ASP.NET AJAX 1.0 Released

Final release of ASP.NET AJAX 1.0 (aka "Atlas") shipped this morning. You can download it here.

See Scott Gu's article for more details.

Outlook 2007 Signature file location

E-mail signature is handy and became a business e-mail standard. MS Outlook provides e-mail signature feature since long ago. It allows you to edit it using its built-in editor or whichever editor you perfer to use. For me, I like to remove the MS specified HTML junk and therefore I've to use external editor such as Notepad.

MS has remove the right-click editing function in Outlook 2007, and the location of signature files is changed (from Outlook 2003). Here's the new default location in Outlook 2007:

%YOUR_PROFILE_LOCATION%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Signatures
profile location = C:\Users\username

In version 2007, Outlook added a nice Name card feature. I decided to wait a little bit, until most people stop reading plain-text for e-mails.

why use signature in email?

Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 行動訊息服務

http://office.microsoft.com/zh-tw/outlook/HA101549971028.aspx
http://www.every8d.com/ms/register/index-1.aspx

何謂 Outlook 2007 行動訊息服務？

Outlook 2007 行動訊息服務是 Microsoft Office Outlook 2007 的一項功能，可以讓您在 Office Outlook 2007 和任何行動電話之間傳送及接收簡訊。您可以設定 Outlook 2007 行動訊息服務來傳送工作和連絡人的簡訊提醒，或甚至直接將包含每日行事曆的簡訊傳送到行動電話，再也不需擔心錯過任何重要會議。

Outlook 2007 行動訊息服務使您不論是在公司外或是與客戶開會時，都可享有接收重要時效性資訊的彈性和自由。Outlook 2007 行動訊息服務所提供的增強型連線可以提供更高的客戶滿意度、更佳的團隊通訊，並減少不必要的麻煩。此服務為您提供了在今天快速變遷的工作環境中隨時擁有最新資訊的通訊工具。

Outlook 2007 行動訊息服務不但使用簡易，而且除了您的行動電話之外，不需再使用任何其他的軟硬體。只需向 Outlook 2007 行動訊息服務提供者註冊，即可使用 Outlook 2007 行動訊息服務提供者。請向當地的服務提供者立即註冊。

我為何需要 Outlook 2007 行動訊息服務？

您忙碌的一天可能包括與客戶和同事協調、出差到客戶所在地點或進行簡報和展示。管理忙亂的行程可是一件全職工作。Outlook 2007 行動訊息服務有助於讓您隨時掌握現況。您不需要向辦公室報到，因為辦公室會向您報到！

立即與連絡人、同事和員工連絡：

o 從 Office Outlook 2007 傳送簡訊 (SMS) 到任何行動電話，包括您自己的行動電話。

o 在 Office Outlook 2007 收件匣中接收對您已傳送之簡訊的回覆。

o 以簡訊形式將電子郵件從 Office Outlook 2007 傳送到任何行動電話。

o 根據您設定的規則，自動以簡訊形式將電子郵件接收到行動電話。

o 將單一的電子郵件傳送到多個收件者的電話。

永遠超前行程：

o 自動接收以簡訊形式傳送到行動電話的 Office Outlook 2007 提醒。

o 以簡訊形式從 Office Outlook 2007 傳送行事曆

Vista user experience - change default font size

I'm using Vista in Transitional Chinese edition. It's cool to see MS releases a better and more "Mac-like" shell. For TC user, the new font "正黑體" is way better, especially the English text doesn’t look like dirty laundries out of dryer anymore. In any case, human resists changes in nature, I'm sure a lot of people will need time to get used to the new things.

As a professional user, I always try to maximum usability, especially on a 15'4 laptop -- space is limited here. With Vista's default theme, the usable area has shrink a lot. One of the main reason I found out, is that the default font size is changed from 8 to 9pt, which take away at least 20% of the usable area compared to the older WinXP shell.

You can still change the font size via Control Panel in 4 simple steps (just like the old way, but one more click). No need to edit registry or stuff like that.

1. Right-click the desktop, choose Personalize, click the first "Windows Color and Appearance" (視窗色彩與外觀) option.

2. Click the "Open classic appearance properties for more color options" (開啟傳統外觀屬性，以使用其他色彩選項) link near the bottom.

3. Click the Advanced button on the "Appearance Settings" dialog.

4. Select each item, and then flip the Size field to 8 pt.Your Vista desktop is now transparently convoluted (at least a little more)...

