They’ve now started sending some Urls via /info/, and are encoding the Uri as Base64 encoded ASCII characters.

Example:

http://link.smartscreen.live.com/info/?a=info&l=aHR0cDovL2JhdHRsZWxvZy5iYXR0bGVmaWVsZC53aGF0ZXZlci8%3d&p=1&c=f0644a78-ac91-4d16-ab6b-d27aefa947fd&ti=634710413638367764&h=%2beEg%2f9ns

There’s some additional data in the Url, so perhaps they’re adding some kind of behavior tracking. Either way, I find Smart Screen to be obnoxious and incredibly annoying – especially with it’s lack of any options to disable it – and choose to filter it out.

In addition, I’m also now filtering out the MSN Ads, this requires a bit more work, and seems to have some geographical elements.

For me, adding these DNS aliases has done wonders:

174.36.36.2 ssw.live.com
174.36.36.2 rad.msn.com
174.36.36.2 g.live.com
174.36.36.2 ec.atdmt.com
174.36.36.2 view.atdmt.com
174.36.36.2 wltoday.ninemsn.com.au
174.36.36.2 secure.wlxrs.com
174.36.36.2 cm.ac3.msn.com
174.36.36.2 m.adnxs.com
174.36.36.2 sup.live.com

Now, coming up six years later – I’m planning to do something like it again.
This time I’ll be travelling with one of my Uncles (Mitch).

When and Where are we going? Not sure yet – we’re just throwing around some ideas.
How long for? Also not sure, but at this stage thinking something like four weeks. We spent about three weeks in NZ in 2010.
What do we want to do? Well, neither of us are really drinkers or party goers – but we both like food, and music, and things like that.

Not sure if how we’ll divide up the time either – I’m not keen on spending all our time in one country – I’d like to travel around a bit. Car or Bus or something is possible.

Current destination countries/ideas being tossed up:
* Vietnam
* Spain (apparently this is where the slow food movement started?)
* Canada (The great lakes, and forests look like particularly nice places)
* Italy (Tuscany I’d really love to go back to)
* Norway
* Denmark
* Iceland (Volcanoes and Fjords together – But this is probably an impossibility given cost of flights/etc)

If you had four weeks off work next year (say Mid-spring to Mid-Autumn) and a modest budget – where would you go, what would you see, and why?

My initial impression with setting up the OS was quite nice – the UI seems nicely put together. Once the machine is configured, I was dumped at the new ‘Metro Start’ screen.

The look of the new start screen is interesting at first. But a few moments actually trying to use the interface with a mouse reveals a few major issues.

It’s painfully evident that the Start screen is designed for a touch enabled device, with hardware back/home buttons. That is: Tablets, or mobile phones.

Anyone using a keyboard/mouse is going to get frustrated and/or lost very quickly. The only way to navigate is to find the scrollbar hidden at the bottom of the window and drag it (which disappears if you keep your mouse still).

This touch optimisation (or rather: exclusivity) extends to the new Metro style immersive applications. When you launch the new application it completely takes over your desktop, with a full-screen interface.

Dude, where's my multitasking?

Once you’re inside the application, there’s no UI elements indicating how to get out. Yet another indicator people are going to need to use Windows on a tablet from now on.

Dude, where's my exit/back button?

It is possible to bail out using just the mouse – so far I’ve found that putting your mouse on the far left edge lets you click away to another application. And eventually, perhaps, to the Metro start screen.  You have to actually press the Start key to get back home reliably.  (Seriously, wtf?)

Back on the home front, clicking on the Desktop takes you to what you’ve come to expect from Desktop OSs of the last oh 20 years or so.

Gah, what the hell... they've added the Ribbon UI to Explorer? 20% of the window real estate gone to this.

This brings up another point of frustration with Windows 8.  They’ve now effectively got two completely different ways of dealing with applications.

The “Classic” windows way lets you have windows (whoa, crazy) and to quickly switch between tasks using a mouse.

