I've seen some strange behavior from my 3 year old son Clément lately. I fear heredity...

Wonder what's the formula behind Xceed's build numbers? Here's the secret recipe:

( Year - 2000 ) * 1000 + ( Month * 50 ) + ( Day )

Heck, we even made ourselves an Xceed Version Yahoo! Widget!!!

Update: Until I learn how to open the ".widget" extension for downloading in dasBlog, I renamed the file to "Xceed Version.widget.zip". Just rename to "Xceed Version.widget" once downloaded.

Found this from Scott... Hey! It was my idea!

Have you ever thought of changing career? How about hockey? Here's your chance! Become one of the lucky graduates of the NHL Academy.

(Thanks Jeff, you made my day.)

Found this via Scott Hanselman. Too cool! Please add your location. Simply zoom and move to your location, double-click, then complete your information.

Bob: So, did you have time to check Windows Vista Beta 1?

Max: Yeah, cool!

Bob: Great. What's new?

Max: They changed Notepad's icon!

Bob: Oh... Wow...

My friend and colleague Pascal is selling one of his PDC 2000 souvenirs.

It's an unopened original PDC 2000 bottle of water!!! Who will be the lucky buyer?

My friend and colleague Pascal is a big fan of AppRocket. He bought it and is very very satisfied with the software. For those who don't know what is does, let's say it indexes file and folder names of your choice for quick access using a few keyboard letters. For example, by default, it indexes the Start Menu. So typing "PNT" proposes a list of applications or documents to open, starting with Paint.

He convinced me to try it, and I immediately was attracted with the concept. Getting away from the dreadful mouse clicks is a benediction. But ever since installation, I was regularly frustrated with many aspects of the software. So today, I uninstalled it.

First, after installation, my Windows XP Firewall warns me AppRocket wants to listen on a port. What the...? It's a keyboard shortcut program. How come it requires listening? I sent an email to Candy Labs support, and never got any answer.

Second, the application's configuration dialog box does not display correctly when you are using a theme different from the default Windows XP "Luna" (Blue, Silver or Olive). Everytime I want to change something in the configuration, like adding a new path to index, I must switch from my CodeOpus theme to Luna, change stuff, then get back to CodeOpus. I contacted Candy Labs support again... No answer.

As if that wasn't enough, one time I opened the Control Panel's Display Settings by typing "DIS" in AppRocket (yes, it also indexes the Control Panel), then changed the theme to Luna because I wanted to add a path to index. But AppRocket crached with an unhandled exception. Hurray! They are forcing me to switch themes, then crash on me when I do!

The last nail got hit when I monitored the IP connections AppRocket was trying to make, to see why it was listening on a port. It's listening on port 9001, and up to now have no idea why. But I also noticed that what appears to be auto-update-related functionality is trying to connect to http://64.127.102.250/. If you go check the home page, it's really nothing to inspire confidance in the product's seriousness, not to count the lack of any activity on Candy Labs' site.

Google Earth (aka Keyhole 3) is out, and free! Go check it out!

I just learned through Scott and Simon that you can add new fonts to the Windows Console. Great, I've added my ProggySquare font to the list. See how great my XceedBox.NET sample looks:

Neat!

I thought I'd give the new Yahoo Music Engine a try, so I downloaded the setup and launched the installation.

First, it comes with the Yahoo Messenger 6.0, something I don't want on my machine. I don't need it, I don't want to try it, I don't want to polute my machine with. But the installer won't give me the choice not to install it. I decide to continue installation anyway. At worst, I'll uninstall it later.

A following step introduces me with the Privacy Policy. It informs me that the Yahoo Music Engine will "collect certain information about your usage of the Music Engine, and will transmit such information back to Yahoo!".

Hmmm, wait a minute, where's the checkbox to disable this? Can't? Oh boy... They're asking me something big here. Usually, I can say "no" and try anyway (WinAmp, Windows Media Player). At least, those other apps are giving me the impression I have control over what info is sent.

Let's read this more carefully before taking the plunge. So I click the Yahoo Privay Center link.

[...] Such information may include the following: version number; unique identifier numbers that allow us to distinguish between different computers and different people using the Music Engine, Yahoo! ID, duration of session time; number of times you download a song.

They can link a unique computer-based number with a Yahoo! ID? Hmmm, I don't feel comfortable with that.

[...] The Music Engine may send additional information to better understand your music preferences, personalize certain content, recommend music to purchase or listen to, allow you to rate songs, share playlists, and to automatically identify what CD is in your computer. Information sent may include the song playing, your playlists and what CD is in your drive.

That's getting too much. If it's only for a better experience, and that cannot be tied to any advertising, then write it out loud in the setup!

Yahoo is a serious company. I should trust them they won't use that info against my needs, right? So I continue reading, with the remaining intention to install the engine.

By default, your music profile is public. It includes a description of your musical tastes, your ratings, followers and influencers, and lists of similar members. It will also link to your LAUNCHcast radio station.

Ok, that's it, I'm out. I'm forced into something I'm not comfortable with. I understand that in order to improve the online music industry, one must sometimes impose things. But in this case, Yahoo have reached my own limits of what I can trust, and what I want control over. Will there be an option somewhere in the engine to turn everything off? Maybe. But first impressions are important. I'll wait.

Conclusion: If the intentions behind this collection of information is only meant to improve my experience with the Yahoo Music Engine, and that I can disable this later, then the setup application should mention it. Can't disable this while installing? Fine! Then regain my confidence with a clear statement that this is for my sole benefits.

