In the very first moment of entering the office it's been obvious what's going on :) (See picture)

Argh...

 

I made a decision to code something in C++ again.

I wanted to check some new API from Vista dedicated to Application Recovery.

There are some new funcitons in kernel32.lib for that.

 

I could make an external reference in .NET like it's explained here but I decided to check if I still remember C++ and so on.

After several years of .NET coding and other managed environment comeback was really painful.

 

Recalling the syntax - okay - piece of cake, after 15-20mins of non-intentional mistakes I was back on the track.

Tool - well Visual Studio is wonderful but after switching back to C++ I see how much it's designed for intuitive adoption of managed .NET platform with VB.Net and most of all C# as main language.

 

Last but very optimistic comment I have which is little bit geeky is that I started to treat C++ these days as I'd done for assembly back in 90ties.

 

I mean, as in those times you could make nice design of code and get reliability through the higher level of language abstraction which was obviously more reusable and readable! but real performance, access to the nuts you got from assembly.

 

These days there is not much sense to switch back to assembly as most low-level access to the system is still made by system libraries.

 

No difference if I do it by

 

push [param1]

push [param2]

call SomeWinAPIFunction

 

or if I do: SomeWinAPIFunction(param1,param2);

 

point is to get quick access to all these functions and so on.

 

C++ is perfect for high performance code if you know what you're doing inside.

Similar argument as I could do in the past for assembly.

 

where current high level language standard is managed and if you need more... ;) that's how I felt C++ while checking Application Recovery API.

 

 

 

 

I mean, after a year of break in context of walking with glasses on my nose (I was lazy enough to postpone buying another for a year) I finally went to the store, checked what real disadvantage I have right now and here we go.. I left local Vision Express with brand new glasses on my nose and first comment I had was "WOW, I can see in High-Definition again!" :>

Today my friend just reminded me that he coded a music disk (like demoscene production) for a TriCity based band called "Towary Zastepcze".

 

you can download it from there http://angelo.scene.pl/download,exs_cichedni.zip

 

Main difference between it and other demoscene music disks is that there is indeed commercial band music in background.

 

I checked at their site: http://towary.art.pl/ that it's legal download they promote at their site either.

That music disk link you can find also at their official website so it looks like Angelo you coded nice promotion app for them :)

 

Good job and thanks for the link! :)

 

"Somebody did foresee this autumn, because vodka is cheaper" kicks ass.

Heh..

 

Some time ago I had a conversation who told me that several years ago when Apple was almost bankrupt Microsoft purchased some Apple's stock to save the company.. so callled "investment" as he explained me was mostly to have a prioprietary software competitor on the market still ;)

 

Sounded funny because most of my friends who are Mac-friends also like to tell a story about Steve Jobs genius and the story about his going away and coming back and that's the main reason why Apple still exists and does well - Steve Jobs' technological and creative genius.

 

Hehe.. here we go. I laughed initially at that "rumour" because with my limited news-wire I didn't know that simply.

 

Yet today I was just browsing the net and accidentally found half of a year old article at below URL:

 

http://www.pbs.org/cringely/pulpit/2006/pulpit_20060420_000893.html 

 

where I got to know more details about Steve Jobs genius. Beside obvious subject of the article which is little bit outdated right now I figured out below information:

 

That agreement ran for five years, from August, 1997 to August 2002. Even though it has since expired, the rights it conferred at the time still lie with the respective companies. Whatever Microsoft grabbed from Apple they can still use, they just aren't able to grab anything developed since August 2002. Same for Apple using Microsoft technology like that in Office X. But Windows XP shipped October 25, 2001: 10 months before the agreement expired."

so that's the Steve Jobs' genius huh? :) Getting Bill Gates' money to the company.

 

Tricky isn't it? :)

 

 

 

 

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Hello,

 

Many of you still propably consider if buying Vista is worthy.

If you have still doubts and you're lucky owners of Windows XP there is some middle-layer solution for you.

 

Some technology with less or more compatibility issues and limitations are available on XP.

Limitations are mostly related to the loose integration between them (Vista is comprehend solution which just include them).

