May 2005 - What is Scott up to?
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I've been a little heads down lately. Sorry about that. I've been slow to blog. However, here's a short list of the things that have been on my mind lately. (Also, I WILL be updating the Ultimate Tools List, but I want to do it justice, so bear with me.)
What has been on my mind this last week, in no particular order:
- I updated my Linksys Router from Sveasoft Alchemy to the new Sveasoft Talisman Firmware.
- Man, it is freaking shiny. It's Alchemy++, indeed. This new update includes a roughly 3meg read-write area of flash for external programs to be downloaded. Remember, the Linksys router is just a tiny Linux box. You can PuTTY into it and everything.
- Things that kick ass about this firmware. You can VPN into your home. You can setup Quality of Service (QoS) to make sure that the wife's Vonage call to Zimbabwe doesn't get kicked because of your massive pr0n downloads. You can easily assign specific IPs to specific MACs. Way easier than static IP addressing. There are a pile more. It's truly changed my whole home network and made it WAY easier to manage. Yum.
- GuildWars is truly the most amazing RPG I've ever played. Ya ya, EverQuest, ya ya, Diablo, whatever. This is the total package. From purchase to download to play to continued play, it's perfect. Why?
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73 KB (yes KB) client to download, ala Steam, that streams just the levels and content you need now. No waiting for 40 Gigs to download. It's fast and it's brilliant.
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Graphics. This thing scales like nobody's business. I mean, it's good on my Dx9 ATI 9600, but it's even good on my craptastic laptop.
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You can you actually run it in a Window. How many times have you pissed off a DirectX app when some Blue Toast popped up or you accidentally Alt-Entered. GuildWars will scale as you resize it. Stunning.
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No local storage of your folks. That means I can pop the small client on my wife's system and fire it up. My character (Abeba Oluchi, a Warrior/Elementalist, thank you very much) is right where I left 'em.
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Graphics. Did I mention wheat that sways in the wind?
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Simple to buy. Gave them US$50 at http://plaync.com/store/gw_purchase.html and I was off. Seemless. Smoother than Steam and Half-Life 2.
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Coding4Fun. RSS here.
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I'm still doing my thing on the Some Assembly Required column. I still love that title. Coming soon? I've got NMEA 2.0 GPS code in .NET 2.0, Media Center fun, more Phidgets, a CrystalFontz display with input buttons, possibly some Legos, possibly some Robots, some iPodity perhaps, and something with Windows Image Acquisition.
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Professional ASP.NET 2.0. We're still cranking away on the book. We're making sure everything is technically accurate and insightful and ready for the final builds when they come.
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I'm pretty happy with the Caching chapter, the chapter on State Management and the chapter on XML in the context of ASP.NET 2.0. I've also got some good information while reading Oleg's blog. Seriously, if you care about XML, you need to know this guy. Unsubscribed, then RSS subscribed again, just to reinforce it. :)
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Jamaica. We just got back from a Cruise from Miami to Jamaica.
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Turns out I'm not a cruise person. We don't smoke. We don't drink. We don't eat in excess. Seems that is what you're paying for, so perhaps we didn't get our money's worth.
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I was more interested in talking about how the World Bank and the Chiquita Banana lobby has destroyed the Jamaican economy, but other cruisers were more interested in bidding on velvet paintings of dolphins.
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SO, I might have been a bit of a drag. That said, I got tan-esque, learned about this new kind of shoe that people who relax call a "flip-flop" and read Angels and Demons by Dan Brown.
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It was so much better than the crap Da Vinci code. Really, if you liked Da Vinci Code, Angels and Demons (the prequel) will cause you to implode.
I will leave you, Dear Reader (both of you) with this. I've got potentially big news coming. I shall leave you to speculate wildly. Discuss.
About Scott
Scott Hanselman is a former professor, former Chief Architect in finance, now speaker, consultant, father, diabetic, and Microsoft employee. He is a failed stand-up comic, a cornrower, and a book author.
