New Search engine

I recently learned about Cuil, a search engine founded by Google spin off employees. The hype about having the biggest online catalog, outperforming Google any time.

I tried it

Searched for my name, I received one result page with approximately 7 teasers. Over all the page claims to have found 2.806 results (as opposed to Googles 840).
1 Teaser had nothing whatsoever to do with me, the rest was pretty mundane stuff. I could not browse the promised 2.806 results, had to stick to the 6 correct references. Googles results immediately were relevant and pointed to material that referred to me as a person or my work.

Verdict

Cuil is simply not worth the effort (this is why there is no link to the page)

Later I learned that Cuil was seed funded. This explains why there is so much hype about it. They have to earn their money the hard way. Hopefully this is not the start of another dotCom bubble.

FreeMiCals 6000th download

So far, more than 6000 users have benefited from FreeMiCal. It even supports migrating from Outlook 2000 (at least most of the entries).

Time to celebrate 4000th download of FreeMiCal

When I started the project I was expecting 500 to (optimistic) 1000 downloads. I did not ever expect anything like the 4000 downloads and the overwhelming positive feedback I got. Lets see if this will continue.

There is one feature request I would like to discuss:
A user requested a feature to select certain categories. This can be achieved using a simple text editor. However, I understand that it would be more convenient to select a category from the interface.

Any comments about pros and cons?

3000th download of FreeMiCal

November 12th the 3000th user downloaded FreeMiCal. I hope you folks are happy with the tool.

First steps in Python

In my blog Python demystified I reflected on some thoughts about computer programming and the language in particular.

Ever since then I was aware and interested in this language. Remember I said:

Without any decent IDE (like Netbeans for Java) that allows for graphical programming and UI-design, I strongly doubt that Python will ever gain momentum.

Well, I found a decent IDE: ActiveState Komodo IDE.

Except for GUI it has everything, a decent IDE needs: Syntax highlighting, code completion and code folding, integration into version control (subversion), debugging and profiling.

So just as I was to change my attitude and general opinion on Python the snakes ugly head rose from the depth of my notebooks core:

(Briefly): Python allows for object oriented programming. Objects can be created and instanciated. When going out of scope they are subjected to the garbage collector for destruction. So far so good.

I tried on example program from a popular python book - it worked.

I tried to extend the program (for better understanding) - it crashed.

Well, it terminated with an exception.

Further investigation revealed:
Python stores class definition and object instances in a globally accessible list. When program flow exits the current scope, all objects within scope are subjected to garbage collection according to this global list (and in the exact order of appearance within it).

So there is the possibility that an instance "wol" may be destructed before the class definition "Person". Changing the object name to "wolf" brings it after the "Person" identifier in the globals list and thus there is an object still in memory and valid, where the class definition is destroyed. Any following destructor of the objects instance cannot be called. The code is not there any more.

Is it just me that I find these things on my first day with the language?

Other than that I am fascinated by this elegant and slim language. Worth a try.

Genuine Advantage, my eyeball!

I got this note today, that Microsoft tightens its grip on Windows Vista users. Not only will an invalid key disallow activation. An presumably invalid key will render Windows Vista practically useless.

The new Software Protection Platform, built into Windows Vista, makes the user experience noticeably different between a genuine version and non-genuine version of Windows Vista. When it detects a non-genuine version of Windows Vista installed on a PC, the Software Protection Platform will disable key features of Windows Vista, including the desktop, Start menu, and task bar. Windows Vista functionality will be restricted to the default Web browser for one-hour periods.

The practical implication is that your software will not run. Your browser will be available one hour, then the PC will shut down.

Well, you might say, serves you right for using pirated keys?

It turns out that Microsoft themselfs don't know which key is valid and which not. It also turns out that if you use a notebook and stay unconnected for a certain period of time, the "Genuine Advantage" will strike you and you have your one hour browser window.

I could understand that Microsoft will not update pirated versions of Windows. I hardly could understand that my product keys were not accepted online but telephone activation was accepted (I purchased 10 copies of Windows, Office and some Server CALs).

But I decline to see my advantage if MY PC shuts down on a business trip because Microsoft thinks, my product keys are pirated.

Ubuntu vacation feelings

After a long and discontinuous experience with Linux and particularly Ubuntu, I switched to Ubuntu over Easter.

All the good reviews

If you are interested in appraisal only reports, look somewhere else. I had so many errors, bugs and strange behaviours that I cannot fall into the choir of Ubuntu enthusiasts.

Ready for prime time - for some

If you use your computer just for E-Mail, web browsing and the occasional word processing, you will love Ubuntu.

If you watch a video every now and then, you will be excited to see that it can be painless.

but not for all

If, on the other hand, you want to use Ubuntu in a mixed environment with Windows clients and servers, prepare for some surprising incidences.

