Why do I have these images from RoboCop movies going through my mind?

In case anyone's deciding what to get me for my mid-life crisis phase, one of these Land Walkers would do just fine.

This thing's cool. Who the heck has the time to sit around and think this stuff up??? Check out a demo video here.

Crazy, but pretty darn cool. Stick a super-soaker on that and it's party time.

I was just Google-Mapping a route and location in Vancouver, BC from Seattle when I noticed something that was not on the web service pages yesterday:

Google just added satellite imagery to their entire Google Maps web app! Go try it - it's pretty amazing! Below are the standard Google map, same resolution satellite imagery, and a surprisingly excellent full zoom image (with my own handwritten notations, thanks to the new Tablet PC Experience Pack).

That Keyhole acquisition is paying off.

Thank goodness for blogging and for people like Mike Fitzmaurice of Microsoft (Developer Evangelist for SharePoint technologies), who posts some official information regarding the pending release of .NET v2 and Whidbey, which is expected this year.

It's a bit confusing right now for SharePoint developers, as they look at the coolness of the next version of the .NET framework and Visual Studio and try to decipher what they can/should develop, on which platforms, and when.

SharePoint v3 won't ship until well after Whidbey (Visual Studio 2005) and .NET v2.0 hit the street. So, Mike's blog entry is a welcome and useful explanation of what platforms and versions of software will interoperate and produce workable results in SharePoint land.

If you're a SharePoint developer, this is for you: 

http://blogs.msdn.com/mikefitz/archive/2005/03/17/397775.aspx

and this article is also a great resource for understanding what's coming and how things relate:

http://www.theserverside.net/articles/showarticle.tss?id=WebParts1

If you're looking to learn about SharePoint Portal Server 2003 for the first time, or if you'd like to get some hands-on experience with a system that you can break and not have to worry about as you ramp up on the technology, check out the TechNet Virtual Labs offer for SPS 2003.

It's a good resource for people who want to learn in detail from the comfort of their own desk chair.

TechNet Virtual Lab: Microsoft Office SharePoint Portal Server 2003

Get first-hand deployment experience through the Virtual Lab series. The Microsoft Office SharePoint Portal Server 2003 hands-on labs will teach you how to set up the portal, organize content on the portal, manage user permissions, create Web Parts for custom tasks, and much more.

It's simple — no complex setup or installation is required to try SharePoint Portal Server running in the full-featured TechNet Virtual Lab. You get a downloadable manual and a 90-minute block of time for each module. You can sign up for additional 90-minute blocks anytime.

As part of the TechNet Virtual Lab, you will have full access to SharePoint Portal Server's features and tools through ten modules:

•	An Introduction to Microsoft Office SharePoint Products and Technologies
•	Creating a Custom Site Definition for Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services
•	Creating a Web Part for Microsoft Office SharePoint Products and Technologies
•	Creating Connectible Web Parts for SharePoint Products and Technologies
•	Managing SharePoint Portal Server Content and Navigation
•	SharePoint Portal Server People and Personalization
•	SharePoint Products and Technologies Permissions Management
•	Using Microsoft Office FrontPage 2003 to Customize Windows SharePoint Services
•	Using Windows SharePoint Services with Microsoft Office Professional 2003 Applications
•	Using the Windows SharePoint Services Object Model

The Visual Studio 2005 Team System webcast series started today - and they continue all month long of particular interest to me right now is Visual Studio 2005 Team System: Enterprise-Class Version Control, which will be presented mid-month.

Probably well worth tuning in...

Oh, how I wish this SharePoint podcast series was available in English! But, it's only in German. I know some German (took three years classes in school), and I have been listening to it and trying really hard to pick up the content of the podcast, with little success. I'm just too out-of-date to be able to catch it all.

http://www.sharepointpodcast.de/ - with Michael Greth

The only thing I can tell for sure is that there's plenty of info in there that I'd like to be able to understand better, so I am relying on the links on the weblog to help me understand more. I'm also looking at this as a way to help refresh my German (maybe, it's tech lingo so that can be difficult) before my trip to Germany this fall.

Anyone know of any SharePoint podcasts in English? Hmmmm, maybe I should think about podcasting after all... Anyone out there want to co-host a SharePoint podcast?

Microsoft has published their Experience Pack for Tablet PC, a package of add-on's for Windows XP Tablet PC Edition.

Some of these items have been available in single-item downloads before - The snipping tool, for example, has been available as a beta for some time, and is greatly improved in this final release. 

But some are new - namely the Media Transfer option, which requires you to run Windows Media Connect on your home PC, and then lets you stream or transfer media files (photos, videos, music, etc) to your tablet PC to be viewed/listened to there.

And it's free. Your can download it here.

From Microsoft's web site:

Overview

If you have a Tablet PC, the Experience Pack is a must. Download the Experience Pack and get six new programs that will help you be more productive and creative.

Ink Desktop
Take notes directly on your desktop for quick and easy access later. Jot down a phone number, directions, or top priorities for the day.

Snipping Tool
Use your tablet pen to select a portion of a web site, document, or other content on your screen. You can add handwritten comments and then paste it into an e-mail message or other program.

