Mike Smyth’s MiniMechadon Page
The main goal of the project is to experiment with learning algorithms that will allow the robot to learn how to walk, rather than programming it to do so.

Most Clarion developers spend most of their time writing embed code. But new (and sometimes experienced) developers are often faced with a bewildering question: Which embeds should I use, and why? Dave Harms provides some preliminary results on typical usage from the ClarionMag embed analysis project. Clarion Magazine(subscribers only)

Readers tell us what they love, and, well, don’t love about Visual Studio, all so we can tell Microsoft how to make the next round of products better. Read more…

In a press release announcing the move, Adobe said that it was driven by the company’s “commitment to openness” and a desire to make PDF an official standard. “As governments and organizations increasingly request open formats, maintenance of the PDF specification by an external and participatory organization will help continue to drive innovation and expand the rich PDF ecosystem that has evolved over the past 15 years”. Read more…

ProScan 1.5 is a significant update to ProScan and it includes:
* Full compatibility and integration with ProImage. This means that you can now scan a page then send it into ProImage to be cropped or enhanced. You can also insert photos processed in ProImage directly into any point of your multi-page TIFF in ProScan. The entire process is handled by the templates and our new “Data Bridge” and requires no hand coding. Details…
* TIFF Navigators that allow your users to “turn the page” of a TIFF displayed on a standard Browse or Form (without loading the Scan Manager). Details…
* A Shuffle Feature that allows users to move a page forward or backwards in a TIFF document to correct when a page is scanned out of order. Details…
* Backwards compatibility with Clarion 5.5 (to match that of ProImage).
* Custom compression settings for individual scanner profiles. This allows you to create “Virtual Scanners” from the same physical scanner. Then you can scan a B&W page and save it in a high compression setting like GROUP4 and then scan a color photo and save it with JPEG compression, etc.
* Other numerous small enhancements and a few minor bug fixes are also included.

ProImage 1.6 is a significant update to ProImage and it includes:
* Full compatibility and integration with ProScan. Details…
* Mouse Resize of the Visual Target System. Users can now resize the Visual Targeting System with the mouse. We added markers and grab handles to Visual Targeting System. When either the WireFrame or the Lens targeting system is enabled, the user is presented with a series of grab handles on the corner and sides. As the mouse nears any handle a yellow circle appears around it. The user can click at any time then and the mouse will grab the center of the handle. The handle turns red to show that it was grabbed. Then the user can drag the mouse to resize the target on that axis. Details…
* FreeHand Crop. The FreeHand crop mode allows the user to draw out an area that they want to use from the source image. After the area is draw out - the user can resize/reposition the area with the grab handles. Details…
* TrueView Image Protection. Details…
* Smart Image Clipboard. Details…
* 264 FREE high quality icons for ProImage from www.icons-icons.com!
* Other numerous small enhancements and a few minor bug fixes are also included.

The new docs and detailed information are available at the Clarion ProSeries website.

Announcing the grand ProScan/ProImage “Wedding Sale” extension!!!
We planned to make the “official” announcement of the “Wedding Sale” (celebrating the long awaited union of ProScan and ProImage) last Friday, but delays in finalizing the docs, installers and the migration of our existing registration codes into the new RegKISS Management System caused us to delay until today.
As a result - we are going to extend the special pricing on ProImage, ProScan (and the bundle of both products) until midnight Sunday (February 4, 2007).
During that time you can save $25 off ProImage or ProScan or save a whopping $75 on the bundle price!

For more information on ProImage or ProScan, visit the Clarion ProSeries website.

Notepad++ is a free source code editor (and Notepad replacement), which supports several programming languages, running under the MS Windows environment.

This project, based on the Scintilla edit component (a very powerful editor component), written in C++ with pure win32 api and STL (that ensures the higher execution speed and smaller size of the program), is under the GPL Licence.

