SuperWasp

SuperWasp

Productivity tips, reviews, tools, software and gadgets.

 
Fix: Vista desktop stops updating
Microsoft is very productive lately, they have released a fix for these symptoms:
After a Windows Vista-based computer has been running for an extended period of time, the desktop screen may stop updating correctly. For example, you may experience any of the following symptoms:

  • Parts of the screen may go black.

  • Parts of the screen may become transparent.

  • The toolbar may disappear.

  • The toolbar may appear at the top of the screen instead of at the bottom of the screen.


It is described in detail in KB 932406: The Windows desktop may stop updating correctly after a Windows Vista-based computer has been running for an extended period of time.

Download here: 32 bit or 64 bit

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  Posted by oVan on Wednesday, June 27, 2007 | PermaLink | 0 comments
Fix: Vista sleep problems with High Definition Audio device
Similar to the sleep problems with Creative X-Fi and SoundBlaster audio cards, many Vista users have sleep/hibernation problems with the High Definiation Audio device from Intel.

Microsoft has released a new fix: as described in KB 937077: A high definition audio device may no longer work after you resume Windows Vista from hibernation or from sleep.

Download here: 32-bit or 64 bit

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  Posted by oVan on Wednesday, June 27, 2007 | PermaLink | 0 comments
Review of The Blog Herald
The Web Critiq has published my review of The Blog Herald, the oldest blog about blogging.
Here's an excerpt:
...many interesting articles about the many different aspects of blogging, from design to marketing...

And here's the conclusion of my review:

The Blog Herald is a very informative blogging site, with good content and clear layout. The diverse topics and many contributors result in a happy mix of posts that will give you enough food to read during the week.

» Go check it out!

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  Posted by oVan on Monday, June 25, 2007 | PermaLink | 0 comments
SuTree Tutorial Videos reviewed
I have just published a review of the SuTree Beta on The Web Critiq. SuTree is a new website with thousands of tutorial videos, in all kinds of categories. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words, I wonder how much words a video tutorial might be.

» Check out the full review

Then watch some sample tutorials:

Talking Portuguese
Introducing yourself in Chinese
How to build a computer
How to change hair colour with Photoshop

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  Posted by oVan on Friday, June 22, 2007 | PermaLink | 0 comments
It is time to skin your Google!
After years of looking on the sparse Google page, it was time to pimp it up a bit. It all starts by using the personalised Google start page (iGoogle).

  1. Recent changes allow you to apply beautiful dynamic themes, like the cityscape theme in this screenshot:

    These themes will change based on your current location and time of day.

  2. Next, you can add small gadgets for all kinds of information. It is similar to the Windows Vista Sidebar, except that you can drag and place the gadgets in 3 columns, and that they're always visible whenever you open your personalised Google page. (Gadgets in the Windows Sidebar tend to get stuck behind active applications — although they're easily revealed with the Win+Space keyboard shortcut.)

  3. Finally, you can easily create your own gadgets, for yourself or to share with friends and family. You do not have to program anything! You start with one of the handy templates and literally tens of seconds later your gadget is ready!



    As an example, I created a new gadget called Weekly Infrared that will bring a new infrared photo to your Google page every week.

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  Posted by oVan on Tuesday, June 12, 2007 | PermaLink | 0 comments
22 Reasons Why Safari 3 is Unusable (and counting)
As indicated in my previous post, I had high hopes for Safari on Windows and I've played with it for about an hour.
Although I didn't intend to use it as my daily browser, I did want to keep it for testing purposes. The following list of problems and bugs will explain why I will uninstall it immediately, as it won't be of any use to me anymore:

Update: I've added some more problems posted by visitors
Update 2: Added related articles at the bottom


  1. The interface does not adhere to Aero or XP Windows UI standards (same problem as iTunes and QuickTime (and is subjectively ugly)

  2. No ClearType support, only font smoothing that looks terribly fuzzy on flat panels

  3. In Vista, the window has no drop shadow like other applications, making it very hard to see what application is focused (unless you keep checking the status bar)

  4. Clicking on the Safari icon in the Windows taskbar doesn't Minimize or Restore its window

  5. You can't resize the window with its borders, only by using the small grip in the bottom right corner (provided it is not off screen).

