Running out of iCloud space? Trim your backups.

Oct 152011
Running out of iCloud space? Trim your backups.

One thing I have been hearing a lot lately from several friends is that after attempting to back up their iPhone or iPad to the all new iCloud service, it’s telling them that the backup size is too big for the initial free 5GB quota and that they need to purchase more space. This might seem logical on the surface. I have a 32GB iPhone that is nearly full, how can I possibly expect that to fit in a 5GB space? But when it comes to the size of your backup, what’s really important is what kind of data is [...]

Do you use SQL Server? If you don’t follow Conor, you are probably a moron.

Sep 302011

Yep. Conor vs SQL

[Solved] This program can’t start because mscoree.dll is missing from your computer.

Sep 122011
[Solved] This program can't start because mscoree.dll is missing from your computer.

While trying to download and install some Windows updates on a machine running Windows 2008 R2 Server Core, I got the following message and the updates failed. This program can’t start because mscoree.dll is missing from your computer. The updates in question are listed below. KB2468871 – Update for Microsoft .NET Framework 4 on Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2 for x64-based Systems KB2533523 – Update for Microsoft .NET Framework 4 on Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2 for x64-based [...]

How easy it would be to harvest passwords at a bar

Sep 082011
How easy it would be to harvest passwords at a bar

I’m here at my favorite bar to kick off the start of the NFL season (and some guy on TV keeps interrupting about some jobs “plan”) and I noticed there’s a strong wifi signal where there used to be none. Huh? Did this place get wifi since last time I was here? I asked around and apparently it’s news to them too. But actually it’s not just one wifi signal… There’s three! But they all have the exact same signal strength even though they have very different SSID’s. Now I have no idea if these 3 companies are in cahoots [...]

Another handy iOS tip: Folders the the dock

Sep 022011
Another handy iOS tip: Folders the the dock

Did you know you can put a folder in the icon dock on iPhone or iPad? If you have a lot of home screens and you’re having a hard time deciding which of your apps are worthy enough to be accessible from all of them, this technique can save you a few swipes. Follow me

Major update to Parallels iPhone/iPad app

Sep 012011
Major update to Parallels iPhone/iPad app

The updated version of Parallels Mobile for iPhone and iPad allows you to remotely control your Mac the same way it lets you remotely control your virtual machine. This eliminates the need to use a combination of VPN and VNC to remotely access your Mac and in most cases it’ll be a much smoother experience as well since VNC sucks. Now if they could just find the time to bake in a general purpose RDP client I could be down to just one remoting app. It also adds some welcome features such as clipboard sharing and audio playback. It’s free [...]

Re: 15 million tablets; What might Microsoft do?

Aug 212011
Re: 15 million tablets; What might Microsoft do?

I posted a response to Rob Bushway’s post: 15 million tablets; What might Microsoft do? I vented a bit of my frustration with how Microsoft has totally blown their leadership position in the tablet industry and I figured I would re-post it here. Here’s the closing statement on the original post: Is it possible that Microsoft might finally bite the bullet and seriously undertake the overhaul of Windows’ and Office’s tablet features that we’ve all been begging for? Incorporate the Intel shell software that allows iPad-like responsiveness? Pair this with a properly-designed hardware platform that complements the new software features? [...]

Is the home button on your iPhone 4 acting up?

Jul 012011
Is the home button on your iPhone 4 acting up?

Recently I’ve noticed two problems with my iPhone 4. First, the home button was “missing” clicks half the time. Trying to double click the home button became increasingly more difficult. The button moved freely enough and did not seem stuck, but the press just didn’t register. Then when attached to my car charger, after a few minutes it would throw up a message saying “Charging is not supported with this accessory.” and sure enough the charging indicator showed that the battery was no longer charging. After searching online I found some suggestions indicating that slapping the phone against your leg [...]

Remote lock my iPad (just in case)

May 142011
Remote lock my iPad (just in case)

Anyone that knows me knows full well I am the farthest thing possible from an Apple fan boy. But I’ve slowly but surely been sucked into the blissful white and brushed aluminum dream world. This fact bothers me enough that I’ve considered giving Windows Phone 7 a “pity fuck” just to strike some balance in my technical world. However, I did have a moment of brilliance earlier that would not have been possible unless I was locked into the Apple monoculture. I left my iPad in my car while I was in the movies with my son. I was pretty [...]

Supporting markdown in applications

Apr 302011
Supporting markdown in applications

In just about every application I’ve ever developed, there’s at least one multi-line text box that takes free form input from the user. In some applications (such as email, Twitter, log entry, etc.) this might be the primary use case. In other applications it might be a simple “description” box hidden away in a properties dialog. But in any case, it’s always a challenge to use anything more than plain text for a variety of reasons. First of all, even though WPF, Silverlight, and Windows Forms all have built-in rich text controls, they lack the basic UI elements such as [...]

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