SuperWasp

Productivity tips, reviews, tools, software and gadgets.

Download SQL Server Compact 3.5 and Sync for ADO.NET 1.0

Microsoft made available the Microsoft SQL Server Compact 3.5 and Microsoft Synchronization Services for ADO.Net v1.0 for Windows Desktop package on their download site.

SQL Server Compact 3.5 includes a host of new features including the following:

• LINQ to SQL enabling developers to integrate data access directly into their code
• Side-by-side installation together with SQL Server 2005 Compact Edition (version 3.1)
• Support for newer and more secure encryption algorithms
• Additional timestamp (rowversion) data type
• Enhanced support for Transact-SQL statements including:
  • Nested query in FROM clause
  • CROSS APPLY and OUTER APPLY
  • CAST and DECIMAL
  • SET IDENTITY INSERT
  • TOP
• Synchronization Services for ADO.NET providing the ability to synchronize data from disparate sources over two-tier, N-tier, and service-based architectures
• Support for System.Transactions

More information:

• SQL Server Compact 3.5 Books Online
• Synchronization Services for ADO.Net Books Online
• For tips and tricks visit Steve Lasker blog, Synchronization Services for ADO.Net blog and SQL Server Compact blog
• For replicating data between SQL Server Compact 3.5 or SQL Server 2005 Compact Edition and SQL Server 2005 (or later versions of SQL Server 2005) install SQL Server Compact 3.5 Server Tools on the IIS server
• Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 installs SQL Server Compact 3.5 and Synchronization Services for ADO.Net by default. If you have already installed Visual Studio 2008 than you don't need to separately download and install SQL Server Compact 3.5

» Download Microsoft SQL Server Compact 3.5 & Microsoft Synchronization Services for ADO.Net v1.0 for Windows Desktop

Labels: .NET, download, MSDN, SQL, Sync

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  Posted by oVan on Tuesday, November 27, 2007 | PermaLink | 0 comments

.NET Framework 3.5 Poster

Here's a poster with the Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 Commonly Used Types and Namespaces.

It contains most used items from LINQ, AJAX, REST, CardSpace, WPF, WF, WCF, CLR, WinForms, Web Services and ASP.NET. There are also visual keys for new items in .NET 3.5, .NET 3.0, Compact Framework 3.5 and planned implementations for Silverlight 1.1.

Download page with 3 formats of the poster

Direct link to the large XPS version of the poster

Labels: .NET, Microsoft, MSDN

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  Posted by oVan on Friday, November 23, 2007 | PermaLink | 0 comments

First look at CatalystWeb

CatalystWeb is a new small business software service that runs in your browser. It provides the functionality of Microsoft Outlook, combined with shared documents and corporate instant messaging. You can read up on the Catalyst launch blog for some background information by Bob Mathew.

The public website has a very clean and professional layout, and explains all functionality and benefits of the CatalystWeb product. The free trial signup process was also quick and easy. You provide a few details (company name, desired username and password, etc), and a minute later you receive a confirmation email with login link.

The initial login process took a bit more time than I anticipated: besides providing administrator credentials, you can set up all the users of your small business here. Even though you can import a user list from CSV, the other screens take too much time for the inpatient user. Luckily you can skip the user setup process altogether and complete it at a later time. In fact, that's what I recommend doing, since you have to setup departments and locations later on anyway.

Once you arrive at the main interface, you'll quickly realize that this application is truly capable of replacing your daily Outlook functionality: it contains features such as personalized views, public distribution lists, public folders for messages and files, you can define master lists for your organization, message templates, etc.

In fact, this web based office is perhaps almost too powerful for at least part of the target audience: I don't think that the very small businesses will use all functionality that is available to them. This is even more true due to it's not so easy interface. Sure, it is very clear and consistent, and help functionality is available. But it lacks discoverable functions, everything is so tidy that you might miss a lot of handy functions just because you don't see them.

