Free PowerShell Editor
Yesterday I began to really dive into a new user script (which uses Exchange Management Shell) to bring it up to date and include more fields and features. As the script complexity grew, Notepad was no longer cutting the mustard.
I thought I’d be using Notepad++ or TextPad, both fine in their own right, but instead [...]
Command Switches for MSI Packages
Microsoft has been using the Windows Installer Tool for quite some time now to make installing, patching and repairing programs a snap (installers using this will typically have an MSI extension).
One of the many benefits of this tool is the ability to script a program or patch installation using the available command-line switches, e.g.: adobe_reader.msi /qn which will [...]
What kind of file is that?
Many of us have experienced the annoyance of receiving a file that we don’t have the appropriate software to view or in a format we do not know or recognize, e.g., “What is a .xxe file and how do I open it?”
(Disclaimer: Make sure you have up to date virus scan and check with the sender [...]
Control Panel Applets from Command Line
One of my customers doesn’t allow user accounts to be in the local Administrators group, something I wish more companies would do. In fact over 90% of infections could be stopped by not logging in as an administrator; but I’ll save that “soapbox” topic for another post.
Many times I need to change settings or install/remove [...]
Free iPhone Apps (plus one paid)
I did an informal survey of friends and a couple of quick searches to see what free Apps might interest me. I amassed almost four screens worth of Apps; I’ve listed those that are work related below…
AroundMe – For lunch near a client site
Citibank – Business finance
Coffee Finder - For Starbucks near a client site
Free RSS – To stay [...]
Gmail Unleashed
Great googly moogly! After five years Gmail (and Apps) is no longer in beta. And instead of yelling it from the rooftops (since many businesses won’t rely on beta products) they are just mumbling it quietly.
I guess Google doesn’t need the business since they are pretty much just printing money at this point.
Xmarks the spot (for bookmarks)
Formerly known as Foxmarks, Xmarks is a great tool that synchronizes your Favorites/Bookmarks (depending on the browser you use).
Just install the small app on each of the computers you wish to keep synchronized and it does the rest. I really wish I would’ve found this earlier; years of copying and sorting on numerous computers left [...]
SaaS and Cloud Computing
I happened upon an interesting article by my favorite tech curmudgeon, John C. Dvorak, in PC Magazine. In the July 2008 issue (yes, I’m still way behind on my magazines), he puts together a list of good reasons why “the future” of computing, namely SaaS and Cloud Computing is just another way to make even more [...]
Mobile Tweeting with Pocketwit
Many months ago I joined the Twitter nation (tthrush, but don’t expect much, I mostly lurk) and eventually added a Twitter app to my cell.
At first I tried Twobile, but the interface was a bit lacking and the it could’ve been little quicker.
I’ve since settled on Pocketwit, another free client, this time from Google. The interface [...]
Three Free Utilities
Everyone carries around a USB drive these days with a variety of utilities, these three have been very useful in the recent past.
CPU-Z – A great utility to find out what kind of memory is installed in a system. This is especially useful when a system is a plain box with out a service tag [...]