Visual Studio Express

So, MS is "giving" away "easy" versions of software development tools. What the heck; it can't hurt....it's not like they're Sony afterall....right?

Visual Studio Express

Pricelessware - alt.comp.freeware

The best in Kenware (free) ;o)
Pricelessware - alt.comp.freeware

DriveImage XML - Freeware Drive Image

DriveImage XML - Backup and Image logical Drives and Partitions: "DriveImage XML is an easy to use and reliable program for imaging and backing up partitions and logical drives.

The program allows you to:

* Backup logical drives and partitions to image files
* Browse these images, view and extract files
* Restore these images to the same or a different drive
* Copy directly from drive to drive

Image creation uses Microsoft's Volume Shadow Services (VSS), allowing you to create safe 'hot images' even from drives currently in use.

Images are stored in XML files, allowing you to process them with 3rd party tools. Never again be stuck with a useless backup!

Restore images to drives without having to reboot.

DriveImage XML runs under Windows XP Home and XP Professional only.
The program will backup, image and restore drives formatted with FAT 12, 16, 32 and NTFS.

Since this program is currently distributed as freeware,"

encoderX : Freeware : Gif Animator

encoderX : Freeware : Image Editors

18 Tricks to Teach Your Body

as much as i hate to admit it Men's Health has an interesting article here.

18 Tricks to Teach Your Body

FixMyXP.com - Your One Stop Windows XP Fix It Site - 99 Useful Run Commands

run commands like
Add/Remove Programs
Administrative Tools
Check Disk Utility
Clipboard Viewer



FixMyXP.com - Your One Stop Windows XP Fix It Site - 99 Useful Run Commands

300 Key Button Pad!

Here's the windup.

I love playing Halo PC and I LOVE being able to make comments while I'm playing but it's very difficult to take a break in the game to type out my battle cry (LEEeeeRROOOOOoooooYYYY NeiJEEEEeeeNNNNnnnnKIIINNNNnnnnssss) and not unlike the real Leroy Jenkins, that is something I say right before I get the ol' "Own-dizzle" from some pistol wielding noob in like 4 shots, but I still like the game even if the body count is mostly mine. Now, at work I have a wonderful piece of equipment called X-Key Pro key pad which is a really nice 58 key button pad with two layers (total of 115 buttons because you have to have at least one of them to switch to the next layer). The one button works as kind of a "shift" key. I use this in conjunction with a program called Quick Macros (extremely versatile and insanely cheap for what you get $30) to fire off all kinds of macros like: project timers; window transparency; launch databases; and skip ahead 30 seconds or 3 minutes in an mp3 I'm playing in WinAmp (I don't know what WinAmp has against lamas). It's really nice and worth $150 but only if you've got the $150.

And here's the pitch

So, I got in touch with a wizard I know in Lithuania name Gintaras who wrote the program Quick Macros. I said there has to be a way of capturing a keyboard strike and firing off a macro instead. Well, he did it in about 10 hours!! That freakin' guy has made a function to get the keyboard id from a kb and then you can set the filter in the QM macro to only "see" that keyboard; when that keyboard fires off a keystroke QM intercepts it and if there is a macro assigned to it fires off the macro and "throws away" the keystroke. So, in my testing this morning, when I hit "a" on the 2nd keyboard one particular sound one goes off; when I hit "h" on the 3rd keyboard on my system a different sound goes off; and when I hit "scroll lock" button on the 4th keyboard a 3rd sound goes off!!!! Now the sounds only showed me that the different macros were being addressed properly so you could have anything coded into them. Oh, and btw, none of those letters are typed!

One really neat thing that comes with this. Let's say that I have 2 extra keyboards. I can get the id of both of those keyboards code all of my macros on each of them unplug them and set them aside and then plug them back in and QM will recognize them and I'm up and running with all my macros for that specific keyboard!!! So, now I have a macro-keyboard that I want to use for all of my jibes in Halo like " 'Least I have chicken!" right after that noob schooled me with pistol and one for the everyday things with QM (ie login to programs/web sites; backing up files; auto-respond to emails etc.).

Oh, and the $150 I saved? Well, I already blew that on Diet Coke, so no new gadget for me.....8o(

And here's the swing...

Ladies and Gentlemen,

With 3 keyboards (usb) at $3.81 and QM at $30 (that's $41.43 total plus shipping and handling), you have a the button pad capacity of

• 294 single stroke hotkeys
• and over 3000 possible hotkeys with all the ctl-alt-shft-win combinations!!!

THAT MY FRIENDS IS A GRAND SLAM!!!

My spleen is still quivering!!!!

If you have questions about this you can contact me at quickmacros at gmail dot com

Colour Schemes

here's a really good site to give you 9 different colours that all match.


{style:phreak;} - colormatch redux

Just Gotta have those product keys?

Use this to get 'em. Good for network, single, or a list of computers.
Don't use illeagally....



ProduKey - Recover lost product key (CD-Key) of Windows/MS-Office

license

ClicKey

since i use a Touch STream keyboard that has no keys sound is nice.
and this is the BEST sound program for key actions



ClicKey

Network Traffic Monitor

trying it out now but look sweet!!!

Nico Cuppen Software: "Network Traffic Monitor"

broomeman.com - How to Uninstall Windows Messenger

Why do I hate MS?
not cuz they have been unresponsive to the computer security field in locking down their code; not cuz they are so fat in a business development sense that they can't fix poorly written code; but cuz they blatantly use their size to leverage their products into OEM machines and explicitly demand the removal of competitors from those same physical machines....that's why...I do, however, enjoy Halo for the PC.

anyway, here's how to uninstall windows messenger cuz Bill thinks for some reason that no matter what I think, HE knows better about what I want and need on my system when it comes to IM clients....geeeesh....get a clue dude.

*dream*
a world where I can setup my windows with only the MS stuff that I want installed from the install disk and save that "suit" and then go to my buddy's house and say, "Look I was able to squeeze out about 7% better performance by setting up my system like this." and hand him the config file. he then puts in his install disk and checks "Make my system look like this..." and then he has an identical copy of my system setup which works much better for us for what we want to do.
*end dream*



broomeman.com - How to Uninstall Windows Messenger: "msmsgs=msgrocm.dll,OcEntry,msmsgs"

box templates

ok so this isnt really tech but i'd like to have it around so i can show my wife.

Oragami is cool though...


box templates

The Perfect list of "Gotta Have" Gadgets for Techie

This article will give you 10 gotta have items. From cross-over PLUGS (instead of a special cable) to syncboxes to wirelessly locking your pc when you walk away (and then unlocking when you come back) automatically.

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