勇闖美麗島 - 深入台中挖寶貝

讚啦- 八大電視 - 勇闖美麗島 - 深入台中挖寶貝
　
深入台中挖寶貝
2006/12/26 首播：週二 22：30 - 23：30
重播：週三 06：00 - 07：30　　　　　 13：00 - 14：00　　　
非當週重播 (前三個月)　　　週日 14：30 - 15：30　　　　　 23：30 - 24：30

◎本集(台中)路線圖：　
第 1 天 萬家香腊味專賣店 → 干城跳蚤市場 → 沐夏精品汽車旅館 →
第 2 天 大麵粳 → 神農谷藥草浴 → 紐西蘭全羊餐廳
◎相關地圖：∣ 全區地圖∣ 松鶴部落

◎精彩內容預告：　
跨年何處去？台中市政府舉辦的跨年活動，保證可以讓你狂HIGH一整夜，不過，來台中光玩跨年太浪費，快跟著小路一起深入台中挖寶貝！

在建國市場裡的這家腊味專賣店，不但有口感特殊的廣式金銀肝，還有湖南、四川、雲南大陸各地，不同風味的腊製品。除此之外，金華火腿、各式各樣的肉干、肉鬆，也是店家的拿手絕活，琳瑯滿目的各式肉製品，不但讓你買到手軟，還能提供宅配喔。 要做出歐衣西的金銀肝，可是少不了新鮮的豬肝。而且，為了除掉豬肝的腥味，還得先加入鹽巴、糖和蔥蒜、辣椒調味，醃上數個小時之後，才能夠將豬肝拿去風乾喔！

干城跳蚤市場有寶藏，什麼都有，什麼都賣，什麼都不奇怪！這個位在台中市東區的跳蚤市場，在經營管理上面，也都是有專門的人士在負責，才能規劃出中部最大規模的跳蚤市場。 三層樓的汽車旅館，就好像是個小型豪宅，品味高雅的裝潢，讓人不自覺的放鬆身心。而且，這裡的每個房間還有不同的功能設計；可以讓你唱卡拉OK狂歡一整夜，也可以欣賞近期上映的經典影片，只要先告知服務人員，就能夠針對你的需求安排房間喔！

參加跨年晚會就是要狂歡一整夜，不過，狂歡之後當然要補充體力，風味獨特大麵粳，絕對是你在台中吃早餐的不二選擇喔！不過，沒有芶芡卻會牽粳的麵，小路還是第一次看見，再看到一早就大排長龍的人潮，真得讓小路更加好奇，到底這大麵粳葫蘆裡面賣的是什麼藥？竟然能夠吸引這麼多的老饕，真的很奇怪？

手牽手，我們一起走～來到幸福的部落～沒錯！在谷關附近的松鶴部落，已經完全走出72水災的陰影，在當地居民努力之下，經營了數十家的民宿，每家民宿都規劃了專屬的套裝行程；可以挑戰設備完善的山訓場，也能夠參加編織、搗麻糬的活動。以藥草為基底，再調配國外進口的精油，撲鼻而來的各種香氣，完全顛覆了小路對藥草浴的印象，也提昇了泡湯的樂趣。而且，聽大嫂說，為了加強藥草浴的功效，就連這裡的水，全都是引用清澈無污染的山泉水喔！

來到部落的全羊餐廳，除了自己動手烤全羊，也別忘了嚐嚐大嫂拿手的全羊大餐；從羊頭到羊腳，都成了桌上的創意佳餚。販賣羊肉料理已經30年的大嫂，處理羊肉可是有自己的一套學問，不但堅持選用當天現宰的新鮮羊肉，而且還一定要用母羊來做料理，這樣食物才不會有羊騷味。如果你也想來嚐嚐羊肉豐富多變的美味，別忘了要事先預約喔！ 親切不做作的招待，源自於這群愛好自然的朋友，也讓小路感受到最真誠的情感，在松鶴部落，不需要華麗的言語與裝飾，大自然的美景和在地人的熱情。就是這裡，最吸引人的魔力。

F5 debugging of ASP.NET applications on IIS7 Vista

Basically, this is the quickest way to fix back F5 debugging on IIS7/Vista:
1. Install Visual Studio 2005 SP1 update;
2. Install required IIS components such as Windows Authenication;
3. Make the web application to run under Classic mode.


Check out Mike Volodarsky's article for a complete load-down.

