March 2005 Entries
The beta version of the SQL Server Migration Assistant (SSMA) for Oracle has just been made available. If you are interested in migrating your Oracle database to SQL Server 2005 take a look at: http://www.microsoft.com/sql/migration/
[Via Barnaby's Canadian IT Pro WebLog]
Sony is told to suspend US sales of its PlayStation consoles after losing a patent infringement lawsuit - but will continue to sell its products pending an appeal.
[Via BBC News | News Front Page | World Edition]
Doctor Who's long-awaited return is a ratings success for the BBC, attracting up to 10.5 million viewers.
[Via BBC News | News Front Page | World Edition]
That's code that's >= 21 years old, (an "americianism" obviously). Across on Cyrus' blog he talks about this subject this morning. Funnily enough we're working on a plant hire system the core of which is "old enough to drink" and is written in cobol. Fortunately enough we have a developer who knows how to code any amendments required, and thanks to these guys, we can view the cobol files as if they're a relational database. Hey, if it ain't broke don't fix it :)
"Australian company Cybersource says it's currently talking to two domestic banks about providing Knoppix-based bootable CDs to consumers to ensure Internet banking security. The company says at least one bank will probably use the CDs in at least one sector of its operations. Cybersource envisages that banks will re-brand its product and provide the CDs alongside other marketing material."
[Via Slashdot: ]
Transparent Screens is a Flickr photoset of laptops whose deptop wallpaper has been set to a digital photo of the walls and windows behind them, so that they appear to have totally transparent displays. The effect is striking. I love this :)
[Via Boing Boing]
"In what is described as yet another example of how patents can kill or inhibit standards, a patent has come to light that was granted to Microsoft in the year 2000 that looks surprisingly similar to IPv6 (the next-gen IP standard that is starting, slowly, to be taken up in some parts of the world). And several Microsoft engineers, named on the patent just happenned to be part of the IPv6 group for the IETF..."
[Via Slashdot: ]
 Microsoft has just added a new website to the MSDN cornucopia of websites to provide a single access point for the DirectX developer community. The address is http://msdn.microsoft.com/directx/directxcommunity/
This site links to technical blogs, mailing lists, and newsgroups. There's also a section where you can download archived content from presentations, including the workshops delivered a couple weeks ago at the 2005 Game Developers Conference. Please send your suggestions for what you'd like added to the site. The group email address is directx@microsoft.com. 
[Via One Hand Watches the Other]
Move over, Small Business Server. Microsoft's concocting a version of Windows Server expressly for mid-size companies. [ More...]
Microsoft execs go public with some of the enterprise and home networking changes that will debut with its next-gen Windows. Read all about it here.
Read about the latest US school shooting on the BBC site. These incidents are terrible. I watched a report on it durning breakfast television. The most scary thing? A spokesman for the school telling the reporter that the casualties would have been worse if it were not for the fact that the school has a procedure for this and all the teachers acted on it.
I'll just let that sink in for a moment. The school has a PROCEDURE to follow if one of the pupils turns up to the school with a gun and starts to shoot people. WTF?! What kind of a country is it where a school needs a procedure for that?!
... is out, check it out here.
Steve Cook has a good article here.
Michael Clark has starting blogging. He's coming here to join our team in the near future, and speaks here on why he's leaving Scotland On Line. It sounds like the guy who got the team leader job I went for, sparking my resignation, is doing a really lousy job. It also sounds like the flagship C# project is going down the toilet. Now that's a real pity. Not only because I spent a lot of time architecting that project, and not only because it's a very worthwhile endeavour, but because it's a real cash cow for Scotland On Line. If they loose it, it'll have a big impact on the company's bottom line.
I was told that I didn't get the team leader role as it was felt that I didn't have the ability to take the team to where the management wanted it to be. I can't help wondering if this is where they wanted the team to be. Sometimes the status quo is a good thing. I'm reminded of the fable of the dog and the bone :)
Microsoft doesn't like CSS. Someone define the word standard for me.
I'm back on the air! That break in transmission was caused by me changing jobs and, not too surprisingly, my old company no longer wished to host my blog. I'm now at a new company and have my blog set up again. On the downside it looks like I may have lost all the content from my old blog. My old company say I can have the content, but it's low on their priority list. So, for the moment at least, we'll just have to soldier on without it :)
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