The new “Metro” way lets you have only one task open at a time, and switching requires a keystroke of some kind.(I’ve been told you can have two apps side by side in an 80-20 split, but I havn’t figured that out yet)

It also means that you’ve got two sets of applications – and to use them together is nigh on impossible.

Perhaps in multi-monitor scenarios you could have the two combined – but again, that the Metro UX is entirely touch focussed means those using a mouse are going to have trouble.  This brings into contrast that those using Windows8 on a tablet are going to have trouble using “Classic” windowed applications which expect relatively fine control from a mouse.

I don’t see the purpose, other than as an elaborate practical joke, of combining the two.

Shut down? You don’t need no steenking shut down options. 

Lastly, figuring out how to shut down or restart is an ordeal. In every version of Windows back to ’95 you click Start, and then Shutdown (or a power icon).

In Windows 8, either this has been forgotten as a task users do with some regularity – or it’s being deliberately obscured because on a Tablet you don’t need to.

In any case, it’s a multi-step process requiring you to click Start, then your Profile,  select Log out. Then windows goes to a tablet/mobile style “lock screen” which you need to (no shit) drag up, so you can hit the power option ,and finally select shutdown.

Conclusion

My only conclusion from a few hours poking around is that Microsoft are deliberately abandoning the desktop, or have decided that since Windows Phone 7 was such a raging success (yes, that’s sarcasm Sheldon) they’d go copy/paste all over the new version of Windows.

Seriously, I have this vision in my head of the design meetings for Windows 8. They’re all in mutual admiration that they produced a Phone OS that doesn’t suck as much as Symbian*. Then someone says “Well hey, it worked on the phone, lets make the next version of Windows ALL ABOUT THE TILES”.

I can only hope that someone realises they need to target the Tablet and desktop seperately before they launch, or they’ll realise that despite awesome engineering in the backend – they really can repeat the apparent disaster of Windows Vista.

* Okay, so Windows Phone 7 is actually pretty nice. I’m just venting, ok?

Where to get: eBay (recommended), or Lenovo Website.

Where did I get mine? eBay.
Why eBay? About 40% the price of the same model on the Lenovo Australia site, including shipping.
What eBay Seller? bunnypan

What specific configuration?

This one: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140531673940

Or, summarised:
– Core i7 2720QM 2.2Ghz (Quad Core w/ Hyperthreading). Turbo mode = 3.3Ghz NB: This is a “Sandybridge” CPU – latest, fastest as of May 2011
– 8GB RAM (2x 4GB) NB: 2 free slots for adding more ram. See below
– 1920×1080 Matte Screen. NB: IPS Screen. Best colour quality.
– 500GB 7200 RPM SATA HDD.
– nVidia Quadro 1000M w/ 2GB Video Memory, and Optimus.
– 3 year (1 year battery) RTB Warranty.
– Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6205 2×2 Wifi card. NB: Can add 3G Modem

What did it cost you? USD$1598 + USD$149 shipping to Australia.
With the prevailing exchange rate – this worked out as just over AUD$1600 on my card, including conversion fees.

What else did you do to it?
Upgraded RAM – two more 4GB DDR3 DIMMS for $55 each. ($110 total)
Replaced HDD – OCZ Vertex 2 250GB SSD. (~$499)
Added a ThinkPad Mini Dock Plus Series 3 (170W) Model 433830U – USD$240 + shipping.

Why the RAM?
Why not, it was only $110 more, and more ram is almost always useful.

Just edit your hosts file, and add the following on a new line at the end.

174.36.36.2   link.smartscreen.live.com

The server at that IP address will just do a regular HTTP Redirection, sending your link on it’s way quick smart. No nanny-net b.s.

PS: This server is run by me, and, technically, I could do bad things like redirecting you to malware. I promise I won’t.

Edit: Oops, got the wrong IP. my bad.

Edit,  2012-04-26:  Smartscreen Fights Back

As with all sauces, it gets better with age. If you can cook it the day before, and put it in the refrigerator and re-heat then it’s great.

