Feed on
Posts
Comments
Refresh to see random header image.
All photos by Joey Bowles.

What is Windows 7 XP Mode?

Oct 17th, 2009 by Joey

In simplest terms, XP Mode is XP Professional running as a virtualized instance in Windows 7.   If you’re not familiar with virtualization, it is essentially running a copy of Windows XP as an app within Windows 7.  XP mode is an optional free download for Windows 7 Ultimate and Professional and  includes a full copy of a licensed, pre-registered XP SP3 with IE6.

Additionally, the guest OS (XP in this case) runs on a virtual hard disk (VHD).  The VHD is actually a large, single file on your physical disk.  To the host system this is a single file, but to the guest OS, this looks like a physical disk.  From the host you can move this file around, back it up, delete it, etc… Keep in mind that if you delete this file, you are essentially deleting your guest operating system.

To get started, you need a virtualization engine such as Microsoft Virtual PC (also free).  Once VPC is installed, you need to download XP Mode (this is a large download since it is a full copy of XP SP3).  The setup is painless. The only info you will need to provide is an admin password for your XP instance. Obviously, you can customize all kinds of settings but the defaults are acceptable for running XP. If needed, you can go back later and adjust memory, disk size, etc.

Once the setup is complete you can do anything within the virtual instance of XP as you would do in any other OS. You can install applications, surf the web, change the wallpaper, etc…

In this image you can clearly see XP with IE6 running within Windows 7

So why would you want to run Windows within Windows? I can think of several scenarios in which you would need to run XP within Win7.

  1. Keep in mind that Microsoft’s biggest competition for Windows 7 isn’t Linux or Mac OSX, it is XP itself.  Windows XP is everywhere in corporate America. Applications have been written to run on XP since 2001. Many of these apps will indeed run in Windows 7 but there are many that will not.  In a perfect world, the developers would go back and update the apps and provide free upgrades, but Microsoft realizes this isn’t going to happen. So, in order to hurdle the compatibility barrier, they decided to basically give corporations the ability to run the apps in XP within Windows 7.  Not exactly efficient, but a solution exists.
  2. No matter how successful Windows 7 is, there will still be people running XP for years to come. Unfortunately, many of these people still run Internet Explorer 6. Web and app developers need a method to test their sites on this older technology. Instead of keeping an old PC around just to test their site on IE6, they can simply fire up XP Mode with IE6.
  3. Since the guest OS is installed on its own virtual disk, you can use the virtual instance as a security sandbox for anything you wouldn’t want to do in your host system.  If something gets hosed, just delete the virtual disk and reinstall XP Mode.

Running XP in a virtualized environment is not new or groundbreaking. So what makes XP Mode different?  For one, you actually get a free licensed copy of XP (most virtualized copies of XP are boot-legged).  Secondly, unlike some virtualization engines, the experience is seamless. You can easily copy/paste between the host and guest systems and there is a single mouse which traverses all instances without synchronization. Next, and really cool, is the ability to add a shortcut to a virtualized application within XP to your Windows 7 start menu.  This is significant because it hides the XP OS and only exposes the application to the user.  This is referred to as publishing an application in XP Mode and is enabled by putting the application in the ”All Users” group in the virtualized XP start menu.

In this screenshot, you can see a link to Google Chrome which is installed in the XP virtual instance. Chrome is not installed on Windows 7 in this example.

..and here is Chrome running in XP Mode without XP being visible.  Keep in mind Chrome is really running in a virtualized instance of XP.
xpmode3-web

 

 

Share This Story With The WWW:
[Bloglines] [del.icio.us] [Digg] [Facebook] [Google] [MySpace] [Reddit] [Slashdot] [StumbleUpon] [Twitter] [Yahoo!] [Email] More »

Posted in Technology | 1 Comment »



Does the MagicJack Really Work? Yes! (and you can fax too)

Oct 16th, 2009 by Joey

Why did I buy MagicJack?

We haven’t had land-line service in our house for six years.  It just seemed like an unnecessary expense month after month when we both carried around cell phones.  Yes, I’m aware of the 911 argument but it has been a risk we were willing to take.  Things change, we had kids, and moved out of a dense neighborhood onto some land. Gentry, my wife, was concerned that 911 service would have a difficult time finding us via cell phone. Plus, our primary babysitter doesn’t have a mobile phone.  So, to ease all concerns, we bought the Magic Jack. I can honestly say… The Magic Jack works.
 

What is the MagicJack?

There are two components to the Magic Jack: 1. The device itself and 2. A yearly service component.  As far as I can determine the device has several purposes:

  1. It is a USB storage device which, once plugged into your PC for the first time, automatically installs the MagicJack software.  (Updates are automatically applied as needed.)
  2. It is a phone to USB converter. You can use any old touchtone phone.
  3. It also serves as a licensing device.  The installed software won’t successfully start on your PC unless this is plugged in.  You can take the device form PC to PC with ease without breaking any license agreement.

