Steve Bargelt

Windows Home Server

Is anyone else excited about Windows Home Server? I've signed up for the Code2Fame Challenge. Although I'm already way behind the curve. Apparently Ed Holloway has already written a killer add-in that can automatically uploads photos from your Windows Home Server to Flickr. Check it out --- PhotoSync.

I'm most curious about how it interacts with Vista Media Center and Vista Media Center Extenders (XBox 360s).

The Windows Home Server blog. Subscribed.

posted @ Thursday, May 31, 2007 9:18 PM | Feedback (0) |

Win16 Error: A Blast From The Past

I took a screen shot of this error last week. Prior to this event I don't think I'd seen this dialog since 1996!

posted @ Thursday, May 31, 2007 5:48 PM | Feedback (0) |

Microsoft Surface

Very interesting: http://www.microsoft.com/surface/

posted @ Wednesday, May 30, 2007 10:04 AM | Feedback (0) |

Vista Windows Mobile Sync Issues

I was having problems sync-ing my Cingular AT&T 8525 (HTC TyTn/Hermes) to my Vista Ultimate installation at home. Basically it would connect to the Windows Mobile Device Center (the Vista replacement for ActiveSync) but if I tried to browse the device's file system explorer would hang... or take a very long to show the device's file system, then hang when I clicked around. On occasion it would work, but 9 times out of ten it would not work.

Googleing for the problem brought me to the Windows Mobile Device Center page where I followed these instructions:

1. On the device, go to Settings, Connections, and look for "USB to PC" option.
2. Go into the “USB to PC” option
3. To enable RNDIS USB, check the “Enable advanced network functionality” checkbox and then, OK.
4. Note – if it’s already checked, do not uncheck or this workaround will not work for you.
5. Warm boot the device (push and hold the power button, hit the reset button, or pull the battery).
6. Power the device back on.
7. Once the device is booted up, dock and try again.
8. Note – RNDIS does have a bit more wait time when connecting. Please be patient for the device to connect.
9. If after you do the workaround and you cannot connect at all, then simply switch back to Serial USB to sync.

Now all is well on Vista back at home and I've confirmed that everything is still cool at work on XP with ActiveSync. Sweet!

posted @ Tuesday, May 22, 2007 9:56 AM | Feedback (3) |

More 8525 Setup: Registry tweaks and other hacks and links

Registry Tweaks

• Improve BlueTooth stereo sound
• Kill the startup sound (DAMN that was loud!)
• Killed the SysTray (the bottom tray with icons) - I wanted more today screen space for PocketBreeze and PhoneAlarm
• Disable SMS Sent Notification

• err... will be implementing the Microsoft Voice Command hack once I buy and install Microsoft Voice Command!

Informational Links

• Hermes/TyTn Forums @ xda-developers.com: Tons of HTC Hermes information in these forums! What an amazing resource.
• Hermes TyTn/Hermes wiki @ xda-developers.com: Even more Hermes information.
• Mobile Speed Test: Because everyone wants to know what their 3G data rates are like! From work in Tacoma, WA. The 600KB test yielded 991kbit/sec while the 1MB test came out to 845kbit/sec. Nice. Very nice!

posted @ Monday, May 21, 2007 4:03 PM | Feedback (1) |

Online Photo Sites and Sharing Strategy

Up until now I've used both Flickr and Picasa web galleries in much the same way. That's not very efficient and it does cause confusion for friends and family looking for the latest from the Bargelt family. Up until now I've also used Flickr to host pictures for my blog - which never really fit - I'd be looking at pictures of my latest vacation only to run across a screenshot of a bug I found. So my strategy going forward is this:

Picasa = large web galleries. Stuff like vacations, holidays and sporting events. Things I will share with my family and close friends. This is more of a traditional scrapbook or photo album where almost every picture you take is displayed. The main reason that I have Picasa in this role is the ease of creating a web gallery right from the Picasa desktop application.

Flickr = favorites and special photos only. More of a photography-as-a-hobby playground. I'm thinking of the times where I'll take 100 pictures of clouds because they look cool, then get them loaded up into Photoshop and pick the single best photo. That photo will go up on Flickr. The rest will languish on my hard drive array in digital purgatory. Sure I will still post personal photos of family and vacations and stuff like that but where at Picasa I might post all 882 pictures of our DisneyLand vacation, only a very small number (0, 1 maybe 2) would get to Flickr. I will share my Flickr address with acquaintances, people I barley know, even people don't know along with family and friends. Flickr will be where I show off my favorite photos in the photography-as-a-hobby space and not a boring play by play that only Grandma and Grandpa could enjoy. In preparation I I deleted all but a few photos from my Flickr account.