Screenshots

With Windows Vista set to become available nationwide at 12am this evening (January 29, 2007) and already on store shelves across Asia, Microsoft is preparing a slew of events to kick off its next-generation operating system, including a celebration in New York City today with both Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer. Read more… and comments

The Expert Wizards Report Designer Application System beta 1 has been released for testing by software developers.
This candidate release supports the creation report applications on the client network.
The report applications are automatically generated from the report designer wizard.
All ODBC database, SQL databases and even topspeed databases are now supported.
Developers wishing to test out a complete reporting writing solution to there customers can find out more by emailing Info@Expert<>RemoveToEmail<>Wizards.com.
The report wizard comes with it own customised report generation model that allows developers to customise generation script command options.
Reports can be farther customised in a DOT NET editor that supports code folding and auto prompting plus many features of advanced editors.
All reports and other options are stored in XML and Plain text files allowing for the easy developement of features by developers.
Developers who are moving to csharp at a later date will find that the code base will support csharp as we plan to generate runtime dot net apps from the report applications.

Expert Wizards Ltd.

This version includes several significant improvements and fixes, so please download it asap.
As always, you can either download it from www.clariondesktop.com, or update your existing version by selecting “Check for updates” from the system tray menu.

The alternative to the standard report preview.

New in this version:
* Bugfix. Position of bottom page header.
* New feature: You can set left and right offset for headers.
* New option: “Starting a Preview Window at the same thread”. Sometimes it can be useful.

Product page
Download Demonstration program
Screenshots

The price of xReportPreview is $59. You can buy xReportPreview on ClarionShop.

We are testing FullRecord 1.80 and it is ready for public beta release - available for those with a valid (current) maintenance pack. Just ask me for it.
From February 1st on, FullRecord’s price will be $129, and the Audit Pack will cost $149, so if you don’t have it yet, save $29 and buy it now.
Main new feature on version 1.80 is “Field” inspector window, that can be activated on request (with a button), or in the whole system with a global hot-key. Pressing the hot-key on any field of any window, and you will see the history of changes on that particular field for that particular record. It will work with your actual data - i.e. if you have now a year of FullRecord audit files, with this upgrade you will see the changes for the fields on this year.

www.HuenuLeufu.com
www.ClarionTemplates.com

Clarion 101: Designing A Database
The first step in almost any Clarion application is sorting out the underlying database structure. Dave Harms continues the 101 series with a new database for our old friend Bill Gates.

Accessing Private Class Data
Ever get annoyed by private data in the ABC (or any other) classes? Jeff Slarve has a neat trick for bypassing the PRIVATE attribute.

We appreciate your suggestions as to how we can improve our SetupBuilder product line. Now that Vista support is available in SB6, here are some things we are currently working on.

• Microsoft SQL Server Script Support - Lets you run SQL Scripts as part of your installation.
  
• MSM Merge Module Import - Convert standard Windows Installer Merge Modules (.msm) into native Windows Installer runtime installer for SetupBuilder.
  
• Pocket PC Deployment - Pocket PC installations will allow your to specifically target installations for Pocket PC Windows Mobile 5.0 and Windows CE .NET 5.0 mobile devices.
  
• SoftDefense Support. Please visit: www.softdefense.com.
  
• setupPROTECT Subscription Key Improvements - Support for bulk subscription key generation, and more.

Whats new:
Automaticly generate a MD5 hashfile for the entire backup.
Generate a MD5 check hashfile from the commandline.
See the details at the project managerʼs version page.

Microsoft on Wednesday extended support for its Windows XP Home and Windows XP Media Center operating systems through 2014 to match policies already in place for the business-oriented Windows XP Professional.
The addition of a five-year “extended support” phase to Windows XP will take effect in May 2009. In Microsoft parlance, extended support is the period when all support is fee-based and non-security hotfixes are produced only for corporate customers. Until April of 2009, Windows XP Home and Media Center will remain in what is called “mainstream support,” which offers some no-charge support and free updates that don’t deal with security issues.
Previously, all support for Windows XP Home was slated to end two years after the release of Vista, in other words, at the end of January 2009.
Windows XP debuted in October 2001. By the time it exits extended support, it will have been viable for more than 12 years, a record for Microsoft. In comparison, Windows Vista, which will ship to retail next week, is slated to enjoy support for just 10 years, until April 2017.
Microsoft gave no reason for the support changes to Windows XP.
InformationWeek