Quantities are generally indicative but based on what I actually used just recently. Feel free to add other vegetables that you have (olives, mushrooms, etc) – it’s a good way to use up what’s in your fridge. Don’t be put off by the the amount of olive oil indicated – it gives it a good body, and as the sauce cooks the oil will be absorbed.

Vegetable Pasta Sauce

• 2 Brown Onions, Peeled & finely chopped
• 8 Cloves Garlic, peeled and finely chopped
• 4 Carrots, Grated
• 1 Zucchini, Grated
• 1 Cup (approx) of grated/finely chopped celery
• 8 Tomatoes, Peeled – Chop roughly to break up.
• 1 Jar Pureed Tomato (Approx 600ml)
• 1/3 Cup Olive Oil
• Dried Italian Herbs to taste:
  • Rosemary
  • Thyme
  • Bay Leaf
  • Oregano
  • Parsley
• 2 Massel Chicken-Flavoured Stock Cubes (NB: Contains no meat product)

Substitutions:

• Peeled tomatoes can come from a can, or fresh.
• Pureed Tomato could be replaced with approx 6 tablespoons of Tomato Paste Concentrate.

Directions:

1. Add a tablespoon of the oil to a very large frypan (with lid), or large pot on medium heat.
   Test the temperature of the oil by placing a wooden spoon into the oil – it should sizzle.
2. Add the onions.
   Sautee/Fry until softened (but not brown) – stir frequently.
3. Clear a small space in the middle of the pan and Add garlic
   Allow to cook for a minute.
4. Add grated carrot, zucchini, and celery
   Continue to sautee until softened (approx 10 minutes). Stir frequently.
   You may need to place a lid on the pan if the vegetable begins to dry out.
5. Add the remaining ingredients, including the remaining oil.
   Increase heat to high, and cook with lid off for 15 minutes on high – stir frequently.
6. Test consistency. If sauce is very thick, add water.
   Reduce heat to medium, and add lid. Cook for at least 30 minutes. Stir regularly (every 10 minutes or so).
7. You could serve now.
   Ideally though: Reduce heat to low, and allow to continue to cook with lid on for several more hours, on a low heat.  About 4 hours is ideal. Stir regularly, and monitor consistency – adding water as necessary.

Serve over freshly cooked pasta of your chosen variety. Top with Parmesan Cheese.

Variations:

• Minced Beef, Lamb, or Pork. Add while frying the onions.
• Bacon. Fry in the pan before adding the onions. Retain the bacon fat, and remove some (or all) of the olive oil.
• Chilli, Fresh or Dried. Add with the herbs.
• Use pasta sauce as the tomato layer in a lasagne.

Cooking Time: 1-4 hours.

Produces: Approximately 2 Litres of Pasta Sauce.

Obviously it’s working, two of the folks I’m friends with on Facebook have used it recently.

This little gem I found in the sidebar of my profile.

Everywhere I go on Facebook there’s a prompt asking me to hand over passwords for email and other services.

People have their online identities (not to mention anything important: like internet banking services) associated with these email addresses – why on earth would anyone willingly hand those details over?

Oh, that’s right, there’s a little blue padlock and a nice reassuring “Facebook won’t save your password” message. We should all rest easy knowing the bright sparks at Facebook have our best intentions at heart. Because no-one has ever accidentally turned on data logging. Especially not anyone working for a big reputable and trustworthy totally-not-evil company.

Carry on then.

Everyone wants to help, and because of that people try and do whatever they can – passing on information, and spreading rumour.

In some places and occasions where there is no organised response – this is useful. That’s not the case for the Queensland Floods.

If you’re NOT in an affected area:

• DO NOT pass on emergency, urgent, or time sensitive information by copying and pasting it into Twitter or Facebook.

  The worst thing you can do is to pass on old or outdated information.
  This causes confusion, and can put lives in danger.

  Because of the rapidly changing nature of disasters, the best information is directly from those organisations involved in dealing with the disaster.

  If you must, then link to official sources of information: Police, Fire, SES, or other Government emergency management organisations.

