Techworld "Technically speaking"

Think before you start typing

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 20:39:00 GMT

A client paid me a wonderful compliment the other day. He phoned to ask me for my thoughts on a new feature he's thinking of adding to a software product I designed for the company a while back.

Ten out of ten for honesty

Sun, 19 Oct 2008 22:40:00 GMT

Some time ago I built myself a Web server for next to no money. I bought all the bits that I didn't have lying around in the shed from PC World, for the princely sum of a couple of hundred quid.

When you've launched it, make it available!

dsc@korana.com — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 11:49:00 GMT

I decided this week that I want an iPod Touch. Actually, if the truth be known, I decided that I *need* one.

Security clearance - help!

dsc@korana.com — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 19:27:00 GMT

From time to time I see attractive-looking jobs on defence contracts, and I'm tempted to apply for one because I know a little bit about defence. In fact my university education was sponsored by a defence systems manufacturer, and I spent many happy hours playing with big sexy artillery that does stuff like chucking ten-kilo bombs over several kilometres at six hundred miles an hour.

Where's the common sense gone?

dsc@korana.com — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 19:08:00 GMT

Sometimes it feels like nobody I ever talk to in tech support has the slightest modicum of common sense.

But that's not a screenSAVER!

dsc@korana.com — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 11:09:00 GMT

I just got a pop-up on a Web site, inviting me to buy a "Fish aquarium screen saver".

I'm brilliant - Microsoft says so

dsc@korana.com — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 14:15:00 GMT

I just had to call Microsoft's software activation phone line, because my copy of Visio 2007 wouldn't activate via the Internet.

Hang about, I'm still here ...

dsc@korana.com — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 20:51:00 GMT

As many readers will know, I earn a crust as a technology consultant. Last November, I went to work for a new client for three months. It's now June, and I'm still there - in fact I've recently been asked to stay until the middle of September.

Heathrow T5 is actually quite good

dsc@korana.com — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 10:16:00 GMT

I had cause to use Heathrow's new T5 this week, so I figured I'd write a few words about it from an engineer's point of view. I've given each category a score.

Heathrow T5 is actually quite good

dsc@korana.com — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 10:16:00 GMT

I had cause to use Heathrow's new T5 this week, so I figured I'd write a few words about it from an engineer's point of view. I've given each category a score.

Goodbye, not farewell?

dsc@korana.com — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 12:38:00 GMT

I recently terminated the contract on a BT ISDN2 line that I no longer use. In this week's post was a little mailshot card thingy from BT; emblazoned across the front is the phrase: "Goodbye not farewell".

Goodbye, not farewell?

dsc@korana.com — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 12:38:00 GMT

We've been rumbled

dsc@korana.com — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 19:35:00 GMT

A couple of days ago, the printer jammed in our office. This is no surprise, because it's an all-in-one unit (basically a Canon copier that's also a networked printer and scanner) and such are specially designed to keep repairmen in employment by breaking as often as possible.

We've been rumbled

dsc@korana.com — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 07:35:00 GMT

Isn't it great being forearmed?

dsc@korana.com — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 20:27:00 GMT

This weekend was one of those times that I thanked myself for spending a few more quid than I could have done on my web server.

Isn't it great being forearmed?

dsc@korana.com — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 08:27:00 GMT

This weekend was one of those times that I thanked myself for spending a few more quid than I could have done on my Web server. Being a skinflint I built it myself, and I was quite surprised that the motherboard (which was a real cheap off-the-shelf number) came with RAID built in on its S-ATA interfaces. So since I had RAID, I spent an extra fifty quid on a second disk, and stuck them in as a mirrored pair.

Gatwick Airport runs on Windows 95

dsc@korana.com — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 20:14:00 GMT

I was at Gatwick airport the other day, having a coffee and waiting for my flight to be called. This in itself was a frustrating thing to be doing, because most of the information screens in the upstairs bit of the departure lounge are on the blink, and have been for some weeks.

Gatwick Airport runs on Windows 95

Sat, 08 Mar 2008 08:14:00 GMT

Microsoft has cracked it

dsc@korana.com — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 08:24:00 GMT

You know how people are reluctant to adopt new versions of Windows when they're first released, as they're cautious that there may be problems? The approach is usually: "Hey, we'll wait for the first service release - that should have all the biggies fixed".

Microsoft has cracked it

Thu, 28 Feb 2008 08:24:00 GMT

Does anyone like their outsourced IT service?

dsc@korana.com — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 12:03:00 GMT

Plenty of companies around the world are still rushing headlong into outsourced IT agreements. You know the kind of thing - instead of having in-house IT people, you pay a third party to handle your technical matters for you.

Does anyone like their outsourced IT service?

Sat, 16 Feb 2008 12:03:00 GMT

What happens if I press this?

dsc@korana.com — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 22:10:00 GMT

On a Windows machine, if you want to refresh the list of stuff in a window, you press F5. If you want to highlight multiple items within a window, you click on the first item then Ctrl-click on the others in turn. To select a contiguous block of stuff you click on the first then Shift-click on the last. Most applications follow Windows' example, which makes life nice and straightforward and easy to deal with.

What happens if I press this?

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 10:10:00 GMT

The product to watch in '08

dsc@korana.com — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 08:09:00 GMT

It's rare that a month goes by without Microsoft announcing a new something-or-other. Sometimes it's something interesting, sometimes not. There's a product in Microsoft's portfolio that they've not made a great deal of noise about, though. And you know what? It has every chance of being the big news of 2008.