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GuildWars is an MMORPG! :) As is EverQuest, dunnow about Diablo, never played it.
Big difference is GuildWars doesn't have a monthly fee.
I'm playing WoW and have played SWG and I loved both. I quitted SWG because I couldn't find time for anything else. I beta played WoW 1 week and got addicted again, bought the game and started playing. Haven't stopped since. :)
Would like to playtest Guildwars a bit. Would like to quit all MMORPG even more. Just can't.
Gotta... play... MMORPG... badly... Can't... quit... aaaaargh. 5 hours away, gotta go to sleep, in 5 hours I gotta go to work again! :)
Big difference is GuildWars doesn't have a monthly fee.
I'm playing WoW and have played SWG and I loved both. I quitted SWG because I couldn't find time for anything else. I beta played WoW 1 week and got addicted again, bought the game and started playing. Haven't stopped since. :)
Would like to playtest Guildwars a bit. Would like to quit all MMORPG even more. Just can't.
Gotta... play... MMORPG... badly... Can't... quit... aaaaargh. 5 hours away, gotta go to sleep, in 5 hours I gotta go to work again! :)
>> I shall leave you to speculate wildly
you are (or more specifically your wife is) going to have a child
or....
you're taking "the pill" (blue or red? not a matrix fan)
or....
you're first in line for nintendo revolution (good luck with that)
you are (or more specifically your wife is) going to have a child
or....
you're taking "the pill" (blue or red? not a matrix fan)
or....
you're first in line for nintendo revolution (good luck with that)
Thanks soooo much for the heads up on the WRT54g firmware. I've had one of these for two years now and never released I could do all this. Looks like I'm gonna have some fun with my network soon. :D
hehe .. I am addicted to Guild Wars as well...
my posts have been sparce.
Not to break "RPG" standards but what's your characters name? I'm always on with "Jacko the Dark" if you want to hook up for questing.. N/R10 just after pre-searing...
my posts have been sparce.
Not to break "RPG" standards but what's your characters name? I'm always on with "Jacko the Dark" if you want to hook up for questing.. N/R10 just after pre-searing...
guess I had to read your post for your character name.. but at any rate, hope to see you questing!
Thanks for the plug, Scott!
I'm glad you found something useful at my blog.
I'm glad you found something useful at my blog.
Is there any indication that this version of the firmware helps your phantom lock-up issue?
I second Oleg's blog and MSDN articles! I haven't seen this much depth of coverage of XML and XSLT anywhere else.
Speculating wildly... does this involve a move to the Bay?
With your NMEA code, are you handling altitude or just long/lat? I've been dinking around with GPS stuff myself and have yet to deal with the whole earth-is-an-oblate-spheroid-but-not-quite issue. (The Coding4Fun column is awesome BTW.)
With your NMEA code, are you handling altitude or just long/lat? I've been dinking around with GPS stuff myself and have yet to deal with the whole earth-is-an-oblate-spheroid-but-not-quite issue. (The Coding4Fun column is awesome BTW.)
Big news?
Wild speculation?
MMROPORG's?
- You're about to make it to Class 10 Battle Dwarf
- You've found a GuildWars client for your SPOT watch
- You've found the bejewelled (d)orc spirit-axe of Grathii'don
- You're pregnant
- Something else is pregnant
- You've been nabbed by the mother ship to push t-shirts at the company store
- You're going to release my unauthorized biography and reveal all the saucy behind-the-scenes details from our video shoots
- You're growing a third arm out of your left buttock so that you will have a meta-key combo advantage at the CodeRush Olympics
- You have found a way to leave this mortal shell and become a spirit of pure energy in tune with the rest of the universe and all its harmonic planes (you will be blessed with the company of many space unicorns who will guide your energy-ball to the infinite joy that is throbbing at the center of our reality - later that night, Zamphir of the Pan Flute will treat you to a personal one-on-one presentation of his interpretation of the Karate Kid theme before his spirit melds with yours and you become One in the Galaxy Crystal)
- You're just making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, but like watching us get all worked up like this
Just tell me: Hot or cold.
