Blending life, nature and technology.
programming
SQL Server 2008 R2 Express
Jul 29th
Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 now has a maximum database size limit of 10Gb as opposed to the former limit of 4Gb. Small organizations and Microsoft Access migration will find this useful.
Heres a link for downloading SQL 2008 R2 Express
Heres an easy installation guide link.
Android
Jul 14th
Just about everyone must be familiar or has seen tons of TV ad’s showing Android based cell-phones. Heres a link to notes/screen-shots l saved while trying my hand at a first programming project targetng the Google Android 2.2 Operating System. Click here.
Android based phones have arguably the most apps. compared to Apple’s iPhone cellphones.
Arduino Mega
Jul 4th
Just received my board ordered below from Sparkfun. Here is a link to the main reference website for this board.
I simply connected a USB cable from this board to my laptop – which runs windows 7 ultimate 64bit, and after a while – the drivers were successfully installed as shown below.
Using the Windows arduino software which you can download from here, l made these settings.
Go to the tools menu, select board, then select mega
Go to the tools menu, select serial, and then select COM6 – which has been assigned by Windows,a s shown in screenshot above.
First test. Loaded one of the sample sketches – program files by –> File/Examples/Digital/Blink
Modified this program since l had a red led connected between ground and digital pin #52.
int ledPin = 52; // LED connected to digital pin 52
Will post updates here.
Extra pictures below. Kids love electronics -especially blinking leds.
Below pictures illustrate the size of the board.
Arduino
Jun 26th
I’ll be working on this for a robotic project/kid mentoring activity.
Tracking my findings with weblinks – click on hyperlink:
- Core reference site. - Arduino - an open-source electronics prototyping platform based on flexible, easy-to-use hardware and software
- Sanguino [cheerful] - a fun microcontroller board inspired by the awesome Arduino project
- Atmel Mega1280
- Arduino on ATMega644
- LilyPad Arduino By Leah Buechley
- Related Links
- Application – Open source based 3D Desktop Printer
- Thingiverse – Digital designs
- Lady Ada
- Ice Tube VFD Clock Kit – Featuring Russian Display Tube
.Net Data Access Tutorials…
Apr 2nd
Excellent series of tutorials by Scott Mitchell – Author of Teach yourself ASP.NET 3.5 in 24hrs – in Visual Basic as well as in Visual C#
Click here for link.
Problems removing a SQL2005 replication publication and subscription
Feb 11th
Issue:
use [MyDB]
exec sp_dropsubscription
@publication = N’pbMyDBSnapshotPull’,
@subscriber = N’YYY\MyDBX’,
@destination_db = N’MyDB’,
@article = N’all’
GO
Result
Msg 20032, Level 16, State 1, Procedure sp_MSdrop_subscription, Line 85
‘YYY\MyDBMOBILE’ is not defined as a Subscriber for ‘YYY\MYDBINSTANCE’.
Msg 14070, Level 16, State 1, Procedure sp_MSrepl_changesubstatus, Line 1210
Could not update the distribution database subscription table. The subscription status could not be changed.
Solution:
use [MyDB]
exec sp_dropsubscription
@publication = N’pbMyDBSnapshotPull’,
@subscriber = N’YYY\MyDBX’,
@destination_db = N’MyDB’,
@article = N’all’,
@ignore_distributor=1 –<<<<<<< *** Fix ************
GO
Result
The Subscriber was dropped.
Nexus One – Android 2 – Eclipse
Jan 15th
Decided to revisit Android development due to the release of Google’s Nexus One Phone
Here are my steps so far:
- Download and install Eclipse Development environment from here [eclipse-jee-galileo-SR1-win32.zip ]
- Simply extract this to say, c:\eclipse
- Run eclipse
- Install Google’s ADT Plugin for Eclipse from here
- Download and install the SDK from here – in this case – up to Android 2.1, API 7, revision 1
- Extract above and run SDK Setup.exe – l had to to to the settings on the left hand side and check “force http…”, then choose accept all.
Azure sample database setup….
Dec 29th
Notes on setting up the sample database – adventureworks [click here] for Microsoft’s cloud computing sql server called Azure:
- you need an account – get one from sql.azure.com - it takes some time for your access information to arrive by email.
- download the sample database using link above
- extract/unzip to a known location
- make sure you add your home/work/workstation actual external facing ip address to the firewall settings
- wait for 5-10 mins for your ip address to be accepted by the azure online firewall system
- run the script commands below
See commands/reference pictures below:
Server Name: serverx serverx.database.windows.net
Administrator Username: userx
Server Location: South Central US
db name: ankh
cd dw
buildawdwaz.cmd tcp:serverx.database.windows.net userx@serverx passwordx
cd lt
buildawltaz.cmd tcp:serverx.database.windows.net userx@serverx passwordx
Business Intelligence w/SQL 2008
Dec 27th
Currently reading “Delivering Business Intelligence with Microsoft SQL Server 2008
Interesting quotes/definitions:
“Would you tell me please, which way I ought to go from here?” asked Alice.
“That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,” said the Cat.
“I don’t much care where,” said Alice.
“Then, it doesn’t matter which way you go,” said the Cat.
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
- Lewis Carroll
Planning ahead is a good idea. It wasn’t raining when Noah built the ark.
- Anonymous
He who has not first laid his foundations may be able with great ability to lay them afterwards, but they will be laid with trouble to the architect and danger to the building.
The Prince
- Niccolò Machiavelli
Business intelligence is the delivery of accurate, useful information to the appropriate decision makers within the necessary timeframe to support effective decision making.
Data mining uses a complex mathematical algorithm to sift through detail data to identify patterns, correlations, and clustering within the data.
Online analytical processing (OLAP) systems enable users to quickly and easily retrieve information from data, usually in a data mart, for analysis. OLAP systems present data using measures, dimensions, hierarchies, and cubes.