Ray Jezek's Blog

My new HTC Wizard

So i got my new HTC wizard (flavored as T-Mobile MDA) and I must say it's a really nice device.  Of course anything after using a blackbarely for a few years will seem better.  A few things that I do not like;

* setting up synchronization to Exchange was WAY harder than it should have been... i had to install certificates and everything on the device to get this crazy thing to work
* once I got sycnchronization working I noticed a BUG where when new email comes into a sub-folder off the inbox no message flag is raised!  Since I have a very well structred inbox this means that my device NEVER says i have new email... even though in the folders I can see about 50 new unread messages.  What's up with that?!  So of course I can't get the crazy thing to vibrate when I get new email either because as far as the device is concerned... I dont have new email.  WOW - I hope that bug gets fixed because it really sucks (outlook has the exact same bug btw.. only raises the new message flag for the inbox only...not sub-folders!!).

Overall though I really like the device but there are something I will have to get used to or find a fix for.  Gotta love new toys!

RSS Reader that support offline images

I need a new RSS reader.  The one I have now (Attensa) is great but I do almost 100% of my blog reading on the train with no connection...so when I open up a feed that has pictures (Engadget for instance) all I see are broken images.  I know a lot of these readers support attachments for offline viewing but maybe there is one that exists what will also download images and re-create the src attribute on the image tag for me??  Now wouldn't that be great.

I'll have to dig around google a bit and see if anything is out there. 

Looking for the right exception?

This is mostly for my own reference; I am usually looking for the right exception to throw so here is a single list with everything deriving from System.Exception nicely nested and linked:

System.Object    System.Exception       System.ApplicationException          System.Reflection.InvalidFilterCriteriaException          System.Reflection.TargetException          System.Reflection.TargetInvocationException          System.Reflection.TargetParameterCountException       System.IO.IsolatedStorage.IsolatedStorageException       System.Runtime.Remoting.MetadataServices.SUDSGeneratorException       System.Runtime.Remoting.MetadataServices.SUDSParserException       System.SystemException          System.AppDomainUnloadedException          System.ArgumentException             System.ArgumentNullException             System.ArgumentOutOfRangeException             System.ComponentModel.InvalidEnumArgumentException             System.DuplicateWaitObjectException          System.ArithmeticException             System.DivideByZeroException             System.NotFiniteNumberException             System.OverflowException          System.ArrayTypeMismatchException          System.BadImageFormatException          System.CannotUnloadAppDomainException          System.ComponentModel.Design.Serialization.CodeDomSerializerException          System.ComponentModel.LicenseException          System.ComponentModel.WarningException          System.Configuration.ConfigurationException          System.Configuration.Install.InstallException          System.ContextMarshalException          System.Data.DataException             System.Data.ConstraintException             System.Data.DeletedRowInaccessibleException             System.Data.DuplicateNameException             System.Data.InRowChangingEventException             System.Data.InvalidConstraintException             System.Data.InvalidExpressionException                System.Data.EvaluateException                System.Data.SyntaxErrorException             System.Data.MissingPrimaryKeyException             System.Data.NoNullAllowedException             System.Data.ReadOnlyException             System.Data.RowNotInTableException             System.Data.StrongTypingException             System.Data.TypedDataSetGeneratorException             System.Data.VersionNotFoundException          System.Data.DBConcurrencyException          System.Data.Odbc.OdbcException          System.Data.OracleClient.OracleException          System.Data.SqlClient.SqlException          System.Data.SqlServerCe.SqlCeException          System.Data.SqlTypes.SqlTypeException             System.Data.SqlTypes.SqlNullValueException             System.Data.SqlTypes.SqlTruncateException          System.Drawing.Printing.InvalidPrinterException          System.EnterpriseServices.RegistrationException          System.EnterpriseServices.ServicedComponentException          System.ExecutionEngineException          System.FormatException             System.Net.CookieException             System.Reflection.CustomAttributeFormatException             System.UriFormatException          System.IndexOutOfRangeException          System.InvalidCastException          System.InvalidOperationException             System.Net.ProtocolViolationException             System.Net.WebException             System.ObjectDisposedException          System.InvalidProgramException          System.IO.InternalBufferOverflowException          System.IO.IOException             System.IO.DirectoryNotFoundException             System.IO.EndOfStreamException             System.IO.FileLoadException             System.IO.FileNotFoundException             System.IO.PathTooLongException          System.Management.ManagementException          System.MemberAccessException             System.FieldAccessException             System.MethodAccessException             System.MissingMemberException                System.MissingFieldException                System.MissingMethodException          System.MulticastNotSupportedException          System.NotImplementedException          System.NotSupportedException             System.PlatformNotSupportedException          System.NullReferenceException          System.OutOfMemoryException          System.RankException          System.Reflection.AmbiguousMatchException          System.Reflection.ReflectionTypeLoadException          System.Resources.MissingManifestResourceException          System.Runtime.InteropServices.ExternalException             System.ComponentModel.Design.CheckoutException             System.ComponentModel.Win32Exception                System.Net.Sockets.SocketException             System.Data.OleDb.OleDbException             System.Messaging.MessageQueueException             System.Runtime.InteropServices.COMException             System.Runtime.InteropServices.SEHException             System.Web.HttpException                System.Web.HttpCompileException                System.Web.HttpParseException                System.Web.HttpRequestValidationException          System.Runtime.InteropServices.InvalidComObjectException          System.Runtime.InteropServices.InvalidOleVariantTypeException          System.Runtime.InteropServices.MarshalDirectiveException          System.Runtime.InteropServices.SafeArrayRankMismatchException          System.Runtime.InteropServices.SafeArrayTypeMismatchException          System.Runtime.Remoting.RemotingException             System.Runtime.Remoting.RemotingTimeoutException          System.Runtime.Remoting.ServerException          System.Runtime.Serialization.SerializationException          System.Security.Cryptography.CryptographicException             System.Security.Cryptography.CryptographicUnexpectedOperationException          System.Security.Policy.PolicyException          System.Security.SecurityException          System.Security.VerificationException          System.Security.XmlSyntaxException          System.ServiceProcess.TimeoutException          System.StackOverflowException          System.Threading.SynchronizationLockException          System.Threading.ThreadAbortException          System.Threading.ThreadInterruptedException          System.Threading.ThreadStateException          System.TypeInitializationException          System.TypeLoadException             System.DllNotFoundException             System.EntryPointNotFoundException          System.TypeUnloadedException          System.UnauthorizedAccessException          System.Web.Services.Protocols.SoapException             System.Web.Services.Protocols.SoapHeaderException          System.Xml.Schema.XmlSchemaException          System.Xml.XmlException          System.Xml.XPath.XPathException          System.Xml.Xsl.XsltException             System.Xml.Xsl.XsltCompileException       System.Windows.Forms.AxHost.InvalidActiveXStateException