Wild speculation?
MMROPORG's?
- You're about to make it to Class 10 Battle Dwarf
- You've found a GuildWars client for your SPOT watch
- You've found the bejewelled (d)orc spirit-axe of Grathii'don
- You're pregnant
- Something else is pregnant
- You've been nabbed by the mother ship to push t-shirts at the company store
- You're going to release my unauthorized biography and reveal all the saucy behind-the-scenes details from our video shoots
- You're growing a third arm out of your left buttock so that you will have a meta-key combo advantage at the CodeRush Olympics
- You have found a way to leave this mortal shell and become a spirit of pure energy in tune with the rest of the universe and all its harmonic planes (you will be blessed with the company of many space unicorns who will guide your energy-ball to the infinite joy that is throbbing at the center of our reality - later that night, Zamphir of the Pan Flute will treat you to a personal one-on-one presentation of his interpretation of the Karate Kid theme before his spirit melds with yours and you become One in the Galaxy Crystal)
- You're just making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, but like watching us get all worked up like this
Just tell me: Hot or cold.
I'm game for the assimilation theory.
Esp. since his next column will be covering Borg implants... (Hhhuummm...I looked and looked at the Phidgets website...couldn't find any!)
All silliness aside, THANKS for the great "It's Hot in Here" columns. It makes me wanna wire up (blow up?) something that's just laying around the house...like my old house alarm system.
Esp. since his next column will be covering Borg implants... (Hhhuummm...I looked and looked at the Phidgets website...couldn't find any!)
All silliness aside, THANKS for the great "It's Hot in Here" columns. It makes me wanna wire up (blow up?) something that's just laying around the house...like my old house alarm system.
Potential big news ... romantic cruise ... didn't drink and eat too much ....
Is Mo pregnant? :)
Is Mo pregnant? :)
I've got potentially big news coming
"We are expecting" OR
"Move from Corillian (to MS?)" OR
"Anyone who has written a nice note to me gets a free copy of the new ASP.NET 2.0 book!" heh!
"We are expecting" OR
"Move from Corillian (to MS?)" OR
"Anyone who has written a nice note to me gets a free copy of the new ASP.NET 2.0 book!" heh!
RE: Angels and Demons.
If you'd already read DaVinci Code didn't you find Angels and Demons a little predictable?
I also read Deception Point and since it too followed the same pattern I've given up on Dan Brown.
However; that said I did enjoy the insight into the Vatican (from Angels and Demons) and after the Pope's recent demise found that insight useful (although I was a little concerned that Italy might get blowed up)
If you'd already read DaVinci Code didn't you find Angels and Demons a little predictable?
I also read Deception Point and since it too followed the same pattern I've given up on Dan Brown.
However; that said I did enjoy the insight into the Vatican (from Angels and Demons) and after the Pope's recent demise found that insight useful (although I was a little concerned that Italy might get blowed up)
hmmmm, tell me more of this "Guild Wars" you speak of. ;)
Tiny client? What comes in the heavy box I see at EB Games? Just the content and a spiffy manual that will come in handy when I have a wobbly table? A "no monthly fee" online RPG game appeals to me. I have a version 2.0 of myself on the way and while I *think* I'll have time to play WoW while I'm on paternity leave, I'm sure I'll be in no shape to do so during that time. In fact, I'm pre-emptivly stiching my name onto all of my clothing just so I won't forget it. Not having to pay for a service I'm not using sounds like a good idea for the short term at least. (short term being until the baby gets old enough to want to ignore me).
Tiny client? What comes in the heavy box I see at EB Games? Just the content and a spiffy manual that will come in handy when I have a wobbly table? A "no monthly fee" online RPG game appeals to me. I have a version 2.0 of myself on the way and while I *think* I'll have time to play WoW while I'm on paternity leave, I'm sure I'll be in no shape to do so during that time. In fact, I'm pre-emptivly stiching my name onto all of my clothing just so I won't forget it. Not having to pay for a service I'm not using sounds like a good idea for the short term at least. (short term being until the baby gets old enough to want to ignore me).
