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Michael Gannotti on Sharepoint+
http://sharepoint.microsoft.com/blogs/mikeg/default.aspx
Found while I was looking for information on CRM systems.
I am yet to read this blog. It is not directly related to what I was looking for, but it seems interesting, so I bookmarked it – as if a reason is needed to bookmark a resource .

Viscom Software VideoCap Pro v3 ActiveX Control
http://www.viscomsoft.com/products/videocappro/
Found while I was looking for a solution on how to capture overlayed video.
Interesting site, but this is not one solution. The same goes for Hypernsap and SnagIt: neither can handle my overlayed television window.

Wikipedia article on hardware overlays
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Screenshot#Hardware_overlays
It explains why is it so hard to develop a solution to capture overlayed video.

Daily tech
http://technorati.com/
A great source for updated tech content.

Dossiers do portal do cidadão
http://www.portaldocidadao.pt/PORTAL/pt/dossiers/?sourceDOS=dossiers
Portugal is an example on e-Government. This site guides citizens towards solutions.

Contactos de todas as conservatórias e cartórios notariais em Portugal
http://www.mj.gov.pt/sections/contactos-e-horarios/conservatorias-e/
Yet another example of e-Government. This site publishes the contacts (phone, fax, e-mail) of all “conservatórias e cartórios” in Portugal. These are the places where registrations of properties are kept, so they can be checked, updated and certified for misc purposes.
I found it while looking on how to e-mail a certain “conservatória”.

One recent step back in online Portuguese Government services is the recent requirement to provide the property’s “registration number”/”número de inscrição”, while requesting its “certidão de teor” (a document that identifies the registered owners’ across time). Previously, the citizen could just provide the property’s address – it was simpler and more natural.

Playback (free) music and audio gear monthly magazine
http://magazine.playbackmag.net/playback/200710/
Somehow I received an e-mail about this great publication. Worth reading.

Best and worst stocks since 2008–03–10
http://seekingalpha.com/article/68589-best-and-worst-performing-stocks-since-the-march-10-bottom
The stock markets keep tumbling. Some say that there is value in many stocks, at the current levels.
I follow GE, HUM, SNDK, MSFT, GOOG, CNET, PFE and GSK and indeed find all them at attractive technical levels, like historically low Price-to-Earnings (P/E) ratios, and/or developing new products/services that should represent improved revenue streams. Should I buy?
While trying to answer this 1B U$D question, I found seekingalpha.com and enjoyed it!

Ameritrade’s research
http://research.tdameritrade.com/public/markets/overview/overview.asp
Visual tools and a nice stream of updated news on the stock markets.

CNBC’s stock picks
http://www.cnbc.com/id/23611392/site/14081545
Yet another very interesting site for following what’s going on the stock markets.
Since I am now following Humana (HUM), I bookmarked this page.
I enjoy the videos.

Steve’s BPCA blog
http://bpcablog.blogspot.com/
Interesting personal blog, with nice unbiased links.

Digital Inspiration
http://www.labnol.org/
Lovely site. I am bookmarking this one with the “daily” category, meaning that I should visit it that regularly.

Code Gear IDE
http://www.codegear.com/products/radstudio
Not exactly affordable, but you can download a trial and check if it is worth your money.

Shon Harris’ CISSP Certification Package
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000WUQRA/
One great aid for CISSP certification, 1440 minutes long .

If you want to use C# to write CGI applications, you might stumble on some technical difficulties, when using the IIS web server: no matter what are the permissions you set for the folder holding the CGI executable, whenever executing it, the web server doesn’t process the file and tries to serve it as if the client had requested its download!

One workaround is to explicitly map some dummy extension, to the EXE that you want to use as the CGI application.
For example, map “.CSX” to the executable that is the output of your C# CGI solution.

The HTML that needs to invoke the CGI, must invoke the dummy (zero bytes) .CSX file, because invoking the .EXE would produce the IIS problem already mentioned.

In order to do the “.CSX” <—> “CGI.EXE” mapping, (1) create one server side directory (virtual or not) to hold the C# CGI solutions.

The picture below shows that, in some computer, the “\cgi-bin\cgi_cs” folder was chosen to hold the C# executables.

After (1), make sure that you (2) create an “IIS application” for the folder, having execute permissions for BOTH script and executables.

Once the application is created, it is possible to configure it. So, (3) click the configuration button.

(4) The relevant tab in “application configuration” is the “mappings” tab. Here, click the “Add” button. This operation is the way to build the aforementioned “.CSX” <—> “CGI.EXE” relation.

(5) In the “mapping” dialog, browse to the C# .EXE file that is intended to run as a CGI; then type “.CSX” as the extension; then you can uncheck the “check that file exists” option and, finally, press the OK button.

If the OK button is dimmed/grayed/not enabled, just click once on the executable textbox!

(6) After this, the “application configuration” dialog box should list the “.CSX” extension at the bottom.