Wanted: Experienced Tester to join the TT team

Our team currently has an opening for an experienced tester.  We are looking for someone who has the ability to implement and execute a testing strategy for our team utilizing some of the latest Microsoft technologies (like team system and foundation server).  Responsibilities would also include implementing and managing the build and release strategy for the team.  For a full listing of the requirements and job description you can check out our web site.  I’m not even sure a person with the diverse skill-set we need even exists but I think the opportunity here is an excellent one.  You get to join our great team of developers (including folks like Ryan and Richard) working with the latest technologies at terrific company (best one I’ve ever worked at).  In fact Trading Technologies was named the 3^rd best place in Chicago to work by Chicago Magazine so it’s not just me who thinks it a great place to work. ;)

If you are interested drop me a note at ray.jezek AT tradingtechnologies DOT com or use the contact me link on the blog. 

AJAX and ATLAS and the future of Script callbacks

Coolest Keyboard Ever - LCD Keys?

Ok this has to be one of the colest gadgets I've seen a LONG time.  Keyboard innovations have been pretty poor in the past, but this concept just blows me away.  Application sensitive keys... think about all the business apps that could use this single keyboard - airline resrvations, restaurants, traders, etc...   I love the gaming context as well!

http://www.artlebedev.com/portfolio/optimus/

http://www.engadget.com/entry/1234000740050460/

How to return an array - null or empty?

I was writing some code today and had a few methods that were returning arrays of values.  I was wondering what the guidelines were about the proper way to return an array from an API so I did a quick search and turned up the following:

“String and Array properties should never return a null reference. Null can be difficult to understand in this context. The general rule is that null, empty string (""), and empty (0 item) arrays should be treated the same way. Return an empty array instead of a null reference.” -- from http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/cpgenref/html/cpconarrayusageguidelines.asp

This makes a lot of sense and takes the burden off the developer of having to check for null in the returned value before doing something as simple as checking its length.

Visual Studio Won't Debug - Symbols not loaded - Fixed

Debugging stopped working on my laptop today.  No symbols would load for any assembly.  Even trying to load the symbols manually in the modules window wouldn't work. 

I found the answer to this problem over on Min Kwan Park's blog.