There are a couple of service plans available. We signed up for a three year plan for just a few bucks per year.

How does the MagicJack work?

Just in case you didn’t know, it’s not relly magic. Once plugged into your computer, a program known as a softphone launches and connects to a remote PBX somewhere on the Internet. The cool thing is that all the magic is transparent to the user — all you see is an onscreen phone app.  This is no different than other softphones which are common in corporations.  The cool thing is that you are not bound by your home.  You can take your laptop with you and make/receive calls as if you were sitting at your desk. Unlike other solutions, the MJ must be plugged directly into a computer and the computer must be on.

A phone is NOT required.  You can plug the MagicJack in and use your built in speakers/mic as a speakerphone.  Alternatively, you can plug in a headset to another USB port.  Again, a phone is not required as a long as the MJ is plugged in to a USB port.

Can I pick my own phone number with a MagicJack?

Yes, well, kinda… You select an area code and prefix and you are offered several number options to select from.  We picked an area code for an area in which we actually live, but I would assume you can pick any area code that is available.

Does MagicJack offer 911 serivce?

Yes, when you run through the initial setup you are required to supply a physical address where the MJ will be used.  In the event you make a 911 call, the emergency service will be dispatched to this address.  Keep in mind that if you make a 911 call from Starbucks or a hotel room, the dispatcher will still get your home address.  Oops!

Does MagicJack offer voice mail and other enhanced services?

Yes, these are all included.  In fact, when you get a voice mail it will send it via an attachment to your email address on file. Caller ID, Call Waiting, and 411 are also included.

Can you fax with a MagicJack?

Yes, you can send and receive faxes with an external fax machine.  What’s not as obvious is that you can also send/receive faxes using the same Windows PC that your MagicJack is plugged into.  It sounds hokey, but you need to run a phone cable from your fax/modem port to the MagicJack — yes you have a phone cable in two ports on the same computer.  From here, you would fax like you normally would from within Windows — just set up your fax as a new printer and “print” to it. So, you should be able to fax anything you can print including Microsoft Word docs, email, photos, drawings, whatever…

Will MagicJack run on Windows 7?

I have used our MagicJack on Windows XP, Vista, and Win 7 without any difficulty.  I did notice in XP, that while the jack was plugged in, there was an IP Telephony update listed in WindowsUpdate.  I installed this update and didn’t notice any difference good or bad.

What are the drawbacks or disadvantages of using MagicJack?

This is a best effort service designed to run over residential broadband.  As a result, the voice quality is not equal to traditional phone service.  Additionally, MJ requires an active Internet connection and will not work if you lose access for any reason (including power loss).  Compare this to traditional phone service which gets its power from the TelCo central office and gives you a constant dial tone even if you lose power.

What’s the result?

I highly recommend MJ for personal use. Considering the price, it is very low risk. It is a great way to shave some money off your monthly utility bills. However, MJ does not offer any service level agreements (SLA) so it may not be a wise solution if you are running a business and require consistent voice quality.

Share This Story With The WWW:
[Bloglines] [del.icio.us] [Digg] [Facebook] [Google] [MySpace] [Reddit] [Slashdot] [StumbleUpon] [Twitter] [Yahoo!] [Email] More »

Posted in Technology | 2 Comments »



Apartment for rent in Stillwater, OK

Apr 1st, 2009 by Joey

313 S. Lowry Unit B (Upstairs unit in a duplex), Stillwater, OK will be available the first week of June 2009. This is an updated unit near the Oklahoma State University campus. This is a one bedroom, one bathroom house with a detached one car private garage. For more info see this page http://www.bowlesonline.com/stillwater-apartment-for-rent

Contact Joey or Gentry for more info:

918-809-4566

gentry@gentryfoto.com

Share This Story With The WWW:
[Bloglines] [del.icio.us] [Digg] [Facebook] [Google] [MySpace] [Reddit] [Slashdot] [StumbleUpon] [Twitter] [Yahoo!] [Email] More »

Posted in Apartment, Homes, OSU | 3 Comments »



Create Panoramas with Windows Live Photo Gallery

Feb 3rd, 2009 by Joey

There are several ways to stitch together photographs to make stunning panoramas. One of the easiest ways is with Microsoft’s free photo organizer called Windows Live Photo Gallery (WLPG).  WLPG is a free download that works with XP, Vista, and now Windows 7.  For Vista users, this tool is an evolution of Vista’s Photo Gallery but unfortunately you cannot remove the old version. This is no big deal, you’ll just have both programs on your computer. While the stitching process is extremely simple, as a trade-off, the tool doesn’t offer many customization options. If you need more flexibility, then consider Photoshop or another free Microsoft tool called ICE – or Image Composite Editor.