Gnome provides an interesting approach to file access: gnome-vfs (Gnome virtual file system). Its an easy to use API that allows applications to access remote and heterogeneous file systems. Just mount a volume, drive or directory and access it with any application. That's what it says on the box.

Reality quickly catches on: Only a few applications are aware of gnome-vfs and the mounted drives. Nautilus (the Explorer pendant under Gnome) can access files. OpenOffice supports gnome-vfs as well. Others don't. And they are not just any applications: Thunderbird and Firefox are among them.

Notebook misery

I run Ubuntu on several notebooks. The basic system will always work. If you want to use notebook specific features like touchpads, sleep mode or wireless LAN, prepare for nightly sessions of debugging and error discovery. If your notebook is equipped with exotic peripherals (anything other than a keyboard a screen and an external mouse will do), you will likely find it not working.

On a HP nx8220 the smart card reader is not recognized, the SD cards cannot be mounted and sleep mode will wake up with sound amiss.

My HP 510 has a built-in Synaptics mouse pad. This is recognized in my nx8220 but not in the HP510. To calm us down, sound works after wakeup.


Tiny little annoyances

As a professional developer I am not prepared to ship things that do not work. And it seems pretty clear that some things don't work. So, they should not having been shipped.

Video playback using the proprietary graphics drivers from ATI don't go well with video playback. OK, they are turned of by default. Also compiz is turned of by default, and that is good so as it conflicts with video playback as well.

There is no centralized tool to adjust regional settings. This has to be done in configuration files, logon scripts, gnome tools and sometimes within the application itself. Thunderbird for examples does not honour the system wide font setting. It also ignores regional time formats. You have to set these using environment variables.

Why do I use it?

So, if I am not happy, why did I bother migrating?

Well, I did not say, I was unhappy. There are things that really work well. Automatic update, upgrading to a new version, installation and deinstallation of software all are more stable and trustworthy than the monopolists counterpart.

There is no IE installing malware behind my back, no Office update that deletes some of my .NET framework DLLs and most of all, no DRM to tell me what I am allowed to do, see and view.

I have no need to defrag my harddisk or registry, no thrills using some low level maintenance tools. I do my work and thats ok.

If there are some issues or lack of functionality I can look under the hood and identify the problem myself. I can contribute to the evolution of a system and that contribution is valued (as opposed to Microsoft where reporting a bug will cost you money).

But most of all, I feel like a person that has left its privileged live behind. All the high-tech gadgets, the nitty-gritties, items and toys that seemed so important mean nothing. I stand here with my bare feet in the sand, watch sunrise (or sunset, whichever you prefer). I feel like I don't need all the chaos, hectic and stress.

I feel like I'm on vacation.

FreeMiCal 0.2 beta released

I just uploaded FreeMiCal 0.2.0.0 on SourceForge.net

It now supports both Outlook 2003 and 2007 respectively. Due to adjustments in the artwork, it has a smaller footprint. I also added a local copy of the Outlook Interop Services dll. Now fMiCal starts faster than before.

FreeMiCal has a new banner theme. I think it looks different to (and nicer than) the uniform grey-blue that Windows XP provides.

Import into your favorite target calendar application might not be as fast as the export. This is due to integrity checks during the import.

Have fun exporting.

Wolf Rogner

Finger weg from Eclipse

We have this ongoing argument about not enough Java/Oracle programmers available. I took this to brush up on my Java know-how.

A friend suggested Eclipse to use as an IDE. So I listened and tried it.

Let me put it this way: I have not used such a bad piece of software in a while.

OK, it's free of charge but that's about all that speaks for it.

• It's slow. Dead slow. A simple "Hello world" took 5 minutes to set up, 2 minutes to debug and more than a minute to launch from the IDE
• It's complicated: To set up a project you need to go from Window to Window to set up projects, packages, classes, hierarchies and outlines
• It's slow (did I mention that already?): The code completion takes for ages and even blocks text entry (System - hang - .out. - hang - println - hang ...)
• It's confusing: Try to debug, does nothing. You have to select which type of project it should be (Can a Java class be debugged as C/C++?)
• It's broken: I tried to update the IDE (I used 3.2). There were some updated modules. The update mechanism asked over and over which Download center I wanted to use (the automatic selection ended in a disaster). And after another 15 minutes of downloading, the IDE told me, I had not enough rights to install the update. Thanks for telling me so soon
• It's cumbersome: Creating a SWT app is not straight forward. I gave up working on this one
• It's slow (deja vu): You can add plug-ins easily (if you have root privilege, that is). With each plug-in, the IDE becomes slower and more unusable
  

Conclusion: If I have to write programs in Java, I use Netbeans (free of charge) or IntelliJ ($ 599,- incl. TeamCity).

Did I say, I love .NET?

I just read a book. Programming C# 3rd Edition. What for? I ran into problems with FreeMiCal.