 

So first of all foundamental technologies:

1) Desktop Search - Windows Desktop Search 3.0 (same engine as on Vista) is available for XP users

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=4982072f-7660-492f-b96c-e42b4f5ab4aa&DisplayLang=en  (x86)

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=8dcc9ca3-1a14-43b9-b098-0479dc2865e7&DisplayLang=en (x64)

 

2) .NET Framework 3.0 (formelly known as WinFX)

 

3) Look and Feel of Vista (including Sidebar)

http://www.windowsxlive.net/ - Vista Transformation Pack, latest version is really powerfull

 

Having these installed your XP will look definitively different (more close to Vista) you'll have desktop search engine to compare with Google Desktop if you want according to the reliability, availability and performance.

Finally 3 fundamental development technologies of Vista -> Windows Presentation Foundation, Windows Workflow Foundation and Windows Communication Foundation is available for you so if some vendor shows up really nice application which referenced .NET 3.0 it's nice chance that you'll be able to run it on XP (if only Vendor didn't use Vista critical features that are not available on XP).

 

Finally if you're a developer you can go to download.microsoft.com and check out these three W*F components tools for Visual Studio and try yourself Xaml/WPF application and other concepts on your Windows XP.

 

Finally if you really like what you have you can finally have some judgment if better integrated with several still new features and quite new brand operating system isn't exactly for your needs. :)

Hello again,

 

Last evening I wasted about 3-4h just to figure out all the details how ZipPackage class in System.IO.Packaging works.

It comes with .NET 3.0 installed if you add refference for WindowsBase.dll component.

 

I've made some code.. Initially it has no easy structure like

 

ZipPackage -> Folders -> Files

 

Where you could create zip file by some pseudocode like below:

 

ZipPackage package = new ZipPackage("testPackage.zip",ZipMode.Create,ZipCompression.Maximum);

package.Folders.Add("MyFolder");

package.Folders["MyFolder"].AddFile("someFile.txt");

 

package.Close();

 

and read in very similar intuitive way.

 

No.. you have many strange names like Relationships parts, you have to take care about your URI's to put files correctly into the package

Then Finally you have to know each file MIME..

 

Lot of strange moves in your code where finally you can write and read ZIP files as you'd really like.

 

What then? you'll see that this packaging has mimimal effectiveness in context of compression.

 

It's damn much easier still to make a compression on yourself basing on Deflate and Gzip Streams from System.IO.Compression still I say.

And compression ratio will be similar I believe.

 

I haven't tested much handler based on these routines to compare but meantime I found nice articles that defends my theory:

 

 

Not good. Looks like that ZipPackage is only to help support XPS and Office documents which are ZIPs trully as highly specialized handler not for general use.

 

If you're still interested there is nice Polish language based presentation from Microsoft Technology Summit 2006 which can explain how to use these terms "parts" and "relationships" fluently in context of new Office (2007) document files which are ZIPs indeed:

 

 

Of course as always, there is commercial alternative if you don't want to code everything by yourself:

 

 

Still checking other alternatives and scenarios.

 

 

 

 

Friend just explained me the idea of trackbacks... (believe or not I never cared about that line at the bottom of each entry and how it works and if it's usefull or useless)

 

so I'm trying to reffer his blog just to check something.

 

Consider it as test simply

 

reffering to the URL: http://polygamia.pl/?p=253

 

I don't know if you checked new New York Times reader for Vista.

It's a desktop application based on WPF (Windows Presentation Foundation).

It's been linked in many blogs just after release so it should be easy to "google it up".

 

Idea is that if you're a subscriber of their internet news portal you can through this access get all articles on daily basis (like daily newspaper)

at your desktop locally stored and presented to you (using that reader) as regular newspaper. GUI is fantastic and concept is really cool especially that they integrated a single article into the Windows Desktop Search indexing filters so if you just type in your menu start search input something which propably can be found in one of NYT articles you will get direct url later.

 

Nice example how to use various aspects of Vista.

 

I showed up this application to several of my friends I had also a discussion why not to write an engine for the service like this.

If you use Vista/WPF or not a concept of an application which

 

1) works as a newspaper on your computer

2) has repository of articles packages by issue/date/etc

3) if you're online you can synchronize your subscription based on issues/daily editions/etc

4) if you're offiline you can read what you've already downloaded with nice search capacity and export to another format

 

If you can imagine just an engine for this application to make another NYT Reader, some demoscene magazine this way or simply just provide maybe authoring tool for people who would simply just start playing with the subject. I suppose it sounds nice.

