Entries for Trix

Microsoft Surface spotted in the wild! [Microsoft Surface spotted in the wild!]

Trix — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 21:59:55 GMT

So, I just played with a Microsoft Surface device at OSU's Digital Union. I didn't know these actually existed in the wild beyond AT&T stores.

Granted the 3D maps and 2D maps did not work, it errored. Other than that, it was a pretty neat, very responsive natural feeling device.

I'll put up a picture later, I have it on my camera.

Pictures:

That notepad had a question on it "What applications would you like to see?"

People had written "Internet" "Firefox" "Garage Band" "Autodesk Inventor" "Games".

in reply to Microsoft Surface spotted in the wild!

Microsoft In house engineering work? [Microsoft In house engineering work?]

Trix — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 22:05:33 GMT

So the career fair at OSU is soon, I noticed that there are no Materials or Chemical engineers needed at Microsoft :(

http://engexpo.osu.edu/companies/view.pl?type=company_list

Who does the material and chemicals for batteries for Zune, or the chips and motherboard of the Xbox, LifeCam...

All outsourced? I was just curious, I like Microsoft, I like Chemical Engineering, can I make the two work at all?

in reply to Microsoft In house engineering work?

Wave 3 Continues! [Wave 3 Continues!]

Trix — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 16:25:05 GMT

I've been looking for a better way to organize my life...maybe with a great calendaring solution.

On the web, with some great Win32 Client, and on my phone.

Look what Microsoft just revamped...

http://calendar.live.com/

This is clean, functional, and pleasant to look at.

I especially like the Agenda and To Do lists.

Sadly the online version looks better than the client versions :(

We're missing the To Do lists and agenda view :(

in reply to Wave 3 Continues!

Sweet New PC Games [Sweet New PC Games]

Trix — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 16:54:50 GMT

Crysis Warhead, it is faster and better looking than the origional.

http://pc.ign.com/articles/909/909584p1.html

Plus it is 30 bucks and has a wicked online play system. I might have to post a video of me playing it on my Max Built PC, but my power is out because of Ike's remains that hit ohio :(

http://www.aepcustomer.com/outagemap/main.aspx?region=aepohio (At the time of posting, there were a lot of outages)

Rating isn't as good, but still a sweet looking game, STALKER Clear Sky.

http://pc.ign.com/objects/945/945039.html

I got both of these off steam, which is even sweeter for me, I hate physical disks.

in reply to Sweet New PC Games

PC games get a boost, Free LIVE, DX11 [PC games get a boost, Free LIVE, DX11]

Trix — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 12:15:31 GMT

Ok so DX11 looks pretty cool, it is rumored to be fully compatible with DX10!! No new hardware!

http://www.developmag.com/news/30218/Microsoft-unveils-DirectX-11

Games for Windows LIVE go free http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3168931

EDIT: I can't hyperlink the links, because every time I try, it errors. Also HTML editing doesn't work.

in reply to PC games get a boost, Free LIVE, DX11

Windows Server 2008 Performance vs 2003 [Windows Server 2008 Performance vs 2003]

Trix — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 21:25:47 GMT

It was my understanding that Windows Server 2008 was a lot faster than 2003. At my current job, we are going to implement exchange, and I want to go the Windows Server 2008 route, but everyone else wants to go 2003. Are there specific benchmarks with exchange, and or network and disk access benchmarks of 2008 vs 2003? Thanks!

in reply to Windows Server 2008 Performance vs 2003

Surprising lack of computer skill/knowledge from engineers? [Surprising lack of computer skill/knowledge from engineers?]

Trix — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 04:09:44 GMT

So being in the college of engineering, I had high expectations for computer skills. Now maybe this is just me being a complete a**hole or maybe it is just my university, but I am surprised that many people are computer illiterate.

If these people are smart enough to get into a university, and should be considered above average when it comes to computers, what are normal users like? Computers must be hard to use for the average person, and that is unfortunate. There is so much that can be done, I really wish I could change all that in one swift move. I think people need to take on philosophies like believing no user error. If something is designed correctly, it should never confuse the user.

For instance, these are some things I've run into.

Many people didn't know that excel could calculate things, so class slowed down quite a bit when we were doing large spreadsheets.

Someone was talking about how Office 2007 was better than Office 2006.

The phrase "Vista is s***" is uttered a lot.

