I used to use the full blown Microsoft developers tools, but lately I've been using the express versions along with some open source development tools. In general, I don't miss much about the Microsoft compiler. But I have to admit that I miss some of the tools.
A few weeks ago, I started getting a mysterious error message on my computer. It was a dialog box complaining about the flash installation. There was no hint of which program was complaining though. I thought about running Spy++ -- the Microsoft utility for looking at on screen Windows -- and realized this computer doesn't have a full load of Visual C++!
What I did find is
Winspector. This is like a souped up version of Spy++ and its free. Winspector can show hidden windows or not. It can filter and buffer messages. It can watch messages to a window class from the Window's creation. In short, it does everything Spy++ does plus more.
So, what was the offending program?
System47, my Star Trek screen saver. Reinstalling it did the trick. I guess a recent flash upgrade broke it. Should have realized my screen saver wasn't running. If you are a Star Trek fan (or even a science fiction fan) you really ought to download this free screen saver. It is quite the conversation piece.
Labels: cool, programming, software, windows
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I finally managed to score a
Joost beta test invite. Joost is a new project from the people who brought you Skype. They aim to create an on demand TV system on the Internet. The really interesting thing though is that they are only allowing invitees to beta test, and like Gmail, the best way to get an invite is to know someone who is already on it. Members get so many invites to share (and no, I don't have any yet before you ask).
My first impression is very good. The video skipped a bit at first, but only at the very beginning so I assume it figures out your line's capability over a short period. The user interface is very slick and there are "widgets" that allow you to do things like chat with people about the show you are watching.
The content, so far, is better than you'd expect, but not stellar. National Geographic channel has lots of interesting stuff. Saturday Morning TV has Rocky and Bullwinkle, Mr. Magoo, and other favorites. A lot of the programming seems slanted at folks younger than me (MTV-fare) but that isn't surprising since these people are more likely to watch TV on their PCs, I suppose. But this is a beta, so I expect more and more programming to come online. Even for someone my age there is plenty to watch! Of course, everything is on demand and you can control the video stream.
Like real TV, there are ads. I read that they are improving the technology they use to decide where to insert the ads, which is good. Sometimes the interruption for ads seems abrupt.
But don't get me wrong, the service is very cool and has a lot of potential. Now how to get a beta invite... well.... use your network of buddies, I suppose. If that fails, try
http://www.joostswap.com where you can offer things of value for invites (people offer things like postcards from their location, a few dollars, CD cases, or even just gratitude). Once in awhile someone shows up with free invites but as you'd expect those go quick.
Labels: cool, geek, webapp
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Check out
this free service. Call a toll-free number, leave a message, and it shows up on the Internet and/or your e-mail. Looks good for quick notes to yourself or maybe even "live" clips for podcasting. Oh, it recognizes who you are by your phone number (in case you were wondering).
Labels: cool, webapp
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