cdharrison.com

Category: Technology

Articles on Technology, Gadgets and more.

  • Changes are Coming.

    I am considering some new directions for this blog and my website, cdharrison.com. I am currently investigating several new blogging packages, including Movable Type, WordPress, BlogCFM, and a few others. I think Blogger has worked so far for me, but it lacks several features that I feel a Blog application must have for me.

    • I have to manually insert Keywords into each post.
    • There are no categories.
    • I can’t easily integrate it into my ColdFusion-based website.
    • No calendar option for browsing posts.

    I am leaning towards BlogCFM, because it is 1) free, and 2) offers a lot of high-end features that I could really use. It does address most of my concerns (see above), which is nice. I feel comfortable enough working with ColdFusion code to think that I could add some of the additional areas to the code to my blog, should I choose to use the software.

    I am also trying out a new stand-alone application for posting to my Blog: w.Bloggar. It’s a freeware app that integrates well with Blogger, Movable Type, and more. I’m pretty happy with it so far. I’m very comfortable drafting up posts solely in code, and this app allows me to do that. I can also access previous posts very easily, upload files via FTP, and more through the app.

  • Firewheel Unleashes BlinkSale


    Those crazy geniuses over at Firewheel Design finally released BlinkSale to the public. If you’re looking for an easy and affordable way to manage invoice clients, this may be the way to go. I really like the use of AJAX in the site. It’s easy to toggle between panels with the XMLHTTPRequest’s that are being made. The invoices seem very customizable. I really like what I’m seeing so far. I’m going to evaluate it a little further and actually use it to send out some invoices just to see how well it handles that part. But, if it’s half as good as what I’ve seen so far, I’ll be extremely happy with it. It’s affordable too! Plans range from Free to $26/month. Not too shabby at all. Nice work, Firewheel Design!

  • Yahoo! Buys Konfabulator

    The deal, finalized late last week for an undisclosed price, gives Yahoo access to a toolbox of mini-applications – known as widgets – that have built a cult following since Palo Alto-based Konfabulator first introduced them for Apple Computer Inc.’s Macintosh in 2002.

    To celebrate the purchase, it looks like Konfabulator 2.1 is now a free download! Go ahead and grab yo’self a copy! It’s super keen!

  • MSN Virtual Earth

    In an effort to compete with Google’s efforts, Microsoft has released the new MSN VirtualEarth website. Very cool in my opinion.

  • It’s Official: Windows Vista it is!

    From Microsoft.com:

    Today Microsoft Corp. announced the official name of its next-generation Windows® client operating system, formerly code-named “Longhorn.” Video of the name announcement can be seen via the link below.

    http://www.microsoft.com/winme/0507/25234/Win_Name_MBR.asx

    More info on Vista can be found at:
    http://www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/default.mspx

  • Longhorn Development: Name Announcement Imminent?

    Microsoft Windows VistaAccording to ActiveWin.com, Longhorn’s official name will be announced this morning at a press conference at 6am PST. According to their sources, Longhorn will be called “Microsoft Windows Vista”. Click here for more details on the name change.

    Why Vista? Let’s look at how Microsoft’s Encarta defines the word:

    vis·ta (plural vis·tas) – noun

    1. scenic view: a scenic or panoramic view
    2. view seen through narrow opening: a view seen through a long narrow opening, e.g. between rows of trees or buildings
    3. mental picture: a mental picture covering a wide range of objects or a long succession of events in the past or future … open up vistas of expansion into hitherto untapped markets

    Maybe I’m retarded, but I just don’t get it. I can understand the switch from a date-based naming system for the OS, but to change it to Vista? Bah… sounds like the Marketing folks liked that one a bit too much. I think they ought to just name it “Windows AintGonnaHappenRealSoon” and be done with it.

  • New Basecamp Updates Released

    The folks over at 37Signals have been hard at work making continual improvements to Basecamp, their online project management app. They just enhanced the To-Do List functionality – adding drag and drop sorting, Adding/Editing tasks without reloading. Very cool AJAX stuff going on here.

    Some people are not going to like these updates. I think they’re cool AND useful.

    According to the Basecamp Forums, it looks like Time Tracking and an improved calendar within the Milestones section is forthcoming. I can’t wait.

  • Getting your feet wet with Ruby on Rails

    WebMonkey posted a new article on Ruby on Rails for your perusal. If you don’t know what Ruby or Rails is, I suggest you check out: http://www.rubyonrails.com for more info.

  • Firefox 1.0.5 Released Today

    A new version of Mozilla Firefox was released today. This brings the browser version to 1.0.5. This latest release improves stability and fixes several known security issues.

  • Macromedia Flash Player 8 Beta Now Available

    Macromedia’s released a public beta of Flash Player 8. You can snag it over at: macromedia.com

    I have not installed this myself. Don’t blame me if it nukes your system.