Can start Managed debugging, but PDB is not loaded. So, can’t hit any Breakpoints at all.

If you can start debugging and debuggee is launched properly, but you couldn’t hit any BP, you may need to check the installation of “diasymreader.dll”.

The file may not be registered. So you need to register it manually.

To register it, you need to do

1. find out “diasymreader.dll”
2. regsvr32 diasymreader.dll

I have no idea how the dll got unregistered but re-registering the library fixed the issue immediately.

MSN Messenger Outage Today

Well MSN has totally crashed today; messenger.msn.com is showing an error page an noboby seems like they can log in.  I have theory about this outage.

Today is “patch Tuesday” and MS is supposed to have a number of fixes released today.  Could these servers be configured to auto-update?? 

Think about it.

:)

-- couldn't resist

HttpUtility.UrlEncode Does not encode spaces properly

I realized a while back that HttpUtility.UrlEncode does not properly encode spaces for URLs.  It encodes a space as a “+“ which most browsers do not interpret as a space for the obvious reason that + is actually a valid character for a filename.  So to work around the bug we wrote the following:

public static string URLEncode(string str) {        return System.Web.HttpUtility.UrlEncode( str ).Replace("+","%20"); }

It's interesting to note that HttpUtility.UrlPathEncode does properly encode the space but fails to encode other critical charcters like & and ?.

My Nerd Score

Well since ryan took it I had to.

It's actually about where i thought i would be.  Just your average nerd.

Robert Scoble Predicts The Future (almost)

This is very scary:

Dec 23 - Robert makes his 2005 predictions.  They include the following statement:
   11) There will be a major disaster in 2005 and mainstream media will use citizen journalists in a new way to cover the disaster.

Dec 26 - A major earthquake happens off the coast of Indonesia - This is THE worst tragedy to happen in my lifetime.  If you haven't yet, you need to donate some $$ to help out the people in need right now.

Dec 29 - AFP Article talking about how blogging has been critical in reporting the tragedy to the world.

I think im going to pay attention to Robert's other predictions a little closer now...

How to install Cisco VPN Client on Windows 2003

I previously posted about not being able to get Cisco's VPN client installed on my Windows 2003 server machine.  Cisco says they don't support the OS so they are absolutely no help whatsoever.  However, Morten posted a comment on my last post which led me to the solution!  He said that you have to use the NON-msi installer.  So per his advice I tried to install install the 4.0.5(A) NON-msi install package... and walla!  It worked like a charm!  VPN client works perfectly.  I'm not sure what the difference is between the two installers but the regular one worked just fine.  The other crazy thing is, the VPN client works just fine too.  Not any difference from when I used it on XP.

Thanks again Morten!

Installing Cisco VPN Client on Windows Server 2003

I just installed Win2k3 server on my laptop - everything work just perfect except one thing.  Cisco's VPN client software won't even install on the machine.  It fails saying something about Virtual Adapter couldn't install or something.  Extensive searches of the internet turn up nothing.  A visit to the Cisco site reveals that Windows 2003 isn't supported!  How can a company as big as Cisco not support Windows 2003!?  Are they making the totally incorrect assumption that people won't want to use VPN with Windows 2003?  They can't be that dense.

Maybe they just assume that since Windows 2003 has VPN built in I'll just use that instead of their product all together?  

Netflix Business Model Proved Superior?

I have been a long time subscriber / supporter of Netflix.  I absolutely hate the movie feeding frenzy that takes place at video stores.  Endless walls of replica boxes that takes forever to sift through; people rummaging through return bins in hope that the movie they want is in there; not finding what you came to store in the first place to rent.  Then you wait in a long line only to get to the counter to find out you have yet another late fee on your account.  The moment I heard about Netflix I signed up and haven't been to a blockbuster since!  The efficiency of having a “rental queue” of movies just waiting to be sent to your doorstep is hard to beat.  But with any Internet startup you wonder how viable their business model is and if they are able to be successful.

Well I just noticed today (who knows how long they have offered this) that blockbuster now offers an almost identical service as netflix!  To me this pretty much validates their business model and proves that Blockbuster is feeling some of the effects of a superior rental company/methodology.  The interesting thing about the blockbuster deal is that they offer you 2 free in-store rentals per month with your subscription.  I guess they are trying to balance the fact that this new model will hurt their stores even more (I wonder if local blockbusters are franchised? - ouch). 

I will most likely stick with netflix because they were the pioneers here and I want to continue to keep my money far away from blockbuster.

I wonder if you could rent video games in this same way?.....