Windows Live Custom Domains

Microsoft's Windows Live has added a feature that allows you to point the MX record for your domain to their servers.  You can then manage your accounts at http://domains.live.com.  This is pretty cool for those that want to use their domain name for email but don't want to pay their registrars for the service.

Some of the items they are offering.

• Create up to 20 e-mail accounts within your domain
• Get a 250 MB inbox for each account
• Check your e-mail from any Web-enabled PC
• Junk e-mail filter protection using Microsoft SmartScreen technology
• Virus scanning and cleaning of e-mail
• Seamless access with MSN Messenger, MSN Spaces, etc.

Since I'm not using markdeffenbaugh.com for email I decided to set it up.  To register you specify your domain name, login with an existing MSN account, then get the server to point the MX record to.  Once you set up the MX record they will verify it then give you the ability to start creating accounts.  Once an account is created you have to go to Hotmail and login with the newly created account.

They say they'll give you 250Mb but there is a disclaimer where you may only get 25Mb.  I received 2Mb.  The Custom Domains people do say in their blog that you have to go to http://accountservices.msn.com and set your country before you sign into Hotmail for the first time.  If you did it like I did then you have to dump your account, wait 30 days, then recreate it.

While the service is a good thing for those that need it I'm not real impressed just yet.  First, I hate Hotmail with a passion.  The interface, the ads, the ads sent with the email messages - it's all bad.  The work they're doing with Windows Live however is a major step in the right direction.  There is a new email system called Kahuna coming out soon that, if they dump the stupid ads, may give gmail a run for it's money.  Tie Kahuna with Custom Domains and Microsoft will come out the winner - for a change.

Everybody should have a wishlist

Everybody has a Christmas tradition.  One of ours goes like this.

wife: So what do you want for Christmas?
me: I don't know.
wife: Didn't you want <insert something here>?
me: Would be nice but I don't really need it.
wife: So you don't want anything?
me: Not really.

Actually I do want stuff but I just don't remember over time all the little things that I think would be nice to have.  I also hate having money spent on me - seems wasteful.  The things I do remember would cost way too much - like a 50" widescreen Sony tv.  I used to hate shopping for Christmas gifts - still do actually but my wife does it all now.  People are hard to buy for and I'm no exception.  Therefore, everybody should have a wishlist.

As an avid Googler I've always used the shopping list on Froogle.  It worked but it was far from perfect because I could only add things to it that I found on Froogle.  Yahoo has come out with a bit more advanced version called the Shoposphere which allows you to sort your items into categories though it's still limited in that I can only add items from Yahoo Shopping.

Then I came across Kaboodle.  Not only is it for keeping a wishlist of products, you can keep a list of, well, anything.  Let's say you're going on a trip with some family and you want everybody  to decide on where to stay, eat, or what to do.  Load all the websites for the hotels, restaurants, entertainment and have the family add comments or vote on the one they like the best.  Kaboodle is a great way to keep thoughts organized while browsing different sites.

Here are a few things I'd like to see added and I'm sure these and more are in the works since Kaboodle has only been live for a month.

1. RSS feeds.
2. The ability to move an item from one page (or category) to another.
3. While the ability exists to make your items public or private, I can only see the latest public additions that everybody on Kaboodle has made.  It would be nice to browse for an item to see what research, if any, someone else has done on a certain product.
4. Need a way to administer your account (change password, email, etc.)

For now it's still worthwhile and very easy to use - try it out.

HP - short review

So I went to see Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire this weekend.  We got there a half an hour early and they were already seating.  A few people were trickling in as we made our way to the theater and most of them felt the need to push their way around you so as to, I can only assume, aquire a better seat.  The worst part was the old man with a walker - I let him go by out of fear of him raming it into my shins.

I realize they were going to cut stuff but I think 60% of the book was left out.  Still, it was a good movie with very good special effects.  One of the best things about all the movies is the casting for the characters.  The people they chose fit perfectly with how I envision the characters in the books with one exception - Dumbledore.  The first one, Richard Harris, was perfect but it's difficult to see Michael Gambon in the role.  The PG-13 title is justified - we let The Boy watch certain parts of the other Harry Potter movies but there's no part of this one that I'd let him see.

There, short and quick, just enough to bug certain anti-Potter people I work with.

The best website on the planet

There is no site better than Playhouse Disney and if you disagree then you don't have a 3 year old. It's not a perfect solution but it's great for a little peace and quiet. Plus it's better than letting them watch TV as they get some learning experience out of it.

Daddy I'm Peeing!

Nuff said.

Back to Blogger

Blogsome could be a very good blog if they added more features that other blogs have by default.  So, I'm back on Blogger for the time being.

Star Wars: Revelations

I just finished watching Star Wars: Revelations, a fan flick/short movie produced by Panic Struck Productions and done by volunteers on weekends and only with $20,000.  The special effects and cgi are outstanding and better than many professional movies.  All the space fights, cityscaping, costumes were done very well.  The movie is reminiscent of the original series with all the dialog and scene transitions so you feel like this could easily fit in the Star Wars series.

The acting...ah the acting.  Obviously there was a lot of hard work that they put into the movie so you would think they could find some better actors willing to get some exposure.  The worst one, though he didn't appear much, was Emperor Palpatine - his costume and voice just did not fit.  After 10 minutes you kind of get used to the acting so it doesn't remain too much of an issue.  Another bad part was the light saber duals.  Though the special effects was done well, the choreography was not.

Overall, for a 40 minute space flick it's very good.  I'd like to see it again on the DVD version, the one I saw I streamed from iFilm so it was severely compressed. 

IE Tab for Firefox

One of the best extensions for Firefox, IE Tab allows you to right click a page and open that page in a new Internet Explorer tab within Firefox. Note that you'll need an additional extension if you're using Firefox 1.0.x Link

delicious additions

Tag Bundle
Delicious has created tag bundle which is a way to make tags for your tags - or group/organize your tags a little better. Very nice.

Play MP3's
When searching for MP3's there is now a way to play the item right from the results page. Try it out.

A better URL
For those who hated the del.icio.us or could never remember it, you now have an easier way to get to the site - delicious.com

Scoble on Microsoft's approach to the Web

Robert Scoble, a Microsoft employee, talks about what he hears from other people on reasons why using Microsoft software for websites is bad and open source is good. He says it in a way that probably won't get him fired but he brings up some very valid points about why you shouldn't use Microsoft.

Link

I, for one, would like to break out of the MS shell and into the open source world. The problem is that I'm entrenched in a huge company that leans more toward the need to pay for what you want as opposed to using a free solution that you can customize yourself.