所有包含 tag ‘software’ 的文章
Woopra
用了一段 Woopra，看大家是不是也有兴趣试试。
Woopra 是个—-或者“也”是个—-流量追踪系统。当然，这世上的流量追踪服务很多，可真正有意思的创新亮点却像缅甸的民主一样稀少。从这一点说，Woopra 做的还是不错的。
Woopra，同样，提供插入站点的 javascript，或者某些系统的插件，比如 WordPress，vBulletin 等。方便的是，可以使用 Woopra 客户端查看数据，在桌面上搞定—-同时还有其他功用哟。
通常的数据统计和安排就不提了，客户端组织的也不错，有很多细节设置，不多写了。要说特色的话，live monitoring 是一个，因为不少访问统计不算 real time 的，Woopra 则很及时，信息也很丰富，包括访问你这国籍，OS，浏览器，正在浏览的页面等，这和 Woopra 的另一个特色（虽然不是独一无二的特色），Click-to-Chat 也是有关系的。Webmaster 可以主动对当前访问者发起一个 live chat 的邀请—-或许会让那家伙吓一跳，如果愿意，也可以在页面上放一个 click to chat 让访问者发起 chat，作为改善交互途径的手段，不错，当然这无需访问者先装什么软件。
另一个特色和 reinvigorate 的有点类似，就是标识已知用户。对 Woopra 来说，MediaWiki，vBulletin，WordPress 的注册用户（或者只是留过言的用户）能被单独标识出来并追踪，相当于知道了一个明确身份的访问者而不是一个平淡的 IP 地址，以后此访问者的来访都很明了。对有专门需要的 webmaster 来说，还可以根据 IP，语言，搜索关键字，浏览器，指定页面等等相当多的条件创建 event，触发时会在 webmaster 的电脑桌面弹出通知，把这个功能结合 live chat 共用可是相当有威力的哟。如果是已知用户的动作，还能弹出他/她的 gravatar，看上去很酷。
Woopra 是今年上半年才在 Dallas WordCamp 公开亮相的，一开始就吸引了不少注意力，看来这也是对创新的回报。
Tags: internet, software, stat, web stat, woopra
360 Desktop 收到
360Desktop 到。 作为背景，提两句，360Desktop 可以把桌面扩展成 360 度空间，地方大了，摆东西自然方便，另外还支持方便地往桌面添加 widget。
收到他们发出的邀请 email，给了个 URL，要用户名和密码才能下载，这是个 0.1.5.4 Beta。是我注册得早终有回报呢，还是因为以前写过 blog 提过这个软件的缘故？使用平台 Windows Vista 32。
安装没什么花头，启动后桌面右上角会有这么个窗口，并在所有窗口之上，右边两个按钮一个是添加 Widget 的，另一个选择其他 360 （360 是 360Desktop 管理的对象）。
点下那个指环状图标那一条即有展开 QuickNav 窗口，白框表示当前象限，可以用鼠标拖动白框移动，桌面随即滚动（只要当前无最大化窗口）。白框里稍大点的图标表示那个维度/象限有非最小化的窗口。
托盘也有提示图标，退出可以从那里走。
360Desktop 自带了4个 360 环视图的墙纸，启动后会自动切换成其中一个，退出后则还原为用户原来的桌面，无需担心搞乱了。我选了个 火星探路者 的。此窗口半透明，你也看到了，下面透着文字。
其实最方便的两个功能是，鼠标移到桌面最左边或者最右边，再轻推一下，桌面就会往左/右滚动，当然，前提是当前窗口未最大化，拽着一个窗口拖动到桌面边沿 trigger 桌面滚动也是可以的；另外一个滚动桌面的方法是点一下桌面，使其获得焦点，然后上下拨鼠标滚轮即可左右滚动桌面。
这样的设计非常方便。扩展虚拟桌面的方法还是有很多的，比如建1,2,3…N 个虚拟桌面，切换之，Windows XP 的 PowerToy，GNOME，KDE，Compiz 其实都支持这个层次的多/扩展桌面的，可以用 Ctrl + Shift/Alt + 数字或者左右方向键切换。不过 360 这样的切换方式应该说更方便更连贯，动动鼠标应该算最简单的操作方式，而且因为桌面是无缝连贯的移动，让人感觉桌面是“完整的”一个，视觉效果和人性化程度更好。
鼠标 trigger 或者动滚轮造成桌面左右滚动的缺省速度有点快，可以从托盘图标处调整，我搞成 slow 觉得舒服点了。另外从任务管理器看到，滚动时 CPU 立马上去，碰到即将出现的桌面有内容的时候（比如我这儿是那个 Adobe Reader 里的 360Desktop Readme 的 PDF），CPU 占用更高，移动速度也降下来了，感觉在吃力地 rendering，效果也有下降。另外一个不爽是，有些桌面上的 widget 不方便去掉，不想要又搞得很烦。
在 360Desktop 下组织桌面图标似乎有 bug，要么是位置存不下来，乱动，要么是拖动一个图标的时候好几个图标跟着一块运动，还保持相对位置不变……
除此之外，都还好，特别是没有稳定性问题，一次崩溃或者无响应都没碰到，这点还不错。
哦，无论桌面滚到哪里，任务栏自岿然不动，点任务栏上某窗口后，自动滚动到该应用所在维度/象限，我说要是也把任务栏拉长呢？好像不太好设计是吧……
Widget 这个东西呢，我个人不是很感冒，再说支持这个功能的软件比较多，就不浪费口水了。
要说有什么建议？啥时候支持上下放下的滚动，最终搞成 球形桌面？哈哈
视频演示，可以注意追踪一下鼠标的移动和滚动的关系哈（当然，我也知道，鼠标那么小不容易看到，您将就将就）。视频里的黑线是 SnagIt 的缘故，并不是滚动的时候真的产生的。那么大的桌面，要 live 记录下来，恨不得赶上 HDTV 了……
Tags: 360desktop, desktop, software
Windows Milestone 1 Release 2 (Part 1)
Can’t believe it? Yes, again, news about Windows 7.
It’s has been 2 months since my last post about Windows 7 Milestone 1. It was interesting and funny to watch how skeptics around the world reacted to my news. Many people denied and tried hard to prove what I posted was not true. Well, skeptics here is very reasonable but the evidences they used were merely those not-yet-updated ‘Vista’ in version windows or dialogues, and, many F words. That’s not reasonable, nether works. How desperately I hope those guys know more about software development and engineering.
