Synchronizing my laptop folders with three servers on different locations makes it difficult to keep track of what is already copied. SyncToy 1.4 should help me in getting this managed since I haven't used it on my new machine yet and my XP machine still running version 1.2.

Source: Download

DasBlog does finally support Gravatars [1]. One step more away from the anonym beginnings of the web. Check the comments of this blog entry to view how they work. Definitely another Web 2.0 application. Gravatars can be easy added to any weblog:

A gravatar, or globally recognized avatar, is quite simply an 80×80 pixel avatar image that follows you from weblog to weblog appearing beside your name when you comment on gravatar enabled sites. Avatars help identify your posts on web forums, so why not on weblogs?

[1] http://site.gravatar.com/

Just 24h after I have upgraded my site to the DasBlog engine 1.9.7174.0 daily build, build 1.9.174.1 was release as stable. The work is going on and Clemens [1] gives a first impression on what is happening in the future:

Once the project switches over to be "native" on the CLR/BCL 2.0 (we're discussing the actual target framework version), I'll rejoin the effort and I already have several truckloads of new features or changes in the wait loop. You'll be surprised what that little engine will learn to do over the next several months.... ;)

[1] http://vasters.com/clemensv/PermaLink,guid,62191618-0f0f-4017-bfe4-f6577c8db0f6.aspx

Remote Desktop Connection Client for Mac [1] r0ckz. Listening music on the Mac mini, sometimes I had to do things on my server. Consequently, I had to start one of my machines to connect to to the server remotely. Using the Remote Desktop Connection Client that's a thing of the past. there are some c00l features, not seen on the Windows client, yet (maybe I should have a better look): Copy and paste seems to be working from and to the host system and you can print on your Mac printer while being in the remote session.

[1] http://www.microsoft.com/mac/otherproducts/otherproducts.aspx?pid=remotedesktopclient

Just getting the microcode update [1] since I am running only Intel processors. Read [2] for more information about the patch. 

[1] http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...
[2] http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=936357

While a dozen RSS feeds are subscribed in your favorite feed reader, you might be interested only in some particular feeds being updated during the day. Windows Live Alerts [1] give you this new experience. If you want to get a alert within Windows Live Messenger when aheil.de blog is updated, simply click the Windows Live Alerts button on the menu pane. Definitely a Web 2.0 application.

[1] http://alerts.live.com/

dasBlog" src="http://blog.aheil.de/content/binary/dasBlogupgrade_DEA/DasBlogReflection50x56Gray_thumb5.gif" width="50" align="right">It has been a bit quite on this site for the last time. However, aheil.de is not sharing the half life of many other web sites. aheil.de is now running a weblog for more than 4 years. So it was time to upgrade the dasBlog [1] engine to a recent daily build. Just a few minutes ago aheil.de was upgraded to the dasBlog 1.9.7174.0 build. A complete backup of all previous posts was necessary in order to get the new build correctly running. Former posts will be uploaded step-by-step in the next future.

[1] http://www.dasblog.info/

I literally fight an epic battle with my Toshiba m400 since the first day I got it. For that reason I was not surprised when my colleague Frank Prengel [1] from Microsoft Germany had some trouble with his m400 while preparing a demo with the Microsoft Robotics Studio (MSRS) [2].

His first idea was about some issues with the April CTP 1.5 of the MSRS. Indeed, he got some errors like

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
- <s:Fault xmlns:wsa="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/ws/2004/08/addressing"   
                xmlns:d=http://schemas.microsoft.com/xw/2004/10/dssp.html
                xmlns:s="http://www.w3.org/2003/05/soap-envelope">
- <s:Code>
<s:Value>s:Receiver</s:Value>
- <s:Subcode>
<s:Value>d:OperationFailed</s:Value>
</s:Subcode>
</s:Code>
- <s:Reason>
<s:Text>Unabled to configure Lego NXT</s:Text>
</s:Reason>
</s:Fault>

Indeed, the error is a unfortunate result of a unhappy soft- and hardware combination. So, let's see what we already have

• A Toshiba m400
• Windows Vista
• Microsoft Robotics Studio 1.5 April CTP installed
• A Lego NXT

Actually, the NXT documentation tells the NXT requires the Bluetooth stack from Widcomm or XP SP2. However, I know my m400 much much better than the people from Lego. Maybe you will realise that after installing the Lego software (either for RCX or NXT) you'll get a message that the Lego software does not work with the Toshiba BT stack!? I.e. there is something special about the Toshiba BT stack... Fortunately, using the MSRS you don't need any drivers or software to run the NXT. The build-in services provided by the MSRS are the one and only bits to run the NXT.