MMS to overtake SMS?

By Stephen Whitford, Intrinsic Media, December 2006

As MMS (Multimedia Messaging Service) starts to gain momentum in the market, one has to wonder whether it will overtake SMS as the dominant messaging tool for cellphone users.

As was with SMS when it was first launched, MMS uptake has been fairly slow, with the cellular networks only really beginning to push the service over the last year.

There are a number of benefits to using MMS as opposed to SMS. Instead of 160 characters, users can now type over 2000 characters as well as adding pictures and music to the message – and all this for only R0.90. With many cellphone users resorting to sending two or three SMS when they can’t fit everything into one SMS, the cost saving of MMS is obvious.

There are currently downsides to MMS though. Firstly, most phones have a friendly interface for SMS, which makes it easy to type and send SMS. MMS interfaces on cellphones are not always as user friendly making MMS harder to create and send.

In addition, the size of MMS can go up to 300 KB on some phones. The MMS is then sent or received via GPRS (General Packet Radio Service), which means the phone has to establish the connection and take the time to send and receive – a further downside. And while more and more phones are now MMS compatible and more users have taken the time to retrieve their MMS settings from their networks, the penetration of MMS is still not as widespread as SMS.

So what’s going to change things? Well according to Eddie Groenewald, CEO of Multimedia Solutions ( www.multimediasolutions.co.za ), MMS advertising will. Multimedia Solutions is the first company in South Africa to overcome the challenges of bulk MMS. The company has run advertising campaigns in the automotive, financial, cellular, FMCG and eventing industries.

“It was with the advent of machine to person communication that SMS really took off,” he says. “When it was simply peer to peer, SMS awareness spread virally from user to user as people sent SMS to friends. With the advent of bulk SMS from PC to cellphone, the sheer volume of SMS being sent out gave SMS awareness the critical mass it needed.”

Groenewald believes the same will happen for MMS. However, for many consumers, this raises immediate alarm bells. SMS Spam and SMS premium rated short codes now dominate all forms of media advertising. The introduction of MMS advertising could therefore potentially see consumers’ cellphones ringing non-stop with advertising.

“Not so,” Groenewald argues. “Consumers will also be happy to know that their interests have been prioritised. Firstly, the advertiser pays for the MMS. This means that even the downloading of the MMS via GPRS is free.

“Secondly, Multimedia Solutions only delivers MMS between 8am and 5pm, unless the MMS is prompting an after hours event. Lastly, Multimedia Solutions anti-spam policy ensures no consumers receive unsolicited MMS with MMS only being sent to consumers who have specifically asked to receive information on the advertisers’ products,” he says.

And consumers who do not wish to receive advertising via MMS can unsubscribe at anytime and will not receive MMS adverts from Multimedia Solutions in the future.

The true test of how far MMS has come this year will be seen early next year when the cellular networks give an indication of how well MMS faired over the festive season and whether this had any impact on SMS growth.

感動排骨飯 - 台中范記金之園排骨

只有道地台中人跟內行美食主義者才知道的「台中范記金之園排骨」 (不是民權路那家)，讓我嘗到 已經很久沒吃、會令人感動、還會加點白飯的排骨飯了 ~

在台中自由路跟光復路口的「范記金之園」，是家20年的老店喔！根據網友的調查，前身為「金之園草袋飯」，據說以前煮米時用草袋蒸煮，不過現代沒看到了。

第一次來這裡時真的懷疑女友的推薦，因為除了店不起眼外，一點配菜都沒有，一客100元的排骨飯，上菜時真就傻眼了 -- 因為排骨飯真的就是四樣東西:排骨、飯、味增湯，跟飯上那一丁點不知名的日式調味醬。這種店竟然還要排隊...

正在OS的當下，心想就隨便吃吃就算了，反正下次就不來了...

想不到，事情不是傻人想的那麼簡單...這簡單的三樣食材，好吃到感動，因為每樣食材都看的到、也吃的出裡面的用心跟細節，老店果然就是有兩把刷子:
店裡主食就只有排骨飯、雞腿飯、牛肉飯，跟魚片飯。每一樣都是１００元。其他可加點的就是炒菜跟飯，我也是只有吃過排骨跟雞腿，想必另外兩個也會同樣好吃！

我不曉得別人會不會認同物超所值的評價，但在這年頭，能有店家在這最平凡的料理做到讓人感動的用心，堪稱是平民美食，排骨飯的極致囉。