I can't quite believe that this is genuine, then again it does seem to be available in some online pet shops.  It's the "Bow-Lingual Dog Translator."  http://www.takara-usa.com/bowlingual.html  You attach this to your dog and when it barks, the thing analyses the bark to determine which of six emotions the dog is feeling, provides a relevant phrase and sends it your little display device. Trouble is, I'd have thought that a dog would mostly say "I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you", whereas a cat - that could be a different kettle of fish - much more on...

I'm sure most people update or have their machines updated by windows update. But that system of course only looks at Microsoft Windows components and does not include the Sun Java Runtime.  And many people will be using Sun's JRE rather than one from Microsoft (since MS does not ship one anymore)  Does Java have vulnerabilities? Of course it does! For a recent one see http://sunsolve.sun.com/search/document.do?assetkey=1-26-57221-1&searchclause=57221 which can "Allow an Untrusted Applet to Escalate Privileges" So if you have JRE 1.4.1_03 and earlier you need to get it patched now! (Ony way to check is to select Tools > Sun Java Console in...

Thanks to Phil Winstanley for highlighting this cool little app that you can run on Windows 2000, XP, Server 2003, 98 & ME. (You must have Internet Explorer 5.5 or higher installed). It docks on your screen and provides multiple panels to display useful info - eg. Outlook folders, newsfeeds, pc performance, time, weather, photo slideshow and of course there are many others to download and add.  I have just installed it and am impressed so far - time will tell how long it lasts, but currently I feel positive about it. And best of all it's freeware. http://www.desktopsidebar.com/

Since blogging about how similar c# and VB.Net are I have been playing with BETA 1 of Whidbey a little more.  The thing that struck me more than anything else was how useful the refactoring tools are in c# and how absent they are in VB.Net. Although the refactoring tools are apparently not as comprehensive as other third party ones that are available, I can see how I would quickly come to rely on this feature - it fits in sweetly with the way I like to code  - and it could be the deciding factor on choosing VB.Net or c# as my language of choice. So...

I've always been motivated by money.  Years ago I used to work for Happy Computers whose inspirational leader, Henry Stewart was always looking for ways to empower his employees.  I think he was shocked when I told him once that he underestimated the affect more money could have for me! (Though being a thouroughly good boss, he didn't dismiss the idea, and did I think pay me more evenutally). And recently, in a moment of solitude, I saw my goal in life.  It's to get to a point where I have more money than sense.  I think it would be great to hear...

Microsoft have released this SE of VS.Net 2003.  This is a great deal if you want to get running with .net development using the best IDE there is.  And the SE edition includes developer licenced versions of Windows Server 2003 and SQL Server 2000 too!  Price?  www.dabs.com are doing it for £608.99 inc VAT (£518.29 ex VAT) (http://www.dabs.com/uk/shopbybrand/microsoft/developertools/ProductView.htm?quicklinx=3FTK) Details of the product here: http://msdn.microsoft.com/vstudio/se/

Take a look at this: http://blogs.msdn.com/lucabol/archive/2004/08/31/223580.aspx and you'll know why!

l recently ran an asp.net course for ten people with a pretty even split of delegates - half who wanted to use VB Net and half who wanted C#.  I usually let the larger group dictate which language I present in, then the notes and code examples are available in both languages so they can choose whichever they want. However this time, since it was an even split I decided to present in both languages throughout the course. That may seem like a crazy thing to do, but it just highlighted to me how easy it is to switch - I created...

I was an early adopter of the Tablet PC - buying a Toshiba Portege 3500 when it was first released.  It was a pretty neat machine at the time, a little underpowered, but it generated the required WOW factor when I used the Pen in presentations and training sessions (half way through a presentation, I would swivel the screen round and start drawing a diagram with Corel Grafigo, and watch the audience's collective jaws drop).  My kids loved it too - drawing using Alias Sketchbook Pro and fighting over whose turn it was next (not sure if that is a sign...

I didn't realise it until recently but John Carmack, founder of id software, producer of the Doom games, has another project: he is running a team in the X Prize.  If you haven't heard of this then visit the web site which states: "The ANSARI X PRIZE is a $10,000,000 prize to jumpstart the space tourism industry through competition among the most talented entrepreneurs and rocket experts in the world.", and John Carmacks team, Armadillo Aerospace is right up there in the running. Well at least he was until a recent crash, although recent news is still positive, and all in all...

I have just had an article on TDD for asp.net accepted by aspnet pro magazine (www.aspnetpro.com) - should be the cover article in the November or December issue.  TDD is gaining in popularity as project managers and developers start to realize the benefits of producing verifiable, reliable and robust code using this methodology and related techniques.  This article will show you how to start using TDD for asp.net projects and how those benefits can be realized. I am currently writing a follow up article that will go into more detail on refactoring, mock objects and testing the UI.  If you are...