Obviously you will need a series of photos from a single vantage point. You can have two photos up to as many as you like.
Here are some tips to remember when taking your photos:

  • Make sure each photo in your series has a bit of overlap so the software will know where the stitching points are.  It is safer to have too much overlap than none at all.
  • When taking the photos, try to keep your camera in the same position and at the same angle as you rotate. A tripod or monopod will help for larger shoots.
  • If you have the know-how and a capable camera, set the exposure manually. Doing this will prevent different exposures on the various photos. If you don’t know what this means, then don’t worry about it – just shoot!

Let’s get started.
Open WLPG and find the photos you want to stitch together. Select these photos. As you can see in the screen shot below, I am using a series of seven photos from the interior of Boone Pickens Stadium. The photos were taken with a camera placed on my knee and span 180 degrees from end-zone to end-zone. (These are old photos from April, 2008 before construction was complete.)

 

From the menu, select MAKE > CREATE PANORAMIC PHOTO

This process could take a few seconds to a few minutes depending on how many photos you are trying to stitch together. After this process completes, you will be prompted to give your panorama a file type and name. This is the ONLY OPTION you have in the process.  The default file type is JPG which is sufficient for emailing, posting to Facebook, etc… However, if you wish to do serious editing or print this professionally you will need to save the image as a TIFF.  TIFF files are not compressed and are much larger than compressed JPG files. Typically, photo editing software gives you the option of how much compression to apply but for some reason it is a fixed level in this software. Remember, more compression equals more degradation of the original image.

 

That’s it!  Your image may have some strange edges as a result of the stiching processing compensating for the placement and angle of your camera. If you don’t like these edges then simply use WLPG or any other photo editor to crop it square.

What started as seven individual images from a camera balanced on my knee is now an end-zone to end-zone view of Boone Pickens Stadium.

 

Share This Story With The WWW:
[Bloglines] [del.icio.us] [Digg] [Facebook] [Google] [MySpace] [Reddit] [Slashdot] [StumbleUpon] [Twitter] [Yahoo!] [Email] More »

Posted in OSU, Photography, Technology | 1 Comment »



OSU 360 Panorama Using Silverlight Deep Zoom

Jan 5th, 2009 by Joey

Check out this 10 photo panorama from the OSU campus. The sun was setting and the photos aren’t that great, but this is still cool. Using Silverlight’s Deep Zoom feature, you can zoom in, out, and all around. You can get close enough to see detail in these photos. I used the free Microsoft Image Composite Editor (ICE) to stitch the individual photos together and export to Silverlight.

Click here to see the panorama.

Tips:

  • You can zoom in and out very quickly using the scroll wheel on your mouse.
  • Use your arrow keys or mouse to navigate around.
  • Since this is a 360, you can pan one direction continusoly as if you are spinning in a circle.

 

Share This Story With The WWW:
[Bloglines] [del.icio.us] [Digg] [Facebook] [Google] [MySpace] [Reddit] [Slashdot] [StumbleUpon] [Twitter] [Yahoo!] [Email] More »

Posted in OSU, Photography, Technology | 4 Comments »



Merry OSU Christmas!

Dec 17th, 2008 by Joey

Click PLAY for an Orange Christmas Greeting.

http://osuaaweb.ad.okstate.edu/video/holidaycard/holidaycard.flv

Share This Story With The WWW:
[Bloglines] [del.icio.us] [Digg] [Facebook] [Google] [MySpace] [Reddit] [Slashdot] [StumbleUpon] [Twitter] [Yahoo!] [Email] More »

Posted in OSU | No Comments »



Microsoft Image Resizer PowerToy for Vista and Windows 7

Dec 11th, 2008 by Joey

Way back in 2001-2002, Microsoft released a set of free utilities for XP called PowerToys. Theses were small, very useful programs. One of the best tools in the set was the Image Resizer. Once installed, you could right-click on any photo, click on Resize Image, then select one of the preset sizes or create a custom size. You could resize a single image or in batch within two quick clicks. Additionally, the utility would create copies of your images and not touch your originals. This was the perfect solution for posting photos to the web, sending emails, or any other time you didn’t need the full sized image out of the camera.

When Vista was released, this functionality was not included in the box, and Microsoft didn’t produce new PowerToys. Now, there is an open source clone of the Image Resizer PowerToy that works on Vista and Windows 7. It is identical in nearly every way. If you run Vista or Win7 and need a simple way to resize images check it out.  It doesn’t get easier or simpler than this:

http://www.codeplex.com/PhotoToysClone

Share This Story With The WWW:
[Bloglines] [del.icio.us] [Digg] [Facebook] [Google] [MySpace] [Reddit] [Slashdot] [StumbleUpon] [Twitter] [Yahoo!] [Email] More »

Posted in Photography, Technology | 8 Comments »



« Newer Posts - Older Posts »