People claim that Vista can be hacked with "basic knowledge".

Some people did not understand the idea of using a different computer with the same user name, active directory.

Now this is really surprising, a lot of people think that you can only send screenshoted pictures through word docs...everyone always pastes the image in there to send it to you. It ticks me off, I can't edit it or do anything with it or extract it form the doc (if they sent it in docx I could).

No one knows how to open up .docx files, no one updates their old office installs, so I am forced to send 30mb .ppt files when in pptx it would be like 7mb (no joke, that happend, I love the zip containers).

Maybe I expect too much, but man..... I didn't list a lot of things, there are a lot of little usability things that just seem odd that no one would know, I just can't seem to think of some really good ones. Does anyone else expirence these issues? Can this be solved?

in reply to Surprising lack of computer skill/knowledge from engineers?

When do we get the C9 updates? [When do we get the C9 updates?]

Trix — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 05:04:29 GMT

Over at Channel9, we have better "picture viewing" and silverlight videos work in FF3....when do we see these kinds of upgrades here?

in reply to When do we get the C9 updates?

Warming up to Live Cashback [Warming up to Live Cashback]

Trix — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 18:00:15 GMT

At first I figured Live Cashback was just annoying and a desperate move, which I still think, but I have also come to realize it is more useful than one would think.

For a while I used www.pricewatch.com or www.pricegrabber.com and www.froogle.com to compare prices so I could buy something at the lowest price.

Apparently Live search does this, and does it well. Live "cashback" is far surperior to Live's "Product Search". Shouldn't the two merge? Cashback is an odd product search name ;).

Anyways, lets say I wanted to get a high performance 120 mm fan. I researched, and came up with a product, the AeroCool TURBINE 2000 120mm Case Fan. Lets also say I wanted to get it from a supplier I know, like newegg.com. I go to live cashback, search for "AeroCool TURBINE 2000 120mm Case Fan".

On the left there, I can choose newegg.com and before you know it, I can buy it with some cashback.

I especially like the UI here, Microsoft has done a good job. Picking a category, you can visually see what is selected in a clear, clean concise manner.

It does the same for stores and brand.

Now I still do not like live search. It doesn't do enough little things to make me happy. But this live search cashback stuff is pretty sweet, just for the searching capability. I just think no one will use it. Live already has a pretty crappy product search, they need to get rid of that and just use cashback. The UI is far superior.

EDIT: Will C8 ever get the same codebase as C9, with the enhanced picture viewer, little refresh button on the forums...etc? And for the record this was posted in Student Union...

Here is a link to the xml file necessary to put Live Cashback Search in Firefox.

http://cid-c2d60dda0cfeed94.skydrive.live.com/self.aspx/Public/Live%20Cashback.xml

It has to go somewhere like %USERSPROFILE%\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\<profile name>\searchplugins

In Vista (and XP for that matter) just copy and paste %USERSPROFILE%\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\ into explorer or start menu search box and then go from there.

in reply to Warming up to Live Cashback

This is why I like Google over Live Search [This is why I like Google over Live Search]

Trix — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 16:20:10 GMT

It straight up told me the answer....now if only I knew why the s orbital is half filled and went to 3d10 vs becoming 3d9 4s2

in reply to This is why I like Google over Live Search

The Inner Artist...Expression Design and Skydrive [The Inner Artist...Expression Design and Skydrive]

Trix — Mon, 26 May 2008 04:16:28 GMT

So, with the Max builds a PC thing...and dreamspark...Expression is available for free. These tools are so neat, so easy to use, and so functional. I do not think it is a replacement for photoshop, but it certainly is quite useful in just playing around and maybe getting stuff done.

Here is a project my friend and I are working on. This is how we think Windows should look, or where Windows should go. Clean and functional. Major thing missing is a taskbar type thing. It is just fun to mess around to make things. I'm glad Microsoft has these professional tools available for free.

http://cid-c2d60dda0cfeed94.skydrive.live.com/self.aspx/Public/Los|_Angeles|_Alpha|_4.wdp

Skydrive has spiced up the features lately, now with comments and all. I love it! Once again embedding doesn't work...and this is in HD photo format.

in reply to The Inner Artist...Expression Design and Skydrive

Windows 7 Features...in video form? [Windows 7 Features...in video form?]