Photobucket = This will be a place for me to post pictures of items I'm selling on ebay and craigslist. Also screen shots or pictures to be included in blog posts, articles and reviews. Basically stuff that I don't want to clutter up my Flickr or Picasa pages.

Does this make any sense? Anyone else have any spiffy ideas for utilizing online photo sharing sites? Post your ideas and strategies in the comments section!

MY LINKS:

• My Picasa Web Albums
• My Flickr Photos
• My Photobucket Albums

posted @ Monday, May 21, 2007 3:09 PM | Feedback (3) |

HTC releases Vista compatible Modem Drivers for the HTC TyTn/Hermes

HTC has recently released Windows Vista compatible drivers for its UMTS/HSDPA capable devices, namely the HTC TyTn/Hermes and HTC Breeze (aka HTC MTeoR). If you use your TyTN or MTeoR as you wireless broadband modem and connect it via USB to your PC, it can happen that Windows Vista doesn't find the appropriate drivers. If so, you can download them now from HTC Europe's support page to make Windows Vista working proper with your Windows Mobile Pocket PC.

More information and Download

posted @ Friday, May 18, 2007 4:49 PM | Feedback (8) |

Setting up my AT&T 8525 and Windows Mobile

 **UPDATE: See my most recent build-out/setup post.

I have already made it pretty clear that I love my HTC Hermes. I've compiled a list of applications I've installed on my device - to help it be the best it can be. Many thanks to GollyJer for doing much of the research so that all I had to do was install and play.

Applications
The current stable of applications that I have installed

• HandySwitcher: $9.99. A very... ummm Handy task switcher. Simple. Easy to use. Cheap.
• PhoneAlarm: $24.95. Awesome application.
• GMail: Free. This was a slightly more involved process since there is no native WM install for GMail yet. I followed these instructions that were originally written for a BlackJack. Of course I skipped installing the Google Maps midlet since there is now a native WM version.
• Mapping/Searching/Local Information: I'm trying to decide which to use Google Maps Mobile or Windows Live Search.
  • Windows Live Search: Free. Very cool mapping and search application.
  • Google Maps: Free. Google Maps is now a native Windows Mobile application (cab) - sweet now if they just do that with GMail we're all set!
• HTweakC: Free. Small application that allows you to pick registry tweaks from a menu so you don't have to hunt in the registry. Very nice.
• PocketBreeze: $19.95. Today screen replacement.
• GSFinder+: Free. Excellent File Manager replacement.
• Wave III Dialer: Free. Excellent dialer/skin replacement. 
• AEButtonPlus: $7.99. Killer button remapping utility.
• Screen Capture: Free. Nice free Windows Mobile Screen capture application.
• Free Registry Editor: Free. This doesn't actually install on your device. It installs on your PC and allows you to browse you device's registry remotely.
• WebGuide4: $18.00. Another application that is not installed on my mobile device but I thought it was worth mentioning. I am using Vista Media Center (aka VMC or Vista MCE or just MCE) at home to record TV. WebGuide4 is an add-on that allows you to control MCE via a web browser. Even better there is a mobile version of the site. Very cool. I can control MCE remotely from anywhere (with cell coverage) and even stream TV to my device. I can't get streaming to work but I'm sure it is just a setting or three that I need to tweak. Awesome application. Here is a great review of the mobile components of WebGuide4. If you use this application pay the guy! Seriously - it is worth every penny.

Apps that I have not tried yet but look interesting

• Total Commander: Free.
• Yahoo! Go: Free. Testing this out. Seems to me that Yahoo might have this nailed! Mail, Photos, Contacts, Tasks etc. Online, Mobile seamless. Now I only wish that I liked Yahoo mail as much as I like GMail.
• Spacer: Allows you to add a definable space into your today screen. Might be useful if you find that when you are trying to click in/on your topmost today plug-in you keep hitting buttons that are in your taskbar.
   

Pure Vanity
Hack the Vista WMDC Picture - yeah I did this. Yes I'm slightly embarrassed to admit it. 