In order to use the new mapping, restart (stop, then start) the IIS web server.

Having done these six steps, all that is left is to code the right invocation of the CGI. For example, if using forms and its action attribute, point the action to some empty .CSX file.

To build an empty CGI.CSX file, go to the “command prompt” and type “copy con cgi.csx”, followed by ENTER, followed by CTRL+Z (which is the end-of-file character).

I was just browsing, when I found this on digg.

Most posts there seemed “too hot”, so I decided to cool off, gain distance, and then write my own thoughts.

People are wrong, when they assume that file copying is necessarily “stealing”.

In many countries, the consumer is allowed to make copy(ies), for personal use, and even when he/she is not allowed, one should understand that laws can be poorly written, to the point of being unfair, so nothing is definitive and critical thinking will always be more valuable than dogmatic readings. The whole story of (the evolving) Law is an example. The probability of poorly written laws increases, as the complexity of matters increases – digital goods and digital services are a complex and relatively recent field.

Facts: (1) the Internet is flooded with easy, even transparent, ways to access copyrighted content; (2) the contents industry managed to push laws that make this status quo illegal. Two worlds are colliding: the world of how things de facto are, versus the word of how things should be, according to the contents industry. This harsh collision shouldn’t be happening at all. This happens because the contents industry was incapable to think ahead, incapable to strategize the Internet, and is now transferring its own business-model & technological lack of response to some Internet users, who literally take the blame, for a bully who didn’t do his homework.

Are the laws abusive? Out of focus?

Yes, they can be abusive when they demand too much from the consumer. As a consumer one should NOT be obliged to know much about the Internet technologies/services and their related legal issues, the same way one is NOT obliged to understand, for example, the fabrication and the trade laws related to Chinese cotton T-Shirts, or the legal agreements that make it illegal for some firms to sell some labels’ music. For example, Apple can NOT legally sell Beatles, yet you can buy Beatles, via iTunes (Apple’s digital music store) - who is breaking the law? The consumer? Apple? Both? Is the consumer obliged to know these details, when buying Beatles? Are these details even made available, when subscribing to the service?

If an Internet technology is so clearly harmful and wrong – as downloading music via file sharing services is, according to most music industry associations –, the consumer, as with other technologies/services on the market, should be VERY informed about it, as in (1) don’t open a working CD-A player, because it is has an active laser; and (2) don’t smoke, because it can kill you, etc, etc.

Are there short term solutions? I think there are, but they touch (strong) “upstream” economic agents, instead of (weak) end users. For example, ISPs (Internet Service Providers) could block some communications, unless specifically asked to allow them, by their clients, which would sign statements that they understand their responsibilities, on doing such communications. This already happens with some fixed line services. This way, legal problems could be moved upstream, to fewer, more professional, more responsible, economic agents.

To expect the consumer to NOT use some technologies/services, on the presumption that he/she understands them AND understands the related laws, is the same to expect people to suddenly stop using CO2 emitting cars, after understanding what Kyoto’s protocol means for their tax payers pockets, yet without giving them alternative energy technologies – it would be really nice if things could happen as swiftly and as easily as that, but the most superficial reality check shows that it just can’t be done without creating acceptable consumer alternatives.

It is very dangerous what some music industry associations are doing. They are bullying the people that support(ed) their business – the people who do pay(ed) to listen to music! One can’t exclude an extreme reaction from the consumers, like replacing music with other forms of entertainment, like gaming, jogging, etc. I would recommend reading and even writing your own music, for a suave transition!

It is also worrying that some governments stand quiet, allowing some associations to frighten their fragile citizens, most times ignorant on the subject, not obliged to fully understand the technological and legal sides of what comes with (apparent) zero barriers, only because those associations preferred to spend money on legal weapons, instead of money on technological solutions, that could help prevent future problems for both parties (the industry and the consumers). Look ahead, don’t look back.

As it is, the music industry is a clear example of what can happen when the people with the power to decide, can’t strategize a new media, can’t evolve, can’t adapt to it, can’t understand what once was their market, and don’t recognise a sterile path, even after stepping on it, for half a decade!

Regarding this subject, I read an interview, published by the Portuguese magazine PUBLICA, where one J. Kennedy, representing one music industry association, surprisingly assures that “0.99 USD is a fair price for one music”…
The issue is that in an open economy, that answer (of 0.99 USD being “fair”, or not) belongs to the market. It belongs to no other entity.

If the market decides that 0.99 USD is too much, then it will be too much. The same way, if the market decides that 1000 USD is “fair”, then it will be… This interview/statement is one written hard evidence that some people, who could be part of the solution, are very much out of focus.

On 2006–02–28, ICANN “renewed” its deal with Verisign (NASDAQ:VRSN), basically delegating on them the running of the .COM hierarchy, by far the most valuable of the Internet’s name spaces. This new contract, yet to be approved  by the U.S. Department of Commerce, will expire in year 2012, but - like the previous contracts - gives VRSN the first right to renew… and that was one the reasons for a disputed meeting: registrars, like GoDaddy and Network Solutions strongly opposed.

