Tim Long

Forever in Electric Dreams
The life and times of a Small Business Server MVP and all-round technology enthusiast. Tim is founder of TiGra Networks, a company based in South Wales UK specialising in small business IT. This blog is aimed at Microsoft Small Business Specialists, IT professionals, Astronomers and anyone interested in science and technology.

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Scared of Your Own Shadow
I really like Windows DreamScene, I think it is a really cool feature of Windows Vista Ultimate, especially if you add StarDock DeskScapes . It’s just unfortunate that it is afraid of its own shadow. The slightest little problem and DreamScene commits...
Don’t Fall at the Last Fence
  I was reading this post on Transparency. Feedback. Connection. Participation. - Announcements - Community Server . Well there is transparency all right. All the images are 100% transparent. As for the Feedback, Connection, Participation? This is...
Sam Knows Your DSL Performance
An interesting project to measure UK broadband providers is being conducted by Samknows Broadband. Volunteers can sign up to receive specially modified Linksys routers that collect performance data and 'phone home' with the results. Until now...
Sidebar is a Hog
If you're having performance problems on your Windows Vista systems, one thing you might take a look at is Windows Sidebar. It is quite badly behaved! I find it is consistently one of the biggest memory hogs and almost always the most prolific generator...
Open Source or Microsoft
Someone on LinkedIn recently posed the question: Which of the technology Open Source or Microsoft you prefer? [sic] Well that was like a red rag to a bull. My response was voted "best answer" by the original poster, so I suppose I must've...
Ultimate Extras
I was just saying to someone the other day how "Windows Ultimate Extras" had been a disappointment and that I'd have been left wanting if that had been my main reason for using Windows Vista Ultimate. Today I noticed that there are some...
The Silverlight Train is Coming
I'm convinced that Silverlight 2.0 (currently in beta) is going to be the biggest thing to come out of Microsoft this year. Amid all the hype of the 2008 launch wave, Silverlight is almost getting overlooked, but to me, Silverlight is going to be...
Wait - They're all at it!
OK, I just blasted Microsoft for forcing me to use beta quality software at Virtual Earth. I resolved to check out the competition and - guess what? Oh my goodness, beta quality software. Plus, check out the license terms and conditions: So that means...
Posted: Apr 17 2008, 01:33 AM by Tim Long | with no comments
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Since When Have Betas Been Mandatory?
I was using Virtual Earth today at maps.live.com when I tried to switch into 3D mode and received this message, shortly followed by a UAC prompt as Virtual Earth tried to automatically upgrade me to a beta version of the software. I didn't want to...
How 64-bit Development is Being Stifled at Birth
I've been dabbling with various different development projects recently and I've uncovered what I think is an important failing in Microsoft's support for 64-bit software. In Visual Studio, the default setting is to generate code for "Any...
Why We Need a House of Lords
I'm straying into dangerous territory today and saying that I think our House of Lords is an important institution that provides a counterbalance to the House of Commons. Lord Benjamin Mancroft has created a furore today (I was just listening to him...
Business Communications into the 21st Century
I attended a seminar a few days ago that explored current and emerging uses of technology and communications in business. The event was hosted by Rhondda Cynon Taff Business Club . There was a presentation by Light Age Communications on what's currently...
God Bless Rowan Williams
I'm not a religious person; I consider myself spiritual but I think religion does more harm than good. Nevertheless, I have much respect for Dr. Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury and head of the Church of England. He must be wondering right...
Into The Groove?
Chris Rue has a stinging appraisal of Groove over at the funcave. "Groove has to be the worst software I’ve ever used in my life. [it] has the most idiotic user interface seen since cc:Mail. [...] To top it off, [...] this thing totally sucks at...
Astronomy Equipment and the Chicken and Egg Syndrome
What do you suppose would happen if, say, a printer manufacturer produced a new, whizzy printer - the WhizzyPrinter 2000, but didn't bother to supply a driver with it? How do you think that would affect sales of the printer? What if the company PR...
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