It is easy and even fun to create a database in Microsoft Access, and there is also little to no programming involved.

In fact, the only programming that I’ve found is a SQL view in which you can write SQL code. You start by opening Microsoft Access. Afterwards, you click on New at the top and then you click on New Blank Database. Then you save your database with any name you choose. You can even keep the name they give you – db1. Next you double click on Create a Table in Design View and you have to write the fields (the table’s columns), their data type, and description. You also have to assign a Primary Key by Right clicking on the Field Name and selecting Primary Key. After that you enter the data. For example, if you created the fields: Customer ID, Customer Name, Address, City, State, and Zip – then you would have to enter data for those fields.

I have just recently upgraded my video editing software to Sony Vegas 7.0e Platinum.

I needed this because I also upgraded the camera I had been using to a new Sony A1U HD unit. I needed to upgrade the editor because Windows Movie Maker does not support HD video. I initially downloaded the free trial and that was for 31 days. The cool thing about that was that Sony offered up the full version so you could try all of the features out before you actually bought it…which I ended up doing after the trial had expired. I also had to call their tech support team and they were very helpful answering all of my questions! Overall, my experience with the Vegas has been great. It is one of the most user friendly editors I have used and allows for great clarity especially compared to the compressed messes that I used to generate from Windows Movie Maker. If you are looking for an HD editor for your DV or HDV camera then give Vegas a try…you’ll end up buying it like I did!

Ever wondered what to do with almost 3GB of space GMail provides you for emails?

GMail Drive Shell Extension will create a pseudo-drive on your computer and parse your Gmail inbox to provide you with an almost 3gb web drive! It’s free, and all you have to do is install “Gmail Drive Shell Extension” click on the drive icon and login to your Gmail account!

Although he idea is very cool and handy it has some disadvantages:
1) if you create another account to use as a web drive, Gmail will not remember you (it happens cause the browser cookies overwrite each other).
2) it wont run, for some reason, on my Vista x64 machine.
3) Gmail has an attachment limit of 20mb

Despite these disadvantages, I’m using GMail Drive Shell Extension to transfer tiny stuff (tiny being <20mb) around. I prefer using this method over my flash memory sticks. Some readers will probably say that there are webdrives at present that provide 5GB and more of space and unlimited attachment size – but they don’t have a plugin to be accessed through windows shell!

I have been registered with VoIPSTUNT for 5 months now. To my understanding they are one of the best VoIP providers I have seen. I have used this company many times everyday, and they are simply wonderful. I have a laptop 4 years old without any upgrade in the hardware. The VoIP has run smooth and without any problem every time I have used it. I have an USB VoIP phone that cost me 20 USD, and I can dial directly from the phone or from the software program.

You can go to www.voipstunt.com and take a look yourself. They have a lot of countries worldwide where you can make free calls, such as Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the USA (mobiles included), and many other countries. In my opinion, VoIPSTUNT is one of the best VoIP companies you can join for free. If this seems too good to be true, just type http://www.voipstunt.com and check it out.

Everyone is hot for AJAX right now, in a world of web buzzwords and jargon “AJAX” has spread like a dancing hamster in 1999. Allowing a web page to send and retrieve data back to the server without a refresh sounds simple enough, but it’s creating a revolution in the way web sites work; search results show up as you type them, addresses are completed from a post code, tables of data magically sort themselves, most of which happens in an elegant, intuitive way. This is a real boon for web users and fans of nifty interface design, but what seems to have not been noted so far is that AJAX can allow a developer to create a web application that is completely platform independent.

The client side code can run completely independently from the server side in a way that just wasn’t possible before. Client side AJAX calls can pass requests back to the server, and then format and display the results as needed. This means that with a little bit of design, the back end functionality can be developed ass a pure data gateway – making it trivial to create the web application with .NET, JSP, PHP anything! To move a web app to a new platform involves just copying the client side files (the html, .js and .css bits), and then recreating the simple data processing parts in whatever language is required. Which sounds a bit like the old CGI days, what goes around comes around I guess.

If you’ve read any of the reviews for Apple’s new Intel Macbook, I’m sure you’ve also read these words therein: “This is the best laptop I’ve ever used”. Well, just for the sake of forming some kind of meditative mantra I’ll type those words again: THIS IS THE BEST LAPTOP I’VE EVER USED! I mean it! This is also my first Mac. I don’t know how this laptop compares to other Macs, but compared to my bulky, clunky Wintel laptop, well, it’s the best laptop I’ve ever used. And I mean it!

It’s hard to offer up anything more substantive that you haven’t read before, so I’ll throw some purchasing tips your way. Unless you absolutely think you need to have a black one; unless you think how your laptop looks is going to score you chicks, then go with white. $150 is a lot to pay just for a color. And RAM, you’re going to want RAM. The $500 Apple tries to get out of you for 2 gigs is absurd, and installation is simple enough for a child. I picked up 2 gigs for $170 on eBay, and if you’re concerned about the quality of budget RAM, well, don’t be. I’ve had no problems so far in two months. I also installed a 7200rpm 100gig hard drive that I purchased online. Again, save your money and head to eBay, the installation is simple and foolproof, and installing OS X onto the new hard drive was as simple as anything else on the Mac. Between cost, and availability of software (with parallels or bootcamp), Apple has seemingly tackled the only negative things Macs were known for.