FreeMiCal exports calendar items nicely. If you run Outlook 2007, of course. Those unfortunate to have Outlook 2003 or prior installed, are unfortunate.

You think it was as simple as linking a reference to the Office Primary Interop API. Think again. Microsoft has changed the way they offer this service.

Well, acording to the book, using .NET shall eliminate DLL hell. Only it does not. To be precise and fair. It eliminates the DLL hell to substitute with a Manifest and Signature hell.

While you were able to trick Windows into using the right DLL by using the search path, one can not trick the CLR into using a different version of an Assembly so easily.

I hate the thought of shipping two versions of FreeMiCal (one for Outlook 2003 and one for 2007) but if I don't find a simple solution soon, I will do exactly that.

FreeMiCal on SourceForge

I registered a project with SourceForge: FreeMiCal.

The purpose of FreeMiCal is to allow users of Microsoft Outlook (currently only Outlook 2007 is supported) to export all Calendar items in one swoop to iCal formatted files.

Outlook does not support the bulk export of calendar items in anything but its own .pst- or comma separated text files. If you have extended comments in the body section of the item, import in any application (including Outlook) will fail due to import format violation.

Please check it out, test it and report any problems. This will help me, make the tool better and eventually error free.

I love .NET, I hate .NET

Recently I developed an ASP.NET application that required access to a database. So far no problem. I have done that several times before and was confident to bring the project to an early end.

During the coding phase I had to make a decision on how to access the database. Usually I would write seperated insert, update and delete procedures in code behind pages. In this particular case it seemed to be appropriate to use an Object DataSource and a GridView control.

So I dropped a GridView into the page and made an new DataSource, choosing the Object DataSource from the wizard. Then I created a class file in the Apps folder to isolate data access there.

I got the records to show in no time and I love .NET for its ease of use.

Next I tried to update records using the Edit functionality of the GridView. This was not a trivial task. First the call to the update member function would throw exceptions at me right, left and center. It turned out (undocumented) that the parameters for the function calls need to have the exact names as the fields in the database table to be altered.

Changing the fields in the GridView works fine, the changed value is forwarded to the update function. However, changing the value in the Row of the Dataset seems to be impossible. Calling the code from a C# program works fine, doing the same out of a ASP.NET class does not work.

I confess, I resorted to the oldfashioned way of updating the database directly to keep the schedule.

I hate .NET for it's non-consistent working and its lack of dokumentation.

Why Vista?

I attended several tutorials from Microsoft introducing me to Windows Vista.

We were told that Vista is faster, more secure and offers enhanced features not available in Windows XP.

However, I seriously doubt that.

1. Vista is supposed to be written from scratch. How any code written from scratch should be more stable than evolved and mature code is beyond me.

2. In order to enhance security Microsoft reverted to some obscure practices in the past. They introduced a firewall that prevents traffic from going out instead of blocking traffic in. They offer software update that introduces new features, changes existing behaviour and even renders a working system inoperable (WGA, WM licensing, DRM enhancements to CD-ROM players, etc.). Their CUA is a permanent anoyance and does not prevent users to choose trivial or empty passwords. I see no improvements in security whatsoever.

3. Most of the enhancements and new features target user experience. Translated to ordinary speech this reads: Bigger buttons, glassy, transparent look, more wizards. In order to run a Vista system properly you need hardware recently available only for hardcore gaming.
But be aware that the new features will be available to a WGA-authenticated system only.

Is it neccessary?

As far as I am concerned, no.

There are some issues XP required to change to make the system secure.

1. Make first user not Admin by default. Eliminate auto logon as well.
The only reason for admin rights is, that ill written applications will still run instead of break and force the software vendor to either rewrite or get out of the market.

2. Change some services to run in low privilege mode (like the time or network adjustment panels).
One can use policies to allow nonprovileged users to adjust network and time settings but this could be done out of the box

3. Make uitheme.dll overwritable.
Users could change the look to anything they like without resorting to potentially unsafe tools to change the Themes.

You can do all of that by yourself.
Install applications as administrator
revoke admin rights on users
change icons to network and time panes to use runas...
delete uxtheme.dll from the dll cache.

Does this justify a new operating system?

Certainly not. If anything at all, an SP3 would be required.

So why do we need Vista?

It all depends on who you define as "we".

If you consider yourself and your company as the "we", then frankly you don't need it.

You may want it and you may even have no primary expenses as you get Vista as part of the software assurance (I will comment on the cost factors in a different posting).

If you define "we" as being Bill, Steve and the gang, you need the thing desperately.

• Vista will allow for increased control over the installed base
• Vista will generate revenue for another decade
• Vista will give Microsoft enough material to force new technology onto companies

Whether you want it or not, you will have to install Vista anyway.

Is it only me or is the prospect of one company dictating what software to use and when to use it generally frightning?