. If you are running a ‘full’ backup you would remove the /M parameter option.
I am fairly structured and organized when it comes to my files. I try to get everything that I need somewhere within the tree of my profile directory. Most applications these days store personal information in the Application Data of your profile directory or allow you to specify a ‘storage’ location. A lot of applications also store temporary or unimportant (unimportant in the sense of need to restore files in the event of a need to recover files) files in your profile directory as well. This is where the /EXCLUDE parameter comes into play. After all, it is really wasteful both time and space wise to back up all those temporary files.
My exclude.txt file looks something like this:

This is just an example on how I use XCOPY to back up my important files on my personal computer. In my opinion this is fast, lightweight and effective when it comes to storing those must have files. I hope this gives you some ideas on how you could possibly implement a simple backup solution.

Labels: Apps, How-To, Information, Misc, Tech

Language is truly a fascinating form of communication. The way individual words have meaning and that those same words can be put together to form sentences is ingenious. Have you ever thought about the origin of language? Who came up with the different words and their meanings?

A few years ago I started browsing through the dictionary for additional words to add to my vocabulary. The English language is comprised of an abundance of words, some of my favorites include: malodorous, pusillanimous, recreant, fustigate, nescience and panjandrum. (There are many more, however, that would force this to display well beyond physical limits.) Through my journeys I was elated when I had come across the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. Not only does this site contain a searchable dictionary and Thesaurus, but it also includes a Word of the Day. What better way is there to increase your vocabulary?

The Merriam-Webster Word of the Day is available online and you can also subscribe to the Word of the Day list and have the word delivered to your e-mail daily. The listing includes the word, its definition and a sample use of the word. I have entries in my Word of the Day email folder that date back to 2003. I am one that actually tries to use the word of the day in my normal course of action. I look forward to seeing what word appears each morning.

I highly recommend subscribing to the Merriam-Webster Word of the Day. It is a great way to pick up some of the neat words within the English language.

Labels: Information, Misc, Tech

There are so many documents and pieces of information that someone deals with on a given day. I actually did stop to think about it, and I was amazed at the amount of information that I pass through on daily basis. Fortunately, >95% of my interactions consist of electronic information.
For some strange statistical reason, I recently wanted to know the number of characters that were contained within a set of text files. These files were basic text documents, that could be viewed with any text-editor. I guess, that was the easy part. Getting the count, well, I couldn’t picture anything better than spending an afternoon with Siruis cranked and a print out of the document and ‘ticking off’ each character.
As mentioned before, I am a huge fan of working efficient (smart) rather than hard. In most cases it is not how you get there; rather getting there that is important. I have had experience working with text editors at different levels and figured that it wouldn’t be too difficult to come up with a basic text-editor to do all the work for me.
This journey’s result -- CharCount. CharCount is a fully functional (basic) text-editor that displays character and word count information. Simply enter or open text and CharCount will display the total number of characters (consonants, vowels and other) along with a sort-able list of words and the frequency of their appearance. CharCount will also display line numbers for reference. I have added this application to the freeware section of the site. Feel free to download it and give it a whirl. If there is anything that you think it needs please feel from to let me know.
This whole concept has also set me down the road thinking of revamping the ‘old’ ANoteWrite. That application hadn’t been touched in a while and I think it could use an overhaul. We’ll see where that leads, if anywhere......

Labels: Apps, Information, Misc

I think this will start off with a small digression. Delphi is a wonderful software development language. As time gets closer to another release, the usual ‘future of Delphi’ chatter starts to surface. My personal take on Delphi is that it is one of the most powerful development environments/languages out there. I think it just suffers from a lack of and poor exposure. A lack of knowledge and understanding leads to fear and hostility (or negativity). After all it is easier to criticize and 'bash' something rather than admit you don’t fully understand it or are wrong. On to the original though that got me here ….

The ability to right clicking on a file or folder in Windows Explorer and selecting ‘Send To' to perform some action is a great time saver. What better way to quickly e-mail a file to a colleague There is a downfall to the limit the default options leave you. There are often times when I want to copy a file or folder to another location for backup or distribution purposes. There are also times that I’d like to quickly print and unopened text documents.
Under Windows you can add your own choices to the ‘Send To’ menu option. This is surprisingly easier than one would expect. In order to do this you first need to make sure that you have explorer set to show hidden program or system files. Next, browse to C:\Documents and Settings\<youraccountname>\SendTo. Once you open the Send To folder you will notice that the other send to shortcuts. Place a shortcut to your favorite folders or printers (I find it easier to just drag and drop printers into this folder) in the SendTo folder to have it appear in the list.

Labels: How-To, Information, Misc, Tech

Even in the world of Windows it is often necessary to perform tasks via the command prompt. Along with the console applications that I have created, there are many other command line utilities that I use. Often, these utilities need to be run within a specific directory (a.k.a. folder). Instead of opening up the command window and changing to the desired directory, I find it much easier to open up Windows Explorer, right click on a folder select a menu option and have a command window open, already changed to a selected directory (similar to New Date Folder). This option is not a standard part of Windows Explorer but can be added rather easily.

1. Open Windows Explorer
2. Select Tools --> Folder Options
3. Select the File Types Tab
4. Select Folder from the list of Registered file types
5. Click on Advanced
6. Click the New… button
7. Type Prompt in the Action field
8. In the application field you can type one of two lines:
command.com /k cd %1
or
cmd.exe /k cd "%1"
The difference between the two is that the first option will browse with short file name and the second with long file names.
9. Keep clicking the OK button until you are back to Windows Explorer

You can now right click on a folder and easily get to a command prompt in a selected directory.

As always, proceed with caution when changing file types or any system setting. Basically, if you are uncomfortable doing this type of stuff then it might be best if you consult someone that has a high comfort level in making these types of changes.

Labels: How-To, Information, Misc, Tech

The internet is a wonderful tool. The internet allows for the easy access to literally thousands of source code listings and software applications and utilities. This has proven, IMHO, to be a valuable for increasing efficiency. There are many software utilities, examples and instructions for completing just about anything. If you search around you may find something to help you along your life’s journeys. After all, there are two basic approaches ‘working hard’ and ‘working smart’. These two approaches are not always the same.

Over the years I have created dozens of applications and hundreds of utilities to assist me in my journeys. I have made some of these utilities and various source code listings available for download, with the hope that they will provide some benefit to others, just as they had/do for me. The utilities available are divided into two basic sections: Shareware and Freeware.

The content and layout of this site was due for an overall change. I have recently changed the layout of this site as well as abandoned the discussion forum. Instead of the forum I opted to go with the ‘blog’ approach (it was inevitable that I jump on the bandwagon). I feel the ‘blog’ approach allows for an easier method of communicating product and code updates, examples, problems and solutions. A lot of the examples I intend to take from my everyday experiences (nothing proprietary or intellectually protected will be discussed). I also intend on occasionally posting some random thoughts. I have also made an RSS feed available for these postings. If there is anything that you would like to add or any features or changes that you think should be incorporated in any of the utilities on this site please feel free to leave a comment or e-mail me.

Labels: Misc