New version of Windows Live Writer
Posted on May 31, 2007
Filed Under WordPress | Leave a Comment
For a Windows product, Windows Live Writer is an excellent blog editor. All of the C3 folks use it. They’ve finally released a new beta. Before I tell them that a new version is out, I’m testing it on my own blog with this entry. My blog is now WordPress and C3’s blogs are currently still in Movable Type. Hopefully that won’t make a difference.
There’s some good stuff in here. Besides a new more Live-like/Vista-like interface:
- Inline spell checking
- tables
- Extended entry support
- Adding additional categories
And more. The options change depending on the type of blog service. I noticed little things, like the option to link to an older entry in the hyperlink dialog box:
Okay, that was a way to play with the image editing. You can now rotate an image, add a watermark and other simple editing right from the window. You can now set a different directory for image uploads via FTP.
So far, I’d say this is worth launching Parallels to run.
Note: If upgrading, make sure you update your account settings, otherwise you may not see some of the new features in the window. For example, I didn’t see the option to add a category until I did this.
Adios Comcast
Posted on May 30, 2007
Filed Under Life | 2 Comments
Comcast was decent for about a week after we moved in June 2005. From there, the connection seemed to fizzle down, along with our digital cable boxes going in and out at all times of the day. We’ve had Comcast come visit a few times, replacing cables and making other tweaks but it was never very good. Over the past week, both our television and Internet have been down almost as much as they’ve been working. Three tech visits later, and it turns out the problem is due to a ridiculously weak signal and a shot underground cable. Estimate for repair: 2-3 weeks. Apparently the utility company has to get involved. The technician said it was amazing we had service at all over the past few days. Now, it’s completely dead.
Enough. I called Verizon, thankful that we canceled Vonage last month. While FiOS is in our zip code, it’s still not in my neighborhood and no way to predict when it will be here. Can’t wait. We’re switching over to Verizon DSL and DirectTV. There’s a package deal that will give us the same phone plan we currently have, the higher speed DSL service they offer (3Mbps/768Kbps) and DirectTV for around $130 month for the first 3 months, around $160/month after that. Including HBO (Showtime and Cinemax are free in that first 3 months), 2 DVRs and a regular receiver. We’re currently paying $60 for the phone (unlimited local/long distance in U.S.) and $160 for Comcast (cable modem, digital TV and HBO). Absolutely no reason I can see not to switch. I’ll take reliability over theoretical speed. There are dishes all over our neighborhood, so I know we won’t have the same connection issues with the dish that we had in Stamford with Dish Network a few years ago.
The DSL modem will be here via UPS early next week. DirectTV will be installing on Friday. When FiOS comes, we’ll be able to upgrade the Internet part for free, and if it’s in less than a year the cancellation fee to get out of our 1 year DirectTV contract won’t be that bad.
Until then, a branch of C3: Colorectal Cancer Coalition just opened at Panera Bread, which is nice enough to offer free wifi.
WordPress 2.2
Posted on May 28, 2007
Filed Under WordPress | 1 Comment
The girls both had friends, who happen to be sisters, sleep over last night. Let’s put it this way, a child who freaks out in thunderstorms to the point that she makes herself physically ill (one of mine) and a child who freaks out when another kid gets sick (one of theirs) is not the best combination for a near-summer sleepover.
::yawn::
So it was a good a time as any to upgrade to WordPress 2.2. Not that the WordPress folks give those still on 2.1.3 much choice.
Even though absolutely nothing went wrong this time, I followed the upgrade directions and it took 45 minutes give or take. You know your life is a little crazy when the hardest part about upgrading your blog is finding a continuous block of free time to do it. Backing up, deactivating plug-ins, deleting old files, uploading and then reactivating takes time. Can’t start and then come back to it since the process takes down the whole blog until the new upgrade script is run successfully. It would be great if WordPress could tell you which plugins are out of date without having to check them one by one, but at least the new version supposedly will not allow you to activate a plug-in that will break the blog.
It’s not about YOU
Posted on May 20, 2007
Filed Under Internet & Technology | 1 Comment
A while back I tried Snap Previews on this site. I was told by an overwhelming margin that folks didn’t like them, so I removed the functionality. But I’m still on their mailing list. Today, this was in my inbox:
Dear Website Owner,
This is a special, urgent request to ask you to pour gasoline on a fire.
A few days ago, a programmer contacted Snap about using Snap Shots in a Digg.com mashup. Naturally, we said yes and then did a blogpost because we thought his work was so original and exciting.
Apparently, everyone else agreed.
Currently, that blogpost has registered over 1100 Diggs and has made Snap one of the top stories of the day. Please, please, please read the post and, if you’re so inclined, Digg it.
Meanwhile, the site, Digg Expose, is showing about 100 Snap Shots every second and is responsible for making today the most heavily trafficked day in our history.
Lastly, if you’re as excited by Digg Expose and the number of Diggs our blog post has received, please post about it on your site, tell your friends, get the word out.
Every additional Digg and every additional post about this story adds gasoline to a fire that is absolutely raging.
Thank you so much for your support,
Team Snap
Huh?
Snap folks, congrats on getting a Dugg post. Yes, I know from my work on Web Worker Daily it’s quite exciting to see that traffic peak in the nether regions for a day or so. But if I still had Snap Previews on my site, why on earth would I really care? What’s in it for me?!?!? As one of your customers, why should it matter to me and my business that you’ve had a good day? You have to recognize that your product is an add-on, and Digg traffic is fleeting. If anything, you’ve had stability issues as a result of the traffic, according to the comments in that Digg post, so tell me again, why should I care? You have to answer that question in every email you send out, otherwise you’re just wasting my time.
Navigating tabs in Firefox: better late than never
Posted on May 19, 2007
Filed Under Macintosh | Leave a Comment
How many years have I been using Firefox as my default browser? I can’t even count. And now I just figured out that control-tab is how you can move in between open tabs without reaching for the mouse. I knew there had to be a way. Duh!
Speak of Firefox, the Mozilla folks are finally banging away on a version that has native Mac OS X widgets (form fields that look pretty instead of blocky). ‘Bout time!