 

On the server side you could have some webservice for "bigger" scale of the solution or maybe just simply URL/file download based repository and here we go..

 

I think that in my spare time I'll try to scetch architecture for this solution and check if these sources can be usable..

 

See you later then with some real code I'd like to show up after all.

 

Eh..

 

 

I observe the agenda and feedback people give after this conference and I have to say.. If you only can try it.

I'm not able to do it still, but in dreams :) yep.. I'd be wonderful.

quoting the interview you can find there:

 

 

I think it's really nice summary of that last year period and the prospect for next years.

Short, confident and straightforward.

 

Still I'm not sure about that online capability. I mean no doubt xbox is perfect but me personally - having fun with anonymous dumbasses over the net. I'm not sure... ;-) I like more gaming with my friends and shout at them with the sentences I know I can shout at the moment.

 

Spirit is in knowing your oponent, not beating him simply.

 

But regardless of anything I personally think ans as I observer around me, yes.. Bill you're right and Sony once again.. sorry to say.. you're still in the middle of nowhere.

Damn..

 

2nd time xbox 360 was very close but I didn't win.

 

First time I passed totally. I preffered to meet my friends, talk and have party and avoid stupid contests and sick competition for nothing.

Second time was a real tournament where fun and gaming was the spirit. We played DOA4 (Dead or Alive 4) on x360.

 

Man I had next after next fight was simply better. And usually better wins :)

Contrats to the winner. Have fun with your x360 :)

 

Here in Poland some people say "there is still hope for a 3rd chance".

Will see :) Actually in my spare time I go back to Oblivion. Rockin' game.

Some time ago I saw nice presentation of really cool usage of Sideshow devices compatible with Windows Vista.

 

In current (January 2007) issue of MSDN Magazine you can find really nice article which can explain you some basic capacities of the technology behind.

 

Here we go if you want to learn quickly how to make basic sideshow device application:

 

 

Enjoy :)

 

When I travelled to the office today I just reminded myself how hard it was to find a photographer in the city to take a picture for my VISA to USA. I walked some time ago a very nice distance without a success.

 

Then not to risk failure again I checked first phone book with company names accross the city and found one.

 

It reminded me that taking that picture costed me 20PLN ($5) and it didn't look like they've had many customers these days.

That's no suprise I couldn't find any common photographer (not mentioning exlusive ones where only dedicated extra-paid sessions could be done for really amazing money).

If you have one customer like me even daily for 20 work days a month simple calculation shows up that income is about 400PLN.

It's lower than the minimal salary rate allowed by local law.

ok, lets have 2 customers daily, it's about 800PLN. Still shit not money.

Even if you have 5 customers daily it looks like about 2000PLN.

 

Ok.. some in Poland would say that it's nice income already.

But if you're an owner of the POS and you have to pay rents for your office. You have some assets to mantain and other costs it's damn shitty.

 

Then I realized that with all my approach for service-based life everywhere where it's possible an alternative comes to mind which I called "Service Matching".

 

Here where Business Intelligence comes to mind.

 

Lets imagine that you live as me in bigger city (more than 1M citizen). and for example easily in your surrounding live about 200k people.

Lets imagine that half of them would be interested so 100k.

 

Okay.. next step: Each of these persons pays 1PLN monthly just to have warrantied that if they needed they would go to the photographer and take/make pictures for free on some kind of "member card" basis.

 

I believe that not everybody every day would like to use this service so the balance could be achieved.

But if we give all this money to the photographer - each single user is happy because 1PLN less doesn't push you into poverty.

And with the budget of 100000PLN monthly for the photographer I suppose he can afford really nice studio and pay 10 persons to be at the office to keep the balance for these 100k customers (as a base).

 

All groups could be happy. They have budget to function and not get bancrupt and live properly. Customers who are members could make occassionally pictures for ID, passport, whatever reason, 25 pictures from last holiday for free.

 

If any customer comes from the street simply pays the market rate.

 

I suppose it could be possible to make a business plan to make it profitable.

