Monthly Archives: June 2007

Access 2007 installation package and FREE Runtime available

Tools

I saw this in my Microsoft downloads email yesterday:

Access 2007 Download: Access Developer Extensions

Access 2007 Developer Extensions make it easy to deploy and manage solutions built using Access.

Packing and sharing Access solutions has always been a pain in the rear. My recollection (it’s been a while) was that there was no freely available runtime. So every end user had to have a full license to Access, even if they weren’t doing any development.

So now the runtime will be free. It’s not quite available yet but will be out soon.

Here’s more from the Office Developer Center:


Introducing the Access 2007 Developer Extensions and Runtime

We are pleased to announce that the Access 2007 Developer Extensions and the Access 2007 Runtime are now available as FREE downloads.

Access 2007 Developer Extensions

  • Package Solution
    This is a wizard that will create a Windows Installer Package (MSI) to install your database, any supporting files, and optionally include the Access 2007 Runtime or prompt the user to download the Access 2007 Runtime.
  • Save As Template
    This allows creating database templates (ACCDTs) that can be featured in the Access 2007 Getting Started screen.
  • Source Code Control
    Integration with Microsoft Visual Source Safe or other source code control systems to allow check-in/check-out of queries, forms, reports, macros, modules, and data. You can also see the differences that have been made to your checked out objects.

My 2cents on the iPhone

Just Rambling

As Philip Elmer-Dewitt says on Business 2.0’s website: “it may be the most impressive demonstration to date of Apple CEO Steve Jobs’ legendary mastery of the art of media manipulation.“

The hype has definitely works on me and this has a historical basis. I was stuck in an airport lounge late one night just when the Nano was released. I must have seen the same Nano ad 30 times that night and a few days later, I bought one (my very first iPod ever). But  for the iPhone I have a few things to protect me making the same mindless grab: 1) no iPhone’s in Vermont (no AT&T) and 2) in the long run, I think I’m too cheap.

I have a simple phone and if/when I get another, it would be to get access to my email and also share my calendar from outlook. I don’t download music or need to carry around my dogs pictures. My iPod (nano) mostly has podcasts (ala Wait Wait Don’t Tell me, Fresh Air, DotNetRocks) on it and some old Bonnie Raitt, etc. albums. When I see the iPhone ad, I GOTTA HAVE IT, but then a minute later reality seeps back in and I remember I don’t have much need for it.

There are plenty of people that will tell you the more technical reasons why you might not want in iPhone (yet) such as issues with the EDGE network if you are interested in it’s web capabilities. Others worry about the fact that you can’t replace the battery if you need to, can’t expand memory, can’t add SIMS, etc.

I bet that all of those people who lined up at the Apple stores around the country yesterday don’t care. All that matters to many is that it’s COOL and it’s SHINY and it’s made by Apple. 

iTablet… a bigger iPhone?

Tablet

Last year, there was lots of buzz about a possible iTablet, for example, ZDNet’s Matthew Miller is piecing together some various things he’d been reading. I never really paid much attention to it but now the iPhone has been making me wonder  if the technology that has gone into the iPhone is headed for other things (and if I was paying more attention , that’s probably been said in a thousand blogs, too). Certainly if you google “tablet pc” and apple there’s gobs of speculation – mostly from last year because a patent had been filed at some point. The patent most likely was for the technology in the iPhone. But heck, I have a touch screen tablet pc (Lenovo Thinkpad X60) and yet I’m still drooling over the iPhone (no AT&T in Vermont and I want Mobile 6 anyway and someone also pointed out on a listserv today… that phone’s now cost more than computers!).

I don’t know how Apple would ever come close to what Microsoft has done with the Tablet PC platform though, especially with the hand writing recognition. If I recall correctly, there were over a million samples used to get the recognition algorithms. On my touch screen, I can actually write with my finger (just for fun, and it was Stephen Toub who gave me that idea) and the reco works with that even!

Of course there’s always Surface which is just as droolyas an iPhone  – just can’t put it in your pocket.

Going to hang out Teens at I.T. camp

Just Rambling

I’m really excited about joining a group of about 50 high school students tomorrow who are participating in the Summer Institute in Information Technology at Champlain College this week. This is part of the Governor’s Institute of Vermont program.

According to Ann DeMarle (Director of the college’s Emergent Media Center (among other impressive titles)) who is running the program, the kids range from very creative types doing digital video to hard-core programmers. About 1/3 of the students are girls.

I’m going to go talk to them a bit about having a career as a geek (and doing this in Vermont, of all places ;-)) and then hang out with them while they work on their projects. Susan Wisowaty is going to join me as well. So between Ann, Susan and me, women with technical careers in I.T. will be well represented!

I will definitely follow up with a post on this after the fact.

Summer hike on the Long Trail

Vermont

It was cool on Saturday so Rich & I decided to go for a hike on the Long Trail. We drove to the top of the App Gap (which is near our home) and hiked south on the LT. This crosses over the top of the Mad River Glen trails, so we had lunch at the top of the double chair, looking out over the White Mountains in New Hampsire and then went on to to top of the Single Chair. There was some stuff that was pretty daunting to me in between those two spots, so rather than turn around and do them going back down, we hiked back down the ski trails and cut over to the road. Here are some pictures I took along the way.

There was a lot of Trillium  (will look through my wildflower books this weekend to try to see what the heck these are! They looked like a cross between a trillium family and wild orchid family to me..) along the way which was suprising to see in late June.

My favorite Strawberry Tart recipe that I always lose

Purely Personal

Every summer, when strawberry season comes around, I have to look through my collection of old Food & Wine magazines for my favorite recipe. Its a Strawberry Tart and I know enough things about it that I should be able to find the recipe on www.foodandwine.com or just by googling. One of the interesting things is that the article was about Katrin Theodoli, then owner of the super luxury yachts Magnum Marine, and recipes she whips up in the little galley of the yacht when she’s cruising the seas with kings and queens. Granted, you could solve a lot of problems in the world for the cost of some of these higher end boats; but still, I’m grateful for the recipe.

[Wendy, I hope you’re reading this one!]

So since I decided I would ensure I could find the recipe more easily by just putting it here on my blog along with the reminder that it’s in the June 1997 issue: “Outdoor Entertaining”.

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 1/2 sticks of cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch dice
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted
  • 1/4 cup seedless strawberry jam, melted
  • 1 1/2 pints strawberries, hulled and halved lengthwise

STEPS

  1. In a food processor, pulse together the flour, sugar and salt. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the egg and pulse until incorporated.
  2. Preheat the oven to 375F. Butter a 10 inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and pat into a disk. Roll the dough between 2 sheets of wax paper into a 12-inch round. Transfer the dough to a cookie sheet and refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes. Peel off the top sheet of wax paper, invert the dough into the pan and peel off the other sheet of wax paper. Fit the dough into the pan and chill again for 10 minutes. Prick all over with a fork and bake in the middle of the oven for about 20 minutes or until evenly golden. Let cool on a rack.
  3. Transfer the tart shell to a platter and brush the bottom with the melted chocolate. Refrigerate until set, about 10 minutes. Brush half of the jam over the chocolate. Arrange the strawberries in the shell, cut side down, overlapping them slightly. Brush the berries with the remaining jam.