the finger-keyboard synapse - September 2005 Archives

September 2005

Web Services "Plus" Page Testing (12:06) - I have received many inquiries about how the Plus upgrade process will work, and how the buy one, get one free deal will work. I am pleased to provide some screenshots of the new Web Services Plus page that will handle these tasks. Suggestions for improvements are welcome. Purchasing Plus Buy One, Get One Free Usage If you're planning on purchasing Plus and would like help test the purchase process (which we have already extensively tested), let me know. We'll...

1.0.6 Beta 2, and no other shoe! (16:30) - Here it is the day after the release of BitWise 1.0.6 Beta 2, and so far there hasn't been any other shoe dropping. Now if only the official release can achieve the same miracle! There have been some updates to the site to reflect information about BitWise Plus now that Plus is semi-public. "Personal Keys" has been added as a feature, and a BitWise Plus section has been added to the FAQ. The table on the sign up page shows...

A new way to add contacts that doesn't stink! (17:36) - Do you ever create something, stand back from it, and say, "Wow, that's brilliant! How can anyone not like that?" Then, you learn some people don't like it, and then a few years later you look at the same thing and say, "What the !$*@& was I thinking?" Yeah, that happened today. It took someone browbeating me about how terrible it was before I realized it, but thank you. You know whe you are. :) Here's the new Add Contact... | 2 Comments

Prison Break (20:36) - Despite my recommendation for last year's TV season (Jack & Bobby) didn't pan out to predict a long-running series, I'm going to go again and hope that I don't create a Sophomore curse. My pick for the new season is the Fox mystery/thriller Prison Break. The basic premise is that Michael commits a crime that lands him in the same prison as his brother Lincoln, who is on death row for killing the President’s brother and scheduled to executed in...

Yes please, I'd like the Google Virus! (16:05) - There are times when the general public becomes so enamored with a company, product, service, etc. that it's dangerous. I think that in some regards, this has happened with Google. Note Well: I have nothing against Google. What I'm questioning is people's judgement. When GoogleTalk was released a few weeks ago, it didn't really do anything new, except it had the "Google" name on it. It had some cute interface ideas, but overall really doesn't have much to it. Yet... | 2 Comments

Toolbars, Routing Servers, Downloads, oh my! (16:51) - Some news, all relating to upcoming releases: For version 1.0.6, there will be only one Linux download supporting GTK 2.2+ (roughly RedHat 9 or newer). Improvements in wxWidgets have allowed adjusting the program's capabilities at run-time. For version 1.0.6, a new Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger) download will be made. The Tiger version will include native toolbars! Down the line, the Tiger version will also switch from Quickdraw to CoreGraphics. The BitWise Routing Server 1.0.6 will be released on Wednesday....

BitWise Plus - Another IM first (10:55) - It's been a very good week of testing the new BitWise Plus capabilities. Hats off to our testers who have done a great job finding inconsistencies, bugs, crashes, etc. Another pre-Beta version went out today to the testers after a week's worth of improvements, so Plus should be Beta-ready within 10 days (assuming no major catastrophes). BitWise Plus represents a bold stride forward among all major public IM systems. You get seamless identity verification without any complicated technical process. Once...

Don't email the seller, call them (10:40) - I'm sure that other eyebrows besides mine raised when hearing the news yesterday that eBay has purchased Skype for $2.6 billion. That's a huge chunk of change. Full Story (Infoworld). The general concensus seems to be that there is some validity to enhancing the communication between buyers and sellers, but $2.6 billion worth of validity? Is eBay going to benefit $2.6 billion worth? It's not immediately obvious, so I guess we'll just have to wait and see. I have read... | 1 Comments

BitWise IM Plus pre-testing begins today (16:22) - BitWise IM Plus pre-testing begins. BitWise Plus is an enhancement to BitWise IM Personal that provides additional security for the security-conscious. Since BitWise Plus is still in the pre-testing phase (i.e. not an official Beta), information is scattered. You can read more about BitWise Plus, discuss BitWise Plus, or become a tester yourself. Look for more news about BitWise Plus soon as it moves into Beta status and towards an official release. This news was also posted today on the...

MacMerc: Freeloader Friday Download of the Week (14:43) - BitWise IM has been included in this week's Freeloader Friday Download of the Week on MacMerc.com. See here. The title of this week's tool collection is "Corporate Contacts."...

Requesting testers for BitWise Plus (16:09) - Just in case you're not a regular forum reader, or a regular beta tester, we need a small group of users to pre-test BitWise Plus. You will receive a pre-release version of the client and access to all Plus capabilities during the testing period. Please post in the forums that you are interested, and then other testers will know who they can test with. Thanks! Testing should begin on Monday!...

Pontiacs everywhere! (10:18) - The service for my grandmother was Sunday afternoon up near Chicago. It was nice to see some family and friends that I haven't seen in a while. I was reminded by the pastor that even though funerals are sad events, they are also a celebration of life. How can you not celebrate 98 years of life? The trip up and back was largely uneventful, but driving along I-65 I think I saw more Pontiacs per capita than I have ever...

First looks at BitWise Plus (18:57) - I'm pleased to bring you the first screenshots of the new BitWise Plus capabilities. Click any screenshot for a larger view: Encryption Preferences: A BitWise Plus Direction Connection: Displaying a BitWise Plus Public Key: Alert for a Different Public Key: Overview of BitWise Plus: Encryption bumped to 1024-bit RSA and 256-bit Blowfish from 512-bit RSA and 128-bit Blowfish. Ability to select your own RSA keys, allowing you to prove your identity. BitWise Plus users get all the benefits of Plus...