I've been looking for a great 15 minute article on how to use LLBLGen for a while.  Although there are plenty of examples on their website, you can spend too much time slogging through them just to get a simple "Hello World" app up and running.

Today I found a (year old) post by Frans Bouma performing a very straightforward step-by-step example on how to create an LLBLGen Pro project.  For anyone who's a newbie at the product, this is a great place to start.

Although Instructables has many great articles on carving pumpkins, it's sometimes hard to determine from the snapshot who is the best or, for that matter, even knows what they're talking about.  Well, if you're willing to shell out $18, you can get 3 shows from Terri Hardin (Ghostbusters, Disney, Universal Studios) at Fugu.com on how to get some amazing results from your giant gourd. 

ExtremePumpkins.com also has lots of ideas, tips and tricks.  I first found that site about a year ago when I came across the "Kerosene Soaked Toilet Paper" video.

On a related note, MyScienceProject.org performed a fun little experiment on how to keep your jack-o'-lantern looking scary as long as possible.  I won't spoil the surprise ending, but I will tell you that smearing white glue all over your pumpkin isn't a good idea for a preservative.

At my shop, we've employed Active Directory (AD) to negotiate access to all of the services available on the network.  Although it can be a headache to set up, it really does make security nice and tidy in the long run.  For example, if you want, you can use your AD to replicate security out to your wireless network adapters via RADIUS.

This weekend, I moved everyone from a POP-based mail server to an Exchange 2007 hosted service.  The move was based on pain we were having with timely delivery of mail, as well as not having a SPAM block on the front-end of the server.  I.e. when I would get email via my phone, it would download 200 pieces of SPAM along with my 15 important emails.  Not a good solution.

Since I made the decision to migrate the company, I chose to be the guinea pig for the migration.  I already had Outlook 2007 running, so I closed Outlook, changed my email account (via the control panel) and walked through the Exchange Autodiscover process without issue.  Once complete, I merged my old PST files and within 30 minutes was up and running.  It was all impossibly simple.

That is, until I started the process in earnest with the other employees.  On the first install, I deleted the existing account, told Outlook I wanted to use Exchange and proceeded through the Autodiscover process.  This time, however, there were various challenge-response boxes (that I didn't recall happening to me) and upon completion, Outlook complained with the following error:

Unable to open your default email folders.  You must connect to your Microsoft Exchange server computer with the current profile before you can synchronize your folders with your offline folder file.

After going through the process a few more times, I realized that the clue I missed was the above-mentioned challenge-response boxes.  When I paid attention, I found that both the local AD and the remote server were looking for authentication tickets.  While I don't know what exactly was happening under the covers, my best guess is that the local network was attempting to pass along networking rights and was failing miserably, as would be expected.

So, if you're having this issue, the resolution is very simple.  When you create a new Exchange email account, do not allow Autodiscover to run by checking the box at the bottom of the first screen that says, "Manually configure server settings or additional server types."

At this point, you'll need the FQDN for the Exchange server and the principal name.  The FQDN you'll use in the first screen you get to after supplying your username, email address and password (as seen at the right).  To set the principal name, click on the "More Settings" button on that next screen, then click on the "Connection" tab, then the "Exchange Proxy Settings..." button.  You will find yourself at a window that will look like the following:

It might be easiest to get one machine to Autodiscover correctly then just copy these settings rather than attempt to wade through your provider's help, but if you have the information handy, it just takes a few seconds and you'll be up and running.

You may also want to experiment with the "On fast networks..." setting.  In my network, it does feel much snappier, and was a suggestion by my host to improve Outlook startup and polling times.

I just got an update from Citibank notifying me of several upgrades being made to their online features.  Among the other items noted, they specified that they will allow you to "request PDFs of your statements as far back as 15 years."  Note to other banks, utilities, and major service providers: please look at what Citibank is doing, and take notes. 

Will I want to see what regrettable purchases I made back in 1992?  Not likely.  However, being able to go back 2, 3 or possibly even 5 years is absolutely understandable.  Although I'm ultimately holding off judgement on their implementation of it (what exactly does "request PDF" mean, exactly?), I applaud Citibank for offering up services that make using their products just that much friendlier.

I mention this because there are many downright horrible online services out there.  As a counterpoint, I offer up my city water online "service."

To log in, I must present my account number and my address.  That's it.  No secret phrase, no user ID.  Anyone who's interested in my payment history need only stake out my mailbox and look for my water bill.   Once in to the super-high-tech system, I'm offered the following information:

Now, here's the magic question: given the above information, how much do I owe at this moment?  $0.00 or $157.12?  Only because I've been using this horrific UI for months do I know the real answer.  (Hint: it's not $0.00.)

The takeaway (as a developer) is this: make sure to have your application reviewed by an unbiased outsider every once in a while, and look to see what the best-of-breed is up to.  Although you may not have the time to implement 15 years of statements, it's obvious that in the above example the developer/developers that created this application never had anyone review the code and/or final product, and may have never even looked to see how other bill presentment applications work. 

Situation: You've been asked by Mr. BigShotCEO to create a proof-of-concept of that new whiz-bang website idea you told him about 8 weeks ago.  Oh, and he wants it ready for an 8am presentation in the board room.

Problem: If you use PowerPoint, or better yet, iWork's Keynote, you can whip together a presentation that won't embarrass you or get you fired.  [That's assuming you don't use any sound effects, but that's another matter.]  With websites however, it becomes a bit trickier, as many application developers a(including me) are frustrated artists, not getting much beyond still lifes in high school.  Unless you have a designer available at your beck and call, your hard work might lose it's punch if the audience is concentrating on why you chose to use puce and electric orange for colors.

Solution: there are a few good sites out there that will do the job in a pinch.  Since they're free (as of this writing), and have snappy interfaces, you can get a fairly unique and (generally) visually acceptable site with nominal lifting.  Getting the design out of the way will allow you to concentrate on the task(s) at hand.

Free logo design

• LogoMaker.  Good: the site allows you to position the graphic and any accompanying text however you want, using "layers" a la Photoshop.  Bad: they want your personal info.  Use: create your logo and take a screenshot.  Sure, you'll have hash marks, but this is just a demo.
• VistaPrint.  Good: no hash or watermarks.  Bad: no positioning of text elements.

Free web templates (available templates in brackets as of Oct 18, 2007)

• Open Designs [761] You can search by #of columns, license type, main color and validation type
• Open Source Web Design [2080] May be hard to find since they only show 12 a page, but all open source
• Open Web Design [2527] Tells you up front if the design uses CSS, which can be of great help
• Open Source Web Templates [~300?] Hard to search, as proven by the inaccurate number of designs
• Smashing Magazine They have more links, so I couldn't exclude them; good if the others fail

So there you have it.  I hope you get a big promotion and commensurate raise by Mr. BigShotCEO.