 

And where BI is.. okay let's imagine that there is a middle layer.

 

A company called "Service Matching".

Where you pay 10PLN monthly and fill the questionaire what kind of services you're interested in.

 

Matcher looks for the companies that could provide the service. Checks region of living to be close to his customers.

Negotiates prices, take maybe 1zl from each for maintaing matching service and has two databases.

 

One of customers who have some prefferences and second vendors accross the city who are willing to take the service for some group of customers where the balance between profit and service level could be accomplished.

 

I suppose for that 10PLN budget monthly and about 200k custsomers matching agent could have nice life and bugdet to run the company.

Customers could easily be fullfilled with 3-4 services based on above scenario and it could simply work with minimal staff needed with good BI solution that makes whole algorithmics...

 

If somebody could provide me free annual access for the services like photographer and barber if I need only for monthly fee like 5PLN I suppose I'd sign the deal.

 

If there were 100k people like me I suppose both services could make nice business having monthly budget 200k each considering that last 1PLN goes to the matching agent.

 

But it's just wandering of course.. :)

 

I just read another article on Gamasutra:

 

 

It looks like one of my friends was right about ~630EUR price for PS3 in Europe.

 

I mean they explain it that in whole EU should be cheaper and Ireland has this price for their higher VAT tax (21%)

 

Considering that Poland has VAT 22% here it should be even more expensive.

 

I can imagine reaction right now reminding myself on discussions about X360 prices in Poland.

Product was 1 year after rest of EU and more expensive still than obtaining it from Germany and or by for example www.dvdcrave.com from Australia (still PAL zone)

 

Heh... I see ironical comments right now like "oh looks like we Poles are f* rich if we can afford consoles and stuff more expensive than our other EU fellows".

 

Heh.. will see :>

 

If you preffer to read about it in Polish with additional commentary you can go also to my friend's blog Polygamia

hah.. TR4 registration long time ago done. Flight booked, hotel also.. now only wait to the date and fly..

 

I hope I'll meet there many interesting people, attend many interesting sessions, see Redmond offices (as some my friends' say Centre of the Empire of Evil (lol))

 

Of course I wish to find time to climb up (using elevator of course) the Space Needle and test my fear of heights again.

 

If you also prepare yourself for that trip - see you on place!

 

There is nice article in polish news portal (ONET) about some american group from San Francisco which called themselves "Compact" after Mayflower compact.

 

They promised themselves not to consumpt for a year (actually crossed the time and still continue) to prove that there is a possibility for a life without the illness of "buying".

 

You can find their English language blog there: sfcompact.blogspot.com

 

Interesting :)

 

And back to my own country reality we could have easily whole Poland compacted.

It can be true if even our president is worried about too optimistic consumption in the country:

 

http://gospodarka.gazeta.pl/gospodarka/1,52981,3832447.html (PL)

 

Heh.. funny again if they get a "clever" idea to put some local law into the legislature process to ban too optimistic consumption.

 

lol :)

Heh.. I dunno why but all this looks more and more like medial-bullshit..

 

Two days ago some analyst group reported that Sony missed 25% in their sales goal for CY06.

 

It's obvios that they missed it but 2 weeks later after New Year's Eve today I just read some update which might be crucial to my yesterday's entry:

 

 

Here you can read that they already reached 2MLN units. No details so who knows if it's sold, distributed, shipped or whatever.

 

2 days after media attacked from various sources after that report you can find in my previous log.

 

I've been talking with my friends today.. and more and more I think that it's going to be a total crazyness of loyal positioning of fans..

 

I'm little bit tired of it.. It's sad only that sometimes it's hard to avoid this kind of discussions...

 

So comments are freely welcome but now I'm trying to find my own distance...

 

I'm still owning my PS2, I have fun of it.. Still pleanty of killer games on waiting list. Sure they don't look like sweet-hits on x360 in HD but who cares.. I have my entertainment.

 

I all the time delay buying x360 also.. reason.. I don't need to spend 400EUR just for one game I can play downstairs at my office in my spare time on stand and/or at my friend's place on occasional "gaming parties" :)

 

Consumption just to stash items on shelves and observe dust layers on it ain't sexy for me anymore.

Or maybe I'm in winter depression :)

It can be also possible