 |
Sausage Sizzler - HotDog Alpha in the shadows |
 |
| Editorial October 16, 2002 |
G'Day Sizzlers!
What a week, if it doesn't rain it pours! On top of a heap of work I need to get done, my wife Karissa broke her ankle and required surgery yesterday (she broke it the Sunday before) and if that wasn't enough I subjected myself to weekend drive down to Kentucky and back. Of course I had to do all the driving which made for one tired person!
Over the past few weeks we have highlighted our plans to redevelop the HotDog character. It appears that most people believe we are focusing on the character rather than development of the new product. Well let me set everyone straight now. The character is a side issue that is being handled outside of the core team, at this moment the team is focused solely on developing the new version of HotDog. The new character is a small distraction that is a bit of fun, and I thought was a worthy candidate to share with you all. I would love to share more about the development of the program more often but programs are generally there or not, there is no use in sharing a half completed program with you!
So that leads me to some good news. A cut down version of HotDog Professional 7 is undergoing internal testing currently and will soon be released to our Alpha test group. In turn this means we should have a beta out in the next month or so.
Keep on sizzling!
Nathan Allan
Sausage Sizzler Editor
editor@sausage.com
Message and Bulletin Boards
We use vBulletin for our message board but what do you use for yours?
What would you recommend?
If you have some useful input please help out Kevin H at:
http://www.sizzlerforums.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=970
Review by Nathan
Any questions so far?: Setting up a local development environment
Over the past few weeks Ive gone over a bunch of topics, each related to setting up a development environment that can located anywhere you have a LAN and a high-speed connection. I didn't learn it all once and I remember that some of the mistakes I made, big and small, took time for me to learn from.
Next week Im planning on going over various set ups including physical LAN layout (using my own as an example) as well as some specifics of how the development machine is set up (such as using name-based hosting and ways to connect).
By next week Ill have a better idea of what to cover. For now, Id like to know if there are any questions regarding what Ive covered so far. If there is anything I can add into the series that will help you, or if there are some specific questions I can answer, please send me a message or post them in the forums.
http://www.sizzlerforums.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=962
Discuss your experiences with Bram
Browser-based remote computing? YES!
When was the last time any of you were at work, having done work at home the night before, and suddenly realized that one important file you need was at home? Worse than that, either your wife isn't home or she has no idea how to work a computer.
Ill be honest. It hasn't happened to me, yet. Ive given a lot of thought to how I could put applications such as PC Anywhere to use, since I own it. The most likely use for me is installing the host on my file & print server so that I can manage some aspects of that machine. Besides managing a few settings and Windows updates, there is my DSL IP broadcast software. Truthfully, doing this would be just because I have the software, not because I need to do it.
For those of you that frequently work at home and fear that you might leave THE file at home, remote access is important.
A few weeks ago I was doing some work on someone elses PC, at someone elses office. All of a sudden my mouse stopped responding to MY commands but seemed to have a mind of its own.
A few seconds later the phone rang and a guy on the other end asked me who was using the computer I was on. I said "ME! Whats going on?!?" The voice said "Oops.. sorry about that.. let me turn it back over to you".
Long story short, it was the accountant calling. The company I was visiting has its QuickBooks files on the PC I was using. The accountant services all his clients by connecting to their PCs and getting their QuickBooks files securely.
How? There is a relatively new service named GoToMyPC. Its a pretty darn cool system. The set up is simple. You download and install some light software on the host machine (the machine to be remotely accessed) and thats it. Of course you have to play with a few settings, but its merely a few minutes of your time.
Once the host is set up, access is via web browser and GoToMyPC's secure network. It works JUST like PC Anywhere, meaning, you can operate a remote PC, via web browser, as if you were actually sitting in front of the remote PC.
The pricing is relatively inexpensive, starting at $14.95 per month. Whats great is that they offer a 60-minute (total) or numbered usage for testing purposes. After the trial period or usage time expires, you either pay for the service or uninstall the host software.
Check it out!
http://www.gotomypc.com/
Review by Bram
Flat Panel LCD vs. Flat Glass CRT
Last week I discussed the benefits of using two (or more) monitors for your computer set up. I covered facts such as tossing your low-end, convex glass monitors and upgrading to flat screen glass. I also touched on space-saving LCD monitors.
I would love to have two 19 inch flat panel LCD monitors on my desk. I'd have a world more space and perhaps a good deal less of heat generation in my immediate area. I can't discuss too much in this article as I really need go get feedback from you, the readers. Many people much more technically savvy than myself have told me that LCDs are great for general office use and browsing the web. However, they are lacking in their abilities to truly support heavy graphical demands.
I would love to be proven wrong with hard facts so that one of my next major PC purchases will focus on LCDs. Please tell me if you are using an LCD monitor (or more than one) and what your experiences have been while using heavy programs such as anything from Adobe.
http://www.sizzlerforums.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=963
Discuss with Bram
To read the Sizzler Forums you do not need to be a member.
However to take full advantage of this resource it will only take
you a few seconds to sign up!
- Go to: http://www.sizzlerforums.com
- Read the information and click on the REGISTER button
- Fill out the form
- You will receive an email that you simply reply to
- Hey presto! Your a fully fledged Sizzler Forums member!
| Vital Sausage Sizzler Info |
[Subscriptions]
If you would like to receive the Sausage Sizzler Newsletter in your mailbox weekly, you can
subscribe here.
[Archives]
Read the past issues at the
Archives.
[Problems]
If you have a problem with your subscription or want to ask
or tell us something email me at
editor@sausage.com.
[Thanks go to]
Newsletter Ease for producing newsletter management software.
Lockergnome for the use of their Lyris email server.
[Copyright]
The Sausage Sizzler Newsletter is Copyrighted to Sausage
Software. Send all your comments, questions and queries to
editor@sausage.com.
Feel free to recommend and pass this newsletter on to your friends.