For the consumer, the #1 problem is the accorded price increases of 7% per year, per domain, starting in 2007. This should hurt the registrars’ business and explains their strong opposing.

I read this on Yahoo: http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/060301/icann_verisign.html?.v=6

GoDaddy.com’s newsletter (2006–03–03) also mentions this.

Questão: como fazer o sistema siteBar 3.3.5 (http://sitebar.org/downloads.php) sincronizar-se com os bookmarks do Firefox 1.5?

Não consigo fazê-lo AUTOMATICAMENTE, mas consigo fazê-lo por imports/exports. Todavia, o siteBar 3.3.5 tem limitações que impedem o import de ficheiros de bookmarks, ao menos por dois motivos:
(1) tamanho – no maior dos ficheiros testado (2.5 MB, em formato Netscape/Firefox), a importação falhou com um erro silencioso, que “aconteceu”, mas não foi detalhado;
(2) limitações do modelo relacional subjacente – com um outro ficheiro (20060217.htm, 116 KB, formato Netscape/Firefox), em que está registado um site com um título enorme, aquando da inserção do título na base de dados, a inserção falha, porque o campo correspondente na tabela, não tem capacidade para tantos bytes.

Eis como instalar o siteBar e as extensões associadas:

#1) Instalar a extensão “Bookmarks Synchronizer 3“, para Firefox 1.5
https://addons.mozilla.org/extensions/moreinfo.php?id=1989&application=firefox

Para instalar este plug-in – como todos os plug-ins Firefox –, há que (1) abrir/fazer download do ficheiro .XPI correspondente; (2) confirmar a intenção de instalação, e (3) fazer restart ao browser.

#2) Instalar o plug-in “XBEL Synchronization”, para o siteBar 3.3.5.
XBELs são ficheiros XML que descrevem os bookmarks.

Este plug-in está disponível no URL abaixo:

http://sitebar.org/download.php?file=SiteBarPluginXBELSync_3.3.5_1.0.1.zip

Uma vez em posse do ficheiro: (1) UNzipá-lo, e (2) copiar o conteúdo da pasta “plug-in”, para dentro da pasta “plug-in”, da instalação do siteBar.

Aceder ao sistema siteBar (no meu caso em http://localhost/cgi-bin/sitebar/index.php), e (1) escolher “user settings” (é logo das primeiras opções no menú), e depois (2) escolher “XBELSync Settings” (é um botão, na base do menú).
A página que aparece, serve para referir o protocolo (por exemplo http), o servidor (por exemplo localhost) e o ficheiro com os bookmarks (por exemplo xbel.xml).

Não compreendo o valor que aparece, por defeito, para path: /cgi-bin/sitebar/plugin.php?name=xbelsync
Não deveria esta path corresponder ao ficheiro de bookmarks, que é uploaded pela extensão “Bookmarks Synchronizer”?

#3) No Firefox, escolher Tools, Extensions, e procurar “Bookmarks Synchronizer 3 1.0.2”. Escolher “options”; e em “path”, indicar o caminho de destino do .XML a ser uploaded; preencher os restantes campos (protocolo, utilizador e password).

A extensão “Bookmarks Synchronizer 3 1.0.2” não tem problemas: o ficheiro chega efectivamente ao destino; todavia, o siteBar não reage automaticamente ao ficheiro .XML chegado.

A maior parte dos blogs são suportados por sistemas de publicação “versáteis”, escritos em linguagens de programação diversas.
Os sistemas mais populares, que já utilizei, são o “MoveableType” e o “WordPress”, o primeiro escrito em Perl, o segundo escrito em PHP.
Estes sistemas são instalados do lado do servidor e suportam a publicação (1) pela interface que eles próprios oferecem, OU (2) por qualquer outra interface que tenha aderido à sua API de publicação… daí a “versatilidade”.

A arquitectura destes programas é a de um “web service”, *no sentido* de que usando as mensagens certas, estruturadas em XML, pode fazer-se tudo, ou quase tudo, com eles, consoante a completude da API.

Por exemplo, acabei de instalar em arturmarques.com/wordpress um blog baseado na tecnologia WordPress 2.0 Este blog pode ser publicado, sem recorrer directamente ao próprio, utilizando ferramentas terceiras, compatíveis com a API.
Essas ferramentas têm que conhecer o que se chamada o endereço XML-RPC do sítio; por exemplo:
http://exemplo.com/wordpress/xmlrpc.php

Este ficheiro PHP é a interface programática entre o WordPress 2.0 e ferramentas terceiras, compatíveis.

Eis algumas ferramentas que exploram esta versatilidade:
http://www.newzcrawler.com/
http://www.zempt.com/