  6. You can't close a tab with the middle button of your mouse

  7. Alt-Enter does not open an address in a new tab

  8. Typing Ctrl-Enter does not add "www" and ".com" in the address bar

  9. Escape key doesn't close the Print Preview window.

  10. Buttons for Minimize, Maximize and Close are too small

  11. Clicking on Bookmarks button or using Show All Bookmarks function (Ctrl-Alt-B) crashes Safari

  12. Viewing installed plugins gives error message: Safari is missing important resources and should be reinstalled.

  13. While typing my email address in the edit box on this page, Safari just crashes!

  14. The toolbar buttons have no tooltips. I have no idea what that spider button will do...

  15. Moving the Print Preview window around the desktop is very slow

  16. Left edge of toolbar on Print Preview window has transparent part

  17. Loading a different website in the main Safari window while the Print Preview window is still open, renders the new site also in Print Preview mode. I can't see the use of that, and the Print Preview should probably be a modal box.

  18. Safari doesn't maximize properly on a second monitor.

  19. Side-scrolling with the mouse does not work

  20. Using Back & Forward buttons on my Logitech mouse doesn't work either

  21. Not only does it use a lot of memory, it also leaks memory fast! Reloading this blog post a few times will eat up a few megabytes extra.
  22. And finally... it does not uninstall gracefully. It leaves a lot of orphaned registry entries, including for the Bonjour technology.

  23. Submitted by Tamir: Choose Language description in Hebrew is shown in reverse.

  24. Submitted by Philip: It's impossible to change the proxy settings.

  25. Submitted by anonymous: Preferences do not persist between sessions, nor is there a save button!



Okay, I agree that some bugs mentioned will be fixed, as this is a beta version after all. What will not be fixed however, is the fact that although Apple has the reputation of building user friendly devices and software, it actually fails totally in the User Experience! They have the arrogance to ignore de facto UI standards on the Windows platform, and by doing so they confirm what I've always thought about their products: they're (most of the time) beautiful but not practical. Sure, a lot of people benefit from a simple user interface, but not if it makes it harder to use the product: you can't easily resize the window, the font rendering looks horrible, buttons have no tooltips, the top header panel is huge, the removal of the status bar makes you wonder if your webpage stops at the bottom of your screen or continues under the taskbar, etc.

Apple might think that they'll gain some market share back from FireFox or Internet Explorer, but as it is now it just might backfire...

What are your thoughts? What problems did you encounter, or maybe you really like it? Let us know!

Here are some related articles on other blogs:



Relocate documents to excel with pdf converter software. This pdf to excel converter will save you so much time. Here you can check out a great guide to purchasing this software. If you are using all Microsoft applications then you can convert pdf to word as well. Get the details of pdf to text docs and how it was created.

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  Posted by oVan on Tuesday, June 12, 2007 | PermaLink | 10 comments
Apple Safari 3 for Windows (beta)
Apple has released a public beta of their Safari browser version 3, including a Windows-version.



Here are the top reasons Apple wants you to know:

  1. Blazing Performance

  2. Elegant User Interface

  3. Easy Bookmarks

  4. Pop-up Blocking

  5. Inline Find

  6. Tabbed Browsing

  7. SnapBack

  8. Forms AutoFill

  9. Built-in RSS

  10. Resizable Text Fields

  11. Private Browsing

  12. Security



That list looks pretty compelling! I might add another reason, especially for web developers: it is the easiest way to know how your website might look on an Apple. If you install it together with Firefox 1.5 in the free Microsoft VirtualPC with IE6, you can easily test IE6, IE7, Safari 3, Firefox 1.5 and Firefox 2.0 on a single Vista or XP machine without much trouble.