You know there is something like the dark side of the force, especially when you have control on something and feel a little bit more powerful than the people you’re watching.
I’m afraid I’ll kick those guys again since today I bring you new bits of Windows 7.
This time it’s the 2nd release of Windows 7 Milestone 1. Version 6.1 (build 6574.1.{SECRET}). The {SECRET} here means I won’t expose detail.
No, even Milestone 1 isn’t a single release. Microsoft releases multiple versions of M1 with different minor version numbers. Well, for me it is the 2nd one I’ve gotten but I’ve no idea about how many releases Microsoft did before. I’ll use Win7 M1 R2, which stands for Windows 7 Milestone 1 Release 2, to describe it in the following. Please be noted, ‘Release 2’ is my naming convention, not Microsoft’s.
BTW, I do think my plain English here is OK for non-English speakers especially for readers from Europe and Asia. Anyway I’m not writing for WIRED or New York Times. I won’t provide translated local versions (What? Somebody asks what if the plain English is a fatal disaster for those native English speakers? … )
I use the same platform as for M1 R1: Intel G35 chipset motherboard, Core 2 Duo 2.66G dual core processor, 1 x 1G memory, integrated graphic card. Moderate, if not decent.
The installer is not greatly changed since M1 R1, only some words are updated from Vista to 7. Last time I use R1, the License Terms and SKU selection referred ‘Windows Vista’, now it’s changed to ‘Windows 7”.
The SKU selection shows these options:
Windows 7 Business, HomeBasic, HomePremium, Ultimate, HomeBasic N, Business N and Starter.
See some new SKUs are included however I don’t think these will definitively be the SKUs Windows 7 will provide. The installer program may inherit from some development tree so the SKU names are inherited also. Anyway, it’s not important to argue how many SKUs Win7 will bring to us. It’s much of business, not technology.
The SKU selection uses something like a grid control, the 1st column is SKU name, and 2nd, Date Modified. For all those SKUs, the date is March 2008.
An important change, also a nice improvement, is that you aren’t asked to input product key during the whole installation phase. For Vista installer, you can input a blank key and proceed but there is still a step and a text box for that purpose. Win7 M1 R2 installer simply skips this.
As in the M1 R1, Win7 installer automatically creates an additional 500.0 MB partition before system partition. A user doesn’t have control on this. No idea on what for. The partition doesn’t appear in My Computer but you can see it in disk management.
Other parts of the installation are same as in M1 R1.
The post-installation setup wizard, may be used for performance benchmarking to determine experience index, differs from that of Vista in that Win7 removes those fancy animation pictures during the process and the time it spends on this step is much less (less than 2 minutes on my platform).
Finally, after the setup here comes the product key… Yes, you can still input a blank key.
M1 R2 recognizes my G35 integrated graphic card and adapts display mode which makes my eyes comfortable at the first sight on Win7. Remember I had to find drivers for M1 R1.
The user name, machine name setup windows isn’t the default Vista style, I mean, neither Basic nor Aero. See below. The font is even Arial not Vista’s default.
Images below are clickable, click to view the large one.
Here comes the screenshots, more eye-candy elements are added into this release. I would say, Redmond’s engineers did do lots of polishing.
My Computer, watch the toolbar, 2 buttons at right. The first one is the View, the second one is used to toggle displaying preview panel. Besides that, look at the left panel, it’s redesigned, only Favorites, My Document, My Computer and Network there, more organized and simpler.
Window behavior is another area being enhanced. Double clicking on the top or bottom border of a window makes the window automatically adapts to the screen heights, but double clicking on left or right border makes nothing happen.
The arrangement of my computer changes greatly. A picture is worth… I’d better shut up now.
And, sorting options for different content.
Health Center, looks like Microsoft really starts caring your computer’s health. Besides, mind the mouse over effect.
click it, we get
Windows Health Center
let’s expand the Computer System
Windows Health Center Settings
Another great change is the Search in Start Menu. In Vista, after start typing search keywords the left half of Start Menu shows the search result. In Win7 M1 R2, the whole Start Menu area is used to show search result, including the right half which in Vista is used to display those traditional links such as My Documents, My Computer and Control Panel etc.
I personally like this change because it makes a user concentrate on results while not being disturbed by items.
There is no sidebar gadget control in system tray. Remember the vertical line of Vista’s sidebar when you move mouse on it? That’s not for Win7. Sidebar gadgets are much more similar as other objects on desktop like Recycle Bin. In Vista, you can’t click through the Sidebar area, for Win7 you can. The add gadget window looks like that in Vista.
The best enhancement comes from UAC, annoying UAC (User Account Control if you didn’t hear of it. Well… I think even a non-Vista user hear of the infamous UAC). Now we all know it was designed to annoy users but no more annoying in Win7 M1.
When you issue multiple actions which require approval from UAC. At the second request Win7 pops up a dialogue asking would you like to temporarily disable UAC thus you won’t be asked. Choose Yes and you win. This is much more user-friendly. Why didn’t you geniuses do this in Vista?
You know at this dialogue no hotkey works. I couldn’t get screenshot so I took a picture.
Video:
- smart display
- better search
- preview button
- double clicking top border to make the window auto-adept screen
- behavior of clicking separator between address box and search box
- I have other screencasts but I worry about the height can not fit in Yahoo Video’s/Metacafe’s/YouTube’s standard video size. You can’t see much details. Do you know which website can I use to upload big size video?
Tags: microsoft, software, windows, windows 7
Xobni 地址
很多人留言想试用 Xobni。我得说
第一，最好的方法是到官方网站注册 beta，等候正式邀请，其实并不慢。
第二，这是我那个版本，所以不能保证最新，因为 Xobni 对注册下载用户也有下载次数限制：
http://tinyurl.com/36yvpb
祝好。
Tags: inbox, outlook, software, xobni
SugarSync 降价以及抵消了降价的挫事
八成…… 你也收到邮件了？
SugarSync 降价了。先前的 the Founders’ Circle promotional pricing 现在是正式价格。最低到每月 $2出头 (10G 的)，考虑到现在打个的起步都十几块了，又赶上鲍尔森来中国擦鞋，这个价格实在不算贵。再也不用急吼吼地掂量要不要趁打折时候买了。
挫事是，这边厢 IE 7 访问 SugarSync 会报找不到域名，转到中国电信恶心的 114 搜索了，FireFox 还好，不过也碰到几次 connection reset，现在还能用，不过已觉大煞风景。
BTW，关于 SugarSync 的简单描述：方便地在多台电脑，手机之间同步文件，支持 Windows 和 Mac，支持 BlackBerry 和 Windows Mobile。可以先 45 天免费试用。
[tags]sugarsync, software, sync[/tags]
Tags: software, sugarsync, sync, Technology
全都 Mobile
Google Gears 开始支持 Windows Mobile 的 Pocket IE；Silverlight 得到 NOKIA 背书；AIR 是不是也该很快了？
Microsoft 的 John Case 说，NOKIA 已经打算在 S60, S40 和方兴未艾的 Internet Tablet 上支持 Silverlight，考虑到 Internet Tablet 就是 Linux，所以不算稀奇，Silverlight 本来就许诺支持 Linux 和 Mac OS X，Symbian 支持才是新消息。Microsoft 和 NOKIA 已经签署了相关协议，这该是 Silverlight 的第一个移动平台上的 design win —- 看上去比能进入自己的 Windows Mobile 还要早。Flash 的 mobile 版本虽然有了不过似乎一直没有太多应用和亮点。据称自 Silverlight 发布，已有 ～8000个 Silverlight 应用面世。在那个粉丝瞩目的 Windows Mobile 7 里，Silverlight 可能成为缺省配置，
Google Gears 也刚刚支持 Windows Mobile 5/6 设备了，预计 iPhone 的 Safari 和 Opera 的支持会随后跟上。Zoho 也配合 Gears 移动版发布了自己的移动版。
这是个奇怪的现象，移动浏览器目前绝无它们的桌面版本那样重要和普遍。OS，software stack 等在移动平台上扮演的角色远远比浏览器重要，也远远比这些浏览器上的扩展/框架更有影响力。我想，Silverlight 和 AIR 支持“独立”开发和部署应用，可以脱离浏览器，无缝在平台和浏览器间挪移，这才是是在 mobile 平台上非常有意思的特性，给人以无限遐想，Google Gears 就不然了，当然，Gears 勉强还可以成为构架在 AIR 上的应用。所以，虽然这三个概念常常被同时提起并来比较，不过定位和能力还是不同的。
如果 Silverlight 和 AIR 开发的 “Gadget”慢慢地平台无关，随处可用，那才是极富吸引力的，我想，这才是几家公司一定要先走一步，尝试定义未来的动机。类似的目标跛足的 J2ME 没有做到，两个后生看上去愿意开展一轮新的冲锋。
[tags]mobile, software, microsoft, adobe, google, silverlight, air, gears[/tags]
Tags: adobe, air, gears, google, microsoft, mobile, silverlight, software, Technology
There’s something in the AIR
不过这次，不是 MacBook Air。
在或许长久的等待后， Adobe 正式发布了 AIR ，一堆或免费或 Open source 的工具一同出炉，包括 Flex 3 和 Flex Builder，这个 FFA 三驾马车是 Adobe 关于 RIA （Rich Internet Application）构想的实践手段。按照一般期待，最好有一股应用爆发的高潮随后拍马赶到，这就礼花齐放，热闹非凡了。那些个关于无缝连接，随时链接或者连接无关—-随便你怎么憧憬吹嘘—-的许诺向着现实的方向更近了一步。
AIR（Adobe Integrated Runtime）是 RIA 的选择之一，也是我本人的喜爱，这个 desktop-webtop 混合技术既能利用本地的处理能力和响应性，又结合了在线应用的存储无关和便利升级优势，同时可以让开发者和最终用户为链接状态少操心。这一领域不缺少技术选择，比方 Mozilla 的 Prism （WebRunner） ，Google Gears，JavaFX，连 Microsoft 都祭出一道光可能来掺乎一下。
期望 AIR 的正式发布能推动创新应用的出现，当然，创新不是说一个 AIR 的文字处理软件这么简单。Flash 几乎是在无人参与/打搅的过程中悄然获得了巨大的成功，AIR 有个不错的基础，不过面临更激烈的竞争，而且，这一次，它依赖的第三方同志们的属性和 Flash 曾经依赖的那一群人不同，谁能胜出，待好戏来演。
[tags]adobe, software, air, flash, flex[/tags]
Tags: adobe, air, flash, flex, software, Technology
Windows 7: Calculator and Control Panel
Windows 7 Serials Index:
1. Windows 7: The Real Thing: background and screenshots. –> This one
2. Windows 7: Follow Up: 2 new screenshots and a short piece of video.
3. Minor update: the Windows 7 Storm
4. 中文读者：你从哪里来，我的 honey？
5. Windows 7: more screenshots and screencast
6. Windows 7: Calculator and Control Panel –> This one
Handy applications in Windows 7 get upgraded, such as calculator, paint and wordpad, let’s see what’s changed in calc this time.