1. Un-install the Microsoft Bluetooth Stack
2. Install the latest Toshiba m400 BIOS available from [3]
3. Install the Toshiba BT Stack for Windows Vista avaialble from [3]
4. Install the Toshiba BT Monitor available from [3].

Now you can easily pair your BT capable devices with your m400. In the following you can see a iRobot Create and a Lego NXT paired with my m400.

Frank confirmed that after following the steps above his demo now "works as a charm".

[1] http://blogs.msdn.com/frankpr/
[2] http://www.microsoft.com/robotics/
[3] http://www.csd.toshiba.com/cgi-bin/tais/su/su_sc_modSel.jsp

Maybe this is a bug: Creating a ContextMenu as child of a Canvas, the event handlers CanExecute and Execute have never been executed? This took me almost two hours to figure out why. Basically I do my command binding like

CommandBinding exitCmd =
    new CommandBinding(DesignerCommands.Exit);
exitCmd.CanExecute +=
    new CanExecuteRoutedEventHandler(exitCmd_CanExecute);
exitCmd.Executed +=
  new ExecutedRoutedEventHandler(exitCmd_Executed);
CommandBindings.Add(exitCmd);

To me, it looks like there is a minor problem in command binding [1] whilst using command binding this manner in controls which never get the focus (such as a Canvas). Since the handlers are never fired. An easy workaround is to add additional command binding within your XAML code.

<ContextMenu.CommandBindings>
    <CommandBinding Command="e:MyCommands.Exit"
                    CanExecute="exitCmd_CanExecute"
                    Executed="exitCmd_Executed"/>
</ContextMenu.CommandBindings>

I checked a couple of web sites and found also [2], where the problem is described a bit more in detail. Also Aaron describes a second work around that requires some lines of code.

[1] http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms741839.aspx
[2] http://www.wiredprairie.us/journal/2007/04/commandtarget_menuitem_context.html

This evening I found some minutes to pimp my Mac mini. Actually, there is not a lot of things I am doing with it. iTunes, watching DVDs and sometimes doing some movie stuff with our DV camcorder. However, after the upgrade of my Tablet PC some weeks ago [1], two 512 MB S0 DDR-2 66z MHz  modules have been left over. Lucky for me it's exactly what the Mac mini likes...

Sounds easy, somebody told me, you just have to open the case and put the memory on the left side of the chassis. I also got a link including how to open the chassis [2]. Yeah! This sounds not too hard since BtK did this also a long time ago [3]. To cut a long story short, I search for a putty knife and started opening the box.

The whole process does not take too long. In the very beginning you start carefully but soon you get a feeling for it. However, after opening the case, I was looking for the memory module... nothing on the left, nothing on the right... no memory modules on the front or in the back. Still impressed of the size of the components, I started to gather some tools for the following surgery. This included

• still the putty knife
• a small Phillips screwdriver
• a Maglite flashlight
• a small gripper

Actually there are four screws of get rid of located on the four corners of the board.

The only problem actually was the antenna on the tight upper corner. I tried some time to reach the screw, however the screw and the access hole are straight under the antenna. So nothing else was left than removing the antenna. This is necessary anyway since this part of the Mac mini has to be flipped over later during the surgery. Actually, this is quite simple: just press the black grippers right below the antenna. The attached spring lifts the antenna a bit so you can remove it.

A second more or less critical point is a small connector to the main board in front of the Mac mini. This has to be removed before you can flip the black plastic case which includes the DVD drive and the HDD. this connector should not be forgotten whilst closing the case alter as I almost did.

The memory then is located in the left side of the board. It takes some brain to go there. Since the mini was running for a while I took this chance tom remove some dust from the fan and from the cooling elements.

After exchanging the two memory modules everything I had to do was putting all the parts together. The larger of the four screws has to go the front right corner, and not to forget the tiny plug as I almost did. Connecting monitor, power, mouse (a black Microsoft Wheel Mouse Optical USB) and the iPod. And...

Happy about the fact, my Mac mini now runs with 1 GB of RAM instead of 512 MB, I've learned two lessons:

1. The memory on a Intel CPU-based Mac mini is on the last place you would look for.
2. Check MSN Search next time before experimenting with hardware since somebody probably has done this before [4].

[1] http://blog.aheil.de/WindowsVistaVsM400.aspx 
[2] http://www.macworld.com/weblogs/editors/2005/01/...
[3] http://www.schrankmonster.de/...
[4] http://www.methodshop.com/gadgets/tutorials/macmini-ram/