Trix — Tue, 13 May 2008 01:10:59 GMT

Could this be? This certainly looks neat.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5D43p4_qcY

Why doesn't Youtube embed here?

in reply to Windows 7 Features...in video form?

Channel8 and Google Reader [Channel8 and Google Reader]

Trix — Mon, 12 May 2008 16:30:29 GMT

Channel8 and Google Reader seem not to play nicely, I do not know if the RSS feed changes and confuses it, or what. I have multiple entries for the same thing. Anyone else getting the funky RSSness?

in reply to Channel8 and Google Reader

Microsoft doesn't get it.... [Microsoft doesn't get it....]

Trix — Sat, 10 May 2008 18:08:20 GMT

These Live Search promotion videos are absolutely horrible.

http://blogs.msdn.com/robmar/archive/2008/05/07/viral-windows-live-search-videos.aspx

in reply to Microsoft doesn't get it....

Vista, true stability 661 hours uptime! [Vista, true stability 661 hours uptime!]

Trix — Tue, 06 May 2008 06:00:32 GMT

This is from http://msmvps.com/blogs/brianmadsen/archive/2008/04/19/gotta-love-661-hours-uptime-on-vista.aspx

This is ~27 days.

We've come a long way since windows 98 ;)

in reply to Vista, true stability 661 hours uptime!

Unjust Hating on the Office Ribbon [Unjust Hating on the Office Ribbon]

Trix — Thu, 01 May 2008 03:31:25 GMT

So, there is a lot of FUD going around with Microsoft lately, Vista sucks this, Vista sucks that...blah blah blah, but I've hardly heard anyone complain about Office 2007, until now. My school newspaper has some "tech journalist" who thinks Microsoft should have kept the old file menus...anyone want to email him and tell him why he is wrong, and how we can't be stuck in the past?

latimer.29@osu.edu

The last paragraph is what really gets me. It drives me nuts that people are so resistant to change, when I like that change. I think we should always push for it. I am just afraid with all the complaining done lately, that Microsoft will be more cautious and scared to try new things, I sure hope not.

in reply to Unjust Hating on the Office Ribbon

Excel Graphing Help, adding a smooth trend line [Excel Graphing Help, adding a smooth trend line]

Trix — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 02:30:09 GMT

Does anyone know how to add a smooth trendline to this titration curve?

I've tried exponential and polynomial. Nothing seems to work. I want to try to get the equation of that line so I can take the second derrivitive and find where the slope goes off to infinity, which will give me my inflection point.

http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii240/trix_1520/curve.jpg

http://cid-c2d60dda0cfeed94.skydrive.live.com/self.aspx/Public/Titration%20Curve.xlsx"]http://cid-c2d60dda0cfeed94.skydrive.live....on%20Curve.xlsx

in reply to Excel Graphing Help, adding a smooth trend line

Microsoft strengthens their map service [Microsoft strengthens their map service]

Trix — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 18:04:41 GMT

Virtual Earth has been updated to 6.1 http://virtualearth.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!2BBC66E99FDCDB98!14129.entry and man, does this update really put the user first. It is a lot faster and things seem smoother and happier. Birds eye view never ceases to amaze me.

What really intrests me is the export to GPS function, I can see that being quite useful, especially for things like maping a route on a lake or something, something a GPS wouldn't normally do.

Reading of KML files from google maps is also quite interesting, it has a 3D tour as well.

http://maps.live.com/?mapurl=http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=106153747529313402323.0004436802fc4f0bd0b94

I leave you with this amazing detailed shot of the Ohio Stadium. I renewed my student tickets and am ready!

http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&FORM=LMLTCC&cp=qp07sd82fh20&style=b&lvl=1&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&scene=4949787&phx=0&phy=0&phscl=1&encType=1

Keep this up Microsoft!

EDIT: I do not know how it ended up here in dreamspark.

in reply to Microsoft strengthens their map service

Graphing 3D graphs, what is the best program/website? [Graphing 3D graphs, what is the best program/website?]

Trix — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 15:40:38 GMT

I would like a better way to visualize f(x,y)=sin(x*y). These graphs are quite challenging to draw.

I found this http://fooplot.com/index3d.php, but I wonder if there is something else out there, preferably free. I know Matlab will do it, but that learning curve is probably steep, I've postponed my engineering classes that actually go over how to use Matlab ( and where they give it out to you ) until a later date.

Anyways thanks!

in reply to Graphing 3D graphs, what is the best program/website?

