There have been a couple of times where I wanted/needed to send a snapshot of my BlackBerry screen to a someone. Unlike the iPhone who has the functionality built-in you need to install the screen capture software which is a snap. Below are the details.
Installation Instructions
- Launch the BlackBerry Browser
- Browse to: m.TheTechMogul.com
- Download & Install the App
- Application Icon
Useage
- Click the menu button on the keypad
- Select Capture IT
- Once the vibration stops the screen cast is complete
- Check your device or media card for the image file
vbs: Simple File Organizer
Oct 22
What exactly is VBScript? Well VBScript is Microsoft’s Visual Basic Scripting Edition which allows you to script in pretty much any windows environment like within the desktop, web client and IIS! VBS is part of the Visual Basic family and you can do many things as VBScript is able to communicate to host applications via Windows Script. Typically you would see VBS within classic ASP pages, but System Admins automate processes using VBS and frankly that’s my bag baby!
Using VBS I can query the registry, get system information and write it a file, create files and folders, clean out logs, add/remove an account to an AD group, connect to and query SQL Server (Which I have done on several occasions), automate processed within ArcCatalog for GIS purposes and so on!
Well I deal with a great deal of files and in this particular case I have over 24,444 files that I needed to organize. I felt it would be best to group all 24,444 files into folders categorized by the create date or modified date. The only problem is trying to sort through all 24,444 files would take me a lifetime. Okay I admit that statement was a little extreme but in all fairness it would have taken me a while to do it manually and I am not a fan of doing things manually (if I can help it)!
With that said I decided it would be in my best interest to write a script that would handle it for me since I am a big fan of using command line, batch files and vbs scripts. I decided to write a vbs that grabs the modified date stamp on the file and in turn use it to create a folder. So if the file had a date stamp of 4/1/2009 a folder would be created and named 04-01-09 then all files with the same date stamp would be moved to that folder. Nifty isn’t it! I though so!!! It is a very simple script and works well. I used it to organize 24,444 files so expect the processor to spike when dealing with file amounts in that ballpark.
Without further ado here is the script in action…
Useful Links
VBScript User’s Guide
Microsoft TechNET Scripting Center
Microsoft TechNET Scripting Guide
Microsoft TechNET Script Repository
Scripting Tools and Utilities
Script Runtime
A few friends and family of mine some of which are in the IT Field and some are considering making a move to IT. A few have asked me, “how do I get into it?” and others have asked, “which path should I choose?” or, “what else can I do?“. I respond simply with, “Well I was accepted into the IT field based on my rugged good looks and sophisticated charm!“. I am kidding about the charm part… because I really became a DBA to meet chicks! All jokes aside it really depends! Even though there are many paths to pursue within IT some positions will not be ideal for everyone.
For example if you are a systems admin and your primary responsibilities and experience are spec’ing, setting up and configuring servers, workstations and such then chances are that you will not enjoy switching to a programmer seat or a dba for that matter and vice versa. For those who are looking might like interfacing with people or “clients” face to face while others are more of the back-end “behind the scenes” folks. So in a nutshell you need to do what you are comfortable with, more importantly do what you feel passionate about, because if you love what you do then it’s not really considered work!
On another note (being a little bias) I did suggest the database track for a few reasons:
- damn near everything uses a database in one form or another
- data is very important which makes the database field relatively stable compared to other IT positions
With that said most would start by saying, “the only way to learn is to get yourself a copy of SQL Server Developer or Express edition and start practicing!“. Which is easier said then done, because if you have never worked with a Relational Database Management System (RDBMS) before then how would you know where to actually start? Well installing the product is probably your best bet, but how?
As a beginner you don’t know:
- if you should use a default or named instance
- if you should use windows or mixed mode authentication
- if you should place the data files on a different spindle
- what a schema is
- how to use the UI
- how write a query because you are not familiar with the syntax
So it is unfair or somewhat unreasonable for me to simply say, “just start doing it!“. I know this can be argued differently because that is exactly what I did. I purchased a SQL book, ordered SQL Server developer edition, downloaded the AdventureWorks database and began experimenting, but that is just my nature.
Another motivating factor for me to want to contribute more was a recent blog post by a friend and fellow sql-naut by the name of Jorge Segarra AKA (@SQLChicken) who started writing educational post (way back when) on his blog site SQLChicken.com. It is a great resource that gets very in depth with SQL and provides a lot of examples.
Which got me thinking about:
- my recent turn of events
- ways I can become more actively involved with the SQL community… and then it hit me.
Not exactly SQLU, formal training or a college course, but smaller subsets of SQL doses to help folks get started! Starting with blog posts followed by video tutorials that show you how to install, configure and use SQL Server along with writing T-SQL statements using the AdventureWorks database. So if you are a newbie to SQL or the database world perhaps I can be of assistance to you or not. So let the train wreck… (I mean train ride) begin!
Geddan On It!
Oct 3
This video speaks for itself, but I am totally want to make one!!!
