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Here’s how to visualise the health of your source code. I want one!

Visual Studio 2005 Beta 1 has been announced:

MSDN Subscribers will be the first to receive Visual Studio 2005 Beta 1, which will be available for subscriber download within just a few days. MSDN Subscribers will also receive Beta 1 in their next MSDN shipments. Within a few weeks, non-subscribers will also be able to order a copy of Beta 1 for a nominal fulfillment fee.

Digital Spy has some tasty gossip regarding forthcoming Sky+ updates and Sky’s plans for HD.

Update: The BBC are showing 4/5 feeds per channel or Olympics coverage. I can’t work out how to record any of them except the main feed!

I’m a fully paid-up AI RoboForm user,
and now I’ve made the switch from MyIE2 to
Firefox I’d been keen to
find out when RoboForm would support Firefox 0.9 (RoboForm has an "adapter"
which makes it work with specific versions of Mozilla, Netscape, and Firefox).
So, I fired off a message to the Siber Systems support team only to get a rather
rude reply telling me to not ask that question again, and to see the
web page regarding
Firefox support. Hey, don’t mind me, I’m just a PAYING CUSTOMER you know.

So anyway, as of today the page says it supports Firefox 0.9, the application
says it supports Firefox 0.9, but when I run it it doesn’t detect Firefox 0.9

It’s a shame, because the new beta of RoboForm is a lot better than previous
versions, and they’re also working on a Pocket PC version.

Anyone know how to get this sucker to work? I’d ask Siber Systems for
support, but…

Update: I downloaded the adapter again this morning (24/6/04) and it now detects and installs with Firefox 0.9. However, Firefox now crashes when I try to open a page containing the HtmlArea component (i.e. when editing blog posts) - so it must have been RoboForm that stopped it working under Firefox 0.8 as well! Bummer.  I’ll have to either use IE for editing posts, or not use RoboForm in Firefox. So near, and yet so far…

With all the
fuss
over the copy protection on the new Beastie Boys CD, To the 5 Boroughs,
maybe I’d better send my copy back before I open it and just download it instead. What with it installing
weird DRM
drivers and all, BitTorrent sounds like the safer option! Add in the possibility
that it might not work in my car or on my Xbox, PS2, or whatever, and the idea
gets even more attractive.

OK, so I’m fortunate enough to live in the UK and so my copy probably
won’t do the dirty deed, but surely some people are going to be tempted to
download the music illegally rather than risk having to reinstall windows should
they absent-mindedly pop it in in their PC? Counter-production at its best.

Pete asked me to review Orbital’s Blue Album as it arrived in the post today. So here it is; my review in the style of Top Gear’s six-word car reviews - exactly six words per track.

1. Transient - Rhythmic, random wobbly nonsense, with violins.
2. Pants - Synthetic, restrained, could use a remix.
3. Tunnel Vision - Harsh, disturbing in places. Ultimately disappointing.
4. Lost - Slower, reminds me of "The Box."
5. You Lot - Luscious sounds, unpredictable melodies. Unmistakably Orbital.
6. Bath Time - Nursery rhymes for the baby robots.
7. Acid Pants - Hartnolls do Hardfloor with hard hats.
8. Easy Serv - Bossa Nova "Tales of the Unexpected."
9. One Perfect Sunrise - Suitably reflective close to Orbital’s discography.

It’s no classic, but it’s still a reasonable effort for their last album. On its own, You Lot is excellect. Buy it for that if nothing else!

My boss has just noticed that Tim Henman has employed an unusual tactic to win his first ever Wimbledon title this year - he’s entered the Ladies event.

According to the IBM Real-Time Scoreboard, that is

If you’re trying to call somebody called Alec Crawford on my mobile phone number, don’t bother. He’s not here, whoever he is.

Here’s one of those mildly amusing tidbits that you get in your Inbox every day (thanks, Matt):

Highway code amendment 2004/0132

In order to assist other motorists in identifying potentially dangerous drivers, it has recently become compulsory for anyone with lower than average driving ability to display a warning flag (comprising of a red cross on a white background) attached to the top of at least one door of their vehicle.

For drivers of exceptionally low ability, flags on both sides of the vehicle are required.

Apologies to readers who don’t reside in England, you won’t have a clue what this is about.