Windows Desktop Search 4.0 Preview [Windows Desktop Search 4.0 Preview]

Trix — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 14:18:39 GMT

Desktop Search from Microsoft really is top notch...and with this new release comes many exciting things, including better performance!

One of my Favorite Bloggers posted it.

http://brandonlive.com/2008/03/27/windows-search-40-preview-release/

There is also more info at the Vista Team Blog.

http://windowsvistablog.com/blogs/windowsvista/archive/2008/03/27/announcing-the-windows-search-4-0-preview.aspx

This "upgrades" the search already existing in Vista and will integrate nicely.

Windows Search is more powerful than many people realize, at C9 we were exploring searching for images by resolution.

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb266512(VS.85).aspx

For an image that is 120x160..... or for just an image that is 120 wide with no restriction on height you just leave height blank... great stuff!

kind:picture width:120 height:160

in reply to Windows Desktop Search 4.0 Preview

Trix gets a PC [Trix gets a PC]

Trix — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 07:31:24 GMT

I finally got it!! Here is a very short intro video. Anything you guys want to see? I know some people expressed wanting to see more in the comments of Max Builds a PC. This thing is wicked fast, Max did some magic optimizations, I wonder what they were....

Here is the the link through the wonderful skydrive, the video is processing at Soapbox, not sure why it is taking a while this time.

http://cid-c2d60dda0cfeed94.skydrive.live.com/self.aspx/Public/Trix%20Gets%20A%20PC.wmv

(Is there a way to make a pretty skydrive tag here?)

in reply to Trix gets a PC

The challenge of Good UI, The Story of the Ribbon [The challenge of Good UI, The Story of the Ribbon]

Trix — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 21:57:38 GMT

I'm sure a lot of you have seen this, but maybe not. I just got done with my last final today (it was actually horrible, www.ratemyprofessors.com already has some nice quotes about my professor ;)

"If you watch Dr. Loza very carefully, you can see her take a deep breath at the beginning of class, and then exhale for an hour and a half as she launches into lecture. I find it hard to understand a professor who moves slowly, let alone someone who's mouth could be clocked on a radar gun.")

It is nice to just sit back and relax watching videos from MIX. The Story of the Ribbon is probably one of the most intresting ones. Making a good UI that you know millions of people will use is certainly not an easy feat.

http://sessions.visitmix.com/?selectedSearch=UX09

Microsoft needs to continue on this path, Office 2007 was a welcome change, I think Vista was too.

MIX's video repository is so vast, I'm an internet junkie.

in reply to The challenge of Good UI, The Story of the Ribbon

Blizzard '08 in Ohio [Blizzard '08 in Ohio]

Trix — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:19:42 GMT

A few friends and I were relaxing before exam week, hoping from house to house cooking random things...etc. Then we spent ~3 days digging out. Our total snow accumulation here was 20.4" (~52cm). Here are some pics ;)

Windows Live Photo Gallery + Flickr = Awesome

Here is the set:

http://flickr.com/photos/obiwantoby/sets/72157604073325134/

A few action shots of me:

http://flickr.com/photos/obiwantoby/2322005066/in/set-72157604073325134/

http://flickr.com/photos/obiwantoby/2321986960/in/set-72157604073325134/

My <not so right in the head> friend:

http://flickr.com/photos/obiwantoby/2321172999/in/set-72157604073325134/

My Girlfriend:

http://flickr.com/photos/obiwantoby/2321972624/in/set-72157604073325134/

in reply to Blizzard '08 in Ohio

IE8 B1 is coming! [IE8 B1 is coming!]

Trix — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 17:29:53 GMT

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/ie/ie8/readiness/default.htm

Feature list

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/ie/ie8/readiness/NewFeatures.htm

I for one am glad to see a revision of IE. Firefox has just been a bit too slow for me.

Note: The download links aren't live yet, but since Mix Just started 3 minutes ago, I am betting they'll be live today...maybe?

in reply to IE8 B1 is coming!

The Best/Most Useful Vista sidebar gadget ever! [The Best/Most Useful Vista sidebar gadget ever!]

Trix — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 23:00:03 GMT

This is the best client to Live Messenger....I like it at least... Check it out!

http://www.thirteen23.com/experiences/desktop/continuum/

in reply to The Best/Most Useful Vista sidebar gadget ever!