Microsoft Remote Desktop will expire your business

O.k., I must admit that this one hit me completely unexpected. Few minutes ago, I wanted to connect to our Office server using Microsofts Remote Desktop Connection software (version 6.0.6001.16659). I’m a Sunday worker and I need some data from office if I want to get any work done today. But, as you can see on attached image, all I got from RDC software is a message that it has expired and that I shall update it or contact my system admin.

No problem, since I’m the admin I went straight to the Windows Update to search for newer version. Well, bad luck – cuz’ there is no newer version. At least WU didn’t offer any. Since I’m not the person who gives up easily, I went looking for it at MS Download Center. All I could find there was an RDC version from July 2007, which btw. doesn’t even want to install on my system, because I apparently already have an built-in (pre-release) version on my system. Oh, come on!

So what now Microsoft?


It’s funny that I had similar problems with RDC software two weeks ago on my Mac. But luckily for me Mac version, even though it has expired, continued working. And btw., Microsoft released new RDC beta 3 for Mac few days ago. With no time limit included.

So, today I have to go back to my Mac to save my business.

*** Update, 14th April 2008 ***
I was checking RDC clients on other company workstations today. Version which is installed on most of the workstations is 6.0.6000.[something] and this one seems to be working o.k. Funny thing is that my Windows were installed from the same installation CD (Windows XP Pro SP2) and I can’t remember updating or upgrading my RDC client to any beta or pre-release version. The only difference is that I have installed pre-release SP3 about a month ago – so for now this is the only source of my problem that I can see.

*** Update, 15th April 2008 ***
After installing Service Pack 3 (final) for Windows XP the problem is gone. Remote Desktope client is now at version 6.0.6001.18000.

Milan’s Kosovo plan

It seems that Kosovo crisis is starting to cool of slowly, so I’ve decided that this is appropriate moment to continue my political campain, started with my Gulf of Piran Plan.


So, here is my Kosovo plan in three points:

1. We move Albanians and Serbs out of Kosovo. Albanians would migrate to Albania and Serbs would migrate to Serbia. Every citizen of EU would donate 5 EUR and the money would be used to buy new land and houses for migrated Kosovars. Simple!
2. We build a big China like wall around Kosovo – The Wall of Kosovo. The material used for wall would come from demolished houses of previously migrated Kosovars.
3. We give Kosovo to USA and Russia and let them use it for their war games. They could have regular fights there without doing damage to the rest of the world (if you didn’t know, Bosnia was created for similar reason). Of course, use of nuclear weapon wouldn’t be allowed in Kosovo at the beginning, so there would be no influence on the surrounding countries. Later, when technology would evolve enough, a large cupola would be built over Kosovo to prevent nuclear radiation from spreading. After that Americans and Russians would be allowed to hit each other uncompromisingly – but only in Kosovo. It would have relaxation effect on them, cuz’ war is for them what sex for the rest of the world is.

Acrobat Reader tip: Open a PDF’s Last Viewed Page

Were you ever annoyed with PDF e-books, because they didn’t contain index with which you could bookmark latest read page, so next time, when you would continue to read it, you had no way of easily finding location where you stopped reading it last time?

Well, here is a solution (via co-worker, via email).

Pimp My Canon: Unleash the POWER in your PowerShot!

This is something for owners of Canon cameras with DIGIC II or DIGIC III processor (via Slo-tech, via Wired). Using the “Canon Hacker’s Development Kit“, you can upgrade your low-end camera in such a matter, that you will be able to unlock some nice hidden features, including: RAW support, live histogram (RGB, blended, luminance and for each RGB channel), zebra mode (blinking highlights and shadows), DOF-calculator, battery indicator, scripts execution (exposure/focus/… bracketing, intervalometer and more), file browser, text reader, calendar, some fun other tools and games.

My Canon SX100 IS is sadly still not supported, but I’m patiently waiting. I’d love to have RAW support! Thinking about it, it would be nice to have games on my camera. I could play them while waiting for the perfect scene. :)

Anyway, keep in mind that it is not safe to tamper with your camera this way. You could end-up with an unusable piece of hardware if anything would go wrong, so think twice before hacking and be careful if you decide to go for it. And please, RTFM!

- Regards, Milan

Will The Burj Dubai tower touch the sky?

Already heard of the Burj Dubai tower (via DailyMail)? Yep, it’s yet another crazy & impressive creation built in Dubai. And you thought those crazy (meant in a good way) Arabs will stop after Burj Al Arab, Palm Jebel Ali or Dubai Towers Dubai?

Guess again. The Burj Dubai tower is, one year before the planned end of construction, already at 605 meters and the tallest standing construction in the world. When finished it will be approximately 40 meters higher (643.3 m) with an almost 200 m antena on top of it, so all in all it will rise 818 m into the sky. Fuckin impressive.

Links:

• The Burj Dubai official website
• Palm Islands official website
• Dubai Towers Dubai official website
• The Burj Dubai Google Images</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.dubai.ae/en.portal">Dubai official website</a></li> <li><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=25N+54+59E&ie=UTF8&t=h&om=1&ll=25.006906,55.000992&spn=0.11481,0.145397&z=13&iwloc=addr">Palm Jebel Ali Google maps
• Dubai @ Google maps

- Regards, Milan