We made a baby in Maui twice, yes twice... Other than that I hope it is big. Jack
You said, "You can setup Quality of Service (QoS) to make sure that the wife's Vonage call to Zimbabwe doesn't get kicked because of your massive pr0n downloads."
This is a very ironic situation since marriage is supposed to cancel out the desire to watch porn. Surely in a true marriage the partners have no need for external means to fulfill their desires. This is what the marriage contract is all about and it is an obligation on the partners to keep their promises.
Anyway, you might have been joking but this is a serious matter. The following statements show the Islamic and Christian opinions on this subject respectively:
Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said: "The eyes commit adultery, the tongue commits adultery, the hands commit adultery, the feet commit adultery and then the private parts confirm it or deny it."
Jesus (Peace be upon him) said: "You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery'. But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." (Matthew 5:27-28)
For those that are neither, I urge you to ask your hearts as the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) urged people to do so in the following narration:
Wabisah bin Ma'bad said: I came to the Messenger of God (Peace be upon him), and he said: "You have come to ask about righteousness ?" "Yes," I answered. He said: "Consult your heart. Righteousness is that about which the soul feels tranquil and the heart feels tranquil, and sin is what creates restlessness in the soul and moves to and fro in the breast, even though people give you their opinion (in your favour) and continue to do so."
It is in man's innate nature to incline to good. It should be our goal to return to this nature. No one would watch porn in front of their mother or a child so how about in front of God, the All-Seeing. I leave you with the following statement of the Prophet Muhammad:
"Righteousness is good character, and sin is that which wavers in your heart and which you do not want people to know about."
This is a very ironic situation since marriage is supposed to cancel out the desire to watch porn. Surely in a true marriage the partners have no need for external means to fulfill their desires. This is what the marriage contract is all about and it is an obligation on the partners to keep their promises.
Anyway, you might have been joking but this is a serious matter. The following statements show the Islamic and Christian opinions on this subject respectively:
Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said: "The eyes commit adultery, the tongue commits adultery, the hands commit adultery, the feet commit adultery and then the private parts confirm it or deny it."
Jesus (Peace be upon him) said: "You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery'. But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." (Matthew 5:27-28)
For those that are neither, I urge you to ask your hearts as the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) urged people to do so in the following narration:
Wabisah bin Ma'bad said: I came to the Messenger of God (Peace be upon him), and he said: "You have come to ask about righteousness ?" "Yes," I answered. He said: "Consult your heart. Righteousness is that about which the soul feels tranquil and the heart feels tranquil, and sin is what creates restlessness in the soul and moves to and fro in the breast, even though people give you their opinion (in your favour) and continue to do so."
It is in man's innate nature to incline to good. It should be our goal to return to this nature. No one would watch porn in front of their mother or a child so how about in front of God, the All-Seeing. I leave you with the following statement of the Prophet Muhammad:
"Righteousness is good character, and sin is that which wavers in your heart and which you do not want people to know about."
history paintings, the painting of scenes from classical and Christian history and mythology. It was taught in the academies of art, from the Renaissance to the 19th cent., as the highest form of art in an hierarchical grouping that ranked still-life painting lowest on the list. Included in the category were scenes from contemporary history, such as Velázquez's Surrender at Breda, and commemorative works and apotheoses, such as Rubens's Life of Marie de' Medici. Scenes from antiquity dominated 18th-century painting, and modern subjects were exalted by treating them in classical terms. A modern work cited as falling within the history-paintings tradition is
Picasso's Guernica.
Picasso's Guernica.
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Big news? You've decided to move to the Bay area so you can hang out with me more often? We can compare Tablet stories (I think mine is about to get signed off) and you can experience the total lack of Spot watch support down here.
Am I close?