Google Wave
Oct 1
Google Wave has been in the works for a little while now and is intended for online communications. Calling it a “JUICED” Instant Messenger would be a great disservice! Reason why it because traditional IMs only allow you to send files back and fourth, send a message and wait for a response, blah blah blah… Things have changed with Google Wave! Just watch and learn!
Live collaborative editing
Natural Language Processing
15 features
Natural Language Processing
15 features
15 features
I have searched several sites that showed information about sms and mms messaging to cell phones via email address and most of them are out of date. So luckily for me most of my friends had different carriers. Here is the break down! Now if you are unsure of who your friends carrier is, you can always ask them or visit [fonefinder.com]. Wikipedia offers a nice list of SMS gateway information [website].
Step 1:
Enter the the following information into the following fields, then hit search.
Step 2:
These are the results. In some cases you might need to click on the link under the Telephone Company Web link column to find the actual carrier.
SMS/MMS Transit addresses
So here is the scoop. I tested a lot of the addresses mentioned on the wikipedia site for both the SMS and MMS and so far here are the results:
| CARRIER | SMS | VERIFIED ON | P/F | MMS | VERIFIED ON | P/F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALLTEL | @message.alltel.com | 08-23-2009 | Pass | @mms.alltel.net | 08-23-2009 | Pass |
| AT&T | @txts.att.net | 08-23-2009 | Pass | @mms.att.net | 08-23-2009 | Fail |
| NEXTEL | @page.nextel.com | @messaging.nextel.com | ||||
| SPRINT | @messaging.sprintpcs.com | 08-23-2009 | Pass | @pm.sprint.com | 08-23-2009 | Pass |
| TMOBILE | @tmomail.net | 08-23-2009 | Pass | @tmomail.net | 08-23-2009 | Pass |
| VERIZON | @vtext.com | 08-23-2009 | Pass | @vzwpix.com | 08-23-2009 | Pass |
I was working the other day on a document and in doing so I wanted to see if there were any templates available. To my surprise it was staring me in the face… a small link titled “Browse template gallery”. There were hundreds to thousands of templates supplied by several creative people and some that were just strange. My search was side-tracked a bit as I went through each category just to see what was out there and to get an idea for future endeavours.
I stumbled on the business cards templates and remembered the google card give away. I figured since I missed out on them, I could create something similar in nature using an existing Avery business card template. So I found the Avery Business Cards, Wide template and made some modifications. Not a lot, but I call it Search Engine Style. So if you like it… here is where you can get it [Google Doc - Business Card Template Search Engine Style].
Normally when you burn data to a disk you would use a cd burning software, usually via a nice UI. In this case we will be using a nice command-line utility which is packed into the Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit Tools! (Download link @ bottom of post)
Command-line syntax
cdburn.exe d: c:folder\file.iso
Tool List
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| Acctinfo.dll | (documented in Readme.htm) |
| Adlb.exe | Active Directory Load Balancing Tool |
| Admx.msi | ADM File Parser |
| Atmarp.exe | Windows ATM ARP Server Information Tool |
| Atmlane.exe | Windows ATM LAN Emulation Client Information |
| Autoexnt.exe | AutoExNT Service |
| Cdburn.exe | ISO CD-ROM Burner Tool |
| Checkrepl.vbs | Check Replication |
| Chklnks.exe | Link Check Wizard |
| Chknic.exe | Network Interface Card Compliance Tool for Network Load Balancing |
| Cleanspl.exe | Spooler Cleaner |
| Clearmem.exe | Clear Memory |
| Clusdiag.msi | Cluster Diagnostics and Verification Tool |
| Clusfileport.dll | Cluster Print File Port |
| Clusterrecovery.exe | Server Cluster Recovery Utility |
| Cmdhere.inf | Command Here |
| Cmgetcer.dll | Connection Manager Certificate Deployment Tool |
| Compress.exe | Compress Files |
| Confdisk.exe | Disk Configuration Tool |
| Consume.exe | Memory Consumers Tool |
| Creatfil.exe | Create File |
| Csccmd.exe | Client-Side Caching Command-Line Options |
| Custreasonedit.exe | Custom Reason Editor (documented in Readme.htm) |
| Delprof.exe | User Profile Deletion Utility |