Update: In my follow-up post, I list no less than 22 problems with Safari on Windows that I've encountered in the first hour of usage. Suffice to say that I have uninstalled it now, and I'll revert to my previously reported method of cross-platform checking.

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  Posted by oVan on Tuesday, June 12, 2007 | PermaLink | 0 comments
Test your website on all browsers for free!
This is an excellent tip for developers who want to test their website on all major browsers and platforms, without having to buy a Mac, Windows and Linux pc at the same time.

On browsershots.org you can get a screenshot of your website from a whole list of available browsers. It does take a while before you get all screenshots (from 15 minutes to a few hours sometimes), probably due to its large success so far. However, since this is a free service, there's no need to complain I suppose.

Here are some screenshot from browsershots.org that shows this very blog as it is displayed in Opera 9.20 on Linux and Firefox 2.0.0.4 also on Linux:



When you click on the image of the Opera screenshot, you'll see a close-up like this:



And finally when you click again, you'll get a 1:1 view on the screenshot, so you can examine every pixel of your layout.



If you need a faster solution, you can try BrowserCam which has affordable prices and gives you near instant results and much more options.

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  Posted by oVan on Monday, June 11, 2007 | PermaLink | 1 comments
Looking for a Notepad replacement?
In the dark ages (before Vista) I used Metapad because it was extremely quick and offered a lot of functionality in a very small package, and it is free. With a few tricks, you could even circumvent the Windows XP Protected File feature and really replace the default Notepad application. With Vista however, you can't just do those tricks anymore. So I was looking for a Notepad replacement, at the very least to improve the View Source feature in Internet Explorer.

At first I had set UltraEdit as default editor for IE's View Source feature, since it offers syntax highlighting, a gazillion editing features and even makes your coffee. Hmm, perhaps not that last feature, but it's a mighty application I've been using for years (I even have a shortcut in Visual Studio to jump to UltraEdit just for column editing). But although UE is not slow in performance, the few seconds load time accumulate for every View Source I perform throughout the day, and thus the hunt continued.

And thus I found Notepad2, another leightweight Notepad replacement like Metapad, but it has a few tricks in its hat that I like. Similar to Metapad, it offers instant launch and doesn't need fancy installation programs. Additionally, here are some things I really like about it:

  • Syntax highlighting

  • A gazillion keyboard shortcuts

  • Minimize to tray

  • Tab settings (tabs/spaces)

  • Auto-indent

  • Escape key minimizes or quits Notepad2

  • Highlight current line (like UltraEdit)

  • View whitespace, line endings, etc.

  • And so much more...



So instead of a Notepad replacement, I found a Metapad replacement with UltraEdit allures!

To make Notepad2 the default View Source application, you need to change the following registry key:
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\ViewSourceEditor\Editor Name\
and set the (Default) entry to "C:\Program Files\Notepad2\Notepad2.exe".

So far, I'm a happy camper. If you know the trick to totally replace Notepad in Vista, let me know!

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  Posted by oVan on Friday, June 08, 2007 | PermaLink | 3 comments
Windows Mobile Device Center 6.1 for Vista Released
Microsoft has finally released Windows Mobile Device Center 6.1 for Windows Vista.



Here's a bit of info from their website:

The Windows Mobile Device Center enables you to set up new partnerships, synchronize content and manage music, pictures and video with Windows Mobile powered devices (Windows Mobile 2003 or later). The Windows Mobile Device Center combines an efficient business-data synchronization platform with a compelling user experience. The Windows Mobile Device Center helps you to quickly set up new partnerships, synchronize business-critical information such as e-mail, contacts and calendar appointments, easily manage your synchronization settings, and transfer business documents between your device and PC.

This new version of the Windows Mobile Device Center contains key improvements and new features to support Windows Mobile 6 devices. The Windows Mobile Device Center 6.1 is only supported on Windows Vista.