Another small issue with the interface is that every action you perform might result in another popup window. At a certain moment you'll have 4 or more popups open, and all start with the same title (your personalised URL) followed by the popup window title. This means that a quick glance at your Windows' taskbar will not help you in finding the right popup.

Anyway, these are all items that can be improved upon, especially since it's a web based service and you don't need to install any software or updates. I'm sure feedback from early adopters will make them fine-tune the interface.

All in all, CatalystWeb is quite a mature product for a freshly released service, and it will definitely provide a lot of functionality you can use in a small business. Initial learning curve may be a bit steeper than what they promise, but that shouldn't hold you back from giving the trial account a try!

Labels: Business, management, Outlook, productivity, Service

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  Posted by oVan on Thursday, November 22, 2007 | PermaLink | 0 comments

Visual Studio 2008 and .NET 3.5 are here!

The Wait for Visual Studio 2008 is Over!

On Monday, Nov. 19, Microsoft announced that Visual Studio 2008 and the .NET Framework 3.5 were released to manufacturing (RTM). With more than 250 new features,Visual Studio 2008 includes significant enhancements in every edition, including Visual Studio Express and Visual Studio Team System. Developers of all levels – from hobbyists to enterprise development teams – now have a consistent, secure and reliable solution for developing applications for the latest platforms: the Web, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, the 2007 Office system, and beyond.

• MSDN Subscribers: Get Visual Studio 2008 Now
• Download Trial Editions of Visual Studio 2008
• Download Visual Studio 2008 Express Editions
• Download the .NET Framework 3.5

Labels: .NET, asp.net, C#, free, Microsoft, MSDN, Visual Studio Orcas, web develoment, Windows

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  Posted by oVan on Monday, November 19, 2007 | PermaLink | 0 comments

Manage your life with Agende One v2!

The fine folks at DeveloperOne have just released a brand new AgendaOne v2.

If you're unfamiliar with AgendaOne, it was voted Best Life Management Application 2007 by Handango.

AgendaOne is without a doubt one of the best PIM replacement apps — it packs a lot of functionality in a very user-friendly interface.



One of the most interesting new features is the intuitive Template system that allows you to create customized tasks and appointments very easily!



Here are the main new features of Agenda One for Windows Mobile 5 & Windows Mobile 6 in version 2:

• Templates for Appointments and Tasks


• More Languages Supported: English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Czech, Danish, Hungarian, Norwegian (Nynorsk & Bokmal), Polish, Portuguese (Portugal & Brazil) Russian, Swedish, and Turkish


• Search performance improved in the Contact View


• New quick navigation picker in the Contact View


• Easily create new task or appointment for selected contact in the Contact View


• SIM-card icon in the Contact View


• New compressed view for the Contact list


• Touch screen input improvement for easier finger operation


• Quickly jump to category with a letter in Category Picker


• Navigation improved for long task lists by reconfiguring D-pad buttons


• Link contact to other contacts in the contact note field


• Month View with text on non-VGA devices

There is also a big list of improvements and bug fixes. See the full AgendaOne v2 info page on the DeveloperOne website.

Download a free trial version of DevOne AgendaOne v2 here. Existing users can of course upgrade to AgendaOne v2 (incl. cross upgrade from other apps)

Labels: update, Windows Mobile

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  Posted by oVan on Friday, November 16, 2007 | PermaLink | 0 comments

Another USB Update for Vista: KB 941600

Cumulative update rollup for USB core components in Windows Vista

This article describes an update rollup that resolves some reliability issues in the USB core components in Windows Vista. You will achieve better reliability in various scenarios by installing this update.