For my next post I plan to write about the registry hacks and other tweaks I've done to further improve my device.

posted @ Friday, May 18, 2007 3:50 PM | Feedback (4) |

Windows Mobile & my new Cingular (errr... AT&T) 8525

I just purchased a Cingular At&T 8525 (aka HTC Hermes).

So far I'm extremely happy with the device. I've held off upgrading to a PDA/SmartPhone/Windows Mobile device because I was never happy with the options. It is pretty sad that a card-carrying geek like myself was turned off by device selection until just this year. I liked the Motorola Q and the T-Mobile Dash but not enough to prompt me to pull the trigger. I also really liked the HTC Wizard (TMobile MDA, Cingular 8125) but I wasn't sure that I wanted a PDA form-factor. 

Recently the Cingular BlackJack (Samsung i607) and the BlackBerry Pearl really caught my attention. I've hung out at several Cingular stores playing with both the BlackJack and the Pearl. I really liked the BlackJack and was almost ready to pull the trigger when I decided to test the 8525. I fell in love.

Previously I had thought that devices with the PDA form factor would be too big and bulky for daily use but the 8525 fits nicely in my hands and in my pockets. I'm a bigger-than-average guy (heh!) so maybe that has something to do with it. I can't see a super-model figured female with low-rise, painted on jeans slipping the 8525 in her pocket... but in my baggy size 38 pants it fits just fine. I also love the keyboard form factor, the keys are larger and in turn the keyboard is wider than the BlackJack and most BlackBerrys. Good for me since I'm wider than most people!

I also love the touch-screen, which is one (the?) distinguishing feature between a PocketPC and a SmartPhone. I noticed in my research (I used a two-pronged approach: 1) stay up way too late obsessively pouring over web reviews. 2) Ask friends for advice - also known as bugging the hell out of my buddies with cool devices.) that individuals without touch-screen devices said that they really never thought they needed the touch screen. On the other hand individuals with touch-screen devices almost always responded with religious zealot like fervor that they would never want to get a new device without touch-screen capabilities. One friend said that "Any other phone I pick up that does not have a touch screen also seems like it's missing a major way to interact with the device."

Oh and the 8525 has plenty of ways to interact with the device! 14 buttons plus a D-Pad plus a BlackBerry-esque clickable scroll wheel. The recent ROM upgrade enabled the push to talk feature rendering the PTT button useless for non PTT customers unless you are willing to install a little utility from the folks over at xda-developers.com (looks like the hack is not working with the latest ROM - I'll wait until I see that they've updated the code!).

My next post will contain links to applications, sites, hacks, tweaks and other information that I've found useful while setting up my device.

posted @ Thursday, May 17, 2007 1:33 AM | Feedback (7) |

Teaching Kids to Program

A friend sent me a link to an article about a new programming language from the MIT Media Lab:

The school has been beta-testing Scratch, a new programming language being released today by the Lifelong Kindergarten Group at the MIT Media Lab. The program, named after the technique hip-hop DJs use to mix music, gives novices the ability to create dynamic programs without wading through a manual, teaching computer programming concepts while encouraging students to play.

Scratch sounds great... but so do Squeak, Alice and KPL.

I've worked with Squeak a bit. A year and a half ago I wanted to teach a programming class at Derek's school but ran into too much red tape (just installing stuff on the school computers took a decree from the School Board - well maybe not that much effort - but it was enough effort that I decided to just not pursue the issue). There are even some books in print on Squeak and Alice.

Our robotics system, Vex, uses Easy C which is basically C with a IDE and GUI... kind of like Visual C. Hmmm I wonder if the"new" Vex system will continue to use Easy C?. I guess if we get into building more robot projects Derek might as well learn C. Of course I am still holding out hope the the Microsoft Robotics Studio will interface directly with Vex in the future. If not I'll probably end up swapping out the default Vex controller with something like The Serializer WL.

If robots don't do the trick and if Derek seems interested this summer and/or next year I may just start him off with VB.Net, C# or Flash. Programming and posting a Flash game on the web or using Microsoft XNA to get a game pushed out to our XBox 360s might be "cool enough" to get him hooked.

For the record I do not intend to push my kids into computer programming as a profession. I would like to expose them to programming and use it as a learning tool to help with math and problem solving.

posted @ Tuesday, May 15, 2007 2:50 PM | Feedback (0) |