Spy Journal 3.0 Filtering the web for you

Following a is a list of cool stuff I didn't have time to write individual posts about.

Random Web stuff

MyOpenID - If you don't know what OpenID is, think of it this way, one sign in authentication process for every website that supports it. Drupal 6 has it, Yahoo has it, lots of places have it - learn more about OpenID and get your own.

Tagurself - enter a feed link or a url and it generates a tag cloud for you.

TeamViewer - excellent remote desktop sharing software - and its free!

Microsoft SharedView - remote connection - sharing applications - great for training people how to do things remotely.

Windows Live Folder Share - I will add this to my file sharing research. Windows Live FolderShare is more about automatic synchronization and accessing files from anywhere - the program sits in your system tray and works in the background.

Browse and restore shadow copies in Windows Vista - from Ghacks - hat tip to Sarah from Channel 10

Find out your own wireless network key (if you forgot it) using this WirelessKeyView software. Found on Channel 10.

Vista Service Pack 1 - Search is lost.

Due to a change in SP1, contextual search has been removed - from the SBS Diva Blog. There's also a registry hack here.

(Translation because certain search companies complained, the EU threatened to start another antitrust suit)

"Microsoft has recently published a KB article outlining changes to Windows Vista's desktop search in SP1 but I'd like to elaborate a little bit based on my own experience with the changes. Windows Vista SP1 allows the user to change their default desktop search provider from the built-in Windows Desktop Search that ships with Windows Vista to another 3rd party desktop search provider. As noted above, the Search option has been removed from the right side of the Start menu. Users will also notice "See all results" has disappeared when doing a search via the Start menu. Instead, you will see "Search Everywhere". Search Everywhere will launch whatever is the user's default desktop search program.  In Windows Explorer, users will also see a "Search Everywhere" option in the toolbar as well. " http://windowsvistablog.com/blogs/windowsexperience/archive/2007/09/24/experiencing-windows-vista-service-pack-1-beta.aspx

After I installed Firefox 3 beta - and then uninstalled it IE and Firefox had an argument on my computer as to who was the default browser. In fact it got kind of messy for a while. Using this help page from Mozillazine I put Firefox back in control of all things browser!

ZapTXT - lets you create custom keyword searches to track your favourite RSS-enabled websites via email, instant messenger or mobile device.

Win a ultimate working week away - 5 day working holiday in Byron Bay with i-mate.

View your Google Analytics in an Adobe Air Application - cool graphics and easy to use.

Lots of cool visual communication tools at Robin Good's Sharewood Picnic

Microsoft launched DeepZoom + PhotoZoom last week. zdnet article. Try PhotoZoom out for yourself. See the HardRock Cafe Memorabilia Demo.

How to make rounded corners in Photoshop.

Worldwide Telescope coming to the web later this year.

The WorldWide Telescope (WWT) is a rich visualization environment that functions as a virtual telescope, bringing together imagery from the best ground and space telescopes in the world for a seamless, guided exploration of the universe.
WorldWide Telescope, created with Microsoft's high-performance Visual Experience Engine™, enables seamless panning and zooming across the night sky blending terabytes of images, data, and stories from multiple sources over the Internet into a media-rich, immersive experience.

Drupal

Nick Lewis writes a great article about the six conditions that form online communities. It got mentioned on zivtech in this article about how Drupal can be a catalyst for community and change.

Geeks and God - a podcast that educates and encourages technology in Christian ministries. They have a series on building your church website in Drupal.

Acquia - the new Drupal Organisation run by Dries Buytaert, has listed its first project, Carbon - you will need to create an account and login to view this.

Drupal how to and reference pages - mostly for myself

• HowTo: build your frontpage with regions
• How to build your own sub-theme (5.x)
• Converting a Drupal 5.x theme to 6.x
• Create a front page different from the rest of the site
• Curvy corners
• Views

Blogging

How to Write Great Content and Keep Visitors Interested

Original, never-to-be-found-elsewhere posts is the best way and only way to have your readers coming back for more. By creating constant thorough posts audiences come back for more; while expecting only the best. This will result in not only returning visitors, but also RSS subscribers and trustworthiness that can result in more sales and click-throughs. If you saw the same post on ten other blogs, would you come back?

Author Gary Hess lists point by point the steps good bloggers (not content thieves) use to write original quality blog posts. The sort of thing we do when writing our researched articles.

Skelliewag ways in with her #1 Tip for Creating Better Content: Write in Advance

Lance guest writes on Darren Rowse's Problogger site "Supercharge your content with voice".

Windows Server Technology

Launch page for Windows Server 2008

Download Windows Server 2008 By the way - I got it running on a Pentium 4 3ghz with 512 MB Ram! Am testiong features now like Distributed File System (DFS). You get 60 days free - but you can extend the evaluation period to get up to 240 days free. Find more out about Windows Server 2008 with these Webcasts, Virtual Labs and Podcasts. Susan the SBS Diva links to documentation about adding a server running windows server 2008 to a SBS2003 network. I did it easily and successfully.

Download Virtual Server 2005 R2 Enterprise Edition. This allows you to create up to 4 virtual servers.

We are in the process of setting up a Windows Home Server. I will blog separately about that. In the meantime here are some links.

Windows Home Server

Order a 120 day evaluation - what we have done - costs a small amount for postage - media is free.

Windows Home Server Blog - add-ins and Code2Fame

We Got Served - WHS Add-ins

Windows Home Server Add-Ins

Windows Home Server Site - by an MVP Philip Churchill - on a Drupal site! Awesome Add-ins