• KB 925528: Stop errors occur on a Windows-based computer that has 2GB or more of RAM and is using an NVIDIA nForce USB controller
  
• KB 929734: You may experience problems after you resume a Windows Vista-based computer from sleep or from hibernation
  
• KB 930568: Error message when you try to put a Windows Vista-based computer to sleep or into hibernation: "STOP 0x000000FE BUGCODE_USB_DRIVER"
  
• KB 929478: After you use the Safely Remove Hardware option to remove a built-in optical drive from a portable Windows Vista-based computer, you may be unable to reconnect the drive
  
• KB 930570: Error message in the Usbhub.sys process when you wake a Windows Vista-based computer from sleep or from hibernation: "STOP 0x00000044"
  
• KB 928631: A USB device may no longer work correctly after Windows Vista resumes from sleep or from hibernation
  
• KB 933433: Recording quality is poor when you use a USB microphone on a Windows Vista-based computer that has 4 GB of RAM or more
  
• KB 933442: A USB composite device does not work after you disable and then enable the device in Device Manager on a computer that is running Windows Vista
  
• KB 934633: When you connect a USB multifunction printer device to a Windows Vista-based computer, a second instance of the printer object is created, and the first instance no longer works
  
• KB 934796: Error message on a Windows Vista-based computer that is running a USB composite device: "STOP 0x000000FE"
  
• KB 933824: The Safely Remove Hardware feature and the Windows Explorer "Eject" command do not work correctly with an Apple iPod that is connected to a Windows Vista-based computer
  
• KB 935782: A USB device takes a long time to resume from "selective suspend" mode on a Windows Vista-based computer that uses UHCI USB controllers
  
• KB 935783: When you resume a Windows Vista-based computer from sleep, you may experience unexpected behavior from a USB device
  

The following issues were not previously documented in a Microsoft Knowledge Base article:

• When the computer resumes from a suspend state or from a hibernation state, the computer stops responding. Additionally, you receive a "0x9F" stop message on a blue screen.


• The computer takes a long time to resume from a suspend state or from a hibernation state.


• The computer takes a long time to resume from a suspend state or from a hibernation state when you use a VIA controller.


• The computer stops responding when you use an AuthenTec USB fingerprint reader. Additionally, you receive a "0xFE" Stop error on a blue screen or a "0x9F" Stop error on a blue screen.


• The computer stops responding when you use a USB Bluetooth audio device.


• The computer takes a long time to resume from a suspend state or from a hibernation state when you use an Enhanced Host Controller Interface (EHCI) controller.


• The computer stops responding when you remove a USB device. Additionally, you receive a "0xFE" Stop error on a blue screen.


• When a computer resumes from a suspend state or from a hibernation state multiple times, you receive a "0xFE" Stop error on a blue screen.

Windows Vista, 32-bit versions:
Download the 941600 package now

Windows Vista, 64-bit versions:
Download the 941600 package now

Labels: patch, performance, reliability, update, Windows, Windows Vista

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  Posted by oVan on Thursday, November 08, 2007 | PermaLink | 0 comments

New Vista update improving compatibility, reliability, and stability

This update improves the compatibility, reliability, and stability of Windows Vista. This update includes the following improvements:

• It extends the battery life for mobile devices.


• It improves the stability of portable computers and of desktop computers that use an uninterruptable power supply (UPS).


• It improves the reliability of Windows Vista when you open the menu of a startup application.


• It improves the stability of wireless network services.


• It shortens the startup time of Windows Vista by using a better timing structure.


• It shortens the recovery time after Windows Vista experiences a period of inactivity.


• It shortens the recovery time when you try to exit the Photos screen saver.


• It improves the stability of Windows PowerShell.

This update also resolves the following issues in Windows Vista:

A compatibility issue that affects some third-party antivirus software applications.

• A reliability issue that occurs when a Windows Vista-based computer uses certain network driver configurations.

Download the update for Windows Vista x86-based versions (KB941649) package now.
Download the update for Windows Vista x64-based versions (KB941649) package now.

Labels: patch, performance, reliability, update, Vista, Windows, Windows Vista

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  Posted by oVan on Wednesday, November 07, 2007 | PermaLink | 0 comments