Ink Art
Paint with your tablet pen using Ink Art, which simulates an artist’s toolset. Choose from different textured canvases, paint brushes, chalks, crayons, and more.

Media Transfer
Copy or stream media files from your home computer to your Tablet PC, so that you can enjoy your favorite music, home videos, or digital photo albums wherever you go. [ed: You'll need Windows Media Connect on your home computer, instructions are here]

Ink Crossword
Solve crosswords on your Tablet PC with your tablet pen. Twelve puzzles come with the game. You can also download a free daily puzzle and purchase more puzzle packs online.

Energy Blue Theme Pack
Brighten the look of your Tablet PC desktop, Start menu, windows, and toolbars. Also get a new Windows Media Player skin that’s customized for the Tablet PC.

Microsoft's Office Online has a useful one-page conglomeration of deployment resources for SharePoint Portal Server. It's a great resource for those who need the info and appreciate the one-stop-authoritative-shop approach to organizing information. Of course, you'd think if people were looking to deploy SPS, they'd be exactly the types to appreciate that approach.

The only thing it seems they could so better would be to run it on, oh say... SharePoint Portal Server? ;)

Other good SharePoint Portal Server resources at Office Online:

• SharePoint Portal Server Technical Library
• Office Online Home Page for SharePoint Portal Server

Lots more links branch off of that last item, too. It's nice to see the Microsoft-provided content continuing to grow, as documentation in this area has historically been scattered and incomplete.

I decided today to check out WB Editor 2, a blog-posting and editing app that's available for Windows. It's darn-right cool.

Unfortunately, some of the XML-RPC functions don't want to work with dasBlog, even though that's the specific software I designated when I set up the blog account in the program interface. So, I can upload the screenshot here with the tool - I'll have to add those manually.

I have to say, I really like the user interface - it's quite well-polished and allows easy access to all sort of functionality. So, I'll be contacting the author to find out what's up with the dasBlog glitches and we'll see what can be done to help there.

At any rate, if you are a Windows user and you would like a better/different way to post to your weblog than the simple web text entry UI, you might want to check out WB Editor 2 and see what you think.

(Thumbnails added with another tool I like called BlogJet - click to view full-size images)

When Microsoft sets its sights on a market segment, look out. It'll happen, sooner or later.

I've been using a whole bunch of the latest mobile phones recently to test them and see how well they'll work for business use. The fact of the matter is, most of them pale in comparison to the Blackberry devices. Blackberries are great tools. All the others are great gadgets. At work, I need a great tool more than a great gadget.

But what I really want is the best of both worlds. Push email, real-time sync on email, calendar, and all that. Lookups live over the air from my company's active directory. MP3 player, phone, voice recorder, MP3 and poly ring-tones... and the RIM form factor works great - he typical PDA-phone running Windows Mobile is a little too goofy and unusable - especially in the keyboard area. Blackberry keyboards work great - the palmOne and PocketPC keyboards I have used - well, they just suck.

From Engadget, with reference to an article at Internet Week, word about the upcoming Windows Mobile 2005 and how Microsoft likely intends to compete with RIM's Blackberry devices - and server.

This will raise eyebrows and - if the Windows Mobile devices can be improved to be a better tool and less gadgety - it's entirely possible they could take away a lot of the market currently sufficiently served only by RIM...

Microsoft wants to kill the Blackberry dead with Windows Mobile 2005

If their recent deals to license their ActiveSync technology to Nokia, Symbian, and palmOne are any indication, Microsoft is working hard to steadily encircle the Blackberry with the next version of Windows Mobile, aka Windows Mobile 2005 aka Magneto. The plan? CRN reports that Microsoft is finally going to unveil Windows Mobile 2005 at the Mobile and Embedded Developers Conference in Las Vegas next month, and that they’re going to be taking a serious swipe at RIM by adding Blackberry-like support for push email and live content updating to Windows Mobile-powered Pocket PCs and Smartphones. The CrackBerry’s pretty damn entrenched, but Microsoft knows a thing or two about dislodging a market-dominating competitor, and so will be reviving a familiar tactic: to compete with RIM’s server product they’re going to be giving away their Exchange 2003 Server Pack 2 update, which adds support for push, for free.

What the heck is going on with MSN search? If I search for my name, I get all this random weird stuff. AAARRRGGGHHH!!!

The weird thing is, if you read it closely, it's so very close to being true... Hmmm...

Web Results
1-8 of 20733 containing Greg Hughes (0.23 seconds)
Results

• Citing ridiculous work hours, Hughes's computer calls it quits

  In a case believed to be the first of its kind, Greg Hughes's work computer has gone on strike. "At first the cursor kept dodging around," an angry Hughes said. "Then it started spontaneously dropping into "hibernate" mode. It's just MALINGERING." Technical specialist Evan Chan agreed. "The poor thing sent out a hundred and forty three emails after four am this morning. It's just had it. Give the little guy a mental health day or something. Nobody could keep Hughes's hours without going crazy...

etc etc etc...