David Forster

Meeeerrrrrrry Christmas, and a happy new year!

As just reported by The register, a recent Microsoft update causes problems with Internet Explorer 6 if you’ve previously run version 7 (beta) in ’standalone’ mode.

This hit me, but I was blaming it on a recent install of the Opera web browser as that and the update coincided, so apologies to Opera. The problem I was experiencing was that when typing in a URL in the address bar, or opening a bookmark, IE was launching the default browser (which could look like a new window if IE was set as the default). Kind of cool, but not when you use apps that require IE and use popup windows

The solution is to delete the registry key:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{c90250f3-4d7d-4991-9b69-a5c5bc1c2ae6}

What is it with kids (14-18 year olds I mean, god I must be getting old!) these days. They see a bike and they feel that they must try to get you to ‘do a wheelie’ for them.

“Yes mate, OK, I’ll just chew my sprockets up and stretch my chain because you want to see a wheelie shall I? I’ll just spin my wheel up on this cold, wet road and shred my expensive tyres on your say-so. Tell you what, I’ll do a wheelie for you, even though I’m 3 feet behind a car, filtering through rush-hour traffic. No doubt you’ll forget about it 5 minutes after it’s happened, but that’s not a problem because there’ll be another biker along 5 minutes later for you to harass.”

Yes, I can do wheelies and yes, I enjoy doing them, but only when I want to do them and when it’s safe enough to do it! You want to see a wheelie every 5 minutes - You grow up, get a bike, and learn for yourself!

Molly E. Holzschlag, Group Lead at the Web Standards Project (WaSP) has posted an open letter (partly because their feedback system no longer works!) to Disney Store UK on her blog, regarding their recent redesign.

It seems that whoever redesigned the site doesn’t have any idea about web standards and semantic design, as all trace of the previous, well-written site, which was used as an example in numerous case studys about modern web design best practice, has gone. Instead we’re now served up a table based design that “regresses back to all the bad habits that have hurt the progress of Web development and design.”

Received this in my Download Squad RSS feed this morning. Norwegian developer Haakon Bertheussen has implemented an algorithm that colorises black and white photos in his own program called Recolored. The Windows beta is available to play with for free.

I downloaded and tested it with a desaturated photo and the results were amazing - on the first try! With practice I think this tool has real potential! My grandparents had a collection of old sepia toned photos that I have scanned and I can’t wait to try this out on them.

I’ve always used SharpReader for aggregating RSS feeds, but after a recent debate at work I’m finding myself trying two new programs. Problem is, I can’t decide between them

The two that I’m trialling are RSSOwl and RSS Bandit (A somewhat dubious name, which I’m sure is no mistake!). I love Owl’s look and feel, but wish it had the unread news and newspaper view format of Bandit. Both are free and OSS.

Searching on Google, RSS Bandit seems to be the most used/recommended, but I just wish it didn’t have that Office 2003 look compared to RSSOwl’s clean, stylish, FireFoxy interface.

Update: Well, I’ve ditched RSSOwl in favour of RSS Bandit. Bandit is a bit more polished in terms of it’s functionality, even though I’m not keen on it’s UI.