Watson.me.uk

For personal reference. A list of useful Firefox Add-ons.

• Xmarks (previously Foxmarks). Bookmarks synchronisation. http://download.xmarks.com/download
• OpenDownload. Mimics IE’s “run from current location”. https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/207
• Default Full Zoom Level. Allows a full zoom (ie. not text only) level to be set which will be used when visiting new websites for the first time. Useful when using Firefox on a PC using a TV as monitor. https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/6965
• Cooliris. Funky 3D wall for viewing pictures on the web (Google image search results, Facebook, etc). https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/5579
• Adblock Plus. Blocks adverts on webpages (use the Easylist subscription). https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1865

A couple of useful applications out there on the internets.

UltraMon is for multi-monitor setups.

• Gives you a quick way of moving windows between desktops, even when they are full screen
• Creates a composite wallpaper image for use accross whole desktop (different wallpaper on each monitor)
• And the best feature is: a seperate task bar on your extended monitor. Only shows the windows on that window (and they are removed from the standard taskbar on the main monitor)

Startup Control Panel. First used this as a replacement for msconfig on Windows 2000. Very handy installed as a control panel applet (though it doesn’t have to be to work). Shows all the different places (registry keys, startup folder, etc) that applications may have hidden themselves away to start at boot/logon.

…sweeeeeeeet.

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There’s an article on mozillaZine introducing some of the new features we’ll soon be able to use in Firefox 3. http://www.mozillazine.org/talkback.html?article=23728

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If, like me, you’re job is maintaining a large Visual Basic 6 application you’ll know the pain of creating context menus. You’d like them on the form you’re working with, but if its an MDI child form you’re forced to place them on a different form if you want to see your MDI parent forms menus while your child form has the focus.

This isn’t fun, because you know how two places for code that should all be together. Not to mention that most of the time you’re creating menus at design time, not at run-time.

In the past I’ve come up with ways of at least keeping the code in the form showing the menu by having the menus simply set a return value which the calling form can then just read and do whatever with.

Recently I read an example of run-time menus (I forget where) that used the idea of control arrays to allow for creation of menus at runtime. I liked this idea and ran with it.

Here, I offer up a couple of classes for simple creation and use of context menus at run-time in a VB6 application. It uses no weird system DLL calls. I hope it saves someone weeping over menus. It did me.

SimpleMenuv1.zip

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Let Jackie Chan help you search the web on iGoogle.

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There’s a Ninja in my PC. How am I going to get it out?

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They’ve only gone and done it. Major HTML update unveiled.

I’d only just got used to HTML 3.02.

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Came across this site for quickly testing the speed of your broadband connection. It’s a lot of fun watching the needle on the ’speedo’ race around. Small things…

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…or geeky fantastic spamtastic and other stories.

Dear Mr Chris,

We have tried on numerous occasions to block this sender already. Unfortunately, the word “Woohoo” in the subject line causes a buffer overflow in the spam filter, due to the over-excitement it conveys, and the forementioned spam filter will consequently spaz out.

We have asked Mr UAT to refrain from using the words “Woohoo”, “Yeeeeesssss!”, and “Lindsay Lohan” in order to prevent the overflow. He has so far declined. We will be pursuing the matter with a cease and desist letter.

Kind regards
Bob Turner

—– Original Message —–
From: Chris Watson
To: helpdesk List Member
Sent: Wednesday, October 17, 2007 3:36 PM
Subject: [helpdesk] [Fwd: Woohoo! UAT DATA TRANSFER COMPLETED]

Hello it. i keep getting this spam from mr uat. can we edit the spam filter or something to block him out?

——– Original Message ——–
Subject: [helpdesk] Woohoo! UAT DATA TRANSFER COMPLETED
Date: Wed, 17 Oct 2007 15:14:15 +0100
From: UAT Data Transfer
To: helpdesk List Member

This is a system generated email. Please refer any queries to the IT Department.