• DO NOT pass on rumour or other information which isn’t linking an official source.
  Rumours can start panic, and distress those outside the area. This can worsen the situation.
• If you want to help and you’re not near any of the affected areas, then monetary donations to one of the official appeals are generally the best way. ABC Brisbane has a list of the various legitimate appeals for Queensland.

Those IN affected areas:

• Be Safe and Follow advice of Emergency Services personnel and SES – not random people on Twitter and Facebook.
  Social media is great, but the emergency service personnel are well coordinated, and have the best knowledge of what is happening.  Someone from Sydney or Melbourne is likely passing on hour-old news.
• If you have a Radio, tune it to your ABC Local Radio station.
  This is the designated ‘emergency’ radio network and will have the latest and breaking information about your area.
• ABC Radio Frequencies for Queensland
• ABC Radio Frequencies for Western Australia
• More ABC Frequency information here:
• Don’t be stupid.
  Follow posted signs.
  Don’t drive into flood waters, even if you have a Ute or 4WD.
  Don’t swim or walk through flood waters.

Is there a future for eReaders? Of course. Amazon figured it out very fast and dropped the price of their WiFi only Kindle to less than $150, well below the entry level prices of most tablets. Unfortunately for them, however, that probably still won’t convince tablet owners to buy yet another device. Despite the battery life, weight, and e-ink display, it just isn’t as flashy and spending another $150 for something that duplicates a feature on their tablet is a tough sell

The thing is, while you can install an app on your tablet to let you read books – the experience and target audience is just not the same.

There are those people for whom buying a Kindle as a separate device from a Tablet isn’t worth it – I would suggest that these people are NOT those who find the Kindle particularly great.

E-ink displays have significantly better readability properties than LCD/OLED type displays: very high resolution, readable in whatever sunlight there is, and require power only to change the image.  Thus, the battery life of an e-ink device will be significantly higher than that of an LCD/OLED equipped device.

These things matter little to anyone who reads only a light to moderate amount – the ones who won’t buy a Kindle.
For anyone who is a heavy reader and/or travels a lot then having a device that weighs less than a magazine, and has a battery that will outlast for even the most delayed airport trip is a definite win.

I think the Colour Nook will be an outright failure, because it’s sacrificing what makes a good reading device to go after people who want colour more than long life or fantastic readability.

Perhaps with another few generations of improvement in display and power management technology it’ll be possible to achieve these properties with a tablet PC.  Until then, the Kindle and other true e-ink devices will be a winner for voracious readers.

Me:

• Senior .NET Dev with 7 years experience in .NET – From 1.1 through 4.0
• Was at Massive Interactive for the last 3 years working on IPTV and eCommerce solutions, their CMS Product, and a bunch of other things
• Believer in well engineered software.
• Not a designer, or UI guy, sorry.
  (I can hack away at CSS and Javascript and get something workable, but it’s probably better to get folks who’ve spent more time learning that than I have)
• Contributor to Open Source Software (MahTweets)
• Miscellaneous Windows Server Administration, Networking skills
• Gadget lover, Photographer, Geek
• Living in Sydney at present, but wanting to move to Melbourne.

What I’m looking for:

• Role: Senior .NET Development, Architect, Tech Lead, or some mix thereof.
• Where: Melbourne-ish area, Close to public transport.
• Start Mid-Late January 2011
• Casual Environment

Interested?

• Call me: 0400 486 399
• Email me: will@hughesfamily.net.au
• Linked In Profile: http://au.linkedin.com/in/willhughesau

Looking for samples of my work?
Unfortunately NDAs preclude me sharing any of my work at Massive, however I have been working on some Open Source projects recently.

MahTweets Services
Hosted Services for MahTweets Applications on Windows Desktop and (soon) Windows Phone 7.

• • Usage Metrics Capture & Reporting
  • Exception & Crash Capture & Reporting
  • Account / Profile Synchronisation (soon)

Source Control:
http://mahtweetsservices.codeplex.com/SourceControl/list/changesets

Tech:

• .NET Framework 4.0
• WCF Services Hosted on ASP.NET
• ASP.NET MVC 2 for UI / Reporting
• RavenDB for Data Storage
• Autofac for IoC