You already know the original picture shown on Coding4Fun raised within me some concerns I was already outdated, old, unplugged, not into "it" anymore.

Well, I'm thinking of launching a new portal called Coding4Work, where developers will feel more connected to the real thing. Instead of being welcomed by the "Tattoo Dude":

You will be welcomed by the "Busy Dude":

Hmmm, that's much closer to my life, dude!

Scott is inviting us on the MSDN Coding4Fun portal, with news and articles on many programming topics.

It's funny... or should I say perturbing... I'm welcomed by a young tattooed man wearing earphones, working on his laptop, peacefully in what appears to be his living room. The JPG filename is self-explanatory: "c4f-poster-tattoodude.jpg".

I don't have tattoos. I don't have a laptop, I wouldn't code on one if I could anyway. I'm not a "dude" anymore, if I ever was one. I listen to music while coding only to isolate myself of the ambient office noise. I'm a happily maried father who's day job is to develop software, and used to have time to "Code 4 Fun" in a distant era.

I'll be honest, I don't code for fun anymore. I'm having fun most of the time when I code, but I do it for work. I feel old and unplugged when I see "Dude" sites that tell me "programming is cool, man!".

Funny. When I saw the TopDesk post on Neowin, i told myself "Hmmm, looks nice, I should take a look at it one day", and I returned to my work.

This morning, I saw another TopDesk post, this time on ComputerZen. Scott is so impressed with TopDesk that he made a video capture of it in action. His demo and description sold me! I've installed TopDesk, and it's a great tool for only 10$.

It's not the first time Scott convinces me more than any onther people or article to try something. The power of blogging on small software companies is huge... and very important I realize! Maybe I can even try a conclusion: blogging is far more important for small companies than big companies.

Hint to the Otaku Software and Maxivista of this world: If someone named Scott Hanselman wants to buy your software, give him for free, it's a good investment.

Did you notice that when maps.google.com cannot find your location, it always displays the same map? It's somewhere in Kansas, close to the Oklahoma border:

It made me think of The Wizard of Oz, so I searched where Dorothy Gale was from. She's from Liberal, Kansas, which is way to the West of what's displayed.

The first thing you notice is the Coffeyville Country Club. So I've googled for "Coffeyville Country Club Google", and realized this was simply the default location when you open maps.google.com, and zoom in... Google Maps' center of the United-States... Dah! So much trouble for a so simple solution.

Just learned through Neowin.net that maps.google.com now supports switching between the drawn view of the map and a satellite view. Switching views is as simple as clicking on either "Map" or "Satellite". And guess what? Zooming and moving works as well in "Satellite" view. They were quite fast integrating their new Keyhole acquisition!

If you compare the "Link to this page" of the same area for both views, you can see that the only difference is the "t=k" extra parameter for the satellite view ("k" as in Keyhole).

Bravo Google, you did it again!

This one is my favorite news of this "fishy" day!

As a long time Win32/COM developer with several books containing many sample programmers [sic], I am just appalled that Microsoft would consider dropping support for classic IDL. This would cause trouble for developers who are still using the samples that I created 10+ years ago!
-- Geoffrey Rickder

That was funny!

I'm playing with Google Maps, and it's amazingly easy to use and so well implemented. Dragging the map, pop-up balloons, directions, searching in a free textbox.

Here's Xceed Software. Here's the path I take every morning and evening.

Great job, Google!

When applications like KeyHole will become defacto cartographic applications, someone, somewhere will have the bright idea of putting huge ads on their building' roof.

How about ads on highways? They will have a T form, displaying their contents in front and above!

I can't wait to see the first guy to ask his girlfriend in marriage via KeyHole, spelling "Martha, will you marry me?" on some park's ground...

I've been playing with KeyHole for a few days, and though such tools or web sites have been out there for years, I must admit KeyHole is simply amasing. Its smooth transitions, road map display abilities, sharp and precise images and placeholder sharing possibilities are incredible.

For example, once you have KeyHole installed, I can give you a link to my home, like this one:

Home.kml (.72 KB)

As you can see, both my neighbours have a pool (grin). And then, you could travel up to Xceed's headquarters by clicking on this:

Xceed.kml (.75 KB)

A very neet residential area, surrounded by two golf courses and a huge park, right in the middle of Longueuil. I often compare Longueuil to a mini-Redmond. And finally, how about a higher view of the greater Montreal's south shore:

HighView.kml (2.26 KB)

The next step is building KML files for your clients or invitees that smoothly shows them step by step instructions on how to get from the airport or their house, to your business headquarters or your open house party!

So the WinAmp adventure is over? Pfffe! That won't stop me from using WinAmp for listening to di.fm while working! Though I feel WMP10 and the WMA format does a better job at ripping my CDs (quality/size ratio), I've always had a better experience with WinAmp for listening to streamed audio.

Pixoria is about to launch a Windows version of Konfabulator (desktop customization app). Their web site displays notes from a Paleontologist observing two species (Apple vs Windows computers) for ten days (today is day 7), with a probable outcome of seeing both species running Konfabulator.

I've always been very geek on desktop customization... Can't wait to see this Windows version!

Mitch Denny created a nice little tool called Shrinklet, which monitors your clipboard for URLs, and lets you replace them with a shorter shrinkster.com URL, via a simple balloon notification.

Cool! Now, I need the sources!

I have to say that is one of the worst messages I've seen: