I just read a postfrom Scott Hanselman that mentioned a tool that I hadn’t recalled hearing about before called the Fusion Log Viewer, also called the Assembly Binding Log Viewer. It appears to be available as part of the framework install. I found two instances of the executable on my development machine, both under C:\Program Files\Microsoft SDKs\Windows.

What is so special about Fusion Log Viewer? Well, not that much, but it could be helpful if you are having an issue with a wrong version of an assembly being loaded at runtime or an assembly not being found to load at runtime. Other tools such as .NET Reflector and Process Explorer can help you debug concrete references and what has already been loaded explicitly, but if you are doing dynamic assembly loading this tool may be useful.

The past couple of days I have been testing Beta 1 of Visual Studio 2010 Team System and have quickly realized that it is highly unstable and contains many frustrating bugs. If you are thinking about starting to use Beta 1, I would highly suggest holding off until Beta 2. Visual Studio 2010 appears to be in worse shape than the early releases of Vista; the complete opposite of my experience with the Windows 7 Beta release I might add.

So what have I seen that has caused me to come to the above conclusion:

1. Random crashes where Visual Studio disappears without a trace, no error messages. I have seen this several times converting solutions and projects from 2008 format to 2010, as well as, in the middle of compiling solutions.

2. C++ projects appear to be defaulted and fixed at “.NET Framework 4.0” which then causes it to be incompatible with 3.5 projects.

3. I have seen odd errors with project references not being picked up. I still have not gotten to the bottom of this one, although some of it is related to #2.

4. The Errors window does not always clear out between builds, leaving one thinking there are still errors after a successful compile.

5. Changes to Target Framework in Project Properties do not always save.

6. Project properties will not display at all for some normal C# assemblies.

I have every confidence that the DEV team at Microsoft will address these issues and many of the others, but for now, the Beta release of Visual Studio 2010 just is not ready for any real use other than playing around. It’s a Beta so that is to be expected. I just got my hopes up after how well Microsoft did with their Windows 7 Beta.

Recently came across this site which has a rather large cache of reported interview questions that various companies ask. In looking at the software list it seems most of them are from Google and Microsoft. None the less, could provide a good warm-up prior to venturing into an interview session.

In addition to my previous post, I found another free stock photo site that looks promising called Stock Xchng.

Ok, let me start this out by saying I knew better than to purchase a refurbished product from Stootsi, but I did it anyway. A few days ago a deal came across the wire from Stootsi that had the Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 for just $9.99. For those that pay attention to keyboards, this is not only one of the best keyboards out there, it is also a very good deal for one. I saw that it was refurbished, and, as a matter of rule, I never buy refurbished products. If it broke once it is probably going to break again. However, for merely ten bucks, it was just too good to pass up. I did some searching on Stootsi and although they weren’t rated one of the best retailers out there, they weren’t too bad.

So, I bought it and about a week later it arrived. Pretty good shipping time for a fire-sale joint like Stootsi. Got the keyboard out, and it was obviously used, but still in good shape astheticly. So I plugged it in and first thing I did was download the software for it so that I could test all of the quick-buttons on the keyboard. To my delight, they all worked fine. Ne-t test, do all of the letters and numbers work. This one passed e-cept for the letter missing from the words in this and the previous sentence (still typing on the ‘new’ keyboard). So, obviously, the product wasn’t actually refurbished, it was simply repackaged. There is the first ding for Stootsi.

Well, the worst part of it is Stootsi’s return policy, which I neglected to read prior to purchasing from them:

Every item we sell, whether it is on our homepage or in the store, has a "warranty" graphic beside the item explicitly stating the type of warranty, if any, that is offered. Based on the condition of the item (new, refurbished, overstock/liquidation, returns), there may or may not be a manufacturer's warranty. Any problems with a product that is under manufacturer warranty will be handled directly with the manufacturer. Stootsi will however assist you in receiving warranty support with the manufacturer if neccessary. Due to the ridiculously low prices that we offer, no returns are accepted for buyer's remorse. Ideally, you will just sell your item that you don't like on ebay, and maybe even make some money in the process. If no warranty on a product is given, and it arrives defective or Dead On Arrival (DOA) you must notify us within 3 days via email at rma@stootsi.com. After 3 days all sales are final. Return shipping will be at your own expense. Stootsi does not offer replacements in any situation and you will receive a refund of your sale price only.

So, the shipping cost is on me both ways which in this case adds up to more than the product cost. My net gain by returning the defunct item would be a measly $3 and I would end up with no keyboard. Stootsi is running a scam; repackaging broken/defective products.

DialMyCalls lets everyone tap into the power of sending voice messages out to entire phone lists in seconds. No messing around with expensive equipment or calling servers - now you can send your own voice messages from 2 to 20,000 phone numbers all within a few minutes.

Free Service:

• You may send 1 call per day to a maximum of 25 people.
• Messages must be 30 seconds or less in length.
• Calls branded with a "Powered by DialMyCalls message"

OpenWith.org provides detailed information about most file extension and links to free programs that can open and create each type of file.

Never know when I might need data recovery services, but came across the following tools over on Lifehacker.

TestDisk (Windows/Mac/Linux)

A powerful open-source tool for recovering your data. Not only can TestDisk perform basic file recovery like undeleting accidentally deleted files from FAT, NTFS, and ext2 file systems, but it comes with a host of additional functionality. With TestDisk you can recover your boot sector from a backup, rebuild your boot sector, fix FAT tables, fix your MFT, locate the ext2/ext3 backup SuperBlock, copy deleted files from partitions to recovery media, and find lost partitions in dozens of formats to help you locate your lost data. It's a command line tool, so there's no GUI, but the menus and the documentation in the wiki should get you started without much trouble.

Recuva (Windows)

A user-friendly Windows-based tool. When you run Recuva, you can resurrect missing files using either the file-recovery wizard or the application's manual mode. The file-recovery wizard is handy when you're sure your data is gone but you're not quite sure where it went or how to get it back. The wizard lets you narrow your search type to pictures, music, documents, video, or all files, and you can set the search location to everywhere on your computer, removable media only, in My Documents, the Recycle Bin, or a specified location. If you don't need the wizard you can jump right into manual mode and get to work searching where you know the file should be. Recuva uses a green/yellow/red light system to indicate how probable the recovery of your files will be, and when available, it can provide previews image files available for recovery. Recuva also includes a tool to securely wipe files you find, handy if you're attempting a file recovery just to ensure the files are actually dead and gone.

PhotoRec (Windows/Mac/Linux)

A companion program to TestDisk, also included in this Hive Five. Like TestDisk, this app is also devoid of a GUI, but likewise is quite powerful at file recovery. We're including PhotoRec independently of TestDisk because many users distinctly prefer PhotoRec as a safer alternative when deep disk recovery isn't necessary. This recovery tool won't mess with your partitions or help you rebuild your master boot record; it will, however, dive into your disks in a safe, read-only mode and ignore partitions and file systems in an effort to seek out your missing files. PhotoRec focuses on file types, is operating-system agnostic, and despite its name, isn't relegated to just photos. Overall, PhotoRec is a powerful tool for quickly and safely copying your deleted files to another disk.

Restoration (Windows)

A tiny, no-frills, portable recovery tool. You can use it in all versions of Windows and Windows file systems. It lacks some of the advanced functionality of other nominees but does have basic file-name search and the ability to sort by file parameters such as size and filename. Despite its tiny size, it performed just as well as the other nominees when tasked with restoring files from our test disks. Restoration weighs in at a mere 406k and would make a great addition to any Windows-based USB toolkit.

Undelete Plus (Windows)

Used to be commercial software but has gone on a lengthy "limited time offer" freeware run. This file recovery app works on all versions of Windows and incarnations of the FAT and NTFS file systems. Like Recuva, Undelete Plus assigns a recovery probability to files it finds based on how damaged the file is. You can sort files by type, set filters based on time and size to avoid sifting through every deleted file on your disk, and keep folder structures intact when you perform your recovery.

I recently found this article here. I am reprinting the menu techniques here for my later reference. It has been a while since I’ve done a good deal of new website development, but I think this information could come in handy when I get back to it.

1. MenuMatic

This example takes semantic ordered or unordered list of links and turns it into a dynamic drop down menu system that can be vertically or horizontally oriented.

View Demo Page

2. Animated Menu using jQuery

A technique for animating menu items when a user hovers over them. Source files, including the PSD file, are available to download.

View Demo Page

3. Garagedoor Effect using jQuery

Gaya Kessler presents a wonder JavaScript menu that mimics the real garage door using jQuery.

View Demo Page

4. JGlide Menu

A very unique menu that floats on the page. Users can drag it to a position they desire.

View Demo Page

5. Vertical Sliding jQuery Menu

HVDesigns presents a menu that drops down and reveals more links.

View Demo Page

6. Perspective Tabs

You can have scrolling tabs with animation using this technique.

View Demo Page

7. Vertical Digg-like Menu

Antonio Lupetti presents a Digg-like menu that uses simple JavaScript.

8. LavaLamp

When you hover an item, you’ll see the CSS sliding door technique created using jQuery. An alternate version for MooTols can be here.

9. Fisheye Menu

If you’re a big fan of the Mac dock you will enjoy this menu.

10. Simple JavaScript Accordions

A great technique for integrating accordion-style menus into your site.

View Demo Page

11. Sliding JavaScript Menu Highlight

This sliding hover effect script is an easy technique for highlighting menu items.

12. Fading Menu - Replacing Content

This technique allows you to fade in and fade out menu items.

View Demo Page

13. Simple Multi-level Drop-Down Menu

A simple JavaScript drop down menu tutorial.

14. Using jQuery for Background Image Animations

A technique for creating animated menus using jQuery and CSS background-position properties.

View Demo Page

15. Mootools Redux

A menu using MooTools that expands the link’s font size when you mouse over the item.

View Demo Page

16. HoverAccordion/Sidebar Menu

This is an accordion plugin which can be used as a vertical sidebar menu too.

17. UvumiTools Dropdown Menu

Another JavaScript menu based on MooTools with lots of features.

18. jQuery UI Tabs

Easily separate content using this tab example.

View Demo Page

19. Proto.Menu: Right Click Menu

A customizable right-click menu written on top of the Prototype framework.

20. Accessible Expanding and Collapsing menu

This menu example allows you have two levels of navigation. When you click on main category the subcategory expands.

View Demo Page