| Dh.exe | Display Heap |
| Diskraid.exe | RAID Configuration Tool |
| Diskuse.exe | User Disk Usage Tool |
| Dnsdiag.exe | SMTP DNS Diagnostic Tool (documented in Readme.htm) |
| Dumpfsmos.cmd | Dump FSMO Roles |
| Dvdburn.exe | ISO DVD Burner Tool |
| Empty.exe | Free Working Set Tool |
| Eventcombmt.exe | Check Replication |
| Fcopy.exe | File Copy Utility for Message Queuing |
| Frsflags.vbs | |
| Getcm.exe | Connection Manager Profile Update |
| Gpmonitor.exe | Group Policy Monitor |
| Gpotool.exe | Group Policy Objects |
| Hlscan.exe | Hard Link Display Tool |
| Ifilttst.exe | IFilter Test Suite |
| Ifmember.exe | User Membership Tool |
| Inetesc.adm | Internet Explorer Enhanced Security Configuration |
| Iniman.exe | Initialization Files Manipulation Tool |
| Instcm.exe | Install Connection Manager Profile |
| Instsrv.exe | Service Installer |
| Intfiltr.exe | Interrupt Affinity Tool |
| Kerbtray.exe | Kerberos Tray |
| Kernrate.exe | Kernel Profiling Tool |
| Klist.exe | Kerberos List |
| Krt.exe | Certification Authority Key Recovery |
| Lbridge.cmd | L-Bridge |
| Linkd.exe | |
| Linkspeed.exe | Link Speed |
| List.exe | List Text File Tool |
| Lockoutstatus.exe | Account Lockout Status (documented in Readme.htm) |
| Logtime.exe | |
| Lsreport.exe | Terminal Services Licensing Reporter |
| Lsview.exe | Terminal Services License Server Viewer |
| Mcast.exe | Multicast Packet Tool |
| Memmonitor.exe | Memory Monitor |
| Memtriage.exe | Resource Leak Triage Tool |
| Mibcc.exe | SNMP MIB Compiler |
| Moveuser.exe | Move Users |
| Mscep.dll | Certificate Services Add-on for Simple Certificate Enrollment Protocol |
| Nlsinfo.exe | Locale Information Tool |
| Now.exe | STDOUT Current Date and Time |
| Ntimer.exe | Windows Program Timer |
| Ntrights.exe | |
| Oh.exe | Open Handles |
| Oleview.exe | OLE/COM Object Viewer |
| Pathman.exe | Path Manager |
| Permcopy.exe | Share Permissions Copy |
| Perms.exe | User File Permissions Tool |
| Pfmon.exe | Page Fault Monitor |
| Pkiview.msc | PKI Health Tool |
| Pmon.exe | Process Resource Monitor |
| Printdriverinfo.exe | Drivers Source |
| Prnadmin.dll | Printer Administration Objects |
| Qgrep.exe | |
| Qtcp.exe | QoS Time Stamp |
| Queryad.vbs | Query Active Directory |
| Rassrvmon.exe | RAS Server Monitor |
| Rcontrolad.exe | Active Directory Remote Control Add-On |
| Regini.exe | Registry Change by Script |
| Regview.exe (documented in Readme.htm) | |
| Remapkey.exe | Remap Windows Keyboard Layout |
| Robocopy.exe | Robust File Copy Utility |
| Rpccfg.exe | RPC Configuration Tool |
| Rpcdump.exe | |
| Rpcping.exe | |
| RPing | RPC Connectivity Verification Tool |
| Rqc.exe | Remote Access Quarantine Client |
| Rqs.exe | Remote Access Quarantine Agent |
| Setprinter.exe | Spooler Configuration Tool |
| Showacls.exe | |
| Showperf.exe | Performance Data Block Dump Utility |
| Showpriv.exe | Show Privilege |
| Sleep.exe | Batch File Wait |
| Sonar.exe | FRS Status Viewer |
| Splinfo.exe | Print Spooler Information |
| Srvany.exe | Applications as Services Utility |
| Srvcheck.exe | Server Share Check |
| Srvinfo.exe | Remote Server Information |
| Srvmgr.exe | Server Manager |
| Ssdformat.exe | System State Data Formatter |
| Subinacl.exe | |
| Tail.exe | |
| Tcmon.exe | Traffic Control Monitor |
| Timeit.exe (documented in Readme.htm) | |
| Timezone.exe | Daylight Saving Time Update Utility |
| Tsctst.exe | Terminal Server Client License Dump Tool |
| Tsscalling.exe | Terminal Services Scalability Planning Tools |
| Uddicatschemeeditor.exe | UDDI Services Categorization Scheme Editor |
| Uddiconfig.exe | UDDI Services Command-line Configuration Utility |
| Uddidataexport.exe | UDDI Data Export Wizard |
| Usrmgr.exe | User Manager for Domains |
| Vadump.exe | Virtual Address Dump |
| Vfi.exe | Visual File Information |
| Volperf.exe | Shadow Copy Performance Counters |
| Volrest.exe | Shadow Copies for Shared Folders Restore Tool |
| Vrfydsk.exe | Verify Disk |
| Winexit.scr | Windows Exit Screen Saver |
| Winhttpcertcfg.exe | WinHTTP Certificate Configuration Tool |
| Winhttptracecfg.exe | WinHTTP Tracing Facility Configuration Tool |
| Winpolicies.exe | Policy Spy |
| Wins.dll | WINS Replication Network Monitor Parser |
| Wlbs_hb.dll & Wlbs_rc.dll | Windows Load Balancing Server Network Monitor Parsers |