Key updates in Windows Mobile Device Center 6.1 include: Windows

  • Mobile 6 feature support


    • Information Rights Management activation - Automatically configure the Windows Mobile 6 device to open IRM-protected documents and files

    • HTML mail – Set up your Windows Mobile 6 device to sync HTML-formatted mail

    • Certificate Enrollment - Acquire certificates through the PC the Windows Mobile 6 device is currently connected to

    • Allow data connections on the Windows Mobile 6 device when connected to the PC

    • File synchronization for smartphones – Synchronize files with your Windows Mobile 6 devices, including both touch screen and non-touch screen devices


  • Automatic device authentication - Connect the Windows Mobile device to the PC without the need to enter the device-lock PIN every time upon connect

  • Product Registration - Register your Windows Mobile device and get connected to information and offers available for your device



Windows Mobile Device Center 6.1 is fully compatible with Windows Mobile 2003 devices and later.

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  Posted by oVan on Thursday, June 07, 2007 | PermaLink | 0 comments
Tip: Looking for a Microsoft Hotfix?
If you're looking for Microsoft hotfixes, you sometimes need to call Microsoft to get it. However, there's a better/faster way:
The Hotfix Share only contains those hotfixes that are not publicly available on the Microsoft website. Bookmark it, it comes in handy when you're stuck again :-)

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  Posted by oVan on Wednesday, June 06, 2007 | PermaLink | 0 comments
Vista Virtual Desktop Manager
As an independent web developer, I never have enough screen real estate. Even with Vista's Flip-3D task switcher, I'm lost in the multitude of open windows. It's not that I don't close my windows fast enough, in fact I use Ctrl-W, Ctrl-F4 and Alt-F4 all the time and have launch shortcuts for about every application, but at times you just have too many windows.

These are some apps that I use on a very regularly basis: Outlook, many windows of Internet Explorer (each with a bunch of open tabs), same story for Firefox, Paint Shop Pro, Lightroom, Topstyle, OneNote, Mobile Device Center, Visual Studio, Outlook Express, Skype, MSN Messenger, UltraEdit, CSE Html Validator. That sure gives an overwhelming Flip 3D view!

So what can you do about the desktop clutter? I'm going to install Vista Virtual Desktop Manager. This way I can group together apps based on the activity (a desktop for development, one for graphics, one for email and rss, ...)



Even though there are plenty of virtual desktop managers out there, and I've tested a lot of them in the past, this one has a compelling advantage: native support for Windows Vista. By making use of the DWM based Aero interface, it gives you full screen thumbnail based preview.

Here's a list of features taken from the website:

  • Full screen desktop/window manager/preview with full drag and drop managing

  • Desktop switch indicator

  • An infinite number of desktops

  • Watch the windows move in real time as you drag them around in the window manager

  • Multiple monitor support

  • Window menus

  • Tray icons for each desktop

  • Configurable colors, fade speeds, hotkeys, etc.

  • And much more!



VVDM is currently a beta version 0.41, and can be freely downloaded:
http://www.codeplex.com/vdm

Did you play with it already? Let us know your experience!

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  Posted by oVan on Tuesday, June 05, 2007 | PermaLink | 0 comments
Vista Productivity Tip: Quick Access to Windows Mobility Center
Notebook users are often avid keyboard users, using a mouse is not always practical on the road or in the garden and you can do many tasks so much quicker with a few quickstrokes.

Windows Vista has a number of keyboard shortcuts that make life a little easier. One of them is Win+X: on notebooks, laptops and tablet pc's this launches the Windows Mobility Center. (Win+X is the Windows Logo Key together with the letter X)



The Windows Mobility Center gives you quick access to typical notebook-related activities. These are presented as small tiles: volume settings, battery status, wireless network, external display, sync settings and presentation settings.

Apparently it is also possible for third parties to create extra tiles, but so far I haven't seen them. One thing I'm missing here on my Dell Latitude D810 notebook is a tile for Bluetooth. Have you seen it, or do you know if it exists? What about other usefull tiles? Let us know, post a comment!

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  Posted by oVan on Sunday, June 03, 2007 | PermaLink | 0 comments
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