Windows 里那些小程序在 Win7 里也升级了，其中包括计算器，画图和写字板，这次我们先看计算器。
In earlier version of Windows including WinXP and Vista, calc provides only Standard and Scientific modes, you may not have to find out there is a Scientific mode in Calc, it’s used mostly by people like programmers who need something like HEX–>BIN conversion (don’t know what it is? forget it). Now in Win7, there are 4: Standard, Scientific, Programmer and Statistics. Other new features are History and Unit Conversion.
包括 XP 和 Vista 在内的早期 Windows 里的计算器只有 标准和科学 两种模式，当然，有些人一辈子也不需要点一次“查看”菜单去发现里面原来还有个 “科学型”，有些人则大半辈子都离不开这个“科学型”。Win7 现在扩充到了4 种：标准，科学，程序员 和 统计学。还有些新功能在下面截图里有演示：历史和单位转换。
Standard mode, 标准模式
Scientific mode，科学计算
Programmer mode, the demo video below shows in this mode. Why? because I am a developer, this is my favorite mode. Binary also displays, long live bit mask.
程序员模式，也是下面视频演示操作用的模式。
Statistics mode, 统计学模式
My earlier posts about Win7 showed Control Panel, let’s see it in action.
以前控制面板只有截图，这次是操作上的小变化。
[tags]windows, software, screenshot, screencast, video[/tags]
Tags: screencast, screenshot, software, Technology, video, windows
Windows 7: more screenshots and screencast
Windows 7 Serials Index:
1. Windows 7: The Real Thing: background and screenshots. –> This one
2. Windows 7: Follow Up: 2 new screenshots and a short piece of video.
3. Minor update: the Windows 7 Storm
4. 中文读者：你从哪里来，我的 honey？
5. Windows 7: more screenshots and screencast
6. Windows 7: Calculator and Control Panel –> This one
Click every thumbnail to view large images
Control panel
All items in control panel, now you can see which ones are newly added in Win7 Milestone 1
right click on the desktop. Here we get several new ones: Hide/Add Gadgets and a new Display command
This is the sidebar, yes the last one is the new Media Center gadget, I’ll show more about this gadget and MC later.
click ‘Add Gadget’ from Explorer or Sidebar, we get a Gadgets folder, by default, we have gadgets listed below:
click on a gadget
yes, every non-release version Windows is shipped with a feedback tool.
Internet Explorer 7: minor version changes
Remember this system properties dialogue?
And this one? Backup and recovery related settings.
Seldom do I use Windows Mail but I think the version number can be viewed as an indication (for some guys).
Well, here comes the most stirring (or heart breaking) part. Features demo: sizeable search box and pin-able start menu items
[tags]windows, microsoft, software, screenshots[/tags]
Tags: microsoft, screenshots, software, Technology, windows
Minor Update: the Windows 7 Storm
Windows 7 Serials Index:
1. Windows 7: The Real Thing: background and screenshots. –> This one
2. Windows 7: Follow Up: 2 new screenshots and a short piece of video.
3. Minor update: the Windows 7 Storm
4. 中文读者：你从哪里来，我的 honey？
5. Windows 7: more screenshots and screencast
6. Windows 7: Calculator and Control Panel –> This one
There won’t be any download link, BT seed or anything like that. I got it from an internal source, not from anywhere on the Internet. I don’t know where to download Windows 7 from the Internet. If you know, tell me.
Huge traffic since my 2 posts in the last 2 days. I just started to worry about I’ll be hunted by a big name company. But if they do that, they are confirming something… Shall I call my lawyer?
Well, one of the most interesting things in the whole story is that I find so much funny idiots who bring so much fun to me by their comments and the way in which they understand and judge things. For example, many guys said that “UI doesn’t change much, it’s fake!”, well, they think Operating Systems are game consoles, graphic things are the most important. Some others: ”the version number is 6.x, it’s not 7!”, “the Logo is same as Vista, it’s not 7!”, “the Media Center version is 6.x and shows Vista, it’s not 7!” Oh great, buffoons always speak out loudly and proudly what they ‘find out’ without knowing the context of what they see. Not being a computer professional is not, absolutely not, wrong or improper. But being a non-computer professional, you pretend to be a pro and make stupid judgment on some pro things is absolutely sad. Come on, learn something about Windows history, the development or some other common sense. You have been insulting yourself and giving me chances to see buffoonery you show. Wow really funny. :-)
I’m looking for a good DV, not a camera shipped with a cell phone. For clear video, keep tuning. Oh, by the way, let’s see what those stupid will say, I’m waiting.
[tags]windows, microsoft, software[/tags]
Tags: microsoft, software, Technology, windows
